Aaaw, I think I really found a new go-to author for books that transport me to my happy place.

After reading Rustic Melody I had this big smile on my face and this sweet goey feeling in my stomach. So I was one happy little cmaper when I received the second series in the series.

And while this story contains some darker and more angsty themes, overall it still was a sweet and light read that brought me back to my happy land with all the love and rainbows. Bite me, on some days I need all the fluff I can get.

This installment though, really starts with a bang. Tyler, running wild with his best friend and lover, witnesses the tragic accident that ends his first boyfriend's life. Fast forward, years later he's still feeling the pain, but in addition to that, he has a whole new set of hurt, loss and loneliness he's bringing home with him to Armindale. Mac McGrath spent his whole life in Armindale, leaving his gangly, akward teenage years (in which he had a huge crush on Tyler) behind, growing up and growing strong, only to discover that his crush on Tyler Samuels might not be as long forgotten as he thought it was.

I really enjoyed their journey together, although I might have wanted a little more exploration of the dark side of things. Tyler's grief and pain are present, no doubt about it. And they still influence all his actions greatly. I guess I could have done with a little more grieving and coping. But then that's problably just me, plus: the loss was not exactly completely fresh. So yeah, that one's on me.

Other than that I didn't connect as much to these two guys than two the MCs in the first book - but again: that's on me.

It's still an engaging, sweet and heart-warming read and I definitely recommend it to everyone who is looking something that warms you up from the inside and makes you smile.

*copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review*

Very sweet and sexy comfort read! 

Adam Chambers is a young man on a journey without destination. After a big falling-out with his father about business and their private life, Adam leaves his home, family and job in order to find his own way in life. The problem is, he still has no idea what to do with himself.

Joey is 21 and owns his own bar/hotel/bistro. Not that this ever was his dream choice, but after his father's death and his mother falling ill, he was slightly out of options. Now all he wants is for the pub to pay for itself on the market, set up his mom comfortably with his aunt, and finally start his own life for real.

These two lost boys meet each other at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and immediately feel the Zing! But after Joey's vacation is cut short abruptly, these two have a lot of decisions to make - alone and together. Good thing they can help each other figuring things out. 

This book is a sweet, low-angst comfort read for rainy days or dark moments. Adam and Joey are cute together, but Joey especially stole my heart. He's not perfect, he's not a gym rat, his hair is red, his skin too pale, he has practically no business skills other than interacting with his patrons, but his pride is still alive and kicking. I loved him! And I enjoyed the journey of these two boys very much, especially because there were no fabricated misunderstandings, no artificial shouting matches or silly games. These men talk and listen. Granted, they might be a little slow on the uptake here and there, but they're adorable and sweet doing it, so who cares, really? 

In the beginning I was a little afraid this would be an insta-love kind of story with a very predictable main plot. I'm happy to say that while there is some insta-lust going on here, the development, the sexy and sweet moments and the personal journey of both MCs was well thouhgt out - nothing insta about it. The pace was good, and the writing drew me in right until the end. Was it flawless? By all means, no. There were some "Well, duh?!"-moments, some situations where I wanted to shake both MCs and make their teeth rattle. But it never reduced my enjoyment of the story at any point in time. 

The only niggle I had was the showing vs. the telling. When it came to the side characters, some of them remained a little rough around the edges and pale in comparison to the MCs. Same goes for the main conflict between Adam and his father. It's not that I didn't get the drift, or that there weren't interactions between the two that made it clear how big the rift between the two really is. But I really wished for more on-page action showing it to me. Joey's struggle keeping the bar afloat was handled similarly, although we got more glimpses of how hard he really works in order to survive. In both cases though, while we did get some hints and clues, a lot of it was only told and explained. I just wished for a little more showing here and there. 

But overall, this was a very enjoyable book, perfect for curling up under a warm blanket with some hot coffee and cookies. It certainly got me out of my little reading funk, after some of my other books started to weigh me down with the angst. Definitely recommended! 

*copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Nic Starr! 

You had me at: Holiday Road Trip!

Aaaaaw, this melted my grinch-y heart and just in time for the holidays.

Charlie has to get home for Christmas. He HAS to. Because as surreal as it sounds, if he doesn't, he just knows something awful will happen to his little sister again. He dreamt about it. And his little girl sure as hell had enough bad things happen to her for a lifetime or three. But things don't go as planned, and before he knows it, he's in a car with Gavin freaking Bloomberg. The guy who broke his heart and never even apologized for it. But the years of resentment weren't onesided, and for good reasons. Naturally, the journey promises to be straining and tense for both guys. Long suppressed feelings surfacing don't exactly make things easier.

This was one hell of a wonderful ride! I loved both MCs, their interactions and their inner struggles. It was beautiful to watch how they worked through their issues, cleared up past misunderstandings and soothed hurts they didn't even know they still had. Keira Andrews did a wonderful job with this holiday story. It has just the right amount of sweetness, bitterness and hurt to make it a great comfort read for lonely days. Sure, it was coated in an adequate amount of sugar, but it wasn't too sweet for my taste. Especially because things weren't automatically awesome just because the two fell into bed together. Family, friends, past, present, future - nothing was too easy, but also not too angsty.

Like I said, the right amount of everything to make it one of my favorite holiday reads 2015.

Oh my god, I loved this!

Danny was adorable, an open and sweet and wonderful grasshopper. He was so full of light and energy. Jamie was the almost complete opposite. Clearly unhappy with his life, trapped under the foot of his old man, jaded and underneath it all so very angry and scared because he couldn't get it right. Couldn't go back, couldn't go forward, he was just miserable every day. Until Danny and all his light and heart came into his life and threw him for a loop or three.

These two together made me swoon and giggle and my heart beat in a funny rhythm. It was the perfect mix of emotions and fun and hotness. I absolutely loved it and soooo wouldn't mind a nice, long sequel. *wink,wink,nudge,nudge*