monday minis

Untouchable by Kay Simone, Ruth Luhnow

Source: Kindle Unlimited

“You’ve been alone for years and a hot gay massage therapist shows up at your door ready to screw. That’s the plot of a porn, not a romance.”

Morton Harper--Harp for short--is 44, divorced, hated by most of his picturesque Colorado town, and more than happy to spend the rest of his life holed up in the cabin he built on Storm Mountain. But when Harp seeks out a massage therapist to help him heal after a car accident, his whole world is turned upside down. Parker is almost two decades younger than Harp, handsome, and full of life--he should be the kind of person Harp hates. Instead, Harp finds himself reluctantly charmed by Parker’s bubbly personality, his patience for all of Harp’s quirks… and Parker’s six-pack doesn’t hurt either.

"I know I can trust you. And I know you’re being kind. But I’m rusty at having a friend."

Parker James is a miracle worker, both with muscles and with picky clients. But with Harp, he may have met his match. From the moment he sees Harp--axe in hand, glaring at him from the front yard, Parker knows he has his work cut out for him. But though Harp is moody, ornery, and closed off, Parker keeps catching a glimpse of someone who is funny and compassionate... and wounded. As they strike up an unlikely friendship, Parker longs for more--and though Harp has hurts of his own, he’s helping Parker heal his, too.

“I’ve never had someone like you before. Someone who wanted to take care of me. Someone who made me feel like I was the most important thing in the universe.”

As their sessions progress, both men find themselves falling for the other. But Parker’s confidence was shattered by a cruel ex and Harp is still reeling from a painful divorce and dramatic outing--and their own families and past hurts prove difficult to navigate, even as they come together. It’s undeniable that Parker and Harp make each other stronger and better--but can Parker really reach someone so untouchable?

Untouchable is a 275,000 word contemporary slow burn m/m romance with enemies-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, and May/December themes. ). ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: This book was soooooooo long. Even the summary is too long! Harp and Parker were great, troubled characters but this book could have been cut in half (at least) & probably would have still been too long. There is a constant stream of self doubt and miscommunication after every single interaction, obstacles tossed in at every turn. One step forward – three steps back. I don’t even know why I kept reading. Morbid curiosity, I think. I half expected amnesia or even one of the MC's to die or at least have a life altering injury tossed in. Then…the real issues – Parker’s often cruel and controlling parents & Harp’s ASSHOLE brother are dealt with off page. It’s too bad, because, like I said, the guys are great and there’s a solid foundation for an amazing story there.



A Girl Like Her (Ravenswood #1) by Talia Hibbert

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Everyone has secrets. He wants all of hers.

Meet the man next door...

After years of military service, Evan Miller wants a quiet life. The small town of Ravenswood seems perfect—until he stumbles upon a vicious web of lies with his new neighbour at its centre. 

Ruth Kabbah is rude, awkward, and, according to everyone in town, bad news. Thing is, no-one will tell Evan why. Does she perform ritual sacrifices? Howl at the moon? Pour the milk before the tea? He has no clue.

But he desperately wants to find out. Because Ruth doesn’t seem evil to him; she seems lonely. And funny, and clumsy, and secretly quite sweet, and really f*%king beautiful…

The more Evan’s isolated, eccentric neighbour pushes him away, the more he wants her. Her—and all her secrets. Because there’s no way a girl like Ruth truly deserves the town’s scorn.
… Is there? ~ Goodreads


My thoughts: A wonderful romance, set in the UK, between a WoC, with autism (own voices), heroine who has become the town pariah and the sweetest hero I’ve read in a long, long time.

People keep warning Evan off of Ruth – telling hims he’s the town whore, she’s dumb, she’s bad news. Although she is often abrupt and awkward with Evan, he likes to make up his own mind about people. Ruth’s protective shell keeps cracking bit by bit as Evan brings her homemade dinners. first Shepard's pie, then lasagna – didn’t I say he was the sweetest??!!

To be a tad nitpicky – there’s a lot from Ruth’s past that is revealed a little too slowly to the reader. Her interactions with other characters (especially her sister) and reactions often don’t quite make sense without context and while the ending was solid for Evan and Ruth – there were several other things, involving other characters, that were brought up and dropped, . I’m sure they’ll will be dealt with in future books but it felt odd. Nevertheless, A Girl like Her was a charming, often funny, slow burn romance.



Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) by Annabeth Albert

Source: e-arc provided in exchange for an honest review

In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy. Even after six years, Mark can’t shake the memory of his close encounter with Isaiah James, or face up to what it says about his own sexuality.

Isaiah’s totally over the crush that made him proposition Mark all those years ago. In fact, he’s done with crushing on the wrong men altogether. For now, he’s throwing himself into proving he’s the best person to care for his cousin’s kids. But there’s no denying there’s something sexy about a big, tough military man with a baby in his arms.

As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts:  The Out of Uniform series is one of my favorites and this is yet another strong installment. Squared Away was almost too angsty for me, but Albert has a gift for taking flawed  or complicated characters to the edge and then showing how they learn and grow as individuals before coming together as a couple.

Mark and Isaiah have a lot to work through – a battle over the guardianship of 3 children after the death of Mark’s sister/Isaiah’s cousin, an age difference, Mark's demi sexual/grey ace sexuality (which Isaiah is awesome about), and enormous life changes but they learn to work as a team and overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.