Blurb: When Hunter decides he wants more from his relationship with Jake, the couple finds themselves at a crossroads. Never home for more than a few weeks at a time, Jake has been running from the pain of a rocky childhood ever since high school, when he first enlisted in the army. The thing is, he always comes back to Hunter’s bed. It’s not the kind of commitment Hunter wants, but it’s the kind he’s settled for—that and a dead-end job at the local bookstore in the small Southern town where he grew up. When Jake reveals his plans to make a full-time career in the army, Hunter wonders if he’s putting his life on hold for a relationship that will never happen. He needs to say something now before he loses Jake. However, if Jake can’t conquer his demons, Hunter’s asking for more is sure to drive him away.
Review: This is a very powerful short story. The title is perfect, as my emotions took flight, complete with turbulence, storms, and a happy landing. The way the authors writes was powerful enough to make some of the more emotional scenes feel like a kick to the chest, other times I was feeling as scared and hurt as the main character, angry, impressed, frustrated, then crying. In my admittedly often twisted standards, if any work of art, including writing, can make me feel so strongly and keep my attention from beginning to end, it is successful.
Often times in life you have to make painful, yet mature, decisions, you can’t live your life entirely for someone else, you need to make sacrifices yes, but there is a fine line. Hunter found that line, but is afraid of what it might mean to step across it.
This is a story of love, commitment, heartbreak, reality, and misunderstanding, and yes, a happy ending. A must read!
Blurb: Finn McMurphy convinces himself his spoiled dogs are all the company he needs. Then he meets Crawford, his sexy new neighbor, and everything changes.
Patient soul Finn McMurphy teaches music and drama to middle schoolers. By the time he’s finished with after-school rehearsals and the private lessons he teaches to make ends meet, he’s too exhausted to think about dating or even hanging out with friends. He’s resigned to life with his music, his students, and his ludicrously spoiled Yorkies.
Then he meets Crawford Bixby. Crawford may be the most perfect man Finn has ever met—kind, good with kids, gorgeous, and completely unconcerned with Finn’s lack of ability to be coherent around him. Finn falls hard for him, but he’s terrified of what he feels. Will he be able to step out of the controlled world he’s created for himself and take a chance on love, or will he keep making excuses—rehearsals, papers to grade, dogs to walk—and push Crawford away?
Review: What happens when a man living with guilt and afraid to break free of the chains holding him to the past meets his future? Finn and Crawford make a great couple, if Finn would allow himself to let go of his guilt and go after what he really wants without fear that the entire world he’s constructed for himself will suddenly implode. Instead, what he does is lives in his cocoon even when life hands him everything he wants on a platter. It will take a good patient man to wait for Finn and Crawford is that man. So Crawford waits and Finn finally gets a clue and amidst singing demonic lap dogs and children performing show tunes – one man finds his way out of the unnecessary maze he lives in, and into the sunlight.
Finn is delightfully uptight and Crawford is steadfast and solid. The reader will love both men even when Finn is acting like an ass and creating issues where none should be. The two men find each other and the reader is happy. A heart-warming short read.
Blurb: Stuart Cochrane and Philip Sundstrom make an unlikely pair. Philip’s brother, Brad, can’t imagine his brother with another man, let alone with the coxswain he razzed throughout his college rowing career. But somehow, they settle into a relationship that works as Philip helps Stuart navigate the pressures of deciding between medical school and competing for a spot on the national rowing team. In turn, Stuart helps Philip with his problems at work, where he’s faced with a rebellious board of directors.
Yet soon enough, the pressures take their toll. Stuart comes to resent the easy way Philip spends money, while Philip worries about Stuart’s time commitments. He’ll do anything to come to the rescue, including spending his money to grease the rails for Stuart, but Stuart resents the rich so much it drives a wedge between them.
Then Stuart finds himself facing the greatest crisis of his life. There’s only one person he can turn to—but Philip has his own demons to battle in the form of his board trying to frame him for their own unethical actions. Will Philip be able to aid Stuart while he extricates himself from his board’s trap, or will his divided attention cost them both everything that matters?
Review: I must say I’m quite delighted to have started this New Year with such a nicely written book. I enjoyed every line of this story, but most of all I fell in love with the writing itself. The underlying wittiness and peculiar humor made it a heck of a ride, and gave me such a great time.
This story is a part of a series that I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t read before. However, it’s easily read as a standalone. The only problem I faced was, or rather is the fact that I want to go grab all the books of the series now and inhale them.
So in this book you’ll read Stuart Cochrane and Philip Sundstrom’s love story. Stuart is getting ready to start med school while at the same time he’s been given the opportunity to compete for a spot on the National Rowing team. The stress of decision-making is wearing him down, and there comes Philip, like an unwavering rock to ask him the one question no one has before. What does Stuart want? As for Philip, this confident, cool man, dangerous like a shark, he finds a quiet strength and wisdom in Stuart that helps him ground his deeply hidden emotions. Mostly, Stuart brings out the best of him right about the time when he feels lost and alone in the world.
What starts as casual friendship with benefits turns quickly into more and while emotions and feeling grow stronger, so does differences and mostly Stuart’s hang ups with money. Before either of them knows it, things start collapsing and the couple faces a permanent break.
Okay, so I really, really wanted to slap the hell out of Stuart. This character was frustrating to the point I’d love a chance to shake him up a bit. His past did quite a number in him and the fact he couldn’t let go the money issue until the very end made me wishes I had this book in paperback and slam it on someone’s head. As charming and lovable as he was, he was a total jerk and God I got pissed with him, as in really pissed. So while I recognize the fact that this fictional character took life for me at some point, the frustration I felt for most of the read just put me down a bit. But Philip’s character made up for it in spades. I simply adored him. I loved his cold and calculating nature. I loved his icy patience. I worshiped his incredibly awesome revenge on his father. The entire CEO persona was just one huge turn on that quite literally made me drool over him, but when he went off of his office, and into Stuart’s arms, turning into a completely different man, I just lost it. For me this character was the shining spot and the reason to read this book all over again. I can’t say how memorable he is, and what an impact he makes, even as I felt that he should have made Stuart grovel a bit after the stunt he pulled for Christmas.
Overall, the love story was great and quite approachable. Even as Philip was a bit surreal for me at times, I enjoyed this relationship immensely. The erotic part was fantastic and so down to earth I just wanted more and more. Sensual and hot, this pair literally makes you scream for more. The chemistry is strong and the writing makes it able for you to feel their intensity, not only through the erotic scenes, but also through their overall relationship. I also have to admit to tearing up there for a couple of scenes. I don’t think anyone can suffer through the Pittsburgh scene all cool and composed, and the cover scene is an emotional rollercoaster as well.
As for the rest of the book, when you take away the romance and erotic parts, you’re left with a great story, highly intriguing and enticing. Now, the bitch in me would have been better satisfied with a bit more salt at the wounds of the baddies, but alas, no one can have it all, right?
Bottom end, I loved this book, it was great, awesome even, and I strongly recommend it to fans of Contemporary Romance. As for me, I need to go and catch up with the previous CalPac Crew books as well. Enjoy!
Title: Taking Flight
