Title: When in Bloom

Series: Southern Charm 04

Author: Nicole Dennis

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (52K)

ISBN: 9781784304249

Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (February 20th, 2015) Available for early download January 23rd 2015

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Cat

Blurb: Could the personal challenges of a former Army doctor and a brilliant florist get in the way of a chance at life and love?

Fighting Type One diabetes since childhood, Jude Sebastian runs to prove he can live a normal life, until epileptic seizures begin to change his life. Even with Dawson, his Medical Alert Golden Labrador, at his side Jude finds daily life difficult. He owns the floral shop, Flowers in the Breeze, and designs everything from simple bouquets to elaborate themes for weddings and celebrations.

At the Shore Breeze Clinic, Jude comes across a man clearly suffering with a PTSD episode. A new arrival in the small town, Doctor Elliott Sheffield, a retired Army Ranger doctor is looking for a second chance after what he saw in the Middle Eastern deserts.

Wanting a normal relationship, Jude tries to deny his disorders, but something is happening. He can’t regulate his sugars and his disorder worsens. When he returns to the clinic, Dawson alerts him to an oncoming seizure.

Will the personal issues and challenges of both men get in the way of a chance at love?

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes referencing PTSD, seizures and diabetes.

Purchase Link: https://www.totallybound.com/when-in-bloom

Review: This is book 4 of the southern Charm series but stands alone just fine.

When in bloom is a beautiful romance between two men with handicaps. I loved both of these men and their fight to have a normal life and love. Jude owns the flower shop in town and has type one diabetes and seizures. He is a sweet man and very careful to monitor his health. He meets Elliott when I he is at the clinic to try to see why he is having more problems after getting an insulin pump. Elliott is coming for an interview and is caught in a storm that triggers his PTSD Jude recognizes the symptoms and he and his alert dog comfort Elliott and get him through it.

I loved that this story wasn’t about two perfect men. They both have their issues and still can find love though it is such a challenge. There are a couple twists and a really sad part with one of Elliott’s patients dying of aids. I cried my eyes out. There are lots of sweet yet emotional moments in this book and some fun, sweet and sexy ones as well. I loved getting another peek at Malcomb, too.

My only real issue is it brings up some of the unsolved mysteries from the other books, and there is another mystery connecting the others, that was mentioned then dropped. I am hoping it will all come out in the final book and I hope that’s not too soon, since I love this series.

If you like sweet romance, broken me, handicaps, cute cats and dogs, and some sexy sensual man-sex this is for you!

Title: On the Green

Series: Southern Charms, #3

Author: Nicole Dennis

Genre: Gay Contemporary

Length: Novel (193 pages)

ISBN: 9781784301866

Publisher: Totally Bound (September 9th 2014)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts

Reviewer: Cat

Blurb: Can a flashy sous chef and a hard-working landscaper go beyond their pasts and find one another?

Homeless as a teen, Malcolm Bissette has found a new life at the Southern Charm. Flamboyant, he often changes his hair color on a whim. At sixteen, he crushed hard on the landscaper Reece Simpson.

Now all grown up, Malcolm still has a crush on Reece, but there appears to be no reciprocation from him. Malcolm watches him at work every day from the kitchen, but lets the crush disappear. He vows to forget the man—that is, until Reece changes the entire game.

Waiting for years to get his hands on the vast overgrowth around the Charm, Reece Simpson dives into the project with enthusiasm. Preferring plants to people, he sticks to just brief moments with men. There is one man he would consider staying beyond a moment with, though—the flashy, colorful sous chef at the Southern Delights. Realising his feelings, Reece is knocked off his feet by a wave of emotions. Is he in time to catch this flirty chef?

What would it be like to have Mal in bed? Would it make the summer afternoons even steamier? Is there a chance for love for both of them? Could they entertain the idea of a life together like their friends?
Purchase Link: https://www.totallybound.com/on-the-green

Review: This is book three in the Southern Charm series. You do need to read these in order. You can find them all here https://www.totallybound.com/series/southern-charm.

On the Green Picks up with Reese. He owns a busy landscaping business. He has been dying to get hold of working the Charm and would also like to get his hands on the sexy sous chef Malcolm. He always thought he was cute but too young. Now he is a very sexy, flamboyant young man who likes colorful hair.

Malcolm was thrown out when he came out and Dakota had found him at 16, gave him a job as dishwasher and helped him rise to head sous chef. He has crushed on Reese since he first met him but Reese doesn’t seem to know he exists.

I hate to say this but I didn’t like this one near as much as the other two. It seemed a bit unconnected at times. I didn’t see where the first couple of chapters even fit in with Reese on a job elsewhere. Also, there were some places where we got scenes that had happened in other books instead of referencing back almost as if this book was in-between each of the others instead of following. So though I said this series should be read in-order you may actually enjoy reading this one on its own more. LA so the ongoing issues form the last two books ever got brought up and reconciled still.

Having said that, I do love Malcolm. Love him in all the books. He is bright and colorful (literally) I adored the reference to his hair and mood changes. I also love the energetic Dorian and cannot wait to see his story.

If you like ongoing series, charming southern towns, landscaping, cooking and some fairly hot mansex this is for you