Solids And Stripes by Julia Talbot

May 15, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Solids And Stripes by Julia Talbot
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

One of the new guys at the young Apex Security company, Lucas loves his work as a bodyguard, and he’s pretty fond of his work family too. When they send him out to protect jaguarundi shifter movie star Cash Weatherby, Lucas figures he’s going to get a spoiled, bored actor who has way too much time and money on his hands. Cash’s reputation bears that out, too, but Lucas soon finds out nothing could be farther from the truth.

Cash is easy to work with, good to his team, and is under threat from someone who sets off a bomb on one of his movie sets. As Lucas tries to keep Cash safe, two things begin to become clear: the threat to Cash is not political or professional, it’s personal, and that Cash might just be the one this tiger shifter has waited for all his life. Can they keep Cash safe long enough to make a life together?

Lucas loves his work as a bodyguard at Apex Security, and while he figures the young movie star he’s sent out to protect will be some spoiled, bored kid he’s pleasantly surprised to find Cash isn’t like that at all. Sparks fly between Lucas and Cash, but can they both stay safe long enough to see if they might become more together?

I thoroughly enjoyed Talbot’s Apex Investigations series so was pretty happy when I stumbled on this – the first book in an offshoot series. While Lucas and Cash are new characters, Apex Security is a side-line for the old Investigations crew and so there are decent cameos from all the gang there. I feel this was a really smooth move by the author – it helped bring me in as a reader, and once Lucas and Cash were introduced, I was solidly on board for their adventure together.

Much of what I loved about Talbot’s previous books are still on show here – strong friendship links and a sort of pack mentality between the characters, and a decently paced plot. Add in some smoking chemistry and two shifters who are both strong willed but crazily attracted to each other and it’s a brilliant formula that I greatly enjoyed. The sub-plot of the dangerous stalker was a little bit cliched, but I still felt it was handled quite well by the author – keeping tension and some conflict in the story but not leaning too heavily on the trope and being boring.

Readers looking for a sizzling paranormal romance story with some different shifters and a lot of strong ties and emotion between the characters and a hint of adventure/danger should find this to be a good and interesting read. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Alpha And Bear by Julia Talbot

March 23, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Alpha And Bear by Julia Talbot
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Wolf shifter PI Mick Hartness is sick to death of being on the bad side of a criminal who wants him and his while team dead. Now, with the help of the cops and the feds, Apex Investigations Inc. is closer than ever to reeling the guy in and getting back to living life without hiding. But that means Mick needs all of his mixed pack on deck and ready to fight, including their youngest member, bear shifter Kit, who Mick has the softest spot for.

Kit is sure his skills can help not only catch their nemesis, but help take some of the stress of running the agency off Mick. Too bad Mick will never see him as anything as a kid who needs to be protected. Which is why Kit decides to strike out on his own and get a job that allows him to do more than take pictures of cheating husbands and keep the motor pool running.

The thought of losing Kit finally makes Mick ready to show Kit how he really feels; that kit his mate. Can he keep Kit with him and also catch a killer who’s becoming more and more dangerous everyday? Or will Mick lose everything he holds dear?

Mick is tired of his family and team being hunted by their nemesis. They’ve had a few close calls in recent months and Mick is determined to remove this threat so their family can finally relax and enjoy life again. Kit is certain his Bear skills can help capture the lunatic determined to destroy them, but his efforts keep being frustrated by their team – Mick in particular – still thinking of him as the slightly lost and very young man he was many years ago when Kit joined in with them. Kit is determined, and so he strikes out on his own, certain he can bring this mess to and end and have Mick finally see him for the strong, capable and fully grown man that he is.

I’ve really enjoyed the three previous stories in this series and while I believe this might be the last one it wraps everything up so beautifully I’d be happy to leave the Apex group here if needed. Equally, I’d be more than happy to read further adventures should they happen to come down the line. I really enjoyed how this book and series was equal parts fun and just a little silly, I found this to be is a great paranormal romance with a cast of vibrant and interesting characters, a good and solid plot and just a dash of fun and silliness. It’s a great, happy read and one I know I’ll enjoy again.

Mick and Kit have been circling each other throughout the series. I was fairly sure they’d end up together and happily though it was worth every moment waiting and reading through this to see the two men get themselves together and organized. Readers looking for a steamy and sexy story should find this really satisfies that aspect to what they’re looking for. In equal parts though there is a strong mystery and I found the plot interesting and not just half baked.

I thought this was a well rounded book with good pacing, great characters and a strong plot. I enjoyed it immensely and will be sad if this is the end of this series, but the four sharp and quick books will make for great re-reading down the track. Highly recommended – both this and the others in the series – and an excellent author I’ll be sure to check out again.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Back Forty by BA Tortuga

May 31, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Back Forty by BA Tortuga
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Rusty’s going it alone on the family farm, trying to make ends meet and his breeding scheme work. Too bad he’s really a college boy at heart, and having a hard time getting all of the work done all by himself.

When he finds Wayne standing next to a broken down truck on the side of the road, it just seems like someone out there was hearing his prayers. Wayne stays on for room and board and a chance to get his truck fixed up, and as they get to know each other, both Wayne and Rusty decide maybe they don’t have to be single guys anymore.

Rusty is driving back to his farm, hoping to beat the storm blowing in, when he passes a stranger with a broken down truck. Being friendly, Rusty gives Wayne a tow to his farm and they each find perhaps exactly what they were looking for.

This is a deliciously hot, fairly short cowboy romance. While I really enjoyed both Rusty and Wayne’s characters the main thrust of the story is the blossoming romance and steamy intimacy between the two men as they grow ever more fond and attracted to each other. Readers looking for a deeply plotted or complicated story might not find this suits their tastes – but I personally really enjoyed the connection between the two main characters and enjoyed watching them come together and begin to build a strong and meaningful relationship together.

I found the intimacy between the two cowboys hot and descriptive. I also enjoyed the fact that they clearly meshed well together on an emotional level and not just physically. Readers looking for a short but hot cowboy M/M romance story should find this satisfying and enjoyable.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ranch Manny by BA Tortuga

May 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Ranch Manny by BA Tortuga
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Trace is down on his luck, out of his teaching job, and on the road with his young daughter Susannah. Just as he’s contemplating tucking his proverbial tail between his legs and heading back to his ex or his parents to ask for help, a job opportunity falls into his lap. What he’s not sure about is working for a handsome cowboy. On a ranch. In the middle of nowhere.

Cowboy Brent has a ranch to run. three kids he inherited when his cousin passed away, and an elderly ranch hand with Alzheimer’s to care for. He needs help, stat, and when Trace falls shows up at the local diner, Brent doesn’t hesitate, even though he knows people might question Trace’s rainbow dreads and piercings.
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As Trace struggles to fit in and do his ranch manny job, and Brent tries to make time to breathe, the two of them find common ground and gradually a burning heat for each other. But can they make a real home together, or will everything fall apart as they both try to keep up with all their responsibilities, and face a life or death situation for all of them?

I really enjoyed this full-length romance. Readers looking for a long, slow drop from strangers to friends to family to lovers should find this a delicious and well paced romance. I really enjoyed both Trace and Brent’s characters, finding them well written, realistic and best of all not perfect. Brent has a very slight temper when things get frayed and he can snap (like everyone alive I know) and isn’t afraid to own up to it and apologise quickly and honestly. I was particularly pleased that while the chemistry and attraction between the two men was present pretty much from their first meeting the pace of the story really gave them a lot of time to setting into a routine first, get to know each other and find their rhythm before they (much later into the book) acted on their feelings. No insta-lust here and no jumping into bed the moment the kids went to sleep. It was really clear the kids and their slowly meshing family was front and center and the main focus of both men. I really liked that.

There is also an excellent cast of very strongly written secondary characters, from Curly and the other ranch hands to a few other members of the small country town this book was full of lovely characters and wasn’t simply focused on Trace, Brent and their kids. That helped give the story as a whole a really well rounded feel to me and made it seem so much richer and deeper than just two men struggling against the odds and finding love.

While certainly a cowboy story I found this to be strongly emotional and in its own cowboy way really romantic. Readers who enjoy a small-town feel and slower paced, more deeply written romances should definitely give this a try. I’ve not read a lot by this author but I was really impressed and found the story gripping and really emotional and addictive. I definitely plan to look at her other titles and cherry pick a few more for my to-read pile.

Romantic, well paced and with vivid and the style of characters that stick with you, this realistic and really loving story was an excellent find and a story I’m sure I’ll read again in the future.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,