relly's reviews
2290 reviews

4 stars

At the start I wasn't sure whether I liked these guys and their way of doing business, but by about half way through the book I was hooked, I love these guys.

Each of the guys are hiding their own secrets and they all come out in this opening book of the series, some more open than others. North looks the more put together of the two but he hides a painful secret and my heart broke for him. Shaw who was the more out there of the two, his past is a bit more open but he is still suffering from it. I enjoyed watching him come out of his shell a bit 

The mystery was good. It took I bit to pull me in as we went around in circles following the clues but by the end I figured I knew who did it and I wanted to know how the guys were going to work it out. I got more than I bargained for but it was highly entraining. 

I enjoyed how both guys have their strengths and they are both as smart as each other. They took different ways of getting there, but hey both got to the same part together. It's not just one super smart detective and the other one the friendly side kick. 

Looking forward to the next one 

3.75 stars

Audio book

Good addition to the series
I really liked Fisher and Chase. I liked the way they spent the time getting to know each other before starting anything. They became friends and Chase was honest that he didn't know if he was ready to start anything with Fisher, once he actually talked to the guys and got his head around his feelings he went back and fixed things.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters, Chase's ex wife who was encouraging and definitely Fishers best friend who championed the relationship and gave them time alone together. 

3 stars

I’ve previously read and enjoyed some of Tia Fielding’s work, so when this was offered on GRR and I read the blurb, I figured this was right up my alley. Unfortunately I wanted to enjoy it more than I did. 

What I liked
The idea of the story. I liked the idea of a wolf who is thrust into the job of Alpha and seeing how he gets the pack back on track. In some ways this was good. I liked how Brodie interacted with the pack, he came across alpha when needed and he gave the pack members somewhere safe to land. Some of the pack members had big issues and help was given when needed. There were also renovations that were needed to the pack house he inherited. I think it helped that he had a friend with money, so no problem was really an issue as the money was there for the taking.

Kye and Carys. The two human pack members, brother and sister, were a great addition to the storyline. I think Carys was really brave and the fact that she wanted to stay there after what happened to her is amazing. It was good seeing her come out of her shell was the story progressed and she became more comfortable with the pack members. I also liked that Kye when faced with becoming part of a pack decided to research before making assumptions and tried to learn everything he could about wolves. 

I also enjoyed that the relationship between Brodie and Kye was taken slowly. They didn’t rush into a sexual relationship just because they were mates, they took the time to get to know each other and till they were ready.

What I didn’t like
The D/S Parts. I know that was in the blurb but really didn’t have any impact on the story and it felt like it was only brought out occasionally. Brodie to me didn’t come across as Dom, he was too soft and spent majority of the time making sure everyone was comfortable.

The relationship between Brodie and Rian. I’ll be honest – I really like Rian but that fact that Brodie kept calling Rian sweetness and telling him he loved him, it felt like they were the main couple, not a friendship and they came across as the better pairing at times. They were more believable as they felt like they had the better connection. 

I also wasn’t a fan of the relationship between Ben and Max, with what was alluded to, if I understood it correctly, it didn’t sit well with me as that is hard limit and a warning would have been appreciated. I felt for Max and he really needed the healing of the pack. 

All in all I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted and my mind wondered a bit, but I also really want to know what happened between Rian and Holden so I’ll probably read their book 

Book provided by GRR for honest review

Thank you "The Elf on the Shelf"

4 stars

I like Sam and Rufus when they are together, but apart they both struggle. Sam is rude and I actually feel sorry for the guys he picks up because they don't deserve the way he treats them. Rufus is the only partner he is nice too. 

Rufus didn't fare well on his own but was good that he called in help when he needed it.
In this one we find out more about Rufus's past as a killer is focusing again on prostitutes from the Ramble bringing up memories of Rufus's mother and her murder. 

We also find out a snippet from Sam's past but when Rufus tried to get him to open up and tell him what happened, Sam shot it down and clammed up. 

The murder mystery part was well done and kept me entertained throughout 

Looking forward to reading the next one

4 Stars

Audio Review

These books are fabulous on audio - the narrator brings the humor to life and it makes for an entertaining listen.

I love Gus and how much of an open book he is. He doesn't try and hide he just is no apologies.
Tate is also a great character who is very comfortable in who he is and is happy to stop and reevaluate his wants and needs without a big freak out. 

I liked how the time was spent showing how the guys became friends, as at the start their individual needs didn't really match and one person was going to have to change for it to work. This was done well and made seamless and believable.

Thanks Mindless Elf Indulgence
 
4 Stars

I enjoyed this collaboration between these two authors. I feel like they are a good mesh. 

Both Rufus and Sam are flawed and both deal with their issues indifferent ways. 

Sam comes across as quite abrasive at the start and once he opens up to Rufus and shares his reasoning he becomes a totally different person, one who is doing everything he can to be what Rufus needs. He has no idea how to be in a relationship or what it entails but he is thinking it out and trying to be what is needed. Sometimes he stresses himself out trying to work out what it is he is meant to be doing but Rufus comes to and lets him know he doesn't need it.

Rufus seems a little bit more open than Sam with his happyish personality, but he is also the one hiding the most important parts, and the one that is more stringent in opening himself up to Sam. I enjoyed their back and forth as they started a quasi relationship and slowly started to trust each other. 

The storyline was an interesting one as they both deal with their individual loss, and while I picked who did it and who was involved, I have no idea about the reasons why. I liked that Sam was at least honest about his friend and understood how it came about. The ending killed me but stayed with the character of Rufus for me, I fully expected him to do something like that. I just didn't expect Sam to do what he did, although looking back on it, they aren't compatible when it comes to where they each live. Sam isn't really capable of living within the city so I will be interested to see where it goes in the next book.

 Thanks “The Elf on the Shelf” 

4.25 Stars 

This is my favourite so far. 

I enjoyed the mystery and how Calvin and Sebastian’s relationship has progressed. 

It’s refreshing to read a book with all the characters behaving in a mature fashion. Calvin and Sebastian both accepting each others quirks and ex’s with out the usual non communication, acting out etc. 

I also liked Sebastian and Neil’s move into a good friendship. There isn’t any run around trying to get him back rubbish, just a move into friendship with Neil being respectful of Calvin’s limits. 

I enjoyed how the mystery progressed throughout the book. At the start Calvin was ok honey have fun, it’s an old murder cant do anything about it, to ok now you’re being targeted back off. 

Sebastian did have a couple of moments of being TSTL. Seriously if the guy who sent you the kinescope finally rings you after your shop has been broken into and shot up, why would you go there without telling anyone or I don’t know, your cop boyfriend your whereabouts. At that time it was time to tell Calvin and let him deal with it. 

 3.75 Stars
 
 Audio Review
 
 I find these books better on audio as the humour really comes through with the narration
 I liked Fulton and his quirky ways. He has his hangups which make sense to me and Bishop gives him the time to be ready to talk about them without pushing 
 
 Bishop was also a great character. He wasn’t ashamed of his past which was refreshing, it was a career and it got him to where he needed to be. I also liked that he stayed with the first vet clinic until they made it so he had to change. He didn’t change just because he had met Fulton. 

3.5 Stars

Audio Review

I enjoyed this one more on audio than I actually did reading it as the humor came through with the narration

I really liked Haze and his total inability to settle on anything job wise. I can relate to not knowing what you would like to do. Noah was great and very understanding. He didn't try and push him along he was just supportive of whatever Haze wanted to do.  

While I understand that Haze's mother's death put a sad note to his birthday, I don't actually understand why the family never celebrated his birthday especially when he was young. They made it into what it was which was sad for Haze as he never a day to celebrate him.

3.5 stars

Thank you The Elf on the Shelf”

A short erotic novel about the count who owes so much and has no concern for anyone else, who is brought down a number of pegs by debtors jail where he is used for the pleasure of any who purchase him and the employees of the jail. 

I’m not sure why he needed to be the valet of the marquis, especially at the start where they were equals but that is the way it worked out and he seems happy with his lot