Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Deadly Obsession by April Hunt


Get ready for an adrenaline rush as a CSI agent and her childhood crush track a killer in this "romantic suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat" (Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author).

After a lifetime spent in and out of hospitals, Zoey Wright is tired of playing it safe. She's ready to take charge of her own life and get out of her comfort zone, starting with a new job as a CSI agent. But when her childhood crush Knox Steele gets pulled onto her case, Zoey needs to put her feelings for him aside or more women will die at the hands of the serial killer preying on her hometown.

Former Army Ranger Knox Steele is back in Washington to help his brothers open an elite private security firm. He never expected to stumble onto a crime scene, or see his best friend's little sister working it. Zoey is all grown up now, and the attraction between them is electric, despite his best efforts to resist it. But all that changes for Knox when he realizes the victims have one thing in common... and Zoey might be next.

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Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Knox is back home for the first time in a few years and not many people are "excited" about it. While his family is coming to terms with the fact that Knox was able to stay away so long, Knox is contemplating whether or not he's going to stay or take a job 3000 miles away. But despite being back home, his best friend's sister, Zoey, is not an easy woman to forget.

Zoey has lived her life in and out of hospitals due to a heart condition. Now that she's finally an adult and on the mend, she has taken a job that she has always wanted. She is right in the thick of things when a serial killer decides to take up residence in her city.

Zoey has to contend with overprotective family and friends, her own insecurities, and a feeling that something just isn't quite right. When Knox comes waltzing back in her life, she can't help but want to be a little careless – reckless even – with her body and heart. She never really got over Knox and even though she is warned off by several people, she can't help her feelings or the chemistry that zings between her and Knox.

You have several storylines in this book. A lot is happening and while I enjoyed it all, I thought that Knox's story was somewhat lacking. He stayed away, but you never truly know why, other than he was not in a good space. Then you have his relationship with his brothers and his best friend, Cade. Zoey is trying to figure out who she is as an adult. We catch glimpses of her finding herself, but then she's flung back into the meek woman who needs protecting. Finally, you throw in the dynamic of his brothers’ new business venture and it's just a lot going on.

This was a great story, if somewhat predictable. You can guess the killer fairly easily, but it doesn't detract from the story at all. I can't wait for the next book, as it seems incredibly interesting already given the dynamic between the two characters for the next one, seen in book one.



April blames her incurable chocolate addiction on growing up in rural Pennsylvania, way too close to America’s chocolate capital, Hershey. She now lives in Virginia with her college sweetheart husband, two young children, and a cat who thinks she’s a human-dog hybrid. On those rare occasions she’s not donning the cape of her children’s personal chauffer, April’s either planning, plotting, or writing about her next alpha hero and the woman he never knew he needed, but now can’t live without.

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http://forever-romance.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Deadly Obsession (Steele Ops #1) by April Hunt to read and review.

Coming Up for Air by Amanda Meuwissen


It’s not easy being someone’s fairy tale.

Leigh Hurley is making a name for himself among thieves and criminals, even if it isn’t the life he would’ve chosen. He shouldn’t have screwed over the Moretti brothers, though. It landed him in the river with weights on his feet. But somehow he’s escaped certain death. The last thing he remembers before waking on the riverbank is a beautiful face and a soft kiss.

Then, Tolomeo turns up naked at Leigh’s apartment.

Tolly comes from a race of killers—merfolk who drown humans for fun. But Tolly is different, and when he sees a human in trouble, he offers a kiss, granting the man the ability to breathe underwater… and himself the ability to walk on land, at least until the next full moon. The ancient laws state that if he is given a vow of love by the one he kissed, he will be able to keep his legs. If not, he will be put to death when he returns to the water.

But love is not something Leigh offers easily… and Tolly has a secret of his own.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela☆☆☆☆☆
I’m hesitant to characterize Coming Up for Air as a modern-day fairy tale because that would seem to suggest that it’s a m/m take on The Little Mermaid, which it is so not – at least not the version many of us grew up with. Meuwissen may or may not have been inspired by the fairy tale, but she brings enough twists to the story that no one would ever mistake Tolly for a Disney Princess or Leigh for a Disney Prince.

Meuwissen’s merpeople are the stuff of nightmares – violent and homicidal creatures who kill both humans and their own kind for perceived transgressions, including children. Unlike most of his kind, Tolly prefers not to kill unless necessary and is fascinated by humans, so the lure of a human dumped into his “home” is more than he can resist. Tolly feels compelled to save Leigh and is stunned to discover that the human is his mate. Consistent with the fairy tale, Tolly gives up his tale for legs so that he can try to win the love of his human mate within a specified time or suffer the consequences if he fails in his quest (remember, these merfolk are violent, so the consequences are dire). Unfortunately for Tolly, Leigh’s past is littered with broken promises and hurts that have made him a non-believer when it comes to love. And Leigh’s present is filled with death threats and explosions and mob bosses, oh my. None of which bode well for a future together.

I loved how Meuwissen took the traditional elements of the merperson falling in love with a human theme and combined them with the dueling mafia families to create a far more suspenseful story than I anticipated. I also liked how Leigh’s duties as the building’s unofficial super painted the picture of a young man who was a better person than he pretended to be. I’ll admit I was surprised at just how well the mafia elements worked in the story and even took pleasure when a couple of the bad guys got what was coming to them when Tolly’s instincts to protect Leigh were triggered. It seems weird for me to say about a fantasy romance, but Coming Up for Air felt believable – I mean, I found myself falling into Tolly and Leigh’s world and just nodding and/or shaking my head at the various situations they found themselves in and their subsequent reactions. Even when Tolly had to face down some of the more homicidal of his kind, I was so invested in the story that I had to put my Kindle down for fear of what was going to happen, yet snatched it back up almost immediately because not knowing was more suspense than I could handle. And that ending… so perfect for all involved, especially as the author had me wondering for more than a few pages if I’d misjudged where the story was headed. While I found no indication that this is the first in a series, I would be all over a sequel because I’d love to spend more time with Tolly, Leigh, and their motley crew.


Sarah☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is the story of a mermaid who falls in love with the man he rescues from drowning. It’s also a complicated story of rival crime gangs in a crumbling neighbourhood. I have to admit that I requested this book because of the pretty cover and the organised crime element of the mermaid romance was surprising. And while I liked the action in this book, I was more into the mermaid stuff than the crime thriller.

The merfolk in this book owe more to Homer than Disney. At one point, Tolly acknowledges that the mermaids he knows are more like the sirens who lure sailors to their deaths for fun than the beautiful creatures we usually imagine. I like the dark twist on the fairy tale and I love the PNR worldbuilding in this story. Tolly himself is a fascinating mix of light and dark. He’s slight and beautiful until he’s the monster from our nightmares. I really enjoyed the complexity of his character.

Leigh isn’t quite as interesting as Tolly. Trapped in a life of crime, Leigh is desperate to get out, but he can’t see a way to go straight. I liked his careful scheming and planning, but I didn’t feel much of a connection to him.

The romance between Tolly and Leigh doesn’t work very well for me. It feels more convenient than fated at times and I’m really not sure what the two men have in common. There’s also not much romance as these two dodge bullets and try to outsmart the crime lords. There’s a definite sexual connection between them but I don’t feel the romance.

Finally, the writing in this story really made my head spin. Dialogue is choppy and unnatural. Descriptions are unnecessarily flowery and sometimes pointless. Did Leigh really need to point out that his mermaid boyfriend is a good swimmer? I liked the story in this book, but I really didn’t get on with the writing at all. This might be a personal preference, but I’d encourage readers to download a sample before purchasing this book.



AMANDA MEUWISSEN is a primarily gay romance writer, as well as Marketing Operations Manager for the software company Outsell. She has a Bachelor of Arts in a personally designed major from St. Olaf College in Creative Writing, and is an avid consumer of fiction through film, prose, and video games. As author of the paranormal romance trilogy The Incubus Saga, young adult novel Life as a Teenage Vampire, the novelette The Collector, and superhero duology Lovesick Gods and Lovesick Titans, Amanda regularly attends local comic conventions for fun and to meet with fans, where she will often be seen in costume as one of her favorite fictional characters. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, John, and their two cats, Helga and Sasha (no relation to the incubus of the same name).

Connect with Amanda

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https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Coming Up for Air by Amanda Meuwissen to read and review.

Tangled Up in You by Samantha Chase Blog Tour


They’ll change each other’s fate...

One fateful night Bobby Hannigan sustains a gunshot wound that could end his career as a police officer. If that’s taken from him, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. The only ray of hope is Teagan Shaughnessy—a kindhearted single mom who understands his struggles...

Teagan and her young son have just moved back to the Carolina coast to be near family. When she meets Bobby, the timing feels wrong, but everything else feels oh-so-right. Bobby and Teagan each had plans for their own futures. But they’re finding that those plans are meaningless if they can’t be together...


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It was well after midnight and the house was completely dark. Teagan stared up at the ceiling and tried to will herself into calm. Her heart was racing, her stomach was roiling, and if she didn’t know any better, she’d swear she was having a panic attack.

Then the tears started.

Bobby was sound asleep beside her, and the last thing she wanted to do was have him wake up and hear her crying. She wiped furiously at her eyes, doing her best to stop the tears from falling, but she couldn’t. There were too many, falling too fast to stop any time soon.

Carefully, she rose from the bed, grabbed her robe from the hook on the bathroom door, and tiptoed out to the living room, closing the bedroom door behind her. She sank down on the couch, pulling her knees to her chest as she cried.

She felt like the world’s biggest fraud. She was an emotional wreck, and why? She’d just spent hours making love with an amazing man who’d both let her set the pace and somehow knew exactly what she needed. It had nothing to do with him—he was perfect. It was her.

Logan had been the only man she’d ever slept with, the only man she’d ever loved. Sleeping with Bobby tonight had been like finally taking that last step to move on. And for the life of her, she didn’t know if she was crying because she was happy or because she was sad.

Having the courage to take that step tonight was something Teagan hadn’t believed she’d ever have. But there was something about Bobby that made her want to be brave. And everything about these last hours had been wonderful. For all that she’d loved Logan and how special their relationship had been, they had been so young. No more than kids, really. The man in her bed right now was… well. He was more than she expected. He’d made her feel things she’d never felt before, and made her want to do things she’d never done before.

It was sexy and exciting and… terrifying. Yes, terrifying. As much as she didn’t want to think about how much experience Bobby had, or how much he’d dated, it was obvious that in the bedroom, he was way out of her league. She only hoped he wasn’t disappointed in her.

Lifting her head, she wiped her tears away and took several steadying breaths.

“If he wasn’t disappointed in you before, he certainly would be now,” she murmured.

Someone’s hand descended on her shoulder and she screamed.

Bobby walked around and sat down in front of her on the couch. It was dark, the moonlight was offering a mere sliver of illumination in the room, but she could see him and the concerned look on his face.

She went to speak but he placed a finger over her lips.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But when I woke up and you weren’t in bed, I came looking for you. I wasn’t expecting to find you out here crying.” She heard the pain in his voice and knew she had to put his mind at ease.

“It’s not what you think—”

“You don’t have to tell me,” he quickly interrupted. “I was just wondering where you went. And when I opened the door, I heard you crying.”

“Bobby…”

He stroked one finger down her cheek. “I don’t know why you would think that I’m disappointed, but I’m not. Everything about tonight has been amazing. You’re amazing,” he clarified. “If anything, I was worried I had hurt you.”

She stared at him as if he were crazy. “Why would you think that?”

“What am I supposed to think when I find you out here in the dark?” he asked softly. “Teagan, I’m not stupid. We’ve talked enough. I know it’s been a long time for you since, well, you know.”

She nodded.

“And I know I was a little… aggressive.”

She smiled. “I kind of liked that. Actually, I liked it a lot,” she said shyly.

“Really?”

“Really. And I wasn’t crying because of anything you did. It was me. I got too deep into my own head and… tonight was just—it was—” She huffed with annoyance because she couldn’t seem to find the right words.

“I get it,” he said, saving her from having to scramble. “It’s the same for me.”

“What?”

Now it was his turn to nod. “What we have? What we started here tonight? It’s like a new chapter for the both of us.”

Her shoulders sagged and she scrambled to climb into his lap to hug him. “That’s it exactly.” As he held her tight, she rested her head on his shoulder. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Can we work on this chapter a little more tonight?” She was thankful for the darkness hiding her blush, because she couldn’t believe how bold she was being.

Carefully, he stood with her in his arms and walked back to the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them as he passed. “We can work on this chapter over and over until we get it right,” he promised.

And in that moment, she fell a little in love with him.




Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo☆☆☆☆
I enjoyed this book. Taking two people who have had two completely different, major life events happen to them and having them really get to know each other and find their way to love.

Teagan is a single mom who has moved across the country with her parents to be closer to her extended family. She wants her son, Lucas, to be around family since it doesn't look like she will marry again.

Bobby is coming off an injury that could end his career as a police officer. Unable to really take care of himself, he goes to his parents’ house to recuperate. Unsatisfied with the progress of his rehabilitation, he wallows in what ifs.

Meeting Teagan is the best thing that has happened to Bobby in his life, but she's not sure she can handle being the wife of police officer. Bobby knows that Teagan must make this decision on her own, and he's willing to do what it takes to make it work.


Also Available in The Shaughnessy Brothers Series

Book 1
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Made for Us Blog Tour.


Book 2
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Love Walks In Blog Tour.


Book 3
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For reviews & more info, check out our Always My Girl post.


Book 4
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the This Is Our Song Blog Tour.


Book 5
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the A Sky Full of Stars Blog Tour.




New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Teaching creative writing to students from elementary through high school motivated Samantha to take that step as well. Since then, she has become a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She lives with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Tangled up in You (The Shaughnessy Brothers #7) by Samantha Chase to read and review for this tour.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Murder Most Lovely by Hank Edwards & Deanna Wadsworth


A killer at a small-town literary festival. Bumbling drug dealers. A kidnapped cat. Starting a romance among all this chaos might be the death of them.

Michael Fleishman is excited to meet his favorite mystery writer, Russell Withingham, at Lacetown’s Literary Fest. He is not expecting to cross paths with sexy hairdresser Jasper “Jazz” Dilworth—or become embroiled in a real-life mystery. As Lacetown’s only mortician and the county coroner, Michael is called to his first murder scene and is shocked to recognize the victim—Russell’s young lover.

Jazz only wanted to confront his ex, Russell, over his cheating. Instead, he meets the adorably awkward Michael and becomes a murder suspect. Soon Jazz is teaming up with Michael to clear his name. Along the way, they are helped and hindered by Michael’s sassy assistant, Kitty, the grumpy Sheriff Musgrave, Russell’s creepy PR rep, Norbert, and Michael’s lothario grandfather, who likes his manhattans strong and his women saucy. And of course, Mr. Pickles Furryton the Third…

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Dreamspinner Press



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica☆☆☆☆☆
Michael Fleishman runs a funeral home and is the coroner in Lacetown, a small town on Lake Michigan. Waiting in line to meet is favourite mystery writer, he meets local hairdresser Jazz, who also happens to be the mystery writer's soon-to-be ex-husband. Jazz and Michael flirt as they share an umbrella in the rain.

I love reading murder mystery/romance novels and lately many of them have been brilliant but very serious. But Murder Most Lovely is full of levity and humour – it never feels heavy, even when Jazz's ex's new squeeze turns up dead with his hand cut off. The quirky diverse characters had me repeatedly laughing out loud. The sheriff with questionable intelligence, young wannabe drug runners, Michael's grandpa, Mr. Pickles the cat, and the workers at Michael's mortuary all make for an entertaining supporting cast. The stars themselves, Michael and Jazz keep having drama get in the way of their dates, but among the search for a killer and kidnapped cat they manage to grow close and provide us with a few incredibly hot scenes and a lovely romance.

Murder Most Lovely mixes a sexy romance between two 40 something men with a murder mystery and provides lots of laughs along the way. This is the first book in a new series, and I get the feeling Lacetown is going to become the new Cabbot Cove. I look forward to more adventures with Michael and Jazz.



HANK EDWARDS has been reading books from an early age. Now that he’s an adult—or at least older than he used to be—he likes to write stories that revolve around gay characters. His writing crosses many sub-genres, including romance, rom-com, contemporary, paranormal, suspense, mystery, and wacky comedy.

When he’s not writing, Hank loves to read, go to movies, watch some TV, and because of Paul Hollywood’s influence, has recently been trying his hand at baking. He visits his mother once a week, not just for the free cookies, and enjoys spending time with close friends drinking wine and making up ridiculous things that sometimes show up in his books. Although he hates the process of travel, he does enjoy experiencing new places. His dream trip is to one day visit the country of Greece, and he is currently saving his nickels and dimes to make that a reality.

Back in the ’90s, he met a man who understood and encouraged his strange, creative mind, and who made him laugh more often and more freely than anyone else. Today they are legally married and still laugh often as they live in a suburb just north of Detroit with their two cats who act as both muse and distraction to him while he writes.

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DEANNA WADSWORTH might be a best-selling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and will often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes quiet times in her garden when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships has always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

Connect with Deanna

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https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Murder Most Lovely (Lacetown Murder Mysteries: Case One) by Hank Edwards & Deanna Wadsworth to read and review.

Their Discovery by Rebecca Grace Allen


Exploring their fantasies could save their marriage... or push it over the edge.

Samantha Archer's life has hit a wall. Her world is housework, homework and reminding her husband—the biggest kid in the family—to help out at home. Once she felt confident, powerful and sexy, but Brady doesn’t seem to notice her anymore, and now all she feels is invisible.

Brady has tried being the goofy guy who stole Sam’s heart, but it’s not working. He’s losing the woman he loves and doesn’t have a clue how to fix it. He’s keeping his darkest fantasies hidden too, sure they’re not what Sam wants, and his inability to please her cuts him deeper than she knows.

When Sam lands a new job at a law firm, Brady still won’t pick up the slack, and one night giving him orders unexpectedly reignites their missing spark. Sam discovers the Femdomme she didn’t know she was, kindling Brady’s submissive desires.

But while things heat up inside the bedroom, life outside it starts unraveling. Brady's need to call the shots at work complicates his hunger to kneel for his wife, and Sam has longed to experiment in more ways than one. Their exploration of dominance and submission goes a step too far when they invite Sam’s sultry switch coworker into their bed, and the fallout could cost them everything.

Warning: contains a six-foot-five, ex-football player geek and a ballsy, badass redhead who's learning to unleash her inner Domme. Scenes depicting humiliation, pegging and threesomes could disturb, or stimulate a thirst for adventure.


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They stepped inside the house. Sam was too excited for small talk, and from the tension rolling off her friend, Sam knew Hanna felt the same.

“Lose the coat,” Sam said.

It was electrifying when Hanna obeyed, revealing bare shoulders and the luxurious red velvet corset Sam had seen at the shop. Sleeveless, with hook-and-eye fastenings running the length of the front, it was traditional and hot as hell.

“When did you get that?” she asked, stroking a finger along the flocked edge.

“I went back and bought it,” Hanna replied. “After I saw you liked it.”

“Hmmm.” She had on dark jeans, too. Sam reached out, toyed with the zipper. “Do you have on other things I’ll like beneath these?”

“Oui, Madame.”

The French words and polite, demure behavior from Hanna made an exquisite combination.

“Good.” Sam ran a nail along the teeth of the zipper. Hanna sucked in a breath. “Follow me.”

Hanna followed her silently up the steps. Brady was in the bedroom, and everything had been set up as she’d asked. The lights were dim. The bed was turned down, towels stacked up at the foot of it, toys on the nightstand. And Brady looked like a bodyguard. He was shirtless and barefoot, nothing else on but jeans.

Sam strode to the closet, knowing they were watching as she removed her jacket and hung it on a hook on the back of the door. She’d worn her corset top again, without her necklace or her rings. Brady seemed okay with the lack of jewelry, especially when she showed him what was beneath her pencil skirt: nothing but a garter belt, thigh-highs and boots.

She looked the part of a Domme. Cinched at the waist. Wound up as tight as they were.

And she wanted to unravel them both.

Sam turned around, hands on her hips. “Hannaleen, you may call me Madame tonight. That will please me.”

“Merci, Madame.” Hanna’s eyes were full of lust, and so, so green. “You look incredible.”

Brady’s eyes were on Sam, too. “She always does.”

Sam smiled, preening under their praise. “Thank you, pet.” She walked over to where he stood. “Shall we show our guest how pretty you can get?”

His chin lowered, but his eyes stayed on her. “Pretty, Mistress?”

She stroked from his cheek down his arm to the waistband of his pants. He was already pretty. But that wasn’t what she’d meant.

“Pretty, as in big—” Sam unzipped him, “—thick—” She pushed the denim aside. There were no boxers beneath, just as she’d requested, “—and hard.”

His cock leapt forward, not fully erect, not as big as he was going to get, but close. She took him in hand, gave him several long, unhurried strokes. Brady shuddered through an inhalation as he thickened the rest of the way.

Sam smirked. “Good boy.”

His chest rose and fell. He watched her, hands limp by his sides, obedient, breathless. Even when she stopped stroking him, palmed the tip and then scratched both her hands up his torso until they scraped over his tight, small nipples, he didn’t protest or move.

Sam tugged on his jeans. “Take these off. Then wait for me on the bed.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

It was almost too much, having them both at her mercy.

Almost.




Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader☆☆☆☆
M/F BDSM

Samantha and Brady have a picture-perfect life... from the outside. On the inside, both are feeling the effects of life.

Samantha's perspective is one that I'm sure a lot of women can relate to. Living her life for her family and wondering where the years have gone. She had dreams of her own, but then life happened and she had to change what those dreams were. Now, she sees herself as someone who is completely lost. She's unhappy, angry, resentful, and isn't quite sure how to remedy her life.

Then you have Brady. He was the jock that everyone wanted to be. Promising football career and love of a beautiful woman. When his career was taken from him, he had to pick himself up and reinvent what he wanted. Now he runs a successful company and despite its success, Brady is drowning at home and at work.

Both know that they are unhappy, but neither knows how to fix it. When they take a chance and allow their fantasy to become a reality, both Samantha and Brady will have to take a leap of faith that they are strong enough to grow together rather than apart.

This has been the least favorite for me of the series. However, it was nice to see the growth that each character had to go through in order to achieve their own true happiness. Their chemistry was slightly off for me. It almost felt that they were brand new to being in love, despite their years together.

Overall, this is a book about discovery – as the title suggests. Their own and theirs as a couple. It delivers on that. However, the chemistry between them is somewhat lacking or forced. Even when things are good, it just didn't feel very connected.



Ruthie☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is the third book in the series – but very different from the previous two, as it involves a married couple rediscovering their passion for each other, rather than two very closed-off individuals finding love. It is an interesting read, although I found it to be a really slow and rather sad read in places.

There were times where the story flowed well and then slam came on the brakes – which was very realistic in terms of real life, that I cannot deny, but was more difficult to take in a novel somehow. I also found Samantha's blindness to Brady's needs from the beginning, given they had a special needs daughter with similar issues, surprising and disappointing. It also emphasised the distance between them, as he clearly thought about it a lot, and yet couldn't explain it to her.

Their lack of ability to communicate with each other and others was frustrating, as their circle clearly contained much of the help that they needed – although it worked to reinforce the stereotypes of gender expectations. As they got into their flow, certainly their relationship with each other benefitted from the power exchange and was hot. It was broadening it out and experimenting with the dynamic which took a toll.

An interesting addition to the mix that we have had in the series.


Also Available in the Legally Bound Series

Book 1
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For reviews & more info, check out our His Contract post.


Book 2
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For reviews & more info, check out our Her Claim post.




Rebecca Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Literary Comparison as well as of Master of Science degree in Elementary Education, both of which seemed like good ideas at the time. After stumbling through careers in entertainment, publishing, law and teaching, she’s returned to her first love: writing. A self-admitted caffeine addict & gym rat, she currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, two parakeets, and a cat with a very unusual foot fetish.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Their Discovery (Legally Bound #3) by Rebecca Grace Allen to read and review.

Love is a Walk in the Park by V.L. Locey & Stephanie Locey Blog Tour


Sullivan Haines knows exactly what he wants out of life. Fame as a Broadway dancer and to find the man of his dreams. Sadly, his love life is a dismal mess, his roommate is PMS personified, and working at a dingy dance studio teaching old people how to tango and foxtrot is not exactly the bright lights. Actually, life in the Big Apple is pretty rotten, until he and his dog run into tall, dark, and oh-so-handsome Duane Hart in the park. Their pooches hit it right off, but can the two men find romance along the park’s winding paths?

Duane Hart hasn’t had a lot go right in his life. His girlfriend recently broke up with him, taking everything that wasn’t nailed down or in his roommate’s name. Well, everything except the Yorkshire terrier that he didn’t want to get in the first place, and that she now refuses to take back. However, when he meets a handsome stranger and his pit bull in the dog park, will the blooming heat in his chest be able to convince him to start dating again? Or will fate prove love isn’t a walk in the park, after all?

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie☆☆☆☆
This is a new author collaboration and it definitely works – I am used to the hockey series between V.L. Locey and RJ Scott working really well, so it was no surprise that co-authoring with her daughter Stephanie would result in a good read.

Stories which include dogs and flamboyant characters give plenty of opportunity for humour, and this certainly has a lightness of spirit and degree of crazy that is to be expected. I liked the mismatch in size and style of dogs for each man, and how they brought out the sides which might otherwise remain hidden. I thought the use of the vlog to give Duane (via Ronan) an idea of how Sullivan felt about him was inspired and completely of the time. On fleek was also a phrase which made me chuckle at today's slang!

The use of friends to be supportive and provide insight into the men themselves was done with great gusto, and I found myself wanting to see the murals in the flat – and up the stairs! The only thing I really didn't get was the fact that Duane never seemed to do anything with his music. If he was going to college to become a music teacher, surely he would play for fun? Especially when he fell for a dancer/performer. It was such a significant thing that they had in common yet is never explored.

Overall, a very cute story with a deserved happily ever after. I hope that we get to see more of this gang and find out what happens to them all.




USA Today bestselling author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Doctor Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.


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Stephanie Locey loves video games, bad jokes, and kind people. She works full-time at a low-paying job and strives to not do that anymore. When not writing or working, she can be found playing fantasy RPGs, petting cats, and planning for adventures.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Love is a Walk in the Park by V.L. Locey & Stephanie Locey to read and review for this tour.