Boss Lady by Alli Frank & Asha Youmans

In this funny and inspiring novel from the authors of The Better Half, a mess of a heroine is desperate to resolve her past so she can finally rediscover who she was always meant to be.

Antonia “Toni” Arroyo’s protective mother has outdated notions for her daughter’s life: employ her natural beauty and marry young. But Toni has wholly different aspirations.

A promising inventor and budding entrepreneur, she fights to keep her passions alive as a financially strapped mother of twins with a job in airport transportation services that has her going in circles. One treasured frequent passenger is elderly traveler Sylvia Eisenberg, Toni’s sage but unofficial adviser and cheerleader. When Toni meets Sylvia’s grandson, Ash, a striking venture capitalist, luck just might bend her way.

With a game-changing new business endeavor in development, Toni hustles an opportunity to pitch her idea on TV’s Innovation Nation. Toni’s unexpected challenger? Her very own recently resurfaced, self-aggrandizing not-quite-ex-husband. As Toni’s interrupted past collides with her tenuous future, she is more determined than ever to follow through on her delayed dreams. Toni’s been clinging to “maybe” for so long—it’s finally time for “absolutely.”

 

 

Buy Links

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Hardcover (US)  ~  Paperback (US)

Audiobook (US)
Narrated by Bahni Turpin
~ Also Available with KindleUnlimited ~

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars rounded up

There is much to like in this book. I really liked that the old lady who chatted to Toni at the airport really was the entrepreneur and innovations guru who had supported some of the biggest names in the business – it was a clever reminder not to judge a book by its cover!

Toni has a brain which cannot stop coming up with bright ideas – she just needs one to work and be picked up by an investor so she can stop her job driving airport transfers. Her ex walked out, leaving her bringing up twins and shouldering all the bills and burdens. When Sylvia, her favourite client, falls ill and she goes with her to the hospital, their lives become more entwined.

Meeting Sylvia's grandson, Ash, changes everything – she finds someone attractive for the first time in forever, but he is completely out of reach... let alone she is still married. And now he is in a position to give her a chance at her dream on a TV investment show. Of course, her ex pops up, like a bad penny, and chaos ensues.

I felt that the plot got a bit overly twisted in places and could have been rejigged a bit to reduce the need for explanation, but I did really enjoy the characters and the storyline, as well as the outcome!

 

 

Alli Frank

The robustness of a farm girl, the honed sophistication of a city woman, a dash of Jewish chutzpah, and a heaping cup of endurance athlete and voila, you have ALLI FRANK.

Alli was raised in Yakima, WA, the only child of two parents who instilled in her that hard work coupled with a resilient spirit will take you where you want to go. So up some of the highest mountains Alli climbed, down insanely steep terrain she skied and across long swathes of land she ran. To pay for all this adventure, Alli has worked in education for over 20 years in San Francisco and Seattle – from an overcrowded, cacophonous public high school to a pristine private girl’s school. She has been a teacher, curriculum leader, coach, college counselor, assistant head, private school co-founder, sometimes pastor, often mayor, and de facto parent therapist. A graduate of Cornell and Stanford Universities, Alli can still be found with her nose deep in a book or hunkered down at the movies, never one to miss a great story.

Alli lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, two daughters and terribly cute mini-Bernedoodle. When she needs good food (cause she can’t really cook) she turns to her co-author Asha Youmans.

Connect with Alli Frank!

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Asha Youmans

ASHA YOUMANS was raised in Seattle, WA, by an educational and civil right pioneer father and a children’s hospital administrator mother, along with a sister and a brother she admires and adores. As a child, Asha was a member of a two-time city champions Double Dutch team, among the first wave of girls to integrate Little League baseball and rode a unicycle, tumbled and juggled as a member of a traveling circus acrobatics team. She also read everything she could get her hands on from X-Men comic books to the “Clan of the Cave Bear” series to Camus.

Enrolled in gifted programs while attending public school, Asha went on to graduate from one of America’s premier private academies, Lakeside School, from which her father, TJ Vassar, earned a diploma as the school’s first black graduate. After receiving a degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Asha returned to Seattle where she taught in public and private schools for nearly 20 years.

Asha is a fabulous home cook who loves storytelling and connecting with others by making them smile. She lives with her white husband, two ethnically ambiguous sons, and a dog that is part Yorkie and part who-the-heck-knows.

Connect with Asha Youmans!

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ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided with a free copy of Boss Lady by Alli Frank & Asha Youmans to read and review.

Up All Night by Annabeth Albert Instagram Tour

What happened to my predictable life?

I had a stable life as a fire captain in Seattle, married to one of my best friends and raising two awesome kids. Now, my kids are grown, and my marriage is toast. I'm solidly past forty and back in my tiny hometown of Mount Hope, Oregon, filling in as a firefighter. My future is one big question mark keeping me up at night.

Also keeping me up? The short-order cook at Honey's Hotcake Hut.

Denver might be close to my age, but we're total opposites. The former rock roadie runs from stability, never puts down roots, and lives for the moment. Point in case, we barely speak before he invites me into his shower.

I've never been with a man, but my fresh start has me trying all sorts of new things—including Denver’s shower.

Our future? Hopeless.

Denver doesn't do repeats, but I convince him to have a fling since we're both in Mount Hope short-term. The more time we spend together, the deeper our friendship and bond grows. Our time together outside of the bedroom, reveals a caring side to the grumpy cook. Even better, my sunshine-y optimism softens him like butter.

Should a fling give me these deep feelings? Nope.

Worse, the feelings are mutual. Big decisions loom for both our futures, and our time together grows short. I might have Denver's heart, but his trust is far harder to win. He's the answer to all my question marks, and I need him to believe in us. Can I convince him to give our love a chance?

Up All Night features a grumpy/sunshine pairing for a forty-something firefighter on a path of self-discovery with an Up All Night short-order cook. It contains loads of first-time feels with sexual awakening and exploration with a heaping helping of personal growth and deep connection for this opposites-attract couple.

 

 

Book 1
Buy Links

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Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, and I think it makes a good start, although the world building has to set up quite a varied group of people, so not all of them get fully sketched out as we might wish.

Sean moves back to his hometown after his divorce. He is filling in for a firefighter on maternity leave at the fire station where his father is the boss. He is not sure if he is home permanently, but it seemed a good place to start again if he could not stay in Seattle. His immediate, slightly unexplained attraction to a chef in the local diner causes him some mental confusion, but his body is completely on board.

And I felt that this situation continued for quite a while – both Sean and Denver are keen to explore their physical attraction, but find it much more difficult to get their brains to process what is happening between them, with regards to others and about life in general. That leads to a slightly disjointed feel to things at times, but time smooths things out somewhat.

There is another instalment foreshadowed at the end of the book, so I guess we will have to wait and see what happens there to give us more insight into the events in Mount Hope.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/M Romance

So, this is the first book in a series. I normally expect a little more to happen in first books to help set up the next ones in the series.

Denver is a short order cook who lives in a small town. He landed here and just never left. It's hinted at that he had a more difficult life, but you never really hear about it. It's just lingering.

Then you have Sean. He's returning home after his good friend's husband passed away. He's a firefighter and recently divorced from his wife of several years. Now that he's divorced, he can explore who he truly has always felt like.

This story, to me, was not really a romance. It was more of a coming to know one’s self book. Denver and Sean have to navigate Sean's "newness" and the friends and family too. It was also strange how much the widowed husband's kiddos played a part in the story. Again, feeling more like a coming of age/finding yourself book.

I was very underwhelmed with this story. The romance was secondary to almost everything and the timing was just off. Maybe book two will gather more steam.


Angie – ☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series. This book fell flat for me really. The relationship between Sean and Denver was meh, the sex was meh, and the rest of the story just didn't work for me. There seemed to be so much going on that the relationship with the main characters was just pushed to the side or something. I really wanted to like this book, but it was a miss. I will try the next book in the series to see if it was just a fluke.

 

 

 

ANNABETH ALBERT grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Connect with Annabeth Albert!

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Facebook Group: Annabeth Albert's Angels

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Up All Night (Mount Hope #1) by Annabeth Albert to read and review.

Below Grade by Elle Keaton

A serious health scare forces Martin Purdy to rethink his life. He quits his job, sells his house, and buys a set of fixer-upper cabins on the coast. There’s just one teensy problem. Along with the property comes a very angry man.

Nicholas Waugh had his own scare, bad enough that he slunk back to the crappy town he grew up in. With no home to call his own, he finagles a security gig keeping an eye on a set of vacant cabins. The deal comes with a free one-year lease–and he’s not leaving a day sooner. Not even if the new owner gets down on his knees and begs him.

Okay… maybe if he got down on his knees.

Fifteen years of teaching college freshmen and patience is second nature to Martin. But Nick is giving Martin a run for his money. He’s one suggestive chainsaw sculpture away from justifiable homicide. If that wasn't enough, when he's not infuriated with Nick, Martin finds himself fighting an inappropriate and ridiculous attraction to the much younger man

Everyone in Cooper Springs thinks Nick is crying wolf, but creepy stuff is going on around town and he is the only one paying attention. Human remains found in the forest, and a body dumped on the property he’s in charge of, have Nick on high alert.

Meanwhile, all Martin wants to do is get started on the remodel. Instead, he’s fighting with Nick over things that go bump in the night and losing sleep worrying he’s made a disastrously wrong decision.

Failure is not an option.

What will it take for Nick to let his guard down? What will it take for Martin to admit that age is just a number and Nick is more than man enough for him?

Welcome to Cooper Springs, home to UFO chasers, Sasquatch believers, conspiracy theorists, chainsaw artists, and regular folk just trying to make a living. And, quite possibly, a killer.

Below Grade is second in the Reclaimed Hearts series, set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, it is an opposites-attract, age gap, only one bed, grumpy-sunshine, small-town romance, with a little murder.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Reclaimed Hearts series!
For book one, Adverse Conditions, click HERE.
For book three, Red Flagged, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

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Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I would definitely recommend that you read them in order, as getting a sense of the place and the people is important in the overall story. By the end of the first book, we knew that the cabins had been sold to an out of towner, and the worry and excitement that the newcomer posed to the town.

Martin Purdy has taken his late aunt's advice and changed everything about his future, thanks to her inheritance, and also a scary heart attack. Now he finds himself in a cold, rather desolate place with a challenge to bring tourists back to town. The friendly locals, well except his lodger, Nick Waugh. We learn quite quickly why fate has been cruel to Nick, but it is amusing watching the whole story play out as Martin does not understand what he could have done to annoy the man.

After these two become housemates due to a freak storm, we get to watch them grow closer and recognise how well they work and play together. It is entertaining to see how Nick copes with his newly found feelings after a life of being considered inadequate by his parents.

As well as the men's romance, we have the ongoing investigations following the body on the bridge and... well, I should say no more! Suffice it to say that policing in this sleepy town is maybe not so easy as the new Chief had expected!

 

 

 

ELLE KEATON writes M/M romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest with some contemporary romance thrown in. She's passionate about writing inclusive romances with complex characters and a unique sense of place. Her characters start out broken, and maybe they’re still banged up by the end, but they find the other half of their hearts and ALWAYS get their happily ever after.

In 2017 Elle hit the publish button for the first time and hasn't looked back. Being an author is the best job Elle has ever had and now she has over thirty books available for you to read or listen to!

She loves cats and dogs, Star Wars and Star Trek, pineapple on pizza, and has a cribbage habit her husband encourages.

Love always wins, thank you for supporting this indie author!

Connect with Elle Keaton!

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: The Highway to Elle

 

 

 

ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Below Grade (Reclaimed Hearts #2) by Elle Keaton to read and review.

The Wild Card by Dylan Allen Release Blitz

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Dylan Allen continues the Rivers Wilde series with a neighbors-to-lovers second-chance romance.

A billionaire with family secrets looking for a fresh start.
A reformed jewel thief.
And a choice that changes everything.

Leo has two priorities: putting down new roots and making up for his mistakes.

He doesn’t have time for a blind date with his new neighbor.

Until he finds out she’s the woman he let slip away… but never forgot.

Cassie has finally paid her debts and is living the life she’s always wanted.
Her new neighbor sounds like he could be Mr. Right.
Only, he turns out to be the man who promised her the world then disappeared without a trace.

In another time and another place, he was a playboy who made her believe in miracles.
Now, he’s a danger to everything she’s worked hard for.

He wants to pick up where they left off.
She wants to keep her distance.

But when they’re together, their chemistry is undeniable.
The heat between them burns hot and fast.
Until a secret whips up a fire that threatens to engulf them all.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

 

 

Book 3.8
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Paperback (US)

 

 

I drop my phone into my pocket and grab my suitcase’s handle to turn around.

“Hey, watch—” I hear him too late and crash into the man trying to warn me with a thud that knocks the wind out of me and pushes me back onto my heels. I windmill my arms to try and correct my balance but cry out as it proves in vain and my body teeters backward. I brace myself for a fall.

Instead, an arm wraps around my waist and I find myself staring into the mirrored lenses of a dark pair of Ray-Bans.

Even with his eyes hidden and his face covered in sweat he’s easily one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen in person. He’s got a mouth most women would envy and a nose that belongs in a museum. His pores are amazing. I need to find out what he uses on his skin.

“Are you alright?” he asks, still hovering over me, still holding me up as if I weighed nothing.

“Yes.” I cough to clear the husk from my voice. “I’m sorry I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“I was,” he murmurs.

“You were… watching where I was going?”

“No. Where I was going. So, I saw you. Caught you.” The heat from his hand seeps through the thin fabric of my sundress.

I can’t see his eyes but I swear I can feel them on my face and I don’t like that I can’t see him.

And that’s my cue to end this little… whatever it is.

“Can you let me up?” I press my hands to his chest.

“Oh.” He starts as if he didn’t realize he was holding me. “Yes, sorry.” He straightens and lets me go. But the heat from his touch doesn’t.

“Thanks for breaking my fall. I’m Cassie.” I give a lame wave.

He flashes an unfairly perfect grin. “Nice to meet you. How long are you here?”

“All week. I’m working at the resort. You?” I ask as he starts to jog in place and glances at his watch.

“Two weeks. At least. So… maybe I’ll see you around?”

“Sure. What’s your name?”

“They call me Wild Card.” He winks and runs off.

Oh shit. I’ve already fucked up. Well at least I know who to avoid.

“I glance over my shoulder and watch him run away, his back muscles a thing of art and perfection, and sigh. "What a waste.”

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Second-Chance Romance

This story spans a decade. Leo and Cassie have complicated paths behind them and in front of them.

Cassie needs this one last job to finally be able to be out from under debt. Leo is trying to live up to the family name that he was not truly allowed to belong to. Both are trying to find a connection, without losing what they’ve worked so hard for.

I really enjoyed Cassie’s character. She’s strong without being mean, sensitive when it matters, and fierce when it comes to those she cares about.

Leo’s life has been privileged but challenged. He is a complicated character. He wants to do right by his dad, but also knows that he’s kind of chasing ghosts.

These two together were steamy, but quick. It’s kind of an insta-love story, but it seems to fit these two.

You will want to both kiss and pound faces in this story and it is a fast-paced, sweet story of love, forgiveness, and family.

 

 

 

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, DYLAN ALLEN is a Texas girl with a serious case of wanderlust.

A self-proclaimed happily ever junkie, she loves creating stories where her characters find a love worth fighting for. When she isn’t writing or reading, eating, or cooking, Dylan enjoys planning her next globe-trotting adventure.

A reformed lawyer, Dylan lives in Texas with her amazing husband and two sons.

Connect with Dylan Allen!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

For more information about the 1,001 Dark Nights releases, follow them at:

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Wild Card (Rivers Wilde #3.8) by Dylan Allen to read and review.

Red Flagged by Elle Keaton Blog Tour

Ex-US Marshal turned Cooper Springs Chief of Police, André Dear isn’t looking for love. He’s too busy hunting a killer.

The last person André expected to see in Cooper Springs was Dante Castone. He left Dante and the rest of his old life behind him when he moved to Washington State and what he thought would be a quiet job in a small town by the ocean.

Dante Brown went into WITSEC for his sister’s kid—sort of.

In reality, Dante's DIYing it; he isn’t the trusting sort. Daniella was the only witness to her mom’s brutal murder and needs both protection and anonymity—plus as normal a life as possible. It's just a bonus that Cooper Springs has André Dear too.

He and André have a history, and Dante wants to see if they might have a future. Someone is gunning for André and, like it or not, Dante is going to protect him. And yeah, feed him too. Does the man never eat?

André needs Dante’s help even if he doesn’t want to accept it. Dante's ready to settle down but he’s going to have to prove himself before André lets him in again.

Together, they need to catch a killer and maybe find each other in the process.

Red Flagged is book three in the Reclaimed Hearts series. A second-chance, older-lovers redemption story and thrilling romantic suspense set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Reclaimed Hearts series!
For book one, Adverse Conditions, click HERE.
For book two, Below Grade, check back in January.

 

 

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

André’s evening reading was interrupted by a banging against his front door. The hammering was loud, purposeful, and, in André’s opinion, full of false promise. He briefly contemplated not answering. The reverberation alone told him who was on the other side.

He had a choice to make.

For fuck’s sake, the thundering knock hadn’t even startled him.

Damn.

Annoyed, he set his mystery novel—a British cozy he’d been half paying attention to while listening to the rain pound against the roof—face down on the arm of the couch and rose to his feet. Traitorous anticipation bloomed slowly, languorously, alongside the growing exasperation in the pit of his stomach, rising like the steam from a freshly brewed cup of tea.

“Dear, I know you’re in there. Answer the fucking door. It’s pissing down out here.”

Wasn’t forty-five too old for a booty call? Was it a booty call when the ass in question showed up unannounced and, well, uncalled?

André didn’t have time to answer any of that in the short distance between his couch and the front door. Reaching out, he flipped the lock open and then twisted the handle, his hand shaking slightly.

This would be the last time.

Seconds later, André was slammed back against the living room wall, his hands automatically slipping under Dante’s leather jacket and cotton t-shirt, his fingertips sliding against Dante’s chilled, damp, skin. Dante murmured something and then his mouth was on André’s, claiming him as he always did.

Always. But never forever.

Within minutes, they were mostly naked and stumbling into André’s bedroom. A trail of clothing was strewn behind them, much like Hansel and Gretel’s trail of breadcrumbs so they could find their way back out of the wicked forest.

André felt his personal forest was much more complicated than Hansel and Gretel’s, but he’d finally found a way out of it.

This was the last time they were doing this.

At least this time, they made it to the bed and hadn’t just ended up on the couch like so many nights before. Falling onto the mattress, André had landed on his back and currently was gazing down his body, watching an equally naked Dante press his nose into André’s crotch. He liked it.

God, he liked it.

His cock did too. His cock was a fan of everything Dante. But it needed to stop. It had to. A relationship that consisted of late-night knocks on the door (followed up by the best sex André had ever experienced) and an empty spot next to him in the morning was not what he wanted.

The sex was incredible but what happened afterward made him intensely lonely.

As ridiculous as it was for a man of his age and profession—a U.S. Marshal, for godsakes—André wanted a partner. A real partner.

Dante Castone, an undercover operator for the DEA, was not the man for the job.

He wanted someone who’d stand by his side through good and bad times and vice versa. Dante was not that man. No matter how fucking incredible his lips felt as they closed around André’s cock.

“Jesus,” André groaned, arching his back.

Since a partner didn’t seem to be in the cards for André at this late stage in the game, he’d decided to settle for a job that wasn’t actively trying to kill him. He wanted to head into his twilight years like a cop on The Andy Griffith Show or Mayberry R.F.D. , giving advice to innocent kids and chatting with senior citizens who would end up having the answer to everything.

“You’re distracted tonight,” Dante rumbled as he let André’s cock slip from between his lips so he could begin licking his way up André’s body. He was heading toward André’s neck, which seemed to be a favorite place of his.

“Don’t leave marks,” André complained, his hips jerking as Dante nibbled on a sensitive nipple. “I don’t want to have to explain anything to my coworkers.”

“So many rules. You know I love breaking rules.”

Dante did love breaking rules—André’s rules, at any rate.

“Quit thinking so hard.” Dante punctuated his demand by biting and then sucking hard on André’s nipple, tracing around the nub with his hot tongue.

“Fuck.” André’s cock throbbed with anticipation of what was to come—himself and Dante—and he writhed desperately underneath Dante’s pleasantly heavy, muscular body, needing more contact, more of everything.

Tomorrow he’d tell Dante they couldn’t do this anymore. No more rule breaking.

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series and runs concurrently with some of the events of book two – most definitely following on from book one – so you really should read them in order! Each book focusses on a different relationship, but the underlying plotlines benefit from prior knowledge.

In this installment, we learn more about the Chief of Police and his past, as well as learning about who could also be in his present and future. André is staggered to see the man who ghosted him turn up in his small, backwater town, but is planning on finding out just why Dante is staying there with his niece. He not only finds out that the spark is still there between them, but that there are fireworks of a criminal nature not conducive to their survival. I really enjoyed the drama, especially when even André realises that going to a remote location alone wasn't the wisest move!

It was refreshing that they accepted that should they resolve the problems surrounding them, that they had every intention of making a future together – and we had enough going on without questions over the romance too! As well as their bit of crazy, we are still in the dark about the other murders in the town, so I am already looking forward to more clues in the next book.

 

 

 

ELLE KEATON writes M/M romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest with some contemporary romance thrown in. She's passionate about writing inclusive romances with complex characters and a unique sense of place. Her characters start out broken, and maybe they’re still banged up by the end, but they find the other half of their hearts and ALWAYS get their happily ever after.

In 2017 Elle hit the publish button for the first time and hasn't looked back. Being an author is the best job Elle has ever had and now she has over thirty books available for you to read or listen to!

She loves cats and dogs, Star Wars and Star Trek, pineapple on pizza, and has a cribbage habit her husband encourages.

Love always wins, thank you for supporting this indie author!

Connect with Elle Keaton!

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: The Highway to Elle

 

 

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Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Red Flagged (Reclaimed Hearts #3) by Elle Keaton to read and review.

Saints Like Him by Aimee Nicole Walker Blog Tour

From ex-con to self-made millionaire, there’s no challenge too tough for Cash Sweeney to conquer. So why has he spent twelve years pining for his best friend instead of doing something about it? Because losing Nick would be like existing with half of his heart. Is it better to settle for what he can have or battle for what he wants?

Banged up and burned out, FBI Agent Nick Scott arrives at Redemption Ridge with a trunkful of luggage and a yearning heart. Cash is easy to love but hard to read, and Nick fears his epiphany has come too late. Does he tuck his tail and run or fight for the man who’s become his home?

Tender gestures and heartfelt conversations lead to thrilling revelations neither man can ignore. No more what-ifs or maybes. Cash and Nick are all in. And they’ll need each other more than ever when a devious enemy emerges from the shadows to put their promising future at risk. With the stakes so high, will the guys double down or fold to pressure?

Saints Like Him is book three in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. Saints Like Him contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Content Warning: Homophobia, abuse, and conversion therapy are briefly discussed in this book, though no graphic descriptions are used.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Redemption Ridge series!
For book one, Guys Like Him, click HERE.
For book two, The Fortunate Son, click HERE.

 

 

Book 3
Buy Links

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~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

Cash pursed his lips while studying the chip selection at the grocery store in Last Chance Creek. What snack was most suitable for a forty-nine-year-old man while bingeing the newest season of Heartstopper? Cash wasn’t one to use his age as a reason to avoid many things, but he wasn’t proud of his obsession with the series about queer teenagers and their first loves. Their vitality and innocence sometimes made him feel older than dirt, but mostly it made him grateful that a new generation could see themselves in the characters.

It was unlikely Cash’s life would’ve turned out differently if he’d had positive representation as a teen. He’d lost his mom to poverty and drugs and had gone to live with strangers at a time when he was figuring things out about himself. Cash hadn’t felt comfortable coming out, or letting others in, until he was thirty. He’d rebuilt his life from the ashes of his past and had been tired of living a lie. The penniless dirt track racer had to pretend, but the successful technology inventor did not. Cash had thought his newly gained wealth would insulate him from scrutiny and scorn, but it only perpetuated the narrative that he was an outsider who didn’t belong. But those closed doors and snubs didn’t deter him; they fueled the perpetual fire in his soul and made him richer.

He couldn’t think of a single hard knock he’d change because they’d all led him to this point. Well, maybe not to standing in a grocery store staring at the same bag of Fritos for a solid ten minutes. He meant his ranch, his people, and the journey he’d taken to have them in his life. Contentment didn’t negate his few regrets or warm his bed, but the one man who could fix both problems was across the country. Who the hell was he kidding? It wouldn’t have mattered if Nick was at Quantico, on Mars, or standing beside Cash. He was off-limits. Cash just needed to convince his foolish heart of that fact—a feat he hadn’t accomplished in twelve years. But had he really tried that hard?

A warm, masculine chuckle invaded his thoughts, and Cash jerked his head to find Seth Burke approaching him. He bit back a snort. Burke didn’t approach; he swaggered with big dick energy. The sheriff was a good five inches taller, a few years younger, and had the persistence of a bloodhound when it came to Cash. Burke’s uniform consisted of a pressed khaki shirt, dark denim jeans, boots, and a white Stetson hat. Cash wasn’t sure what shone brighter in the store’s overhead lights—the shiny sheriff star pinned to Burke’s shirt or his white, toothy grin. Damn, but the man was fine as hell with jet-black hair, gray eyes, and sun-kissed skin. No matter the time of day, that superhero square jaw was clean-shaven to show off his magnificent bone structure. Why the hell couldn’t Cash return the man’s interest? He could trade heartache for the kind of twinges and stings that left a man smiling instead of moping.

“What’d that bag of chips do to you?” Burke asked when he reached Cash. His voice was jovial, pure good ole boy, but the tension around Burke’s mouth betrayed him.

Cash snorted and faced his friend. “I was just lost in thought.” He glanced down and saw Burke had already placed several items in his basket. “I didn’t see your truck in the parking lot.”

A dark brow arched. “Or you would’ve kept driving?”

Cash sighed. “Of course not. I was just making conversation.”

“The inane kind you make when you’ve been avoiding your friend?” Burke pressed.

Were they friends? They met for lunch regularly at the diner and texted often, so definitely more friendly than acquaintances.

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
Saints Like Him is the third book in the Redemption Ridge series. I don't suggest reading it as a standalone because you will miss so much information from the other books that make this one so worth it. It should be read in the order the author intended.

Cash and Nick had one weekend to fuel the flame of their desires. One weekend twelve years ago that changed both their lives. They weren't in the same places in their lives that they are today. They put each other in the friendzone but remained the best of friends through the years. Cash has always been Nick's safe place when his job as an FBI agent became too much. And coming to Redemption Ridge when his life is in complete turmoil is the only thing he can do. The life Nick has built for himself has always felt like it's missing something... that something is Cash.

Cash has built and run Redemption Ridge for former inmates to go when they wanted to make something of their lives after prison. The people around him have become family and as happy as it makes him to have these people in his life, he still feels alone. He's been in love with his best friend for twelve years. They were both not ready to be in a relationship, but now Cash is terrified to move Nick from that friendzone because he's so afraid of losing him.

I am so invested in this series. I love everything about these characters and finally seeing Cash get his happily ever after, after so long, is so heartwarming. Nick and Cash had so much chemistry and love between them. Cash was so patient with Nick while he worked through his issues and Nick's way to reassure Cash every time his thoughts would get away from him was so sweet.

I can't wait to get Rueben and Seth and Tyler and Owen. I am honestly just so excited there is more to come from this world!!!


Angie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series. You might be able to read it as a standalone, but the previous books are so good it enriches this book. I've wanted Cash's story from the get-go. Who is this guy who runs this ranch and is so good to his employees? We met Nick briefly in a previous book and we could tell Cash felt something. This book, we get it all. All the heartache, all the BS they each went through, and finally, all the love. These two are perfect for each other. I loved watching their story unfold. I love the guys on this ranch, they are all like family and everyone has each other’s back. I adore this series and I can't wait for the next book.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of goodness

This is the third book in the series and I have been waiting for Cash to get his happily ever after... and it really had to be with Nick! I would recommend that you read the earlier books first, as the underlying story is ongoing and would add to the richness of the story in this installment.

Cash and Nick are the very closest of friends, but never cross the line because Nick's career in the FBI doesn't fit with Cash's ranch life. Sure, Cash could be anywhere with the money he has, but he believes in Redemption Ridge, and Nick knows it and would never expect Cash to compromise. But Nick is finally at a point where he really can't continue in his role anymore, so perhaps it is time to see whether all that chemistry they suppress is, in fact, still there.

Cash cannot believe how wounded Nick's soul and body are, and will do anything to make his recovery smooth – but he is very surprised that Nick seems to be flirting with him, and is uncertain as to how to deal with his feelings. He knows what he wants but is it real?

I loved these two men finding each other again, and being so perfect together. Before they can really settle down though, they have to eliminate the threat of the sect which is persecuting the men on the ranch and the local town. Little did any of us expect the reason behind their vendetta – it is a clever twist.

Delicious from beginning to end with lots of time to catch up on previous romances and to predict who is going to be the next subject of a bet! Thank you, Aimee Nicole Walker.

 

 

 

Ever since she was a little girl, AIMEE NICOLE WALKER entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day. She’d love to hear from you.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Saints Like Him (Redemption Ridge #3) by Aimee Nicole Walker to read and review.