Together Again by Wendi Zwaduk

Sometimes the second time around is the right time for things to click.

Corey Murphy never intended to let his wife, Katie, become his ex-wife. But for the Murphys, convention and commitment are foreign concepts. Once he lost Katie, he decided to get his life in order. Now he’s healthy, happy with his job teaching physical education and ready to get his relationship back on track. He’s got to hope Katie’s still willing to give them a chance.

Katie Murphy loved being married. She loved the companionship, the connection… and the hot nights. Being with Corey surpassed even her wildest fantasies. But her ex-husband wasn’t big on commitment. She knows he’s got ghosts in his past, but is she willing to help him look to the future—their future?

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of anal sex and the mention of teacher-student sex.

Publisher's Note: This book was previously released elsewhere. It has been revised, expanded and reedited for rerelease with Totally Bound Publishing.

Book 3
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Totally Bound

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Second chance romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Corey and Katie love each other. However, with Corey's family life, he didn't know if he could hack being monogamous or being a husband. When he asked Katie for a divorce, he didn't realize that it would tear him apart from the inside out.

Katie loves her job and her friends. She still loves her ex-husband too. But with everyone telling her to move on, Katie knows that it might be time. If only she could get Corey to see that he is more than what his family tells him he is.

This is a couple that dance around their communication. They say they are friends, but really, they are booty calls until they decide whether they want more. It was a somewhat forced story and I'm not really sure what Katie's colleague added to the story at all. Also, while I understand wanting to spice up their sex life, it seemed that they made a huge deal about their kink, when in reality, it was very minimal.

You do get a happily ever after, but it is a short book and seems like it's very similar to the first book in the series.

Wendi Zwaduk is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to BDSM and LGBTQ themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and the former AllRomance Ebooks. She also writes under the name of Megan Slayer.

When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

Wendi loves to hear from readers.

Connect with Wendi

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Together Again (Love Lessons #3) by Wendi Zwaduk to read and review.

Drawn Together by Wendi Zwaduk

His perfect match is in the last place he expects—across the courtyard.

Graig Case wants to teach history and coach baseball. Plain and simple. But nothing in his life has been easy. He’s also got a secret. He loves to watch the sexy woman across the courtyard dance. He’d love for his fantasy girl to be his best friend, but fantasy and reality don’t always mix.

Tessa Martin has given up on love. She’s played second fiddle most of her life. Men like hanging out with her. Being one of the guys doesn’t keep her warm at night. Still, she indulges in her one treat—dancing for Graig. No emotions involved means no one gets hurt.

Except when they end up working in the same school in the same hallway… then all bets are off.

Reader Advisory: This book contains anal sex and the use of toys.

Publisher's Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Totally Bound Publishing.

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Totally Bound

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

Graig is a history teacher who is just starting out in his career. He loves what he does and knows that he can do it forever. What he's missing is that he has found out, just before taking the new teaching position, that his girlfriend, Lila, had been cheating on him. Lila and Graig break up and he is free to start his new job and date other people.

Tessa is an art teacher at the same school that Graig is now working at. She has family who also work at the school – her sister and brother-in-law. Tessa has always felt that she is better suited to being the good friend, but never enough to be loved material. She has a weak self-esteem and isn't going to look for love, despite her sister's attempts to set her up.

When Graig and Tessa begin their courtship, they have to navigate co-workers and exes. Tessa has to decide if she can trust Graig and Graig needs to make sure that he's clear and honest with Tessa.

I really enjoyed this story and despite some awkwardness between the main characters, I felt that their relationship was fairly organic. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favourites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line.

I earned a BA in education at Kent State University and currently hold a Masters in Education with Nova Southeastern University.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. You can also find me at my blog.

Connect with Wendi

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Drawn Together (Love Lessons #1) by Wendi Zwaduk to read and review.

Lonely Hearts by Heidi Cullinan

Even hot messes need a happily ever after.

With the quiet help of his wealthy family, Sebastian “Baz” Acker has successfully kept his painful past at bay. But as the end of college draws near, his friends—his buffer zone—are preparing to move on, while his own life is at a crippling standstill.

With loneliness bearing down on him, Baz hooks up—then opens up—with Elijah Prince, the guy Baz took a bullet for last year. The aftershocks of their one-night stand leave giant cracks in Baz’s carefully constructed armor. For the first time, the prospect isn’t terrifying.

Accustomed to escaping his demons by withdrawing into his imagination, Elijah isn’t used to having a happy herd of friends. He’s even less comfortable as the object of a notorious playboy’s affections. Yet all signs seem to indicate this time happiness might be within his grasp.

When Baz’s mother runs for a highly sought-after public office, the media hounds drag Baz’s and Elijah’s pasts into the light. In the blinding glare, Baz and Elijah face the ultimate test: discovering if they’re stronger together…or apart.

Warning: Contains sex in a Tesla, sex in a cupboard, sex under a piano, kinky role play, and a cappella RuPaul songs. Just a couple of boys groping, battling, then finally loving their way to becoming men.

Book 3
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Samhain Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars
I enjoyed Lonely Hearts, how it shows the past 2 books' 4 narrators, so we can still connect with their stories while exploring others. Elijah & Sebastian piqued my interests in the previous titles, and intrigued me during their book.

I won't go into a rehash of the title, being as this is the 3rd in the series and it was set up properly to be able to dive right in with ease. Tortured heroes, supportive friends and family, a college that is both tolerant and intolerant, good adults who mentor and help the narrators find their way, and an angsty romance that is front and center for half the book. Similar to its predecessors, Lonely Hearts became about another character but more so than in books 1 & 2, as Elijah & Sebastian all but disappeared even if it was their voice telling the story.

Heidi Cullinan develops a large cast of characters, with many threads of storyline, interweaving while setting up future books. While I find Ms. Cullinan's writing comforting and heart-warming, often times the book felt drawn-out, where I became bored and skim-read, for which I felt guilty.

What I have to say next will sound odd, I'm sure, especially after the praise I've given above. I felt the story was drawing to a close, eager for the conclusion, only to look down and realize I had only read 48% of the book – I'd already read all day from morning into the evening nonstop. I was unsure what the next 52% would entail. The narrators were solid in their relationship, and I didn't want to explore miscommunications, unnecessary angst, or tearing them apart to put them back together after I'd already experienced that in past books and all of my day. I was anxious when I spotted this, and, to be honest, ready for the conclusion.

The book began to ramble a bit, drawing in a new character who I wasn't sure if I should imprint to memory, as it was already a large cast and we were more than halfway through the book. Now the storyline was no longer about our narrators but a newcomer. While I enjoyed Lejla's storyline, found it interesting and resonating, even releasing a tear or two, I felt it took away from the spirit of the book, which was about Elijah & Sebastian. I felt Lejla should have voiced it herself. While my heart was warmed by this newcomer, I felt it would have been better with less focus. I'm sure she is our narrator in the next book, but it was so in-depth I felt her story was half told already.

At this point, I felt the book didn't know what it wanted to be as it was all over the place. I want to state, I enjoyed it. I was entertained. But it felt chaotic and made me feel anxious. While I want to say this is about my reading style, after reading for 6 hours, 50% of the book, the book stopped being about the narrators and now was about another character and the narrator's political family, yet still not about the narrator himself. I'm greedy; I wanted the conclusion of the book I was reading. I missed Elijah & Sebastian as I waded through what was essentially Lejla's book.

While book 1 & 2 were heavy on music & singing & OTT Disney, Book #3 was Manga. I'm not sure if this is Ms. Cullinan's style to draw in a hobby or interest and inject it into the storyline, but I found it to be distracting, to be honest & I skimmed every passage when it was brought up. Not because it's not interesting, or that I don't feel readers would enjoy it, but because of the sheer abundance, almost as if it's another character riding the storyline.

In conclusion, I would recommend Ms. Cullinan's novels. They are emotional and multi-dimensional, but take a serious commitment to reach their conclusion.

Also Available in the Love Lessons Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Samhain Publishing

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Samhain Publishing

Heidi Cullinan has always enjoyed a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. Proud to be from the first Midwestern state with full marriage equality, Heidi is a vocal advocate for LGBT rights. She writes positive-outcome romances for LGBT characters struggling against insurmountable odds because she believes there’s no such thing as too much happy ever after. When Heidi isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, playing with her cats, and watching television with her family.

Connect with Heidi

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Lonely Hearts (Love Lessons #3) by Heidi Cullinan to read and review.