SLACK: A Day in the Life of Ford Aston by J.A. Huss

5 get your freak on stars

Mr. Rutherford Aston is having a really bad, screwed up day. 

Worst of all, it’s Christmas Eve.  Scrooge that he is, Ford does NOT do holidays or merriment.  He does “pets”. Not planning on spreading holiday joy, all he wants is to be entertained by his current submissive “pet” and nurse his broken heart.  Total detachment – that’s how he likes to live his life.  As it turns out, his plans fall through. From the appearance of troubled friends, to a smart-ass 12-year-old girl, to sitting in church, Ford’s day was quite busy and off schedule.

This novella gives the reader a glimpse into the life and times of a really loveable but crazy dude.  Ford is sarcastic, pessimistic and at times sadistic. The conversations, which take place in his head, are hysterical.  He’s twisted and crazy - I fell in love with him. He is some character.

Got to admit, I have not read the original series. But, it must be said that jumping into this novella cold, I was not lost.  The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader informed of the back-story.  It was a fast, funny and enjoyable read.  Loved being in the mind of this self-proclaimed “freak”.  I look forward his story as well and other characters in the series.

       

SLACK: A Day in the Life of Ford Aston (Rook and Ronin Spin-off)

     

   

Worth the Fight – Accidentally on Purpose #3 L.D. Davis

5 Angst Filled Stars

There are very few love triangle books or series I’ve come to love. The AOP series is definitely one of them. These books were highly erotic and very emotional. They were filled with such angst, at times I wanted to destroy my kindle out of sheer frustration.  Needless to say, it was that moving.

The story told in “Worth the Fight” mirrored the first installment, but in Luke’s POV.  Now, I usually have a problem with alternate POV’s. To me, it seems as if most authors “cut and paste” the dialogue, regurgitating the same conversations and situations, not bothering to make the story interesting what so ever. Reading most of them was a regretful experience, leaving me disappointed. What L.D. Davis managed to do was amazing.  Same plot, same cast of characters, and yet – a new and totally different feel to the story, with the add bonus of bringing it forward.  Being inside Luke’s head felt as if I was reading it for the first time. Well done L.D.

Please note there are spoilers below if you have not read “Accidentally on Purpose”.

Luke Kessler fell in love with Emmy. In return, she broke his heart and played him for a fool. Her infidelities left him angry and shattered.  To nurse his emotional wounds, he left his job behind and returned home to Chicago to start over and open his own law practice.  Over a year later, the last thing he expected was a message from Emmy asking to meet, and sharing the fact that he had fathered a beautiful baby boy.  Realizing Emmy had left Kyle Sterling (AKA the other man AND her boss) for good, they re-start their lives together as a “quasi” family.  In the beginning, Luke had a hard time reconciling with Emmy.  Their relationship was just a necessary evil in order for him to be a part of his son’s life. He could barely tolerated Emmy, and she was constantly walking on eggshells.  

Luke was not used to this ‘new meek Emmy’. Her change in character and night terrors convinced Luke that she suffered something terrible at the hands of Kyle.  He learns later that Kyle had indeed broken her - physically and emotionally. Now, he is determined to find out what happened and to fix her broken spirit.

As time passes, Luke and Emmy’s relationship begins to blossom and the love that was buried deep inside has rekindled. I was ecstatic over these two reuniting. My heart ached for Luke and I resented Emmy’s character for hurting him so deeply. I always felt they belong together. Never wanted Emmy with Kyle because, well, he is a rotten slimy bastard. What he did to Emmy was reprehensible and frankly, unforgivable. (Note: Although I despised Kyle Sterling’s character in AOP, I did fall in love with him towards the end of his story “Worthy of Redemption”). Witnessing Luke and Emmy fall in love again, marry, and become a family was heartwarming. Luke is magnificently sensual and downright romantic. How can you not fall in love with a man whose privates are referred to as “a monster”?  It’s impossible. 

Married life presented it’s own challenges and dramas.  But, Luke’s strength carried Emmy through the rough patches and together, they fought to overcome all obstacles in their path. They restarted their relationship both battered and broken from past emotional injuries, but they battled against the odds to heal one another. Emmy is his, and will fight “to the death” for her. There is no denying the fact that Luke is madly in love with her.  And this time, he will let nothing and no one stand in his way.

"Worth the Fight" was an absolute 5 star read for me.  It was the perfect blend of romance, passion, angst and drama.  This is saga was quite a rollercoaster ride and most certainly worth the read.  LD’s writing style was outstanding and I look forward to the next sequel in this series.

Worth the Fight (Accidentally on Purpose)

  

Until Trevor by Aurora Rose Reynolds

4 out of 5 Stars
ACR provided by author in exchange for an honest review

“Until Trevor” is a light-hearted romance story about opposites attracting.

We first encountered Asher’s sexy brother, Trevor Mason, in “Until November”.  Trevor is a hot, super sexy, out going type of guy who gets a round.  Having his fair share of women, he follows a “no strings attached” policy in his relationships.  His main focus is on the family business and sowing as many wild oats as possible.  Settling down is doable...but not in the near future.

Liz is an introvert.  She’s quiet, painfully shy at times, and mainly keeps to herself.  She and Trevor developed a friendship.  But once realizing Liz's feelings became a little more amorous than friendly, Trevor dropped totally out of her life.  His absence hurt Liz. Because of his withdrawal, she can no longer trust him with her feelings, none the less her heart.  

Trevor finally comes to the realization that Liz is his “one and only”, and in all his caveman ways, works harder than ever to win back her trust and own her heart. Their road to a happily ever after is paved with some drama courtesy of crazy ex’s and family members, but they find the time for some sizzling steamy sex along the way.

I liked Trevor and Liz’s love story.  He is a macho-alpha hottie. But I have to say that so far, my favorite Mason brother is Asher.  Happy to see him and November involved in the story line as well.  Let’s see if Asher can hold the BEST MASON BROTHER title against the next in the series with Cash’s story.

Until Trevor (Until Series)