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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Hollis Review
4.75/5 ⭐️ 4/5 🌶️
I loved HOLLIS! It was a great follow up to FINN. Hollis is such a fun character, love his carefree way of life. Liked getting to see Ford come out of his shell and get back into the dating world. The spice was immaculate as always, Ashley James kills it. Can’t wait for the next book!
What to expect:
🔥Small Town
🔥Cowboy x Firefighter
🔥Age Gap
🔥Online Dating
🔥Hidden Identity
🔥Best Friend’s Boss
🔥Sneaking Around
🔥Opposites Attract
🔥MM Romance
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Loved this read. It was so smooth. I loved the progression of Hollis and Ford’s relationship. It had great pace and I was so into their chemistry, back and forth, and interactions the book just flew by.
I love texting in a book so their getting to know you stage over the app in the beginning was great. I really enjoyed that premise of Ford knowing who he was talking to (that sly dog, 😏) with Hollis being in the dark.
Everything in this read worked. The age gap, the opposites attract. These two were peanut butter and jelly, butter on toast, strawberries and cream. The more time they spent together, the more I loved them.
I loved how vulnerable Ford was, coming out of a long time marriage and dealing with past traumas. He had every right to be gun shy, yet there was no stopping Hollis once he knew who his mystery man was and I loved seeing Ford embrace happiness.
Hollis is just a good human. He helped hey Ford’s wounds just by being himself. For a guy who was so relationship adverse, he sure knew how to be in one and he did it with so much ease he was oblivious to the fact he was in one. 😂
This book made me smile and giggle and I can’t wait for the next one which may be even more of an age gap perhaps???? 👀 Looking at you Remi!
I love texting in a book so their getting to know you stage over the app in the beginning was great. I really enjoyed that premise of Ford knowing who he was talking to (that sly dog, 😏) with Hollis being in the dark.
Everything in this read worked. The age gap, the opposites attract. These two were peanut butter and jelly, butter on toast, strawberries and cream. The more time they spent together, the more I loved them.
I loved how vulnerable Ford was, coming out of a long time marriage and dealing with past traumas. He had every right to be gun shy, yet there was no stopping Hollis once he knew who his mystery man was and I loved seeing Ford embrace happiness.
Hollis is just a good human. He helped hey Ford’s wounds just by being himself. For a guy who was so relationship adverse, he sure knew how to be in one and he did it with so much ease he was oblivious to the fact he was in one. 😂
This book made me smile and giggle and I can’t wait for the next one which may be even more of an age gap perhaps???? 👀 Looking at you Remi!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Whew, Hollis and Ford were 🔥 together.
I'm not usually one for the large age gap, but I absolutely loved the first book and the side characters and just knew I had to read this book, and I have no regrets.
Hollis is just what Ford needed and vice versa for different reasons, and you could feel that connection when they first connected.
Spice 🌶 🌶 🌶
I'm not usually one for the large age gap, but I absolutely loved the first book and the side characters and just knew I had to read this book, and I have no regrets.
Hollis is just what Ford needed and vice versa for different reasons, and you could feel that connection when they first connected.
Spice 🌶 🌶 🌶
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ashley James has a gift for writing romance that’s full of heart, layered emotion and delicious tension and Hollis is no exception. After reading Finn, I was looking forward to more of the Moore brothers and this standalone MM romance did not disappoint. Hollis brings together some of my favorite tropes: age-gap, cowboy, firefighter, forced proximity, best friend’s boss and yes—plenty of witty banter and irresistible spice.
Hollis Moore, the younger brother of Finn, is a charming playboy who doesn’t take relationships too seriously. Meanwhile, Ford Wesley, an older and newly divorced Firefighter Captain, is navigating single life for the first time in years. When Ford needs a temporary place to stay, fate leads him to the Moore ranch. Sparks fly, but things really heat up when Hollis discovers the anonymous man he’s been talking to on a dating app is Ford. Even juicier? Ford knew it was Hollis all along. Cue the tension and surprise!
I absolutely loved this story of new beginnings, emotional growth and learning to open your heart even when it feels risky. Hollis and Ford’s chemistry was off the charts and their emotional journey felt both real and deeply satisfying. The supporting cast of family and friends added warmth, humor and heart, creating a rich and welcoming world I didn’t want to leave. There’s love, laughter, a bit of suspense and a whole lot of swoon-worthy moments. Hollis is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see what Ashley James delivers next. Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5/5 Stars
ARC Review
Hollis Moore, the younger brother of Finn, is a charming playboy who doesn’t take relationships too seriously. Meanwhile, Ford Wesley, an older and newly divorced Firefighter Captain, is navigating single life for the first time in years. When Ford needs a temporary place to stay, fate leads him to the Moore ranch. Sparks fly, but things really heat up when Hollis discovers the anonymous man he’s been talking to on a dating app is Ford. Even juicier? Ford knew it was Hollis all along. Cue the tension and surprise!
I absolutely loved this story of new beginnings, emotional growth and learning to open your heart even when it feels risky. Hollis and Ford’s chemistry was off the charts and their emotional journey felt both real and deeply satisfying. The supporting cast of family and friends added warmth, humor and heart, creating a rich and welcoming world I didn’t want to leave. There’s love, laughter, a bit of suspense and a whole lot of swoon-worthy moments. Hollis is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see what Ashley James delivers next. Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5/5 Stars
ARC Review
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
This story is the perfect mix of heat, heart, and humor. Hollis is bold, flirty, and impossible not to love, while Ford brings steady, grounded energy that balances Hollis’s fire. Their anonymous match on a dating app sets the stage for some seriously hot tension, and once the truth comes out, their chemistry only intensifies.
The connection between them grows naturally, with moments that are both tender and explosive. Hollis’s confidence and Ford’s calm intensity make them a perfect match, and their dynamic never feels forced. I loved that their age gap and different life experiences were handled with care and never turned into drama.
The spicy scenes are electric, the emotional beats hit just right, and the side characters bring extra charm. This book had me smiling, blushing, and fully invested from beginning to end.
4.5⭐
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hollis is a super confident, cocky rancher. When he sees something he wants he surely goes for it. Ford is more reserved, a strong and silent type firefighter captain. Going through a divorce, Ford signs up for a dating app at the recommendation of his coworker, Remi, who is Hollis’s best friend. They begin their back and forth and things eventually escalate to in-person shenanigans. Beginning as a casual thing, they get to know one another personally and feelings eventually develop.
This is book 2 in the Moore Men series, but you can read it as a standalone. I usually will go back and read a series in order for the best enjoyment. You don’t have to do that with this one - everything was tied in well enough that if I was a first time reader, I could read this without feeling like I’m missing something. I applaud Miss James for her ability to do this so seamlessly.
I do feel like there were one or two too many explicit scenes in this. These scenes don’t bother me in the slightest, and I definitely knew what I was signing up for, but I was looking forward to seeing them connect on an emotional level as well as physical. The emotional development was short and kind of unfulfilling. I loved seeing them bond, we just didn’t get to see much of it. I didn’t have that, “oh there’s the romance” moment until around 60, 65%, mainly because Hollis was quite flippant about falling for Ford for a large majority of the book, and Ford was never sure if he should allow himself to fall for Hollis. Eventually I was taken out of the story because I became aware of myself waiting for it to happen.
At one point the writing set us up for a dinner scene at Gentry’s (“It’s Wednesday, and both of us want to finish everything before quitting time. Every Wednesday, we gather at my dad’s house for dinner. It’s something we’ve done for years.”), then Hollis went home and cooked himself a frozen pizza. There was no mention of the dinner or the character skipping it. An earlier scene had Hollis at a bar with Remi on a Wednesday also, no mention of the weekly family dinner. Confusing moment and kind of unexpected from this author.
The chemistry between these two was off the charts in a physical sense though. The daddy trope worked for this couple a tad better than it did for Finn and Ash, book one’s main characters. The story leaned more into the best friend’s boss trope than the age gap trope, as in it didn’t focus on the age discrepancy so much as the sneaking around.
I honestly was expecting Trent to show up at some point. There was definitely an opportunity for that to happen somewhere but he is nowhere to be found. I understand that some people dislike the whole “scene with the ex” thing, but I really felt like it could have worked here to add just a little bit of angst to the story.
This is a light read, low angst, high heat, slice of life romance. If you need a quick read to take a break from some heavier material, this would work well for you. I think I had higher expectations that unfortunately weren’t met this go around. Too many things took me out of the story. I will still be returning for book 3, as from the get go I was interested in seeing more of Gentry. Thank you for the ARC, this has been my honest review.
“Knew it was you, Captain.”
I knew I would love Hollis from Finn’s book and boy was I right. Hollis the typical fun playboy that has absolutely no filter at all very different from his dad and Finn as well as Ford. Ford is the fire captain very serious a little on the grumpy side the complete opposite of Hollis. My heart just went out to Ford he had been through so much and he needed Hollis and I think in a way Hollis needed Ford as well. Hollis will have you giggling and fanning yourself in the same sentence. I enjoyed the growth and connection they had starting as strangers (for one of them) online to so much more. I cannot wait for Gentry’s book, I also hope we see much more of Remi he is Hollis 2.0. I just have to mention the hospital scene had me laughing non stop.
~~What to Expect~~
🧯Age Gap *19 years*
🧯MM
🧯Grumpy Fire Captain X Flirty Cowboy
🧯Reformed Playboy
🧯Small Town
🧯Best Friend’s Boss
🧯Secret Relationship
🧯Opposites Attract
🧯No 3rd Act Break Up
🧯Close Proximity
🧯Friends with Benefits
~~Quotes~~
💙Hollis makes me feel seen in a way I’ve felt invisible for so many years.
💙Ford wants me, and if he thinks he can keep his distance for long. He’s out of his mind.
I knew I would love Hollis from Finn’s book and boy was I right. Hollis the typical fun playboy that has absolutely no filter at all very different from his dad and Finn as well as Ford. Ford is the fire captain very serious a little on the grumpy side the complete opposite of Hollis. My heart just went out to Ford he had been through so much and he needed Hollis and I think in a way Hollis needed Ford as well. Hollis will have you giggling and fanning yourself in the same sentence. I enjoyed the growth and connection they had starting as strangers (for one of them) online to so much more. I cannot wait for Gentry’s book, I also hope we see much more of Remi he is Hollis 2.0. I just have to mention the hospital scene had me laughing non stop.
~~What to Expect~~
🧯Age Gap *19 years*
🧯MM
🧯Grumpy Fire Captain X Flirty Cowboy
🧯Reformed Playboy
🧯Small Town
🧯Best Friend’s Boss
🧯Secret Relationship
🧯Opposites Attract
🧯No 3rd Act Break Up
🧯Close Proximity
🧯Friends with Benefits
~~Quotes~~
💙Hollis makes me feel seen in a way I’ve felt invisible for so many years.
💙Ford wants me, and if he thinks he can keep his distance for long. He’s out of his mind.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5/5 ⭐️s
🌶️🌶️1/2 - medium to heavy spice
LOVES:
- The mysterious dating-app messaging was fun and a great way for them to get to know each other in a low pressure way (though, once in a while the sexy details they were writing seemed a little unrealistic for two men to be sending each other, but maybe that’s my preconceived notions about men’s eloquence 🙃)
- Remi was a great friend. Fun to have around, supportive, and helps a friend even when they don’t realize they need it.
- I’m not always one for a super cocky dude, but Hollis absolutely made it work. And it was exactly what Ford needed. 😏
- The whole hospital scene was an absolute joy 😁
CRITIQUE:
- The smoking was addressed, but it’s just so hard for me to read a book with it involved at all 🤢 makes me think about their yucky mouth. Personal preference for me.
When Ashley writes, everything feels important to the story/character development. There isn’t any extra fluff that feels unnecessary. She gets right to the point with each scene and I really appreciate that.
Thanks to The Author Agency for the advance copy 💝 Happy release day!
🌶️🌶️1/2 - medium to heavy spice
LOVES:
- The mysterious dating-app messaging was fun and a great way for them to get to know each other in a low pressure way (though, once in a while the sexy details they were writing seemed a little unrealistic for two men to be sending each other, but maybe that’s my preconceived notions about men’s eloquence 🙃)
- Remi was a great friend. Fun to have around, supportive, and helps a friend even when they don’t realize they need it.
- I’m not always one for a super cocky dude, but Hollis absolutely made it work. And it was exactly what Ford needed. 😏
- The whole hospital scene was an absolute joy 😁
CRITIQUE:
- The smoking was addressed, but it’s just so hard for me to read a book with it involved at all 🤢 makes me think about their yucky mouth. Personal preference for me.
When Ashley writes, everything feels important to the story/character development. There isn’t any extra fluff that feels unnecessary. She gets right to the point with each scene and I really appreciate that.
Thanks to The Author Agency for the advance copy 💝 Happy release day!
This series has me in an absolute chokehold, Ashley James is writing some of my all time favourite hot cowboy romance. This one ups the stakes by starring a hot cowboy AND a hot firefighter. Honestly, this book is downright dangerous.
I was really into the dating app plot device, and I liked that it kept the plot interesting without resulting in anything too angsty. It just served to add some cute banter and help our mc’s let go of some societal *cough* hang-ups.
Ford and Hollis are the absolute cutest, the two of them are the epitome of grumpy x sunshine. Ford is a sweetheart and deserves the absolute best - so it’s a good thing that the best in this case comes in the form of a sweet-talking, hot-as-sin, flirty cowboy who’s almost half his age. The spice between these two is 👌
I will be the first in line when the next one in this series comes out, I need daddy Gentry’s book like I need my next breath.
⭐ 4.5/5
🌶️ 3/5
I was really into the dating app plot device, and I liked that it kept the plot interesting without resulting in anything too angsty. It just served to add some cute banter and help our mc’s let go of some societal *cough* hang-ups.
Ford and Hollis are the absolute cutest, the two of them are the epitome of grumpy x sunshine. Ford is a sweetheart and deserves the absolute best - so it’s a good thing that the best in this case comes in the form of a sweet-talking, hot-as-sin, flirty cowboy who’s almost half his age. The spice between these two is 👌
I will be the first in line when the next one in this series comes out, I need daddy Gentry’s book like I need my next breath.
⭐ 4.5/5
🌶️ 3/5