mollyreadsandcrafts's reviews
903 reviews

Inevitable Disclosure by Nicky James

4.5

•SPOILERS• 

Aslan and Quaid are happily settling into their relationship now that Juniper's case has been settled, even if Quaid is feeling a little lost in what is next for his career. When Quaid's missing person case turns into a homicide, he joins Aslan and his partner in trying to untangle all the clues and figure out the truth to what happened. 

If the previous book was heavily focused on Quaid and his past, this story was more of establishing Quaid and Aslan's relationship. Quaid has moved past some of his insecurities, though not all of them, and is learning to trust in Aslan and his feelings. They are both dedicated to each and ready to take things to the next level, but Aslan is having trouble saying exactly how he feels. It reminded me a lot of understanding a partner's love language. Quaid needs the words of affirmation and security of being told he's loved, while Aslan likes to prove his love in small acts of affection that he feels speaks louder than words. It's not a huge conflict, but it takes them a bit to figure out this balance. I absolutely adore them as a couple. They fit so perfectly together and truly want the others happiness above all else. They have the push and pull to keep each other on their toes but a deep affection for one another that's evident in everything they do. Quaid's confession, the musical, the cactus, it's just these things!! Love them. 

This case was one where I kind of guessed what was happening and I really hoped I was wrong. From the prologue you know something happens at the end, but it really is just a bad situation all around. There were a lot of suspects, some red herrings, twists, teenage drama, and just a bummer of an ending. My heart hurts for Aslan and what he went through, but I love how he (at least right now) hasn't blocked Quaid out and leaned on him for support in the immediate aftermath. I really like how everything is playing out with their relationship and the variety of cases in the series. It'll be interesting to see how they recover from here, but I'm really happy Quaid's staying with the MPU!

Read if you like: 

• hurt/comfort 

• romantic suspense 

• opposites attract 

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Relative Commotion by Nicky James

Unstable Connections by Nicky James

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

•SPOILERS• 

Not only are missing children turning up after months of being gone, but they all seem to have a connection to a *certain* case from almost 30 years ago. Quaid is working himself into the ground to find out what's happening now and what happened then, all while he and Aslan are figuring out the shaky and stressful start to their new relationship. 

Honestly, Quaid is going through a lot. He is still feeling the scars and insecurities from his last relationship and while it might not be the perfect time to start something new, he can't deny his strong feelings for Aslan. Even though he wishes otherwise, Quaid feels more vulnerable than ever and has a hard time trusting Aslan's intentions. While Quaid is feeling all these feelings, Aslan is patient and sure and constant. I started this whole series a little wary of Aslan but he's more than proved his dedication to Quaid and I love it. He knows the deep dark details of what Jack put Quaid through, and knows it's going to take time to gain his trust. He just gets Quaid like no other and wants Quaid to be his most open and comfortable self around him. What I love most about them is their understanding of one another that shows in all their sweet, small affectionate moments throughout the book.  

Contributing to all this emotional turmoil, Quaid is more stressed than ever with his current case's connections to his sister's disappearance. It's just a perfect storm of events that creates a difficult environment for him. He and his dad have to finally confront the past while searching for answers, gaining much needed if heartbreaking closure. The case really drew me in with so many leads, old and new, concluding with some twists and fast-paced action. 

I don't know why I keep choosing these slow burn, multi-book romances because I know there will always be a point where I get frustrated with the characters and just want them to love each other forever. As much as I love these two, they are no exception. At times I just wanted to yell at Quaid to just let Aslan love him! But it also gave them a chance to solidify their relationship and prove how deep their feelings go. The case, the romance, the characters - they were all exceptional and created an intriguing book. As one big mystery is solved, Aslan and Quaid can now move on the next part of their story. 

Read if you like: 

• hurt/comfort 

• romantic suspense 

• opposites attract 

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Broken Bird by Gregory Ashe

3.75

•spoilers• 

Dash and Co. are back to amateur sleuthing when an author visits Hastings Rock for a book signing and ends up being killed. Dash doesn't exactly want to be involved but when his nemesis asks for his assistance solving the murder to prove her innocence, he can't help but try to figure out the confounding mystery. Too many suspects, too many motives, but the biggest question of all is what Bobby seems to be avoiding Dash. 

I'm always going to enjoy a Last Picks book, but this one wasn't my favorite because lacked all the good Dash and Bobby content. Bobby has recently broken up with his ex, and as he has told us before he doesn't handle his feelings well. He tends to shut down and not talk, but this translates to ignoring Dash and pulling away from their friendship. Dash spends most of the book in his own head about it, drowning in his insecurities and feeling really down about losing his friendship with Bobby. It was a bummer because I was really excited to see if anything would start to spark between them now that they live together and are both single, but of course Ashe wasn't going to make it that easy. They do resolve everything and it was a necessary process and conversation, but I just wanted more of them being endearing and silly together. 

The case was fine, it did remind me a lot of another case from another series of Ashe's. Pippi is a wild and honestly annoying character, but is it weird I think her and her husband are cute? I love the setting of Hastings Rock and the kooky shenanigans the town gets up to, even amid a murder investigation. The Last Picks are the fun and loving supporting family as always, bringing lightness and affection to the story. Millie was very sweet this book, and I enjoyed seeing this caring side to her. Also I love a good Christmas/holiday story and the last little bit was really cute, so it gets some bonus points for appropriately place mistletoe. 

Read if you like: 

• cozy mystery 

• found family   

• slowest burn ever istg  

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Thanksgiving Episode by Gregory Ashe

Elusive Relations by Nicky James

4.0

•spoilers• 

Quaid and Aslan have returned to the normal status quo after their previous case, even if neither of them can get their last night together out of their head. This all changes when Quaid's ex ends up the victim of an attempted murder. Quaid and Aslan work together once again to figure out who targeted Jack and why, uncovering more lies and deceit while trying and failing to suppress their growing feelings for one another. 

Quaid is a stoic, no nonsense detective but underneath his hard-ass attitude he's vulnerable and just wants to be loved and respected. This case is difficult for him because it shows just how deep Jack's betrayal goes. I don't even know why Jack was with Quaid, besides probably having some sort of narcissistic personality disorder. But you know who is entirely enamored with Quaid? Aslan. The bad boy player is absolutely intrigued with every facet of Quaid's personality. He sees the good, earnest man beneath the hard exterior and wants to show Quaid how amazing he really is. Quaid understandably has some trust issues after Jack, and while he's hesitant on starting something new so quickly, he can't resist Aslan. Not only do they respect each other personally and professionally but their chemistry is off the charts. There were many sweet moments where they so naturally opened up to each other, sharing their pasts and more personal moments about their lives. I know their relationship isn't going to be easy, there's like 6 more books, but I have a really good feeling about their future. 

I mostly liked the story just for Quaid and Aslan's relationship development. The case seemed like it should be really interesting, but it never really gripped me. For all the drama, it actually felt slow paced. And this never happens - but I was actually able to guess what happened pretty early on, or at least who the unsub was, so that kind of took the excitement out of it. Also as a generally anxious person, I was so impatient waiting for Quaid to call Eden back and figure out what was going on with the missing child! I knew somehow it connected back to Juniper, and was like Quaid! Stop putting it off! The book ended on a happy note with their relationship, but also a mini cliffhanger with what Eden and Quaid found. I liked the missing persons case from before more than this homicide story, so I'm really looking forward to what's next. 

Read if you like: 

• work rivals to lovers 

• mystery/crime  

• opposites attract 

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Limerence by Scarlett Drake

4.5

Rescuing the Writer by Nora Phoenix

This was fine, I wasn't a huge fan of the narration though. It was a cute story though! I got this audiobook for free on a special deal day so I haven't read the others in the series but it seems like a cute small town setting. 

••••• 

When Melbourne's RV catches fire, he finds himself sharing the home of one of the town's deputies. Waylon has recently come out in his small town and with the hot older writer now taking up space in his home, he's more tempted than ever to explore his sexuality. Melbourne is more than willing to help Waylon, and they fall into a quick and easy romance. This was a cute story, I liked the premise and the characters were endearing. But the narration was really not great. Thankfully it was a quick listen. I thought the setting was cute and I'd be interested in checking out more of those series! 

Down and Out by Parker St. John

3.75

Nate moves back to his hometown of Sweetwater to help his family out, but the last person he wants to run into is his ex-best friend Tucker. Tucker isn't the boy he once knew and as Nate sees a new side to Tucker, he starts to understand that there's more than meets the eye.

Nate was an interesting character and, as usual with this series, he's got a big old bone to pick with someone from his past. Nate comes in hot and furious but soon sees that he was wrong about his old friend. Tuck might be a closed off, grumpy as hell cowboy but he has a gentle, patient side when working with horses (and for Nate). Nate is reminded of his fondness of Tuck when he starts to understand why Tucker is the way he is. He appreciates Tucker's strength and determination and even more so, he admires his gentle vulnerability. Tuck has lived a rough life but the one constant has been his secret devotion to Nate. He can't trust himself, but he can put his trust and love in Nate. Nate might not have understood when they were kids, but now he's the steady rock for Tucker to lean on and prove that he will never leave again. 

One thing that bugged me was I never really understood what exactly happened that made Nate and Tucker have a falling out. We got a flashback that went up to that moment, we were told what happened after, but the actual big turning point wasn't really talked about. I would've liked to know what went down to make Nate drop his best friend and then basically turn his back on someone he trusted his entire life and not even try to help Tuck when he was struggling. Weird thing to do to your soulmate, though I will give Nate the benefit of the doubt that he was a closeted kid in a small town. 

I like this series overall but it's not really hitting me with the emotions or grabbing my attention. It's fine but each book has just kinda lost me at some point. This book started strong and had some amazing dramatic one liners. There was also a really exciting 10% in the last bit and a cute ending, but it doesn't really change how just okay I felt about the middle. I did really like seeing Cal and Eli all loved up and getting some closure between Cal and Tucker. The next book looks really promising, and I'm hoping it picks up the series a bit! 

Read if you like: 

• friends to hate to lovers    

• small town romance    

• redemption arc    

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Stronghold by Ana Ashley

4.25

Audiobook reread: 
On the audio reread I wasn't as excited, I think I was a lot more immersed in the world on my first read through. I also didn't absolutely love the narration, it was fine but I was more of a fan when I physically read it. 

Overall: I was excited to figure out that this was Skyler's (from Insatiable) book! A sweet second chance romance between two friends, and all things maple. What's not to love? Loved their story and reconnection, definitely a favorite in the series. 

•minor spoilers•

Characters: I was not disappointed in finally getting Skyler's story. Even with everything he was struggling with and the disappointments he went through, he was still a sunshiney character and I loved it. Second chance romances aren't my favorite, and I know why Judson left but it was still sad. He did need to go through everything to come back though because I don't think they would've had the same type of relationship without what he did for himself in France. 

Plot: This was a book where I randomly checked in to see where I was and was surprised I was already halfway through. The romance is a slow burn for sure, but once it happens it's pretty hot and heavy. I expected the tv show to be more of a plot line but it worked how it was. I thought it could've used more but I always think that with books I like and characters want more of! 

Writing: Loved the style, easy to read and follow, good mix of dialogue and inner thoughts. Definitely going to look into more of this authors works.

Read if you like: 
• friends to lovers 
• second chance romance 
• small town romance 
• maple syrup 🍁