Nowhere To Hide by Andrew Grey
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Stylish Sinclair Llewelling has little contact with his family, but he loves his cousin Lilly very much, and agrees to help her plan the elegant country wedding of her dreams. There’s just one problem: the foreman of the ranch where the wedding is to take place.

Former rodeo cowboy Dawson West takes his job very seriously, and he doesn’t appreciate anyone who gets in the way. Ranching is in his blood, and the people he works for are like family to him, so when Sinclair and his plans add to his work, he isn’t quiet about making his displeasure known.

Sinclair and Dawson have more in common than they realize, including a strong work ethic, horses, and spines of steel. Their fighting shifts to mutual respect, and heat flares as they see past each other’s walls to the men beneath. Just as Sinclair is getting a taste for ranch life, problems at his late father’s business pull him away from the cowboy who has lassoed him in. They’ll need to team back up to balance jobs, ranch, wedding, and what their hearts want.

Dawson is the foreman of Rita’s ranch and takes his work seriously. When Rita agrees to let Lilly and Ben host their wedding on the ranch, Lilly’s cousin Sinclair agrees to help with the arrangements. Sparks fly between Sinclair and Dawson – both the good and uncomfortable kind – but each have some serious reasons to not want to get too involved. Can they figure out a way to handle their attraction?

After really enjoying the previous story in this series (Nowhere To Ride) I was eager to jump right in to this second offering. I was particularly pleased that – other than the setting and many of the characters being the same – there was absolutely no strong ties between this story and the previous one. Readers can be sure they could pick this book up and enjoy it without any prior knowledge, the story and characters stand very well on their own. I also enjoyed the fact that it was clear from the beginning that both Sinclair and Dawson have numerous layers to them and each had a bit of baggage from their past that needed dealing with. I felt this really added depth and complexity to the story and the plot really sang with it.

Dawson is very much a quiet, strong willed cowboy but I was pleased that he wasn’t stubborn to the point of stupidity. I feel a strength and some level of stubborn is really good in a character, particularly a cowboy, but it never reached pig-headedness or the level where Dawson was merely being obstinate. He was willing to bend and compromise and that just made things so much better to my mind. I also appreciated how at first glance Sinclair might appear to be the slick city-boy, he wasn’t afraid of a bit of work and he, too, was willing to listen and change his mind under the right circumstances. It meant there was plenty of friction between the two men but also there was a willingness to work together and compromise which I feel really boded well.

The pace of the story was delightful for my tastes – slow enough that it felt believable that the two men could edge together and not be too put off by their strong differences, but also not so slow that I wanted to skim or jump ahead to something a bit hotter. I feel the author did an excellent job balancing out the story along with the chemistry and this story really had emotion and connection in spades. I feel readers looking for a steamy M/M cowboy romance should absolutely be satisfied with both the plot and romance aspect to this book.

Steamy and sensual, but with a good plot and layered characters this was a wonderful read that ticked all the right boxes for me. I’m eager to read more by this author.

Balancing Act by Andrew Grey
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Freelance computer genius Trent Marcus took a web development job he wishes he hadn’t, and now he’s in a world of hurt. With his safety threatened, he needs someone who can protect him from his client, who responds to “no” with threats and intimidation.

Personal trainer and silver fox Collin Fitzpatrick gave part of his leg for his country, and now his ex is selling his home, so he needs a place to live quickly. He hears from mutual friends that Trent has a room he can use and needs Collin’s help. Neither Trent nor Collin is looking for a relationship, but attraction ignites for Trent, and it’s returned, to Trent’s surprise.

The last thing Collin expects is for his protective instincts to blossom into something much more. Trent’s care and genuineness combine to heal the heart his ex left shattered. As the task of keeping Trent safe becomes more paramount, so does the realization that failing could cost both of them everything.

Trying to get his fledgling web design business off the ground, Trent takes a lucrative job that seems interesting at first, then when he recognizes the danger in what he’s being asked to create the excessive pay suddenly seems far too good to be true. Watched and hunted, Trent realizes all too quickly the physical danger is almost as bad as the potentially criminal danger and he rushes to seek help from a friend. A mutual acquaintance, Collin, is suggested to Trent. Collin is ex-Army, a personal trainer who sometimes moonlights as a bodyguard and is currently at a loose end with his home being sold by his ex-partner. The two men hit it off and soon they both realise they want far more than just a simple, work-based agreement between them.

I really enjoyed this story and even though it’s the second book in the “Jocks and Geeks” series it is completely independent and stands very well on its own. Collin and Trent both know mutual friends (the original couple in the first story) and so that is the link that puts them in each other’s orbit. Otherwise, the whole story is Collin and Trent’s alone and I loved that. It also is a brilliant thing readers can pick this story up and have no knowledge of the previous book and I strongly feel it won’t affect the read for them at all.

I also really loved how even though Trent is clearly the “geek” and Collin the “jock” neither of them are bland or boring – straight from the cookie cutter mold you’d expect from this sort of stereotype. Collin lost part of one leg serving his country (it was a big part of his being dumped by his now-ex) and I thought this really added a huge amount of dimension and complexity to the whole “jock” or gym junkie persona. I loved how Collin was still shown to be a strong, masculine and beefy guy when so many people might look differently at him. I adored this. I also really found it amusing that for all his genius, computer skills and intelligence, Trent was so clearly in this whole mess because of his innocence and “stupidity” in taking on then getting in too deep with this job. It felt so damn realistic that this highly intelligent, techno-whiz could be the smartest person in the room – but equally the stupidest. It really tickled my funny bone and made the whole story so realistic and amusing to me in a warm and wonderful way.

Obviously, the chemistry and sensuality between the two men also skyrocketed off the page pretty quickly after they met each other. I really loved just how well they fit together. Each was strong, smart and totally capable, but they equally were so much like a lock and a key – slotting easily into the places in each other’s life exactly where they needed it. Collin was physically imposing and willing to show protective and aggressive behavior when needed, and Trent had ample space where Collin could rest, find his feet after losing his home and relationship and get his head back on straight. I really enjoyed how each could fulfil the other in emotional and intimate ways – and not just in the bedroom though they certainly fit perfectly together in there as well.

With a solid plot, plenty of action, chemistry and conflict this was a delicious read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would eagerly read another and a part of me is hoping maybe Martin (a secondary character and mutual friend shown in both this and the previous book) gets his happy ending some time soon.