Not Guilty of Books

Review: What a fresh and heartfelt duology by @nora.phoenix Exploring religious homophobia, addiction, daddy boy lifestyle, redemption, and discovering happiness when you finally live for yourself. Kinsey thought he lost everything when, at 47, he finally came out as gay and admitted to using drugs to cope. He lost his job and his family, now he's trying to rebuild and finally live his true self, alone. Enter Benoni, his personal trainer, 20 years younger, and his son's best friend. Plenty of reasons to keep their distance, but Ben is a caregiver at heart and Kinsey hits all his buttons and Kinsey needs one. It was a truly beautiful story. Clean Start, Book 1 Synopsis: I’m done hiding who I am. Pretending to be straight, to be the loving, devoted husband and successful ER doctor everyone wanted me to be has been exhausting. I numbed the pain anyway I could, and in the end, it cost me everything. My job, my marriage, the relationship with my grown kids. But now I’m in recovery, ...

Review: Luke is the headmaster of a struggling school. He’s been fighting tooth and nail to keep it going, to give his students a place that truly cares about giving them the best start in life, not just in test scores. For a place where his teachers can do what they do best and have a home too, a place to belong. He’s fighting for everyone. What he’s missing is for Nathan, the man he’s loved his entire adult life, to fight for him. He’s carrying everyone’s weight on his shoulders, but what he needs is someone, his someone, to stand with him. ‘He ordered his soft heart to harden on the way up to his study. Stood by the mirror once the door closed behind him, telling his insides to match his outside for once - stern instead of squishy’ The story that ensues is a masterclass in storytelling. The characters are vibrant and layered. Though told from the single POV of Luke, you feel just as connected to Nathan. The story is both heart-shattering and heartwarming all at the same time. It tea...

Review: Hot Seat will take you on an emotional and fiery story full of a crazy family, a lot of testosterone, and no shortage of drama. Being a Canali and a hero firefighter comes with a very rigid set of expectations of who a man is/loves and as the youngest child, Mike is feeling the weight of it all. And while Shane wants to help him find his way out of the closet, he has to decide if he can be, both there for Mike through the journey and protect himself from getting hurt in the process. It’s a well-written book that draws you in and keeps you intrigued until the end. There are a lot of wonderful characters that I’m looking forward to seeing more of them in books to come. Buy: Amazon Synopsis: Wait. Can a Canali be gay? Hero firefighter, youngest of six macho Italian brothers and—in love with Shane Bower, who never met a unicorn T-shirt he didn’t love? How does that even work? When Mike Canali meets Shane Bower, his attraction to the guy is off the charts. But then his huge family ...

Review: Are you looking for a low-angst, super uplifting, steamy read? Maybe you are looking for a hot AF ginger action movie star (Irish to boot!)? Or some adorable geekiness? Then trust me, this book is for you. It’s a fun read with all the oooh’s and aahhh’s you could want, and of course the satisfyingly loving HEA. Kieran is a movie star hiding out from a Hollywood scandal. Rory is taking his honeymoon (aka me-moon), sans his ex-fiance. He’s also straight. But when they meet, there’s an insta-connection that has Rory realizing he may not be as straight as he thought, and Kieran rethinking his aversion to relationships. If you ever wondered if Dr. Who could play matchmaker, you’ll get your answer here. Buy: Amazon Synopsis: Rory’s never been attracted to a man before, but Kieran changes everything from the first moment they meet. Will he be able to embrace his unexpected feelings for the Hollywood celebrity? Rory Kinsella My new life plan is going great: Dump my awful fiancée who is...

Review: Just finished oceans that swim by @caseycoxbooks This was a rad ride! There is a lot going on in this book. One minute it’s action-packed and the next it is sweet and soft, just like the characters and their wild family/friends. It's got a little of everything. *Kitesurfing *Hot brothers *Aussies *Ginger man (maybe my favourite part!) *Mystery *Dysfunctional family *Love (of course) As this is a part of a series where the plot continues throughout the trilogy, we'll be left waiting to find out where the next brother's story takes us! Buy: Amazon Synopsis: This season, I've got a lot to prove... Terry King may have been born into kitesurfing royalty, but he's been overlooked and overshadowed his entire life. Unlike his fame-starved father, Trenton 'King of the Air' King, or his two attention-grabbing older brothers, Terry doesn't compete for fame, money, or power. He's got much more ambitious goals than that. Terry has his sights set on reunit...