mollyreadsandcrafts's Reviews (978)

While I really enjoyed the first book in this series, I didn't love this follow up book as much. There's a lot going on and I'm still not sure how much I liked the characters, but there were parts of the story I did like. 

Daniel works at a bar and has been serving drinks to the mysterious Mr. Manhattan (Eric) for a few years. After an incident occurs one night, Daniel reluctantly takes shelter in Eric's manor house and becomes his assistant. Working and living together, Daniel overcomes his prejudges and they form a close bond as they overcome their past issues. 

While I think both characters were complex with interesting backgrounds, I'm not sure how much I liked them? Daniel was very snarky and not the nicest, though I do think he had a great character arc and by the end I did like him. After a lot of self reflection he really changed for the better. For being almost 50 and in a loving relationship most his life, you would think Eric had better communication skills. I don't think he ever really understood Daniel until the very end, though he was infatuated with him the entire book. I have no doubt they love each other very much but I didn't feel like it hit that deep level until the end, which could partly be due to the slowest of all slow burn. The slow burn was fine, but I felt like they didn't even like each other until a good bit into the book - at least on Daniel's end. Eric not communicating basically any of his feelings didn't help. When they did get together though their chemistry was wild and I loved the physical side of their relationship. 

This book felt like it had two different stories going on. While I liked both, I didn't really feel like they connected to each other that well. I was really intrigued by some elements in the first half that were resolved fairly quickly and not brought up again, and then the second half felt more like how I expected the story to go. 

I loved Riley and Harper cameos, but I do think I liked Riley a lot more in his own book than as a side character. I want to know what's happening with Rob and his complicated situation and I did enjoy the first book, so I'm going to keep an eye out for that! 

Read if you like: 
• age gap             
• hurt/comfort     
• forced proximity 
• slow burn 

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Such a heartwarming story complete with drama, laughs, hurt/comfort, and an ugly perfect dog. Riley is hilarious, even though slightly over the top and silly, and Harper deserves the entire world. Loved their sweet and perfect HEA. 

TW/CW: domestic abuse, assault, sexual assault (off page)

•minor spoilers• 

Harper is a sweet baby angel who deserves the world. He went through some major trauma with his ex and finding a sweet ray of sunshine like Riley is exactly what he deserves. My only complaint is how the ending implied he was a lot better after only 3 weeks of therapy and working on himself, which seems like a really short time for the level of trauma he went through. I loved him though and was so happy he got the sweetest happily ever after. 

Riley was very comical, even with his struggles after his vision impairment. I'm not sure how I would feel after an accident like that, but he seemed to cope well once he learned about the therapy options - side note to hate on his ex who was the absolute worst and didn't think he needed any. He also seems to just have a brighter personality than most in general, also coming to terms with his newly discovers sexuality pretty quickly and with no big dramas. His love and unconditional support for Harper are what relationship goals are made of. My biggest complaint is that there is no way I believe he's 32. He was a little over the top and kind of immature at times, and I would've assumed he was at most...25? Maybe even younger. The only time I believed his age was when he gave the app pitch. 

The writing of the characters and plot were good, but there was just sometimes I couldn't follow the story. I'm not sure if it was the style, but I didn't understand the inflection of the dialogue sometimes and was confused. Like if it was questioning, or accusatory, or simply stated. Just made it hard to follow along. I'm definitely interested in checking out some of her other work though. 

Read if you like: 
• hurt/comfort 
• slow burn 
• disability rep

Hudson is the perpetual new guy after being traded multiple times throughout his NHL career. Now in Brooklyn, he's healing an injury when he meets Gavin at a bar. Except Gavin is not only his new neighbor, but the team's new athletic trainer. 

Gavin is a sweetheart and has gone through so much for someone so young. I would tear up whenever he mentioned his husband. I like how he is a single dad but that wasn't his whole story. Instead the focus was on how he's trying to live and love again after a lot of big life changes. Similarly Hudson is at a crossroads in his life and trying to figure out where his priorities are. Gavin was able to show Hudson there's more to life than the strict, closed off lifestyle he was living before and that it's okay to grow roots somewhere. Hudson was open to whatever Gavin was willing to give while being understanding of where Gavin was emotionally and of his obligation to his family first. They were both there for each other at a difficult time and gave the other a safe and loving place to land. 

I liked most of this book but the end kind of lost me. I loved the drama that hit because I didn't see it coming, but I didn't really like how they reconciled their relationship. Gavin was really hurt by what Hudson did but he forgave him almost immediately after months of not talking and decide to uproot his and his daughter's life all over again. The end just was missing something for me. 

I also didn't like how we didn't get some closure on some of the plot points that were such a big part of the beginning of the story. The in-laws part was okay, though I have a hard time believing the love across the country went down well. But Hudson and his dad never talking again was just kind of skimmed over. Some of the things I thought were interesting in the first part didn't really come up again in the second. I forgot by the end that Hudson had this chronic hip problem and that Gavin was his athletic trainer. Once the hockey season ended and their relationship stopped revolving around that, I felt like the story lost its way a bit. 

I'm intrigued enough to see how the rest of the series goes. I own the second book already so I'll definitely read it at some point. The team and management all seem like good people and I hope we can see those dynamics a little more from someone more involved in the teams than Hudson. Gavin and Hudson were cute with a touch of angst, and I hope we get more of that but with a better flushed out story next. 

PSA to hockey romance authors - the NHL does not handshake at the end of games. It's a special playoff tradition that only happens at the end of playoff series. 

Read if you like: 

• hockey romance                               

• single dad             

• athletic trainer x athlete   
• secret relationship 

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Another set of shorts for North and Shaw. I thought these were just okay overall, lots of typical North and Shaw shenanigans. It follows the series as they figure out their relationship so there are some ups and downs but these are definitely more light hearted and fun. The last one was amazing, it's so great when universes collide. And of course it ended like that, because what's another short story cliffy in the grand scheme of things.

Read if you like: 

• short story collection                               

• private investigators             

• slice of life               

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•spoilers• 

A boy that Shaw met months ago turns up at North and Shaw's house claiming that a friend has gone missing. As they investigate, they get caught up in a network of people who profit off of abandoned youth in the city. As the danger escalates they have to quickly track down the now murderer, all the while Ronnie continues his revenge plan against North and those he cares about.  

Oh North and Shaw. I'm not quite sure why we went through all the angst in this series because honestly, they are kind of right back to where they started. Maybe a little more self aware? But not much. And I say that lovingly because I do love these two idiots, I just wish they talked about things. North is really struggling with who he is as an individual and while Shaw wants to help, he has to learn to take a step back and let North be. They did have a great conversation towards the end and I have some hope for their future, but it was a little unsatisfying because I feel like they still have things to work out. 

This series was a little different than others in the universe because this last case wasn't one that had been building throughout the series. However, I'm completely convinced that this is related to Hazard and Somers series 1 corruption case - and maybe this is something we will see again?? It was a more intense case than they have handled previously and I imagine it's left some aftershocks. On the other hand everything with Ronnie that has been built up over the previous books was fine. His whole deal felt more like a cloud of anxiety and a tool to help North on his personal journey. A very satisfying ending for him though, Shaw can be scary when he wants to be. 

I liked this series because North and Shaw's banter was amazing, but I think I preferred their first one. They went on this huge rollercoaster of an emotional journey and  I don't think it was a satisfying enough ending after everything they've been through. And I'm still pissy about the Tucker incident honestly. A real highlight of this book was seeing Hazard from North and Shaw's perspective. He has a few cameos and I loved seeing them all attempting to work together. I can only imagine how entertaining the crossover series is going to be (I assume - along with all the drama and murder). North and Shaw feel like they have a lot of story left to tell and I'm looking forward to more of them. 

Read if you like: 

• romantic suspense                              

• private investigators            

• friends to lovers               

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•major spoilers• 

When North's ex gets accused of murder, North and Shaw get caught up in the lies and uncovered truths of their own social circle. Being thrown into their complicated pasts also causes problems in their present as North and Shaw struggle to figure out the future of their own relationship. 

In general, I liked this book. There are a few things that I did not like. North is struggling with moving on from his toxic relationship with Tucker including all the emotions that it brought up and how it affected his relationship with Shaw. He pretty much hits rock bottom in this book, and honestly I have very little empathy for him and the way he treated Shaw. But Shaw is nowhere near perfect either. He's working on his boundaries and trying to listen better to what North wants instead of pushing his priorities onto him. It's hard seeing them go from a pretty decent relationship to this friends with benefits stage where North doesn't treat Shaw well, because he has problems if you didn't know, and Shaw letting him because of his guilt. They end up in a better place, but I'm not sure the road to get there was worth it. It'll be interesting to see how their relationship unfolds in the last book. 

It should be no surprise that I'm very disappointed about the incident with Tucker. Not even that it happened, but how it was handled and executed. North spends a majority of the book being awful to Shaw, sleeps with his abusive ex, and then magically sees the light and wants Shaw back? Meanwhile his whole come to Jesus fight with Tucker is done completely off page? And when he comes back to Shaw, he never even explicitly states what he did, he just says he was with Tucker and that it made him see that he wanted to be with Shaw? Excuse me, but no. North was with Tucker, he enjoyed himself, he consciously made the choice to hurt Shaw and his feelings after treating Shaw like a sex doll the entire book, and now he wants him back. That's not good enough for me. We saw them hook up with other people before, but they also weren't actively sleeping together at the time so it hit different. And the worst part is Shaw just lets it all happen because he loves North so much. Even if he's walked all over, he'll let North treat him badly and call the shots, basically do whatever he wants because he feels guilty for overstepping in the past and doesn't want to upset North. I won't say it ruined them as a couple for me, but it's pretty close. I don't buy into their relationship or their romance nearly as much now, it lost a lot of its meaning and merit in how that entire situation was handled. 

So needless to say I'm not a North fan and I don't see myself becoming one again. I'm finishing the series but it lost me a bit. I adore Shaw and I know he isn't perfect either, but he would never hurt someone like that. His actions come from him wanting to be a good person and the best for everyone, where North's come from a place of selfishness. 

Okay to get off that soap box and talk about the mystery because other than that I actually liked this book. The case was really interesting because it was so tied to North and Shaw's social circle. I didn't really know where everything was going to end up because every time they talked to someone, more truths got brought to light. So many people had motives which kept it intriguing. All the while, Ronnie is hanging over everything they do with the anxiety contributing to North's downfall. I didn't see the end coming, and because of the incident it all the much worse. 

So yeah, this book gave me some Big Feelings. Mostly disappointment. Maybe I'm being a little dramatic because it's still all fresh in my head and I don't know how they end up smoothing things over, but I do want to see how that all happens. I do want what's best for both of them, but honestly to me that doesn't necessarily that means they should be together. There's lots of North and Shaw left with the next book and then Iron on Iron, so I'm hoping I get some satisfaction on where they end up and some hope they have a better future. 

Read if you like: 

• romantic suspense                              

• private investigators            

• friends to lovers               

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•spoilers• 

When North and Shaw are hired to protect a state senator's son they soon find him missing. On top of searching for him North's "uncle" Ronnie also hires them to find another missing man, though they suspect something more devious is involved. Between the case and Ronnie's threats, their relationship becomes even more strained as time starts to run out to find the missing people. 

All the cracks in the relationship that were hinted at before just get more obvious in this book. As it turns out, North has a lot of unresolved issues. Near the end of the last series North finally leaves Tucker, realizes he wants to be with Shaw, and works to make it happen. Now that they're there, it's becoming clear that maybe he jumped into something too quickly. Tucker is still a thorn in North's side and a lot of his hang-ups come from his past abusive relationship and his childhood. He cares deeply for Shaw but isn't in the place to be with him the right way while not pushing him away and losing him. 

Shaw wants to help him move on and be in a healthier place, but because North isn't ready for that step it comes across as pushy and stubborn. He oversteps boundaries and while it comes from a good place, tends to put himself and what he wants ahead of North and his relationship. He's such a genuinely good person, but that also turns out to be a bit of his downfall when he bulldozes to do what he thinks is the best. Just like North, Shaw loves him and wants what's best for him, though he doesn't go about it the best way. 

Their relationship is not like any other with their shared sense of humor and deep friendship. They care for each other so much but at the moment there's too much in their way. I understand the ending even if it is a bit of a bummer. The series so far has been building up to this moment and I do think taking some time to step back and reflect will be better for them moving forward, as much as it hurts everyone in the present. 

The state senator's son's missing person's case was kinda crazy. I'm sad the original offices are now gone. It felt like such an integral part of their story, the backdrop for so much that happened. I didn't try too hard to solve the case because North and Shaw were taking up all my concerns, but it was pretty interesting. It also showed some of the differences between North and Shaw, adding fuel to the fire that was slowly eating at their relationship. Not to mention fucking Ronnie, who I always forget about because he's just the worst and this cloud of doom that hangs over everything. He and Tucker can go fuck off. 

I'm always a bit wary at the end of these books. Especially with this one in particular I'm not sure what's going to happen next. I want what's best for them and it's hard to see their bigger picture sometimes when we see so much of their angst. They still have a ways to go, and I just want them to somehow be happy eventually.

Read if you like: 

• romantic suspense                              

• private investigators            

• friends to lovers               

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In the aftermath of the Slasher case, life is settling down for North and Shaw. Work is picking up and they're busier than ever, leaving little time for their relationship. When they investigate a murder at a romance novel convention, they have to race against the clock to find the murderer before they get away. 

I felt like this was more of a really extended short story. There was a fun premise and we get a little bit of insight into the state of North and Shaw's relationship, but nothing really dramatic happens and it's not really deep. North and Shaw have amazing banter and this great friendship, but you can definitely tell there are some cracks when it comes to their romance. North has his issues with money which reflects in how he puts work above everything while Shaw can be set in his ways, almost too giving, and constantly pushes the boundaries for what he wants. Even though it's difficult to find a balance, they are such a great team and care about each other immensely. They just seamlessly fit into each other's lives and have a unique relationship that's hard to find. 

It was a surprisingly slow start for the series but a really entertaining story. The plot was fun and it set up the bigger picture of their relationship and work dynamics after finally catching the Slasher and starting to date. Everything with Ronnie makes me nervous though, and I don't like how it affects North and Shaw's relationship. This was by far the funniest Gregory Ashe book I've read yet. It was kind of meta with the case taking place at a gay romance convention and it was highly entertaining to see it from North and Shaw's perspective. It did poke fun at some of the narratives we see around the lgbtq+ romance community, but I think it was done really well. A little wary but curious to see how they figure things out as their series goes on. 

Read if you like: 

• romantic suspense                              

• private investigators            

• friends to lovers               

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