Two Cowboys and a Baby

Title: Two Cowboys and a Baby

Author:  BA Tortuga

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publisher URL: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN: 978-1-63533-385-5

Genre: {M/M}, Western, Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Release Date: March 15, 2017

For the most part Hoss has everything he needs.  It’s not until he finds a baby on his front porch that the cowboy realizes what has been missing.

Two Cowboys and a Baby is Ms. Tortuga’s contribution to Dreamspinner’s Dreamspun Desires line.  Fans of the author are really going to love this new story as it has everything we look for from her.  This story is also a great starter story for those looking to try the M/M genre or this author for the first time. 

The characters are well written and pull you into their story right from the beginning.  Hoss is a busy man.  He runs a ranch and occasionally rides in the rodeo.  When he has the time, he hangs out with his best friend, Bradley.   Bradley is a jack of all trades.  He lives in an old trailer on Hoss’ ranch.  He doesn’t need much and works just enough to get by, leaving him plenty of opportunity to hang out with Hoss.  What neither of these guys know is that the love they have for each other is returned.  Although this by itself would lead to all kinds of problems, the author throws in a little twist in the form of an infant.

Only in a small community, or romance book, would a sheriff let two men, who find a baby on their porch, take said child home.  Yet that is just the case in this story and, as Hoss and Bradley learn to care for Shayanne, they also learn more about each other.  I really love the connection that exists between these two men and seeing it grow was fun to watch.  I also loved the way they are with baby Shayanne and seeing them shopping at Walmart made me laugh. 

There are many times in this book when the readers will find themselves laughing out loud.  But that does not mean this is a light read.  There is a twist with Shayanne that I did not see coming and it has a strong effect on the men’s new relationship.  This twist also reveals a secret regarding Hoss, that made me a little mad on his behalf.  There are some great secondary characters in Two Cowboys and a Baby that help move this story along.  Hoss’ mom is something else and, more than once, I had to laugh at the things she said. 

Readers are sure to enjoy the way the author wraps up this story.  From the characters to the situations that pop up around them, there is something for everyone.  This is one book I will be re-reading again.

Marriage of Inconvenience

Title: Marriage of Inconvenience

Author: M.J. O’Shea

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publishers URL: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-63477-528-1

Genre: {M/M}, Contemporary, Dreamspun Desire        

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Release date: Aug 15, 2016

Kerry has always wanted to be a publicist for A-list celebrities.  He knows he has to pay his dues, but he’s tired of monitoring Twitter and Facebook accounts while everyone else gets the plum jobs.  When actor Jericho Knox screws up big time, Kerry finally gets his turn to prove himself, but is this really what he wants.

Let’s address the elephant in the room before going any further.  Marriage of Inconvenience is predictable from the very beginning.  If you ever read one of the many Harlequin romance books back in the day then the feel of this story will be a familiar.  That does not mean that this is not a book worth picking up. 

Kerry is out of his depth in Marriage of Inconvenience.  The career he has always wanted is not what he thought it would be, something that becomes clearer when he is thrown into the middle of a sex scandal.  I could not believe that Kerry did not think things through when he agreed to become “the man on his knees” in the photo that exposes Jericho Knox.  At the same time, I could not help but feel a little sorry for him as he starts to see the reality of the life he wanted.

Jericho, on the other hand, is an obnoxious actor who has the chance at the role of his life.  However, when he is caught in a compromising position it takes everyone working for him to clean up the mess and put a good spin on it.  In the beginning, it is easy to dislike Jericho a little.  But as the story moves on, the reasons for them become clearer, making it easier to understand his actions. 

These two are thrown together under tough circumstances and at first they clash constantly, which is to be expected.  As they get to know each other, and start coming together as a team, the attraction between them builds.  They do eventually heat up the pages of the book and it was good to see them finally come together for real, rather than for the press.  

Even with the predictability of the story, this was a fun book to read.  Fans of Ms. O’Shea are sure to enjoy this new book and, those looking at the M/M genre for the first time, can’t go wrong with Marriage of Inconvenience.

Finding Family

Title: Finding Family

Author: Connie Bailey

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publishers URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN/BIN: 9781634771528

Genre: {M/M}, Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires        

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Charles made his money the old fashion way.  He inherited it.  Much to his shock, he also inherited his three small cousins.  Knowing children won’t fit into his playboy life, Charles hires a nanny to care for the children.  Jon knows what it is like to be an orphan and has no trouble bonding with the kids; it’s the uncle he is worried about.

Finding Family is an interesting new book by author Connie Bailey.  It follows a well-used theme, yet there are some refreshing aspects to it as well.  Charles is a rich man who lived his life for himself until the day his parents died and he is named head of the family business.  Shortly after the death of his parents, his uncle and aunt pass and he finds himself the guardian of his three much younger cousins.  Charles now finds himself with a lot on his plate, yet he is not ready for all the responsibilities thrown at him.  I have to say that I spent a majority of the book not liking Charles.  He lost his family members, due to alcohol, and is following in their footsteps.  He also had no concern for his cousins and, more than once, I wanted to smack him and tell him to step up.

Charles’ assistant knows he needs a nanny and after the children have gone through several women, many of whom thought it would give them a chance with Charles, he hires a man.  Jon grew up in an orphanage, staying even after he ages out.  He knows that it is time to go out into the real world and when the offer to become a nanny comes up, he takes it.  Jon has no idea what to expect and he is shocked when he sees the life he has stepped into.  I liked Jon, especially the way he handles the children.  More than once, he had me laughing as he dealt with the kids and started to show them the love they had been missing. 

There is a relationship building between Jon and Charles, but while the relationship is in its infancy, the two men are faced with issues that cause problems in more than their relationship.  Money is missing from Charles’ company and Charles has been made the fall guy.  There is one point in this story, while Charles was working, when I thought “You idiot, that’s going to come back and kick you in the butt.”  While it was easy to see the problems come Charles’ way, the why and who behind them was surprising.  

The various little twists and turns keep the story moving nicely and I really liked a couple of the secondary characters. I think it would be interesting to see them get stories of their own.  The author did a great job wrapping Finding Family up and I think fans of this author are really going to like this new book.    

Trial by Fire

Title: Trial by Fire

Author: B.A. Tortuga

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publishers URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN/BIN: 9781634769822

Genre:{M/M},Contemporary,Western,Dreamspun Desires          

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Lachlan has his hands full running the family’s cattle farm.  What he’s wanting, however, is to find his sister, who took off three years ago.  When the family investigator gets in touch with him, the news is not what he was hoping for.  Now he is heading for the States with plans of bringing his little niece home, where she belongs. 

Trial by Fire is a new book by author B.A. Tortuga.  Ms. Tortuga has given the readers two strong cowboys, each trying to take care of their family, and given them even more to overcome.  Lachlan is our Aussie.  He has been taking care of his family’s large holdings for some time but the thing that brings him to his knees is the death of his sister.  Holden is a Texan and, like Lachlan, is responsible for the running of his family’s ranch and rodeo business.  Also like Lachlan, Holden is mourning the death of a sibling as Lachlan’s sister was married to Holden’s brother.  That marriage brings two men together as, when their siblings died, they left behind a newborn. 

You would think that due to the death of their siblings and the care of a little baby, the two men would come together with a common goal, but in the beginning that is not the case.  Holden and his family have a negative idea of what the McCoughney’s are like.   That is probably the one thing in this story that I did not like.  While I understood why Holden and his family thought what they did, I thought Adelaide, Lachlan’s sister, did her family a disservice and should have gotten in touch with them after settling down in Texas. 

The author finds a way to bring Lachlan and Holden together and, watching them bond not only with each other but with baby Chloe as well, made this a great story to read.  But the author does not only bring the readers an excellent romance, she also brings the readers a mystery.  There is one part that totally shocked me and I could not believe that the author did that to Holden.  The author does wrap the story up wonderfully and handled all the relatives in a way that was believable.

Fans of the author are sure to love Trial by Fire and those who have not yet tried anything by Ms. Tortuga should give this book a chance.  

The Millionaire Upstairs

Title: The Millionaire Upstairs

Author: M.J. O’Shea

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press  

Publishers URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN/BIN: 9781634767941

Genre: {M/M}, Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires           

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

A job at Harrison Kingsley was a dream Sasha thought would never come true.  When an interview turns right into a job offer, he is thrilled.  His day is made when he gets the chance to meet the king himself, Harrison Kingsley, until he realized the man was a bit of an ass. 

Dreamspinner Press has started a new subscription line, Dreamspun Desires, similar to the Harlequin Romance books many readers are familiar with.  The line, which started this month, will put out two books each month.  The Millionaire Upstairs is one of January’s books and is written by author M.J. O’Shea.  This story brings the readers two characters that pulled me into the story right away and, let me warn you, Harrison Kingsley is not always a likeable man.

This story takes place within the fashion world and throws Sasha, a young man from a small town, up against Harrison, the reigning fashion leader and all around ass.  Their first introduction to each other is a bit of a classical maneuver with Sasha celebrating his new job and Harrison being a jerk.  Move ahead a couple of years and Sasha is excelling at his job while making sure he avoids Harrison as much as possible.  When these two are thrown together, there is a connection that exists neither man knows how to handle.  As I mentioned earlier, Harrison is not very likeable in the beginning and I wanted to tell Sasha to move on and forget about the attraction he feels for the older man.  Once readers learn more about the fashion guru, it is easier to understand why he acts the way he does. 

The Millionaire Upstairs has all the look and feel of the old Harlequin books.  It is fast-paced and while the sex scenes exist, they are not over the top.  The secondary characters are as entertaining as the main characters, which helps move the story along. Fans of Ms. O’Shea are sure to love this story and, for those who have not yet tried any books by this author, The Millionaire Upstairs is a great place to start. 

I will be interested in seeing what the publisher has planned for this line.