Review Tour ~ Personal Challenges by K.C. Wells ~ (Reviews)

Review Tour ~ Personal Challenges by K.C. Wells ~ (Reviews)

Title: Personal Challenges

Series: Personal #4

Author: KC Wells

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 7, 2017

 

Will and Blake couldn’t be happier. They have a beautiful little boy, Nathan, and Sophie finally has the little brother she’s been demanding. But all is not bliss in the Davis household. Coping with reality is going to change all their lives.

Rick and Angelo are sick and tired of trying to get a wedding organized. If it was up to them, they’d be married already, but Angelo's mother has plans and they keep getting bigger. Angelo can see problems on the horizon: big, traditional Italian wedding and gay do not go well together. Something’s got to give.

Colin receives an unexpected call from an ex, with bad news. He feels compelled to help, regardless of the consequences. Ed loves Colin’s big heart and supports him in his efforts, but when the truth comes out, he finds it difficult to keep a lid on his emotions.

As the coming months unfold, the friends are going to need each other more than ever.

“Personal Challenges is a full-length contemporary romance novel, a wonderful read that I couldn't put down and I give 5 Stars. Thank you KC Wells!” - KD Amazon Reviewer

“The series is worth revisiting…” - Light Amazon Reviewer

“I love the way KC writes! This was a great ending to this wonderful series!” - gruvermom Amazon Reviewer

4.5 Stars

It's been ten years since we first met Blake and Will. Throughout the years we've followed them and met their friends, Angelo and Rick and Ed and Colin. Each man and couple are so different, but what they all have in common is love. Love for each other as a couple and love for one another as friends. Over the years these six men have formed a tight knit bond. They are more than friends, they have become an extended family. I love that K.c. decided to give each couple a spectacular HEA. Even after all these years they still face trials and tribulations, but they face them together.

I fell in love with Will and Blake when I first read their original story years ago. They are now married and raising a daughter and expecting their son. They are still so much in love and it shows in, not only their words, but their actions, as well. All isn't perfect, but they face it together with love and strength. The chemistry between them is still as electric as when we first met them. I adored watching them interact with Sophie and Nathan.

I absolutely adored Angelo and Rick. I love that over the years Angelo's family has come to love and accept  Rick as Angelo's parter and a true part of their family. K.c. recaptures the chemistry between them and the love they share shines through. I enjoyed watching them plan their perfect wedding, and although I could have lived without Angelo's mother's interfering, I don't think the story would have been half as entertaining without it. Their portion of the story was lighter and had some much needed comic relief to alleviate the seriousness of the other two stories.

Here's the thing about Ed and Colin, they are the one couple whose original story I didn't read, yet their portion of the story is the one that touched me the most. My heart broke for the heartbreak Colin was feeling. I adored that Ed was not only understanding, but he went above and beyond what most would do for their partners. The love these two men share is powerful and it comes off the pages at you. Colin and Ed's portion of the story was by far the best. It held me captive and turning the pages. It also left me heartbroken and sobbing, but in the end, I was left with the warm and fuzzies and with happy tears.

All in all, this was an enjoyable ending to these three couples' stories. It's filled with so much emotion, heart and heaps of hot man on man action! Very recommendable!

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement.*

5 Stars!!!

What a perfect way to wrap the series up and give its fans an awesome, realistic glimpse into what their HEA will be.

Will and Blake have been married for 10 years and are expecting their second child together. It all seems perfect, but life has a way of reminding us that not all things are like they appear.

KC Wells did such a wonderful job with this arc. The whole angle with baby Nathan was heartbreaking, but at the same time, hopeful and informative, and it made it more than clear that Will and Blake were just perfect for each other, helping each other and Sophie through something that might be overwhelming for parents to go through and coming out stronger as a family in the end, with the support of their friends.

Rick and Angelo have been planning their wedding for what seems like forever, but having an overbearing Italian mother that wants to help them with their plans makes it even more difficult.

This part of the book was lighter, balancing out the angst that the other two plotlines provided and still showing how important family and friends are for these guys. And, of course, it was awesome seeing it all come to fruition in the end in such a lovely way!

A blast from the past in the form of Colin’s first love will prove once and for all that Ed is all in for Colin in any capacity that he might need.

The whole ordeal with Ray was heart-wrenching and difficult to read sometimes. It was angsty and it had me in tears in some parts, but again, it just showed me how perfect Ed was with Colin and how, despite him being a fun guy, Colin could count on him whenever he needed him.

Seeing them all rally to help each other throughout the books was a thing of beauty, knowing they were more family than friends in the end and that they would all be there for the others made this an outstanding read that left me with a huge smile on my face. Definitely recommendable!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***

K.C. Wells started writing in 2012, although the idea of writing a novel had been in her head since she was a child. But after reading that first gay romance in 2009, she was hooked.

She now writes full time, and the line of men in her head, clamouring to tell their story, is getting longer and longer. If the frequent visits by plot bunnies are anything to go by, that’s not about to change anytime soon.

Making It Personal

5 Stars

Blake is the CEO of Trinity Publishing. He is gay, but deep in the closet. He uses an escort service when he is in desperate need of some male companionship. For his 30th birthday he places a call to the escort service and Alec shows up at his door a few hours later and proceeds to rock Blake's world, more than once. Blake asks Alec to stay for the night, but when Blake wakes up add Alec is gone. The next morning Blake heads into work to interview Will, for the position as his new personal assistant. Imagine his shock when Blake discovers his potential new PA Will is none other than the previous night's escort, Alec.

I really enjoyed Blake and Will and their story. They were likable characters you could really root for to get their HEA. They had amazing connection and chemistry and the sex was beyond hot!! I loved the progression of their relationship and watching them fall in love was a beautiful thing.

The story is well-written and paced well and it's packed with emotion. As soon as I finished Will and Blake's story I bought the entire series and I'm hoping I enjoy the other MC's as much as I enjoyed and loved Blake and Will. This is my first read by this author, but it definitely won't be my last. Very recommendable!!

Personal Changes

4 Stars

Rick hasn't had much luck in love, so he sticks to one night stands. On one of his nights out, he ends up going home with a couple. They have a night filled with hot sex, but after Rick is left feeling empty. All he wants is to be loved. He longs for it, but believes it'll never happen. How does the saying go? You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your Prince Charming? Well, Rick has kissed a lot of frogs and in Julian he thinks he's finally found his Prince Charming, but when things go terribly wrong, his real knight in shining armor, Angelo, shows up to save him.

I really liked Rick and Angelo. They were sweet together and had amazing chemistry. My heart broke for both men when they were forced apart.  I liked the plot and thought the story was well-written, but I thought the pacing of the relationship was a bit rushed. I didn't feel like we got to see a whole lot of page time with them as a couple. I also felt, while the resolution that brings them back together was done well, I thought the author should have had Rick explain, even if off page, to his family, friends, and co-workers, the reasons behind the separation. It just seemed to be accepted too easily.

All in all, this was an enjoyable and lovely read, featuring likable characters you can root for to get their HEA! Recommendable!!

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement.*

Making It Personal

4 Stars!!!

Blake is deep in the closet, afraid of what his father might do if he admits that he’s interested in men, resorting to hiring escort boys to quell his urges. He’s the CEO of his father’s publishing company and while his dad stepped down from the helm, he continues being the face of Trinity Publishing, even if it’s Blake doing all the hard work behind the scenes. As his birthday gift for himself, he hires an escort, Alec, the night he turns 30 and Alec rocks his world. They spend the night together and the next day when Blake wakes up, Alec is already gone. When Blake gets to his office to interview his hopefully new PA it turns out Alec is really Will and despite their night together, Blake decides to hire him.

Blake and Will were very likable! My heart broke for all that Will had to endure after his parents’ rejection and seeing what Blake went through with his father refusing to give up control of both the company and Blake himself. Blake and Will had great chemistry and it was undeniable that they were just perfect for each other. I love the progression of their relationship, it felt very natural.

The whole thing with Melissa, Blake’s crazy girlfriend, was a bit over the top and I definitely didn’t like her, but it had a great resolution in the end. Same with Blake’s father, who turned out to not be as awful as he seemed at first.

Overall, it was an enjoyable, if a tad predictable office romance. Still, it was well-written and it was a great start for the series!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***

More Than Personal

4.5 Stars!

More Than Personal is a companion short book set 6 years after Blake and Will married. They’re getting ready to welcome their first baby into the family, but first, Blake has plans to celebrate Will’s birthday that don’t quite go as he hoped for.

Awww, this was such a lovely, hot, sweet read! It was awesome catching up with Will and Blake and seeing them happy and very much in love. I’m also really intrigued over Ed and Colin, too, after seeing them here and am looking forward to their story!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***

Personal Secrets

4.5 Stars!!!

I was intrigued by Ed ever since I read Making It Personal, he seemed like such a fun, easygoing guy. Seeing him in More Than Personal with Colin made me even more interested to read their story and as it turned out, it was my favorite of them all.

Ed considers himself straight, even if he’s fooled around with guys in the past, but it isn’t until he gets drunk one night and he convinces Colin to share handjobs and blowjobs with him that things change for him as he’s unable to stop thinking about Colin, to the point where he’s unable to perform with one of his old girlfriends.

Colin has been attracted to Ed since Ed joined the rugby team they’re both on, but never thought it’d amount to anything. One night changes it all and now they both will need to navigate through building a relationship while dealing with a homophobic teammate and helping Ed with his issues regarding his sexuality.

I loved Ed! He was hilarious and I loved his interactions with his friends and with Colin. He’s just one of those characters you can’t help but fall for. I liked Colin a lot, but there were a few things that made me want to slap him just a bit, like the whole bit with his ex. Still, the chemistry between Ed and Colin was unbelievable! Hot, hot, HOT! I just couldn’t get enough of them together!

I loved that Rick was there to provide Ed with a very needed sounding board to help him through his issue and it was lovely seeing Angelo, Blake, Will and baby Sophie.

While I loved the book, the whole new obsessive PA arc with Blake felt a bit contrived. I have to admit that the way Ed dealt with Melissa before that was more than a bit satisfying, though. 😉

All in all, this was a delightful read! Funny and hot, with just some angst thrown in for good measure. Highly recommendable!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***

Strictly Personal

5 Stars!!!

This short companion piece to Personal Secrets was just about as perfect as it could be!

Colin plans a romantic, 4-day long weekend trip with Ed for Valentine’s Day, but things take a nose dive when they find themselves involved in a fight outside the stadium, ending with Ed in a police cell. It seems Ed’s superstitions regarding Friday the 13^th being unlucky might prove true, after all.

It was lovely seeing how perfectly Colin and Ed fit together, despite them being so different from each other and how they’ve grown as a couple.

I loved that Blake just about dropped everything when he found out he was needed, pretty much like any of these men will do for any of their friends, too! #friendshipgoals

This was a fun, very entertaining read. Short and sweet and just perfect for Colin and Ed!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***

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