Bayou Book Junkie: AotM: The Hope Collection by Cardeno C. (Reviews+Giveaway)

Friday, September 29, 2017

AotM: The Hope Collection by Cardeno C. (Reviews+Giveaway)

McFarland’s Farm

Quiet but lonely Jared has to decide how much of himself he's willing to risk to keep party-boy Lucas.

Wealthy, attractive Lucas Reika treats life like a party, moving from bar to bar and man to man. Thumbing his nose at his restaurateur father's demand that he earn his keep, Lucas instead seduces a valued employee in the kitchen of their flagship restaurant, earning himself an ultimatum: lose access to his father's money or stay in the middle of nowhere with a man he has secretly lusted over from afar.

Quiet, hard-working Jared McFarland loves his farm on the outskirts of Hope, Arizona, but he aches to have someone to come home to at the end of the day. Jared agrees to take in his longtime crush as a favor. But when Lucas invades his heart in addition to his space, Jared has to decide how much of himself he's willing to risk and figure out if he can offer Lucas enough to keep him after his father's punishment is over.

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2sdomvp

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/PjzM88

Audio: https://goo.gl/AvDuHs

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/hNFaHU

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Jesse’s Diner

Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.

Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.

Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another, all they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true.

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2tf0SVf

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/tibqX7

Audio: https://goo.gl/7hnF2G

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/jLqoym

Tanner is hardworking, responsible and sweet and has had a crush on his best friend's father, Steve, since he knew what a crush was. He's tried to keep it a secret, seeing as Steve was also his boss's husband and as such, off-limits. However, Jesse died two years ago and left Tanner his diner and when Mike calls him to ask Tanner to keep tabs on his father, because he was laid off, Tanner can't say no. Tanner starts bringing Steve dinner every night, trying his best to keep his attraction under wraps, which is not easy because the older man is so attentive and nice and handsome.

Steve has always cared and worried about Tanner, and now that he is ready to date again, he's looking for someone he can share his life with. He had hoped that someone could be Tanner, but it isn't until they start sharing dinners that Steve decides to take the first step and ask Tanner out.

There is something that Tanner doesn't know that might put a damper on Steve's plans, though. Steve is HIV positive and he is not certain how that knowledge is going to affect his chance at HEA with Tanner.

I have to admit that this is only the second book that deals with an HIV positive character that I've read and I think it was dealt with perfectly. Tanner did his research and made an informed decision and the diagnosis didn't really impact much on their budding relationship.

I really loved Steve and Tanner together. Yes, there was a big age difference, Steve's thirty nine years against Tanner's twenty-two could have more of an impact if Tanner hadn't been such an old soul, shy and responsible and mature beyond his years. It was nice to see them both try to flirt and tease somewhat awkwardly at first and how perfectly they fit once they got past their tentative start.

This is a very fast read, well-written and with that characteristic sweet, romantic hotness that Cardeno C. imprints into her stories. Highly recommendable!

Rating: 5 Stars!!!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Paul Morey has a pleasant tone and he did a wonderful job with the different voices. The only complaint I have is that sometimes the tone would be too even, and it would turn a bit monotonous, but other than that, this was a very enjoyable audiobook of a story I already loved and that I will more than likely listen to again. Very recommendable!

Rating: 4.5 Stars!!!

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Smitty’s Sheriff

Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they're perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love.

Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious Todd Smitty. Richard won’t find the right man if he’s obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd.

It’s lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister’s army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact with no explanation.

When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard’s house, he’s thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof?