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The Winds of Fortune #3
The Meaning of Storms
When Aleksey lived in the shadows at the heart of the British Royal Family, he assumed he was the cuckoo in the nest, the one living a double life. He had no idea that he was surrounded by deceits even more deadly than his own. But now, buying Light Island has unearthed a long-buried secret so important that people are willing to kill for it. However, the first time in his life, this fight doesn’t actually affect Aleksey. He doesn’t need to risk everything he’s now got with Ben to battle the tempests of life once more. But,in the healing waters of Light Island, he’s come to understand that sometimes other people need a helping hand from one who understands the true meaning of storms.
Word count approx :105,000 words
Word count approx :105,000 words
613 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2023
About the author
John Wiltshire
29 books850 followersJohn Wiltshire is the fictional persona of the author of the More Heat Than The Sun series. After spending twenty-two years in the military perfecting the art
of looking busy whilst secretly writing, John left as a senior officer
when a hastily dug tunnel was ready for use. Now living in New
Zealand (at least until enough money can be raised to leave) John has no plans to return to the army. Unless the world situation gets considerably worse, that is.
of looking busy whilst secretly writing, John left as a senior officer
when a hastily dug tunnel was ready for use. Now living in New
Zealand (at least until enough money can be raised to leave) John has no plans to return to the army. Unless the world situation gets considerably worse, that is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 28, 2023
Another story in this new series that is full of 'The Firm', rumours, speculation and deception, narrow escapes from certain death and which I found to be more than a little odd tbh, although I LOVED Molly-Rose's birthday party. Mr Scar from book 1, The Gods of Chaos and Chance, turns up again like the proverbial bad penny [as I suspected he would], deaths become pretty commonplace and he eventually .
Not at all impressed with the lazy editing/proofreading in this new series, loads of typos and just a heads up...according to the blurb at the end of the book, this story The Meaning of Storms, is apparently to be *continued* in The Meaning of Storms 🙄. I think they probably mean 'Down to a Sunlit Sea' which would appear to be book 4 in the series according to the list of John Wiltshire books at the back, published of course by Decent Fellows Press. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Not at all impressed with the lazy editing/proofreading in this new series, loads of typos and just a heads up...according to the blurb at the end of the book, this story The Meaning of Storms, is apparently to be *continued* in The Meaning of Storms 🙄. I think they probably mean 'Down to a Sunlit Sea' which would appear to be book 4 in the series according to the list of John Wiltshire books at the back, published of course by Decent Fellows Press. 3.5 stars rounded up.
April 29, 2024
***4.5 Stars***
June 27, 2023
Absolutely genius. Combining facts with fiction and the humour and joys of Ben and Aleksey's relationship, family and antics. I just love them all.
June 28, 2023
As with books 1 & 2 in this serial, I won't rate this story until I hear the narration. I always enjoy my time spent with the boys and their suspension of reality. Watching their relationship grow has been just as wild as their OTT adventures. I'm wondering if Ben has some anger he needs to work through though. My only complaint is that the Kindle books could use some serious editing. And I'll just keep my thoughts on Molley (ever since she came into the storyline) & how I don't think JW has ever met a child, unfortunately.
July 11, 2023
Another solid entry. This series has improved overall with time. That said, I didn't love this as much as the previous one and it is particularly because of a repeated narrative. We are truly, at this point in the series, past Aleksey saying he doesn't like the moron. It is old and tired now and just doesn’t read as real or even funny if it’s meant to be a joke. I find it reductive and not in-line with the purported growth the characters are going through. I really hope the author can transition to writing about their relationships in some other way and give it the respect it deserves.
January 23, 2026
Wow, this book meandered all over the place. The main thing was that the island revealed another secret. We still don't know why The Spare was forced to sell it. The little man (can't remember his name) turns out to have Down syndrome and is also the next in line to be king. An unwed servant gave birth shortly after the queen. They took her baby and switched it with the baby with Down's. She insisted the baby wasn't hers and her and the baby were shipped off to an institution. They were going to lobotomize her. Luckily, she'd written to her friend who lived in what is now Alexi's lighthouse and he understood what had happened. He rescued her and the baby and kept them secreted away in the lighthouse. The Royal family knew she was a loose cannon and kept an eye out for her. One day, when she went out walking by herself, they had her shoved off a cliff. One of The Spare's men was trying to kill Alexi since he'd found the old letters detailing what had happened. The Spare was going to out the truth so he could have the throne. Alexi didn't end up k!lling the man, so that's another loose end that may come back to haunt them. He did assist the man in cutting his arm off though, LOL. He also threatened to reveal the whole royal family helping Hitler thing, and swore to dismantle the Royals as an institution if they didn't F off. Amelia and Alexi have cemented their relationship as father and daughter. He threatened and bribed her hot professor to stay away from her, as she's now at college. It was made clear in The Wind's of Fortune series that Alexi's accent is Russian. I'm glad that the narrator chose to stick with the Danish accent he went with in the More Heat than the Sun Series. J. R. Ward's BDB fans threw a fit when the narrator, Jim Frangione, changed his pronunciations to match the pronunciation guide that Ward finally put in one of her books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2023
*4.5 Stars*
So who was he to dictate what was real and what was not? If this was all the product of his deranged mind, and he was still in the bottom of a Dartmoor mine shaft slowly dying, then he sincerely hoped that death would drag out for a great deal longer.
Very interesting quote. hmmmmmm
Of the 3 Winds of Fortune books (so far), this was my favorite. I loved how the mystery came together and honestly I was a little shocked I did not see it coming sooner. I also love how Nik/Aleksey continues to grow this beautiful family.
Overall these are just nice accompaniments to the original series. My only issue is the age of Molly...I mean good lord is this child really just now turning 4???
Cannot wait for the next and maybe another re-read in the meantime.
So who was he to dictate what was real and what was not? If this was all the product of his deranged mind, and he was still in the bottom of a Dartmoor mine shaft slowly dying, then he sincerely hoped that death would drag out for a great deal longer.
Very interesting quote. hmmmmmm
Of the 3 Winds of Fortune books (so far), this was my favorite. I loved how the mystery came together and honestly I was a little shocked I did not see it coming sooner. I also love how Nik/Aleksey continues to grow this beautiful family.
Overall these are just nice accompaniments to the original series. My only issue is the age of Molly...I mean good lord is this child really just now turning 4???
Cannot wait for the next and maybe another re-read in the meantime.
August 15, 2025
4.5⭐️
What can I say? I cannot get enough of Ben and Aleksey. I think I enjoyed the first nine More Heat Than the Sun books a little more than the Winds of Fortune series, but maybe that’s just because those books were all about getting to know these characters. Now, 15 years into their relationship, we’re in the “settled in” era...which is still great, just different. Also… is Molly really 4? Because the way she’s written, she feels older. That’s just me being nitpicky, though. The book was still fantastic, and Gary Furlong’s narration? Perfection, as always. Honestly, John Wiltshire could keep writing Ben and Aleksey forever, and I’d keep reading them.
What can I say? I cannot get enough of Ben and Aleksey. I think I enjoyed the first nine More Heat Than the Sun books a little more than the Winds of Fortune series, but maybe that’s just because those books were all about getting to know these characters. Now, 15 years into their relationship, we’re in the “settled in” era...which is still great, just different. Also… is Molly really 4? Because the way she’s written, she feels older. That’s just me being nitpicky, though. The book was still fantastic, and Gary Furlong’s narration? Perfection, as always. Honestly, John Wiltshire could keep writing Ben and Aleksey forever, and I’d keep reading them.
July 20, 2026
4.25⭐
despite the crazy plot twist (that is the key signature of these books, which is basically the reason why i am obsessed with aleksey and ben, because nothing is too crazy or over the top here lol), this is the most domestic book out of the entire (two) series and i absolutely adored that!! 🥰
despite the crazy plot twist (that is the key signature of these books, which is basically the reason why i am obsessed with aleksey and ben, because nothing is too crazy or over the top here lol), this is the most domestic book out of the entire (two) series and i absolutely adored that!! 🥰
March 31, 2026
By late summer, Ben and Alexi continue arguing over two things: Ben carelessly revealing the location of their private island, Light Island, and Alexi secretly getting himself shot in the face while dealing with a cult. Despite everything, they return to the island alone for some quiet, though it never lasts long.
Alexi has a hidden agenda this time. Years earlier, in The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks, he sided with Phillipa against Ben, damaging their relationship. Since then, Phillipa and Ben have remained distant. Without telling Ben, Alexi invites Phillipa to the island, hoping to force a reconciliation and prove that his relationship with Ben is real and stable. Phillipa arrives and behaves as if nothing is wrong, following Alexi’s instructions to simply keep talking to Ben until he softens. Strangely, it works. Ben, who initially seems indifferent, suddenly accepts her presence and even invites her to visit again, leaving Alexi satisfied, even if the resolution feels abrupt.
While exploring the lighthouse, Phillipa notices a large teddy bear with a green-and-black rugby scarf. She reveals it was meant as a christening gift for the Prince when she was a child, but the event was canceled, and she kept it. This detail lingers after she leaves.
Meanwhile, Alexi becomes preoccupied with Billy, the mysterious man who had been living in the lighthouse but has since vanished. Harry, now caretaker of Light Island, suggests Billy may have been raised by former lighthouse keepers, because he knows how to light the lamp. Alexi begins investigating, posing as a writer to avoid revealing his ownership of the island.
Locals point him toward an abandoned children’s asylum on a nearby island called Benhar, where disabled children, including possibly Billy, were once housed. Alexi, Ben, and Squeezy break into the building. Inside, they experience something deeply unsettling: the layout seems to shift, disorienting them like a maze. They repeatedly get separated and lost, as if the building itself is distorting space and time. Alexi finds a dormitory where he discovers a wind-up cymbal monkey toy from his childhood and, disturbingly, Phillipa’s teddy bear hidden under the covers.
This triggers a memory: as a child, Alexi had visited a similar place with the real Nicolas to see their mother, and something there had terrified them enough to flee. Eventually, the three men escape the asylum after what feels like a short time—but in reality, three hours have passed, and the tide has risen, forcing them to swim away.
Back in the town on Benhar, they meet Tim at a café, who immediately senses something significant has happened without him again. Later, Alexi begins to suspect someone else has been asking questions about the island while posing as a writer before him. Phillipa had also visited Benhar before coming to Light Island, linking her to these events in a way Alexi doesn’t fully understand.
As they return home for Molly’s fourth birthday, another thread develops. Squeezy found a diary in the attic in the previous book, written in Cornish and Alexi has it translated by Mark, Emelia’s professor (whom Alexi subtly threatens to stay away from his daughter). The diary belonged to a 15-year-old maid named Jenna, who worked at Guillemot House in 1964.
Jenna’s entries reveal she became pregnant after being manipulated by a boy named Gerren. Fired by her employer (the sister of Phillipa’s favorite “Nanny One”), she later connected with lighthouse keepers, including a man named William and another called Oily. She eventually gave birth to a son, Billy, and moved into the lighthouse. However, Jenna died in 1965 after being pushed off a cliff by an unknown man.
In the present, violence escalates. Nanny One is tortured and murdered after Phillipa visits her. Ben and Alexi survive a staged car accident caused by tampered brakes. Locals begin suspecting Alexi of multiple murders, confusing him with other people, including Shultz who owned the superyacht in the a previous book. When confronted, a witness description leads Alexi to identify the real culprit: Simon Raidon, a man involved in Light Island’s sale from Prince Andrew to Alexi.
Tracking down Oily in a retirement home, Alexi learns the truth: Jenna’s son Billy was raised in the lighthouse until the keepers were reassigned, after which he was sent to the asylum. Soon after revealing this, Oily is murdered as well.
Alexi and Ben piece together a shocking theory. During Christmas 1964, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Guillemot House and were the only notable guests during Jenna’s employment. They conclude that Jenna must have witnessed something dangerous: the royal heir, born in 1965, may have had Down’s syndrome. To avoid scandal, the royal family allegedly swapped the baby with Jenna’s child. But Jenna, having spent time with her real baby, realized the switch and resisted. This led to her death and a long-standing cover-up.
The recent killings now make sense. Someone is trying to locate Billy, the true royal heir, and either eliminate him or use him. When Alexi and Ben return to Light Island, they find the lighthouse ransacked, Harry missing, and clues pointing back to the asylum.
At the asylum, they find Harry alive but injured. Ben takes him to safety while Alexi confronts Simon alone. On the roof, Simon reveals he is working for Prince Andrew, who plans to expose Billy as the true heir now that the Queen is dying, potentially reshaping the line of succession. Simon doesn’t want to kill Billy, he wants control of him.
Before Simon can kill Alexi, Billy intervenes, knocking Simon down. Alexi sends Billy to safety and continues the fight. Simon ends up trapped in a submerged tractor as the tide rises. Alexi lets him almost drown, then cuts off his hand to extract him alive, ensuring he can no longer act but can still be used.
Alexi then confronts the royals directly, threatening to release the incriminating historical photographs if the royal faction continues pursuing Billy. With the Queen’s death and Charles ascending the throne, the immediate crisis settles.
In the aftermath, Alexi quietly protects Billy’s identity, even lying about the diary’s contents. Harry recovers, life resumes, and Alexi finally buys a proper boat.
Alexi has a hidden agenda this time. Years earlier, in The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks, he sided with Phillipa against Ben, damaging their relationship. Since then, Phillipa and Ben have remained distant. Without telling Ben, Alexi invites Phillipa to the island, hoping to force a reconciliation and prove that his relationship with Ben is real and stable. Phillipa arrives and behaves as if nothing is wrong, following Alexi’s instructions to simply keep talking to Ben until he softens. Strangely, it works. Ben, who initially seems indifferent, suddenly accepts her presence and even invites her to visit again, leaving Alexi satisfied, even if the resolution feels abrupt.
While exploring the lighthouse, Phillipa notices a large teddy bear with a green-and-black rugby scarf. She reveals it was meant as a christening gift for the Prince when she was a child, but the event was canceled, and she kept it. This detail lingers after she leaves.
Meanwhile, Alexi becomes preoccupied with Billy, the mysterious man who had been living in the lighthouse but has since vanished. Harry, now caretaker of Light Island, suggests Billy may have been raised by former lighthouse keepers, because he knows how to light the lamp. Alexi begins investigating, posing as a writer to avoid revealing his ownership of the island.
Locals point him toward an abandoned children’s asylum on a nearby island called Benhar, where disabled children, including possibly Billy, were once housed. Alexi, Ben, and Squeezy break into the building. Inside, they experience something deeply unsettling: the layout seems to shift, disorienting them like a maze. They repeatedly get separated and lost, as if the building itself is distorting space and time. Alexi finds a dormitory where he discovers a wind-up cymbal monkey toy from his childhood and, disturbingly, Phillipa’s teddy bear hidden under the covers.
This triggers a memory: as a child, Alexi had visited a similar place with the real Nicolas to see their mother, and something there had terrified them enough to flee. Eventually, the three men escape the asylum after what feels like a short time—but in reality, three hours have passed, and the tide has risen, forcing them to swim away.
Back in the town on Benhar, they meet Tim at a café, who immediately senses something significant has happened without him again. Later, Alexi begins to suspect someone else has been asking questions about the island while posing as a writer before him. Phillipa had also visited Benhar before coming to Light Island, linking her to these events in a way Alexi doesn’t fully understand.
As they return home for Molly’s fourth birthday, another thread develops. Squeezy found a diary in the attic in the previous book, written in Cornish and Alexi has it translated by Mark, Emelia’s professor (whom Alexi subtly threatens to stay away from his daughter). The diary belonged to a 15-year-old maid named Jenna, who worked at Guillemot House in 1964.
Jenna’s entries reveal she became pregnant after being manipulated by a boy named Gerren. Fired by her employer (the sister of Phillipa’s favorite “Nanny One”), she later connected with lighthouse keepers, including a man named William and another called Oily. She eventually gave birth to a son, Billy, and moved into the lighthouse. However, Jenna died in 1965 after being pushed off a cliff by an unknown man.
In the present, violence escalates. Nanny One is tortured and murdered after Phillipa visits her. Ben and Alexi survive a staged car accident caused by tampered brakes. Locals begin suspecting Alexi of multiple murders, confusing him with other people, including Shultz who owned the superyacht in the a previous book. When confronted, a witness description leads Alexi to identify the real culprit: Simon Raidon, a man involved in Light Island’s sale from Prince Andrew to Alexi.
Tracking down Oily in a retirement home, Alexi learns the truth: Jenna’s son Billy was raised in the lighthouse until the keepers were reassigned, after which he was sent to the asylum. Soon after revealing this, Oily is murdered as well.
Alexi and Ben piece together a shocking theory. During Christmas 1964, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Guillemot House and were the only notable guests during Jenna’s employment. They conclude that Jenna must have witnessed something dangerous: the royal heir, born in 1965, may have had Down’s syndrome. To avoid scandal, the royal family allegedly swapped the baby with Jenna’s child. But Jenna, having spent time with her real baby, realized the switch and resisted. This led to her death and a long-standing cover-up.
The recent killings now make sense. Someone is trying to locate Billy, the true royal heir, and either eliminate him or use him. When Alexi and Ben return to Light Island, they find the lighthouse ransacked, Harry missing, and clues pointing back to the asylum.
At the asylum, they find Harry alive but injured. Ben takes him to safety while Alexi confronts Simon alone. On the roof, Simon reveals he is working for Prince Andrew, who plans to expose Billy as the true heir now that the Queen is dying, potentially reshaping the line of succession. Simon doesn’t want to kill Billy, he wants control of him.
Before Simon can kill Alexi, Billy intervenes, knocking Simon down. Alexi sends Billy to safety and continues the fight. Simon ends up trapped in a submerged tractor as the tide rises. Alexi lets him almost drown, then cuts off his hand to extract him alive, ensuring he can no longer act but can still be used.
Alexi then confronts the royals directly, threatening to release the incriminating historical photographs if the royal faction continues pursuing Billy. With the Queen’s death and Charles ascending the throne, the immediate crisis settles.
In the aftermath, Alexi quietly protects Billy’s identity, even lying about the diary’s contents. Harry recovers, life resumes, and Alexi finally buys a proper boat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2023
Encore un excellent moment de lecture en compagnie d’Aleksey et Benjamin ♥️
Comme toujours dans cette saga, il faut attendre le dernier tiers du bouquin pour voir où veut en venir l’auteure. Mais quand l’action est lancée, j’ai été incapable de lâcher le roman. L’auteure mêle avec brio faits historiques et actualités modernes. Toujours autant de retournements de situation, d’amour, de cup of tea et d’humour pince-sans-rire.
La famille que s’est créé Aleksey est parfaite et elle continue de s’agrandir 🥰
J’ai beaucoup aimé l’intrigue autour de Billy même si j’avais deviné le twist final.
Je suis juste un peu déçu de la mort de Simon. Je voyais bien « l’homme à la cicatrice » devenir le grand antagoniste d’Aleksey. Surtout que j’avais bien aimé certaines de ses réparties et le « sacrifice » qu’il fait à la fin pour survivre. Et puis sa mort en voiture au pont de l’Alma à Paris comme Diana, je trouve ça un peu cliché.
Mais bon, peut-être que l’auteure va nous surprendre et faire revenir Simon d’entre les morts…
Surtout qu’on ne sait toujours pas pourquoi The Spare a vendu l’île au départ.
Vivement le tome 4 !
Comme toujours dans cette saga, il faut attendre le dernier tiers du bouquin pour voir où veut en venir l’auteure. Mais quand l’action est lancée, j’ai été incapable de lâcher le roman. L’auteure mêle avec brio faits historiques et actualités modernes. Toujours autant de retournements de situation, d’amour, de cup of tea et d’humour pince-sans-rire.
La famille que s’est créé Aleksey est parfaite et elle continue de s’agrandir 🥰
J’ai beaucoup aimé l’intrigue autour de Billy même si j’avais deviné le twist final.
Je suis juste un peu déçu de la mort de Simon. Je voyais bien « l’homme à la cicatrice » devenir le grand antagoniste d’Aleksey. Surtout que j’avais bien aimé certaines de ses réparties et le « sacrifice » qu’il fait à la fin pour survivre. Et puis sa mort en voiture au pont de l’Alma à Paris comme Diana, je trouve ça un peu cliché.
Mais bon, peut-être que l’auteure va nous surprendre et faire revenir Simon d’entre les morts…
Surtout qu’on ne sait toujours pas pourquoi The Spare a vendu l’île au départ.
Vivement le tome 4 !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2023
Lo ame ❤️
De los 3 libros hasta ahora ha sido mi favorito.
La relación de "igualdad" (y si entre comillas) de Aleksey hacia Ben es encantadora de leer, recordar los primeros libros y ahora ver el crecimiento de estos dos es abrumador. La escena donde Ben lo reta a hablar para acabar la frase y como Aleksey al ver el enojo de Ben se echa para atrás y termina con un "nuestro" es la mayor prueba de esto.
Ahora Aleksey como padre 🥺 siendo el hombre que le negaron a tener me conmueve en tantos aspectos.
Y por el lado de la trama, si me dio cosa la escena del asilo, yo en su lugar me hubiera muerto del miedo y Jeana ¡Dios! Su historia me partió el corazón.
De los 3 libros hasta ahora ha sido mi favorito.
La relación de "igualdad" (y si entre comillas) de Aleksey hacia Ben es encantadora de leer, recordar los primeros libros y ahora ver el crecimiento de estos dos es abrumador. La escena donde Ben lo reta a hablar para acabar la frase y como Aleksey al ver el enojo de Ben se echa para atrás y termina con un "nuestro" es la mayor prueba de esto.
Ahora Aleksey como padre 🥺 siendo el hombre que le negaron a tener me conmueve en tantos aspectos.
Y por el lado de la trama, si me dio cosa la escena del asilo, yo en su lugar me hubiera muerto del miedo y Jeana ¡Dios! Su historia me partió el corazón.
March 13, 2024
Loving this series
This series could go on and on, and I would never get enough of it. The writing is simply exquisite. The audio books are superb. You can not go wrong with this series, but you must start with the More Heat than the Sun series to understand the whole family. By the time you get to this point in the books, you're way past hooked. Thank you, John Wiltshire and Gary Furlong, for creating this world for us.
This series could go on and on, and I would never get enough of it. The writing is simply exquisite. The audio books are superb. You can not go wrong with this series, but you must start with the More Heat than the Sun series to understand the whole family. By the time you get to this point in the books, you're way past hooked. Thank you, John Wiltshire and Gary Furlong, for creating this world for us.
May 9, 2024
This series cannot end !! It could just go on and on and I'd always be looking forward to the next book. More twists and turns as the past and the present come together in an explosive, violent rampage crossing decades and classes. A secret that would upset world order as everyone knew it - a secret that cannot be revealed. Everything revolves around the lighthouse - but Aleksey and Ben have no idea the truth behind the deaths that plague their new community, only that is has something to do with Light Island and the history of the past - something to do with the diary that was unearthed beneath the floorboards of the attic. Just brilliant !!!
July 13, 2023
Can’t Get Enough!
I could read about Nik (Aleksey) and Ben forever. It never gets old!
This newest one was once again, everything I wanted it to be. It had me laughing out loud and highlighting some of the pages. I have done this in the past but for the stories to still be so entertaining and lovable is saying something about the talent of the author.
Bring on more!
I could read about Nik (Aleksey) and Ben forever. It never gets old!
This newest one was once again, everything I wanted it to be. It had me laughing out loud and highlighting some of the pages. I have done this in the past but for the stories to still be so entertaining and lovable is saying something about the talent of the author.
Bring on more!
May 31, 2024
The amount of times John manages to name drop the titles of the books in this series (and the last) is kinda crazy… I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where they’ve popped up this many times. But damn what an adventure. Once again the family grows :'). The scandal was kinda huge and honestly really entertaining. Despite my three star ratings, I'm really enjoying this series so far.
September 4, 2023
At this point in time I am as vested in the welfare of the MCs family as they are, and I don't care how fantastical or supernatural things have gotten: I just want everyone to be safe and happy and be able to live their lives.
June 27, 2024
Narrated by another favorite of mine, Gary Furlong. Another story mostly set on Light Island, with a nasty plot involving the royal family. In case you needed to be reminded, people are terrible. The story is suspenseful and good, with some happy bits in between the awful.
KU + whisper sync
KU + whisper sync
December 3, 2025
Aleksey and Ben's found-family keeps growing and I love the new additions. I didn't think I could love Ben any more, but I do after seeing him at Molly's birthday party. So sweet and so much fun.
Read December 2, 2025
Read December 2, 2025
July 1, 2023
Love this series
Can't get enough of Nik and Ben adventures!! Love how their family keeps growing. Was so happy to learn the author continued this series.
Can't get enough of Nik and Ben adventures!! Love how their family keeps growing. Was so happy to learn the author continued this series.
July 22, 2023
I love this series!
I've loved it from the start and anxiously await each new adventure! Ben and Aleskey have such a great love for each other!
I've loved it from the start and anxiously await each new adventure! Ben and Aleskey have such a great love for each other!
January 5, 2024
These stories are so superb I don't ever want this series to end. It lends the creedence of suppose...Brilliant writing.
April 14, 2024
4.75 stars
April 25, 2024
Read the book then listened to the audiobook which is brilliant!
What a fantastic series, what journeys Ben and Nik have !
I can’t get enough!!!
What a fantastic series, what journeys Ben and Nik have !
I can’t get enough!!!
July 10, 2025
incredible series, never disappoints, im always wanting more from this family by this fantastic story teller
December 21, 2025
Utter perfection
February 3, 2026
Enjoyable story that is well written with likeable characters and good world building. The narration is very good as well
September 21, 2026
I kinda suspected the plot twist, but it was still so shocking when it was revealed. The author really kept us on our toes frrr
July 12, 2023
Fatherhood suits Aleksey so well. His not-so-little family is so lovely I love them so much
October 8, 2025
4 Stars
Funny how my reviews of the past books used to be full of tags like "delicious m/m pain" and "fucked up as hell" and "lots of triggers" and "lots of crazy smut" etc, and now it's just "contemporary romance" and "not enough smut."
Ah, how things have changed.
I've made my opinion clear as to what I think of these "fade to black" smut scenes, so I'm just gonna to straight into the plot.
Aleksey discovers another huge scandal related to the royal family, and well, that gets them all in trouble. Nothing new there. I think at this point I'm reading these books because I am so deeply attached to these characters, I could pretty much read an entire book about them doing nothing in particular. Just family stuff, you know? I could do that. A whole book about them having birthday parties and college send-offs and lots of sex (please give me that at least) without anything major happening in the background.
Which is why I'm giving this 4 stars. I enjoyed the domesticity and the familiarity. The Rider-Mikkelsen family is my comfort zone now. I just wanna read chapter after chapter of Ben and Aleksey going to pubs with Squeezy and Tim, then come home, have sex, then wake up and have tea and breakfast, then go tiding or go sailing, or go swimming or whatever, and then repeat.
I couldn't care less about the plot, if I'm being entirely honest.
In this case, it was just another far-fetched problem, not as silly as the deadly virus in a can or the Adolf Hitler is alive in Argentina problems, but just as far-fetched.
I did enjoy their visit to the insane asylum. That was creepy and very fun to read.
THESE BOOKS NEED MORE SMUT. hah.
EDIT I've finished all of the books. Here's my ranking with links to my reviews:
MORE HEAT THAN THE SUN series
1. Love is a Stranger ★★★★★
2. Conscious Decisions of the Heart ★★★★
3. The Bridge of Silver Wings ★★★★
4. This Other Country ★★★★★ (would give more if I could!)
5. The Bruise-Black Sky ★★★★
6. Death's Ink-Black Shadow ★★★★
7. Enduring Night ★★★★★
8. This Fateful Heap of Days ★★★★★
9. The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks ★★★★
THE WINDS OF FORTUNE series
1. The Gods of Chaos and Chance ★★★
2. The Paths Less Travelled ★★★.5
3. The Meaning of Storms ★★★★
4. Shadows in the Mist ★★★
5. Down to a Sunlit Sea ★★★
Funny how my reviews of the past books used to be full of tags like "delicious m/m pain" and "fucked up as hell" and "lots of triggers" and "lots of crazy smut" etc, and now it's just "contemporary romance" and "not enough smut."
Ah, how things have changed.
I've made my opinion clear as to what I think of these "fade to black" smut scenes, so I'm just gonna to straight into the plot.
Aleksey discovers another huge scandal related to the royal family, and well, that gets them all in trouble. Nothing new there. I think at this point I'm reading these books because I am so deeply attached to these characters, I could pretty much read an entire book about them doing nothing in particular. Just family stuff, you know? I could do that. A whole book about them having birthday parties and college send-offs and lots of sex (please give me that at least) without anything major happening in the background.
Which is why I'm giving this 4 stars. I enjoyed the domesticity and the familiarity. The Rider-Mikkelsen family is my comfort zone now. I just wanna read chapter after chapter of Ben and Aleksey going to pubs with Squeezy and Tim, then come home, have sex, then wake up and have tea and breakfast, then go tiding or go sailing, or go swimming or whatever, and then repeat.
I couldn't care less about the plot, if I'm being entirely honest.
In this case, it was just another far-fetched problem, not as silly as the deadly virus in a can or the Adolf Hitler is alive in Argentina problems, but just as far-fetched.
I did enjoy their visit to the insane asylum. That was creepy and very fun to read.
THESE BOOKS NEED MORE SMUT. hah.
EDIT I've finished all of the books. Here's my ranking with links to my reviews:
MORE HEAT THAN THE SUN series
1. Love is a Stranger ★★★★★
2. Conscious Decisions of the Heart ★★★★
3. The Bridge of Silver Wings ★★★★
4. This Other Country ★★★★★ (would give more if I could!)
5. The Bruise-Black Sky ★★★★
6. Death's Ink-Black Shadow ★★★★
7. Enduring Night ★★★★★
8. This Fateful Heap of Days ★★★★★
9. The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks ★★★★
THE WINDS OF FORTUNE series
1. The Gods of Chaos and Chance ★★★
2. The Paths Less Travelled ★★★.5
3. The Meaning of Storms ★★★★
4. Shadows in the Mist ★★★
5. Down to a Sunlit Sea ★★★
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