What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lemon Drop Kid
How The Cookie Crumbled
As sole heir to the Bredahl Cookies and Cakes fortune, Casper led a comfortable, happy-go-lucky life. Some would say, a charmed life.
Sure, there were challenges: relentless pressure to join the family business, and his unrequited feelings for former high school crush Raleigh Jackson. But yeah, a charmed existence, compared to life after being arrested for murder and spending nearly a year in Chippewa Falls County Jail, awaiting trial.
Exoneration, freedom, came at too steep a price. To say Casper isn’t in the mood for the holidays, is putting it mildly. In fact, the only thing he wants for Christmas is to see Detective Raleigh Jackson, the man responsible for wrongly putting him behind bars, get his just desserts.
As sole heir to the Bredahl Cookies and Cakes fortune, Casper led a comfortable, happy-go-lucky life. Some would say, a charmed life.
Sure, there were challenges: relentless pressure to join the family business, and his unrequited feelings for former high school crush Raleigh Jackson. But yeah, a charmed existence, compared to life after being arrested for murder and spending nearly a year in Chippewa Falls County Jail, awaiting trial.
Exoneration, freedom, came at too steep a price. To say Casper isn’t in the mood for the holidays, is putting it mildly. In fact, the only thing he wants for Christmas is to see Detective Raleigh Jackson, the man responsible for wrongly putting him behind bars, get his just desserts.
172 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2024
45 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
Josh Lanyon
225 books5,420 followersAuthor of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built her literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance.
Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.
She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.
Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.
Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.
She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.
Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.
Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
October 2, 2025
This is an imagined interview between Josh Lanyon and mwana, inspired by LCJ.
mwana [unable to withhold her enthusiasm]: I worship the ground that you walk on.
JL [visibly uncomfortable]: um, thanks.
JL turns her body and crosses her leg. Her torso rests against the tabletop of the Parisian cafe mwana selected because of the love affair JL has with all things Parisian. There is a chalkboard menu above the counter, a display window filled with all kinds of confectionaries mwana only sees in books and movies. Her repertoire of baked goods only extends to differentiating whether something is a biscuit, a cake or bread. She calls for a server, maybe food will make JL more comfortable. It works. Once she's had a coffee and some flaky chewy thing, she visibly relaxes. Her legs are still facing the general direction of the exit. mwana is having a foamy coffee, her favourite, but she regrets the moustache she'll have to keep wiping.
Baker Oostwaert and his wife by Jan Steen
mwana: So, let's talk about The Lemon Drop Kid.
JL [wipes her hands on a napkin and leans back, smiles. It's brighter.]: Yes, let's.
mwana: Is there a reason you released a winter romance in spring? Spring is in March, right?
JL [smiles tightly, it's the one she wore when she spotted mwana in the cafe]: Um. Yes, Spring starts in March. I wrote it to be a winter romance but it's not a particularly festive story. It was originally a Patreon story.
mwana: I'm glad it was availed to the rest of us.
JL: uh yes.
mwana: why was it so different from your usual cozies?
JL: well, my friend and I had a discussion about what a loved one could do that you would struggle to forgive and I wanted to explore that.
mwana: I don't much care for forgiveness.
JL: Uh...
mwana: my father kicked me out and I "forgave" him, you know? Acted like it didn't hurt me to my core. I mean, don't get me wrong. I cried when he announced that he no longer wanted to house me. I had two jobs at the time and I was barely surviving. He then gave me a grace period to find a new house then changed his mind and two weeks before the end of his rental agreement he told me he won't be extending grace any further. But I acted like it was all ok. All fine.
JL [sips coffee]: yes well, this is about lovers who were happy and then one of them does the unthinkable but what does that look like and how do you come back from such a betrayal? A misjudgement of character, of choosing protocol over intuition. How do you come back from accusing the person you love most of something they know they would never do.
mwana, slurps coffee: that's another thing. At the same time daddy kicked me out, my ex who I'd been with for ten years accused me of sabotaging his relationship. He even threatened me! Me! I raised that man and he acted like I would even care that he'd moved on. I didn't even know he'd been macking on my neighbour...
JL: I see. In my book, Raleigh isn't like my usual law enforcement love interests...
mwana, wipes foam moustache: and then this year, the company I work for lost its funding so we closed operations. I lost my job then my dad says he won't support me. He refused to help me. Who the fuck does that?
JL: look, I think you need to process...
mwana: what's there to process Josh? You wrote a book about a man who made the biggest mistake of his life and was forgiven.
JL: Well, yes.
mwana, wipes foam again: this is why I don't care for forgiveness, because the people who wronged me showed no remorse. I was left high and dry and was just supposed to take it on the chin. You write unrealistic men Lanyon.
JL: they're not meant for your reality Gloria.
mwana: but there are parallels and let's not use our government names.
JL: sips coffee.
mwana, slurps foam: I do appreciate how different this book is. Casper is a lot more bitter than your usual protagonists, especially lately.
JL: what does that mean?
mwana: You used to write cheaters, toxic lovers, pained men, bitter assholes. Nowadays they're rather sanitised. I still enjoy them but you haven't written about another cat burglar since Icecapade, or a murderous theatre director since A Little Engagement, Jake Riordan deserves a whole thesis. You no longer write such protagonists.
JL: I see. Well, authors evolve too and they have to evolve with what the market wants. MM readers are unlikely to want cheating protagonists every book.
mwana, licks her upper lip repeatedly: Who cares about them? This is about me. I want the old Josh back.
JL, visibly distressed: Um
mwana: I also loved how atmospheric the book is. In one moment you describe Casper's mental state ever since leaving county jail. the clock in the living room striking some magic hour when everything would be alright again, go back to normal. Do you think this book can be used as a gateway to getting more people on the side of abolishing the carceral justice system?
JL: Do you ever think sometimes you read too much into books?
mwana: No.
JL: I-
mwana, slurps coffee: I find the theme of forgiveness interesting but I'm not interested in treatises of repairing relationships that are best left for dead. I also clocked the baddie almost immediately. Why couldn't you make this a full-length novel? I wanted more.
JL: sometimes a story calls for a novella. This story was always going to be a novella.
mwana: but I don't care. I want more.
JL: you could always subscribe to the patreon
mwana: I told you I don't have a job.
JL: I'm really sorry about that.
mwana: You're paying for the coffees.
JL [shakes head and raises her hand for a server]
mwana: I'm not done yet. I want to talk about
Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
mwana [unable to withhold her enthusiasm]: I worship the ground that you walk on.
JL [visibly uncomfortable]: um, thanks.
JL turns her body and crosses her leg. Her torso rests against the tabletop of the Parisian cafe mwana selected because of the love affair JL has with all things Parisian. There is a chalkboard menu above the counter, a display window filled with all kinds of confectionaries mwana only sees in books and movies. Her repertoire of baked goods only extends to differentiating whether something is a biscuit, a cake or bread. She calls for a server, maybe food will make JL more comfortable. It works. Once she's had a coffee and some flaky chewy thing, she visibly relaxes. Her legs are still facing the general direction of the exit. mwana is having a foamy coffee, her favourite, but she regrets the moustache she'll have to keep wiping.
Baker Oostwaert and his wife by Jan Steen
mwana: So, let's talk about The Lemon Drop Kid.
JL [wipes her hands on a napkin and leans back, smiles. It's brighter.]: Yes, let's.
mwana: Is there a reason you released a winter romance in spring? Spring is in March, right?
JL [smiles tightly, it's the one she wore when she spotted mwana in the cafe]: Um. Yes, Spring starts in March. I wrote it to be a winter romance but it's not a particularly festive story. It was originally a Patreon story.
mwana: I'm glad it was availed to the rest of us.
JL: uh yes.
mwana: why was it so different from your usual cozies?
JL: well, my friend and I had a discussion about what a loved one could do that you would struggle to forgive and I wanted to explore that.
mwana: I don't much care for forgiveness.
JL: Uh...
mwana: my father kicked me out and I "forgave" him, you know? Acted like it didn't hurt me to my core. I mean, don't get me wrong. I cried when he announced that he no longer wanted to house me. I had two jobs at the time and I was barely surviving. He then gave me a grace period to find a new house then changed his mind and two weeks before the end of his rental agreement he told me he won't be extending grace any further. But I acted like it was all ok. All fine.
JL [sips coffee]: yes well, this is about lovers who were happy and then one of them does the unthinkable but what does that look like and how do you come back from such a betrayal? A misjudgement of character, of choosing protocol over intuition. How do you come back from accusing the person you love most of something they know they would never do.
mwana, slurps coffee: that's another thing. At the same time daddy kicked me out, my ex who I'd been with for ten years accused me of sabotaging his relationship. He even threatened me! Me! I raised that man and he acted like I would even care that he'd moved on. I didn't even know he'd been macking on my neighbour...
JL: I see. In my book, Raleigh isn't like my usual law enforcement love interests...
mwana, wipes foam moustache: and then this year, the company I work for lost its funding so we closed operations. I lost my job then my dad says he won't support me. He refused to help me. Who the fuck does that?
JL: look, I think you need to process...
mwana: what's there to process Josh? You wrote a book about a man who made the biggest mistake of his life and was forgiven.
JL: Well, yes.
mwana, wipes foam again: this is why I don't care for forgiveness, because the people who wronged me showed no remorse. I was left high and dry and was just supposed to take it on the chin. You write unrealistic men Lanyon.
JL: they're not meant for your reality Gloria.
mwana: but there are parallels and let's not use our government names.
JL: sips coffee.
mwana, slurps foam: I do appreciate how different this book is. Casper is a lot more bitter than your usual protagonists, especially lately.
JL: what does that mean?
mwana: You used to write cheaters, toxic lovers, pained men, bitter assholes. Nowadays they're rather sanitised. I still enjoy them but you haven't written about another cat burglar since Icecapade, or a murderous theatre director since A Little Engagement, Jake Riordan deserves a whole thesis. You no longer write such protagonists.
JL: I see. Well, authors evolve too and they have to evolve with what the market wants. MM readers are unlikely to want cheating protagonists every book.
mwana, licks her upper lip repeatedly: Who cares about them? This is about me. I want the old Josh back.
JL, visibly distressed: Um
mwana: I also loved how atmospheric the book is. In one moment you describe Casper's mental state ever since leaving county jail. the clock in the living room striking some magic hour when everything would be alright again, go back to normal. Do you think this book can be used as a gateway to getting more people on the side of abolishing the carceral justice system?
JL: Do you ever think sometimes you read too much into books?
mwana: No.
JL: I-
mwana, slurps coffee: I find the theme of forgiveness interesting but I'm not interested in treatises of repairing relationships that are best left for dead. I also clocked the baddie almost immediately. Why couldn't you make this a full-length novel? I wanted more.
JL: sometimes a story calls for a novella. This story was always going to be a novella.
mwana: but I don't care. I want more.
JL: you could always subscribe to the patreon
mwana: I told you I don't have a job.
JL: I'm really sorry about that.
mwana: You're paying for the coffees.
JL [shakes head and raises her hand for a server]
mwana: I'm not done yet. I want to talk about
Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
April 3, 2024
Fabulous short read but maaaan, Caz is a much better person than I am.
April 7, 2024
Another short story from a favourite author. A mystery and second chance romance. Couldn't stop reading and read it in one sitting. Was really happy with the ending cause poor Casper really deserved a HEA 🩵
April 2, 2024
4.5
What a gem. WHAT A GEM.
I think I say this every time I write a review for any of Lanyon's titles, but she's truly one of a kind in the mystery genre. I've loved every single one of her mysteries since I first discovered her "Adrien English" series, and I can honestly say I'll probably love her writing till the day my eyes stop working (and even then, there's still audiobooks right?). She's brilliant, her mysteries are brilliant, her characters are messy AND brilliant, and her romances are just *chef's kiss* brilliantly done.
"The Lemon Drop Kid" is a short, gripping mystery with a dash of second-chance romance (a really complicated, really messy one at that) and a whole lot of betrayal/forgiveness vibes going on that really made me want to simultaneously jump out of the nearest window and jump INTO the book to strangle a certain cop and wrap up Caz in blankets for the horrific hand he's been dealt, and yeah, I was obsessed. I would have totally loved it if the romance has been developed a smidge more, but Josh isn't that kind of writer: the mystery and the MC (usually horrifically unlucky, amateur sleuth-ish, snarky messes a light breeze away from a nervous breakdown; MY kind of protagonist *heart eyes*) are at the front and centre of her books, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Anyway, I loved the mystery to bits. It's gripping and unfair and dark and brillant; and I loved Casper to absolute bits. He's been through a whole lot of pain and trauma, but he still manages to find it in himself to be forgiving and good and, just, absolutely wonderful.
Raleigh on the other hand, is the quintessential Lanyon detective love interest, who has a lot to make up for, with a lot of groveling and a lot of sweet, sweet declarations (will I ever tire of this kind of pairing and love interest? I think not; it scratches my romance brain juuuust right), and again, I even managed to love him by the end. Plus, it's set in a small-town, it's Christmas, and there are dogs: what more could I wish for?
I loved the writing so damn much, and I loved that this novel, despite its Christmas setting and the cute cover and title, was really quite angsty and tough. It gave the story, despite it being quite short, a hefty, complex atmosphere, it gave the characters and their relationship more substance, and it made it seem longer that it actually was. I was completely absorbed.
Again, I loved it.
I can't wait to read what comes next from this author, but in the meantime, I think I might, MIGHT need to do a re-read of a few of her books.
TWS/CWs: suicide/suicidal ideation (mentioned), death, incarceration.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.
What a gem. WHAT A GEM.
I think I say this every time I write a review for any of Lanyon's titles, but she's truly one of a kind in the mystery genre. I've loved every single one of her mysteries since I first discovered her "Adrien English" series, and I can honestly say I'll probably love her writing till the day my eyes stop working (and even then, there's still audiobooks right?). She's brilliant, her mysteries are brilliant, her characters are messy AND brilliant, and her romances are just *chef's kiss* brilliantly done.
"The Lemon Drop Kid" is a short, gripping mystery with a dash of second-chance romance (a really complicated, really messy one at that) and a whole lot of betrayal/forgiveness vibes going on that really made me want to simultaneously jump out of the nearest window and jump INTO the book to strangle a certain cop and wrap up Caz in blankets for the horrific hand he's been dealt, and yeah, I was obsessed. I would have totally loved it if the romance has been developed a smidge more, but Josh isn't that kind of writer: the mystery and the MC (usually horrifically unlucky, amateur sleuth-ish, snarky messes a light breeze away from a nervous breakdown; MY kind of protagonist *heart eyes*) are at the front and centre of her books, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Anyway, I loved the mystery to bits. It's gripping and unfair and dark and brillant; and I loved Casper to absolute bits. He's been through a whole lot of pain and trauma, but he still manages to find it in himself to be forgiving and good and, just, absolutely wonderful.
Raleigh on the other hand, is the quintessential Lanyon detective love interest, who has a lot to make up for, with a lot of groveling and a lot of sweet, sweet declarations (will I ever tire of this kind of pairing and love interest? I think not; it scratches my romance brain juuuust right), and again, I even managed to love him by the end. Plus, it's set in a small-town, it's Christmas, and there are dogs: what more could I wish for?
I loved the writing so damn much, and I loved that this novel, despite its Christmas setting and the cute cover and title, was really quite angsty and tough. It gave the story, despite it being quite short, a hefty, complex atmosphere, it gave the characters and their relationship more substance, and it made it seem longer that it actually was. I was completely absorbed.
Again, I loved it.
I can't wait to read what comes next from this author, but in the meantime, I think I might, MIGHT need to do a re-read of a few of her books.
TWS/CWs: suicide/suicidal ideation (mentioned), death, incarceration.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.
March 8, 2024
Casper spent 11 months in county jail after being charged of murdering his boss. He is now exonerated after his own sister committed suicide after confessed about the murder. The worst thing is that his boyfriend at the time of the event, Officer Raleigh Jackson, was the one responsible for putting him behind bars. The fact that Raleigh thought that Casper was able to kill someone, is the fact that Casper can't forgive and forget. Or can he?
Boy, this book makes me think and ponder ... and that is something not happening often. Sometimes complicated situations and feelings work better than the straight-forward romantic ones. In this case - as written by Lanyon in the Author's Note section - the main question is "what injury could one character do to the other that would make it almost impossible to forgive?"
I mean, should Casper forgive what Raleigh did? Why he can even think of doing so? Why can he still feel that he loves Raleigh. But human feelings and emotions are not rational at times, aren't they? But are we, as readers, should also support Casper forgiving Raleigh? Or should we think of him as doormat character?
I loved that this book made me feel think. And in the end Casper's argument also felt right. Raleigh should spent the rest of his life making Casper happy as part of his atonement. That's only fair. And that's what my 4-stars rating stands for.
Your mileage may vary of course.
Boy, this book makes me think and ponder ... and that is something not happening often. Sometimes complicated situations and feelings work better than the straight-forward romantic ones. In this case - as written by Lanyon in the Author's Note section - the main question is "what injury could one character do to the other that would make it almost impossible to forgive?"
I mean, should Casper forgive what Raleigh did? Why he can even think of doing so? Why can he still feel that he loves Raleigh. But human feelings and emotions are not rational at times, aren't they? But are we, as readers, should also support Casper forgiving Raleigh? Or should we think of him as doormat character?
I loved that this book made me feel think. And in the end Casper's argument also felt right. Raleigh should spent the rest of his life making Casper happy as part of his atonement. That's only fair. And that's what my 4-stars rating stands for.
Your mileage may vary of course.
March 18, 2024
I enjoyed this quick story. It ended rather abruptly though, almost like the author had a timeline and time was up. I did like the angst and I really felt bad for Casper.
October 7, 2024
Lovers to enemies to how the hell did Josh Lanyon pull this off? Lovers!
The author says she took a challenge from a reader friend to find a situation that was *nearly* impossible to come back from and make it work.
Wow, did it work for me. This situation does seem impossible. Because MC Caz is just getting out of jail...and MC police detective Raleigh put him there. After they'd been together for quite some time and were very, very much in love. Oh, and Caz was completely innocent. And Raleigh legit thought he was guilty. Of murder. How the hell do you get over that?!
Read this book and see. I bow to the master that is Josh Lanyon. This book moved me, was so painful and poignant and yet had such moments of intimacy and pure joy (Freyja!!! OMG the dog...! I have to spoil for you
TREMENDOUS groveling sensibility. Raleigh is the most contrite of contrite MCs ever and knows he can never make it up to Caz. That he let him down beyond forgiveness. Except. Forgiveness isn't up to him, is it? Nope. It's up to Caz. See how that goes!
I LOVED this short little book.
HEA! Yes for real! Lovers to enemies to lovers. Double murder mystery. Missing dog mystery. Police detective hero. Bakery company owner hero. Small town. NO cheating or others in any way shape or form, entirely safe for me. Highly recommended.
The author says she took a challenge from a reader friend to find a situation that was *nearly* impossible to come back from and make it work.
Wow, did it work for me. This situation does seem impossible. Because MC Caz is just getting out of jail...and MC police detective Raleigh put him there. After they'd been together for quite some time and were very, very much in love. Oh, and Caz was completely innocent. And Raleigh legit thought he was guilty. Of murder. How the hell do you get over that?!
Read this book and see. I bow to the master that is Josh Lanyon. This book moved me, was so painful and poignant and yet had such moments of intimacy and pure joy (Freyja!!! OMG the dog...! I have to spoil for you
TREMENDOUS groveling sensibility. Raleigh is the most contrite of contrite MCs ever and knows he can never make it up to Caz. That he let him down beyond forgiveness. Except. Forgiveness isn't up to him, is it? Nope. It's up to Caz. See how that goes!
I LOVED this short little book.
HEA! Yes for real! Lovers to enemies to lovers. Double murder mystery. Missing dog mystery. Police detective hero. Bakery company owner hero. Small town. NO cheating or others in any way shape or form, entirely safe for me. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2024
Just a short little story about forgiveness. I gave this 4 stars because the story is not very developed and neither is the mystery but I had low expectations and I had fun reading it and that’s all that matters to me.
May 26, 2025
Overall book rating: 3.8
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3
Way to short, for starters.
I could have immersed myself in a much more fleshed out
and thicker rendition and I would have been happy for it.
The idea of having the person you love, lock you up
for something you didn't do, and in fact was innocent of?
Bring on the emotional slide!
I'm going to choose to "overlook" the things that bothered
me because again, I feel for a story like this the book
needs to be a boat load heavier on page numbers to
cover everything. BUT.. I did enjoy it.
I knew who the murderer was from the start. I had the
reason wrong but still. I didn't read this one for the murder.
I read it for Casper and his internal emotional struggles.
For Raleigh and the mess this hole thing left in it's wake.
I could have happily just read a whole book about
the two of them sorting through this and finding
each other again.
Good little short read.
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3
Way to short, for starters.
I could have immersed myself in a much more fleshed out
and thicker rendition and I would have been happy for it.
The idea of having the person you love, lock you up
for something you didn't do, and in fact was innocent of?
Bring on the emotional slide!
I'm going to choose to "overlook" the things that bothered
me because again, I feel for a story like this the book
needs to be a boat load heavier on page numbers to
cover everything. BUT.. I did enjoy it.
I knew who the murderer was from the start. I had the
reason wrong but still. I didn't read this one for the murder.
I read it for Casper and his internal emotional struggles.
For Raleigh and the mess this hole thing left in it's wake.
I could have happily just read a whole book about
the two of them sorting through this and finding
each other again.
Good little short read.
June 12, 2025
This was absolutely delightful! Except it was a little too short. And highly predictable.
June 19, 2024
A short (154-page) novella about the adorable hamlet of Little Copenhagen, Wisconsin and a budding love story between Casper, the also adorable heir to the town's main industry Bredahl Cookies and Cakes, and Raleigh Jackson, a hunky third-generation cop and son to the current Chief of Police. It's all systems go for a sweet story .... until it isn't.
When we next see Casper and Raleigh, Casper is a bitter disillusioned man just released from county jail (and fully exonerated) after 11 months awaiting his trial for murder, and Raleigh, now Detective Jackson, is the man who put him there. Lanyon doesn't spare the angst as Casper is rightly embittered at both how he is viewed by the people he grew up among, and the man he loved with all his heart.
For me, some elements of the story definitely did not work () and I figured out who the murderer was fairly quickly. But overall an enjoyable read.
When we next see Casper and Raleigh, Casper is a bitter disillusioned man just released from county jail (and fully exonerated) after 11 months awaiting his trial for murder, and Raleigh, now Detective Jackson, is the man who put him there. Lanyon doesn't spare the angst as Casper is rightly embittered at both how he is viewed by the people he grew up among, and the man he loved with all his heart.
For me, some elements of the story definitely did not work () and I figured out who the murderer was fairly quickly. But overall an enjoyable read.
March 10, 2025
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Boy was this interesting! I was confused in the beginning because I didn't realize it was the prologue, before the bad stuff went down. Then when the after came, it took me a second to catch up and then I was hooked!
I read JL's note at the end about what inspired this writing and that was kind of cool. That it was sparked by a discussion about what could someone do that could be almost unforgiveable. In this case, Casper was (essentially) sent to jail by the man he loved, a man who thought he had killed another, and then when the truth comes out, that Casper is innocent, the question is: can Casper forgive him? I don't know, that's a tough one. Raleigh thought Casper had killed someone, he believed it, thought Casper capable of murder. Yes, there was extenuating circumstances that helped Raleigh come to that conclusion.
One the one hand, Raleigh didn't let his feelings get in the way of a homicide investigation, which is good. Murder is not okay, and if Casper had been guilty, then he wasn't the man Raleigh thought he was. On the other hand, they had known each other for years, years! And Raleigh thought him guilty? My reading of the story says that they didn't talk, that Raleigh didn't even ask Casper if he was guilty. He just "followed the evidence."
The story picks up the day of (or was it 1 day after?) he is released from jail/prison (no idea which), and he is mad, he is traumatized, he is feeling all the emotions. Most especially hatred and bitterness towards Raleigh. Who can blame him?! I was on a roller coaster of emotions because for once I really didn't know what was going to happen with these two. It really could have ended on a sort of cliffhanger where they parted as repaired friends and that was all. Which frankly is what I think really could have been the best option.
But Casper found it within himself to forgive. He deeply loves Raleigh and wasn't going to let a little thing like being sent to jail/prison get his way of a HEA, haha.
I did enjoy this. It's amazing how many times I am surprised by the uniqueness of JLs writings. I do indeed recommend this. There is a murder plot afoot, so it's definitely not boring.
4 stars. Only because there wasn't a super satisfactory answer to why the people were killed.
Boy was this interesting! I was confused in the beginning because I didn't realize it was the prologue, before the bad stuff went down. Then when the after came, it took me a second to catch up and then I was hooked!
I read JL's note at the end about what inspired this writing and that was kind of cool. That it was sparked by a discussion about what could someone do that could be almost unforgiveable. In this case, Casper was (essentially) sent to jail by the man he loved, a man who thought he had killed another, and then when the truth comes out, that Casper is innocent, the question is: can Casper forgive him? I don't know, that's a tough one. Raleigh thought Casper had killed someone, he believed it, thought Casper capable of murder. Yes, there was extenuating circumstances that helped Raleigh come to that conclusion.
One the one hand, Raleigh didn't let his feelings get in the way of a homicide investigation, which is good. Murder is not okay, and if Casper had been guilty, then he wasn't the man Raleigh thought he was. On the other hand, they had known each other for years, years! And Raleigh thought him guilty? My reading of the story says that they didn't talk, that Raleigh didn't even ask Casper if he was guilty. He just "followed the evidence."
The story picks up the day of (or was it 1 day after?) he is released from jail/prison (no idea which), and he is mad, he is traumatized, he is feeling all the emotions. Most especially hatred and bitterness towards Raleigh. Who can blame him?! I was on a roller coaster of emotions because for once I really didn't know what was going to happen with these two. It really could have ended on a sort of cliffhanger where they parted as repaired friends and that was all. Which frankly is what I think really could have been the best option.
But Casper found it within himself to forgive. He deeply loves Raleigh and wasn't going to let a little thing like being sent to jail/prison get his way of a HEA, haha.
I did enjoy this. It's amazing how many times I am surprised by the uniqueness of JLs writings. I do indeed recommend this. There is a murder plot afoot, so it's definitely not boring.
4 stars. Only because there wasn't a super satisfactory answer to why the people were killed.
December 3, 2024
This book!!!
I loved this story. The mystery and suspense part was very well done. And the heartbreak 💔 My eyes got misty 🥹
I especially loved the author's note.
Now I need a lemon drop martini. Cheers 🍸
I loved this story. The mystery and suspense part was very well done. And the heartbreak 💔 My eyes got misty 🥹
I especially loved the author's note.
Now I need a lemon drop martini. Cheers 🍸
March 12, 2024
Short and quick read that gripped me hard from the beginning.
I didn't care for the mystery line as much as for the drama between the main characters, but hey, I'm a romance reader and the cover is such an eye-catcher.
Back to drama: Caspar is released from prison after spending there almost a year for the crime he hasn't committed. The man who investigated the said crime was his boyfriend. The sense of betrayal, the anguish, the pining is sooo palpable here, and I just ate it up. The best part is the grovelling, loved it. I almost wish that it was a full novel instead of a novella.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
I didn't care for the mystery line as much as for the drama between the main characters, but hey, I'm a romance reader and the cover is such an eye-catcher.
Back to drama: Caspar is released from prison after spending there almost a year for the crime he hasn't committed. The man who investigated the said crime was his boyfriend. The sense of betrayal, the anguish, the pining is sooo palpable here, and I just ate it up. The best part is the grovelling, loved it. I almost wish that it was a full novel instead of a novella.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
April 17, 2024
Excellent writing, as one would expect from the author, with all the heart-achey feels one could hope for from this plot. It's smut-free, which this author (and so many others) seem to be moving towards, and which was a little disappointing. The mystery here was so obvious, I thought it must be a red herring, so that was a bit underwhelming for what was an intriguing premise. The relationship was certainly engaging, but in the end, as much as I did find them sweet together, I just couldn't really buy that either of them could truly get over their past and have a successful relationship.
March 9, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. A decent Josh Lanyon m/m and mystery story that I felt just didn't have the usual romantic zing I've come to expect from her.
The MC's are Caz, a guy falsely accused of killing his boss based mostly on the sheriff's (Raleigh) investigation of the case. Caz and Raleigh were a couple before this but pretty much hit the ropes when someone else confesses to the crime but only after Caz had spent several months in prison pending trial based on his boyfriend's investigation.
After Caz gets released this book is mainly about the two M/M characters trying to put their relationship back together and also trying to sort out all of the circumstances of the crime (even with the confession it was still a little of a who-dun-it).
I was very disappointed by the lackluster HEA ending.
The MC's are Caz, a guy falsely accused of killing his boss based mostly on the sheriff's (Raleigh) investigation of the case. Caz and Raleigh were a couple before this but pretty much hit the ropes when someone else confesses to the crime but only after Caz had spent several months in prison pending trial based on his boyfriend's investigation.
After Caz gets released this book is mainly about the two M/M characters trying to put their relationship back together and also trying to sort out all of the circumstances of the crime (even with the confession it was still a little of a who-dun-it).
I was very disappointed by the lackluster HEA ending.
April 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this short story.
Yes, I figured out early on the reality of what had happened but I was there for the angst, the heartbreak and the outrage for Caz- he was a great character.
Really great short book. Xx
Yes, I figured out early on the reality of what had happened but I was there for the angst, the heartbreak and the outrage for Caz- he was a great character.
Really great short book. Xx
March 10, 2024
Casper Bredahl has just been released from county jail after spending nearly a year awaiting trial for his boss's murder. I felt for Caz from the start, especially when he was searching for his lost dog, my heart broke for him, his journey was filled with so many challenges.
Raleigh Jackson, his former lover and the police officer instrumental in his incarceration, is someone Caz never wishes to encounter again. The betrayal and disbelief in him run too deep to ever mend, and the fact that Raleigh was intertwined in it all only added to the hurdles they faced together.
The writing evoked strong emotions right from the start, touching on themes of depression, anger, sadness, and disillusionment. It's profoundly distressing when the person you're romantically involved with, whom you trust deeply, turns out to be the one who arrested you for a crime you didn't commit, leading to your imprisonment. The agony of being unable to forgive them for believing you were guilty, the heartache of realising they didn't trust you as much as you trusted them, and the sense of them not truly knowing who you are—it's all deeply painful to contemplate. The portrayal of disillusionment and anger at the lack of understanding is powerfully poignant.
The story was incredibly captivating, and I found myself engrossed in it, finishing it all in one night. However, considering the ordeal Caz endured, I couldn't help but feel that Raleigh deserved to suffer a lot more for his actions.
September 30, 2024
3.5
This kind of book is always a little bit frustrating to read because it’s fairly obvious what happened just a few pages in but the characters have to be a bit oblivious for the sake of the story. But Caz was actually quite smart for a mystery MC.
And I still enjoyed the story overall. I liked Caz because he was finally someone who was angry and had every right to be. But he should have been even angrier. He should not have forgiven Raleigh (especially not this fast). How can he trust him again after what he did? How can he be in a relationship again?
I wish this book had a more realistic ending because no one would be able to forgive their partner for what Raleigh did. Not without years and years of therapy and even then it’s still unlikely.
And it’s interesting because I think if it would have been done in a different way with the same story and the same outcome we would have been fine with it.
The problem was that we felt the anger with Caz. You can understand the anger and all of the resentment in the beginning because it’s described really well.
But you don’t feel the love Caz has for Raleigh because that is just told. We’re never shown how in love they were. Just all of a sudden Caz is in love again and can forgive all the bad Raleigh did because of that.
But for the reader it’s not plausible or understandable because of the lack of shown love between these two characters.
This kind of book is always a little bit frustrating to read because it’s fairly obvious what happened just a few pages in but the characters have to be a bit oblivious for the sake of the story. But Caz was actually quite smart for a mystery MC.
And I still enjoyed the story overall. I liked Caz because he was finally someone who was angry and had every right to be. But he should have been even angrier. He should not have forgiven Raleigh (especially not this fast). How can he trust him again after what he did? How can he be in a relationship again?
I wish this book had a more realistic ending because no one would be able to forgive their partner for what Raleigh did. Not without years and years of therapy and even then it’s still unlikely.
And it’s interesting because I think if it would have been done in a different way with the same story and the same outcome we would have been fine with it.
The problem was that we felt the anger with Caz. You can understand the anger and all of the resentment in the beginning because it’s described really well.
But you don’t feel the love Caz has for Raleigh because that is just told. We’re never shown how in love they were. Just all of a sudden Caz is in love again and can forgive all the bad Raleigh did because of that.
But for the reader it’s not plausible or understandable because of the lack of shown love between these two characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this one, and as much as I love JL's books, there are nearly always the same two things that bother me: the love interest sucks, and/or the ending is rushed. In this case... the love interest sucks.
JL knew she was taking a risk with this plotline - how badly can someone you love betray you and still be able to earn your forgiveness? Obviously everyone is going to have a different response to that question, and for me,
That said, I enjoyed the journey a lot and read this in a day and a half. I felt so badly for Caz that my chest hurt. Even though I have my issues with how things played out, I can't say I wasn't invested!
JL knew she was taking a risk with this plotline - how badly can someone you love betray you and still be able to earn your forgiveness? Obviously everyone is going to have a different response to that question, and for me,
That said, I enjoyed the journey a lot and read this in a day and a half. I felt so badly for Caz that my chest hurt. Even though I have my issues with how things played out, I can't say I wasn't invested!
June 25, 2024
I love mysteries and I love second chances, both of which are Lanyon’s bread and butter but in this case it all felt a little lazy. The mystery itself was lazy, the characters were too superficial and the romance lacked any depths.
Casper and Raleigh barely spent any time together or at least it felt like they didn’t because their interactions always felt a tad too superficial, never reaching the depths I wanted them to and the mystery wasn’t much of a mystery either. The ending in terms of romance wasn’t really satisfying, it felt rushed and was anticlimactic.
I honestly was a little shocked at how disappointing this work ended up being.
Casper and Raleigh barely spent any time together or at least it felt like they didn’t because their interactions always felt a tad too superficial, never reaching the depths I wanted them to and the mystery wasn’t much of a mystery either. The ending in terms of romance wasn’t really satisfying, it felt rushed and was anticlimactic.
I honestly was a little shocked at how disappointing this work ended up being.
September 29, 2025
This is the Josh Lanyon I love. 4.5 stars
This story was packed full of feelings. I loved every moment so much that I binged the whole book in one go.
The mystery was intriguing and I called it wrong a few times which is par for the course with me lol.
I wasn't sure how this was going to give me the happy ending I craved, but I trusted in this author and she did not disappoint.
My only niggle was it was too short. I feel like this could of been longer with a little more detail on the time line of things.
This story was packed full of feelings. I loved every moment so much that I binged the whole book in one go.
The mystery was intriguing and I called it wrong a few times which is par for the course with me lol.
I wasn't sure how this was going to give me the happy ending I craved, but I trusted in this author and she did not disappoint.
My only niggle was it was too short. I feel like this could of been longer with a little more detail on the time line of things.
April 10, 2024
Trust Josh Lanyon to write good angst!
I liked this a lot, but I was annoyed at the 85% conflict, because in my view the LI was still in the process of redeeming himself, so to add another blunder on top of that - and without a good grovel follow-up to boot - left me feeling unsatisfied.
I liked this a lot, but I was annoyed at the 85% conflict, because in my view the LI was still in the process of redeeming himself, so to add another blunder on top of that - and without a good grovel follow-up to boot - left me feeling unsatisfied.
December 5, 2025
Surprisingly, I enjoyed it, even though I'm not as forgiving as Caz was
April 5, 2024
Another classic Lanyon mystery. I do think this needed to be slightly longer for me to get behind the romance. And that epilogue wasn’t so much an epilogue as it was the final chapter (please don’t wait til the epilogue to resolve conflict).
Read
November 21, 20243.5 Stars
January 17, 2025
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; 17 Jan 2025
Narrator: Andrew Gibson
I have been starved for a cozy from JL and was excited when this popped up on my Audible. 4 hours long only but beggars can't be too picky.
The story flowed smoothly though I guess it's hard to write a complicated, choppy story with only 4 hours. I can't say I enjoyed it. Too much angst for me as I grappled with whether Casper should or should not be able to forgive Raleigh.
I know this book was written around the premise of something so hugely painful that forgiveness hangs on the balance. This type of romantic fiction I do not like.
I only started to get into it at the last 20%. What bugged me was that there was next to no attention paid to Casper's sister's suicide. If one of my siblings killed him or herself, I would be devastated and it would take a very long time for the pain to go away. Not so with Casper. He is too inundated with bitterness towards Raleigh to feel anything else for anyone else.
I absolutely agree with Casper's attitude towards Raleigh because I know if I were Casper I would feel too betrayed to move forward with my relationship with Raleigh. I agree with Casper's forgiveness of Raleigh and am glad Casper did ream him out first. I'm with Raleigh when he said he did what he did because he believed it was the right thing to do.
But I also agree with Casper when he argued that Raleigh ought to have known him better, ought to have known Casper isn't capable of murder. They loved each other, so for Raleigh to have let Casper be accused, to have let him be incarcerated for a year before events set him free, that is too hard to let go of, no matter how much love there is between them. Will it happen again? Will Raleigh, one day, believe the worst of Casper when something happens? Trust, to me, is very important and I expect the person who loves me to know me well enough to know what I am or am not capable of. Here, I feel the author failed because that period of time between the murder and Casper being arrested and thrown in the county jail pending trial was totally missing. I did not know how Raleigh's investigation went and why he was ready to believe Casper was the killer.
So...I would have found the HFN more plausible had there been a long break in their relationship. Say, ten years? Then circumstances bring them face to face again and then I can see the possibility of a reconciliation. But to move so quickly into their HEA was unbelievable for me.
In other words, the subject is way too heavy for a 4-hour book.
Narrator: Andrew Gibson
I have been starved for a cozy from JL and was excited when this popped up on my Audible. 4 hours long only but beggars can't be too picky.
The story flowed smoothly though I guess it's hard to write a complicated, choppy story with only 4 hours. I can't say I enjoyed it. Too much angst for me as I grappled with whether Casper should or should not be able to forgive Raleigh.
I know this book was written around the premise of something so hugely painful that forgiveness hangs on the balance. This type of romantic fiction I do not like.
I only started to get into it at the last 20%. What bugged me was that there was next to no attention paid to Casper's sister's suicide. If one of my siblings killed him or herself, I would be devastated and it would take a very long time for the pain to go away. Not so with Casper. He is too inundated with bitterness towards Raleigh to feel anything else for anyone else.
I absolutely agree with Casper's attitude towards Raleigh because I know if I were Casper I would feel too betrayed to move forward with my relationship with Raleigh. I agree with Casper's forgiveness of Raleigh and am glad Casper did ream him out first. I'm with Raleigh when he said he did what he did because he believed it was the right thing to do.
But I also agree with Casper when he argued that Raleigh ought to have known him better, ought to have known Casper isn't capable of murder. They loved each other, so for Raleigh to have let Casper be accused, to have let him be incarcerated for a year before events set him free, that is too hard to let go of, no matter how much love there is between them. Will it happen again? Will Raleigh, one day, believe the worst of Casper when something happens? Trust, to me, is very important and I expect the person who loves me to know me well enough to know what I am or am not capable of. Here, I feel the author failed because that period of time between the murder and Casper being arrested and thrown in the county jail pending trial was totally missing. I did not know how Raleigh's investigation went and why he was ready to believe Casper was the killer.
So...I would have found the HFN more plausible had there been a long break in their relationship. Say, ten years? Then circumstances bring them face to face again and then I can see the possibility of a reconciliation. But to move so quickly into their HEA was unbelievable for me.
In other words, the subject is way too heavy for a 4-hour book.
March 13, 2024
This is one of the more heart-wrenching relationships by the author, requiring forgiveness that all the readers might not be willing to give. It’s a tough one for me too, and I can’t say this would be my favourite from Lanyon, but I do enjoy the angst.
Lanyon can write a mean emotional novella. Casper’s feelings of injustice, abandonment and revenge makes one ache, and while I think I might have enjoyed to have just a little bit more length to this story for the complex subject, there was enough to make this a fine romantic mystery. It will probably linger a bit on the reader’s mind. And that’s even such a pretty cover.
My thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.
How strange. I found it easier to be confrontational than make pleasant chichat. Casual conversation was almost beyond me. Partly because I had no idea how to respond to simple ordinary questions like how are you?
How was I?
I’d spent eleven months in jail waiting to be tried for a crime I hadn’t committed. And the only reason I wasn’t still in jail was because my sister—my only living relative—had confessed to the murder and then overdosed on sleeping pills.
I was not good.
And people are not comfortable hearing that.
Lanyon can write a mean emotional novella. Casper’s feelings of injustice, abandonment and revenge makes one ache, and while I think I might have enjoyed to have just a little bit more length to this story for the complex subject, there was enough to make this a fine romantic mystery. It will probably linger a bit on the reader’s mind. And that’s even such a pretty cover.
My thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.
September 16, 2024
Cozy little mystery taking place in a small town around christmas. Traumatized main character getting back to living a normal life after being accused of murder - and stumbling into a great second chance romance while also discovering the real murderer. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews