Burning the Midnight Oil

Copper Lake #3

by Ashley James

Rule number one: Don’t fall for my brother in law.

It should be easy, right?

Wrong.

When I moved in with my sister over summer break, I had no intention of returning to college in the fall. A work trip for her meant a lot of time alone for me with her husband. Boone Stanton. World famous bull rider and way, way off limits.

A few late night deep conversations between the two of us, only the midnight sky our witness, and suddenly, I can’t look away. Can’t keep my mind off of him.

It’s in the way he works around the yard, sweaty and shirtless. The way his eyes soften and he leans into his playful side around his daughter. And it’s in the way he makes me feel seen. The way he’s slowly chipping away at my exterior without even realizing it.

Then one night I see something I shouldn’t. Something that makes my mouth water and my heart race. Except when he catches me, instead of stopping and reprimanding me, he… keeps going.

Now, I have the opportunity of a lifetime but it means going on the road with him. It means living in even closer quarters than before. It also means doubling down on keeping my hands to myself and my gaze away from his dark, observing eyes.

But I’m only human, and it’s only a matter of time before I crack. Before I give in and do something I can’t take back.

Something that could cost me everything.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Westerns, Forced Proximity, Sports, Friends To Lovers, Cowboy Romance

392 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2024

About the author

Ashley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won't be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won't be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.

Reviews

[Noa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's crazy how you can be so sure of who you are until one special person walks into your life and makes you question it all."

Boone Stanton.
Bronco Rider. Single Dad.
And also married… well was.
Was married to Grady Wilde's sister.
That should stop Grady from thinking about him.
Should being the operative word.
But when Grady gets a job opportunity that ends up with him bunking with Boone…
Lines get blurred. Breathing gets harder.
But Grady cannot let this happen.
Can he?

"No matter how hard I try, he's always there. Always front and center in my mind."

Grady Wilde.
The one person Boone Stanton shouldn't want.
He can't want him.
He's the brother of the mother of his child.
He's a guy.
He's off limits.
But that doesn't stop Boone from looking at him every chance he gets.
But it can't happen. Nothing can happen.
But feeling are beyond our control aren't they?

"Whether I like it or not, I feel a pull toward him, one that is confusing, but maybe we don't have to decipher it. Maybe we can just be."

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

"We don't get a say in who we want."

Ashley James has become a household name in my Kindle. I mean every book brings out emotions in me that end up with me crying, laughing, and fanning myself. I LOVE Copper Lake! The town, the characters, the backstory. Every couple Ashley James writes fills a hole in my heart and Boone and Grady are no exception. Their forbidden relationship, the stolen glances, the single dad-ness.
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!! 💗💗💗

"All I can pay attention to is the beating of my heart and the man on stage. The one I have no business looking at like this. The one I have no business thinking about as much as I do."

You have Grady Wilde who is trying to find his path despite his parents disapproval. And he finds hospitality in his sister's house in Copper Lake. Along with her daughter… and her hot-as-sin (soon to be) ex-husband. I loved the conflict you have with Grady and himself. His fear. His want. The combination. It brought out so many emotions in me I swear I was crying for the last %20 of this book.
And then you have Boone Stanton. Your classic bronco rodeo rider.
Coming back home to find his brother-in-law staying with them. He doesn't have a problem per se but he does have a weird feeling. And he doesn't know how to describe it.
I loved Boone. The literal awakening that he has is amazing to read about and him also worrying about everyone in his life always. The way he loves how Grady is with his daughter. And the relationship between him and Grady! Legit had to read it to feel it and it was worth every single word! The chemistry, the avoiding, the forced proximity, again the single-dadness (I swear that is a thing). Absolutely adored their connection!

"Something about Boone Stanton makes me feel out of control in the very best and most confusing way."

Ashley James gave us amazing songs in her playlist and I wanted to add more songs to fit the vibe so as always grab your cowboy hats people! 🤠🤠

(Link - https://spotify.link/nEHRNzCBUJb )

🎶 "Yeah Boy" - Kelsea Ballerini
🎶 "isn't she lovely" - Christina Perri
🎶 "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" - USHER
🎶 "Fix" - Chris Lane
🎶 "Weatherman" - Zach Hood
🎶 "Come On Over" - Shania Twain
🎶 "I Don't Want To Be" - Gavin DeGraw
🎶 "boys beware" - Mad Tsai
🎶 "Shivers" - Ed Sheeran
🎶 "Made For You" - Jake Owen
🎶 "Lie a Little Better" - Lucy Hale
🎶 "Older" - Sasha Alex Sloan
🎶 "Pour Some Sugar On Me" - Def Leppard
🎶 "Fire Works" - Jordana Bryant
🎶 "Can I Be Him" - James Arthur
🎶 "Stupid Cupid" - Jenna Raine
🎶 "Days Go By" - Keith Urban
🎶 "Lose It" - Kane Brown
🎶 "I Only Date Cowboys" - Kylie Morgan
🎶 "I Wanna Be Yours" - Arctic Monkeys
🎶 "dancing in the kitchen" - LANY
🎶 "When You Look Like That" - Thomas Rhett
🎶 "THAT’S WHAT I WANT" - Lil Nas X
🎶 "I'll Name the Dogs" - Blake Shelton
🎶 "Lavender Haze" - Taylor Swift
🎶 "Sippin' On Fire" - Florida Georgia Line
🎶 "HIM" - Sam Smith
🎶 "Cruise" - Florida Georgia Line
🎶 "Home Team" - Lakeview
🎶 "Me On You" - Muscadine Bloodline
🎶 "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" - Shaboozey
🎶 "Every Little Thing" - Russell Dickerson
🎶 "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" - Orville Peck, Elton John
🎶 "Drive Me, Crazy" - Orville Peck
🎶 "Heavy Crown" - Trixie Mattel
🎶 "Drinking With Cupid" - VOILA
🎶 "Bad Idea" - Dove Cameron
🎶 "I Feel You" - Depeche Mode
🎶 "Fantasize" - fast demon, Mr Demon
🎶 "Too Close" - Alex Clare
🎶 "One Kiss" - Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa
🎶 "In Dreams" - Sierra Ferrell
🎶 "Movement" - Hozier
🎶 "stacy's brother" - Mad Tsai
🎶 "Replay" - Zendaya
🎶 "Meddle About" - Chase Atlantic
🎶 "Electric Love" - BORNS
🎶 "LOVE IS A COWBOY" - Kelsea Ballerini
🎶 "Night's On Fire" - David Nail
🎶 "Rain" - Sleep Token
🎶 "Dance Like Yo Daddy" - Meghan Trainor
🎶 "Can't Fight The Moonlight" - LeAnn Rimes
🎶 "Shameless" - Camila Cabello
🎶 "One More Night" - Maroon 5
🎶 "Out Of The Woods (Taylor's Version)" - Taylor Swift
🎶 "First Love" - Justine Blanchet
🎶 "Wish You The Best" - Lewis Capaldi
🎶 "Speechless" - Dan + Shay
🎶 "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" - Big & Rich
🎶 "Wonder" - Shawn Mendes
🎶 "No Control" - One Direction
🎶 "eyes don't lie" - Isabel LaRosa
🎶 "Call Out My Name" - The Weeknd
🎶 "I Want To" - Rosenfeld
🎶 "Slow It Down" - Benson Boone
🎶 "Craving You" - Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris
🎶 "Lovesick" - Jenna Raine
🎶 "Spectrum" - Florence + The Machine
🎶 "Clarity" - Zedd, Foxes
🎶 "I miss you, I'm sorry" - Gracie Abrams
🎶 "Harder To Breathe - Acoustic" - Maroon 5
🎶 "HEARTBEAT" - Isabel LaRosa
🎶 "Make Me Feel" - Janelle Monae
🎶 "Forever and a Day" - Benson Boone
🎶 "Last Man Standing" - Livingston

And don't worry, as always Ashley James is serving us small town romance spicey spice 😉🌶️

"God, you looked so perfect down there. Your big, hazel eyes looking up at me, your tongue sticking out and teasing me."

"You need to watch me. You don't get to forget who it is making you feel this fucking good."

"You're mine, Grady. You hear me? This ass is mine, that cock is mine, your pretty little mouth is mine."

🐂 Tropes 🐂

📸 Small Town Romance
📸 Single Dad
📸 Forced Proximity
📸 Brother in Law
📸 Age Gap (6 years)
📸 Professional Bull Rider

Book Edit - https://www.instagram.com/p/C7bjXc1ga...

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burning the Midnight Oil is book three in the Copper Lake series by Ashley James. This is a sexual awakening romance but it’s a little different then some others. He fell for his ex-wife’s younger brother!



Boone Stanton is twenty seven years old and is a professional rodeo bull rider. We have gotten to know him a little bit in the two previous books and have seen that his marriage is a little rocky. Now it has come to it’s ending. It was a mutual decision, very friendly, actually. They wanted to make everything as painless as possible since they have a four year old daughter, Suzy. Since Boone is gone so many months of the year on the road, they are still sharing the house until they get to a point where they can sell it.



Grady Wilde is twenty one years old and is Jade, Boone’s wife’s younger brother. Grady has been going to college and has just finished his third year. Grady tried his hardest to do well but he doesn’t enjoy college at all. Photography is his heart but his parents constantly discouraged him from following his dream. He has decided to quit school and pursue the only thing he has ever really wanted to do. Jade as agreed that he can stay with them since Boone is gone so much. Grady is gay but little does his sister know that he has always had a crush on her husband. He always considered it a silly crush that he would outgrow. But once he learned of their divorce, and Jade is away for awhile, something happens that changes everything.



Boone is so confused. He has never, ever been attracted to a man. His marriage has just ended. Why is he having these thoughts about Grady? If Grady wasn’t the brother of his now ex-wife, maybe it would be something he could pursue. But there is no way he can let anything happen between them. He and Jade have a great relationship now and this would hurt her. She would never accept it, would she?

“Can he feel how fast my heart is beating? Does he know it’s all for him?”

So, first of all, in the previous books I sort of had a negative opinion of Jade but now I really like her. She and Boone really were handling their divorce perfectly and they were great parents to the adorable Suzy. And I loved both Boone and Grady. I also want to assure you there is NO cheating in this book. Boone and Jade are completely divorced before anything starts. There was just so much yes we can/no we can’t, push and pull, that I couldn’t feel the romance. Honestly, the romance didn’t really come into the picture until the last twenty percent! I really wanted them to be together but also, on the other hand, I did feel bad because I knew it would hurt Jade. But you can’t control who you love. I just would have liked it if there was a little more romance earlier on. It’s always fun to spend time with this group of characters. They really are a made family. And while I did enjoy Boone and Grady’s story, it wasn’t my favorite of the series.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars- I really enjoyed this beautiful story between Boone and Grady, their chemistry was so good, it was kind of a slow burn but it was worth it. The attraction and need they both had for each other was so hot! Shooter really made me laugh with how annoying he was, poor Boone lolol
Overall this was great, always a pleasure going back to Cooper Lake 🤠

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

After finishing book 1, I wasn’t sure I’d read more of this series. While I mostly liked book 1, it ultimately was just kind of ok for me.

I liked the blurb of this book, so I’m very glad I gave it a shot because I really, really enjoyed it! Basically, I read it in a day. It totally held my attention and I didn’t want to put it down.

There’s some forbidden romance, forced proximity, bisexual awakening, angst, and found family.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this - definitely favorite in the series. I was a bit hesitant because of the sister's ex-husband/ ex-wife's brother thing but I ended up absolutely loving it!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better. I’m obsessed with Boone and Grady. They were so good together and their chemistry was completely off the charts. There’s something so hot about forbidden love story. This was easily a 5 star read, and one of my top books of the year. I can’t wait until the next one!

[ivy]

DNF @ 15% - Way to over explain literally everything. Repeatedly

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, while I did LOVE the absolute messiness of this plot because I am an absolute fiend for drama (fictional only please), I felt like I was kind of stuck in groundhog day for a lot of this book.

Boone and Grady just seem to get stuck in their inner monologues. We have Boone being so fucking dense and not figuring out that what he's feeling is attraction for his younger brother in law, which is understandable because he's always considered himself straight, but does he have to reiterate this about fifteen times? No, he doesn't! It really slowed the pace of the story down for me because I was kind of left thinking 'did you not just say this exact same thing in every chapter previous and we still haven't moved on??'. Then we had them both going round in the whole 'I want you, but we can't, but I wan't you, but we can't' circle for soooo many chapters!

Even when Jade finds out about them it's more repetition of them wanting to talk and her wanting to wait - multiple times the same thing is mentioned and I was losing interest because I kind of just wanted them to get to the point already! I did think Jade was actually really understanding considering the situation, and even though it may not be realistic it was actually nice to see a female character presented in a way that didn't make them out to be neurotic or 'crazy'. I actually loved how Jade was getting back to being herself rather than just a mother and a wife, yet she was also supportive of her brother even though she would have been pretty justified in distancing herself from him.

I honestly felt like you could cut out maybe a hundred pages and still have the same story and the same feeling from the character's and their romance, but without all of the repetition and stagnation of the pacing.

Loved them together, loved the 'forbidden' aspect, but again the book just felt too long and repetitive to rate it any higher.

I'm really hoping Colt's book goes back to getting to the point like book one did - the pacing in book one felt much quicker but the story still felt well rounded so I'm optimistic we're going back to that kind of pacing...please...!

[Ashleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

All of these reviews are giving "I'm trying to stay on the arc team." This book was boring 🙄
1.5 ⭐️

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boone and Grady ❤️
The first time Boone slipped and called Grady baby 🥺
Loved their relationship. Loved their snark. Loved their love.

....

"Boone!" He screeches. "What the fuck are you doing? Put me down!" "No, you're being a difficult little shit, and it's too damn late to argue with you." "Put. Me. Down! Right this instant" I crack a palm down on his ass, making him startle and yelp. "You did not just spank me!" "Oh but I did, G."

"Maybe just one night," he whispers before dropping to his knees in front of me. "Maybe just for tonight, I'm not Grady and you're not Boone.. my sisters ex-husband. Just one night."

"Why'd you stop?"
"You need to watch me. You don't get to forget who it is making you feel this fucking good."

"He doesn't slow down. If anything, he goes harder. With each brutal thrust, I feel my walls breaking down. Every look into my eyes, every moan that slips past his lips, I feel my self cracking. And as his body tenses up and he spills his release inside of me, I just know... I fucked up because I didn't just let Boone inside my body today. I let him inside my heart too."

"Sex with Boone is earth shattering. But this -- falling asleep wrapped in his touch? It's everything."

"Say it," I growl. 'Let me hear it."
"I'm yours," he cries out." But you're fucking mine too!"
"You're damn right I am, baby."

....


⚠️ possible spoilers below in tropes and trigger warnings




Tropes:
Ex's brother
Sisters ex husband
Forbidden
Bi awakening
Single dad
Bull rider
Photographer
Smaller age gap (21 and 28)
First times
Vers roles

TWs:
Mentally and emotionally abusive parents
Bull riding injury of a side character
Surgery and hospital stay of side character

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe our first general lesson from this should be that IF you're fucking your sister's husband irl, don't let that man convince you that y'all should just tell her and she'd 'probably be happy that you found love'.

I'm not a betting girl but those are......not good odds.

That said. This went downhill fast for me once I discovered that the married MC and the other MC's sister had been separated for well over a year AND were in the process of getting a divorce before anything even remotely shady happened between the two men.

I went into this expecting high-level, family betrayal whore behavior. And what I got was.....morally dubious but not really wrong.

Sure. People will look at them sideways at the first few family get-togethers but 🤷🏾‍♀️there's really nothing taboo here.

So, yeah. For me, this was already working for a maximum of 4 stars from about 15% in when I discovered I'd been bamboozled.

That said. It really helped that the sister was fuming about it💀And that her being the MC's only supportive family member meant he was deathly afraid of losing her—but not too deathly afraid that he wouldn't fuck her ex husband and father of her child. So....jury's still out on that one.

But alas, even she didn't fume enough. Sooner rather than later the three of them were all singing kumbayah around a campfire (metaphorically) and that just wasn't very realistic to me.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't see that coming...

KU Read 350 Pages
Small Town Romance
MM Romance
Bi-Awakening
Forbidden Romance
Brothers-in-law
Boone is going through a surprisingly amicable divorce from Gradys sister. They have a daughter together and are trying to navigate do-parenting while Boone still does Rodeo. Enter Grady to help out as he's taken a photography job at the local arena and Rodeo. He's had a crush on Boone for years but knows he's straight so had never acted on it. No-one has never looked at anyone other than his wife and now single for the first time he notices someone and it's his brother-in-law. How?
Boone starts questioning his sexuality as he's never been attracted to another man but with Grady it just feels right... But can his ex accept them both together?

[Sid · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh wow.

[ʚ Aileen ɞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It‘s rare that I end up liking all books in a romance series and even rarer that I give all of them a 5-star-rating, but there‘s just something very special about these Copper Lake boys.

Both Grady and Boone were amazing and I loved the single parent trope (he wasn‘t quite a single parent but I‘m still counting it for my challenge 🙈) mixed in with the low-angst and western vibes.

Looking forward to reading Colt‘s book!

🌹🥀 24 Tropes for 2024 🌹🥀
Book #12
Trope: Single Parent

[Mieke Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review
Burning the midnight oil by @authorashleyjames | @theauthor.agency
A Copper lake novel Book 3

𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚. 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙞𝙡, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡.

This book, this world full with with beautiful and amazing characters! With each book I love the world Ashley James have created in Copper lake.

Boone intrigued me since the first book, Eight seconds to ride, so I was very exciting to read his lovestory!

And I enjoyed every second of it!! The bond with his cute daughter, Suzy. Watching Disney movies together 🥰

Grady, as a photographer myself I loved reading his passion for photography and the photos he captured. They were so well explained that I loved the photos he made, even though I could not see them.

The tension between the two is so good!! Chapter 12, wow that was so so hot, one of my favorite scenes in the book!!

The journey they have to go through for their HEA is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Because what would you do when your love for some will hurt other important people.

I really felt the inner struggles of the characters in this difficult situation!

Loved Susie, Boone’s daughter and the bond she has with Grady. They are adorable together.

And I love Sterling being Sterling. He is my favorite character of this series!!

And Colt, loved his friendship with Boone and how he supports him. Looking forward to read his book!!!

If you haven’t started the Copper lake series I highly recommend you give it a try.

[Chelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have one question. Ashley, what did you put in this book? Because I am still fully consumed by Boone & Grady’s love story.

We follow Boone, a pro bull rider who’s marriage is ending & Grady who has done everything he hates for parents and how he’s spending the summer with his sister while trying to figure out his life. These two end up being around each all the time, which leads to Boone feeling things he never has before. The issue? Boone is in the middle of divorcing Grady’s sister oh and he’s straight.. or so he thought. 😉

I absolutely devoured this book. I was hooked from page one and I did not move until I closed the book. Ashley writing is so strong, it pulled me in and left me feeling every emotion these two had in their forbidden romance filled with temptation. The way she was able to bring to the life the emotions they each had while trying to do the right thing 🥹

The spice?! My freaking god. I will never look at a barn the same, or a trailer, or a hotel, or a bedroom. LITERALLY everything they did was so freaking hot!!

I stand by my statement that Ashley James can do no wrong, I will forever love her & I need everyone to read 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑶𝒊𝒍 and join my Boone and Grady fan club.

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: cowboy, single dad, forbidden relationship
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: wee bit of voyeurism
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: sister's ex-husband, estrangement from parents

It's the summer before Grady's senior year of college. He's 21. He comes to live with his sister and her husband for the summer. He doesn't know that they've been separated for a year and are on their way to divorce. He wants to quit college and pursue photography. He takes a summer job in photography and it is looking like it could become a full-time gig. As he's making that decision about the direction of his life, he spends a lot of time in Boone's presence. Grady is gay and has always had a crush on Boone but he was never really around him. When he finds out about their divorce, he looks at Boone in a different light and Boone is looking right back at him. Something develops between them and despite them not wanting to hurt Jade, them thinking that it's a really bad idea to get involved, they can't stop themselves.

This was a relatively sweet and slow burn story. It started getting more steamy around the 60% mark. It was definitely a kid fic, with a lot of time dealing with the daughter who was cute. Grady developed a close relationship with her. Boone and Grady were portrayed as people that could enjoy the mundane tasks with each other, who could sit in silence in comfort together. There were a couple cheesy moments.

I liked their story well enough. Getting with your sibling's ex is a pretty big ick for me so it was never going to be my favorite book. But it was handled maturely. I liked that the ex-wife/sister was not portrayed as a villain, too many mm romances take that way out. It was nice that Jade was a good person.

Some notable moments:

"before I even have a chance to second guess what I should be doing, Boone pulls me into his chest, wrapping his big, strong arms around me, and he buries his nose in the strands on top of my head. A shiver races down my spine as I hear him inhale softly, a barely-there groan rumbling from his throat. I nuzzle my face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in also, feeling dizzy and intoxicated all at the same time. “I love holding you,” he murmurs so quietly I almost miss it."

"“You’re mine, Grady. You hear me?” My hips slap against his ass, my voice low and raspy, foreign to my own ears. “This ass is mine, that cock is mine, your pretty little mouth is mine. We’re fucking done denying this. We’re finished ignoring it. You’re. Mine.”"


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Aricka Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I want you to come in my mouth.” It’s something I’ve wanted to try but have been too nervous to. “I want to taste you as you drip down the back of my throat, and then I want to fuck you while you get hard for me all over again and come with my cock so far in your hole that you’ll be able to feel me long after I’m done.”

4.5 ⭐

Second read from my Wheel of Doom, and it hasn’t let me down yet.

Burning the Midnight Oil has been on my TBR forever. I read the first two books in the series a while back, and I’m finally getting to this one. Weirdly, it was on my list before the others, and I don’t even think I read the synopsis until after book two—which is probably why it took me so long to pick up.

I mean... fucking my ex-wife’s little brother? I don’t know, bro. That threw me off. I wasn’t sure I was going to be into it, so I kept putting it off. But the Wheel of Doom had other plans (I really need to rename that wheel), and I’m glad it did—because I actually really liked this.

It’s been a minute since I read a cowboy romance (okay, rodeo, but close enough), and I forgot how much I enjoy the vibe. I thought this was going to be cringe or have some wild kink stuff I’m not into. I’m like a vanilla baby, for real. I don’t go out of my way to read anything kinky, and I was praying this wouldn’t turn into some daddy/boy situation because that is not my yum. Thankfully, it didn’t.

This is a slow burn romance with a bi awakening, and I loved it.

Ashley James is hit or miss for me, but this series has been working so far. Boone and Grady just work, in my opinion. From friends to lovers—it hit all the right beats. And yeah, even the book acknowledges it’s kind of weird to go from being married to the sister to falling for her little brother... but somehow, it still worked.

Of course, there was drama because of that—but you could see it coming from a mile away. What stood out to me most was Boone’s growth—his sexuality, his tendency to put everyone else before himself, and especially his relationship with his daughter. He was my standout character—I really liked him.

Grady was great too. I enjoyed his interactions with Boone’s daughter and his sister. I do wish we’d gotten more about him cutting off his parents—that plotline had potential and felt a little underdeveloped.

But overall? I really liked this one. Solid emotional beats, sweet chemistry, and just a good time.

[Mal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashley James does a touch of forbidden so well! I really enjoyed Daddy Boone and Grady’s story and it was a great addition to the series. This book is H O T hot, first it’s with this building up sizzling slow burn and then the can’t keep their eyes and hands off each other situations (that scene after Grady goes to get a towel was 🔥). Their chemistry is out of control no matter how hard they try. Also with the way the characters were written I loved how the age gap isn’t as apparent as I expected it be specially. cause they are such diff places in their lives when things begin to change for them. While Grady has had a simmering attraction to Boone for a while Boone is only now discovering his attraction to all grown up Grady.

I actually loved Jade and how she handled herself and the whole situation and I liked that the author gives it all this time to play out vs rushing to a conclusion there. I also found Miss Suzy Q adorable

If you’re looking for a low angst forbiddenish cowboy romance with a touch of pining and loads of heat I definitely recommend checking this out.

Expect:

* Brother in law
* Professional bull rider
* Single Dad
* Small Town
* Age Gap
* Forced Proximity

[lakshmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I genuinely like this series, it feels solid and I like knowing what I’m getting into when I pick up the next book☘️🎀

[Brat · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet and spicy

wow i read this in a day i just couldn't put it down! loved these two characters flawed yet somehow still perfect especially together can't wait for book 4 i really enjoy this series!

[Marthea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ta książka ma tak wiele wad - jest ograna, banalna, tandetna i schematyczna do bólu, wszystko można przewidzieć co do strony niemalże, pociąg i uczucie do Grady'ego ze strony Boone'a jest równie niespodziewane jak wyciągnięty królik z kapelusza i zadajesz sobie pytanie WTF? skąd to się w ogóle wzięło? I do tego jeszcze cała masa innych rzeczy, można by wymieniać i wymieniać.
Ale najgorsza z tego wszystkiego jest NUDA 🥱

Sytuacja wyjściowa - Boone, zawodowy ujeżdżacz byków na rodeo, żonaty z Jade, ojciec Suzy. Z żoną od długiego czasu już mu się nie układa, uczucie wygasło, zdecydowali się jak cywilizowaniu ludzie na rozwód. Córeczkę bardzo kocha. Na wakacje przyjeżdża do nich młodszy brat Jade, który zdecydował, że ma dość zadowalania rodziców i po trzecim roku rzuca college. A że to tzw. romans MM, który nie powinien się zdarzyć, no to wiadomo, między kim 😉

W pierwszej nudnej części poznajemy mniej więcej obydwu bohaterów, trochę jeszcze-żonę, no i córeczkę. Przy każdym kolejnym jej pojawieniu miałam ochotę krzyczeć, bo choć nie mam nic przeciwko dzieciom w romansach, to jednak ileż można - miałam wrażenie, że było jej więcej, niż obydwu bohaterów razem wziętych 😱

W drugiej diabelnie nudnej części mieliśmy fazę zaprzeczania i niedowierzania - "Nie, nie, nie", "To niemożliwe", "Co ze mną jest kurwa nie tak?", itd.

W trzeciej cholernie nudnej części mieliśmy cholernie nudną spiralę, w którą wpadli nasi bohaterowie - seks / nie możemy / seks / nie powinniśmy / seks / to ostatni raz / seks / unikamy się / seks / już możemy / seks 🤦‍♀️

Takie to wszystko było zaskakujące... Pierwszy raz taki schemat czytałam 😂

Nuda wiała tak bardzo, że po pierwszych mniej więcej 30%, w niedzielę, w środku dnia, poszłam spać, bo myślałam, że się zaziewam na śmierć przy czytaniu 🤦‍♀️

Zatem tak, śmiało mogę powiedzieć, że nie polecam 😉

[Library_of_a_Trashpanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. I started this and got distracted by some other book commitments and realized I never posted this review!

This book is Boone and Grady, Grady being Boones brother in law. Add some rodeo, an adorable little girl and a rowdy group of friends, you get this masterpiece.

I loved how James made the brother in law angle work. There’s no cheating, on either side, so no worries there. This book is a delicious slow burn, but once they get there, flames galore.

You get to visit Shooter and Sterling and the rest of the Copper Lake boys, even get a little cross over with Colt. I highly recommend this if you want some pining cowboys who ignite flames that cannot be tamed.

[aj ☾ readinghangovers · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was okay. Love a single dad moment, but realizing it was ex-husband / brother in law … yeah, not the trope for me. It was a little too insta-connection and the family fallout/consequences were not as dramatic as I expected? While light-hearted and spicy, this was my least favorite story/pairing of the series.

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burning the Midnight Oil is another solid entry in Ashley James’s Copper Lake series! I always like seeing what the gang are up to and there were plenty of cameos to keep us going 💕

Boone Stanton is getting a divorce; him and his wife Jade have been at loggerheads for a long time and the only thing keeping them together is their daughter Suzy. Grady Wilde, Jade’s brother and Boone’s brother-in-law, is dropping out of college. He was only there to please his parents, but his true love has always been photography, so when he gets a job offer to work taking media shots for the local rodeo competitions he jumps at the chance and his sister is more than happy to put him up in her house.

This book is simultaneously slow burn and fast burn! Grady has been in love with his (ex) brother in law for years, however Boone only starts to realise his feelings towards Grady after he and Jade have decided to file for divorce. There is a lot of angst in this book, more than the others I think, and definitely an element of sneaking around, hiding the relationship from Jade (although Boone and Jade are divorced before anything happens, so no cheating).

I enjoyed being back in the world of Copper Lake; there were definitely some absolutely scorching hot moments between Boone and Grady (especially in the barn during the thunderstorm 🥵) as well as some really tender scenes. Both are well developed and well thought out characters and whilst I don’t love some of the choices they make, I did enjoy the relationship progression and the push and pull between them.

Read Burning The Midnight Oil for:
✨ Bullrider x Photographer
✨ Single dad
✨ Bi awakening
✨ Forbidden relationship
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Amazing found family

One gripe I do have is that this book is very child-centred, which being a book about a single dad, I did expect it to be. HOWEVER throughout its mentioned that both Cope & Xander and Shooter & Sterling are leaning that way and I just… ugh. Can we please just have some representation of couples who don’t need children in order to be considered ‘a full family’. Please. Like Cope and Xander are so happy with their animals, and Shooter & Sterling love their jobs… idk. I know it’s very much a ‘me problem’ due to personal aspects of my life, which is why I haven’t taken any stars off the book for this, but yeah… it’s making me somewhat hesitant to read the rest of the series because I want to see these couples from past books be happy and fulfilled without needing kids in the picture, y’know? Anyway, that’s just me.

Thanks to the author and The Author Agency for an ARC of this book. It is available on 7th June 2024 💕

[Sus Would Rather Be Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review in two parts. The good and the not. The MCs together? Pretty adorable and you really felt the hell they were putting themselves through trying to stay apart. And their first voyeuristic interaction? 🔥🥵

HOWEVER. There was a lot of bad.

Let’s start with Shooter, the MC from book 1. The MC who was a total douche until he went to therapy and worked on himself and was *such* a better version of himself 🙄. The supposed growth we see in book one is completely undone. He’s once again the problematic as*hole he was in the beginning of the series, except now we get the added bonus of him outing people because he thinks it’s funny and mocks them for figuring out their bisexuality later in life. I don’t know if he quit therapy or tumbled out of a time machine or what but I need the scales of the universe to catch up with him. I need him to step on a nest of bullet ants or for a pigeon with diarrhea to take a dump directly into his mouth while it flies overhead. I was completely ready to DNF this book after I got to the scene in question. I powered through but I wasn’t happy about it. It’s one thing to have an antagonist in a novel. It’s another for that person to be a former MC who theoretically already had his redemption arc and is a friend of the person he’s antagonizing.

Jade: the ex wife. She was bad mouthed/side-eyed during the other books. I was expecting a her to be awful. She’s very reasonable person who doesn’t think its a good idea to stay on the road all summer with a preschooler. Not that shocking or horrible. And then when her not-divorced-yet-husband and brother start screwing in the house she still lives in with them and gets pissed, she treated like she’s being unreasonable. This asshole left her alone all summer to solo parent a chatty preschooler and a puppy to go eff her brother. I’d be scorching the earth. No getting over it in a chapter or two later.

So overall if you like an MC being outed by a friend because he thinks its funny then I guess this is the book for you.

I received his ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Jennifer (sobrietyandbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

:: “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙄 𝙙𝙤.”

Husband, father, bull rider…that’s who Boone Stanton is. At least it’s who he was. Now he’s a man navigating his way through a divorce with his high school sweetheart while harboring feelings for her brother. His life went from simple to complicated between rodeo seasons & now he’s sharing a camper with the one person he absolutely should not be attracted to.

“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄’𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙. 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.”

Little Wilde is just trying to figure his life out when he picks up a job photographing the rodeo & he finds himself joining Boone on the road. When the innocent attraction he had toward to his former brother in law turns into lust he struggles to fight every carnal urge he has to give in.

“𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙞𝙡, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡.”

This is book 3 in the Copperlake series & can be read as a standalone but I absolutely recommend the entire series! It was so fun getting to know the bull riders & see Boone let loose. The secrecy & self-discovery in this one had me swooning the whole time. Daddy Boone & Grady stole my heart.

“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡.“

💜 MM
💜 Dual POV
💜 Forbidden
💜 Forced Proximity

[Ryan Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grady and Boone’s book.
From what I know it’s single(?) dad, brother-in-law, small town, cowboy and bull rider. I’m so ready for this!!!

8•10•24 | okay I love the found family aspect and the small town/country vibes and I do like Boone and Grady but just didn’t feel their love like the others so far. Boone’s realization of him liking men and Grady wasn’t really gradually, but just instant for lack of a better term. I do like the HEA and how everything was resolved too.
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Jess.bookrecs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siting here begging Ashley James for a book about Whit and his ex husband 🧎‍♀️
I need it like I need air.

This was good as I expected.. the forbidden trope worked in its favor I’m not gonna lie, I don’t really care for the characters in this one mostly because there’s a lot to their personalities that we didn’t get to see in the previous books and then this one just focused on the romance but it was cute and fun literally had me laughing out loud and gaping mostly because damn Colt🤣
+ this book is really an upgrade from the first one like they are just get better so all the gold coins I guess.

[Lily Loves 📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! I appreciated the way the author took her time having Boone and Grady get together. The situation is definitely a sticky one with Grady being Boone’s ex-wife’s brother.

I have really come to enjoy this series and I’m so excited to continue it.

I have to say that this author loves her men wearing backwards ball caps! lol