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Hot in Chicago
Men In Uniform Anthology
Nine sexy stories about our favorite men in uniform, from some of the biggest names in romance...
Along Came a Spider by New York Times Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin: All Spider Longren wants is time alone to recharge after a grueling mission, but what he gets is caught in the double crossfire of passion and danger.Coming in Hot by USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Meader: Firefighter Tyler has one problem. He’s still got his V-card. And he wants his best friend Evie to help him lose it, only she has no idea he’s wanted her for years. Time to make his move.
Precious Cargo by USA Today Bestselling Author Nicole Morgan: With a hit out on Alena’s life, U.S. Marine Brandon is faced with protecting her while completing his mission… And keeping his hands off her is the hardest task of all.
View from the Top by USA Today Bestselling Author Carmen Falcone: Retired Air Force pilot Mack always desired Jenny but couldn't act on it because she'd been too young. Now, years later, he's ready to show her they’d make a great couple—in and out of the bedroom.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie: One city girl from LA. One sexy Greek paramedic from Canada. One road trip. What could go wrong?
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce: Faith keeps calling Sheriff Wyatt about something odd she keeps seeing in her yard… But all he sees is one sexy woman he wants for a night of hot passion.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter: A hot NAVY Seal, an awkward teacher, and a weekend of hot sex. It was supposed to be temporary, but a baby changes everything...
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee: In town for a few days from his job in the Coast Guard, Steve helps Lauren live out her sexual fantasy. But it’s the staying together part that’s challenging...
Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue: Jake loves his job as a cop and loves the steamy Florida women more—as long as they’re into casual. And that means hands off his boss’s sister...
687 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2019
79 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Delilah Devlin
350 books1,204 followersDelilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Whether creating dark, erotically-charged paranormal worlds or richly descriptive westerns that ring with authenticity, Delilah Devlin “pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” www.DelilahDevlin.com
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March 7, 2019Virgin firefighter hero. Best friends to lovers. Firehouse booty calls. Dempsey cameos.
Head back to the Hot in Chicago world of firefighters and the Dempsey foster sibs with this fun, sexy read set in the Engine 6 firehouse. New characters, familiar faces, and the same smokin’ hot heat you’ve come to expect from one of my books.
One of nine stories in the MEN IN UNIFORM anthology, featuring military heroes and first responders:
Coming in Hot, a Hot in Chicago novella
Firefighter Tyler has one problem: He’s still got his V-card. And he wants his best friend Evie to help him lose it, only she has no idea he’s craved her for years. Time to make his move.
Head back to the Hot in Chicago world of firefighters and the Dempsey foster sibs with this fun, sexy read set in the Engine 6 firehouse. New characters, familiar faces, and the same smokin’ hot heat you’ve come to expect from one of my books.
One of nine stories in the MEN IN UNIFORM anthology, featuring military heroes and first responders:
Coming in Hot, a Hot in Chicago novella
Firefighter Tyler has one problem: He’s still got his V-card. And he wants his best friend Evie to help him lose it, only she has no idea he’s craved her for years. Time to make his move.
March 14, 2019
This was a fun collection of short stories packed with passion and humor! I liked some more than others, but that’s the joy of anthologies. There’s a little something for everyone.
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin
4 stars
All Spider wants is to have a nice, relaxing vacation. Instead, he finds himself helping Jessie, a woman on the run from her diabolical fiancée. Calling his SEAL team for help is a no brainer, but what happens for Jessie and Spider when the dust settles?
This was a packed romantic suspense novella! I enjoyed Spider and Jessie’s unconventional meet and tantalizing chemistry. I wonder if this is part of a series...
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader
3.5 stars
Tyler and Evie have been besties since college. He’s been holding back on his feelings-and coincidentally his V-card-because the timing was never right for them, until now. Tyler is working the Rescue Squad for the Chicago Fire Department and Evie is back home from Italy after a failed engagement, giving Tyler the opportunity to seize the moment. Will she succumb to his charm?
Meader always writes enjoyable, sexy, emotional reads and this short number was a cute addition to her Hot in Chicago series.
Ready For Trouble by Tina Donahue
3 stars
Jake is a cop on vacation and runs into a plumbing problem with a leaky pipe (no pun intended). On the recommend of his surly Sergeant, he calls Here4U and is in for a surprise when his plumber turns out to be his Sergeant’s little sister, Krista. She supposed to be hands-off, but what the Sergeant doesn’t know won’t hurt Jake’s career...
Personally, I thought Jake and Krista were a little OTT with the sexcapades, however, the story was also a funny read because of the plumbing jokes.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee
3.5 stars
U.S. Coast Guard Steve Pacifico is back in town for his fellow guard and best friend, Mark McKuen’s memorial. The previous summer Mark managed a brief kiss with Mark’s sister, Lauren, but work, life, and grief got in the way of developing a potential relationship together. Now, Steve has one night to convince Lauren to give him a chance before he leaves for the opposite side of the country. Will she take the risk?
I liked Steve and Lauren. They both knew what they wanted and grabbed on with both hands-sometimes literally:) Their story was a mix of spicy and sweet.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter
3.5 stars
Kevin is in town to support a fellow SEAL, and the closest person he can call his family, with a personal loss. He wasn’t expecting to hook up with the cute woman at the bar who kissed him silly and asked him to play along as her boyfriend, but he did. And it turned out to be the hottest and best night of his life. However, duty called and when he comes back to see if Jane (aka Janie) is still available, Kevin isn’t prepared for her surprise.
Kevin and Janie were cute, passionate, and humorous together! Janie had an awkward cuteness that had me smiling and Kevin was hot, with and adorable sweetness about him. This was a fun read.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan
3.5 stars
After a tragic loss, Brandon buried himself in his job protecting others. However, his latest case isn’t like his usual ones. The chemistry alone is a problem, but now his heart is involved.
Alena and Brandon’s story is kind of like like The Bodyguard, but with a crazy terrorist. That aside, I liked the chemistry and slightly suspenseful overtones with the threat to Alena, but how could Morgan end a short story with a cliffhanger?!
View From the Top by Carmen Falcone
3 stars
Mack has always had a thing for Jenny, but a three year age gap and trying to find his own footing, made for bad timing. Over a decade later, Mack discovers the client he’s flying is none other then Jenny herself. When they find themselves stranded, Mack and Jenny decide to finally give in to their crazy desire for one another.
A crazy pact, a bit of kismet, and one determined pilot kept things spicy and interesting.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce
3 stars
As the town sheriff, Wyatt hears interesting tidbits at the barbershop, but the most interesting are the ones involving Faith. He keeps responding to calls from Faith because it gives him an excuse to see her...hopefully all of her...sooner rather then never.
I would have liked Wyatt and Faith’s story better if it had been just a couple of chapters longer to allow for better character and story development. That aside, the story was a quick, silly, and sizzling read.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie
I DNF this one. The characters were not my cup of tea.
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin
4 stars
All Spider wants is to have a nice, relaxing vacation. Instead, he finds himself helping Jessie, a woman on the run from her diabolical fiancée. Calling his SEAL team for help is a no brainer, but what happens for Jessie and Spider when the dust settles?
This was a packed romantic suspense novella! I enjoyed Spider and Jessie’s unconventional meet and tantalizing chemistry. I wonder if this is part of a series...
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader
3.5 stars
Tyler and Evie have been besties since college. He’s been holding back on his feelings-and coincidentally his V-card-because the timing was never right for them, until now. Tyler is working the Rescue Squad for the Chicago Fire Department and Evie is back home from Italy after a failed engagement, giving Tyler the opportunity to seize the moment. Will she succumb to his charm?
Meader always writes enjoyable, sexy, emotional reads and this short number was a cute addition to her Hot in Chicago series.
Ready For Trouble by Tina Donahue
3 stars
Jake is a cop on vacation and runs into a plumbing problem with a leaky pipe (no pun intended). On the recommend of his surly Sergeant, he calls Here4U and is in for a surprise when his plumber turns out to be his Sergeant’s little sister, Krista. She supposed to be hands-off, but what the Sergeant doesn’t know won’t hurt Jake’s career...
Personally, I thought Jake and Krista were a little OTT with the sexcapades, however, the story was also a funny read because of the plumbing jokes.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee
3.5 stars
U.S. Coast Guard Steve Pacifico is back in town for his fellow guard and best friend, Mark McKuen’s memorial. The previous summer Mark managed a brief kiss with Mark’s sister, Lauren, but work, life, and grief got in the way of developing a potential relationship together. Now, Steve has one night to convince Lauren to give him a chance before he leaves for the opposite side of the country. Will she take the risk?
I liked Steve and Lauren. They both knew what they wanted and grabbed on with both hands-sometimes literally:) Their story was a mix of spicy and sweet.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter
3.5 stars
Kevin is in town to support a fellow SEAL, and the closest person he can call his family, with a personal loss. He wasn’t expecting to hook up with the cute woman at the bar who kissed him silly and asked him to play along as her boyfriend, but he did. And it turned out to be the hottest and best night of his life. However, duty called and when he comes back to see if Jane (aka Janie) is still available, Kevin isn’t prepared for her surprise.
Kevin and Janie were cute, passionate, and humorous together! Janie had an awkward cuteness that had me smiling and Kevin was hot, with and adorable sweetness about him. This was a fun read.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan
3.5 stars
After a tragic loss, Brandon buried himself in his job protecting others. However, his latest case isn’t like his usual ones. The chemistry alone is a problem, but now his heart is involved.
Alena and Brandon’s story is kind of like like The Bodyguard, but with a crazy terrorist. That aside, I liked the chemistry and slightly suspenseful overtones with the threat to Alena, but how could Morgan end a short story with a cliffhanger?!
View From the Top by Carmen Falcone
3 stars
Mack has always had a thing for Jenny, but a three year age gap and trying to find his own footing, made for bad timing. Over a decade later, Mack discovers the client he’s flying is none other then Jenny herself. When they find themselves stranded, Mack and Jenny decide to finally give in to their crazy desire for one another.
A crazy pact, a bit of kismet, and one determined pilot kept things spicy and interesting.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce
3 stars
As the town sheriff, Wyatt hears interesting tidbits at the barbershop, but the most interesting are the ones involving Faith. He keeps responding to calls from Faith because it gives him an excuse to see her...hopefully all of her...sooner rather then never.
I would have liked Wyatt and Faith’s story better if it had been just a couple of chapters longer to allow for better character and story development. That aside, the story was a quick, silly, and sizzling read.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie
I DNF this one. The characters were not my cup of tea.
March 11, 2019
VIEW FROM THE TOP by Carmen Falcone
I was thrilled to see that Carmen Falcone has a novella in this anthology, so without further ado, let's proceed!
Jenny Sadler has made a pact with her best friend Lewis that, by the time they turned thirty if they hadn't found the one, they would get married to each other. Lewis is the first to turn thirty, and Jenny is almost on her way to his birthday party. She only needs to catch her private helicopter ride. She is speechless when she meets the pilot: Mack Hunter. Mack had worked on her father's ranch before he left for the Air Force at eighteen. She had a big crush on him, but she never knew it was reciprocal. She was too young, and her rich father would have never approved. But years have passed, and then an unexpected event gives Mack the chance to tell her how he felt. But he doesn't know where she's going or why. And how does she feel about him now?
Carmen Falcone sure knows how to write a novella! Even though VIEW FROM THE TOP is of respectable length, it's still a confining format, still not only are Jenny and Mack fully fleshed out, but we learn about the past they shared, as well as how they got where they are now. I thought that Mack would be much older, because of the book description, but he's only three years older; but Jenny was too young back then. I love the choice for Jenny's career, I can't recall seeing before in a book, but I'm not saying more. I hope Mack and Jenny will appear in other books, she would be a great character to introduce other stories and characters; in fact, the same goes for Mack. I also loved the glimpses of Jenny's relationship with her sister Miranda, and I hope she gets her story.
VIEW FROM THE TOP is fast-paced, the story flows smoothly, and there were some giggle-inducing moments, typical of the author. There's also quite a bit of steam, and a lot of sweetness as well. The conflict was almost unavoidable, but it was short-lived, and actually gave the story more depth. I will always be thankful for the way Ms. Falcone writes her male characters: strong men who are not afraid to show their feelings, who respect women, and are more than willing to do their part in the relationship. And what a great epilogue! This is the way to conclude a novella without any dangling bits, and a fully-realised and believable happily-ever-after! And for those of you to whom it matters, the editing is flawless.
Now, on to COMING IN HOT, Kate Meader's story.
It felt so good to come back to Kate Meader's HOT IN CHICAGO world, I had almost forgotten how fun it was! Eveline Ventimiglia - Evie - is flying home from Rome, where she had been studying. Even though they had remained in contact, she couldn't wait to see her best friend Tyler Brooks in the flesh again. Eighteen months had felt like an eternity to Tyler. Although he had never told her, he's been in love with Evie since they'd met in college, but it had never been the right time to explore anything else. While Evie sowed her wild oats, Tyler worked hard at making the Firehouse Engine 6 Rescue Squad, and at 25 he is still a virgin.
Virgin heroes are my catnip, and Kate Meader just wrote one of the best I have ever read. It's always so nice to see a trope completely turned on its head! It was great to catch up briefly on old favourites, and this novella can serve as an introduction to the series because it has everything every every book has. The characters are well defined, and so vibrant that within a few pages, you feel you have always known them. Evie is brash and bold, Tyler reserved and tongue-tied around women, but the affection they have for each other jumps off the page. Ms. Meader's wild humour and her terrific dialogues shine throughout this wickedly sweet and erotic story. Like Carmen Falcone, it's amazing how much substance a talented author can pack in a novella. I wish there were more stories with characters like Evie and Tyler. COMING IN HOT was exactly what I hoped it would be, but now I want even more stories set in this fab world!
All the other authors are new to me, and I can't wait the rest!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was thrilled to see that Carmen Falcone has a novella in this anthology, so without further ado, let's proceed!
Jenny Sadler has made a pact with her best friend Lewis that, by the time they turned thirty if they hadn't found the one, they would get married to each other. Lewis is the first to turn thirty, and Jenny is almost on her way to his birthday party. She only needs to catch her private helicopter ride. She is speechless when she meets the pilot: Mack Hunter. Mack had worked on her father's ranch before he left for the Air Force at eighteen. She had a big crush on him, but she never knew it was reciprocal. She was too young, and her rich father would have never approved. But years have passed, and then an unexpected event gives Mack the chance to tell her how he felt. But he doesn't know where she's going or why. And how does she feel about him now?
Carmen Falcone sure knows how to write a novella! Even though VIEW FROM THE TOP is of respectable length, it's still a confining format, still not only are Jenny and Mack fully fleshed out, but we learn about the past they shared, as well as how they got where they are now. I thought that Mack would be much older, because of the book description, but he's only three years older; but Jenny was too young back then. I love the choice for Jenny's career, I can't recall seeing before in a book, but I'm not saying more. I hope Mack and Jenny will appear in other books, she would be a great character to introduce other stories and characters; in fact, the same goes for Mack. I also loved the glimpses of Jenny's relationship with her sister Miranda, and I hope she gets her story.
VIEW FROM THE TOP is fast-paced, the story flows smoothly, and there were some giggle-inducing moments, typical of the author. There's also quite a bit of steam, and a lot of sweetness as well. The conflict was almost unavoidable, but it was short-lived, and actually gave the story more depth. I will always be thankful for the way Ms. Falcone writes her male characters: strong men who are not afraid to show their feelings, who respect women, and are more than willing to do their part in the relationship. And what a great epilogue! This is the way to conclude a novella without any dangling bits, and a fully-realised and believable happily-ever-after! And for those of you to whom it matters, the editing is flawless.
Now, on to COMING IN HOT, Kate Meader's story.
It felt so good to come back to Kate Meader's HOT IN CHICAGO world, I had almost forgotten how fun it was! Eveline Ventimiglia - Evie - is flying home from Rome, where she had been studying. Even though they had remained in contact, she couldn't wait to see her best friend Tyler Brooks in the flesh again. Eighteen months had felt like an eternity to Tyler. Although he had never told her, he's been in love with Evie since they'd met in college, but it had never been the right time to explore anything else. While Evie sowed her wild oats, Tyler worked hard at making the Firehouse Engine 6 Rescue Squad, and at 25 he is still a virgin.
Virgin heroes are my catnip, and Kate Meader just wrote one of the best I have ever read. It's always so nice to see a trope completely turned on its head! It was great to catch up briefly on old favourites, and this novella can serve as an introduction to the series because it has everything every every book has. The characters are well defined, and so vibrant that within a few pages, you feel you have always known them. Evie is brash and bold, Tyler reserved and tongue-tied around women, but the affection they have for each other jumps off the page. Ms. Meader's wild humour and her terrific dialogues shine throughout this wickedly sweet and erotic story. Like Carmen Falcone, it's amazing how much substance a talented author can pack in a novella. I wish there were more stories with characters like Evie and Tyler. COMING IN HOT was exactly what I hoped it would be, but now I want even more stories set in this fab world!
All the other authors are new to me, and I can't wait the rest!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 15, 2019
Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue
Four stars
Fun, hot read about Jake Brennan, a cop, and Krista Kallagar, plumber. They meet when Krista shows up to fix a broken pipe. Ms Donahue's story is entertaining, and Jake and Krista are good characters. Krista's a straight-shooter, and her willingness to speak her mind and be vulnerable are appealing. While Jake has a few stumbles, he figures out his priorities, and they're off to the races :)
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee
Four stars
Steve Pacifico is at his best friend's memorial when he lays eyes on Lauren McKuen, Mark's sister. They'd met previously and shared a strong chemistry which neither pursued beyond mild flirtation. Ms Nee's story is passionate and emotional.
The Navy SEAL's Secret Baby by Kat Baxter
Four stars
Kevin Jessup and Jane Seymour meet one evening, and share one incredible night. When they realize there are some permanent consequences, it takes them some time to figure out that they're actually on the same page about their relationship and its future. An enjoyable take on it.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce
Four and a half stars
Wyatt Emmanuel and Faith Carmen live in a smallish town. Wyatt's the sheriff, and Faith's had to call him out several nights in a row to investigate what appears to be aliens on her property. While he doesn't find those, the two discover they share quite a heated connection. Ms Royce's story is definitely a satisfying read of two adults who make the most of the hand life's dealt.
Two for the Road by Bisou DeVie
Three stars
Ion Kontis and Jill Atwood meet by chance at a movie shoot, and decide to take a chance on their crazy hot chemistry.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone
Three and a half stars
Jenny Sadler and Mack Hunter meet again when she hires his company to fly to Houston. They'd had a crush on the other way back when, obviously unbeknownst to the other. Sparks fly, and well, maybe the second time's the charm...
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan
Three stars
Brandon Molitor accepts a job to provide protection for Alena Powers as a favor to his new boss. He doesn't enjoy doing personal protection, but finds that he's taking Alena's protection very personally. Well written, but clearly is a scene from an ongoing or continuing series, and that is a little jarring as I expected it to stand alone better.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader
Three and a half stars
Eveline Ventimiglia and Tyler Brooks are best friends. And while the timing wasn't originally right, Tyler's been in love with Evie for years. She's just been dumped by an unworthy fiance and is home for a visit. She can't figure out why she's been having not-so-friendly dreams about Tyler and his spectacular rear view... But she's kind of a free spirit, and neither of them wants to rock the boat. He's one of those rock steady heroes; it takes her a while to figure out that is a good thing.
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin
Four and a half stars
Spider Longren comes to Jessie Tamberlin's rescue when she's being hunted in the woods he's fishing in. She's ex-army, and is grateful for this Navy SEAL's help since she finds herself in a rather perilous situation with her to-be ex-fiance. Delilah Devlin's story is exciting and hot, which is par for her course :)
Four stars
Fun, hot read about Jake Brennan, a cop, and Krista Kallagar, plumber. They meet when Krista shows up to fix a broken pipe. Ms Donahue's story is entertaining, and Jake and Krista are good characters. Krista's a straight-shooter, and her willingness to speak her mind and be vulnerable are appealing. While Jake has a few stumbles, he figures out his priorities, and they're off to the races :)
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee
Four stars
Steve Pacifico is at his best friend's memorial when he lays eyes on Lauren McKuen, Mark's sister. They'd met previously and shared a strong chemistry which neither pursued beyond mild flirtation. Ms Nee's story is passionate and emotional.
The Navy SEAL's Secret Baby by Kat Baxter
Four stars
Kevin Jessup and Jane Seymour meet one evening, and share one incredible night. When they realize there are some permanent consequences, it takes them some time to figure out that they're actually on the same page about their relationship and its future. An enjoyable take on it.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce
Four and a half stars
Wyatt Emmanuel and Faith Carmen live in a smallish town. Wyatt's the sheriff, and Faith's had to call him out several nights in a row to investigate what appears to be aliens on her property. While he doesn't find those, the two discover they share quite a heated connection. Ms Royce's story is definitely a satisfying read of two adults who make the most of the hand life's dealt.
Two for the Road by Bisou DeVie
Three stars
Ion Kontis and Jill Atwood meet by chance at a movie shoot, and decide to take a chance on their crazy hot chemistry.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone
Three and a half stars
Jenny Sadler and Mack Hunter meet again when she hires his company to fly to Houston. They'd had a crush on the other way back when, obviously unbeknownst to the other. Sparks fly, and well, maybe the second time's the charm...
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan
Three stars
Brandon Molitor accepts a job to provide protection for Alena Powers as a favor to his new boss. He doesn't enjoy doing personal protection, but finds that he's taking Alena's protection very personally. Well written, but clearly is a scene from an ongoing or continuing series, and that is a little jarring as I expected it to stand alone better.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader
Three and a half stars
Eveline Ventimiglia and Tyler Brooks are best friends. And while the timing wasn't originally right, Tyler's been in love with Evie for years. She's just been dumped by an unworthy fiance and is home for a visit. She can't figure out why she's been having not-so-friendly dreams about Tyler and his spectacular rear view... But she's kind of a free spirit, and neither of them wants to rock the boat. He's one of those rock steady heroes; it takes her a while to figure out that is a good thing.
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin
Four and a half stars
Spider Longren comes to Jessie Tamberlin's rescue when she's being hunted in the woods he's fishing in. She's ex-army, and is grateful for this Navy SEAL's help since she finds herself in a rather perilous situation with her to-be ex-fiance. Delilah Devlin's story is exciting and hot, which is par for her course :)
March 10, 2019
Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue
Jake and Krista were a fun couple to read about. There were many things in this book I liked but the biggest being that Jake never made Krista feel lesser than for her career choice. He respected her and her career goals. To me, that's sexy!! Then their banter and sexy times on top of that. This was one hot book.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee
I really liked this story. It has my favorite troupe in it - older brothers’ best friend. I have to say I really enjoyed this book because the author didn’t go the normal route with the whole ‘the brother is going to punch the best friend for liking the little sister route” that most book do in this genre. Steve and Lauren have been circling each other for awhile and they come together to honor Lauren’s brother and secrets and feeling get told and they realize the best thing for both of them is each other.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter
This was a great story!! I’m not usually one for surprise baby stories but this one was different. They didn’t wait long for Kevin to find out. It wasn’t this long drawn out surprise. I liked both characters and the fact that they were both trying to do right by their child but also each other. I loved how amazing Jane was as a single mother with always putting her daughter first but also yearning to want to be someone’s first choice.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce
“Have a thing for law enforcement, faith?” Holy buckets!! It seems like she does and so do I. Wyatt is a good man who even though he has had a tough life, wants to make his childhood hometown safe and also protect the woman who was so close, but he couldn’t touch in high school even if it’s from little green men.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie
A city girl stuck in Canada. You already know this is going to be a good book. Ion doesn't quiet know what to make of Jill when he first meets her. He is attracted to her but yet can't help but eye roll at her knowledge of outdoor animals and improper shoe attire. However their banter turns to attraction and they find themselves having to spend some time together which brings on the sexy times. While I know it was the driving force behind the book, I would have wanted to throat punch that Decker kid.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone
I really liked this book. I like the thought of two individuals who were interested in each other but yet had to walk away for some reason only to meet up again. I liked the character of Jenny. She is someone who keeps bucking tradition in her family to pave her own path. Mack was told her wasn't good enough for Jenny years ago but know he is back and ready to claim her as his own. I liked the alphaness of Mack. He knew what he wanted and was willing to fight for it.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan
I have very mixed feeling about this book. I liked the premise of it, and if it was longer I think I would have really enjoyed it. There were two parts that threw me off. The first one had to do with their first time together. He had just had a really difficult conversation with Alena and she was emotionally spent. Then all of a sudden he is starting sexy times with her. Granted its only her pleasure and she wasn't exactly resisting but for some reason it just felt wrong to me. My other issue is that the story just ends. There really isn't an ending. It is a sort of happy for now but yet not really. The action is just starting to pick up and then it just ends. This is where i think if it was longer it would have been amazing.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader
A virgin firefighter in love with his best friend. Evie is a free spirit who hasn't made the best decisions when it comes to men except for keeping her best friend Tyler in her life. Tyler however has been in love with Evie since the first day he met her but because of him being a little shy she friend zoned him right away. One stormy night changes everything for them. The ending of this book made my heart happy!!
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin
Spider was just trying to figure how why some people find fishing to be relaxing. However a crazy hook and some tin cans change the course of his life. Jessie is a woman in a bad situation but luckily a Navy Seal who sucks at downtime was nearby to help out. Reading about these two falling in love while dodging bad guys and jealous ex's was fun to read.
Jake and Krista were a fun couple to read about. There were many things in this book I liked but the biggest being that Jake never made Krista feel lesser than for her career choice. He respected her and her career goals. To me, that's sexy!! Then their banter and sexy times on top of that. This was one hot book.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee
I really liked this story. It has my favorite troupe in it - older brothers’ best friend. I have to say I really enjoyed this book because the author didn’t go the normal route with the whole ‘the brother is going to punch the best friend for liking the little sister route” that most book do in this genre. Steve and Lauren have been circling each other for awhile and they come together to honor Lauren’s brother and secrets and feeling get told and they realize the best thing for both of them is each other.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter
This was a great story!! I’m not usually one for surprise baby stories but this one was different. They didn’t wait long for Kevin to find out. It wasn’t this long drawn out surprise. I liked both characters and the fact that they were both trying to do right by their child but also each other. I loved how amazing Jane was as a single mother with always putting her daughter first but also yearning to want to be someone’s first choice.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce
“Have a thing for law enforcement, faith?” Holy buckets!! It seems like she does and so do I. Wyatt is a good man who even though he has had a tough life, wants to make his childhood hometown safe and also protect the woman who was so close, but he couldn’t touch in high school even if it’s from little green men.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie
A city girl stuck in Canada. You already know this is going to be a good book. Ion doesn't quiet know what to make of Jill when he first meets her. He is attracted to her but yet can't help but eye roll at her knowledge of outdoor animals and improper shoe attire. However their banter turns to attraction and they find themselves having to spend some time together which brings on the sexy times. While I know it was the driving force behind the book, I would have wanted to throat punch that Decker kid.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone
I really liked this book. I like the thought of two individuals who were interested in each other but yet had to walk away for some reason only to meet up again. I liked the character of Jenny. She is someone who keeps bucking tradition in her family to pave her own path. Mack was told her wasn't good enough for Jenny years ago but know he is back and ready to claim her as his own. I liked the alphaness of Mack. He knew what he wanted and was willing to fight for it.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan
I have very mixed feeling about this book. I liked the premise of it, and if it was longer I think I would have really enjoyed it. There were two parts that threw me off. The first one had to do with their first time together. He had just had a really difficult conversation with Alena and she was emotionally spent. Then all of a sudden he is starting sexy times with her. Granted its only her pleasure and she wasn't exactly resisting but for some reason it just felt wrong to me. My other issue is that the story just ends. There really isn't an ending. It is a sort of happy for now but yet not really. The action is just starting to pick up and then it just ends. This is where i think if it was longer it would have been amazing.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader
A virgin firefighter in love with his best friend. Evie is a free spirit who hasn't made the best decisions when it comes to men except for keeping her best friend Tyler in her life. Tyler however has been in love with Evie since the first day he met her but because of him being a little shy she friend zoned him right away. One stormy night changes everything for them. The ending of this book made my heart happy!!
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin
Spider was just trying to figure how why some people find fishing to be relaxing. However a crazy hook and some tin cans change the course of his life. Jessie is a woman in a bad situation but luckily a Navy Seal who sucks at downtime was nearby to help out. Reading about these two falling in love while dodging bad guys and jealous ex's was fun to read.
March 11, 2019
I was given a copy of this book by one of the authors whose work I follow regularly and always love, so I had a reasonable certainty that there'd be at least one story I would love, and it's always been my experience that anthologies are a great investment, because they always seem to provide me with new stories and new authors that I love. I wasn't disappointed. There are great stories in this collection and I'll definitely be adding another couple of authors to my TBR list, but the stories weren't exactly what I expected.
When I heard Men in Uniform, my thoughts immediately went to the military men who serve their country with such honour and selflessness, and there are definitely some of those here, but there are also men who wear other uniforms' first responders and even a pilot (of course, he's retired military so he fits the profile, either way). The one thing they do have in common, they're all hot, alpha males who literally charm the pants off the smart, sassy, sexy women they set their sights on.
Let me tell you a bit about a couple of the stories you'll find in this book:
In Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce, a small town Texas sheriff helps a divorced mom of tweenie twins solve her problem with little green aliens ... and a whole lot more.
In Carmen Falcone's View From The Top, a movie reviewer intent on marrying an old friend in order to avoid being single and 30 has second thoughts when she reconnects with a former family employee whose helicopter taxi is hired to fly her to a birthday party in Houston.
There are 7 more great stories in this collection, but I'll leave you to discover those on your own.
When I heard Men in Uniform, my thoughts immediately went to the military men who serve their country with such honour and selflessness, and there are definitely some of those here, but there are also men who wear other uniforms' first responders and even a pilot (of course, he's retired military so he fits the profile, either way). The one thing they do have in common, they're all hot, alpha males who literally charm the pants off the smart, sassy, sexy women they set their sights on.
Let me tell you a bit about a couple of the stories you'll find in this book:
In Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce, a small town Texas sheriff helps a divorced mom of tweenie twins solve her problem with little green aliens ... and a whole lot more.
In Carmen Falcone's View From The Top, a movie reviewer intent on marrying an old friend in order to avoid being single and 30 has second thoughts when she reconnects with a former family employee whose helicopter taxi is hired to fly her to a birthday party in Houston.
There are 7 more great stories in this collection, but I'll leave you to discover those on your own.
March 13, 2019
4 quick & hot stars
This is an anthology book full of quick, sexy reads starring men in different types of uniform. Policeman, Fireman, Military, etc.
Most of these were heavy on the sex and light on the story but Kate Meader’s contribution, Coming in Hot stood out the most to me. Perhaps it’s because this is a short story that features characters from her Hot in Chicago series (that I LOVED) and so I already felt connected to the characters, but she managed to develop Evie and Tyler’s story in a way that it felt complete to me. She also did the virgin firefighter storyline really well and it wasn’t completely unrealistic or even the slightest bit cheesy.
Overall, I think this is a great anthology to pick up to have on hand for those times when you’re in the mood for a quick, hot read but don’t want to dive into a full novel.
This is an anthology book full of quick, sexy reads starring men in different types of uniform. Policeman, Fireman, Military, etc.
Most of these were heavy on the sex and light on the story but Kate Meader’s contribution, Coming in Hot stood out the most to me. Perhaps it’s because this is a short story that features characters from her Hot in Chicago series (that I LOVED) and so I already felt connected to the characters, but she managed to develop Evie and Tyler’s story in a way that it felt complete to me. She also did the virgin firefighter storyline really well and it wasn’t completely unrealistic or even the slightest bit cheesy.
Overall, I think this is a great anthology to pick up to have on hand for those times when you’re in the mood for a quick, hot read but don’t want to dive into a full novel.
March 11, 2019
If you have a weakness for hot guys wearing uniforms you want to grab this anthology right now! I loved reading the nine stories that this book contains. Fun plots, great characters and lots of steamy chemistry are blended into a deliciously entertaining romance collection. There is really something for everyone included. Themes included are: friends to lovers, opposites attract, romantic suspense, age gap, romantic comedy, surprise baby and forbidden romance. My favorite of the bunch had to be Coming in Hot by Meader. This friends-to-lovers, Firefighter with a V-card romance was sweet, hot, cute and completely swoon worthy. Tyler and Evie's story will capture your heart! Super enjoyable! This is my independent, impartial review.
September 29, 2019
This review is only for Coming in Hot by Kate Meader
I love Kate Meader but this story is a bit meh for me. I couldn't connect to any of the characters, and though Tyler and Evie were said to be best friends since forever, I didn't really feel the camaraderie or the closeness. The end also felt a bit hurried.
Reckon it would be better if this story was full length instead of a novella so the characters and their relationship could be properly fleshed out.
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
I love Kate Meader but this story is a bit meh for me. I couldn't connect to any of the characters, and though Tyler and Evie were said to be best friends since forever, I didn't really feel the camaraderie or the closeness. The end also felt a bit hurried.
Reckon it would be better if this story was full length instead of a novella so the characters and their relationship could be properly fleshed out.
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
March 13, 2019
Great anthology with sexy men in uniform. The story is fun, emotional, steamy and fast-paced, the characters have off the charts hot chemistry and the stories are entertaining. A great way to find new authors. I really liked it.
March 12, 2019
Wow! If you love a man in uniform and off the charts heat then you'll love this set!! I wanted to read it for Rebecca Royce and Tuna Donahue and wasn't disappointed by any of the others. The stories are set all over but they all have one thing in common the men are hot and you'll need a fan! Definite must read!!
March 19, 2019
A total thigh clencher! I'm still working my way through this drool fest and almost done but felt like I needed to post a quick review because these stories are just scorching. What a great way to get a taste of new authors too!
Total five star plus read from me!
arc from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review
Total five star plus read from me!
arc from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review
March 27, 2019
Along Came a Spider
Delilah Devlin
Spider was trying to relax, fishing was supposed to help calm him. Instead he ends up in a fight to save a woman being attacked in her tent.
Jessie is running from her fiancé, well he thinks she's still his fiancé. She's discovered something she can't let go and now her life is in danger.
They settle into Tank's cabin and then strategize how to handle things. Of course you know things can't stay peaceful since they have to catch the bad guys.
Suspense, drama, action and lots of sizzle, along with some giggles.
Coming in Hot
Kate Meader
Evie has returned from Italy, now broken up with her fiancé she is looking to spend some quality time with her best friend Tyler.
I'm not sure what I laughed harder at, the nun on the plane or when she walks in on Tyler in the locker room of the firehouse.
On their night out Evie learns something about Tyler she truly didn't know. It's an unusual twist in that he is the virgin.
I really enjoyed this very hot and fun read that has just a touch of hold your breath suspense.
Precious Cargo
Nicole Morgan
Alena has big trouble, a cartel boss's son had set his eyes on her and when things didn't go his way she ended up shooting him.
Now there's a hit out on her and Brandon is her bodyguard, a position he swore he wasn't going to take again.
One thing Brandon realizes is that she's carrying a lot of guilt, even though she had no choice in the shooting. As much as he doesn't want to he has to get her to understand that it really wasn't her fault.
Brandon has his own demons, demons that had me in tears.
Plenty of action and suspense in this emotional story, as well as some very sizzling scenes.
View from the Top
Carmen Falcone
Jenny's headed to Houston to her best friend, Lewis' 30th birthday party and to discuss the pact they'd made years ago. The pact to marry if they both were still single at 30. Now Jenny does have a few months to go but Lewis would make a good husband and father. Her sister doesn't think she should go for it, but Jenny had to at least discuss it with Lewis.
Of course she wasn't expecting Mack to be her pilot, she'd crushed on him for years, but she was too young, and he probably wasn't really interested anyway.
Little did she know Mack felt the same but he made a promise to her father not to pursue her.
Now a ninety minute flight is not very long to start a relationship, but then fate steps in to ensure they'd have the time.
This story goes from simmer to sizzle quickly as the serious situation they find themselves in becomes very interesting.
Two for the Road
Bisou deVie
I love the opening to this one. Ion is a paramedic working on a movie set. He is reporting for duty when he hears someone calling for help.
Jill has obviously never been in the Canadian wilderness before and it makes for some hilarity.
Turns out Jill is the on set teacher for the teenage star of the film. A manipulative child at that. As he ends up complaining of a sprained ankle and gets his mother to take him into Toronto. Ion's job requires him to follow them and Jill is requested as well.
This leads to a very hot, very sexy road trip with plenty of giggles.
Call Me Crazy
Rebecca Royce
Wyatt has to quell some rumors, even before he gets another call from Faith about the 'aliens' in her yard.
Small town life is like that, everybody knowing everyone else's business.
Wyatt doesn't mind going out to check, he is very attracted to Faith and since she's divorced, available. However he really shouldn't pursue anything at least until this mystery is solved.
Things heat up quickly between these two and the alien issue resolution was quite the twist.
The Navy SEAL’s Secret Baby
Kat Baxter
This was a fun read, starting off a little different when Jane walks up and kisses Kevin. Something that surprised and pleased him.
This leads to one very sizzling weekend. Kevin ships out and Jane finds she's pregnant but can't reach him since she's not family.
While I enjoyed this book, it also contains one of my pet peeves, Jane calls Kevin a soldier, and even though he corrected her when she said army earlier, he doesn't correct her for this. Navy is sailor, he would have corrected her.
Always Ready
Kimberly Nee
Lauren's brother Mark had been Steve's best friend and partner for Coast Guard rescues. A year later Steve still blames himself, but attends the memorial for his friend at his sister's request.
Lauren has always had a fantasy about Steve, and Steve likes her a bit more than just a little. However the pain of Mark's death hangs over them.
Sizzling heat, some tears and a very smart grandfather had me turning the pages to see if these two had what it takes to embark on a relationship.
Ready for Trouble
Tina Donahue
This one starts off with a bit of doubt and some almost misunderstandings. Jake is on vacation and the first thing that happens is a burst pipe in the garage by his washer and dryer. The plumber recommended by his fellow cops leads to a female plumber.
One amusing twist, Krista is also his Sergeant's little sister. Keeping things hidden leads to some hilarity as does the different and somewhat educational outings Krista plans for them.
Definitely a bad girl in good girl clothing matched up with a Sexy bad boy.
Plenty of laughter and sizzling as these two find their happily ever after.
Delilah Devlin
Spider was trying to relax, fishing was supposed to help calm him. Instead he ends up in a fight to save a woman being attacked in her tent.
Jessie is running from her fiancé, well he thinks she's still his fiancé. She's discovered something she can't let go and now her life is in danger.
They settle into Tank's cabin and then strategize how to handle things. Of course you know things can't stay peaceful since they have to catch the bad guys.
Suspense, drama, action and lots of sizzle, along with some giggles.
Coming in Hot
Kate Meader
Evie has returned from Italy, now broken up with her fiancé she is looking to spend some quality time with her best friend Tyler.
I'm not sure what I laughed harder at, the nun on the plane or when she walks in on Tyler in the locker room of the firehouse.
On their night out Evie learns something about Tyler she truly didn't know. It's an unusual twist in that he is the virgin.
I really enjoyed this very hot and fun read that has just a touch of hold your breath suspense.
Precious Cargo
Nicole Morgan
Alena has big trouble, a cartel boss's son had set his eyes on her and when things didn't go his way she ended up shooting him.
Now there's a hit out on her and Brandon is her bodyguard, a position he swore he wasn't going to take again.
One thing Brandon realizes is that she's carrying a lot of guilt, even though she had no choice in the shooting. As much as he doesn't want to he has to get her to understand that it really wasn't her fault.
Brandon has his own demons, demons that had me in tears.
Plenty of action and suspense in this emotional story, as well as some very sizzling scenes.
View from the Top
Carmen Falcone
Jenny's headed to Houston to her best friend, Lewis' 30th birthday party and to discuss the pact they'd made years ago. The pact to marry if they both were still single at 30. Now Jenny does have a few months to go but Lewis would make a good husband and father. Her sister doesn't think she should go for it, but Jenny had to at least discuss it with Lewis.
Of course she wasn't expecting Mack to be her pilot, she'd crushed on him for years, but she was too young, and he probably wasn't really interested anyway.
Little did she know Mack felt the same but he made a promise to her father not to pursue her.
Now a ninety minute flight is not very long to start a relationship, but then fate steps in to ensure they'd have the time.
This story goes from simmer to sizzle quickly as the serious situation they find themselves in becomes very interesting.
Two for the Road
Bisou deVie
I love the opening to this one. Ion is a paramedic working on a movie set. He is reporting for duty when he hears someone calling for help.
Jill has obviously never been in the Canadian wilderness before and it makes for some hilarity.
Turns out Jill is the on set teacher for the teenage star of the film. A manipulative child at that. As he ends up complaining of a sprained ankle and gets his mother to take him into Toronto. Ion's job requires him to follow them and Jill is requested as well.
This leads to a very hot, very sexy road trip with plenty of giggles.
Call Me Crazy
Rebecca Royce
Wyatt has to quell some rumors, even before he gets another call from Faith about the 'aliens' in her yard.
Small town life is like that, everybody knowing everyone else's business.
Wyatt doesn't mind going out to check, he is very attracted to Faith and since she's divorced, available. However he really shouldn't pursue anything at least until this mystery is solved.
Things heat up quickly between these two and the alien issue resolution was quite the twist.
The Navy SEAL’s Secret Baby
Kat Baxter
This was a fun read, starting off a little different when Jane walks up and kisses Kevin. Something that surprised and pleased him.
This leads to one very sizzling weekend. Kevin ships out and Jane finds she's pregnant but can't reach him since she's not family.
While I enjoyed this book, it also contains one of my pet peeves, Jane calls Kevin a soldier, and even though he corrected her when she said army earlier, he doesn't correct her for this. Navy is sailor, he would have corrected her.
Always Ready
Kimberly Nee
Lauren's brother Mark had been Steve's best friend and partner for Coast Guard rescues. A year later Steve still blames himself, but attends the memorial for his friend at his sister's request.
Lauren has always had a fantasy about Steve, and Steve likes her a bit more than just a little. However the pain of Mark's death hangs over them.
Sizzling heat, some tears and a very smart grandfather had me turning the pages to see if these two had what it takes to embark on a relationship.
Ready for Trouble
Tina Donahue
This one starts off with a bit of doubt and some almost misunderstandings. Jake is on vacation and the first thing that happens is a burst pipe in the garage by his washer and dryer. The plumber recommended by his fellow cops leads to a female plumber.
One amusing twist, Krista is also his Sergeant's little sister. Keeping things hidden leads to some hilarity as does the different and somewhat educational outings Krista plans for them.
Definitely a bad girl in good girl clothing matched up with a Sexy bad boy.
Plenty of laughter and sizzling as these two find their happily ever after.
March 14, 2019
This is an amazing and fun anthology, and as a woman, I can't help but love me some men in uniform (any uniform), so this anthology was right up my alley. I have only read one of these authors before so this was like an introductory anthology to eight new authors.
These stories all have wonderful characters, fun plots, humor, heat and sassy dialogue. I loved each read and was so happy to be able to finish the short reads while in line, waiting for appointments, at lunch. I devoured this anthology in one day. If I am honest ZI am also a bit bummed I didn't have the patients to make it last; but there is always the re-read.
Now, my review is of my feelings and thoughts about each story (rather then an overview), because each needs to be read without spoilers. In this anthology you get the following stories:
Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue: This story was very cute and funny. I loved the humor and lightheartedness this story contained, it was heart warming. I also loved the instant respect that was between these two main characters. Steam and love made this story, 5 stars.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee: Wowzers, this story was hot, with a military man no less. What more could one want?! The title really says it all… I loved the plot of this story and the instant chemistry. I am new to this author and really enjoyed her writing style, 4.5 stars.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter: This story was troupe heavy in the best of ways. Steamy and sweet, there might even have been a swoon worthy moment or two. I love me a Navy Seal and this man will be in my dreams. I loved the contrast between the two main characters, they just worked so well together. Lovely story, 4.5 stars.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce: Funny! This was a great story. As much as I love an anti-hero, its author's like this that make me fall for the hero as well. The dialogue was amazing and the story was perfect! Short but impactful, 5 stars.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie: Gotta represent all the awesome men in uniform, and this hero is worth reading about. This read was more an adventure with romance, and was a fun read. I like the heroine as much as the hero, 4 stars.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone: Age gap, instant heat and a interesting plot. This was a great steamy read. I really enjoyed the story and the epilogue. Alpha male who knows what he wants! Yes, please, 4 stars.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan: This story was action and passion all the way. I loved the balance the author created in this short read. Loved the character's and their interactions, 4.5 stars.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader: Yep, I totally want to help this hero out myself! I love firemen and this hero was perfect! This author did an awesome job with the characters and plot and made the story feel fresh and new. I loved it, 5 stars.
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin: I have never been disappointed with a story from this author, so I already knew I was getting something good. I enjoyed this story and the passion that was involved. Fun characters and lots and lots of heat, 4.5 stars.
I sincerely hope any reader who is on the fence regarding this anthology takes the chance. While some if the stories are shorter then expected they were all wonderful to read.
This anthology is just plain great reading, with lighthearted plots, amazing characters and enough heat to burn off some of that cold weather everyone seems to be having.
These stories all have wonderful characters, fun plots, humor, heat and sassy dialogue. I loved each read and was so happy to be able to finish the short reads while in line, waiting for appointments, at lunch. I devoured this anthology in one day. If I am honest ZI am also a bit bummed I didn't have the patients to make it last; but there is always the re-read.
Now, my review is of my feelings and thoughts about each story (rather then an overview), because each needs to be read without spoilers. In this anthology you get the following stories:
Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue: This story was very cute and funny. I loved the humor and lightheartedness this story contained, it was heart warming. I also loved the instant respect that was between these two main characters. Steam and love made this story, 5 stars.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee: Wowzers, this story was hot, with a military man no less. What more could one want?! The title really says it all… I loved the plot of this story and the instant chemistry. I am new to this author and really enjoyed her writing style, 4.5 stars.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter: This story was troupe heavy in the best of ways. Steamy and sweet, there might even have been a swoon worthy moment or two. I love me a Navy Seal and this man will be in my dreams. I loved the contrast between the two main characters, they just worked so well together. Lovely story, 4.5 stars.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce: Funny! This was a great story. As much as I love an anti-hero, its author's like this that make me fall for the hero as well. The dialogue was amazing and the story was perfect! Short but impactful, 5 stars.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie: Gotta represent all the awesome men in uniform, and this hero is worth reading about. This read was more an adventure with romance, and was a fun read. I like the heroine as much as the hero, 4 stars.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone: Age gap, instant heat and a interesting plot. This was a great steamy read. I really enjoyed the story and the epilogue. Alpha male who knows what he wants! Yes, please, 4 stars.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan: This story was action and passion all the way. I loved the balance the author created in this short read. Loved the character's and their interactions, 4.5 stars.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader: Yep, I totally want to help this hero out myself! I love firemen and this hero was perfect! This author did an awesome job with the characters and plot and made the story feel fresh and new. I loved it, 5 stars.
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin: I have never been disappointed with a story from this author, so I already knew I was getting something good. I enjoyed this story and the passion that was involved. Fun characters and lots and lots of heat, 4.5 stars.
I sincerely hope any reader who is on the fence regarding this anthology takes the chance. While some if the stories are shorter then expected they were all wonderful to read.
This anthology is just plain great reading, with lighthearted plots, amazing characters and enough heat to burn off some of that cold weather everyone seems to be having.
March 19, 2019
This book had some good and some bad. There were a couple of stories that I couldn’t get into for whatever reason. It’s not that they were bad, it’s that they didn’t click with me. Here’s the individual reviews:
Ready for trouble by Tina Donahue:
This story was all kinds of adorable. Jake was the cutest police officer ever! He was kind and curteous and sweet and just the cutest thing. Krista was a badbutt lady. She was not willing to be run over or pushed aside in a traditionally male dominated field. She was not going to put up with it. But she wasn’t unwilling to be treated like one of the boys. Yes, she was plumber. But she was still a woman. And Jake knew that from the start. The two of them together had great chemistry and I would love to have a big book about them alone.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee:
Steve and Lauren were so sweet together. I loved it. She was not going to let him leave again. No matter what. I would rather her think a little more about her job and practical things like that but it wasn’t entirely a deal breaker. Steve was super cute with her and he was going to fight till his last breath for her. And that’s all everybody wants. And it was super well done. Nobody in this story gave anything super significant up for the other. Not anything that went against their morals or beliefs.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter:
I think this story was my favorite out of all of them. Kevin and Jane were massively adorable in the beginning and seeing a giant man with a tiny baby is just icing on the cake. Jane did the right thing from the very beginning. She tried to get into contact and tried to tell him. And Kevin had the normal response: anger and incredulity. But everything worked out, Kevin didn’t stay angry and Jane gave him a chance to be a dad. The story itself was short and sweet and so cute it was almost too much.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce:
Wyatt and Faith were perfect for each other. I do wish that the story had expanded a little more on the ways that Faith was abused by her husband. But the story was about Faith and Wyatt. I don’t think that Wyatt needed to beat himself up so much after finding out what was what. However, Wyatt seems the type to take everything on himself. Faith was nearly perfect. She was tough but still tender. And the perfect role model for her children. This story was cute.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie:
I didn’t like this one. It seemed really thrown together in a hurry. The characters were kind of buttholes and they just didn’t have a lot of chemistry together. I don’t know. I couldn’t connect with this one.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone:
Jenny and Mack were so sweet together. They had a lot of chemistry right off the bat and the way they both stood up to her parents was super adorable.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan:
Brandon and Alena had such an interesting dynamic. I don’t think everything they did was correct nor was it at the right time. But the intentions were good. I honestly want to know what happens next.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader:
Eveline was a take charge no holds barred kind of woman. And Tyler was super cute. The two of them together were explosive. Eveline’s father liked them together. Which is saying something if the words of Eveline are to be believed. She honestly had no reason to get mad and to blame Tyler for something like that is kind of ….stupid. But the ending is to die for.
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin:
This story was super interesting. It had to do with 9/11 and the aftermath. Which we are all still dealing with. Spider was a super interesting character. And Jessie was a badbutt. The two had a very interesting dynamic and I am super interested to see a whole book about them.
Merged review:
This book had some good and some bad. There were a couple of stories that I couldn’t get into for whatever reason. It’s not that they were bad, it’s that they didn’t click with me. Here’s the individual reviews:
Ready for trouble by Tina Donahue:
This story was all kinds of adorable. Jake was the cutest police officer ever! He was kind and curteous and sweet and just the cutest thing. Krista was a badbutt lady. She was not willing to be run over or pushed aside in a traditionally male dominated field. She was not going to put up with it. But she wasn’t unwilling to be treated like one of the boys. Yes, she was plumber. But she was still a woman. And Jake knew that from the start. The two of them together had great chemistry and I would love to have a big book about them alone.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee:
Steve and Lauren were so sweet together. I loved it. She was not going to let him leave again. No matter what. I would rather her think a little more about her job and practical things like that but it wasn’t entirely a deal breaker. Steve was super cute with her and he was going to fight till his last breath for her. And that’s all everybody wants. And it was super well done. Nobody in this story gave anything super significant up for the other. Not anything that went against their morals or beliefs.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter:
I think this story was my favorite out of all of them. Kevin and Jane were massively adorable in the beginning and seeing a giant man with a tiny baby is just icing on the cake. Jane did the right thing from the very beginning. She tried to get into contact and tried to tell him. And Kevin had the normal response: anger and incredulity. But everything worked out, Kevin didn’t stay angry and Jane gave him a chance to be a dad. The story itself was short and sweet and so cute it was almost too much.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce:
Wyatt and Faith were perfect for each other. I do wish that the story had expanded a little more on the ways that Faith was abused by her husband. But the story was about Faith and Wyatt. I don’t think that Wyatt needed to beat himself up so much after finding out what was what. However, Wyatt seems the type to take everything on himself. Faith was nearly perfect. She was tough but still tender. And the perfect role model for her children. This story was cute.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie:
I didn’t like this one. It seemed really thrown together in a hurry. The characters were kind of buttholes and they just didn’t have a lot of chemistry together. I don’t know. I couldn’t connect with this one.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone:
Jenny and Mack were so sweet together. They had a lot of chemistry right off the bat and the way they both stood up to her parents was super adorable.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan:
Brandon and Alena had such an interesting dynamic. I don’t think everything they did was correct nor was it at the right time. But the intentions were good. I honestly want to know what happens next.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader:
Eveline was a take charge no holds barred kind of woman. And Tyler was super cute. The two of them together were explosive. Eveline’s father liked them together. Which is saying something if the words of Eveline are to be believed. She honestly had no reason to get mad and to blame Tyler for something like that is kind of ….stupid. But the ending is to die for.
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin:
This story was super interesting. It had to do with 9/11 and the aftermath. Which we are all still dealing with. Spider was a super interesting character. And Jessie was a badbutt. The two had a very interesting dynamic and I am super interested to see a whole book about them.
Ready for trouble by Tina Donahue:
This story was all kinds of adorable. Jake was the cutest police officer ever! He was kind and curteous and sweet and just the cutest thing. Krista was a badbutt lady. She was not willing to be run over or pushed aside in a traditionally male dominated field. She was not going to put up with it. But she wasn’t unwilling to be treated like one of the boys. Yes, she was plumber. But she was still a woman. And Jake knew that from the start. The two of them together had great chemistry and I would love to have a big book about them alone.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee:
Steve and Lauren were so sweet together. I loved it. She was not going to let him leave again. No matter what. I would rather her think a little more about her job and practical things like that but it wasn’t entirely a deal breaker. Steve was super cute with her and he was going to fight till his last breath for her. And that’s all everybody wants. And it was super well done. Nobody in this story gave anything super significant up for the other. Not anything that went against their morals or beliefs.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter:
I think this story was my favorite out of all of them. Kevin and Jane were massively adorable in the beginning and seeing a giant man with a tiny baby is just icing on the cake. Jane did the right thing from the very beginning. She tried to get into contact and tried to tell him. And Kevin had the normal response: anger and incredulity. But everything worked out, Kevin didn’t stay angry and Jane gave him a chance to be a dad. The story itself was short and sweet and so cute it was almost too much.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce:
Wyatt and Faith were perfect for each other. I do wish that the story had expanded a little more on the ways that Faith was abused by her husband. But the story was about Faith and Wyatt. I don’t think that Wyatt needed to beat himself up so much after finding out what was what. However, Wyatt seems the type to take everything on himself. Faith was nearly perfect. She was tough but still tender. And the perfect role model for her children. This story was cute.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie:
I didn’t like this one. It seemed really thrown together in a hurry. The characters were kind of buttholes and they just didn’t have a lot of chemistry together. I don’t know. I couldn’t connect with this one.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone:
Jenny and Mack were so sweet together. They had a lot of chemistry right off the bat and the way they both stood up to her parents was super adorable.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan:
Brandon and Alena had such an interesting dynamic. I don’t think everything they did was correct nor was it at the right time. But the intentions were good. I honestly want to know what happens next.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader:
Eveline was a take charge no holds barred kind of woman. And Tyler was super cute. The two of them together were explosive. Eveline’s father liked them together. Which is saying something if the words of Eveline are to be believed. She honestly had no reason to get mad and to blame Tyler for something like that is kind of ….stupid. But the ending is to die for.
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin:
This story was super interesting. It had to do with 9/11 and the aftermath. Which we are all still dealing with. Spider was a super interesting character. And Jessie was a badbutt. The two had a very interesting dynamic and I am super interested to see a whole book about them.
Merged review:
This book had some good and some bad. There were a couple of stories that I couldn’t get into for whatever reason. It’s not that they were bad, it’s that they didn’t click with me. Here’s the individual reviews:
Ready for trouble by Tina Donahue:
This story was all kinds of adorable. Jake was the cutest police officer ever! He was kind and curteous and sweet and just the cutest thing. Krista was a badbutt lady. She was not willing to be run over or pushed aside in a traditionally male dominated field. She was not going to put up with it. But she wasn’t unwilling to be treated like one of the boys. Yes, she was plumber. But she was still a woman. And Jake knew that from the start. The two of them together had great chemistry and I would love to have a big book about them alone.
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee:
Steve and Lauren were so sweet together. I loved it. She was not going to let him leave again. No matter what. I would rather her think a little more about her job and practical things like that but it wasn’t entirely a deal breaker. Steve was super cute with her and he was going to fight till his last breath for her. And that’s all everybody wants. And it was super well done. Nobody in this story gave anything super significant up for the other. Not anything that went against their morals or beliefs.
The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby by Kat Baxter:
I think this story was my favorite out of all of them. Kevin and Jane were massively adorable in the beginning and seeing a giant man with a tiny baby is just icing on the cake. Jane did the right thing from the very beginning. She tried to get into contact and tried to tell him. And Kevin had the normal response: anger and incredulity. But everything worked out, Kevin didn’t stay angry and Jane gave him a chance to be a dad. The story itself was short and sweet and so cute it was almost too much.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce:
Wyatt and Faith were perfect for each other. I do wish that the story had expanded a little more on the ways that Faith was abused by her husband. But the story was about Faith and Wyatt. I don’t think that Wyatt needed to beat himself up so much after finding out what was what. However, Wyatt seems the type to take everything on himself. Faith was nearly perfect. She was tough but still tender. And the perfect role model for her children. This story was cute.
Two for the Road by Bisou deVie:
I didn’t like this one. It seemed really thrown together in a hurry. The characters were kind of buttholes and they just didn’t have a lot of chemistry together. I don’t know. I couldn’t connect with this one.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone:
Jenny and Mack were so sweet together. They had a lot of chemistry right off the bat and the way they both stood up to her parents was super adorable.
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan:
Brandon and Alena had such an interesting dynamic. I don’t think everything they did was correct nor was it at the right time. But the intentions were good. I honestly want to know what happens next.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader:
Eveline was a take charge no holds barred kind of woman. And Tyler was super cute. The two of them together were explosive. Eveline’s father liked them together. Which is saying something if the words of Eveline are to be believed. She honestly had no reason to get mad and to blame Tyler for something like that is kind of ….stupid. But the ending is to die for.
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin:
This story was super interesting. It had to do with 9/11 and the aftermath. Which we are all still dealing with. Spider was a super interesting character. And Jessie was a badbutt. The two had a very interesting dynamic and I am super interested to see a whole book about them.
March 22, 2019
A novella can be a tricky beast. The author needs to grab the attention of a reader while also telling a story in a much shorter amount of time. It isn’t always easy to do, at least not successfully. But anthologies are always a great way to discover new authors, too, so I thought I’d take a chance on “Men In Uniform.” I’m happy to say that I enjoyed most of the stories, and even discovered a new-to-me author.
Delilah Devlin’s “Along Came A Spider” was one of the stand-outs, even if there was a bit too much insta-love for me. I liked the added intrigue and the fact that the heroine was just as kick-ass and capable as the hero. As an aside, I would have liked learning what the hero’s real name was, since I doubt it was really “Spider.” Ah well.
“Coming In Hot” was another good addition. I’ve read and enjoyed other books by Kate Meader, and this one picks up with her “Hot In Chicago” series, so it was fun to revisit those characters. It had an interesting storyline and the sexy times were very hot.
“View From The Top” by Carmen Falcone was also a great read. The relationship developed a little quicker than I thought it should, but it was a solid read, and I liked Falcone’s writing style so I’ll be picking up more of her work.
And finally, Tina Donahue’s “Ready For Trouble” was enjoyable. I liked that the heroine was working, and thriving, in a male-dominated field, and that the hero respected her for it. It was also fun to see the hero be a bit awkward around the heroine initially. It just made him more appealing.
One or two of the stories didn’t appeal to me at all, but from my experience that’s usually the way it goes with anthologies. I ended up with an enjoyable evening of sexy stories and a new author or two to add to my ever-growing list. All in all, a win I’d say.
Just one thing bothered me: The anthology is titled “Men In Uniform.” So why wasn’t the model on the cover in some kind of uniform? It just seems like an odd choice. But that’s simply an aesthetic concern, and not at all a criticism of the authors.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
Delilah Devlin’s “Along Came A Spider” was one of the stand-outs, even if there was a bit too much insta-love for me. I liked the added intrigue and the fact that the heroine was just as kick-ass and capable as the hero. As an aside, I would have liked learning what the hero’s real name was, since I doubt it was really “Spider.” Ah well.
“Coming In Hot” was another good addition. I’ve read and enjoyed other books by Kate Meader, and this one picks up with her “Hot In Chicago” series, so it was fun to revisit those characters. It had an interesting storyline and the sexy times were very hot.
“View From The Top” by Carmen Falcone was also a great read. The relationship developed a little quicker than I thought it should, but it was a solid read, and I liked Falcone’s writing style so I’ll be picking up more of her work.
And finally, Tina Donahue’s “Ready For Trouble” was enjoyable. I liked that the heroine was working, and thriving, in a male-dominated field, and that the hero respected her for it. It was also fun to see the hero be a bit awkward around the heroine initially. It just made him more appealing.
One or two of the stories didn’t appeal to me at all, but from my experience that’s usually the way it goes with anthologies. I ended up with an enjoyable evening of sexy stories and a new author or two to add to my ever-growing list. All in all, a win I’d say.
Just one thing bothered me: The anthology is titled “Men In Uniform.” So why wasn’t the model on the cover in some kind of uniform? It just seems like an odd choice. But that’s simply an aesthetic concern, and not at all a criticism of the authors.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
March 11, 2019
All in all, I enjoyed this hot, steamy and very sexy anthology all featuring, you guessed it, hot men in uniform. I have only read one of the authors before, Kate Meader, and I have to say hers is probably my favorite. I mean come on, a virgin firefighter? Tyler is absolutely adorable and lets just say he is no longer a virgin. Sweet, hot sexy times here! He and Evie are perfect together. I just love this story! Best friends make the best lovers!
I will definitely be reading more from these other authors as well if their short stories are any indication of their work. I liked them all, but I really liked Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue. It's a fun and very sexy story featuring Jake, a hot cop, and Krista a very pretty plumber who fixes his pipes, literally.
Kimberly Nee's Always Ready was a good one too with Steve, a coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Lauren, his best buddy Mark's sister. Mark died on the job recently and Lauren and Steve connect at the memorial for him. Steve blames himself for what happened to Mark. Besides being sexy, this one is a little more on the serious side.
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin is another one that stood out for me. It's a hot, hot, hot and steamy romantic suspense. I really like Spider, a sexy former Navy SEAL and Jessie, a former army major who is in a pretty serious predicament. Spider does not even hesitate to help her and that is before he really gets to know her. They make such a great couple.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone with Mack and Jenny is a very steamy sexy one too! It was a kind of second chance at a first time together for these two.
I enjoyed Precious Cargo, a steamy romantic suspense by Nicole Morgan but it was a cliffhanger as opposed to just being a short story with a happy ending. I feel like I need to find out what happens with Brandon and Alena.
Again, all in all a highly entertaining and very sexy read!!
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
I will definitely be reading more from these other authors as well if their short stories are any indication of their work. I liked them all, but I really liked Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue. It's a fun and very sexy story featuring Jake, a hot cop, and Krista a very pretty plumber who fixes his pipes, literally.
Kimberly Nee's Always Ready was a good one too with Steve, a coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Lauren, his best buddy Mark's sister. Mark died on the job recently and Lauren and Steve connect at the memorial for him. Steve blames himself for what happened to Mark. Besides being sexy, this one is a little more on the serious side.
Along Came a Spider by Delilah Devlin is another one that stood out for me. It's a hot, hot, hot and steamy romantic suspense. I really like Spider, a sexy former Navy SEAL and Jessie, a former army major who is in a pretty serious predicament. Spider does not even hesitate to help her and that is before he really gets to know her. They make such a great couple.
View from the Top by Carmen Falcone with Mack and Jenny is a very steamy sexy one too! It was a kind of second chance at a first time together for these two.
I enjoyed Precious Cargo, a steamy romantic suspense by Nicole Morgan but it was a cliffhanger as opposed to just being a short story with a happy ending. I feel like I need to find out what happens with Brandon and Alena.
Again, all in all a highly entertaining and very sexy read!!
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
June 18, 2019
Ready for Trouble by Tina Donahue 3 stars
Ready for Trouble is a sexy vacation rendezvous turned...well, you'll see. This hot cop needs some help and not is he going to get it. The Florida heat has nothing on these two!
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee 3 stars
Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer...all I need to say and your panties are already damp...right? It may be cliche but yes! It's hot. I can picture those dress blues. Sigh.
Ripped, rugged, and ridiculously handsome Petty Officer First Class Steve Pacifico is everything you need in this story.
The Navy SEAL's Secret Baby by Kat Baxter 3
A chance meeting.
An incredibly hot encounter.
A life altering surprise.
And then they meet again...good thing he is up for a challenge.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce 3
I've been called worse things but never for the reason Faith finds herself calling the sheriff. This head shaking short story will steal your heart but not your mind.
Two For the Road by Bisou DeVie 3 stars
An unexpected road trip turns the tourist and this native into a sex craving opportunitists.
View From the Top by Carmen Falcone 4 stars
Even I felt the sizzling chemistry and thick sexual tension in this one! Hello, handsome! He can fly me anywhere and I mean anywhere! I definitely enjoyed being a part of this adventure. This flyboy, helicopter pilot has my business!
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan 3 stars
A job to protect becomes more than work. She becomes precious cargo.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader 4.5 stars
Can I just say Coming In Hot has an Epic start!?! I about died of laughter realizing what was happening and who her neighbor was. Epic, I tell you. This sexy friends to lovers story is a CFD tale and who in their right mind doesn't love a fireman...
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin 3 stars
I admit I was worried by the title being afraid of spiders and all. However, this Spider I definitely don't mind at all!
Ready for Trouble is a sexy vacation rendezvous turned...well, you'll see. This hot cop needs some help and not is he going to get it. The Florida heat has nothing on these two!
Always Ready by Kimberly Nee 3 stars
Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer...all I need to say and your panties are already damp...right? It may be cliche but yes! It's hot. I can picture those dress blues. Sigh.
Ripped, rugged, and ridiculously handsome Petty Officer First Class Steve Pacifico is everything you need in this story.
The Navy SEAL's Secret Baby by Kat Baxter 3
A chance meeting.
An incredibly hot encounter.
A life altering surprise.
And then they meet again...good thing he is up for a challenge.
Call Me Crazy by Rebecca Royce 3
I've been called worse things but never for the reason Faith finds herself calling the sheriff. This head shaking short story will steal your heart but not your mind.
Two For the Road by Bisou DeVie 3 stars
An unexpected road trip turns the tourist and this native into a sex craving opportunitists.
View From the Top by Carmen Falcone 4 stars
Even I felt the sizzling chemistry and thick sexual tension in this one! Hello, handsome! He can fly me anywhere and I mean anywhere! I definitely enjoyed being a part of this adventure. This flyboy, helicopter pilot has my business!
Precious Cargo by Nicole Morgan 3 stars
A job to protect becomes more than work. She becomes precious cargo.
Coming in Hot by Kate Meader 4.5 stars
Can I just say Coming In Hot has an Epic start!?! I about died of laughter realizing what was happening and who her neighbor was. Epic, I tell you. This sexy friends to lovers story is a CFD tale and who in their right mind doesn't love a fireman...
Along Came A Spider by Delilah Devlin 3 stars
I admit I was worried by the title being afraid of spiders and all. However, this Spider I definitely don't mind at all!
March 31, 2019
I read this and it was pretty enjoyable. The one thing that bugged me throughout was that basically every couple was straight/white. There was one story where the heroine was bisexual, though the reference to it was blink and you'll miss it, and the characters never actually talk about it. As far as the race of the characters, it either wasn't really mentioned (AKA usually white) or very obvious. I would have liked some diversity, considering this is an anthology. Since it's called Men in Uniform, that does imply that at least one person in the relationship is a man, but that doesn't mean there couldn't have been a m/m relationship.
On a different note, while some of the novellas were really well developed, others seemed to not fully develop the characters and cut off at weird points (especially Precious Cargo). What some of the novellas did was have a time jump in the last chapter to show some character growth, and I found I really liked that, as it showed the characters outside the week to days when the novella mostly takes place. I found I also liked The Navy Seal's Secret Baby, as it had a number of time jumps, which allowed for some character growth as well.
One last thing that bothered me is both my own fault for reading this specific book as well as a problem I've noticed within the romance genre. The novellas majorly romanticize being in a relationship with someone in the military/police force. Statistically speaking, relationships with men who are in police/military can often be anywhere from unhealthy abusive. While I understand that the relationships featured should be good, it was a little odd that there were few to no bad past relationships, and that basically all of the male side characters didn't have a dark side. And again, this is an anthology and these are novellas, but this has been bugging me in the collection and in military romance in general.
On a different note, while some of the novellas were really well developed, others seemed to not fully develop the characters and cut off at weird points (especially Precious Cargo). What some of the novellas did was have a time jump in the last chapter to show some character growth, and I found I really liked that, as it showed the characters outside the week to days when the novella mostly takes place. I found I also liked The Navy Seal's Secret Baby, as it had a number of time jumps, which allowed for some character growth as well.
One last thing that bothered me is both my own fault for reading this specific book as well as a problem I've noticed within the romance genre. The novellas majorly romanticize being in a relationship with someone in the military/police force. Statistically speaking, relationships with men who are in police/military can often be anywhere from unhealthy abusive. While I understand that the relationships featured should be good, it was a little odd that there were few to no bad past relationships, and that basically all of the male side characters didn't have a dark side. And again, this is an anthology and these are novellas, but this has been bugging me in the collection and in military romance in general.
October 19, 2022
Great way to discover new authors!
Thank you for supporting the military and those that have served, or are currently serving, our country!
The majority of the novellas are stand-alone reads, but there is one that is more like a prologue and it ends in a HFN with a small cliffhanger to be continued in a future story.
I wrote a quick synopsis of each short story on a note attached to the first header immediately after the end of the story. Some state ‘Acknowledgments’, while others are ‘About the author’, but all can be found on my notes at goodreads if interested.
Most of the stories have good story universes and well developed characters, with interesting plots. There are a couple I would have rated 3 stars and one or two that may have come close to 5 stars.
All in all, I enjoyed the collection and was able to discover several new to me authors that I will be adding to my TBR list. Which is the main reason I read compilations such as these to begin with, so a rousing success.
⛔️ Each of the stories contain scenes and/or references about subject matter that may be difficult for sensitive readers. This includes adult language, mental health challenges, cheating but not between H/h, steamy adult intimate scenes with dominance, submission, spanking for pleasure, ‘bottom’ play, etc. and violence such as death, murder, stalking, fighting, assault, illegal weapons distribution, mental and physical abuse of a child, etc.
I mention the following for readers such as myself that visualize the story as it is read, because errors interrupt the flow. There are some grammatical errors, but these are primarily incorrect word choices, incorrect punctuation, typos, extra inserted words, and missing words. Nothing was difficult to interpret. I uploaded my notes to goodreads for anyone interested.
Thank you for supporting the military and those that have served, or are currently serving, our country!
The majority of the novellas are stand-alone reads, but there is one that is more like a prologue and it ends in a HFN with a small cliffhanger to be continued in a future story.
I wrote a quick synopsis of each short story on a note attached to the first header immediately after the end of the story. Some state ‘Acknowledgments’, while others are ‘About the author’, but all can be found on my notes at goodreads if interested.
Most of the stories have good story universes and well developed characters, with interesting plots. There are a couple I would have rated 3 stars and one or two that may have come close to 5 stars.
All in all, I enjoyed the collection and was able to discover several new to me authors that I will be adding to my TBR list. Which is the main reason I read compilations such as these to begin with, so a rousing success.
⛔️ Each of the stories contain scenes and/or references about subject matter that may be difficult for sensitive readers. This includes adult language, mental health challenges, cheating but not between H/h, steamy adult intimate scenes with dominance, submission, spanking for pleasure, ‘bottom’ play, etc. and violence such as death, murder, stalking, fighting, assault, illegal weapons distribution, mental and physical abuse of a child, etc.
I mention the following for readers such as myself that visualize the story as it is read, because errors interrupt the flow. There are some grammatical errors, but these are primarily incorrect word choices, incorrect punctuation, typos, extra inserted words, and missing words. Nothing was difficult to interpret. I uploaded my notes to goodreads for anyone interested.
March 27, 2019
Men in Uniform
Ready for Trouble: Excellent Writing and characters! Krista was the right woman for Jake. Krista grounds Jake so he won't stray. Love the story and the hot men and women!
Always Ready: I loved the emotions that went throughout the book! It was a strong story with strong characters. It was great!
Navy Deal's Secret Baby: Wonderful story! Loved it so much and how Kevin need Jane in his life to prove that he can be part of a family even though he was not raced by one. Loved the characters so much and it was a hot story!
Call Me Crazy: I liked that it was a small town story. I loved the strong and very hot characters. Even though Wyatt didn't have the best of childhoods he still made something of himself and that is important. Law enforcement did great things for him. Faith was is as what he needed as much as she need his strength to realize she could do anything. Loved the writing.
Two for the road: I love that it took place on location for a movie. Ion was the right man to twist her panties. I loved it.
View From the Top: I loved that Jack never have up on Jenny! It was a wonderful story a!nd very steamy! Great writing!
Precious Cargo: a very special story. Loved how the story was told and how Brandon past was written. I like how the author brought what the characters went through in there last so you understand them better. It was a very hot story.I
Coming in Hot: WOW! Very Hot and Steamy! Loved it! Fantastic writing!
A Long Came A Spider: Loved that Jessie and Spider were in the Military! It made them A wonderful team! Fantastic writing and characters!
Ready for Trouble: Excellent Writing and characters! Krista was the right woman for Jake. Krista grounds Jake so he won't stray. Love the story and the hot men and women!
Always Ready: I loved the emotions that went throughout the book! It was a strong story with strong characters. It was great!
Navy Deal's Secret Baby: Wonderful story! Loved it so much and how Kevin need Jane in his life to prove that he can be part of a family even though he was not raced by one. Loved the characters so much and it was a hot story!
Call Me Crazy: I liked that it was a small town story. I loved the strong and very hot characters. Even though Wyatt didn't have the best of childhoods he still made something of himself and that is important. Law enforcement did great things for him. Faith was is as what he needed as much as she need his strength to realize she could do anything. Loved the writing.
Two for the road: I love that it took place on location for a movie. Ion was the right man to twist her panties. I loved it.
View From the Top: I loved that Jack never have up on Jenny! It was a wonderful story a!nd very steamy! Great writing!
Precious Cargo: a very special story. Loved how the story was told and how Brandon past was written. I like how the author brought what the characters went through in there last so you understand them better. It was a very hot story.I
Coming in Hot: WOW! Very Hot and Steamy! Loved it! Fantastic writing!
A Long Came A Spider: Loved that Jessie and Spider were in the Military! It made them A wonderful team! Fantastic writing and characters!
March 12, 2019
I received this book as an ARC, but only shortly before it’s release date. I’ve so far only been able to read one story to completion, “Call Me Crazy” by Rebecca Royce, who just happens to be one of my very favorite authors. She writes reverse harem like nobody’s business. This story is not a reverse harem, but it doesn’t need to be because Wyatt is hot enough for three men at least, all on his own. I’m quite sure the heroine in the story, Faith, could happily attest to that. This was a hot and steamy, absolutely beautiful second chance love story... and if it happened to contain a sexy man in uniform, all the better. Who doesn’t love a man in uniform? Or better yet, one out of uniform? Yes, please.
Although I have only read this one phenomenal story so far, I greatly admire the work of the other authors in this anthology, and cannot wait to continue reading. I’m sure I’ll have more glowing reviews to update this post with in short order. Until then, do yourself a favor and purchase your own copy. Wouldn’t want all those sexy men in uniform getting lonely, now would we?
*I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.
Although I have only read this one phenomenal story so far, I greatly admire the work of the other authors in this anthology, and cannot wait to continue reading. I’m sure I’ll have more glowing reviews to update this post with in short order. Until then, do yourself a favor and purchase your own copy. Wouldn’t want all those sexy men in uniform getting lonely, now would we?
*I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.
March 13, 2019
Hot and sexy guys? Check! Now, put them in those tight uniform. Could they be any hotter? The answer is, hell yes! And this anthology delivers all these with sure fire hit of hot, quick read.
Most of the authors in this anthology are new to me and I can't wait to read their stories. But for now my review will be for "Call Me Crazy" by Rebecca Royce. This story follows the new sheriff, Wyatt who has recently came back to his hometown, Rose, Texas. He only wanted to keep the peace in this town, but a certain single mom, Faith with her sightings of "little green men" in her backyard might just prove to be a problem. That and his growing attraction to Faith.
This was a steamy, sweet, quick read and I love how the author wrapped it all up. My only regret is that I wish it to be longer *sigh*.
I would definitely recommend this anthology for those who loves fast-read romance that centers the men in uniform.
I received an ARC and I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Most of the authors in this anthology are new to me and I can't wait to read their stories. But for now my review will be for "Call Me Crazy" by Rebecca Royce. This story follows the new sheriff, Wyatt who has recently came back to his hometown, Rose, Texas. He only wanted to keep the peace in this town, but a certain single mom, Faith with her sightings of "little green men" in her backyard might just prove to be a problem. That and his growing attraction to Faith.
This was a steamy, sweet, quick read and I love how the author wrapped it all up. My only regret is that I wish it to be longer *sigh*.
I would definitely recommend this anthology for those who loves fast-read romance that centers the men in uniform.
I received an ARC and I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review.
March 14, 2019
This was a juicy bundle from some delightful authors for readers such as I whom love men in uniforms and reading about them. What do you think of one named Spider and what talents do you think he had? Then you better have you cool one ready when you read Firefighter Tyler's story because of his long wait. The marines were not left out with him having to take care of a mission that will be hot to handle. Even though he is retired from the Air Force Mack can come my way any day. Paramedics have their spot with I think I need a pill for my fever after his tale. The Sheriff in town wants what is in her yard handled so Faith and Wyatt square off but it also ends up somewhere else. Not forgotten is one from the Navy,Coast Guard and a cop that when you get to the end of all of these you might have to call one of them because you suffer from a overdose of hot uniforms and love.
March 10, 2019
View from the Top: If only we could get stranded with our teenage crush and spend a weekend together, turning fantasies to life. This one was hot and steamy. They never had the chance as teens but they made up for it now.
Along Came A Spider: Very hot book with chapters of bedroom antics.
Jessie is a damsel in distress fighting for her life and running from her fiance. Spider, the SEAL, is out fishing while trying to relax when she needs some assistance. Spider came along at the right time to help her.
Coming in Hot: Part of her firefighter series, Meader has given us the story of the Chief's daughter and her BFF. Tyler and Evie have been friends since college but never wanted to damage the relationship with sex. Things turn quick and hot when she learns his secret.
Received my copy through Netgalley.
Along Came A Spider: Very hot book with chapters of bedroom antics.
Jessie is a damsel in distress fighting for her life and running from her fiance. Spider, the SEAL, is out fishing while trying to relax when she needs some assistance. Spider came along at the right time to help her.
Coming in Hot: Part of her firefighter series, Meader has given us the story of the Chief's daughter and her BFF. Tyler and Evie have been friends since college but never wanted to damage the relationship with sex. Things turn quick and hot when she learns his secret.
Received my copy through Netgalley.
March 18, 2019
Nine men in uniform? Yes, please!
This anthology is packed full of sexy alphas and the badass ladies that take them on.
My favorite stories were Kate Meader’s Coming in Hot and Kay Baxter’s The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby.
Coming in Hot has a virgin firefighter hero who’s secretly in love with his best friend and she’s secretly in love with him too, yummy!, and The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby has, well, a secret baby plot, which I’m a sucker for.
Most of these authors were new to me so some of the stories were just okay for me, due in large part to the difficulty of writing a really good short story/novella.
I’d definitely recommend this anthology to anyone who loves a man in uniform and/or is looking for some steamy short stories to warm-up their spring!
This anthology is packed full of sexy alphas and the badass ladies that take them on.
My favorite stories were Kate Meader’s Coming in Hot and Kay Baxter’s The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby.
Coming in Hot has a virgin firefighter hero who’s secretly in love with his best friend and she’s secretly in love with him too, yummy!, and The Navy Seal’s Secret Baby has, well, a secret baby plot, which I’m a sucker for.
Most of these authors were new to me so some of the stories were just okay for me, due in large part to the difficulty of writing a really good short story/novella.
I’d definitely recommend this anthology to anyone who loves a man in uniform and/or is looking for some steamy short stories to warm-up their spring!
March 29, 2019
* Reviewing COMING IN HOT by Kate Meader *
With a short and oh so steamy dip back into her Hot in Chicago world, Kate Meader brings us a virgin firefighter who has the hots for his best friend since college! Tyler Brooks didn't set out to still be a virgin at 25, but a young relationship and the fallout from it put him in the position of now it being awkward to lose. His best friend Evie Ventimiglia is coming to visit, and it just so happens he's been attracted to her for years. A hint of attraction on her side could make for the perfect set-up for him to lose that V-card once and for all! The story was too short to be able to become too invested in the characters, but it was a really fun read and had an added bonus of giving us a glimpse of some of our old favorites from the series!
With a short and oh so steamy dip back into her Hot in Chicago world, Kate Meader brings us a virgin firefighter who has the hots for his best friend since college! Tyler Brooks didn't set out to still be a virgin at 25, but a young relationship and the fallout from it put him in the position of now it being awkward to lose. His best friend Evie Ventimiglia is coming to visit, and it just so happens he's been attracted to her for years. A hint of attraction on her side could make for the perfect set-up for him to lose that V-card once and for all! The story was too short to be able to become too invested in the characters, but it was a really fun read and had an added bonus of giving us a glimpse of some of our old favorites from the series!
November 16, 2021
Kat Baxter is the best
The five stars are for Kat Baxter’s Navy Seal’s Secret Baby. It is exceptional and the reason I’m considering adding this book to my permanent collection despite the rest of the lack luster stories. I liked the one by Delilah Devlin and the one where the girl was the plumber was ok. I skipped one bc the characters
( one of them is named “Ion”???) were both so unlikeable in the first chapter, I just couldn’t read further. One is a cliffhanger where you clearly have to read the series to find out what happened but I wasn’t pulled in enough to do that.
I borrowed this anthology because I saw Kat Baxter had contributed and I was not disappointed. It is one of her best in my opinion. So it’s worth it for that alone.
The five stars are for Kat Baxter’s Navy Seal’s Secret Baby. It is exceptional and the reason I’m considering adding this book to my permanent collection despite the rest of the lack luster stories. I liked the one by Delilah Devlin and the one where the girl was the plumber was ok. I skipped one bc the characters
( one of them is named “Ion”???) were both so unlikeable in the first chapter, I just couldn’t read further. One is a cliffhanger where you clearly have to read the series to find out what happened but I wasn’t pulled in enough to do that.
I borrowed this anthology because I saw Kat Baxter had contributed and I was not disappointed. It is one of her best in my opinion. So it’s worth it for that alone.
March 9, 2019
The Men in Uniform Anthology is a collaboration of stories from Delilah Devlin, Kate Meader, Kat Baxter, Bisou Devie, Kimberly Nee, Nicole Morgan, Carmen Falcone, Tina Donahue, and Rececca Royce. These are stories of hot, cocky, protective men of the military, security, police, and SEALS. This anthology has a varying level of heat in each story…but all of them were HOT! The storylines in these stories were great! Some of these were my first time with these authors, but I will be finding more from them! I loved the combination of the uniformed stories and really enjoyed the whole book! 4.5 stars
March 11, 2019
Such a yummy collection! A fabulous intro to some new to me authors that I will definitely be exploring.
I grabbed Men in Uniform specifically for Kate Meader’s Coming in Hot, which is set in her Hot in Chicago world. It is a glorious best friends to lovers story with a virgin firefighter hero (unicorn, say what!!!) and a Heroine who is his perfect opposite and match. They have chemistry for daaaaaaaays that makes this story burn white hot in all the right places. It is also has everything I love in Kate Meader’s writing, snappy, clever dialogue that pops off the page and these moments of pure swoon that will put hearts in your eyes. Sigh.
Happy reading!
I grabbed Men in Uniform specifically for Kate Meader’s Coming in Hot, which is set in her Hot in Chicago world. It is a glorious best friends to lovers story with a virgin firefighter hero (unicorn, say what!!!) and a Heroine who is his perfect opposite and match. They have chemistry for daaaaaaaays that makes this story burn white hot in all the right places. It is also has everything I love in Kate Meader’s writing, snappy, clever dialogue that pops off the page and these moments of pure swoon that will put hearts in your eyes. Sigh.
Happy reading!
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