Tag Archives: Man of the Month

Review: Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook (Man of the Month) by J Kenner

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Title: Bar Bites
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 5/15/18
Length:   120 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month

Overview

Before Austin’s hotspot, The Fix on Sixth, became known for its sexy and fun Man of the Month calendar contest, the fictional downtown bar had already developed a reputation for fabulous drinks and mouthwatering bar bites–exactly the kind of venue to take a date and strike up a romance. Now it’s your chance to see exactly what’s on the menu … and to get a peek at the private lives of the men and women who not only work at The Fix, but who’ve made it the place to be in Austin, Texas. Join Man of the Month creator, New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner, and USA Today bestselling Southern food expert Suzanne Johnson as they guide you through their favorite bar bite and drink recipes served at The Fix on Sixth. Learn how to make the delicious bar bites that Tyree’s bar has become famous for. Whip up your favorite cocktail with the same flare as Cameron or Eric. And don’t forget to spend some time learning a little bit more about the private lives of your favorite characters in all new snippets and short stories! Most of all, come share a drink, a bite, and a laugh with us! We’re so glad you’re here. So pull up a chair, raise a glass, and dig in with your favorite Man of the Month characters, and meet a few new ones, too! Cheers!

My Thoughts

While not as fulfilling as the main installments to the series, this was a sweet way to end things since there were a few loose ends to be tied up.  That and well, it’s always nice to know how to make the food and drinks that i’ve read about for months now .

In this interesting version of a book, we get 4 novellas, one about Reece/Jenna, one about Spencer/Brooke, one about Nolan/Shelby and one about Eric/Tiffany.  Each gives us a glimpse into their story that we didn’t have already (a continuation of sorts) except for Eric/Tiffany where we got an abbreviated version of their entire story.

There’s something interesting though to call out here.  Our author tends to lean on the side of steam and heat in her other series, but in this case, there was more ‘sweet romance’ and storytelling than raunch.  nice change up sure, but in this book, she turns on the heat for sure and we get a bit more of what she’s known for.  It’s a nice change to be frank since we get the sweetness of the romances, yet the passion of Ms Kenner.

I love that we got to see a bit further into the future for Reece and Jenna – the birth of their daughter which was a main point throughout the installments.  It’s a bit of a stressful path that they go on, but it’s sweet none the less.   we get to see the happy couple become a happy family

then there’s nolan / shelby.  the couple that seemed to be totally different from one another but so well suited – but does that mean that they get their happily ever after?  and at what cost?

Onto Brooke and Spencer, the couple that had it all, lost it all and found it again.  Now however is the spotlight coming in between them?  putting on too much pressure and taking all that was great and amazing between them and turning it against each other?  i feel like we all want their happy ending – for their first show to be the success that we saw it become, and for them to get the mansion renovated and perfect since it was the stage for where their initial relationship really flourished.  the cameras though, and the constant attention makes things hard that there’s a breaking point, and we can only hope that love keeps it from falling apart too far.

And lastly, the romance that we never got in a full size story – Eric and Tiffany.  the bartender and the friend.  It’s sweet to see the crush become something more, even if there’s the taboo piece that Tiffany used to date Eric’s brother.  It’s when said brother comes back into town that we see things get dicey.

So….all in all, an even nicer way to close out the series – even though i know that Walk the Line was a really good piece of closure.  Now i really have to find something else to read.  Sad!  but enjoy!!!

Review : Walk the Line (Man of the Month #12) by J Kenner

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Title: Walk the Line
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 7/10/18
Length:   130 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #12

Overview

Elena is too young for me, not to mention she’s my boss’s daughter and my babysitter.
That’s beyond complicated. And I’m not even looking for a relationship–but I can’t deny the attraction that sizzles between us.
I need to ignore it. A single dad, all I want is to take care of my little girl, do my job, and enjoy my friends. Anything more is asking for complications I can’t afford. Asking to be hurt again.
Trouble is, I want her, too. And when our flirty sparks turn to flames, I give in to temptation. Our secret fling is scorching hot, better than I’d even imagined.
But secrets get out, and I could lose my job and my reputation.
And I’m starting to realize she’s the one thing I’m not willing to lose.

My Thoughts

I’m really bummed that this is the last installment to the series.  I feel like there could be so much more to continue the story line. 🙁  The good thing though is that Ms Kenner saved Brent for last.  He was a big role in the first book so it’s nice that it came full circle to him in this finale.

The Brent we knew before was the best friend in a triangle of Reece and Jenna.  He’s a single father to Faith, an adorable 5 (now 6) year old who’s mother walked out the day she was born.  Brent’s had a lot of trouble trusting people to stick around and he’s beyond devoted to his daughter.

Then there’s Elena, Tyree’s daughter – a child that he only learned about a few books back.  She’s 23, finding her way in life while finishing Grad School.  She’s sure of who she is, but she also knows what she wants and who she wants.

Of course, there’s a mutual attraction that neither will act on.  Brent is afraid to commit to anyone and he’s afraid of Tyree getting mad, and Elena is afraid to be rejected and is also afraid of what her father will think.  It’s only when she becomes his babysitter and they find themselves together at all hours that things start to bubble up.

The journey that they go on is a fast one.  They finally admit that they can’t deny how they feel about one another but they have to be careful about how open they are since there are so many factors against them.  And of course when things start to settle in, there are various wrenches thrown in.  One being a job opportunity that Elena gets in California.

Add to that story line that we are at the end of the series – with the point being that they needed to raise enough money to keep The Fix from being foreclosed on.  Add to that the fact that someone’s been vandalizing the place, and now the historical committee has decided that they want to take over the property because of it’s significance in Austin, and all the hard work may have been for nothing .

So as i said, our journey comes to a close, and while we see endless couples have been formed, we also don’t know what the outcome will be – if their home will be taken away and if that happens, what that will mean for everyone.  So on that note, i suggest you read it to see what happens and how they manage in the outcome.  Enjoy!

Review: Light my Fire (Man of the Month #11) by J Kenner

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Title: Light my Fire
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 6/26/18
Length:   125 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #11

Overview

Overview

I don’t do relationships.
I’ve lived my life hiding my scars, revealing myself only the in the scripts I write and the characters I voice.
Few people know the real me. I’m too careful. Too afraid of getting burned all over again.
Enter Beverly Martin. A movie star. A woman so beautiful and caring she makes my heart ache. She says she wants me–and her touch almost makes me believe that a girl like her could love a man like me.
But being with her would mean letting the spotlight of fame shine on me, too. And I’m not sure I can do that–even if walking away means losing the woman I love.

My Thoughts

Well it’s about time that we got to Griffin’s story – he’s been a staple throughout the series, and while we only knew a bit about him, we finally get to see him come into his own.  Then there’s Beverly, the girl who’s on the brink of major stardom, doing the Fix a solid by emceeing their contest, and of course that means that we get to see something else go over the edge.

This 11th installment takes us to a point in the series where we’re just about at the end, we’ve seen most of the characters couple off, and there are fewer and fewer bits to the story that we don’t know.  The reality show that was at the beginning of it all has now launched, and we might get to see how it all pays off in the end.

But then there’s Griffin, bar regular and web series star.  His script has just been sold and is about to be made into a major movie in Hollywood, with Beverly starring in it.  It pays to have an actress as a co-writer and best friend.  Or is it more?

Beverly sees people for who they are, and if she’s able to get Griff to see what she sees, then maybe they have a chance at happiness.  The challenge of course is that as an actress, her life is in the spotlight and that’s something that he doesn’t want.  Their journey as a couple is one of secrecy and self doubt- and fear of what gets to be out of their own control.

The nice thing about this book is that our amazing author J Kenner brings us a link to the Stark series, Kelsey and Wyatt play a part in making Griff realize the error in his ways, and becomes a voice of reason.  It’s nice to have those characters woven in, especially since i think another stark novel is coming out.

There’s also the introduction of Jessie who’s got a similar story to Griff’s and who thankfully helps him realize what he needs to do to be happy.

Romantic in all the right ways, steamy enough in others to remind us who the author is. She has a knack for giving us the sweet bits that make you root for a couple at a deeper emotional level, and then the heat and chemistry that keeps a romance alive.

So all in all, we get a nice follow up and 11th book of the series – we see the Man of the Month contest come to almost a close and i think that while it’s bitter sweet, we get to see happy endings for almost everyone.  or do we?  that’s the million dollar question.  Anyhow – on to the wait for the next installment.  Enjoy!

Review: In Too Deep (Man of the Month #10) by J Kenner

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Title: In Too Deep
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 6/9/18
Length:   132 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #10

Overview

Hannah Donovan is not my type.

Intellectual and career-focused, she’s a lawyer, and an intimidatingly beautiful one, at that. I’d rather pump iron than open a book, and the only reason I’d go to court would be for a traffic ticket.

She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. So how can I turn down her plea that I pretend to be her fiancé for one weekend?

But I never expected our pretend kisses to feel so real … or for it to lead to a wild night in bed that will forever stand out as the highlight of my sex life.

Our performance convinces everyone, but it was never meant to be more than a fantasy. A short term gig before reality sets back in.

I can’t imagine ever being good enough for her, but I’m hooked. And now I’m determined to do whatever it takes to make this fake engagement real.

My Thoughts

I really do enjoy the story here even though the whole idea of why they have the contest and what it’s going to accomplish has fallen to the wayside.  What’s nice though is that our amazing author has managed to keep the story lines interwoven while also keeping the plot standalone so you don’t really feel like you’ve missed out should you have not read all the installments

In this 10th book (wow 10 right?) we have the story of Hannah and Mathew.  Hannah is a lead that we really didn’t get much of in the other stories.  she was peripheral at best with some of the stories tied to the others, but i think that it’s about time that she gets to come into her own.  She’s a successful lawyer who’s been stuck in jobs that were making her brain rot.  now that she’s got the potential to break out on her own with Easton, she’s found herself in a situation where she’s without the funding and when she knows how she can get her hands on it from her mom, it means stretching the truth a bit of her life.

Then there’s Matthew, a guy that we know as a friend of some of the other characters and the brother of Selma from the last story.  He like a lot of the others had a rough upbringing, but made something quite amazing of himself, starting a gym, opening several locations and even looking to franchise.

These two know each other and yet won’t admit that there’s a spark until they are forced to put on an act and the chemistry is something that can’t be stopped.  What Ms Kenner does well is give us female leads that are strong and successful but maybe a bit ignorant in all things tied to the heart.  They all seem to put up walls around romance and play more of the ‘guy’ role, and find that the male leads are the ones who are romantic and looking for ways to complete their lives.  This is the exact same instance, but the way that the plot flows is one that’s quite nice – we get to see how both of these characters grow and become something great together.

The questions that we are thinking about here though are to what lengths they have to go in order for Hannah to get her money, and will her parents ever accept her for who she is.  What’s matthews’ thought in all this.  He seems to be so willing to become something that he’s not, yet wants to stay true to himself.  Lastly, when we find that forces pull them apart because appearances are more important to some, well, what will it take to overlook that and maybe find happiness.

So all in all, a story that flows in the same way that the others have, but with enough originality to keep it interesting.  The tease as well for the next installment when we FINALLY get Griffin’s story is a great one and i can’t wait to see where it goes.  Enjoy!

Review: All Night Long (Man of the Month #9) by J Kenner

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Title: All Night Long
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 5/30/18
Length:   128 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #9

Overview

I wear designer suits on my body by day and gorgeous women on my arm at night. Some might call me arrogant, with my chiseled jaw and my dark blue eyes. Add in my money and I can get any woman I want.

Now, I want her.

The night I spent with Selma has lived in my most erotic dreams. And ever since she swept back into my life, with her flashing eyes and delicious body, I want nothing more than to make sultry new memories.

But with an election coming up, and an office I want to fill, it isn’t the right time to get involved with a free-spirited girl with a wild streak. A girl who doesn’t abide by the rules. A girl who could get me noticed in all the wrong ways.

A girl who makes me crazy … in all the right ones.

Now I’m going to have to decide: Walk the straight and narrow? Or have the hottest, wildest affair of my life with the sexiest woman I’ve ever known?

Meet Mr. September –
He’s got the moves to make a woman blush.

My Thoughts

I really do enjoy this series.  While Ms Kenner tells us every time that these are standalone stories, you really do get a well planned series here – seeing how each of the stories fold into one another, and how as we meet each character, we know that there’s something bigger on the horizon for them.

We’ve met Easton in several installments before and it’s nice that we get to see more of him here.  While we know him as the lawyer that everyone defers to in the series, there’s got to be more to the man and what his aspirations are.  He’s a guy who comes from a past that’s not ideal, his family lost everything and he’s fought his way to be what he is.  He’s also a man that won’t settle until he has achieved everything that hopes for, being successful in his field isn’t enough, being elected to the judiciary sector is really his hope for his next step, or is it?  It takes a woman with a free spirit to make him question it all.

That woman is Selma – a woman who’s become successful with her own distillery, and yet, she’s running from the world, from herself.  We learn that her past is even more troubled than Easton’s.  She and her brother Matthew were abandoned when they were pre-teens, in a mall by their mother.  Being in the system is something that’s really made her a bit scared of losing all those who are close to her, and potentially has caused her to be even more wild and unsettled than normal.  When she’s got the chance to have her business bought out, she crosses paths with Easton again to help with the deal.  Again because they had a torrid one night stand 10 years ago, and clearly it’s something that neither of them have gotten out of their system.

What’s interesting with this series is that Ms Kenner, our esteemed author does something as a semi repeat if you think about it.  We have another couple that’s known each other in previous lives if you think about it.  They were a couple of sorts even if it was a night, 10 years ago and when they are pushed together now, we see that there could be steamy hot results, just like we saw for brooke.

Anyhow, we have a sweet story here – one of a girl who’s afraid to put down roots, but who sees something lasting with a guy.  And a guy who’s doing his best to keep up appearances to push his career forward, while knowing that maybe he needs to color outside the lines.  Their chemistry is hot, they can’t keep their hands off each other and that’s what keeps this installment going.  Will their relationship challenge everything that Easton has worked for, and when it does come to be in the forefront will there be too much to keep them together?  Are there other men and women at play with these two that makes things complicated?  well, it wouldn’t be a romance if we didn’t have people getting in the middle of things.

There’s one thing that’s bugging me a bit now that we have gotten to the 9th installment.  We’ve kind of lost the point of the whole story and contest/calendar to begin with.  There’s almost no mention of it at all anymore, and i think that it’s a miss.  We also have zero mention of the reality show that’s being filmed as well, something that was core to the story in the first place.  I can only hope that we get some of that back in the final book.  I mean, if we don’t get to see it come full circle, see that Tyree is maybe able to keep things afloat, then all we have are a bunch of engaging and interesting stories that are bound by a family of characters but no thread pulling through any more.

So, all i can say is that i enjoyed this story, but i’m missing a bit of the commonality.  We’ll see what book 10 brings.  Enjoy!

Review: Shake it Up (Man of the Month #8) by J Kenenr

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Title: Shake it Up
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 4/29/18
Length:   132 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #8

Overview

There are a million reasons why I need to stop thinking about Taylor D’Angelo naked.

She’s too young for me, for starters.

She’s too ambitious.

She’s my job.

Romance was the last thing on my mind when I agreed to look into her stalker as a favor.

Now, she’s all I can think about–and in every position I can imagine.

I’m not the only one obsessing.

The threats against her are intensifying along with our connection.

If I give in, if I let our bodies take over, it could draw her stalker out.

Our passion could save her.

Or it could destroy us both.

My Thoughts

This is yet another great installment to the greater series by our wonderful author.  Yes, while you don’t ‘have’ to read all of the stories to get the gist of things, it’s really helpful to have them all in your head since there are links in each.

In any event, we had just met Landon in the previous story, seeing the hot detective from afar, and now it’s his turn to get a story.  There’s also the bit of Taylor – a girl who’s been in the series from the beginning, really helping get things handled for the contest each time.

Of course each has a complicated backstory, but in this case it’s really about Taylor and her past which she makes it very hard for us and Landon to get information about.  She’s run from a past which isn’t the best (seems to be a trend in this series) and we never really get to know what made it what it was until perhaps it’s too late.  That’s where Landon comes into play since he’s a detective and has been asked to help sort out who is watching her, stalking her etc.

The journey of this installment is kind of basic, yet there’s more chemistry and heat here than in some of the others, so again i don’t know how J Kenner does it, but she manages to keep things fresh.  Here, Landon isn’t really searching for anything for himself.  he’s waiting to get a new partner in the PD, and he’s renovating his house, but his past is really just one of a wife who wasn’t able to accept what he does for a living and left.  That hasn’t really stunted him exactly, so it’s not the case here that we need to find out what truly damaged him and gave him ghosts.  Makes it a bit easier for us to have a more in depth story for Taylor.  We don’t know anything about her except for the fact that no one really knows her longer than her senior year in high school when she moved to Austin.  She doesn’t talk about her family, and she doesn’t talk about anything that shaped her, so you know it has to be major.

So when she becomes the target of a stalker, someone who’s leaving scary notes for her, throwing bricks at her car (if you recall, that’s the car accident that we had in the last installment that was aimed at Taylor but she wasn’t driving at the time).  The stalkers’ identity is one that’s up in the air for the reader since Taylor hopes that it’s one person, knowing that it’s likely to be someone else.  Someone who wants to kill her for reasons that we still don’t know.

The question becomes what will lure out this stalker and will he get caught before anyone gets hurt?  What will then happen between Landon and Taylor, a couple that clearly has chemistry and sparks.  will they act on it or stay professional?  will they need someone or something to push them together faster?  Only way to find out is to read on.  And then wait a week for book 9 to see what’s next for this group!  enjoy!

Review: Turn Me On (Man of the Month #7) by J Kenner

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Title: Turn Me On
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 4/17/18
Length:   124 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #7

Overview

Sometimes one night just isn’t enough.
Though they see each other only once a month, Amanda’s sweet body and wicked ways have been driving Derek wild for over a year.
And now that he’s moving to Austin, Derek is determined to have Amanda in his bed permanently.
There’s only one problem: Amanda’s happy with their current arrangement. Can Derek convince her a lifetime of nights together will be so much sweeter?
Meet Mr. July … he’s determined to heat things up.

My Thoughts

I love this series – and what’s different in this next installment is that we get a flashback in time from the whole series as well as being brought up to speed to present day.  It’s great when we get to see how the characters knew each other before and how their stories really began a while back, leading up to what we see in the quest to save The Fix.

So here we get Amanda’s story.  She’s Nolan’s sister and we got to know a bit about her from that, as well as through Jenna – who is one of her good friends.  We’ve really never gotten a full picture of what makes her tick before, knowing what made her into the cynic that she is, but here we do.  Her challenge is that a man ruined her sense of self in relationships as well as in her profession since being with him made her lose opportunities in her company.  Now she’s sworn to keep men at arm’s length and to use her feminine wiles to make her career blossom.

Then there’s Derek, a guy who comes from a family that’s based in Dallas and owns a hotel conglomerate.  He comes from money but he doesn’t ride the coattails of that one.  He wants to expand the business and take risks, change the reputation that he’s been given, and make his father proud since that seems impossible.

Knowing that these two are driven by conflicting things, we know that their pairing will be a tough one.  However…..it turns out to be easier than they thought – neither wants something firm and since they aren’t geographically in the same place, it’s even better.  So what’s the catch right?

That’s where our story takes shape.  We get to go on the journey with them of what it means to be in a ‘thing’ with someone who’s not available emotionally but maybe wants more without saying it.  And it’s sweet to see how they push each other but keep each other at arms length still.  It’s when situations change that we see how things get torn apart – running scared and perhaps ruining what could be great.

Our amazing author does it again here – giving us a story about a couple that’s so perfect for each other but are too blind to see it for a while and then challenge each other to get to a good place.  their chemistry as always is off the charts, and makes you really root for them even when they don’t want it.

I can’t wait to see what’s next in book 8.  We know Taylor as the hostess for the man of the month contest, and we met Landon in this 7th installment, – so to see how things take shape with them will be great.  there was also the issue of the car ‘accident’ that came at the end of book 7 that makes you wonder what Taylor’s back story is and how that will affect things for everyone – that the cop/detective that Landon is, will surely help.  So, on that note, 2 weeks of waiting and then we’ll find out.  If you haven’t read this series – i really suggest you start!  Enjoy!

Review: In Your Eyes (Man of the Month #6) by J Kenner

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Title: In Your Eyes
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 3/27/18
Length:   167 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #6

Overview

Possessive hands. Wild obsession. He’ll break any rule to claim her.

Billionaire bad boy Parker Manning buried his dark past beneath fast cars and faster women. With his chiseled good looks and Texas oil legacy, Parker’s used to laying claim to whatever–or whoever–he desires, and he’s never met a woman he couldn’t seduce into his bed.

Not, that is, until Megan Clark. Years ago, she flatly refused him. Now, she’s back–and she needs a favor. No way is Parker letting her get away again, and he conditions his agreement on one sensuous night with Megan in his bed and at his mercy.

He never expects to want more. To crave this woman who fascinates and challenges him. But he does, and now he’s determined to possess her.

But Megan’s a woman with secrets of her own, and if Parker wants to claim her, he’s going to have to conquer his past and show Megan his true heart.

Meet Mr. June. Summer’s heat has nothing on him.

My Thoughts

This series continues with Megan’s story.  We’ve come to love her as the girl who is an LA transplant and a great makeup artist.  She’s come on board with the bar and contest more so as a marketing guru since there’s more of a need for that, and her ideas are really starting to payoff for the team.  the challenge of course is when she thinks that she’s managed to get one of Austin’s best and brightest on board and learns that it’s not truly the case.  To add to that – they have crossed paths before, so you know that it’ll get dicey.

Parker is the kind of guy who’s used to getting what he wants, and he used to steamroll over people to get those things that potentially seemed out of reach.  When Megan turned him down, it bruised his ego, and to learn that she ended up with a guy in their circle who maybe wasn’t the best for her, that hurt even more.  So he takes a twisted and sick joy out of getting her to do what he wants now that she owes him.

True to form in this series, nothing comes easy.  Megan has her own obstacles to overcome, first the fact that she fled LA to get away from an abusive boyfriend and hopes to stay under cover in Austin.  Then there’s Parker who she’s still attracted to as she was back in LA and even considers acting on that attraction.  There’s also the fact that she’s not sure where her next paycheck will come from if the folks at the Fix decide that they don’t need her or can’t afford her, and the stresses keep piling up.

what’s nice here is that even though there’s a high level of animosity between these two from the get go, it’s fueled by an intense sexual tension that they finally allow to bubble up to the surface and when that happens, it has a great potential to be hot.

The twist of course comes when the past that Megan was running from some how manages to come to the present.  She hears from a friend in LA who tries to warn her off Parker in a very similar fashion of what she lived through in LA.  then there’s the fact that her ex shows up in Austin once he discovers that she’s there, and he tries the same tactics.  While Megan has a lot of trust and faith in Parker, she almost blindly is willing to believe what her heart says.  There’s also no resolution to some of the comments that are tossed around, so we get no real closure from any of these folks.  It’s confusing to me, but oh well.

So, June comes to a close as the previous months have – we get a really hot story at times and a really sweet and romantic story at others.  There’s a lot of great stuff going on for all the folks that we’ve met, and yes, while like J Kenner says, these are stand alone, it’s really great and helpful to read the full series to see not only the progress of what’s happening at the bar, but to learn more and more about the characters and how their lives are intertwined.  since they all are.  So, on that note – enjoy!

Review: Get it On (Man of the Month #5) by J Kenner

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Title: Get It On
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 3/10/18
Length:   167 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #5

Overview

Skillful hands. A talented tongue.
Meet Mr. May.

Fate’s been messing with veteran Tyree Johnson. It took his buddies in combat and his wife in a fatal car accident. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let Fate take his beloved bar, The Fix on Sixth.

For years, he’s avoided being Fate’s whipping boy through sheer force of will, and now every bit of his focus is centered on saving his business. Until, that is, the first woman who ever touched his heart walks back into his life-along with a daughter he never knew.

After years of loneliness, Tyree’s not prepared for the way Eva’s sensual curves and sharp wit still capture his heart and rekindle his senses. All he knows is that for the first time in forever, he’s found a passion other than his bar. But one final twist arrives when Fate pits the bar he can’t bear to lose against the woman who’s stolen his heart.

He’s a master at red-hot ecstasy.

My Thoughts

The series continues and even though these are all standalone stories, they are all intertwined.  We finally get to see what makes Tyree tick and it’s a sweet story of what it was like when he was younger, and then now still when he wants to honor his wife who passed, set a good example for his teenage son and to still live his life.

Eva is the woman who got away 20 years ago.  They had an all consuming romance, however coming from different worlds, and Tyree being in the military, well things were bound to fall apart.  Interestingly enough, her father is the one who made things more complicated – leading Eva to believe that Tyree was killed on duty and therefore raising a surprise child alone (or rather with a man that her father approved of and chose).

So fast forward about 23 years., and we get to see Elena, Eva and Tyree’s daughter set out on the path to find her father, get to know him, and potentially get her mom and dad back together.

In true J Kenner style, we have a story that’s complicated because there are so many ghosts in the past, a lot of distrust and geography that keeps things from being as simple and easy as they should be.  They are pulled apart but always brought back together because of chemistry that was strong 20 years ago and is still there under the surface now.  When they finally allow it to bubble up, well we get the types of scenes that we come to adore from our author – so hot and steamy that you know that there’s something great if they just let it happen.

The supporting characters of the children make this story a bit more real and deep than other stories in the series.  Elena has her own personality and motivation for doing things and she’s a great kid. (young adult).  What i keep getting confused about here though is what she’s doing in Austin, but i guess it doesn’t really matter.  Then there’s Eli, Tyree’s son and he’s beyond his years.  He’s in high school, working in an internship in the hospital and trying to make something amazing of himself.  He’s also really mature for his age, being a bit of the voice of reason to his father about how they should/could live their lives better given that Tyree is living in the past.

Of course, this story like all the others surrounds the Man of the Month contest at The Fix – the attempt of trying to save the bar, and we see that it’s doing wonders for the crowd and revenue.  Tyree has a sense of positive trajectory here, although there’s the underlying fact that his biggest competitor, a bar called Bodacious is stealing not just his customers, but his menu and now his staff.  So things start to get dirty here a bit as well and i wonder if we’ll get to see how that plays out in anyone else’s story.

All in all a good continuation of the series.  There were times though that i noticed that Eva and Elena were mixed up in names and dialogue throughout the story – but that’s just me being critical.  Anyhow – enjoy and onto the next installment that i believe comes out on Tuesday.

Review: Start Me Up (Man of the Month #4) by J Kenner

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Title: Start Me Up
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 2/24/18
Length:   165 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #4

Overview

Wicked days. Sinful nights.
Meet Mr. April.

A high school drop-out with only his twisted sense of humor and panty-melting good looks going for him, Nolan Wood has turned a small radio gig into a thriving career.

Now a local celebrity, Nolan never wants for female companionship. But he never gets too close. And he damn sure never lets them see the man-or the pain-behind the jokes.

Then a one-night stand changes everything.

Career-focused, goal-oriented, and buttoned-down accountant Shelby Drake isn’t the kind of woman who’d usually catch Nolan’s attention, but her soft mouth, hidden curves, and deep sensuality blow his mind. And after only one taste, he wants more.

But Shelby wants nothing more to do with him. And now the radio playboy is on a sensual mission to convince her that opposites really do attract.

Her pleasure is his passion.

My Thoughts

Well i’m a fan of this series and of how we continue to meet new characters that keep things exciting and dynamic.  Again what i’ve said before and will continue to say, Ms Kenner gives us really good story lines that differ enough to make it interesting and keep things moving while also making sure that we have the foundation of what made the story important to begin with and why we need to have the monthly contest.

So in this story, we are brought the tale of Nolan, the radio DJ that we’ve met before and who is a player of sorts, but often because of the nature of his radio show ‘Mornings with Wood’.  Everyone has an expectation of him, and well, he’s never wanting for female attention because of it.  So of course when he meets his Paradox – a girl who needs to be chased because she’s not at all the kind of girl that he’s gone for before, we get to see a different side of him.

Then there’s Shelby – a CPA that’s linked to Brooke so that’s our grounding factor there – and she’s so prim and proper – doing what’s expected all the time that having a wild night at a bachelorette party seems to be exactly what she needed to not only loosen up, but to meet Nolan.

So their story is a fun one, where the wild guy becomes a bit more tame, and the tame girl learns a bit more about herself and gets wild.  Of course that, paired with some intense chemistry from the moment they link eyes, and well you know that we’re going to get some great romance and passion that only our author can write.

Now of course the expectation is that something will tear them apart, and i guess there are a lot of things that could do that.  One is Shelby’s boyfriend of 4 months – the perfect guy who is parent approved and is exactly the kind of guy that she should end up with.  Then there’s Nolan’s radio show which would ruin Shelby’s reputation at her conservative accounting firm.  Then there’s also Lauren – Nolan’s bitchy ex-wife who likes to point out his shortfalls all the time.  so you can imagine and see the ticking time bomb and i think that it’s important to guess at when and how things will combust and what it will take to get it put back together.

The interesting thing about this 4th installment though is the Epilogue.  We usually get a glimpse into the next match that’s being made, but we’re given a bit of a twist and surprise when we see who walks into the bar this time.  I can’t wait to see how it all plays out because it’s going to be interesting for sure.  Enjoy!