Lust by Kiki Burrelli (Wolves of Resurrection Road #2)

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Lust : Wolves of Resurrection Road

Author: ⟫ Kiki Burrelli

Blurb: ⟫ As alpha of a nomadic pack of wolf shifters, Abel’s home is on the road, stopping in one place long enough to help and then move on. His pack lives on the fringes—and like it that way.

So when an ally pack tells him he and his men are ancient warriors reincarnated, they must join forces to save the world, and that they have soulmates—he calls bullsh*t.

Abel has no need for a soulmate but he can’t ignore the demon kings threatening to destroy the world and every human on it. His men will fight, but on their terms. He doesn’t need the responsibility of a new pack, and Abel’s life is too brutal for something so fragile as love.

Micah has spent his life living in fear since witnessing his parents’ murder as a child. People are dangerous, so was the dark, and just about everything else located outside of his tiny room.

His world is small on purpose. He’s content living that way, until his best friend needs his help and to give it, Micah must stop hiding under the covers and face the unknown.

Abel spots Micah right away, terrified and in a place he has no reason being. He’s so human it hurts and Abel can’t allow someone so soft and breakable to roam unprotected. Choosing to guard him has nothing to do with the way Micah makes Abel feel—like his body is a pile of dry kindling and Micah is the match.

Abel doesn’t deserve the gentle young man, but when a demon king sets his sights on Micah, Abel has no choice but to turn to his allies while bringing Micah into his world.

Micah has no idea why he’s suddenly the target of a demon king. He’d been oblivious to the existence of demons, angels, and shifters, but he’ll have to trust one if he wants to live. Abel is dangerous. The alpha also awakens a part of Micah he never knew existed, and more importantly, he’s Micah’s only hope of surviving.

Lust is the second book in the Wolves of Resurrection Road series. It is an action-packed, swelteringly hot, mpreg romance that continues in a world of mystery, mayhem, and magic.

Wolves of Resurrection Road

* Pride

* Lust

* Wrath

*Envy

Review: ⟫ Well, it’s definitely my fault that I didn’t read the previous books – it would have been incredibly helpful in identifying everyone!

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book. It’s got demons, werewolves, cherubs and that’s just for starters!

I was a little concerned that I would find Micah a little bit wimpy, but this guy had a spine of steel and was there for his new family with bells on. I loved the Alpha Abel and the fact that he respected Micah despite wanting to wrap him up in cotton wool. It’s not often you find that it’s not the alphas saving the day.

There weren’t many sex scenes and the mpreg kinda passed in a flash (I shall say no more because spoilers). This story kept me interested and turning the pages, enjoying each new revelation. I’m going to try to read the rest of the books in the series – I believe there are at least eight of them?

Anyway, start at the beginning so you can enjoy the characters that pop up and follow the storyline. You won’t regret it!

4/5 but only because even though it said it was book two, there appears to be a lot of crossover which would have been handy to know before reading!

I received an ARC from GayRomanceReviews in exchange for an honest review.

Domestic Service by Ella Fenn

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Domestic Service

Author: ⟫ Ella Fenn

Blurb: ⟫ An inexperienced executive. A penniless grad student. An unconventional offer.

Colin Caldwell clawed his way out of a rough childhood to put himself through college, and now grad school. Broke, stressed-out, and struggling to stay afloat after he loses his regular ridesharing gig, he’s willing to do anything that pays the bills.

Simon Vessey is the total package—a handsome, wealthy, and successful executive who, at thirty-seven, seems to have it all. But behind closed doors, Simon is shy, lonely, and so inexperienced as a dominant that he might as well be a virgin. Limited by his fears, but craving companionship beyond an occasional escort, what he really wants is someone he can come home to, even if he’s paying for the privilege.

When a mutual acquaintance suggests that Colin could be the perfect fit for Simon’s live-in submissive dreams, it seems like the perfect solution for them both. But when their connection begins to run deeper than their business contract, and old demons rear their heads, will they find a way to persevere?

The first book in the Living Situations series, Domestic Service is a gay romance featuring an age gap, light BDSM, and two broken people fixing each other in service of their happy ending. If you like steamy situations, compelling characters, and forced proximity, then you’ll love Ella Fenn’s debut novel.

Review: ⟫ You know when you go into a book with preconceptions as to what it’s going to be like and then it knocks you on your butt? This book did that to me.

I really liked the blurb and thought it would be a fun read, and it was initially. And then it started going into things deeper, and there were feelings – so many feelings. I admit it – I cried. Real life is a trip at the moment and for some reason, the scene with the bear cub (by the way, we all need a Bertram) just took me completely by surprise and I was bawling my eyes out.

I admired both Simon and Collin – not because they were perfect, but because they weren’t. It would have been so easy to keep this as a surface romance – man falls in love with his live-in sub, etc but this was so much more than that. The supporting cast were brilliant – can I just say three cheers for well-rounded female characters – and I stayed up far too late reading this.

The sex/kink was almost by the by – instead, I really wanted to see how Simon and Colin were going to make it, how they were going to get their broken pieces to fit. And I really applaud the way it was done – it took time, effort, self reflection and some really painful changes.

I can hardly believe that this is a debut novel – I was really impressed, and will most definitely be looking for more by this author.

An easy 5/5 – I’m off to blow my nose and cuddle my cats!

I received an ARC from GayRomanceReviews in exchange for an honest review.

These Deviant Ties (Dark Romance Anthology) by Various Authors

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ These Deviant Ties (Dark MM Romance Anthology)

Author: ⟫ Various

Blurb: ⟫ Deviants and delinquents…

These men exist outside the law. They walk in the shadows and thrive in the dark.

Bad to the bone, they take what they want.

What happens when what they want is you?

What happens when the anger that burns through their veins is now directed at you?

Can enemies really become lovers or is it just a losing game?

These Deviant Ties follows eleven authors who bring you steamy, dark MM stories that will make your toes curl and your heart pound.

Review: ⟫ My general review would be that the stories I have read so far were nowhere near as dark as I was expecting. I don’t know if that means I’ve got a really dark/dirty mind or that my expectations were too high, but none of them struck as me as particularly out there when it came to the relationships. That isn’t to say that the anthology doesn’t contain anything good – some were really well interesting and I will definitely be looking for other stories from some of the authors.

Individual reviews are below.

Below the Belt by Andi Rhodes

The first rule of fight club is – well, this isn’t that kind of fight club for a start. And the fighters aren’t all there voluntarily. This was fast, brutal and sexy in a very dark way. The relationship between Grizzly and Phantom was also fast, brutal and sexy but it made sense in the world in which they lived – they could hardly go out for tea and cupcakes! Not a lot of romance, but a LOT of chemistry! 4/5

Diavolo by Andrea Joy

This one felt a little misleading for a dark read. It started with torture and then took a turn that I didn’t expect. The writing was good – some of the descriptions of what Skyler and Ashton got up to were pleasantly toe-curling, but I’m not sure it fully belonged in this anthology. 3.5/5

In the Eyes of my Enemy by C P Harris

This went somewhere I wasn’t expecting with the reason behind the relationship not working out, so that was a good surprise. I liked it but this actual story didn’t stick with me particularly which is a shame because it was well written. 3.5/5

Caged in Shadows by Amy Thorn

I could imagine this on the small screen very much like Sons of Anarchy. Really well written, my heart went out to Shakespeare and you could definitely understand his motivations. I wish there had been more time spent with Liam – Shakespeare’s backstory was important but in a novella of this size, I felt too much time was spent on what had happened in the past rather than on his relationship with Liam. 3.75/5

Evil Beautiful by Rene Van Dalen

This story wasn’t my definition of dark but I did really enjoy it. Kellen sounded delicious and I loved that he wasn’t a walk-over, and I was intrigued by what I read of Gideon. I would definitely be interested in more mm romance by Rene Van Dalen, but this wasn’t anywhere near as dark as I was expecting/hoping. 4/5

Loan Shark by Nero Seal

This is a hard one to review because what happened between the two of them was straight up non-con, with nothing that I would call romance. I think as part of a bigger, longer story, things could have got much more interesting but as it stands, I can’t say I liked it. 2.5/5

A Temporary Situation by H.L. Day

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ A Temporary Situation (Temporary #1)

Author: ⟫H.L. Day

Rating: ⟫ 4.5/5

Blurb: ⟫ Please note that this is a re-release. Only the cover has changed. There are no major revisions to the story.

Personal assistant Dominic is a consummate professional. Funny then, that he harbors such unprofessional feelings toward Tristan Maxwell, the CEO of the company.

No, not in that way.

The man may be the walking epitome of gorgeousness dressed up in a designer suit. But, Dominic’s immune. Unlike most of the workforce, he can see through the pretty facade to the arrogant, self-entitled asshole below. It’s lucky then, that the man’s easy enough to avoid.

Disaster strikes when Dominic finds himself having to work in close proximity as Tristan’s P.A. The man is infuriatingly unflappable, infuriatingly good-humored, and infuriatingly unorthodox. In short, just infuriating. A late-night rescue leading to a drunken pass only complicates matters further, especially with the discovery that Tristan is both straight and engaged.

Hatred turns to tolerance, tolerance to friendship, and friendship to mutual passion. One thing’s for sure, if Tristan sets his sights on Dominic, there’s no way Dominic has the necessary armor or willpower to keep a force of nature like Tristan at bay for long, no matter how unprofessional a relationship with the boss might be.

He may just have to revise everything he previously thought and believed in for a chance at love.

Review: ⟫ This book was a laugh riot! I absolutely adored Tristan – he was so freakin’ funny, with a straight-forward honesty, brilliant attitude and he sounded hot af! He could have been a complete disaster, coming across as too perfect to live, but the way he ate, how he dragged Dominic around and just took over his life was so much fun to read! And the fact that he was more than happy to embrace a new facet to his sexuality with a willingness to research and just dive in was refreshing!

Dominic was a little infuriating on occasion – when he was talking to his friend Paul, there were times when I didn’t understand why Paul didn’t throttle him – but he was sarcastic, funny, honest and generally a good guy!

This was such a fun, easy read, with the barest hint of a big-bad guy, a few hot sex scenes, but it flowed so nicely. I really enjoyed reading this one and am heading off to the next in the series happily. A nice and easy 4.5 rounded up!

Haunted Hearts by Leighton Greene

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Haunted Hearts (Friends of Friends #4)

Author: ⟫ Leighton Greene

Rating: ⟫ 5/5

Blurb: ⟫ Lord Arden is an arrogant, prickly, critical jerk…and I’m falling for him.

After a disastrous first weekend as his service sub while he’s on a working vacation in LA, I give in to the pleas of my friends and return to try again.

Haughty Hottie, I call him.

Never in his hearing, or I’d get another five infractions marked down in the little card of punishments he’s tied around my wrist.

The more time we spend together, the more his icy exterior seems to melt. But as hot and haughty as he is, he’s also haunted…

And he won’t share his heart.

After the Halloween masquerade, he’ll be gone. Back to England, back to his lonely life.

Can I persuade him to open up before then, or is he already planning to ghost me?

***

Haunted Hearts is the fourth book in the Friends of Friends series. HFN/HEA guaranteed, and no cliffhangers. While this book is part of a series, it can be read on its own, but characters from previous books do show up in cameos.

Review: ⟫ I’ve never really understood the whole service kink thing so I went into this wanting to learn. And boy howdy, did I learn! This book steamed right through my expectations and showed me exactly what’s so sexy about service.

I adored Oliver – I thought he was an honest, straight-forward, cool guy. But I LOVED Lord Elliott. I haven’t read any of the other Friends of Friends books, but I will definitely be adding them to my list because I was blown away by this book. The pain Lord Arden was suffering from was apparent in every word he spoke and every move he made, but so too was his instant attraction to Oliver and his desire to find a way out of the rut he had found himself in.

I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion, but I think it was the walks in the maze and the music that really touched me the most – this book really surprised me in so many ways.

I liked how respectful of each other they were – and how they were both willing to admit to their failings when they messed up – and their honesty was refreshing. Yes, there were moments when I wanted to shake both of them, but it wasn’t through lack of effort on either of them – it was about reality and how things don’t always come tied up in a sweet little bow, perfectly fitting in with your plans.

I have enjoyed Leighton Greene’s mafia series previously and this definitely reached the same heights – really pleased I read this and open to the idea of reading more about service.

I received an ARC from GRR.

In Darkness and Dank by K.L. Hiers

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ In Darkness and Dank

Author: ⟫ K.L. Hiers

Rating: ⟫ 3.5/5

Blurb: ⟫ Kittisak Amarin is not a scientist—he’s barely a student, but he joined his college professor’s research team for an expedition into the Amazon as a last ditch effort to pass his biology course.

His professor thinks they’re going to discover a new species out here, but Kittisak is more worried about being eaten alive by giant mosquitoes and staying awake while the team studies test tubes of dirty water.

When he sees a fantastic amphibian creature watching over him one night, he thinks it’s just a dream.

Until it comes back.

A fatal misunderstanding leaves Kittisak wounded and unable to flee once the creature has taken him prisoner. As the creature nurses him back to health and shows him the wonders of his mysterious jungle home, Kittisak has to confront his growing attraction to his enigmatic captor and his dwindling desire to escape. He begins to realize that the creature may not be the monster he appears to be…

And that even amongst darkness and dank, the sweetest romance can blossom.

In Darkness and Dank is an MM Horror Retelling of Creature from the Black Lagoon, as part of the collaboration Monsters & Mayhem: An MM Horror Collection, adapting some of your favorite classic horror stories with an MM romance twist.

Review: ⟫ The heroines of the horror movies these stories seem to be based off of were nowhere near as horny as this!

I went into this expecting it to be a real horror story which is my mistake. This story was a retelling of the Creature from the Black Lagoon and it was so camp, it was funny. The most serious part of this book seemed to be the science – other than that, this seemed to be written/played completely for laughs – from Kittisak’s initial response to the creature, to how things transpired between them, to where things went in the end.

The writing was a bit simplistic (apart from the science), and mildly entertaining and I think if you are looking for something light to read, it’s pretty ideal. Just don’t go into it expecting any real horror other than the human kind!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Making Waves by Christina Lee (Franklin U #7)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Making Waves

Author: ⟫ Christina Lee

Rating: ⟫ 3/5

Blurb: ⟫ Alex Larsen

Remy Duval was my high school crush and secret first kiss, but he’s also so much more. A painter, a tattoo artist, my best friend Bailey’s older brother…and Bailey’s sworn enemy.

It was easier to keep my distance the past two years, but now that Bailey and I are attending Franklin University with him, I’m only drawn to Remy more. I should be loyal to my best friend, focus on classes and swim team, but the more I see Remy around campus, the harder it becomes to stay away.

Remy Duval

My brother hates me, but that’s no surprise. I’ll take the fall for ruining our family if it means doing the right thing. But as soon as my brother and his best friend show up on campus, I know I’m in trouble.

Alex is all grown up, and I can’t help wanting him, especially when he’s in those tiny swim briefs that emphasize everything.

One kiss leads to more, and before we know it, we’re tumbling into secret, no-strings-attached hookups.

But who knew Alex would understand me in ways few others have? And I think, just maybe, I understand him too.

I keep telling myself it’s temporary. Alex doesn’t want to disappoint his best friend, and after what my parents went through, I’m not looking to settle down.

Making waves is nothing new, but the further I fall, the more I drag Alex in the deep end with me.

Review: ⟫ I hate to pile onto the character hate that I’ve seen on Goodreads and Amazon, but OMG Bailey!! Why was he given so much power in this book?

I get not wanting to upset your best friend; I get not wanting to pile on to someone who is struggling with realising their hero isn’t worthy of their adoration – I get all of the possible reasons why Bailey was struggling with what his father did.

But. What the heck – this man-child had absolutely everyone making excuses for his atrocious behaviour and was responsible for pretty much all of the angst in this book. So much so, that it was almost impossible to understand why Alex and Remy let him get away with it. Someone needed to tell him to take several seats and get a grip!

The actual romance between Alex and Remy was sweet, especially the way they were both trying to deny how attached they were to each other. From attending all of his swim meets, to cooking for him, cuddling with him and sharing his art, I loved Remy as a character. I thought he was really sweet and deserving of all of the love. Alex – I didn’t get much of a feel for him, although the backstory of his sister and parents made sense of a lot of his thought processes.

But unfortunately for me, Bailey overshadowed all of that and utterly ruined the story for me. Ugh – just, no.

Learning Curve by N.R. Walker (Franklin U #6)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Learning Curve (Franklin U Book #6)

Author: ⟫ N.R. Walker

Rating: ⟫ 5/5

Blurb: ⟫ Cobey Green

There I was, moving into the dorms at Franklin U, and not into the shared party house I’d lived in my freshman year. Last year had been all about football and parties, not schoolwork. Which was why my grades tanked, and why I was one failed class away from being kicked off the team.

Why I needed to live on campus, and find myself a tutor.

Funny that my new roommate just happened to be a tutor. Funny that he was oblivious to how hot he is.

For a smart guy, he was pretty clueless. Maybe I could tutor him in how to be more outgoing in exchange for help with calculus? I could teach him how to talk to people, how to make new friends. Hell, maybe I could even help him punch his V card.

Actually, now that I thought about it… that was a really good idea.

Vincent Brandt

And there I was, happy to be back at college, happy to be where I was most comfortable. Happy to be starting another school year, happy to start tutoring again so I could earn some money.

And yes, there I was, equal parts excited and dreading to see who my new roommate would be… Until Cobey Green’s smiling face appeared at the door.

A huge football player, loved by everyone, gorgeous, rich, and out of the closet.

Everything I was not.

It didn’t help that he was genuinely a really nice guy. It didn’t help that I could make him laugh, and we could talk so easily, and it certainly didn’t help that we started having private tutorials which ended up way more private than I’d ever dared imagine.

I’d ranked top of my class in every subject since the first grade yet there I was falling stupidly in love with him.

This was going to be a hell of a year.

And one very steep learning curve for both of us.

Review: ⟫ Do you know what it’s like when you read a new (to you) author and as soon as you finish, you have to go and find their entire back-catalogue because you need to read everything they’ve ever written immediately? Yeah, that was this book for me.

I have been seriously enjoying the Franklin U series of books, not least because it has introduced me to authors I haven’t read before. As far as I know, I haven’t read any N.R. Walker books before and for that, I can only give past-me a smack to the back of the head.

This was absolutely brilliant – witty, fun, touching, sexy – the relationship that grew between Cobey and Vincent was just everything!

I picked this book up just after midnight and finished it just before 2 a.m. because despite being exhausted, I couldn’t bring myself to put it down.

This book was so normal and ordinary in so many ways – it was boy meets boy, boy embarrasses the heck out of himself in front of boy, boys decide to help each other out and in the process fall in love.

But it was also extraordinary in how it told their story – it showed how they fell in love, it showed how much they cared about each other in the little things that they did, how protective they were of each other and their relationship.

I adored Nate and Jayda, as well as seeing glimpses of characters from other books in the Franklin U universe, and the epilogue made me laugh out loud.

I would suggest flipping over a page after the epilogue so that you can see the newspaper clipping which literally made me say ‘awwww’ because it was just so sweet.

Bet You by Neve Wilder (Franklin U #4)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Bet You (Franklin U Book #4)

Author: ⟫ Neve Wilder

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ Spencer

Whose brilliant idea was it to build university housing next to one of Franklin U’s most notorious party frats?

I’m a real student—the kind who actually came to college to learn, not some dumb frat bro who sees Franklin U as a four-year challenge to consume the most booze and throw out the best pick-up line.

Their all-hours lifestyle is driving me crazy. Not to mention, the jerks keep taking my assigned parking spot.

But the worst offender might be Cory Ingram. Sure, he has a smile that could melt a polar ice cap, but no way will I ever be one of his minions. I’m pretty sure I made that clear when I blew my top at him. So I have no idea why he’s suddenly everywhere around me, turning on the charm like I might actually fall for it.

Nope.

Not gonna happen.

Cory

From the first day I set foot on Franklin U’s campus, everything has been golden. I have a ton of friends, endless parties to be the life of, and whoever I want in my bed on any given night.

Sure, I’m a shameless party boy, but I’m not a jerk. Ask anyone. Seriously.

Even the crotchety old groundskeeper waves and smiles at me when I pass.

Then there’s Spencer Crow.

I’ve never seen a guy’s face get so red over a parking spot. Even when I try to make it right, he proceeds to give me the tongue-lashing of a lifetime—which is about the moment I notice that, in addition to being irrationally irate, he’s also crazy hot.

My friends think I’ve finally met the one person I can’t seduce…

Bet you I can.

Review: ⟫ I’ve been enjoying reading the books in the interconnected Franklin U series and this one was no exception.

I was a little unsure when I read the premise – it seemed a tad icky to be making bets on seducing someone and reminded me far too much of Cruel Intentions – but I was interested enough to keep reading and am glad I did.

Cory and Spencer are a very cute couple, with their in-jokes, their ability to laugh at themselves at each other, and their interactions from their bedroom windows were extremely hot.

It was obvious from the very beginning that the whole bet thing was going to come back and bite Cory on the butt – however, it was so enjoyable up until that point that it was easy to put it out of my mind. The background characters were fun and interesting, as was the whole DIKCon that was going on, and this book was an extremely easy read.

I appreciated the reactions to the whole bet situation coming to life – there were no attempts to shrug it off or pretend that it wasn’t offensive. I also felt that Cory definitely realised what he had done wrong and was sincere in his grovelling. It didn’t hurt that he did his big gesture using one of my favourite TV moments featuring Tom Holland, and the imagery of the re-enaction was absolutely spot on!

I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment of Franklin U and am happy to recommend this as a fun, satisfying addition to the series.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Mr Romance by Louisa Masters (Franklin U #3)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Mr Romance (Franklin U #3)

Author: ⟫ Louisa Masters

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ When you’re clueless, Mr. Romance can help.

Charlie

I’m not sure how it happened, but it turns out I’ve unknowingly been dating three people.

Friends don’t spoil other friends, apparently. My trust fund means I can afford to, though, and what’s a meal here and there? Or some clothes? Or textbooks? That doesn’t mean we’re dating, right?

Others disagree.

If I want to get through the rest of college knowing who my friends are, I need help from someone who knows all about dating and can tell me what not to do.

Someone like Mr. Romance.

Liam

When people look at me, romance is the last thing they think of… but I’m still the first person they call. Need a first date planned? A big romantic moment? Gotta beg for forgiveness? I’m your man. When it comes to romance, I’ve got it handled.

Not personally, though. My romantic life is… barren.

All I really want is someone to snuggle with and spoil me. What I’ve got is planning dates for people who have no clue about romancing someone.

But now I’m somehow Charlie Martin’s anti-romance consultant. Charlie, who’s completely clueless yet the most accepting and friendly person I’ve ever met. Who’s giving and generous. Who’s befriended me and wants me to be happy.

I’m supposed to help him stop his friends from falling for him.

The last thing I need is to fall for him myself.

Review: ⟫ I think this may be the first book by Louisa Masters that I’ve read, but I will be on the look out for more.

Charlie is such a complete and utter Himbo, with the sweetest character and obliviousness that you can’t help but forgive him. The beginning of the book made me feel so bad for him, not least because his friend Ian had to intercede and save him whilst it was all being filmed.

The thing is, I have known people like Charlie (albeit without the trust fund) so it was easy to picture how he got himself into that position in the first place. I did feel bad for him trying to figure out just who else he had unwittingly tangled in his web!

Liam was a completely different character in terms of being extremely organised, romantic in spirit and an all around good guy. And picturing him throwing himself into those gymnastic moves didn’t hurt either!

I really enjoyed this duo – from their initial meeting and Liam helping Charlie sort a few things out, to where they began to spend more time together and get to know each other. I felt very much like Ian and Matt inasmuch as I wanted them to take off the blinkers and see what was happening! Every now and then, the dual obliviousness or unwillingness to communicate got irritating, but on the whole this entire story was an enjoyable romp – very similar to Liam’s favourite rom-coms!

I was intrigued by Ian and Matt, and will look out for their story, but was quietly satisfied with how this all played out and am looking forward to reading more of Franklin U.