Tag Archives: Author: Mary Calmes

Out of a Fix by Mary Calmes (Torus Intercession #7)

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TITLE: ⟫ Out of a Fix
AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Torus Intercession #7
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ If you put a family back together, how can you ever leave them?

Through the years, Nash Miller has watched all his buddies fall in love and get married. It was romantic, and he’d wondered when he himself would find the one. Now, older, wiser, he realizes that what he’s always wanted—a husband and a family—just isn’t in the cards for him. And that’s all right. He has wonderful friends, a good life, and he gets to help people, which has always been his true calling. So when the time comes to protect a family in a tiny town in Washington State, he’s more than willing to get on his white horse and ride.

The family needs a bodyguard, but it goes beyond that. The mother abandoned them for a new life, and the father is absent, stuck on a work project he took on to keep his family afloat. What Nash finds are three kids in need of a fixer, and lucky for them, that’s exactly what he does. Providing support and structure is second nature to him, and he’s on solid ground, confident…until their father, Luke Duchesne, gets home. He’s nothing like Nash assumed he’d be, and with each passing day, the lure of the man, and his great kids, gets harder to resist. But he can’t stay there. He’s a fixer, after all, and what they’re all feeling is simply gratitude. Isn’t it…? Though when Luke kisses him, it starts to feel like so much more. Nash hopes he’ll be able to explore a life with Luke—he just needs to make sure his own isn’t cut short.

REVIEW: ⟫ Struggling with a book hangover (Garrett Leigh’s Just This Once destroyed me), I discovered the last book in the Torus Intercession was ready for me to read. And this one was so lovely and so much fun! Nash is one of the oldest fixers working for Torus Intercession and has watched all of his friends find their person, some of them very close to home.

What he doesn’t expect when he takes on the latest ‘fix’ is a family in desperate need of someone to be the heart, the glue that keeps them together. He bonds with the children first, helping them deal with the loss of their mother and the (apparent) desertion of a father who is struggling to keep afloat. The kids in this had me rolling with laughter and when Luke returned home, things heated up in such a fabulous fashion. True to her normal formatting, Calmes crafted a situation where working together and communicating made everything so much better, and beneath all of that we had plots involving cartel members and corrupt police officials.

This was exactly what I needed – Mary Calmes is one of my comfort reads because she always ensures a happy ending, along with glimpses of previous favourites that makes my heart so happy. If you’ve read her before, you know just what you’re getting into and I’m sure fans will enjoy this final instalment.

The Allure of Ruins by Mary Calmes

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The Allure of Ruins – Mary Calmes

TITLE: ⟫ The Allure of Ruins
AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Paxton Walsh has a comfortable life, which wasn’t always the case. But ever since he left his tumultuous life on the West Coast, trading it for a new beginning on the East Coast, things have settled. He can thank himself for the change, but also his boss and friend, Colton Gates. Their relationship is…a bit too codependent and close for most people to understand, but it works perfectly for them. So what if thoughts can be conveyed with a glance? That doesn’t really mean anything. Or at least not what other people think.

But now a threat from Pax’s past is back, shattering that hard-won peace. With Pax in danger and needing protection, Colton immediately steps up and takes him in. Without distance, though, without retreating to separate homes, both men have to be honest about their feelings. The truth is, Pax was hurt, body and soul, and if he reaches for Colton and finds they can’t be more, he’ll lose everything. If Colton does the same and it doesn’t work, he’ll lose Pax, his best friend and the person who knows him better than anyone. With both of them terrified of the what-ifs, it might be too hard to have faith and jump. If only they could both be brave.

REVIEW: ⟫ I am a die-hard Mary Calmes fan and have been for a very long time! I know what I’m getting when I read one of her books – they’re reliable in the almost dangerous codependency of the romantic couples, the one character that absolutely everyone adores and want to be around, the chemistry is off the charts and the sex is epic. Guaranteed pleaser!

The Allure of Ruins was a good book but it wasn’t great. I didn’t connect with Paxton at all and because we didn’t get Colton’s point of view, he didn’t click with me either. The relationship between the two of them was interesting – I would have actually liked to have seen what happened when they first began working together and how their relationship progressed from there – but that wasn’t the focus of this story. I thought the plot involving Gen was wasted – as a bad guy, his actions were predominantly in the past so he wasn’t the fearful figure that he could have been. I also didn’t pick up on certain clues regarding law enforcement so that side-plot took me very much by surprise.

I still enjoyed reading this but it wasn’t up there for me. I absolutely adore reading ‘He Said He Said’ which is part of Mary’s monthly newsletter and would have much preferred if this had been a collection of the stories told there! Still worth a read but not her best.

Demon and the Raven by Mary Calmes (Raven of the Woods #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ Demon and the Raven
AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Raven of the Woods #2
RATING: ⟫ ?/5

BLURB: ⟫ Speak of the devil…and he may just appear.

Xander Corey has never been happier. He’s in love, engaged to the man of his dreams, his friends are thriving, his land, Corvus, is safe, his community is booming, and he’s even back to working as a part-time librarian in Osprey, the tiny little town he calls home in Upstate New York. And yes, he’s a witch, though only a few are bothered about that.

But Xander is worried: Why is everyone so cranky? What’s happened to the bees in town? And who attacked his friend the nymph?

Chief of Police Lorne MacBain has issues of his own. He has a murder to solve that may or may not have something to do with magic. Before moving to town and falling in love with a witch, the supernatural was not a concern. But these days, both Xander and magic are an integral part of his life. His main priority is protecting the man he loves, yet that may prove harder than ever.

The evil stalking Xander and Lorne is real, and to fight it, they’ll have to figure out precisely what it is. If only that could happen before it kills them…

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.

George’s Big Day by Mary Calmes (With George #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ George’s Big Day
AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ With George #3
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ George Hunt wants to get married. The fact that he does is utterly amazing and a huge leap of faith for a man who’s always been certain that happily ever afters only happen in fairy tales. The thing is, though, ever since Christmas, when Dr. Kurt Butler, the man he loves, gave him a ring, he’s changed his mind about what’s possible. But between deployments and venues that have to be booked years in advance, matrimonial bliss seems persistently out of reach. Fortunately, George’s friends come through, offering the perfect setting.

Of course, when your life is full of heroes, there are always villains looking to even the score. When the day of the nuptials conflicts with murderous agendas, the only thing that really matters is being married at the end of the day. If George can keep his eye on the prize and everyone does what they do best, it might just all work out.

REVIEW: ⟫ If you are part of Mary Calmes’ monthly newsletter, then George will be very familiar to you – he’s Hannah Kage’s bodyguard and an important part of Jory and Sam Kage’s network from the Matter of Time series. That being said, George is a fabulous man in his own right – he’s a natural born protector who has somehow found his other half in Kurt.

This third novella is George finally getting married, despite what life is determined to throw at him in terms of cartel assassins, his friends bringing trouble down on his head, and the normal shenanigans that Hannah always gets herself involved in.

I love reading these stories by Mary Calmes because they are familiar, favourite characters by now and it allows me to see how some of my old favourites are doing whilst building on the entire universe that these characters inhabit. George is such a lovely man, so sexy, so caring and just utterly right for Kurt – it was a delight to attend their wedding, even if it brought with it the Vault, various assassins and the Marshals service along with it!

A typical Mary Calmes book, it leaves you with a warm, happy feeling when you’ve finished reading it and wishing for so much more in terms of words – this is a world I could happily inhabit forever!

Once Upon A Christmas Song by Mary Calmes

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TITLE: ⟫ Once Upon A Christmas Song

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Multi Author Once Upon a Holiday

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Chris Gardner has a good life in New Orleans. He owns a club in the French Quarter, has a wonderful crew of people who call it home, loyal, caring friends, and even gets his kid fix by helping to take care of his chef’s daughter. What he doesn’t have is that special someone to share his days and nights with. He thought he did, once upon a time, but that man left to find fame and fortune, became a rockstar, and never returned. And that’s fine. Life isn’t a fairy tale. Now if only he could find a band to play music in his club at night, that would be a Christmas miracle.

Dawson West had to leave to see if his dreams could become reality, but what he didn’t count on was that once he had the world at his feet, he’d miss the man who’d held him tight. Between the endless climb toward greatness and the pitfalls of addiction, Dawson lost himself for a while, but that doesn’t mean he stopped loving Chris. Not wanting his love to see him broken, he makes certain he’s clean and sober when he finally comes home. Going radio silent while becoming the man Chris deserves seemed like a good idea at the time, but now…

Now, Chris has a problem. Dawson is back, out of the blue, and if Chris lets him return to rocking his club, is that an invitation for his heart as well? How can Chris ever trust again, even if it is the season?

Once Upon A Christmas Song is a part of the multi-author series Once Upon A Holiday Story. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Hook’s Book Nook Traveling Library, a library on wheels owned by two old ladies in love.

REVIEW: ⟫ Mary Calmes writes complex characters who love deeply but care more. It’s all about wanting to be the best that you can be for that other person, although sometimes that does blind you to what’s happening around you. Chris and Dawson definitely seem like a match made in heaven, and I found myself rooting for them in their flashbacks even though I knew that they weren’t together when the story began. The cast of supporting characters were as fascinating as usual, and I loved the glimpse into the band members and how they all wanted to become better.

A really enjoyable story by an author who knows her niche and how to write it in a manner so satisfying that you kinda don’t care if some of it feels a little too familiar!

Newly Tied by Mary Calmes (Marshals Book #7)

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TITLE: ⟫ Newly Tied

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Marshals Book #7

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ For the last six months, Deputy US Marshal Delroy McCabe has been secretly pining for his partner, Langston Ross. He’s kept his desires to himself because he wants to do a good job and prove himself at work. More importantly, if Lang were to find out his true feelings, maybe the person he cares for the most might walk away.

Between the understanding and support Lang gives him, as well as time with his family, Del can’t afford to slip up. But then, why does his partner and best friend care who Del sleeps with? Why, if given a choice, would Lang prefer to do anything with him? Maybe Del’s been missing something important, and perhaps Lang’s not the only one who’s not seeing what’s right in front of him. Because sometimes the strongest ties are the ones that bind our hearts.

REVIEW: ⟫ If you’ve read any of the other Marshals books, then you know exactly what you’re in for. And Mary doesn’t disappoint – her books are very much comfort reads for me because despite being new people, new cases, new scenarios, there is always a clear line towards a happily ever after and I needed that at the moment!

Del and Lang made me laugh so hard – their humour, banter, the way they were around other people – it was so obvious that they were each other’s person that it surprised me that it took that long. It was also great to catch up with everyone else (I have missed Chickie so much!) and it was fascinating reading these people we watched mess up and fumble their own love lives being grown ups and settled whilst still being sexy as heck!

Another hit for me and I really loved trying to figure out who’s going to be next or if there will be a spin off. An easy good read for me.

Mine by Mary Calmes (The Vault Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Mine

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ The Vault Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him.

It just might.

Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is one of my absolute favourite books by Mary Calmes! I freaking love Trevan, his whole attitude and behaviour just does it for me! And Landry – he was so scary and yet his trust and love in Trevan was so absolute! I re-read this constantly, especially loving having Connie in there before reading his own story. I read a lot of Mary Calmes over and over again, but this and ‘Frog’ are ones that I have on audio as well as ebook copies and I can’t imagine not having them in my library!

Get a Fix by Mary Calmes (Torus Intercession Book #6)

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TITLE: ⟫ Get a Fix

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Torus Intercession Book #6

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Simply because your world collides with a shooting star doesn’t mean that’s a sign, does it?

Cooper Davis has a nice life he’s quite fond of. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a job he excels at. As a fixer with Torus Intercession, he’s entrusted with the well-being of the people relying on his guidance. He is protector, guardian, but most of all, as his boss always says, everyone needs to be better off once he leaves. The issue is, when he’s asked to watch over the actor Ashford Lennox, he’s not sure that leaving is what he wants to do.

Ashford Lennox is a movie star on the rise. He has everything he’s ever wanted, except someone to love and call his own. He’s learned over the years that home is not a place but sharing a life with one special person you can count on. When he meets the man tasked with keeping him safe during a wedding, it’s like a lightning bolt. Suddenly he can see his whole future unfolding.

Being on the same page is an epiphany for both, now if they could just make it to the happily ever after without getting shot…

REVIEW: ⟫ You know exactly what you’re getting when you read a Mary Calmes book, and boo six in this series is no different! There’s an element of insta-love (or more love with intense like) and I really appreciated how open and honest both male leads were with how they felt – from the moment they met, Cooper and Ash were utterly out there with each other and it was refreshing.

The normal case of fun characters, along with a hateful ex, and a background plot that included murder, fraud and international issues, and this was an enjoyable romp that was exactly what I was in the mood for!

Tied Over by Mary Calmes (Marshals Book #6)

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TITLE: ⟫ Tied Over

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Marshals Book #6

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.

It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.

But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.

REVIEW: ⟫ This one has been coming for some time and Mary Calmes did not disappoint.

Jed Redeker is determined that his partner, fellow marshall, Bodhi Callahan should only have the best. And despite how much Jed loves him, he is also pretty determined that there is someone more worthy of Bodhi’s love than he.

That lasts until Bodhi finally seems to give up on his pining and moves on with his life, falling in love and getting engaged. That’s what it takes for Jed to realise that he has lost his chance at having Bodhi be his partner in all ways, and life kinda sucks. Add to that getting shot and being forced to vacation with Bodhi and his fiance and Jed is pretty sure he’s in hell.

Man, I had forgotten how much I loved the way Mary Calmes writes her characters. They’re not perfect – both Jed and Bodhi are argumentative, pig-headed, stubborn, know it alls with alpha male stamped all over them. But the streak of protectiveness in each of them and just how much they care about each other make them pretty much perfect together. It is a tried and trusted method that Mary Calmes uses – the main lead who everyone loves and sees in the best possible way, along with the partner who just has to get them to get their head out of their behind to see how happy they could be together. And it totally worked with Jed and Bodhi – no matter how frustrating the two of them could be (Jed is so determined that Bodhi has the best that he ignores his own desires for FOUR years), you are still rooting for them to make it.

Add in fellow marshals from the past – including Sam Kage who is one of my absolute fave of Mary’s characters, alongside Miro and Ian of course – and this story took me away from daily life and into the whirlwind that is the Marshals series. If you’ve read any of the other books, you know pretty much what you are in for: action, romance, banter, friendship, and men who will stand in front of a bullet for someone because it’s the right thing to do.

I regularly re-read the previous Marshals books, and having book six to add to that re-read list makes me a very happy person!

The Big Fix by Mary Calmes (Torus Intercession #5)

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Title: ⟫ The Big Fix (Torus Intercession #5)

Authors: ⟫ Mary Calmes

Blurb: ⟫ Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Soldier. Spy.

Jared Colter, the head of Torus Intercession, has a secret life he left behind, one that only his closest confidants know about. Normally, the past keeps its secrets, but not this time. Old ghosts come calling to the very doorstep of his new life, when Owen Moss, the person closest to him, goes missing. A carrot left dangling to lure Jared out and into the hands of an unknown enemy.

Owen Moss was once a scared, orphaned boy saved by Jared, but he’s no longer a child even if Jared is having trouble seeing him that way. He’s thirty-two now, in love with Jared, and as Jared’s obliviousness keeps butting up against Owen’s desire, the tension between them keeps escalating. Something has to give, and soon.

With a bounty on his head, Jared races through the brutal underworld of Southeast Asia, in search of Owen. It’s a maze of treachery and murder, where one false move means death. The answer is tied to the man Jared used to be, taking him into the heart of the lion’s den, where he’s forced to face the darkest questions about himself to save the man he loves.

Review: ⟫ This reminds me very much of some of the early Mary Calmes books that I’ve read – specifically the ones with Jin and Logan – as it was sprawling, full of action, violence with the love story underpinning but not the main thrust of the story.

Jared has always been rather larger than life in the way he has been described and he didn’t disappoint – he was very much the man he has been viewed as by his employees in the previous Intercession books – a man on a mission, determined to leave the world (or people) in a better place.

However, this kinda came back to bite him in the butt in this story, as there was someone from his past determined to make Jared pay – and with a long list of enemies to choose from, it was a real puzzle to figure out who it was.

I loved seeing all of our guys from other stories (I’m talking about Darius and Dante to name just two) and the way their lives were interwoven was extremely skilful. Thinking about it, this reminded me very much of the cast of The Expendables movies – all of these men are over forty, not who you would expect to be in the field, but still skilled and talented in what they do. I liked how it was shown that they were the older generation – Jared didn’t just snap back into action with no repercussions. He felt the punches that landed, running around made him tired, and the day after shenanigans he needed painkillers and sometimes crawled out of bed with his body aching.

That brings me to the torture scenes. Oh my goodness, they were kinda hard to read. Not that I would consider them particularly graphic normally, but in a romance novel by Mary Calmes, they were really painful to read and Fang was a complete and utter *bleep*.

The romance very much took a backseat, but the build up between Owen and Jared has been coming since book #1 so I guess it could be considered that we’ve been reading their story since the beginning. I really enjoyed the flashbacks that fleshed out the storyline, and I could understand Jared’s reluctance to view Owen as a romantic partner – he was the hero, saving the day and it would have been really easy for Owen to mistake hero-worship for love. I thought that Mary did a good job of showing the Owen had been living a full life and made an adult choice regarding Jared – it wasn’t like he was locked away in an ivory tower and had no comparisons so that Jared was his only choice. Owen knew what he was doing,

Speaking of Owen knowing what he was doing – those sex scenes! Whoa – they surprised and delighted me in equal measure and I may have to re-read them – just to refresh my mind for the purposes of this review of course.

I think this was a different kind of romance, with the love story underpinning things rather than being at the forefront. I absolutely enjoyed this book, racing from page to page to find out just who was causing such chaos, and I am so pleased that Jared and Owen finally got their happy ever after. The background cast of characters will possibly be confusing for people who haven’t read most of Mary’s previous books, which is a shame, but I found this to be a rollicking, painful, funny and heart-felt story that I really enjoyed. Any stars it may have lost for the main leads not being together for so much of the story were regained for me by the return of Darius, George and Dante, etc. I loved it.