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September 2025 ⟫ Book Reviews Round Up

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Every month, I post a round up of the books I have read and reviewed. They will mostly be M/M books, but occasionally something a little different slips in. These are the books I have read in September 2025.

Books are sourced through Gay Romance Reviews, Foreword PR, Indie Author Creative, Booksprout, BookSirens, Author ARCs and Kindle Unlimited but although some books are gifted, all views are my own honest opinion. <hr>

A Quiet Fire by N.J. Lysk ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author provided copy

Bitter When He Begs by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Body Count by L Eveland ⟫ Wayward Sons #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Confession by Rina Saint ⟫ Constantine Brothers #2 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Contract by Rina Saint ⟫ Dangerous Games #1⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Cruel When He Smiles by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #3 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Flagrant Foul by Jesse H Reign ⟫ Totally Pucked #3 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Free Fall by Leta Blake ⟫ Free Fall #1 ⟫ /5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Full Body Hit – (Books #1 & #2) by Marina Vivancos ⟫ Alpha Omega Hockey #5 & #6 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Just This Once by Garrett Leigh ⟫ Men of Porth Luck #1 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Foreword PR

Out of a Fix by Mary Calmes ⟫ Torus Intercession Book #7 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Not Gentlemen by N.Y. Lysk ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author Arc

Outsiders by October Arden ⟫ Inside Book #2 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author Arc

Possession by Rina Saint ⟫ Constantine Brothers #1 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Pretty When He Bleeds by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #1 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Red On His Lips by J Tomala ⟫ Blood on His Lips #1 ⟫ 3/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Taste of Blood by A.J. Church ⟫ Cord & Asher #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ BookSirens

Tempting Frey by Roe Horvat ⟫ Bears of Beauville #2 ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Weight of Duty by N.Y. Lysk ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Author ARC

Wilde’s End by Saxon James ⟫ The Wilde Men #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Foreword PR

A Quiet Fire by N.J. Lysk

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TITLE: ⟫ A Quiet Fire
AUTHOR: ⟫ N J Lysk

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ What duty binds, only love may set free.

At thirty-three, Lord Valgar, Earl of Saran, is the last surviving water mage of noble blood. Forbidden from joining the war himself, his duty is preserve the magic by fathering children.

But after fifteen years of a loving but childless marriage, the council has run out of patience. They demand he take a second omega. Valgar refuses to betray his mate—so he makes a calculated an older omega, unlikely to bear a child.

But to Lord Quincy, the proposal he is pressured to accept is no mere formality. Still mourning the alpha he lost in battle, Quincy clings to the quiet life he’s built around his grief and his garden, his books, and his beloved animals. He’s not ready for another bond—and he harbours a secret that could unravel all of Valgar’s careful plans.

Can two reluctant husbands find common ground—and maybe even find that quiet fire known as hope?

“A Quiet Fire” is an arranged marriage romance novella featuring elements of dubcon, consensual polyamory, non-shifter omegaverse, feminisation and mpreg.

REVIEW: ⟫ Despite the subject matter, I actually found this book incredibly romantic. Quincy is an omega and as such, has very little say in what happens to him after the death of his Alpha. Valgar is an Alpha but because of his magic, he has very little say in what leads him into Quincy’s life. Without Mar, I’m not sure these two would have ever managed to find their way to each other, but this woman has such a huge heart and so much love, she paves the way for her husband to find love and happiness with someone who was meant to be her replacement. I loved the calm, kind way in which Mar communicated with both Val and Quincy, and yes, I cried a little towards the end when she finds more happiness than she ever expected – a reward for her being willing and able to help the two men get out of each other’s way. Even with the harsh realities of life for omegas in the society of the time, the author manages to make the reader aware of the inequalities and unfairness whilst also opening the door to a view to a love that is made bigger and stronger by the addition of a third person – a person that wasn’t wanted but ends up being very much needed. Really enjoyed this one!

The Contract by Rina Saint (Dangerous Games #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ The Contract
AUTHOR: ⟫ Rina Saint

SERIES: ⟫ Dangerous Games #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Dante
My moral compass is broken. That’s why I need rules. They keep me from killing people I shouldn’t. They keep me from crossing certain lines. I’m possessive. Obsessive. Deviant. And I like to fight.

That’s what I see in Tristan when I spot him working in the swanky nightclub. His cool detachment is a mask. He’s angry, he’s lost, and he’s totally new to what he’s feeling.

I want to feel that anger. I want it to burn me. I want him to fight me—then I want to feel him submit. He won’t have any choice, not in my play room. He would look perfect there on the black sheets … with red blooming across his creamy skin.

Tristan
Okay, so I’m not as straight as I thought. I can deal with that, but I don’t know if I can deal with him. I could tell Dante was dangerous even before I saw him talking to a mobster connected to my brother’s death. I mean, Dante cornered me and bit me. I don’t even know him! He’s a thousand red flags. And yet … my body has never responded to anyone like it responds to him. That’s why I sit down with him one night after work.

Is this real? Are we actually about to discuss a sex contract? It looks so normal at first. He can’t hit me in the face. He can’t maim me. Why do we need rules for this?

“I don’t think you’re understanding this,” Dante tells me in his dark, sexy voice. “These are hard limits. Everything else—everything else—is fair game.”

He won’t tell me what that means. Half the fun, he says, is finding out.

*Books in the Dangerous Games series can be read as standalones, though some events are connected and characters may cross over. Please note that these dark MM romances have HEAs but contain potentially triggering content. Each book’s content list (which will contain spoilers) can be found in its ebook sample.

REVIEW: ⟫
Dante was not kidding when he said everything else was fair game! This book continually took me by surprise. I liked how Tristan didn’t just let Dante get away with things – the way he handled the whole apartment situation had me fist-pumping for him – and I can well understand why Dante was so surprised by it all. I would agree that it’s probably a good idea for people to be aware of the trigger warnings – I didn’t read them beforehand and so certain aspects took me very much by surprise. The author has an engaging writing style and they handled the sex scenes masterfully – very evocative. Once I’ve read something a little lighter in subject matter, I will definitely be back to read the next book.

Tempting Frey by Roe Horvat (Bears of Beauville #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ Tempting Frey
AUTHOR: ⟫ Roe Horvat

SERIES: ⟫ Bears of Beauville #2
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Oliver

I’ve been in love with Theodore Frey for as long as I can remember. When I turned eighteen, I ignored the acceptance letter from the best college I’d applied to, as well as the facts that Frey was my dad’s best friend, the mayor of Beauville, the scariest bear shifter in the mountains, and twenty years older than me.

Armed with an outrageous set of lingerie and a great deal of naiveté, I showed up on his doorstep. I thought he was my fated mate and that we’d be together forever.

As a reasonable adult, Frey did the only thing he could have done: he rejected me.

Four years later, I’m back in Beauville. I’ve changed, but one thing hasn’t. Frey is still the only alpha I’ve ever wanted.

Frey

I’ve never told my best friend what happened the night Oliver came to my house. No need to make things awkward. Especially since our sheriff is a protective hothead when it comes to his only omega son.

I’ve caught glimpses of Oliver over the years, and that clumsy teen is long gone. Even though I’ve tried to keep my distance, his blue-green eyes haunt my dreams.

Now he’s back for good, working at the town hall right under my nose, and I’m climbing the walls. I’ve never seen anything sexier than Oliver putting me in my place. Beautiful, sharp, and full of fire… he’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

With his father watching my every move, I’m barely holding it together. If Oliver so much as crooks his finger at me, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist.

Tempting Frey is the second book in the Bears of Beauville series—a standalone MM omegaverse romance featuring bear shifters, fated mates, and mpreg. HEA, no cliffhangers.

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh man, the second-hand embarrassment I had on Oliver’s behalf had me scarlet! There’s no doubt that Frey did the right thing but that was so difficult to read! When Oliver returned after college, he seemed far more secure and confident in himself and Frey was slowly able to realise what he had known all along – Oliver was his Omega and he wanted to claim him. I enjoyed the story although the plot was very simple and so was the execution. This felt like a low stakes story, with little angst (after the beginning) and I enjoyed reading it. I liked seeing people from the previous part and hints of what was to come. A good read.

Full Body Hit (Book #1 & #2) by Marina Vivancos (Alpha Omega Hockey #5 & #6)

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TITLE: ⟫ Full Body Hit (Book 1 and Book 2)
AUTHOR: ⟫ Marina Vivancos

SERIES: ⟫ Alpha Omega Hockey Book #5 and #6
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ A scentless Omega. A grumpy hockey legend. An anonymous hookup app that turns everything upside down.

Chase Spalding finally has his shot at the NHL—and a place on the New Orleans Spirits, the team his longtime idol, Auston Mazdaki, plays for. As a scentless Omega, Chase is used to hiding in plain sight, wearing a synthetic profile and keeping his head down. But under the confidence is a boy who aches to be seen, touched, and claimed.

Auston is a veteran in every sense: older, jaded, and done pretending he wants more from the game—or anyone. He’s not interested in rookies, least of all one with a blank scent and too many secrets.

But when two lonely men connect on an anonymous hookup app, they find what they didn’t know they were missing. In the safety of digital walls, Aunix and Charlie explore kink, power, and Daddy/boy dynamics, praise, obedience, and the kind of care neither thought they deserved.

Anonymous identities. Age gap. Grumpy/Daddy Alpha x rookie Omega. Praise, power exchange, and all the tenderness kink can hold.

When the truth comes out, love is the hardest—and most rewarding—game they’ll ever play.

REVIEW: ⟫ I’m going to start this with a warning – you need to make sure you have part 2 before you begin to read part 1, quite simply because you will not want to wait to find out what happens.

This book took me by surprise for so many reasons. I absolutely loved the fact that despite his mother, Chase was able to step out of his comfort zone and make friends – Sammy alone is utter gold, but Nathan cracked me up so many times just because he was so completely oblivious to so much of what was going on.

Auston – I wasn’t sure how I felt about him. I understood the roots of his trauma (which is more than he can say initially) but he irritated the heck out of me because he didn’t question things more. He assumed so much about Chase that occasionally I wanted to give him a shake and tell him to pay attention to the man and forget about the scent. But then the whole online thing happened and I got to see Auston for who he was without all of his baggage. And as an Alpha, this guy was absolutely amazing. He talked Charlie down so many times, encouraged him to embrace his inner Omega and was willing to try new things to be the best for his omega. The joint next building almost took me out, especially with how dedicated Charlie was to getting it right and Auston just being so adoring and understanding – just, so so awesome.

The chemistry between these two burnt up the page and showed how incredible intimate and special an online relationship can be. They really brought out the best in each other and once they realised who the other was, this transferred so well to real life. The PR incident where they played chase was fun because we got to see them being free and fun together during a time when they really didn’t understand each other or even care about the other.

The less said about Chase’s mother the better – she sounded so incredibly bitter and downright nasty and my heart broke for Chase so many times. The way in which Sammy dealt with her had me giggling with joy and when Auston tried to help Chase come to terms with the fact that he was allowed to be angry with his mother for the things that he did, I wanted to cry. The happily ever after was hard-won but I also liked how some things weren’t just solved because they found each other – they were still putting in the work and it was so worth it.

Suffice it to say, this was an excellent addition to the Alpha Omega Hockey series and I really enjoyed reading these two books back-to-back. Grab them both – you won’t regret it!

Off-Ice Misconduct by S. Legend (Daddies of the League #8)

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TITLE: ⟫ Off-Ice Misconduct
AUTHOR: ⟫ S. Legend

SERIES: ⟫ Daddies of the League Book #8
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Ace McKinnon

If you don’t want me, you want to be me.

Being so popular, my extracurricular activities crashed my GPA risking my NCAA eligibility. I asked my professor if there was any way to bump my grade. Let’s just say we worked out a clandestine deal.

Look, life is short, okay? My mom’s proof of that. The most beautiful female hockey player there ever was, died too soon.

But let’s see … captain of the hockey team, president of Alpha-Sigma, full-time course load, and looking after said hockey team and frat members around the clock.

Is it any wonder I have to persuade a few professors to help me with my grades?

Professor VanCourt doesn’t even look like a professor. It looks like someone abducted him from the wilderness and dropped him in the classroom. His feral eyes give “raised by wolves”, and I might have been the first human he’s talked to in a while, judging by how many of his words are grunts.

This guy is so not gonna let me “work out a deal”. He’s set on putting me in my place.

Luke VanCourt

His body is a conduit for power, all the force in the world his to harness. It bends to his will.

That’s probably why everyone trips over themselves for him. They probably want to be controlled by all that wild power.

Not me. I want to restrain it. Keep it under my thumb. Keep him under my thumb.

My brother has no issues keeping his team perfectly obedient on the ice, but he needs help with them off the ice.

Ace McKinnon is the key.

All I need to do is make him comply, and the rest will fall into line.

But I’ve never claimed to be a saint. What’s wrong with having fun while I do it?

Daddies of the League is a college ice hockey shared world, where you’ll find Daddies both on and off the ice. Skate into your newest obsession and grab them all. Off-Ice Misconduct features an MM age-gap relationship with the kind of possessiveness that will make you shiver and morally gray heroes.

REVIEW: ⟫
So a few arcs overtook this on the tbr pile so I’m only just finishing it. This was entertaining although a little confusing on occasion. I haven’t read any of the other Daddies books in the series, but Luke was an absolute trip and I loved him so much! Him and Ace together were a potent duo and I adored how Luke took Ace under control and made his life better. Obsession, but good obsession. Not sure how I feel about Coach but I guess I’ll find out in the next book!

Bitter When He Begs by Avery Collins (Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ Bitter When He Begs
AUTHOR: ⟫ Avery Collins

SERIES: ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Luca
I’ve built my life on control. On the field, in my reputation, and in keeping my demons buried where no one can see.
Sage Blackwell was never supposed to be a part of that. The nerdy prodigy overheard something that could ruin my entire career, so I do the only logical thing. I don’t threaten him. I don’t scare him off.
I claim him.
I tell myself it’s about survival, about keeping my secret safe. But the longer I keep him close, the more I realize I might be addicted again.
Only this time, my drug of choice is him.

Sage
I wasn’t supposed to hear it.
I definitely wasn’t supposed to get caught.
One wrong step. One overheard conversation. That’s all it takes to make me the unwilling keeper of Luca Devereaux’s darkest secret.
Now, Blackthorne U’s arrogant, untouchable quarterback, has decided I belong to him.
He’s relentless, possessive and cruel in the way only someone with too much power and too little consequences can be.
Being owned by Luca might just destroy me… especially when I realize I don’t want him to let go.

***
Bitter When He Begs is the second book in the interconnected Sinners of Blackthorne U series, but it is a complete standalone. Readers are advised to approach with caution and ensure they are comfortable with the listed triggers and content warnings before proceeding.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well if I thought book 1 was unhinged, book 2 basically went just that little bit higher! Luca Devereaux was everything that’s wrong with elitist society – using his money, position and power to make his problems go away without facing any consequences. Sage Blackwell is in the unfortunate position of accidentally coming into some information that could cost Luca dearly, and Luca can’t afford to let that happen.

It would have been so easy to make this a more traditional ‘bully’ trope, but Avery Collins dug deeper and harder, turning this story into a scorching tale of obsession, love and addiction, with a side order of kink. It was too easy initially to think of Sage as the innocent caught up in something he didn’t understand, but the further I read, the more I realised that Sage had issues of his own that made him more than a match for Luca.

The background plot and characters were solid, adding depth and nuance to the story, as well as causing more than a tear or two of their own. The relationship between Sage and Luca was by turns hot, confusing, dangerous, dark and ultimately a fabulous love story, with them becoming each other’s anchor in the turbulent seas they were facing. I think I still prefer book one but only by a smidge, and spending more time with Roman and Damon was fabulous. Luca and Sage fought so hard for their happily ever after and the change in the two of them, supported by their friends, was beautiful to witness.

Now I only have book three to read and I’m sad to say goodbye to these guys – in such a short space of time, they really touched my heart.

Wilde’s End by Saxon James (The Wilde Men #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Wilde’s End
AUTHOR: ⟫ Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫ The Wilde Men #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Hudson

Give me the smallest reason to make a bad decision, and I’ll jump in with both feet. Case in point: thinking that drunkenly buying an abandoned town with my brothers is a good idea.
As builders, we plan to renovate and flip the town, maybe turn it into something worth seeing, but the longer we’re here, the more things feel … off.
It’s not until a bearded mountain man breaks into my room in the middle of the night and threatens for us to get out of his town that I realize Wilde’s End isn’t as abandoned as we were told.
But there’s nothing waiting for me in the life I left behind, and in making his demands, Wilde has accidentally tapped into my competitive side.
Terrible decisions? Me?
Wilde can bring it on.

Wilde

I escaped to Wilde’s End twenty years ago, and since then I’ve dedicated my life to the town and the people who live there. Because if I focus on others, I don’t have the time or energy to face everything I’ve been running from.
The Bellamy brothers coming to town is like three horsemen of the goddamn apocalypse. They leave destruction in their wake, and when the eldest, Hudson, ignores my very kind request to leave, it’s time to take things into my own hands. Protecting this town is all I know how to do.
But I’ve never faced someone like Hudson.
His stubbornness matches mine, and his attitude has an irritating way of worming under my skin. The more I push him, the harder he pushes back, until we’re locked in a game neither of us will walk away from.
With his smart mouth, bullheaded recklessness and those damn eyelashes I’m starting to question whether I can win this one.
But if I lose, this town isn’t the only thing on the line.

REVIEW: ⟫ I’m struggling a little with this review. At the beginning, I was devouring this book – Wilde was fascinating, as was Wilde’s End and the Bellamy brothers were entertaining. However, the relationship between Hudson and Wilde was occasionally more than verging on toxic and I struggled with it. There was a long period of time when I wasn’t sure if they even liked each other and I couldn’t see a good way for things to end and for them to reach something resembling a happily ever after.

However, I should have trusted Saxon James to pull out the win in the end. I really enjoyed Kennedy as a caring sibling, and the fact that he could lay some truth on Hudson whilst living his own truth was refreshing and just excellent in it’s execution. I am really interested in Kennedy and Ziggy which is apparently going to be the next book, and I would really like to know why Hartwell is the way he is! Ultimately, I enjoyed reading this one and feel that this could be a very worthwhile series. I received an ARC from Foreword PR.

Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon by Wendy Rathbone (Alpha Dragons #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon
AUTHOR: ⟫ Wendy Rathbone

SERIES: ⟫ Alpha Dragons #3
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I’m a set-omega and I’ve been sold by my wolf pack to the dragons as a breeder.

My name is Caylen. I’m a wolf shifter whose inner beast is missing. This means I cannot shift. As a set-omega, my pack can’t scent me and I’m officially a non-member. Worse, I have lost all rights and can be sold to the highest bidder.

Dragons are wealthy but omega-poor. To keep their population stable, they have become the biggest set-omega importers and pay the most for breeders.

My fate is in the hands of strangers. I’m afraid but refuse to show it.

On the auction block, someone bids for me with pure gold amid gasps and wonder. What does that even mean? What will happen to me?

MM romance, shifter, dragons, omegaverse, mpreg, first time, size difference, past trauma, rescue, HEA.

Note: This is book three of the Alpha Dragon series but is a standalone read.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was an interesting read based on the premise – a ‘set’ omega is one that cannot or does not have an inner beast. When Caylen presents as such, he knows that he will be sold from his pack and pre-empts the action of his parents.

He is bought at auction and transported to a place of utter isolation to live with an Alpha Dragon who is not only damaged, but wants nothing to do with him. The way in which both Varik and Caylen have suffered was pretty heart-wrenching. Varik in particular has been treated abominably by the people he should have been able to trust with his life and obviously is struggling with paranoia and fear. I did enjoy the relationship that built between the two of them – sleeping in front of the fire sounded so relaxing and seemed to be completely what they needed to let their guards down and see how alike they were. I really enjoyed the relationship between Variksan and Caylen – the respect between them, their desire for an honest connection was a pleasure to read.

I did feel like the second half of the story was rushed – from the time they committed to each other, it felt a bit like a summary of their life rather than reading their story. It’s hard to describe any of this without spoilers and the situation they were in was pretty unique, so I was really wondering just how they were going to reach some kind of happily ever after and ‘normal’ life. The writing style was very easy to get into and the story was well told in general – just a little light at the end.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Pretty Mess by Lily Morton

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TITLE: ⟫ Pretty Mess
AUTHOR: ⟫ Lily Morton
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Kiss him, sleep with him, but don’t ever fall in love with him.

The first time Wes Archer steps into Jack of Clubs, an exclusive London pleasure club, he’s completely confident he can heed the tried-and-true advice about becoming an escort. Wes gives himself away for free with casual hookups all the time. Why not make some cash doing what he already loves? And cash is something he desperately needs. His brother’s gambling addiction has taken their family’s home, saddled Wes with insurmountable debts, and compromised his chances for finishing his degree.

Accepting an offer to spend a few hours of fun with a rich bloke will be a simple business transaction, right?

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my goodness, this story was just so enchanting! Wes and his non-stop ability to find something to say made me laugh but he also made me want to cry sometimes. He was just such a good guy, with a lovely heart, a sense of humour that made me giggle even when it was inappropriate and the luck of a blind lemming. Cormac was harder to read but it quickly became obvious that although he might not want to be falling for Wes, he totally was. The background cast of characters were intriguing and entertaining; the story moved quickly but didn’t feel rushed and the sex scenes between Wes and Cormac were so hot! I read this book in one sitting, devouring it and wishing there was more even whilst I was so happy with how things ended. Lily Morton has a way of writing characters that are flawed and so human, and it’s what keeps me coming back to her books. My favourite is Charlie Sunshine but this one may well be joining the ranks of my top ten. This story left me with a smile on my face and a lightening in my heart – I cannot recommend it enough.