Reviews by Tammy and Kim: blog tour

Hart's Landing

Melanie Harlow
Goodreads

May 12, 2026

Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson left behind a devastating fire, a stolen kiss, and a shattered circle of friends in her hometown of Hart’s Landing. But when a crisis brings her back, Mila just wants to get in and get out, unscathed by her mother’s constant criticism and unseen by her former crush, Everett McKean.

Only...Everett is everywhere. The town’s attractive, beloved mayor has resisted settling down, but he’s never stopped wondering about Mila. Having her back in Hart’s Landing is the second chance he didn’t know he was waiting for—and he’s not about to waste it.

As Mila slowly opens her heart to Everett and begins to rebuild her fractured friendships, she wonders if coming home was exactly what she needed. But old wounds threaten to open again when questions emerge about what really happened the night Mila left. Who’s really responsible for the fire that destroyed the bakery? And will knowing the truth free Mila from the past, or ignite a blaze that burns down the future she’s trying to build?

People say you can never truly come home again, but sometimes coming home isn’t about where you’ve been. It’s about who you’re brave enough to become.

Sexy, heartfelt, and steeped in small-town charm, Hart’s Landing is a story of forgiveness, friendship, and finding the family who loves you no matter how far you wander

This is the story of a group of girlfriends and how their lives suddenly spun out into new directions and then they lost touch for ten years. This is Mila's story, and one night changed her entire life. And she hasn’t been back to Harts Landing for years. But now she has no choice since she needs to come help her mother, and she has to face her old friends, her old crush, judgmental townspeople, and scrutiny. She’s built a career and a life for herself, but she’s never been able to meet all of her mother’s goals and expectations.

Everett was her friend‘s brother and a crush, and that one night started out with potential and ended in disaster. He runs his family’s cherry farm, and he’s also the mayor of the small town. He’s charming, popular, and totally intrigued by the fact that Mila’s home. He doesn’t waste any time asking her to catch up with him or go on a date. But there’s a lot of trauma in their backgrounds that has shaped their lives. Mila is only supposed to be in town for six weeks, and she left home for a reason. Their friend group has also moved, but there are some reconnections happening. And then there are secrets and mystery components in the background adding depth to all of their stories.

I loved Everett so much. He is the ultimate book boyfriend. He’s just so good, supportive, and kind, and he just wants what he wants, and that is still her. They have amazing chemistry, and he is there for her. And even though she thought she was really fulfilled in her new life, she’s starting to see what she’s been missing as well by trying to avoid the past and old friendships. And with support, she is also learning to find her own voice and empowerment.

It’s a coming home, best-friend‘s-brother, shared trauma, small town romance with a bit of mystery, hurt/comfort, and healing.

I thought it was brilliant how this initially just felt like a really easy love story because the banter and chemistry between the characters is so natural and so good, but then under the surface, there are these layers of shared trauma, secrets, mystery, and so many more layers that they never really addressed. It starts out in the past and moves on to the present. I loved the bonds of friendship and found family aspect.

So it’s also about Mila and these women starting to take charge of their own lives again and reconnect on a friendship level and deal with the past. And I’m very interested in seeing books for the other women Yasmine, Gabi, and Rachel, and how the past shapes their future relationships. One couple has already been teased as enemies to lovers and I am here for it. I enjoyed spending time in this quirky small town.

Main character graphics from Author's FB page

artists @olivia'sartstuff and @ Raph.illust

Melanie Harlow

USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. If she's not writing or reading, she's probably at Orangetheory or watching Schitt's Creek again. She lifts her glass to readers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman of Friedman Literary.

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Around and Around We Go
Series: Vermont Trailblazers 2
Amy Aislin

Release date – wide: April 28
Buy links: https://geni.us/AroundWeGo
Or buy direct to get it a week early (on April 21) and with the bonus scene included: https://payhip.com/AmyAislinStore/collection/vermont-trailblazers

Genre: contemporary m/m hockey romance

Tropes: second chance romance, forced proximity, found family

When you’re facing The End, it’s time to rewind to the beginning.

At thirty-eight years old, Sandro Zanetti is quickly aging out of hockey. But the Trailblazers are chasing a history-making third consecutive championship this season, so until his knees fail him, he plans on giving his all to the sport.

What he doesn’t need is the documentary film crew following the team’s every move. Because the director? Is Bennett Jackson.

Former college sweetheart.

Breaker of hearts.

Still unbearably handsome.

But their relationship is also history and has been for fifteen years.

Bennett Jackson is one project away from the credits rolling on his career after his last film flopped. This behind-the-scenes look at the hottest team in the league is his last chance at redemption…and possibly his last chance at redeeming himself with the one man who’s always held his heart.

Neither of them planned for old jokes to resurface or on the inconvenient fact that their chemistry is very much alive.

But as the action heats up on and off the ice—and on and off camera—their reunion looks less like a rerun of heartbreak and more like a revival of that first chemistry.

And Sandro and Bennett may discover that some stories deserve a sequel.

I’m a sucker for a second-chance story, and these guys had so many unresolved feelings. Sandro is now a 38-year-old hockey player heading towards the end of his career, but he’s not sure what he’s going to do next. He's tired and in pain most of the time, and he is starting to be more of a mentor. He does not do relationships and never really got over his first and only love, who left him broken-hearted.

Fifteen years later, that man is now making a film about his hockey team. Back then, Bennett was a college hockey player as well, but he disappeared from hockey and Sandro’s life without explanation. He had his reasons, but they were a mystery to Sandro.

And now they are back in close proximity with a whole bunch of misunderstandings and mixed-up emotions. And it took a long time for them to actually talk about it. At first, Sandro is just trying to avoid anything, and then when they do start to get on a better footing, it’s like they both try to avoid it so as not to mess anything up.

But I really liked them together. They had good chemistry. I liked that they still had an understanding and appreciation of each other based on their shared past. But they also understood that years had gone by, and that they had changed, and they were interested in seeing how.

But they both have a lot of fear about being hurt again and ending up in the same place where they become important to each other again, and then lose it. And now they’re both older and know what it’s like to live with that loss. And both have pressures and uncertainties about their careers and futures that they are dealing with. Bennett had a tendency to take on things alone and shuts down. Sandro shows up for others, but does not always look out for himself or accept help.

It's a sweet, second-chance romance with shared painful past, hurt/comfort, forced proximity, and found family vibes. This is my first book by this author, and I found her style easy to get into, and it kept my interest enough that I read it in one sitting. There are obvious cameos from other stories, but it was still easy to read as a standalone, and it made me interested in the first book in this series and the next book. I really liked the team culture of the Trailblazers and the way they were using mentoring and support to create a better team.

Vermont Trailblazers Trilogy

The Best Parts of Him

Sometimes the sweetest victories happen off the ice.

Ryland Zervudachi lives for the game of hockey—and for the chance to build the kind of team unity that will carry the Columbus Pilots all the way back to the playoffs after last season’s crushing defeat. Off the ice, though, there’s one goal he hasn’t managed to score—the heart of Kyle Dabbs, the Vermont Trailblazers’ team captain and his long-time crush.

Kyle Dabbs has built a life centered on quiet strength. After a childhood scarred by his father’s verbal abuse, Dabbs pours his energy into his career on the ice and the book series he’s written to help kids like the boy he once was. He doesn’t need someone flashy, loud, and spotlight-loving like Ryland turning his world upside down.

But when an untimely appendectomy leaves Dabbs stuck at home, Ryland—recovering from an injury—shows up to help. Between late-night Scrabble competitions, pumpkin-carving mishaps, and long talks that peel back layers they’ve both kept hidden, Dabbs begins to see past Ryland’s bold exterior.

With chemistry sparking and walls crumbling, both men must decide if they’re ready to risk their hearts for something even better than a championship: love.

From A to Us

Eli is trying to hold it together—his spot on the Vermont Trailblazers hockey team, the expectations off the ice, and a life that keeps demanding more than he can give. The last complication he needs is Nolan: his sister’s ex, his coach’s son, and the man he definitely shouldn’t be crushing on.

Nolan came to Vermont to breathe again, not to get pulled into unfinished history—or into Eli, who makes staying distant feel increasingly impossible. But when a set of unsent letters drags them into a mystery neither can walk away from, what starts as reluctant proximity begins to blur every line they were never supposed to cross.

Full blurb to come.

Amy Aislin

Website | Instagram | X

Amy's lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she's read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she's been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn't at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada's largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter.

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FINN

Ashley James

March 6, 2025

Amazon

Falling for my girlfriend’s twin brother wasn’t what I had in mind when I hired him to be my son’s nanny.

Working on my family’s cattle ranch, the hours are long, and sometimes unpredictable, so when my regular nanny quits, leaving me in a pinch, I have to think fast.

In walks Ash Tudor.

My opposite in almost every way.

He’s cheerful and bubbly, has horrible taste in music, and does yoga in my yard almost every morning in the tightest shorts I’ve ever seen.

Not that I’m looking.

But it’s none of those things that have me scratching my head and second guessing everything I thought I knew about myself.

No… it’s the fact that he’s a him and I can’t seem to keep my eyes away, no matter how confusing that may be.

I’m nearly thirty, and never once have I looked at another man the way I catch myself looking at him.

The feelings and urges growing inside of me make no sense, and then when he gets a special delivery to the house of items he plans to use on himself, I can’t stop imagining him doing just that… Or imagining me using them on him.

But confusion and curiosity aside, I can’t fall into bed with my son’s nanny.

Doing so would be reckless and irresponsible.

No matter how tempting it may be.

Finn Moore is a busy rancher and single dad. He’s grumpy, closed off, and wound tight. And his nanny has just quit. The answer to his problems (the only solution he can find right now) is his very casual girlfriend's twin brother who was a teacher.

Ash Tudor had left Wolf Creek and was loving life in the big city until he lost his job at a Montessori school. He is anxious and with no money coming in, he’s returning home with just one job prospect as a nanny. Their first meeting did not go quite as planned, but Finn's choices are limited, and Ash really needs the job.

And this sets off a whole chain reaction of tension, confusion, and chaos in Finn’s normally ordered life. Poor Finn is just so confused by his whole reaction to Ash. And Ash is probably a bit flirtier than he should be with his boss. The temptation and unexpected attraction is real and intense. But in all fairness, sometimes a little bit of alcohol might have intensified their initial reactions. Finn's all country and Ash is a bit rock n'roll but they complement each other. They also start to build a friendship, rapport, and sense of comfort with each other that was missing in both of their lives. But this as all new for a previously thought he was straight cowboy.

There’s also tension between Finn and his casual girlfriend (Ash's twin) who did not realize they were just casual. Tension between the twins who have always been a little bit competitive, and Ash has always resented that all the boys picked his sister in the past.

This is a sweet and spicy bi-awakening, close proximity, grumpy-sunshine, manny/boss, single dad, girlfriend‘s twin brother, secret, Daddy kink, MM romance set on a cattle ranch with an adorable little boy and a family full of ranchers. It's about finding trust, safety, home, and family. I am looking forward to more in the series.

Ashley James

Ashley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won't be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won't be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.

Connect with Ashley James:

https://authorashleyjames.com/links/

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Cold as Ice

Portland Evergreens #2

Beth Bolden

Release Date: January 9, 2025

Read it on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited

Read the Evergreens series
Available on: Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, both model & discreet paperback and audio narrated by Darcy Stark (est February)

Tropes: frenemies to lovers, opposites attract, player x player, virgin MC, tutoring, and sexy tutoring.

Malcolm’s all about checking off items in his Life Plan.

He’s made it to the first line on his hockey team, the Portland Evergreens. He’s made the Dean’s List the last four semesters. He’s right in line to graduate on time, and head to the pros. All steps on the ultimate goal of becoming the best front office guy in the NHL.

Elliott is the only fly in his ointment.

The younger, wilder forward parties every night, sleeping with everything with a pulse, and barely attending classes or practices.

It’s annoying, but Mal’s dealing with it, until their new coach insists Mal tutor Elliott to help him pass a class.

And until Elliott discovers Mal’s biggest secret: he’s been too busy checking off points on his life plan to get laid.

They’re fire and ice. Bad boy and virgin. They shouldn’t work at all. But the more time they spend together, on and off the ice, the more irresistible their chemistry becomes.

The more desperate Mal becomes for some of Elliott’s one-on-one tutoring—this time in bed.

But Elliott wants more than just sex. He wants to melt Mal’s icy cold shoulder and convince him there’s more to life—and love—than a plan.

Elliott Jones is the rookie right-wing on the Portland Evergreens. He is easy-going, charming, cocky, and bends the rules. He is seen as a playboy who does not take things seriously. Malcolm McCoy is a few years older and is serious, loner, and left-wing. He is focused on studies and hockey and avoids relationships. Elliott is captivated by Malcolm from the minute he sees him. But his big attempt at a pickup was rebuffed and it set off a year of taunting, sniping, irritating, and appearing to hate each other.

But when Malcolm is asked to tutor Elliott in stats, they start to see behind the facades that everyone sees and develop an unexpected friendship, which also has some extra tutoring benefits for Malcolm. And this pushes them closer than they ever expected and opens up a whole new set of complications.

This is an opposites-attracts, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, hockey romance with steam and sweetness. Elliott likes to shake things up and is fun. I loved seeing the stoic Malcolm start to crack and lose his control. Together they rile each other up, explore intimacy, and push and challenge each other to be better on the ice and in life. And they are loyal friends and teammates.

It brings back the other characters from the first book and I am excited for more in this series with Finn, Zach, and the Coach.

Portland Evergreens Series on Amazon

Melting the Ice

Portland Evergreens #1

Amazon and KU Goodreads

MM Contemporary Sports RomanceAvailable in: ebook, Kindle Unlimited, two paperbacks (cover model & discreet), and audio, soon after release, narrated by Darcy Stark Tropes: double bi-awakening, friends/roommates-to-lovers, hockey player & football player

Brody’s got enough on his plate.

Recovering from a knee injury he hopes won’t keep him off the ice. His team, the Portland University Evergreens, have a brand new coach, and he’s hoping to impress the legendary leader. Plus, he's got to make a decision once and for all about playing professional hockey or using his love of science to go a totally different direction.

The last thing he needs is a sexual awakening at the large, calloused hands of his football player roommate.

Dean is big and brawny and taciturn, but he doesn’t need words to woo Brody. He wants Dean, and his brilliant "experiment" to test his attraction gives Brody all the scientific results he needs to know he's not straight.

Now, they're proving his theory with new pleasures every night, while pretending during the day that they’re just roommates.

Except the heat burns so hot between them, it doesn’t just melt all the ice on Brody’s rink, it melts all his beliefs about who he is and what he wants.

But even more, it destroys the lie that he can’t fall hard for a guy. Because Brody is falling hard. The only question is will Dean catch him?

On Thin Ice

Portland Evergreens #3

Finn has lived with the pressure of hockey’s expectations since he was old enough to understand his father was one of the greatest the sport had ever known.

He’s changed positions. Changed plans. Changed colleges. But he’s never managed to outrun the pressure.

When it starts ruining his performance on the ice, he knows he needs to find a way to conquer it once and for all.

Desperation sends him running to the one man he thinks can help him. Jacob Braun, a goalie who played against his father.

It doesn’t matter that they hated each other, Finn will use him—use everything—to figure out how to beat this mental block. Even seduce his father’s greatest enemy.

What Finn wasn’t expecting was that they don’t just burn hot in bed, but on the ice, too. And that, ultimately, it isn’t Jacob’s brain he wants to pick apart, it’s his heart he wants to own.

Breaking The Ice
Portland Evergreens #4
Coach Gavin Blackburn has been through hell.

Three years ago, he was on top of the world, courted by the best teams in the NHL to coach their players.

His wife’s unexpected death destroyed him, and sent him running from hockey. He thought he’d left the sport behind forever, but when his ex-player shows up at his remote cabin, begging him to return to Portland University to coach the Evergreens again, he agrees.

The last thing Gavin expected was their mentor-student relationship to turn into something entirely different now that Zach is grown up. He certainly never expected to feel attraction again, or to feel it for a man. For Zach.

Or for Zach to want him back, with a passion Gavin couldn’t deny even if he wanted to.

He’s old, washed up, destroyed by old grief, and doesn’t believe he could be good for anyone, but maybe it’s own assumptions that need to be broken and re-made.

Maybe it’s Zach who needs to be the one who break him down and make him into something new. Give him something a wild, unexpected and unprecedented love affair.

Beth Bolden Website | Facebook | Instagram |

A lifelong Oregonian, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband and their sweet kitten, Earl Grey. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty novels and six short stories.

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