Elle KeatonReseñas

It’s a low angst, opposites attract, small-town romance supposedly with an enemy to lovers' theme, but it’s more that they just greatly annoyed one another. I really didn't quite understand the "enemy" part or why these two now, adult guys, seemed to still have their supposed "hate" based something that happened in high school. Adult Vincent is a real estate appraiser and high school shop teacher. He loves living in the small town he grew up in in Washington with his fifteen-year-old daughter, Romy, whose mom...Vincent’s ex-wife...took off for greener pastures and deserted them. Adult Xavier is a realtor, who returns to his hometown after about twenty-years of living in the city. Both men have had enough heartbreak so neither is really interested in a relationship....at least not with each other. The very first chapter of the story was confusing. We saw what could have been a murder or at best an assault...but was this the unsolved murder of the person whose bones are found in the present part of the story? Nothing was after said again about the first incident. Then there was the case of a missing girl that was never investigated. I expected a lot more from this author. I own and have read every series she has ever written up to this current one. This story does have some good “small town” characters, but overall, the town of Cooper Springs felt dull instead of charming or even eccentric. It’s unfortunate because I really did enjoy the two main characters and their romance when they decided maybe they didn't hate each other as much as they thought....and then there was the dogs that Xavier's Mom adopted. Good job Ms. Keaton for showing how lovable and how needful shelter dogs are. That was an extra star-worthy touch. If the story had only focused on the growing relationship between Xavier and Vincent, and the rest of the small town without the unsolved murder and the opening mystery that was never revisited or explained...I would have liked this story so much more. At least it had a Happy Ever After at the end...but it comes very suddenly. I won't give up on this series, and NEVER on this author. I will give book #2 a chance whenever it comes out.

There was so much good material that could have been developed and taken this story from 'okay' to incredible - but it seemed to be ignored.
Instead, we ended up with a mediocre instant love story. The characters are partially developed and are, frankly, boring. The plot has a few moments, but for the most part, it feels like this whole other story was happening just out of the reader's reach and this just happened to be an aside that got tossed in.

Im not a super fan of mystery reads but I enjoyed this series, with its combination of mystery and romance as we follow Niall and Mat as they solve another mystery and plan a wedding!

I mean bodies in harbours and wedding planning shouldn't really work but it does.

This was well paced with good characters.

I completely blanked on the title for this when I saw crime was expecting a read outside my normal but haha its just a lovely light-hearted romamce read that I super enjoyed! Arnie's plan made me giggle at its flaws but it ends up perfect as he gets his man or well they get each other :)

A charming romance with cosy mystery vibes.

Piedras island local, Wade Buckner is as grumpy as they come but he's a lifesaver for Cody Prescott with his ability to fix any problems the resort owner has. Cody loves his resort, The Brooch and has poured his heart and soul into revitalising his family's legacy. It would be easier if things would stop breaking but as long as he has Wade, he knows it'll be alright. And if they could only sort out their feelings for one another, then everyone else would finally have some peace from the longing looks and wishful remarks.

I adored this. The island of Piedras is full of distinct and vibrant characters who have built strong friendships with a side of teasing and I was rating it. I have to say it really wasn't what I was expecting. I haven't read the other books in the series and going by the series name alone I was expecting more crime and forensic investigation. This wasn't that - so I'm not entirely sure where that bit came in but it was good nonetheless. And there was mystery and investigation but more along the cosy mystery line than romantic suspense or crime fiction.

Cody was hilarious. I loved his bright happy attitude to life and his snarky inner voice when things went wrong. His determination to solve the crime simply for his resort not to go under was amusing and made for a fun read. Wade was a gruff outer shell with a gooey inner center and his feelings for Cody were adorable. It wasn't all fluff though, the chemistry between them burned hot and the sex was explosive.

Plus I loved the relationship progression between Wade and his dad, Ray. I felt sorry that they had so many years of misunderstandings and hurt feelings and grief but I was glad they managed to find a middle ground and work towards getting to know one another again. As far as the mystery - the plot wasn't anything that hasn't been done before but it gave a bit of flavour to the romance.

One thing I was really impressed with was the character profiles index at the back of the book. The author detailed who everyone was, who their love interest will be and laid out which book their story was told in! Why don't more authors do this?! Considering this was my first Elle Keaton book, I was super happy to see a straightforward layout of how I could read the rest and where I could find them if I wanted to. A basic reading order is provided on her website - but this index was much better.

Overall, a fun lighthearted romance with a bit of mystery and likeable characters, I'll definitely be reading more of this author. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4.

Charley was unceremoniously dumped without an explanation, by Simon when he was younger. As a result, he walked away from the path set for him by his father...who is a rich first-class creep, and becomes an escort. He leaves that "career" behind him and reenters the art world. At his first show, with a little push from his friend Arnie, Simon shows up and stakes his claim to Charley...or at least hopes Charley will see it that way. The two guys start to build a new life together that at times we are almost sure is going to collapse before it has a chance. I felt sorry for Charley and the parents that he had. Money IS NOT everything, especially if it's thrown out there without an ounce of love. Charley had learned from a young age that love only hurts and wasn't sure that he wanted to trust Simon again with his heart. Some of the best parts of this story is Charley’s "found" family in his best friend Tobias and his fiancé Arnie, and his friends Duff and Jacob, especially Jacob’s grandparents, and his Uncle Michael...all which have appeared in the first two books. The books can be read as standalones, but they are better if you follow these characters in the order that they appear.

This story ticked most of my boxes. It had flaws but in the end I was grinning like a fool. The writing could have been smoother for me. I have not read any of the other books in this series so am not truly tuned in to Ms Keaton's writing style. Wonderful characters throughout that held my interest. I loved Otto and Michael. Gloria was my granma all over again.

I thought I had reviewed this when I read it in November, but I can't find the review anywhere. Not on Goodreads...and not on LibraryThing...so I guess that's what I get for trying to think and it's always better late than never. Arnie and Tobias belong together...it just took them half the book to discover what I knew from the start. Fate is a strange critter sometimes doing unexpected things like dumping coffee on you to get your attention. Revenge has absolutely no heart or soul and when it occupies space, in your heart and brain, you don't seem to have room for anything else and usually don't show your best side. Then when your thoughts turn over and over while confusing you to no end, and "THE ONE" comes crashing their way into your heart...what can you do but give in? I loved Tobias and Arnie. They are wonderfully entertaining while trying to avoid one another but knowing it just isn't working out like that. Arnie thinks Tobias does not acknowledge him because he is not super rich like his family is. With the help, (which is questionable), of his best friend he comes up with the perfect, {which is also questionable), plan to finally take advantage of his degree and finally let him leave the coffee shop where he currently works. What Arnie could never expect was where his new job takes him. Fate has a few more surprises for our two guys. Another great story by Elle Keaton that will touch your heart and make you want to meet more of the characters in this series.½

I read a lot of M/M romances and I know that they 99.9% end with a happy ever after...but there are some things that really make me want to shake some of the characters and it usually pops up its ugly head in EVERY single one unless it's a series like Morgan Brice's "Witchbane" or "Badlands" where the characters only went through the "he loves me, he loves me not" phase in the first book. The other thing that really bugs me is how the main characters almost always let their "best friend(s)" tell them what to do, how to do it, and who they should be doing it with, usually only making whatever situation 110% worse. I just want to yell "LEAVE THEM ALONE." "THEY ARE ADULTS!!!" Elle Keaton writes some short little series like this one that I read a lot of because there just isn't enough page count for this to happen as a rule, or at least if it does...not for very long. These two characters had very different childhoods that shaped their adulthoods. Jaccob has loving wonderfully caring grandparents that provide laughs and tender moments throughout this story...Duff was born and grew up in a commune with a hippy mother that had no clue how to be a mother and was pretty much on his own from a very early age. On his mother's death he lived with an aunt that loved him but had some very bad mental issues that Duff has to deal with. Jacob owned his own business and Duff was a male fashion model. A chance meeting brought them together and love and determination sealed them as one. It was a lovely little story with very little of the things that make me want to kill, or at least very badly damage some of the character's "best friends".½

I've really liked the character of Foster Jennings throughout the other books when he made short appearances and was anxiously awaiting him to get to tell his story and get his special guy. Then here was Dutch, who also needed to tell his story and he could use someone in his life also. Good matching here Ms. Keaton. Younger Dutch was not an angel by any means, but he did what he had to do to survive. He gave that life up and turned his own life around when he took sole custody of his baby daughter, Hazel. Foster Jennings is an EMT that raised his younger sister when their parents were killed in an auto accident when she was 7 years old. Now she's ready for college and Foster is ready for "someone more", that "special" someone in his life...and that brings him together with Dutch and Hazel. Forster was presenting a safety program at Hazel's school when she called Dutch's attention to "the pretty man" and then invited him to their house for a tea party. The exciting part of the story comes around when Dutch's former life, that he thought he had escaped, unexpectantly come back in spades. I thought the reason that Dutch's past came back at all was a bit on the weak side. We had not anywhere in the story previously been led to believe that this was ever the case. I've read enough of this series to know that things so far have always worked out and our two featured guys will get all that they so much deserve. The whole little island community seems to be one big mostly closeknit family that is always ready to help their friends. So, when everyone, (characters from all the previous books), figured out the relationship that was growing between Dutch and Foster...and that Dutch desperately needed help, they were there to lend aid, support and encouragement. I have never found anything to complain about in one of Elle Keaton's books. Keep up the good work, Elle. I hope we get to visit Piedras Island in many more books. I'm glad there is always rereads.

There is just something about the setting, Piedras Island off the coast of Washington, as well as Elle Keaton's warm, wonderful, sexy as all get out, characters that keeps drawing me back to her Shielded Hearts, Veiled Intentions and West Coast Forensics series. The characters all overlap from each of the series so it's very hard to tell sometimes where one series stops and another begins, but it really doesn't matter because it is a great story that you just don't want to end. Fire chief Devon Flynn had no real interest in anything but protecting his island with his small fire department that was composed mostly of volunteers, but West Coast Forensics chief officer, Kimbal Frye soon changed all that. Someone is setting fires on the island, one of which injured Chief Devon Flynn...which instantly involved Kimball's Frye's organization to find the fire bug. That he volunteered to stay and help the injured fire chief only helped to further solidify their budding relationship that neither man was sure what to do with...or even if they really wanted to do anything or did they want to do everything? Devon and Kimball are similar in so many ways, but so very opposites in many others. I loved their bantering about everything from Devon's empty cupboards to what they were going to watch on TV. When Devon is accused of setting the fires, Kimball becomes his main protector and number one ally. They proved that opposites sometimes really do attract.

Ryder was a fun and lively character that just wouldn't take no for an answer. Shay thought of every excuse under the sun to not start any type of relationship with Ryder, mainly using the 15-year age difference as the main reason. Ryder refused to listen to him. Not only is this eventually a good love story, but it's also a pretty good mystery. I never guessed what was happening and it had a good resolve and a surprise in the end. The end of Ryder and Shays's story had a wonderful surprise also. I really have enjoyed Elle Keaton's series even though what story belongs with which series can be a bit confusing. I finally just gave up trying to sort it and bought them all. Problem solved.... Happy Camper! The characters are realistic and are all so engaging that you can't wait to see them visiting in the other books.

The description is a bit off when it says, "Two men from opposite sides of the law". Soren is a deputy on the Piedras Island Sheriff Dept., but it would have you believe that Dany is a criminal of some type. He isn't. He's an outstanding chef that just happened to have the bad luck to be born into a major crime family and has had to work his entire life to show that he's not like them nor does he want to be like them. This is also book 1 in the West Coast Forensics series that overlaps the Veiled Intention series and the Shielded Hearts series with all the characters from the two other series either showing up in this one or being mentioned. I find this confusing as some of the books are listed in all three series...UHHHH! I love all 3 series so I'm just going to quit fighting it and whatever Elle Keaton writes I'll read. I really liked Soren and Dany's story and that these two actually tried to work out their problems even though they found themselves right in the middle of a couple of murder and several arson cases that may have been tied to the same suspect. There is more than one "bad guy" that they have to watch out for...and Dany has to learn that he is not responsible for anything that his family has ever done, and he is worth Soren's love.½

Retired US Marshal Sacha Bolic returns to the small town of Skagit, where he once worked undercover but is now investing his time and money in renovating old buildings such as the Warrick, a bank building built in 1899. He’s also hitting his forties—and knows it’s time for him to stop living in the closet and to start a new life. Maybe even to find someone to share it with. He meets Seth Culver who has never really dealt with his demons. The fear of abandonment keeps everyone at bay, even his half-brother Adam. His carefree attitude was offset by the deep-rooted feeling that it was best he left first than be left behind hurting...which I thought was rather ridicules. If someone loved him and was willing to try to make a relationship work, why not meet them halfway and give it a chance? Would he have been any better or any worse off? The really interesting part of this story, other than the romance, was the box of letters, a picture and a book of poems that Sacha found hidden behind a wall in the building that he was restoring. Seth was determined to see if he could find if either of the men in the picture was still alive. They would be in their eighties or nineties n Seth's time. While searching the mystery of the hidden box they meet and make some new friends and learn how hard it as to be a gay man in the early 1900's. I also found a side note at the end of the story from Mary Calmes. It seems the characters of the two early men that are connected to the box was based on something that actually happen to her grandmother's brother. If you read this story, be sure to read that little side story at the end of this very sweet romance story.½

We met Ira in the beginning. A man in his 40's that is divorced with a son. Ira's ex-wife took the young son with her when she stormed out the house and Ira ran as far away as he could get which turned out to be Skagit, Washington. Now we meet Cameron (Cam) who bartends at The Loft. This setting reoccurs in most all of the books in this series along with a local coffee shop. It's like coming home to familiar places. There's not as much mystery in this one as there has been in the others in this series, except for who could be targeting Cam and leaving disturbing homophobic notes outside his door. The person that had been attacking him previously is under arrest for assault, so it can't be him. I thought Cam took this latest occurrence way too lightly knowing that it had to be someone else. Ira and Cameron were destined to get together in spite of the 20-year age difference and that Ira's son was the same age as Cam. I liked that Ira had some of his major past issues put to rest and that he found a hopeful future with Cam. The two characters of Ira and Cameron kept me intrigued and happy all through their story.

This is the end of the Shielded Hearts series. I'm sorry to see these characters go...but then I'm always sad to see a good series end. Knowing Elle Keaton there will be another series just as good and maybe some of these will make a pass through. since I own all the books, I can just go visit on my own. I am notorious for reading out of order, when checking my other books, I have found a few more in this series that are still unread...why doesn't that surprise me? There was lots of suspense, adventure and romance in this story. Carsten really surprised me at how he came forward when Beto needed him the most. I would have liked there to have been a bit more interaction with the characters from the other books when they showed up to help. It's still a bit confusing about the two different series that contain some of the same books and the same characters. Some are listed as a part of the Accidental Roots series and others are listed as a part of The Shielded Hearts series. I think that's how I got books that are yet unread that are supposed to be before this one. I tried to be a good girl and read in order:) At any rate, it was a great story, really good connections with the two main characters and I am looking forward to more of Elle Keaton's books.

This series is way too short, but luckily the characters from Elle Keaton's other books set in the same general area of Washington state keep reappearing...so there are always familiar friends. Niall and Mat are trying to get married, but explosions and dead bodies keep getting in their way. This is definitely a romantic suspense story and Niall and Mat are one of my all-time favorite couples. The first two books introduced the two character and gave them depth. it also pathed the path to get them together, Now they just have to learn how to be a couple. Niall can’t quite give up his "do it by myself" investigating attitude, even when he doesn't need to. Mat wants to wrap Naill in bubble wrap and put him in a cupboard and lock the door...but he understands that is just the way this big Norseman that has just become his fiancé, is...and it's useless to try and change him. Mat is the sheriff of the Piedras Island community where everybody knows everybody and will always put differences aside and gather together in time of trouble. Mat is determined to keep his little paart of the world safe, and it doesn't matter that Naill has also had thoughts about how to keep Mat safe..."wrap him up like a burrito", I believe is how he phrased his idea. Ms. Keaton has created two wonderful, interesting, adorable, sexy, sweet characters. They argue sometimes but they are honest about all their insecurities, and they are respectful of the choices that they each make. There is always a mystery in each book, Mystery and adventure play a huge role in this series. It seems at times, that there are more dead bodies on the island than living ones. Anyone that wants a good "who done it" will get their money's worth here. Elle Keaton introduces these new mysteries to Piedras Island and then expertly weaves them into the storyline. The suspense builds slowly and every piece of the puzzle links together, until suddenly you find yourself in the middle of one of the best romance and mystery stories you could ever want.

Niall has softened some in this one and I liked him much more because of it. I understood that he was afraid of showing too much of how he felt about Mat but he should have seen enough of Mat and his family to know he could risk it. This is not only an M/M romance, it's also a murder mystery, it has an arson case, and a whole train load of action. Niall is more committed to staying on Piedras except since his grandparent's cabin burned, he now doesn’t have a place to live. The hotel where he has a room is a far cry from the Hilton, but the owners don't care much for his wolf hound. Fenrir, who is without a doubt my favorite character in the entire series. The motel people are crazy to not like him since he is better behaved than most people's children. Of course, since he has fur and four legs, I'm a bit prejudice. In order to not miss too much and see how the relationship between Niall and Mat develops, the books should be read in order. Unfortunately, it seems there are only 3 of them, but I have found that the characters have a tendency to reappear in some of Elle Keaton's other books. Each book solves the current mystery while introducing the next book, so they keep you coming back for more.

This story starts while Miguel and Nate are still at the Buck and Joey's wedding. Miguel is sure that he isn't interested in any relationship that is permanent that is until he spies Nate. Nate thinks that they could just be friends, so he offers to help Joey find a place to live. Miguel hasn't had an easy life. He was at odds with his father through his childhood, for reasons he never understood but learns later in the story, and he spent his teen years in the foster system. He was in Washington state to try and escape an abusive ex-boyfriend. So, friendship was okay with him, and he liked Nates company. Nate is a Federal Agent and is interested in Miguel and thinks he might try for a bit more than friendship. Along the way Nate and Miguel both learn that family isn't always defined as blood relations, but by the people you meet along the way showing how much they care about you that matters the most, even when you make mistakes. I really liked how Elle Keaton offers readers a realistic picture of her characters. It puts them in a different light and explains why they act a certain way. Nate was just so comfortable in his own skin. You knew he would keep Miguel grounded, showing that he was worthy of love no matter what he thought. Nate finds himself facing some heart-wrenching secrets also. Buck was just a big, solid presence throughout this story. He showed so well how he appreciated and treasured his friendship with Miguel. The plot was well written with really wonderful characters, some from the other books in the series. I have always been a fan of books that bring back familiar, well-liked characters. This series is a must for any fan of M/M romances.

I read book and then bought books 1&2 and soon joined book 3 to them...this time before I read it:) I couldn't wait to read Weir's story, even though he was sure he didn't have one, but that was before he met bartender and owner, Sterling Bailey. I liked that this book was less focused on the crime that Weir was investing and more on the characters...even some from the first two books. Joey and Buck from book 2 have a very touching moment at the end of this one, and Adam and Micah from book 1 play a big part also. You really get pulled in by the characters and the small Washington town. I enjoyed seeing the process of getting them to a happy ending. If the next 5 books are like the first 3...they'll all be back. The only thing that is a bit confusing is the title of the series. In some places the books are listed under the title "Shielded Hearts" and in others they're listed as "Accidental Roots". Makes it a bit hard to find the next one.

Saying Rory was socially awkward was an understatement, His constant indecision about almost everything was annoying after a while, but the two characters were sweet and the dog, Lulu, was beyond cute, so I had to root for her humans and hope that Rory would make up his mind about something before Brett gave up on him. Rory was almost thirty years old, so surely, he could have been a bit more rational about Brett’s asking him out. It’s a date...not a wedding, Rory....and you only have 69 pages here to get a happy ever after!!! If you don’t mind a same-sex couple and like a light, fluffy romance, then this short book will fill that need nicely. Of course, you still have Lulu.

I loved the two main characters of Greg and Otto and of course the two kittens. I also liked that Elle Keaton didn't give the guys a lot of grief to overcome to be together, just a "mistake" that Otto made when he was 18 that couldn't take "no" for an answer, but it was short lived. I like my characters to have a fair chance. Most of the secondary characters were also well done. I didn't care much for Greg's neighbor and how she pushed her little daughter off on Greg but that didn't take anything away from Greg and Otto's budding relationship. I hope that Blaise and Jack get their own book next.

I now have a goal of finding more books in this series. I loved the main characters and how they handled their growing attraction and ultimate relationship. The story was easy to follow as the author made the chapters fairly short, and each one had either Adam or Micah's POV, so it was always clear who was who. The narrator, Nick Gallagher, also made the story extremely enjoyable with his smooth easy to listen to voice. When one man clearing out his father's house uncovers a family forgotten, another is awakened from the fog surrounding his families deaths. These two men end up being what the other needs and someone is not happy their secrets are coming to light. A really good story that keeps you guessing throughout, with complicated characters who have great chemistry. A book well worth the readers time.

I liked the characters, and I really, really liked the dog. The organization of the story however, needed some work. The mystery was good, the setting was well done, And as I have already said I liked the two main characters. Some of the supporting characters were just lukewarm. Like the deputy that we were told was competent and smart and in the next chapter became a harpy worrying about the guys "bad language. Come on...really? This was a police station not a Sunday School class. The character of Niall is primarily a jerk, that spent most of the story steamrolling over Mat and Mat allowing him to. I hope that's not going to be the way any relationship they might have in the future is going to go. I know first books in a new series sometimes spend time setting the stage for future books, and since I didn't totally dislike the book...I will be willing to try book 2.½

dnf 30%

not vibing with this one