ARC Review: Two Man Advantage by Toni Aleo

I thought that Two Man Advantage was a great M/M debut for author Toni Aleo. Fans of hers will enjoy this one and those that are new to her will as well. If you have read any of Toni's Assassins series, you will probably recognize some familiar faces here. But if you are new to her you don't need to worry as this is a complete standalone. I really enjoyed this story though, and this is one of my favorite books of hers to date. 

Wells Lemiere and Matty Haverbrooke knew they wanted each other right from the start, and despite the reasons they should stay away from one another they found it impossible to fight what was between them. But while Wells is out and proud, Matty's family and the fact that his dad is the Commissioner of the NHL means that he can't truly be himself. So when Wells finds himself unable to stay in the closet any longer, he tells Matty that he needs an open commitment from him which Matty finds himself unable to give. So when Matty finds out after months apart that Wells is getting married to someone else, he knows that he either has to come out or say goodbye to Wells forever.

I loved these two so much. I just couldn't get enough of them and their love was so clear and genuine. These two loved each other so much and yet both of them had some issues to deal with. The connection between them though was something that I never once questioned. My heart broke for both of them and things that they each faced, but the fact that they found a love and bond so pure and true that couldn't be broken was something that I loved reading about. The chemistry between them was off the charts, but it was so much more than that and these two truly belonged together. 

Overall, I loved this book. It was sweet and sexy, heartbreaking and emotional. It really delivered everything that I hope for in a great romance story and I think that Toni Aleo did a great job for her first M/M novel. I really hope that we get to see more M/M from her as I think that she did just as great of a job here as she does with everything else that I have read from her. I loved these characters and their journey, and I felt like I was right there with them through all the ups and downs and growth that each of them showed. I think this one is definitely worth the read and I can't wait for more.

**ARC Provided by L. Woods PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: In the Crease by Toni Aleo

I will admit that I haven't read all of the Assassins series by Toni Aleo, but after reading the blurb for In the Crease I knew I wanted to read it. I guess technically it is a standalone story, though I don't know that I would recommend reading it out of order as I did. While I was able to understand this book, there were a lot of characters and things referenced that just didn't mean anything to me since I hadn't read the previous books, and that had me feeling a bit left out at times...like I was missing something. 

Wren doesn't do commitment and doesn't believe in love. So when she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and in need of a husband and daddy for her baby, she doesn't know where to turn first. Her brother's best friend Jensen is a great guy though and she knows that he would be perfect. She only needs him to agree to be her husband for a short while until she receives her inheritance and after that he can go his own way with a decent amount of money from Wren. But Jensen has always wanted Wren, even though she was off limits, and he will do whatever it takes to show her that they should be together for real. But can he get Wren to take a chance on a future together when she is scared to have her heart broken by finally letting someone in? 

Jensen was a great guy. I liked him a lot, but he was almost too perfect if that makes any sense. I felt bad for him and really wanted better for him at times. Wren drove me a bit nuts. It was nice to see a heroine that was comfortable with her sexuality and had no problem sleeping with men without having a series relationship. That being said though, she was so insecure and after the first thousand times of Jensen reassuring her it got real old real quick. I was so tired of hearing her worry about being fat or being a whore. Seriously how many more ways could Jensen and her family have said it before she started to actually believe it? For her being a therapist, it just didn't make sense to me. She was really immature at times and it just didn't strike me as being entirely believable. 

Besides my issues with the characters themselves, my biggest problem with this story was that it was just so repetitive. It felt like we were constantly going through the same things over and over and I just got tired of it. Same conversation and self-doubt, followed by reassurance, followed again by Wren once again questioning everything and lacking confidence. I was just over it by the time that it seemed like we got to the end. The story just seemed to move so slowly because of it and at times that drag just really had me wanting to put this one down and move on. Overall, this one just wasn't what I had been hoping for or expecting and sadly was hard for me to get into. I did finish, but there were several times I wanted to give up. If you are a fan of the series, you might enjoy this one more than I did. But if you haven't read the previous books, you might want to read those first before deciding to read this one.

**ARC Provided by Ardent PRose**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | 

Guest Post with Author Toni Aleo and Giveaway

Meet author Toni Aleo.

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nashville Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, and Blue Lines. When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel. She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog.

Places to find Toni:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Let It Be Me by Toni Aleo

This review isn't easy for me to write. Let it be Me left me feeling extremely emotional and the whole book was filled with ups and downs. There were parts that I really liked, but there were also parts that I had some issues with. I went into this book after reading the blurb, and even though I knew what it was about, it was just different than I expected.  It's hard for me to put it into words without going into too many details and spoiling everything, but I guess I was expecting a little more romance and love. While this story was inspiring and about a girl learning to love herself and become stronger, I just felt as though it was more about her and her struggles than anything else. Even though it does end happily, I feel like it was kind of drawn out and pretty predictable getting there.

I really loved Tucker. I thought that he was extremely sweet and an absolutely great guy. He was protective and caring and impossibly understanding. I thought Tucker really had the patience of a saint. He was genuinely nice and everything you could hope for in a man. He was one of those guys that even though he is extremely handsome, he is even more so because of his personality. Truthfully, I had my ups and downs with Violet. I have never been in a situation like her, and I found it really hard to relate to her. We are complete opposites in personality, and although I can never understand having to deal with what she did, I just didn't understand her. I thought that her character was well written and I understood some of why she did the things she did, but I just personally didn't connect with her character. I thought that it was great that towards the end of the book she started waking up and made some decisions that I thought were great. It was inspiring to see her take her life back and find her purpose in helping others. I think that she underestimated how strong she was, so it was nice to see her get there with the help of Tucker. I never doubted their attraction to each other and that they cared about each other. But I also didn't fully believe that their connection was as strong as it was so quickly. I just didn't really feel like it was that real that quick. I think part of the problem was Violet and her actions. I did think that Tucker and Violet were great together and extremely sweet though. I was hoping that they would get through everything and end up together in the end, so I was happy about that.

Another problem I had was the epilogue. There was something that was mentioned in there that did not make any sense to me at all. I don't know how to say what it is without spoiling the ending, but with everything that had happened I just found that part to be extremely unbelievable. Besides that problem though, It was nice to see Violet and Tucker had finally got their HEA. I was also really glad that Violet had gone after what she wanted and was helping others escape and get past the same type of situations that she had experienced. I wish that we had been able to see more of Tucker and Violet happy and developing their relationship. I felt like we missed out on a lot of them. I realize that they got to know each other while she was still married, but it would have been nice to see more of them after everything was over as they really started their relationship together.

Overall, I liked this book. I know it sounds like a lot of stuff I didn't like, but I just think that it was so different from what I had expected. Yes there is love and a happy ending, but i'm not sure that I would call this book a romance. I think if I wouldn't have been expecting a romance, it would have changed my whole take on this book. I still would have had some issues with the story, but I think I would have taken it for more of what it is. This book is all about how you can end up in a place you never expected and be broken and beaten down. But its also about how with some help and determination you can pick yourself up again and start to heal. At the heart of this story, you really see how important self-love is and how you should never be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I think that there are a lot of people who will really like this story. This book is a good story, but it isn't your typical romance and shouldn't be thought of as such. There are some very serious and adult things that happen in this story and there are a lot of dark moments. If you are looking for a light and quick read, this is not the story you are looking for. Luckily for the reader though, the story does end well and the characters reach a really good place that is a satisfying finish to the book.

**ARC provided by Author**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Feature and Giveaway: Let it be Me by Toni Aleo

Do you see that woman there?
The one with long, wavy blond hair and blue eyes that used to sparkle?
That’s me, Violet Moore.
Do you see those men over there?
One is my husband, Rob.
A man who claimed he loved me, but proved his fist loved me more.
The other is Tucker McCloud, my savior and confidant.
I'm torn between what's right and my own fear.
But not anymore.
I’m taking my life back now.
I will fight back.
I will be happy.

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |