Review: Ripped by Mia Downing

OMG! I LOVED this book. Mia Downing has painted a beautiful picture of two men who grew up together. One is a jock and the other a geek. Now they’re all grown up. The jock is now a lifeguard and elementary school teacher. The geek is still a geek. They love each other and not just as best friends, but will they ever be together. Will they ever tell each other how they feel?

I loved Gavin. He’s been through so much in his life. He’s carries guilt he shouldn’t carry and while he loves hit best friend Erik, he doesn’t feel he deserves that love.

Erik is just as loveworthy to me as Gavin. He’s loved Gavin from afar and since he can’t have Gavin like he wants, he’ll move to California. Let Gavin live here and maybe, Erik will be able to start living his life.

It was amazing to watch Gavin come to terms with what’s happened in his life and realize Erik wasn’t going to leave him. At least he hopes not. Gavin realizes he hasn’t been giving Erik what he needs and plans to try.

I really liked how Mia brought all of this around. None of it was easy for either one of them. They had to fight to bring their feelings to the front and admit them to each other. It wasn’t a walk in the park. I also liked that everything was in baby steps. There were no “OMG you’re right and I’m all better in one word moments”. They had epiphanies and acted on those but it wasn’t easy. Life rarely is.

Male-Male romances are something I’m just getting in to. As I find authors that write amazing M/M stories I’m starting to fall in love with the genre. Mia Downing definitely does that!

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Review: Just Ask by Mia Downing

Mia Downing, you owe me another box of Kleenex! I loved this book and I cried so hard. My heart went out to both Jordan and Ryan. They were dealing with so much heartache and found solace in each other. It was wonderful.

Jordan’s half uncle has died and he’s on his way to Bendura to spread his ashes and deal with the island resort he’s been left in the will. Ryan is part owner of the resort and want’s to stop Jordan from selling his half of the resort.

Along the way Jordan finds he’s attracted to Ryan. Jordan decides to go for a boys gone wild weekend and indulge his attraction. But what happens at the end of the weekend? Will Jordan sell? Will he follow his heart and go back to Ryan?

I’ve read a few M/M books but they are not my typical genre. I like girly bits mixed into my stories. That being said, there was something so hot and touching about Jordan and Ryan’s story that I couldn’t put it down! I read until the wee hours of the morning. I had to know how it turned out! Waiting until the next day to find out was NOT ACCEPTABLE!

I also found myself crying as they dealt with their grief. Hearing about Blake and they way he lived his life made it that much harder to hear he wasn’t with us anymore. (yes, I know he’s fictional, but if felt real!)

This is an amazingly emotional story that is hot! I want to visit Bendura to skinny dip in the ocean, lay in the hammock and see what naughty things I can find to do!

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