SERIES REVIEW TOUR: Boys of Brighton Series (Books 1-10) by M. Tasia

SERIES REVIEW TOUR

BOYS OF BRIGHTON SERIES by M. TASIA

Welcome to Brighton, Texas. Where anyone can find a home.

The stories are standalone but set in the same town.

Genre/s: Contemporary MM Romance

Overall Heat Rating for the series: 4 flames

Check out the series on Goodreads

Series Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | Kobo | Boroughs Publishing Group

Boys of Brighton, Book 01, Gabe

The Official Description: Fifth-generation firefighter Gabe Mason saves Johnny from the flames of an office building fire, and Johnny will save Gabe from himself.

UNQUENCHABLE

Gabe Mason is a fifth-generation firefighter unable to move forward with his life after a devastating betrayal two years earlier. Graphic designer Johnny Jeffrey relocated to Brighton, Texas, to flee persecution and fear, and to begin living again on his own terms. The two meet amidst fire and smoke, and soon Johnny is in Gabe’s arms, right where he should be. The connection is palpable, undeniable, and hot, and healing from the past is within reach of both men. And yet, the office-building blaze that brought them together is only the beginning of their struggles. Not family, not faith, not a lunatic’s rage. It took a fire to bring Gabe and Johnny together. Nothing will tear them apart.

My thoughts bit: This is a fast-paced novella packed with action and the introduction of a lot of characters! I’m sure that most of them will appear later in the series so I didn’t stress too much about trying to remember them all. Gabe and Johnny are brought together in many ways but unfortunately incidents. First, Gabe pulls Johnny from a fire, but then both men have to deal with Gabe’s unpredictable and violent ex. The fast progression of their romance works in this book because it’s clear from the beginning what they are both looking for!

What to Know!: Fireman, graphic designer, stalker, vindictive ex, instalove, hurt comfort, size difference.

Warnings (SPOILERS): description of being trapped in a fire, description of severe injuries and burns, description of recovering from smoke inhalation, a character needs medical attention, a character is hit by a car, a character is stabbed, a character is stalked and attacked, a character has surgery, description of a character being ventilated. Description of character in a comatose state, description of burn scars, a character describes intense pain.

Length: 41 410 words || Release Date: September 8, 2016

Trope/s: Hurt/comfort || Themes: Trust and hope

Goodreads

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Amazon | Kobo | Smashwords

Boys of Brighton, Book 02, Sam’s Soldiers

The Official Description: Emergency room nurse Samuel Mason is offered a ménage relationship with two ex-military men and discovers a love more dangerous—and more exquisite—than he anticipated.

Welcome back to Brighton, Texas. Where any man can find home.

THE POWER OF THREE

As an emergency room nurse at Brighton General, Samuel Mason spends most of his days caring for the sick and injured, and his nights alone. Until now.

Jack “ Spider” Forrester and Dante Snow have arrived. Retired from the Army, they provide protection to those in need. They’ve come to Brighton to guard Sam’s cousin from a dire threat, but it’s Sam’s world they turn inside out. Jack wears his heart on his sleeve but is no pushover, and Dante is scarred from a past he’d sooner forget. They two are partners in all things, from the bedroom to the office to the street, and they want Sam to join them…for as long as they’re in town. But there is danger ahead, and not just from the type of men these skilled, muscled heroes have sworn to take down. The danger of falling in love.

My thoughts bit: Book 2 is about Sam. Sam is the ER nurse from book 1 who is stabbed while trying to protect Johnny in book 1. Sam has entered into a relationship with two of the ex-soldiers who can easily to Brighton to provide security. They’ve entered into a committed threesome with an end date. When Spider and Dante have another job to go to…things with Sam will be finished up. Oh, these men! I wanted to smack them all as they hurt each other by not revealing how they all felt.

There’s a lot of action in this book! There is suspense, danger, and a lot of angst. The connection between the three men is sweet and endearing. It’s fast-moving – but I think much of this series will be because of the short length of all of the novellas.

What to Know!: ex-soldiers/ private security team, ER nurse, threesome becomes throuple

Warnings (SPOILERS): extreme sadness after heartbreak, excessive drinking, description of hand injury after punching mirror, description of car bomb and aftermath, description of a burned corpse,

Length: 40 560 words || Release Date: December 29, 2016

Trope/s: Revenge/Salvation || Themes: Forgiveness

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group

Boys of Brighton, Book 03, Rick’s Bear

The Official Description: Welcome back to Brighton, Texas. Where any man can find home.

A DEN OF THEIR OWN

Clem “Bear” Mitchell owns the only diner in Brighton and prefers to be left alone. After growing up in—and barely escaping—one of the toughest motorcycle gangs out of Chicago, he just wants peace. Librarian Rick Johansson is the same. Due to his anxiety, he has always lived on the outskirts of society, finding it far safer to stay in the stacks. But no man is an island, and when the two are thrust together by dangerous events playing out around them, they see that life is better together. The tattooed, bear of a biker and the quiet, unassuming librarian will soon show the residents of Brighton that the local bookworm can teach an old bear new tricks.

My thoughts bit: Rick Johansson is the Librarian in this crazy little town of Brighton. He is recovering from a past relationship that left him physically and psychologically scarred. To his credit, he’s managed to carve out a life for himself in this cozy town… he works happily at the library and is even getting slightly used to the attention of Bear.

Bear owns the diner in town. He couldn’t’ be more different from Rick. Bear used to be an enforcer for a motorcycle club and he too bears scars from his past life. But what’s inside Bear doesn’t match his burly exterior. He’s convinced that he can’t date someone like Rick – because how could Rick not be afraid of him?

There are a few false starts for these two … after all Rick’s anxiety and fear really are almost crippling. Once he realizes how comforting Bear’s presence is though he gives in to it. They have a lovely relationship. It’s slow and gentle… and Bear is very good at reading Rick’s anxiety levels.

There’s a sad twist in this story as Bear’s sister shows up with her nephew… unfortunately, she is ill. I don’t want to give all of this away! There’s a huge twist about 2/3 of the way through and suddenly Bear and Rick find themselves in the middle of a dangerous situation.

This story is full of hurt/comfort AND packed with action!

What to Know!: Two men who couldn’t be more different… might be perfect for one another. Recovering from the past. Learning to trust.

Warnings (SPOILERS): Character has pancreatic cancer, physical brawls, violence, descriptions of scars from abuse, description of past domestic violence, depictions of severe anxiety attacks, abduction attempt, attempted kidnapping

Length: 40 060 words || Release Date: March 3, 2017

Trope/s: Opposites attract, hurt/comfort ||Themes: Family and strength

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group

Boys of Brighton, Book 04, Jesse

The Official Description: Welcome back to Brighton, Texas. Where any man can find home.

HEATING UP

Royce Evans has worked as a paramedic in Brighton since graduating college. After the accident, though, his life seemed over. His husband died. Then he met Jesse. Handsome, brave, loving—the short-order cook is everything Royce desires. Everything he’d thought forever gone. Now Jesse’s tan, muscled body has brought him back to life, and nothing is going to shut that down. Not his own fears of heartbreak. Not Jesse’s past, or the fact that he ran from it. And definitely not Jesse’s crazy violent family, the Redemption Squad.

My thoughts bit: Royce found himself on the wrong side of a gun muzzle in the previous book. Since his injury, Jess has been living with him. But Jesse’s religious-cult-like family is still after him! I had a moment reading this particular book when I thought to myself, ” don’t ever move to a town like Brighton.” Someone is shot, stalked, tossed off a building, or run over in every book!

Royce hires the local security team to watch over Jesse while they both struggle to live their daily lives without being fearful. There’s a real mystery unveiled in this book that explains a lot about the hostility of Jesse’s family so I won’t reveal it here!

On a lighter note, Johnny and Gabe’s wedding is being planned! And two new characters are introduced in this novella: Travis and Matthew.

What to Know!: grief, death, lots of fighting, and attacking. Definitely Gay Disneyland… in spite of the fact that this town is a dangerous place to live.

Warnings (SPOILERS): abusive family, religious persecution, stalking, past child abuse is described, a character has lost partner, torture, violence,

Length: 40 810 words|| Release Date: June 2, 2017

Trope/s: Second chances at love, secret past || Themes: Moving on from the past

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo

Boys of Brighton, Book 05, Coop

The Official Description: Running from parents who didn’t know how to love him and a past he’d sooner forget, private security contractor “Coop” Stenson must protect from danger the unexpected happiness he finds with beautiful but accident-prone Matthew Whitton.

CATCH ME WHEN I FALL

King of the one-night stand, Coop Stenson knows his warped upbringing and chosen profession with the Sentinels, a private security team, has conditioned him to avoid romantic attachments. Yet when accident-prone Matthew Whitton literally falls into his life, one thing is abundantly clear: Matt deserves more than a man-slut.

Matthew’s love is overpowering, and just as Coop is ready to take the plunge, having fought its inevitable pull for as long as he could, an old nemesis targets the partners of the Sentinels. So keeping Matt safe is about more than just another job or set of logistics. It’s about the rest of his life.

My thoughts bit: Coop has been looking after Matthew since he broke his ankle. He moved in with Sam and his soldiers. Even though he is known as the King of the one-night-hookup, Coop is acting weird. He seems to be quite taken with Matthew but doesn’t even seem to understand what is going on. The problem is that Coop’s family … his parents did nothing but fight and that has left him with a feeling that love hurts and it’s not something that he even wants to try.

These two men are confused from the get-go! Matthew thinks that Coop is too busy with one night stands to be interested in him, Coop thinks that he isn’t good enough for Matthew… can’t imagine why someone like Matthew would be interested in him.

It’s not until Coop leaves on a mission that he realizes he has real feelings for Matthew. This really changes things!

I do have to say… one of the things that I find odd in this series is the fact that men keep carrying their partners around. The soldiers often pick up Sam and carry him around, and Coop does the same thing with Matthew. I get that the author is establishing the “size” kink that is woven throughout the novel but it does get a little unrealistic.

I like Coop. He’s one of my favorite characters in this series. And Matthew gives him a good run for his money in this novel. He remains sweet and patient with Coop in spite of all the issues he has.

It seems now there’s a connection to a crime family!!

What to Know!: More gay Disneyland, size different, clumsy character! A bumbling, clumsy hacker falls for a disillusioned ex-soldier.

Warnings (SPOILERS): Attempted vehicular homicide, stalking, fall from scaffolding, characters hospitalized, kidnapping, head wound, descriptions of dead bodies.

Length: 41 430 words || Release Date: September 5, 2017

Trope/s: Hurt/comfort ||Themes: Changes, strength, forgiveness

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Boys of Brighton, Book 06, Travis

The Official Description: BEAUTY…

After living on the streets and in his car, Travis has found a home in Brighton, Texas. His job as a cook at the local diner pays enough for him to afford a small apartment, and, for the first time in years, he’s able to feed his passion, buying a few art supplies so he can sketch. He’s safe, and, oddly enough, feels accepted in this small town. And, for reasons he cannot fathom, Bo Mason, a gorgeous cop, seems interested. While flattered, Travis knows if his secrets are revealed, Bo won’t want to have a damn thing to do with the likes of Travis Boone.

IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

From the moment he saw the new blue-eyed cook at Brighton’s diner, Bo Mason fell. Hard. And while getting close to Travis Boone has been like gentling a terrified animal, Bo knows there’s a special person hiding behind those small smiles and closely guarded secrets. Slowly, Bo starts to peel back the layers cocooning Travis and learns the heart of an angel beats inside the most beautiful man Bo has ever known

My thoughts bit: I’ve been curious about Travis since the moment he appeared at the diner! I do love a wounded character who is secretive about what has happened to him.

The main drama in this installment of the series is that recently hired chef, Travis, and Brighton Police Officer, Bo have feelings for one another. There is a lot in Travis’ past that has left him with serious trust issues, a guilt complex almost too big for one person to live with and physical scars. As if that weren’t enough, he also dealt with an attempted sexual assault that just reinforced his feelings of worthlessness.

Lucky for Travis, Bo is about the sweetest and most patient man in existence. He’s not sure what he can ever have with Travis, but he’s willing to take whatever he can get. Once wrapped in the security of Bo’s friendship, things go well for Travis and he tries things he hasn’t tried before!

What to Know!: Travis has been severely scarred emotionally and physically by his past. Bo has his work cut out for him if he’s to get the man’s trust.

Warnings (SPOILERS): nightmares, vivid recollection of being trapped and burned in a fire, description of the death of police officer, past shooting death, attempted sexual assault in the past, emotional abuse by partner, character held at gunpoint, detailed description of burn scarring and contractions.

Length: 44 450 || Release Date: November 7, 2017

Trope/s: Hurt/comfort || Themes: Overcoming fear, trust

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Smashwords | Borough Publishing Group | Kobo

Boys of Brighton, Book 07, Grady

The Official Description: WATCH OUT FOR

After coming out, Grady Reynolds is disowned by his family, and is forced to leave his job in the Dallas PD. Becoming an officer in the small town of Brighton, Grady has to start over while feeling adrift and alone. When he meets firefighter Ben Mason, life takes a sudden, happy turn until Ben tells Grady they have to keep their relationship on the DL. After months of loving a man who thinks of him as no more than a booty call, Grady has had enough and wants out.

THE WRECKING BALL

Ben Mason loves Grady Reynolds like crazy. But Ben can’t tell his lover how he feels. He can’t acknowledge him in public. He can’t claim him as his own. Ben wants to tell Grady the truth, but the danger in that is deadly, and Ben won’t risk it. But peril and menace find Grady anyway, and Ben’s lies and deception come crashing down around him. Just when he thinks he’s lost everything, he learns that a love as deep as theirs can survive anything.

My thoughts bit: Grady has been seeing Ben. When they are together, everything is great and he’s already fallen for that guy. The problem is that, for some reason, Ben doesn’t want anyone to know they are dating. As usual, this story is told from the POV of both main characters… so as the reader you know much more than each of them.

Ben has a big secret.. and it’s that someone has been sending him threatening letters. Most of the trouble comes because these two men can’t seem to communicate with one another. They seem to bottle things up a bit. Ben, in particular, has a lot of stuff in his background that he hasn’t told Grady about.

When Grady sees Ben out on a double date… he reaches his limit. He goes to visit his best friend… leaving Ben to mull over what he’s done. I don’t want to give away the details of the conflict in this one – it’s a pretty decent plot and I don’t want to ruin it. Suffice to say… when Grady finally returns to Brighton with his friend Tristan… things are tricky!

One of the themes in this particular installment of the Boys of Brighton series is care-taking and feeling protective of those you love. As a police officer, Grady feels as though he should be able to protect Ben. Ben is used to taking care of himself. He’s a firefight and already deals with his brother Bo and the rest of the Mason family watching over him. There’s a real push and pull between these two as they struggle to find a medium ground upon which they might both be able to take care of each other.

The danger escalates about halfway through this novella at which point the Sentinals get involved. As always this book has some great sex scenes and a lot of action despite its short length. There are a lot of characters in these stories so it probably makes the most sense to read them one right after the other. I think if I waited too long in between I would have trouble remembering what had happened to all the characters.

What to Know!: Keeping secrets, trying to protect one another,

Warnings (SPOILERS): stalker, disowned by father, a firefighter is attacked and trapped during a firefight, infidelity in a past relationship is described.

Length: 43 650 words || Release Date: March 1, 2018

Trope/s: Forbidden Love || Themes: Loss, forgiveness

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Boys of Brighton, Book 08, Vincent

The Official Description: ONLY THE STRONG

When he moved to Brighton, novelist Tristan Michaels was thrilled to leave his past behind. Trauma and danger had shattered his world and almost ruined his life. When everything finally seems to be settling down, he becomes embroiled in his best friend’s drama, which leads to more danger and…Vincent. And while love, at first sight, had been the stuff of Tristan’s books, when he meets Vincent fantasy became reality.

SURVIVE

Vincent Greyson has spent his life fighting for what’s right, first as a Navy Seal, and now as a member of the elite team known as the Sentinels. When he meets Tristan Michaels, Vincent knows his heart will always belong to this magnetic, special man. But love and patience is tested when horrible fates keep befalling Tristan, and Vincent vows that he’d do anything for his love, even leave the Sentinels.

My thoughts bit: I tell ya, this town is not the place to live if you want to live in a safe little small town! these poor characters face all kinds of crime and violence in each book! Vincent and Travis are the main characters in this installment.

Vincent is an interesting character. He is of Navaho decent and a retired navy seal. Of course, there works with the sentinels. When Travis appeared in the previous book… Vincent was taken with his “sparrow” immediately. Even though his name is the title of the book, I felt as though the story was much more about Travis. I’m still finding myself a bit curious about Vincent and where he came from.

Travis brings to Brighton yet another stalker. He dated a man named Stavropol very briefly before realizing he wanted nothing to do with him. Sadly, Stavros didn’t get the message and has been stalking Travis ever since. When Tristan returns to his condo to pick up his remaining belongings, the issue with Stavros escalates and becomes even more dangerous.

As always, there’s a bit of a twist in this story..not everything is how it seems. Think is a bit gruesome compared to the others… it’s not just stalking that is going on. Please read the warnings before you pick up this part of the series.

What to Know!: ex-navy seal member falls for a writer with a dangerous past

Warnings (SPOILERS): character has a stalker, mentions past physical attack, limb is cut off (off page), Lyme disease, vomiting, violence, descriptions of dead bodies,

Length: 44 690 words || Release Date: July 17, 2018

Trope/s: Bodyguard || Themes: Never give up, rebirth

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Boys of Brighton, Book 09, Shadow

The Official Description: THE MOST DIFFICULT THING TO DO…

Imagine knowing your family hates you and has no problem sending you away to be abused – to die alone. Randy Reynolds was living that reality until he was saved by a man called Shadow. What Randy learned about himself and the people who were supposed to love him was nothing short of horrific. What he found with the Sentinels and Shadow was everything miraculous.

IS FACE THE TRUTH

Jake Kennedy’s past haunts him. Ghosts drove him into the shadows until he became Shadow. Unseen and not really there, he lived his life without any connections but for the Sentinels, the team that saved him from oblivion. Then a mission changed his life and forced him to shed the shroud that kept his heart from feeling. Now, for Randy Reynolds, Jake will come out of the shadows, he’ll be present and whole instead of the man who had kept himself hidden for twenty years.

My thoughts bit: Sentinels member, Shadow promised that he would find Grady’s younger brother, Randy and he did. But Randy is a complex fellow! He’s been held captive and tortured by his own family… betrayed on every level and now only trusts the man who rescued him.

There’s a lot of unknowns about Randy… he’s a late addition to the town of Brighton. He’s an artist and Shadow falls for him immediately. I found that even for a fast-paced series like this, the relationship happened way too fast for me.

As always, there’s someone after Randy. It turns out that he is also a bit of a hacker and is blessed with an eidetic memory that allows him to run financial scams. Rather than helping his criminal family… he has set up an act of rather epic revenge…. but will Shadow still want him once he finds out.

What to Know!: Younger brother of Grady is finally found… and more drama follows him

Warnings (SPOILERS): character is held captive and tortured, description of a character being whipped, description of the character with a broken knee, family betrayal, the younger brother is abandoned by an older sibling, description of a character who was malnourished after incarceration, a character is stalked.

Length: 41 560 || Release Date: October 25, 2018

Trope/s: Bodyguard, rescuer || Themes: Betrayal/forgiveness

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Amazon | Kobo | Apple | B&N

Boys of Brighton, Book 10, The Holidays

The Official Description: It’s the holiday season in Brighton, Texas, and there’s a wedding too – everyone is invited to share in the love all these men have found.

‘Tis The Season

Some had waited years to find “the one,” while others had given up on love and had closed themselves off from feeling anything. But each of these men have found the person that makes them whole, gives them hope and strength to face whatever life throws at them, and to show them what love really means. Welcome to the holidays in Brighton, Texas. Sit down and stay a spell. We invite you to soak up the joy of the season with your favorite lovers

My thoughts bit: There is a lot of wrapping up going on in this “holiday” novel. I’m not going into it because if you’ve read all of the books, you’re going to want to read this one without spoilers. Let me give you some clues though… there might be an engagement, some beautiful tattoos, special Chrismas celebrations and memories and a kid or two.

There’s also a new character introduced in this novel. Saint… Johnny’s brother who hasn’t spoken to him in years shows up in town injured and with a story of his own. Johnny has missed his brother so he takes the opportunity to give his brother a chance to explain what might have happened to make him cute his little brother out of his life.

What to Know!: A wrap up of the series!

Warnings (SPOILERS): Description of the aftermath of gunshot wounds references to past burns, references to past confinement.

Length: 39 960 || Release Date: November 29, 2018

Trope/s: Celebration, update on couples || Themes: Looking forward to the future

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About the Author

M. Tasia, is a romance author who lives in Ontario, Canada. Michelle is a dedicated people watcher, lover of romance novels, 80’s rock, and happy endings. Who grew up with a love of reading. She’s a firm believer that everyone deserves to have love, excitement and crazy hot romance in their lives. Love should be celebrated and shared.

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