For the first time, enjoy the whole Riley Brothers series in one collection. If you’ve never met the Riley Brothers, dive in—the series has 300+ five-star reviews on Amazon, and the last book was a Rainbow Awards finalist!Here are the six novels included in this 1500+ page collection, plus two NEW short stories (Boo and Jingle) that catch up with the guys four years later:BuzzHe’s nothing like … later:
Buzz
He’s nothing like me—and I’m falling head over heels.
Former hockey player Cameron Riley is back in his hometown and working as a beekeeper. He’s not supposed to get excited… which is impossible around his new boss’s art curator nephew, Noah. But the last thing Cam wants is to scare him off with his semi-famous status—or the heart condition that ended that career and his last relationship. When the past catches up with him, can he make the right choice? And will Noah forgive him for it, and trust in their future together?
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Clang
You’ll never be alone again.
When blacksmith Jackson Riley asks his friend Chase for help with his dating profile, his friendship stirs into more. Jackson wants a family tattoo, which Chase’s skilled hands can deliver. But when Chase asks him to forge a sword, Jackson worries: what could he need protection from?
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Swish
I wouldn’t be caught dead kissing you.
Bank teller Thomas Riley has depths he’s never shared… including the fact that his hunky ex, Alex, wants to see him again. Just three little problems: they broke up on bad terms, Thomas isn’t out to his family, and Alex nearly screwed up Cam and Jackson’s lives very recently. Can reigniting an old flame ever work?
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Crunch
I listened to you, years too late.
Tattoo artist Floyd Turner’s faith in justice was destroyed as a rookie cop. After a rough few years, he now runs a tattoo shop downtown. His high school reunion is coming up, and he’s dateless, aching for something more. His family is chasing him for a debt long since paid. And then his former patrol partner walks in.
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Slam
I don’t want to be the poster boy.
Hockey player Kevin Shaw, fresh out of university with a year to prove himself, doesn’t need any distractions—like coming out. But he can’t say no when he’s asked to train with a gorgeous friend of a friend. Life would be simpler if he could just train hard, get his big break, and squash the inconvenient torch he’s carrying for Matty.
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Grind
Strictly-business is hard around you.
James is in trouble. His family turned their back on him after he transitioned, and he’s paying the price of starting his new life alone. Buried in debt, he starts a business with hunky carpenter Ryan and hopes that they succeed. The one thing he can’t afford is a distraction. But what if Ryan is the only one to see past it all and love him inside and out?
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NEW in this bundle, enjoy two short stories set in the Riley Brothers’ world four years later!
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“Boo”
Catch up on Cam and Noah’s life as they celebrate their first Halloween with their twin toddlers, Charlotte and Harper. When Noah calls dibs on the queen bee costume and Cam says he’ll be his honey, what exactly does he mean? (“Boo” is currently available only in this collection.)
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“Jingle”
The whole crowd is here for Christmas lunch, but who will ‘fess up to hiring a Santa stripper to crash the party? (“Jingle” is exclusive to this collection and has never been made available anywhere before.)
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Each book can be read or listened to on its own and promises a happily-ever-after ending, but you’ll enjoy them more as part of the whole series. A low-angst series filled with found family, banter, and small-town smiles. One-click now and enjoy!
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Audible. Box set is also available via KU and can be whispersynced at a discount.
Overall thoughts on the set: These books are low-angst, what I would call “comfort reads” and are best appreciated going in with that understanding. The stories are told via alternating POVs by chapter. This is primarily back & forth from the MC’s. Occasionally there’s a chapter from the POV of an MC for the subsequent book. It was a different technique, not too awkward, and it helped to get to know that future MC a bit. I’ve included thoughts on the individual books below and any spoilers are at the very bottom of the review. Some, I liked/connected with more than others ~ but as a whole I give it a solid 4 stars. Ultimately, This box set is a sensational value and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
Narration: There are times where the writing reflects “internal dialogue” of the characters (in the ebook, these are italicized) ~ a few times it was difficult to tell that from the narration until part way through the sentence. Which could be a little jarring/confusing. I did appreciate that through the series each character keep his own unique voice, which is an amazing feat considering how many male voices appear across 6 books. Overall, I felt Micheal Pauley did a fantastic job narrating.
A note about the prologues: They’re actually a snippet from later on in each story told from the opposite character’s POV. If you don’t like any kind of spoiler, you may want to skip them.
Book 1: Buzz
We meet minor league hockey player Cameron Riley as he’s returning to his hometown after an illness leaves him no longer able to play. He quickly meets cutie Noah Clark, a newer resident of Fredericton and art curator. Most of the story revolves around Cameron adjusting to life back in his small town and without hockey, Noah’s dedication to a new exhibition, and their burgeoning relationship. The blurb is misleading as 1.) it lists Cameron as a “bad boy” and Noah refers to him as such once, but it isn’t at all supported by his behavior in the book AND 2.) it’s not really a sports romance as once Cameron is diagnosed as having a medical condition, there really isn’t any hockey. I did appreciate that any issues that arose between the two MCs were resolved quickly and maturely. Definitely quite a few steamy sex scenes, but Davies still spent a decent amount of time on their relationship and world building. It was delightful to learn about bees & beekeeping during the scenes at Noah’s Uncle’s farm. 4 stars for being good, but not quite what was described.
Book 2: Clang
Oldest Riley brother and blacksmith Jackson finds his “just friends” relationship with tattoo artist Chase MacLeod becoming much more. Chase is hiding from his past and adjusting to a type of relationship that’s unfamiliar. I liked hearing about the Riley brothers becoming side-by-side neighbors, Jackson’s blacksmith creations, and learning about Chase’s difficult past. See spoiler section at the bottom for more about why this was 3.5 stars for me.
Book 3: Swish
Thomas is the youngest Riley brother and reconnects with his high school flame and private investigator, Alex Walker. This is probably my least favorite of the series, but still 3 stars. I had a hard time connecting with either character, but especially Thomas. His reasons for staying in the closet didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Also, his anger with Alex was inconsistent and kind of immature even though he is only 22. Alex has depression, but the *word* is sort of just tossed in occasionally without any real exploration. I don’t fully understand why it was included. Everything did come mostly around and it included a nice little epilogue, but I wasn’t wow-ed by it.
Book 4: Crunch
This is my favorite so far. Perhaps because I was becoming more familiar with Davies writing style or the Riley Brothers “world” as a whole. Floyd Turner is the owner of the tattoo parlor that Chase (book 2, Clang) works at. Greyson Peters is Floyd’s former police partner, now personal trainer. Greyson comes into Floyd’s shop looking to get sleeve tattoos to cover scars on his arms. I loved that these guys had a history as friends as well as the way their relationship bloomed. Steamy sex scenes, dates, and some real conversations about their life struggles made me 100% behind them getting their HEA. 4.5 stars.
Book 5: Slam
Um, so *this* might be my favorite. Definitely a tie with Crunch. This one I would also definitely classify as a true sports romance. Matty O’Brien (whom we briefly met in book 1, Buzz, as Cameron’s teammate) is moving up in the hockey world and mentoring Kevin (secondary character in all the books, BFF to Floyd) as he enters the league. I enjoyed them getting to know each other and was equally frustrated (in a good, literary way) when all their attempts to get together were thwarted. The way the teammates circled to encourage and protect them was nice. 5 low-angst, yet steamy stars.
Book 6: Grind
Ryan Hart is looking to get his woodcrafting business off the ground, but feels overwhelmed by the business aspects. He meets James through mutual friends and they find that they compliment each other perfectly ~ beyond just business. James has FTM transitioned and I love how it was handled in this story. We learned right along with Ryan what it meant for the relationship and how it really isn’t that big of a deal if people don’t make it into one. This one is definitely a slow-burn, but still a wonderful mix of sexy and sweet. Some big things also happen for couples from previous books. 4.5 stars.
Novellas:
There’s not much to add to the “Boo” & “Jingle” novella descriptions without spoilers ~ so I’ll just share that they’re a cute addition to the set and a fun way to catch up with all the couples.
*** SPOILERS ***
Clang Spoiler:
I understand that characters have a sex life before meeting their love in a book. But there’s two fairly descriptive sex scenes of Chase and the same hook-up. One even after Jackson & Chase’s first date. I understand they weren’t exclusive at that point and it had roots in Chase’s issues ~ but I wish they hadn’t been so “thorough”. It made it difficult for me to get invested in Jackson & Chase’s relationship, especially given the lightning speed at which they progressed from friends to living together.
*** END SPOILERS ***
I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.