Reading · Anne’s Substack

I’ve now completed The Heart’s Deeper Voice and, after an insane & emotional rollercoaster ride, have finally brought Craig & Mark to a much more positive place in their very complicated relationship. They're both glad to be there at last, but I suspect Mark wishes I'd not sent him away on his travels for quite such a long time ... Here is the new cover:

Here is the blurb:

Craig Foster is shocked at the unexpected reappearance of his ex-lover Mark into his life six years after Mark’s terrible betrayal. Even worse is the fact that he has to work with him. For a long time, Craig has nursed fantasies of revenge against the man who broke his heart, but Mark’s arrival in his business stirs up emotions he can’t handle at any level. Is this the opportunity he’s dreamed of to hurt Mark as Mark once hurt him at last? Or are there other voices in his heart he needs to consider?

This book is the second in The Heart’s Voice series. The first is The Heart’s Greater Silence.

And here are the themes you’ll find in this story:

I’m now preparing The Bones of Summer for audiobook production. This is my MM romance thriller and the follow-up to Maloney’s Law. I'd forgotten how much I like the character of Craig in this novel and how much of a balance he is to the more intense Paul Maloney, so am enjoying preparing this one for audio. But exactly what secrets about his past is Craig hiding? ... Anyway, here’s the cover I’m working with at the moment for that one (audiobook cover only):

I’ve also started writing a new MM age-gap romance but I’m deeply confused about the title. It’s either going to be called Jack’s Party OR The Man with the Snake Tattoo - which give out very different vibes, LOL! So I’ll just keep writing until things become clearer - as ever … In the meantime, here is the VERY draft cover:

Your weekly poem is Unheard, which is found in A Fragile Map & Other Poems (now available in audio). I find that, as a woman living in the UK, the older I get the more invisible I become ...

I have a new 4-star review for VERY slow-burn & very "Marmite" MM romance The Hit List, which I think is worth repeating in full:

Review: The Hit List reads more like a slow‑burn, slice‑of‑life character study than a traditional romance. The story follows Jamie as he navigates his complex connection with Robert, with much of the emotional weight tied to their shared history—something that only fully comes into focus about halfway through. Once that backstory is revealed, the narrative becomes far more engaging, and I found myself reading the second half in one sitting. From a romance standpoint, it’s quite minimal. Instead, it leans more into introspection, memory, and the lingering impact of past relationships. I’m glad I gave it a chance, as it offered a perspective that felt different from many LGBTQIA+ stories I’ve read. Kudos to the author for crafting something so distinctive." (4 star BookBub review)

There’s also a new 5-star Goodreads review for my touching MM romance, Bridging The Gap (The Potter's Choice 2). This book is the second in The Potter's Choice series. The first in the series is Brady's Choice.

I also have a new 5-star Amazon review for space adventure The Stone Keeper! 🤩

This week, I’ve read Two's Company by Jill Mansell: this is an okay read but not Mansell's best. I liked the women characters, but the men were pretty poor, I have to admit - they seemed to have a nasty edge I didn't much warm to. In addition, in the end chapters of the novel, the story changes to be something more like crime fiction which I found rather unsettling in a comic romance. I also thought the characters didn't end up with the right partners at any level. Still, the writing is good, but I can't recommend this one. Sorry!