Book 187: Covet Thy Neighbor (Tucker Springs #4) – L. A. Witt

I can’t stop reading this series!

Seriously, I’m not sure whether this is a problem or not. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but it’s definitely not a good thing when it comes to my already skewed sense of romance and the world! But what can I say, they are a great escape and I’ve fallen for them! Can’t wait for the next one to be released.

The last two novels in this series (Covet Thy Neighbor and Never a Hero) have seriously raised the bar. I read both of them in the same day and felt that either the authors had matured since their last outing in Tucker Springs or they’ve both reached their stride in the Tucker Springs universe and I can’t wait to see what comes next. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and received no compensation for my honest response.

Whereas in Never a Hero and 50 Shades of Gay (not part of the Tucker Springs universe) I really appreciated the lack of sex, in this book the seemingly extreme amount of sex that was included was perfect. (I can’t believe I wrote that on here, but might as well get it out there. And there wasn’t even that much in this book.) As bad as it sounds sometimes you just need sex in a romance novel and the tension that it created between Seth and Darren made the story and each subsequent scene that much better (hotter?). I was still a bit judgmental at how fast it happened, but my prudish sensibilities got out-of-the-way and let me enjoy the story. Not to mention that Ms. Witt clearly knows how to write steamy scenes.

As I mentioned at the start, these last two novels have raised the bar in the Tucker Springs universe. I’ve felt that even though the novels fly by and they’re so short I was really able to connect with the characters and build an emotional attachment. I also found myself looking for other minor characters that might or might not appear in other novels in the series (please write more)! Between the what you would assume are diametrically opposed main characters, an atheist and a minister, and the really steamy sex scenes this novel was definitely stacked to be a good novel.

I also felt that Witt didn’t force yet another LGBT character coming to terms with religion (or lack thereof) down the reader’s throat. The story worked and delved pretty deep into the issues without being disrespectful, campy or insensitive which I cannot imagine was an easy task for the author.

Recommendation: Definitely a step in the right direction for the series. Even if my face was crimson most of the time I read this novel, it was worth it. Witt, like Sexton in the last installment of the series, was sure to explicitly show how long the relationship took to really form and evolve into a relationship which I appreciated.

Opening Line: “Rain rolled off the awning above the front window of Ink Springs.”

Closing Line: “Because this was where I belonged.” (Whited out.)