Rachel Blaufeld recs 'Him,' 'Girl in the Comfortable Quiet,' 'Out of Time'

Summer is slipping by like sand through an hourglass.

Cliché as it may sound, it's the truth.

Readers, the last we met up, I was binge-reading and watching romance straight through the summer. I'm still on a mission to indulge as much as possible, and yes, somewhere in there I did get another book off to the editor.

I'm recently back from the ultimate indulgence. An adult getaway. Picture me with a sunhat on, wine or coffee in one hand and my Kindle in the other.

WOOHOO!

While away, I was sitting in the pool, minding my business when I was coerced into a little pool dancing. For about five minutes, I felt 21 again. My new friends asked me what I do for a living, and my answer brought a big smile to their faces. The next day, my husband promptly walked around the pool, doling out paperbacks of mine.

So look for me on my next vacation, you may leave with a present!

While away, my reads ranged all over the place, so without further chatter … here you go!

For months, I've been all about sports romance. Hockey, football, soccer –– you name it, I've been reading it. This past week, I devoured Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. Not your typical hockey love affair, Him is a steamy, humorous and emotional male/male romance. Jamie Canning and Ryan Wesley are childhood hockey buddies both set to enter the pros when they graduate college. For Ryan, Jamie has always been the one. When they run into one another at a collegiate tournament, Canning is hooking up with a woman … which is devastating news for Wesley. (Author's Note, Edited to Add: My apologies, autocorrect originally turned Jamie Canning's last name into Cannon.)

The real adventure begins when the two men end up as roommates and co-counselors at the same hockey camp where they met. There is no denying the spark between these two, and it takes Jamie a while to understand what the heck is going on. But when he does, oh boy! My Kindle was steaming up from these two, yet it was impossible to miss the softer, gentler side of their relationship. I loved the funny and caring side to each man, and I was sad to see the story end. I'm hoping for more!

For sports fans, first-time male/male readers and seasoned veterans, Him is a must-read.

I also read the final installment to the Half Shell series by Susan Ward. A year ago, I read the first book, The Girl on the Half Shell, and fell deeply in love with British rocker Alan Manzone and confused prep-school girl Chrissie Parker. I've been following their on-again, off-again love affair for 12 months, and I couldn't wait to get my grubby hands on the last book.

The Girl in the Comfortable Quiet begins with Chrissie married and raising a child. Not with Alan, but her other on-again, off-again love interest, Neil Stanton. She's happy, but not totally. A piece of her heart is always tied to Alan, but Chrissie is learning to be a survivor. Until years of secrets unravel, and her life falls apart. Now a single mom, Parker doesn't have the luxury of not going after what she wants.

I can't reveal any spoilers because this story is too rich, ripe with rock stars and angst, for you not to read it yourself. The ending left me both satiated and still full of questions. Thankfully, there will be a spin-off series following Kaley Stanton (Chrissie's daughter), and I think we will get more answers in that.

Talk about questions and cliffhangers; I took my time with Out of Time by Beth Flynn, the follow-up to Nine Minutes. This is a labyrinth of a love story, woven with governmental secrets, underground sabotage and raw feelings. Nine Minutes ended in a cliffhanger, the main character dying and readers reeling for more.

Out of Time picks up following the incident with Ginny and Grunt (Tommy) trying to pick up the pieces. Ginny was kidnapped at 15 by notorious motorcycle club leader Grizz. Those two fell in love with Grunt watching patiently, silently for his turn, as he loved Ginny, too. An unrivaled triangle for the last several decades, Ginny sets out in Out of Time to figure out how she became the center of two men's universes and which one was she really meant to revel in. Oh, the secrets are insane and delicious!

The details, time frames, flashbacks and emotions spread among the pages are all important. There is nothing left to the imagination in Flynn's account of past history until present day when we are left with another cliffy. It's OK, all that I learned needs to settle in my brain. This isn't a traditional love affair, and I love the psychological and suspenseful elements to this story.

Last but not least, I cannot forget the watching part! I'm making my way through Transparent on Amazon Prime TV. WOW! As I said to my friend: This show is so twisted-up crazy, it's amazing.

Built around the Pfefferman family, a wildly dysfunctional, Los Angelean, Jewish family, the show highlights the love affairs of all three grown children. And the patriarch of the family, who has just come out as transsexual, Maura. For me, I can't help but to love Joshy, played by Jay Duplass, and despite being a man, his family still calls him by his childhood nickname and is determined to set him up with a nice Jewish girl … who happens to be a rabbi.

I believe season two is picking up soon, and season one is a fast watch, so grab a seat on the couch or by your laptop.

Rachel Blaufeld is a social worker/entrepreneur/blogger-turned-romance author. Her obsessions include running, coffee, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes and mighty fine epilogues. She is the author of the Electric Tunnel Series and Redemption Lane, and can be found at rachelblaufeld.com or on Twitter (@rachelblaufeld).