A MelanieM Review: Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States #1) by L.E. Harner, T.A. Webb

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

With one startling action, the world changed forever. Recently deceased NOPD Detective Travis Boudreaux was in the process of being mourned and buried when he had the bad taste to sit up at his own funeral. Until that happened no one knew that vampires and werewolves had been living amongst them. Now two years later, the fight is on for civil rights for preternatural beings and most humans are on the bandwagon. Except whoever is killing vampires and would be vampires.

Since the death and return of his partner and almost love, Detective Sam Garrett has hated all things preternatural. Having your undead partner try to make you his first meal will do that to a guy. When Sam’s attitude gets the best of him on the job, Sam finds himself banished to the Paranormal Criminal Investigations Unit—the Odd Squad—under the oversight of Detective Danny Burkette.

Now it’s up to Burkette to work with Garrett by day and Boudreaux by night as they follow a trail of clues that leads from the historic cemeteries of New Orleans to the bayous of southern Louisiana. During the course of their investigations, both men come to the attention of a Master vampire and the local werewolf pack Alpha. If they aren’t careful, it won’t be just Boudreaux whose dead, but maybe even Sam as well. Some lessons in life—and death—take longer to learn…and Sam and Travis find out that not all second chances are created equal.

Warning: This is an erotic urban fantasy. In this series the vampires don’t sparkle, werewolves kill, and the men sometimes have sex. With each other.

Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States #1) by L.E. Harner and T.A. Webb deepens the amazing world building these authors are constructing for this series. New Orleans, that rich feast of a city, is the perfect setting for supernatural beings in love and evil schemes that are slow to unfold. After that shocker at the end of Altered States, I eagerly grabed this up to see what had occurred only to find that two years had passed and the aftermath is viewed through the various perspective of the characters involved. And yes, I was a little disappointed. After all, what happened at the funeral was a stunner for all involved, including the now animated corpse of Travis Boudreaux. But two years have passed since Travis was turned and now everyone has to deal with the fact that vampires, werewolves and more exist and live among them. And not everyone is happy about that, including Sam.

I adore Sam, he’s a piece of cynical perfection and disappointment. What happened to Travis altered Sam as well, especially since both men were so close to falling in love, if they hadn’t already. But a vampire and fate intervenes and their new relationship was destroyed…or so they think. It soon becomes apparent that Sam has never gotten over Travis and that just adds onto the bitterness Sam already feels about the whole undead thing and his partner. I loved the two of them together and their bonding extends past themselves and the pages to include the reader. In fact, I so bought into their burgeoning love affair that aspects of this story threw me off.

Without heading into spoiler territory, other supernaturals arrive to further complicate the current state of affairs and all their attention will be focusing on Sam. We see Travis as he is trying to move forward with his undead life with not a whole lot of success. We see Sam also trying to do the same, both are stalled and bitter. Something has to occur to break the stasis and it’s a doozy.

As part of the events that happen, a bonded pair will have some wild hot sex with one of our main characters. Normally this doesn’t bother me, especially when the authors make a case for it to happen. But here? Not an element I enjoyed. I understood where the authors were going with it, but I so bought into Sam and Travis’ romance that this aspect never became palatable. How a reader feels about this (it’s really not cheating) will likely foretell how they feel about this installment in the series. Some readers will be asking if they can skip over this book (and yes, the third book sort of resolves this), but no *shakes finger*, unfortunately you can’t.

Think of each story as a building block essential to the whole construct. Miss even one, and you miss key elements that not only enrich the series but deepen the mystery and suspense Harner and Webb are working hard to build. So much of this story is worthy of your attention and commitment. And, perhaps, the few elements that bothered me won’t phase you in the least. This is going to be one wild ride!

Another reason to start reading this series? This year’s Pulp Friction 2015 gang situates all their interconnected series in the Altered States universe. So its double or is that quadruple the fun for all! So get started. Each is a fast, wild, suspenseful tale…over before you know it. However, don’t be astonished if it lingers on in the questions and clues left behind (and even more shockers).

Cover art by Laura Harner works for the series.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 120 pages
Published August 16th 2012 by Hot Corner Press
ISBN139781937252243
edition languageEnglish
seriesAltered States #1
charactersSam Garrett (Altered States), Travis Boudreaux

Books in the Altered States Series in the order they should be read:

Altered States (Altered States, #0.5)
Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States, #1)
Deadly Shades of Gold (Altered States, #2)
Free Falling Crimson (Altered States, #3)

A MelanieM Review: Stolen Dreams by Sue Brown

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

Five years ago Morgan Conway cheated on the man he loved all his life and their relationship imploded. Now Morgan, an up and coming assistant movie director has moved on. Morgan is engaged to be married to a popular actor, his career is going well, and the coffee shop he owns is busier than ever. All is good. Until Morgan hears that the man he loved and lost is back in town. When he shows up at Morgan’s coffee shop, all the old feelings return, unfortunately there for everyone to see, including his fiancé.

Shae Delamere was crushed when Morgan cheated on him five years ago. But when his father falls ill, he returns home and seeks out Morgan once more. Despite the fact that Morgan is engaged and Shae lives in Texas, they realize they never stopped loving each other. Their renewed friendship brings conflict on every side. Morgan still has a fiance. And friends and families unite to pull them apart again. As old alliances come to light and long buried secrets threaten to rise up and destroy them once more, Morgan and Shae must decide to either forgive and move forward or let their dreams of being together be stolen away forever.

Stolen Dreams by Sue Brown is definitely a book that will arouse strong feelings in a reader, although probably not the feelings the author had hoped for. I originally read this story back in 2012 when a now defunct press released it. It wasn’t until I was halfway through that I remembered the story…and why I didn’t much care for it then. And still don’t today.

The story starts off promisingly enough. Morgan is happy on all fronts. He has a gorgeous fiance who adores him, a career as an assistant director that’s taking off, and a coffee shop he owns that is popular with the latte crowd. All good. The interaction with his friends and employees is funny, sharp and gives the reader a good impression of the character and the story just underway. Then Shae Delamere, his ex (ex best friend, ex boyhood friend, ex lover, ex everything) resurfaces in town, and everything starts to head south, including the plot.

The official reason that Shae has returned is that his father is ill but there is another hidden reason as well. That is probably one of the biggest issues to surface in this story. Its that everyone has secrets…Godzilla- sized, huge secrets that either everyone knows about or is being kept from one of the main characters. The idea that any sort of respectful, equal relationship is or can be had between any of the characters here is tossed out the window immediately. They all constantly lie to each other (some because they are protecting a person, others because they detest a person, or everything in between). They did so in the past, are doing so now, and you are never sure what is too keep any of them from continuing this pattern. The only reason any of the secrets come to life is because someone accidentally “spills the coffee beans” as it were.

I kept wondering why Sue Brown, who writes such beautifully compassionate and relatable characters, would choose to plot an entire story around characters almost guaranteed to be off-putting and somewhat shabby in their behavior, especially towards those they say they love the most. I am not talking about the element of cheating here (although I know that’s a red flag for some readers). That doesn’t really bother me in a story if the author makes a good case for it and it feels plausible for the characters involved. Did I ever get that feeling here? No. The explanation behind the original cheating element felt contrived and shallow (kind of like the characters).

No, the poison goes far deeper into the foundation of the characters themselves as created by Brown. Shae, the one character everyone is supposed to relate to, commit to and understand comes off as cowardly, manipulative, and self serving. Ouch. And he’s the saintly one. I did feel sorry for Morgan who is apparently so fragile (not that it comes across) that he must constantly be protected from everyone and everything around him, including the truth about past events and peoples actions. Even his best friends feel that they know what is better for him than Morgan does. Every action, almost every relationship is built upon a foundation of deceit. And when it starts to crack, is it because people are finally doing the right thing? Being responsible or even kind? Nope. It’s because a light bulb finally goes off, someone gets a clue and then the explosions begin. Not because the author ever decides that someone in the story takes a moral or responsible stand. No, turns out they would have continued to hide or lie if they could get away with it.

Sigh.

The last issue I have with the story after all these have been dealt with? The ginormous hidden secret is easily guessed at early on in the plot. That pesky old secret/author plot device that everyone is hiding is so obvious that you wonder when all their intelligence took flight. And then you realize it happened back in the beginning of the story when Shae Delamere comes to town.

Heavier sigh.

By the end of the unrealistic happy ending, I was more than ready to wash my hands of Stolen Dreams and all the characters I found within.

And I hate to say that because I am a huge fan of Sue Brown. In a way, its great to see how much she has evolved as a writer since 2012. I can’t think of a recent story she has written lately that I haven’t loved. And I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in her Isle of Wight series, a favorite of mine. So if you are new to Sue Brown, you might want to give this a pass. Seek out instead The Sky Is Dead or any stories in her Isle of Wight series. If you are a fan of Sue Brown, then you might want to pick this up and give it a try. I’ll leave that decision up to you.

Cover art by Brooke Albrecht. It’s a nice cover but doesn’t speak to the characters or story within.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It here

Book Details:

ebook, Second Edition, 240 pages
Published January 30th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
(first published March 18th 2012)
original titleStolen Dreams
ISBN139781632164049
edition languageEnglish
url http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.com/

A Stella Review: Stones in the Road (Sugar Tree #2) by Nick Wilgus

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Sequel to Shaking the Sugar Tree  . When his snobbish future in-laws travel all the way from Boston to visit, wise-cracking Southerner Wiley Cantrell learns that gay marriage is not without its disadvantages. Occupied by concerns over the health of his special needs son Noah, a meth baby who was not expected to live and who is now on the cusp of puberty, the antics of Wiley’s outrageous would-be mother-in-law and severely conservative father-in-law strain his relationship with Jackson Ledbetter, a pediatric nurse who poses problems of his own. As their respective families meet and greet, each just as meddlesome and inflexible as the other, North meets South and the fireworks and cultural misunderstandings are plenty.

A tornado blows through the small Mississippi town where Wiley’s mother lives, wrecking his mother’s house and leaving their lives in disarray. Then Jackson’s secret drug addiction comes to light, and Wiley and Noah are devastated. With so many stones in the road, Wiley and Jackson find their dream of becoming a real family falling apart. Though Wiley relies on humor to cope, he’ll need something more to keep his happily ever after from slipping away.

Nick Wilgus made it again!

I can confess I was eager and at the same time scared to read Stones In The Road cause I loved the first one and I was afraid this second installment couldn’t live it up.

I was so wrong! This book is amazing, I loved it more that Shaking The Sugar Tree. This series will stay in my heart for long and I’m so happy to know there will be a third book. I was willing to beg for it. Let’s just hope to read it really soon.

The hard part with books like this one is writing a worthy review and I don’t even know where to start. I should simply say to buy this series and read it.

First, you have to be ready for some gun fire, tornado and pie throwing, but most of all you have to be ready for a story full of love (in every way love can be shown).

I know I’m an emotional person but it was really hard to read. At the end I was in my bed crying all the tears I had, trying to read more, listening to a twelve years old boy breaking my heart.

This is not a book to read when you’re looking for some fun and light reading, but surely it will not boring you for one second. There are no pauses, it’s a continuous of engaging and funny dialogues (sometimes incomprehensible to me since I’m Italian) and so addictive I can’t put the story down for a minute. Some dialogues between Noah and Wiley are hilarious, others heartbreaking. Everything is so real, sometimes it’s almost surreal. Every sentence is serious and at the same time full of humor.

This is exactly the kind of book I love to read, emotional, funny, heartbreaking, full of characters with a lot of background and a huge cast of great second characters. I discovered some dark sides of the (not so) perfect Jackson. I met Jack’s mom and I hated her during all the story and then at the end I loved her so much, because I understood she came to WiIey and his son to rescue all of them. I wanted to have her in my life.

Wiley is our usual Wiley and he is so full of guilt right now it was hard to just look at him in some parts and don’t hug him. He needs to deal with all his fears but his guilt for Noah’s disabilities brings him to almost lose himself and his son. But as Tonya said Wiley is the Superdad of the World. Till the end I asked to myself if Wiley would be able to forgive Jackson and first of all himself.

Shortly Stones In The Road is never boring, always entertaining and so well written I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended!

Cover artist Anne Cain.I liked the artist followed the idea chosen for the cover of the first book and most of all she followed this story. You can look at the cover and understand exactly what will happen in the book. Perfect but melancholic cause the three Mcs aren’t all together.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 350 pages
Published January 30th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
ISBN139781632167309
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
seriesSugar Tree #2

Sugar Tree series
Shaking The Sugar Tree #1
Stones In The Road #2

A BJ Review: Song of the Navigator by Astrid Amara

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Tover Duke is an improvisational navigator, one of only forty-two people in the universe who can move things (and people) across space using the power of his mind. Despite his ability and the glamour and wealth it brings him, his life is routine save for a few bright spots: his birds and his passion for Cruz Arcadio. On the day of his birthday celebration, Tover’s world changes irrevocably when he’s betrayed and kidnapped by none other than the man he loves.

This book isn’t for the faint of heart. There’s extreme violence, torture and betrayal. It’s harsh and hard to read in parts, BUT it’s also romantic, poignant and absolutely amazing.

Seldom outside of an epic fantasy series have I encountered such excellent world-building. From the DK station to the green and vibrant Carida, the settings are so vibrantly alive and peopled with characters so real that I felt like I could step right into the book and shake their hands (or punch them out as the case may be). Beautifully written. I loved Tover’s from the start, spoiled and aware of how special he was, of his tremendous worth, yet not really full of himself. Coming from a pampered lifestyle where he’s almost worshipped, I didn’t expect such strength from him. Tover’s never weak or whiny despite all that happens to him. The betrayal itself almost seems to wound him worse than the physical torment he’s subjected to.

I found myself hating Cruz right along with Tover, hating him with a fiery passion. What could redeem a man who could betray the one who’d trusted him enough to risk all to save his life? What indeed. Tover begins to understand that the safe world he thought he was living in may all be built on lies. Only then do we begin to get a picture of the real Cruz. By the end of this story, I adored both of these characters and would gladly embrace a second book with these characters.

I cannot recommend this book more highly to those who appreciate darker reads. It’s my first read by this author and definitely will not be my last.

In the afterward, the author indicates the possibility of stories set in this world eventually coming from two other authors as well, Ginn Hale and Nicole Kimberling. I’ll be crossing my fingers.

Cover Artist Kanaxa. The cover wonderfully encompassing the elements of the story. The two very different figures standing isolated but touching amidst the backdrops of space and other worlds. Joined against huge odds. Best of all maybe is the embracing warmth of the colors, highlighting the passion and emotional arousal this story evokes.

Sales Links: Available for preorder now at Amazon Buy It Here
Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 224 pages
Expected publication: May 26th 2015 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASINB00SB49GJ8
url http://astridamara.com/portfolio/navigator

In The Spotlight: Served Hot (Portland Heat #1) by Annabeth Albert (excerpt and contest)

Served Hot (Portland Heat #1)
by Annabeth Albert
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Goodreads Link

A Few Questions for Annabeth Albert

Question: What’s in your nightstand you don’t want anyone to see?
Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

Question: What’s your favorite meal?
Garlic Chicken Noodles at my favorite Thai place.

Hint: Answers May Be Needed As Part of a Tour Contest!

About Author Annabeth Albert

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbert
Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbertauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnnabethAlbert

Publisher: Kensington Publishing/Lyrical Press
Cover Artist: Kensington Art Department

Sales: Amazon Barnes and Noble

About Served Hot…

In Portland, Oregon, the only thing hotter than the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are the hard-working men who serve it up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…  Robby is a self-employed barista with a busy coffee cart, a warm smile, and a major crush on one of his customers. David is a handsome finance director who works nearby, eats lunch by himself, and expects nothing but “the usual”—small vanilla latte—from the cute guy in the cart. But when David shows up for his first Portland Pride festival, Robby works up the nerve to take their slow-brewing relationship to the next level. David, however, is newly out and single, still grieving the loss of his longtime lover, and unsure if he’s ready to date again. Yet with every fresh latte, sweet exchange—and near hook-up—David and Robby go from simmering to steaming to piping hot. The question is: Will someone get burned?  First in the new Portland Heat series!

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

A little idea niggled at my brain—like an evil elf had tapped me on the shoulder. “You know, if you give me your card, I could call you if you leave your wallet behind again.”

There. His cheeks went dusky pink. I finally got a blush out of him, but hell if I could decipher what it meant. I could predict people’s taste in coffee, down to preferred syrup flavor, but I still sucked at decoding anything as complex as human emotions.

“Ah. Um.” He did the nervous cough thing again.

“Never mind.” I wiped my hands on my apron. “I’d better get back.”

“Wait.” He opened the wallet, plucked out a white card with a blue logo, and offered it to me. His broad fingers brushed mine again as he handed it over. Another barely there touch, but I felt the charge all the way down my spine, like I’d chugged a triple shot.

My breath tripped with wishing he’d add a “call me anytime.” Brian would have. But David just stood there silently. Straighter than the Fremont Bridge and denser than a concrete pylon.

Pages or Words: 30,000 words

Tour Dates: March 3, 2015

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, 3 Chicks After Dark, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, Charley Descoteaux, Inked Rainbow Reads, MM Good Book Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon, Hearts on Fire, Love Bytes, Amanda C. Stone, Molly Lolly, Prism Book Alliance, Queer Town Abbey, Christy Loves 2 Read, Emotion in Motion, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Cate Ashwood, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Up All Night, Read All Day, Multitasking Mommas, Cathy Brockman Romances, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Velvet Panic, My Fiction Nook, Foxylutely Book Reviews, The Hat Party

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon or Starbuck’s Gift Card of the Winner’s Choice. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter link and prizes provided by Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the Spotlight: Hammer and Bone by Kirby Crow

Hammer and Bone by Kirby Crow
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover by: Kirby Crow
Roberto Quintero

If that amazing cover isn’t enough to draw you in, check out the synopsis below!

About Hammer and Bone

The purest evil lives in the hearts of men.

Carnival mystics. Zombie tribes. Bad magic in the Bayou. Mage-princes, alien cities, and soul-stealing priests. The grim monsters in the worlds of these dark, speculative tales are true horrors, but it’s the people you should fear the most.

People like Michel, a boy pining for his best friend, Ray. But a presence in the swamp calls Michel to avenge another lost love, and he must decide which summons to answer. Or Angelo, a prescient cop who denies his visions until they endanger the man he loves. Or Bellew, an overseer in a shantytown of criminals sheltering a revenant and feeding it from their ranks.

From ruined lands of steam and iron, to haunted Southern forests, to brutal city streets where hope and damnation flow from the same spring, only a few stubborn souls possess the heart to challenge evil on its own terms. Some wield magic, some turn to rage or even love, but the ones left standing will survive only if they find the courage to carve their own paths to freedom.

Even if it means carving through flesh.

About the Author

Kirby Crow is an American writer born and raised in the Deep South. She is a winner of the EPIC Award and the Rainbow Award, and is the author of the bestselling “Scarlet and the White Wolf” series of fantasy novels. Kirby and her husband and their son share an old, lopsided house in the Blue Ridge with a cat. Always a cat.

Her published novels are:

Prisoner of the Raven (historical romance)
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Pedlar and the Bandit King (New Adult fantasy, m/m, Torquere Press)
Scarlet and the White Wolf: Mariner’s Luck (New Adult fantasy, m/m, Torquere Press)
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Land of Night (New Adult fantasy, m/m, Torquere Press)
Angels of the Deep (paranormal/horror)
 Circuit Theory (novella, scifi, Riptide)
Coming Soon:  
Malachite (speculative m/m, New Adult, 2015)
Poison Apples (collection, dark fantasy, m/m, 2015)
Scarlet and the White Wolf 4 (New Adult fantasy, m/m, 2015)

For upcoming news of her future novels, visit her website at http://KirbyCrow.com

Links
Amazon
Blog
Twitter
 Goodreads

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published March 2nd 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published February 28th 2015)
ISBN139781626492042
edition languageEnglish
Sales Link: Riptide Publishing

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Lights! Camera! Cupid! A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Cupid is visiting Bluewater Bay, and he’s leaving chaos in his wake.

It’s been my experience that anthologies generally have stories which are great, not so great, and middle of the road. In this one, that’s not true—they are almost all terrific. To help me come up with an overall rating, I’ve rated each individual story and decided to leave that rating so that readers can see which ones I thought were the best.

The stories are:

Just Another Day by L.A. Witt

Levi Pritchard hates Valentine’s Day. In fact, he absolutely abhors it, so when he comes home to find that his lover Carter Samuels (“Starstruck”) has bought him a rare DVD for his collection and is making Pasta Carbonara, his favorite meal, he knows he’s going to have to say something ,and that it will likely hurt Carter’s feelings. He does, and it does, and after a brief period of time out for both of them and a call by Levi to his friend Anna, he does the unexpected and sits down with Carter to explain why he hates the holiday then takes Carter upstairs for a very special Valentine surprise. Saying more here would spoil the surprise but readers will definitely love it as much as Carter does! 4.5 stars

Nascha by Amy Lane

It never ceases to amaze me that Amy Lane can create an entire story spanning over fifty years, sketch full characters with both a history and a future, stir in a little (or in this case a lot) of angst, and spit out a story that is full, rich, memorable, and creates a lump in my throat and a pain in my heart. If I had to assign one word to this story it would be depressing. Another would be complex. It’s a story about Nascha, an American Indian and gambler, who falls in love with his two best friends, Kitten and Rawlins, from the time they are teens. Though those two legally marry, in their hearts they are a part of him, and it’s Nascha who struggles to feel that he’s bound with them forever, especially when life circumstances stink and he ends up trying to raise his niece, then ultimately his grandnephews, one of who has Asberger’s.

I struggled to get into the story at first, especially since there are some M/F sex scenes at the beginning when the story is being established. Later when the reader is engaged in the plot, all of the scenes make sense but it is a very complex story for so few pages. But it works, and it’s one of the best of the anthology. 4.5 stars

No Easy Way by S.E. Jakes

Cary Teijan, a teacher who holds the interesting job of tutoring both the delinquents who keep getting suspended and the child actors from the Wolf’s Landing TV show being filmed in Bluewater Bay is shocked when he runs into Dylan James on the set. Dylan is the man he was so deeply in love with in high school who has recently returned after six years in the service, and he’s also the subject of the M/M romances Cary writes under a pen name, romances which are highly successful.

Dylan is back and he wants Cary with all the passion he felt years before, but Cary resists with that same degree of passion because Dylan walked away from him without a word, and Cary is finding it hard to forgive and forget. This story is lengthier than most others in the anthology and is both intriguing and exciting. The fun in watching Dylan go after Cary and watching Cary continually give in then run away makes for a great short story and fits perfectly with the Bluewater Bay stories previously released. 5 stars

Helping Hand by Anne Tenino

Lucas Wilder is the son and brother of lumberjacks who have lived and worked in the Bluewater Bay area for generations, but he’s not willing to follow the family footsteps into the logging business. He barely knows how to hold a saw! He’s just been accepted into a prestigious art school, and he’s terrified to tell his homophobic father that there’s now one more reason for his father to hate him. In fact, he gets so flustered that he spills the beans about being gay shortly after he announces his plans to attend college to study art. Thankfully, his best friend Audrey is there to help him through this fiasco as she’s been there for him throughout high school. Both are looking forward to leaving the town behind them forever when they go to college.

Gabriel Savage, lumberjack and best friend of Lucas’s brother Zach, spots Lucas walking home a few nights later and stops to give him a lift. He gives him more than that too—his first sexual experience as a gay man. To be honest, I’m not sure I get the point of this story. I’ve re-read the entire section of their hookup several times and I still don’t quite understand the point the author was trying to make so for me, this story wasn’t on the same level as the others. In fact, whether it was just supposed to be a quick hookup or whether Gabe truly wanted a lasting relationship with Lu, really doesn’t matter. Either way, the story lacked the spark and interest the others held and that’s very disappointing since I generally love Anne Tenino’s work. 3 stars

I’ll Be There by Z. A. Maxfield

This was a great story to cap the anthology as Nash Holly fights desperately to make his way to the Chicago area to be with Spencer Kepler (“Hell on Wheels”) on Valentine’s Day during the worst snow storm to hit the Midwest in years. It isn’t even so much that it’s Valentine’s Day as the fact that Spencer is so socially inept that he fears meeting the guest of honor at the fan convention he’s volunteered to attend—a woman who is dying of cancer. In a brief Skype session with Nash, Spencer reveals more about his feelings related to his own mother’s death from cancer than he even realized himself. Readers get to witness how Spencer acknowledges the past and, learning from it, deals with the present and waits hopefully to see if Nash can make it. And we get to witness Nash as he delves into his true feelings for Spencer and his gratitude for having Spencer in his life. Their love is greater than the sum of both parts and this story is perfect for their first Valentine’s Day together. 5 stars

If you’ve been reading the Bluewater Bay stories, you know they can each be read as a standalone, as can this anthology. However, readers of the stories will recognize the characters in the first and last stories of this anthology and that will only add to the enjoyment of the book. I recommend this one to all lovers of M/M romance and especially to those who enjoy the added spice of the Valentine’s Day holiday and all of the ways love can be expressed.

Cover art by L.C. Chase depicts a movie set clipboard with a faded out red background of two of the MCs looking at each other with stars in their eyes. Perfect for the stories inside.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 226 pages
Published February 9th 2015 by Riptide (first published February 7th 2015)
ISBN139781626492615
edition languageEnglish
seriesBluewater Bay #6

Bluewater Bay series, one location, different authors (and all highly recommended by Barb and Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by LA Witt
There’s Something About Ari (A Bluewater Bay Story) by LB Gregg
Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by ZA Maxfield
Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4) by Aleksandr Voinov
The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5) by Heidi Belleau and Rachel Haimowitz
Lights! Camera! Cupid! A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology

A MelanieM Review: Splat by Alana Ankh

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

Splat!

That’s the sound Deacon Hearst hears when something hits his windshield. But what could it be? It’s unlike anything that Deacon has seen before and with good reason. It is a fairy—or rather a Sidhe—with a gaze the color of the moon and thus eloquently named Mooneyes. The little creature’s wing is broken by the windshield and its beginning to pour. What can Deacon do but take the fairy home to heal.

But as Deacon nurses Moon back to health, he discovers Moon’s beauty is more than skin deep. Though they’re very different, especially in size, they’re alike in their loneliness, their need for affection. Despite the weirdness of the situation, Deacon finds himself falling for Moon.

Moon is starting to feel the same. But they are separated by more than size, their worlds and families are about to collide. But Moon has a few secrets of his own, secrets that could change both their paths for life.

I have to admit it was that cover, title and plot of Splat that pulled me in. It was funny and warped enough that I had high hopes for the humor content inside. Instead what I found was a sweet, if not completely memorable, M/M fantasy romance by Alana Ankh. And it started off so well…

The story opens with Deacon fleeing his parents home and their continual attempts to see him straight and married to a daughter of one of their friends, no matter how often he tells them he is gay. To add to his poor mood, it begins to rain. And on his trip back home to his house in the woods, a fairy hits his windshield like a Palmetto bug on steroids. It’s pretty darn humerous right down to the sound effects of whooshing of the wipers and the visual effects of a small miserable fae going back and forth across the glass (ok, I found that funny, don’t judge).

Deacon meet Mooneyes (and with that name the story started to slide sideways for me). Deacon gets over the appearance of a fairy pretty calmly and after figuring out that a wounded fae in a downpour is not likely to make it, takes Moon home to heal. Attraction and lust ensues, albeit on a tiny scale.

Soon the author is throwing in more plot elements, one right after the other. Seems neither Moon’s or Deacon’s families want gay sons and are going out of their way to ignore their sexual choices in pursuit of their own plans. Plus there is several more fae complications to plow through. Ditto on Deacon’s side. I just wished that the author would have concentrated on the quixotical and funny romance at hand. But no, that’s not to be.

Ankh pretty much ignores the fairy world building with a few exceptions and that lack is felt throughout the story. Deacon’s background is better fleshed out but the side bits about his job and boss just add to the confusion. And a strange bit about a man who offers Moon his assistance.

Still where this story goes right is the interaction and feelings that spring up between Deacon and Mooneyes. That was sweet, and believable, even given the circumstances and the separation subplot that felt like a reasonable event given what happens beforehand.

Splat held out so much promise for something completely different yet it ended up as one more sweet,outside of the title and cover, love story. If that is what you are in the mood for and love fae/human romances, Splat might just be your thing to read. I will comfort myself in knowing I have one of the most memorable titles and covers to add to the Most Humerous of 2015.

Cover art by Paul Richmond. Pretty funny, I hope that was the intent. I did keep hearing “oh, no, Mr. Bill…”

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon Splat! Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 127 pages
Published February 11th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press, LLC
ISBN139781632164841
edition languageEnglish

A PaulB Review: Ansleigh’s Grotto by J.T. Cheyanne

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

When his grandfather passes, Dylan Matthews inherits his Virginia estate. Dylan must deal with his past both remembered and forgotten to fulfill the terms of his grandfather’s will.

Dylan Matthews spent his summers at his grandfather’s estate while growing up. Just after his eighteenth birthday, he has an argument with his father. Fifteen years later, his grandfather passes. At the reading of the will, the family learns that while the rest of the estate is to be divided among them, Dylan is the sole heir to the Virginia homestead so long as he lives there for one year. Also, there are two letters that his grandfather has left for Dylan to read explaining his actions.

Upon arriving at the estate, Dylan reacquaints himself with the staff of the manor. He also meets Leigh, whom they say takes care of the flora and fauna on the estate. Dylan is smitten by Leigh and the feelings are returned. Unknown to Dylan, this is not the first time he has met Leigh.

Leigh, or Ansleigh, is the grandson of the Seelie or Light Fae king. Many centuries ago, to end a war between the Seelie and UnSeelie or Dark Fae, the first grandchild of each king were promised to each other as mates. The only way to prevent this mating from happening is if one were to find true love and his Cosantoir or keeper. Ansleigh has waiting for fifteen years for Dylan’s return to the estate because he has formed this bond during Dylan’s visits. He is heartbroken when Dylan disappears one day without saying goodbye to him. Now he must get Dylan to fall in love with him again even though Leigh did something that might prevent that from happening again.

Dylan and Leigh must overcome how they left things fifteen years ago and must also deal with an UnSeelie prince who is bound and determined to claim Ansleigh as his as promised by their grandfathers. Their lives and the fate of the grotto depend upon the successful resolution of this dilemma.

I really enjoyed this book. The author creates a realistic fantasy world in the Virginia grotto estate of Dylan’s grandfather. The supporting characters are well rounded and give added humor to the thrills of the conflict. Making Dylan a game developer allows for a perfect epilogue though I saw it about half way through the book. I would encourage anybody to spend some time in Ansleigh’s Grotto.

The cover by Tracey Weston shows two men embracing above a manor house surrounded by lush greenery. It draws the reader in and gives a good representation of the grotto.

Sales Links: Amazon Buy It Here

Book details
Ebook, 179 pages
Published: January 28, 2015 by Laz & Lachi Publication
Edition: English
ISBN: 978-0-9899725-2-9

In the Book Spotlight: Oliver (Whitedell Pride #6) by Catherine Lievens

Oliver (Whitedell Pride #6) by Catherine Lievens
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Goodreads Link

Author Catherine Lievens

Catherine lives in Italy, country of good food and hot men. She used to write fantasy as a child, but it was reading her first gay erotic romance novel that made her realize that that was what she really wanted to write.

After graduating from college in English language and translation, she divides her day between writing, reading, taking care of her son and reading some more.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherine.lievens.9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorCLievens
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/catherine200405/
Other: https://authorcatherinelievens.wordpress.com/

Publisher: Latrisha Waters
Cover Artist: eXtasy Books

Sales Links: eXtasy Books

About Oliver…

What matters is not what you are, but who you are.

Oliver is human, or at least he was until the Glass Research Company kidnapped him and experimented on him. Now he has a bear sharing his mind, but he’s not able to shift, and he’s confused. Is he a shifter, or a human? What’s worse, he’s getting sicker every day, and no one seems to know how to help him. He can’t even bond with his mate because he doesn’t want Sebastian to hurt if something happens to him.

Sebastian wants his mate to be cured, and the only way to do that is to go to New York and kidnap one of the company’s scientist. With the help of his pride brothers, he manages to do just that, but having Oliver cured doesn’t mean all their problems are over.

Oliver will have to deal with learning how to shift and trying to convince Sebastian that he’s fine and that he can be claimed, but once he manages to do that, other problems arise. Will the two lovers finally have the time to just be together, or will the pressure push them apart?

Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Shit. Shit, shit, shit! Oliver didn’t know what had happened or how to solve this. Well, he knew what had happened. He had shifted for the very first time, but did he really have to do it while naked in bed with Sebastian? Even more so, did it really have to be like, seconds after they had just made love and claimed each other?

If Sebastian hadn’t been so quick to move away, Oliver would have shifted while…ugh, he didn’t even want to think about it!

“Uh, love? Careful with those claws, okay?”

Oliver realized that he had been digging into the mattress so he awkwardly tried to get his claws out of the fabric, but it seemed that every move he made, he managed to just rip it apart a little more. He was scared to move, but he could hear the bed creaking. It wasn’t exactly made to host a fully grown bear plus his mate, even if Sebastian was in human form.

Pages or Words: 37,854 words

Contest: Enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter code provided by Pride Promotions below to enter and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Dates: March 2, 2015

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Molly Lolly, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Bayou Book Junkie, For the Love of Bookends, Bike Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,

Kimi-Chan, Fallen Angel Reviews, Cate Ashwood, My Fiction Nook, BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook, Velvet Panic

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Served Hot (Portland Heat #1) by Annabeth Albert Release Date: March 3, 2015 Goodreads Link

A Few Questions for Annabeth Albert

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Hammer and Bone by Kirby Crow Published by Riptide Publishing Cover by: Kirby Crow Roberto Quintero

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Oliver (Whitedell Pride #6) by Catherine Lievens Release Date: March 1, 2015 Goodreads Link

About Oliver…

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Served Hot (Portland Heat #1)
by Annabeth Albert
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Goodreads Link

Hammer and Bone by Kirby Crow
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover by: Kirby Crow
Roberto Quintero

Oliver (Whitedell Pride #6) by Catherine Lievens
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Goodreads Link