Month: July 2016

An Alisa Review: Damaged by Noah Willoughby

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

DamagedNobody is invincible…

On a seemingly ordinary night, Tom Otso’s life changes forever when he is ambushed, attacked and left for dead. Though he survives the ordeal, Tom finds out at the hospital that the gravity of his injuries has left him permanently disabled.

Eric Kontio is a physical therapist who is assigned to Tom’s case to help rehabilitate and adapt Tom to his new way of living. In helping people for over 20 years, Eric has never met anyone with such an incredible spirit and positive attitude as Tom. Eric becomes infatuated with him and marvels at his incredible progress.

Being together every day, the two men grow closer as friends, but things become complicated by Tom’s jealous and moody boyfriend, Adrian, and Eric’s professionalism being doubted by his superior. When the true feelings of both men come to the surface, so do their painful pasts which could make or break their relationship.

 

This is the first book I have read by Noah and I was pleasantly surprised.  Even though this is a shorter story a lot happens in a short amount of time.  There are a lot of emotions going on throughout this story.

 

Tom is attacked and hospitalized for weeks before he wakes up and has to go through healing and therapy to learn to live on his own again.  Tom did his best to stay positive while in the hospital and therapy without any real support from his boyfriend.  While Eric is willing to support him from the sidelines even if they aren’t in a relationship.

 

I could feel Tom’s upbeat attitude that everything would work out and his embarrassment in how Adrian would treat him and the situation while Eric was hurting inside seeing Tom being treated badly.  They meet back up again and begin to lean on each other however you can see Tom holding himself back because he doesn’t feel he deserves any happiness.  My only real gripe with the story is Tom was in the hospital for 4 weeks after he was attacked and there was a news story put out, but his boyfriend never tried to find him, even if they didn’t have a great relationship you would think that he would at least be wondering what happened.

 

Cover art is nice, but doesn’t really catch my eye at first glance.

 

Sales Link: Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 81 pages

Published: June 27, 2016

Edition Language: English

A BJ Review: Femme by Marshall Thornton

Rating:    3.75 stars out of 5

FemmeQueeny cocktail waiter, Lionel, wakes up to find himself in bed with Dog, a straight-acting softball player and the two embark on a rocky road to romance. A journey that requires coming out of the closet, going into the closet, a pair of red high heels, many pairs of red high heels, a failed intervention, a couple of aborted dates, and homemade pom-poms. Mostly, Lionel and Dog learn what it means to be a man.

I remember reading a blog post some time back where Marshall Thornton said he didn’t write romance novels. And I had to concede that as truth, as much as I love the Boystown series, there is a lot of sex and there is some love, but not a lot of romance or sexual tension. When I saw that he’d written a book that actually had the word “romance” right up there in the blurb, I had to read it.

As usual, the writing and characterization is superb. There were a few editing errors, but since I don’t remember noting any of those in his other books, I tend to think that is just because the copy I received was an advance copy.

I enjoy reading about flamboyant characters, so I was not surprised that I adored Lionel. Witty, sharp-tongued, ballsy, but with a sweet vulnerability—he had me from the beginning. Can’t really say the same for Dog, well, I take that back. I did like him at the start but after he totally bailed on Lionel in public not once, but twice, I found myself cringing for Lionel and wanting to kick Dog in the nuts.

However, I must admit that he was acting in character… he had a good heart, like Lionel, but Dog didn’t come across as the brightest bulb. And sometimes he didn’t deal with things so well. He did have some terrific insights though when he really sat down and thought about stuff. And so genuinely cared for his family. So, like Lionel, I forgave him. Especially when he came up with the idea for the shoe scene. What a picture. That was great.

While the story begins with the MCs in bed after a drunken one night stand, there isn’t actually that much sex. There is some, although not a lot, sexual tension along the way. In the end, I decided it was just right. There’s a twist near the end that I didn’t see that coming. And I LOVED it.

Lionel loves old black and white movies, and some of this story actually reminded me of the tone set in some of those, which I found pretty cool. The author paints some vivid images, and for the most part the story flowed along well. My biggest complaint was that I’d have preferred more time with Dog and Lionel together and less of Dog interacting with his family. Those bits took up so much page time that a few times I found myself wanting to skim.

Overall, this was a fun and delightfully different M/M read. The cover is simple but it fits the story well.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 222 pages
Expected publication: July 28th 2016 by Kenmore Books
ASINB01FT7CVKU
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Recap Tour & Giveaway – Anna Butler’s Taking Shield Series

Series Recap Tour & Giveaway – Anna Butler – Taking Shield Series

Gyrfalcon (Taking Shield #1)
 
Earthís last known colony, Albion, is fighting an alien enemy. In the first of the Taking Shield series, Shield Captain Bennet is dropped behind the lines to steal priceless intelligence. A dangerous job, and Bennet doesnít need the distractions of changing relationships with his long-term partner, Joss, or with his fatheróor with Flynn, the new lover who will turn his world upside-down. He expects to risk his life. He expects the data will alter the course of the war. What he doesnít expect is that it will change his life or that Flynn will be impossible to forget.

 

Heart Scarab (Taking Shield #2)
 
Telnos is an unpleasant little planet, inhabited by religious fanatics in the festering marshlands and unregistered miners running illegal solactinium mines up in the hills. But the Maess want Telnos, and Shield Captain Bennetís job is to get out as many civilians as he canóa task that leaves him lying on Telnos while the last cutter of evacuees escapes in the teeth of the Maess invasion.
  Bennet is listed missing in action, believed dead on a planet now overrun by Maess drones. His family is grieving. His long-term partner, Joss, is both mourning and guilt-ridden. And Fleet Lieutenant Flynn? Flynn is desolate. Flynn is heart-brokenÖno. Flynn is just broken.
Makepeace (Taking Shield #3)
 
Returning to duty following his long recovery from the injuries he sustained during the events recounted in Heart Scarab, Shield Captain Bennet accepts a tour of duty in Fleet as flight captain on a dreadnought. The one saving grace is that it isnít his fatherís shipóbad enough that he canít yet return to the Shield Regiment, at least he doesnít have the added stress of commanding former lover Fleet Lieutenant Flynn, knowing the fraternisation regulations will keep them apart.
  Working on the material he collected himself on T18 three years before, Bennet decodes enough Maess data to send him behind the lines to Makepeace, once a human colony but under Maess control for more than a century. The mission goes belly up, costing Albion one of her precious, irreplaceable dreadnoughts and bringing political upheaval, acrimony and the threat of public unrest in its wake. But for Bennet, the real nightmare is discovering what the Maess have in store for humanity.
Itís not good. Itís not good at all.
Author Bio:
Anna was a communications specialist for many years, working in various UK government departments on everything from marketing employment schemes to organizing conferences for 10,000 civil servants to running an internal TV service. These days, though, she is writing full time. She recently moved out of the ethnic and cultural melting pot of East London to the rather slower environs of a quiet village tucked deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside, where she lives with her husband and the Deputy Editor, aka Molly the cockerpoo.

 

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Sirius Wolves Have Returned with ‘The Beginning’ by Victoria Sue (Release Day Blitz and Giveaway)

Release Blitz – Victoria Sue – The Beginning – Sirius Wolves #6

 
Author: Victoria Sue
 
Release Date: July 28
 
Length: 173 pages
 
Buy Links: 
Blurb
 
The Winter Circle is on the rise and the most desperate hour for humankind is at hand. Working from the shadows, the dark god Anubis, jealous enemy of the goddess Sirius, is setting years’ long plans in motion, a master scheme that will strike home in the heart of Jefferson Pack.
 
Nate is a survivor.  He survived rejection by his father and his pack when he was a child. He survived being alone, kidnapped, starved, and tortured. But the more he recovers, the more he realizes he seems to be developing abilities that surpass those of the Supreme Alphas.
 
More than that, though, he can’t move past the scar of knowing he was responsible for killing Darric, even though the Alpha was resurrected by Orion and Nate was forgiven; he can’t let go of his fear that there is something terrible hiding in the many holes in the memories of his childhood.
 
The Winter Circle strikes, and there is a traitor within the pack, one who means to see the end of all hybrids, including Nate and Kellan’s pups.
 
But as all hell breaks loose Nate’s greatest fear is not the danger that surrounds him, it’s the danger that hides within him. When Nate’s finds out his true purpose, and terrible secrets are revealed, will love triumph over evil? Or will the secret that Nate carries just be the death of them all?
 
Author Bio
 
Victoria Sue has loved books for as long as she can remember. Books were always what pocket money went on and what usually Father Christmas brought. When she ran out of her kid’s adventure stories, she would go raid her mom’s. By the age of eight she was devouring classics like Little Women, and fell in love with love stories.
She’s still in love with them. Any size, any shape, any creature – love is love, no matter what it says on the box.
In fact if they don’t fit very neatly into any box she loves them even more! She has a very patient husband and three wonderful children. In 2010 in search of adventure they all moved from the UK to the US and are happily settled in Florida. Finally, after reading love stories for so long, she decided to write her own.
@vickysuewrites
https://www.facebook.com/victoriasueauthor/– sign up for my newsletter and download a free story The Wrong Alpha
 


 

A Lila Review: Witch King by T.A. Creech

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Witch KingKing Solna Nalion is tired of war. Standing in the aftermath of yet another battle over an ancient insult, he longs for the possibility of ending the wars at last — and finds it in Vius Tylele, a wounded warrior who is not what he seems. In light of Tylele’s charm and intelligence, Nalion schemes to unite their countries for a lasting peace, one that might even bring love.

Nothing is as it seems and Vius Tylele knows that all too well. But King Nalion’s marriage proposal, while ridiculous, has merit. Between petulant generals, tainted magic, and falling unexpectedly in love, Vius discovers he has more to lose than he thought. His country, his magic, and even his heart.

Witch King was a surprising find. I loved the book’s premise and how vivid the opening scene was. Solna’s and Vius’s connection became evident with the simplicity of their first contact and the reverence Solna had toward the injured man he kept in his arms until he had to let go.

From the beginning, we get a good view of Solna’s commitment to his people and how hard he had worked to defend them. It was nice to see a king willing to do everything to bring peace to his kingdom even if it was at his expense. Vius was lovely and his reasons, when different from Solna’s, were more important than his own happiness. We get two selfless men in search of more from life.

There are many secondary characters involved in the story. We get their names, relationships, and a good reason for most of them to be part of the story. There’s also a good sense of place, and the world build is perhaps too far reaching for such a short story. It has good bones; it just needed a couple of extra pages.

Yes, the story suffered just like any other novella from the lack of additional content to explain how things happened behind the scenes or to wrap-up every single loose thread. It feels like it’s missing some chapters and a solid ending. Overall, it’s a fantastic story with lots of potential to be turned into a novel or a series of novellas.

I like the cover, but personally, I’d had switched the two pictures, having King Solna on the bottom and Vius on top.

Sale Links: JMS Books | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 88 pages
Published: June 11, 2016, JMS Books
ISBN: 9781634861281
Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (Offbeat Crimes #1) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

limegelatinandothermonsters_800Kyle Monroe, his irritating new partner, and their fellow freaks at the 77th Precinct must learn to work together to stop a vicious murderer that might not even be human.

Kyle Monroe’s encounter with a strange gelatinous creature in an alley leaves him scarred and forever changed, revealing odd abilities he wishes he didn’t have and earning him reassignment to a precinct where all the cops have defective paranormal abilities.

Just as he’s starting to adjust to his fellow misfit squad mates, Kyle’s new partner arrives. Tall, physically perfect, reserved, and claiming he has no broken psychic talents, Vikash Soren irritates Kyle in every way. But as much as he’d like to hate Vikash, Kyle finds himself oddly drawn to him, their non-abilities meshing in unexpected ways. If they can learn to work together, they might be able to stop the mysterious killer who has been leaving mutilated bodies along the banks of the Schuylkill.

Previously published, I somehow missed this the first time around and now got to enjoy a new adventure into the creative mind of Angel Martinez with Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters, the first in her Offbeat Crimes series.  Its another wild lollapalooza of creatures and mysteries thrown together and it starts with the 77th Precinct, also known as the “Island of Misfit Freaks”.  Its the precinct where any paranormal cop with a non-useful talent gets stuck, aka…the reject pile.  One cop can hear the unhappiness of waterfowl, another? Well, they’re not sure what he is or does.  He just is.  One’s a ghost who’s job is to maintain coffee pot and he’s bad at it.  And so it goes at the 77th Precinct.  Then we arrive at our main couple.  Kyle Monroe, on the short side, although he maintains he’s average who absorbs any paranormal talent nearby without control.  And Vikash Soren who’s at first reticent about why he’s been transferred…until he connects with Kyle and all hell breaks loose.

Half the fun and the charm of a Angel Martinez story is the inventiveness and down right quirkiness of the characters involved.  A cop that hears the unhappiness of waterfowl?  Thats sort of amazing and something I can picture as are all the other inhabitants of that Island of Misfit Freaks.  I grew downright fond of them all as the story progressed and I got to know them better.  Another?  The mysteries, murder cases actually, that the squad must investigate.  Often horrible, its a wonderful avenue for personal exploration for the reader as well as for themselves.  And it works beautifully here.  I enjoyed seeing the case being solved as much as I enjoyed the romance progress too.

As this is the first in a series, its a HFN which is fine.  There is so much more exploring to do as far as the Precinct and the characters go.  I can’t wait.  If the supernatural, the paranormal, murder mysteries, and romance is something you are looking for, here is a story that combines all of them to my delight.  That its written by Angel Martinez just seals the deal.  I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Posh Gosh really doesn’t relate as well as it should to the story line.  Its just ok.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 91 pages
Expected publication: August 16th 2016 by Pride Publishing (first published May 24th 2015)
ISBN139781786514691
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesOffbeat Crimes #1, Tales From The 77th Precinct

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: The Law of Attraction by Jay Northcote ~ Audiobook narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davis

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The Law of Attraction audioWhen a professional relationship turns personal, it’s impossible to resist the law of attraction.

Alec Rowland is a high-flying lawyer in a London firm whose career is his life. He doesn’t have time for relationships and his sexuality is a closely guarded secret. After picking up a cute guy on a Friday night, Alec’s world is rocked to its foundations when his one night stand shows up in the office on Monday morning—as the new temp on his team.

Ed Piper is desperate to prove himself in his new job. The last thing he needs is to be distracted by a crush on his boss. It’s hard to ignore the attraction he feels, even though Alec’s a difficult bastard to work for.

Both men strive to maintain a professional relationship, but tempers fray, passions ignite, and soon they’re both falling hard and fast. If they’re ever going to find a way to be together, Alec needs to be honest about who he really is because Ed won’t go back in the closet for anyone.

This audiobook was outstanding. Jay Northcote created wonderfully endearing characters. Both men were sweet, and each had his issues. Ed was a new temp with the law firm, so he couldn’t afford to jeopardize his position when he realized the great one-night stand he had over the weekend is his new boss. And Alec, not knowing why he can’t seem to forget the beautiful young man he took home over the weekend, is shocked when he’s confronted with that man early Monday morning.

Alec’s family was stuffy and formal, and he desperately feared coming out to them. Caught with a young man when he was a teen, his father had beat him so badly he still has scars on his back, so it’s unlikely he’ll ever broach the subject again. On the flipside of that, Ed loves his family and is loved and supported in return. Later in the book when readers get to meet them, it feels like coming home to a place where people surround us in love.

I also enjoyed the slowly developing relationship between Alec and Ed, and the revelations Alec experiences as he’s finally enjoying his time with a man and starting to think of a future with him. I was happy to see that, when faced with the decision, Ed took the stance of staying out and proud even though it was difficult knowing he was turning from Alec. And finally, when he was ready, readers can experience and enjoy Alec coming out to his family.

The only things I would change, or at least would wish for, are to have witnessed the conversation at his law firm with his boss, and to have overheard his conversation with his “girlfriend” Belinda when he revealed what had happened and why.

The sex between the two men was hot but not overdone, i.e., there was not too much, but just like for Goldilocks, it was just right.

And last, but definitely not least, the narration was superb—from the pace of the story and narrative segments to the voices given to each character. It was a highly enjoyable experience to listen to a talented British voice actor as opposed to a narrator with a pseudo-Brit accent. Kudos to Matthew Lloyd Davis for a 5 star narration.

The cover art by Garrett Leigh features a black-and-white photo close-up of Alec in a suit. Very handsome and attractive!

Sales Links: Audible.com | Audible.co.uk | Amazon.com | Apple

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook
Published July 11th 2016 by Jaybird Press (first published February 5th 2016)
Original TitleThe Law of Attraction
ASINB01I5OKJPS
Edition LanguageEnglish