Amber Kell – Mate Call (Dragon Men Series #5)
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Down the twists and turns of the London alleyways, where Chinatown meets the highstreets, lies a small venue where unknown rock bands often play to crowds of less than one-hundred.
Isaac is nineteen, living on the sofa of his best friend’s brother – Eric – after his bible-loving parents tossed him aside because of his sexuality. After two years of struggling to make sense of his life, Eric and Charlotte convince Isaac to attend Red’s gig; an up and coming rock band with a small cult following.
All hell breaks loose and Isaac is left injured, with the whereabouts of his friends unknown and his body crippled on the ground. It’s then that the four members – Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss – aid Isaac by infecting him with a ‘magical’ virus that grants immortality in exchange for consuming blood.
The ‘Paranorm’ world is exposed to Isaac. Vampires, werewolves and warlocks lurk in the depths of the city he has lived in his entire life, but he won’t become one with the night until he completes his nine-month transition, leaving him in the hands of the band and at the mercy of vampire politics.
This story is part of the Omega Moon universe, but is a standalone tale.
Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton represents both a new author and a new universe for me. I had not read any other books by this author so I was unfamiliar with the Omega Moon universe that this story is set in. That said, its true you don’t have to have read the other novel to be able to understand or enjoy this vampire tale of romance as it has very little to do with the werewolves of the Omega Moon story except for one thin plot thread.
I think what I enjoyed best about this story was the format and interesting manner in which Isaac is turned into a vampire. Its not an automatic process but one that takes nine months…sort of like birthing a baby. And it moves forward in increments of time just as you mark it off in a baby’s book. I liked that sort of progress chart. Funny, sort of ironic in comparison. At least I hope that’s what the author was going for. It marks the changes, inward and outward, that Isaac, really a 19 year old, has to go through. And that includes vampire royal politics, his old conservative family who kicked Isaac out, and so much more. Like puppy love and maybe the real thing.
I very much liked the four members that made up the band Red – Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss. Each individualistic enough that I wanted more of each and didn’t get enough pages of this story to satisfy my need for that. Kyle? Adorable. And Troy? Yes, another favorite. Moss…darkness you want to follow down every alley. But Nicolai? He is most likely the weakest link here yet that’s the one that Orton pairs Isaac up with. I just couldn’t see it.
But I won’t spoil the story for so much happens that is coming as Isaac changes and matures.
But what did hold me back? Some of the more florid language. The pulsating members…yes…the purple prose that turns a sexy scene into something that starts me giggling instead. Luckily it wasn’t in every sex scene or I wouldn’t have made it through the book, but in enough that I snorted and snickered in certain places when I should have been fanning myself and that brought the rating down.
Still Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton had some very interesting elements as well as characters that I enjoyed. Love a vampire romance, like a new twist or two on the vampire culture and romance? Pick up Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton and see what you think about his idea of vampire love and HFN relationships. Then let me know…I’m curious as to what you think about it too.
Cover art represents Isaac well but this model is everywhere. Cute but really overused these days.
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 337 pages
Published May 6th 2016 by T.C. Orton
ASINB01F9WHM5E
Edition LanguageEnglish
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
I first read this fantasy tale in 2014, and I was so impressed I shelved it on my “to reread someday” bookshelf. Well, the time has come, and this time, I had the privilege of listening to the audiobook version and found it even more amazing than the first time I read it.
Julien is a sweet, self-effacing, unpretentious young man who has always been considered sickly by his family so is sent to Urchin Cove for the healing properties of the fresh air along the coast. When the handsome man who washes up on shore turns out to be in need of help, Julien steps in to care for him. After all, he knows all about doctoring, having been a patient for most of his life.
What Julien finds out about himself during the time he cares for Kit Archer is that he’s stronger and more loveable than he ever expected he could be. He and Kit fall in love, and despite the intervention of kidnapping and pirate attacks, they ultimately find a way to be together for a happily ever after that rivals my favorite fairy tales.
The main characters are well sketched and endearing, and the townsfolk are an amazing group of wonderful and varied secondary characters. And the voices? Oh, my! Joel Leslie constantly made me forget that I wasn’t listening to a variety of different people, and the personality he infused into each of them was outstanding.
Take one part amazing author who provides detailed characterizations and one part outstanding voice actor who truly does much more than simply narrate a story, and you have the most excellent audiobook to come along in quite a while.
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Audiobook Details:
Audible Audio, Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
Published July 6th 2016 by Self-Published (first published June 12th 2013)
ASINB01HZLFBNW
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesDon’t Read in the Closet Events
RATING 4,5 out of 5 stars
Tai Talagi and Ollie Birkstrom have been inseparable since they met as kids, surfing the North Shore of Oahu. Now they live with their best friends and Ollie’s kid brother in a pulled-together family, all of them piled into a run-down beach house. They share cooking, bills, and the saltwater running in their veins. They might have no money, they might argue, they might be in dead end jobs, but they live in Hawaii so it’s always summer. There’s always time for one last wave.
Tai’s spent years shutting down any feelings for Ollie. They’re friends. Their family depends on them. But with Ollie off on his first world tour, with Ollie’s dreams of a pro surfing career finally within reach, their steady world shifts. Is it worth risking their friendship, their family, their dreams for a chance at something terrifying and beautiful and altogether new?
I’m so happy to have read Into the Blue by Pene Henson, it was exactly what I was craving, light, sweet, with zero pauses and awesome characters. The second ones almost stole the MCs roles, and I’m not saying it as a criticism, on the contrary they were all so well done, Sunny, Jamie and Hannah deserved to be put on the spotlight. They are Tai and Ollie family, it couldn’t have been different. After all since they met at thirteen, Tai and Ollie were inseparable and building a family with the most important persons in their life was simple a necessity of the heart. That said, the story focuses a lot on the main couple, thanks to the time they spend around the world following Ollie’s chance at finally pursuing a surfing career. They support each others dreams so it is natural to Tai to travel with Ollie and help him be the number one in the World Surf League. Just then Ollie finally realizes there is more than friendship for them to share.
Into the Blue is well written and engaging, a friends to lovers story fresh and lighthearted. I know nothing about surfing but I wasn’t once left dubious about what was happening. It’s real, in the setting, in the characters, in the action. It is evocative with the great descriptions, I felt myself riding Tai’s boards, I smelled the ocean’s air, I felt Tahiti sand under my feet and I was cooking with Jamie at the Blue House in Oahu.
I’m surprised this book is Pene’s debut novel, I’m hungry for more by the author. I feel to highly recommend it.
The cover art by CB Messer perfectly depicts the book.
BOOK DETAILS
Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published July 7th 2016 by Interlude Press
ASIN B01F6JM4QC
Edition Language English
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
I enjoyed this sequel to Fitting In much more than the first book. In this one, Jack, Gray, and Mason are living together and have a great dynamic, but they haven’t come out to others yet, and Jack and Gray are very afraid that coming out will affect their jobs as cops. And to top that off, Gray is up for a promotion to detective, so they all decide to just wait until they feel the time is right.
But Gray takes the detective exam without first consulting Jack, and he’s furious not only with that but with the fact that Gray told Mason in advance—just not him. And of course, Gray aces it and is promoted, but meanwhile Jack is questioning whether he even wants to be a cop anymore, especially now that Gray isn’t his partner. Everything comes to a head when Jack interferes in a police investigation and nearly loses his life. His recuperation is tough, not only physically, but because he falls into a funk about his job and even starts to think his men don’t love him as much as he loves them.
I think part of the reason I enjoyed this story more than the previous one is that the writing seemed more polished this time. The addition of a few secondary characters like Bryce, the fireman bartender, added to my enjoyment as well. Add to that the outstanding narration of Greg Boudreaux, who made all the sexy times in this story so much hotter than they would be if I was only reading an e-book, and I would definitely recommend this one in audio format. I also think the previous story should be read first since the trio has a dynamic that they built during the first book and the story wouldn’t be as clear if read as a standalone.
The very sexy cover art depicts the threesome in bed. That’s totally perfect for this story since they spent much of their time there… and in the hall… and in the kitchen… and in the bathroom. Get the picture? This one has a high heat rating and the cover reflects that well.
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Jack, Gray, and Mason have accepted that loves comes in many flavors and settled into a three-way relationship. Things haven’t been easy, and now that Mason has gone back to school and Gray is interested in a detective position, Jack is feeling lonely. His lovers aren’t around very often, and he misses lying around in bed, enjoying the benefits of living with two hot men. But Jack has secrets. He’s uncomfortable every time he puts his uniform on. He’s never recovered from seeing Mason held hostage, and he’s no longer sure he was meant to be a cop.
While stressing over his own future and facing pressure from Gray and Mason to bring their relationship out of the closet, Jack is severely wounded in the line of duty. His recovery, both physical and emotional might be more than their unconventional relationship can bear. Jack is going to need all the courage and support his lovers can give him if he’s going to bring himself back from the dead and create the life he wants to live.
Jack heard the door open as he pulled a pan of hot caramel popcorn from the oven. Perfect timing. Mason was home and hopefully Gray had been able to get most of his paperwork finished, so the three of them could curl up together and continue their third run through the fourteen brilliant episodes of Firefly. Why oh why had it been cancelled and how had he not known about its awesomeness until Mason came into his life?
Their schedules had kept them apart for the last few nights and Jack had been looking forward to this all day, the three of them snuggled on the couch, watching TV until they started to doze off like an old married threesome. Who would need to go out with two amazing men at home? He could happily hole up for weeks just cuddling, fucking, and cooking for them.
Mason dropped his bag on the table and came up behind him. He kissed Jack’s neck as he grabbed a handful of popcorn that he immediately threw back into the pan, yelling, “Hot!”
“Of course it’s hot. It just came out of the oven.” Laughing, Jack grabbed Mason’s hand and kissed his palm. “Is that better?”
“No, but this will fix it.” Mason kissed him, sliding his tongue along the seam of Jack’s lips until he opened for his lover, letting him get a taste. Desire rose swiftly, and he clutched at Mason’s hips, pulling him in tight, letting him feel his cock, which was now hard and needy. Maybe Captain Mal would have to wait after all.
The sound of Gray clearing his throat brought them up for air. Mason stepped back, grinning at Jack. “That was a delicious hello.” He turned toward Gray, but when Jack saw the expression on their lover’s face, he knew they weren’t getting the same kind of greeting from him. He looked serious and…scared? Jack’s stomach knotted.
“What is it?”
“I need to talk to you. I waited until Mason was home, but I… Maybe you should sit down.”
“Gray, what’s wrong?” Jack asked, the caramel he’d tasted as he coated the popcorn lying heavy in his stomach.
Mason laid a hand on his arm. “Are you okay? You’re really pale.”
Jack ignored the question. “Don’t make us wait.”
“Thornton, the lieutenant from Major Crimes that I told you about—”
He glanced at Mason. “He’s been encouraging me to take the detective exam. He wants me in his unit.”
“But—”
Gray held up a hand. “Yes, it would mean we wouldn’t be partners anymore, but it would also mean we could be out if we wanted to. We’ve been talking about making a change, and you’ve known I was thinking about going for a promotion.”
“Yeah, but, I…” Nausea tightened Jack’s throat.
Mason reached for Jack’s hand and squeezed. “This could be good for all of us. Let’s think about it.”
Jack looked at Mason. He had known this would happen sooner or later. Gray was right about it being for the best, but Jack had continually pushed it to the back of his mind.
“I just want us to—” he started, but Gray interrupted him.
“I told him I’d take the exam.” Gray looked at the floor as he spoke.
“What?” Jack roared, fear replaced by anger that threatened to scorch him. “How dare you do that without talking to us!”
“I shouldn’t have, but he’d already asked me before, and I’d put him off. He told me I had to let him know today, and you said you’d support whatever I wanted so—”
“I didn’t mean for you not to even tell me. Couldn’t you have mentioned this when he asked you the first time?”
“I—” Gray ran a hand over his ruthlessly short hair. “I should have. I’m sorry, but—”
“But what?” Mason asked after Gray was silent for several seconds. Jack was glad he’d spoken up, because he wasn’t capable of saying anything nice.
Gray sighed. “I knew Jack would react just like this.”
Fuck you. “When it was still something to actually discuss instead of something dictated to me, I would have talked to you. Now that you’ve kept it from me and decided to just walk away—”
“I’m not walking away.”
Jack snarled at him. “We’re partners, Gray, and now we won’t be.”
“We’ll still be partners in the way that really counts.”
Would they? “What about Mason? Didn’t you think maybe he wanted a say in this?”
Mason glanced at Gray, and suddenly, Jack knew. “You told him, didn’t you? When Thornton first asked you, you fucking told Mason and not me.”
Gray closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath. “He told me to tell you, told me I shouldn’t wait, but I wanted to think about it. I didn’t want to upset you if I was just going to turn it down.”
“Newsflash. I’m upset.”
“Jack—”
Mason started to interject, but Jack held up his hand. “There’s no point in talking anymore. Gray’s made his decision. Thank you for actually trying to bring me into it.”
“I made up my mind to take the exam. That doesn’t mean I’ll take the position. That’s why I wanted to talk.”
Jack shook his head. “You’ve made up your mind. I can tell. If you get the job, you’ll take it.”
“I want to stop hiding,” Gray said. “But I want this to be a decision we all three make.”
“No, you just want me and Mason to agree with you,” Jack said, venom in his tone.
“That’s not true. I…fuck, Jack. I love you.”
Jack’s anger deflated, leaving him feeling wrung out and hurt. “I can’t imagine being a cop without you.”
Gray took a step toward Jack. “I’ll still be here.”
“We’ll all be together.” Mason spoke at almost the same time. He sounded scared, desperate. Fuck Gray for putting Mason in the middle like this, for going to him when they’d sworn they’d keep everything out in the open.
Like the time you talked to Mason about Gray seeming depressed, and he encouraged you to talk to Gray, but you didn’t. Is that what you mean by out in the open?
God, Jack hated that sanctimonious voice in his head.
He held up his hand, knowing he’d cave if Gray touched him. He’d let Gray have his way and forget how angry and hurt he was until it simmered long enough to explode again. “If you really wanted to discuss it, you would have talked with me the minute you started seriously considering taking the exam.”
“Would you have listened? Really listened?”
Jack wanted to scream that he would always listen to Gray, always consider what was best for his lover without being selfish. He wanted to stop being scared he couldn’t hold it together as a cop if Gray weren’t by his side, but he couldn’t make the words come.
Instead, he grabbed the pan of caramel popcorn and flung it across the kitchen, enjoying the ear-splitting clatter as the pan bounced on the tile. Then he stomped to their bedroom and slammed the door.
Seconds later, he heard the front door bang shut.
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