Day: May 20, 2018

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Lover (Survivor #2) by TM Smith

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Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Shannon Dupree is a survivor. He managed to escape from a brutal relationship with an older man who first treated him like a special bauble and then beat him up every time Shannon did something he didn’t like. As the story opens in 2010, Shannon has just managed a successful escape and has made his way to Texas while hiding in fear of his life from his abuser.

The early chapters of the story move rather quickly through the years as the characters are introduced to readers and then get introduced to each other. Next to be introduced, in 2011, is Rory, an FBI agent who has been undercover for five years while trying to work on the Langford murder case. (Survivor) In 2013, the author establishes that Shannon and Taylor Langford have become friends and in fact later that year Taylor invests in Shannon’s new dance and yoga studio in Texas.

And then we meet Rand Davis, new to Dallas PD, and assigned to cold case files. In 2015, Shannon and Rory meet at a party and become friends and later lovers. And it’s not long after that when Rand and Rory meet and are assigned to cover a case together. To be honest, I’m not positive I have all the facts correct. There was a lot of backfill and there were two concurrent police issues: the first was the undercover coverage of the Langford family in the Texas area and the second was the discovery of a lead in the case of a judge’s missing grandson that leads Rory, and then Rand, to believe that there’s a serial killer loose in the Seattle area.

Fast forward to 2016 and the serial killer case is about to break. Apparently, not only are the victims blond and blue-eyed like Rory’s boyfriend, Shannon, but when Shannon spots a photo and finally tells Rory about his past abuse, the information he reveals may show a link between his case and the missing men. This causes the story action to escalate from that point until the final drama where all the storylines and characters merge and explosive action takes place. No spoilers here but I can say there’s definitely lots of excitement and I definitely didn’t want to put the book down.

However, after that action, the final chapters dragged by. These chapters told the story of the three men becoming more involved with one another and making a commitment to be a threesome. There were some brief but sketchy sex scenes, but I didn’t feel the love. And then, each time I turned what I thought would be the final page, I’d come to a new chapter in a different POV. To be honest, this last segment of the book could easily have been condensed since it didn’t add much substance to the story.

I liked all three men. Shannon was bright and cheerful most of the time, definitely the most effeminate of the three. Rory was sharp and dedicated, slender, tough, and thoughtful. Rand was older, bigger, sexy, and smart. Together they complemented each other in many ways and I was rooting for them to all get together so when it finally started to happen, after the other action drama ended, I was disappointed in the way their romance was told. Perhaps if there was more dialogue and less telling, or if the sex scenes were more explicit, it would have been more interesting. Sadly, most of the threesome’s sex scenes were done as two together with one observing, which I didn’t care for. To me, if one is going to have a “throuple” in love, one should have sex scenes that depict all three men having sex together.

I wouldn’t advise anyone to read this as a standalone. There is a lot of carryover from the first book—not just characters, but situations as well, so readers may miss an important connection if they start with this story.

~~~

The cover depicts a handsome young blond man sitting against a background of a collage of buildings and a police badge shaded in one area. Bright and colorful, I’m sure the blond is Shannon and I like the fact that it complements the cover of book one without being repetitive. It’s easy to link the two stories together.

 

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published April 19th 2018 by TTC Publishing
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSurvivor #2

A VVivacious Review: The King’s Sun (The Brass Machine #1) by Isaac Grisham

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Rating: 4 out of 5 exhilarated stars

Kitsune is the self-contained prince of Kitsunetsuki defined by his loyalty to his King, his Father, Oni. But when Oni banishes him from the kingdom, Kitsune is thrown off-kilter. Kitsune has no knowledge of what lies ahead of him and he has no idea of what his travels will unravel.

As he travels through Odom, skirts around the Wastelands to the Tribal lands, in search of the Harbinger to shed light on his path, he learns the truth about himself and his father. But more surprisingly he comes across the most undefinable emotion of all, love.

As love encompasses his mind and changes his perspective, what will happen to the mission that his brought him so far and what of the misguided loyalty that still belabours in his heart for his King.

This book will immediately inspire you to compare itself to much more prolific series that deal with the rise and fall of kingdoms but it lacks the complexity of plot that can only arise when you have multiple characters all with their own agenda pulling the plot in many different directions where it is always a challenge knowing who will succeed and how that will alter the chess board.

This book lacks all that complexity and overall has only two over-arching plotlines. Now the problem with having only two plotlines is that you know that they will eventually have to feed each other and the plot and so I had kind of guessed the most suspenseful event of this book from its blurb which was further validated when I started reading the book and then it actually came to be. So that would be its one downfall that the book lacks the complexity to hide the suspense of its storyline.

But, truthfully I liked the lack of complexity of over-arching agendas and plotlines where I am struggling to understand how they all come together. While those books are their own sort of fun, I really liked the way this book went about its storyline and that is saying something since I had already guessed its climax.

I really liked how magic was introduced in this book as something that Kitsune was sure of didn’t exist because it added a connection between him and me. Also, I like how magic was explored in this book.

I really liked Kitsune’s story I was so into it that the first detour that we took from his story to follow Saxma’s made me stop reading. I sometimes question authors changing perspectives when the storyline of one character is in jeopardy because it’s hard to read placid storylines when your heart is racing with adrenaline, it just had me really frustrated but later I really liked what Saxma brought to the story. I also liked how Saxma’s story is used to build up Oni and I can’t wait to see where that leads.

This story is essentially setting up the chessboard. By the end of the story we have all our main players in place and we know their backstories and where they are coming from and their motivations that will define their actions in the sequel which I would really like to get my hands on, hopefully soon.

This book is not a romance though love happens to be one of the great plot progressions in this book and I really liked the story of Darren’s lover. That idea of combining a story within a story was ingenious, in fact, some of the writing for that story related so well with life in general that it blew me away.

I have really come to like Kitsune and even though I can’t really understand his character, I am loving his story and I would love to know where it goes especially because of thecliffhanger that the so-called climax of this book was hiding which even I hadn’t guessed.

Cover Art by Dissect Designs.  I really loved the cover. It is so amazing with the title engulfed in fire on the background of a series of cogwheels. Also, talking about the cover reminds me of the analogy in this book, that of the brass machine and I loved the metaphor.

Buy Links 

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Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble  – Paperback

 

Book Details:ebook, 298 pages
Published May 1st 2018 by Cooper Blue Books, LLC
ISBN 173214060X (ISBN13: 9781732140608)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Brass Machine #1

Release Blitz – Lawyer’s Secret Omega (Dewey Cheetum & Howe Law Book 1) by Bella Bennet (excerpt)

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RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title:  Lawyer’s Secret Omega:

M/M Non-Shifter Mpreg (Dewey Cheetum & Howe Law Book 1)

Author: Bella Bennet

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Cosmic Letterz

Genre/s: contemporary gay romance, non-shifter mpreg

Length: 64,000 words

Release Date: May 14, 2018

Goodreads 

Blurb

When paralegal Omega Ryan is moved onto his crush’s team, it was only a matter of time before the law firm workplace rule of no employee dating was broken.

Now, as Ryan’s boss, wealthy Alpha law firm partner Marcus has a secret pregnancy and relationship with Ryan to hide or they’ll lose their jobs.

But the secret pregnancy is the least of their problems when Ryan’s parents find out…

Workplace unresolved tension. A forbidden romance. An unplanned pregnancy. Can a partner-phobic Alpha and a reluctant Omega seize their chance at happiness?

Lawyer’s Secret Omega is a 64,000 word mpreg romance with a surprise wedding, an Alpha to the rescue, steamy times in the boss’s office and HEA.

Excerpt

I gathered my things, followed Marcus into his office, and shut the door. I was nervous about Amy or Luke figuring out that I had fucked my boss last weekend. I was starting to realize how careful we had to be, and how much was at stake. I couldn’t believe I was doing this, but nobody could force me to turn away from Marcus. He was the man I wanted. The alpha I wanted.  There was no way I was giving him up.

Marcus was standing right in front of me when I turned around from closing the door. “I actually do want to go over the Foreman case with you, but first…” He grabbed my legal pad out of my hands, setting them on the desk behind him without even looking. Then he ran his hands through my hair, and down my neck and chest.

“Just kiss me already.”

Marcus pulled me towards him, walking backwards until he hit the desk, then he turned around and pushed me against the desk.

“Oh don’t worry, I plan to.”

The heat in his eyes matched mine. My cock had woken up when Marcus stood near me in the paralegal section, but now it was well on its way to a full hard-on.  He leaned in, gently kissing me, but I grabbed the back of his head and a handful of ass and dove in like he was a slice of New York cheesecake. Marcus hesitated, probably from shock, then he took control and drove me absolutely wild. He ran his hands over my back, played with my hair, thumbed my nipples.  He pulled me closer to him.  I sat back on the desk and wrapped my legs around him as we kissed, rubbing against each other.

I had to take a breath. Marcus licked a trail from my collarbone up to my jaw. “My God, you are fucking amazing.” That may not have been the most eloquent thing anyone has ever said to their lover, but it was the only words in my mind at the time.

“I want to fuck you so bad right now. I’ve been so hard today, I haven’t been able to get anything done. You’ve been a distraction since I got to work and saw you.” He went back to kissing me, wrapping his arms around  my back, rubbing against me.  I was so horny, so in need of a release, that there was no way I could focus on anything at all except Marcus. I pulled back, panting, staring at Marcus. His eyes were filled with lust and need, looking right at me. God, I wanted him.

“I’ve never done this before, but I can’t get a damn thing done until I get some release. I want you. What do you think about getting fucked on my desk?”

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

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Amazon UK

About the Author

Always daydreaming and making up stories in her head, Bella didn’t write her first novel until 2017.  Bella has a Computer Science degree, but that doesn’t hold a candle to her true love of reading. She has a cat, a corgi, hates doing cleaning, and loves playing video games.  Bella loves sexy men and a happily ever after romance. Happy reading!

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Book BLAST- The King’s Sun (The Brass Machine #1) by Isaac Grisham (excerpt)

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Book Title: The King’s Sun (The Brass Machine #1)

Author: Isaac Grisham

Publisher: Cooper Blue Books, LLC

Cover Artist: Dissect Designs

Genre/s: Fantasy and LGBT

Length: 95,000 words/298 pages

Goodreads

Blurb

Prince Kitsune trained all his life to become a leader in the king’s wars for supremacy, but the fearsome monarch dashes those dreams and banishes his devoted son.  Not all is lost—to reclaim his birthright, Kitsune must kill the son of his father’s rival. A son possessed by fiery magic.

Outside of the capital walls for the first time, Kitsune struggles to survive accursed wilderness and political intrigue while executing his mission. He meets the enigmatic, dark-haired Myobu and discovers magical Yokai spirits, dark family secrets, and strange new feelings for his companion.

As the two men forge a path through the region, an unrealized and dangerous magic blossoms within Kitsune. It is the mysterious power of the Yokai spirits, capable of unspeakable destruction, and it grows stronger with each passing day. Could he use this gift to slay his target, or would it destroy all that he loves?

Prince Kitsune is banished from his homeland. To reclaim his birthright, he must kill the son of his father’s rival. A son possessed by fiery magic. While executing his mission, he meetings dark-haired Myobu and discovers magical Yokai spirits, dark family secrets, and strange new feelings for his companion.

Buy Links 

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble  – Paperback

Excerpt

Inari Palace had been the center of the Kitsunetsuki Kingdom for well over nine centuries. If its people had always regarded it to represent a place to fear, Prince Kitsune could not tell. What he did know for certain was that his father, King Oni, was a powerful man who deserved the fear and respect given unto him.

Kitsune shared in the people’s reverence of King Oni of the Asher lineage. It was said that Oni’s father had fallen in love with and married one of the beautiful Yokai spirits that purportedly inhabited the land around Inari Palace. While Kitsune was doubtful that such spirits existed, he knew the mythology of his people’s religious beliefs. The offspring of such a pairing tended to manifest heightened intelligence and magical abilities that increased in complexity with age. The motives of such individuals were a mystery, and their agendas were unlike those of ordinary people. This allegedly stemmed from a lack of human morals.

No one had ever witnessed King Oni displaying acts of magic, but his wisdom and cleverness were renowned beyond the borders of Kitsunetsuki, as were his skills in war and battle. With his combined talents, two successful military campaigns had already been waged under his reign, resulting in the conquering of the Mogo Empire to the south and the Ruio Territory to the northeast. A third campaign was rumored to be launched within the next sun cycle. It was Kitsune’s greatest desire to fight alongside his father this time around.

Whether it was from the constant state of warfare or the demands of ruling the vast and expanding domain, King Oni was a man rarely seen by even his closest advisors. As a child, Kitsune looked forward to his birthdays not for the presents, but rather because they were the rare days his father would most certainly present himself—assuming he was not leading the military elsewhere. As he matured, Kitsune saw the king less and less often. Now he only knew his father existed from the messages, requests, and gifts sent via servants.

Such remoteness did not temper Kitsune’s admiration of his father. It only solidified his notion that the numerous obligations of running the kingdom could only be handled by a man as judicious and dutiful as the king. Understanding that such responsibilities demanded considerable time, Kitsune willingly accepted his position in his father’s life. Though they both resided within the palace, it had been well over a sun cycle since they’d seen each other face to face.

This was why it came as such a surprise when Kitsune was awoken late one morning by a servant knocking on his chamber doors with a simple message: King Oni demands your presence immediately.

About the Author

Ever since his elementary school librarian made his short story about a sick dog available for checkout, Isaac had wanted to be a writer. A lot of words had been put to paper since then, including tales about dinosaurs, space travels, and the afterlife. The King’s Sun, the first part of The Brass Machine, is his first published work.

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