Don’t Miss Out on the Book b Fracture (Unbreakable Bonds #6) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Fracture

Series: Unbreakable Bonds Series #6

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott LLC

Release Date: March 29, 2019

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 71,000

Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense

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Synopsis

After three years, Snow and Jude’s relationship is still passionate and strong. They’re getting ready for a romantic vacation at home when Jude receives a horrifying call no one wants to receive. His youngest brother was found barely clinging to life. While Jude’s family is rallying around Jordan, Jude is determined to find out what happened to him.

Snow and Jude follow the clues, investigating a side of Jordan’s life none of them knew about…and is far darker than any would have believed possible. They get pulled deeper into the seedy side of life, while echoes from a past Snow thought he walked away from return to offer an unexpected insight into the cause of Jordan’s injuries.

But someone else has noticed their involvement and is furious, putting them both in danger. The risk is high but so is Jude’s determination to find the truth—though the knowledge could very well fracture his heart.

Trigger Warning: This book has a scene that some might find triggering, but the triggers are also spoilers to the plot, so they can be found at the front of the book.

Excerpt

Snow rushed through the emergency room with Jude. His heart was pounding so hard it was like he could feel it in his throat, threatening to choke off his airway. A sinister nagging voice in the back of his head kept repeating, <em>Three years, three years, three years</em>.

Roughly three years ago, he’d run into this same hospital to find one of his best friends on the floor, his entire world falling apart because his wife had been killed in what had appeared to be a car accident. And he hadn’t been there to operate on her. To save her life.

Melissa Ward had been light and laughter and happiness. She’d brought joy to all who knew her.

And Rowe Ward had been devastated to lose her. They all had been.

They’d nearly lost Rowe to his grief.

Now Snow was running through the hospital where he and Jude worked nearly every day. He was vaguely aware of familiar faces registering surprise and flashes of sadness as they passed by, but it didn’t matter. They stopped only long enough to find out that Jordan was in surgery and that Jude’s family was already in the surgical ICU waiting room.

“Snow,” Jude said in a low, shaky breath as they waited for the elevator to ascend to the correct floor. That broken sound gutted him.

He reached over and wrapped his hand around the back of Jude’s neck, pulling him tight against his taller frame. “We’ll figure this out,” he replied, forcing the words past the lump in his throat while telling himself that this was not going to be like Mel.

Jordan was a strong young man. Not even twenty-one yet. A good guy who loved to laugh. Definitely not the sort to seek out trouble. This had to be nothing more than him being in the wrong damn place at the wrong damn time. The doctors on call would be able to fix him up and get him safely on the mend.

But he couldn’t give Jude promises that he couldn’t keep or offer fake platitudes. Jude had worked as a paramedic for several years now. He’d been the paramedic first on the scene for Mel. He knew how quickly things could turn bad with nothing anyone could do to stop them.

“My brain won’t accept it. Not Jordan.”

“I know,” Snow said. “But he’s young and he’s strong. That works in his favor.”

The elevator doors parted, and they were quickly moving again to the large, quiet waiting room.

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Meet the Author

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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A Free Dreamer Review:Time Taken (Out of Time #3) by C.B. Lewis

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Time travel is a precarious business at the best of times, but when Qasim El-Fahkri’s mission to the past ends in violence, it has a ripple effect through every level of the Temporal Research Institute.

Rhys Griffiths finds himself caught in the wake of the disastrous jump, his own career uncertain. With the Supervisory Board breathing down his neck, operatives demanding answers to baffling questions, and life outside of work bearing down on him, his only respite comes from Qasim’s company. As the professional slowly becomes the personal, they must confront the echoes of their own pasts to try and move forward in the future.

But another past is waiting for Qasim, and there may be no coming back from this one…

For full enjoyment, it is recommended to first read books 1, Time Waits, and 2, Time Lost.

If I only had one word to describe “Time Taken”, it would have to be “surprising”. I really didn’t expect the story to go the way it did.

First of all, the blurb implies this doesn’t work as a stand-alone. I have to disagree. I didn’t read the previous two books and didn’t really feel like I missed something. Other than some background of the MCs and a bit of world-building.

While I read a lot of SciFi and Fantasy, time-travel isn’t normally one of my go-to sub-genres. It’s more something I only read every now and again, so I can’t really judge how unique this book actually was. However, it certainly felt unusual. Historical Istanbul and Uzbekistan aren’t exactly the first places I’d expect people to travel to. I really enjoyed finding out a little more about those places. It feels like Europe is the go-to setting for any historical fiction, so this was a nice change.

Qasim is a practicing Muslim and yet the book isn’t about Islam or any other religion. It’s not about a young Muslim struggling with his faith and his sexuality. It’s not about a homophobic family. In fact, Rhys, the Christian MC, is the one with a difficult family background. Qasim’s family is extremely supportive, loving and tolerant. They don’t care that Rhys is a man and a Christian. Qasim is a very religious man, he prays five times a day, fasts during Ramadan and doesn’t eat pork or drink alcohol, but he never tries to shove his believes in anybody’s face. I really liked him and I think this is the first ever practicing Muslim MC I’ve come across in M/M fiction.

Rhys is an interesting character as well. I think he might just be the first-ever Welsh I’ve read about. Plenty of English, Scottish and Irish, but nobody from Wales. And I actually learned a few words of Welsh thanks to him! I think a lot of his background story was talked about in the previous two books, so I felt like I kind of missed some info to really understand him, especially in the beginning.

The romance is quite slow. It takes Rhys and Qasim quite a while to admit their attraction to each other and act on it. I think it worked perfectly for the story and they were really sweet together. So very different, but neither tried to change the other one. They were so accepting and loving, it was really wonderful.

The whole first half of the story is rather slow. The book starts off with a bang in historical Istanbul and then I was kind of lulled into a quiet sense of peace. It was a nice story, nothing mind-blowing, but definitely enjoyable.

And then the second half started and suddenly there was so much drama it gave me whiplash. Suddenly I couldn’t put the book down and was biting my nails in anticipation and dread of what was going to happen to next. At times, I was actually a little bit teary-eyed and struggled not to start crying on the subway. I’m not going to give away too much, but let’s just say I really didn’t expect this kind of drama in a book about time-travel.

I felt like the whole story was very realistic. Qasim got injured right at the beginning of the book and came close to getting killed. And he’s actually traumatized by that and struggles to find his way back into his normal life. Often, characters in similar situation just shrug it off and bounce back to normal with no trouble whatsoever.

The ending was a little much for me, though it does make sense for Rhys and Qasim. Still, it was a little too cute for me.

Overall, I really, really liked “Time Taken” and I definitely want to read the previous and the following books of the series. My rating for the first half would have been 4 stars, the second half would have been 5, so I went with the average of 4.5 stars.

The cover by Natasha Snow is alright, if a bit generic. Nothing about it really says “time-travel” or hints at the places in the past that Qasim visits.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book details: ebook, 450 pages

Published March 18th 2019 by NineStar Press

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Chip and a Chair (Seven of Spades #5) by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Cordelia Kingsbridge rocketed to the top of my “must buy” author list when she released Kill Game and hooked me on the lives of Detective Levi Abrams and PI Dominic Russo. Adding in the serial killer, the Seven of Spades, just made my addiction to this series that much stronger.

That being said, this finale was outstanding, but it was not my favorite of the series. Why? Because in this book, the MCs are not only still trying to find and stop the Seven of Spades, they’re tied up in trying to stop Utopia, a Neo-Nazi militia group—terrorists who plan to knock “Sin City” to the ground. Rather than the conflict between the couple, and the conflict within the department and Levi’s coworkers, and the search for the killer, this installment focused more on the terrorist acts and the MCs efforts to stop them from destroying Las Vegas. And I didn’t realize how much I missed the heartbreak of seeing Dominic and Levi break up, or the horror of the deaths caused by the Seven of Spades, or even the rollercoaster ride of emotions as more and more kills stacked up and the killer taunted Levi, until Dominic and Levi worked together as a solid couple and the focus wasn’t all on the serial killer.

The conflict with the Seven of Spades was not as sharp in this one. And though we don’t learn who it is until the latter part of the story, we finally get the big reveal—and then we get the serial killer helping Levi and Dominic in their race against time to stop a supreme act of terrorism. It’s nail-biting, heartbreaking, frightening, and amazing! The author is truly gifted in plot macramé as each of the clues and threads in the previous books come together. And, of course, once the killer is revealed, it all makes sense. [head-desk slam] Why didn’t I think of that? Honestly, I was so far off base I was in a different ball park with my guesses. 

If you love action, adventure, suspense, intrigue, and a very cleverly told tale, by all means, read this series. As I noted in one of my previous reviews, if I could give this series ten stars, I would. I very highly recommend this book and this series to anyone looking for an action-packed, law enforcement adventure in combination with MM romance. 

The cover by Garrett Leigh features a straight back chair in an apparently deserted room, while blood drips from the words of the title onto the chair. It keeps to the theme of the previous stories and is perfect for this finale.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 382 pages
Published March 11th 2019 by Riptide Publishing
Original Title A Chip and a Chair
ISBN 139781626496415
Edition Language  English
Series Seven of Spades :

Kill Game

Trick Roller

Cash Plays

One-Eyed Royals

A Chip and a Chair series finale

 

An Alisa Review An Extra Alpha (Pine Wood Falls #2) by Sarah Havan

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Thomas escaped his ex and has settled in at Pine Wood Falls. He found himself a nice job, has a cute little house, and his twins are now four months old. The last thing he wants or expects is to go into heat again so soon. He tries to fight the urge but can’t hold off any longer.

Campbell catches the scent of his fated omega. He finally found the one and can’t wait to start a family. So he goes to one of Pine Wood Falls get togethers to do what nature wants of him, what he wants to mate with his fated one, but the situation gets turned on its head when there’s another alpha there that wants his omega.

All Griffin wants is a good time. He doesn’t believe he’s fated for anyone, that’s all in the past. He just wants his needs met, but another alpha stands in his way. Luckily, they all come to an agreement. The three of them together.

They don’t think they can both get the young omega pregnant. Thomas doesn’t think he’s fated for either of them, but when he ends up pregnant with quads, they all have some things to work out.

This was another great story by this author.  I had wanted to see Thomas find his happiness after everything he went through in the first book.

Thomas just wants to be happy and live a nice quiet life with his babies but his heat throws a wrench is his current plans.  Campbell won’t let anything get in his way of living his life with his mate, even the reality of another alpha in the mix doesn’t even seem to faze him.  Though Griffin tries to stay away, he quickly accepts those who fate gives him.

I liked that I got to see the points of view for all of these guys, it went a long way towards keeping track of what was going on and what they were thinking.  Thomas doesn’t really take as much convincing as he tries to make it seem, but there aren’t many reasons to since the alphas are so wonderful.  I had trouble with Griffin saying he has been fated before, when he described the “relationship” it didn’t really sound much more than him finding an omega in heat.  I felt for Campbell and how lonely his life had been, though he did have someone who loved him, but he is getting way more very quickly.

My only gripe with the story was that the issue of Thomas’s former “pack” wanting to force him back.  It was only brought up like three times and quickly resolved without any real problems.  It just felt like it was added to bring some angst to the story but I didn’t feel that is succeeded.

This is another great cover art by Melissa Liban, it’s adorable and gives some great little visuals.

Sales LInks Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 365 pages

Publication: February 25, 2019

Edition Language: English

Series: Pine Wood Falls #2

Love Complicated Men? Don’t Miss Out On the Uncomplicated (An Inked Novel) by KM Neuhold Blog Tour and Giveaway (Excerpt)

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Uncomplicated

An INKED Novel

K.M. Neuhold

Gay Romance

Release Date: 03.11.19

Uncomplicated Cover

Blurb

Two men with a rocky history, and one with an all-consuming love for both of them.

Sometimes I’m so lonely I swear I can’t breathe. I bring men and women into my bed to chase away the ache, but it never seems to help. I want something real, something lasting, but I’ve never been more afraid of anything in my life. If I have nothing else in my life I can count on, at least I have my best friend, Cas. If I have nothing else in my life that feels solid, at least I have Cas.

Until one sad smile from a beautiful man tilts my world on its axis.

But Finn is Cas’ ex, and that means he’s off limits, right? What if I could have something permanent, if I’m willing to put my heart on the line? Finn and Cas may have a history, but something tells me the three of us could have a future, if we’re willing to let things get a little complicated.

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Excerpt

I swear I could nearly cry as we slip under the covers, and he plasters himself against me without waiting for approval. And then he presses his nose against my throat and drapes a leg over mine, and tears do start to prickle at my eyes. You can’t cry over a little bit of post-sex cuddling, you can’t, I chant in my mind even as I feel one escape and roll down my cheek.

My sniffle alerts Beau to my emotional state, tilting his head back to stare at me with concern.

“Finn?”

“Sorry. God, I’m pathetic,” I apologize with a watery laugh, using the arm that isn’t trapped beneath Beau to wipe my cheeks. “It’s been so long; I didn’t realize how much I missed just touching.”

Understanding flashes through his eyes, and he leans forward to kiss away the remaining stray tears, the tenderness of the gesture causing even more to fall. Fuck, this is embarrassing.

“It’s okay,” Beau whispers. “It’s okay. I’m lonely too, but tonight we don’t have to feel so alone.”
KM Neuhold Logo 2

Author K.M.Neuhold is a complete romance junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely hooked on everything about lovely- and sometimes damaged- men finding their Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series. When she’s not writing she’s a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero…just kidding, she’s likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her amazing husband brings her coffee.

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Blog Tour for The Demon Lord of California (Infinity 8 #1) by Jeanne Marcella

 

 
Length: 77,500 words 
 
Blurb



Earth, 1900.


Calico Winghorse has no choice but to flee to the plane of existence called Earth. His great grandfather, suffering from a terrible curse, strips him of his psychic abilities and nearly murders him.


As a mixed-blood phoenix concealing himself in human form, Calico first settles in England, then in the San Francisco Bay Area. In order to make a living, he opens a small bakery and quietly licks his wounds.


But just how Calico escaped his childhood home—via interdimensional portal—is the very reason why he’s drawn the unwanted attention of Infinity Corporation.


Representing this angelic-run company is Agustín Chávez de la Cruz, the Demon Lord of California. Even though Agustín is IC’s heir, he finds himself demoted from his daily duties for a new assignment: take absolute control of Calico’s portal.


Calico and Agustín’s first brief encounter ignites sparks of attraction. Their second is highly explosive, bogging down initial communication with innocent mistruths and a healthy dose of fear.


As Agustín struggles to restore trust, Harper, the demanding head of IC interferes, further complicating matters. With negotiations slowed, Calico and Agustín realize they both wish to establish more than just a business deal.


However, until the extensive and brutal psychic injuries Calico received from his great grandfather are healed, the portal remains vulnerable to the darker forces that want it at any cost. Agustín will have to push both his angelic heritage, and his psychic powers to the very limits to mend someone who bears more than celestial blood, but who is also the god of space and time.


And the clock’s ticking.

 
About The Author
 

Jeanne Marcella was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Granted unlimited access to books at a very early age via the library, she quickly acquired a fondness for creating her own stories through word and drawing.


She writes queer dark fantasy not for the faint of heart, and fun (but sometimes gritty) urban fantasy soaps, all with romantic elements.

 

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A Caryn Release Day Review: Modern Gladiator (Modern Gladiator #1) by S.A. Stovall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of Dr. Spencer Reid of the TV show Criminal Minds, you will love Corbin Friel, one of the MCs of this book. He’s got the same inability to speak normally, and the same need to tell people esoteric trivia. I’m not much of a fan, and it’s one of the reasons I wasn’t able to get into this book.

Corbin was a medical student who had only ever wanted to follow in his parent’s footsteps and be a doctor. His beloved sister Malala had osteogenesis imperfecta, or “brittle bone disease”, and Corbin was more than a little overprotective of her because the disease made her incredibly fragile. Perhaps because she had to be so careful in her own life, Lala loved violent sports, and pressured Corbin in to going to an MMA fight. It was everything Corbin abhorred – dirty, bloody, violent, loud, low-class, and that was just the audience. Lala goaded him into a pathetic attempt at trash talking her favorite fighter’s opponent, and that was how Keon first noticed Corbin. When Lala won backstage passes to see Derek, Keon was there too, enjoying how uncomfortable Corbin clearly was. Lala and Derek started dating, and Corbin got drawn unwillingly into the amateur fighting world. Corbin was very attracted to Keon’s body – and who wouldn’t be? Those fighters are ripped! – which turned out to be good for Keon because Corbin noticed minor symptom that he cleverly diagnosed correctly and treated, allowing Keon to continue in his quest to be a professional UFC fighter.

The bone infection might have been what brought Keon and Corbin together, but their passions for their chosen careers – and their mutual admiration of that passion – was what deepened their connection. Having that kind of passion is rare in the first place, so I was very pleased that both men recognized what a precious commodity it was, and chose to support each other for it, despite their initial reservations. I liked Keon from the very beginning, but it took seeing Corbin come down from his high horse and support Keon even though he personally didn’t agree with fighting before I liked him.

I can’t speak for the details of UFC fighting, but those seemed to be fairly well researched to me. Of course, I know literally nothing about it (other than those fighters are ripped!) so I am not hard to impress on that front. Medical details however…. well, let me just say that my medical colleagues and I got a few laughs out of it. Did I subtract stars for that? Oh yes I did. A few minor mistakes I can handle, but there were A LOT. I am sure that I am significantly more critical than the average reader in this area, so others might not be bothered like I was. More than the medical details, however, I was bothered by the stupidity of the villains and their evil plot to take Keon down. And Corbin’s stupidity in not even noticing what was happening WAY before he cottoned on, and his gullibility in almost letting the bad guys get away with it. That part of the plot was a little too scooby doo for me. And finally, the book is written in present tense, which just irritates me. Again, a personal pet peeve that others may not mind.

Cover art by Kanaxa – buff naked torso with chains – definitely fits with the fighting theme.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st edition, 250 pages
Published March 26th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781644051399
Edition Language English

A Stella Review: How Not to Break (Lovestrong #3) by Susan Hawke

RATING 3,5 out of 5 stars

Take one former SEAL with a healthy dose of regret… Nick St. Cloud is living with shame from the one time he let his lust override his sense of honor. He’s haunted by the memory of when he made love to his best friend’s eighteen-year-old son. The tragic accident that happened that same night has only compounded his guilt. A decade later, he’s doing his best to be there for Charlie’s son, but anything more than that just wouldn’t be right… would it? Plus the younger guy who he’s tried to forget… It’s been ten years. Ten long years. Does Shaw Michaelson feel bad about having seduced his dad’s best friend? Umm, maybe? Although he could’ve done things differently, Shaw can’t find it within himself to be sorry for the hottest night of his life with the one man he’s never been able to forget. The man he’s patterned every subsequent relationship after… yeah, Shaw totally has a type. Equals a pair of men who deserve a second chance at a first time. The two men are living in an uneasy peace within the same small town and circle of friends, being careful not to let the other get close enough to open old wounds. All their walls fall when a stalker begins terrorizing Shaw, sending him running to the one man he knows will keep him safe. This is the fourth book in the LOVESTRONG series about finding love and being yourself in a small town. Intended only for 18+ readers, this is an mm romance full of all the fun, fluff, and feels you’d want from an S. Hawke book. Note: Possible trigger warning for the mention of an animal being harmed off-page and the psychological trauma of being stalked.

I was waiting for Nick’s book since I met him in the first title in the Lovestrong series. Although I have to say I was enthusiastic about this new release just because it’s about Seth and Nick, otherwise I would have stopped with the series, the second title was really not for me. I tried to give the series another chance and I’m glad I did.

How Not To Break was very well written, easy and quick to read, so much better than the previous one. I am a huge fan of stories where the MCs have a wide age difference and here I found the relationship between Nick and Seth finally deserved. I could understand how Nick felt uncomfortable with his feelings for his best friends’ son. But the time has at the end come for them to be real and true to their hearts. Sure, Nick took his time to be open with the young man, but then when they were together, it was for the real thing. I liked both of them dearly.

I also liked the plot, well created to give the MCs an excuse to be in the same house and start to create a future. Maybe at the end the resolve of the mystery was too easy but that way the story didn’t become too heavy to take. I appreciated it. Being not so keen on mysteries, it was ok, but I can see how it couldn’t be perfect for a more demanding reader.

One more thing I liked were their friends, all the faces I already met in the previous books and fell in love with. It was a pleasure too see them after they got their HEAs.

I don’t know if there will be more installment in the Lovestrong series by Susan Hawke, I’m curious for more.

The cover art by Ana J Phoenix is cute but I don’t like the blue so dark in the background.

SALE LINKS  Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 239 pages

Published March 9th 2019

ASIN B07PBR884T

Language English

Lovestrong Series:

How Not To Wait (0.5)

How Not to Blend

How Not to Tuck

How Not to Sin

How Not to Break

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Party to Murder by John Inman

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Wow! As a longtime fan of Agatha Christie, I am completely impressed with the quality and pace of this mystery. In my opinion, it’s worthy of sitting on the same shelf as Christie.

Both Jamie Roma and Derek Lee have been friends since childhood but they’ve recently discovered that their feelings evolved to more—their chemistry reached a flashpoint, and they’re now lovers. As the story progresses, each man realizes that the man they called best friend all their life is now the man they want to finish that life beside. It’s fun-loving Jamie who prods them to accept an invitation to a weekend house party that each received separately. In a very rural area, neither man counted on the raging thunderstorm, complete with lightning and a flash flood that adds to the creepiness of the isolated location.

Their hosts seem to be absent—that is, until they discover the corpses of an elderly couple in the basement. While the storm rages, they also find their cell phones missing, their tires slashed and the car engine wires cut. The lightning, thunder, and high wind add just the right ambiance to this grisly tale as one by one, the murders continue. Reminiscent of And Then There Were None by Christie, but with a modern-day twist, I was totally caught up in the story from the beginning. 

The author set up the personalities of the main characters with words, memories, and dialogue about their current circumstances right from the beginning, and I realized by the second chapter that I liked these guys and didn’t want anything to happen to them. Getting me on their side early in the story was key to my enjoyment and kept me glued to my Kindle as I turned each page.

I enjoyed the romance between these two really nice guys whose friendship and love is tested under duress, and I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery as the author revealed more and more about each person within the spooky old house before the deaths started to pile up and there weren’t many characters left to pick from.

There’s nothing quite as good as an outstanding story that can take me away from my day-to-day world and transport me to a place where I can enjoy someone else’s drama. Add MM romance to that and then give me a mystery and I’m sold. I very highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a challenging mystery with romance and the spooky ambiance of a high-energy thunderstorm at night. 

The cover by Paul Richmond, done in a spooky nighttime gray tone, depicts two young men, one with his head on the other’s shoulder from behind, the other with his head tossed back and his torso naked. They’re set against the backdrop of a darkened house with one tiny light showing in the gloom. The title is in white fading to dark red and the whole piece just screams murder. Perfect for this outstanding story within.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Published March 26th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781644051368
Edition Language English

An Alisa Review: Cameron & Rylan (A Chance Meeting #1) by Valerie Ullmer

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Cameron Hayes believed himself to be a dedicated friend and a good son but destined to be alone. Because in his twenty-one years, he’d never fallen for anyone. Dating never appealed to him when he would rather spend a night at home. Despite his friend’s best intentions for Cameron to find a hookup for the night, he stayed at the bar as he nursed a beer. And that’s when Cameron spotted him and everything he knew evaporated with one look.

Rylan Ellis wanted one night out without complications. To forget about his overwhelming responsibilities and stress at home. He loved to lose himself in the music and ignore everyone around him. But when he happened a glance at the bar and spotted the tall, broad, and sexy-as-sin man, he felt drawn to him.

Soon, Cameron and Rylan learn about each other and establish their lives together. They also have to deal with a group of well-meaning friends, loving parents, and unexpected friendships. But most of all, a dangerous threat that could tear their lives apart.

Will a chance meeting turn into something more?

This novel contains heavy attraction at first sight and first-time gay sex between two men. There is no cheating or cliffhangers and ends with a happily ever after.

*Contains a brief mention of a prior sexual assault and violence in later scenes.

So… first off this is insta-love, if that’s not for you then this book won’t be either.  I don’t really mind insta-love especially if it works for the story, which this did but it was so so sickeningly sweet it would make your teeth hurt.

Basically both of the characters are 100% perfect from the beginning and don’t have much they need to worry about as Cameron has plenty of money to get them anything they could want, even a Hawaiin surprise wedding.  The only angsty part of the book in regards to Rylan’s previous assault just seemed to pop up at random times to try an draw it out and while Rylan did get hurt (and I would never discount that) he didn’t seem to have any problem bouncing right back to their normal lives with his biggest complaint being that he couldn’t have sex.

This book was written pretty well and while I didn’t have trouble getting through the book I couldn’t help but think that it was so unrealistic.  I did like that these two had wonderful friends who were there whenever they needed and they seemed to build their own family when it was needed, though I had to wonder where Rylan’s assistant seemed to disappear to during the last portion of the book.  I could understand Rylan a bit as he hadn’t had the best time growing up and was basically living in fear after that.  Cameron though seemed to have had the perfect life and was able to continue that without any real work or thought.  Like I said, while I liked it, it all just seemed to fall into place waaaaaaaay to easily.

The cover art by Valerie Ullmer is alright, pretty typical of many romances, and is supposed to give us some visuals of the characters but they didn’t connect to how I pictured the guys in the story.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 259 pages

Published: March 26, 2019

Edition Language: English

Series: A Chance Meeting #1