Category: 5 star Rating

A MelanieM Recent Release Review: Drama Cruise (Nicky and Noah Mystery #3) by Joe Cosentino

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

drama-cruiseTheater professors and couple, Nicky Abbondanza and Noah Oliver, are going overboard as usual, but this time on an Alaskan cruise, where dead college theater professors are popping up everywhere from the swimming pool to the captain’s table. Further complicating matters are Nicky’s and Noah’s parents as surprise cruise passengers, and Nicky’s assignment to direct a murder mystery dinner theater show onboard ship. Nicky and Noah will need to use their drama skills to figure out who is bringing the curtain down on vacationers before it is lights out for the handsome couple. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, ribald, edge-of-your-seat entertaining third novel in this delightful series. Curtain up and ship ahoy!

Of the three Nicky and Noah Mystery romances Joe Cosentino has written in this series so far, Drama Cruise has turned out to be my favorite.  Each one is a wonderful mixture of sex, comedy, romance and murder but when Cosentino took it to an Alaska cruise and the high seas, well, it tossed it up into theatrically delicious magic.

A cruise ship is a self contained city/village depending upon the size of the ship and the circle of people you know abroad.  For Nicky and Noah, it starts off with themselves and another couple from the college as they direct murder mystery dinner theatre show on board the ship.  Ah, such innocent beginnings.  Because like any terrific slapstick/comedy, things start to spiral out of control immediately with the unexpected entrance of people Nicky and Noah are familiar with.  I won’t spoil the wonderful element of  surprise here but its hilarious and continues to be one of the best and funniest aspects of this story.  You’ll shake your head in commiseration, laughter, and love.  And the bodies have already started to pile up!

Ah yes, the murders.  There are plenty of them.  Someone is offing the theater professors and there are plenty to go!  You never know who’s going to be next on the murderer’s hit list which is entertaining nor are you particularly attached to the ones you’ve met, so you’re not spectacularly sorry to see them go.  Plus there’s so much else going on as well…things are swirling around in Nicky and Noah’s love life as usual, other couples on the periphery are having their own issues that need resolution, and then there own those other people I love so much and refuse to mention.  This story is chock full of story threads and Joe Cosentino weaves them all together with a flair that’s hilarious and yet never fails to remember that this couple loves each other deeply.

Then there’s that outstanding ending.  That’s the best of all.

Sigh.

I loved this story.  I love this couple.  What on earth is going to happen to them next?  I can’t wait to find out.

Cover art is reminiscent of a movie poster.  I think it works great.

Sales Links

65a2f-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

Lethe Press

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http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drama-cruise-joe-Cosentino/1125194754?ean=9781590216231#productInfoTabs

 

 

Book Details:

ebook, 190 pages
Published November 30th 2016 by Lethe Press
ISBN139781370108633
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesNicky and Noah Mystery #3

An Ali Audiobook Review: Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh and Narrated by Craig Beck

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
betweenghosts_audiobook2400In 2003, journalist Connor Regan marched through London to add his voice to a million others, decrying the imminent invasion of Iraq. Eight months later, his brother, James, was killed in action in Mosul.

Three years on, Connor finds himself bound for Iraq to embed with an elite SAS team. He sets his boots on the ground looking for closure and solace—anything to ease the pain of his brother’s death. Instead he finds Sergeant Nathan Thompson.

Nat Thompson is a veteran commander, hardened by years of combat and haunted by the loss of his best friend. Being lumbered with a civilian is a hassle Nat doesn’t need, and he vows to do nothing more than keep the hapless hack from harm’s way.

But Connor proves far from hapless, and too compelling to ignore for long. He walks straight through the steel wall Nat’s built around his heart, and when their mission puts him in mortal danger, Nat must lay old ghosts to rest and fight to the death for the only man he’s ever truly loved.
I first read this around this time last year.  I was excited to get the opportunity to try this on audio because I had loved the story so much when I read it.  I’m happy to say that it was just as good on audio.  Connor is a journalist who has been an anti-war protester in the past. After his soldier brother dies Connor feels that he never really knew James and he fears James didn’t know how much he loved and respected him. Trying to find some peace in regards to his feelings about his brother Connor finds himself on a mission to Iraq with a SAS team. He’s going to do a series of articles showcasing what it is that the soldiers do and how they feel about their jobs.

Nat is the leader of that team and he’s been in war zones for years. He’s lost a lot of friends, as well as big pieces of his heart. He’s not happy about being stuck with a journalist but he quickly finds himself drawn to Connor and he’s challenged to start opening up the emotional parts of himself that he thought were long gone. Nat’s lost men in his command before that he feels responsible for and he’s consumed with fear that something might happen to Connor on his watch and that’s something he can’t live with.

The story is mostly set in Iraq so there is fighting and bloodshed. I didn’t find especially violent though and I do not think it will be an issue for most. There are some social and political issues raised but nothing that makes it preachy in either pro or con views. The war as a back drop to a budding romance just served to highlight the beauty of these two men’s relationship.

The highlight of this book are the relationships. Not just between Connor and Nat but between each of them and the other men in the group. Also important are the “ghosts” in their pasts. The brother that Connor lost and the best friend who’s death Nat feels responsible for. I loved both Connor and Nat and found them to be great MC’s. I empathized with what both of them were going through in the course of the story.
This is narrated by Craig Beck and I thought he did an excellent job.  There are a number of voices in this story and it was never difficult to tell them apart.  Also, there are a lot of emotions in this story and I think he did a great good making them all come through.  It added an extra level to what was already a poignant story.
This is an audio that I would highly recommend.  Everything about it is good.  It’s a unique story with an emotional plot and great characters and it is extremely well narrated.
The cover by Garrett Leigh:  I think this is a great cover and it fits the story very well.
Sales Links
Audiobook Details:
N/A

A Stella Review: Falling Down by Eli Easton

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

falling-down-by-eli-eastonJosh finds himself homeless at eighteen, but he has a plan. He’ll head north on the bus to New England and spend October there for his mother’s sake. She always talked about going to see the fall leaves someday. And when the leaves are done and the harsh winter comes, Josh plans to find a place to curl up and let go. It will be a relief to finally stop fighting.

Mark spent his life trying to live up to the tough swagger of his older brothers until he pushed himself so far against his nature that he cracked. Now a former Marine, he rents a little cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he can lick his wounds and figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One thing was clear: Mark was nobody’s hero.

Fate intervenes when Josh sets up camp under a covered bridge near Mark’s cabin. Mark recognizes the dead look in the young stranger’s eyes, and he feels compelled to do something about it. When Mark offers Josh a job, he never expects that he’ll be the one to fall.

The snow is coming soon. Can Mark convince Josh that the two of them can build a life together before the flurries begin?

Trigger Warning: Suicidal thoughts

I probably already said this a thousand times, but I have to repeat myself: Eli Easton is a guarantee in the mm community. She is an amazing writer and each new story is a powerful gem. Like Falling Down.

I knew since I read the blurb, this new book was going to leave me as an emotional wreck for a long time, and it actually did, but with a gentleness and a lightness I wasn’t expecting. I’m pretty sure I will remember those characters forever. I have to say I fell in love with them from the start.

Josh took my heart and gave it back to me just at the end when I realized things were really going to work out well for him and his Mark. He is so young and depressed and it went through so much in his life. I could relate to him because I went through the same grief when I had his age and so he touched my heart deeply. And then there was Mark, who is everything a person should be, good, caring, strong willed , trusting, imperfect. Two lonely souls who fate put on each others path and although hard lives, painful pasts and dark thoughts, an HEA is coming their way.

Eli wrote a beautiful slow burn story, Mark and Josh became first friends, while working together on Mrs. Fisher house and let the old woman take care of them just how much they start caring for her and for each other. A slow burn story but full of chemistry, the attraction between them is clear and strong.

Yes the book is full of angst (read the warning!) but in my opinion the author was great at dosing it in the right way. Although the angst and more than one intense scene where I cried all the tears I had in my eyes, Falling Down isn’t heavy or oppressing at all. It’s full of emotions and it filled my heart so much, I just surrender and loved it. It deserves more than five stars. Highly recommended.

I like the cover art by Eli Easton very much in general but I can’t actually see Josh in the model, he simply is not like I had pictured him in my mind. That said the cover is very well done.

SALE LINKS

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BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 252 pages

Published November 7th 2016 by Pinkerton Road LLC

ASIN B01MSIYOHB

Edition Language English

A Free Dreamer Review:O/s by Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

os-coverContains non-con elements and scenes of violence.

Jax has the perfect job on the perfect world, looking after subs while their owners are away. But Brysen’s no ordinary sub and his owner Layne is a threat to the safety of every sub on the planet.

Dealing with the heartbreak of a failed relationship, Jax is slow to realize Brysen’s adoration for his stern owner passes all reason, and breaks every rule. By the time he does, there may be time to save Brysen, but in the process, Jax stands to lose everything from his job to his chance at love. Will the protective instincts that guide his actions hold steady or will the darkness Layne wakes within him prove stronger?

First of all: Do take those warning seriously. This story does get pretty dark.

I absolutely loved “O/s”. The concept was interesting. BDSM relationships are not only perfectly acceptable in this universe, the government has even installed a system to provide couples with a safety net. Every sub wears a collar that flashes in warning, if their vitals do something unusual. The collar is the substitute for safe words here. The collar is monitored by the police, so if such a warning is ignored, they immediately take action. This system provides subs and Owners alike with a safe environment to play in. You can’t mess with the collar without it giving off an alert.

Jax is a professional subsitter. If an Owner has to leave their sub alone for whatever reason, they hire Jax to look after them during their absence. Jax provides the sub with whatever they need, even if a lot of things aren’t what he would usually prefer. But he’s a pro and he loves his job. I really liked seeing him work with all kinds of subs and Owners. He takes his job seriously and takes very good care of every sub in his charge.

Brysen is in a relationship with Layne. He loves Layne. He loves everything Layne does to him. And he absolutely deserves all the harsh punishments Layne deals out. He tries so hard to be perfect for Layne, but he keeps failing. Brysen’s struggle was breathtaking. Everything was such a giant mind fuck, I was never quite sure about Brysen’s real feelings.

Actually, the whole book was one giant mind fuck. And that’s what made “O/s” so brilliant in my eyes. You’re always wondering, doubting, questioning and yet you’ll never guess the truth. It’s all so very twisted and fucked up and I absolutely loved it for that very reason.

Brysen wasn’t a whiny, needy thing that needed an Owner to survive. Layne fucked him up good, but he’s a strong man. I really admired Brysen. And Jax was wonderful as well. He always takes care of everybody and strictly sticks to what the Owners tell him about their subs. But Brysen is different and I loved Jax for picking up on that and taking care of him, without being patronizing. He doesn’t have a superhero complex, he really struggled with what he was seeing in Brysen, what he knows about the system and what Layne told him about Brysen.

The BDSM is fairly hardcore. So if you have mixed feelings about BDSM, “O/s” probably isn’t the book for you. I loved how obviously different Jax and Layne were. While Layne never shows any tenderness toward Brysen, Jax is strict but loving. The difference was vast.

The authors created a perfect balance between plot and world building. The explanations about the system were perfectly interwoven with the plot and felt absolutely natural.

Long story short: If you like violence, mind fuck and dub-con in your books and you’re not opposed to a BDSM sci-fi setting, then this is the book for you. If, however, you’re a bit dubious about BDSM and prefer your MCs to have a bit of kinky fun, then you probably won’t like “O/s”.

Personally, I absolutely loved it. Definitely won’t be the last book by these two for me!

Cover: The cover by April Martinez is very simplistic. I quite like it, though. Definitely better than your average BDSM cover with a sub in chains or something. An eye-catcher.

Sales Links

Loose id LLC

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Book details: ebook, 299 pages

Published August 2nd 2016 by Loose ID

Out with 2016 and Hello 2017 and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

2016-2017-sign-posts

 

Out with 2016 and Hello 2017!

Yes, its that time again. First day of the new year.  Time to shut the door on the old year and prepare to welcome in the new.  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words turned 5 and got a whole new look!  We added reviewers and content hoping to provide more reviews as well as author and narrator interviews, giveaways and much more for all our readers.  I hope we’ve succeeded.

2016 held such promise.  LGBTQIA rights moved forward in the courts with marriage equality, transgender equality gaining ground in many states as laws were passed to protect peoples rights to live and love as they saw fit.  And so many of our stories reflected that hope and societal change.  It was wonderful and uplifting.  I loved reading about couples getting engaged and married while remembering stories reflected a reality not that long ago where that was not a possiblity.

Then came the elections.  Shock, disbelief, numbness,and so much more. Now we face an uncertain 2017 with a very different minded administration.  What will 2017 bring for the LGBTQIA community and the rest of us? And how quickly will we see that uncertainty and wide ranging emotions translated into our stories?  Will it be in our contemporary stories, science fiction, alternate universe or everything the authors can imagine and pour into their tales?  I can’t wait to read what 2017 will bring us with novels and short stories.

2016 saw the rapid rise of the audiobook as we mentioned during our month long series  where we interviewed audiobook narrators, authors and listeners.  This format is still rising in popularity and our reviews (and number of them) certainly reflect that.  We hope to be interviewing more narrators and talking more about this format in the coming year.  Do you have a favorite narrator?  Let us know and we’ll see if we can get them in for an interview!

We left off our Book Format series with the publishers view of  ebook publishing – how far its come, how its changed and where they think its going.  We hope to get back to that in 2017.

As we announced yesterday, several publishers are closing their houses.  All Romance is closed as of yesterday.  Torquere Press is closing but getting information about that is harder as all most people have is a message from the owners.  If you have more information, please let us  know so we can update our information to all our readers.  It would be greatly appreciated.

On the positive front, Samhain Publishing which once thought it would be closing, is staying open.  Great news for all.  Don’t forget to check them out as they now have over 2500 titles available to choose from.

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words also started our Flash Fiction Writing Month.  That will continue in 2017, although not in contest form.  Look to see it again towards the end of the year as it was this time.

So many thoughts swirling and scattered about in my head….not unusual this first day of the year.  It will take more than a day to process it all.  Look for my ramblings to continue each Sunday this month as we reflect back and forward on 2016 and 2017.  STRW will also be taking a look at our favorite stories and covers, reviewer by reviewer.  Today we start off with Barb the Zany Old Lady’s favorite covers and stories of 2016.  How do they match up with yours?  Have you missed some?  Start  your TBRandMissed List now!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2016

 From Our Reviewers!

 

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Barb the Zany Old Lady’s Top Ten of 2016 (in no particular order)

Empty Net by Avon GaleWolfsong980db-secondharvest255ba255dfsenjoy-the-dance-by-heidi-cullinan

Top 5 Covers:

  • Empty Net by Avon Gale– cover by Aaron Anderson
  • Wolfsong by T.J. Kllune – cover by Reese Dante
  • A Second Harvest by Eli Easton – cover by Bree Archer
  • Enjoy the Dance by Heidi Cullinan – cover by Kanaxa
  • Clickbait by E.J. Russell – cover by L.C. Chase

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*****

 Top Books & Audiobooks released in 2016:

Wolfsong by TJ Klune audiobook narrated by Kirt Graves

Absolution by Sloane Kennedy audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie

Dinner at Fiorelli’s by Rick R. Reed audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie

How to be a Normal Person by TJ Klune audiobook narrated by Derrick McClain

A Second Harvest by Eli Easton

Blank Spaces by Cass Lennox

Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews

Enjoy the Dance by Heidi Cullinan

Tied Up in Knots by Mary Calmes

Empty Net by Avon Gale

If you’re adding to your TBR pile, keep going with some of the books we’ve reviewed this week.   From Amy Lane’s The Virgin Manny to Tara Lain’s Death Dancer to Tal Bauer’s Interlude: First Noel in his outstanding series, The Executive Office, to Falling Down by Eli Easton, there’s something for everyone this week.  Have a happy New Year’s Day everyone!

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This Week in 2017 at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Sunday, January 1, 2017 🎉 Happy New Years!:

  • Out with 2016 and Hello 2017 and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • Release Blitz  Tour – Amelia Faulkner’s Lord of Ravens (giveaway)
  • A Free Dreamer Review:O/s by Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: The Virgin Manny (The Mannies #1) by Amy Lane

Monday, January 2:

  • Release Day Blitz for A Collision with Reality by Storm Duffy
  • Tour: From the Ashes by Xen Sanders (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Release Day Blitz for Oops Caught by Alli Reshi
  • A Jeri Review: Wolf in League by AF Henley
  • A Lila Review: Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer
  • A PaulB  Review: Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer
  • An Alisa Review: Honey Trap by Fyn Alexander

Tuesday, January 3:

  • Release Blitz & Review Tour – Suki Fleet’s Light Up The Dark
  • DSP GUEST POST Avon Gale on “Whiskey Business“
  • A Jeri Review: Death Dancer (Dangerous Dancers #2) by Tara Lain
  • A MelanieM Review: The Next Competitor by Keira Andrews
  • A Paul B Review: Warrior Wolf and His Little Lamb (Pariah Pack #3) by Susan Laine
  • An Ali Review: A Collision with Reality by Storm Duffy

Wednesday, January 4:

  • Release Blitz Tour – Clare London’s Chase The Ace (London Lads #1)
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Crush by Caitlin Ricci
  • RIPTIDE TOUR: Assassins: Nemesis by Erica Cameron
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Saving Silas by S.J. Himes and Derrick McClain (Narrator)
  • A Jeri Review: Heart’s Gamble By S.J. Frost
  • A Lila Release Day Review: I Love You More Than Pierogi (World of Love) by K.A. Merikan
  • A Stella Review: Falling Down by Eli Easton
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: A Coal Miner’s Son by TA Chase

Thursday, January 5:

  • DSP GUEST POST C.L. Etta
  • DSP GUEST POST F.E. Feeley Jr on “The Haunting of Timber Manor“
  • A Lila Review: Tartan Candy by KC Burn
  • A Paul B Review: Henning Box Set by Hayden Thorne
  • A Stella Review:  Idlewild by Jude Sierra
  • An Alisa Review: Under the Mistletoe by Shawn Bailey

Friday, January 6:

  • Cover Reveal for Fireballs by Tara Lain
  • AE VIA BLOG SPOT on Nothing Special
  • DSP GUEST POST Taylor V. Donovan on “Six Degrees of Lust“
  • A Caryn Review:  Alpha Barman by Sue Brown
  • A Lila Review: Nothing Special V by AE Via
  • An Ali Release Day Review: Block & Strike by Kelly Jensen
  • An Alisa Review:  Defrosting Jack by Susan Laine

Saturday, January  7:

  • Release Blitz for Kayleigh Sky’s Doll Baby
  • DSP GUEST POST Thianna Durston on “Vespar“
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton

7721f-copy2bof2bfinal_suebrown_alphabarman_ebookcrush-by-caitlin-ricciinterlude-first-noelwarrior-wolf-and-his-little-lamb-by-susan-laine