Category: 5 star Rating

A Caryn Review: You Are Not Me (’90s Coming of Age #2) by Leta Blake

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

you-are-not-me-by-leta-blakeI can’t remember the last time I was this emotionally connected to a book.  I read this through in one sitting, and I kept wanting to reach in and shake Peter, or warn him, or give him a hug, or something!!  And I’m now so invested I can’t wait for the last installment!

The book picks up immediately after Pictures of You ends – the summer between high school and college.  Peter’s boyfriend and first love, Adam, is in Italy to stay with his parents until college starts in the fall, while Peter remains at home, working to save money to go to University of Tennessee.  He’s still feeling that uncomfortable mix of guilt and want that was with him all through senior year, missing Adam, and wondering what really will happen when Adam gets back.

But the summer turns into a series of revelations for Peter.  All his high school friends?  Actually more of Adam’s friends, and Peter doesn’t have much in common with them anymore now that Adam is gone.  His parents, who had been distant and uninvolved his entire life, turn over a new leaf and become both supportive and intrusive.  Peter starts spending more time with Robert (his drag queen boss) and her boyfriend, and they both encourage him to get to know other gay people.  He had his first taste of being open and honest when he came out to his parents, and now he is exploring what it means to be gay, and thinking about coming out to the world at large.  His boss Robert takes it upon himself to introduce Peter to the gay community of Knoxville, primarily through  the club where he performs as a drag queen.  I was reminded at this point that Peter is still only 19 years old, with teenage judgement and teenage hormones – kudos to the author for making sure the reader never loses sight of this as he goes through all these difficult situations!  When he is exposed to the world of alcohol, drugs, anonymous sex and promiscuity, he gets conflicting advice from his friends, from “party hard” to “be safe”, and meanwhile he is still trying to decide how he is going to handle Adam when he comes back home.

To complicate things further, Daniel – who was introduced in the first book when Peter met him at Robert’s house – is back in the picture.  The initial attraction that Peter felt for him is still there, and perhaps even stronger now that Adam is only a voice on the phone or in a letter.  Daniel is everything that Adam is not:  he is completely out, mature, responsible, looking out for Peter and trying to keep him out of trouble, and completely honest with everybody.  Always.  Daniel wants Peter, everyone knows it, but he will not pursue Peter as long as Peter wants to stay faithful to Adam.

Peter’s choice:  stay with his closeted boyfriend whom he still loves and who says he needs him, or break it off and pursue what he knows would be a healthier relationship.  It should be an easy choice, but Adam still exercises a fascination that Peter has trouble resisting, and since Peter is basically loyal and generous, he can’t let Adam go.

That’s the kind of choice that makes a person really examine their values and their past decisions, knowing that the choice they make now will have a permanent influence on who they become.  Heavy stuff!  But sympathetically written, engaging, and once again ending at just the right spot when Peter makes that choice.

Finally, I really appreciated how the hysteria surrounding HIV/AIDS in the early 90s was presented.  The ways different gay men approached safe (or not) sex, testing, and those who were HIV positive.  25 years later, HIV is now a manageable chronic illness, and the general public is no longer so fearful of touching or even being around HIV positive people.  But I remember those days, remember doing HIV awareness programs in high schools – in the bible belt where we were forbidden to talk about condoms or safe sex! – and how bigots hoped that the “gay plague” would wipe out homosexuals.  Even though we have a long way to go for equality, we have come really far!

Cover is gorgeous and perfect for the story and series.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 328 pages
Published November 29th 2016 by Leta Blake Books
ISBN139781626227613
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series’90s Coming of Age #2

A Paul B Review: Enemy of My Enemy (The Executive Office #2) by Tal Bauer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

enemy-of-my-enemy-by-tal-bauerI feel like I just binge watched a season of 24.

Tal Bauer’s second book in The Executive Office series starts out shortly after the first book left off.  President Jack Spiers, having survived a coup attempt by former General Porter Madigan, is looking to a return to normalcy.  That includes selecting a new Vice President and starting his life with Ethan Reichenbach, the former lead agent on his Secret Service detail.  Ethan, meanwhile, must adapt to his new role as First Gentleman, dealing with issues such as White House flowers and china patterns.  However, those are not the only duties the new First Gentleman will undertake.

Jack wants Madigan eliminated.  The former general has been leaving calling cards for the President as he breaks out the worst prisoners from several jails around the world.  Always seeming to be at least one step behind, Jack develops a black ops mission with Ethan in charge.  Their mission is to hunt down and kill Madigan.  However, they will find Madigan’s reach extends far beyond just the United States.

Russian President Sergey Puckkov has his own problems.  The Russian economy tanks after Puchkov has several people arrested for corruption.  In the new spirit of cooperation, Jack offers to help the Russian president.  This draws the ire of General Moroshkin of the Russian Army.  He believes that Puchkov is becoming too friendly with America and something must be done about it. 

So Madigan and Moroshkin join forces to take out their respective enemies.  Through a series of terrorist attacks, they have Jack and Sergey on their heels.  During a meeting between the two leaders in Sochi, Moroshkin makes his move staging his own coup against Puchkin.  Jack and Ethan barely escape but are surprised to find someone waiting for them at Olympic Stadium while they wait to be evacuated.  Sergey and his aid Sasha are determined to stay behind and fight the coup or die trying.

Enemy of My Enemy is just as action packed as Enemies of the State.   In that book, Jack believes he lost Ethan due to events out of his control.  This time, it is Ethan who believes he has lost Jack—not once but twice.  When the surprise that Madigan leaves for Jack in Sochi is revealed, Ethan decides he has to step away while Jack deals with the problem.  Then later an explosion threatens Jack’s life once again.  We also see a renewed romance between Adam Cooper, the leader of Ethan’s black ops team and Prince Faisel of Saudi Arabia and the unrequited love of Sasha for President Puchkin.  The book ends way too soon as we must wait for the next book to see what becomes of our six heroes and if Madigan and Moroshkin are brought to justice.

Natasha Snow delivers an excellent cover for the book.  It has our six warriors above the image of the White House.  It is a simple perfect cover for the book. 

Sales Links

Sale Links: NineStar | Amazon | ARe

Book Details

EBook, 287 pages

Edition Langague:  English

Published:  October 24, 2016 by NineStar Press

ISBN:  978-1-911153-96-2

Series:  The Executive

Enemies of the State (The Executive Office #1)

Enemy of My Enemy (The Executive Office #2)

A Stella Review: Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

merry-christmas-mr-migglesToby Kincaid loves being the junior librarian in his hometown of Sandy Lake, Ohio. He spends his days surrounded by books and chatting with the library patrons. He especially adores the head librarian, Mr. Miggles, who is kind, witty, knowlegable about everything, and hopelessly addicted to Christmas. Sean Miggles is also pretty cute—especially for an older guy who wears ties and suit pants every day.

But Sean keeps himself at a distance, and there’s a sadness about him that Toby can’t figure out. When Sean is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he gives up without a fight. Toby realizes that he alone can save the library—and their head librarian.

Toby will need to uncover the darkness in Sean’s past and prove to him that he deserves a second chance at life and at love too. And while Christmas miracles are being handed out, maybe Toby will get his own dearest wish—to love and be loved by Mr. Miggles.

I have no words to say how much I loved this new release by Eli Easton. It shouldn’t have been a surprise cause I already knew how well the author can writes and engage me with his books.

I finished Merry Christmas, Mr Miggles in one night, it caught my attention from the start and I couldn’t stop reading about Toby and Sean, who work together at the Sandy Lake Library, Toby as a junior librarian and Sean as the head librarian. Two great men with so much passion and two hearts bigger than an house.

I fell in love with both of them, Toby is young and full of enthusiasm, with his smart mouth and his  new love for Sean, the man who has no family and gifts Christmas presents to all the people who frequent the library without them knowing. There is a well done plot, a real story, things happen, need to be resolved and while Sean is almost resigned, Toby is fierce and resolute to prove Sean innocence and the necessity of a library like their own for  all the amazing people who support both of them. Truly beautiful people, Toby’s parents too.

I love the atmosphere, I felt and smelled the library, I felt the strong sense of community. I got to know not just the MCs stories, but a glimpse of what was going on in the secondary characters lives too. Plus, sex in the library!

Merry Christmas, Mr Miggles is a sweet book, it lifted my spirit and put me in a good mood. If you’re looking for a romantic reading, with some sad moment and a lot of love, this one is for you. Don’t miss it.

The cover art by Reese Dante is cute like the book.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

Publication Date: November 23, 2016 by Pinkerton Road LLC

ASIN B01MQIX7MD

Edition Language English