Category: 5 star Rating

A Bj Review: Souls in Bondage series (#1, 2, & 2.5) by Lex Valentine

Rating:    4 stars out of 5 (for the series overall)

I’m reviewing this series together as they are all short and fit together like a glove.

Broken Bonds (Souls in Bondage #1) – 5 stars out of 5  ★★★★★

Broken BondsThe one thing Haven Noel wants for his Christmas birthday is for his master, Kellen, to love him. But the wonderful Christmas Eve Haven plans for his master goes awry and instead of receiving his master’s love, Haven ends up on the street without his collar. Heartbroken, Haven heads to the club where he and Kellen originally met, only to find it closed.

With a blizzard descending and nowhere to go, Haven curls up on the club doorstep, courting death. Hopeless and shattered, on the verge of losing consciousness, he makes a wish for Kellen to find happiness some day. Two angels with a vested interest in Haven and Kellen’s happiness hear his wish and conspire with Kellen’s family to save Haven’s life, bring love back to Kellen’s heart and give them both the best kinky Christmas ever.

A little bit of a Dicken’s redux, but I love retelling of fairy tales and beloved old stories! Read in one sitting! A Dicken’s classic within a D/s relationship? Heck, yeah. This well-written story captured my attention from page one and didn’t let go–I couldn’t stop reading except to wipe my leaky eyes, because it had tears rolling down my cheeks. I don’t care if it was a bit sappy, in fact, I loved that about it. The characters were perfect for me–broken boys are a big favorite. A darker sort of holiday story but with a HEA ending that was just right.

Then later, I purchased the audiobook and listened to it on a longish car trip. Warning, do not listen to this while driving… even if it is a re-read. Its even more poignant on audio! I had to keep blinking away the tears. Lovely story in both print and audio.

Book Details and Sales Links:    Amazon | All Romance (ARe)

Kindle Edition, 84 pages
Published December 24th 2012 by Amazon Digital Services
ASINB00ASZC00U
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSouls in Bondage #1

Bitter Bonds (Souls in Bondage #2) – 4 stars

Bitter BondsDominant Jake Conrad isn’t going to get involved in another relationship with a submissive. Burned by two former submissives, Jake vows never to collar one again. Then his best friend Ray brings him a sub like no other. Finn is damaged and bitter, although not as bitter as Jake. The white haired submissive has secrets and talents Jake never dreamed of and the lure of Finn’s need to submit calls to Jake’s soul.

Everyone Finn has ever loved walked away from him. He fears caring for anyone when he knows the outcome will shatter his heart again. When Finn falls for Jake, he gives his lover the ultimate gift, a chance to have the dreams he set aside years before even though he knows that if Jake accepts the gift, he’ll walk out of Finn’s life forever. A slave to his love for his Dominant, the submissive finds his true strength in easing Jake’s bitterness even at the cost of his own happiness.

After book one blew me away, I had very high expectations for this story. First off, I was delighted to get a re-visit and almost a follow-up with Kellan and Haven which tied things up even more nicely. YAY.

This sweet story centers on the angels helping Jake and Finn. The BDSM elements are pretty mild, there is plenty of delicious angst, and there’s a slight paranormal slant. But this one is not at all the total heartwrencher that book one was for me. I enjoyed seeing inside the insecure Dom who thought he’d failed his other subs. I’d have liked to seen a bit more exploration of the two characters as I didn’t quite connect with them as deeply as I had with those from the first book. If you like angsty stories with BDSM and damaged guys, then this one should fit the bill nicely.

Sales Links :   All Romance (ARe)   |   Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 10th 2013 by Winterheart Books (first published June 9th 2013)
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Souls in Bondage #2

Subs for Lunch (Souls in Bondage #2.5) – 3 stars

Subs for LunchBest friends Micah, Haven and Finn find a new sandwich shop called Mouthwatering Subs. When they talk the owners into selling them some T-shirts, naughtiness ensues. The three submissives invite their dominants out to their favorite club, Darkness, for a night of fun jumpstarted by the suggestive T-shirts. A worried Finn just wants Jake, his overworked dominant, to relax. Haven is looking to bring some laughter to his usually serious Dom, Kellen. And mischievous Micah has the tallest order to fill. He’s hoping for a public spanking. Will his normally possessive Dom, Nick, bare Micah’s ass in the club for all to see? It’s a night of fun and frolic for the three subs and their sexy Doms.

Although we revisit the characters from books one and two, the tone of this book is entirely different from books one and two. This one is playful and light revisit to the couples. It was cute, and the subs get a bit bratty for those who enjoy that. We get to explore the friendship that has developed between the three subs we meet in the prior books. But it ended before the talk between Micah/Nick that I’d been waiting for, darn it!! I don’t feel that it moved the storylines forward much. There are three couples in this series: Kellan/Haven, Nick/Micah and Jake/Finn. There hasn’t really been a book dedicated to Nick/Micah as MCs yet, but I hope that there will be in future.

Sales Links:  Amazon | All Romance (ARe)
Book Details:

ebook, 45 pages
Published April 1st 2014 by Winterheart Books
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSouls in Bondage #2.5

The first two covers in this series are different from the final one… I love the black and white of the first two with the red accent and they are both hot. The final one rather sticks out as different, which for me was disappointing.

The Sidewinders are Back with Part & Parcel by Abigail Roux (Riptide Tour/contest)

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Part & Parcel (Sidewinder #3)  by Abigail Roux
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist L.C. Chase

Release Date:  December 19, 2015
Buy the book here at Riptide’s Part & Parcel page

About Part & Parcel

Nick O’Flaherty and Kelly Abbott had their happy ending in sight when a friend’s call for help almost ended with them losing it to the blade of a knife. Now, in the aftermath of near-disaster, both men are trying to heal and move on.

Moving on together, though, is harder than either of them realized it would be. Kelly struggles with simply being a lover instead of the Doc, while Nick is mired in his recovery. The distance between them inches along in stilted silence.

Desperately seeking solace, Nick finally gathers the courage to sort through the possessions his dear friend and fellow Sidewinder teammate Elias Sanchez left him when he died. Instead of comforting memories, Nick and Kelly find a stack of letters and strict instructions from Eli that prompt them to send out a call for assistance. With Eli’s letters in hand, Sidewinder sets out on one last mission together, seeking peace and absolution from beyond the grave—and from each other.

About Abigail Roux

Abigail Roux was born and raised in North Carolina. A past volleyball star who specializes in sarcasm and painful historical accuracy, she currently spends her time coaching high school volleyball and investigating the mysteries of single motherhood. Any spare time is spent living and dying with every Atlanta Braves and Carolina Panthers game of the year.

Abigail has a daughter, Little Roux, who is the light of her life, a boxer, four rescued cats who play an ongoing live-action variation of Call of Duty throughout the house, a certifiable extended family down the road, and a cast of thousands in her head.

Connect with Abi:

PartParcel_TourBanner

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Part & Parcel, we are selecting TWO giveaway winners! One will receive the last four Cut & Run books in audio, and the other will receive the full Sidewinder series in audio. Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 26, 2015. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries.  HYPERLINK Follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway, and don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so Riptide can reach you if you win!

Sidewinder

This series is part of the Cut & Run universe.

– See more at: Riptide Publishing’s Sidewinder page.

A BJ Review: Turbulence (Turbulence #1) by Lyn Gala

Rating:  5 stars out of 5                 ★★★★★

TurbulenceCorporal Jacqs Glebov is a simple soldier who wants a bunk, decent food and the company of other battle-hardened men and women who understand the realities of fighting. Instead he’s stuck patrolling a remote corner of the border with cadets straight out of boot camp. They don’t understand him, and he sure doesn’t have an ounce of respect for them.

After a field promotion, Earth sends Commander Zeke Waters to the Candiru for some practical experience in a leadership role. Instead, Zeke falls in lust with the adamantly heterosexual Jacqs. The way Jacqs fights and the way he sees the world draws Zeke closer, even if common sense tells him to walk away.

Even if they can find a way to reconcile their sexual differences, they are both still soldiers. The war will eventually take them away from each other unless they can find a way to escape the rules that have defined their lives.

Let me begin by saying that while I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author, no matter the genre, sci-fi is a lifetime addiction of mine and Lyn Gala’s sci-fi has become my new addiction.

Excellent world-building, perfect pacing, all around well-written. This story has it all: spaceships, action, political maneuverings, blazing hot sexy times in just the right proportion to story, AND a society in which one declares their sexuality publicly on their records (but can also change it at any time) and no one looks down on them for it (um… well, unless they are dyssexual).

But it was the characters that truly captivated me. And not only the main characters, but ALL of them were amazingly well-drawn, nuanced, and varied. We get a few strong kick-ass females, a few brainy, brave but fragile females; some wimpy milksops of both sexes, an alcoholic captain who still manages to pull his head out when needed, a hot, smart, skilled long-haired guy with a background as a pirate background (who shows up again in book two, yeehaw!), and I still haven’t gotten to talking about the awesome main characters yet!

Jacqs Glebov doesn’t think of himself as smart, but he has a simple, straight forward way of seeing things, a natural common sense, and top notch skills at his job. He was such an amazing character. None of the usual angst when he figures out after meeting Zeke, the new commander that he’s not heterosexual after all. Not entirely. I’d actually never heard of stenosexual, but it totally makes sense! I love that more than I can say. As someone who has always been attracted to people, not their gender, that makes total sense to me. I don’t understand why its so hard for folks to get that bi/pan does not mean we are sluts or we want both or we are just not ready to come out, etc. Can’t folks just understand that the equipment someone has isn’t what matters for some of us, but rather personality and/or many other attributes. I’ve had a hard time with the way many m/m books that portray bisexual/pansexual characters… so this book was like a breath of fresh air for me. I completely and totally adore Jacqs.

Not to say that I don’t also admire Zeke, the new commander. He’s a smart alpha male, an officer/leader who doesn’t let rank/authority go to his head. He’s handsome and competent, but he’s accessible, level headed, and not full of himself. He listens to his men rather than putting on airs. And he is pansexual. Double score!

This book was perfect for me, and I rarely re-read books, but I might just make an exception for this one. Oh, and one more thing this story has done to me. It’s rather made me eager to do something I haven’t done much at all over the last several years…read a M/F romance! Gasp! Because the M/F book two of this series is calling my name, folks!

The cover is hot and screams sci-fi, which I love.


Book Details:  343 pages

Published October 22nd 2013 by Loose Id

A MelanieM Audiobook Review: Hell For The Company (Brimstone #1) by Angel Martinez, Narrator: Vance Bastian

Rating: 4.75 rounded up to 5 stars out of 5

Banner300x250Demons and Angels have been among us for thousands of years, in many cultures and in many forms. What happens when you set the Mischief Corner authors loose on the vague prompt “Write a story about angels or demons?” The poor unsuspecting world is about to find out.

From Angel Martinez – Hell For The Company: Brimstone #1

Shax, the Demon Prince of Thieves, has reconciled himself to exile. He has a grand time careening around the galaxy as a high-end, intergalactic purloiner of pretties. Everything’s going just fine, thank you very much. All right, fine, the anti-gravity cows are a bit problematic and some of his buyers are bad for his health, but he manages until he comes across an injured angel in a psychedelic alien jungle.

He only rescues the wing boy for his golden feathers, but what Shax doesn’t know about angels could fill an intergalactic encyclopedia.

Hell For The Company (Brimstone #1) by Angel Martinez as narrated by Vance Bastian was my very first audiobook.  I normally take one look at the running length on an audiobook, think about all the things I have to do, and move along.  But Hell for the Company was different.  At a play time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, I thought that’s doable, given my schedule, even during the holidays.  Another absolute plus?  I had already read the story, loved the series, so I thought I was prepared for what I would find in a narrated version.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

This was so much better. Boy, am I going to have to rethink my entire approach about audio books.  This version, listening to Vance Bastian’s narration made me see (hear) the story in an entirely new light. I enjoyed it even more, laughed at places I didn’t even remember reading the first time around.  And even when I knew the dramatic scenes were coming, the sniffles still flowed.

Vance’s voice went from melodic for the wonderful drag queen IA. Ivana, to gruff and surly for the demon Verin, the later posing my first and only stumbling block for audiobooks.  It wasn’t the way I imagined Verin sounded, I expected more hell fire I suppose.  Its the same issue you might have with characters going from book to the screen, we imagine them a certain way, not the way they appear on the movie screen. So I had to expand my versions into the verbalized ones here.  Once done,  there were no limits to my enjoyments of the narration and the enthusiasm that Vance Bastian employed in his reading of Angel Martinez’ story.

The time went by so quickly.  Floating cows please come back.  Ness, I adore you. Oh, Shax, you demon you, I can never get enough of you! Much more so this time around.  Angel and Vance, you have me convinced.  Yes, it looks like audiobooks are the thing for me.  There will be more in the future.  And it all started with the marvelous Hell For The Company (Brimstone #1) by Angel Martinez and the wonderful narration by Vance Bastian.

I love this series.  Shax, the Brimstone crew and all its misadventures and now I get to look forward to listening to them as well.  Are you a lover of the supernatural? A reader of science fiction?  And romance too?  How about a combination of all three?  Here is a story and series you can’t pass up and a lively narrator that makes the words shout, laugh, giggle and snort.  Such two joyful hours I never imagined.

Are you a audiobook virgin too?  Make this your first and see what an adventure lies before you!

Cover Artist: Freddie MacKay did a terrific job on the cover.  Love the floating cows.

Sales Links: iTunes  | Amazon | Audible

Book Details:

Audible Audio, Play Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes
Published November 17th 2015 by
Mischief Corner Books (first published December 31st 2013)
ASINB017Y2HI1K
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesBrimstone #1

 

A Review Redux: A MelanieM Review: With This Bling (Romano and Albright, #3) by L.B. Gregg

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★

With This Bling coverCaesar Romano’s catering career is doing better than he’d ever dreamed. And so is his love life—even if his boyfriend’s house in Staten Island is way too far from civilization for his liking. But then in short order, Caesar is duped into helping his cousin propose, is tricked by his best friend and business partner into appearing on live television, and is harassed by a thug-like personal trainer and his far too beautiful wife. In fact, Caesar is almost too busy to notice that something is troubling his PI boyfriend, Dan Albright.

Almost.

Laid-back, open, charming—that’s the impression hunky former NYPD Detective Dan Albright gives everyone. Caesar can add sexually adventurous and a bit of an exhibitionist. But he also knows that Dan is hiding something—something dark and a little dangerous—and when Dan’s silence over his mysterious past threatens to harm them both, it’s Caesar’s turn to save the day.

But then again, a break-in, a gallery party, an heirloom ring, a new suit, and a stalker with bad BO are all just a typical week for Caesar Romano.

In 2010, L. B. Gregg released a story, Catch Me If You Can (Romano and Albright, #1) which introduced me and so many other readers to Caesar Romano and P.I. Dan Albright.  And I fell in love.  The second novel, also 2010, saw that love affair deepen and become an addiction.

Then the stories stopped.

But I was hopeful.  And patient.  Now I’ve finally been rewarded along with all the other fans of this author and amazing series.  Romano and Albright are back and better than ever!

We dive right back into confirmed city dweller Caesar’s life.  He’s out on Staten Island, staying in boyfriend Dan’s house.

“Sunshine poured into the kitchen, warming a row of spiny potted herbs on the windowsill. Outside, the neat suburban backyard burst with green shrubbery and midsummer flowers. A plump gray bird sat on the clothesline and a squirrel frolicked in the grass, both a reminder that I needed to get the hell back to the city because honest to God, it was like the country out there.”

Yep, nothing suits Caesar so well as the smell of the city and the congested, exuberant life he leads there.  To him, the quiet of a Staten Island neighborhood screams country, even though his beloved city is with well within eyesight.  From that wonderful start, L.B. Gregg’s lively, snarky narrative takes off, her dialogs a perfect match for each and every one of her memorable characters.  A mystery popped up almost immediately (this is Caesar and Dan) and we are off on another case and misadventure.  I was grinning from the very beginning in anticipation and L. B. Gregg didn’t let me down!

Dan’s personal background has always been a bit of a question for Caesar (and the readers).  Some of those are answered here. I had to double check the timeline and it appears its still been about 6 months since the first time they met, so that feels about right in a relationship still working on its foundation.  The author’s characterizations are so good, her plots so well thought out, that everything just comes together just as it should.  We know that Dan and Caesar belong together…no matter how scary it gets.  And yes, it can get plenty scary here.  But the action and suspense never overwhelms the relationship between Caesar and Dan, or any of  the other interpersonal ties going on at the moment.  Plenty of those too.  The connections here are all about the family.

New York City and its neighborhoods is easily not just a setting but a character all of its own.  Gregg’s familiarity with each borough and their unique “feel” gives this book another layer to flavor.  This also carries over to  Gregg’s characters, all of the Romano family (and they are many and varied) to the Albright upright clan and everyone in between.  Lots and lots of in between.   His cousin Joey and Caesar’s business partner, Poppy, uncles Tino and Vito, among the large and hugely entertaining cast.  How I love them all.

But the heart of the series and this story will always be Caesar and Dan, a relationship that continues to flourish and grow.  Here Caesar makes enormous emotional strides forward…even if it comes at the end.

I whipped through this story because I was starved for it, then started through once again.  It got even better the second time around.   I’m not sure I would call this a standalone.  I’m sure you could read it that way but why would you?  Don’t you want to see how it all started?  Watch Caesar meet Dan, watch Dan loosen up Caesar more than a little?  Watch Dan (a ex NYPD Detective) meet the huge Romano family whose connection to the law is somewhat loose and shaky?  The humor in these novels will have you laughing out loud in places.  Romano and Albright!  A couple that sexy, intelligent, fun and full of action in the best sense of the word.  What more could you want?

I highly recommend this story and all in the series.  Now begins the wait for the next story.  I can be patient.  I know it will be worth the wait.

Cover art by L. C. Chase is absolutely perfect.  Whether its Joey or Caesar (they look almost identical).  Chase has them down.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 264 pages
Expected publication: December 7th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
original titleWith This Bling
ISBN139781626493599
edition languageEnglish

Series Romano and Albright