Category: 5 star Rating

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Sink or Swim (Anchor Point #8) by L.A. Witt

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by this story. I’ve followed the series and have only given one other book in the series 5 stars, but this one is certainly worthy of my highest rating.

Was it the characters? The topic? The setting? The insight into Naval operations? I think it may have simply been the combination of all of the above. Certainly, these two men are among my favorite MCs and most definitely make an outstanding couple.

Chaplain Dylan Pedersen has recently left his partner of eight years—his very emotionally abusive ex-partner—one who wants him back and is using Dylan’s family and friends to persuade Dylan to come back. When Alhazar Bukhari, a civilian electrician contractor, comes to the chapel to ask for space to store his mat and Q’uran, the two are immediately attracted, but it’s not until they find out that they are both gay that they act on that attraction. And when they do? It’s one of those explosive up-against-the-wall sex scenes that this author does so well.

The thing I liked best about this story is that while there are indeed some mighty hot times between the sheets, there’s so much substance to the relationship development of the two men. And there’s more to the story. Alhazar’s son is gay and has a steady boyfriend, though both are still in high school. We learn of his culture, his prayer times with both children, his unusual past marriage to his best friend who is a lesbian and served in the Navy at the same time as Alhazar. We witness his fear over telling his parents, even though he’s over forty-years-old. And we see what a good friend he is to his coworker, Kimber Fraser, whose dad is Clint Fraser from Afraid to Fly. Kimber is suffering from harassment from her fellow male employees and though the author explores the subject and clearly shows the stress Kimber is under, at no time did I feel I was being lectured or that Kimber’s concerns were minor.

In response to the recent concerns brought to him by LGBTQ men and women as he counsels them in his capacity as chaplain, Dylan organizes an LGBTQ support group for those working at the base and for parents of LGBTQ children. Helped by Alhazar and others we’ve met in the past, including Mark and Diego from Once Burned, the response to the group is overwhelming, leaving Dylan happy and proud. Naturally, shortly after that, he has a face-to-face confrontation with his ex, and Alhazar’s presence complicates Dylan’s attempt to stand up to his abuser. It’s not until he officiates at the wedding ceremony for Diego and Mark that Dylan faces his own needs and realizes he’s had happiness within his grasp all along but walked away from it.

Thankfully, our guys get their HEA, and as a reader, I feel that I’ve gotten so much more than simple pleasure from a well-told story. I learned more about the needs of sailors and their family members and the issues that come up during deployment. Also, I learned more about the Muslim religion from this one story than from any other single source.

I can happily say kudos to LA Witt for bringing this story to life and I very highly recommend it.

~~~

Cover art: L.C. Chase.  It’s a gorgeous rendering of the male torso and works within the series covers as well.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 340 pages
Published July 16th 2018 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleSink or Swim
ISBN139781626497511
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://riptidepublishing.com/titles/sink-or-swim
SeriesAnchor Point #8

A MelanieM Review: Magic or Die (Inner Demons #1) by JP Jackson

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

James Martin is a teacher, a powerful Psychic, and an alcoholic. He used to work for the Center for Magical Research and Development, a facility that houses people who can’t control their supernatural abilities, but left after one of his students was killed, turning to vodka to soothe his emotional pain. The problem is he still has one year left on his contract.

When James returns to the CMRD to fulfill the rest of his contract, he finds himself confronting the demons of his past and attempting to protect his new class from a possible death sentence, because if they don’t pass their final exams, they’ll be euthanized.

James also discovers that his class isn’t bringing in enough sponsors, the agencies and world governments who supply grants and ultimately purchase graduates of the CMRD, and that means no profit for the facility. James and his students face impossible odds—measure up to the facility’s unreachable standards or escape.

When I start reading a novel by a new author, I always try to approach that first chapter with a fresh outlook and happy  expectation that perhaps I’ve found a new writer to add to my TBR pile.  Sometimes it happens and sometimes not.  On the rare occasion I find an author that goes immediately on my auto buy list.  Welcome, JP Jackson to that list.

Magic or Die by JP Jackson is the first in their Inner Demons series and oh my, what a killer of a story and way to launch a series!  Immediately, Jackson gives us a main character in trouble.  James is a sodden drunk living in squalor.  He’s also a powerful Psychic.  One forced to be a teacher to other  young psychics at a Magical Research and Development facility.

The character of James is so well constructed. A drunk using alcohol unsuccessfully to stop the memories of the past from haunting him.  Or are they really just memories?  James is complex, and will show great growth over the course of the book.  And in a way great failure.  He’s amazing and the reader will commit to him utterly.

But James will come to teach a group of young Psychics.  Some wild, vulnerable, compelling, and the reader will come to ,well, if not love them, then, become inordinately fond of them.  We want them to succeed.  All will feel alive, horrifically, hauntingly, alive.

There are multiple stories being told here.  The author does a admirable job of keeping each one appearing throughout the entire story so you are always aware of the many threads flowing through it.  And their importance to the characters and overall arc.

There is one concerning Jame’s missing sister which is a stunner, one about the Covens and one of the pupils Jame’s will teach, more about the facility itself…all these intriguing narrative balls that the author keeps juggling to high suspense and our great entertainment and  sometimes horror.

Yes, I care about each and every one of these people/beings and need to know more.    Especially after that ending.

I used to absolutely hate cliffhangers.  That would  really guarantee a story a lower rating.  But over the years, that slowly changed until I can see my  way past that.  So  yes, this has a cliffhanger.  One that raised many, many questions for me that I hope are  answered in the next story.

Because everything leading up to that ending?  Just incredible!  The characters, the writing and plot!  So I can imagine the author knows exactly where he is going next here.  I want to be there too.

Pick up Magic or Die (Inner Demons #1) by JP Jackson and see why I cringed, cried, laughed, and loved everything about this story.  Then we can wait together until the next one is released!

Cover art is just perfect for the story and tone.  Love it.

Sales Links:

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Book Details:

ebook, 313 pages
Published July 2nd 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781948608992
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://ninestarpress.com/product/magic-or-die/
SeriesInner Demons #1

A MelanieM Review:The Wolf at Bay (Big Bad Wolf #2) by Charlie Adhara

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

 

Going home digs up bad memories, so it’s something Bureau of Special Investigations agent Cooper Dayton tries to avoid. When he’s guilted into a visit, Cooper brings along Oliver Park, his hot new werewolf partner, in the hopes the trip will help clarify their status as a couple…or not.

When Park’s keen shifter nose uncovers a body in the yard and Cooper’s father is the prime suspect, Cooper knows they’re on their own. Familial involvement means no sanctioned investigation. They’ll need to go rogue and solve the mystery quietly or risk seeing Cooper’s dad put behind bars.

The case may be cold, but Park and Cooper’s relationship heats up as they work. And yet if Cooper can’t figure out what’s going on between them outside of the bedroom, he’ll lose someone he… Well, he can’t quite put into words how he feels about Park. He knows one thing for sure: he’s not ready to say goodbye, though with the real killer inching ever closer…he may not have a choice.

I just love The Wolf at Bay (Big Bad Wolf #2) by Charlie Adhara.  It’s a first for me by this author.  I picked it up because I was intrigued by the cover and the description.  At the time I had no idea it was part of a series.  I had to find that out once I went scrabbling for more information at Goodreads for information about the author and found that there was a story that preceded this one.  Too late, I was already heavily involved with Cooper Dayton, Oliver Park, and Cooper’s visit home.

I’ll tell you immediately Adhara’s characterizations are amazing.  Layered, complex, and highly interesting people/beings emerge immediately from the story.  I didn’t have to read the first novel to get into the stress filled  relationship and shaky dynamics that is the partnership, personal and professional, between Cooper and Oliver.  It’s like being close to quiet lightning. it crackles and you don’t want to look away from the energy.

They are struggling to figure out how to emerge from what was clearly a disastrous event.  Cooper’s ex partner and his unwitting involvement  in his corrupt affairs.  Yes, this will send me running back to that first story but I didn’t feel I needed it to read this book.  I got enough information to feel satisfied that I had sufficient groundwork here to go on.

A call from Cooper’s family and  an invitation from Cooper for Oliver to accompany him seems like a good idea until a body is found under the gazebo in his family’s backyard.

How Adhara builds this case, all the emotions, the labyrinthine path filled with clues, old personal history, memories both good and bad is incredible.  The author builds it around Cooper’s family, his memories of his childhood, and his tenuous connections to his father in present time.  All the while as he and Oliver try to figure out where they stand with each other.  And keep Oliver’s identity as a werewolf from the family.  I did say that, didn’t I?

I’m so in love with this author and story.  I  need the next book in the series to arrive.  I guess the first story will have to do until then.

Love shifters?  Murder mysteries?  And romances?  Why not combine all three?  Pick up one beautifully written story with outstanding characters and a romance you will go crazy over in The Wolf at Bay (Big Bad Wolf #2) by Charlie Adhara. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

Cover art is simply and relevant from a scene in the story.  Love it.

Sales Links | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 249 pages
Expected publication: September 24th 2018 by Carina Press
ISBN139781488089367
SeriesBig Bad Wolf #2

A MelanieM Recent Release Review: Galaxies and Oceans by N.R. Walker

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Seizing his one chance to escape, Ethan Hosking leaves his violent ex-boyfriend, leaves his entire life, and walks into the path of a raging bushfire. Desperate to start over, a new man named Aubrey Hobbs walks out of the fire-ravaged forest, alive and alone. With no ID and no money, nothing but his grandfather’s telescope, he goes where the Southern Cross leads him.

Patrick Carney is the resident lighthouse keeper in Hadley Cove, a small town on the remote Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. After the tragic death of his lover four years ago, he lives a solitary life; just him, a tabby cat, the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a whole lot of loneliness. He’s content with his life until a stranger shows up in town and turns Patrick’s head.

Patrick never expected to be interested in anyone else.

Aubrey never expected to be happy.

Between Aubrey’s love of the stars and Patrick’s love of the ocean, these two fragile hearts must navigate new waters. If they can weather the storm of their pasts, they could very well have a love that eclipses everything.

Galaxies and Oceans by N.R. Walker was simply one of the most moving, heart felt romances I’ve read in a long time.  The combination of island, lighthouse, small town atmosphere, and memorable characters make this story one to carry in your heart for some time to come.

There’s also this almost intangible overlay of something magical, call it fate…call it the stars but N.R. Walker has cast a spell over her narrative so that this contemporary romance has a mystical feeling when the men need it the most.  Or perhaps when you least expect it, a touch of magic brushes over the story.

How these men need it and each other.  Walker has created two wounded souls in Patrick and Ethan.  Patrick lost his partner years ago to the sea and he has never recovered from the loss. Now he just goes about his life as the keeper of the local lighthouse at Hadley Cove, his romantic life nil. Ethan Hosking’s life has  gotten so dark, so full of despair and pain that he can’t see his way out until a fire and desperation points a way.  Using his grandfather’s telescope, it’s Aubrey Hobbs who walks out of the fire and eventually makes his way all the way to Hadley Cove and into Patrick’s life.

Walker’s ability to make us see the frailty of Ethan/Aubrey as he tries to ease his way into being a part of life at Hadley Cove is amazing.  You are there as Patrick slowly befriends the skittish new person in town, finds him a job, and in the  slow burn way, builds a trust that will allow the men to form a relationship and love.  And in turn, Ethan who now is truly becoming Aubrey teaches Patrick how to start to let go, grieve, and truly celebrate what he had with his first love.

Plus there’s all the secondary yet so important cast that is needed to shore up Aubrey’s recovery from his years of abuse into the person he’s becoming in Hadley Cove.  And the food that Patrick cooks  and serves up that’s simple but mouthwatering. The descriptions of the warmth of the hearth in the lighthouse and the cat that mourned and now accepts Aubrey.  It’s exemplary and all just means this book is beautifully written. Everything about this story will break your heart and put it back together again.

I just love it.  And it’s on my to be reread pile soon.  Yes, I highly recommend it.  I will leave you sighing and so happy for days after the book is done.

Cover art is perfect for the story. I wish I could have found the artist. Love it.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 313 pages
Published June 23rd 2018 by BlueHeart Press
Original TitleGalaxies and Oceans
ASINB07DZNX1LT
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Balefire (Whyborne & Griffin #10) by Jordan L. Hawk

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The saga of Whyborne and Griffin against the Fideles and the masters continues and Whyborne’s Endicott family members show up to enlist his help in taking back their ancestral manor from whoever has commandeered it.  That may be the Fideles as there’s a mysterious barrier surrounding the island that houses Balefire and no one has been able to get through.

Of course, Christine and Iskander come along to help and Whyborne’s mother, Heliabel, accompanies the group as the emissary of the ketoi.  The mission is more complex than simply getting through the barrier and all five of our favorite characters are needed for this one. 

Without going into a great deal of detail, I definitely want to salute the author for taking the time to patiently explain and re-explain all the confusing relationships between the Fideles, the maelstrom, the masters, and more. I don’t know if all the info has been present all along, but this time I was able to highlight key points as I went through the story and discovered that it made much more sense to me than it had previously. Added to that, there’s new information as to plans the maelstrom may have initiated hundreds of years before, including the reason Whyborne and Persephone, his twin sister, were conceived in the first place.

As ever, Griffin guards his love. (I will never stop loving the fact that he calls Ival “my dear.”) Griffin uses his shadow sight to help the group get through the barrier to the heart of the estate.  Iskander uses his knives and, of course, Christine uses her club and anything else she can get her hands on.  The group is, by now, a well-honed machine when they are on a mission.  Nevertheless, expect the unexpected.  Jordan Hawke has an unlimited and uncanny imagination and takes us places that are definitely not foreseen.   

As this story draws to a close, it appears Whyborne’s cousins, the Endicotts—at least those who still survive—will be coming to Widdershins and will be on hand when the series evolves to the final confrontation with the masters. In fact, there’s an underlying theme of family in this book as quite a few family threads are woven throughout the story, starting with Griffin’s brother working with him in his PI business, to Ival’s relationship with his mother and his father. There’s acknowledgement of Sanford’s actions before his death and time to bereave his loss, and there’s the fierce protectiveness for the Endicott family children who have been isolated at the manor.  And then there’s the family of the heart that includes Christine and Iskander and their relationship with Whyborne and Griffin. Without giving away any spoilers, one of my favorite scenes is when Christine points something out to Whyborne that is personal and feminine and totally flummoxes the sweet, innocent man. 

The author is laying the groundwork for the grand finale. Perhaps she’s been laying it all along and the family is the mortar to the bricks and blocks that have been laid in past books. Time will tell. On a minor note, the only thing I didn’t care for in this book was the slow start of the story—it didn’t have the early excitement of others in the series where the action adventure occurred almost from the start. Nevertheless, I very highly recommend this book. Note: at this point in the series, the book can’t be read as a standalone, so I very highly recommend readers begin immediately with Widdershins and don’t stop until caught up.  We all need to be on board in time for the grand finale!

~~~~

Cover by Lou Harper is outstanding and features Whyborne in the foreground with fire sizzling between his two hands.  In the dark cloudy background is his husband Griffin.  It’s very attention-getting and in keeping with others in the series.

Sales Links:AmazonAppleBarnes & NobleKoboScribdSmashwords!ndigoAngus & Robertson

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: July 13th 2018 by Jordan L. Hawk
ISBN139781941230312
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesWhyborne & Griffin #10

An Alisa Review: Discovery (Kinky in the City #3) by Quinn Ward

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

Sex is a lot like pizza. It’s good, but you won’t die without it…

Matteo’s always known he was different. Seeing his older brothers falling in love shines a spotlight on his own lack of desire. Modeling age play gear was a way to prove he could make his own decisions, nothing more.

Levi didn’t realize what a challenge it’d be directing the photo shoot for a new website. When he sees Matteo struggling, he instinctively falls into the role he’d given up years earlier: Daddy.

When Matteo discovers a side of himself he never expected, will Levi be able to show him that not all love begins with sexual attraction?

I think this is my favorite story in the series so far.  I have come to really enjoy age play romances because I love the additional depth and love the stories bring.  Matteo kind of got thrown into the deep end when he does a favor for a friend but is lucky to have Levi willing to catch him.

Matteo has always thought he was different and has finally accepted that fact when he meets Levi and he shows him that there is nothing wrong with him.  Levi has longed for a Daddy/Little connection for a long time but never got the courage to try again but Matteo’s innocence draws him in.

I loved these two so much, Matteo just needs the love and acceptance while Levi longs for someone to take care of.  Seeing Matteo find that along with something else he desperately needed was wonderful and it took him awhile but he was able to be happy with himself too.  Levi is so understanding and when he sees what Matteo needs he takes charge to help him find it.  I am loving this series and can’t wait to read the last book in the series.

The cover art by Cover Me, Darling is wonderful and I am loving how the series is similar but also different at the same time.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 179 pages

Published: June 26, 2018

Edition Language: Englis3

Series: Kinky in the City #2