Category: Audio Books

Announcements and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Announcements and Less Than Scattered Thoughts

Announcement 1:

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is Going on Hiatus as of February 1, 2020.  We intend on  returning June 1, 2020.

 

Real life has been complicated and incredibly time consuming of late.  The effects of aging is often not kind, and it’s hard to see it’s impact upon one’s parents.  And then have to deal with it.

Sometimes the change is gradual, and then, without notice, like some out of control vehicle, the changes speedup rapidly, veering off in directions you least expected, leaving you scrambling for time, plans, and someone to provide assistance for you and them.

And it all takes time.

I have tried handling  this, my life, and the blog.  And it hasn’t been going well.  So for now, Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words will go on hiatus February 1 until June.  Our intention is to return then, restored and recovered.

I hope you will return as well.  Trust me, this was a very difficult decision as I love this blog, our reviewers, authors, and readers so.  We make no money off of STRW and do it solely out of love.

We hope you will stay with us all through January and return to us in the summer.

 

Announcement 2:

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Does Not and Will Not Support Dreamspinner Press Through Tours or ARCs, now or in the future.

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue  Words has not worked or accepted tours or ARCS since October 2019,  and will not,  (even if they manage to pull off some sort of restructuring deal and avoid bankruptcy) from Dreamspinner Press, its owner Elizabeth North, and any of its associated presses.  Like other bloggers, readers, and tour owners, we too had hoped originally that DSP would turn things around.  Then began the long parade of authors out of Dreamspinner, the lengthy tweets and tales of unpaid royalties (still unpaid royalties and unreturned emails), the impact DSP”s action’s have had on these author’s lives, the immeasurable pain and stress that’s been caused, and, their latest maneuver, makes any support impossible.

I am sorry for those authors still remaining at that firm for whatever reason.  If any of you have ARCs that are self published or published with another press, we will be happy to help you promote those upon our return in the Summer and this January.

On a hilarious side note, when contacted by a certain author for Dreamspinner, asking if we wanted to continue with their tours/ARCS, we politely said not at this time.  And were then informed we were put on their blacklist. lol    A company that acts in such a (insert word of choice here)  manner, imo,  and acts towards to many authors but has a blacklist?  That’s irony. #payyourauthors

A last note on this  subject here.

We also fully throw our support towards those blogs, authors, and readers who have been so brave and vocal in supporting the LGBTQIA+ authors who left Dreamspinners and have been outspoken about the reasons why and the impact on their lives and writing.  This includes Jay of Joyfully Jay, RJ Scoot, Avon Gale, TJ Klune, BA Tortuga, Jodi Payne, Julia Talbot, Sean Kennedy, Sean Michael, Anna Zabo, among others. There are over 80 ex DSP authors, all with the same story.  They need our support.  We  will be here to help them through January and again in the summer when we return.

Plus I will be reading all through my blog’s hiatus so I will have a backlog of books to review come return time!  None of which will be DSP!

 

Now on a more positive note.

Here is Lila’s Short Best of 2019 List:

From Lila:

Best Cover – I Was a Gay Teenage Zombie by Alison Cybe

Best Novel – Not Dead Yet by Jenn Burke

Best Audiobook – Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch: narrated by Joel Leslie

Overall Best – Bishop by A.E. Via

Now onto this week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 5:

  • Announcements and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, January 6:

  • BLITZ Love on the Spectrum by Alec Nortan
  • BLITZ Life Minus Me by Sara Codair
  • Blog Tour – Inheritance (Deadly Curiosities #4) by Gail Z. Martin
  • A Melanie Review Inheritance (Deadly Curiosities #4) by Gail Z. Martin

Tuesday, January 7:

  • Cover Reveal Signal – Fade In (A Tales of Bryant Romance) – V.L. Locey
  • Reveal Blitz Shots on Goal (Stick Side #3) by Amy Aislin
  • BLITZ Lord of Thundertown by O.F. Cieri
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Devil’s Hour by Aimee Nicole Walker

Wednesday, January 8:

  • BLITZ Boiling Over by Thea McAlistair
  • AUDIO BLITZ All the Way to Shore by CJane Elliott
  • REVIEW TOUR – A.E. VIA – PROMISES: PART 1 (BOUNTY HUNTERS #1)
  • An Alisa Audio Review A.E. VIA – PROMISES: PART 1 (BOUNTY HUNTERS #1)

Thursday, January 9:

  • BLOG TOUR Devil’s Hour by Aimee Nicole Walker
  • A MelanieM Review: The Hunt for Red Fluffy (Brimstone #6) by Angel Martinez

Friday, January 10:

  • Release Blitz – Biker Daddy (The Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale Book 1) by Gianni Holmes
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Forbidden Bond by Lee Colgin

Saturday, January 11:

  • A MelanieM Review: Head in the Game by Jeff Adams

An Alisa Audio Review: Kinky Sprinkles by L.A. Witt and Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)

Rating:  2.5 stars out of 5

Joel has finally walked away from his abusive ex and is ready to meet new people. But that isn’t easy for a guy who’s shy, self-conscious, and struggling with his body image.

Andre has wanted Joel since the first time he laid eyes on him, and finally Joel is single. But Andre is a Dom and a sadist, and Joel is unapologetically vanilla. There’s no happy medium—either Andre reins in the kinky side that took him years to accept, or Joel grits his teeth and subjects himself to kinks that aren’t his thing. No matter who bends, someone’s going to be unhappy.

They agree to walk away, but they keep circling back to each other. Though their kinks might not line up, the chemistry between them sizzles and the emotional connection keeps getting deeper. But none of that will get them anywhere if they can’t find some kind of middle ground in the bedroom.

Unfortunately this was a story that did not work for me and while I understand where the author is coming from it’s not in my comfort zone.   Andre and Joel eventually find a compromise but I don’t feel an open relationship is a compromise when Andre has fully proven he can have a BDSM scene without sex but apparently it isn’t something they think can last. It just feels like they are forcing a relationship to work and I didn’t feel it would.

Michael Ferraiuolo did an alright job with the narration but from the beginning I felt the characters sounded quite hoity-toity and that annoyance last through the story.  I really wanted to like the characters but between the whining and jumping together and apart joined with sounding that way just threw it all off for me.

I like the cover art by Garrett Leigh and thought it works well for this story.

Sales Links:  Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 4 hrs 10 min

Published: November 16, 2019 by Riptide

Edition Language: English

Announcements, Best of 2019 Lists, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Announcements, Best of 2019 Lists, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

I am pushing back the announcements I intended to make until next Sunday.  Time, RL, and the holidays got away with me as they have been doing so often lately.  We will be posting a reduced schedule to allow everyone here to enjoy all their holidays, whatever they may be.

We will be sharing our Best of Lists through the end of December and all through January, starting with our reviewer Lucy’s.    See how   her list compares with yours,  and do you see some that you can add from hers to yours?  I hope so.  Let us know what you think we should be on our Best of Lists too.  We love and value your input.

 

Best of 2019 Lists

From Lucy:

 

In no particular order:
Yuletide Treasure by Eliot Grayson
Hidden Hearts by Clare London
Made for You by Anyta Sunday
Reluctant Husband by Eliot Grayson
Finders Keepers Audio by NR Walker, Narrated by Joel Leslie
Twice Shy by Sally Malcolm
Puzzle Me This by Eli Easton
Happy for You by Anyta Sunday
Team Luker by Nell Iris
Nothing Ventured Audio by Jay Northcote
Full Bodied by Shea Balik
Love Around the Corner by Sally Malcolm

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, December 22:

  • Announcements, Best of 2019 Lists, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Monday, December 23:
  • Review Tour – J. R. Lawrie – Let Your Heart Be Light
  • Release Blitz – Nell Iris – Four Christmases
  • A Stella Review Model Christmas by Jaime Samms
  • An Alisa Review : Let Your Heart Be Light by J. R. Lawrie 

Tuesday, December 24:

  • A Christmas Yarn by CC Bridges AUTHOR TOUR
  • BLITZ Forbidden Bond by Lee Colgin
  • A MelanieM Review: Earnest Ink by Alex Hall
  • An Alisa Review The Detective’s Angel by J.B. Buell

Wednesday, December 25:

  • BLITZ Life Minus Me by Sara Codair

Thursday, December 26:

  • Review Tour – RJ Scott & V.L. Locey – Christmas Lights (Owatonna U Hockey #4)
  • Release Blitz – Sam Burns – Wren and Oak (Rowan Harbor Cycle #9)
  • Release Blitz Unexpected by KM Neuhold
  • A MelanieM Review:  Christmas Lights (Owatonna U Hockey #4) by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review A Christmas Yarn by CC Bridges

Friday, December 27:

  • 99c Book Blast – Little Red (Big Bad Wolves Book One) by Queenie Wise
  • A ;MelanieM Review: Window Dressing by Jodi Payne and BA Tortuga
  • A Stella Review Socks for an Otter by Posy Roberts

Saturday, December 28:

  • A MelanieM Audio Review: RDH3 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Important Announcement! Help B.A. Tortuga Get Well!

 

Help B.A. Tortuga Get Well! (Organized by Kieran Kelly)

 

If you love this author and her stories like I do, then she needs our help.   Please click on the link below and get involved.

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ba-tortuga-get-well?fbclid=IwAR3S1ApyweGzNEk2mVctFre2isbc7QlB-gUM8eqoHURoNg3ArF3Ig_5E5oo

AUDIO BLITZ and Giveaway for PROMISES: PART 1 (BOUNTY HUNTERS #1) by A.E. VIA and Aiden Snow (Narrator)

 
Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Tantor
 
Narrated By: Aiden Snow
 
Length: 7hrs 31 mins
 
Publisher: Tantor Media
 
Blurb



Duke Morgan owns and operates one of the largest bail bond companies in Atlanta. Not only does he bond criminals out of jail, he and his notorious group of bounty hunters will also track them down and ensure they show up for court.


Roman “Quick” Webb is Duke’s business partner and best friend. Both men are in their forties and have given up on the happily ever after with the ranch-style home, and white picket fence. They’d both tried it and failed miserably. But they have their friendship and they have the business.


When Quick’s son, Vaughan Webb returns – after seven years-from studying abroad with his law degree in hand, he’s back to claim what he’s always wanted…his fathers’ best friend…Duke Morgan. Vaughan has always claimed to be a classic gentleman with an old soul. He was focused and dedicated to becoming the man worthy of Duke’s love.


It’s a complex and messy situation as Duke and Quick figure out how to still be best friends when one of them is sleeping with his friend’s one and only son. But when Duke is hurt on the job, all the unimportant trivialities fall to the wayside and Vaughan and Quick put their heads together to save Duke.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.


A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.


A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.


Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.


Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

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An Alisa Audio Review : Prophesy II: The Bringer of Wrath (The King & Alpha Series) by AE Via and Troy Duran (Narrator)

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Shifter and Vampire True Mates story.

Alek’s older brother, Justice—the Alpha Zenith—was the first shifter to mate with a vampire in many generations, and it was believed the rare, fated pairing would stop at him. But, it hadn’t. Aleksei ‘Alek’ Volkov was second beta, next in succession to the most powerful shifter in the world. He was proud of his title and he took his duties seriously. It was all he had. Until his true mate literally showed up on his doorstep.

While his brother—the overachiever—excelled at having a vampire as a mate, Alek wasn’t that optimistic he would. He wasn’t averse to love, and he’d often thought of how different his life could’ve turned out if he’d ever experienced the emotion. His life was a mess and he’d worn a mask of stability for a majority of that time, only showing his siblings and pack what they needed to see—a strong Volkov alpha. Not the damaged man he was, with a tortured soul and a rogue wolf.

Alek dropped his heavy head in his hands. Now, for some reason, I’ve been granted a true vampire mate. And not just any vampire. The intimidating Belleron Liatos. Lord High to the King and the leader of his army.

Belleron ‘Bell’ Liatos had come to the states for one reason—his best friend and Vampire King, Chadwick Bentley. He certainly didn’t come to be pounced on by a wolf that could act independently of its master. Not only was his destined cherished a complicated and confused man; but he was also unaware of the powerful presence that lurked in the shadows of his soul. Bell didn’t know he’d be the key to unlocking an exceptional triad that would play a critical role in fulfilling the prophesy.

This story DOES NOT contain or even mention MPREG.

No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers. Ends with a very HFN.

Warning: This book is M/M paranormal: If you DO NOT like alpha men shifting into large wolves, or vampires feeding from their destined beloveds, than this may not be the novel for you.

This series continues to be largely different than other books by this author and I keep feeling like something is missing, but I don’t know what it could be.  There is just so much going on I think it may be hard to keep track while there is so much background on the prophesy that we are getting spoon fed it’s not helping.

There were so many points of view and thoughts to keep track of in this book with Alek having separated Wolf and Wrath from himself when he was younger and most of the beginning was him arguing with himself.  I still don’t quite understand how he was able to separate them from himself but it basically causes Bell to have three mates that end up learning to work together and coexist but still being separate and coming to the forefront at different times.  The story is still well written as all others by this author I just wonder if it’s this world that is throwing me off though I want to continue to see what happens as the prophesy continues to be fulfilled.

This is my first book narrated by Troy Duran and he did a nice job.  He really had the right gruffness that I associated with Alex, Wolf and Wrath.  His narration and the voices he used help me to keep track of the story.

I liked how the cover art by Jay Aheer shows how different Justice and Wick are and it gives great visuals of the characters.

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | Audiobooks.com

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 9 hrs 23 min
Published: November 19, 2019 by AE Via
Edition Language: English

Series: The King & Alpha Series #2

Review Tour and Giveaway for Prophesy II: The Bringer of Wrath (The King & Alpha Series) by A.E. Via and Troy Duran (Narrator)

 

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 9hrs 23mins
 
Narrated by: Troy Duran
 
The King & Alpha Series
 

Book #1 – Prophesy – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

 
Blurb



Shifter and vampire true mates story.


Alek’s older brother, Justice – the Alpha Zenith – was the first shifter to mate with a vampire in many generations, and it was believed the rare, fated pairing would stop at him. But, it hadn’t. Aleksei “Alek” Volkov was second beta, next in succession to the most powerful shifter in the world. He was proud of his title and he took his duties seriously. It was all he had. Until his true mate literally showed up on his doorstep.


Belleron “Bell” Liatos had come to the states for one reason – his best friend and vampire king, Chadwick Bentley. He certainly didn’t come to be pounced on by a wolf that could act independently of its master. Not only was his destined cherished a complicated and confused man, but he was also unaware of the powerful presence that lurked in the shadows of his soul. Bell didn’t know he’d be the key to unlocking an exceptional triad that would play a critical role in fulfilling the prophesy.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.


A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.


A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.


Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.


Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

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Best of 2019 Lists Being Compiled and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Best of 2019 Lists Being Compiled  and Upcoming Announcements

 

Heading towards the holidays and the New Year, we here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words are working to pull together our Best of Lists for 2019.  Those books that made our year, those characters that we still hold so close to our hearts.

I’m hoping that you all will have some of your own to contribute as well.

Also coming?  An announcement about our  revised review and tour policies, one we have waited to announce as we finished with our previously scheduled tours. Our readers may have noticed certain changes back at the first of November but we wanted to makes our announcement at the end of December in keeping going forward with the New Year.  This will pertain to our relationship or current lack of one with Dreamspinner Press,  specifically arcs and tours.  More on that to come in our official announcement next week.

So we are making our lists, checking them twice, wrapping presents, and as always reading and listening to some wonderful stories.

What’s happening over in your reading nook?  What is on your Best of List this year?

Jot them down and send them in.  Let’s see if we match up or if we have new stories to put on our TBR pile.

In the meantime, be safe, be happy, and happy reading and listening.

 

 

 

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Sunday, December 15:

  • Best of 2019 To Come and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, December 16:

  • Release Blitz The Rise of Virginie by Katey Hawthorne
  • Blog Tour Starlight by Lisa Henry
  • Release Blitz Devil’s Hour by Aimee Nicole Walker
  • A MelanieM Review: Angels Sing (Daddy Dearest #2) by Eli Easton
  • A Lucy Review: Stealing Gifts by Mere Rain
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Starlight (Dark Space #3) by Lisa Henry

Tuesday, December 17:

  • Release Blitz – Inheritance (Deadly Curiosities #4) by Gail Z. Martin
  • Release Blitz – What Works For Us by Colette Davison
  • An Alisa Review: What Works For Us by Colette Davison
  • A Lucy Review: This Christmas by J.R. Hart
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Unveiled by Jaime Craig

Wednesday, December 18:

  • BLITZ Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds #8) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott
  • Review Tour – A.E. Via – Prophesy II: The Bringer of Wrath (The King & Alpha Series)
  • Release Blitz – Roe Horvat – The Layover
  • A Stella Review  – A Boyfriend For Christmas by Jay Northcote
  • An Alisa Audio Review Review: Prophesy II: The Bringer of Wrath (The King & Alpha Series) by AE Via

Thursday, December 19:

  • AUDIO BLITZ – A.E. VIA – PROMISES: PART 1 (BOUNTY HUNTERS #1)
  • Release Blitz – Ruby Moone – Dances Long Forgotten
  • An Ashlez Review: Anyone But You by Brien Michaels
  • An Alisa Review: Angels Sing by Eli Easton
  • A MelanieM Review: Boys of Summer (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A.E. Wasp

Friday, December 20:

  • Release Blitz  – RJ Scott & V.L. Locey – Christmas Lights (An Owatonna U Novella)
  • RELEASE BLITZ Nicki’s Fight by Mellanie Rourke
  • An Alisa Review Forbidden Omega by Caitlin Ricci
  • A Chaps Moondrawn Review: Captivating (Elite Protection Services #2) by Onley James
  • A MelanieM Review: Score (Men of Hidden Creek – Season 1, #6) by A.E. Wasp

Saturday, December 21:

A MelanieM Audio Review:  Red Dirt Heart 3 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Check Out the Audio Blitz and Giveaway for His Hart’s Command (Nothing Special VI) by A.E. Via and Aiden Snow (Narrator)

 

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 8hrs 51mins
 
Narrated By: Aiden Snow
 
Nothing Special Series


Book #1 – Nothing Special – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – Embracing His Syn – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #3 – Here Comes Trouble – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 – Don’t Judge – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #5 – Nothing Special V – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

 
Blurb
 

Lennox Freeman (Free) is one of the best hackers in the world which has caused him to spend most of his life on the run. Never able to put down roots, he couldn’t trust anyone not to take advantage of him, even his own family.


Ivan Hart has lived and bled one creed all of his life: To Serve and Protect. His intense focus and determination in law enforcement has led him to finally commanding his own team. He’d worked hard to put together a squad of badasses capable of backing up a very dangerous team of detectives. Being God and Day’s last line of defense came with a lot of responsibility that he took very seriously.


After his divorce was final Hart turned right around and remarried his job. He had his good friends there in the office with him every day, so it was easier to ignore the few quiet hours he spent at home alone each night. He’d settled well into his new routine and was comfortable with it. Then God decided to disrupt everything by hiring another tech specialist for his department. A man whose brains, trendy looks, and voice would leave Hart tongue-tied and captivated at their first introduction.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.


A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.


A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.


Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.


Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

 

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A MelanieM Audio Review: Mr. Frosty Pants (Home for the Holidays #1) by Leta Blake and John Solo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Frosty former friends get a steamy second chance in this Christmas gay romance!

Can true love warm his frozen heart?

When Casey Stevens went away to college four years ago, he ghosted on his straight best friend, Joel Vreeland. He hoped time and distance would lessen the unrequited affection he felt, but all it did was make him miss Joel more. Home for the holidays, Casey hopes they might find a way to be friends again. But Joel’s frosty reception reminds Casey of just how hard he had to fight to be Joel’s friend in the first place. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to get past that cool façade again.

Joel isn’t as straight as Casey believes, and his years of pining for Casey have left him hurting and alone, caring for his abusive father and struggling to get by. Unable to trust anyone except his rescue dog—and with no reason to believe Casey is interested in him for more than a holiday fling—Joel’s icy heart might shatter before it can thaw.

Can Casey and Joel’s love overcome mistrust, parental rejection, class differences, and four long years apart?

Mr. Frosty Pants is a stand-alone, Christmas gay romance by Leta Blake featuring a virgin hero, childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and romantically steamy scenes.

Mr. Frosty Pants (Home for the Holidays #1) by Leta Blake is one of those stories that got better for me in the audio format.  I have to admit that I like my holiday stories to either be unusual in content (i.e., Nordic mythology, twists on Christmas fantasy, etc), or heartwarming contemporary stories.  For me, the  holidays aren’t really the time for angst, angst, and yes, more angst which is how this read for me for one character when I dived into it in eBook form.  I liked it but didn’t enjoy it if you know what i mean.

Then came the opportunity to revisit the story in its new audio format and as I have found in the past, this can sometimes present the book in a new light for me.  And it did for Mr. Frosty Pants because John Solo did such an excellent job of bringing Leta Blake’s layered characters to life.  He gave them a voice that made Joel Vreeland’s angst filled struggles realistic and connectable, I “saw” Joel more this time around, I felt for him more this time around, and somehow, maybe my frame of mind has changed, what had felt unrelenting, now became believable and heartbreaking.

Same goes for Casey Stevens and his nouveau riche family with their high expectations and overbearing ways.  I understood Casey and his battles better this time around.  John Solo’s choice of voices for all the family members highlighting the strained family dynamics so well that it elevates Leta Blake’s narrative and characters, just as it should.  A great partnership in every way.

Mr. Frosty Pants has it share of interesting side characters that I wanted to get to know better and a location that felt real as well.  This author’s touches are everywhere that I have come to expect from her writing!  That includes a heartwarming ending, perfect for the holidays.  Oh, and there is a sweetheart of a dog too.

If you love audiobooks and Christmas stories, put Mr. Frosty Pants (Home for the Holidays #1) by Leta Blake and John Solo (Narrator) on your list of books to listen to.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too.

Cover art is adorable and perfect for the characters for the story.

Sales Links:  Amazon | Audible

Audio Book Details:

Audible Audio, 11 pages
Published November 11th 2019 by Leta Blake Books (first published November 7th 2018)
ASINB08176KCZM
Edition Language English
Series Home for the Holidays #1
setting Tennessee (United States)