Fickle, Fickle March ~ Its Snowing? This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Fickle, Fickle March Part II ~ Its Snowing?

So remember all that lovely warm weather I was talking about?  Well, out the window it went and here’s comes the first Nor’easter of our winter season.  The meteorologists are calling from anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of accumulated snow here in the metro area, possibly more.  Oh those poor cherry blossoms, to say nothing of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival that draws visitors from around the world.  Yep, those  blossoms will be history, taken down by nature’s blast this week!

And what will that do to our St. Patricks Day parades?  Will they be marching in the snow?  Most likely.

Oh, this mercurial March. Much like love and romance, it blows hot and cold.  It heats up and then quickly can become ice cold.  Then flare up when you least expect it.  I’m hoping for the more heat to melt this coming snow away quickly.

 

Lucky In Love – A St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway!

So new  giveaway for our  readers.  With it being St. Patrick’s Day this week, what are your favorite books with Irish settings, or Irish men and romance in them?  Lists please and  we will post a special St. Patrick’s Day Romance Book List of Love.  Random reader will receive gift card of $10 from Dreamspinner Press.  Please leave a name and email address with your recs!  I will start you off with one that still makes me cry and grabs at my heart every time I read it:

Where the Grass is Greener (Seeds of Tyrone #2) by Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney

And don’t get me started on those magnificent Morgan men of Rhys Ford’s Sinners series.   I’ll add in more when list time comes.  Our  giveaway ends Saturday, March 18th at midnight.  Slainte’! D’fhéadfadh grá i gcónaí a bheith mise!  May love always be yours, in life and in our stories.  I can’t wait to see what books your lists may bring us.

This Week’s Announcements at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

📚~ Reviewers ~We have a new reviewer coming on.  Her name is Julia.  And we’re thrilled to have her here.  Let Julia tell you something about herself:

Hey, there!

I’m Julia, a mid-twenties gay language student from Austria. I love travelling, Japanese curry, Scotland, the sea and anything and all fiction-related. My current passions are writing (mainly short stories and flash fiction) and playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends (where I play as a half-mermaid cleric with a pet pufferfish named Huffl-Puffington Supreme Conqueror of the Northern Seas).

When it comes to literature, I’m basically open for anything that catches my interest in some way. I love books that make me cry, books that make me laugh, books that make me want to ram my head against a wall with spikes protruding from it – as long as a story can get any kind of emotional response out of me, I’m happily along for the ride. That being said, my most-read genre right now would probably be Fantasy and my favourite author Terry Pratchett with his glorious Discworld-series.

Well, I think that should give you a pretty decent picture of myself. Have a lovely day and as a friend of mine once said: Don’t get eaten by a dragon! (Unless they ask nicely and all around seem like a pretty ok-person.^^)

Say hi to Julia and be on the lookout for her reviews to start appearing soon!  We are still looking for reviewers.  So contact us at scatteredthoughtsandroguewords@gmail.com if you love books and want to tell other about them too!

📚~Last Week’s Giveaway ~ He Turned Out To Be What? Contest and the Winners:  Purple Reader (Stella will be in contact with you)

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, March 12:

  • Fickle, Fickle March Part II ~ Its Snowing?
  • This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, March 13:

  • DSP GUEST POST BA Tortuga on Two Cowboys and a Baby
  • DSP GUEST POST Ethan Stone on Wild Instincts (Seaside Shifters: Book Two)
  • Release Day Blitz Shaper by Christine Danse
  • RIPTIDE TOUR BLOG Sons of Devils by Alex Beecroft
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Lickety Split by Damon Suede
  • A Lila Release Day Review: Step by Step by K.C. Wells
  • An Alisa Release Day Review:  Dinner at the Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed

Tuesday, March 14:

  • DSP GUEST POST Andrew Grey on Cleansing Flame (Rekindled Flame #2) by Andrew Grey
  • Release Blitz – Rick R Reed’s Dinner at the Blue Moon Cafe
  • In the Paranormal Spotlight: Insight by Santino Hassell (Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway)
  • A Jeri Review: Danced Close by Annabeth Albert
  • A Stella Review: Momo, My Everything by Posy Roberts
  • A Stella Review: Beneath the Stars by Lynn Charles
  • An Alisa Review: Falling Hard: Stories of Men in Love by Dale Cameron Lowry

Wednesday, March 15:

  • DSP GUEST POST Sarah Madison on Unspeakable Words (The Sixth Sense: Book One) 
  • Release Blitz & Review Tour – K.C. Wells’s  Step By Step
  • Who We Are by Nicola Haken Tour and Review
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Two Cowboys and A Baby by BA Tortuga
  • An Ali Release Day Review:  Sophie by JP Barnaby
  • An Alisa Release Day Review:  Running with the Moon by Kiernan Kelly
  • An Alisa Review: Love by Design by Sam B. Morgan

Thursday, March 16:

  • Release Blitz Tour – The Case Of The Guilty Ghost (End Street Book #6) by RJ Scott and Amber Kell
  • RELEASE BLITZ Between the Secrets by S. Ferguson
  • Release Day Blitz An Officer’s Submission by Christa Tomlinson
  • Release tour Who We Are by Nicola Haken
  • A MelanieM Review:  Who We Are by Nicola Haken
  • Step by Step by KC Wells Release Tour
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:  Fallen Angel by Eden Winters
  • A Stella Review Spark to the Heart (Parkerburg series #4) by Lee Brazil & Havan Fellows

Friday, March 17 – Happy Ēostre or Ostara:

  • Blog Tour for Leaning into the Fall by Lane Hayes
  • Book Blitz Here For Us by AM Arthur
  • A Caryn Review : Bedside Manner by DJ Jamison
  • A Caryn Review: Drinker of Blood (SPECTR Series 2, #3) by Jordan L Hawk
  • A Lila Release Day Review: Falling Into the Black by Caitlin Ricci
  • A Melanie Releases Day Review:  There’s this Guy by Rhys Ford

Saturday, March 18:

  • A MelanieM Audiobook Review: Drama Muscle by Joe Cosentino and Narrator Chip Hurley
  • Blog for the audiobook of DRAMA MUSCLE, the second Nicky and Noah mystery, by Joe Cosentino, performed by Chip Hurley

Audiobook Review Tour For NR Walker’s Red Dirt Heart #2

 



Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK 


Listening Time: 7 hrs 10 mins


Red Dirt Heart #1: Audible US | Audible UK

Blurb

Up until Travis arrived on his doorstep, Charlie had lived a very solitary life. He had surrounded himself with isolation; a couple million acres of red dirt, scorching sun and loneliness.

Six months on, winter has settled over the desert, and Charlie has the life he never dreamed possible. But living and working together, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, for six months straight starts to take its toll.

Charlie is a stubborn, stubborn man, who tends to have more conversations in his head than what comes out his mouth, whereas Travis has no problem saying what’s on his mind. And even as they both struggle to communicate, struggle to make sense of need versus want, Charlie can see that he’s pushing Travis away – yet seems helpless to stop it.

When it all boils down to whether Travis should stay or go, maybe the decision won’t be theirs to make.

Author Bio

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things…but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

 

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A Lila Audiobook Review: Red Dirt Heart #2 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

red-dirt-heart-2-audiobookUp until Travis arrived on his doorstep, Charlie had lived a very solitary life. He had surrounded himself with isolation; a couple million acres of red dirt, scorching sun and loneliness.

Six months on, winter has settled over the desert, and Charlie has the life he never dreamed possible. But living and working together, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, for six months straight starts to take its toll.

Charlie is a stubborn, stubborn man, who tends to have more conversations in his head than what comes out his mouth, whereas Travis has no problem saying what’s on his mind. And even as they both struggle to communicate, struggle to make sense of need versus want, Charlie can see that he’s pushing Travis away – yet seems helpless to stop it.

When it all boils down to whether Travis should stay or go, maybe the decision won’t be theirs to make.

Red Dirt Heart 2 looks into Travis’s and Charlie’s relationship months after they became a couple. They’re cautious, but every day gives them an opportunity to learn more about the other. Solidifying their decision to be together.

I like how their relationship moved forward and how they integrated it to their everyday chores. Finding that combination between life and work took them a while but it became central to the book. I’m not a fan of stories in which the main characters had trouble or break up just to add more books to a series. So, I’m glad it was more to this second book than relationship issues.

This is a sweeter, warmer story. It seems slow in parts, but it shows how relationships really work. We get to see Travis and Charlie getting comfortable in their skins and with their relationship. Just like before, Travis helps Charlie be a better man and in return, Charlie shows Travis the beauty of small acts of love.

Book two is raw and filled with emotion, not only from the MCs but from the rest of the cast. They all play an important part in Travis’s and Charlie’s future and added color to their days. There are very sad moments, but the happiness around Sutton Station compensates for it. Keep an eye open for unexpected guests and lovely quiet times.

Joel Leslie continued to impress me with the narration. It was up-to-spot, not missing a single beat from the previous installment. He gives the characters more than a voice, he makes them real. It’s hard to imagine than Sutton Station doesn’t house all these characters in real life. It’s like they came together to tell us their stories.

Another fitting cover by Sara York. Just like book #1, the cover makes more sense after you read the book.

Sales Links:  Amazon | iTunes | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Joel Leslie
Length: 7 hours 10 minutes
Published: January 18, 2017 (Audio Edition) by Love Lane Books
ASIN: B01N9RLT2B
Edition Language: English

Series: Red Dirt
Book #1: Red Dirt Heart
Book #2: Red Dirt Heart 2

 

A Lila Audiobook Review: Red Dirt Heart #1 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

red-dirt-heart-1-audioWelcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.

Charlie Sutton runs Sutton Station the only way he knows how; the way his father did before him. Determined to keep his head down and his heart in check, Charlie swears the red dirt that surrounds him – isolates him – runs through his veins.

American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives at Sutton Station to see how farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth. But it’s not the barren, brutal and totally beautiful landscapes that capture him so completely, it’s the man with the red dirt heart.

Red Dirt Heart is an intense story about two men learning to love and accept each other. Their differences played tug-of-war with their feelings, creating more problems that they expected. Falling in love might not have been part of their plan, but the “lost in translation” effect added to the magic.

I normally wait until the end of the review to talk about the narrator, but this is about the audio version after all. This is my first story by Joel Leslie and I need to accept that I had to listen to the opening scene several times to get used to the different voices he created. I do have a very strong accent so I know how hard is for others to understand something they’re not used to, but after the initial shock, I can’t imagine reading the actual books. I’m waiting for the rest of the series to be released in audio. Charlie Sutton is now too real to be set aside. When you say that you can imagine visiting an area to meet the characters from a book, this is one of them. I’d love to travel to Sutton Station.

One thing, though, I wasn’t much into the female voices and Travis made me think of Bill Clinton. Sorry but it’s true. I listened to Clinton’s audiobooks and the accents are similar. I do live in Texas, but that cowboy had an Arkansan twang. 🙂

Travis’s and Charlie’s story isn’t an easy one. We get it from the very beginning with Travis’s arrival and how it changed Charlie’s view. We see how they struggled with what they wanted, especially Charlie, and what they were willing to do to get their happiness.

This is a very well-written story with much more than a simple romance plot. It’s a travel story with enough details about the Australian outback to make the reader want to visit. I’m not going to spoil the events that brought them together, but it was all worth it. Every single detail that might seem unnecessary, added another layer.

Definitely, a great story. One that’s not going to get dated over the years. The topics are universal and relevant no matter the times.

The cover by Sara York seems generic at first sight but after you read the story, you will see that it’s perfect for this book.

Sales Links:  Amazon | iTunes | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Joel Leslie
Length: 5 hours 7 minutes
Published: July 4, 2016 (Audio Edition) by Love Lane Books
ASIN: B01HU3WTHQ
Edition Language: English

Series: Red Dirt
Book #1: Red Dirt Heart

 

Looking for New Reviewers to Join Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Looking for New Reviewers for

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Do you love to read?  Can’t wait to share your thoughts on the books you just read?  Or maybe the books you just listened to?  Ebook and Audiobooks included!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is looking for new reviewers to join our family. Get in touch with us at scatteredthoughtsandroguewords@gmail.com if you love books and like to share your thoughts about them with others. Send links to your reviews if you are already reviewing here. YA,New Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Sci Fy, you name the genre, and any coupling as long as its LGBTQIA.  Maybe you like LGBTQIA Non fiction or graphic novels.  That would be cool.  Have a busy schedule?  We’ll work with you.  We don’t pressure you to take more books then you want or can handle.

We supply the books, you supply the review. We are flexible with schedules and the amount of books each person needs to review. Let’s talk! Send all inquiries and links to reviews if you have them to scatteredthoughtsandroguewords@gmail.com

Can’t wait to hear from you!

Fickle, Fickle, March and Love and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

crocuses-in-snow

Fickle, Fickle March & Love

Ah March!  So fickle, so surprising!  Here in Maryland, we had almost 80 degree weather two days ago.  Flowers were blooming as were trees including the famed cherry trees.  Pollen counts were up!  Thoughts of gardening danced in my head as emails from local garden markets flew into my mailbox announcing they were opening early this season!  Then yesterday here came the snow and the plunging temperatures, forcing all those happy plans right out of the mind, reminding me that yes, its way too early for all those wonderful outside type endeavors.  March is often a smack of reality.  A gentle breeze followed by gale force winds.  A lovely day of sunshine that’s tipped on its head by hail and a foot of snow.  You never know quite what a day in March will bring.

Sometimes love is like that too.

A simple date that turns into something more.  A summer fling that becomes that love you can never forget.  And in the case of some of our favorite stories, that man you met might just turn into something unexpected.  Maybe a wolf, panther, owl, lion, or even in a story that still has me laughing a sloth.  Maybe he’s an alien instead of a were! Angel or demon? Dragon or ancient eternal knight? Oh, how I love those stories.  And judging from the Best of Lists, so do all of you.  So here goes our giveaway for this week.

goatman-of-maryland

~This Week’s Giveaway ~ He Turned Out To Be What? Contest

What stories are on your He Turned Out To Be What? List.  The books can be supernatural, science fiction, alternate universe,whatever.  Its just that one of the main couple has to be a surprise in one way to the other.  He can be warlock, alien or were ~ is there another category I’m missing?  Sexuality is out.  We are talking different being here, magical entity, demon, different were than the other.  That’s cool too.  I’m hoping  for some new stories that I haven’t read here.  Dolphins, Meerkats, all good.  Go for it!    Two random readers who submit lists will be chosen to receive a $10 gift certificate.   Giveaway ends Saturday, March 11th at midnight.Get Kraken! lol

Announcement clip art

Winner Announcement

New Love, New Beginnings Love Story Giveaway winners are:

 DSP gift Card:  jenf27 and H.B.  Congratulations both of you

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

fangs-like-me-by-lyssa-deringred-dirt-heart-1-audiothe-otto-digmore-differenceyou-had-me-at-hero-by-michael-p-thomas

Sunday, March 5:

  • Fickle, Fickle, March and Love (This Week’s Giveaway)
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is Looking For Reviewers

Monday, March 6:

  • DSP GUEST POST Lucie Archer on My Paradise is You
  • Audiobook Review Tour For NR Walker’s Red Dirt Heart #2
  • Release Day Blitz:  The Broken Butterfly by Caitlin Ricci
  • Retro Review Tour – Garrett Leigh – Misfits (Urban Soul #1) 
  • FreeDreamer Review: Misfits (Urban Soul #1) by Garrett Leigh
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Red Dirt Heart #1 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)
  • A Lila Audiobook Review:  Red Dirt Heart #2 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)
  • A VVivacious Release Day Review: Talking in Code by Ariel Tachna

Tuesday, March 7:

  • DSP GUEST POST Sean Michael on Just the Right Notes
  • A Caryn YA Release Day Review: Driven by MB Mulhall
  • A Lila Release Day Review: The Mystery of the Curiosities (Snow & Winter #2) by C.S. Poe
  • A Paul B Review: The Chain of Their Sins (Taking Shield #4) by Anna Butler
  • A Stella Review:  Momo, My Everything by Posy Roberts
  • An Alisa Review: Rough Edges by Cardeno C

Wednesday, March 8:

  • DSP GUEST POST Marek Moran on The Sparky
  • DSP GUEST POST CC Bridges on Love in the Time of Hurricanes
  • A Jeri Review: After the Fire by Felice Stevens
  • A Stella Review: Beneath the Stars  by Lynn Charles
  • A VVivacious Release Day Review:  Shaper by Christine Danse
  • An Ali Release Day Review: Darkness (Common Law book 3) by Kate Sherwood

Thursday, March 9:

  • GUEST POST Skylar M Cates on Secrets of You
  • Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway: Darkness (Common Law book 3) by Kate Sherwood
  • A Paul B Review: The Otto Digmore Difference (The Otto Digmore Series #1) by Brent Hartinger
  • A Vvivacious Review: Insight by Santino Hassell
  • An Alisa Review:  Fangs Like Me by Lyssa Dering

Friday, March 10:

  • COVER REVEAL: Separation by Louise Lyons
  • INTERLUDE PRESS TOUR Ghosts & Ashes by FT Lukens
  • Release Blitz for Bedside Manner by DJ Jamison
  • A VVivacious Review: You Had Me at Hero by Michael P. Thomas
  • An Ali Review: We Three Kings by AF Henley
  • An Alisa Review: Hunter by Dakota Storm
  • A Stella Review: Three Hearts by Grace R. Duncan

Saturday, March 11:

  • Blog Tour: Audiobook of DRAMA MUSCLE (Nicky and Noah mystery #2) by Joe Cosentino, performed by Chip Hurley
  • A MelanieM Review: Dragon Soldier by Mell Eight
  • A MelanieM Audiobook Review:  DRAMA MUSCLE (Nicky and Noah mystery #2) by Joe Cosentino, performed by Chip Hurley

 

talkingincodefs_v1the-mystery-of-the-curiosities-by-c-s-poehunter-by-dakota-stormdriven-by-mb-mulhall

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Romancing the Wrong Twin by Clare London and Rusty Topsfield (Narrator)

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

romancing-the-wrong-twin-audioHow tangled can a romantic web get?

 

When gruff mountaineer Dominic Hartington-George seeks sponsorship for his latest expedition, his London PA insists on a more media-friendly profile—like dating celebrity supermodel Zeb Z.

 

Zeb can’t make the date, so he asks his identical twin, Aidan, to stand in for just one evening. Aidan, a struggling playwright, shuns the limelight to the extent people don’t even know Zeb has a sibling, but he reluctantly agrees.

 

When the deception has to continue beyond the first date, Aidan fights to keep up the pretense. Dominic likes his sassy, intelligent companion, and Aidan starts falling for the forthright explorer. But how long can Aidan’s conscience cope as confusion abounds? Will coming clean as “the other twin” destroy the trust they’ve built?

 

So… I had a hard time with this story.  I thought the concept was interesting, but had trouble with some of the execution.  Dominic is forced into a PR relationship to help him get a sponsorship deal and Aiden stands in for his supermodel brother when Zeb can’t make it.

 

I understood both Dominic’s and Aiden’s points of view in the story, but had a hard time connecting with the characters.  Throughout the story it just seemed that they would both internally whine about their situations or the people around them and to me it made them quite off putting.  While we see them both jump into a physical relationship without much talk about the future and feelings, I can understand their feelings being hurt through misunderstanding, but didn’t really feel the characters emotions.

 

Rusty Topsfield did a nice job narrating this story.  I was able to keep track of the story and characters which is always nice.  I didn’t like some of the voices he had for characters and a few secondary ones seemed quite similar, but the whiny quality of some of the voices he used along with the whininess of the characters didn’t help.

 

Cover art by Bree Archer is nice and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links: Dreamspinner PressAudible | Amazon |  iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 6hrs 21min
Published January 3, 2017 (ebook first published November 1, 2016) by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language: English

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Kieran: The Atherton Pack 4 By Toni Griffin and Nick Flint (Narrator)

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

ap4-kieran-audio6x6_orig“You need to go to Atherton,” they said. Easy for them. The higher-ups at headquarters don’t have their whole world on the line. When Detective Damon Kelly’s bosses send him across the state on a “simple” cyber fraud case, he never thinks he’d meet his mate, then risk losing Kieran by doing his job. No matter what other possible angles Damon works, his partner Grant Davis is sure Kieran’s best friend Corey’s their guy, and Grant is bent on bringing him in.

 

After the birth of their Alpha’s son, the Atherton Pack needs another beta. Kieran Baxter couldn’t be happier to accept. What Kieran doesn’t expect is for all hell to break loose his first week on the job. Clashing with his mate at every turn, and fighting a human cop who wants to arrest Corey for hacking a government database, wasn’t part of the plan either.

 

As more evidence piles up, a bigger, scarier picture comes into focus that could threaten not only the Atherton Pack, but everything the world knows.

 

This was another great addition to the Atherton Pack series.  Damon is thrown for a loop when he meets his mate while investigating his mate’s best friend while also trying to guide his work partner away from the obvious suspect.  Kieran is excited to meet his mate, but doesn’t know how to reconcile his friendship with his mate’s job.  A lot of other things went on than just Damon and Kieran’s relationship and I can’t wait to see how all the changes in the world of shifters will affect the future books.

 

Damon is determined to do the right thing with his job, while also leading them away from the truth in order to keep the pack safe.  When he is forced to take drastic measures to keep his mate and other shifters safe he hopes it will all work out.  Throughout this story I could feel how conflicted Damon was with his job and mate knowing what he had to do, but he was determined to have a relationship with Kieran despite everything.  Kieran has a lot of trouble accepting the situation he has been put in and knows he has to look at things from all sides to get the whole story.  These two went about the opposite of the others and jumped into sex and then have to learn to make everything work after the fact.

 

Nick Flint did a wonderful job again narrating this story.  I was able to understand the characters through the voices and emotions he portrayed.  We saw a lot more characters points of view in this story and he easily kept them each unique so there wasn’t any mix up what was going on.

 

Cover art is wonderful and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 7 hrs 27 min
Published: January 6, 2017 (ebook, published October 19, 2016) by Mischief Corner Books
Edition Language: English

Series: The Atherton Pack #4

An Ali Audiobook Review: Everything Changes (Resilient Love #1) by Melanie Hansen and Robert Nieman (Narrator)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
everything-changes-audioWhat happens when friendship catches fire? 

Former Marine and lower-leg amputee Carey Everett keeps a grueling schedule of counseling fellow war veterans and their families. The injury he received in Afghanistan forces him to rely on a reserve of strength he didn’t even know he had. A much deserved vacation will let him reconnect with his best friend, who saved his life and has been there for him through devastating injury and painful recovery. 

Part-time EMT and aspiring singer Jase DeSantis has been in love with Carey for years, but he’s come to accept that his straight friend will never be able to offer more. Jase fills his days with band rehearsals, ambulance shifts, and willing groupies, all while trying to cope with debilitating PTSD. 

A week of sun, fun, and music in San Diego changes Jase and Carey’s lives forever when their relationship takes an unexpected turn. Jase has been longing for that change, but it leaves Carey reeling with confusion. As Jase fights to hold things together, Carey deals with doubts, fears, and his own preconceived notions about labels and the true nature of love.
I really liked this. It had a bunch of my favorite things….friends to lovers, hurt/comfort and some fantastic dirty talking.  The story mostly takes places in the present but there are some flashbacks to their time in Afghanistan.  When the story begins they’ve been through a lot and have not visited each other in awhile although they talk on the phone frequently.  What is supposed to be an average visit turns in to them becoming physical with each other.  While Jase has known for a long time that he loves Carey, Carey identifies as straight and has never thought about crossing from friends to lovers.
As the story goes on Carey admits that he cares deeply for Jase but he really struggles with what it would mean for his life should he begin to identify as bisexual or gay.  I think this part of the story was really well done and I felt it was a very realistic situation.  They have a great foundation of friendship and they’re the rocks in each other’s lives.  It makes sense that it would turn into a physical one.
I especially liked how well these two communicated with each other. There were some bumps in the road but they were open and honest about it. I wish we’d see that more in stories.  I can’t imagine you could make such big changes in your life without having some things to think through and I loved how they talked about this every step of the way.
This book was narrated by Robert Nieman and I thought he did a great job.  He did a good job on both of the MC’s as well as the side characters. He happens to be one of my favorite narrators in this genre so I was pleased to see he was doing this book.  
This was my first time reading this author and I’m looking forward to reading more by her.  I plan to move on to the other books in this series as soon as possible.  I also loved the narration and if you enjoy audiobooks then I definitely recommend this media.
Cover art by Natasha Snow Designs works perfectly for the story and characters.
Sales Links
Audiobook Details:
Audiobook
Published January 12th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 13th 2015)
ASINB01N20ODJP
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesResilient Love #1

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Open Road by M.J. O’Shea and Robbie D (Narrator)

Rating: 1 star for the audiobook and 4.5 stars for the e-book—overall 4 stars

open-road-audiobookI was asked to review the audiobook edition of this story, but I have to say up front that I had to DNF it within the first hour. I couldn’t stand the voices the narrator was using. They were so over-the-top flamboyant and campy that I felt they were insulting to my friends who are gay. They fed a stereotype that I oppose using. So, the narration didn’t deserve more than one star.

That being said, I’ve enjoyed MJ O’Shea’s work in the past, and the premise of this story was intriguing so I went to the e-book copy I had previously purchased and was unread in my “TBR library,” and I’m so glad I did because this story was a wonderful love story between two men who’ve been friends all their lives, and slowly but surely, become lovers over the course of their “road trip” together.

On his thirtieth birthday, Angus is dumped by his lover of ten years, and it sets him off on a bender that becomes so bad he loses both his job and his apartment. It isn’t until he finally checks on him that his BFF, Reece, takes matters into his own hands. Feeling guilty because he should have realized silence from Angus signaled something was very wrong, Reece not only makes plans to move Angus in with him, he also makes the arrangements to take Angus away for a few days.

The thin, wan ghostly appearance of his BFF is shocking enough, but add to that the fact that the usually bright and bubbly Angus isn’t even speaking, and Reece knows he’ll need all the patience in the world to help the man he secretly loves back to his former state. Reece would do anything for Angus, and this story shows just how much he does. It also reveals the journey Angus has to make to come back from the depths of despair. Deciding to extend their initial trip from Oregon to California by a few more days, the two men head to Vegas. Another extension takes them to New Orleans, and so it goes as they make their way across country.

Angus is living on his savings from his former job, but Reece is a book editor and is financing most of the trip as well as working remotely on his laptop once in a while. And this is the only quirk I had with the story. I’m an editor, and to be honest, in my experience, editors don’t earn enough to make it across the state—never mind the country! LOL

Regardless, the story is so wonderful that I can be kind and overlook that little issue. These men are so endearing—Reece so strong and supportive and Angus so sweet and adorable. It’s a match made in heaven—or by a romance author. If you are interested in friends-to-lovers romances, or simply enjoy a sweet MM romance, by all means, pick this up. Just make sure you do it in e-book, not audio.
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The cover art by L.C. Chase depicts a road fading into the distance with a muscular man in sleeveless T-shirt staring off toward the end. Very appropriate for this story.

Sales Links

eBook & Audiobook Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published July 25th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleOpen Road
ISBN 1634773160 (ISBN13: 9781634773164)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Audiobook
Published January 11th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press (first published July 25th 2016)
Original TitleOpen Road
ASINB01N9PWGM

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