Category: Book Reviews

An Ashlez Review: The Academy by Quinn Anderson

Rating – 2.5 stars out of 5
 
True love stabs you in the front.


Nick Steele just wants a normal life, cliché or not. He had one once, back in Chicago. Before his father died and he took a year off from college to grieve. Now, he’s starting fresh at a prestigious—but tiny—Catholic university. Adjusting to small-town life will be a challenge, along with making friends and keeping his scholarship. All he wants to do is blend in, get his diploma, and go back home.

But Sebastian Prinsen—campus heartthrob and a notorious player—has other plans. He notices Nick right away and makes a bet with his two best friends: Who can kiss the new kid first? Nick seems immune to Sebastian’s charms, and yet genuine chemistry sparks between them. Even worse, real feelings do too. Sebastian falls more and more every time Nick blows him off, but if he comes clean about the bet, Nick will hate him forever.

 

The last thing Nick wants is to fall in love while he’s still grieving, but Sebastian feels like home to him. Nick wants that so badly he may ignore the warning signs and risk his fragile heart once more.
 
This book reads like a movie – you have the few main characters who the story is about and then you have side groups – posse as it work – and those characters interactions with the mains, and sometimes their own parts of chapters.  This made for a  very long read – it’s only a 300 page book but it felt much much longer.  Not to say that’s a bad thing but I like stories more cut and dry and to the point – I felt a lot of this book was “filler” as it were.
 
I think Theo is my favourite character – which is strange given Nick/Seb are the mains you’re supposed to have a connection to/feel for.
 
The school atmosphere was fun to read – it was written like I figure a dorm, etc. experience would be like and since I never had that experience it was cool to read it through anothers eyes.
 
Nick – tragic past, not used to $ in a world where the people have a ton in this book – feels like a big fish and hates he’s the subject of gossip
 
Seb – rich of course – struggling family dynamic – arrogant.
 
I think the fact that the book is only 300 pages made me feel a little bad – it took me WEEKS to finish because it felt so long and overfull of information – some chapters/parts would be awesome and others would just be like, why do you have this in here it does nothing for/against the book it’s just there for the sake of it.
 
Overall the book fell flat for me – but I think others might really like it – if you like the school atmosphere, and a cute if not strange romantic relationship this book is good.
 
Cover Art by Garrett Leigh:  just generic art  (2 men on cover) – I think maybe a school background would have been cool you don’t, at all, realize it’s a book about school until you start into it – although the photo itself is adorable.
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 366 pages
Published September 17th 2018 by Riptide Publishing (first published September 15th 2018)
ISBN139781626498440
Edition Language English

An Alisa Review: Promises: The Next Generation (Bounty Hunters #5) by A.E. Via

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

 

Duke Webb has run the most successful bail recovery agency in Atlanta for over twenty years. That’s because he has a team of trained, competent hunters backing him up to keep his name feared on the streets. But Duke knows that nothing can go on forever. His hunters are in committed relationships and ready to settle down, and so is he. That’s what leads him to start his new training program.

 

“That’s the new vision for Dukes. Veterans operating and tracking behind the scenes with a new powerhouse apprehension team on the streets.”

 

Brian and Quick are the first to offer up two new recruits.

 

Kellam Knight has studied martial arts under his sensei, Quick, since he was eight years old. A tossed-out reject from high-society, Kell has a problem fighting on the right side of the law. If he sees an injustice, he has to correct it. He doesn’t have to run and cower from his enemies anymore, he’s a fighter who can protect himself and others. When Quick offers Kell the opportunity to join Duke’s training program, he’s all in. Except he’s not prepared for the straight, over-confident, extremely disciplined, sexy man Brian has recruited to be his partner.

 

Tyrell Jenkins’ world was flipped upside down when his father never returned home from his last deployment. He’d been Ty’s teacher, mentor, his guide to living a righteous life as a good man. His father didn’t raise him to be like every other young, stereotypical male in Atlanta. Instead, he’s been taught to be respectful, to speak the language of real men. When Brian King – his father’s most trusted comrade – finally comes to him with the truth, he doesn’t come alone. He comes with trained men hidden in the shadows… and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a brotherhood unlike any other.

 

I love this series so much.  So the guys are ready to not take such an active role in retrieving their bounties and they are looking to bring in some they think they can trust.  Kell has a problem with acting before he thinks but Quick gives him the opportunity to do something else with himself, he’ll just need to show the other guys he is worthy.  Ty has pretty much been on his own since his father’s deployment, working to support his mother’s care while trying to find his soul mate.

 

Ty’s father taught him such a different way to see the world and others and I just loved it and how much he respected others and how he treated everyone.  Kell has trouble believing anyone would really want him after all that had happened with his father and how stand-offish he is to many but the right man can get past his defenses.

 

I loved how Ty didn’t let the fact the Kell is male keep him from exploring a relationship with him, even if he wasn’t quite ready to admit it.  Kell deserved to be cherished and Ty wasn’t scared to do that or stand up to his stubbornness.  I loved seeing their thoughts and feelings throughout the story and it made it even easier to understand and connect with them.  They worked well together as partners at work and in their personal life and will get so much more time as they live their life together.  I hope Ty’s dedication to Kell and their marriage will put a bug in the other guys’ ears possibly for the future.  I look forward to meeting Dana’s and Ford’s recruits next time.

 

The cover art by Jay Aheer is great and I love how they all are similar in style but still different.

 

Sales Links: Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 315 pages

Published: August 31, 2018 by Via Star Wings Books
Edition Language: English

Series: Bounty Hunters #5

Release Day Blitz Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart & Christina Lee (excerpt and giveaway)

 Of Sunlight and Stardust RDB Banner

OF SUNLIGHT AND STARDUST

RILEY HART & CHRISTINA LEE 

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 09.21.18

Of Sunlight and Stardust Cover  

Cover Design: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

Cover Image: Strangeland Photography

Blurb

After the death of his wife, Tanner Rowe takes a step toward making her dream come true and buys the house with the dilapidated barn she’d been inexplicably drawn to in the picturesque Upper Peninsula. But after a year, he still can’t get past his grief long enough to make the repairs he’d promised.

Recently out of prison, Cole Lachlan has little to his name. Homeless, broke, and without many options as a felon, Cole heads to Red Bluff with hopes of a second chance. There, he meets Tanner, whose loneliness mirrors his own and soon, Cole is trading room and board for rebuilding the burned-out barn on Tanner’s property that hasn’t been touched in seventy years.

Turns out, the barn holds a lot more secrets than either of them could have imagined. After unearthing a hidden journal from 1948, Cole and Tanner spend their evenings poring through the pages and reading about a young man pining after his best friend. As they delve deeper into this forbidden affair from the past, the more Cole and Tanner’s own relationship shifts—from acquaintance to friend…to undeniable attraction.

But as they begin to deal with the newness of falling in love amid Cole’s past and Tanner’s loss, they also become more determined to unravel the mystery of the young lovers who’ve captured their hearts, the rumors about the fire, and what really happened that fateful night.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41579410-of-sunlight-and-stardust

OfSunlightTEASER5

OfSunlightTEASER2

silhouette of shadow man with interstellar in the sky

Excerpt

Tanner’s eyes snapped open. He didn’t know what had woken him so suddenly, but the moment he did, he realized he’d fallen asleep with Cole on the couch, that Cole’s head was on his shoulder.

It was a little weird…and a little not weird…or maybe he was looking for it to be weird or not? As he sat there a moment, focusing on the heat of Cole against him, the feel of his head on his shoulder, it felt good. Christ, Cole felt good to him.

It wasn’t the first time that seeing Cole, touching his skin, studying his hands or his back, felt right. That truth hit him in the gut, so the moment Cole groaned in his sleep and turned his head, Tanner slipped out from under the blanket.

For a moment he considered trying to lay Cole down. Did his knee hurt? Was the position uncomfortable? But he didn’t know how to do it or if he should do it, and he suddenly really fucking needed to get out of the house.

Tanner shoved his feet into his shoes. Thankfully, he was wearing jeans and a tee he’d put on before going to look for Cole last night. His keys were on the kitchen counter, so he swooped them up and quietly sneaked out of the house.

Last night had been…something. How he could breathe easier after the loss of Emma, how much Cole’s friendship meant to him, Tom and Charlie, and falling asleep on the couch. It was…a lot, and he wished like hell he had his fishing supplies so he could go fishing.

So what could he do?

Guilt made his stomach tumble because he knew Cole would wake up and wonder where he was, might even think he’d done something wrong, which he hadn’t. Tanner just didn’t know how to do…whatever he was doing. It was like he was learning how to live again.

He drove around for a little while, taking in the small town he and Emma had loved. What would she think about his friendship with Cole? He knew Emma, and she would be glad Tanner had him, that he’d allowed himself to have someone.

The more he drove, the more he began to feel slightly foolish for leaving the way he had. Who cared if they fell asleep on the couch together? Who cared if having Cole around eased some of the weight in his chest?

So instead of driving around town for no reason, Tanner turned and headed for the general store. He’d get some bacon and eggs, then go home and make breakfast for them.

Riley Hart Logo Banner

Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic, a lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together.

She loves reading, flawed characters, and hanging out with her husband and children, who she adores. She and her family live in Southern California, soaking up the sunshine while also missing seasons. Not a day goes by that she isn’t thankful she gets to wake up and do what she loves.

Life is good. Riley also writes young adult and new adult under the name Nyrae Dawn.

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Once upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.

Now I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I’ve been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn’t until I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.

I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M Contemporary Romance. I’m addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

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Spotlight Blog Tour and Giveaway for Hard Truths by Alex Whitehall

Hard Truths by Alex Whitehall

Riptide Publishing
Cover Art: L.C. Chase

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Hello, everybody! I’m Alex Whitehall, and I’m here today touring for my contemporary m/m romance, Hard Truths, which is about Isaac and Logan’s whirlwind romance, as well as coming out and what family means. But it’s not all angst and drama. In fact, I hope you’ll have as much fun watching these guys fool around as I had making them be goofs.

 

About Hard Truths

He can’t have the family he wants, but he may get the love he deserves.

Isaac didn’t expect to find love at his family’s Christmas dinner, but that was before he met his sister’s new fake boyfriend. Tall, muscular, and tattooed, Logan is what Isaac would love in a partner—and also everything his parents would hate in one. Not that they know Isaac’s gay.

That doesn’t stop him from dating Logan—unbeknownst to his parents, and with his sister’s approval after she fake dumps him. The pair dive into a whirlwind romance of motorcycle rides, cheesy puns, and hot sex. They meet each other’s friends and fill their time with happiness and laughter. It’s all perfect.

Until Isaac suggests they move in together, and Logan asks Isaac to come out to his parents. Isaac wants to, but he’s scared; he doesn’t want to lose his family. Unfortunately, he can’t see that his real family has been right beside him all along.

Available from Riptide Publishing.

 

About Alex Whitehall

If there are two types of people in the world, Alex Whitehall probably isn’t one of them, despite being a person. Their favorite pastimes include reading, horseback riding, sleeping, watching geek-tastic television, knitting, eating, and running. And wasting time on the internet. And spending glorious evenings laughing with friends.

While Alex prefers sleeping over doing anything else (except maybe eating), sometimes they emerge from the cave to be social and to hunt for food at the local market. They can be found blogging, reading, and tending after their aloe plants.

Connect with Alex:

Giveaway

Commenting below will give you a chance to win this mug:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/573454042/oh-for-fox-sake-coffee-mug-custom-fox

This mug appears in Hard Truths as one of the first presents that Isaac buys Logan. It’s similar to a mug I have myself (that my friend bought me and that might have inspired the gift)! The order will be shipped directly from the buyer, so you have to be willing to share your physical address with the buyer and myself. You can choose either size and any of the fox images.

Due to prohibitive shipping costs, this prize is only open to within the US. For international readers, indicate as such and you’ll have a chance to win a digital copy of your choice from my backlist.

Contest closes October 6. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave a means of contact!

 

A MelanieM Review: Thrall by Avon Gale and Roan Parrish

Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5

Dating Sucks & Love Bites 

Happy couple Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra have begun to garner national attention for their quirky New Orleans true-crime podcast, Shadowcast. When Lucy’s brother Harker disappears while researching the popular new dating app Thrall, they’re thrown into a real-life mystery. Aided by their social media expert, Arthur, and Harker’s professor, Van Helsing, they follow the trail, hoping to find Harker before it’s too late.

When their investigation crosses the path of a possible serial killer, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. And as they race against the app’s countdown clock, so does the line between friendship and love. What starts as a flirtatious rivalry between computer-savvy Arthur and techno-averse Van Helsing becomes much more, and Mina and Lucy’s relationship is tested in the fires of social media.

As they get down to the wire, the group discovers that nothing on their screens is as it seems—including their enemy.

 

Well, what a surprising review to write.  I will say upfront that this story came back to me after another reviewer who  simply could not get through 11 percent of it.  Looking at the authors (two favorites of mine) and the story synopsis, I decided to read it.  Their take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula sounded interesting and I’m always up for a new release from them.

Wow, just wow.  I’m beyond astonished.

Whatever interesting themes or storyline these authors may have had is lost in a (at least for two readers here) totally indigestible format.   Whether you are scrambling to gather facts and a storyline through a series of Twitter feeds to the Podcasts of Mina and Lucy or alternating Diary excerpts, the disjointed presentation on whole just loses the reader and, in fact the characters and plot.

How can there be any character development, relationship dynamics, or even storyline flow when there is basically nothing to follow in this fragmented and yes muddled format.  It often comes across as more of a writer’s exercise than an actual novel.

So for me Thrall by Avon Gale and Roan Parrish is an indecipherable read, illegible style wise, born out of an interesting idea for a story and format that, imo, should have stayed in the minds and on the drawing boards of these authors.  The imaginative idea of it is the only reason it got as high a rating as it did.

Cover Art is jarring and would be perfect for a murder podcast.

Sales Links: 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NNhs8v

All other vendors: https://www.books2read.com/u/bazLN6

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 529 pages
Published September 27th 2018 by Philtre Press
ASINB07GY2H67X
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart & Christina Lee

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

When Tanner Rowe purchases a home and barn in rural Michigan, he’s trying to fulfill a promise made to his recently deceased wife, Emma. She’d always been drawn to the place, often remarking that the partially burned and dilapidated barn called to her. Now, Tanner hardly knows where to begin to not only start to renovate the house but to enjoy life again. 

Cole Lachlan is literally living off the land when Tanner runs into him. Homeless and broke, the former convict has been out of prison awhile but he can’t shake his past and is struggling to find work and a place to live. His past follows him wherever he goes, though, so he’s shocked when Tanner offers him work to fix up his barn in exchange for room and board.

Clay finds a journal buried in the floorboards of the barn—a journal that leads them to the story of Tom and Charlie, two young men who lived and loved there in 1948.  Over time, as Tanner and Cole get to know one another better, they read the journal, and like Tom and Charlie, they ultimately fall in love.

A bizarre series of coincidences leads the men to find out more about Tom and Charlie and what really happened to the young men who had plans to leave the area and find a place where they could be free to love. Then, a new problem crops up. Local small-town gossips lead the sheriff to believe Cole is responsible for a theft, and the accusation nearly drives a wedge between the two lovers before the real culprit is found. Between their bizarre dreams of Tom and Charlie and reading the last pages of the journal, Tanner and Cole believe the men may have died in the barn in 1948 and then a shared dream and an out-of-town visitor unexpectedly lead Tanner and Cole to the truth of what happened seventy years before.

Not quite a reincarnation story, but mighty close to it, the underlying theme is love: Tanner’s love for his wife, the love he and Cole begin to feel, and the love for all time that’s carried through seventy years for Tom and Charlie, who are finally put to rest with love and care from those who came to know them.

A beautiful love story, sweet and poignant, emotionally heartwarming and heartbreaking, I very highly recommend this to lovers of MM romance. 

The cover depicts two bare-chested men embracing, one with tattoos, one without. Very attractive and perfect for the MCs in this story.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 269 pages
Published September 18th 2018 by Christina Lee and Riley Hart
ASIN B07HHKN646
Edition Language
English

An Ali Review: Lucky by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Dominic Ramos is a Premiership football player with a secret. There are no trophies for being gay in his game. Locked into his rep as the meanest defender on the pitch, keeping his secret is soul-crushing, but love has no place in his sport, even if his soft heart craves it.

Lucky Coleman is on his knees when he meets a man with more money than sense. It’s a Grindr hook-up for cash, not a love match, but dreaming of his desperate, kind eyes earns a place amongst his numerous bad habits.

Meeting once was risky, twice pushes Dom’s courage to the limit. Losing Lucky seems inevitable, but his tight grip on his image counts for nothing when Lucky starts to fall.

Catching him could cost Dom everything, but if he can set his heart free, getting Lucky long term might be a risk worth taking.

This was a classic Garrett Leigh book.  It was everything I love about her stories.  She’s the queen of taking guys who are at rock bottom in their lives and somehow turning things around for them and giving them a beautiful happily ever after.  This book was no exception.
When we meet these two they are in bad shape.  Dom is a professional football player so he has a good career and money but he is isolated and lonely and drowning in self hate and grief.  He’s in such a bad place he can’t even imagine something better.  Lucky is basically homeless and struggling to eat and find some where safe to sleep.  He’s trying to find a job and he has one friend but he’s turned to Grindr hook-ups for cash when he meets Dom.  And while his issues are different, Lucky also doesn’t have much hope for a better life.
When the two men meet their hook-up is electric.  They are instantly attracted to each other and they begin to cautiously meet up but neither knows anything about the other.  At first they keep things sexual but they quickly become something more to each other.  Despite being each other’s emotional life line they can’t maintain any semblance of a relationship until they deal with their bigger issues.   
 
I loved the writing in this and the connection between these two jumps off of the pages.  You can feel their connection from the very beginning.  There is a slow burn vibe to the book because Dom has to work through his issues.  I’m not a fan of “coming out for you” stories and I’m really glad that the author handled this is a way that showed this was all about Dom and what was best for him.  
 
Despite having very serious topics, this wasn’t especially angsty.  There were some ups and some downs but it all felt realistic and necessary. There was an Easter egg from one of this author’s other books and a set up for the next book in this series, both of which I enjoyed.  Overall, I enjoyed this a lot and think it was another really enjoyable story by Leigh.

Cover Art:  Garrett Leigh @BlackJazzDesigns  Striking and gorgeous.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 282 pages
Published September 18th 2018 by Fox Love Press
ASINB07H55CFYB
Edition LanguageEnglish

Cover Reveal for One-On-One (Cayuga Cougars #5) by V.L. Locey – excerpt and giveaway

 

Add to Goodreads


Cover Design: Rêverie Design & Formatting

 
Cayuga Cougars Series
 
Book #1 – Snap Shot – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – Open Net – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #3 – Coach’s Challenge – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 – Overtime – Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Blurb
 

The past few years have been a bit chaotic for Cougars new associate coach, Lancaster Hart. After an amicable divorce he began living his life as the gay man he’d kept closeted for far too long. With the recent move to Cayuga, he’s away from his support system and properly made sweet tea. Despite a roster filled with new friends and associates, he’s spending his nights alone.


As his team gears up to make a run at the Calder Cup, Lancaster discovers that not everything in upstate New York is wine, woodlands, and chilly conservative ideals. At a summer music festival, he first lays eyes on Townsend Harris, folksy/blues singer by night and mayoral office assistant by day. Lancaster is enraptured with the man’s powerful sultry voice. Also, Town just might be the most beautiful man he has seen in all his forty-one years.


The two hit it off at an informal meet and greet after the show, where they spend the night talking and sipping wine. One evening of conversation and an incendiary goodbye kiss leads them into a scorching love affair that might be exactly what Lancaster has been searching for his whole life. Can his team pull off professionally what he’s hoping to do privately as well? Or will capturing their dream evade both the Cougars and Lancaster?

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.


When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

 

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