Category: Book Reviews

Review Tour and Giveaway for Captain Merric by Rebecca Cohen

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Length: 55,000 words approx.
 
Blurb



A tale of pirates, lost love, and the fight for a happy ending.


After he’s set adrift and left to die by his mutinous crew, the last person Royal Navy officer Daniel Horton expects to come to his rescue is Captain Merric. An infamous pirate, Merric is known as much for stealing his victims’ hearts as their jewels. Daniel’s world is about to be turned upside down when he recognises Captain Merric as none other than Edward Merriston, someone he thought he’d never see again.
Edward can’t believe Daniel Horton is aboard his ship. While Edward is willing to do anything he can to get a second chance at their happy ending, Daniel isn’t interested in digging up the past. But Daniel is one priceless treasure Captain Merric isn’t about to let go of without a fight.


Captain Merric first appeared as short story in a pirate-themed anthology. Now completely rewritten and extended he is ready to set sail again.



April 6 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
April 9 – Open Mind For A Different View
April 10 – The Novel Approach
April 11 – Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Making It Happen
April 12 – Diverse Reader
April 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed
April 14 – MM Good Book Reviews
April 16 – My Booked Filled Life, Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings, Velvetpanic, BooksLaidBareBoys, Bayou Book Junkie
April 17 – Love Bytes

 

Author Bio


Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and young son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other.


Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710
Twitter: http://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes

Giveaway: Drop a comment below to tell me why you love pirates and be entered into the giveaway to win a copy of an ebook from my backlist (excluding the Crofton Chronicles bundle).

 

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review here.  We highly recommend it.

 

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An Alisa Review: Oliris by S. Neff

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Senana Saz Rays has been sentenced to four years of slave labor on prison planet Indiku after assaulting his state appointed psychiatrist. Leaving his lover Rhyan behind on earth, Sena spends his time on the planet Indiku working with the coveted medicinal leeri flowers. Although a slave, he can’t help but find peace in the mundane life he’s lived on the alien planet and the wondrous sightings of the indigenous Zanzi that look so much like mythical earth dragons. Senana is just one year shy of going home and being with Rhyan again when all thoughts of freedom are swiped away as a massive Zanzi takes him from the leeri fields and back to the mountains it calls home.

 

La’el is a proud Zanzi. His only wish was to find a life mate and experience the bond his parents share. When he finally finds him in the leeri fields he doesn’t hesitate to take Sena— even their vast physical differences won’t dissuade the young Zanzi. La’el will do anything to prove to Sena that they are meant to be together, even if he’s unsure how to convince his human mate.

 

Both La’el and Sena are about to find out that there is more between them than either of them could ever imagine. Their bond affects more than just their fate, but also reveals a true evil buried in the heart of Indiku, and all the way back to Earth.

 

This story sucked me in at the very beginning and I loved learning about Indiku from Sena and La’el’s eyes.  However, there was no real indication of the love triangle that would come into play near the end of the book or the large cliffhanger the story ended on.  It wasn’t complete and there isn’t any other indication that there will be another book and if it will come when.  The writing in this story was very well written, it’s just path the story took that I have a problem with.

 

La’el is so happy to find his mate and doesn’t understand why Sena doesn’t feel the same way.  Sena feels a connection to La’el but still thinks about his lover from earth, Rhyan.  When they seek shelter it is Rhyan Sena turns to.

 

I liked the world building in Indiku near the beginning though I didn’t feel like I really learned much about their culture.  La’el wasn’t right just taking Sena the way he did but I could see he was young and very impulsive.  I felt sorry for La’el once they got to earth because now he has to compete with Sena’s previous lover while trying to navigate this new world that Sena has brought him to.  I can’t say I ever really liked Sena, he came off very brash and I never felt he redeemed himself.  Protecting La’el if about the only good thing I felt he did.  We didn’t see much of Rhyan but what I see I didn’t like and then the whole selling dragons thing that was apparently going on, I didn’t learn enough about it but obviously this goes into more problems that are beneath the surface.  I was so upset by the end of the book I’m not sure I will even read it if a follow-up book comes out.

 

The cover art by E Keith and S Neff is nice and I love the two visuals of La’el.

 

Sales Links: Painted Hearts Publishing | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 226 pages

Published: March 1, 2018 by Painted Hearts Publishing

Edition Language: English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This story has moved up to my favorite of the series, and in fact, it’s going on my Best of 2018 list.  Annabeth Albert took several tough-to-get-right topics, among them grief and sexuality, and put them into a poignant story of two young men who struggle to meet the emotional and physical needs of young children who are suddenly orphaned.  The men, Navy SEAL Mark Whitley, aka “Wizard,” the best medic in the field, and Isaiah, aka Ike, a young man who’s crushed on Mark for years, step up to take over the child care when Mark’s sister and Isaiah’s cousin are killed in an auto accident.   Unfortunately, Mark’s sister’s will is five years old and though it names him as the child’s guardian, there are now two more children.  On the other hand, her husband’s recent will names Isaiah as guardian of all the children and states that she agrees. However, without a signature, Isaiah is facing a long battle to get permanent guardianship. 

As with all of this author’s books that feature military characters, the setting and the circumstances are accurate and intriguing.  Wizard is on deployment when he learns of his sister’s death and is sent home on emergency leave where he finds that Isaiah has been on-scene since the accident, caring for the kids and holding off the memorial service for his return.  Originally attracted to the young man six years before, he aborted an intriguing sexual offer from Isaiah who was then much too young for Mark.  But in the meantime, he’s heard stories of Isaiah’s promiscuousness, even with Mark’s buddies, including Ben Tovey (On Point) and aside from the fact that sex doesn’t really interest Mark anyway, sex with Isaiah is most definitely off the books now. 

Days have passed since I finished this story and the characters and plot are still strong and clear in my memory. That alone is a tribute to how much I loved the book. I’ve been procrastinating about writing the review because I can’t find the words to fully express my appreciation of this author’s talent, her research into not only military life, but the intricacies of determining where one falls on the sexuality spectrum.  The sensitivity and concern for accuracy that she shows in the way the topic is presented comes through loud and clear. 

And thankfully, there are no tropes related to nasty relatives, and the children are precious without being overly precocious.  The support Mark receives from his unit and that Isaiah receives from his friends and aunts is wonderful but not overdone.  And the emotional changes in Isaiah’s relationship with his father don’t happen overnight either; they, too, take time to develop and are a welcome outcome of good communication. 

There really aren’t any negatives here for me.  And one other positive of note that needs to be included is the kissing! Ahhh, so satisfying. So sweet.  These two have a very special bond, and for once, I can enjoy a story without the bedroom becoming the most used room in the house.  Just sayin’.  It’s nice to have a romance between two MCs that doesn’t start with a hot and heavy sex encounter. 

I very highly recommend this book.  It can be read as a standalone, though readers should consider the whole series simply due to how outstanding it is.  If your interest is in learning more about Navy SEAL training, child custody issues, demisexuality and asexuality, including gray ace, this story would be perfect for you.   And if you are simply looking for an outstanding MM romance, look no further. 

Cover art: is hot, relevant and wonderful.

Sales Links:   Carina Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 336 pages
Expected publication: April 16th 2018 by Carina Press
Original TitleSquared Away
ASINB0789LDCTR
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesOut of Uniform #5

Davidson King on Personal Balancing Acts and her new release ‘Hug It Out (Haven Hart Universe #2)’ (guest blog, excerpt and giveaway)

 Hug It Out Tour Banner

HUG IT OUT

DAVIDSON KING

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 03.29.18

Hug It Out Cover  

COVER DESIGN: MORNINGSTAR ASHLEY @ Five Star Graphic Designs 

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Davidson King here today blogging about personal responsibilities and being a writer.  Welcome, Davidson.

The Mom. The Writer. The Blogger. The Reader…. The Balance by Davidson King

I wear so many hats and those hats wear hats too. As a mother I have a million responsibilities. I’m the nurse, teacher, nurturer, chef, maid, and the list goes on and on. That will always be the top role my life will ever play. My children will take precedence over everything else. So, while I try to keep balance in my life it is their needs that always tip the scale.

Blogging has been something I’ve been active in for over 4 years now. Diverse Reader brought me into this community and embraced me with so much love and warmth I was always eager to return it. I try always to get the posts out perfectly and on time. But, like me other people’s schedules tend to fluctuate, and it can be stressful when you’re trying to get it all done to your schedule and it doesn’t work out. Hence making that scale teeter.

Writing is my catharsis. It’s releasing the voices in my head to run rampant on the pages. It’s expanding a universe that is desperate to thrive in the imaginations of all who read it. It is here I find my peace. I want more time to do this but like I said earlier it takes the back burner when my kids come calling.

The reader. This tends to only happen at night these days after everyone is tucked away. This is when I get to allow myself to be swept away into other people’s worlds. I love every minute of this.

So, where’s the balance? There isn’t one. I can hope the schedule stays how it is, but it never does. I don’t think anyone has mastered a steady routine without being pulled off course. But, I try to keep myself in as strict a pattern as possible when a moment of uninterrupted space rears its head.

Sometimes I think I wouldn’t know what I’d do if everything went according to plan. Organized chaos is my balance and that’s okay.

BLURB

Riordan Darcy has spent the last fourteen years building a name for himself as a notorious assassin. He travels the world taking the lives of some of the worst humanity has to offer, leaving his signature on every victim.

Riordan becomes unhappy and withdrawn from the world after a job goes horribly wrong and he makes the decision to get out of the life he was forced into, so long ago. When his meddling, older sister gives him a birthday gift that’s impossible to refuse, his plans to leave his life of crime take a backseat when he’s forced to protect the life of a veritable stranger.

When professional hugger and TLC provider, Teddy Harris, is offered a month-long companionship contract, he’s hard pressed to turn it down. Cuddler by day and a video game reviewer by night, Teddy’s need to make people feel loved and cared for is what drives him. When he meets Riordan Darcy, professional challenge and personal temptation collide, making it nearly impossible for him to endure a whole month with the gorgeous, enigmatic man without falling head over heels in love.

When a mole is discovered within Riordan’s organization, relationships are compromised, and people’s lives are in danger. Time isn’t on their side, and they discover answers can’t always be found by hugging it out when someone is hell-bent on eliminating each and every one of them. Can Riordan and Teddy survive long enough to fall in love, or will they die trying?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38531997-hug-it-out

 

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2GqNjbC

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2GKqrHh

 

 Hug It Out Teaser 1

Hug It Out Teaser 2

Hug It Out Teaser 3

EXCERPT

When I opened my eyes, Riordan was watching me. He looked away quickly, but not fast enough. What did he see when he looked at me? A goofy gamer who loved to hug? Did he see the man behind the bunny suit? Maybe he wished I looked more like my friends and less like a nerd.

Odd that this was bothering me. Normally, I didn’t give a shit what people thought. Riordan was a client and I needed to remember that.

“I didn’t mean to be insulting, Teddy, or accusatory. It’s not every day I find out the man hired to keep me company is friends with Christopher Manos’ husband, a man who happens to be a well-known crime boss.” When he lifted his sunglasses and exposed his eyes, I felt better. The barrier was unnerving and reading people was better this way. “In my line of work, people are judged by those they associate with. Too many times, I’ve been right. Hang out with shit and you start to smell.”

Now it was my turn to react. “Snow is not shit. He’s an amazing guy. He may be married to a crime boss, but he’s not like that. He’s my friend because he treats me with respect. Now, I think I will be ending this lunch. You can put it all away. I’ll call a cab to take me home.”

Riordan jumped up when I did. His hands were inches from my arms, yet I could feel them as if they were on me. “Whoa, calm down. I wasn’t calling him shit. Wow.” He chuckled. “You’re a spitfire, huh?” He rubbed his hand over his buzzed head almost like he was nervous. “Here I thought you were all marshmallows and rainbows. It’s nice to see there’s a fire in your belly.”

“Look,” I said as I began putting the food away since it was obvious Riordan wasn’t going to do it. “I want to help you. Aisling hired me, and I know we said we’d give it a week, but I’m not sure it’s going to work. Perhaps you’d be more comfortable with someone else.”

I’d guessed Riordan was gay and called him paranoid. Both assumptions I would have never made with any other client. I also didn’t fight with clients. I was breaking all my own rules and cutting this short would be wise.

“You want to quit because we had a little spat?”

“It’s not a spat.” I tugged the blanket until he got the hint and moved off it. “I work for people who want me there. You don’t. This isn’t about you being a jerk about my friends or dropping me off to park.” I was mid-fold when I turned to give Riordan a sardonic look. “You do realize you pulled into a spot to let me out to find a spot, right?”

I could practically hear Riordan counting to ten as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know. I had to deal with something. I can’t tell you, but…” He inched closer to me, eyes soft and sincere. “I don’t think you’re horrible. Our company is strange, but I like it. Let’s just do the whole month, it’ll be fine, I’m sure. I don’t want to start over with someone else.”

In a gesture almost too sweet, Riordan brushed a curl from my forehead and smiled. “I need you to not ask me about the things I do. I can’t tell you. Ever. But I promise I will relax more and stop being such a jerk.”

I could see the truth in his eyes. I knew calling it quits was probably the right thing to do. We were clashing left and right. He’d try to see things my way, but we’d argue again. But I was a fool sometimes and I really believed I could help him. “Okay. We can stick to the schedule for the month as planned. But if it doesn’t work, if we’re fighting or it’s stressful, we need to break the contract. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

Davidson King Logo

Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.

When she’s not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.

If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she’d tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you’re afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.

Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DavidsonKingAuthor/

Author Group: King’s Court: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DavidsonKingsCourt/

Twitter: @DavidsonKing11

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsonkingauthor/?hl=en

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Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review here…Jeri absolutely recommends it.

BLOG TOUR for Let Me In by Luna David (excerpt and giveaway)

 Let Me In Tour Banner

LET ME IN

LUNA DAVID

M/M EROTIC ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 03.30.18

Let Me In Cover 

 

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley @Five Star Graphic Designs

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2uB7mCD

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2uIV8Ir

 

SYNOPSIS

Twenty-year-old Liam Cavanagh works three dead-end-jobs to take care of his family. He’s been the sole breadwinner since he was fifteen and yearns for a life of his own. Forced to grow up too fast, he carries the burdens of responsibilities that shouldn’t be his, and it’s slowly destroying him. The more he tries to control, the more out of control he feels.

When he gets a hit on a personal ad he placed on The Boys Club app, he shrugs it off as impossible. With nearly 600 miles between him and “Boston Daddy” he knew the odds were against them. Until Boston Daddy’s current boy convinces him otherwise and persuades Liam to take on the role of Daddy’s new boy.

Saying forty-year-old entrepreneur Cash Moreau is having a bad week is an understatement. The man he’s been with for years leaves him for a new job, his own company is in crisis, and to top it all off, a young stranger shows up on his doorstep with all his worldly possessions, claiming to be his new boy. Liam wants a Daddy to depend on, and Cash refuses to believe he’s what’s best for Liam.

Despite their powerful connection, Cash finally pushes Liam away, and the beautiful boy who stole his heart disappears. Soon, Cash realizes what he’s let slip through his fingers. The elusive thing he’s been searching for is Liam, it’s only ever been Liam, and suddenly Cash will move heaven and earth to find what he’s lost. Will he find his boy in time to make things right, or is it too late to let him in?

Let-Me-In-Teaser-#3

Daddy's-Rules-All-10 (003)

Let-Me-In-Teaser-#4 

EXCERPT

Three hours later, he felt Liam stir and glanced over to see him stretch, look at the clock, and grimace. “Sorry I slept so long. Thought I’d just be out for an hour at most.”

Cash squeezed Liam’s thigh and smiled when the boy moved to cover his hand and give it a squeeze in return. Cash pulled off the freeway at the next exit, headed towards a chain restaurant he figured was better than a fast food joint, and pulled into the parking lot. He squeezed Liam’s leg again, unhooked his seatbelt and kissed him softly on the lips, whispering, “Stay right where you are.”

Liam did as he was told, and Cash walked around the car to open his door and help him out. He clasped Liam’s hand and made to turn to lead them to the restaurant’s entrance, but he was stopped when Liam didn’t budge. Turning, a questioning look in his eyes, Cash met Liam’s gaze, saw his rosy cheeks and moved back towards him. He leaned back against the car door and slid his finger in one of Cash’s belt loops, tugging him flush against his body.

Cash slid his arm around Liam’s back and smiled down a him. Liam’s flirtatious smile and sparkling eyes made his smile grow wider. “What is it, boy?”

“The first time it happened, I thought it was because I was hurt. The second time, at the shop, I thought it was because I was taking too long getting my wallet, but you asked me to wait for you this time. Do I need to wait every time I get out of the car?”

Cash couldn’t fully read Liam yet, so he didn’t want to step on his toes, if the boy didn’t like it. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want—”

He stopped when Liam lifted his fingers to his lips to shush him. The boy was adorable when he smiled shyly up and him, and when he said, “Does Daddy want me to wait for him to come help me out of the car?”Cash nearly groaned out loud and pressed his hips into Liam’s so he’d feel what Liam had done to him.

“Yes, boy, I do.”

Liam looked deeply into his eyes, lifted his hands and scratched them through Cash’s beard. Cash couldn’t keep his hips from grinding into Liam’s again. Damn, but the boy was full of surprises. Liam licked his lips and asked, “Are you always going to take such good care of me?”

“Yes. I take care of what’s mine.”

Liam nodded as if his answer had been expected then whispered, “How am I ever going to be able to thank you for being so good to me?”

Cash couldn’t keep the Cheshire grin off his face when he nearly growled, “I’m sure I can come up with something.”

Liam licked his lips and said, “I hope so.”And pushed against Cash’s body enough to have him moving back. Liam clasped his hand and looked up at him when he asked, “Can I get a milkshake, Daddy?”

Cash chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I think you deserve one. Come on. Let’s fatten you up a bit, shall we?”

Liam laughed and nodded. “Yes. Let’s.”

Luna David Logo

Luna David is a true romantic at heart who was fortunate enough to find and marry her soul mate. Most of the time she considers herself lucky to have been blessed with having twins, but they’re giving her a run for her money. She’s a stay at home mom and an author, so when she’s not begging her little monsters to behave, you’ll most likely find her writing.

She loves anything book, coffee or dark chocolate related and can’t think of a better way to pass the time than to combine all three. She reads romance novels voraciously and while she prefers contemporary romantic suspense with strong Alpha males finding their soul mates, she’s a sucker for any romantic story, regardless of genre.

She created the Custos Securities Series because she loves to write what she loves to read. Her books feature strong dominant males and the men they would die protecting. Toss in some BDSM and kink and you’ve got her Catharsis Novel Series and The Boys Club Series. She loves nothing more than making her readers feel a wide range of emotions with her words. And she hopes you enjoy her stories. Happy Reading!

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Spotlight Tour and Giveaway for Once Burned (Anchor Point #6) by L.A. Witt

Once Burned (Anchor Point #6) by L.A. Witt
Riptide Publishing
Cover art: L.C. Chase

About Once Burned

 

Captain Mark Thomas’s world has been tossed on its head: A long overdue but still unexpected divorce. A promotion out of left field. Last-second orders to a ship where careers go to die. As the dust settles in his new home, he barely recognizes his life, but he sure recognizes the loneliness creeping in.

 

Diego Ramírez wants nothing to do with the military or its men. Not after the Navy burned him both literally and figuratively, costing him his career, his health, and ultimately his green card. Now working illegally in an Anchor Point bar, he keeps the military and its personnel at arm’s length.

 

But after a single moment of eye contact across the bar, Mark and Diego can’t resist each other. As a one-night stand quickly turns into more, Diego knows he’s playing with fire. Now he can stick around and let things with Mark inevitably fall apart, or he can run like hell and wonder what might have been. One way or another, Diego knows he’s about to get burned. Again.

 

50% of the author’s royalties from this book will be donated to charities supporting US military veterans who have been deported or are at risk of deportation.

About Anchor Point

 

Welcome to Anchor Point!

 

Nestled on the northern coast of Oregon, this small town is home to Naval Air Station Adams. On base, you’ll find freshly minted Sailors who’ve just graduated boot camp, salty officers counting down till retirement, grounded pilots who’ve landed behind desks, and everyone in between—and they’re all looking for love. Well, not all of them, but that won’t stop love from finding them.

 

So pull up a barstool, grab a beer, and get ready for some sea stories as these men in uniform—or not—navigate the waters of love and life in the military.

 

Anchor Point stories can be enjoyed in any order. Hop in wherever you’d like!

 

About LA Witt

 

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

 

  1. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

Giveaway

 

To celebrate the release of Once Burned, L.A. is giving away reader’s choice of two eBooks off of her backlist! (Excludes Once Burned.) Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 14, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

 

Read Jeri of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Word’s Review Here.

A MelanieM Review: Hangover from Hell (Hangover #1) by Zakarrie Clarke

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

A Hangover from Hell is exactly what greets rock star Callum Carter upon being rudely awoken by his partner, artist Daniel Flynn on the last morning of their ‘On the Road’ trip along Route 66.

They have been together for five years, after meeting when the infamous ‘enfant terrible’ was commissioned to paint Callum’s portrait.

Theirs is a story of lust, laughter and all-consuming love, although this remains a closely kept secret; until the morning they wake up in Las Vegas. Married.

Dan has no memory of this miracle taking place–only one thing seems certain–he has somehow managed to pull off a masterpiece on the mischief front, and inveigled Cal down the aisle..

I enjoyed Hangover from Hell (Hangover #1) by Zakarrie Clarke.  Bad boy rockers, quixotic artist lovers, oodles of miscommunication, and a wonderful premise.  They woke up married in Vegas after being together on the down low for 5 years.  That’s sort of irresistible. I had to know how this ‘unknown to me’ author was going to handle it.

Turns out, after a little disjointed beginning, really well.  We jump right into the morning after and everyone is just waking up from what had to have been a wild and wooly night of sex, drugs and rock n roll.  Then our boys get a look see at the new rings flashing on their hands and tiny spurts of memory of Elvis and a chapel start to come back.  Yes, it’s very funny.

The jumpy, disjointedness comes in recounting who exactly these men are and their history with one another. That part of the narrative could have a more fluid feel to it. That comes in small flashbacks scattered throughout the story while the men are dealing with the ramifications of their marriage in Vegas (that’s turned into a media frenzy).  The whole story actually occurs just over the course of a couple of days.

I thought the author did a great job with the characterizations and the dialog.  Each is easily distinguishable and I loved each man’s personality. Daniel Flynn is a  particular favorite of mine and I could clearly see him as the artist he was written to be.  The same goes for Callum the rocker and they both had genuine chemistry between them.

This is the first in the Hangover series so I’m interested in where the author will take it. That means I’m definitely in line when the next story releases.  In the meantime, I’m recommending Hangover from Hell (Hangover #1) by Zakarrie Clarke to all lovers of contemporary romance and bad boys in love.

Cover art is simple but nice.  I liked it.

Sales Links:  MLR Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1 edition, 276 pages
Published March 9th 2018 by MLR Press (first published March 8th 2018)
Original Title Hangover from Hell
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Hangover #1

A Jeri Review : Hug It Out (Haven Hart Universe #2) by Davidson King

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This book really surprised me. In a good way. I really didn’t expect to like it as much as I did for a couple of reasons. The first was total bias- a new author. She wrote one book before this that I didn’t read because new author. I’ll get to the second.

Teddy is a professional companion and hugger. Yes, you read that right- a hugger. Sounds cheesy, but the more I read into his meanings for starting his business, it totally made sense. And it could have been so cheesy- but it wasn’t. He wasn’t this overly optimistic happy guy. He was just a regular guy with an odd profession.

Riordan can safely be called a vehement non-hugger. In fact, unbeknownst to his family, he is a professional assassin. But after a job goes wrong, he takes a hiatus from the job. But he is holed up in his house, no friends, withdrawing more and more. So his sister hires Teddy to move in and help Riordan for a month.

We should not late Riordan. He is mean and nasty. He kills people for a living. He takes a gruesome souvenir from each of his kills.This is the second reason I didn’t expect to like it. I mean, GRUESOME. And yet…you kind of feel badly for him.

There is absolutely no reason that Teddy and Riordan should work. Total opposites. Warm and fuzzy versus cold and hard. But, they do. Color me shocked.

The plot line was interesting, the sex and relationship were hot and I didn’t figure out who the Big Bad (Buffy reference) was until it was almost revealed.

So I know that this author is a huge MM fan. And to bastardize a Quentin Tarantino quote “she didn’t go to book school, she read books”.

And yes, I am definitely going back to read book 1 and I look forward to book 3.

Cover art while dark seems perfect for the story.

Sales Links:

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2GqNjbC

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2GKqrHh

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Published March 2018
Original TitleHug It Out
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHaven Hart Universe #2