Category: Contemporary fiction

A Stella Review: My Anti-Valentine (My Anti-Series #1) by D.J. Jamison

RATING 3,75 out of 5 stars

 

Jaded by relationships gone wrong, Bret throws an anti-Valentine’s Day party to celebrate being single and burn his ex-boyfriends belongings. Who needs a commercialized holiday that only serves to make you feel bad about your relationship status, anyway? But not everyone at his party agrees. The cute blond guy who could be a member of a boy band challenges Bret, calling him bitter, and the truth comes spilling out: Bret’s low interest in sex has destroyed every relationship he’s had and tarnished his view of romance.

Harry is tired of fast hook-ups and meaningless sex, but finding a guy who wants a serious commitment has been a challenge. When he meets the cute hipster throwing an anti-Valentine’s Day party, he’s immediately charmed. But when he learns Bret is graysexual — willing to have sex only occasionally in the right circumstances — he’s leery of making promises he can’t keep. He doesn’t want to break Bret’s heart or his own, but can he really walk away from a chance at real love?

 

My Anti-Valentine was a lovely surprise. I like stories and series like this one, short, sweet and funny. And with a different main couple for each book. This first novella is about Bret and Harry, both of them looking for the right guy and not someone who can’t accept and stay with them. Especially Bret has resigned himself to be alone, sure no one will ever want to understand him and his newfound greysexuality. But when Bret meets Harry at the anti-valentine’s party Bret has organized, something click between them and new beginnings can be built.

I found this novella well written and super easy to read, quick and with positive vibes. It was a joy to read it and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It’s short and although I have to say too many times I am not satisfied with what I get from short stories, My Anti-Valentine worked great and I can’t wait to meet these guys in the next installment and the new couple too, who will be?

The cover art by Lucas Soltow is different, that’s why I like it.

SALES LINK:  Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 66 pages

Published January 21st 2017 by DJ Jamison

ASIN B01MSA8Q13

Edition Language Engli

An Ali Review: Behind the Lights (Social Sinners #1) by T.L. Travis

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Joey Hayes, Ricky “Stoli” Branson, Mickey Payne and Ethan “Diamond” Taylor are the members of the metal band Social Sinners. They’re a tight knit group. They fight like brothers, they love like brothers, they even share like brothers. When one of them hurts, they all hurt even when it comes to matters of the heart.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me at all.  It was filled with details of what ( at least to me) was completely unnecessary information.  It goes back in time to when the guys are little and then how they eventually meet and form a band.  I understood what the author was trying to do but it was not holding my interest.  It went on and on about what they ate, what toys they played with, what their Halloween costumes were, etc.  It was very slow and I felt myself getting distracted multiple times.  I would not have finished this had it have not been a review book.   I was hoping that it would pique my interest more towards the end was they were grown but it didn’t.  The writing style just did not work for me.

Cover:  I like the cover a lot.  It was what caught my eye and made me want to read this book.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 172 pages
Published June 9th 2018 by Encompass Ink
ASINB07CX4PKPK
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSocial Sinners #1

SERIES REVIEW TOUR for Shoes and Ties by Jena Wade (excerpt and giveaway)

SERIES REVIEW TOUR

Book 1

Book Title: Shoes & Ties (Shoes and Ties #1)

Author: Jena Wade

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Silver Heart Design

Genre/s: gay contemporary romance

Length:   33 000 words

Goodreads 

Blurb

Ashten Brody is a chef fresh out of college. He lands his dream job working as a personal chef to Trent Cole, local luxury hotel owner. As it turns out, Trent is also his dream man.

After working together, the two are unable to deny their attraction. One late night they can’t hold back any longer. Too bad Ashten rushes off soon after. 

In the weeks that follow, it appears to Ashten that he has landed his dream man and his dream job. He and Trent appear to be on the path to a serious relationship and life-long happiness. Life seems to be just too perfect…

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Excerpt

Ashten Brody smoothed his hands down the front of his suit one more time. He hadn’t expected Trent Cole’s security guards to frisk him at the door. The man ran a luxury hotel in North Carolina. It wasn’t like he was a celebrity. Though he had the appearance of one.

As flustered as he was now, Ashten was confident that he was the right person to be Trent’s new personal chef. He was not confident, however, that Mr. Cole would hire him. He’d only just finished his degree in culinary arts and hospitality management. He was young and green, but he wanted this job and would do anything to get it. Well, that was a slight exaggeration, but he would wear a bland, conservative suit complete with a tie and jacket if it helped him beat out the competition.

The elevator pinged, and he took a deep breath as he stepped out, still in awe that he had gotten an interview. The main office was located on the top floor of the ten-story hotel—convenient if Trent ever worked late and needed to crash at the office.

Finding the secretary easily, Ashten stood next to her desk and patiently waited for her to finish her phone call. The lobby area was comfortable, with decor that matched the rest of the hotel. Doors lined the walls, and a few windows revealed the insides of conference rooms and small offices. Ashten rested his hands on the mahogany horseshoe desk. It was large enough to fill his old apartment.

“May I help you?” Annette, as her nameplate said, asked as she hung up the phone.

“I have an interview scheduled with Mr. Cole. I’m a bit early. My name is Ashten Brody.” His voice sounded calmer than he felt. It was important to make a good impression on the secretary, though; they were the ones who ran the whole office.

The secretary raised her brow. She opened her mouth to speak, but the elevator at the opposite end of the room dinged, and Mr. Cole stepped onto the floor, a deep scowl etched on his handsome face. Ashten’s breath hitched in his throat. He bit his lip, pain stopping any reaction his cock might have had to the man capturing his attention. The pictures he’d found in his Internet search hadn’t done the man justice. Trent Cole oozed confidence. Ashten’s eyes followed him as he crossed the floor. A touch of afternoon stubble shaded his strong jaw, and his tailored suit outlined his broad shoulders perfectly. The open jacket revealed lean hips, which brought Ashten’s tongue out to wet his lips. Trent walked directly past the desk, not bothering to glance at Ashten or Annette. Everyone in the office moved faster and looked busier now that the boss was in the room.

“Annette, please send in the applicants as they arrive. The sooner I get these interviews over with, the sooner I can get back to real work. Thanks.” Without waiting for a reply, he stepped inside his office, leaving the door wide open.

Ashten’s face heated, and his heart pounded. He rolled his shoulders back to try to get ahold of himself.

“Go right in, dear. Good luck.” Annette gave him an encouraging grin.

Ashten flashed a broad smile. “Thank you, ma’am.” He turned and walked toward the open door.

Book 2

Book Title: Lumber & Law (Shoes and Ties #2)

Author: Jena Wade

Publisher: Self-Published 

Cover Artist: Silver Heart Design

Genre/s: gay contemporary romance

Length:  29 000 words 

Goodreads  

Blurb

A few months after his brother’s accident, Jesse Brody can’t stop thinking about Troy Evans, the police office that helped solve the case. Even though Troy almost had to arrest him, Jesse is sure he has a shot at a date.

The two meet by chance and share a nice dinner at Jesse’s apartment, which ends with Jesse all over Troy’s lap. Though he isn’t out at work, Troy agrees to give a relationship with Jesse a chance.

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Excerpt

Jesse settled onto his usual park bench. The warm sun beat down on his back through his T-shirt as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. Runners and walkers passed him without a glance. The happy chatter of Frisbee games and families sitting on outspread picnic blankets filled the air.

Taking a deep breath, he touched the tablet in his hand, pulling up today’s news. He checked the time and tapped his foot against the concrete of the running path. His reason for being here today and every Sunday for the past six months had yet to show.

Any minute now Troy Evans would jog by, his golden retriever following closely behind him.

Jesse ran his fingers though his hair and glanced around the park. Annoyance prickled at his skin. Until his twin brother, Ashten, had been attacked three months ago, he hadn’t even known Troy’s name. It was just by chance that Detective Evans had been on duty when the police were called to investigate Ashten’s hit-and-run assault. In the week that followed, Jesse and Troy had spoken over the phone and occasionally met at the precinct to discuss the case. Since the woman responsible for hitting Ashten had been arrested, Jesse hadn’t spoken with Troy.

A knot formed in Jesse’s gut as he remembered why he never tried to contact the man again. When he’d found Trent, Ashten’s boyfriend, and Troy together, he’d assumed the worst. Jealousy and anger had spurred violence in him he didn’t know he had. Anger because it appeared as if Trent could replace Ashten so easily, and jealousy because he’d replaced him with the one man Jesse wanted.

Jesse had punched Trent square in the jaw.

Shame filled him at the memory. He’d read the situation completely wrong, and he’d looked like a fool because of it. Had Troy not threatened to arrest him, he might’ve messed up their little sting operation further, and Ashten’s assailant wouldn’t have been arrested that day.

It had only been a few months earlier that Jesse had seen Troy jog by at the park. He’d been mesmerized by the man’s movement. Troy had worn blue basketball shorts and a tank top that stretched nicely across his chiseled chest and abs. Jesse hadn’t hidden his admiration for the man very well. His neck craned until he had to stand in order to continue watching his magnificent form.

The man never noticed him.

Book 3

Book Title: Forever & Always (Shoes and Ties #3)

Author: Jena Wade

Publisher: Self-Published 

Cover Artist: Silver Heart Design

Genre/s: gay contemporary romance

Length: 8 000 words 

Goodreads 

Blurb

Now that they’re living in their Happily Ever After, Ashten, Trent, Troy, and Jesse are ready to take the next step. 
But what happens when the twins choose the same wedding date? May the best couple win…

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About the Author 

Jena began writing in January of 2013 as a New Year’s Resolution–and so far she has stuck to it!

She lives in Michigan. By day she works as a web developer, and at night she writes. Born and raised on a farm, she spends most of her free time outdoors, playing in the garden, or riding her horses. She also helps run the family dairy farm.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Twitter

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win an ebook from Jena Wade’s backlist.

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SERIES REVIEW TOUR SCHEDULE

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Release Blitz – Behind The Lights (Social Sinners #1) by TL Travis

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 172 pages
 
Blurb
 

Joey Hayes and his best friend Ricky Branson have been together through the good times, as well as the bad. Attending their first concert as teens set the path for their futures in motion. Shortly after, the pair joined band class where they meet Ethan and Mick and the foursome formed the metal band, Social Sinners.


Things were going according to plan until Lucas Shane entered their lives, disrupting the flow and testing the strength of their friendship.


When Joey spirals down a dark path after catching his cheating boyfriend, this tasked the other three band members with making a difficult decision that could end his career as their lead singer.


Book 1 is the only book in the series that can be read as a stand-alone.
Book 1 – Behind the lights (MM)
Book 2 – In the shadows (MM)
Book 3 – A heart divided (MMM)
Book 4 – Beyond the curtain (MM)
Book 5 – After the final curtain (MM/MMM)

 
Author Bio
 

TL Travis is the author of The Sebastian Chronicles along with numerous other erotic novelettes (and many more in the works), The Elders Trilogy – an erotic paranormal (Vampire) romance novel series and many non-fiction articles.


In her spare time she likes to fish, enjoy all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, spin spicy erotic webs for readers to enjoy, and rescue any 4 legged lost souls she comes across. Since her children are grown and have flown the coop, she’s taken to spoiling her two deaf white boxers even more so than they were before.


To view TL Travis literary and photography works please visit her website at www.tltravis.com
TL Travis can also be followed on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tltravisauthor
Or via twitter at http://www.twitter.com/tltravis1

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A Stella Review: Plummet to Soar by Z.A. Maxfield

RATING 1 out of 5 stars

Feckless, luckless, and charming, Mackenzie Detweiler is the author of a self-help book one reviewer calls “the most misbegotten motivational tool since Mein Kampf.” He’s maneuvered himself into a career as a life coach, but more often than not, his advice is bad. Really bad.

It’s even getting people hurt… and Mackenzie sued.

It falls to Mackenzie’s long-suffering editor, JD Chambers, to deliver the bad news. He chooses to do so face-to-face—to see if the spark he senses between them is real when they’re together in the flesh. Unfortunately, a snowstorm, a case of nerves, a case of mistaken identity, and finally a murder get in the way of a potential enemies-to-lovers romance.

There are many, many people who have good reason to want Mackenzie dead. JD must find out which one is acting on it before it’s too late for both of them.

This new release by ZA Maxfield, one of my favorite authors, was a surprise, but not a good one. Honestly? I finished the story just because I had to review it, otherwise it would have ended in  my DFN shelf. I can’t even tell you how many times I started it, because at first I was so sure I was missing something that I started and restarted it to find what was going on and the right approach. It was a pain to reach the ending and I’m very sorry to say this, but I finally understood it wasn’t me, it was all the story’s fault, Plummet to Soar was a mess.

I don’t want to reveal details and spoiler your reading, as the book seems to be well loved. So if you think the blurb is interesting, go give it a chance. For my experience I don’t feel like recommending it but it’s just my taste. That said, no spoilers here, but really throughout the story too many elements were unrealistic and so fake I was just without words. There are some scenes (I said “some”, not one or a couple, some meaning several) that made no sense. From the beginning to the end. I can’t understand where the author wanted to bring the reader with this new release,  I couldn’t find romance or love or any feeling at all. A mess of plot, with the mystery part that not only left me dubious but puzzling about it.

I’m not a huge fan of mystery novels but I read quite a few of them really well done and I truly appreciated them. This was not the case. Let’s talk about the characters. Mackenzie and JD were pretty shallow, not even once I was able to feel a connection between them,  I wasn’t able to like them at all. There were several secondary characters and here too, in my opinion they were just thew in there to make up the numbers and nothing more.

This should have been a beautiful coral book, but it didn’t work at all. Plummet to Soar was confusing to me, hard to read, I don’t want to say it’s not well written, but to me too many names, nicknames, internal dialogues, then private phone chats, all of these created a chaotic tangle I wasn’t able to solve.

Still, I surely will be reading more from ZA Maxfield, I’m not going to give up on this author just cause this novel wasn’t what I was expecting.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is well done and fitting, I like the style and the colors. Lovely.

SALE LINKS   Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 200 pages

Published May 8th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN13 9781640803831

Edition Language English

Series Plummet to Soar #1

A VVivacious Review: Military Emancipation by David O. Sullivan

Rating: 2 Stars out of 5

Marc and Adam are lovers, both serving in the navy at a time when DADT is still in effect though Marc still struggles with his sexuality. When an unwelcome come-on leads to an allegation of homosexuality putting his career in jeopardy, Marc finds himself questioning his sexuality, his life and his future.

I feel like I should be honest that I don’t fully understand how oppressive DADT was or could be. We truly live in much more liberal times that policies that are not even a decade old feel much more outdated, even though it wasn’t that long ago that they were still in effect. So I do agree that I am reading this story with a handicap and therefore I find certain plot points incongruous.

Even though DADT is still breathing fire and brimstone at the time of this story there was a surprising lack of homophobia among the military personnel while this could be true, I still feel that people would not be making this particular sentiment so overtly public for fear of slander and discrimination against themselves though I could be wrong. While in real life all these factors can coexist in a story things should be more cohesive and decisive if the story wants to focus on discrimination you can’t have everyone be so accepting because that particular approach in this book made my understanding of DADT even more tenuous.

Also, I didn’t like Marc’s defence of his homosexuality as he pleads not guilty and I find myself judging him on current standards wherein I wanted him to own up to it and not be ashamed of it when directly confronted with this question. This is the point in the story where the story’s 2018 feel directly contrasts with its 2011 setting, because everyone is so accepting I can’t understand where the discrimination stems from, so I want Marc to uphold 2018 standards. I really don’t know if I am getting this point across but I feel that this is at the crux of my disconnect with this story.

The story is suffering from an incongruous theme but despite that, the story held my interest and I read through this one quite quickly. The story is engaging but the writing and plot progression makes the story come across as very clunky.

I really couldn’t sympathize much with Marc as a character especially over his struggles with his sexuality somehow his struggle only comes through on a very surface level and I really couldn’t get any feel on why he struggled with his sexuality in the first place. I really couldn’t find my space in this story when it came to its characters though I liked Adam and would have liked a bit of his POV, I didn’t really connect with the other characters in the story.

Overall, the only thing that this story had going for it was that despite how many issues I was having with it while reading it this story still managed to hold my interest.

Cover Art by Written Ink Designs. I feel like the cover doesn’t really match the feel of the story but barring that I liked how the cover is designed.

Sales Links:  JMS Books LLC  | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published April 27th 2018 by JMS Books LLC
ISBN139781634865999

Series Recap Blitz for Boystown Series by Marshall Thornton – Books 1 through 10 (Giveaway)

Series Recap Blitz

Boystown Series


Boystown Bundle 1 – 3 – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 A Time For Secrets – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #5 Murder Book – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #6 From The Ashes – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #7 Bloodlines – Amazon US | Amazon UK (ON SALE for 99c)
Book #8 The Lies That Bind – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #9 Lucky Days – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #10 Gifts Given – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #11 Hearts Desire – Amazon US | Amazon UK (PREORDER)


All available to borrow on Kindle Unlimited.


The Series


The Lambda Award-winning Boystown Mysteries detail the cases of former police officer-turned-private investigator Nick Nowak. Set in Chicago and covering the period between 1981 and 1984, the ten books follow Nick as he struggles with memories of his abrupt departure from the CPD and the end of his long-term relationship with librarian Daniel Laverty. He moves through a series of casual tricks until he meets homicide detective Bert Harker with whom he begins a tentative relationship.


As cynical and difficult as the city he calls home, Nick doggedly pursues his cases and often solves them out of sheer stubbornness. He relies on help from a charming cast of characters, who provide clues and comfort in equal measure. Beyond the mobsters and murderers, Nick encounters a larger villain looming on the horizon. A villain who begins striking down Nick’s friends and lovers, bringing the freewheeling fun of the early eighties to an end.

 

Author Bio


Marshall Thornton is known for the Lambda Award-winning Boystown Mysteries. His comedic novels include The Ghost Slept Over, My Favorite Uncle and the Lambda Finalist for Gay Romance, Femme. Marshall holds an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA and has had plays produced in both Chicago and Los Angeles and stories published in The James White Review and Frontier Magazine.


Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest

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A Caryn Review: A Tiny Piece of Something Greater by Jude Sierra

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I actually had a hard time rating this book, because there were pieces I loved, and pieces I hated.  Mental illness and mental health – I think its very important to mention that, since the MC is actually in successful therapy and making progress at controlling what has to be understood as a chronic illness – are the predominant themes of the book, much more so than romance.  Personally I like reading about that, but it might turn some readers off.

Reid is a 20 year old young man who had been struggling with mental illness for years before he was finally diagnosed and started receiving proper treatment.  He was a cutter – a behavior that left him increasingly isolated.  The years he went untreated, and his eventual breakdown that led to inpatient treatment, created an increasingly difficult environment at home, where he was constantly reminded of his failures, and could not find a way to break out of that mold while living at home with his parents in Wisconsin, near his on again, off again dysfunctional boyfriend.  His grandmother owned a condo in the Florida keys, and offered it to Reid so he would have a place to stay away from all the unhealthy influences at home, and have a chance to continue his recovery.

In Key Largo, Reid met Joachim who was teaching dive classes.  Both men were instantly attracted to each other, but dating, much less forming a relationship, was incredibly difficult due to Reid’s illness.  The fact that Joachim was a wanderer at heart and only in Florida temporarily compounded those difficulties.  When they did commit to each other and admit they were each in love – way to soon as far as I was concerned – they continued to work through issues.  The ending however, was pretty abrupt and unsatisfactory.

The author mentions at the beginning that this is an #ownvoices book, and I will be honest that I wasn’t quite sure what that was in relation to – was it ethnicity or mental illness?  Although there are two MCs, Reid – white, American – is clearly the predominant character in the book.  Joaquim is Brazilian, but to a large extent I felt that his character existed primarily to offset and highlight the struggles Reid went through, and that his character was not very well developed.  The descriptions of Reid’s mental illness – cyclothymia – how it affected his behavior, his perceptions, and his interactions with others was detailed, but sensitive, and definitely one of the aspects I loved.  Those descriptions were so well done, in fact, that it felt like the author must have lived through them – if not personally, then perhaps witnessing cyclothymia in a family member or friend.  I don’t know if it was because there was so much focus on Reid’s condition, but I found that I couldn’t connect well with either of the MC’s, and the romance did not feel convincing to me.  The fact that the book was written in present tense, however, is what really turned me off.  I find present tense obnoxious, a little pretentious, hard to read, and it brought my rating down, but if other readers don’t mind alternating POV in present tense, this would probably be a more highly rated read.

Cover art by CB Messer is just lovely, and I thought the small size of the divers in a wide expanse of ocean really played up the title.

Sales Links:

Interlude Press: store.interludepress.com

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2FbYh4V

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/791892

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-tiny-piece-of-something-greater/id1348808986?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-tiny-piece-of-something-greater

Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781945053603

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 264 pages
Published May 17th 2018 by Interlude Press
Original TitleA Tiny Piece of Something Greater
ASINB079YZ6XKW
Edition LanguageEnglish