Category: Contemporary fiction

An Alisa Review: Tangled Up in You by Emily Carrington

Rating:  3.5 stars out of 5

Retired SearchLight agent Jason Campbell stumbles into intrigue in Kansas. Never attracted to women or men, he finds himself compelled by a fox demigod who gets to him through the magical medium of music. As Jason falls deeply in love with Reynard, he discovers an awful secret: Reynard is slave to a monster. As Jason struggles to free both Reynard and the fox-god’s son, he must do so without weapons, without backup, and without all the facts, which could lead to death’s retirement.

It was nice to read another story in the SerchLight universe however even though this doesn’t need to be read in order with any other story I felt as if there was a lot of little information missing.  Jason doesn’t know what to do with himself when is forced into retirement by SearchLight.  Reynard has been captive for so long he doesn’t know how to react to the confusing human who stumbles upon him.

I felt as if I was watching this story from a distance and didn’t really get to understand the characters.  I loved that Jason wanted to help Reynard but never felt as if these two really connected and they didn’t seem to get it either.  It also didn’t make sense to me how Reynard is a demigod but doesn’t always know when he is using his powers.  There was just so much talking in circles and around topics that while I liked the story it just seemed disjointed.

Cover art by Fiona Jayde is nice and follows the style of other SearchLight stories but the models seem way too young for two guys in their forties.

Sales Links: Loose Id | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 127 pages

Published: November 20, 2017 by Loose Id

ISBN: 978-1-68252-444-2

Edition Language: English

Series: SearchLight Universe

A MelanieM Review: Carol of the Bellskis (Bellskis, #1) by Astrid Amara

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Paralegal Seth Bellski is tired of being the secret lover of his boss, Lars Varga, founding partner of Finch & Varga Law. So when he asks Lars to spend Hanukkah with Seth’s family at their kosher B and B in Whistler, B.C., and Lars refuses, Seth realizes he will never get his self-conscious boss out of the closet.

So Seth prepares to spend his Hanukkah holiday alone in the B and B. Instead he finds himself running the place, as his aunt and uncle are missing, and seven demanding, peculiar, and danger-prone guests have arrived. To make matters worse, Lars shows up, begging forgiveness. Lars’s touches remind Seth of why he put up with his boss’s behavior in the first place. If only the words that came out of that beautiful mouth were as sweet as his kisses.

But how can Seth find time to fix his broken relationship when the guests are demanding kosher, gluten-free diets, losing their pet terriers, and hitting their heads on the ice? Seth and Lars find themselves put through the paces of being a married couple, all while still broken up. But then again, if they can survive this Hanukkah, maybe they’ll be singing a carol of the Bellskis.

Astrid Amara likes to release holiday stories and in 2009 started this Hanukkah trilogy.  It took her until 2017 to finish it but I’m so happy she did because it’s heartwarming, beautifully written,  full of suspense, mystery, romance, and love of all types.  And it all started here with Carol of the Bellskis.

When reading an Astrid Amara story, you can’t just pick out one strength because her stories are so amazingly well rounded and beautifully written.  That shows here.  Her characters are strong, believable, and so are their relationship dynamics, as faltering as they are in the beginning.  With Seth Bellski, you get his formidable Jewish family, their strength in their belief in their family and their religion, yes, more.  It never tips over into caricature as it could so easily, but these people come across with love and care, if at times a bit of fond exasperation with knowledge of their foibles.  Then there is Lars and his side of the family. Reserved, cold…well, I will let the story speak to the Vargas. They remain, however, authentic and real.  That becomes something of a element of slow growth (very slow) over the course of the series, ending only with Wedding Bellskis this  December.  But I’m getting way ahead of this couple now at their breaking point.

The author sets out so many tough goals here and meets them all.  There’s a romance and some very difficult relationship decisions that  have to be worked through here by Lars (especially Lars) and Seth,.  There’s an inn that can’t run itself where everyone seems to keep disappearing, so mysteries to solve,  Hanukkah to celebrate, and much, much more.  And it all meshes so well, like one of life’s tapestries.  You will leave wishing you knew these people and wanting to be a part of their lives.

This story is full of so much emotion, action, color, and wit.  It’s lively, poignant, sad, angry, lusty, romantic, funny, and a great read.  I relished my time with Seth, Lars, and all the many Bellskis, and couldn’t wait until the next Hanukkah rolled around because that’s when Astrid Amara promised to roll out the next installment.  Ah well,  it was worth the wait even if it took until 2011.

Carol of the Bellskis rang in this series, this couple!  It’s not to be missed.  The Trilogy is on the top of my recommendations, not just for the holidays, but anytime of the year.  But grab up all three now and read right through!  What a treat is in store for you, starting with this remarkable story.

Cover art by April Martinez is strong, on target, and not only brands the series by the use of the menorah on all 3 titles but that’s also my idea of both characters.  Perfection.

Sales Links:  Loose id | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st Edition, 100 pages
Published December 14th 2009 by Loose Id
Original TitleCarol of the Bellskis
ISBN139781607375272
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHolidays with the Bellskis

A MelanieM Audiobook Review: Smitty’s Sheriff by Cardeno C and Ezekiel Robison (Narrator)

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they’re perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love.

Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious Todd Smitty. Richard won’t find the right man if he’s obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd.

It’s lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister’s army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact with no explanation.

When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard’s house, he’s thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof?

Smitty’s Sheriff was a story I both a slow time getting into and warming up to.  The rambling introduction to Richard, and , honestly imo, his quick to judgement attitude towards Todd and others, made him a character that was hard to connect with. It wasn’t that Cardeno C hadn’t made him a believable human being, no, he was that all right.  It was that I just didn’t like him very much.

That took a while to come and it was lukewarm at best.  How does someone look at another person after three years and not think they’ve had a chance to change and grow?  No, this character seems happier with his personal judgements right up until the end. Poor Todd carries the burden of this relationship, which is odd because the story seems to be that Todd needs structure and is too “scattered” without someone to look after him.  Which is strange because other than the total breakdown in communication here, Todd was doing great on trying to make it work.  Go figure.

Loved Todd.  Todd had my heart.  His misjudgement, imo, was picking the Sheriff.  Oh well.  The heart wants what the author says the heart wants.  And clearly Todd wants Richard.  It takes a while, more major miscommunication ensues til I wanted to throttle them both and then the air clears and they get their HEA or HFN, depending upon how you look at it.

The narration of Ezekiel Robison also took a while to warm up.  It started out a little bland and atonal.  You had to work at differentiating what characters were talking at the time.  However, about a third, maybe less, into the story, that changed, and the narration took a decided turn for the better.  Robison eased into each character, assuming their personality, and gave them voice with a strength I wish he had assumed at the beginning of the story.  By the end I  forgot it was one narrator, listening to the multiple personalities that came across as the story flowed.  I’ll certainly look for more stories narrated by him.

Overall, I enjoyed the listening experience, mostly due to the narrator and the character of Todd.  I liked seeing him get his HEA.  If you love May-December romances, Cardeno C, and contemporary loves, check out this audiobook, It’s short and sweet.

Cover art is  adorable and works for the characters and storyline.

Sales Links: Amazon | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 3 hours and 19 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook

Audiobook, Unabridged, 4 pages
Published August 1st 2017 by The Romance Authors, LLC (first published July 17th 2017)
ASINB074CMKHWK
SeriesHope #3 settingArizona (United States)

An Alisa Prerelease Review: Forever With You By Londra Laine

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Kelly Brooks Montes is only nineteen years old and just starting college in New York City when tragedy strikes, and he becomes a single dad to his toddler brother. Four years later, Kelly and his baby brother, Jaylen, are doing well, though Kelly leads a double life to make ends meet. He’s a high-level administrative assistant by day and a racy go-go boy by night. Between raising his brother, dancing, and trying not to run afoul of his new boss, Kelly doesn’t have time for a boyfriend. Even if he did want a man in his life, a past trauma makes him question whether he can ever trust a man with his body or his heart. But then Kelly receives an unexpected but steamy birthday kiss from his boss, a man he was sure hated him, and he begins to wish for things he knows he shouldn’t.

Andrew Whitman knew from the moment he held Kelly’s hand that the man was special, and it both annoyed and terrified him. Kelly makes him feel a little out of control and Drew is a highly controlled man. He has to be to keep his sexuality a secret from his father, a conservative politician. And he is OK with that. He has a perfectly good, mutually beneficial, life plan with his best friend, Lex. A long time ago, he’d made his peace with the fact that he’d never find a man worth turning his life upside down for. Then he ends up with his capable and gorgeous assistant under him on top of his desk, and his life plans change. Drew can’t seem to get out of his own way when it comes to the quiet, sexy, and surprising single dad, but he can’t stop himself from falling for Kelly and his sweet baby brother. And just when it seems that Kelly has worked through his past hurts enough to let Drew into his body and his heart, manipulative family and words unspoken threaten to tear them apart. But after getting a taste of a life he never thought he could have, Drew won’t let anything tear his fledgling family apart.

I enjoyed this story.  Andrew is attracted to his assistant immediately and doesn’t react well to it, causing Kelly to think that he is hated by his boss.  Kelly is attracted to his boss but know even if something were to come of it he can’t let anyone get too close and risk damaging his routine.

Once Andrew got his head out of his ass and figured out how to act like a real human being they both seemed to get along great.  We could see Andrew’s frustration with his own actions and how much he wanted to change them but couldn’t seem to until he sees Kelly outside of work.  I could see Kelly’s reluctance to let anyone into his life, not just for his own sake but also his brother’s.  I liked how both characters’ had support from friends but not how the MCs followed through with everything.  Both of them could run hot and cold at times, which is always frustrating but the book didn’t seem nearly as long to me while reading it as the page count indicates; which always tells me it’s a well written story since I don’t read many long books.

The cover art by Resplendent Media is great romance cover of the MCs cuddling.

Buy Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 324 pages

Expected Publishing: January 9, 2018

Edition Language: English

Tour for the Release of Felix and the Prince by Lucy Lennox (excerpt )

Cover Design: Angsty G

Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Model: Andrew Biernat

Buy Links:
Amazon | Goodreads

 

BLURB

Felix

Things I expect to find at Gadleigh Castle:

– Rare stained glass, the subject of my dissertation.

– Peace and quiet, to finish said dissertation.

– An escape from the paparazzi swarming around my starlet mother’s latest blockbuster release.

Things I don’t expect to find:

– A hidden door leading to a secret room.

– The most gorgeous man I’ve ever set eyes on.

– Love.

Lio

Things I know are expected of me in life:

– One day soon I will become the King of Liorland.

– I will marry a nice woman who will become queen.

– I will provide heirs to my family’s monarchy.

Reasons that might be difficult

– I’m gay.

– I’m falling in love with Felix Wilde.

– He has no idea I’m royal.

While it can definitely be read on its own, Felix and the Prince is the second novel in the new Forever Wilde series about the huge Wilde family from Hobie, Texas, whose patriarchs aren’t above a little meddling if that’s what it takes to help their grandkids find true love. Beware: nekkid man parts touch. Let’s just say, Felix gets royally screwed in the very best way.

     

EXCERPT

After gathering up my courage, I peered back at the stained glass in the lion’s crown. All of the glass pieces were level with the floor once more.

Woah.

I crawled forward to touch the glass again, pressing down as gently as I could until I felt the button give.

Sure enough, the panel in the wall slid open a few inches.

A hidden room in Gadleigh Castle. Hot fucking damn.

I stood and approached the narrow opening, careful to ease it farther open as gently and quietly as I could. I wondered idly if I was doing something illegal or off-limits. Mari had told me I had the run of the house excluding the royal wing of bedrooms, but did that include hidden passages and rooms?

God, I hoped so.

I glanced through the opening and saw colored bands of light fading in and out across a simple set of bookshelves. Before I knew it, I’d taken a few steps into the room to investigate what was making the light reflect in those familiar colors. I’d only walked partway into the little hidden study when I noticed them.

Hundreds of colorful glass balls hung from the low ceiling. They twisted slowly in the glow from the setting sun coming in through the clear, leaded-glass windows. What hidden room had windows to the outside, and how was it possible I’d never seen these particular ones from the gardens surrounding the house? They were uniquely round and set in elaborate wooden frames with decorative carvings.

The room was magnificent. A hideaway rich with moving glass in every imaginable color. I sucked in a breath and stared in awe at the pieces I’d never in a million years expected to find.

It wasn’t until I noticed some of the light in the room was coming from a crackling fire in a stone fireplace that I realized I wasn’t alone.

About the Author

Lucy Lennox is the creator of the bestselling Made Marian series as well as the maker of three sarcastic kids. Born and raised in the southeast, she is finally putting good use to that English Lit degree.
Lucy enjoys naps, pizza, and procrastinating. She is married to someone who is better at math than romance but who makes her laugh every single day and is the best dancer in the history of ever.

She stays up way too late each night reading M/M romance because that shit is hot.

For more information and to stay updated about future releases, please sign up for Lucy’s author newsletter on her website www.LucyLennox.com.

Connect with Lucy

    

Join Lucy’s reader group on Facebook: Lucy’s Lair

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Vows Box Audiobook Set by Addison Albright and David Gilmore (Narrator)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Audible US | Audible UK
 
Length: 17hrs 26mins
 
Narrator: David Gilmore
 
Blurb
 

‘Til Death Do Us Part: Henry and Sam Miller-Greene are living the dream, but their worlds are shattered when Henry’s plane crashes and he’s presumed dead. But Henry survives undetected on a remote, small, and insignificant island. Will Sam and Henry’s love be able to survive, as well? When Henry and Sam face an accidental estrangement, and Henry is assumed dead, can their love endure the trials of one’s fight for survival, and the other’s new love interest? When Henry is rescued, will Sam be able to put aside his new love when he reunites with Henry?


From This Day Forward: Henry and Sam are enjoying life after Henry’s rescue. With their nightmare separation behind them, Henry and Sam are anxious to renew both the intensity of their former intimacies — now hampered by having a curious and still apprehensive child sharing their home — and their commitment to one another. Will they be able to move their love forward now that they are together again?


Okay, Then: Sam and Henry’s first date/encounter is mentioned in flashback in ‘Til Death Do Us Part,but this short story fleshes it out. Relive the moment they first connect while on a research trip in Honiara in the Solomon Islands.


To Love and To Cherish: Jilted by his fiancÈ Sam just weeks before their wedding, Nash Marinoís outlook on life in general, and love in particular, is jaded. Will Nash find love again? Of course he will. Will he go about it in the usual way? Now thatís another story entirely. When Nashís marriage of convenience scheme is muddied by notions of love after a memory reboot, will their plans go awry, or will Nashís new outlook on life be just what the doctor ordered?

 

Author Bio


Addison Albright lives in the middle of the USA with two peculiar cats. Her stories are gay (sometimes erotic) romance, and tend to be sweet man-love in contemporary settings. Her education includes a BS in Education with a major in mathematics and a minor in chemistry. Addison loves spending time with her family, reading, popcorn, boating, French fries, ìopen window weather,î cats, math, and anything chocolate. She loves to read pretty much anything and everything, anytime and anywhere.


eMail: addison.albright@gmail.com
Website/Blog: https://authoraddisonalbright.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AddisonAlbright
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/addison.albright.profile
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AddisonAlbright
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/addisonalbright/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/addison-albright
Queeromance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/addison-albright/

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A Stella Review: The Best Gift (The Best Gift #1) by Shawn Lane

RATING 2,75 out of 5 stars

Malcolm Rowland’s nearly year old relationship ends just before Christmas when he learns his boyfriend has been cheating on him.

Now Malcolm has no place to live and no job. His best friend, Dustin Jones, who has stood by him for years, takes him in. Dustin is determined to show Malcolm not only a great Christmas, but that love between the two of them can be the best gift.

The Best Gift was a cute story, very sweet and well written. I’m a fun of the friends to lovers theme so I enjoyed this short. The blurb tell you pretty much everything the plot is about.

That said, being long just 35 pages, you can’t expect to be a lot of development, on the contrary, I was actually able to know nothing about the characters and yes, everything happened quickly, maybe a little too quickly. The way Malcom and Dustin came together was so rushed it was unbelievable to me. And it left me with the desire to know so much more.

That’s the only reason I didn’t give The Best Gift three stars, but overall I liked it and will surely read more by the author.

The cover art is cute and simple, I like it.

SALE LINKS  JMS BOOKS  |  AMAZON

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 35 pages

Published December 23rd 2017 by JMS Books LLC (first published 2009)

ASIN B0777J2YNH

Edition Language English

Series The Best Gift #1

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Reckless Behavior (Bad Behavior #3) by L.A. Witt and Cari Z.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This series is smokin’!  Action-packed, nail-biting, heartbreaking—this book has it all.  Though there’s not a lot of overt romance to this one, and no sex scenes, there is love—a deep and lasting love that’s developing between Andreas and Darren as well as the love of family.  In this one, Andreas’s children are kidnapped so the love of a father for his children is a primary focus of the book, but there’s also the familial love of a brother for another as Darren’s brother, Asher, falls deeper into his disease and the situation becomes critical.  As an aside, and without spoilers, we finally find out if Darren has the gene that has caused Asher’s mind to fail at such an early age. 

Andreas is still struggling with his healing ankle from the injury in the last book.  He’s screwed it up and needed a second surgery—but hang on folks—he’s about to make it worse when his kids are kidnapped virtually right from under his nose.  He and his work and life partner, Darren,  along with their highly personable and dynamic friend Paula, a detective we met in the last book, explore any and all possible leads to get the kids back.  Though their theories are sketchy at first, eventually, with the help of Andreas’s daughter Erin, who manages to get free of the kidnapers, the team is on the right track.  A tragic event in Darren’s life sidetracks him temporarily but he’s right back on the job as well.  He loves Andreas and his kids and will stop at nothing to help his lover get them back. 

This story is very fast-paced, filled with plot twists and turns, excitement, and hair-raising scenarios.  I loved every moment and literally couldn’t put it down.  I highly recommend this series to all those who enjoy law enforcement drama and romance, especially those, like me, who appreciate a writing team who can build excitement to fever pitch and yet give us a firm foundation to a wonderful pair of men whose love grows stronger with each story.  I can’t wait to get my hands on book four! 

Cover art by Garrett Leigh is gritty, dark and perfect.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 264 pages
Published January 1st 2018 by Riptide Publishing (first published December 30th 2017)
Original Title Reckless Behavior
ISBN13 9781626496316
Series Bad Behavior #3

A MelanieM Review: Sin & Saint (Executioners #4) by J.M Dabney

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Eric and Ellison Gant better known as Sin and Saint were opposite sides of the same coin. They epitomized the nicknames given to them by their friends in the band Executioners. One thing Sin and Saint did well was fight and being inseparable means they have a lot of disagreements, but one thing they agree on is Sheriff Camden Pelter was theirs. The older, stoic man didn’t agree, yet they were determined to change his mind.

Camden Pelter had the daunting job of turning the Powers Sheriff Department around. The residents of the Georgia town didn’t have much faith or respect in the Deputies serving them. That’s where he came in and he was determined to do his job. That was easier said than done with two annoying brothers Sin and Saint who dogged his every step. No way in hell was he getting mixed up in the chaos that were the Gant Twins. Now if only if he could get them to listen and realize they didn’t have a chance of changing his mind.

Since the first mention of Camden Pelter and the twins, I (and tons of other fans of J.M. Dabney) have been waiting for this book.  Through story after story, Sin and Saint (Eric and Ellison Gant) have been chasing the older, gorgeous Sheriff of Powers, Georgia only to be rebuffed time and again.  Still, we knew that Camden would eventually come to the realization that the twins were his and we’d get that story.

And it would be full of sizzle and probably some kink.

However, I wasn’t expecting some terrific suspense scenes, high action, and some real twists to come our way as well.  Sin & Saint (Executioners #4) by J.M. Dabney delivers with a pack, a punch, and a high note on every level as the last story in the Executioners series.

For one thing, we now get up close to the twins.  The author delivers more nuanced characterizations with Eric (Sin) and Ellison (Saint), two who may look identical to those who don’t know them but who’s differences extend from the emotional to physical variations that have had an huge impact on one of them.  Past histories too that have done the same.  Camden Pelter comes in for close inspection in every way as well, from his background and local familial ties to his sexuality…his need to dominate and take care of those he loves.

Then all three men are pulled gently together to form a loving triad quite unlike any of the triads already in existence in the connected series.  It’s a slow, hot pace that should leaving you with a need for a fan.

However, Sin and Saint is not just about romance but also the need to tie up some loose ends with regard to the last corrupt  Sheriff and his organization.  In comes the high action, suspense, and some great twists in the narrative that I just adored.  Truly I love it when my expectations are overturned and the plot takes a turn I didn’t expect all of which happened here.

It ends as it should and I was hopelessly overjoyed and looking forward to the beginning of the new  series.  That would be the Trenton Security series, although I’m not yet sure that’s the name.  It will involve the guys in the Trenton group that we’ve meet before and were heavily involved here in this story.  And yes, I can’t wait!

So another great series, Executioners comes to an end with Sin & Saint but what an ending it was!  A great storyline, a long anticipated romance and triad coupling (can that be with three), and just some wonderful writing that drove this narrative crazily along to an ending that was exactly what I hoped for.   All that and more is why I’m highly recommending this story  and all the books in the Executioners series by J.M. Dabney.

If you haven’t met her glorious bunch of huge, damaged, sometimes violent men and the ones that love them, there’s no better series to start with that this one.  But now you have three series to read before the fourth series start, grab them all up and get reading! I have the list below for you all to check out.

Cover by Winterheart Designs:  I love this cover.  That’s  Sin and Saint personified.  Just perfection.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Edition Language English
URL https://www.jmdabneyauthor.com/executioners
Series Executioners #4
setting Georgia (United States)