Category: Contemporary fiction

A MelanieM Review: Cinnamon Eyes by Nell Iris

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Cory’s had a rough year struggling with severe depression. He’s desperate to rebuild his shattered life and break away from his demanding family. When his therapist encourages him to do something for himself, he knows exactly what he needs. I want to see Asher again. The best friend Corey ever had who, at fifteen, held Cory’s heart in his hands without knowing it.

Asher’s had a troubled relationship with his father since he came out. Now that Pops is sick, he’s fighting for his right to help or even find out about his father’s health. Then there’s the complication of an ex-boyfriend unwilling to let go.

When Cory and Asher meet again after sixteen years, Cory’s feelings are as strong as ever. But does Asher feel the same?

Cinnamon Eyes by Nell Iris is a sweet, heartwarming romance that I totally enjoyed.  Nell Iris is an author I wasn’t really familiar with but I fell in love with her characters and the manner in which she pulled me into their lives and romance.

Both Cory and Asher are men damaged after parting after young kids, a separation neither has recovered from, even after all these years apart.  For Cory, it’s been the crushing pressure and emotional abuse of his cold family that crushed him and sent him into therapy. It’s also found Cory running back to the small town where he left his heart and childhood friend years ago.

Told from alternating points of view, we get an intimate window into what it feel’s like to have an anxiety attack and have depression be a large factor in your life.  The author does a believable, sympathetic handling of Cory’s issues and let’s us connect with him easily from the moment we meet him.  We want Cory to have his HEA and get the shivers when he meets up with Asher once more.

Sixteen years later and I still would have recognized him anywhere. The hair was as unruly as ever, and just as rock ‘n’ roll as his voice. The jawline so sharp he could probably cut glass with it. And the nose was still a little too big for his face.

I couldn’t see his green eyes from here, but I remembered them vividly. The pale color of a leaf newly broken out of its bud in spring, was such a stark contrast to his black eyelashes and olive complexion and had always hypnotized me with their beauty.

When he started singing, his voice pulled me out of my initial shock.

Two best friends
Like no one had ever seen before
Always together
happy and troublesome and wild
Sharing scraped knees
and high flying dreams
Carefree as the clouds in the sky
The boy with laughing cinnamon eyes
And I

The scene goes on and yes, the tears are rolling down my face and I’m so in love with these men and I don’t even know the whole story yet.

Of course life hasn’t been easy for Asher either.  His character is just as layered, just as hurt, injured by people close to him and events he had no control over.  Yet, he’s still in love with the one that left all those years ago.

But even with a reunion, nothing is easy.  Watching Asher and Cory come back together, like melody and lyrics that flow effortlessly along, is a story that I just sunk into.  I forgot about everything but their relationship, and hoping they could make it work.  The author’s writing is smooth, her storytelling is wildly romantic while still being real, and the ending is everything you will want it to be.

Cover art is perfect for the story and characters.  I just loved it.

Buy Links: JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

ebook
Published August 12th 2017 by JMS Books
ISBN139781634864404

A Caryn Review: Midlife Crisis by Audra North

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m so happy to have discovered her.  The book was everything I hoped it would be, and then some.

There is something so special about finding love when you’re older – whether you’ve lost a partner, or never had one, it always, to me anyway, feels like getting more than you thought you could expect.  I think when we’re young, there is a part of us that feels life owes us true love, but by the time we hit middle age, we realize life doesn’t really work that way, and finding it then is a true gift.  Which is why I love these older men!

Cam McGhee is 54 years old, and has left his home town of Bitter, Texas, for basically the first time in his life.  Bitter is an all-black farming town that’s existed for generations.  The community has learned to survive the Southern racism surrounding it by being self-sufficient, trusting and relying on each other, which has always meant behaving within a certain set of unspoken rules.  Following those rules kept them safe, and if it restricted the denizen’s freedom a little bit, well, it was worth it.  Cam grew up in this town of very conservative ideals, and though he knew he was gay from the time he was a young teenager, he also knew that he couldn’t ever admit it and still be accepted.  He started dating LaVerne in high school as a cover, but with small town expectations being what they were, he ended up marrying her, having two children, and staying with her faithfully until she died.  He left his successful feed and grain business in Bitter in his son’s hands, and moved to Austin, Texas, for 6 months, where he hoped to finally experience life as a gay man, at least temporarily, before he buried it all again and moved back to Bitter.

Cam met Dave Montoya at a coffee shop.  Cam had no idea how to approach a man, and his shyness was almost crippling, but Dave made things easy for him.  Dave is a successful, independent man from Connecticut who found his home in Austin, and who has lived his entire life as an out gay man.  Dave had his own reasons for not wanting to jump into casual hookups, and so moving slowly with Cam was natural and easy.  Almost without realizing it was happening, and certainly not intending for it to happen, they fell in love.  Which would have been wonderful, but Cam’s stay in Austin had an expiration date.

The story is told with alternating scenes from Cam’s present in Austin, and flashbacks to his life in Bitter.  I know flashbacks get a bad rap, but in this case, they were the perfect vehicle to show the stark differences between who Cam was, and who he wanted to be, and why he struggled so hard to reconcile these parts of himself.  As Cam and Dave meet and start dating, the story flashed back to Cam and LaVerne’s meeting, and Cam’s conscious decision to use LaVerne as a beard.  When Cam kissed Dave for the first time, he inevitably compared his physical response – as amazing as he’d always hoped kissing a man would be – to his sexual life with LaVerne.  As he started falling in love with Dave, Cam thought of the love he had for LaVerne – platonic, but strong despite the continual guilt he felt for not loving her the way a man should love his wife.  Cam was faithful, generous, and had a strong sense of responsibility and duty – attributes which kept him in Bitter for over 50 years, and when he saw the opportunity to have a different type of life with Dave, he still struggled with the choice:  could he stay in Austin with the man he loved, and life the life he’d always wanted, when doing so meant abandoning his friends and family in Bitter?

Another aspect of the book that I really appreciated was that racism was not front and center.  While it certainly made Bitter into the community it was (and what an interesting choice of name for the town!), once Cam came to Austin, he was just another man, not primarily a man of color.  There was a lot more homophobia mentioned than racism, but again, Dave’s friends and family showed Cam that homophobia wasn’t ubiquitous, and a full life as an out gay man was indeed possible.

Very highly recommended!

Cover art by LC Chase is perfect for the book

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 205 pages
Published August 28th 2017 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626496453

A Stella Recent Release Review: Be My Best Man by Con Riley

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Con Riley is one of my favourite authors, since she wrote After Ben, one of the first MM books I read and one of the few books I won’t ever forget. The joy when I saw she had a new release coming out soon was enormous. Let me tell you the author delivered another deep, strong, full of feelings and well written story. Go buy Be My Best Man now and you won’t be disappointed.
Apart from the plot, which in this particular time it’s fitting and sadly very real, what actually conquered me it’s how packed with emotions and love the story is. Especially when not even two characters are blood related, just another proven fact that often blood means nothing.
Starting from the love between Vanya and Kaspar, the first Russian, the second Estonian. The need of protection Kaspar feels for Vanya is so strong he is working as much as he can to support his best friend who can’t work. The same love Jason and Andrew share, both in their forties, they grew up as foster brothers with an beautiful woman as mother.
 And then there’s the love every character has for the person it fell for. The author showed me all these feelings, between the MCs and the second characters, which I adored as much as the MCs. And this is another element that brought the story to be a success to me. The whole cast is amazingly well done. I was able to learn quite a lot about all of the characters and I have to say, maybe it’s the first time I make a request like this, but I wouldn’t mind at all to have a couple of MF books on the het couples. That’s the prove how much I liked Be My Best Man by Con Riley. Highly recommended.

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design.  Love the cover design and the model is striking.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:
ebook, 316 pages
Published September 7th 2017 by Figment Ink
Original TitleBe My Best Man
Edition Language English

A Jeri Recent Release Review: Living Out Loud by Nyrae Dawn & Christina Lee

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

After being raised in a super religious family and town, Ben finally strikes out on his own in San Francisco. Even though he is finally free to be himself, the conditioning he received to “turn him straight” makes it so that he cannot really be free. After garnering the courage to reach out to his childhood friend, Xavier, they meet up. Ben is in awe of how Xavier is his authentic self, unafraid of what anyone thinks of him. So he hatches a plan…..
So, wow. This book is a co-written work between Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn. Nyrae Dawn is the young adult author name of Riley Hart. So being a half written Nyrae work, I did not expect it to be as hot as it was. HOT.
I pretty much adored Xavier. People who don’t care what anyone else thinks about them, living however they want, I just think is amazing. And even though he lived that way, he still was afraid of falling in love. If anyone should have been open to love, it was Xavier. But he is open to sex.
Ben was cute. His shyness, not only with Xavier, but in life, is a bit heartbreaking but also understandable with his upbringing.
Xavier and Ben together were swoony. They really challenged each other. Xavier challenging Ben to grow sexually and Ben challenging Xavier to grow emotionally. Throughout the book you can see why they were so easily best friends as children. They just come together so easily in all ways. They constantly lift each other up, make each other laugh and are just generally comfortable with each other. And they seem more comfortable with themselves when they are together.
Friends to lovers, second chances, a quirky older woman (another fave of mine. because I may or may not be a quirky 40 something woman), two authors I adore. Recipe for a delicious book.
Cover Design by X-Potion Designs. I seriously wanted to lick the cover.
Sales Links:  Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 250 pages
Published September 6th 2017 by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn
ASINB075FRXF2Z

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Maybe This Time by Annabelle Jacobs

Rating 4 stars out of 5

This was a delightful story!  As thirty-year-old Ryan is moving into his new apartment building on his birthday, he’s very pleased to see the tall, gorgeous silver-haired man who comes jogging up the road and heads into his building.  Though he at first thought he was an older guy in great shape, when he gets a closer look, it’s easy to see the man is not much older than he is, even though prematurely gray. 

Matt Thomas doesn’t stop to acknowledge his hot new neighbor but he gets a good look, nonetheless.  At thirty-eight, he keeps in top physical condition so it’s easy to pull new guys into his bed whenever he’s horny.  Never one to spend more than one night with a guy, his best friend and hair stylist, Sam, will testify that Matt is firmly committed to two things: leaving his hair silver and never having a relationship. Never more than one night—that’s Matt’s motto. 

So when he finds himself lusting after Ryan one night, he justifies his thoughts about having a one-nighter with a neighbor by thinking that maybe they can be friends.  Ryan agrees and then next thing he knows, Matt wants to be friends with benefits because one night is not enough, after all.   Okay, Ryan can do that, although as his best friend, Josh, reminds him he hasn’t been successful at this in the past. 

The two go along as friends with benefits, while jogging together, eating meals afterward, and becoming friends, until one day when Matt’s dad is hurt and Ryan goes with him to the hospital. He realizes afterward that Ryan means more to him than simple friendship but now he’s afraid to admit it and is afraid that maybe this time he’s willing but Ryan might not be. 

There’s more to the story than this surface summary of the romance, but on the whole, it’s a basically a sweet and simple love story, filled with some very heated moments as well as some tender times between the two engaging MCs. 

If you’re looking for a light read that will make you feel good, by all means, consider this one. 

~~~

The cover by Natasha Snow features a photo of a very handsome and smiling thirtysomething man wearing jeans and a T-shirt and running his fingers through his hair.  It’s very attractive but I would have liked it much better if the man had lighter, more silver-toned hair, as it was one of Matt’s strongest features and frequently mentioned in the story. 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 246 pages
Published August 30th 2017
ASINB0755P7B55

Review Tour & Giveaway – Annabelle Jacobs’ Maybe This Time

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 60,000 words approx
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
Blurb


Moving into a new home starts with a bang when Ryan Blackwell celebrates turning thirty. Being hungover means he’s bleary-eyed and clumsy the next day, but even in that state, he can appreciate how sexy and fit his neighbour is.

Matt Thomas isn’t looking for anything long-term—one and done is usually his life rule. Why settle down early, like his sister, when casual relationships are so easy? With Ryan living in the same building, chance encounters are inevitable. When one night together becomes two, a friends-with-benefits deal seems a natural progression.

There’s only one problem: sex with no strings relies on matching expectations, so Ryan can’t help worrying. His huge heart always wants more, but Matt’s been clear about his limits. As passion leads to caring, they’ll have to make some tough decisions—maybe this time, breaking some rules will be worth it if that means they’ll get to share a future.

Look for Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ Review here!

August 30 – Au Boudoir Ecarlate
September 1 – Zipper Rippers, MJ’s Book Blog & Reviews, The Geekery Book Review
September 4 – Gay Media Reviews
September 6 – Jessie G Books
September 8 – Sexy Erotic Xciting, Southern Babes Book Blog, My Fiction Nook, Making It Happen, MM Good Book Reviews
September 11 – BFD Book Blog, Diverse Reader
September 13 – RAM PA Group, Padme’s Library, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sarandipity Book Reviews, Jim’s Reading Room
September 15 – Bayou Book Junkie, V’s Reads, Wicked Reads

Author Bio


Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Twitter : https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website : www.annabellejacobs.com
Email : ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction

Giveaway

Review Tour & Giveaway – Con Riley’s Be My Best Man

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 260 pages
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Blurb


Will Jason’s third time as a best man lead to first-time love for Vanya?


After fleeing violence in Moscow, student teacher Vanya Petrov winds up lonely in a run-down London hostel. At least visiting the Bond Street store where his roommate works lets him practice his English, but as Vanya’s vocabulary expands, so does his isolation, especially when he sees happy couples planning their perfect weddings.


According to Jason Balfour, weddings are a waste of time and money. After all, he’s been best man for his brother twice already. Saying that a third marriage will end in divorce too leads to an angry ultimatum: to save his relationship with his brother, Jason must meet his fiancée, at last, and make a good first impression.


Jason’s need to dress to impress brings him and Vanya together. Language is no barrier to falling in love with the young and fragile Russian, and neither is their age difference. But Vanya’s bruised soul carries secrets that could rip them apart. As the wedding draws near, Vanya must confess, and soon, or risk losing Jason—his own best man in Britain.

 

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 5 star review here.


 

September 7 – Back Porch Reader, Mikku-chan
September 9 – The Geekery Book Review
September 11 – Urban Smoothie Read
September 13 – V’s Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Making It Happen, MM Good Book Reviews
September 15 – Diverse Reader, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Sarandipity Book Reviews, Slashsessed, My Fiction Nook
Author Bio
 

Con Riley lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds, and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean.


Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.


When not people watching, or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don’t disturb her—she’s probably thinking up new plots.

 
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An Alisa Review: His Secret Admirer by Edward Kendrick

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

When the first note shows up at the restaurant where he works — when he isn’t designing costumes for a local theater — Jim Foster laughs it off. When the notes keep coming, he doesn’t find the fact that he might have a secret admirer quite so amusing.

 

Alan North, a lonely, bookish customer at the restaurant, is too shy to even think of talking to Jim — as much as he wants to.

 

Then the killings begin. Two of Jim’s friends are murdered in what appear to be muggings. However, the detective in charge of the cases believes they’re more than that, and that Jim is either the killer … or being stalked by one.

 

When Jim and Alan finally connect, can they help find and stop the stalker, or will Alan end up dead before their budding relationship can become more than friendship?

 

This was an interesting story.  Jim is lonely and isn’t sure what he thinks about having an admirer and fears that it could be a woman.  Alan is sure that Jim will never notice him but they connect by coincidence.

 

This story is told from both MCs points of view so it gives us the opportunity to see what both of these characters are thinking.  Jim doesn’t have the time or much inclination to find a partner between his two jobs.  He is flattered by the notes but isn’t sure what to think.  Alan is terribly shy and knows he isn’t a catch so he decides to stay in the shadows but once they actually talk and get to know each other he opens up pretty quickly.  The mystery of the stalker was interesting but while important didn’t add much to the story and it seemed that even though they went “slow” their relationship built pretty quickly.

 

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is nice and gives great visuals of the characters.

 

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 151 pages

Published: August 5, 2017 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634864497

Edition Language: English

An Alisa Review:The Ides of March (Seasons of Change #3) by Michelle King

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

A spot of Irish Magic, the kiss of a leprechaun, and a love is reborn. Years ago Colin and Kelly had parted ways in the most painful of ways. Years passed, thousands of miles stretched, yet the pain caused by those hard words refused to ease.

Adulthood brought opportunity.

Colin returned to the place of his teenaged years, Portland Oregon. And there, at the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, he heard a familiar sound. An Irish ballad he’d once taught to his young love. He followed the sound…to his Kelly.

The song Kelly’d been requested to sing did nothing but rub the unhealed scab that was his heart. Colin had taught it to him, and he could only think of Colin when he sang it. Still, money was money so he sang…wishing all the while that his love was not half a world away. Or was he?

Could that be true? Could that really be Colin? Could he believe in March Magic?

But Kelly’s lover wasn’t the only thing that arrived from the past.

Kelly is still trying to get on his feet from everything that happened to him after Colin left years ago.  It seems that he hasn’t had a good life and his parents made it even worse for him and it continues to this day.  He can’t even begin to hope for anything to go his way.

I felt like I was missing a lot of back story while I was reading.  We see little glimpses of what has happened in the past through Kelly and Colin’s thoughts but I didn’t feel that I could put it all together.  Colin seems determined to stay in Kelly’s life but the story is left very open ended so anything could happen.  At the end we see the connection to the characters from the last book and I hope that a future story can put it all together for me.

Cover art by GD Leigh is nice and follows the pattern for the series.

Sales Links: Loose Id | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 81 pages

Published: August 7, 2017 by Loose Id

ISBN: 978-1-68252-354-4

Edition Language: English

Series: Seasons of Change #3