Category: Contemporary fiction

A VVivacious Review: Toxic (Treacherous Chemistry #2) by Avylinn Winter

Rating: 2 Stars out of 5
 
Adam has been best friends with Gabriel since they were children but all of that changes when Adam tells Gabriel about his true feelings for him. In a second the loving friendship he shared with Gabriel is shattered and he finds himself thrown out of the room they shared.
 
Adam finds himself unable to let go of his first love and he tries to reconcile with Gabriel for the sake of their friendship but things turn out different than what Adam expected… for better or for worse…
 
As Adam and Gabriel try to build a new relationship, Adam discovers a whole new side to Gabriel, the side that leaves him battered and bruised. Unable to see a way out of his relationship with Gabriel, Adam pushes everyone away… but one person fights harder than the rest. Will Cameron be able to rescue Adam from this toxic relationship or will Adam burn all bridges in his despair?
 
I didn’t like this at all. I was expecting good things from this book especially given the introduction to Adam we got in Volatile and also given how much I loved Volatile. I was ready to be crushed and thrown about by a flurry of emotions given the subject matter instead I got a book that had me totally indifferent towards it.
 
The first chapter gave me goose bumps.  It is pretty well written and gives a nice introduction to the premise of this book but from the moment the second chapter began the interest I had accrued after reading the first chapter was quickly lost. Overall this book didn’t leave an impression on me for various reasons.
 
Firstly we know Adam gets beaten around by Gabriel but the author fails to explicitly mention it. A lot of the times the scenes of the actual violence are written as if you are meant to see the scene through an indecipherable haze which in one way was good because this book would probably have been hard to read if it was a bit too explicit but on the other hand I found myself cut off from Adam because I couldn’t fully understand what he was going through.
 
Secondly, Gabriel is just not a strong enough character to be able to carry this story forward. I feel like this is where the book truly fails because no matter the writing if you trying to write a two dimensional, the-world-is-black-and-white kind of a character you are going to fail. And yes just because he is good sometimes and viciously violent at others doesn’t make him a well-fleshed out character or even a three dimensional character. Gabriel really reminds me of a cartoon goon. I mean I wanted to know what was going on his mind, how did he think, did he have a thing for power or was he lost himself. It feels like the author deliberately skips out on giving any background to Gabriel lest he appear even a little bit human. I mean what did his parents think of Adam given they had been friends for so long, did he have siblings and was he in denial about his sexuality, anything. If I had to tell you the truth the first book does a better characterization of Gabriel then the entirety of this book.
 
Thirdly, Cameron is a creep. I don’t know how anyone can find Cameron’s actions towards Adam endearing. I found myself uncomfortable at a lot of times when it came to Cameron. In fact at some times during the book Gabriel seemed like a better option if it was an either or contest. I only liked Cameron a little bit towards the end but the ending is quite well written, it managed to alleviate a little bit of the frustration that this book caused but not enough to redeem his character or this book. Cameron tops the list of reasons why this book didn’t work for me.
 
Fourthly, Chris. Chris is someone I loved in Volatile but he was just so irritating when it came to Adam in this book. The relationship that Adam and Chris shared which is one of the many highlights of Volatile and the reason I was so excited about reading this book is pretty much destroyed in this book. I felt like there was so much judgement in their relationship now given how it started out with both of them giving the other unconditional support.
 
Fifthly, Gabriel and Adam make no sense. I didn’t understand how Adam could continue in this relationship. He didn’t love Gabriel. He knew their relationship was all wrong. He actually likes another guy. He lies to Gabriel about spending time with said guy. I mean their relationship was all wrong from the beginning. Even if you take out the DV, I didn’t get what was in their relationship that made Adam stay and that is the reason this book utterly fails it was unable to rationalise as victims are prone to do, the relationship the victim shares with the assailant. Adam seems to be fully aware Gabriel is in the wrong and he doesn’t love Gabriel and he isn’t dependent on Gabriel in any way and most importantly he knows he needs help which begs the question why does he stay in this relationship. There is a bit of rationalisation that Adam tries to do on Gabriel’s behalf but that is much later in the story and most importantly it is fuelled by the desire to save a friend not a lover. Also the worst part is that the author had much to pull from, given Adam and Gabriel’s long history of being friends and Gabriel being Adam’s saviour but there is no effort to incorporate this part of their lives in the book but it would have made sense to use this as Adam’s tether but it isn’t. As far as this book is concerned nothing tethers Adam to Gabriel making their relationship a farce and given the wooden quality of Gabriel it is very hard to draw emotions for this story.
 
This book quite literally ruined the Bahamas for me because that is the worst part of this book. The ending kind of salvages the disaster this book was turning out to be but not by much.
 
Cover Art by Posh Gosh. I liked the cover.

Buy Links: Pride | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:
ebook, 1st Edition, 233 pages
Expected publication: May 2nd 2017 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781786515438
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://www.pride-publishing.com/book/toxic
SeriesTreacherous Chemistry #2

An Ali Audiobook Review: The Winter Dark by J.S. Cook and K.C. Kelly (Narrator)

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
The horrific murder of a local woman rocks Morristown, Mississipi. With her death, veteran police chief Eli Gallagher feels he’s failed his small town, despite trying his best to serve and protect everyone in his jurisdiction. Sometimes that’s harder than it looks, given that rich and poor don’t always get along, and life on the other side of the tracks can turn deadly.

By his side is conscientious young Deputy Stan Leach. Together they work to discover the killer. But as they uncover evidence, their personal lives begin to unravel. Eli’s long-distance boyfriend telephones saying he’s getting married to a woman. Stan learns that the man he helped shelter wants to move on. When the clues unveil a history of abuse, the two men pull together to bring the murdered woman justice and maybe find the answers to theother questions in their lives.
This is a novella by a new to me author.  The  story was just ok for me.  The majority of the story is about the two main characters in relationships with other people.  We see those relationships and eventually why those don’t work out.  They end up working a horrible murder case together and take comfort in each other.  All of a sudden they are a couple and it is the end of the book.  We get an epilogue which shows their happily ever after but I felt cheated.  I felt like the book was about the other relationships and we didn’t get to see any of this relationship develop.  The ending was very abrupt in my opinion and honestly I wasn’t too happy with the way it all played out.  
The book was narrated by K.C Kelly and I felt like he did a nice job.  He had a nice voice and I was always able to tell which character was talking.  
Although the narration was solid and I liked that aspect, I didn’t really enjoy the story as a whole.
Cover:  I like the cover and felt it was well done.  It’s an attractive cover that catches your eye.  It’s also a nice representation of the story.
Sales Links Kindle and Audible  :  Amazon
Audiobook Details:
Audible Audio
Published February 17th 2017 (first published September 10th 2014)
ASINB06WD4YF9F
Edition LanguageEnglishsettingMississippi (United States)

A VVivacious Review: Volatile (Treacherous Chemistry #1) by Avylinn Winter

Rating – 4.5 Stars out of 5
 
Ever since his mother’s death, Chris has forgotten every reason to live when the sound of a violin breaks through his every barrier. Chris finds himself enchanted with Dante, the black haired violinist, but little does he know that the few words he exchanges with this enigmatic musician are going to give him a reason to live.
 
Chris finds himself on tour with Dante. He finds himself drawn to the enigma that is Dante but when every moment they share is inexplicable it’s hard to know what they really share. Are these moments the basis of something more or are they just something that can be forgotten in the blink of an eye?
 
This story is excellently written because if you get rid of the writing style this is a story we have heard a million times but what makes it a story worth reading is the fact that the way this story is written, makes even the simplest story, that you have read a million times in one form or the other, a piece of art.
 
It really boggles my mind how much I like this book because if you come down to the crux of this story, the turning point is a misconception. And personally I hate books were misconceptions are long drawn out and don’t have a quick resolution for one reason only, it has been done a million times before and I am sure it will done a million times after as well, but what makes it such an effective ploy is that one book that takes this plot ploy and manages to still find another unexplored corner of it.
 
I mean this book turned my pet peeves into something marvellous there are misconceptions and miscommunication or no communication, things I hate but this story just infuses the words with so much richness that I felt like I could understand just exactly how Dante and Chris’ relationship worked out.
 
Dante and Chris wowed me it felt like the pages featuring them just dripped with so much feeling. You know sometimes books fail to express non-verbal communication as well as verbal communication so most of the times when two characters don’t talk in a book everything they share becomes a bit ridiculous because something in the back of your head is like they don’t even know each other that well. But the author has this amazing command on the language because I got every cue that passed between Dante and Chris and most of them were non-verbal. In a startling moment this book opened my eyes to this fallacy of books by doing the exact opposite. I feel in anyone else’s hand this book would crash because I truly believe this book only works as it is written and I feel like one word out of place could make it fall apart.
 
It is amazing, the love story is inexplicable in the truest sense but once you read the book you will believe me when I say it truly works.
 
Also I loved how well the author portrayed Adam and Chris’ relationship, because it really got me excited about the fact that we get Adam’s book next.
 
I know this book isn’t perfect but I would be hard-pressed to find a mistake.
 
Cover Art by Posh Gosh. The cover doesn’t do justice to the story but I think little could.
Book Details:
ebook, 1st Edition, 213 pages
Published August 23rd 2016 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781786514547
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesTreacherous Chemistry #1
Other Editions (1)
Volatile (Treacherous Chemistry, #1)

Review Tour and Giveaway: Toxic (Treacherous Chemistry #2) by Avylinn Winter (author’s note and giveaway)

Buy Links: Pride | Amazon US | Amazon UK


Publisher: Pride Publishing


Length: 79,690 words


Treacherous Chemistry Series


Volatile (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK


Blurb

When true love is a lie and pleasure turns to pain.

Adam Webb spent most of his teenage years in love with his best friend, Gabriel Connor, only to be thrown out of their shared apartment when he finally found the courage to reveal his feelings.

Seven months later, Adam’s effort to save their lost friendship finds him more than he ever asked for. After all, being thrown out has to be better than thrown into a wall. However, Adam isn’t ready to give up. Trapped and isolated in a dangerous relationship, he falls deeper and deeper into Gabriel’s world.

Despite Adam’s attempts to push them away, his friends are determined to help, but the man who fights hardest is Cameron McCain, Adam’s photography teacher—a man who treasures what Gabriel does not.

They say love should conquer all. But when passion breeds fear and love turns toxic, will Adam make the right choice?

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of domestic violence and dubious consent.

 


Toxic is the second novel in the Treacherous Chemistry series, following characters introduced in Volatile. However, it can be read as a stand-alone. It’s a story about love, but also about the dangers of loving what you shouldn’t.

I wrote this story as an attempt to understand why we sometimes fail to recognize what’s bad for us, but most of all I wrote it for Adam, and all the Adams out there across the world. I wanted to give him strength, resilience and hope in a situation far too many has to navigate.

Toxic is by no means a light read, and it would be unfair of me to label it as such. I’ve been known to play with readers’ emotions, and Toxic is no exception. And, although it is a story about love, some will likely say this novel contains elements of general fiction. However, as long as you know what you’re up against, Toxic will hopefully give you something to remember and something to ponder.

You will get to meet Dante and Chris again, but also make a new acquaintance in Cameron. If nothing else, these three will undoubtedly make you smile when you most need it. I promise.

Toxic has been posted on Wattpad as a draft, which is the reason you see ratings before the release date. It collected over a million reads on the site before I took it down for publication, which gave me some confidence that Adam’s story was worth telling despite the toll it took on me.

I hope you’ll let sweet Adam tell you his story because it’s an important one.

Author Bio

Raised in one of the cold corners of the world, Avylinn spends her days either wrapped up in a blanket or basking in the precious sunlight. When she can’t choose herself, she’s holed up in an office working with climate research that has little to do with the worlds and characters she creates in her vivid dreams.

Always the emotional one, she has found her outlet in writing, voicing thoughts, emotions and fears through her characters that feel very much alive to her. And, what began as a hobby soon took more and more time in her life until she realized that she had left her old life behind and entered a new one where her emotions turned into a super power—ready to launch at her poor readers.

She recharges with the help of coffee, cinnamon buns, popcorn and occasionally a healthier alternative.

http://www.avylinnwinter.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/avylinnwinter/
https://twitter.com/AvylinnW
https://www.wattpad.com/user/Avylinn

Giveaway

Release Blitz & Review Tour – Wake (Tidal #1) by K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn (giveaway)

Buy Links: Pride Publishing (Early Download) | Amazon US | Amazon UK


Publisher: Pride Publishing


Length: 96,517 words


Blurb

Book one in the Tidal series

Carter Hamilton and Riley Porter-Wright room together as Harvard undergraduates. An immediate friendship forms, but as the years pass it deepens into something neither man understands. As attraction simmers under the surface, lines begin to blur. When they move back to Manhattan, they gradually slip into the lives their families have envisioned for them.

Both men marry, but in time, Riley realizes he’s ended up in a passionless relationship like his parents’ while his career takes center stage. Although he loves his wife, Carter misses the emotional and physical connection he shared with Riley.

The weight of Riley’s feelings and his growing discontentment with his life eventually push him to tell Carter the truth about how he feels. Shocked and unable to face his own feelings, Carter rejects Riley.

As each man comes to terms with the lies they’ve told themselves, each other and the people around them, they find their lives changing in ways they never imagined. They soon discover that the truths they’ve been longing to tell shake the foundations of their friendship.

 
Author Bios

K. Evan Coles is a mother and tech pirate by day and a writer by night. She is a dreamer who, with a little hard work and a lot of good coffee, coaxes words out of her head and onto paper.

K. lives in the northeast United States, where she complains bitterly about the winters, but truly loves the region and its diverse, tenacious and deceptively compassionate people. You’ll usually find K. nerding out over books, movies and television with friends and family. She’s especially proud to be raising her son as part of a new generation of unabashed geeks.

 

 

Brigham Vaughn is starting the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga.  She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

Email: brighamvaughn@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brigham.vaughn
Facebook Author Page:

 Giveaway

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An Alisa Review: Sand Trap (The Wyverns #4) by L.M. Somerton

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Exposing secrets can be lethal.

 

Crow has had his eye on baby-faced Shelton since the young man became part of the Wyverns, but Crow is a committed Dom and unsure that Shelton is ready, or willing, to become his submissive. Getting trapped together during a dust storm provides an opportunity to find out.

 

When the dust settles, the winds have scoured the desert and uncovered a shallow grave full of bodies. Smuggling people across the border is big business and Crow knows that the traffickers will not want their gruesome secret revealed to the authorities.

 

When Shelton is taken and used as collateral, Crow and the Wyverns have to decide just how far they are prepared to go to serve justice and save Shelton’s life.

 

This was another nice story in this series.  Crow and Shelton have been dancing around each other for quite awhile.  After the Wyverns are away on a mission for an extended period of time Crow decides they have had enough waiting.  They just get started exploring their connection when Shelton is taken.

 

Shelton and Crow have a great connection that they have built through their flirting and friendship.  We can see both Shelton’s and Crow’s feelings for each other and how desperate Crow is to get Shelton back.  With the length of this book there wasn’t actually much of it that had the characters together, which I would have liked to see more of.  I’m really looking forward to Hatcher’s story which I hope is next.

 

The cover art by Posh Gosh is eye catching and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 61 pages

Publication: May 2, 2017 by Pride Publishing

ISBN: 9781786515452

Edition Language: English

Series: The Wyverns #4

A Stella Review: Catch A Falling Star by Matt Burlingame

RATING 3,5 out of 5 stars

A therapist once told Martin Stevens that being gay was the only thing that saved him from being the most boring man alive. He spends his daytime working a dead-end job and his nights still pining after the ex-fiance who left him five years ago. When his older brother, Daniel, takes him to see a touring musical, a mishap sends superstar performer Alec Jameson flying off the stage right into Martin’s lap. It’s love at first sight. But can that love withstand the scrutiny of the press, a shock-jock radio personality bent on causing trouble, and the return of Martin’s overbearing ex-fiance?

I was very enthusiastic to read this new release by Matt Burlingame, the author conquered me with his holiday short called The Fortune Cookie and Catch a Falling Star was no exception.

This novella was exactly what I needed, it was sweet and fast paced and with loveable characters. Martin and Alec couldn’t be more different and that was exactly why they worked so well together, the first is considered from everyone a boring person, the second is a well known actor that everyone love. From the moment Alec literally fell on Martin, the attraction between them couldn’t be ignored.

I loved the main characters, I found both of them to be quite well done and cute, and the secondary ones, like Martin’s brother, were a huge bonus. He was supportive and stubborn to help his little brother in this new relationship. Yes, maybe the love is quick and instantaneous, but I’m a fan of those kind of stories so it didn’t bother me at all. It was sweet and romantic and simple with no drama, just how I wanted it to be.

I enjoyed Catch a Falling Star a lot, it  put me in a good mood and I can’t wait for more by this author.

The cover art by Can Stock Phot/ocusfocus is cute and well done. I like it.

Sales Link:  Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 64 pages

Published April 4th 2017 by Matt Burlingame

ASIN B06Y2KQHW4

Edition Language English

RIPTIDE TOUR and Giveaway: Risky Behavior by LA Witt and Cari Z

Risky Behavior (Bad Behavior #1) by L.A. Witt and Cari Z.
Riptide Publishing
Cover by: G.D. Leigh

Read an Excerpt/Buy it Here at  Riptide Publishing

 

Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Cari Z/L. A. Witt blog tour for Risky Behavior, book 1 of the Bad Behavior series!

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of one eBook off each author’s backlist (excluding Risky Behavior) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 6th.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

About Risky Behavior

It’s day one of Darren Corliss’s career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.

Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.

As Darren gains Andreas’s hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’s unorthodox—and borderline unethical—methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder—is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?

Risky Behavior is available from Riptide Publishing.

About Cari Z

Cari Z was a bookworm as a child and remains one to this day. In an effort to combat her antisocial reading behavior, she did all sorts of crazy things, from competitive gymnastics to alligator wresting (who even knew that was legal!) to finally joining the Peace Corps, which promptly sent her and her husband to the wilds of West Africa, stuck them in a hut, and said, “See ya!” She also started writing, because some things she just thought she could do better. She’s still climbing that ladder, but can’t stop herself from writing, or from sharing what she creates.

Cari enjoys a wide range of literary genres, from the classics (get ‘im, Ahab) to science fiction and fantasy of all types, to historical fiction and reference materials (no, seriously, there are so many great encyclopedias out there). She writes in a wide range of genres as well, but somehow 90% of what she produces ends up falling into the broad and exciting category of m/m erotica. There’s a sprinkling of f/m and f/f and even m/f/m in her repertoire, but her true love is man love. And there’s a lot of love to go around.

Cari has published short stories, novellas, and novels with numerous print and e-presses, and she also offers up a tremendous amount of free content on Literotica.com, under the name Carizabeth.

Connect with Cari at http://cari-z.net/  or via her blog, http://carizerotica.blogspot.com/

About L.A. 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 . . .

L. 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 Risky Behavior, one lucky winner will receive an ebook from each Cari and Lori’s backlist and a $10 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 6, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!