A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Saving Silas by S.J. Himes and Derrick McClain (Narrator)

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

*Previously Published as part of Home For The Holidays, A M/M Holiday Anthology, Nov. 29th, 2015.*

This was a sweet-older-guy-rescues-twink story, and though there were quite a few plot holes, I did enjoy listening to it. That may possibly be due to the narration of Derrick McClain, who always comes through with a great narration.

Silas is caught in an alley while a shooter wreaks havoc on an area downtown. He’s in the alley because he crawled out a window to escape the wrath of his father, a nasty man who abhors homosexuals and has caught Silas in a lie about his sexuality. Though he’s always been brutal, this time Silas feels lucky to have escaped with his life and the shirt on his back. He can’t go to the cops because his father is the city’s DA and close friends with the police chief.

Fortunate that EMT Gael Dominic finds him behind the dumpster, the young man wakes up in the hospital to Gael’s soothing voice. Thinking he was underage, Gael volunteered to sit with him since there wasn’t anyone available from DCF. A John Doe that age would need to have someone on standby. Thankfully, when Silas awakens, he tries to keep his identity quiet, due to fear of his father finding him, but he does confirm that he’s nineteen. Unable to stop thinking about him, Gael heads out to visit him again the next day and finds out he’s just left AMA, disappeared from his room—a room which was now conspicuously crowded with men in suits. Acting on a hunch, Gael takes the back stairs generally used by staff and finds Silas near the outside door. When Silas begs for help, Gael can’t resist and takes him to his home.

There within two, possibly three days, they consummate their love, so to speak, and make plans for how Silas can cope without his ID. The resolution to the problem with his father was not quite believable, but no more remarkable than a near-death experience one day, running away the next, and having sex by the third day. It was a good concept, but not believably executed. Sprinkling in a little Christmas holiday emotion for good measure in the hopes it would leave readers feeling warm and fuzzy didn’t quite hit the mark.

So, not bad, not the best, but if you like big, tough, thirty-something, tattooed Alpha males and their romance with nineteen-year-old abused and injured homeless twinks, you may just rate this one higher. By all means, though, if you buy it, buy the audiobook version.

Cover art seems right for the story

Sales Link Amazon Audible

Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 3 hours and 38 minutes

Audiobook

Published November 30th 2016 by Sheena Jolee Himes (first published November 29th 2015)
ASINB01NCE7SXS
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Free Dreamer New Adult Review: Crush by Caitlin Ricci

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Going to college gives eighteen-year-old Trey Porter a chance to experience the world beyond rural Alabama and his overbearing family. After staying in a motel due to a housing error at the school, Trey’s friend, Bryce, offers to let Trey stay with him. The fascination Trey feels with Bryce’s gorgeous, glamorous, and somewhat outrageous boyfriend, Co-Co, catches him totally off guard, because Trey’s never considered himself even remotely gay. At least that’s what he’s always believed. Trey prides himself on being tolerant, but it’s hard to handle the questions he faces about life and himself—and even harder to accept that there might be no simple answers.

This was my second book by Caitlin Ricci. She recommended it to me herself, after I’d complained about the lack of detail in “Running With the Pack”. At first, I was a bit hesitant because several reviewers mentioned crossdressing and trans themes, which I’m usually not so fond of. But I’m really grateful for the recommendation, because I absolutely loved this book.

Trey, Bryce and Co-Co are three wonderfully unusual people. “Normal is a setting in the laundry, nothing more” will probably stay a favourite quote of mine for a long time to come. And it’s a perfect summary of our three MCs. I really liked all three of them, though Trey seemed just a tad too innocent at times. His utter lack of understanding of any sort of sexual innuendo seemed a bit unrealistic to me, even if he is asexual.

The plot itself is on the slower side, without all that much action. But that worked wonderfully for the story Caitlin Ricci was trying to tell. There was some angst and Co-Co made for plenty of drama, but it was never over the top. Just like in “Running With the Pack”, Trey’s asexuality and Co-Co’s gender identity were portrayed in a very positive way. I really liked that.

Even though Trey is asexual, there were quite a few sex scenes. It was really interesting to find out how Bryce and Co-Co let Trey be part of their love-making, without him being part of the action itself. The sex scenes definitely worked to further the plot and weren’t just there for the fun of it. They were still hot, of course, but it didn’t devolve into simple porn.

The love between the three of them was obvious, without ever turning cheesy. The ending was simply perfect and so very romantic it almost had me tearing up a little.

Long story short: “Crush” is a wonderful coming of age story, with three pretty unusual MCs. While Trey occasionally seemed a bit too naïve, I still really liked all three of them.

Cover: The cover by Caitlin Ricci shows Trey lying in the grass, looking thoughtful. It’s simple and yet somehow brilliant.

Sales Links

Harmony Ink Press

Book details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published November 26th 2015 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN 1634762711 (ISBN13: 9781634762717)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lila Release Day Review: I Love You More Than Pierogi (World of Love) by K.A. Merikan

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Marek and Adrian dated in high school, but a bitter breakup led them to choose different paths. Adrian is out and proud while Marek is in the closet. Adrian embraces his eccentricity while Marek clings to a conservative image. And while Marek worked hard to build a successful life and financial stability by climbing the corporate ladder, Adrian threw caution to the wind and has spent the last five years backpacking across the world.

Now Adrian is back in Warsaw, Poland, but while Marek thinks they will have a hookup and have a blast from the past, Adrian is just looking for a place to crash. Worse still, Adrian turns up at Marek’s advertising agency for help with his outrageous new business venture, and if Marek wants to get promoted, he might have to work with the guy who broke his heart.

I Love You More Than Pierogi is all about Poland; especially their food. This is my first World of Love story and I like the idea of reading about countries I haven’t visited. It’s easy to see the authors’ affinity for the country and how they’re transmitting some of their own experiences throughout the story. It feels personal and realistic.

I love second chance stories and the relationship between Marek and Adrian is no exception. You can see the sparks between them from the moment they get back in contact. The paths theirs lives took after their original relationship ended transformed them into the man they are and somehow changed the expectations between the two.

The first part of the story is a bit slow and filled with information that helps the reader get into the smells, sites, and tastes of Poland. I had to google most of the food terms, including pierogi, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I like learning new things as I read new stories.

The descriptions of the streets, architecture, etc. and the way of living (apartments, cars, and so) go hand in hand with what I knew about the country and its post-war reality. Some of the ways Marek’s office operates and the people they met were a bit over the top for me, but it added to the foreign feel.

The characters are beautifully written and their friendship is lovely later in the story. I just had trouble with Marek’s and Adrian’s mood swings, and some of the side stories. But overall, this is a great introductory romance with Poland at its heart.

The cover by Anna Sikorska is beautiful. One of the best I have seen in a while. The colors, the images, and the model work perfectly together to entice the reader to look further into the story.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | Nook

Book Details:

ebook, 101 pages
Published: January 4, 2017, Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 9781635332100
Edition Language: English

A Jeri Review: Heart’s Gamble By S.J. Frost

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

An enemies to lovers sweet romance in horse country. Shawn goes to horse auctions to bid on and win whatever horses he can. He takes them back to his farm to rehabilitate them after they have been neglected. When he digs to find out who originally owned Heart’s Gamble, he discovers that the farm isn’t far from his and he wants words with the owner.

After Grant’s father dies, he inherits the horse farm that Grant left years before. And a mountain of debt. His original plan to sell it and move back to his life in California are thwarted by the arrival of a pissed off horse trainer- Shawn.

Shawn and Grant definitely have some great chemistry on the pages. Grant struggled with real life issues- namely what to do with his father’s farm, and the author showed what Shawn actually does as a horse rehabilitator. The scene when Shawn takes Grant to a horse auction so he can actually see what happens was heart breaking. When a story has real life issues and the characters actually go to work makes it more real for me.

This was low angst and a sweet read. The sex scenes were well done and rather hot I must say! SJ Frost can definitely write a sex scene!

If you are looking for a nice, easy read for the new year, I recommend. Prepare yourself for some cliché material though.

Cover art is lovely, and works perfectly for the story.

Sales Links

MLR Press LLC

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 97 pages
Published October 21st 2016 by MLR Press
ASINB01M4KF4U4
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Stella Review: Falling Down by Eli Easton

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

Josh finds himself homeless at eighteen, but he has a plan. He’ll head north on the bus to New England and spend October there for his mother’s sake. She always talked about going to see the fall leaves someday. And when the leaves are done and the harsh winter comes, Josh plans to find a place to curl up and let go. It will be a relief to finally stop fighting.

Mark spent his life trying to live up to the tough swagger of his older brothers until he pushed himself so far against his nature that he cracked. Now a former Marine, he rents a little cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he can lick his wounds and figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One thing was clear: Mark was nobody’s hero.

Fate intervenes when Josh sets up camp under a covered bridge near Mark’s cabin. Mark recognizes the dead look in the young stranger’s eyes, and he feels compelled to do something about it. When Mark offers Josh a job, he never expects that he’ll be the one to fall.

The snow is coming soon. Can Mark convince Josh that the two of them can build a life together before the flurries begin?

Trigger Warning: Suicidal thoughts

I probably already said this a thousand times, but I have to repeat myself: Eli Easton is a guarantee in the mm community. She is an amazing writer and each new story is a powerful gem. Like Falling Down.

I knew since I read the blurb, this new book was going to leave me as an emotional wreck for a long time, and it actually did, but with a gentleness and a lightness I wasn’t expecting. I’m pretty sure I will remember those characters forever. I have to say I fell in love with them from the start.

Josh took my heart and gave it back to me just at the end when I realized things were really going to work out well for him and his Mark. He is so young and depressed and it went through so much in his life. I could relate to him because I went through the same grief when I had his age and so he touched my heart deeply. And then there was Mark, who is everything a person should be, good, caring, strong willed , trusting, imperfect. Two lonely souls who fate put on each others path and although hard lives, painful pasts and dark thoughts, an HEA is coming their way.

Eli wrote a beautiful slow burn story, Mark and Josh became first friends, while working together on Mrs. Fisher house and let the old woman take care of them just how much they start caring for her and for each other. A slow burn story but full of chemistry, the attraction between them is clear and strong.

Yes the book is full of angst (read the warning!) but in my opinion the author was great at dosing it in the right way. Although the angst and more than one intense scene where I cried all the tears I had in my eyes, Falling Down isn’t heavy or oppressing at all. It’s full of emotions and it filled my heart so much, I just surrender and loved it. It deserves more than five stars. Highly recommended.

I like the cover art by Eli Easton very much in general but I can’t actually see Josh in the model, he simply is not like I had pictured him in my mind. That said the cover is very well done.

SALE LINKS

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 252 pages

Published November 7th 2016 by Pinkerton Road LLC

ASIN B01MSIYOHB

Edition Language English

A MelanieM Review: The Next Competitor by Keira Andrews

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

If he risks his heart, can he keep his head in the game?

To win gold, figure skater Alex Grady must train harder than the competition morning, noon, and night. He’s obsessed with mastering another quadruple jump, and due to the lack of filter between his mouth and brain, doesn’t have a lot of friends. As for a boyfriend, forget it. So what if he’s still a virgin at twenty? The Olympics are only every four years—everything else can wait. Relationships are messy and complicated anyway, and he has zero room in his life for romance.

So it’s ridiculous when Alex finds himself checking out his boring new training mate Matt Savelli. Calm, collected “Captain Cardboard” is a nice guy, but even if Alex had time to date, Matt’s so not his type. Yet beneath Matt’s wholesome surface, there’s a dirty, sexy man who awakens a desire Alex has never experienced and can’t deny…

The Next Competitor by Keira Andrews was a delightful romance, especially so if you love the world of competitive ice skating. If you are one of those who stay hooked to the screen during the Olympics or the many World Championships watching the amazing athletes skate on the ice for medals and points, then Andrews manages to bring that world and back stage competition to life here in this story along with the romance. I have to admit there were times I wondered which I enjoyed more.

Alex Grady who’s desire to win makes him a less than sterling person to begin with. He evolves, thankfully, as a person as the story moves forward. But I admit to having trouble liking him at first. All his other competitors and fellow skaters, no matter what division they are competing in, came off far better. I liked them all, even Mrs C, Alex’s Russian coach. Every character here felt true, as a believable athlete and person. I enjoyed all the supporting cast, some almost as much as the main couple and wished to have seen more of them, like Kenny, the Japanese skater with so much riding on his shoulders.

The pain and emotional roller coaster that is professional/yes amateur skating world is well done here. One slip on the ice and its over for the year, everything a pair/skater/coach has worked for. How does one handle that? Andrews puts it all down into her story, and lets us feel these skaters pain and loss. As well as the fact that they’re so young too.

Matt and Alex together are adorable. I do hear that there’s lots of “hooking up” during competitions. All those gorgeous bodies and hormones flying. That feels so plausible as part of the story. By the end, they are well on their way to HEA and its wonderful.

Cover art works beautifully for the story and characters.

Sales Link

Book Details:

This new version has been extensively rewritten, updated, and expanded into a new adult romance with explicit on-page sex.

ebook, 2nd Edition: First published in 2010. , 246 pages

Published December 6th 2016 by KA Books
ISBN139781988260136
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Review: A Collision with Reality (In Like Flynn #1) by Storm Duffy

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Flynn’s new boss is so hot he can’t wait to get home to tell the chatroom how much he wants Dom’s cock down his throat. By Friday, he’s shared quite a few thoughts on what he’d like his boss to do to him. But he’s not as anonymous as he thinks, and Dom’s intent on disciplining him for breaching company policy on social networking. Dom gives him a choice of put up or shut up: he can play out the fantasy in real life, or he can walk out of the office without a word to HR as long as he never talks that way about Dom again. Flynn chooses “put up”—but he’s forgotten about one of the things he said he wouldn’t mind doing.

This story wasn’t a romance, but that isn’t what I was expecting either. Flynn lets out his fantasies online thinking that no one will ever know. He continues and when he mentions a different coworker his new boss knows exactly who has been making the comments.

I could feel how cocky Flynn was, thinking that he wouldn’t have anything to worry about with his posts. Flynn is blindsided when Dom confronts him, but gets the opportunity to play out his fantasies. I liked Dom putting the experience in perspective to thin Flynn in the end. I’m interested to read more in this series to see what else Flynn gets up to.

Cover art by Natasha Snow is nice and gives great visuals of the characters.

Sales Links:

Nine Star Press

Book Details:

ebook, 7100 words

Published: January 2, 2017 by Nine Star Press

Edition Language: English

Series: In Like Flynn #1

A Jeri Review: Death Dancer (Dangerous Dancers #2) by Tara Lain

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Normally I am not a big fan of mysteries or murder mysteries. But couple it with a romance AND an author I enjoy- sign me up. To top it off, it is set in the ballet world. Second only to baseball for me.

Valentin is a professional ballet dancer earning his dues and wanting the lead he feels he deserves, but the current lead isn’t giving up his spot.

Andrew meets Val when one of the dancers from the corp turns up dead. He isn’t the first and likely isn’t to be the last. Andrew and Val are immediately drawn to each other. But then Valentin’s rival is the next dead body and Val himself is the prime suspect.

The heat and chemistry between Andrew and Val is off the charts! I really liked seeing their relationship develop while also dealing with these murders and Valentin being a suspect.

The supporting characters were great- loved Andrew’s work partner. She cracked me up with her straight talk. The supporting dance characters were very typical of the dance world. The literal and figurative prima donnas, the corp members desperately trying to get ahead and their near hero worship of those who are principals.

The mystery itself was done really well. A nice twist or two kept me turning the pages to see “whodunit”.

This is the second in the series but easily read as a stand alone.

Cover art is wonderful.

Sales Links

Pride Publishing | AMAZON | B&N | Kobo

Book Details:

ebook, 199 pages
Published November 1st 2016 by Pride Publishing
Original TitleDeath Dancer
ISBN 1786515172 (ISBN13: 9781786515179)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Dangerous Dancers:

Release Blitz Tour – Suki Fleet’s Light Up The Dark (giveaway)

Light Up The Dark – Suki Fleet

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Blurb

For two years Nicky has wandered the dark empty corridors of the overgrown Thorn Hall, unseen and untouched, feeling like a ghost. His only company, the cold man who promised to keep him safe from harm, Lance.

But when Lance dies, Nicky’s assurance of safety disintegrates and his world suddenly becomes a lot more real and a lot more dangerous. Scared to leave the house, Nicky longs for daylight. He employs a gardener to clear the over-grown bushes and vines that have nearly swallowed Thorn Hall whole.

The last thing Nicky expects a little light to do is show him something to fight for.

Eighteen months in a young offenders’ institute has taught Cai two things: he occupies the playful puppy end of the How Dangerous Are You? spectrum, and he has an unfortunate knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Desperate for a job, he takes the first offer he gets. Even though Thorn Hall creeps the hell out of him and he barely knows one end of a pair of garden shears from the other.

Things start to fall apart when Cai is drawn into Nicky’s strange world of sticky notes and secrets. Cai finds he is now a target, blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. Desperate not to go back to prison, he digs deep and risks all the good things in life to help Nicky run.

But now Nicky has someone he wants to protect, he knows he can’t run any more.

January 3 – Dog-Eared Daydreams
January 9 – MM Book Escape, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
January 11 – Back Porch Reader
January 13 – Diverse Reader, The Novel Approach, MM Good Book Reviews
January 16 – Making It Happen, The Geekery Book Review, Jim’s Blog
January 20 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, Inglorious Bitches
January 23 – Bella’s Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Alpha Book Club, Keysmash

Author Bio

Award Winning Author. Prolific Reader (though less prolific than she’d like). Lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories.

Suki Fleet writes lyrical stories about memorable characters, and believes everyone should have a chance at a happy ending.

Her first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards.

Links
Email: sukifleet@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/suki_fleet
https://www.facebook.com/suki.fleet.3
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7919609.Suki_Fleet
http://sukifleet.tumblr.com
http://sukifleet.wordpress.com
https://twitter.com/SukiFleet?lang=en

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A Paul B Review: Interlude: First Noel (The Executive Office #1.5) by Tal Bauer

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ethan Reichenbach has been demoted from lead of the Presidential protection detail in the Secret Service to the Des Moines, Iowa office. Instead of leading a team sworn to protect the President at all cost, he now is tracking counterfeiters. To make matters worse, his supervisor in no way wants the President’s boyfriend working in his office. He tells Ethan to stay away from the press and to turn his cases over to another agent when evidence materializes. His only salvation is his nightly video chats with Jack Spiers and his weekend trips to Washington to spend time with him. However, as Jack is the President, those weekends are not always consistent.

Jack is trying to enjoy his first Christmas in the White House but things seem to keep getting in the way. Between international conferences to the rising problem of the Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East, it seems like he has no time to spend with Ethan. Jack is also unhappy about Ethan’s situation in Des Moines, where he is pushed aside for agents who weren’t even in high school when Ethan joined the Service fifteen years ago. Add in the tabloid press who basically have Jack and Ethan breaking up or making up depending on whether or not Ethan flies to Washington any given weekend just adds to the stress. Jack counts the days until the two can be reunited.

I enjoyed this tale of Jack and Ethan as they prepare for their first Christmas together as a couple. It was interesting to see the side of the Secret Service that most Americans forget that they are in charge of—catching counterfeiters. Ethan’s demotion is made worse by a boss who thinks that Ethan will contaminate any case in which he is prominently involved in. The only saving grace in Des Moines is a new agent who at first grudgingly partners with him but comes to an understanding that seems to help with the case they are working on together. Along the way, Jack and Ethan must develop some sort of protocol for the various White House functions that come at Christmas time and deal with world problems at the same time. This book nicely expands on the time that was covered briefly at the end of Enemies of the State.

The cover art by Natasha Snow is perfect for the book. The cover has the White House in a wintery scene surrounded by snow.

Sale Links: NineStar | Amazon | NOOK

Book Details

EBook, 125 pages

Edition Language: English

Published: December 19, 2016 by NineStar Press

ISBN: 978-1-945952-30-2

Series: The Executive Office

Enemies of the State (The Executive Office #1)

First Noel (The Executive Office #1.5)

Enemy of My Enemy (The Executive Office #2)

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Light Up The Dark – Suki Fleet

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