Category: Contemporary fiction

In the Spotlight: Top to Bottom (Escape Book 3) by Delphine Dryden Blog Tour and Giveaway

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Top to Bottom (Escape Book 3) by Delphine Dryden
Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Read An Excerpt/Buy It Here

 

About Top to Bottom

Drusilla Stasevich wants to leave the past behind and start the next chapter of her life. Returning to her hometown to open her dream kink club, Escape, seems like the perfect solution. But it can be tricky making dreams come true—especially when the person you want to share them with isn’t around anymore.

Amie Templeton is no stranger to tough times. She’s learned to make it on her own, and doesn’t do relationships outside the kink world. When her ex Dru moves back to town, old feelings surface. But that’s fine, right, since Dru has just opened the hottest new kink club in town?

Dru and Amie want to get the distracting spark between them out of their systems. Instead, their intense play sessions fan that spark into a flame. As if Dru didn’t have enough on her plate, an anonymous saboteur threatens to push her new club out of business. It will take the help of everybody at Escape to set things right again, and a lot of trust for Dru and Amie to start working toward a new life together.

About Del Dryden

Delphine Dryden  probably should have gone ahead and  become an English professor like she planned. Instead, she took a detour through law school, another detour through the wonderful world of working in special education, and took an extra fifteen years to end up where she belonged: writing kinky romances.

Del’s writing has earned an Award of Excellence and Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times Book Reviews, an EPIC Award, and a Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence.  When not writing or editing, she can be found binge-watching television shows with her girlfriend, playing tabletop games, and tweeting to excess.

Connect with Delphine:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Top to Bottom, one lucky person will win an ebook package of Dom Around the Corner and The Unicorn, plus a $5 Amazon gift certificate. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 23, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info.

For the duration of the tour, Del is also giving away paperback copies of her steampunk books Scarlet Devices and Gilded Lily. Contact her via her website’s contact page, put your favorite mythical beast in the subject line and your name and address in the body. Limit to 20 people total, or until the tour ends.

This title is part of the Escape universe.

A MelanieM Review: Beta Test (#gaymers #2) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Beta TestPlayer vs. Player. Fight!

Brilliant graphic designer Ravi Tandel is ahead of the game—he’s just been asked to present a top secret project at a huge conference in Seattle. All systems are go…until he learns his buttoned-up office nemesis is coming along for the ride.

Tristan Jones isn’t really the gamer type, but he knows the back end of the video game business inside out. Together, he and Ravi will give an awesome presentation. If they survive the cross-country trip first.

Tossed together in close quarters, Ravi’s shocked to see Tristan’s sexy, softer side emerge from such a conservative shell. He’s less shocked to learn his handsome colleague’s prominent family would never support an out-and-proud son. But Ravi didn’t struggle through his own coming out to hide who he is now. To be together, Tristan will have to push past his fear and ultimately decide: Does he want a future with Ravi? Or is it game over before they’ve even begun?

A rock solid fan of Annabeth Albert, the first story in this series, Status Update. also made me one of the series.  It couldn’t be helped really.  The series theme was a hook.  Gaymers?  You bet.  Plus Albert then went on to delight/frustrate me by creating a game that was both real enough that I could believe in it yet couldn’t download it and play the heck out of it.  That would be the popular videogame, Space Villager.  So I couldn’t wait to see where the author was going to take this series, and potentially, the game next.  My answer was Beta Test, a story I loved almost as much as the 5 star story that preceded it.  It was only a tiny smidge less, barely noticeable.

Geoarchaeologist Noah Walters and video game designer Adrian Gottlieb of Status Update are a hard act to follow-they had dogs (and we run into them again here) but once again Albert creates two layered, flawed and absolutely interesting men to connect with.   We meet both of them on their first day in the employee conference room at Space Villager.  And two more difference men upon appearance you couldn’t ask for.  Ravi is gorgeous, outgoing, graphic designer…so vibrant he leaps from the page.  Tristan is all tightness, awkwardness personified, and walled in.  The buttons on his shirt should probably go over his head he’s so buttoned up.  Yet, he’s also so appealing in his need to be there and his fears are understandable even if they don’t show to his colleagues.  The fact that we know these two will find each other starts the anticipation building.  Which brings up a plus for me.

I’m a huge fan of the slow ride to romance and love which Annabeth Albert does so well.  No slam bam thank you sir…which is fine too btw.  But I love the long path to relationships, the figuring things out, the slip-ups, the two steps (or more) back for every one going forward.  And yes, there’s plenty of that here, with both mens backgrounds and families. In the first book, and again here, its a road trip that serves to cement the men together.  Albert has either been to these places (most likely), done her research or both and its shows.  Wait ’til you visit Weed with Ravi and Tristan!  But its so much more. Its the game, its the pulling together for the show, and other employees…who also feel as real as everything else in this outstanding story.

My only complaint?  Annabeth Albert is making me wait for the next story in the series!  I want more.  More of these couples.  More of Space Villager.  More most certainly of this terrific writer whose stories flow so effortlessly from page 1 to the end, keeping me captivated, hooked on the couple and game right up until the last period.

Love contemporary romance?  Annabeth Albert?  Any combination of those?  Pick this and the story that starts the series up.  I love them and highly recommend them both.

Cover is terrific and perfect for the story.

Sales Links:   | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 178 pages
Published May 30th 2016 by Carina Press
Original TitleBeta Test
ASINB014PG5A0Y
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series #gaymers 

An Alisa Audiobook Review: A Forced Silence (Zero Hour #1) by Cate Ashwood and Scott R. Smith (Narrator)

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

a-forced-silenceFor paramedic Adam Carson, his world is lights and sirens and saving lives. Pressures at work keep him firmly in the closet, and life is too busy to contend with the complications that come with dating and relationships. When a familiar face from his past turns up where he least expects it, Adam starts to question whether or not there is room in his life for those complications.

 

The last person forensic pathologist Sam McKenna expects to see at pub night is Adam, the guy who made his life hell in high school. The attraction is instant, but Adam isn’t gay and Sam has no interest in pursuing him. Still, the leftover animosity from their teenage years isn’t enough to extinguish the lust growing between them. After both are called to the scene of a horrific murder, Adam admits he’s not as straight as he led Sam to believe and they seek comfort and distraction in each other’s arms. One night becomes many as the murder investigation intensifies, but when Adam is faced with losing Sam, he is forced to make a choice: to break his silence, or to give up everything for the job he loves.

 

I enjoyed listening to this story.  Sam has been living openly since he left home for college and doesn’t want to hide himself while Adam has been hiding himself from everyone afraid to lose his job or family.  Sam and Adam used to be best friends with the same person in school, however were never friends themselves in fact Adam used to go out of his way to make his life horrible.

 

When this story starts Sam has grown a lot from the awkward and shy teenager he was when they were in school, but Adam has moved farther from his attitude he had in school.  I could feel both of their emotions, Sam absolutely loves the Adam he knows in private, but it tears him up to not show it in public.  Adam is constantly feeling down about not being there for Sam out in the open.  The story was left open and I hope I can see more of these characters in the future.

 

Scott R. Smith did a wonderful job narrating this story.  I was able to keep track of the stories and characters which is always nice.  He was able to portray the characters emotions in his reading.

 

Cover art by Melody Pond is nice and I wouldn’t change it.

 

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Audible | Amazon |  iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 5hrs 47min
Published June 3, 2016 (ebook first published December 11, 2015)
Edition Language: English

A Stella Review: Strong Medicine by JK Hogan

RATING  4 out of 5 stars

Strong MedicineTwo men who meet in a psychiatric institution couldn’t possibly find happiness together—could they?

The world seemed to be telling disgraced former child star and singer Cameron Fox that he would never be happy again. A drunken car accident gets him sentenced to a work release program at Riverbend Behavioral Health Facility.

Reclusive, traumatized writer Jonah Radley has an entire graveyard of skeletons in his closet. Jonah regularly hospitalizes himself for psychotic episodes caused by a horrific childhood trauma, his biggest secret—one he refuses to speak about in therapy.

Jonah and Cameron form a bond inside the hospital, forged in mutual pain and hope for a better life. Once they leave the hospital, they must decide if they are brave enough to explore the intricacies of living with mental illness—and find a new normal together.

Strong Medicine was my first book by JK Hogan and it really surprised me. Reading  the blurb I have to admit I was a little scared at the start, afraid it was going to be hard to take. It was exactly what I was expecting, I hurt  so much through all the story. Still it was so worthed.

Cameron and Jonah are completely different: the first is a former child prodige, just being excluded by his whole big family from their band and sent by a judge to a behavioral health facility, where he will work for a year and learn to never drive after having drinking. Here Cameron is soon attracted to Jonah, the young man who will later steal his heart (and mine). Jonah is a survivor, each time he needs to committee himself, afraid to hurt not only himself, he comes back to life, sure he is more shattered than ever but he is working on his illness.  And hoping for a better life.

I think what I loved more were the characters, they were real and flawed just like us. And this is something I really need in books like Strong Medicine, true and painfully beautiful stories. Yes it scared me and brought tears to my eyes more than one, following Jonah in his psychic breaks wasn’t easy, seeing through his eyes what he was seeing. But I have to say everything, every single detail, was IMO well delivered, I enjoyed a lot.

This book is not for everyone, if you like sweet and romantic stories, it is really none of that. It’s  almost unbearable in some parts but the changes in Cameron and Jonah’s lives were emotional and believable. I feel to recommend Strong Medicine to everyone but please keep in mind my previous words.

I like the cover art by Wilde City Press, the style and colors are different from the usual covers and so it’s a winner to me.

Sales Links:  Wilde City Press | ARe | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 289 pages

Published May 18th 2016 by Wilde City Press (first published May 11th 2016)

ASIN B01FEH1GL0

Edition Language English

A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Left of Center by Zathyn Priest

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Left of CentreBrandon Faulkner has a thing for Goth guys and hangs out in the Goth chat room hooking up with strangers. He hasn’t met any of them yet, but since he can’t decide between the three that he considers the hottest or most intriguing, he decides to play all three as if they were the only man in his life. Making plans to meet with all three over the course of a weekend leads to a few shocking discoveries when his “dates” turn the tables and he’s the one sent off-balance.

Pre-meeting them, Brandon finds the most interesting, and stunning, of the three to be Enigma. And in person he turns out to be a youthful, but domineering, guy with purple bangs and a bizarre set of behaviors. When Brandon finds himself in hot pursuit, despite Enigma’s obvious dislike of him, he can’t believe that this time he’s the one who can’t seem to walk away.

I liked this story and discovered that it had much more depth of characterization than is usually found in something this short. Brandon appears to be no more than a shallow, self-involved slut of a man who can’t even count how many men he’s been with, but with Lewis’s help, he taps into self-discovery and is horrified at what he learns. Lewis, aka Enigma, turns out to be a very complex character with secrets of his own, and he manages to flip Brandon’s world upside down.

I liked the storyline and the author’s ability to create these very three-dimensional characters. And I especially enjoyed watching the way Lewis got Brandon to face some surprising self-truths.

Cover Art by the author’s company, Scarlet Tie Designs, features a black-and-white floor resembling a game board with one man sitting on a stool slightly to the left and another balancing on a plank to the right in the background. The cover cleverly represents both MCs: one who seeks to be the center of attention and the other who is slightly off-balance.

Sales Links:  Torquere Press |

Book Details:

ebook, 1st Edition, 47 pages
Published January 2010 by Torquere Press
Original TitleLeft of Center
ISBN139781603709132
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lila Audiobook Review: Love Hypothetically by Anne Tenino ~ Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

 

LoveHypothetically_AudiobookPaul’s been called many things—graduate student, humanities tutor, jock-hater, even broke—but “forgiving” isn’t one of them. When the new women’s softball coach at Calapooya College specifically requests Paul to tutor his athletes, Paul’s forced to put aside his strict “no athletes” policy for the sake of his paycheck.

Enter Trevor Gardiner, former Major League Baseball player and Paul’s high school boyfriend. Yeah, that one—the guy who sacrificed Paul for the safety of his closet and his future career. But Trevor’s come out and retired from baseball, and now he’s looking for forgiveness and a second chance.

There’s no earthly reason Paul should give him one, but he keeps letting the man state his case. And touch him. And take him sailing. The waters are far from smooth, though, and Paul says awful things to Trevor he isn’t sure he means. Now Paul has to decide: apologize and forgive Trevor for everything, or chalk it up as revenge and move on.

Love, Hypothetically is a sweet second chance novella. I read Frat Boy and Toppy about four years ago, but it was easy to remember Paul and his larger than life attitude. As a series, the two stories have a great sense of place and age group. The author did an excellent job bringing the previous characters into this installment.

I’m not a fan of YA or NA, but this book was a good example of the genre done right. The characters acted their age; first as high school students, and then, as young adults. Their story is believable and doesn’t go over the top to get the characters separated or back together. The chain of events that brought them back into each other’s life seems possible.

Both main characters have very defined personalities that stayed true through the story and varied depending on their interaction with other characters. I wanted them to get another chance to happiness from the very beginning, and the pacing of their reconciliation worked for the short format.

Perhaps I wanted a little more, but that happens with every novella. I wished we got more time for Trevor to beg for forgiveness and to see how their future turns out. But since this is only book #2 in the series, I guess we will have a chance to learn a little bit more about them in the next installments.

The hypothetical conversation Paul has is perfect for the story. I can see anyone having that type of exchange with a friend. It was well-written and quirky enough to keep the reader entertain. Plus, his friend attitude added to the color of the story. We get to see how much Trevor means to Paul and how he used this hypothetical situation to open up and think about a solution to his troubles.

Overall, a story that has found a way to stay relevant several years after publication. The plot is universal, and the ‘love conquers all’ theme closes the deal. A sweet summer read.

Nick J. Russo is one of my favorite MM narrators. His voice went accordingly with the characters ages and the rest of the characters’ voices were well-represented. It was easy to be into the story the further it got. The difference between the main characters worked nicely.

L.C. Chase did an excellent job creating a cover that felt young as the characters were when their love story started. At the same time, it includes one of their dates during their rediscovery.

Sales Links: Riptide | Amazon | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Length: 3 hours and 2 minutes

Published:  June 13, 2016 (Audio Edition) by Riptide Publishing
ASIN:  B01GW5WW3E
Edition Language: English

Series:  Theta Alpha Gamma
Book #1: Frat Boy and Toppy
Book #2: Love, Hypothetically