Category: Contemporary fiction

An Ali Review: Heaven Sent: The Complete Series (Heaven Sent #1-6) by Jet Mykles

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Heaven Sent Boxed EditionThis collection of stories included the 6 main books of the series as well as 4 shorts the author calls “flings”.  The stories follow the 4 guys that make up the band Heaven Sent and their manager.  Each story focuses one couple but the rest of the band members are in each book and we follow their journey along the way.
Book One:  Heaven
Tyler is the manager of the Weiss Hotel and he’s under a lot of pressure.  His dad has cancer and the hotel is doing poorly.  He decides to open a night club and asks the band to perform on opening night.  Tyler is awe struck when the lead singer Johnnie asks him to hang out.  This book was one of my least favorites in the series.  My issue was that the first few sex scenes were dubious consent and that’s something that I’m not at all a fan off.  Johnnie keeps making sexual passes at Tyler and Tyler keeps telling him “No, I’m straight and I’m not interested” but Johnnie does not take “No” for an answer.  Then after being pushed in to it, Tyler decided he’s bisexual after all and falls for Johnnie.  I didn’t care for Johnnie or this plot device so despite the overall plot being good the story was just ok for me.  It was also an insta-love which I can sometimes go with the flow on but since I was already annoyed in regards to the consent issue the insta-love annoyed me too.
Fling 1.5:  Pretty Red Ribbon
This is a short story about Johnnie decorating himself in bows and ribbons as a Christmas gift for Tyler.  It was a short and steamy story that I would have enjoyed had I not still disliked Johnnie. (I did eventually get over my dislike by the time I got to the later books)
Book Two:  Purgatory
This story starts in the past and we see a glimpse of the guys prior to Heaven Sent becoming famous.  Luc and Reese are friends until Reese tries to kiss him and Luc freaks out.  The two men haven’t seen each other for years but a wedding brings them back together.  Reese is shocked to find that Luc has come out as bisexual and has always regretted his past behavior.  I really liked these two together.  Their love story was more believable as they had so much history.  I was really enjoying this one until close to the end when Luc does something really outrageous I couldn’t believe it.  It was an over the top, alpha, “I know what’s best for you” type of move and ended up making me dislike him and dropped my rating of the book.
Fling 2.5:  Sexy Spring Surprise
This is a sexy short featuring Luc and Reese.  It was enjoyable and steamy.
Book Three:  Hell
This story finds the band looking to do some changes in their style of music and they’re auditioning new band members.  They settle on keyboard player Heller and Brent and Hell immediately hit it off with their love of music.  This story shows the guys become friends slowly over time and then become lovers.  Through it all Brent is struggling with some personal issues and he has a hard time accepting that Hell loves him.  There is a bit of drama before Brent figures things out.  This book felt the most realistic to me and I really felt bad for Brent when he messes up.  Hell was a fun and likable character.  This ended up being my favorite book of the series.
Fling 3.5:  Feisty Little Firecracker
This was a very steamy short about Brent and Hell on the 4th of July.  Great little erotica short.  I loved this one.
Book Four:  Faith
This story starts a few years down the road and Darien is the only one of the band members not in a committed relationship.  He’s lonely and he knows it and it leads to him asking a girl he’s been seeing to marry him.  When things don’t work out Hell refers him to his lawyer friend Chris.  Chris is Darien’s total opposite and is quiet and reserved while Darien is constantly talking and seeking people to interact with.  These two were adorable together and they had a nice love story.  I enjoyed this one a lot.
Fling 4.5:  Sly Spectral Trick
This was a Halloween short story that started a bit creepy and then ended quite steamy.  It stars Darian and Chris and it was another one I really enjoyed.
Book Five:  Genesis
This story is another few years down the road and focuses on all four couples equally.  They guys have been touring and working for years and they’re all in a place where they are thinking about taking a break.  A few of them also have big life choices like marriage and children on the mind.  I thought this was done well and it went from one couple to the other and back again.  I enjoyed this one a lot and it was a nice wrap up to these four couple’s stories.
Book Six:  Revelations
This book takes place while the band is on hiatus and focuses on the band’s manager Gretchen.  She has feelings for her personal assistant, Owen, but feels he is too young for (he’s about 10 years younger).  She meets Archer through a business deal and the two of them start seeing each other.  After meeting Owen a few times Archer realizes Owen and Gretchen have feelings for each other so he proposes they have a menage and that leads to a poly relationship.  This was my least favorite story in the series because it felt really under developed.  There is little plot and it felt more like erotica.  It was smoking hot but I would have liked to see these three fall for each other.
This was a mixed bag for me.  Some of the stories I liked a lot.  Some were average and there were a few I didn’t care for.  All of the books and flings can be read as standalones except for book five Genesis.  If you’re looking for something that is lighter with lot’s of steamy scenes this is a series you should check out.
Cover art by P.L. Nunn
Sales Links:  Loose Id LLC   no other links found
Book Details:
ebook, 698 pages
Published May 10th 2016 by Loose Id
ISBN139781682521472
Edition LanguageEnglishSeriesHeaven Sent #1-6

Love Some Hurt/Comfort with Your Romance? Check out Valor (Vigilance #1) by K. Laché (excerpt and giveaway)

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Author: K. Laché

Title:  Valor

Series Title and Number: Vigilance 1

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Release Date:  7/6/16

Heat Level: 3

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 90K

Genre:Erotic Romance, Gay Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Drama

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Synopsis

It takes valor to support and love those who need it the most and never expected to receive it.

For Rivet Scalzo, returning to his childhood home after a decade was not on his list of places to go while recuperating. After nearly being blown up on a mission, Rivet is forced to deal with his PTSD and sudden deafness without help from Vigilance, the secret governmental agency he works for. He resigned himself to a lonely recovery, but, perhaps by chance, he met Blare Chaplynn, a model whose caring nature helps ease the horror of Rivet’s home life. As they grow closer, Rivet is burdened by the secrets he can’t share with the one man he grows to love.

If Blare knew a mild concussion was all he needed to meet the man of his dreams, he would have gladly accepted it long ago. He knew there was something special about Rivet when he first saw him at the park, but never guessed this man of mystery would be hiding so many secrets. Blare is forced to confront the fact that Rivet may never tell him everything, but is trust the reason Rivet is so close-lipped or is it something more?

Excerpt

“I told him it was a bad idea to start you so young.” She turned away from him and muttered under breath, “It’ll only cause more problems for us when he gets older, I said.”

Rivet slammed his hand down on the counter and snarled, “What problems, June, huh? What problems have I caused?” He pointed his finger at her and said through his teeth, “I have done nothing save for following the orders I’ve been given. I was told to come to this shit town and stay with my shit family until they deem me fit enough to return.” He opened his arms wide. “And here I am. So I want you to tell me what problems I’ve been causing, June.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits, and her lips pressed into a thin line. “Remember just who you’re talking to, Rookie. A buster like you needs to have respect for his superiors.”

“You were making rookie mistakes, June. They forced you to retire.”

Lightning fast, she swung her hand out to smack him across the face. He was faster. His hand tightened around her slim wrist, stopping it inches from his face. He roughly shoved her hand away and tsked. “You were always slower than me.” He turned his back on her and walked through the door to the back room marked Employees Only.

The back room was full of buckets of flowers, scraps of ribbon, and other odds and ends left over from arrangements. He paused in the room, looking for the door he knew led to the basement. He saw the door to the industrial-sized refrigerator and continued roaming the room. He skillfully weaved around vases of carnations, roses, and other flowers he didn’t know the names of. A soft smile sprung to his lips when he spotted a pot of daisies sitting happily on the counter. Gentle fingers caressed the stark-white petals before dropping away. Rivet eyed the bright yellow disk florets nestled in pure white petals. The glossy green leaves completed the innocent picture. He shook his head, battling against the memories pushing from the back of his mind.

Continuing to the door, he pushed it open and gently shut it behind him. He flicked on the light switch and descended the stairs. The basement was bare save for miscellaneous ladders and stepping stools. He walked to the nearest wall and placed a hand on it at chest height. He closed his eyes and slowly walked the perimeter of the basement, fingers trailing along the cool bricks. A few paces later, he paused and opened his eyes. He ran a finger down the left side of the brick. There was a faint click and he placed his fingers on the faux concrete face and slid them toward the right, revealing a keypad in the hollow. He reached his hand in and pressed a nine-digit code into the keypad before turning his hand palm-up and pressing his hand flat against the top of the hollowed brick. A soft blue glow pulsated before something clicked open behind him. He glanced back to see a trapdoor had opened under the stairs, a sliver of light appeared through the crack between the door and the floor. Rivet grabbed a nearby rag and wiped the fingerprint scanner and the keypad before sliding the panel shut and running his finger up the left side, locking the faux brick.

He stepped over to the trapdoor, feet making no noise as they gracefully moved around furniture. Rivet reached down and lifted the door. The hinges squeaked in protest, and he let it rest open so he could climb into the opening, dropping his bag to the tile first. He secured the door and jumped the rest of the way to the floor. The room was brightly lit by the fluorescent lights in the flooring shining off the dark walls. The subbasement was split into two sections. To one side was a dark armoire built into the wall. The doors were shut and locked; a fingerprint scanner and keypad were just to the side of it. The other section was an enclosed area that took up most of the floor, also secured by a scanner and keypad.

Rivet walked over to the armoire and typed his nine-digit code into the keypad with the knuckle of his finger. The light to the scanner flickered on. He placed his hand flat and watched the beam of light move up and down his hand. The doors of the armoire clicked and opened. There was a small flat-screen monitor on each door and one monitor settled in the middle. A small metal stool raised from the floor. Rivet sat, dropping his bag by his feet, and pulled the keyboard from under the monitor. He held down the Escape key while typing a four-character password. All three monitors flickered to life showing a plain command box with Passcode at the top and the cursor blinking below it. His fingers easily typed in a twelve-digit code.

When the computer loaded, a new message window popped up. He clicked the mouse to view it and quickly read the message:

Contact me when you get this.
—Commander D.

Rivet sighed and clicked on the contact’s name. It brought up a live video feed of a man sitting in a nondescript office, bookshelf behind him.

“Agent Scalzo,” the man’s voice was commanding and firm.

Rivet was used to the no-nonsense voice and gave him a nod. “Commander.”

“Have you settled?”

He paused a moment before answering. “Sir, civilian life and I do not agree.”

“You need to make it work.”

Rivet shook his head. “All due respect, sir, couldn’t I have been stationed elsewhere? I have told you about my family. I could have been anybody, anywhere else.”

“You are on leave and need to be who you really are, not another persona. The Council and I believed this was the best option.”

Rivet snorted bitterly and fought not to glare at his superior.

Commander Donovan narrowed his eyes. “What was that, Agent?”

He clenched his teeth. “Nothing, sir.”

He watched the commander pause a moment. “You are to pick up a package at the post office. The clerk will ask you how you are doing and tell whomever it is that you’re glad to be away from the rain in London. The package contains a secure laptop and cell phone, understood?”

“Affirmative, sir.”

Purchase

Torquere Press

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Meet the Author

A third grade writing project started it. It was the key that unleashed a passion to create and tell fantastical stories. K. Laché felt as if she were made to tread the path of authorial conquest and never once looked back. She entered a world where anything could be created. She was hooked.

She has fan fiction to blame (or thank, depending on how you look at it) for introducing her into the world of slash fiction. What’s better than one hot guy in a book? Two hot guys in a book! After an epiphany in college, K. Laché decided to try her hand at getting published. For years she struggled but never gave up. Now she debuts with her first published work, Valor—the first, but sure to be not her last

K. Laché can be found here:

https://www.klachewrites.com

https://www.facebook.com/K.LacheWrites

https://www.facebook.com/KLWrites

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy of Valor.

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A Paul B Review: A Time to Rise by Tal Bauer

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

A Tiime To RiseFor all the holiness that surrounds Vatican City, evil lurks within its walls.

Alain Autenburg has been a member of the Swiss Guard for the past twelve years.  As a member of the group of men charged with protecting the Holy See and the Supreme Pontiff, the Swiss Guard have been serving popes for centuries.  Unbeknownst to most within the Guard, there is a subset within their numbers who are members of the Knights Templar.  They are responsible for ridding Rome of all the unholy paranormal happenings going on in the city.  Alain is the current Knight responsible for these duties.

Cristoph Haase is a new halberdier in the Swiss Guard.  Older than most of the other new soldiers in the pope’s army, Christoph is not quite sure why he is in Rome.  While it is the top assignment of the Swiss army to be selected as a member of the Guard, Cris is not sure he fits in.  Resigning would not only end his military career, but also leave a stain for any future private employment.  To make matters worse, Cris is fighting his attraction to and non-committal response from the Sergeant in the “Special Projects” office of the Guard, Alan Autenburg. To make matters worse, the sergeant is assigned to be his mentor.

As the attraction between the two grows, Alain has severe reservations about letting Cris into his world.  The last time he let someone in it almost destroyed him.  Alain wants to protect Cris from the things that go bump in the night.  A relationship with this new recruit would put in jeopardy, especially if he were to be trained as his replacement.  All that changes when Cris is cornered in a bar one night by an incubus who is trying to steal his soul.  The incubus shows both men their deepest desire.  They must now move forward with their relationship while fighting demons being called by someone within the walls of Catholic leadership.

This is a well-crafted book with enough tease of romance and action to fulfill the premise of the book.  Alain wants to be with Cris but the last man he was close to was hurt by his line of work so he Is very hesitant to follow his feelings.  This drives Cris crazy with what seems to be Alain’s flip flopping on whether or not to see where their feelings lead.  The secondary characters work to move the story along.  Of special note is Father Lotario.  The chain smoking, vodka swilling exorcist is not what one expects to find. I hope there are more tales of Alain, Cris and the demon fighting men of the Vatican.

The cover art by Aria Tan is perfect for the book.  Alain is standing in profile with the Vatican City skyline in the background.  You can also see Cris looking on in the background.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details

ebook
Published May 2nd 2016 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781911153481
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Review: Hot Dogs and Kisses (Men at Work) by J.D. Walker

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Hot Dogs and KissesDarwin “Dare” Mancuso owns a string of food trucks across the city. His friends often tell him he works too hard and has too little fun. Dare knows it’s true, but he has high standards for both his business and his love life, and isn’t about to fall into bed with just any man he meets, no matter how hot he is.

Then Abel Messler comes into his life, and Dare takes notice. Unlike the entitled business types to whom he serves every day, Abel has an innocence that’s hard to ignore and draws Dare in. When Abel loses his job, it’s all Dare can do not to hug him and kiss all his troubles away.

Instead he invites Abel out for a good time with friends, and the end result gives both men more than they ever expected.

 

JD Walker did a nice job with this story.  It’s nice and sweet with a HFN ending.  Dare is trying not to be jealous of his friend’s love life when he meets Abel.  He can’t help but want to help the kid when he comes by his food truck.

 

I understood Dare wanting to protect Abel and it’s nice to see Abel give as good as he gets when he is finally in his own environment.  This is meant as a short story, so there isn’t a lot of build up and action, but it didn’t leave you wondering what was going on either.

 

The cover art is nice and consistent with the series.

 

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 17 pages

Published: May 14, 2016 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634861090

Edition Language: English

Series: Men at Work

Enjoy a Little Kink with Your Romance? Check out Relearning the Ropes by DC Juris (Excerpt and Giveaway)

Relearning the Ropes 1000x400

Title:  Relearning the Ropes

Author: DC Juris

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kristin Norris

Release Date:  7/6/16

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 10,485 words

Genre: M/M Romance, BDSM, Kink

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Relearning the Ropes Cover

Synopsis

When his good friend Julius dies unexpectedly, Marcus finds himself saddled with a new submissive–Charlie. But Charlie comes with a history, and a whole host of issues and problems that Marcus has never really dealt with. Marcus knows he loves Charlie, and Charlie loves him, but he’ll have to set aside his old theories about BDSM and relearn the ropes, so to speak, if he wants to be the Dom Charlie needs him to be. Previously published by Breathless Press.

Excerpt

Marcus rolled over to stare at the clock. 3:25 AM. A month ago, at precisely that moment, his phone had rung. He’d answered it, expecting it to be the only person who ever called him that late, his friend Julius, but instead it was Julius’ lawyer. The man apologized for waking Marcus, but Julius was dead  — condolences, of course — and Julius left the care of his sub, Charlie, to Marcus, and could Marcus please go over to Julius’ house and fetch Charlie?

At 3:45 AM that morning Marcus went and picked Charlie up, and, for the past month, Charlie slept in the spare bedroom across the hall. Marcus hadn’t slept since. Not that he didn’t like or want Charlie. He did, on both counts. Loved Charlie, was quite in love with Charlie. But if Marcus had wanted a live-in sub — which he hadn’t, his life was far too busy and complicated, and he was entirely too set in his ways — he wouldn’t have chosen one like Charlie. Charlie was a complex little creature: delicate and high-maintenance. He took everything Marcus knew about how to treat a sub and turned it upside down.

He thought back, remembering how, a little over two years ago, Julius had phoned him in the middle of the night, music blaring in the background so loudly that Marcus could barely hear himself speaking, let alone Julius. Julius had gone down to his favorite club, spotted Charlie, and Marcus had ended up loaning him five hundred thousand dollars to buy the battered and bruised sub out of the sex slave ring he’d been held captive in. Charlie had come such a long way since then, learning to live as a sub instead of a slave, and finding a niche in the working world.  Marcus didn’t want to do anything to set him back.

Marcus groaned and flipped over onto his other side, putting the mocking glare of the clock’s bright red numbers behind him. Aside from Charlie, Marcus had never dominated a man he’d loved. He had no clue how to reconcile the two. Charlie needed clear boundaries, a clear definition of their relationship, but how was he supposed to define their relationship to Charlie if he couldn’t define it to himself? He tried to treat Charlie like any other sub, but the fact of the matter was Charlie wasn’t just any other sub. Sold into sexual slavery at fifteen, Charlie had been dragged all across the country before he’d landed in Julius’ hands.

Marcus was all business when he served as a Dom at Anton’s BDSM playhouse, clinical, almost; for most of the men he played with, that was enough — the domination, the control. But Charlie, Charlie needed more. The only question, was could he give it? He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force himself back to sleep.

Purchase

Torquere Press

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Meet the Author

Romance author, sci-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake-making, football-watching, rubber-duck-collecting, drag-show loving, full-of-fabulous-with-a-capital-F kinda gal. She’s also an ordained minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching Star Trek and Supernatural repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::

https://www.facebook.com/danielchristianjuris

http://www.twitter.com/dcjuris

@dcjuris on Instagram and Periscope

http://dcjuris.blogspot.com

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy of Relearning the Ropes.

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