Category: Contemporary fiction

Review of Stolen Dreams by Sue Brown

Rating: 3.5 stars

It has taken Morgan 5 years to get his life back on track after he derailed it by cheating on his best friend and lover. After finally climbing out of his drunken depression with help from his friends, he now owns a successful coffee house, has a great career as an assistant direction in the film industry and is happily engaged to Jason, a gorgeous up and coming movie star.  He has it all and then Shae Delamere comes back into his life.

Shae Delamere was Morgan’s best friend and lover all their lives, up until Morgan destroyed their relationship by cheating on Shae in a moment of weakness. For two years, Morgan held out hope that his phone calls and letters would be answered and then he gave up and moved on.  Now with Shae’s reappearance, Morgan realizes that he never stopped loving Shae, even with all that had happened to them both, even his fiance can see it. When it turns out that their friends manipulations that helped keep them separated, the pain of the betrayal combined with the love they still hold pulls them together once more.  But there are still so many lies still hidden and a geographical distance to overcome.  Will both men be able to overcome the pain and past hurt to have a future with each other?

Stolen Dreams is a very well written story of young love derailed by lies, lack of communication and the maneuverings of those closest to them.  Brown’s characters are all too human in their faults and abilities to self destruct.  Morgan is easily my favorite character and the one I empathized with the most.  Morgan made a mistake at 19 that destroyed not only his only love and their relationship but tore apart two families that had been close since the boys were very young.  At 19, the mistake he and Shae made (as Brown makes clear, there were relationship errors on both sides) was huge but it was a mistake grounded in poor communication, worse judgement, and a relationship  already on shaky ground, a fact neither man acknowledges until five years later. Brown’s story is strengthened by her wonderful ear for dialog and the depiction of the areas out there waiting to trip up any relationship that doesn’t have a firm foundation.  This holds true for the young that don’t have the maturity and skills necessary to maneuver the rocky shoals life hands one and make it safely to harbor.

Shae Delamere was a character that felt less authentic and therefore, much harder to like and empathize  with.  This is a problem as he is set up at the start as the main victim here and to my way of thinking ends up more the victimizer instead.  Shae is far too passive, he too easily accepts what others tell him even though he knows they have every reason to lie, he doesn’t follow through on his actions, he lies, he is constantly sorry etc.  Shae just doesn’t have the depth that Morgan’s character has. He seems more a reactive element here and that takes the entire story down a notch.

Another quibble I have with this story is that it is an examination of relationship dynamics but neither Morgan or Shae seem to learn from their mistakes in the past.  When lies continue to surface with the expected reverberations, do they communicate with each other?  No, instead they bury their problems under sex.  A realistic problem in some relationships true but even as Morgan raises the question of why that is their answer to problems, Sue Brown never gives the reader or her characters a satisfactory answer.  They continue to use that as a bandage right up to a devastating revelation that I did not see coming, a final lie that threatens everything that has come before.  This denouement also pancaked the ending of the story for me.

The ending is the final quibble.  Yes, it is a  HEA.  But for me it seems to be a bit self delusional for Morgan.  I could see the ending as a pragmatic and realistic way for Morgan to obtain what he wants but the author coats it all with a saccharine layer of immediate forgiveness for an almost unforgivable event and again a round of sex to blanket the real issues of trust, continuing lies and hidden agendas that plague Morgan and Shae’s relationship from beginning to end.  Morgan is understandably furious and hurt, then it is all glossed over in the name of love and HEA. It did not make sense given the amount of time Brown took to get her characters to a semblance of realistic actions and emotions.  So what started off to be a great book I was really enjoying metamorphosed into a story that ended up with me feeling as though I had stayed too long at a party held by bickering neighbors I never liked all that much.  What a shame.

Cover: Another beautiful sensual cover by Reese Dante.

Review of The Dragon’s Muse by I.D. Locke

Rating 4 stars

 

A young half dragon half human has trained all his life to be a Guardian to a Muse, a spirit or god that provides the inspiration for an artist. When he is called by The Ring, a group of elders who choose the Guardians, and given a Muse to guard, he is surprised to be chosen, not only because of his young age but also because he is half dragon. Then The Ring informs him that the Muse rejected their last choice and has been without a Guardian since. And with that The Ring sends him off to meet his Muse.

Misu is a half Muse as he is half human half god.  He is also unique in that all the other Muses are women and he is a hermaphrodite. And   while all the other muses can inspire many, Misu is a Muse to only one artist at a time.  The last dragon The Ring sent him was totally unacceptable for a muse who uses their sexuality to conjure up the inspiration necessary for a muse of erotic poetry.  That dragon only saw sex as something for breeding, not as a joyful, fun act, so Misu sent him packing.  Then a new Guardian appears, a half dragon/half man that Misu has seen in his dreams for hundreds of years and Misu names him Gunari as is the custom.  Gunari is startled to find out about Misu’s physiology but Gunari is so attracted to the Muse that it makes no difference whether Misu is male or female as Gunari has always been attracted to both, something he chalks up to the human part of his heritage.  Both are so pleased with the partnership that it’s not long before they find sexual attraction deepening into something more.  As they explore their sexual natures, from BDSM to gentle loving sex, Misu realizes he loves Gunari. Now if only Gunari can recognize that he feels the same.

I am going to say right away that if you are looking for a story that is strictly m/m, this is not the story for you.  But if you want a good short story with a terrific premise and can accept a gender fluid being, then don’t pass this one up.  I. D. Locke takes the idea of muses and put’s their own neat little take on it.  Misu is a muse for erotic poetry for one artist as a time.  When you consider that erotic poetry is not exclusive to one gender, it makes complete sense to have a Muse who experiences the total range of human sexuality to better inspire erotic verse for any gender or sexual preference.  In the blurb, Misu is described as a male identifying hermaphrodite but I never got the picture that Misu identified with any gender, so I did wonder if that was to placate those readers wanting just a m/m story.  At any rate, Misu is so joyful about sex, that any boundaries, including gender identification,are not just unnecessary but also unwanted.

Misu just is Misu and completely content to be a hermaphrodite.  Misu loves sex in every way, in every combination and so feels that being a hermaphrodite is sort of double the fun. Happily for both, Gunari feels much the same.  Gunari loves Misu’s duality and take full advantage of every orifice possible as often as possible, and if studded paddles or restraints come into play, even better. Early on, Misu recognizes that it is Gunari’s face that has haunted their dreams for centeries and Fate is playing a part in bringing them together.  As Misu has had time to fall in love, it is new for Gunari to consider the idea. Locke does a wonderful job with the characterizations here.  Misu is such a gloriously happy sexual being and Gunari is a wonderful young half dragon who takes their responsibility seriously as a Guardian but also comes to love their Muse as well. There are such lovely touches here from the descriptions of Misu’s cottage and the field of flowers nearby full of butterflies to chase and sunlight to bask in.

And yes, there is lots of sex, hot sex, happy sex, bondage sex and penetration of every opening possible and every combination, male and female in detail.  Throw in some glowing auras and you have two very happy beings in a short story of love, sexuality and acceptance, no matter the gender.  If that sounds like something you would like to read about, then this book is for you.

Cover:  Alessio Brio was the cover artist and I find it just as unusual as the story.  The black background is textured to look like dragon hide, I think with Miso and Gunari (green hair) foremost in the design.

Review of Fair Puckled by Bella Leone

Rating: 5 stars

Jackson Stuart is on a trip of a lifetime.  As a doctoral student in Celtic studies at Boston University, he jumps at a chance to accompany his professor to the Scottish Highland Games for research and field work. From the moment, Jackson and Dr. McKenzie land on Dunoon Pier, Jackson feels like he has come home.  And then he crashes head on into a gorgeous ginger haired man in a kilt who leaves him fair puckled. The way Jackson feels he may never go home again.

Bella Leone does an outstanding job of giving the reader a generous dose of Scotland in 19 pages.  From the scenery to the language, she transports the reader into the center of the Highland games and the heart of Jackson Stuart.  Where others would give us a sketch in the same short length, Leone manages to give us fully fleshed out characters who hook us in and make us care about their future once the story ends. The raucous nature of the games, along with the sweat and concentration come through beautifully as do the Scottish people themselves. In fact, I find it very much to be a love note to Scotland with the start of what promises to be a great relationship tossed into the proceedings.

I would like to see a sequel but I can imagine what takes place after the story ends as well as Leone generously left us many hints as to the path Jackson will take.  I loved this short story and think you will too. It left me as fair puckled as Jackson Stuart.  That would be the Scottish term for short of breath!

The Week Ahead and another Rant on the Heat and F%^*&%g Pepco!

It’s Sunday in Maryland and we are in the 12th day of our heat wave and power losses!  Yesterday we hit 105 degrees F and today is not supposed to be much better.  There are still plenty of folks around the area without power as the limbs from last Friday’s storm continue to fall onto power lines, including some that just went back up. We are anticipating more storms as the cold front from the north is slowly coming our way and we know from experience (and science class) that a collision between a cold front and a hot as hell front brings a humongous amount of meteorological explosions.

Yesterday I found out that the storm cost us our relatively new dishwasher (burned out) to  go along with the air conditioning circuit board and a heck of a lot of groceries that had to be thrown out.  When I called the appliance store to see if there was any reset button etc that I could try, I got the “yeah, lady, I have been fielding calls from hundreds of people just like you all day”.  Am I supposed to take comfort in the fact that everyone lost their appliances along with us?  Perhaps so.  There are thousands of us facing the same problems.

It is also our unfortunate lot to have Pepco has our energy supplier.  They rank last in the ENTIRE NATION in service and reliability.  Not surprisingly they rank first in profits as their bill came yesterday right on time, along with their expectation that we pay right on time.  But they are not held to the same accountability.  People just coming into the area say they have never experienced the power outages that are a regular occurrence here.  And Pepco just asked for a rate raise too!  Talk about cojones!  But I think this time they will be met with more fines instead of raises.  Peoples ire is up.  We are fed up, the politicians are fed up!  Maybe something will finally be done about them.  I can always hope.  In the meantime, the Moderate State is hanging up its nameplate and looking for a new moniker!  Any ideas?

So yeah, heat.  So hot in fact that I haven’t felt like cooking.  It’s too hot even to stand at the grill.  So we are making drinks, baby!  Look for a drink recipe after the week ahead.

 

I am continuing to review two more books in the Dancing With The Devil series by Megan Derr.  Just a outstanding series by a great writer and a wonderful lead into the week of July 16th which will be concentrating on book series all week.  I think you will love it.  So this is how this week will play out if the power stays on:

Monday:                                  Midnight (DWTD #3) by Megan Derr

Tuesday:                                  Ruffskin (DWTD #4) by Megan Derr

Wednesday:                            Almost Paradise by Caitlin Ricci

Thursday:                                Torquere Short Stories

Friday:                                      Stolen Dreams by Sue Brown

Saturday:                                  Author Spotlight: Nicole Kimberling

 

For your summer drinking pleasure, a Catalina Margarita!
1 1/2 oz tequila
1 oz peach schnapps
1 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
4 oz sweet and sour mix

Directions

Shake with cracked ice and strain into chilled cocktail or margarita glass.

 

 

Review of One Last Kiss Goodbye by N.J. Nielson

Rating: 4 stars

Jacen Ives has loved Kayne Henderson since he was 11 and Kayne was 14. Kayne  was kind to him and stopped Jacen from being bullied.  Confused about his feelings, Jacen talks to his older brother, Micah, and dad about being gay and is met with acceptance and love.  But both caution him about being out at school and Micah makes him promise to never reveal his feelings to Kayne.  Jacen keeps that promise until the night of their graduation party. It seems that Kayne has known all along about Jacen’s “crush” and he sends Jacen away to college with a kiss goodbye after telling Jacen that he is straight and has a serious girlfriend.

Six years later, Jacen returns to his hometown after being savagely beaten by an ex-boyfriend he met in college.  His family gathers to support him.  And to his surprise, so does Kayne Henderson.  Kayne is now divorced and has a young daughter. Homeless,they both live with Micah and his partner, Sammy. When Jacen’s ex eludes the Melbourne  police, everyone fears he will show up to threaten Jacen again so Kayne and his daughter move in with Jacen to protect him. But Kayne is hiding a secret, one he has carried since graduation.  When the secret comes out, it will shatter friendships and leave Jacen vulnerable. Can both men accept change when it leads to a future both want with all their hearts?

One Last Kiss Goodbye was a lovely story of unrequited love fulfilled at last with an Australian touch.  Nielson has done such a great job with her characterizations that each and every one comes off as a realistic portrayal of young men conflicted about their sexuality, driven to act under stress and duress that will seem so authentic, so real to the reader that they capture our sympathy and hearts immediately.

Jacen Ives is sweet and loving portrait of a sweet, smart young man who separates himself from his family and support system because he just can’t stand to remain and watch Kayne and his girlfriend.  You have to remember these are the actions of a 15 year old who has jumped ahead in school to graduate with older kids but still has the emotional maturity of his actual age.  In fact, as the story ends, Jacen is only 21.  Nielson understands Jacen’s emotional age and stays true to that level of maturity throughout the book.  In moving away from family and friends, Jacen takes away his security and emotional backing as well. It is easy to imagine a 15 year old on his own for the first time, homesick and grieving over the loss of Kayne being vulnerable to someone who will abuse him in a relationship.  Each of Jacen’s actions are completely comprehensible, including his quickness to tear up given his bruised emotional and physical state of being.  Kayne is another character who jumps to life complete with his many frailties front and center.  With Kayne, Nielson gives us insight into a man who was a 14-year old confused about his sexuality and afraid of his emotions, so much so that he acts “straight” to all around him with grievous consequences. Here again the reader must keep in mind that Kayne is only 3 years older than Jacen, and his actions reflect that as well.  These are two sweet and compelling young men struggling with the repercussions of past actions in their present day reality as well as the feelings they still have for each other.  You will root for them with all your heart.

The things that did bother me about the story might have more to do with the difference laws in the United States and Australia.  There are certain events that take place that if they had occurred here in the States, they would have tagged as a hate crime and the participants jailed.  Also what is described as vandalism here would be classified as an attack, a destruction of property, as well as a hate crime, more serious offenses.  So I think my confusion here is due to the author being Australian with differing laws and not the fact that the events are considered less serious. I am not sure if Australia has a hate crime law in effect there.  The other quibble has to do with Kayne’s daughter’s name.  Jacen is extremely smart so how  does he not get the significance of her name?  Also the ending seemed a bit rushed.  The book is only 125 pages so the length did not seem to match the bigger story contained within.  I enjoyed my time spent with Jacen and Kayne.  I think you will too.

Cover: I loved this cover.  Art by Reese Dante and photography by D.W.S. Photography, it is sheer perfection.  The ages are spot on, the models sweet faced and sensual.

Review of Full Circle (Sanctuary #5) by RJ Scott

Rating: 4.75 stars

Manny Sullivan has always been the “ops” in Operations, the person at the center of all of Sanctuary’s communications and intelligence.  As he is running a systems check of all Sanctuary computers and surveillance cameras currently in use on the Bullen case, he spots Josh Headley, son of an important witness, away from the Sanctuary house he was staying with his mother and handlers.  In fact the house Josh is sneaking into is the home of a prime suspect in the case and Josh’s interference can ruin everything the Agencies have worked so hard to compile against the Bullen family. Manny is not just a IT genius, he is also a seasoned agent and he is the one to go and retrieve Josh Headley before his unauthorized visit derails their case.

Josh Headley’s entire life has been turned upside down by finding out that not only is his father a bad cop, his father also murdered  an innocent women for the Bullen family. That his father said it did it to protect his family matters not at all.  In the witness protection program set up by Sanctuary, Josh is finding inaction and safety a bitter pill to swallow, and then he finds out that his boyfriend was using him too per the Bullen family instructions. He breaks out of the safe house intending to make his ex-boyfriend pay and to get additional information. To his amazement,  a small but lethal Sanctuary agent appears to pull him out of the house and bring him back to Sanctuary headquarters.

Manny Sullivan and Josh Headley have a lot in common, both computer geniuses, both have troubled background, and both are gay, a fact that neither man has missed.  Close quarters during a surveillance operation feeds a mutual attraction until it flashes out in a moment of lust and need.  But one man is consumed by his job, the other destined  for the witness protection program.  As the Bullen case draws to a close, what does the future hold for Manny Sullivan and Josh Headley?

With Full Circle, RJ Scott brings the investigation of the Bullen family to a close and gives us a 5 star couple to finish it off.  Scott’s wonderful talent for characterizations shines with both main protagonists.  Manny Sullivan has been an ingratiating popup character throughout the series and now he gets the leading role we have been waiting for.  Manny Sullivan created a new life for himself including a new name when Jake Callahan hired him to work for Sanctuary. His family’s Mafia connections lead to the death of his parents and sister, leaving him completely alone at a young age.  Using only his ingenuity and high IQ, Manny finagled a interview with Callahan at MIT, was hired, and never looked back.  Manny is a wonderful mess of contradictions, small, introspective, highly confident in his abilities in a variety of subjects from computers to guns, and until now, content to be alone with his computers or with his Sanctuary coworker family. He needs an equal and Scott gives one to him in Josh Headley. Scott has created in Josh Headley a mirror image that causes Manny to rearrange his thinking and outlook.

Josh Headley is a wonderful character, equal to Manny in so many respects.  Here is a young man who idolizes his father and loves his mother with a bright future ahead of him until it all explodes as his father is arrested for murder and it turns out that his father has been a corrupt cop on the payroll of the Bullen crime family for over 20 years. Josh has lost everything and is forced into hiding with his mother. a situation he intends to get out of.  Josh is bitter and sullen even before he finds out that the boyfriend he was forced to leave behind was in fact just using him for information for the Bullens.  Scott makes Josh very real in his distrust of others, hatred for his dad along with the pain of a son who remembers the loving father in his family memories. Josh is hurting and lashing out, something we can all relate to and empathize with. In fact, he is one of the most relatable characters in the series, pain filled, frustrated, tired and bitter. Josh is taller than Manny but doesn’t see that as an advantage over Manny. This is not a case of true love but rather an attraction built on physical need and the recognition that their mental intellects mesh rather well. I really likes how true that felt. Looking at their backgrounds and their present realities, neither man is a candidate for a “instant love” relationship and the author doesn’t make the mistake of trying to give us one.  Instead, Manny and Josh are realistically looking at what is possible for the future for them.  Every part of the Manny/Josh duo just smacks of authenticity.  Scott also brings back Morgan and Nik from Guarding Morgan, the first book in the Sanctuary series and the one that  starts off the Bullen investigation. A perfect touch in a story bringing all events and people full circle.

Full Circle also brings to a close case of the Bullen crime family that started in Guarding Morgan.  During the investigation into the Bullen family activities, several Sanctuary agents have been shot, evidence has been tampered with, people have vanished, each new lead taking them to new crimes and new accomplices until it ended with uncovering a FBI mole that had acted as liaison to Sanctuary in Clear Water, Sanctuary #4. Scott neatly ties together all the threads from each book into an ending deserving of such a convoluted investigation.  I wanted to see the Bullens brought to justice and Scott delivered that in spades.

But this is not the end of the Sanctuary series as RJ Scott leaves us with an escape and promise of more to come from Sanctuary and its agents.  And for that I am grateful.  There are several mentions of my favorite couple, Dale (a Sanctuary agent) and Joseph, a Navy seal, whose sister’s murder started the investigation. Manny mentions that Dale received a text from Joseph saying he was going deep with his unit for an unknown amount of time. They have a HFN relationship, the only one possible given their responsibilities, but Scott has given us an indication that there is more coming for them.  And Jake Callahan, the owner and CEO of Sanctuary is due for his own story as well. So while it is goodbye and good riddance to the Bullens, more Sanctuary tales are on the horizon.  I can’t wait!

Cover: Reese Dante delivers another great cover for Sanctuary, those models perfectly fit Manny and Josh.  Great details all around.

Sanctuary Series in the order they should be read in order to fully understand the Bullen Family conspiracy and the characters involved:

Guarding Morgan, Sanctuary Series #1 – rating 4.25 stars

The Only Easy Day, Sanctuary Series, #2 – my review here

Face Value, Sanctuary Series #3 – my review here

Still Water, Sanctuary Series #4 – my review here

Full Circle, Sanctuary Series, #5

Review of An Honorable Man by Edward Kendricks

A Happy Fourth of July to everyone from the United States, no matter where you might be right now.  And to all of those people still without power here in MD, VA and DC, my thoughts are with you, I know exactly how hot, how frustrated and how desperate you are feeling.  I was there.  I hope with all my heart this day finds you with your power back on, your bodies cooling off, and your minds and hearts feeling replenished.

 

Rating: 3.75 stars

Paxton Boyle and his twin boys are out rock hunting when they run across a human bone, a find that causes Pax to switch from father mode to forensic scientist and call in the police.  One bone leads to another and before long an entire skeleton has been unearthed and sent to Paxton’s lab.  As Paxton works to establish identity, one thing is immediately clear, the person was murdered.  Then the cadaver dog and its handler turns up more bones, and then another.  And the race is on to find a serial killer before they strike again.

And as Pax’s work hours lengthen, he must find someone to watch his boys after school and on the weekends he is working. Pax’s wife walked out of them 2 years ago and with his housekeeper’s daughter expecting her first child, he turns to Jordan Leonard, the boys schoolteacher and friend. Pax and Jordan have established an uneasy friendship since the Boyle family returned to town.  Years ago, Pax and Jordy were lovers in college, happy until Pax’s father broke them up by forcing Pax to marry a business partner’s daughter in a merger of families and businesses.  A heartbroken Jordy left college immediately and Pax had not seen him since their bitter parting until Pax, Jenny and the kids returned to their home town.

Pax and Jordan still have feelings for each other but Pax is an honorable man and still considers himself married, despite Jenny’s absence. And for Jordan, Pax’s betrayal of their love still hurts after all this time.  As more and more bodies are found, Pax’s longer hours bring Jordan closer into their family circle and their attraction to each others gets stronger.  How much longer will Pax  be able to keep to his promises to stay an honorable man?

Edward Kendricks did a wonderful job of weaving the story of a past love rekindled with a forensic tale of murder.   He skillfully builds the anticipation and interest as first Pax and his boys (what charmers) find the first bone on a rock hunt. Then as more skeletons are unearthed, it becomes clear that the police and Pax’s forensic unit have a serial killer on their hands. Theories are bandied about and clues discovered as the story continues, spending as much time in Pax’s lab or with the police officers hunting the killer as it does with the romance of Pax and Jordan. I liked this technique but for others it might take too much time away from the love story of the two main characters.  Kendricks does tie the two together in a neat twist that I loved, plus I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of the book.

The love story, I think I had more problems with that section of the plot.  I did get the part where Pax was not brave enough and perhaps old enough to stand up to his father when the and Jordy first got together.  But Kendricks didn’t give me enough of the mature Pax’s feelings about Jordy to make their sudden romance entirely believable.  Same for Jordan, a character I really enjoyed.  Jordan left that college he attended with Pax for another, completed his degrees and came home to teach, his bitterness over Pax’s cowardliness still very much alive years later.  But the author tells us they have become friends since being reunited at a parent/teacher conference but gives us little evidence except for the fact that Pax leaves the boys in Jordy’s care when necessary.  Neither man has ever talked about their previous affair nor is neither man out to the community. This is not a “gay for you” story as both men are definitely gay from the start. But both Pax and Jordy seemed lacking a few layers to make both men totally believable in the context of the story.  Who did I believe in?  The boys.  I loved Denny and Danny.  With spot on dialog and wonderful characteristics, Kendricks needs to make those boys the main characters of a series of YA novels.  They would be a hit! With their passion for rocks and bones, especially fossils, those 12 year olds were easily the most authentic personas here and maybe this generation’s Hardy Boys.

And that leaves me with the ending that had far too many loose ends.  I hesitate to tell you what exactly remained unfinished as that enters spoiler territory and perhaps Edward Kendricks plans a sequel to finish the mystery he started here.  All good mysteries have the same basic elements: who, what, when,  where and why.  Not all those questions are answered leaving this reader a tad frustrated.  AT 143 pages (story alone), the ending came with a rush, which was surprising considering the time the author took getting us to that point.  I think you will feel a little shortchanged by this story, I know I did. But the parts that irked me are balanced by the portions that kept me enthralled and totally entertained. And that’s enough for me to give this a recommendation.

Cover:  Reese Dante was the cover artist.  The cover is great, it contains all the elements of the story in an appealing design.