Category: eBooks

An Alisa Review: Sugar Cookies & Mistletoe by Kay Doherty

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Preston believed he would never find his mate. When he finally does, he’s in for a surprise. His mate, Dylan, is a rare omega wolf-shifter, but he’s still a child himself. Due to the unusual circumstances, the families agree to keep Preston and Dylan separated, only allowing monitored emails to be exchanged between them. Six years later, Dylan returns to the wolf-shifter town of Barton, and Preston. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s the perfect time for Dylan to meet the Callahan Pack, reunite with his mate, and figure out exactly what his omega status means for his future with Preston.

 

I feel like the minority here, but I really liked this story.  I knew it was going to be short, so there is only so far the story can go but these two are so cute with each other.  Preston and Dylan were pulled apart when Preston recognizes Dylan as his mate when he is too young.

 

These two have spent years looking forward to actually getting to really meet eat other and build a life together.  Yes, Dylan is innocent but he has pretty much been kept away from many others after an incident when he was attending school so he wants to be perfect for his mate.  Preston hopes his mate is willing to accept an older man when they see each other face to face.

 

We get to see their reunion and how wonderfully Preston takes care of Dylan in his time of need.  I loved seeing them a couple years on and how they are building a family together.

 

I like the cover art by Natasha Snow is great and will work for the other holiday stories that come out.

 

Sales Links: Nine Star Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 11,600 words

Published: October 22, 2018 by Nine Star Press

ISBN: 978-1-949340-99-0

Edition Language: English

Release Blitz and Giveaway – Alpha Heat (Heat of Love #1) by Leta Blake

 

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK
 
Narrated By: Michael Ferraiuolo
 
Length: 15hrs 22 mins
 
Heat of Love Series
 
Book #1 – Slow Heat – Audible US | Audible UK
 
Blurb



A desperate young alpha. An older alpha with a hero complex. A forbidden love that can’t be denied.


Young Xan Heelies knows he can never have what he truly wants: a passionate romance and happy ever after with another alpha. It’s not only forbidden by the prevailing faith of the land, but such acts are illegal.


Urho Chase is a middle-aged alpha with a heartbreaking past. Careful, controlled, and steadfast, his friends dub him old-fashioned and staid. When Urho discovers a dangerous side to Xan’s life that he never imagined, his world is rocked, and he’s consumed by desire. The carefully sewn seams that held him together after the loss of his omega and son come apart – and so does he.


But to love each other and make a life together, Xan and Urho risk utter ruin. With the acceptance and support of Caleb, Xan’s asexual and aromantic omega and dear friend, they must find the strength to embrace danger and build the family they deserve.


This gay-romance novel by Leta Blake is the second in the Slow Heat universe. It has a strong, happy ending and a well-crafted non-shifter omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. No cheating. Content warning for brief sexual violence.

 

https://player.vimeo.com/video/293826951

Alpha Heat Sample 1 from Leta Blake on Vimeo.

 

Author Bio


Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

 

Giveaway

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Love a Bit of Fun and the Unexpected? Check out ‘do you think we should’ve glued it first?: The Crazy Adventures of Cass & Star Episode I’ by Bobbie Rayne (excerpt)

do you think we should’ve glued it first?: The Crazy Adventures of Cass & Star Episode I

by 

 

 

 

 

Blurb:

Cassius is the new kid in town, so when trouble shows up at his door, and his father is kidnapped, he has no one to turn to. Luckily for him, Sterling steps up and offers to help, and before they know it, they’re both thrown into a world they don’t understand with some very dangerous enemies.

The worst part is they can’t figure out what’s going on with Cassius. Soon after his dad goes missing, Cassius begins to change; he starts having weird cravings and odd behaviors. Cass and Star are unsure of the cause, but they think it’s somehow related to the guys that are after them. Things keep getting stranger and stranger with no answers anywhere in sight.

Will they be able to set their differences aside and work together to figure out what’s going on with Cassius? Will they be able to find Cassius’s father in time? What do you think Cass could be? A vampire? Werewolf? Zombie?

Join Cass and Star on their crazy adventure in Episode I: do you think we should’ve glued it first?4

Excerpt:

Title: do you think we should’ve glued it first?
Series: The Crazy Adventures of Cass & Star Episode I
(unedited, subject to change, copyright © Bobbie Rayne)

Cassius~

He gave me a lingering look before scanning the mess I’d made. “Everything you tried tasted bad?”

I cringed. “Well, no.”

He waved his hand for me to continue.

I stifled a sigh. “The steak tasted good.”

“You cooked a steak?”

I hesitated for a few seconds before admitting to my crime. “Um… I didn’t cook it.”

He stared at me for a long time, just blinking away. “You… you ate it raw?”

I nodded.

“You ate an entire steak… raw?”

I winced a little at his tone. “Um… no.”

“So what? A few bites? Don’t you think that’s going to make you sick?”

“Actually, I ate all three steaks… raw.” I cringed and looked at him through squinted eyes, almost afraid of his reaction to my disgusting admission.

He just stood there doing that blinking thing.

After a few minutes, I whispered, “I’m sorry, Star. I couldn’t help it. I don’t know what came over me. I was just so hungry and my stomach was cramping and… I dunno. But I’ll pay you back. I’ll buy your mom new steaks tomorrow, okay? I’m really sorry, and I know it’s gross, but I couldn’t hel—”

“Cassius.” He said my name quietly, but his voice caused me to pause.

“I’m sorry.”

He lifted his hand and went to speak, but hesitated again. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke, “You don’t need to apologize. And you don’t need to buy more steak, it’s fine. I’m just trying to… process it, and honestly, I’m trying not to puke from the thought of eating that.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I even drained the blood on the little trays.”

“Ulhhlh… come on, man.”

I lifted a shoulder. “Sorry. I think it’s gross too. I normally eat my steaks well, well done. Crispy or burnt, even.”

 

About the Author

Bobbie Rayne grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and still lives there today. She’s married to her very patient husband, and they have two amazing sons together, as well as two crazy dogs. She spends her time writing, driving her kids all over town, and helping run the PTA.
Her children are one of the reasons she loves YA so much, and one reason why she thinks it’s important to bring LGBTQ+ main characters into fiction. Writing YA has always been a dream of hers, and she truly believes that writing it is good for her soul. Her family means the world to her, but coffee might be high up on that list, too, so if you bring her some, you just might end up with a new best friend.

Social Media Links:

https://www.facebook.com/bobbie.rayne.9https://www.instagram.com/bobbierayne/

 

In the Spotlight Tour and Giveaway: Rabi and Matthew by L.A. Witt

Rabi and Matthew by L.A. Witt
Riptide Publishing
Cover By: Christine Coffee

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

 

 

 

 

About Rabi and Matthew

A queer retelling of Romeo & Juliet, except no one has to bury their gays.

A decades-old family rivalry is reaching a boiling point as the patriarchs vie for a seat in Congress. Democrat vs Republican, Muslim vs Christian, Hashmi vs Swain — the Midwestern town of Arbor Hills is one spark away from an explosion of violence. So when two men find themselves irresistibly drawn together at a party, only to discover they were born on opposite sides of a bloody battle line, Matthew Swain and Rabi Hashmi know they should leave well enough alone.

The pull between them is magnetic, though, and it’s too strong to ignore. Unable to resist, they meet again in secret. Generations of hatred can’t temper the passionate love growing between them, but two men falling for each other in the middle of a war zone can’t hold back the inevitable clash.

And when decades of political, religious, and personal strife finally come to a head, there will be blood.

Now available from Riptide Publishing.

 

About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut . . .

Connect with L.A.:

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rabi and Matthew, one lucky person will win a $10 Riptide gift card. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 10, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

An Alisa Review: Lazy Sundays (Lazy Days #1) by K-lee Klein

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Scott Weston’s car is sensible, his suits are bland, and his job is stable but boring. Mundane routine helps keep his anxiety and obsessive tendencies under control. Socializing—especially dating—isn’t on his list of strong skills either, and, made worse with the echoes of his disapproving mother. So he’s content to stay at home with his lists and cleaning and wildlife documentaries, until a one-night stand goes unexpectedly right.

History has taught Devon DuCaine that dating can be uncomfortable, but there’s just something about Scott. He may be the opposite of Devon’s own long-haired, tattooed, free-wheeling spirit but he brings out the nurturer in Devon. Maybe it’s Scott’s surprising fascination with Devon’s motorcycle, or his shy surprise in moments of affection, but there’s more under those sensible suits than meets the eye. The most important person in Devon’s life, his mom, taught him love and compassion and that’s all he wants to share that with Scott.

Their one-night stand turns into a regular thing, but Scott doesn’t trust it to last. He’s pretty sure Devon is hiding something. He’s even more sure that once Devon gets to know him, the attraction will fade. And then there’s his mother. However many sparks fly between them, Devon will have his work cut out to convince Scott they can have their happily ever after.

(This book was originally published as 2 short stories. They’re combined here with massive edits and double the content from the originals.)

I read the original shorts a long time ago and know I enjoyed them but didn’t remember much.  I was excited to read this one and get a fresh look at this story and I really enjoyed it.

Scott has never had much encouragement or support and love from his family while Devon has a wonderful support system behind him and his own self-confidence.  They come from such different backgrounds but have much more in common than one could ever think.

Scott is so terribly shy and unsure, just waiting for his time with Devon to end.  I felt his pain and fear but loved how Devon wanted him to see how worthy he was.  It took a bit to get to know Devon since the first part of the book was all from Scott’s point of view and Devon was very secretive but once he opened up he held on with both hands.  I just wish Scott hadn’t been hurt so much in the process.  I liked their relationship once they figured everything out and how they supported each other.  There were a few times where things were discussed multiple times or brought up again after a previous discussion and that is really the only problem I had with the story.

The cover art by Karrie Jax is wonderful and I loved the visuals of the characters.

Sales Link: Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 383 pages

Published: September 26, 2018 by K-lee Klein Books

Edition Language: English

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Trusted (Until You #3) by Karrie Roman

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

This starts three days after the events of the previous book and focuses on Zach, the cult leader’s son, who was rescued during an FBI raid on the compound. He may have had a crush on Ben for helping rescue him, but it’s Ben’s brother Cameron who is helping him now by giving him a place to stay. Since he’s grown up in a cult, he really doesn’t know how to deal with the modern world and needs help navigating his new reality. Also, the legal issues are just beginning as the FBI questions all the cult members in order to get evidence on the men they arrested, including “Father” Piper. Many of the cultists are brainwashed and hate Zach for trying to help save them from being killed.

The fun parts of this book are really all of Zach’s firsts: candy, popcorn, movie theater, plane, ocean–yes, other firsts too. This will appeal to readers who like the hurt/comfort trope. Often, it’s Cameron who seems most hurt by some past event. Having Cameron be the one who is scared, unsure, and flustered by Zach’s advances makes it work for me in a way it wouldn’t if Cameron were the aggressor. It would be difficult to get past the idea that Zach was being taken advantage of. It also helps there’s only an 8 year age difference. I like that Cameron trusts his brother Ben enough to talk about his past: that this book can portray a strong, successful rescue pilot without the toxic masculinity. I liked them both as characters, but I felt Cameron was not as well written as Zach. I wanted them to have their happy ending because that’s what you expect in a romance, but I wasn’t really emotionally invested in it. Both Cameron and Zach fight their own demons, which is as it should be–no one can fix everything for you.

Cameron tries pushing Zach away, but when Cameron’s past has come back to haunt him and Zach is in danger all bets are off. In comparison with book two, the action sequences are contained here. The story really splits nicely into three parts: Zach adjusting to the world while Cameron fights his attraction to Zach, Zach’s rescue, and then the conclusion of Zach dealing with his mother and father. This works well and flows nicely. This book also does a better job of recapping in a way that you could read it as a standalone, but it is really a continuation of book two. In fact, at this point book one is the anomaly except that Lucas and Ryan are funding the adventures.

Lucas, Ryan, Ben, and Ethan have started an investigation firm to help find missing children. Zach wants to work with them to help, so I expect Cameron will too. The next book seems like it’s going to feature Alec finally, the now former FBI agent we met in book two. This series seems like it will go back into the action adventure mode previously established, but it was nice to get a bit of a breather here–there was action, but it was a smaller part of the overall story about two men who want to move on with their lives and leave their bad past behind.

The cover art is by Natasha Snow. The models’ pose with the jacket is a little strange but I like the rest of the cover. The bottom has echos of Zach’s nightmares. With Cameron being a helicopter pilot and Zach wanting to learn, it has the look of them flying off into the sunset together.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published October 29th 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781949909081
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Until You #3

An Alisa Review: Carnival Cowboy by Temple Madison

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

At the end of a bloody trail, Johnny Redd finds an incredible secret.

While struggling with a bullet in his chest, he crawls along the ground until he finds himself surrounded by a maze of quaint carnival tarps. Inside is a world of color, costumes, false hair, nails, eyelashes — and a man who dresses like a woman. It’s a world of trickery, deception, and lies. Johnny makes it just inside the tent when his strength fails and he faints dead away. When he awakes, he’s reminded of the bizarre reality that surrounds him.

It’s that he learns he has been taken care of by a man – er. woman — by the name of Frenchy Starr. The name rolls from the tongue of this fallen angel, this princess of darkness, this twilight queen. She’s a mystery, a dangerously beautiful mystery, and Johnny slowly becomes ensnared in the trap which she sets.

After one night of incredible love, a jealous fan shoots Frenchy. Thinking her dead, Johnny’s heart is broken and he leaves in search of something to fill the hole she left in his heart.

Enter Kit Dalton.

I’m not really sure what to say about this story.  I didn’t like the whole fend for yourself and it doesn’t matter about anyone else attitude that went on in the story, maybe it was right for the time period but it made it hard for me to enjoy the story.  Also, the characters didn’t often talk directly about subjects and it was frustrating.

Johnny and Kit have a connection but they both need to come clean first which takes most of the book.  I didn’t feel like I was able to connect with these characters or understand them all that much.  Most of the writing just felt disconnected from the characters.  I didn’t not like it but it didn’t connect with me either.

The cover art by Written Ink Designs works well for the story.

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

Ebook, 21,050 words

Published: September 22, 2018 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634867412

Edition Language: English

An Ashez Review: Capital Assets (Rattle on Wall Street #1) by Cecelia Storm

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

For years I’d avoided omegas. They were too tempting. In heat, they pulled alphas like me across a hot, dangerous line. I couldn’t risk hurting another one…

Until I caught his scent on a cold Manhattan night. My extravagant world crashed around us as our bodies and hearts collided. His taste brought me to my knees.

All this time I thought I was different. I thought I could change this city, choked by corruption and greed. But one omega, struggling to find his way, showed me the frailty of authority, and the power of acceptance.

Now we fight. We stand up to those who seek to break us; but how much pain can we endure? Is our love and future worth the blood and bruises? How can life possibly spring from the ashes around us?

“It was a kiss I’d never felt before; it was the slow, gentle taste of a person who holds a piece of your heart, and whom you have greatly missed.”

Help us as we try to see the world around us for what it is, and find the love we know is in our broken hearts

I was confused with this one – I read “alpha/omega/beta” and immediately thought of shifters, though I now know that this was not a shifter romance, so perhaps I was misconstrued by the context before I even read the book.  I like Jer well enough, he did get “bitchy” midpoint and I was kind of put off by him after that, but I really enjoyed Archer a lot, a strong willed male is always a well done in my opinion.  Overall the story was nice, the progression was OK, and the characters were great.

First MPREG book too, which I knew was a thing but had never read before, I didn’t mind, it was quite unique.

I just continued to find myself drifting from the story, so if it can’t hold my attention the whole way through it’s just not my thing.  Though it was a well written story so I suggest you take a read for yourself – you may love it!

Cover – Fitting, just shows a rich male, so that was apt in this case
Sales Link:  Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Published October 19th 2018 by Royal Court Publishing
ASIN B07JCJCKK3
Edition Language English
SeriesRattle on Wall Street #1