Category: LGBTQ Audio Books

November Tidings and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

 

November Tidings and Things Unexpected

 

So you know how you set out to do one thing but life gets in the way?  That’s how my Saturday started.  I was all set to sit down, get organized, write my Sunday blog, etc but I noticed that my smallest of furkids breathing was laboured as she trucked around the house.  Granted that everyone and their brother had their leaf blowers out and had small hurricanes of moldy leaves flying everywhere but no, something was off…more than the usual small health thing she has.   So I sat looked, listened, debated.

But not very long.  Trusted my instincts because damnit I knew what those sounds were.

Off to the vets after a hurried phone call we went.

I love my vets, they fit us right in early, the waiting room wasn’t too bad that morning, surprisingly.  Wow, I thought…we got lucky.  Our name got called and into a room we went …where we waited…and waited and waited…and  you start to wonder what’s taking so long.

Then come the conversations from the inner hallway….about the emergency that had just come in….surgeries….major punctures…skull…

I’m telling you…right there…knowing that someone’s beloved pet was fighting for their life and someone was there waiting…waiting..waiting..hoping…

It changes everything.

My vet remained in surgery, another came in to take over routine calls and my girl has bronchitis..probably from the new (and never again) mobile groomer we tried out 2 weeks ago. She’s dosed up and will be fine.  It was a long day but my thoughts continually go back to that other room, that other owner, that other pet.  I so hope with all my heart the news was good …..all went home eventually.

You just never know what a day will bring.

So tonight I’m crawling into bed with my furkids, my favorite comfort reads and my softest socks.  And maybe some hot chocolate. Or wine.  Definitely wine.  The clouds have started arriving but all the snow has stayed north so far.

Snuggles are definitely in order.

I will get organized later on.  I promise.  Today?  It’s all about perspective and hugs.  Lots of those.  And thinking about how quickly things can change.

 

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, November 10:

  • November Tidings and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, November 11:

  • Release Blitz Adore by Ella James
  • Release Blitz A New Empire (Fog City #3) by Layla Reyne
  • BLITZ Slashed and Mashed, Seven Gayly Subverted Stories by Andrew J. Peters
  • Blog Tour for The Shifter’s Shotgun Mating by Ardy Kelly
  • An Alisa Review Wishing and Hoping by Tinnean
  • An Alisa Review: The Shifter’s Shotgun Mating (Lone Wolves Ranch #2) by Ardy Kelly
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Master of Obsidian by Jaime Craig

Tuesday, November 12:

  • RELEASE BLITZ Soft Limits: A Deviations Novel by Jodi Payne
  • Release Blitz Signal – Across The Pond (Raptors #2) – RJ Scott & VL Locey
  • BLITZ Pulse of My Heart by Jessi Noelle
  • A MelanieM Review: Mastering the Flames (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #4) by SJ Himes
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Two Man Advantage (Point Shot #1) by V.L. Locey and Sean Crisden (Narrator)
  • A MelanieM Review: The King’s Honour by JL Merrow

Wednesday, November 13:

  • Review Tour – Sally Malcolm – Twice Shy (A New Milton Novel)
  • BLITZ The Sun Still Rises by Laura Bailo
  • BLITZ Holiday Gridlock by Gretchen Evans
  • A Lucy Review:  Twice Shy (A New Milton Novel) by Sally Malcolm
  • A MelanieM Review: Counter Culture by JL Merrow
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review:Two Divided by Zero (Zero Rising #2) by Jackie Keswick

Thursday, November 14:

  • Release Blitz Unbreakable (a Heaven and Hell Club prequel) by Colette Davison
  • Release Blitz – In This Bed of Snowflakes We Lie by Sophia Soames
  • Mr. Right Now by Annabeth Albert Release Blitz,
  • A Stella Review:  In This Bed of Snowflakes We Lie by Sophia Soames
  • An Alisa Review  Înflori by A.F. Henley
  • A MelanieM Review Unbreakable (a Heaven and Hell Club prequel) by Colette Davison

Friday, November 15:

  • Release Blitz – Suki Fleet – For Sam, times infinity
  • Blog Tour Rules for Santa by Susan Hawke
  • A Stella Review Yuletide Treasure (Goddess-Blessed #3) by Eliot Grayson
  • A Melanie Review Marked Yours by Elizabeth Noble
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Earnest Ink by Alex Hall

Saturday, November 16:

  • A MelanieM Audio Review:Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt #1) by N.R. Walker, and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

A Lila Audio Review: One-Eyed Royals (Seven of Spades #4) by Cordelia Kingsbridge and Wyatt Baker (Narrator)

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Shattered by their devastating breakup, Detective Levi Abrams and PI Dominic Russo find themselves at war right when they need each other most. While Dominic is trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction, Levi despairs of ever catching the Seven of Spades. The ruthless vigilante’s body count continues to climb, and it’s all Levi can do to keep up with the carnage.When Levi’s and Dominic’s paths keep crossing in the investigation of a kidnapping ring with a taste for mutilation, it feels like history repeating itself. Thrown together by fate once again, they reluctantly join forces in their hunt for the mastermind behind the abductions.

But the Seven of Spades hates sharing the spotlight, and they have an ace in the hole: a new batch of victims with a special connection to Levi. Their murders send shockwaves through Las Vegas and change the rules of the game forever.

The Seven of Spades has upped the ante. If Levi and Dominic don’t play their cards right, they’ll end up losing everything.

One-Eyed Royals is a darker view of the Seven of Spades’ psyche. It mirrors Levi’s volatility and Dominic’s addiction. They’re a disfuncional triad held together by a sense of right and wrong.

It’s hard to see Levi and Dominic struggling to be what the other wants and needs. I think they’re toxic to each other but that has been the root of their relationship since book one.

They spent a lot of time apart but relatively closed. Which gave the author the opportunity to add a couple of funny moments, bringing the tension down.

The cases were intrinsically related and unique to the story. I enjoyed the way they worked different angles to arrive at the same conclusions. They showed once again that they work best together.

As always, the secondary characters and small plot points created an interesting book full of drama and heartache. All I’m going to say about Staton is that he needs his own man.

This is definitely a great mystery. I’m still not able to figure out who the Seven of Spades is but I’m looking forward to its reveal.

The narration by Wyatt Baker takes of from the previous installment, easing the reader into the action, the series, and great characters.

The cover by Garrett Leigh is perfection, as always. She has a way to create cohesive covers for series without losing the individuality of each book and the author’s character.

Sales Links: Riptide | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Wyatt Baker
Length: 10 hours and 25 minutes

Published: September 25, 2019 (Audio Edition) by Riptide Publishing
ASIN: B07YBH6RZ1
Edition Language: English

Series: Seven of Spades
Book #1: Kill Game
Book #2: Trick Roller
Book #3: Cash Plays
Book #4: One-Eyed Royals

Audio Blitz and Giveaway for Nothing Special V by AE Via and Aiden Snow (Narrator)

 

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Narrated by: Aiden Snow
 
Length: 12hrs 29mins
 
Nothing Special Series



Book #1 – Nothing Special – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – Embracing His Syn – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #3 – Here Comes Trouble – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 – Don’t Judge – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

 
Blurb
 

Atlanta’s notorious narcotics task force is at it again. They are stronger, bigger, and better than ever. Especially when a city councilman sends RECON Marine Edwin Steele – who’s been blacklisted from his Oakland department – to join the team.


Steele was ready to hang up his shield. He was done fighting with bigoted bastards that couldn’t respect the job. He was good at fighting; he just needed the right team to fight with. When his uncle – City Councilman Rasmus Steele – shows him a video of God’s team in action, he knows right away it’s where his nephew belongs in order to restore his faith.


Steele was skeptical about his new placement, but when he meets God’s technology specialist/computer genius, “Tech”, he’s willing to give it his all, and he definitely shows and proves.


Tech is stunning. His sweater vest and khakis, a stark contrast to the blue-jeaned roughnecks he works with. A beautiful sheep amongst the wolves. Steel thinks there’s no way the brilliant man would be interested in a hardhead like him, but Tech has a few badass hidden talents of his own and manages to surprise him…surprise all of them.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.


A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.


A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.


Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.


Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

 

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Nova Praetorian by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

NR Walker and Joel Leslie have become my favorite duo as they bring us the kind of superb entertainment I once saw on the big screen in my younger years—Lawrence of Arabia comes to mind. This story is a sweeping saga worthy of the big screen but more readily portable as all one needs is a phone app to get lost in the glory days of Rome.

One of the best lanistas—gladiator trainers—in Rome, Quintus Furius Varus is “tall and strong in build, fearsome in manner, and sharp of wit.” Senator Servius Augendus seeks personal guards, so he comes to Quintus with an offer he literally cannot refuse, and Quintus ends up in Neapolis, contracted not only as a trainer of guards, but head of those assigned to protect Servius. He’s told the contract period is limited, so once the threat is removed, Quintus can go home to his gladiators and resume his peaceful existence.

Kaeso Agorix was abducted from Iberia and brought to Rome as a slave. Purchased by Servius, he’s handed over to Quintus to train. Their attraction is immediate and intense, and he’s given to Quintus as a personal slave for as long as Quintus is in Servius’s employ. When Quintus discovers Servius’s treachery and plot to gain power, not only is Quintus’s life in danger, but also the lives of Kaeso and the other gladiators. What follows is a complex plot of assassination and treachery and involves not only Quintus and his gladiators, but also Servius and his slaves, and the emperor and his royal guard, the praetorian.

This story is very long and very, very complex with characters who have Ancient Roman names, so it takes time to get to know each one, and it takes a while to understand the politics and the atmosphere of the times. That all being said—it is time well-spent. A grand saga, created by the fertile imagination of NR Walker and brought to life by the brilliant and highly talented Joel Leslie, the character development is outstanding in this large cast of mighty Roman warriors and deceitful Roman politicians. Joel is most definitely a man of a thousand voices in this one. How he managed to pronounce each name, give the character a different voice, and keep up with the pace of the story is beyond me. He and the author made this interesting and exciting and the last chapters fly by quickly. The outcome is surprising and very satisfying. I very highly recommend this to all lovers of a grand adventure, MM romance, and of course, history buffs.

The cover features a Roman guard, holding sword and shield, on the battlefield with the sun coming up behind him. Beautifully done, it’s symbolic of the new guard—the nova praetorian.

Sales Links:  Amazon | Audible

Audio Details:

Audible Audiobook
Listening Length: 12 hours and 24 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Love Lane Books Ltd.
Audible.com Release Date: August 27, 2019
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English, English
ASIN: B07WS2T7F1

Happy Halloween and It’s Into November! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Happy Halloween and It’s Into November!

 

Yes,it’s almost Halloween.  Pumpkins are out, so are the decorations.  How is your house and neighborhood looking?  Spooky?  Chilling and trendy enough for all the trick or treaters that will be calling this week?  

I have been busy getting in my treats while reading SJ Himes marvelous Beacon Hills Sorcerer series, perfect for Halloween.  Full of vampires, sorcerers, ghouls, ghosts, lichs, and everything else you can think of.  Even hellhounds.  I’m loving it and will be reviewing every book in the series starting on Saturday.  More holiday books are coming your way as well, so be on the look out. Til the season….and we are hopping right in.

But I’m leaving you with the most fun traditions…pumpkin carving.  Here are some of the 2019 pumpkin designs.  Any here you would like to try ?  Check them out…

 

Yep, that’s one for ages! lol  Here is another.

A Landtern fish pumpkin.  I need that.  Next to Dory!

Eye see you!

 

There you go…..a smattering, a gathering of gross, silly, wonderful ideas of all things pumpkin.  How did your pumpkins turn out this year?   Let me know!

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, October 27:

  • Happy Halloween and It’s Into November!
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, October 28:

  • Review Tour – Anna Martin – Something Wild
  • BLITZ Sons of Rome by Karrie Roman
  • Blog Tour for HIVE OF SECRETS AND SPELLS by Ellen Jane
  • A MelanieM Review Something Wild by Anna Martin
  • A Lila Review A Long Road to Love by Dakota Storm
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: A Faerie Story by Barbara Elsborg

Tuesday, October 29:

  • BLITZ for He Dreams Magic by Emme C. Taylor
  • Blog Tour Nuts by SE Jakes
  • Tour for The Dragon CEO’s Assistant by Jenn Burke
  • A Stella Review Pumpkin Rolls and Porn Sounds by Kris T. Bethke
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Nuts  (Ace’s Wild #2) by S.E. Jakes
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Nova Praetorian  by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (narrator)

Wednesday, October 30:

  • Review Tour – Rain Carrington – 33 Degrees of Separation
  • Audio Blitz – Nothing Special V – AE Via
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Natural Disaster (Storm Chasers #1) by Erin McLellan
  • A MelanieM Review: The Dragon CEO’s Assistant by Jenn Burke
  • An Alisa Review: The Boyfriend Trap by J.B. Buell
  • A MelanieM Review:33 Degrees of Separation (Legacy Book 3) by Rain Carrington

Thursday, October 31:

  • That Time I… Survived My Teens by Craig Barker Michelle, Blog Tour
  • BLITZ Claiming Marcus by Jocelynn Drake
  • Book Blast – Memoirs of the Human Wraiths Box Set and Omnibus by F.E. Feeley Jr.
  • An Ashez Review: Doctor’s Orders (Paint #3.5) by Emma Jaye
  • A Lila Audio Review: One-Eyed Royals (Seven of Spades #4) by Cordelia Kingsbridge, Wyatt Baker (Narrator)
  • A Lucy Review: Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels

Friday, November 1:

  • Review Tour – Nightside: An Erie Vampire Tale – V.L. Locey
  • Release Blitz Stocking Stuffers by Erin McLellan
  • Release Blitz Rules for Santa by Susan Hawke
  • Audio Review Tour – Two Man Advantage – V.L. Locey
  • An Alisa review : Nightside: An Erie Vampire Tale by V.L. Locey
  • A Melanie Review Insatiable (Witches of the Big Easy 0.5) by Shannon West and T.S. McKinney

Saturday, November 2:

  • A MelanieM Review: The Necromancer’s Dilemma (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #2) by S.J. Himes

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Deal Maker (Mixed Messages #2) by Lily Morton and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Jude and Asa are at the top of my favorites right now. And their son, Billy—not every author can create a precocious five-year-old and keep him from being annoying, but between Lily Morton’s writing and Joel Leslie’s delivery of Billy’s adorable voice, I’m sold on Bill as my favorite child of 2019.

This audiobook made the original story even better with Joel Leslie’s vocal interpretation of Asa and Jude and the rest of the cast of characters. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—these people become real to me when I can hear their emotions expressed in their voices. There’s drama, humor, anger, and sadness in this story, and every voice is so distinctive there’s never a doubt about who is speaking, especially Billy—what a great voice he was given!

Asa, an older well-known actor, is a gentle soul who loves his son and is extremely protective of his privacy. His heart was broken by a former model after a four-year relationship. So when Jude shows up needing a place to stay and willing to take a PA job to help Asa out, he’s shocked when he’s despised just because he’s an empty-headed male model.

Jude is normally pretty even keel but he can do revenge with the best of them so he proceeds to show Asa just how airheaded a model can be. The author opens each chapter with a note from Asa, written by Jude, in answer to fan mail. The notes are so witty, snarky, and downright decadently humorous, it’s hard to keep from laughing out loud in public places.

We met Jude in the first book, as he’s Dylan’s BFF. His character is much more fully developed here and he’s simply a wonderful person. Caring and concerned for his parents, whom he helps financially, always ready to help a friend in need, and with a great sense of humor, and a huge love for Billy, but his fear of commitment nearly destroys his chance at happiness.

Of course, the author gets them to their happy place, but Jude’s stubbornness does not make the HEA very easy to achieve. I love the way the author handled the last few chapters to bring them together. And the epilogue? Couldn’t be better!

An outstanding audiobook with a super performance by Joel Leslie. I very highly recommend it.

As for the cover by Natasha Snow, the handsome man on the colorful cover definitely attracts attention.

Audio Sales Links:  Amazon | Audible

Audio Details:

Audible Audio, 289 pages
Published September 28th 2019 (first published December 22nd 2017)
Original Title Deal Maker
ASINB07YGTGJWV
Edition Language English
Series Mixed Messages #2

A Lila Audio Review: Their Bounty (Four Mercenaries #1) by K.A. Merikan and Wyatt Baker (Narrator)

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

— Taken. Prized. Possessed. Loved. —Clover is an orphan and has led a tough and chaotic life. No stability. No money. No friends. He trusts no one.

His already miserable life takes a nosedive when he ends up in the hands of a human trafficking gang. Someone has placed a request for a young albino man, and Clover is to become the property of a mysterious buyer who will stop at nothing to satisfy their depraved desire. Clover’s fate seems sealed until four bounty hunters appear to take out his captors and accidentally save him.

The four mercenaries want to move on, but when Clover pleads for protection, they offer it to him at a price. In the beginning, the arrangement is all kinds of shady, but as he gets to know the four men who’ve taken him on a wild ride, his developing feelings might become as dangerous as the elusive buyer.

But can a relationship with four such different men even work? Men who kill for a living? Men so full of contradictions?

Tank. The massive ex-soldier eager to be Clover’s Daddy.
Pyro. Wild, tattooed, with a filthy mouth and an itch for violence.
Boar. Ginger, bearded, a big teddy bear who can turn into a grizzly.
Drake. Dark and dangerous, with a tongue as sharp as his knives.

Can these men provide him with the love and security he craves? Or has Clover made the worst mistake of his life?

Their Bounty is an interesting take on reversed harem. Yes, it’s dark but you couldn’t expect anything less from these authors. Although, it’s not as uncomfortable as some of their other books.

The plot to the story is simple but allows the reader to learn more about all the characters, how they do their work, and how they react to trouble. Some things were too much of a stretch but worked as a whole.

The resolution was part of those fanciful events but I didn’t see the villain coming. I was pleasantly surprised with how the person was and how everything went down.

The main reason I didn’t rate this book higher has to do with the authors’ talent to get the reader to love or hate their characters. I could see all the layers wrapped around Clover but by the time everything was revealed I did trust him.

I know the mercenaries weren’t saints but at least they were honest. And they are the reason I’m looking forward to the next books in the series. To see where their journey brings for them as a foursome + clover.

The narration by Wyatt Baker is pretty monotone in parts but he compensates with the unique intonations for each of the protagonists.

The cover by Natasha Snow goes well with the story even when Clover seems older than in the book. I’m sure there’s not that many models fitting his description.

Sale Links: Amazon | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Wyatt Baker
Length: 9 hours and 53 minutes
Published: September 7, 2019, by Acerbi & Villani Ltd.
ASIN: B07X934VQ4
Edition Language: English

Series: Four Mercenaries
Book #1: Their Bounty

Heading Towards All Hallows Eve and Our Spooky Recommendations. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Heading Towards All Hallows Eve and Our Spooky Recommendations

As we head toward Hallows Eve and the pumpkins and decorations are out in full display of one of my favorite holidays, Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ stories are trending towards the paranormal, the supernatural, and yes, the downright spooky!

From vampires to werewolves to other things that go bump in the night and are still seeking their own versions of HEA or HFN, I thought I would start sorting through some of our more chilling recommendations!  More to come next week and chime in if we have missed some of the new stories!

Story Recommendations for All Hallows Eve!

  • A Light Amongst Shadows by Kelly York
  • Spirits series by Jordan L. Hawk
  • Tyack & Frayne series by Harper Fox
  • P.S. I Spook You by SE Harmon
  • A Frost of Cares by Amy Rae Durreson
  • Whyborne & Griffin series by Jordan L. Hawk
  • Motel Pool by Kim Fielding
  • “Winter” by Josh Lanyon
  • The Tourist by Clare London
  • Lesser-Bred series by Adrienne Wilder
  • THE GERMAN by Lee Thomas
  • COWBOYS & VAMPIRES by Hank Edwards
  • MONSTER (Vertex #1) by Soren Summers
  • MAN & MONSTER (The Savage Land #2) by Michael Jensen
  • In a Dark Wood by Josh Lanyon
  • Mummy Dearest by Josh Lanyon
  • All In Fear: A Collection of Six Horror Tales by Steve Berman, et al
  • Unhinged by Rick R. Reed
  • A CHARM OF MAGPIES series by K.J. Charles
  • FALLOCAUST series by Quil Carter
  • COLD FINGERS by Amy Spector
  • THE BOOKS OF BLOOD Vols. 1-6 by Clive Barker
  • INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Anne Rice
  • A DENSITY OF SOULS by Christopher Rice
  • DUST OF WONDERLAND by Lee Thomas
  • THE WOLF AT THE DOOR by Jameson Currier 
  • LOST SOULS, & DRAWING BLOOD, by Poppy Z. Brite
  • Ally Blue Down
  • Sarah Waters Affinity (f/f)
  • Bump In the Night series from Riptide
  • Jacqueline Rohrbach Speak With the Dead
  • The Werewolf on Lowre Few Lane by Bryce Bentley-Tales
  • Green Death by Madeleine Ribbon!
  • Ground of Insurrection (Wizard Wars, #1) by Mell Eight

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Word

Sunday, October 20:

  • Heading Towards All Hallows Eve and Our Spooky Recommendations.
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, October 21:

  • Spotlight Tour and Giveaway for Dancing with the Lion: Rise by Jeanne Reames
  • Release Blitz – LEGENDARY LOVES Volume 2
  • Blog Tour Minuet” by A.M. Leibowitz
  • A Stella Review All at Sea by JL Merrow
  • An Alisa Review: For a Unicorn’s Happiness (Legendary Shifters #2) by Catherine Lievens
  • A Caryn Review: Rise (Dancing with the Lion #2) by Jeanne Reames
  • A Lucy Review LEGENDARY LOVES Volume 2 (In My Arms Again by Nell Iris The Murky Depths by Kassandra Lea Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright)

Tuesday, October 22:

  • Convicted” by Kim Fielding Cover Reveal
  • Blog Tour Rules to Break by Susan Hawke
  • Release Blitz for Anna Martin – Something Wild
  • A MelanieM Review Pine Tree Mary by Ofelia Gränd
  • A Lucy Review : Wrangling a Groom (Marital Bliss #2) by D.J. Jamison
  • A Lila Audio Review: Their Bounty (Four Mercenaries #1) by K.A. Merikan and Wyatt Baker (Narrator)

Wednesday, October 23:

  • Release Blitz – Nightside: An Erie Vampire Tale – V.L. Locey
  • Blog Tour Rules to Break by Susan Hawke
  • Book Blitz – Adira August – Psychic Men
  • First Priority by Este Holland Blog Tour
  • An Alisa Review :All or Nothing by Riina Y.T
  • A Lila Review: Bishop  by A.E. Via
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review Best Man (Close Proximity #1) by Lily Morton

Thursday, October 24:

  • Release Blitz – Their Special Agent (Thistle Hearts #1) by Mel Gough
  • POST The Captain’s Flighty Fireworks by Eleanor Harkstead and Catherine Curzon
  • Blog Tour Second Song by Edie Danford
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Shot in the Dark (New Amsterdam #3) by Kelly Wyre
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Deal Maker (Mixed Messages #2) by Lily Morton and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Friday, October 25:

  • Release Blitz – Precariously Mated (D’Vaire, Book 14) by Jessamyn
  • BLOG TOUR Wrestling With Hope by DH Starr
  • An Alisa Review Wolf, en Garde by A.F. Henley
  • A Stella Review What We May Be by Vivien Dean

Saturday, October 26:

  • A MelanieM Audio Review:  Spencer Cohen 2 by NR Walker and Narrated by Joel Leslie

 

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Rule Breaker (Mixed Messages #1) by Lily Morton and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

What a wonderful story! And the audiobook made it even better with the fantastic performance of Joel Leslie, who brought Dylan, Gabe, and the rest of the cast of characters to life. Listening to a book narrated by Joel is like watching the story unfold on the big screen. The voices become real characters. There’s drama, humor, tears (he does crying scenes so well!) and every voice is so distinctive that there’s never a doubt of which MC is speaking.   


The story of Gabe and his personal assistant, Dylan, is filled with the angst of falling in love with an unlovable man, but it’s also laced throughout with humor, much of it dry Brit wit and snark. The author opens each chapter with a note or memo from either Dylan to Gabe or Gabe to Dylan, and many provide laugh-out-loud moments and/or embarrassing barks or snorts in public places.

Gabe is smart, sharp, gorgeous, and wants no part of relationships or feelings with anyone whatsoever, even his current boyfriend. In fact, it’s nothing for them to engage in a threesome with a stranger and afterwards both leave Gabe to his own devices. Dylan is sweet, cute, snarky, and can see through the shell Gabe keeps locked tight around his heart. Their banter is a very important part of this audiobook and keeps readers like me constantly smiling.

Throughout much of the story, although they were attracted to one another, they didn’t act on it since it would break Gabe’s no-sex-with-employees rule. And then it happened and they couldn’t get enough of each other. Some of those locations and situations were funny, but then over time, Dylan loses his heart and Gabe refuses to take it.

Be ready with tissues for this one because Dylan’s heart was literally in pieces all over the floor. And the sobbing and anguished dialogue brought to life by Joel were painful to hear. And yet, I hurt for Gabe as well. His backstory, when we learn it, is heartbreaking and it’s no wonder he refused to share his love with anyone.

Of course, our guys get together in the end, helped along by Dylan’s bestie (who gets his own book next). The epilogue was long enough to tie all the loose threads together in a way that leaves readers knowing this couple is solid and well on the way to their HEA.

I highly recommend this 9.5 hour audiobook to all my friends who enjoy Brit humor, hot sex, angst, love, and redemption, and of course, a very well-deserved HEA.

The handsome man on the colorful cover by Natasha Snow definitely attracts attention.

Sales Links:   Amazon | Audible

Audio Details:

Audible Audio
Published April 15th 2019 (first published August 17th 2017)
ASINB07QM1RCM7
Edition Language English
Series Mixed Messages #1
setting London, England

A MelanieM Audio Review: Dark Rivers (Witchbane #2) by Morgan Brice and Kale Williams (Narrator)

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse.

Seth Tanner uncovers the cycle of ritual killings that feeds the power of the witch-disciples, and he’s hell bent on getting vengeance for Jesse and stopping the murders. His fledgling romantic relationship with Evan Malone complicates his mission, but Seth can’t walk away. Seth and Evan are learning to navigate their partnership—as lovers and monster hunters—while they chase down the next witch-disciple and avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention.

When the hunt takes Seth and Evan to Pittsburgh on the trail of the next killer, they’ll have to save the intended victim and take down the powerful witch. If the skills they possess and the bond between them isn’t enough, the evil will remain unchallenged, and more people will die…

Note: Includes mention of past domestic violence and stalking

Again, another really strong outing from Morgan Brice and her narrator of choice Kale Williams.   I am hardpressed to say which of this author’s series I love more, especially since they are all interconnected and I switch back and forth between the latest stories at will. That includes eBook and audio versions.

Dark Rivers (Witchbane #2) by Morgan Brice and Kale Williams (Narrator) demonstrates a growth in every level for this series from the character development and the couple’s relationship to moving the overall series arc forward.  Dark Rivers picks up shortly after the events of the first story that set everything into motion.  Here they are on the trail of the next witch disciple and his prey while working on their very new partnership, both as a romantic duo and as a working team.

Brice is careful to keep Seth and Evan’s relationship front and center while still maintaining a focus on the highly suspenseful search for the powerful witch, those helping him, and all the while trying to keep the man designated as the next sacrifice alive.   This is a huge goal, often bringing in new elements of magic and the paranormal, new characters and old from various other series, and visits to sites around the city they are in. Location is everything.

It all works.  The suspense builds slowly until your skin is crawling and you can’t wait until the big denouement!

Kale Williams’ excellent narration, his host of voices and range of emotions carries us effortlessly along this paranormal adventure, through the romance and horror, through the meticulous research for clues and the mad rush at the end.  It’s a joy and pleasure to listen to and a thrill as well.

This is terrific characterizations, sharp plotting, tight suspense, and an overall arc that just keeps getting better and better.  All narrated by Kale Williams who’s voice keeps me throughly entertained.

I highly recommend this audio and the entire series.  Love a marvelous paranormal?  Here’s one to check out!

Cover art is terrific.  Love the models that standin for Seth and Evan.  Great job.

Buy Links

Audible US  |  Audible UK 

Amazon US   |  Amazon UK 

Audio Book Details:

Listening Time: 7 hrs., 17 min.

Audible Audio, 8 pages
Published July 7th 2019 by Tantor Audio (first published October 23rd 2018)
ASIN B07R546K59
Edition Language English
Series Witchbane #2