Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

Need A New Contemporary Romance? Check Out the Review Tour for Mud & Lace (Rainbow Place #4) by Jay Northcote

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Length: 240 pages
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Rainbow Place Series



Book #1 – Rainbow Place – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – Safe Place – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #3 – Better Place – Amazon US | Amazon UK

 
Blurb



When Wicksy falls for drag queen Charlie, they discover that both sexuality and gender can be fluid.


Simon Wicks—Wicksy to his rugby teammates—has only ever been interested in women. But when he sets eyes on Lady Gogo, a drag queen who performs at Rainbow Place, he can’t stop thinking about her. He knows there’s a guy behind the fishnets and make-up, but he’s ready to explore his fantasies, and Lady Gogo is game for making them come true.


Charlie adores performing in drag. It allows him to indulge in his love of cross-dressing while earning some extra cash. Fooling around with a mostly straight guy in secret seems like a fun diversion, and gives him the chance to explore his feminine side. He feels safe wearing the mask of his confident alter ego, because the real Charlie is hidden from view.


When Wicksy sees more of the guy behind the make-up and glitter, his attraction to Charlie persists, and he realises he’s bisexual. In turn, Charlie begins to understand and accept his gender fluidity. As their mutual journey of self-discovery brings them closer, the secrecy becomes increasingly hard to deal with. If they’re going to have a future together, they both need to find the courage to show people who they really are.


Although this book is part of a linked series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.


One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.


Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.


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Jay’s books

 

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review here.  We highly recommend this wonderful story!

 

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Love Fantasy? Check Out the Blog Tour for The King’s Fear (The Brass Machine #2) by Isaac Grisham

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: The King’s Fear (The Brass Machine #2)

Author: Isaac Grisham

Publisher: Cooper Blue Books, LLC

Cover Artist: Dissect Designs

Genre/s: Fantasy, LGBT Fiction

Trope/s: Good vs. Evil, Magic, Shifter, Bi the Way

Themes: Darkness and Light, Heartbreak of Betrayal, Revenge and Forgiveness

Heat Rating:  3 flames      

Length:  95,000 words/290 pages

Add on Goodreads 

 

 

Everything will burn

Blurb

Myobu has waited all his life to find love, and just as he makes a connection, it’s taken from him in an instant. Reeling from the fatal climax of his love story with Prince Kitsune, the magical Yokai must take advantage of his second chance at life, reconciling his past and present while keeping the prince from going down a path of darkness. Together with Kitsune, Myobu is tasked with destroying an evil that threatens the brass machine—and their world.

Meanwhile, Prince Kitsune is lost in the depths of responsibility and the murkiness of grief. His role is at the head of an army, defending against the whims of his deranged father. King Oni’s aggression is mounting, and he will stop at nothing to maintain his power over Kitsunetsuki. 

Overcome with the guilt of killing the man he loved, Kitsune finds direction when he discovers the legendary Sword of Inari—but when the voices within the steel speak to him, they lead him deeper down a path of deceit. In a tale of good versus evil, life and death, Kitsune and Myobu must come together alongside their allies to face unspeakable horrors.

 

Buy Links

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

 

Excerpt

It was the perfect morning.

Treating himself to a good long stretch, Myobu worked his way up to sitting. With his back against the wooden headboard, he looked down at the pair with whom he had spent the night. Ryn and Nikki owned one of the oldest taverns in Hawte, having belonged to Ryn’s family for generations. Myobu had met them not long after arriving in the capital nearly three sun cycles ago.

Something else had happened as their friendship grew. Late one night after helping close up the tavern, they had spent a few hours drinking by the hearth. Ryn and Nikki spoke of their first encounter and subsequent marriage, purportedly a scandalous affair.

Having lived over a century without ever engaging in sexual activity, Myobu had drunkenly bombarded them with endless questions on the subject. The pair looked at one another, a glimmer of humor and desire in their eyes, and decided to answer his queries physically rather than verbally. Taking him by the hand, they led him upstairs to bed.

Upon closing the bedroom door, the first thing the couple did was peel off their clothing. Myobu had watched in awe as the differences in their skin were revealed. Ryn was a burly man, and there were few areas on his body not covered in hair. Nikki was dark-skinned and appeared free of any blemishes or extraneous hair.

The two had begun tugging at Myobu’s own clothing, which he sluggishly gave up. He wasn’t timid or particularly self-conscious, though he had wondered if the human form he had taken was correct in the details. He possessed all the parts of a man, but he lacked the massive tufts of hair Ryn displayed. He was almost as smooth as Nikki. Concerned they would figure out he wasn’t actually human, he had contemplated adding hair to his body before his shirt could be removed.

In the end, the two hadn’t given a second thought to his nearly hairless form. They stripped him naked, looked at him appreciatively, and began running their hands over his body. The dual sensations of Ryn’s rougher palms and Nikki’s smoother fingertips elicited a gasp from Myobu. Goosebumps broke out over his flesh. It heightened his tactile awareness, dulled his sense of time, and deeply aroused him. He tentatively put a hand on each of their bodies, awkward at first, but easily got into it once he realized his touch elicited the same types of responses from them.

 

About the Author

Isaac Grisham currently lives in a blue county of Illinois with his partner and doggos. By day, he works at a local college. The King’s Fear is his second completed novel and, by night, he is busy assembling the gears of the third and final piece of The Brass Machine.

 

Author Links

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Facebook: @AuthorIsaacGrisham

Twitter: @isaacgrisham 

Instagram: isaac.grisham 

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Love Historical Romance? Check Out the Release Blitz for The Duke & The Dandy Highwayman (Duke & Dandy #1) by Zakarrie C. (excerpt and giveaway)

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Duke & The Dandy Highwayman Trilogy

Author: Zakarrie Clarke

Publisher: Self-published

Release Date: May 6, 2019

Genre/s: Historical M/M Romance (Regency), Comedy/Humour

Trope/s: Forbidden Love, Highwayman/Duke

Themes: Duty, Expectations of Society, Redemption Tale

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: approx. 100,000 words

It is a standalone story

Add on Goodreads

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

AVAILABLE FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Blurb

‘The Most High, Noble and Potent Prince, His Grace Padraic, Duke of Waterford.’

After enduring the Ducal Grand Entrance, one might be forgiven for thinking that an evening could only improve. One would be wrong. Padraic was then duty bound to find an amiable miss to romance and dance attendance upon. In truth, the Duke was rather more partial to establishments that promised charms he would ne’er find in the arms of a Lady. Such dalliances did add a dash of decadence to his life of ducal drudgery, but time was tick-tocking and a blue-stocking bride must be wooed, and wed…

Raff of the Rookeries. The most afeared rake-hell to have haunted the highways since Darkin denied them the pleasure at the gallows…by stepping off the ladder before they could whip it from under his feet. Raff had fought his way up to rule the roost with instincts as razor-sharp as his dirk. His sword skills, fists, and wily wits had stood him in good stead, but none had proved as invaluable as the weapon he’d ne’er needed to tend. His fury. A rage every bit as lethal as arsenic—deadlier than brawn, brains, or bravado—Raphael had carried it like a toxic plague. Until, he became Raff of the Rookeries. Unleashed upon the underworld, it was the most formidable foe in London. Two men from two different worlds…a mere few miles apart. That is, until the fateful night when The Duke was halted in his tracks by a very Dandy Highwayman…

Excerpt

Mayhaps twenty minutes later, the air turned decidedly rank; a stench that came accompanied by random street sounds and the odd drunken shout. They were, beyond any shadow o’doubt, heading for some godforsaken part of town. A logical assumption, further embellished by the aroma of decaying cabbage and other, far less salubrious odors.

If the Devil himself intended to demoralize the poor, he could not find a means more agreeable to his plans, than the London slums.

“Nearly there, Yer Grace,” The scoundrel called over his shoulder as they slowed to a trot.

“Where is ‘there’?” Padraic dared to wonder.

“My humble abode. It’s where you’ll be staying awhile; leastways until someone coughs up for yer safe return.” The highwayman’s voice sounded harsher, colder while imparting this, as if his words were poisoned by the rancid air as they fell from his lips.

“Whereabouts are we?” Padraic asked, curious as to whether his rogue would answer.

“The Strand.”

It was as he’d expected. They were in the warren of narrow, filthy streets and alleyways in the densely populated slums. Home to one of London’s most notorious Rookeries. An utterly lawless labyrinth of squalid living, gin dens, bawdy houses, and brothels. Popular legend told of a traveller who had entered Portugal Street on his way to The Strand and never emerged. His ghost was, apparently, still searching for a way back to civilization. Padraic would just have to hope to fare rather better than he.

The Duke had e’er been horrified that people were forced to live this way, right under the refined noses of the ton. Poles apart, but virtually overlapping in proximity. Padraic had poured thousands into funding an orphanage and school for foundlings, when he came into his inheritance. He visited them oft, choosing the staff himself to ensure that no child was ill-treated, but there was only so much he could do. With all the will in the world, there wasn’t a great deal to be done, as long as those in power turned a blind eye to the suffering of others.

“Whoa…” When Demon clattered to a halt on the cobblestones, the Duke reluctantly relinquished his grip about his captor’s person. The scoundrel shifted in the saddle and with one sharp tug, the kerchief was gone, alongside a fair few strands of hair that were tangled into its knot. The Duke scarce felt the sting as his hungry gaze guzzled the sight it had been denied for the duration of the ride. ’Twas with a devilish wink that the highwayman threw a leg over the horse’s head, before lightly dismounting.

“Billy, m’lad!” He hailed a youth seated on the front steps of a large dilapidated townhouse, holding a lantern aloft. An endearing grin lit up his grimy face as he sprang to his feet.

“Yer all right, Raff?” he chirped, in very genuine cockney tones.

“Too right I am. We ’ave ourselves a guest m’friend. Yer Grace, this is Billy—he ain’t got another name—so I can’t tell yer that. Billy, this ’ere is His Grace, The Duke of Waterford, so yer better mind your p’s ’n’ q’s, like I taught yer.”

“Hello Billy, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Padriac greeted him.

“Lawks! I can’t fink why, Yer…Grace?” Billy glanced at the man he’d called Raff, seeking reassurance for his form of address, and received an approving nod.

“I can’t think why ’twould not be.” Padraic smiled. Billy looked puzzled for a moment—as if trying to make sense of something he’d patently understood—then just beamed instead and reached for Demon’s halter.

“See that he’s rubbed down and well-fed, won’t you, Billy? I need to get our guest settled in.”

“Righto. C’mon Demon, let’s be ’avin yer, there’s oats awaiting and some fresh hay.”

“After you, Yer Grace…” The rascal sketched a bow, waving his hand with a flourish as he bent extravagantly low, before straightening up to push open the front door. It was painted black; blistered, peeling and desperately in need of a fresh coat. A large, dimly lit hallway lay beyond it, with a wide staircase ascending on the left.

“Raff! I’d almost given up ’ope on ya. Thought you’d gone a-whoring,” announced a stocky, bow-legged man, with close-cropped hair and forearms like lamb shanks. His broad grin revealed several missing teeth, the remaining ones having seen better days. Several decades ago.

Despite having tugged his kerchief down when they entered, Padraic was still unable to drink his fill of Raff’s face, for much of it was cast into shadow and the rest, obscured by a tangled fall of hair.

“Not tonight Bluff, I was off procuring us a guest,” he smirked.

“Crikey, you’ve nabbed a right nob. Who the ’ell is he?”

“This ’ere’s The Duke of Waterford.” Raff declared, inclining his head with divine insolence.

“Lawks! A Duke? Couldn’t yer find a Prince ’anging about then?” Bluff gaped.

“’Fraid not, we’ll just ’ave to slum it…” Raff tutted, with a fulsome sigh.

“I hope yer don’t expect me t’curtsy. I ain’t got the legs for it.”

“You ain’t got the legs for owt except sitting on ’orseback,” Raff retorted, about a breath before his tone darkened to a deadly rasp. “Bluff. See to it that no one. But no one. Lays a finger on him.” He added nary a dire threat, nor had he raised his voice. Raff had, in fact, lowered it to a lethal lash of sound that sliced the air like a whip—but it was the glint of green he levelled at Bluff that made the man swallow visibly while nodding several times.

“Will do, Raff. He’ll fetch a pretty price, won’t he?”

“Too bloody right, he will. I’ll have to keep him up top with me—Duke he might be—but he ain’t above being too ripe and ready by ’alf.”

“A dark ’orse is he? I ain’t at all surprised, now you mention it. Beggin’ yer pardon, Yer Dukeness. Right, I’ll just wait for Billy an’ lock up then.”

“Thanks, Bluff. ’Night.”

“’Night Raff…’night yer Dukeness.” Bluff doffed an imaginary cap at Padraic, who inclined his head with ducal gravity, so as not to disappoint him. The amiable miscreant was chuckling away to himself as he took his leave of them, before disappearing through a door further down the hallway.

“Right then, Yer Grace, up yer go. Right to the top,” Raff instructed, gesturing towards the staircase with a regal sweep of his hand.

“Are you locking me in the attic?” Padraic asked, as he clasped the bannister.

“I am, indeed. Yer can’t get up to any mischief up there.”

The Duke thought it might be wise to hold his tongue and make his way upstairs, afore the scoundrel decided to shove him in the coal cellar instead. Padraic’s brain was abuzz with demon steeds, daft monikers, and bandy-legged blackguards. A boy with only one name and a heart of gold.

About the Author

After moving to London at eighteen and flitting about for far too long, Zakarrie settled, as blissy as can be, by the sea. ’Twas here that her castaway dreams resurfaced and she began to write; stories that are, in truth, better at being her than she’s ever been. Her one hope now is that someone, somewhere, will enjoy the misadventures of her miscreants as much as she loves writing them.

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A VVivacious Review: The King’s Fear (The Brass Machine #2) by Isaac Grisham

Rating: 5 *wow* stars out of 5

Myobu’s death leaves Kitsune lost. He finds the legendary sword “Tsukumogami” when he is at his most vulnerable but Tsukumogami is no ordinary sword. It is wreathed with the souls of its previous owners and now all those voices are filling Kitsune’s head and as time passes he finds himself increasingly in the thrall of one particular voice that resides in the sword leading him to increasing destruction and devastation. Myobu sacrificed himself to save the world but it grows evermore unclear who will bring this destruction – King Oni or Kitsune himelf?

Wow! Just Wow! I was blown away. I had a lot of difficulty just starting but once I did I was so captivated with the words I couldn’t keep away, I just had to finish the book. This book just flew by, I devoured it.

It has almost been a year since I read The King’s Sun and I had forgotten a lot about the characters and I feel like killing myself for this because I didn’t even remember who Myobu was and I had to look that up which I hate myself for. But, then I started reading it and before I knew it I had finished and I remembered more than I gave myself credit for.

The initial part of the book is about Myobu who we know very little of from book one but this book starts from the very beginning and tells us everything about Myobu which was just fascinating. We get the events of the first book from Myobu’s perspective and seeing things from his POV really helped clear so much and it was an amazing way of telling what had happened while giving a fresh outlook to those very same events. Personally, I am now in love with Myobu, I feel like in the first book I only liked him as Kitsune’s lover but now, I know who Myobu is and he is such a fascinating and interesting character. He is amazing.

The plot of this one is much more cohesive that that of the previous book and overall it is so well written. It manages to engross you no matter what is happening which I feel is the reason I felt like this book just flew by. The only scene that was a bit chaotic is the last battle sequence because I feel it wasn’t very clear what the armies were doing and the events felt a little haphazard and seemed to suffer from tunnel vision because it really wasn’t clear what people around Kitsune were doing exactly. That scene was a little confusing but there is a lot going on in the scene and there was so much happening that I feel like maybe it was safer to stick with Kitsune’s perspective on the whole to make it concise.

But, oh my God, this book was really good. I really liked it. It was amazing seeing Myobu from this broader perspective armed with the knowledge of his past and everything that is happening with Kitsune was really intriguing. The story of the book is just so good.

I really liked the concept of the Tsukumogami which definitely deserves a place up there in the realm of amazing swords. I also really came to like Mai she is a crazy character but she makes it work. Her relationship with Kitsune might turn some people off but I feel like she served as a nice compass to Kitsune’s messed up emotions and feelings. The events in this book really felt very organic and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

The larger metaphor of the Brass Machine is also something that is just such a mind-bogglingly amazing concept. I really wish it would be explained at some point in time though I have a fair idea of what it is. Also, I love how this story syncs up with the story of the girl from the diary that Kitsune finds. I am really looking forward to whatever is going to happen next.

This book was amazing and people often say second books don’t live up to the expectations of the first but this one lived up to it and more.

Cover Art by Dissect Designs. I love the cover, it is a modification of the first book’s cover and I like the theme they have going on with the brass machine in the background and with the words being licked by the flames.

Sales Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Details:

ebook, 290 pages
Expected publication: May 6th 2019 by Cooper Blue Books, LLC
ISBN 139781732140639
Edition Language English
Series The Brass Machine #2

The Brass Machine Series

The King’s Sun

The King’s Fear

A Lucy Review : The Accidental Baker by Clare London

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Donnie Watson’s baking disasters are legendary, but this Easter, his mismatched chocolate eggs bring accidental but astonishing results to four downhearted gay men. The chocolate sweets spill onto the pavement of a small parade of local shops—and go on a matchmaking tour like no other! From a bankrupt and betrayed baker, to a homeless but hopeful man, to a conceited bar owner in need of a reality check, and finally to the hapless but caring Donnie himself. 
After all, Love means you can have chocolate too! 

This is a pretty short story, 64 pages, involving four separate couples who are brought together by the incredibly delicious, if somewhat mangled looking, chocolate eggs made by Donnie Watson.  The stories are all interwoven in some way and focus on the meet-cutes of the four couples.  Donnie, the baker, is kind and lovely and I wanted to slap Henry, his so-called friend, for his awful attitude. 

When Henry has his moment with Abi, who is sweet and caring,  we get to see a little of the softer person but because there is no follow up to the four couples I didn’t get to see him be kind to Donnie, which is what I needed!

We get the meeting of a new bakery owner, a former bakery owner, a bar owner, bar worker, a homeless man and so on.  The only thing is, we really only get the meeting, so there isn’t a lot of story for each one.  They are wonderful beginnings, to be sure, but I wanted so much more.

Sweet as an chocolate bunny.

Cover art shows a chocolate bunny with a bite from the ears and it’s perfect for the story.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 64 pages
Published April 20th 2019
ASINB07R1Q1G12

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Love Is A Walk In The Park by V.L. Locey & Stephanie Locey

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

The setup for this story was engaging with a flirty meetup between Sullivan and Duane. Sullivan, a blond long-haired dancer, was overheated and soaked with sweat, hair in a messy bun, as he lounged on a bench after a run with his pitbull, Princess Pizazz. Duane, biracial, tall and muscular, jogged past with his adorable Yorkie, Tiberius. Tongue-tied and stunned by an immediate attraction to a man, Duane left without a commitment to meet again—a perfect setup for my kind of story.

But my expectations were not achieved. I never bonded with either character, possibly because they didn’t interact—with dialogue—to seal their relationship and give us backstory. The backstory was there, but it was done in narrative and there were pages and pages of narrative on my e-reader that filled the screen without a paragraph break. And the last 30% of the story was so far out in left field that I felt like I was watching a campy soap opera. Neither MC was especially likeable by that point, and I still didn’t feel the love between them.

The dogs were both precocious, which wasn’t bad but was a bit overdone at some points. And some of the scenarios in the story felt contrived. Also, I should have known at the beginning, when the bitch girlfriend walked out on Duane in the middle of the night and took all his furniture, that I was going to have to really streeeeeeetch my imagination to get into believability. That scene was too trite and overused. Then the very next day is when he spots Sullivan at the park and is tongue-tied and knocked over by how beautiful he is. Now this is a man who has yet to admit his sexual attraction to men, except (of course), for one brief encounter when younger, and he’s not even 24 hours away from having been ditched by his girl. So no, not a good start.

Both men spent a lot of time hating their jobs and dealing with nasty coworkers and bosses. I didn’t care for any of Duane’s interactions at his job and Sullivan’s boss was so OTT that their scenes came across as farcical. The man was obese, obnoxious, and sexually demanding. And yet, when he did finally touch (kiss) Sully, Sully chose not to press charges. What a disservice to those who are sexually discriminated against or abused in the workplace! I won’t even mention his hot and cold interactions with his wealthy artistic roommate. Between his interactions with her and Duane’s ex-girlfriend, one wonders why the authors only portrayed women as harpies.

The good parts? There were certainly some nice scenes, but the story could have been so much more engaging if Sullivan’s character had remained fun and flirty as he was in the beginning. Less negativity and more dialogue would have helped build the dynamic between the two and made the story better. If you are a fan of stories with an HEA, have no fear, you’ll get one here.

The cover by Meredith Russell is a black-and-white photo or charcoal drawing of two men’s legs with a Yorkie looking straight at us between them. The word love in the title and the & sign between the authors’ names is in red, the balance of the print in white. The dog would attract my attention but the overall effect is dull and gray like a cloudy day so I can’t call this appealing at all.

Sales Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 143 pages
Published April 24th 2019 by Gone Writing Publishing LLC
ASINB07PVSQFS1

Gina Harris and Anne Key on Writing, Characters, and their new story Lone Star in Jersey (author guest interview)

Lone Star in Jersey by Gina Harris and Anne Key

Harmony Ink Press

Published April 30th 2019
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design
Sales Links: Harmony Ink Press | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Gina Harris and Anne Key

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

Anne: When I was a teenager, I devoured every horror novel I could find. I grew up in the 70s and 80s when the horror genre was exploding, and there was a foil decorated novel waiting on every corner. I don’t write a lot of horror now (but when I do, it’s SCARY, y’all), but what I learned from all those books is to be true to your voice. Then you can tell the story you need to.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

Anne: I am a HEA girl, all the way. I believe, you know? I believe in miracles and magic and happily ever after and in forever. It’s my job to build a place where other people can believe too.

Is there such a thing as making a main character too “real”?  Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest?

Gina: We’re all human and every one of us is flawed, but no one is too flawed to be loved! I guess a character could seem “too real” but It’s my job as an author to make sure that the reader sees the good in that person. If it’s not obvious, or if they start the story kind of unlikeable, then I have to show their intention or their growth, something so the reader can see they are capable of loving and being loved.

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

Gina: Take me to the beach! I don’t even need a private getaway, I like people watching on the beach. Just sit me somewhere that I won’t get sand in my laptop and my iced tea won’t get cold and I’ll be good. I’m so inspired by the sound and the energy of the waves and the sunshine. I even love the beach in a storm.

Blurb

Lone Star in Jersey

After his transition, Eli Green is stoked to finally have a body that matches the boy he’s always been. Freshman year was rough, so he’s moving to a new school a town over, where no one has ever known him as Elizabeth.

Samantha Moore has always been one of the bright and beautiful in her Texas high school: varsity cheer and advanced math. But when her momma dies out of the blue, Sammy’s familiar world dies too. Suddenly she’s living in New Jersey with a father she barely knows, thousands of miles from everything she understands.

After running into each other (literally) on the first day of school, Eli is fascinated by Sammy, who sparkles brighter than the bling on her jeans, but as their relationship deepens he knows he has to be honest with her, but he doesn’t know whether he can trust her with his secret. Sammy’s still grieving, the boy she likes is hiding something, and she isn’t sure she gets that. If that’s not enough, secrets her family has kept for years are rising to the surface, and she’s about to lose herself in all the drama.

Buy Links

About the Authors

Gina Harris: is caffeinated. When she’s not drinking coffee, she is on the beach or in a boat. Occasionally she can even be found writing. Gina holds a Bachelors in Theater Arts from Rutgers University so, as an author, her strength lies in creating relatable, human characters who are flawed, but step up when you need them most. That unassuming but brilliant girl in your math class. The shy boy who is fantastic on his skateboard. The best friend that doesn’t need to ask because he just gets you, and the new friend that wants to be something more.

Gina is the author of I Kiss Girls, a sweet YA romance about a lesbian girl in a small, suburban town whose best friend, a straight guy, always gets the girl — until one day, he doesn’t. Gina lives in the suburbs of New York City with her wife and children.

Anne Key: Anne Key recently left her beloved Texas and now lives with her amazing wife in the New Mexico mountains, spending her time writing the kinds of books she wants to read, playing with her basset hounds, and making stuff that wants to be art when it grows up. She’s been writing and illustrating for decades, exploring media from poetry to sculpture, from romance novels to weaving.

She believes in ghosts, in cowboys, in forgiveness, in happily ever after, in magic, and in love at first sight. Mostly, she believes in experiencing your own personal joy wherever you can.

 

Social media

Gina and Anne share a website at: http://www.eastmeetswestya.com/

Gina

Twitter https://twitter.com/ginaharrisya

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ginaharriswrites

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6438158.Gina_Harris

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ginaharrisya

Tumblr https://eastmeetswestya.tumblr.com/

Anne

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/batortuga

Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/annekeywrites-blog

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Dangerous Times by Isobelle Winter

 

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

This book starts out with a civil war started by King Taen by appropriating the lands of Lord Mavren, making him an enemy. Really there are huge ideological differences between the two and Mavren speaking out against what they see as issues in their society has lead to this. Lord General Aiomonni is the head of King Taen’s military and Lord Mavren’s previous lover. Mavren becomes King of their own rebel Catalyst forces. The reader is thrown into the mind of a Soldiercaste of the Augment Empire during a battle in which they are captured by the enemy. The Augment are a cybernetic species that need organic tissue for digestion, or a host body to assimilate. They are bipedal, yet insectile. This soldier becomes Nact of Quen and the reader will follow them as they raise up in the Catalyst army after their defection. When Nact and Aiomonni engage in battle beyond the charted galaxy to land on a hostile planet, their only hope of survival lies in cooperation, and maybe more.

I would recommend reading an excerpt to see if this book appeals to you. It is written with agender pronouns (ne/nem/nemself/nir). What makes this so compelling is that Nact’s POV shows what freedom and choice look like to someone who’s never had it. It takes six years for Nact to become a general, due to their skills, not because they were born into it. They channel their anger for how their caste was deprived and ill treated into battling King Taen’s forces. By the time they are sent to capture Aiomonni, my sympathies were engaged with them. But for all their privilege, Aiomonni is as much a captive of the system, of convention, as Nact was. The crash shows Aiomonni that their crew have skills beyond their caste. Alive on a populated planet named Colti, being Augment seems more important than their civil war. Showing Aiomonni’s POV makes them extremely sympathetic. At one point they have a common enemy, Plackart, who the author gives a moment of his own: a chance for the reason to see and understand who he is. (I used the he pronoun here although I have no idea if this species is agender also.) This would have been more poignant and heartbreaking than it is, if it had been explored more so my sympathies lay with him also, but that opportunity passes–it is an intellectual scene showing the psychology of his character rather than an emotional scene where I felt his pain and loss.

I feel like the whole book takes the first 25 percent to set-up until they crash land. Then, it gets really interesting. There are so many ethical issues raised throughout the book: the caste system, ruling by fear, being a parasitic race, acceptable behavior during war, what makes a person a person, the parameters of loyalty, etc. This is obviously not a traditional romance. Intimacy is earned by respect or allegiance, but there are layers to the intimacies they grant and even having larvae together doesn’t guarantee anything approximating love. There is never any doubt that these are alien creatures. The sex is completely alien. The sex scenes show aspects of their culture and personal characters as a normal part of life, however, at least for me, they weren’t terribly erotic. This book captures that forbidden feeling of wanting your political enemy whilst being stuck by duty of birth, oaths, and family obligations. This book is so intriguing because the characters are acting honorably–in their own fashion. Their temporary alliance for the greater good allows them to live in a bubble and indulge themselves, but it is temporary and the vanities of others await–continued war still awaits.

I would have liked to get to know some of the other passing characters more. At first I was not sure about the purpose of the character of Feylc, but they become a good foil and I realized it is something I’ve missed in other books as it’s an underutilized tool these days. Still, they are the only other Augment with a real personality here.

I’m not going to say this wasn’t sometimes a little difficult to fully picture, because it was. I’m not going to say the non-binary language wasn’t sometimes confusing (even having read many non-binary characters previously), because it did get awkward in places since the author still uses we and they. What I will say is that for me the effort was worth it. I liked that the world building was character focused and driven without all the extraneous descriptions of things that have no real bearing on the story. There is little attention placed on the various home worlds, which may annoy readers who expect and enjoy that type of detail. While there is tech involved, this is not hard science fiction in any way. The reader is told that things work, not how they work. The end wraps up in a satisfactory way with a (mostly) HEA, although it was startling to be narratively told, like a voice over, after living in the character’s heads for so long. I have to say I really enjoyed this book. If you like things that are different from the norm, give this a try.

The cover was designed by Aisha Akeju. I suppose it shows the ship going through the wormhole. It really isn’t intriguing enough for this book.

Book Details:
ebook, 214 pages
Published February 15th 2017 by Less Than Three Press
Original Title Dangerous Times
ISBN 1620049554 (ISBN13: 9781620049556)
Edition Language English
Literary Awards Rainbow Award for Best Transgender Debut & for Best Transgender – Sci-Fi / Futuristic, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy & Fantasy Romance (2017)