Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

An Ali Review: Contraband Hearts (Porthkennack #10) by Alex Beecroft

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

His future depends on bringing the smuggler to justice. His heart demands to join him.

Customs officer Peregrine Dean is sent by his patron to investigate rumors of corruption in the Porthkennack customs house. There he is tasked by the local magistrate to bring down the villainous Tomas Quick, a smuggler with fingers in every pie in town. Fired with zeal and ambition, and struck to the core by his first glimpse of Tomas, Perry determines to stop at nothing until he has succeeded.

Tomas Quick is an honest thief—a criminal regarded by the town as their local Robin Hood. He’s also an arrogant man who relishes the challenge posed by someone as determined and intelligent as Perry. Both of them come to enjoy their cat-and-mouse rivalry a little too much.

But the eighteenth century is a perilous time for someone like Perry: a black man in England. Two have already disappeared from the wrecks of ships. Tomas and Perry must forsake their competition and learn to trust each other if they are to rescue them, or Perry may become the third victim.

The story begins when Peregrine “Perry” Dean arrives in Porthkennak to take up a position as a customs officer. He’s been sent to clean up corruption in the customs house, and the town magistrate orders Perry to target a local sailor, Tomas Quick. Unfortunately for Perry, Tomas is a respected member of the community and the townspeople have no desire to aide in his capture.  While he struggles to build a case against Tomas, the two men begin to fall for each other.
I thought the author did a great job with world building and setting the stage for this story.  It was so well done I felt I was in historic Cornwall.  She also did a great job with the character development.  She spent a lot of time building up Perry and Tomas and I enjoy how she put not only them but their relationship together.
The story is pretty action packed and a lot of stuff happens.  It was as much suspense and action plot as it was romance.  Actually it was more suspense than romance.  That may be an issue for some readers.  The love story is a very slow build and fits well with the time period it takes place in.  It felt pretty realistic which was a nice change of pace from many current love stories.
I think if you are a fan of this author’s you will really enjoy this.  If you have not read her before this is a lovely story and you should give it a try.  While this is an ongoing series, each book is written as a standalone and you will have no problem enjoying this even if you have not read any of the other books.
This cover was done by L.C, Chase and I think it’s a lovely cover.  It fits the description of Perry well and it captures the mood over the story well.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

ebook, 270 pages
Published April 30th 2018 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 1626498040 (ISBN13: 9781626498044)
Edition Language English
Series Porthkennack #10 

Review Tour – Jay Northcote’s Second Chance (excerpt)

 

Universal Buy Link
 
Length: 67,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Black Jazz Design
 
Blurb
 

Everyone deserves a second chance.


Nate and his teenage daughter need a fresh start, so they move back to the village where he grew up. Nate’s transgender, and not used to disclosing his history, so it’s hard living where people knew him before. When Nate reconnects with Jack–his best friend from school and unrequited crush–his feelings return as strong as ever.


Jack’s returned home to get his life in order after an addiction to alcohol caused him to lose everything: his job, his driver’s licence, and nearly his life. He’s living with his parents, which is less than ideal, but rekindling his friendship with Nate–or Nat as Jack once knew him–is an unexpected benefit of being back home. Jack is amazed by Nate’s transformation, and can’t deny his attraction. Trying for more than friendship might ruin what they already have, but the chemistry between them is undeniable.


Doubting his feelings are reciprocated, Nate fears he’s risking heartbreak. Jack’s reluctance to tell his parents about their relationship only reinforces Nate’s misgivings. With both their hearts on the line and their happiness at stake, Jack needs to make things right, and Nate has to be prepared to give him a second chance.

Excerpt
 

A hint of cigarette smoke carried on the wind caught Nate’s attention, and he realised he wasn’t alone. A hunched figure sat on a bench by the church. Wearing a heavy coat with the hood up, their head hung low staring at the grass between their feet rather than at the landscape stretched out before them. A cigarette hung from bony fingers that protruded from black fingerless gloves. As Nate watched, the man—because Nate could see his face now—raised his head to take a long drag before stubbing the cigarette out on the bench.


A shock of recognition made Nate’s heart jump, thudding erratically.

Jack.


Torn between conflicting urges to approach and flee, Nate stared at him, powerless to move.


How many years had it been since Nate had seen him? At forty-five Nate found each year passed faster than the one before. It must have been twenty years at least since he’d seen Jack, maybe more, and longer still since they’d spoken properly. Their last meeting had been nothing more than an awkward exchange of greetings when they ran into each other in the village pub one Christmas. The distance between them had cut Nate like a knife, so different to their teenage years when they’d been best friends, and almost inseparable.


Jack slumped forward again, letting the cigarette butt fall from his fingers. He put his hands over his face and Nate recognised despair and hopelessness, because they’d been his companions in the past. Acting on instinct, he approached.


“Sorry to intrude,” he said, pausing in front of Jack. “But are you okay? Is there anything I can do?”


Jack jerked his head up in surprise. His pale cheeks flushed as he shook his head. “Not really. Just having a bad day. You know how it is… or maybe you don’t.”


“I do.”


Nate studied him. The years had changed Jack, of course, but the essence of him was still the same. Sharp features, the strong nose Jack had always hated, even more defined with age, but more balanced now with dark stubble and the lines that the years were beginning to carve around his eyes and mouth.


As Jack stared back, Nate realised there was no recognition dawning on Jack’s face. To Jack, Nate was a stranger. Five years on testosterone had changed Nate to a point where Jack couldn’t see the person Nate had been before. Normally this was something Nate was glad about, but now he felt a pang of regret.

 

April 20 – Gay Book Reviews, Katie’s Book Corner, Mainely Stories, OMG Reads
April 23 – Mikki-chan, Diverse Reader
April 25 – V’s Reads, Two Chicks Obsessed
May 2 – Bonkers About Books, Au Boudoir Ecarlate
May 4 – Wicked Faeries Tales & Reviews
May 7 – Xtreme Delusions, BFD Book Blog
May 9 – Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
May 11 – RAM PA Group, My Fiction Nook, Making It Happen, Wicked Reads
May 14 – Urban Smoothie Read
May 18 – Mirrigold, Bayou Book Junkie, Book Review Virgina Lee

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.


Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.


www.jaynorthcote.com
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A Stella Review : A Love To Remember by Sarah Hadley Brook

RATING 2,75 out of 5 stars

 

Graham Hayes decided long ago he’d never be in a relationship. It was better to stay single than to fall in love only to be left alone, which he was certain would happen to him. He’d seen Alzheimer’s ravage his family members all his life, leaving their loved ones to deal with the fallout. Some of them stayed, but some didn’t. Graham isn’t going to risk it. When he hires nurse Sam Morgan to take care of his dad during the day, his pledge to stay single is put to the test. He soon finds it difficult to maintain a professional distance. Graham’s guarded his heart for so long, but his resolve is crumbling. Will he be able to conquer his fear to give himself a chance at love? Can he trust Sam to stick around for better or worse?

I chose to review A Love To Remember because I read some other titles by the same author and found them interesting, plus this new release treats a theme very dear to me and for a couple of reasons I knew I could relate to Graham. So of course I wanted to give the story a chance. The premises were there and were great. I have to say the plot was good, I liked the relationship between Graham and his dad, how he turned his life to stay with him. And then it was very sweet how the MCs met again, I adore when a couple seems destined to be together.

All of these caught my attention, but from a certain moment the story lost all its potential and became something I wasn’t expecting. What I didn’t like resides in the way the romance developed between Graham and Sam. I thought when they first met, they were pretty hot together, I felt the attraction they had for each other, I felt how both of them wanted more but it wasn’t possible. Then they got a second chance. And just there, things shifted for me. I couldn’t feel anymore the chemistry, they could have been easily friends because there wasn’t a difference. The author told me how much Sam wanted Graham but I actually see it. And moreover I found some behaviours they had too childish for grown up adults like them.

Although it didn’t truly convince me, I still appreciate A Love To Remember, especially cause the author was able to deliver a light story with an important theme like Alzheimer’s and this was a huge bonus to me since too many times, books that deal with diseases are too heavy to take.

The cover is lovely and full of light, I like it.

Sales Links:    Amazon |      Universal Buy Link

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 85 pages

Published April 28th 2018 by JMS Books LLC

ASIN B07C1QNCZ4

Edition Language English

 

An Ali Audiobook Review: Leaning Into Touch (Leaning Into #4) by Lane Hayes and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Josh Sheehan is unlucky in love and now… newly unemployed. He’s not sure what to do next, but he’s sure he should give up on romance. Especially after last time. His friends warned him that falling for the hunky Irishman was a bad idea. Josh can’t help feeling torn even though he knows it’s best to move on. But when an unexpected dose of family drama blindsides him, Josh finds himself leaning on the one man he’s supposed to forget.

Finn Gallagher is driven by success. He makes no secret that building a name for his tech company is his number one goal. Finn left home a decade ago with a ton of regret, a heavy heart, and a vow to never repeat the same mistake twice. However, there is something undeniably appealing about the self-deprecating man with the silly sense of humor that makes it difficult for Finn to remember why falling for Josh is a bad idea. It soon becomes clear they’re both in deeper than they intended. There is no way to remain untouched. And there is so much to gain, if they’re brave enough to lean in.

I wasn’t sure about this book going into it.  Finn was portrayed in a pretty bad light in the previous book.  Then this one lets us know that Josh and Finn dated (but not officially) for six month and then Finn just disappeared.  A year later Finn and Josh cross paths and much to his dismay Josh is still terribly attracted to Finn.  Finn is still in a bad place when it comes to being in a relationship but the two men can’t seem to stay away from each other.
This story is told from Josh’s point of view and I adored him.  He’s a great guy and I empathized with the things he was going through.  Finn was a bit harder to connect with.  This was a book where the author probably should have done two points of view.  Finn is insecure and scare but we can’t really see that until the end.  For much of the book it seems that he doesn’t care for Josh anywhere near as much as Josh does for him.  I also found his reason for being scared of relationships kind of unrealistic.  
 I ended up really liking this one though. I thought the author did a great job though showing them falling in love and working through their issues. I think the author’s best strength is relationship development and MC’s that COMMUNICATE. I also liked how Josh’s relationship w/his dad was portrayed. That entire plot twist was done well.
The audiobook was narrated by Nick J.Russo who as usual did a very good with both of the main characters as well as all of the side characters.  I thought the narration added to the overall emotional feel of the story.
Cover:  I like the cover but it’s not my favorite of the series.  Nothing about the cover really stands out to me.
Sales Links:  Amazon Audible
Audiobook Details:
Audible Audio, Unabridged, 8 pages
Published April 16th 2018 by Lane Hayes (first published October 4th 2017)
Original TitleLeaning Into Touch
ASINB07C5SZKZL
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesLeaning Into #4

An Alisa Review : Beholden by Kris T Bethke

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Julian Thomas made the unpopular decision to become Beholden and focus his magic only on scrying. Because of it, he’s the best at his job and the top scryer for the Department of Extranormal and Magical Affairs. Which why Investigations Agent Wes Caldwell goes right to Julian for help locating a missing person.

When Wes needs to use his magic to boost Julian’s, they find a magical resonance between them that quickly leads to more. Julian doesn’t want to move too fast, but Wes knows Julian is it for him. He’s fine with waiting, as long as Julian stays close as they work through it.

But then Julian falls ill, and it’s clear there’s a magical reason. Wes will stop at nothing to find out what’s plaguing Julian, and when they realize just how deep the plot goes, they have more questions than answers. Magic is increasing in the world, and no one can figure out why. Julian and Wes have found love, but will it be enough to get them through what’s to come?

As with all the stories I have read by this author, I really enjoyed this one and I was hooked from the beginning.  Julian has pretty much been reject by most of his family and doesn’t have a great history with relationships so he is very cautious about getting involved with someone.  Wes is more than a simple investigator that he seems and is adorably sweet.

We saw the story from Julian’s point of view so it made it easy to see his emotions and feelings.  Wes is extraordinarily patient and will do anything to keep Julian safe and find out what’s wrong.  They were able to fix Julian’s problem but there is still the mystery of who did it hanging out there.  I really hope that there is another book in this world that will help solve that.

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is great and gives a perfect visual of Julian.

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 124 pages

Published: April 14, 2018 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634866064

Edition Language: English

This Time Around (A Road to Blissville Story) by Aimee Nicole Walker Release Blitz and Giveaway

This Time Around RDB Banner

THIS TIME AROUND

A ROAD TO BLISSVILLE STORY

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 05.05.18

This Time Around Cover 

 Design: Jay Aheer of Simply Defined Art

Photographer: Christopher John of CJC Photography

Model: Jeremiah

At the café Milo Miracle co-owns with his twin sister, coffee and pastries are served up along with his unique blend of sass and snark. Milo knows that small-town life often means that every day is the same as the one before, and excitement can only be found in the gossip that travels faster than the speed of light. When the dark-haired Adonis who broke his heart returns home after a twelve-year absence, Milo unhappily finds himself at the center of Blissville’s favorite pastime.

Andy Mason was practically a kid when he left home to pursue big-league ambitions, but the man who returns to Blissville is humbled by shattered dreams and secrets he’s not ready to share with Milo. Andy’s no stranger to grit and determination, and he’ll need both to win back Milo’s cynical heart.

Strong wills clash with stubborn hearts, triggering combustible passion once Andy starts renovations at the café. Milo would like to keep Andy’s hands busy doing something other than construction. Andy would like to suggest what Milo can do with his wicked tongue besides trade barbs with him. Neither man is willing to budge until they get a little shove from an outside force. Will Andy and Milo learn that trust is a two-way street, or will this time around end as disastrous as the first?

This time around is a witty, sexy, and endearing love story about two men who learn how to balance push and pull, both in and out of the bedroom. It is the fourth book in the Road to Blissville series but can be read as a standalone book. This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults eighteen and over.

This Time Around Teaser 1

This Time Around Teaser 2

EXCERPT

When Andy reached the top of the steps, he found a light switch on the wall. Only one socket had a bulb in it, so it wasn’t bright enough for Andy to see anything besides trunks and trunks of stuff stacked everywhere.

I turned my head slightly to the left and saw the outline of a woman’s silhouette out of the corner of my eyes. “Ghost!” I yelled, then dove behind Andy.

“Where?” Andy asked, turning in circles and swinging his flashlight to illuminate every corner of the dark, dusty space. “That?” he asked.

I peeked around his broad back and ducked my head under his armpit to see. In the center of the flashlight beam was one of those old-fashioned wire mannequins they used to hang dresses on. In fact, the mannequin sported a flowing, white dress that looked like something a woman wore in the eighteen hundreds. Of course, the white color of the gown in contrast to the dark space gave it a ghostly appearance.

“Seriously, Milo? I nearly pissed myself over a mannequin.”

“You almost jizzed yourself earlier.”

“Don’t pretend I didn’t feel your hard-on pressing up against mine, Milo.”

“True, but that wasn’t what I was referring to.”

“Then what the fuck are you talking about?” Andy asked, sounding angry all over again.

“Simon!”

“You want to talk about Simon, Milo? We’ll talk about Simon.”

“Fine, I’m going first. Since when does your uncle want to fix you up with your cousin? What kind of fuckery is this?”

“Paul isn’t my biological uncle,” Andy said. “He and my dad are best friends. Uncle was an honorary title I gave him when I was a kid.”

“Oh.” Yeah, that took the wind right out of my sails. “Are you going to take Simon on a date?”

“Should I, Milo? Is he good in bed?”

I gasped dramatically, of course. “Are you slut shaming me?”

“Are you acting slutty?”

“And if I was?” I demanded to know.

Silence. “You make me fucking crazy, Milo.”

“That makes two of us.” I realized what I said. “Wait. I meant that you make me crazy too. So crazy that I can’t even think. You rob me of my ability to snark.”

“You act as if that’s a talent,” Andy scoffed.

Aimee Logo

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees. I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever- after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

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