Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

A MelanieM Review: Why I Need You by Colette Davison

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Following the death of their parents, Fin put his life on hold to raise his little sister. He’s convinced her well-being is all that matters, even if it’s at the expense of his own. A chance meeting with Noah opens his eyes to the possibility of happiness. A happiness that could shatter the moment Noah discovers Fin has an eight-year-old in tow.

Noah has been living a lie for years. When he gets publicly outed, he gets kicked out of his parents’ home and business. Although he’s angry at being disowned, Noah knows it means he’s finally free to love whomever he wants. But in order to have a fulfilling and lasting relationship, Noah has to get past his repressed upbringing and inhibitions, before Fin walks out of his life.

In order to stay together, Fin and Noah have to be brave enough to be honest with themselves and each other.

Colette Davison continues her wonderful Why I Left You series with Why I Need You.  In the first story, we were there as we learned that Fin’s parents were killed by a drunk driver.  Why I Need You picks up that story after that fact. Fin has assumed sole guardianship of his  8 year old sister and is working as a waiter, having left the college after the tragedy.  He’s still buried in his grief, while trying to manage the household and support his sister.  What a tough job for someone still young himself.

About to crash into Fin’s world is Noah, a deeply closeted, unhappy man.  Noah’s entire life has been trying to hide who he really is from his conservative parents who run one of the big local funeral companies, one he’s expected to take over, whether he wants to or not.  He’s been taught to  live up to his parents expectations and rules, never let them down or venture outside their imposed boundaries.  The consequences?  A  damaged Noah that even he  doesn’t understand or recognize the extent of what living such a life  has done to him.

Davison brings these two souls together on one night that changes everything, especially for Noah.

I loved the  emotional, intimate quality of the writing.  Davison has a way of making us feel of part of these men’s lives and daily decision making.  She alternates chapters from character to character so we can see the impact of the events and occurrences happening on each man and their lives.  For Fin, that includes his sister, his job, and his inability to move past his parents death.  For Noah, it’s the damage done to him by his upbringing making him unable to physically reach out to others, even so much as publicly hugging or even shaking hands.  How these two work together to form a relationship is a journey you will want to take with them through this story.

Why I Need You by Colette Davison is a beautifully written, heartwarming romance.   I absolutely recommend it and the one before it.

Cover art: Charlotte LR Kane.  I love the cover.  Beautifully done.

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Goodreads Link

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 249 pages
Published January 23rd 2018 by Smudged Ink Press
ASINB078LJLHG2
Edition Language English

Tour: Sound of Silence by Mia Kerick and Raine O’Tierney (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Title: Sound of Silence
Authors: Mia Kerick and Raine O’Tierney
Release Date: January 23rd 2018
Genre: MM Contemporary Romance

BLURB

Renzy Callen exists on the periphery of life, and not just because of the horrific childhood event that robbed him of the ability to speak. Walling himself off from the rest of the world as a means of protection, he occupies his time with art, music, and an obsession with self-help groups—whether he needs them or not. His isolation protects him, and he’s immune to drama and emotional games… or so he believes. Everything changes when he meets Seven and Morning Moreaux-Maddox, the wealthy, jet-setting siblings who move from a life of sophistication in Europe to humdrum Redcliff Hills, Missouri.

Both Seven and his sister are impossibly beautiful and elegant, like the stars in magazines and high-fashion models on the runway. When Renzy is pulled into their push-and-pull of affection and rejection, he realizes there is more to both haunted Morning and cold, diamond-sharp Seven than meets the eye.

The three teens embark on a quest to learn the reason behind Renzy’s selective mutism, and something more than friendship blossoms between Renzy and Seven. It’s during this trip of a lifetime that the three realize the truth they seek might be found in the sound of silence.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Harmony Ink | iBooks

Find Sound of Silence on Goodreads

EXCERPT

Seven

I don’t go straight to class. First off , I don’t give a shit if I’m late to Physics for the Curious, which actually is the class’s laughable name. More importantly, though, is this: I dropped the ball with Morning last year in Paris, and she’s paid a high price for my lax behavior. I’ve sworn on all things holy and unholy that I will not drop the ball again. Therefore, I’m required to lurk in the hallways when I’m supposed to be in class, sizing up our new environment so that I will be ready to protect her.

This is what I’m doing when I notice him—the very same dark- haired imp I saw running out of the Take Back Our Power meeting. I’m not comfortable with this—catching sight of the same boy two times in one day in such close proximity to my sister. I consider it my duty to study him, to memorize his face, to do what I should have done for Morning last year, at which I failed so miserably.

So I scrutinize each feature as if my plan is to sculpt his face out of clay, with no reference point but my memory. Despite the rage that scorches my eyelids with every goddamned blink, I like what I see.

GIVEAWAY: Win $15 Amazon Gift Card!!

“http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/391d73bd90/“

About the Authors

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—a daughter in law school, another in dance school, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son still in high school. She writes LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-four years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on emotional growth in turbulent relationships. As she has a great affinity for the tortured hero, there is, at minimum, one in each book. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of said tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press and Harmony Ink Press for providing alternate places to stash her stories.

Her books have won a Best YA Lesbian Rainbow Award, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, among other awards.

Mia is a Progressive, a little bit too obsessed by politics, and cheers for each and every victory in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com. Visit her website for updates on what is going on in Mia’s world, rants, music, parties, and pictures, and maybe even a little bit of inspiration.

Links: Facebook | Twitter

Raine O’Tierney loves writing about first loves and friendship. She believes the best thing we can do in this life is be kind to one another, and hopes her stories always reflect that. Raine loves encouraging people to write and has been known to repeat the phrase “I believe everyone has a story to tell” endlessly, until she breaks down even the most stubborn non-writer!

Raine lives outside of Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, fellow M/M author Siôn O’Tierney. When she’s not writing, she’s either playing video games or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job.

Contact her if you’re interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or about which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

RIPTIDE TOUR Twice in a Lifetime by Jodie Griffin

Twice in a Lifetime by Jodie Griffin
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art: L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy it Here

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Jodie Griffin here today on her Twice in a Lifetime tour.  Welcome, Jodie.

✒︎

Hi! I’m Jodie Griffin, and I write contemporary romance and kinky erotic romance. I’m here to talk about my sixth published book, TWICE IN A LIFETIME, a contemporary female/female story with mature characters—and my first story for Riptide! I’d like to thank all the blog hosts for letting me stop by, and I hope you take the chance to visit all of their sites. Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card.

About Twice in a Lifetime

When widow Talia Wasserman applies for a job with the local police department, she’s shocked to discover she’ll be working for Lieutenant Eve Poe, an officer she’d met—and been attracted to—during a long-ago citizen’s police academy workshop. Fifteen years later, the spark is still there, and no one’s currently in Talia’s life or in her bed. But there’s just one teeny, tiny problem. Eve is her boss, so she’s completely off-limits.

Eve feels a sizzling connection with Talia from the very first, but Talia works for her, and that’s just a bad idea. Besides, Eve needs to focus on the person sending disturbing emails to her office, and not on the woman who quickly makes herself invaluable to the department. It’s too bad her heart doesn’t agree with her.

Then Eve is badly injured in the line of duty, and Talia’s worst fears are realized. She may lose her chance at happiness with the woman she’s come to love, and she can’t survive that kind of loss twice in a lifetime.

Available now from Riptide Publishing!

 

About Jodie Griffin

Jodie Griffin didn’t always want to be a writer. She spent hours reading, but school papers were written one painful word at a time. Then a story idea came, demanding to be put on paper. After years of practice, she took the leap, submitted her first manuscript, and hasn’t looked back.

Jodie is also an avid photographer, a chocoholic, and a lover of bad puns. When she’s not writing, she’s likely out stalking the moon for that perfect shot.

Jodie’s own happily ever after includes one incredibly supportive husband and one future heroine. Visit Jodie at www.jodiegriffin.com.

Connect with Jodie:

● Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jodie-Griffin-165472856805202/

● Twitter: twitter.com/Jodie_Griffin

● Tumblr: jodiegriffin.tumblr.com/

● Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/jodiegriffin/

● Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorjodiegriffin/

Giveaway

  • To celebrate the release of Twice In a Lifetime, one lucky winner will receive a $25 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 27, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Release Blitz – Why I Need You by Colette Davison (excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ

 

Book Title: Why I Need You

Author: Colette Davison              

Publisher: Smudged Ink Press

Cover Artist: Charlotte L R Kane

Genre/s: LGBT contemporary romance

Length: Words:  83,000 No. of Pages: 312

 Fin is a recurring character from Why I Left You, but it is a standalone story.

 

Blurb

Following the death of their parents, Fin put his life on hold to raise his little sister. He’s convinced her well-being is all that matters, even if it’s at the expense of his own. A chance meeting with Noah opens his eyes to the possibility of happiness. A happiness that could shatter the moment Noah discovers Fin has an eight-year-old in tow.

Noah has been living a lie for years. When he gets publicly outed, he gets kicked out of his parents’ home and business. Although he’s angry at being disowned, Noah knows it means he’s finally free to love whomever he wants. But in order to have a fulfilling and lasting relationship, Noah has to get past his repressed upbringing and inhibitions, before Fin walks out of his life.

In order to stay together, Fin and Noah have to be brave enough to be honest with themselves and each other.

**Contains adult language and scenes**

 

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Goodreads Link

Excerpt

Noah glanced up as their waiter wandered over to the table. Without meaning to, Noah found himself staring. The waiter looked hot in his uniform. He was wearing a crisp white shirt and a jet-black waistcoat, which intensified the grey of his eyes. A black bowtie was an especially cute addition, which added to his boyish charm. But it was the waiter’s smile which really grabbed Noah’s attention. It was a wide, easy smile that literally lit up the restaurant.

“Are you ready to order?” the waiter asked, his voice smooth.

Noah forced himself to zoom out from the smile and the perfect teeth to take in the waiter’s whole face, grey eyes and dark, swept-back hair. He dropped his gaze to the waiter’s name badge, which read ‘Fin’, then he looked away, planting his gaze onto his menu. God forbid anyone in his family caught him staring at a guy. He didn’t register what anyone else ordered. It wasn’t until Ruth kicked him in the ankle that he even realised the waiter, Fin, was talking to him.

“What can I get for you?” Fin asked, probably repeating the question for the second time, or maybe the third.

Noah hoped it wasn’t the third. “Uh, the Hawaiian pizza,” he said, cursing himself for mumbling over the words.

Fin nodded thoughtfully as he noted down Noah’s order. “You’re one of those guys.”

Noah’s eyes widened involuntarily. What did the waiter mean, ‘one of those guys’? How could his choice of pizza tell Fin anything about him?

“Who likes pineapple on pizza,” Fin clarified, his smile becoming wider still, revealing adorable dimples that made Noah’s legs turn to jelly. “You’d be surprised how divisive a choice that can be.” Fin’s gaze lingered on Noah for a couple of seconds before he glanced round the whole table. “Can I get anyone any more drinks?”

“I’d like a martini,” Liam said. He grinned at Ruth before saying, “Shaken, not stirred,” in an appalling attempt at a Scottish accent.

“A pint of Stones, please,” Noah said, finding his voice again.

“Sure. I’ll be right back.”

Noah exhaled as Fin wandered away. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten so flustered just because he liked the look of a guy. Then again, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been around a truly attractive guy whilst sitting at a table with his ridiculously conservative parents. He grabbed the thick white linen napkin and flicked it out, laying it over his lap just in case. He couldn’t trust his dick not to revolt against his head, which was screaming at him not to go gooey over some random guy.

Exclusive Excerpt/s (some blogs ask for this)

“The way I see it, we’re both bringing something to the table that’s making things hard for us,” Noah continued. “Something’s keeping you busy that you’re not willing to tell me about, and I’m not asking…”

Fin tensed at the unspoken ‘yet’ that was even more evident when Noah paused.

“And I can’t deal with any kind of physical contact when there’s even one extra person in the room.” Noah sighed. “But I’m going to work on it,” he promised. “Because I want to see where this thing we’ve started could lead. I don’t want to give up on the possibility that there might be an ‘us’ in the future.” He lifted his head a fraction and then gently pressed his lips to Fin’s in a slow, sensuous kiss.

It was a million miles away from the way Noah had kissed him the morning before. Fin leaned in to it, an equal partner this time rather than an object of desire. His stomach fluttered and his groin ached as the kiss continued. He twisted his hands so he could tangle his fingers through Noah’s. When Noah finally broke away, Fin remained motionless for a moment, his eyes still closed as he did nothing but breathe in the tangy scent of Noah’s aftershave. How was he falling so hard for someone he’d only known for a couple of weeks and had seen only a handful of times?

“So…” Noah said, his voice seemingly a million miles away.

Fin forced his eyes to flicker open. Noah was staring at him, his blue eyes wide and searching.

“Can we cut each other some slack?” Noah asked. “Are we going to keep seeing each other?”

Fin nodded. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I really like the concept that there might be an ‘us’.”

Fin ran his hands over Noah’s shoulders and down his chest, his gaze never leaving Noah’s. “Tell me if you’re not comfortable.”

Noah was more than comfortable. He couldn’t imagine not feeling anything other than turned on by Fin’s touch. “What should I do?” he heard himself ask. If he’d been able to engage his brain, he probably wouldn’t have let such a dumb question cross his lips.

“Anything you want to,” Fin breathed as he leaned forward to kiss Noah in the centre of his chest where his breast bone dipped. “Or you could just sit there and enjoy.”

Fin continued to kiss his way down Noah’s chest, over his stomach, to the top of his jeans. Then Fin looked up at Noah with that damned cute lazy grin plastered on his face. He raised his hand and applied the slightest pressure to Noah’s shoulder. That was all it took to encourage Noah to flop onto his back. Noah’s heart was hammering hard against his ribs with anticipation. He felt stupid for admitting it to himself, but he really had no clue what Fin was going to do next, or if there was anything he was supposed to be doing in return.

He felt a tug at his belt and then the release of pressure against his waist as the button on his jeans was popped open.

“This okay?” Fin asked as he tugged on Noah’s jeans.

Noah nodded, sighing contentedly as Fin slowly relieved him of his jeans and boxers. He stared up at the ceiling, savouring the anticipation. Then he felt Fin’s lips press against his stomach again, hot against his trembling flesh. The slow, lazy kisses slowly moved down towards Noah’s groin, making him gasp. His eyes widened as Fin leaned over him and flashed him a grin before kissing him softly on the lips again.

 

About the Author

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Social Media Links

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

BookBub

Blog/Website

 

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card or one of 5 ebook copies of Why I Left You.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE

January 23

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author  REVIEW

Noteworthy Book Reviews  REVIEW

Tangents and Tissues 

Blazing Zane Book Blog  REVIEW

Hearts on Fire Reviews  REVIEW   

MM Midnight Cafe  REVIEW

Megan’s Media Melange   REVIEW

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words REVIEW

My Fiction Nook 

Lily G Blunt  

January 24

Love Unchained Book Reviews  REVIEW

Drops of Ink

Mary Winter’s Blog  REVIEW

Books Laid Bare Boys  REVIEW

MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews  

RAM PA Group

Gay Book Reviews  

January 25

Mainely Stories   REVIEW

Louise Lyons

Sur l’étagère, derrière la sirène en plastique  REVIEW

A Book Lover’s Dream Book Blog

BFD Book Blog   REVIEW

Bayou Book Junkie   REVIEW

Smokin’ Hot Reads Book Blog  REVIEW

Stories That Make You Smile 

Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews 

Making it Happen  REVIEW

~

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

 

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Way with You (Memories with The Breakfast Club) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Reeve Nelson arrives in New York, ready to set the real estate world on fire.  He’s got the experience from having co-owned his own business with his ex-girlfriend, though it was in a small town and nowhere near the complexity or the pricing of life in the City.   Hired by Leo Rodriguez to be his assistant as Leo prepares a new home real estate show for a major network, he eventually finds out that he was primarily hired because of his connections to his brother’s fiance’s family and their business, DeLuca Construction. 

Remy and Tony DeLuca from A Way With Words both make an appearance in this story as Reeve relies on his brother for a shoulder to cry on when his dreams stall out and he experiences a major crush on his arrogant, ruthless boss.   Their tension and sexual chemistry explodes one night when Reeve has had enough and confronts the big man.  Thinking he has nothing to lose since he’s about to quit, Reeve gives him a verbal lashing, but to his surprise, Leo responds by kissing Reeve, and things get hot and heavy from there. 

This story is fairly short—probably novella length—so much of the relationship development takes place off page.  However, the author does keep us informed about what is happening in their lives as they go through the summer as friends.  Reeve now has his own business in Brooklyn, where Tony’s family has more connections and Remy makes sure Reeve gets referrals, but he and Leo are still having sex, still spending hours talking about everything from their past to their likes and dislikes, and still sharing experiences on day-trips, hikes, runs, time at the gym.  In other words, they are becoming very important to one another, and slowly but surely, each man begins to realize how much he is falling in love. 

I always enjoy Lane Hayes’s writing and this story is no exception.  I wish I had known about the first book, however, as I think it would have enhanced my pleasure in reading this one since the characters from that story are featured prominently in this one.  Nevertheless, this can be read as a standalone. 

This book takes two very different men on a journey of discovery and by the time they realize their importance to each other, rather than have their life circumstances turn against them, something very romantic and magical happens and big, gruff, “ruthless” Leo does something Reeve never expects.  It’s definitely a romantic story with a capital R and is the perfect length to pick up when you need that special book to brighten your day.   

~~~~~

Cover art by Reese Dante depicts a photo of a businessman ripping open his suit jacket and shirt to expose his muscular chest.  It’s certainly attention-getting, though I would have liked to see some tattoos on that chest to match the description of Leo’s chest in the story. [fans self]

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 95 pages
Published January 16th 2018 by Kindle Worlds
Original TitleA Way with You
ASINB07939KQDJ
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesMemories with The Breakfast Club settingManhattan, New York City, New York (United States)

A MelanieM Review: The Case of the Man Eater (Kanaan & Tilney #2) by Jenna Rose and Katey Hawthorne

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Wolf-Beast and ex-cop Lowell Kanaan recently brought his boyfriend, Elementalist and mystery author John Tilney, into the PI business with him. They’ve been solving cases for Boston’s varied praeternatural communities ever since. So when a young Terran feels that the brutal murder of his Beast boyfriend isn’t being treated seriously enough by the police, he brings the case to Kanaan & Tilney for a second opinion.

Similarly defiled corpses pop up around Boston as they race to find the killer. All the victims are packless Beasts, like Lowell, and the vicious nature of the killings stir up old prejudices in the praeternatural community, Beast and otherwise. Throw a personal vendetta and some ugly family history for Lowell in the mix, and the trails are as muddy as ever.

This case will test Kanaan & Tilney’s strength, both as a PI team and a couple. It’ll take all they have to keep each other alive—and stop a serial killer.

Private investigators Lowell Kanaan and boyfriend John Tilney are back with another heartbreaking case of murder that hits close to home.  This time they are called in to investigate the murder of a packless lion, torn and cut up in an alleyway, parts of him missing.  That the lion-beast was packless like Lowell was enough for them to take the case…then more are killed, and it looks like Lowell could be a target.

In this story more of Lowell’s history and the nature of the pack organization/culture comes to light, and not in a good one. Those that are packless are looked down upon by others, said that their state will make them feral without the structure of the pack.  Their “second class citizenship” is made evident through their self help groups and troubled lives within the stories.  Easy prey for a murderer.

While investigating the crimes, the authors dive into the evolving relationship of Kanaan and Tilney, progressing as work partners as well as  romantic ones.  I loved them as both and enjoyed the dynamics between them, hot, sexy, and in one instance, where they impersonated tourists, very funny.

I wish there had been more about the actual murderer.  That seemed a bit fuzzy at best.  The action was swift and suspenseful but the actual person behind it and who they were?  That needed more groundwork and a better foundation here.  That actually would be the only thing that people coming at this story new would find fault with.  It’s not a stand alone.  You need to read the first story and then come here.  I loved the coroner and look forward to more investigations where he and other continuing characters resume their roles.

Cover art by Dar Albert.  I like the intense cover.  The old typewriter font and the story elements,  Nice!

Sales Links:  Loose id  | Amazon

Book Details:

Published December 26th 2017 by Loose Id
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL http://kanaanandtilneyinvestigations.com/
SeriesKanaan & Tilney #2

A Caryn Review: The Law of Love by Fyn Alexander

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Ugh, I think this book hit every single button I have for things I dislike in a book – some of these are personal reasons that may not apply to everyone, so keep that in mind as you read this review…

Rafe Devonish is a member of the gentry, and though not titled, he has a manor house, lands, tenants, and a position to uphold in society.  He is also a successful barrister, with a clear sense of right and wrong, and he is a homosexual.  He hasn’t really figured out how to reconcile his orientation with the rest of his life, and has been delaying what he feels is going to be inevitable – getting married and having children.  Despite the time, there are a surprising number of people who are aware that he is gay, including his mother and the senior clerk at his law firm, and they both hound him to get married before people start suspecting his truth.

Ivo Manning (and really, what kind of name is that for a British noble?  To me the author overdid it with the names.  Rafe and Ivo?  Really?  But I digress…) is a young man from a titled family that has unfortunately fallen on hard financial times since The Great War.  He is the 10th son, and the family regards him as a waste of space, but he doesn’t want to embarrass them and so he sought legal counsel after being arrested for gross indecency, aka suspicion of homosexual behavior.  Rafe is the barrister he ended up coming to, and it was insta-love for both of them.

So begins a dance where Ivo consistently pursues Rafe, and Rafe alternately pursues and runs away from Ivo.  It got really old, really fast.  One of my pet peeves is too much inner monologue, especially when it is repetitive, and that is about all we hear from Rafe.  There was very little angst about actually being a homosexual, but he did certainly angst about how to avoid being found out.  He waffled, and yet every time he saw Ivo, he couldn’t help himself but did things that would absolutely cause scandal.  Including having sex in public.  Twice.  Both times witnessed.  Ivo being caught coming out of his room in the manor house after clearly spending the night.  Rafe was supposedly a very intelligent man, but his actions were more often that not in the “too stupid to live” category.

Ivo is a caricature.  He is younger, smaller, poorer, less experienced, less educated, and much less confident that Rafe.  He looks to Rafe to solve his every problem, always bottoms, and almost every time he is described, the word “lovely” is used.  This felt to me to be feminizing him in the worst way, a way that also degrades women.  Ivo does nothing to help either of them avoid detection.  He does discover compelling reasons why a woman whom Rafe is defending should be declared innocent of murder, but those reasons are so obvious that there is no way Rafe should have missed them in the first place.

*SPOILER*    *END SPOILER*

Normally I love historicals, and early 20th century is probably my favorite time period.  But to be authentic, the characters have to act like they actually live in that era.  To have modern views of homosexuality – that it is an inborn trait rather than a sign of mental illness, that it is natural, and should be accepted by any reasonable person, and homosexual relationships are just a matter of two consenting adults – in a setting where homosexual acts were unnatural at best and criminal at worst, just makes no sense.  Rafe and Ivo never felt that it was wrong to be gay, they just felt it was unfair that they couldn’t have an openly gay relationship.  I don’t think any gay man from this era would be so casually accepting of his orientation.

Well.  I have other complaints about the book, but I think I need to stop here.  If you like your romances to be heroic man and blushing damsel in distress, you may like this book, but for me it was a total fail.  I give it an extra half a point for good grammar and proofreading though.

Cover art by April Martinez is actually very good, probably the only thing I truly liked about the book.

Sales Links:  Loose id LLC | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 225 pages
Published December 26th 2017 by Loose Id LLC
ASINB078382ZNH

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Dream (Skins #1) by Garrett Leigh

 

Universal Buy Link: books2read.com/DreamGL
 
Length: 60,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: GDLeigh @Black Jazz Design
 
Cover Photo: Dan Burgess @Moonstock Photography
 
Blurb
 

I can’t sleep…


When unrequited love leaves Dylan Hart sleepless and nursing his wounds, instinct draws him to the one place he’s found mindless respite in the past—Lovato’s. It’s a place for every fantasy — for crazy-hot encounters — where a night of insane NSA sex brings relief to Dylan’s fragile feelings.


It should be a perfect escape, and for one magical night it seems that way, but then worlds collide, and reality bites when his hookup desperately needs a friend. Surely Dylan can’t trust his instincts when friendship has bruised his heart so badly before?


It’s burying me alive…


The deck is stacked against former ballet dancer Angelo Giordano ever finding real love. At least visiting Lovato’s offers respite from a life defined by illness; a glimmer of light in the dull grey of his so-called life without dance. But then he encounters Dylan — a glorious ray of the brightest sunshine — who makes his heart pound once more with purpose.


Angelo’s mind is blown by this man, but the disease that ended his career won’t let him bask in new love. He’s drowning, and Dylan can’t save him while insecurities swamp them both. The only way to make it means confronting their demons.


If Dylan can turn his back on the past, and Angelo can face his uncertain future, maybe they can chase their dreams together.




January 23 – Reviews By Virginia Lee, My Fiction Nook, Urban Smoothie Read, The Blogger Girls, Gay Media Reviews, Lelyana’s Book Blog, Hearts On Fire Reviews, Gay Book Reviews, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, OMG Reads
January 25 – We Three Queens, Book Lovers 4Ever, Joyfully Jay, Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Sinfully, Mikku-chan
January 29 – Sanaa’s Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, My Book Filled Life, Book love
January 31 – Diverse Reader, Jim’s Reading Room, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
February 2 – Valerie Ullmer, The Geekery Book Review, Sarandipity Book Reviews, Making It Happen
February 5 – Open Mind For A Different View
February 9 – Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Mirrigold, Unused Napkin, Wicked Reads

 

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.


Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.


When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.


Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess



Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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