Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

A Free Dreamer Review: The Little Crow (Heart of Darkness #1) by Caitlin Ricci

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

the-little-crowDetective Jamison Landry’s job isn’t easy. He’s dealt with the worst criminals imaginable and believes in his work and the community he serves. But he’s never met someone quite like Mal before.

The mysterious man, rescued from a basement in which he was chained by cultists, keeps Jamison guessing. He both confuses and excites him, and Jamison isn’t sure how he feels about that. Plus, things turn from unusual to downright strange when people start insisting Mal isn’t quite human. And Jamison’s creepy dreams of crows and graveyards don’t make things any better for him.

Will Mal stay around long enough for Jamison to figure out his secrets, or will this stranger leave him aching for more?

This is my third book by Caitlin Ricci, and the first fantasy book I read by her. Since I really liked the first two contemporary books, I figured this was a safe bet. Well, unfortunately “The Little Crow” left me rather disappointed.

I never understood the attraction between Jamison and Mal. Mal is annoying and stalkerish and Jamison repeatedly tells him to get lost – which Mal ignores. At one point, Mal is forced to do some pretty awful things to Jamison. Jamison is understandably pissed and feels betrayed. Mal does feel guilty, but instead of explaining why he did what he did and giving a proper apology for it, he was just annoyed that Jamison was once again telling him to stay away. The apology that came eventually was too late and too little for me to believe Jamison’s forgiveness.

Jamison was difficult to connect to. I just don’t know what to think of him. He seemed oddly naïve and innocent for a policeman. Mal repeatedly says, “You shouldn’t have freed me.” And Jamison never wonders why. I could never quite get a handle on his emotions. He was very difficult to read, even when I was reading his POV.

Mal was much easier to read. I didn’t necessarily like him, but he was simple. He had some funny ideas how to deal with people he didn’t like and he was extremely protective of Jamison.

The plot felt very unfinished. All we learned was that Mal is a weird guy. Subplots are introduced and then left hanging, going nowhere. This is only part 1 of the series, but it still felt rather unfinished.

The general idea was interesting and certainly had potential, which the author sadly never quite fully realized. The world was rather lacking, too.

The one thing I found truly fascinating was Mal’s second form, the crow. I wish there’d been more about that.

All in all, this book just wasn’t for me. Too little everything, really. I won’t continue this series.

Cover: The cover by Natasha Snow is absolutely gorgeous. That crow looks amazing and the background colours are perfect.

Sales Links

NineStar Press

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Book details:

Kindle Edition, 252 pages
Published September 12th 2016 by NineStar Press (first published November 29th 2012)
ASINB01LGPNL12
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHeart of Darkness #1

A MelanieM Review: Hellbeasts by Katya Harris

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

 

hellbeastsWhen restlessness drives Shadow out of his MC’s clubhouse and into the night, the last thing he expected was to find a half-dead werewolf. Shadow has never been known for his altruism, but he takes the wounded man back to his motorcycle club, the Hellbeasts.

Rand doesn’t know who attacked him, but suspects at least one person from his own pack is involved. But even that might not be as bad as waking up in the midst of a group of misfit weres who don’t seem to like him. Especially Shadow, the man charged with taking care of Rand, as compelling to Rand as he is frightening.

But before he and Shadow can work out what exactly they are and want to be to each other, Rand’s attackers show up to finish the job.

Another in the Hellbeasts series from Less Than Three Press from numerous authors that revolves around a werebeast motorcycle club, I thought this one had promise but in the end didn’t completely deliver.  I loved the character of Shadow, and the others from the Hellbeasts MC.  They are the best drawn of all of the characters here in the story. Rand is perhaps the one with the least amount of support to his personality.  We are “told” about his history in different sections of the story but never actually get it from his point of view.  He just feels too much of a submissive to have ever fit the description of the wolf he’s supposed to have been.  He’s sweet, wounded, and yes sort of vague.  The complete opposite of Shadow.  Ironic.

Maybe the short length is part of the issue here.  Had this story been longer, it and the characters could have been developed to their full potential.  As it is, I liked it but the big showdown and the ending both felt rushed and left me feeling a bit disappointed.  Not what I would have wanted for such a strong character as Shadow.

Cover art is terrific.  Its eye catching and makes you want to read the story.

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press

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Book Details:

ebook, 61 pages
Published November 9th 2016 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620048931
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Switched by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

switched-by-nr-walkerIsrael Ingham’s life has never been easy. He grew up in a house devoid of love and warmth. Nothing he ever did was good enough. The fact Israel is gay just added to the long list of his father’s disappointments.

Then a letter from Eastport Children’s Hospital changes everything.

A discovery is made, one of gross human error. Twenty-six years ago two baby boys were switched at birth and sent home with the wrong families.

Sam, Israel’s best friend, has been his only source of love and support. With Sam beside him every step of the way, Israel decides to meet his birth mother and her son, the man who lived the life Israel should have.

Israel and Sam become closer than ever, amidst the tumultuous emotions of meeting his birth family, and Sam finds himself questioning his feelings toward his best friend. As Israel embraces new possibilities, he needs to dissect his painful relationship with his parents in order to salvage what’s left.

Because sometimes it takes proof you’re not actually family to become one.

Switched is such a deeply moving story, different in some respects from what I expect from this author and yet so similar in the feelings it will pull from the reader that you know you are reading a  N.R. Walker story.  It hits so close to the heart that it brings up comparisons to my favorites, especially my beloved Red Dirt series.

In Switched we have a superb friends to lovers tale, with Israel Ingram also known as I.I. or Captain and his best friend, Sam.  Israel, wealthy, raised by his nannies, gardeners and other staff than by his cold emotionally removed parents has relied on the support and friendship of Sam and his family to supply him with the love and care he so needed and lacked growing up.   Sam, not wealthy in money, but in every other way, has been there, watching the cold disapproval and disinterest eat away at Israel, hoping to staunch those wounds made by Israel’s parents with his own love and support.

Immediately we get this turmoil, all this emotional cost and years of abuse that has gone on, through Walker’s descriptive, vivid  scenes and believable dialog.  It brings us intimately into these peoples lives and keeps us there.  Our connections to these characters become tight and our hearts are tied to their futures and happiness.

Then comes the shattering moment when Israel and his family find out that he was switched at birth.  And Israel falls apart. As does his world.

To move through this situation that fractures a man, and watch him put himself back together again, with the love and support of Sam, Sam’s family and much more?  Its a true joy.  It takes such a moment for  Israel and Sam to move past friendship into the love that’s been theirs all along.  And in the hands of N.R. Walker, you’ll sob, and laugh, and sob some more as Israel struggles to figure out who he is and where he now stands in this new realigned world.

I have to mention all the layers of supporting characters because there are so many.  All believable, all so important to this story.  From the father who has behaved so cold as to be abusive, the mother equally coldly detached?  They too have layers and, while they must answer for those years, not all is black and white.  Walker recognizes Israel’s right to be angry over his upbringing and has him seeing a therapist.  Again and again in the story, the right choices are made in the narrative, no holes are left, people move forward with their lives while dealing with the past as best they can.  Such a remarkable book.

I just loved Switched by N.R. Walker.  I recommend it highly as I do its author, N.R. Walker.

Cover art accurately reflects by idea of Israel, I just love it.

Sales Link

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 269 pages
Published December 25th 2016
Original TitleSwitched
ASINB01N7M3PBW
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Review: Doll Baby by Kayleigh Sky

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
27b90-dollbaby_400x600_ebookTodd Rifkin has sworn off love and romance forever—until he loses his heart to a badly scarred rent boy and stumbles into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a brutal stalker out for revenge.

Struggling to make enough money to buy a friend’s bar and grill to fulfill a promise, Todd Rifkin vows to let nothing stand in his way. Nothing, that is, until a friend’s call for help. Bailing his friend out of trouble might cost Todd his dream. Now he is scrambling to make up the loss and reluctantly takes on the job of errand boy for his boss’ spoiled ex-lover.

Bliss Busby has no memory of the attack that scarred his face. Scared and reclusive, he has no interest in Todd’s intrusion into his life. No interest, that is, until somebody starts scattering cinnamon hearts at his door. Now Todd is the only one standing between Bliss and a mysterious stalker.

Years ago, Todd lost the love of his life in a violent twist of fate. After a night with a knife-wielding maniac, Bliss lost everything. Thrown together by circumstance, Todd and Bliss must unite to battle a hidden force from the past. As Bliss struggles to remember the assault that wrecked his life, and Todd struggles to solve the mystery of an attacker that is closer than either of them realizes, their reluctant friendship becomes a passionate and erotic love that just might have the power to heal their wounded hearts.

If they live.
This was a new author to me and unfortunately I did not click with her writing style.  Some of it is abstract and I struggled to understand what was going on in some scenes.  I found myself rereading many parts because suddenly a character would appear and I wasn’t sure when they came in or they would reach for something but I didn’t know how that item came around them.  It reminded me of the story telling style for Fight Club. I got the general gist of the story but was constantly trying to play catch up on the details and wondering how we got from place A to place B in the story.
I also struggled with the characters.  I like that she made them non-traditional but it went a little too far for me.  I actually disliked them all.  They were way too morally ambiguous for my liking.  Todd was the best of the bunch but even he was kind of gross.  I’m ok with morally bankrupt characters in other genres but I really like my romance characters to be decent people. 
Unfortunately this did not work for me and I can’t see myself recommending it.  If you like stories that are pretty outside the box though this might be one for you to try.
Cover:  I like the cover and it fits well with the beginning of the story and a major plot point.
Sales Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Global

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 330 pages
Published January 7th 2017 by Kiss Drunk Books
ASINB01N1W7QUO
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Recent Release Review: Ash into Fire by Tully Vincent

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

ash-into-fireAsh, misfit son of a clan warrior-chief, has reason to fear his coming of age ritual—no one expects him to survive.

In a matter of hours, Ash must walk into the sacred fire, where he will transform or die. But the fire is not what the clan believes, and it may be the least of Ash’s troubles.

Tully Vincent creates a dark tale of a post apocalyptic world and a boy about to face his coming of age ritual.  Vincent creates her own mythology, one I would love to see revisited in a larger storyline, both as a prequel (although that would be very hard to read knowing what’s coming) and a sequel to this short story.

The character of Ash is carefully laid out, we can see who they are and guess at Ash’s history and upbringing.  It also makes the horrors that are to come all the more shattering.  This is not just dub con, but actual rape that happens here.  So please take note of the warnings.   I found it very difficult to read.

However, getting past those scenes, the powerful images and the remainder of the story, including the ending, pulled everything the author hoped to achieve together, giving Ash a transformation you will not only love but want to know more about.

Cover art works beautifully with the story and character.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 54 pages
Published January 1st 2017 (first published December 2016)
ASINB01N7O2G4Z
Edition LanguageEnglish

Genre: post-apocalyptic, paranormal

Warnings: bondage, dub/non-con

An Alisa Review: Night of the Blue Moon by Cassandra Pierce

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

night-of-the-blue-moon-by-cassandra-pierceScot North is intrigued when he is invited to a New Year’s Eve celebration on a private island. But his host is a mysterious man who seems to know a little too much about him…

 

In late December, Scot North is mysteriously summoned from his London home to a private island to ring in the new year with an unknown host. As midnight and the highly anticipated Blue Moon approach, Scot grows more and more baffled as to exactly why he’s been invited…and what is the connection between this New Year’s event and the bizarre encounter he experienced in an underground club the month before?

 

This book’s blurb left just enough questions to be intrigued.  Scot has been really out of it since his encounter a month ago.  He has also been having a mysterious man following him around and every time he tries to approach the man turns and disappears.

 

It’s a long road for Scot to find the answers to his questions, but he continues to hope that his host may have those answers.  Brendan is intriguing and does really well talking in circles when they meet.  You can just sense their loneliness; Scot has been trying to find someone while Brendan has kept himself hidden away.  They have a great connection and you can see the opportunity for the future.

 

The cover art by E Connors is nice and gives a nice setting for the story.

 

Sales Links: Dark Hollows Press | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 43 pages

Published: December 2, 2016 by Dark Hollows Press

Edition Language: English