A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Jack of Thorns (Inheritance #1) by Amelia Faulkner and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This was an interesting, fast-paced fantasy about Laurence Riley, a young man who operates a florist shop with his psychically gifted mom and pretty much coasts along through life knowing he needs to get his act together but struggling to figure out how. He is also psychically gifted—with visions of future events that tend to come to reality.

Desperate for a positive change, Laurence invokes his magic abilities and calls for help from a fertility god. What he gets is Jack—green-eyed, self-possessed, egotistical Jack, who promises Laurence all will be well and he’ll meet his dream man if he has sex as often as possible so Jack can feed on the energy.

But Laurence has broken up with his boyfriend Dan, and isn’t really interested in anyone else, so Jack’s request may be a tall order. And then he meets meets Brambury, who turns out to be Lord Brambury, actual name Quentin, and his life takes a bizarre turn. Attracted to one another, it seems each time sex or the potential for sex arises, Quentin causes hurricane-like winds that destroy pretty much everything around him. It’s Laurence who figures out that Quentin is afraid of sex and that his powers of telekinesis may be much stronger than he initially suspected. Laurence can barely see the humor in the fact that he can’t very well keep Jack supplied with offerings of sex if the object of his affections is afraid of it.

Angry with Laurence about the situation, and having been the object of Quentin’s dangerous lack of control, Jack gives him one last chance. Laurence has to grow a plant from a special seed. And then the nightmare situation Laurence finds himself in gets worse. As the plant grows out of control, he finds out that it’s powers are addictive and Jack will be feeding on the life energy of the people who use it. Laurence knows about addiction. After all, he fights his addiction and craving for heroin every day and he can’t imagine leading others to face a similar fate. Nor can he imagine giving more power to the already powerful and evil Jack.

His nightmares and psychic predictions are getting worse and that, coupled with the irritating push-pull of his relationship with Quentin—one in which each man is attracted to the other but Quentin can’t bring himself to follow through on—is enough to make Laurence finally reach for the drug that will solve all his worries. Thankfully, life and Quentin intervene and a very bizarre, yet exciting, confrontation occurs that ultimately leads our guys to a place where they can at least find their HFN.

One strong word of caution here: the prologue contains graphic depictions of drug use and overdose. And though cravings are described in multiple locations in this story, the most graphic are in that prologue. Those in recovery from addiction may find this a trigger.

That being said, this is an enjoyable story. It’s quite long, over twelve hours, but full of interesting events, twists and turns, and of course, a romance. Both characters are interesting, but I must say that Quentin wins the prize for my favorite character in quite some time. First, because Joel Leslie’s delivery is divine, and second because the author created such an endearing and humorous character. Though upper class Brit, complete with his often voiced perceptions of American ways and 21^st century culture, he’s also a sweetheart wrapped in a very emotionally damaged package.

Joel Leslie, as usual, delivers a flawless performance, providing a host of voices for the main and secondary characters, including the women. I truly enjoy listening to an audiobook in which I can identify characters by their voice. It makes me feel as if I’m actually “watching” the story and brings it to life. So kudos to my favorite narrator and to the author for an interesting, creative story.

If you enjoy fantasy and are looking for a very entertaining way to spend your time, I highly recommend trying this one—preferably in audio so you can enjoy the terrific narration.

Sales Links: Amazon | Audible

Audio Details:

Audible Audiobook
Listening Length: 12 hours and 23 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Amelia Faulkner
Audible.com Release Date: January 9, 2018
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English, English
ASIN: B078TL42K6

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Erin E Keller’s Elias (excerpt)

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | JMS Books

Length: 37,000 words approx.

Publisher: JMS Books

Blurb

Detective Thomas Doyle has been living a lonely, compartmentalized life ever since the death of his life partner, Aiden. He vowed never to let anybody get close to him again — the pain of losing a loved one is too much to bear. Despite his vow, Thomas is lonely, and has a number of one-night stands, sexual encounters with unnamed men he doesn’t care to remember. Then he meets Elias.

Elias Byrne knows the pain of abuse and rejection intimately. Unable to escape the clutches of his older brother, Elias dreams of someone to love, and of being loved in return. He admires Thomas, but the detective never pays him any notice. In a desperate attempt to get closer to him, Elias steals his wallet, then gives it back the next day.

Pretty soon, Thomas feels a strong attraction to the fiery, arrogant, younger man. Elias intrigues him, but he resists his growing feelings because he doesn’t want to get hurt again.

When Thomas rescues Elias from his abusive brother, can he also rescue them both from the loneliness that threatens to consume them? Can Elias conquer the detective’s hardened heart and find the love he always longed for? Or will Thomas stubbornly refuse to give himself another chance at love?

Excerpt

The Black Sheep’s lights were soft; people’s shadows moving inside seemed like dark souls waiting for a body to enter. In fact, people came to this specific pub for that reason. He wasn’t the first to use the privacy given by the place to find a hot body to lose himself in. Thomas entered and looked around, a worried expression of his face. His fists clenched, arms stiff at his sides. He headed to the bar and leaned an elbow on it, observing the surrounding people, the darkest corners, the private rooms, and the dance floor, a small area that only fit a few people. The music was rhythmic but not too fast. It was kind of sensual, so different from the folk music you usually heard in most Irish pubs.

Adrian, the barman, slid a glass in his direction.

“Here you go, the usual,” he said, winking.

Thomas nodded and answered with half a smile, putting the money on the counter. He turned away for a few moments before looking back at Adrian.

“Do you know Elias?” he asked.

Adrian seemed to think for a moment. “Thin, black hair, even darker eyes, sexy as hell?”

Thomas blinked. From the description, it sounded like Elias, even if Thomas didn’t personally find him sexy as hell. That is, he couldn’t deny what he’d seen under those long locks was something magnetic, that his body seemed thin but not skinny, but …

Thomas shook his head. He was a boy. And a thief. And a stalker. And who knew what else? And he wasn’t interested in him in that way.

“I think so,” he finally replied.

Adrian smiled and gestured to a hidden corner of the tiny dance floor. There, wearing a pair of tight jeans and a white T-shirt, was Elias, dancing with a guy behind him who had one hand on his chest and the other on his belly. His eyes were closed, and he was moving his pelvis. Sexy as hell, actually. His head was reclined, leaning on the shoulder of the man behind him, and he had his hand by his side as he swayed.

Thomas picked up his drink and took a long sip. That boy owed him an explanation. Suddenly, he realized he couldn’t accuse him of anything without some kind of evidence. For a very short moment, doubt ran through his mind: had it really been Elias, or had Thomas finally lost it? Maybe when he’d been twirling under the rain like an idiot fighting his panic attack?

When he looked at the dance floor again, Elias had disappeared.

“What the fuck!” he burst out, frustrated, a second before feeling somebody touch him, a solid body pushing against his back and a voice speaking in his ear, softly enough so as not to be heard by anyone else.

“If they told me to choose who to fuck, I would choose you.”

Thomas turned suddenly and almost spilled his Guinness on himself.

There he was — Elias.

Thomas observed him for a few moments, and his brain registered different things. This time, he could see Elias’s face, even if it was barely lit. It was a very unusual face: thin, big black eyes, a sharp nose, and a large, full mouth. Elias wasn’t as thin as he first seemed. Or, yes, he was thin, but the right definition would have been slim. The stretch T-shirt highlighted his long muscles, as well as his tight jeans, which underlined the contour of his hips, molding his legs. His hair was long at the front and really, really black. His gaze in that moment was particularly intense. The corners of his mouth were turned up in half a smirk.

Thomas suddenly looked away from his lips, the taste of which he could still feel on his mouth, and took a sip of beer.

“I saw you while I was dancing. You came looking for me,” Elias continued.

It wasn’t a question. It was an assertion.

“No. I came looking for my wallet.”

Sure, he could have beaten around the bush, but this guy somehow got on his nerves, and he wasn’t in the mood for acting kindly. He waited for a question from him, even outrage. What he wasn’t expecting was Elias taking his hand, turning it over, and putting the wallet in it.

“And what does this mean?” Thomas growled. “If this is a joke, it’s not funny.”

“Isn’t that your wallet? Didn’t you come here for it? Here it is. No joke.” Elias’s expression was unperturbed.

“You stole it.”

“Had it on loan.”

“I could report you.” Better yet, I could arrest you. But he didn’t say that out loud because he didn’t want Elias to know anything else about him.

“Does it look like I’m stopping you from doing anything you want to do?”

Author Bio

Erin is Irish in her heart and soul, and she hopes she’ll move to the Emerald Island one day. She lives with her husband and their cats in a house near a wheat field.

She has been writing for years, but admits she is a very undisciplined writer. The problem is that handling a couple of jobs makes it almost impossible to write every day. She loves letting her mind wander through the real world. She likes to write contemporary M/M romance because she loves love. And men.

For more information, please visit erinekeller.com.

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A MelanieM Review:Drama Castle (Nicky and Noah Mystery #7) by Joe Cosentino

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

Theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza is directing a historical film at a castle in Scotland, co-starring his spouse, theatre professor Noah Oliver, and their son Taavi. When historical accuracy disappears along with hunky men in kilts, Nicky and Noah will once again need to use their drama skills to figure out who is pitching residents of Conall Castle off the drawbridge and into the moat, before Nicky and Noah land in the dungeon. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining seventh novel in this delightful series. Take your seats. The curtain is going up on steep cliffs, ancient turrets, stormy seas, misty moors, manly men, malfunctioning kilts, and murder!

Drama Castle is the seventh Nicky and Noah mystery by Joe Cosentino and I have to admit, probably my least favorite. By traveling to Scotland and entering a castle/hotel situated over the cliffs and misty moors this jaunty crew lost its dramatic over the top edge that makes it so much fun! It got bogged down by too many unpleasant characters, who admittedly ended up dead, but they still spent a lot of time on the page.

We got a lot of who married who, who was have affairs with who, who had kids with who but none of it carried the usual spark and sparkle. Where oh where was the pizazz? The dancing numbers? Oh wait this was an historical film so that was out. Nicky felt out of his element for most of the story, even calling his brother, a choreographer on Broadway to complain, who said they should beat it home. And we got it.

This group needs to be home or one a cruise line, or NYC, or somewhere that can launch a drag queen murder or four, a gun that might shoot glitter or a speargun. Something way over the top. Nary a ghost appeared here. What happened was sort of, well, conventional. That’s not a word I normally use in a Nicky and Noah novel.

Thank goodness for Martin and Ruben, the delightfully snarky older married couple that accompanied Nicky and Noah from the college almost every mystery. They are truly the highlight here for me.

“Come on, Martin” Ruben grabbed his arm. “I want to be first on line at the buffet, so I can eat and go to bed at a decent hour.”

Martin followed his husband. “I miss the old days when I danced until dawn and then wrote of my suitors in my diary.”

“Nostalgic for the hieroglyphics, Martin?” said Ruben.

Their affectionate grumbling, and snarking at each other were the gems that continued to pull me through the story when it threatened to bog down yet again. That along with Noah’s parents.

A couple more things. Taavi has been their son for a while now, so I wish the “adopted” would get dropped except as part of the beginning exposition. Using another adopted child name as a continued “laugh/jib element” by calling them Dung? Didn’t strike me as funny so much as borderline racist which I’m sure was not Cosentino’s intent. And finally for someone who has traveled as widely as this author has, I was taken aback to see in one of the opening the sentences the comparison of a character’s golden hair to heather. Heather is many colors, from purple to a whitish pink. But not yellow or gold. The author might have been thinking of gorse, a common golden flower found in the highlands. Definitely not heather.

That’s just the way the entire book went, just off enough in places that you were left wondering why you didn’t enjoy it more.

For a true pizazzy, high kick, go all out mystery, pick up any of the previous stories in this series. I would leave this one to Scotland.

Cover art is in the style of the series.

Sales Link: Amazon preorder

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: February 1st 2019 by Joe Cosentino
ISBN 139780463812563
Series Nicky and Noah Mystery #7

A MelanieM Review: Suspicion (Diversion Book 7) by Eden Winters

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Lucky “Simon Harrison” Lucklighter left behind his criminal past to become one of the best agents in the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau. He’s found a committed partner in fellow agent Bo Schollenberger and built a life.

Now, enemies within the SNB and a friend’s betrayal leave him nowhere to turn—not even to his mentor.

His boss’s life, the future of the SNB, and Lucky’s career depend on him. With the help of his lover, an old enemy turned ally, and a man Lucky thought he’d seen the last of, he must stand and fight for what he believes in.

Even if he has to step outside the law.

Suspicion picks up after the events in Reunion, the sixth book in Eden Winters’ fabulously entertaining and complex Diversion series. There Lucky “Simon Harrison” Lucklighter had quite the reunion with his father as well as old lover. Bo Schollenberger too had his emotional travails and sorrows that almost broke him and them. Now with Lucky recovered, the focus shifts back to their shared office and enemies at the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau’s Department of Diversion Prevention and Control. And that also means danger for Walter, Lucky’s boss, mentor, and unspoken “father” stand-in.

Through six books, we have been through incredible growth with these characters. Emotional and great personal development as they matured and endured great upheavals in every sector of their lives. Near death experiences, addiction, great loves lost and reunited, unbelievable angst, and yes, betrayal, laughter and joy. This is quite the saga.

At this point, Lucky and Bo have settled into an established relationship, out at work as a couple,live in nephews, pets and all. It’s been hard won, and we’ve been with them every step of the way. Lucky and Bo, along with all the supporting cast of characters either from their work or from outside (Lucky’s sister, people from their pasts…) are all so well constructed. Flawed, vivid, ornery at times, and all so real that you often forget they don’t exist outside this series. They feel that authentic as do their situations and everyday complex realities of the pharmaceutical business.

Winters plot is tightly laid out, dense layers threaded through with both an overall series arc as well as a singular storyline plot makes for a complex, adventurous tale. A monkey box puzzle sort of feel at times, not sure if it’s going to be scary or fun or both. So many twists and turns for us and our main characters to fight through, one hurdle, one barrier or more at a time. At its heart is Lucky, scrabbling with everything in him for the people he loves, Bo, Walter, his extended family, trying to figure out who to trust while coming out ahead.

How I love this man and the man he loves.

Eden Winters has said she has two more books planned for this series. That both distresses me because it means the end is in sight for this series I love and that it not over yet. Something to celebrate.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting both Lucky and Bo, please don’t start here. Do these great characters and their series justice by starting at the beginning. I’ve listed them all for you below. Watch that first inauspicious meeting, then that wild ride of a road to romance, love and a settled relationship you will find here. It’s one hell of a rocky road and should be read in the order they were written. Don’t miss a book. I highly recommend them all, including this one, Suspicion (Diversion Book 7) by Eden Winters.

It’s one of my favorites this year!

Cover art: LC Chase. It’s always hard for me to really get into these headless torso covers. They are overdone these days, especially those with a gun. I’d at least like to a Lucky the Cat or another element special to this story or series included.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 281 pages
Expected publication: January 5th 2019 by Rocky Ridge Books
ASINB07LDYVBTV
Edition Language English
Series Diversion – add to Goodreads here.

A Caryn Review: Trysts and Burning Embers (Lijun #2) By Freddy MacKay & Angel Martinez

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have to say, this series is growing on me, and though I still have issues with some of the writing, the pacing, and am still getting bogged down in the unfamiliar Japanese elements of the book, I am now in that happy/unhappy limbo of being so completely immersed in a story that when I reached the end of the book I just wanted to get to the next one NOW!! The ending of this one was incredibly sweet and satisfying – even though the forces trying to bring down the Bastille clan are just as strong and mysterious as ever…

At the end of Fireworks and Stolen Kisses, Haru and Tally were married, and had become parents of 3 orphaned opossum lijun children. They were just starting to understand and trust each other, Haru was gaining the respect of the Bastille clan, and was coming to understand the American culture as Tally was learning how Haru’s traditionalist upbringing informed his actions and thoughts. Tally was cautiously hopeful that he was breaking through Haru’s walls, and all he needed was time and patience and his em’halafi would grow to love him as Tally loved Haru.

Time, unfortunately, was something they were not to have.

Although most of the elements that set up the conflict in this book were introduced in the first of the series, there were some new ones that were a little jarring. There were extremely dark elements of Haru’s past introduced (although not exactly explicitly, so there is still a little revelation that may come later) that I truly did not pick up on in the last book, so I wonder if the authors created them after the first book was written. The plot also took a decidedly violent turn that I did not expect, and though it was shocking, from that point on I could hardly set the book down – prior to that point, it was moving really slowly, to the point that I might have DNF’ed it had I not committed to the review.

I think what engaged me so much in this book was the focus on how Tally and Haru continued to function in the limbo of excruciating waiting after the initial tragedy and violence. It was truly heart-wrenching. In so many action novels, the characters are moving so quickly from one event to the next that they never have the chance to react and absorb what just happened. Tally had spent his entire life learning to temper the extremely threatening power of his Uktena (snake) nature with restraint in order to fulfill his role as leader of the clan in a way that fostered trust and cooperation. Violence had become anathema to him, so his reaction was as much bewilderment as it was grief. Watching Tally find the balance between violence and restraint in response to the threats to his family was also fascinating to read. At the end of the book, I might have been a little frustrated with Haru, but Tally was my hero.

The cast of characters is still quite large, but seemed a little more comprehensible in this book than they did the first. I felt like I finally had them all straight, which was a definite improvement over the first book! And though the players and the setting are much more defined than they were at the end of the first book, there is still a wide scope of possibility for the next one. Which I am anxiously looking forward to reading now! Overall, a slow start, but well worth the time to read this second installment of an epic series.

Cover art by Emmy@studioenp uses the same models from the first book of the series, but the poses have a deeper meaning this time. The models are still excellent representations of Tally and Haru.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1, 444 pages
Published November 20th 2018 by Pride Publishing
Original Title Trysts and Burning Embers (Lijun, #2)
ISBN 139781786516978
Edition Language English
Series Lijun #2

An Alisa Release Day Review: Gabriel and the Devil by Robert P. Rowe

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Flirting with the devil can lead to a helluva good time.

Gabriel is a regular angel. The former altar boy plans to graduate from college, become an accountant, get a good job, find a wife, and live a faithful Catholic life.

But one Halloween night, the devil pops in out of nowhere, challenges everything he believes, and heats up Gabriel’s lonely life.

Marcello is full of the devil. He’s lusted after Gabriel forever, but what he really wants is Gabriel’s eternal soul. Still, his mischievous sense of humor, along with his tricks and jokes, leads to a misunderstanding that could condemn him to hell on Earth. Only the truth will let these souls find true love and happiness.

Okay, the blurb for this book was interesting and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had trouble with the beginning of the book and the whole devil/angel thing as it was actually more of a joke but Gabriel wasn’t able to see it. Once I pushed myself through the first quarter of the book I started to see the bits of the real Marcello though Gabriel still seemed blind to it.

I felt bad for Gabriel as he continued to beat himself up over how he was feeling about Marcello and what not. I wish that we would have been able to see Marcello and Gabriel in the real relationship they ended up in once Marcello told Gabriel the whole truth and the time it took Gabriel to come to terms with it. I assumed some things about Marcello but never learned the truth til almost the very end of the book which made it hard to connect with him. While the story was okay for me and the writing wasn’t bad I just don’t feel that this type of book was really for me.

The cover art by Tiferet Design is nice though the picture of Marcello is of a much older man than he is.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 104 pages

Published: January 4, 2019 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-445-6

Edition Language: English

Julia Talbot on Bad Boys, Weird Shifters and her new release ‘Fox and Wolf (Apex Investigations #1)’ (author guest post)

Fox and Wolf (Apex Investigations #1) by Julia Talbot

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Kanaxa

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Julia Talbot here in the new year. Welcome, Julia.

Hey y’all!

I’m Julia Talbot, and I’m here to talk about my new novella Fox and Wolf, which is book one in the Apex Investigations series.

Raise your hand if you love weird shifters.

Now, while the weirdest shifter in the PI unit at APEX Investigations is a Brazilian jaguar, the bad guys in this one are weird.

WEIRD.

A tiger is the leader, but his henchmen. Dire croc shifters. Dire meaning they’re caught kinda halfway between man and croc. They stink. They’re not real bright. They like water. They can destroy a building in short order.

Very bad guys.

I do love matching the shifter to their animal counterparts. I think of crocs as basically dinosaurs with little care for human law. It was really interesting writing them and seeing how they would deal with a bunch of other predators.

It was even more interesting taking a bunch of APEX predators and lowering them on the food chain.

I hope y’all will check it out!

XXOO

Julia

Blurb:

Apex Investigations: Book One

Werewolf PI Dylan Weems is a hired to solve the murder of a client’s customer. As an ex-cop, Dylan is the perfect man for the job, but he doesn’t expect the complication of alluring fox shifter Rey.

Ever since finding the dead body of one of his clients, Rey Mercier’s life is a mess, and he needs help desperately. He has no idea why he’s the target of some ruthless people or what he did to anger them. Hopefully Dylan and his motley crew of shifters at Apex Investigations can help him find out, but first Dylan and Rey have to deal with literal corporate tigers and dire crocodiles shifters… all while deciding what to do about the mate bond that’s becoming undeniable. And is that even possible between fox and wolf?

Buy link (preorder) at Dreamspinner Press.

About the Author

Stories that leave a mark. Julia Talbot loves romance across all the genders and genres, and loves to write about people working to see past the skin they’re in to love what lies beneath. Julia Talbot lives in the great mountain and high desert Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Dreamspinner, All Romance Ebooks, and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. She also writes BDSM and erotic romance as Minerva Howe. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at www.juliatalbot.com

Links

Website: http://www.juliatalbot.com

FB : https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthor

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotwriterpage/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliatalbot

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

A MelanieM Review: Forever & Ever: A Collection of Stories (Faith, Love & Devotion #7) by Tere Michaels

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

A Faith, Love, & Devotion Anthology

What happens after the story ends?

Join Matt, Evan, Jim, Griffin, and their friends and families for a glimpse of what happens after happily ever after. Between growing up and growing pains, weddings and retirement, changing careers and changing diapers, life is never boring. Changes, decisions, tears, and joy await as the years march on.

For most readers, we have favorites series we can name at the drop of a hat. Characters so beloved, so familiar that they have become a part of us over time, our affection and love growing with each story that rolled out, our connection deepening as we fell into their lives, riding out their romance rollercoasters and some very heavy drama. And also for all the highs and rewarding moments that kept carrying all of us forward through the series and their relationship(s).

And with all series, there must come an end. Not that we want to admit it. But reasonably for every start, a finale must follow.

And for many reasons, that’s the one bit I always approach with apprehension and trepidation. Series can get off on shaky steps but soon they are off and running, having found their foundation. And they just get better and better in every way. Faith, Love, and Devotion was great from the start. Tere Michaels had characters that were messy, stubborn, closeted, hounded by demons, one had a deceased wife, kids that came with their own issues, police departments and cases that followed them with ghastly consequences, and so much more. Complex doesn’t even begin to describe these men and their dynamics.

Nor how deeply I and so many others fell in love with them and their painful, often labyrinthine road to a relationship and HEA. I’m surprised it was only seven books to be honest.

The author wrote skillfully of how mired down any current decision making is in the past histories, how choices for the future are often decided by others and elements flying under the radar. In other words, these novels were real, believable, sometimes painful and frustrating to read when the characters behaved all too authentically. We could all shake our heads as Evan overthought something yet again, and we wondered how Matt was going to handle it. Don’t get me started on Jim and Griffin’s rocky path. That had me glued to my Kindle through many a night. Oh, Jim and Griffin, who teetered precariously on becoming my favorites here. We lived with these people…over and over again We watched the children grow up, the relationships change and mature as they do…and I started to wonder about the end of the series.

Luckily, Michaels decided to give all her readers a love letter. Forever & Ever: A Collection of Stories (Faith, Love & Devotion #7) by Tere Michaels is exactly that. A collection of short stories that flow one to the other a year of several after that last book. It shows the natural progression in the lives of these characters. Mostly hilarious, some warmhearted and loving, it continues to tighten the bonds between all the people you’ve grown to over over all six novels and pulls it together in one last story to gladden your heart.

It’s a series finale you will be happy with. Not something I have said every time. No I can go back and read this one again and again as I do many of the books here and be delighted. I think all lovers of this series and these couples will be too.

So yes I’m highly recommended this collection and this series. New to Faith, Love, and Devotion? I’ve listed the entire series for you below. Read them in the order they were written, What a wonderful journey awaits you! It’s one I intend on taking again and again.

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 271 pages
Published December 25th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB07L7HLQWY
Edition Language English
Series Faith, Love & Devotion (add to your Goodreads here) :

Faith & Fidelity

Love & Loyalty (the start of Jim Shea and Griffin Drake)

Forever & Ever: A Collection of Stories

An Alisa Review: Best Christmas Ever by Terry O’Reilly

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Bowing to his parents’ homophobic demands, Professor Henry Rodimacher always chose Christmas with his family over spending it with his partner. However, when Jeremy became terminally ill, Henry defied his family and stayed home for Jeremy’s final Christmas.

After Jeremy passes, Henry decides it’s time to mend fences, so despite a raging snowstorm, he starts the long drive home. Before he gets very far, though, he’s alarmed to see a hitchhiker out in the weather, Henry offers the man a ride, and is surprised the hitchhiker is Jimmy Wilks, a former student of his.

The heavy snow eventually forces Henry and Jimmy to leave the highway and take refuge in an abandoned log cabin. As the two hunker down to wait out the storm, they give into their mutual attraction and celebrate a wonderful Christmas together.

Can their newfound love survive once the snow thaws? Will history repeat itself with Henry going back home alone, or will the magic of their best Christmas ever live on into the New Year and beyond?

I really liked the bulk of this story. It starts with Henry being very shy and uncertain of himself because of his past relationship and family. Jeremy seems to know what he wants but isn’t quite ready to say it out loud.

I liked how they interacted once they were on the same page and really did have a great little Christmas together, though everything just worked out great from their feelings to the owner of the cabin being fine with everything, not very realistic. Most of this is told from Henry’s point of view so I feel a little more connected to him and was very glad for him to realize his parents’ restrictions are too much for them to ask. There was a big flash of doubt for Terry near the end which didn’t seem like him but it was quickly resolved.

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is a nice picture for the story.

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 68 pages

Published: December 15, 2018 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634868334

Edition Language: English

New Release Blitz for Whiteout Conditions (Black Ops Heroes #10) by Dara Nelson (writing as Kendel Duncan) (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Whiteout Conditions – Black Ops Heroes #10

Author: Dara Nelson (writing as Kendel Duncan)

Publisher: Dare Press

Cover Artist: Dara Nelson / Dan Skinner

Genre/s: Contemporary gay romance

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 58 060 words/ 361 pages

It is a standalone story but is part of a series.

Release Date: December 30, 2018

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Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Tagline

Sometimes all it takes is a glance

Blurb

Sometimes all it takes is a glance

One brief moment in time, seemingly insignificant but ultimately life changing

That glimpse through the storm, that shadow, that silhouette, of something you can’t help but feel is something… more, something bigger than just you.

For Deputy US Marshal Vaughn Kepler – a man beaten down by both time and his own demons – it’s a smirk in the mirror, eyes that dance and a mouth that both infuriates and turns him the f*&k on. A mouth belonging to one Caysun Rourke.

The problem? Caysun is supposed to be his witness, the person who will lead Vaughn to his missing brother.

He’s not supposed to be the man that Vaughn desperately wants warming his bed.

But he is.

What the hell is Vaughn supposed to do with that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Sylas Thorne, that one glance was in the rearview mirror of his car.

When he caught sight of the sexiest man he’d ever seen.

A man who gave ‘objects in the mirror are larger than they appear’ an entirely new meaning.

But Sylas didn’t do… people.

His severe anxiety had kept him hidden away from the world for as long as he could remember.

He was the man, the voice, behind the computer screen. Anonymous.

Just the way he liked it.

Or he did, anyways.

How could he ever hope to gain the love of anyone, let alone the handsome man staring at him with the gorgeous light green eyes?

Yet with just a glance, this man made Sylas want to be a man worthy of one Grainger Peele.

He wanted to face his fears and say ‘eff you’ to them.

But it wasn’t like he could snap his fingers and make his crippling anxiety disappear. If he could, he would’ve done that years ago.

Now the only question that remained was: Could a man like Grainger ever love such mess like him?

When conditions are fierce, when you can barely see your hand in front of your face – is that one glimpse, that fleeting glance, enough to carry you through the storm to the end?

This is the 10th installment in the world of the Black Ops Heroes – strong yet vulnerable men who are stubborn and loyal, caring and fierce, and who, when they love, they love with their whole damn hearts.

While this book is a standalone, it is recommended that you read the other books in the series to meet and fall in love with all of the men in this amazing world.

Excerpt

Sylas’s fingers shook as he brought his hands up to grip the top of his steering wheel. He was trying to stop himself from restarting his car, backing out of the parking space and going home.

Home was safe.

Home was dark.

Home was… lonely.

That’s why he was here, right?

He’d been seeing Cece for eight months now. At first, she’d come to his place, then they started doing Skype sessions as she tried to convince him to venture to her office for their chats, as she called them.

Today was the first time in almost a year that he’d actually left the house.

Panic had his forehead sweating, his pulse pounding. His head started to shake side to side, “Nope. Can’t do it,” he mumbled.

He shifted in his seat to turn the key in the ignition when something in his rearview mirror caught his eye. Something big, like fucking huge. He had no clue what the face looked like that was attached to the body walking towards his car but, at the moment he really didn’t care.

“Damn,” he mumbled as he watched that deep blue pinstripe suit sauntering closer. The suit jacket was unbuttoned, giving Sylas teasing glimpses of the firm torso barely hidden beneath the white button-up shirt. The thighs bulged with every step the man took. Those thick legs were spread slightly and as Sylas’ eyes dropped a bit, he could see why.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered as he saw the outline of a thick, long cock bouncing from side to side on the man’s left thigh, like the arm of a metronome. No wonder the guy had to spread his legs. And he was commando. Damn. If his cock was that big it probably meant he had some big, ripe juicy balls that he was forced to make room for too.

Suddenly being out in public didn’t seem so bad.

The man stopped next to Sylas’ car, with that bulge perfectly framed in Sylas’ mirror.

As Sylas touched the button to lower his window, his brain to mouth filter disappeared. “I know it says objects in mirror are larger than they appear but damn, dude,” he said.

The man chuckled, a deep, sexy sound that flowed over Sylas like liquid chocolate. “You here to see Dr. Peele?”

“I think so?” he mumbled, his nerves re-appearing despite the hunk of man standing next to him.

The man pulled a phone out of his pocket and brought it to his ear, “Hey, Brenda. Are there any patients in the waiting room? No? Good. Tell Cece her next appointment will be up shortly.”

The man returned his phone to his pocket.

“The only thing standing between you and her is that door and a receptionist,” the man said.

Sylas stared at the office door.

Could he do this?

“I promise things will feel better, Quattro.”

Sylas frowned, “Quattro?”

“Don’t know your name so I went with the car you’re in.”

Sylas smirked as he glanced into his rearview mirror again to see the sleek, black, powerful car parked behind him that blue suit had emerged from. “Well, to be honest, there are three things standing in my way.”

“Three?”

“Yep. That door, a receptionist,” he said as he pointed his finger over his steering wheel, “And your ginormous package, Mustang.”

The guy snorted a laugh that Sylas found completely adorable…and hot as fuck. Mustang took a step back so Sylas could open his door – which he did, surprising even himself.

He stood to his feet turned around and dragged his eyes slowly up blue suit guy’s body until, yep, that was a gasp, because staring back at him with a grin on his face, with perfect white teeth, and dark, sexy stubble covering his chin and perfect jaw, high cheekbones with lickable dimples, strong eyebrows and light green eyes that were full of mischief and… understanding – was easily the most beautiful man that Sylas Thorne had ever seen.

About the Author

I did not choose to write… writing chose me

I was born and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California but have made my home in the Pacific Northwest for the last two decades. My husband & I live on a small farm surrounded by chickens, goats, rabbits, a turkey, 5 dogs and a cat, in the shadow of stunning Mt Rainier.

With my grown children and grandchildren nearby, my life is always busy, happy and full of laughter.

I am an active Blogger, having created Love Unchained Book Reviews out of my love for all things reading – mostly MM books.

Owner of Dare Press – Offering quality, affordable services for indie authors, including:

Editing, Publishing, Book Cover Design

NY Literary Magazine Best Story Award 2017 Nominee

When I’m not on the phone with my best friend (which is at least once every day) – I am an avid, addicted reader. It is my passion, my escape, my joy
And I am most definitely a writer. The characters in my head are constantly demanding that their story be told.
But above all that – I am a human being. My passion for people is unparalleled, my firm belief in Love is Love unwavering, my hope that all can be accepted, undying. I do not write because I want to, I do it because I have to. I write because these voices, these beautiful men, have chosen me to tell their stories – and how damn lucky am I for that?

As an author, I write under both my name and my pen name (Kendel Duncan), with total transparency and honesty.

Dara Nelson is the author of:

Author of the wildly popular ‘Healing Hearts’ series (Love in the Aftermath, Love After Chaos, Love Worth Fighting For – and more to come soon)

“5 stars 5 stars Amazing!!”

“Highly recommended”

“This is not your average romance story. It is so much more. A book that touched my heart.”

“OMG!!! This was probably one of the best books I’ve ever read.”

“This is the first time I’ve read anything from Dara Nelson, but it won’t be the last. I need more of her writing!”

Under the pen name Kendel Duncan:

Author of the popular & critically acclaimed ‘Black Ops Heroes’ series and the new top-selling ‘Doyle Global Securities’ series

“I can’t recommend Kendel Duncan or Black Ops Heroes ENOUGH!!!! OMG, everyone who likes strong vulnerable men will love these stories!!!”

“I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND THIS AMAZING SERIES!!!!!”

“I love how you keep the story going and keep all the characters interesting. Can’t wait for the next book!”

“The emotions are so raw and just I don’t have the right words to express how amazing the books are. You have to read them to understand. I can’t wait for the next installment!!”

Author Links