Category: M/M Book Reviews

A Lila Review: Ben’s Bakery and the Hanukkah Miracle by Penelope Peters

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Adam Bernard’s love-life is on ice.

Adam gave up his dreams of professional hockey when his mom died ten years ago; now his only focus is being the Jewish son his dad’s always wanted. Problem is, the pee-wee hockey team he coaches is in Boston for an international tourney the same week as Hanukkah. Now he’s stuck in a foreign city without so much as a candle. Enter Ben Daniels, the super-cute owner of the local kosher-style bakery. All Adam wants is a chance to celebrate the holiday away from home – but sweet and sexy Ben could light more than just Adam’s candles.

Ben Daniels’s love-life is on the back-burner.

Ben hasn’t stepped on the ice in three years. The official reason is that he’s too focused on making his kosher-style bakery a success. Problem is, he’s never kept kosher in his life, and internet searches only take you so far. Enter Adam Bernard, in town for one week only, with all the cultural touchstones anyone could want. All Ben wants is Adam’s Certified Jewish Opinion on his sufganiyot – but Adam could be the one to light Ben’s desire for ice again.

This Hanukkah, Adam and Ben find their miracles aren’t only on the ice.

Their fling was only meant to last for the holiday. But Adam’s about to get the chance to rewrite his history – and Ben’s dreams of business success are about to come true. Will they be so willing to extinguish their relationship in eight days – or will their Hanukkah miracle last for a lifetime?

Ben’s Bakery and the Hanukkah Miracle is an amazing treat to start the holiday season. The prologue was a bit hard to read since it felt as an omniscient narrator took over but in the end, it worked. After the first chapter, it’s easier to follow the author’s vision.

This story reads like a Hallmark Holiday movie. It’s sweat, steamy, interesting, and filled with hope and well wishes. All the characters were well-rounded and had a roll in moving the plot forward. The secondary characters are diverse but not simple tokens. They added color to the story.  The kids were perfect and acted their age, a mix of curiosity and innocence that balanced the adults and the drama.

Ben and Adam had great chemistry from the instant they met. All their matchmakers gave the reader a little window into their personality. They are both Jewish but were brought up differently. It took them several nights to get over the majority of their differences but they made it work.

I can’t tell you everything the author shows is accurate but she did an excellent job bringing culture and religion to the forefront of the story without making it feel as a soapbox. I loved the little details and how much they meant to Ben and Adam. I haven’t tried any of Ben’s dishes but I will love to do it now, even the eggplant 😉

This is definitely the way to start the Holidays this year.

The cover by Creativindie goes perfectly with the story. The characters are exactly as the author described them, and all the other little elements are present in the book. Great color and composition.

Sale Links: Amazon | Nook | iBooks

Book Details:
ebook, 242 pages
Published: November 13, 2018, by Penelope Peters
Edition Language: English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Honeymoon For One by Keira Andrews

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Amazing! Kiera Andrews brings home another hit and strikes it out of the ballpark.

The day before his wedding, Ethan comes home early to surprise his fiancé before they head out to their bachelor party. Though he’s not looking forward to the crowds because he’s hard of hearing, going deaf at an early age due to a genetic anomaly, he’s a bit distracted when he first walks in. But what and who he finds in his bed is exactly what you’d imagine. His fiancé and his best friend have been carrying on for several years and the proposition his fiancé makes nearly floors him.

Gutted, and with no immediate family left and now no best friend either, Ethan makes the decision to go to Australia alone. Intended to be his honeymoon trip, a visit to Australia is something his mother always wanted, and he chose the destination in part to honor her, so why not go alone? Better than staying in big, noisy New York City, where he’s not happy anyway and half the time can’t hear what anyone is saying due to the cacophony of sound echoing from building to building.

Clay Kelly drives bus tours on Australia’s East Coast. Living in Sydney with his adult daughter, the 46-year-old divorced father of two is pretty happy with life as it is, though he never does much more than work and watch cricket—his all-time favorite sport. When a hard of hearing young man joins the tour alone, Clay decides to befriend him—especially after he overhears the man explaining that he’s alone because his wedding was called off. He figures the least he can do is help by doing as the young man asks: speak slowly while facing him so that he can understand what’s being said. So many others talk too fast or put their hands in front of their face or turn slightly away. The author makes this point really well by adding mumble, mumble to the dialogue when in Ethan’s POV so we can appreciate how difficult it is for him to hear.

The author also takes time with this subject, educating without preaching, and she develops Ethan into such a loveable character that I just wanted to take this sweet young man under my wing and show him he’s not alone.  Fortunately, that’s what Clay does. He’s never been with a man, though he had a brush with neighborhood homophobia toward a nice young man in his childhood and suspected he might have felt an attraction before the boy was run out of the area. But he’s most definitely drawn to Ethan and decides to act on his attraction, despite the fact he has to tell his kids, his ex-wife, and his parents. 

This story has all the elements I love: age gap, man over forty, first time with a man, a sweet MC (or two), ordinary—yet complex—people doing extraordinary things like falling in love with someone who lives half a world away. Just lovely and I highly recommend it.

The cover by Dar Albert is perfect for this story and features a young man sunbathing at the beach and another walking past behind him. The colors of the sky and ocean are bright blue and the title in hot pink. I think I might have picked this up for the cover alone, but the contents are definitely a solid win.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 286 pages
Published September 27th 2018 by KA Books
ISBN139781988260372
Edition Language English

A Chaos Moondrawn Prerelease Review: The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

After the death of Nate’s parents, he takes the truck he inherited to the cabin they left him in order to take some time to grieve. The drive to the cabin lets us get to know Nate and his family history; it should come as no surprise it is gut wrenching stuff from this author. If possible, Nate’s night is about to become a whole lot worse, or better–at least interesting.

When he encounters the man and girl at his cabin, the series of events are strange. The main question I think anyone would have is, why does Nate go along with everything happening? There is his curiosity, of course. He is a journalist, so it’s in his nature to dig and want information. There is shock, and sometimes you just go along with what is going on around you and do what you’re told. Sometimes when you have nothing to lose, you make different decisions than you normally would. But if he thought his life was toast before, it is really crispy now, and there is no turning back into bread ever again (read the book.)

The thing is, even in a book full of strange and impossible things, these characters are more real than the characters in most stories. Art is that child that is too knowing, yet is still excited about every new thing. Nate is that man who has lost faith in the world and himself, but he can still surprise himself. Alex is the man who is resurrected from the ashes of his own life with a new purpose. The forced intimacy of them staying alone in an isolated place, and then being on the run together, works well. The slow burn finally gets kindled when everything snaps into place–when we know they are there by choice, rather than just letting events carry them. The author set this book in the 1990’s, so the use of political events, news, and pop culture help keep it grounded in the period.

The story is told from Nate’s POV, so it’s easy to sympathize with his emotions: as he gets attached to Alex and Artemis Darth Vader, as he has his existential crisis, as he experiences things so foreign to the way his neat ordered world was before. I laughed and cried reading this. There are times we do get to see other points of view that I enjoyed and added to the emotional impact of what was happening. It’s very difficult to review without spoilers, and really her name should tell you all you need to know. The genius of this book is not that I didn’t see what was happening beforehand–it is that I was still shocked and horrified when things happened. Then, I had no idea how the story was going to get out of the walls it had built; don’t worry, it walks through them.

The ending does go to an omnipotent observer POV before switching back to Nate’s POV and that annoyed me for a second. The epilogue was the best ending I could have hoped for, the one that made sense. There is a lot to be said for people being fearful of those different, of fear turning to violence, but there is more to be said for love and hope, of building the family you choose. What sets it apart from other science fiction in a similar vein, is that it focuses on the heart and mind of the characters, so this is not hard science fiction, more of a character study. I would recommend it.

The cover art is by Reese Dante and has a “so above, so below” feel that works well for the subject matter and the idea of how we are all stardust.

Sales Links on 10/26:
Book Details:
ebook, 385 pages
Expected publication: October 26th 2018 by TJ Klune
Original Title The Bones Beneath My Skin
ISBN139781732399914
Edition Language English
setting Oregon (United States)

EJ Russell on Cooking with Love and her new release ‘Single White Incubus ‘ (guest post and giveaway)

Single White Incubus (Supernatural Selection #1) by E.J. Russell
Riptide Publishing
Cover art: L.C. Chase

Sales Links  Riptide Publishing  |  Amazon

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host E.J. Russell here today on tour for her new novel Single White Incubus.  Welcome, E.J.

✒︎

Cooking with Love by E.J. Russell

Those of you who’ve read a few of my books may have noticed that there’s usually a scene involving food—preparing it, eating it, or both. This is due in large part to my Curmudgeonly Husband. He has a…er…close relationship with food, as both a preparer (he’s a fabulous cook, thank goodness, because I most definitely am not), an eater (he’s very serious about that), and as…well…landmarks. He actually remembers occasions based on what we were eating at the time. He may not remember people or places, but he remembers the food.

He also critiques movies based on the frequency of food-related scenes. When we first saw The Fellowship of the Ring, he was quite disappointed in how it compared to the book.

Me: Why? Do you mean because they left out Tom Bombadil or the barrow wights? I don’t think that was a big loss.

CH: Of course not. But I remember there being way more scenes involving food.

Me: …

By the way, I re-read the book after his comment. There weren’t.

Anyway, Single White Incubus is no different regarding my usual inclusion of the dining experience. In a way, food—or sustenance, anyway—is a major part of both Ted’s and Quentin’s nature.

For Ted, it’s because bear shifters (in the Mythmatched universe, the world comprising the Fae Out of Water and Supernatural Selection trilogies) consume astonishing quantities of food in the autumn, leading up to their hibernation season, where they’re much less active and eat less.

For Quentin, it’s because he’s resisting the standard incubus food source—life energies—for fear he’ll lose control again and drain someone he loves.

One of the first things that Ted does for Quentin (once their initial unfortunate encounter is behind them) is to feed him fish chowder. When I was writing the scene, I had a particular recipe in mind, one that CH makes regularly: Pierre Franey’s Soupe de Poisson from his New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet cookbook.

Our copy of the book, and its sequel, New York Times More 60-Minute Gourmet, have been used so much since we bought them in the early eighties that they’re falling apart. Sadly, they’re both out of print now, but for CH’s last birthday, I bought him used hardcover copies of both books.

If you’d like to try this dish yourself, here’s an online transcription:

http://debfood.pbworks.com/w/page/78875357/Soupe%20de%20Poisson

It says it makes four servings, but you can bet that Ted (like CH always does) doubled or tripled the recipe!

About Single White Incubus

Does a bear shift in the woods?

Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win.

Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.

But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

Available from Riptide Publishing.

 

About Supernatural Selection

Are you a shifter who’s lost faith in fated mates? A vampire seeking a Second Life companion? Or perhaps you’re a demon yearning to claim a soul (mate)?

Congratulations! Your search is over!

Welcome to Supernatural Selection, where our foolproof spells guarantee your perfect match.

Until they don’t.

Check out Supernatural Selection today.

 

About E.J. Russell

E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever thought an empty nest meant leisure.

E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Connect with E.J.:

Website: ejrussell.com

Blog: ejrussell.com/bloggery/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author

Twitter: twitter.com/ej_russell

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ejrussell/

 

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Building Forever one lucky person will win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card and an ecopy of Cutie and the Beast, the first title in the Fae Out of Water series! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 27, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

The Man Up Series Audio Tour Continues with Frankie:Unforgettable (Man Up #3) by Felice Stevens and Narrator: Kale Williams (excerpt)

 frankie tour banner

FRANKIE: UNFORGETTABLE

MAN UP SERIES, BOOK 3

FELICE STEVENS

M/M ROMANCE

AUDIO RELEASE: 08.29.18

Frankie Cover 

 

Cover Design: REESE DANTE

Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Cover Model Andrew Biernat

Narrator: Kale Williams

https://amzn.to/2NIpVcc

  

BLURB

Frankie

No one understands why I love him.

Why I need him.

Why I took him back.

But they don’t have to.

I know.

Despite the hurt and the heartache, I see beneath his skin.

And I’m different now.

No more Flirty Frankie.

My dreams have changed, and so have I.

I’m stronger.

I believe in myself.

And I’m a hell of a lot smarter than a year ago.

Now it’s his turn to show me the man he really is.

To prove it.

I’ve always loved him.

But that’s not enough.

I need to learn to trust him.

Aaron

No more excuses.

No more chances.

I make this right or lose him for good.

I have to do this.

No one has ever believed in me but him.

No one has ever wanted me but him.

I can’t let him down.

I won’t.

I can’t let myself down.

I’m trying, but it’s so damn hard.

No matter what they throw at me, I’m stronger.

And I’m going to make it.

I’m on my way.

With Frankie by my side.

I can see the future.

I have a future.

Us. Together.

Forever.

Frankie-teaser1-1000x750

Frankie-teaser2-1000x750

EXCERPT

“Still no luck?”

I set a cup of coffee in front of Aaron and stood across from him at the small kitchen counter. He’d come over to my place early to use my computer and had been job hunting for hours. When Aaron got out of jail, he’d wanted to move back in with me, but I said no. The past few months, I’d let him stay over more often than not, but he still had his own place. I was being careful.

“No, I fucking can’t even see straight anymore. I need a break.” He rubbed his eyes, then took a sip and let out a gusty sigh. “Thanks, babe. Hits the spot.”

The endearment sent a warm glow through me. In our joint therapy sessions, Aaron and I discussed his dislike for showing affection and how that made me feel unappreciated. Since he’d been back, he’d made the effort. It might not seem like much, but to me, it meant he listened and that my feelings were important to him.

I put on my most positive face for him. “Something’ll turn up. What about that one at the new supermarket that opened last week on Cross Bay Boulevard?”

He grimaced, his face darkening. “They said they didn’t have openings. But they still got the sign up in the window, ya know?”

I did know. And it worried me. Aaron had been out of jail for months now and had yet to find anything. And as much as I saw him trying to work through his anger issues, I worried he might slip and bring us back to that ugly place of last year.

“You want me to have Austin ask Rhoades? He’s got so many businesses, I bet he can find you something.”

“No,” he responded with an angry snap. “Your friend hates me. I don’t need no favors from him. I’m gonna do this on my own.”

“Okay, okay. It was only a suggestion.” He stood, and God help me, I couldn’t stop that involuntary jerk of my heart when he walked around the counter to stand in front of me. I hated seeing him defeated and sad.

“I know it was.” He reached out and cupped my jaw, his palm rough and warm against my face. I wished every one of the doubters could see these tender moments between us instead of remembering the old Aaron. “I’m not blaming you. My problems are my fault.”

I put my arms around him, hugging him close. “We both were at fault. But now we can do better. I want to show everyone the person I remember from when we first met. Smart, funny, sexy.”

He palmed my ass, bringing me flush up against him so I could feel the hard ridge of his dick against my stomach. “Sexy, huh? I’m only sexy for you.…You know that, right?”

“Mmhmmm.” He got me ready in no time flat.

 

Felice Stevens Logo

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. While life is tough, she believes there is a happy ending for everyone. She started reading traditional historical romances as a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until she picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that her interest in romance novels was renewed.

But somewhere along the way, her reading shifted to stories of men falling in love. Once she picked up her first gay romance, she became so enamored of the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion there was no turning back.

Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. Although she practices law, she daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be some angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

 

Twitter:https://twitter.com/FeliceStevens1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/felicestevens/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8432880.Felice_Stevens

Instagram: https://instagram.com/FeliceStevens

Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/felicestevensauthor?ref=hl

Newsletter:   http://felicestevens.us8.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=d43061d90bf2256eb322ed69f&id=586ac8fa57

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An Ashlez Review: The Story of Us by Barbara Elsborg

Rating:  5 stars out of 5
 

The Story of Us is a new adult contemporary romance. It deals with family and social issues, violence and cruelty towards children, sexual situations though not sexual abuse, and has dark elements and suspense. The events and locations are a mixture of real and fictional. The characters are fictional.
 
“Are you okay?
The first words Zed says to Caspian, and the first time someone has cared about the answer. On a hot summer’s day, the lives of two boys are changed forever. A rebel and a risk taker, Caspian doesn’t give a damn for the consequences. Studious and obedient, Zed is the good boy who is never good enough.
 
The two couldn’t be more different, but there’s one thing they share, a need to belong to someone who understands them, someone who cares. Their friendship goes deeper than either can possibly imagine. They’re young, in love, and planning their future when an act of betrayal tears them apart.
 
Fate has dealt its hand. Seasons pass. Zed’s words follow Caspian through pain, fear and into the darkest of places. Friendships last a lifetime, even when the world conspires to crush them. But this is more than friendship. This is love and they’re not going to let it slip through their fingers.
 
This Is Our Story is a tale of love and survival, and the triumph of good over evil against the odds.
 
It’s a long story – 158,000 words that takes place over ten summers.
 
This book is very heavily focused on religion from the get-go, Muslim, I was fascinated honestly, reading about it was no hard feat, though I’m sure it’s not going to be the book for everyone just based on the religion aspect alone.  It’s throughout the whole book but not prominent focus after the first bit.
 
I found Zed to be quite a boy, he starts off scared and with a hard home life – studying – trying to deal with the religion aspect, the character evolution is just astounding
 
I thought Caspian was a confident boy who gets in a lot of trouble, for all that I think he’s a good kid, just wanting to find his own path in life and deal with the hand fate dealt.
 
This book was amazingly written and sucked me in from the start – there were hard times and good times and times you just wanted to cry for them. I didn’t want to put it down.  This book will stick with me for a while.
 
I liked the secondary characters, the evolution of everyone over the course of such a long time – each storyline and each outcome was well thought out and worked so well I can’t even!
 
A definite must read!!!!!
Cover:  Cover fit well, it was sweet and innocent and a picture of things
Sales Links:  Amazon link to come
Book Details:
ebook, 353 pages
Expected publication: November 1st 2018 by self-published
Edition Language English

A VVivacious Review: Death of a Bachelor by M.A. Hinkle

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

When Era dies she leaves Damon without a wife and Cathal without his best friend. Now, these two people who have never really abided by each other find themselves lost in their grief with no one other than each other for company. As Cathal tries to get Damon to live, there is a brand new feeling that starts to take birth in both their hearts.

I loved Cathal since the moment we see him in a bar, scribbling equations on a napkin and that is saying something because that is the very first scene we see him in. This character had my number from the get-go. When I was deciding if I wanted to review this book or not I read an excerpt from this book which contained prologues one and two and ever since I got that peek into this story I was dying to read it, I checked my mail every day to see if this book had arrived. I was just so intrigued. I instantly connected with both main characters and I found the premise to be very fascinating and I just wanted to read it. Thankfully this book lived up to my rather exalted standards.

This story does have Era die off-page and this is not a spoiler because you will know this fact by the time you start the first chapter or already know it if you read the blurb. Now Era is Damon’s wife and this story starts a few days after her death and I feel like some people might think that Damon moves on a bit too quickly. I feel like this might be an issue, it wasn’t for me but even I realise that some people might think it’s too soon for Damon to be in or start another romantic relationship. Era features in exactly two scenes, so most of my impression of Era is based on what Cathal and Damon say of or about her and the impression I have of her and Damon’s relationship isn’t great so I was somewhat relieved that he moved on. I feel her death is handled very well in the course of the book but I might be biased since I didn’t quite take to Era but this book is very respectful in dealing with her and her death.

So, now with that out of the way, I can gush about this book.

I started reading it at around midnight and I just couldn’t stop. I read till I had finished reading every last word and I loved all of it except that little stunt that Cathal pulls that prolonged the end of this story because it so wasn’t necessary but I have got to respect that he needed some time to get rid of bad habits. Leaving that one minor critique aside, I truly loved this book. This is a slow, slow burn romance and that first kiss between Damon and Cathal is so amazing, I fell head over heels for Damon. These two have such a smouldering chemistry together,  it just permeated every scene these two had together, and the banter these two shared was what had me turning page after page.

Cathal, Damon and Felix are just amazing together all their scenes felt so warm and cuddly like snuggling in on a cold winter day. These three feel like family, I am 100% sure that I would have assumed Cathal and Damon were in a relationship had I ever encountered them together during the course of this book because there was just something about them that screamed, these two were meant to be together.

Felix is amazing. I loved him so hard and I am excited that we might be getting his story indirectly at least because I loved that kid.

Damon was a hard character for me to gauge personally. We see him at a time when even breathing seems to be difficult for him and he is a character with very different motivations than any I have ever encountered before. I don’t know if I really know who Damon is but nevertheless I liked him. He was different but he felt intensely huggable like a teddy bear and I really hope we get to see more of him at happier times. Basically I need more epilogues like that one, those two are just so cute, my heart can’t bear it.

I am in love with this story and it’s amazing characters especially Cathal, Damon and Felix who are like a built-in family unit. I don’t know if this is the author’s debut novel or not but while researching this author I found only this book so I think it is and if this is any standard to go by I am going to enjoy reading more but this author.

Cover art by Natasha Snow. That cover is scrumptious. I want to take a bite out of that pastry.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press |  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: October 29th 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781949909098
Edition Language English

A MelanieM Review: Rend (Riven #2) by Roan Parrish

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

After a whirlwind romance, a man with a painful past learns to trust the musician who makes him believe in happy endings.

Matt Argento knows what it feels like to be alone. After a childhood of abandonment, he never imagined someone might love him—much less someone like Rhys Nyland, who has the voice of an angel, the looks of a god, and the worship of his fans.

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds, but when they meet, their chemistry is incendiary. Their romance is unexpected, intense, and forever—at least, that’s what their vows promise. Suddenly, Matt finds himself living a life he never thought possible: safe and secure in the arms of a man who feels like home. But when Rhys leaves to go on tour for his new album, Matt finds himself haunted by the ghosts of his past.

When Rhys returns, he finds Matt twisted by doubt. But Rhys loves Matt fiercely, and he’ll go to hell and back to triumph over Matt’s fears. After secrets are revealed and desires are confessed, Rhys and Matt must learn to trust each other if they’re going to make it. That means they have to fall in love all over again—and this time, it really will be forever.

I truly had to think about the formatting of this story and the author’s expectations for it’s promise when writing this review because I think it was a huge factor in how I ended up feeling about the characters and this novel.  You see, in  Rend (Riven #2) by Roan Parrish the story opens right as the two men meet, jump immediately into a  relationship and then the first chapter proceeds when they are already married.  Boom.  It’s a done deal.  The reader has no time to relate to the men, establish a connection to each one, let alone be  able to evaluate any chemistry or depth of relationship.

I believe that was intentional.  Because the marriage and relationship as we slowly find out isn’t based on reality.  Matt hasn’t been truthful about his background and deep emotional issues with Rhys.  Nor has Rhys dug deep beneath the surface with  Matty. It’s a marriage based on wishes, dreams, and smoke. And lots of sex and love.  But that’s oddly insubstantial here because it has no honest foundation.

There is no honest communication between the lovers and, really the reader and Matty too.  We know he is truly a troubled and haunted individual who needs professional help.  Which, horrifyingly no one suggests he gets until 84 percent into the story.  Abandonment issues and the foster care system have done a number on him mentally, emotionally, and that carries over to physically.  We see those results…oh him, his marriage, and his partner who he doesn’t talk to until 80 percent into the story.   Which is when we learn enough about them to start connecting with them all as Rhys and Matty haul together the pieces of their lives, marriage and uncover who they are together….honestly.

Up until then?  Matty remains something of an enigma to all around him and us.  Not a good thing.  He has a close friend, Grim, in Florida.  We don’t see or really hear him to gain any insight into Matty himself until the end of the story, another element lost.

So I understood that the format was to slowly reveal who Matty truly was to Rhys and even himself as he came to grips with his past.  But it came at the loss, at least for this reader, of any connection to their relationship, a sense of questioning why no one got this man the help he so obviously needed earlier on, and just a sense that had we been able to see more of the real Rhys and Matty we see at the end at other parts in the story, this   wouldn’t have felt like such cold read than the romance it ended up being.

I did love Theo and Caleb from Riven, the first story.  Plus Max.  As I said, I think the format kept me from getting to know the characters until too late in the story.  I did learn to love them then and their very HEA.  That’s a terrific ending

There’s another story  in this series on the horizon   and  I know I will have to see who that’s about.  If you are a fan of this series, you no  doubt have already picked up and read this story.  It works as a standalone too.

Cover art is ok but doesn’t really speak to me considering the bleak storyline and its complexity.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st edition, 303 pages
Expected publication: November 27th 2018 by Loveswept
Original Title Rend
ISBN13 9781524799335
Edition Language English
Series Riven #2

Review Tour – Fling (A Nothing Serious Novel) by Baylin Crow (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Buy Link
 
Length: 275 pages approx.
 
Cover Design: Baylin Crow
 
Blurb
 

Our time together has an expiration date.


HAYDEN: I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love him.
The only guy I’ve ever wanted sees me as nothing more than the kid next door and his younger sister’s best friend. But when Dean comes home after college graduation, things are different. I’ve grown up, and the way his golden-brown gaze scorches a path over my body tells me he’s noticed. When he makes me an offer I should refuse, I’m caught between my feelings for him and logic screaming that this idea is doomed to end in heartbreak.


DEAN: I’m not interested in anything serious but I need to have him.
I plan on spending a few months at home relaxing before beginning my dream internship. What I don’t count on is my little sister’s best friend sending me for a loop. He should be off-limits, but the pull I feel toward him is too strong to ignore. When I come up with a solution to spend the summer together in secret, I’m sure I have it all figured out. I just need to work him out of my system.


It’s supposed to be free of complications…a fling. By the end of summer, it’s anything but simple.



October 17 – My Book Filled Life, October 19 – Making It Happen, October 24 – Megan’s Media Melange, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, October 26 – Mirrigold, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Lillian Francis, BooksLaidBareBoys

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ review here.

 
Excerpt
 

I must have drifted off because I woke up dry mouthed and thirsty. After removing Reese’s arm from where it lay on my chest, I slipped my glasses on and climbed off the bed. My steps were light as I slipped from her room and padded downstairs to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filling it with filtered water from the refrigerator dispenser.


The cool liquid slid down my parched throat as I downed every drop before refilling it. The second disappeared just as quickly and I set the empty glass in the sink. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I turned to go back upstairs. As I passed through the large foyer, a sound caught my attention and I froze. Keys jingled. Then the lock on the front door clicked once more and the door swung open revealing Dean with a large gym bag slung over his shoulder. He wasn’t supposed to be home until the next day and judging by his wide-eyed stare, he wasn’t expecting to run into me either.


“Hi,” I squeaked, while frozen in place.


He stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft snick before re-locking it. “If it wasn’t for the glasses and dark hair, I wouldn’t even recognize you.” He kept his voice low. I’d finally hit a major growth spurt over the last year and had put on enough weight that I didn’t resemble a beanpole. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Hayden?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion.


“Sleeping. I got up for a glass of water.” He paused and his lips flattened into a thin line so I hurried on. “I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.”


“I decided to go ahead and make the drive and got a flat for my trouble. Otherwise, I would have been here earlier.” He said with a tired sigh. “It’s good and weird to see you.” His gaze scanned the length of my body and chills raced over my skin.


When I couldn’t find my voice, he adjusted the strap on his shoulder. “I’m beat so I’m going to head to bed. I’ll grab the rest of my things tomorrow.”


I nodded and followed behind him up the stairs. Halfway up, he glanced over his shoulder with a frown but kept going. “Aren’t you headed in the wrong direction?”


“No, I’m staying the night.” Didn’t I already say that? When I paused outside Reese’s room, Dean’s eyes narrowed to slits.


“You’re staying in Reese’s room? I mean, I always thought you two would end up together.”


Why would he think that? Reese had to have told him I came out earlier this year. “We’re not.”


If he heard me, he didn’t acknowledge what I said. “Does Mom know you’re having sleepovers though? Like in the same room?” He didn’t let me respond. Again. “And I’m assuming in the same bed.”


I couldn’t wrap my head around why he was worried. Dean continued his whispered rant, and without thinking, I stepped into his personal space and slapped my hand over his mouth.


The impulsive action seemed to startle us both. His eyes grew wide and he froze.


I couldn’t believe I’d just done that, but he wouldn’t listen. I held eye contact. “Shh.”


Dean didn’t remove my hand, and I wasn’t sure he’d let me finish if I moved it so I kept it there. “Reese and I aren’t together. I’m gay.” He cocked his head and seemed to study me. How could he not know? “She didn’t tell you?”


When he shook his head, I became aware of his soft lips against my palm. His breaths tickled the sensitive flesh and I realized my gaze had locked onto that connection. Clearing my throat, I ripped my hand away.


As I waited for his reaction, I pushed my glasses up my nose in a nervous tic I wished I could kick.


Dean’s gaze roamed the length of my body, making my breathing race in and out of my lungs. His gaze seemed to caress my skin causing butterflies to take flight in my stomach while long, tan fingers rubbed his squared chin. And unless I was imagining things, his pupils had dilated. “How did I not know?”


It was the same question I’d been asking myself. Their mom knew, so why hadn’t Reese told him? “I only came out this year and I don’t advertise it. But I don’t hide it either.”


Having no idea what he’d think, I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin while repressing the desire to flee into Reese’s room.


“Calm down, I get it.” Dean held his hands up in surrender. Just as he opened his mouth to continue, a loud chime cut into our whispered conversation.


“Shit.” He scrambled to pull the phone from his pocket and silenced it. His gaze shot from one end of the hallway to the other as if searching for any sign of someone being woken up. Glancing down at the screen, he scowled.


“What’s wrong?” I asked, my arms loosening and falling to my sides.


Dean’s gaze held mine, pausing long enough that I thought he wouldn’t answer my question.


He stood straight so I mimicked his posture. “Someone I used to date.” He grimaced as if the word left a sour taste in his mouth that rivaled the pit developing in my stomach. I didn’t want to hear this. “Well not date exactly. His name was Brady.” He cocked a brow with a shameless grin.


His words took a minute to process and even when it registered, my shock held me mute. Unfortunately it didn’t hinder my jaw from dropping.


“Oh.” Brilliant response, Hayden.


“Oh?” He snickered. “I guess my baby sister didn’t divulge my sordid secret either? Well, it seems we’ve both had a big year. Honestly, I wasn’t positive I was bi until a few years ago, but it turns out I have a thing for both.” He shrugged, pressed the side button on his phone, and then stuffed it back in his pocket. “This guy, he’s a clinger. I told him I wasn’t looking for anything serious, but I guess he refuses to accept it.”


Offering a weak smile, I attempted to hide the disappointment weighing me down. The blasé way he spoke about hookups made my chest ache. Dean hadn’t changed at all. Not that I’d expected him to or had a right to wish it. “The downside of playing the field,” I managed to make it sound like a joke.
He chuckled. “I guess. Well, I’m going to go…” He hitched his thumb over his back toward his room and turned to go. Rooted to the spot, I stared long after his door closed behind him.

Bios are challenging. I don’t have a clue how to write about myself. Fictional characters, sure! Me? Not so much. Lol. It’s the reason my author bio stayed practically blank until after I finished my second novel.


Who am I? Well, I live in Texas where the heat and I don’t get along. One day I hope to call Northeast USA home. I’m a wife and mother of 2 ridiculously cute kids. I have 2 dogs and 1 cat, the latter of which is a spoiled brat, but she’s my spoiled brat. ❤


I fell in love with writing during elementary school with my first “bare book”. And only within the last few years have I been able to try my hand at it as a career (which I have high hopes for btw!).


Spending the day under a fluffy blanket reading or writing away on my laptop with a mountain of coffee is my idea of time well spent. I get to live so many lives through books that I consider myself genuinely lucky to call myself an avid reader.


That’s me in a nutshell. I hope I’m finding my place among like-minded people. ❤❤❤ And I hope you’ll enjoy reading the stories I write.

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