Category: M/M Book Reviews

Review Tour for Summer Heat by Jay Northcote

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK


Cover: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design


Length: 47,000 words approx.


Blurb

A summer fling is an ideal cure for a broken heart. But when it’s with your best friend, things get complicated.

When Adam is dumped by his boyfriend, a week away at a beach resort seems like a great opportunity to get over his ex. Sun, sea, and no-strings sex will be just the boost he needs to move on with his life.

Adam’s best friend, Finn, agrees to accompany him at short notice. Finn’s had a crush on Adam for years, but is determined to put his feelings aside and be the perfect wingman in Adam’s time of crisis.

A spontaneous threesome with another guy forces Adam and Finn to confront their attraction to each other. Having a holiday fling together wasn’t part of the plan, and as their trip heats up, they soon realise that one night of fun won’t be enough for either of them.

The passion might be scorching, but their hearts and friendship are on the line. If their romance is going to survive the flight home, they have to be honest about what they want.

 

June 9 – Mikku-chan, MM Book Addicts, Reading In Sarah’s Corner, The Smutbrarians
June 12 – The Way She Reads, Oh My Shelves, Dirty Books Obsession
June 14 – Millsy Loves Books, Joyfully Jay, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews
June 16 – Nicole’s Book Musings, Mainly Stories, V’s Reads
June 19 – Lustful Literature, My Fiction Nook, Kiki’s Kinky Picks, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews
June 21 – Dog-Eared Daydreams, BooksLaidBareBoys, Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books, Making It Happen, A Celebration of Books
June 23 – Sarandipity, BFD Book Blog, Diverse Reader, Wicked Reads
June 26 – Southern Babes Book Blog, The Geekery Book Review
June 28 – Padme’s Library
June 30 – Bayou Book Junkie, Book Lovers 4Ever

Author Bio

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

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

www.jaynorthcote.com
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A Julia Review: The Sidhe (The Heart of All Worlds #1) by Charlotte Ashe

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In the nation of Villalu…

Since his childhood, Brieden Lethiscir has admired The Sidhe, the beautiful and magical beings native to the Faerie world outside his homeland of Villalu. Though he grew up in a culture accepting of Sidhe enslavement by Villalu’s elite, Brieden turns against the practice when he becomes a steward to Prince Dronyen, who is viciously abusive of his sidhe slave Sehrys. Captivated by the handsome and mysterious sidhe slave, Brieden vows to free and return Sehrys to his homeland.

As they escape the capital and navigate a treacherous path to the border, Breiden and Sehrys grow close. Breiden soon learns both the true power of The Sidhe, and that the world that he thought he knew is not what it once seemed. If they survive to reach the border, he will have to make a choice: the love of his life, or the fate of his world.

The Sidhe is Charlotte Ashe’s first volume in her Fantasy series “The Heart of All Worlds”. And what a strong start it is! The sequel is titled “The King and the Criminal” and I will definitely be reviewing that one as well. So let’s waste no time and take a look at how the journey begins!

When it comes to lore and world building, I believe that the devil really lies in the detail. While for example history and geography form the basis of creating an imaginary world, it’s those precise details about the everyday lives of its inhabitants that allow it to become a seemingly living and breathing organism. Things like what do the people eat, how do they live, what do they work and so on. At least that’s what draws me in the most when reading a fantasy story and I was delighted to discover that the author did not disappoint in that aspect. In contrast to the coexistence of several different races living in one place, this novel introduces two main cultures that exist in a kind of tense proximity and yet largely separated from one another: humans and the Sidhe (elf-like beings). Both societies offer rather different takes on a variety of subjects from ways of living to attitudes towards sexuality. The only things they seem to have in common are feelings of distrust, fear and ignorance towards each other. I especially found the unveiling of the shared history of these two peoples quite fascinating. Themes of race, subjugation and freedom feature heavily in this story and are addressed from several different points of view.

I took a liking to both main characters and found myself rather invested into their relationship since they make simply an adorable couple. Brieden is a kind, brave young man who finds himself before a big decision: staying complacent and giving up on his true believes or risking his very life and future. I deeply respect him for his courage in choosing the latter. His care and devotion to his partner were as heart-warming to witness as Sehrys in turn slowly starting to warm up and eventually coming to trust Brieden. What I also found most interesting when it comes to Sehrys was learning about how the six years he spent in slavery affected and changed him.

Despite the fact that I found those two very likeable and was rooting for them all the way, my absolute favourites were amongst the supporting characters: queen Brissa and her sister Cliope, who intrigued me so much that I wish they could have their very own story, as well as Firae, who features as a protagonist in the second book. In fact, the only flaw I might give this novel is the fact that I found myself wishing that these characters would feature more prominently and we would get to learn more about them.

The sex scenes were very well done which is good because there are quite a lot of them! Still, they never really felt out of place and although they are quite steamy and described in vivid detail, you can tell that the author always tried to give them meaning and draw them as an important aspect of the characters’ relationship to each other. They are mostly m/m with only a brief hint of f/f. There are mentions of sexual abuse and rape. 

This book was a wonderful read and had me engaged into the world, the narrative and the characters from start to finish. If you like fantasy or just a touching romance story against all odds, you should definitely pick up this book. I know I certainly am looking forward to delving into the second volume of this series!

The cover and interior illustrations by Sarah Sanderson are simply beautiful, they caught my attention right away. The drawing of Brieden and Sehrys framed by their special red flowers is a lovely piece of art and sets a wonderful stepping stone for entering their magical world. I also want to give credit for the map illustration by Sarah Sanderson and R.J. Shepherd.

Sales Links:  Interlude Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 442 pages

Published July 21, 2015

by Interlude Press

ISBN: 978-1-941530-50-4

Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: Crossing Jordan by Shannon West

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

A complicated web of lies threatens Jace’s life and he must fight his way to happiness through a maze of romance, murder and intrigue.

Jace O’Neal is slowly rebuilding his life after a disastrous romance with an actor named Dylan Malone in NYC sends him back to Atlanta in disgrace. Living with his mother and his brother, a fourteen-year-old with Fragile X syndrome, one of the known causes of autism, Jace is pursued by Malone, who finally persuades him into another relationship. Then Dylan goes missing and the evidence left at the scene points to Jace’s involvement.

The detective on the case, Will Jordan, is drawn to Jace right away, and learns that Jace’s former lover was manipulative and cruel. Will fights his attraction to Jace as he seeks the truth of what happened to Malone. As more clues emerge and point to Jace, Jordan begins to believe Jace is in danger. A complicated web of lies threatens Jace’s life and he must fight his way to happiness through a maze of romance, murder and intrigue.

I’m just not a fan of this book.  I don’t know, maybe it hit me at the  wrong time, maybe I’m the wrong audience but I just  couldn’t get behind either the characters or this story.

It’s not the author because I’m such a fan of Shannon West’s other series like her Mate of the Tyger Prince series. Or her Dark Hollow Wolf Pack series, both excellent.  No,  its several elements here that bother the bejezaas out of me.  Usually, once that happens there’s no recovery and there wasn’t one here.

It starts with the character of Jace O’Neal.  There’s a fine line between domestic violence victim and doormat in characterization.  To me, Jace reads doormat.  He all but paints a huge V on his forehead and puts a kick-me sign on the back.  I had a complete lack of empathy with him (not so in other books with stories with characters who are victims of domestic violence).  Its doesn’t help in that the way in which the narrative is laid out we are distanced from that part of Jace’s life.  It’s almost told in abstract, it’s that removed from the storyline flashback style.  So there’s no immediate effect for the reader other than Jace’s retelling which comes off as less than impactful.  His actions continued to confound me throughout the storyline. Smh.

Another element that is also connected to Jace is that of his brother Tyler, a 14 year old with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fragile X Syndrome.  Much is made of this and yet not enough.  Tyler is used more to make important plot points and less as someone real and important to Jace.  At least that’s how it came across to me.  There’s no mention of getting any sort of assistance for him and at one point Jace tries to hug him, surprised when that doesn’t go over well.  Tyler is repeatedly exposed to  violence,  physical abuse and yet, again,  Jace is shocked that Tyler is aware that it’s happening in a small house.  Jace is treating him as though he’s deaf and stupid at times here.  How could you be unaware that someone is being beaten and shouted at in a small house? Yes, Jace is so stunned that he starts crying.  I almost stopped reading right there.

There’s the detective who falls for him (and starts sleeping with him while on the case) and the mystery that quite frankly you will have figured out soon into the story.  The whole thing just had no credibility for me.  This will send me running right back to West’s Mate of the Tyger Prince series to remember why I love her writing so.

Cover art is sort of cool.

Sales Links:  MLR Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 177 pages
Published May 12th 2017 by MLR Press (first published May 9th 2017)
ASINB071VJFF44

An Ali Review: Aftercare by Tanya Chris

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Aayan Denir knows Garrett Hillier was once a high-powered defense attorney, and—thanks to a leaked photograph—he knows Garrett is sexually submissive, which makes him ideally qualified to defend Aayan’s brother from the charge of murdering his sub. Aayan would do anything to protect Syed, even if he doesn’t understand how Syed could hurt someone he loves. He could never hurt Garrett. He only wants to take care of him—love him, serve him, cherish him. And maybe torture him. Just a little.

Garrett probably shouldn’t be dating his client’s brother. Right? And what’s the use in a confirmed sub dating a guy who doesn’t want to be a Dom anyway? The important thing is to get Syed cleared of the discriminatory murder charge he’s facing. Aayan is a distraction. But for the first time in the three lonely years since Garrett’s husband died, he’s feeling hope, ambition, and desire. Can he give up the pain he craves to find the love he needs?

As Syed’s trial date looms, Aayan and Garrett explore what a BDSM relationship means for them, and what they mean to each other.

Aftercare is a M/M BDSM contemporary romance about Aayan, a Muslim immigrant who’s not sure he can play the Dom role, and Garrett, a submissive attorney who walked away from his life when his husband died.
This was an unique storyline.  I wasn’t sure about the set up of the story when the book first started but as the story unfolded it started to make sense.  The blurb does a good job of explaining the plot and I was immediately drawn in.
The story covers the mystery behind who killed Syed’s partner as well as the romance between Aayan and Garrett.  The men were very different on the surface but as they got to know each they found they were a good match for each other.  Aayan has never explored his dominant side and he feels it goes against his religious beliefs.  Some of the story is about him coming to a place where he can accept his desire to be dominant and sometimes sadistic as well as maintain his Muslim faith.  I don’t really know anything about the Muslim religion so I can’t say whether this was an accurate portrayal or not but it seemed to be presented in a realistic way in regards to Aayan’s concerns.
While I thought the concept was interesting and I liked the characters well enough there was nothing that especially stood out to me either negatively or positively.  I had no particular complaints about the book but it also probably won’t stand out to me down the road which is why I did not rate it higher.
If you’re a fan of BDSM books and are looking for something a bit different I would recommend this.  It not only has unique BDSM elements but it has a main character who is of color and Muslim.  I appreciated that.
This cover was done by Jen and Kris.  I thought the cover was eye catching and was a very good representation of the plot of the book.
Sales Link:  Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 184 pages
Published May 17th 2017
ASINB0722P9BQY

Blog Tour for The Ties that Bind by S. Davidson (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: The Ties that Bind
Author: S. Davidson
Genre: M/M Fiction
Release Date: June 1, 2017
Cover Art: Rue Volley
Editor: CSL Editing Service
Publisher: Encompass Ink Publishing

Flashback 1990’s – Rollerblades, bungee jumping, the laptop, cellular phones the size of bricks, and AIDS – the gay men’s cancer

This is a story about love, friendship, and family. It is a story about growing up, about trying to change the past and the realization that no matter how fast, or how far we run, that The Ties That Bind us as children, many times come back to haunt us as adults.We become part of the life of a young counselor, Morgan, who specializes working with homeless, male hustlers. He seems like an angel from heaven to many. He cares deeply for every one of his boys and would literally die to save them from harm. He deprives himself of life’s basic needs in order to reach just one more, but why?Morgan has his own agenda to work out, his own demons to exorcise. While avoiding his own past, he meets a particular young man, Greg, who is able to see through this well-crafted, public image. Greg sees Morgan’s pain and denial. It is in this discovery, this role reversal that Greg, a life-long hustler begins to heal himself. He helps Morgan come to terms with his own violent past. Greg becomes his strength, the knife to cut the rope and release the guilt Morgan has denied for years. Just as they both begin to heal, Greg discovers the truth.

The Ties That Bind can sometimes be very restricting but many times we find that The Ties That Bind can also provide our strength.

The Ties That Bind are necessary for the sustenance of life.


A badly warped, archaic recording came on of some disco group of the forgotten past. Slowly, the black shield lifted in front of the room, revealing an oiled up young man, ready to dance. The boy was grinding and gyrating his hips with the best of them when the shade reached the top and he saw who was on the other side.

 

“Hey, Morgan,” he said, stopping his dance.
“Hi, Zack. You’re looking pretty good,” he said.
“I’m sorry.” He began dancing again.
“Stop.” Morgan laughed, thinking it funny that this boy would actually think Morgan was a customer. “I didn’t come for the show. I came to see how you were doing. You disappeared on me.” Morgan popped another quarter in the slot.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Julio glared at Greg. Greg was gritting his teeth, hoping Tomi wouldn’t notice the grip on his upper arm. He knew she would kill Julio.

 

“You do give lunch breaks, don’t you?” Tomi taunted.

 

“Only when he’s the lunch.”

 


Shelly always had a goal to get a book in print. Well, that goal has been met. Another coming June 1, 2017, and one more still in the works. Always finding writing to be a way to escape into another world, M/M fiction is her passion and causing her beautiful boys a bit of agony is just what she does. None of her characters are flawless and most are pretty damn messed up! But they always persist, always try to be the best men they can be and hopefully find a kindred spirit along the way.

Shelly is a mother, grandmother, and has a Bachelor’s in Social Services. Come on over to her Facebook page for current and upcoming release info. While she doesn’t post about what she’s having for dinner or what movie she’s watching, she will give you info on her writing when there is news to share. Just remember, no matter who you are or what beliefs you practice, love is love and we all deserve to love.

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An Alisa Review: The Running Fields by Sydney Presley

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Fate brings them together in the end…

 

Ansgar wakes to find himself outside—somewhere he’s never been before. He’s scared out of his wits and wonders whether The Scientist is conducting another experiment. Is Ansgar naked, leaning against a large building so The Scientist can monitor his reactions? Ansgar doesn’t know, but what he does know is that the black wolf staring at him from the darkness isn’t something he expected to see.

 

The black wolf is Ben, and he didn’t expect to see a naked bloke on a cold night, sitting on his bare arse beside the old abandoned bread factory a mile or so away from town. Ben had only come out for a run, yet there he was, facing a man who clearly didn’t belong in these parts.

 

After taking Ansgar to his home, Ben discovers more about the big man—where he’s been, what he’s endured, and a few other things to boot. Things no one should have to go through. Ben’s determined to help heal Ansgar, to teach him the ways of not only the shifter world but the human one, too. Except there’s a human they need to be wary of, a man who calls himself The Scientist, and protecting Ansgar from him is Ben’s main priority.

 

The past holds a slew of secrets, ones that come tumbling out of hiding at an alarming rate. Ben and Ansgar need to face each one head on—although at times they’re overwhelming and relentless in their attack. The two men dream of living a life without fear in it one day, but unfortunately, dealing with the horrors from Ansgar’s old life have to come first.

 

I’m not quite sure what I thought about this story.  It kept my attention and I wanted to see what happened but it felt disjointed and not fully resolved by the end.  Ansgar is scared when he wakes up in an unknown place outside and even more confused when Ben shifts in front of him, he didn’t know anyone other than him could do that.

 

Ben can’t believe that the man he found in the running fields is his mate but he will accept this gift no matter what.  There was a lot that happened in a short period of time but I had some trouble understanding the characters actions, sometimes so accepting and other times just wanting to forget what happened.  It left me scratching my head.

 

We see the story from both Ansgar and Ben’s points of view and can see what some of their concerns and feelings are.  Ansgar has essentially been held captive his whole life and when he is suddenly free he is happy but doesn’t know what to do, he only knows bits and pieces of things he has been taught throughout the years.  Ben wants to protect his mate but isn’t sure what to do, with all that Ansgar has been through he doesn’t want to make anything worse.  I felt, even though he was with Ben all the time, than Ansgar was kinda left on his own to adapt and they both just mated without really talking.  Ansgar seemed to know somethings quickly or without being told but they were so random I would just get confused.

 

Cover art is very nice and catches your eye.

 

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 113 pages

Published: June 6, 2017 by Pride Publishing

ISBN: 9781786515759

Edition Language: English

A Jeri Release Day Review: Off Stage: Beyond the Footlights (Off Stage: Set Three) by Jaime Samms

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

We met Kilmer briefly in a previous book in this series. His best friend Vance is a country music star who came out publicly for alternative rocker Lenny. Vance and Lenny have a fairly new, but healthy and consensual D/s relationship. Something Kilmer wants. But Kilmer is in a very toxic D/s relationship with Jacko, but he doesn’t see it. Until Jacko pushes his limits just a bit too far.

I really enjoyed that this book showed a couple of different sides to D/s relationships. From really bad ones to really good ones. And how what works for one couple doesn’t necessarily work for another. There is quite a bit of BDSM books out there that don’t necessarily portray the lifestyle accurately.

And while this was obviously not a psychology book, we really get into the mindset of both a Dominant and a submissive. What makes them crave either role and why it fits them so well. Jacko wanted a submissive that Kilmer tried to be, but ultimately couldn’t. Just as Kilmer needed a Dominant but Jacko just couldn’t fill that role.

Slowly but surely, another musician, Tanner, shows Kilmer what it can and should be like to live with that kind of relationship.  Tanner takes the time to nurture this broken man, to show him his worth. But his best friend Vance also pushes him to repair his house to exorcise the memories of Jacko, and to pick up the bass guitar again to lose himself in music.

Kilmer has to learn to love himself, let go of what could have been with Jacko, to accept that his best friend won’t abandon him, and to trust Tanner. Quite a lot for one guy.

We even got a little bit of closure with Lenny and his band from the previous books, which was nice to read.  There was a good mix of on and off page sex so it wasn’t overwhelming as it can be. While this was a long-ish book and I think it could have been edited down quite a bit, it is still a good read.

Cover art by Aaron Anderson is gorgeous and works for the story.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon 

 Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: June 12th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB071J1Y5WS
SeriesOff Stage #3