Category: M/M Book Reviews

RIPTIDE TOUR: Assassins: Nemesis by Erica Cameron (giveaway)

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Assassins: Nemesis (Assassins #2) by Erica Cameron

Riptide Publishing
Cover by: Damonza

Read an Excerpt/Purchase it Here

 

About Assassins: Nemesis

Being orphaned and almost kidnapped in the space of a week sent Blake Marks into hiding. For months, Blake tries to help the Calvers—a family of vigilante bodyguards—investigate the people behind the hit on Blake’s father, Isaac, but then the safe house is compromised. Just as hired thugs storm the house to grab Blake, Daelan Calver dives into the fight, getting them both out alive.

Hiding isn’t an option anymore, but hit squads, under-the-table deals, and international espionage? Blake has no idea how to handle any of it, not even with Daelan’s family there to play teachers. The one thing Blake knows for sure is that there are only two options: keep up with the Calvers or get out of their way.

But even with the Calvers’ help and the glimmer of a possible future with Daelan giving Blake hope, chances of survival keep shrinking. The man who ordered the hit on Isaac may be dead, but his partner is viciously cold-blooded, and her plans could change the course of history. Blake wants to finish what Isaac started, but it’s looking like someone is going to die before this is over. And that someone might be Blake.

Now available at Riptide: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/assassins-nemesis

About Erica Cameron

After a lifelong obsession with books, Erica Cameron spent her college years getting credit for reading and learning how to make stories of her own. Erica graduated with a double major in psychology and creative writing from Florida State University and began pursuing a career as an author.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, dance fan, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, ex-Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Connect with Erica:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Assassins: Nemesis, one lucky winner will receive $30 in Riptide Publishing credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 14, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

This title is #2 of the Assassins series.

Release Blitz – The Road To Frosty Hollow – RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

The Road to Frosty Hollow 

RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Authors: RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2icRc7r

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2hFe16R

| AllRomance 

 
Blurb
 

Nick and Cameron face old demons, and find new love, on a Christmas road trip.

Former Marine Nick Sheridan is at a crossroads. With his entire life ahead of him he struggles to find direction and his place in the world. Car sharing to get home for his sister’s Christmas wedding seems like a good idea at first. Spending the time with the man he kissed and left years before, maybe not so much.

Cameron Bennett lost most of his teenage years to cancer and he now lives every day to the fullest. He decides to drive from Seattle to Vermont for his best friend’s wedding and capture moments of it on film. He hadn’t planned on car sharing with the man who kissed him ten years ago, but somehow he ends up with a brooding Nick by his side.

Along the way, the men learn that sometimes life plans mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Love can be found in the most unexpected of ways, and facing your demons head on is sometimes the only way to live.

 



December 26 – The Way She Reads, Urban Smoothie Read
December 28 – BooksLaidBareBoys, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews
December 30 – MM Good Book Reviews, Making It Happen
January 4 – Jim’s Blog
January 9 – Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books, Reading in Sarah’s Corner, The Novel Approach
January 11 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Geekery Book Review
January 12 – Diverse Reader
January 16 – Alpha Book Club, Wicked Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, Book Lovers 4Ever

Author Bios

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

mailto:rj@rjscott.co.uk

www.rjscott.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/author.rjscott?ref=ts&fref=ts
www.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scott
twitter.com/Rjscott_author
www.librarything.com/author/scottrj

Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.

Website/blog: http://www.meredithrussell.co.uk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meredithrussellauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeredithRAuthor
Instagram: http://instagram.com/miss_meredith_r
Email: meredithrussell666@gmail.com

You can find Meredith’s blog on cover art, including information and portfolio here:
http://meredithrussellart.blogspot.co.uk

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An Ali Audiobook Review: Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh and Narrated by Craig Beck

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
betweenghosts_audiobook2400In 2003, journalist Connor Regan marched through London to add his voice to a million others, decrying the imminent invasion of Iraq. Eight months later, his brother, James, was killed in action in Mosul.

Three years on, Connor finds himself bound for Iraq to embed with an elite SAS team. He sets his boots on the ground looking for closure and solace—anything to ease the pain of his brother’s death. Instead he finds Sergeant Nathan Thompson.

Nat Thompson is a veteran commander, hardened by years of combat and haunted by the loss of his best friend. Being lumbered with a civilian is a hassle Nat doesn’t need, and he vows to do nothing more than keep the hapless hack from harm’s way.

But Connor proves far from hapless, and too compelling to ignore for long. He walks straight through the steel wall Nat’s built around his heart, and when their mission puts him in mortal danger, Nat must lay old ghosts to rest and fight to the death for the only man he’s ever truly loved.
I first read this around this time last year.  I was excited to get the opportunity to try this on audio because I had loved the story so much when I read it.  I’m happy to say that it was just as good on audio.  Connor is a journalist who has been an anti-war protester in the past. After his soldier brother dies Connor feels that he never really knew James and he fears James didn’t know how much he loved and respected him. Trying to find some peace in regards to his feelings about his brother Connor finds himself on a mission to Iraq with a SAS team. He’s going to do a series of articles showcasing what it is that the soldiers do and how they feel about their jobs.

Nat is the leader of that team and he’s been in war zones for years. He’s lost a lot of friends, as well as big pieces of his heart. He’s not happy about being stuck with a journalist but he quickly finds himself drawn to Connor and he’s challenged to start opening up the emotional parts of himself that he thought were long gone. Nat’s lost men in his command before that he feels responsible for and he’s consumed with fear that something might happen to Connor on his watch and that’s something he can’t live with.

The story is mostly set in Iraq so there is fighting and bloodshed. I didn’t find especially violent though and I do not think it will be an issue for most. There are some social and political issues raised but nothing that makes it preachy in either pro or con views. The war as a back drop to a budding romance just served to highlight the beauty of these two men’s relationship.

The highlight of this book are the relationships. Not just between Connor and Nat but between each of them and the other men in the group. Also important are the “ghosts” in their pasts. The brother that Connor lost and the best friend who’s death Nat feels responsible for. I loved both Connor and Nat and found them to be great MC’s. I empathized with what both of them were going through in the course of the story.
This is narrated by Craig Beck and I thought he did an excellent job.  There are a number of voices in this story and it was never difficult to tell them apart.  Also, there are a lot of emotions in this story and I think he did a great good making them all come through.  It added an extra level to what was already a poignant story.
This is an audio that I would highly recommend.  Everything about it is good.  It’s a unique story with an emotional plot and great characters and it is extremely well narrated.
The cover by Garrett Leigh:  I think this is a great cover and it fits the story very well.
Sales Links
Audiobook Details:
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An Alisa Review: Quarry (The Vampire Guard #2) by Elizabeth Noble

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

quarryThe members of the Vampire Guard—Jonas Forge, spy and soldier turned cop; computer hacker extraordinaire Blair Turner; Declan, thief, con man, and ex-pirate; and medical examiner and werewolf Dr. Lucas Coate—face a dangerous and elusive enemy.

 

And this time, it’s personal.

 

Over the course of three hundred years, a man has touched each of their lives in ways they are only just realizing. When a hunt for a psychotic killer in the present resurrects memories and clues from the past, they discover how they have been affected and are bound by the existence of a ruthless vampire criminal. Now, while preventing a heist at a high-tech art show and thwarting several large-scale explosions, the team must employ their unique blend of science and supernatural abilities to put an end to the machinations of the man toying with their lives.

 

This time, he won’t slip through their fingers.

 

This time, it’s more than a case. It’s a hunt, and Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas won’t stop until they’ve captured their quarry.

 

This was a great continuance of the Vampire Guard series.  These four characters are wonderful for each other; they can play off the others’ strengths wonderfully.  This book kept moving with another twist just around the corner to keep the reader’s interest.

 

In this story we see even more of the characters’ backgrounds and how they are connected.  I love how connected all of the friends are and not just the soul mates when disasters happen and when they are just laid back.  They are all surprised by the additional connections they find to each other while working on this case.

 

I loved seeing them play off each other’s strengths to solve the mystery and catch the bad guy.  Being able to see the thoughts and emotions of the four main characters goes a long way to understand what is going on in the story and to stay connected with the many characters.  I will commend this author, she does a wonderful job with her writing of keeping the characters separated that I don’t get confused and have to check back on which character I am focusing on at the time as I often to in other books.  I am loving this series and can’t wait to read more when they come out.

 

Cover art by TL Bland is great and is following the basic pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links: DSP Publications | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages

Expected Publication: January 17, 2017 by DSP Publications

Edition Language: English

Series: The Vampire Guard #2

 

A Caryn Review: Boyfriend Goals by Clancy Nacht and Thursday Euclid

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

boyfriend-goals-by-clancy-nachtI really, really enjoyed this book.

Even though the reason for the fake boyfriend charade was, frankly, stupid.  The book was saved by the wonderfully human and vulnerable MCs that I just fell in love with.

Trey is 21 years old, finishing his junior year at a liberal east coast college, and majoring in social justice and everything about as far left as you can get.  He has points to prove, and a world to change (and kudos to the authors for capturing that youthful passion and idealism so well!).  He comes from privilege, with wealthy conservative parents, who just don’t quite get him.  For instance, when he announces to his parents that he is bisexual, they are a little disconcerted, but not upset and are pretty sure that he’s just going through a phase, and start encouraging him to settle down with a nice girl because he’s old enough for that now.  Although he is quite passionate about all the social issues he embraces and active in groups and clubs that support them, he is personally a little awkward and insecure, and has trouble connecting with people.  His only long term relationship was with a girl in high school, and throughout college he has limited himself to drunken hookups with men.  Now that he’s getting closer to graduation, he wants to prove to his parents that he is really serious, really into guys, and in a move endearingly reminiscent of college age hubris and immaturity, decides that having someone pose as his boyfriend when he goes home for the summer is a great way to accomplish that.

Lee is also a junior at this college, but he is much less sure of what he is doing and where he is going with his life.  He’s on the swim team, and his friends are mostly other jocks.  He needs somewhere to stay for the summer (his scholarship only covers the dorms during the regular school year), so a mutual friend of his and Trey’s suggests they spend the summer together as a way to solve both of their problems.  It’s not said explicitly at this point, but it’s pretty obvious that he is homeless because he’s gay.  And it’s equally obvious that he is closeted because he fears other people will react equally negatively.  Spending the summer with Trey’s family, posing as his boyfriend, seems like a great idea not only because he will be fed and housed, but also because he can drop the pretense of being straight.

The backgrounds these young men come from couldn’t be more different, and both of them come to realize how little of the world they know by being exposed to each other.  Trey knew that he was privileged, but didn’t realize just how much that privilege protected him and allowed him to challenge the status quo without worry of repercussions.  He thought he was oppressed because his parents wanted him to pursue a different career and were not 100% supportive of his bisexuality.  Seeing that Lee has become, quite literally, homeless, disowned, and without any safety net solely because he is gay, was something of a shock to Trey.  Hearing about Lee’s situation growing up in a large, blue-collar, Catholic family with alcoholic parents, and watching how Lee tried to reconcile the differences between who he is, what he believes, and what he wants to become despite this background is also an eye-opener.  Lee, on the other hand, saw what life could be like without hiding who he is or trying to conform to narrow-minded expectations.  That conflict and growth in both characters was far and away the best part of the book.

As the summer progressed, both of the men found more and more to admire about the other, and they fell in love for real, though they tried to hide it from each other, thinking there was no way it could ever work because they were just so different.  In the meantime, keeping up the pretense of being boyfriends in front of the family, with all the little affectionate touches and endearments, led to a level of sexual tension that was just delicious.  There wasn’t much sex in the book because of this, but it had a captivating slow burn that I just adored.

The crisis that finally led them to acknowledge their love was pretty artificial, but I wanted them to proclaim that love so much, I was willing to accept almost anything at that point.  The book ended with a pretty firm HFN – this is, after all, college and people change – but Trey and Lee were right where they should be, smarter, more compassionate, and more confident from being together.

Cover art by April Martinez is lovely, and perfect for the book.

Sales Links

Loose id LLC

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 175 pages
Published October 10th 2016 by Loose Id LLC
ASINB01MFX3H9D
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Paul B Review: Breaker (Exile #1) by Kelly Wyre and A.F. Henley

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

exile-breaker-coverIn a world of unintended effects, what was supposed to be The Cure, has given a portion of the population side effects.  The government, or what’s left of it, gathers these people.  Either they use them for their own purposes (human lie detectors among others) or keep them locked up for “the public good.”  However, there is this mythical island where the Estranged as they are called can escape to and life free from fear of capture.  But does this island really exist?

Kaeva knows that this island exists.  He’s been living there for the past eight years after twelve years on the streets.  Now thirty-six, he lives a solitary life on the island, away from the city.   When emotional, Kaeva has a tendency to short out electrical equipment.   His touch has even short circuited the brains of fellow humans as Kaeva points out that the brain is a bunch of cells tied together by water and electricity.  He is upset when the island leaders tell him to retrieve the newest “intake” who should be washing ashore soon.

Eddie has been scared of being detected for the past 22 years.  A recent college graduate who majored in English Literature focusing on ancient 20th century comic books.  However, after receiving the Cure, he has been hearing voices in his head.  These voices are of various people who are about to commit a crime.  However, Eddie never knows where these voices come from nor is he able to help any of the victims before it is too late.  Thinking silence is better than these voices he can’t control, Eddie decides to go to his uncle’s place to end his life.  However, on the way to the airport, he believes he’s been scanned and runs.  He meets a stranger who tells him of Exile, a sanctuary for Estranged.  As his original plans are impossible, Eddie figures he might as well go there.  If things don’t work out he can end his life there just as easily.  When he reaches the island, he does not quite know how to deal with the man who has been assigned to transition him into life on Exile.

I liked the combination of Kaeve and Eddie together.  Kaeve is anti-social in part because he wants to be but primarily because he HAS to be.  Eddie is a young, rich (which is unusual for the times) and naïve college graduate who majored in what most of today’s ten year old boys do today—comic books.  Other than the disappearance of his friend (who would be called a horse whisperer), Eddie has not seen life as tough as Kaeve has lived.  Kaeve is scared to death of accidentally killing someone while Eddie doesn’t know whether or not he wants to live.  Eddie wants Kaeve but Kaeve knows that to get close to him is a death sentence.  When Eddie finally touches Kaeve and nothing happens, hope abounds on both sides.  But without a purpose, Eddie still doesn’t know if he wants to live or not.  This is an intriguing opening book to this new series.

The cover art Aisha Akeju is perfect for the book.  It shows the beach where Kaeve is sent to meet Eddie when he first washes ashore on the island.

Sales Link

Purchasing Link to Less Than Three Press

Book Details

EBook, 340 pages

Published:  January 10, 2017 by Less Than Three Press

Edition Language:  English

ISBN:  9781620049334

Series:  Exile

Breaker (Exile, Volume 1) Blog Tour and Giveaway by AF Henley and Kelly Wyre (excerpt and giveaway)

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Breaker (Exile #1) by Kelly Wyre and A.F. Henley
Less Than Three Press

Welcome to the Breaker (Exile, Volume 1) Blog Tour and Giveaway! We’re both super excited about this new release and thrilled to be able to share it with you. Throughout this tour, we’re going to be introducing many of the characters within, and associated with, Exile’s bizarre shores, as well as introducing Exile itself. Then we’re going to top that off with a quick little teaser.

However, before we get into any of that we wanted to remind you that we’ve got a couple of awesome giveaways going along with the tour so be sure to read through to the end to find out how you could win either a Silver-plated Starfish Anklet (just by leaving a single comment!), or the grand prize of a signed, print copy of Breaker, a coordinates bracelet with the Believe. Seek. Prove. reminder so you can always find your way back to the island of Exile, and a $20 gift certificate to the Less Than Three Press book market.

The Character Discussion

Kelly Wyre: Let’s just dive right on in… What are we doing again?

AFH: But I hate diving.

KW: I hate water. But hey, we all make sacrifices so we don’t stink up public transit. So. Right. THE ISLAND! This post is about the ENTIRE ISLAND. So if Exile could talk… and tell us something… what WOULD it say?

AFH: Get off my lawn! (The number of times Kelly facepalms while we write these is AWESOME.)

KW: (Yes. The perma-hand-print on the forehead look is SO in…) It might, in fact, say that. The get off my lawn schtick. It might also say, “Feed me.” Or maybe… “Thanks for the Barrier!” or “Never a dull moment!” or “Why me?”

AFH: Or, “Did you SEE what those two were DOING up there?! RAWR.”

KW: Oh, there’d be a fair amount of THAT too. Like, a lot of it. And also, “Damn, son, stop wearing the pointy heels.”

The Teaser

The farther into the ocean they went, the darker the water got, giving up the gray undertones for a deeper blue. Clouds, stretched wide and thin, clung to the horizon and gave the illusion that they had settled onto the water instead of in the sky, and brilliant prisms of light caught every ripple of the water’s surface. Eddie was intrigued, more by the fact that the boat seemingly had a destination than by anything else. Did the fisherman really know of an island? Not Exile, for sure, but an island; something the man probably figured he could pass off as Exile and get himself a few new wardrobe additions along the way. It would be nothing more than a clever ruse, a very clever one that had even managed to fool Rivet, but he had to give the guy kudos for coming up with such a scheme. Find an island, send out word that it was the fabled island of Exile, and dump a few dozen or so passengers on it. The best that could happen, for the fisherman, anyway, was that the island was abandoned and the people he dropped there would be stuck with no way to pass on the info that the scheme existed. After all, the island had to be a hell of a way’s out. There was nothing around them but cold, blue water. In all honesty, if someone could find their way back, they’d be too embarrassed to say anything about their ill-fated trip to get the fisherman in any serious trouble. And if they weren’t embarrassed and did speak up, who the hell would believe them?

When the boat’s engine died some time later, Eddie’s mind suddenly began to come up with a new idea on how the man could get away with his ruse. It had a far more sinister premise. He looked across the boat, swallowed hard, and watched the fisherman pull from behind his post at the wheel.

“This is where you get off, boy,” the fisherman drawled. He stopped several feet away from Eddie, stuck both hands in the deep pockets of his pants, and rocked back on his heels. “Good luck.”

Eddie’s eyes widened. He looked from man to water, from water to man, and huffed a dry laugh. “I don’t understand.”

The man nodded at the railing. “You do the rest from in there. I don’t go any farther than this.”

“You mean you want me to…”

The man nodded.

“Like… swim?”

The man nodded again.

Eddie gestured in the general direction of anywhere but the boat. “There’s no island, though. Just water. And…” He paused, swallowing again. He said, “Fish,” but he thought, sharks. Stingrays, water snakes, things with teeth and spikes, oh my.

“Come on, man.” Eddie’s voice was nothing more than a whisper, but the fear and the plea in his tone was obvious. “Don’t do this.”

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Breaker (Exile Volume 1)

Copyright © 2017 by Kelly Wyre and A.F. Henley

Purchasing Link


Blurb

Breaker

In the wake of several near-cataclysmic events, humanity created the Cure, a DNA-altering antidote to death by disease and old age. But all cures come with side effects: a small percentage of the population develops a wide range of powers, some of which are lethal to others, and some which are lethal to the wielder.

These people are called the Estranged, hunted and shunned, safe only on the Island of Exile. It is here that Kaeva and Eddie meet—and where they set a prophecy in motion, quite possibly sealing their own demise, and even the end of Exile.

Genre: Gay, Urban Fantasy

Notes: contains some explicit content and includes thoughts and discussions of past and potential suicide

The Giveaway

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On behalf of the tour, please join one, or both of our giveaways.

Simply leave a comment below to be entered into a random giveaway for a silver-plated starfish anklet (and whatever else we can stuff into the envelope). Winner will be selected by random number at the close of the grand prize giveaway, one winner per blog post.

Also, enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a signed, print copy of Breaker, a coordinates and message bracelet, and a $20 gift certificate to the Less Than Three Press book market.

For all the terms and conditions, please check out the t’s and c’s posted on the Rafflecopter.

** Please note the grand prize giveaway is being offered tour-wide and there will be one winner awarded for the entire event.

ENTER RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE:

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A great big thank you to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting us today, and another to you for joining in on the fun. Best of luck with the giveaway and we hope you enjoyed the post!

Until next time,

Kelly Wyre and AF Henley ❤

About the Authors

Kelly Wyre enjoys reading and writing all manner of fiction, ranging from horror to romance. She used to work in advertising but is now happily chained to her writing desk and laptop. Kelly relishes the soft and cuddly and the sharp and bloody with equal amounts of enthusiasm. She’s a coffee addict, a workaholic, a chronic night owl, and loves a good thunderstorm. Currently Kelly resides in the southeastern United States.

Connect with Kelly!

❧ Website ❧ Blog  ❧ Twitter ❧ Facebook ❧ Fan Page ❧ Google Plus
❧ Tumblr – NSFW! ❧ Pinterest ❧ Amazon Author Page ❧ Goodreads

Henley was born with a full-blown passion for run-on sentences, a zealous indulgence in all words descriptive, and the endearing tendency to overuse punctuation. Since the early years Henley has been an enthusiastic writer, from the first few I-love-my-dog stories to the current leap into erotica. A self-professed Google genius, Henley lives for the hours spent digging through the Internet for ‘research purposes’ which, more often than not, lead seven thousand miles away from first intentions but bring Henley to new discoveries and ideas that, once seeded, tend to flourish. Henley has been proudly publishing with Less Than Three Press since 2012.

Connect with Henley

♥ Website  ♥ Twitter  ♥ Facebook  ♥ Amazon Author Page

♥ Google Plus  ♥ Tumblr – NSFW!  ♥ Instagram  ♥ Goodreads

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Off Base (Out of Uniform #1) by Annabeth Albert

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

 

off-baseAfter trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike’s flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike’s arrival would spark from Zack’s teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can’t refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won’t be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He’s an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he’s had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can’t risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack’s restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn’t know how to be the man Pike deserves.

In Off Base, Annabeth Albert works her magic again in this first story of a new series.  We meet the emotional mess that is  navy SEAL Zack Nelson as he’s entering a bar with Pike, someone who’s within the circle of friends they share.    Its immediately clear that Zack has issues with his sexuality, his attraction to men and Pike.  How deep his problems are and wide ranging is something the author lets us find out as the story continues.

Pike’s character is laid down here as well in the opening scenes.  Out, kind, smart and sexual.  You like Pike immediately.  He’s as  engaging as Zack is screwed up and vulnerable (yes, he’s a navy SEAL but its realistically written).  They are puzzle pieces made for each other if only they can work it out.

Albert lays out her groundwork for Zack’s problems and they are as believable as they are painful.  Pike too has his own layering and issues to solve.  He’s a new professor at college trying to find his way as a teacher with his students, trying to keep his heart intact…trying not to fail at so many things that he may miss out on the one thing he wants above all else.

While you have the sexy, emotional journey going on between Zack and Pike, there’s another as well.  Its the one happening between Zack and his SEAL teammates during training.  Some of it is very ugly and its not all their fault as Zack is trying to deal with things on his own.  This is a second important storyline that plays out here.  I think Albert again does a great job and I can’t wait to see how it carries through to the next novel.

There is a couple from my favorite series #gaymers that appears here. I hope to see more of them.

In short?  I loved this story.  It has heart, angst, and romance.  Its sexy and its a wonderful new start to a series.  Now for the next book!

Cover art is sexy if somewhat generic.

 

Sales Links

Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Expected publication: January 9th 2017 by Carina Press
Original TitleOff Base
ASINB01LLPCCMG
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesOut of Uniform #1

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Lagniappe (Iron Lace #2) by Mercy Celeste

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

lagniappe-by-mercy-celesteThis story is an exemplary sequel to what was a wonderful story, Behind Iron Lace. In this one, Caleb and Darcy are now in Oregon, building the restaurant Caleb dreamed of. The taste of New Orleans meets Oregon here, and the bad boy is settling down.

One of the little glitches that turns out to be a major issue is that the chef is Caleb’s cousin, Bubba, imported from Louisana, and he still has the hots for Caleb as he did when they were eighteen year olds caught in the act. It doesn’t matter that he has a wife—he’s out to get Caleb away from Darcy. And in the meantime, Darcy has his own problem—his former best friend and life partner, Bailey, has come for a visit, and Darcy doesn’t want to see her. She cheated on him and then ran his magazine into the ground when he left it to her as he escaped to Oregon. Plus she’s eight months pregnant with the cheater’s child. What’s to like?

Jealousy, anger, and surprises abound when all of this comes to a crisis just before Christmas, and the surprise Darcy receives is nothing he could ever have expected and neither could the readers! I loved it. If you like Mercy Celeste, by all means read Behind Iron Lace and then read this one. It’s terrific! BIL should be read first though, as this one isn’t really a standalone.

Cover art by Jay Aheer of Simply Defined Art features a stunning, apparently nude male torso in a black-and-white photo.

Sales Link

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 83 pages
Published December 6th 2016
ASINB01N9ET2JC
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesIron Lace #2