A MelanieM Advent Calendar Review : The Orpheum Miracle (2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug) by Pat Henshaw

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

the-orpheum-miracleChristmas joy is a matter of perspective. For some, it’s the happiest time of the year. For others, not so much.

Twenty-nine-year-old Mick, the son of crack addicts, isn’t exactly a dyed-in-the-wool Scrooge. Mick’s been on his own from childhood. As a teen, he lived in a shelter where for a short time he had a boyfriend. After the boyfriend left, Mick moved to the Orpheum Theater. While squatting there and taking care of the grand old building, Mick watched others celebrate the holidays from a distance, never able to share in their joy.

Only his Technicolor dreams liven his dull, mechanical life until one day the world around him begins to change. Mick is surprised when a man named Jim buys the vintage Orpheum and plans to restore it. Something about Jim makes Mick think they’ve met before. In fact, Jim rekindles Mick’s longing for a better life and a little holiday magic for himself.

Pat Henshaw has written a delightful story of a magical theatre who manages a holiday miracle for a lonely man who’s never been able to leave his past behind.  Mick’s story of loss and shelters becomes real in The Orpheum Miracle.  Now grown, Mick lives in the old theatre, hidden at night, and during the day, one of her maintenance men keeping her  going.   Then she’s sold and her new owner wants to refurbish her and return her to her old glorious self.  When Mick realizes the new owner reminds him of his boyhood friend and love lost, the story moves into magic.

As with all of Pat Henshaw’s stories, they could all be easily expanded in full novels.  The plots, the characters and the world building often  cries out for the full-blown treatment.  So does The Orpheum Miracle.  But if that never comes to pass, I’m so happy that I got to read Mick and Jim’s story.  It perfect for the holidays or any time of the year.

Cover by Paul Richmond works for the series and its delightful.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 25 pages
Published December 1st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781635331660
Edition Language English

Cover Reveal and Release Blast: Tarnished Souls by Dev Bentham (excerpt and giveaway)

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Title: Tarnished Souls
Author: Dev Bentham
Release Date: December 16th 2016
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance

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Tarnished Souls is a series of contemporary romance novels centered around Jewish holidays:

Life can be hard. Hard enough to leave two men tarnished and hopeless.They might be too damaged to see the truth in each other, but just maybe finding their bershert, their true love, will finally make them shine.

Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

BOOKS IN THE TARNISHED SOULS COMPILATION

Learning from Issac

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It’s hard to break out of a rut. For years, Nathan submerged himself into his job at St. Genevieve’s. He enjoys teaching, hates faculty meetings, loves his science and has committed himself to the cycle of college life. Along the way, he’s become resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics, and single in a world of couples. Then the brilliant Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac’s a few years older than his fellow students, gorgeous, self-composed and Jewish.

Isaac has his own secrets, which Nathan finds out at the racy new club downtown where the boys who dance out front can be bought in the back room. Nathan thinks he’s about to get a lap dance, but behind the beaded curtain the man on his knees turns out to be Isaac. Nathan’s mind isn’t the only thing Isaac blows. Afterward, Nathan can’t stop thinking about that night. The question is whether Nathan can let himself fall in love with a student, much less someone with Isaac’s checkered past. Is it too late for a student to teach his professor the true nature of love and respect?

Publisher’s Note: This book contains graphic imagery of men having sex together. And enjoying it. However, the story is primarily a romance. Don’t be disappointed if you read pages and pages and pages without encountering acts, organs or orgasms.

Fields of Gold

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Life is full of compromises. That’s what Avi Rosen tells himself. He’s a yeshiva boy turned historian, working on his dissertation and stretching his meager stipend by moonlighting as a closeted politician’s houseboy. Their relationship used to feel like a real affair. Lately it seems more like a job.

It isn’t until he meets someone decent that he realizes how corrupt his life has become. Pete is a tall blond farmer who charms Avi with his dazzling smile and his straightforward life. But even if he can believe this refreshingly honest man doesn’t have his own political agenda, will Avi find the strength to emerge from the dark life he’s chosen and find a future in the sun?

Sacred Hearts

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Life’s a gamble–and lately David Schwartz’s partner has been losing so much that David must close their restaurant, the hippest little place in Portland. He sells everything and moves back home, but at thirty-five, he’s not eager to sleep alone in his childhood bedroom or to be supported by his father for the second time in his adult life.

David’s had enough. He needs to start over, maybe with someone like the elusive man he’s been seeing in his dreams. An old friend offers him a job catering a movie set in Puerto Vallarta. It’s been years since David’s alcoholism spun out of control along the highways of Mexico. Determined to experience Mexico sober, he stuffs his few remaining possessions in a backpack and takes the next flight down.

As Mexico prepares for Christmas, David lights Hanukkah candles, celebrating the return of the sun and wishing for true love. On the first night of Hanukkah, David meets a tall, dark stranger who rocks his world in a secluded moonlit cove. Is this the mystery man of his dreams–the answer to David’s prayers? And what must David sacrifice to make his dreams come true?

Bread, Salt and Wine

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Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. At thirty-eight he’s a troubled man. Escaping his miserable life as a banker in New York, he moves across the country to start again in Los Angeles as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant. Kenny Marks, a writer who’s currently waiting tables, is everything George cannot be—flamboyant, proud and sexually confident. Enthralled by Kenny, and against his own better judgment, George agrees to a date. Sparks fly. The sex is amazing. But even after the two get close, George is crippled by humiliating sexual hang-ups. Still haunted by his childhood, he lingers in the closet and can’t commit to a relationship with Kenny.

Love is the great healer, but is it enough? George’s emotional scars could drive Kenny away, and with him, George’s last chance at happiness.

The books in the Tarnished Souls series can be found on Goodreads

EXCERPT

(from Fields of Gold)

Jack stood in the bathroom, straightening his tie in the mirror. “I don’t know how late I’ll be tonight.”

“Okay.” I lay naked on the bed, watching him get ready.

“I left some cash on the table. We’re almost out of coffee. Maybe you could get groceries.” He gave the tie one last tug, picked up his briefcase, ruffled my hair and left.

I stared at the ceiling. My ankle and ass both throbbed. I glanced at my wrists where red bracelets of bruises were beginning to purple. What would they have looked like if the cuffs hadn’t been lined with fur? I rolled one sore shoulder and the other before levering myself up to sit on the edge of the bed. This new kink of Jack’s wouldn’t have been my first choice. The only really sexy thing about the whole evening had been seeing Pete’s mouth around my cock. And that had been imaginary. Although Pete had been pretty clear it didn’t have to be. I shook my head. That thought wasn’t something I could indulge right now.

The crutches would be on the living room floor where I’d dropped them before Jack had half carried, half marched me to the bedroom. Pink flesh bulged around the bandage on my ankle. I unwrapped it, trying not to wince as pain bolted through me every time I moved. The swollen outside of my ankle was deep red and dark blue. At least it matched my wrists.

I stood on my good leg and hopped to the kitchen. Ten twenties lay on the kitchen table, still crisp from an ATM. He must have stopped at a cash machine on his way down. There was about half a cup of coffee left in the pot. I poured that, grabbed the ice bag from the freezer, propped my foot on a chair, and tried not to think too hard about my life.

GIVEAWAY: Win a paperback copy of Nobody’s Home by Dev Bentham

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About the Author

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I write contemporary gay romance. My characters are flawed and damaged adult men who may not even know they’re looking for true love, but when they meet their bershert, their true love, their lives are transformed. My stories are set in the real world where gay men have gay friends, families who do or don’t accept them, personal histories they’re not necessarily proud of and a myriad of experiences that have made them who they are.

I live in Northern Wisconsin with my Boston Terrier and Chicago spouse. I’ve published short stories, poetry, newspaper articles and academic papers and have worked in nearly every profession from restaurants to retail to open-water diving and now write m/m romance out of my fascination with love, courage and gender.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

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An Alisa Review: Night Train To Venice (Night Train #3) by Carolina Valdez

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

night-train-to-veniceDiamonds may be a collector’s best friend, but for Dante Rocco, a courier for precious stones and metals, the next delivery could mean death.

 

Someone is robbing and killing couriers of precious gems and metals in Europe. Global Diamond Couriers in New Orleans assigns their human Italian, Dante, to make a major delivery in Venice. Although pickpocketing is the usual crime there, a wary Alexandros, Dante’s vampire lover, insists he and Malcolm, the other staff immortal, go along as bodyguards.

 

In Rome, they board the Orient Express to Venice, and Malcolm is welcomed by Nick, a human steward whom he’d met years earlier. The hot, younger man seduces him into a whirlwind romance. But when Nick appears unannounced in their secret Venetian hotel, he’s sucked into a maelstrom of danger and deceit none of them may survive.

 

This was a wonderful story.  It is great to see Dante and Alex still together celebrating their one year anniversary while in Italy again.  Malcolm has been envious of Alex and Dante’s relationship and realizes something is missing in his life, when he meets Nick again after so many years he can’t help but grab him and hold on.

 

Dante and Alex are still going strong and Alex even gives Dante a wonderful present on the train.  Dante will do anything for Alex, even suffer through the attentions of the vampire duke, knowing that no matter what Alex will find him and protect him.  Malcolm and Nick are sweet, they had met a party years before but Malcolm thought he was too old for Nick and Nick was never able to find him.  Nick takes the initiative to get them connected again, but once they start Malcolm jumps right in.

 

We see all four of the main characters’ points of view in this story and can see their struggles and feelings.  Dante has to convince Alex that he wants only him no matter what, while Nick has to learn to deal with the reality of a life with vampires.  I’m so happy Malcolm found someone in this story and they have an outlook of a great future together.

 

Cover art is great and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 258 pages

Published: 2nd Edition, October 6, 2016 by MLR Press

ISBN: MLR1020160627

Edition Language: English

Series: Night Train #3

A Lila Release Day Review: Holiday Weekend (Buchanan House #5) by Charley Descoteaux

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

holiday-weekendRyan Orchard moved from small-town Idaho to Portland almost two years ago and still feels like a hick. When Paulie Nesbitt dumped him, he wasn’t even surprised. Despite losing twenty-five pounds since then, Ryan’s confidence is nonexistent, and his life has stalled. Not only is he convinced the career he wants is beyond his reach, he’s given up on relationships. A new job at a familiar restaurant—and his gorgeous coworker—could be just what Ryan needs to believe in himself again.

Glenn Hernandez might be the only nineteen-year-old in Portland who dreads his days off. Between his horrible housing situation and the ever-present temptation to crawl back into the bottle, Glenn prefers to keep busy. He volunteers at the Elliott Foundation House, a homeless shelter helping LGBTQ former sex workers. As an alum of the shelter himself, Glenn finds it hard to leave his past behind. But when the new server at the trendy restaurant where he works catches Glenn’s eye and works his way into his heart, Glenn finally has a reason to start a new life.

Holiday Weekend is a sweet novella. Just like Pride Weekend, this is a short and to the point side story. We get to see the main characters from the other books, but they are simply part of the overall atmosphere. In reality, Glenn’s and Ryan’s story don’t interfere with the relationships of those living at the Buchanan House.

This story has a more new adult feel than the others. It takes us through Glenn’s and Ryan’s journey of self-discovery and trust. They came from different backgrounds, but circumstances only made them stronger in the end. I’m glad for the slow burn and the time they spent getting to know each other.

Both characters were flawed but they were able to be there for the other. They worked well together, and that translated to their relationship. They were sweet and almost innocent, even after everything they went through. And I loved seeing how real Glenn’s day to day struggle was.

I wanted to see a little more of the time frames that were skipped over, but I understand the constraints of a novella.  It’s nice that they got their HEA, but it was just too fast for the reader to really get invested in the couple. Overall, this story is a nice addition to the series.

Another perfect cover by L.C. Chase. It matches the series and the holiday season just like the story itself.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 125 pages
Published: December 16, 2016, by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 1634778200 (ISBN13: 9781634778206)
Edition Language: English

Series: Buchanan House
Book #1: Buchanan House
Book #2: Pride Weekend
Book #3: Tiny House
Book #4: Safe House
Book #5: Holiday Weekend

 

A Stella Advent Calendar Review Day 16: Crashing the Party (2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug) by Ginger Streusel

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

crashing-the-partyRetail workers and evil never get a day off, and traveling printer salesman Kale Green is no exception. He might look like a Jolly Green Giant, but he can be a real Grinch. Working on the holidays can dampen anyone’s spirits, and on top of that, a sleepy Georgia town has it out for Kale and his car. From fender-benders to flat tires, Kale and his trusty company car Bessie suffer through it all.

While everyone else enjoys holiday parties, Kale drives down south to demo printers. Business is good, but on Christmas Eve, the weather turns bad. A few patches of ice put an end to Kale’s Christmas plans—a night alone with his video games. While Kale waits for the police, his only consolation is the company of fellow driver Wes Armstrong. As festive as a Christmas tree and as jolly as Kris Kringle, Wes proves unexpectedly charming. Kale never thought he’d crash right into a crush.

Crashing the Party was a surprise, I didn’t know the author and was a little skeptical when I understood the story was told using flashbacks. I admit I’m not a fan of this kind of writing choice, nonetheless in this case it was a winner.

I deeply liked the writing style, the book is so well written it made the reading easy to follow and quick. It made me actually like those flashbacks, because the author let me know how they met, how they flirted and how Bessie, the car, was hurt more than once. Crashing the Party left me in a good mood, I love stories about established couples so reading about Kale and Wes knowing they got their HEA and are celebrating another year together, was really beautiful.

I feel free to recommend this holiday short by Ginger Streusel.

The cover art by Paul Richmond is awesome like everything he works on.

Sales Links

        

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 24 pages

Published December 1st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN 1635331781 (ISBN13: 9781635331783)

Edition Language English

In Our New Release Spotlight: Plaid versus Paisley (Fabric Hearts #2) by K.C. Burn (author interview)

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Plaid versus Paisley (Fabric Hearts #2) by K.C. Burn
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Cover art by L.C. Chase

Available for Purchase at

        

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Hello! I’m KC Burn and I’m thrilled to be here, chatting about me and my writing process, as well as a bit about my new release, Plaid versus Paisley, the second in my Fabric Hearts series.

  •  Where do you normally draw your inspiration for a book from?

I find inspiration in a number of places. I sometimes get inspired from dreams – my first sci-fi book, Spice ‘n’ Solace, were inspired by a dream. The second book in my Toronto Tales series, Cover Up, arose the route I used to drive on the way visit a friend. She lives in an area where a lot of college students rent housing, and one of the houses always had a cop car parked there, because, presumably, a cop lived there. I started wondering how hard it would be for a cop to live in a place where – perhaps – he’d have to deal with a roommate engaging in illegal acts. From there, the idea just grew. New stories often trigger ideas, and sometimes just the simple of act of writing inspires. I don’t do a lot of planning, so often the secondary characters in my book will give me ideas about how they could have their own happy ever after.

  •  Are you a planner or a pantzer when writing a story? And why?

I’m absolutely a pantzer! I do very little planning. One time I tried, I ended up with a scene description that said “and then something happened” – and that’s a direct quote! I wrote a book with a bit of a mystery (North on Drummond) which is 99K words. I didn’t know until 70K who done it! Plaid versus Paisley wasn’t supposed to have any paisley at all – it was supposed to be all plaid! But once I realized how antagonistic Dallas and Will were going to be initially, the paisley just sort of happened organically and I went with it. As to why I’m a pantzer? I don’t know. Honestly, I think it’s just that I’m not very good at planning. Books, anyway. I can plan a vacation down to the minute!

  •  Contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction narratives or something else? Does any genre draw you more than another when writing it or reading it and why does it do so?

All of them! Actually I was surprised about how much I like writing contemporary because I tend to prefer supernatural, sci-fi, or mystery/thriller elements in my personal reading. But there’s something challenging about writing a book that has to fly on the merits of your characters and their everyday life. And hopefully I manage it.

  • Can an author have favorites among their characters and do you have them?

I don’t know if I can speak for other authors but I definitely have favourite characters that I’ve written. Rick, who is featured in Cast Off, Stratford from Pen Name: Doctor Chicken, and Tate in the sequel to Plaid versus Paisley (which is in edits now) are so dear to my heart. I think it’s partly because they’re a little broken, or a lot broken, depending on your perspective, and yet they keep surviving. They keep fighting. Rick and Stratford aren’t, I don’t think, universally loved by my readers, but that’s okay. I still love them!

  •  If you were to be stranded on a small demi-planet, island, or god forbid LaGuardia in a snow storm, what books would you take to read or authors on your comfort list?

Oh so many! In no particular order, I’d probably include: James Rollins, Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, Mary Calmes, Amy Lane, Megan Derr, Douglas Adams, Kristin Higgins… I know I’m missing more. I’m away from home as I write this, and can’t see my bookshelves for reminders!

  • How early in your life did you begin writing?

I knew when I was 10 years old I wanted to be a writer. After reading The Lord of the Rings, my dad got me a book called Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. I really liked Tolkien, but I adored Pawn of Prophecy. That book cemented the idea that I wanted to write books. Although I started a number of books from there on out, I didn’t actually finish my first book until I was in university. It sucked pretty hard and will likely never see the light of day.

  •  Were you an early reader or were you read to  and what childhood books had an impact on you as a child that you remember to this day and why?

My parents read to me as a kid, and I was also an early reader. I do recall a number of books that stuck with me when I was young, in addition to Pawn of Prophecy that I mentioned above. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling – I can still remember my third grade teacher reading that to the class, in her proper British accent. To this day, I still love that book. The Hardy Boys series – I adored those, and they kept me busy on long road trips. They also might have had something to do with my love of mysteries. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – I loved the way it expanded my mind. That was definitely a stunning book, just thinking so far beyond myself, about the greater universe.

Thank you again for having me here!

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Blurb

Two years after his life fell apart, Will Dawson moved to Florida to start over. His job in the tech department of Idyll Fling, a gay porn studio, is ideal for him. When his boss forces him to take on a new hire, the last person he expects is Dallas Greene—the man who cost him his job and his boyfriend back in Connecticut. He doesn’t know what’s on Dallas’s agenda, but he won’t be blindsided by a wolf masquerading as a runway model. Not again.

Dallas might have thrown himself on his brother’s mercy, but his skills are needed at Idyll Fling. Working with Will is a bonus, since Dallas has never forgotten the man. A good working relationship is only the beginning of what Dallas wants with Will.

But Dallas doesn’t realize how deep Will’s distrust runs, and Will doesn’t know that the man he’s torn between loving and hating is the boss’s brother. When all truths are revealed, how can a relationship built on lies still stand?

Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks.

About the Author

KC Burn has been writing for as long as she can remember and is a sucker for happy endings (of all kinds).  After moving from Toronto to Florida for her husband to take a dream job, she discovered a love of gay romance and fulfilled a dream of her own — getting published.  After a few years of editing web content by day, and neglecting her supportive, understanding hubby and needy cat at night to write stories about men loving men, she was uprooted yet again and now resides in California. Writing is always fun and rewarding, but writing about her guys is the most fun she’s had in a long time, and she hopes you’ll enjoy them as much as she does. 

Visit KC at her website, on Twitter, on Facebook, or find out about new releases by signing up for her newsletter.

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Striking Sparks by Ari McKay

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

striking-sparksThe stakes are high and the heat is on.

Beau Walker, owner of the Barbecue Shack, needs the help of Jake Parnell, his one-time rival and secret crush, in a televised barbecue competition. Beau is a proud man, but the stakes are high, and smart, sexy Jake is his only hope, even if being around Jake reawakens the attraction he’s fought for years.

Jake left his hometown, determined to build a life somewhere his sexuality wouldn’t hurt his family’s restaurant business—and far away from hunky, obstinate Beau Walker. Then his twin, Josh, is killed, and Jake returns to support his brother’s wife and children. Despite his reservations, he agrees to go head-to-head against Beau on national television. Between stress and grief, as well as pride and determination, only one thing is certain—the heat between Beau and Jake extends well beyond the kitchen.

Striking Sparks was a fun romance for me on severa levels.  A lover of bbq and cooking shows,  I enjoyed the storyline of a bbq competition between two family owned restaurants known for their brisket and all things smoked, two men who’ve been rivals in some way from their high school years brought back together by tragedy and bbq.  And I have to say, Ari McKay pulled it off.

The authors known as Ari McKay did an excellent job with the location, making both the small town and the townspeople believable.  And that cooking and receipes?  Mouthwatering.  Between the different ingredients each added to make their briskets or bbq a standout, I wanted to dash into the kitchen and try them out myself.  I got the feeling that McKay knows the differences between a KC sauce and a Carolina one, and that love of their subject matter shines through here.

Then there’s the tragedy that brings Jake home, the death of his twin brother.  This aspect of the story is poignant and real.  Jake’s pain over his deep loss of both his brother, the life he’s worked so hard to establish in the city?  That translates into real emotion on the pages here.  You are able to easily  connect with Jake as he shoulder’s his responsiblities to his brother’s widow and children, regardless of his feelings and grief.

Beau Walker took a little more work.  Not because he wasn’t likable as a character. He is but because some of his ‘flaws” became tired after a point.  As did his language.  In other hands, his collogualisms might have sounded natural.  Here they didn’t always come off as such.  I liked the “local boy” pride they built into his character but for all his belief in his restaurant and cooking, that seemed to disappear when faced with Jake and his college degree even though Jake didn’t have the cooking experience.

Finally, I guess that other thing that I had some issues with is their relationship.  Jake had to have been strong to have done all he did in high school, break away, make a new life for himself elsewhere.  Then come back and take over his brother’s restaurant.  Yet all that melts away for Beau.  It comes back for the competition and then he seems to become , I don’t know, someone less.  Maybe its me, but out of all of this book, it was the romance that didn’t really do it for me.  I loved everything else.

I thought the  writing was excellent, the plot was great, even the characters, alone, worked.  I’m just not sure I thought they worked together as well as I had hoped.

Maybe you will find you don’t see that at all.  Striking Sparks has plenty of bbq, great plot and sweet romance to sway you.  Its another lovely story in the Dreamspun Desires series from Dreamspinner Press.

Cover art by Paul Richmond works perfectly for the story and plot.  Love it!

Sales Links

        

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Expected publication: December 15th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634771542
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Audiobook Review: Sweet Young Thang by Anne Tenino and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

sweetyoungthang_audiobookThanks to Collin Montes, Theta Alpha Gamma now welcomes gay and bisexual students. Persuading his Uncle Monty, president of the TAG Alumni Association, that the open approach won’t adversely affect TAG’s reputation is Collin’s own first step toward coming out. As long as there are no repercussions, he’ll escape the closet by graduation.

Enter repercussions, stage left: someone rigs the TAG House water heater to launch through the ceiling, then plants a bomb—thankfully unsuccessful—in the fraternity’s basement. Now Collin has his hands full not only trying to convince his uncle that this might not be the work of homophobes, but also dealing with a fratful of brothers worried about their kegger fridge.

Paramedic Eric Dixon can’t stop thinking about the kid he met during a call at his former college fraternity house. The age gap between them is trumped by sexy eyes, so when Eric sees Collin again at the bomb scene, he pursues him. Soon, Eric is dreaming of being a househusband, fighting to keep Collin safe from whoever’s trying to destroy the fraternity, and helping his sweet young thang realize that repercussions sometimes have silver linings.

Sweet Young Thang is a May-December story with a New Adult twist. The age gap between the main characters is only fifteen years, allowing them to have more things in common than differences. At the same time, it’s easy for Eric to identify with the changes and challenges of Collin’s life. We get to see both troupes move the plot forward without one taking over the other.

The story arc, not the romance, seems a bit over the top at times—as well as Eric’s involvement in the investigation. All the events contributed in bringing them together, but after that were irrelevant. I like the author’s effort to bring more to the table than a simple romance, but sometimes those work too. 

And that’s what we see here. A love story that started from a far-fetch circumstance, but that, in the end, was strong enough to carry the MCs to their HEA. I’m glad the age difference didn’t turn into a daddy fetish. Eric and Collin were great together. Their chemistry wasn’t limited to the bedroom. Their sense of humor and corky personalities made them a lovely couple. 

I like how independent each main character was. Even after all the things that were happening around them, they stayed as equals and made an effort to work in their developing relationship. They were also great with their friends and families. Some aspects might have been a little too cliché, but in the end, they worked. 

Overall, a nice addition to the series. Great characters and a romance story with a long lasting happily ever after. 

As always, Nick J. Russo can read the yellow pages and make them shine. The voices for the characters carry over from previous books, making it easy to go back into the Theta Alpha Gamma world. All the new characters are as well-rendered.  

The cover by L.C. Chase matches the style of Frat Boy and Toppy and depicts an important scene in the story. 

Sales Links:  Riptide | Audible, Amazon, iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Length: 10 hours and 9 minutes
Published:  October 28, 2016 (Audio Edition), by Riptide Publishing
ASIN:  B01M6934ZA
Edition Language: English

Series:  Theta Alpha Gamma

  • Book #1: Frat Boy and Toppy
  • Book #2: Love, Hypothetically
  • Book #3: Sweet Young Thang

An Alisa Advent Calendar Review Day 15: All I Want for Christmas… Is No Christmas by Colton Aalto

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

all-i-want-for-christmas-is-no-christmas-by-colton-aaltoAlec Ryder’s arrest in Aspen, early on the morning of December twenty-fifth, is the latest disaster in his series of unhappy Christmases. He’s dreaded the holiday since being subjected to endless church services as a child. Being kicked out on Christmas Day after he came out to his parents, followed by an improbable series of yearly yuletide trips to the emergency room, haven’t made his Christmases any merrier. But getting busted for prostitution is the worst catastrophe; it means Alec’s dream of a college degree is gone, replaced by the specter of jail time.

 

Just when Alec thinks things can’t get worse, Hayden Adler shows up to interrogate him. Hayden is a glamorous attorney who also happens to be Alec’s college roommate’s cousin. Alec’s had a crush on Hayden for years, but whatever miniscule chance Alec might’ve had is now history—just like the life he’s been trying to build for himself.

 

But things aren’t quite what they seem. In a long line of miserable Christmases, Alec will never forget this one, although not for the reasons he suspects.

 

This was a nice short story.  Alec has been supporting himself since he was kicked out of his house for being gay in his teens.  After he is arrested he is even more humiliated when Hayden is the one to question him, they have both been dancing around each other for years.

 

Alec is so defeated from his arrest you couldn’t help but hope everything would work out for him.  Hayden opens his eyes to what they could have and makes it clear he isn’t afraid of them being together.  It takes a not so wonderful experience, but it ends in the best Christmas Alec has ever had.

Cover art by Paul Richmond is the Bah Humbug brand cover.

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Book Details:

ebook, 35 pages

Published: December 15, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

Edition Language: English

A VVivacious Release Day Review: Thanks a Lot, John LeClair by Johanna Parkhurst

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5
 
thanks-a-lot-john-leclairEmmitt LaPoint loves playing hockey. Hockey has been his refuge from the world ever since he was little. He is the golden boy of Colby, Vermont what with being the captain of the high school hockey team and having a near perfect GPA but he is also gay.
 
Emmitt finds it hard to reconcile his love for Dusty with his love for hockey because as he knows it there are no gay hockey players in the NHL. But when things between Dusty and him deteriorate, he has to take a stand for what he wants in his life irrespective of what his Dad or the world at large seems to want for him.
 
My only bone to pick with this book is that when it ended I wanted more! Lots more! I almost wish I could read about Emmitt forever.
 
This book was engaging and so very interesting. It was also incredibly well written. One of things I didn’t like about the first book was that it seemed to be composed entirely of facts with very little exposition. Also the lack of exposition made me feel that things in the first book were happening at break neck speed which could have been intentional on the author’s part but it put a dent in my reading experience. So I am delighted to acknowledge that those dents in the first book were completely hammered out in this book. It was just so beautifully written.
 
This story was written in first person and I have realized that first person narratives are especially lovely when you can relate to the narrator and that is what I loved about this book, the fact that it made me fall in love with Emmitt. I pretty much already loved Dusty, Casey and the Mortons but as the first book is mostly focused on Dusty’s life at home, I hadn’t really formed any opinion on Emmitt. So this book was an eye opener for me. One of the things I loved about Emmitt was that he realized that being impressive and courageous can actually be very tiring, even if it comes instinctually to you, when people start to expect it from you. But in this regard I loved what Coach Jackson had to say, I think I fell in love with him over his words.
 
“You think success is some trophy you put on your shelf? Some number you graduate high school with? Success isn’t something you hold up for other people to look at. It’s a life that’s filled with happiness. Hope. Meaning. Things like that. That’s what the goal is. You end up with any of those things, and it won’t matter how many trophies and numbers you have to show off.”
 
This book deals with so many themes but the most consistent theme that runs throughout this book is that of coming out. But don’t let that statement pigeon hole this book for you because it has so much else to teach. One thing I love about the young adult/new adult genre is that I always get to learn something and on that count this book is a treasure trove. And then there was hockey.  Ice Hockey is a sport I have fallen in love with only on the basis of what I have read of it in mm romance novels, I have no idea if I will enjoy its real life counterpart but I am not in any hurry to find out especially because I have really fallen in love with how it is portrayed in these books and especially this one. I love the whole new dimension that sports can add to a story and I loved how that aspect was used in this book.
 
This book is a must read. It is awfully amazing.
 
Cover Art by Anne Cain. I liked the cover but somehow I can’t agree with the choice of the font for the title what with all its sharp edges and the decision to have the title spread over so much of the cover.
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Book Details:
ebook, 204 pages
Expected publication: December 15th 2016 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN 1634774299 (ISBN13: 9781634774291)
Edition LanguageEnglish
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