Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

A MelanieM Review: Midlife Crisis by Rob Rosen

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

midlife-crisisJack is thirty-five and single once again. He is not, as he as quick to point out, going through a midlife crisis. Still, it would be nice to have a partner. And so he sets out on an adventure to find the one-time love of his life, Bing, a man he hasn’t set eyes on in more than fifteen years, a man who has seemingly vanished off the face of the planet. With the help of his family and friends—plus the family dog and, of all people, his high school bully—he goes searching for Bing, only to unearth an ages-old mystery that puts them all in grave danger. In this hysterically funny tale of romance and self-discovery, the question remains right on up to the surprise ending: can we return to our past in order to better our future?

I often forget Rob Rosen’s ability to crack me up until I pick up another book of his, then the memory snaps back into place, along with the laughter as I read his characters hilarious wry, snarky and often wildly funny thoughts and dialog that flows out of their mouths and stories.

Midlife Crisis is another Rob Rosen gem.   Jack, a college professor has just had his last long relationship (6 months) breakup.  And his emotions are a jumbled mess about it. On one hand, he wasn’t in love with the boyfriend, in lust with the sex, ok.  But not with the man.  So time to say goodbye.  But another failed relationship?  That’s that  one that hurts and Jack is trying to see where he’s gone wrong with all the past relationships in his life because none have worked.  And hey!  Jack’s hitting 35, the gay midlife crisis number (according to Jack).  No long a cute  twink, his best cruising dayz behind him, he’s reaching gay old age (in his head).  Listening to Jack’s thoughts rambling on, leaping from one snarky peak to the next without ever hitting a valley of connectivity, is hilarious.

I love how Rosen lay’s out Jack’s life and his thoughts about how its played out.  It helps off course to have  Jack’s best friend weigh in on the matter with his own funny judgements.  Soon Jack has made the fateful decision that the love of his life, Bing O’Malley, must be found.  That the former teen love might hold the answers to the problems of his current relationship woes seems both silly and familiar and all too real.  Yep, its off to his hometown, his folks (who I couldn’t get enough of ) and a gassy Bassett Hound named Chompers.

Let the hilarity ensue.  How it does.

Also some very hot sex.  Many wild goings on, a murder mystery, the Shriners, the mob, even the FBI, as Jack pursues the boy who he loved and who left him, the new hot guy helping him, and  a slew of crazy clues all swirling about Jack’s past.  Plus there’s tons of laughter thrown in.

The writing’s fast paced to keep up with the action ~ in and out of the bed.  I was finished before I knew it or I was ready for the story to be over.  I loved Jack, his parents, Chompers…everything about Midlife Crisis.  And yes, Jack found the answers he was looking for.  Ready for some love and laughter? A murder mystery and hot sex too?  Pick up Midlife Crisis by Rob Rosen, you won’t be disappointed.

 

Cover art works for the character and story.

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Book Details:

ebook, Smashwords edition, 182 pages
Published August 20th 2016 by Fierce Publishing
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Paul B Audiobook Review: Black Balled (Black Balled #1) by Andrea Smith and Narrator Eva LeNoir

Rating Overall:  3.5 out of 5 stars

  • Rating for Story 3 out of 5
  • Rating for Narration:  4 out of 5

black-balled-audiobookLarson Blackburn is an author who is published by an independent publisher.  He has been trying to get his life back together after the death of his father, caring for his mother, and the disappearance of his sister Kennedy.  He believes that his newest novel will help move his life forward.  When influential online reviewer Babu savages not only his book but himself personally, he does the only thing he can think of doing.  Start an online war with the critic, a term he uses loosely.

Tony Babalonia, Babu to the hundreds of fans of his online reviews, is known as a savage critic, and that suits him just fine.  The Simon Cowell of the literary world, he does not hesitate to call a book garbage if he thinks it the term fits.  However, what he views as candor has sent many an author out of the business.  What he did not expect happened two years previously when one of those authors met him in a crowded elevator and stabbed him in the chest, causing his lung to deflate.  This caused Tony to become both a recluse and avoid elevators at all costs.  He cannot believe the audacity of one author, an L Blackburn, to challenge him and the critique he gave his book. 

The two continue their online war via Babu’s review site and personal emails, detailing their own sexual conquests with women.  Then Larson’s ex-wife comes to Babu and hands him information that suggests Larson plagiarized the novel from another book.  Things come to a head (literally) when the two meet at a literary convention.  The two, along with a woman that Larson was taking to his room, become trapped in an elevator at the hotel the convention was being held.  As they were attending a Halloween masquerade ball, neither man knew the identity of the other when sexual hijinks take place.  Will this lead to hurt feelings being eased or ramp them up to greater levels?

When I received the blurb for this audiobook, it said that it was a tale of two dominant alpha males.  I found the two MCs to be more like assholes the first two thirds of the book.  I could really gather neither sympathy nor empathy for either character.  Both characters try to one-up the other in either tales of what one will do to the other or what they have done to women, complete with video to prove it.  The ex-wife, who should be the main antagonist, comes of flat.  When the two men take the revenge on Noelle, it borders on cruel and sadistic.  I must say the sex scenes, especially between the two MCs were hot and well done. 

Narrating a novel from two MC’s points of view can be difficult but Joel Leslie does ad admirable job of doing so.  If I had to stop listening, when I returned, I could tell which of our MCs was currently speaking.  I am not sure if his narration made the MCs seem more distasteful that what was written but he seemed to bring out the true nature of the characters to me. 

Cover art is eye catching and draws you to pickup the story just as it should.

Sales Links

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Book Details

Audiobook, 9 hours 28 minutes, 55 chapters
Published:  June 8, 2016 by Andrea Smith

Audible Audio
Published June 8th 2016 (first published April 27th 2015)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesBlack Balled #1

A Stella Review: Resonance (Village Love 0.5) by Lillian Francis

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

resonance-by-lillian-francisResonance: The quality in a sound. The power to evoke enduring emotions. Sometimes one can result in the other.

Rick Brandt would never have said he was claustrophobic; after all he’s been in plenty of enclosed spaces in his job as the village’s only handyman cum gardener. He even squeezed into a disused coal chute to rescue a trapped dog for an elderly resident. So why did opening his eyes in the MRI scanner induce a breath stealing freak-out that has him jabbing at the panic button.

Luckily, Mal, the radiographer running his scan has a pleasant voice and an excellent bedside manner that soothes Rick’s frayed nerves and rabbity heartbeat. Soon the resonance of his tone has gone beyond calming and Rick is lost in a fantasy of the man behind the voice. But things aren’t always what they seem and when Rick’s shocked surprise at the reality causes offence, the likelihood of him getting to experience Mal’s true bedside manner appears to be slipping away.

Resonance is the first story I read by Lillian Francis. It’s a short, just forty pages, but I soon liked the author style. I found myself captured and curious about Rick and the guy behind the voice who is helping Rick with a panic attack during a MRI scan on his shoulder.

The short was a beautifully surprise especially cause it is very detailed in the writing, an almost unique trait. Characters well delined, medical procedures well explained and an intrigued atmosphere. I truly felt myself in that room with Mal and Rick. It’s very rare to me to find good shorts around, Resonance was a winner.

The cover art by Garrett Leigh is different and I like it.

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BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 43 pages
Published October 25th 2015 by Finally Love Press
ASIN B0176I231W
Edition Language English

Village Love series

  • Resonance #0,5
  • Resistance #1

A Free Dreamer Young Adult Release Day Review: Do-Gooder by J. Leigh Bailey

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

do-gooder-by-j-leigh-baileyNo good deed goes unpunished, and for seventeen-year-old Isaiah Martin, that’s certainly the case. The gun he was caught with wasn’t even his, for God’s sake. He only had it to keep a friend from doing something stupid. No one wants to hear it though, and Isaiah is banished—or so it seems to him—to live with his missionary father in politically conflicted Cameroon, Africa.

However, when he arrives, his father is so busy doing his good deeds that he sends Henry, the young, surprisingly hot do-gooder with a mysterious past, to pick up Isaiah and keep him out of trouble. Even while Isaiah is counting down the days until he can go home, he and Henry get caught in the political unrest of the region. Kidnapped by militant forces, the two have to work together to survive until they are rescued—unless they manage to find a way to save each other first.

“Do-Gooder” was an exciting, action-packed read. The romance mostly took a back seat, since the protagonists were a little busy trying to survive.

I mostly decided to read this book because of the setting. Not a lot of m/m books are set in Africa and I’ve always liked reading about exotic places. We don’t get to read much about the culture, though, since the story is mostly set in the middle of nowhere, with our two protagonists as prisoners of international mercenaries. I didn’t mind too much, since there were plenty of other things to keep me interested.

It’s interesting how the author managed to keep the story so suspenseful, even though it’s mostly set in a single hut and the MCs mostly just talk. Still, there’s the constant worry about Isaiah’s health, the mystery of Henry’s past and of course the mystery of why they were kidnapped and the worry about the next step of the kidnappers.

Even more amazing is the fact that she also managed to keep the feel of the story very realistic. All the explanations we get throughout made sense and the whole plot seemed like something that could totally happen under those circumstances.

The one part I didn’t really like was the romance. Not so much that it played only a minor role, but Isaiah’s feelings felt awfully rushed. It’s pretty much insta-love for him, which is a trope I despise. I didn’t quite buy into the intensity of the feelings. It read more like a crush to me and they just didn’t spend enough time with each other for me to believe that this was grounds for a serious relationship. Maybe Henry’s POV would have helped, because we only get to see Isaiah’s side. As it is, I didn’t really get the impression that Henry was returning Isaiah’s feelings for a long time.

The result was that I didn’t buy into the ending either. It felt like a forced HEA and pretty unrealistic. A HFN ending might have worked better, at least for me.

If you’re looking for a light, fun read, keep looking. This is not the book for you.

If, however, you’re looking for an action packed story full of intrigues and mystery, with a dash of romance, you’ll love this book.

The cover by Aaron Anderson represents the story perfectly: bullet holes and the all-important backpack with an African landscape on it. I’m not too fond of the background colour, but otherwise this is a great cover.

Sales Links

Harmony Ink Press

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Book details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: September 15th 2016 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN 1634772903 (ISBN13: 9781634772907)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

rented-heart-by-garrett-leighLonely and grief-stricken, Liam Mallaney finally agrees to go out with his friends to make an attempt to get back into being social and sociable a year after he lost the man he considered his husband. As he seeks respite outside the bar and tries to decide whether or not to go home, he’s approached by a young man who propositions him. It isn’t until he decides to go with the guy that he finds out it’s going to cost him a wad of money.

Zac Payne has been surviving on the slim pickings in this small town ever since he moved from London to Holkham to start anew after he recovered from a drug addiction that nearly killed him six months before. Because his services aren’t as often in demand here, he has to work long days and nights to earn enough to support himself and his still drug addicted best friend, Jamie. He feels that he owes Jamie since he’s the one who got Zac to the help he needed on time.

When he takes Liam home he gets more than he bargained for however. Liam is a hot, sexy Alpha male who treats Zac differently from any of his other Johns. In fact, it’s the most memorable night Zac has ever spent with a man, and the first time he ever brought one to his own bed. Unable to forget Liam, Zac daydreams of what might be if he wasn’t a hooker, so when Liam contacts him after a few weeks, he gladly accepts his offer of spending the day with him.

In the meantime, Jamie is falling further into his addiction and though Zac knows he’s powerless to help him, when Jamie shows up at the apartment with a cache of drugs, Zac flips out and kicks him out. Distressed, he does something he’ll later regret while spending the balance of the day with Liam, who is rapidly becoming so much more than just a John.

The author takes us through Liam’s healing from the grief and despair that has plagued him for so long, introduces us to the life he shared with his lover, and gives us a glimpse into the real Liam behind the corporate façade he wears to keep the company they founded together running. Concurrently, we explore Zac’s personality, his hopes and dreams, and his deep desire to do whatever it takes to stay sober. We also get to know Jamie and while watching him rapidly deteriorate, not only in body but also in spirit, we learn the depth of Zac’s devotion to him.

There were many layers to this emotional drama, and with each page turn the author kept my interest at a peak with yet another new development or another perspective. Alternating scenes between Liam and Zac, because so much of the story took place when they weren’t together, added depth to the drama. I appreciated the strength of their inner resolve and the commitment each exhibited as they fought through the difficult circumstances that plagued them.

My respect for Garrett Leigh grows exponentially with each book I read from this author. I honestly wish I could give this story more than 5 stars, and I very highly recommend it to those who are looking for a story of redemption and the engaging characters who fight their way through their very divergent circumstances to finally be together.

Cover art by G.D. Leigh.  I love that the author does their own covers  so that what they imagines their characters to be ends up being expressed here.

Sales Links

Riptide Publishing

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Book Details:

ebook, 228 pages
Published September 10th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleRented Heart
ISBN 162649391X (ISBN13: 9781626493919)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Riptide Publishing’s Blog Tour and Giveaway: Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh

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Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh
Riptide Publishing

Cover by: G.D. Leigh
Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

About Rented Heart

Ex-surfer-turned-businessman Liam Mallaney moved back to Holkham, Norfolk, to mourn the loss of his husband. Grief and loneliness keep him a solitary figure, and he likes it that way. There’s no room in his broken heart for anything else.

Rentboy Zac Payne left London and most of his demons behind, but he still only knows one way to make a living. When he spots Liam in a club one night, it seems he’s found his mark. But Liam proves nicer—and their connection far deeper—than he’d bargained for.

Their arrangement quickly becomes too complicated for Zac, who has other things on his mind: namely his BFF and wayward flatmate, Jamie. Zac owes Jamie the world, and even as Jamie’s drug addiction destroys all they have, Zac won’t leave him behind.

Besides, Liam knows nothing of Zac’s home life, too caught up in his own head to think much beyond the crazy heat he and Zac share. But when trouble comes to Zac’s door, putting his life in danger, Liam must set his grief and anger aside to pick up the pieces of Zac’s shattered heart and his own.

Purchase now at Riptide: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/rented-heart

About Garrett Leigh

Garrett Leigh is a British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Black Jazz Press. Her protagonists will always always be tortured, crippled, broken, and deeply flawed. Throw in a tale of enduring true love, some stubbly facial hair, and a bunch of tattoos, and you’ve got yourself a Garrett special.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible. That, and dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. Garrett believes in happy endings; she just likes to make her boys work for it.

Garrett also works as a freelance cover artist for various publishing houses and independent authors under the pseudonym G.D. Leigh. For cover art info, please visit blackjazzpress.com.

Social media:
Website: http://garrettleigh.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighbooks
Cover art enquiries: blackjazzdesign@gmail.com

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rented Heart, one lucky winner will receive $25 in Riptide Publishing credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on September 17, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!