Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

An Alisa Review:Behind the Uniform Collection by by Toni Griffin, Gregory L. Norris, and Jon Keys

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Behind the UniformUniformed careers are a matter of choice and of sacrifice – military, fire, police, forest service, etc. – and the people who choose these careers are often dedicated to a fault. But sometimes dedication can come with a hefty price. Behind the Uniform illustrates the physical or emotional sacrifice and the hard choices that sometimes come with such all-consuming dedication.

A Wolf in Cop’s Clothing by Toni Griffin
Marcus Holland loves his job as a small town cop and his life with his pack. When his mate, Brian, kissed him goodbye that morning and remarked, “This is Leyburn. What trouble could I possibly find?” Marcus really hoped never to find out. He had no idea how much those words would come back to haunt him as he goes about his duties.

It’s the Hat by Jon Keys
Forest ranger Matt Keller’s frustrations mount as he tries to bust a poaching ring in a Michigan national forest and now he’s discovered that Kyle, the gorgeous waiter he desperately wants to ask out, has an ex-boyfriend hanging around. The ex is bad news, Kyle says it’s complicated, and Matt’s not sure which way to jump. Just as Matt’s puzzling things out with Kyle, his pursuit of the poachers takes a dangerous turn and he could risk losing all the pieces he’s fought so hard to juggle.

The Head Shed by Gregory L. Norris
Milo Hanover is proud to manage a Head Shed. He and the sex workers he supervises are vital to the morale and sanity of troops fighting a ruthless alien invader. When Colonel Dunnegin arrives at the Shed, though, it isn’t for the usual reason. He reveals that humanity needs Milo for the secrets carried in his genetic code rather than his enthusiastic service. In the desperate race to get Milo to the front, he battles his own heart even as he’s thrust into the battleground for humanity’s survival.

 

**Please note: The stories in this anthology will not be released individually.

 

This was a nice collection of stories, each with their own set characters.  Even with a slightly common theme the stories were different and all had very different feels to them.

 

A Wolf in Cop’s Clothing

I have to admit this story is the main reason I wanted to read this anthology.  I have enjoyed the Holland brothers’ form the beginning.  This story focuses on Marcus and Brian, the couple from the first Holland Brothers books.  We were able to see both characters’ points of view and how protective and caring they both are of their children and each other.  It was great to see these characters again and how strong their relationship still is.

 

It’s the Hat

This is a classic story of two people being attracted to each other, but not knowing for sure the other wants them.  We are able to see both characters’ points of view which helps us to get connected to these characters.  In this story Matt has been lusting after Kyle for months, but doesn’t feel worthy to act on his attraction.  Kyle finally has to take the last step for them to see how good they could be together.  I love the glimpse forward at the end.

 

The Head Shed

This story is told from Milo’s point of view and has a dystopian setting.  Milo and John have been hardened by war, but know what life was like before.  Milo gets pulled from his place at the Head Shed because his genetics should be able to help fight against the invaders.  When they are captured he puts himself in harm’s way to save humankind and the man he loves.  This is the only story I had a bit of a hard time with, it kind of just picked up in the middle of this war and even though the author did some background explaining I just didn’t feel connected to these characters or the story.

 

The cover art by Freddy MacKay is nice, but it depicts firemen of which there are none in these stories.

 

Sales Link: Mischief Corner Books | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 143 pages
Published: July 20, 2016 by Mischief Corner Books
ISBN: 9781925313925
Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: Fool’s Gold by Sarah Madison

Rating: 4.5  stars out of 5

Fool's Gold by Sarah MadisonEight years ago, Jake Stanford had it all: a spot on the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team and the love of his life, Rich Evans. A tragic accident wipes out everything in the blink of an eye. Hard work and sacrifice get him another shot at Olympic Gold, but only if he puts his past behind him and agrees to work with Rich again.

Bound by secrets he cannot share, Rich was forced to give up Jake eight years ago. Now he has a second chance to help Jake realize his dreams. But the secrets that drove them apart haven’t changed, and Rich must face them or risk losing Jake forever.

This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Madison and its a wonderful one.  Fools’ Gold fully captures the world of world class horses and their equestrians and the sports they participate in.  If you read the author’s notes and realize Madison herself is both a horse owner/lover and eventer, then its no wonder then she gets the details of this world and horses spot on.  But its as a writer that she’s able to make it come alive for not only the reader such as myself who has horses and has been involved in the horse circuit (at a local level) but for the non-horse person as well.

From the drama and intricacies of getting a team, horse and rider, ready for the big league to what makes a great partnership between horse and rider tick, Madison puts it all down on paper and makes it pulse with the rhythm of the hoof beats and the beating of the hearts of the people involved. Its a great story all by its self.  The drive to find the horse with the will to equal your own, what it feels like when that happens.  Its magic.  And Madison is able to convey that here.

Then all that hard work, all that incredible non-verbal special communication that goes on between rider and animal is overlaid with a romance that is both believable and heartbreaking.

Jake Stanford and Rich Evans are terrific characters and a great thwarted romantic duo.  Torn apart by tragedy, it takes something serious to bring them back together, if one of them will agree to a working partnership once more.  The author makes us feel the pain, the longing and also Stanford’s realistic need for Rich the trainer who understand’s not only him but the horses.  I understood so well Rich Evans side of the story having met so many people in his circumstances, just as I expect Sarah Madison has done as well.  The horse world is strewn full of them, such is the passion for these animals and the need not only to be near them but to be riding as well.

Fool’s Gold by Sarah Madison pulls it all together.  A background, the history and world building, the men and their romance and makes it not only believable but heartwarming and special.  Its a world close to my heart and I believe Madison got it right but made it accessible to those unfamiliar with it.  And then topped it off with a romance to root for.  I loved this book.  I think you will too.

The cover art by Reese Dante is terrific and captures a moment perfectly.

Sales Links

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 238 pages
Published July 28th 2016
ASINB01JB1WHHW
Edition LanguageEnglish

In Our Review Spotlight: Sarah Madison’s ‘Fool’s Gold’

Sarah Madison – Fool’s Gold

 
Author: Sarah Madison
 
 
Release Date: July 29 2016
 
Available on KU
 
Add to you Goodreads here.
 
Blurb
 
Eight years ago, Jake Stanford had it all: a spot on the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team and the love of his life, Rich Evans. A tragic accident wipes out everything in the blink of an eye. Hard work and sacrifice get him another shot at Olympic Gold, but only if he puts his past behind him and agrees to work with Rich again.

Bound by secrets he cannot share, Rich was forced to give up Jake eight years ago. Now he has a second chance to help Jake realize his dreams. But the secrets that drove them apart havenít changed, and Rich must face them or risk losing Jake forever.
Author Bio
Sarah Madison is a writer with a little dog, a large dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. An amateur photographer and a former competitor in the horse sport known as eventing, when she's not out hiking with the dogs or down at the stables, she's at the laptop working on her next story. When sheís in the middle of a chapter, she relies on the smoke detector to tell her dinner is ready. She writes because itís cheaper than therapy.

Sarah Madison was a finalist in the 2013 and 2015 Rainbow Awards. The Boys of Summer won Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewerís Choice Awards. The Sixth Sense series was voted 2 nd place in the 2014 PRG Reviewerís Choice Awards for Best M/M Mystery series, and 3 rd place in the 2105 PGR Reviewerís Choice Awards for Best M/M Paranormal/Urban Fantasy series.

If you want to make her day, e-mail her and tell you how much you like her stories.

Website: http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMadisonFic
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/SarahMadisonAuthor/
E-mail: akasarahmadison@gmail.com

 

A Free Dreamer Review: The Cop and the Drifter by Christiane France

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The cop and the DrifterWhen they first meet in the woods and Brad takes in Davie’s small stature and pretty-boy looks, he assumes the kid is just another runaway. As a cop, Brad has learned to recognize the signs. But Brad is already in trouble with his superiors, getting suspended for “assuming” something on another case, so now he knows better than to assume anything.

Davie, actually in his early twenties and far from being a child, escaped a horrible past and now lives each day living from hand to mouth as a drifter. Homeless and starving, he meets Brad in the woods, and despite their differences, can’t fight the immediate attraction he shares with the older man.

But with both men still trying to deal with their troubled pasts, they quickly realize it’s just not the right time to begin a long-term relationship. When they meet a year later, however, and they feel the same attraction to each other, will they be able to follow their hearts without their pasts coming back to haunt them?


Before I decide if I’m interested in a book, I normally always check the page count. I don’t like short stories, so I rule out books with less than 100 pages. But somehow I managed to overlook the page count for “The Cop and the Drifter” and only realized it was a short story when I started reading.

As with most short stories, this book lacked depth. The plot idea would have been enough for a full novel and 63 pages just weren’t enough to do it justice.

Davie has suffered horrific sexual abuse. He was raped countless times for many years and even spent several years as a sex slave. Davie tells Brad about his horrible past on the very first night they meet. Brad is a complete stranger to him and yet Davie has no trouble talking about the abuse he has suffered. That’s the first thing that bothered me. It just doesn’t seem realistic.

The author didn’t manage to make me care for Davie. His story left me cold. It all seemed very emotionless to me, as if it happened to some unimportant minor character and not one of the MCs.

Brad remained colourless as well. He’s grieving, but once again, the author didn’t manage to make me care about his pain.

The whole story felt a little hurried. Brad and Davie don’t see each other for months after that first night and yet it’s essentially love at first sight. And then they have sex again, and Davie’s history of sexual abuse doesn’t come up even once. He seemed to have made a full recovery within a few months, all without a single hour of therapy.

Overall, “The Cop and the Drifter” had enough going on to fill a full novel. But rather than give the MCs time to heal and for the romance to slowly unfold, Christiane France pressed it all into a short story that just didn’t do her ideas justice. It could have been great, but turned out just okay.

Cover: The cover by Fiona Jade is sweet, but a little generic. There are plenty of similar covers out there.

Sales Links:   Loose Id LLC |  ARe |   Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 68 pages
Published June 28th 2016 by Loose Id (first published May 29th 2010)
Original TitleThe Cop and the Drifter
ISBN139781682521649
Edition LanguageEnglish

Note: This book was previously released by another publisher. It has been revised, lengthened and reedited in this version.

Cover Reveal for Caught Inside By Jamie Deacon (cover reveal, excerpt and giveaway)

CaughtInside

Author Name: Jamie Deacon

Book Name: Caught Inside (Boys on the Brink #1)
 Release Date: September 29, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Blurb

Luke believes he has his life figured out…and then he meets Theo.

It should have been simple—a summer spent with his girlfriend Zara at her family’s holiday cottage in Cornwall. Seventeen-year-old Luke Savage jumps at the chance, envisioning endless hours of sunbathing on the private beach and riding the waves on his beloved surfboard. He isn’t interested in love. Though his rugged good looks and lazy charm mean he can have his pick of girls, he has no intention of falling for anyone.

Nothing prepares Luke for his reaction to Theo, the sensitive Oxford undergraduate who is Zara’s cousin and closest friend. All at once, he is plunged along a path of desire and discovery that has him questioning everything he thought he knew about himself. No one, especially Zara, must find out; what he and Theo have is too new, too fragile. But as the deceit spirals beyond their control, people are bound to get hurt, Luke most of all.

Pages or Words: 83,000

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Young Adult

 

Excerpt

I swallow against the dryness in my throat. “We need to talk.”

No response.

Slowly, as though wading through deep sand, I cross the room until I’m standing right behind him. He grips the edge of the worktop.

“Theo?”

Still nothing. Only the convulsive tightening of his fingers shows he even heard me.

“Theo,” my voice cracks, “don’t do this.”

Theo sucks in a breath. When he replies, his tone is even. “Do what?”

“This. Shutting me out.”

“I’m—”

“And don’t say you’re not, because we both know that isn’t true.” I’m aware of my voice rising, and lower it with an effort. “Just…don’t.”

Theo exhales in a long sigh. He turns to me, his expression distant but not unkind. I wish he’d glare at me, shout, whatever. Anything to show he gives a damn.

“Luke, I’m sorry about this morning. It was a mistake. If you got the wrong impression—”

“The wrong impression? You kissed me. What impression was that supposed to give me?”

He casts a nervous glance at the window.

“What’s wrong, Theo? Worried Giles might hear? I don’t blame you. He’d probably make you bathe in disinfectant for a year if he knew you’d kissed scum like me.” Theo starts to protest, but I shake my head. “You know what? Forget it. So sorry I embarrassed you.”

I need to get out of here. Humiliation, hot and clammy, coils like tar through my veins. Still, what did I expect? Theo’s made it perfectly clear how he sees me, that he thinks I’m beneath him. I grab for the nearest glass, intending to pour myself a liver full of whatever’s in that jug, but my hand shakes so much it slips through my fingers. Glass collides with oak in a minor explosion, glittering fragments flying.

“Shit.” I drop to my knees, begin picking up the larger pieces. I fumble, a jagged shard slicing my palm. “Shit.”

“Luke?” Theo crouches beside me.

“I’m fine.” I turn away from the phony concern in his eyes, fist clenched around the cut to hide it from view. Blood trickles through my fingers and onto my jeans. The pain is almost a relief.

“Let me see.” Theo holds out his hand, but I jerk away.

“I said I’m fine.”

He ignores me. With gentle firmness, he takes hold of my wrist, uncurling my fingers to examine the wound. My body stills. I scarcely breathe. Every nerve ending, every particle of my being is aware of him, the pressure of his fingers on my wrist, his warm palm supporting the back of my hand.

Buy the book

Beaten Track Publishing | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Barnes & Noble

Apple iBookstore |   Kobo  |  ARe | Smashwords

 

Meet the author

Jamie lives in a tranquil spot close to the River Thames in Berkshire, England, and has always been just a little out of place—the only redhead in a family of brunettes; an introvert far more at ease with dogs than with people; a connoisseur of simple pleasures in a society intent on the quest for wealth and fame. Despite an outward cynicism, Jamie is a romantic at heart, and, when not immersed in a book, can mostly be found writing emotional stories where young men from all walks of life are thrust headlong into the breathless, euphoric, often painful whirlwind called love.

 

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Bayou Book Junkie, Making It Happen, Open Skye Book Reviews, Havan Fellows, Happily Ever Chapter, Dawn’s Reading Nook, The Jena Wade, A.M. Leibowitz, Nephy Hart, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Love Bytes, Up All Night, Read All Day, V’s Reads, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Molly Lolly, Louise Lyons, Alpha Book Club, MM Book Escape, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Unquietly Me, Charley Descoteaux, Kirsty Loves Books, Velvet Panic, MM Good Book Reviews

 

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