Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review : First Priority (Priorities #1) by Este Holland

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

The blurb sounded very interesting so I looked forward to starting this book. Unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations.  Truman was obnoxious in his haughty conceit and demeanor and by 30% I was ready to DNF. But—and it’s a big but—I wanted to give this new author a chance to show me her work so I went on and, although Truman never became likeable (IMO), he wasn’t quite as bad once I got to know him.  An Oscar-winning actor, former model, and highly sought after bachelor, it’s no wonder Truman thinks he’s hot stuff, so it intrigues him when one of the young men he meets at the “after-Oscar” party isn’t all that impressed.

Yay for Adam. Smart man. And one of the only smart moves he makes in this story. Twenty-seven-year-old Adam suffers from social anxiety and is an introvert. He’s a writer of litRPG books and happens to currently be living with a (mean) stepbrother while his apartment is cleared of mold. Unfortunately, Adam comes across as childish and immature and there’s no way on God’s green earth I can see these two enjoying a date together or time hanging around the house, as they did in the book. It was like watching a shark and his little minnow-sized fish as the shark told the fish how compatible they were and the minnow alternated between nodding his head yes and then swimming away.  In addition, Adam’s character and actions in some situations was OTT fem and teen-girlish. I don’t think the author deliberately intended him to come across that way, since his fem side was never mentioned as such, but I was very put off by his reactions in certain situations since they reminded me of my daughter when she was in her late teens. And, most certainly, they were not the reactions of a twenty-seven-year-old adult man.

The plot consisted mostly of Truman trying to win Adam’s interest and then Truman whisking Adam away once their relationship becomes known in the media so that he can protect Adam, and as a side benefit, get to know him better, and vice versa. They fly to Ireland and boat out to Truman’s private island where they do indeed get to know one another better and the virginal, shy Adam eventually gives Truman what he wants. Because—here on the island is where Truman’s true self shows, and the real, non-actor comes out. This reader wasn’t really impressed. To me, the shark got his minnow and became sold on wanting more and more minnow. In any event, the threat eventually disappears, Adam loves Truman’s home, his extended family in town, and—surprise—Adam loves Truman and Truman loves Adam.  All is HEA in their world.

Sadly, this is not a story I can recommend. Of note: the cover features a bearded handsome man in a white T-shirt with a look of arrogance on his face—one eyebrow raised and an “I am the greatest” look about him. Sums up my opinion of him well, and if I’d seen the cover first, I may not have read the book.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 183 pages
Published October 15th 2019
ASIN B07Z7CVDCN
Series Priorities #1

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Earthquakes (New Amsterdam #4) by Kelly Wyre

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This is the fourth book in the series focusing on Ellis and his crush on one of his customers from the firing range named Bryndon. Previously Ellis seemed enamored with Clark; there is definitely still hero worship involved, complicated by doing BDSM scenes with Clark and his husband, but Ellis knows the difference between what he has and what he wants. He’s decided that he wants Bryn.

I was irritated when Ellis “realizes” he’s in love with Bryn, even though he’s only spoken a few sentences with the guy. Having said that, in the same conversation Daniel was talking to Ellis about Clark, which I loved. So, while the recapping will let you read this as a standalone, it has more emotional impact if you’ve read book one, story 1.1, and book three. Once Clark, Daniel, and Lucien try to help Ellis get noticed by Bryn, their worlds crash together. Bryn’s friend Medea is annoying, but she is also a force of nature as she helps play matchmaker. It’s also nice to have wealthy friends Ellis can borrow a plane from whenever he wants. While this widens the friends as family cast, the focus is on the two main characters. The alternating points of view between Ellis and Bryn actually made me worry for both of them.

Bryn is a ballet dancer with mental health issues. The creepy parts of this are him being haunted by someone who’s dead. He keeps everyone at arm’s length, but Ellis sneaks into his thoughts…and then Ellis ignores all Bryn’s boundaries. Even though he is the submissive, it is Ellis that pushes this whole thing forward. The more the author reveals about Bryn, the less likeable he is to me. At the same time, I see why Ellis wants to save him. His mother has been emotionally abusive his whole life so it’s not any different when Bryn goes home for his father’s funeral, Ellis in tow. Unfortunately, most of this is about Bryn’s revenge on his Mom and a plot twist that seems to have been written to heal Bryn. For me, it all comes down to this: how can Ellis trust Bryn to tie him up, to hurt him? Ellis is basically a saint, but I thought he had a somewhat healthy view of the situation until he agreed to a scene when Bryn was angry, under stress and emotional duress, and had been drinking. This was just a big turn-off for me. I was not convinced that the cathartic release was worth more than having this be safe and sane.

While love will not cure mental illness, it can give a person hope and support. If that had been the focus, I would have enjoyed this more. Complex PTSD would make sense for this character, but the author chose to have Bryn be on antipsychotics. My understanding is that hallucinations can be suppressed, not cured–even his epiphany, his closure, wouldn’t stop real hallucinations that require antipsychotics. In the end, even though there is a happily ever after, it didn’t seem realistic to me. There was no follow-up about the state of Bryn’s mental health, no therapy, no mention of Ellis meeting Bryn’s therapist, no way to know if Bryn was still having hallucinations or still taking medication…the whole thing is just dropped out of the plot. I know this is fiction, and I applaud having mental health issues being represented, but it does a disservice to people if it’s not portrayed accurately or just used as a plot device until it’s no longer needed.

The cover design is by Natasha Snow. It matches the rest of the series with the city view, but this one shows Bryn–dancing, but to me also wrestling with his darkness

Sales Links:  JMS Books LLC | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 228 pages
Published September 28th 2019 by JMS Books LLC (first published February 29th 2016)
Original Title Earthquakes
ASIN B07Y3TL7XB
Series New Amsterdam #4

Don’t Miss Out On the Release Blitz for Irises in the Snow by Isabelle Adler (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Irises in the Snow

Author: Isabelle Adler

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: November 4, 2019

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 25300

Genre: Contemporary, Anxiety, artist, childhood friends, Christmas, contemporary, family drama, holiday, second chances, small town

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Synopsis

It’s Christmas, and Justin’s life is fraying at the edges. The family business he took over instead of going to art school is bleeding money, and his boyfriend of seven months cheated on him. Under these circumstances, family gatherings can be rough, but Justin believes he has everything under control. That is, until Elliot, his former best friend (and the first guy to ever break his heart) unexpectedly shows up at the holiday dinner party.

With both of them still nursing the wounds of the past, it might take a real Christmas miracle for Justin and Elliot to learn to appreciate the art of second chances.

Excerpt

Irises in the Snow
Isabelle Adler © 2019
All Rights Reserved

The Rowel family home greeted Justin with familiar smells of cinnamon cake and fresh pine. In his mind, these scents had always been associated with the holiday season and long evenings spent around the dinner table or playing Scrabble in front of the fire. They were enough to ease some of the ache in Justin’s chest, softening his mood a tiny fraction.

“Justin!” His father clapped him on the shoulder and pulled him into a hug, which Justin carefully returned. “I’m glad you could finally make it.”

Despite the long remission, his father still appeared frail—or so it seemed to Justin, who, like most children, had grown up with the illusion his father was invincible until the universe proved him wrong.

“Of course,” Justin said. “You know me; I can’t say no to mom’s cooking.”

His father raised his eyebrow skeptically, undoubtedly recalling the string of last-minute cancellations and half-hearted excuses for not coming over in the last few weeks.

A familiar wave of guilt washed over Justin. With everything that had been going on, he knew he’d be hard-pressed to withstand his parents’ well-meaning inquiries into his personal life and into the state of the family business, which had become Justin’s sole responsibility. He couldn’t bring himself to tell them just how badly both those things were going.

He cranked up his smile to a new level of dissimulation, but thankfully, his mother emerged from the kitchen before his dad could challenge his statement.

His mother wiped her hands on her apron and reached up to plant kisses on Justin’s cheeks.

“Everybody is already here,” she told Justin as she led him by the arm into the living room as if he’d forgotten the way. “I love it when the house is full.” Her tone was a touch wistful as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze before returning to the kitchen.

Justin supposed having them all together was a rare occurrence these days. He lived in a one-room apartment above their hardware store, and his sister Trish had recently moved in with her fiancé. Nowadays, only the holidays presented an opportunity for Kelly Rowel to gather all of her loved ones, and, despite having to close the shop early on Monday to attend the day-before-Christmas-Eve family gathering, Justin was glad he could do something to make his mom happy. But as soon as he entered the brightly lit living room, he came to a screeching halt.

A fire already crackled merrily behind the grate. Huge red and white socks adorned with hand-embroidered names hung off the mantelpiece, decorated with a fake holly arrangement making its yearly appearance in the Rowel household. The TV showed a romantic comedy set in the Swiss Alps, as far as Justin could tell at a cursory glance. His sister Trish, her fiancé Dave, and Aunt Marnie sat glued to the movie while Uncle Tony fiddled with his iPhone.

None of them, however, had the dubious honor of grabbing Justin’s attention. That belonged to the young man wearing trendy gold-rimmed glasses and the blandest Christmas sweater in existence, sitting ramrod-straight in Dad’s old armchair and seemingly engrossed in Anne Hathaway’s foreign love affair.

No way. What was he doing here?

Justin didn’t know how long he stood in the doorway, transfixed, until his father, coming up behind him, gave him a slight nudge.

“Look who I have here!” he announced, and everybody, including the young man and Uncle Tony, raised their heads and turned his way.

“Hey, Justin!” Trish got up to meet him and give him a vigorous hug.

They sure were an affectionate lot, he thought absently as he hugged her back. Once, all that warmth was what kept him going. Now, it seemed almost…superfluous.

“Hi, Trish,” Justin said when she let up, and nodded to the rest. “Aunt Marnie, Uncle Tony, Dave. Elliot.”

“Oh, right.” Trish finally seemed to recall there was someone else present. “Mom invited Elliot to spend the holiday with us. You remember Elliot?”

Justin nodded curtly, unable to tear his eyes away from their guest. He definitely remembered Elliot Turner.

The man in question stood up, vacating his seat for Justin’s dad, and extended his hand in greeting.

“It’s nice to see you again,” he said.

Elliot’s voice was deeper, more mature than the last time Justin had spoken to him. Somehow, he seemed taller too. His gray eyes behind the shiny glasses regarded him seriously.

“Sure,” Justin said politely, shaking his hand. “It’s been a while.”

“Five years,” Elliot said.

“I was sorry to hear about your parents,” Justin said.

An awkward silence, accentuated by the chatter from the TV, settled around the living room at the mention of the tragedy. Trish and Aunt Marnie exchanged a nervous look. Really, did they expect Justin to just ignore what had happened?

When he’d heard of the terrible car accident last year, he tried calling Elliot in Los Angeles, but Elliot never picked up the phone or responded to Justin’s email in which he offered his condolences. That, above anything else, made it perfectly clear Justin was no longer welcome in his life.

So what was he doing back, standing in Justin’s parents’ living room?

“Thank you,” Elliot said gravely.

Suddenly, Justin was aware he was still holding Elliot’s hand and let it go, taking an involuntary step back. He wasn’t prepared for all the half-repressed memories dragged to the surface by Elliot’s touch—and he certainly wasn’t prepared to deal with them in front of his notoriously meddlesome, if well-meaning, extended family.

Elliot stepped away as well, dropping his eyes. The sudden loss of contact felt like…well, a loss.

“Is Mark coming?” Trish asked, peering behind Justin’s shoulder as if expecting to find his boyfriend loitering in the corridor.

“No,” he said curtly.

“Oh, that’s too bad. Maybe he’ll join us tomorrow, then?”

“I don’t think so. How are your studies going?” he asked Trish, desperately trying to divert her focus elsewhere.

“I’m doing great. Passed all my midterms.”

“With flying colors,” Dave said.

He rose from his seat to shake Justin’s hand as Elliot stepped aside to make room for him and plopped back down, taking over half the couch in a casual sprawl. Dave was a big guy, tall and built like a quarterback. Trish was taller than Justin by an inch, and nearly as broad in the shoulders, but Dave made her seem petite in comparison.

“That’s terrific,” Justin said, his voice warming.

His plan of going to art school had gone up in flames and then slowly fizzled over the years as other considerations took precedence over the illusions of youth, but at least it hadn’t all been for nothing. With her athletics scholarship, Trish had been accepted to UIndy, and as long as she got to achieve that dream, he was happy to do anything he could to support her.

“I can’t believe you got even paler, though,” Trish said, casting a critical eye over him. “And thinner. Are you auditioning for the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past?”

“You’re the one to talk, Trish,” Aunt Marnie observed primly. “That’s the trouble with young people today. You can’t be bothered to take care of yourselves. Eating sandwiches in front of the TV instead of sitting down for a proper meal, chugging all those soft drinks, always on your phones instead of having a nice long conversation over the dinner table.”

She glanced disapprovingly at Uncle Tony as she said it. Justin couldn’t tell whether her dissatisfaction stemmed from his being effectively absent from the proceedings, or that his preoccupation with his own mobile device undermined her point of it being the affliction of solely the younger generation.

Justin rolled his eyes and caught a glimpse of Elliot doing the same. He pretended not to notice.

“Oh, shush, Marnie.” Justin’s dad, John, tsked in annoyance at his sister-in-law as he settled comfortably in his shabby armchair. “Leave the girl alone. The last thing she needs is your dieting advice.”

“Just so you know, I eat healthier than all of you,” Trish said, sitting back down on the sofa beside her fiancé. Thankfully, she wasn’t ruffled by her aunt’s comment. Unlike Justin, she had always boasted a sunny disposition and staunchly refused to let bullies of any variety upset her. “And I drink nothing but fresh juice and water. Carbonated for special occasions.”

Dave snickered and petted her arm lovingly.

“Yes. Well. You must be tired, dear,” Aunt Marnie said, changing the subject and addressing Justin. “Why don’t you sit, put your feet up for a bit? Now, are you sure your young man isn’t coming? I had such a nice chat with him when you brought him over for Thanksgiving. Did you know—”

“I’m sure,” Justin interrupted her. Elliot’s gaze was like a laser beam trained on him, but he refused to meet it head on. “Actually, I think I’ll go see if Mom needs any help in the kitchen.”

Justin beat a hasty retreat before they could all start bickering again—and before he had to explain his current heartache in front of the man who was the first to ever break it.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

A voracious reader from the age of five, Isabelle Adler has always dreamed of one day putting her own stories into writing. She loves traveling, art, and science, and finds inspiration in all of these. Her favorite genres include sci-fi, fantasy, and historical adventure. She also firmly believes in the unlimited powers of imagination and caffeine.

Website | Twitter

Giveaway

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November is National Novel Writing Month 2019 (NaNoWriMo) . This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

November is National Novel Writing Month 2019 (NaNoWriMo)

 

 Have you noticed that some of your favorite authors are a more than a bit frazzled today?  Have some been missing from their social media accounts or letting you know to expect not to hear from them for a while?  Well that’s because it’s that time again! National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo is a month-long creative writing challenge that takes place every November. During the month, participants from all over the world are challenged to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel.

From the official site:

The rules are simple. Starting after midnight local time on November 1, writers begin drafting a new novel (or a fresh re-write of an old one). Planning and outlining beforehand are allowed and even encouraged, but continuing a current work-in-progress is not officially sanctioned by NaNoWriMo.

To win — or complete the challenge of writing a 50,000-word novel in 30 days— you’ll need to write an average of 1,667 words per day. Once you’ve hit the 50,000-word mark, you can upload your novel to the NaNoWriMo website to verify your word count. No prizes are awarded, though winners are given banners and certificates to display if they chose, and winner’s t-shirts are available for purchase in the store. And of course, you’ll have a brand-new draft of a novel, and the satisfaction of knowing that you rose to the challenge — in many ways, the biggest prize of all!

Do you have to be a professional writer to participate?  No!  Anyone who wants to join in can.  So, again from the official site, are some tips:

Why should you participate in National Novel Writing Month?

Maybe you’ve always wanted to write a novel but have never found the time. Maybe you’ve tried writing novels but have never managed to finish them. Maybe you’ve written novels before but are frustrated by how long it takes you. Maybe it just sounds like a crazy, exciting challenge.

Whatever your reasons, you won’t be alone. People come to NaNoWriMo from all writing backgrounds. But perhaps the biggest driving factors are:

  • It teaches you how to get your butt in the chair, turn off your inner editor, and get the work done.
  • It shows you that finding time to write a novel is possible, with the right commitment.
  • Because you’re writing so fast, you learn about craft quickly, and will almost certainly see improvement from the beginning of your novel to the end.
  • It takes something solitary and turns it into a social event.
  • It’s a great opportunity to join (and learn from) a community of writers who are all striving to create an uber-efficient writing routine.

And speaking of writing communities, one of the great things about NaNoWriMo is that thousands of other writers have been exactly where you are — and most of them are only too happy to offer their own pearls of wisdom about how to get through the challenge.

We’ve compiled 41 great tips from both authors and editors that we hope will provide an extra gust of wind at your back, as you take off towards NaNoWriMo2019.

Tips for winning NaNoWriMo 2019

What Should You Write About?

1. To win, you must LOVE the book you’re writing

“Write the book you love, not the one you think you should write,” says Nathan Bransford, author of the Jacob Wonderbar series. “If you’re creating something you aren’t head-over-heels in love with, you’ll peter out before page 50. Make something you’ll be proud of for a lifetime.”

“Write the book you love, not the book you think you should write” @NathanBransford #NaNoWriMo

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2. Understand what people like to read

According to editor Tom Flood, you must “make sure you read contemporary publications in your genre and age target. As they say: write to the current market.”

If you’re unsure what your genre and target market are, check this post out.

3. Know your characters intimately

“Why do you want to write a really shit novel of an unsaleable length in a very short time?” asked Harry Bingham, the author of Talking to the Deadwhen we contacted him for a NaNoWriMo tip. “But if you must… make sure you know your characters. Know them intimately. Know them better than you know your husband, your wife, your child, or your best friend. Know them intimately, give them a challenge — then write like the wind.”

So everyone….happy writing, happy reading, and listening!  It’s November!  A very literary month…no matter your endeavors.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, November 3

  • November is National Novel Writing Month 2019 (NaNoWriMo) .
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • Release Blitz & Review Tour – Sally Malcolm – Twice Shy (A New Milton Novel)

Monday, November 4:

  • Release Blitz Graveyard Shift by Jenn Burke
  • BLITZ Irises in the Snow by Isabelle Adler
  • Blog Tour Consorts of the Red King by Eden Winters
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review : First Priority (Priorities #1) by Este Holland
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Earthquakes (New Amsterdam #4) by Kelly Wyre
  • An Alisa Review: Wolf, in League (Wolf #3) by A.F. Henley

Tuesday, November 5:

  • Release Blitz – Anna Butler – Taking Shield Series
  • Release Blitz – Crossing the Line: A Dirty Angels MC/Blue Avengers MC Crossover by Jeanne St. James
  • Cover Reveal,Signal Tour – V.L. Locey – The Christmas Oaks
  • A MelanieM Review: He Dreams Magic by Emme C. Taylor
  • An Alisa Review: Rules to Break (Davey’s Rules #2) by Susan Hawke
  • An Ashlez Review A Hive of Secrets and Spells (Cupcakes and Sorcery #2) by Ellen Jane

Wednesday, November 6:

  • Tour: White Knight by Mary Rundle
  • “Convicted” by Kim Fielding Blog Tour
  • A Lila Review: About Time by Carol Holland March
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Counter Culture by JL Merrow
  • A Lucy Review Irises in the Snow by Isabelle Adler
  • A MelanieM Review: The Necromancer’s Dilemma (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #2) by S.J. Himes

Thursday, November 7:

  • Cover Reveal Unbreakable (a Heaven and Hell Club prequel) by Colette Davison
  • Blog Post – Anna Butler – Taking Shield Series
  • Riptide Tour and Giveaway:Counter Culture by JL Merrow.
  • An Alisa Review Studying the Teacher by Sarah Hadley Brook
  • A MelanieM Review: Counter Culture by JL Merrow.
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review The Story of Us By Logan Meredith

Friday, November 8:

  • BLOG TOUR Stocking Stuffers by Erin McLellan
  • Release Blitz  – The Lowest Realm by Amy-Alex Campbell
  • Eliot Grayson on Yuletide Treasure (Goddess-Blessed #3)
  • A MelanieM Audio Review: Red Dirt Heart 1 by NR Walker and Joel Leslie (Narrator)
  • A Lucy Review: Yuletide Treasure (Goddess-Blessed #3) by Eliot Grayson
  • A MelanieM Review: The Necromancer’s Reckoning (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #3) by S.J. Himes

Saturday, November 9:

  • A MelanieM Review: A History of Trouble (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #3.5) by S.J. Himes

Release Blitz and Giveaway for Twice Shy (A New Milton Novel) by Sally Malcolm

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 
Length: 88,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Sally Malcolm
 

New Milton Series


Book #1 – Perfect Day – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #1.5 – Love Around The Corner – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – Between The Lines – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb
 

The last thing Joel Morgan wants is to fall in love again. Scarred by his failed marriage, Joel’s determined to keep his life emotionally stable—which means taking a job teaching fourth grade, fixing up his house on weekends, and avoiding absolutely all romantic entanglements. And he’s doing great.


Until he meets sweet but struggling single dad, Ollie Snow.


Following the tragic death of his sister and her husband two years earlier, Ollie became the legal guardian of their two young sons—much to the horror of the boys’ conservative grandparents. They think Ollie’s too young and too unreliable to raise their grandsons. So to prove them wrong, Ollie’s determined to parent the boys without anyone’s help.


Until he meets reserved but caring teacher, Joel Morgan.


As the only two men in the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, Joel and Ollie are thrown together over a series of fundraising events, and somewhere between the Beach Fun Run and the Fall Festival they fall in love. But Ollie has another reason for moving to New Milton—a reason he’s keeping close to his chest—and Joel’s wounded heart won’t trust a man with secrets.


Dare they hope for a future together, or will their past pain keep them apart forever?

Sally Malcolm was bitten by the male/male romance bug in 2016 and hasn’t looked back.


Perfect Day was her first published male/male romance, with the follow-up (Between the Lines) out later in 2018 and a dozen other ideas bubbling away on the back burner. Her stories are emotional, sweetly angsty, and always have happy endings.


Sally also writes tie-in novels for the hit TV shows Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. To date she’s penned nine novels and novellas, and four audio dramas.


She lives in South West London with her American husband, two lovely children, and two lazy cats.

 

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An Ashez Review: Doctor’s Orders (Paint #3.5) by Emma Jaye

Rating : 4.5 stars out of 5

Cutting, coke, calling Nate.

All three would help the clawing anxiety caused by the upcoming trial of Alex’s father. All three would cause Dr. Cooper to rush home from his life-saving job to deal with his neurotic boyfriend.

Adding watching kink to his list of coping techniques, particularly his secret medical fetish, helps until a little voice in his head persuades Alex to try one of his fantasies.

Who knew that adult stars lie about their innocence and that acting out scenes can have horribly awkward painful consequences?
It can also lead to your dreams coming true.

Short but sweet, I had not read any of the other books I’m the series and I didn’t feel lost but it made me super curious about a few characters so I will definitely read the series.  Very steamy the entire book was a set up for a super sexy final scene.  It did have a trigger warning, I don’t think it needed one but the first line was inte

Cover – not my favourite the the paint looks pretty sweet

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 48 pages
Published September 28th 2019
ASINB07XD6KKT4
Edition Language English
Series Paint #3.5

A Lucy Review: Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Young gay professional Cabot MacCrae has been in love with his sexy best friend, Lloyd, since high school. They’re in perfect sync on almost everything. The only problem is that Lloyd is straight.

Cabot resigned himself long ago to pining hopelessly. Then Lloyd, a roofer, takes a bad fall and injures his collarbone. When he needs some TLC, there’s no question that Cabot will be the one to nurse his friend back to health. But Lloyd’s scantily clad presence in Cabot’s house brings out Cabot’s old longings.

But when Lloyd’s well-meaning mother and aunt fix Cabot up with a blind date, Lloyd reacts like a jealous boyfriend. Lloyd’s reaction makes Cabot wonder if those longings are as unrequited as he’s always assumed. What if Lloyd has been pining for him all these years? Has Cabot just been clueless all along?

Cabot and Lloyd are as close as two people who are not a couple can be.  They have been besties since they were preteens and have only grown closer as the years pass.  Cabot is another son to Lloyd’s family and the two grew up spending the nights at one house or the other.  Now 28, Lloyd has fallen out of a window and broken some bones.  He needs someone to take care of him and who else but Cabot?

Cabot has been unlucky in lust, let alone love.  He’s tried but no one really hits his buttons and those who he is even slightly interested in don’t seem interested in him.  Lloyd, however, is a chick magnet and is always showing Cabot who he’s been seeing.

The forced proximity causes Cabot some discomfort – he’s so attracted to Lloyd and can’t do anything about it.  Lloyd is straight and the last thing Cabot wants is to put their friendship in jeopardy.  Lloyd often jokes about being with men or being with Cabot, but that’s just joking.  Herein lies the reason for 3.5 stars instead of 4.  The whole thing is based on Cabot being so oblivious and clueless, but it didn’t read that way.  Maybe he was a little bit but he was also blinded by the straight man actions of Lloyd.

It is a surprise when Lloyd’s mother sets Cabot up on a blind date, because she usually doesn’t meddle.  What a date.  OMG, could Malcom be more obnoxious? I get being super into sex but do you go off with someone while your date is sitting at the table?  The initial phone call should have been enough to make Cabot go running.  And if someone left me outside the house with the door locked while they got ready, I’d have walked off.  The date only goes downhill from there and Lloyd is there to save the day.

This is a really cute friends-to-lovers story, although I wish the Vic aspect had come out in the open before it ended.  I will definitely read something else by this author, who is new to me.

The cover, a lone man with rhubarb pie, fit the story well.  Rhubarb pie is important!

Sales Links:  Amazon | Kobo | NineStar Press

Book Details:

ebook, 65 pages
Published September 16th 2019 by NineStar Press
ISBN1 39781951057381
Edition Language English

A Lila Audio Review: One-Eyed Royals (Seven of Spades #4) by Cordelia Kingsbridge and Wyatt Baker (Narrator)

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Shattered by their devastating breakup, Detective Levi Abrams and PI Dominic Russo find themselves at war right when they need each other most. While Dominic is trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction, Levi despairs of ever catching the Seven of Spades. The ruthless vigilante’s body count continues to climb, and it’s all Levi can do to keep up with the carnage.When Levi’s and Dominic’s paths keep crossing in the investigation of a kidnapping ring with a taste for mutilation, it feels like history repeating itself. Thrown together by fate once again, they reluctantly join forces in their hunt for the mastermind behind the abductions.

But the Seven of Spades hates sharing the spotlight, and they have an ace in the hole: a new batch of victims with a special connection to Levi. Their murders send shockwaves through Las Vegas and change the rules of the game forever.

The Seven of Spades has upped the ante. If Levi and Dominic don’t play their cards right, they’ll end up losing everything.

One-Eyed Royals is a darker view of the Seven of Spades’ psyche. It mirrors Levi’s volatility and Dominic’s addiction. They’re a disfuncional triad held together by a sense of right and wrong.

It’s hard to see Levi and Dominic struggling to be what the other wants and needs. I think they’re toxic to each other but that has been the root of their relationship since book one.

They spent a lot of time apart but relatively closed. Which gave the author the opportunity to add a couple of funny moments, bringing the tension down.

The cases were intrinsically related and unique to the story. I enjoyed the way they worked different angles to arrive at the same conclusions. They showed once again that they work best together.

As always, the secondary characters and small plot points created an interesting book full of drama and heartache. All I’m going to say about Staton is that he needs his own man.

This is definitely a great mystery. I’m still not able to figure out who the Seven of Spades is but I’m looking forward to its reveal.

The narration by Wyatt Baker takes of from the previous installment, easing the reader into the action, the series, and great characters.

The cover by Garrett Leigh is perfection, as always. She has a way to create cohesive covers for series without losing the individuality of each book and the author’s character.

Sales Links: Riptide | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Wyatt Baker
Length: 10 hours and 25 minutes

Published: September 25, 2019 (Audio Edition) by Riptide Publishing
ASIN: B07YBH6RZ1
Edition Language: English

Series: Seven of Spades
Book #1: Kill Game
Book #2: Trick Roller
Book #3: Cash Plays
Book #4: One-Eyed Royals

Join Us for the Book Blast for Memoirs of the Human Wraiths Box Set and Omnibus by F.E. Feeley Jr (excerpt)

BOOK BLAST

Book Title:  Memoirs of the Human Wraiths Box Set and Omnibus

Author: F.E. Feeley Jr.

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Debbie McGowan/ Roe Horvat

Genre/s:  Contemporary M/M Romance

Trope/s: Forbidden love or friends to lovers

Themes: Forgiveness

Heat Rating:  3 flames

Length: 3 books/ 698 pages

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Blurb 

Around a campfire late at night, someone begins to tell a ghost story. Flashlights clutched in hands, we huddle close and listen with intensity, startling at the slightest sound, but we try to be brave.

This is no different.

Memoirs of the Human Wraiths, a book passed down from generation to generation, details the lives of those living on the edges of society, stalked by the darkness that awaits us all. Come see what walks the halls of Timber Manor. Step inside Jonathan’s inescapable mirror. Venture to the island where promises made are enforced by a powerful curse.

Try to be brave.

 

Book Trailer

 

 

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US – Kindle  |  Amazon US Paperback  |   Amazon UK   |  Publisher

 

Excerpt from The Haunting of Timber Manor 

Another flash and my eyes locked on a pair of yellow eyes staring at me from the place where I saw them before. Not a ghost or a killer—a wolf. Standing about twenty feet away, a huge, magnificent wolf was watching me with an oddly disconcerting amount of intelligence in its eyes, head hung low. Its gray-and-white fur was gorgeous and oddly dry-looking. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Instead of fading into the darkness, it began to walk forward into the headlights of my car. The beast never took its eyes off mine. Like it was staring into my soul. My heart began to hammer and my breathing quickly picked up. My hands went back to the steering wheel and clamped down again, as white-knuckled as before. A chill passed through me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight. As if the wolf could sense my distress, it stopped and gave me a wicked grin. “You know I can see you, don’t you?” I whispered aloud. “You know I am afraid.” The wolf, in response, tilted its giant head up toward the rain and gave out a chilling howl as if to confirm that. “Why, yes, I do know, dear boy. What do you think I’m doing here? You wanted to die? Step out of the truck, and I’ll gladly make your dreams come true.”

 

About the Author 

F.E.Feeley Jr is a poet and the author of six published works – four full-length novels, two short stories featured in anthologies, and a poetry book.

Married to the love of his life, John, he came to the writing world about four years ago where he fell in love, again, with the written word.

 

 

Author Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook Reader’s Group  |

Twitter:  @fefeeleyjr  |  Newsletter Sign-up:  Sign up Via Website

 

 

 

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A MelanieM Review:33 Degrees of Separation (Legacy Book 3) by Rain Carrington

Rating: 2.25 stars out of 5

​I’m Ian, and this is my story. Like the others, I have a legacy. I was raised with the best of everything, one of the riches kids I knew. That isn’t the legacy, however. That is to be a part of something I didn’t want, and never asked for it’s tearing me apart, but I can fight it. With some help, I can fight it.
Meeting Pat Castaldo, the hot, muscled FBI agent was the beginning of a life I thought was ending. I am terrified I’ll get him killed, and others, if I can’t stand up to my father and the other men that make up the terrible secret society. My family has been members for hundreds of years, and it was supposed to be passed to me. I don’t want it, but I took it, and I took it to end them once and for all.

In the middle of all this, I am falling in love. That was a surprise, and one that possibly terrifies me more than the Gilded Grail. This could hurt, and I could get this beautiful man killed, along with a lot of others if I fail. My money may be able to solve some of my troubles, but there is much more that it can’t.
I’ve never had to be brave or fight for anything. This is my fight, though, and I will win. I’ll win it for my friends, for humanity and, maybe most of all, I’ll win it for Pat.

Raised in wealth most could only dream of, Ian Andrews III didn’t know another way of life existed until he went to college and learned about the world. There he met friends and came down from his palace to try to be like everyone else, but he had too much money to achieve that.

When he was set to finish graduate school, his father took him on a trip to learn the destiny that had been chosen for him. He would become a member of the Gilded Grail, a secret society that had members whose families had been a part of it for hundreds of years.

He was a legacy, and there was no choice for him. He would become a member, or he’d die.

Learning about this secret society, hearing their ways and goals, then going through the initiation, he was terrified and ran off to hide away from them and everyone.
His best friend worried when he’d been gone for days, his phone left in his room, not a word from him. Calling in help, it came in the form of an FBI agent in town on business. He was doing a favor, checking up on the missing college student, and right away smelled trouble. When he saw Ian’s computer history and the name Gilded Grail, he knew he had to find Ian.
Once he did, he learned the secrets that no one outside the order knew. Together, they decided to try to stop them from a horrible goal they’d set, one that threatened every man, woman and child in the world.

Falling in love with one another was easy but keeping that attraction at bay to try to save everyone a horrible fate, Ian and Pat struggled. Pat called for more help, and Javier Duran came, an old lover of Pat’s, and one of the world best mercenaries.

Sparks fly and jealousies ignite. Saving the world and falling in love at the same time wasn’t easy on any man. It could tear them apart or make them more determined to have the other in their lives forever. That was considering if they could stop the Grail and there was a forever…

When it comes to deciding on ratings and writing a review, often it is harder to do so for a story that falls short of what you expect a good or terrific story to be rather than a story that meets or exceeds those standards.  Praise comes easily.  But putting into words why a story falls flat?  That should actually be more precise and perhaps well thought out.

Reviews, while a subjective animal, should be as objective still as possible, as weird as that may be. And that has to do with the fact that for the most part we are talking about books that authors have put their heart into (excluding the new book mills out there).

All this is leading up to the fact that when giving out low ratings we should be as objective and specific and perhaps thoughtful as possible.

Yes,33 Degrees of Separation (Legacy Book 3) by Rain Carrington  was a story that I had some issues with.

It does have some promising elements here.   There was some really nice twists to the plot I enjoyed, hence the .5 in the rating.  But there were also quite a few elements that had me reevaluating the characters, their professionalism, and the entire plot structure. That doesn’t even address the problems I had with the main characters relationships and the BDSM aspect.

Characterization and their Professions:  I will use this as just one of the examples of the issues I have here.  One of the main characters, Pat Castaldo, is a FBI agent, who specializes in cults etc.  Without putting anything into context, he makes a move on a traumatized young man (who has no idea who this FBI guy is btw) hiding out in a cabin, sends the young man’s black roommate out into the night to a small , nearby white homogeneous small town to get supplies for all three of them while they figure out what their next plans are.  Smh!  Anyone who watches TV cop shows would be groaning here.  So yes.  This is a small white town where most grocery stores never stay open late.  Usually it’s the quikmart as the gas stations where there are cameras and people plenty suspicious of strangers.  So why not let the roommate stay and comfort his best friend, and the big bad FBI white agent leaves  with all training, and obtains the supplies while checking out to see if anyone followed them? Nope, that doesn’t happen.

It’s not logical, it’s not great procedure, and tbh, it’s one of the many issues you have with the lack of professionalism here that it takes you out of the story and disconnects the reader from the characters and plot.  It will get worse.  So I will leave it at one example. They felt extremely under researched and lacking in details.  Just not believable in any way.

Romance, Relationships and BDSM:  I am unfamiliar with this author’s previous stories or this series so I don’t know if BDSM figures prominently in Carrington’s other novels.  From the author’s note, the main couple’s relationship was to contain a small amount of BDSM (D/s).  I am not sure how much research or where this author conducted that research, but what happens here between Pat and Ian in no way reads like any “in the lifestyle” D/s relationship I have read or met.  In fact it borders on abusive and ignorant, labeling the use of force as BDSM and being the aggressor as Dom without having the necessary structure or understanding in place.  In one scene, Ian is actually beaten into agreeing to a course of action and that’s labeling BDSM.  If you are not familiar with BDSM, perhaps as a reader, you might think ok, that’s what a D/s relationship is all about.  But even if you are a pain slut, there are discussions and agreements to be held, none of which happens here.  This is a total mess IMO.  And I haven’t even gone into the instalove aspect.

I think that’s plenty.  Won’t even go into that ending.  Apparently there is more to come in this series.  I won’t be venturing further.

Poor characterization,  unrealistic backgrounds and professions, plotting I didn’t believe in, and  labeled sexualities that don’t follow the basic tenets for safety all conspire to do this story in.

That’s my recommendation.  Do with it what you will.

Cover art is interesting but doesn’t tell you much about the story.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 353 pages
Published October 22nd 2019 by AAS Publishing
ASINB07ZGMFN3W