Category: M/M Paranormal Fiction

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Italian Weddings and Funerals (Italian Stallions #1) by A.J. Llewellyn

Rating:  3.75 stars out of 5

Luca Dell’Oro is the owner of an event planning business in California. He takes a job in Italy to cater a funeral for an Italian opera singer. The client is a grieving widower, the man Luca loved in sixteenth-century Italy. Luca is a vampire, but how is Francesco still alive? That seems obvious, but the details are sad and Francesco has many reasons to hold a grudge. At first, we’re not sure what his motives are for hiring Luca to bury his wife, Elettra. I will say the blurb is a little misleading, almost to misdirect you about the plot when there isn’t a lot of plot to begin with. This is a pretty straightforward second chances story with a lot of baggage.

I’m not sure why, but I didn’t expect this to be so funny. Everything in the first half of the book is entertaining. Luca does like to hear himself think. His reminiscences allow us to get to know him. Italian Weddings and Funerals, which he runs from his home, allows him to stay involved in the life around him. I loved learning about his unique vampiric powers little by little. He seems a man content in his life and in charge of his surroundings. He has hired an interesting cast of quicky employees. I was drawn in by the descriptions of them from Luca’s point of view. Unfortunately most of them are either not there or fade into the background during the second half of the book. The new characters we meet are not fleshed out. Even the man Luca shares a room with in Italy is barely mentioned.

In the second half, the tone changes which makes sense going from planning a wedding, to planning a wake. Still, Luca also changes when he arrives in Italy and the book seems to be more wrapped up in what is happening around him. In many ways, he ran away from Italy, his friends, his lover, his life–oh, there were reasons, but this is the first time he has had to confront his losses. It seemed strange to me that although Luca is quite wealthy, he chooses to cater for a living and basically be the help, and be treated as such by those who were once his equals. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a form of self punishment for being a vampire, like denying himself food and love. He also seems to have been in mourning for centuries, never really living once separated from Francesco. I’m not sure I like this new Luca. But, Luca is a much more solid person as compared to Francesco, who comes across as selfish and weak–bound by the expectations of others and definitely spoiled.

The sex scenes are well written and explicit, but don’t seem meant for titillation so much as just part of what happens. Vampires like sex and blood, so if it will bother you for the main characters to have sex with others in the same story, be warned. I wonder if we will see Luca’s lover Keefe again since we spent so much time with him before Italy, although this too now seems like a pattern for Luca.

I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the way it ended, however it was also an abrupt turnabout. I mean they have been separated for centuries and jump right back into being together. Don’t you think they might have changed a bit over time? Wouldn’t they get to know each other again, and I mean for longer than a couple of weeks? Also, Francesco did seem to care for his wife to have spent 500 years with her and he really hasn’t had any time to mourn. It will be interesting to see how things develop in book two because nostalgia and memories are quite different than daily reality and right now, I think Luca deserves better. I also liked Luca better as a character without Francesco, or maybe just the humor and confidence he showed in his home environment in California. I would call this a HFN (happy for now.)

The cover art is by Martine Jardin. It has an old fashioned sepia feel and shows a place they spent time together in the past when they were young lovers and both met Elettra.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st Edition, 109 pages
Published March 15th 2011 by eXtasy Books (first published March 14th 2011)
ISBN139781554878253
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Caryn Review : Diego (Endangered Fae #2) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am having so much fun reading fantasy books that incorporate ancient mythology!  Diego, the sequel to Finn, is all about Celtic mythology, mixing Irish deities with the Welsh, along with a bit of reincarnation and earthly as well as fae magic.  The end result is pure enchantment!

The first book introduced Diego, a human who is much more than he realizes, and Finn, a pooka who rose from a long hibernation to find a modern human world that was slowly poisoning him.  Through a series of adventures that reveal they are much stronger together than apart, Finn and Diego forged a relationship that was more than just a rekindling of the love they shared in previous lifetimes.  I didn’t expect a sequel because the story arc was complete, but I was really happy to see this book pick up just where the first left off.

Despite all they’ve been through, Diego is still a bit of a puritan, and has a hard time believing that Finn would ever give up his life of sexual freedom and adventure to settle down.  So when he came home to find Finn in a compromising position – even though there was a perfectly innocent reason – he allowed his anger to overtake his reason, leading to an explosion of magic that ripped a hole in the world, and he woke up on the other side of the veil, in the Otherworld, kingdom of the Sidhe.  Finn was also unwittingly transported to the Otherworld, but in the land of the Fomorians, enemies of the Sidhe.  I remember as I was reading through the adventure where Finn and Diego got caught between the Danu/Balor feud that this was enough for a novella all on its own, especially when our heroes managed to bring the two kingdoms together.  Next came a mysterious illness, for which again, Diego and Finn managed to find the cause, and provide the cure.  Once again, the story could have ended here!  But our intrepid author managed to push it yet further, and the culmination of the story involves clandestine government agencies capturing and experimenting upon the fae who were with Diego and Finn at their house in Montana.  I loved how the story went from fairy tale to X-Files!

It was clear in the first book that Diego, AKA Taliesin, was powerful, and probably the most magical human that ever existed.  His power was never really manifested though, and he was first and foremost a humble and gentle man.  In this book, he finally came to believe in and even embrace that side of himself, which made him more sure of his worthiness to be with Finn, but unfortunately made Finn feel that he did not deserve Diego.  A great deal of the book was the push and pull between the two of them wondering if they were indeed right for each other, and facing new jealousies related to old relationships.  Diego was revealed not to be as kind and forgiving as he thought he was, while Finn found humility.  They both made mistakes, but as in every good fairy tale, true love wins in the end.  I have to admit that the ending was cheesy in a lot of ways (and I had to laugh when the US lost out to Canada as the host for Faerie’s chosen earthly location!) but that is part of the author’s charm.

Very enjoyable, with some surprising twists, and a whole lot of learning to love your neighbor despite differences

Cover art by Emmy @ studioenp has a very nice representation of the hole in the veil, with the ubiquitous headless torso.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 328 pages
Published August 14th 2018 by Pride Publishing (first published September 16th 2010)
Original TitleDiego
ASINB07FCT4SVR
Edition Language English
Series Endangered Fae #2
Characters Danu, Finn Shannon, Diego Sandoval, Lugh, Balor…more settingMontana (United States)
Otherworld

A MelanieM Review: Infinite Blue by Natalina Resia

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

 

When a shifter and a human are bound by fate, neither man knows if their connection will be enough to save not only their growing love, but their lives.

Shahin Halcón has been taught that if and when he meets his soul mate, he’ll know immediately. Always the rebel, he doesn’t believe it until the day he crosses paths with Cai, a full-human.

Plagued by unsuccessful relationships and heartache, Cai Banes’s life is quiet and unexciting. When he meets young and wild Shahin, his life is turned upside down, and he’s not sure he likes it.

But neither can deny the powerful pull that draws them together.

Old secrets and ancient myths about cross-species relationships plague their romance and threaten to put their happiness and lives at risk. Will their love for each other be strong enough to survive?

Sometimes it just comes down to the fact that a story and a reader just aren’t a good fit for one another.  I think that’s pretty much what happened here with Infinite Blue by Natalina Resia.  We got off on the wrong cover, uh um, start and never quite recovered.

I love shifter stories and grab them up immediately but, if I’m honest I’m also picky because of my wildlife biologist background.  Those predator/prey couples?  Always bother me, kept thinking one day, one was going to end up an appetizer.  And the ones where the authors are really loosey goosey with naturali history. Hmmmmm. Ok, I get it, they are shifters got to be pretty relaxed over the natural history bits with that in the mixture but some authenticity and research is nice (and appreciated).

That especially comes into play here with an author who uses scientific names and takes the trouble to obviously include some correct details of a certain raptor species natural history into her story.  So why right off the bat am I faced with a blue eyed hawk shifter?  Seen many blue eyed hawks these days? Nope.  Just look at that cover. So immediately that was an itch I couldn’t scratch.

Throw in instant love between Cai and Shahin, that, yes, is explained by a mate bond, but their chemistry is something I never felt. Again, I will totally own up that I could be my fault here.  But these characters just didn’t ring true. Hospital visits, blood and shifters wouldn’t be an issue? Plus I won’t go into migratory patterns.   The writing and author was working on doing her part but right from being dropped into a “stalker like” situation with Shahin without any back filler, it just felt odd and disconnected from their relationship and the storyline.

It didn’t help that a family drama further into the book was resolved far too easily given the severity of the crime.  I was, to use one of my favorite words, gobsmacked!

No, Infinite Blue and I were not a good mix.  There was a possible explanation for the eyes at the end but by that time, my irritation had set in, Cai’s occupation as an  anthropologist never felt believable, and I just kept waiting for more feathers to sprout.

I’m sure other readers will love this romance.  They will find it sweet, the hawk shifters fascinating, and the whole mate bonding journey one to love.  Sometimes it is oil and water.  Check it out and find out for yourself.

Cover Art would be dramatic excerpt for those darn blue eyes.

Sales Links: Hot Tree Publishing | Amazon | Amazon Paperback | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Amazon AU | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

Book Details:ebook
Published September 8th 2018 by Hot Tree Publishing
ISBN139781925655841
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://www.hottreepublishing.com/infinite-blue

 

 

Blog Tour for Infinite Blue by Natalina Resia (excerpt and giveaway)

COVER - Infinite Blue

Natalina Reis has a new MM paranormal shifter book out: Infinite Blue.

When a shifter and a human are bound by fate, neither man knows if their connection will be enough to save not only their growing love, but their lives.

Shahin Halcón has been taught that if and when he meets his soul mate, he’ll know immediately. Always the rebel, he doesn’t believe it until the day he crosses paths with Cai, a full-human.

Plagued by unsuccessful relationships and heartache, Cai Banes’s life is quiet and unexciting. When he meets young and wild Shahin, his life is turned upside down, and he’s not sure he likes it.

But neither can deny the powerful pull that draws them together.

Old secrets and ancient myths about cross-species relationships plague their romance and threaten to put their happiness and life at risk. Will their love for each other be strong enough to survive?

Hot Tree Publishing | Amazon | Amazon Paperback | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Amazon AU | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

Giveaway

Natalina is giving away two prizes with this tour – an eBook copy of “Lavender Fields” (backlist, m/m paranormal romance) and a $10 Amazon gift card. Enter via Rafflecopter:

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Excerpt

MEME - Infitinte Blue

Cranky didn’t even start to describe how Cai woke up that morning. The day ahead loomed over his horizon like a large bird of prey ready to pounce on him. Why hadn’t he said no? Why was it always so hard for him to say no to his sister? All she had to do was bat her thick lashes and he was lost.

A little witch is what she is.But he loved her and he was hopeless against those baby blue eyes of hers.

He was going to suck it up and be a man. How bad could it be? He would go to the assigned meeting place, meet this guy his sister was so excited about, and if he was as bad as Cai thought he was, all he had to do was make some excuse and flee the scene. Memories of the last time his sister tried to set him up with someone flooded his mind. He remembered a red-purplish face as his date emphatically declared himself “very straight” many times over. Lyra had assumed the man to be gay and had been determined to pair them together.

Oh shit. This could be bad.

By the time he left his house, his bad mood had reached fever pitch, and if anyone was unfortunate enough to approach him, he was afraid he would eat them alive. There were very few things he hated more than blind dates. He was not exactly someone who qualified as a hot number. Even though he was in his midthirties, his hair had gone silver many years back and he wore it as a protective shield against possible disastrous relationships.

On his way to the restaurant where he was to meet the amazing Shahin—his sister’s words—he decided he needed some strong coffee if he was to survive the humiliation of another failed attempt at romance. It hadn’t been a bed of roses for him since Jack, his boyfriend of many years, had made the startling announcement he’d met the love of his life. As if the shock of betrayal had not been enough, Jack announced—shortly after the breakup when Cai’s heart was still hemorrhaging—that he was marrying his high school sweetheart, a woman Jack had frequently referred to as only a friend.

Starbucks was on the way, a beacon of promised comfort and relief. A cup of good coffee had always been his self-medication—nothing a good cup of java wouldn’t cure. The line was long and the room was packed with the usual crowd, a mixture of college students, writers, and a few moms with their toddlers in tow. As Cai waited for his turn, he scanned the room. He loved people-reading, a term his sister had coined a few years ago after realizing that was one of her brother’s favorite pastimes.

“You should talk to people, interact,” she had said, her protective sisterly claws fully out. “Instead, you sit there watching them.”

“Anthropologists have been doing it for a long time.” His usual comeback.

“Anthropologists actually interact with the people they’re studying, bro. What you do is just a bit creepy. And definitely sad.”

She wasn’t wrong. It was a little pathetic that a thirty-five-year-old would be satisfied to sit in a coffee shop observing people and life happening around him without ever stepping in to participate. Satisfied was not the right word for it though. Cai feared what may happen if he stepped out of his comfort zone. He had taken a chance with Jack and look what it got him—nothing but heartache.

A deep blue caught his eye from across the coffee shop. A pair of amazing eyes met his scrutiny with a take-a-good-look-I-dare-you glint. Cai’s first instinct was to look away, but he couldn’t, captured and paralyzed by the electrifying vibe the man with the deep ocean eyes was emitting. The man—younger than him—had short honey-colored hair that spiked slightly on top and left his face and neck exposed. An intricate black ink tattoo stretched down the side of his neck to hide underneath the plain white T-shirt he was wearing, only to emerge again from below the short sleeves and down his well-defined biceps.

Were those roses?  Cai’s body caught on fire as the desire to trace the edges of the tattooed flowers grew to alarming heights. He stuck his hands in his jeans pockets, trying to control the itch on his restless fingers. The strange man with the bottomless eyes was still staring at him, caressing without touching, tender and passionate all at the same time.

“Can I take your order?”

The voice startled him and Cai looked away momentarily, placing his order for a flat white. When he looked back, those eyes were still glued to him. Cai swallowed hard as his admirer licked his lips.

I need a cold shower right now.

The phone vibrated in his pocket. Reluctantly, he pulled it out and answered. “Yes?”

The other man was still staring at him with a fire that defied the laws of physics, for it soothed as much as it burned.

“Are you there yet?” It was his sister. There where? Then he remembered.

“On my way,” he lied. “Stopped for liquid courage.”

“For God’s sake, Cai. You sound like you’re walking to the gallows.” Sometimes he wished Lyra didn’t read so much. She didn’t talk like normal people her age.

“I might as well be, Lyra.” He stole a quick glance across the room to check if the handsome stranger was still there. He was. God, Cai was the arrow in a compass and he was the North Pole. Irreversibly and powerfully attracted.

“Don’t embarrass me by not showing up, Cai.”  He had almost forgotten about his sister on the other end of the phone line. “He’s my coworker’s cousin. Please, bro. I promise I won’t ever try to set you up again.”

Not that he believed her, but it was a very tempting proposal. “Okay, I promise. I’m leaving right now.”

Hanging up, he took a couple slow breaths, trying to get in control of his body. Good thing he was wearing a long duster coat he could use to disguise how much the stranger affected him. Cai held the coat by the edges, wrapped it closely around him, and grabbed the coffee cup to leave. As he walked by the object of his sudden madness, the other man’s sexy full lips stretched into a wicked smile, releasing a million butterflies in Cai’s chest.

How would it feel to touch my lips to his?The coldness of the silver snake bite he wore on his lower lip rubbing against Cai’s unadorned mouth and tongue would be as thrilling as exploring the muscles barely hidden under the T-shirt. Cai shook his head and made himself lower his eyes to the floor. Like it or not, he had committed to this blasted blind date, and he was not one to renege on his promises.

Just as he was about to walk past, the stranger reached out quickly and handed him a business card. “Call me.”

Author Bio

AUTHOR PHOTO - Natalina Reis

Natalina wrote her first romance at the age of 13 in collaboration with her best friend, Susana. Since then she has ventured into other genres, but romance is first and foremost in almost everything she writes. She’s the author of seven romance novels that reflect the amazing diversity of humankind and the universal power of love.

After earning a degree in tourism and foreign languages, she worked as a tourist guide in her native Portugal for a short time before moving to the United States. She lived in three continents and a few islands, and her knack for languages and linguistics led her to a master’s degree in education. She lives in Virginia where she’s taught English as a Second Language to elementary school children for more years than she cares to admit.

Natalina doesn’t believe you can have too many books or too much coffee. Art and dance make her happy and she is pretty sure she could survive on lobster and bananas alone. When she is not writing or stressing over lesson plans, she shares her life with her husband and two adult sons.

Author Website: https://catarinadeobidos.wordpress.com/

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/natalina.bell

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/authornatalinareis/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/TichaB

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14883335.Natalina_Reis

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/natalina-reis/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B01ADQ9FJW/

LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

Release Blitz Tour and Giveaway – Any Given Lifetime by Leta Blake

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 70,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Smart Designs
 
Blurb



Neil isn’t a ghost, but he feels like one. Reincarnated with all his memories from his prior life, he spent twenty years trapped in a child’s body, wanting nothing more than to grow up and reclaim the love of his life.


As an adult, Neil finds there’s more than lost time separating them. Joshua has built a beautiful life since Neil’s death, and how exactly is Neil supposed to introduce himself? As Joshua’s long-dead lover in a new body? Heartbroken and hopeless, Neil takes refuge in his work, developing microscopic robots called nanites that can produce medical miracles.


When Joshua meets a young scientist working on a medical project, his soul senses something his rational mind can’t believe. Has Neil truly come back to him after twenty years? And if the impossible is real, can they be together at long last?


Any Given Lifetime is a stand-alone, slow burn, second chance gay romance by Leta Blake featuring reincarnation and true love. This story includes some angst, some steam, an age gap, and, of course, a happy ending.

 
Author Bio
 

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

 
Giveaway

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An Ali Review: Shaker of Earth (SPECTR Series 2, #5) by Jordan L. Hawk

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Charleston is reeling beneath the onslaught of demons unleashed by the vampire spirit Drugoy and his human host Yuri. Alone and drained almost to the point of death, Gray and Caleb must make their way across a city gone mad in hopes of putting an end to Yuri and Dru. But the other drakul isn’t the only enemy they have to worry about.

After the death of a rogue agent at Gray’s teeth, John’s faith in his lovers has been badly shaken. But when SPECTR Chief Barillo orders the vampire destroyed by any means possible, John and his allies find themselves in a race to find Gray and Caleb before their fellow SPECTR agents.

Because their only hope of stopping Yuri and Dru is by working together. And if they fail to unite, the streets of Charleston will run red with blood.

This was another fast paced installment of the Spectr series.  This story picks up immediately after the last one ended.  Caleb and Gray are in a bad situation and they’re on their own trying to stop Yuri and Dru.  John is with his fellow agents and they’re working to control the violence and chaos spreading through the city.
 
The story was pretty much action from beginning to end.  A lot of things happen and this portion of the story comes to a close by the end of the book.  The majority of the story is Spectr related but John, Caleb and Gray find some time for themselves, some time to repair the damage to their relationship.  It’s only a small portion of the book but enough that things end with their relationship stable again.
 
A new chapter in their lives will be beginning in Spectr  3 and I’m really looking forward to it.  I think the way the author wrapped this up opens the door to many new adventures with these three.  A must read for fans of this series.
 
Cover:  I love these new covers for this series.  I think they are eye catching and will hopefully bring new fans to these books.  I’m really glad the author decided to re-do these.  
Sales Links:  Amazon
Book Details:
ebook
Expected publication: September 14th 2018 by Jordan L. Hawk
ISBN139781941230329
Series SPECTR Series 2, #5

A VVivacious Review: The Captain’s Ghostly Gamble by Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead

Rating: 2 Stars out of 5

John Rookwood and Captain Cornelius Sheridan have been haunting the very Manor they died fighting over, two hundred and fifty years ago.

On their death anniversary, a couple turns up to disturb their eternal rest and fantastically turn up to be related to the very pair. It soon becomes clear to the ghostly duo that thecouple harbours many misconceptions and in an effort to ensure their happily ever after they play into the gamble of manifesting themselves.

But manifestation can take up a lot of energy, enough to wipe out a spirit from the spiritual plane and as the Captain seems in imminent danger of disappearing from all existence, John Rookwood is confronted by his feelings for his companion of the past two centuries.

I don’t know how people feel about two ghosts getting it on but that is definitely something that is a part of this story, so you might want to confront your views on the same.

The story has an interesting blurb but with some misguidance, it set up a very confusing introduction. It took a while for me to understand what was happening in the story and who all the characters were.

By the time everything was in place and you know what is going on there isn’t much left in the way of plot, just a very elaborate scene featuring ghosts getting it on.

I wasn’t wholly invested in any of the characters because it was hard to relate to them in any real way. The dialogue is very dated, the way our two main characters speak is awkward to the point that it was really funny and so very hard to take seriously. The dialogue might have been the most entertaining thing in this book but not in the way the authors intended.

It is an okay, quick fun read with some heretofore never seen elements that were a little weird in their depiction.

Cover Art by Cherith Vaughn. I really like the cover. This might be the only case of cover models actually resembling the characters they represent that made it one of the best cover. But, I must also commend the choice of background and text, especially the colour scheme and that hint of yellow is delectable.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 35 pages
Published September 11th 2018 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781786516824
Edition LanguageEnglish