Category: M/M Romance

A MelanieM Review: Don’t Fight the Spark (Soldiers and Mercenaries #1) by Kasia Bacon

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

As the Light Festival draws near, the Něssyrians craft paper lanterns, awaiting the most important holiday of the year.
The Lyliňg Fighting House, too, prepares for celebration–by laying fresh sand onto the arena and setting up a match against their top pit fighter, the unrivalled Yüuzuki Ōren.

His last match. One he can’t win.

With the odds more than stacked against him, the gorgeous Barbarian is as good as dead. Unless his lover, healer Ĥaiatto Ẽkana, proves himself every bit as determined as he is clever and finds a way to protect the man he’d stop at nothing to save.

Let me start my review right off saying I thoroughly enjoyed this story and main couple.  I thought it ended way too soon.  My initial response was to give it a much higher rating until I realized a couple of things…

I got some of the more important information I needed from the author’s ‘About the Book’  section and not the story. This is the first novel from this author and her series, The Order. This is a universe where all the stories she’s writing are fitting together like building blocks, creating an overall enormous painting of a world puzzle, complete with a variety of beings, cultures, politics , empires, histories, you name it.  Yes, all that I gleaned from her AtB notes.  It’s there where she also writes that this story arrived as a one sentence inspiration (the first sentence in the story), demanding to be written, forcing her to put down two other Order Universe tales in the making.  Those are some strong voices and I could understand that, listening to them as the story unfolded here.

It’s also where she mentioned readers should read her story The Poison Within (Inspector Skaer, #1) first for all the foundation work it lays.  Sigh.  Ok. Didn’t do that. Get to it later.

What else did I learn?  That the author recommended I should read the Order Glossary first before diving into the story.  It’s something she puts in all her stories to help readers remember terms, geography, rulers, kingdoms, beings, terminology, and plants.  And yes, do.  Read it first.  Unfortunately, it’s placed in the back.  Still, read it first because if, like me, you have no idea what The Order universe is about, that is pertinent information you will need.  Like exactly what The Order is.  Trust me, that’s huge.

So armed with all that knowledge, I sailed into Don’t Fight the Spark and loved it!  I understood the levels of magic users and what a sand fighter is (think gladiator).  I was quickly pulled  into the hidden relationship between healer and fighter.  Oddly enough, the story is told from the pov of the healer, Ĥaiatto,  not Yüu,the fighter, something you wouldn’t get from the blurb.    He’s  a lower level magic worker, a spark.  Someone who can’t make their own magic but buys it and then uses a stone to focus the magic.  Bacon uses every bit of the 86 pages to build a tender, powerful bond between fighter and spark, one now threatened by a singular fight and imminent death.  I was so emotionally connected to them both I had tears in my eyes at certain scenes.

The action when it comes, flows so fast that you almost have to go back and reread it to make sure you didn’t miss anything, it happens so swiftly.    So does the ending, a HFN as it can only be at this moment for them both.  This is the first in a series and the start of a journey for them both, along with others we met in this novella.

I have no other stories as comparison so I don’t know if this is typical of the other Order stories in length and format.  That the Glossary steps in for foundation and the assumption is that you are reading them all.  It might seem so from the author’s words in her ‘About the Book’.

In character, relationship, and plot, this story is strong.  The reader must look elsewhere for universe building and structure for the series.   I’m already scrambling to catch up on the rest of the stories because I can see this being a new reader addiction for me.  I have to know more about The Order and yes, I’m heading towards The Poison Within already  That’s next.  I’ll let you know what I find.  Until then, consider this another fantasy novel I definitely recommend, but read the sections I mention first.  Come at this story with all the knowledge you can!

Cover art: Paul A. Bacon.  I love this cover.  I would have read this story based on the cover alone.

Sales Links:   Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBook

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 86 pages
Published April 26th 2019
ASINB 07QQNP96D
Edition Language English
Series Soldiers and Mercenaries #1

An Alisa Review: Rescued by Love (Canine Cupids #4) by Deirdre O’Dare

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

 

With his life torn apart by tragedy, Garrett finds a true lifesaver in the Golden Retriever pup, Mandy, that he rescues from a local shelter. Inspired by the heroic search and rescue teams he sees on television, he and Mandy become a trained SAR team. Their first big challenge comes when a series of violent storms with vicious tornadoes rip through the high plains.

 

Dan has come home from Iraq shattered by the horrors he witnessed. Like his father and grandfather before him, he takes off on an old motorcycle to try to find peace and outrun his nightmares. Instead he finds a storm that almost takes his life.

 

Lucky for him, a special SAR team comes to his rescue. In Mandy and Garrett he just might find the unconditional love he needs to become whole again.

 

I am not having much luck lately in short stories.  I always like to break up my longer books with some shorter one but they are feeling kinda tossed together and not bringing me joy and just feeling blah.

 

I felt that these two were just tossed together by circumstance and stayed together for convenience, I couldn’t feel any emotions with these two and it seemed like they were going through the motions.  On top of that there were editing errors with mixed up names which confused me as to the characters actions.

 

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is alright but I feel it would be better with two human hands with the dogs paw.

 

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 12,966 words

Published: 2nd edition, March 16, 2019 by JMS Books

ISBN: 978163486760

Edition Language: English

Grace Kilian Delaney on First Meetings and her Book Tour for Living On A Dare (A Shore Thing Novel) (guest blog, excerpt, and giveaway)



Hi! I’m Grace Kilian Delaney and I’m excited to be at Scattered Thoughts and Rouge Words promoting Living on a Dare, the first book in my Shore Thing series. In Living on a Dare, Draven and Jules, former college roommates, get thrown into a fake engagement complete with lots of misunderstandings and a chance to find out if their feelings go beyond friendship. For today’s exclusive blog tour post, I thought it would be fun to explore Draven and Julien meeting for the first time.

Draven

Scrambling to find a roommate a week before the semester began sucked. A friend of a friend mentioned a tight-laced nerd from the Boston area who needed a roommate and connected us. After texting the nerdy guy a couple of times, he asked me to meet him at his apartment. He was either brave or naïve handing out his address without meeting me first. Or maybe our mutual friend put in a good word about me.

I anticipated spending more time away from the apartment than being in it anyway. My training schedule for the gymnastics team was brutal. Add my classes and homework and I’d be lucky to get any sleep, let alone hang time with my new roomie. Which was a damn shame.

“I’m Julien,” the cutest guy in the world said as he welcomed me into his apartment. His cheeks dimpled as he smiled and the dark frames he wore screamed hot-nerd. I wondered if I was drooling. I wanted to cuddle him, squish him, kiss him. He was the kind of guy that made me break out in a case of warm and fuzzies.

“Draven,” I answered, redirecting my attention to the apartment, deciding I could not be roommates with this hottie. Okay. I totally could. My love life was zero with no chances of improving, and there were far worse things than having an unrequited crush on a roommate.

“It’s not much but I have the essentials.” Julien gestured toward the expensive-looking sectional couch—its plush cushions were already coaxing me into taking a nap on it—and a four-foot flat screen TV on a stand that probably came from Restoration Hardware. Those were the essentials?

“I already have Netflix and Prime,” he said, “so you don’t have to pay for any of that stuff.” Aw. Isn’t he sweet? He’s blushing and fidgety. And that hint of a Boston accent was going to kill me. I was hoping this guy was gay or bi, or just plain curious. No. That would be too distracting. I had a gold medal to win.

“Yeah, that’s not how I work, but thanks. We go in half for all the bills except food. I eat, like, really specific stuff and I eat a lot of it. It wouldn’t be fair for you to pay for that.”

“Right, Dave mentioned you were on the gymnastics team.”

“Did he also mention that I’m gay?” No sense in being roommates with anyone who was a homophobic douchebag, no matter how enticing the roommate.

He shrugged. “Okay. Do you want to see the bedrooms?”

“Excuse me?” I think I turned a million shades of red. Cuz, hell yes. I’d like to see the bedrooms.

“Oh, sweet lord, that was a bad transition.” He shielded his eyes with his hand. His face flushed. Living with Julien was going to be a lot of fun and require frequent cold showers.

“How about you finish giving me the grand tour of the place and I treat you to dinner?” I asked. It wasn’t a date. It was an interview. Julien might be content letting some stranger into his home, but after growing up in LA, I was far less trusting. Sweet, innocent-looking nerd types might secretly be cannibals.

“Alright,” Julien said and showed me the rest of the apartment. Bedrooms and all. Thankfully, the shower had great water pressure. Yup, I checked.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 
Length: 170 pages
 
Cover Design: AngstyG
 
Blurb



Stuntman Draven O’Connor never turns down a dare—even if it means getting down on one knee to propose to his former college roommate and friend. The same man he’s been crushing on since the first day they met. The same man that has grown distant over the past year. And the same man who just agreed to be his fiancé.


Julien Bouchard is tired of living a lie. He spent the past year exploring his sexuality in secret, enduring countless dates with women to appease his mother, and dodging his best friend, Draven, who knows everything there is to know about him, except the one thing that could change their friendship. Ready to face his friend, he meets him at a bar and is greeted by an unexpected marriage proposal. The dare isn’t surprising; it’s the scorching hot kiss that sends Julien’s head and heart in a tailspin—and gives him an idea for the perfect plan.


But perfect plans are never go according to plan, and news of their fake engagement spreads to their families as fast as a wildfire, forcing them to confront their true feelings about each other and hope they don’t get burned.

 

Author Bio

 

Grace Kilian Delaney is a LGBT writer, musician, animal lover, and author of the sweet and sexy bisexual romance Living on a Dare: A Shore Thing Novel. She spends her free time performing kitchen concerts to an audience of her two cats and a dog and loves long beach runs. Her previous books include Seven Minutes (Dreamspinner Press) and Waking Oisin (NineStar Press).


Twitter: @GracekilianD
Facebook: GraceKilianD
Amazon Author Page: Grace Kilian Delaney on Amazon
Website: gracekiliandelaney.wordpress.com
Gmail: GraceKilianDelaney
Mailing List: http://bit.ly/2UeYlHC

Giveaway

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A MelanieM Review: Anthony, Earl of Crofton by Rebecca Cohen

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

A tale set in Stuart England, where the king’s life depends on his most loyal of subjects.

Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, delights in his reputation as a charming rogue. Life is never quiet at the court of King James I, especially with his good friend and secret lover, Sebastian Hewel, by his side. As an actor with the celebrated King’s Men, Sebastian has his own admirers, but neither man has eyes for anyone else.

When a plot against His Majesty is uncovered it threatens Anthony and Sebastian’s charmed lives, and they are dragged into the political intrigue and the race to save the king from danger. Fear that a traitor is linked to the King’s Men leaves Sebastian and Anthony with no choice but to stage a very public dissolution of their friendship, so Anthony can be free to be the patron of a new rising actor, and Sebastian can be the prodigy of another noble.

It is a dangerous game they are playing to expose the plotters and still find a way to meet in secret, as Anthony is adamant that they will not sacrifice the love they have fought so hard to win. They will do whatever it takes to protect the king’s life, and their commitment to each other.

I have loved this couple from the start of their relationship.  That was  Rebecca Cohen’s The Actor and the Earl, the first story in the The Crofton Chronicles. That series was told from Sebastian’s pov and actually stretched through their lineage into the modern day Crofton Hall.  It is a terrific series, one I rec to anyone who adores M/M historical romance.

I had thought that Rebecca Cohen was finished with the Croftons, the series over.  But with the release of this new story, the author has also started a new series as well.  This time told from Anthony’s perspective and what a joy and entertaining ride it is.

Anthony, Earl of Crofton by Rebecca Cohen picks up after the events of Forever Hold His Peace (The Crofton Chronicles #3).  You don’t have to have read that story as the author fills in all the details nicely here.  But if you have, this feels like coming home again and your fingers will itch to go back and pick up the other series as a foundation.  Sebastian is treading the boards as a popular and extremely successful actor of the day, with his ex brother in law Anthony as his patron.  It’s again trying times to disguise their true relationship as lovers behind this masquerade but they are taking precautions and Anthony’s new engagement to Lady Sarah (which also shields her love for her maid Beth) will also help hide them.

Then a plan to kill King James by a Scottish insurgency intent on returning Catholicism and a far different reign to England comes to light and Anthony and Sebastian’s assistance is needed.

What makes this novel so enjoyable is that not only are the characters so well drawn but that the author has done her research for the time period and it all flows together so beautifully.  The plays, the cloths, the court, the politics and intrigue.  It all comes together in high romance, suspense, and no little amount of anxiety at times over the safety of our main couple.  And their happiness!

If you have read the other three books that make up their wild beginning story and path towards love and a real relationship, you can more readily appreciate the stage Anthony and Sebastian are at here in their lives.  If you haven’t, I have listed them for you below.  They are well worth reading before you get to this one, trust me because they are the foundation story for this couple.

Anthony, Earl of Crofton by Rebecca Cohen ended just as I hoped after such a thrilling adventure for them both.  I can’t wait to see what the next installment brings.    It will sure be one of great romance, high adventure, more than a little suspense and a love that lasted through more turmoils and troubles than anyone could expect.

The story is fast paced, sexy, fun, and so well written that it just flies by.    You will definitely want more once it’s finished.  I highly recommend reading all the Crofton stories as I love them all, including this one.

Cover art:  Garrett Leigh at Black Jazz Designs.  Well, I would have thought Anthony would be one with a little less swagger but then again maybe not.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Published April 25th 2019
ASINB  07QMTQ6DB
Edition Language English

The Crofton Chronicles Series – Anthony and Sebastian from Sebastian’s pov:

The Actor and the Earl

Duty to the Crown

Forever Hold His Peace (this is where Anthony, Earl of Crofton picks up)

Need a New Contemporary Romance? Check out the Review Tour and Giveaway for Love Is A Walk In The Park by V.L. Locey & Stephanie Locey

 

Pre-Order Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Length: 50,000 words approx.
 
Blurb
 

Sullivan Haines knows exactly what he wants out of life. Fame as a Broadway dancer and to find the man of his dreams. Sadly, his love life is a dismal mess, his roommate is PMS personified, and working at a dingy dance studio teaching old people how to tango and foxtrot is not exactly the bright lights. Actually, life in the Big Apple is pretty rotten, until he and his dog run into tall, dark, and oh-so-handsome Duane Hart in the park. Their pooches hit it right off, but can the two men find romance along the park’s winding paths?


Duane Hart hasn’t had a lot go right in his life. His girlfriend recently broke up with him, taking everything that wasn’t nailed down or in his roommate’s name. Well, everything except the Yorkshire terrier that he didn’t want to get in the first place, and that she now refuses to take back. However, when he meets a handsome stranger and his pit bull in the dog park, will the blooming heat in his chest be able to convince him to start dating again? Or will fate prove love isn’t a walk in the park, after all?

 

USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.


V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.


When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.

 

Stephanie Locey loves video games, bad jokes, and kind people. She works full-time at a low-paying job and strives to not do that anymore. When not writing or working, she can be found playing fantasy RPGs, petting cats, and planning for adventures.

 

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Love Historicals? Don’t Miss the Review Tour and Giveaway for Rebecca Cohen’s Anthony, Earl of Crofton

 

 
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link 
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Length: 66,000 words approx.
 
Blurb



A tale set in Stuart England, where the king’s life depends on his most loyal of subjects.


Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, delights in his reputation as a charming rogue. Life is never quiet at the court of King James I, especially with his good friend and secret lover, Sebastian Hewel, by his side. As an actor with the celebrated King’s Men, Sebastian has his own admirers, but neither man has eyes for anyone else.



When a plot against His Majesty is uncovered it threatens Anthony and Sebastian’s charmed lives, and they are dragged into the political intrigue and the race to save the king from danger. Fear that a traitor is linked to the King’s Men leaves Sebastian and Anthony with no choice but to stage a very public dissolution of their friendship, so Anthony can be free to be the patron of a new rising actor, and Sebastian can be the prodigy of another noble.


It is a dangerous game they are playing to expose the plotters and still find a way to meet in secret, as Anthony is adamant that they will not sacrifice the love they have fought so hard to win. They will do whatever it takes to protect the king’s life, and their commitment to each other.

 

Author Bio
 

REBECCA COHEN spends her days dreaming of a living in a Tudor manor house, or a Georgian mansion. Alas, the closest she comes to this is through her characters in her historical romance novels. She also dreams of intergalactic adventures and fantasy realms, but because she’s not yet got her space or dimensional travel plans finalised, she lives happily in leafy Hertfordshire, England, with her husband and young son. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and sloe gin with lemon tonic in the other.

 

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Love A Supernatural Romance? Check Out the New Release Blitz for Wounded Soul by Annabelle Jacobs (giveaway)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 
Length: 89,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
 
Blurb
 

One night can change everything…


Jesse Sykes has lived far longer than his youthful appearance suggests. Becoming a vampire after tragedy struck seemed the only option when his soul was shattered, after all he’s no stranger to having to hide what he is from the rest of the world. But eternal life isn’t without problems or heartache.


With a good job and great friends, Ian Moreton’s life would be almost perfect—if only he wasn’t in love with his best friend. His feelings are unrequited, and in an effort to move on, he takes a chance on a one-night stand with the handsome stranger he meets in a bar.


Jesse knows the risks of becoming attached to a human, but with neither of them looking for anything serious, where’s the harm? At least, that’s what Jesse thinks until his chemistry with Ian proves off the charts.


A second hook-up solidifies their connection…and brings Jesse to his senses. He scrambles to protect Ian from danger, but it’s already too late. With Ian unwittingly drawn into a world he knows nothing about, events are set in motion that will change both of their lives forever, and it’s up to Jesse to steer them safely through it.

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website – www.annabellejacobs.com
Email – ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction

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