A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review:The Doctor’s Secret (Copper Point Medical #1) by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

When I saw that Heidi Cullinan was writing a new series I had high hopes and jumped on the chance to read the first book. And I was not disappointed at all. This story had engaging characters, substance, depth, an appreciation for K-pop music and Asian drama. In fact, I was so intrigued by the description of actor Aaron Yan I had to spend some time cruising Google. There was also a wonderfully complex cast of hospital-based characters and all the medical terms and info one would expect when one MC is a surgeon and the other a surgical nurse with two besties who are also doctors.

I have a Korean friend IRL whose personality is remarkably like that of Hong-Wei, the Taiwanese doctor who takes a position in a small hospital on Wisconsin’s northern peninsula. My friend comes across as somewhat aloof due to his upbringing—expected to overachieve from the time he was a child so he looks around in wonder when he sees others aren’t behaving the same way. Hong-Wei could have been my friend’s twin. Self-confident in his medical decisions, smart, honorable, respectful of elders, he has all the behaviors I have seen in my Asian friends.

Hong-Wei, also known as Jack, had his choice of hospitals after residency as he’s a highly sought after surgeon, however, he wanted to find peace and quiet so he could lick his wounds and recover from a traumatic hospital experience. It’s a total bonus that here at Copper Point he finds Simon, a handsome surgical nurse who’s smart and fun and totally into Asian drama and K-pop music.

It’s a match made in heaven—or at the keyboard of a highly creative author—and it worked well for me. Hong-Wei is brilliant and somewhat socially inept. Simon is intelligent and most definitely social as he’s known throughout the hospital and the town as a reliable, friendly guy. Their attraction is immediate—maybe a bit too instant, but considering I was engaged within a month, it’s certainly possible.

There’s plenty of action to keep readers interested with an underlying menace from the hospital board of directors who seem to have hogtied the hospital director and the HR director, who want to bring innovative change (and are likely future MCs). The most obvious issue that causes problems from the beginning is the rule prohibiting two staff members from dating. But there’s more and much of it involves the daily hospital operation and the reveals about Hong-Wei’s surgery specialty and reason for leaving Houston.

I totally enjoyed this story from Heidi Cullinan and I’m looking forward to more in this series. There’s a rich sense of culture and family and definitely an appreciation of Asian culture. I’m hoping secondary characters Owen and Erin take their hostility behind closed doors and that Jared and Nick quit their cold war. Tasty little teasing nuggets were dropped throughout the second half of this story. Now let’s hope we get the gourmet meal in future installments. This series promises to be yummy.

The cover by Kanaxa features a handsome Taiwanese man who bears a striking resemblance to the description of Hong-Wei in this story.

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press | AmazonBarnes & Noble |

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Expected publication: April 23rd 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
Original Title The Doctor’s Secret
ISBN 139781640808546
Edition Language English
Series Copper Point Medical #1
setting Wisconsin (United States)

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Burden (Love, Unexpected #2) by KC Wells

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This story features Jesse, a young hooker who formerly worked in the Black Lounge with Nikko (Debt) and Randy, the vice cop who was undercover in that brothel. Get ready for a lot of angst! Jesse sees no way forward to funding his MBA, or even to pay for housing, without continuing to prostitute himself as an escort, occasionally even hooking on the streets.

In the meantime, Vice is cracking down on prostitution and Randy is disgusted by the entrapment stings he and his fellow cops are working. It takes him a while, but he realizes he’s now sympathetic to the plight of these young men who saw no way forward other than to sell their bodies. He and Jesse run into one another every so often, and over time, he realizes two things: one that Jesse may be still working as a prostitute, and two, that he is sexually attracted to a man—to Jesse.

There’s lots of introspection in the story, and there’s help from Randy’s neighbor, Owen, an older gay man (who I hope gets his own story some day!) and eventually, after a fun day spent together, Randy and Jesse have sex. And that changes things once again for Randy. But Jesse? Well, he chooses to run away rather than face Randy and the impossibility of them being together. Or is it impossible?  This is KC Wells, after all, and this author knows how to weave a series of complex threads to make a beautiful romance tapestry.

For me, the best part of this book was the chase and the catch, when the two finally ended up in the same place—both geographical and head space. The early stages of the story were tense and full of angst and sometimes I enjoy that, sometimes not. I wasn’t in a good frame of mind for it this time so the early part affected me a bit too emotionally. The good news is I knew the author would bring me out of my funk and give me some happy times. And she did, indeed. These two men deserved their HEA and worked hard to get it. I highly recommend this book to those who love stories of star-crossed lovers.

The cover by Paul Richmond features a photo by Ethan James Photography that depicts a young blond man, his torso naked and arms curled back behind his head. It’s very definitely Jesse and is most certainly attractive.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 209 pages
Expected publication: April 23rd 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB 07PMB4QJ3
Series Love, Unexpected #2

An Alisa Review: For the Love of a Unicorn (Legendary Shifters #1) by Catherine Lievens

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Legendary shifters are hunted and used, but some people are ready to do anything to keep them safe.

Sam has been living in the forest since his parents were killed and his brother taken because of what they were—unicorn shifters. He hasn’t approached the wolf pack living nearby because he doesn’t know if he can trust them, but when he meets a wolf at the stream and realizes they’re mates, he knows he will have to get over that distrust.

Frederic didn’t expect to meet his mate in the forest where the pack lives, and he certainly didn’t expect his mate to be a unicorn shifter. Sam is, though, and he comes with complications and problems—and Frederic is willing to take them all on.

Sam is wary and doesn’t know how to trust, but he hopes having the pack’s help means he can finally look for his brother. He doesn’t know where to start, though, so using himself as bait for the men who killed his parents sounds like a good idea.

Until it doesn’t.

I really enjoyed this story.  Sam has been living alone and in fear since losing his family when by chance he runs into his mate he runs before he even realizes the significance of that meeting.  Frederic is so happy and is willing to do anything to help Sam and make him feel safe.

Sam was a little reluctant but it doesn’t take too long for him to want to complete his mating, the joys of a mate bond.  I understood how both of these two were feeling and how they were able to work though their feelings and fears.  I loved how supportive the other pack members and alpha were to both of these guys and how they all wanted to give Sam the stability and support he needed.  Rescuing Sam’s brother was a great ending and in typical fashion of this author, he meets his mate, time to wait for the next book.

The cover art by Angela Waters is nice and I liked the visuals of both of their animal halves.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 115 pages

Published: March 8, 2019 by eXtasy Books

ISBN: 9781487424145

Edition Language: English

Series: Legendary Shifters #1

Love a HEA? Check Out the Release Blitz for Play Hard (A Glasgow Lads Novella) by Avery Cockburn (excerpt and giveaway)

 

 
 
Cover Design: Damonza
Length: 32,000 words approx.
 
Glasgow Lads Series
 

The Glasgow Lads series centers around an all-LGBTQ football/soccer team in contemporary Scotland. Though the series has an overarching storyline, each novel features a new couple and a happy ending, so they can be read in any order. The series also includes a prequel novella and two (soon to be three) “happier-ever-after” followup stories.


Book 0.5 – Play On – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book 1 – Playing For Keeps – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book 2 – Playing To Win – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book 2.5 – Play It Safe – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book 3 – Playing With Fire – Amazon US | Amazon UK 
Book 3.5 – Play Dead – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Throwing Stones (A Glasgow Lads On Ice Novella) – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book 4 – Playing In The Dark – Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Blurb
 

“I’ll always want more of you.”


Robert McKenzie lives to work. He’s fresh out of university as a video-game entrepreneur, and his new app could actually save lives. But burning the candle at both ends means missing out on the best parts of his own life—including his boyfriend, Liam.


Liam Carroll works to live. His job as a bartender pays the rent—if not always the heating bill—and that’s plenty for now. But Robert’s workaholism reminds Liam his own life is going nowhere, and his own dreams are scaring the pants off him.


To jolt them out of their ruts, Robert invents a new game: He and Liam are to take turns offering each other sexy new challenges with irresistible rewards.


Of course, Robert gets more than he bargained for, as Liam takes their game in one surprising direction after another. Whether it’s in the bedroom, on the football pitch, or at the pub (or even the supermarket?), the things they learn about each other—and themselves—could change their lives forever.


Play Hard is the feel-good, staying-in-love story the world needs right now!


Note: This happier-ever-after novella features the main characters of Playing With Fire but can be read as a stand-alone story.


Excerpt


From Chapter 4:

Robert didn’t join Liam in the shower, partly because it was too small to fit a pair of men their size, but mostly because he wanted to watch.

Built into the corner of the bathroom, the shower’s glass walls were fully transparent, not smoky or marbled or made otherwise translucent for privacy’s sake. So there was nothing to obscure the sight of Liam’s naked body.

Fully dressed and standing in the opposite corner, Robert simply observed. If Liam had been craving his undivided attention, he was about to get it in spades.

They’d showered together many times, but he’d never noticed how Liam wet the bar of soap by lifting it into the water spray much farther than necessary—at nearly throat height—and turning his face aside to avoid the resulting splash. Did he think the soap got wetter faster by putting it closer to the shower nozzle? Perhaps it was a habit borne of the poor water pressure in his childhood flat. Robert remembered it well, as he’d lived with the Carrolls for ten months when he was sixteen, between the time of his father’s death and the start of university.

“You’re staring.” Liam’s voice echoed against the green tile walls. He met Robert’s eyes as he soaped his broad, well-muscled, and thoroughly freckled chest, then swept his fingers up beneath his rib cage to emphasize his abs.

“I know.”

“I like when you stare.”

“I know.” Robert licked his lips as Liam used one sudsy hand to stroke his cock and the other to reach back between his cheeks. Soon he would taste Liam everywhere, tracing his tongue over each angle and curve as if for the first time. He would erase the doubt from this man’s mind and replace it with the certainty of endless adoration.

Just as steam began to obscure the shower walls, turning the spectacle from hardcore porn to softcore, Liam switched off the water and pushed the doors aside on their track. “Towel?”

Robert stepped forward with it, stopping just out of Liam’s reach. “Come here and I’ll dry you.”

“Oh, special.”

Robert started with his head, scrubbing the red hair that had turned nearly black in its wetness, then worked his way down—quickly, because Liam was shivering.

He finished with Liam’s feet, then folded the towel and set it on the floor.

“What are you—ah,” Liam said as Robert knelt upon the damp towel. His next utterance was a gasp, in response to Robert nuzzling his balls. “Okay, this is seriously hot with me naked and you completely dressed.”

Robert drew his nose against the right side of Liam’s sack. “You smell good. I wonder how you’ll taste.”

Liam gripped the sink to his right. “Gonnae find out?”

“Aye,” Robert said with a heavy breath against this most sensitive skin. Liam’s cock jerked, begging for equal time.

Robert licked a line up the center of Liam’s sack, then flicked his tongue back and forth between his balls, as though deciding which to try first. He chose the left one, wrapping his lips carefully around the warm mass that seemed to half-melt in his mouth, suspended in a state between solid and liquid.

He lifted his chin to watch Liam, whose lips and cheeks were flushing pink, just as they’d done when he’d come in from the cold at the Tesco. Liam’s chest began to heave with his quickening breath, ribs expanding and contracting the solid planes of his torso, the planes that always made Robert’s palms warm and tingly.He reached up now with his right hand, his left steadying Liam’s trembling thigh. He slid two of his fingers round one of Liam’s scarlet nipples and squeezed.

“Och.” Liam leaned back, bracing himself against the wall. “God, look how hard you’re making me.” He touched his other nipple, mimicking Robert’s tweaking fingertips. “I could almost come like this.”

Robert shook his head slowly, maneuvering his tongue over the contents of his mouth.

“Aye, I could,” Liam replied. “Unless you do something different.”

Robert pulled away enough to say, “Turn around.”

About The Author


Hiya, I’m Avery Cockburn (rhymes with Savory Slow Churn). Under my real name (Jeri Smith-Ready) I wrote over a dozen novels for major publishers. As an indie author, my days are filled with beautiful men who play beautiful games in the most beautiful place in the world. Thanks to my pure awesome readers, it’s pretty much the best job ever.


I live in the United States with one infinitely patient man and two infinitely impatient cats. Join my quarterly-ish newsletter at www.averycockburn.com/signup to receive a free book plus loads of exclusive bonus material. Cheers!

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Love a Contemporary Romance? Check out the Release Blitz and Giveaway for Crossing The Touchline (An Auckland Med Story) by Jay Hogan

 

 

 

 

Cover Design: Kanaxa


Length: 119,000 words approx.


Publisher: Dreamspinner Press


Blurb


An Auckland Med. Story


What if you’ve worked your whole life for a dream, to play rugby for the most successful sports team on the planet, the New Zealand All Blacks?


What if that dream is so close you can smell it?


What if you meet someone?


What if you fall in love?


What if your dream will cost the man who’s stolen your heart?


And what if the dream changes?




Reuben Taylor has a choice to make.


Cameron Wano is that choice.

Jay Hogan is a New Zealand author writing in m/m romance, romantic suspense and fantasy. She has travelled extensively and has lived in quite a few countries. She has a BA degree in Nursing and in Theology, and in another life, she was an Intensive Care Nurse, Counselor, and a Lecturer.


She is a cat aficionado especially of Maine Coons, and an avid dog lover (but don’t tell the cat). She loves to cook- pretty damn good, loves to sing – pretty damn average, and as for loving full-time writing -absolutely… depending of course on the day, the word count, the deadline, how obliging her characters are, the ambient temperature in the Western Sahara, whether Jupiter is rising, the size of the ozone hole over New Zealand and how much coffee she’s had.


She has complex boys telling stories in her head that demand attention and a considerable number of words to go with them. Their journeys are never straightforward and even surprise Jay. She does her best to plot things out ahead of time but those pesky characters seem to have a mind of their own. Go figure.


You can find Jay at:
https://www.facebook.com/JayHoganAuthor
https://twitter.com/jayhoganauthor
jayhoganauthor@gmail.com

Giveaway

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A MelanieM Review: Descendant (Apocalypse Rising Book 1) by Mychael Black

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Andrew Blackwell is only one of countless humans who managed to survive post-World War III. Living in the shell of what was once New York City, he focuses on working hard and playing hard. Nothing else matters.

But fate has other ideas, and they arrive in the form of a rather surly angel who’s been sent to find the one special human who can possibly help save humankind.

Thrown into yet another war, Andrew has no choice but to trust Mikhail … no matter where the angel may lead him.

I first started reading this author through the Legends of the Romanorum Series, a complex and riveting series I very much enjoyed that was co-authored by Shayne Carmichael. Once that series was finished, I really lost track of anything else Black was writing.   So when I saw that JMS Books had released a new story by this author, I grabbed it up, eager to see what the new story offered up.

Sadly,  while there are some terrific elements here, the overall tale just never came together for me, which was quite the disappointment. Descendant (Apocalypse Rising Book 1) by Mychael Black is incredibly short which leaves no room for character development, world building, or even much in overall plot depth, which pains me to say.  It reads more like an outline, less like an actual published story, granted with tons of sex that makes little sense.

One of the interesting elements here is that Andrew Blackwell is sought after by Heaven and Hell because he’s the only descendant of John the Baptist, and therefore, one of the closest links to the son of God still living.  I think that’s how it goes.  Really, there is no exposition here.  The world is a mess after yet another world war but again no  world building to lay a foundation.  We find out that’ there’s a way station between Heaven and Earth but little else.  Andrew and Mikhail jump into meaningless sex that instantly turns into love I think, there’s tons of shouting and yelling and then oh yes, the war between Heaven and Hell is on.  What?

The book is over.  And it’s just begun!  We are just really pages in.  Granted it’s the first in the series but still.  If the reader is left feeling clueless, well,  I would be floored if they were feeling anything else.  Sometimes I wanted to ask if Black was going for a satire or for a straight up supernatural romance, because it was hard to tell at times.

I think I’m leaving the series here.  I never came to care about any of the characters or their various fates, let alone the Apocalypse.  Maybe I will revisit that earlier series or check out other stories this author has written in the meantime.  As for this short tale, I’ll leave that up to you.

Cover art: Written Ink Designs.   Cover is ok, the angel is appropriate to the story, except the city is supposed to be in tatters.  Oh, well, half right is something.

Sales Links:  JMS Books LLC | Kobo | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Published March 30th 2019 by JMS Books LLC
ASINB07NPJYVDG

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

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
Yüuzuki Ōren is an Ih’mohrô (sand fighter) at the Lyliňg Fighting House and as the house prepares for the Light Festival,  Yüuzuki must prepare for a fight with insurmountable odds. A fight he is unlikely to survive. A fight he will survive if his lover, Ĥaiatto Ẽkana, the healer at the Lyliňg Fighting House, has anything to do about it and Ĥaiatto will go to any extent to make sure Yüuzuki lives, even if it means selling his soul.

 

This book is told from Ĥaiatto‘s perspective and primarily follows his actions as he tries to save Yüu from fighting a fight he won’t survive.
I couldn’t relate to Ĥaiatto. He is a healer but he curses way too much. Somehow my idea of healers as educated bastions of society doesn’t mesh with Haiatto swearing every other sentence. Also, somehow the word fuck brings me out of historical settings though this isn’t a historical per se this book does try to give the impression of a bygone era. The work fuck starting gaining popularity in the fifties and at that time it was no where near as ubiquitous as it is today. The use of words of modern origins or those that gained popularity in modern times in a setting which is anything but modern brings me out of the immersive experience of reading and after a time it becomes exhausting to keep re-immersing yourself. It is a weird quirk and I am not sure others would have this problem.

So, for all of the above reasons, validated or not, I wasn’t having a fun time being in Ĥaiatto‘s mind and unfortunately, this book is entirely from his perspective. This book also doesn’t focus much on Yüu and their relationship aside from cursory mentions. For a relationship that has been going on for three years, these two feel really new at stuff or maybe I just feel that way because we actually don’t get that much content to form an opinion one way or the other on their relationship and on Yüu.

The bulk of the story focuses on Ĥaiatto trying to solve Yüu‘s predicament which he does without consulting Yüu something I found weird. I  also don’t get why he didn’t just tell Yüu the truth about the crimping or atleast about his deal with the Order. It didn’t make any sense for him to withhold that information. Here is someone preparing for death wouldn’t you try to alleviate their fears with legitimate hope? Leaving that aside, this is the part of the story that I enjoyed the most as Ĥaiatto interacts with members of The Assassin’s Guild. All members of the Guild made quite an impression on me. None more than Lu Feninghan, the grandmaster himself. If I am right he is Lochan’s father and now I really want to see him pop up in Lochan and Ervyn’s story because that would make for one hell of an interesting dynamic. I actuality won’t mind more of Lu.

Cover Art by. Can I just gush over that cover? It is amazing. It is definitely the best cover of the year because I really can’t foresee any cover topping it. The infinite cosmos and the two kissing faces forming out of the ether are so gorgeous. Just break my heart already.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:Kindle Edition, 86 pages
Expected publication: April 26th 2019 by The Order Universe
Edition Language English
Series Soldiers and Mercenaries #1

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Wrong Way Home (Criminal Delights: Taken) by K.A. Merikan

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This series has very dark themes. Each book is by a different author and can be read as standalones. Please pay attention to the trigger warnings and tags.

The first two chapters are Colin’s POV as he takes a new route home to visit his parents and ends up seeing a murder. The horror elements are well done. I understand the negotiating–believing maybe if Colin tried to offer favors it might save his life or improve his quality of life in the situation. I think for me, the attraction was too quick on Colin’s part after what he witnessed. Chapter three shows Tarin’s POV. He’s not a psychopath, but he is a survivalist and definitely follows his own rules and moral code. After the initial awkwardness in transitioning them from captor/hostage to actual lovers, the book gets very intriguing when absorbing the reader in what might be Stockholm Syndrome. The sex here is raw, wild, and brutal the first few times and then gets intense with intimacy as the book progresses. As the rest of the book alternates between them, both characters get their layers peeled away.

I liked the blurb and got drawn into the possibilities presented, but the book ends up having a very different feel than what I thought it would be. The original murder is explained and Tarin ends up being quite thoughtful, if stubborn and damaged by past trauma. Colin starts out as not terribly happy and filled with anxiety about decisions and disappointing his family. He and Tarin are strangely well suited and while he may not realise it, his true personality comes out once he feels “safe” enough to fight with Tarin. The noncon/dubcon part of the scenario would have always hung over them unless it was addressed; so while it is addressed, I think I might have liked Colin and Tarin to have more time apart and Colin to have come back on his own, on equal footing. I’ll not spoil it, but there was an opportunity to bring some of the horror elements from the beginning, back into the story and the authors chose a different path. It is also awkward in parts and the plot is a bit thin. Overall, this is a surprisingly sweet romance about two men who might have never met but for fate. They both learn what having a relationship actually means (working together towards a common goal, compromise, listening to each other, respect) and that they are stronger and happier together than apart.

The cover design is by Natasha Snow. Almost all the covers by these authors are dark and stylized with bright fonts. The covers for this series are all similar. This shows Talin and makes sense to the story on more than one level, so I thought it was well done.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal LinkExclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 264 pages
Published April 15th 2019 by Acerbi & Villani ltd
ASINB07P9MVC31
Edition Language English

An Alisa Review : Finding Finlay (MC Securities #2) by Ruby Moone

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Aaron Baker has a problem. His online clothing company is under attack. Whilst MC Securities tackle the breaches in security, he asks for an agent to pose as his fake boyfriend. He doesn’t bargain for getting a snarky, ex-marine with sad, blue eyes and submissive tendencies.

Dumped by his boyfriend, Finlay Masters concludes that the best, and safest, place for him is to return to the closet. Kicked out by his parents as a kid for being gay, closeted in the army for fifteen years, body wrecked by an explosion that cost him his job, he isn’t the best bet for any kind of relationship. Even a fake one.

As the investigation mounts, Aaron wants more, but Finn has no faith in love, never dared need anyone. Aaron talks of how lucky he is to find him, but Finn knows if he is to have a chance at a relationship at all, he needs to find himself.

Oh man, this one pulled at my heart strings.  Finlay just needs someone to love him and be there for him no matter how much he likes to think he doesn’t and is afraid of being hurt.  Aaron is losing his relationship with his son and having problems at his company when Finlay comes in to help they find they can both help each other so much more.

I felt for Finlay and how he has lost everyone in his life, even his most recent ex put a wall between him and his only friend.  I hurt as I watched him working through his thoughts and worries but was so glad that Aaron would be there to hold him up in the end.  Aaron poured himself into his business not realizing how much his son needed him at the time but when trying to fix the problems in his company Finlay helps him to take a step back and realize what’s really important.  Finlay getting back some of that which he thought he had lost probably went more towards him finally admitting his feelings towards Aaron than he would ever have been able to admit.  I am loving this series and look forward to other books.

The cover art is great, I love the visual of Finlay and how it’s similar in style to the previous book but also different.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 245 pages

Published: April 9, 2019

Edition Language: English

Series: MC Securities #2

Love Fantasy? Check Out the Release Blitz for The Gathering Storm (Juxtan #2) by Tricia Owens (excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: The Gathering Storm (Book 2 of Juxtan)

Author: Tricia Owens

Publisher:  Self-Published

Cover Artist: Tricia Owens

Genre/s: Fantasy, M/M romance

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: 50 000 words

Release Date: April 22, 2019

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US 

Amazon UK 

 

 

Blurb

After betraying the only man he ever loved, Hadrian ni Leyanon waits for death amid the ruins of a sorcerous battle. Before that can happen he is recruited by the Council of Elders which governs the use of magick in Juxtan. The Council needs him to track down his evil sorcerer father and force him to face a justice they aren’t powerful enough to inflict on their own. Wracked with guilt, Hadrian agrees to join the mage-led mission in the hopes it will allow him to redeem himself. But when Caled, the handsome mercenary whom Hadrian betrayed, insists on joining the mission, too, Hadrian discovers that redemption needs to come from the man who hates him most.

This book was previously published as The Gathering.

 

Excerpt

The mercenary tightened his fingers around Hadrian’s wrist in response. For a brief instant Hadrian was transported back in time, when Caled held his arm this way because he was leading Hadrian back to the Bell and Buckle for a midday roll and they were trying to be discreet while excitement quickening their pulses. The memory was so sharp and the ache it caused so painful that Hadrian let out a whimper of longing before he could stop himself.

Caled turned his head at the sound, his glorious blue eyes still full of a hate that seemed to age him. But there was something else which lurked in those sapphire depths, something…

“Please,” Hadrian said, the word holding a thousand meanings―it was up to Caled to decide which interpretation to take. “Please.”

Caled had brought them to a mudroom off the main entrance that afforded some privacy. In the semi-darkness, surrounded by hanging cloaks and furs, Caled released Hadrian’s arm and turned around. He herded Hadrian back against the nearest wall, Hadrian clumsily moving his feet out of the way to avoid being stepped on.

“It’s too late for that,” Caled told him grimly. “It’s too late for pleas, for forgiveness. It’s too late, Hadrian.”

Hadrian found himself pressed into the scratchy fabric of wool cloaks. Damp mud on their hems brushed the backs of his bare calves, making him shiver at the cold. But if he needed heat, all he needed to do was look into Caled’s eyes.

“I understand you’re going to kill me,” Hadrian began, his voice stronger than he expected. “I deserve your justice.” The lines around Caled’s eyes deepened. “But I want you to know, Caled. I want you to know―it wasn’t a deception. What we shared―it was real. It was real for me.”

 

About the Author

Tricia Owens has been writing m/m fiction since 2000, after stumbling onto the term ‘slash’ and thinking it referred to horror stories. She is the author of the Sin City, A Pirate’s Life for Me, and Juxtapose City series, among several others. She lives in Las Vegas.

 

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