A Paul B Review: Love Comes To Light (Senses #6) by Andrew Grey

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Arik Bosler receives a call from Ken Brighton offering him a two week fellowship to study art with him in Northern Michigan. Normally Arik would be ecstatic about this opportunity. However, he was injured six months ago, severely burning his hand, making it impossible to paint. Arik agrees but decides that he would go say hello to the renowned artist and thank him for the opportunity then take off. What good is studying with one of the modern greats if you cannot actually apply the lessons learned?

On his way, Arik stops at a gas station close to his destination. A huge intimidating man comes to fill up his gas tank. Being five foot nothing, Arik has always been scared of men who had some considerable height. However, this man also intrigues Arik despite his fear.

Reg Thompson is this man. He is a biker who belongs to the local motorcycle club. While he looks intimidating, he really is a giant teddy bear. He doesn’t mean to scare the cute man and tries to draw him out. He even puts his mechanic into place after the mechanic teases Arik about his height, or lack thereof.

After the two meet at a dinner arranged by Ken, the two men begin to talk and find out they have a lot in common. Both are artists who have had to deal with basically absentee parents. Arik grew up with drug addicted parents. Reg’s mother became distant after the death of Reg’s sister and the onset of mental illness. While Reg has dealt with the trouble of his parents, Arik has allowed the problems of his parents to fester.

As the two grow closer, Arik meets the rest of the members of Reg’s motorcycle club. While only there for ten minutes, Arik is convinced that Reg is no better than his parents and begins to distance himself from Reg. To make matters worse, Arik’s mother shows up wanting to talk with him. Arik must deal with his past if he wants a future that is happy instead of bitter.

This is the sixth book in Andrew Grey’s Senses series. These books can be read individually but having read the past books brings context to parts of the storyline. I absolutely love this series. Usually one of the major characters, if not several of the supporting characters has a handicap of one kind or another. However, this handicap does not define the character. It is a part of the character like being gay or blond. The most powerful character throughout the series, Patrick the opera singer who lost his voice, speaks the most powerfully. He, along with Ken his partner, help show Arik that he might not be able to paint like he used to, he still could develop other methods of expressing his creativity.

The other characters that helps Arik is Bobby Jo, a young girl in the county children’s home who is facing another surgery to fix her malformed hand and Jerry, a young boy from a previous story who is stricken with a muscular disease that has curled his hands. I look forward, as always, to the next book in this series.

The cover art is perfect for the book. L.C. Chase has our young blond Arik standing a few feet away from Reg, who is wearing jeans and a leather jacket without a shirt. Reg looks like he is coming out of the bay to the garage of his service/gas station. They are what I thought they might look like.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details
EBook, 206 pages
Published: March 18, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-63477-128-3
Edition Language: English
Series: Senses

Love Comes Silently (Senses #1)
Love Comes in Darkness (Senses #2)
Love Comes Home (Senses #3)
Love Comes Around (Senses #4)
Love Comes Unheard (Senses #5)
Love Comes To Light (Senses #6)

Its a Last Visit To Pleasanton with Andrew Grey, On His Latest Release ‘Love Comes to Light (Senses #6) (guest blog, and excerpt)

Love Comes To Light (Senses #6) by Andrew Grey
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist L.C. Chase
Release Date: March 18, 2016

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback

Love Comes to Light – Pleasanton

This story represents the last time we will visit Pleasanton, Michigan, a town I made up in my imagination. However, the area is a place I remember fondly. When I was about eight or so, my family took a trip around Lake Superior and we spent some time in that area of Michigan. My memories of that time are sketchy, but I do remember getting on a boat with my dad and seeing the colored layers of rocks that make up Pictured Rocks in Lake Superior. Later when Dominic and I took a trip the Upper Peninsula years ago, we once again travelled through that area.

It was beautiful with pine forests and sparkling water. Dominic and I had a wonderful time driving along the lakeshore and we ended up stopping by the lake at a roadside picnic area for lunch. It was that lunch and our drive that I recalled when I decided to create Pleasanton. There are small towns in that area of the state and some of them have characteristics that went into Pleasanton, in the end my town is an amalgamation of what I saw and what sprang from my imagination.

Blurb

A Senses Series Story

Artist Arik Bosler is terrified he might have lost his creative gift in the accident that left his hand badly burned. When he’s offered the chance to work with renowned artist Ken Brighton, Arik fears his injury will be too much to overcome.

He travels to Pleasanton to meet Ken, where he runs into the intimidating Reg Thompson. Reg, a biker who customizes motorcycles, is a big man with a heart of gold who was rejected by most of his family. Arik is initially afraid of Reg because of his size. However it’s Reg’s heart that warms Arik’s interest and gets him to look past the exterior to let down his guard.

But Arik soon realizes that certain members of Reg’s motorcycle club are into things he can’t have any part of. Reg can’t understand why Arik disappears until he learns Arik’s injury was the result of his father’s drug activity. Though neither Reg nor Arik wants anything to do with drugs, the new leadership of Reg’s club might have other ideas.

Excerpt

At the edge of Pleasanton, his nerves began to get the better of him. He pulled into a gas station and up to the pumps, then turned off the engine. He needed gas and a chance to think. He should have stayed home and not put himself through all this.

A tap on the doorframe pulled him out of his thoughts. Arik turned and squeaked at the huge man half leaning into his window. “You want some gas or what?” the man asked gruffly. Arik was belted in or he’d have scooted into the passenger seat to get away.

“Yeah,” he answered shakily. Arik watched as the huge, bald-headed man, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt with a leather jacket hanging open over the top, stared back at him with eyes that said he wanted to tear Arik apart. At least that was what Arik saw in them. He shivered and tried not to look scared. “Th… thank you?” God, he hoped this guy worked at the station.

The guy didn’t move—he just watched Arik for a few seconds as Arik chilled and willed his legs not to shake while hoping the guy wasn’t about to reach in and grab him.

The huge man pulled back, and Arik breathed a sigh of relief.

“You need to open your gas cover,” the man said, and Arik pulled the gas-cap lever, fingers shaking. He reached over and raised the passenger window. He also raised his partway and felt a little safer. Arik adjusted his rearview mirror, watching the man and wishing like hell he could get out of here. He reminded himself that the two of them had never met before, and the guy pumping his gas had no reason to hate him. That still didn’t stop Arik’s insides from churning. When he heard the sound of the gas nozzle being removed, he pulled out his wallet, checked the pump for the amount, and got out some bills.

“That will be $27.53,” the man said gruffly.

Arik handed him thirty dollars. “Thank you,” he said hastily, and then he raised the window and started the engine. The man might have said something, but Arik pulled away and turned back onto the main road, following the directions his GPS system gave him.

It took a good ten minutes for his breathing to return to normal. He hated that the gas station guy had intimidated him, but he hadn’t been able to help his reaction.

About the Author

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page
Barnes and Noble Page
Dreamspinner Press
Facebook
Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey
Goodreads
Twitter @andrewgreybooks
Website

For Other Works by Andrew Grey

(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)

The ones listed below is for this Series Only

Senses Series

Love Comes Silently Book 1
Love Comes in Darkness Book 2
Love Comes Home Book 3
Love Comes Around Book 4
Love Comes Unheard Book 5
Love Comes to Light Book 6

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Being True by Jacob Z. Flores and Mark Westfield (Narrator)

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

What a delightful story, well-written and refreshingly narrated by Mark Westfield. Frankly, I wasn’t sure if I’d like a young adult story, or if I’d like this narrator, since it’s my first for him, but what a knockout combo Jacob and Mark turned out to be!

Truman Cobbler has had to transfer high schools yet again in his senior year. The victim of bullying in every school he’s attended, he lives with his widowed mother who is more than willing to move to accommodate her son’s safety. Tru is short of stature with hair that has an unfortunate tendency to misbehave, ears that stick out, and teeth self-described as horse teeth. He’s also very smart and apparently exudes a gay vibe. Not that it’s untrue, as he is gay, but it seems he has some magnetic field that attracts jocks and trouble—usually together.

There is one jock, however, who is not like the others. Javier Castillo is popular and friendly and the star pitcher for the baseball team, and for some reason, he befriends Tru from the moment they meet. Tru certainly needs befriending. Other than Javi, his only friend is Claudia, the classmate who is head of the yearbook and the high school newsletter committees. Since Tru loves writing and photography, and Claudia does not follow the popular kids in bullying Tru, their friendship seems made in heaven.

When it becomes known that Javi has befriended Tru, many of the “in crowd” decide to befriend Tru as well, at least on the surface. But later in the year, when one of the jocks picks on Tru and Javi comes to defend him, Javi is given an ultimatum—Tru or the friendship of the jocks. By this time, Javi has realized his feelings for Tru are more than friendship, and the two decide to reveal their relationship to both sets of parents and then come out at school.

I love the way the author handled this situation—the strength and character of their parents was remarkable, and the boys’ reaction, though not happy, was honest obedience to the principles their parents set out. It was refreshing to see authority figures act with integrity—from parents to school administrators.

Javi and Tru face both expected and unexpected hurdles, and just as their friendship grew at first, their love for each other grows after they know each other better. Tru becomes much tougher and more confident as he faces life challenges and tragedy with determination and a strength of character quite amazing for a young man.

Oh, and did I mention sex? No? Well, once the boys are eighteen, they get their chance to explore and the combination of Jacob Flores’s writing and Mark Westfield’s narration makes for some smoking hot moments.

I recommend this one to all lovers of young adult/new adult MM romance. And the audio version is outstanding, so if you haven’t tried an audiobook, this one would be a great place to start.

~~~~~

Cover by Paul Richmond depicts a close-up of both young men lying side by side with a view of Javi snuggling Tru over his shoulder. Very sweet, just like the story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

8 hours and 40 minutes

Audible Audio, 9 pages
Published June 9th 2015 (first published September 15th 2014)
ASINB00ZTN9T8M

A Ali Review: Eagle’s Blood (Mountain Spirit Mysteries #1) by A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Brock Summers is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer with a heart of gold. When he discovers a video of golden eagles being shot and learns of a nest in trouble, not even a blizzard can stop him from trekking up the mountain in an attempt to rescue them.

When Brock returns with the one eaglet he manages to save, Landon Weir, the local wildlife rehabilitator, patches up the bird and the injury Brock suffered during the rescue. Though they have been friends and colleagues for years, their shared passion for protecting wildlife and the feeling of Brock’s body under his hands makes Landon see Brock differently. For the first time, Landon wonders if they can be more than friends.

To Landon’s surprise, Brock asks him out to dinner to thank him for his aid, but before they manage their first date, another video of eagles being killed surfaces. Neither man will let inclement weather, a dangerous mountain, or armed poachers stop them from rescuing the eagles—or each other.

This is a story about a wildlife rehabber and a Parks/Wildlife officer. The story is mostly about poacher who are killing eagle’s for illegal sales. I found this all really interesting and the author seems to have a good knowledge of all things related to wildlife, care and laws. (Some I know from a rehabber friend and some I Googled). If you find this kind of stuff interesting you will probably enjoy this book. If not…I don’t know.

There is romance in this but it’s not the main focus and it’s not as well done as the mystery part of the plot. There is a lot of telling about the guy’s feelings and very little showing. I didn’t really feel their connection at all. I will keep reading these though cuz I loved all the animal stuff.

Cover art.I liked the cover a lot. It’s artfully done and is a good representation of the story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published April 14th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published April 13th 2014)
ISBN 1627986286 (ISBN13: 9781627986281)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL
SeriesMountain Spirit Mysteries #1

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Lay It down by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Hudson Barber loves his twin brother, Dalvon, but as the story opens, he’d like to kill him too. Dalvon, a high-paid model, has left his billionaire boyfriend’s estate on the island of Ibiza, and all the responsibilities related to running it, and headed to the US using Hudson’s passport. He didn’t even have the balls to tell his boyfriend, Miguel Garcia Arquero, that he was going, nor did he take care of the businesses he was supposed to be running. In short, he left Hudson holding the bag for managing the businesses, straightening out the estate, and telling Miguel that his boyfriend has taken off. Add to that the fact that Dal has settled in with Will, Hudson’s ex-boyfriend, and Hudson is not a happy man.

Dal has always been the pretty one—beautiful, lighthearted, and empty-headed—unlike his fraternal twin who takes responsibility seriously and is pursuing his MBA diligently. Left with no choice, Hudson uses the time while Miguel is away to streamline functions in the household, turn part of the villa into a luxury getaway for the wealthy, revamp the nightclub and make the restaurant more efficient. Within three months, he’s taken the businesses Dal was supposed to manage and made them profitable. He’s also gotten permission from his academic advisor to use this experience as independent study for this semester so he has until the end of the semester, around the time that Miguel is due home, to make everything perfect.

And he’s hit with a few surprises. The first is that Miguel comes home early, and Hudson loses all hold on his emotions and his intellect. He’s gob smacked by Miguel, and the feeling is reciprocated. Never having been in love, and as the product of the foster care system and protector of his brother, Hudson has never been number one in anyone’s life, so when Miguel treats him as if he is precious and necessary to Miguel’s life, he flounders helplessly in a sea of confusion. And then there’s the gun running. One little detail Dal forgot to tell Hudson—Dal took possession of a million dollar shipment of arms from a gunrunner and now it’s time to pay up. Oh, oh.

This story follows the pattern of many of Mary Calmes’s stories in that one MC is beloved by friends or family or both and the other is tall, dark, alpha, and powerful and becomes the love of the other’s life and vice versa. Personally, I love the formula, and in this case, I loved these characters. Hudson had personality, wit and intelligence. He also had a need to be needed and to be loved, and when Miguel came along and swept him up in both need and love, it was a match made in heaven.

There’s a whole host of secondary characters, many of whom are strong women. (Thank you, Mary Calmes!) The setting, the story, the characters, and especially Hudson and his soulmate Miguel make this one of my favorites. The only thing I’d change is to make the story longer. It gave me a pick-me-up just when I needed it most. I recommend this story to those who enjoy MM romance with a strong, masculine and wealthy hero and a sweet, intelligent and needy nerd. It’s fairly short so would make the perfect treat when you are heading to the beach, an airplane ride, or just want to devour something fantastic real quick.

~~~~~

Cover Art by Reese Dante depicts a young man lying on his back with his arm raised above his head as if he’s sleeping. The white background and bright red title letters make the cover unassuming but smart— just like Hudson.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 126 pages
Expected publication: March 16th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634771313
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lila Review: Ghosts (The Power of Zero, #2) by Jackie Keswick

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 ★★★★★

Three months after the ending of book #1, we are back at Gareth’s house days before Christmas. Nancarrow Mining is out for the holidays, and the MCs are getting ready for the festivities. Jack and Gareth enjoyed some quiet time before family and friends filled the house.

As the days passed, we experienced the challenges of making a relationship work. They celebrated Boxing Day, New Years, and Valentine’s by the end of the story. All these celebrations framed the evolution of the relationships, not only between the MC but the rest of the characters as well.

Together, they worked to have all their ghosts put to rest.

Ghosts is a novella that zooms into the lives of Daniel and Nico and how it affects Jack and Gareth. This installment is more of an extension than a story on its own, especially after reading Job Hunt’s epilogue. We get to see and hear from most of the characters, again. Plus, we found out about Goran’s trial and sentencing.

But the majority of the book revolves around Jack and the boys trying to deal with their “Ghosts” and how to move forward with their lives. It’s a limited view into building a family for the four of them and all the obstacles they had to tackle to get there. There’s no extra drama or cases, just a small side plot about finding Daniel’s parents and its repercussions.

The author summarized it well in this quote, “Love is something enduring that lets you deal with your past, live in the present, and look towards a future.”

I do need to say that the first chapter in this story made me crave a good beef pie and mash potatoes. The recipes and meals were important before, but now, they have center stage. Everything from the preparation to the consumption had a purpose and translated well into writing. The author continues to have a great way to integrate all the senses in her prose.

The reader has the opportunity to peek into the characters’ future and dig further into their pasts. If you want to know more about Daniel and Nico, this is the perfect addition for it. But I don’t think is necessary to read it before moving to the next book in the series.

I didn’t like the cover for book #1, Job Hunt, but Maria Fanning did an excellent job with the cover for this novella. It fits the previous book, and it has an important element of this installment.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 112 pages
Published: February 10, 2016, by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 1634768590 (ISBN13: 9781634768597)
Edition Language: English

Series: The Power of Zero
Book #1: Job Hunt
Book #2: Ghosts
Book #3: House Hunt

A MelanieM Review: Trial by Fire by BA Tortuga

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.

Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents.

Once again, BA Tortuga has nailed it with this emotional, funny, heartbreaking romance featuring an itty bitty Texas cowboy and a Aussie cattle station owner. No one, I repeat, no one, does that tiny powerful cowboy like Tortuga. They exist in rodeos across the nation and in ranches throughout the United States. Tough as rawhide, tiny as they come and packing a punch that will level you.

And this author gets them at a cellular level.

That’s Holden Sheffield, whose just lost his beloved twin brother, Landon, and wife, Addie, who Holden adored, in a plane crash, leaving him the sole guardian, of their daughter. Holden, and his entire family are devastated, in pain and in shock, when the Aussie appears demanding to see his niece and more. You can imagine how that would play out. But to the author’s credit, she doesn’t go to the places we would expect but takes those scenes to unexpected avenues of calmness and evenhandedness first. I loved that. Holden was a perfect explosion of unanticipated character traits…yet the whole of him made perfect sense. Loved that man!

Lachlan McCoughney is more of a well defined brand, but that works here too. In fact that may be needed for the drama within the story. His is the yin to Holden’s yang, the two types of men, the two types of stations/ranch operations and yet on the outside so dissimilar,on the inside, so very much alike where it counts. If only Lachlan will be brave enough to see and act on it. I loved and understood Lachlan too because the basis for his actions is also love of family and land. Something that BA Tortuga also understands deeply and is able to easily translate into her stories.

Backing up the main characters for their fight for the child are the parents and ranch hands, all of whom are beautifully defined and realistic in their own right. This book could extend into multiple stories in a heartbeat with all the characters involved.

Grab this story right up and hold on tight. You will read through it quickly and then want to go through it again to see what you missed. Its sexy, heartwarming, and one for the comfort chair. I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Paul Richmond. So cute, ok baby, adorable.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 228 pages

Expected publication: March 15th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN139781634769822

Edition Language English

Special Guest Blog:BA Tortuga on Telling Our Stories and her release ‘Trial by Fire’ , a Dreamspun Desire

Trial by Fire by B.A. Tortuga
Dreamspinner Press
Release Date March 15

Cover art by Paul Richmond

Sales Links

Dreamspinner Press ebook & paperback | Amazon Print | ARe | Barnes and Noble

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have BA Tortuga here today to share something about herself and the characters in her latest story (which I loved), Trial by Fire. Welcome, BA.

********

Telling Our Stories

Hey, y’all! I’m BA Tortuga, resident redneck and lover of stories – hearing and telling.

Whenever people ask me why I write cowboys, I tell them those are the people I grew up with, those are the people I know. I write the folks that I heard telling their stories, the people that I shared memories with. Not all of the stories are good ones, not all of them are classy – shit, not many of them are – but they’re ours and I’m proud to share their voices.

Now, if you want polished men that never lose their tempers or get themselves in trouble with their big mouths, these aren’t the cowboys for you. Shit, I couldn’t even manage to write a billionaire rancher from Australia who owns his own private jet to be this super class-act. Somehow, when you scratch Lachlan, underneath the fancy-assed business suit you find a red-blooded, hot-headed man that intends to get what he wants.

Grins

Here, I’ll let y’all meet him a little bit.

“I—shit, mate, I hate being the bastard to bring bad news.”

His scalp prickled, and goose pimples rose on his arms. “Just tell me.”

“Ades was in a plane accident three weeks ago over in the States. She and her husband.”

Jesus. He felt as if Rick had hit him with a hammer, right in the belly. How could that be possible? His baby sister, gone off this earth?

“I’m sorry as hell, mate. I saw a little blip on the AP feed. All that searching and I missed it until today.”

“You have the details now?” He didn’t want to know, but he had to. His mum… she deserved to know.

“I do. Lachy. There’s lots.”

He rubbed his eyes with his free hand. “How much? You said she was married.” He’d not have guessed.

“Yes. A bull rider from Texas. They… they got married two and a half years ago. They had…. Oh shit, mate. There’s a little one. A little sheila. Three and a half months old.”

His heart stopped for a moment. Really stopped. “She wasn’t on the plane.”

“No. No, she was with her father’s family.”

“Thank God.” His hands shook, his whole body going shocky. “What. Where is she now?”

“Living with the Sheffields. That’s the family.”

“Wait. She married Landon Sheffield?” Sheffield was a tiny little bastard. What the hell had Addie seen in him? That motherfucker had been a guest in his house. Snake in the ruddy grass.

“Yeah. You know him?”

“Yank bull rider. He was over here for some big tour. They did a promotional shoot up here.” He was going to lose his shit.

“There’s a twin brother. Uh….” He heard papers shuffling. “Holden. He’s named on the will as the guardian.”

“Not the grandparents?”

“No, mate.”

“Damn it.” Okay, that wasn’t going to work. He’d never met the brother, but the Sheffields were rodeo people. A little girl needed a stable home. Not some nomadic bullshit life where nothing stayed the same for a week at a time. She needed a home. Her mom was gone, and he hadn’t even known.

“How do I find them?” Lachlan asked.

Let me tell, y’all. When Lachlan gets his happy ass to Texas, sparks fly.

There’s a reason the working title of this story was “Aussie vs Texan.”

Much love, y’all.

Trial by Fire Blurb

One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

About BA Tortuga

Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds and her beloved wife, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head. Find her on the web at http://www.batortuga.com

A Stella Review: Mending the Rift by Chris T. Kat

Rating: 4,5 out of 5 stars

In a future where man’s ability to reproduce is severely compromised, humanity has adapted to survive. Breeders—male and female—have become precious commodities, and they are strictly guarded and subject to limitations.

Luca Walker is a breeder. Though he knows what’s expected of him as the youngest son of the Northern Confederacy’s vice president, he’s held out against the pressures of an arranged marriage because he longs to marry for love, not duty. But he’s been promised to Colonel Liam Smith and there’s little he can do about it, no matter that Luca is secretly in love with his bodyguard, Marcus Gray.

When Luca finds himself pregnant with Marcus’s baby, Smith is furious and vows to take what is his—by force, if necessary. Now Luca must fight for his life and the life of his unborn child… as well as the love of Marcus and the happily ever after he’s always dreamed of.

I am a huge fan of Chris T Kat and when I saw Mending the Rift, a male preg story, a favorite theme of mine, I soon knew I was going to love it. I read it and it was a lovely surprise. I simply adored it. I put it among my favorite ones of this year.

The author did an amazing job at describing this new society where Luca is living in, where only few women and men can become pregnant, after the Earth and its population was almost destroyed by the Third World War two centuries ago. Science was able to give men the right to be fertile and everyone who is a breeder is forced to procreate.

Luca is one of them, he is part of the official Northern Confederacy Breeding Program that searches for the best genetic match. He’s twenty three years old and needs to accept his fate like all breeders do. He has to marry colonel Liam Smith and give him offsprings. He can’t refuse and choose to marry whoever he wants. But Luca is not interested, he wants someone to love him for who he is and not what he can do, a breeder for a man he doesn’t love.

The most important problem is Luca is already in love with Marcus, his bodyguard. They fell in love with each other one year ago, it was love at first sight but there really is nothing they can do to stop the union of Luca and Liam. Breeders have no choice and Marcus is just a bodyguard.

I like the author’s style, always clear and clean, easy to read and well done. Especially with a theme and setting like the one of Mending the Rift. I needed details to understand how things worked in this new society and I easily get them. The differences between the Southern Union and the Northern Confederacy. The relationship with Luca’s fathers. And more.

I found Luca to be a bit childish and more than once I wanted to slap him after one of too many useless outburst. Still these defects gave the character a realness necessary for a kind of book set in a (sadly thinkable) not so far future.

There isn’t only one story in this book, I could know and learn to love not just Luca and Marcus, but Nicholas and Gregory too and another one I don’t want to spoil, the very surprise and unexpected couple. Things happened till the end when I was already sure I could relax and finally have a baby.

I want to highly recommend Mending the Rift to all the mpreg lovers, you can’t miss it. To me it was a winner and one more proof of the talented Chris T Kat.

The cover art by AngstyG shows a particular scene in the book, it’s tender and well done.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Expected publication: March 14th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634767361
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: At Your Service by Ariel Tachna

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

When Anthony Mercer walked into Au cœur du terroir, he was looking for good food and a pleasant evening spent with a friend. He never expected to meet—and sleep with—Paul Delescluse, a waiter at the restaurant. After spending a magical week together in Paris, Anthony must return to his life in North Carolina, while Paul remains in France.

Despite the distance and the lack of promises between them—Paul wants sex, not a relationship—Paul and Anthony forge a solid friendship. Then Anthony’s job takes him back to Paris, this time to stay. Paul is thrilled to have him back, but Anthony has a harder choice: be another of Paul’s conquests or fight for the relationship he knows they could have, if only Paul would believe it.

From the moment we enter the story of At Your Service, its immediately clear that France, and its culture is going to be on loving display as a major character in Ariel Tachna’s story. From the language to the food to the vividly described local venues, the reader feels as connected to the settings as Anthony and Paul due to the deep affection that the author holds for the people and places she is writing about. I cannot tell you how much that helps to elevate a story as it does here.

The characters are introduced quickly as it needs to be, given the time frame the author is working within. A week to meed and fall in love. Possible? Yes and definitely while in Paris. God, that city has its own magic. And Paul and Anthony definitely click over the food and wine of the restaurant Au cœur du terroir and other places Paul takes Anthony too. Its a quiet joy watching the men connect with each other even knowing what’s coming and the fear of relationships that returns along with Paul’s ex.

However, Paul’s has far darker issues than a simple fear of relationships and Tachna does a wonderful job of not glossing over the real pain involved for both parties in the sexual issues here. It took a story I was expected to be merely a pleasant romance into one with with emotional heft and characters that showed real growth by the end of the story.

If you love your stories with some angst, travel and struggles towards romance, then At Your Service by Ariel Tachna is the story for you. I absolutely recommend it.

Cover art by L.C. Chase is a delight and speaks towards the location.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 206 pages
Expected publication: March 14th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634768528
Edition LanguageEnglish

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Love Comes To Light (Senses #6) by Andrew Grey Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist L.C. Chase Release Date: March 18, 2016

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback

Love Comes to Light – Pleasanton

Blurb

Excerpt

About the Author

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Trial by Fire by B.A. Tortuga Dreamspinner Press Release Date March 15

Cover art by Paul Richmond

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Telling Our Stories

Trial by Fire Blurb

About BA Tortuga

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Love Comes To Light (Senses #6) by Andrew Grey
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist L.C. Chase
Release Date: March 18, 2016

Trial by Fire by B.A. Tortuga
Dreamspinner Press
Release Date March 15