Category: Less Than Three Press

A Jeri Review: Wolf, en Garde (Wolf #2) by A.F. Henley

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

Wolf en Garde Front CoverThree years ago Lyle made a mistake that cost him his freedom, and almost his life. Now, sick to death of watching his father love the man that Lyle wanted, Lyle accepts an offer to leave Wolf, WY behind and see what life in Washington, D.C. can do for him instead.

When Lyle comes across a seductive, attractive stranger with a fascinating yet terrifying view of humanity, he’s more than intrigued. It doesn’t take Lyle long to realize that Arius isn’t just playing games, though, and when Lyle runs across a secret in Arius’ lair he has no choice but to flee, even knowing his actions will enrage Arius.

On the run, with only a psychic’s second sight and his own instinct to help him, Lyle has nowhere to go but home. The only question is, will they have him when he shows up.This book is a follow up to Wolf, WY. In that book father and son shifters were vying for the same man- although that man was only interested in one of them. Fast forward a bit to this book.

Lyle and family head to Washington, DC to visit his dad’s boyfriend’s family. Lyle has never been out of Wyoming and although he is completely uninterested in the “family” part of the family trip- he is beyond excited to see a new place. Even though his father forbade him from shifting while there. But Lyle was never really one to listen. After shifting and sneaking out his first night, Lyle comes across an old vampire who is determined to woo him. Young, impressionable, never out of WY Lyle falls right into his spell. But the vampire has some dark secrets.

So when I started reading the story I assumed that Lyle and the vampire, Arius, were the couple to fall in love against all odds, yada yada. I was wrong. In fact, we don’t meet the man Lyle is going to fall for until about two thirds into the book.

Honestly, this book kind of felt like a super fleshed out outline that was basically just setting us up for book three. Tons of things were left up in the air, too many questions left unanswered. And the instalove between Lyle and BOTH guys (ok, instalust?) was just a bit much.

Why did Arius taunt Lyle about Randy? How was Randy’s dad so clueless about Randy’s mom? Why was Randy’s mom so incredibly cold toward her son?

Too many questions which beg for a book three, but I really don’t know if I will invest my time in book three.

The dark cover with only bright green eyes and a full moon visible is catching, yet not unique for a wolf shifter book.

Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press |  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 254 pages
Published May 18th 2016 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN 1620047748 (ISBN13: 9781620047743)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesWolf #2 settingWashington, D.C. (United States)

A Lila Review: The Pirate of Fathom’s Deep by Megan Derr

Rating: 5+ stars out of 5

The Pirates of Fathoms DeepHigh Commander Lesto Arseni is the most feared man in the Harken Empire. None but the High King dares risk his wrath—and a pirate who once punched him in the middle of the imperial pavilion. A pirate who later snuck away with Lesto to an empty room, touched him in ways far more memorable. And then immediately bolted like a man who’d gotten what he wanted.

Shemal just wants to live a normal life, leave his pirating days behind him and prove that he’s respectable now. The last thing he needs is the two idiots who show up wanting his help with the noble they’ve kidnapped—the very man Shemal had been hoping to prove himself to, the man he hasn’t forgotten since Shemal punched him a year and a half ago.

The Pirate of Fathoms Deep is a marvelous tale of friendship and love between two strong men. There’s a small mention of the incident that brought Lesto and Shemal together in the first book in the series, but not enough to realized more had happened or would happen between the two of them.

Lesto is Harken’s High Commander, but more importantly, he’s High King Sarrica’s right hand and best friend. Their friendship kept them alive in the battlefield and now, helped them run the Empire. Their bromance stays strong in this book and extends to Allen and Shemal, too. Lesto is also the Duke of Fathoms Deep and Nyle’s and Rene’s older brother. He runs his troops and his family/friends like a well-oiled machine.

Shemal is trying to put his pirate ways behind him, but trouble met him at his door. The last thing he expected in his remote parcel were two of his mates bringing him, without warning, the very man he had wanted for the last eighteen months. The man he was trying to be better for. But after all, a pirate can’t resist a treasure.

Since that first encounter, they have been jonesing for the other without a way to get in contact. They both wanted normal lives with a family and a partner. They keep a strong veneer for everyone else, but when together, they were able to relax and be vulnerable. The way the first met, didn’t allow the other to share their wants, but in the end, destiny brought them together. The chain of events they were involved in helped to bring them closer and closer until they surrendered to each other.

In comparison to The King’s Golden Tongue, this second book in the series is more up to point. The reader is familiar with the Harken Empire and has a better understanding of all the little details that make this world work. All the characters we loved are back, and we get to know more about Sarrica & Allen and Rene & Lord Tara.

Even with only 54K words, this story has enough twists and turns to keep us reading the next page, and the next page, and… The author did an outstanding job keeping this story simple and not allowing the kingdom troubles to interfere with the romance. The main plot is Lesto’s and Shemal’s relationship; everything else is well-written but secondary. We get enough information to follow what’s happening with the Empire and to set the next book in the series without losing perspective.

Another great cover by John Coulthart. The colors of the duchy make it appealing, and the images from the settings are beautiful. Plus, it matches the cover of the first installment.

Sale Links: LT3 | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 216 pages
Published: July 13, 2015, by Less Than Three Press
ISBN: 9781620047934
Edition Language: English

Series: Tales of the High Court
Book #1: The High King’s Golden Tongue
Book #2: The Pirate of Fathoms Deep
Book #3: The Heart of the Lost Star (2017)

Cover Reveal for Werewolf’s Tale and a Druid’s Sword by Lexi Ander (cover reveal and giveaway)

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Lexi Ander reveals the beautiful cover art of her next book titled WEREWOLF’S TALE AND A DRUID’S SWORD coming out from Less Than Three Press.
It releases on August 31, 2016.
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BLURB
After he’s kicked out for being gay, still reeling from being abandoned by the man he loves, Jude goes to live with his brother Beck, who thankfully is more than happy to take him in. But Jude has other secrets he’s yet to share, for fear that even Beck will reject him, leaving him well and truly alone.
Then he draws the attention of werewolves, and discovers that everything he thought he knew about Levi, the man who abandoned him, is a lie. But one lie leads to another, ending in a vast conspiracy that threatens to destroy everything Jude loves—and that doesn’t even begin to include the challenges that Beck is facing.
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PRESENTING
 
Cover Art by Aisha Akeju
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TEASER
 
If fairytale beings walked the earth and there were humans who had extraordinary abilities, then what he saw could be something along those lines. Perhaps he wasn’t such a freak. Could there be a place for him where people believed him, where he could fit in? Even though he was reticent to share that part of himself, Jude did want to tell Beck and Diego, but how did he prove something no one else could see? 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.
 
||  Website  ||  Blog  ||  Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  Email  ||  Amazon Author Page  ||
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
 
Winner’s Prize: $15 Amazon Gift Card
Runner Up Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card
2nd Runner Up Prize: $5 Amazon Gift Card

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A Lila Review: The High Kings Golden Tongue by Megan Derr

Rating: 5+ stars out of 5

The High Kings Golden TonguePrince Allen has trained his entire life to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious mother, who has made their kingdom one of the wealthiest and most influential in the empire. For the past few years he has trained to become the new consort of the High King. The only thing no one prepared him for was the stubborn, arrogant High King himself, who declares Allen useless and throws him out of court.

High King Sarrica is ruling an empire at war, and that war will grow exponentially worse if his carefully laid plans do not come to fruition. He’s overwhelmed and needs help, as much as he hates to admit it, but it must be someone like his late consort: a soldier, someone who understands war, who is not unfamiliar with or afraid of the harsher elements of rule. What he doesn’t need is the delicate, pretty little politician foisted on him right as everything goes wrong.

The High King’s Golden Tongue is an excellent fantasy tale of love, trust, family, and friendship.

The original story, in which this book is based on, was written in 2012 and was around 40 pages long. I read it about two years ago and rated five stars as well. I went back and skimmed over it, and found myself reading further than I first intended. The bones were all there, but this extended version is everything a reader could have wished for and so much more.

The fantasy world the author created includes several kingdoms with different languages and traditions— each of them with a rich history, royal families, and plots to take over the Empire. Simple things like food predilections, crops, and fashion are taking into account and spun into a well-connected tale.

Prince Allen is that connection between the kingdoms, but especially between the reader and the story. He had trained all his life to be a silver tongue, but more specifically, to be a King/Queen’s consort. He’s knowledgeable in politics, business, logistics, and many other things a regent would need to be taken care of. When Lord Tara’s family suggested him to be the Consort of the High King, he trained for two years just to be what King Sarrica needed.

Being a widower with two small children and a kingdom ready to go to war takes King Sarrica’s full attention. It’s not until the moment the Council brings a consort for him that he realizes that he didn’t want anyone to replace his late husband, Nyle. If forced, Sarrica wants a soldier, like him, to help him defend his Empire. He didn’t see value in Prince Allen’s knowledge and training. He pegs him as a spoiled royal looking for pampering and multiple lovers.

Sarrica’s dismissal puts Allen in an awkward position. If he returns home, his family would see him as a failure and his kingdom can take offense. If he stays, he would constantly be waiting for Sarrica’s call. Even if it’s just to warm up his bed, Allen wants to serve the stubborn King.

A series of misunderstandings, clever resolutions, and dark situations would mark a separate path for Sarrica and Allen. Their separation would show Sarrica how much he needed Allen and what he was willing to do to get his Golden tongue back. At the same time, Allen would find the friends he never had and a real reason to survive. He’s finally putting to practice everything he learned since childhood and discovering his own strength.

All these adventures are detailed, engaging, and fascinating. There isn’t a slow moment in this book. The plot moves forward steadily with every situation, and all the characters had a reason to exist. The amount of characters and setting involved is grant, but not overwhelming. Everything is presented cohesively and the narrations, as well as the dialogues, were well-written and witty.

I loved Tara, Rene, Lesto, and many of the Fathoms Deep and Three-headed Dragons. The friendship between Sarrica, Lesto, and Rene added a sense of familiarity and reality to the story. The settings, the fashion, and the food descriptions were great; the books and treaties, too. I only had trouble following some of the gender neutral names and I wished the author had explained the reason why some of the males  were able to bear children.

Overall, an exquisite fantasy story filled with unique scenes and engaging characters. Really happy to see more books being added to the series.

The cover by John Coulthart is beautiful. The intricate design and the attention to detail bring small parts from the setting & the castle to life. It definitely has the feel of a medieval High Court.

Sale Links: LT3 | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 400 pages
Published: November 4, 2015, by Less Than Three Press
ISBN: 1620046245 (ISBN13: 9781620046241)
Edition Language: English

Series: Tales of the High Court
Book #1: The High King’s Golden Tongue
Book #2: The Pirate of Fathoms Deep
Book #3: The Heart of the Lost Star (2017)