Category: Less Than Three Press

A Ali Review: The Werewolf of Grey Lake Inn (Paranormal Days) by Megan Derr

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Vector illustration of wolf howling at moon in night forest in green tone.

Astor is tired—tired of his family and the way they never listen to his advice, and tired of being in love with his agent, Tennyson, who after a one night stand made it clear he preferred to keep things professional. The only thing Astor’s not tired of is his job researching haunted inns and hotels to prove just how haunted they’re not.

His latest book is about a notorious inn in the middle of nowhere, and a haunting he suspects has more to do with real werewolves than fake ghosts. It will provide fodder for an excellent non-fiction book, the novel he’s secretly writing, and be so distracting he’ll finally be able to get over Tennyson.

Except when he arrives it’s to find that Tennyson is already there, with every intention of keeping Astor company through the holidays.

This was an enjoyable story that follows Astor as he tries to debunk the myth of the ghost at Grey Lake Inn. Unfortunately what he finds are werewolves. He also finds that his agent Tennyson has followed him to the inn and this is a problem because Astor has strong feelings for the man. Feelings he doesn’t think are reciprocated. As it turns out they are and the two men end up having not only a dangerous encounter with a werewolf, but a sexy and romantic weekend.

The writing style in consistent with this author’s other works so if you’re a fan you should definitely check this out. It is also a good starting point for people who have not read this author before. The story is pretty short and just shows us a snapshot of the two men’s time together over the course of a few days. I would have liked for it to have been a bit longer so I could have gotten to know them better but that aside I did enjoy the book.

Cover art is perfect for the story.

Sales links:  Pre-order Link at Less Than Three (save 15%)| All Romance (ARe) | Amazon| coming soon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: December 23rd 2015 by Less Than Three Press
original titleThe Werewolf of Grey Lake Inn
ISBN139781620046883
edition languageEnglish
seriesParanormal Days

Note: This was originally published in the Bad Moon Rising anthology. It hasn’t changed significantly for the solo release

 

An Ali Review: Dangerous Territory by Cari Z‏

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Dangerous Territory coverWith his father barely in the ground and his sister married to a scheming bastard, Carter is on the verge of losing the family ranch. His only chance at holding onto his inheritance is to get his cattle to market before his brother-in-law. That means braving Mason Canyon, which on top of being snake-infested and easily flooded, is also shifter territory. Most clans would just as soon shoot humans as look at them.

His only hope of making it is to trust the shifter who’s agreed to help him, and pray that Rani won’t double-cross him. If Carter doesn’t go he loses everything, and if he doesn’t make it there his family is as good as dead.

I really enjoyed this creative take on a traditional cowboy story. The setting is AU and seems very much like the Old West of the US. The exception being that instead of Native American tribes there are shifter tribes. This was a novella but it packs a lot of story in it. I thought the author did a very good job of setting the atmosphere of the story and I felt like I was right there with Carter and Rani as they tried to get the cattle through the canyon. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if they made it and what obstacles would be thrown at them along the way. In addition to the action packed story of moving the cattle there was also a touching romance between the two men. The bulk of the story is the two men alone together and their characterization drives the story. Everything about this book worked for me and I’m finding that I’m becoming a big fan of this author’s work.

Cover art by Natasha Snow: I loved this cover. I thought it was beautiful and it does a great job of showcasing the feel of the book.

Pre-order Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | coming soon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: January 13th 2016 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620046937
edition languageEnglish

An Ali Review: Owner of a Lonely Heart by Mel Bossa

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Owner of a Lonely Heart coverDeclan spends most of his life trying to forget his violent past, but now that his brother Valens is out of jail his efforts at a quiet existence are about to be turned upside down. On top of that, his best friend Rhys is leaving for Poland—right as Declan was ready to confess his feelings.

Overwhelmed, he turns to his friend Felix for support, only to find himself falling for Felix while still being in love with Rhys—who also happens to have feelings for Felix, leaving Declan with a present at least as complicated as his past, and a highly uncertain future.

There was a lot going on in this story. Too much in my opinion. Declan is the main focus of the book but his brother Valens, his best friend and love Rhys, and their friend Felix all have major parts. In addition they all have major issues going on in their lives. There is domestic violence, allegations of misconduct at work, babies and bad guys trying to catch up to them to name a few.

While I could have juggled those things in my mind what I struggled with was that all these things took the focus off of the relationships. Declan ends up in a polyamorous relationship with Rhys and Felix but I don’t really know how it happened. We don’t see any of their relationship talks on page and when you take such a serious topic I’m not going to buy it. There was literally almost no discussion about the complexities of the relationship. We never even know Felix and Rhys are friends or talk to each other and then all of a sudden they’re in love. I kept feeling like I had missed a scene and would find myself skipping back to see if I had. The techincal aspect of the writing was fine but the plot and the way it was told just really didn’t work for me at all.

Cover: I liked this cover a lot. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a primarily black and white cover before and I thought it was really eye catching.

Sales Links:   Less Than Three Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 11th 2015 by Less Than Three Press
original titleOwner of a Lonely Heart
ISBN139781620046326
edition languageEnglish

A Jeri Review: Wolf, WY (Wolf #1) by A.F. Henley

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Wolf, WY CoverThere’s nothing like a fresh start, and for Randy, still nursing wounds left by a cheating ex and harboring a deep mistrust for all things corporate, Wolf, Wyoming seems like the perfect place to start over. Secluded, quiet, and self-sufficient, Wolf is bound to not only inspire, but to bring Randy the peace he needs. The view’s not bad, either.

Vaughn O’Connell and his family are Randy’s only neighbors for miles, and while Randy knows it’s somewhat unlikely that a man with three kids is gay, it doesn’t hurt to look. When a misunderstanding brings Randy face to face with both Vaughn and his eighteen year old son, Lyle, Randy’s not sure what to feel about either of them.

But things are not what they appear in Wolf, and the closer Randy gets, the stranger the O’Connell family seems…

Although I tend not to be a big fan of paranormal, I decided to give this one a go. Overall, I am glad I did.

The paranormal part of it (wolf shifters) really didn’t come to fruition until about ¾ of the way through the book. Before that we got to know the main character Randy, his potential love interest, Vaugh, and Vaughn’s three kids.

Randy moves to Wolf, WY to escape a life he wasn’t happy with. Working as a lawyer, he was defending people who were probably guilty and his conscience wouldn’t let him live with it any longer. Add to that an ex-fiance who not only dumped him, but was also cheating on him, made the move easy.

Vaughn and family are his closest neighbors by far. He tries to engage them with smiles and waves hello but is ignored. He does notice that Vaughn and his son are quite good looking, although he feels like the father is a jerk and the son is a bit too young for him.

This book is VERY descriptive as far as the scenery, what Randy is thinking and feeling and Wyoming in general. While it absolutely sounds beautiful, it could have been trimmed a bit. I would have enjoyed reading a bit more about Randy’s back story or even Vaughn’s back story. We actually get NONE of Vaughn’s story which disappointed me.

I did really enjoy the fact that Vaughn’s son was making a play at Randy. It added a dynamic that isn’t often seen in books like this. Vaughn’s youngest children were a delight and charming. They added to the story without unnecessarily upping the “cute” factor.

An enjoyable read with enough sex to make it steamy and enough imagery to take your mind to that house in Wyoming.

Terrific book cover.

Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press | All  Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 223 pages
Published October 21st 2015 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620046180
edition languageEnglish
seriesWolf #1

A Wynter Review: Wolf, WY (Wolf #1) by A.F. Henley (A 2 Review Novel)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5      ★★★★★

Wolf, WY CoverThere’s nothing like a fresh start, and for Randy, still nursing wounds left by a cheating ex and harboring a deep mistrust for all things corporate, Wolf, Wyoming seems like the perfect place to start over. Secluded, quiet, and self-sufficient, Wolf is bound to not only inspire, but to bring Randy the peace he needs. The view’s not bad, either.

Vaughn O’Connell and his family are Randy’s only neighbors for miles, and while Randy knows it’s somewhat unlikely that a man with three kids is gay, it doesn’t hurt to look. When a misunderstanding brings Randy face to face with both Vaughn and his eighteen year old son, Lyle, Randy’s not sure what to feel about either of them.

But things are not what they appear in Wolf, and the closer Randy gets, the stranger the O’Connell family seems…

The beauty of this novel has two parts. The first was how easy it was to sink into the world of Wolf, WY. The second lies in the two story perspectives presented in every chapter. The first and most obvious perspective is Randy Connor through whose point-of-view we follow in the story. The second, less obvious one is of the wolves that the author shares at the beginning of every chapter in italics. It did such a beautiful job portraying the cold – emotionally and of-the-weather, as well as the loneliness and isolation of Wolf, WY and its inhabitants.

While I wished those italics parts were longer, Henley’s ability to convey so much in so little is, in and of itself, a thing of wonder. They are a very powerful depiction of, presumably, Vaughn – a man of few words but full of emotion from holding on and keeping in all the secrets that protected himself, his family, and his community. I can just imagine how he must’ve wrestled with the notion of sharing who and what he is (and Lyle) with Randy. For me, all of that made me ask many questions about Jackie (you’ll have to read to find out who that is, I’m afraid).

As much as I could ache (and cry) for the head of the O’Connell family, I couldn’t help laughing, groaning, and shaking my head at Randy Connor, an attorney who left all he knew behind in search of a fresh start. One of the best things about Henley’s stories is his knack for getting the main character’s introduction out of the way so the story could unfold without interruption. The prologue found (“stupid”) Randy buried in the middle of his dry and sarcastic introspection about life. The following chapters unfold the mystery of the O’Connell family and how Randy changes as a person – from an arrogant and egotistical city-brat to someone who realizes that there’s a lot more to being out in the country other than self-efficiency, and that running away can’t keep being the answer to his life’s problems.

As a lover of the winter season, I loved how Henley described Wolf, WY in the cold months: a rare and most beautiful place of a winter wonderland where snow danced and both the wolves and the winds howl in harmony with each other. There is ample warning though, and as Randy came to learn, the more beautiful winter became, the more likely it is to find fun ways of maiming a person, if it doesn’t succeed in killing you first.

I found the story predictable in some areas, but I think Henley did a good job in keeping the mystery going and left plenty of opportunity for some of the questions to be answered in a sequel. I like how several of the paranormal elements were kept simple while the author inserted his own creativity and kept the characters and the circumstances real. We didn’t have two characters who meet and immediately try to make things work. What seems like indecisiveness in Vaughn (along with his coldness and curt behavior) really drives home just how much the man struggles within himself – something that Randy didn’t, and couldn’t, understand. Many of us have been there ourselves, finding that one interesting and overly intriguing person who refuses to open up. In fact, such silence tends to annoy and frustrate some more than others, doesn’t it? It certainly frustrated Randy.

If nothing else, reading the book for the children is well worth it. Hannah and Isaac are positively adorable in this novel, so full of life and character, yet don’t let their young years deceive you. They can be quite the adults when the circumstance calls for it, much to Randy’s chagrin. It made me so proud and made my heart ache all in the same instance: children grow up entirely too fast. Faster in Wolf, WY, it would seem.

And per Henley’s usual arsenal, it does contain a couple of very hot, very erotic scenes.

This is the first time this author has published a book intended for a serial. I think the readers of this book are going to fall into two groups: the ones who absolutely love it (like me) and the ones who will absolutely hate it. I do recommend the book – highly, in fact – but if my personal experiences can be called upon to make a judgment about serials for those hesitant about this novel, sometimes reading Book 2 before Book 1 might be better. It’s worked for me before.

Thank you for reading! I hope you have yourselves a lovely Fall day! ❤

The cover artist for this novel is Raphael (Boys in Ink and Color), and I must say he did a splendid job. If I had been walking the aisle of a bookstore and strode right by a showcase with this novel on it, there would definitely be a pause in stride to pick it up. The wolf eyes just draws me in. On top of that is a snow covered landscape that suggests an adventure is about to happen, or is happening, and will involve at least a wolf.

Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

  • Author: A. F. Henley
  • Length: ebook, 223 pages; kindle edition, 260 pages
  • Language: English
  • Series: Wolf, #1
  • Genre: Fantasy – Paranormal, M/M Fiction
  • Published: 1st edition October 21, 2015 by Less Than Three Press LLC
  • ISBN-13: 9781620046180
  • Digital ISBN: 9781620045398
  • Print ISBN: 9781620046197