Category: MLR Press

An Alisa Review: Burning Now by A.R. Moler

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

What do you do when the body in the burned building turns out to be alive?

 

Fireman Gideon Sato stumbles over a man oddly still alive and in remarkable health in the ashes of a warehouse fire. A strange connection runs between Gideon and the man, Vanya Stravinsky, despite Vanya’s confusion and loss of memory.

 

Vanya, a chef, gets mugged after work one evening. He wakes up, nude, in the ashes of a fire. He doesn’t remember much of what happened, but he can guess how he got there. He too feels that connection with his rescuer, but he’s got to decide how much to tell Gideon. Not to mention, the cops think that Vanya was up to no good in that warehouse fire.

 

Somehow Vanya and Gideon have figure out what’s really going on and also prove Vanya’s innocence. Life just got complicated!

 

This was a nice story.  Gideon feels a strong connection to Vanya when he finds him in the rubble of the fire and can’t help but keep thinking of him.  Vanya tries to remember how he got into the building but at the same time needs to keep his secrets.

 

We see both characters’ points of view in this story and can see how they feel throughout the book.  It seemed strange that Vanya didn’t know too much about his heritage or shifting while at the same time trying to explain it to Gideon.  While I liked Vanya finding the one and Gideon finally finding the relationship he has been looking for I just felt as if something was missing.

 

The cover art by Kris Jacen is nice and goes well with the story.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 85 pages

Published: June 7, 2017 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: McShayne’s Dragon (McShayne’s Bloodline Book 1) by Nicole Dennis

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Betrayed, Morric McShayne, a bloodline elemental witch, wakes during a lightning storm, bound to a post—the latest sacrifice to appease a dragon. He swears to survive as the last McShayne and there is no dragon until a powerful claw plucks him away from the precipice.

With every equinox, the dragon’s keeper, Xavier, pushes back the loneliness. The keeper holds a secret until magic flares. This sacrifice is different.

They battle desire and duty. When a single kiss changes everything, can the Fae help them answer more secrets and a legend’s promise? Do they fight against Fate’s choice

I can’t resist a dragon story of any sort so both the title and the cover drew me to Nicole Dennis’ story, McShayne’s Dragon, the first in a new series.  A short story, one easily blown through, I thought Dennis did a good job with laying in some nice world building elements here along with an interesting storyline.

The idea and character of Morric McShayne, the elemental witch and his “family” territory is an intriguing one as well as frustrating.  We get just enough neat details and scenes that make this character and then ones that proceed to wash those away.  He’s smart, intelligent and wary.  He distrusts the villagers and their awful “sacrifices” yet he falls prey to them easily?  It made no sense.   I even liked Xavier although there’s no real “secret” to him.  Its blatantly obvious what Xavier is.  And their first scenes together again held real promise, full of fire, obstacles, and tension.

But the author only gave herself 63 pages so everything collapses quickly.  It has to in order for the story to go forward, more characters to be introduced and more groundwork laid for the next story.  All of which is such a shame.  There is a terrific story here along with characters that deserve to be fleshed out but we get the barest of outlines instead.  Maybe the next story will be different.  I will certainly be reading that one with higher hopes.

Cover art is terrific.  Its an important scene from the story. Its dramatic and well done.  Love it.

Sales Links  MlrBooks |Amazon.com

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 63 pages
Published May 26th 2017 by MLR Press
ASINB072C2M3YM

An Alisa Review: Chasing His Cottontail (Hoppity Shifter #1) by A.R. Barley

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Peter’s been half in love with Luke Holland for as long as he can remember, but his best friend’s very human brother has always been off limit, but when werewolves come to town this bunny shifter is going to have to decide whether he’s ready to fight for what he’s always wanted.

 

Luke Holland is tall, dark, and human. He’s also off limits for daisy obsessed bunny shifter, Peter. But when werewolves start hunting Peter in the woods around New Hope he’s going to need Luke’s help to fight the intruders. Of course, when Luke discovers the truth about Peter he’s never going to stop chasing his cottontail.

 

I liked this story even with the contradictory actions of the characters at times.  Peter hides from some werewolves and ends up as Luke’s pet.  When Luke discovers Peter’s secret he wants to protect and hold on to him.

 

We see how these characters really feel about each other even when they are trying to keep it away from the other.  Peter refuses to take away Luke’s choice about being with him while his actions are making Luke think that he doesn’t want him.  They all work together to make sure Peter is safe and happy even if it isn’t what the other wants.  This was essentially a really sweet story with connections to the story we all knew as kids with Peter getting the name Cottontail as a pet and him eating from Mrs. McGregor’s garden.

 

The cover is nice and gives a great visual for Luke and Peter’s bunny.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 108 pages

Published: May 17, 2017 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

Series: Hoppity Shifter #1

An Alisa Review: Darien’s Omega (Dire Pack Reborn #4) by Stephani Hecht

Rating:  2.75 stars out of 5

 

Blaze’s dreams just may come true when the top Beta, Darien, finally notices him.

 

For years Blaze had a crush on Darien. Yet, the Beta never looked twice at the shy, small Omega. Why would he? After all, Blaze is the packs’ art teacher. He was never anything special and Darien was way out of his league.

 

Darien spots Blaze in the cafeteria and instantly drawn to the Omega. At first Darien thinks he’s blown things when he’d forgotten that he had known the Omega when they were both young. Luckily, Blaze forgives him. But, just as they are getting close, a danger looms, threatening the entire pack. Has Darien found love only to lose it? Or will they overcome the evil is out to get them?

 

This story did not really click for me.  Darien notices Blaze when he is bullied in the cafeteria and wants to take care of him.  Blaze has been the “useless” omega for so long he can’t believe that anyone would really want him especially his long time crush.  Darien does everything he can to show that his intentions are real.

 

We get to see both of the characters’ thoughts and feelings throughout the story so we know how they were reacting to everything that was happening around them.  Darien is so lost in how to actually date someone it’s pretty bad and not adorable like it usually comes off in books, it takes him basically getting told what to do in order for him to actually ask for a date.  Blaze has to see how true Darien is before he can fully commit himself.  There were so many references to the couples from the previous books but the couples were mixed up within the first few pages of the book and I had to keep looking back at previous book descriptions to make sure I remembered who the characters were.

 

The cover is nice and gives a great visual for the Beta.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 107 pages

Published: May 12, 2017 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

Series: Dire Pack Reborn #4

A MelanieM Review: Crossing Jordan by Shannon West

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

A complicated web of lies threatens Jace’s life and he must fight his way to happiness through a maze of romance, murder and intrigue.

Jace O’Neal is slowly rebuilding his life after a disastrous romance with an actor named Dylan Malone in NYC sends him back to Atlanta in disgrace. Living with his mother and his brother, a fourteen-year-old with Fragile X syndrome, one of the known causes of autism, Jace is pursued by Malone, who finally persuades him into another relationship. Then Dylan goes missing and the evidence left at the scene points to Jace’s involvement.

The detective on the case, Will Jordan, is drawn to Jace right away, and learns that Jace’s former lover was manipulative and cruel. Will fights his attraction to Jace as he seeks the truth of what happened to Malone. As more clues emerge and point to Jace, Jordan begins to believe Jace is in danger. A complicated web of lies threatens Jace’s life and he must fight his way to happiness through a maze of romance, murder and intrigue.

I’m just not a fan of this book.  I don’t know, maybe it hit me at the  wrong time, maybe I’m the wrong audience but I just  couldn’t get behind either the characters or this story.

It’s not the author because I’m such a fan of Shannon West’s other series like her Mate of the Tyger Prince series. Or her Dark Hollow Wolf Pack series, both excellent.  No,  its several elements here that bother the bejezaas out of me.  Usually, once that happens there’s no recovery and there wasn’t one here.

It starts with the character of Jace O’Neal.  There’s a fine line between domestic violence victim and doormat in characterization.  To me, Jace reads doormat.  He all but paints a huge V on his forehead and puts a kick-me sign on the back.  I had a complete lack of empathy with him (not so in other books with stories with characters who are victims of domestic violence).  Its doesn’t help in that the way in which the narrative is laid out we are distanced from that part of Jace’s life.  It’s almost told in abstract, it’s that removed from the storyline flashback style.  So there’s no immediate effect for the reader other than Jace’s retelling which comes off as less than impactful.  His actions continued to confound me throughout the storyline. Smh.

Another element that is also connected to Jace is that of his brother Tyler, a 14 year old with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fragile X Syndrome.  Much is made of this and yet not enough.  Tyler is used more to make important plot points and less as someone real and important to Jace.  At least that’s how it came across to me.  There’s no mention of getting any sort of assistance for him and at one point Jace tries to hug him, surprised when that doesn’t go over well.  Tyler is repeatedly exposed to  violence,  physical abuse and yet, again,  Jace is shocked that Tyler is aware that it’s happening in a small house.  Jace is treating him as though he’s deaf and stupid at times here.  How could you be unaware that someone is being beaten and shouted at in a small house? Yes, Jace is so stunned that he starts crying.  I almost stopped reading right there.

There’s the detective who falls for him (and starts sleeping with him while on the case) and the mystery that quite frankly you will have figured out soon into the story.  The whole thing just had no credibility for me.  This will send me running right back to West’s Mate of the Tyger Prince series to remember why I love her writing so.

Cover art is sort of cool.

Sales Links:  MLR Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 177 pages
Published May 12th 2017 by MLR Press (first published May 9th 2017)
ASINB071VJFF44