Category: MLR Press

An Alisa Review: Night Train To Naples (Night Train #1) by Carolina Valdez

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

night-train-to-naples-mlr-pressThe hot, urgent passion of an immortal for his human lover, the vengeful vampire who wants to kill them, and the world of precious stones.

 

After seven-hundred years, Alexandros Nicolaides has adjusted to life as an immortal. Employed by a New Orleans diamond courier, the gemologist travels to Italy in the hope of gaining a new customer for that business. On the night train from Rome to Naples, he confirms what he’s suspected–someone is following him.

 

Human Dante Rocco has his reasons for tailing the tall blond. Unaware he follows an immortal, he’s in for a bad shock. When Alex rescues him from thugs, a hot, urgent sexual bond flares between these two rivals for the courier account. As they struggle with the reality of their relationship, they discover they’re now the ones being pursued–by an unstable, vengeful vampire.

 

Carolina Valdez did a nice job with this story.  These characters feel an instant connection for each other, but feel they should be holding back because they are so different from each other.  Alex begins to full embrace their relationship while it scares Dante.

 

Dante is shocked when he is thrown into the world of immortals when following a rival diamond courier.  He feels a connection to Alex, but doesn’t know if he can accept his vampire nature fully.  When he is faced with never seeing Alex again he decides to jump.

 

This story is told from both characters’ points of view so we can see each of their internal struggles.  Both of them want each other, but don’t want to think about what will happen after they have to go back to their jobs after Naples.  The story if left with a bit of a cliffhanger to look forward to the next book in the series and I can’t wait to read it.

 

Cover art is very nice and caught my eye.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 114 pages

Published: 2nd Edition August 25, 2016 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: Heart of the Warrior (The Tameness of the Wolf #4) by Kendall McKenna

Rating: 2.5  stars out of 5

heart-of-a-warrior-by-kendall-mckennaTerrell Hubbard, decorated Marine sergeant, proudly serves as Beta wolf to his True Alpha and Dominant. During a mission, he meets Staff Sergeant Kai Thayer, Pack Leader of the Camp Fallujah sippe. Terrell is thrown completely off balance by the strength of their mutual attraction and the intensity of their passion. His entire world felt perfect though, each time they came together to mark and claim one another.

In the chaos of a surprise attack Kai shows poor judgement, driving a wedge between Terrell and him, and landing Kai on the True Alpha’s bad side. Terrell is torn between his ferocious loyalty to his True Alpha, and his new but powerful feelings for Kai. In the battle’s aftermath, Terrell and Kai are drawn together in passion, hoping it’s not the final chance to mark their claims.

First off let me say that I love this series and its author Kendall McKenna.  The first story was one of those novels that combined  all sorts of unusual elements (the Marines, Afghanistan, deployment, a unique shifter mate bond) and pulled them all together in a powerful story and beginning of a first series.  I adored it and so did tons of other readers.  I’ve followed it through the sequels and the love affair has continued.   Then came Heart of the Warrior and I have no idea what’s happened here.

Heart of the Warrior (The Tameness of the Wolf #4) by Kendall McKenna is really only a third to a half of a story and a fractured one at that.  Its the story/romance meeting of Terrell Hubbard, Marine sergeant and Staff Sergeant Kai Thayer, Pack Leader of the Camp Fallujah sippe (both characters we have meet in previous stories).  As with the other stories, a sniff sets the pair into motion but here its a flawed usage.  We get little feel for the characters. I think we are supposed to remember them more than we do but its been a while since the last story.  While Terrell is the strongest (in every way) MC in Heart of the Warrior and couple, Kai suffers from lack of time as a character present in the story here other than as a bed partner.  His character seems to shift from one personality to another or maybe because its just that we don’t know him that well.  Anyway the bond we feel towards the fleeting couple is limited because of the treatment he gets here.  He’s supposed to be an important Pack Leader of the Camp but we get no indication of that here, a flaw in the story that’s carried forward in the relationship.

Also this tale slides around, jumping ahead over apparently key scenes from previous stories you are supposed to have remembered if you’ve read the other stories.  If not you are completely out of luck and totally confused.  The battle scenes we drop in and out of?  Have no idea what’s going on.  Its one big mess.  And that’s unusual for this  series.  Its as though scenes from other novels were used here.  In fact, parts of this book feel more scrapped together than intentionally written.

The ending is perhaps the worse.  It just abruptly ends.  As if it was just a chapter in a much larger story.  But here it goes no further.

There’s not to say I didn’t enjoy parts of this story.  I did.  It holds promise as does this couple.  But you have to put the pieces together from a jumbled mess of a story.

Who should read this book?  I suppose those who are addicted to this series and need a fix.  You will get glimpses of your favorites couples.  But if you are new to this author and series.  Give this story a pass.  It does justice to neither.

I like the cover for the story.  Its terrific.  Wish I could say the same about the novel.

Sales Links

MLR Press

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Book Details:

ebook
Published August 19th 2016 by MLR Press
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: The Tameness of the Wolf  – add to your Goodreads shelf here

 

A VVivacious Review: The Buckland in the Vale and Sandstone Tor Gay Book Club (Inaugural Meeting) by John Wiltshire

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
the-buckland-in-the-vale-and-sandstone-tor-gay-book-clubRory McGrath and Adam Sandstone both figure that a book club for gays would be a great place to meet gay men, what they don’t know is that The Buckland-in-the-Vale and Sandstone Tor Gay Book Club is a gay-book club not a gay book club.
While Rory and Adam’s first meeting couldn’t have been worse, the other nine members of the club have different ideas about Rory and Adam’s future. Well the old dears have decided that Rory and Adam will be perfect for each other and they will do everything to make sure that the only thing in Rory and Adam’s future is each other.
I have really mixed opinions about this book and I guess, with this book it’s definitely me and not the book.
I have read quite a few books by John Wiltshire and I love his books, but this book was very different from anything of his I had read this far. This book is funny and light-hearted; it doesn’t have very intense characters or situations. Overall this book should have been a fun, light, enjoyable read but it didn’t quite turn out that way.
This book starts out really funny and that’s what kept me reading but then Rory and Adam go for an away trip and things get really sad. I mean I don’t know if anyone else felt that way but for me the story went from funny, happy, light-hearted to sad really fast, that it made what would probably have not been so sad even more depressing.
I think the reason this book was a miss for me was because I couldn’t get behind Rory and Adam which is weird because Rory and Adam are great characters. Rory is the guy who wants to find his true love and Adam is all intense and finds Rory kind of hilarious for his ideals, but Adam’s thoughts on gay relationships happen to be tragically influenced by his past.
My biggest problem with this book was that it fails to give a conclusive ending. The ending leaves you hanging and unfulfilled.
But what I loved about this book was the Old Dears – Gertrude, Ivy, Myrtle, Hetty, Mary, Jane, Thea, Hilary and Constance. While writing this review when I was trying to think about the good scenes in this book, all those scenes had these wonderful women in them. I loved these meddling women and how even despite their advanced age they were ready to take on new ideas and try new things. When these nine decide to do something they go all the way and well any tale with them in it is a guaranteed fun ride.
So in not so many words I am trying to say that this book has a lot of good points but none of them have anything to do with the Adam and Rory’s relationship. Their relationship is still kind of up in the air and while it is heading in the right direction, I would have liked to have seen their relationship a bit more consolidated by the end of the book, which is not the case with this one.
Cover Art by Molly Wright. I loved the cover for this book with the big loopy handwriting and the turquoise background it kind of fits with the image I have of the book club in this book.
Sales Links:
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Book Details:
ebook
Published August 2016 by MLR Press
Original TitleThe Buckland-in-the-Vale and Sandstone Tor Gay Book Club (Inaugural Meeting)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Re-Inventing LoveEngineer and assistant inventor,Maximilian Grun is in love with his employer, but he daren’t reveal the truth. It’s 1910 and if Canadian authorities learned of his homosexuality, they’d deport him back to Germany where the country of his birth would become the country of his death.

When promising young inventor and mathematician,Dr. Jasper Hamilton expresses his own feelings for Max, the young German regretfully declines. He cannot risk their partnership, their reputations” their very lives!

Then a rival inventor sabotages their inventions. Jasper is caught between the physical and the metaphysical, reduced to atoms, and transported to the spirit plane! Max is devastated, deeply regretting his lost chances.

But Jasper manages to communicate across the aether, telling Max he must reverse the machine’s polarity. But without Jasper’s talent for mathematics, the calculations defeat Max.

Can the would-be lovers bridge the gap between life and death to finally be together?When a ghastly lab accident blows a respected inventor away, his loyal assistant must devise a way to bridge the gap between the planes of existence to reunite them in life and in love.

I was not sure what to expect from Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant.   The premise was intriguing and the author was completely new to me.  Two things I liked.  Plus it was historical, another bonus.  The story  turned out to be so much more than I ever  imagined.  It was a wonderful historical novel, rich in elements from that era.  It was a paranormal tale, filled with inventive touches real and imagined.  The author’s note where Grant’s give’s a nod to the inspirations behind the story should not be missed. Finally, its a sweet, touching romance, still in keeping with the era, noting that such same gender love is forbidden, likely to lead to imprisonment and death.  And on every level that it explores and incorporates into the story, it works beautifully.

The story starts off in Germany,  with a young apprentice and his older mentor working on a special invention and things go very badly.  We follow the the young man’s recovery through various scary scenes and months which I won’t spoil here.  They are of high importance in making the character of Maximilian Grun feel authentic, as both a scientist and as a damaged man.  We get the full history on Max…his troubles, his pain, everything.  Even his naivete’.  And Grant surrounds him in the elements of the era, from laws to major points in the history timeline.

When the story lands in Canada, and the household of Dr. Jasper Hamilton and his forward thinking sister, Octavia, I was throughly entranced.  Then became even more so.  Dr. Jasper was already an inventor who along with his trouser-wearing sister (and house servants/assistants) had filled his house with his inventions from toasters (that burnt toast if you weren’t careful) to washer tubs for washing clothes.  A marvel indeed and based on inventions present at the time.  Octavia, a widow, is a bright, sparkling presence, whose personality leaps off the pages alongside that of her brother and their other household occupants (cat included).  Really, be prepared to fall in love with this entire household.

How Max comes to find employment and a home here with Jasper and Octavia is a neat twist of tale and villain.  Yes, the author has engineered a believable villain for this story.  His actions are both plausible and reprehensible, thoughtless and based on self gain, no matter the cost.  So you get a layered and understandable man to cringe at his every appearance.  Its wonderful.

There is also the paranormal element here, ghosts, another plane of existence to explore.  Its deliciously done.  Storm Grant is clearly having fun here, from the name of the device (see the author’s notes again) to the racket, explosions, and results that occur).  Most are mind boggling, all are marvelous and great for the story.  I enjoyed each and every scene, right up to and including the unexpected final one.

I often watch a series here called The Artful Detective. I believe the author refers to the same show as the Murdoch Mysteries in her notes.  A Canadian detective in the 1900’s who uses science (often ahead of his time) and inventions to solve crime.  It was one of the inspirations behind the story as both incorporate actual history and real inventions into their storylines.  Both the series (I bet the name difference is due to the country where it airs) and this story are charmers.

Whether you are a fan of historical novels, this is one story you won’t want to miss out on.  Its got a little bit of something for everyone.  But mostly?  Its just plain wonderful.  I highly recommend Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant.  Now I need to seek out and read other books by this author.  What a treat.  And while you’re at it check out The Artful Detective as well.

Cover art by Deana Jamroz.  I liked this cover.  A bit old timey true in keeping with the paperback mysteries and dime novels.

Sales Links

MLR Press LLC

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published April 21st 2016 by MLR Press, LLC
ASINB01ENHDG6U
Edition LanguageEnglish

 

Its Coffee Sip and Book Break Time with Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant (Excerpt)

Title: Re-Inventing Love
Author: Storm Grant
Genre: Historical M/M Romance
Publisher: MLR Press
-LIMITED TIME $3.99 SALE-
Engineer and assistant inventor Maximilian Grün is in love with his employer, but he daren’t reveal the truth. It’s 1910 and if Canadian authorities learned of his homosexuality, they’d deport him back to Germany where the country of his birth would become the country of his death.

When promising young inventor and mathematician Dr. Jasper Hamilton expresses his own feelings for Max, the young German regretfully declines. He cannot risk their partnership, their reputations—their very lives!

Then a rival inventor sabotages their inventions. Jasper is caught between the physical and the metaphysical, reduced to atoms, and transported to the spirit plane! Max is devastated, deeply regretting his lost chances.

But Jasper manages to communicate across the aether, telling Max he must reverse the machine’s polarity. But without Jasper’s talent for mathematics, the calculations defeat him.

Can the would-be lovers bridge the gap between life and death to finally be together?

He steeled himself against his desire to grab the man and kiss him soundly. Instead, he settled for leaning even further into Max.

Max made no attempt to draw away.

They sat side-by-side. Was Max’s breathing quickening? But Jasper’s own thudding heartbeat and shaky breaths masked all other sounds. He cleared his throat again and pointed to the rough sketch on his desk.

“If we were to reroute the electrical current through an asbestos filter prior to it connecting with the element, we may be able to regulate heat without having to monitor it quite so vigilantly.” Jasper tapped the page.

Max leant forward, his shoulder sliding along Jasper’s own. “Ja. Yes. It could work. Not with the insulated wires you haff drawn here, but with…” He snatched up a pencil, scrawling quick, firm marks on the page.

Jasper relaxed. Tuning out the engineer’s words, he rode the cadence of the accented voice like a wave. He fought his smile, but lost. It was so good to have a partner on whom he could rely.

If only there was a way for them to be more than working partners.
STORM GRANT pens long and short tales. Her work spans genders and genres, offering good guys and bad puns. Her alter ego, Gina X. Grant, writes funny urban fantasy.

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