Things Are Heating Up All Around Us and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Things Are Heating Up All Around Us

August Heat is the name of a short story by W. F. Harvey, penned in 1910. It tells the tale of two men, previously unknown to each other who find out through slim connections that one will be murdered by the other. It ends with the character Withencroft writing the day’s events as Atkinson sharpens some tools: “It is after eleven now. I shall be gone in less than an hour. But the heat is stifling. It is enough to send a man mad.”

Ah, yes, the wonderful August heat! Whether you are the characters of Harvey’s August Heat, or August Heat (Commissario Montalbano #10) by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli (Translator) or the families, cowboys and ex soldiers in BA Tortuga’s story, Real World, where the Texas heat is as real as the men and situations she writes about in her Love is Blind series, the searing heat of the summer acts like a main character of its own in novels and real life all over the world. This series is rapidly becoming a favorite series of mine. But that no surprise as I include that author as a favorite writer to rec as well.

We have a number of release day reviews this week, as well as audiobook reviews and regular reviews too. If you love fantasy, be sure to check out Blaine D. Arden’s Forester Trilogy which is ending with Full Circle: Forester Triad Act Three (Tales of the Forest, #3) and can be found complete in A Triad in Three Acts which will also be reviewed this week. Plus you won’t want to miss its stunning covers. Ali is reviewing a book that she thinks will be in her top 10, will it be in yours? Check it out. Plus I have Christian Baines back with his long awaited sequel to The Beast Without, The Orchard of Flesh (Arcadia Trust #2) by Christian Baines. I have a author interview and giveaway. Don’t miss that either. What a week we have in store.

Plus this will be our last week for our old look. Next week, a new look, a contest to welcome in something entirely different. Stay inside, away from the heat, unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere where its winter and cold. Grab up some books to read either way. Be here with us all week! Leave your comments, we love hearing from you. Now for this week’s schedule.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, August 14:

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Things Are Heating Up All Around Us

Monday, August 15:

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Marriage of Inconvenience by MJ O’Shea
A VVivacious Release Day Review: Coin of the Realm by Michael Murphy
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Real World by BA Tortuga
An Alisa Audiobook Review: Hell on Wheels by ZA Maxfield

Tuesday, August 16:

In the Spotlight: Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry (Riptide Tour and Giveaway)
Blog Tour, Giveaway and Author Interview – Priest and Pariahs by Mann Ramblings
Dreamspinner Author Guest Post and Book Tour: B.A. Tortuga and the Real World
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Flying Fish by Sedonia Guillone

Wednesday, August 17:

Series Recap Tour – Blood Moon Alliance by SA Welsh
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Relative Best by Pat Henshaw
A Paul B Review: Psychic Says by JJ Black
An Alisa Review: Softpaw by Osiris Brackhaus

Thursday, August 18:

New cover reveal: Jamie Deacon ‘Caught Inside’ (cover reveal and giveaway)
In Our Spotlight: Lilah Suzanne ‘Burning Tracks’ (excerpt and giveaway)
Release Blitz & Review Tour – Blaine D. Arden – Full Circle
A MelanieM Review: A Triad In Three Acts by Blaine D. Arden
A Free Dreamer Review: The Cop and the Drifter by Christiane France
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Moment of Truth by Karen Stivali

Friday, August 19:

In the Spotlight: The Orchard of Flesh (Arcadia Trust #2) by Christian Baines(author interview/giveaway)
In the Review Spotlight: Sarah Madison’s Fool’s Gold
A MelanieM Review: Fool’s Gold by Sarah Madison
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Turning the Page by Andrew Grey
A MelanieM Review: The Orchard of Flesh (Arcadia Trust #2) by Christian Baines

Saturday, August 20:

An Alisa Review:Behind the Uniform Anthology
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Hexbreaker by Jordan L. Hawk

An Ali Release Day Review: Spindrift by Amy Rae Durreson

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Spindrift When lonely artist Siôn Ruston retreats to the seaside village of Rosewick Bay, Yorkshire, to recover from a suicide attempt, he doesn’t expect to encounter any ghosts, let alone the one who appears in his bedroom every morning at dawn. He also doesn’t expect to meet his ghost’s gorgeous, flirty descendant working at the local museum… and the village pub, and as a lifeboat volunteer. But Mattie’s great-great-grandfather isn’t the only specter in Rosewick Bay, and as Siôn and Mattie investigate an ill-fated love affair from a bygone era, they begin a romance of their own, one that will hopefully escape the tragedy Mattie’s ancestor suffered.

But the ghosts aren’t the only ones with secrets, and the things Siôn and Mattie are keeping from each other threaten to tear them apart. And all the while, the dead are biding their time, because the curse of Rosewick Bay has never been broken. If the ghosts are seen on the streets, local tradition foretells a man will drown before the summer’s end.

This author’s book A Frost of Cares is one of my top 5 books of this year so I was really excited to see that she was doing another romance/ghost story. I have to say this didn’t disappoint. There are two stories intertwined. There is the current love story of Sion and Mattie and there is the love story from the past. The story of Mattie’s great-great grandfather and a man named Joshua.

The writing was excellent and the imagery was so well done that I could picture myself there. The story was downright creepy at times and I was glad I wasn’t reading it late at night. Sion and Mattie were both well done characters and at first I thought they were too different for me to find a believable love story but I was wrong. Over the course of the story it becomes apparent that they are complimentary for each other. Their story is both love story and a story about forgiving yourself. I also enjoyed the story of the men from the past although it was a melancholy tale.

This was a unique and creative story that was really well done in all aspects. I highly recommend this.

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht: I like the cover. It didn’t really stand out to me but I thought it was nice.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published August 12th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634775244 (ISBN13: 9781634775243)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A VVivacious Review: Orientation by Rick R. Reed

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Robert and his lover Ethan have drifted apart to the point that they are mere strangers living together. As things between them worsen Robert wonders if he ever truly loved anyone other than his first lover Keith who died of AIDS.

Then on one particularly lonely night Robert comes across a suicidal girl, Jess but it appears that there is more going on between Jess and Robert than either can guess at first. But what exactly does this sense of familiarity and love translate to between a gay man and lesbian?

I really think this book is not aptly named, I mean I don’t think it ever deals with orientation, I mean the characters in this book are not conflicted about their orientation and neither are they troubled by it. While this book ends on a note that kind of stresses orientation, this book is truly just a story of love.

It is a very engaging story. I read this book at a stretch; I just couldn’t put it down. It is a short book but what I liked about it is that the story never becomes predictable. What kept me turning the pages one after the other was the fact that I had no idea where this story would take me or how it would end.

Our MCs are Robert and Jessica who are both in ways dealing with loss. They bond over this fact but what truly makes them want to be with the other is the fact that there is a deeper sense of familiarity and love that underlies there meetings. Since the moment they met Jessica has felt that she is meeting someone she already knows and loves. Complicating this fact is that even though they feel love towards the other their orientations are completely incompatible. This story also follows two other characters, Ethan, Robert’s boyfriend and his drug dealer, Tony.

This story really focuses on its characters, you can sympathize with Robert’s desire to be blind to the obvious, to not have to face his boyfriend’s infidelities as well as his potentially lethal lifestyle and bury that under the joy of having someone else who understands his love for Keith. While Ethan’s struggle with his addiction is painful, he is wasting away and try as he might to climb out of the abyss he is in, he only ever manages to dig himself deeper. Tony’s guilt over being the reason many people have lost touch with themselves and his shame over not being able to give up the opportunity to make just a little more money is honest. And then there is Jess who is reeling form loss, is burdened by her lack of finances and struggling to understand these new feelings that have awakened in her… for a man…

This story really ties together the lives of these four characters and makes for a compelling read. This book is firstly about love and secondly about the human condition. It is an amazing read.

Cover Art by Wilde City Press. I liked the cover but I’m unsure as to how it relates to the story.

Sales Links

Wilde City Press

Books Details:

Wilde City Press

Kindle Edition, 2 edition, 192 pages

Published July 25th 2016 (first published May 7th 2008)

Original Title Orientation

ASIN B01J4KIP94

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Expanded Hearts (Heartland #2) by Logan Meredith

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Expanded Hearts Psychologist Victor Mascari and his partner, spa-owner Derek Jameson, have been together eight years, but their relationship is still evolving. Derek distrusts monogamy because of his parents’ messy divorce, but as marriage equality advances, Victor’s doubts about their open relationship are growing. He doesn’t necessarily want a legal union, but he’s increasingly concerned about how others view them.

When Victor comes home to find Derek with another new conquest, he’s annoyed… at first. As he gets to know Antonio, Victor discovers the young man is intelligent, self-assured, and charming. This time, it’s Victor who is intrigued by someone else and Derek who thinks Victor’s interest is crossing the lines they’ve agreed on. If Victor wants to keep Derek, he’ll have to let Antonio go.

But Antonio is in real trouble and has nowhere to turn. Victor and Derek take him in, and it soon becomes clear how well he fits into their lives and how strong the bonds between all of them are growing. A committed relationship between three men—all very different in age and background—is enough of a challenge, and then the horrifying secrets of Antonio’s abusive past emerge.

I honestly did not expect to enjoy this story as much as I did. Open relationship? Ménage? The blurb intrigued me, however, and I’m so happy I took the plunge. What the blurb doesn’t tell us is that Antonio leaves shortly after he and Victor get to meet and talk for a while, and part of Victor’s intrigue with Antonio is his feeling that Antonio was hiding too many personal details, over and above the fact that he ate breakfast as if he was starving, and his clothes were worn beyond what’s considered fashionable. When he happens to meet him once again, he arranges to treat the young man to lunch.

When Victor’s partner, Derek, a gorgeous, tall, muscular black man finds out, he blows his top. He feels as if Victor went behind his back and arranged a date. And that’s totally unlike Victor, the forty-something, slender, self-effacing psychologist. There are so many starts and stops and complications between Victor and Derek about Antonio that even his name begins to drive a wedge between them—all this without Victor ever even taking Antonio to bed. And Antonio has disappeared anyway, so why the continued strife, Victor wonders. But all of that drama added to the three-dimensional character-building the author put together so that we become as entangled in this story as the characters are.

As it turns out, there’s so much more to Antonio than either man knew, and his background turns out to be positively heartbreaking. He’s also linked to one of Victor’s patients, and his hoped-for relationship with Antonio, whether real or platonic, will definitely cause Victor trouble with his professional ethics.

Once they have found Antonio, reconciled their differences about him, and brought him under their wing, rather than finding peace, the intrigue surrounding Antonio follows him, and not just from outside sources—Derek’s mother comes into play at this point in the story when she happens to drop by and “catch” Victor with Antonio. Unfortunately, she not only never accepted Derek as gay, she never supported his eight-year relationship with Victor—primarily because Victor was both older and white. Her character is very reminiscent of a Bible-thumping wicked witch, and she positively reels when she finds out from Derek just why the “boy” was brought into their home. Her prejudices know no bounds, and she’s possibly one of the best/worst examples of a nasty mother I’ve read.

In the early stages of the story, I found myself aggravated as I read—first by Derek and then by Victor. I wanted them to find some common sense and just get going, but around the 40% mark, I realized I was so caught up in the story and the drama surrounding Anthony that I couldn’t put the book down, and I stayed up late one night just to get to the conclusion. It was very, very good, and I recommend it to all my fellow MM romance lovers.

The drawn cover by Paul Richmond isn’t very appealing, mostly due to the colors used, but it does closely represent the three characters who ultimately form a strong ménage relationship in this story.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 224 pages
Expected publication: August 12th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634775376 (ISBN13: 9781634775373)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesHeartland #2

A MelanieM Review: North Star (North Star #1-3) by Posy Roberts

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Hugo and Kevin were best friends and secret lovers in high school, but a chance meeting years later proves that the spark that drew them together before is still there. In Spark, Hugo and Kevin must try to put together a relationship while overcoming the obstacles of coming out, divorce and children. In Fusion, an unexpected illness may tear apart all they’ve been building. And in Flare, though they’ve finally settled together happily, outside forces are working hard to upset their family.

North Star is a bundle of all three of Posy Robert’s North Star trilogy stories, a total of 876 pages of wonderful contemporary m/m romance and true love. Its one thing to have them as separate stories (blurbs below), but its another to read it as one long saga of a love affair that starts as young teenagers, reunited later as grown men. How would that work?

Pretty smoothly actually. I found the flow was almost seamless. As one story ended, the next picked up almost at the same point, making it to continue your connections to the characters and all the many threads the author is working here. But at the same time, close to 900 pages is a lot to read at one sitting (I know). So if you need to stop at one book, and then continue on later, well, you can do that too and still be able to pick up Hugo and Kevin’s story.

In fact, I think I might recommend you still do that. I loved these stories. And the characters, Hugo especially. Hugo is such a bundle of contradictions, so human. He’s vibrant, vulnerable, and he comes alive on every page. So too does his friends, especially Summer. Kevin and his household too get into your heart, from his soon to be ex wife Erin and his children. But a huge 900 page dose of Kevin almost proved too much for me. I understood the reasons why he behaved as he did, Posy Roberts made that very clear. But I think perhaps it went on too long, at least for me, and in those wonderful words of Cher, I dearly wanted him to “snap out of it” long before Flare started. What kept me and my impatience in check was the timeline and the events that were happening.

There are some very wonderful and moving elements here, including a complication with Kevin’s wife. How this is handled is one of the stars I think of the series. The dynamics between the three of the them, and the children, the growth of Kevin and Hugo’s relationship at this stage as well as having Erin’s point of view in Fusion? It made this my favorite story of the three. It felt real, loving, and got straight to my heart.

Spark – Book 1:North Star: Book One Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

In their small-town high school, Hugo and Kevin became closeted lovers who kept their secret even from parents. Hugo didn’t want to disappoint his terminally ill father, and Kevin’s controlling father would never tolerate a bisexual son. When college took them in different directions, they promised to reunite, but that didn’t happen for seventeen years.

By the time they meet again, Hugo has become an out-and-proud actor and director who occasionally performs in drag—a secret that has cost him in past relationships. Kevin, still closeted, has followed his father’s path and now, in the shadow of divorce, is striving to be a better father to his own children.

When Hugo and Kevin meet by chance at a party, the spark of attraction reignites, as does their genuine friendship. Rekindling a romance may mean Hugo must compromise the openness he values, but Kevin will need a patient partner as he adapts to living outside the closet. With such different lifestyles, the odds seem stacked against them, and Hugo fears that if his secret comes to light, it may drive Kevin away completely.

Fusion – Book 2: Rating 5 stars out of 5

How do you tell your friends and family you’ve fallen in love with a man when they’ve only ever known you as straight? How do you explain to your kids that you loved their mother very much, but your new partner is your best friend from high school?

Kevin Magnus must figure it out while trying to build a relationship with Hugo Thorson, whose bigger than life, out-and-proud drag queen persona is simply too big to be contained in a closet—even for the time it takes Kevin to come up with an explanation for his kids and Erin, his soon-to-be ex-wife.

But Erin faces an even bigger obstacle—one that shakes the entire family to the core. When she unexpectedly turns to Hugo, they form a connection that forces Hugo to grow up and offers Kevin the chance to become the kind of father he wants to be. Despite the coming complications, they’ll all benefit from a fortunate side effect: it becomes clear that Hugo is very much a part of this unconventional family.

Flare – final book in the North Star Trilogy Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Hugo Thorson and Kevin Magnus are learning to live again after the death of Kevin’s wife, Erin. They’re doing everything they can to make a stable home for Kevin’s kids, but that stability is threatened when Kevin is served legal documents: Erin’s parents want custody of Brooke and Finn.

Meanwhile, Hugo is offered several acting jobs; to encourage him to take them, Kevin hires a nanny who is very hands-on with the kids. But Hugo feels distanced from his new family, so he makes the decision to leave his eclectic neighborhood and moves in with Kevin. He quickly finds he has a hard time fitting in with the suburbanites, and Kevin’s passive-aggressive “friends” make Hugo feel anything but welcome. Yet he keeps his concerns a secret and tries to take it all in stride.

When Brooke is bullied about having two dads, Hugo realizes his mere presence might be doing more harm than good. The stress will force him to make a choice: does he stay and fight for the family he loves, or does he walk away to let them live in peace?

In the final story, Posy Roberts pulls it all together, the struggles, the relationship and personal growth the men go through in order to become the true partners and family unit they have been dreaming and working towards from the moment they reunited and perhaps even longer, the moment they met. I think this is where Kevin finally clicked for me as a character and as the perfect ying to Hugo’s yang. It also deals with another strong topic, bullying. Again, its addressed in a direct and wonderful way by the author by using Brooke, the daughter we have come to know and care about just as deeply as the main characters.

How do I love these characters? Oh so much. By the time the last sentence rolls around, I was so sorry to see them all go. I think you will be too. Having them all in one bundle makes it so easy to pick up and enjoy them all over again.

Need not one but three stories to perk up your summer reading? Love contemporary romance and lovers reunited? Pick up North Star (North Star #1-3) by Posy Roberts, a 3 in 1 total package of romance and reading enjoyment. I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Anne Cain works for the characters. Its lovely.

Sales links

Bundle Details:

ebook, 876 pages
Published August 5th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634775201 (ISBN13: 9781634775205)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/north-star-by-posy-roberts-7341-b
SeriesNorth Star #1-3

An Ali Audiobook Review: Gambling Men by Amy Lane and Gomez Pugh (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

gambling-men audio Quent Jackson has followed Jason Spade’s every move in business and in poker since their first day as college freshmen. Eight years later, when Jace finally decides Quent is the one man he can’t live without, he sees no reason for that to change.

But as much as Jace believes that poker is life, no one gave Quent the same playbook. After their first passionate night, the real game of love and trust begins, and Jace has been playing alone too long to make teaching the rules easy. Jace only speaks two languages: one of them is sex, and the other one is poker. Between the two, he needs to find a way to convince himself to take a chance on love—and Quent to take a chance on him. It’s a lucky thing they’re good at reading the odds, because they’re playing for keeps, and this is one high-stakes relationship that’s definitely worth the gamble.

This was a sweet (& sometimes sexy) story about two best friends who finally act on the fact that they’ve been in love with each other for years. The book started a little odd for me. It felt like I was dropped into the middle of an ongoing story. Which I guess in some ways I was since they had a relationship that had spanned many years previously. They get together in a sexual manner at the very beginning of the story and the rest of it focuses on them developing their relationship and struggling through some growing pains. While they struggle through some things it all felt realistic and it was pretty much angst free. The entire story is filled with poker metaphors which I thought was an interesting plot device and really worked for these two characters. I only know a little about playing poker but I had no problem following along and I thought it really added to the story. Overall it was a lovely story about two average guys falling in love.

I enjoyed the narrator and thought he did a good job. He has a really soothing voice and he did a good job on all the characters. Both of the main characters as well as all of the side ones.

Cover Artist: DWS Photography: The cover is ok but it not one of my favorites. The cards are well tied into the plot.

Audiobook Sales Links

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 8 pages, 7 hrs 18 mins
Published June 10th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 6th 2012)
Original TitleGambling Men
ASINB01GUES5DI
Edition LanguageEnglish
CharactersJason “Jace” Spade, Quentin “Quent” Jackson settingSan Francisco, California (United States)
Hawaii (United States)

The Books You Love are Back in One Bundle! North Star (Spark-Fusion-Flare) by Posy Roberts (giveaway)

Nearly three years ago, North Star was released book by book. Now you can get the entire series as a bundle!

In the summer of 2012, I was in a tizzy to get a story down that would become my North Star trilogy. I was afraid if I didn’t get it down as fast as possible, I would lose everything. Sometimes I woke in the middle of the night and went to my keyboard and wrote for hours. Other times I sat at the lake, my laptop battery charring my thigh more than the sun at my back, and type away as fast as my fingers would fly.

The story came to me in a strangely inspired way and I knew it couldn’t be told in just one book. It had to be three, even if the story was always intended to be read together.

Spark was released at the beginning of September 2013, with Fusion and Flare following in November and then January. That’s really close together for a series, so I was lucky Dreamspinner Press released them one right after the other. People have had to wait years between George R.R. Martin or J.K. Rowling books.

And now North Star is in a bundle! *cheers wildly*

The story arc spanning all three books is how Hugo and Kevin figure out how they can be together and stay together despite all the odds. And they face many obstacles over the years, starting with Kevin’s father in high school. Lucky for them, they get a second chance at love in their thirties, years after they drifted apart in college.

As authors, we take risks when we put out a series. There is always reader drift and I know not everyone will pick up subsequent books. I’m guilty of that myself. I move on to another book or series and by the time the next book comes out, I’m not around to see the release announcment or my interests have changed. That’s why I’m really excited about this bundle. I can’t wait to see how new readers will react to all three books together.

Just a few weeks ago I followed along as a reader picked up Spark and commented on Twitter as she read. She immediately picked up Fusion and then moved on to Flare and read them all in a few days. She loved the series, recommending it to all her followers, and I teared up with each of her tweets. What she loved about the stories is what I loved so much about Hugo and Kevin, their genuine love and devotion for each other and their family.

When I set out to write North Star, my intention was to tell a realistic story about a complex family that fought for each other, challenged each other, and lifted each other up. Some of what they are up against completely sucks, just like some of the crap we have to deal with in our own lives. Now you can enjoy the ride to three happy ever afters in a matter of days!

In high school, Hugo and Kevin discover they are perfect for each other. Sadly they fell in love years too early to make a solid commitment, and college and other relationships got in the way. Fifteen years later they meet again, and all those old feelings are rekindled. Second chances at such perfect love don’t happen every day. Hugo and Kevin immediately know they’re meant to be, but figuring out a way to combine their divergent lives without rocking their well-established boats is the challenge. If that’s even possible. Perhaps their love is worth upending the worlds they know.

Falling in love again is easy. Fitting into each other’s complicated lives isn’t.

Hugo and Kevin were best friends and secret lovers in high school, but a chance meeting years later proves that the spark that drew them together before is still there. In Spark, Hugo and Kevin must try to put together a relationship while overcoming the obstacles of coming out, divorce, and children. In Fusion, an unexpected illness may tear apart all they’ve been building. And in Flare, though they’ve finally settled together happily, outside forces are working hard to upset their family.

Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.

Posy is a Jill of all trades and master of the drill and paintbrush. She’s married to a partner who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep during her writing frenzies. Her daughter, a budding author and cinematographer, helps her come up with character names. For fun, Posy enjoys crafting, geocaching, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make regular life more interesting.

Buy here:

Dreamspinner Press Link: http://tinyurl.com/NSbundle
Amazon Universal Link: myBook.to/NorthStar
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IQTRJQO
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/north-star-11
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/north-star/id1135534675?mt=11

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Nearly three years ago, North Star was released book by book. Now you can get the entire series as a bundle!

Buy here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway: 1 $10 Dreamspinner Press gift card and 1 $10 Amazon gift card.
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An Alisa Release Day Review: Running Hot by Yolande Kleinn

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Running Hot Kurt Trench loves running a successful auto repair shop with his twin sister Lena. Lately loyal customer Shane Dolan has been coming around more often, and Kurt assumes it’s because of his sister. While Kurt wouldn’t dream of coming between them, he can’t help being drawn to Shane himself…. Or thinking about him in ways he definitely shouldn’t.

One night everything changes. Kurt doesn’t reciprocate Shane’s kiss—he’s got no intention of stealing his sister’s man—but when he tells Lena what happened, she can’t believe how thick her brother is. She’s not the reason Shane’s been coming around the garage, and Kurt and Shane have more in common than a love of classic muscle cars. Now it’s on Kurt to make the next move, assuming he hasn’t blown his chance for good.

This was a nice short story. Kurt is completely clueless in Shane’s attraction to him and tries as hard as he can to keep him at an arm’s length to keep from getting hurt. Kurt desires a partner, but isn’t willing to possibly hurt his sister for that to happen.

Through Kurt’s eyes it is easy to see how he could have been confused in Shane’s intentions when nothing is ever said. Lena and Shane just assume that Kurt will know what is going on but Kurt is a bit bullheaded and refuses to see what he doesn’t think is there. Kurt’s stubbornness hurts himself more than anyone else, but he owns up to his mistakes once he realizes the truth which helped him a bit in my eyes.

Cover art by LC Chase is nice and works well for this story.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 50 pages

Published: August 10, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 9781634775250

Edition Language: English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Stranger in Black by Devon Rhodes

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Stranger in Black DSP Cover Christian wants to end his attraction to his cheating lover once and for all, so he enlists the help of his best friend, David, to carry off a charade at David’s firm’s masquerade ball. David’s coworker is Mira, the girl Carl is cheating with, and Chris is willing to dress like a Southern belle just so he can get a glimpse of the woman who stole his boyfriend’s heart.

He knows what Carl will be wearing. After all, he blew him while he was trying on his black costume, so he knows he won’t be hard to spot. When he does, he can’t resist one more unforgettable experience with Carl, so he drags him to an empty banquet room and kneels to give him a memorable blowjob. But the joke’s on him as he immediately realizes the gorgeous uncut cock before him doesn’t match Carl’s cut meat. Deciding to enjoy himself anyway, he lets the guy finish, and just as they are heading back to the lobby, he’s confronted by Mira.

He doesn’t know that Mira has overheard Carl talking to “Chris” on the phone and thinks he’s cheating on her. So when she makes a beeline for him and takes Chris to the Ladies Room, thinking he’s the woman Carl is cheating with, he’s shocked. But he’s even more shocked when he finds out Mira is Carl’s fiancé. Being a kind-hearted soul, he simply tells her that he’s already told Carl it’s over, but if Carl comes around again, he’ll reinforce it. He doesn’t tell her he’s a man.

I really enjoyed the comedy of errors that resulted from this switch and liked the way the author later allowed for a romance to develop with Jarrod, who was actually the one dressed as the stranger in black that night. There’s even a new romance ready for Mira once she eventually discovers the truth about Carl for herself. And there are further misunderstandings in store for both Christian and Jarrod, but there are also heartwarming romantic moments and the promise of a happy future.

This story was short, but packed with fun, romance, deception, redemption, and most importantly, it left me feeling happy. Considering the length of the story, I felt as if it was much longer because I found each of the five characters featured in the story to be believable and well-developed. I especially loved Christian, and I thought Jarrod was simply sex on legs! Speaking of… The sex scenes were just enough to whet the appetite for more. I’m going to miss this couple and that’s pretty unusual for a short book. Obviously, I recommend this to my fellow MM romance lovers, and I’m going to be seeking more from Devon Rhodes in the future.

The cover on this new edition by Anna Sikorska features a handsome, smiling man in black about to put on his mask—perfect for the story.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 69 pages
Expected publication: August 10th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 21st 2011)
ISBN 1634775724 (ISBN13: 9781634775724)
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Alisa Release Day Review: One Step Forward by Tia Fielding

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

One Step Forward Sam Becker, a horse whisperer, agrees to take one last job before retiring to his Texas ranch. It’s clear as soon as he meets the Taylor family in Kentucky that he’s in for a challenge. What he doesn’t expect is the way his own wounds reopen. He’s never really dealt with the suicide of his mentally ill wife, and he won’t be able to ignore that hurt forever.

Joshua Taylor and his horse, Calla, were a force to be reckoned with on the eventing circuit until an accident ended their careers. Most of the pain is on the inside, however, and Sam knows those injuries are the slowest to mend. Sam’s unique methods help Calla and, surprisingly, Josh, but he’s still lost without riding. Their feelings for each other come hard and fast, and Josh starts his first steps of recovery, but Sam needs to return to Texas eventually. Even if Josh is able to move past the accident, they’ll still have a long and difficult journey to make before they can be together.

This was a nice story. Sam knows he is in for a challenge when he meets Calla and Josh. They are both lost without the other, so in order to help one he must work with both.

Sam and Josh are both pulled to each other when they meet, but hold themselves apart until an injured dog causes them to live together. As they grow closer to each other they discover they both have more healing to do before they can move forward together. Their time apart will tell if they are meant to be.

This story is told from both Sam and Josh’s point of view, which helps to know what they characters are feeling. This story is well written, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Most of this story Sam and Josh were apart from each other and had the belief that if it is meant to be it will happen. That is a mindset I have a hard time to connect to, but it seems to work with these characters. I still enjoyed the story and ending, it’s just not what I usually go for.

Cover art by AngstyG is nice and works well for this story.

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Book Details:

ebook, 236 pages
Published: August 8, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN-13: 9781634776011
Edition Language: English