Visiting with Silvia Violet on her latest Novel, Burning Up (Fitting In #3) (contest included)

Burning Up (Fitting In #3) by Silvia Violet
Release Date: February 18, 2015
Goodreads Link

Silvia Violet Bio:

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary, sci fi, and historical. She can be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinfully delicious treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading to her incorrigible offspring.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Silvia_Violet
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/silviaviolet

Burning Up:

Bryce has been a firefighter for ten years, but when a horrific house fire leaves him reeling, he moves to a new city, hoping to shove those memories behind him. As he adjusts to his new station, Bryce keeps to himself until Matt and Toby, two hot young men in his unit, throw temptation in his path. Bryce knows better than to mess around with men he works with, especially two newbies who are in the closet. But after a difficult day, Matt and Toby offer him compassion and friendship, which slips so easily into sex Bryce finds the combination irresistible.

Matt and Toby want to expand their relationship to include a third, and they’ve set their sights on their sexy bear of a lieutenant. Their first night together is a scorcher, and, more than that, it feels right, to all of them. But since Bryce refuses to hide who he is, and dating men on his shift is against the rules, all three men are going to have to make some tough choices if they want to stay together.

Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Menage/Poly, M/M Romance, Firefighters, Romance

Sales Links: Amazon All Romance (ARe) Smashwords

Burning Up Excerpt:

“They’re watching you again,” Mason spoke in a low voice as he whizzed past Bryce, carrying drinks to the opposite end of the bar.

“You’re imagining things again.” Ever since Mason swore that Toby and Matt, who’d become regulars at the bar after Bryce started working there, were gay and interested in Bryce, he’d been teasing Bryce about their interest.

Bryce told himself not to look, but he couldn’t help glancing toward the corner booth where they always preferred to sit before going back to wiping down the bar. Did they sit there because it gave them a good view of the bar? Bryce scowled. No way in hell were his hands shaking. No way in hell was he letting himself get his hopes up. Even if they were gay, even if they were interested in him, starting something with two guys from work would be the pinnacle of idiocy. Hell, getting involved with more than one guy was insane from the start. Just because Mason and his boyfriends had made a threesome work didn’t make it realistic for Bryce. There was an exception to every rule.

“You’re wrong,” Bryce said as he passed Mason on his way to take a customer’s order.

Mason snorted in reply.

Bryce was glad to see the bar was filling up. He did not need to spend the next hour telling himself not to look at Toby and Matt. He did plenty of that at the firehouse. Toby’s smile could heat up and entire room and Bryce never wanted to look away from it, unless it was to contemplate running his hands through Matt’s wavy brown hair while staring into his dark eyes.

But if Mason was right and they were gay, maybe they really were lovers. If so, he had no business approaching them, whether they were watching him or not. Just because they liked to look didn’t mean they wanted to play. They didn’t need him fucking up whatever they had going.

Plus, they worked together. They were a team, with people’s lives on the line.

The line at the bar grew long, and Bryce got busy taking orders, making drinks, and ringing people up at the register. When things finally slowed down, he needed a bathroom break. As he headed to the back, he noticed Matt and Toby playing pool with a couple of guys he recognized as regulars. Toby waved and he waved back, hating the way his pulse accelerated. What the hell was wrong with him?

He pushed open the door of the restroom but failed to check his instinct to glance back over his shoulder. Toby’s eyes were glued to his ass. There was no doubt about it this time. He whirled back around before their gazes had a chance to meet.

So Toby wasn’t straight. Bryce had to admit that now. He was gay or at least bi, but he was just appreciating the scenery. That didn’t mean anything. Bryce appreciated guys’ asses all the time.

When Bryce left the bathroom, Toby and Matt were leaning in close, talking, arguing actually based on the angry expressions on their faces. Bryce hurried back to work, glad he didn’t have to decide whether to speak to them or not. Several minutes later, Toby appeared at the bar. Mason, the little bastard, wasn’t busy, but he made no move to take Toby’s order.

“What can I get you?” Bryce asked.

“Just cashing out our tab.” Our? Maybe Toby was just buying that night.

“Sure.” Bryce looked Toby’s name up in the register, ran his card, and handed him the receipt to sign.

“Thanks,” Toby said, flashing a smile that made his eyes twinkle. How was it that he made that single word sound flirtatious? Bryce was supposed to be the one who flirted, the one in control of a situation, but despite Toby being so much younger, Bryce ended up flustered every time they spoke.

Pages or Words: 45,000 Words

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A MelanieM Review: Palace Dog by R.E. Nelson

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

In April 1975, as the government in Saigon is falling, Michael Andrews prepares to make his way back to Vietnam to find the love he was forced to leave. But the story and their love starts 4 years earlier when Michael joins the Air Force to get out of combat and Vietnam only to be sent there to teach English to the Vietnamese military for a program called Palace Dog.

As an artist, Michael found life lonely and unsatisfying. In the midst of war, Michael searches for direction and meaning. He ultimately finds love and hope with Thao, a young Vietnamese art student, only to have their already uncertain future wrenched from them when he is pulled out of the country.

For Michael, his return in 1975 is inevitable and without question, though the outcome he hopes for is anything but assured.

Set against the background of the Vietnam war and the fall of Saigon, R. E. Nelson gives us a love story between an American soldier and Vietnamese artist that is deep in emotion, and full of drama of the times as it is surrounded by personal and social complexities. Taking place across a four year span, the plot and author reveal an appreciation for the culture of Vietnam that is both rich in texture and deep on history in Palace Dog.

A first novel for Nelson, Palace Dog rarely falls into the traps laid out for other authors writing in historical fiction. It helps that the author has traveled and lived in Vietnam (as well as other Middle Eastern and Asian countries) so he is intimately familiar with the sights and sounds and yes, aromas, that such foreign locals offer visitors. And he writes the story in such a way that you feel like you are walking down those streets, along with Michael, for the first time, experiencing the vibrancy, smells, color, and action of a Saigon marketplace at its busiest. The noise, the yelling which to Americans would seem as arguments which in turn is really a system of the daily haggling of seller and customer at play, the children begging in the streets along with the animals. It feels so real that Michael’s uncertainty and fear is understandable, because we would feel that way too. Also apparent, the separation between cultures and between the south Vietnamese soldiers living in disreputable conditions and the American military still trying to pull out a win. The juxtaposition in cultures and their clash is everywhere and Nelson portrays it with a clarity and attention to detail both remarkable and telling.

Michael Andrews, quite wrongly, thought he could skip the whole Vietnam war experience by joining the Air Force, thinking it would all be over by the time he was through. But as history tells us, Vietnam had a way of turning any military action by an enemy into failure, bogging it down by efficient guerrilla warfare and tactics that each nation (French, American…) who got involved was unprepared for. We didn’t understand the territory and we didn’t understand the people and the cost to all was atrocious.

Michael and his group of teachers represent a variety of perspectives, in all their physicality, mental and emotion stability. First there is Michael, a thoughtful man, more artist than soldier, who lands in Vietnam confused about his sexuality. That he and his fellow teachers are offered women and men (the last quietly) as sexual partners and something more is not a reality Michael knows how to deal with. It horrifies him as much as it intrigues him. For his friend and fellow teacher, Randy, Saigon presents a whole new world to explore and he does so with a vigor and sense of adventure at first admirable and then haunting as he falls in love with a local girl, an all too common situation back then. From Danny’s perspective, he finds he has to grow up and make decisions about his future and theirs. And then there is Richard, a troubled man whose pain and anger at his confusion (at being in Vietnam and perhaps something more) makes him an emotional time bomb on legs. How they handle their deployment to this cultured city breaking down under the constant bombardment and its casualties of war is as believable as every other aspect of this story. It’s a wide spectrum of behaviors and people that represented Americans , abroad.

Now that I’ve dealt with the Americans, I want to say that I fell in love with the Vietnamese characters created by Nelson. It feels right, from their facial features to the trappings of their houses, the culture described by the author is rich yet fraying. Even the tight family bonds, as seen in Thao and Tuan’s family, are being destroyed by the sons lost in combat and an uncertain future as the Northern Vietnamese get closer to winning and taking with each day. We start by meeting Tuan, a student of Michael’s who introduces him to his family, including his brother Thao. It is a relationship that stutters as first, as the language barrier is high. Nelson’s characters speak broken english as they would under these conditions. While some readers might find that dialog tough to follow, I thought it gave the relationship and story an authentic feel.

It would be easy for a romance to get buried under the enormity of the situation of Saigon at the time, and it almost happens here. But the restraint that Nelson shows in bringing along the relationship is needed. Because it’s not just the cultural obstacles that have to be overcome but Michael has to come to grips with his sexuality, a much harder leap to make. For Michael, sex with women has been uninspiring and frustrating. Now in Saigon, temptation is everywhere. And as he starts to explore his sexuality he also starts to realize his feelings for Thao go far beyond friendship. As to Thao? I will let those revelations fall as they will.

Palace Dog opens with Michael returning to Saigon to look for Thao and bring him to the US. It’s a mission fraught with danger and his chances for success slight at best. Saigon is about to fall. The middle story happens in Spring 1971. The ending once more returns for the last chapter of the war, for us and for Michael and Thao. It is journey of heartbreak, a clash of cultures and love set against a historic background of war and geopolitical change. Its rich and remarkable in its storytelling.

For anyone who remembers the scenes of people scrambling across rooftops to reach the last helicopters and planes taking off as the city falls, the anguish, desperation and sense of betrayal for those left behind felt as strong on those pages as it did the day I watched it happen on the tv. That Nelson was able to make this time in history come alive through a deep love and relationship between two men, Michael and Thao, is quite the achievement and makes this story one for all to read. Palace Dog is haunting, sometimes hard to read, emotionally compelling and its quiet joys will linger long time after you have finished their story. Its one of my highly recommended reads. And I will leave you with the images it brought back to mind as clear as the day they happened.

The last helicopter out of Saigon.

Cover artist: Paul Richmond. What a gorgeous portrait, perfect in everyway.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 206 pages
Expected publication: February 27th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632165381
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

A MelanieM Review: Shadows and Ash (Pulp Friction 2014 Finale) by Laura Harner , Lee Brazil , Havan Fellows , T.A. Webb

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Nestled in the forest surrounding Flagstaff, Arizona, Mountain Shadows offers residents and guests a home and refuge. A year ago, the isolated retreat, with its log cabins and stone lodge, could boast a convalescing new owner, one employee, two long-term tenants, and an uncertain future. As others joined the rag-tag collection and made the hideaway their home, tentative beginnings morphed into friendships…and finally into a family of sorts.

Over this past year, the perfect place for hiding became a sanctuary for healing, as one-by-one the residents discovered that learning to live in the light with a family you choose is better than shrouding yourself in loneliness. But just as everyone seems to settle into a new normal, shadows from the past drag one of their members back into the darkness and the fallout threatens their carefully constructed new beginnings.

Now, the family they’ve created there must band together to protect each other from someone determined to destroy the lives they’ve worked so hard to reclaim.

Pulp Friction 2014. Four authors. Twenty-four books. One fiery finale.

The time has come once more to say goodbye to another fantastic Pulp Friction Series and to say these authors did it with flare, heat and hot sexy men goes without question. I’m always amazed at how four authors are able to mesh eight (sometimes nine) characters, four couples stories, and still maintain a balanced whole in terms of plot and characterizations. Yet, for the second year, the Pulp Friction gang has done it again. Pulp Friction 2014 was the Elemental Connections year. It had Laura Harner’s Fighting Fire, Lee Brazil’s In From the Cold, Havan Fellow’s Whispering Winds and T. A. Webb’s Earthquake series, with a wonderful conglomeration of characters, romances, and heartbreaking suspense. And it all took place on top of a mountain outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Even now its hard to say which characters I love the most, they are so varied and had so many different paths to HEA this series. Certainly Rowen Smith with his long black hair, deep connection to the woods around him and dark past,is close to the top. He just resonated with me as did his eventual lover, Mick Rutger, who went from the human equivalent of a Golden Retriever to something older, wiser, and more substantial. How I loved them both (thank you, Havan Fellows).

But I can no more say that then Charlie Turner and Amos Greene pop into mind (thank you, Tom Webb). Their journey towards happiness contained stark terror, abject pain, and astonishing revelations. Webb kept me in tears and in the dark for long periods of time during the slow roll out of his Earthquake stories. You never knew if monster or angel would be around the corner for these two along with Charlie’s brother Damon (loved him too). Sometimes the heartbreak comes from the last person you would expect, another theme that runs through all the stories here.

Brazil’s Professor of Literature Finn Lorensson and Dr. Cannon Malloy (originally from FR2013, thank you, Lee Brazil) were sometimes the hardest personalities for me to get a grasp on. Finn, a gorgeous hulk of a man had a deep need to rescue others, even at the cost to himself and his relationships. Cannon? To say he started off self absorbed, fearful and more than a little damaged by the events in Atlanta would be like calling coal black. It goes without saying that Finn was smitten immediately, but Cannon? Not so much. During much of the series their tentative relationship acted more like Dr. Doolittle’s pushmi-pullyu. They were joined together but never quite going (or facing) the same direction. I loved that Cannon finally learned to embrace his sexuality (with a little eyeliner and flare) and accept Finn with all that entailed.

Finally there is Laura Harner’s former firefighter Scott McGregor reuniting with his college lover,Robby Hammond, at Scott’s hospital bed. A wildfire that ends Scott’s career and costs the life of most of his team is also what brings Scott’s only love back to him. Harner made us believe in their tortured past so the reader easily invests in these damaged men and any potential hope for a future together. So much trauma involved here, Scott’s PTSD, his injuries and loss of career, survivor’s guilt and yes, more secrets from his and Robby’s past pushing hard to come out. Plus its Scott’s Mountain Shadows Campground that acts as the heart and location for all these stories to unfold. I came to love Mountain Shadows just as much as its residents did. If there was a heart and center of all the couples it was Scott and Robby. They are the beginning of a new family and I loved them dearly (thank you, Laura Harner).

The penultimate stories in each series came with a certain amount of personal (or physical) explosions and exposition leading up to this. A mystery of who was behind all the arson and attacks happening at the campgrounds had to be solved, along with more than a few personal demons still to be put to rest, including Scott being blamed for the fires himself. How did it all turn out? Splendidly!

It’s hard seeing this group of stories come to an end. I wasn’t ready. But all the characters pull their dramatic weight in the last story. Each author gives their couple the right amount of “time on stage” to tie up loose ends and push them forward. I did wish that one little aspect, a total villain dies in a manner that didn’t feel as solid as the other revelations that surfaced here. That was the only bit of weakness that I could see. Everything else felt believable, rational, and happily fulfilling for all.

Am I going to go into details? No, absolutely not. Even the smallest of facts can lead to large spoilers, so don’t go looking for them here. Instead if you are new to the Pulp Friction gang, what joys await you. You have not one but two years of interconnected series to catch up on. The first took place in Atlanta GA, the second (Elemental Connections) in Flagstaff, AZ, and the third? This years Pulp Friction 2015 is a group of supernatural tales taking place in New Orleans in Harner and Webb’s Altered States universe. What’s that, you say? Well stay tuned as next week, all the Pulp Friction gang will be here to talk finale, Altered States, and the new stories starting to arrive.

For those of you who have been gobbling up these stories as quickly as they come out, you will love this series finale! It’s hot, suspenseful, a little scary and wonderfully over the top…of the mountain, that is. I loved it and think you will too. Grab it up and get prepared for the supernatural goings on in New Orleans. I’m through the first story already and it’s a doozy!

Cover art by Laura Harner is perfect. It still brands the series with the logo and the coloring and graphics are perfect for the series finale and title.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 14th 2015 by Hot Corner Press
ISBN139781937252977
edition languageEnglish

About Pulp Friction 2014 – All stories are reviewed here at STRW.

Pulp Friction 2014 Authors: Laura Harner ~ Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ T.A. Webb
The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends.
The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment. The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:
Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:
Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:
Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four:
Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five:
Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors coming in December.
Shadows and Ash (Pulp Friction 2014 Finale)

Side Stories or Interludes:

Taking Chances by Lee Brazil (a In From the Cold story)
Wicked Winds (Whispering Winds 3.5) by Havan Fellows – bonus book, Whispering Winds
Frankie’s Knight (Elemental Connections: IV) (Earthquake #3.5)
Kismet & Cartwheels – bonus book, Fighting Fire

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: All in the Details by A.K.M. Miles

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

As this sweet romance opens we meet Beau Garner , a 31 year old man who has put his OCD into making a profit by running an event organizing company called Details. “It’s all in the details” claims Beau over and over again throughout the book. (Though meant to be humorous, it falls short after a while.) A last minute detail takes him to a rural convenience store to buy balloons, and besides being nearly sideswiped by a speeding vehicle roaring out of the parking lot as he enters, he’s also blindsided by finding a gun under a display case and then finding himself at the mercy of the police who’ve been called to “disarm” him. He only grabbed the gun when he heard two young children debating whether or not to pick it up, and as he tells the officers, “Do I look like the type of man who would have a gun?”, he catches the eye of the young good-looking cop.

Nash Tyler is a 31 year old cop in this rural town. He’s gay, and though his captain is aware, it’s not the type of thing he advertises to the rest of his co-workers. He’s a good cop, however, and he gives the cute guy with the gun a break and listens to his full story at the store, rather than haul him to the station as his homophobic partner wants to do. Since the situation is easily resolved, Beau is released but not before he notices Nash’s blushes as he hands Beau his card in case Beau needs to get in touch with him.

This is a sweet, slow-building romance that’s very family focused. Beau lives with Alberta, his grandmother’s friend and companion, a black woman who would prefer not to live with her own family and who cares for Beau as if he were her own child. The main excitement and undercurrent to the story is an apparent stalker who is randomly harassing Beau. That starts with phone calls then goes to being shot at with rock salt as he and Nash are soaking in his hot tub, to having faggot painted on his car then escalating to acts which could result in injury or death. Readers know who the likely stalker is from the beginning, but the action doesn’t culminate until the end of the book.

Another odd thing that happens, which is totally non-reality based, is that Beau helps a young woman at the airport as she’s trying to decide what to do about her fatherless infant, and she ends up leaving the infant in the restroom with a note turning him over to Beau. He then gets through the foster process and is given the baby that night—a baby that he will ultimately adopt as his and Nash’s at some point in the future. Most of the second half of the story was about the baby and integrating the baby into their lives as he and Nash became closer romantically, and their stalker became increasingly more dangerous.

There was little in this story to make it outstanding for me in any way, yet it was well-written and was a sweet romance so I’d recommend it to those who are looking for something simple and family-oriented with not a lot of sex but a lot of love.

Cover Art by Winterheart Design features two men representing the characters. The cop is superimposed over the cute guy who depicts Beau in such a way that it’s evident the cover was cropped together and looks amateurish. It’s not as appealing as one that would have blended the two characters without the overlap like the cover used in the previous edition.

Sales Links: MLR Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon <a href=”Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 206 pages
Published January 29th 2015 by ManLove Romance
(first published April 27th 2013 by Silver Press)
ASINB00SXN3PNA
edition languageEnglish

A Mika Review: Mauled (Guards of Folsom #4.5, Beyond Duty #2) by S.J.D. Peterson

Rating: 3.75 rounded up to 4 stars out of 5

Gunther Duchene aka “Gunny” and Macalister Jones aka “Mac” have overcome the obstacles of coming out and retiring from serving more than twenty years as Marines. Their exit ceremony is behind them, their wedding vows are made, and now it’s time for the honeymoon. What better way to kick off their marriage than enjoying the retirement gift Mac gave Gunny? With the leather pants and collar packed, it’s off to New York City and the Guards of Folsom club to celebrate—BDSM style.

I was super thrilled to read anything more of Mac & Gunny. I loved these two so much. I love reading about older guys with established relationships. While I did love reading about these two, and I know the premise of this novella I wish I could gotten more out of these two. I loved this relationship in this book. Mac & Gunny were super in love. It is simple to see how these guys feel about each other, that they and their relationship is the more essential factor than playing in the other roles. It just feel right and was very believable. I really enjoyed this book. I would have loved for more Mac & Gunny relationships.

Cover Art by Paul Richmond. I loved this cover it definitely showed Gunny in a light that he likes. It beautifully done.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 67 pages
Published February 4th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
original title Mauled
ISBN139781632161758
edition languageEnglish
url http://sjdpeterson.blogspot.com/
series Guards of Folsom #4.5, Beyond Duty #2
charactersMacalister Jones aka “Mac”, Gunther Duchene aka

A Sammy Review: The Wrong Man (Right and Wrong #2) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

I couldn’t begin to make sense of Jake Westley’s unexpected reappearance after twelve years. It was like a cameo appearance in the sitcom of life, I thought. But why him? Why now? On television, those comebacks were made for a reason. Real life made no fucking sense.

Brandon Good is cruising through life. He’s the owner of a successful interior design store, has great friends, and yeah, maybe he’s boyfriendless, but that will all work itself out. Except fate has a twisted way of making things work. Like having Brandon be tricked into dog sitting an old lab with health issues, and then finding out that the owner of the charming dog is none other than a flash from his past, and a marker of things that will never be.

Their friendship isn’t intentional, but Mack, that old lab that Brandon finds himself desperately falling for, draws them together. Brandon doesn’t understand the game fate is playing with him, but maybe there is such a thing as second chances.

I’d never felt smaller or more aware of the fragility of the human condition than I did in that moment. Life was short. It was special. It certainly was not to be wasted. Pride and fear were weaknesses of the human condition. I was suddenly more determined than ever to set them aside and be someone better, stronger, and a fuck of a lot braver.

Dearest Lane Hayes,

You should know that you made me smile and laugh, and toward the end, in the most unexpected of ways, you completely wrecked me. But I’m okay with that.

Sincerely,

Sam.

So, here’s the thing. There are a few things in this world that I am a complete sucker for, and one of them is, and will always be, dogs. Mack added a whole other dimension to this book that otherwise would’ve been a nice novel of second chances. With him, everything felt so much deeper to me. Now that might sound crazy, but I’ve never hidden my extensive love for all things furry.

One thing that I really appreciated about this book is the thought that was put into where Brandon and Jake were in their lives. This wasn’t a second chance for the sake of having one, but it seemed like the author thought about the timing of it all, and made things fall into place. It wasn’t just about moving forward with a new chapter of their lives, but it was also about letting go and moving on. The past wasn’t simply forgotten or pushed away like a dangling piece of the plot, it was handled with grace.

Jake and Brandon were more than just good together, it felt like they were truly meant for each other – made only for the other. It’s hard to make a reader feel that, but I did.

As for the side characters, they were great, just as they were in the first book. They didn’t take over the story, but they added to this one. One thing I can say is that I would’ve liked to see more of Nate and how he came to feel about Brandon and Jake. He seemed like such an important character to Jake, but we didn’t really get to see the growth there, and that made me a bit disappointed.

And Mack, back to Mack, because really, I can’t help myself. A year ago in May I lost my baby girl (dog). When the author explained the process of Mack slowing down, of life wearing on him, and then the fear that Brandon felt witnessing it – it felt so real, because it is. That is so true to how it feels to watch an animal you love age and know you can’t do anything to slow it down. Now, my other dog is getting older, and he’s much larger. I see that he’s slower getting up, and the worry consumes me some days. The author did a beautiful job of showing that, but also the acceptance that you really have to come to in that situation, and making the best of the time you have.

Lane Hayes is quickly becoming a favorite, and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Alex have a story, or any other character she wants to give us. This was a really great book, and I’m grateful for experiencing it.

The cover art by Aaron Anderson is very pretty. I appreciate the color palette, as it fits the feeling of the story and flows very well together. Having the dog in the background is perfect, and while I’m not too sure about the random naked chest thrown in there, I can’t really complain. In general, a nice cover.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Published February 6th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
original titleThe Wrong Man
ISBN139781632167828
edition languageEnglish
url https://lanehayes.wordpress.com/tag/the-wrong-man/
seriesRight and Wrong #2

A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Alpha Delta by RJ Scott (part of the Alpha collection from ARe)

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Finn Hallan is a member of the elite Norwegian Emergency Response Unit, code name Delta. As part of his mandatory training, he needs to sit through a series of lectures on decommissioning oil platforms, a time when the platforms have only a skeleton crew and are in greater danger of terrorist activity. Scottish engineer Niall Faulkner is one of the guest lecturers and it’s his slim, sexy physique, rather than the topic of the lecture, that immediately captures Finn’s attention.

Over the next few months, the two become lovers, though with both their jobs demanding so much travel, they don’t get to see each other often. And, though Niall now knows that he loves Finn, Finn has been focusing on keeping their relationship casual.

But when Niall is sent out to the Forseti platform to begin the decommissioning process, something goes terribly wrong, and he finds himself running for his life. Apparently the security team who accompanied him to the platform is not security at all, but a team of terrorists. When Delta team is sent to respond to the situation, and Finn realizes that his man is onboard, he has to face the fact that he may lose him, just when he was ready to finally declare his love.

The story is fast-paced, complex, and full of nail-biting tension. Can Finn rescue Niall? And will Niall and Finn finally have a chance to declare their love before it’s too late? Readers will enjoy this M/M romance adventure.

The only thing that caused me to downgrade my rating from 4 stars to 3 stars is the very sloppy (if any) editing. There were several instances of character confusion, and they weren’t minor. It’s almost as if the publishers took the first draft and printed it without an editor or proofreader review. These errors were so obvious that I can’t possibly overlook them, and though I hate to downgrade an author’s work, in this case, the errors affected my enjoyment of the story so strongly that I feel I have no choice.

So, if you are looking for a quick read that’s full of adventure, with a gorgeous alpha MC, and editorial errors don’t bug you, you should enjoy this one.

Cover artist:

Available only at All Romance (ARe)

Book Details:

Published By: OmniLit / All Romance eBooks, LLC
Published: Feb 02, 2015
ISBN # 9781936387793
Word Count: 20,500

The Alpha Series includes M/F as well as M/M Stories.
STRW will be reading and reviewing only the LGBTQ novels, including:

Two Howls by Sean Michael
Midnight Run by Bailey Bradford
Jumping In by C Cardeno
Seducing Rain by Amber Kell
Alpha, Delta by RJ Scott

A Mika Review: A Restored Man (The Men of Halfway House #3) by Jaime Reese

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Cole Renzo thinks his greatest challenge is to behave for the remainder of his term at Halfway House. Until he meets his new boss, Ty Calloway, a man who ticks off every box on Cole’s list of interests.   A sought-after restorer and customizer of exotic and collectible cars, Ty had enough confidence to command what he wanted in life, until one fateful night changed everything. Almost two years later, he’s slowly rebuilding his life with great control. He’s defied the odds and works tirelessly to be the man he once was—but he still feels broken.  Cole’s candor and unfiltered personality awaken Ty’s barely-remembered desire to greet each new day with a smile, while Ty’s unwavering acceptance of Cole’s quirks and brash humor makes Cole feel as if he fits in for the first time in far too long.

When a nemesis threatens Ty’s personal restoration and the things he holds dear, Cole is determined to protect their relationship, even if that means sacrificing everything he’s worked so hard to achieve.  But Ty will have to let his guard down, surrender control, and admit he needs Cole first, even if that puts himself at risk of breaking beyond repair.

It took me 8 days to read this book. It’s under 500 pages and it’s something I’ll usually get through in 2 days max. I was super excited when I found out the author was releasing a third in the series and it was Cole’s book. He was so funny, and good spirited in book 2. He literally grew on me. Well after reading this I’m surely disappointed. The two mc’s in the book didn’t connect for me. I felt no passion, no love, no connection or anything.

Another issue for me was the writing it seemed so choppy and different from books 1 & 2. I don’t need the emotional connection from the previous two, but I do need the style and efficiency from the other to be involved in the third. I was bored reading this it, I found myself wanting to DNF at 38%. It took a lot for me to finish. I liked reading about Matt & Julian more than Cole & Ty. Cole had this whole split personality thing going on and I just couldn’t connect with at all. Ty was a whole entire story by himself. It was guilt, on top of guilt on top of self disinclination that I despise in my characters. I like Cole’s parents, I loved seeing Julian & Cole’s moment of bonding, but it wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with.
Cover Art by Reese Dante. The cover model is an exact replica of Cole for me. I do like it, and the car in the backroom is all him.

Sales Links: Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published February 17th 2015 by Romandeavor (first published February 15th 2015)
edition languageEnglish
url http://jaimereese.com/a-restored-man/
seriesThe Men of Halfway House #3

The Men of Halfway House series:

A Better Man (The Men of Halfway House, #1)
A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House, #2)
A Restored Man (The Men of Halfway House #3)

A Stella Review: The Pride of Amsterdam (Lionhearts #1) by Elizabeth Coldwell

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Lionhearts series:   For centuries, lion shifters have lived among men, their prides scattered around the world. Fear and superstition has led man to fear them, and to seek to bring about their destruction.  When fate draws a shifter to a human mate, two very different worlds are brought together, for good or ill. But nothing can stand in the way of passion, and whatever it takes these lovers will fight tooth and claw to be together.

The Pride of Amsterdam by Elizabeth Coldwell  , Book One in the Lionhearts series.   When an ancient enemy is summoned to destroy his pride, a lion shifter must fight to protect the man he loves.  Kees van der Veer has never forgotten the mysterious stranger who seduced him on Millennium Eve and who promised that when the time was right, they would be together again. Returning to Amsterdam after fifteen years away, he is reunited with that stranger, entering into a world of love and danger he could never have imagined.  Arjan is a lion shifter, part of a pride who has lived in Amsterdam since its Golden Age. He has spent fifteen years regretting the need to drive his destined mate away after one night of blissful passion. But only once they meet again can he reveal to Kees the truth of his heritage.

When an old enemy is summoned to destroy the pride, Arjan must act to protect not only his family but also the man he loves.

The Pride of Amsterdam is the first book in the Lion Hearts series by Elizabeth Coldwell, a new and really interesting series. I think it has great potential but in my opinion it wasn’t well developed in this book. This is one of the reasons I gave it only 3.5 stars but I’m waiting (not so) patiently for the next one.

This is a “second chance at love” story featuring destined mates, two of my absolute favourite themes to read about.

At the Millenium Eve night party Kees meets a stranger with blond hair and amber eyes. Kees is a shy eighteen years old, he’s soon attracted to the guy who will be his first. But the guy with no name takes his virginity and leaves him five seconds after the sex with a promise.

“I need to know— Will I see you again?”
“When the time is right. You are meant to be mine, but only when you are ready to learn what I really am.”

Kees comes back home to Amsterdam, his home, after fifteen years of being away, for the biggest job in his carrier. What he doesn’t know is that the azienda he will have to help is Arjan’s.

Arjan de Wit is a lion shifter. He waited for his mate to come back to him since the first time he lost his heart to that all too young man he met at a party. Now it’s time for them to start their life together but De Jager (the Hunter) is back in town to track the shifters down and to kill every member of the pride.

I liked a lot of things in this book. First of all the sex was really hot, maybe a little too much sometimes, but I found it well written and in the right places in the story so I didn’t care if I read one scene too much. There were some very light BDSM elements that will not bother you if you’re not a BDSM stories fan. I liked the character of Arjan, he isn’t the usual alpha shifter I’m used to read about, he is insecure and rightly so, cause even if he knew Kees was his destined mate since the first time they met, the young man is still hurt from the way Arjan left him and he is scared of the man who already left him one time. He needs to win Kees’ trust and they still need to know each other.

One thing “ruined” me the ending, the fact that I realized pretty soon who the hunter was, so I was a little disappointed to know I was right. I’d have preferred to be surprise.

If you like a book well written and well paced, with some suspense and a lot of passion, this book is what you’re looking for. I can’t wait for the next one to come out and hopefully know more about Arjan’s pride.

Cover Art by Posh Gosh. Love this cover, especially the choice of the colors. It catched my eyes, really well done.

Sales Links: Totally Bound All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

Published January 16th 2015 by Totally Bound
ebook, 142 pages
ISBN 1784303682
Edition language English

A MelanieM Review: Kimo & Mike (Storming Love: Blizzard #2) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Former competitive surfer and Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka is in his element in his home state of Hawaii. However, his partner, fire investigator Mike Riccardi, wants to head to the mainland for a ski trip and reunion with some old buddies of his. As a bitter storm rages outside the condo where they’re staying, one of Mike’s college buddies is feuding with his wife and the other is making sexy overtures to Kimo. Will these tensions ruin the vacation and perhaps even drive a wedge between Kimo and Mike?

Just those words Kimo and Mike, ok just Kimo, can make my heart flutter! I have been in love with Kimo Kanapa’aka when I first met him in Neil S. Plakcy’s Natural Predators (Mahu #7) and started working my way back to the beginning of the series. And with each story I fell deeper and deeper in love with this complicated, nuanced man. Kimo is Hawaiian not just by blood but in the depth of his feelings and emotions. He has a large, extended family he interacts with daily, sometimes hourly depending upon the situation at hand. Hawaii is at his center, it’s his heart and in a sense his stability. Kimo heads into the surf when things get too painful or complicated, needing that to bring him peace and refocus him once more.

But here, Neil S. Plakcy removes Kimo from his safety zone and support system and takes him into the cold mountains in the mainland. In Kimo and Mike, the plot isolates Kimo and Mike from all but their vacation companions due to blizzard conditions. Between the cold, Kimo’s inability to ski (which also removes him from the group), and the stressful couples they are with, things start to get shaky immediately.

I am such a Kimo fan that nothing can detract from any story he is a part of. But for readers new to Kimo and Mike, this short story conveys none of the enormous hurdles and obstacles (many of their own making) they had to overcome to become the couple they are when this story opens. It happened over a number of books, not scenes and their relationship was borne out of enormous pain and anguish each caused the other. Each man is gorgeous in his own multiracial way and people are always hitting on them but never with the history (ok almost never) of one of the couples here. Plus the stress is pushed to overload when the couples disagreements turn physical and Mike and Kimo must balance their professions with their partner’s needs.

This story ended too quickly for me. Of course, I feel that way about all Kimo Kanapa’aka and his Mahu stories (Mahu is Hawaiian for homosexual). This will give you just enough of a taste of this tantalizing couple to want more and send you to the first story Mahu (Mahu #1). It’s a swift read yet it is sturdy in plot and strong in characterizations. Add it to your TBR list today along with the other Storming Love: Blizzard stories. If I was the type to say I ♥heart this book, well, then this is where it would happen. I ♥ this book! Normally I wouldn’t do that. See what Neil S. Plakcy and Kimo make me do?

Cover artist: Kris Jacen does a nice job of branding the series although I could wish for a little more individualization as far as the couples go.

Sales Links: MLR Books All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It here

Book Details:

ebook, 35 pages
Published January 30th 2015 by MLR Press
ISBN13MLR1020140367
seriesStorming Love: Blizzard #2

Books in the Storming Love: Blizzard series are:

Jens & Elliot (Storming Love: Blizzard #1)
Kimo & Mike (Storming Love: Blizzard #2)
Seth and Casey (Storming Love, Blizzard #3)
Layne, River & Damion (Storming Love: Blizzard #4) by Vicktor Alexander (release date: 2/13/15)
Gavin & Morgan (Storming Love: Blizzard #5) by Nicole Dennis (release date: 2/20/15)
Stokes & Ford (Storming Love: Blizzard #6) by Jackie Nacht (release date: 2/27/15)

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