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A MelanieM Review: Darach’s Cariad (The Fire Trilogy #2) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Darach's Cariad coverWhere once there were three who were as close as brothers, now there is only one who remains in the land.  Darach Gravenor is a keeper of blue Fire. He is alone in his world because one of them, Eoin, died consumed by his amber fire.  Kian, the second of them has fled to Earth, forever out of reach. All Darach can think of is to follow Kian to the Other World now that Darach is older and able to rescue his friend.  But to accomplish this impossible mission, Darach needs help and from the one people he has always been told were horrors unto themselves and banned from his city.  But Darach knows that a Cariad has crept into their city and been captured.  Now all he has to do is rescue the Cariad and get him to help Darach travel to the Other World.

Ceithin Morgan’s brother Trystan was a wielder of the amber fire, and that was reason alone for someone to kidnap and kill  his beloved brother.  Ceithin seeks answers and revenge upon those who killed Trystan,  answers he believes he can find within the forbidden city.  Ceithin is a member of the Cariad, a nomadic tribe still connected to the old magic.  Captured and tortured for his  power, the last thing he expects is to be rescued by Darach.

Both men are on a mission to find theirs to their lost brothers.  Unexpectedly, their journey and missions find themselves bound them to each other in a way neither could have predicted.  Then they come upon some shocking information, and the search that will bring them both to the Other World and Kian.  Soon it’s not just one world but two worlds that need saving….

Darach’s Cariad is the second story in The Fire Trilogy by RJ Scott.  Scott continues to build her universe and complicated mythology needed for her Fire lore and trilogy structure.  There are three fire powers. Green fire which has the qualities of nature, nuture, and protection.  Blue Fire which gives its user the power over water, and finally Gold or Amber Fire, the rarest, most powerful of them all.  Amber fire is used to rule.  But those born with amber fire are few and they have a tendency to disappear shortly after coming into their powers, a mystery that acts as another primary plot thread throughout all the stories.

I loved the world building here.  We start back on Earth (the Other World) with Regan and Kian from the first story in the trilogy, Kian’s Hunter.  Immediately we know that things and Kian’s health have gotten worse.  For those readers not familiar with the first story, this chapter provides enough information on their story and a tantalizing glimpse into the relationship between Regan and Kian.  From there we are transported back to the City, the ruling Council, and the dungeons with its one despairing occupant.  I loved all the various storylines, layered one on top of the other, and soon, to flow into one central plot that will pull all three books together, along with their characters.

Scott skillfully builds her larger trilogy leitmotif, first in small clues and facts scattered throughout the first part of the story, then gathering momentum as the characters themselves start to pool all their knowledge to arrive at a horrific and shocking revelation.  It helps immensely that we are drawn to the complex characters as much as the characters are mesmerized by each other.  Darach is a wonderful combination of youthful confidence and need.  We get his measure and strength immediately and love him for it.  Ceithin Morgan on the other hand is full of arrogance and pain, a member of the Cariad, a gypsy like clan that are the keepers of the old magic and gateway to the Other World.  The Cariad are as fascinating a tribe as all the other engrossing elements that Scott has created here.  The fire of attraction that ignites between them is hot and sexy and layered over with uncertainty.

There is so much information as to the world building and lore that it can sometimes confuse a reader unfamiliar with Kian’s Hunter, but never once will a little confusion make you want to put this story down.  No, instead, once you have reached the end of this story, the only frustration will be at not having the final story to delve into.  This trilogy is addicting and with the resolution just out of reach by the end of Darach’s Cariad, the reader will be left grasping at the clues and revelations that point to a rich, explosive final story.  Don’t be surprised to find yourself heading back to the first story, Kian’s Hunter and begin the journey all over again while you wait for the final book to arrive.

If you are a lover of fantasy and romance, if the idea of different worlds or realms connected to each other by magical portals grab your imagination, this is the series for you.  You can read Darach’s Cariad out of order but the trilogy is far richer if read in the order they were written.  This is definitely a fantasy must read for all.

Cover artist: Meredith Russell.  The fantasy element is minimal, with just a trace of fire at his hands.  I could wish for a little more of the fantastical worlds that Scott has built for us.

Sales Links:  Love Lane Books    All Romance (ARe)       amazon                 buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 133 pages
Published November 7th 2014 by Love Lane Books (first published January 1st 2011)
edition languageEnglish
url http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/new-cover-art-fire-trilogy.html
seriesThe Fire Trilogy #2

Books in The Fire Trilogy in the order they were written and should be read:

Kian’s Hunter (Fire, #1)
Darach (The Fire Trilogy #2)
Eoin (The Fire Trilogy #3)

 

The stories were previously published at Silver Publishing, but have been revised prior to their re release.

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review : Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by Z.A. Maxfield

Rating: 5 stars out of 5BWBlogo_Web

Hell On Wheels coverI am totally hooked on this Bluewater Bay series! Each book is better than the previous one, and that’s saying a lot, considering the amazing list of authors Riptide has engaged for this series. In this story, Spencer Kepler-Constantine comes to Bluewater Bay to renew his recurring role in the Wolf’s Landing television series being shot in the town. He arrives on the heels of the sensational breaking news that his husband of six months, Peter Kepler-Constantine, has impregnated a famous Hollywood actress and left him for her. To make matters worse, his rental Mercedes has broken down outside of town.

Nash Holly is out riding his Ducati, enjoying the speed and the feel of the breeze along the Washington coast when he comes upon the parked car. Aside from nearly crashing into it, he’s intrigued by what it’s doing there. Nash happens to be the manager of his dad’s auto repair shop, a shop that specializes in foreign cars so he decides to step up and offer assistance. One look at Spencer and he’s lost in those gorgeous gray eyes. Convincing Spencer that he’s not a maniac, Spencer invites him in out of the rain and while sitting together, waiting for the tow truck Spencer had called, the two find themselves immediately attracted. Nash decides to help the uptight guy relax with a quick handjob. Thinking no more of it, he takes off when the tow truck driver arrives.

To make a long story short, the attraction between the two men develops further, and during the time that Spencer is in town filming, it escalates. But it’s more than just sex for both of them, and despite the fact that Spencer is estranged from his husband, Nash and Spencer create a safe space for each other while the beginnings of a relationship form without them even trying.

During this same time, other events in Nash’s life seem destined to throw him into upheaval. First, he finds out his widowed father has been seeing someone, and it’s getting serious. Then, his sixteen-year-old sister, Shelby, who has been wheelchair-bound since she was three, decides that she wants to exert her independence by applying to the Students Abroad Program. It’s bad enough that his twin is away at college and Nash already feels the hole in his life, now Nash finds it harder to cope with the fact that both his father and his sister don’t seem to need him anymore, and taking care of them has been his primary purpose for years. How can a caretaker exist without someone to take care of?

When Peter pulls a spectacular stunt to get Spencer back during Spencer’s late night television interview, Nash happens to be watching. He’s disgusted by Peter’s grandstanding, but he also knows in his gut that Spencer is going to allow him back into his life. Just what Nash needed—one more hole to fill.

The author gives us a wonderful wrap-up to this story and provides Nash with a perfect HEA. But before we get there, we get to know a man with so much character, so much life, that I became immersed in his story and invested in his future happiness. I loved Spencer as well, but my emotional investment was with Nash. And somewhere around the 75% mark in the story, it occurred to me that the feelings I was having were the same feelings I experienced when I read “St. Nacho’s” for the first time. I was left with that same warm emotional attachment to the character as I was in that original story, one that I read nearly three years ago. I haven’t felt that with any of Ms. Maxfield’s other works since then, and I’m so happy to have found it again because she was one of the authors who originally hooked me on this genre.

I highly recommend this series to lovers of M/M romance. Each author is uniquely talented and brings a new perspective to the series. This one is perfect for those who enjoy a hero with a heart of gold. As Spencer put it when describing Nash’s role in his life: “You’re necessary because you make my heart lighter and my mind clearer and my work meaningful, as long as I get to come home to you at the end of the day.” Aww, what more could I ask for than that?

Buy this book. You won’t be sorry. Oh, and it’s not necessary to read the others in the series. Each can be read as a standalone, though you’d be missing out on a great series.

The very nice cover art by L.C. Chase depicts the two young men who are the MCs in the story.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing     All Romance (ARe)        amazon         Buy It Here

Book Details:

book, 225 pages
Published December 1st 2014 by Riptide Publishing (first published November 29th 2014)
original titleHell on Wheels (A Bluewater Bay Story)
ISBN139781626491724
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/hell-on-wheels
seriesBluewater Bay #3

 

Bluewater Bay Series-written by different authors:

Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt
There’s Something About Ari (Bluewater Bay #2) by L.B. Gregg
Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by Z.A. Maxfield
Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4) by Aleksandr Voinov
The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5) by Heidi Belleau

 

It’s “Hell On Wheels” when Z.A. Maxfield Goes To Bluewater Bay! (Book tour and contest)

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Z.A. Maxfield is here with Hell On Wheels, the latest Bluewater Bay story and one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Must Read Stories!BWBlogo_Web

Check it out below and don’t forget to enter the contests Z.A. Maxfield has for all of you to enter. Hell On Wheels coverWelcome, Z.A. Maxfield.

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Many, many thanks to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for inviting me to be here today to share my latest book release, Hell On Wheels.

While I was writing this book, one of the things that struck me was how much I enjoy writing characters who don’t do what one expects them to do. I think this goes back to my love of the screwball comedies of the thirties, to actors and actresses like Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, William Powell and Myrna Loy.

The dialogue was snappy. The comebacks often sarcastic and witty, and there’s sophistication, even in films like Duck Soup, which has more physical humor than I normally care for. I wanted to be Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday. I wanted to be Barbara Stanwyck The Lady Eve.

Here’s my list of top five screwball comedies, the ones I found most memorable, and the ones that color my perception to this day. I’m not numbering them because ‘sniff” I love them all and I’d hate to pick a favorite.

• It Happened One Night – what is not to love about this. Between Clark Gable’s manly chin and Claudette Colbert’s legs, nothing can go wrong here. Add the road trip realities of hitchhiking with crazies and bad motels and toss in some of the best dialogue ever, and well. DO not miss out on a classic.
• The Thin Man – William Powell and Myrna Loy drink their way through a mystery. With a dog. Because Myrna Loy’s face when she says “Nicky, Darling.”
• His Girl Friday – Yes. Santa Clause. There really was Rosalind Russell. And she wasn’t just a pretty face. She’s funny and acerbic in this film, and held every bit of cinematic ground against handsome scene-stealer Cary Grant. And she wore a dumbass hat.
• Bringing Up Baby – Cary Grant again, with Katherine Hepburn this time, and a leopard named Baby. That’s right. I said a leopard. Comedy is serious business.
• My Man Godfrey – Special because its social message is timeless. Carole Lombard is simply radiant in this film and William Powell is handsome and sarcastic. These films set the gold standard of romantic and class comedy for the time in which they were filmed.

Many of these gems are available on Netflix. Check them out today!

My Blog Tour giveaway plan is as follows:

1. Comment here for the chance to win an ebook. My assistant William will randomly pick a winner for each blog I visit, and that person will win an ebook of their choice from my backlist.

2. For the Hell On Wheels Tour Rafflecopter giveaway, I will be awarding one lucky reader with a 25.00 gift certificate for Amazon. The giveaway will conclude at midnight on December 8th, at which time we’ll choose a winner.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3. There are many ways to enter, and some can be done more than once. Give yourself lots of chances to win by following along the blog tour and commenting.

Here’s the book’s official blurb:Hell On Wheels cover

Nash is the reliable one in the Holly family, the guy everyone counts on to keep things going. His genius twin brother is off at university, so Nash runs the family’s auto repair business and cares for his partially-paralyzed little sister while his crackpot father invents. His life seems mapped out for the foreseeable future, however much that might chafe.

So when Wolf’s Landing actor Spencer Kepler-Constantine lands in his life, Nash is ready for a diversion. Spencer is in the middle of a very painful, very public divorce and isn’t ready for a relationship—not that Nash wants one. But they both need a friend, especially one with benefits.

As they grow closer, Nash starts to see his family in a whole new light. Do they really need him so badly? Or does he simply need to be needed? Then Spencer’s ex reappears with a grand romantic gesture, and Nash has to figure out what he wants—and how to get it—before Spencer’s gone for good.

– Check out more about Hell On Wheels at Riptide Publishing’s  page.

About the Author

Z. A. Maxfield started writing in 2007 on a dare from her children and never looked back. Pathologically disorganized, and perennially optimistic, she writes as much as she can, reads as much as she dares, and enjoys her time with family and friends. Three things reverberate throughout all her stories: Unconditional love, redemption, and the belief that miracles happen when we least expect them.

If anyone asks her how a wife and mother of four can find time for a writing career, she’ll answer, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you give up housework.”

Readers can visit ZAM at her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.

A PaulB Review: Desert Foxe (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #5) by Haley Walsh

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 

DesertFoxe_WDWhile vacationing at Palm Spring’s annual White party, a dead body drops in front of high school English teacher Skyler Foxe’s feet. Skyler, his FBI boyfriend Keith, and the rest of the SFC are thrown into another mystery to solve.

Skyler Foxe and high school biology teacher and football coach Keith Fletcher have been dating for seven months. As spring break approaches, Skyler informs Keith that he wants to attend the annual White Party in Palm Springs. Keith, also an FBI agent on leave, is not really one for the party circuit. However, Skyler informs Keith that plans were made and paid for a year in advance. If they do not go, Skyler and his friends would be out a lot of money. After Skyler assures Keith that he is the only one for him, Keith agrees to go.

Once the members of the SFC (Skyler Fuck Club, a group of Skyler’s exes) arrive in Palm Springs, the action begins. While moving around the hotel they are staying at, Skyler discovers two of his underage students. As they don’t belong there, the group decides that Keith would drive the pair back home while the rest continue to dance. While dancing, a man who looks very much like Skyler falls down at his feet. The group thinks the guy might have just passed out from an overdose until they see blood.

Soon Skyler and Keith find out the dead man is an FBI agent working undercover in the area. It’s not just murder that Skyler and Keith are investigating but much, much more when the FBI want Skyler in a way none of them anticipated!

While this is the fifth installment of the Skyler Foxe mysteries, the author does a good job of giving enough background information so that it can be read alone. The relationship between Skyler and Keith reminds me of the one between Ricky and Lucy on “I Love Lucy.” Skyler wants to help Keith in solving his cases. Keith gets exasperated at Skyler’s attempts to help. But deep down the two love each other. The members of the SFC provide the Ethel to Skyler’s Lucy. No matter how crazy Skyler’s actions are, they reluctantly go along for the ride. Just like Ethel, they do their best to either prevent or minimize Skyler’s plans to no avail. Usually Skyler knows this going in. However, in this book, while Skyler is going undercover with Keith’s permission, they’re out of the loop. So they take it upon themselves to try to prevent another Skyler mishap.

I also enjoyed how the author brought aspects of Native American culture into the book. The discussion about Native American traditions and the previous reverence of “two-spirits” which has been eroded by exposure to modern thought was quite enlightening.

As usual, Ms Walsh provides a solid mystery and fun read. I recommend this book and series if you enjoy amateur detectives to go along with your romance.

The cover art by Winterheart Designs shows Skyler in the foreground next to a group of men partying above a scene of Palm Springs. It does well setting the stage for the book.

Sales Links: MLR Press              All Romance eBook              amazon               Buy It Here!

Book Details
Ebook, 232 pages
Published: November, 2014 by MLR Press
Edition: English

Series: Skyler Foxe Mysteries
Foxe Tail (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #1)
Foxe Hunt (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #2)
Out Foxed (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #3)
Foxe Den (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #3.5)
Foxe Fire (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #4)
Desert Foxe (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #5)

On Tour with S.A. Walsh and Out of CTRL! (book tour and contest)

OOCBanner300x250Book Name: Out of CTRL
Goodreads Link
Author Name: SA Welsh

Author Bio:

I’m SA Welsh and I write because the voices in my head keep making me. I love reading and I love letting the characters and stories in my head come to life in a book. I can’t function in the morning without a cup of tea and when I’m not writing I’m reading. I have enough books to last me through an apocalypse but don’t ask me to share them unless you are a fellow book worm and know how to treat and appreciate a good book. It is thanks to the writers that inspired me to put myself out there that I became an author and the editors that make sense of my chaos that I keep writing.

You can find me on facebook or on my website http://www.sawelsh.com

Author Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/sa.welsh.7?fref=ts

outofctrl_800 coverPublisher: Totally Bound
Cover Artist: Emmy Ellis

Sales Links:  Totally Bound Books       amazon

 

Blurb:

Andrew had no intention of ever going back home. But circumstances force him to face his painful past and the friend who betrayed him. Andrew Finley has no intention of going back to his hometown—ever. After he’s caught hacking into the CIA, he builds himself a new life as a computer guy for the very government agency he hacked. But over the past few months, something has been bothering him, and his boss is acting more paranoid than usual.

Every time an operation fails, Andrew collects information that could prove someone is selling secrets. Now he’s pretty sure his boss is trying to kill him, so he has no choice but to go back home to buy some time. Home may be more dangerous than facing his boss. Nine years ago, his former best friend and first crush Teddy betrayed him, and let his evil sister and her minions send him running. But he’s back now and not everything is as clear-cut as he thought. Teddy may not be a Judas but can Andrew catch his fireman without getting burned, or is coming home going to kill him?

One corrupt boss, one evil sister, enough family drama to fill a dozen daytime chat shows and an ex-best friend whom he’s been in love with for half his life makes for one hell of an interesting trip home.

Categories: Contemporary, Erotic, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

Theo staggered back and away from him with a hand to his chest. The man seemed genuinely shocked. “You hate me?”

Suddenly very tired again, Andrew clutched the towel around him and ducked past Theo and into the bedroom in hopes of finding his clothes. “What did you expect after what happened?”

Theo followed him into the bedroom. Andrew sensed the man hovering behind him.

“What happened?” Theo asked.

“Oh, come on. The night I left early for college. Ring any bells?” Andrew knew he was being a bitch, but was Theo really expecting him just to brush it under the carpet? Or chalk it up to boys being boys.

Theo came to stand in front of him and put a hand on each shoulder to stop him from twisting away again. “Drew, I have no idea what you’re talking about. But you’re obviously upset about something.”

Again, the lack of deception in Theo’s face struck Andrew. The man he’d known was an awful liar and he couldn’t believe he’d changed that much in nine years. But Andrew had been wrong before in judging people.

Andrew took a chance and let the towel fall away from him. He grasped Theo’s hand. Very carefully, he brushed the other man’s fingers over the most prominent scar on his chest.

Most of the injuries he’d sustained had healed on their own. And the others his roommate had slathered in antiseptic cream to prevent infection. Almost all of the marks had faded over the years except the one on his chest where Angela’s jocks had held him down.

While Theo gently traced his fingertips over the rough, raised gouges left by fingernails, Andrew watched his face. He saw confusion, sympathy and a little anger but nothing else. There wasn’t even a hint of recognition.

“You really don’t remember, do you? The field, Angela and her jock squad, the football team?” He dropped his hand from Theo’s in disbelief.

“Remember what?” Theo questioned. “Who did this to you? What they hell is going on, Drew?”

Andrew couldn’t explain it but he believed Theo, which was insane when he thought about it. And he wasn’t exactly running ten for ten on good judgment calls.

“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about,” Theo pleaded, looking desperate. He slid his hands up to cup Andrew’s face.

Andrew’s heart skipped a beat.

Pages: 197

OOCBadgeTour Dates:

24-Nov

Parker Williams

MM Good Book Reviews

25-Nov

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

26-Nov

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

27-Nov

Love Bytes

28-Nov

The Blogger Girls

1-Dec

Fallen Angel Reviews

2-Dec

Molly Lolly

3-Dec

The Hat Party

4-Dec

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

5-Dec

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

BFD Book Blog

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Out of CTRL’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided to enter and for all additional contest details.

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The Holidays are here with Derrick Knight and Miracle on Mistletoe Lane! (book tour and contest)

MiracleBanner300x250

Join in on the holiday fun with Derrick Knight and Miracle on Mistletoe Lane!  Derrick is here with the new story, sat for an interview, and much more. Check it all out below and don’t forget to enter the contest!

Book Name: Miracle on Mistletoe Lane
Author Name: Derrick Knight

Author Bio:

Derrick Knight was born and grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin. Derrick earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration from University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. For the last seventeen years, Derrick has been employed as a neonatal nutritionist in a neonatal intensive care unit at the largest teaching hospital in Illinois outside of Chicago.

Growing up Derrick was an avid reader of mystery novels. Agatha Christie was his favorite author. Ever since childhood Derrick dreamed of becoming a writer. He planned on writing mystery novels until a couple of years ago he read his first gay romance novel and he became hooked on the genre.

When Derrick is not writing, he is working on restoring his Arts & Crafts home, tending to his garden, and being an advocate for improving infant nutrition. Currently. Derrick resides in Peoria, Illinois with his two cats Iris and Madison Grace.

Publisher: Self-publishedMiracle on Mistletoe-1800x2700
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Sales Links: amazon

 Miracle on Mistletoe Lane Blurb:

Joe Koehler and his six-year old son, Joey, are down on their luck. Currently, Joe is unemployed due to a bad economy and taking care of a medically complex son. Recently father and son become homeless due to their apartment catching on fire and Joe being without any insurance. They are forced to live in Joe’s old red pick-up truck. Eventually father and son take refuge at Hope House, a local homeless shelter, which is run by a kindly, yet mysterious, elderly woman named Emily.

Sidney Maier recently inherited his grandparents home but the house is in desperate need of repair. Skills Sidney greatly lacks. He befriends a fellow church member Emily who is the Interim Director at Hope House. Sidney tells Emily that he needs help with remodeling his new home. Also, he confides in her, that he is lonely and wishes he could meet someone special.

Emily and her assistants orchestrate for Joe and Sidney to meet where an instant attraction forms between both men. Joe and Sidney embark on a journey of courtship, but soon a negative force learns of their budding romance and wants to stop it at any cost. Emily and her assistants must all use their special talents if Joe and Sidney are meant to live happily ever after.

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Holiday

 Miracle on Mistletoe Lane Excerpt:

When Joe lifted his head, he saw the man he had been fantasizing about since Joey was discharged from the hospital. He quickly stood up then nervously swayed back and forth. Partly because he was nervous seeing the man whom he secretly desired, but also because he did not want Sidney to know that he was living here at a homeless shelter. He did not want Sidney’s pity.

“Oh, I…” Joe struggled to find the right words.

“The church hired Mr. Koehler to finish remodeling our library,” Emily said smoothly. “We needed someone right away and by the Lord’s work Mr. Koehler was available. My assistants and I think he is a Godsend.” Emily’s cell phone began to ring. “I need to take this call. It’s my husband.” She looked at Joe. “Would you be willing to give Mr. Maier a tour of Hope House while I take this call?”

Before Joe could respond, Sidney interjected.

“I would like that very much.”

The excitement in Sidney’s voice did not go unnoticed by either Joe or Emily.

“Good,” Emily said, taking her husband’s call as she walked away.

For a few moments Joe and Sidney just stared at each other, both men wanting to say something but too afraid. Finally, Joe mustered up the courage to start the conversation.

Pages: 163 pages

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:
MiracleBadge28-Nov MM Good Book Reviews
1-Dec Amanda C. Stone
2-Dec Cate Ashwood
3-Dec Hearts on Fire, Inked Rainbow Reads
4-Dec Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
5-Dec Molly Lolly
8-Dec Parker Williams
9-Dec Multitasking Mommas
10-Dec 3 Chicks After Dark
11-Dec Wake Up Your Wild Side
12-Dec The Hat Party
15-Dec Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Prism Book Alliance
16-Dec Kimi-Chan,Jade Crystal
17-Dec Queer Town Abbey
18-Dec Iyana Jenna
19-Dec Love Bytes
22-Dec Book Reviews and More by Kathy
23-Dec Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
24-Dec My Fiction Nook
25-Dec BFD Book Blog

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: PDF copy of Miracle on Mistletoe Lane. Use the link below to enter and for all additional contest details. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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A MelanieM Review: Fever Pitch (Love Lessons #2) by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Sometimes you have to play love by ear.

Fever Pitch coverAaron Seavers is in a world of pain and he doesn’t know what to do about it.  His strict controlling father wants him to pick out a suitable college and do it  now.  But Aaron doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life even if his father had decided for him.  His divorced mother won’t support him against his father so Aaron knows he’s on his own and that’s a very lonely place.  But no one would guess all that lurks just underneath the exterior of a boy considered one of the popular crowd and its just the tip of the secrets Aaron is hiding.

Giles Mulder can’t wait to get the hell out of Oak Grove, Minnesota.  Giles has been through the horrors that middle and high school hold for someone who is different, gay and very different.  Bullied, beaten, hospitalized, its all been a large part of Giles’ life, made bearable by the love and support of his parents and family.  Now the chance to escape and reboot his life at college looms large.  Giles is headed off to St. Timothy’s College where he intends to play his violin, and be everything he wasn’t in high school.  Then he meets a drunken Aaron Seavers hiding in a closet at the party and it changes everything.

Aaron is in the closet in almost every way until Giles helps him out and home during a drunken binge at a party.  When Giles mentions the college he is going to in the fall, something clicks with Aaron, unbeknownst to Giles and his plans.  When Aaron appears on campus,, Giles is afraid that his high school experience is about to repeat itself.  For Aaron, Giles rejection is just one more thing to overcome.  Neither young man is prepared to the adjustments and changes that college has in store for them both.  Giles and Aaron soon realize that sometimes you have to play love by ear in order to find that which you have always wanted.

The title Fever Pitch comes from a quote in the story, advice actually, that if you want something so badly don’t go after it in a fever pitch but slow down, make sure its real, and not just the perception of something you think you want to have.  Excellent advice for the title characters here and life in general.  Fever Pitch, the second in the Love Lessions series, by Heidi Cullinan, presents two young men on the cusp of adulthood.  From starkly different background and families, they represent the best and the worst examples of teenagers dealing with their sexuality and thoughts of the future.  Aaron’s childhood is one of stultifying control and restrictions.  Even Aaron’s parents divorce, didn’t free him from his  father’s oeverbearing, restrictive rules and regulations, especially as his mother lacks the ability to support and parent her son.  Every aspect of Aaron’s life has been directed by his father and until his meeting with Giles, that wasn’t about to change.  Outwardly, Aaron has everything, including being part of the “in” crowd at school, a faction of which has been tormenting Giles.  Inside?  Aaron is a mess. Giles, on the other hand, has the love and support of a family who adores him and that includes his homosexuality which they accept.  But where Giles has it easy at home, school has been one nightmare after another, so much so that he has  ended up in the emergency room at numerous occasions.  Two young men, at odds with their surroundings, uncertain about their futures waiting ahead of them.

Heidi Cullinan is one of those writers who is able to take a teenage character and present them in a realistic and complex fashion.  Both Giles and Aaron feel absolutely believable, up to and including their histories and back stories.  The launching pad of this story is that odd time of panic and anticipation that happens at the end of the high school year, just before you leave for college.  Too many paths branching out before you, so many unanswered questions tossing about in your head as you step forward towards your first experience of independence.  Cullinan remembers this well and her ability to bring such a time of uncertainty and flux to life makes this story and these characters so moving and memorable.

There are so many wounded young men walking through these pages.  And while the damage done to them all carries the same hefty emotional weight, each received their wounds in different manners. Aaron and Giles are so different yet the empathy and pain you feel for them both is balanced and heartfelt.  Aaron especially with his moments of darkness and depression feels scarily authentic.  Giles’s attitude and assumptions also feels right for someone of his age and experience.  Sometimes you forget how hard it is to be 18 and this story is a perfect reminder of how tumultuous it can be and how out to sea they can feel.

One of the important aspects of this story and one that is beautifully portrayed is St. Timothy’s music department, along with the acapella songs that choral groups (that Glee and Perfect Pitch brought to everyone’s attention) sing as well as the school competitions and inequalities present among boy and girl groups. The interdepartmental politics and competition among students is laid out in a way that feels as real as every other element here.  That includes the songs and arrangements mentioned throughout the novel.

There is angst, oh my so much angst, that your heart will bleed a little along with the characters.  Through devastating events and stunning reversals of situations and beliefs, this is a story that creeps into your heart and mind to stay.  Characters from the first story, Kelly and Walter, have huge roles to play here as do the characters of Baz and Elijah (yes, that’s Bad in Baltimore’s Elijah).  But through all the issues, and swirl of emotions and adjustments, it still comes down to the love and romance of Aaron and Giles as they take their first steps towards adulthood and the life they want for themselves and each other.

Fever Pitch words fine as a stand alone or as part of a series.  I missed out on Love Lessons and Frozen Heart and will now rectify that omission.  Like me you don’t have to wait for those stories to pick this one up now.  Its a must read as far as I am concerned.  Heartwarming, deeply moving, and an ending you won’t believe.  Get started today!

Cover artist: I couldn’t find it but as lively and fun as that cover it, it didn’t reflect the story inside.

Sales Links:  Samhain Publishing      All Romance (ARe)     amazon      Fever Pitch

Book Details:

ebook, 270 pages
Published September 30th 2014 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.heidicullinan.com/Fever-pitch
seriesLove Lessons #2

Love Lessions Series:

Love Lessons (Love Lessons, #1)
Frozen Heart (Love Lessons, #1.5)
Fever Pitch (Love Lessons, #2)