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A MelanieM Review: No Fae Is An Island (Endangered Fae #4) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

TNoFaeIsAnIsland_200hree years ago Diego Sandoval was banished from the human world as punishment for the crimes he committed while out of his mind.  With him went his Pookie lover, Finnochad.  Now the time of their banishment is up and Diego and Finn are returning to Tearmann Island, and to all the friends they left behind.  Living amongst the wild Fae has taught Diego many lessons he needed to learn and time to assuage the pain deep inside himself.  But has it been enough?

The human world and Tearmann Island has moved on in Diego’s absence.  Theo Aguilar, the rogue vampire, is now head of Prince Lugh’s security while Zack moved into Diego’s spot as Chief Liaison for the Fae Collective.  What will happen when Diego and Finn return?  It’s not just Diego who is uncertain about what happens next for them all.

To further complicate an already complicated situation, a number of Fae and gifted humans have been imprisoned by country who sees magic as dangerous and forbidden.  A  diplomatic mission mounted to save them turns deadly and its left to  Theo and a surprise stowaway to save the day.  And the stowaway?  Well, that would be a young curious selkie who followed Diego and Finn home from the wild Fae lands.  He wanted to see the world and got far more than he ever expected.  When the world goes crazy once more, its up to the inhabitants of Tearmann Island to find a way out of the precarious position Diego and Finn find themselves in and save them all.

No Fae  Is An Island, the fourth story in the Endangered Fae series by Angel Martinez, picks up three years after Danu’s banishment of Diego to the wild lands of the Fae.  Its been 3 years and 3 days and now its time for Diego and Finn to return home.  During that time Diego has listeneed and learned from many of the Fae in the Otherworld.  From the counsel of dragons to learning about the singular joys of laughter and living in the moment from a pod of selkies, Diego finds himself older, wiser, and finally more at peace with himself and the damage he caused while temporarily deranged.   From the darkness of Semper Fae emerges a quieter, more uncertain Diego and that change in character translates realistically and beautifully here in the opening chapter.

I have been eagerly awaiting this story since I finished Semper Fae, an outstanding novel at every aspect but one that was darker in scope than the previous stories.  Like the rest of the inhabitants of Tearmann Island, the Fae nation locale on the human world, I have waited to see what the banishment and time has done for Diego and his lover, Finn.  I was teary eyed as I “watched” them go, so I was overjoyed to find this story opens up on a sandy beach in the Otherworld with Diego watching Finn play with a pod of selkies in the ocean.  It’s joyful, peaceful, and the Diego found here is the one I was hoping to see.  He’s not yet fully healed but clearly on his way.  I love how believable Diego and his journey towards becoming the man/mage he is capable of being.  Each book has seen Diego become a more nuanced and layered being, complete with moments of depression, pride and arrogance vying with guilt and humility to arrive at a person who acknowledges he is still a work in progress.  I believe in Diego wholeheartedly, and with that, comes a belief in Finn, his Pookie lover who has also made some important transitions of his own.  They change, their relationship changes and deepens and so does their place in the world they have had a share in making.

Angel Martinez manages to temper her moments of seriousness and angst with those of laughter and joy.  Attaining that balance can be tricky but Martinez handles that beautifully here in the form of Limpet, a young selkie (150 years young) who is one of the most endearing characters of recent memory. Limpet is the levity and heart of innocence of this story.  It’s his pod that’s playing with Finn in the opening chapter but the pod’s life has gotten too small for Limpet who wishes to see the human world of Finn’s stories and tall tales.  Limpet is the balm to Theo’s pain and watching those two beings connect and establish a relationship is one of this story’s strengths and delights. He may come across as simple at first but nothing in this series is ever as simple as it appears.  The author does a tremendous job in providing layer upon layer to her story and characters, The characters change and grow as the plot twists and turns in a pattern as complex as a mandala.

To all the other mythic lore Martinez has introduced in the previous stories, in No Fae Is An Island adds yet another culture’s myths, this time those of the Middle East and Tales of the Arabian Nights.  Here it makes sense and brings a whole new cast of characters to fold into her universe and Fae collection.  And what a startling group it is.  Especially Nusair but I will let you discover him on your own.

The author’s on-going themes of identity, self awareness, and the journey towards a completeness of being continues in No Fae Is An Island and not just in the character of Diego.  Others are on that path too.  Its a tortuous journey but a believable one.  Is it tough to suspend our belief in our universe to take in all the mythical creatures Martinez brings to her world?  Not at all.  You slide into this world and universe building with an ease and pleasure that never lets up. I love this story and series.  And I can’t wait to see where it goes next, some place dark if any of the portents I read here are an indication. I will be waiting to see where these amazing characters and series go next.  It’s an astonishing trip, make sure you come with us every step of the way.

No Fae Is An Island is a story I can highly recommend as I do the entire Endangered Fae series.  Pick them all up today but make sure you read them in the order they were written, a must to understand the characters, their growth and relationships.  I will leave you an excerpt at the end of this review.  Succinct and charming…meet Limpet!

Cover art by Winterheart Designs.  Love that cover.  That is Theo and Limpet to perfection.

Sales links:   MLR Press        All Romance eBooks (ARe)       Amazon          No Fae Is An Island

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 255 pages
Published September 5th 2014 by MLR Press
ASINB00NBI2UP6
edition languageEnglish
seriesEndangered Fae #4

I have listed all the Endangered Fae stories in the order they were written and should be read to understand the events and character development. Put all on your must read list today!

Finn (Endangered Fae #1) (includes Finn’s Christmas)
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3)
No Fae Is An Island (Endangered Fae #4)

No Fae Is An Island Excerpt

“You don’t need to come with me.” Theo fought clenched teeth. The selkie was a friend of Mr. Sandoval’s and Finn’s, too—Finn who had been so kind to him after accidentally squashing him in dragon form. No need to be rude.

“Quite all right. I’ve nothing better to do.”

“You can’t come with me,” Theo said in the chilliest, sternest tone he could muster.

“Oh, of course I can. I see quite well at night.”

Theo squeezed his eyes shut against the headache. It shouldn’t have been there. He’d fed that morning and napped the rest of the day in lethargic, sated bliss. Fine. He’ll get bored and leave soon. “All right. But you have to be quiet.”

“Yes, yes, of course. In case something bad is here. A pack of nixes maybe. Oh, they’re bad. Or a kraken tries to swim close and ambush you, yes? You’re a real warrior, then? Have you seen many battles? Do you have scars? I have scars, but only because I was very young—”

“Limpet.” Theo stopped and took the selkie’s chin in his hand, holding his head still. “Whispering is not being quiet.”

“Right you are. Sorry. You have beautiful eyes.”

Theo dropped his hand and walked away, shaking his head. It was going to be long night.

A Barb, the Zany Old Lady, Review: Sweetwater by Lisa Henry

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Sweetwater coverElijah Carter is the adopted son of the local doctor in the mining town of South Pass City, Wyoming Territory, in 1870. Elijah was adopted by Carter about fifteen years earlier when the wagon train carrying his family west was befallen by Scarlet Fever, and young Elijah was not only left homeless, he was left partially deaf.

Even though Elijah couldn’t hear well, what he could hear were the taunts of his boss and other townsfolk calling him names and taunting him about the way he spoke. You “simple deaf cunt” translated in his mind to: you stupid dumb kid. He knew he wasn’t stupid, but he also knew he held a deep, dark secret so he didn’t confide in his adoptive father, preferring to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble.

When he catches the attention of Harlan Crane, saloon owner and Dom, Crane makes short work of Elijah’s virginity. Elijah had been told to bring an envelope to Crane from Elijah’s boss, Mr. Dawson, the town butcher. The envelope contained payment for cattle that four rustlers brought into town late the night before, cattle that were now no more than slabs of meat in the butcher shop. Unknown to Elijah as he follows Crane up to the bedrooms in the saloon, he’s also caught the attention of Grady, one of the rustlers, and Grady is pissed when he sees Crane got to the young man first.

Several situations combine to bring Elijah to loneliness and despair and to seek revenge for a tragedy that has deeply affected him. Late one night, after being turned away by Crane, he stumbles into Grady’s path right when he strongly feels the need to be dominated. Grady easily sees Elijah’s need to submit, but he also sees his need for love and acceptance, and he uses a gentler, more loving approach to bring Elijah under his control. After several days spent in Grady’s care, Elijah no longer wants Harlan, until he’s back in Crane’s presence and Grady’s no longer there for him to rely on. He, of course, submits to Harlan’s will again.

I liked the way the author developed Elijah’s self-awareness of both his need to be dominated and his own strengths. He’d spent so many years being taunted and ridiculed that he had started to own the simple deaf cunt description. But when he allowed his inner strength to finally come out and be seen by others, he shocked a few people— Dawson and Crane included.

Harlan Crane was a cruel man, however, in his own way, due to circumstances we see unfold later in the book, it appears that he cared for Elijah, at least a little. Grady wants Elijah for more than sex, and whether he’s willing to vocalize it or not, he feels drawn to the young man, protective of him, and he admires Elijah’s strength. Two men, seemingly completely different, yet both see something in Elijah that he never saw in himself.

While I liked the authenticity and feel of the time period, I never got fully engaged with Elijah or Grady. I expected to feel deep empathy or compassion for Elijah and get heavily involved in caring about his circumstances, as I have with most of the MCs in Lisa Henry’s other books, but my heart didn’t connect this time.

And I didn’t connect with Grady at all. I’m not sure if that is due to the setting, or if it was the fact that circumstances in the story didn’t bring the two together until the second half of the book, and even then, Grady wasn’t present enough for me to get to know him well. I also never felt any deep emotional bond and commitment between the two men. At least the story ends with a HFN, so there is hope for a long term relationship for them.

And, Sweetwater? Sweetwater is the name of the River near the town. It snakes over the plains causing the wagon trains to have to cross it nine times before getting to the town. Other than that, it’s incidental to the storyline.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to those who might like a historical piece, with more of a dark than a sweet romance. And, of course, I’d recommend it to Lisa Henry fans because I’m sure that we’ll all have our own opinion on how well we like this one. Really, for me, Lisa Henry books are like candies, and I can’t imagine disliking any, though some I love more than others.

Cover Art:L.C. Chase – The picture on the cover is the perfect period piece to match this tale. One of ScatteredThougthtsandRogueWords Best of September 2014.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing  All Romance eBooks (ARe)   Amazon     Sweetwater

Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages
Expected publication: September 29th 2014 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626491502
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/sweetwater

Book Tour & Contest: Starling by Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese

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magnifying glass and book

STARLING COVER Maltese McRae

Whistle Stop Tour for Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese’s

Starling!

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Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese have stopped by to talk about Starling, their latest release from Torquere.

We’d like to do a giveaway of a free e-copy of “Lake Effect,” our short story from the wedding-themed anthology They Do, also from Torquere.  To enter to win, leave an comment with your email address included.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest ends 9/20.

Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese Talk About Inspiration and their latest book, Starling!

Starling was inspired by a question, and then by our own fascination with the unglamourous parts of fairytale of fame.

Racheline and I started writing together more or less by accident. We met through mutual friends and share loves of television, backstage stories, and romances that are a little dark and a little messy.

But loving backstage stories when one of you is a SAG-AFTRA actor and the other has a long history of working crew in school shows can be hard. There’s so much to fantasize about, people don’t always get the reality right.

But what if? We asked each other. What if a guy who never wanted to be famous, became famous? And then, email by email, we started telling each other a story. And once we started, we didn’t stop. A year later, we’ve sold two novels — including Starling — a short story, and a novellete, have a half-dozen projects currently in progress, and several currently out with publishers for submission.

For Starling and its sequels, we wanted to tell a story about the wonder and the terror that is fame. Starling may be a fairytale — that discovered in a diner narrative always is. But it’s not a the Disney fairytale. Rather, it’s much more Hans Christian Andersen or Brothers Grimm.

Since Starling is a contemporary romance, it’s not that there are monsters lurking under the bed, but we are huge fans of magical realism and wanted to see how we could bring those ideas to a story, both magic and real, set in Hollywood.

As Alex, our guy who becomes famous, and Paul, the guy he falls for, navigate their way to their happy ending, things are hard and occasionally dark. Because life, after all, isn’t easy, and fame and success don’t make figuring out how to get, and keep, what — and who — you want any easier.

STARLING COVER Maltese McRaeTitle:  Starling
Authors: Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese
Publisher:  Torquere Books
Cover artist:  Brandon Clay

Sales Link: Amazon

 “Starling” Blurb:

When J. Alex Cook, a production assistant on The Fourth Estate (one of network TV’s hottest shows), is accidentally catapulted to stardom, he finds himself struggling to navigate both fame and a relationship with Paul, one of Fourth’s key writers. Despite their incendiary chemistry, Alex’s inexperience and the baggage they’re both carrying quickly lead to an ugly break-up.

Reeling from their broken hearts, Alex has an affair with a polyamorous co-star and Paul has an ill-advised reunion with an old flame. Meanwhile, the meddling of their colleagues, friends — and even the paparazzi! — quickly make Alex and Paul’s real life romance troubles the soap opera of the television season.

But while the entertainment value may be high, no one knows better than Alex and Paul that there are no guarantees when it comes to love in Los Angeles.

Authors Bios:

Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese’s gay romance series Love in Los Angeles, set in the film and television industry, is published by Torquere Press. The first novel, Starling, was released September 2014; its sequel, Doves, is scheduled for January 2015. Racheline is a NYC-based performer and storyteller focused on themes of sex, gender, desire and mourning. Erin McRae is a writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C.

Contact Links:

A MelanieM Review: Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) (Pulp Friction 2014 #16) by T.A. Webb

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Aftershocks coverCharlie Turner’s life has never been easy.  From the moment his father died, Charlie has tried to fill the void his father left with his family while dialing down his own expectations for his future.  He stepped into his father’s business, supporting his mother and younger brother letting his own personal dreams and relationships suffer.  Troubles and turmoils came, exploded and where dealt with.  Charlie’s life started to move forward when he met Amos Greene and moved into Mountain Shadows.   And just when his relationship with Amos Greene had stabilized and his brother, Damon, looked to be on the right track with his life, a monster in their midst shattered their calm and progress with one horrific event.

Now Charlie and all around him are trying to find a way to pick up the pieces of their lives and move forward once more.  But how to do that when you feel like you have been broken into pieces?  It will take everyone  to help Charlie and his brother to deal with all the pain and fear to move past the recent events, even if it means dealing with their  own secrets and past histories.

Aftershocks. What a perfect name for this story.  Why?  Because sometimes its not the earthquake itself that causes the most damage, but the aftershocks, the reverberations from that seismic event that continues to riffle the landscape in wave after wave.  That metaphor is perfect for dealing with the emotional consequences and impact of a horrific act upon a close-knit group of  individuals, including family members.  In this case its Charlie Turner, his boyfriend Amos Greene and Charlie’s family that consists of his mother and his younger brother, Damon.

None of these people are able to deal intellectually or emotionally with the guilt, pain, and fear that recent events have inflicted upon them.  Charlie is especially vulnerable.  He sees himself as a standin for his deceased father and feels that he has failed them all.  Damon too has been unable to deal with the consequences of those events as he was the target and victim.  Amos?  Has his own pain and fears stemming from his past.  Even Charlie and Damon’s mother seems helpless to move out of the stasis she seems frozen in.  And all this feels absolutely real, as necessary a reaction to the devastating events as any we could  expect.  These people and their burdens feel authentic because we have gotten to know them intimately as the series progressed.  And we are emotionally with them now as they try to get past their combined pain so any future might be possible.  But how?

T.A. Webb acknowledges the emotional quagmire his characters are stuck in and then quietly and assuredly moves them forward through their pain and issues into some form of recognition and acceptance.  The method  Webb chooses is believable and grounded in what would be a logical and realistic solution to this mountain of emotional turmoil these people find themselves in.  I admire T.A. Webb for choosing to go down this path and making it come across as the brave thing to do as well as letting the reader into the type of self reflection and questioning needed to make it work.  It’s quietly stunning and hugely effective in bringing yet more depth to already full realized characters. It will also bring a few shocking revelations of its own into play as well.

We are almost there.  T.A. Webb has one more story to go before the series finale.  The aftershocks continue to shake the ground under the feet of all of Webb’s characters and we begin to wonder if they will ever achieve a firm foundation for themselves and each other.  It’s a startling achievement for this author that we are asking ourselves that question so  close to the end and still so unsure of where T.A. Webb is taking us all.  What a journey its been.  I can hold off on reaching the end a little longer.

I consider Aftershocks so remarkable in its tone and character.  But to do it justice, pick up the series from the beginning and work your way through it and all the connecting series.  This is one you shouldn’t miss out on.  No surprise here to find its on ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Best of 2014 list.   I highly recommend this to one and all.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Lovely and perfect for this story and series. That’s Charley to a T.

Sales Links:        All Romance eBooks (ARe)         Amazon           Aftershocks

Book Details:
ebook, 50 pages
Published August 31st 2014 by A Bear on Books (first published August 30th 2014)
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #16, Earthquake

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: to be released

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
charactersFinn Lorensso

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

A MelanieM Review: David’s Dilemma by Rae Brewer

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

“Two shifters walk into a bar…”

Jaguar Bk 4Panthera Agency Operative Johnny Walking Bear is in San Francisco for a case. A head cold is making him miserable but with the job not starting until Monday, Johnny wants to take advantage of the city and a free weekend to enjoy eating out, drinking and having lots of sex.  Especially the sex now that he is away from his family home and siblings.  Johnny wants a mate but while he’s looking some honey and mead would make this bear shifter very happy.

Cat shifter David Kern is very unhappy at the moment.  Another confrontation with his ex has David depressed and looking for a diversion.  When his friends call to invite him for a night out at the bars, not even his nasty cold can deter David from a night of clubbing and the chance for a hookup.

So two shifters walk into a bar, in this case David and Johnny.  Their attraction to each other is immediate and intense. No wonder that they end up in bed together at the end of the night.  Their night together is memorable and sexy.  Neither wants the night to be over but Johnny has a job to do. He  leaves David’s house without leaving his name or contact  information.  What neither shifter is aware of is that they are mates.  Between David’s cold blocking his senses and Johnny’s drunken state and cold, neither could sniff out the truth before they parted.

What is a shifter to do when a chance encounter brings him the very mate he has always wanted but he doesn’t realize it at the time?  Through a series of mishaps, miscommunications and wrong assumptions, David and Johnny have  a rocky road to love and HEA, one that also comes with a secret organization  with evil plans who might just be the biggest obstacle of them all.

Rae Brewer’s David’s Dilemma has some terrific elements to it.  One of my favorites is the premise.  Two shifters unable to use their senses, one because of a head cold, the other because he’s drunk, meet, connect, have great sex and then part.  What they miss is that they are a mated pair because neither could smell out the truth at the moment.  That’s funny, a great use of natural history and kind of poignant.  I only wish Brewer has used this element to its fullest promise, instead it gets a temporary treatment and then its gone.

Another great aspect of this story is the bear shifter clan that Johnny belongs to.  Here bear natural history and behavior comes across beautifully.  Large, lumbering, that Johnny is a bear  shifter is evident from his actions to his physiology.  Throw in a terrific family unit of healers and other gifts, and the package is complete.  Again, this book could have focused on the Walking Bear  clan alone and made me a happy reader.  That was a fully realized group of characters and their household was one I could have spent much more time in.

But most of this story deals with other elements.  There is the David/Johnny hookup and mishaps to follow.  That was kind of charming even though I never felt that Brewer made her panther/bear pairing believable.  Also this is the fourth story in the Panthera Agency series and the only one that I have read.  They seem to be a lesser part of this story until the ending.  I couldn’t get a real feel for what they do other than they are run by a group of shifters who help locate and return missing shifters to their families.

That agency and Johnny’s job felt less solid and less an integral part of this story than perhaps Brewer had planned.  It needed more background into the agency  and its operatives to make sense of the events that followed and to understand who all the characters mentioned fit into the story and series.  Brewer also throws in a twist that comes off as more contrived than believable.  Someone realizes they have been drugged and their reaction is almost nonchalant?  This part of the story alone called for a suspension of belief that it was never going to get, as did all the events that stemmed from that act that followed.

I wish Brewer has almost made this into a shifter romcom.  That premise just begged for a lighter treatment and narrative.  That is was bogged down in a less than stellar sort of espionage  plot towards the end made little sense  while making those elements of the story that were well done stand out starkly in contrast.  Which is did by bringing in the Walking Bear family to reintroduce a semblance of a well achieved characterizations to that chaotic ending.

So David’s Dilemma is a bit of a mixed bag here.  Some elements were wonderful, others did not achieve the same level of believability and completeness.  The decision is yours.

Cover art: Jess Buffetf.  Loved this cover.  Great job.

Sales Links:          All Romance         Amazon         David’s Dilemma

 

Book Details:
ebook
Published August 26th 2014 by Smashwords Edition, JK Publishing
ISBN139781311637376

More Announcements and This Week’s Schedule at ScatteredThoughts!

Announcement clip artFirst announcement this morning?  There is another new reviewer here.  Welcome to PaulB!  We now have 3 reviewers, with another to come mid-month.  The changes continue! Check out Paul’s bio and be sure to say hi!

There are also a few winners too:

  • Congratulations to Paty, winner of Ashley Ladd’s contest.
  • Winners of the 3 copies of David’s Dilemma by Rae Brewer are:  Vicki p.,Stella M.,Barbra
  • Winner of Lissa Kasey’s Cover Reveal for Hidden Gems: Karen R.

 

Books, reading clipart 090

Here is this week’s schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

Monday, September 8:

  • Author Spotlight:  Deanna Wadsworth
  • MelanieM Review:  David’s Dilemma by Rae Brewer

Tuesday, September 9:

  • TB: Bailey Bradford’s Broncs and Bullies Book Tour (contest)
  • Tara Lain’s Wolf in Gucci Loafers Book Tour (Contest)
  • MelanieM Review: Aftershock by T.A. Webb

Wednesday, September 10:

  • Raine O’Tierney’s Cover Reveal for Most Beautiful Words (contest)
  • Riptide’s Anchored by Rachel Heimowitz Book Tour (Contest)
  • MelanieM Review: Last Thing He Needs by J.H. Knight

Thursday,  September 11:

  • Book Tour:  Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese’s Starling (contest)
  • A Barb the Zany Lady Review:  Sweetwater by Lisa Henry
  • MelanieM Review:  Infected: The Lost Weekend by Andrea Speed

Friday, September 12:

  • On Tour with Sue Brown and The Last Wolf (contest)
  • K.A. Merikan’s Boys ‘n’ Guns Book Tour (contest)
  • MelanieM Review: No Fae Is An island by Angel Martinez

Saturday< September 13:

  • MelanieM Review: Pulling Leather by L.C. Chase

 

 

 

 

A MelanieM Review: Blown Chance (Whispering Winds, #4) (Pulp Friction 2014 #15) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

PF4_BlownChance400x600Rowen Smithe had been anticipating the worst when his past came calling in the form of his former partner. Once through the initial explosions (and when all first aide supplies were put away), the truth about Rowen, the warped nature of his childhood, previous profession, everything came to light.  And his Mountain Shadow family didn’t abandon him.  In fact it brought them all closer together.

But not everyone in Rowen’s past is willing to let Rowen off so easily.  An old acquaintance arrives quietly in Mountain Shadows and his target is Rowen Smithe.  Recovering from the turmoil of the recent events, none of Mountain Shadows campground are prepared for what is to come, the least of which is Mick Rutger.

Mick Rutgers is in love with Rowen Smithe and has been working hard to break down the barriers Rowen has raised to protect himself.  But when Rowen’s former partner appears and their history together comes out, Mick thinks the time has finally come for them to have a future together.  It seems that Fate has one last hurdle for the pair to overcome.   One more dangerous element from Rowen’s past.  Is this the one that brings them closer together? Or is it the one to break Mick’s resolve and destroy their chance at happiness forever?

Blown Chance is guaranteed to break your heart in more ways than you might think possible.  The previous 3.5 (yes, .5) stories have been setting us up for this emotional rollercoaster.  The scrabbled together family of Mountain Shadows has just undergone an emotional tsunami resulting from the revelations about Rowen’s past, including childhood and dubious profession.  Still once the shocks have worn off and the wounds patched up (ok part of that was deadly funny), all the characters we have come to love over this series (and some from last year’s) pull together once more in love and support.   Its has been emotionally draining for all, and yes, I am including the reader here too.  But peace is such a fragile thing, especially when the people involved are such explosive individuals with past histories that refuse to stay in the past.

I have to admit I laughed out loud at portions of Wicked Winds (Whispering Winds 3.5).  But humor has little place here.  Rowen’s past is one of horrific events of which sometimes he has been the cause.  And that past refuses to let him go.  It returns silently and swiftly just when you think Rowen and Mick are settling down enough to talk about a relationship.  Havan Fellows lulls us into temporary complacency and then smacks us down with a tide of events and people that we really should have seen coming.  She builds us up and then brings us down but not so far at first that we think we’re safe.  Because no one is.

I love the suspense  and anticipation Fellows builds into her plot.  It’s crazy white knuckle ride of action, stealth, and surprise!  Still, amongst all the shocks and tremors here, Havan Fellows never forgets the complicated men at the center and their strained journey towards love and acceptance.   Rowen quickly became a favorite of mine with his tortured demeanor and his ability to become a part of the woodland environment around him.  Rowen is such an interesting, quixotic personality that he just draws you to him.  So we can understand Mick Rutger’s fascination with Rowen and ultimately his love for him as well.  Their tentative bonds have been constantly under stress, but the worst is about to confront them all.  How is all plays out  is wildly inventive, crazily satisfying, and totally frustrating.

I get the ending, I really do.  It makes absolute sense.  But now I need book 5.  I need to see what happens next.  I care for these characters and want them to have their happily ever after.  They deserve it and so do the readers.  I know its coming but waiting is get harder by the minute.  How I love the anticipation!

This is an outstanding series.  The fact that it gets intertwined with the Pulp Friction 2013 series is just the icing on the cake.  Loved that series, love this series too.  Whispering Winds and all the other Elemental Connections series are easily at the top of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2014.  If you have started reading them yet,  (perhaps there is a binge reading fest ahead), start at the first story and work your way through.  It’s the best way to understand the characters and to watch the relationships change and  grow.  Pick them up today.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  These covers are tremendous, great for branding the series and the characters.

Sales links:            All Romance eBooks              Amazon             Blown Chances

 

Here are the books in the Elemental Connections series to date:

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 T.A. Webb
Kismet & Cartwheels – bonus book, Fighting Fire

Round Two:

Controlled Burn by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth by T.A. Webb

Round Three:

Backburn by Laura Harner
Cold Feet by Lee Brazil
Blow Hard by Havan Fellows
Tremors by T.A. Webb
Taking Chances  by Lee Brazil– bonus book, In From the Cold

Round Four:

Flare-up by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold by Lee Brazil
Wicked Winds by Havan Fellows – bonus book, Whispering Winds
Blown Chance by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks by T.A. Webb

Book Details:
Published August 15th 2014 by Appleton Publishing Avenue (first published August 14th 2014)
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #15, Whispering Winds #4