Tag: A Barb the Zany Old Lady Highly Recommended Story

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Party to Murder by John Inman

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Wow! As a longtime fan of Agatha Christie, I am completely impressed with the quality and pace of this mystery. In my opinion, it’s worthy of sitting on the same shelf as Christie.

Both Jamie Roma and Derek Lee have been friends since childhood but they’ve recently discovered that their feelings evolved to more—their chemistry reached a flashpoint, and they’re now lovers. As the story progresses, each man realizes that the man they called best friend all their life is now the man they want to finish that life beside. It’s fun-loving Jamie who prods them to accept an invitation to a weekend house party that each received separately. In a very rural area, neither man counted on the raging thunderstorm, complete with lightning and a flash flood that adds to the creepiness of the isolated location.

Their hosts seem to be absent—that is, until they discover the corpses of an elderly couple in the basement. While the storm rages, they also find their cell phones missing, their tires slashed and the car engine wires cut. The lightning, thunder, and high wind add just the right ambiance to this grisly tale as one by one, the murders continue. Reminiscent of And Then There Were None by Christie, but with a modern-day twist, I was totally caught up in the story from the beginning. 

The author set up the personalities of the main characters with words, memories, and dialogue about their current circumstances right from the beginning, and I realized by the second chapter that I liked these guys and didn’t want anything to happen to them. Getting me on their side early in the story was key to my enjoyment and kept me glued to my Kindle as I turned each page.

I enjoyed the romance between these two really nice guys whose friendship and love is tested under duress, and I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery as the author revealed more and more about each person within the spooky old house before the deaths started to pile up and there weren’t many characters left to pick from.

There’s nothing quite as good as an outstanding story that can take me away from my day-to-day world and transport me to a place where I can enjoy someone else’s drama. Add MM romance to that and then give me a mystery and I’m sold. I very highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a challenging mystery with romance and the spooky ambiance of a high-energy thunderstorm at night. 

The cover by Paul Richmond, done in a spooky nighttime gray tone, depicts two young men, one with his head on the other’s shoulder from behind, the other with his head tossed back and his torso naked. They’re set against the backdrop of a darkened house with one tiny light showing in the gloom. The title is in white fading to dark red and the whole piece just screams murder. Perfect for this outstanding story within.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Published March 26th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781644051368
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

My first book from this author, but it won’t be my last. This story engaged me and kept me riveted with not only memorable characters, who happen to be sexy hockey players, but also men who grow from 18-year-old rookies looking for a quick hookup to mature all-stars who know each other better than anyone else in the world and become willing to risk their hearts for a chance at permanence.

Talk about slow burn! These two took forever to realize their instant lust attraction—which they perpetuated for several years—was more than they ever thought they could have. After all, pro hockey players didn’t come out. They didn’t settle down with one man.  And they certainly didn’t leave their homeland—Russia in Ilya’s case—to find their HEA with the man who newscasters set up as an archrival.

After years of texting, secretly meeting up after games in each other’s hometown, Ilya and Shane—Lily and Jane on each other’s cell contact list—finally face the fact that they aren’t just meeting to scratch an itch. They care deeply for each other and there’s a glimmer of hope for a future together if they plan it well.  And since Shane is a planner…

From the beginning of this story, I was swept up in the rich characterizations, the excitement of pro hockey, and the secretive sexy banter and wish fulfillment. I enjoyed being with Shane as he matured and developed feelings for Ilya. And Shane was fortunate to have two supportive, interesting and loving parents—especially his mother who was a hoot with her knowledge of pro sports.  Ilya, unfortunately, was not as blessed. An aging father who suffered from dementia, a demanding brother who constantly wanted money, and a stepmother who was zero in the nurturing department were all he had in his homeland and he got to the point where he dreaded going back to Russia in the off season.  I adored Ilya with his accent, his sense of humor, and his ego—huge and well-deserved.  And together, these two men were fantastic.  By the end of the story, after they’d made their decision to be a couple, I couldn’t put the book down. 

Every word, every page turn brought me closer to the end of the book, and I didn’t want to finish.  I savored their time together, and I am hopeful we’ll see them again at some point in the future because I’m not ready to release them from my heart.  Very highly recommended. 

Cover art is every bit as heated as the title.

Sales Links;  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 310 pages
Expected publication: March 25th 2019 by Carina Press
Original Title Heated Rivalry
ASINB07H5K8SFW
Edition Language English
Series Game Changers #2

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Lord to Love by Sara Dobie Bauer

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The Price and Morgan families have been feuding for years—over a piece of land that records show belongs to the Morgan family—but contains the Price family burial ground.  So Harrison Price hasn’t been able to visit his mother’s grave, and it’s wearing on the young man who was very close to her.  Now, to top it all off, his father has died, and they must settle this debate so his father can be buried next to his wife.

Lord John Morgan offers a solution.  He will give the land freely to the Price family if the youthful, handsome Harrison will agree to marry him. Outlandish? Yes, but not unheard of in their time. Men may marry, though it’s not common.  Giving the property away?  Well, John doesn’t really want it. He only held onto it because he enjoyed the fight and because it gave him an excuse to come to the Price holdings to possibly catch a glimpse of Harrison. 

John has loved the younger man for three years, ever since his heart was engaged by a violin recital Harrison gave.  He not only admires his handsome face and long, lithe body, he admires Harrison’s intellect and quick wit. There’s really nothing about the young man he doesn’t like, and now that Harrison has inherited the title and lands from his father, the two lords are a match made in heaven.  But will Harrison see it that way?  Will he see John as a love interest or just an old man, a neighbor who’s been keeping him from visiting his mother’s grave?

What I most loved about this story, aside from the premise of a marriage arranged by one man who has the hots for another, is how quickly the author engaged me with both characters and how fully she was able to sketch their personalities.  I felt the attraction.  I was there when the shy, virginal Harrison experienced his first kiss.  And I rejoiced with John when he realized his quest was not in vain. 

Though short, this story packs a punch.  I’m sure it will become a favorite among those of us who enjoy an outstanding MM romance.

The cover depicts two lords, dressed in the clothing of the time, above the lower pane that features a large old mansion.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: March 19th 2019 by Carnation Books
ISBN13 9781948272148
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Blue Umbrella Sky by Rick R. Reed

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Milt’s husband of many years, Corky, has passed away after suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, a horrible deterioration of mind and body.  As is the case with many who suffer from this disease, Corky forgot who Milt was at times and at other times was angry and resentful toward him. He escaped his home, sometimes while nude, and in short, tested Milt’s reserves to the nth degree.  But Milt never stopped loving him and now, sitting in his new mobile home in Palm Springs, California, he’s far away and yet still close in his heart.  Some thought Milt was being too reactionary when he packed up and moved across country, but he and his adopted dog, Ruby, are beginning to acclimate to their new lives together.

Then, along comes a flash flood and a friendly neighbor to rescue them. Billy Blue, handsome, young, a former singer, now working at Trader Joe’s is an alcoholic in recovery for several years and planning to stay that way, despite the emotional ups and downs he begins to feel when Milt enters his life. Though several years older than Billy, Milt is nevertheless exactly the man of Billy’s dreams and Billy has to exercise all his life lessons to remember that good things happen in their own time, not on his time schedule.

Those who follow my reviews know I get a little (okay, a lot) peeved when authors glaze over a “drinking problem” or have their character in detox and then have him live a happy life, drinking again whenever he’s out with friends—with no consequences.  But in this story, Mr. Reed presented alcoholism and recovery, through the twelve step fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, as clearly, kindly, respectfully, and honestly as I’ve ever read. And I’m old, so I’ve read a lot! I appreciate his attention detail more than I can say.

A frequently heard term in AA is “the joy is in the journey, not the destination.”  And for me, the joy was in the journey of reading this beautiful portrayal of a man coming to grips with the death of his husband, moving through the stages of grief as time goes on, and ultimately recognizing that it’s okay to love again.  There’s also joy in being present for Billy’s journey as he follows direction from his sponsor and does what he’s learned is most important to his balance—to put his sobriety first.  After all, he wouldn’t have any chance with Milt if he wasn’t the man he is today and that’s due to working the program. 

I simply loved this story.  It’s not explicit, thankfully.  That wasn’t necessary.  What was necessary was to allow two men to have an opportunity to get to know each other, become friends, and eventually move to a firm and loving relationship.  Slow burn, hurt-comfort, age gap, men over forty, grief, men with pets—I can think of many more tags I’d use for this one. But ultimately, the tag I’d use first and foremost is amazing.   Thank you Rick R. Reed! You have set the bar high. 

The cover by Reese Dante features two men in an embrace—perhaps a kiss about to happen—set against a beautiful blue background of the sky over Palm Springs.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 190 pages
Expected publication: March 19th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ASIN B07NNX7J4Q
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review : American Dreamer (Dreamers #1) by Adriana Herrera

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Wow! This is a great debut novel. Not only heartwarming, it was also full of the richness of pride in a Dominican Republic heritage, and on a lighter note, full of descriptions of Afro-Caribbean foods that made my mouth positively water. 

Nesto Vasquez moves his Afro-Caribbean food truck from his original base in New York City to the wilds of upstate New York—Ithaca, home of Cornell University, to be exact. His mom has lived there for the past ten years, along with his aunt and cousins, and his strong family ties and need to prove himself and make his dreams come true are the driving forces behind the relocation. But more than family keeps him there, as he meets, befriends, and eventually falls in love with librarian Jude Fuller. Sweet, intelligent, and alone, Jude was ostracized by his religious family when he came out to them five years before. 

There’s so much to like about this story—the writing, the pace, the interesting information on the culture of the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean Islands. Add to that the personal touch, the relationship-building, the strength of family of origin and family of the heart, and finally the love between two young men—a love that very nearly didn’t survive when the drive for success in his career almost caused Nesto to lose track of the need for balance and for the love of his heart, his Jude. 

The secondary characters are terrific and include Nesto’s three best friends, each with a Caribbean heritage.  They grew up together and their moms banded together to keep them out of trouble and off the streets—a ploy that worked well, and coincidentally helped cement Nesto’s appreciation of a variety of Caribbean cuisine. Jude’s library coworker and bestie, Carmen, also has a DR heritage and is the first to encourage Jude to join her at the food truck, where he meets his eventual love. 

But there was also a very nasty, self-centered, homophobic, prejudiced coworker who undermines Nesto behind the scenes throughout much of the story. Misty works part time at the library as a grant writer and spends much of her time throwing monkey wrenches into Jude’s plans for a youth mobile library for his county—something much needed for rural teens. She also spends a great deal of time undermining Nesto’s budding business as she couldn’t bear his success while her son’s food truck was not thriving. She added a lot of angst and drama but, although I normally hate that sort of character, the author did a great job in bringing her to life and keeping her believable.

Though her first book, I’m sure this won’t be Adriana Herrera’s last and I’m definitely looking forward to more from her in future. In fact, we will likely get a story of each of Nesto’s three besties and I can’t wait! I very highly recommend this one to all lovers of MM romance, especially to those who enjoy stories rich in culture that inspire a reader to want to learn more.

The cover features a handsome Latino man who fits the description of the MC in the story. Very appealing, and in fact, I came back to this a number of times due to the man on the cover, until I finally picked it up to review. And I’m very happy I did.

Sales Links:  Carina Press  | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Published March 4th 2019 by Carina Press
Original Title American Dreamer
ASINB07KN6G9CM
Series Dreamers #1

 

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Inside Out (a Road to Blissville story) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This book came along at the perfect moment.  I needed to feel positive emotions, to smile, to find peace, and that’s what I got from the romance between Romeo Bradly and Julius Shepherd in Blissville.

Both men started their new jobs in the school district on the same day: Romeo as superintendent of the school district, and Julius as an advanced sciences teacher and tennis team coach.  The moment they shook hands, their spark ignited a curiosity and attraction that smoldered for months before circumstances put them in the same place at the same time again. Rome would be directing the high school play, and Jules would be composing the music.

Three very advanced and enthusiastic students had written the script over the course of a few years, one of them had composed lyrics for the musical, and the play was already approved by the school board. The story addressed bullying, homophobia, and other issues with which teens struggle in high school, and both Rome and Jules are passionate about seeing it produced.  Over the course of working together on the production, though Julius is at first reluctant to get involved with the sexy silver fox who is technically his boss, they meet for lunch and eventually date, growing closer as time goes by.

Rome is a forty-five-year-old widower whose husband passed away seven years before.  Jules is of mixed race, oldest of two boys, whose father passed suddenly eight years before, so the two have much in common over and above their interest in the students and their taste in music.  And when Jules finally lets down his reserve about dating the superintendent, they find their way to more than a simple attraction.

Those who follow my reviews know I adore May-December romance. Give me a silver fox any day, but then add in slow burn, and sweet, honest, openhearted conversation, laughter, and a love of all things music, and I’m sold.  The author’s writing and her creativity in managing the dance of love for these men was outstanding.  I loved each character individually and together.  And Julius’s mother and brother; Priscilla, Rome’s dragon secretary; Howie, his friend; and the host of other characters in this book were beautifully integrated.

The book ends with the perfect summary of their emotions: “in his eyes, I saw my future. In his smile, I rediscovered joy. In his heart, I made my home. This man turned me inside out, and I would follow him anywhere.”

I very highly recommend this and the best news is it can easily be read as a standalone.

The cover by Jay Aheer depicts two men’s hands and forearms intertwined. One is Black and the other Caucasian. It captured my attention and reflects the story beautifully.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 222 pages
Published January 14th 2019 by Chasing Rainbows Press LLC
ASINB07MTLPZZ4
Series Road to Blissville #6

Road to Blissville Series

Unscripted Love

Someone to Call My Own

Nobody’s Prince Charming

This Time Around

Smoke in the Mirror

Inside Out

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: His First Family by Victoria Sue

Rating 5 stars out of 5

Lorne Austen was relieved of his duties as omega and nanny on the day the alpha’s youngest children, twins, turned 15. He wasn’t even allowed to say goodbye—just booted out and sent on his way with his meager belongings. An omega’s life isn’t wonderful in this world and Lorne, though a sweetheart, is now 32 and past his prime, so his only hope is to find another job and make it on his own. Caught in a snowstorm, he’s found by Johnathan Owens, a doctor who is on personal leave after breaking off with his fiancé and taking care of his grandmother.

The two ride out the storm in each other’s arms in bed, but Lorne disappears the next morning. His reasoning is that Johnathan is too sweet and he doesn’t want to possibly become attached. Imagine his surprise when six months later, he arrives at a medical clinic seeking nutrients to help him survive his unexpected pregnancy and he finds Dr. Owens—the father of his babies.

The story of their relationship is somewhat complex, with the monkey wrench primarily thrown at Lorne by Johnathan’s ex-fiancé who is also a doctor. Unmated omegas aren’t allowed to keep their babies in this world and though it seems a simple solution, Johnathan hesitates to contract with Lorne—for other reasons, but of course, Lorne misunderstands. There’s lots of angst here. But there’s more complexity, as well, as the author builds the world of these alphas and omegas—not shifters. It’s the same world as the story of His First Christmas, another warm and fuzzy feelings book I enjoyed by this author.

I needed this story today! It gave me the perfect escape when I decided to focus on something pleasant. The author always grabs me by the feels early in a story and develops characters I can love. I know there are a number of readers who don’t care for mpreg stories but this one was more about the worry a couple faces when it looks like their baby (or babies in this case) may not make it through pregnancy, and the fear faced after the birth when the premie is struggling for survival in the neonatal unit.

Eventually the five of them become a family but it sure is an angsty push and pull along the way. I definitely recommend it to lovers of MM romance with memorable characters.

Cover by Jay Aheer features two men about to kiss and in the lower part of the panel, three babies sitting with backs to the camera represent the babies in this story. The cover and blurb sold me on starting this story, and the author made it very satisfying.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 167 pages
Published January 21st 2019
ASINB07N16H845

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Is It Over Yet? by L.A. Witt

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Oh my, I really enjoyed this story. It was transported back to the early days of reading MM romance when I first discovered LA Witt.  And at first, the story seemed to be following the lines of one of my old favorites, The Distance Between Us, but it quickly diverged and became totally unique.

Rhys and Derek are over, after nine years together, seven as a married couple, they are going their separate ways—once Rhys can find an affordable apartment, and they sell their home, and tell their adult daughter about the divorce.  The situation is more complicated when she announces she’s getting married in three months. Can they hold off telling her? Can they live with the tension of staying together that long?  Those are the issues that reminded me of the long-ago book.  But the new twist is that this story is much more character-driven.

Rhys bears the burden of guilt—after a night out drinking while away from home and during a rough period in his life, he slept with a stranger. But instead of being sneaky about it, he confesses to Derek, who is unable to forgive him. Trust was broken and there’s not much more difficult to repair between two people. As the action of the story proceeds, it’s very evident that Rhys is hurting. The pain of his own betrayal is sometimes beyond bearable. Yes, Derek is hurting, too, and normally cheating is a drop-dead, don’t read for me, but in this case, the cheating happened before the story opened, and the story was written in such a way that it didn’t affect my emotional attachment to the characters.  That is something not many authors can achieve because I had to leave personal prejudices aside to be able to see Rhys as much more than the a-hole Derek thinks him to be.

Of note, early in the story Derek mentions that one of his reactions was to go out and have sex with someone else. That’s the only time it’s mentioned, however.  He never sees himself in the role of cheater and he never seems to see his own actions as anything other than justified. He never tells Rhys and the subject is dropped.  I would love to have explored this further in the story because although he was “cheated on,” his own behavior should have been questioned— IMHO.

The men go through an emotional rollercoaster ride as they travel across country to attend the wedding, and during the trip they face more hurdles than a track star.  I love the way the author slowly peeled back the layers of their relationship and their roles as father. Though Derek was the biological father, Rhys was a father in heart and action. The secondary characters were well-developed and important to the story but didn’t take it over. The focus was on the men and their emotional journey. All in all, I felt drawn to these guys, and by the end I was rooting for forgiveness—not only for Derek to forgive Rhys but for Rhys to forgive himself. 

I got the HEA I was hoping for. Very definitely highly recommended.

The cover by Lori Witt is really clever. The top pane is a guy holding his head, as is a different character in the bottom pane. Dressed in clothing one might expect the characters to wear, they represent the MCs.  And then the center panel is two wedding rings against a plain poster board background that has a jagged tear up the middle. This is where the title is placed. I really like this one. Spot-on for the story and beautifully done!

Sales Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 176 pages
Published January 8th 2019
ASIN B07L7VR883