Tag: A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Wet Heat by R.D. Hero

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

WetHeat_600x900Lee Aung is an omega werewolf who refuses to follow tradition. Omegas are expected to mate with an alpha and produce children, which they would then nourish and cherish until the child is of age to move on. Homebodies, omegas are happiest when serving their alphas. Lee is far from that! In fact, at forty-two, he’s past the age of going into heat, so alphas would no longer be attracted to him. But he has a secret weapon—he uses Wet Heat, an experimental spray-on fragrance that simulates the scent of an omega in heat, thereby giving Lee all the hookups he can manage.

Too bad he’s lost his job, and the landlord wants to evict him, because now he can’t afford to buy Wet Heat. He knows how to scam free samples and does so, but he’s also participating in research conducted by the lab that makes Wet Heat, so he knows his supply is stable That is, until a bad week gets worse, and his research handler—geeky, introverted Cain—informs Lee that his lying and cheating is over. Cain has found out that, contrary to what Lee told him when he signed up for the program, he is not a mated omega, and his stories about his alpha have been nothing but lies.

But what Cain doesn’t tell Lee is that Cain is attracted to him even without the scent of Wet Heat. In fact, if half the stories Lee has related about sex with his fake alpha are based on truth, Cain is willing to put aside his own reticence to take an omega mate and pursue Lee instead. But Lee leads him on a merry chase, and it’s not quite so easy to land the omega as Cain thought. Interfering moms looking to get their children settled, a nephew who is experimenting with a dangerous version of Wet Heat, and a tough alpha scientist who will go to any length to get Lee’s nephew—even if it means getting Lee out of the way permanently—all contrive to keep Cain from Lee.

This is the first story I’ve read from this author, and I enjoyed it very much. It was humorous, with Lee making sometimes snarky commentary both directly and indirectly via parenthesis. The concept of the werewolf universe with alphas, betas, and omegas having certain roles was a new one and certainly believable. Both main and secondary characters were well developed, and the drama surrounding the distribution of the “bad batch” of Wet Heat was well done.

I’m looking forward to more from this author. I recommend this to those who enjoy paranormal stories in the werewolf universe, especially to those who like a little humor and mystery thrown in.

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Cover art by L.C. Chase leads the eye to the right forefront of the cover where a dark blue perfume bottle is clearly marked with a wolf paw, and the shadow of a wolf takes up the left side background of the cover. Done in gray tones, with the blue bottle, it is very clean, attention-getting, and pertinent to the story.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 107 pages
Published June 20th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626494077
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Loud and Clear by Aidan Wayne

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Loud and ClearThis is a very, very enjoyable story of a young cab driver, Jaxon, who suffers from dyslexia and has been told how dumb he is all his life. It’s also about a young executive, Caleb, who stutters so much he finds it difficult to mingle socially.

Jaxon likes his job as a cab driver. After all, he gets to meet people from all walks of life, and even though he can’t read, he’s memorized all the streets and important landmarks, so he has no problem getting around the city. One Tuesday night, he picks up a fare at a bar and takes him to Lincoln Towers, a fancy apartment complex that Jaxon remembers from his efforts to remember important buildings. The fare is Caleb, and as each succeeding Tuesday passes with Jaxon being called to pick up Caleb, the two men begin to learn a little about each other. Caleb doesn’t speak much, and when his stuttering is really bad, he resorts to sign language or leaving notes on the cab receipt. When he finds out Jaxon has difficulty reading those notes, he writes them in a way that is more easily read by most dyslexics.

One night when answering a call at a local bar, Jaxon is dismayed to find a drunken Caleb being escorted home by another man. When he learns the man plans to take him to his own place, Jaxon intervenes. Knowing he could lose his job, he confronts the man, demanding to take Caleb to Caleb’s home and telling the man that he knows Caleb well and knows he would want to go home. Though he risked his job for it, he’s actually saved Caleb from non-consensual sex, and when Caleb remembers most of it the next day, he reaches out to get in touch with Jaxon.

Though at first fearing recriminations, he quickly learns that Caleb is interested in treating him to dinner and thus begins a relationship between two men from seemingly completely different worlds. But at the core is the fact that both men are really not all that much different from each other. When Jaxon teaches himself enough basic sign language to make communication with Caleb easier, Caleb is floored. And Caleb forces Jaxon to see that he’s really not dumb or stupid; it takes a very intelligent man to memorize all the streets in the city and to teach himself enough sign language to communicate.

The author moves the story along quite quickly as the men’s dates are detailed, but the time in between the dates advances rather fast. The characters are so well done and so endearing, I would have liked this story to have been longer. There’s no explicit sex—just a budding romance and the chance for both men to find their soulmates with the most unlikely people. But it works, and they work, and I’m very impressed by this story from an author I haven’t previously read.

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Cover art by L.C. Chase features a cab in motion with a blurred background reminiscent of the speed of the cab driving down the street and with bright dots symbolizing snow or freezing rain. It’s bright and colorful and perfect for this book.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 93 pages
Published May 23rd 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleLoud and Clear
ISBN 1626494347 (ISBN13: 9781626494343)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rhythm & Blues by Shae Connor

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Rhythm and BluesPate Hawkins wanted to be a dancer from the moment he stepped into a dance studio at age ten, and he’s among the few who achieved his dream of being well-known to Broadway audiences. But he’s returned to Atlanta, his hometown, pursuing his backup dream—to open a dance studio where he can inspire young talents to go for their dreams. A severe knee injury ended his career on Broadway, but with a few more months left in his therapy, he knows he’s going to dance again—just not in a Broadway show.

Finding a fifteen thousand square foot space ideal to suit his needs, and getting the financing through his trust fund, the only thing left is to interview a few contractors and move forward with his plans. When six-foot tall, blue-eyed, muscular Ace Samson shows up to get the specs for his company’s bid, Pate is hit in the gut with desire, and if the look Ace gives him is any indication, the feeling may be mutual. Ace also informs him that they went to school together, and after being stunned into silence, Pate learns Ace is none other than nerdy little Horace Samson who was a few years behind Pate in high school.

Holding off on acting on his desire for Ace is a test of Pate’s resolve, but he doesn’t want a fling to cause a rift between them while the building is still under renovation. Unfortunately, or fortunately, that becomes impossible one steamy afternoon, and the two embark on what turns out to be so much more than a one-night stand. Pate’s agent won’t stop bugging him about keeping his name at the forefront of director’s minds so he can come back once he’s got the studio established, so when she arranges an interview for a new show, he takes off to appease her. And that’s when the ax falls on his relationship, and Pate realizes just how much he doesn’t want to lose Ace. How will Ace react to Pate’s audition? Will the two find happiness in their hometown, or will the lure of Broadway be too much for Pate to resist?

I enjoyed this story by an author I haven’t read enough from. This story is engaging, with great secondary characters and three-dimensional main characters that made me want to like them the moment we met. I always enjoy a slow burn/UST, and we get that with this story. And the artist who lies within the heart of the big handsome contractor is just as nice as the surprise he gives Pate when the studio is ready.

If you like sweet MM romances with a slow burn that ultimately leads to some smoking hot times, this one is for you.

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Cover Art by AngstyG depicts a male dancer leaping high in the air in a dance move reminiscent of a Broadway show and set on a light blue background. This represents both the story about this retired dancer and the mural painted by the artist who also happens to be a contractor. Very nicely done.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 70 pages
Expected publication: June 20th 2016 by Self
ASINB01F0X40Y8
Edition LanguageEnglish

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Selfie: A Bluewater Bay Novel by Amy Lane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5        ★★★★★

Selfie_600x900Long term Amy Lane fans may remember how they felt after completing Chase in Shadow—devastated, gutted, and put back together in a better way than they were before that experience. Well, guess what? This one is even more heart-wrenching but it’s also heartwarming and full of hope. And there’s just the right amount of humor to balance out the grief and sadness.

As the story opens, Connor Montgomery has just done the selfie of all selfies—he’s made a one hour video and posted it on YouTube. And thank God, he forgot the sound. His agent/friend/mother-figure, Jillian, rushes to his side to try to restore a semblance of sanity to his life. One year ago, his lover of ten years, his soulmate, Vinnie, was killed in an auto accident, and Connor has been grieving alone in his Malibu home—the one next door to Vinnie’s—for the past year. No one knew they were lovers. Vinnie didn’t want his parents to find out, and after he was killed, Connor upheld his wishes, therefore he’s grieved alone while watching Vinnie’s family come and go next door. Neither young man had left a will so the entire contents of Vinnie’s home—memorabilia from their lives together—now belongs to Vinnie’s family. When Jilly gets to Connor, it’s evident that she too has been missing Vinnie and together the two spend much needed time grieving him together because “grieving alone had left us lost, but grieving together was just easier to do.”

Of course, he was going to melt down. Of course, he would be so wounded he wouldn’t be able to function. And yet, this wonderful, strong, sweet man survives, and when Jilly tells him of an offer from the Wolf’s Landing TV show, Connor sees it as a chance to live again. God knows, it’s about time.

The move turns out to be more than he could have hoped for, if he indeed dared to hope. Noah Dakers enters his life as chauffer, personal assistant, bodyguard, and ultimately lover. Noah has an advanced degree in philosophy but is perfectly happy working on the show in Bluewater Bay to stay close to his family. Noah immediately realizes that Connor needs to be taken in hand and given the support that Connor usually doles out to others. Noah sees behind the façade to the man who needs someone to take care of him, to bring him a measure of peace, and lead him back into the land of the living. Connor’s been walking around in a cloud of grief for so long that he doesn’t even realize he can have a satisfying sex life again. Connor craves Noah’s dominance, thinking “the only reason to put your pleasure in someone else’s hands—if you know they’ll use their hands to stroke that pleasure into ecstasy.”

What Noah doesn’t realize at first is that Connor speaks to Vinnie in his mind. He’s moved past the initial stage of shock and now runs everything past Vinnie, including his attraction to Noah. Never having had the closure of saying good-bye to Vinnie is wreaking havoc on Connor’s emotional state, a havoc which has unseen and potentially deadly consequences.

I loved both of these MCs and the whole host of secondary characters in this story, including Noah’s grandmother, father, and sister, Vivian, and Connor’s staunchest supporter, Jilly. Amy Lane doesn’t just provide a sketch of a character—she nails it with carefully selected words and phrases that paint a picture in the reader’s imagination. Providing us with a visit with some of the other Wolf’s Landing characters like Carter and Levi was simply icing on the cake, but greatly appreciated.

There’s both pathos and humor, and in typical Amy Lane fashion, the humor is often in the obvious details of daily living such as when an actor has his cameraman lying before him taking a shot as the camera looks upward, and the actor has to assure he clipped his nose hairs and blew so that nobody sees his boogers on camera! Gawd, I love this author’s work—some more than others—and this one is right up there among my all-time favorites.

This story brought tears to my eyes but I didn’t sob. It’s simply a beautiful love story—both of the lost love and the new—and the hope it generates wipes out any sad tears and turns them to tears of joy. I highly recommend this to all who love MM romance, especially to those who enjoy recovery from grief and/or hurt-comfort with a little D/s thrown in. It certainly can be read as a standalone, as can all stories in the Bluewater Bay universe, but if you haven’t read any others in this series, by all means start now with Starstruck by L.A. Witt, the first of many wonderful books in this world.

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Cover art by L.C. Chase depicts Connor standing on the shore overlooking an island in the sound, an island that figures prominently in the story, thereby making the cover perfect for this book.

Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Published April 16th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
ASIN B01EED4QK8
Edition Language English

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: A Fortunate Blizzard by L.C. Chase

Rating: 5 stars out of 5    ★★★★★

A Fortunate Blizzard coverThis story was outstanding! Heartwarming and heartbreaking, it made me smile, and it made me cry, and I didn’t want it to end. I love these guys!

Trevor Morrison is dying. It’s a few days before Christmas, and his doctor has just told him that it’s likely his last. She didn’t use those exact words, but she did tell him that his kidney function is getting worse, and the dialysis he’s undergone for the past seven years may not be able to keep the kidney functioning much longer. She’s also given him a pamphlet on making the decision to go off dialysis and die naturally, virtually pain free, a decision he’s been leaning toward making. All this wonderful news is joined by more wonderful news—a blizzard is going to make it impossible to fly out of Denver to visit his family in Connecticut for Christmas.

When he gets stranded on his way to the airport, and the shuttle manages to get to a hotel, he meets Marcus Roberts in the bar. Marc is an attorney and a workaholic who is frustrated that he’s stuck in a hotel when he could have just stayed at his office and kept working. But his assistant forced him out, and now his car is out in a snowbank on the turnpike, and he’s stuck in the hotel. At least he has a room, something that is no longer available to the new arrivals.

One look at Trevor and Marc is struck by the need to get to know him. Initially inviting him to his table to talk, and later, inviting him to his room to share the comforts of the hotel room and other things that might arise, Marc eventually realizes that being forced out of the office that day may be the best thing to ever happen to him.

Trevor is very hesitant to allow anyone to get close to him, but Marc manages to squirm his way under Trevor’s defenses, and when the airport is still not open the next day, Marc invites Trevor back to his home to await Trevor’s rescheduled flight out the day after Christmas. Trevor is very clear that this is only a casual encounter, and Marc agrees, but when neither of them is prepared for it, their emotions complicate the casual and make it more.

They spend Christmas together, and Trevor, a renowned artist, manages to get Marc’s creative spark going by using their artistic skills to decorate for Christmas. Marc has not had a Christmas celebration in many years. Estranged from his mother, a woman who stifled his artistic creativity and shunned him for his sexuality, Marc hasn’t picked up a paintbrush in years. However, with Trevor encouraging him, he begins to think that he might have a future in which he can enjoy artistic pursuits and not just use work as his twenty-four hour a day focus.

All good things end, and when Trevor is gone the day after Christmas, Marc realizes that his priorities need a major overhaul, and one of the first things on his list is to find Trevor and convince him that their future is not impossible.

hurt
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this one is a keeper. I highly recommend it to all lovers of contemporary M/M romance, especially to those who enjoy a tearjerker, hurt-comfort, men with disabilities, and those who just want a book that they can devour from beginning to end with no interruptions. Don’t miss a chance to read this one!

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Cover Art by L.C. Chase is a beautiful portrayal of two young men, one kissing the cheek of the other, set against a backdrop of a snow scene with an empty park bench— a scene mentioned as being one of Trevor’s art creations in the book. It’s the perfect cover for such a wonderful story.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 175 pages
Expected publication: November 2nd 2015 by Riptide Publishing
original title A Fortunate Blizzard
ISBN13 9781626493391
edition language English