An Ali Audiobook Review: Power Play (Scoring Chances #3) by Avon Gale and Scott R. Smith (Narrator)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A freak accident during the Stanley Cup Playoffs put an end to Max Ashford’s hockey career. Despite everything, Max gets back into the game he loves—only this time, behind the bench as an assistant coach of the Spartanburg Spitfires, the worst team in the entire league. But nothing prepares him for the shock when he learns the new head coach is Misha Samarin, the man who caused Max’s accident.

After spending years guilt ridden for his part in Max’s accident, Russian native Misha Samarin has no idea what to do when he’s confronted with Max’s presence. Max’s optimism plays havoc with Misha’s equilibrium—as does the fierce attraction that springs up between them.

Not only must they navigate Misha’s remorse and a past he’s spent a lifetime trying to forget, but also a sleazy GM who is determined to use their history as a marketing hook. But when an unwelcome visitor targets a player, Misha revisits his darkest days, and that might cost him and Max the beginning they’ve worked so hard to build.

When I read this the first time I enjoyed it but it was my least favorite book in the series. I had a hard time connecting with Misha. Since then I’ve read the next book in the series, Empty Net, and Misha played an important role in it. I loved him in that book and I think it had a positive influence on me and made this re-read a good thing. That combined with the fact that I was listening to it on audio made everything stand out more and I was completely invested in Max and Misha’s love story this time around.

I think this author does hockey stories better than any other author I’ve read in the hockey romance genre. She knows her game and her love for it comes through. If you’re not a fan the details aren’t overwhelming but if you are a fan there are all kinds of comments about teams/players etc that will make you smile. You know you’re reading something by a true fan. I loved the part of the story about the team and their journey from underdogs to a winning team. Those scenes were great. I especially love the game scenes on audio and I say this in every review, but it’s like listening to a hockey game on the radio. I love them and I find myself totally rooting for our guy’s teams.

This was narrated by Scott R. Smith (as is the rest of the series). He has an odd cadence to the way he speaks but once I get used to it each book I end up enjoying it. He does well on different voices and you never get confused as to which character is speaking. I enjoyed the narration a lot and I think it enhances the story.

Cover by Aaron Anderson: I really like the cover. It’s simple but striking at the suited figure is appropriate since this book focuses on the coaches not the players.

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Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 6 hours and 22 minutes

Audible Audio, 7 pages
Published October 11th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published May 9th 2016)
Original TitlePower Play
ASINB01M0DX4KX
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesScoring Chances #3 settingSouth Carolina (United States)

An Ali Audiobook Review: Absinthe of Malice (Sinners #5) by Rhys Ford and Tristan James (Narrator)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

We’re getting the band back together.

Those five words send a chill down Miki St. John’s spine, especially when they’re spoken with a nearly religious fervor by his brother-in-all-but-blood, Damien Mitchell. However, those words were nothing compared to what Damien says next.

And we’re going on tour.

When Crossroads Gin hits the road, Damien hopes it will draw them closer together. There’s something magical about being on tour, especially when traveling in a van with no roadies, managers, or lovers to act as a buffer. The band is already close, but Damien knows they can be more—brothers of sorts, bound not only by familial ties but by their intense love for music.

As they travel from gig to gig, the band is haunted by past mistakes and personal demons, but they forge on. For Miki, Damie, Forest, and Rafe, the stage is where they all truly come alive, and the music they play is as important to them as the air they breathe.

But those demons and troubles won’t leave them alone, and with every mile under their belts, the band faces its greatest challenge—overcoming their deepest flaws and not killing one another along the way.

I enjoyed this story and I thought it was a creative way to give us updates on all four of the couples in one story. The guys are on the road as the blurb says, but a lot the story is about Miki starting to work through things. Since Miki is my all time favorite from this series that was a great thing for me. The story follows the guys on their first tour and lot of things happen. It’s pretty fast paced and is filled with some serious moments and some more light-hearted ones. Even though the guys are on the road, their partners and other family members also make frequent appearances. Brigid and Donal steal every scene they’re in for me. I just adore them both.

I don’t want to spoil the plot and say more about it but know that it is fast paced and entertaining. The four relationships are in various places and things are a little more challenging for two of the couples but overall they’re all doing well and it was really touching to see them work through their various issues. The end is not really a cliffhanger but definitely leaves you ready to get the next book as soon as possible.

This book was narrated by Tristan James who has also narrated the previous other books in the series. This was my first time doing one of these books on audio and I enjoyed his narration a lot. There were a lot of characters in this but I was never confused as to which one was talking. There are also various accents from different countries and I thought he did those well too. I did struggle a bit with the beginning of each chapter as they recount a moment from the past or song lyrics. I prefer those when I’m reading the books. It works better for me when I can see them. It’s a small complaint and one that might be just an issue for me. Overall I really liked the narration and I thought the narrator did a really good job.

Cover by Reese Notley: I like this cover a lot. It’s striking and the color really catches the eye, plus it goes with the book’s title.

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Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 6 hours and 49 minutes

Audible Audio, 7 pages
Published October 3rd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published June 22nd 2016)
Original TitleAbsinthe of Malice
ASINB01LXP2ES3
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSinners #5

An Ali Audiobook Review: Save of the Game (Scoring Chances #2) by Avon Gale and Scott R. Smith (Narrator)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

After last season’s heartbreaking loss to his hockey team’s archrival, Jacksonville Sea Storm goalie Riley Hunter is ready to let go of the past and focus on a winning season. His new roommate, Ethan Kennedy, is a loud New Yorker with a passion for social justice that matches his role as the team’s enforcer. The quieter Riley is attracted to Ethan and has no idea what to do about it.

Ethan has no hesitations. As fearless as his position demands, he rushes into things without much thought for the consequences.Though they eventually warm to their passionate new bond, it doesn’t come without complications. While trying to financially help Ethan, Riley must hide his family’s wealth so as not to hurt Ethan’s immense pride. For their relationship to work, Ethan will need to learn when to keep the gloves on and let someone help him—and Riley will have to learn it’s okay to let someone past his defenses.

I loved this book just as much the second time around. I read this book when it first came out and then jumped at this chance to review the audio version. I’m glad to say it stood the test of time. This remains my favorite in this series for a couple of reasons. First off, there is very little angst in this book. Neither of the two guys has ever been with another guy before but there is no drama surrounding this. They discuss it like adults, determine they care about each other and want to see where it goes, and then they just get on with it. No internal or external angsting. I also enjoy the way the other characters in the book respond to them. Their friends accept their status with few questions and one of my favorite scenes in the entire book is when Ethan takes Riley home to meet his mother and to come out to her. It was a bit funny and a lot beautiful. In a genre that is filled with stereotypical evil mothers, it was a refreshing change to see a wonderful, accepting mom who just loves her son.

There are some other issues both of the guys are working on but again, it’s done through communication. Ethan’s storyline in particular was interesting too me. Usually in sports books the MC’s are completely obsessed with their sport and this was different. Ethan was able to say he really wasn’t as devoted as he needed to be and maybe he needed to look at some other options.

As usual with this author’s book you can tell through the writing that she is a hockey fan and her love of the game comes through in the writing. If you’re not a hockey fan though you will not be bogged down with facts and details and you’ll be able to enjoy the book without any problems.

This audiobook is narrated by Scott R. Smith and I felt like he did a really good job. He did both of the MC’s, including Ethan’s New Yorker accent, really well. He also did a good job on the side characters, including the females (which not all male narrators can do). Something about listening to these on audio makes the game scenes stand out more to me. It’s almost like listening to games on the radio (well, actually on my phone app). Listening to well done audios also make the romantic scenes seem even sweeter and the smexy scenes even hotter (& this book has both).

Overall this was a great read. I loved the plot and loved the narration and I highly recommend checking this out. This is the second book in a series but can be read as a standalone.

Cover by Aaron Anderson: I love this cover. It was one of my favorite covers of the year. It’s a great representation of both the game of hockey as well as the story. I also find it very visually appealing.

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Audiobook Details:

6 hrs 22 mins

Audible Audio, 7 pages
Published September 12th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press, LLC (first published January 29th 2016)
Original TitleSave of the Game
ASINB01LTDEJWQ
Edition LanguageEnglishSeriesScoring Chances #2 settingJacksonville, Florida (United States)
New York (United States)

An Ali Audiobook Review: A Kind of Romance (A Kind of Stories #2) by Lane Hayes and Seth Clayton (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Zeke Gulden is a ruthless Wall Street exec. His hard-edged, no-nonsense attitude has served him well in the cutthroat business world, but less so in his personal life. When he finds out his ex-boyfriend cheated on him with a coworker, Zeke can’t let go—not until he finds a way to get even. However, his meddlesome father has other ideas. The new hire at the family-owned bagel store is somewhat colorful, but his dad is sure he’s the perfect man for Zeke.

Benny Ruggieri is a fiercely proud New Yorker who dreams of making it big as a costume designer in the theater. In the meantime, he’s working two part-time jobs in the food biz. When his new boss sets him up with his successful son, Benny has zero expectations. If nothing else, he figures he can entertain himself by making the uptight businessman squirm. Instead, the two become unlikely friends with an inexplicable attraction they can’t ignore. Benny might be the one to help Zeke set aside his quest for revenge, if he’s willing to let go and forgive what he can’t forget… and give in to an unexpected kind of romance.

This story was a mixed bag for me. I really adored Benny’s character as well as all of the side characters. Zeke on the other hand was difficult for me to like until about 70% in to the book. He was rude and judgmental and often harsh. I really couldn’t see what Benny saw in him. Some of that may be personal tastes but I think some of it was due to the fact that we didn’t see a lot of the couple’s good moments on page. The story focused more on the difficulties they had and the sex scenes. I will say though that when Zeke stopped being a jerk and made some grand gestures he did those really well. They were very touching and romantic. By the end of the story I was on board with these two being a couple and I was happy with the hea.

This book was narrated by Seth Clayton and I really enjoyed his voices. I thought he did a great job with both of the main characters as well as all of the side characters. I always knew who was talking. I did have a pretty big problem with the audio as a whole though but it was not the narrator’s fault. The two MC’s “chuckled” 58x in this. I know this because it was bothering me so much that I pulled up the ebook and counted. Because of this the narrator was constantly “chuckling” through pretty much every scene the MC’s were in together. Even things that should have been serious sounded like smirking. I can’t blame the narrator because he was only doing what the story told him to but it really influenced my enjoyment (or lack thereof) of this audio.

Overall I enjoyed this and I would recommend the story. Even with the issues I had with it, I am still glad I read it and I will definitely be reading the next in this series. (Although this was book two in this series this can be read as a standalone.)

Cover art by Aaron Anderson is well done, works in design and color tone to capture a mood and pull you in.

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Audiobook Details:

9 hrs 1 min

Audible Audio, 10 pages
Published September 27th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press, LLC (first published June 6th 2016)
Original TitleA Kind of Romance
ASINB01M0VBU9Y
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesA Kind of Stories #2 settingNew York City, New York (United States)

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Whiskers of a Chance by Tempeste O’Riley and Craig Beck (Narrator)

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

whiskers-of-a-chance-audiobook Jason Grant runs his own IT business from home, owns his own home, and has the best friend he could imagine. What he doesn’t have, or believe he will ever have, is love. When Jason catches a glimpse of his new neighbor on moving day, his libido ignites and his fascination in piqued. He even manages to concoct an excuse to go over and meet the man who makes him hope and want for more than he has in years.

Keith Skyler is a shifter in a world where his kind is known only to a few, but they don’t often mix and they never mate. Keith has been hoping for a mate since before he can remember, but gay lynx don’t have true mates. As far as he knows, they don’t have mates at all. However, while moving his little family across Seattle—and away from their tribe—his reality tips and spins more than he thought possible.

When these two men meet over a dish of five-cheese broccoli-noodle casserole, sparks fly.

Who knew a welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift could give both of them their chance at love?

I liked listening to this story. Keith has kept many things about himself hidden for years and hopes that moving his sister and himself across the city will give him the opportunity to live his life as he has always wanted. Jason has been hurt so many times in the past and lives his life pretty much alone except for his best friend.

This story is told from both character’s points of view, which give us the ability to see both characters thoughts and emotions. Jason has a hard time accepting that anyone would love him at all let alone unconditionally, but Keith is willing to do anything to prove it to him. Keith has to learn to work with others, werewolves and vampires, towards a common goal for a better life. I enjoyed the interactions of these two as they worked through their differences to build a life together.

Craig Beck did a nice job narrating this story. The use of different voices for the characters helped me to keep track of the story. He did a good job of portraying the characters emotions in his reading; however, I had trouble with a few of the voices he used for the characters made them sound like dumb jocks, but that didn’t match the words and thoughts of those characters.

Cover art by Catt Ford is very nice and matches the characters in the story.

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Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 7hrs 14min
Published September 20, 2016 (ebook first published September 30, 2015)
Edition Language: English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Wolfsong by TJ Klune and Kirt Graves (Narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Oh my! This was the very best shifter story I’ve ever read! A master of intricate plots, TJ Klune applied his very vivid imagination to creating an intriguing, complex drama that also happens to be a sweet story of a love between a man and a wolf—a love fated to last for all time. Add to that, the very talented voice of narrator Kirt Graves, and I could have listened to this eighteen-hour audiobook for another eighteen hours without being the least bit bored. Every time I thought it was coming to an end, a new plot twist was thrown out to intrigue readers and listeners even more.

Ox was a plain-speaking, easygoing, simple man with no expectations for himself beyond being good to his mother. After all, his daddy always told him he’d get nothing but shit in life before his daddy left for good. Ox lived with his mom near the big house at the end of the lane that was vacant for years, until one day he came home to find a boy standing in the road—a boy named Joe, who now lived in the big house. Ox didn’t know it then, but this talkative, high energy boy would someday be the focus of his world.

The author takes us into that world—the world of werewolves and magic—and what an adventure we get! It’s not pretty; it’s not sweet and fluffy romance; it’s gritty, and powerful, and gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and heartwarming drama. But when I finished, I wanted to howl and sing their wolfsong.

It’s not often that I’m at a loss for words, but I don’t think there are enough adjectives to describe how incredible this book is. And the narration? Outstanding and superb are somehow too inadequate to do it justice. Just buy it and listen and wallow in the joy of having found the best book of the year.

The cover by Reese Dante features two paw prints on a black background—striking in its simplicity.

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Audiobook Details:

18 hrs 40 mins
Audible Audio, 19 pages

Published October 5th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press (first published June 20th 2016)
Original TitleWolfsong
ASINB01LX3DCUR
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lila Audiobook Review: Marriage of Inconvenience by M.J. O’Shea and John Solo (Narrator)

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

Lights, Camera, Lies.

Kerry Pickering has a problem. As a publicist for Hollywood bad boy Jericho Knox, it’s Kerry’s job to keep Jericho in the news. So far, Jericho’s partying and public escapades have made it easy. But Jericho has a secret, and when that secret is revealed in the most spectacularly disastrous way, it’s up to Kerry to spin it.

The team decides the best course of action is to make the public fall in love—with Jericho’s secret committed relationship. The one that doesn’t exist. Yet.

The team wants someone they can trust. Someone in the inner circle. That someone is Kerry. But what will happen when Kerry realizes that for him, the romance is no longer pretend? Can Jericho love him back, or is he just playing a role?

Marriage of Inconvenience was an okay story. I like the idea behind the couple getting together as part of their jobs. They seem perfect for each other from the very beginning, but the delivery felt flat. Their connection didn’t fully develop, and their mood swings were ever present.

Just like other books in the series, this installment brings two men from different backgrounds into a relationship of convenience. The author did an excellent job describing the main characters and making their differences evident without being stereotypical. They both have a sound support system, which is refreshing in an era when gay men are seen as castaways.

The initial attraction between Jericho and Kerry seems force, and the misunderstandings were there for drama purposes only. I wanted to see more of the times between the MCs as friends and more interaction with the world in general. They were a bit shelter when considering they needed to change the public’s perspective of Jericho. Most of what we read was related to planning for those events.

Overall, this is a good story for fans of sweet and fluffy with a serving of smexy on the side.

As always, John Solo did a good job creating the characters for this story. I prefer Jericho’s voice more than Kerry’s, but in general, all the transitions were impeccable.

The cover for the audiobook is another adaptation from the e-book cover designed by Bree Archer. The model is definitely Jericho and the background let us know the story takes place in California.

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Audiobook Details:

Narrator: John Solo
Length: 5 hours and 35 minutes

Published: September 12, 2016 (Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press
ASIN: B01LTDEEAI
Edition Language: English

A Lila Audiobook Review: Let the Wrong Light In by Avon Gale and Derrick McClain (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

let-the-wrong-light-in-audiobook Avery Hextall, a junior architect at a prestigious firm, is thrilled when his design is chosen for a new performing-arts center—even if it means working closely with his insufferably uptight project manager, Malin Lacroix. When a chance encounter in the boss’s office proves that Lacroix is anything but cold, Avery is determined to learn more about the real man beneath the aloof veneer.

Despite their growing attraction and their increasingly kinky encounters, the enigmatic Malin remains as emotionally distant as ever. Worse, Avery’s friends are convinced Malin thinks of Avery as a dirty secret and nothing more—a secret that might destroy both of their careers.

But the real secret is a single moment in time that haunts Malin and keeps him from committing to the life he wants with Avery. In order to move on, Avery must help Malin come to terms with the tragedy in his past before they can work on building a future together.

Let the Wrong Light In is a hard story to rate. This is my first Avon Gale book and I enjoyed it. The writing is good, well-paced, and the narration helps the feel of the story. The way the office works, the interactions between the characters, and how they work on the projects seems too convenient for the sake of the story.

It was hard to pinpoint Avery’s age and his real status within the company. Architecture is one of those professions, like medicine, in which practitioners tend to be older than average. For me, Avery read more as a young intern. He had too many layers protecting his heart, and there wasn’t enough time for them to be peel back. We get an idea of how good he can be when in a committed relationship, but not enough time to get invested in him/them.

Malin screams Christian Grey–a broken man with a hidden golden heart; only reachable by a young, sweet, and rebellious young man. He has the perfect apartment, house, cars, life, etc. but nothing makes sense to him anymore. He even needed Avery to reconnect with his family and smile again.

The BDSM aspect was something else that didn’t work for me. Unless the story is label Erotica with dub-con or non-con, I prefer to stay away. I like my relationships to be SSC or RACK. And in this case, it was none. Yes, we get to see the concern from Avery’s friends because of this, and Avery’s internal thoughts about it, but Malin having a hard time dealing with people isn’t a valid reason to ignore simple basic standards.

The last part of the story, when we get away from the wild kink and the walls between the main characters, was sweet and gave the story the little boost it needed. I think we needed a little more of Malin’s story early on to wrap it up even better. And Avery’s friends were great too.

I enjoyed Derrick McClain’s narration. He did a good job giving each character a distinctive voice. From all the characters, I think Malin was my favorite. His personality went well with the performance.

The cover by Aaron Anderson shows Avery through glass panels, which plays an important part in the story. The top part has a city line sketch.

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Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Derrick McClain
Length: 5 hours and 35 minutes

Published: August 25, 2016 (Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press
ASIN: B01KZNJCU0
Edition Language: English

Need A Wonderful New Audiobook? Look No Further. The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland by Joe Cosentino and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

the-naked-prince-and-other-tales-from-fairyland-audio

THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND

Novella by Joe Cosentino

Audiobook Performed by Joel Leslie

Published by Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Word is so happy to have Joe Cosentino here today to talk about the latest audiobook release of THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND narrated by Joel Leslie. Welcome, Joe!

I had terrible insomnia as a kid. So my older sister read me fairytales in bed each night. Like me, the leading characters were generally different and didn’t fit in. I wanted to live in those palaces, meet the charming princes, and bring financial equality to those amazing kingdoms. However, I was saddened to see no openly gay characters in any of them.

So I wrote my rainbow spin on my favorite fairytales. The four magical stories are all set in a place I call Fairyland. “The Naked Prince” is a different take on the Cinderella story. Cinder, a poor and beautiful young man who designs clothing, makeup, and hair for his stepmother and stepsisters, offers his clothing and slippers to a naked stranger in the woods who turns out to be none other than Prince Charming. Will Cinder and Prince Charming confront their manipulative mothers, bring equality to the kingdom, find themselves, and find one another? In “The Golden Rule,” when he is caught with nimble Jack, eighteen-year-old Gideon Golden is thrown out of his home in Fairyland by his homophobic parents. With nowhere else to go, he breaks into the home of three men living on Bear Mountain. Bo and Butch enjoy having a young roommate, but Ben isn’t convinced. Will Gideon and Ben make vinegar or honey? “Whatever Happened To … ?” takes place on Christmas Eve. A reporter living on Andersen Lane interviews a celebrity for the Queen Newspaper series, “What Ever Happened To … .” Friction ensues between the celebrity with the growing appendage who can’t tell fact from fiction, and the reporter who has a thing for giants. Eventually a romantic spark is lit between the two as Christmas Day arrives, and they realize they have more in common than living in Fairyland. Finally in “Ice Cold,” after losing their families during the great ice storm in the northernmost kingdom of Fairyland, young Gaelen and Kieran pledged their love for one another. When Isidore rides into Frost Village on his elaborate sleigh, Kieran follows the handsome prince to his castle in Arctic Kingdom, where Kieran becomes Isidore’s bewitched slave. This leads Gaelen on an amazing adventure to find his true love and melt his frozen heart.

The novella released to praise and strong reviews, mentioning the humor, drama, sweet romance, clever plot twists and turns, and of course the happily ever after endings. Going back to my days listening to my sister read to me, I asked the staff at Dreampinner Press if we could produce an audiobook of the novella. I was so pleased when they agreed with me that these stories had to be read for the full Fairyland effect. I was equally happy when they concurred that Joel Leslie, who has a number of Dreamspinner Press books on his impressive resume, was the performer for the job. As an actor, Joel is skilled at creating enticing, diverse, and mesmerizing characters through voice. His numerous accents and vocal styles make him incredibly diverse, sexy, and fun to enjoy. You’ll laugh out loud at his wicked Stepmother, be turned on by Ben the bear, fall in love with Prince Charming, giggle at Cinder’s celestial fathers, and cry along with Gaelen as he searches all over Ice Kingdom for his lover Kieran. I’m sure you’ll agree that Joel and his superior audio technology beautifully bring these four enticing, international stories to fairytale life in this captivating audiobook.

I hope everyone listens to these amazing tales. They will no doubt bring you back to the fun and fantasy of your youth—along with adding a rainbow flair. Let’s move on next to a movie version of these tales. Hear that, Disney?

THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND

by JOE COSENTINO, published by Dreamspinner Press

Sales Links

E-book and Audiobook buy links included above

http://myBook.to/NakedPrince_Cosentino

Audiobook performed by Joel Leslie

About The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland

Cinder, a poor and beautiful young man who designs clothing, makeup, and hair for his stepmother and stepsisters, offers his clothing and slippers to a naked stranger in the woods who turns out to be none other than Prince Charming. Follow Cinder and Prince Charming in this twist on the classic “Cinderella” tale, as they discover their inner strengths and find their very own happily ever after. Enjoy “The Naked Prince” and three other reimagined Tales from Fairyland, each with a unique spin on stories we all know and love, including “The Golden Rule,” where eighteen-year-old Gideon Golden, after being thrown out of his home in Fairyland by his homophobic parents, breaks into the cottage of three burly men on Bear Mountain, “Whatever Happened To…?,” in which friction ensues between a celebrity with a growing appendage and the reporter who has a thing for giants, and “Ice Cold,” where young Gaelen must save his love Kieran after a handsome but evil prince freezes Kieran’s heart and bewitches him into being the prince’s slave.

Praise for The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland:

“This is a brilliant work, filled with imaginative twists and sly asides. This is adult literature, overflowing with sometimes gentle but often biting humor, and these fairy tales take on a new edginess without ever losing the morality underpinning each story. The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland gets my highest recommendation! If I could give it more than 5 Stars I would. Bravo, sir, bravo!” GGR Reviews

“Sometimes you are lucky enough to find an author that ticks every box you want as a reader, today I’m that lucky reader.” “a great saucy, fun collection and highly recommended.” Three Books over the Rainbow

“if you’re looking for a fun, entertaining read that will make you laugh, then you will probably like this collection of imaginatively retold and sometimes naughty fairy tales.” Rainbow Book Reviews

“Joe Cosentino is a wise and very funny man.” “a funny, delightfully original read” Divine Magazine

“I enjoyed seeing how Mr. Cosentino adapted stories many already know, but he still made them his own.” “I was dying laughing” Molly Lolly Reviews

“beautiful reimaginings with an LGBTQ twist” Prism Book Alliance

“the stories are all well done and smart, engaging, funny and sweet.” Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

“The Naked Prince and Other tales from Fairyland is a fun, hilarious collection of stories. Joe outdid himself taking old favorites from our childhood and putting a grown-up spin on them.” “If you like gay princes, sexy bears, giants, reporters, fairy tales, comedy, suspense, and, sweet, fun man-sex, this is for you.” Cathy Brockman Romance

“If you haven’t read anything by Cosentino, you don’t know what you are missing. His humor and penchant for drama bring these old favorites a new life as he ventures deep into Fairyland.” “If you love fairytales, you’ve got to read the naughty versions – they are even better!” Joyfully Jay

“Each story in this book was so good and will take you into a different tale that will either have you laughing so much there will be tears in your eyes or will give you some very steamy scenes!” Inked Rainbow Reads

About the Author

Bestselling author Joe Cosentino wrote In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press), Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise Nicky and Noah mysteries (Lethe Press), Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out (NineStar Press), Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll Jana Lane mysteries (The Wild Rose Press), and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, Charles Keating, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. He was voted 1^st Place Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of 2015 and 2^nd Place Favorite LGBT Romance Author of 2015 by the readers of Divine Magazine. He has also won many Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions including for In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star. Upcoming releases are Drama Luau (fourth Nicky and Noah mystery) and Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings (fourth Cozzi Cove beach novel, NineStar Press). http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeCosen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino
Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino

A Lila Audiobook Review: The Senator’s Secret by K.C. Wells and John Solo (Narrator)

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

the-senators-secret-audio When his Republican opponent outs him with a photo in a Facebook post, Senator Samuel Dalton doesn’t have many options open to him. It doesn’t matter that the photo is totally innocent. He has no choice but to come clean… until his staff suggest putting a spin on it that leaves Sam reeling.

Sure, he’ll end up with a lot of sympathy, not to mention the possibility of more voters from the LGBT community, but it still seems a pretty drastic solution.

Now all they have to do is persuade Gary, the other man in the photo, to play along. It sounds so easy: convince the constituents of North Carolina that he and Sam are engaged.

No big deal, except for the fact that they’ve only just met….

The Senator’s Secret is overly sweet. I’m a K.C. Wells’s fan but this is a departure from her usual stories. She always has likable characters, but in this case, Sam and Gary won the contest. Their story starts strong, just like their relationship. Even when they were playing along, it was nice to see their friendship blossoming. They are a great couple.

It was the type of story we are used to by now as part of this series. The troupe was well-incorporated in the story and the book moved forward nicely. The story has a bit of UST and a good transition into “making love.” I like the way Gary believes in the Senator and everything he does to help the campaign.

Overall, it was a fun, easy going story; perfect for a quiet afternoon. Low angst, cute plot twists, and lovely MCs. It’s the type of story I wish to see in real life. We are in the election season after all. Well, at least here in the States. Definitely, a nice choice if your want to forget about the current presidential campaign, but still have a little political flavor.

John Solo did an amazing job with the narration. For some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about Senator John Edwards every time I heard Senator Dalton talking. It has to be the whole southern gentleman thing. The transitions between the characters were flawless and worked well with the author’s style.

The cover by Bree Archer for the audiobook is an adaptation from the e-book cover. It fits the current style for the Dreamspun Desires series, and I loved the model on the cover. The dog and the rest of the background are a plus.

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Audiobook Details:

Narrator: John Solo
Length: 6 hours and 11 minutes

Published: September 1, 2016 (Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press
ASIN: B01M04938G
Edition Language: English

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THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND

Novella by Joe Cosentino

Audiobook Performed by Joel Leslie

Published by Dreamspinner Press

THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND

by JOE COSENTINO, published by Dreamspinner Press

Sales Links

About The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland

About the Author

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