Tag: A Lila Review

A Lila Review: Prince of Seas (Three Brothers Fair #1) by Emily Carrington

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Princes of SeasPrince Hans is the youngest in a set of Kelpie triplets. Their future bound by a prophecy that sees his middle brother, Tian, betrothed to Prince Felimid. As the three brothers talk about their imminent future, Hans only thinks about Prince Felimid.

By chance, Hans had the opportunity to spend some time in private with the Prince he wanted for himself. The attraction seems to be mutual and after they part ways, Hans searches, desperately, for a way to be the chosen one.

Through a series of deceptions, lies, and cover-ups, Hans gets the chance to be with Felimid, but there’s a price to pay for what they found. With the help of his brothers, Hans has the opportunity to prove Felimid how good they could be together, prophecy or not on their side.

Prince of Seas is a short and sweet tale of magic and hope. It’s well written and filled with many characters. There are interesting ideas and the start of a world-build, but not a coherent flow. The story lacks rhythm and felt as if missing chunks of time.

The overall concept of the three brothers and the prophecy was too much for such a short story. The amount of time going over this aspect, took away from the romance between Hans and Felimid.

Also, the reasons why Felimid needed a kelpie and who else was involved were more of an afterthought, added to extend the story. As the start of a series, it gives enough information to get the reader interested in the next one, but not enough to enjoy this installment fully.

It was a good story, just short of being great.

The cover by Fiona Jayde has beautiful colors than bring a fairytale-like sense to it. But the rest seems to depict a contemporary story, not a fantasy.

Sale Links: Loose Id | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 81 pages
Published: January 26, 2016, by Loose Id
ISBN: 9781682520666
Edition Language: English

Series:  Three Brothers Fair
Book #1: Prince of Seas

A Lila Review: Werewolves of Chernobyl by K.A. Merikan and L.A. Witt

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Werewolves of ChernobylQuinn is a travel blogger in search of the next great story. He specializes in finding the big shot and news no other blogger would post. During his trip to Chernobyl, he enters the exclusion zone he had been ordered to stay away by the armed tour guides. As he explores, he found one of the animals he had been warned about, but he realizes there’s more behind his findings.

Dima is the werewolf Quinn meets. During their brief encounter, Dima gets mesmerized by Quinn and wants to make him his. Unfortunately, they don’t have an effective way to communicate even when Dima understands Quinn. After the guides come to Quinn’s rescue, Dima runs home to find his best friend, Nazar.

Nazar has been Dima’s protector since they were pups. He would do anything to make him happy, including rescuing Dima’s new craving. Nazar and Dima have a deep connection that gets tested by Quinn’s arrival and pack dynamics. It would be up to the three of them to find their place in each other’s life.

Werewolves of Chernobyl isn’t your typical werewolves’ story, nor, the story I expected. There’s no fated mate, fairytale-like forests, or ruling alpha male claiming the main character. Instead, we get a human MC, a werewolf soldier, and the lowest werewolf in the hierarchy. And all these made for a refreshing take on a well-known troupe.

It’s amazing to see how three authors can work in one single story without making it obvious. The pacing, flow, and characterizations were executed flawlessly. Each main character has a solid backstory, and their personalities are unique. Together, they balanced their relationship and their future.

The story incorporates historical events to a paranormal world without resting importance to them. The authors were versed on the facts surrounding the Chernobyl disaster and the previous and current state of the surrounding areas and countries. It’s easy to see the story from the characters perspective and to understand the settings.

Even when the story was well-crafted, smexy, and interesting enough to keep reading, it lacks complexity. Everything that happens to the characters is simply a background. It doesn’t interfere directly with their daily events or the final outcome. More than a story about the possibility of werewolves in Chernobyl, it’s a story about how to adjust to the ins and outs of a polyamorous relationship.

It’s not about romance or a thriller. Overall, this story is about three “men” figuring out a long term relationship.

The cover by Natasha Snow portraits Quinn in the dark woods of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. But doesn’t provide any more details.

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Published: May 5, 2016, by Wing & Fang Press
ASIN: B01EZAWJ6S
Edition Language: English

A Lila Review: Enemies of the State by Tal Bauer

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Enemies of the StateThe prologue sets the suspense arc in the story and brings the reader into the heart of Washington DC.

We first meet Special Agent Ethan Reichenbach on Christmas Eve as he guards President-Elect Jack Spiers. They’re at the President’s Austin, TX apartment getting ready to travel for the presidential inauguration. This night marks the starts of a friendship frown upon the Secret Service, but that would change their lives.

Life as President of the United States isn’t what Jack expected. He had not problems dealing with his political counterparts or advisors, but the lack of a personal life is keeping him off balance. As a widower with no children, he has no family living with him at the White House residence, and he spends most of his spare time with Secret Service agents that wouldn’t engage him in a simple conversation. It’s up to Ethan, his detail supervisor, to find a way to help the president adjust to his new reality.

This new friendship would keep them sane as they deal with the realities of their jobs. As time passes, they found themselves at the mercy of external forces trying to change the world’s political balance. Their relationship turns into an exploration of something more, and simple decisions would affect, not only their partnership but world peace.

Enemies of the State is a political thriller that happens to have two male main characters. There are three sets of narrators in this book. One brings the chaos into the MCs’ lives, as well as, into the world of politics. The second tries to stop the plans from the first group before they can accomplish their goals. And lastly, we have Ethan and Jack dealing with world threats as their friendship morphs into a loving relationship.

There’s no easy way to review this story without spoiling the outcome. Each chapter starts with a briefing of the political events taking place between chapters. Some of them are short and to the points, but others introduce too much political information for a leisure reader. In order to truly enjoy this story, you need a basic knowledge of global politics and current threats. That’s the only reason I took away from the stories rating.

The amount of characters involved can be overwhelming, and sometimes you have to read a passage twice to keep them all straight, but the further you read, the easier it’s to follow all the events developing concurrently. There’s never an idle moment. Something is happening at all times even when the main characters are relaxing and spending a comfortable afternoon together.

The location descriptions are accurate, and even simple things like weather patterns and smells play an important part in the story. The amount of detail is impressive and well distributed. We get to see exactly what the characters saw and what they experienced. The reader is always on the narrator’s side, being part of the events.

Yes, this story has a good dose of romance and sexual exploration, but it’s more than that. The political events are as important as the main characters’ relationship and without them, it would be another bodyguard/protectee cliché. The author did an excellent job creating a world, realistic enough, to set the love story. Their relationship goes beyond lust, and it’s based on everyday interaction and complete trust– a slow build with a fulfilling HEA ending.

The images in the cover matched the main characters descriptions very well, and the rest of the composition shows the main ideas of the story perfectly.

Sale Links: NineStar | Amazon | ARe

Book Details: 

ebook, 324 pages
Published: February 15, 2016, by NineStar Press
ISBN: 9781911153337
Edition Language: English

Series: The Executive Office
Book #1: Enemies of the State

 

A Lila Review: To Live Again (The Distance Between Us #6) by L.A. Witt

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

To Live AgainGreg Douglas moves in with friends after his wife of almost twenty-five years asked him for a divorce he didn’t expect. After they finished moving Greg into the house, Rhett and Ethan — MCs in The Distance Between Us — decided to take Greg out, giving him the opportunity to explore his bisexuality.

At Wilde’s, Greg is overwhelmed by the amount of men around him and how comfortable they all seemed with their sexuality. He tries to escape the chaos and instead meets Samoan deejay Sailo Isaia. The attraction between them is mutual and instantaneous. And from that night on, we think about them as an item.

The story concentrates on how Greg deals with his divorce, his sexuality, his grown kids, and his new found relationship with Sailo. We get to see his day-to-day struggles and how Sailo becomes the force that gives him the strength to move forward.

To Live Again is a story to read in one sitting, especially if you enjoyed all the previous books in the series. This installment is all about Greg’s journey after his divorce, and Sailo is an integral part of it. They’re great together and from the beginning, we get to see how much they will mean to each other.

Their relationship starts as a one-night stand, but before the end of the night, it turns into something more. They didn’t label it, just live their relationship day to day. Greg’s life is morphine as the chapters go by and Sailo is his only constant. He’s always there for him, letting him talk, experiment, and giving him the type of relationship he missed.

As with the other books, the sex scenes are smexy and significant. Each time they were together they got a little closer. It also allowed Greg to discover something new about his body and sexuality. Yes, he gets his bisexuality really well, perhaps too fast, but we get to see the questions behind his actions.

The author did an excellent job portraying Greg and Sailo according to their age. The blurb mentions a difference of almost twenty years, but it’s actually ten. They think before they act and even when some of their decisions can be considered irrational, they took the time to look beyond their individual wants and needs. Sailo’s son was always his priority.

The ending was rushed and the central conflict between Greg and Sailo a little over the top, but it worked. I’m not a fan of the issue between Greg and his ex-wife, it felt unnecessary in relation to their previous encounters. But his relationship with his grown children compensated for it.

All the new characters take an important role in the story, and the returning cast makes us feel like we are meeting with old friends again. We also get snapshots of the lives of the main characters in the previous books. We learn a little about where their lives are at the moment and how their relationships evolved.

Overall, a nice, easy read.

The cover by Angela Waters matched the previous books in the series. Plus, the two men on the cover are exactly as described in the story. Very well done.

Sale Links: Samhain | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 253 pages
Published: April 12, 2016, by Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 9781619231733
Edition Language: English

Series: Wilde’s
Book #1: The Best Man
Book #2: The Distance Between Us
Book #3: A.J.’s Angel
Book #4: The Closer You Get 
Book #5: Meet Me in the Middle
Book #5.5: Missionary
Book #6: No Distance Left to Run
Book #7: No Place That Far
Book #8: To Live Again

A Lila Review: The Assassin’s Pet by Nana G

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Assassin's PetCamille Adnet is a new vampire trying to survive on his own. We first met him, alone and hungry, as he tries to will himself to kill. As a nobleman, he lived a life of comfort and not even when hunting for sport, he was unable to kill his prey. Things had not changed now that he’s a vampire.

As he traveled, he stops by an isolated cabin and gets the opportunity to get a kill. When he’s on the side of a sleeping woman, Damien let his presence be known, stopping Camille. From that moment on, the vampire is drawn to the Sulis assassin.

His luck didn’t get any better, as Camille follows bandits trying to scavenger his meals. He has lost a lot of weight, his eyes turned red, and his skin has a blue hue due to the lack of nourishment. Camille is becoming desperate and contemplating ideas on how to survive. Is then that he recognizes Damien’s scent and decides to offer his services, his loyalty, and his submission in exchange for regular meals and protection.

Becoming Damien’s pet isn’t what they expected. The bond between them cemented into a lovely relationship that brings Damien’s protectiveness and Camille’s loyalty to the forefront. Together, they start a journey that would bring them closer, sealing their faith and future into one.

The Assassin’s Pet is Nana G’s first novel. A delightful mixture of fantasy, paranormal, and erotic elements. The story is very well-written, and the characters will bring a smile to your face, even when they are killing to survive. The author has a way with words, wrapping the reader into the events and the developing relationship.

The beginning and the end felt a little rush, but the central aspects of the tale were interesting and enticing. We get to explore the MCs’ world with them, as we learned more about Damien’s job and way of living. And how Camille’s innocence and life struggles shaped their future. Damien more than an assassin is an angel of death and Camille his reason to live.

Their journey and the fantasy elements are up-to-par. We get to see vampires, mages, assassins, necromancers, priests, and other traditional tropes, but all with a particular twist, unique to the author. I’d love to see more stories set in this world, perhaps more from Camille and Damien, or new couples that existed in the same realm.

The story is label as a gay erotic fantasy with light BDSM, but in reality, these elements are minimal. Yes, the sex is explicit, the MCs are in a Master/Slave relationship, and there’s some spanking involved (not for punishment), but their journey is about so much more. It is a romance story with a philosophical view of life and death. Topped with a strong HFN and the possibility of new adventures to come. Definitely, a fantasy story worth reading.

The cover is very dark, but it shows a good depiction of Camille wearing Damien’s gift. Perhaps, hiding in the shadows.

Sale Links:  Amazon | Smashwords

Book Details:

ebook, 189 pages
Published: January 3, 2016, Self-Published
ISBN: 9781310868450

Edition Language: English

A Lila Review: Balls Up (Blowing It #2) by Kate Aaron

Rating: 5 stars out of 5        ★★★★★
Handsome man holding a briefcase in a vintage interior
Handsome man holding a briefcase in a vintage interior

Owen Barnes’s life is finally going the way he wants. He’s making a living as an author, and his relationship with building surveyor Magnus Cassidy is going from strength to strength.

When Owen finds a lump, he buries his head in the sand. He’s too busy for doctor appointments and besides, it’s probably nothing. He pushes concern away and is soon swept up in a whirlwind of distractions. His best friend’s husband is falling apart and Owen needs to be strong for them, not burdening them with his fears.

He says he’ll deal with it when the new book is released, when Ryan and Sameer are more stable, when he’s done writing. Owen has a hundred excuses to hide one simple fact: he’s scared.

Eventually, Magnus drags him to the doctor, and the news isn’t good. Can Owen cope with the unexpected turn events have taken, or is his perfect life about to go balls up?

Eventually, Magnus drags him to the doctor, and the news isn’t good. Can Owen cope with the unexpected turn events have taken, or is his perfect life about to go balls up?

Balls Up is more than a romance, it’s the diary of a cancer patient and his caretaker. Yes, they are a couple, but as the disease progresses, we get to understand the challenges their love faced and how they managed to make it flourish during their darkest time together.

I read this story as a stand-alone but in reality, it is book #2 in the Bring It series. This is not the type of story I usually read, but I’m glad I did. Unless you want to know how Owen and Magnus got together and read more about the secondary characters, there’s no need to read the previous book to enjoy this installment.

Owen’s cancer is the central plot of the story, everything else is secondary. It is a hard book to read. It feels real, and it takes the reader, step by step, through the complete process– from diagnosis to resolution. We live the ups and downs with Owen and take part of his fears, hopes, and treatment.

There are happy moments mixed within the story. Great secondary characters, and perfect scenarios for the events to take place. The pacing flows well, getting us through the hard moments with a little hope to look forward. Owen’s and Magnus’s relationship is the perfect example of a caring love.

The author not only wrote a beautiful story about a real couple with believable problems, but she also gave us a story that everyone can relate to. Like the characters in the story, we all know someone with cancer or had experienced it. Writing about a topic many men are not comfortable to talk about, open the door for their partners to reach to them. It gives us an opening to get more information about a serious issue. And we get to see how the complete medical process works.

Another thing I enjoyed was the characterization. We get outstanding characters, settings, and events from a British perspective. What I liked the most it’s that the author didn’t feel the need to Americanized the story as other do even when they take place outside the United States. The terms, the experiences, and everything surrounding the characters and their stories was believable and perfectly crafted.

The title and the cover go hand in hand with the topics and several scenes in the story. Plus, it matches the cover of the previous book in the series.

Sale Links: Croft House | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 310 pages
Published: June 6, 2016, by Croft House
ISBN: 9781310202261
Edition Language: English

Series:  Blowing It
Book #1: Blowing It
Book #2: Balls Up
Book #3: Dom on the Side

A Lila Review: Where Loyalties Lie by Logan Taylor‏

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Where Loyalties LIeWhen his homeland is conquered by invading barbarians, Nessir winds up not dead, but instead serving the new kings much as he once served his own. Though at first he is terrified of what they will do, across the palace and through the kingdom Abaidas and Ophion swiftly begin to make improvements their predecessor neglected. And though a married man should be off limits, Nessir finds himself falling for Abaidas anyway—and astonished when the interest proves to be mutual, and to learn that Ophion has no objections to Abaidas taking a lover.

But just as Nessir is settling into his strange, new life, he stumbles across an assassination plot—a plot he can speak of for fear of his sister’s life, unless he can convey it in a way that will not get him caught. In an act of desperation, he throws himself at Ophion, and under guise of being lovers the two work to protect the man they both love. And all the while Nessir tries to ignore the growing wish that Ophion’s affections were not merely a ruse…

 The opening scene brought us directly into the story’s setting and provided us with our first introduction to Nessir’s job, place in society, and relationship with King Amun. By the time the barbarians arrived, we have had the opportunity to learn more about Nessir and his sister.

 Abaibas’s and Ophion’s arrival changes Nessir’s future, but he decided to serve the King and his Consort without much pressure. Perhaps because both men gave him the opportunity to make his own decisions. He takes his role as the Majesties’ body servant as easy as he had done with the previous King.

 Leaving the war camp behind, the three men return to the conquered city. As the time pass, they get comfortable with each other, and Abaidas requests his husband approval to start a relationship, which he receives. Shortly after, Nessir learned about the conspiracy against the new King and staged an affair with Ophion to find a way to save the man they both love.

 Ophion protects Nessir’s sister as they tried to get more information about the attempt against Abaidas and planned to stop it. Their pretend relationship starts turning into more, but both, Nessir and Ophion, kept it to themselves.

 A combination of characters and events influenced the men’s lives, relationships, and positions. We get to witness the attempt against Abaidas, how it’s handled, at the repercussions, not only for their lives but to their separate relationships. By the end of the novella, we have the starts of a HEA with a promising future.

 Where Loyalties Lie has a good sense of location, era, and characterization since the very beginning. An accomplishment that’s sometimes difficult to grasp in a novella. The world build seems to take precedent leaving the plot points a little bare without resting relevance to the overall outcome.

 This is one of those stories that would benefit from another handful of pages. It’s a great start for a longer re-write, or perhaps, a series in the same world, even if it is with other main characters. There were some unanswered questions that can be addressed in further volumes.

 One thing I’d like to read more about is Abaibas’s and Ophion’s relationship. We know they were childhood friends, but I’d love to see their relationship unveiling. Especially, how their love story turned into an open relationship.

 The triad started as separated relationship, morphing later on into it. Even so, there’s a separation between the married couple and their third created by the inequality of the social status. In the end, it works well for them, and we get a glimpse of how hard they would work to stay together.

 Overall, I enjoyed this story. I just wanted a little more plot to join the beginnings of a great story.

 The cover is lovely and goes well with the time period and events in the story. The only drawback is the off-centered silhouettes that seemed too modern for it.

Sale Links: Less Than Three Press | Amazon (unavailable) | ARe

 Book Details:

 ebook, 89 pages
Published: March 9, 2016, by Less Than Three Press
ISBN: 9781620047293
Edition Language: English