Tag: a MelanieM Highly Rated series and story

A MelanieM Review: Knit Tight (Portland Heat #4) by Annabeth Albert

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

Knit TightIt’s no secret that Portland, Oregon, has some of best restaurants, shops, and cafés in the country. But it’s the hard-working men who serve it all up that keep us coming back for more…

One of Portland’s hottest young baristas, Brady is famous for his java-topping flair, turning a regular cup of joe into a work of art. Every Wednesday—aka “Knit Night”—hordes of women and their needles descend on the coffeehouse, and Brady’s feeling the heat. Into the fray walks a tall, dark, and distractingly handsome stranger from New York. His name is Evren, and he’s the sexy nephew of Brady’s sweetest customer, the owner of the yarn shop down the street. He’s also got a killer smile, confident air, and masculine charm that’s tying Brady’s stomach in knots. The smitten barista can’t wait to see him at the next week’s gathering. But when he tries to ask Evren out, his plans unravel faster than an unfinished edge. If Brady hopes to warm up more than Evren’s coffee, he’ll have to find a way to untangle their feelings, get out of the friend zone, and form a close-knit bond that’s bound to last a lifetime…

I just love Annabeth Albert’s Portland Heat series, but this one fell deep into my heart.  First off…knitting.  Yes, that’s a true pull for me.  Gay knitters in love?  Yes.  Include Albert’s ability to bring her characters to life in every way possible and throw them into the lively, jumbled world of Portland?  Yes, yes, and yes.

Albert introduces us to Brady first, a barista struggling to manage work and family since his parents died and left him the guardian of his siblings.  Brady is such a lovely character, he loves his family, acknowledges that life dealt him the worst possible blow and now moves on with the best dignity he can.  I adored him.  Then add in Evren, a well-known knitter and designer home to take care of his aunt and my love for this story just got deeper.

Evren is the one with the understanding and love of knitting, patterns and fiber.  There is an excerpt from his blog at the beginning of each chapter that makes me wish that I could read it each day and see his patterns…that’s how much I connected with him.  He’s more tentative, with reason than Brady.  His background that comes out plus culture as well as his current situation make Evren’s hesitant moves towards Brady easy to understand and believe.  Brady with his pressures and personality?  That too makes his brashness and attitude real. Two men with a deep understanding and love for family, wondering if they dare try for something more with each other.

Albert’s writing made this story flow quickly while letting me sink into their lives with ease.  I fell in love again and again (as I do with all her Portland Heat stories).

Honestly, I wanted this book to be five times the length.   I could have spent days, months with this characters, wrapped up in their lives, the patterns (of course) and a certain sweater that called out for a picture at the end.   You know those stories that leave you with a warm, you’ve been hugged feeling?  That was this story for me.  I loved it.  And of course, it sent me running to my knitting.

You don’t have to have read the others in the series, each is a standalone story.  I just love them all and recommend not only Knit Tight but all in Portland Heat series.

Cover art by Fiona Jayde definitely works with the knitting needles and sweaters, yes there is a tie in about boyfriend sweaters.

Sales Links:   Amazon | iTunes |  Google Play | Kobo | Barnes and Noble

Book Details:

ebook, 112 pages
Published April 12th 2016 by Lyrical Shine
Original TitleKnit Tight
ISBN 1601835086 (ISBN13: 9781601835086)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPortland Heat #4

 

A MelanieM Review: Strength of the Rising Sun (The Borders War #5) by S.A. McAuley

Rating: 5 stars out of 5     ★★★★★

Strength of the Rising SunMerq’s always known there’s only one way Armise and he can end.

The Opposition is losing—both the war and the fight for citizen support—and the Revolution’s victory appears certain. Despite that success, Merq knows his leaders won’t let two of their greatest assets simply walk away. But with Armise fighting for his life, getting out becomes Merq’s primary objective.

Almost two decades of selfishness can’t be alleviated with one right decision, and Merq is faced with the reality of how deeply he has wounded Armise in ways that cannot be seen from the outside. Merq’s world has been upended more times than he can count and he’s always survived, but life without Armise is no longer an option. He just has to prove that to Armise.

Merq believes there are few who are strong enough to challenge them when they stand together. But when the secret Armise has been protecting Merq from is revealed, the truth has consequences neither of them can prepare for.

Reader Advisory: This book contains graphic violence, mention of torture and genetic experimentation.

I admit I approached each Borders War book with more than a bit of trepidation and sense of anticipation.  I would be hard pressed to remember a series that has more twisted layers, more betrayals and anguished losses than this one.  The Borders War series has  involved no less than a worldwide conflagration of countries, environments and humanity that has played out over five novels through the perspective of two warriors and the band of people around them.  Not always on the same side, certainly not at the beginning, or even numerous times (even in the same book) when no one knew what side each man was on, even themselves.

If this sounds confusing, in anyone else’s hands but S.A. McAuley this series and this relationship could have been a muddy mess, instead it became one of magnificent passion, love and commitment to each other in the face of obstacles (realistic ones within this world building) that should have killed them.  And often came close.

In the beginning, One Breath One Bullet (The Borders War #1), Merq Grayson was a high-ranking officer (sniper) for the Continental States.  His enemy was the Dark Ops officer from the People’s Republic of Singapore, Armise Darcan.  These  two had met over countless battle fields and covert operations, sometimes killing those close to the other man, and even coming close to killing each other, often inflicting near fatal wounds.  But there was something more there as well.  A building passion and undeniable connection between them that neither could understand or repress for very long.

McAuley builds this confusing, angry and often violent relationship through 20 years, five books and around some shocking, often personally shattering revelations to both men.  Its hard to describe just how magnetic these men and their lives become.  Sometimes so raw and wounded, you think their  pain will never stop. That is especially true here.  Sometimes the feelings flow cold and distant, than back strong and raging.  Through vivid descriptions and dialog that pulls you into the scenes, you become a part of Merq and Armise’s world and that often leaves you feeling as pain-filled and battered as they are.

Loss of humanity, scientific experimentation (willing and not) on soldiers, the ramifications of genetic/chemical warfare on the world environment…its all addressed here in some form, as a nuanced plot thread or a direct blow to the heart by the author.  Hard to be prepared for that.

But The Borders War is a magnificent series and it deserves its equal in a final story. It gets it in Strength of the Rising Sun.  This story was the equivalent of running through a narrative mine field, you just didn’t know it at the beginning.  Just when you thought the story was getting ready to settle down, another revelation would occur,  then another shattering scene, one so devastating in its impact that it took my breathe away.  I can’t even begin to give you even a smidgen of details or plot.  It wouldn’t make sense. You have to read the story and the ones before it. And when the ending came, well,  I cried buckets of tears for the men, but also of relief that the tension and agony of the narrative was gone.  You are so involved, you couldn’t pull  out of the story, even if you had wanted you.  You, Merq, and Armise to the end.  And what a ending it was.

I have no idea how S. A.McAuley will top this.  Not a clue.

So.  Love science fiction and enemy to lovers story?  Well, this is so much more.  It sexy, violent, passionate, layered, complex and agonizing on the heart at best.  But its one I  wouldn’t want you to pass up.  One of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2016.

Cover art by Posh Gosh shows a certain eventful scene in the story.  It might not work as well as a cover before you read the story but its perfect afterwards.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing  | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 198 pages
Published January 26th 2016 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781784309954
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series The Borders War :

The world has only recently emerged from a three hundred year war which saw half of the world’s population wiped out and the rise of five superpowers. Despite the hundreds of millions who died, the Borders War was nearly bloodless because of the sonicrifle—weaponized sound waves, tuned to their highest frequency, and harnessed to kill.

Merq Grayson has known only war. He is a skilled Peacemaker, soldier, and sniper. And it is his destiny to right the wrong created by his grandfather six generations removed—the man who invented the sonicbullet.

Armise Darcan is his enemy. A sniper and Dark Ops officer who fought for the People’s Republic of Singapore in the Borders War, Armise may be the only person on the planet strong enough to keep Merq from completing his mission.

Their loyalties are to conflicting countries and diverging agendas, and despite the very real threat to their lives if they’re discovered, Merq and Armise keep finding their way into each other’s beds. It is a drive which Merq is sure will kill him one day.

But how much time either of them has is questionable. As Opposition is pitted against Revolution, the Borders War reignites, and Merq and Armise have to decide where, and with whom, their real loyalties lie.

Links to MelanieM reviews:

 

A MelanieM Review: The Case of the Purple Pearl (End Street Detective Agency #5) by Amber Kell and R.J. Scott

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The Case of the Purple PearlAfter failing in a quest to win the Fae Queen’s approval, Halstein is locked in a world of stone. Forced to remain a gargoyle he spends his days on Sam’s desk pining for his lost love.

Prince Idris’s lover went missing and was presumed dead. Alone, Idris lives a life away from court, starved of energy but unwilling to sleep in the room he once shared with his beloved.

Can Sam and Bob save these fated lovers before it’s too late? And will Bob’s ultimate sacrifice be enough to free Hal from his prison?

The Case of the Purple Pearl  is the best of the End Street Detective Agency novels yet.  Interesting, with a case full of personal ramifications for everyone in Sam and Bob’s orbit, especially Sam and Bob themselves, this was at times funny,  quirky and heartbreaking.

Almost from the beginning, we found  out that the “gargoyle” that perched on Sam’s desk wasn’t exactly a gargoyle and that Sam was needed to explore exactly what and who that “thing” was.  But other cases always seemed to take priority,  children were kidnapped, nephews to Santa dropped out of the sky, busy, busy, busy.  But now, its time, no…past time to solve the mystery of the not so gargoyle and everyones lives are depending upon it.

I’m almost sorry that the blurb gave so much away because the revelation is amazing as are the heartbreaking turn of events that saw that gargoyle come to be.   To save the be-spelled lover, it will take blood, sacrifice and of course that purple pearl. RJ Scott and Amber Kell bring back so many of the beings from the past cases to help out/block the lovers from reuniting, that its a roll call of End Street Detective fascinating characters. Its also a case that plays into the heart of  relationships, trust, love, and what a soul mate is willing to do in the name of love.  In a shattering manner this pertains to more than one couple here.

Only the ending kept this book from a 5-star rating.  It was complicated, rushed, and left the reader without the needed narrative to explain the happenings taking place “off stage”.  There was also a bit of a cliffhanger for another character, one I’m hoping will be solved in the upcoming story.

Still, for much of this novel,  the drama, the characters, the mystery and the emotions will carry you away to a place where duplicitous Sirens calls, magnificent Dragons soar, scheming Elves are never quite what they seem and the End Street Detective Agency and its family is a group you never want to leave.

I highly recommend this story and this series if you are a lover of the supernatural, the paranormal, and lovers hoping to be reunited forever.

Cover artist  by Meredith Russell is terrific.  I love the tone and the models.

Sales Links:  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 102 pages
Published November 20th 2015 by Love Lane Books Ltd
ASINB018BCB80O
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesEnd Street Detective Agency #5

End Street Detective Agency Series:

The first 4 stories are now coupled together in Volumes 1 and 2.

 

 

A MelanieM Review: Part & Parcel (Sidewinder #3) by Abigail Roux

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Part&Parcel_600x900Nick O’Flaherty and Kelly Abbott had their happy ending in sight when a friend’s call for help almost ended with them losing it to the blade of a knife. Now, in the aftermath of near-disaster, both men are trying to heal and move on.

Moving on together, though, is harder than either of them realized it would be. Kelly struggles with simply being a lover instead of the Doc, while Nick is mired in his recovery. The distance between them inches along in stilted silence.

Desperately seeking solace, Nick finally gathers the courage to sort through the possessions his dear friend and fellow Sidewinder teammate Elias Sanchez left him when he died. Instead of comforting memories, Nick and Kelly find a stack of letters and strict instructions from Eli that prompt them to send out a call for assistance. With Eli’s letters in hand, Sidewinder sets out on one last mission together, seeking peace and absolution from beyond the grave—and from each other.

Part & Parcel is simply Abigail Roux’s finest Sidewinder story to date, and it ranks high among her other stories, even some of the beloved Cut & Run books.  In Part & Parcel, Abigail Roux employs one of my favorite story elements, that of letters delivering a voice from the past.

After the devastating events that saw Nick dying in the streets of Miami, everyone is left trying to move forward with their lives with varying degrees of success.  The ones having the most trouble?  Nick and Kelly.  Now with all the lies that Nick kept hidden from Kelly out in the open, the repercussions from those actions and necessary falsehoods are still disrupting their lives.  If they would only face it.  The author does a remarkable job of bringing forth the inner turmoil each man is undergoing, the heartache, the anger, and the confusion over how to end the stasis their lives has become.  I think too often the PTSD in other stories is tidied up into a neat little box. Not here but the issues Nick has extend not only to his service years but his abusive childhood, current father problems and more.  Add on to it Kelly “Doc” Abbott’s own personal crisis and you have not only a team in turmoil but a couple’s relationship floundering in the worst way.  Roux’s descriptions make each man’s torment immediate and raw.  We hurt for them both.

Then come the letters from Eli, a road trip cross country with the Sidewinders, Zane, and two kittens.  A journey I enjoyed stop by stop, conversation by conversation.  I loved the dialog.  Sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking, even when snarky and sarcastic.  You could feel the long time camaraderie and brotherhood tightening up once more as the letters were read and memories were shared.

Yes, my tears flowed with theirs.

By the end of the journey, the healing process had set in, the brotherhood was back and I felt I really had gotten to know more about each man and their part in each other’s lives so throughly that past novels and plots clicked into place more, relationships become more cleanly defined and I “got” the Sidewinders…finally.

It was great seeing Ty and Zane again and getting a peek into their new lives.  Loved the kitties.  But the joy was Kelly and Nick, surrounded by family of brothers again.  Owen and Digger, each a new revelation to go with the newfound sense of family I felt at the end.  And Eli?  He was there too, in the letters, in the memories, maybe something more…

I thought Part & Parcel was a deeper, more layered story and I can’t wait to see where Abigail Roux goes next with this series and couple.

I love this story and series but wonder if its given the chance it deserves. The Sidewinder series has the unfortunate element of being Cut & Run’s (meaning Ty and Zane’s ) followup children.  I  know there are fans out there that anything less than Ty and Zane will provoke a frenzy of teeth gnashing if not polite disappointment.   Others expect a rehash of the Ty and Zane dynamic with Nick and Kelly in their shoes, and again this couple seems to take a beating when that doesn’t’ happen.  I love these men.  They are wonderful, powerful and yes, vulnerable characters and this is a terrific series.  I highly recommend it.  Grab it up today and start reading.

Cover art by L.C. Chase.  Love the style and graphic.  Perfect.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing |  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 302 pages
Published December 19th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitlePart & Parcel
ISBN139781626493681
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Sidewinder with links to our reviews:

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Christmas (Red Dirt, #3.5) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

ReddirtheartChristmas1500Travis had been here at Sutton Station for just over a year. We were technically engaged, not that we’d told anyone. He was happy just knowin’ I’d said yes, and I had some head-clearin’ stuff to work through. Knowing I was good enough for Trav was one thing, but knowing if I was good enough to be a husband and father was somethin’ else entirely.

Life at Sutton Station had never been better. Business was strong, Trudy and Bacon’s little baby, Gracie, was a few weeks old now and as cute as a button, Ma’s health was good, and my relationship with Laura and Sam was in a pretty good place. And Travis? Well, life with him was still all kinds of perfect.

But, to Travis’s dismay, Christmas at the Station was just another day. Another day of getting up before the sun, feeding animals, fixin’ what needed fixin’, and checking water troughs all while tryin’ to keep out of the blistering heat.

And this year weren’t much different. Only that it was Travis’s first Sutton Station Christmas. The fact we didn’t go all out with decorations and celebrations baffled him, and if I was bein’ truthful, it disappointed him too.

Which was why I had to make it a special kind of Christmas…

When I first starting reading the Red Dirt Heart series by N.R. Walker, it didn’t take long before I was deeply and permanently in love with every part of Sutton Station, the men, the way of life, even the wildlife from the deadly to the adorable (see one particular wombat).  And at book four, I felt so much a part of their lives that it was painful to see it end, albeit happily and with satisfaction.

So imagine my surprise and delight when I heard that N.R. Walker had returned to red dirt country and the Sutton Station to bring us Red Dirt Christmas.  Yes, I was overjoyed.  Charlie and Travis were coming back for Christmas.  Was it the Christmas present I hoped for?

Well, if it wasn’t it was close.  Red Dirt Christmas takes place before the fourth book, so quite a few events haven’t occurred.  But in many respects we get the best of the story threads.  Charlie’s mother and brother are here. along with Ma and George, Trudy, Bacon and little Gracie and a certain wombat I never get enough of.  Charlie and Travis, one of my favorite couples, are as close as ever  even as Travis is fighting a case of the Christmas blues and homesickness.  It seems that Charlie and Sutton Station don’t really celebrate Christmas and Travis is missing the way his family decorates with all the American trimmings.

To say any more would tempt me to head into spoiler territory.  But what follows is tender, full of laughter and family, and of course, love.  N. R. Walker doesn’t forget to leave out the dangers of living in such a extreme climate and geographical location.  There is an encounter with one of the area’s venomous wildlife as well as one more element to be aware of during their “winter” season, one so costly it was a little scary there for a while for a main character.  All these threads flowing  beautifully through a story I never wanted to end.

Red Dirt Christmas is full of  scenes real, vivid and heartfelt, the people inside were back to feeling like old friends revisited, even when Charlie and Travis where feeling frisky and hot,  it was sexy, warm and loving.  I hope we can talk N.R. Walker back  into these short stories, small glimpses into the Sutton Station from time to time so we can check in on everyone.  There’s Australia Day, Roundup,  Give A Wombat a Hug day…I don’t care.  Any excuse will do.  N.R. Walker, are you listening?  This was wonderful, now can we please have some more?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Red Dirt Heart series, what a treat is in store for you.  I have listed them all at the bottom.  I highly recommend them all as must reads for readers of M/M romance.  Like the red dirt of the Northern Territory, this Station and this couple will get into your heart and never let go.

Happy Reading.

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Must Read Series any time of the year:

Red Dirt Heart Series:

Sales Links: |All Romance eBooks | Smashwords |  Amazon | Buy It Here

A Review Redux: A MelanieM Review: With This Bling (Romano and Albright, #3) by L.B. Gregg

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★

With This Bling coverCaesar Romano’s catering career is doing better than he’d ever dreamed. And so is his love life—even if his boyfriend’s house in Staten Island is way too far from civilization for his liking. But then in short order, Caesar is duped into helping his cousin propose, is tricked by his best friend and business partner into appearing on live television, and is harassed by a thug-like personal trainer and his far too beautiful wife. In fact, Caesar is almost too busy to notice that something is troubling his PI boyfriend, Dan Albright.

Almost.

Laid-back, open, charming—that’s the impression hunky former NYPD Detective Dan Albright gives everyone. Caesar can add sexually adventurous and a bit of an exhibitionist. But he also knows that Dan is hiding something—something dark and a little dangerous—and when Dan’s silence over his mysterious past threatens to harm them both, it’s Caesar’s turn to save the day.

But then again, a break-in, a gallery party, an heirloom ring, a new suit, and a stalker with bad BO are all just a typical week for Caesar Romano.

In 2010, L. B. Gregg released a story, Catch Me If You Can (Romano and Albright, #1) which introduced me and so many other readers to Caesar Romano and P.I. Dan Albright.  And I fell in love.  The second novel, also 2010, saw that love affair deepen and become an addiction.

Then the stories stopped.

But I was hopeful.  And patient.  Now I’ve finally been rewarded along with all the other fans of this author and amazing series.  Romano and Albright are back and better than ever!

We dive right back into confirmed city dweller Caesar’s life.  He’s out on Staten Island, staying in boyfriend Dan’s house.

“Sunshine poured into the kitchen, warming a row of spiny potted herbs on the windowsill. Outside, the neat suburban backyard burst with green shrubbery and midsummer flowers. A plump gray bird sat on the clothesline and a squirrel frolicked in the grass, both a reminder that I needed to get the hell back to the city because honest to God, it was like the country out there.”

Yep, nothing suits Caesar so well as the smell of the city and the congested, exuberant life he leads there.  To him, the quiet of a Staten Island neighborhood screams country, even though his beloved city is with well within eyesight.  From that wonderful start, L.B. Gregg’s lively, snarky narrative takes off, her dialogs a perfect match for each and every one of her memorable characters.  A mystery popped up almost immediately (this is Caesar and Dan) and we are off on another case and misadventure.  I was grinning from the very beginning in anticipation and L. B. Gregg didn’t let me down!

Dan’s personal background has always been a bit of a question for Caesar (and the readers).  Some of those are answered here. I had to double check the timeline and it appears its still been about 6 months since the first time they met, so that feels about right in a relationship still working on its foundation.  The author’s characterizations are so good, her plots so well thought out, that everything just comes together just as it should.  We know that Dan and Caesar belong together…no matter how scary it gets.  And yes, it can get plenty scary here.  But the action and suspense never overwhelms the relationship between Caesar and Dan, or any of  the other interpersonal ties going on at the moment.  Plenty of those too.  The connections here are all about the family.

New York City and its neighborhoods is easily not just a setting but a character all of its own.  Gregg’s familiarity with each borough and their unique “feel” gives this book another layer to flavor.  This also carries over to  Gregg’s characters, all of the Romano family (and they are many and varied) to the Albright upright clan and everyone in between.  Lots and lots of in between.   His cousin Joey and Caesar’s business partner, Poppy, uncles Tino and Vito, among the large and hugely entertaining cast.  How I love them all.

But the heart of the series and this story will always be Caesar and Dan, a relationship that continues to flourish and grow.  Here Caesar makes enormous emotional strides forward…even if it comes at the end.

I whipped through this story because I was starved for it, then started through once again.  It got even better the second time around.   I’m not sure I would call this a standalone.  I’m sure you could read it that way but why would you?  Don’t you want to see how it all started?  Watch Caesar meet Dan, watch Dan loosen up Caesar more than a little?  Watch Dan (a ex NYPD Detective) meet the huge Romano family whose connection to the law is somewhat loose and shaky?  The humor in these novels will have you laughing out loud in places.  Romano and Albright!  A couple that sexy, intelligent, fun and full of action in the best sense of the word.  What more could you want?

I highly recommend this story and all in the series.  Now begins the wait for the next story.  I can be patient.  I know it will be worth the wait.

Cover art by L. C. Chase is absolutely perfect.  Whether its Joey or Caesar (they look almost identical).  Chase has them down.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 264 pages
Expected publication: December 7th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
original titleWith This Bling
ISBN139781626493599
edition languageEnglish

Series Romano and Albright

A MelanieM Review: The Devil’s Due (Pulp Friction 2015 Book 19) by Parker Williams

Rating:  5 stars out of 5   ★★★★★

The Devil's Due coverArtie Middleton and Ben Nelson have faced everything thrown at them and come out stronger individually and as a couple.

They’ve lost friends, and learned the painful lesson that nothing good comes without a price. Now, Artie’s unwitting part in an insane plan to destroy all supernatural beings has pulled him front and center into a battle for survival.

When Ben becomes a pawn in the scheme, Artie must decide what he’s willing to risk to protect his family. It’s a question that must be asked when the devil finally demands his due.

Four books have seen Artie Middleton and Ben Nelson come together in love and devastating loss, find a new family in a strange group of supernatural friends, along with their human families that remain alive.  Now everything they have, their love, their lives, everyone’s future has been threatened and they must destroy it once and for all.  Now we find out how high the cost will be.

Parker Williams has the ability to wring the emotions out of a reader by the end of a story.  It didn’t matter that the last one, High Stakes, was only 40-some odd pages, I felt limp as a dishrag from all the sobbing and loss.  This story makes it all worthwhile.  This is the grand finale and Williams makes all the heartbreak, all the angst that has gone before not only palatable but, I can’t believe I’m saying this, meaningful and right.

Wonderful, absorbing plots need equally great characters and here we have a marriage of both.  Williams has developed the characters of Artie and Ben over four books, giving each man more interesting layers and depth to him, letting the readers watch them grow together and sort of grow up as the relationship developed.  We committed to them as they committed to each other. And that made the danger and pain that happens to them far more real and heartbreaking.

Terrific characterizations extend past the main couple to stellar secondary ones such as Tempeste and even a flatulent ghost dog who hogs the bed.  There are so many here to give your heart to, including a new one at the end of the story.

No details (as much as I would love to reveal them), that wouldn’t be fair.  But the author sets Ben and Artie on the road to finally confront the demon behind all the fiendish events and deaths that have been happening all over New Orleans.  But nothing goes as planned.  With all their friends involved, strategies are hurriedly devised, and moment by moment the suspense and absolute horror is ramped up until you are sure all is to be lost…

I was tucked into my bed with the popcorn, and dogs, and yes, glass of wine and didn’t touch any of it until the book was done. What a thrilling ride of a story!  Yes, the devil got his due and then some.

And then there was that ending. How I loved this story and series.  Artie and Ben, and yes Tempeste too.  They stole my heart.  Pick up this series and let them steal yours too.

Need a new addiction?  Grab up Parker Williams’ Four of Club series (Pulp Friction 2015).  Read them all at once in one major binge read or one at a time, either way, you will find yourself hooked.  I highly recommend this book and series. Happy Reading.

Cover art is lovely and perfect for the story.

Sales Links:   All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 66 pages
Published November 13th 2015
ASINB017ZBD120
edition languageEnglish

 

About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead ~ Blind Stud ~ The Devil’s Bedpost ~ Diamonds and Dust

Round Two:
Dead Blind ~ Stud Player ~ Up the Ante ~ Diamond Draw

Round Three:
Dead Button ~ Blind Man’s Bluff ~ Devil’s Playground ~ Diamond Edge

Round Four:
Dead Man’s Hand ~ Blind Hearts ~ High Stakes ~ Diamond Flush

Round Five:
Dead Money ~ Under the Gun ~ Devil’s Due ~ Diamonds Down and Dirty