A MelanieM Release Day Review: Real World (Love is Blind #2) by B.A. Tortuga

Rating: 4.75 stars rounding up to 5 out of 5

Dan White is trying to acclimate to civilian life after a long career in the military with multiple combat deployments.

Now he’s home in the Austin area, living with his brother Dixon, Dixon’s husband, Audie, and their two nine-year-olds. During the New Year celebration, Dan meets Abraham Weldon, and the connection is instant.

There’s a kiss. There’s a dance. There’s a proposition.

Then Dan finds out Weldon is bisexual.

And a dad.

With five kids. Five kids, one of whom is a blind fifteen-year-old.

Weldon has been in love twice in his life—with his high school best friend, Blake, and with his wife, Krista, who he met in a Dairy Queen as she was crying over a positive pregnancy test. Love number three hits Weldon like a hammer when he meets Dan.

But since Dan isn’t interested in a guy with kids, they might only get one night together.

When I read Ever the Same (Love is Blind #1), I fell in love with the families and characters that B.A. Tortuga created for that story. I certainly couldn’t wait for this series to continue. Real World (Love is Blind #2) brings us back to those families and couples with Dan White, ex soldier adjusting to civilian life and brother to Dixon, blind musician who we met in the first story. Dan’s not adjusting very well, but he’s living with Dix and his husband Audie and their kids so civilian life is up front and in his face every day. So are the connections to Dix and Audie’s friends and the community which brings a meeting to Weldon and a “oh so hot we might combust” connection. Until reality sets in when information is exchanged and Dan finds out that Weldon is a dad of five and bisexual, way more than a man who feels he’s not ready for commitment can handle, leaving a very disappointed Weldon in his wake.

How I love a story where a couple must over come obstacles, inner obstacles they create for themselves, in order to be together. This story is chock full of those. Here in Real World those barriers feel so completely authentic and believable when it comes to the characters who are trying to work through their feelings and doubts about their relationship and walls they built up around themselves. And no one here has walls higher than Dan White. Walls against dating bisexual men, walls against men with families, and one by one…we watch those barriers fall…prey to the charm and love of Weldon and his brood of kids. What a group of kids they are too. Snarky, drama filled, lovable, not so lovable, crying, every adjective you want to throw in here. In short, a very realistic family of children that will grab at your heart, especially the eldest who will have his own heartrending story thread to go through.

I haven’t forgotten Weldon. That character…well, he’s a man that will tug at you all the way through the story. He’s a loving father, a vulnerable man, who’s trying to balance his families needs with his own. You just end up aching for him when Dan turns away time and again. Trust me…there are places you will want to shake that man! Isn’t that great writing? Yes, I say it is.

B.A. Tortuga has a way, whether its by her ear for the vernacular or locale or just knowing people and family dynamics, of being able to create characters that are so real, so believable that they pull you into their story and lives that you ache for them, get mad at them, yes, want to shake them and finally rejoice in their happiness at the end when they pull together and realize they can make it as a couple and as a family. That happens here in Real World, a book I loved even better than the first story in the series. That’s saying a lot.

Do I recommend this story? Absolutely. Grab it up and the first in the series too. I can’t imagine what’s coming next but I know I can’t wait to see what develops. There are more White boys although they are supposedly straight. Hmmm. We’ll see.

Cover art by Bree Archer. I love this cover. Its just perfect for the story and its heartwarming too.

Sales Links

Book Details

ebook, 290 pages
Expected publication: August 15th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634773748 (ISBN13: 9781634773744)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Love is Blind

Ever the Same
Real World

A MelanieM Review: Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (Offbeat Crimes #1) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Kyle Monroe, his irritating new partner, and their fellow freaks at the 77th Precinct must learn to work together to stop a vicious murderer that might not even be human.

Kyle Monroe’s encounter with a strange gelatinous creature in an alley leaves him scarred and forever changed, revealing odd abilities he wishes he didn’t have and earning him reassignment to a precinct where all the cops have defective paranormal abilities.

Just as he’s starting to adjust to his fellow misfit squad mates, Kyle’s new partner arrives. Tall, physically perfect, reserved, and claiming he has no broken psychic talents, Vikash Soren irritates Kyle in every way. But as much as he’d like to hate Vikash, Kyle finds himself oddly drawn to him, their non-abilities meshing in unexpected ways. If they can learn to work together, they might be able to stop the mysterious killer who has been leaving mutilated bodies along the banks of the Schuylkill.

Previously published, I somehow missed this the first time around and now got to enjoy a new adventure into the creative mind of Angel Martinez with Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters, the first in her Offbeat Crimes series. Its another wild lollapalooza of creatures and mysteries thrown together and it starts with the 77th Precinct, also known as the “Island of Misfit Freaks”. Its the precinct where any paranormal cop with a non-useful talent gets stuck, aka…the reject pile. One cop can hear the unhappiness of waterfowl, another? Well, they’re not sure what he is or does. He just is. One’s a ghost who’s job is to maintain coffee pot and he’s bad at it. And so it goes at the 77th Precinct. Then we arrive at our main couple. Kyle Monroe, on the short side, although he maintains he’s average who absorbs any paranormal talent nearby without control. And Vikash Soren who’s at first reticent about why he’s been transferred…until he connects with Kyle and all hell breaks loose.

Half the fun and the charm of a Angel Martinez story is the inventiveness and down right quirkiness of the characters involved. A cop that hears the unhappiness of waterfowl? Thats sort of amazing and something I can picture as are all the other inhabitants of that Island of Misfit Freaks. I grew downright fond of them all as the story progressed and I got to know them better. Another? The mysteries, murder cases actually, that the squad must investigate. Often horrible, its a wonderful avenue for personal exploration for the reader as well as for themselves. And it works beautifully here. I enjoyed seeing the case being solved as much as I enjoyed the romance progress too.

As this is the first in a series, its a HFN which is fine. There is so much more exploring to do as far as the Precinct and the characters go. I can’t wait. If the supernatural, the paranormal, murder mysteries, and romance is something you are looking for, here is a story that combines all of them to my delight. That its written by Angel Martinez just seals the deal. I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Posh Gosh really doesn’t relate as well as it should to the story line. Its just ok.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 91 pages
Expected publication: August 16th 2016 by Pride Publishing (first published May 24th 2015)
ISBN139781786514691
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesOffbeat Crimes #1, Tales From The 77th Precinct

A MelanieM Review: All Note Long (Perfect Harmony #3) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Giving true love a spin . . .

Michelin Moses is a country music star on the rise. With a hit single under his Texas-sized belt buckle and a sold-out concert tour underway, his childhood dreams of making it big are finally coming true. But there’s one thing missing—a promise to his dying mother that he’d find it—him—when the time was right. With a little luck, he won’t have to wait too long . . .

Lucky Ramirez is a hunky boy toy who dances at The Broom Closet, one of West Hollywood’s hottest gay bars. He loves what he does, and he’s good at it—almost as good as he is at playing dumb when he spots Michelin Moses at the bar. What happens next is off the charts—and keeps Michelin coming back for more. He’s just not sure it’s the right move for his career. But if Lucky gets his way, Michelin will get Lucky—and no matter how the media spins it, neither of them will be faking it . . .

I picked up All Note Long (Perfect Harmony #3) by Annabeth Albert because of the author not because I read the previous stories in the series. I’m going to have to rectify that, and not just because I love her writing. I loved this story and the characters.

As with any Annabeth Albert story, its her characters that pull me into their lives, immediate situations and dramas. Here its Michelin Moses, closeted country singer in a gay bar for a friend’s bash and a dancer called Lucky. The clash between the two is that immediate as is the attraction which goes wrong because of Michelin’s attitude. Which is not what you might expect of a popular country singer. Michelin might be the anthesis of your image of what pops into your mind when those words come up. He’s withdrawn, insecure, and so unable to stick up for himself that yes, the phrase doormat might leap to mind. Except that it doesn’t. At least for me.

Why? Because Albert dives deep into the reasoning behind Michelin’s thoughts, feelings and actions. If you aren’t behind the fact that he is acting that way, the author certainly let’s you understand why he is behaving in such a fashion. And you feel sorry for him and cheer for him as the changes take place as the story moves forward.

Lucky? Well, howdy and hey there! What’s not to love about Lucky? Although not without flaws as well because Albert writes human, Lucky has his own issues with regard to Michelin but he has a great family and support system. I loved his family and wish we could have spent more time with them. Plus again, the author gives us dogs!!! Another weakness of mine.

At the beginning of each chapter are some wonderful tweets from fans that helps move the story forward. I believe it occurs in each story in the series but as this is the first story that I’ve read I think its a marvelous tool and I loved it. Each tweet sparkled with life and felt real. Just that extra touch I’ve come to expect from this terrific author.

Toward the end there’s this wonderful moment, the sort you wait for in every book. Here Annabeth Albert delivers such a perfect “awww moment” that you’ll be crying, its that good. And now I need to go and get the others in the series. See what else I missed. But this works perfectly as a standalone. So if you’re like me and haven’t read the others, pick this one up, and get reading. You’ll love the story of Michelin and Lucky. I highly recommend them and this story. And Annabeth Albert of course.

Cover art doesn’t do much for me. Could be the cover for just about any story.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 320 pages

Expected publication: August 2nd 2016 by Lyrical Shine

Original Title All Note Long

ISBN 160183506X (ISBN13: 9781601835062)

Edition Language English

Series Perfect Harmony #3

A MelanieM Review: Mud, Movies, Bullets and Bulls by B.A. Tortuga

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Muds, Movies Bullets and Bulls Four men in need of a helping hand….

When a cowboy finds he has grit in all the wrong places, what is he to do? Meet the man of his dreams, of course. But what will save two cowboys from getting bogged down in the mire?

An ex-rodeo cowboy who hates working with Hollywood actors meets a movie star who is looking for something real. Will they get a happy ending, just like in the movies?

A redneck ends up injured and stranded, and his old friend comes to the rescue. It’s the old story of the one that got away. What will they do to keep each other in their lives—and will it be too late?

A professional bull rider is starting to feel his age. When he’s injured far from home and his career is threatened, it’s up to his best friend to step in and point out the other options. Both men have plans—but will they include each other?

If you asked me who is one of my favorite authors, I would reply B.A. Tortuga for a number of reasons, the first coming to mind is her ability to bring regional voices vividly to life in a way that makes you feel that you are seeing them laugh, love and yes, sometimes cry across the pages of her stories. Books like Mud, Movies, Bullets and Bulls which are a collection of some of my favorite stories are a wonderful way to either discover this author or remember why you love her writing so much.

Stories in the order you find them in the book.

Mud On Tires – 5 stars out of 5

When Lee strips naked to rescue a cow stuck in the mud, last thing he expects is another cowboy named Collin to come to his. This story has it all, dialog full of regional twang and zest, laughter and love, dogs that have as much character as the men they follow and of course, pie! Its not just Tortuga’s love for her cowboys but the locations and people. Those small steakhouses low on decor and high on some of the best steaks you’ll ever eat? I’ve been there and they are on these pages. So are the waitresses that know your name and your eating preferences. How I love this story.

Just Like in the Movies – 4.5 stars out of 5

Dooley Robinson, horse wrangler to the movies meets closeted movie star on the rise Tyler David Garrison and begins a relationship like no other. This was a different sort of Tortuga story but one I liked just as well as the others oddly enough. Why? Because she was able to convey a relationship between the men, and the love and affection without there actually having a lot time on the page together. You could feel them missing each other so in just a couple of words or phrases. Perfect.

Ricochet – 5 stars out of 5

What can I say? I’m such a sucker for these sorts of stories. Friends to lovers, a man finally returning home where he belongs. A hilarious mom and dad welcoming party and a best friend like no other. At 36, Holt takes a hard look at his life, and doesn’t like what he sees and decides to make a change. He’s headed home where he belongs. But he needs to extract himself from his current situation first and that comes with a cost. It will be his best friend since forever, Teague, coming to his rescue and bringing him home to make it right.

Every part of this story rings true. The deep friendship, the “knowing” that comes of years of growing up together as boys that telegraphs across the pages, the funny and sharp scenes with Momma and Daddy when they see what’s happened to their boy. Tortuga manages to bring both the humor and the angst out in a situation where you want to cry and laugh and you know both emotions are exactly right. As is the relationship between Hold and Teague. It doesn’t come easily, it comes with some sharp words, but it works and its wonderful and its my favorite story of the group.

No Bull – 4.75 stars out of 5

No Bull finishes the collection and its probably the right one to do so as the men finish out their careers as bullriders, a favorite theme of B.A Tortuga’s. But it starts in a hospital with the aftermath of a bull ride gone horribly wrong. Joss is in the bed and wired up with more broken bones than his best friend and rodeo partner, Mackey, can count. What follows is a tale of friendship that turns into something deeper than neither man fully expects and yet it happens so naturally. Again its told beautifully, with men who have known each other for some time and are now at the end of their respective bull riding careers. A lovely tale and a great way to end this collection.

I just love this book and highly recommend it. Not familiar with B.A Tortuga? I can’t think of a better way to make your introduction to this wonderful author than with Mud, Movies, Bullets and Bulls by B.A. Tortuga. It will make you laugh, its sexy, full of itty bitty cowboys and the men who love them and you won’t want to put it down.

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza does a great job with this cover. I love it.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 206 pages
Published June 24th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634771605 (ISBN13: 9781634771603)
Edition LanguageEnglish
1st Edition of Mud on Tires published by Torquere Press, 2006.
1st Edition of Just Like in the Movies published by Torquere Press, 2007.
1st Edition of Ricochet published by Torquere Press, 2007.
1st Edition of No Bull published by Torquere Press, 2006

A MelanieM Review: Frozen Heart (Love Lessons #1.5) by Heidi Cullinan

Rating:: 4.5 stars out of 5

Proposals don’t come with instructions.

Walter Lucas knows his boyfriend has been looking forward to the newest Walt Disney movie, Frozen, but he isn’t prepared for the reality that is the front row seat of Kelly Davidson’s cartoon obsession. However, there’s more going on in November than just the movie—something is brewing which Walter has been waiting quite some time to do. When Walter set up his elaborate Thanksgiving marriage proposal, it seemed like such a good idea, but as the holiday, the movie premiere and the question Walter never dreamt he’d be asking anyone converge…let’s just say even Alan Menken couldn’t sing and dance his way out of Walter’s tangle.

Warning: This short contains spoilers for Disney’s Frozen, obsessive pre-movie panic, and suggestions of cartoon role-play.

I realized earlier when reviewing Short Stay (Baz and Elijah) I had missed this short story in the Love Lessons series. I quickly went back to get it and see what couple I had missed and what part of their lives I had not gotten a glimpse into.

Well, Frozen Heart takes us into Walter and Kelly’s proposal and Kelly’s introduction to the Walt Disney’s movie Frozen (cue everyone singing “Let It Go”). Its Walter’s pre-proposal jitters, its Kelly’s pre Frozen release high anticipation, Thanksgiving, relatives…so much rolled into a small frame and it works so beautifully.

This is a short story but its everything you would hope it would be considering those elements. Its sweet, its romantic, its sexy. And if you love Walter and Kelly from Love Lessons, its absolutely wonderful in the way it makes Walter look at Kelly and fall even more deeply in love with him than ever before. Sigh. All to the tunes from Frozen.

I highly recommend this short story, along with the rest of the series. Pick them up and get started with your introduction to this wonderful group of memorable characters today.

Book cover is perfect, taking frozen lessons.

Sales: This is a free story and can be found here at Heidi Cullinan’s Website

Book Details:

Free Online Read, 19 pages
Published December 24th 2013
Original TitleFrozen Heart
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL http://www.heidicullinan.com/Frozen-Heart
SeriesLove Lessons #1.5

Love Lessons add them to your Goodreads list below:

A MelanieM Review: Short Stay (Love Lessons #3.5) by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 ★★★★★

Hot messes have a hard time with happily ever after.

Baz Acker and Elijah Prince have it all. They’re engaged, and their wedding is guaranteed to be a spectacle no event will ever top. So why are they hunkered down in a quiet corner of the Acker mansion, restless and edgy while they wait out the holidays?

When Baz suggests a road trip with Walter and Kelly to Las Vegas, it sounds like an ideal escape, but it turns out Vegas only amplifies their unease. Elijah can’t slough off the self-hating his parents programmed into him, and he worries how that will affect his marriage. Baz, crippled en route because of too much time spent in the car without rest, must face the truth that his wealth and influence can’t always counteract the limits his disability will put on his—and Elijah’s—life.

With help from their friends, a wily poker player, a take-no-prisoners drag queen, and a smooth-talking casino owner, they face the truth that happiness is a state of mind, not a destination where they book a stay. What happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas—it will follow them all the way down the aisle.

This novella was written for and by the request of Heidi’s Patreon readers. It is suggested but not required that you read at least Lonely Hearts before reading this book.

When I finished Short Stay I just couldn’t stop smiling, my heart felt so full and happy. If, as Heidi says above this was written at the request of and for her Patreon readers, they must be overflowing with joy.

Short Stay takes engaged couple Baz Acker and Elijah Prince (Lonely Hearts (Love Lessons #3) off on a runaway trip to escape a Momzilla on groom plan overload and their own fears for themselves and their future together. And of course, the only logical place to run away in a time like this is to Las Vegas, a scary destination for a man with photophobia and another with an unease of crowds and new places.

But Heidi Cullinan immediately starts to enclose our shaky couple with a cushioning of characters, old friends and new, that will guide them safely to a happy solid relationship foundation and future. Walter and Kelly (Love Lessons) come along immediately as drivers of Baz’s Tesla on their road trip to Las Vegas (Baz can’t drive because of his poor vision due to the photophobia that was caused during the hate bashing when he was 16).

In Las Vegas, their hotel reservation turns out to be Herods and an introduction to a wonderful group of fascinating and unforgettable characters, Ethan, Randy, Sam, Chenco, Mitch and more. Its such a great combination of universes and its works to perfection.

The author’s amazing ability to dive into each character’s hearts, and pull us along into their journey as these broken men find the courage and trust in themselves in order to go forward never fails to bring me to tears. The author makes us understand the special requirements and needs for living with photophobia, that life with a background as a child on the streets never vanishes, nor does the pain of that existence diminish with time. The author gives the reader insight into these issues through Baz, Elijah, Randy and more. We believe in them wholeheartedly, we want them to be happy and when it works out, just as the author plans, its beautiful, scary when their future seems shaky and heartwarming. A wonderful 5-star story.

And true to form, all other characters in the stories will show up as well. Heidi Cullinan forgets no one. I loved it. And it will send me back to reread all the other stories too. Bonus.

I loved Short Stay, I love all the Love Lessons stories. In fact I love Heidi Cullinan. There you go.

I recommend them all.

Book Cover is perfect for the story and character. Yep. Loved it too.

Sales Links: Amazon “>Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published May 24th 2016 by Heidi Cullinan
Original TitleShort Stay
ISBN139781311679758
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://www.heidicullinan.com/ShortStay
SeriesLove Lessons #3.5

A MelanieM Review: Blood and Clockwork by Katey Hawthorne

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Alistair Click set out to lay to rest the superstitious fears about the Mad Prince’s clockwork tower. If that meant he might bring the ghost city of Avalonia back to economic life, connecting the western kingdoms once again, so much the better. So what if no adventurer who’d entered the tower in the last century of desolation had ever re-emerged? They didn’t have his skill and wit. He could do better.

The tower turns out to be far more than Alistair expected, however. Not only are there clockwork puzzles to open every door, but one of them drops a boy from a strange world into his lap–figuratively speaking, if only just. Marco Murphy was just gaming in his New Jersey apartment, and now he’s stuck in what feels like a never ending LARP nightmare.

The deeper they delve into the Mad Prince’s tower, the darker the secrets they uncover. They’re not entirely sure they’ll ever be able to get out again, either. It’ll take all Marco’s charm and Alistair’s cleverness, plus the strange bond growing between them, to get them out together… and alive.

When I finished Katey Hawthorne’s Blood and Clockwork, several things popped immediately to mind. First? What a spectacular world and engrossing plot! That Mad Prince’s clockwork tower? Spellbinding…literally. Step by step, I was peering over the shoulders of those wonderful characters, Alistair and Marco as they carefully maneuvered their way thru the mechanisms the Mad Prince has laid out before them. Be prepared to hold your breath.

And right on the heels of that thought? More, there needs to be more.

From the moment I meet brave, enterprising Alistair entering the deserted town of Avalonia, the reader comprehends he is someone special. How special emerges as the story unfolds. He wants the secrets to the Mad Prince’s clockwork tower that never seems to wind down, even centuries later in the middle of a city devoid of life. Others have tried and never returned. Alistair is determined to be the first. Be prepared to fall deeply in loved with this character. He’s intelligent, non-judgmental and open to life’s possibilities. Also very brave which helps with what’s about to come.

Surprisingly, the tower has another occupant. A visitor from another dimension. Marco, an artist from our world. Charming, easy going, intelligent and a perfect match for Alistair in ways that Alistair is not prepared for, this includes sexually. For Alistair is asexual and the discussion had between them is thoughtful, easy and open, another wonderful element here. Marco is stuck in the tower and has no way home. Together they must work as a team to solve the tower’s puzzles in order to send Marco home and let Alistair solve the riddle of the tower.

Sounds simple but its anything but as the terrific narrative will show. Marco will pull in some of his skills from his home world, Alistair will use his, and the combination is lovely, imaginative, occasionally funny, and heartwarming.

When the story finished, I was happy yes, but not completely satisfied. I wasn’t done with these two or their world. I felt as though we had just gotten started with each other. Surely this was but the first in many adventures right? Katey Hawthorne? Are you listening? With their combination of talents, surely more stories and adventures are to follow? Just let me know. I’ll be ready to join in the fun or horror or both.

Cover art is beautiful yet horrific and works within the framework of the story.

Sales links: Less Than Three Press | ARe | Amazon link coming

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: March 16th 2016 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620047392
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: The Winter Prince by R Cooper

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 ★★★★★

His heart stolen by a powerful pari’s magic, a young prince’s veins slowly fill with ice. That is what the stories say. Three years have passed since, and all efforts to save Kisin have failed. He won’t survive another winter. To save the prince’s life, Razin, the court wizard and Kisin’s childhood friend, plans to seek out the pari. But unbeknownst to Razin, Kisin’s heart was never stolen; he gave it freely to escape the pain of impossible love—his love for Razin.

Razin won’t accept Kisin’s fate, for reasons obvious to anyone who knows anything of love. Kisin agrees to the desperate quest, out of duty and a need to protect Razin. But it isn’t long before Razin realizes saving his prince will require more than simply retrieving his heart. Razin will have to convince him to want it.

Sometimes when I’m reading a story by R Cooper I feel as though I’m drawn back into the past along with it, the words convey a tale that makes me feel so much a part of their lives and adventures.

The Winter Prince is another wonderful fairytale, with a cold, blue prince without a heart as its focus. Kisin is turning to ice and everyone assumes they know the cause but they are so wrong. And one man closest to the prince, Razin who loves the Prince beyond all hope will do everything he can to save him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Razin is a powerful mage in his own right but title. That’s part of the story as well.

R Cooper’s stories don’t unfold with haste but with a meaningful leisure. The author builds the tales slowly, upon scenes and history, upon the characters disclosures and moments of revelations that the reader, if they are patient, are rewarded with such gems of joy and magic along the way. I love it when I get the “aha, I see where you’ve been leading us” moment, or the laughter that comes when an angle totally unexpected pops up. But the clues are there if I hadn’t been paying attention to all the gorgeous work going on, the descriptions, the world building, the mythology…simply beautiful.

But its always the characters that bring me back. R Cooper makes me understand the isolation at the heart of Kisin’s sexual innocence and the deep pain that causes the grief the drives him to the desperation and worst decision of his life. We will see the story from other points of view than his, from Razin’s as well. I love the character of Razin. His life is so different than that of the remote, lonely prince. Razin was free in every way the Prince was not, in every way but one. I loved that you could see his pain and loss at his predicament too. There are simply so many other wonderful characters that will flow in and around these two, two women in particular, that will add their love and support in an astonishing way.

In the end, the magic of the story and the power of love kept me enthralled to the end. Happy ever after? Well, as much and as imperfectly perfectly so while staying true to the world they lived in. I could see it and still be happy for them all. Yes, I loved it.

Love R Cooper? Are you a fan of fairytales and fantasy? Here is another for your must read file. I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Brooke Albreacht doesn’t have enough of that fantasy element to satisfy me here. She could have done so much with the blue prince element and that was really lost.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 147 pages
Published February 24th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634769785
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Wolf, Becoming by Rory Ni Coileain

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Volyk learns very young that he has to hide what he is—oboroten’, shape-shifter—after his father is killed and skinned by a hunter, and the pack that takes in his pregnant mother is hostile to his kind. When Volyk is ordered to fight the pack’s beta to prove his fitness, but instead obeys his hormones and tries to mount him, he’s declared an abomination and forced to flee.

Ilya, too, hides a secret. Being young and gay in modern Russia is dangerous, and he knows it. But the truth eventually gets out, and his brothers lure him into the forest to kill him. They’re stopped by Volyk, who hides the mortally wounded Ilya in his den. The only way to heal the human is to turn him into an oboroten’.

Unfortunately, Ilya’s gentle nature is ill-suited to the life of a wolf. But when Volyk’s old pack returns, seeking to take away Volyk’s magickal den, Ilya will have to embrace—truly become—the wolf Volyk made him to save both his mate’s life and his own.

Very few authors do primal, elemental characters like Rory Ni Coileain which is very good for this story full of such characters. They feel steeped in Mother Russia and the ancient earth they trod on and the blood they easily spill. It may take place in Modern Russia but the actions and dark emotions feel anything but.

Those hatreds and fears are timeless and the author makes us experience it through her story and the lives of characters of Volyk and Ilya.

I found Wolf, Becoming to be part old Grimm fairytale and part shifter romance, with some horror story thrown in for good measure and it all kept me enthralled.

Volyk’s past is one we are tumbled into at the beginning of the story and its heartbreaking. Nor does it get any better for him as a young kit. For him life is one of loss, endurance, and pain. Then a chance meeting with Ilya changes everything for both of them. I love the language that Rory Ni Coileain employs in her narrative, somehow it seems old and modern at the same time, anchored in the past with Volyk and yet modern with Ilya, the freshness of the current times must coming from him.

There are some things I would have loved to have seen enlarged on here, Marik is a formidable and evil character, one that this author does so well. I’m torn between wanting to have more and less of him. And definitely wanted more of Ilya and Volyk’s relationship.

As it is I can absolutely recommend Wolf, Becoming to all lovers of shifter romance and romance in general. It kept me enthralled from the first page until the end and the storytelling was everything I expect was this wonderful author.

Cover art by Maria Fanning is beautiful and perfect for the characters.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: February 24th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634771405
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Acts of Passion: A Jack Cade/Michael di Santo Novel of Suspense by Sedonia Guillone

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When a man is found in his apartment, appearing to have committed hara kiri with a samurai sword, Boston Homicide Detective Jack Cade suspects more is going on than what it appears. The department’s criminal profiler has left and a new guy is taking his place. At first, Cade is skeptical of Dr. Michael Di Santo. Di Santo seems so absent-minded and too neurotic to be effective. But he is brilliant and hot and Cade finds himself falling hard and fast, both in lust and in love. The attraction is mutual, although Michael’s past demons haunt him, keeping him from getting too close. Together, they begin to unravel Michael’s emotional knots even as they close in on a killer, another brilliant, wily person whose sights are now set on Michael.

Acts of Passion by Sedonia Guillone is a novel that picks up the story of a secondary character from a previous series, Genjin/Holmes Mysteries. As Sedonia Guillone has said, she thought Michael Di Santo deserved his own HEA and gave it to him here in Acts of Passion, a layered story full of romance as well as mystery and suspense.

One element of every story and series Sedonia Guillone writes is the wounded warrior or modern samurai, and the author plays on that theme here with several devilish twists, always with a nuanced overlay of Japanese culture and samurai weaponry involved. Do I love that about her writing? Absolutely. Her knowledge is impeccable, and she is able to impart that passion and love to the reader without it being a dry dump of facts. Instead she folds it into her characters and their history beautifully, revealing itself as it should throughout the storyline.

You don’t have to have read the other series, this story works perfectly as a standalone. Guillone supplies the back-history for Michael’s previous relationship with Toshi (the ex partner back in Japan) and for Jack Cade, the man who will capture his interest personally and at work. I loved the interchanges between the characters, it works on every level to pull them together professionally and as men becoming interested romantically. You will get it too because Jack Cade is such an intriguing character with his own demons pulling at him as well. The two men have many obstacles, not the least of which is a serial killer, to overcome, before they can more on with each other.

I thought the mystery was good (although I had guessed correctly at who the killer was) but the suspense? Excellent. This was seat of the pants, white knuckle grip, will they get there in time stuff. And I love every bit of it.

I only wish the ending was stretched out a bit longer for my tastes, that would have made this perfect.

Is Sedonia Guillone a new author for you? Grab this up and start reading? Have a love of the Japanese culture and the samurai warrior in modern times? Love a good thriller with a romance thrown in? This has it all. Then go search out her other stories. I’ve included a link to her website below as well. Happy reading! I highly recommend this author and story to one and all.

Cover art by: Louca Matheo. The cover is sexy and works well for the storyline.

Sales Links: Amazon|BN Nook|Kobo|Google Play|AllRomance Ebooks

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 186 pages
Published January 15th 2016 by Ai Press (first published June 11th 2010)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Find out more about Sedonia Guillone at her website here: http://www.sedoniaguillone.com

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