Tag: A MelanieM Review

A MelanieM Review: Baked Fresh (Portland Heat #2) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Baked Fresh coverFrom its famous coffee to the mouthwatering fare at its cafés, restaurants, and bakeries, Portland, Oregon, has a lot to whet the appetite, including the hard-working men who serve it all up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Vic Degrassi is a baker on the rise, and it’s all thanks to his rare ability to make—and keep—his New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s losing weight, giving up smoking, or graduating from culinary school, Vic goes after what he wants—and gets it. This year? He wants Robin Dawson, the sweet-hearted hottie who volunteers with him at the local homeless shelter. When he learns that Robin is suddenly single after being unceremoniously dumped, Vic is more than happy to offer a shoulder to cry on—or at least a fresh-baked pastry to bite into. But it’s been a long time since Vic’s gone on a date, and he’s nervous about risking his friendship with Robin. So when their flirtation turns into a steamy night together, Vic and Robin have to figure out if they’re friends with benefits or lovers in the making, and if Robin is ready for something more than just a rebound. There’s only one way to find out: turn up the heat…

Annabeth Albert is an author I was unfamiliar with before now. Baked Fresh is my first introduction and its a good one.  The blurb offers up a number of elements guaranteed to pull me in such as cooking, baking, and romance.  But what is not apparent from the synopsis is that Baked Fresh contains one more element that I find irresistable….realistic characters who physically conform more to the norm than to the “Greek god” form of perfection.

Please don’t get me wrong…I do love my romances that contain love between two rugged/stunning/drop dead gorgeous/over the top specimens of the male gender. *fans* But its all about variety for me as well.  I want the guys who are a little worn around the edges, maybe a little bald or plump, maybe a little older or tarnished in attitude or outlook. Or even those men who have worked hard to tone up or better themselves….for themselves.  And its those men that Albert is writing about…heartwarmingly and realistically.  They grabbed at my heartstrings and I hope you will give them a chance.  Let’s take a closer look.

Vic DeGrassi is one of those quiet, surprising men that you might actually meet on the streets, Portland or otherwise.  A family history of heart disease and dying young made Vic take a hard look at his own health and extra (lots of extra) weight that he was carrying.  His answer to his predicament is a stomach band, a brave and often unpleasant operation.  Albert lets us into the fact that this is not the glamourous cure all you might think it is.  There’s the ugly scar, the minuscule list of food items that Vic can eat without making himself ill….it’s not an easy lifestyle to maintain, even after the operation.  But Vic looks at the risks and changes his lifestyle and we believe in him all the way.  The operation is over when the book begins and Vic has already well on his way to remaking himself.  He shaved his head, works out but the image in his mind is still the large, ungainly guy he remembers reflected back at him all those years, from his family included. The man you come to love through his thoughts, conversation and actions is a little more “old world” in manners, and outlook.  Vic’s charming, protective, and a wonderful man.   And he’s perfect for Robin.

Robin Dawson is also that quiet young man working away, trying to make a difference in his community and world.  He’s a little beaten down, lacking in self confidence.  His background is more problematic than Vic’s and it will explain his work at the local shelter, again made very authentic for the reader.  Robin’s pain is never far from the service and we meet him on a downward spiral after being dumped.  I took him to heart as well.

Their relationship is slow to grow, which is great.  We are there as Vic and Robin build something substantial, brick by hopeful brick.  They get to know each other, there are some surprises and quite a lot of very sexy love scenes.  These two, especially Vic, are inventive and fierce when they finally come together.  It’s hot, its sexy and it’s a lot of fun to read.

Is the book perfect?  No, just as its characters, it has some flaws and imperfections.  Not enough background in some cases, too much exposition in others.  And also a tad short…..I did want more of Vic and Robin and their future together.  You will too.

I haven’t read the first story and you really don’t need to in order to involve yourself with Vic and Robin.  But I so enjoyed this story that I will be searching out the first and then waiting for the third story to arrive.  I believe Annabeth Albert has me hooked with her honest characters, heartwarming romance and believable plots.  So consider Baked Fresh by Annabeth Albert a new wonderful surprise and a lovely recommended read.

Cover art by ?, I thought the cover  quiet and simple.  Not over the top which is actually kind of perfect for the men within, neither of which are those models on the cover.  That’s the only shame.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 159 pages
Expected publication: April 13th 2015 by Kensington
ISBN 1601833938 (ISBN13: 9781601833938)
seriesPortland Heat #2

Book in the Portland Heat series:

Served Hot (Portland Heat, #1)
Baked Fresh (Portland Heat, #2)
Delivered Fast (Portland Heat, #3)

 

A MelanieM Review: A Cut & Run Series Review (Crash & Burn #9) by Abigail Roux

Cut & Run Series Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Crash & Burn coverBook Rating:  5 stars out of 5 for Crash & Burn (Cut & Run #9) by Abigail Roux

In 2008, two authors – Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux – introduced two  complicated and dangerous men to the M/M readers all over.  Little did they know what had been born that day with Cut & Run, the first of nine main stories, multiple side stories and a side series, Sidewinders.

Here is the blurb for that first novel:

A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case. Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He’s cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he’s paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it’s hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliche: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer. Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer’s knife.”

 It was the first time that Ty Grady and Zane Garrett met and disliked each other immensely.  The glares flared, the snarkCut & Run cover flew, and the action accelerated the antagonism and attraction that sparked between them.  And the readers were hooked! Oh, man, were we hooked!  These guys were so dark, so complicated, so brilliant and charismatic that we had to have more.  Thank goodness, Abi and Madeleine were listening.

Already the comments were piling up and they all were sounding very similar:  “Love Ty, Love Zane, love the lines, the suspense, the action (oh, that action!)   And that was just book one.  Then came Sticks & StonesSticks & Stons cover followed by the amazing Fish & Chips (how I loved those titles).  Yes, just thinking about that book makes me run to start reading it all over again.  Ty and Zane masquerading as a gay couple on the high seas.  Here are a few lines from that memorable book:

Fish & Chips coverFish & Chips Quotes:

“When Ty was truly hot and bothered, it could be an amazing experience, like being mauled by a lion without the fuss of needing stitches after.”
― Abigail Roux, Fish & Chips

“Falling in love or just plain falling : they were both terrifying at any speed”
― Abigail Roux, Fish & Chips

Remembering now?  It was also the first time the L word was mentioned.  What a wild emotional journey that story was! A true leap to love and promise, however temporarily acknowledged, for them both.  This story was memorable for so many reasons and elements.  A large gem in a box full of diamonds.

From there we and Ty and Zane tried to move forward, always an iffy proposition with these two.  Nothing is every easy…its guns, and shootouts and physical trauma to go along with the emotional high stakes that kept pulling us in deeper and deeper.

Divide & Conquer coverThere was  Divide & Conquer (Cut & Run, #4)  which traumatized the heck out of me and kept me clued to the page through every heartbreaking scene.  This was Zane as we have never scene him before and hoped we never would again.  The fear for Zane and Ty was palpable all the way through.  This was also the last book that Madeleine Urban cowrote.  Now Ty and Zane become all Abigail Roux’s and the transition was as smooth as it could be for these two.  Abigail Roux truly made both men her own.  And ours.

Favorite quote: “First time I saw you, after I got over hating you, I knew,” he said, echoing Ty’s words, “I knew I’d fall in love with you”

 Armed & Dangerous coverArmed & Dangerous (Cut & Run, #5)  One of my favorites (ok, they all are, but this is high on a high list).  Ty and Zane separated but brought back together for a case that involves Julian  Cross, an enigmatic assassin?agent?man about crime? Julian is a puzzle that will keep on giving (read Warriors Cross) right up to the end in Crash  & Burn.  Loved Julian!  But it was the development in Ty and Zane’s relationship that made this story sing and resonate so with the readers.  The barriers were breaking down along with our hearts.

Armed & Dangerous Quotes:

“What do you want, MacGuffin, a duel?”
“No.” Julian held out both hands, one palm flat, the other held over it in a fist. “Rock, paper, scissors. Two out of three.”
Ty rolled his eyes and held out his fist, apparently willing to play. Julian hit his palm three times, and Ty kept time with his fist in the air. But when Julian threw a paper, Ty reached into his jacket with his other hand and pulled his gun, aiming it at Julian.
“Ty!” Zane said in exasperation from the front seat.
“Glock, paper, scissors. I win.”
“You are an ass,” Julian muttered.”

“I love you” Ty said, the quiet words devoid of any self-consciousness of his usual bravado. ” And I’ve never been able to say that before with such conviction. I can’t remember a time when you weren’t the first thing I thought of, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t care what stands in our way.” —that noise is me sobbing away

Dine & Dash coverDine & Dash (Cut & Run, #5.5) a cute, free short story is followed by one I consider another foundation stone for Ty and Zane because we travel first to West Virginia and a close look at the Grady clan and its convoluted dynamics and then to Texas for an entirely new perspective on the Garrett family and Zane’s  background.

Of course, I’m talking about…

???????????????????????????????????????Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run, #6).  We had the well deserved calm in their relationship before an emergency blows it all to hell.  We get a determined tiger on the run, a knife throwing game of oneupmanship and so much insight into both Ty and Zane that at times I felt like my heart was bleeding.  But no  that was still to come.  Quotes?  A gazillion of them here but I chose only a few:
Stars & Stripes Quotes:

“I love you,” Ty said out of the blue, his voice almost sing-song.
Zane laughed. “You’re drunk.”
“I loved you before I was drunk.”
― Abigail Roux, Stars & Stripes

“Had a gay bull I had to sell last year. That was a damn nuisance. Gay son? That don’t cost me nothing.”
― Abigail Roux, Stars & Stripes

“She told me to wait,that I was going to lose a finger.” Earl looked toward the kitchen and back at Ty and Duece. He snorted. “I asked her, did she think I was stupid? Then a couple of snips later, whack. Off went the finger. And you know what that woman said to me? I said ‘Mara you cut my finger off.’ And your mother said to me, ‘Well Earl who’s stupid now?”
― Abigail Roux, Stars & Stripes

Yes, I had to end on a laugh.  I love those Gradys no matter what, and that includes Chester and his shovel.

???????????????????????????????????????Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run, #7) brought the boys to New Orleans and confrontations with their past and each others part in it. Never before have I so wanted to hunt Abigail Roux into the ground.  This book just plain hurt.  I cried buckets of tears, wiped out several shelves of tissue boxes and still couldn’t let this story go.  The story was stunning, the reverberation deep, lethal, and perhaps unforgivable.  If this is not the finest story of the group, I don’t know what is.  The writing was remarkable but more indelibly was the impression it left on our hearts and Ty and Zane.

Just one quote because the tears will start flowing all over again.

Touch & Geaux Quote:

“You told me one time that . . . I was your compass. I gave you direction when you were lost,” Ty said, nearly choking on the words. He glanced up, eyes reflecting like liquid in the low light. “Well, you were my anchor. You were something solid for me to hold onto. I wanted you to remember that.”

 Just two more to go and we couldn’t believe that soon it would all be over.  How was Abigail Roux going to pull it all together? There was a mole at the FBI, Ty and Zane weren’t sure who they could trust, their relationship was getting deeper and decisions needed to be made. So of course, Deuce, Ty’s brother, decides to get married on an island off of mainland Scotland.  In a storm.  With murderers on the loose and the targets not defined.  The Sidewinders are present and the air ripe for physical violence, emotional trauma and unforgettable goings on.   It was a wedding, for cripes sake.  Didn’t they know better than to invite Ty and Zane?

???????????????????????????????????????Ball & Chain (Cut & Run, #8), as I said, takes place on a private island in Scotland where Deuce and his fiance, and their child, will be married.  Everyone is along for the celebration and ceremony, including many participants with their own agendas.  Here, a spectacular murder takes place, albeit one that I wished had happened much earlier.  Never liked that man.  Or trusted him.  Roux should have killed him twice.  Not all fans were as crazy about this book as they were others.  Too many  other relationships intruded into Ty and Zane’s in this, the penultimate story.  But really, I don’t see how Roux could have gotten around that factor.  She had one more book to bring it all to a head and other people and their relationships had to be included at this point to make sense of it all at the end.  This book gets much better when you have read Crash & Burn because it fits this story more easily into the whole then when read at first.

Ball & Chain Quotes (more of them because hey, its almost over):

“Zane hurried to catch up. “Wait, Ty, you want to do that with her with us?”

“She’s a year old. She won’t understand death and destruction for at least another year.”

“If we ever decide to adopt, you’re a mute in any interviews.”

“Understood.”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

“You’ve taken a lot of hits in the last few days, Ty. Let me take this last one for you.”

Ty stared at him, struck breathless, struck speechless. He snaked his arm around Zane’s neck and hugged him tight. He nodded, still unable to speak.”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

“Zane sighed. “I was so hoping this would be a normal vacation.”
Ty smacked him on the side of the head. “Don’t use bad words.”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

“You let me think I was being stalked by a ghost, you fuck nuts!”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

And here we are.  Book 9.  The official series finale, Crash & Burn.Crash & Burn cover  I sort of, really, absolutely hoped this day wouldn’t come but of course, it had to.    At some point Ty and Zane had to come to an ending, no matter how much we wished otherwise.  How was Abigail Roux to end the series?  Ty…oops tie  up all the loose ends?  And finally, make our guys and their relationship whole and as happy as it can get for these two.  And where are the kitties?  Ty needs his kitties.  Who didn’t cry with Smith & Wesson went home to Julian? Huh? Huh?  Nope, Ty needs a furball of his own because they don’t let people have tigers as pets in Baltimore.  I know this for a fact! So how did it all turn out?

Happily, wonderfully, totally satisfyingly kill those bad guys, kiss as though you will love each other forever again two thumbs up.  Or as much as it can be when I really don’t want to say goodbye.  So many people we have come to love over the nine books are present and accounted for. I will miss them too. We learn about the mole, (damn you!),  many  people die, some that you liked, Chester had a wild time with his shovel and, yes, there was another wedding much closer to home.  I wept more buckets, laughed a ton, and reminisced all the way through this story.  And I loved every word of it.

I know we reviewers try to remain objective but with Cut & Run, I just can’t. Ditto Crash & Burn.  Thank you, Abigail Roux for continuing on after Madeleine stopped writing and making Ty and Zane truly your own. For that’s how I think about them now. Thank you, Madeleine and Abigail, for two of the most loved characters out there. Ty and Zane?  What a great ride its been! It’s been eight wonderful, memorable years of love, sex, suspense and action.  What a saga and its one that will remain always high on my to be rec’d list and Best of Lists and Most Memorable Lists and whatever lists you can think of.  I’m betting its all that for you too.  The only thing I can hope for now?  Seeing them again in some of the other stories and hoping that all the books ended up published together in paperback so I can page through, over and over again and remember why I love them so.

So here it is.  The End.  And the final quotes, at least for this post.

Crash & Burn:
“You realize we’re looking at our future, right? Two of us in a retirement home, bitching about our catheters and heated blankets.”
― Abigail Roux, Crash & Burn

“Can I start calling you hubby?”
“Do it and die.”
“Snookums, then.”
― Abigail Roux, Crash & Burn

 and I’ll end it with this one, words that will send me running back to the very first story and start the ride all over again.

 
“- Some roads to love aren’t easy, and I’ve never been more thankful for being forced to fight for something. I started this journey with a partner I hated, and a man in the mirror I hated even more. The road took me from streets of New York to West Virginia, from the place I born to the place I found a home. It forced me to let go of my past and face my future. And I had to be made blind before I see. (…) I promise to love you until I die. (…) – I promise to never leave you alone in the dark, he whispered.”  
― Abigail Roux, Crash & Burn

Here are the books in the order they were written and should be read and their sales links:

A MelanieM Review: Death by Dragon by Madeleine Ribbon

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Death by Dragon coverSince his mother died, the victim of an attack by a powerful vampire, Rafael “Fell” Harwick, has been living, no hiding, in his cabin deep in the woods.  A half incubus and witch, Fell is considered a hybrid that other supernaturals avoid, either because of his incubus half or the fact that he’s a witch.  Fell only goes into town when he needs to feed and that is infrequent because Fell hates feeling like a whore who needs the sex act to exist. Fell also doesn’t want to draw attention to himself and his location.  Then a trio of shifters is pursued by humans to his doorstep and his world changes forever.

Humans aren’t supposed to know about supernaturals yet three shifters are being shot at and grievously wounded by a group of human hunters.  Someone has broken the Silence and there will be hell to pay from the Immortal Council and their Keepers of Silence who enforce their laws.  Despite Fell’s determination to remain hidden and apart, he goes to the aid of the shifters and uses his magic to help them.

Now revealed, Fell is pulled into a supernatural resistance group trying to bring down the very vampire who killed his mother and who wants him in his power.   But acceptance is hard to come by as one of the shifters hates incubus and the other is a emotional mess. And even their leader doesn’t trust Fell because he’s a witch.  Despite everything Fell is determined to go on…until one last piece of knowledge is revealed.  One of the people Fell is helping will also be the one that kills him.  What’s a half incubus and witch to do?

Death by Dragon by Madeleine Ribbon is the third book I have read by this author and it’s the best yet!  Ribbon’s world building is marvelous and sets the foundation for the numerous clashes and supernatural relationships to come.  Supernaturals and  Immortals exist along side an unaware human population, divided by stringent laws that make it very clear that humans are not to know that the others exist.  Those who break the “Silence” as the law is called, are hunted down by the Keepers of Silence, something to be avoided at all costs.  Yet someone has broken or is bending the law as much as possible in order to obtain as much power and gain as he can.  Already the tension is high between all the characters within the story.  They can be found on all sides of the magical partition and even often straddle the boundaries laid out between various supernatural factions and families.

Caught in the middle while doing his best to remain invisible is Fell Harwick.  Isolated by his circumstances and orphaned by violence and need, Fell is that character whose vulnerability and appeal immediately draws in the readers.  We fear for the precarious situation he finds himself in and love his strength and determination that spills out even when fear and pain overwhelms him.  Fell is a marvelously endearing character and I loved him and hated what was to come.  And there is a ton of bad stuff ahead. As Fell is also part seer he knows (although the readers keep hoping not) that he will be unable to avoid the path already laid out for him.    Ribbon takes this slight, angst filled young man and turns him into someone truly heroic by the end of the story by way of  ordeals he endures and the travail that follow.

Just as there are layers upon layers to Fell’s character, the same hold true for the two shifters he saves, Jett and Theodore, members of the local resistance group.  Opposite from each other in every way, from physique to emotional stability, they even differ on how they interact and accept Fell  and Fell’s true nature.  Truth be told I never liked Theodore much, understood him yes, liked him no.  But Jett?  There’s a character I adored, even when I wanted to throttle him for his stubbornness and rigidity.  Ribbon has a whole slew of characters here to act as support for her plot and main characters, some are fully fleshed out, others disappear and you won’t miss them.   But those characters that stick in your head, like Corran does, are ones that you will want more of at the end of the story.

Madeleine Ribbon keeps building various Venn diagrams within her layered plot, groups set apart by their nature, groups set apart by their political aspirations and schemes for power, groups set apart by family and groups set apart by relationships. Then Ribbon builds in stress, horror,  pain, and suspense where each overlaps the other(s).  There will be murder most foul, and even scenes that border on torture. Love, longing, and hot sexy scenes as well to offset the horror that arrives on its heels. Yes, my stomach did a flip flop or three in various places in this  novel.  I’m betting yours will too.  Why?  Because these beings become real and the readers, myself included, will find themselves full invested in each characters current circumstance (usually beyond precarious) and in agony over their futures, including if they are to have any at all.  That Fell knows who will kill him is one of the overriding threads that will have you in tears.  Her descriptions and vivid imagery will haunt you  long after the story is done.  Trust me on this.

Only the ending left me wanting more.  More of the Keepers and more of what comes next for the characters involved.  It felt a little unfinished and I’m hoping that’s because the author has more in store for us and this universe that’s so captivating and addictive.

Not familiar with Madeleine Ribbon?  Death by Dragons is a wonderful place to begin your acquaintance.  Love romance and shifters?  Here is a terrific story for you!  And yes, here be Dragons, dark, fierce and utterly memorable.  I highly recommend this story to all.  Grab it up and start reading today.

Cover artist:Syneca Featherstone.  Not a fan of this cover.  There were so many wonderful elements to draw on and this is the one she choose?  Uh, no.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 283 pages
Published February 16th 2015 by Loose Id LLC
ASINB00TQ89CXI
edition languageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Stokes & Ford (Storming Love: Blizzard #6) by Jackie Nacht

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Storming Love- Stokes and Ford coverFord and Stokes are about to weather two storms; the blizzard coming their way and their growing feelings for one another.

Stokes has been rooming with Ford ever since the first day of college. Although his feelings had started out as friendly, over time, they have grown deeper. He’s fallen for Ford, hard, but how the hell is Stokes going to tell Ford? When college winter break approaches, Stokes decides to take Ford up to his parent’s rental to have a fun weekend with Ford and finally let his best friend know what he feels. However, with a blizzard coming in, they will have to weather the storm outside and in their hearts.

Stokes and Ford is the last story in the Storming Love: Blizzard series and its a perfect match for all the others that came before.  In short, its sweet, short, and romantic.  Jackie Nacht’s two main characters are college roommates and best friends who also happen to harbor deep feelings, albeit hidden ones, for each other.  One of them, Stokes, decides to risk their friendship and pulls Ford away for a sking weekend that he hopes will turn into something more.  Well, the “something more’ in this case, is the snowstorm of the century and the two men get isolated in the cabin for days, giving both of them time to move forward.

Jackie Nacht does a terrific job with making the snowstorm and its effects upon Stokes and Form believable.  From the men dealing with the drifts and heavy snow on the roof, to the meals they must prepare/cook and the  ways they manage to while away the time (non sexually) in a small cabin enclosed in snow.  A little more frustrating is the dithering about when clearly both young men adore each other, from the cuddling on the bed to the constant touching.  But perhaps that’s authentic as well in two people who care so much about the other that the physical touches say what verbally they are afraid to speak.

Either way, the story is short, and journey to love and revelation sweet and satisfying.  I enjoyed my time with Stokes and Ford and can recommend this story and the entire series.

Cover Artist: Kris Jacen does a good job in branding the series and that a perfect cover for a  collection called Storming Love: Blizzard.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 66 pages
Published March 1st 2015 by ManLove Romance Press
ASINB00U6FJ5AA
edition languageEnglish
seriesStorming Love: Blizzard #6

Books in the Storming Love: Blizzard series:

A MelanieM Review: Eoin’s Destiny (The Fire Trilogy #3) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Eoin is faced with the end of times.

Eoin's Destiny coverWith his friends at his side, can he rescue the prisoner that might hold the secrets to winning the battle between Cariad and City as well as the key to his heart?

His bond brothers, Kian and Darach, probably hate him for his necessary lie and two-thirds of the Council wants him dead. Against all this he has to rescue a prisoner whose Amber Fire is killing him.

The third book in the Fire Trilogy discovers more old Guardians, ancient Cariad magik, and not least of all the other half of Eoin: Trystyn.

Eoin’s Destiny is the third and final story in RJ Scott’s Fire Trilogy and it’s the one we’ve all been waiting for as the previous stories have been leading up to this finale –  the destiny foretold for three men, friends since childhood until they were torn apart by the amber fire. We’ve had Kian and Darach, now its Eoin’s time to bring it all to a fitting conclusion.

I have to admit my favorite thing about this series has been Scott’s world building and mythology.  I love all the magical components she created, including the different types of fire that is part of a person once they mature, and the societies that have divided themselves along different magical lines.  One is a “civilized” magic whose use has become anything but benign and civilized. The other?  The Cariads, a sort of gypsy-like people who use a wild magic ancient in use and history.  The division occurred long ago and the reason buried but the ramifications have continued to spiral out of control until the Cariads are regarded as evil beings…far from the reality of the gentle people with a rich culture hiding in the woods.  I really wanted more of the Cariads…they are an amazing creation.

The characters, especially the original trio of friends and their counterparts, is the other joy here.  It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about Kian and Regan Campbell (Kian’s Hunter – The Fire Trilogy #1),Darach and Ceithin (Darach’s Cariad) or here in the final story, Eoin and Trystyn (Eoin’s Destiny) , each couple contains memorable characters and a terrific romance.

As the trilogy seeks to reunite the old friends, it also has a deep mystery to solve and an evil mage to uncover and destroy.  Clues and facts have been strewn throughout the preceding stories and now Scott needs to bring them all together in an emotionally satisfying  and dramatic conclusion.  And that is probably where my only issue with this series lies.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

In Eoin, Scott has created a complex and tortured hero who is condemned to either die or watch the man (he’s yet to meet) he will love die because both are Amber fire mages, a combination thought to be  impossible because of the power involved.  His soul mate is another amber fire wielder who is being held prisoner and drained of his magic.  The identity of that man is another terrific element here, although not one hard to guess at. The fight to rescue this person is suspenseful, sometimes terrifying and the best part of this book.  It’s a knuckle biter all the way and I loved it!  Scott adds in just the right amount of horrific details to make this person’s pain and situation scarily real and perilous.  And the stealthy nature of the rescue will make the reader hold their breath.  It’s a great roller-coaster ride every step of the journey.

So much power and energy went into this section of the story that when it came time for the denouement and, hopefully, explosive fight between the evil mage and the triad that the end felt a little lacking.  Yes, the magic crackled and  the evil mage thwarted forever, but…..it almost felt anticlimactic in comparison.  You want this villain to go out with a bang, instead he just goes kind of quietly with less than a whimper.  Where is the drama that this trilogy deserved?  Back in the rescue scenes.  Oh well.

That aside, there is so much to love about this story and series.  As I said, the world building and mythology is over the top, the characters easy to love and their road to romance and HEA engaging and heartwarming.  That’s more than enough riches here and any lover of fantasy, romance and magic will want to pick up these stories and get reading.  It helps to read them in order so that you can build up your knowledge of the different societies and circumstances the heroes find themselves in as the tale unfolds.

Cover art by Meredith Russell.  Its quiet and dark.  The hooded one is an image that comes from the story itself. But where is the amber fire so important to the characters and storyline?

Sales Links: Love Lane Books      All Romance (ARe)     Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 126 pages
Published January 9th 2015 by Love Lane Books (first published September 17th 2011)
edition languageEnglish
url RJ Scott Website
seriesThe Fire Trilogy #3

 

The Fire Trilogy books in the order they were written and should be read:

 

A MelanieM Review: Kian’s Hunter (The Fire Trilogy #1) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Kian's Hunter coverKian has crossed over from his world to ours to seek revenge. His plan is to kill the monster who murdered his Uncle. The same monster who used magic to escape to our world and is hiding here and growing in strength.

Regan Campbell is a hunter of Demons. The first son, of a first son, he is the one who protects this world from the monsters that no one else knows are here.

When Kian reaches this world, he knows Regan is the perfect man to fight alongside him, but Regan trusts no one.

It isn’t until they are facing death and a terrible evil that will be let loose, that Regan finally realises he can trust another…his fated partner, Kian.

Kian’s Hunter by RJ Scott is a wonderfully imaginative tale that sets the stage for the remaining stories in this trilogy.  Through our introduction to the main characters, Scott sketches out her trilogy plot and worlds where her stories begin. Kian ap Rhys, a green fire mage come to Earth from a magical parallel world looking to revenge his uncle’s death.  Kian’s uncle had his fire stolen from him by the Danio, an exiled race of magical beings now causing chaos and pain on Earth and Kian has traveled through a portal to find those beings responsible and kill them.  On the flip side of the coin, or parallel world as RJ Scott has it, resides Regan Campbell, human being and hunter.  Regan is the latest in a long line of hunters tracking down and killing said “demons and unnatural beings”.  Regan’s own knowledge of those he’s hunting is sketchy and patchwork.  He mostly concentrates his energies on the hunt and the kill.

When RJ Scott brings these two men together, not only do we get a wonderfully engaging couple on the daunting path to love and a fated bond but the back story for both men and the overall trilogy plot starts to pull together.  Here we find out about the devoted trio of childhood friends torn apart by traumatic event and the basis of the fire magic.  We also get the elementary knowledge as to what the 3 different fire colors mean as far as the type of magic it allows each person to wield.  I love the idea of magic born of fire.  The pictures that create in a reader’s mind is marvelous and as magical as the fire itself.  For Kian…his fire is green and his magic flows from nature.  What that means is explored here in a fundamental way that will be enlarged on down the road in the following stories.

But back to the men.  I found their characters engaging, snarky, and fun.  I loved their banter and the action that brings them together finally as a pair.   I wanted more and more of them both by the end of the story.

What did I find missing?  That would be more of the back history that is coming in Darach’s Cariad and Eoin’s Destiny.  For those that get frustrated with stories that feel as though they are missing elements as this sometimes does, I recommend reading all three stories, one right after the other.  Taken together you have the whole and its wonderful.  Kian’s Hunter is but the first puzzle piece, waiting for the rest to complete it.   As such, it does the job its supposed to and pulls the reader into the mysteries and romance of a trio of mages and the great evil that awaits them all.

I highly recommend this story and its companion tales.  For those of you who love romance and fantasy, here is a trilogy for you!

Cover artist Meredith Russell. I’m not a fan of this cover.  It looks as though its for a contemporary romance instead of a fantasy.   Poor job in every element for this cover.

Sales Links:  Love Lane Books  All Romance (ARe)   Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

Note: this book was originally a short story written in 2010. This version is inspired by that short story and is a complete re-write.

ebook, 2nd Edition, 102 pages
Published March 19th 2014 by Love Lane Books (first published December 1st 2010)
ISBN139781311226518
edition languageEnglish
url http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/kian.html
seriesThe Fire Trilogy #1

Books in the Fire Trilogy:

Kian’s Hunter (The Fire Trilogy #1)
Darach’s Cariad (The Fire Trilogy #2)
Eoin’s Destiny (The Fire Trilogy #3)

A MelanieM Review: Blind Stud (King of Hearts #1) (PF 2015) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

In a world where supernatural creatures openly exist, who can blame them for coalescing in one of the most fascinating and erotic places on earth? Welcome to New Orleans.

Laurant likes sex…

Blind Stud, King of Hearts cover PF2015Who is Laurant?  An incubus of course, so the pleasures of the flesh aren’t just enjoyment, they’re food. However, Laurant isn’t attracted to women, but to men.  In his family, being a gay demon means you are the wrong type of demon. And that makes Laurant’s life more than a little difficult when your family looks down on you for your choice of food and companionship.

But all that changes when Laurant catches sight of a lost and alone human who definitely needs his help…a gorgeous young man about to become prey to the human sort of predator.  Once saved, a larger mystery looms.  That of the stranger himself who is a stranger…to himself.

What are you supposed to do when you blink your eyes and realize you have no idea who or where you are? Pretty sure the answer isn’t trust a sex demon with your life…all things considered that may be the lesser of two evils…

You just know a series is going to be captivating when the first character you meet is not only unapologetically outrageous and charismatic but also oozes with merriment and sex appeal.  That’s Laurant.  A incubus with the appetites of a succubus.  Laurant comes equipped with corny pickup lines and the ability to make the local squirrels and any other living being around him, go into a sexual frenzied state.  He also has a more complex personality than is first apparent.  I think all readers will love Laurant upon introduction.  He’s a terrific character and Fellows did a great job in providing him with layers that makes one look past some of his more “eye rolling” actions and dialog.

But what or in this case who pulls at Laurant’s attention and needs is a young amnesiac he rescues off the streets in New Orleans.  First given the name “Vic” for victim by Laurant, the young man sets the incubus straight (kind of) and names himself for the street they are on.  For all the questions posed by his presence, Havan Fellows crafts a wonderful character who is a strong fascinating man behind the mystery and soon we are as drawn to him as Laurant is.

And yes, danger to both lurks just around the corner.  Fellows throws so many neat clues around the mystery man that I was making a list of bribes to offer her so she would tell me who and what he possibly might be.  And then that ending…

This story flew by so rapidly that it felt as though the ending appeared seconds after I started on page one.  Not true but I was so into this tale, that the story was over before I was ready for it to end.  For those of you for whom cliffhangers are beyond frustrating (you binge watchers know who I’m talking to), you just might want to wait for another story or two to come out.  Those readers who love to be surprised, stymied by plot and events, and who enjoy every minute of it, grab this up and start reading.

Round One is four stories and only two are out.  Each represents additional layers to the overall series and world building and you can see the stories start to interlock here as old and new characters appear.  But as interesting as those peripheral (for now) characters are, nothing and nobody will steal your  attention away from our couple here.  They are amusing and astonishingly equal in their interactions, sexually dynamic,  and just plain out engaging.  And they make this story unputdownable – yes, that’s a word and I’m sticking to it.

I highly recommend this story and its companion in the Altered States Pulp Friction 2015 combined story.  I’ve become a fan once more of serialized fiction and think you will feel the same.  If you are new to the Pulp Friction gang, once you’ve delved into these stories, go back and read the Pulp Friction series of 2013 and 2014…all terrific and must reads for me!

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Great cover, love the model and the branding at the bottom.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 49 pages
Published March 1st 2015 by Appleton Publishing Avenue
ASINB00U634T2Q
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 (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Not familiar with the Altered States series? Check them all out here:

Books in the Altered States Series in the order they should be read:
• Altered States (Altered States, #0.5) by Laura Harner and T. A. Webb
• Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States, #1) by Laura Harner and T. A. Webb
• Deadly Shades of Gold (Altered States, #2) by Laura Harner and T. A. Webb
• Free Falling Crimson (Altered States, #3)  by Laura Harner and T. A. Webb (aka Tom Webb)