Tag: A Stella Review

A Stella Review: When Will I Be Loved (Crescent Bay Chronicles #2) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Fairy tales can come true…

when will I be loved coverMiller Fenwick wants the kind of happy ending his best friend got, with the hunky werewolf of his dreams. Trouble is, there doesn’t seem to be a Prince Charming on the horizon, and casual encounters don’t cut it anymore. Now that Alexx and Raoul are engaged, Miller is becoming resigned to being the bridesmaid, never the bride. But a chance encounter with a sexy stranger at Charisma has his hopes soaring, and his heart is wide open to possibilities.

Holt Wynne is the head of Helios, the largest vampire organization in the country. He’s a very influential and wealthy man, with a deep-seated hatred of werewolves. His running into Miller at Charisma isn’t entirely accidental. He’d meant to wait, but his emotions got the better of him, and he couldn’t stay away. And now see what he’s done…

Wait until Miller finds out he’s sort of just gotten married to the sexy vampire who hates the people who are Miller’s best friends. Sparks are gonna fly—and not just in the bedroom. One thing for sure—life in Crescent Bay is never dull!

When Will I Be Loved is the second book in the Crescent Bay Chronicles series by Julie Lynn Hayes. I liked the first one so much, so as soon as I saw this one was out , I got my hands and eyes on it. Here we meet Miller, Alexx’s best friend (When Will I See You Again), tired of meaningless nightstands and of being alone. He’s looking for someone serious in his life but the perfect guy he’s spent one night with, has vanished the morning after. Miller works as a receptionist at the Crescent Bay Chronicles, the newspaper just bought by Holt Wynne, the head of Helios, the largest vampire clan in the country.
Holt saw his mate, or eternal love as vampires say, at the Lupercalia Ball, and soon started changing his life, moving to Crescent Bay and buying the newspaper Miller works at.

“I saw you and I knew,” Holt whispered in a husky voice.
“Knew what?”
“That you were mine,” Holt said simply.[…]
“What does that even mean?” He gave Holt a confused look.
His legs felt as if they were ready to give out on him, and he didn’t put up an argument when Holt gently seated him back on the sofa.
“It means, my love, that you and I… That we…” […]“I know you’re probably familiar with the concept of soul mates. With us, it is that, but more so. And it’s a rare occurrence. To find another person who is as much you as you are, even if he or she appears to be very different. It’s about two hearts becoming one, two souls finding one another and reuniting. We call it eternal love. And you are mine. I knew it the moment I saw you at the Ball. And I knew I had to come back for you.”

Their first meeting was hot and explosive, maybe the “I love you” after seeing each other only two times was a little too much but I love stories about destined mate so it was okay. Miller was good to Holt, too strict and not used to having some fun. I liked how Holt showed his weakness and he wasn’t ashamed of his feelings. He seriously suffered in the past and I was happy for him for finally have found his mate. He fell apart on Miller more than once, very human for a vampire.

I appreciated seeing more of Alexx and Raul, they had a huge role to play in this book, but don’t worry, it can be read as a standalone. The book is sickening sweet (and I loved every single sugary moment) but there are a few childish behaviors that forced me to give it not more than four stars.

I can admit I preferred the first one, it was more engaging to me and less predictable in some parts, even if it’s hard to compare the two stories, they are totally different. Nonetheless When Will I Be Loved was perfect for the Miller story, he deserved this kind of lover and HEA. Now I’m really curious to know if there will be a third book in this series.

Cover art by Trace Edward Zaber. The cover shows a specific scenes in the story. I like it a lot, especially in the use of colors.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 363 pages
Published June 7th 2015 by Amber Quill Press
ISBN 9781681750378
Edition Language English

Crescent Bay Chronicles series
When Will I See You Again #1
When Will I Be Loved #2

SALE LINKS

ARE https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whenwillibeloved-1838226-340.html
AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/When-Will-See-You-Again-ebook/dp/B00IA6Q77Q
AMBER QUILL PRESS http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2200-When-Will-I-Be-Loved.aspx

A Stella Review: When Will I See You Again (Crescent Bay Chronicles #1) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

When Will I See You Again coverRaoul Marchand is the crown prince of Charisma, the infamous night club in Crescent Bay, renowned for its supernatural clientele. He has the pick of any and all men, but he cares for none. He uses them and throws them away again, and has done so for some twenty years, in the aftermath of a tragedy that robbed him of what he loved most in the world.

Alexx Jameson is an idealistic would-be reporter with the Crescent Bay Chronicle. Presented with an opportunity to write a story on the Marchands, he eagerly grasps the chance to be a real reporter. His friend, Chronicle receptionist Miller Fenwick, suggests they go to Charisma to do a little research. Alexx isn’t sure that’s such a great idea. After all, he’s still under age, being only twenty. No problem, Miller can fix that! Added bonus, there’s a full moon tonight.

When Alexx first encounters Raoul, it isn’t exactly in the way he dreamed of, and he’s sure he made a terrible first impression. But Fate throws them together under unforeseen circumstances, and the attraction between them can’t be denied.

Can Raoul let go of the past long enough to find his future with Alexx, or is he doomed to repeat past mistakes?

When Will I See You Again by Julie Lynn Hayes is one of what I call “feel good” books, the kind of book, when I finish reading, I feel so satisfied. This book has everything I like to read, lovely characters, hot steamy sex, good plot and great HEA, plus a welcome (to me) amount of sugar. It hit one of my softer spot, the sweetness. That’s exactly why I enjoy Julie Lynn Hayes’s work so far so much. She can write stories that stay in my mind and my heart for so long. The one between the innocent, mouthy Alexx and rough Raul is unforgettable and the attraction is strong and compelling. There’s a little supernatural aspect that bring our heroes together that make this book almost a second chance at love story and it just add a special touch to their love.

I read this book a couple of times and every time I like it more, every time it was hard to put down. I can say it’s my favorite by the author.

It’s not just a simple paranormal story between a wolf shifter and a human. Of course it’s romantic, sexy and real in the unrealistic world it is set in, real in the romantic love between MCs and the power of friendships. Moreover there’s a mystery to solve that will affect their lives greatly.

So if you enjoy a book with a well developed plot as well as a good romantic story with some paranormal throw in it, When Will I See You Again is exactly what you are looking for. It’s well written and there is a sequel I begged for, called When Will I Be Loved, beautiful too.

Cover art by Trace Edward Zaber. I love this cover, the solitude I can feel coming from the lonely wolf will be rewarded at the end.

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

Book Details:
Published February 6th 2013 by Amber Quill Press, LLC
Kindle Edition, 292 pages
ASIN B00IA6Q77Q
Edition Language English

Crescent Bay Chronicles series
When Will I See You Again #1
When Will I Be Loved #2

A Stella Review: For Real by Alexis Hall

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

For Real coverLaurence Dalziel is worn down and washed up, and for him, the BDSM scene is all played out. Six years on from his last relationship, he’s pushing forty and tired of going through the motions of submission.

Then he meets Toby Finch. Nineteen years old. Fearless, fierce, and vulnerable. Everything Laurie can’t remember being.

Toby doesn’t know who he wants to be or what he wants to do. But he knows, with all the certainty of youth, that he wants Laurie. He wants him on his knees. He wants to make him hurt, he wants to make him beg, he wants to make him fall in love.

The problem is, while Laurie will surrender his body, he won’t surrender his heart. Because Toby is too young, too intense, too easy to hurt. And what they have—no matter how right it feels—can’t last. It can’t mean anything.

It can’t be real.

Usually I don’t read books this long (this one is 437 beautiful pages), cause they always dragged at some point during the story. Not For Real by Alexis Hall. I was caught in the MCs’ lives till the end, there wasn’t one little moment of boredom. I didn’t want to put it down and I could have going on for another 400 pages. I felt everything Laurie and Toby felt, almost if I was there in their amazing world.

Of course I didn’t expect anything other than perfection from Alexis Hall. Recently I realized that he could simply write my favorite pie recipe and turn it in a masterpiece. He not “just can write”, there a lot of authors that can really write, he writes magically, everything is so poetic, even the smallest and stupid description of something you could have thought useless for the purpose of the story. The use of words in the descriptions and the reality of this story were two elements that made this book a winner to me. Even if the story flows easy, still I found it complex and that was what I appreciated more.

For Real is definitely not the usual BDSM story, the way in which the roles were defined plus everything was one continuous discovery. And not just for the young Toby, too young to know how to express himself in his desire of dominate Laurie. This was a dynamic I hadn’t read yet, at first it almost sounded strange to me but then I got it. I understood that the author gave me Toby and Laurie, two real characters, both full of flaws but true in their feelings. Their story was complicated, sweet and hot. Moreover I so appreciated to be able to know every little detail that went on in their minds.

As I said a complex book with a beautiful happy ending. I already know I’m going to reread it very soon because the positive, happy vibes it gave me are addictive. For Real deserves absolutely a spot on my fave shelf. Not a crumble less than 5 stars!

Cover art by Simoné. I love this artist style, it’s magical and dreamy. This cover is perfect and fitting in every detail. I especially love the colors and all that light coming from the windows. Just like the book, it’s real.

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

Book Details:
Published June 1st 2015 by Riptide Publishing
ebook, 437 pages
ISBN13 9781626492790
Edition Language English

Spires Universe:
Glitterland
Waiting For The Flood
For Real

What’s this “Spires” thing?

Author Alexis Hall: My feeling is that even contemporary-set romance stories to an extent take place in imagined worlds. So even though they’re not direct sequels to each other, my contemporary romances often have overlapping characters, ideas and settings. Spires is how I refer to this collection of thematically linked but otherwise standalone stories.

A Stella Review: Taming the Lion (Lionhearts #2) by Elizabeth Coldwell

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Will he sacrifice everything for the sake of his human mate?

Taming the Lion coverThwarted in his efforts to become head of the Amsterdam pride of lion shifters, Kaspar de Wit flees to England. He finds himself in Bath, home of the biggest English pride, and begins to make a new life among friends. What he doesn’t know is that he’s moved to a city steeped in bloody ritual. Destiny seems to have drawn Kaspar to the place where he’ll meet his mate–but does something more horrifying lie in wait for him, too?

Jon Fellowes, professor of archaeology at Bath University, is obsessed with the standing stones that dominate the Somerset landscape and the people who raised them. He’s heard tales of strange creatures, half-man, half-lion, that once roamed the land, but dismisses them till he meets the beautiful Kaspar and learns the bizarre truth of his nature. As an ancient rite is revived and terror stalks the countryside, can Jon and Kaspar overcome the natural distrust between humans and shifters to find true love? Or will one of them be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Taming The Lion is the second book in the Lionhearts series by Elizabeth Coldwell. Since I enjoyed the first book, The Pride Of Amsterdam, I was really curious about this new story, especially as I was hoping to know more about this new lion universe the author has built. Well, I didn’t get what I wanted because the book is set in Bath, England, so I got nothing about my beloved Kees and Arjan.

Moreover this book was heavier and darker, with some really hard to take scenes which I was so not expecting, they destabilized me. I was expecting a paranormal book and shifters.

What I got was:

1) A lot of sex, as in the first book. If you have already read my other reviews, you already know it’s something I need to have in my stories. Here the sex scenes were well done so it was ok.
2) Nothing new about this particular shifters’ world. The book could almost pass for a normal one instead of a paranormal universe because the shifter aspect at the end it wasn’t exactly relevant, apart for a couple of sections.
3) A really dark mystery with dark scenes.  It surely made the story entertaining but it was predictable from the start as in the first book. I figured out the bad person from the start and that’s something I don’t like. I liked the plot but I’d have preferred it was addressed in a totally different way.
4) The story between the MCs is really too simple, Kaspar finds in Jon, a human, his mate and Jon discovers Kaspar is a lion shifter and everything is okay. No drama, no doubts, nothing.

My opinion on the Lionhearted series hasn’t improved reading Taming The Lion, on the contrary. The thing that keeps me from giving up on it is the writing. I found both books well written and I like the author’s style. So I think maybe I’m going to read Vintage Pride too. Maybe.

Cover art by Posh Gosh. It’s slightly different from the cover of the first book in the series. It’s absolutely well done and eye catching but I would have loved something different since I already had seen this one.

Sales Links:  Totally Bound Books – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 148 pages
Published March 27th 2015 by Totally Bound
ISBN13 9781784305048
Edition Language English

Lionhearts series
The Pride Of Amsterdam #1
Taming the Lion #2
Vintage pride #3 coming soon

 

A Stella Review: The Dom Around The Corner (Escape #1) by Christine d’Abo

Rating:  3.75 stars out of 5

The Dom Around the Corner coverSimon is jaded. His bookstore is failing, his personal life is nonexistent, and he’s tired of the local scene. He’s desperate for a change, and hopes to find it at Escape, the hot new BDSM club in town.

What he finds there is Gavin. One look at the sexy submissive is all he needs to know that his trip to Escape was the right decision. And their night of no-holds-barred kinky sex feels like only the beginning . . . until his promising new sub vanishes with the dawn.

Then Gavin walks through the door of Simon’s bookstore—for business, not pleasure. To both of their surprise, he’s the consultant Simon hired to help save the store. As they work together, Simon realizes that he might have another shot at happiness, if only he can convince Gavin that he’s worth sticking around for.

The Dom Around The Corner is the first book in a new series by Christine d’Abo and the first I read by this author. I’m always curious about “new to me” writers and this one surprised me positively. I’m glad I picked this book to review. It was a winner to me for different reasons, apart from the BDSM theme which I enjoy a lot.

I’m a sucker for characters with baggage and bad luck in life, it makes them more real, just like me. In this book we meet Simon, a respected Dom, that is going through some hard times. His bookstore is having some trouble and he can’t come out of it.  He is still looking for a sub, the perfect one, the one Simon is searching for since forever, someone who fit in his life as a sub and as a life partner too. He is tired of the BDSM world around him, it is not what he wants anymore, to play for just a couple of hours. He makes a last attempt going to a new club and finally he finds Gavin.

Gavin has been without a Dom for three years. He’s still not ready to move on but he’s tired of being on pause with his life. He just needs someone who helps him relax and shut down his mind. He is soon attracted to the beautiful and powerful Dom but at the end of their first scenes together, scared of the possibility of something more, Gavin leaves Simon in a hurry. Destiny seems to put them on the same road again but can both of them put down their barriers and give their lives a second chance?

I loved Simon and Gavin, I found them so real in their worries and relationships. The book is also enriched by some second characters, as in Jocelyn, Simon’s cousin, a strong, helpful, stubborn young woman, the one to cheer Simon up; or Jared, the bartender matchmaker.

I liked the writing, the double POV helped me a lot at understanding both MCs and the dialogues were engaging. I think the author was really good at making me love Simon and Gavin (especially the young sub) choosing to focus the story in their present and not in Gavin’s hurtful past, which would have made the book definitely heavier.

The Dom Around The Corner has the right amount of everything I like to read about and I’d like to recommend it. I hope to see more of this new couple soon in the next book.

Cover art by L.C. Chase. Well done, the arrow recalls the story but it wasn’t eye catching to me cause I simply prefer another style.

Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing  –  – Amazon  Buy It Here on June 15th

Book Details:

ebook, Second Edition, 104 pages
Expected publication: June 15th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
original title Commanding Acquisitions (1-800-DOM-HELP, #2 )
ISBN 9781626493
Edition Language English
Escape series #1

Publisher’s note: This title is a heavily revised re-issue of a prior story, Commanding Acquisitions, originally released in 2010.

SALE LINKS

RIPTIDE PUBLISHING

A Stella Review: Chasing the Rainbow by Kade Boehme

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Chasing the Rainbow coverBobby Gugino realized he may have met the man of his dreams in Jody Olsen, only neither of them were gay, so far as Bobby knew. But when Jody came out and ended his marriage, Bobby’s entire worldview was skewed, and his own health issues lead to his own coming out. Fast forward four years and Bobby runs into Jody again, but Bobby may be too busy making up for lost time to see how great they are together.

Jody Olsen’s got guilt and mommy issues, but his coming out was smooth and his life had settled into a mundane pattern of kissing frogs while waiting for prince charming and helping run his mother’s book store in New York’s East Village. When Bobby comes bumbling back into his life with a surprising shared passion for the written word and an endearing love for sugary Frappuccinos, Jody can’t help but be quickly swept up by the man.

The struggle to be patient with Bobby and his being unsure about being committed to someone is not an easy one. Does Jody hope for his happy ever after with Bobby, or is the lure of chasing the rainbow too much to fight against?

Sometimes writing a review isn’t easy at all. Especially if you don’t have a lot to say about the book and your full review could be explained in one sentence. I know I’m in the minority here because Chasing the Rainbow by Kade Boehm is a well-loved book and I’m feeling a little uncomfortable at writing my opinion, but I try to always be honest in what I say.

I’m a huge Kade fan. He writes beautiful and emotional books that affect me. Most of the times. This one? In my opinion something went wrong. I’m not sure what, because, of course, the story is interesting, sweet and real. It’s a quick and light read with just couple of dramatic scenes. Nothing too heavy, a lovely way to pass your afternoon on the beach. I don’t even want to focus my thoughts on the plot or the development of the relationship between MCs. There was nothing wrong in them so everything I could say would be pointless. But when I finished reading Chasing the Rainbow my first impression was: “did I read a Boehme’s book?”. Definitely it wasn’t what I was expecting. It left me unsure so I took some time to think about.

I finally can say it was really nothing special for me. Maybe because I missed the emotional part I usually get from Kade’s work, maybe the timing wasn’t right, I don’t know. I simply couldn’t feel the characters at all.

I’m giving Chasing the Rainbow a three stars rating even if I would have given lesser. But I can’t ignore the book in its entirety and just basing my rating on something that went wrong in MY reading.

Cover art by Reese Dante. A really sweet cover. Have you seen the smile? I’m in love with it!

Sales Link:  Amazon    Buy It Here

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 156 pages
Published May 15th 2015 by Kade Boehme (first published May 14th 2015)
edition languageEnglish
url http://kaderade.blogspot.com/search/label/Chasing%20the%20Rainbow