Tag: An Ali Recommended Story

An Ali Review: My Dark Knight (Kings Of Hell MC #2) by KA Merikan

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Love or hate. Life or death. No inbetween. No compromise. No rules in love and war.

Knight. Party monster. Handsome Savage. Doesn’t do monogamy.
Elliot. Obsessive. Intense. Uncompromising.

Newly single, Knight is done with relationships. All he’s interested in is bringing down The Count, an Internet personality who is tarnishing his family name. An opportunity to crush him comes when the audacious clown shows up at the Kings of Hell MC clubhouse to film for his YouTube channel. But when Knight meets Elliot, the man behind The Count, he no longer knows what to do with him.

Knight has never seen a more pathetic creature than Elliot. He’s also never met anyone who needed him more. Skinny, messed up, and a bucket of trouble as thick as tar, everything Elliot does seems to be a wordless death wish. No matter how much Knight hates Elliot’s alter ego, under the makeup and theatrics hides a fragile young guy with a passion for history, and Knight can’t help but catch Elliot every time he falls.

Elliot has bad taste in men. Always hopelessly attracted to violent brutes, his favorite is a long dead serial killer. But he gets more than he’s bargained for when he seizes an opportunity to meet the man of his dreams. The ghost is manipulative and dangerous, offering Elliot all he’s always wanted, for a price he can’t possibly pay.
Elliot is faced with an impossible choice between two men. 
One alive, one dead.
One carnal and honest, one drizzling sweet, poisoned promises into his ear.
One unwilling to commit, the other promising an eternity together.
And Elliot doesn’t settle for half-measures. He craves a love that is all or nothing, passion that will consume him, and desire to burn him alive. 
Elliot is ready to either get that, or die trying.
The set up for this book was presented to us at the end of the first book and I wondered how the authors were going to deal with Elliot since he seemed a bit nutty.  I should have known they wouldn’t shy away from the crazy.  I spent the beginning of the story a bit gobsmacked at Elliot’s behavior.  He was in infatuation with a serial killer and I couldn’t quite get my head around his character.  But as the story went on, I found myself feeling sorry for him and then really liking him.  Yes, he was a bit of a mess, but he was also a sweet guy that just needed someone to love him.
I absolutely loved these two together.  They start as adversaries but over the course of the story they become good friends and of course, eventually fall in love.  I really enjoyed their banter and it was entertaining to see Knight have to admit he was falling in love.  By the end I was totally invested in their romance and I felt they were really good together.
The supernatural aspect of the story continues and there were some very interesting twists in regards to this part of the plotline.  I really enjoyed it a lot.  It was pretty fast paced and entertaining.
We see a bunch of the characters from book one and both Laurent and Beast are in this a lot.  The end of this book sets up the third one in the series and I am already eager to get my hands on that one.
This is the second book in the series and I think these should be read in order.  You could follow this easily enough but I think you need to know the back story to really enjoy this one.
I found this completely and totally entertaining and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series.
Cover:  I really like this cover.  It fits the plot well and is in the same style as the first book in the series.
Sales Links:  Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 466 pages
Published August 10th 2017 by Acerbi & Villani ltd
ASINB074L7R7CG
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesKings of Hell MC #2
CharactersElla, “Travis Mercier,

An Ali Review: As Big As The Sky by Amy Aislin

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

 

Sam wants nothing to do with his irresponsible, sarcastic neighbor or does he?

 

Sam McAuley is having a rough start to the summer: Not only is he being sued, but the new guy running the animal rehabilitation center next door has no idea what he’s doing and his runaway chickens constantly end up in Sam’s pristine yard.

 

Everything is temporary for Bo Novak. For as long as he can remember, it’s been one town to the next, one school to the next, one job to the next. Even his current job running his sister’s animal rehab center while she’s away on a four-month leave is temporary. And he does know what he’s doing, thank you very much. Sure, things don’t always run smoothly, but the stick-in-the-mud next door could be a little nicer about it.

 

One overheard conversation, an olive branch, and a baseball game might show these guys that being at odds isn’t really what they want, and that what they want might just be each other.

 

This was a beautiful story and I loved it.  Sam and Bo don’t start out on the right foot due to Sam’s assumptions based on Bo’s sister’s warning before he came but Bo’s heartbreaking moment on the back porch give him some clarity about his neighbor.

 

All Bo wants is a friend, he doesn’t think he will ever find someone who would really love him.  My heart broke for him when he thought about being abandoned by his family and friends.  Seeing him doubt that anything good would happen for him almost made me cry.

 

We get to see the story through both of the MC’s eyes.  I was happy when Sam realized how he was acting toward Bo and quickly made a change getting to know the real man.  He did everything he could to help Bo see himself better but I think that the support of his family towards Bo did even more for him to realize that he is wanted.  I’m still not sure in the end if Bo’s sister had really changed her view of him but I think Bo realized she wasn’t as perfect as he always thought.

 

The cover art by Melody Pond is beautiful and perfect for this story.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 134 pages

Published: August 4, 2017 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

An Ali Review: His Pirate (Second Chance #2) by Stephanie Lake

 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Rhain Morgan is desperate to leave London and move his ailing sister to a climate that will save her life, so he books passage to their Caribbean plantation on the only available ship, captained by Alastair Breckenridge. Rhain fights his attraction to the alluring captain, who looks and acts like a pirate, but the man’s fairness wins Rhain over. The trip that once seemed endless is now too short.

For years, Alastair held people away from his heart, until Rhain. Finally admitting his feelings to himself, he tries to convince Rhain to stay on board, but it’s all in vain.

Despite his own burgeoning feelings for Alastair, Rhain wants to prove himself and refuses to let go of his dream of making a home for his sister and himself on their plantation. But as Alastair’s ship sails away, Rhain is left alone to make the best of disastrous circumstances and overwhelmed by regret, nurses his broken heart.

When all seems lost, could they dare hope for a second chance to set things right and love again?
This was a fun read.  The authors took a traditional Regency story but gave it a twist by making one of the characters a pirate.  (A very yummy pirate).  Rhain and Alastair meet as Rhain takes his sister on a voyage to their plantation.  The two men have some issues up front but neither can deny their attraction to the other.  They end up giving in to their desires and that gives the reader both a sweet love story and some hot bedroom scenes.  The chemistry between the two men jumps off the pages at you and I really loved them together.  I was definitely rooting for these two to work things out and get their happily ever after.
There are two rather important side characters, Rhain’s sister and Alastair’s first mate.  I liked them both and they really added to the overall plot.
My only complaint is a minor one.  I was hoping for more swashbuckling and pirating than we got here.  While most of the story takes place on the ship the story is really a romance more than anything else.  Despite that small thing, I enjoyed this a lot and I will be going back to read the previous books in the series.  It was a good “new author to me” experience.
Cover:  I love this cover.  It’s what made me decide to read the book.  The guy on the cover looks like everyone’s favorite pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, so I had to give this a chance.
Sales Links
Book details:
ebook, 174 pages
Published May 23rd 2017 by Loose Id
ISBN139781682523391
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSecond Chance #2
Other Editions (1)
His Pirate (Second Chance, #2)

An Ali Review : False Start (Wilmington Breakers #2) by Sloan Johnson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Nixon Cross isn’t wired to share his life with anyone. He’d considered a relationship once, but after the one man patient enough to put up with all his quirks shut him down, he committed all of his energy to football and helping his players. Now, one of his players need more help than Nixon can provide and his former flame is the one man who will know what to do.

Retired NAFL player Lincoln Sims had no choice but to stay in the closet; he was a professional athlete at a time when it was impossible to be honest about his sexuality. After retiring, he confessed his secret to his wife and son because he was tired of living a lie. Now, he’s ready to live his life. Nixon Cross is the man he left behind but could never forget.

Can these men find a way to recover from their false start years earlier?
This was my first time reading this author and I really enjoyed her writing style.  This book was a little more serious than I thought it would be when I went into it.  That’s a good thing though.  I think the author did a very good job handling some difficult issues.  People, myself included, love sports and expect a lot from athletes, but we rarely think about the consequences for them later in life.
The story is told by alternating points of view between the two men. I really liked both of the MC’s.  It was very refreshing to get two older MC’s.  They were in their 40’s and I think they were presented in a realistic manner.  There was no drama and no bad communication tropes.  Once they decide to be together they work hard on making things work out with each other.  I think the author did a very good job making both Nixon and Lincoln likable and people you could empathize with. 
The two men are away from each through parts of the book but the author still managed to show us how much they meant to each other.  I really bought into their romance and I was rooting for these two the entire time.  This is a second chance romance which is one of my favorite tropes.  It was so well done here.
This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone.  I have not read book one and I was able to completely understand and enjoy this.  That being said, I enjoyed this enough that I will be going back and reading the first story.
If you enjoy sports romance and/or second chance loves I really recommend this.  There are a lot of good things going on in this book.  
Cover Art:  The cover was done by Cover Me, Darling and I thought it was well done.  It compliments the first book in the series and represents the story pretty well.  My only complaint is that the cover model looks too young to be either MC.
Sales Link:  Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 231 pages
Published May 13th 2017
ASINB07287YH28
SeriesWilmington Breakers #2

An Ali Review: The Well by Marie Sexton

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Twenty years after prom queen Cassie Kennedy is brutally murdered, six teenagers break into the house where she was killed to hold a séance. Haven knows his cousin Elise only wants to scare the crap out of him and his friends, but he’s willing to put up with one of her pranks if it means a chance to spend a few hours with the new kid in town, Pierce Hunter. 

But when morning comes, Elise has disappeared without a trace. 

Twelve years later, Pierce and his twin brother Jordan are professional paranormal investigators, starring in their own ghost-hunting TV show. When Pierce calls Haven, insisting they return to the supposedly haunted building one last time, Haven reluctantly agrees. He’s nervous about seeing Pierce again, but he’s determined to get some answers. Did they really speak to Cassie’s ghost that night? What happened to Elise? And the biggest mystery of all – how did she know the secret of the well? 
I was immediately intrigued when I read the blurb for this book.  I love a good mystery story and when you throw in a paranormal aspect I’m beyond excited.  I wasn’t sure what to think though, of this type of book written by this author.  Everything I’ve read of hers before has been a contemporary romance.  I’m super excited to say that she knocked this out of the ballpark.
The story focused on Haven who is now a horror book author.  When he was still a teen, he and his two cousins and some other friends, spend the night in a reportedly haunted house and then his cousin Elise disappears.  Two of the boys are now paranormal investigators with a famous television show and they contact Haven and ask him to come meet with them in regards to doing a new show on the house and it’s mysteries.  Haven can’t say no because he’s haunted by the question of what happened to Elise, as well as his feelings for Pierce.
The story is told in alternating chapters.  It goes back and forth between the past and the present.  The chapters from the past were spooky and I probably shouldn’t have been reading this late at night.  Just when things would start to get scary it would move to the present.  I thought it was a great story telling technique.  It gave me a break from clutching my blanket and dog against me and it kept me totally intrigued.  I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what really happened that night.
There is some romance between Haven and Pierce but it is not the main focus of the story.  I enjoyed watching them together and felt the ending was a solid HFN.
If you enjoy stories with a paranormal twist I can’t recommend this enough.  While it’s different than her norm, I think this is one of the best books this author has written.
Cover:  I think the cover is well done and it fits the story perfectly.  It gives off the creepy vibe that the book does.
Sales Links
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 206 pages
Published May 22nd 2017
Original TitleThe Well
ASINB06XWVMH7H
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Review: Faking It (Ringside Romance #2) by Christine d’Abo

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Max Tremblay should be happy. His night club, Frantic, is one of the most popular gay clubs in Toronto, and his childhood refuge, Ringside Gym, is well on the way to reopening. But when he finds yet another drunk in the alley beside the bar, Max isn’t sure this is the life he truly wants.

Grady Barnes has it all. He’s rich, famous, and wants for nothing. Well, nothing but a good relationship with his father. When he discovers that his father is going to force him into an arranged marriage, Grady has had enough. He tracks down Max, the man who got him to safety after a night of overindulgence, and makes him a proposal: pretend to be his fiancé for two weeks and he’ll invest in Ringside Gym.

When the pair travel to Vancouver to attend a family wedding, the flames of their mutual attraction ignite, and they discover that the only difference between pretend and reality is how well they can fake it. 
I totally love the fake boyfriend trope.  I don’t know why because I wouldn’t believe it for minute in real life, but I love reading about them in books.  This story did not disappoint.  This was one of the better ones I’ve read.
Max helps Grady one night at his club and a series of events lead to them pretending they’re a couple while they attend a wedding for Grady’s brother.  How hard can it be?  Well, as it turns out, pretty hard.  Max underestimates the horribleness that is Grandy’s family.
 
The two men find they are genuinely attracted to each other but Grady’s personal life is a mess and he can’t be a partner to Max when he can’t even deal with his own life.  The story takes a serious twist mid way through and it becomes a story filled with emotions.  There’s a bit of heartache for everyone involved before we finally get to their hea.
 
This is the second book in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone.  There are a few appearances by characters from the first story but only in a peripheral way.  
 
I enjoyed this one a lot, even more than the first book in the series, and it’s one I would definitely recommend.
 
The cover is done by L.C. Chase and I think she did a great job of it.  The cover is striking and catches your attention right off.  It’s also complementary to the cover on book one.
Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 238 pages
Published May 8th 2017 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN13 9781626495531
Edition Language English
Series Ringside Romance #2

An Ali Review: Bones (Blue Boy #2) by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Cam is a veteran porn star at Blue Boy Studios. Known as Mr. Nice Guy, he’s the top every newbie bottom wants to be paired with.

But in recent months his beloved hardcore scenes have dried up. Instead, he finds himself stuck with a string of monotonous foreplay scenes. He takes his frustration to his boss, and warped kind of lover, Jon Kellar, but Jon won’t bend. Cam is a commodity and will do as he’s told…in every way.

Cam’s frustration builds, but a chance meeting with a hot BMXer distracts him. Sasha Tate is gorgeous, warm and wonderful; everything Cam has ever wanted. They bond over shared interests and a sizzling mutual attraction. Cam is exhilarated and thrilled, until his chosen profession gets in the way.

Sasha pulls back, and before Cam can fix it, life comes at him from all fronts. A crisis threatens much more than his relationship with Sasha, and as his world implodes he begins to realize that life will never be the same again. 
This is the second book in the Blue Boys series.  This can be read as a standalone, but there is some follow up on the couple from book one’s relationship as I mention later in the review, so you may want to read book one first.  The majority of the book focuses on Cam who we meant in book one. Cam is a porn star and is in an unhealthy relationship with the studio’s owner Jon. Cam knows that he needs to get out of this relationship but is struggling with how to do it. He’s unhappy at work and he’s found himself increasingly isolated from his friends. A chance meeting at his second job leads him to meet Sasha, a really nice guy who has nothing to do with the porn business. The story then takes us through Cam’s attempts to break away from Jon, his struggle to have a sexual relationship outside of porn and another very serious issue.

I really enjoyed this book. This author makes you really like these characters without shying away from the seedier aspects of their lifestyles. Cam was a great character and he and Sasha were really good together. The style of the series is interesting and different from any other that I’ve read. Book one ended with a happily for now and those character’s story rolled in to this book. A good portion of the story was about Levi and Sonny and we saw them continue to work through their issues. By the end of this book it was apparent that their story is not even close to being done and will be seen more in book three. Cam and Sasha’s story ended on a happy note but they did not really get together till the end of this book so it looks like their story will also continue into the next one. It looks like the stories in this series will not wrap up in each book but will be on going through out the series. Kind of like a television drama or soap opera. I find that interesting and I’m eager to see what happens next for our guys as their stories unfold. 
Cover by Black Jazz Design:  This is a new cover for this book’s re-release and I like it a lot.  
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book Details:
Published May 5th 2017 by Fox Love Press (first published May 5th 2014)
SeriesBlue Boy #2

An Ali Review: My Name Was Karl by Daniel Mitton

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
It was a forgotten place. A place with a dark history. Thousands of men had passed through its doors during the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Most had served their time and moved on. But not all had been so fortunate. 

As the years ticked by and the seasons changed, the old prison moldered away, but one thing stayed constant. 
In the deepest part of the night, on the darkest nights of the year—particularly in spring, if you were sensitive enough to hear them—sounds could be heard coming from the deepest bowels of the lowest level basement. All was not right. Something was waiting, alone in the darkness. 

Waiting for someone to finally hear its sorrow. 

When Petty Officer Ben Pierce decided to explore the long abandoned Naval Prison next to his decrepit barracks, the last thing he expected to find was a mystery.

Something is in the Prison. Or is it someone? Where is the weeping coming from? When Ben follows the sounds to an ice cold, but empty, cell, he isn’t sticking around to find out any more details. 
But now he can’t get it out of his mind.
This was a creative gothic tale that weaves parts of the past with parts of the present.  The story begins by being told from Karl’s point of view.  He’s a young, German, ship radio operator who is taken captive by the United States at the end of World War II.  He is sent to a military prison where he is ‘interrogated’ until he dies.  (and yes, this part was very sad).
The story then comes to the present time where we hear the rest of the story from Ben’s point of view.  Ben is a Navy soldier who is stationed next to the old prison.  At night he can hear the cries of a man and he goes to investigate.  He realizes the prison is haunted by Karl’s ghost and soon the two men end up being friends and then more.
Yes, you have to suspend some reality for this book premise to work.  Humans and ghosts falling in love isn’t exactly a day to day event but in the form of a fictional romance I found I really enjoyed it.  It was creative and different and rest assured there is a happily ever after for these two.  I thought the writing was solid and I enjoyed this enough that I will read this author’s work again sometime.  
 
If you’re looking for a unique story with a paranormal twist then I definitely recommend this story.
 
Cover Art:  I liked the cover a lot.  I thought it was very eye catching and it fits the plot line well.
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 91 pages
Published March 10th 2017
ASINB06XJSL396

An Ali Review: Embers (Common Law #2) by Kate Sherwood

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Small town—big problems. Jericho Crewe is back in Mosely, Montana, trying to deal with police corruption, interfering feds, his newly discovered family members, and, of course, Wade Granger.

He doesn’t really need a biker war on top of it all, but as the bodies start to pile up, it becomes pretty clear that’s what he’s got. Not only that, but Wade’s involved somehow, and as soon as Wade is a part of something, things that seemed clear become cloudy.

With the feds breathing down his neck, Jericho has to find his way through Wade’s maze of half truths and manipulations. It would all be so much easier if Jericho could think straight in the other man’s presence. So much easier if their passionate past could be forgotten, and if he could be sure he’s strong enough to resist the temptation of a passionate present.
So good. Jericho! Wade?? Gah……these books can’t come out fast enough for me. This one picks up right after book one ends. Jericho is staying in his home town to help Kayla try to weed out the bad cops from her force and help her rebuild things again.

Jericho is now on the force with her and it’s not long before another major crime happens. This one involving bikers, his step-mother, some federal agencies and perhaps Wade. Probably Wade. Most definitely Wade?? See, I’m not really sure and I love that about this series. It is a romantic suspense and it keeps your guessing throughout. I “think” I know where this is going with Wade but I’m not completely sure. I’ve second guessed myself on more than one scene.

What I do know about Wade is that he and Jericho have mad chemistry between them. It jumps off the pages every time they’re in a room together. Whether they’re verbally sparring or pushing each other up against walls and putting their hands down one another’s pants, it’s scorching. There are some really great scenes between the two of them in this book.

All of the side characters from book one make an appearance (including Jericho’s demon spawn siblings who make me laugh) and we meet a few more of this town’s quirky residents.

It’s fast paced, fun, sexy and entertaining and the ending leaves you dying for more. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next two books in this series. This shouldn’t be read as a standalone. Make sure you read book one, Long Shadows, first.
Cover art by Natasha Snow:  I love the cover on this (as well as all the others in the series).  They’re simple covers but they are well done and the colors and format are very appealing and eye catching.  Some of my favorites this year.
 Sales Links
Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 197 pages
Published February 6th 2017 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleEmbers
ISBN 1626495297 (ISBN13: 9781626495296)
SeriesCommon Law #2

An Ali Review: Home Fires (Common Law #4) by Kate Sherwood

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Trouble comes to Mosely, Montana, from the outside world. When the residents of Mosely are left on their own, they can make things work. Sure, there’s always been a militia operating up in the hills, but they were small-scale—just survivalists doing their thing—until organizers came in from out of state. Now Jericho Crewe and the rest of the sheriff’s department are facing down a heavily armed band of fanatics, and the feds are busy elsewhere.

The odds are hopeless, but Jericho swore an oath to serve and protect the citizens of Mosely. He won’t walk away from that, even if Wade Granger’s begging him to run away somewhere and finally be together the way they always should have been.

But this time, it’s Jericho who refuses to leave Mosely, even if staying kills him. 

This fourth and last installment in this series was a fast-paced adventure. The beginning of this finds Wade and Jericho committed to being together no matter how different they may be. Their little town ends up being the site of a major battle between law enforcement and the bad guys. Needless to say both of them are involved in a major way.

I don’t want to say much about the plot due to spoilers but I will say that I loved how things ended up for these two. They get their much deserved hea and I as a reader loved every minute of it. 

This should not be read as a standalone. The books in this series are all pretty short but they should be read in order. This is one of the only m/m romantic suspense series I’ve read and since it’s one of my favorite genres I was really excited to find this. It’s low on steam but the UST and chemistry between these two is fantastic. I loved all four of the books and I highly recommend this series.
Cover by Natasha Snow:  I loved the cover of this book, as well as all of the books in this series.  They were uniform but different.  I thought they were all eye catching.
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 174 pages
Published April 1st 2017 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleHome Fires
ISBN 1626495335 (ISBN13: 9781626495333)
SeriesCommon Law #4