An Alessandro Audiobook Review: Willow Man by John Inman and Austin Rising (Narrator)

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Woody Stiles has sung his country songs in every city on the map. His life is one long road trip in a never-ending quest for fame and fortune. But when his agent books him into a club in his hometown, a place he swore he would never set foot again, Woody comes face to face with a few old demons. One in particular.

With memories of his childhood bombarding him from every angle, Woody must accept the fact that his old enemy, Willow Man, was not just a figment of childish imagination.

With his friends at his side, now all grown up just like he is, Woody goes to battle with the killer that stole his childhood lover. Woody also learns Willow Man has been busy while he was away, destroying even more of Woody’s past. And in the midst of all this drama, Woody is stunned to find himself falling in love—something he never thought he would do again.

As kids, Woody and his friends could not stop the killer who lived in the canyon where they played. As adults, they might just have a chance.

Or will they?

Woody is a country singer(not yet successful) who travels across the US doing jobs in bars. After his manager gets him a really good job in his hometown San Diego he is kind of spooked, because his hometown has some memories he rather not face. But he does it anyway, because he wants to get famous. But as soon as he arrives in San Diego he gets a visit of an old friend. The friend who has basically ruined is life. After his first show, he meets his old childhood friends and the journey begins. But there is a threat lurking in the shadows, and they’re all familiar with what and who the threat is.

Oh well, after I read the blurp I was really interested, that’s why I decided to review this book. And of course I’m a sucker for audiobooks. And it all could’ve been so good. I need to add, that this was my first ever horror book, in M/M or otherwise. And I thought I would like the genre, because I’m really into horror movies. But this was just not for me. I felt quite detached from this story, it didn’t draw me in as I hoped it would. I didn’t get spooked or felt hardly scared at all. It was just a “horror” story, with grotesque language from the evil in this book. It made me cringe a lot of times. Also, the story was quite depressing. I know this was a horror book… but I thought at least there could be some good moments… but there barely were any. At least not ones that I could understand and really relate to. And then there is this matter of the insta-love thing. Which I’m not a fan off, and I think in such a serious book, there is no place for that. I can relate to it a little bit, but not really.

As for the characters in this book, I think they were great. There was a lot of depth to them and they all felt like different people, this is one of the reasons I enjoyed this book. In such a short time, well it was so short, I think I dragged a little bit(a lot) one learns to love the characters. They all had character traits that were solely them. Like Cathy, I really loved her, she is like a witty, fearless(most of the time) and such an understanding person. The other 4 characters were great as well.

Now, lets talk about the writing and what bothered me and what I thought was just great. The writing was really beautiful, I think that was one of the best written books I’ve read so far. The expressions the author used, were so lyrical and just satisfying, even thought that made the narration rather slow moving.

Now to the things I didn’t really like about the writing and I will include a little bit of the issues I had with the construction of this book. Well as I said I really loved the writing, but it made the book really, really slow moving, to that point, that I couldn’t keep my interest. If I hadn’t decided to review this one, I probably would’ve quit and not finish it. I was listening to the audiobook and normally I just speed the narration just a little bit, because often the speed is just too slow for me. The speed that I use is 1.25. For this book I sped it up even further, sometimes I put it on 1.5 or even 1.75, just so I could get this book done as fast as possible.

The big issues that I had were with the construction of this book. When you read this book you are basically following 2 stories and several POV(the book is written in 3^rd person POV). One of the stories is of Woody and his friends when they were younger, barely hitting puberty(13 years old). And because you followed the grown up Woody in the first few chapters, one basically knows what will happen in the peak of the story of the past. That’s what really was annoying. There is all the build up to an event you already know what will happen, yes you don’t know exactly how it will come to pass, but one knows the outcome. So there was no suspense at all. At least not in the story when they were teenagers.

The other story, where the group of friends are adults, isn’t quite what I would’ve liked it to be. As I said above, there was insta-love, which I couldn’t relate to at all but also the end was just a little bit anti-climactic. I thought at least there would be some blood, but no, there was just some groping of the evil and some cringy conversations going on. I was really disappointed.

The narration was superb. Austin Rising did a REALLY good job at narrating this book. Each character had their own “voice”. They even differed from the 2 story lines. The adults got their own voice and the teenagers did as well. But they weren’t as much different than the teenagers “voices”. So one could still distinguish which of the characters is “speaking”.

Would I recommend this book? Yes and no. For the ones who like a really dark story, with a lot of hurt and heartache, who are also a little in horror, I would definitely recommend this. But if you are looking for a book with equal amounts of romance and horror, like I did, I wouldn’t. For me it was quite a depressing story, not fun to read at all. I even needed to read a light hearted novella in between to just get through this book.

The Cover art of “Willow Man” by Aaron Anderson was quite fitting to this book. I think it shows the mood of the book and the intention of the author.

Sales links: DSP Publications | Amazon

Book Details:

Ebook 350 Pages

Published January 13^th 2015 by DSP Publications

ISBN: 1632163500

Edition Language: English

Audiobook 12 Hrs 50 Min.

Audiobooks published April 7^th by DSP Publications

ASIN: B06Y2KZRD8

Edition Language: English

Narrator: Austin Rising

A Stella Release Day Review: My Dragon My Knight by John Inman

RATING 4,5 out of 5 stars

Danny Sims is in over his head, torn between his abusive lover, Joshua, and Jay Holtsclaw, the bartender up the street, who offers Danny the one thing he never gets at home: understanding.

When Joshua threatens to get rid of Danny’s terrier, Danny knows he has to act fast. Afraid of what Joshua will do to the dog, and afraid of what Joshua will do to him if he tries to leave, Danny does the only thing he can do.

He runs.

But Danny isn’t a complete fool. He has enough sense to run into the arms of the man who actually cares for him—the man he’s beginning to trust.

Just as their lives together are starting to fall into place, Danny and Jay learn how vengeful Joshua can be.

And how dangerous.

I have to say I wasn’t expecting a story like the one I got to read in My Dragon, My Knight. I’m used to laughing with John Inman and his works, while this new release is more serious and angsty, I was waiting for some drama of course, the blurb is pretty clear, but I wasn’t ready for this level of abuse.

I’d like to make a little promise. The book speaks loudly of domestic violence, if you are not comfortable with it, the author has written a lot of great and different stories, just go there and skip this new one. I read My Dragon, My Knight and soon after another story with the same theme, and although I have never been victim of a violence like this, it made me cringe more than once. I soaked up and then I couldn’t take it anymore.

That said, John Inman has confirmed how talented he is, I loved the plot, I loved the characters but what conquered me was the writing. This novel was a pleasure to read, I spent one night on it and I didn’t even realize the time passing. It totally captured me and my heart. The words were never too many and just the right ones. Yes the writing totally satisfied me, actually the whole story filled my craving for a good read. You know when you read a book and you want more? Not always is a positive thing, often it means the author lacked somewhere or you simply wasn’t in the mood. Well, this time my mood and My Dragon, My Knight aligned.

Danny had a special place in my heart. I was happy for him to have found Jay on his path, first a friend to trust, then a place where he and his dog Jingles can take a shelter, finally a special person to love. And then there is Jay. Gentle, caring and ready to wait for Danny to be brave. I loved how, although he had lost his lover just the year before, Jay wan’t closed in his grieving, on the contrary his openness made him more lovable.

Now I would like to explain why I didn’t give My Dragon, My Knight the full five stars, because not sure if I have been clear so far but I really adored this book. One thing I couldn’t overcome and ignore, the death of a second character, not going to tell you who because I don’t want to spoil your reading, but of course someone will die. I could have easily done without that.

My Dragon, My Knight by John Inman is a winner, I surely will reread it in the next future, it has all the little details I like to find in my books, friends to lovers, age-gap, characters with huge baggage on their shoulders, cats! I feel to highly recommend it.

The cover art by Reese Dante is simple, real and fitting. I like the font, the colors, everything.

Sales Links

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 200 pages

Publication Date: March 31st 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN13 9781635332858

Edition Language English

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Acting Up by John Inman

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

It’s not easy breaking into show biz. Especially when you aren’t exactly loaded with talent. But Malcolm Fox won’t let a little thing like that hold him back.

Actually, it isn’t the show-business part of his life that bothers him as much as the romantic part—or the lack thereof. At twenty-six, Malcolm has never been in love. He lives in San Diego with his roommate, Beth, another struggling actor, and each of them is just as unsuccessful as the other. While Malcolm toddles off to this audition and that, he ponders the lack of excitement in his life. The lack of purpose. The lack of a man.

Then Beth’s brother moves in.

Freshly imported from Missouri of all places, Cory Williams is a towering hunk of muscles and innocence, and Malcolm is gobsmacked by the sexiness of his new roomie from the start. When infatuation enters the picture, Malcolm knows he’s really in trouble. After all, Cory is straight!

At least, that’s the general consensus.

Acting Up by John Inman has been a hard book to review. I love John Inman. I find his books hilarious, his characters by turns gut wrenchingly funny, full of self doubt, sometimes followed by the pain of their pasts or present, nerdy, shy, verbose, hormone driven, dog loving….characters that I could always connect with and love. Then came Malcolm.

Connecting with Malcolm took some doing, especially as the book’s in his pov. For about the first 25 to maybe even 30 percent I really struggled to like Malcolm. So snarky as to be self involved, he had just one too many traits that he threatened to derail his his own story. Even Cory showing up didn’t exactly help. Not immediately. Which was probably a good thing. It wouldn’t have felt believable. Malcolm had some thinking and growing to do. So did Cory. And right when you wanted to pack this story in, a funny thing happened, the characters turned themselves and it around.

Just prior to Cory making a confession, Malcolm had started to realize that his feelings were changing and therefore, his behavior should follow. And instead of a snarky hard to read story, Acting Up becomes a wonderful, sweet contemporary romance it really could have been/was all along. This includes Malcolm’s hilarious mother who always is there for surprisingly good advice (along with her latest beau) and Cory’s sis and Malcolm’s roommate. As John Inman swings us into the end of the story, he wraps up the romance with a finale that leaves us all smiling. I just wish it hadn’t taken so long to get it all started.

So I don’t know what to tell you. I loved 3/4th of this book and thought that made up for the beginning. But some of you might not be able to get through that 25 percent. That decision I will leave up to you.

Cover art by Reese Dante is wonderful and a perfect representation of the characters.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published December 23rd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleActing Up
ISBN 1634773551 (ISBN13: 9781634773553)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Ben and Shiloh (The Belladonna Arms #4) by John Inman

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

ben-and-shiloh-by-john-inman Shiloh Smart is alone and looking for a fresh start. Convinced he’s finished with love forever, he signs a lease at the Belladonna Arms, a tacky, run-down apartment building situated high on a hill in downtown San Diego.

Determined to turn his back on romance, Shiloh works hard at carving out a life for himself where love doesn’t stand a chance and staying single is all that matters.

Then his drag queen landlord’s nephew, Ben Moss, moves in. Thanks to a rumor Ben has heard since childhood of a fifty-year-old crime and a fortune in stolen money, he sets out to find the loot supposedly hidden decades ago in his uncle’s apartment building.

The minute Ben spots a kilted Shiloh toddling off to work at the Scottish restaurant up the street where he waits tables, he falls hard and fast for the aloof young redhead. Even a hidden treasure can’t compete in Ben’s eyes with the beautiful waiter with the fiery copper hair.

But even while he diligently works to break down Shiloh’s defenses, Ben doesn’t give up his quest for buried treasure. Soon, as their friendship deepens, the two young men join forces in a search for the stolen cash.

As the treasure hunt gathers steam and all the tenants get involved, Ben and Shiloh come to realize the greatest treasure isn’t buried in the Belladonna Arms at all. It’s buried far deeper—in each other’s hearts!

Its always a pleasure to take a trip back to the Belladonna Arms, that aging apartment building sitting high on a hill in San Diego that happens to be full of love pollen waiting to fall on the most unusual of couples. In this fourth installation, its Ben and Shiloh who gets the heap helping of pollen and much, much more.

Shiloh Smart, like all the people who end up at Belladonna Arms, has been dumped by his boyfriend. Now homeless, he needs a new place, close to his work (a restaurant that calls for him to wear a kilt) and that’s also cheap enough for his budget. He has no intention of ever, EVER, falling in love again. His heart is closed up good. Except that the Belladonna Arms has other ideas and people in store for Shiloh and that would be Ben, the nephew of our endearing drag queen, Arthur.

For me, Ben and Shiloh was a little different story then the normal Belladonna Arms tale. For one, we have a mystery to contend with, plus it seemed more of a ensemble story than normal. While we do concentrate on Ben and Shiloh who are an odd and adorable mixture, all our other couples are very present here as well. I have to admit I loved seeing them all, making it even harder to pick favorites. I might even have a new favorite character in Shiloh’s mom. She’s hilarious. Inman surrounds his new couple with all his old ones, adding in the resident cat and her kittens (also adorable), and a mystery from the past to boot. My mind was swirling all over the place, thinking about Sylvia and the new baby, our fav kleptos, and where the heck did that new couple with the bow ties come from? So it wasn’t always on Ben and Shiloh like perhaps it should have been, least that’s my opinion. Not that there wasn’t tons of sex. Hey, there was! I was just missing some other component…

I’m just not sure Ben and Shiloh got the depth of treatment that, say Ramon and Barney did in Coming Back (Belladonna Arms #3). That was an amazing, angst driven story. My heart hurt for Ramon. Certainly that’s not called for in every story. Not everyone needs to go through what Ramon did. And perhaps comparing the two isn’t fair as the characters aren’t the same in makeup and history. However, the differences struck me none the same. One book was deeply centered about one couple, and this was lovingly a Belladonna Arms affair.

However was my heart and mind happy and satisfied? You betcha! I love Belladonna Arms. I could sit on the steps and watch the goings on all day and all night long side by side with the kitties. There are still rooms to be filled. Another just got emptied. Love pollen at work again. Who will be next up the steps of the Belladonna Arms? I can’t wait to find out!

I highly recommend this series and this story. Pick them all up and get acquainted with some of the most delightfully quirky characters you will ever want to fall in love with.

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson. The artist does a terrific job with the character and with branding the series.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages
Published October 10th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 163477146X (ISBN13: 9781634771467)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Belladonna Arms: Add to your Goodreads shelf here:

An Alisa Review: My Busboy by John Inman

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

My Busboy Robert Johnny just turned thirty, and his life is pretty much in the toilet. His writing career is on the skids. His love life is nonexistent. A stalker is driving him crazy. And his cat is a pain in the ass.

Then Robert orders a chimichanga platter at a neighborhood restaurant, and his life changes—just like that.

Dario Martinez isn’t having such a great existence either. He needs money for college. His shoes are falling apart. His boyfriend’s a dick. And he has a crap job as a busboy.

Then a stranger orders a chimichanga platter, and suddenly life isn’t quite as depressing.

But it’s the book in the busboy’s back pocket that really gets the ball rolling. For both our heroes. That and the black eye and the forgotten bowl of guacamole. Who knew true love could be so easily ignited or that the flames would spread so quickly?

But when Robert’s stalker gets dangerous, our two heroes find a lot more to occupy their time than falling in love. Staying alive might become the new game plan.

John Inman is a new author for me; I own a few books but haven’t gotten to reading them yet. I was not disappointed with this story, it was wonderful.

Robert is pretty depressed as he turns thirty, with nothing positive happening for him and he doesn’t see it changing anytime soon. He is taken with Dario when he meets him at his favorite Mexican restaurant and when they see each other again he has a great need to protect him. Dario realizes pretty fast that he will need to show Robert how he feels for anything to grow between them.

Robert took a little bit to connect to, he was so depressed with himself and his life he couldn’t see anything really happy and he keeps everyone at an arm’s length. When he meets Dario something clicks and he can start to see the positive side of life. Dario was so adorable, not much could keep him down but I just wanted to keep him safe throughout the story. Both of these characters are so loveable and seeing them fall in love for the first time was wonderful.

Cover art by AngstyG is a beautiful picture and I love it.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 210 pages

Published: July 4, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN: 9781634770842

Edition Language: English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Two Pet Dicks by John Inman

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

If you don’t like slapstick, beware! The MCs in this story put Lucy and Ethel, Abbott & Costello, and Laurel & Hardy to shame.

Maitland Carter and Lenny Fritz have been best friends since they were kids. Then they discovered sex together in their teens and never looked back. They were each other’s “firsts,” and after a period of exclusivity, they moved on to other conquests, occasionally coming back to each other’s bed once again. But now, things are beginning to look serious. They’ve started having sex pretty much exclusively, and both are having feelings neither wants to discuss. The icing on the cake is that these two underachievers are now in business together, running their own pet detective agency: Two Pet Dicks.

As the story opens, they’ve just rented a “real” office space and are hanging their shingle. They can’t afford a full sign, so they settle for Two Dicks, and that, dear readers, sets the pace for this romp as we journey through the ups and downs of life as a pet dick—finding dogs, cats, gerbils, and reptiles. There’s also a monkey added into the mix when Lenny’s brother takes off and leaves his (illegal) pet monkey behind in Lenny’s care. On a fun note, the missing gerbil was reported by none other than Arthur the drag queen from Serenading Stanley. It was great to have a quick revisit and see that Arthur is just as campy now as he ever was.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of slapstick, but I did enjoy the humor in this story. At times, the situations the guys found themselves in were so bizarre, they were funny—even those moments that should have been scary. But the story worked. And underlying the crazy, madcap experience of being pet detectives was the cementing of a foundation of love between the two men that started many years before but culminates during this story as they finally work up the courage to express how they feel.

I enjoy this author’s versatility. I’ve been scared witless by spooks; swooned over romance in the Belladonna Arms; and now, chuckled through a very entertaining adventure with two loveable dicks.

All in all, it’s a great book if you’re in the mood for some campy humor, or if you enjoy your romances with sweet MCs, a few off-the-wall family pets, or even some scary reptiles. This one has them all.

~~~~~

Cover art by Paul Richmond is a colorful illustration of both MCs staring at each other, mouths hanging open in shock or fear, while a cobra sits on the title of the book. Very clever, colorful, and fitting for this story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published March 16th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634767910
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Ali Review: Spirit by John Inman (audio version), John Anthony Davis (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Jason Day, brilliant designer of video games, is not only a confirmed bachelor, but he’s as gay as a maypole. One wouldn’t think being saddled with his precocious four-year-old nephew for four weeks would be enough to throw him off-kilter. 

Wrong. Timmy, Jason’s nephew, is a true handful. 

But just when Timmy and Uncle Jason begin to bond, and Jason feels he’s getting a grip on this babysitting business once and for all, he’s thrown for a loop by a couple of visitors—one from Tucson, the other from beyond the grave. 

I’m sorry. Say what? 

Toss a murder, a hot young stud, an unexpected love affair, and a spooky-ass ghost with a weird sense of humor into Jason’s summer plans, and you’ve got the makings for one hell of a ride. 

This was an enjoyable story with both a mystery and a paranormal twist. The main character Jason is a likable MC and his narration is filled with humor. I didn't find the child very realistic or age appropriate in his behaviors but he was an entertaining twist to the story so I overlooked most of that. I found the end to be predictable but it was one of those stories that still warms your heart so again, I overlooked that too. The story is creative and has a lovely happily ever after at the end. I did this on audio and enjoyed the narrator. He had a nice voice and did all of the different characters well, including the child. I think this will entertain even those who don't typically like paranormal stories as the ghost part doesn't overwhelm.

Cover art by Reece Dante. I like this cover a lot. I think it is a really good representation of the story. It's just spooky enough to draw you in.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

NarratorJohn Anthony Davis

Length6 hours and 47 minutes

A MelanieM Review: Coming Back (The Belladonna Arms #3) by John Inman

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Barney Teegarden knows what it’s like to be alone. He knows what it’s like to have a romantic heart, yet no love in his life to unleash the romance on. With the help of a friend, he acquires a lease in a seedy apartment building perched high on a hill in downtown San Diego. The Belladonna Arms is not only filled with the quirkiest cast of characters imaginable, it is also famous for sprinkling love dust on even the loneliest of the lovelorn.

At the Arms, Barney finds friendship, acceptance, and an adopted family that lightens his lonely life. Hell, he even finds a cat. But still true love eludes him.

When his drag queen landlord, Arthur, takes it into his head to rescue a homeless former tenant, he enlists Barney’s help. It is Barney who shows this lost soul how to trust again—and in return Barney discovers love for the first time in his life.

It’s funny how even the hardest battles can be fought and won with laughter, hugs, friends, plus a little faith in the goodness of others. All it takes to begin the healing is the simple act of coming back.

Two books ago I fell in love with a dilapidated apartment building on top a hill in San Diego, filled full of gay misfits looking for love. The Belladonna Arms, old neon sign sputtering to life each night, apparently is home to love pollen, the stuff just “rains down the walls” as one resident after another finds their soulmate in John Inman’s wonderful heartwarming Belladonna Arms stories. With one tragic exception.

In Coming Back, John Inman, heals that terrible wound and gets the Belladonna Arms love pollen working overtime again with a new arrival in Barney Teegarden, a friend and coworker of Pete (husband of Sylvia’s). Barney is looking for a new place to live and for someone to love and love him back. The latter being important. Most of the people Barney has loved haven’t returned the emotion and he’s ready for that to change. Pete swears that the Belladonna Arms can work magic but after seeing the rundown place Barney’s just not sure. Barney has just arrived at the multi-couple yard sale in front of the Belladonna Arms so he can meet Arthur, the owner and manager.

The next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with the gigantic drag queen in the platinum Veronica Lake wig. At the moment, he had four feather boas draped around his tree-trunk-sized neck, each gaudier than the next. He was waving them around, trying to attract a buyer, until Pete shoved me into his face, and said, “Arthur, I want you to meet Barney. Barney needs a place to live.”

Arthur slipped ham-sized hands into my armpits and lifted me a foot off the ground to stare directly into my eyes. I hung there like a Christmas ornament, wishing the fuck he would put me down. “You’re a cutie,” he said in a booming baritone that rolled through lips saturated with peach-tinted lip gloss. “And you’re a friend of Pete’s?”

“Yes, sir. I mean, ma’am. I mean, sir.” His lips spread wide in a grin. He gave me a little shake, as if he were trying to dislodge some fruit from my branches, then gently set me on the ground.

“Done,” he said.

“What’s done?” I asked.

“Your apartment. It’s ready for you to move into whenever you’re ready. There’s a vacancy right next to Pete and Sylvia.”

I blinked. “No shit?”

“No shit.”

“I’m a tenant?”

“You’re a tenant.”

And just like that Barney has become a member of a wonderfully quixotic and dear group of people who make up the family that is the Belladonna Arms. It helps that Pete and Sylvia are next door neighbors and good friends already.

“Thank you, Arthur!” Pete cried. “Barney will be your best tenant ever.”

Arthur pinched Pete’s cheek and ruffled his hair. “I’m sure he will.” Then he turned to me. “Got a lover?”

“Uh… no.” Arthur pulled me into his massive, hairy, Opium-scented arms and squeezed me so hard I thought I felt an organ burst. “Well, don’t worry, honey. The building will take care of that.” “The building,” I grunted, trying to draw a breath. He eyed me with his one visible eyebrow cocked high. “That’s right. The building. Ever hear of love pollen?”

“Uh, nope.”

He blessed me with a secretive smile. “You will. It simply rains down from the walls in this place. And when that pollen touches you, you’re lost.”

I gazed over the feather boas draped across Arthur’s shoulders, tried not to sneeze because one of them was tickling my nose, and stared up at the homely old edifice standing in front of me. “Love pollen,” I whispered beneath my breath, wondering what the hell the guy was talking about. I gave myself a shake to dislodge any droplets of insanity that might have drifted down upon me like the ever-present glitter, and thought, Oookay, not my circus, not my monkeys. But since the Belladonna Arms was apparently my circus now, and since I would soon be one of the many monkeys inhabiting the joint, I found myself grinning in spite of myself. Because I suddenly knew—I just knew—this particular circus was going to fit me like a glove. Love pollen or no love pollen, for one of the first times in my life, I felt as if I’d come home. I blushed one last time when Pete planted a kiss on one of my cheeks and Arthur planted a kiss on my other. Both men loomed over and around me, patting and cooing, making me feel safe and loved and welcome. Embarrassed by the sudden surge of emotion welling up inside me, I plucked one of the boas from around Arthur’s neck, and draped it over my own. “How much?” I asked in a ragged voice. Arthur gave the boa a theatrical flourish, fluffing it beneath my chin and flipping it rakishly over my shoulder so the end trailed down over my ass. When he was satisfied I was properly adorned, he gave me another peck on the cheek. “For you, honey? Nothing. It’s a housewarming gift. Welcome home.”

The way John Inman writes that scene, I feel as though I had been swept up in Arthur’s embrace as well. And into the Belladonna Arms Barney goes. But you have to be a special sort of person to look past the dated exterior, the patches and painted over windows to see the magic, and Barney is that sort of person, knobby furred knees and all. Barney has an open mind and heart that’s a perfect match for the quirkiness and eccentrics that reside in the Belladonna Arms and for the events that occur there. And Arthur has a plan in mind and needs Barney’s help to make it work.

If John Inman is able to bring laughter to love, he doesn’t forget the pain that sometimes arrives as well. In Coming Back, Barney and Arthur try to deal with the horrific aftermath of a love affair gone lethally wrong in the previous book. In some of the most moving moments in the story, Arthur and Barney go to reclaim a human being and bring them back home. I cried buckets. I loved this whole aspect of the story. It was beautifully written, sensitive and real. It brought the Belladonna Arms stories into another level of authenticity and grittiness it did quite have before.

Of course, then it then switched course and we flow into some of the funniest passages John Inman has ever written, starting with:

“THUS BEGAN, according to Arthur, an orgy of butchery not seen since Vlad the Impaler started hosting block parties at his fixer-upper castle with the dungeon to die for back in Romania in the fifteenth century.”

No, no, we’re talking cutting hair! Really, people. And the author brings back that apartment jumping cat, only even that cat seems to be wanting some stability and a home. How I love this series..

Coming Back is a book to warm your heart, make you cry more than once and make you feel so good that you go to sleep smiling, thinking about the story and the characters and love pollen. This is a feel good novel and one I absolutely recommend as I do all the Belladonna Arms stories. I know there are more stories on the way, I can’t wait to see who the next newcomer is to get their dose of love pollen!

Cover art by Aaron Anderson is a little too dark and sepia toned for me. I get what he was going for, still too one color for a place as full of vibrant characters as the Belladonna Arms.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages. also in paperback

Published August 17th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC

ISBN13 9781634762328

edition language English

series The Belladonna Arms #3

The Belladonna Arms Series:

Serenading Stanley (Belladonna Arms #1)

Work in Progress (Belladonna Arms #2)
Coming Back (Belladonna Arms #3)

A MelanieM Review: Chasing the Swallows by John Inman

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Sometimes an entire lifetime can be spent in the arms and heart of one person. It is not so with imaginations, for they go anywhere they wish.

David Ayres and Arthur Smith are about to find that out. When they meet as young men within the garden walls of the Mission of San Juan Capistrano, one man from one continent, one from another, an uncontrollable attraction brings them together. But it is something stronger than attraction that holds them there. It is love. Pure and simple.

After forty years, when the fabric of their existence together finally begins to fray because of David’s imaginary infidelities, it is with humor and commitment that they strive to remain in each other’s heart.

And turning fantasy into reality, they find, is the best way to do it.

I love John Inman’s writings. His comedic novels (and the few mysteries I have read) have always been grounded in the pain and gritty reality of life, an element which made the humorous sections feel authentic and precious when they happen. But lately I’m finding it harder to connect with his stories and its left me wondering if it’s my expectations that are at fault instead of his actual writing.

Nothing exemplifies my confusion with his recent novels better than his latest story, Chasing the Swallows. It was a story where I absolutely detested some elements while others left me sobbing and emptying a box of tissues. I loved one character, disliked another (both came across as throughly believable and real). And throughout the entire story, Inman’s style of writing felt concise, well organized and it brought the story to it’s heartbreaking/heartwarming conclusion. But I wouldn’t read it again and hesitate to recommend it to others. *head desk*

My issues with the story started from page one. The reader is dumped into the pornographic daydream of David Ayers, one half of a couple that’s been together for approximately 40 years after meeting in their early 20’s. Its like reading/watching a bad porn movie unrolling before you with the (insert stock character like pool boy, gardener here) as a participant. It’s only when the daydream is interrupted by Arthur, his partner, that we realize what has happened. And the reality is both brief and painful for the reader and Arthur who realizes that his lover’s pornographic fantasies occupy more of David’s time and emotions then Arthur does. We feel his pain and confusion over their situation and it drags the reader over immediately to Arthur’s side, where at least I stayed for two thirds of the story.

Over and over again, David and Arthur’s present day life (and David’s remembrances of their past together) is abruptly halted by David’s erotic dreaming, no matter the time of day. We are just getting settled into finding out how they met or learning about their life together then…bam….it’s David and his sexual hookups with whatever hottie is in front of him. Grocery store, church, no male or location was free of David’s promiscuous musings. And yeah, Jimmy Carter’s famous line about “I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times..” did jump to mind, and not favorably.

It’s not that the daydreams that bother me (ok, not true, they did) but also that these pages of porn take me away from the characters and out of the narrative. Just as I suspect the author designed it to. Those very same pornographic musings are taking David away from Arthur and their life together just as its removing the reader from their story. It’s a familiar refrain heard from couples where one has become obsessed by the porn on the computer to the point where they do little else. I get it, really I do. But this literary device works too well. It pulled me out of the narrative so completely (and made me detest David so throughly) that I kept putting down the story and going on to another. Sometime it took me days to bring myself to pick up this story once more. Only to repeat the process.

David is the narrator of their life together, past and present. But its Arthur who grabs at our hearts while David is obsessing over his age and sex life. Arthur is funny, fragile, and living in the moment…unlike his lover David. And Arthur is fully aware of how far they’ve traveled from the two young men so very much in love. He’s being neglected, perhaps completely. It hurts, and it feels almost unbearably painful for him and the reader. Forty years together will do that…for some. Not all…most definitely not all.

But this is a realistic look at a long term relationships that has wavered and faltered. It’s so well written, its descriptions so starkly believable and filled with hurt feelings that I never once doubted the raw, immediate lives John Inman was laying out before us. This includes David’s missed opportunities, ones he was aware of, to make it “right” that helped serve to highlight those areas that I felt severed me from their story. That it will take a tragedy to bring David back into his relationship may be authentic and realistic but further highlights the long delay it took to make the connection to David happen, at least for me. Yes, towards the end I liked the “new” outlook that David found but that’s not the man I (and Arthur) lived with for most of the book. That David was selfish, mean, obsessive over his looks and sex life. In short, he was a jerk. And the one we had to listen to for pages and pages of his self involved outlook. Having David as the narrator was probably better, for if the roles had been reversed and we “saw” their life from Arthur’s perspective, than I don’t know that I could ever have found any affection for David, and that’s needed in order to buy into their long lived love affair. Just one more issue I had with this story, my utter dislike of one of the main characters, no matter how well written the character.

David feels like a real human being, that’s great writing. Still, it doesn’t make me want to spend time with him. Only the sections from their past show a couple we could love and understand a little why they were drawn together. For me, that just wasn’t enough to overcome the issues that bothered me.

Finally, yes, that last chapters of the story had me in tears. It unfolded so vividly that I felt as though I was there on this journey with them. The writing is beautiful, the feelings it engendered so tender and loving towards both Arthur and David that I can feel the tears starting to form again just remembering these passages.

These pages made me want to rearrange and re edit this story, throwing whole sections away, leaving the parts that speak of love,the passage of time, and the possibility that it might be found once more before its too late. But that’s not what John Inman wrote or what he intended to say in his story. That’s the story you have to read and review.

So is it me? Or is it this story? Chasing the Swallows by John Inman still has me so conflicted. And I suspect that this viewpoint will be felt by many readers out there. Some, probably those less judgmental than myself, will find David less objectionable than I did and that feeling will make them view this story in a completely different light. For me, like the swallows of the story (an amazing element that I adored), I will be finding my way home to another John Inman story…one that feels more like me, or at least more like a place I love spending time in. Does this sound like a story for you? The choice, as always, is up to you.

Cover art by Maria Fanning is probably one of my favorite covers for the month and perhaps the year. The subtle figures in the background enhance the picture of the swallow in the foreground. Just beautiful. Faded love and immediate beauty.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published April 17th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
ISBN139781632169181
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

A BJ Review: Payback by John Inman

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

On the night of their fourth wedding anniversary, Tyler and Spence share a special evening before going out to take their dog for a walk in the park where a deadly gay bashing attack changes their life forever.

One reason I wanted to read this book was because it’s set in San Diego, where I lived for many years. Found myself in the mood to revisit, and the book didn’t disappoint in that respect. The trolley, the park, breweries, Coronado Bridge vistas and so many more little details had my imagination firmly planted back in my old stomping grounds.

The story begins with a steamy hot, yet also sweetly romantic scene between a couple so real I felt as if I could’ve known when I lived in the area. As Spence and Tyler celebrate their anniversary by exchanging specially made rings, their dog interrupts with a need to go out and they set off on a walk in the park. What comes next strikes with crushing, chest-constricting suddenness, shattering the almost idyllic happiness we’d just shared with them into fragmented ruins. It’s gut wrenching, heartrending, have-lots-of-tissues-handy reading for several chapters.

In the aftermath of the attack, Tyler is unconscious for a month and wakes to find himself alone in the world. Husband dead, dog missing, and apparently he has no family. After speaking with a police detective, Chris, and learning that they have no real leads on the attack, Tyler’s grief is rapidly overshadowed by intense anger that morphs into a desperate need for vengeance.

A short bout of agoraphobia, which he overcomes on his own in a matter of days, Tyler goes out and buys an illegal gun. His desire to own a gun didn’t surprise me much. Protection would be high on my list after such an attack. But why an illegal gun, unless he already had plans of how he was going to use it?

Up until then, the story was a tearjerker, but working for me. That shifted when Tyler gives in to his rage and goes out riding the trolley at night in bad parts of town carrying his illegal gun and ends up committing murder for which he feels no guilt. In fact, the murder seems to ease the rage inside him and make him feel better for a while. The only remorse comes some time later and is related to fear that his actions may have messed up the relationship between Chris, the detective assigned to his case, and himself.

Chris saw Tyler when he was brought in on the night of the attack, and reveals later that he fell in love from the first. As the story weaves on, Chris starts to creep me out. His sappiness and obsession with Tyler rubs me all wrong. Even more when clues began to make it clear to him that Tyler committed murder, and he chooses to ignore it. Later he goes further when he helps Tyler cover up the first murder in conjunction with another killing. Chris and Tyler actually discuss the cover up scheme while watching the man bleed to death.

Five months after the attack, and Chris has fallen for the grieving Tyler so deeply that he’s willing to go completely against his sworn duty. Five months and Tyler is so deeply in love with Chris that the detective has replaced Spence in Tyler’s thoughts and dreams.

The night of the cover up, Chris and Tyler make love for the first time–in the same bed that he and Spence had used to make sweet love the night of Spence’s death. They even use the same sexual position. Chris and Tyler declare their forever love, but it just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t hot or romantic. In fact, it broke my heart. Five short months and Spence, who the author made me love in that first scene, seems to be erased so completely.

On another note, I share my life with several dogs, so I usually enjoy doggie characters in my books. Franklin, Spence and Tyler’s dog, had the makings of a wonderful animal character initially. Unfortunately, it felt like he was a prop used to move things forward and then be forgotten when convenient. Near the end, he’d been repeatedly kicked with heavy boots while trying the help Tyler. He’s dripping urine on the floor, which makes me think possible kidney damage. Yet Tyler and Chris never take him to the vet to be checked out. My dog lover’s heart was left worried about him.

If some background on Chris and Tyler had been offered, it might have helped to understand them better. However, there’s only the barest hint of background on Tyler and next to none on Chris. This leaves me with many questions—one being why Chris fell for Tyler so hard and instantly when seeing him in the hospital.

The book’s rather reminiscent of a popular movie in which a woman goes vigilante after a similar attack scenario, except Tyler isn’t a vigilante. Rather it came across to me as if he just needed to take his anger out on someone. The idea that going out and looking for someone to hurt, even a bad person, in order to assuage rage over injustice done to you just wasn’t something I found ok.

Cover Artist: Maria Fanning
The cover perfectly captures the essence of this book including the setting (San Diego trolley instantly recognizable for me), the blood and violence, as well as the love. The couple walking with their dog in the park at the bottom, small, almost transparently dreamy as if they’re just a memory makes me tear up each time I look at it after having read the story.
Sales LInks: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon buy it here
Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: February 2nd 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632166289
edition languageEnglish
url http://johninmanauthor.com

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