A MelanieM Review: Murder and Mayhem (Murder and Mayhem #1) by Rhys Ford

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Dead women tell no tales.

Former cat burglar Rook Stevens stole many a priceless thing in the past, but he’s never been accused of taking a life—until now. It was one thing to find a former associate inside Potter’s Field, his pop culture memorabilia shop, but quite another to stumble across her dead body.

Detective Dante Montoya thought he’d never see Rook Stevens again—not after his former partner’d falsified evidence to entrap the jewelry thief and Stevens walked off scot-free. So when he tackled a fleeing murder suspect, Dante was shocked to discover the blood-covered man was none other than the thief he’d fought to put in prison and who still made his blood sing.

Rook is determined to shake loose the murder charge against him, even if it means putting distance between him and the rugged Cuban-Mexican detective who brought him down. If one dead con artist wasn’t bad enough, others soon follow, and as the bodies pile up around Rook’s feet, he’s forced to reach out to the last man he’d expect to believe in his innocence—and the only man who’s ever gotten under Rook’s skin.

With Murder and Mayhem, Rhys Ford rolls out another great series and another set of spectacular characters. With storythreads convoluted as hell, and characters with pasts as twisted and hard to untie as wet sailor knots, this is a story you just need to dive into and enjoy for the sexy, wild knuckle ride it is.

Starting with the fascinating character of Rook Martin, a high class thief trying to go straight, Rook has a background as startling as any you’ve might have come by. I could go into it here by why spoil the pleasures that Ford has in store for the reader and Dante Montoya as he investigates Rook Martin’s background and stumbles into one shock after another.

So many pleasures here. The characterizations are outstanding. From the Cuban-Mexican detective Dante Montoya and his Uncle Manny, who I adore, his ginger haired partner Harry, to the almost tangible heat that builds up between Rook and Dante, pulling them closer and closer until it ignites off the page. And all the while a killer is loose, stalking a prey across the pages. And the killer’s identity will keep you guessing right up until the reveal.

This is a marvel of a story. I loved every minute of it. The writing is smooth, action packed, vivid and everything I would want (and have come to expect from Rhys Ford, a go to author for me). Grab this up and get reading. You’re going to love it.

Cover art by Reece Notley is wonderful and works for the character of the detective

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press on sale now for $0.99| Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 236 pages
Published June 5th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
Original TitleMurder and Mayhem
ISBN 1634762231 (ISBN13: 9781634762236)
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Murder and Mayhem #1
CharactersRook Stevens, Dante Montoya settingCalifornia (United States)

Literary AwardsLambda Literary Award Nominee for Gay Mystery (2016)

An Ali Audiobook Review: Dim Sum Asylum by Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay (Narrator)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Welcome to Dim Sum Asylum: a San Francisco where it’s a ho-hum kind of case when a cop has to chase down an enchanted two-foot-tall shrine god statue with an impressive Fu Manchu mustache that’s running around Chinatown, trolling sex magic and chaos in its wake.

Senior Inspector Roku MacCormick of the Chinatown Arcane Crimes Division faces a pile of challenges far beyond his human-faerie heritage, snarling dragons guarding C-Town’s multiple gates, and exploding noodle factories. After a case goes sideways, Roku is saddled with Trent Leonard, a new partner he can’t trust, to add to the crime syndicate family he doesn’t want and a spell-casting serial killer he desperately needs to find.

While Roku would rather stay home with Bob the Cat and whiskey himself to sleep, he puts on his badge and gun every day, determined to serve and protect the city he loves. When Chinatown’s dark mystical underworld makes his life hell and the case turns deadly, Trent guards Roku’s back and, if Trent can be believed, his heart… even if from what Roku can see, Trent is as dangerous as the monsters and criminals they’re sworn to bring down.

Fae are my some of my favorite paranormal creatures and I rarely find them done in the m/m genre so I’m always happy when this author does paranormal books because she does Fae well. This was an urban fantasy story that developed from a previously done short story. This is set in an alternative San Francisco and I thought the setting and world building was just fantastic. Everything was described in such rich detail that I felt like I was there. I could imagine all of the narrow, crowded streets, the different kinds of people and fae, the dragons that guarded the buildings. It’s the type of story telling you need to read slowly so you can savor all of the words.

I really liked Roku as our main point of view. He’s a complicated man with a tragic past, one of which unfolds over the course of the book. I was a big fan of his from the very beginning of the book. His partner Trent was a nice addition to the story and I ended up liking him as well. There a host of side characters and they all are well developed in their own way. They were also vividly done.

I thought the mystery aspect was really good. It was fast paced and filled with action and adventure. This book would make an excellent movie. It was one high octane moment after another. My only complaint was the romance aspect was insta-love. I found this hard to by into with Roku’s horrible previous losses. If it had been up to me I would have liked to see this be an ongoing series with a much slower developing romance. But….since it’s not up to me, I just rolled with it. They were sweet together and they both deserved some happiness.

This audiobook was narrated by Greg Tremblay and I felt like he did a very good job on this. His voice has a nice cadence which I enjoy. I felt he did an equally good job on all of the many voices and I enjoyed his narration a lot.

This cover was done by Anne Cain and I think it is a lovely cover. I was immediately drawn to the rich purple and gold/orange colors on it. I also think it is a great representation of the plot.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 10 pages
Published July 21st 2017 by Dreamspinner Press (first published June 9th 2017)
Original TitleDim Sum Asylum
ASINB0742FWZMV
Edition LanguageEnglish
CharactersRoku MacCormick, Trent Leonard settingChinatown, San Francisco, California (United States)

An Ali Audiobook Review: There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay (Narrator)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

How do you save a drowning man when that drowning man is you?

Jake Moore’s world fits too tightly around him. Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness.

It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued Art Deco building on the WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the artistic, sweet man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.

When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him.

This was a very well done hurt/comfort story that looks at what it takes to make changes in your life. Dallas is renovating an old warehouse with his best friend. He’s more than happy to find out the attractive man across the street, Jake, will be the person who is going to restore the metal grating over his windows.

Jake has noticed Dallas before he starts working for him but Jake would never think of making a move on him. Jake is deeply in the closet and struggling with a background of severe childhood abuse, current depression and he’s caregiving for his horrible father.

As the two men start to work together Dallas quells his attraction to Jake because he realizes what Jake really needs is a friend. What follows is a very touching slow burn romance.

The romance was really believable in this because there was no magic solution that was provided due to them falling in love. They’re friends for months first. Jake goes to therapy and puts the work in. They talk and communicate over everything. Then they proceed with their relationship. I loved the fact that the author did it this way.

I thought the writing was good and I loved the character development. I felt a great connection between the two men, and I as a reader was connected to their story. I also enjoyed the side characters and they roles they played.

If you’ve read this author before you know that most of her stories contain a mystery, often a murder, and the investigation is part of the plot. This was different and focused on the relationship. It was probably her most contemporary romance to date.

This audiobook was narrated by Greg Tremblay and I thought he did a very good job. His voice is really pleasant and I liked how he did both of the main characters as well as the side characters. There were a lot of emotional scenes in this book and I felt the audio made them even more full of feeling. I got a little teary when I listened to this as opposed to when I read it. I think a great narration really brings a story to a different level.

There are some heavy scenes in this book and it might not be for everyone. Nothing is graphic but note this if you have triggers with stories about severe depression, child abuse or domestic violence.

For all other readers though, I highly recommend this. I enjoyed it a lot.

Cover: This cover was done by Reece Notley and I like it a lot. It’s striking and it catches your attention immediately. I also like how it has a different vibe compared to the author’s other books, and since this is a different type of story for her, I think it’s perfect.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio
Published April 10th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published March 17th 2017)
ASINB06Y3MPXNF
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Pre-Release Review: Dim Sum Asylum by Rhys Ford

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

* Novel-length expansion of original short story found in Charmed & Dangerous anthology. *

Dim Sum Asylum by Rhys Ford is an ‘glued to your seat~ that just did not happen”great action-packed urban fantasy. What makes it so intriguing and darkly addicting are her labyrinthine character relationships and dynamics built into the story. Some are revealed immediately, some are built up throughout the story as the characters get to know one another and a level of trust is achieved. Then there are the convoluted, messy tapestry of lives that Ford has been surreptitiously weaving throughout Dim Sum Asylum that explodes like narrative grenades at certain points at the story that just leaves you and the characters totally astonished and sometimes shattered. Ah, I love it when that happens!

Roku MacCormick is a tortured soul as he has lost so much. His background and history is dark and pain filled yet he works for order as a police officer in the Chinatown Arcane Crimes Division, an unusual division all its own. He’s about to get a new partner under circumstances you will need to read for yourself. Trent is someone who will grow on you as he does on Roku. He is also a reason (well one of them anyway) that I would love for Rhys Ford to write a sequel. I will let you discover the puzzle that is Roku and Trent together. I will say that I love Roku and the character grows, healing a bit by the end of the novel. Together? Roku and Trent start to form something extraordinary.

Roku is half fae/half human in a world that still considers anything fae something that should be “put down” because of the wars and their “insect” strangeness. Yes, these aren’t your usual fae which I adored. Ford has gone to species of insects for Fae Clans, from Mantids to Dragonflies, for her fae and it works beautifully. This universe is so unusual and so appealing in its strangeness that I really need to know more. Especially about the “splices”, those genetically created beings made from fae and human DNA, think parents who wanted kids with wings, or some such nonsense. No not Roku as he will tell anyone that asks, and yes, people ask him all the time. He was made the “normal” way. Rhys Ford has a universe here that cries out for a series as it full of magic and mysteries for ten novels, maybe more (that includes characters too).

Extraordinary world building, Odonata Fae, Mantid Fae, Crime lords, Ford’s magical, messy maze like relationships, love, and characters I can never get enough of…Dim Sum Asylum is all that and so much more. There’s mysteries, hate, love and romance. And now if I can figure out how to bribe this author, I need a sequel because this is so much bigger than just one story. It’s amazing!

And yes, it’s one I highly recommend you pick up and start reading when it’s out in June!

Cover art is wonderful. Works for the story and characters.

Links coming soon

Book Details

Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Expected publication: June 9th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB06XBCN3R9
Edition LanguageEnglish
CharactersRoku MacCormick, Trent Leonard

settingChinatown, San Francisco, California (United States)

A MelanieM Release Day Review: There’s this Guy by Rhys Ford

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

How do you save a drowning man when that drowning man is you?

Jake Moore’s world fits too tightly around him. Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness.

It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued Art Deco building on the WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the artistic, sweet man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.

When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him.

What can you say about a book that opens up on the darkest moment of a man’s life, that point where he see’s no hope, no light and then carries you and him on a journey that see’s him safe, in love and with a future that burns as bright as the sun? You say that you love it and cherish the man and couple you have been reading about. That’s what you say.

Jake Moore is that man. His life is one long night of pain, bloody beatings and unmeasurable sorrow. And it hasn’t ended by any means. The person most responsible is still barely alive, punishing Jake even from his dying bed. The hell that this vicious man has made Jake’s life is brought vividly alive through Jake’s confused thoughts and memories of his past, his mother, conversations…his anguish bleeds off the page and into your heart. He’s a welder by trade, also an artist which is where he pounds out his anger and confusion that he feels over his life and sexuality, welding pieces from the bits left over in the shop and things that he finds to bring home.

Then Dallas Yates and his best friend (and all around wonder) Celeste come into Jake’s life via the renovation of a Art Deco building across the street. Between the two of them, Dallas who makes Jake yearn for everything he’s been told was evil and Celeste, flamboyant, feminine and proud of who she is (and how far she’s come), makes Jake think past other boundaries he’s always been provided with. It’s never downplayed how broken Jake is or that he needs professional help to recover, an important element I really loved here. The relationship build is slow as Celeste questions Dallas on his ability to and his reasons for being attracted to Jake (there is a past element here for Dallas). Layers upon layers here, like the detritus that has to be removed from the Art Deco building before she can shine, have to be peeled back before Dallas and Jake can be a couple and have a future.

I almost gave this 4.75 stars over things as small as not seeing the opening of Bombshell, and other such things that really are extraneous. Would I have loved them here? Absolutely. But were they necessary to the plot? I don’t think so (although I do think they are in some cut pages somewhere on Rhys Ford’s computer). I got the men, I got their love and their journey and that was deeply moving and so memorable. I loved them so, and all..well, most of the secondary characters too. From Celeste to the Yates family.

Want a story full of hope? Want a story full of recovery, love and a journey towards a brighter future for a man who thought a future was something he didn’t deserve? There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford is the story for you. But let Rhys Ford put it better. From Rhys Ford’s Foreword on There’s This Guy:

This book is for anyone who has stared into the abyss and wondered if they can or should go on.

You should.

Take that next step forward and go on.

And should you need help finding the strength for that step, reach out. There are people and places who will help you.

Keep walking until you find the sun on your face and until you can see the stars again.

You are worth that step. Worth that journey.

The world is a better place with you in it.

OK, I’m about to start crying all over again. Probably will pick up the story and start reading it again as well. Get the idea? Yes, I highly recommend it. How I love this author!

Cover art is ok, but honestly I don’t know what I wanted for such a complex story and character. Color me confused.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Expected publication: March 17th 2017 by Dreamspinner Presss
ISBN 1635334993 (ISBN13: 9781635334999)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lila Audiobook Review: Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) by Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter’s son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found…and then lost…love.

Now, Angel’s life is a frantic mess of schedules and chaos. Between running his bakery and raising his troubled eleven-year-old half-brother, Roman, Angel has a hectic but happy life. Then West Harris returns to Half Moon Bay and threatens to break Angel all over again by taking away the only home he and Rome ever had.

When they were young, Angel taught West how to love and laugh but when Angel moved on, West locked his heart up and threw away the key. Older and hardened, West returns to Half Moon and finds himself face-to-face with the man he’d lost. Now, West is torn between killing Angel or holding him tight.

But rekindling their passionate relationship is jeopardized as someone wants one or both of them dead, and as the terrifying danger mounts, neither man knows if the menace will bring them together or forever tear them apart.

Hanging the Stars is a beautiful second chance story. I have a soft spot for young couples that get an opportunity to reconnect and this story doesn’t disappoint. The connection between Angel and West still runs through them after a decade apart. What they had made a difference in the men they became and what they wanted for their future.

The story starts strong and directly into the action. We get adrenaline filled scenes that set the path for the characters to see each other again. There are small coincidences that make their first encounter even more meaningful. Having them get together without trouble or misunderstandings worked for the story.

Each main character has a very defined backstory that intertwines with the other. They have family and friends in common, but at the same time, they have a separate story that’s only theirs. And that’s what makes their story special. A lot is going on against them, but they are ready to face everything together.

All the twist and turns are fast-paced and keep the reader trying to flip the pages faster. Well, in this case for the audio to hurry up. But this also is the reason I didn’t give the story a higher rating. It was easy to miss an important element with all the information coming our way.

Overall, this is an interesting addition to the story. We get to see Lang, Deacon, and Zig again. Plus, I love Roman and his relationship with Angel. I hope the author give us more stories in this series because there are several characters with a lot of potential for love.

Greg Tremblay did a good job giving life to the characters and making them unique. Especially the young ones.

The cover by Reece Notley is nice but a bit generic. Plus, the model’s picture has been used in several stories recently.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner | iTunes | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Greg Tremblay

Length: 7 hours 41 minutes

Published: January 12, 2017 (Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press

ASIN: B01N9PZE6V

Edition Language: English

Series: Half Moon Bay

Book #1: Fish Stick Fridays

Book #2: Hanging the Stars

A MelanieM Pre-Release Review: There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

How do you save a drowning man when that drowning man is you?

Want a story full of hope? Want a story full of recovery, love and a journey towards a brighter future for a man who thought a future was something he didn’t deserve? There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford is the story for you. But let Rhys Ford put it better. From Rhys Ford’s Foreword on There’s This Guy:

This book is for anyone who has stared into the abyss and wondered if they can or should go on.

You should.

Take that next step forward and go on.

And should you need help finding the strength for that step, reach out. There are people and places who will help you.

Keep walking until you find the sun on your face and until you can see the stars again.

You are worth that step. Worth that journey.

The world is a better place with you in it.

OK, I’m about to start crying all over again. Probably will pick up the story and start reading it again as well. Get the idea? Yes, I highly recommend it. You’ll have to wait until March but trust me, the wait will be worth it. How I love this author!

Cover art is ok, but honestly I don’t know what I wanted for such a complex story and character. Color me confused.

Sales Links to be provided

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Expected publication: March 17th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Audiobook Review: Absinthe of Malice (Sinners #5) by Rhys Ford and Tristan James (Narrator)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

We’re getting the band back together.

Those five words send a chill down Miki St. John’s spine, especially when they’re spoken with a nearly religious fervor by his brother-in-all-but-blood, Damien Mitchell. However, those words were nothing compared to what Damien says next.

And we’re going on tour.

When Crossroads Gin hits the road, Damien hopes it will draw them closer together. There’s something magical about being on tour, especially when traveling in a van with no roadies, managers, or lovers to act as a buffer. The band is already close, but Damien knows they can be more—brothers of sorts, bound not only by familial ties but by their intense love for music.

As they travel from gig to gig, the band is haunted by past mistakes and personal demons, but they forge on. For Miki, Damie, Forest, and Rafe, the stage is where they all truly come alive, and the music they play is as important to them as the air they breathe.

But those demons and troubles won’t leave them alone, and with every mile under their belts, the band faces its greatest challenge—overcoming their deepest flaws and not killing one another along the way.

I enjoyed this story and I thought it was a creative way to give us updates on all four of the couples in one story. The guys are on the road as the blurb says, but a lot the story is about Miki starting to work through things. Since Miki is my all time favorite from this series that was a great thing for me. The story follows the guys on their first tour and lot of things happen. It’s pretty fast paced and is filled with some serious moments and some more light-hearted ones. Even though the guys are on the road, their partners and other family members also make frequent appearances. Brigid and Donal steal every scene they’re in for me. I just adore them both.

I don’t want to spoil the plot and say more about it but know that it is fast paced and entertaining. The four relationships are in various places and things are a little more challenging for two of the couples but overall they’re all doing well and it was really touching to see them work through their various issues. The end is not really a cliffhanger but definitely leaves you ready to get the next book as soon as possible.

This book was narrated by Tristan James who has also narrated the previous other books in the series. This was my first time doing one of these books on audio and I enjoyed his narration a lot. There were a lot of characters in this but I was never confused as to which one was talking. There are also various accents from different countries and I thought he did those well too. I did struggle a bit with the beginning of each chapter as they recount a moment from the past or song lyrics. I prefer those when I’m reading the books. It works better for me when I can see them. It’s a small complaint and one that might be just an issue for me. Overall I really liked the narration and I thought the narrator did a really good job.

Cover by Reese Notley: I like this cover a lot. It’s striking and the color really catches the eye, plus it goes with the book’s title.

Sales Links

Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 6 hours and 49 minutes

Audible Audio, 7 pages
Published October 3rd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published June 22nd 2016)
Original TitleAbsinthe of Malice
ASINB01LXP2ES3
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSinners #5

A MelanieM Review: Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) by Rhys Ford

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

hanging-the-stars-by-rhys-ford Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter’s son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found…and then lost…love.

Hanging The Stars, the second book in the Half Moon Bay series, had a obstacle to overcome that most Rhys Ford books don’t start out with. I wasn’t crazy about one of the main characters right off the bat.

West Harris was a minor character in a close-to-my-heart book, Fish Stick Fridays. A twin in appearance only to Lang Harris the bookstore owner and wonderful MC of that story, much like Zig (really you have to read that book) I was ready to write this fellow right off. Skedaddle, out of here! Nope, Ford was determined to put West on the road to redemption.

Well, its a hard road, I’m telling you. I wasn’t ready to accept him right at the start.

What’s not so hard to do? Fall in love with Angel Daniels and his brother Roman. Ford loves her down on their luck men. When she writes about them, builds their characters, something special happens. A magical spark ignites, a personality pops into place and boom, there rides into the story a layered, hunted man. Tortured past, looking to better himself for any number of reasons, trying to escape the demons running so close behind him. That Angel Daniels. In this case, its Roman his young highly intelligent brother that’s pushing Angel to get them a better life. A few scenes, snappy dialog, and hints of their awful past. and there you are, rooting for these two to make it happen.

Then West Harris enters the picture. I swear most of the time I wanted to swat him one. Mostly because I was that irritated with him.

Turning around a prejudice towards a character is a hard thing for an author to have to do. Making that turn here, well, it didn’t happen as smoothly for me as I think the author might have hoped. I guess I thought certain connections should have been made far sooner than someone as bright as he was supposed to be. Maybe it was because I adored Angel and Roman so much that they shone so brightly that took longer to connect with West. That entirely possible. I was certainly more emotionally engaged in the dynamics in the relationship between brothers first, and then between Angel and West.

Then all three, Angel, West and Roman, began to meld into a unit. That’s when this story took flight. I loved it when all three started to come together as a whole. West became more layered, more a functioning human being. The scenes as West and Roman discussed candy spreadsheets? Priceless! If Zig is focused on world domination, then Roman is be her CFO. Rhys Ford should seriously consider writing a book filled with Zig’s and Roman’s and fantastical creatures and libraries bursting at the seams with books full of mystical things. I’d buy them and hand them out on the street. She writes children and pretweens like no one’s business. I recognize them as I have one just like them in my family. How much they enrich these stories can’t be measured.

Hanging the Stars pulled the mysteries together and the murderous reign of terror to an end in a totally satisfactory manner. Yep, happy at the end. Ford left me wanting more as she always does. And as we are all likely to get more…Half Moon Bay is a wonderful place. I can’t wait to see who and what is coming next.

I recommend this story. And the one before it. The author too. S’marvelous…all three!

Grab up the first and wait for this to come out. And don’t be so hard on West Harris as I was. He had Lang Harris (and 2 cats) to overcome. That’s a tough one in any case.
Cover Artist: Reece Notley. I think its perfect for the character and in keeping with the series.

Sales Links – Pre Order

Book Details:

ebook, 206 pages
Expected publication: December 5th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634778985
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Half Moon Bay:

Fish Stick Fridays (Half Moon Bay, #1)

Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2)

A MelanieM Review: Fish Stick Fridays (Half Moon Bay #1) by Rhys Ford

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

fish-stick-fridays Deacon Reid was born bad to the bone with no intention of changing. A lifetime of law-bending and living on the edge suited him just fine—until his baby sister died and he found himself raising her little girl.

Staring down a family history of bad decisions and reaped consequences, Deacon cashes in everything he owns, purchases an auto shop in Half Moon Bay, and takes his niece, Zig, far away from the drug dens and murderous streets they grew up on. Zig deserves a better life than what he had, and Deacon is determined to give it to her.

Lang Harris is stunned when Zig, a little girl in combat boots and a purple tutu blows into his bookstore, and then he’s left speechless when her uncle, Deacon Reid walks in, hot on her heels. Lang always played it safe but Deacon tempts him to step over the line… just a little bit.

More than a little bit. And Lang is willing to be tempted.

Unfortunately, Zig isn’t the only bit of chaos dropped into Half Moon Bay. Violence and death strikes leaving Deacon scrambling to fight off a killer before he loses not only Zig but Lang too.

I was all set to read the sequel to Fish Stick Fridays when I decided to revisit the first story in the series to reacquaint myself with the characters and the setting of Half Moon Bay. It didn’t take long to be swept under the spell of Zig, Deacon, Lang and a orange cat that Zig is determined to call Fred. How I had missed them.

Writing children into stories is always a iffy proposition. They can always go so wrong. Come off sounding not like children at all with dialog so stilted and adult, the character lacking some childish element. But Zig? Precocious, profane, wounded, insanely intelligent Zig? Rhys Ford just nailed her right down to her combat pants, boots and pink tutus! There she was from the moment we meet Zig, cursing, dirty, wary, and oh so wonderful. If, as Deacon says, she’s bent on world domination, well, I’m going to pitch in and help her. Connection made.

Of course, there’s so much more to this story. There’s the romance and mystery. With Zig, comes Deacon, her uncle with his own troubled past, Harley and new auto shop in Half Moon Bay. *Waves fan* Like Lang, the minute Deacon appears in Fish Stick Friday, you lean in a little closer, the magnetism that Ford builds into this character oozing off the pages in line after line. From the glasses that perch on his nose to his intelligence, its clear that Deacon is so much more than his looks. Its his interactions with his niece first and then with Lang. All those conversations, intriguing dialog, literary references and the care with which they treat each other. It not only pulls you into the story but into the characters, their relationship and the evolving family unit as a whole. I love it when relationships get the full adult treatment. Issues get talked out, full disclosures, etc. That happens here and I loved every second of it, and this couple.

There is, of course, some nasty characters and mysteries at work here. Its Rhys Ford people! Its played off nicely. It kept me guessing as to where the explosions and danger was coming next. The suspense and anticipation ratcheted up perfectly. And that ending? Just want I wanted to happen!

Lang’s twin brother makes a brief appearance here and sets in motion the second book in the series, Hanging The Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) which I will be reviewing next. I had forgotten about him honestly until I reread the story. Didn’t really like him, to be honest. Now I’m chuckling with glee. Yes, I’ve already read that sequel. No, you will have to wait for the review. What will Rhys Ford deliver next in this series? I can hardly wait. I’m loving Half Moon Bay with all its wonderful characters, oddball twists, and great stories. I hope my favorite couples and Zig (and cats) make appearances in each and everyone.

I absolutely recommend this series. Its out now in audiobook. Look for our review by Lila coming soon as will my review of the sequel. Rhys Ford remains one of my favorite authors. Fish Stick Fridays and Half Moon Bay is just one more reason why. Pick it up and find out for yourself if you haven’t already done so.

Cover Artist: Reece Notley. The only thing more perfect would be the addition of a sidecar for Zig. Love it.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages
Published November 30th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleFish Stick Fridays
ISBN 1623809487 (ISBN13: 9781623809485)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesHalf Moon Bay #1 settingCalifornia (United States)

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