A Paul B Review: The Leprechaun’s Gamble (Gifts of the Fae #1) by A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A leprechaun gets but one chance to find love in the mortal realm. If the leprechaun is successful, they may live out their life with their true love in the mortal world with occasion visits back to the fairy world. If unsuccessful, they must find love in the fairy world which has proven difficult to do. Knowing both the reward and costs, young leprechauns gamble to find their true love.

Ailin is one such leprechaun. Having passed up his chance last year thinking he was too young for such an adventure, he decides to go forth this year. He knows that the portal will open on St. Patrick’s Day and will have until the equinox a few days later to find his love. Having found the portal site, Ailin crosses through then casts a spell to protect himself from the rush of other leprechauns coming through. Once he regains his senses, he heads to town. On the way, he meets a brownie, a dark fairy from another fairy kingdom. Ailin ignores the brownie’s temptations and finds a festival in the nearest town. He is off to find the man who will love him.

Rohan is a farmer to the north of the town. He inherited his grandfather’s farm recently and loves the simpler life. He enters a jig dance contest at the local festival. As competitors begin to drop, he notices the only one keeping up is a good looking red headed man, who happens to be Ailin in his human guise. Impressed that he can keep up, Rohan offers to buy the man a drink at the local tavern. The competitive nature in both men leads to a game of darts where wagers are made by the patrons. Finding the man challenging, he asks the man to come back to the farm with him. Ailin is overjoyed at the possibility that Rohan might be the one and accepts. Now he must turn this attraction to true love in the next few days or else he will never find mortal love.

This is the first book in the Gifts of the Fae series by A. J. Markus. If you are looking for two alpha males you have found it in this book. Both men acknowledge their competitive nature, which includes the size of their equipment. Of course both are well hung, as it seems they have to be the best at everything they do. It was interesting to see Ailin dance around some of Rohan’s questions as Ailin cannot lie to the human but also did not want to reveal his true nature until he know Rohan was the one for him. Overall it was an enjoyable start to this new series.

The cover art is perfect for this book. We have the red headed Ailin with his scruff standing beside the dark haired Rohan wearing what looks like a tam o’shanter. These fit the description of the characters perfectly. The rainbow above the author’s name is a nice touch. Kudos go to Carmen Waters for the cover.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 53 pages
Published March 14th 2016 by eXtasy Books
ISBN139781487406516
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Gifts of the Fae

The Leprechaun’s Gamble (Gifts of the Fae #1)

A MelanieM Review: Fish and Ghosts (Hellsinger #1) by Rhys Ford

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

When his Uncle Mortimer died and left him Hoxne Grange, the family’s Gilded Age estate, Tristan Pryce knew he wasn’t going to have an easy time of it. He was to be the second generation of Pryces to serve as a caretaker for the estate, a way station for spirits on their final steps to the afterlife. The ghosts were the simple part. He’d been seeing boo-wigglies since he was a child. No, the difficult part was his own family. Determined to establish Tristan’s insanity, his loving relatives hire Dr. Wolf Kincaid and his paranormal researchers, Hellsinger Investigations, to prove the Grange is not haunted.

Skeptic Wolf Kincaid has made it his life’s work to debunk the supernatural. After years of cons and fakes, he can’t wait to reveal the Grange’s ghostly activity is just badly leveled floorboards and a drafty old house. The Grange has more than a few surprises for him, including its prickly, reclusive owner. Tristan Pryce is much less insane and much more attractive than Wolf wants to admit and when his Hellsinger team unwittingly release a ghostly serial killer on the Grange, Wolf is torn between his skepticism and protecting the man he’d been sent to discredit.

Goodness know I love a good ghost story and author Rhys Ford, so I was pretty much a happy reviewer when I saw the blurb for Fish and Ghosts by Rhys Ford. And it delivered but it some unexpected ways given the previous series I’ve come to love and associate with this author.

Honestly, its more lighthearted, its quirky and funny. Sure it has ghosts but some of them are of the four-legged type. Tristan has seen a ghost giraffe and a ghostly elephant roam the estate and there’s a certain animal toy that will have you in giggles. Why? Because of who it belongs to. And yes, it has a Irish Wolfhound as well in the tale, a straight arrow to my heart for any story. The pathos surrounding the ghosts is there as well, Ford knows not to leave that out. The aura of mystery, sadness, hope, loss, death… everything we associate with ghosts is present here but presented in enough different ways that might make you sniffle, giggle, and pull back in horror. Yep, Ford ran the gamut here, changing up the pace to keep it interesting, the narrative swift, and the next supernatural blockade their relationship just around the next balustrade.

I loved the characters of Tristan Pryce and Wolf Kincaid. They are well fleshed out, charming in their vulnerabilities and past histories, and so entertaining that I can’t wait for more. In fact I felt that way about most of the secondary characters with the exception of Wolf’s assistants, Gidget and Matt who were more one note, and the least interesting of the bunch. Screechworthy kept coming to mind as it seems that was all the one thing (fighting, I mean, that they did, other than have sex). When you don’t mind if a ghost kills characters, than perhaps you aren’t all that connected to them.

Luckily, I loved everyone else, from Mara to Wolf’s mom. Those are keepers and I hope to see them in the next installments. Surely Tristan’s greedy relatives won’t give up so easily.

Love Rhys Ford, or ghost stories? Love romances with humor and a supernatural element or five? Check out Fish and Ghosts, the first in a new series by Rhys Ford. I recommend it and the author. Its out in a number of formats, from ebook to audiobook. You choose your addiction.

Cover art by Reese Notley. This cover really doesn’t do it for me, especially the representation of Tristan, who is supposed to have long golden hair, thin. Just no, a surprising miss from this author.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages
Published December 30th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press (first published December 29th 2013)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesHellsinger #1

A Paul B Review: Sealed With Honor (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #1) by Caitlin Ricci and A.J. Marcus

Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars

What should be a happy time for Cam is actually one of dread. A fennec fox shifter from Morocco, his mating has been arranged to another shifter from the state of Washington. According to the rules and traditions of mating, Cam must give up everything from his old life to begin his new life with his mate. The one thing he will miss the most is his childhood and best friend Leo. Cam hopes that his new mate will at least give him the right to contact Leo occasionally to keep up with him, but he does not hold out much hope.

On the night before his mating, Jenner is out with his best friend Taruk. While partying, they are interrupted by a young male with what appears to be more spunk than brains. They resume their evening after the young man’s bodyguard escorts him from the bar. Jenner meets the man the next day and finds out that he is his intended mate. Things get strange when the young man asks why Taruk is touching Jenner, contrary to mating customs. Jenner chalks it up to jealousy. This would become the first of several misunderstandings that the two encounter on the first day of their mating. Cam wonders if his mate’s cluelessness is a bad sign that his mating will be one without love.

This is a good first book in Caitlin Ricci and A.J. Marcus’s new Signed, Sealed, Delivered shifter series. The main focus of this book is the contrasting cultures the different shifter clans have developed, whether from the continent they come from or the species of each shifter.

Cam has spent his entire life protected from anything that might harm him so his father could get a high dowry for him. Jenner has lived a carefree existence, doing wild things with his friends. I felt sorry for Cam and Leo as they feel that this is probably the end of their lifelong friendship. The misunderstandings of mating between Cam and Jenner seem like it comes from a screwball comedy. You just wait for the lightbulb to come on for one of them so that they can resolve their differences. I could see Lucy and Ricky in the scene where Cam hands Jenner the printout that he must read in order for their friends to interact normally with them. The story has me hooked for the next book in the series

The cover art by Latrisha Waters shows Cam in both his human form and his fennec fox form. It is nicely done cover for the book.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 80 pages
Published March 14th 2016 by eXtasy Books
ISBN139781487406509
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL
SeriesSigned, Sealed, Delivered

Sealed with Honor (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #1)

A Free Dreamer Review: The Last Thing He Needs (The Last Thing He Needs #1) by J.H. Knight

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Tommy O’Shea is raising his seven younger brothers and sisters without any help from his drug abusing father and stepmother. Since he was fifteen years old, he’s managed to keep the children fed and out of foster care. It takes up every ounce of his energy and the last thing he needs is romance complicating his life further.

Rookie cop Bobby McAlister doesn’t belong in Tommy’s harsh world, but Tommy can’t push him out. As their unlikely friendship turns into a tentative relationship, they weather the daily storm of Tommy’s life with a lot of laughs and more than a few arguments.

Tommy isn’t used to trusting outsiders, and he’s never asked for help in his life. But when a tragedy strikes the O’Shea family and threatens everything he’s fought for, he’ll have to learn to do both to recover from the brutal hit.

Now, usually I shy away from books dealing with children. I don’t children in RL and I don’t like children in my books, especially not in my M/M books. But I do have a thing for the “older brother raises younger siblings” trope and the blurb sounded promising, so I decided to give this a shot. And I’m glad I did.

Tommy is a really good guy. He’s a little too proud and maybe he also swears a little too much, but he’d do everything for his younger siblings. I liked him from the start.

Bobby was a great character as well. He didn’t take crap from Tommy and didn’t let Tommy use his crappy life as an excuse to push him away. I really liked that about him.

The kids, especially Tommy’s oldest sister, made for interesting minor characters. Every one of them had a unique personality.

The angst level is surprisingly low. There aren’t all that many scenes that directly involve Tommy’s parents. Most of the story revolved around Tommy struggling to balance his relationship with Bobby and his fierce independence. I’d expected this to be way darker than it actually was, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The story was easy to follow and very addicting. I found it very hard to put down this book.

At times, I did find it a little cheesy, though. Especially the ending seemed a bit over the top to me. I’m glad they all got their HEA, but it was just a tad too much.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read. Surprisingly low on the angst-level, but not too much fluff for the most part. At times a little cheesy and the ending was a tad too happy, but still, this was a very enjoyable story.

The cover by AngstyG shows Tommy and Bobby. Bobby looks rather like he’s in full-on cop-mode and somehow I get the feeling that Tommy looks kind of guilty. I like it.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 220 pages
Published July 28th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published July 27th 2014)
Original TitleThe Last Thing He Needs
ISBN 1627988602 (ISBN13: 9781627988605)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesThe Last Thing He Needs #1
CharactersTommy O’Shea, Bobby McAlister

A Free Dreamer Review: The Prince’s Consort (Chronicles of Tournai #1) by Antonia Aquilante

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Legends tell of large cats defending the principality of Tournai, but such creatures have been lost to time.

Or have they?

Prince Philip inherited the throne at a young age, and since then, his life has centered around ruling his country and resisting those pressuring him to take a wife and conceive an heir—forcing him to hide his attraction to men. When kind-hearted Amory is offered to the prince in exchange for more time for Amory’s father to complete a commission, both Philip and Amory are horrified. But Philip agrees to keep Amory at the palace, where they gradually become friends, then lovers. For the first time in his life, Philip is free to share not only his heart, but the magical shape-shifting ability that runs in the royal bloodline.

Neither Amory nor Philip imagined falling in love, and they certainly don’t expect the lengths those who oppose their relationship will go to keep them apart—maybe even resorting to murder.

Okay, this book was very much not for me. The blurb sounded interesting and seemed to promise a fair bit of drama and angst. Well, there was a bit of both, I guess, but somewhere buried amidst an avalanche fluffy fluff so cute I think it gave me diabetes.

The world building was essentially non-existent. Yes, I am starting to feel like a broken record. It seems like I have to complain about lacking world building in every second fantasy/sci-fi review I write. It’s sad, but true. Really, the fantasy was extremely low-key here.

I’d expected the large cats mentioned in the blurb to actually somehow matter for the plot, but they didn’t. They were mentioned on occasion and there were a couple of scenes involving them, but nothing really important happened.

It was hard to form a connection to the MCs and the things that happened to them. It felt like the author only ever told us what happened, but never showed anything. At times that made for a rather boring story, to be honest. Not even the wedding was narrated in any detail. I just didn’t care about anybody in this story.

The whole story as such felt a little too easy for me. There was insta-love on both sides and the rest just fell into place somehow. Sure, there were those who tried everything to keep the two of them apart, but that part seemed very predictable to me. And since I just couldn’t form a connection to the MCs, I probably wouldn’t even have cared too much if one of them had died.

The thing that bothered me the most, though, was the sudden Mpreg. I do NOT like Mpreg. There’s no hint whatsoever anywhere in the blurb that there’d be Mpreg. If I had known about that, I wouldn’t have picked up this book. I know there are plenty of people out there who like this, but since it’s also something a lot of people absolutely can’t stand, a little warning would definitely be appropriate. It didn’t help that I got the feeling that the author only used the fantasy elements as an excuse for the Mpreg.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. Too much fluff, sudden Mpreg, and I just couldn’t relate to the MCs. While reading this book, I felt a kind of annoyed boredom. If you like Mpreg, enjoy tons of fluff and don’t care too much about world-building, give it a shot. Chances are, you’ll love it.

I didn’t, however, and I won’t bother with the rest of the series. And before I pick up anything by this author ever again, I’ll make sure to scan the reviews for some unmentioned Mpreg first.

Cover: The cover by Anne Cain shows Amory and Philip in a loving embrace. I like it, the colours are all very pretty.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book details:

Kindle Edition, 303 pages
Published October 16th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB016ATZM9I
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesChronicles of Tournai #1

Series:

The Prince’s Consort (Chronicles of Tournai, #1)

The Artist’s Masquerade (Chronicles of Tournai, #2

The Scholar’s Heart (Chronicles of Tournai, #3 coming soon

A Review Redux: A Mika Review: Fish Stick Fridays (Half Moon Bay #1) By Rhys Ford

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★

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 wonder if Rhys Ford has a magic chair that she sits in at home to churn out these 5-star books and characters. I mean I expected nothing less, but a couple of months ago when she announced that she had a new series starting I was elated. I mean, c’mon. everyone knows how I feel about Cole and Jae; they are my heart. She announced a new series, and a freaking kid was a main character. I was down for it. I love children in my stories. Their age adds an extra layer of vulnerability to the characters.

This book was everything and more that I could ever ask for. I am swooning for Deke! He’s amazing. He hasn’t had an easy life, and anybody’s that went through what he did would understand if he decided to be selfish and only look out for himself. His lack of parents, the fast life he grew up in couldn’t prepare him for caring for his 8 year old niece Bobo Zigfried! She’s a tornado wrapped in a hurricane. Full of life, love, adoration and kind of a cynic to be so young. Right from the beginning its full of action! I love the dynamics between Deke and Zig they are the coolest people that I like I’ve read from the author to date.

Lang is a freaking sweetheart in his own way! I think Rhys Ford did a good job with combining the two mc’s past histories together. This wasn’t her usual buildup of love between two guys. Dare to say it, but I totally got the insta-love feeling without the cheesiness that goes with it. I kind of see them as a love as first sight kind of thing. I mean the descriptions about one another were so endearing, and sweet. This is definitely a favorite of mine, and I cannot wait until the next in the series. This is the perfect family that Rhys Ford throws together!

Cover Art by Reece Notley:This might be my favorite cover from this artist. They are teasing us by not showing Deacon’s entire face, but everything else that is important to his person is there. Loved the color schemes for the cover. The motorcycle definitely rocks.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages

Published November 30th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press

original title Fish Stick Fridays

ISBN 1623809487 (ISBN13: 9781623809485)

edition language English

series Half Moon Bay #1

Love Alternative Romance? Don’t Miss Out On Dusk Peterson’s ‘Rebirth’ (Excerpt and Giveaway)

Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon # 1) by Dusk Peterson
Release Date: February, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Love in Dark Settings Press
Cover Artist: Dusk Peterson

Blurb

“‘This prisoner deserves special treatment.’ The hooded man looked over at the young man again.”

Elsdon Taylor, a prisoner accused of committing a terrible murder. Layle Smith, a torturer with a terrible past. Their meeting in the Eternal Dungeon appears certain to bring out the worst in both men.

Yet neither man is quite what he appears. As the prisoner and his torturer begin to be drawn toward each other, the ripple effects of their meeting will have a powerful impact on other inhabitants of the Eternal Dungeon: Layle’s faithful guard, struggling to contain his doubts. A younger guard determined to take any shortcuts necessary to ensure that his life follows the path he has already chosen. An old love from Layle’s past, still sorrowing. And most of all, a prisoner who has not yet arrived at the Eternal Dungeon, but whose fate will depend on how Layle handles Elsdon Taylor . . . and on how Elsdon handles Layle Smith.

A winner of the 2011 Rainbow Awards (within the “The Eternal Dungeon” omnibus), this tale of love and adventure can be read on its own or as the first volume in The Eternal Dungeon, a speculative fiction series set in a nineteenth-century prison where the psychologists wield whips.

The Eternal Dungeon series is part of Turn-of-the-Century Toughs, a cycle of alternate history series (Waterman, Life Prison, Commando, Michael’s House, The Eternal Dungeon, and Dark Light) about adults and youths on the margins of society, and the people who love them. Set in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the novels and stories take place in an alternative version of America that was settled by inhabitants of the Old World in ancient times. As a result, the New World retains certain classical and medieval customs.

Pages or Words: 130,000 words
Categories: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Historical

Excerpt:

“Do you have any questions?” the Seeker asked. “About the routine of the dungeon? The times you will be fed? The questions you will be asked? The instruments of torture I use?”

The faintness went beyond Elsdon’s voice this time and entered his body. He could feel the sweat upon his skin; he wondered whether he had turned white. He blurted out, “What if I’m innocent?”

The Seeker’s gaze did not waver. “If you are innocent, then I trust that our time together will be short. I would far rather find a prisoner innocent than guilty; too many prisoners are sent to us, and the quicker that we can release them from here, the better. If your release is to the lighted world rather than to the executioner, it is likely to come more quickly. But we are commissioned by the Queen to ascertain the truth of accusations of death-sentence crimes, and we are committed to fulfill that commission. Please don’t waste my time with false pleas of innocence, Mr. Taylor. It will only make our time together more difficult.”

Buy the book:

http://duskpeterson.com/eternaldungeon/#rebirth

Meet the author:

Honored in the Rainbow Awards, Dusk Peterson writes historical adventure tales that are speculative fiction: alternate history, historical fantasy, and retrofuture science fiction, including lgbtq novels and other types of diverse fiction. Friendship, family affection, faithful service, and romance often occur in the stories. A resident of Maryland, Mx. Peterson lives with an apprentice and several thousand books. Visit duskpeterson.com for e-books and free fiction.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://facebook.com/loveindarksettings
Twitter: http://twitter.com/duskpeterson
Blog: http://duskpeterson.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2072858.Dusk_Peterson
Tumblr: http://duskpeterson.tumblr.com

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Jessie G. Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Sassygirl Books, Oh My Shelves,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, BFD Book Blog,

Kirsty Loves Books, The Jena Wade, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Book Lovers 4Ever, Outrageous Heroes,

Wake Up Your Wild Side, Mikky’s World of Books, Nephy Hart, Inked Rainbow Reads, Velvet Panic

Giveaway

Enter to win. Must be 18 years of age or older. Link and prize provided by Pride Promotions.

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A Stella Review: Spencer Cohen (The Spencer Cohen Series #1) by N.R. Walker

RATING 4,5 out of 5 stars

Spencer Cohen is the guy who gets answers to relationship questions. Playing the role of the new lover, his job is to make his client’s ex realise one of two things: he doesn’t want to break up or he really does. Either way, his client gets answers.

The ex would either apologize and beg, or turn and walk. But in the end, Spencer’s client won. If he wanted his ex back and got him, it was great. If the guy walked away, then as hard it was for the client, he knew it was over. Regardless of the outcome, Spencer’s work was done.

Andrew Landon’s ex left him without so much as an explanation. But his sister can’t stand to see him miserable, so, much to Andrew’s dismay, they hire Spencer to be Andrew’s new boyfriend to get the ex back.

For Spencer, it is never personal. Merely a business transaction. No emotions, no strings, no complications.

Yeah right.

Even a blind man could see how this would end.

Spencer Cohen is the first book in a new series by N.R. Walker and it was an amazing start. It was quite some time since I’ve read this author and I’ve honestly missed her style. This book gave me a so needed rush of fresh air.

I soon connected with the characters. This is a specific trait of N.R. Walker’s style. She always does this element great. She has a unique style, very recognizable, the words flow so easily it’s a joy to read it. I soon found myself into the story. There wasn’t time (as often happens to me) to adjust to a new book. I was there with Spencer and Andrew from the start.

The characters were all enjoyable. Especially Andrew. His not knowing well himself and his abilities, not understanding the care and kindness Spencer treated him with, was cute to watch but hurtful too. A special guy like him should have been more aware of himself. The attraction between them was clear since the first meeting and it develops exponentially through the story. Plus they are funny together, smart and sweet in their dates.

Two things left me a little dubious during the reading and they are the reason why I didn’t gave Spencer Cohen the full five stars: one is the use of the single point of view (Spencer’s one) and I’m not sure it was the right choice because I am still curious about what was going on Andrew’s mind. The second was the fact that two days after their first meeting Spencer realized he had feelings for Andrew, maybe it was really too soon but at the end it worked pretty well.

I highly recommend this new book by N.R. Walker, it’s easy, beautiful and well written, I want more. Yes, it’s a light book but there is a lot going on in Spencer life that I want to know more in the next book.

The cover art by Sara York is simply fantastic! I love this style and I would love to see more of covers of this kind.

Sales Link: Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 137 pages
Published February 18th 2016 by BlueHeart
ASIN B01BOB6L56
Edition Language English

The Spencer Cohen Series #1

A Ali Review: Eagle’s Blood (Mountain Spirit Mysteries #1) by A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Brock Summers is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer with a heart of gold. When he discovers a video of golden eagles being shot and learns of a nest in trouble, not even a blizzard can stop him from trekking up the mountain in an attempt to rescue them.

When Brock returns with the one eaglet he manages to save, Landon Weir, the local wildlife rehabilitator, patches up the bird and the injury Brock suffered during the rescue. Though they have been friends and colleagues for years, their shared passion for protecting wildlife and the feeling of Brock’s body under his hands makes Landon see Brock differently. For the first time, Landon wonders if they can be more than friends.

To Landon’s surprise, Brock asks him out to dinner to thank him for his aid, but before they manage their first date, another video of eagles being killed surfaces. Neither man will let inclement weather, a dangerous mountain, or armed poachers stop them from rescuing the eagles—or each other.

This is a story about a wildlife rehabber and a Parks/Wildlife officer. The story is mostly about poacher who are killing eagle’s for illegal sales. I found this all really interesting and the author seems to have a good knowledge of all things related to wildlife, care and laws. (Some I know from a rehabber friend and some I Googled). If you find this kind of stuff interesting you will probably enjoy this book. If not…I don’t know.

There is romance in this but it’s not the main focus and it’s not as well done as the mystery part of the plot. There is a lot of telling about the guy’s feelings and very little showing. I didn’t really feel their connection at all. I will keep reading these though cuz I loved all the animal stuff.

Cover art.I liked the cover a lot. It’s artfully done and is a good representation of the story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published April 14th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published April 13th 2014)
ISBN 1627986286 (ISBN13: 9781627986281)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL
SeriesMountain Spirit Mysteries #1

A Jeri Review: Him (Him #1) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend…and a big one to learn about himself.

I love to watch love and romance grow and bloom. Especially when they start as friends as kids. Developing that bond that can seemingly get them through anything- as long as they are together.

Him is such a story but with a slight twist. Jamie and Wes were friends, but only saw each other during hockey camp in the summer. In between camp they lived on different coasts and communicated with a box that they would fill with something related to them and mail and it back and forth.

As they grew, Wes not only realizes that he is gay, but goads Jamie into experimenting with him on the last night of cap. That was the beginning of the end of their friendship. Wes thinks he ruined it all and Jamie is just completely confused. When their college hockey teams are playing in the same tournament 5 years later, they both blame themselves and begin a tenuous relationship again.

I found this story to be emotionally gripping, tender and heartfelt. The heart break Wes feels because Jamie is “straight”. The confusion Jamie feels because he doesn’t understand his feelings for Wes and wants his best friend back. Coming to grips with themselves and their maturing relationship.

Deeper than the confusion and muddling through a potential romantic relationship was the true friendship of men who were best friends and so desperately wanted that again.

Being together means a lot of different things to both of them. They have to reevaluate and look at their lives. Trying to decide if being together is worth the potential consequences.

Sweet, hot, tender and romantic. With humor and lots of hockey on the side. A must read.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 276 pages
Published July 28th 2015 by Rennie Road Books
Original TitleHim
ISBN139781942444077
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHim #1
CharactersJamie Canning, Ryan Wesley
Literary AwardsGoodreads Choice Award Nominee for Romance (2015)

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Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon # 1) by Dusk Peterson Release Date: February, 2016

Goodreads Link Publisher: Love in Dark Settings Press Cover Artist: Dusk Peterson

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Sales Link: Amazon

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Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon # 1) by Dusk Peterson
Release Date: February, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Love in Dark Settings Press
Cover Artist: Dusk Peterson