Tag: gay fiction

A MelanieM Review: Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Seeing Red- ScorchedDown the twists and turns of the London alleyways, where Chinatown meets the highstreets, lies a small venue where unknown rock bands often play to crowds of less than one-hundred.

Isaac is nineteen, living on the sofa of his best friend’s brother – Eric – after his bible-loving parents tossed him aside because of his sexuality. After two years of struggling to make sense of his life, Eric and Charlotte convince Isaac to attend Red’s gig; an up and coming rock band with a small cult following.

All hell breaks loose and Isaac is left injured, with the whereabouts of his friends unknown and his body crippled on the ground. It’s then that the four members – Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss – aid Isaac by infecting him with a ‘magical’ virus that grants immortality in exchange for consuming blood.

The ‘Paranorm’ world is exposed to Isaac. Vampires, werewolves and warlocks lurk in the depths of the city he has lived in his entire life, but he won’t become one with the night until he completes his nine-month transition, leaving him in the hands of the band and at the mercy of vampire politics.

This story is part of the Omega Moon universe, but is a standalone tale.

Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton represents both a new author and a new universe for me.  I had not read any other books by this author so I was unfamiliar with the Omega Moon universe that this story is set in.  That said, its true you don’t have to have read the other novel to be able to understand or enjoy this vampire tale of romance as it has very little to do with the werewolves of the Omega Moon story except for one thin plot thread.

I think what I enjoyed best about this story was the format and interesting manner in which Isaac is turned into a vampire.  Its not an automatic process but one that takes nine months…sort of like birthing a baby. And it moves forward in increments of time just as you mark it off in a baby’s book.  I liked that sort of progress chart.  Funny, sort of ironic in comparison.  At least I hope that’s what the author was going for.  It marks the changes, inward and outward, that Isaac, really a 19 year old,  has to go through.  And that includes vampire royal politics, his old conservative family who kicked Isaac out, and so much more.  Like puppy love and maybe the real thing.

I very much liked the four members that made up the band Red –  Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss.  Each individualistic enough that I wanted more of each and didn’t get enough  pages of this story to satisfy my need for that.  Kyle?  Adorable.  And Troy?  Yes, another favorite.  Moss…darkness you want to follow down every alley.  But Nicolai?  He is most likely the weakest link here yet that’s the one that Orton pairs Isaac up with.  I just couldn’t see it.

But I won’t spoil the story for so much happens that is coming as Isaac changes and matures.

But what did hold me back? Some of the more florid language.  The pulsating members…yes…the purple prose that turns a sexy scene into something that starts me giggling instead.  Luckily it wasn’t in every sex scene or I wouldn’t have made it through the book, but in enough that I snorted and snickered in certain places when I should have been fanning myself and that brought the rating down.

Still Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton had some very interesting elements as well as characters that I enjoyed.  Love a vampire romance, like a new twist or two on the vampire culture and romance?  Pick up Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton and see what you think about his  idea of vampire love and HFN relationships.  Then let me know…I’m curious as to what you think about it too.

Cover art represents Isaac well but this model is everywhere.  Cute but really overused these days.

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 337 pages
Published May 6th 2016 by T.C. Orton
ASINB01F9WHM5E
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Stella Review: Into the Blue by Penny Henson

RATING  4,5 out of 5 stars

Into the BlueTai Talagi and Ollie Birkstrom have been inseparable since they met as kids, surfing the North Shore of Oahu. Now they live with their best friends and Ollie’s kid brother in a pulled-together family, all of them piled into a run-down beach house. They share cooking, bills, and the saltwater running in their veins. They might have no money, they might argue, they might be in dead end jobs, but they live in Hawaii so it’s always summer. There’s always time for one last wave.

Tai’s spent years shutting down any feelings for Ollie. They’re friends. Their family depends on them. But with Ollie off on his first world tour, with Ollie’s dreams of a pro surfing career finally within reach, their steady world shifts. Is it worth risking their friendship, their family, their dreams for a chance at something terrifying and beautiful and altogether new?

I’m so happy to have read Into the Blue by Pene Henson, it was exactly what I was craving, light, sweet, with zero pauses and awesome characters. The second ones almost stole the MCs roles, and I’m not saying it as a criticism, on the contrary they were all so well done, Sunny, Jamie and Hannah deserved to be put on the spotlight. They are Tai and Ollie family, it couldn’t have been different.  After all since they met at thirteen, Tai and Ollie were inseparable and building a family with the most important persons in their life was simple a necessity of the heart. That said, the story focuses a lot on the main couple, thanks to the time they spend around the world following Ollie’s chance at finally pursuing a surfing career. They support each others dreams so it is natural to Tai to travel with Ollie and help him be the number one in the World Surf League. Just then Ollie finally realizes there is more than friendship for them to share.

Into the Blue is well written and engaging, a friends to lovers story fresh and lighthearted.  I know nothing about surfing but I wasn’t once left dubious about what was happening. It’s real, in the setting, in the characters, in the action. It is evocative with the great descriptions, I felt myself riding Tai’s boards, I smelled the ocean’s air, I felt Tahiti sand under my feet  and I was cooking with Jamie at the Blue House in Oahu.

I’m surprised this book is Pene’s debut novel, I’m hungry for more by the author. I feel to highly recommend it.

The cover art by CB Messer perfectly depicts the book.

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BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published July 7th 2016 by Interlude Press
ASIN B01F6JM4QC
Edition Language English

A Paul B Review: The Werewolf Tutor (Shreds #1) by Jade Astor

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Werewolf TutorGarth Merrick and his two brothers are opening a new shifter friendly bar in Maine.  To say that Garth is not made to be a bartender is an understatement.  The number of broken glasses is a testament to that.  One day their family attorney shows up with a proposition.  One of his friends, a wolf shifter, has a son who is having a difficult time shifting.  Would one of the brothers be willing to tutor the young shifter the proper techniques to shifting?  Garth sees this as an opportunity to avoid broken glass and spend some time in rural Maine where his cougar can roam the country estate.

Braiden Hemmings is a young werewolf shifter who is used to getting his own way.  His father does not like the fact that he is hanging out with members of the other pack that lives in town, as the two packs have had bad blood for years.  Having to go away for business, Braiden’s father decides to hire someone to supposedly help him learn to shift.  Braiden knows the real reason is that his father just wants someone to keep an eye on him with he’s out of town.  Braiden decides to act like the brat that his father thinks he is and seduce the babysitter and run him out of town.  When he catches sight of the gorgeous man brought in, Braiden decides that maybe he shouldn’t run him off so fast.

While the attraction between the two is obvious, Garth resists temptation because he Is being paid to teach this young man.  However, the young men of the rival pack decide to make Braden do their bidding, ordering him to meet them.  Garth warns Braiden about possible trouble.  When Braiden does not show, the pack comes searching for them.  The tutor and student must defend themselves against the invaders if they want to continue their new romance.

This is the first book in the new Shreds series.  I wanted to like the book more but something seemed to fall short for me.  I am not sure if it is the fact that Garth up and leaves his brothers behind as they start a new business or the romance between the two main characters did not click as I thought it should have.  Despite this, I do look forward to the stories of Garth’s brothers.  The idea of a shifter bar provides a good setting for future stories.

The cover by E Connors has our two men in front of a forest setting.  One is shirtless while the other has a zipper cropped sweatshirt on.  It is a decent if generic cover for the book.

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Book Details

EBook, 66 pages
Edition Language:  English
Published:  April 26, 2016 by Dark Hallows Press
ISBN:  978-1530302451

Series:  Shreds

The Werewolf Tutor (Shreds #1)

A Jeri Review: The Wicked West Collection (Vol 1) by Shannon West

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

The Wicked West CollectionHot guy on the cover? Sure! Anything to draw your eye, but it was rather generic. Four short stories by one author. And when I say short- I mean short. They all touched on a different “theme” if you will, and while they were ok, the fluff factor is high.

Getting Plugged

This was by far the most out there of the stories. Charlie, while experimenting, gets himself in a predicament and has to call out sick to work. His boss, Trevor, rushes to his aid. Apparently, they had never really spoken before but Trevor  runs to his house to help him out. What could, and should, be a seriously embarrassing situation turns into Trevor alluding to the fact that he is a dom and Charlie is a sub just waiting to happen. Like I said, it was pretty far out there and besides the self love, there was no sex in this short.

Getting Played

I think this was the most promising of the four stories. Twinky office guy at a police station has to take self defense classes ordered by his boss. The super hot detective Zach has been eyeing just happens to be the teacher. And when Zach mouths off, Cole decides to teach him a lesson.

What follows are a series of pretty hot role playing scenarios between the two. The most entertaining and hottest of the 4 stories by far.

Getting Picked

The trope we all tend to fall for- friends to lovers. In this story we have another Cole, a vet returning from war damaged but not broken. His best friend, the seemingly straight Ben, rushes to see him in the hospital.

After being released from the hospital, Cole and Ben kind of dance around their attraction to each other. Cole is out and proud and has loved Ben for as long as he could remember. But every time something happens between them, Ben freaks out. So Cole gives him an ultimatum.

This was the storiest (yes, I made that word up) of the stories. While it is a tried and true trope, I liked that the out gay guy was the one who served in the military, leaving the “straight” best friend home. I actually really liked the story of how they became friends in kindergarten. I would love for this one to be expanded on as a full novel.

Getting Pierced

This one plays more on the Dom/sub. Ross loses a bet and has to get pierced. But not his ears. And he said not to his belly button and nipples. So that leaves…..

And then he runs into his boss at the bar. His hot boss. We get a bit of back story on Ross and Sloane, which was nice and helped the rest of the story flow. Sloane takes control of the situation, and Ross, by basically claiming him there and then.

There is quite an exploration of the beginnings of a Dom/sub relationship here that held a lot of promise. This story also could go quite a bit further.

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Book Details:

Available June 30th, 2016 exclusively on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited!

Kindle Edition
Published June 30th 2016 by Dark Hollows Press LLC
Edition LanguageEnglish

Love Finds Perfect Harmony with ‘All Note Long’ by Annabeth Albert (excerpt and giveaway)

All Note Long Blitz BannerTitle: ALL NOTE LONG

Author: Annabeth Albert

Series Title and Number: Perfect Harmony, Book 3, but stands alone well too

Publisher: Kensington

Cover Artist: Cora Graphics/Kensington

Release Date: August 2, 2016

Heat Level: 4 (explicit m/m sex, but lots and lots of plot too!)

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: aprox. 80,000 words/ 232 pages

Genre/Tags: Romance, M/M Romance, contemporary romance, multi-cultural

Add To Goodreads

AllNoteLong

Synopsis

Giving true love a spin . . .

Michelin Moses is a country music star on the rise. With a hit single under his Texas-sized belt buckle and a sold-out concert tour underway, his childhood dreams of making it big are finally coming true. But there’s one thing missing—a promise to his dying mother that he’d find it—him—when the time was right. With a little luck, he won’t have to wait too long . . .

Lucky Ramirez is a hunky boy toy who dances at The Broom Closet, one of West Hollywood’s hottest gay bars. He loves what he does, and he’s good at it—almost as good as he is at playing dumb when he spots Michelin Moses at the bar. What happens next is off the charts—and keeps Michelin coming back for more. He’s just not sure it’s the right move for his career. But if Lucky gets his way, Michelin will get Lucky—and no matter how the media spins it, neither of them will be faking it . . .

Excerpt

Michelin Moses had no business at a gay bar, especially not one as notorious as West Hollywood’s The Broom Closet. And the line to get in totally underscored that—the vestibule was a long, narrow tunnel filled with kids out to enjoy their Friday night. Babies, really. Fresh-faced young things who probably didn’t even need to shave jostled one another in the tight space, laughing and joking as they admired one another’s club wear and gossiped about who was fucking who.

Not that Michelin was listening in, but the space was so tiny it was hard not to. He didn’t have club wear to ogle. He had “please for the love of God don’t notice me” clothes. And the idea of openly pointing to another dude in line and announcing to one’s friends, “Oh yeah, I hit that last weekend” was so totally foreign that he couldn’t help but gape a bit. The plexiglass walls of the tunnel gave off weird shadows—neither the lights outside the club nor the dim track lighting along the bottom edge of the tunnel were enough illumination.

He tugged at the collar of his Henley shirt. Damn, it was hot in here. Too small. Too tight. Not enough air. Shut up. He was not claustrophobic. If this line ever moved, he’d feel better once he was inside the Closet.

If that’s not a metaphor for your whole damn life…

“ID please.” Finally, the line reached the bouncers who were taking ID. Michelin couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had to stand around like this, show ID. At least unlike these nineteen-year-olds with their fake identification, Michelin’s Oregon driver’s license was likely to hold up. The bouncer was a huge guy—so tall and jacked that Michelin felt for the tiny stool that held him up—with surprisingly small, delicate hands.

He held the card aloft before finally handing it back and nodding. “Okay, cowboy. Enjoy your night.”

At least he hadn’t laughed outright at the name. That was something. Shoving his license back in his wallet, he stumbled a bit coming out of the tunnel.

“Watch it,” someone barked behind him.

“Sorry,” Michelin mumbled. Hell, he couldn’t even successfully enter the Closet. A nervous laugh bubbled up in his throat, something he stamped right back down. Forget the stupid bar, coming out of his personal closet was out of the question, and he didn’t need the crowd jostling behind him to remind him of that.

“This your first time here?” a kid to the left of him asked—short little guy with far more bravado than brains. Michelin made a noncommittal response but the kid grabbed his sleeve, his eyes going soft and hooded. “How about you be my daddy for the night? We can make sure it’s your lucky night.” The kid winked.

Ugh. Getting lucky wasn’t even remotely in the cards for his night.

“No thanks.” He pulled away from the kid, scanning the cavernous space for signs of the private party room his friends had promised. And oh holy hell, knowing in the abstract that this place had go-go dancers was a far cry from actually seeing said dancers dispersed through the place on platforms and in cages and even on something resembling a trapeze. Gleaming bronze skin and tiny shorts everywhere he looked.

Fuck the private room. I need a soda. Something to relieve his suddenly parched throat. He turned toward the main bar area and ran smack into one of the elevated dancers’ platforms. Two platforms flanked the opening of the club, directing the stream of traffic toward the bar, sort of like how a different sort of place might have large statues. Only instead of works of stone or ice, this…piece of art in front of Michelin was all man.

And what a specimen he was. The dancer probably wasn’t much older than the kids waiting to get into the club, but there was nothing juvenile about his tall, ripped body or that juicy bubble butt that he worked to perfection the way Michelin’s guitar player did a solo—each muscle working in concert with the others, each wiggle carefully choreographed for maximum appeal. Said butt was encased in a pair of shorts. Or at least Michelin guessed that one would call them shorts—they were longer than underwear, but not by much, and made of a clingy, silky red material. The stitching did things to the guy’s package that shouldn’t be legal.

Those muscular legs and that smooth, oiled chest also needed outlawing. The dancer had completed his look with thick, chunky combat boots, sunglasses, and a necklace with a medal on it. The boots and glasses upped the hotness factor to supernova, giving him an untouchable appeal that made it no surprise that he had a fair-sized crowd around his platform. Right as Michelin completed his muscle-by-muscle catalog of the guy, the dancer’s glasses slipped, revealing chocolaty eyes. His eyebrows went up, and the message he sent Michelin was unmistakable: You gonna stay there all night?

Oh fuck. Michelin was blocking the line of traffic, and more important, blocking access to the platform for the patrons who wanted to slip tips in the guy’s waistband.

Should he? He shoved a hand in his pocket, considering. Did he dare risk touching a piece of that gleaming skin? The lights reflecting off the dancer’s body totally made Michelin think of caramel dripping off flan—rich golden tones only enhanced by the contrast of the shiny black combat boots and his closely cropped black hair.

What the fuck was the protocol in a situation like this? Hi, I’m sorry I’ve been eye-fucking you for the last ten minutes, here’s a five? He’d never been to a straight strip club either. Hell, he avoided most bars like the plague. And eye-fucking? He never ogled—and not just because it could be disastrous to his career. Most of the time he simply felt oblivious, but something about the dancer perked up parts of Michelin that usually stayed dormant. Two people shoved around him to stuff money in the dancer’s shorts, their arms trapping Michelin briefly in place. Coming here had been a giant mistake, just as Gloria had warned him.

“You can’t go to that party! Gossip is already high about you mentoring two gay groups—”

“They’re not gay groups. They just happen to have gay members,” Michelin said wearily, already tired of this latest publicist the label had shoved at him.

“Whatever.” Gloria flipped her bony wrist. “They’re a risk you can’t take right now.”

“It’s no big deal. There will be straight people at the party.” Michelin didn’t bother with the “other straight people” pretext. Gloria knew the drill. “There’s no risk in celebrating a friend’s birthday.”

Except now, looking at the dancer, Michelin knew how wrong he’d been. This place was risk personified, and that dancer was the embodiment of everything Michelin denied himself. The dancer was a triple pour of top-shelf whiskey and Michelin couldn’t stop thinking about the heady rush touching him would bring. He should turn around now. Get back to his car now before he really embarrassed himself—

“Mi—boss! There you are!”

Oh thank you, small mercies, that Lucas stopped himself before he said Michelin’s name. Still, Michelin turned toward him warily. Play it cool, he tried to tell Lucas with his eyes.

Lucas nodded, just slightly. Message received. Like everyone else in the club, Lucas was in his early twenties and about a decade younger than Michelin, but at least he was one of Michelin’s favorite kids, especially because he was here to lead Michelin away from the temptation that was the dancer with the sculpture-worthy ass.

“The party room is back this way.” Lucas motioned with his hand. “Follow me.”

“Babe!” A familiar rangy figure with a punk haircut draped himself over Lucas. “You found him.” Cody had a smile for Michelin, but his affection was all for his boyfriend.

Ordinarily, Michelin loved being around the two of them and the other guys he mentored. Their energy was infectious, and their passion for music renewed his own. But tonight, Michelin’s stomach cramped as he followed the two of them to the rear of the club. Happiness practically rolled off them and their movements were totally in sync with each other. Once Michelin had thought he might get to know what that was like, but those days were long past.

“Don’t even think about doing anything now. You’ve got too much riding on this year. Don’t be foolish. You’ve got the number one country song in America right now. Don’t mess with your momentum.” Gloria’s voice rang in his ears. Nope. No way was Michelin ever getting what his friends shared. No sense in pining for it either. He had a career he loved, friends who made him laugh, and family at his back. He’d known what the trade-offs were when he decided to trade his rock stardom for country crossover success.

Tonight’s strange melancholy mood had him aching to get back home, push all these feelings into working on a new song. With any luck, Michelin could say happy birthday to Jalen, make a round of greetings to the other musicians he was mentoring, and get the hell out of Dodge. Preferably without running into the dancer again. He didn’t need another reminder of how little he fit into this world—or how much he wished life were a bit different.

Purchase

Kensington Publishing | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Itunes | Kobo Books

All Note Long Square

Meet the Author

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency

Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Tumbler | Fan Group | Newsletter

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card.

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In Our Author Spotlight: Alina Popescu on Writing and her release ‘Dawn to Dusk (Lover’s Journey #1)’ (Author Guest Post, excerpt and giveaway)

Dawn to Dusk Tour Banner

Title: Dawn to Dusk
Series: Lover’s Journey, Book One
Author: Alina Popescu
Genre: Gay Romance, Contemporary
Length: Novel (over 50000 words)

Writing Down Memory Lane by Alina Popescu

Emotional rollercoasters, nostalgia, broad smiles, stray tears, they are all part of any drive you might take down memory lane. Funny, cathartic, or downright heartbreaking, memories are a great source of inspiration for me. Sometimes it’s about sharing them with the world. Other times (and I got a vampire trilogy out of this one) it’s about purging your own demons. With Dawn to Dusk, I experienced both!

As Dawn to Dusk covers roughly twenty years, from childhood to well into the adulthood of main character Edi, I had a lot to explore. The best part was remembering all the crazy things I used to do as a kid. Running, jumping, climbing trees, playing football or tag, reading the heat away after half an hour to an hour of exploring the cramped shelves of the village library, that sort of thing. Everything Edi does as a child, I did it first! Tomboy much?

While exploring the seemingly never-ending summer days spent in the country side, I had to eventually get to the part where the character grew up. That impression you get, that everything suddenly becomes smaller, less appealing, foreign, that was something I really struggled with. I did not want to let go of the climbing tree part, for example. But when you’re a university student, people don’t think it’s cute anymore. I could have ignored that part, of course, but planting my behind on a tree branch and reading for a few hours suddenly wasn’t that comfortable anymore.

As Edi grew up, I moved on to different memories. High school with all its wonders, moving to the capital for university, the campuses I lived in with their clubs, bars, and cheap, greasy food. The endless possibilities Bucharest had to offer in terms of career, opportunities, entertainment, dining, all contrasting with the small town feel of my home town. Which is actually, technically, a city.

There is a political side to what was happening during my childhood. I did catch a few good years of Communist regime, and then lived through the Revolution of December ‘89. I was safely tucked away at one of my grandmother’s, in a village only thirty kilometers or so from cities where there were shots fired, rumors of terrorists, and people dying to free us from a system that meant little and quite bad food, little comfort, and very, very cold winters.

I expected all of this to be harder to go through that it actually was. Maybe because it happened a long time ago, or maybe because it’s now romanticized by what our brains do with warm, fuzzy memories, I enjoyed every minute of this wild ride. I smiled my way through recollections of meeting people, running free, and growing up. I was even taken aback by how vivid things that happened over twenty years ago still were in my mind’s eye.

In fact, I’ve enjoyed it so much, I can’t wait to do it again in the second book of the series, Dusk to Dawn!

Synopsis

That first encounter with Robert in rural Romania at eleven. A summer spent together in the same setting a year later. Their first text exchange in high school. The first sexual experience. The first heartbreak—the second and third and fourth chance. The point of total breakdown and the despair of failing. More love than anyone could have warned him about.

No matter how much time passes, no matter how different their paths, every meeting brings Edi and Robert closer together. Those stolen moments shine brighter than any. Yet loving Robert is not easy, not when Edi wants to be true to himself and is met with dishonesty. Or when Robert keeps parading new conquests and ignores Edi more often than not.

Edi has always loved Robert, but he must decide if his journey leads to or away from his childhood friend. Is it true love or is Edi just unable to let go?

Dawn to Dusk Cover

Buy Links

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I8FG8P4
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01I8FG8P4
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01I8FG8P4
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01I8FG8P4
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dawntodusk-2048734-149.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/649340

Giveaway

Prizes: 1 x $10 WIP Gift Card, 1 x $5 WIP Gift Card, 1 x ecopy of Br0th3rly (Famous on the Inernet, Book One).

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About the authorAlina Popescu

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

Social Links

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Bitten by Mistake by Annabelle Jacobs

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

0f988-bittenbymistake-fFrom animosity to searing passion in a lunar cycle… but can their bond survive?

Wolf shifter Nathan Kohl’s pack is his whole life. Arrogant and handsome, he avoids commitment to anything or anyone outside of his pack. He works hard, plays hard, and pursues humans as lovers because there’s little to no chance of him forming a permanent bond. However, when Jared Taylor comes into Nathan’s life, every rule is broken.

After a bad experience, Jared vowed to never get involved with another shifter, no matter how much they got under his skin. Despite being physically attracted to Nathan, who’s all kinds of hot, Jared only sees an arrogant, domineering bastard.

A disastrous case of mistaken identity throws Nathan and Jared together until the next full moon. Forced to spend the next twenty-eight days in close proximity, they can no longer ignore the powerful attraction between them. Passion ignites, and their relationship takes a turn neither of them wanted.

But when the full moon comes, everything might change again.

Shifter stories are an immediate draw for me and there are so many out there to choose from.  But the combination of the plot line of a person bitten by mistake and the author, Annabelle Jacobs, made Bitten by Mistake a book I had to read.  Turns out that I really liked what the story and the author delivered.

In Bitten by Mistake, Annabelle Jacobs gives us a different aspect of shifter culture when human Jared is bitten by wolf shifter Nathan by accident during a territory pack quarrel.   In order to lay the foundation for the fact that Nathan and Jared must spend time together until the next full moon, Jacobs weaves together a world of laws and shifter culture that was unlike anything I had found in other stories.  In addition, she unveils it through computer searches conducted by Nathan and Jared and several wolf pack conversations so we, and the couple get it in bits and pieces, a neat touch.

I don’t want to give anything away but the Bond issue here is again outside of the norm for most shifter couples, another factor that I saw as a huge plus.  The author absolutely made me believe in the power of the bond, the feelings between the two felt real, as did the ambivalence both felt about their situation and the future.

I loved all the characters here, not just the main characters of Nathan and Jared but the secondary ones as well, the ones I see Jacobs setting up for their own stories, at least I hope I’m reading this correctly.  Because not only do I see Jared’s best friend, Seb, and perhaps the Pack Doctor each getting their own story, but Luke, Nathan’s best friend getting one too.  Maybe even more.

If I had a quibble, its that Jared’s issue with his abusive ex seemed to get a light hand for a very serious problem…domestic violence.  I thought if you are going to bring this into a story, and give it plot time, then it needs to be addressed a little more deeply then it was done here.  Not that Nathan didn’t give it the thought it deserved, he did but that Jared seemingly got over it too easily.  That’s my point.  Perhaps you won’t mind it.  As I said, that’s the only thing that really bothered me.  The rest?  I absolutely adored.

Need a new shifter romance?  One with a new look at shifter culture and bonding?  Picking up Bitten by Mistake by Annabelle Jacobs.  I adored it and  am hoping it just the first in a new series from this terrific author. Its one I recommend.

Cover art by Natasha Snow does show Nathan and the font is nice but in a sea of covers that look pretty much like this you need to do something more to stand out and this doesn’t.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 233 pages
Published July 28th 2016
ASINB01IZUN1V6
Edition LanguageEnglish