A MelanieM Review: Absinthe of Malice (Sinners #5) by Rhys Ford

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

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.

Upon discovering Rhys Ford, this author quickly became a favorite of mine for her rapid flowing narrative, snappy snark-filled dialog and haunted characters with pain-filled pasts guaranteed to come back and kick them in the belly twice over. No series of Ford’s fits that bill better than the Sinners series. Absinthe of Malice marks a return to the series and does so with a great story, a cast filled with the characters from all the other books and a mystery to boot.

In each of the previous stories, the remaining two members of a popular but defunct band found each other and started to reassemble a new band. Here they try to see if they still have what it takes to overcome their personal demons on the worst place possible…the road from gig to gig. Its a high stress, lonely place that takes them away from their newly found lovers and newly established homes. Its long hours filled with no sleep, bad food, and exposure to drugs, bad sound systems and more. And we see it from each person’s point of view.

For some readers this might be disconcerting, but dealing with four different relationships, each with its own specific issues, and each band member with their own internal demons threatening to rise up and demolish the newly formed band…this revolving pov becomes necessary and illuminating. It gives the reader a whole picture instead of fragments and it works.

Another integral part of the Sinners (and other Rhys Ford series) is the linked mysteries that unfold. That starts happening here and its every bit terrifying as we have come to expect from this author. I’ll say nothing more but your mind will probably start taking it further and that makes it both more scary and cranks up anticipation for the next book to higher level all together.

My favorite Irish clan is back, the Morgans et all. How I love them. So you have Miki and Kane (Sinner’s Gin #1) , Damie and Sionn (Whiskey and Wry #2) , Forest and Conner (Tequila Mockingbird #3), Rafe and Quinn (Sloe Ride #4) and all the people who love and support them in one book. Plus mysteries. And music. Yes, I loved it. And highly recommend it. It sings and rocks and its sexy and full of heart.

What more do you want?

But please read them in order. Why take the kick ass out of a kick ass series?

Cover Artist: Reese Notley does a great job with Miki on the cover. The color starts a new branding for the second half of this series.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published June 22nd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press, LLC
Original TitleAbsinthe of Malice
ISBN 1634773268 (ISBN13: 9781634773263)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Sinners:

Sinner Series:

Sinner’s Gin (Sinners, #1)

Hair Of The Dog (Sinners, #1.5)

Whiskey and Wry (Sinners, #2)

Tequila Mockingbird (Sinners #3)

Rotgut Gin (Sinners, #3.5)

Sloe Ride (Sinners, #4)

Absinthe of Malice (Sinners, #5)

A Lila Review: Amnesia by Sean Michael

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Who wouldn’t want a do over?

When Thaine wakes up in the hospital after a bull-riding injury, he immediately asks for his lover, Jerry. He has no idea who this man next to his bed is, despite the fact Drew insists they have been an item for the last five years.

Thaine’s best friend, Jesse, calls Jerry. He thinks it’s a pretty crappy thing to do to the new boyfriend, but tells himself it’s unlikely Jerry will come after so many years. He also doesn’t get why Thaine would pass up the opportunity to be with Drew since he’s young, optimistic, and hardworking. In short, everything Jesse ever wanted in a man.

Jerry still carries a torch for his cowboy, so when Thaine asks to go home with him to recover, Jerry agrees. At first, they pick up their intense physical relationship right where they left it before the breakup. Jesse, in turn, consoles the now homeless Drew and offers him quite a bit more than a shoulder to cry on. But in the back of all the men’s minds loom Thaine’s lost five years.

Amnesia is two stories wrapped into one. It can also be seen as past and present relationships. Not only the individual pairings take the forefront, but the friendships between the four men play an important part too. As couples, they don’t interact with each other much, but their decisions had repercussions in each other’s lives.

Thaine Russell can be considered the central characters since he’s the bull rider with the amnesia problem. He’s the one having a role in all of the men relationships. It’s hard to see Thaine as a heartless bastard because the only thing he wants during the entire story is to be happy with JJ. I think we needed to see a little about his relationship with Drew to sympathize with him.

Drew Zucker is the new man in Thaine’s life. At the time of the accident, they had been together for three years. He’s younger and sweeter than his partner. Very devoted to him and he only wanted to get Thaine back. It’s easy to see his concern for Thaine and how much he meant to him, but as soon as he has the first chance to spend time with Jesse, I stopped feeling sorry for Drew.

Jesse Lourdes is Thaine best friend. At the same time, he has been holding a candle for Drew. He knew his friend was fond of the “kid” but not in-love with him. Reading the blurb, you will think that everything he does is for Thaine’s benefit, but his primary concern is for Drew.

Jerry Wortmeyer is Thaine’s one true love. He has made money since his cowboy left him and after seeing his man once again, he’s back into their original relationship. He comes back to Thaine’s life and takes charge. He doesn’t care about anything else than Thaine’s health and happiness. Everything else is secondary.

I enjoyed Thaine’s and JJ’s relationship. Their love for each other is strong and still there after five years. They work great together in and out of bed. Their exchanges and banter felt real, and we get to see more of them beyond the sex, not much, though. I wanted them back together since the very beginning and was happy that it happened. Unfortunately, the good sex and their isolation weren’t enough.

And Drew’s and Jesse’s relationship felt more like a consolation prize. I wished Drew had taken more time before completely accepting Jesse. There was no transition between relationships. He entered the room as Thaine’s partner and left as Jesse’s possible new partner. I liked Jesse, but never warmed up to Drew.

Originally, I thought this was my first Sean Michael’s book. After looking at my bookshelves, I realized it was my second. One thing is true about both books, they are more PWP than anything else. The first line of my review for Malting said, “This was a nice piece of smut. Definitely, not a romance,” those words ring true here as well.

This story is a compilation of sex scenes tight together by common characters. Every time I thought I’d get an answer, I got a sex scene instead. In the end, all the sex isn’t worth the lack of plot and missed opportunities. The premise was good, but the execution failed. Sadly, this was a second edition. I wonder why simple things like the years and word repetition weren’t updated. And why the plot wasn’t developed. Overall, a really disappointing book.

————-

Brooke Albrecht is a new-to-me cover designer, and I’m very pleased with the result. The cover has beautiful sky colors, and bull rider is the center of it. The superimposed images matched the two stories in the book.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published: June 13, 2016 (2nd edition), Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 1634769759 (ISBN13: 9781634769754)
Edition Language: English

Enjoy a Little Kink with Your Romance? Check out Relearning the Ropes by DC Juris (Excerpt and Giveaway)

Title: Relearning the Ropes

Author: DC Juris

Publisher: Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kristin Norris

Release Date: 7/6/16

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 10,485 words

Genre: M/M Romance, BDSM, Kink

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

When his good friend Julius dies unexpectedly, Marcus finds himself saddled with a new submissive–Charlie. But Charlie comes with a history, and a whole host of issues and problems that Marcus has never really dealt with. Marcus knows he loves Charlie, and Charlie loves him, but he’ll have to set aside his old theories about BDSM and relearn the ropes, so to speak, if he wants to be the Dom Charlie needs him to be. Previously published by Breathless Press.

Excerpt

Marcus rolled over to stare at the clock. 3:25 AM. A month ago, at precisely that moment, his phone had rung. He’d answered it, expecting it to be the only person who ever called him that late, his friend Julius, but instead it was Julius’ lawyer. The man apologized for waking Marcus, but Julius was dead — condolences, of course — and Julius left the care of his sub, Charlie, to Marcus, and could Marcus please go over to Julius’ house and fetch Charlie?

At 3:45 AM that morning Marcus went and picked Charlie up, and, for the past month, Charlie slept in the spare bedroom across the hall. Marcus hadn’t slept since. Not that he didn’t like or want Charlie. He did, on both counts. Loved Charlie, was quite in love with Charlie. But if Marcus had wanted a live-in sub — which he hadn’t, his life was far too busy and complicated, and he was entirely too set in his ways — he wouldn’t have chosen one like Charlie. Charlie was a complex little creature: delicate and high-maintenance. He took everything Marcus knew about how to treat a sub and turned it upside down.

He thought back, remembering how, a little over two years ago, Julius had phoned him in the middle of the night, music blaring in the background so loudly that Marcus could barely hear himself speaking, let alone Julius. Julius had gone down to his favorite club, spotted Charlie, and Marcus had ended up loaning him five hundred thousand dollars to buy the battered and bruised sub out of the sex slave ring he’d been held captive in. Charlie had come such a long way since then, learning to live as a sub instead of a slave, and finding a niche in the working world. Marcus didn’t want to do anything to set him back.

Marcus groaned and flipped over onto his other side, putting the mocking glare of the clock’s bright red numbers behind him. Aside from Charlie, Marcus had never dominated a man he’d loved. He had no clue how to reconcile the two. Charlie needed clear boundaries, a clear definition of their relationship, but how was he supposed to define their relationship to Charlie if he couldn’t define it to himself? He tried to treat Charlie like any other sub, but the fact of the matter was Charlie wasn’t just any other sub. Sold into sexual slavery at fifteen, Charlie had been dragged all across the country before he’d landed in Julius’ hands.

Marcus was all business when he served as a Dom at Anton’s BDSM playhouse, clinical, almost; for most of the men he played with, that was enough — the domination, the control. But Charlie, Charlie needed more. The only question, was could he give it? He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force himself back to sleep.

Purchase

Torquere Press

Meet the Author

Romance author, sci-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake-making, football-watching, rubber-duck-collecting, drag-show loving, full-of-fabulous-with-a-capital-F kinda gal. She’s also an ordained minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching Star Trek and Supernatural repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::

https://www.facebook.com/danielchristianjuris

http://www.twitter.com/dcjuris

@dcjuris on Instagram and Periscope

http://dcjuris.blogspot.com

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy of Relearning the Ropes.

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A Stella Review: Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

Two-time ex-con Camden Sanders has decided that Hog Mountain—an isolated community on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia—is the perfect place to continue running small scams without the threat of more prison time. But there are a few problems with this plan. One is the neighborly citizens of Hog Mountain thwarting his dirty dealings at every turn with their kindness. Another is Jackson Rhodes, a closeted Hog Mountain police officer who can see right through Cam’s good ol’ boy act and plans to catch him red-handed despite the attraction they both can feel. But the biggest problem of all is that Cam’s past is threatening to catch up with him, and it could mean trouble for more than just himself.

I already read a little free short by Jason Huffman-Black called I Am The Highway and I was pleasurably surprised by the author style. That’s why as soon I saw the new Snakes Among Sweet Flowers I was dying to read it. And the cover was a huge bonus.

Let’s start with the bad part of this review. There were some things I didn’t like: first the sex with Grant, cause I don’t like to see my MCs have sex with a third person, even if they are not together yet. I so wanted to smack Cam, not just for continuing be a some kind of thief, but for not waiting for his prince charming, Jackson. I know, there are no princes here, still I hated him. Then I didn’t like how the author chose to solve the mystery part. I felt so bad for a character who had just redeemed himself in my eyes. It wasn’t right to me and for his sweet family. Plus I had a hard time at the start at seeing Cam and Jackson made for each other and I missed some sweetness among them, till the end I was waiting for a kiss, a cuddle I didn’t get.

That said, I liked the book a lot. First of all I love stories about second chances, in this case the second chance at life Cam gets, and seeing him change so much, the small steps he did until he becomes the man he needed to be for himself and Jackson. The story sucked me in till the end. I felt all the love a great community as Hog Mountain gave to all its members, no one excluded, and when someone tried to not to welcome Cam and Jackson, there is Pastor Jimmy to set everyone straight. A place where Cam learned no one is alone, not even an ex con.

I fell to recommend Snakes Among Sweet Flowers. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

The cover art by Angsty G is one of my favorite of this year. It simply tempts you to just pick the book and discover the tattooed man’s story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages
Published June 20th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634772369 (ISBN13: 9781634772365)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A BJ Audiobook Review: Dirty Laundry (Tucker Springs #3) by Heidi Cullinan and Narrated by Iggy Toma

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The course of true love doesn’t always run clean. But sometimes getting dirty is half the fun.

Entomology grad student Adam Ellery meets Denver Rogers, a muscle-bound hunk of sexy, when Denver effortlessly dispatches the drunken frat boys harassing Adam at the Tucker Springs laundromat. Thanking him turns into flirting, and then, much to Adam’s delight, hot sex over the laundry table.

Though Denver’s job as a bouncer at a gay bar means he gets his pick of geek-sexy college twinks, he can’t get Adam out of his head. Adam seems to need the same rough play Denver does, and it’s damn hard to say no to such a perfect fit.

Trouble is, Adam isn’t just shy: he has obsessive compulsive disorder and clinical anxiety, conditions which have ruined past relationships. And while Denver might be able to bench-press a pile of grad students, he comes from a history of abuse and is terrified of getting his GED. Neither Denver nor Adam want to face their dirty laundry, but to stay together, they’re going to have to come clean.

This one grabbed me right from the first page, and by the end it was officially my favorite of the series… and this was my fifth of the series, I went a bit out of order having started at book five and skipped around.

What fun and likable characters! I thoroughly enjoyed both of these very different characters. They were well-drawn, nuanced, and much more than just their issues. I liked the way the BDSM element in this story came in, not as something that the guys had been out there specifically seeking, but as a way of relating that worked for them for very real and understandable reasons.

Chock full of angst, kink, and sprinkled liberally with sexy bits throughout starting off with an early on sizzling scene in the public laundromat. Denver and Adam just sparked and worked for me as a couple right from that first scene. Really enjoyed seeing a main character who was dealing with OCD and Denver, well… he’s dealing with his own issues which I won’t spoil by revealing. I loved how they accepted each other despite that there was no quick fix here, no true love cures all. And not only were they able to love despite their illnesses and issues and work together to learn to deal with them… but that their issues/quirks had actually been instrumental in drawing them to one another in the first place. I adored how this made me feel that hope that everyone is right for someone just the way they are.

The secondary characters were also very loveable and strong and added a richness and diversity to the story. There was Louisa, Adam’s trans friend; Brad, Adam’s annoying ex who really did seem to care for him despite being a clueless asshat most of the time; Tiny who see’s Denver’s potential and keeps at him to work for him at the gym; and of course characters from the prior stories like El and Jason.

This is the fifth of this series that I’ve read. Narrator Iggy Toma has done an exceptional job with all of the four that he has narrated. The voices for the characters across the series were unique and fit just right with how I’d perceive them. The emotions and quirkiness of these two in particular came through perfectly. I will definitely be on the look out for other audiobooks narrated by him.

The cover by L.C. Chase does a nice job of establishing the personality and difference of the characters and ties in well with others in the series.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 8 pages, 7 hrs 34 mins
Published March 30th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published January 28th 2013)
Original TitleDirty Laundry
ASINB01DKVWQH0
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesTucker Springs #3 settingColorado (United States)

An Alisa Review: Murder Most Yowl by Quinn Dressler

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Murder Most Yowl Cat-sitting is a dangerous business.

Cameron Sherwood turned his back on law enforcement the night his investigation led to the death of an innocent gay man. Now Cam spends his time running a business that caters to his favorite animal, cats. But when Cam stumbles upon the body of a friend while feeding her feline, he can’t walk away. Dealing with a sexy yet stubborn sheriff, a matchmaking sister, and a terrifying blind date, Cam must somehow track down a killer, all while keeping the cats around him fed with his gourmet cat treats.

Cam gave up his father’s approval when he left NCIS and came out as gay. He has had a hard time living out and proud because he doesn’t really know how to, so his sister has taken it upon herself to set him up on a date. It just so happens to take place shortly after he finds his friend’s body. Imagine his surprise when his date is none other than Jake, the frustrating sheriff.

I loved both of these characters. Cam was so open with his feelings and about his life to Jake it was great to see. They both were so skeptical about their date, but were willing to open to the other. Their love for their pets helps make the characters easy to connect with.

This was a very well developed story, the mystery and romance ran right alongside each other without one over powering the other. The book had an open ending and I look forward to more stories about Cam and Jake.

Cover art by AngstyG is perfect and I wouldn’t do anything different.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 134 pages

Published: June 29, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN: 9781634774789

Edition Language: English

An Ali Review: Anthony (Survivor Stories #4) by J.P. Barnaby

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

AnthonyFS Aaron Downing worshiped his mother. She saved his life. She did everything for him. But Anthony Downing has a different perspective. He sees the woman who tossed him into a basement for eight long years and forgot he existed. When Anthony decides he’s done being invisible, he packs up and heads for Detroit to stay with his Internet friend Jay, but fate intervenes.

Brendan Mears lost everything the day the man with a gun came into his father’s store. Now, he’s tethered to a business he can’t manage and a brother who resents him.

Different in all the ways that matter, Anthony and Brendan struggle to overcome their psychological obstacles, until a crushing betrayal sends them running for cover and each other.

This was a much anticipated book for me and I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint. Anthony is almost 18 at the beginning of the story and he’s lost and adrift. He’s sneaking out to parties and in love with his best friend who mistreats him. A series of events lead him to a new life. He gets a job and some friends and finally begins to learn who he is. We’ve watched Anthony grow through the course of this series and I’ll admit I was super worried for him at the start of this book. He comes into his own though and I loved the new characters we meet as Anthony starts this chapter of his life. Brendan and his brother were great. There were actually a few times in this book that I didn’t know where the author was headed with the story and that rarely happens to me anymore so I was happy with that.

This book was not as dark as first two books in the series were (I haven’t read book three). If you’re already a fan of this series I think you’ll enjoy this and if you haven’t read the rest of the series you’ll find this book can easily be read as a stand alone. For those of you who have read the prior books, there are some scenes with Aaron and his family in this.

Cover by Angsty G. I really like the cover. This one stays with the style of the previous books in the series and I think it’s a perfect match for Anthony’s book.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published June 27th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634774574 (ISBN13: 9781634774574)Edition LanguageEnglishSeries Survivor Stories

(Goodreads links – add them to your reading lists):

Aaron (Survivor Stories #1)

Painting Fire on the Air (Survivor Stories #2)

Spencer (Survivor Stories #3)

Anthony (Survivor Stories, #4)

Anthony (Survivor Stories, #4)

J.P. Barnaby On My Most Beautiful Boy, Inspiration and ‘Anthony’ by JP Barnaby (Tour and Giveaway)

AnthonyFS

Anthony by JP Barnaby
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG

Release Date: June 27, 2016
Goodreads Link

Purchase Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US | ARe

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is lucky to have J.P. Barnaby here today to share the inspiration behind the cover and story of her release, Anthony. Welcome, J.P.

*********

My Most Beautiful Boy by J.P. Barnaby

Sometimes, I have to ponder the existence of intelligent design, or fate, or karma—nothing else explains me becoming friends with a young man named Cody. Just shy of his 21^st birthday, we met at Pride in Atlanta—a city neither of us lived in. At the time, I was still living in Chicago and Cody was attending college in Birmingham—but as fate would have it, he met a mutual friend and ended up in our little group. We fed him mimosas at Joe’s and steered him away from trouble.

Now, anyone who isn’t a supermodel knows the adage—that really hot people know they’re hot and don’t let you forget it. Cody, one of the most beautiful kids I’ve ever seen, not only defied that law, but shattered it. Kind, thoughtful, and funny, Cody surprised me with his unpretentious nature. We exchanged numbers and became very close over the intervening years.

The one thing I did tell him that weekend was that I wanted him to model for me. He readily agreed. Little did we know it would take four years and a professional modeling career for that to happen. I knew as I wrote Anthony that this was the book for Cody—this was the character that matched not only his image, but his spirit. So, when I saw the image that eventually became the cover image, we reached out to the photographer and explained. He licensed the image to me, excited by the project.

AngstyG, my cover artist, went to work creating the four cover in a series of masterpieces that only she could create. There are other good cover artists that work for Dreamspinner, but Sam is my Goddess. She does all of my covers – from Aaron to In the Absence of Monster to A Heart for Robbie. Each one is unique and truly exceptional—Anthony is no exception. The original photograph was taken in a wooden area, but because Anthony is a runaway, she put him against the alley wall. It’s a striking image.

I am incredibly lucky not only with my friends, but with my models, and my artist.

They are truly extraordinary people.

Pairing: M/M

Length: Novel Length

Genre/Tags: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Hurt/Comfort

Anthony Promo1

Book Blurb

A Survivor Story

Aaron Downing worshiped his mother. She saved his life. She did everything for him. But Anthony Downing has a different perspective. He sees the woman who tossed him into a basement for eight long years and forgot he existed. When Anthony decides he’s done being invisible, he packs up and heads for Detroit to stay with his Internet friend Jay, but fate intervenes.

Brendan Mears lost everything the day the man with a gun came into his father’s store. Now, he’s tethered to a business he can’t manage and a brother who resents him.

Different in all the ways that matter, Anthony and Brendan struggle to overcome their psychological obstacles, until a crushing betrayal sends them running for cover and each other.

Excerpt

A faint chill clung to his skin, and he caught the soft scent of burning as he bent to pick up his vodka. Someone must have been using a fire pit in the quiet of a Saturday night in suburbia. Anthony liked the smell. It reminded him of the backyard barbecues they’d thrown when his family was whole. Before Aaron proved Copernicus wrong and became the center of the fucking universe.

Before Anthony became the invisible boy.

JPBarnaby_authorImage

Author Bio

JP Barnaby, an award-winning gay romance novelist, is the author of over two dozen books, including Aaron and the Little Boy Lost Series. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance, but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not hanging out with hot guys in leather, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix. A physics geek, she likes the science side of Sci-Fi, and wants to grow up to be Reed Richards.

Want to keep up with JP’s latest releases?

Follow her on Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, or on her Website.

Anthony Promo Image 1

A VVivacious Review: A More Perfect Union Anthology by B.G. Thomas , J. Scott Coatsworth , Jamie Fessenden, Michael Murphy

A More Perfect Union

Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

This is a collection of four stories that explore the real life implication of the Supreme Court’s ruling on June 26; 2015. In the future no one will ever have to live with the indignation of not being allowed to marry the one they love. In the coming years gay and lesbian relationships will be different because of the possibility of marriage.

But what about those who shied from the thought of marriage because they thought they would never be allowed to or those who fought every step of the way so that there would come a day when their marriages to the ones they loved would be legally and lawfully recognized by all. This anthology explores some such stories.

Flames by J. Scott Coatsworth – 2 Stars out of 5

Alex and Gio have been together for years but the night that Gio plans to propose, they get in a fight and Alex leaves the house only to later find out that Gio is in a coma. As Alex waits for Gio to open his eyes, he looks back on their life together and regrets the fact that they didn’t get married when they had the chance…

This story has good bones but it isn’t very engaging. A lot of the times the story read like an itinerary of events devoid of the emotions that the main characters must surely have experienced during said events.

This story is written from the perspectives of both characters but Gio’s character is not very well fleshed out and this is most definitely because of the fact that he doesn’t know who he is for most of the story. While the unique circumstances of Gio’s coma fascinated me they failed to establish Gio’s character and since Alex’s character is very well established the fact that Gio’s character is not creates an inherent imbalance in the story.

This story has an interesting premise but it failed to get me invested in the characters mostly because of the fact that the core of this story is mostly hollow of emotions which considering the subject is surprising.

Jeordi and Tom by Michael Murphy – 3 Stars out of 5

Jeordi and Tom have to fight for their love every day in the face of Jeordi’s family’s disparage. When Jeordi’s parents try to keep Tom away from Jeordi while he is admitted in the hospital, Jeordi realises that he needs to do something such that no one can ever keep Tom away from him.

I liked this story, it had much more of a fight in it. Jeordi and Tom are two youngsters in love while everyone around them is against their relationship.

This story has multiple plot lines which are threaded together with a really nice theme of passing on the love.

Destined by Jamie Fessenden – 5 Stars out of 5

This is the story of Jay and Wallace. It chronicles their journey from the time they first met till the time they get married.

This was an awesome story. I loved the introduction and premise of the story.

I really loved Jay and Wallace. Jay is a really vibrant guy and really easy to like but I really loved Wallace. Wallace is a quiet guy, not known to emotional outbursts and appears to be kind of detached from their relationship but the author presents him in such a light that you know that while Wallace may appear detached his heart is very much in the relationship. Despite Wallace’s shy exterior looking at him from Jay’s eyes made sure that we got a good look into the person inside.

Jay and Wallace felt very real and I loved their story and how they ended up together. Moreover I loved all the domestic things they did together like shopping, trying to figure out how to live together, buying a house and learning to live together with a particularly over enthusiastic dog.

Their marriage was a dream and I loved the destiny angle in their story. I wonder if they ever figured out that they had met years before their first meeting.

On the whole I loved the story, it was beyond awesome.

Someday by B. G. Thomas – 5 Stars out of 5

Lucas and Dalton have known each other since they were kids and while life has sent hurdles their way they have always managed to come out on the other side stronger. But Dalton refuses to marry Lucas till marriage equality becomes a reality everywhere in the United States.

This one was so beautiful. I loved Dalton and Lucas and their love which was amazing. This was one couple whose story I didn’t want to see end.

It was a perfect story about love and marriage and how this particular one came to be. This story also highlights how things have changed in the last 25 years or so… in 1990 no one would have thought that marriage equality would have been a thing of the past come 2016.

This anthology has been one awesome read with some amazing stories.

Cover Art by Reese Dante. I loved the cover. It is a perfect representation of what this anthology is all about, two men professing their love by vowing to belong to each other forever.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 350 pages
Published June 26th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634773322 (ISBN13: 9781634773324)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7854

In the Spotlight: Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote (excerpt)

Book Information
Title: Practice Makes Perfect
Series: Housemates book #3
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Jaybird Press (self published)
Length: 54,000 words
Genre: Contemporary gay romance
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Release Date: Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Getting experience with the guy next door seems like a great idea—until the lines blur.

Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he’s determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he’s starting the summer term with different housemates and a new plan of action.

Ewan lives in the house next door to Dev. He’s young, free and single, and isn’t looking to change that anytime soon. When awkward circumstances throw them together, Ewan offers to help Dev out in the bedroom in return for maths tutoring, and Dev jumps at the chance.

They work their way through Dev’s sex-to-do list, but what starts as a perfect no-strings arrangement gets more complicated as their feelings for each other begin to grow. If they’re going to turn their lessons in lovemaking into something more permanent, they need to work out how they feel about each other—before they get to the end of Dev’s list.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30234682-practice–makes–perfect
****

Excerpt

Sitting on his bed, Dev yawned, his full stomach making him sleepy. He stared at his phone as he contemplated calling home but decided he couldn’t face it tonight. He loved his mum, but she did tend to bang on. Once she got him on the line, she’d end up talking for ages and asking him a million questions he was too tired to answer. Instead, he sent his mum a quick text.

All moved in, everything’s good. I’m shattered now so I’m going to have an early night. I’ll call you tomorrow.

She replied within seconds as though she’d been waiting for him to call.

Okay sweetie, glad you’re settled. Sleep well xxx

He picked up his notepad and crossed off phone home. Texting counted. He also crossed off everything else on his list for today. That was Saturday done.

Dev set his notepad aside, opened his laptop, and pulled up his lists app. He liked his notepad for day-to-day organisation; it gave him a certain satisfaction to cross out the things he’d done and to get to the end of the day with all the tasks completed. But for longer-term planning, he kept his lists on his Mac, synced to his phone.

For the first time in six months, Dev could breathe again. Finally he had a safe place where he could get back on track and look to the future. He began to type.

Things To Do This Term

Make some friends

Learn to cook

Research sex stuff

Join Grindr

Get some experience

Find a boyfriend

He stared at the words on the screen and sighed. That seemed like a lot of things to aim for. But it was good to have goals, right? Jez and Mac seemed really nice, so hopefully Dev was already on his way to achieving the first objective. And that bloke Ewan… Dev’s mind conjured up the image of the flame-haired hunk who lived next door. Ewan had been friendly.

Maybe there was potential there too.

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H7V027A
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01H7V027A
Universal Amazon link (will open in your region) http://mybook.to/PMP_JayN

NB: Practice Makes Perfect will be Amazon exclusive for 90 days after release, and will then be available at all the usual sellers.

Author Bio:

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

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Anthony by JP Barnaby Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: AngstyG

Release Date: June 27, 2016 Goodreads Link

My Most Beautiful Boy by J.P. Barnaby

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Anthony by JP Barnaby
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG

Release Date: June 27, 2016
Goodreads Link