Review: The Unforgiving Minute by Sarah Grainger

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Ryan Betancourt has finally made it, all of his hard work has finally paid off and he is on the World Tour with many of the star players he grew up watching and idolizing. One of those players is Josh Andrews, the star of the tour and current golden boy of tennis. Ryan has had a huge crush on Josh since the first time Ryan saw Josh play a match. So Ryan is eager to meet his idol, and is crushed when his first encounter is with a cold, aloof Josh surrounded by his retinue. Ryan has always approached tennis the same way he has people, with an open heart, and no suspicions about ulterior motives or possible head games.

Josh Andrews can never remember a time when he has not played tennis. He has a obsessive former tennis champ as a father who has directed his childhood and every moment as an adult to one goal, winning tennis games. Sidelined by a knee injury, Josh is now back on track to win, no matter the costs. A life spent on the courts means Josh is well aware of the negative aspects of the game, from court politics to the ways the unwary can be hurt by those around them. Josh is not eager to open himself up to anyone outside his circle, let alone an up and coming unknown.

Ryan’s manner of playing and his attitude has turned him into a crowd favorite and that same attitude has him returning back to the one player who holds him at arms length, the closeted Josh. As Ryan slowly breaks down Josh’s defenses, a true friendship and then more develops. But the sharks are circling on and around the courts, including one who intends to take them both down. As the stresses build, can Ryan and Josh continue to win at tennis and finally at love?

I loved every page of The Unforgiving Minute and it was another book I didn’t stop reading until it was over. Sarah Grainger uses the world of professional tennis to give us a heartwarming and stirring story of love on the courts. Everything you want in a terrific romance is here. We have two tennis players, one who has finally arrived at the top level and one who has been there for years. Grainger also provides both men with backgrounds completely opposite to each other which helps not only to explain their outlook on the game of tennis, but their outlook on life as well. The author’s well rounded characterizations which extends into completely different playing styles and discipline further enrich this romance by pulling the reader throughly into their worlds, involving us in the regimen necessary to continue to play at the top of the professional game.

In the author’s note, it tells us that Sarah Grainger lives in the Cotswolds and loves to ramble about with her lab. Well, honestly, after reading this novel, I was sure she had spent all her time playing tennis because of the familiarity and love of the game that pours forth from every page. The reader learns about the strategy, the different court surfaces, and the rules and regulations the tennis players abide by. By the end of the book and during a stirring, gut wrenching match, we are not merely spectators but feel as though we are sweating on the court along with the ballgirl. I mean there are some wonderful blood pumping, exhaustion inducing descriptions here of the players and their matches. If you have never watched a tennis game before, you will want to after reading this book.

But it’s the characters here that will draw you into the story and keep you there. I am not just talking about Ryan with his “baby giraffe” runs across the court after a ball, or Josh, so disciplined and yet terribly vulnerable. True I adored them both, but there is also Elaine, doubles player, Ryan’s best friend and scary person. I loved her and her attitude. There are the great characters that exist in Josh’s retinue, from the masseuse to the cook. All fully realized people who bring a authentic feel and depth to all the interpersonal relationships that matter to the main characters and the game of tennis.

Here is a little excerpt and window into the life of Ryan after a match:

AFTER beating Michael Kreissig, Ryan was on a high. He was through to the fourth round of the Australian freaking Open. He was grinning as he sat down with a bit of a thump on one of the couches in the treatment room.

Tim, the in-house sports masseur, strolled over, flexing his hands. His wonderful, miracle-working hands. The first time Tim had treated Ryan, Ryan had proposed marriage. It had only been when the words were already out of his mouth that he’d realized he should be more careful; what he thought of as harmless banter might not be taken too well, even though everyone except Elena and Tommy probably assumed he was straight. Thankfully, Tim had been unfazed. He was apparently used to proposals from the players, whether of marriage or full-time employment. He’d also turned Ryan down with unflattering swiftness.

“What can I do for you today, Mr. Betancourt?”

Ryan laid himself down on the couch on his front, resting his head on his folded arms. “You can make it all go away, Tim, then run off to Bali with me.”

“You only want me for my hands.” Ryan couldn’t see Tim’s face from where he was lying, but he sounded suitably lugubrious at the thought.

“Well, yeah. And your knowledge of physiology.”

“Irresistible as you make it sound, I don’t think my wife would agree.”

“She could come too. Hey, does she give massages?”

And for that, he was subjected to a very firm deep tissue massage. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was reward or punishment, but he couldn’t stop the groans that it drew from him as Tim worked his magic.

With even a small excerpt, you get Ryan’s sense of humor and outgoing spirit, his closeted status and easy approach to the people around him. Adorable, immensely likable, and so easy for the reader to connect with. How could you not love him? But Josh will capture your heart with the same ease he wins matches. There are so many levels to this person and Grainger reveals them slowly to us and Ryan over time, until we care for him as deeply as we do Ryan.

As I said I loved The Unforgiving Minute, and it’s a terrific introduction to Sarah Grainger if this is your first book authored by her. It was for me and now I am off to see what else she has written. This book will make you want to do the same. A must read recommendation from me to you!

Cover art by LC Chase works perfectly for the story within, although I have to say I wish one model was grinning away, just as Ryan would.

Book details:

ebook, 236 pages
Published April 26th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 162380518X (ISBN13: 9781623805180)
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Review: The Isle of…Where? by Sue Brown

Rating: 4.5 stars

Liam Marshall and Alex Griffin were best friends for most of their lives, they were each other’s support and confidant through each milestone and every trauma life dealt them. For Liam especially because Alex was there for him when he was outed in high school and when his parents kicked him out for being gay. For Liam Marshall, his friend Alex was home, no matter that Alex was straight and Liam gay. When Alex turned 35 he received a diagnosis of colon cancer. Then their positions switched. Liam became his friend’s total support, moving in with him and caring for Alex until his death. But Alex is not through looking after his friend, even when dead. Alex had left specific instructions as to how and where he wanted Liam to bury his ashes and left him the money for Liam to do it.

That’s how Liam found himself on the Isle of Wight, on a train to Ryde to empty Alex’ ashes in the water off the pier at the edge of town, a place Alex had loved. But Liam can’t bring himself to honor Alex’ last request, because then he will be truly alone for the first time in his life. Despairing and in tears, Liam is comforted by a stranger, Sam Owen, who seems to know just what Liam needs.

Sam Owens is on the Isle of Wight visiting his grandmother, Rose, a formidable woman and his best friend growing up. When he spies Liam breaking down on the pier, he comes to Liam rescue and then determines to take care of him for the rest of his stay in Ryde. As the week progresses, Sam takes Liam around the island showing him all the places he grew up and the people who know Sam and his family so well. Soon friendship and even love are replacing the grief in Liam’s heart. But Liam lives in the US and Sam in London and Liam’s time to return is almost here. Can Liam and Sam believe enough in each other to make their future work?

The Isle of…Where?, along with The Sky Is Dead, has quickly cemented Sue Brown’s place in my “must have, must read” list of authors. Brown’s ability to pull a reader quickly and directly into her narrative is striking. The prologue from The Isle of Where? is a perfect example. This is a paragraph midway through the prologue:

Liam was by himself when Alex died, lying on the bed and stroking Alex’s dark-blond hair so that he wasn’t alone. He knew Alex wasn’t really there anymore. His spirit or soul had already gone, leaving behind a shriveled husk of a man. His throat raw, Liam tried hard not to show his grief in front of his best friend. What was left of Alex wasn’t going to slip away to the sound of Liam’s tears.

By now I am bawling like a baby, already heavily invested in Liam and Alex and feeling just as devastated by his death as Liam is. And I haven’t even begun Chapter 1! Liam’s grief is a tangible element here. We not only understand it but grieve with him. And when Liam is unable to let Alex’s ashes go into the water, we get that too. Liam’s grief is all encompassing,not only for the loss of Alex but for himself, now bereft of home, family, and best friend, as Alex was all those things rolled into one.

Sue Brown demonstrates a remarkable ability to get inside her characters minds and hearts. These people live, breath and hurt as realistically as you or I do. And its not just the main characters I am referring to. Its everyone you will meet on the island, from the many Owens that pop up everywhere to one of Sam’s ex boyfriend and his current partner, Nibs and Wig and everyone inbetween. But the heart of this story is Liam and Sam, two characters I came to love and understand over the course of their story. Liam is older than Sam, thirty-five to Sam’s twenty-seven and at first that distance seems not only chronological but emotional.

Liam has had a much tougher time of it than Sam (at least we think so at the beginning). Kicked out of his family because he was gay, Alex was Lian’s only support, in every way possible. Liam moved into Alex’s house and stayed close to Alex even though his marriage and divorce. Liam’s high school experience as being a gay teen consisted of a series of beatings and taunts that humiliated and hurt him. In fact, the only relationship Liam was ever successful at was his friendship with Alex, as Liam finds it hard to open up to others emotionally or to trust people.

Sam, on the other hand, comes from a loud and boisterous loving family, one who accepted his homosexuality with ease along with a box of condoms and a book on gay sex. Sam is open, giving, a nurturer by every definition of the word. But there is a darker more frail side to Sam that is only slowly revealed. Sam has a need to be loved and an almost overwhelming desire for a family of his own that made him vulnerable and naive in some respects. These two men totally complement each other but how much so is only revealed towards the end. Liam’s possesses hidden strengths that will surprise not only Sam but the reader as well. These are complex characters but the layering runs deep and it takes time to get underneath the surface to the core of each man. Time and patience.

The Isle of…Where? builds slowly to a relationship of love at first sight, an odd and seemingly contradictory idea. But it is not only true but it works as well. We meander around the island with Liam and Sam, listening in on their conversations, Sam’s errands, the coincidental meetings of the villagers Sam knows so well, and watching as Liam deals with his pain and grief. There is no drama, no excitement, just two men spending time together while learning about each other. Then as the friendship (and more builds) we meet the rest of the Owens clan, the speed of the romance picks up and declarations of love are made. The momentum is unstoppable, and at that point who would want it too?

Its in the second half of the book that Sam’s deep neediness really makes an appearance, but so does its basis in his personality. To anyone other than Liam it would be overpowering. But remember who was Liam’s foundation prior to Sam and it all becomes clear. Sue Brown never forgets her characters backstory and its affects on the person they are in the present. Some of the strands are subtle but they are there.

The author’s love and familiarity with the Isle of Wight shows in her settings and descriptions that enrich the story with the feel and flavor of a village that depends on tourists and the vacation trade to get by, a seasonal flow tempered by age and habit.

My only issue with the story starts once Liam returns home. The narrative feels rushed, especially considering the pace of the story prior to this section. I wish it had either been expanded or cut short before bringing us to a gratifying resolution. None of this, however, takes away from a truly heartwarming story that moves easily into the realm of the comfort read. This is not the book to read when you are craving excitement, danger or the adrenaline pumping narrative of hardened men, kinky sex (although there is a little of that here), and exotic places. This is the book to pick up when you have that cup of tea or coco, are wrapped snuggly in a beloved blanket and have the time to spend with characters and a place that will earn its way into your heart.

Toward the end of the book, Liam hears Alex in his head and Alex is saying:

“Breathe, Liam. You have Sam and now you have a family. I promised you a vacation with sun, sea, sandy beaches, and hot men. Didn’t I deliver?”

Oh,yes, Alex, you certainly did.

And so did Sue Brown. I loved this book and hope you will find its charms just as endearing.

Cover art by LC Chase is perfect for the men and the story within. Great job.

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published June 29th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1613727089 (ISBN13: 9781613727089)
edition languageEnglish
settingEngland (United Kingdom)
Isle of Wight, England (United Kingdom)

Review: Noah by Ben Ryder

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Callum Walker, rising software designer, is called upon by his boss to supervise the installation of the communication software program he designed for the new Toronto Maple Arena, a new contract won by his firm in London. It meant that Callum was spending the next 16 weeks in Toronto, supervising the work and trouble shooting the installation. It also put him directly into the path of Noah Lukas, the highly popular star player of the Toronto Bobcats professional hockey team. For Callum, his attraction for Noah is instantaneous from the moment they meet in the Arena gym but he is sure the hockey player is straight and settles for Noah’s friendship no matter what Callum’s heart is saying.

Noah Lukas is at a crossroads in his career. Noah’s contract is up shortly, and he is not sure if it will be renewed, if he will be traded or even if he will retire. Noah is gay but deep in the closet as he is sure that would wreck his career on the ice, a profession he loves. But since meeting Callum, he is finding it hard to remain in the closet, especially as his feelings of friendship start to turn into love. When it comes down to a choice between love and career, which will come out the winner?

Again, Ben Ryder is a new author for me and I throughly enjoyed my first story from him. I have to admit I am a sucker for a gay hockey player so this got to me right from the start. Noah Lukas is a star player on the cusp of momentous change, both personal and professional. Noah is playing at the top of his profession but as a star player, his contract is also up for renewal. The chances that he will be traded are as great as his chances to renew his contract or even retire if no one elects him to play for their team. He is also lonely and tired of hiding his true nature. Ryder makes us feel the stress of the situation and the emotions pressing down on Noah time and again. It is a wonderful, compassionate characterization and it certainly helps to connect the reader with Noah.

Callum Walker is Noah’s opposite. He is out and comfortable in his skin. And while he doesn’t quite feel he is in Noah’s league, he feels secure in who he is. I liked the slow build in their relationship, including the fact that they became friends first. It is a realistic touch and nicely done. The only other character that really figures into the story is a grating female one, Amy. She is believable in her ambition and the tactics she uses to get ahead, not merely a witch for witches sake.

Ryder uses a very effective format in which to tell his story. It opens in present time in London with Callum checking his smartphone, clearly waiting for a call. And with each succeeding chapter, the time progresses through the day with Callum getting increasingly nervous as he waits. That is followed by a scene in Toronto and another flashback to their relationship. The author smoothly flows from one time period to the other, progressing both stories neatly while pulling the reader into Callum’s ever deepening anxiety over the phone call that hasn’t come in. So well done, this narrative hooked me in immediately.

My one quibble is a large one however, and that would be the ending. In my opinion, it felt as though we never got one. It just ends and the emotional satisfaction we were expecting from a well deserved resolution never comes, and we are left hanging. I kept thinking that we were missing at least one chapter or just possibly an epilogue. Nope, not there. I don’t know if we can expect a sequel to tidy up all the loose ends that frayed the ending, but I certainly hope so. Both the readers and the characters deserve it. Still, I enjoyed the story enough to recommend Noah and look out for more from this author.

Run over now to Dreamspinner Press where it is being offered up free for the taking. You won’t be sorry.

Cover Photograph by Scott Henrichsen Cover Design by Paul Richmond. Hard to argue with a cover this sexy so I won’t.

ebook, 122 pages

Published April 10th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781623806675
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3749

Buy Link at Dreamspinner Press. Noah is a free book at this moment. Go here to pick it up at Dreamspinner Press.

Review: Breaking the Devil by Bailey Bradford

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Twelve years ago, Mack Wilson made the mistake of his life, giving his love and virginity to his best friend Justin who then threw his love back at him telling Mack he was just a youthful experiment before leaving town for good. Justin’s hateful message left Mack a broken man unable to get past that experience and Justin. Now Justin has returned wanting to pick up where he left off, in Mack’s bed. And despite Mack’s pain and fury, he lets him. But the past is still haunts Mack and Justin has many obstacles to overcome before he can reclaim the man he walked away from.

Will pride and pain stand in the way of true love or together can Mack and Justin break the devil of a past to have the love they always dreamed of.

Normally when I finish a Bailey Bradford story (either in the Southwestern Shifters or Leopard’s Spots series), I allude to the shortness of the book as one of its faults. Here at 127 pages, I can actually declare that Breaking the Devil is far too long. But let’s get to the positive element of Breaking the Devil. That would be the storyline. I love a “lovers reunited” story as well as the next person. I can’t wait normally to see what each author brings to such a common plot line. Bailey Bradford has the ability to create interesting universes or flesh out cliched ones, unfortunately neither of that happens here. But at least she started out with one guaranteed to catch ones interest. Too bad it stayed at that level, an idea.

First the plot and the title, Breaking the Devil, which refers to a stallion Mack has been given to break. Right away things go off course as Mack states

Inside the corral stood the meanest, foulest stallion he’d ever seen—and also the most magnificent. A huge horse, too, his size matching his nasty disposition. Mack wondered half the time why he’d ever bothered buying the damn critter. The other half of the time he admitted it was because he didn’t like anything that was easy, not in most cases, at least. While he didn’t want a horse that was going to stomp him to death, he did like a challenge.

In that paragraph, Mack has bought this stallion. Now a mere two paragraphs later, see if you can spot the error:

“Enough already,” he scolded himself. It was a certainty that Justin hadn’t wasted years—years—dwelling on what might have been. Normally Mack didn’t think on it so heavily himself, but that angry red horse just stirred up memories. He really shouldn’t have agreed to tame the damn critter.

Yep, quickly it has changed from Mack owning the horse to Mack taming the horse for someone else and that is at the beginning of the story. Plus Mack starts to “gentle” the horse, not break him, a huge training difference (except to an author who hasn’t done the homework). This is one of the mildest of errors located in Breaking the Devil. Because shortly thereafter this scene, Justin reappears and for the next 100 or so pages, they do nothing but hump like bunnies, tons of by the book sex scenes that actually lack the heat of Bradford’s other stories.

The reader is told that Justin’s leaving broke Mack (his word) but instead of exposition we get tons of sex scenes. What happened to the storyline? Why did Justin leave and what happened to all the anger and pain Mack storied up over 12 years? Seemingly unimportant because we have to wait until almost the end and then get just the thinest explanation possible. I don’t know about you but I like a story with my story.

Then there are the thin characterizations. Both characters come complete with over the top emoting and dialog more suited to Telemundo’s telenovelas. The men glare and “squeal like girls” , (again Mack’s description), ready their fists and sneer, voices hit “like daggers to the heart”, and they swoon and are consumed by love. Now keep in mind, Justin is a hardened vet, with several tours of duty behind him and Mack is 30 years old rancher and you can see the issues. Mack and Justin, and particularly Mack seem more like a conglomerate of personality traits than an actual character. Even the dialog put into Mack’s mouth is as disconnected as the aspects of his personality. He will call someone an “idjit”, then “bub” , then a countrified saying like “He asked me what was wrong when he found me in the barn, sobbing like a baby denied the tit, you know.” pops out , then Mack returns briefly to sounding like a 30 year old. Mack is a seasoned rancher but can’t stand the sight of his own blood, a real problem when just the daily chores brings more cuts than you can imagine. This might seem like a funny trait to give a character but if you are well acquainted with the chores of a ranch hand, then you know it makes no sense. Justin too never comes across in any realistic way as a Marine.

A character called Craig, a soldier with Justin, returns with Justin to help run his ranch. We are told Craig, a fellow Marine, is dangerous, a murderer for his country (Justin’s words), etc, and the reader starts to have expectations that Craig will figure greatly into the storyline. Instead after considerable buildup and attention to Craig’s explosive persona, the character disappears completely. I thought this a real misstep as Craig was far more interesting than either Justin or Mack, although more thug than Marine.

The ending finished it off for me. I have ridden horses all my life and owned three. At the end of the story, Justin and Mack decide that Diablo (the stallion now has a name) will remained unbroken, that they

“…kind of like the evil bastard like this, all angry and righteous and untamed. He’s beautiful, like raw power set free on this earth, and I know it sounds silly probably, but I just would hate to see his spirit lessened from this brilliant, fiery sun to a dim glow.

*head desk*

And all I could think was really? How was the horse to get groomed? Or the vet to give him the necessary shots or float his teeth when the horse can’t be touched? And basically they didn’t “break the devil” after all. So much for the title and so much for any type of research. All dumped in favor of an unrealistic ending to a mess of a book, more a collection of cliches than actual realized plot. Give this book a pass even if you like Bailey Bradford’s stories because there isn’t one here.

Cover art by Posh Gosh is lovely but just as over the top as the storyline.

Book Details:

Breaking the Devil

ISBN # 978-1-78184-315-4

©Copyright Bailey Bradford 2013

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright April 2013

Edited by Eleanor Boyall Total-E-Bound Publishing

Previously published by Loose id in 2009 at 66 pages. Skip that version too.

Review: Bad Attitude (Bad in Baltimore #3) by K.A. Mitchell

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

When Baltimore police rescue diver Jamie Donnigan gets a call about a jumper off the Key Bridge he doesn’t realize that his carefully controlled life is about to change dramatically. What he thinks will be a routine call turns into something much more important as the man they are supposed to rescue is none other than Gavin Montgomery, the openly gay middle son of the most powerful family around Baltimore.

Gavin Montgomery and his friend Beach were on their way home from a party when Beach decides he is going to swim to Fort Carroll and the best way to start his swim is to jump off the Frances Scott Key Bridge. When Gavin tries and fails to keep his friend from jumping, he falls in after him.

While in the water, a SOS alerts Jamie to the location of the man he is searching for, and to his amazement he finds Gavin hanging onto an unconscious Beach, both in need of medical assistance. As the whole rescue operation turns into a media frenzy, Jamie finds himself at the center of attention and a guest of honor at a dinner given by Gavin’s father. There the attraction between Jamie and Gavin boils over and a sex only relationship is formed.

But keeping things casual starts to become a problem the more they get to know each other. Gavin and Jamie are more alike than they would like to admit, but when failure to communicate and poor assumptions are in play, will both men let down their guard enough to let love have a chance to flourish?

Bad Attitude is the third book in the Bad in Baltimore series and the first one I have read in the group. I don’t know how I missed the first two books as I usually gobble up everything that K.A. Mitchell writes, but after reading Bad Attitude I am certainly going to get the first two and start the series from the beginning. I enjoyed this book so much that I must see how and with whom Bad in Baltimore started.

One of the things I can always count on in a K.A. Mitchell story are characters that, while pretty, are full of attitude, extremely confidant, and a tad walled off emotionally from those around them. I love these type of characters and Mitchell’s are some of my favorites. They are snarky, competent, and oh so interesting in every aspect. Any way you look at it, these men are challenging, and so is their path to love.

Snarky and challenging are certainly words that can be used to describe Jamie Donnigan, the police rescue diver who is one of the two main characters here. I loved Jamie. He covers his vulnerabilities with tats and a smug attitude that shields him from the injustices and routine daily disappointments that life as a police officer dishes up. The words that flow out of his mouth match the attitude that his demeanor projects. This is how Jamie tells Gavin, he will be attending the party Gavin’s father invited him to as a guest of honor:

“Yes, but she— I’ll return the favor and be direct. I was sent to assure you of the family’s sincere wish that you feel comfortable bringing a guest if you desire and to help you with any concerns you might have.”

Jamie met that unnervingly steady stare without blinking. “In other, direct words, you all think that because I’m just a county cop from Dundalk with a high school education, I don’t know how to act at one of your fancy parties? The kind you and your buddy need Liquid X to get through?”

Montgomery took his hands out of his pockets and spread them, palms up. “We all have our crosses to bear.”

Jamie popped the door with his key fob. “I may not come with kennel club papers from the breeder, but I think I can manage to keep from pissing on the rug. I’ve been to a party before.”

“Whatever you say, Officer.” Montgomery turned, and Jamie saw the gleaming Bentley blocking in the bomb squad truck.

You can feel the arrogance and snark oozing out of Jamie in that scene. But Gavin Montgomery is more than a match for Jamie. Just from the interaction above, you can feel the charged atmosphere as the two personalities clash and their sexual heat flares up. Gavin’s attitude is smoother and certainly comes with a glossy finish but in every way it is as bold, cold and sure as Jamie’s. Mitchell supplies us with Gavin’s back story in little supplements along the way, from Gavin’s interpersonal relationships with siblings, father and stepmother to his commitments to a few friends and surprising interests. Both men are masters of the lowered expectation while still carrying within them the ability to be disappointed and hurt in the unsurprising actions of others.

The push/pull of their attraction to each other, their denial of their feelings and, a remarkable disconnect when it comes to communication makes this book feel realistic and at times, a little frustrating. Realistic because for these men to suddenly capitulate to each other in any manner other than sexual would be out of character but that certainly doesn’t keep it from being frustrating for the reader (and the couple) at certain points in the story. Bad Attitude is sometimes like watching two pieces of granite mate, lots of grinding, loud noises as the boulders smack together, looking for the perfect position and control.

Baltimore, Maryland and its surrounding locales act as a main character in the book and I assume the series as well. “Balmer” is rich in its ethnically diverse blue collar neighborhoods, old rowhouse neighborhoods, historic buildings and parks. Throughout the story, Jamie and Gavin wander through the scenic upper echelon areas of Fells Point and Federal Hill to the beautifully restored Inner Harbor and beyond, giving the reader an intimate look at one of the Mid Atlantic’s liveliest and interesting cities. I don’t know if the author has ever lived there but it certainly has the feel of someone not only familiar with the area but who holds it in wry affection, foibles and all. How else would Mitchell know to have Jamie give directions to his friends house like this:

Jamie listened to Quinn give directions to the lost teacher with the weird name.

“Then don’t get back on 83.” Quinn’s voice held an above-average amount of irritation.

“Where is he?” Jamie asked.

Quinn moved the phone away from his mouth but didn’t cover it. “Towson. He got confused in the construction and ended up going the wrong way on the Beltway.”

“Put him on North Charles—” Jamie held out a hand. “Here, give me it.”

“Be my control freak of a guest.”Quinn handed off the phone, ignoring Jamie flipping him off.

Once Jamie figured out where the guy was, he got him onto 139, only one other turn to get him to Quinn’s. He handed back the phone. “It’ll take him longer, but at least he’ll get here. Hey, kid, we gonna eat or what?”

The other authentic element here is the water search and rescue units that abound in this area. From Baltimore to Washington, DC, all the local police squads have their own form of water search and rescue divisions. Whether you are talking about the Patapsco or the Potomac rivers,or the Chesapeake Bay, Mitchell plunges you into their cold and treacherous waters along with Jamie with her vivid descriptions:

Geist followed him toward the nearest bridge pylon, moving his hand light across the water. The shoring around the base was made up of head-sized rocks. Not easy to crawl up on, but if Jamie’s life was on the line, he’d have managed to haul ass up onto them.

There was nothing on the east side, south or west. Their hand lights fell short of the next pylon and shoring. Holding his light just below the surface, Geist stared at Jamie in question. Between the thrum of the boats and the chopper sending waves smacking against the shoring, they couldn’t have made themselves heard even without their regulators in the way. Jamie lifted his hands in a shrug and put his head back in the water, intending to sweep around the north side before following Geist back to their search pattern.

The waters around Baltimore were always full of sound. Stone and metal shifting and grinding, bass-deep or treble-whining motors, those were all familiar background to the bubbles moving past his ears. But there was something… rhythmic that didn’t sound like it came from a motor, a tapping that took on a pattern recognizable anywhere in the world. A pattern only a person could make. Three quick, three slow, three quick. SOS. Jamie let a little air out of his vest, sinking under the surface to get a better listen. Water carried sound, but it made direction hard to pick up. Geist swung his light over Jamie as he surfaced.

Jamie flashed his own light, then tapped his ears and indicated the pylons on either side of them. Geist pointed and they separated to search. Jamie put his head down and swam at speed, panning his light over the north side before making for the next pillar of cement supporting the bridge.

The rocks of the shoring were a dark, uneven lump against the black of sky and the shining black of the water. But as Jamie drew within twenty yards, he was sure that among the rocks, something was moving. Something not a cormorant or a heron, unless they had decided to wear a watch because one was reflecting his light from a hand and wrist that clung to a rock.

He’d found him.

The absolutely captures the caution, the excitement and, of course, the dangers of the divers search. Remarkable details conveying knowledge and a concise narrative that allows the story to move along smoothly yet still gain momentum. Just lovely.

My only issue here is that I felt the ending was a little to abrupt when you consider all the reader, as well as the couple, went through to get to it. I would have loved a little more resolution or perhaps an epilogue (not something you normally find in a Mitchell story). For those of you familiar with the other books, those couples can be found here in Bad Attitude as well. While Bad Attitude was clearly written as part of a series, it also works as a stand alone story. I highly recommend it for all the reasons mentioned above and for the combustible, sweat inducing sex scenes as well. Trust me, those are smoking hot.

Here are the books in the order they were written:

Bad Company (Bad in Baltimore #1)

Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore #2)

Bad Attitude (Bad in Baltimore #3)

Cover art by Angela Waters. I like the cover but where is my ginger haired cop?

Book Details:

ebook

Published April 23rd 2013 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

edition language

English

original title

Bad Attitude

url

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/bad-attitude-p-7359.html

series

Bad in Baltimore #3

New Excerpt from The General and the Elephant Clock by Sarah Black

Sarah Black has finished writing her sequel, The General and the Elephant Clock. And while we are waiting for its release date, here is another excerpt for those of us who need more of John, Gabriel, Kim and all the rest from The General and the Horse-Lord (posted with permission from Sarah Black):

Living Large in the Beautiful World: Kim and The General Discuss Decorating

At the end of The General and the Horse-Lord, Kim and Billy have gone wild with the General’s credit card, ready to redecorate the house. The new book, The General and the Elephant Clock of Al-Jazari, picks up with John and Kim having a friendly little chat about the new couch.

John pushed open the kitchen door. The jury was still out on the new decorating. He had thought he was sending Kim and Billy out for an extra desk and bed, but that had somehow turned into a re-do of the entire house. He had to admit the kitchen was cheerful. Kim and Billy had painted the kitchen walls bright cream enamel, then painted trim in tangerine and aqua. The curtains were tangerine with cream polka-dots, and there were little cars zooming all over the walls, hand-painted by a bunch of Kim and Billy’s artist friends. The new dining room table was Formica, with stainless silver legs, and the chairs were padded in aqua vinyl. Kim and Billy were very pleased with the kitchen. Gabriel liked it, as well, though he might have been just trying to get along. John was okay with the changes. The kitchen, he thought, was fine. It just didn’t look like his kitchen. It looked like the kitchen of a person who was considerably cooler than he was. The same could be said about the living room.

Kim was waiting for him to come in from his run, and he swooped down on John and wrapped his arms around his waist for a quick hug. “How’s my favorite uncle?”

John studied his face. “I’m fine. What’s happening with you?”

“Not too much.” Kim was head down into the fridge, looking for something to snack on that had not had a face or a mother. He’d explained to John this was his new criteria for healthy eating. “Can we talk about the couch?”

John crossed his arms over his chest. “So talk.”

Kim stood up and leaned back against the counter. “Okay, you have every right to be pissed off. You told me not to get a new couch and I did anyway. I know I spent more money on the redecorating than you had planned. What I want to know is if you hate the couch for itself, or if you’re just mad at me for disregarding what you told me to do?”

John sighed. “The new couch is fine. I admit it’s not really what I would have picked out.” He walked over and stared gloomily into the room. The new couch which Kim had been forbidden to purchase was cream colored Italian leather, a semi-circle with a round ottoman that looked like a giant leather polka dot. It was very sleek and modern. He’d purchased some round maple tables in a pale golden finish to go with it, and the rugs on the floor were also round, in various sizes and shades of cream and pale gold. The whole thing looked very…Danish.

“The thing is, four men can easily sit on the couch at the same time, say to watch a movie together. Two men can lay down on this couch at the same time, like if you and the Horse-Lord wanted to lay down together and read books. It’s extremely comfortable, Uncle John. I just wish you would give it a chance.”

“Okay, I’m willing to give it a chance. And I admit it is very comfortable. With the new rug and the new tables it looks like winter, 1968, has come to Albuquerque. Peter Max in psychedelic white, not really my style, but I’m okay with it.”

“Peter Max? Winter?” Now Kim had his arms folded. “Holy shit! It’s not white. It’s cream! Big difference in tone and temperature. Okay, so tell me what you think would be the perfect couch. Maybe we can figure out how to meet in the middle.”

John thought a moment. “I suppose I’d like a couch that’s a little…browner. Maybe plaid would be good.”

“Okay, no plaid. I’m sorry, but no. A person would have to be deranged to buy a plaid couch. I will see what I can do about brown.” Kim looked around. “We could add some caramel accents, maybe a throw. I want you to like it.” He sounded young all of the sudden. “It’s really important to me that you like it. If you want, I can split the cost of the new couch with you.” He tried to hand John some cash. “I’ve got $275.00 as a down payment on my half.”

“I don’t want your money.” John stared at him. Kim was Korean, with eyes that always gave away what he was thinking. He was totally unable to keep a secret. John couldn’t help but notice the light in his face, like he was about to start laughing. “Wait a minute. Is this the money you made writing term papers for the students in my Political History seminar?” Kim was grinning now, and he shoved the cash back in his pocket. “Are you under the impression you’re too old to spank? Twenty-three isn’t too old.”

Kim was laughing now. “You don’t believe in spanking. Okay, let me and Billy see what we can come up with. Something browner.” He turned back to the garage. “What’s brown, anyway? Dirt? Gravy? Shit?”

“Wood, you knucklehead. Wood and chocolate bars and Gabriel’s hair, all brown.”

The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black

Sneak Peak to the Sequel to The General and the Horse-Lord by Sarah Black

Review: The Sky Is Dead by Sue Brown

Rating: 5 stars

Danny is 18, gay and homeless after his parents kicked him out of the house for being gay at the age of 16. Danny is surviving but only barely. Two years of street living and he knows that its better if he’s invisible to all those around him, it makes it easier to hide and get through the day. But when Danny sees a young boy being threatened, he rushes to the boy’s aid, saving him and making enemies in the process. The boy Danny saves, Harry, is determined to make life better for his homeless savior and starts bringing him clothes and food when he can. A tenuous bond forms between the well off school boy Harry and the wary, thin homeless Danny. After a time, Harry persuades Danny to come home with him to meet his mom and the bonds between them strengthens and becomes something that Danny is afraid to put a name to.

But several traumatic events occur that sees Danny in the hospital, his life changed again. And when he is ready to get out, Danny decides that he will make major changes in his life. So with help, Danny regains his health, and decides to become David, a new name for a new life. But the old Danny still exists inside, mistrustful, wary of the future. When a new love presents itself, can David overcome his past and move into a future with a man called Jack or will his true identity and his old memories keep him from ever finding happiness again.

The Sky Is Dead an absolute wonder of a story. I was given a copy to read and what a marvelous little surprise that turned out to be. I was also unfamiliar with the author, another thing this happy event remedied. I started in reading and soon forgot everything else around me as I was pulled in deeper and deeper into Danny’s life and story. I read it all the way through, stopping only to get my box of tissues. And by the end, I knew I had just read a remarkable story and found a new author to love.

Sue Brown’s descriptions and characterizations bring the reader swiftly and intimately into the world of the homeless. It is not merely Danny we see struggling to survive on the streets, but several other homeless people who meet up at the local shelter for food and medical treatment. We are brought into a life where neglect of the body and soul are common place, hopelessness and sickness go hand in hand, and the potential for abuse and death lurks at every street corner and city park. Bushes become beds and hiding places and the slightest cough becomes a harbinger of mortality.

Into this desolate existence, the author thrusts Danny, a young man ill prepared for such a life. Betrayed by his boyfriend, a simple kiss removes Danny from his sheltered life. One moment he has a family, a home and school, the next he is on the street with nothing to his name. We feel his shock, the tenuity of life he now lives and the despair and anger he feels. Brown makes it all feel so very real that the reader will find themselves angry and despairing along with Danny every step of the way. The author has a gift in bringing this awful existence to life that you can’t help but be moved, not only by Danny but for all his real life counterparts in cities all over the world. The shelter, a beacon for those in need, is filled with beautifully realized characters, from Billy and Lil, a homeless pair with mental impairments to Ben, a former homeless man who now works at the shelter. Its all there, every authentic detail, the shabbiness, the squalor and filth of the homeless themselves, even the horrifed “looks” of people passing by Danny on the street. Brown uses all of these elements as building blocks to create a realistic, and immensely sad foundation on which she lays out Danny’s life history.

I really don’t want to go into details here because I might give away too much of this incredible story. I will say that Brown’s narrative is told in a concise, and compelling manner. It flows easily between two time periods in a way that never seems jarring or artificial. I do love the dialog Brown has created for each of her characters. It fits them and their circumstances exactly. Here is Danny talking about the shelter:

They ask for a donation at the shelter for their hot meals, although they don’t make a fuss if you can’t pay up. I’ve learned not to be proud, but I help if I can, and sometimes, I don’t want the shelter’s food. I don’t think of myself as a hooker. Shit, I could make more money if I stayed in South London, but I live in a small town not far from Guildford. I don’t fancy standing outside Sainsbury’s, selling my arse every night to commuters and family men. I do enough to get me a hot meal and no more.

They’re pleased enough to see me at the drop-in center, which is really just a small room in the shelter. Ben, one of the volunteers, looks up from his paperwork and greets me with a cheery good morning as I walk in. I recognize most of the faces now. Old Johnny is already there, in his usual spot. He grunts at me as I walk past. I’ll go and talk to him later, after I’ve had my breakfast. Lil and Billy grin at me from the window seat. In the two years I’ve been coming to the shelter, I’ve never seen them apart. Lil’s about thirty, I guess, with Billy a few years younger. They’re inseparable, despite the fact both of them have learning difficulties. Billy told me the authorities don’t approve of their relationship, and each new social worker at the shelter tries to split them up. The last one ended up in Accident & Emergency. Billy took exception to the social worker trying to manhandle Lil and punched the man in the face. The assault earned Billy a few nights in the cells, and Lil went into a decline. It was the intervention of Greg, the manager of the shelter, that got them back together. I think they’re the lucky ones, in an odd way. They’d get more help if they were alone, but they love each other and provide comfort and support to each other in the best and worst of times. They don’t have to face the bloodsucking loneliness of being on your own twenty-four hours a day.

“The bloodsucking loneliness of being on your own twenty-four hours a day.” What a perfect line and description of Danny’s day. We feel every second of it’s loneliness, it scary and degrading aspects too. And when things start to look up for Danny, we are as terrified as he is to accept that it is real and might last more than a day.

This is a raw, emotional story and Sue Brown tells it pragmatically, and realistically, making its impact all the more profound. Every day we read or hear more stories about GLBT youth in danger, from vicious physical and verbal attacks to the ever more soul killing banal rejections of community and finally that of their family. More shelters are operating in every city and still there is not enough to house those in need. Sue Brown’s story brings the plight of those “throwaway” children to life in the form of Danny. It’s a tale that needs to be told. The Sky Is Dead is one more powerful cry for help. I cannot begin to recommend this book and its author enough. Read it, gift it, and spread the word.

Book cover: art by Christine Griffin presents us with one of the more powerful covers I can remember. It’s perfect in subject matter and emotion. One of the best of the year.

Book Details:

ebook, 232 pages

Published April 17th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN13

9781623806088

edition language

English

url http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Links and Shelters for LGBTQ youth:

New York City, NY: Ali Forney Center

Washington, DC, Prince Georges County, MD: Promise Place

LGBT Homeless

Mother’s Day and The Week Ahead

Short and sweet today. It’s Mother’s Day and the cookout here is only hours away. Plus it’s my birthday week, so I expect to have a hopefully fun filled, jam packed schedule. So if life and my schedule permits, here is the week a head in reviews:

Monday, May 13: The Sky Is Dead by Sue Brown

Tuesday, May 14: Never A Hero (Tucker Springs #5) by Marie Sexton

Wed., May 15: Night of Ceremony by M. Raiya

Thursday, May 16: Bad Attitude by KA Mitchell

Friday, May 17: Bullheaded by Catt Ford

Saturday, May 18: Lenny For Your Thoughts by Anyta Sunday

So there it is. Got to go. Wish like mad it would warm up, Poor plants, flooded and now cold. Is that a sniffle I feel coming on?

Review: City Mouse (Country Mouse #2) by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

When Malcolm Kavanagh chased down Owen Watson in the middle of a train station and told Owen he loved him just as Owen was about to leave London, well that is the HEA moment always envisioned at the end of a romance novel. But for Malcolm and Owen, life is what happens next. For Malcolm, he is on new territory as he has never been in love or even a relationship before Owen. Now Owen is living in his flat, and Malcolm doesn’t really know how to handle things, even something as simple as eating breakfast together.

For Owen, Malcolm is the man he has come to love and stayed in London for. Luckily for them both, Owen not only has experience with relationships, and a great Mom to ask advice from but Owen realizes that Malcolm has some growing to do and he is willing to help him through the precarious first steps of a serious relationship. His mom said the biggest obstacle to overcome will be Relationship Armageddon, when you’ve reached the sixth week, the honeymoon phase is over, and reality sets in. Owen has a new job, and patience, lots of patience. But when the stress of Mal’s job combines with the strain of adjusting to a new relationship, will Owen’s patience and love be enough to help the couple struggle through to a real HEA.

When I love a book the way I did Country Mouse, I always approach its sequel with a little trepidation, even with such wonderful writers as Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov at the helm. You always wonder if the continuing story will measure up to the joy and outright affection you have for the original. Well, I shouldn’t have worried, because the fates of Malcolm and Owen are in wonderful, capable hands and I might even love Malcolm’s story a tiny bit more.

Haven’t you always wondered what happens after boy gets girl or in this case boy gets boy in the romcoms in the theatre or on TV? In City Mouse we get to see what happens after that wildly romantic gesture when Mal runs after Owen, catches up to him in the train station and declares his love for Owen. Usually its “cue the music, close the curtains, The End” time but now we pick up the story two days after Malcolm’s declaration of love. The boys are living together in Malcolm’s high end flat and Malcolm is getting ready to resume his routine, a routine that now must make room for Owen in it. And to say that Mal is extremely uneasy about the whole thing is putting it mildly. This is how City Mouse opens, with Malcolm already in high stress mode:

The bad thing about a fictional Chinese prawns food poisoning was that it couldn’t possibly outlast a real one. Malcolm had done his research on the internet, and a real food poisoning would be over in a day or three. Another problem was that he felt guilty for having left the trading desk. He should be at work.

Oh, but Owen was so sweet in bed.

That’s where they’d gone right after the train station, where Malcolm (Malcolm!) had poured his bloody heart out and begged Owen not to leave. Bed. There would be time to hammer out the details later. Time to figure out jobs and schedules and Owen’s place in all of this? But Owen was here, in Malcolm’s penthouse, and that’s where they stayed for the next two days.

But today, he had to go to work.

Malcolm got out of the shower, shaved his maddening dark stubble carefully, and combed and gelled his hair until it would stay perfect for the rest of the day. He had one clean suit left, and the rest needed to be serviced. God . . . four days, five nights he’d spent playing. And now his life was falling apart.

Okay—that was a tad dramatic. But he did need to do some dry cleaning. And—

You can almost hear the hyperventilating begin….it’s funny, it’s realistic, and in its own way kind of heartbreaking. I love the character of Malcolm. He has so many mannerisms and attitudes built in to his personality that help to protect him from hurt and his past although he would be the last to admit it. As written by Land and Voinov, Malcolm is a complex, flawed and, for me, wonderfully appealing character. He so wants to be loved and for his relationship with Owen to work, if he could just figure out how to bring that about. The authors make sure the reader sees Malcolm’s vulnerability even as he is spouting off nonsense about Owen’s less than chic address at work or the clothes that Owen wears. Lane and Voinove make sure we see that there is a reason for Malcolm’s shallowness even if we don’t know just what propels it forward. And the authors make us laugh while they are making Mal stress over something else that Owen has done. Here is Malcolm meeting Owen at the coop he is working for. Malcolm has entered the Happy Endings Little People’s Club adoption agency inhabiting the third level floor of the building:

Happy endings. Little people.

A world full of baby photos. Adorable infants. Blonde girls. Middle Eastern boys. Happy families. Kids cuddling teddy bears.

Would he make it to Owen before he developed diabetes?

“Hullo, luv,” said the matronly woman at the desk. She smiled up at him sunnily, revealing large teeth, slightly protuberant eyes, and a suit that dated back to the seventies. “Can I help you?”

He felt the beginnings of sugar shock just looking at all of that maternal goodwill.

“Uhm, I was looking for—” “Owen!” she crowed. “And you must be Malcolm. We’ve heard so much about you!” She pitched her voice to one of the hidden back rooms. “Owen, your boyfriend’s here. And you’re right. He does look like a snake that swallowed a lemon!”

Malcolm was shocked out of his irritation. “I do not.”

Owen’s throaty laughter emanated from the room, followed by Owen himself. “You do too, Mal, and you know it. Come on back. Thanks, Emmaline. I didn’t want to miss him.”“

Oh, I don’t think you could do that, dearie. He is very good looking, just like you said.”

Owen winked, his sweet brown eyes wicked under the fall of hair. “You don’t think I would have stayed here if he’d been homely, do you?”

I loved that interchange, it tells us so much about Malcolm and Owen. Despite being out of his comfort zone, Malcolm has travelled into the *shudders* lower income region of the city just because he wants to see his lover. And Owen has already been filling in his new coworkers (and friends) on Malcolm, enough so that they recognize him before he introduces himself. Lovely dialog, lovely and funny setting, and memorable characters all in one great scene.

Everything about City Mouse rings true, from the slow fumbling towards a real relationship that speaks of permanency to the authenticity of a tour through the many sections of London. Owen and Malcolm do not have an easy time making their adjustments to their new status although Owen has more experience than Malcolm. But Owen too has his own insecurities about his new situation. A phone call or two to his Mom helps but only so much. I do love his mother, she is such a great character of her own, she almost needs her own story. But Owen never comes across as “too good to be true” to me. He knows his limitations and Owen also realizes how much personal “loosening up” Mal needs to do before their relationship can grow. Realistically, Owen hopes that it will happen but he is never quite sure that it will. Again, a lovely testament to the writing skills of Lane and Voinov. We believe in this relationship and the men involved because they are so real. That “realness” makes it easy to engage the readers affections and keeps them connected throughout the story to the end.

City Mouse clocks in at 160 pages, almost twice the length of Country Mouse, and the longer story length was necessary to more accurately portray the relationship dynamics in play after the grand romantic gesture is done. I don’t think a shorter version would have let us see into all of the problems and issues that had to be resolved before the boys could settle down realistically and happily in London together. But time and type (and two wonderful authors) gave us exactly what Owen and Malcolm needed. We get the joy and fun of watching two great endearing characters fight, cook and love their way to a more authentic relationship. One that has a far better chance at succeeding than the point that we first left them at. And that makes this book a real winner for me, and hopefully for you as well.

There are some scenes with a mild bdsm content. Those readers uncomfortable with bdsm sex scenes should not have a problem with the content here. It is mild and does contribute to some very hot love making between Owen and Malcolm. Grab the fans, you will need them.

Pick up Country Mouse and City Mouse and have yourself a wonderful time. Here are the books in the order they were written and should be read:

Country Mouse

City Mouse

Cover Art by Jordan Taylor. The cover is adorable although the model is not exactly what I would expect of Malcolm.

Book Details:

ebook, 160 pages
Published March 18th 2013 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 9781626490 (ISBN13: 9781626490055)
edition languageEnglish
original titleCity Mouse
urlhttp://riptidepublishing.com/titles/city-mouse
seriesCountry Mouse #2
charactersMalcolm Kavanagh, Owen Watson
setting London, England

Review: Leaving Home (Home #4) by T.A. Chase

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Peter Skinner is now working full time for Les Hardin and Randy Hersch out at their ranch after the falling out with his family and grandfather over his sexuality. With his family shunning him, Peter is happy to have found a home and new family with Les, Randy and their friends. But when he watches his friends, all couples and deeply in love, Peter feels acutely the lack of the same in his own life. Peter wants someone to love and someone to love him back. And when he does find it, Peter never expects the man to be a drunken mess collapsed in an alley.

Charles ‘Chaz’ O’Brien is in a world of pain and he has made it worse by his dependance upon painkillers and alcohol. A top bullfighter for years, the profession has taken a severe toll on his body, the last injury to his back occurring only weeks ago. Bullfighting is not only his profession, its his only love, and Chas will do anything to keep going on as a bullfighter. While on a break between events, Chas gets lost in a haze of booze and pills and ends strung out in an alley. Only the kindness of a passing stranger named Peter Skinner saves him from the drunk tank or worse.

When Peter takes Chaz home to recover, neither man expects to find themselves falling in love for the first time in their lives. But the path to happy ever after is full of obstacles for this couple, the largest one being Chaz himself. For Chaz and Peter, the choices ahead will be the hardest ones of their lives to make. Sometimes its not enough to find love, but it takes courage to keep hold and have faith. What will Peter and Chaz do?

I started this series with the best book of the group, No Going Home (Home #1). It remains my favorite of the series and I think explains why this book gets a 4 star rating, rather than the 3.5 it probably deserves. I just fell in love with all of the characters and need to follow each to the end of their journey. Leaving Home is the story of Peter Skinner, a young feed clerk in his grandfather’s store when we first meet him in No Going Home. His grandfather’s homophobia cost his grandfather’s store Les and Randy’s substantial feed account , then it cost him his grandson when Peter bravely stood up for Les and Randy, and finally Peter came out as gay himself. Even as a secondary character, there was so much heart to Peter that the readers starting asking for his story and now we finally have it.

Chaz O’Brien is another one of the group of characters in this series that center their lives around the rodeo circuit. T.A. Chase has given us bullriders, cowboys who ride the broncs as well as bulls, and now bullfighters. It is a neat way to tie together events in a series and it works perfectly here. Reoccurring characters from previous books pop up here already familiar with Chaz because they know him from the circuit. Realistic and works well within the framework Chase has set down. The injuries and lifestyle of the bullfighter (as well as bullrider) is authentically related as well. It is a tough life for those who choose to live it. It has its wonderful moments and its aspects of horrifying pain and terror. I think Chase does a terrific job of capturing that as well.

One aspect of the story here is that of addiction, not a spoiler as it is mentioned in the publisher’s blurb. Leaving Home is not a long book but for one of its length, I think again Chase does a realistic job of portraying a man in denial about his addictions and ability to handle it on his own. My only quibble is that we see his addiction but none of the recovery which would have made this story more well rounded and satisfactory.

As it is, my largest issue with this story is the ending. It is far too abrupt for the reader to feel that they received the resolution they were looking for. In fact, I feel that we are missing about a fourth or more of a book here. We are already 87 percent through the story when a traumatic event happens. That’s the penultimate chapter. That leaves only one chapter in which to tie up all the aspects of the story and give the reader a HEA and trust me, that’s just not enough to do the story or the characters justice. It reads and feels rushed, an all too familiar occurrence with this author lately and this series. You only have to look at the series to watch the books shrink as it continues. My favorite, the first story No Going Home clocks in at 296 wonderful pages. Leaving Home? 157 pages. Still, the Home series has my deep affections so I will be staying with it. I still need to know what happens with Yancey and Juan.

If you are new to this author and the Home series, start at the beginning, then wind your way through the rest of the stories. You might find that you only last part of the way or become committed to seeing it through. Let me know what you think. I will be here for the journey and will keep you all apprised.

Here are the Home series in the order they were written and should be read in order to understand the characters and events that occur:

No Going Home (Home #1) 5 stars 296 pages

Home of His Own (Home #2) 131 pages

Wishing For A Home (Home #3) 196 pages

Leaving Home (Home #4) 157 pages

Home Sweet Home (Home #5) 131 pages (Yancey and Juan) to be published May 27th, 2013

Reviewer Note: In the TA Chase horseshifter story The Longest Stride, characters from the Home series make several appearances, which to my thinking was substandard and the use of characters from a favorite contemporary series in a new, different shifter world was dumbfounding. Why would you collide two totally different worlds like that? A huge misstep by this author. Give that book the absolute pass it deserves.

Book Details:

ebook, 157 pages

Published April 2013 by Total E Bound Publishing

ISBN

1781843074 (ISBN13: 9781781843079)

edition language

English

series Home

Book Cover by Posh Gosh has lovely men on it. That torso is far too unscarred to be a bullfighter but the scenery is lovely.

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