Review: Bully for You (Dreamspinner 2013 Daily Dose) by Catt Ford

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

When Martin Du Bois decides he wants something, then the path is set in concrete. What Martin wants is a cowboy and figures the rodeo is just the place to find one. After convincing his friends that a night at the rodeo is just the thing, an evening watching hot guys in boots and chaps is not enough, Martin wants to meet one. A tip from another fan at the rodeo points Martin and friends in the direction of a local bar visited by the participants. When guylinered, sparkly Martin enters, he is accosted by a drunken cowboy. While handling the drunk in his normal mouthy manner, the bullriders and in particular a well known rodeo star, Jesse Cumberland, come to his rescue, then offers to buy him a drink.

Soon Martin is in heaven as Jesse is gay and more than interested in flaming city boy Martin. A one-night stand leads to another, and then a trip to watch Jesse on the road. Before he is aware of the fact, his one-night stand has become a relationship, and that scares Martin to no end. A former boyfriend and a bad relationship have made Martin wary of any deep emotional involvement and that is exactly what Jesse appears to want from him. Can Martin overcome his past hurts to grab up the man in front of him or will he let love slip away due to their differences?

Catt Ford loves writing about the rodeo and the cowboys who live by it and I, for one, am so happy that she does. I recently reviewed her book, Bullheaded, and enjoyed it. But I was unprepared for how much I adored the characters of Marti and Jesse that I found inside Bully for You. This is a short story, just 92 pages, that was a part of Dreamspinner’s 2013 Daily Dose, and it is just a sparkly little romance that is giddy with glitter and a touch of love.

Martin Du Boise, aka Marti, is a flaming, sparkly gay city boy. He lisps, he twirls, he is exuberant, and outgoing in the extreme, But under all that confidence, Marti is also someone who has been hurt and the pain of that betrayal has left him unwilling to take the chance of being hurt again. Ford gives Marti all the personality traits and mannerisms that could have become a cliche and makes the total a warm, endearing flame of a man with more depth to him than is first apparent. Jesse Cumberland is also a nice surprise. He is not the average closeted rodeo star but someone comfortable in his own skin to acknowledge his homosexuality and pursue the man he wants, no matter the differences. I thought Catt Ford did a good job with him as well. Taken separately, each character has some flaws that would have bothered me in a longer story. Marti becomes a little too unhinged by their differences for such a confidant person, Jesse’s handling of his two ranch hands bothered me enough that I wish Catt Ford had addressed that issue instead of letting it slide by. These issues bothered me but the charm of the characters smoothed those bumps in the storyline over enough that it did not reflect on my enjoyment of their romance.

But my biggest quibble would be the HFN ending. It is far to abrupt for the emotional events that preceded it. I have no problem with HFNs. Often this type of ending is the only reasonable and realistic ending that could occur. But I would like to see it rounded out, and emotionally satisfying as a resolution to the story and I am not sure that happened here. It just ends. The fact that the story is a short story does not automatically mean an abrupt ending but I am seeing more and more of that these days as authors do not seem to know how to bring a short story to a viable end. Sigh. But that is a blog for another day.

Do I recommend Bully for You? Absolutely, I loved this little bit of glittery romance. Both characters endeared themselves to me, enough so that I would love to see what happens next in their romance. So, Catt Ford, if you are listening, can we have a sequel please? I will be first in line to pick it up. Now on to get the rest of Catt Ford’s rodeo stories.

Cover art by Paul Richmond. That cover is just as adorable as the characters inside. Great job and one of my favorites, really there are a lot of Paul Richmond covers out there that are marvelous. He just keeps getting better and better.

Book Details:

ebook, 92 pages

Published June 1st 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN

1623808197 (ISBN13: 9781623808198)

edition language

English

url

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3924

series

2013 Daily Dose: Make a Play

Review: The Heir Apparent by Tere Michaels

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Archie Bank, body guard and driver for Henry Walker, scion of the powerful and wealthy Walker family, is also Henry’s childhood friend and secret lover. Archie has used his job to help pay for his education and help support his mother and is now poised to graduate college. But graduation means a change in jobs, leaving Henry Walker behind. Henry doesn’t want to lose Archie but doesn’t know how to come out to his family or make a stand for their relationship. All Henry sees is Archie slipping away from him forever.

Then a kidnapping goes horribly wrong, ending with Henry in the hospital and Archie under suspicion. Together Archie and Henry must unite in order to uncover the mastermind behind the kidnapping before more lives, including their own, are threatened.

I love Tere Michaels. Her Faith, Love & Devotion series is among my top all time favorite contemporary m/m fiction. In The Heir Apparent, I see all the components that make her writing so enthralling and addictive, along with some minor issues that bring it down a notch or two. First, the plot. It is full of suspense, well balanced with romance and hot, sexy scenes. There are several layers to the mysteries here, not just the person behind the kidnapping. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story, even though I identified correctly early on exactly who the person was behind the plot. While some may find it frustrating that the characters did not recognize where the threat was coming from, I thought Michaels handled the reasons behind that gullibility with rationality and sensibility.

The two main characters are well defined with Archie probably being my favorite, a kind of Upstairs Downstairs sort of thing. Archie’s mother was a servant as well and they were part of the Walker home for a long time, albeit in their strictly defined roles. I do wish Michaels had given us more of a past recollection of Archie and Henry’s childhood together. It would have helped give a firmer foundation to their current relationship than the one we are given. Henry’s father at one point talks about the boys misadventures as children, with Archie in the role of the child who always lead his precious son into scrapes. But other than a tidbit here and there, nothing really substantial is relayed to the reader about their back history. Henry takes a little bit longer to come to grips with. He will not acknowledge his romantic relationship with Archie nor tell his father he is gay. To be sure, Michaels has made Mr. Walker a powerfully intimidating personality, however Henry shows little spine with regard to him or his father’s close associate (almost an uncle figure here). With Henry’s insecurity and passiveness, it takes some time before the reader connects with him, and that hurts the story in the beginning.

The Heir Apparent really picks up and delivers powerful, emotional scenes once the kidnapping begins. This is when the story and all the characterizations gel for the reader. From that moment on, Henry’s father becomes a person who we identify with and connect with emotionally at the most basic of levels, that of a father who loves his son and fears for him. Powerful stuff indeed. Even shadowy characters, like Henry’s stepmother, come forward with a greater presence and impact once this traumatic event takes place. Tere Michaels builds the story, layer upon layer, until all the pieces fall into place at the end, and the criminal is identified and caught.

Do the men get their HEA? The plot points in that direction but, in my last quibble, the resolution to their relationship issues, doesn’t seem entirely satisfactory. It ends with some things a little unclear and some readers will find that frustrating. I know I did.

But with all my quibbles aside, do I recommend this story? Yes, absolutely. A Tere Michaels book is always something to be grabbed up, you never know what marvelous things to expect inside. And some of the issues I had with the story, others might find not objectionable at all. To tell the truth I did go back and forth between a 3.75 and a 4 star rating but the quibbles won out in the end. Pick up a copy and make up your own mind. I would love to hear what you think.

Cover art by Dar Albert is got two gorgeous torsos to look at but what it has to do with the story is anyones guess. Call this a miss.

Book Details:

ebook, 166 pages

Published February 26th 2013 by Loose Id

original title

The Heir Apparent

ISBN13

9781623002589

edition language

English

url

http://www.loose-id.com/the-heir-apparent.html

Review: Birds of a Feather (Bellingham Mysteries #5) by Nicole Kimberling

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Now that the State of Washington has legalized gay marriage, Bellingham Hamster reporter Nick Fontaine and abstract painter Nick Olson are getting married. They have planned a simple ceremony but nothing simple is ever possible with Peter in the picture. Their parents are coming and Peter is sure NIck’s folks are going to hate him. Peter’s mother is arriving early full of wedding ideas and an ex of Nick’s has arrived as well.

But Peter still has a job to do and his boss at the paper expects an article soon. So when a bald eagle has been found shot to death near the Castle, their home in Bellingham, Peter knows he has the subject for his next story. But the investigation is proving harder than he thought and then Nick’s father decides to accompany him as his sleuthing assistant, could things get any weirder for Nick and Peter? Of course, they could……

Birds of a Feather is the fifth in the Bellingham Mysteries series and my favorite book so far. I adore everything about this series, from the wonderful main characters, the quirky town of Bellingham, to the mysteries they get involved in, it all works and works serendipitously. Over the course of the series, we have met and fallen in love with so many of the secondary characters as well, Evangeline (Peter’s BFF), her stoner boyfriend, Detective Patton (Peter’s favorite lesbian police officer) and so many more. They are all present and accounted for in Birds of a Feather, just as they should be in a book focused on Peter and Nick’s marriage.

All of Kimberling’s characters come across as not only completely human but whose personalities lend themselves to living in a town where everyone is involved in everyone’s business (personal and otherwise), where green rules, quirky is the name of the game, and tolerance and individuality go skipping hand in hand across the town center. Of course, Nicole Kimberling lives in Bellingham, Washington so her knowledge of the town is authentic and affectionate. This is how Nicole Kimberling describes Bellingham in her Author Spotlight for Scattered Thoughts:

Because I live here, I’m constantly discovering new facets of the city
and new slices of society–more than I think I’ll ever be able to fit
into the stories. There are the illegal mountain bike trail builders,
the rustic folk musicians, the unschoolers, the gamers. And then there
are the institutions, like the bible software company that basically
owns two whole city blocks downtown, the Humane Society, the Alternate
Humane Society, the Alternate Alternate Humane Society… The town is
rich with unexplored weirdness.”

That oddness permeates the Bellingham Mysteries like the terroir does in wine. And added to each mystery is usually a fount of information about a subject pertinent to the mystery itself. Sometimes it is beekeeping or perhaps candlemaking or even chicken farming as it is here but I always learn something new and delightful with each story. The element of charm combined with a certain weirdness lays a foundation for a book and series that pulls you in immediately and refuses to turn you loose at the end.

Placed within this framework is the relationship of Peter and Nick. It began slowly in Primal Red with Nick as a suspect, and builds to the relationship they have in Birds of a Feather where they are finally ready and able to get married. Both men have had trust issues, commitment issues, and communication issues, all of which we see them work through, book by book. And because we have been there from the beginning, this book becomes even more satisfying, emotionally and romantically. We’ve been waiting for this too! But Peter remains Peter, and his inner monologue is never far away. Here is an example:

The smell probably— calming pheromones or something.

He should look that up when he finally got to work, he thought.

Maybe write an article about the comforting smell of a strong man. Maybe he could write a little historical romance on the side…

Even before Young Peter knew he was shaking, Lord Nicolas had draped his splendid silken frockcoat over the scholar’s slim shoulders. “That arrow came too close for comfort,” he whispered.

With Peter, fantasy is always just a thought away, and his humorous flights of fancy will have you giggling in no time. So will Nick’s father, Eric who comes up with the outstanding “Jealous Vengeful Canadians” theory for the Bald Eagle killing. I won’t go into specifics but they are worth the price of the book right there. Yes, there is more than one mystery here but the real gems of the Bellingham Mysteries are the town, Peter and Nick and everyone around them.

Consider this book highly recommended, consider the series highly recommended too. But don’t start here! For those of you new to the series, go back to Primal Red, the first in the series. See how Nick and Peter met and get a feel for one of the most charming and weird towns around. You are going to love it and them.

Cover art by April Martinez is consistent with all the other covers of the series. I do wish the models were more in keeping with the characters inside the book. Otherwise it is too dark to really see what else is incorporated in the design.

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 2013 by Loose Id
ISBN139781623001841
edition languageEnglish
original titleBirds of a Feather
urlhttp://www.loose-id.com/bellingham-mysteries-5-birds-of-a-feather.html
seriesBellingham Mysteries

Here are the Bellingham Mysteries books in the order they were written and should be read to under the characters and the development of their relationship:

Primal Red (Bellingham Mysteries, #1)

Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Bellingham Mysteries, #2)

Black Cat Ink (Bellingham Mysteries, #3)

One Man’s Treasure (Bellingham Mysteries, #4)

Birds of a Feather (Bellingham Mysteries, #5)

Review: The Curtis Reincarnation by Zathyn Priest

Rating: 4.25 stars

Jordan Braxton leads a quiet life as a website designer and shares his house with his sister, Becca. His sister has one main obsession, the rock star Tyler Curtis and when she wins two tickets to one of his concerts and backstage passes to his after concert party, Jordan has no idea his life is about to change. Becca is sure that Tyler Curtis will sleep with her that night and doesn’t want to take along any of her friends, just in case they might divert attention away from her. So the only logical person to take would be her gay older brother, someone the notoriously straight rocker would never look at.

Tyler Curtis is not what the public sees. Tyler Curtis is a rock star image his manager has carefully crafted and promoted, nothing at all like the young man behind the eyeliner and bad behavior. In fact, the real Curtis is crumbling under the pressure of stardom and the abusive manager who controls his life. But Tyler Curtis’ life is about to change when Becca brings Jordan with her instead of her best friend. But will there be enough of Tyler left to put back together once the real Curtis comes out for love?

I love a story with a rock star at it’s center and The Curtis Reincarnation is no exception. But Zathyn Priest puts a lovely, and angst filled twist to the normal rock star persona with the creation of Tyler Curtis. Rock star Tyler is a carefully constructed front, whose bad boy image is maintained by Frank, Tyler Curtis’ manager. The young man beneath the facade, whose real name is Alec Tyler, is an abused, lonely, and physically ill artist. He is as far from a rock star as you can get and Priest delivers him to the reader so realistically that his painful vulnerability scrapes against the reader’s heart as we learn more about him and his past. But the road to Alec Tyler starts with two very different characters, that of Jordan Braxton and his outrageous sister, Bec. This is our first meeting with the two of them and the beginning of Chapter 1:

A vision of pure horror scrambled down the stairs wearing a heavy clay face mask, a midriff T-shirt, and a pink lacy thong. Long red hair frizzed on one side of her head while lying sleek and straightened on the other. Shrieking like a banshee, she tripped over the last stair, fell forward, bounced off the wall, regained her balance, and lunged for the phone in Jordan’s lap. The laptop was hit next, saved by Jordan’s challenged reflexes while he attempted to ease the pain of his sister’s merciless dive. “Jesus Christ, Rebecca! What the hell are you doing?”

She ignored his high-pitched inquiry and frantically began to dial numbers. Faced with a rear end view, and seeing more of Bec than he ever needed to, Jordan looked down at the laptop screen and attempted to blank out the sight of his barely dressed sister from his mind before it etched forever into his memory banks. Pacing the lounge room in scanty knickers, Bec dialled, hung up, and dialled again. Her frenzy partnered with cursing, stamping feet, and frustrated screams. After a few minutes of this behaviour, Jordan lifted his gaze from the screen and took a chance at needing extensive therapy.

From within the tortured howls and cussing, Bec squealed like a piglet. “Shh! Oh my God, it’s ringing!”

“Did I say anything?”

She waved a hand. “Stop typing! Shh!” Somebody answered her call and the squealing escalated into a shrill scream. Her hand clamped to her forehead, she trembled and tried to give her name between moments of excited yelling and foot stomping. The call ended with Bec in a teary, quivering mess. She disappeared up the stairs without another word. Jordan peered into the furry orange face of an abnormally large cat beside him.

“And that, Furball, is why I’m gay”.

That scene not only had me laughing but also beautifully defines each character and their relationship with each other. Of course, you know too that Bec has won her tickets to the show and from then on everyones lives start to change. I know people like Bec and the author must as well because that characterization is darn near perfect. Jordan is her opposite, all responsibility and patient older brother, personality traits needed for what lies ahead. I think all the characters created for this story are marvelous, from the despicable Frank the manager to Taylor Mason, the reporter who turns into a friend. They bring the reader immediately into the story, throwing out connecting lines left and right for us to grab onto.

Another component of the book is Alec’s epilepsy. While not getting too much into details, the author treats Alec’s condition with sensitivity while letting the reader see what it takes to live as an epileptic from Alec’s viewpoint, that of an isolated young man whose disease has gone virtually untreated for years. I thought this was an interesting aspect to Alec’s story and an unexpected one. It highlights the need for a strict schedule for medication and physician monitoring, a necessary detail when using illness in a story. I think Zathyn Priest did a great job with both Alec and the effect that epilepsy has on his life.

A little curious is the switch in pov from time to time in the book’s narrative. Told mostly in third person, it occasionally switches to Frank’s pov and then back again. I understand why the author did it, and while it helps to achieve a tone of suspense, the switch also throws a small wrench in the flow of the story. A very small quibble in an overall terrific narrative.

I do have a larger issue with the insta love between Alex and Jordan. Jordan is older looking for commitment and his HEA but Alec is almost a child in comparison. Definitely, childlike in behavior, Alec’s 18, shy, constantly blushing, a virgin and an abused soul. Jordan is 27, older, and experienced, and by the end of the first evening, they are boyfriends, from funny evening into serious relationship in a blink of an eye. I just wish the author had given them more time to get to know each other before settling into a serious and committed relationship. For me, it would have made their love more believable than the love at first sight that occurred.

Those issues aside, this story and these characters will pull you in and hold you fast. Once the characters meet and fall in love, events that will change all of their lives start to come fast and furious. By the end of the story, the reader will feel totally happy with all aspects of The Curtis Reincarnation, and of course, the HEA that Jordan and Alec achieve together. This is a heartwarming story, more on the love than rocker side, but it’s sweetness and terrific characters will make this a comfort read for the readers who find their way to this book. If you are a fan of Zathyn Priest, you are probably on your way to get this book now. If you are new to this author, put both the author and The Curtis Reincarnation immediately on your “must read, must have” list. I absolutely recommend them both to you.

Cover Art by Scarlet Tie Designs. It works well with the story inside.

Book Details:

eBook, Paperback, 300 pages
Published February 1st 2013 by MLR Press (first published May 1st 2008)
ISBN 160820779X (ISBN13: 9781608207794)
edition languageEnglish
original titleThe Curtis Reincarnation
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=ZPCTREIN
charactersJordan Braxton, Alec Tyler (Tyler Curtis)
settingLondon, England (United Kingdom)

literary awardsGoodreads M/M Romance Member’s Choice Awards Nominee

ebook, 1st Edition, 220 pages
Published November 2008 by Torquere Press (first published May 1st 2008)
original titleThe Curtis Reincarnation
urlhttp://www.zathynpriest.com

What An Amazing Week in LGBTQ History and the Week Ahead in Reviews

Last week was such an amazing week for the LGBTQ community. SCOTUS ruled on DOMA and Proposition 8, declaring DOMA unconstitutional and returning Prop 8 to the lower courts, essentially removing the opposition to gay marriages in California, marriages which resumed almost immediately following the decision. Celebrations were countrywide, loud and joyous. Even the President phoned to offer his congratulations on the ruling to the couple named in the suit. True, the opposition has vowed to continue to fight equality, but that tide is turned and their efforts will ultimately be futile ones. Some people will always continue to be clueless (see Paula Deen) about history lessons. No putting the genie back in the bottle or ushering people to the back of the bus once they have tasted equality. To be adult about it, nuhuh, ain’t goin’ to happen, folks, so just deal! Woohooo, what a week.

In the FYI portion of the blog, I found Fynn’s F*&k You Scarf Pattern from Missouri Dalton’s The Night Shift. You can find the pattern here, courtesy of Ravelry and Missouri Dalton. Really, this pattern is too hysterical for words and looks great too. Winston is doing great in his adjustment to the household and other dogs, almost seamless. He is a joy for all of us. New books are arriving in the Bellingham Mysteries series from Nicole Kimberling (Loose id) and the Recon Diaries series by Kendall McKenna, so look for book giveaways soon.

It’s been a soggy, humid week around here, with fireworks going off willy nilly it seems at local jurisdictions seemed to have planned Fourth of July celebrations anywhere but on the fourth. Let me tell you, my dogs are not happy about that! Sigh.

So here is the week ahead in reviews:

Monday, July 1: Scattered Thoughts June Book Review Summary

Tuesday, July 2: The Curtis Reincarnation by Zathyn Priest

Wed., July 3: Birds of a Feather by Nicole Kimberling

Thursday, July 4: Son of a Gun by A.M. Riley

Friday, July 5: Bully for You by Catt Ford

Sat, July 6: Pickup Men by L.C. Chase

And here is a Fourth of July cocktail recipe for you to enjoy. Happy Fourth of July in advance!

American Flag Cocktail:

American Flag drink recipe made with Blue Curacao,Creme de Cacao,Grenadine,. How to make a American Flag with all the instructions and ingredients.
Recipe Rating: 4.6 stars based on 13 votes
Ingredients to use:
0.33 oz Blue Curacao
0.33 oz Creme de Cacao
0.33 oz Grenadine
Directions:
Mix together with crushed ice in a glass and garnish with mint leaves

For more Fourth of July cocktail recipes, visit this site.

Review: A Casual Weekend Thing by A.J. Thomas

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Doug Heavy Runner is the only member of the Baker County Sheriff’s Department that is also a member of the volunteer search and rescue team operating in his section of Montana. So it is no surprise when a 911 call results in Doug hanging over the edge of a cliff, hauling up a body caught on ropes below him. The man is an apparent suicide but his suicide note and death will draw his younger brother to town, along with complications and clues that point to a criminal operating in town, something Doug Heavy Runner left Miami PD to get away from. Doug lived an out lifestyle in Miami, but the undercover work and an abusive boyfriend sent him home to Elkin and life as a small town deputy and closeted gay. Now one death may unravel Doug’s new life.

San Diego PD Detective Christopher Hayes is still trying to recover from a devastating gunshot wound that threatens to end his career when he gets a call from a small town coroner in Montana. His older brother has committed suicide and Chris needs to identify the body and see to his brother’s estate. The problem is that Chris hasn’t seen his brother in over 20 years by choice as his brother was a convicted pedophile who Chris thought was still in jail.

On the way to Elkin to attend to his brother’s remains, Chris stops in to a local gay bar, hooks up with a Native American cop and a hot weekend of sex ensues. Imagine both mens surprise when the suicide’s brother turns out to be Chris and the deputy in charge of the case is none other than his weekend hookup, Doug Heavy Runner. When Chris’ brother’s house is burned to the ground and the cause is arson, all clues lead to another pedophile operating in the area. The deeper they probe into the brother’s life, the wider the scope of the investigation. Soon the FBI is involved and Chris’ partner from San Diego shows up, and everyone is second guessing themselves and each other as the case folds back to Elkin and its citizens. And all the while, Chris and Doug’s casual fling deepens and turns into something neither expects or can accept – love.

I was not expecting a book as complex and moving from the title, A Casual Weekend Thing. A.J. Thomas has written a book with so many layers to it that I was continually amazed with each reveal and new element she added to the overall picture. This book is a police mystery, a cop romance, a character study, and just a grand read.

At the core of A Casual Weekend Thing are two damaged men, each a gay police officer whose back history has made them who they are today, two driven individuals who run from commitment and any relationship other than friendship or casual hookups. Each is a runner, one by name and one by emotional need, a clever turn by the author. Christopher Hayes is an ultrarunner, a rare breed of runner who pit their endurance against distances from 50 to 100 mile runs in extreme weather conditions. Chris was told by his abusive brother to run for his life when he was 12 and run he did, never looking back. Chris is still running, from his past, from his tenuous future on the force, and from all relationships, never fully trusting anyone. In Christopher Hayes, Thomas has created an emotionally damaged man, who thinks he has coped with his past but in reality is in denial. It is a wonderful characterization, multidimensional and realistic in every respect.

Doug Heavy Runner is Chris’ equal in complexity and pain. In Doug, Thomas gives the reader a man who ran from his culture, that of a Salish-Kootenai Indian on a reservation where crime, poverty, and despair rule and very few escape. Doug fled to Miami, to become a police officer and live an openly gay lifestyle, passing as a latino. But the undercover work and abusive boyfriend combined to break him down until his path led him home to the reservation and the small town nearby. Doug is running just like Chris, too afraid to trust himself in a relationship or to come out to the community. Thomas balances these two men against each other’s past history even as the author starts them on the investigation that will hit close to home for both men. Thomas manages to create not two but multiple realistic characters, including Chris’ partner, Ray, a man who was supposedly “straight” until he wasn’t, to Chris’ surprise. Not once did I feel that any of these characters strayed into a less than authentic portrayal of a real person. Some were repulsive, some sympathetic, and others incompetent, but always real.

Great characters were certainly a necessity given the complex, and densely layered plots that play out in this story. Thomas takes the time to set up the situations for the events that follow. It is a slow build that pulls in element after element, revealed to Chris, Doug and the reader in small increments. As more facts are unearthed, a feeling of unease sets in. Then we discover the truth of Chris’ relationship with his late brother, and the horror arrives. That he treats it so unemotionally makes it worse. The more clues are discovered, the more horrific and wider the investigation becomes, pulling in the FBI and Chris’ partner. Thomas does a superlative job in creating a monstrous psychopath who eludes identification until close to the end. And intertwined with this investigation, is the romance between Chris and Doug, a tenuous thing given each man’s trust issues and past history.

I have to admit I came so close to giving this story 5 stars. I really wanted to. But there were a few minor issues with police procedure as well as some actions on the part of Chris that had me shaking my head in incredulity. I just don’t think a police officer of his experience and background would have committed the errors he did, given the clues he had at his finger tips. I can’t say any more but when you read the book, you will recognize the areas I am talking about. That, combined with a little rough transition at the beginning, kept A Casual Weekend Thing from being perfect. But it sure came close. It hooked me right from the beginning and keep me on the edge of the bed (so to speak) until the last page.

The end leaves us with a very realistic HFN and I think it needed it. A HEA for Doug and Chris, considering the events they just emerged from would be just implausible and not in keeping with the characters Thomas was so careful in creating. I can hope, however, that this will set them up to return in a future novel with another case to solve together. Now that would be perfection. Consider this book highly recommended. I can’t wait to see what A.J. Thomas has for us next.

Cover Art by Brooke Albrecht. I applaud the cover artist’s choice of model, although he looks far more Indian than Native American. Also the woods below aren’t really in keeping with the landscape around that area of Montana. I know, that’s really getting picky, isn’t it. But they get the tone of the book right.

Book Details:

ebook, 310 pages
Published May 13th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1623804876 (ISBN13: 9781623804879)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3806

Review: Heart of the Race by Mary Calmes

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Brian Christie has loved Varro Dacien since he was 9 and saw him for the first time out the window of his foster home. Varro and his brother Nico were getting ready to jump a go cart off his family’s rooftop. That day saw Varro in the hospital yet again and Brian moved into the Dacien home as a newly minted member of the family. The two boys proved inseparable, right up until Brian realized he was both gay and in love with his foster brother. Varro, a lover of all things fast, decides to be a professional motorcycle racer even as Brian heads off to college, unable to stand the pain of being near the man he can never have.

But without Brian at his side, Varro becomes reckless and heedless of others words of caution. Racing around on tough courses at hell bent speeds, Varro is crashing more than he is winning and he is sure it is because Brian is missing from his life. Brian is still trying to move on but his love for Varro is keeping him firmly moored unable to go forward with someone else. When Varro finally wakes up to the fact that he loves Brian not as a brother but a lover, will it be too late for Brian to accept his change of heart?

Heart of the Race is another sweet and sexy story of two men deeply in love , exactly we have come to expect from Mary Calmes. At 86 pages, it is shorter than most of the stories I have read of hers but the characters, their issues and slow build to a loving relationship all have the Mary Calmes hallmarks that make her stories a comfort read for all her fans, of which I am one.

I loved the manner in which the boys meet. That delightful and charming window into their childhoods really set the tone of the story for me. It was funny, it felt real, and had its moments of heartbreaking clarity with regard to Brian’s neglected life as a foster child. In fact I enjoyed this section of the story so much that I wanted to see more of Brian and Varro’s childhood and their close friendship growing up. It was one of my quibbles with this story that I wanted a firmer foundation for their background history because the few glimpses given just wetted my appetite for more. The author does such a wonderful job of setting the framework of the story that it just cries out for a larger book to do it justice.

Brian and Varro fall beautifully into the Mary Calmes pantheon of main characters. A foster child shifting from home to home, Brian’s need for stability and his love for Varro come through perfectly as his driving motivations for his actions. Varro’s character is in need of more substantive layering. My issues with Varro come from the fact that he is portrayed as a man slut, three and four women a night, so his jump to homosexuality is abrupt and not quite believable. Gay for you stories need a realistic platform in order for the switch to seem authentic and I had problems believing that of Varro. I think that the shorter length hurt the story in several ways, including making Varro’s walk to the gay side believable. I wish that we had been given more of Varro’s viewpoint during the year he was racing without Brian so we could see what Brian’s absence had on him and what, if any, changes he made to his sexually voracious lifestyle.

I thought Mary Calmes did a good job with the aspects of life as a motorcycle racer, something I was not familiar with, it was a perfect profession for Varro but I did miss descriptions of what it must feel like to race a bike on such a course, and how it felt for Brian to be a part of that life for a year. We get a bit of insight here and there but again, a longer book could have included that aspect of their time together and it would have highlighted the pain each felt while they were apart.

I did enjoy Heart of the Race. It was fast and sexy, just like the motorcycle races Varro rode in. If I came away feeling a little less satiated, I think that a longer book and a little more back history would have taken care of that. If you want a short tale of love and sex in the fast lane, pick this one up and have a great time.

I love that cover by Catt Ford. Just outstanding in every way.

Book Details:

ebook, 86 pages

Published June 1st 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN

9781623808

edition language

English

url

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3930

series

2013 Daily D

It’s Raining and the Week Ahead in Reviews

Once again it’s raining here in Maryland, formerly known as The Temperate State. Before today our rain total was 6.11 inches this month. I think its safe to say we will be adding several more inches to that total just on today’s rainfall alone. Hard to believe we are looking at July just over the horizon. My lavender is looking a little soggy and I have lost several herbs to the dampness. The only ones happy are the hosta and the frogs.

I have some wonderful books on the review schedule this week including a history of the riots at Stonewall Inn by Martin Duberman. I will be posting that on Friday to mark the 44th anniversary of the Stonewall demonstrations that sparked the gay civil rights movement. Yesterday I posted several Youtube videos on the topic. If you have a chance, check them out, especially the one on the Stonewall survivors. The vid and the people it focused on are just remarkable. As we wind down gay pride month and look towards the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, take a moment to remember all those LGBTQ youth in need of shelter and a hand. Organizations in need of donations can be found here and at the GLBT National Help Center.

Now about this week’s books, there are some terrific stories to be had this week. All fall within the m/m contemporary fiction range with the exception of Stonewall (non-fiction), but within that category you will find a variety of stories from the whimsically titled When Dachshunds Ruled the Serengeti by Michael Murphy to A Casual Weekend Thing by A.J. Thomas, a police mystery.

Monday, June 24: Heart of the Race by Mary Calmes

Tuesday, June 25: A Casual Weekend Thing by A.J. Thomas

Wed., June 26: Hobbled by John Inman

Thursday, June 27: When Dachshunds Rule the Serengeti by Michael Murphy

Friday, June 28: Stonewall by Martin Duberman

Saturday, June 29: The Curtis Reincarnation by Zathyn Priest

Yesterday, I had the best Cosmo I have ever tasted at Ricciuti’s in Olney. If you are local, and never had a meal or drink there, remedy that fact right away. Housed in historic Olney House, Ricciuti’s outsources all its food, fine and beer locally. It believes in using only seasonal and local produce and it shows. It has stone ovens, great staff and now the best Cosmo ever. It’s raining, a fine day to head over and taste some of the best food our local farms, wineries, and breweries have to offer. I might even see you there.

Review: In Search of a Story by Andrew Grey

Rating: 3.25 stars

Reporter Brad Torrence is worried about his job. Brad hasn’t been able to write the stories he knows is inside of him, and he is stuck proofreading and fact checking other reporters stories. When his boss tells him that the stories he submitted are boring and to try and find one in the classified ads, Brad can’t believe it. But disobeying the boss means being out of a job, and Brad does as he was instructed. Brad is frustrated and ready to give up when a ad jumps out and captures his attention. For Sale: Nursery Items, Never Used. Thinking that a story of loss and regret would be a perfect subject for his next deadline, Brad contacts the person behind the ad and finds more than he had expected.

Anesthesiologist Cory Wolfe is still grieving over the loss of his best friend and the child he was to adopt. When reporter Brad Torrence contacts him about the ad he placed, Cory agrees to an interview, thinking it might help him obtain the closure he needs. During the interview, Cory finds the process of sharing his story emotionally liberating and healing while Brad gets something he can personally relate to in Cory’s story. After the interview is finished, both men find themselves attracted to and wanting to see each other again.

Cory and Brad find themselves in a relationship that is growing stronger by the day but another mystery finds its way onto Brad’s desk. Soon Brad is pursuing leads that threaten their new relationship and imperil their lives. What will Brad do in search of a story?

I love Andrew Grey’s work and look forward to each new story he writes. The last few books published, especially The Good Fight series, has been outstanding. I only wish I could say the same about In Search of a Story, but that is not the case.

In Search of a Story has a interesting premise, one that drew me in immediately. Who doesn’t look through the classified ads and find tantalizing bits of human history offered up in just a few lines. So I couldn’t wait to see where Grey took this plot and what spin he put on the narrative. And as far as the outline of the plot goes, the author did a good job. I thought the idea of a grief stricken almost parent mourning the loss of a child compelling. So too the idea that a connection between the reporter and the person who filled the classified ad is made. There was so much promise here, so much ground that could have been covered and turned into an amazing story. But two things kept that from happening. And unfortunately, they are the two main characters.

For some strange reason, neither Brad nor Cory are especially compelling. These characters came across as oddly flat from the very beginning. While “listening” to Cory tell his story, I was never really engaged in the personal tragedy that was being revealed, there was a distance from the characters and their history almost immediately. Brad too felt one dimensional, too cub reporter in search of a story that I have seen before. Much is made of his background with his mother but again the author has problems making that a part of the much larger picture of grief over the loss of a child after highlighting it in the narrative. From scene to scene, I kept hoping to find a spark that would let me feel part of their story and romance, but it never came about.

There is a secondary mystery here for Brad to solve. It serves to introduce a measure of suspense and danger into a story that really needs it. But again, this interesting segment was not given the attention or resolution that it was due and the outcome of this investigation ended up frustrating me with its incomplete story, rather than buttressing up the original plot as I am sure the author intended.

In the end, the story just has an off feel to it. It leaves the reader wondering more what went wrong, than happy over the characters and their relationship. If you are new to Andrew Grey as an author, there are so many great books of his out there to start with, so give this a pass. If Andrew Grey is an automatic must read, then take this as a note of caution and make up your own mind. Either way, I will be looking forward to his next book as always, because given how prolific Mr. Grey is, even he must have an off day at times. Consider this one of his.

Cover Art by Brooke Albrecht. I think the cover is ok, but nothing on the dramatic side. However, it is in line with the story inside the covers.

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published May 31st 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1623806143 (ISBN13: 9781623806149)
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3825

Review: Fennel and Forgiveness by Ari McKay

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Maitre’d Darius Cooper of the renown Montgomery House has his work cut out for him this week. Rhys Montgomery, owner of Montgomery House, has decided to allow the Gourmet Network to use the restaurant for an episode of a reality show, while still keeping it open for business. That means Darius has to keep things running smooth and ensure that their famous and famously volatile chef, Executive Chef Stephen Pierce, is kept happy, no small feat. But things start to go wrong from the beginning. The bride picked out by the Gourmet Network turns into bridezilla, and the man in charge of the reality show shoot? None other than Max Boyd, the only man Dare ever loved and the man who broke his heart seven years past.

Max Boyd has had seven years to grow up. He left Darius Cooper to pursue his career, not ready to settle down to one man and a long term relationship. But those years apart have seen Max mature and realize that he had left the only man for him behind in his pursuit of life as a producer. Now Max wants Dare back but as Dare has made clear, Dare doesn’t trust him and wants nothing to do with Max.

With Chef Stephen Pierce threatening the bride, the owner threatening to toss them out , and Dare asking him to leave, how will Max pull off the production shoot of Southern Wedding Belles and get his (and Dare’s) second chance at love? Sometimes all it takes is a little fennel and forgiveness.

I love a plot where former lovers reunite for a second chance at love, that always gets to me. So no surprise that the book description was really the thing that drew me to this story in the first place. I found this to be a sweet story but somehow just short of satisfying and it is hard to put my finger on exactly what component is the problem.

McKay has given us a wonderful location and setting for the story. Montgomery House is a famous, historic restaurant in Charleston, SC. and in it McKay has placed a renown chef with a huge ego and volatile attitude to match his reputation, an owner immensely proud of his restaurant and his restoration work and a Maitre’d equipped to handle both men and all other challenges except the one closest to his own heart. So far, great. I loved them, the restaurant, and even the silly reality show brought into the mixture. Southern Wedding Belles. Someone has been watching a lot of TLC to get that one so right.

I think my problem is with the character of Max Boyd, the tv producer and the man who devastated Darius Cooper when he left him all those years ago. I think the back story created for Max is a pretty realistic one. Max was someone too young to handle a long term relationship with an older man who wanted to settle down. Instead Max wanted to concentrate on his career, again understandable. But the older Max still seems a little immature in my opinion. Here is Max, after he has seen Darius again for the first time in seven years:

Looking back, he had to place the blame for their break-up squarely on his own shoulders. He’d panicked when Darius had asked him to move in, because at the time, he’d been more interested in climbing his career ladder than in settling down with one man yet. Ten years his senior, Darius was as solid as he was intense, and he’d wanted a commitment with a capital “C”, no holds barred and no going back. Unfortunately, Max was too immature and self-absorbed at the time to deal with the tougher aspects of sustaining a relationship and to compromise as much as he needed to. Max hadn’t been able to love Dare the way he deserved back then, but age and experience had helped Max understand that relationships required more than romance and sex; respect and a mutual commitment to making it last were vital.

The damnable thing was that he hadn’t been able to find anyone he wanted to commit to since then. He kept comparing his prospective partners to Dare, and they all fell far short of the mark.

So Max hasn’t found anyone as good as Dare so far? And all this time, Max never looked up his former partner? Uh, no. While McKay made me believe in Darius’ pain and the devastation Max inflicted upon his self image and ability to trust, I never really believed that Max loved Darius all that time they were apart. I think it is that lack of belief in Max and Darius’s love that leaves this story foundering a bit. It is sweet but not particularly memorable (or believable).

Also, while there is some discussion about them not getting back together immediately because of the pain inflicted, of course it happens almost immediately within the duration of the production shoot (after saying it would take time). Sigh. I could see that a longer version might have made for a more realistic, better imagined reconciliation than the one that occurred within this story. But as it is, it is too saccharine and far too unrealistic to be believed.

However, there is a lot to like here as well. Mostly I loved Chef Stephen Pierce and Stephen’s PA Robert Logan. Arrogant, snarky, and so much fun, they were the most interesting and absorbing characters in the story. It was their story I wanted to read about, not Dare’s (disliked that nickname) and Max’s. Ari McKay (a pen name for two people coauthoring as Ari McKay) has written the owner Rhys Montgomery’s story in Bay Leaves and Bachelors. So I can only hope that Stephen’s story will be written as well. That one I can’t wait for.

This is a sweet story, enjoyable and short at 102 pages. It is just not very deep and multi dimensional but that fine, not every romance has to be. I think most people will enjoy Max and Darius’ relationship. I know they will love Montgomery House and the rest of the characters involved there. I certainly did and look forward to more in this series.

Cover illustration by BS Clay. Models are cute but Darius is 40, where is the older man in this picture?

ebook, 102 pages

Published May 8th 2013 by Torquere Press

ISBN

161040470X (ISBN13: 9781610404709)

edition language

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