Tag: Pride Publishing

A Chaos Moondrawn Release Day Review: Extra Dirty (The Speakeasy #2) by K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I didn’t know this was book two in a series, so I had not read book one. While I might have enjoyed this more if I had already known the large cast, I slowly got into the main characters. There is a lot of telling instead of showing at the beginning. The recaps are sufficient so that I understood what happen in book one. Jesse Murtagh and his business partner, Kyle McKee own a speakeasy named Under in New York. They are also friends with benefits. There is also a former lover of theirs named Carter who is now with Riley. Another couple they are close with is David and Will. I am fairly sure almost all of them have had sex with each other at some point in book one. Jesse is bisexual and not a monogamist so if that is going to bother you, this is not the book for you.

Cameron Lewis is the music teacher for Carter’s two kids. He’s also a local DJ. He’s the working class guy in this scenario, commuting a long distance for his jobs and having three roommates. He seems as adverse to settling down as Jesse at first, but soon develops more feelings for Jesse than he expected. This leads to some bad choices and a stunning lack of mature communication.

This started out as a bunch of wealthy people enjoying themselves. Nothing wrong with that, but it seemed like Cam was expected to fit into their world or not. I was pleasantly surprised when Cam takes Jesse to Brooklyn and they explore his world too. Just when things started to get good, Cam starts running hot and cold. By the the time a disastrous misunderstanding happens, I am well annoyed with Cam. I had expected Jesse to be the annoying character with his rigid adherence to non conformity and his privilege, but he was always honest about who is and what he wants–at least as far as he knows. It’s Cam who tries so hard to protect himself, he hurts them both. He doesn’t even effectively communicate why. The angst pulled me in, but it was Cam’s family and Jesse’s friends that hooked me in to the story emotionally. In the end, I like the open partnership they achieve, but I think there were some spots on the way that could have been more smoothly written. By the time they actually talk and work everything out, I was invested in what was happening, but it was also fairly anticlimactic. Yet, isn’t that life? Sometimes you have such a strong idea about something, it’s earth shattering once you realize you can compromise, or things don’t have to be that way, or things aren’t quite what you thought they were, even though not much has actually changed. This book is about the family they have chosen and the safe space they have created for them and their friends to be who they are.

The cover art is by Cherith Vaughan and shows scenes from the book: the club and the cityscape.

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Apple iStore  |  B&N  |  Kobo  |

Book Details:

ebook, 345 pages
Expected publication: March 26th 2019 by Pride Publishing
ISBN 139781786517098
Edition Language English
Series The Speakeasy #2

A Caryn Review: Best Behaviour by Matthew Metzger

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Matthew Metzger is always a bit of a hit or miss author for me, but when he’s good, he’s very, very good!  As I was reading this book, I was thinking of how affirming it would be for a questioning (especially in regards to gender identity) teen, because there were some amazing role models in here.  It’s not a YA book, but I am going to recommend it to the non-binary people I know, and see what they think of it.  I expect they’ll be impressed as well…

Jim was a guy who always had a bit of a chip on his shoulder.  From his childhood growing up poor with a sister and a single mother, through some stupid teenage pranks that landed him in jail, to the predicament he found himself in at the beginning of the book – out of a job, deep in debt, and evicted from his apartment.  At rock bottom, he called his sister, who reluctantly took him in to her house.  With her much older, reverend husband and 3 young children.  Sarah told him he had to be on his best behavior, and that meant NO MEN.

Jim hated it.  Hated his sanctimonious 62 year old brother-in-law, who he described as a “posh upper-class twassock…[whose] hobbies included fishing.  Not going fishing but watching it.  On the TV.  For hours on end.”  Heh, I don’t think I could stand him either.  Jim told himself he could do this, stay with Sarah and her family, only as long as it took to get a good job.  And then he was out of there.

But then he met the music teacher, and was instantly infatuated.  Fran might play the proper, straight-laced teacher, but “he was definitely the innocence-defiled sort”.  What started out as a hookup turned into something real for both of them, but in order to make it work, Jim needed to learn what being on his best behavior really meant.

The character development was excellent in this book.  Jim initially was petty, childish, and seemed to spend more time trying to annoy his sister than he did trying to get a job and grow up.  I almost wanted her to kick him out.  Getting into a relationship with Fran brought out a different side of him – and it became clear that his reaction to his situation was exactly what had gotten him into trouble when he was younger and immature, and he already had learned to do better.  Fran had been through his own struggles, especially in regards to his orientation and gender identity, and I had to admire the easy way the author introduced those and made them such natural and surprisingly low angst revelations.  There were so many examples of Jim understanding what respect and consent truly were, and that is when I started feeling differently about him.  When one of Sarah’s children came out as queer to Jim, he was the one to help her understand that what she felt was okay, normal, and not deserving of the shock and anger she saw from her parents.  All of that is what made me feel that this book would be so helpful and comforting for any person who is doing their own soul searching about their identity.

In addition to the wonderful message of the book, I also thoroughly enjoyed the writing.  Mr. Metzger was poetic without resorting to purple prose when describing how Jim felt about Fran, and there was a lot of humor in the book as well – both Jim and Fran are pretty snarky, and the dialogue was excellent.  The way Jim saw Sarah’s kids in particular had that dry British humor that really balanced out the intensity of the other more difficult parts of his life.

I found the cover art by Erin Dameron-Hill to be eye-catching, but by the time I finished the book I felt the text “He’s not known for obeying orders” to distract from what I thought were the best parts of the book

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon | Kobo

Book Details:

ebook, 222 pages
Published February 12th 2019 by Pride Publishing
ISBN 139781786517050
Edition Language English

A Lucy Review: The 13th Month (Calendar Men #13) by Bailey Bradford

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Marco’s ex destroyed him, but one man won’t let him give up on life.

Marco was the original photographer from the Calendar series. He’s almost died more than once thanks to his ex wife, Evan. It’s been a struggle to survive, but Ezra, his best friend has been by his side and isn’t disgusted by his scars.

And maybe it’s time Marco stopped fighting the feelings he’s had for his friend all along.

I have to be honest and say, this is the thirteenth book of the series Calendar Men.  I haven’t read any of the previous books so I had no idea that these men are shifters.  One is a cat, the other a bunny.  I mention this because not only was I surprised that this was part of the book but also I couldn’t figure out WHY it was part of the book.  It is mentioned once or twice about Ezra having cat vision in the dark and there is one quick reference to them playing in animal form at the end but that was it. Perhaps it was more prevalent in the other books and it was just continued in this one. 

That being said, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything or coming into the middle of the story by not having read the others.  Marco was the photographer for the charity calendar who has been married six times, always choosing women who weren’t good for him.  The last wife, Evan, was a doozy and tried to kill him.  “I knew she was a horrible person. I had a very thorough background check done on her before I dated her.  So I knew.” She’s in prison now but she’s still trying the one thing she wanted – Marco dead.  He has lost the use of his right hand from her efforts and “…had scars all over, albeit most of them were small except those on his right hand and arm.”  He’s been in a depression, living at his best friend, Ezra’s, house while he mends. 

Marco has money and prestige but he carries a lot of baggage. His parents were cultish religious who beat him and then kicked him out when he came out.  He has a lot of issues from that.  Add in that he’s had feelings for Ezra for years that he refuses to admit, feelings that sent him running to marry his first wife (he’s had six), and Marco is a hot mess.

Ezra? He’s the steady, loyal friend who has been in love with Marco for years and would do anything for him, especially keep him safe.  When Marco finally admits his feelings it is the most glorious day for Ezra and I was so happy for him.  The two of them fall into the relationship so seamlessly because they have been such close friends for so many years.  I want to put it out there that I loved, “There are plenty of ways to enjoy each other that don’t involve a**holes, and we can explore whatever you’d like to try”.  So often in MM books, it is all about the penetration and not every person likes that.  So it was refreshing to see Ezra giving that option to Marco.

There is the mystery of who is trying to get at Marco and I admit I was wrong about who it was.  While I can’t say this what kind of addition to the series it was since I hadn’t read the series, I can say it was an interesting, engaging stand alone.

The cover was a little off for me.  It is obviously not Marco, as there are no scars but it also didn’t seem to be Ezra, so it was a little random.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 128 pages
Published January 8th 2019 by Pride Publishing
ISBN13 9781786517012
Edition Language English
Series Calendar Men #13

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: No Fae is an Island (Endangered Fae #4) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

This is book four and you need to read these in order as it starts three years after the previous book. It took me a while to warm up to this series, but by book three I was completely sucked in. As Diego and Finn return to the world after Diego’s exile, everyone is still dealing with the aftermath of what he did. Zack is acting Consul and will have to remain so as having Diego return to the job might not be in their best interests. Magic legislation is still very much as issue. Neither Diego nor Theo have forgiven themselves. It has become unsafe in certain parts of the world to be magical. Trying to be useful and help rescue three Canadian students arrested in a country that is anti-magic, Diego and Finn find themselves also taken prisoner. The social commentary is about bigotry and the corruption of power. How are we still here fighting issues we thought had been addressed and dealt with?

While Diego was in exile, he learned as much as he could from the dragons and studied the wild fae. A young selkie, Limpet, follows Diego across the veil when he comes home. His POV keeps this fresh as he is innocent, curious, and naive about the human world. The pairing of Limpet with Theo is unlikely, but seems to be because Theo needs that kind of outlook to help him move forward and enjoy life again. I have to admit I didn’t like that Theo tends to tune Limpet out and not really listen to what he is saying, or worse tells him to not talk. That’s fine when they are in danger or hiding and Limpet doesn’t know any better, not so fine the rest of the time. Being excited, talking a lot, and being curious (which means asking a lot of questions) is part of who Limpet is. While the sexual compatibility isn’t in question, for me, the communication left something to be desired.

While Diego and Finn are in captivity, Diego gets everyone to band together, reminding them that they are stronger as a community rather than individuals living in fear. Finn, who is not my favorite character, spends much of this book subdued by steel. He does get to be a hero here, and there is none of the melodrama of previous books. Maybe being with Diego during his banishment in the Otherworld calmed him a bit. The author establishes a djinn character called Nusair, and a half human/fae named Asif, both of whom I expect to see in the future. Nusair is by far the more intriguing of the two. It’s a shame that the The Silver Adepts coven is left simmering in the background, but this book is about Diego finding his footing again. It’s a necessary step to make the whole series more cohesive. I’m hoping now that Diego and Theo are sorted, the next book will go back to some of the previous characters on new adventures.

The cover art is by Emmy @studioenp. It features Diego, the desert, and Finn as the bird. It’s in keeping with the rest of the series and I really like the golden color.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 281 pages
Published January 15th 2019 by Pride Publishing (first published September 5th 2014)
ISBN 139781786517029
Edition Language English
Series Endangered Fae #4

A Lila Review: The Faeted: Box Set By Caitlin Ricci

Rating: 3.3 stars out of 5

The Faeted Series

Joshua

There’s only one place to go for a guaranteed happily ever after…

Joshua, a dragon shifter, hates having to go to the Faeted Matchmaking Agency, but he’s running out of time to find a mate, and he’s failed everywhere else. He only has a few more months before he enters the next stage of his life, and he’s getting desperate. Dragon tradition states that he must have a partner to help him transition into independence from his clan. A long-time friend would be sufficient, but Joshua doesn’t have any of those, either. Faeted is his last hope.

Rex expected Faeted to set him up with someone fun and sexy, but he was never expecting a dragon. As Rex is an eagle shifter, a dragon would be a good match for him, since they’re both born to fly. Joshua is far more cautious than Rex expects a dragon to be, but Rex knows he can get Joshua to loosen up with a bit of a push.

Adrian

There’s only one place to go for a guaranteed happily ever after.

Finding a Faeted match is always supposed to lead to true love, but Adrian doesn’t believe that anymore. After six months of perfect bliss with his fire mage Corrin, Adrian caught him kissing someone else at a party. Now he wants a new match, and he never wants to see Corrin again. A matchmaker at Faeted gives Adrian another mate and tells him to go to a hotel to find him.

But when Adrian gets to the hotel room, he finds Corrin there, waiting for him. Naked and bound, Corrin has served himself up as a perfect peace offering, if only Adrian is willing to take a second chance at love with him.

Caldren

There’s only one place to go for a guaranteed happily ever after.

Caldren has been looking forward to having his own Faeted match for a long time. It’s what all the brownies do, and Faeted has always taken good care of them. As a brownie, he’s a gentle person who just wants to help his mate out and keep things clean. He likes honey, books and a tidy house.

He’s surprised when his mate turns out to be a dragon, at least, according to Faeted. They’re aggressive and powerful, so Caldren doesn’t think he would be a good match for someone like that, but his kind have always trusted Faeted to do what is best for them.

Bannock is a scary dragon, just as Caldren expected him to be. But he’s also fair and firm. He appreciates what Caldren is and what he needs. It isn’t long before Caldren realizes that sometimes a little brownie needs a dragon to be whole.

Faeted includes three very short erotic stories:

Joshua: 4 stars

This story has the most plot of all three in the series. Perhaps since it’s the first one and it’s the readers introduction to the Faeted Matchmaking Agency.

It has a nice premise but Joshua changes drastically as soon as he meets his mate. Gone is the shy dragon trying to find a companion. Lust takes over him and everything he mentioned wanting at the beginning of the story.

Definitely an erotic short for those with an exhibitionism fetish.

Adrian: 3 stars

I’m guessing Adrian is the least favorite story for many people. If you don’t tolerate cheating, this story is not for you. Even when it’s an intoxicated misunderstanding in the end.

The sex scene is a bit tedious with many stops and goes. It was nice, just not great.

Caldren: 3 stars

This was an insta-lust submissive story. The characters were interesting and the sex scenes well thought. Unfortunately, not enough to make it memorable.

The cover by Posh Gosh is for Joshua, and it matches the main concept of the story. The Sepia color gives it an old feel.

Sale Links: Amazon | Nook | Pride

Book Details:
ebook, 106 pages
ISBN: 978-1-78651-714-2
Published: November 20, 2018, by Pride Publishing
Edition Language: English