A MelanieM Review: A Cut & Run Series Review (Crash & Burn #9) by Abigail Roux

Cut & Run Series Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5 for Crash & Burn (Cut & Run #9) by Abigail Roux

In 2008, two authors – Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux – introduced two complicated and dangerous men to the M/M readers all over. Little did they know what had been born that day with Cut & Run, the first of nine main stories, multiple side stories and a side series, Sidewinders.

Here is the blurb for that first novel:

A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case. Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He’s cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he’s paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it’s hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliche: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer. Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer’s knife.”

It was the first time that Ty Grady and Zane Garrett met and disliked each other immensely. The glares flared, the snark flew, and the action accelerated the antagonism and attraction that sparked between them. And the readers were hooked! Oh, man, were we hooked! These guys were so dark, so complicated, so brilliant and charismatic that we had to have more. Thank goodness, Abi and Madeleine were listening.

Already the comments were piling up and they all were sounding very similar: “Love Ty, Love Zane, love the lines, the suspense, the action (oh, that action!) And that was just book one. Then came Sticks & Stones followed by the amazing Fish & Chips (how I loved those titles). Yes, just thinking about that book makes me run to start reading it all over again. Ty and Zane masquerading as a gay couple on the high seas. Here are a few lines from that memorable book:

Fish & Chips Quotes:

“When Ty was truly hot and bothered, it could be an amazing experience, like being mauled by a lion without the fuss of needing stitches after.”
― Abigail Roux, Fish & Chips

“Falling in love or just plain falling : they were both terrifying at any speed”
― Abigail Roux, Fish & Chips

Remembering now? It was also the first time the L word was mentioned. What a wild emotional journey that story was! A true leap to love and promise, however temporarily acknowledged, for them both. This story was memorable for so many reasons and elements. A large gem in a box full of diamonds.

From there we and Ty and Zane tried to move forward, always an iffy proposition with these two. Nothing is every easy…its guns, and shootouts and physical trauma to go along with the emotional high stakes that kept pulling us in deeper and deeper.

There was Divide & Conquer (Cut & Run, #4) which traumatized the heck out of me and kept me clued to the page through every heartbreaking scene. This was Zane as we have never scene him before and hoped we never would again. The fear for Zane and Ty was palpable all the way through. This was also the last book that Madeleine Urban cowrote. Now Ty and Zane become all Abigail Roux’s and the transition was as smooth as it could be for these two. Abigail Roux truly made both men her own. And ours.

Favorite quote: “First time I saw you, after I got over hating you, I knew,” he said, echoing Ty’s words, “I knew I’d fall in love with you”

Armed & Dangerous (Cut & Run, #5) One of my favorites (ok, they all are, but this is high on a high list). Ty and Zane separated but brought back together for a case that involves Julian Cross, an enigmatic assassin?agent?man about crime? Julian is a puzzle that will keep on giving (read Warriors Cross) right up to the end in Crash & Burn. Loved Julian! But it was the development in Ty and Zane’s relationship that made this story sing and resonate so with the readers. The barriers were breaking down along with our hearts.

Armed & Dangerous Quotes:

“What do you want, MacGuffin, a duel?”
“No.” Julian held out both hands, one palm flat, the other held over it in a fist. “Rock, paper, scissors. Two out of three.”
Ty rolled his eyes and held out his fist, apparently willing to play. Julian hit his palm three times, and Ty kept time with his fist in the air. But when Julian threw a paper, Ty reached into his jacket with his other hand and pulled his gun, aiming it at Julian.
“Ty!” Zane said in exasperation from the front seat.
“Glock, paper, scissors. I win.”
“You are an ass,” Julian muttered.”

“I love you” Ty said, the quiet words devoid of any self-consciousness of his usual bravado. ” And I’ve never been able to say that before with such conviction. I can’t remember a time when you weren’t the first thing I thought of, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t care what stands in our way.” —that noise is me sobbing away

Dine & Dash (Cut & Run, #5.5) a cute, free short story is followed by one I consider another foundation stone for Ty and Zane because we travel first to West Virginia and a close look at the Grady clan and its convoluted dynamics and then to Texas for an entirely new perspective on the Garrett family and Zane’s background.

Of course, I’m talking about…

Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run, #6). We had the well deserved calm in their relationship before an emergency blows it all to hell. We get a determined tiger on the run, a knife throwing game of oneupmanship and so much insight into both Ty and Zane that at times I felt like my heart was bleeding. But no that was still to come. Quotes? A gazillion of them here but I chose only a few:
Stars & Stripes Quotes:

“I love you,” Ty said out of the blue, his voice almost sing-song.
Zane laughed. “You’re drunk.”
“I loved you before I was drunk.”
― Abigail Roux, Stars & Stripes

“Had a gay bull I had to sell last year. That was a damn nuisance. Gay son? That don’t cost me nothing.”
― Abigail Roux, Stars & Stripes

“She told me to wait,that I was going to lose a finger.” Earl looked toward the kitchen and back at Ty and Duece. He snorted. “I asked her, did she think I was stupid? Then a couple of snips later, whack. Off went the finger. And you know what that woman said to me? I said ‘Mara you cut my finger off.’ And your mother said to me, ‘Well Earl who’s stupid now?”
― Abigail Roux, Stars & Stripes

Yes, I had to end on a laugh. I love those Gradys no matter what, and that includes Chester and his shovel.

Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run, #7) brought the boys to New Orleans and confrontations with their past and each others part in it. Never before have I so wanted to hunt Abigail Roux into the ground. This book just plain hurt. I cried buckets of tears, wiped out several shelves of tissue boxes and still couldn’t let this story go. The story was stunning, the reverberation deep, lethal, and perhaps unforgivable. If this is not the finest story of the group, I don’t know what is. The writing was remarkable but more indelibly was the impression it left on our hearts and Ty and Zane.

Just one quote because the tears will start flowing all over again.

Touch & Geaux Quote:

“You told me one time that . . . I was your compass. I gave you direction when you were lost,” Ty said, nearly choking on the words. He glanced up, eyes reflecting like liquid in the low light. “Well, you were my anchor. You were something solid for me to hold onto. I wanted you to remember that.”

Just two more to go and we couldn’t believe that soon it would all be over. How was Abigail Roux going to pull it all together? There was a mole at the FBI, Ty and Zane weren’t sure who they could trust, their relationship was getting deeper and decisions needed to be made. So of course, Deuce, Ty’s brother, decides to get married on an island off of mainland Scotland. In a storm. With murderers on the loose and the targets not defined. The Sidewinders are present and the air ripe for physical violence, emotional trauma and unforgettable goings on. It was a wedding, for cripes sake. Didn’t they know better than to invite Ty and Zane?

Ball & Chain (Cut & Run, #8), as I said, takes place on a private island in Scotland where Deuce and his fiance, and their child, will be married. Everyone is along for the celebration and ceremony, including many participants with their own agendas. Here, a spectacular murder takes place, albeit one that I wished had happened much earlier. Never liked that man. Or trusted him. Roux should have killed him twice. Not all fans were as crazy about this book as they were others. Too many other relationships intruded into Ty and Zane’s in this, the penultimate story. But really, I don’t see how Roux could have gotten around that factor. She had one more book to bring it all to a head and other people and their relationships had to be included at this point to make sense of it all at the end. This book gets much better when you have read Crash & Burn because it fits this story more easily into the whole then when read at first.

Ball & Chain Quotes (more of them because hey, its almost over):

“Zane hurried to catch up. “Wait, Ty, you want to do that with her with us?”

“She’s a year old. She won’t understand death and destruction for at least another year.”

“If we ever decide to adopt, you’re a mute in any interviews.”

“Understood.”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

“You’ve taken a lot of hits in the last few days, Ty. Let me take this last one for you.”

Ty stared at him, struck breathless, struck speechless. He snaked his arm around Zane’s neck and hugged him tight. He nodded, still unable to speak.”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

“Zane sighed. “I was so hoping this would be a normal vacation.”
Ty smacked him on the side of the head. “Don’t use bad words.”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

“You let me think I was being stalked by a ghost, you fuck nuts!”
― Abigail Roux, Ball & Chain

And here we are. Book 9. The official series finale, Crash & Burn. I sort of, really, absolutely hoped this day wouldn’t come but of course, it had to. At some point Ty and Zane had to come to an ending, no matter how much we wished otherwise. How was Abigail Roux to end the series? Ty…oops tie up all the loose ends? And finally, make our guys and their relationship whole and as happy as it can get for these two. And where are the kitties? Ty needs his kitties. Who didn’t cry with Smith & Wesson went home to Julian? Huh? Huh? Nope, Ty needs a furball of his own because they don’t let people have tigers as pets in Baltimore. I know this for a fact! So how did it all turn out?

Happily, wonderfully, totally satisfyingly kill those bad guys, kiss as though you will love each other forever again two thumbs up. Or as much as it can be when I really don’t want to say goodbye. So many people we have come to love over the nine books are present and accounted for. I will miss them too. We learn about the mole, (damn you!), many people die, some that you liked, Chester had a wild time with his shovel and, yes, there was another wedding much closer to home. I wept more buckets, laughed a ton, and reminisced all the way through this story. And I loved every word of it.

I know we reviewers try to remain objective but with Cut & Run, I just can’t. Ditto Crash & Burn. Thank you, Abigail Roux for continuing on after Madeleine stopped writing and making Ty and Zane truly your own. For that’s how I think about them now. Thank you, Madeleine and Abigail, for two of the most loved characters out there. Ty and Zane? What a great ride its been! It’s been eight wonderful, memorable years of love, sex, suspense and action. What a saga and its one that will remain always high on my to be rec’d list and Best of Lists and Most Memorable Lists and whatever lists you can think of. I’m betting its all that for you too. The only thing I can hope for now? Seeing them again in some of the other stories and hoping that all the books ended up published together in paperback so I can page through, over and over again and remember why I love them so.

So here it is. The End. And the final quotes, at least for this post.

Crash & Burn:
“You realize we’re looking at our future, right? Two of us in a retirement home, bitching about our catheters and heated blankets.”
― Abigail Roux, Crash & Burn

“Can I start calling you hubby?”
“Do it and die.”
“Snookums, then.”
― Abigail Roux, Crash & Burn

and I’ll end it with this one, words that will send me running back to the very first story and start the ride all over again.

“- Some roads to love aren’t easy, and I’ve never been more thankful for being forced to fight for something. I started this journey with a partner I hated, and a man in the mirror I hated even more. The road took me from streets of New York to West Virginia, from the place I born to the place I found a home. It forced me to let go of my past and face my future. And I had to be made blind before I see. (…) I promise to love you until I die. (…) – I promise to never leave you alone in the dark, he whispered.”
― Abigail Roux, Crash & Burn

Here are the books in the order they were written and should be read and their sales links:

Crash & Burn (Cut & Run #9) by Abigail Roux Riptide Publishing All Romance Amazon Buy It Here
Ball & Chain (Cut & Run #8) Riptide ARe Amazon

Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7) Riptide All Romance (ARe) Amazon
Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6) Riptide All Romance Amazon
Dine & Dash (Cut & Run, #5.5) free story on Abigail Roux’s Tumblr
Armed & Dangerous , #5 – by Abigail Roux from here on DSP All Romance Amazon
Divide & Conquer #4,* DSP All Romance (ARe) Amazon
Fish & Chips #3, * DSP All Romance (ARe) Amazon
Sticks & Stones #2,* DSP All Romance (ARe) Amazon
Cut & Run #1 – DSP All Romance (ARe) Amazon *all of these written by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

A Sammy Review: A Way Home (Gay Amish Romance #3) by Keira Andrews

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Anna stepped back just as Eli appeared. She nodded to David and dashed back upstairs with an apologetic smile to Eli, who sighed.

“She reminds me of a horse I once had. Wouldn’t pull the plow no matter how much I coaxed or threatened.”

“What did you do with it in the end?”

Eli shrugged. “Let it run free. What else was there to do? Come now. I’ll take you where you want to go.”

In the third and final (for now) book of the series, tragedy forces David and Isaac to return to Zebulon, a place they’d left behind just months earlier.

The city has taken a toll on their relationship, but coming back to a place they once called home is even scarier than the chaotic streets of San Francisco. Here, they once again face their parents and loved ones, all who struggle to understand their decision to leave not only their family, but the Amish way, and in turn, lose their ticket to Heaven.

Between family pressure, repairing their relationship, and the threat of losing Nathan for good, this place in their journey is sure to be a difficult one.

He knew they had problems they needed to face, but there was a sense of certainty growing deep inside him that felt sturdy and right. A certainty that despite whatever mistakes they made, this thing between them was solid and sure, rooted deep into the earth like the roots of a tree. No matter what happened, they’d face it together.

This book couldn’t have been more aptly named. It truly was a lot about finding a way home, but more than that, figuring out what home really meant to each of them.

I complained about a loss of something magic in the previous book, and this book gained some of that spark back for sure. There’s just something about the forbidden nature of love in Zebulon and how it all relates to their family that adds a dimension to it. The family, though we did see Aaron, was missing in the last book. Not here, though. They’re all back.

And speaking of family, I can honestly say one of my favorite aspects of this story was feeling like I got to know them a bit better, especially Isaac’s mother. My heart absolutely broke for her and that the author allowed us to see her struggle and be so emotionally raw was truly a gift. One particular scene between her and Isaac felt so incredibly genuine that I almost was afraid to read it, like I was invading a personal moment between them. I had a rough idea of her as a woman before, but now I feel like I know her so much more.

I also really enjoyed getting to see Aaron and Jen come into this world. Like with Isaac’s mother, I feel like I got to know Aaron so much more in this book. Hearing about the love he has for his family, even now, and seeing it, are two completely different things, and we definitely see it here.

And of course, Isaac and David – this wonderfully enticing pair that kept me coming back for more. Love conquers all is such a cheesy thing to say, but in their case, I’d say it’s true. Throw in a dash of patience and understanding, and they really have something beautiful. They grow both apart and together in this book, and it’s a great thing to see. Sometimes in a series, the characters become kind of stagnant. There’s just a new plot line with the same old person, but that’s not the case here. They evolve more with each page.

What keeps this from being a full five stars to me is the ending. While I was mostly satisfied, something still felt off to me. The epilogue just seemed to jump to a random point in the future and try to wrap things up so quickly. The books rolled out so slowly and evenly, and then it’s just thrown together at the end, and I think that’s what left me a bit off. I felt like they all deserved more of a full ending, but hopefully we get to see more of them in the future.

The cover art is very nice and flows well with the others in the book. The only thing I can pick at is that the guy on the left has this skin roll thing happening, which is completely shallow, but it simply sticks out to me in a not-so-great way. He’s attractive, it’s just the angle that’s causing the problem for me.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages
Expected publication: April 8th 2015 by KA Books
ISBN139780993859892
edition languageEnglish
seriesGay Amish Romance #3

Gay Amish Romance Trilogy:

A Forbidden Rumspringa (Gay Amish Romance #1)
A Clean Break (Gay Amish Romance #2)
A Way Home (Gay Amish Romance #3) by Keira Andrews

It’s April, Ty and Zane’s Last Mission is Over, and this Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

On Friday, we hosted the last day of Abigail Roux’s Ty and Zane Farewell tour. From the comments left, it’s clear these two have made quite an impact on the readers that have followed them all these years, including me. The winners of Abigail Roux’s contest (what a great prize….Ty’s Go Bags) will be announced on Monday. That may sound the last ringing of the official bell, but this week Mika and I will share our reviews and thoughts, not only on Crash & Burn, but the series as a whole. Please feel free to chime in with your favorite books, greatest lines and best scenes. Let’s all wallow one last time!

Another announcement. The winner of all 4 first book of the Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States series was Helen J. Congratulations to Helen. This is going to be some scary, white knuckle series and I can’t wait for Round 2!

What’s else is happening this week? Our highlights include Barbara Elsborg (Falling) and Keira Andrews (A Way Home,Gay Amish Romance trilogy finale) who are here this week for author interviews and giveaways of books from their libraries. Both have new releases that the reviewers at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words think are just amazing. The reviews for Falling by Barbara Elsborg and A Way Home by Keira Andrews, both by Sammy, one of which has already run and the other will be posted this week. So if you would like a little insight into their characters, books and series as well as have a chance to win some wonderful stories, make sure to mark it on your calendar! BJ is reading and reviewing 3 of Lia Black’s books, an author who is new to me and maybe to you as well. She is now on my TBR list. I think she will be on yours after the reviews. And Mika and I have dueling/double dipping/agree to disagree reviews of Ever The Same by BA Tortuga on Thursday. And the week isn’t even over!

Finally two last things. Aurora‘s YA Saturday is back, with her reviews of Michael J. Bowler’s series. And on Friday, we are hosting a tour for Alex Beecroft’s Blue Eyed Stranger (Trowchester #2), a 5 star read from a 5 star series. It’s a must have, must read on all fronts. I love this series and can’t wait for the next story to appear! Please check it out. Barb and Stella each have reviews this week and Paul will be back with us next week with more of his love for the paranormal and things that go bump in the night. Stay tuned.

Now for this

Week’s Schedule At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, April 5:

Goodbye Ty and Zane and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, April 6:

Cover reveal for ‘Crossed Hearts’ by K. Vale (contest)
A BJ Review: Spiretown by Lia Black
A MelanieM Review: Dance Off by Ariel Tachna and Nessa L. Warin
A Stella Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate (Being(s) in Love #3) by R. Cooper

Tuesday, April 7:

In The Book spotlight: Falling by Barbara Elsborg (author interview and giveaway)
A Sammy Review: Slasherazzi by Daniel A. Kaine
A Mika Review: Defined by Deceit by A. E. Via
A BJ Review: A King’s Ransom by Lia Black
A MelanieM Review: Storming Love: Blizzard Gavin and Morgan by Nicole Dennis

Wednesday, April 8:

Keira Andrew’s A Way Home spotlight (author interview and giveaway)
A Sammy Review: A Way Home (Gay Amish Romance #3) by Keira Andrews
A Mika Review: Crash & Burn (Cut & Run Series Finale) by Abigail Roux
A MelanieM Review: Cut & Run Series Review and Book Finale by Abigail Roux
A BJ Review: Where Willows Won’t Grow by Lia Black

Thursday, April 9:

Finding Their Own Way by Chris Owens and Tory Temple Tour and Contest
In the Spotlight: Annabelle Jacob’s The Altered (excerpt and giveaway)
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Room 1024 by Racheline Maltese & Erin McRae
Double Dipping Review: A Mika Review: Ever The Same by BA Tortuga
Double Dipping Review: A Melanie Review: Ever The Same by BA Tortuga

Friday, April 10:

A Supernatural Blast: My Zombie Boyfriend by T. Strange (contest)
Mimsy Hale’s 100 Days Book Tour and Contest
In the Spotlight: Blue Eyed Stranger by Alex Beecroft
A MelanieM Review: The Line by Angel Martinez
A Mika Review: More Than Anything by T. T. Kove

YA Saturday, April 11:

An Aurora YA Review: Running Through a Dark Place (Children of the Knight #2) by Michael J. Bowler

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart Series by N. R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 for the Series

Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.

And with those words, N. R. Walker introduces us to one of the most heartwarming, delightful, and throughly addicting series that is Red Dirt Heart! Red Dirt Heart revolves around the complex and totally embraceable characters of Charlie Sutton of Sutton Station and Texan Travis Craig. Per N. R. Walker:

Charlie Sutton runs Sutton Station the only way he knows how; the way his father did before him. Determined to keep his head down and his heart in check, Charlie swears the red dirt that surrounds him – isolates him – runs through his veins.

American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives at Sutton Station to see how farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth. But it’s not the barren, brutal and totally beautiful landscapes that capture him so completely, it’s the man with the red dirt heart.

But that brief synopsis doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of these stories. Through 4 books we trace Charlie and Travis’ journey towards love, relationship and a permanent home with each other. Along the way we fall in love with not only Charlie and Travis but the red dirt desert of the Northern Territory that Charlie loves so much. It doesn’t happen immediately but gradually in scene after scene as the stark, red hot environment claims the heart of Travis just as surely as Charley does. And this is not a romanticized version of the red dirt country. No, its comes complete with venomous snakes and spiders, extreme temperatures that are lethal if caught unprepared or lost, and an almost alienness, a sense of solitude that can comfort or kill depending upon the circumstances. And we learn to respect and love it for exactly what it is.

The same truth can be said about Charley…complex, abandoned, self-doubting Charley. So easy to connect with and understand, Charley is a character as layered as the desert, full of extreme swings in his decision making, as durable and elemental as the red dirt he loves so deeply. The Sutton Station is a part of Charlie, although he has yet to learn exactly how much and what large boundaries that station family includes. For the Sutton Station comes with Ma and George, farm employees who are more mom and dad to Charley than his own. There’s Billy (an Aboriginal), and several other workers that over the course of the stories form a close knit family to Charley and Travis. But it’s not Charley that is the impetus for this shaping of people and events, no, its the arrival of Travis Craig that throws Charley and the status quo into shambles. Delightfully so.

When Travis arrives, he meets a closeted, closed off Charley just waiting for a love he’s sure he doesn’t deserve. And one of the things that makes this beginning of their journey so compelling is that the readers live inside Charley’s head, an element that brings us so close to this bruised man that we love him immediately. Books 1 through 3 are all told from Charley’s point of view. In a neat feat of writing, N. R. Walker gives us the ability to see through the haze of Charley’s confusion, self doubt, and desire to realize that Travis is falling deeply in love with Charley even if Charley can’t see it. Even as Charley is internally arguing with himself, busy throwing obstacles in their path to happiness because of his fear and uncertainty, we see Travis always in Charlie’s orbit, watching and urging Charlie forward. What an addicting, captivating and yes, throughly charming pair and instantly we are invested in their happiness and future together.

What a troublesome road it is for Charley and Travis. Outside of Charlie’s two step relationship dance, there’s immigration laws and visas, and the reality that Travis is an American citizen whose family (who loves him dearly) lives in Texas. There complications that abound with Ma and George, orphaned animals that quickly grab onto your heart as much as the rest of the Sutton Station crazy, warmhearted group of individuals. We get lessons in the mineral layers of dirt, learn what a bore is (no it has nothing to do with a person), and in general, see what it takes to run a station as large as Charley’s. Those of us readers not from Down Under learn bits of Australian english and phrases, enough to instill the urge to travel and see it for ourselves. As I say in my review for Red Dirt Heart 4, this series is as much a love letter from N. R. Walker to her country as it is about a deeply abiding love between Charley and Travis.

Along with way, there are some heartstopping moments so painful that tissues will be needed, white knuckle events that will make you feel suspended, frozen, until you (and the characters) are able to move forward and past them once more. Those will be balanced with scenes of joy, laughter, and romance, such as Charlie understands it! I laughed, cried, and laughed again through all the highs and lows, and even quiet moments of reflection and contentment that flow from these stories and the series as a whole.

Just a memory of a dialog or scene can send me running back to grab up that book, and before I realize it I’m lost once more in Red Dirt Heart romance and setting of Sutton Station and Charley Sutton.

Now the series is ending with Red Dirt Heart 4. I’ve read the story, wept a little (ok ,more than a little. a lot) and said my happy goodbyes. Told this time from Travis’ point of view, it’s a wholly satisfying, totally engaging series finale and gives us and Travis and Charley a glorious happily ever after. It ends just where it should, no more, no less. The Red Dirt Heart saga quickly became and still is one of my all time favorite series. It will be among the top on my rec lists as well as Best of. N. R. Walker’s writing was vivid, at times lyrical in her love for her country and the Northern Territory, and full of the human spirit and endurance it takes to not only live life on the desert but to embrace it with all that you are.

But don’t take my word for it, pick it up and start your journey into red dirt territory and the hearts and minds of Charley Sutton and Travis Craig. It’s easy to read them in order as they are titled Red Dirt Heart 1 thru 4! Elegant and simple. Just don’t expect the same simplicity inside. Be prepared to fall madly and completely in love with Charlie, Travis, Sutton Station and yes, the red dirt of Australia’s Northern Territory. What an amazing trip it is! A real journey of their lifetimes! Begin it today.

All covers are the creation of Sara York. I loved them. They brand the series as a whole while each cover has elements important to that story. Great job.

Sales links can be found on each individual review page listed below:

Review: Prevailing Winds (Separate Ways #4) by Laura Harner

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

“Please don’t go.”

Words that would haunt Lord Jamie Mainwaring long after he boarded the plane departing Phoenix, Arizona. After the deaths and destruction of the past events, Jamie feels that leaving is his only recourse, even if it means leaving once more the man he loves, Det. Remy Remington. Jamie watched Remy’s mouth form those words at the airport as he went through the doors to get on the plane. But it was too late for them and for the love that had followed them across oceans and continents for the last two years.

Brokenhearted and grieving, Remy watches Jamie leave him once more. But returning home, he finds that Jamie isn’t the only person leaving him. Toby is confused, shattered and angry…at Remy and the world. Toby flees his home and safety looking for answers to his past. What Toby finds in Las Vegas is nothing but trouble,

Fate has a way of pulling Jamie and Remy back together. Jamie’s is asked to get involved in one more case for the British special agency he used to work for. Remy leaves home looking for Toby and both paths intersect in Las Vegas where a corrupt prince, the lost boys from London, and Toby are intertwined in a mess of abuse, pain and potential death. Jamie and Remy must put all their past issues aside and come together to find and rescue Toby before the prince can destroy them all. Will Remy and Jamie finally prevail and find a future together for them as a family? Or will the coming storm destroy them once and for all?

Prevailing Winds, the Separate Ways series finale, is that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the icing on the cake and the cherries on top of the sundae! This is the story that is the salve for the wounds left behind by the tumultuous events and anguish of the last three books and I couldn’t be happier. For three bloody, suspense filled, painfully frustrating stories, Laura Harner has been developing her rollercoaster ride of a relationship between Lord Jamie Mainwaring and Det. Remy Remington.

From the moment they connected in London over missing boys, to the betrayals on the ocean cruise and the devastation of the events in Phoenix, the relationship dynamics between these two has been fascinating to watch as the men connected, fled, reconnected, and separated again and again. What has made it so endlessly addicting is that we understood why the separations had to happen, the mental and emotional changes each character had to undergo in order to make a relationship (any relationship) work, and all the obstacles that life and their jobs as well as nationalities placed in their paths. It wasn’t just one thing that kept them apart….but a boatload. Harner carefully built up wall after wall between these two wonderful characters. Walls made up of Remy and Jamie’s childhood issues and abuse, requirements of their individual jobs, and even personal outlook on long term relationships and ties. Throughout each story we waited for the barriers to start to fall. And they would start breaking down, a few bricks here and there. Only for us to watch the walls firm up again at the end of each story. Frustrating, authentic, and it made great reading.

And as skillfully as Harner built up those barriers, then she had to slowly and realistically break them down. And that took time. And three, no four books to accomplish that because Remy and Jamie are still working on their problems and expectations for each other and a long term partnership well into Prevailing Winds. This time, its Toby on the run and Remy following in his wake. And their paths intersect with Jamie on a mission in Las Vegas.

The point of view flows back and forth between Toby and Remy and Jamie. Toby’s scary predicament is heightened by this format as the danger increases the deeper the investigation goes and the closer the men get to finding Toby. Gut wrenching at times, the anticipation is overwhelming towards the end as we rush towards the denouement! Plus there’s not just one, but several here. Loved this part of the story. In fact, loved it all! So will you.

The writing is taut, smooth and fluid. The plot’s mechanisms are lovingly orchestrated for maximum excitement and anticipation. Oh, and for our total satisfaction as well. But you must read these stories in the order they were written, in order for the character development and situations to make sense.

This is one heck of a series and a great way to end it! Love the book, love the characters, and Las Vegas was the perfect place to bring it all to a head!

I highly recommend this story and series to all lovers of action, adventure and a long denied romance that finds it’s happily ever after!

Buy Links: All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Prevailing Winds

Cover Art by Laura Harner. This cover is very different in design from the other three but it works great for the story.

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 198 pages
Published July 23rd 2014 by Hot Corner Press
ASINB00M3AV0YA
edition language English
url http://lauraharner.com/series/separate_ways_series/
seriesSeparate Ways #4

Separate Ways Series in the order they were written and should be read:

Continental Divide by Laura Harner and Lisa Worrell
Oceans Apart (Separate Ways #2) by Laura Harner
Moving Mountains (Separate Ways #3) by Laura Harner
Prevailing Winds (Separate Ways #4) by Laura Harner

Review: To the Very Last Inch (The Professor’s Rule #5) by Heidi Belleau and Amelia C. Gormley

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Jamie Sheridan was furious when he found out that Professor Carson had “words” with his boyfriend Satish Malhotra, in effect warning him off any relationship with him. That lead to an ugly confrontation between them and a final break or so Jamie thought. But Satish thinks that there was something other than head games behind his encounter with the Professor, that maybe he and Jamie had misinterpreted Evander’s actions. Satish realizes that the Professor gives Jamie something that Satish can’t, at least right now. So Satish sets out to do what would have been recently unthinkable, he is going to try to salvage Jamie and Evander’s relationship, even if it means he loses out once and for all.

After a confrontation with his former lover and pupil, Professor Evander Carson realizes the extent of his miscalculations and misunderstanding of the past events in his and Jamie’s relationship. And even though the break up is tearing him apart, Evander is determined to stay away from Jamie, for Jamie’s sake. Nothing prepares him for the sight of Satish at his door or for what Satish offers to him….a possible relationship with Jamie as well as Satish.

But will Jamie be able to trust Evander again? And will a renewed relationship between Jamie and his Professor leave Satish out in the cold?

To the Very Last Inch is a wonderful culmination to a hot, sexy and ultimately very sweet love story. Through five books, Heidi Belleau and Amelia C. Gormley have built a relationship between three very different men.

The first character is the wounded James Sheridan, whose drug habits drove him into poor life choices, including whoring himself out for drugs and money. Only through submission can Jamie successfully control his anxiety and need to relapse into his drug habit. The man who taught him control through his submission is the complex Professor Evander Carson. Older, dominant, and in love with Jamie, Evander misunderstood several key elements in their relationship that caused the first break up and threatens to destroy any future they might have. He is also unsure that a relationship with a man his age is something Jamie would want. And finally, the last man to enter into the picture, Satish Malhotra. Satish met Jamie during one of Jamie and Evander’s sexual games where he was an unwitting participant. That initial encounter almost ruined any chances of any type of relationship between Jamie and Satish as Satish viewed the D/s roles with distain and no little anger over what he thought of as physical abuse of Jamie. Three fascinating and complex men, all brought to life and made utterly relatable through four stories leading up to this….the conclusion of The Professor’s Rule and the resolution to all the issues raised in the preceding stories.

One of the aspects of this series I so appreciate is the ability of these authors to let the reader into the mindset of someone who lives or needs to live a D/s lifestyle, people like Jamie and Evander. One, Evander Carson, a dominant or Master. The other, Jamie Sheridan, a submissive. As the authors show us, without that element in his life, Jamie becomes a very different person. Being a submissive fills a hole in Jamie that nothing else can and without it Jamie feels incomplete. As I said before, the character of Satish Malhotra becomes that channel through which the reader can begin to understand what a D/s relationship can entail and what exactly how such a lifestyle can impact and benefit those that live it. The whole bdsm aspect of this story is folded seamlessly into the narrative. It is informative and it is certainly hot!

Belleau and Gormley force these men to face the misunderstandings and challenges that a realistic relationship between all three of them will offer. The manner in which Jamie, Satish and Evander work through their issues feel as real and authentic as all the other elements here. Miscommunications arise, no matter the age of the person involved. And events can be viewed through very different lenses, depending upon perspective and past histories. All that and more is crammed into 56 pages and its wonderful.

Did I wish that we had been given a little more of a glimpse into their lives down the road? Of course, but the little we did see was revealing and totally satisfying. Kudos to the authors for such a wonderful series finale and for the men that we came to love through it all.

Cover art by LC Chase is perfect for this story and the entire series.

Book Details:

ebook, 56 pages

Published March 3rd 2014 by Riptide Publishing (first published March 1st 2014)

original title To the Very Last Inch (The Professor’s Rule, #5)

ISBN13 9781626491281

edition language English

url http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/to-the-very-last-inch

series The Professor’s Rule

Book in The Professor’s Rule series. It helps to read them in order to understand Jamie and all the relationships within.

Giving an Inch (The Professor’s Rule, #1) currently free where sold (Amazon, ARe)
An Inch at a Time (The Professor’s Rule, #2)
Inch by Inch (The Professor’s Rule, #3)
Every Inch of the Way (The Professor’s Rule, #4)
To the Very Last Inch (The Professor’s Rule, #5)

Winners of the Pulp Friction 2013 Contest

Congratulations to our Pulp Friction 2013 Series Contest. The Winners are:

Bluesmokey richards851(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
Helen helenj@odont.uio.no
Kerry books2read69@hotmail(dot)com
Bobbie Walker Bobbie022@sky.com

Please double check that I have your email addresses correct and let me know if there are any corrections. The authors will be sending our copies of their series to the winners. Happy reading everyone and Happy Holidays!

ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Review of Odd Man Out, the Pulp Friction combined series finale story.

2013 Pulp Friction Series Finale, Finale Contest and Odd Man Out!

Today ScatteredThoughts is welcoming back authors Havan Fellows, Lee Brazil, Laura Harner and Tom Webb to talk about the last book in the Pulp Friction series…all of the series…, Odd Man Out. Odd Man Out was written by all of the authors and ties up all the storylines for each author’s main character or characters. There is a sensational contest to go along with this series finale, but before we get to the contest, lets meet our authors for our final Pulp Friction get together of 2013!

Meeting already in progress, let’s listen in….

Havan: Right now, here, talking about this—this feels like it might’ve been the quickest year of my life. I swear just a couple of days ago Laura came to us with—

Wait a second…how rude, here I am assuming that you know us and our dastardly delicious Pulp Friction stories…introductions may be appreciated…”us” is Laura Harner, T.A. Webb, Lee Brazil and Havan Fellows…now back to our ramblings *winks*

—so Laura approached us with this crazy idea of bad guys being good guys and serial pulp fiction booklets and lots of man love…or something like that. After we completely thought she’d taken up some sort of (perhaps illegal lol) habit and realized she was just naturally…um…spunky like that…lmao…we sat and thought about her proposition.

I just love saying that…Laura propositioned 3 people at once…and we accepted!

And…Pulp Friction was born.

Flash forward roughly a year…and we’re now saying good-bye to the characters that became a part of our lives. Oh I’m not kidding, when Zack got mad at Wick it was hard as hell for me to not think that Laura was mad at me…and when Rory walked out on Chance hearts broke and we wanted to wrap our arms around Chance and tell him it would be okay. These are our boys, our hearts and souls…we’ve brought a very turbulent year of their lives to you and hope that you—our readers—love them as much as we do.

The dynamics of these men are really mind-boggling. We were already friends when we decided to test our boundaries with this endeavor. We knew that we could spend elongated periods of time together and not want to do each other bodily harm…lol…but could we write together? Could we allow the others into our minds and create—develop something that readers would enjoy? (Because make no mistake, even though only the last book is a combined effort we were holding each other’s hands through every single one of the twenty books that came before the finale.) That’s a scary as hell concept for private people to bear.

But we did it…and when the finale came around four extremely talented (some maybe a tad bit melodramatic *cough cough* or a touch hard-headed) and dedicated authors worked together and wrote one blazingly hot and holy-shit-hang-on-for-your-life-roller-coaster ride of a book.

Oh – and just for the record – our voices freaking sing when combined…*bows*.

And now it’s time to say good-bye to what started as five bad guys being good guys and ended as nine men (throw in a cousin & aunt, a housekeeper/mother figure, a manager of a bar & smartening up cop, a brother with two kiddos and a voice across the line) and well—that’s one hell of a family that no one wants to cross and anyone would be proud to be a part of.

We’ll miss them, we’ll think of them often and we’ll always have a place for them in us.

That being said…we’re ready to wow you next year when we take on Flagstaff and see what kind of trouble we can rouse up there.

Lee: Havan, I think you said everything that we’re all feeling right now. I’d just like to add a big thank you to readers and reviewers who supported us with such enthusiasm in this whole endeavor. It isn’t the usual fare in today’s world of instant gratification. This whole concept of waiting to find out what happens next? Well, we knew it would tick some people off, but we hoped you’d love it as much as we did! People like Melanie and Will Parkinson wowed us with their responses, and that is so encouraging. Big hugs and lots of love to all of you!

Laura: What she said. And then some. I really had no idea what this would turn into by the end of our first year together, but I can tell you, that just as the characters grew into a family, so have the PF writers. Friends who aren’t afraid to test the limits only come along so often in life. I’m grateful to have Havan, Lee, and Tom in mine. Tom wasn’t able to be with us today, but he and I have talked so much this past year about just how lucky we are to be part of this magical collaboration. He is always so appreciative of the amazing reader response to Marcus and Ben.

Havan: Oh-kay…the feelings have been tossed out there, our boys have shared every side they have…and the Macallans Whisky has run dry—well if that isn’t our cue to wrap this up nothing is. But we don’t want to leave ya’ll empty handed…because you should always have something in your hand *winks* soooooooooooo…time for some fun.

Leave a comment…any comment you want, we aren’t picky…and FOUR lucky winners will be picked—each to receive one of the four compilations we published of the series. Oh…don’t forget to leave your email address also! And for the ones keeping count at home—yes we just said we will be giving away a total of twenty books to four lucky winners…a set of each of the series…so leave your comment already *points to comment area*

Contest Rehash (because I always wanted to use that word): Leave a comment here and four winners will be picked to receive one of the four compilations of the series. That’s 24 books to 4 lucky winners, wow. A set for each of you. And please leave us your email address as well so we can get in touch. I mean, this is remarkable. Here is what the winners will get:

Wicked’s Way Series by Havan Fellows: