A MelanieM Review: Hard Act to Follow (Shooting Stars #3) by K. Vale, Kimber Vale

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Kyrie Li is 23 and soon to graduate Boston College with a degree in theatre arts. Greg Dwyer is 30 and a lawyer in a prestigious law firm in Boston. What they have in common is Kyrie’s sister, Grey Dwyer’s ex-wife. What else do they have in common? The fact that each man is deeply and secretly in love with the other.

Kyrie thinks his best friend Greg is straight and still in love with his sister. Greg believes that Kyrie would never be interested in “dull old” him or that Greg would be accepted if he came out to either his own family or Kyrie’s who Greg is close to.

But one drunken nights changes everything. A kiss between Greg and Kyrie leads to a wonderful night of passion but misunderstandings in the morning’s light leads Kyrie to pretend he doesn’t remember and Greg to flee from Kyrie’s friendship and family. Only a threat from Kyrie’s past pulls them back together. Can they patch up their misunderstandings and shattered relationship in time for Greg to save Kyrie and maybe find their own HEA?

Hard Act To Follow is the third story in the Shooting Stars series from Kimber Vale. The first two stories revolved around the romance of two rock stars from different bands. In the second story, Double Takes, we first meet Kyrie and Greg when Kyrie is hired to play the part of Gio Savale’s boyfriend on a reality tv series. Kyrie and Greg appear in largely secondary roles but already Greg is jealous of the fake relationship Kyrie and Gio have. They were almost my favorite thing about that story so I was happy to see that Kimber Vale was getting ready to write a story for them.

Kyrie is adorably irrepressible. He blurts out whatever he is thinking and up to now, has had awful taste in men. He is charming, artistic, with a slight build. Just a lovely character. Greg is his exact opposite in physical stature and emotional makeup. Greg is substantial, physically, materially, and emotionally. Just the sort of anchor someone like Kyrie wants and needs. Kimber Vale’s characters balance each other out in a way that makes a romance between them logical and perfect.

What holds them apart is Kyrie’s sister who also happens to be Greg’s ex-wife. Kyrie believes, wrongly, that Greg still has feelings for her and wants to get back together. Kyrie wants that too. Why? Because he is afraid that if Greg moves on to someone else romantically, he will lose him. Kyrie also thinks Greg is straight (obviously) The last thing Greg wants to do is get back with his ex-wife however much he loves Kyrie and Kyrie’s family. The connection between Greg and Jasmine as ex spouses feels real but I never got a solid emotional basis for their marriage in the first place. That missing foundation between Greg and Jasmine was one of the weakest elements here.

Misconceptions and misunderstandings multiply between Grey and Kyrie as their feelings for each other deepen. The lack of communication between Greg and Kyrie is frustrating but given their age difference and emotional makeup it also seems completely realistic as well.

Another aspect I liked here was the ease of the interracial romance. Kyrie’s parents are Black and Korean. That interracial quality to the family and siblings is not highlighted but rather just a gentle side note. And its the warmth and acceptance that Greg finds in the Li household that he is missing from his own. Another lovely touch. Both Boston and New York City are well represented here, especially the boxes that go for apartments in the walkups in NYC.

I was so happy to find that Kyrie and Greg got their HEA. Gio Savales even made a last minute appearance at Kyrie’s graduation. There is drama and some danger for Kyrie but all ends happily for this couple. If you are a fan of Kimber Vale and her romance series, if you love bubbly actors in search of their forever love, pick up Hard Act To Follow and enjoy. I don’t think you will need to read the other stories to get into this one as I think Hard Act To Follow can be read as a stand alone. Rockers, actors, or both. Your choice! The fun is always in the journey.

Cover art is uncredited.

Sales Links: Liquid Silver Books All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Hard Act To Follow

Book Details:
ebook, 66,000 words
Published August 18th 2014 by Liquid Silver Books
edition languageEnglish
seriesShooting Stars

Books in the Shooting Stars series include (but don’t have to be read in order)

Forever is Now (Shooting Stars #1)
Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2)
Hard Act To Follow (Shooting Stars #3)

Review: Loving Luki Vasquez (Vasquez & James #1) by Lou Sylvre

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

From the moment weaver and fiber artist Sonny Bly James spots cool charmer and security specialist, Luki Vasquez, leaning against his ice-blue Mercedes in town things started to spiral out of control for both men. Sonny Bly James lives on the outskirts of an island in Washington state and spends his time creating woven pieces of art. He’s a bit of a recluse,socially clumsy, whose smart mouth is his first line of defense when approached. A gay native american, in a small island town, that doesn’t happen often.

Luki Vasquez? Well, he’s an ex-ATF agent who wears his scars from life and his childhood inside and out, especially out. Based in Chicago, Luki is in town with his employees on a job. But one look at that tall gorgeous man gazing back at him and Luki makes additional plans.

All it takes is “What are you looking at?”, followed by one meeting, and then another at Margie’s coffee shop, its clear that Luki and Sonny ‘s attraction for each other is only getting stronger each time they get together. But a relationship? That’s not something Luki is looking for and Sonny’s idea of commitment is rock solid. Not a great combination to start with.

As they tentatively find their way with each other, an old evil comes to Port Clifton. Soon it appear’s that Sonny has been targeted by a violent stalker. And its not just Sonny at risk but those he cares about as well. When the evil spreads over the lives of young boys and Sonny’s nephew, the investigation goes deep into the past for Luki as well. Turns out loving Luki Vasquez is a potentially deadly affair. Will Sonny and Luki survive the past that haunts them?

After finishing the first story in the Vasquez and James series by Lou Sylvre my first thought was why have I never read anything by this author before. The second thought? To reach for the second story, Delsyn’s Blues, and keep reading. Which I did. And then to keep reading some more. One Vasquez and James story right after the other (reviews to follow). And all are just so amazing that I am astonished that this is my first introduction to the author and this series!

What struck me first? The beautiful writing with its elegant, almost lyrical descriptions. And it ebbs and flows with a pattern that ripples along at its own pace and style. Once you find the rhythm and pacing, you are pulled in and the outside world forgotten. This is how Chapter 4 begins:

Not the kind of person to worry, Sonny put yesterday’s crime and related events out of his mind, letting only sweet sex and the man he’d shared it with flicker through his thoughts. He concentrated on the sheen of dawn newly broken over the straits of Juan de Fuca. He never tired of the scene, every day unique, every morning a study in the possibilities of color and movement, light giving form to everything it touched. Sometimes he watched from the water’s edge; sometimes he ducked nearly naked into the always-frigid water and emerged in a corona of jewel-colored waves.

Then come the characters Lou Sylvre has created for the Vasquez and James series. Luki and Sonny, those compelling, fascinating damaged characters. From their initial glances at each other, the reader becomes hooked on them separately and then later as a potential couple. Sonny, the textile artist, is captivating with his long hair and casual getup. Whether it is his odd, startling sentences or his bemused outlook on life, his social inadequacies and artistic nature comes through on an almost cellular level. He is grounded in family and the land, with his head filled with projects, colors and fiber. There is something so approachable about Sonny despite his sometimes disjointed thoughts and defensive mannerisms.

Then there is Luki Mililani Vasquez, a scarred, self armored Nebraskan of Basque and Hawaiian descent. Luki has more layers to him that an onion flower. At the heart of the man Luki has become is the child Luki that was brutalized and left traumatized back home. That memory is never as far as the scar on Luki’s face and its the key to who Luki has become. If asked to choose between the two, I couldn’t do it. Both are such emotional and memorable people. They engaged by affections and interest from the beginning and have continued to hold it through several books and counting.

Then there is Margie, and Uncle Kahalo, and so many others, good and evil. Their impact is huge and lasting even if their time within the story is not.

The evil of the story is deep, wretched and raw. It spills across the pages like so much dirty waste water, a slow trickle that spreads until it washes over everything and everybody. From one small instance , it grows exponentially with each reveal and the accompanying suspense, angst, and anticipation builds at the same pace. My shoulders were one tight mess when I finished the story, hunched over my Kindle in the wee morning hours. This element is so well done that I couldn’t put the book down until it was over.

I loved this story, these characters and this series. I feel the same way about the author as well. It’s gripping, absorbing, and a totally great read! I will be reviewing the rest of the stories throughout the next month or so as I want to spread them out. Consider Loving Luki Vasquez and all the rest among ScatteredThougthsandRogueWords most highly recommended! Pick it up and start reading today!

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Loving Luki Vasquez

Cover artist: Reese Dante. Love that sepia colored cover. It’s subtle and so very beautiful.

Book Details:
ebook, 1st Edition, 220 pages
Published June 19th 2011 by Dreamspinner Press
original titleLoving Luki Vasquez (Vasquez & James, #1)
ISBN 1615819142 (ISBN13: 9781615819140)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2377
seriesVasquez & James #1

Books in the Vasquez and James series are to date:

Loving Luki Vasquez (Vasquez & James, #1)
Delsyn’s Blues (Vasquez & James, #2)
Finding Jackie (Vasquez & James, #3)
Saving Sonny James (Vasquez & James #4)
Yes (A Vasquez and James Novella)
Because of Jade (Vasquez & James #5)

Review: Taking Chances (Elemental Connections 2 – PF 2014 Bonus) by Lee Brazil

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Chance is on the phone with Cannon out in Arizona, when he hears Cannon give a shout, a banging on the door at the other end of the phone and then a dropped call. When further calls to Cannon go unanswered, there is only one thing to do. Drop everything and head out immediately for Mountain Shadows, Arizona, and Cannon. That’s exactly what Chance DuMont and his young lover, Rory Gaines, do. For when old friends and ex-lovers need help, you help them. Even if it might cause some problems with your new lover and your happy relationship.

Even though Rory and Cannon have become friends, uncertainties and old jealousies are never far away. When Chance is reunited with his old love, how will his new one handle it?

Taking Chances is a bonus story that combines the characters from the first Pulp Friction series, Chances Are in 2013 and brings them into the realm of the Elemental Connections Pulp Friction 2014 series. Specifically, Chance DuMont and his new lover, Rory Gaines are off to visit/rescue Chance’s old lover Cannon Malloy who is living at the Mountain Shadows campground outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Cannon Malloy is a crossover character from the first series and now he is in the middle of the mess that is Mountain Shadows Campgrounds. Desperately unhappy when he first moved west, he has periodically called Chance and Rory when homesickness and loneliness hit home. In this new series, Cannon has really come into his own as a character. He’s no longer at odds with his sexuality and the move has been good for him, mostly. But that last phone call brings some unexpected visitors and some closure too.

Taking Chances is a sort of temporary reprieve from all the emotional drama and criminal events happening at Mountain Shadows. Chance and Rory think they are riding to the rescue. Are they? Not for me to say. But Brazil uses this short story to bring closure to certain matters between the three characters as well as let us see an event that has already occurred from another perspective. One real highlight? Viewing the new Cannon through the lens of his ex lover and friend, Chance. It makes the changes in Cannon fresh and vivid. Typically, the story is told from either Cannon or Finn’s view point which means we are deep in the middle of whatever muddle or argument or sexy makeup or out session they are involved in. Now we get to step back and see it from someone removed from the daily happenings and their personal lives. And I just loved that.

Plus any chance to visit with, well, Chance and Rory, is great too. We get caught up on their lives and romance since the last time we saw them in 2013. Lee Brazil’s narrative strides along, complete with snark, snappy dialog, and a few poignant moments. And its over way too soon.

Taking Chances is short, sweet, and sexy. It combines old characters we loved with new ones we have grown to love and the mixture is marvelous. I hope this is only the first of many crossover stories to come. Fingers crossed in anticipation.

Cover art by Laura Harner. Lovely as usual.

For all the Pulp Friction 2014 stories, visit any of my reviews for Havan Fellows Whispering Winds series, T.A. Webb’s Earthquake series, Lee Brazil’s In From the Cold series or Laura Harner’s Fighting Fire series. All part of the Elemental Connections Pulp Friction 2014 interconnected series.

Buy Links: All Romance Ebooks (ARe) Amazon Taking Chances

About Pulp Friction 2014

Laura Harner ~ Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ T.A. Webb
The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends.

The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Book Details:

ebook, First, 37 pages
Published July 8th 2014 by Lime Time Press
ASINB00LMOIT9W
edition languageEnglish

Review: Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3) (Pulp Friction 2014 #11) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Rowen Smithe and Mick Rutger are men that come with their own special brand of complications and impressive set of problems attached to each of them. Rowen Smithe wears his some complexities and special issues like clothing. But not all. Rowen’s other problems, like the voice in his head, are more deeply buried and waiting to come out.

Mick Rutger’s sunny disposition and impetuous manner is hiding a past that he hoped he had buried when Mick came to Mountain Shadows. Rowen Smithe, his neighbor and new love interest, has finally agreed to a dinner cooked by Mick and that is all he has been thinking about. But the dinner and its aftermath have left a wake of new problems for them both.

While Mick is weighing his next move and Rowen is doing his best to hide, an old enemy arrives at the campground. The winds of change are blowing strong. Who will be left standing after the storm has passed?

In Rowen Smithe, Havan Fellows has created a character that continues to surprise me with each new layer of his persona that comes to the surface in the Whispering Winds series. A cruel and dismissive voice in his head? Check. Self appointed guardian of the woods who will use any means at his disposal to keep all safe? Check. An overwhelming need to hide from all but a few? Check. Paranoid, competant, intelligent, and gorgeous. But is he sane? Hmmm. Not sure. He is the gift of a conundrum that keeps on giving. And boy, does he do that in spades here. Do I love this character? Indeed I do.

Havan Fellows has then paired him up with as unlikely a fellow as could be. I often think of Mick Rutger as a human Golden Retriever. Affable, good hearted, loyal, and fun to have around, Mick’s impetuous nature can get him into trouble. Handsome, quick to laugh, too quick to act, and an attention span that….squirrel…..that wanders. He is almost impossible to dislike even when you are sighing in dismay over something that he has done or said. And of all things to grab his attention, that would be the dark question mark of Mountain Shadows, Rowen Smithe. It’s a fascinating, unlikely, and perilous combination that has made this series a compulsive read for me in every way.

For the last two stories, Fellows has kept these two unlikely mates in a fight and flee sort of pattern. Mostly with Rowen fleeing. Whether it is into his cabin, into the woods or up his tree or all three combined, Mick has had to make the decision to follow when Rowen leads or pursue where Rowen has fled. It’s been funny, sad, and totally entertaining. But now a tentative peace has been obtained and Rowen has made the huge commitment to each food someone else has cooked and attend a dinner/date at Mick’s cabin that has been especially prepared for him. To understand just how big a decision that is for Rowen, you have to read the preceding stories. That’s how Blown Hard starts off and then quickly turns into something totally unexpected and sort of shocking when yet another dimension of Rowen is revealed to Mick and the reader. And neither of us was prepared for it.

Fellow’s narrative is concise, taut, and it flows quickly from start to finish, barely pausing for us to gasp at the shocks along the way. This is the darkest of all the stories to date and the most compelling to read.

This is a story of the perceived cracks in people’s characters that become exposed for the deep and camouflaged crevices they always were. And it’s not just Rowen’s flaws and elements of his character that are exposed here but some of Mick’s as well. This story is so well titled because Havan Fellows’s hard winds blow through the plot, scrapping away superficial notions and assumptions you have made about these people (and ones that they have made about each other) to leave something very fundamental and naked exposed at the end. It will leave you in a state of disbelief and in immediate need for more.

I need more. Much, much more. So will you. This (and the whole Pulp Friction 2014 author series) is a must read. But please, dont’ start here. Go running to the first book in the series. Grab it and prepare yourself for a wonderful rollercoaster ride of emotions, romance and explosive secrets! I have listed all the stories, all the authors and their interconnected series for 2014 below. Use it as a check list, don’t miss out on any of them.

Definitely one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Highly Recommended Stories, and Series of the Year!

Cover art by Laura Harner. I love these covers and Laura Harner has done a beautiful job of branding not only the series and all the Pulp Friction 2014 Mountain Shadows interconnected series.

Buy Links: All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Blown Hard

Book Details:

ebook, First, 58 pages
Published June 15th 2014 by Appleton Publishing Avenue
ASINB00L02WUR8
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #11, Whispering Winds

The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:

Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:

Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:

Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four:

Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five: to be released

Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors
charactersFinn Lorensso

Review: Running Wild (Havoc #1) by S.E. Jakes

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Sean Rush is a mess and he knows it. Born from a union between a sociopathic killer and a mother hooked on drugs and sex, Sean escaped his violent home life with his two best friends and their mutual love of cars. Too bad that included stealing cars and street racing them. Hauled before a judge atfter being caught, Sean and his friends chose the Army over jail and went to war. But that just piled more bad issues on top of a heap of bone deep problems Sean carries within him.

Now out of the Army, Sean’s energies are looking for an outlet and finds it at Bertha’s, a Havoc MC hangout. Trouble finds Sean in the form of Ryker, a Havoc Motorcycle Club lieutenant, a bad boy among bad boys. A gorgeous hot man, Ryker represents everything Sean wants and should stay away from. And not only does Sean want Ryker but Ryker wants him as well. Bad enough to break into Sean’s apartment night after night for 8 months for the best sex of Sean’s life. The problem is that Sean is starting to want more from Ryker and Sean doesn’t do relationships even if Ryker does. This leaves Sean feeling scared, edgy and more stressed out than ever.

Then his best friend Noah calls. Noah’s in bad trouble and needs Sean’s help to steal an expensive car to save Noah’s hide. Things go from bad to disastrous almost immediately. It’s Ryker who saves Sean but that act puts the Havoc MC and Ryker in danger. Cracks and crevices are appearing everywhere on the road ahead for Sean and happiness, including a relationship and love with Ryker. But first Sean has to save Noah, outrun the thugs after them, steal a few cars and maybe, just maybe save himself along the way.

Just the name S.E. Jakes is enough for me to buy a book. Jake’s stable of bruised, and damaged men always make for a memorable read and absorbing tale as her characters fight for love and a future for themselves and their lovers. You can count on their journey being a hard one, full of illegalities, covert operations and bloody fights. Running Wild, the first in Jakes new Havoc series, falls definitely along those standards for an S.E. Jakes action romance, starting with her main character and story narrator, Sean Rush.

What a perfect name for a character on the run from his past, his pain, and his desires. Sean is in a rush to get somewhere if only he knew where he was going. Sean’s is a voice of a man in constant pain and confusion. He fights against his impulses to steal and the adrenaline rush it provides. He fights against a need for love and stability, falling back on his old friends whose decision making processes are no better than his. Really, Sean is just one pretty mess of a man in need of help and more. The choice of making Sean Rush the “voice” of her story is a risky one. If you love Sean or can at least commiserate with a man haunted by his abusive background and how it impacted his teenage/adult years, then you are going to love this story. On the flip side, if you find that unapologetic thieves that keep making the same mistake over and over unappealing, then Running Wild will make you want to run the other way.

Much like Sean, I think it will be a love him or leave him attitude here for all readers. For me, I remain a little ambivalent about the character of Sean. Every part of Sean’s life is a sinkhole of problems. A father in jail for murder, guilt and PTSD over his Army experiences, a compulsion to steal that lies close to the surface, and a loyalty to a few who keep pulling him back into the world of thugs and car thefts. Sean is a realistically crafted character that you will want to shake some sense into at least every five minutes or so. He is that person you care about but are not sure you want to let him into your home. A little of him goes a long way and when he is the narrator of the story that becomes an impossibility. What saves Sean and the reader is the arrival of Ryker, a Havoc Motorcycle Club lieutenant who falls hard for Sean perhaps to the club’s detriment and his own.

Ryker is tender, brutal, and unwaveringly loyal to a club that took him in and raised him. Ryker made the story for me and he made Sean palatable. I have to admit that I would have loved viewing this story through Ryker’s eyes instead of Sean’s. Both came from turbulent, abusive backgrounds. Ryker was saved and Sean was not. That fact dictated the manner in which each boy developed, again another realistic plot choice from Jakes. But Sean’s voice is so out of control, so wild that he needs Ryker to rein him in narratively speaking and we don’t get enough of that control here. But what we get of Ryker, the Havoc MC family and his tenuous relationship with Sean smoothes out the clatter enough to make this a really enjoyable story.

Noah is a terrific side character as is Sweet, Casey, Jethro and others. Many, many others as there are two motorcycle clubs in town to deal with here. The love and rush of stealing and racing cars comes across perfectly. I totally got the appreciation of a finely crafted machine and the need to take it to its limits on the road (I am a fan of Top Gear British Edition after all). That element is telegraphed in scenes and descriptions that pulls in the reader and makes them understand the nature of Sean and Noah’s obsession with cars. Loved that about Running Wild!

Aside from Noah, I think my other real issue with Running Wild is that S.E. Jakes had a huge list of elements she wanted to include in this story in order to set the stage for her series. By trying to tie in numerous plot points, multiple complications from the characters pasts, side storylines that vied for top billing with the main plot…after a while it just felt a tad too ambitious and a little overwhelming for this story and characters. They have a lot thrown at them while already dealing with a plethora of pain and problems that would drown a superhero. At one point, I wanted to wave a flag to slow the action down and sort out the who, what and where. No matter, S.E. Jakes pulls it all together at the end for a resounding ending with a touch of the supernatural thrown in. I did say there were a ton of elements here didn’t I? That includes a supernatural or haunted hill with a mind of its own.

So. Running Wild and the Havoc MC series. Do I recommend it? Yes. It’s exciting, fast paced, and gripping. It may drive you a little nuts at times as will Sean. But stick with the story, finish the race with them and enjoy the outcome and the winner’s lap. See what I did there? Blame Top Gear!

Aside from Ryker and Sean, there are a number of characters I want to see get their HEA or at least HFN. So I will be waiting for the next Havoc story to arrive, along with new installments from the other S.E. Jakes series I am hooked on. If bad boys on bikes and sexy, angsty tales of love are your thing, grab up a copy of Running Wild and start reading. Let me know what you think of Sean and Ryker. Happy Trails!

Cover art by L.C. Chase. Love the cover and the motorcycle. Feel the need for a little Steppenwolf coming on…”like smoke and lightnin’,Heavy metal thunder,Racing in the wind, And the feeling that I’m under…”*

Buy Links: Riptide Publishing All Romance (ARe) Amazon Running Wild

Book Details:

ebook, 280 pages
Published June 28th 2014 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626491533
urlhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/running-wild
seriesHavoc #1

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