Snowman-Isabelle Rowan

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

BLURB: We all find ways to run away. Some do it in seclusion, others in the arms of lovers.


Since the death of his long-time partner, Caleb Maguire lives a quiet life in Australia’s Victorian high country with only his dog and horses for company. Each day is the same. There are no surprises—good or bad—until a major snowstorm hits his mountain and Caleb is called out to rescue a stranded tourist. The late night snow brings with it a lost soul who forces Caleb to reassess his solitary life.

Paul Turner is a barista in the trendy Melbourne suburb of Carlton. He lives life totally in the moment, but a life of no commitments is about to change for this city boy. Three days is all it takes for Paul to fall hard for Caleb, and Paul returns to the city with a promise he’ll be back after turning his life around… but only when all the roads are clear. 

  

REVIEW:  This book had all the elements to make a great story. You had a snow storm, a cabin, two single men held up in said cabin, a roaring fire, it was all there. But if I had to describe this book using only one word, i would say that it was slow. The relationship between these two men–if you can even call it that–developed so slowly that it was virtually non existent.  The main issue I had with this story was the two men hardly interacted with each other.  You had Caleb who is understandably still mourning the loss of his partner but decides that yeah, he’s attracted to Paul and maybe he wants to see where it goes. Then there was a disagreement over nothing–like really–it was over a tiny misunderstanding–and the two spend almost the entire book separated only communicating–one sided from Paul via text messages. I wanted to like this book, I really did and I didn’t dislike it. Everything was there, the author had all the ingredients to make a delicious meal, but it just fell flat. There was too much angst without the romance or passion to balance it.  It was a struggle for me to finish the book and I found myself skipping pages to see if something, anything pops between these two men. Caleb’s character was quite dull. His internal conversations with his deceased lover and his dog became tedious. The first time okay, but it was constant throughout the story. The only interesting bits of the book is what happens with Paul and his friends. The cover was very nice but the story beneath it did little to hold my interest. I’m so sorry.

❤️❤️

Gambling Men by Amy Lane

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2916

GamblingMenBlurb

Quent Jackson has followed Jason Spade’s every move in business and in poker since their first day as college freshmen. Eight years later, when Jace finally decides Quent is the one man he can’t live without, he sees no reason for that to change.

But as much as Jace believes that poker is life, no one gave Quent the same playbook. After their first passionate night, the real game of love and trust begins, and Jace has been playing alone too long to make teaching the rules easy. Jace only speaks two languages: one of them is sex, and the other one is poker. Between the two, he needs to find a way to convince himself to take a chance on love—and Quent to take a chance on him. It’s a lucky thing they’re good at reading the odds, because they’re playing for keeps, and this is one high-stakes relationship that’s definitely worth the gamble.

Review

Quent and Jace have been friends and roomies since college. Quent is the easy going type, content to let Jace lead, but not afraid to tell him off if he strays. Jace is the stoic, quiet type – strong, bull-headed and almost always right.

One day – seemingly out of the blue – Jace hits on Quent and suddenly their relationship has changed from friend to lover.

It turns out that both men have been pining for the other. Though Quent has never had a male sexual partner before, he’s always had eyes for Jace and is quite happy to explore that further.

**

First – this is my all time FAVORITE Amy book. I love these boys and have re-read this book over and over and over. (I PRAY they will make it into an Audio book – so please – go out and buy this!)

What I loved about this book is the sideways “non”conversations that the boys have with one another. They manage to navigate their relationship with a series of poker metaphors and pointed looks. It’s hysterical. The sex is phenomenal – neither is inhibited and Jace is so growly then cuddly – it’s a perfect blend.

Quent is both the social follower but their emotional leader in the relationship. Jace has so much to learn about expressing himself but when he does it just tears your heart out and makes you want to hug him.

I also LOVED Jace’s family – Mike and Jefferson were such great role-models and I loved their life lessons through poker.

In relative Amy terms – there is almost no angst in this book – but there is lots of deep emotional bonding and lovely relationship building and some fantastic “newbie” sex to be explored. Not to mention that it is hysterical.

If you haven’t read this wonderful book by Amy Lane I highly recommend it.

6 of 5 hearts

amazing

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Transparency Audiobook by Ethan Stone and Sara York narrated by John Solo

Troy Daulton Presents http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Transparency-Audiobook/B00M4DGE9C/ref=a_search_c4_1_4_srTtl?qid=1430671811&sr=1-4

transparencyBlurb

Charlie is the quintessential bear. Big, muscular and hairy. But that isn’t the type of men he’s attracted to. He is drawn to men like Taylor – short, smooth, and sexy. Taylor is Charlie’s idea of the perfect twink. But there’s something about Taylor Charlie doesn’t know.
Taylor is unsure about a lot of things, but when he sees Charlie, he instantly knows he wants him. The only issue standing in his way is how Taylor views his own masculinity. He’s afraid that Charlie will leave once he knows the secret Taylor wants to keep hidden. Can he be transparent with Charlie and allow him to look behind the image he’s so carefully constructed?

Review

Taylor meets Charlie at a glory hole and is afraid to make further contact because he’s been burned in the past by guys who can’t see past his past. Charlie is Taylor’s dream guy, big, hairy, tough… and unlikely to want someone like Taylor. Transgender.

But… Taylor doesn’t know Charlie and when Charlie convinces him to give their relationship a chance, Charlie surprises Taylor with the depth of his heart and his willingness to see past the body to the person underneath.

**
This is a short story and it maybe would have been better had it been longer. Since it moved so quickly from meet to love to forever it was a bit hard to swallow. I just didn’t fully appreciate that Charlie’s friends would vilify Charlie’s taste in men and Taylor so violently and I would think the whole transgender thing would need more discussion and would have really made for a lovely educational story about the challenges faced by such a romance.

The narrator, John Solo, did a great job and I enjoyed listening to this more than I would have reading it, I am sure.

Overall 3 of 5 hearts for the audiobook.

3

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