Fighter (The Brick Yard #1) Carol Lynne

       ✨✨Reviewed by Michele✨✨

TITLE: Fighter

SERIES: The Brick Yard

AUTHOR: Carol Lynne

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: February 9, 2017

BLURB: For Lucky Gunn, the hardest fight of his life happens outside the cage.

On the South Side of Chicago sits an old gym called The Brick Yard.

Ten years ago, on a bitterly cold day, Lucky Gunn wandered into The Brick Yard dressed in a threadbare jacket, looking for refuge. He hadn’t expected the owner, Tony Brick, to welcome him with a job and a place to sleep when Lucky’s abusive and drug-addicted mother made it too dangerous to return home.

Dray was a gay man living in a world of straight fighters. When his secret was exposed to the media, he dropped out, giving Lucky a piece of advice-if you want to make it as a MMA fighter, bury the part of yourself that won’t be accepted.

Lucky discovered the cage was the perfect place to keep his demons at bay, but when he learns his trainer and mentor, Brick, is suffering from end-stage cancer, he begins to spiral out of control. After eight years, Dray returns to help Lucky and Brick deal with the devastating news.

With Dray so close, Lucky’s old desires return, and Dray teaches him more than how to fight. Torn between his career and the passion he feels for Dray, Lucky’s past demons resurface in full force, threatening his sanity and his budding relationship with Dray.

Despite leaving the cage years earlier, Dray finds himself in the battle of his life with the only man he’s ever loved. Will he stand and fight or walk away like he did years earlier?

REVIEW: First let me say I loved this book. It really captured my heart. This book is truly a angsty romance that will have you experiencing every range of emotion possible. This is a love story, but it reads like a labor of love for Ms. Lynne. 

This very emotional story is about two men, one of whom has had his dream of becoming a MMA snatched from him, and the other is trying to become the next champion. I fell head first into the story of Lucky Gunn’s life. As you meet these very complex characters you will get pulled into a very intriguing and intensely emotional story I couldn’t put down and neither will you. The Brick Yard becomes a safe haven for Lucky and many other boys who suffer from physical and emotional abuse…sometimes neglect at the hand of a parent. The owner of the Brick Yard, who goes by the name Brick ( I know right), becomes a father figure to Lucky. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of these two men and their connection to the others that form a family of sorts. As you meet Dray, Mack, and the boys you will laugh, cry, and at times get very angry. I’m a fan of this author and this book did not disappoint. Without a doubt this  will be one of my favorites for this year.

RATING: ????.5

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Pride Publishing

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Thick & Thin (THIRDS #8) Charlie Cochet

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Thick & Thin

SERIES: THIRDS # 8

AUTHOR: Charlie Cochet

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2017

BLURB: Sequel to Smoke & Mirrors

In a matter of days, Dex has been kidnapped, tortured, killed, revived, become half Therian, offered the chance to become a spy, and accepted a proposal to marry his jaguar Therian boyfriend, Sloane Brodie. It’s been a lot to take in, and although Dex is still trying to wrap his head around everything that’s happened, he knows he has to move forward.

After the events of Smoke & Mirrors, Dex and Sloane find themselves in one of the most frightening situations of all: revealing the truth to their Destructive Delta family. When the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same, and it’s up to Dex to prove that in the face of change, the one thing that will always remain the same is family.

REVIEW: This novella I felt was a fantastic little story to sustain us until the next full length book featuring Seb and Hudson is released. This book places the reader to the point where Dex and Sloane reveal Dex’s secret and their future plans. It was bittersweet. It’s was in many ways a goodbye to the team as they know it but a move forward for them as well. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about their (Dex and Sloane) adventures but I feel that with that advancement in their careers the stories can and will now concentrate on the rest of Destructive Delta’s team members and other teams. As with the other books in this series, this is extremely well written. Her characters are vivid, the storylines are superb and the dialogue will have you laughing out loud one second and on the verge of tears the next. This series and these characters are utterly fascinating and fantastic and I absolutely love reading them. I can’t wait until the next full length book. I am really looking forward to seeing what adventures the other teams and team members will take us on. This author and this series is a definite must read. The novella is short but will leave you full and satisfied.

RATING: ??Amazing??

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

 

Dreamspinner Press

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X-Factor by Sean Michael

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: X-Factor

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2016

SUMMARY: Game designer Henry Delloit loves his life, his mountain community, his isolated dream home, and the snow. He also loves that the X-treme Games blow into the area for a month every year, bringing with them hundreds of athletes.

Ecco Rasmussen loves boarding. He knows he’ll never make it to the big time, but as long as he can get on his board and go, he doesn’t care. If only his manager, Blake Dobbs, would cut Ecco a break. The man’s possessive and mean, and believes he owns Ecco.

When Henry and Ecco meet at the Branchberry Games, it’s lust at first sight. An injury on Ecco’s qualifying run offers an opportunity to spend quality time together at Henry’s home, away from the crowds and out from under Blake’s thumb.

At this rate, lust might turn into love, but not if they can’t keep their romance hidden from Blake.

First Edition published by Torquere Press, 2010.

Second Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, EDR: April 27, 2016

REVIEW: I’ve always enjoyed this author’s books, whether it be his series (Hammer is my favorite) or his stand alone books. Its this that keeps me drawn to his work. This book however, didn’t do it for me unfortunately. It wasn’t a bad stories in the sense that it was poorly written. It’s really well written: the characters are interesting and well thought out. The glitches for me was the dialogue and the execution of the storyline.

Let me give a brief summary: Ecco is a snowboarder with a manager with some major boundary issues that’s creepy and possessive, sliding towards abusive.

Henry is a well loved resident of the area who looks forward to the games that come through town one month a year. These two meet and it’s attraction at first sight. These two men get together and embark on a sexual relationship that soon turns into somethings more. But they’re not going to have their happily ever after. They have to keep the relationship a secret from Ecco’s bizarrely possible manager.

I absolutely love how the story focuses on these two men and their budding relationship. The book was saturated with sex which is par for the course with this author’s work.

The only thing that absolutely did not work for me was the dialogue. It was just too juvenile for my tastes. I just couldn’t with the constant dude, rock on, for real, dudes, and oh mans. The dialogue was more suited to teenaged skater boys than a grown man.

Dialogue aside, I rather enjoyed the book.

RATING: ❤️❤️❤️

BUY LINKS:

Dreamspinner Press

Torquere Press

 

 

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Shifting Weight Tina Blenke Tour and Giveaway

SWBanner300x250Jason is a West Coast wolf Shifter who leaves his native Pack Lands to search for his destined mate. When he finds the large muscled man working out a local gym, Jason is ecstatic and apprehensive. Eric is a Changeless human and there are tense sides to the politically heated debate around the integration of Shifters and Changeless. Jason is at risk of losing control of his wolf without bonding with his destined mate. But, will Eric accept that Jason is a Shifter? And can Eric trust Jason after his heart has been left shattered from a previously failed relationship.

Excerpt:
Jason allowed himself to run that night. Elation filled him making it easier to relax and allow his wolf to flow into his mind and body. The shift was seamless, years of transitioning helped his wolf to take control in under a few painless minutes. Jason knew of wolves who could never shift because the pain was so intense. It was unknown what the cause was but some insisted that it was because the Shifter’s true mate had never been found and the man could not control the beast inside of him.
The old wives’ tale had haunted Jason especially as years passed without locating his mate. Now that he knew Eric existed, it was one less thing to worry about. Now he could focus on worrying about Eric finding out he was a Shifter. Eric’s acceptance. If the two would find love and happiness despite fate playing a factor, then, and only then, could Jason think about starting a family with Eric. Maybe he was jumping the gun, but he had always wanted a man to love and a family to care for. Was it too much to want? Shouldn’t he be satisfied with finding a mate? All of this thinking and stress was weighing him down. Yes, he had found his mate, but would Eric want Jason?
His legs pumped harder as he made his way across hills and through forests with large trees reaching up towards the skies. It was not the familiar woods of his home on the Pack Lands but it felt good to stretch his limbs, pull deep pulls of fresh air into his lungs, and feel the wind tickling through his fur all over his body. With a grin, he imagined his large bear of a mate with sexual wants that matched his own.

&nbspAuthor Name: Tina Blenke
Author Bio: Tina is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn’t writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can’t get enough of.
Author Contact:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tina-Blenke-Author/487878157926041?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinablenke
LinkedIn: Tina Blenke
Instagram: tinablenke
Wordpress: http://tinablenke.wordpress.com/
Website: http://tinablenke.wix.com/author
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Blog Tour: Combine by Sean Michael

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Author Name: Sean Michael

Book Name: Combine, a Hammer Novel

Sequel to ‘Blended Family’

Release Date: December 9, 2015

Blurb:

Dom and sub couples Peter and Devon, and Max and Swan, are joining their lives together. After a week at The Briar Rose, they know there’s a lot of work to do, and they’re all committed to making sure what they have together succeeds.

Peter is the easygoing sub, while Max needs discipline and rules to keep from falling back into bad habits, so both Masters worry about making sure that each boy gets what he needs without making either sub feel neglected. It’s a balancing act that winds up taking some fancy footwork and the stress takes its toll.

As they learn to live and bond together, they discover things about each other that makes them fall more deeply in love, helping to cement their relationships.

Then an unexpected attack on Peter and Max threatens to upset the balance they’ve created, and Swan and Devon must join forces to give their subs what they need to push through and thrive. Will this stumbling block break apart their hard-won new family, or will it forge a stronger foursome?

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Combine by Sean Michael”

Jackson and Nick (Storming Love: Wild Fire book 6) by Laura Baumbach

jacksonFireman Jackson Kain and ER physician Dr. Nick Kirby would both like nothing better than to leave behind their high-pressure NY City lives for a just a few days in the peaceful wilds of Northern Ca. Two ordinary men exploring their growing relationship in glorious, undisturbed beauty of nature. Before this trip is over, both men will need all their specialized abilities and training to survive their romantic interlude turned WILD FIRE.

* * * *
Recuperating from an work-related injury, NY City fireman Jackson Kain convinces new boyfriend Dr. Nicolas Kirby to spend a few days at a secluded California cabin in the woods far away from the hustle and bustle of their stressful worlds.

Nick is a cautious man with protective walls around him that persistent, persuasive Jackson is determined to breakdown, scale or tunnel under. These few days are Jackson’s best chance to convince Nick he is sincere and reliable in all things, including matters of the heart. Unfortunately, both men are going to get more opportunities to prove themselves than either bargained for.
What was supposed to be a relaxing break from the world to get to know one another better turns into a struggle for survival, that pits both men against nature and time.

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

I knew this was an erotic romance going in so the amount of sex in the book was expected.  I had to read this in small doses though as the sex scenes had me giggling so hard the dog looked alarmed and the cat stared at me as if i’d lost my mind. I simply couldn’t help it, it simply happened from the very first time I read about the “rod” (yes, this word is actually used repeatedly for both men’s penises).

Hard, hot, hefty, and huge. In his younger days, it had been compared to a battering ram by past lovers.

Yes, that’s an actual quote. That made me wince at the thought of such a large member but apparently it feels a real luxury to have it .

His ass was spread, the tight muscle of his entrance stretched until a burning, luxurious and exciting sensation radiated out through his cheeks.

Then there was the amazing gymnastics.

Nick latched onto Jackson’s arms. Jackson swung Nick around to drop backward onto the mattress, legs bent at the knees, ass hanging off the edge of the bed, still stuffed with Jackson’s finger.

All this before they’re even caught in the wildfire. It’s a real shame about the purple prose because the rest of the story was fairly well written and interesting. I simply couldn’t settle into it though because of all the euphemisms and over blown descriptions during the sex scenes which left me imaging Jackson with a horrific 70’s porn ‘stache. It’s enough to make me drop some stars. Three stars because it’s not a bad story, just has some unfortunate word choices that made it past the editing stage.

Rating: 3

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The Knight Reign by Shad O. Walker Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway

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Excerpt:
Agent Jonas Hunt was a member of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia, and assigned to work “special cases.” At 6’1” and 159 pounds, Agent Hunt managed to look more like a model than an agent.
Jonas had been supervising the removal of the body of a murdered pregnant woman from the Potomac when he was called to North Carolina to collect a unique set of humanlike bones found in a trashcan on a small college campus.
Agent Hunt’s phone rang, and it was Harlem Gilliams, the medical examiner back at Quantico, assigned to work his case. Harlem was an ebon-hued pseudo-nerd with small, slanted dark eyes and a set of exceptionally full lips. Harlem and Jonas had become fast friends over a year ago when they were assigned to work on the case of a female serial killer in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
“Harlem, how are you?” Jonas said.
“I’m fine. This is a very strange corpse that you sent me.”
“What do you mean?”
“The anatomy looks human, but the medical examination reveals significant anomalies in the bone structure, musculature, and nervous system.”
“What are you saying?” Jonas asked.
“I am saying that I have never seen anything like it,” Harlem explained.
“Just take good notes and don’t tell anyone what you’ve found. I’ll be back from North Carolina in a few days,” Jonas said.
“Are we going to get a chance to spend time together?” Harlem lowered his voice.
“You know Juliette is going to be expecting me to come home as soon as I get back in the city,” Jonas explained.
“I know, but what about what I need?” Harlem whined. Jonas sighed.
“You know I can’t always make it over to see you. We’ve talked about this a thousand times.” Jonas lived in Alexandria with his wife, Juliette, a Georgetown law school graduate who had never gotten around to taking the bar exam. Juliette spent her days and nights looking for ways for Jonas to make her the center of his world. Harlem, on the other hand, lived alone in DC, where he had made Jonas the center of his world for the last few months.
“I know,” Harlem said, sounding defeated.
“Don’t sound that way,” Jonas pleaded.
“I just don’t think you know how much I want to see you,” Harlem continued.
“You know what, I’ll work this out for you, babe. I’ll tell Juliette that I have to stay out of town one more day and then I’ll come back and spend the evening with you.”
“Really?”
“For real.”
“I’ll do that thing you like when you get here.”
“I’m counting on it.”

Buy the book: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200&products_id=4514

theknightreign1400
Meet the author:

Shadrach Octavio Walker, a.k.a. Shad O. Walker, has always been an avid fan of all things science fiction and fantasy. It wasn’t until he realized that there were no significant fantasy or paranormal series featuring LGBT characters of color that he created his first groundbreaking series, One Warlock’s Love Story (OWLS).
Armed with multiple degrees, numerous life experiences, and several writing awards, Shad remains as elusive as the vampires in his series’ House of Aleph with writing as powerful as the shifters in its Alpha pack. Supported by a coven of loyal readers, Shad is sure to take the literary world by storm.
Inspired by the creativity of Octavia Butler, storytelling of James Baldwin, and passion of E. Lynn Harris, Shad is at the forefront of an entirely new expression of science fiction and fantasy. Excerpts from the series were originally posted on a social networking site that gained Shad a solid and loyal fan base. What started out as a desire to create and share a new kind of fantasy turned into a dream come true with the release of the first installment of One Warlock’s Love Story titled All Knight Long. Follow Shad and the One Warlock’s Love Story series at http://www.shadowalkermedia.com.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shadrach.walker.3
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shad_O_Walker
Website: http://www.shadowalkermedia.com
Other: http://www.shadowalkermedia.com

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/150754-one-warlock-s-love-story
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

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The Tribute Trilogy by Kate Pearce

I love sci fi and when I saw the cover for what turned out to be book two of this trilogy, I knew I had to read the whole set. Book one is het, and yes, I do mean there are girlie bits and m/f sex going on. Having said that, it’s very well written and the heroine is no shrinking violet. I quite enjoyed reading all three books and books 1 and 3 were no exception as the strong female lead helped make my day.

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Awaiting execution on a foreign planet, Anna Lee has nothing left to lose—until Commander Rehz Akran offers her a chance to escape her fate. Anything is better than death, but when her training for Akran’s mysterious mission begins, the brutality is hard to take . . . especially since Anna has no idea what the workouts, beatings, and endless sexual demands are preparing her for.

Rehz Akran doesn’t deal with failure. He’s determined that his last trainee will survive her immersion in an unimaginably alien world and return alive—even if it means she’ll hate him forever. He needs to stay detached, but his new recruit makes that impossible. Soon he’s willing to defy his own training for a chance to forge a true connection with Anna.

It’s Rehz’s job to teach Anna to survive as a Tribute. And if she does, it’s his task to help her overcome the trauma of the experience. But this time he isn’t doing it to save his planet. This time he’s doing it for love.

Kimi’s thoughts:

Okay, so I wasn’t surprised at the BDSM type elements of the story. I thought I knew where this was going, but boy was I ever wrong. I’m not going to spoil it, but I will say that the beings Anna is being trained as a Tribute for are definitely what you’d probably expect. So much so that I had to pause, blink, take a moment to ask myself, “WTF?!”, shake my head, get up, go make myself a coffee, and then dive right back in.

Having said that, I quit liked the character development and dystopian type atmosphere prevalent in the novel. It’s made quite clear that the training centre is nothing like the rest of the planet, and in fact, the rest of the planet really knows nothing much at all. The government has made some terrible decisions, that much is obvious, but just how wrong those were only come to light when Anna is offered as Tribute and returns when her time is up.

Rating: 4

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Cheated out of his exit from the Tribute program, Kai Mexr is forced to return as a trainer for one more year. His trainee, Aled Price, is an idealistic Mitan patriot who Kai struggles not to loathe on sight, and who seems up for any challenge Kai sets him. As Aled learns to give up control and endure the program’s worst, Kai is drawn into an intense sexual game that leaves him wanting more.

But then Aled must fulfill his duty as Tribute. He must endure the Ungrich—or die.

When Aled returns, it takes Kai’s ruthless presence to pull his trainee back from the brink of madness. Surviving the Ungrich makes Aled doubt his blind allegiance to his planet—and to everything else he’d never thought to question. But with Kai at his side, Aled finds a new cause to believe in. And with the help of master trainer Akran and his partner Anna Lee, Aled and Kai forge unbreakable allegiances of blood, sex, and love that could save the entire planet from the Ungrich for good.

Kimi: Man, this story goes from bad to worse for these guys. Kai  not only survived being a Tribute TWICE but the guy in charge of the program, Palk, cheats him out of exiting the program after doing his stint as a trainer. He’s told he has to train one more if he wants to get out. Aled is a young military recruit with stars in his eyes. He is tricked into volunteering as a Tribute and when he realises  that it’s not a military mission, he’s seriously disillusioned. Kai has to train him, but along the way, the two bond and boy is it hot in here just thinking about that…

Anna’s previous stint as Tribute uncovered some hidden truths, but the reason for Aled’s being tricked become all too clear as well, leaving a lot of questions that must be answered. A reckoning is due, let me tell you!

Rating: 4

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Rehz Akran has had enough of the Tribute program and its sadistic overseer, Palk. When Palk captures Rehz’s mate, Anna Lee, and offers her and Aled Price to the Ungrich for further research, Rehz is ready for rebellion. But first, with the help of Kai Mexr—who wants Aled back just as much as Rehz wants Anna—he must break into the Ungrich world, rescue Anna, and discover why they want her so badly.

The chilling answer to that question lies in Anna’s forgotten origins—origins that Aled shares. To save their lovers, Rehz and Kai must take on Palk and a government that is more than willing to sacrifice Anna and Aled to keep the peace.

The two couples join forces—in more ways than one—and together they discover that they may be capable of defeating two civilizations and changing the course of Mitan history forever.

Kimi: Palk’s been a real douchebag all through books one and two, but in book three he really  goes all out. His reasons are partly clear, but it’s only when Anna and Aled are taken and re-offered to the park illegally, that his motives become fully clear. To say they take on the government isn’t completely true- Palk and his cronies have not been completely honest wit the government, and so what our heroes (and heroine) uncover rocks not only them but the government to the core. My only quibble is that ending feels little bit rushed and we’re left kinda hanging. I’d really like to see what happens after.

Rating: 4

 

Buy from Amazon

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