Bishop (A True Lover’s Story) A.E. Via

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

 

TITLE: Bishop

SERIES: N/A

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Publishing

RELEASEDATE: September 30, 2019

BLURB: At only thirty-two, Bishop Stockley has lived a hard-knock life. His gang was his family, the streets his home. Until the crew he’d always called his brothers betrayed him. After doing five years in a federal prison, Bishop is back at his dad’s trailer and working for his landscaping company, thrust into a legit world where he’s no longer the alpha—a world where a criminal record is the least of his disadvantages, because Bishop can’t read or write. Illiteracy had never been an obstacle for him on the streets, he didn’t need to know how to read Moby Dick to survive, he needed to know how to read people… and that was a hustle he’d learned hard and fast. Now, he had to change his life.

 

Bishop’s only support system was a young, inexperienced dad who’d insisted he call him Mike all their life—since they looked more like brothers than father and son. And his hot-tempered, childhood, best friend from ’juvie, Trent. Bishop already had the deck stacked against him, but he wasn’t afraid of hard work to change his situation, and he did want to change. Especially after he encountered Edison Scala, a kind-spirited office manager who didn’t hesitate to come to his defense… a man that saw past Bishop’s grass-stained coveralls. A man who wasn’t intimidated by his stern features and his silence.

 

Edison hadn’t grown up the way most of his peers had. He’d been raised by a single father who’d owned an old-fashioned barber shop where Edison was taught how to not only shave with a straight razor, and shine shoes, but also how to treat others, to not judge, to be a gentleman, to be respectful and speak without profanity. But, the biggest lesson he’d learned, was to always be himself. His lack of friends and a social life wasn’t his fault. No matter how much weight he gained, no matter how many times his staff called him a square, Edison did not need to change.

 

Bishop knew Edison was off-limits. He’d made personal vows to himself when he was released from prison, ones that he never intended to break. But, when Edison asked him about providing landscaping services at his home, there was no way he could refuse. He hadn’t expected Edison to feed him, praise him, encourage him, and look at him the way he did—as if Bishop was somebody. Mike and Trent warned him not to mix business with pleasure and he didn’t intend to.

 

No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers. Ends with a very, very HFN. Warning:

This book is a M/M contemporary romance, a hardened man’s struggle to find real love. There are no police chases or doors being kicked in, in this one. But, don’t worry. Bishop is still intense enough to keep you on the edge. 

REVIEW: Okay, y’all. Can I tell you how much I loved this book, these characters? Miss Via has done what she always does and spin a story that will make you care for her characters as you’re reading them. Bishop and Edison are two strong men from different backgrounds, yet they seem to find common ground even though they have nothing in common.

Even though Bishop was the main character, it was Edison who spoke to me the most. But I’ll speak on that in a bit.

I particularly loved how the author approached the topic of Bishop’s illiteracy. It was handled with kindness and understanding. The author wrote it in a way that didn’t belittle him. Bishop is a flawed hero. A man who like many of us, have made mistakes, faced the consequences of said mistakes and is looking for a little redemption and forgiveness for it. He wants to live his life—not necessarily a BEST life— but just go along the familiar lines and on the right path of it. He wants to do better and fought hard to BE better. He’s not asking for or expecting the moon and stars, he’s just asking for normalcy and stability with a man who sees him as something other than what he was. 

Now, to Edison. His character resonated more with me because his kindness, generosity, sweet nature and integrity reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago. Edison is like many of us, one who struggles with poor self image, body issue and low self esteem but to me, his character was beautiful, more beautiful because he had a beautiful spirit and a big heart. I absolutely loved how the author had a character who didn’t have the perfect body and was still find the type of passionate love still. This story had a great deal of body positivity and I loved it and we need to see more of it in the romance genre.

At first glance, one would think he’s someone whose weak. But I didn’t find that to be the case at all. Edison is gentle and kind. Respectful. Mature. This comes from him being raised around older gentlemen. This made him a target for bullying by some of his colleagues but his insistence on being who he is is what makes him strong.  I adored his character and I adored him and Bishop together. Bishop’s gentle toughness combined with Edison’s sweet old world charm is what makes them perfect for each other. Edison’s character was actually like being reunited with my friend.  It was amazing.

This author is a master of her craft. Her writing style is absolutely superb. Miss Via’s work is always top notch, regardless of whatever genre she chooses to write. Her characters are ALWAYS vivid, complex and multifaceted. Her dialogues are ALWAYS beautifully written and her storylines are simply perfect. This book flows smoothly. She doesn’t simply tell a story, she’s giving you a front row seat of their thoughts and heart. 

This book doesn’t have a traditional HEA and that’s okay because life doesn’t always work that way. You just know that these men’s life Journey is just getting started so the HFN ending fits perfectly. This story is memorable and the characters and their experiences will linger long after you’ve finished reading this book.

This author and this book is a serious must read. Take a bow, Miss Via. You’ve done an amazing job yet again.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

 

 

The Captain’s Cornish Christmas (Captivating Captains #2) Catherine Curzon, Elizabeth Harkstead

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: The Captain’s Cornish Christmas

SERIES: Captivating Captains

AUTHOR: Catherine Curzon, Eleanor Harkstead

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2018

BLURB: For a lonely Cornish lifeboatman and an author who’s more used to crime scenes than love scenes, this Christmas is going to be very merry indeed!

When Jago Treherne agrees to man the Polneath lifeboats one snowy Christmas, he knows he can forget turkey and all the trimmings.

Yet when he boards a seemingly empty yacht and stumbles upon sexy Sam Coryton enjoying an energetic afternoon below decks, Jago soon realizes that he might be unwrapping a very different sort of Christmas gift this year!

Publisher’s Note: This book is related to the Captivating Captains series.

REVIEW: This is a charming and well written novella in the Captivating Captains series. I absolutely adored these characters. Although the book has two MCs, the authors decided to do something a little different by having the story pretty much told from Jago’s perspective. Even though this was the case, the story still flows quite well.

Jago is on duty and has no huge plans for holidays other than spending time at home snuggled with his cat. Now, for those who are not aware, I am a total cat lady so of course, Peregrine the cat stole the show for me for a bit.

Jago happens upon a docked yacht that he thinks is in trouble but find, to his chagrin, that it belonged to famous author and childhood friend, Sam Coryton in a somewhat compromising, embarrassing and hilarious position. Figuratively and literally.

Sam has grown jaded of the London high society life and is looking to get back to his roots, peace and quiet. It becomes clear rather quickly, these two men belong together.

This novella is sexy, funny, and charming. Each story in this series is better and better and although different, still has a cohesive feel to them. These two authors did an amazing job of telling Jago and Sam’s story. What I particularly love about these novellas is that they’re so well written, the characters and dialogues so well fleshed out that they read like full length books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and definitely recommend it and this series.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Hesitant Heart (Hampton Roads Club #1) Morticia Knight

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Hesitant Heart

SERIES: Hamptons Road Club # 1

AUTHOR: Morticia Knight

PUBLISHER: Knight Ever After Publishing (2nd Edition)

RELEASE DATE: October 26, 2018

BLURB: Sam is a naïve young man who arrives in Hollywood to escape his brutal father. When the older, sophisticated Aaron rescues him, Sam discovers what it means to fully surrender himself to another.

Eighteen year-old Sam Cunningham is used to living with lots of secrets. He’s had to hide his true nature his entire life or else incur the wrath of his strict and abusive father. When he’s faced with a horrible ultimatum, he flees to Hollywood where he hopes he can escape the fate his father has planned for him.

Aaron Rubenstein is a wealthy and sophisticated man who loses himself in painting portraits of bound men to help stave off his loneliness and despair. Unable to find a lasting connection with anyone, he’s had to resort to paying lovers not only for their affections, but to be allowed to indulge in his darker passions. Aaron’s only respite is his nights at the Hampton Road sadomasochism club where he’s a respected Dominant.

Naïve and inexperienced in the ways men can please one another, Sam takes a job at a bathhouse where he first glimpses a beautiful older man. Aaron notices the sweet towel boy watching him with interest every time he patronizes the Temple of Eros bathhouse. A traumatic incident for the innocent towel boy triggers Aaron’s protective tendencies and he’s compelled to rescue the gentle Sam from the clutches of the Temple’s manager.

They embark on a journey together that teaches them both things about themselves that they never knew. As their bond deepens and Sam is trained for his first night at the Hampton Road Club, an unknown danger lurks. Will Sam’s father find him and destroy both men’s chance for true happiness together? Or will Aaron protect his boy and keep him for always?

Reader advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series.

REVIEW: This story is absolutely fabulous. In fact, every single book that I’ve read written by this author is fabulous. Knight’s stories, characters and storylines are always well written and memorable. This series is unique in the sense that it takes place in a different era. The 1920s-1930s. That is what initially caught my attention; I wanted to see how she would create a story with BDSM in that particular time period. And let me tell you, it was glorious.

Sam is a young man who ran away from home to escape his abusive father. It’s there where he meets the wealthy and kind older sophisticated gentleman, Aaron. Together they travel a journey of sexual freedom and discovery for Sam and for Aaron, he’s finally found someone he can be himself with. Both men are happy together but of course, Sam’s past threatens to take away the happiness they’ve found with each other.

This is a fantastic May/December M/M BDSM romance set in the Roaring Twenties. I don’t know of any other storylines, books in the genre that combines all of those elements together. This author did such a wonderful job with these characters and this storyline. The little details of the fashions, technology, language of the times really held my interest. This is the first book of what is shaping up to be an amazing series.

This is a definite must read.

Side note: This is the 2nd edition of the series.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Sadistic Sherlock (Ward Security #4) Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Sadistic Sherlock

SERIES: Ward Security # 4

AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliot

PUBLISHER: Self Publishing

RELEASE DATE: September 28, 2018

BLURB: Ten years ago, Dominic Walsh faked his own death. With no true identity, it wasn’t hard. But if he’d stayed, he would have been drawn further into a life he’d never chosen. He has friends and family at Ward Security now and has managed to escape his dark past. There is only one thing he truly wants.

Abraham Stephens.

When Dom was first tasked with watching over his friend’s father, he didn’t expect to fall so hard for the gorgeous silver fox. But Abe is interested in friendship only. He’s at a point in his life where he wants something permanent, not a romp with the sexy redhead who happens to be the same age as his son.

But Abe finds himself drawn deeper into Dom’s life when cryptic messages start appearing—ones that frighten the skilled security specialist. The more Dom tries to hide what’s happening, the more Abe wants to help him.

And maybe, just maybe, he’ll find a way to trust the strength of the bond Dom understood from the start.

REVIEW: This series gets better and better with each installment. The storyline and characters are brilliantly written. Abe and Dom are so perfect together and they’re one of my favorite couples in the series thus far.

So let’s start with Abe. I loved him in Dante’s Unglued. He was so sweet, caring and strong, supportive and loving and I wanted him to follow his son Shane’s advice and find love for himself. Abe was some what content with his life: he has his great relationship with his son, his son’s happy and in love and his woodworking business is doing quite well. But he’s found that while he’s content with his life as is, he wants to give in to the budding feelings he has for Dom. The only thing holding Abe back is the age gap.

Dominic Walsh, or Dom as he’s affectionately known by his co-workers and friends, is deeply smitten with the sexy older man but Abe wants to remain friends.

The romance aspect of the book aside, the action, suspense and mystery of these books are always perfectly balanced. The characters are very well written, the plots and storylines always exciting. The dialogue goes from serious to funny in zero to sixty and is really creative as it keeps the reader on their toes. I absolutely adore this series, the series and its characters. This book will keep you engaged from the first page to the very last.

Highly recommended indeed.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Promises: The Next Generation (Bounty Hunters #5) A.E. Via

?Reviewed by The KimiChan Experience?

TITLE: Promises: The Next Generation

SERIES: Promises #5, Bounty Hunters

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Publishing

RELEASE DATE: August 27, 2018

BLURB: Duke Webb has run the most successful bail recovery agency in Atlanta for over twenty years. That’s because he has a team of trained, competent hunters backing him up to keep his name feared on the streets. But Duke knows that nothing can go on forever. His hunters are in committed relationships and ready to settle down, and so is he. That’s what leads him to start his new training program.

“That’s the new vision for Dukes. Veterans operating and tracking behind the scenes with a new powerhouse apprehension team on the streets.”

Brian and Quick are the first to offer up two new recruits.

Kellam Knight has studied martial arts under his sensei, Quick, since he was eight years old. A tossed-out reject from high-society, Kell has a problem fighting on the right side of the law. If he sees an injustice, he has to correct it. He doesn’t have to run and cower from his enemies anymore, he’s a fighter who can protect himself and others. When Quick offers Kell the opportunity to join Duke’s training program, he’s all in. Except he’s not prepared for the straight, over-confident, extremely disciplined, sexy man Brian has recruited to be his partner.

Tyrell Jenkins’ world was flipped upside down when his father never returned home from his last deployment. He’d been Ty’s teacher, mentor, his guide to living a righteous life as a good man. His father didn’t raise him to be like every other young, stereotypical male in Atlanta. Instead, he’s been taught to be respectful, to speak the language of real men. When Brian King – his father’s most trusted comrade – finally comes to him with the truth, he doesn’t come alone. He comes with trained men hidden in the shadows… and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a brotherhood unlike any other.

This installment is a part of a series and contains previously mentioned characters, but CAN standalone. Each book centers around a new couple.
This book ends in a HEA. NO cliffhanger.

REVIEW: Oh my goodness. This book—as usual—was absolutely amazing. The characters, storylines and dialogue was top notch. But then again, this is nothing new as this author consistently churns out high quality work.

The author did something a little different this time in that an African American MC was featured. And he was DIVINE. But I’ll come back to him in a bit. Let me get into the other MC first—Kellam Knight.

Kellam—Kell—is this interesting mixture of innocence and compassion. He’s a deadly warrior who’s kind and gentle. He’s vulnerable yet strong. He’s definitely a survivor. He’s extremely beautiful which he goes to great lengths to cover. The many ways in which she was able to make him this complex character with so much depth to him was absolutely brilliant.

Now back to Tyrell Jenkins—Ty. Ty’s outward appearance belies his personality. Many would look at this young black man in expensive clothes and dismiss him as a criminal even though he doesn’t present himself as such. Ty is a man with honor and principles. He constantly draws on and applies the teachings of his late father to live by. Ty is a righteous man. A loving and honorable man. He lives his life by a moral code of conduct and principles that’s been taught to him by his father. A man who works hard to ensure that his mother is well taken care of. He is a man who is comfortable within his own skin. When he first realized that he was falling for another man, he didn’t flinch or question it too much. He just went with it, realizing that love transcends gender and race. Her portrayal of this black man gave me so much LIFE. So much needed life, at that. What Miss Lady did was take all of those ridiculous stereotypes that’s usually attributed to black men, balled it up and threw it straight in the trash where it belonged. And it was GLORIOUS.

Ty and Kell’s love story was a beautifully written thing. It wasn’t based on lust. Theirs was a subtle build to perfection. Ty courted Kell. Like old school courted him. That’s what makes their relationship so pleasurable to read. These men fell in love with each other based on their hearts and minds instead of their flesh. That came later.

What I also enjoyed with this book was how spiritual both men were. They weren’t religious but they were spiritual in that they believed in a higher power.

I could go on and on about how beautifully written this book and these characters are. If I could give this book a ten star rating, I would do it.

This womxyn comes up with the most fabulous creations every single time she put her fingers on that keyboard.

As always, went into the kitchen and put her foot in the damn pot. And this time, she did it for the culture.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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Closer by F.E. Feeley, Jr.

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Closer

AUTHOR: F.E. Feeley, Jr.

PUBLISHER: Beaten Track

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2018

BLURB: Maplewood, Vermont is a picturesque town filled with unique shops, unique homes, and a quaint familiarity all centered around a lake with an unusual history.

Legends, old as well as Urban, float around like the mist that hovers above the lake at break of dawn.

But they’re just stories, right?

Hayden Moore’s life was destroyed when his husband, Malcolm, was murdered. Giving up his job as an assistant district attorney in Boston, Hayden moved to the little burg of Maplewood to recover.

A new life.

A fresh start.

However, something underneath the water is stirring. Something rotten. A deadly secret wakes underneath the black waters of Lake Veronica so disturbing it haunts the nightmares of the local residents.

It’s coming closer…

REVIEW: Freddy Feeley has excellent stories to tell. And he tells them with perfection. This book is a full course meal. With almost 400 pages of an excellent storyline, character development and superb editing; this book is really something.

With the hopes that a change in scenery would help him in his grieving process after his husband’s murder, Hayden settles within a beautiful small town in Vermont. On the surface, it’s picturesque, Norman Rockwell painting perfect but under the beautiful veneer lies a dark and disturbing secret.

Hayden purchases a home and hires the town contractor and former soldier Tommy Law to renovate it. Although Tommy’s a loner, he finds himself surprisingly drawn to Hayden. Hayden’s pain and grief positively leaps off the pages at you. You feel every single bit of it and Tommy’s loneliness. It’s a damn good author whose able write a story and stir an emotional response within the readers.

What’s also interesting about this story is that the author didn’t just make the MC’s the main focus of the book. His peripheral characters also had their own vibrant personalities that were also made a part of the story. Their characters were extremely well written. He did a fantastic job of allowing those characters to shine while simultaneously maintaining focus on the MCs and the storyline.

This author is one of those authors that everyone tends to ‘sleep’ on. Meaning, he’s not part of the ‘in’ crown and as such, his work is often overlooked which is crazy. He has a writing style that is complex, cerebral and his writing style is crisp. The way he weaves a story is absolutely amazing.

You had so many wonderful ingredients to this book: grief, pain, love and loss, mystery, suspense, with a big dash of horror thrown in.

I truly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend this book and this author. Don’t sleep on this author, y’all. He churns out the most amazing stories.

RATING: ?????

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Beaten Track Publishing 

 

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Promises (Bounty Hunter #4) A.E. Via

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Promises

SERIES: Bounty Hunters # 4

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Publishing

RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2018

BLURB: Men found him attractive, interesting even. He was like a fascinating experiment gone wrong that men liked to investigate. He’d get a date – or two, if he was lucky – but it wasn’t long before Brian’s darkness showed, and the men were running from him.

Brian King was honorably discharged from the United States Navy five years ago. He’d left with the highest honors a man can receive in his country, but he’d paid the ultimate price to earn them. He was considered one of the best; an Intelligence Officer in a Joint Special Operations Delta team that’d been a twelve-man wrecking crew. They’d thought they were invincible… until they weren’t. Brian was the only member that survived the ambush. He survived ten months of pain, of torture, only to emerge on the other side a warrior. A POW survivor. He’d returned home with all his limbs, his right mind, and with his only brother Ford, at his side. But, one thing had been lost, maybe for good… his voice.

Now, being a bounty hunter is Brian’s only means to satisfy his need to calculate, track, and capture. His only outlet to the stress caused by his silence. He was good at what he did. But, all work and no play for a forty-four year old man was taking its toll. Brian wasn’t a faulty experiment. He missed companionship, he missed communicating. So, when he met Sway Hamilton – in the most unconventional means – he’d been surprised at his special way of understanding Brian’s every look… and touch.

Sway grew up in the rough part of ATL, trailing behind his twin brother Stanton and his best friend, Dana. He and his brother had a bond only twins could understand. So when Stanton’s life was taken during their sophomore year in college, Sway didn’t think he’d ever recover. He finally finished school, got his masters in nursing, worked hard, and focused on taking care of his mother. However, Sway knew there was more to life than heartache, and caring for others. There had to be. But he didn’t know what any of those things were until he met a dark hunter that blew his mind… and the intense man had never uttered a single word.

Brian and Sway can feel the powerful connection between them. It was there from the start—but both of them have battled with loss and anguish for so long, neither understand that love can ease all of it. Do they have the courage to battle through it together? Sway has to learn to trust in love, and Brian has to believe that Sway will always understand him even if he never speaks again.

Sway held him tight around his neck, “I don’t need you to talk, Brian. I can hear you just fine,” Sway whispered softly, kissing his throat.

This novel is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone. No cliffhangers.

Trigger Warning: This story contains acts of bond recovery agent violence. Mention of war zones and descriptions of war prisoners. This story DOES NOT contain overly-described acts of torture.

REVIEW: As usual, this author has truly outdone herself. Just when I think her books couldn’t get any more exciting, any more perfect, she surpasses everything and brings another amazing creation. So, this is the fourth book in this wonderful series and gives us Brian and Sway’s story. Brian is a big, sweet, tough teddy bear of a man. A gentle giant to Sway, his friends and family but to everyone else, a tough ex-Navy SEAL and highly skilled bounty hunter who can kick some serious ass. He was captured and tortured by terrorists which rendered Brian unable to speak. Brian’s PTSD is heartbreaking to read and the author was able to capture the daily struggles service-members face when they return home. She did it with respect and sensitivity. She didn’t embellish, romanticize or glorify it. Also, I liked how she didn’t give super descriptive details of the torture Brian endured while captured.

Sway is a hard working and dedicated nurse practitioner. He works hard to provide a good life for him and his mother. Sway is a good man, he takes care of everyone but himself.

These two men absolutely belong together. The author did an exceptional job of writing their emotional responses to each other. You felt that simmering, intense…thing between them; it leapt out at your from the pages. You not only read them falling for each other, you also feel their emotions; the sadness, the loneliness, the joy, the pain. Every emotion in this book was intense and it was written just so. To write a character’s emotions to the point where it’s felt by the reader, I feel is not something that’s easily accomplished yet this author does it all the time, in all of her creations. That’s how you know that you have an author who masters their craft. It’s not an easy feat to accomplish yet she does it with ease. It was absolutely amazing.

I also love how her characters are more mature in age. These are gentlemen of a particular age and as a reader of the same age, I can really dig it. She shows that these men are still strong, sexy, and virile. They’re fabulous in their 40s and I am here for all of it!

This book, like all of her work is simply amazing. This author is truly a master of her craft. Her writing style, the way she uses her words is like an elegant work of art. She’s an artist who comes up with these beautiful creations which are her books.

RATING: ??Amazing??

BUY LINKS:

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Sand Trap (The Wyverns #4) LM Somerton

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Sand Trap

SERIES: The Wyverns #4

AUTHOR: LM Somerton

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017

BLURB: Exposing secrets can be lethal.

Crow has had his eye on baby-faced Shelton since the young man became part of the Wyverns, but Crow is a committed Dom and unsure that Shelton is ready, or willing, to become his submissive. Getting trapped together during a dust storm provides an opportunity to find out.

When the dust settles, the winds have scoured the desert and uncovered a shallow grave full of bodies. Smuggling people across the border is big business and Crow knows that the traffickers will not want their gruesome secret revealed to the authorities.

When Shelton is taken and used as collateral, Crow and the Wyverns have to decide just how far they are prepared to go to serve justice and save Shelton’s life.

REVIEW: This is the fourth novella in the Wyverns series. In this one, we finally get to Crow and Shelton’s romantic development. Now in the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that this review is form this novella which is the 4th in the series. Even though I was a bit confused as there were back stories and peripheral
characters that I was unfamiliar with, I truly enjoyed this story. The author did a wonderful job with these characters and the storyline. I loved Shelton. At first glance, it appears that he doesn’t really belong among these rough and tumble outlaw bikers but it’s clear that he is actually and integral part of their team. I think that he and Crow are the perfect fit: the rough biker and this smart, geeky and nurturing intel gatherer.

Crow’s had his eye on Shelton for quite some time but wasn’t sure if Shelton could handle being in a D/s relationship. Little did Crow know that Shelton was ready for whatever Crow was willing to dish out.

The love, respect and strong bond that these men have for each other is displayed when Shelton is danger. These men pull together in an extraordinary way and go all out to save one of their own.

This novella was most definitely an exciting little read. My confusion over the peripheral characters and backstories was minor as this was novella. With that said, these definitely aren’t standalone reads and must be read in sequential order to have to full understanding of the characters and their backstories.

I definitely recommend this series.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

 

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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

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Only Forever by Scotty Cade

Reviewed by Kiwi

 

TITLE: Only Forever

SERIES:

AUTHOR: Scotty Cade

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2016

 

BLURB: Master Captain Theodore Gourdin has always loved the ocean. But his devotion to maritime life left little possibility for a long-term relationship. After two failed marriages, Theo gave up on finding the person who completed him and decided the sea was his soul mate. When offered the opportunity to captain the newly launched mega yacht Eternity, Theo jumped at the chance. With Eternity’s maiden voyage looming, Theo focused all his energies on hiring his crew and readying his ship. The last thing he expected was to finally lose his heart in the process.

 

After twelve years at sea, First Officer Heath Rawlins was restless and in need of a change. A gay seaman’s life could be a lonely one, but to Heath the positives far outweighed the negatives. With excellent recommendations and an impressive resume, he was quickly offered a position on the private mega yacht Eternity. Heath’s heart skipped several beats when he finally met the ship’s captain. He was handsome and charming. And… familiar? Had they met somewhere before? Highly unlikely. But as smitten as Heath was with the gorgeous captain, everything inside him screamed, Abandon ship! Rough seas ahead!

 

REVIEW: This is another well written book by Scotty Cade. The story grabbed my attention with the very beginning. The prologue was a little heartbreaking. Set in a different time (1942), the story is about two men, one who, named Edward, unfortunately, has just lost the love of his life, Steven. But at the prologue’s end, sadly, Edward also passes away. Then the story flashes forward to the present time and gives us Heath and Theo. Heath to me seems to me to be a bit of a restless spirit or at least unhappy in his current job. He makes the decision to leave his current position and is quickly offered another one on a luxury yacht. It’s here that he meets Theo.

 

Theo is the captain of the luxury yacht where Heath is hired to work on and from the beginning, the attraction is strong and the sparks fly between the two men.  Not only that, there seems to be a bit of a sense of déjà vu between them. But there’s another catch: both men are supposedly straight but they keep having dreams about two men named Edward and Steven. This is where the story gets even more interesting. I haven’t read many stories featuring reincarnation but this is a trope that is seldom used that should be explored more. I definitely felt that the author did an amazing job of taking something that one would think would make the storyline boring but he managed to make it absolutely fantastic.

 

I absolutely loved the premise of this story. Everything about this book is so vivid and bright. I can’t describe it any other way.  The author’s writing style is amazing.  I was completely immersed in this story. His descriptions of the yacht, the crew’s lives, the weather, everything. As I’ve stated in past reviews of this author’s work, I thought that his descriptions were wordy but have since learned that his descriptions serve an important purpose. It draws you completely into the story. Thinking back on it now, I can remember feeling like I experience the same things that the characters are experiencing. You can definitely tell that the author has a vast knowledge of being on a boat or a ship. I’ve never in my life been near a boat but by the end of that book, I felt like I had taken a pleasure cruise. I definitely appreciate his descriptions as they give you the reader, the full experience of the story being told. Not only that but I felt that I got a special treat with the twist. Wow, I did not see that one coming. I loved it all.  

 

This book was beautifully written, which is par for the course for this author. I really appreciate his work.  This author’s characters are men of a particular age so you know that you’re going to get a more mature romance.  This is a signature Scotty Cade book: well written characters, wonderful plots and storylines and dialogues. You can also expect the editing to be spot on perfect.  Never in any of Cade’s book have I ever found one misspelled word, poor sentence or paragraph structure or plot holes. This author definitely believes in doing research before he writes the first word of any of his books.  The end result is a beautifully written, polished book. 

 

I definitely must give a nod to the super talented Reese Dante, the cover artist. Scotty has used this artist on virtually every one of his books and I must say that the beautiful cover matches the beautiful words within.

 

This is a story that will linger with you long after you’ve finished reading it.

 

 RATING: ???Amazing???

 

BUY LINKS:

 

Amazon

 

Dreamspinner Press

 

 

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