Day: January 16, 2015

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A Hunted Man by Jaime Reese

Manic Readers Presents http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=bookDetail&bookid=45845

hunted manBlurb

After surviving ten years in prison, Cameron Pierce is attempting to put the past behind him. He tries to adjust to his newfound freedom with a place at the halfway house and a job. But one lesson he learned in prison keeps him guarded: hope is a dangerous thing.

Hunter Donovan, Assistant State Attorney, is a man of justice who loves a challenge. After a lifetime of putting his career first, a milestone brings him to a harsh realization—he’s lonely.

Hunter’s world changes when he meets Cam. The wary young man intrigues him and awakens a desire unlike anything he’s ever experienced. When Cam’s past resurfaces and threatens to rip them apart, their budding relationship is challenged and Cam’s hope for a future begins to dim.

These outside forces hunting Cam will stop at nothing to send him back to prison. But they’ll have to get past Hunter first.

Review

Cameron is a young 27. He’s been in prison for the last 10 years and he’s been pretty emotionally stunted as a result. He only knows how to protect himself, and is very wary of letting anyone in. Luckily he’s found the amazing guys at the halfway house (yay! I love that we get to see Matt and J again!) to show him how to be “on the outside” again.

Hunter is feeling all of his 40 years and needs someone to shake him out of his lonely rut. When he sees Cameron at “his” diner his world is soundly shaken.

I loved these two together. They were sweet and sexy and clearly fit the other’s needs perfectly. I loved how Cam won over the folks at the diner and managed to turn them in to his new family.

Jaime Reese is an amazing author who knows just how to pair tragedy with devotion to make for a really outstanding romance. I also loved that we got to see the guys from book one again – the continuation of their story is like a little bonus epilogue! (And you know how I feel about epilogues!)

I can’t wait for Cole’s story (coming in February!!) and hope we see more and more from this author.

(And of course – wow – the cover – just beautiful!)

5 of 5 hearts

5

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The Harvest: Journey’s End by M.A. Church

harvest2Adapting is a word Dale Michaels has become familiar with. As he settles into his new life with the Tah’Narian starship captain Keyno, Dale has adapted to life with an alien, space travel, and having his body mutated so he can carry a young. He’s closed the chapter on his old life.
Living on Tah’Nar, Dale has a loving mate and good friends. He’s helped cement peace with the Onfre. Sure, being double-dosed during his harvest led to some serious drama, but that’s over. Dale’s happy.

But life is never that simple.

Even though Dale loves Keyno, he still struggles with the way the Tah’Narians harvest young males as mates. Dale finds himself hijacked by his own body, courtesy of his extra dose of Tah’Narian DNA. Then there’s the devastating secret his mate, Keyno, has hid all this time. And if all that isn’t enough, outside forces threaten to rip Dale’s hard-won peace apart as well.

Join Dale for a non-stop adventure and a love that crosses several worlds and transcends space.

Kimi’s thoughts: Yup, m-preg storyline. I have to say this is exceedingly well done as Church has designed an alien biology around it so that it feels plausible. It’s a sequel and not one that stands on its own, so you need to read book one first. Not that that was any hardship as it was quite an enjoyable read in itself, which is why I made grabby hands when this one came out.

Writing a science fiction story set primarily in an alien culture is not an easy task in itself, but Church gives us not one alien world but two and she builds the universe around them fairly well. This story mainly follows Keyno and Dale but actually has a wider cast of characters who really come into their own this time around.

Sadly, the author has indicated this is the last book in the series. I’m hoping this isn’t true as she has left so much open. For example, we are given tantalising glimpses of Dale’s best friend’s Harvest and since that couple plays a very important part in dale’s adaptation to his new life, it’s a tale begging to be told (puppy dog eyes). Likewise we hear of harvests from other worlds, including Kia’s and again, it made me simply itch at getting to read it in its entirety. The book also ends in a rather open ended manner and I have to say that what with the special abilities and connections Dale’s children have with him and the young of his friends, I can foresee the road ahead for Dale and the gang to not be an easy one as the young mature. I’m sure that the foundations of Tah’narian society are going to be rocked not only by the change in how they find their mates but by the very existence of these particular children and their fathers (particularly Dale as he inadvertently turns things upon their head).

Life on earth is likewise forever changed because of the harvests but no doubt more so after Dale and Keyno revisit the whole Harvest thing.  The first lot of mates after this happens are real game changers and I admit to wondering what it would be like to be a young man from this next generation of Harvested. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see where Church takes us (or doesn’t), as it’s certainly not in my power to wave a magic wand and have another book in the series appear.

Rating: 4

kimisig

 

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Ryan’s Wizard by Beany Sparks

Extasybooks Presents: http://www.extasybooks.com/Ryan-‘-s-Wizard/?keyword=beany%20sparks

ryan'sBlurb

After years of no contact, Oliver “Olly” Grey was finally able to reunite with his cousin Aiden. He’s surprised to find that Aiden now has a mate—a male, shifter mate—named Lex. And it’s Lex’s pack mates that Olly is there to help save. What he hadn’t expected was Lex’s brother Ryan.

Ryan Shepherd was happy to have found his brother Lex, and even happier to know that his brother was happily mated. But there is something about Aiden’s cousin Olly that Ryan doesn’t trust, especially when he also smells like the man currently holding his pack members captive. Yet that doesn’t stop Ryan from wanting to hold and comfort the man, and eventually he realizes why—Olly is his mate.

Now the four of them need to plan a rescue mission, but what happens when they run into the two men that had held Lex captive and those same men come to the cabin in the middle of the night?

Review

This takes place right after book one: Aiden’s Shepherd. Olly is Aiden’s cousin and a wizard. Olly is running from his father who is holding a bunch of shifters in cages. Olly runs to Aiden to get his help to release these shifters but is a little nervous when he meets Lex, Aiden’s mate and Ryan, Lex’s brother.

Ryan is leery of Olly because he smells like the man holding the shifters hostage and distrustful of him because he’s a wizard, but he can’t help being attracted, too.

Olly, Lex, Aiden and finally Ryan decide to work together to free the shifters, but have to wait 3 weeks for Olly’s dad to go on a trip and leave the shifter’s unguarded. During those 3 weeks Olly learns more about his own magic and Ryan learns more about Olly.

In the end Ryan discovers Olly is his mate, Olly discovers he is a “special” wizard and all four find ways to work together to free the shifters from Olly’s dad.

**

I liked Aiden’s Shepherd a bit more than this, mostly because the romance here was a bit rushed. I loved that Olly got to be a “super wizard” and that he needed to lose his virginity to do so!

I like this world Beany Sparks has created and am enjoying the series.

I give it 3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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