Aaron Seavers is a pathetic mess, and he knows it. He lives in terror of incurring his father’s wrath and disappointing his mother, and he can’t stop dithering about where to go to college—with fall term only weeks away. Ditched by a friend at a miserable summer farewell party, all he can do is get drunk in the laundry room and regret he was ever born. Until a geeky-cute classmate lifts his spirits, leaving him confident of two things: his sexual orientation, and where he’s headed to school.
Giles Mulder can’t wait to get the hell out of Oak Grove, Minnesota, and off to college, where he plans to play his violin and figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. But when Aaron appears on campus, memories of hometown hazing threaten what he’d hoped would be his haven. As the semester wears on, their attraction crescendos from double-cautious to a rich, swelling chord. But if more than one set of controlling parents have their way, the music of their love could come to a shattering end.
Warning: Contains showmances, bad parenting, Walter Lucas, and a cappella
Review
(Book review from previous site)
Finally!
That’s what I said when I found out Love Lesson’s was to finally have it’s sequel!
I knew it had been planned for a long time and was super excited to finally read it! Let me tell you that I was NOT disappointed!
This is another long book of the new adult variety, in keeping with the Love Lesson’s theme. Fever Pitch takes place at another university in the mid-west, small and liberal arts oriented – but no gay swans, mores the pity.
Aaron and Giles actually attended high school together their senior year. It is in their last days there that Aaron begins to give in to his cravings for male romance and Giles is happy to help him explore this side of his personality. Unfortunately, both boys are really quite scarred from past experiences and the relationship is over before it really begins, leaving Aaron tentatively in lust/love and Giles really pissed off.
Aaron follow Giles to St Timothy’s University, mostly in stalker fashion, and over the course of many months they eventually forge a friendship through their mutual love for music.
During this bonding process we get to see our friends Walter and Kelly again – woot! Walter ends up helping Aaron deal with his new feelings and helps him to “get his man”.
Once the boys get together the drama doesn’t stop. There are other crazy parents involved and other sad gay boys to be saved. We see parents who can help save lives and those who set out to ruin them. There is lots and lots of music being played, composed and sung. And finally there is a wedding. Sigh. Walter and Kelly get married in what has to be my all time favorite gay wedding to date.
I just loved these two books so much! This second book is even stronger than the first. The side issues are more serious and the tragedies more tragic. If I’m being honest… the sex is hotter too, but don’t tell that to Walter or Kelly.
I loved how the book furthers the lives of people we met in book one, but if you didn’t read the first book, no worries, this stands on its own quite nicely.
Again Heidi has given us a love story interwoven with some serious, coming of age issues and the result is a rich tale, full of well developed characters and satisfying story lines.
Audio
Iggy Toma does another amazing job with this sequel to Love Lessons. Again he gives us so much emotion and does such a nice job with the voicing that you can’t help but be captivated. I really appreciated his ability to just become fully engaged in the story and let the raw feelings ooze through his voice so that the listener feels like she is right there with Giles and Aaron, feeling their joy and pain.
Excerpt:
Because anything really could happen, couldn’t it? What if what happened in Philadelphia wasn’t a total mistake, but simply the prelude to Jake finally listening to what his instincts have been telling him for weeks? What if, what if, what if…
“What are you doing? Come see this!” Aiden calls out.
Jake takes a deep breath and steps out of the shadows. Aiden is silhouetted against the fading sun, the light picking out the auburn in his hair, and as he stretches his arms up over his head, one finger hooked through the woven bracelet he bought earlier, he grins out at the horizon. Jake feels as if he’s watching Aiden through brand new eyes; he knows that there is rescue in those arms. Suddenly he wants to fall into them and hold on until he feels safe.
Aiden turns away from the vista, pushes his sunglasses up on top of his head and looks down at Jake, his eyes sparkling with warmth and light. He leans forward and holds out his hand, and he looks… beautiful.
Author Bio:
Mimsy Hale has been a contributing ghostwriter to several bestselling nonfiction books. She is also an established writer in online fan communities, where her stories have hundreds of thousands of reads. 100 Days is her first novel. She lives in Suffolk, England, with her roommate and four cats.
Where to find the author: http://www.mimsyhale.co.uk
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/themimsyhale
Twitter: @mimsyhale
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mimsyhale/
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Front cover concept by Abbi Lawson
Cover design by Buckeyegrrl Designs
Kelly Davidson has waited what seems like forever to graduate high school and get out of his small-minded, small town. But when he arrives at Hope University, he quickly realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t so easy. Everyone here is already out. In fact, Kelly could be the only virgin on campus.
Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door.
Walter Lucas doesn’t believe in storybook love. Everyone is better off having as much fun as possible with as many people as possible…except his shy, sad little sack of a roommate is seriously screwing up his world view.
As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, staying just friends is harder than he anticipated. He discovers love is a crash course in determination. To make the grade, he’ll have to finally show up for class…and overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.
Warning: This story contains lingering glances, milder than usual sexual content for this author, and a steamy dance-floor kiss. Story has no dairy or egg content, but may contain almonds
Review
(Book Reviewed on Previous Site)
Kelly is a small town guy with Disney –HEA – visions in his head. He just KNOWS life gets better in college and he won’t let anybody tell him otherwise.
Walter is the jaded, older student and now roommate who, at first, wants to break Kelly of his romantic ideal nonsense, then feels it’s his duty to protect those dreams and finally to make them come true.
This is a long book, so we cover a lot of ground and in a lot of detail.
We get a good, hard look at what makes Walter so cynical and a good look at what makes Kelly so idealistic.
We get to watch the relationship, in its early seedling stage nearly die before finally taking root to grow into a full-fledged, Disney-level-happiness, rock solid, Red-wood of a relationship.
This is a new adult novel. Not quite YA – too much drinking, drugs, and sex for that. But the story is more closely that of a YA than some of the other, far more raunchy, Heidi Cullinan “adult” books. It is very well written and very involved, like the rest of Heidi’s books, and hits all the right buttons for me.
I just love the characters. They are all very well developed, three-dimensional, interesting and unique. There are several secondary characters that add complexity to the story and help to give this book it’s authentic flavors.
Kelly is an amazing guy. Heidi has managed to give us a freshman boy, who loves Disney movies, is a die-hard romantic, a virgin and yet he is still very much a boy. I love him! I love that he idolizes Tangled and has dreams of how his first date, first sex and wedding should all be. I loved the juxtaposition of his money poor, love rich household with Walter’s money rich, love poor life. Walter, the playboy, the cynic, the last guy to imagine Happy Ever After is the PERFECT choice for Kelly.
Their story is told slowly, organically growing and unfolding tenderly in such a way that we can easily see how the switches can be flipped and how our jaded Walter can come around to being Kelly’s Prince by the end of the book.
I could really relate to Kelly’s vision of what love “should and should not” be, I think many of us remember that time in our lives – whether it was high school, college, or later in life – and how hard it was to mesh that vision in our head with what life hands us. What I admired was how Kelly held on to his vision of Disney-Princess-Happiness without shame or wavering even in the face of disillusionment and that, in the end, his enduring faith brought everyone around and actualized his feelings rather than crushing his spirit.
The length of the book is both its strength and weakness. It takes a little dedication – there are times the story drags and it takes a little perseverance. However, the pay out is definitely worth it. Because she doesn’t compromise on length, the story feels very natural and real, and because life is more than just romance, the added side stories Heidi guides us through help us to see how our MCs are growing and changing in a way that feels authentic.
By the end I think everyone will have at least some tears in their eyes if they are not out-right bawling. It is an amazingly tender, sweet and satisfying book on many levels.
You will fall in love with Kelly and Walter and – now that I have read the sequel – I can tell you that you will be excited to know we get to see even more of them real soon and it only makes this book that much more sweet.
Audio
Iggy Toma is a new narrator to me and he did a fantastic job with this series. He adds so much real emotion that the listener is truly immersed in the story right along with the characters. He did some subtle variations on the voices, enough to differentiate the speakers, but did not go over the top with them. I really, really enjoyed listening to this and will probably find myself listening to it again and again – all 10 hours!
The listening experience contributes so much to the enjoyment to bump this to a 5 of 5 hearts! I loved it!
Dawson Barnes recognizes his world is very small and very charmed. Running his community college theater like a petty god, he and his best friend, Benji know they’ll succeed as stage techs after graduation. His father adores him, Benji would die for him, and Dawson never doubted the safety net of his family, even when life hit him below the belt.
But nothing prepared him for falling on Jared Emory’s head.
Aloof dance superstar Jared is a sweet, vulnerable man and Dawson’s life suits him like a fitted ballet slipper. They forge a long-distance romance from their love of the theater and the magic of Denny’s. At first it’s perfect: Dawson gets periodic visits and nookie from a gorgeous man who “gets” him—and Jared gets respite from the ultra-competitive world of dancing that almost consumed him.
That is until Jared shows up sick and desperate and Dawson finally sees the distance between them concealed painful things Jared kept inside. If he doesn’t grow up—and fast—his “superstar” might not survive his own weaknesses. That would be a shame, because the real, fragile Jared that Dawson sees behind the curtain is the person he can see spending his life with.
Review
(From previous site)
This is a sweet story of two people, seemingly in opposite phases of life, coming together and finding love. Dawson, sort of trapped in an unrequited love finds Jared, who has never really had love, and together they just click, right from the start. But there are still hurdles to be overcome and both Jared and Dawson have to decide where their life is going and how to take control of that life if they want to be together.
Amy Lane’s stories are character driven and Dawson and Jared are amazing characters, so (of course) this is another amazing Amy Lane book. I just loved it. Amy is so good at giving us these bony limbed-kersplang-awkward characters that you can’t help but absolutely adore and then pairing them with a masterful, solid, yet somehow broken-needing-to-be-fixed character. Just when you think Dawson is the one who needs to grow up, you realize that, no, he is the rock in this relationship and poor Jared is the one who needs to be rescued.
Amy also excels at “friends” and Dawson’s friends (and family) are so wonderful and though they may try to steal the story, they only add to its richness and texture, by giving it greater depth.
The dialog in this book is funny, sweet, touching and wonderful, just like Jared and Dawson’s love for each other. I really enjoyed these guys and I hope we get to see them in future books, I didn’t want this one to end!
Audio
The narrator, Hugh Bradley, is new to me, but I will definitely look for him in the future. He did an amazing job, really brining the characters to life with his voices and inflection. He seemed to really “get” Dawson and Jared and their story. Sometimes a narrator can mess up a story for you, if you have already read it and already have a feel for the characters in your head. But Hugh seemed to be reading the same story as me, and I really enjoyed listening to his version. I highly recommend this audible as a companion to the book or all on its own.
In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes – he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: His normal leadership style isn’t working.
While juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love.
Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: Internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.
Review
(From previous site.)
Most of this book is Domin learning about his new role as semel-aten and making wide spread changes to the way things are run. There are some pretty intense battle/kidnapping scenes and some moving relationship building between him and Yuri.
We get to see a bit of Logan, Jin and Crane, but most of the book is Domin, showcasing his growth as a leader, a man, and a mate.
There is no way you could understand or appreciate this book without having read the first three, and even having read the first three, it is tough to keep all the “foreign” phrases and terminology straight. I highly recommend reading all four books in a row to fully appreciate this book.
Before this, Yuri and Domin had gotten together, but it was a tenuous relationship. Some of the best, most emotional parts of this book are Domin and Yuri cementing their relationship with one another. Mary writes excellent sex and there are some scorching scenes in this story.
The politics of the changes Domin works toward are fascinating, but very complex. In many ways this is a departure from Mary’s works in that Yuri and Domin are not the exact center of this book, but an integral piece. This really feels like a book that ties up loose ends and focuses on Domin and the entire were-panther world more than anything else, his relationship included.
I loved this book as a giant epilogue to the series, but wished for more of the heart-wrenching, tender relationship scenes between Yuri and Domin.
While it is not my favorite Mary Calmes book, nor even the favorite of the Change of Heart series, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who read the first three books.
Audio
Sean Crisden did a great job with all the “foreign” words, the dialects, the different characters… his voice for Domin’s doctor was fantastic!
I really enjoyed listening to this book in audio format. I think, sometimes, the new words were hard to understand in audio format and I found myself sometimes looking to the book to see what he was talking about, but if you only ever heard the entire series then the words would make sense to you. Since I read the first three books, I had to look some up while listening to the audio book for book four.
I give the book a 4 of 5 hearts, the narration a 5 of 5 hearts for an overall 4.5 of 5 hearts
Called before the new king, Laird Artúr was shocked to see his old lover walking through the door. His anger ignites when the king commands them to mate and fortify his borders to the north. He is heartbroken when he discovers that his new mate has no recollection of their time together. Can he forgive Dainéal and let go of the past to build a future or will his resentment end what they could have before it begins?
Laird Dainéal balks at being commanded to mate, especially to a man he knows has to be insane. Despite how much Artúr insists that they have met before, Dainéal has no memory of the man. And he would have remembered a man that was so sexy he made Dainéal’s teeth ache.
Commanded by their king to establish a stronghold to the north, Artúr and Dainéal have to fight not only their past but those that want to keep them from their future. When betrayal comes from within, the bond between them may be the only thing that saves them.
Book Two: Eastern Embrace
Blurb
By the King’s Command… Daimyo Akihiro Shimada didn’t have the hatred for humans that many of his kind did. It was a known fact that humans were weak. Every dragon knew that. When the king commands him to take a human as a mate, Akihiro is instantly smitten with Isei but fully aware that he must treat his mate with gentle care, even if his gut instincts say otherwise. Isei Hironaka is a second son. He has no chance of ever being anything more than he is until he is forced to impersonate his brother at the King’s coronation ceremony. When the new king orders him to mate with a dragon, Isei is positive his ruse will be discovered. Mating to strengthen the bond between clan and clutch is one thing. Staying mated is an all together different story, especially when those around Akihiro and Isei believe dragons and humans have no business falling in love and they will do everything within their power to keep them apart.
Book Three: Southern Heat
Blurb
By the King’s Command…
Diego de la Vega is quite pleased with the king’s command to mate the dragon leader, Xavier Rodriquez. The man’s strength and bravery in battle were legendary, as were the scars that marred his massive body. But there is a vast distance between admiration and love, and despite Diego’s efforts, he’s not sure the two of them can find a middle ground.
Xavier Rodriquez is a man used to the rigors of battle and being alone to lick his wounds. Experience has taught him that the scars littering his body would disgust even the most indiscriminant of lovers. When Diego says he sees them as symbols of valor, Xavier is skeptical, growing even more so when Diego’s gorgeous ex- lover appears, claiming to want Diego back.
Trust is not an easy thing and neither is accepting a mate with all their faults. Stubbornness and the need to protect their hearts might be more dangerous to their mating than the mysterious foe bent on stealing their territory, and maybe even their lives.
Book Four: Wicked West
Blurb
By the King’s Command…
Prince Grigory Krayev is thrilled when the king mates him to a handsome dragon prince. His excitement quickly turns to uncertainty when he learns there are two of them. How could he ever hope to please two dragons that didn’t need him when they had each other?
Prince Konstantin Victorovich is angered when the king orders him to mate a human. He already has a lover. He doesn’t need another one. When he discovers just who the king wants to mate him to, Konstantin realizes he might have to rethink his objection.
Prince Mikhail Dubolazov has loved Konstantin for years, serving the man faithfully as his manservant just to be at his side. When the king orders Konstantin to mate, Mikhail sees his life slipping away. Even when his status is elevated to that of a prince, Mikhail worries he will never have what it takes to keep them.
When forces beyond their control threaten all they hold dear, they will need more than trust to keep them together. They will need the belief that only by standing with each other do they have a chance of beating a foe that works in the shadows.
Book Five: Mate Challenge
Blurb
By the King’s Command…
When the high council orders a mate challenge in his name, King Críostóir is furious. There is only one dragon he wants as his mate. But in order to have the man he’s loved for years, he’ll need to enter his own mate challenge as one of the contestants.
Trust doesn’t come easy for Kurgan. Only one man has ever held his loyalty. When a mate challenge is ordered, Kurgan is enraged until he arrives and discovers one of the contestants is the man he has had an on-again, off-again affair with, and then he is enraged. If he beats his lover then he becomes the king’s consort. If he loses, he loses the man he loves.
When an attack comes and the mate challenge canceled, the truth King Críostóir has kept from Kurgan for over twenty years is revealed. Despite the betrayal burning in Kurgan’s eyes, King Críostóir must depend on the dragon to help him save his kingdom and hope Kurgan will listen to him if they survive
Review
This is one of those “guilty pleasure” book series.
First, know that in each book the king pairs a human with a dragon (or two) and there is initially disgust by one or both at the pairing with another species. Second, the general theme of hate, insta-love, problem/separation, reunion is the same in all 5 books. Third, there are some pretty fun “differences” between human anatomy and dragon anatomy. Fourth, everyone ends up pregnant at some point.
That being said – this is a GREAT series. I LOVED it. The writing pair of Stormy Glenn and Olivia Black is an excellent one. Stormy (I think) tempers some of Olivia’s darker tendencies and Olivia seems to add some grounding to Stormy’s more fantastical nature. Both are great at hot male on male romance and so, so creative!
In book one the world is set up – sort of Medieval with a twist – where the King is magical and is protecting his boundaries by pairing up humans and dragon-shifters so that all the beings in the area will be on the same “side”. When the King mates the couple they have 24 hours to bond then they must go to their home to present a united front to their “subjects”. In this case the couple has previously met but there was a big misunderstanding and now they must see if they can find that love again.
In book two the human is not the actual leader of his people, but a stand in for his brother. He ends up being mated to the dragon and therefore the new leader by default – even though he is quite small and timid. It’s this timidity that makes his new dragon keep him sequestered away (at the advice of the evil midwife) which ultimately leads him to believe he is not good for anything and thus gets him almost killed. (This is my favorite of the series!)
Book three has a scarred battle hero mated with a gorgeous man whom the dragon has been admiring from afar for years. The dragon believes himself to be too ugly for love and the human has to show the dragon that love is more than skin-deep.
Book four is the first (and only?) menage in the series. A pair of lovers (dragons) must bond with a human. In order for the royal dragon to have his lover of many years become his mate, he must become royalty. The King makes the dragon commoner a prince, then binds the pair of dragons with a human prince. Of course the human feels like an outsider and the struggle here is for all three to accept their new roles and to truly believe that all three are necessary for the relationship to work. (This was the weakest of the series IMHO.)
Book five (hopefully not the last) is the King himself becoming mated to save the throne from being taken over. The King disguises himself as a competitor for his own hand in marriage and pairs himself with the lover he’s had over the years but never in public. When the competition gets called off after an attack, the King reveals himself to his lover and now must face whether or not his lover can accept his true status.
**
If you are a fan of shifter/insta-love/medieval type fantasy with dragons, sword fights, male pregnancy and lots and lots of sentimentality – this is the series for you. It’s very well written, well edited and though it does follow a similar trajectory in each book, there is enough of a difference to make each book well worth the read.
I highly recommend the series and give it 4.5 of 5 hearts
Mark O’Brien is finally being honest with himself. His relationship with Rachel is over and he’s moving out of the home they’ve shared for six years. They get along, but he can’t fix a relationship when the person he’s with is the wrong gender.
Jamie Robertson, one of the removal men, is huge and ridiculously gorgeous, and Mark is smitten at first sight. When a cardboard box splits, revealing items of a personal nature that Mark never wanted anybody to see, he’s mortified. But it sparks the start of a beautiful friendship with benefits.
As Jamie initiates Mark into the joys of gay sex, the two men get increasingly close and “nothing serious” turns into something rather important to both of them. But communication isn’t their strong point. Will either man ever find the courage to be honest about his feelings?
Review
(Book review previously done on this site.)
Mark falls in lust with Jamie right from the start. He is one of the movers that help Mark into his new apartment and his new life. When a box of embarrassing personal items falls open, Jamie helps him investigate his new sexuality.
It was meant to be a casual thing. Mark’s first explorations at gay sex. Jamie’s continuation of a love ’em and leave ’em life style.
But… as time passes, both guys begin to see that this relationship can never just be a casual f*ckbuddy thing. The funny thing is that both worry that the other will be disappointed if things turn serious and both worry that the “l word” could end things. **
I loved this book! It was fun, fast paced and really sweet, too. Mark’s exploration into sex was both hot and at turns emotional and moving. Jamie has his own demons to fight which prevent him from committing to a long term relationship, and it was great watching him move through these issues and evolve and grow as a man.
Jay Northcote really knows how to give us “every day joe” characters whose love stories are anything but ordinary.
I highly recommend this book and give it a 5 of hearts – I loved it!
Audio
Michael Pauley is an American (or Canadian or whatever). He’s not British. This is a VERY British story with British slang and a British setting. I’m not sure why in the world a Brit wasn’t given this to narrate… I was terribly disappointed in that aspect. The slang just sounds funny coming from the flat American voice.
However, to be fair, Michael does a nice job with the narration. Nothing too spectacular in terms of voice differentiation, but he’s unobtrusive and allows you to become immersed in the story.
I was very pleased to see that the next Jay Northcote book was done with an accent and I wish this had been as well, but it wasn’t a bad narration, just not great.
On a cold February evening, Robert Chambers gives a panhandler a significant amount of cash. That gift allows Matt Cosgrove to turn his life around. When the men meet again, Matt, now employed at a local home improvement center, offers to build a shelving unit for Robert as a thank you. They become friends, and soon the chemistry between them cannot be denied. Robert, once betrayed by a faithless lover, believes he can finally build a relationship based on mutual trust and honesty. Then Robert discovers the dark secret that left Matt begging on a street corner. Their relationship appears doomed unless the walls of the prison of silence Matt has erected around his past can be breached.
Review
Robert is walking with his pretentious friend on his way to an expensive lunch when a bedraggled but sincere panhandler asks for five dollars to keep him in a shelter overnight so that he can keep applying for work. Feeling that, though he might be being conned, it’s worth the chance, Robert gives him a fifty and moves on with his life.
A few months later, Robert is in the hardware store getting supplies to make some shelves in his kitchen when the salesperson asks him if he needs any help. It’s the bedraggled man, Matt, whom he had helped on the streets. Matt is now back on his feet and grateful for Robert’s assistance.
Their attraction is instantaneous and incendiary. Soon they are practically living with one another and in love. But Matt’s past catches up with him and it might just be enough to drive them apart, forever.
**
This was a short, very hot, very sweet book by a new (to me) author. I loved it! Though I wish it were a bit longer, it really had all it needed to be a complete and wonderful story.
I thought the coincidence was just believable enough to allow me to suspend my disbelief and to fully immerse myself in the love story of these two hot and yet sincerely caring men.
I highly recommend this book and give it 5 of 5 hearts.
If he was an underachiever before, he’s entirely useless now that he’s lost his right hand. He spends his time drowning his sorrows in vodka while he deliberately blows off the training that would help him master his new prosthetic. Social Services seems determined to try and stop him from wallowing in his own filth, so he’s forced to attend an amputee support group. He expects nothing more than stale cookies, tepid decaf and a bunch of self-pitying sob stories, so he’s blindsided when a fellow amputee catches his eye.
Corey Steiner is a hot young rudeboy who works his robotic limb like an extension of his own body, and he’s smitten by Desmond’s crusty punk rock charm from the get-go. Unfortunately, Desmond hasn’t quite severed ties with his ex-boyfriend, and Corey isn’t known for his maturity or patience.
Meatworks is set in a bleak near-future where cell phone and personal computer technologies never developed. In their place, robotics flourished. Now robots run everything from cars to coffee pots. Taking the guesswork out of menial tasks was intended to create leisure time, but instead robots have made society dependent and passive.
Desmond loathes robots and goes out of his way to avoid them. But can he survive without the robotic arm strapped to the end of his stump?
Review
(Posted on previous site.)
First I had to look up “rude boy” as a term – the urban dictionary defines it basically : [rude boys and girls] “were developed by the first ska bands to mimic the depression(or) post war gansters of america. The word ‘Rude’ is refrenced to Jamaican culture where it is slang for mischevious or obscene.” And that, my friends does really define our friend Corey. But in a totally sweet way. He is a bit like a mischievous boy, not out to hurt anyone, but not up to a heck of a lot of “good works” either.
Desmond, on the other hand is kind of the quintessential “slacker”. He’s not your typical romantic hero by any stretch of the imagination. But I think that’s kind of the point. This isn’t really your typical romance. In fact, some my argue that it isn’t a romance at all. This might influence your decision to read it, but let me tell you this much – romance or not, it’s a great book.
JCP is an amazing author who always produces detailed, rich, full, three-dimensional characters who (many times) lead ordinary lives in an extraordinary way. This book is full of texture and subtext, and is (no pun intended) meaty. And, though it may not quite fulfill the most die-hard romantic souls out there, it is definitely romantic and really, quite hopeful at the end.
Mostly this is a book about Desmond’s growth as a person and as a person with a “disability”. He loses his hand in a stupid accident with his “buddies” and struggles with accepting the new prosthetic limb he is given. In JCP’s book, the world of robotics has advanced and more or less taken over life as we know it. Not quite a dystopian future, but futuristic with a bit of darkness. Desmond rejects robotics, including his new arm, which is robotic. As a result, he doesn’t really do much of anything – except drink a lot and look at his sea monkeys. He’s been dumped by his social worker boyfriend for keeping up too many walls and isn’t really looking to replace him.
Part of Desmond’s contingencies for collecting disability pay from the government hinges on him going to a support group. Since he doesn’t want to/can’t work anymore, he goes along with the program, and ends up meeting Corey, another “gimp” who lost his hand in an industrial accident.
There is somewhat instant attraction between the two and a small love story progresses from this first meeting through the final pages, but it is not really the main thrust of the story, and though it definitely ends at least HFN, you don’t quite get a bunch of warm fuzzies from it, but you’re not sad either.
Most of what makes this book so damn good is the care that JCP uses in moving Desmond along on his “woe is me” life style and how he manages to confront a bunch of demons, both before the accident, during his relationship with the social worker and after through the mistakes he makes with Corey.
The language and metaphors JCP uses to tell this story is so evocative and stirring. They way she uses Desmond’s arm as an analogy for both literally and figuratively coming to grips with his life is excellent. The phrasing is gritty and humorous and pulls you right into the story. I highlighted tons of this book – so much of JCP’s words say one thing, but tell so much of the story, in a different way.
Some examples:
“Exact same egg we had in Health Class,” Corey said. “I’ve heard some of the new models have a diaper button, too.”
“Just what the world needs. Robotic shit.”
Desmond’s words definitely have more meaning than the sarcastic humor he displays for Corey here.
He tilted his head and studied my bare neck – which was a weird shade of gray/green where the nickel of the old hardware chain had rested against the skin all these years. Funny, how I never realized how bad it was until I popped the lock and watched the chain slide off. It probably wasn’t a permanent stain, but only time would tell.
I think JCP is using the chain in this section to mean so much more than the actual removal of an old piece of jewelry. It could mean his old way of life, his old relationship, his old body… And like the stain on his neck, really, only time will tell how much has truly changed.
I found Desmond’s relationship with Jim to be fascinating. Was he good with Desmond, certainly not, but could he have been? I don’t know. Is Corey the best guy for Desmond? Again, I don’t know. But is he the best guy for him right now. Definitely. I remember how Corey related to the robotic egg and I think – yeah, there is a ton of potential here and if Desmond can grow with Corey, the two could really be an amazing couple.
On one hand, I would really love to follow up with these guys and see where they go together. But on the other hand, I kind of like being able to make that future up for myself. In the end notes, JCP does not suggest there will be more of these guys (at least not planned) so I don’t know if we will see them again. But, that’s ok. This is a complete story, with an ending that really does satisfy. Yes, it would be great to read more about them (like any good book), but I think we are left where they had to be left. Happy enough. Working on life together, for now. Still not perfect, but much better together than apart.
On a final note – there is a bit near the end that I just loved, the part with the magic marker and the polaroid picture and Corey’s response to it. So graceful, funny, sweet and sexy too. (You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it.) Fabulous!
I definitely recommend this book – 5 of 5 hearts – it’s not as romantic some romances you might find, but it has so much heart. The writing is brilliant and – as usual – JCP’s cover is AMAZING!
A Premier lion shifter, Hugh Landry dedicates his life to leading the Berk pride with strength and confidence. Hundreds of people depend on Hugh for safety, success, and happiness. And at over a century old, with more power than can be contained in one body, Hugh relies on a Siphon lion shifter to carry his excess force.
When the Siphon endangers himself and therefore the pride, Hugh must pay attention to the man who has been his silent shadow for a decade. What he learns surprises him, but what he feels astounds him even more.
Two lions, each born to serve, rely on one another to survive. After years by each other’s side, they’ll finally realize the depth of their potential, the joy in their passion, and a connection their kind has never known.
Review
The book starts off with Hugh’s near death! Hugh, a lion shifter and Premier (head honcho) has so much energy in his body that he requires a Siphon (an extra being who can carry around the excess energy) to be near him at all times. When not near the Siphon or if the Siphon dies, the excess energy reverts back to the Premier and the overload is fatal. As a result, the Siphon’s life is guarded zealously. But he’s not necessarily treated well beyond that.
In this case the Siphon has been protected and yet ignored since birth, so much so that he doesn’t even have a name! His feelings of desperation and loneliness cause him to take measures into his own hands, and as a result he almost ends up killing both himself and his Premier.
Hugh finally takes notice of his Siphon’s depression and starts to fix things by first giving him a name (everyone has only ever called him the Siphon), Johnnie.
What happens next is the bonding of Hugh and Johnnie and the revelation that they can mean even more to each other as mates than simply Siphon and Premier.
There are hurdles: jealous shifters want to take the Siphon both for their own and to hurt Hugh. Neither Hugh nor Johnnie know how to handle their newfound relationship and neither does the pack. But in the end we get a wonderful Cardeno happy ending that will bring tears to your eyes.
**
I just absolutely adore Cardeno C books! This is another wonderful new shifter series and I can’t wait for more! I loved the “energy” sharing twist and the very dark, dark beginning. It was quite a contrast to the very happy and light tenor the rest of the story carries.
Johnnie is wonderfully sweet and Hugh adorably clueless. Their love is tender and sincere, the sex is hot and the story moves so quickly you wonder where the time went.
I loved this book and highly recommend it to Cardeno fans, shifter fans, and fans of sweet love stories.
Blurb
