Day: June 4, 2015

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Bindings and Books by CM Corett


Daily Dose Short story from Dreamspinner http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6550

BindingsandBooksBlurb
James Connell is adamant—he’s not getting involved. The forty-two- year-old bookstore owner’s life is governed by respectability, order, and a dash of OCD—just the way he likes it. There is absolutely no place in his life for a way-too-young, sexy, carefree guy like Ash. What would people think?
Ash Bradley-Mills is determined—he wants James. Traveling the world testing snowboards and sports equipment has been great fun for Ash, but he’s ready for something more. He wants an adrenaline rush of a different kind, and tall, dark, handsome, and older James fits the criteria perfectly. Now all Ash needs to do is break through James’s defenses and lifelong fear of judgment. Easy! He’s got the perfect plan to push James out of his comfort zone and into his arms.

Review

James is 42, trying to learn to ski for the first time ever, when he is rescued by the very hot, very young adventure-enthusiast, Ash.

Ash is immediately attracted to James, who has reasons for avoiding younger guys.
Ash ends up running into James over and over at his bookstore and eventually James gives in and dates Ash.

Things look like they might be working out ok, though James is always waiting for the other shoe to drop, when Ash is in a terrible accident and it looks like James may just lose Ash for good.

**

This is a novella, a bit longer than some of the other shorts in the Daily Dose series. It tries to do A LOT. We have older guy/younger guy, past issues of shame and hurt, a jealous ex, a serious injury, vastly different lifestyles… the list just goes on and on.

I was seriously compelled by the blurb and really enjoying this story – right up until the point where James and Ash begin their relationship. Suddenly things are feeling a little too much like a soap opera and outlandish. I’m not sure why there needed to be SO MANY obstacles for our poor couple, it almost feels like the author wanted to try out all these different story-lines and they all just got jammed together in this one novella.

I thought the writing was nice and the editing good. In fact, I really enjoyed James as a character, as well as his sister. However, I didn’t feel like I understood Ash very well, nor did I appreciate his rather obvious ex/friend. I could have given these issues a pass, and was inclined to give a rating well above a 3, but the injury Ash receives at the end and the way it’s handled, including the conclusion, just didn’t work for me.

Without spoiling the ending, I want to say that I appreciated the unique take on a common story-line the author attempted and I appreciated that Ash “fell in love again” with James as proof of their “rightness”, but it was too much for this short story to handle with sufficient grace.

2.5 of 5 hearts

2.5

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Kage by Maris Black

Reviewed by Tracy

Maris Black Books Presents http://www.amazon.com/KAGE-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00VMX9MSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1432830745&sr=1-1&keywords=kage+maris+black

kageBlurb

My name is Jamie Atwood, and I’m an addict. I never thought I’d say such a thing. Never had a problem being overly-attached to anything in my life. I came from a perfectly middle-class family, made good grades, and had a hot cheerleader girlfriend… but the truth is, nothing ever really moved me. So how did a guy like me become an addict?

I met Michael Kage.

Kage is an MMA fighter. A famous one. I like to think I helped him get that way.

He’s charming as hell, with looks to rival any movie star and talent to back it up. So why did he need to hire me as an intern Publicist? Simple. He has a darkness in him– like a black hole so deep it could swallow him, and me, and everyone we know– and that’s not good for business.

The first time I met him, I felt the pull. I think the addiction began at that very moment. And even if I’d known then what I know now, I would have fallen for him. How could I not?

For me, Kage is everything.

Review

I have to start out by saying “oh god the ending” That was not what I was expecting…

Jamie Atwood is a 20 year old college student with a girlfriend who he just can’t seem to really connect with. He gets an opportunity to attend an MMA fight as part of his Journalism project. He then meets MMA fighter Michael Kage who is there as a spectator. Jamie notices him right away and is drawn to his commanding presence. They engage in some conversation and Jamie mentions that he really hopes to be a publicist.

Kage shows some interest and some time later Jamie finds himself being invited to Las Vegas to act as an intern/publicist for Michael Kage. Jamie is so pumped and jumps at the chance to go to Vegas for the summer and get hands on experience. He definitely gets more than he bargained for.

Michael Kage is one intriguing character. He has so many layers. He is funny, gorgeous and mysterious. I loved how descriptive the author is in describing Kage’s looks. I definitely had this lovely picture in my head of muscles on top of muscles with gorgeous skin. We get glimpses of sweetness and anger. He’s pretty vague about his background and drops little bits of information about himself that leads the reader to believe there is more to him than meets the eye. He’s not just a fighter and he’s not just a hot guy with a great body. He seems like he knows what it is to struggle and work hard to get what he wants.

Jamie and Kage have such great chemistry when they are together. Jamie can’t help but check him out and study him at every opportunity. I liked the banter between them and I enjoyed their “work out” sessions.

Jamie has always been aware of how good looking he is and isn’t averse to using his looks to his benefit whether it be with women or men. I think that awareness of how his looks affect men made him not freak out so much when Kage and Jamie find themselves having a sleep over with one of Kage’s old friends. When their relationship becomes physical the hotness literally leaps off the pages.

Jamie’s way of describing Kage’s physicality rang true. He admired every muscle, every drop of sweat on Kage. Jamie is so accepting to being physical with Kage once he decides to go for it. He’s never been with a guy before and that really turns Kage on. The first time they actually have sex is off the charts hot. It was hot, hard and dirty.

Kage I think is a much darker character than any other character that Maris has written. It kind of threw me off (his aggressiveness) but it was also a turn on for Kage to be so forceful. I think it threw me because as I said I haven’t read a character like this in any of Maris’ books…but it worked because Kage is rough and tough but he has this sweet and fun side to him. He is a huge flirt and he knows that his looks totally push Jamie’s buttons. I loved the glimpses of Kage’s vulnerability throughout the book…It humanized him and made him not be just “the machine”. He is a scary guy when he gets angry and I need to know why he is the way he is.

I was literally squirming in my seat reading their scene together but it was definitely hot and Jamie fell into submission so beautifully. He would do whatever Kage wanted him to and he was ok with that.

I wanted to shake Jamie and Kage towards the end of the story. Some misunderstandings happen and Kage completely blows up… Ugh!

The ending was just ugh! Crazy! I was so upset. I wanted some type of resolution. My heart broke for the both of them and I don’t know how they’re going to fix it.

I loved this book. I really did. I loved that it took me out of my comfort zone a little because it’s not like Maris’ other books and because of that fact I will definitely be biting my nails til August. Ugh! August??!! Really?

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Making Promises Audiobook (Keeping Promise Rock book 2) by Amy Lane Narrated by Paul Morey

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3492

MakingPromisesAudMEDBlurb

All Shane Perkins ever wanted to be was a hero. But after a career-shattering decision to go down fighting, Shane comes home from the hospital to four empty walls, a pile of money, and a burning desire for someone to miss him the next time he gets hurt in the line of duty. He ends up an officer in the small town of Levee Oaks, and, addicted to the promise of family, he makes an effort to reconcile with his flighty, troubled sister. Kimmy makes her living as a dancer, and her partner steals Shane’s breath at first sight. Mikhail Vasilyovitch Bayul dances like an angel, but his past is less than heavenly. Since he left Russia, he’s made only two promises: to stay off the streets and stay clean, and to take his mother someplace beautiful before she dies. Making promises to anybody else is completely out of the question-but then, Mikhail has never met anybody like Shane. Earnest, brave, and self-deprecating, Shane seems to speak Mikhail’s language, and no one is more surprised than Mikhail to find that keeping promises is Shane’s best talent of all.

Review

Book 2 in the Keeping Promise Series is every bit as good as book one – it may be my favorite in the series, and it is certainly my favorite couple of the series.

Shane is a bi-sexual, hunky bear of a man, kind of a doofus, who constantly puts his faith in people who let him down. He almost dies when he’s outed in front of his police force by his no-good-ass-hole-cowardly-double-crossing-“boyfriend”, given a ton of money when it’s found out WHY he was injured, but insists on still working in the dangerous field because he has a deep need to be needed.

Mikhail “Mickey” is an ex-prostitute from Russia who dances in the Renaissance Faire circuit with Shane’s twin, Kimmy. Mickey is cantankerous, cranky, snarky, and prickly – but underneath all that he has a huge heart and really only wants someone to love him.

Mickey does everything he can think of to keep Shane at arms length, but Shane has seen through the prickly exterior to the real man Mickey hides from the world and he’s smitten through and through.

Together the weather the storm of Mickey’s mother’s death, Shane’s innumerable injuries, tragedies at the Pulpit and Kimmy’s devastating break-up with her drug-dealing boyfriend.

In the end the ever doubtful Mickey must decide that he’s worthy of love and let Shane in, or risk losing him forever.

**

Mickey is one of my favorite Amy Lane characters of all time. He is so damn funny and snarky but sweet at the same time. He and Shane are so perfect together because Shane is just too good to be true and he needs some salty to counter all that sweet.

As we see in the later novels, Mickey and Shane make this amazing duo who just give and give and give and they end up being true pillars in the extended Pulpit family.

I also thought the smexy times between Shane and Mickey were some of the hottest in the series. That crazy Russian really knows how to push Shane’s buttons and vice versa.

Amy knows how to make us cry and for me the moment when Mickey eviscerates Shane in a ploy to keep himself from needing Shane’s help and love is it for me. It just gutted me how strong Shane was and how truly viscous Mickey was – BUT it made their reconnection so much sweeter by comparison. It was so REAL – don’t we hurt the ones we love the most because we know JUST how to get them where it hurts the most?

Audio

Paul Morey is my hero in this narration! He does this amazing Russian accent for Mickey that just turns my crank. He is perfect! When he does the growly voice of Deacon and the more crazy voice of Crick or the snippy voice of Jeff I just KNOW he understands and “gets” these characters. Even the girls, Kimmy and Benny sound great.

I make no bones about my devotion to the “Queen of Angst” and I think this is one her finest. This is one of the audio books that I listen to over and over because Paul Morey did such genius work.

Of course I give it 6 of 5 hearts ☺

amazing

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