Author: Morgan

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Happiness for Beginners Audiobook by Zahra Owens Narrated by Michael Stallman

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2604

 

happiness

Blurb

Jesse harbored a crush on his TV series costar, Kaye, for more than eight years, but when the show was canceled and he realized those years of playing gay hadn’t convinced Kaye to leave the straight and narrow, Jesse turned his back on acting for good. Ten years later, Kaye is back in Jesse’s life, on Christmas Eve – and the eve of his third divorce. Jesse’s not sure his heart can take another beating, but Kaye has a few tricks up his sleeve – and a few truths from his own heart – that might just convince Jesse that the gifts of love and happiness are not just for Christmas.

A novella from the Dreamspinner Press 2011 Advent Calendar package “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”.

 Morgan’s Review

 (Contains spoilers- be warned)

Jesse is an ex-TV star who now runs a travel agency. He is surprised when Kaye, his ex-costar, suddenly turns up on his doorstep after divorce number three. Jesse had a huge crush on Kaye back in the day, especially since they were on on-air gay couple, but Kaye was “straight” and therefore off limits. After the show ended the two never had ANY contact until now, ten years later.

Kaye is depressed. His marriages fail. His most current ex won’t let him see their adopted daughter and he hasn’t actually had sex in 14 years.

What?! 14 years? Yes, that’s what I said.

We find out Kaye’s mother is a psychiatrist who “cures” the gay out of a person and really did a number on Kaye’s sexual identity. Now, he wants to “experiment” to find his true sexuality. With Jesse. Jesse agrees. They embark on some hot make-out sessions and it seems pretty clear that Kaye is in fact, gay.

Then, suddenly, Kaye is packing to go back to LA. He accepted a part out there and has to leave. Does he discuss this with Jesse? Nope. Just begins packing.

Jesse is pissed and rightfully so. He throws Kaye out and cries himself to sleep.

But Kaye doesn’t actually leave. He misses his plane and returns to Jesse, heart in hand, asking to start a don’t-ask-don’t-tell relationship with him and Jesse agrees.

The End.

**

This entire story made me so frustrated!

The beginning was a slow lead up to what was looking like a GFY/OFY. I figured that Kaye was deluding himself for some reason, and when it was revealed what his mom did for a living I thought that was a nice, unique twist. I appreciated the slow build up and was excited when the couple started talking and “experimenting”.

Then, when Kaye left I was mad, but hey, he came back. But then he makes this ridiculous proposal of “we’ll be a couple but won’t tell anyone” and Jesse agrees even though he’s said over and over that he won’t go back in the closet… and they live on opposite coasts… and really? Fourteen years with no sex?? Kaye obviously has a bunch of issues he needs to work through.

I thought it was ridiculous. Jesse was way too easy on Kaye and I was left thinking there is no way this couple makes it. Kaye is far from actually accepting who he is and Jesse is not doing anything to protect himself. I never got to the point where I actually liked Kaye and as a result, I didn’t feel good about Jesse and his door-mat acceptance of Kaye’s crap.

Sure, we can interpret that this is the beginning of the story, and hope the boys figure things out. However, I was not left feeling that this was a reliable HEA or even HFN. Therefore, the name “Happiness for Beginners” feels like a misnomer because nobody seemed very happy to me, even at the end.

I give the story a 2 of 5 hearts because the writing was fine and the story had potential.

Audio:

Michael did a nice job with the narration. There wasn’t a lot of “acting” but the sound quality was good and his voice allows you to be absorbed in the story. I give the narration a 4 of 5 hearts.

Overall… well I wouldn’t recommend either the audio version or the book version but I’d give it a 3 of 5 just because it did stir up my emotions and that is saying something.

3

 

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After The End Audiobook by Alex Kidwell Narrated by Gregory Salinas

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3526&osCsid=pe06ins86vgbqor5le91ve7s91

afterBlurb

After Quinn O’Malley loses his partner of ten years, Aaron, to cancer, he withdraws from everything. In a single tragic moment, he goes from an artist with a loving partner and a future to an uninspired comic book store owner who barely exists. He hides behind a shield of grief, refusing to let Aaron go. He feels guilty for even trying to imagine a life apart from what he’d had.
The charming party planner Quinn’s best friend insists he meet on a blind date isn’t someone he’s ready for. Brady Banner walks into Quinn’s small frozen world and turns everything upside down. For years, Quinn has focused on endings, but as Brady begins to thaw his existence, Quinn realizes that one moment can do more than stop a life – it can also start a new one.

Morgan’s Review

Both book and audiobook

Quinn was in love with Aaron. Aaron got cancer and died two years ago. Quinn is very, very sad about this. He finally agrees to go out on a blind date set up by his BFF and meets Brady.

Brady is a saint.

Really, he is.

Brady listens, understands, and even fights for Quinn, despite the constant pressure of Aaron’s figurative ghost in the room. (No, this isn’t a paranormal story!)

I both really loved and really didn’t love this book. Especially in audio format. There were times when if felt like HOURS of internal dialog about how much Quinn missed Aaron and how unfair it was to Brady and how much he missed Aaron and how unfair that was to Brady… you get the idea. These bouts of doubt were interspersed with Brady first just getting through to Quinn then their relationship slowly growing. But it was a little, one step forward, two steps back, for awhile.

At the mid point we finally got some momentum and the relationship began to get its legs under itself and move forward. The couple had some nice smexy times and I really started to enjoy things much more.

The narrator did a nice job, though sometimes his intonations felt a little “soap opera” in the laying on the drama too thick.

I think that I would give the book a 4 of 5 hearts, because I really, really liked the story, the characters and the happy place it ended. But, it needed a lot of editing and in book form you can skim a heck of a lot easier than in audio form.

Because the narration was good, but not great and the inability to skim very well, I’d knock the narration down to 3.5 of 5 hearts.

So, overall, as a listening experience I’d give it 3.75 hearts, but really, I’d recommend reading this over listening. It’s just too long and the story is great, but you might want to skim the first half to get to the really nice second half.

4

 

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Floodgates Audiobook by Mary Calmes Narrated by Michael Anthony

Dreamspinner presents: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Floodgates-Audiobook/B00PHF7FBU/ref=a_wl_c1_1_8_ttl

floodgates

Blurb: 
Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.

Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It’ll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord’s is tarnished by his past indiscretions.

Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy’s reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he’s going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they’re still standing when the tumult recedes.

Review:

Book:

There is a lot going on in this story. Tracy is the ex-boyfriend of Breckin. Breckin cheats. He makes people mad. Tracy finally dumps him, but now Breckin is in trouble and someone wants to kill him.

Tracy is also working for someone who has a brother in the Russian mob. This gets Tracy shot.

Tracy has a brother who is a police detective. He has an ex-partner named Cord who is a man-whore. Cord and Tracy want each other. Badly. But won’t act on it because they know it will end badly. So, for 5 years they dance around one another.

Somehow, Cord ends up guarding Tracy, Breckin and Breckin’s most current love interest (Celia) against the stalker that wants Breckin dead and the people after the Russian mob brother.(It’s okay if you’re confused, because it’s really confusing.)

After 5 years Cord has decided to clean up his act and be the right kind of guy for Tracy. Now that Tracy is single again, Cord makes his play. Tracy, who has always had the hots for Cord, eats it up with a spoon and they make for a hot, hot couple.

Ultimately, Cord and some local police catch the guy after Breckin. Nothing important happens relating to the Russian mob. Cord and Tracy end up together for a very, very HEA.

**

I love Mary Calmes.

I love her.

I did not love this book.

It was meandering, hard to follow, had characters that did things that didn’t make sense, one completely dead end plot and one twisted and confusing plot.

The Russian mob part of the story seemed unnecessary and it added to my confusion.

Breckin was a cheater and had a hard time with monogamy. Though I really rooted for Cord and could tell he really loved Tracy, I wasn’t convinced that he was through with his man-whore ways. We got nothing to show us he had changed. It felt dangerous to Tracy to go from one cheater to another player.

I always love Mary’s alpha males coupled with the sensitive guy and that’s what happens here, but the background story (the stalker, the ex, the mob) took up more page time than their love story and it didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t feel as attached to the characters as I usually do.

Overall, this is not my favorite Mary Calmes story. I enjoyed it like I always do, but I didn’t love it.

I give it a 3 of 5 hearts.

3

Audio:

Michael Anthony is new to me as a narrator and I mostly enjoyed his interpretation. I LOVED his Russian accent and thought his Tracy was excellent. He does emotion and the smexy scenes very well, but he didn’t do much for Cord and I sometimes had a hard time telling who was talking.

Since the story is confusing as it is, the listening was sometimes even more confusing and I found myself re-winding and listening again, even though I had read the book first, it was several months ago.

So… I give the narration a 4 of 5 hearts because it was mostly really good, but needed some tweaking to be great.

4

Overall, as a listening experience I give it a 3.5 of 5 hearts. I was glad to have read and listened to it, but it was not my favorite.

3.5

 

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Feathers From The Sky Audiobook by Posy Roberts Narrated by Paul Morey

Dreamspinner presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5745

feathers

Blurb

Cal Thompson is going a little mad over the Christmas holiday, stuck in a tiny house with fourteen members of his immediate family. There’s no privacy and no boyfriend to help him cope—because Philip is still a secret, though not for long. Cal’s family knows he’s bisexual, but they’ve always assumed Cal would marry a woman and be fruitful and multiply. Just as he’s ready to set the record straight, his parents tell the family they’re selling the family house and tip this introvert’s world on edge.

Philip Sherman arrives at Cal’s family home to find his lover mourning the loss of his home, paralyzed by the abrupt and unexpected announcement that trumped his own. Though Philip takes the setback in stride, they won’t be able to avoid the calling of their hearts for long: Cal needs to reveal the truth of his relationship with Philip to his family, and Philip has a question he’s desperate to have answered.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package “Heartwarming”.

Morgan’s Review

Book:

Cal is going home for Christmas. He’s part of a huge family and though his parents are very liberal, he worries about coming out to them, but this is the year he plans to finally come clean. He’s invited his “roommate” (his boyfriend) to share the holiday as well.

Philip is the perfect boyfriend. Supportive. Loving. Understanding. Loyal. He wants to be part of Cal’s family, yet he doesn’t pressure him into telling them, but he’s hopeful.

Most of this short Christmas story is about Cal facing his family and their surprise announcement that his parents are selling his childhood home. He has to face what “home” really means and determine just who he is and what “family” means to him. He has to finally grow up.

Philip is nothing but supportive, and when he shows up he’s embraced with open arms. He’s shown the crazy life Cal had, being one of seven children, and falls in love with the madness.

When push comes to shove, it turns out Cal needn’t have worried, the family accepted his announcement with grace and Philip rewards Cal’s courage with an important question of his own.

**

Though this had romantic elements, it wasn’t your typical romance. Cal and Philip are a solid couple and there really isn’t any issue there. Mostly, Cal just needs to face the final hurdle and claim his adult-self, free from his family, free from his childhood home, and embrace who he is, as a man and as an artist.

I really enjoyed this story. It was almost a “coming of age” in that, at 26, Cal still needed to cut the apron strings of parental expectations. Though he had lived on his own for years, he still pictured himself as the boy who lived in the house where he grew up.

When he learned that childhood home was going to be sold, he had to face the fact that he was no longer that child. He needed to make the leap and “confess” his sexuality and face the fact that the art he wanted to do wasn’t the typical portraiture his family thought, but instead more body forms and creative, less “reliable”. He wants to travel the world with Philip and take photos. This does not lend itself well to becoming a father.

His biggest hang-up was that he worried his mother would bemoan the loss of grandkids, because though adoption, surrogacy, etc. is an option, he and Philip really didn’t want kids. This is ridiculous, given that he has 6 other siblings, some of who already have kids, to provide the needed grandchildren.

In the end, it was touching and sweet. Sort of a melancholy look at growing up and letting go, but hopeful and exciting, too.

I give the book 4 of 5 hearts, I really liked it.

Audio:

Paul Morey, a favorite in this genre, did another really nice job with the narration. My only problem was Philip. He was supposed to be British, but the accent was definitely more Scottish or vaguely Irish. It’s a small thing, but it sort of bugged me.

The rest of the voices were nice, nothing too dramatic or exciting, but easy to understand and it was easy to lose yourself in the story.

I give the narration a 3.5 of 5 hearts.

Overall, I’ll round it back up to 4 of 5 hearts because it really was a nice listening experience and I enjoyed the story.

4

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Brokedown Hearts (Foster Siblings #3) by Cameron Dane

brokedown

From Loose-ID:

Ex-con David Joyner returns home knowing he must atone for his past sins. Working at an animal shelter, David keeps his head down, desperate to prove to a hostile town he’s a new man. The one time David looks up, he spots fellow motel dweller Ben, and is terrified by his attraction to the man. David doesn’t want to feel anything. He can only damage what he loves.

On a forced vacation, PI Ben Evans accepts a job to tail a recently released prisoner. What begins as an easy gig turns complicated when Ben, a controlled man, can’t deny the pang of empathy he feels for his subject, David. Ben can’t suppress his gut-deep sexual desires whenever he’s near David either.

Repeatedly crossing paths, David and Ben do their best to fight their growing attraction. When passion explodes, and secrets are revealed, both men have to conquer inner demons in order to accept the others love.

Someone has turned the tables on David, though, stalking him and leaving threatening notes. Will anyone believe David if he tells? And when David’s stalker raises the stakes, can Ben find the man who has become his world in time to save their love?

Morgan’s Review

David (who we met in A Fostered Love) was the stalker who tormented Christian and almost killed himself. He ends up going to prison and this story picks up after his release where he was also hospitalized and is still being treated by psychiatrists.

Ben is Brayden’s ex from Something New. Brayden, asked by Jonah, asks Ben to tail David and make sure he is doing ok and not hurting himself or others. Ben ends up being attracted to David and this is where I had to stop.

David is fragile. He is messed up. He still panics at the slightest bit of sexual attraction and/or attention. In fact, just thinking about kissing Ben causes him to call his psychiatrist in a blind panic.

When Ben does finally kiss him, David, showing a lot of growth, tells him, NO, I am not ready for this. So what does Ben do? He kisses him anyway, despite his obvious terror and tells him he needs it.

This is where I had to stop. David says “Please. You shouldn’t do this.” “It’s not right.” “You need to leave.”
Ben replies. “ Don’t fuck with me David. There will always be consequences.”

Now. I know from reading other reviews and talking to people who have read the book, that it is explained and might even be “what David needs”. But to me it sounds and feels like rape.

I am just not comfortable with this in a romantic novel.

So, I had to stop.

I love Cameron Dane. I have enjoyed many of her novels and all the Foster Siblings books before this. This just hit me in a bad place and I couldn’t/didn’t want to proceed.

No Rating: DNF

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

This was a difficult read  because not only did we have a guy who’d been imprisoned for stalking  a previous character in an earlier book in the series, and it was one that was easily likeable, but then as we get to know the broken man David truly is and how dysfunctional his family are, along comes some dub con scenes where he is the target.

I’m glad I stuck with it, though, as it turns out that Ben seems to understand something about David that we didn’t, and David, well, David is okay with it. It’s not perhaps the most ideal of relationship models, but these two men fit together to make one whole that gives them their idea of a happily ever after. It’s a dynamic that actually saves David’s life as we discover that the help David is receiving to aid in his rehab is being used as a cover by someone who does NOT have his best interests at heart and actually uses his fear of attachment against him.

David’s work with shelter animals touched my heartstrings too, especially the whole thing with the abandoned kitten.  I’m a huge sucker for the whole kind to animals thing,  and Dane did well to use this, it really helped me see David as a troubled man who has goodness in him

Kimi’s rating: 3.5

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Unexpected Spirit by Nicole Dennis

MLR Press Presents: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=NDUNXSPT

 

unexpected Blurb

Can ex-lovers find their way back to one another while Samhain allows a desperate person to do about anything to connect?

A reluctant medium turned writer, Dmitri Terron, hates Samhain and the spirits invading his life. He follows the Druid path, creating wards and barriers to keep out the ghosts. Even with these barriers in place, an unexpected spirit enters his home. It’s his ex-boyfriend, Zackary Kendrick who is scared and relieved to find Dmitri.

Needing to learn what happen, Dmitri pushes past his personal barriers to help. Zack’s physical body rests in a coma. A piece of Zack’s soul needs to reunite with his body or all is lost.

 

Morgan’s Review

This is a short Halloween story in the series Scare This! (book 5). Dimitri is a medium, hiding from the world, an agoraphobe who gets bombarded with spirits seeking help each Samhain and Beltane. He’s learned some druid tricks to ward his house during these days, but even the most carefully laid barriers are breeched by his ex-lover Zackary’s ghost.

Zackary doesn’t know how he ended up in Dimitri’s home. He hadn’t seen the man in over 10 years and he doesn’t remember the last several days that led him to this point. He remembers thinking about Dimitri and going to their special place, then … nothing.

Dimitri thinks Zack is still alive, but somehow separated from his body. Zack convinces him to leave his haven to help him re-join the two.

Dimitri finds Zack in a coma and must work hard to get his soul back inside the body before the spirit grows too weak and leaves this plane.

**

There was a lot that happened in this short story but I never quite got invested in the characters. I didn’t really get the feeling, aside from gratitude and a new appreciation for what Dimitri goes through, that Zack had done much to convince me he and Dimitri would make it in the long run.

Since most of the story takes place with Zack as a ghost, we don’t actually get to see them as a corporeal couple very much.

However, it was an interesting Halloween story with a romantic twist.

I give it 3 of 5 hearts for being a seasonally fun romantic story.

3

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Nothing Ventured by Jay Northcote

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Dreamspinner presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5678

Nothing Ventured by Jay Northcote

Blurb

When Aiden agrees to run the Mad Mucker—a twelve-mile muddy slog over an obstacle course—he’s expecting it to be a bit of a laugh. The training will be tough, but Aiden could use the motivation to regain some fitness.

Matt is the sexy cousin of one of Aiden’s coworkers and a last-minute addition to the team. When he agrees to train with Aiden, Aiden suddenly finds the prospect of regular workouts a lot more appealing.

Soon attraction flares, and they embark on an intense physical relationship. Matt doesn’t want to fall in love with a man, and Aiden doesn’t want to fall in love at all, but despite their insistence on no strings, they grow closer. As the day of the race approaches, time is running out for them to work out how they feel about each other.

Morgan’s Review

Aiden is an out and proud, but sorta lazy, gay man. He ends up getting suckered into competing in an obstacle course race (via too much tequila) by one of his friends who pairs him with her cousin Matt for training.

Matt is “straight” and OCD about fitness ever since his father died suddenly from a heart attack. He and Aiden spark off one another right away, but since Matt is straight and all, Aiden keeps his flirting to a minimum. Until one day… they end up covered in mud and Matt needs a shower… Aiden realizes Matt isn’t all that straight.

They begin a “friends-with-benefits” affair. Matt is bi-sexual but deep in the closet. Aiden is out but not interested in a relationship since the last one he was in left him scarred.

At first this seems to work out great for both men. They are good together in bed and as training partners and they might even be good as friends. But as time goes on they begin to have feelings for each other that makes things awkward.

Finally, after an amazingly touching night of lovemaking and talking, they decide they are too close to one another so they have to split.

What?

Yes, they like each other too much to continue seeing each other.

So now they are both frustrated,sad, and lonely.

Fortunately, not for long… after the race, when Aiden nearly drowns, they come around and realize they can’t let the past dictate their future.

Hooray!

**

Jay Northcote is one of my auto-buy authors. She never disappoints. Her characters are fun, funny, three-dimensional and really enjoyable. In most of her stories we get to see some growth and we always see some hot sex and sweet love.

This book did not disappoint in most of those areas. I really loved the slow burn, the tension as we “hated” Matt for how poorly he treated Aiden and the relief when they finally gave in and admitted their feelings.

But… I thought the last bit there at the end, where Matt and Aiden both admitted (essentially) that they loved one another then broke up felt a little contrived. (I think that if Matt had denied his feelings and broke up with Aiden because Aiden was too clingy or something, it would have felt more authentic and given us the same result. IMHO)

However, that is really a small, nit-picky thing. The only other thing I would have appreciated was seeing the boys together longer as a couple.

So, overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend it with a 4 of 5 hearts.

4

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The Royal Street Heist by Scotty Cade

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5666

royalBlurb

When valuable Civil War era art is stolen from a popular New Orleans gallery, NOPD Lead Detective Montgomery “Beau” Bissonet and his partner set out to solve the crime. When the gallery’s insurance company sends Tollison Cruz to the Big Easy to conduct their own independent investigation, personalities clash and battle lines are definitely drawn.

The heist quickly becomes a politically driven high profile case, and Detective Bissonet is furious when he’s ordered to work along side Investigator Cruz to assure a timely arrest. The heat index soars to new levels when the two investigators discover they have a lot more in common then originally thought.

With the tension between them temporarily sated, Bissonet and Cruz finally start to work together, on more then just a professional level. But everything comes to a screeching halt when Beau discovers his cohort in crime has been withholding information regarding the investigation and has been concealing a very questionable past. What happens next rivals the scorching summer heat.

Morgan’s Review

Beau works for the NOPD and Cruz works for Lloyds of London. Both guys are trying to find two missing paintings. It’s made clear that it’s likely an inside job (either the original owner, his family, or someone the original owner hired) but things are now complicated because someone got killed while trying to steal the paintings.

Beau immediately hates Cruz. Which sucks because now they have to work together. Beau’s recent ex boyfriend is also involved in the case, and they have a contentious relationship as well. (Beau can be an asshole!) So Beau is basically feeling sorry for himself all around.

However, there is something else going on between him and Cruz as well – sexual tension. Both guys are really attracted to one another in addition to truly “hating” the other.

The case leads them to cross state lines and they end up sharing a hotel bed. You guessed it, the sparks flying between them eventually catch fire, have some angry sex and it’s H.O.T! But… they still don’t like each other.

They grudgingly agree that they make a good investigative pair as they get closer and closer to solving the case, but something about the other just sets them on edge. Since they’re spending so much time together they decide to go for a no-strings-attached affair, since it’s convenient and all. *wink, wink

When it looks like the case is on the verge of being solved, and it begins to look like the couple may be more than just a quick fling, Cruz is seen corroborating with one of the main suspects and Beau throws him under the bus, immediately thinking the worst.

Fortunately, Cruz is a reasonable guy and the two of them talk it out, realizing that secrets have been kept on both sides. When they finally lay things out of the table, the case finally gets closed and the two realize they mean more to each other than a short-term affair.

But… they live in different cities. Cruz travels all over the world for months at a time. Beau is stuck in New Orleans. It takes some creative thinking, but they do find something they think will work. It’s going to take a big leap of faith and a lot of love to make it work, but I think they have what it takes to make for a very HEA.

**

The bulk of the story really is about solving the crime. That being said, the love story is super sweet and the sex is really hot. I found it fascinating how much the ex played a part in this story and I figure he’s maybe got a book of his own coming up. I’m not sure if this is just being nit picky or what, but there were tons of strange names in this book and it got distracting.

All in all I enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. 4 of 5 hearts

4

 

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Fixing the Hole by Katherine Halle

Dreamspinner presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5646

fisingBlurb

Heavy rains and strong winds slammed an uprooted tree through Steve Crowell’s roof, leaving a gaping hole to match the one in his heart. After his ex left him for a younger man, Steve’s not sure he’s ready to handle another disaster. His best friend highly recommended the contractor, but the man’s already late, and when he shows up with his music thumping, Steve isn’t impressed—until Riley steps out of his pickup truck. Personable, gorgeous Riley talks a mile a minute, which Steve finds both ridiculously endearing and terrifying. Piecing together a heart isn’t as easy as fixing a roof, but Riley might just be the right man for the job.

Morgan’s Review

This is a short book where the ending is the beginning.

Instead of being a book about a relationship, this is really and truly just about the beginning of a relationship. Steve is older, has a thing for younger guys, got burned by the last younger guy, isn’t getting any younger himself, and still has a thing for younger guys.

Riley is a younger guy with a thing for older guys. He’s super sweet, adorable, chatty – very chatty – and he lives at home and tries to keep his dad healthy.

Steve is into Riley, but is worried about being burned again. Riley is into Steve, but worries that Steve isn’t into him.

Most of the book is them dancing around this issue. Then – bam – they go on a date.

The End.

So… the end is the beginning.

**

Ummmm, well. How do I rate this?

It was…nice. I’m sure it was making a statement. It was very well written and some people will like that it didn’t do anything besides start the relationship.

Not me. I was disappointed.

It felt like the beginning of a story that got cut off just when it was getting good! I wanted to see where it went and what happened and … well, all the good stuff that goes with that.

But that wasn’t what this was about.

It was man meets boy. Man wants boy. Man finally gets the balls to ask boy out, and he accepts.

So…

I give the author props for doing something different and for setting up an interesting start to a story, but I can’t really recommend it. However, if you are the sort that just loves the “chase” you will be psyched to read this short story.

I give it 2.5 of 5 hearts for being half a story, good, but unfinished.

2.5

 

 

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Serenading Stanley Audiobook by John Inman Narrated by Tyler Stevens

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Dreamspinner Presents:

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Blurb

Welcome to the Belladonna Arms, a rundown little apartment building perched atop a hill in downtown San Diego, home to the city’s lost and lovelorn. Shy archaeology student Stanley Sternbaum has just moved in and fills his time quietly observing his eccentric neighbors, avoiding his hellion mother, and trying his best to go unnoticed… which proves to be a problem when it comes to fellow tenant Roger Jane. Smitten, the hunky nurse with beautiful green eyes does everything in his power to woo Stanley, but Stanley has always lived a quiet life, too withdrawn from the world to take a chance on love. Especially with someone as beautiful as Roger Jane.

While Roger tries to batter down Stanley’s defenses, Stanley turns to his new neighbors to learn about love: Ramon, who’s not afraid to give his heart to the wrong man; Sylvia, the trans who just wants to be a woman, and the secret admirer who loves her just the way she is; Arthur, the aging drag queen who loves them all, expecting nothing in return—and Roger, who has been hurt once before but is still willing to risk his heart on Stanley, if Stanley will only look past his own insecurities and let him in.

My Review

Stanley Sternbaum is a shy, very shy, grad student who is just now leaving the nest to study Anthropology in San Diego. He rents his first apartment ever at the somewhat dodgy Belladonna Arms, a place full of gays with only one “pesky” heterosexual in the bunch. He is immediately entranced by one of his neighbors, Roger Jane.

To Stanley, Roger epitomizes all things perfect and in fact, god-like, and therefore unattainable to a little, “nobody” like him. Even when it seems that Roger might be interested in him, he has a hard time believing, and is in fact doing what he can to avoid the man so as to avoid a broken heart.

Though he is avoiding Roger, he is not avoiding the rest of the wacky tenants, and though he wished he could, his mother. There’s ChiChi, the rent boy. Ramon, the beauty student. Charlie, the kleptomaniac. Sylvia, the transsexual. And we can’t forget Arthur, the super. Each of these characters go out of their way to bring Stanley out of his shell, and in fact spend quite a bit of time waxing poetic about Roger!

Though it is a tough road, it is very entertaining and Roger eventually manages to win over his “little mouse” and together they find their very HEA.

**

I can’t believe I missed this book when it first came out! I ended up reading this in preparation for the sequel, Work in Progress, and boy am I glad! John Inman is an excellent writer. He is funny, sweet, descriptive and his characters are sublime.

Stanley and Roger almost, almost!, take the back seat to the secondary characters in this book. Arthur is hysterical! He’s an obese drag queen forever having to haul himself up 6 flights of stairs and nearly passing out. He looks for love for all his tenants while quietly pining for his own unrequited love.

ChiChi and Ramon are two colorful neighbors who aren’t afraid to put in their two cents while in between entertaining “massage customers with special needs” (ChiChi) or practicing new hair techniques like pink hair dye for Stanley’s mother (Ramon). Charlie is a diagnosed klepto, off his meds and you can imagine the antics he gets up to.

Stanley’s mother is a foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, busy-body who only wants what’s best for her son but has a hard time showing it.

All in all they make for a hysterical crew of well-meaning friends who gently nudge Stanley into Roger’s arms and help him to see for himself that he is more than worthy of that kind of love.

I highly recommend this book and give it 5 of 5 hearts.

Audio:

Tyler Stevens is a favorite narrator of mine and I think this ties as the best I have heard from him. He did a fantastic job with all the many and varied characters of the Belladonna Arms. Arthur is appropriately swishy/queeny. Sylvia is sweet and delicate. Ramon and ChiChi both have a fantastic accent with “attitude” and Stanley’s mom is perfect in her smoke roughened way.

I really, really enjoyed his narration and hope he does the sequel as well.

I give it 5 of 5 hearts.

Overall, 5 of 5 hearts.

5