Call of the Alpha (Blue Moon #3) A.E. Via

 

 

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Call of the Alpha

SERIES: Blue Moon # 3

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings

RELEASE DATE: July 30, 2016

EXCERPT: Call didn’t need to phone and announce their arrival. Hawk already knew they were coming. Last time he’d seen his old comrade was at Shot and Fox’s wedding a year ago. They still emailed and called occasionally but they were both immensely enjoying the less complicated life with their partners. It went without saying that if one of them was in need, then they could always count on one another. If they were going to go up against a league of rebel assassins, then he’d need Hawk’s advanced visual capabilities, Pierce’s analytical skills and of course, he needed Viper, a man who’d yet to meet a system that he couldn’t hack.
They had to abandon their car two miles away from Hawk and Pierce’s secured residence since there was no road leading to their elevated home nestled comfortably in the dense woods of Frederick County. The rough terrain was hard enough to trek by foot, only an ATV or bike could make it. As soon as the trees opened up into a large clearing, Call looked up and saw Hawk watching them from his balcony. Even from the distance, Call could see the vibrant hue of colors swirling in Hawk’s eyes. Visions no doubt flashing before him as they approached. Call hoped that Hawk saw them all coming out of this alive.
“That’s him, huh?” Lion said, just loud enough for them to hear. It was an observation, Lion wasn’t expecting an answer. They were still a good hundred yards away. “From everything I heard, I expected more. Bigger.”
“He can read your lips.” Call smirked.
When they were in earshot, Hawk leaned on the rail watching them. A large hawk called out in the sky and swooped over their heads before gliding up into the air gracefully and landing right next to Hawk. He watched his good friend stroke the muscular raptor’s breast before turning and going back inside. By the time they reached the front door, Hawk was there. His dirty-blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He wore an oversized pair of sweats and a white t-shirt. Call stood in front of Hawk and embraced him.
“What took you so long?” Hawk asked, a sly smile on his ruggedly handsome face. His buddy didn’t look a day older, despite the few strands of gray in his beard. He still looked like a badass, experienced soldier.
“When did you see us?” Call asked curiously.
“Two months ago.” Hawk turned and went inside. His visions didn’t have a time stamp. Call had learned that from the many years of fighting side-by-side with the man. After all this time, Hawk still blew his mind. Two months ago. He and Alpha had been living peacefully, completely oblivious until a few days ago. But Hawk had this vision of the four of them coming to his doorstep weeks ago. Unbelievable.
Call was almost completely through the vast foyer before he noticed that Alpha, Omega, and Lion were still standing at Hawk’s doorstep. Hawk stopped and turned to face them. “Seriously? Are you assassins or vampires? If your face didn’t meet the reinforced steel of my front door, then the invite in is implied. Get your asses in here.”
Call snorted. Oh how he missed his guys.
Alpha entered first, followed closely by Lion, and then Omega finally entered. Everything they did was done with formality, even the removal of their footwear. It was no shock that Alpha was in front and Omega last. The A and the Z. The beginning and the end.
“Hawk. It just hasn’t been long enough. How have you been?” Omega grinned. “And that petite beauty of yours. Is he doing well these days?”
Hawk spun and faced Omega. The golden flecks in his eyes shimmered so brightly it looked like flames ignited and burned behind his irises.
“Shit. That’s new. When did that start?” Call asked, the awe clear in his voice as he stared intently into Hawk’s eyes while his friend kept his anger directed at Omega.
“Two months ago. When he first saw you coming.” Everyone turned and looked up at the top level of the three-story home. Pierce answered Call’s question while leaning on the solid oak banister. Call had to admit that Pierce and Hawk wore domestic bliss well. Pierce’s skin was smooth and radiant. His eyes, bluer than the Carolina sky, shone adoringly as he watched Hawk on his descent.

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SUMMARY: THIS IS THE THIRD INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES BUT CAN BE READ AS A STAND ALONE.  The Story of ALPHA, CALL, OMEGA & LION ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER FAVORITES

It’s been a couple years since Commander John Marion – the US Navy’s most decorated SEAL – hung up his dog tags, choosing his cherished Alpha over war.

Call and Alpha have settled comfortably into their carefree lives nestled in the mountains of South Carolina. No more combat for the Commander and no more ordered killings for the deadliest assassin in the world.

However, nothing stays peaceful forever.

When Alpha’s brother Omega comes to their secluded home with a distressing message from their Order, Alpha has to answer the call. But what neither of them expect is for the Order to send them a new assassin, one just as deadly as both of them, to seek their counsel and bring them back Persia.

Lion’s commanding presence was not at all what any of them anticipated. Especially Omega. Lion realizes what Omega is to him right away, but the stubborn man fights his every advance. Lion knows he and Omega have to connect if they’re going to be victorious. He was sent to bring back an army but if he can’t get his cherished to yield to him, they are sure to fail.

Call refuses to let Alpha fight a gang of rebel assassins without him. Omega will fight by his brother’s side, no matter what… and Hawk saw them coming for his help before anyone else. Together they’ll fight the toughest opponents they’ve ever faced. As always… these badass warriors are up for the challenge.
This book ends in an HEA and does not end in a Cliffhanger.
This book contains graphic violence.
REVIEW: This book, just like with all of her other works is simply amazing. I must admit that I didn’t expect to like this book as much as her other works because assassins, cloak and dagger super secret military cat and mouse isn’t really my thing but this author definitely made it appealing.

To start, let me comment on the cover. The colors is what drew my attention to the book initially. The cover art is absolutely lovely, those gorgeous shades of blue along with the font is elegantly masculine. I love how the covers to all of the books in the series are similar. This gives it a cohesive look and sort of notifies the reader that the story will pick up seamlessly where the last own left off. Speaking of which, this book, although part of a series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend you read the books all the books in sequential order to have a better understanding as to who the characters are. I read this book first and although I admit to being a tad bit lost, it wasn’t overly so. The author did a great job to sort of refresh (introduce in my case) the reader to who/what/when/where from the previous books.

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The characters are strong, tough, resilient, stubborn, dangerous, beautiful yet almost vulnerable in their love for each other. Meaning, Call and Alpha’s love for each other is strong but tender. These men are each other’s Kryptonite.

I absolutely loved how the author was able to have so much and so many different things going on with each character and around them. She had so much going on with them all yet still maintain the plot and storyline while also maintaining focus on the main characters. I was able to keep track of what was going on.

I absolutely love how this author writes her male characters. She doesn’t use flowery lilac colored pretty words to describe these men nor do does she use it in the dialogue. These are soldiers and assassins. These men fight and love hard.

When this author puts those fingers on her keyboard, she knows what in the hell she’s doing, let me tell you. I’ve never been disappointed when reading her work. She is an artist, a master of her craft.

RATING: ??AMAZING??

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/153531902X/ref=x_gr_mw_bb_sin_a?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_mw_bb_sin_a-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=153531902X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

AllRomance

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/mobile/details.html?pid=2081538&cat=153

Barnes&Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/mobile/w/blue-moon-iii-call-of-the-alpha-ae-via/1124216899;jsessionid=0A24A1CFE6CCB3FA64117F514CC93235.prodny_store01-atgap08?ean=9781535319027&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004

AUTHOR BIO

A.E. Via is an author in the beautiful gay romance genre and also founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books. Her writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.
When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, she devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children. Adrienne Via has tons of more stories to tell, but she really would like to hear yours. Via Star Wings Books is currently accepting submissions for established and aspiring LGBTQ authors.
Visit my site to learn more! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak on upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

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Author Official Website: http://authoraevia.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31130999-blue-moon-iii

A.E. Blog: http://authoraevia.com/blogfann.html

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/aeviaauthor

Facebook (Friend me): https://www.facebook.com/authoraevia

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAEVia

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/A.-E.-Via/e/B00GMNMS4U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
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Smoke and Mirrors (THIRDS #7) Charlie Cochet

Reviewed by Kiwi

 

TITLE: Smoke and Mirrors

 

SERIES: THIRDS # 7

 

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

 

 

RELEASE DATE:  July 8, 2016

 

SUMMARY: Life for Dexter J. Daley has never been easy, but he’s always found a way to pick himself back up with a smile on his face. Taken from his home, and the arms of his boyfriend and THIRDS partner, Sloane Brodie, Dex finds himself in a situation as mysterious and lethal as the Therian interrogating him. Dex learns what he’s secretly believed all along: his parents’ death wasn’t an accident.

 

Discovering the whole truth about John and Gina Daley’s homicide sets off a series of events that will change Dex and Sloane’s lives forever. As buried secrets rise to the surface and new truths are revealed, Dex and Sloane’s love for each other is put to the test, with more than their relationship on the line. If traversing the waters of murder and secret government agencies wasn’t enough, something inexplicable has been happening to Dex—and nothing will ever be the same.

 

 

REVIEW: This is the seventh book in this wonderful, action packed series featuring Destructive Delta. Dex is taken and his kidnapping unlocks the mystery and revealed the truth surrounding his parent’s murder. This revelation not only changes Dex and Sloane’s loves forever but strangely gives Dex and Maddox a bit of closure.

 

We learn quite a bit more about who’s behind the kidnapping, more about the facility where Sloane, Ash and other First Gen. Therians were experimented on. As the story unfolds, even more secrets and plots are revealed. There is so much that goes on in this book, basically a lot of Dex’s questions are answered and the truth of it all hits him hard. But I think that deep down, Dex on some level knew that the story surrounding his parent’s deaths was a lie.

 

This book is tamer than the six previous books. Tame in the way of seeing Dex and Sloane in their home; their everyday home life. This is a side of Sloane that I truly enjoyed. Yes, these men are constantly out fighting crime, being shot at, being attacked, explosives and being the super elite team but there’s more to their lives than that. You see the more domestic side to these two. You can tell that Sloane and Dex are extremely happy together.

 

You also get a glimpse into the love lives of the other team members:  Seb and Hudson (I am most eager to read their story) and even Sarge. I am also looking forward to Austin and Zach’s stories.

 

There’s not a lot of sex in the books but that is totally fine as the storyline, dialog, plot and character development more than makes up for it. This book, this series is absolutely magnificent and will keep you enthralled from the very first page to the very last. Oh, and the covers are to die for!

 

RATING: ? Amazing ?

 

BUY LINKS:

 

Amazon

 

 

Dreamspinner Press

 

 

 

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Refraction Tour-Guest Post by Hayden Scott with Excerpt

refraction

Guest Post:
I have been an amateur writer for a long time—so long that I made a YouTube channel dedicated entirely to talking about the trials of being an amateur writer. It was a nice niche I’d settle in, and I was happy there.
Even so, I’m thrilled beyond words to have my first novella published by Harmony Ink this month. It’s a story that’s near and dear to my heart, and it hits a ton of my favorite tropes: secret identities, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, teen geniuses, secret societies, and overly complicated doomsday mechanisms.
It may be just another heartwarming tale of teenagers discovering corrupt power structures and themselves, but I hope you come to love it as much as I do.
–Hayden Scott
Excerpt:
“Dynaman, to the bell tower!” Max’s mother bellowed at him, swinging wildly from Mr. Magnificent’s shoulders as he heaved, trying to unseat her.
“You won’t get away with this, Catalyst,” Mr. Magnificent declared. “Your days are numbered!”
“You couldn’t even count high enough for that!” sneered Max’s mom, and she toppled them both over the railing onto a large conveyor belt.
Max sighed.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t committed to the mission or didn’t understand how important their work was. It was just that his mom and Mr. Magnificent had the same exchange every other week. And the worst part was that Mr. Magnificent was always right—he never let Max and Catalyst detonate their doomsday device, even though it would make a totally impressive battle finale. A lever always broke at the wrong time, or the sharks escaped the shark tank, or one time his mom’s monologue ran long enough for the SWAT team to arrive.
It was enough to give a guy a complex.
But Max flew up to the bell tower anyway, because one time he had gone home in the middle of a fight, and he was pretty sure he was technically still grounded.
The doomsday device sat proud and tall like a throne on the stone floor at the base of the bell. Max crouched in the windowsill for a moment, observing its majesty, then indulged himself in a midair backflip as he landed in front of it.
He could still be badass even if no one was around to see it. Blurb:
Max Jackson spends his days worrying about the same things most teenagers do—homework, college admission, and how to detonate the doomsday device his mom built in their basement. As a member of the “Injustice League,” Max has devoted his life to destroying his city’s corrupt power structure. Everything is going according to plan until all-American superhero Crush Goodman steals the device right out from under him. Max’s life gets even more complicated when Crush starts stalking him at school and acting friendlier than he ever should to his archnemesis. Caught between his evolving feelings for Crush and wanting to protect his secret identity, Max has to steal his device back and show Crush the true meaning of supervillainy.

Sales Links:
Harmony Ink Press: https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/refraction-by-hayden-scott-373-b
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Refraction-Hayden-Scott-ebook/dp/B01CN1O2PW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457809870&sr=8-2&keywords=hayden+scott
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/refraction-hayden-scott/1123494368?ean=2940157889029
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-refraction-1996363-145.html
Author Bio:
Hayden Scott grew up, very reluctantly, on a farm in the middle of nowhere. She spent her time climbing trees and playing in the dirt until the day she discovered books, at which point she holed up inside her imagination and never came out again. She prefers to believe the whole phrase is “Jack of all trades, master of none, certainly better than master of none.”

Hayden likes magic, adventure, romance, and puns. She has no idea where she is going but hopes that writing stories will make the journey more interesting.

Website: http://haydensuch.tumblr.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haydensuch
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZBFZY1d9NcCH5fVt2Uv-Hg

Promises 2 (Bounty Hunters #2)

 


Reviewed by Kiwi

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TITLE: Promises 2

SERIES: Bounty Hunters

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings

LENGTH: 280 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 20, 2016

EXCERPT: Quick finally stepped inside his office and Cayson immediately saw the large bouquet of orange roses in Quick’s other hand.
“These are, um. For you. I wanted to apologize for coming on so strong the other night. I thought you were attracted to me, but I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. I let my best friend and son talk my head up sometimes.” Quick looked slightly embarrassed while he handed over the big bush.
It was already in a very masculine but pretty brown and tan vase that fit Cayson’s office décor well. He took the heavy arrangement and set it on the low mahogany file cabinet in front of his window. He couldn’t help but stare at the flowers.

The florist said that orange roses represent desire and enthusiasm, so after I told her my story, this is what she recommended.” Quick shrugged like it meant nothing, but Cayson could see the thought he’d put into the gift, not to mention, men didn’t bring other men flowers very often.
He wanted to show his appreciation to Quick, but he wasn’t going to drop to his knees to do it. Those days were gone. Cayson ran his hand over his sweater vest, wishing he’d worn the tie with it, but he hadn’t expected company. He sat back in his seat and gestured for Quick to sit across in one of the cushioned chairs. The man towered over everything.
“You h-have a real nice office. Lots of um, books.” Quick shook his head and squinted like he’d regretted what he’d just said. “Duh, of course you read a lot.”
“Yes.” Cayson laughed, the sound alien to him. “I do read a lot. Have to.” Cayson was shocked at Quick’s discomfort, his stuttering and stammering were really eye opening to him. It gave Quick the appearance of vulnerability.
“Of course you do.” Quick fidgeted in his seat and Cayson finally looked at him. He had on dark black jeans that squeezed in all the right places, the black t-shirt with the Duke’s Bail Bonds logo over the ri
ght pec, and damn, did all that muscle stretch out the lettering. Quick kept on his leather coat and Cayson licked his lips, wondering if Quick had a lot of weapons hidden on his body. He wouldn’t mind searching him from head to toe and checking… Shit, shit, shit. Stop it. He had to stop thinking so sexually when no one wanted him that way.
“Look, Doc. I’m not good at this, okay. I’m not as good looking as Duke and I’m not smooth like my son. I like you and I have no clue on what I’m supposed to say to get you to believe me or forgive me for being an ass before. I hope the flowers helped, though.” Quick was nervously tapping a couple fingers on his knee while he spoke. “I, um. I was married before to a woman. I was lying to myself all through my senior year in high school, and then next thing I know my beard girlfriend is pregnant, so I did the right thing. I never got a real opportunity to explore the other side of my sexuality. Everything was all about Vaughan when he was born.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Cayson asked. He hoped it wasn’t rude, but he needed to know.
“Because I’m sorry and I’m trying to get another chance.” Quick’s brow turned down determinedly. “I don’t know how to date a man – what to say, what not to say – so I was hoping you’d cut me some slack. Obviously, I wasn’t saying the right things before and surprisingly, there was nothing on YouTube to really help m
e.”
No. No, you weren’t saying the right things,” Cayson agreed before wrinkling his nose. “I’m sorry… did you say YouTube?”

BLURB: Roman “Quick” Webb is one badass bounty hunter on the crime­filled streets of Atlanta. He’s fearless when it comes to carrying out his dangerous job alongside his longtime best friend and business partner, Duke. However, there is one thing that has begun to cause Quick concern and it’s the dreadful thought of living out the rest of his life alone. Seeing his best friend and his son fall in love and sharing the special connection that only true soulmates can, has made him all the more aware of what’s lacking in his life.

Love.

Dr. Cayson Chauncey has been wildly attracted to the big, tattooed hunter for almost a year, ever since he performed the surgery that saved Quick’s best friend’s life. Cayson must’ve mistaken Quick’s gratitude for something more, because the one time he tried to make his desires known, he was harshly rebuffed and left on the man’s doorstep feeling stupid for hitting on an obviously very straight man.

Cayson never dated a man who was willing to come out of hiding and be with him. Now at almost forty, Cayson is intent on no longer being anyone’s dirty secret. Having experienced countless disappointments, and having taken a stand not to fall for any more tricks, Cayson is more than a little skeptical when Quick comes around asking for a second chance to prove himself. The gorgeous man had already made it clear he was definitely uninterested in Cayson… or so he’d thought.

Dr. Chauncey stirred up Quick’s suppressed, most carnal desires from a place deep down inside of him. He’d reacted so badly the first time that now his sexy surgeon wanted nothing to do with him. It was going to take a fair amount of patience and a whole lot of wooing involved as Quick sets out to convince Cayson that he’s worth another chance and that he is the brave lover who Cayson has been looking for.

With a scorned ex and a very dangerous job thrown into the mix, Cayson’s happiness and all of Quick’s promises may not be as easy to keep as they’d hoped.

PARTS ONE AND TWO IN THIS SERIES CAN BOTH BE READ AS STANDALONES. THERE ARE NO CLIFFHANGERS IN EITHER BOOKS.
imageREVIEW: This is the eagerly awaited second book in Bounty Hunters series. This book continues with Vaughn’s father Roman ‘Quick’ Webb and the doctor that saved Duke’s life Dr. Cayson Chauncey.

To say that this book is good would be a gross understatement. I didn’t like this book. I LOVED this book and this series. In fact, I simply adore all of her work, her series as well as her standalone works. And to think that this series sprang from another series which was a spin off from one book, much like the branches of a tree. This is the truly the mark of a talented writer. To be able to take an idea and expand on it to the level that she did is nothing short of amazing.

I think of this author as a five star chef. She goes into her kitchen, aka writing cave and come out with these deliciously exciting, steamy and extremely well written books. Well, once again, she ‘put her foot in the pot’ with this creation. This story picks up beautifully where the last book leaves off with Roman already deciding he was going to stop fighting his attraction to the handsome doctor who saved his best friend’s life and pursue him. And this is what I truly loved about this book. The author didn’t shy sway from or erase the fact that Rome was bisexual. It wasn’t something he ‘discovered’ when meeting the gorgeous doctor and it wasn’t a GFY storyline. It was a mature man who always knew who he was but just never had the opportunity to explore that part of himself. The author put it out there; it was acknowledged and that was refreshing.

There were so many exciting events in this book that will capture and hold your attention. It is two hundred and eighty pages of wonderful dialogue, character development, storyline and plot.

Dr. Chauncey is this brilliant and beautiful physician who like everyone else, wants someone to call his own. You get the sense that he’s not good at making friends due to his many busy years of medical school. Here you have this gorgeous man, brilliant doctor with a great personality who couldn’t find anyone who appreciate what he had to offer. He meets and is immediately attracted to Quick but was rebuffed after an innocent flirtation. Cayson was determined not to make that mistake again and keeps his distance from the sexy bounty hunter.

Roman was immediately attracted to Cayson but he wasn’t prepared for it at the time causing him to reacting badly and to take it out on Cayson. He immediately regretted it afterwards and after talking with and seeking advice from his best friend and son decides it was time to explore that side of himself and pursue the doctor.

I love the wonderful and loving relationship he has with his son. It is one built on both love and respect. Roman is this big, strong and confident man who has flaws but one who willing to set aside his pride to not only seek but follow the advise from his son and best friend. The fact that he was man enough to admit that no, he didn’t know the first thing about pursuing or romancing a man.

The supporting characters are wonderfully written. She brilliantly tells these men’s stories yet still manage to keep focus on the story’s MCs. The situation with Cayson’s closeted ex was got so out of hand and the series of events he set off was absolutely crazy; it was a right and proper mess. This man caused so much unnecessary drama and mayhem, it was ridiculous and made for a great story.

Characters from other books in the series made s brief appearance: God and that damn crazy Day, Judge from the first book. There were a few lines in the book that had me laughing out loud and this is what I like about her work. She writes these serious books but there is this dash of humor in them that sharpens the delicious delivery of it. Like a pinch of salt into something sweet to enhance the taste.

This author is extremely talented; she is incapable of writing a bad book. What I admire about this author is that she’s constantly striving for perfection with her work. There has been more than one occasion where she has gone back and re-edited, added and republished her previous works. That’s the sign of an author that takes pride in her craft.

The book is a work of art from the cover to beautiful cover and everything in between and one that I highly recommend.

 

RATING: ???AMAZING???

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

ARe


Kobo

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 

Facebook

Twitter

Webpage

Goodreads

 

AUTHOR’ S BIO: 

A.E. Via graduated in May of 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Virginia Wesleyan College. She’s a new author to the beautiful gay erotic genre. Her writing embodies everything from spicy to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, A.E. runs a very successful paralegal-for-hire business and in her spare time, she devotes herself to her family, a husband and four children, her two pets, a Maltese dog and her white Siamese cat, ELynn, named after the late great gay romance author ELynn Harris. While Blue Moon is her first novel, she has plenty more to come…so sit back and grab a cool drink, because the male on male action is just heating up!

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Veiled Loyalties (Bissonet & Cruz Investigstions #2) Scotty Cade

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Veiled Loyalties

SERIES: Bissonet & Cruz Investigations, Book 2

AUTHOR: Scotty Cade

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 154 pages

BLURB: Halloween is Beau Bissonet’s favorite holiday, from carving pumpkins to decorating his yard to donning a costume and scaring the neighborhood kids. But this year his Halloween is about to take a different turn, one that will challenge his skills as a detective and his commitment to his partner in work and love.

A year since Beau and Tollison solved The Royal Street Heist, found love, and formed Bissonet & Cruz Investigations, they are thriving personally and professionally. That is until Tollison’s ex, Bastien Andros, shows up out of the blue. Naturally, Beau’s suspicious, but two days after Bastien’s arrival, he goes missing, and Tollison worries his past may catch up to him.

A mysterious package makes clear who has Bastien and what’s at stake. With both Bastien and Beau’s lives now at risk, Tollison has only one option: travel to Zurich, Switzerland, secure and deliver the ransom, keep both men safe, and stay true to himself at the same time.

REVIEW: This is a nice follow up to Royal Street Heist. It’s been a year since Bissonet and Cruz solved the heist and they’ve started a new life together as partners both personally and professionally. Life is good and they’re content. That is until Cruz’s ex-boyfriend makes an appearance in their lives. Beau’s getting a bad vibe from the ex and with good reason. Their peaceful and content lives are turned upside down when the ex disappears, making it clear that the ex is involved in something shady and it drags Cruz and Bissonet into it. There is another great mystery for the beautiful couple to solve and there is just as much excitement, adventure, twists and turns in this book as it was in the first. Cade did an excellent job of fully developing these characters and the storyline, plot and dialogue is really good. I love how the author, in all of his work, churns out these beautiful men who are strong enough to be able to express how much they love each other. While it was a bit mushy (for me, I’m not the romantic type) and there was more sexual heat and lots of passion between the two this time around but I felt that it fit perfectly seeing as these men are still newly into this relationship. They’re in that ‘honeymoon phase’ of a relationship that many have gone through. I loved it.

He did a great job of describing the scenery of the exotic locations where the couple travel in order to solve this mystery. This enabled me to visualize these beautiful locations. This book was a little bit shorter than the first one but he managed to pack quite a punch into this book. I hope this isn’t the last we see of this duo.

RATING: ?????

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

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Royal Street Heist (Bissonet & Cruz #1) Scotty Cade

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Royal Street Heist

SERIES: Bissonet & Cruz Investigations, Book 1

AUTHOR: Scotty Cade

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 206 pages

BLURB: 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.

REVIEW: This is part one in a story which a detective and his partner set out to recover a stolen civil war artifact taken from the local art gallery. Things get pretty interesting when the gallery’s insurance company sends Tollison Cruz to work alongside them. Of course with this development toes or stepped on, egos come into play,they’re both battling their attraction to each other and these two men clash. Watchimg them clash was quite entertaining to read.

What I love about this author is that he has this wonderful ability to combine sexy, sweet, with a touch of spice that makes his books such a treat to read. What I also love about his books is that his characters are always these mature, established men, alpha males. His books are definitely ‘Twink-Free’ zones.

Cade serves up quite a bit with this dish. It’s a delicious combination of great mystery combines with romance, adventure, and intrigue. Set in New Orleans, the author did a fantastic job of showcasing the city’s immense charm, rich and diverse history. He described everything in such detail that I was able to clearly visualize this city, one that I’ve never visited. It was glorious.

As usual the author writing style was spot on perfect. You can tell that he has to standard of perfection in his writing that is used in all of his books. He does his research. And it shows. I absolutely love these two men. They were stubborn and sexy. They remind me of two male lions squaring off against each other. I think that them fighting that attraction they had towards each other was like eating the sweetest most decadent dessert ever. I found myself mumbling to my iPad for them to just go to bed and get it out of their systems already but the fact that they didn’t immediately act on their attraction made it all the more sexier. I loved it, I absolutely loved it. I love the dialogue, the character development, the storyline empty slot it was all absolutely magnificent. And this is the reason why I continue to read this author’s work.

Even though you’re not going to get pages and pages of sexy is written into this book the story is still amazing without it and as quiet as it is kept, I actually prefer it that way. The plot, storyline and character development is strong enough to obtain and maintain your interest.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a great mystery with mature characters and wonderful adventures sit in the beautiful and intriguing city of New Orleans. I am looking forward to the sequel.

RATING: ???Amazing???

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

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Catch A Tiger By The Tail (THIRDS#6) Charlie Cochet

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Catch A Tiger By The Tail

SERIES: THIRDS (Book #6)

AUTHOR: Charlie Cochet

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 216 pages

BLURB: Calvin Summers and Ethan Hobbs have been best friends since childhood, but somewhere along the line, their friendship evolved into something more. With the Therian Youth Center bombing, Calvin realizes just how short life can be and no longer keeps his feelings for his best friend a secret. Unfortunately, change is difficult for Ethan; most days he does well to deal with his Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety. Calvin’s confession adds a new struggle for Ethan, one he fears might cost him the friendship that’s been his whole world for as long as he can remember.

As partners and Defense Agents at the THIRDS, being on Destructive Delta is tough at the best of times, but between call-outs and life-threatening situations, Calvin and Ethan not only face traversing the challenges of their job, but also working toward a future as more than friends.

REVIEW: This is book six in the THIRDS series and it’s two hundred sixteen pages of full of action, shenanigans, action, crime and mystery and gummy filled goodness. The crew is back in the long awaited installment of Destructive Delta and the rest of the THIRDS units. While the story is focused on Calvin and Hobbs, the storylines of all members of the THIRDS is expertly maintained throughout the book.

This series in one word: Amazing. There is nothing about this book or this series that is boring. There’s humor, secrets, intrigues, crime and drama, super secret crime fighting unit stuff mixed in with love and romance with just a touch of steamy sexy tossed in. Everything about this book, this series is spot on perfect. Each character is individually crafted and they are divine; the dialogues and personalities of each of these characters will keep you entertained. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot that will keep you on your toes. These books are addicting reads. This book captured and held my attention from the very first word of the first paragraph on page one to the very last word, of the last paragraph of the last page.

In this book you can expect to see just how Calvin and Hobb’s relationship has developed through the years. How their families are close knit and the love they have for one other. You will see things revealed with the Hobb’s brothers that will warm your heart and bring them closer together. I can’t wait to read about Sebastian and Hudson, Zachary and Austen and even Nina and Rafe.

The book ended with a delicious cliffhanger and it will drive you crazy wondering what happens next. This book has so much going on that you will not get bored for one second reading this. I highly recommend this series.

RATING: ???Amazing???

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

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Ghosts of Halloween Past (Sequel to Blind Devotion) by MD Grimm

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7016

GhostsofHalloweenPastLGBlurb

Sequel to Blind Devotion

Wolf shifter Sheriff Jack Ulger and cougar shifter Travis Kuger protect the shifters and their human allies living in Haven, Montana. They have known each other for nearly a decade but weren’t always friends. One Halloween night, as teenagers, that changed when Travis saved them both from an abandoned mill and the ghosts haunting it.

Years later, it’s Halloween again, and Travis never shared the ghostly experience with anyone, least of all the skeptic Jack. But he soon regrets the omission when Jack becomes trapped in the same abandoned mill while trying to find two lost kids. Jack must now protect the children, fight off a spiritual attack, and find a way to freedom. Travis knows something is wrong and enlists the help of their friends, and he can only hope they’ll be in time to save Jack from the dark entities.

Review

This is a nice Halloween story that takes a look at Jack and Travis before they’d mated and again, later, after they’d been together awhile.

The ghost story is spooky and creepy – just like you’d want for a Halloween story!

I enjoyed seeing some of the back story for our couple as well as seeing them again, more fully mated.

For fans of the series this is a must read!

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Blind Devotion (Shifters Book 3) by MD Grimm

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3140

 

blind devotionBlurb

“The Shifters: Book Three”

In Haven, Montana, the shifters and their human allies are safe-for now. But that safety hinges on the town’s location remaining a secret, and it’s about to be compromised.

Cougar shifter Travis Kuger spent the past ten years alternating between craving revenge and wishing he could forget his painful past. Ever since the shifter-hating Knights blinded him and killed his family, Haven-and Sheriff Jack Ulger-have been Travis’s refuge.

Travis and Jack know their friendship could be much more, but Jack is part of Haven’s ruling wolf shifter pack. If he takes a non-wolf mate, he’ll be banished forever. But when one of the Knights infiltrates Haven, love becomes the least of their problems.

Review

Travis is hurt by a group of hunters who hate shifters. He finds his way to Haven, a place where shifters can be safe. He is befriended by Jack, but resists anything more because he’s afraid to love again. He lost his entire family to the hunters and can’t risk that kind of emotion again.

Jack has been slowly falling for Travis, for years. But he can’t be with someone not a wolf shifter and still be in the pack’s good graces.

When danger comes to Haven, Travis and Jack are forced to admit their feelings and fight for their right to be together – both against the pack and their own worries.

**

This was a really sweet, slow burn love story. Though there is some danger and some struggle against the pack, most of this is the two of them getting to know one another and slowly growing from friends to lovers.

I love that their pull is as strong as any “True Mate” type attraction, though that isn’t the case. I also loved the magicky stuff the Agency people add to the mix.

I really appreciated the slow pace and easy love in this story and am excited to read the sequel! (I haven’t read books one and two but will absolutely do that now, the continuing saga with the Agency and the Knights is very compelling.)

4 of 5 hearts

4

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