Fifty-one-year-old Jonathan Allen is watching his friends sign domestic partnerships left and right, and for the first time considers how lonely his future might become. His last boyfriend was a parasite, hurting him in so many ways, and he’s beginning to believe living alone with his cat is a better option than chasing shadows.
When Jonathan starts working for Tricorp, a multinational construction company dealing with conservative religious countries in the Middle East and Asia, he connects with CEO Blake Carter on all levels. But the company is antigay and forces its employees to sign a reticence clause, which puts the company on the LGBT-blacklist, and Jonathan back into the closet. He knows fantasizing about Blake is a pointless endeavor. But life throws them a curveball when Jonathan’s ex and a man from Blake’s past come together to destroy both their lives.
Review
This was a frenetic explosion of a short story! We burst in the scene when Jon’s presentation to a group of very conservative businessmen is interrupted by a display of pictures showing him having sex with his boyfriend.
His boss, Blake, is quickly corralled into the mess by a member of the board with a vendetta against Blake.
In no time at all, both Jon and Blake are being escorted by security out of the building, threatened by Jon’s ex-boyfriend, the father of one of Blake’s ex and facing unemployment to boot.
Luckily, they have each other and it turns out they’ve both been harboring feelings for one another for some time.
**
This would be a great novel – it was way too much for a short story. There was too much drama covered in too few pages with a conclusion that (though very happy) felt way too rushed to feel natural or authentic.
I also didn’t bond with either MC as well as I wanted. Jon was an unreliable hero who never redeemed himself for having a relationship with someone as evil as his ex. Blake seemed all over the place, flighty, insecure, then bossy and commanding. I didn’t get a feel for him as a person very well. Beyond the sexual, I didn’t see their attraction in the other. The relationship, though born in crisis, moved way too fast to feel comfortable and therefore the HEA didn’t feel organic either.
I think this has potential, but it didn’t quite make it as a great short story.
The ride of her life . . .
Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy—until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa’s pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.
Climb on and hold tight . . .
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he’s the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa’s acting, it’s clear she’s falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker’s secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa—or ride away forever . . .
Review
As you know I almost exclusively read/review m/m. But – there are a few authors who I still read because they are so amazing. Kristin Ashley is one of them. Her characters are gritty and raw. The men are ridiculously hot. They have almost super-powers without being over the top. The sex is deliciously raunchy and so is the language. The women are mostly very strong even if they do need rescuing –BUT they rescue the hero right back so it isn’t annoying.
This is the third book in a series, and is probably ok as a standalone, but really, this is best read as part of the entire series, and even better read having read the entire group of Kristin Ashley’s books, the Rock Chicks, her Hero series and now the Chaos series. It contains characters from all those and knowing them adds a bit of flavor to the story that just makes it so much better!
In this, we find Joker (previously known as Carson), a new recruit to the Chaos MC. He’s had a bad childhood (nothing new there) and carries a chip on his shoulder. While he was in high school he had a crush on the “good girl” Carrisa and she was nothing but nice to him. But- she was involved with the “good boy” Aaron, and it looked like that was it – forever – for them, so he stayed away.
7 years later we find Carissa alone, with a newborn baby, nearly broke, fighting with Aaron for even the barest of necessities. She has a flat tire and who but Joker (whom she doesn’t recognize as her childhood crush, Carson) rolls up to rescue her.
From here, the Chaos band unofficially/officially adopts Carissa and her son Travis. The boys in the club know a bad situation when they see it, and Carissa is living it.
In typical Kristin Ashley fashion, Joker and his crew rush in to save the day and slowly but surely Joker and Carissa fall in love.
**
I just love Kristin Ashley’s work. I love how REAL the situations are. Sure, there are times when the men are a little too “manly” and the women a little too “helpless”, but the situations they find themselves in feel authentic and the responses are just enough of that perfect rescue fantasy to hit all my buttons.
I love the raunchiness of the sex, the language, the grittiness, the juxtaposition of the “good girl” and the “bad boy” and in the end the mutual rescue that saves them both.
The Chao series started with Motorcycle Man and was my first Kristin Ashley book ever. It set me on FIRE! I literally devoured her entire library after that and greedily look for more as they come out. This extends that book but also includes characters from her other series as well. Those of you who’ve read them all will be delighted to see Lee and Indy, TyTy and Tab, Elvira and the delicious Malik and even a bit of Gwen and Hawk.
This is a bit quieter in terms of the danger from the previous books. There is still trouble lurking – Aaron is an ass and has a boatload of legal support to help him get his way. Valenzuela is still causing trouble, trying to encroach on Chaos turf. But, mostly, this is Joker healing from an abusive childhood and Carissa finding her way as an independent woman.
I know it’s not likely to ever happen, but MAN oh MAN would I love to read a m/m book Kristin would write. It would be HOT with a capital HOT! But – these are wonderful just as they are and I adore the feeling of extended family I get when I dive back into her world. (It helps that I’m from Denver, so I can picture each and every place she describes, just like home ☺ )
One aspect really stands out in this book and that is : family. Family is absolutely what you make of it and it has nothing to do with DNA. Chaos is family and family sticks together through thick and thin. I loved that Carissa didn’t fight that one bit and just seamlessly absorbed the wonderfulness of it for what it is.
When his vicious cousin Alejandro makes a violent late-night visit, San Diego homicide detective Ray Delgado gets a brutal reminder of why he left his family behind. Alejandro wants Ray to find his sister, Sophia, who disappeared from the UC San Diego campus, before the FBI digs too deep into his business.
Special Agent Elliot Belkamp spent his entire life jumping from one place to another, but his new assignment assisting a FBI task force offers him a chance to settle down. When Elliot catches a missing person’s case as his first assignment, the last person he expects to find poking around the victim’s dorm room is Ray, a one-time hookup he’s more inclined to punch in the face than kiss hello. After discovering Sophia’s disappearance is linked to a massive computer-based theft that has two powerful crime families ready to declare war, Elliot focuses on his investigation and tries to ignore Ray. As the search for Sophia turns dangerous, Elliot and Ray discover that tackling organized crime might be easier than resisting the urge to tackle each other.
Review
From the blurb you see that both men are in a similar line of work. They hooked up once, but it didn’t take. Ray is a player and not interested in permanence – yet?
Most of the story revolves around a dizzying array of crime investigations ranging from a missing person to murder to crime families. This is really the meat of the story. There is some sexual tension, a bit of fulfillment, some “why am I so attracted to you when you’re so wrong for me” and at the end some “absolution”.
I never really bonded with either MC, though I did find the fight scene to be particularly hot. (Elliot taking a Judo class while Ray watched and wanted.)
I didn’t read book one, though I think this is a good stand-alone.
When I read the blurb I was thinking it was going to be a hot and heavy enemies to lovers – and it is – but the mystery/crime absolutely takes precedence.
Audio
Jeff Gelder is hit or miss for me. In this case he didn’t do the story any favors. Sometimes, the way his voice lilts at the end can be distracting. Like everything is kind of a question. He didn’t do a lot with the voices or the emotion, so it didn’t add too much to my overall impression of the story. I’d have loved some sexy accents and growly sex scenes, but it was pretty tame.
Overall, if you are interested in crime novels with a romance sub-plot this is your book. I think if you liked book one you’d find this as good.
The writing was good, the editing fine, just not my type of romance.
Daily Dose Short Story
Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6584 Blurb
When cynical forty-three-year-old police officer Evan Andrews finds his home broken into, he quickly learns there’s more to Beau Toliver than meets the eye. Injured and afraid, Beau mistrusts Evan and the police every bit as much as Evan mistrusts Beau. As affection slowly grows between them, Evan discovers the real threat might come from the colleagues he’s considered friends for over two decades. When the truth comes out, Evan races to save Beau’s life at the risk of his own. His actions could mean the end of his career, but he might finally realize there are more important things in life.
Review
One day Evan finds a bleeding Beau hiding out in his house after being stabbed by someone. Evan only barely knows Beau, has seen him being hassled at the Police Station where he works, but doesn’t know how Beau found out where he lives or why he’d choose him as a refuge.
Beau has a checkered past, but he’s mostly a normal 22 year old kid. He gets picked up for a crime he didn’t commit and in return does something he shouldn’t have – to the wrong person. Now he’s in trouble.
**
Most of this short story is the mystery/suspense. The romance is excellent, too. Great sexual tension, sweet ending, nice accompaniment to the suspense.
This short story really packs a punch – it feels very full and fulfilling – the boys get a great HEA and the mystery is solved in a very dramatic way.
I really enjoyed this and hope to see more from this author in the future.
After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he’s done. But Dex’s plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition’s crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn’t taking any chances. Dex’s team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost.
With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies—however well intentioned—begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who’s pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it’s up to Sloane to show him what’s at stake, and finally put a name to what’s in his heart.
Review
Wow. Just wow. This book is sooooo full of good feels.
Sloane and Dex are so wonderfully gushy and sweet in this book. Their relationship is definitely cemented by the end.
We get a peek into the mystery that is Hobbs and an amazingly sexy and funny scene between him and Calvin.
Ash is looking like less and less of a hard ass and more and more like the love of Cael’s life.
All of the relationship stuff is amazing. The dialog, like always is hysterical. The spying done is both naughty and funny. The danger… well this isn’t really that “tense” of a book.
The biggest “hurdle” in this story is Dex trying to avenge Sloane’s attack. Predictably, Sloane doesn’t want him involved, and in fact, the team has been ordered to stand down. But… Dex is determined to capture the culprit himself, in Sloane’s name.
I kinda wanted to shake Dex, and totally understood Sloane’s feelings about it. I liked, however, that this was the first time we saw Dex as the guy who might screw up the relationship, and Sloane was doing everything “right” for a change.
All in all this totally appealed to my every romantic sensibility and tickled my funny bone.
I can’t wait for the next installment and I really hope Calvin and Hobbs get their own book ☺
Audio
I really enjoy Mark Westfiled’s narrations. He does a great job differentiating the different and myriad characters. He adds extra touches like altering his voice for telecom and intercom communications. I love even his female characters and his accents are wonderful!
Blurb
Mason Blackmoor just can’t compete with his brothers, much less his father. They represent the epitome of black magic, strong, dark, and wicked, and though Mason tries to live up to his respected lineage, most of the spells he casts go awry. To make matters worse, his active power has yet to kick in. While his brothers wield lightning and harness the cold, Mason sits on the sidelines, waiting for the moment when he can finally enter the magical game.
When a dead body is discovered on the football field of his high school, Mason meets Drake Carpenter, the new kid in town. Drake’s confident demeanor and quick wit rub Mason the wrong way. Drake is far too self-assured for someone without an ounce of magical blood in his body, and Mason aims to teach him a lesson—like turn him into a roach. And if he’s lucky, maybe this time Mason won’t be the one turned into an insect.
Not surprisingly, the dislike is mutual, and Drake does nothing to dispel Mason’s suspicion that the sexy boy with a southern drawl is somehow connected to the murder.
If only Mason didn’t find himself inexplicably spellbound whenever they are together, they might actually find out what danger hides in the shadows.
Review
Wow – this is an amazing new genre (I think) for Jacob Flores! He did a terrific job with this new series (Yay – a new SERIES!).
Mason and Drake are both high school seniors (over 18) when they meet. Mason is the leading “bad boy”, a warlock of black magic (not bad, just a different energy). Drake is the new guy, Southern drawl sticking out in the North East town in Massachusetts.
They have an instant attraction and as the book suggests, they may in fact be Spell Bound, or soul mates.
There is some dancing around their attraction but they pretty much hit it off right away. What keeps them separate is the fact that humans can’t know about Warlocks and there is something about Drake that strikes Mason as “otherworldly”.
Between making googly eyes at one another, both boys are involved in the mysterious deaths that keep popping up around town.
When push comes to shove and the danger arrives at Drake’s door, secrets get revealed and some really hard decisions have to be made.
One other big wrinkle – Mason doesn’t actually have control over his magic – though being around Drake seems to make it easier – the question is why? What will happen when Drake finds out? Will the two even be allowed to be together? What will happen to his magic if Drake and he can’t be together?
**
Though this at times feels like a YA book, it is filled with adult issues and the smexy times are pretty “adult” though not very numerous.
I think I’d call it New Adult and feel comfortable with that as a category.
The paranormal stuff is outstanding in this book – magic everywhere! I love it when the author actually USES magic in their storylines rather than having the magic only be important as regards a “mate” or significant other.
The dramatic murders and that mystery move the story along quickly but don’t overshadow the romance.
I was very impressed by this book and look forward to reading the next book SOON!
Former cat burglar Rook Stevens stole many a priceless thing in the past, but he’s never been accused of taking a life—until now. It was one thing to find a former associate inside Potter’s Field, his pop culture memorabilia shop, but quite another to stumble across her dead body.
Detective Dante Montoya thought he’d never see Rook Stevens again—not after his former partner’d falsified evidence to entrap the jewelry thief and Stevens walked off scot-free. So when he tackled a fleeing murder suspect, Dante was shocked to discover the blood-covered man was none other than the thief he’d fought to put in prison and who still made his blood sing.
Rook is determined to shake loose the murder charge against him, even if it means putting distance between him and the rugged Cuban-Mexican detective who brought him down. If one dead con artist wasn’t bad enough, others soon follow, and as the bodies pile up around Rook’s feet, he’s forced to reach out to the last man he’d expect to believe in his innocence—and the only man who’s ever gotten under Rook’s skin.
Review
This another amazing work by Rhys Ford! Rook is a thief, trying to get clean, but stuck in the middle of family drama “that keeps pulling him in”!
Dante is the cop on the case – at first determined to put Rook behind bars, but later determined to keep the man in his bed.
It’s a wonderful story of enemies to lovers with that special, emotionally charged twist that Rhys infuses into all her work. Rook is such a great character – warm hearted, giving, loyal, and totally unaware of how awesome he is.
Dante is the tough, alpha figure who knows a gem when he sees it. He won’t let Rook slip through his fingers and he’s lucky enough to get Rook’s crazy family, too.
The sex scenes were amazing, the love story so sweet and the action/mystery compelling.
I enjoyed the pop-culture references and laughed out loud many times. It was great seeing Alex again and catching up with him a bit. I also LOVED the pet names they had for each other… so adorable!
I can’t wait for this to be an audiobook – it’s going to go up with my Cole McGinnis stories as those books you just read/listen to again and again.
Twenty years ago the UK’s water supply was contaminated with an experimental pathogen, Lycanaeris, causing widespread panic across the nation. Terrorism was suspected but never proven, and when nothing happened–no epidemic, no unexplained illnesses–the whole episode was written off as an elaborate hoax. But Lycanaeris was selective. Only those of a certain age, and with a specific gene in their DNA were infected. Time would reveal the pathogen’s true nature, when those susceptible grew up Altered.
Daniel is one of thousands forced to hide his altered status by living a quiet life. He’s not like the others, though. Daniel can’t help looking so distinctive or being able to see every altered for what they really are. To those abducting altereds, that skill makes him valuable.
For Jordan, shifting from human to wolf means living under the radar to avoid unwanted attention. Meeting Daniel complicates matters. Daniel’s existence is a threat to Jordan and his friends, but Jordan can’t seem to shake the strange connection between them. When danger threatens, there’s little time for Daniel and Jordan to work out their feelings before lives are at stake.
One minute Daniel was looking at a tall dark-haired, really hot man, and in the blink of an eye he’d changed into a huge black wolf, fangs bared in a snarl—clearer than anything he’d seen before.
Kimi’s Thoughts:
This was a very interesting spin of the shifter mythos. Someone has bio-engineered a pathogen that is dumped into a water supply and no one really knows why but we are given a glimpse that it might be government weapons related or possibly someone else doing illegal bio-warfare research. The mystery festers just beneath the surface of the new societal shift the emergence of shifters and those who can see the shifters’ inner animals thanks to their own variation of the body alterations caused by the pathogen.
The pressure is on for those who shift and those who can “see” the shifter’s animal counterpart while theya re in human form as someone has begun bringing in those who can see the shifters and using them to unmask shifters, who have been mysteriously disappearing all over the city. The sexual tension between Daniel and Jordan sizzled as does the animosity of his small “pack” as they fear the risk that Daniel’s existence brings to them. Daniel and Jordan are not ready to give up though, and when someone they care about is taken, the pair take action.
The result is the beginning to an excellent suspense thriller filled with shifters, sexy men and plenty of romance, and gritty writing. I look forward to reading the next of the series.
Kai Hayashi, heir to the earth dragon clan, already lost his mother to the rebels threatening to overthrow the council. When his grandfather suggests an arranged mating with not one, but two men, each with certain skills to help protect Kai, the young dragon prince doesn’t exactly need persuading.
Retrieval expert and leopard shifter Jace Dashwood has worked for the Hayashi family for a year now, helplessly in love with his employer’s grandson. Kai is all the things that Jace could never be, innocent and gentle. He had thought to keep his feelings to himself until the dragon king made him an offer too good to be true.
Having worked as a mercenary for too long, bear shifter Ted Graves finally decided to put down roots. He thought that joining a mating agency meant he was going to get the normal life he thought he had been craving but instead he got an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Review
The Happily Ever After Mating agency is designed for shifters who haven’t found their mates and want to settle down. In this case Kai’s uncle uses it to help find Kai the right mate to protect Kai as well as mate him.
Jace has already been working with Kai’s family and his uncle identifies Jace as a mate/protector right away.
Ted is tired of being footloose so he signs up to the mating agency and is pleased to hear from Kai’s family. He’s a bit surprised to find out it’s to be a three way mating and that his alternate duty will be protection but after meeting both men he’s very willing to continue with the plan.
Jace and Kai have been mutually crushing on one another for the last year, but not acting on it. When their third joins them they all acknowledge a mutual attraction that sets them on fire.
In addition to the immediate bonding that takes place, there is danger. Someone wants to take Kai out of the picture and replace him as the future dragon king. There is also the pesky little thing about Kai maybe being more than “just” a dragon shifter…
**
This is one of those surprise reads that you stumble upon every now and then. (I have to admit a weakness for cheesy shifter romances – the ones where the plot is thin but the sex is hot and the storyline light and usually full of fun. Nothing too angsty and nothing too stressful.) I thought this was one of those, but it is surprisingly more. There is a rich story line and compelling drama but also some real emotion and depth to the love story as well.
I thought the ménage was very believable and though I could feel bad for Ted at first- he seems odd man out to the couple of Jace and Kai – it was quickly made clear that he was integral and equal and definitely well loved.
I really enjoyed this and the others in this series and highly recommend them!
Sequel to Covenant in Blood
Partnership in Blood Volume Three
As the Alliance wizard-vampire partnerships grow stronger, the dark wizards feel the effects and become increasingly desperate to find enough information to counter them, unaware of the growing strain of the blood-magic bonds on the wizards and vampires alike.
The conflict is spreading. The strife of uncomfortable relationships, both personal and professional, is threatening to tear up the Alliance from the inside, despite the efforts of Alain Magnier and Orlando St. Clair, Thierry Dumont and Sebastien Noyer, and even Raymond Payet and Jean Bellaiche, leader of the Paris vampires, who is fighting to establish a stable covenant with his own partner so he might lead by example.
As the war rages on and heartbreaking casualties mount on both sides, the dark wizards keep searching for clues to understand and counter the strength of the Alliance, while the blood-bound Alliance partners hunt through ancient prejudices and forgotten lore to find an edge that can turn the tide of the war once and for all.
Review
In this, the third installment of the Partnership series, there is more conflict between the dark wizards and the wizard/vampire alliance.
As in book two the various couples have their own emotional hurdles to overcome and their relationships change and develop.
They develop a new way to counter the magic imbalance – through sex – of course!
**
This book still has the problem of balancing all the various couples (including m/f!) and the war. There is slightly more relationship building in this book (yay!) and each couple seems to be moving forward nicely, though there isn’t much dramatic change in the way of the war, yet.
Overall a nice, if perhaps overly long, addition to the Partnership series.
If you’ve been caught up in books one and two you will undoubtedly want to keep going…
Blurb
