Category: Adult (18+)

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Lock and Key by T. Strange Blog Tour with Giveaway

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Excerpt:
Weighed down by groceries and a bulging duffle bag, I rang Terry’s doorbell.
“It’s open!” he called.
I left the bag in the entryway so he wouldn’t see it and brought the groceries to the kitchen. He was wearing jeans, an apron and nothing else, and he was sexy as hell. I wanted him to ravish me, right there, right then, but he was busily stirring and chopping and other mysterious kitchen pursuits—I’m not much of a cook.
“Don’t come into the bedroom.” I kissed his shoulder.
“Sure.” He gave my butt a quick pat before turning back to his frying pan.
Making sure he wasn’t watching, I carried the heavy bag down the hall to Terry’s bedroom and started unpacking my goodies.
I’ve known I was interested in BDSM for a long time, though I’d never had a play partner of my very own before Terry. Every now and then I’d see something in an adult store or on a website that I just had to buy, for private use or the hope that I would eventually find a top to play with. “Every now and then” adds up over the years, and soon the bag wouldn’t be big enough to hold everything.
I laid it all out on the bed so I could see everything and try to narrow down exactly what I wanted to do with Terry—or rather, have him do to me. As I pulled out each toy, I remembered the fantasy that had made me buy it.
Terry and I haven’t discussed roleplaying yet, and I was still too shy to mention it, and worried he’d think I was immature for wanting to play “let’s pretend”.
Simple was probably best. A scene that took too long to set up could use up all our energy before we’d actually played. I tossed almost everything back in the bag, except for my matching set of black leather wrist and ankle cuffs, and what had quickly become my favorite toy. It was a jockey bat; similar to a riding crop, but the leather tip was hard instead of flappy. Terry has used it in all sorts of ways—using it the way it was intended, flipping it around to hit me with the handle, striking my thighs or ass with the shaft like a cane, even holding it across the backs of my knees to pin me down.
“I’m ready,” I called.
“Me too. We’d better eat first, or we might not get around to it.”
I was restless. I wanted to play now, but I knew he was right. If we played, we probably wouldn’t leave the bed until morning, and the dinner he’d cooked would go to waste. With a final glance at the toys neatly arranged on the bed, I sauntered out to meet him.
“Are you sure you didn’t own a restaurant in a past life?” I asked, bumping him with my hip while I grabbed a plate. I thought about serving him, but we hadn’t discussed that level of D/s yet, so I only got food for myself.
“I’d go crazy in a restaurant, surrounded by people, everyone in a hurry. I couldn’t even do your job.” He was used to being his own boss; if he felt like working fourteen hours one day, he did. If he wanted to ride to the coast for the weekend, there was no one to stop him but his own deadlines.

Sales Links: Torquere
About the author:

T. Strange has been interested in BDSM for as long as she can remember. She and her wife were active participants in their local community for a number of years, but lately they’ve been focusing more on their own relationship. When not writing or being spanked, T. enjoys gardening, playing with her cats and other animals, and playing video games. She writes vanilla fiction under the same pen name.
Where to find the author:
Facebook
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
Blog
Other: Torquere Author page
Goodreads Book Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: B.S. Clay
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Payback by John Inman

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6004

 

paybackBlurb

When Tyler Powell’s life is torn apart by an unspeakable crime, the need for vengeance takes over. Every moment of every day, as he tries to pull his shattered existence together again, it’s all he can think about—revenge.

Will he give in to his rage and become the very thing he hates most? A killer?

Only with the help of Homicide Detective Christian Martin, the cop in charge of his case, does Tyler see the possibility of another life beginning—the astounding revelation of another love reaching out to him. A love he thought he would never know again.

Will he let that love into his life, or is he lost already? Is payback more important to Tyler than his own happiness? And the happiness of the man who loves him? Tyler is determined to find a way to exact his revenge without sacrificing all hope for a future with Christian, but it will be difficult—if not impossible—and in the end he might be forced to make an unbearable choice.

Review

This and books like Head On show the width and breadth of John Inman’s talents.  He can write crazy, fun, goofy stories like Serenading Stanley and then turn around and tear your heart out with stories like this.

Payback is the story of a man who loses his husband to gay bashing and then seeks retribution.  It is dark, and hard to read at times, but very, very good.

I highly suggest reading reviews ahead of time – there are a lot of triggers in this book, but if you want something to move you – give this book a try.

5 of 5 hearts

5

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Cherish and Blessed (Faith, Love & Devotion books 4 & 5) Audiobook by Tere Michaels Narrated by JP Handler

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6328&cPath=1235

Cherish&BlessedAUDMEDBlurb

2nd Edition Faith, Love, & Devotion: Books Four & Book Five

Cherished

After several years of happy coupledom, Matt and Evan can relax in the knowledge that their little family has survived the worst of it. The two older girls are away at college, the twins have yet to fully hit teen angst, Matt is doing well with his part time security consulting, and Evan is about to be promoted to captain—it seems like things are calm and bright.

Until they aren’t.

As the holidays approach, Evan and Matt get a shock no parent is ever prepared for: feisty Miranda, Evan’s eldest, has a new boyfriend, Kent, and they are talking marriage after just three months together. In fact, Miranda wants to bring him to Thanksgiving dinner—along with his parents, Blake and Cornelia.

Blessed

Lives are in transition as everyone gathers at the stunning Hamptons beach home of Daisy and Bennett to celebrate the christening of their new baby. Griffin and Jim—secretly growing tired of their rootless lifestyle—are in a rocky spot in their relationship. And as the godfather, Griffin finds himself yearning for something he’s sure Jim won’t be interested in.

Fatherhood.

Matt and Evan are looking to reconnect during the long weekend, as their respective careers pull them in separate directions. With less time spent together, Evan grows concerned about what will happen when the last two kids leave the nest.

1st Edition of Cherish published as an eBook by Loose Id LLC, November 2012.

Review

This is definitely not a stand-alone and is the fourth and fifth books combined in one edition.

In Cherished we see Matt dealing with parenthood as Evan’s daughter really puts everyone through the wringer. I loved the look into the couple as they navigate more of the everyday realities of being a unique family. The fact that Kent’s parents were more bothered by the guns than the gay was a great twist and I thought the whole storyline was well done.

In Blessed we see all four couples (Evan’s partner and her new husband, plus Daisy and her new baby along with Griff and Jim) at the Hamptons for Daisy’s baby’s christening.

Though Evan is still dealing with being promoted to captain and put in a position more for diplomacy rather than danger, he and Matt are just so damn cute and in love! Griff and Jim, however, are smoothing out some of the rough edges of their romance and this is a nice sequel to their story.

Something very interesting happened though at the end… it seems left open for another installment! I am hoping that with the re-release of the original stories and their audiobook debuts that we will see another (final?) installment giving our guys some even more permanent closure. (Hint, hint… a wedding perhaps???)

(Update! Looks like I was right! http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6330 Coming May 1st!)

Audio

JP Handler has narrated this entire series. I think he’s one of those narrators who will either strike you as being perfect or not so perfect.

I think he did a better job with this than some of the previous books. His voice modulation was a little more solid, less “warbling” and emotional.

I love this series so much and I think, once you get used to it, his narration is adequate.

Overall 4 of 5 hearts

4

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Rack and Ruin Audiobook by Charlie Cochet Narrated by Mark Westfield

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6303

Rack&RuinAUDMedBlurb

New York City’s streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly immerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice.

Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It’s up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn’t so random. There’s more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partnership is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relationship.

Review

Chaos in THIRDS land.

The Coalition has a mole from inside THIRDS and some Therian is killing humans. And if that isn’t enough, things inside THIRDS are in chaos as well.

Dex and Sloane are navigating their budding relationship. Sloane is trying to get the rest of his team to pull it together and leave personal business at home. Dex is trying to help Cael with his feelings for Ash. Letty and Rosa are … okay, they’re fine. Taylor is sexually harassing EVERYONE. The new guy Levi might be hooking up with Lou, and Dex has to plan for his pre-birthday-party-party. It’s a lot to deal with.

In this installment we get to see a lot of Sloane and Dex and most of it is really, deliciously, ooey and gooey. Sloane even purrs! (Wait til you read that part – so fantastic!) They seem solidly on the forward track until… well… Sloane runs … again. Dex inadvertently moves the relationship forward and Sloane isn’t prepared for it, so Sloane takes off for a bit, but eventually, with the help of Ash (of all Therians) figures out what a good thing he has in Dex.

The sex is super hot and Dex and Sloane as a couple are hilarious. (My favorite is the closet scene: “This isn’t what it looks like. I dropped some change, it rolled under the closet door, and when I went to pick it up, my clothes fell off. True story.”)

Ash has something going on in his life that is making him distance himself from Cael and Cael is heartbroken and making potentially fatal mistakes as a result.

When the dust settles and the bad guy (for the moment) is disposed of, we’re left with a cliff hanger. We’re going to have to wait til next YEAR to see what happens – that Charlie Cochet, she’s naughty!

Now, we can all probably guess the outcome, but in addition to the main worry, we also have to worry about Cael and Ash – will Ash ever figure things out and get it together enough to be with Cael?

And, really, what is going on with Calvin and Hobbs? Inquiring minds want to know.

Overall, this was a wonderful third installment to the THIRDS series and I really enjoyed it. There was lots of Therian shifting which I like, Sloane acting like a happy kitty, which I liked and some tricky spy stuff, which I like.

Audio

Mark Westfield narrates this entire series and I love his work.  I think it’s great how he augments the sound for microphone or telephone etc and his delivery is great.

5 of 5 hearts

5

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The Blinding Light Audiobook by Renae Kaye narrated by Jonathan Young

Dreamspinner Presents  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6315

BlindingLight[The]AUDMedBlurb

Jake Manning’s smart mouth frequently gets him into trouble. Because of it, he can’t hold a job. Combined with some bad luck, it’s prevented him from keeping steady employment. A huge debt looms over him, and alone he shoulders the care of his alcoholic mother and three younger sisters. When a housekeeping position opens, Jake’s so desperate he leaps at the opportunity. On landing, he finds his new boss, Patrick Stanford, a fussy, arrogant, rude… and blind man.

Born without sight, Patrick is used to being accommodated, but he’s met his match with Jake, who doesn’t take any of his crap and threatens to swap all the braille labels on his groceries and run off with his guide dog unless he behaves.

Jake gets a kick out of Patrick. Things are looking up: the girls are starting their own lives and his mum’s sobriety might stick this time. He’s sacrificed everything for his family; maybe it’s time for him to live his life and start a relationship with Patrick. When his mother needs him, guilt makes his choice between family and Patrick difficult, and Jake must realize he’s not alone anymore.

Review

This is the second book I have read by this author and I will definitely be looking for more. The setting is Australia, so you get a few funny words, but for the most part, the setting could be anywhere. Jake is a young man who is a little bit too perfect but in a way that is so funny and sweet, you can’t help but forgive him for that.

Patrick is fantastic. Curmudgeonly and surly at first, only to be completely turned around when his sh*t is thrown back in his face by the mouthy Jake.

It’s almost a Cinderella story in that Patrick has so much money and Jake is dirt poor, but since Patrick is blind – the inequality isn’t quite so profound. You really get the idea that the two do have something to offer one another and that makes the disparity more tolerable.

Jake’s friends and family are funny and well rounded as characters who add to the story without really detracting from the main thread.

There was an appropriate amount of smexy scenes, not overwhelming and those that were there were definitely hot.

The ending kind of came from left field, but in a way I really liked it. Sometimes life does throw you a curve ball and you have to take what you get when you get it.

I also liked how the two resolved the issue of money between the two of them. It might not be the most romantic way to do it, but it’s a realistic approach to a sensitive, relationship-breaking subject.

Overall I really liked it and would recommend it to anyone in search of a sweet, light read.

Audio

Jonathan Young did another wonderful job with this narration.  I loved the emotion he uses and the way his accent doesn’t overwhelm the story.

Overall 5 of 5 hearts

5

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The Price by Andrew Grey

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6276

Price[The]Blurb

Hunter Wolf is a highly paid Las Vegas escort with a face and body that have men salivating and paying a great deal for him to fulfill their fantasies. He keeps his own fantasies to himself, not that they matter.

Grant is an elementary-school teacher who works miracles with his summer school students. He discovered his gift while in high school, tutoring Hunter, a fellow student. They meet again when Hunter rescues Grant in a club. Grant doesn’t know Hunter is an escort or that they share similarly painful pasts involving family members’ substance abuse.

After the meeting, Hunter invites Grant to one of the finest restaurants in Las Vegas. Hunter is charming, sexy, and gracious, and Grant is intrigued. With more in common than they realized, the two men decide to give a relationship a try. At first, Grant believes he can deal with Hunter’s profession and accepts that Hunter will be faithful with his heart if not his body. Both men find their feelings run deeper than either imagined. For Grant, it’s harder than he thought to accept Hunter’s occupation, and Hunter’s feelings for Grant now make work nearly impossible. But Hunter’s choice of profession comes with a price, which could involve Grant’s job and their hearts—a price that might be too high for either of them to pay

Review

Basically Hunter and Grant knew each other in high school and are re-connecting again. Hunter doesn’t believe in love and Grant is the optimist. After a little bit of struggle, the couple realizes that Hunter can’t keep his current job and have the relationship he wants with Grant – so they split until it becomes clear that love is more important.

Andrew Grey always delivers solidly in the writing department and he does a nice job here of incorporating back-stories of alcoholism into the current relationship. I liked that Grant was able to identify that the father he knew as a child and the father he knows now are different people and that’s okay.

I really liked Grant and thought Hunter’s friends will make a nice new series if it goes that way.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Lost Along the Way by Marie Sexton

Dreampsinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6261

LostAlongtheWayBlurb

Three months after losing his parents in a car crash, Denver weatherman Daniel Whitaker returns to Laramie, Wyoming. It’s bad enough dealing with the death of his parents and his failing relationship of fifteen years, but when he finds his childhood home full of clutter, Daniel is at a loss. He enlists Landon, his parents’ sexy neighbor, to help him sort through the mess. Landon Kushner is a study in contradictions. He builds wind sculptures out of scrap metal and loves the outdoors, but he also rides a mint-green Vespa and has an affinity for knitting and fortune-telling. He’s been friends with Daniel’s parents for years, and he’s more than willing to lend a hand.

Their plan is simple: clean the house so Daniel can sell it and get back to his life in Denver. But when a strange cookbook comes into Landon’s possession, Daniel begins to realize that the universe – and Granny B – may have other plans.

Review

This is not what I had been expecting! You should know that ¾ of this book sees Daniel in another relationship (with Chase) and slowly moving out of said relationship. Landon is there throughout and is slowly falling for Daniel and vice versa, but most of the story is Daniel’s relationship with his family and his lover of 15 years.

I really like Marie Sexton and her writing style so this was an easy read for me. Having grown up in Colorado and living in Ft Collins for years it was like a reunion for me. However, what I really liked was that she is able to take what could have been a crippling realization – Chase doesn’t love me anymore and I gave up my family for him – and turned it into a growth opportunity and so much more.
I loved Landon’s character and wish we had seen more of the couple as a couple – but it was still a very satisfying love story.

5 of 5 hearts

5

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Bolt Hole Audiobook by Amy Lane Narrated by Nick J Russo

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5485

BoltHoleAUDMedBlurb

Terrell Washington’s childhood was a trifecta of suck: being black, gay, and poor in America has no upside. Terrell climbed his way out of the hood only to hit a glass ceiling and stop, frozen, a chain restaurant bartender with a journalism degree. His one bright spot is Colby Meyers, a coworker who has no fear, no inhibitions, and sees no boundaries. Terrell and Colby spend their summers at the river and their breaks on the back dock of Papiano’s. As terrified as Terrell is of coming out, he’s helpless to stay away from Colby’s magnetic smile and contagious laughter.

But Colby is out of college now, and he has grand plans for the future—plans Terrell is sure will leave his scrawny black ass in the Sacramento dust until a breathless moment stolen from the chaos of the restaurant tells Terrell he might be wrong. When the moment is shattered by a mystery and an act of violence, Terrell and Colby are left with two puzzles: who killed their scumbag manager, and how to fit their own lives—the black and the white of them—into a single shining tomorrow.

Review
(From Previous Site)

Terrell is a journalist who can’t get a job in his chosen profession because of his race. He works at a restaurant as a bar tender, he’s angry, he’s lonely and he can’t see anything but bleakness for the future of a gay man from the ‘hood who can’t possibly be “out”.

Then one day a sociology major named Colby starts working at Terrell’s restaurant and now, suddenly, there seems to be hope on the horizon. Colby is everything Terrell isn’t, he’s out, he’s white, he’s optimistic, he is a bright and shiny star.

Turns out that Terrell is everything Colby ever wanted in a man and Colby wages a slow but steady courtship of Terrell over the course of a year, gradually reeling in his prize.

In the meantime there is some drama at the restaurant that puts Terrell, Colby and their friends in danger, and it takes several acts of heroism for Terrell to see that Colby is worth breaking out of the closet for.

Amy Lane – queen of Angst – packs a punch with this one. It is not her most “angsty” story but – wow! – does it have its fair share. There is something so rewarding in watching Terrell slowly unfold, like a flower facing the sun under the bright light that is Colby. Colby has had it easy, but he takes nothing for granted. It could only be someone so essentially good that could show Terrell’s there is more to life than pain and suffering and show him the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Their love is intense, and their sex scenes are absolutely scorching. The side “mystery” is well woven into the love story and helps to shape the characters without detracting from their romance.

I loved Moira and though Percy is kinda an a-hole, he has his moments, too. I also thought that though Gi-Gi is not a person anyone would really want to emulate, Terrell was able to see that she did, perhaps, save his life, even though we abhor her methods.

In the audio version Nick J Russo (who also did Racing the Sun) does an amazing job with Terrell’s voice and really excels at the kid-from-the-wrong-side of the track narrations. I really like his narration style and enjoy the quality and tone of his voice.

I highly recommend both the book and the audio version and give both a 5 out of 5 hearts.

5

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Yes by Brad Boney

Dreamspinner Presents  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6162

yesBlurb

What if youth wasn’t wasted on the young?

On the eve of his fortieth birthday, Ian Parker is looking for a reboot. He may be the proud owner of a trendy coffee shop in Austin called La Tazza Magica, but his love life has been MIA for years. During a trip to Denver with his best friend, Mark, Ian buys an enchanted chocolate from a mysterious candy store—then wakes up from a nap two decades younger. After the initial shock, Ian realizes a quirk of the universe has given him a second chance and, with Mark’s help, he devises a plan to start over.

With a new lease on life, Ian sets his sights on handsome architect Bartley James, a regular customer at La Tazza. He pursues Bartley as Ian’s twenty-one-year-old alter ego, Ryan, with decidedly unexpected results. Joining Ryan on his adventures are Matthew, the dreamy new barista, Jeremy, the geeky high-school math teacher, and Sam, the pizza delivery boy. Even as misunderstandings and expectations collide, Ian remains determined to right his past mistakes and find his off-ramp to happiness.

Review

I would strongly recommend that you read these books in order to fully appreciate the nuances. Brad does an amazing job of creating this “alternate” world with the Walsh brothers and laying out that time is very non-linear and to ignore all that history is silly.

Sure, technically this is a stand alone – but why? Just read the others – they’re great!

In this story we see – again – people making small decisions that have huge implications which can affect their lives (and other’s lives) and lots and lots of trivia.

I think that you are either a fan of the trivia – in this case old porn – or not – and the rapid-fire game-playing will either charm or repel you.

I find Brad Boney’s writing to be fascinating and I love his alternate world-view and though I wish he’d had a different game plan – one where our MCs spend some actual time together – I always enjoy the time I spend on his books.

This was not my favorite in the series – but still an excellent book.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Food For Thought by Amy Lane

From Dreamspinner:FoodForThought

Emmett Gant was planning to tell his father something really important one Sunday morning—but his father passed away first. Now, nearly three years later, Emmett can’t seem to clear up who he should be with—the girl with the apple cheeks and the awesome family, or his snarky neighbor, Keegan, who never sees his family but who makes Emmett really happy just by coming over to chat.

Emmett needs clarity.

Fortunately for Emmett, his best friend’s mom has a cookbook that promises to give Emmett insight and good food, and Emmett is intrigued. After the cookbook follows him home, Emmett and Keegan decide to make the recipe “For Clarity,” and what ensues is both very clear—and a little surprising, especially to Emmett’s girlfriend. Emmett is going to have to think hard about his past and the really important thing he forgot to tell his father if he wants to get the recipe for love just right.

Marieke’s thoughts:

Emmett is dating a girl, a sweet, good looking girl that wants a serious relationship, just like Emmett does. She has the perfect family, and Emmett wants it all. Family is everything to Emmett, as he doesn’t have one of his own. He’s always been alone with his dad, who loved him but didn’t know how to communicate it. His best friend Vinnie–– who’s family lived next door to him when he was a kid–– is his substitute family. Vinnie’s mom is the only mom he’s ever had, and she sees him as one of her own kids. That’s why she gives him a mysterious cookbook after one of their family gatherings.

That day Vinnie and his mom both try to talk to Emmett about his girlfriend, and about how he never seems to look like a man in love. They hint about knowing he might have feelings for men, and it scares the hell out of Emmett. If he’s gay, he’ll never have the big family he craves.

Keegan is his neighbor, and a good friend. They hang out all the time, and Emmett can’t seem to put his girlfriend before Keegan, who’s openly gay. With a little help of the magical cookbook, Emmett finds clarity, but so does Keegan.

I have to say, this was the first time I read an Amy Lane book that didn’t blow me away. The plot idea was good, but the way it was worked out, wasn’t. It all felt very stilted and too unnatural. It just didn’t flow. Emmett wasn’t as likeable as I like my main characters. Keegan is great, but his role is too predictable.

Vinnie’s family is awesome but they too have only a small role in the story. They probably have a huge role in Emmett’s life though, so I kind of missed that part. And in the end it all happened just a little bit too easy and too fast. It could’ve been amazing, but now it was just so-so. I was very disappointed as I am an Amy fan, but I can’t give it more than three stars. It’s not a bad story, but it’s not great either. For a light read before bed it’s perfect, but not exciting.

Rating: 3

 

Morgan’s Thoughts

As usual Amy made me tear up when I read about the death of Emmett’s dad… God – this was supposed to be a light sweet book! Damn you Amy (shaking fist!).

But… of course that helps us to buy into Emmett’s lies and betrayals.

I loved the cooking part and the paranormal aspect to the receiving of said book… In general I’m digging this series as a whole.

Another win for the Queen of Angst!

5