Category: New Adult

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Fire Horse (Polo #1) Audiobook by Mickie B Ashling Narrated by Max Lehnen

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6147

fire horseBlurb

Preston Fawkes is ten the first time he meets fifteen-year-old Konrad Schnell at the San Antonio Polo Club. Captivated by the mystique surrounding the sport of kings, Pres vows to learn the game at the hands of his newly acquired friend and mentor. The hero worship soon grows into something deeper, but the friends are separated when Preston goes off to boarding school in England.

The relationship that follows is riddled with challenges―their age gap, physical distance, and parental pressure taking precedence over feelings yet to be explored. Although their bond goes deep, they deal with the reality of their situation differently: Preston is open and fearless while Konrad is reticent and all too aware of the social implications of making a public stand.

Their paths intersect and twine, binding them as tightly as a cowboy’s lasso, but fate may alter their plans. How will love overcome the divots in the turf as they gallop toward the future—one where obstacles no longer stand in their way?

Review
This book starts with Preston as an injured Polo player being told he should never play again and he’s lucky to be alive. We know he has 2 ex-wives and 2 children, and that Kon is NOT in his life, currently. (This should give you an idea of where things are headed…) Then we get to the flashbacks which take up the bulk of the book.

As a boy of ten Preston meets Konrad, a boy of 15, for the first time and learns from him what it means to be a Polo player. He acts as his groom and Kon mentors him in the sport.

Preston’s hero worship of Kon changes on the night he realizes that Kon is gay and that the feelings in his gut may be more than just friendship. Kon, as he should, rebuffs the now 13 year old’s advances.  He puts him off because a) he’s too young and b) the two are about to be separated by Kon’s joining the American Polo team and Preston’s going overseas to study.  But first the two share a passionate kiss.

Preston meets Ned at Eaton, a boarding school in England. Ned shows Preston how to be properly English and Preston gives Ned Polo lessons. After a while, Ned  becomes Preston’s tutor in gay sex as well as his close friend.

Preston and Ned don’t become boyfriends though, because Preston is saving that for Kon, whom he stays in touch with and occasionally meets.

Finally, when Preston is 17 he and Kon spend a chunk of time together and move their relationship forward, becoming lovers and long-distance boyfriends.

Here is where things go horribly wrong. Their relationship is discovered and Kon is forced to join the military and …. Well if I tell you it’s a big spoiler. Needless to say what happens next keeps Kon and Pres apart until the end of the story and for YEARS.

**
I really, really wanted to like this. I loved the idea. Polo, young love, age gap, geographical gap… It had a ton of potential.

The pre-eighteen year old sex did not bother me – that’s reality for a lot of people and I thought it was mostly handled well.

What did bother me: Kon never really seemed to love Pres as much as Pres loved him. Kon seemed to lust for Preston, but not love him. Preston was a jerk, and hard to like, so I don’t blame Kon. As an adult, Pres only gets worse.

The plot twists were far too many and too hard to believe. At times it was like a soap opera in the way that the lovers were kept from one another – for YEARS. If we have that much angst I need a huge batch of happy to make up for it and the reunion at the end did NOT make up for all the unhappiness. After all the torment we see our MCs through, they get about one paragraph of happy ending and the “celibacy issue”… I just didn’t buy it at all.

I did not like the on-page sex with people not the MC. That, more than the age thing, did really bother me.

I thought the writing was ok, but I didn’t feel a lot of authenticity from the characters. Preston’s dad was practically bi-polar (smacking Preston around then giving him a new pony.) Preston’s step-dad just going out and renting his 16 year old son porn seemed nuts. Preston’s mom even marrying Preston’s dad didn’t make much sense. Ned – putting up with Preston’s crap for so long.  And there are other areas where it didn’t feel real.

I just couldn’t connect well to either MC very well, thought the plot holes were too big to ignore and found the romance lacking.  If you are a fan of drama, you might like this.  There is a LOT of it.  If you want a tender and satisfying, relationship story, this is not for you.

Audiobook
Max Lehnen is hit or miss for me. I have heard him do some nice narrations, and I have heard him butcher some. In this case he had some tall orders. He had to do a wide range of ages, including aging the MCs from 10 to adult. He had several accents to do, Texan, British, and Preston’s odd British/Texas blend, women, kids, etc. I thought for the most part he did a great job handling such a demanding narration, though some of his accents were definitely better than others.

I give Max Lehnen 4 of hearts and the story 1 of 5 hearts which gives this an average of 2.5 hearts

2.5

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Fire Inside Audiobook by Dawn Douglas Narrated by Randy Fuller

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6202

fire insideBlurb

After ten years as an active duty Marine, Captain Eric Ramos is rejoining civilian life. His first job is chauffeuring, assisting, and generally keeping track of NBA young gun Tyler Haley. Tyler’s had a rough few months, and his team owner is convinced he needs some hand-holding if he’s going to keep delivering wins for the St. Louis Fire Foxes.

Instead of the arrogant, over-privileged athlete Eric expected, Tyler is a big, blond, lonely twenty-three-year-old who needs more than just an employee to keep him in line. While taking care of Tyler, Eric changes from employee to friend, to something more. And when Eric realizes that something is burning the kid up from the inside out, he’s determined to find a way to help him before Tyler’s carefully constructed façade turns to ash.

Review

Tyler is a very, very young star basketball player who was recruited out of HIGH SCHOOL to play pro ball. He’s scared. He’s conflicted. He’s also gay.

Eric was hired because he’s gay. Tyler’s manager wants Tyler safe and so far all the staff either uses Tyler for his connections, his money, or his access to sex. Eric is seen as being immune to all that based on his past history and his indifference to the female form.

Eric is immediately attracted, both physically and emotionally to Tyler. He sees Tyler as a kid brother at first: needy, shy, naïve, innocent. When Eric begins to suspect Tyler might swing his way he’s conflicted about those feelings. He doesn’t want to take advantage of the guy but he’s also developed some serious feelings for him that go more than skin deep.

Tyler has had some super-bad experiences in h is past that make his life rituals important, and one night the team loses it’s winning streak, forcing Tyler to do something he hates, but feels is necessary to bring the team back to winning. It’s superstitious and awful, and it almost breaks him.

Luckily Eric is there to pick up the pieces and together they finally admit their attraction and begin to act upon it.

**
If you had asked me to rate this story at about the 50% mark I’d have given it 5 hearts, easily. It is so amazingly engaging. Dawn Douglas has created the perfect innocent paired with the toughest Alpha male and the sexual tension between them was both believable and hot. The separation between them was authentic and you questioned Tyler’s sexuality right along with Eric throughout most of the book. (Is he gay and closeted? Is he in denial? is he gay for Eric?… it was hard to tell!) The basketball stuff was a little unbelievable, but interesting and acted as a nice background for the romance to develop against.

I absolutely detested Tyler’s past (as I was supposed to) and felt wretched for how it affected him. I so wanted Eric to help him move through his fear and pain and know what real love is.

Without spoiling things for you, they do get together… in the last few paragraphs of the book. All that sexual tension is released with a few groping sessions and lots of tears and no resolution, let me say it again, absolutely NO resolution.  Eric does not get to help Tyler get through this, we can hope he might one day, but we are left without only hope.

The book/story just ends. POW.

I was flummoxed! Then pissed!

The story was so, so good and then it just ended… like the bell rang and the author had to turn her paper in at the end of class.

Since I was listening to the audio book I had to check to make sure I had the full story and that there wasn’t some technical error.

What I found was that, no, this is the entirety of the story, but that the ebook had this included as an epilogue/author’s note:

“I LOVE short stories. Not that novels aren’t wonderful, but there’s something special about being able to say everything you need to in a limited number of pages. And my favorite short story, bar none, is Frank R. Stockton’s The Lady, or the Tiger?
If you ask me when I’m irritated with my husband, stuck in traffic, or generally having a bad day, I’m pretty sure a tiger came out of the door to the right at the end of the story. When I’m in a better mood, a lady came out of the door, and the hero rode off into the sunset with his prize. I like the fact that the ambiguity of a short story leaves room for imagination.
In this novella, Tyler has some very serious history to address. Instead of turning what I had always intended to be a novella into a novel and exploring psychological issues that are far above my pay grade, leaving these particular characters with some ambiguity, with a happily for now, felt like the right thing to do.
That said, I’m the author, right? I created them, which means I’m allowed to suspend reality if I want to…
So in my mind, the real end to Tyler and Ram’s story goes something like this:
Tyler and Ram both found excellent counselors. The Fire Foxes won four successive NBA Championships. Tyler came out. The universe said, “Huh,” and moved on with life. Ram got his master’s degree from Wash U, went into politics, and changed the world. They got married, adopted baseball crazy twin boys, and were frequent guests on “Real Time with Bill Mahr.” And they lived happily ever after for the rest of their days.
The End.”

So, yeah. The author tells us that since this is her story she can end it however she wants and that in her mind the couple ends up with a HEA but she doesn’t owe her audience the actual WRITING of the HEA.

Without this author’s note, I would barely call it a HFN (Happy for now).

Needless to say, this did not sit well with me and it definitely affected my rating of the book.
I had really loved this story up until the (NOT) ending and was so, so disappointed at where it left off.

Audio
Randy Fuller is not my favorite narrator, but he does a fairly nice job with the narration. I enjoyed his voice choice for Eric, but felt that Tyler sounded a bit too old and not enough different from Eric.

All in all I can’t really recommend this book or audiobook because I wouldn’t want to inflict the frustration I felt on anyone else.

I give it a 2.5 of 5 hearts simply because Randy did a nice job and the writing was good up until the end, but the overall story/enjoyment really wasn’t there and I wouldn’t recommend it at all.

2.5

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Signs by Anna Martin

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6171
signsBlurb

After spending most of his life in special schools, Caleb Stone now faces public high school in his senior year, a prospect that both excites him and threatens to overwhelm his social anxiety. As a deaf teenager, he’s closed himself off to the world. He speaks a shorthand with his parents and even finds it hard to use American Sign Language with people in his local deaf community. But Caleb finds comfort in his love of photography. Everything he can’t express in real life, he posts on his Tumblr.

Struggling to reconcile his resentment for his father’s cruelty with the grief of losing a parent, Luc Le Bautillier scrolls through Tumblr searching for someone who might understand his goth look and effeminate nature. When Luc reblogs a photo by Caleb, sparking a conversation, they both find it easier to make friends online than in person.

Luc and Caleb confront their fears about the opinions of the outside world to meet in New York City. Despite Caleb’s increasing confidence, his parents worry he’s not ready for the trials ahead. But communication comes in many forms—when you learn the signs.

Review

Caleb is a deaf, high school photography enthusiast who only wants to be normal. His past has made him a misfit in the deaf world and his present makes him a misfit in the hearing world. He is an amazingly hard worker and doesn’t realize how lonely he is.

Luc is a Goth teenager living in Manhattan. He’s surrounded by people who don’t understand him and only has a handful of people who truly care about him.

Both boys are looking for high school to end and yet both really couldn’t want more different things from life. Luc likes attention and hates the East Coast. His mother really isn’t… there and his sister is the person who he looks to for love and support. Caleb is an only child who is close with his parents but only wants to blend in and be invisible and can’t wait to move to NY.

When Luc sees a picture taken by Caleb online he is instantly attracted to it and the boy behind the art. They make a long distance, electronic connection that eventually leads to video chats, multiple daily texts and emails and finally an in-person meeting.

Though neither boy is “out” and neither has ever had a boyfriend (or girlfriend) they know that they are interested in the other “that way”.

From this point forward the boys move their long distance relationship along, growing closer and closer, spending more and more time together, both emotionally and physically.

When Luc needs a shoulder to cry on it’s Caleb he seeks out. When Caleb gets disappointing news, Luc is the one who can bring him out of his funk.

Finally, high school is over, Caleb is scheduled for an important surgery and college can be the next thing the boys tackle… together.

**

Wow! This is an amazing book. It is so simple in its premise: boy meets boy, boy kisses boy, boy falls in love with boy, HEA. But… each MC is so richly drawn and carefully constructed that the simple story only showcases the complexity of its characters.

The boys live polar opposite lives, but somehow have similar experiences of isolation and loneliness. They want their parents approval but don’t necessarily NEED it. They both love and hate their peer group and want to be their own true selves.

Though there are moments of tension, most of this story is a really slowly blossoming love story and coming of age story in one. Both boys grow and change and seem to fit better in their own skin by having known the other.

I have no idea if there is a part two, but there should be! When we leave both boys are really on the cusp of manhood and though you know their love is deep and abiding, I would love to see what happens to them on their own, with their new lease on life.

Anna Martin writes so smoothly that the story flows without effort and you are sucked into the lives of Caleb and Luc instantly, from page one.

I loved how the back story for each boy was never completely, fully explained, but dribbled out as the other learned it, in a very organic and real way. I really want to know what happened to Caleb to make him stop speaking and why Luc has nightmares, so I hope there is more to come for these boys.

The sexy times were sweet and tender and totally age appropriate, and though the story line is YA I think anyone would appreciate their story. Sex plays a role, but not the central role.

I can’t praise this high enough! 6 of 5 hearts!

amazing

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PS Isn’t the cover so beautiful?!

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A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate (A Beings In Love story) by R. Cooper

From DreamspinnerBeginnersGuidetoWooingYourMate[A]:

Zeki Janowitz has returned to his hometown of Wolf’s Paw to start his wizarding career. Unfortunately, Wolf’s Paw, a werewolf refuge, follows centuries of tradition and shuns human magic and a very human Zeki. He knows he’s in for a struggle, but a part of him has always belonged in the mountain town, or rather belonged to Theo Greenleaf. Years away at school haven’t lessened Zeki’s crush on the quiet werewolf. When town gossip informs him Theo still suffers from his mate’s rejection and does not date, it does little to ease Zeki’s embarrassing feelings. He decides now’s the time to get the man he’s always wanted.

Werewolves usually don’t recover from losing their mates, and Theo barely pulled through by focusing on his love of baking. It’s a daily struggle, and Zeki’s return to Wolf’s Paw shatters his peace. Theo doesn’t know what to think when Zeki attempts to woo him, talking about his wizarding business and settling in town for good. It’s like Zeki doesn’t have a clue how his words years before left Theo a shell of a werewolf.

Beginners in love, Theo and Zeki must seduce each other with a bit of heavenly baking and magic.

Marieke’s thoughts:

In the beginning of the story Zeki is not filled with a lot of confidence in himself. He knows he’s good at witchcraft, but his personality and looks have never been appreciated by the residents of Wolf’s Paw. The fact that he has magic is even more detested––or so he thinks. But during the story, Zeki meets some new people who don’t treat him badly, and don’t have problems with his magic. This makes him more self confident, which is great to read.

Zeki has no idea he’s the mate evil mate that rejected Theo, who everyone is talking about. In fact, he’s just as mad at the bloke as they are. So he tries to overcome his secret crush that makes him babble on and on, hoping to give Theo some comfort and friendship. Zeki has no clue why people suddenly start treating him as if he’s done a terrible deed again after he tells them the story of the one and only conversation between him and Theo in high school.

To be honest, Zeki was so clueless when it came to the mates stuff, I wanted to slap him. But I guess sometimes you close your eyes to the things that are too painful, or you keep thinking in circles and don’t see what’s right in front of you. That’s the only thing that kept me from being annoyed with Zeki in the second part of the book.

The first part of this story was very intense. I kept reading even when I really had to go to the bathroom, I kept putting it off because I didn’t want to stop reading. But the middle part got a bit confusing for me. The sentences became a bit chaotic, or they seemed to be for me at least. Zeki’s thoughts didn’t make a 100% sense anymore, but I got the gist of the things. He had so many conflicting thoughts, yet they all were kind of the same thing.
Anyhow, this was only a small part of the book and didn’t take away from the fact that the third book in this series is another hit for me. The third part of the book was another intensely emotional and romantic read. Zeki found out he was Theo’s mate and has a bit of a melt down. He takes some time for himself to think, while Theo tries to be patient and keep hope.

The bits where we read Theo’s POV are so sweet and endearing, I just want to hug him to pieces. The guy is so kindhearted and gentle, almost like a big teddy bear dressed as a wolf. His best friend is super funny, and his colleagues at the fire station are funny, a bit like Neanderthals when it comes to relationships, but caring nonetheless.

To make a long story short, this is a wonderful book. The middle was a bit out of my league (maybe because English isn’t my first language) but the ending was very satisfying. This series is one of my favorites, and I keep re-reading them.

Rating: 4.5

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Murder on the Mountain Audiobook by Jamie Fessenden Narrated by Cliff Bergen

Dreamspinner Presents:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6102

murder mountainBlurb

When Jesse Morales, a recent college grad who aspires to be a mystery writer, volunteers to work on the summit of Mt. Washington for a week, he expects to work hard. What he doesn’t expect is to find a corpse in the fog, lying among the rocks, his head crushed. The dead man turns out to be a young tourist named Stuart Warren, who strayed from his friends while visiting the mountain.

Kyle Dubois, a widowed state police detective, is called to the scene in the middle of the night, along with his partner, Wesley Roberts. Kyle and Jesse are instantly drawn to one another, except Jesse’s fascination with murder mysteries makes it difficult for Kyle to take the young man seriously. But Jesse finds a way to make himself invaluable to the detective by checking into the hotel where the victim’s friends and family are staying and infiltrating their circle. Soon, he is learning things that could very well solve the case—or get him killed.

Review

Jesse finds himself in the right place at the wrong time and is suddenly embroiled in a murder mystery. His desire to solve the crime is rivaled by his attraction to the somewhat older detective on the case, Kyle Dubois.

Kyle, a bi-sexual who has only ever been with a woman, is immediately attracted to Jesse, but dismisses him due to his age.

Stuart is dead and pretty much everyone is a suspect. With Jesse’s help (Kyle reluctantly allows him to be part of the investigation) they manage to solve the crime, but not before Jesse is almost killed and Kyle has to admit his lust for Jesse might be more like love.

**

I admit right up front that this is not my typical book. I really like Jamie Fessenden’s writing style and have enjoyed previous works by the author, but I’m not a mystery fan. I like more romance than whodunit and this is definitely the latter.

As a result, my enjoyment of this book was less than it would be if you were setting out to enjoy a mystery with a bit of romance thrown in. Which is what this book is.

However, there were parts I adored. I absolutely loved Kyle’s exploration into gay sex and Jesse’s handling of the entire situation. I thought Kyle’s partner was a riot and the ease with which he accepted Kyle’s new love interest was fantastic.

I didn’t love the mystery and grew tired of the scenes with the “frat boys” involved in Stuart’s life.

If mystery is more your thing I think you will really enjoy this book, but if you are looking for a more “romance focused” book, you might want to take a pass.

Audio

Cliff Bergen is a new narrator to me and I thought he did a nice job with the narration. His vaguely East Coast accent fit the story well and it really seemed to fit the grumpy detective. I think my overall enjoyment of the book was enhanced by listening to the story and I’d look for him in the future.

Writing/Editing 4

Romance 2

Sex/Heat  4

Storyline 4

World Building/Characterizations 4

Audio 4

 

3.6 of 5 hearts

3.5

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Karen Stivali Moment of Truth Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway

MomentofTruth large cover (1) (1)

Collin expected to spend another summer fixing cars and working at the college pizzeria. Instead, he’s living in a beach house on Fire Island, waiting tables at a hip seaside restaurant and, for the first time since he and Tanner got together, they can publicly be known as boyfriends. Being “out” takes some getting used to, but with the help of new and old friends, Collin is happier than he ever imagined. And more in love. But newfound freedom brings unexpected challenges, and when friends get flirty, old insecurities arise. Moments of doubt and jealousy threaten their happiness, and Collin and Tanner must confront the truth or risk losing it all.

Excerpt:
His smile twitched as he started up the next staircase. The last one. The one that led to our room and nowhere else. My hearth hammered hard and fast, and not from stair climbing. I needed to touch Tanner, soon, or every part of my body from my brain to my balls was going to simultaneously combust.
Tanner pushed our door open with exaggerated care and stepped inside. Jesus, is he trying to make me crazy? All I want is to….
My back slammed against the wall, and before I could complete my thought, Tanner’s mouth was on mine. The kiss was savage, tongue hot and heavy against mine, cock hot and heavy against mine. Even through our shorts, I could feel how ready he was. My head swam.
Desperate for more, I grabbed on to him, rolling us toward the door and kicking it shut. Tanner let out a grunt as I pressed him against the hard wood. Could anyone hear us? I didn’t care. I just needed this. Tanner. Now.
As soon as I shoved his T-shirt up his ribs, he yanked it off and tossed it aside. Warm smooth skin greeted my fingertips, filling my nose with his scent. God, I missed this. My mouth returned to his, tongues dueling as my hands fumbled with his fly. I couldn’t stop rubbing against him enough to get the zipper down. Tanner grabbed my ass, crushing his cock alongside mine, humping against me with enough intensity I had to force myself not to come.
I didn’t want that. Not yet. Not standing against the door when that crazy big bed was only feet away. As if he read my mind, Tanner shoved me backward, taking advantage of the moment our bodies parted to strip off his shorts. I tugged off my shirt, and before I could launch it across the room, Tanner had my shorts undone and down. Kicking them away put me off-balance, and Tanner steadied me with one hand clutching the back of my neck and the other wrapped around my cock.
Whimpers echoed through the room. My whimpers. His thumb slicked over my swollen head, round and round in circles that left me dizzy and panting.
“Let’s try out the bed.” Tanner’s voice was low and thick. I’d have said yes to anything he asked with that voice.
I couldn’t actually say a word, so I nodded and pulled us down onto the mattress. Holy Jesus. Soft cool sheets, warm hard body, wet velvety tongue. Heaven. Fire Island was heaven.
Pages or Words: 150 pages

Buy:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Stivali/e/B005KWSFGO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_2
AmazonUK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Karen-Stivali/e/B005KWSFGO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
AmazonCA: http://www.amazon.ca/Moment-Impact-Moments-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B00RO1Z6ZC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422304920&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/karen-stivali?store=allproducts&keyword=karen+stivali
All Romance E-books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-momentofimpact-1700287-340.html
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/karen-stivali

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Author Bio: 

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She’s also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love…like real life, only hotter.
Karen’s lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen’s novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex—all the best things in life.
When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don’t hesitate to contact/follow/like her at the links below.

Where to find the author:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenstivali
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenstivali
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karenstivali/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5170527.Karen_Stivali
Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/KarenStivali
Blog: http://karenstivali.com

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Moment of Truth (Moments in Time #2) by Karen Stivali

Dreamspinner Presents:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6066

moment truthBlurb

Collin expected to spend another summer fixing cars and working at the college pizzeria. Instead, he’s living in a beach house on Fire Island, waiting tables at a hip seaside restaurant and, for the first time since he and Tanner got together, they can publicly be known as boyfriends. Being “out” takes some getting used to, but with the help of new and old friends, Collin is happier than he ever imagined. And more in love. But newfound freedom brings unexpected challenges, and when friends get flirty, old insecurities arise. Moments of doubt and jealousy threaten their happiness, and Collin and Tanner must confront the truth or risk losing it all.

Review
We met both Collin and Tanner at school where they went from friends to lovers and Collin faced the monumental task of coming out to his ultra conservative family. Now it’s summer and Collin and Tanner are together for the summer on Fire Island and finally enjoying being an “out and proud” couple. But…

Wendy and Maggie are two women from Tanner’s past that are currently still causing trouble for the couple. And there are yet more women Tanner meets at work that pokes every jealous bone in Collin and makes him feel insecure. Finally, there is a guy at work hitting on Collin and when he makes his move, Tanner is there to witness it.

**

I really, really like Karen Stivali’s writing. It’s engaging, erotic, and believable. I really like Collin as a character and his relationship with Tanner is both tender and erotic. I was delighted that they boys got to move their relationship further both emotionally and physically and am psyched to see Collin embracing being gay more and more fully.

What I really didn’t like was the teen-agey angst and drama being played out in the beach house. I particularly didn’t like Maggie and Wendy and their contribution to the story.

I know that when a story like this is broken down into parts rather than being served up as an entire novel each “section” has to have it’s own hurdles and problems. What I hope for is that each section will be an evolution in the relationship and not a recurring battle of “will this relationship work?”. I think that Collin’s virginity, his newness to being out, his battle with his conservative up-bringing and his newness to being a “boyfriend” could have provided enough conflict to move the story forward without throwing in a potential relationship-ending episode of almost cheating that we see with Jason.

I was grateful that the episode with Jason is brief and quickly resolved and I sincerely hope the next installment will focus more on making the relationship work rather than questioning whether it should be a relationship at all.

I will definitely read part three as I am totally captivated by their story and I do recommend this book and the series, even though it was painful to see the boys in so much pain.

Writing/Editing 5
Romance 4
Sex/Heat 5
Storyline 3
World Building/Characterizations 5

4.4 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Return To The Mountain Audiobook (The Mountains Book 5) by PD Singer Narrated by Finn Sterling

Dreamspinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6114

return mountainBlurb

Caddy Gary Richardson hungers for the lush life of the wealthy golfers he escorts around the course at Wapiti Creek. The contrast between his tiny trailer at the edge of a mountain town and the luxurious ski and golf resort is something he’s learned to live with but not like. Gary wants the fancy condo and late-model car not just for himself but for his childhood friend turned lover, Seth Morgan. He’d settle for security for the two of them, but even that seems out of reach.
Seth is content with Gary and enough spare cash for greens fees at municipal golf courses. Going pro is beyond his means, even if he plays well enough to win on the championship resort courses. Gary would do anything to fulfill Seth’s dreams, even things he’d rather keep to himself. When an unheard of opportunity knocks, Gary can answer or resign himself to living on tips from affluent tourists.
But Seth can’t live with that answer when it means his trust has been betrayed. He has to let go and hope the man he loves will find his way home.
Review

Gary and Seth are high school friends turned lovers. Gary had an exceptionally sucky childhood with an abusive father. Seth’s mom is wonderful but Seth is a bit “slow” and though he has a lot of natural golf talent he doesn’t quite have what it takes to go pro.

Gary sees the world and wants to experience all it has to offer in terms of luxuries and things he never had as a kid. He wants that for him AND Seth. Sometimes he’s even willing to do morally ambiguous things for opportunities to make things better for him and Seth.

Seth only ever wants to love Gary.

After high school Seth and Gary do various jobs (caddy, waiter, etc.) but Gary has those dreams of riches driving him. When some New Yorkers come to the mountain to golf and Gary overhears them talking business, he wants in.

The business “project” involves some more moral ambiguity, and moving to New York for a bit, but Gary classifies it all as getting a foot in the door and a leg up in business and since all he has ever wanted is to take care of himself and Seth, it feels “okay”, if not “good”.

Things do manage to take off for Gary (briefly) but the financial success is countered with romantic failure when Seth learns of what Gary has been doing to “help” things along.

Eventually Gary learns that money isn’t the answer to everything, that honesty and love are more important than financial success and that Seth is the most important thing of all.

**

This is quite different from the previous books in the series. There is still the attention to detail (Golf and Finance) that PD is so good at providing. There is still Wapiti Creek, the small mountain community we’ve seen before. There is still two boys in love.

However… in terms of “feels” this diverges from the path. In my opinion, Gary is really, really hard to like. I never felt good about how he handled his relationship with Seth. He was sorta like a big brother/parent at times and then sometimes like an adoring fan/boyfriend. I really, really didn’t like his justifications for cheating and the fact that all he could focus on was money. I think I understand WHY he felt that way and it was explained well, but I just never LIKED him as a result of his choices.

I really liked Seth and since I had a hard time with Gary I had a hard time rooting for them as a couple. Part of me hoped a new character would be introduced who was worthy of Seth.

Since the relationship between Seth and Gary is established early on, the slow burn is gone from the story.

Though Gary “redeems” himself by the end of the book, I still didn’t feel comfortable with his “turnaround” and so didn’t feel great about the longevity of them as a couple.

Overall, I would have to say this is a book in the series I’d skip, especially if infidelity is a trigger for you.

Audio

Finn Sterling did another great job with the narration, giving us a New York accent and growly old businessmen. My only complaint was that Gary’s voice seemed consistently pre-teen and that didn’t fit with his personality of a “do anything to move forward” kind of guy. I get that he’s got an “angelic” face, but his voice and tone could reflect the hard edges he earned at the hands of his dad and in the business world.

Writing/Editing 5
Romance 2
Sex/Heat 2.5
Storyline 2
World Building/Characterizations 5
Audio 4

Overall 3.4 of 5 hearts

3.5

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P.S.  Kudos to REESE DANTE for another beautiful and perfectly matched cover!

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Emergency Contact by Elle Brownlee

Dreamspinner present: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6124

emergency contactBlurb

When Liam’s best friend has to leave town on business, he asks for a favor—be an emergency contact for his cousin who is new in town. Liam doesn’t think twice before he accepts. He’s great with numbers and confidently plays the odds, because nobody ever uses those emergency contacts, right? Wrong. The very next Sunday, cousin Garrett shows up at Liam’s apartment, fresh-faced, devastatingly gorgeous, and nothing like Liam had dismissively assumed.

Garrett arrived in New York City hoping to make it in the modeling world, and Liam isn’t sure what to do with him. While he eventually warms to welcome the distraction, he’s not prepared to have his steady, predictable world overturned. Liam is sure Garrett will soon tire of him and find someone closer in age and less eager for the quiet, settled life Liam prefers. But Garrett is too sweet-natured and naïve to recognize Liam’s dismissal, and he’s not as shallow as Liam presumes.

Although Garrett sees a future for the two of them, Liam manages to push him away. It is only then Liam sees the Garrett-shaped hole in his life.

Review

Liam is an old man in a young, hot body. He doesn’t do the club scene anymore and he’s set in his ways. His buddy sees the opportunity to play matchmaker and sets Liam up with his younger, also hot (model hot) cousin, Garrett.

Garrett is from Iowa, new to New York, here for a modeling job for extra cash between stints at college. He meets Liam pretty much on day one in the city and the two instantly hit it off.

Though Liam and Garrett are pretty immediately a couple, some questions remain. Can Liam open up and form a long term relationship? Is Garrett prepared to live in New York forever? Can Liam share Garrett with the admiring public now that his modeling career has taken off? Is Garrett too young for Liam and too young for a permanent relationship?

Things get dicey when Liam gives up hope and takes a job in Seattle, abruptly abandoning Garrett, but true love prevails and we end up with a solid HEA in the end.

**

I loved the promise of this story and was captivated by the first chapter. Liam is sort of a curmudgeonly character, set in his ways, quiet, always doing a puzzle, very in-his-own-head type of guy. Garrett is Pollyanna – very open, sunny and a great foil to Liam.

I got a bit nervous when the couple became a couple within the first chapters. There wasn’t a lot of build up to them becoming lovers and the anticipation that can bring was definitely missed.

As the story progressed it became more about the established couple dealing with Garrett’s fame and Liam’s insecurities. Because of this, it was not exactly the story I was anticipating by reading the blurb. It was almost more of an established couple book, and as the book references, a “Dreamgirls” type story, where Liam has to deal with Garrett’s fame more than I was expecting.

On the one hand I really appreciated the care and skill the author took with her writing. It is clear that she chose her words carefully. However, I sometimes had trouble with the flow and struggled to stay fully engaged. One thing that kept throwing me out of the story was the dialog. I thought that Liam sounded like an old man, and that fit his character. But so did Garrett … and everyone else. The language used felt very formal and high-brow and though it’s a stereotype, I just never saw the Iowan in Garrett. His character just never rang true.

Because the simmer of anticipation was blown out so early in the story, I found myself slogging through the remaining angst of the story with a minimum of interest.  Neither MC had a past to get over, hurt to heal, former lovers to remember… the story felt a bit flat.  And though I really liked the MCs, toward the end I just wasn’t that invested in their HEA.

Writing/Editing 3.5
Romance 2
Sex/Heat 3
Storyline 2
World Building/Characterizations 3.5

Overall 2.8 of 5 hearts

3

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The Chauffeur (Workplace Encounters #2) by Serena Yates

Dreampsinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/pages.php?pID=6&CDpath=0

chaufferBlurb

Chauffeur-slash-exotic dancer Kyle and forklift operator Nick connect, but family pressure and unemployment might ruin everything. 2nd Edition A Workplace Encounters Book Scarred former model Kyle Anderson leads a double life. By day, he works as a chauffeur for his uncle’s limousine rental company. Since his wages are too low for him to become financially independent, he works nights as an exotic dancer, donning a mask to hide his identity and the facial scars that got him rejected by his parents. Kyle catches the attention of Nick Giddings, a forklift driver who visits the club to let off steam. Nick is stuck in a low-skilled dead-end job after being kicked out of school for a prank he didn’t commit. The two men immediately connect, but when Nick is laid off and Kyle’s uncle pushes him to date a woman, everything comes crashing down.

Review

Nick sees Kyle dancing and convinces Kyle to go on a “date”. Though they are instantly attracted Kyle feels Nick won’t like him if he knows he’s scarred.

Nick sort of stalks Kyle when he meets him again without the costume, and convinces him his interest is sincere and they begin to date.

Nick is about to lose his factory job, Kyle is worried about coming out to his uncle, and both worry they may end up homeless and jobless soon, but they have each other.

**

This is the second short story in Serena Yates Workplace series. It has a similar pattern to book one in that these are men who find themselves on hard times and need the support of the other to become better men and have better lives.

If you enjoyed book one you will probably enjoy this as well.

However, I enjoyed book one a bit more than book two because I just didn’t bond as much with either MC in this book and found the ending with the uncle a bit much to take.

I think the writing is good and the smexy times were hot, but I didn’t connect with this story as much as I have in the past with Serena’s books.

Writing/Editing 4
Romance 2
Sex/Heat 4
Storyline 2
World Building/Characterizations 2

2.8 of 5 hearts

3

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