Category: New Adult

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Candy Man Audiobook by Amy Lane Narrated by Philip Alces

Dreamspinner Presents:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Candy-Man-Audiobook/B014WARB1O

candy audioBlurb

Adam Macias has been thrown a few curve balls in his life, but losing his VA grant because his car broke down and he missed a class was the one that struck him out. One relative away from homelessness, he’s taking the bus to Sacramento, where his cousin has offered a house-sitting job and a new start. He has one goal, and that’s to get his life back on track. Friends, pets, lovers? Need not apply.

Finn Stewart takes one look at Adam as he’s applying to Candy Heaven and decides he’s much too fascinating to leave alone. Finn is bright and shiny—and has never been hurt. Adam is wary of his attention from the very beginning—Finn is dangerous to every sort of peace Adam is forging, and Adam may just be too damaged to let him in at all.

But Finn is tenacious, and Adam’s new boss, Darrin, doesn’t take bullshit for an answer. Adam is going to have to ask himself which is harder—letting Finn in or living without him? With the holidays approaching it seems like an easy question, but Adam knows from experience that life is seldom simple, and the world seldom cooperates with hope, faith, or the plans of cats and men.

Review

(From previously on site)

Adam is having a rough life. His mother and grandmother treated him like pond scum growing up, so he joined the military to prove he was “worthy”. He fell in love with one of his fellow soldiers, only to be left high and dry when his lover didn’t want to come out of the closet. He returned to the states to go back to school, but lost his grant when his car died and he could no longer attend classes. With his last gasp, he heads up to his cousin’s apartment for 6 months of free rent to try to get his life in order.

With what feels like divine intervention, Adam stumbles into Candy Heaven following the Help Wanted sign and is immediately set to work. His boss also plays the role of his fairy godfather and matchmaker by hooking him up with Finn, the sandwich delivery guy.

Finn is young, idealistic, freshly single, and unstoppable. He sees the darkness in Adam and knows he can bring in the light. By pairing his cheery disposition with offerings of free food, he slowly breaks through the walls surrounding Adam’s heart.

Adam, who fully believes he isn’t worthy of someone like Finn, does what he can to stave off the romance, but when he really needs help, Finn is there and it’s Finn who helps him see that he does have value and most importantly – hope.

**
This is one of Amy’s relatively “low angst” stories. Of course she will make you cry (for me it was at least twice) but most of the story is full of “awwww”. I was reminded of her story Christmas Kitsch in that Oliver – little Oliver – was the force of nature – blowing in and taking charge. In The Candy Man – that’s Finn. He won’t take no for an answer and he’s fearless.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters and I really hope Joni gets her girl one day and that we get to read more about Rico’s romance. (Fingers crossed!). The vaguely paranormal part of the story left me with a new respect for Pixie Stix, as well!

Amy can describe a scene so thoroughly that I could picture Adam’s drawings, Finn’s hair, Gonzo’s fight against the medicine – everything. Adam’s sketch book journal was a particularly wonderful vehicle for showing both us and Finn the inside workings of his brain and past and I thought it was a tremendously clever tool.

I am thankful for this sweet story with little angst she has given us to brighten up our holiday season.

Audio

Philip Alces is growing on me I admit. I really enjoyed listening to this and thought he did a great job with Finn and Adam – especially the emotional times. I think he’s growing more comfortable with that aspect of his narration and it shows.

5 of 5 hearts

5

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My Hero Audiobook by Max Vox Narrated by Jared Bradford

Max Vos Presents:  http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/My-Hero-Audiobook/B0147LP8RC

my heroBlurb

This is a gay male romance with explicit sexual situations between men.
When he was 16 years old, Rich Miller saved a young man from drowning at his local pool. Little did he know that years later, as a senior in college and Olympic diving hopeful, Rich would meet up once again with Johnny Milloway, now a big football player – and when Rich says big, he really means “bear”. The shy jock remembers his saviour, and the two men become friends.
Johnny isn’t put off by the fact that Rich is gay. In fact, the more time he spends with Rich, the more curious he becomes. Johnny wants to know all kinds of things – what it’s like to kiss a guy, for instance. Only it doesn’t stop there…
Rich finds it difficult to believe that this relationship can go anywhere. Johnny is straight, and Rich isn’t prepared to deal with the heartache he knows will come his way in the future. He has enough on his plate as it is – the worlds are just around the corner. His father would rather watch a football game than spend time watching his son dive. What he doesn’t count on is Johnny, who can be very determined. And having Johnny in his life proves to be a catalyst for some pretty earth-shattering changes.

Review

Rich, out and proud diver, rescued Johnny, straight football hero, once when they were kids – hence the name, My Hero. They meet again later in life, at college and become friends.

Johnny has a heart of gold and makes sure that everyone in his life treats Rich with respect. He doesn’t care that he’s gay and makes no bones about it with his friends. (This is especially important in the South, where the story takes place. Where football reins supreme.)

Over time, their friendship develops into something more sexual. Little forays into physicality that eventually lead to the them dating seriously.

Johnny, as you’d expect, has a bit of a hard time accepting that he might be gay (or bisexual) and the couple almost splits for good. But… with some fairly big leaps… Johnny repairs his relationship with Rich AND Rich repairs his relationship with his dad AND Rich ends up going to Worlds for a diving championship AND there is very little fall out surrounding the big gay reveal.

**

In general, you do have to take this story with a grain of salt. It’s a romance, first and foremost, and some things that happen are a little to “easy” to be believed, but touching nonetheless.

I loved the chemistry between Johnny and Rich, because though Johnny is the bigger guy, Rich has all the experience, so it’s a nice twist.

The boys are downright raunchy at times and very age-appropriate (ie sex on the brain all the time, food sex, marathon sex, sex on the dive platform… you get the idea!) but it’s all really fun.

The angst and drama aside, the bulk of this story is a fairly light-hearted, GFY/OFY sort of exploration of the self and though we get a very good HFN/possible HEA, you do have to use your imagination and hope to see them as a long term couple.

Audio

Jared Bradford is a new narrator for me. He does a fair job of trying to give everyone a unique voice and his attempts to make a southern girl voice are admirable if not entirely believable. I think that the audiobook was a good addition to the overall experience and if it wasn’t my favorite narration experience, it was definitely worth the listen.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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A Hard Day’s Night Tour by Mia Kerick with Excerpt and Giveaway

RCPages or Words: 21,500 words

 

Excerpt:
“Fin and I have managed to get locked into what I will refer to as a repetitive pattern of affable behavior, and, in my opinion, it’s working out splendidly. We are the dearest of friends.”
Scratch that. Starting over.
And since I know it’s well past time for some brutally honest self-talk, I sit up in my bed, and by the warm glow of my Yellow Submarine nightlight, study my frayed picture of John Lennon. To complete the visual, it’s the photo from Mom’s retro record set, The White Album, that I pinned to the wall beside my bed and have worshipped regularly since I was in the seventh grade. Behind those round wire glasses, the man’s piercing eyes don’t lie—John was a brutally honest sort, often to his detriment. After all, back in 1966 didn’t he assert that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ? Now, that is certainly calling it exactly as he sees it.
Not that I necessarily agree with the sentiment, I respect that kind of direct- ness in a person.
I owe him this much.
Out of respect for John, I revise and reissue my previous assertion.
“The Finster and I are stuck in a rut of pleasant compatibility… an unusually
deep rut, at that.”
This attempt at telling-it-like-it-is is definitely an improvement, but it’s still
not right on the money, and I’m nothing, if not specific.
I prop up my pillow and lean hard against the creaky antique headboard (call it like you see it, Lennon—the headboard is just plain old), with the certain knowledge that I’ve completely outgrown this flimsy, twin size bed of my childhood.
So maybe it’s more like this….
“Fin and I each have one leg semi-submerged in a muddy ditch, and we’re in it well past our knees. This is the kind of murky and dark, seemingly bottomless, pit that will suck the rubber boot right off your foot with a single, hollow, slurping sound, and then belch with satisfaction.” For the third time I speak aloud in an effort to make my declaration official. “It appears that the two of us are gonna be stuck here in this mucky BFF-swampland for the long haul— bootless and slowly sinking into the sludge—unless, of course, I act decisively and with haste. And with great vigor—because, to accomplish the task I have in mind, I’m most likely going to have to shift into full-hyper-dunk-mode, possibly coupled with the drama-queen-approach. Neither of which poses a problem for me, other than that they require an excessive expenditure of energy.”
That was most definitely a mouthful, but an accurate mouthful.
And all I need is one day. Just one gay day.
Thankfully, ever proud of the open-mindedness he hides so well from his ultra-conservative family, Fin has granted me my greatest wish. On Saturday, March 21st, Beaumont Finley Danforth II (IMHO this BFD is a Big Fucking Deal) is mine for the day to do with as I please. I sincerely hope that a single day is sufficient to help Fin figure out what I already know.
Um, Lennon…maybe now is not the right time to start suffering with a debilitating bout of self-doubt.
Confidence is of key importance in this endeavor.
No, I do not have any worries, and yes, I do have twenty-four feminine-side-ex- ploring, team-switching, relationship-igniting hours to make my homeboy see the rainbow-hued light. Starting bright and early tomorrow morning.
On that note, I’ll get started with my beauty sleep. I sure hope I’m gonna need it.
I wiggle down so I’m flat on my back with my feet sticking six inches over the end of the bed, pull the covers up to my chin, and listen to my mental arrangement of “Imagine” until I fall asleep.

image1

Buy the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Days-Night-Mia-Kerick-ebook/dp/B013O1V2OE

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/mobile/details.html?pid=1870086

https://gumroad.com/l/AAVuw
About the author:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.
Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiaKerick
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=mia+kerick
Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Louis C. Harris

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Here For You Audiobook by Skylar Cates Narrated by Paul Morey

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6753

HereForYouAUDMEDBlurb

Life is a thread connecting us. One pull and it all unravels.

Cole Gannon arrives in the seaside town of Ocean Vista to work as a bartender and finally find a place to belong. Determined to make a home for himself, Cole lives happily with his four colorful roommates, whom he considers brothers. The only problem is Cole’s attraction to Ian Stark—a guy all wrong for him. He wishes he didn’t keep running into the sexy lawyer.

Ian knows Cole is attracted to him, but the younger man keeps him at arm’s length. It only makes Ian more determined to be with Cole and learn all his secrets. But while Ian has built a successful law practice, he hasn’t done too well with relationships.

When a sudden and devastating tragedy occurs, it shatters Cole’s world and throws Cole and Ian together in unexpected ways. In an instant, everything between them changes forever.

Review

Cole’s biological family was never there for him, so he created his own family with a group of friends in a house of their own. It wasn’t always easy but they were there for one another.

Tragedy strikes and Cole loses one of his “family” – Brendan. He takes the loss hard. As does the rest of the “family”.

Ian was Brendan’s boss, and is older than Cole or his friends. Complicating things is that Cole had a crush on Ian, as did Brendan, before Brendan passed.

Ian, however, has only ever had eyes for Cole.

When Cole turns to Ian for comfort, the couple begins their long dance of courtship. It’s a slow burn, there are a lot of emotional hurdles to be jumped before they can achieve their HEA. But… they do.

This is the first in a series and there are many roommates who undoubtedly will have their story told in the future, they are well developed and each add their own unique flavor to this tale.

**

Skylar Cates is a phenomenal writer. Her prose is crisp and clear, without a lot of unnecessary clutter. I enjoy her characterizations and she has a real knack for the “slow burn” style of romance. By the time our MCs finally “commit”, the reader is as invested as they are!

I do recommend that you prepare for the long haul, because there is all that sadness to wade through – it’s not a quick, light or fluffy read. For me, I had to be in just the right frame of mind and so it took quite awhile to get through. (And I was listening so that made things more complex – see Audio part of review.)

I also warn that since it is the first in a series be prepared for a lot of background information – there are a lot of guys we need to meet.

That being said, it’s a really well done book about love and loss and friendship and family.

Audio

I love Paul Morey. I think he’s one of the better narrators out there, and I always enjoy his reading style. This book definitely challenged him because there are so MANY characters and he has to keep in mind that they are gonna keep showing up. I think he did a valiant job in giving them distinguishing voices, though I did have to go back and forth between book and narration if I stopped for any stretch in time to get re-acquainted again with who is who.

I also didn’t like Tomas’ “voice” it was a bit like a mix between a Hispanic accent and Paul’s Russian accent.

For the Audiobook I’d give this a 4 of 5 hearts, with the book maybe earning a 4.5 on it’s own.

4

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White Lies by Jack Byrne

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6729

WhiteLiesBlurb

Brent Winton is doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons. Since the death of their parents years ago, Brent is helping his younger brother Zach through law school in sunny Queensland, Australia. The boys share a cheap flat, and Brent works two jobs to support them, but Zach thinks the second job is merely bar tending. In reality Brent has turned to gay prostitution to ensure that Zach has all the best textbooks and the up-to-date laptop he needs so he can focus on his studies. When hot Russian refugee Dimitri moves in next door, Brent finds him mesmerizing, but fears that if he gets involved, Dimitri will expose Brent’s white lies. But Dimitri has a dark secret of his own, and the question becomes how either of them can learn to trust the other without blowing their cover.

Review

Brent is working as a rent boy to help his younger brother through law school. Dimitri is fresh from Sochi where his brethren can be killed for being gay.

Together they find love and find a way to live with their past mistakes.

**

This is a sometimes awkward and unbelievable but very sweet novella.

I liked the motivations the MCs had in their decision making even though sometimes the dialog and the way things worked out didn’t really feel authentic.

I think there are parts that are uncomfortable and some people won’t like in regard to Brent’s career choice, but in the end I think the author did a fair job explaining away the decision each MC made in regards to how those choices were handled and why they were made.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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The Lightning Struck Heart by TJ Klune

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6663

LightningStruckHeart[The]Blurb

Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident.

Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam’s pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the King’s Wizard, Morgan of Shadows.

When Sam is fourteen, he enters the Dark Woods and returns with Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy, earning the moniker Sam of Wilds.

At fifteen, Sam learns what love truly is when a new knight arrives at the castle. Sir Ryan Foxheart, the dreamiest dream to have ever been dreamed.

Naturally, it all goes to hell through the years when Ryan dates the reprehensible Prince Justin, Sam can’t control his magic, a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the King sends them on an epic quest to save Ryan’s boyfriend, all while Sam falls more in love with someone he can never have.

Or so he thinks.

Review

Sam is going to be a powerful wizard one day. One day. For now he’s stuck serving a jerk named Justin who is engaged to marry Ryan – the guy Sam has had a crush on since forever.

When Justin gets kidnapped by a dragon Sam and Ryan go to save him.

What happens next – for nearly four hundred pages – is lots of banter (as only TJ Klune knows how to create) amid hysterical adventures with bizarre (and sometimes kinky and over-sexed) creatures.

We have Gary the snarky, sometimes bitchy, always vain, hornless, gay unicorn.

Then there’s Tiggy a half-giant who won’t win genius of the year but who is fiercely loyal and true.

Finally – our two MCs connect and we get a happy ending.

**

Ok – so I’m gonna tell you that I DNF’d this for now. One day I might finish it, but I got OVERWHELMED by the banter and the non-discussing of the issues and the never ending puns and stuff. I wanted some ROMANCE and though there is some in this book – there isn’t nearly enough to satisfy my sappy heart.

I did sneak a peek at the end and I was grateful that Sam and Ryan get their HEA but I was so bummed because I also found out that the end (300 some pages into it) is when they first get “together”.

So – for now – I’m setting this aside and when I want a MOSTLY funny and a little romantic fantasy – I’ll pull this one back out. I do appreciate TJ’s humor but I gotta tell you I really think he needs a good, strong editor. Someone to rein in the monologues and get the story back on track.

My friend had this to say about her experience reading the book:

I stayed up forever finishing The Lightning-Struck Heart. F**k! I’m so mad! It was exactly like I’d thought it would be. Now, I’m not saying it was a bad book, because it wasn’t. TJ’s books are always funny and entertaining but… the MCs are in love with each other YEARS before the book starts and they don’t get together until 95% [of the way through the book]…95 f**king %!!!!!! I have rage!!!!! I was like…. This book could have been 1/3 of the length if the characters would just shut the f**k up with the banter once in awhile. Ugh! The banter is fun but there is WAY too much of it!! And [really] no one can be clueless for 412 pages for f**k’s sake!!
…If you’re selling your books as romance, [m]aybe have the people be together for more than 5% of the book.

That is essentially what I was feeling – only without putting the effort of getting through the 421 pages myself.

One day I will. I’m sure. Because I’m sure it’s hilarious. But… I want a LOT of romance in my books and this just doesn’t qualify.

So…. If you are looking for a funny, fantasy, gay story with a bit of romance this is for you.

For what it’s worth my friend gave this a 4 of 5 hearts despite the rant. ☺

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Water and Fire by Rowan McAllister

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6206

WaterandFireBlurb

Aiden Flanagan has spent his entire life fighting who and what he is. After losing control of the power within him one time too many, Aiden flees to his parents’ vacation home on Nantucket to lock himself away as punishment and to protect the people he cares about. Getting nowhere on his own, Aiden fears he’ll never have enough control to join the world again—and perhaps he doesn’t deserve to—until an act of kindness brings Murphy Mizuuchi into his life.

Though still grieving the loss of his partner, Murphy’s own gifts won’t allow him to ignore the strongest projector he’s ever encountered or deny the beautiful soul behind Aiden’s drama. Drawing on his own recovery, his empathy, and years of practicing meditation, he shows Aiden not only how to find a safe outlet for who he is, but to value his abilities.

But Murphy isn’t the only one drawn to Aiden’s fire. Someone from his past followed Aiden to the island, and it will take both Murphy’s and Aidan’s powers to protect him from a man who won’t stop until he takes all Aiden has.

Review

This book is the second in a series but can absolutely be a stand-alone novel.

If you read book one, you remember that Aiden was the firey ex of Adam’s that caused so much strife between him and Jay. (If you were like me – you didn’t like him much at all! Which is why it took me forever to get around to reading this!)

We find Aiden right after he’s run away from something tragic – something to do with Adam and Jay. He’s in his head a lot and it’s a mess in there. He keeps fighting and fighting the fire that lives within him and he also wants and needs someone to help keep him grounded but he’s determined not to be all clingy like he was with Adam and scare the next potential lover away.

Aiden goes to a party on the beach near his parents house, severely depressed, and meets some guys at a bonfire. A few hours/beers later and there is an older man, clearly distressed out on the beach with them – upset about the fire. Aiden sees some initials carved in old wood and rescues the wood from the fire to bring to the upset man – Murphy – and is initially rebuffed.

Murphy has his own story to tell. He’s a widower – we never did find out how he became one – and is an empath (and something to do with water). He literally feels all of Aiden’s emotions like he’s yelling them and it psychically hurts. Normally Murphy can shield from such a thing, but with Aiden he can’t.

What follows next is the two men learning about one another and helping Aiden with his “gift”. They don’t deny their instant attraction for long and it turns out that Murphy really helps ground Aiden.

Everything looks to be moving in the right direction when suddenly there is a mysterious “bad” guy in town making Murphy jealous and Aiden uncomfortable. Then there’s a storm, a kidnapping, a rescue and some closure.

**

Phew! This book was a roller coaster. Reading Aiden’s thought process is a bit like living in his brain and is energetically exhausting. Poor guy! But that is where Rowan McAllister did such an excellent job, giving us this manic, frightened character and having it bleed out on the pages in such an amazing way.

Murphy is far more solid and serene and that comes through so well. But… he’s got that side of him that feels too much and has to be hidden. Aiden shows him the benefit of letting that side out now and again.

I was captivated by this story and read it quickly but was a bit disappointed by the end. I am hoping it’s a set up for book three because both sets of MCs really, really need to come together like the Fantastic Four and somehow vanquish the evil Richard! I can see the set up so I’m hoping I’m right!

I would also love to see both couples later in their relationship and having mastered their respective skills.

I did however find it super cute that Adam and Jay were blushing while discussing their whereabouts during the latest storm. Tee hee!

All in all it was a wonderful book and I really hope we see the next book soon!

6 of 5 hearts

amazing

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Out of the Rain by Renae Kaye

Renae Kaye Presents
http://www.amazon.com/Out-Rain-Renae-Kaye-ebook/dp/B011EJ012C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439011680&sr=8-1&keywords=out+of+the+rain

out of the rainBlurb

Mitch never knew what awaited him when he answered his elderly neighbour’s calls. Finding a stranger crying in her backyard was a new one. Little did he know that rescuing Elijah out of the rain was going to change his life.

Elijah is too young, too good looking, and too bruised for Mitch to consider falling in love with. But Elijah is soon in his house, in his bed, and in his heart.

At thirty-eight, Mitch has a lot of experience with life. Elijah is only twenty-three and just starting out. Mitch’s bedroom skills enrapture Elijah. Mitch just hopes it will be enough to make Elijah want to stay.

 

Review

Renae Kaye simply can’t write anything but wonderful stories.

This very short story about an older, gay electrician who rescues a newly outed young man one night from the rain is terribly sweet and touching.

Mitch doesn’t realize how lonely he is and Elijah had no idea being out and gay could make you a stronger and better person.

The story moves quickly, Mitch doubts the young man could possibly be interested in anything long term and Elijah is simply hopeful that Mitch wants him as much as he wants Mitch.

There is some hot, sweaty sex and some moving moments between the two and a very HEA.

5 of 5 hearts- It’d be higher only if it were longer!

5

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Making Nice Audiobook by Elizah J Davis Narrated by Michael Ferralulo

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6768

MakingNiceAUDMEDBlurb

Twins Blake and Bianca Dunlap have always been there for each other, ready to lend support and make sacrifices. Blake can’t imagine a bigger sacrifice than getting along with Bianca’s fiancé, Matt. However, Matt turns out to be more than the meathead Blake had dismissed him as, but Matt’s best friend, Ryan Everett, is a different story. Ryan seems intent on being an insufferable jerk as often as possible. The fact that Blake is undeniably attracted to Ryan only makes the whole situation more annoying.

Since they’ll all be stuck together for the long haul, Blake is determined to make nice. Unfortunately he overshoots, and he and Ryan end up on much friendlier terms than Blake intended. While he and Ryan agree there’s no harm in having a strings-free fling, that changes when Matt and Bianca find out about it. As more complications arise, Blake and Ryan become more determined to do what it takes to avoid letting them down. But the only way to ensure getting through a joyous wedding and avoid the questions neither of them want to answer is to convince everyone it’s something more.

Review

(From previously)

Blake and Ryan meet because Ryan is Blake’s twin sister’s fiancé. They immediately rub sparks off one another and sorta, kinda hate each other and at the same time want to f*ck.

So… they enter into a hate-sex sort of scenario, with neither of them really admitting that beyond the chemistry there might be a bit of something more substantial.

The premise is that at first they really DON’T like each other. Really. Blake is a pretentious prig and Ryan is a cavalier goof. Opposites attract and all that, so they are attracted to each other sexually but not emotionally.

Once they discover/admit this attraction, they want to hide it from their friend/sister because they fear/know that when it ends it will be messy if sides have to be chosen.

But… the family finds out so they admit to a “real” but fake relationship so that they family is comforted … but in fact they are still just messing around… Sound confusing … it sorta is.

And along the way, between the hating and the sexing and the pretending… they end up really caring about each other up to and including loving each other.

But… they still can’t communicate this to one another for various reasons and that keeps them apart for a bit… and then there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING which leads to a blow out fight which leads to… you get the idea.

So, don’t get me wrong, I actually loved much about this book… the writing is excellent and the wit exceptional (I laughed out loud in places) and the development of the characters is great. But there are a few things that would need to happen to make this a GREAT book.

First: Some major editing. It’s a LONG book that doesn’t need to be. Some have called this a “slow burn” but it isn’t , not really. They get together early on and then waffle about with the “I hate myself for wanting him but I can’t help myself”, guilt ridden booty calls for way too long. Then, once they are “fake-together”, they waffle about their “I love him but I can’t tell him or he’ll freak out” way too long. And the end… well, that’s another story.

Second: I loved the MCs and many of the secondary characters. They were funny and added to the story and added a lot of realism. I loved the exes and how they contributed to the story and the friend and the family, all shaped our MCs really nicely for us. Showing, not telling. But the MC’s lives were confusing to me. At one point Ryan is worried that Blake will judge him for not having a college degree when Blake himself is a nanny. And where does all the money come from? I kept expecting someone to have a trust fund because no one seems to work. And Blake has an interest in teaching Cello lessons but never plays or even listens to that sort of music. Given how long the story is, these kinds of details became more obvious.

Third: The BIG MISUNDERSTANDING leading to reconciliation. What should have happened is this: the big misunderstanding, the laughing and crying and forgiving, the making up and the “I love yous”. Instead we had to insert yet another bout of waffling and indecision that was patently not needed. When they do finally get things together it is rushed and unsatisfying after the pages and pages of waffling. I really wanted to finally see Ryan and Blake expose themselves and show their FEELINGS to one another and make me believe in their happy ending. Though I thought the epilogue was terribly witty and somewhat fitting for the characters, it did not satisfy my romantic heart, or make me believe in the final outcome. At some point the jokes and the insecurities should be laid to rest and the real emotions get their page time.

Overall, I believe this is the first full length novel for this author. As such, I think it is a wonderful start. I would definitely look for her again. However, I would recommend some serious editing in the future, as I think that simply shortening this would have remedied a lot of my “issues”.

Audio

Michael Ferrualo did an excellent job with this. He was believable and did a wonderful job with all the emotion. I really enjoyed listening to this and thought it added to the overall enjoyment of the book immensely.

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Red Dirt Heart by N.R. Walker

NR Walker presents  http://www.amazon.com/Red-Dirt-Heart-Book-ebook/dp/B00IKGXWYC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408388771&sr=1-1&keywords=red+dirt+heart

 

red dirt heartBlurb

Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.

Charlie Sutton runs Sutton Station the only way he knows how; the way his father did before him. Determined to keep his head down and his heart in check, Charlie swears the red dirt that surrounds him – isolates him – runs through his veins.

American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives at Sutton Station to see how farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth. But it’s not the barren, brutal and totally beautiful landscapes that capture him so completely.

It’s the man with the red dirt heart.

Review:

(From Previous Site)

Charlie Sutton is a closeted gay rancher in Australia, living on his newly inherited Sutton Station, 3 hours from civilization, with no hope of ever having a relationship or even any hook-ups.

Travis Craig is an agronomy student who comes to Sutton Station to compare agriculture practices in the Australian desert with those of the deserts of Texas. What he ends up finding is love.

It takes awhile for Charlie to admit his attraction and then the two must struggle with Charlie’s fear of being outed combined with his fear that Travis will never want to stay out in the boonies with him for any length of time.

I love NR Walker and this book is one of my favorites. God, Charlie is a mess! He is so filled with shame that his father instilled in him, but also so much stubbornness that he won’t bow to those ways of thinking. The relationship between him and Travis is so slow moving that when they finally do get together it’s like fireworks! The slow burn was exquisite.

Travis is his perfect counterpart to Charlie: open, loving, out, smiling all the time, hyperactive, a doer not a thinker. He gets along with everyone and when he is stuck out in the summer desert, lost and injured, he finds out just how important he is to everyone he has met, not just Charlie.

NR Walker does emotion so well – the aching with love, hopeless yet exalted at the same time. Charlie makes you want to cry and hug him, then smack him upside the head when he turns around and shoots himself in the foot (metaphorically speaking).

Travis just makes you smile, and makes you so glad Charlie found him. Really, a one in a million chance of finding happiness, stumbling into your life.

I highly, highly recommend this book and you will be so glad to know that the sequel is also out, so the greatness continues – no waiting necessary.

I give it a 6 out 5 hearts – it was amazing!

amazing

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