Category: Age Group

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Slave for Two (Soul Match #1) Morticia Knight

                              ?Reviewed by Michele?

TITLE: Slave for Two

SERIES: Soul Match #1

AUTHOR: Morticia Knight

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2016

BLURB: What is destined cannot be changed.

Chris has had a monumentally bad month. First, an aggressive band of aliens invaded the Earth, conquered the world, and now he’s fighting for survival in the mountains with his family and the neighborhood bigot. Just because he’s barely out of his teens and a bit on the scrawny side doesn’t mean he can’t watch out for his mom, sisters and younger cousin. Chris keeps searching for the brighter side of things, but his humor is wearing thin. Fear can do that to a guy.

Lasar and Nary are a soul matched pair of warriors from Alashar. Lasar is Nary’s Ahna, the one who dominates him, and Nary is the Nasha, or submissive, to Lasar. Every Alasharian, regardless of orientation, needs the balance of the power exchange to exist peacefully within their lifelong soul match bond. When Lasar is awarded a war prize, he sends Nary to look over the recent arrivals.

Chris and his cousin Morgan are captured and sent to the slave cages where they discover from the other imprisoned young men that they are destined to be sex toys for alien pairs. When one of those aliens saves Chris and his cousin from being abused by the slave master, Chris hopes that the seemingly kind alien won’t be too horrible an owner.

Lasar and Nary are finally alone together with their new sex slave, ready to enjoy their reward. However, in the middle of their playtime a shocking event occurs that not only disrupts Chris’ world even more than it already has been, but also challenges everything that Lasar and Nary have always held dear. As Lasar searches for answers, he begins to question the reasons behind the Earth invasion and where his loyalties should really lie. As their Ahna, he must be the one who decides whether they will all be safer together, or apart.

REVIEW: I hesitated about reading this book because even though I love the BDSM genre, I’ve never really been interested in sci-if books. Well I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this one for the most part. The first part of the book vividly describes the aliens, Alashrians, and our planet after an alien invasion. The author gives you details about the events that take place and why those things are happening.

Chris is a 20 year old guy living a normal life when aliens invade earth. Chris is terrified but in order to survive he and his family, which includes his cousin Morgan, have to flee and hide in the woods. He figures with all the camping he did with his dad, the woods will be the safest place for them to be undetected. Well, unfortunately Chris and his cousin are captured by the aliens and taken as sex slaves, toys. Now right around this point in the story you’ve met quite a few characters, some of which I did not care for. His cousin Morgan is one of them. God he was whiny and annoying. I constantly wanted to slap him.

Anyway, one of the things we learn is the dynamics of the relationships between the Alasharians. In their society relationships are made up of a Dominant, called a Anna, and a submissive, called a Nashar. The two in the relationship are soul matched, like soul mates. Chris finds this type of relationship quite interesting because prior to the invasion he had wanted to visit a BDSM club to experience the power exchange that takes place between a Dominant and a submissive. The author explains the specific dynamic of the relationships and the hierarchy that exist between these aliens. This part of the story seemed a bit different than the first..a bit off maybe.

Regardless, overall I liked the premise of the story. I liked the romance that takes place between our MC’s. Book 1 ends in a HFN so you have to read the next book to find out what happened to our MC’s. I give this book a 3.5 stars.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Pride Publishing

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Cherished by Two (Soul Match #2) Morticia Knight

                             ?Reviewed by Michele?

TITLE: Cherished by Two

SERIES: Soul Match # 2

AUTHOR: Mortician Knight

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2017

BLURB: Destiny rewards those who embrace it.

Chris and his alien soul matches, Lasar and Nary, are ready to deepen their new bond as mates. It’s also time for Chris to begin his training as a Nasha, or sub, and for Nary to embrace his new role as Ahna, or Dom, to Chris. As three in the soul match, they are unique. Not only have Alasharians never matched with a human, they’ve never matched as three.

What makes them special also puts them in danger. The Supreme Soul Healer warned Chris that many changes were ahead, ones even more startling than the original invasion. They must keep their bond a secret until they know who they can trust.

As Ahna to both Nary and Chris, Lasar carries the responsibility of protecting his mates. A proud Alasharian warrior and commander, he’ll stop at nothing to keep them safe and to help Chris find his missing mother and sisters. To make sure that Chris’ cousin Morgan isn’t sent back to the slave cages, he’s also arranged for a fellow commander to take Morgan into his care when he returns from battle.

Lasar and Nary are invited to a pleasure party by the Alasharian’s leader, the Nall, and are forced to bring Chris and Morgan. But a terrifying turn of events sets in motion what might be the beginning of the end for them all, unless they can resist the void.

REVIEW: First, let me warn you that book 2 ends in a cliffhanger which shockingly enough did not bother me but may bother others so the author may consider mentioning this in the blurb. It could possibly affect the readers overall experience.
Now, I had to read book 2 in this series to find out what happens next between our MC’s. I initially stated in my review of book 1 that sci-fi is not a typical genre for me, but this series has become the exception and I’m glad I decided to give it a chance. Book 2 has angst, romance, quite a bit of intrigue, and hot damn sex and more sex. I really liked book #2. The story progresses nicely as Chris learns more about being the third person in a loving relationship, as well as being a sub. Nary and Lasar also learn about their small human who they find fascinating and totally love. We learn more about the Void, and the Nall and who can be trusted and who can’t.

Well as we learned in book 1, Chris, Lasar and Nary are soul matched which has never been done or heard of. Because of this discovery and many others revealed by the Supreme Soul Healer who is the alien version of our religious entity’s, their relationship as soul matches has to be kept a secret, hidden. Morgan, Chris’ cousin, who is under Lasar’s protection is learning more bout the aliens also. He’s still annoying and I still want to bitch slap him, but things seem to be changing with Morgan. I can’t wait to see how she introduces Morgan to his alien mate/mates.

Book 2 was good, but book 1 is a must or the reader will be lost in my opinion. There are two many details that are important to the story. I give this one 4 stars.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Pride Publishing

 

 

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Finding You (Redwood Shifters #2) Lily Harlem

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Finding You

SERIES: Redwood Shifters # 2

AUTHOR: Lily Harlem

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2017

BLURB: When shifters Aleco and Pedro find their world torn in two, they have to stick together, fight together and be as one in a way they never have before.

For Aleco the pieces of his happiness jigsaw have finally fallen into place. With his son Neo now content with a new mate, it’s time for him to celebrate with the two people he loves and desires most in the world.

But little does Aleco know that waiting for him and Pedro is the worst news of all. The third in their relationship is missing, vanished without a trace. There one minute, gone the next.

In their frantic dash to find her, a desperate passion is fueled and their emotions collide with fiery consequences. Taking solace in each other is all they can do.

But will they find her? And why has she left them? The only thing left is to keep hunting for the answers and following her trail.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of anal sex.

 

REVIEW: This was a little novella in the series, a little over 50 pages. This is another ménage mating in the series, only this one is MMF. Despite its short length, the novella still fit well into the series and was written quite well. I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting it to be written as good as it was what with it being a novella. The characters are engaging and storyline is nice and fits in perfectly with with the overall arc of the series. The editing was also good.

This novella reads like a full length book and will definitely hold your interest. Please note: these books, in my opinion aren’t stand-alone and is best when read in sequential order so you have a better understanding of the series and characters.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amazon

Pride Publishing

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Run Away With Me (Redwood Shifters #1) Lily Harlem

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Run Away With Me

SERIES: Redwood Shifters # 1

AUTHOR: Lily Harlem

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: June 27, 2017

BLURB: When Jude is offered a lift to anywhere on the back of a handsome stranger’s Harley, he throws caution to the wind and jumps on for the ride.

Jude has a boring office job in a sunny but deadly dull Californian town. The highlight of his day is sitting home alone with pizza and beer. So naturally, when Neo wants to take off into the sunset, with Jude in tow, he doesn’t argue.

Neo makes up his own rules. Deciding quickly that Jude is the mate for him, he breaks into a beautiful beachside home pretending it’s his in order to impress the sexy man he’s picked up. He’s hoping things are going to get hot and sweaty between them real quick.

But the cops are onto them, and as Neo makes a run for it, Jude is hauled off to the police station. It’s not looking good, what started out so promising has now left a bitter taste in Jude’s mouth.

Will Neo come back for him? And if so can he explain why whenever the huge black dog is around, he’s not? And can he really throw his life into the air and see where it lands? These are all questions that Jude’s mind, body and heart need to know the answer to.

 

REVIEW: This is the first book in the Redwood Shifter series. This book was off to a bit of a slow start for me but as the book progressed, it raised my interest level. The book turned out to be really interesting once I got past the first couple pages of the first chapter. I really liked how Neo’s character wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t an angel but he wasn’t a horrible person either. He was a bit of a bad boy and that’s exactly what Jude needed at the time. He could’ve done without the run in with law enforcement but it worked out in the end.

I really liked this book. I found the characters engaging despite the slow start. The editing and storyline were really very good and the length was perfect. This is definitely a series worth getting in to.

 

RATING: ????

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Pride Publishing 

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Complete Us (Redwood Shifters # 4) Lily Harlem


?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Complete Us

SERIES: Redwood Shifters #4

AUTHOR: Lily Harlem

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: September 26, 2017

BLURB: When two become three, it’s guaranteed the earth will move.

Patrick’s life with his shifter mate Greg is idyllic. In love and lust, they exist in a wonderful bubble of contentment and satisfaction in the Redwood Forest, giving in to their needs and desires whenever the mood takes them.

Until one day Patrick stumbles across a wild dog. His wounds are shocking, but it’s even more sickening how he got them.

Neither Patrick nor Greg can abandon the poor creature and they take him into their home and their hearts. But when the new addition to their family turns out to be so much more than a dog, can they act on what their bodies are crying out for? Will a third man in their relationship upset the applecart? He certainly thinks it will and it seems he’ll need convincing otherwise.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of voyeurism, some injury description and references to violent assault.

 

REVIEW: This is book # 4 in the series and it was wonderfully written. I will admit that this book particular attract my attention because it featuring a ménage relationship. I’ve always been fascinated with polyamorous relationships. Those relationships are fascinating to me in the sense that it takes an incredible amount of time and effort to really make those relationships work. It’s hard enough when it’s just two people in a relationship so imagine how much more difficult with another person added to the mix.

The I did a pretty good job of writing that balance between these three men. Of course initially there was a bit of drama but that’s to be expected in a relationship with more than two people but she did a great job of transitioning them from being a couple two or threesome.

I really liked everything about this book. I love how the covers to the series all uniform. That’s really important to me; it feeds into my OCD tendencies. The colors the fonts are all beautifully done, so props to the cover artist(s). The editing was wonderful and the storyline flowed quite well. The books in the series transitions smoothly from this one book other. I would definitely recommend that the books be read in sequential order. The books probably could be read as a standalone for sun but just for me personally, I always like to read series in sequential order to have a better understanding of the characters as there may be a time when a character or something that’s mentioned that occurred in another book and you just want to be able to have a better understanding of it. The length of the books a perfect: there not too long and not too short.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book as well as the series.

 

RATING: ????

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Pride Publishing 

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The Stark Divide (Liminal Sky Book 1) by J. Scott Coatsworth Blog Tour with Excerpt

 

Some stories are epic.

The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.

Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.

From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.

Book One of Liminal Sky

Excerpt:

“DRESSLER, SCHEMATIC,” Colin McAvery, ship’s captain and a third of the crew, called out to the ship-mind.

A three-dimensional image of the ship appeared above the smooth console. Her five living arms, reaching out from her central core, were lit with a golden glow, and the mechanical bits of instrumentation shone in red. In real life, she was almost two hundred meters from tip to tip.

Between those arms stretched her solar wings, a ghostly green film like the sails of the Flying Dutchman.

“You’re a pretty thing,” he said softly. He loved these ships, their delicate beauty as they floated through the starry void.

“Thank you, Captain.” The ship-mind sounded happy with the compliment—his imagination running wild. Minds didn’t have real emotions, though they sometimes approximated them.

He cross-checked the heading to be sure they remained on course to deliver their payload, the man-sized seed that was being dragged on a tether behind the ship. Humanity’s ticket to the stars at a time when life on Earth was getting rapidly worse.

All of space was spread out before him, seen through the clear expanse of plasform set into the ship’s living walls. His own face, trimmed blond hair, and deep brown eyes, stared back at him, superimposed over the vivid starscape.

At thirty, Colin was in the prime of his career. He was a starship captain, and yet sometimes he felt like little more than a bus driver. After this run… well, he’d have to see what other opportunities might be awaiting him. Maybe the doc was right, and this was the start of a whole new chapter for mankind. They might need a guy like him.

The walls of the bridge emitted a faint but healthy golden glow, providing light for his work at the curved mechanical console that filled half the room. He traced out the T-Line to their destination. “Dressler, we’re looking a little wobbly.” Colin frowned. Some irregularity in the course was common—the ship was constantly adjusting its trajectory—but she usually corrected it before he noticed.

“Affirmative, Captain.” The ship-mind’s miniature chosen likeness appeared above the touch board. She was all professional today, dressed in a standard AmSplor uniform, dark hair pulled back in a bun, and about a third life-sized.

The image was nothing more than a projection of the ship-mind, a fairy tale, but Colin appreciated the effort she took to humanize her appearance. Artificial mind or not, he always treated minds with respect.

“There’s a blockage in arm four. I’ve sent out a scout to correct it.”

The Dressler was well into slowdown now, her pre-arrival phase as she bled off her speed, and they expected to reach 43 Ariadne in another fifteen hours.

Pity no one had yet cracked the whole hyperspace thing. Colin chuckled. Asimov would be disappointed. “Dressler, show me Earth, please.”

A small blue dot appeared in the middle of his screen.

“Dressler, three dimensions, a bit larger, please.” The beautiful blue-green world spun before him in all its glory.

Appearances could be deceiving. Even with scrubbers working tirelessly night and day to clean the excess carbon dioxide from the air, the home world was still running dangerously warm.

He watched the image in front of him as the East Coast of the North American Union spun slowly into view. Florida was a sliver of its former self, and where New York City’s lights had once shone, there was now only blue. If it had been night, Fargo, the capital of the Northern States, would have outshone most of the other cities below. The floods that had wiped out many of the world’s coastal cities had also knocked down Earth’s population, which was only now reaching the levels it had seen in the early twenty-first century.

All those new souls had been born into a warm, arid world.

We did it to ourselves. Colin, who had known nothing besides the hot planet he called home, wondered what it had been like those many years before the Heat.

Buy Links Etc:

DSP Publications (paperback): https://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-stark-divide-by-j-scott-coatsworth-416-b

DSP Publications (eBook): https://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-stark-divide-by-j-scott-coatsworth-415-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stark-Divide-Liminal-Sky-Book-ebook/dp/B074G2NJP6/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stark-divide-j-scott-coatsworth/1126901106?ean=9781635338324

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-stark-divide

iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-stark-divide/id1266474103?mt=11&at=1l3vtqV

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35834187-the-stark-divide

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/book/the-stark-divide/

Author Bio:

Scott spends his time between the here and now and the what could be. Enticed into fantasy and sci fi by his mom at the tender age of nine, he devoured her Science Fiction Book Club library. But as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were in the books he was reading.

He decided that it was time to create the kinds of stories he couldn’t find at his local bookstore. If there weren’t gay characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

His friends say Scott’s mind works a little differently – he sees relationships between things that others miss, and gets more done in a day than most folks manage in a week. He loves to transform traditional sci fi, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something unexpected.

Starting in 2014, Scott has published more than 15 works, including two novels and a number of novellas and short stories.

He runs both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, sites that bring queer people together to promote and celebrate fiction that reflects their own lives.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com

Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth

Facebook (author page): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworthauthor/

Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/jscoatsworth/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Scott-Coatsworth/e/B011AFO4OQ

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Steel Trap (The Wyverns #5) L.M. Somerton

?Reviewed by Kiwi?

TITLE: Steel Trap

SERIES: The Wyverns # 5

AUTHOR: L.M. Somerton

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

RELEASE DATE: October 17, 2017

BLURB: Secrets don’t stay hidden forever.

Hatchet has a thing for the enigmatic Mr Smith, Horatio Trap’s spokesman. He’d love to get his hands on the pretty man and show him how good it feels to take orders for once rather than hand them out. He’s had his eye on Smith for years and he’s running out of patience.

The Wyverns’ involvement in the drug trade is limited to stealing money from the cartels, they don’t want junk peddled on their turf. When Trap orders them to destroy a crack cocaine factory in Phoenix, they are happy to oblige. But Smith throws a spanner in the works by posing as a potential buyer, putting himself in mortal danger.

Hatchet and The Wyverns come up with a plan to fake Smith’s death, muscle in on the deal and convince the cartel to do business with them instead. But when Hatchet’s cover is blown he’s left to save a bunch of illegals, destroy the drugs and wipe the factory from the face of the planet. It’s all in a night’s work for The Wyverns—but there are still secrets to uncover and the mysterious Horatio Trap, and his mind games, can’t stay hidden forever.

 

REVIEW: Oh, my! I’ve been waiting for this installment of this series feels like forever. I know that’s not the case; I was just anxious. Well, the author certainly didn’t disappoint me. This in addition to Adrian and Teddy’s story, are my favorites in the series.

Hatchet and Mr. Smith are as different as night and day but you know they say that opposites attract. Mr. Smith aka Montgomery Smith, is indeed enigmatic but underneath that cool, collected and cultured façade is a man that is attracted to Hatchet’s rough exterior. Monty (yes, I gave Smith’s character my own nickname) is kind of tired of being lonely and acting as the go-between the Wyverns and the mysterious Mr. Trap.

Hatchet and Monty seems like an unlikely couple at first but it works. The action, the dialogue, characters and storyline of this book, of all of the books in this series is absolutely fantastic. The books are short (under 100 pages) but it reads like a full length novel. There are no plot holes or cliff hangers in any of these stories which I really love.

There are a couple of plot twists in this book. Secrets you will not see coming as it pertains to the mysterious Mr. Trap and Monty are finally revealed.

I truly enjoyed this book and really looking forward to reading more. I’m waiting for Artie and Bull to have their HEA.

Please note: The general release date is October 17, 2017. However, you can pre-order from Pride Publishing or Amazon. 

RATING: ????

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Pride Publishing

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Prophesy (The King & Alpha #1) A.E. Via

?REVIEWED BY: Patricia Nelson?

TITLE: Prophesy

SERIES: The King & Alpha Series Book 1

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Books

RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2017

An Enemies to Lovers
Shifter, Vampire True Mates story.

BLURB: Justice Volkov is the youngest Alpha Zenith to ever lead the wolf shifters. Following in his father’s large paw prints was a responsibility he met head on. Now at age thirty-three, he is alpha of the alphas. As a direct descendant of the original Siberian pack, his wolf is bigger and stronger than Justice himself is sometimes able to control.

His wolf howled long and hard but Justice kept it inside. It felt like a bass drum beating against his rib cage. The harsh breaths, angry snarls, and the determined pacing inside him was overtaking him.

Justice takes his role of leadership and his legacy very seriously. He has little time for romance, not to mention a true mate. His packs are his priority. With a human government trying to regulate them, an uprising of rogue shifters, and a violent team of scientists trying to experiment on them, Justice has his hands way too full.

Chadwick ‘Wick’ Bentley is not enthusiastic when the captain of his escort tells him he has to leabe his comfortable London home and go back to the States. As the Vampire King, he has no choice but to get his species back in line before they cause any more chaos. At over one hundred years old, Wick is no one to trifle with, but his smooth, charismatic manner makes him quite unique, despite the negative reputation vampires have. Wick has had nothing but time up to this point. He doesn’t feel the need to make issues pressing. Nothing is urgent in his life. Until he meets Justice. His beloved.

“Natural enemies can’t be mates.” Or so Justice thought. He knows his skepticism and rejection is hurting his mate, so while he fights their connection, Wick gets help from a source very close to Justice to help him win his beloved’s heart. Wick is a force all on his own, but when he’s blessed with a special gift from the Mother herself, not even Justice’s powerful wolf can prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled.

REVIEW: This fascinating, and fantastic book is A.E. Via’s first foray into the shifter/paranormal genre. I personally think she’s done a absolutely awesome job of it. Her world building is vivid, pulling you in from the very beginning. The characters are complex, three dimensional, and totally engaging. I couldn’t help but hold my breath, watching as Wick and Justice shakily navigated the minefield of ploys, plots, betrayals, ingrained prejudice, years of war, and their own doubts, insecurities, and inner demons, hoping that they would get the HEA ending they so richly deserved. I absolutely loved this enthralling beginning to an intriguing new series, and can’t wait to see what happens next.

RATING: ????

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Via Star Wings Publishing

 

 

 

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When Heaven Strikes by F.E. Feeley Jr.

“Sometimes when heaven strikes, it comes in the form of a fierce storm. A knock at the door. A phone number slipped into a back pocket. Sometimes it comes with the sweetest of circumstances or the hardest of lessons.”

 

Can love survive heaven’s wrath?

Artist Ted Armstrong lives a solitary and eccentric life. The survivor of child abuse disguised as religion, Ted has cut himself off from the world.

Then Ted meets Anderson Taylor, and it’s like being struck by lightning.

Anderson is a cardiac surgeon whose passion for his work has consumed him. He fears he’ll never find a partner—until he sets eyes on Ted. It’s happening fast, but both men know what they feel is right.

Confronted with an angry preacher, a scandal, and an act of God that threatens to destroy everything, their relationship will face its first true test.

Kimi’s thoughts:

This is a story that at its core is about love. We meet Anderson and Ted, who form the main couple, but also Anderson’s family, and Josiah and his family. Their lives are woven together in the organic way that those who live in the same community and live their lives naturally cross paths here and there. We get not just one love story between two men, but also those of the others, and not the least, that of familial love and friendship. 

Feeley takes a hard look at the human idiosyncrasies and frailties that cause us to doubt, to lash out, to lie to ourselves, and to act out in anger. While Ted’s parents hide behind fundamentalism, it is made more than evident that these are not those that follow the words of the Christ they hold as a religious figurehead, but people who use the Bible to justify their own thirst for power. Power within the community, control over their lives, and the feeling of safety that gives them. It’s an unhealthy obsession that they cling to, rather than face their own inner demons, yet like other addictions, it falls flat and ultimately, a rock bottom is reached. It is from there that our characters learn the way from the bottom is to face their own fears and support each other on the way up, to where happiness waits.

His use of the storm as an allegory was done without a heavy hand. Anyone who’s lived in Tornado Alley, or anywhere prone to devasting other acts of natures, knows of the suddenness these can strike with and the utter devastation they leave in their wake. Lives carefully constructed often find it stripped away, with loss taking its toll even as the spirit of friendship and community blossom. Yet even as everything lies in ruins, people begin to rebuild and their new ties within the community add their own bright colors to the patchwork of their lives. 

It’s a beautifully crafted tale, and one I heartily recommend. Available from Amazon to buy or to read with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

 

 

Rating: 5

kimisig