Category: Age Group

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The Magic of Weihnachten by Bru Baker


Dreampsinner presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5842

MagicofWeihnachten[The}Blurb

American Walsh Brandt is happy when a promotion lands him his dream job and a quiet new life in Germany. Until December rolls around, when he realizes it’s almost impossible to hide from the holiday season in Germany.

Dierck Reiniger is fascinated by Walsh’s hatred of Christmas and makes it his personal mission to help Walsh enjoy Weihnachten and the German traditions he grew up with. Walsh has a great time getting to know Dierck—but he still isn’t sold on Christmas, despite Dierck’s efforts. Dierck’s on the rebound, and he’s determined to develop their physical relationship slowly, much to Walsh’s frustration. It isn’t until they’re alone in a secluded cabin—hiding from the traditional trappings—that Walsh finally recognizes what the magic of the season can bring when spent with someone special.

 

Review

Walsh is a lonely man who hates Christmas. He’s in Germany,permanently, working at his new job in pharmaceuticals and is surrounded by their Weihnachten traditions everywhere he looks. One day he literally runs into Dierck who takes it upon himself to show Walsh the beauty of the season.

Dierck has been hurt in the past and is reluctant to move forward quickly in any relationship, so he forces the men to be friends first before lovers.

Finally, Walsh begins to feel that Dierck may just be using him for a holiday diversion when Dierck blessedly moves their relationship forward and we get a very solid HFN/HEA.

**

Though I really loved Dierck and learning about the traditions of Germany, I was as frustrated by this story as Walsh. Just when things looked to get more interesting and emotional, the story ends. The writing and character development were good, but the story felt truncated.

Overall, it was nice, but not my favorite of the advent series.

 

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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Stalking the Hygienist by Jackie Nacht

MLR Press presents http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=JNSTKHYG

stalking hygienistBlurb

This lion shifter will go to any length to get his deer shifting hygienist, including going to the dentist. Bring on the nitrous oxide!

Beauregard made a mistake… a horrible mistake. Now embarrassed,he focuses on what he loves most, working as a hygienist at Paranormal Dentistry for the Fanged and Friendly.

As soon as Sergei saw Beauregard coming up to his meat counter, he fell hard for the deer shifter. The only problem is Beauregard is running from him. Being the lion shifter he is, Sergei decides to take matters into his own hand and goes hunting. However, Sergei never imagined he would have to face his worst fear and choke down a salad.What’s it going to take to make Beauregard his?

Review

Sergei is a lone lion who sees his potential mate in the deer-shifter Beauregard. Sergei won’t take no for an answer and “stalks” Beau until he agrees to a date. From there on it’s pretty much hot then hotter between the two and true love triumphs again.

This is a very cute shifter story with true love and hot sex. A great addition to the series!

4 of 5 hearts

4

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BAMF Audiobook by SJD Peterson Narrated by Adam Dort

Dreamspinner presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5915

BAMFAUDMEDBlurb

With his fauxhawk, sleeve tattoos, and visible piercings, Ridley Corbin has the whole bad ass vibe going on in spades. The image serves him well as the self-proclaimed protector of the underdog, and he wants nothing more than to be Alex Firestone’s hero.

Alex, a mild-mannered library assistant, has moved to Slater, a quiet college town, hoping to hide from his past. He keeps to himself, but that doesn’t save him from catching the unwanted attention of the campus bully. But not all is as it seems. Alex’s past comes calling, and it’s time he becomes top dog.

Review

GAWD is that cover hot or what?

I love the cover and the title and the names of the MCs Ridley – stupid hot, right? And Alex – gorgeous!

I love the premise – underdog Alex needs “protection” by the uber-hot yet geeky Ridley only to turn around and be even more bad-ass than Iron Man!

I like the age – end of college, young but old enough not to feel YA.

All in all – practically perfect!

So how did the actual story hold up in the face of these expectations? Pretty well.

I thought it would be AMAZING.

It wasn’t.

But it was real damn good.

It started with a bang – Ridley acting cute-as-hell crushing on Alex, finally getting up the nerve to ask him out and then the two share a first date full of flirting and sexual innuendo over a game of pool.

Then they have sex.

WOW.

Not what you were expecting.

It is hot. Very hot.

Ridley ends up needing protection from Alex about midway through the book and the two end up spending some one on one time together which helps to cement their relationship. We see them go from super hot f*ck buddies to something more, and it gets a little sweet.

The action in between all this is fast-paced and holds your interest, but the bulk of the story is them and – well – them having sex.

I give this book high marks for hitting a lot of my buttons: geeks, deceiving appearances, college, intrigue, hot sex.

I can’t give it perfect marks because the relationship between Alex and Ridley is not all that believable. I mean, I could see them together, but we really don’t get to see much of them actually communicating or sharing themselves in more than a physical way, so I can’t really say “I know they’ll make it:”. In fact, I don’t really “know” Alex much at all. He seems to be a weird juxtaposition between his persona and his job, and I’m not sure I fully understand either character well.

Anyhow, it’s absolutely worth reading and I can definitely recommend it!

4 of 5 hearts

4

Audio:

Adam Dort is new to me, but he did a good job with the narration. He didn’t do a lot with Alex and Ridley’s voices, but he did add in some variation for some of the secondary characters and his female voices were not screechy like some men translate them. I thought he did the “emotional” and smexy scenes well and would look for him in the future as a narrator.

4.5 of 5 hearts

Overall, I’d rank the narration and book together as more a 4.5 of 5 hearts and would say the listening was as good or better than the reading.

4.5

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Shifting Weight Tour Tina Blenke with Giveaway

shiftingweight72-1Jason is a West Coast wolf Shifter who leaves his native Pack Lands to search for his destined mate. When he finds the large muscled man working out a local gym, Jason is ecstatic and apprehensive. Eric is a Changeless human and there are tense sides to the politically heated debate around the integration of Shifters and Changeless. Jason is at risk of losing control of his wolf without bonding with his destined mate. But, will Eric accept that Jason is a Shifter? And can Eric trust Jason after his heart has been left shattered from a previously failed relationship.

Excerpt:
Jason allowed himself to run that night. Elation filled him making it easier to relax and allow his wolf to flow into his mind and body. The shift was seamless, years of transitioning helped his wolf to take control in under a few painless minutes. Jason knew of wolves who could never shift because the pain was so intense. It was unknown what the cause was but some insisted that it was because the Shifter’s true mate had never been found and the man could not control the beast inside of him.
The old wives’ tale had haunted Jason especially as years passed without locating his mate. Now that he knew Eric existed, it was one less thing to worry about. Now he could focus on worrying about Eric finding out he was a Shifter. Eric’s acceptance. If the two would find love and happiness despite fate playing a factor, then, and only then, could Jason think about starting a family with Eric. Maybe he was jumping the gun, but he had always wanted a man to love and a family to care for. Was it too much to want? Shouldn’t he be satisfied with finding a mate? All of this thinking and stress was weighing him down. Yes, he had found his mate, but would Eric want Jason?
His legs pumped harder as he made his way across hills and through forests with large trees reaching up towards the skies. It was not the familiar woods of his home on the Pack Lands but it felt good to stretch his limbs, pull deep pulls of fresh air into his lungs, and feel the wind tickling through his fur all over his body. With a grin, he imagined his large bear of a mate with sexual wants that matched his own.
Pages: 60 pages

Buy from Amazon
Author Bio: Tina is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn’t writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can’t get enough of.
Author Contact:
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LinkedIn: Tina Blenke
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Website: http://tinablenke.wix.com/author
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Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Latisha Waters
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The Swag Man Delivers by Sean Michael


Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5847
SwagManDelivers[The]Blurb
When Orpheus runs into Gage on an Australian beach, he figures Santa knew exactly what he was doing.
Orpheus “O” Drummond, a recent Ph.D. graduate, is visiting Australia after defending his thesis, and being dumped by his boyfriend. While alone on the beach in Australia was not how he’d originally planned on spending his Christmas, when O runs into Gage, he figures Santa knew exactly what he was doing.
Gage is traveling away from his Texan home, trying to “find himself.” When he finds O instead, he doesn’t think things could have worked out better. Together Gage and O celebrate Christmas in the best way they can think of.

Review
O meets Gage and they proceed to have lots of hot sex.
In Australia.
The End.
**

It was super hot sex and sometimes funny, but not much else to this story.

2.5 of 5 hearts

2.5

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Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay # 4) By Aleksandr Voinov and LA Witt

Riptide Presents: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/lone-wolf

lone wolf

Blurb

Hunter Easton is screwed. Fans, producers, and his agent are all chomping at the bit for the next book in his wildly popular Wolf’s Landing series, but he’s got epic writer’s block and is way behind deadline. Then he reads The World Tree, a fanfic novel by his online friend “Lone Wolf.” It isn’t just a great story—it’s exactly what the series needs.

Kevin Hussain is thrilled when “Wolf Hunter” wants to meet up after reading The World Tree. When Wolf Hunter turns out to be Hunter Easton himself, Kevin is starstruck. When Hunter tells him he wants to add The World Tree to Wolf’s Landing, Kevin is sure he’s being pranked. And when their online chemistry carries over—big time—into real life, Kevin is convinced it’s all too good to be true.

The problem is . . . it might be. The book deal, the sex, the money—everything is amazing. But fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Kevin is left wondering if Hunter really loves him, or just loves his book.

Review

Hunter, the sexy silver fox, is having writer’s block of epic proportions until he sneeks a peak at a some fanfic that has him drooling over the story and it’s author, Kevin, a twenty-something fanboy.

Hunter agrees to meet Kevin and then offers that Kevin’s book act as the next in the series for the Wolf’s Landing series. The chemistry between them is hot as well (they’ve shared some slash fiction as well and it sets their imaginations on fire).

Things move rapidly from here. The publisher loves Kevin’s book. Hunter and Kevin start an affair despite nearly 20 year age gap. Kevin’s life changes practically over night. Needless to say he begins to wonder if it is all for real or going to last – especially his relationship with Hunter.

The couple separates when Hunter gets sick and then reconnects when both realize how much the other means to them and we get our HEA.

**

I really enjoy these authors in collaboration, and I think that many of the elements I enjoy from them were here. Super hot sex. Intriguing characters. Diversity issues. For me what was missing was some of the sexual tension in build-up. When Hunter and Kevin meet they’ve already done their slow burn via the online communication – off page. As soon as they meet (practically) they hop in bed. I think there would have been a lot more hand wringing, especially on the part of Hunter. Sleeping with a fan. A super young fan. Especially since you value privacy so much. And you weren’t supposed to read any fan fic… he had a LOT to lose and he seemed pretty unconcerned.

I also didn’t feel Kevin acted at all like he would have – star struck, in awe, young… Instead he was surprisingly the aggressor and this was hard to believe from a guy who spends all his hours behind a computer screen.

Of course I loved the hot sex, but I felt the emotional connection happened either off page or in summary sentences. It didn’t feel as authentic as I have seen in the past with these authors.

As far as the story goes – it’s really an interesting fantasy – fanboy turns famous – ends up shagging his idol forever and ever – but I wasn’t convinced of the sincereity all that much. I especially thought the end felt rushed and too tame and though it suggests a HEA, I’m not sure I believe it.

Overall, it was very entertaining, moved the series along well, gave another side of the production story and had the added benefits of great characters with a lot of potential.

I enjoyed it even though I didn’t love it.

3 of 5 hearts

3

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Second Bite of the Cherry by Louise Lyons


Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5868

 

SecondBiteoftheCherryBlurb

The New Year is a time for new beginnings, and for Daniel and James, it might be the time to give love another chance.

When Daniel Berrisford reluctantly agrees to accompany his best friend Kate to the New Year’s Eve celebrations in London, he doesn’t expect to enjoy himself. Daniel is pleasantly surprised to see his first boyfriend, James Allison, among the merrymakers. The pair haven’t seen each other for four years, but as they talk and midnight approaches, it becomes clear the spark between them is still there. The New Year is a time for new beginnings, and for Daniel and James, it might be the time to give love another chance.

Review

This is pretty much as the blurb suggests. Two old boyfriends reconnecting and deciding the spark is still there. The writing is nice and the sentimentality is sweet. Overall, it’s a “nice” story about finding old love anew.

3 of 5 hearts

3

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The Wallbanger (Cock & Tails #1) Audiobook by Renee George Narrated by Thomas Hoffman

Amazon presents http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Wallbanger-Audiobook/B00PLZGK7G/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1419187590&sr=1-2

wallbangerBlurb

When mixology meets biology, it’s pure chemistry!

To celebrate his 45th birthday, Dr. Harvey Grace agrees to go on a blind date at a popular gay sports bar, The Other Team. His date turns out to be the bar’s owner–gorgeous 32-year-old Jay Lincoln. Their attraction is immediate and hot as wildfire. Harvey begins to believe that Jay might well be “the one,” but is the younger man serious about finding Mr. Right … or is he looking for Mr. Right Now?

Review

This is book one in the Cock & Tails series.

Harvey is a 45 year old doctor who is tired of the single life. He cautiously agrees to a date via an online ad and ends up meeting Jay, the owner of the bar “The other team”. They are immediately attracted to each other and begin their date with high hopes.

When Mark, Harvey’s ex, interrupts, spilling all kinds of ugly sauce around, Jay and Harvey are forced to open up and they find that their attraction is more than skin deep.

Because these are short stories, we move quickly to the super hot smexy scenes, and then we are left with a very HFN that will later bleed into part 2.
In part 2, Jay’s ex and Mark both try to come between the two new lovers.

One because of a twelve-step program, and one for pure jealousy.

Luckily, Jay and Harvey are old enough to take the time to talk things out and we get a further HFN that makes us think they just might make it after all.

(And of course some more super hot smexy scenes.)

**

This was a great book of a slightly older guy meeting the man of his dreams online.  The chemistry is off the charts and the HFN – which leads to the sequel- is very satisfying.

Audiobook:

Wonderful, super, fantastic, fun! I really enjoyed the sensual quality Thomas Hoffman gave this book and enjoyed his voice selections for the MCs and secondary characters.

I would definitely look for this narrator in the future and really enjoyed this audiobook!

5 of 5 hearts

5

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Peanutbutter and Jelly for Two by Jackie Nacht

MLR Presents http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=JN_PBJF2

peanut butterBlurb

The sexy chipmunk shifter isn’t afraid of the dentist; he’s in love with him.

Phillip has the best job working at the Paranormal Dentistry for the Fanged and Friendly. As a chipmunk shifter, Phillip has seen handsome men walk through the door but none so gorgeous as his boss and wolf shifter, Dr. Gunner Samuels. When he finds himself being manipulated by his best friend to ask the big bad wolf over for dinner, Phillip realizes his biggest dilemma, he’s never cooked a day in his life, let alone meat. Can Phillip pull off a fabulous dinner for two? And has Gunner had his eye on the sexy shifter all this time?

Review

This is the first in the Paranormal Dentistry series and it lays out the shifter world as designed by Jackie Nacht. Most of it is as you’d expect, but –  there’s no specific “mate” call, shifters find love across species, they don’t magically heal with each shift so they are succebptible to human problems – like cavities.

Phillip is a medical assistant for Dr. Gunner Samuels. Both men are immediately attracted to one another, but Phillip is leery of hitting on his boss and Gunner doesn’t want to scare off his shy new assistant.

Eventually the matchmaking efforts of the hygienist Beauregard pay off and they finally agree to date and that leads to … well, mating.

This is a very sweet and funny story with some pretty hot smexy times and a delightful start to a great series.

I give it 4.5 of 5 hearts.

4.5

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Tidings of Comfort and Joey Down Under by David Connor


Dreamspinner presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5846
TidingsofComfortandJoeyDownUnderBlurb
It’ll take a miracle to set things right between Seth and Sandy. Good thing ’tis the season.
Seth Anderson thought he was a finalist in the Hot Jack cologne modeling contest for King’s Department Store, but Sandy King, upon reviewing Seth’s photo and resume, just wanted to jump him like a horny kangaroo. Seth quickly learns there is pain behind Sandy’s bravado and a sweet, lonely man behind the act. A holiday romance blossoms like the flowers on an Australian Christmas Bell. When Seth, used to a family dynamic without boundaries, oversteps by outing Sandy to his estranged grandmother, however, everything changes. Sandy is furious. He breaks things off with Seth and threatens to return to the US. As Christmas approaches, any chance at happily ever after seems as likely as a snowstorm in Sydney. It would take a miracle from above to set things right. Good thing ‘tis the season.

Review
This is a unique and fun Aussie holiday story. It’s pretty funny if a little strange.  There were times I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on but I wasn’t sure if it was the dialect or the story.  There was some some insta-love and costumes and a weird contest but it all ends on a happy note!

It wasn’t one of the better romances but it was interesting.

I give it 2.5 of 5 hearts

2.5

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