Category: Age Group

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Shifting Hearts-Silvia Violet

Publisher: Silvia Violet Books/Create Space (Independent Publishing Platform)

After experiencing what happens when someone you love walks away and never looks back, Brandon decided love was for fools. Then he spent a summer with Zach. He struggled against feelings that grew every time he and Zach were together, telling himself they were just having a fling. When Zach confessed his love one hot summer night, Brandon panicked. He scoffed at Zach and made sure he walked away first.

Three years later, their paths cross again when Zach becomes the vet at Wild R Farm where Brandon works. Brandon realizes his feelings haven’t changed, but Zach treats Brandon with scorn despite Brandon’s every attempt to show Zach he’s no longer the self-centered man he used to be. When a night out ends with Brandon driving Zach home, confessions are made on both sides, and hope begins to build in Brandon’s heart.

2014-10-27 23.10.07This is book # 6 in the Wild R Farm series and the first book I’ve read from this series.  I went in reading thinking that I was going to be confused because I started with the sixth book.  Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.  The author did a great job of providing a back story so I didn’t run into any of the plot holes I expected to run into when starting in the middle of series. The characters were well written which is what I have come to expect from a Silvia Violet book. Her characters are men who are tough but not so much that they can’t admit their true feelings towards each other. Brandon isn’t a bad man, just a man that’s been hurt before and as often with people who have been hurt, they bring that past baggage into current relationships. This made Brandon out to be somewhat of a jerk but that wasn’t the case.  Brandon felt that he had to protect his heart and by doing that he ended up hurting the man he loved. Zach and Brandon come into contact with each other again after a couple years and they find that the love is still there buried under layers of anger and hurt. Yes, Brandon was a jerk and time hasn’t exactly put Zach in a forgive and forget mood.  I especially loved how the author allows you to observe how the characters in the previous books interact with each other and with the two main characters. Their personalities intrigued me quite a bit and I will definitely read the rest of the series to find out more about them.  As always, Silvia does a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life. You care about them and makes you want to get to know them more.  They linger with you after you finish reading.  This book was a delightful read and I definitely recommend it.

 

5

 

You can purchase it here:

Amazon

To learn more about this author and her other books:

Silvia Violet

 

 

 

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Boys of Summer Audiobook by Cooper Davis Narrated by Brian Pallino

Audible Solutions Presents: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Boys-of-Summer-Audiobook/B00PCNUXHU/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1417122330&sr=1-2

boys summer

Blurb

I thought I knew what love was… My name is Hunter Willis and I’ve found love. The problem? I’m not sure I’m ready for the rest of the world to know I’ve fallen for my best friend. Everyone knows Max is gay. Me? They think I’m straight as an arrow. So did I, until Max and I shared a kiss three months ago that blew that theory right out of the water. Now, by the ocean in Florida, thousands of miles away from prying eyes, I’m finally ready to admit to myself that Max and I have something special. Max has been ready for a long time – and he’s been waiting for me. Really waiting. As in… he’s still a virgin. There’s nothing I want more than to be Max’s first lover. But I know when Max gives away that part of himself, it won’t be just a summer fling. It’ll be for keeps. Max deserves the best. I’m just not sure, when it comes right down to it, that I won’t break his heart. Did I mention I’m scared as hell?

 Morgan’s Review

Hunter is a straight man who falls in love with one of his best friends, Max. This is their story, told in a series of flash backs and leaps forward. We start with Hunter and Max on vacation in Florida. They’ve been hot and heavy for months, but not actually committed to each other or had full, penetrative sex. Max, a virgin, doesn’t want to make love to someone unwilling to be with him fully.   After much deliberation, Hunter agrees that the time is right for them to come out as a couple and he’s “rewarded” with Max’s virginity.

Then, we are shown, back in time, their original meeting, when both were “straight” guys who were drawn to each other. This then leads through the months and years of each man’s road towards discovering their sexuality and finally to the culmination where they both come out to their friends and cement their relationship as long term partners.

**

I really enjoyed this double GFY/OFY story of two men discovering love with one another. It’s told from Hunter’s POV as he is the most confused of the pair, he has to process a lot of emotion. I thought the author did a tremendous job of being fairly realistic in how slow it would be for two men to go from dating women to dating each other and since the story itself is short, we get important highlights from those years, not every minute detail.

I’m not sure I really appreciated all the back and fort between time periods, as a listener it was hard to follow sometimes.

However, the narrator did an excellent job. He was really good at reading the dialog and the smexy times, but didn’t try to take over the story with a variety of voice types. Everyone was voiced the same, but he really did a nice job showing emotion appropriately in the right parts of the story. He seemed to “get” what he was reading.

I hadn’t heard from this narrator before, but I’d look for him again.

I look forward to the next installment, Taking You Home.

I really enjoyed both the book and narration and give it 4.5 of 5 hearts.

4.5

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Covenant in Blood (Partnership in Blood Book 2) by Ariel Tachna

Dream spinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5558

covenant

Blurb

Book Two in a Four Book Series. The wizards and the vampires have forged an alliance based on blood and magic, hoping to turn the tide of the war against the dark wizards. A few wizard-vampire bonds are as successful as Alain Magnier’s and Orlando St. Clair’s, but some are much less so, leading to arguments, resentment, and outright fights between the allies despite their mutual goals. Following his best friend Alain’s example, Thierry Dumont determinedly forms a partnership with vampire Sebastien Noyer, despite the wizard’s discomfort with being so close to a vampire a man so soon after his wife’s death. But they find that desperation may be the key to forming a covenant that works: Thierry and Sebastien are almost immediately devoted to one another’s safety. With new strength behind it, the Alliance’s leaders move to announce its existence to the whole world, hoping to rally support against the dark wizards who threaten to destroy life as they know it. Struggling to find its way in the expanding war, the Alliance discovers that despite its advantages, the partnerships are affecting the balance of magical power in the world, which may be an even bigger threat than the war itself.

Morgan’s Review

In this, the second book, we start to see where all those new relationships forged in book one are headed. There are so many, it’s sometimes hard to keep track. And they come in all flavors: m/m, m/f, f/f.

Orlando and Alain are growing closer day to day. Orlando is still a bit stand-offish, so scarred that it’s hard for him to let Alain in. Alain is becoming impatient and hurt by this seeming “rejection” and it briefly separates them. On the one hand, I too was feeling that Orlando was being ridiculous, but as Orlando points out, he was tortured for years and has been holding on to these feelings for years and the TEN days that he and Alain have been together, no matter the magic, can’t undo the damage that quickly.

Jude, the traditionalist is matched with Adele, the strong woman. It’s a clash of the centuries with him acting like a caveman and Adele showing him what a modern woman can do.

Thierry and Sebastian.   This is Sebastian coveting Thierry and Thierry feeling guilty over wanting someone so recently after his wife has died – and a man to boot.

Caroline and Mirielle are learning how to be a couple, with Caroline’s confidence blossoming under Mirielle’s care.

David the conservative is matched with Angelique the madam.  “Nuff said.

Raymond and Jean are two stubborn mules matched head to head.

The conflict part of the story also moves forward a little. We learn that there is magic to be gained from these vampire/warlock pairings and that when vampires feed while having sex that magic is restored faster than just from feeding alone.

Mostly, however, this very, very, very, very long book was about character development. It was a bit trying and confusing.  Luckily, for the most part, if you focus on the characters you most want to follow, you can still make sense of the storyline.  For example, I read in one review, “If there is a pairing you are uncomfortable with(i.e. m/f or f/f) , just skim their part!” I believe that’s mostly true. Very little would be lost if you ignored one couple, but the sex between couples is mostly Alain and Orlando. This is still mostly their story.

I think that a good editing would narrow this book down and we wouldn’t lose the interesting elements of the story.  With a little less detail (and perhaps a few less couples) the story would be cleaner and have a more immediate and strong impact.

As it stands, it’s kind of like Dickens.  You read through a lot to get a good story, but … you read through A LOT.

So, if you have a lot of patience and time, I recommend continuing on with this super creative series.

I’d give book two a 4 of 5 hearts, with points subtracted for length.

4

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Harvest Moon by Megan Slayer

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

harvest moon

Blurb

What’s a guy to do when the time to be with family is the time he dreads the most?

All Matt Green wants for Thanksgiving is to propose to his boyfriend in the most epic way he knows-in front of their families. There’s only one catch. His boyfriend, Reed Jordan, doesn’t do family gatherings. To be honest, Reed isn’t wild about Thanksgiving, but he won’t say why.

Matt’s willing to do anything in order to get Reed to talk, but will it make the holiday perfect or or ruin all of Matt’s plans? The Harvest Moon just might be the right omen to make everything all right.

Morgan’s Review

This is a short story, a sequel of sorts to Blue Moon. Blue Moon was about Halloween, this is about Thanksgiving. In both stories the MCs “hate” the holiday in question, and it is the goal of the other MC to get them over this hatred.

For Reed, Thanksgiving represents the “coming out”/ epic fail he had with his parents 10 years ago. He was declared “dead” by his family and disowned and has hated the holiday ever since.

Matt loves people and parties and has felt a bit stifled by the lack of holiday spirit. He wants to replace Reed’s bad experience with a good one – a marriage proposal – but is scared. So he enlists the help of friends and family and spends some time talking with Reed to talk him off the ledge.

Reed reluctantly agrees and the family comes over and turkey eating commences and what do you know? All’s well! Reed accepts the proposal and everyone is happy!

Except…There is a lingering spookiness when a strange man is spotted outside the window after dinner. Reed reports the man had been stalking him earlier with wild talk about “granting wishes” and Matt confesses he’d been approached as well. Their friends, Paul and “Tony” confess that they fear that man is actually a demon (which elicits zero reaction from Reed and Matt) who made a deal with Tristan (after they confess that “Tony” is really Tristan) that resulted in Tristan’s “death” and subsequent “rebirth”. Everyone agrees not to talk to the creepy guy and all’s well again.

**

This story was more forced than Blue Moon. There seemed to be no real “hurdle” and the angst felt very manufactured. There was much gratuitous sex and I didn’t enjoy this story as much, as it’s predecessor. However, I did appreciate the continuing thread and hope to see if it takes us somewhere with all the couples together somehow.

I give this a 2.5 of 5 hearts

2.5

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Alliance in Blood (Partnership in Blood Book 1) by Ariel Tachna

Dreamspinner Presents:   http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5684

alliance

Blurb

“Partnership in Blood Volume One”

Can a desperate wizard and a bitter, disillusioned vampire find a way to build the partnership that could save their world?

In a world rocked by magical war, vampires are seen by many as less than human, as the stereotypical creatures of the night who prey on others. But as the war intensifies, the wizards know they need an advantage to turn the tide in their favor: the strength and edge the vampires can give them in the battle against the dark wizards who seek to destroy life as they know it.

In a dangerous move and show of good will, the wizards ask the leader of the vampires to meet with them, so that they might plead their cause. One desperate man, Alain Magnier, and one bitter, disillusioned vampire, Orlando St. Clair, meet in Paris, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance of their decision: Will the vampires join the cause and form a partnership with the wizards to win the war?

Morgan’s Review

There is a war being waged by renegade wizards. The good wizards seek an alliance with the vampires who have had an animosity towards the wizards for years. In order to broker a peace agreement, the emissary for the wizards, Alain, agrees to have his blood sampled by the emissary from the vampires, Orlando, as an olive branch and also as a means to prove his sincerity and honesty. Instead of merely proving these, which it does, it also gives Orlando a burst of magic that is both erotic, and provides safety from the sun!

The bond between them is so strong that the couple quickly goes from allies to lovers. However, this is no simple case of “insta-love/lust”. Yes, they are both immediately and exaggeratedly attracted to each other, but Orlando has a long history of mistrust. His “maker” raped him and abused him in other ways, repeatedly, over years. Only by killing him did Orlando get free, though he is still crippled by the emotional scars left behind. Alain is a true and gentle soul who seeks only to make Orlando feel whole again, both for the sake of the alliance and for their budding relationship.

Meanwhile, the other wizards and vampires must find their own “pairing”. It is determined that this bond between Orlando and Alain can also be found with others (though not necessarily the deep, sexual bonding). They test one another and several couples emerge.

Once the couples are joined they begin their work to spread this knowledge among vampires and wizards and begin to build their part of the resistance.

**

This is the first of four books. It is a unique take on the “mate” that we see in a lot of paranormal books in that (at least at first blush) not every “mate” is a sexual partner. (That remains to be seen in further books.)

Orlando and Alain share a deep and instant, but very imperfect bond and it is clear that their struggle to overcome Orlando’s past will play an important role in the coming books.

The other couples look like they, too, will play important roles in upcoming story lines and some of the pairings are m/f and f/f.

The overall feel of this book is very dark and as some have said, “gothic”. The language is more formal and stilted, perhaps because it takes place in Europe, though it is in modern times.

These are long books. The world building is significant and lengthy. There is a fair amount of the “love story” but that is at least equaled by the “other”. IE The other couples, the war, the world building, etcetera.

I really like Alain. He’s just generous and giving and so sincere. It’s obvious how much he cares for Orlando already, though it’s only been days. The other couples are intriguing as well. Orlando is a bit much. He is moody and guarded and scarred. Something like a old, vampire, emo teenager. I am hoping we see him open up as the story evolves, and that we see him returning the adoration fed him by Alain. Right now it feels very lopsided.

Overall, this is a great start to a fascinating series with a very complex, dark and yet romantic world.

I give it 4 of 5 hearts

4

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Pukawiss the Outcast (The Two Spirit Chronicles #1) by Jay Jordan Hawke

PukawissFrom Dreamspinner:

When family complications take Joshua away from his fundamentalist Christian mother and leave him with his grandfather, he finds himself immersed in a mysterious and magical world. Joshua’s grandfather is a Wisconsin Ojibwe Indian who, along with an array of quirky characters, runs a recreated sixteenth-century village for the tourists who visit the reservation. Joshua’s mother kept him from his Ojibwe heritage, so living on the reservation is liberating for him. The more he learns about Ojibwe traditions, the more he feels at home.

One Ojibwe legend in particular captivates him. Pukawiss was a powerful manitou known for introducing dance to his people, and his nontraditional lifestyle inspires Joshua to embrace both his burgeoning sexuality and his status as an outcast. Ultimately, Joshua summons the courage necessary to reject his strict upbringing and to accept the mysterious path set before him.

Kimi’s thoughts:

Joshua is a teen living in modern America, with a white mother and a father who is Ojibwe living as a “non Indian”. What does that mean? It means his father tries to conform to what the narrow definition of civilised Christian that his wife insists on, only to end up disconnected from himself and his family. Joshua’s father takes off, leaving Joshua alone with his mother’s rigid outlook and rules. This would be difficult enough, but Joshua’s world is thrown further topsy turvy when his mother decides she needs to find herself and that Joshua should go stay on the Ojibwa reservation with a grandfather he barely remembers.

Joshua is in for deep culture shock. he doesn’t know the native tongue spoken on a daily basis by members of the tribe, doesn’t know any of the legends, recognise any of the foods, know how to tribal dance, and encounters racism from two fronts as he’s not white enough nor Ojibwe enough according to some.  Adding to his confusion is an increased awareness of his own sexuality. He finds personal strength through the tale of Pukawiss and through it, reaches out to embrace his native heritage and accept his homosexuality.

This doesn’t set well with church volunteers who have self appointed themselves as outreach workers to the tribe, and his mother hears of his “heathen” ways. It leads to a conflict between himself, the tribe, his grandfather, mother, and the self appointed guardians of “Christian civilisation”. The far right religious views of the ministry and his mother are accompanied by ideas of “civilising” that in years past led to the en masse removal of Indian children across the uS and Canada and re-education at boarding schools where they were punished for speaking their native tongues, disallowed to eat their traditional foods, dance their dances, share their legends, or do anything else that was perceived as “Indian”. It’s what led Joshua’s father to break as he did, and why Joshua had no knowledge of his own heritage. How Joshua stands firm, claiming the power of Pukawiss for himself, is a story of great power.

Rating: amazing

kimisig

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Protector of the Alpha (Shifting Needs #1) by Parker Williams

Protector400x600Adopted at an early age by a wealthy family, Jake Davis has always seemed to have an easy life. Even in college he was blessed with good grades and an apparently clear path to a pro football career. Good thing his best friend keeps hanging around to keep his head from getting too swollen.
Zakiya Incekara has always been…odd. Being fluent in six languages and having a flair for international cooking should open the world to him, but those skills leave him isolated.
When Jake sees Zak for the first time, with water beading down his slender form, something inside him shifts, and it hungers for Zak. To have him. To claim him. And Jake knows that whatever it is, it won’t be denied.
When they are approached by a man who claims knowledge of a secret past they share, Jake and Zak are thrust into a world they would never have believed existed. The forests of Alaska might seem an odd place to find your destiny, but these men will meet the challenges head on, as they learn that sometimes you have to make sacrifices to be Protector of the Alpha.

Jake turned from the bar, and Zak watched as the bright smile turn into a sneer. He dropped the tray, the catfish crashing to the floor, before he stalked to where Zak sat. Jake grabbed a man, probably about forty, by his throat and pushed him against the wall.

“You don’t so much as breathe near him,” Jake snarled.

The man looked cool as he smiled and croaked out. “You are everything I had heard you would be, and more, my lord.”

Kimi’s Thoughts:

This is the first instalment of a brand new shifter series by Parker Williams, and as a fan of shifter stories I was really looking forward to seeing what he brought to the table. It’s got some familiar tropes (instant mate attraction via delicious scent for example) but it also offers up some that are not so familiar and mixes in some new, so that what we get is a shifter story that is both familiar and that little bit different. I quite liked how he wove active magic in with the mythos of his world.

Featuring young men at university, the main characters are brash, often insecure, filled with bravado and uncertainties, and of course, not immune to being horny. Williams manages to capture the essence of what it is to be a barely minted adult without homogenising any of the group or reverting to stereotypes. Zak in particular was an interesting character, with his upbringing handing him multilingual ability and a broad knowledge of international customs and cookery, but lacking in interpersonal social skills and a penchant for overly correct speech.

The hows and whys of how Zak, Jake, and jake’s best friend Casey came to cross paths and attend the same university turns out to have been years in the making.  They discover they are important chess pieces in an epic struggle to reclaim the pack they never knew they had back from a power crazed alpha. And I do mean crazed- this is one seriously twisted power sociopath they find themselves up against. How twisted? Twisted every bit as bad as some of the worst in Game of Thrones.

My only personal niggle was how the final boss fight played out. With the big lead in to the death match, the fight scene itself seemed to be over far too quickly. The ending is in itself satisfying with just enough of a lead in to the next book in the series that I was left hungry for the next volume without feeling left on too huge a cliffhanger without resolution to this volume’s main plot line.

Rating: 4

kimisig

To Buy: Amazon UK  Amazon US ARe  Smashwords

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Beneath Dark Stars (Sundown Book 2) by KC Kendricks

Blurb

Beneath Dark Stars

The sequel to Amber Allure’s Best Seller The Back Stairs… http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1181-Beneath-Dark-Stars.aspx

Fallon Roxbury, seasoned detective and special police consultant, knows that appearances can be deceiving. Trained to gather the clues and arrive at logical conclusions, he fits the puzzle pieces of a situation together to find the truth. But there’s nothing reasonable in Fallon’s attraction to the sexy, secretive shapeshifter called Sundown.

Sundown has studied people all his life. Having his very own human male is all he ever wanted. In Fallon, he’s found a man he can trust with his secrets and reveal his true nature. Keeping Fallon happy is a joyful exercise into which Sundown puts his heart and soul—when he’s not teasing Fallon’s police partner by leaving strange footprints at crime scenes, that is.

Fallon’s new case ties into an old one. At a dead end, he knows it’s time to ask Sundown for a little help. With his special abilities, Sundown can get into places Fallon can’t. All Fallon has to do is figure out a way to prove what he already knows. But what’s a cop to do when the truth takes a shift that’s stranger than fiction?

Morgan’s Review

Sundown and Fallon are learning what it takes to be a couple, and it’s very sweet and loving. Sundown is more and more willing to show the “other” side of his nature.

There is a once a year “reproduction ritual” taking place and Sundown is nervous about performing his non-sexual, reproduction duties, because they are so important to the race and to his own development. Fallon is jealous, though he knows it doesn’t threaten their relationship. Despite all this, Sundown goes, and Fallon works the case with his ex-partner.

The case is a cold-turned-hot one and they enlist some of the Chal for help. When Sundown returns he has changed, both physically and emotionally. But Fallon accepts him and loves him even more. Sundown adds his skills to the case and Fallon finds out that the Chal are willing to help when they can and support his relationship with Sundown completely.

It looks like things are moving along well in terms of Fallon and Sundown’s relationship. There are still some secrets and things not fully disclosed, but I look forward to seeing these unfolding in the next installment.

I am really enjoying this series and give this 4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Rebound Audiobook by Chris Scully Narrated by Michael Stellman

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

rebound

 

Blurb

Christmas is a time for peace, love, and goodwill toward mankind. Not! More like cheating exes and absentee friends.

For Emmett Byrd, spending the holiday season with his old college friend Terry in San Diego is supposed to be about mending his broken heart. But when Terry deserts him at the last minute, leaving Emmett alone in his condo for Christmas, it’s just the icing on the cake of a crappy year full of betrayal and lost love. The only Christmas spirit this Scrooge is feeling is the alcoholic kind. Then a slightly kooky, unsophisticated farm boy named Sky knocks on the door looking for Terry, and a case of mistaken identity reawakens Emmett’s hope in happily ever after.

 Morgan’s Review book and audio

Emmett is pissed (in the angry and drunken sense). His friend Terry left him alone on Christmas while he’s still nursing a broken heart. Sky is a farm boy who mysteriously shows up at Terry’s apartment on Christmas Eve. Emmett thinks he’s one of Terry’s “Rebound Boys” (one of Terry’s one night stands) so he treats him crappily. But Sky is actually a very sweet, warm-hearted boy who stays to help Emmett through his hangover and the holiday.

The two end up bonding and really clicking emotionally. They don’t actually “hook up” and in fact the entire story is just the couple of days when they first meet, getting to know one another.  But…there is a bonus chapter that tells what happens next. (Not in audio format, of course.)

Bonus Chapter: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20323731-rebound

**

This is a very sweet story, no sex, not even a HEA or HFN (but the bonus chapter gives us that).

The narration was nice, Emmett’s drunken slurs were funny and the sound quality was good.

If you are in the mood for a sweet, cute “meeting” story this is for you. With the follow up chapter, it will even satisfy those of us looking for the HEA.

I enjoyed it and give both story and audio a 4 of 5 hearts. (Knowing that I could find their HEA in the bonus scene, otherwise…)

4

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Speechless and The Gig by Kim Fielding

Dreampsinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3105

speechlessand

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3871

gig

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurbs:

Speechless

Travis Miller has a machining job, a cat named Elwood, and a pathetic love life. The one bright spot in his existence is the handsome guitar player he sometimes passes on his way home from work. But when he finally gathers the courage to speak to the man, Travis learns that former novelist Drew Clifton suffers from aphasia: Drew can understand everything Travis says, but he is unable to speak or write.

The two lonely men form a friendship that soon blossoms into romance. But communication is only one of their challenges-there’s also Travis’s inexperience with love and his precarious financial situation. If words are the bridge between two people, what will keep them together?

The Gig

An accident in Drew Clifton’s past left the former novelist with aphasia, unable to communicate through either speech or writing. Through sheer strength of will, he built a quiet but lonely life for himself. But now he’s fallen in love with Travis Miller.

Travis has his own issues—a permanent eye injury and unemployment. But he’s determined to help Drew find ways to engage and succeed again in the wider world, and a guitar-playing gig at a local coffeehouse seems like a good start.

Dylan Warner and Chris Nock happen to be in the audience that evening, and they have a few niggling problems of their own. Perhaps a chance meeting will provide solutions that might benefit all of them.

Morgan’s Review

Wow! Just Wow!

First, Kim Fielding is an absolutely amazing writer. Both of these are short books, but they are so packed with emotion and powerful feels.

In Speechless we meet Travis, a one-eyed-gay-machinist who is scraping by, but very lonely. He walks home every day and sees a man playing guitar on his porch and becomes obsessed. He works up the nerve to finally talk to him, only to find out that Drew suffers from aphasia after a car accident. Drew can neither speak nor write but can listen and respond normally.

Despite the odds, Drew and Travis form a fast friendship. Drew listens and gestures while Travis chatters away. They soon realize they have a lot in common and in fact are quite attracted to one another.

Things are going great, they are slowly building a relationship, when disaster strikes and Travis is forced to either move to Omaha or lose his hard-won job. Travis, feeling like he can’t be a man if he isn’t working, elects to move, leaving both men broken hearted.

Fortunately, Drew’s sister intervenes and helps Travis to set his priorities straight and Travis moves back home to Drew.

In The Gig, we pick up the story where Speechless leaves off, only this time the focus is on Drew’s music. He’s performing for the first time in public and Travis is supporting him from in the audience.

As luck would have it, some nearby lovers overhear Travis’ lament at joblessness and offer him a job!

Though it took two books, we get our glorious HEA.

**

Though I have pretty much summarized the story lines for you I cannot begin to describe how amazingly touching these books are with just those phrases.

The deep, deep loneliness, the sense of hopelessness followed by the aching happiness that we see when the two are re-united is just amazing.

I found the aphasia fascinating (and so sad – Drew was a writer) and the fact that Travis just dealt with it like it was nothing was also amazing. I enjoyed learning about Drew’s coping mechanisms and the way his brain found to work out ways to communicate when others were taken.

You’ll be in tears when the lovers part and again when they reunite and it is so beautifully written you’ll want to ride that roller coaster again and again.

I can’t recommend these books high enough and give them 6 of 5 hearts!

amazing

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