X-Factor by Sean Michael

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: X-Factor

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2016

SUMMARY: Game designer Henry Delloit loves his life, his mountain community, his isolated dream home, and the snow. He also loves that the X-treme Games blow into the area for a month every year, bringing with them hundreds of athletes.

Ecco Rasmussen loves boarding. He knows he’ll never make it to the big time, but as long as he can get on his board and go, he doesn’t care. If only his manager, Blake Dobbs, would cut Ecco a break. The man’s possessive and mean, and believes he owns Ecco.

When Henry and Ecco meet at the Branchberry Games, it’s lust at first sight. An injury on Ecco’s qualifying run offers an opportunity to spend quality time together at Henry’s home, away from the crowds and out from under Blake’s thumb.

At this rate, lust might turn into love, but not if they can’t keep their romance hidden from Blake.

First Edition published by Torquere Press, 2010.

Second Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, EDR: April 27, 2016

REVIEW: I’ve always enjoyed this author’s books, whether it be his series (Hammer is my favorite) or his stand alone books. Its this that keeps me drawn to his work. This book however, didn’t do it for me unfortunately. It wasn’t a bad stories in the sense that it was poorly written. It’s really well written: the characters are interesting and well thought out. The glitches for me was the dialogue and the execution of the storyline.

Let me give a brief summary: Ecco is a snowboarder with a manager with some major boundary issues that’s creepy and possessive, sliding towards abusive.

Henry is a well loved resident of the area who looks forward to the games that come through town one month a year. These two meet and it’s attraction at first sight. These two men get together and embark on a sexual relationship that soon turns into somethings more. But they’re not going to have their happily ever after. They have to keep the relationship a secret from Ecco’s bizarrely possible manager.

I absolutely love how the story focuses on these two men and their budding relationship. The book was saturated with sex which is par for the course with this author’s work.

The only thing that absolutely did not work for me was the dialogue. It was just too juvenile for my tastes. I just couldn’t with the constant dude, rock on, for real, dudes, and oh mans. The dialogue was more suited to teenaged skater boys than a grown man.

Dialogue aside, I rather enjoyed the book.

RATING: ❤️❤️❤️

BUY LINKS:

Dreamspinner Press

Torquere Press

 

 

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Not Just Passing Through Blog Tour with Guest Post by Jamie Dean

Hi, I’m Jamie Dean, author of the upcoming book Not Just Passing Through, here to share some thoughts on books with you.
Recently, an interviewer asked me what I felt was a really intriguing question, which was: What book had I read that I wished I’d written and why did it have such an impact on me? And as I pondered it, I found my answer changed halfway through giving it. The book I’d thought I was going to talk about was not the book that ended up becoming my answer. But that first book I thought of, that book still moves me and I would still like to talk about why, so I thought, why not do a list of books that have moved me profoundly?
So that is exactly what I’m here to do. Here, in no order, are some books that have stuck with me, for one reason or another, for a long time. I’ve read most of them more than once, and will probably read them again.
Tick Tock by Dean Koontz – This was the book I almost gave as my answer. How do I even describe it? Koontz writes in the horror/thriller genre, and there are certainly horrific elements to this story, but I don’t see this as a horror story at all. I’ve read Tick Tock numerous times and I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is about it that speaks to me. It’s funny as hell—darkly funny, as many of Koontz’s books are, but it’s also somehow slapstick and ridiculous—yet it still has a richness to it. In the beginning, I always feel like I am in that car with Tommy. On that dark road, terrified and alone. And then we meet Del. She’s amazing. Koontz writes the most amazing female characters. They’re always a little bit twisted. A little bit broken. Usually funny. And Tough. As. Hell. What gets me most about this book, though, is not the humor, but instead it’s that little thread of hope that winds underneath all the darkness.
Imajica by Clive Barker – This was the answer I gave, but I feel this book bears mentioning again. It’s got explorations of sexuality, gender, humanity… Just read it. Come to think of it, I need to read it again.
The Further Inquiry by Ken Kesey – Kesey is of course most famous for writing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, another book that moved me. He was also the leader of the Merry Pranksters—if you don’t know what that is, Google yourself some 60s counterculture, kids. I came across Kesey in a rather roundabout way myself because I learned about his friends first, via an autobiography, then saw a documentary, then finally read his books—which I then fell in love with. He was friends with Neil Cassidy, famously the inspiration for Dean Moriarty in On The Road by Jack Kerouac. And Neil Cassidy was not necessarily always doing the right thing. What Kesey did with this book, though, was he examined Cassidy’s life and his deeds, as though he were being put on trial to determine whether he was going to Heaven or Hell. I won’t spoil the ending, but I felt like it was brilliant and perfect—and completely fitting of what I know of Neil Cassidy.
The Stand by Stephen King (I didn’t intend for this to be some sort of infomercial for writers with K’s in their last names, but here we are) – Another horror writer, which I seem to have a thing for, but this was the book that made me realize King isn’t a horror writer at all. He writes in that genre, certainly, and people hail him as king of scary things, but to me that’s not what his writing is about at all. Stephen King’s work is so frightening because his characters are so damned real. His protagonists are rarely perfect little darlings wrapped in pretty packages. They’re messed up, beaten down, often homely, rarely fans of authority, generally cynical, and I love them so much it hurts.
So, now you know some books that have moved me. What are some books that have moved you? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Jamie Dean

NotJustPassingThrough

Socially awkward, closeted virgin Avery Malcolm passes his days and nights running his bigoted aunt’s motel in rural New Mexico. He dreams of getting away and hitting the road, but with one friend, a few acquaintances, and no real life to speak of outside his duties as front desk clerk, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever get a chance.
Fate sends hot drifter Chase Lancaster to the Red Ram Motel, riding in on his sexy black motorcycle. Within twenty-four hours, Avery’s life is turned upside down. Before long, even though Chase’s sexual interests seem to run exclusively toward women in bars, Avery finds himself falling for the beautiful biker with no permanent address. Chase is much more than his bad boy persona, so while it’s nice to have another friend, Avery doesn’t know how he’ll survive with his heart intact when Chase inevitably moves on.
Bio:

Jamie Dean is passionate about food, beer, and hot men wading together through a sea of angst, sarcasm and sexy times.

When he is not reading or writing gay erotic fiction from his front porch swing, he might be painting, playing with his dogs and cats, or cooking experimental meals for (or drinking beer with) Jay, his husband and muse. He loves old cars, science fiction, road trips, and spending time with family and friends.

He came to terms with his sexuality only later in life, so that struggle is a frequent theme in his work. He has since embraced it with pride and considers himself an LGBT* activist, a feminist, and a champion for equal rights.
Buy link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7665

The President’s Husband by Michael Murphy

presFrom Dreamspinner:

When an assassin’s bullet strikes his predecessor, Grayson Alexander becomes the first openly gay President of the United States and his husband, David Hammond, becomes the first openly gay First Husband. With their world turned upside down, David relies on his career as a medical school professor and ER doctor to keep him grounded. But his decision to keep working ruffles feathers from day one.

Gray throws himself into learning everything he needs to know to be President, especially a liberal president surrounded by a conservative cabinet and staff. Even though he puts in outrageous hours working and traveling seven days a week month after month, he’s happy. But David has trouble coping with Gray’s new job requirements. He can’t help but feel abandoned by his husband of ten years.

When Gray asks for his help with a public-health crisis, David obliges, but he is furious about what happens once the emergency passes. When they learn that the President’s staff has manipulated them both, they wonder if their relationship can survive the White House.

Kimi:

The blurb promised much and it did deliver a story that thoroughly engaged me for the first third of the book. The idea of the role of “First Lady” being gender switched was an interesting one, and it was explored fairly well in terms of roles having expectations due to the traditional gender of the role’s occupant. Sadly, this is also where it began t unravel for me.

David seemed to be very disingenuous for someone who married a politician with the aspirations that Gray has. I would have expected him to be well versed in the role of host and benefactor, even with his staunch insistence of keeping his job and staying out of publicity’s way as much as possible. Likewise, when Gray and he would have discussed accepting the VP nomination, surely the two men would have discussed the official roles both men were to play, and how that would change should anything happen to the president.

The health crisis seemed to be bit overblown in how it was handled, and while it was mostly a plot device to showcase the lengths the Presidential staff would go to advance their Conservative agenda, it left me cold. I simply did not understand how a politically savvy man with a very different political ethos could so blindly follow and accept the obstacles being placed between himself and David in such a blatant manner.Then again, the only scenes the two men have together is either an argument (the same one over and over and over) or sex. That’s it, yet we are told that they’ve been together in domestic bliss prior to this and David misses their old “ordinary” life. There was also the niggle about David being allowed to go without a proper security detail for any length of time, David being allowed to knock down a wall in the White House (for a gym that in real life, the White House already possess so doesn’t need to have built), the lack of many characters being referred to by job title and not by name, the sex scenes are on the bland side, and when the ending comes, it is a very abrupt resolution between the two men that is extremely sudden. I was left feeling as if I’d read a first draft that hadn’t been fact checked nor having gone through a professional editing process to polish it to a full shine.

Rating: 3

Wyatt’s Recipes for Wooing Rock Stars by Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid Blog Tour‏

Rock star Tully Randolph doesn’t cook, but his mama was famous for her homestyle cuisine. To Tully, good food means all the comforts of home. As a touring musician, he craves that. As a grieving son who’s lost his mother, he can’t find it. He doesn’t want anything fancy, just to walk in the door to the smell of his favorite meal cooked just for him–something he can’t find in any restaurant.

For Wyatt Parker, good food is one of life’s keenest pleasures and an aspiration. He begins this journey as a home chef cooking for one before being granted a shot to feed his rock star crush. He didn’t spend years in culinary school, but he knows how to make the best of what’s left in the cupboards at the end of a long day working construction. All Wyatt has to offer is the simple joy of simple food.

While the cover of Wyatt’s Recipes for Wooing Rock Stars may look like a recipe book, in this romance, the food is a supporting character. Delicious dishes bring them together, set the tone of their growing bond, and cement the perceptions they form of one another. Though some might overlook graying, burly Wyatt, Tully’s tastes put romance on the table. And though some might not see a rock star as the best long-term prospect, Wyatt just sees a young man who needs feeding up. With this story, Clancy Nacht and I set out to write a romance anyone could enjoy, whether an epicurean or just a lover of unexpected pairings.

~Thursday Euclid

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Wyatt Parker has a good life—he owns his own construction company, his own house, and he eats home-cooked meals every day. But cooking for one while watching the foodie network is more than lonely. When he learns about an upcoming reality show centered on becoming the personal chef for his favorite rock star, Wyatt leaps at the chance to audition.Tully Randolph is the drummer for the band Unusual Potatoes. With a chef for a mom, love of good food runs in the family. When he’s asked to host a cooking competition, he’s all in—especially after he meets Wyatt, who is just the kind of big, hairy guy who gets Tully’s juices flowing. With a heart as big as he is, Wyatt wows Tully with his skills in the kitchen… and in the bedroom.But if their relationship is found out, Wyatt could be drummed out of the competition—and out of Tully’s life. All the ingredients for a happy future are in front of them, and they just need to figure out how to bring everything together.

Buy links
Dreamspinner Press http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7629
Amazon http://amzn.to/1ou0Fd2
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/wyatt-s-recipes-for-wooing-rock-stars
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wyatts-recipes-for-wooing-rock-stars-clancy-nacht/1123619145
All Romance eBooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-wyatt039srecipesforwooingrockstars-2004647-149.html

Author bios
Clancy Nacht[Text Wrapping Break]Clancy Nacht is a bisexual genderqueer person who lives in Austin with a husband and three feral rescue cats. Clancy has published several ARe bestselling contemporary romantic thriller m/m and m/f stories. Three of her books have been honored with Rainbow Awards; Le Jazz Hot won for #1 Best Bisexual/Transgender Romance & Erotic Romance. In 2013, Black Gold: Double Black was a runner up for a Rainbow Award and in 2015, Gemini won an Honorable Mention for Gay Erotic Romance at the Rainbow Awards. Her books have been nominated for several Goodreads M/M Readers Choice Awards.

Thursday Euclid
Thursday Euclid is a 30-something queer trans man from Houston, Texas, who spends most of his time writing, playing computer games, or watching films and television of questionable quality. Two facts about Thursday: he spent the happiest night of his life in the pit at a Radiohead concert, and hot and sour soup is the easiest way to his heart. He is a rebel with many causes and a Rainbow Award winner.

Unstable Stud Blog Tour with Guest Post by Ariel Tachna

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The other main character

Writing Unstable Stud was a challenge for me in a variety of ways, but one of the most challenging was the point of view. It’s written entirely from the point of view of Luke, so we only see Clay, the stable owner and love interest, through Luke’s eyes. Anyone who has read my books knows I rarely write single POV books. The only other ones I can think of are Inherit the Sky, Seducing C.C., Château d’eternité, and Once in a Lifetime. That’s two more than I thought there were when I went back and checked, but four (now five) out of fifty isn’t very many. I like writing both characters’ POV because their thoughts often reveal things to us that the other main character can’t—and may never—know, but one of the rules of category romance, or so I was told before I started this one, was a single POV.
We meet Clay slowly through Luke’s eyes, the handsome, unapproachable stable owner, then the bereaved lover, then the man with magic in his hands where his horse is concerned (where Luke is concerned too, but that’s later). The challenge then is to convey Clay’s grief, his recovery, his interest in Luke, and his doubts when they occur in a way that readers can sense too.
Two of my favorite scenes in the book involve Luke watching Clay with King of Hearts, Clay’s prize stallion. King is all tied up in Clay’s grief and loss, and their relationship is as strained as everything else in Clay’s life, but Luke can see the progress in that relationship in a way he can’t see Clay’s growing interest in him (although hopefully the reader can).
Luke stopped just inside the door, captivated by the picture through the wide opening. Clay stood silhouetted against the gray sky, his black trench coat covering him from shoulders to knees. He wasn’t wearing a hat and had snowflakes caught in his hair. As Luke watched, he reached up and brushed them away, leaving his usually immaculate hair ruffled. Behind him King rolled in the snow once more, then trotted over to the fence where Clay stood and knocked his shoulder.
Clay reached up to stroke his forelock. King dropped his head lower, and Clay leaned forward to rest his forehead against King’s. Luke turned away, feeling like an intruder on the intimate scene.
Whatever else could be said about Clay, he loved King even more than Luke did, and it looked like he was finally remembering how to show it.
Little glimpses like this one let Luke—and through Luke’s eyes the reader—see a side of Clay he has hidden from the world, and even from himself. As he becomes more present in the barn, he begins to heal and to be ready to move forward again, with a new lease on life. Much like King, Clay has been hiding away, silently grieving, convinced life will never be the same again. Luke’s task then is to prove to them that life might not be the same, but it can be good once more.

Blurb
Horses were his passion, until he laid eyes on his boss.

Eighteen months ago, tragedy struck Bywater Farm when a riding accident killed Clay Hunter’s lover and traumatized his prize horse, King of Hearts. Clay and King lingered in limbo, surviving but not really living, until a breath of fresh air in the form of Luke Davis, a new groom in the stud barn, revives them both.

When a fall from King’s back sends Luke to the emergency room, Clay watches the shaky foundation of their budding relationship tumble down. Can Clay really love a jockey again, or will his fear of losing another man he loves keep them apart for good?

Buy link:

ebook
paperback

About Ariel
When Ariel Tachna was twelve years old, she discovered two things: the French language and romance novels. Those two loves have defined her ever since. By the time she finished high school, she’d written four novels, none of which anyone would want to read now, featuring a young woman who was—you guessed it—bilingual. That girl was everything Ariel wanted to be at age twelve and wasn’t.
She now lives on the outskirts of Houston with her husband (who also speaks French), her kids (who understand French even when they’re too lazy to speak it back), and their two dogs (who steadfastly refuse to answer any French commands).

ariel bio pic
Visit Ariel:
Website: http://www.arieltachna.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArielTachna

Chasing Sunrise Blog tour- Guest Post by Lex Chase

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Hello, Internet! Iím Lex Chase and I want to thank Kimi-chan for having me here today for the Chasing Sunrise Blog Tour!

Chasing Sunrise is a story I’ve carried in my head for years. It’s a high fantasy horror that challenges readers to think outside the box when it comes to heroes and villains. Our hero, King Sevon MaratÈ, ruler of a cannibalistic†aisa is trapped in a domestic violence situation while amidst trying to save his dying people. When the solution presents itself by conquering and exterminating the†windigo race, Sevon is challenged with what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s a tale of war, genocide, and love making monsters of us all.

And the question you’re all wondering right now is†where you come up with this?†It’s a bit of a long story.

Really.†Really long.

The world of Chasing Sunrise I created when I was 13 years old. Yeah really. In fact, it was Valentine’s Day 1992. Yes. The story is that old. Now the story†now is not the story it was†then. There was a particular breed of†aisa that didn’t make the cut (but still might!) There was an entirely different cast, a different main character (who was kind of a completely unlikeable douchebag if you ask me), and would you believe Chasing Sunrise once existed in a†cyberpunk†setting? Cannibals in cyberpunk? Well. I might have to write that book after all.

I elaborated on the DSP Publications blog of why have a hero who happens to be a cannibal. And like I mentioned there, when I was a kid, I suffered†some pretty horrific night terrors. And it’s no secret I live with mental illness. Writing about characters who†we†know as monsters as heroes was kind of my way of dissecting my nightmares. Making sense of the jumbles of images. Putting the feelings in some semblance of order. I was my way of laying out these monstrous things and saying “I see you for what you are, and you can’t scare me anymore.”

But it’s in writing these monstrous heroes, or these people who by†all†of our real world standards we understand as reprehensible and morally bankrupt, what if in the concept of†their world they aren’t at all? What if they too are law abiding citizens with their own form of government? From an outsider perspective anything could be considered “savage” or “evil.” I was explaining to my mother the other day, that as Americans, our country was founded as an act of treason. To my hostess Kimi-chan in the UK, waaaay back in 1776, that was a pretty barbaric act to the British. Now we hold hands and sing Kum-By-Yah. Save when 4th of July rolls around. Um…er…uh…sorry? 🙁 Awkward.

Now, I’d love to say the story of Chasing Sunrise came to me full formed and just magically one day here it is. Of course not. It took many†many iterations. The world of the Darkmore Saga and only five of the characters remain in some form. One of them, Dominic Ravensgrove is the villain. I’ve tried a million times to come up with a different name for him. Because…. Ravensgrove? Are you†kidding me? But it just stuck. Its a perfectly douchey name for such an asshole.

Sevon, his love interest Jack, and the world of the shifters are a completely new invention. The shifters once lived in a tree city. And then James Cameron’s Avatar stole my thunder. (Horrid movie by the way.) Now they live in a highly bastardized land mimicking ancient Rome with a kind of Roman Legion.†Legit, am I right?

Sevon is a funny little bird in I’ve only ever seen the name written. So I say “Seven” like the number. My editor says “Seh-VAWN” like “Dawn” which is actually correct. I say my own character’s name wrong. And I have for years. I’d like to apologize to my readers onto eternity because I’ll probably keep flubbing his name. I’m doing a reading over at Sinfully Gay Romance tomorrow, so you can all gaze in awe and wonder of my flubbing!


Question to you! What was your childhood dream? Did you want to be an astronaut? An archaeologist? A ballerina? (*raises hand to all the above!*) What was it? No matter how absurd, tell me about it.

Come follow me on Facebook and Twitter for Blog Tour Updates!

 



Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Paranormal
Series: The Darkmore Saga: Book One
Length: Novel
Published: April 5, 2016
Publisher: DSP Publications
ISBN: 978-1-63476-355-4
Buy: DSP Publications†| Omnilit | Amazon |†Barnes and Noble

Blurb:

The once glorious aisa kingdom of Darkmore lies in ruins, and King Sevon MaratÈ is trapped. Sevon endures unrelenting abuse and is used as a scapegoat by Lord Dominic Ravensgrove, who rules Darkmore from the shadows. Coping by dressing in gowns and jewels, the effeminate king relishes the scraps of freedom he is given to be himself.

As a verkolai, Sevon possesses the ability to part the Veil separating his world from hundreds of others. His gift provides a chance for escape, but Dominic refuses to relinquish his tool for power. When Dominic forges an ambitious plan to invade the prosperous shifter land of Priagust, he manipulates Sevonís desperation for his peopleís survival. Out of options, Sevon has no choice but to cooperate.

On their foray into Priagust, Dominic’s men abduct a shifter named Jack. Despite being tortured for information, Jack’s loyalty to his kind never wavers. But Jackís knowledge about Darkmoreís history unsettles Sevon, and a curious bond begins to form. Despite Sevonís mistrust, Jack is determined to tame the beautiful kingís wild heart and perhaps earn his freedom.

As war looms, Sevon fears Jackís kindness is another trap. Conflicted, Sevon wonders if he should risk chasing the sunrise or remain Dominic’s compliant prisoner.

1st Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, 2014.


I’m giving away a super awesome $25 USD Amazon Gift Card! What do you have to do? Leave a comment down below and click the giveaway graphic to follow me on Twitter and Facebook or Share, Tweet, or Hashtag! So many ways to enter!

Question to you! What was your childhood dream? Did you want to be an astronaut? An archaeologist? A ballerina? (*raises hand to all the above!*) What was it? No matter how absurd, tell me about it.

Come follow me on Facebook and Twitter for Blog Tour Updates!


About the Author:

Lex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, ìWeíre all going to die, Iím just trying to make it a little more interesting.î Now, sheís on a mission to make the world a hell of a lot more interesting.

Weaving tales of cinematic, sweeping adventureóand depending on how she feels that dayóLex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster. Her pride is in telling stories of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. If youíre going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love.

Lex is a pop culture diva, her DVR is constantly backlogged, and unapologetically loved the ending of Lost. She wouldnít last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind.

You can find in the Intarwebz here:

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Refraction by Hayden Scott

refractionFrom Harmony Ink:

Max Jackson is your typical teenage boy, concentrating on his classes at school and being accepted into a good university after graduation. There’s just the small matter of the bomb in his basement, one Max and his fellow members of the “Injustice League” plan to use to level their city’s unethical government. Too bad superhero Crush Goodman puts a stop to their plans. Max understands why Crush would steal the League’s doomsday device, but why is Crush following him around and acting like they’re friends? When the reprehensible Doctor Decay butts his head into Max’s business, Max has to figure out how to save the city he’s always worked to destroy—with or without Crush’s help.

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

This was a short and sweet story but it didn’t quite gel for me. The issues with being short is that you often have a lot of information to cram in and this managed to get just enough background story to it to make me feel as if I’d tuned into a TV episode halfway through the second season without having watched the previous episodes.

The pacing felt a bit off as well and the comedic spin would have been funnier had the characters not been quite so two dimensional. The superhero types were rendered to mere props who were caricatures of cartoons, making the more serious social message Max shares about what the “good guys” and “media spin” less effective than it could have been. Overall, it was a great concept but the execution wasn’t quite there. It left me feeling rushed and vaguely lost.

 

Rating: 3

Veiled Loyalties (Bissonet & Cruz Investigstions #2) Scotty Cade

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Veiled Loyalties

SERIES: Bissonet & Cruz Investigations, Book 2

AUTHOR: Scotty Cade

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 154 pages

BLURB: Halloween is Beau Bissonet’s favorite holiday, from carving pumpkins to decorating his yard to donning a costume and scaring the neighborhood kids. But this year his Halloween is about to take a different turn, one that will challenge his skills as a detective and his commitment to his partner in work and love.

A year since Beau and Tollison solved The Royal Street Heist, found love, and formed Bissonet & Cruz Investigations, they are thriving personally and professionally. That is until Tollison’s ex, Bastien Andros, shows up out of the blue. Naturally, Beau’s suspicious, but two days after Bastien’s arrival, he goes missing, and Tollison worries his past may catch up to him.

A mysterious package makes clear who has Bastien and what’s at stake. With both Bastien and Beau’s lives now at risk, Tollison has only one option: travel to Zurich, Switzerland, secure and deliver the ransom, keep both men safe, and stay true to himself at the same time.

REVIEW: This is a nice follow up to Royal Street Heist. It’s been a year since Bissonet and Cruz solved the heist and they’ve started a new life together as partners both personally and professionally. Life is good and they’re content. That is until Cruz’s ex-boyfriend makes an appearance in their lives. Beau’s getting a bad vibe from the ex and with good reason. Their peaceful and content lives are turned upside down when the ex disappears, making it clear that the ex is involved in something shady and it drags Cruz and Bissonet into it. There is another great mystery for the beautiful couple to solve and there is just as much excitement, adventure, twists and turns in this book as it was in the first. Cade did an excellent job of fully developing these characters and the storyline, plot and dialogue is really good. I love how the author, in all of his work, churns out these beautiful men who are strong enough to be able to express how much they love each other. While it was a bit mushy (for me, I’m not the romantic type) and there was more sexual heat and lots of passion between the two this time around but I felt that it fit perfectly seeing as these men are still newly into this relationship. They’re in that ‘honeymoon phase’ of a relationship that many have gone through. I loved it.

He did a great job of describing the scenery of the exotic locations where the couple travel in order to solve this mystery. This enabled me to visualize these beautiful locations. This book was a little bit shorter than the first one but he managed to pack quite a punch into this book. I hope this isn’t the last we see of this duo.

RATING: ?????

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

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Royal Street Heist (Bissonet & Cruz #1) Scotty Cade

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Royal Street Heist

SERIES: Bissonet & Cruz Investigations, Book 1

AUTHOR: Scotty Cade

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 206 pages

BLURB: When valuable Civil War era art is stolen from a popular New Orleans gallery, NOPD Lead Detective Montgomery “Beau” Bissonet and his partner set out to solve the crime. When the gallery’s insurance company sends Tollison Cruz to the Big Easy to conduct their own independent investigation, personalities clash and battle lines are definitely drawn.

The heist quickly becomes a politically driven high profile case, and Detective Bissonet is furious when he’s ordered to work along side Investigator Cruz to assure a timely arrest. The heat index soars to new levels when the two investigators discover they have a lot more in common then originally thought.

With the tension between them temporarily sated, Bissonet and Cruz finally start to work together, on more then just a professional level. But everything comes to a screeching halt when Beau discovers his cohort in crime has been withholding information regarding the investigation and has been concealing a very questionable past. What happens next rivals the scorching summer heat.

REVIEW: This is part one in a story which a detective and his partner set out to recover a stolen civil war artifact taken from the local art gallery. Things get pretty interesting when the gallery’s insurance company sends Tollison Cruz to work alongside them. Of course with this development toes or stepped on, egos come into play,they’re both battling their attraction to each other and these two men clash. Watchimg them clash was quite entertaining to read.

What I love about this author is that he has this wonderful ability to combine sexy, sweet, with a touch of spice that makes his books such a treat to read. What I also love about his books is that his characters are always these mature, established men, alpha males. His books are definitely ‘Twink-Free’ zones.

Cade serves up quite a bit with this dish. It’s a delicious combination of great mystery combines with romance, adventure, and intrigue. Set in New Orleans, the author did a fantastic job of showcasing the city’s immense charm, rich and diverse history. He described everything in such detail that I was able to clearly visualize this city, one that I’ve never visited. It was glorious.

As usual the author writing style was spot on perfect. You can tell that he has to standard of perfection in his writing that is used in all of his books. He does his research. And it shows. I absolutely love these two men. They were stubborn and sexy. They remind me of two male lions squaring off against each other. I think that them fighting that attraction they had towards each other was like eating the sweetest most decadent dessert ever. I found myself mumbling to my iPad for them to just go to bed and get it out of their systems already but the fact that they didn’t immediately act on their attraction made it all the more sexier. I loved it, I absolutely loved it. I love the dialogue, the character development, the storyline empty slot it was all absolutely magnificent. And this is the reason why I continue to read this author’s work.

Even though you’re not going to get pages and pages of sexy is written into this book the story is still amazing without it and as quiet as it is kept, I actually prefer it that way. The plot, storyline and character development is strong enough to obtain and maintain your interest.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a great mystery with mature characters and wonderful adventures sit in the beautiful and intriguing city of New Orleans. I am looking forward to the sequel.

RATING: ???Amazing???

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

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