Category: ebook

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Bachelor Party (Brandt and Donelly Caper: Case #5) by Xavier Mayne

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6450

BachelorsPartyBlurb

A Brandt and Donnelly Caper: Case File Five

Med student Oliver Mitchell has discovered a way to make more tips as a bartender—put on ripped workout gear and serve drinks at the hip new gay club, Burn. The only catch is Oliver is straight. The staff and patrons don’t mind, though, and Oliver fits in well—until he meets James Buchanan Whitford, a local politician with a secret: he’s married. When James’s scheming wife attempts to catch him in flagrante with Oliver, they flee the city for the refuge of James’s cabin in the woods. There, Oliver faces a new challenge—he’s starting to feel more for James than friendship. Their new relationship must survive political intrigue and small-town politics before they can be together.

With their wedding two months away, it’s time for Troopers Ethan Brandt and Gabriel Donnelly to have a bachelor party. Ethan’s older brothers are excited, but Ethan is not. As a straight guy who fell in love with another man, the whole ritual is fraught with complications, and he struggles to reconcile newly granted marriage equality with old traditions. Brandt and Donnelly work to help James and Oliver find their way to happiness while pulling off the bachelor party of the year.

Review

Oliver needs some extra money for med school, his BFF Millie tells him that with his hot bod he should be a bartender at Burn – a gay bar. Though he’s intimidated he gives it a go, and really enjoys the experience.

While tending bar, he meets James, a sad slightly older man with whom he immediately clicks. At first just as friends, but when James ends up in a compromising position, Oliver helps him, and the relationship evolves.

Meanwhile, Brandt and Donnelly explore their sexual relationship, explore what it means to be “gay” or “in love with a man”, plan their ridiculously hilarious bachelor party with the help of our favorites Bryce and Nestor.

This book really emphasizes that labels aren’t helpful. Love is love. The end.
Who a person loves does not define who they are.

As always I was touched by the caring relationships demonstrated here: brothers, friends, lovers, families…in a multitude of ways all showing different types of love.

And the sex was way hot and the humor literally giggle out loud!

My only complaint – small one – is that the two stories were almost separate – like reading two books kinda mashed together. I missed having Brandt and Donnelly more centrally involved in the other love story and hope to see more of them in their wedding book – next? Hopefully, next? Pretty please? I can’t wait for their wedding I just know I’m gonna cry my eyes out!

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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The Frat Brat by Nico Jaye

Short story from Don’t Read in the closet

GoodReads Presents:  http://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=276845

frat bratBlurb
Kyle Fenton’s nickname around his fraternity house may as well be “Shameless Flirt.” Out and proud to his frat, he’s more than happy to live up to that reputation, especially when new frat brother Daisuke “Dice” Keto moves in. However, Dice’s reaction to Kyle’s antics is cryptic at best, leaving Kyle frustrated in more ways than one. Will a lost bet–and a sexy rendezvous with a “Secret Admirer”–clarify the situation?

Author’s Note: Royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization focusing on LGBTQ equality.

*****

Dear Author,
I am taking part of a punishment… scratch that, I’m being forced in this punishment. We, the seniors, placed a bet with the juniors of our fraternity to see who could raise the most money. Guess who lost? Now, each senior is placed in a separate room where our supposed punishment will happen. Walking into my assigned room, I notice two unusual things: a blindfold and a note that says “Sit down and put the blindfold on. —Secret Admirer”

Photo Description:
A black-and-white close-up of an attractive young man wearing a dark blindfold. His expression is stoic— not fearful, but also not excited. He isn’t wearing a shirt, and, based on the upper chest area that is visible, he’s muscular and fit.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s “Love is an Open Road” event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings

Review

For those of you who don’t spend a lot of time on GoodReads or in the M/M Romance Group (I recommend you do!) – these are short stories written by both well-known and new authors based on pictures that have been submitted with intriguing story ideas. The authors take off from there and then the end results are published (For Free!) on the Group’s page.

This story had some excellent moments: the sexual tension, the willingness to explore one’s sexuality, the brief but hot smexy times, the potential for interesting MCs.
However, there just wasn’t enough time spent with the MCs to really develop much of any connection to them beyond the sexual so I wasn’t very invested in their liason.
Kyle and Dice are fraternity brothers in a competition and when Kyle loses, Dice is placed in charge of his “punishment”. Before this, Kyle had been madly flirting with Dice, but thinking that Dice was straight. Dice, too, was thinking he was straight and not sure how to take Kyle’s shenanigans.
What didn’t make sense to me:
Why would Kyle flirt so shamelessly if he had a no-sex-with-frat-brothers policy?
Why would Dice mistake anything about Kyle’s flirting as anything other than sexual attraction?
When sent to do a “punishment” why do a blindfold then immediately tell him who you are?
Why spend precious page time going over the week’s near misses and detailing Kyle’s conquests if you are trying to build up some attachment between the two MCs?

I think, had this been given more time to become a more fleshed out piece it really could have been a really nice GFY story and maybe the author will expand this one day.

That being said – it was a fun piece to read and I did enjoy it, even if I didn’t love it.

3.75 of 5 hearts

4

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Safe in His Arms Audiobook by Renae Kaye Narrated by Randy Fuller

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6673

SafeInHisArmsAUDMEDBlurb

In the late-night quiet of the caravan park shower room, Lon Taylor washes away the filth of the Western Australian mines. He’s not looking for anyone, but when Casey offers, Lon doesn’t turn him down.

Welcoming the young man in his big, hairy arms, Lon provides a safety to Casey that he has never known, and Casey wants to stay forever. Still reeling from the breakup of his family years ago, Lon’s not sure he’s ready for the responsibility of the comfort and security Casey craves.

But perhaps Lon can risk opening his heart again and hoping for a brighter future. Casey has some pretty big skeletons in his past to deal with. And Lon wonders what Casey will do when he finds out how badly Lon failed at protecting the ones he loved eight years ago.

Book Review
(Previously on this site)

Lon comes home from working in the mines, hot, sweaty, exhausted. After a nice shower and shave he catches the eye of a hot, young, twink staring at him in the public showers. He asks him to either suck his cock or quit staring. Figuring that will make the little guy scamper away, he turns back to his shaving. But what does he hear instead of the pattering of feet? “I’ll take option A.”

Renae Kaye’s book starts off with a bang right from page one and never lets up.

The story is both simple and complex. It’s simple in that Lon and Casey meet and immediately want each other. It’s complex in that both men have a past that is heavily influencing their todays.

Casey has been abused in his past. Badly. Really, really badly. But he’s strong and resilient, and despite receiving some amazingly bad therapy (not abuse, just wrong advice) he’s on the road to recovery. But he still has moments of weakness, of panic and it’s those moments that drive him into Lon’s giant arms.

Lon is a big guy, always has been. In addition to being physically immense, his heart is of equal size. He’s always been the caretaker. That back-fired once and now he’s gun-shy. Casey fits him perfectly, but Lon’s afraid he might let him down, and afraid he might not want him when he knows more about Lon’s past.

Despite their issues, (Lon’s past, Casey’s past, their age difference, family opinion, Lon’s work schedule ) they begin their affair and it burns brightly. Little by little they get to know each other and to cross the hurdles. Fortunately they have great friends with great advice and Casey has a wonderful therapist who helps them to see things clearly.

In just a few months it becomes clear that the couple are more to each other than a casual fling and things really heat up. But the past resurfaces in a couple of different ways, forcing the lovers to face things they hadn’t wanted to bring to light. It seems like things might not ever be smooth sailing, but when pushed, the truth, as always, sets them free.

**
Again, I was delighted with Kaye’s writing. Though her books are both funny and touching, Safe in his Arms is also deeply emotional. It is clear she did some research because the subject matter here is not an easy one. I applaud how thoroughly she addresses the issues of intimacy between partners when one has been abused. There was no quick solution or “magic wand waving” to fix the problem. The couple had to address the very real concerns each had, and face them directly. I also thought it was hilarious how the hurdle manifested for Casey, such a simplistic problem for a nineteen year old but when viewed through the eyes of the therapist it was really a very complex issue.

I also really appreciated the fact that Kaye’s secondary characters were real people, too. They had flaws and talents, none being all good nor all bad. I loved that Casey’s grandma suddenly took a different tack in the middle of the book when faced with Lon as a boyfriend for her grandson. It made her very real. I also loved the intriguing side story about Lon’s brother and sisters. Every bit of the story was important and fascinating and kept me turning pages to see what would happen.

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it giving it 5 of 5 hearts.

Audio

I was so, so, so disappointed that they didn’t choose someone with an Australian accent to do this narration. Normally Randy Fuller is hit or miss for me. I have enjoyed some of his narrations immensely, others less so.

In this case he did an okay job. He tried to give some voice differentiation to the characters, didn’t attempt any accent at all, and did a fair job with the intense emotions.

Overall, I wasn’t impressed and was still disappointed with this choice in narrator. If it hadn’t been set in Australia and if I hadn’t heard wonderful narrators (Like the narrator for Blinding Light) I wouldn’t have been put off by Randy Fuller’s narration, it just didn’t “wow” me.

Narration 3 of 5

Total 4 of 5 hearts

4

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Helping Hand by Jay Northcote

Jaybird Press Presents  http://www.jaynorthcote.com

http://www.amazon.com/Helping-Hand-Jay-Northcote-ebook/dp/B010EAQOKA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1435333224&sr=1-1&keywords=jay+northcote+helping&pebp=1435333226202&perid=1EYVZABV63GSN849P5VG

helping handBlurb

Wanking with a mate isn’t gay—as long as you keep your hands to yourself.

Jez Fielding and James MacKenzie—Big Mac to his mates—are in their second year at uni. After partying too hard last year, they make a pact to rein themselves in. While their housemates are out drinking every weekend, Jez and Mac stay in to save cash and focus on their studies.

When Jez suggests watching some porn together, he isn’t expecting Mac to agree to it. One thing leads to another, and soon their arrangement becomes hands-on rather than hands-off. But falling for your straight friend can only end badly, unless there’s a chance he might feel the same.

Excerpt:

 

Afterwards, Jez blamed the alcohol for loosening his tongue, because he didn’t think about it before he spoke. The words tumbled out before he could stop them.

“Man, I’m seriously horny now. Have you got any decent porn on that laptop?”

“Huh?” Mac snapped his head around to meet Jez’s gaze. Jez’s heart pounded erratically, but his dick was still standing to attention. “What… you mean, you want to wank in here? Now? Wouldn’t that be weird?” Mac sounded seriously freaked out.

Jez backtracked quickly, cheeks hot. “It doesn’t have to be weird. I’ve done it before with guys at school, and it’s never been a big deal. But don’t worry about it. I’ll go and watch my own stash instead. But I need something soon, ’cause I’m gonna explode after watching that sex scene.”

Jez was expecting an instant no from Mac. He wouldn’t have blamed him. A lot of guys wouldn’t be into what Jez was suggesting. Jez’s heart still thumped hard, but his arousal didn’t abate despite his anxiety. He was shocked by how much he wanted this.

Mac bit his lip and frowned. “Seriously. You’ve done that?”

Jez shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “Yeah. Like I said, it was no big deal. Just guys messing around.”

Mac stared a moment longer, then he stood, and Jez’s heart sank as he walked away. But Mac only went to fetch his laptop from the dining table. He sat back down and then opened it and tapped in his password.

“What sort of stuff do you wanna watch?” Mac’s voice was gruff and he focused on the screen rather than Jez.

Fuck. They were really going to do this, then.

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Review

Mac and Jez (James and Jeremy) are friends and roommates. Both are a little broke, so a bit stuck for entertainment.

Jez has “experimented” with other boys while in the all boys prep academy before university, but Mac has only ever identified as straight.

One night, a little beer, a hot episode of “Game of Thrones” and the next thing you know, the guys have a little “wank session”. No touching, but a bit of watching.

This was hot.

So the next and the next and the next times progress slowly from watching to touching, to sucking to… you get the idea.

Interestingly, it’s the kissing and the cuddling that make each of them wonder “am I gay/bi”.

It isn’t until they are “outed” that they have to face facts and admit that this might just be something more than they bargained for.

**

Jay Northcote is the master at giving us confused, but sweet, sexy and charming guys – college level or near – who are open to new ideas and willing to explore with wide eyes.

The smexy times are really, really hot and the slow build to the love affair is rewarding and fulfilling.

My only wish would be for more time in Mac’s head – somehow – because I didn’t feel like I really got to understand his motivations very well. Jez was so clear but Mac more of a mystery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and give it 4.5 of 5 hearts.

4.5

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

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His Fallow Heart by Ava Hayden


Daily Dose Short Story
Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6585

HisFallowHeartBlurb
Can a lonely, aging farmer and a loveless artist whose creativity has gone missing find happiness on the prairies?
Life would be perfect for fifty-two-year-old farmer Finn Garrity if he just had someone to snuggle with by the fireplace. But single gay men aren’t exactly thick on the ground in Eagle Tree, Alberta.
Successful artist Philip Connaway wonders if his creative dry spell has anything to do with his dried-up love life. When Philip takes his nephew into farm country in search of a snowy owl to photograph, he meets Finn, who offers assistance. Together, they find the elusive bird—and much more.
Despite the attraction between them, differences, misunderstandings,

and self-doubt threaten to end Finn and Philip’s romance. For a future together, Finn must take a risk, and Philip must find a way to bring love to Finn’s fallow heart.
Review
WOW! This story was so well done!

Finn is a 52 year old farmer in Canada, he’s been alone for the last several years, and doesn’t see that changing. (Not too many senior gay farmer dating sites!) He’s pleasantly surprised when Philip and his nephew show up in town one day looking to photograph some owls that Finn thinks they can find on his property.

Philip is 46 and recently single, he’s an artist who has lost his inspiration. When he and his nephew meet Finn and see his property he thinks he might have found a way to get his inspiration back.

It takes some bravery, some trial and error and there’s some misunderstandings and hurt feelings, but eventually these two lonely souls find one another for their HEA.

**

The writing in this story is exquisite, the author manages to convey a wealth of emotion with some deftly crafted sentences and I found myself near tears several times.

I loved both MCs and even the sister and nephew were well developed.

The only thing I didn’t LOVE about this, was the very abrupt ending. I’m not sure if word count got to be an issue or if the author simply wanted to leave things in a way that was more vague on purpose, but I wish it’d been as well developed as the rest of the story or at least similar.

Once Finn and Philip get together they spend very little time together (on page) and though the author was very clever in how she gave us our HEA, it was so unsatisfying.

I wanted at least one more heart-to-heart discussion between the two to give me more of a feeling of permanence. I kind of felt cheated in that, though I know they end up together, I didn’t get to see much if any of that part of their relationship.

Overall, the writing was excellent and had this been a longer story I think it would have gotten a perfect score, I had to knock it down a bit for the ending.

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Billy Goat Stats by John C Houser

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6396

BillyGoatStatsBlurb

Back from summer basketball camp and starting at Hoosier State on an athletic scholarship, Billy is looking forward to playing basketball free of pressure from his overbearing, bigoted father. Too bad he’s trading one set of problems for another. His boyfriend Jonah dumps him, expecting he’ll want to spread his wings now that he’s away from home, and the basketball program at State proves harder to navigate than he imagined.

Despite his hurt at Jonah’s treatment, Billy is not ready to give up on a relationship with the out-and-proud musician. Their geographical distance isn’t Billy’s biggest problem, since it makes it easier for him to stay in the closet. In fact, when the press starts sniffing around the basketball team, it turns out he’s not the only one with a secret. Every member of the team must choose where, and with whom, they stand. The success of Billy’s season may depend as much on the depth of his character as his physical endurance.

Review

This is book two in a series, but is a standalone. (I didn’t read book one.) However, you do first meet Jonah in book one, a young gay man being bullied in the halls of his high school. From there he meets his soon-to-be boyfriend, Billy, the star of the basketball team. (Nickname Billy Goat.)

Billy is a year older than Jonah, so when he sets off to college after sharing their first an only kiss, Jonah plays the martyr and breaks things off “so Billy can be free to explore other relationships”.

Billy is a far more simple guy than all that. He knows what he wants and he wants Jonah. So after some time passes, and Jonah realizes what a bad idea that was, the two agree to be friends with the possibility for more.

The rest of the book is played in three parts. Jonah alone, Billy alone and the two together. When Jonah is alone he has to face decisions about his own university career, being hit on by another boy at school, the continued grief he feels for his father’s suicide and wondering what to do about Billy.

When Billy is alone he has to deal with: being hit on by another teammate, possibly outing himself in a league that doesn’t really support being gay, missing Jonah, his parents disapproval and what to do with himself post college.

Together they navigate being a couple at a distance, exploring sex for the first time, and practice being each other’s families when times are tough.

Far more of this book is about navigating the world of being gay and in high level college sports than the relationship between Jonah and Billy. Their relationship – while acting as a catalyst for many things – is not the central focus for much of the book. There is a lot of drama going on all around these boys and their love life is only a small fraction.

There are many secondary characters who steal the lime-light: the parents of both boys, the pseudo parents Jonah has adopted from book one, the team mates and their sexual orientations, classmates, friends – you name it, they are all very well developed characters in this coming of age drama.

In the end, we get a sweet HFN that leads us to believe it will be a HEA for these guys and a very nice story about the pains of growing up gay in a not so gay friendly world.

**

I am sure if you liked book one, this will delight. Coming into this without book one as a guide, I still found the story engaging and never felt confused by not having read book one first.

I loved the text messages, the phone conversations and Billy’s Stats at the beginning of each chapter. (Although it took me a minute to realize the stats were for what happened in the coming chapter not the past chapter!)

I also appreciated that neither boy was the “stereotypical” embodiment of either the music geek nor the jock.  Both boys had surprising elements that made them truly unique characters.  I commend the author, too, for navigating the parental role in handling a sexual relationship between college age boys.  It felt authentic and natural and was very well done.

What I didn’t love was the drama. There was so much happening all over the place that the love story got a little bogged down for it. I really wanted to spend more time focusing on the boys and their relationship but everything around them was a bit distracting. If you want a more “coming of age” type story – this will really fit the bill. That’s what it felt like to me. The romance part, though strong and important, was maybe not as emphasized as it could have been.

The writing was excellent and the humor fantastic, I enjoyed this book a great deal.

3.75 of 5 hearts

4

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Ride Steady (Chaos #3) by Kristen Ashley

Forever Books Presents http://www.amazon.com/Ride-Steady-Chaos-Kristen-Ashley-ebook/dp/B00S5A6HWC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1434041885&sr=1-1&keywords=ride+steady+kristen+ashley&pebp=1434041886958&perid=45335FCAB7A44992A3E2

 

Coming June 30th

ride steadyBlurb

The ride of her life . . .
Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy—until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa’s pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . .
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he’s the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa’s acting, it’s clear she’s falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker’s secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa—or ride away forever . . .

Review

As you know I almost exclusively read/review m/m. But – there are a few authors who I still read because they are so amazing. Kristin Ashley is one of them. Her characters are gritty and raw. The men are ridiculously hot. They have almost super-powers without being over the top. The sex is deliciously raunchy and so is the language. The women are mostly very strong even if they do need rescuing –BUT they rescue the hero right back so it isn’t annoying.

This is the third book in a series, and is probably ok as a standalone, but really, this is best read as part of the entire series, and even better read having read the entire group of Kristin Ashley’s books, the Rock Chicks, her Hero series and now the Chaos series. It contains characters from all those and knowing them adds a bit of flavor to the story that just makes it so much better!

In this, we find Joker (previously known as Carson), a new recruit to the Chaos MC. He’s had a bad childhood (nothing new there) and carries a chip on his shoulder. While he was in high school he had a crush on the “good girl” Carrisa and she was nothing but nice to him. But- she was involved with the “good boy” Aaron, and it looked like that was it – forever – for them, so he stayed away.

7 years later we find Carissa alone, with a newborn baby, nearly broke, fighting with Aaron for even the barest of necessities. She has a flat tire and who but Joker (whom she doesn’t recognize as her childhood crush, Carson) rolls up to rescue her.

From here, the Chaos band unofficially/officially adopts Carissa and her son Travis. The boys in the club know a bad situation when they see it, and Carissa is living it.

In typical Kristin Ashley fashion, Joker and his crew rush in to save the day and slowly but surely Joker and Carissa fall in love.

**

I just love Kristin Ashley’s work. I love how REAL the situations are. Sure, there are times when the men are a little too “manly” and the women a little too “helpless”, but the situations they find themselves in feel authentic and the responses are just enough of that perfect rescue fantasy to hit all my buttons.

I love the raunchiness of the sex, the language, the grittiness, the juxtaposition of the “good girl” and the “bad boy” and in the end the mutual rescue that saves them both.

The Chao series started with Motorcycle Man and was my first Kristin Ashley book ever. It set me on FIRE! I literally devoured her entire library after that and greedily look for more as they come out. This extends that book but also includes characters from her other series as well. Those of you who’ve read them all will be delighted to see Lee and Indy, TyTy and Tab, Elvira and the delicious Malik and even a bit of Gwen and Hawk.

This is a bit quieter in terms of the danger from the previous books. There is still trouble lurking – Aaron is an ass and has a boatload of legal support to help him get his way. Valenzuela is still causing trouble, trying to encroach on Chaos turf. But, mostly, this is Joker healing from an abusive childhood and Carissa finding her way as an independent woman.

I know it’s not likely to ever happen, but MAN oh MAN would I love to read a m/m book Kristin would write. It would be HOT with a capital HOT! But – these are wonderful just as they are and I adore the feeling of extended family I get when I dive back into her world. (It helps that I’m from Denver, so I can picture each and every place she describes, just like home ☺ )

One aspect really stands out in this book and that is : family. Family is absolutely what you make of it and it has nothing to do with DNA. Chaos is family and family sticks together through thick and thin. I loved that Carissa didn’t fight that one bit and just seamlessly absorbed the wonderfulness of it for what it is.

I highly recommend this book and this author.

5 of 5 hearts

5

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Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love by Kris T. Bethke


Daily Dose Short Story
Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6552

DontWannaLoseYourLoveBlurb
When attorney Ben Winters’s close friend takes a bad spill and ends up in the hospital, he flies across the country to be there for her. His instant attraction to her brother takes him by surprise. Wanting Zack Anderson is easy; actually having him is a bad idea. While the two connect over concern for Zack’s sister, there are many reasons to fight the attraction brewing between them. Things heat up as Ben’s friend begins to show improvement, but the reasons not to get involved with the younger man remain the same—long distance relationships never work, and Ben doesn’t do one-night stands. But there’s one powerful reason to give in: Ben has never wanted anyone more.
Review

Ben’s friend (who lives across the country) gets injured so he flies out to help. While there he meets her brother and supports him while she heals. They fall for each other. But – they just met, they live on opposite coasts and Ben doesn’t know what to do next.

**

This is a really full short story. It’s very sweet and sexy and I really enjoyed it. The characters are very well developed and the storyline plausible yet romantic.

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Kissed by Death by Andi Anderson

Extasy Books Presents http://www.extasybooks.com/Kissed-By-Death/

kissedbydeathBlurb

At fourteen, Gregory Harris suffers a massive heart attack during a baseball game. As his coach tries desperately to keep him alive, a tall, handsome man in a hooded black cloak stands beside him–the Angel of Death. Gregory begs this grim reaper for more time on Earth so his parents can prepare for his death. The reaper grants him his wish, and even though Gregory saw him for just a few short moments, he often fantasizes about the mysterious creature. Seven years later, the Angel of Death is back for Gregory. Gregory is ready to move on to the afterlife, but he regrets that he never had a lover and partner to call his own. Gregory has no intention of escaping this grim reaper. In fact, he intends to do whatever it takes to convince Thanatos that they belong together forever.

Review

OMG. This was amazing!

We start the book with Gregory dying of a heart defect. He sees Death but wants a bit more time – so his parents won’t be so sad. (He’s soooo sweet!)

Over the years Death visits many times, but he doesn’t take him. They just stare at each other soulfully. Though his life is full of pain, Gregory’s heart is pure. If only there was a way to trick Death…Because Death may have just fallen in love….

**
This was an amazingly sweet, yet very sexy read. Death is strong but sentimental and Gregory is nothing but pure love.

I devoured this and will be avidly awaiting more books from this author. It was simply wonderful!

5 of 5 hearts

5

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Falling by Suki Fleet

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6457

FallingSukiFleetBlurb

Josh’s idea of a romance is curling up alone and reading a novel with a happily ever after. He’s made his flat a safe haven where the wall are covered with beautiful words, and his living room ceiling is a map of the universe.

Angus may be shy and inexperienced, but he’s incapable of hiding anything, especially his attraction to his older neighbor.

When Josh admits to Angus that he’s gay, he doesn’t expect Angus’s reaction. Angus’s obvious interest terrifies Josh. For years he’s managed to keep the world at arm’s length and avoid getting too close to anyone. Well, anyone except Elenor, Angus’s mother, who helped Josh rebuild his life after he was hospitalized for depression. But Josh still thinks he’s broken. His past has left scars he thinks are too deep to heal. Despite Josh’s defenses, Angus begins to mean more to him than just the cute boy next door. If Josh can take a risk and let someone into his isolated world, he might have a chance for a real life happy ending.

Review

Josh has severe depression, and has been hospitalized for it in the past. He is estranged from his biological family but has built himself a support system of people where he lives now. One of those is Eleanor, his neighbor, the mother of Angus.

Eleanor has anxiety issues that are slowly making her life unbearable. Angus turns to Josh for help and more.

Josh feels like he isn’t stable enough to help either Eleanor or Angus but Eleanor was there for him when he needed her and he can’t help but be infatuated with the adorable and innocent Angus (who clearly has a crush on Josh.)

Together, Angus and Josh navigate the health system to find the right solution for Eleanor and along the way the right solution for themselves, as well.

**

This was a very, very, very dark read. The issues these guys face are real, and heavy and not likely to ever go away.

The romance is very slow burn – sometimes painfully slow.

I was glad that having a “boyfriend” wasn’t offered up as a solution to Josh’s depression, Josh was very clear with Angus about the future and it does seem hopeful. However, I wasn’t given a lot of page time with him and Angus to know if their coupledom will be successful long term – Angus is so young and Josh’s illness is severe.

The writing is excellent as is the editing. If you are in the mood for a dark, yet hopeful romance, with a very positive ending about a difficult subject – this is the book for you.

For me – I’d have liked to see more of the romance and less of the internal dialog. I would shift the balance of the book to at least 50/50 build up and coupledom because I really think they have their work cut out for them and that it doesn’t end just because they say the magic three words.

I really didn’t feel that connected to Angus (this is told from Josh’s POV) and as a result I just don’t know what compels him as well as I’d like.

3.5 of 5 hearts

Love the cover!

3.5

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