Couples counselor Ted Freeman is still reeling six months after his partner left him. He desperately hopes a week of peace and quiet at a quaint mountain cabin will be just what he needs to regain his personal and professional confidence.
Neil Kelly is a computer programmer who just got promoted to full time and is celebrating over Christmas by going on his first real grown-up vacation at the Cabins in the Pines Inn. When he runs into Ted, his longtime crush, Neil can’t believe his luck, and he vows to do whatever it takes to make Ted see him as something other than the dork next door.
Neil wasn’t part of Ted’s plan for the holidays, but he might turn out to be exactly what Ted needs.
Review
Ted is 6 months out of a bad break-up and spending Christmas alone at a cabin he had reserved for his partner and himself before the break up. He’s evaluating not only his break-up but his career choice, since he’s a couples therapist who didn’t see his own break-up coming.
Neil is Ted’s neighbor who’s been crushing on Ted for years, but always gets tongue tied in front of the hot guy and his douche of a partner. He buys himself a holiday getaway package (not knowing Ted will be there) to reward himself for getting his degree.
When Ted first spies Neil, he’s really mean because he doesn’t want company and he’d always thought Neil was a bit too scatter-brained for his tastes. Neil is crushed, but he’s a forgiving sort and when Ted apologizes nicely, they agree to spend some of their holiday together.
Neil’s fresh-faced optimism is just the breath of fresh air Ted needs to see things from a new perspective. In addition, Neil pushes all his buttons sexually, and makes him laugh like he hasn’t in years.
Though Neil is a few years younger and Ted is a bit more jaded, there may be a match made in heaven between these two neighbors after all.
**
I really enjoyed this short holiday story about finding love where you don’t expect it.
I really, really, really liked Neil and though Ted was a bit of a downer, he did turn around a bit toward the end and got to a point where I thought he just might be good for Neil.
Since this is a short-story we really only get a HFN but it looks very promising.
The sex is pretty steamy and the story is pretty sweet. I give it a 3.5 of 5 hearts.
In the months following the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, fourteen-year-old Joshua, a half Native American boy, is new to a Boy Scout troop and spending a week camping in northern Wisconsin. The weaker kids in the troop soon realize Joshua is not afraid to stand up to the troop’s ruthless bullies. Joshua’s bravery and kindness is infectious, and the bullied Scouts quickly find their own inner strength.
Joshua, however, is plagued by self-doubt as he realizes he has feelings for Cody, the son of the troop’s harsh and puritanical Scoutmaster. The two discover they have more in common than Scouting as they share their deepest secrets and develop a close friendship. That friendship faces its greatest challenge as the homophobic bullies claim a “faggot” has “infected” their troop. As if struggling to come to terms with his sexuality while dealing with hatred and bigotry isn’t enough, Joshua discovers the camp holds another dark mystery, one that will make him summon all his courage and learn for the first time what it truly means to be brave.
Excerpt:
Joshua didn’t know how far or for how long he had run. He desperately gasped for air but didn’t stop running. It didn’t matter to him where he was going. As he ran, he pushed his body to its limits.
When he felt tired, he increased his speed. When cramps gripped his chest, he ignored them. The harder he pushed his body, the more he had to concentrate on moving it and the more willpower it took to compensate for the overwhelming instinct to stop. The harder Joshua pushed, the less room there was in his head to contemplate what had just happened. Total concentration went into continuing his physical exertion.
All the willpower in the world, however, would not allow Joshua to continue to exceed his body’s natural limits. Eventually, it began to weaken. His rapid speed finally slowed to a crawl, and his steady course was replaced by recurrent stumbles. Joshua tried to correct his performance, but ultimately his body gave in, and he tripped on his own feet, tumbling to the ground. A moment of elation overcame his body as it enjoyed the sudden relaxation in tension. Then everything rushed back to him, and Joshua felt the full force of reality drag him desperately back down into an inescapable dark void of despair.
Author Bio:
Jay Jordan Hawke holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in history, as well as a second master’s in Outdoor Education. He loves everything sci-fi, especially Star Trek, and hopes to be on the first starship out of here. In the meantime, he teaches at a college prep school and anxiously awaits the day when he can write full time. In addition to all things sci-fi, his hobbies include camping, reading, running, and writing. He has lived in several Midwestern states and currently resides in Indiana. Ugh – get me out of here!
Author Contact: https://www.facebook.com/jay.hawke https://www.facebook.com/JayJordanHawke https://www.twitter.com/@JayJordanHawke
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain
Excerpt:
When Joe lifted his head, he saw the man he had been fantasizing about since Joey was discharged from the hospital. He quickly stood up then nervously swayed back and forth. Partly because he was nervous seeing the man whom he secretly desired, but also because he did not want Sidney to know that he was living here at a homeless shelter. He did not want Sidney’s pity.
“Oh, I…” Joe struggled to find the right words.
“The church hired Mr. Koehler to finish remodeling our library,” Emily said smoothly. “We needed someone right away and by the Lord’s work Mr. Koehler was available. My assistants and I think he is a Godsend.” Emily’s cell phone began to ring. “I need to take this call. It’s my husband.” She looked at Joe. “Would you be willing to give Mr. Maier a tour of Hope House while I take this call?”
Before Joe could respond, Sidney interjected.
“I would like that very much.”
The excitement in Sidney’s voice did not go unnoticed by either Joe or Emily.
“Good,” Emily said, taking her husband’s call as she walked away.
For a few moments Joe and Sidney just stared at each other, both men wanting to say something but too afraid. Finally, Joe mustered up the courage to start the conversation.
Author Bio:
Derrick Knight was born and grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin. Derrick earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and a Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration from University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. For the last seventeen years, Derrick has been employed as a neonatal nutritionist in a neonatal intensive care unit at the largest teaching hospital in Illinois outside of Chicago.
Growing up Derrick was an avid reader of mystery novels. Agatha Christie was his favorite author. Ever since childhood Derrick dreamed of becoming a writer. He planned on writing mystery novels until a couple of years ago he read his first gay romance novel and he became hooked on the genre.
When Derrick is not writing, he is working on restoring his Arts & Crafts home, tending to his garden, and being an advocate for improving infant nutrition. Currently. Derrick resides in Peoria, Illinois with his two cats Iris and Madison Grace.
It will take all of Daniel’s charm and the prayers offered at the shrine to make Aero take a chance on the romance they both want.
Akiyoshi ‘Aero’ Kurokuma, author of the wildly popular manga, Ecos, lost his assistant when his best friend retired. After Aero collapses from exhaustion four years later, he is forced to run a contest for an assistant. Placing impossible rules on the contest, Aero is sure no one can win. But a winner emerges: a young man from America, Daniel Beck. The first time he lays eyes on Daniel, Aero realizes he’ll have a hard time hiding his attraction. Daniel is a perfect assistant, but it doesn’t help Aero see past the twenty-year age difference between them. It will take all of Daniel’s charm and the prayers offered at the shrine to make Aero take a chance on the romance they both want.
Review
In this short story we learn a lot about Japanese culture and some really interesting bits about the New Year and Manga. There is a teeny tiny romantic moment when Aero finally succumbs to the seduction attempts made by the much younger Daniel, but most of this is a little cultural lesson with a dash of romance.
I would have given it more hearts if it’d been longer. It felt like we got an info dump and the lovely story was just beginning –and then it was over. I really, really wanted to see more of Aero and Daniel together.
Donnie’s crush on his sister’s roommate Alejandro has gone beyond childhood dreams – and it’s driving Donnie insane! So when Donnie gets a chance to house-sit for his sister and Yandro, Donnie doesn’t feel alone. He’s got all his vivid fantasies to keep him company! Can a little dumb luck – and a little help from a magical homemade gift – help Donnie’s fantasies come true?
Review
This is like a prequel to the Johnnie’s series. Donnie is Chase’s friend who sort of “introduces” Chase to the joys of gay sex even though Chase still won’t admit he’s gay. (Good Reads lists this as part of the Granby knitting series, but I think it’s only because knitting is involved.)
Donnie, meanwhile, is falling in love with his sister’s roommate Alejandro. Over the course of 3 years Donnie’s crush grows and grows and Alejandro isn’t immune.
Eventually Donnie and Alejandro come together and it’s amazing!
**
This is a short story, so we move quickly from crush to lover, but its very well developed and has a surprising amount of hot sex for the small number of pages.
I really like both Donnie and Alejandro and though I wish we’d been able to see them as a couple (for more than the sex), I still think they’ve got what it takes to last. I appreciated the back-story of Chase and how it added depth to his character for us, but I wished we could have spent that time learning more about Donnie and Alejandro.
Sean Crisden has narrated many of Amy’s books and he always does a great job. I really liked his Alejandro – mmmm Spanish accent…. Sexy! However, I thought his “Donnie” voice was a little weird. It wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story, but it wasn’t my favorite of his narrations.
Overall, I’d give both the story and the narration a 4 of 5 hearts
Two strangers on a plane, one heading to Paris, the other Barcelona, with only a connection in London in common—at first.
Two strangers on a plane, one heading to Paris, the other Barcelona, both trying to get to their families in time for the holidays. It’s Christmas Eve, and all they have in common is a connection through London. When flights get delayed and cancelled, that connection goes beyond an airport, a terminal, and a secluded meeting room. And for Lance and Bruce, Christmas morning will hold even more joyous miracles.
Review
There are short stories (fully developed stories told with a few words) and then there are long fantasies. This is another long fantasy.
Though I appreciated some of the funny lines and creative descriptions used to convey this fantasy of hooking up with a stranger on a trans-Atlantic flight, there was no real story here.
Some of the things that happened had me scratching my head in confusion. Hand jobs over the toilet in an airplane bathroom? I can’t even really picture the physics of that.
Using Purell as lube? Wouldn’t that hurt? How is that slippery?
Upgrading a stranger’s ticket to first class and booking a seat next to him after a snowstorm has grounded a bunch of flights at Christmas? I don’t think so.
So, while I can appreciate what the author was trying to do, I don’t think it worked very well.
I give this 2 of 5 stars for colorful descriptions and interesting ideas.
When American Ian lands a secretarial job in the United Kingdom, he thinks he’s set for life. Admittedly, he’s still a bachelor living in a small apartment and working for a complete jackass, but other than that, his life is everything he ever hoped for in an enticing city full of beautiful people. When Alistair Security is robbed during the Christmas Fundraiser, the last thing Ian expects is to end up locked in with his boss, Alex Alistair, and to realize he might have mistaken his resentment for something else. The two men find common ground throughout the night, but when morning comes and the news hits the headlines, their connection will be tested. Ian might find himself at the start of a hot office romance—or he’ll spend the holidays browsing the classifieds.
Review
This started out as a very hot, enemies to lovers story. I loved the sexual tension between the jack-ass boss Alex and his super-efficient and snarky assistant Ian.
At the company Christmas party there’s a break-in (proving that the security company isn’t so good at it’s job) and Alex and Ian are locked in with one another while the thieves taunt them outside the door.
Here’s where the story goes off the rails for me. They make a plan to call Ian’s sister (not the cops mind you) and have her call the police but Ian is anemic and drops the phone because he’s too weak from hunger. (Huh? I don’t get that connection at all.) Then, while they wait, hoping the cops are coming, they deicide to have sex for the first time. Later, Ian makes a comment about a competitor being a former lover and Alex gets mad, fires Ian and storms off. Alex’s fiancé (a woman) sees how sad Alex is and tells him she knew he was always gay and that she only stayed with him because she felt that if he was going to be unhappy she was better than nobody but seeing him with Ian forced her to realize he could be happy – so he should be with Ian. (Say what?)
It just didn’t make much sense.
So, though it had good potential, it really fell flat at the end and unraveled to the point that it was almost ridiculous.
Blurb
Joon, Tae, and Sangsun belong together, but a relationship will mean defying tradition and coming out of the closet.
College friends Joon, Tae, and Sangsun parted ways after an aborted attempt at a threesome. Ten years later, life has carried them down very different paths, but Joon misses his friends and decides to invite them to his home in South Korea for Christmas. He believes they belong together, but convincing the others to defy tradition and try again will take faith, hope, and a lot of talking—especially since all three of them are still in the closet.
Review
The blurb pretty much says it all. When they were young, the three men were close and attempted to form a threesome, but Sangsun got scared and ran. In the 10 years since then, Joon has remained a virgin, Sangsun has been only with women and Tae has been with men, but only very casually.
Joon decides he needs the threesome to feel complete, so he calls the other two and invites them for Christmas. With only a little bit of talking (the whole story is only 20 pages) he convinces them to give up their very traditional and closeted lives to be together in a threesome/triad relationship, and they have sex.
**
I know that you have to judge short stories with a different standard than a novella or novel, but there are ways to move a story forward that makes sense even with only a few words or pages. This story does not do that. One second they’re all discussing their lives and bemoaning the fact that their traditional Korean lifestyles do not mesh at all with being gay, much less being in a threesome, the next they’re getting naked.
This felt like a long fantasy rather than a developed short story and it just didn’t feel authentic or remotely plausible. The “Christmas” part of the story also felt forced and again emphasized that this was a fantasy disguised as a holiday short story.
When six-year-old Matt Wilson and his Shih Tzu, Pixie, step out of the Stanton Community Hospital and disappear, his desperate parents convince Jaron Greenberg, a local pet psychic, to aid the police in the search. Jaron specializes in finding lost kitties and fixing problem pooches. He isn’t prepared for a case with so much at stake. And as soon as he starts, the abilities he’s had since childhood begin changing and growing in unexpected ways.
Paulo Silva is a veteran detective new to the small town of Stanton. As the low man on the totem pole at Stanton PD, he isn’t happy when the chief assigns him to babysit the pet psychic instead of actively working the missing child case. As Jaron uncovers clues, Paulo starts to wonder if he might be the real thing. Or maybe it’s just his testosterone reacting to what he’s sure is mutual attraction.
Review
(Some spoilers included at the end.)
Jaron is a pet psychic who works for his best friend at a dog salon. He barely scrapes by, lives in the back room of the salon and has the most amazing dog ever- Bear.
Paulo is the skeptical cop assigned to the case Jaron is called in on. Matt, a six year-old boy and his dog Pixie have gone missing and Jaron is asked to help find the dog and thus (hopefully) the boy. Paulo doesn’t want to believe in Jaron’s skills, even though he is immediately attracted to the man.
Over time Paulo is convinced of Jaron’s integrity and his abilities. They work together – sometimes illegally – to do everything they can to bring Matt back to his family.
While doing the investigation Jaron’s skills begin to change. His body begins to weaken and he even seizures as he sees more and more deeply into the mind’s eye of Pixie, the missing dog.
There is also some drama with Jaron’s best friend who is suddenly acting like a jealous boyfriend and kicking Jaron out of his home. Paulo’s ex gets involved as well, stirring the pot and causing trouble for Paulo on the police force. Not to mention there are psychic “haters” accusing Jaron of witchcraft and communing with the devil.
If all that weren’t enough, part way through the story tragedy hits and we begin to wonder if it’s at all possible for Matt to be found. (If you are worried about Matt being found or the fate of his dog – I put a spoiler in the end of the review – for some it might make the difference of whether or not you’d read this book.)
With the clock ticking and Jaron’s body failing him as well as new “powers” overwhelming him Paulo and Jaron and the ex take a road trip hoping to find Matt before it’s too late.
**
I was really prepared not to like this story. As an animal person, I was really worried when I read some of the early reviews and was prepared to be really upset.
But… I gotta tell you, I thought this book was a page turner.
The drama is right on the money. Though I hate books where we see things from the villain’s POV, I was able to follow the story easily even though I skipped those sections.
The romance is definitely not the star of the show. Sure, Jaron and Paulo end up with a very HFN that feels pretty solid, but most of this was about the mystery and the growth of Jaron’s psychic powers. It was fascinating. I loved how he was able to be in the mind of the pet and then later in the mind of people.
As a mother, reading a book about a missing child is bone chilling. There is nothing quite like worrying about your baby being taken – all of us can relate to that fear. So if you’re squeamish about that plot line – by all means skip this book. No doubt about it – it’s a hard one for some people.
However, the mystery was done really well and I appreciated that there was next to no physical damage done to Matt –the emotional scars from being abducted are bad enough.
Sometimes I thought there were a few too many “dramas” thrown in for story clarity. There was the best friend, the ex, the history with the old police force… I’m not sure these added to the story enough to be included, unless this is the beginning of a series and we need all that to help us understand future books. I really didn’t need to know the details of the case that sent Paulo packing to another job – really. I didn’t.
So – I have a hard time rating this. As a romance I’d give it a 3 of 5. There was some heat, some tension, and a pretty solid HFN. I liked Paulo and Jaron as a couple and hope we might see them again in a sequel.
As a mystery/thriller I’d give it a 4 of 5. I loved Jaron’s powers and thought the laying out of the mystery was well played even though we (as the audience) knew who the villain was the entire time. I had to subtract some points for the drama and for the villain POV.
So – as a compromise I’ll give it a 3.5 of 5 hearts and let you decide for yourself. If you want a hearts and flowers romance – this is definitely not for you. If you want a captivating mystery with romantic gay elements – I think you’ll find this book right up your alley. If you are a pet lover with a low tolerance for anything bad happening to a pet – you may want to read the spoilers or just plain skip this book.
**Spoilers**
(I won’t leave you hanging – you gotta know Matt gets found – I wouldn’t be able to read something like this if he wasn’t. Pixie however doesn’t make it.)
Ara Costas has it all—riches, power, and the kind of beauty that attracts all the right people. He’s flying high and loves his life, until a serious car accident leaves him horribly scarred. Ara becomes an angry recluse, hiding away in his Chicago high-rise apartment, running his multimillion-dollar business from behind a computer screen.
Ilias Adams is a quiet farm boy who keeps his nose buried in books. A great education and stellar resume land him a job as Ara’s assistant and liaison to the board of directors. Little did he know when he signed up for this dream job that he’d end up working for the world’s moodiest, most uptight boss.
Ilias is scared of Ara at times, but he recognizes the challenge he faces when he meets Ara and sees the reason for the man’s anger. Ara is guarded and suspicious, since he can’t believe anyone can bear to look at him. Despite all this, Ilias is determined to turn the beast into a beauty again, at least on the inside, and tear down the walls Ara has so carefully constructed around him.
Review
So, everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast, right? Well, imagine that in modern times, with two men and you have the essential storyline for Beast.
Ara was a vain, douche-bag. Mean, cocky, self-centered. He gets mutilated in a car accident and now can’t stand the sight of himself. He’s still so vain and self-centered that he’s kept himself locked away in his apartment for the last seven years running his father’s company.
Ilias is a farm boy who just graduated from business school. He’s trying to prove to his father that he can make it in the city and that his education was worth leaving the farm for. He applies for and is accepted as Ara’s assistant and “front man”. The face that will be presented to the board in Ara’s stead.
Ara is known to go through assistant’s like water due to his strict rules and contrary nature, but something clicks between him and Ilias and before they know it, they have moved from employee/employer to friend and then to lover.
**
The story actually moves the couple together in a relatively short time, but it takes many pages for them to even touch. We get to see both POVs in most circumstances so we really get an in depth appreciation of what each is feeling.
Ara is deeply scarred by his experience and needs so much personal growth to get to the point where he can appreciate that beauty is only skin deep.
Ilias has his own insecurities, but for the most part he is our savior in this story, dragging Ara along into the light of self awareness.
The authors have done an excellent job of following the old fairy tale but modernizing it and making it gay. I really enjoyed the care and depth of the characters, including the secondary characters that was taken.
Though Ara’s weaknesses proved tiring, especially toward the end, Ilias really pulled the story together and kept me invested in the couple. I adored his character and really felt that he and Ara made a great couple.
The narration by KC Kelly is practically perfect. He does such an excellent job with changing characters voices and giving real emotion to the story. I felt his accent for Ara was more Russian than Greek, but I’m no linguist! In any case it felt “erupoean” and absolutely worked!
I would absolutely recommend listening to this more than reading simply because KC Kelly does so much for the story.
I highly recommend this story and audiobook and give both 5 of 5 hearts.
Blurb
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