Category: Hurt/Abuse

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The Ship Engineer (Workplace Encounters Book 4) by Serena Yates

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6375

ShipEngineer[The]Blurb
Nathan Kappas, newly promoted to second engineer on the cruise ship Sapphire, has eyes only for the vessel he’s about to board. He literally runs into Harper Quade, a singer and dancer hired to entertain passengers. Harper has always wanted to travel, and working onboard the Sapphire keeps him away from his abusive ex-boyfriend. As they sail to Hawaii, Tahiti, and other exotic destinations, Nathan and Harper soon share a cabin and a deepening connection, which surprises Nathan, who generally prefers the predictability of machines to people. But an employee who feels jilted when Harper gets promoted harasses him, and Harper’s dangerous past refuses to let him escape. Harper might not be as safe on the Sapphire as he assumed, but Nathan will do anything to protect him.

Review

Nathan is a socially awkward, virgin! who starts a new job on a cruise ship where he meets the very outgoing Harper. Harper is a performer who gets a job on a cruise ship, escaping an abusive ex.

There is very little angst between Nathan and Harper as their relationship develops and grows. It becomes clear to Nathan that Harper means more than a ship-board romance when he is kidnapped by his ex.

Like the previous books in this series we get a unique look at a profession – in this case working on a cruise ship – and a quick, but sweet love story between two men.

I thoughtthe story was cute, the sex nice, the romance sweet, the editing good but I found the dialog to be a little stiff and awkward.

(Don’t judge this book by the cover – the book is MUCH better!)

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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Enforcing Emory by Mickie B Ashling

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6419

EnforcingEmoryBlurb

Olympic figure skater Emory Lowe falls in lust the moment he lays eyes on his new neighbor, hockey player Nikolai Vetrov. On the surface, Nik is a typical badass enforcer, intimidating and dangerous, on and off the ice. The only son of Ukrainian immigrants, Nik has been groomed from childhood to fulfill his father’s dreams of seeing him in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Igor guides his son toward that goal with a controlling—and abusive—hand, steering him clear of anyone who might ruin his chances.

Although Emory is the US National Figure Skating champion, he’s in-your-face gay, and his audacious persona rubs Nik and his family the wrong way. Raised by supportive and loving parents, Emory is Nik’s polar opposite in every way but one—his desire to succeed. Underneath the fluff and glitter beats the heart of a fierce competitor, and this side of Emory’s personality begins to close the distance between the two athletes.

While the attraction is one-sided in the beginning, Nik finds himself responding to Emory’s flirting. But before the incongruous pair have a chance at any sort of relationship, they must survive the pressures of career, separation, and most importantly, Igor’s ruthless homophobia

Review

Emory and Nik meet when Nik moves into the neighborhood. Emory is a teenager living at home and training for the Olympics. Nik is a professional hockey player in the minor leagues (or whatever word they use in hockey).

Emory is 18 and Nik 20. Both still live with their parents. Both fathers are bigoted – though Emory’s dad gets over it and Nik’s dad is psychotic. Nik is engaged to a woman and in denial of his sexuality (and a gay-virgin!) and Emory is super-flamboyant to the extreme and NOT a virgin.

The boys feel instant attraction and though it is fairly dangerous for Nik , they begin a relationship. There is a lot of drama about the families and their approval. Danger surrounding Emory’s Olympic games and his risk as a homosexual in a homophobic country. Danger surrounding Nik’s career (hockey) and his coming out to his father. Lots of steamy sex. Some very sweet and tender moments between the boys. And a nice if unrealistic ending that will make you smile.

The storyline of this novel is unique in that the relationship develops fairly quickly so most of the struggle is the couple working out how they can be together given the obstacles they face.

I enjoyed Nik and Emory but the fathers felt a little too much like caricatures to feel real. Though I enjoyed the resolution it felt a bit rushed at the end and a little too “easy”.

All in all it was a good book and I enjoyed it.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Immortal by Amy Lane

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6353

Immortal-AmyLaneBlurb
When Teyth was but a child, a cruel prince took over his village, building a great granite tower to rule over the folk. Greedy and capricious, the man will be the bane of Teyth’s existence as an adult, but as a boy, Teyth is too busy escaping his stepfather to worry about his ruler.

Sold into apprenticeship to the local blacksmith, Teyth finds that what was meant as a punishment is actually his salvation. Cairsten, the smith, and Diarmuid, his adopted son, are kind, and the smithy is the prosperous heart of a thriving village. As Teyth grows in the craft of metalwork, he also grows in love for Diarmuid, the gentle, clever young man who introduces him to smithing.

Their prince wants Diarmuid too. As the tyrant inflicts loss upon loss on Teyth and Diarmuid, Teyth’s passion for his craft twists into obsession. By the time Teyth resurfaces from his quest to create immortality, he’s nearly lost the love that makes being human worth the pain. Teyth was born to sculpt his emotion into metal, and Diarmuid was born to lead. Together, can they keep their village safe and sustain the love that will make them immortal?

Review

I think the easiest way to review this is to say this:

  • Amy pulled no punches with this book. Though this isn’t a tragedy, it is tragic.  Though it doesn’t end happily the ending is very up-lifting.
  • This is a dark, angsty fairy tale that makes some of Amy’s other books look positively fluffy!
  • Amy, as always, is an amazing writer and delivers again with well-developed characters, amazing creativity and a smooth, gorgeous storyline.
  • If you don’t like stories written in “accents” this may bug you as she uses a “dialect” throughout the book to give it a very authentic “feel”.
  • Amy must own stock in Kleenex. That’s the only explanation I can come up to explain her ability and desire (?) to make us bawl like babies time and again.
  • People looking for a light-hearted, easy read should run far, far away.
  • Don’t read this in public (especially at work – learn from my mistake.)
  • It reminded me of her book Hammer & Air – if you liked that you’ll like this.

This isn’t my favorite of Amy’s genres – I love her contemporary work far more. That being said this is still an amazing book – Amy doesn’t write “bad” books. I recommend this book to fans of fantasy/fairy tales and fans of the “Queen” herself

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Fire and Ice (Carlisle Cops book 2) by Andrew Grey

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6398

FireAndIceBlurb

Carter Schunk is a dedicated police officer with a difficult past and a big heart. When he’s called to a domestic disturbance, he finds a fatally injured woman, and a child, Alex, who is in desperate need of care. Child Services is called, and the last man on earth Carter wants to see walks through the door. Carter had a fling with Donald a year ago and found him as cold as ice since it ended.

Donald (Ice) Ickle has had a hard life he shares with no one, and he’s closed his heart to all. It’s partly to keep himself from getting hurt and partly the way he deals with a job he’s good at, because he does what needs to be done without getting emotionally involved. When he meets Carter again, he maintains his usual distance, but Carter gets under his skin, and against his better judgment, Donald lets Carter guilt him into taking Alex when there isn’t other foster care available. Carter even offers to help care for the boy.

Donald has a past he doesn’t want to discuss with anyone, least of all Carter, who has his own past he’d just as soon keep to himself. But it’s Alex’s secrets that could either pull them together or rip them apart—secrets the boy isn’t able to tell them and yet could be the key to happiness for all of them.

Review

Carter is the police partner of Red who we met in book one, Fire and Water. Donald is a social worker who has hooked up with Carter in the past, but walked away from him before they got started as a couple.

Carter rescues a boy, Alex, from the site of a domestic disturbance only to find out he’s been abused and is now an orphan. Donald is called in to help place him in the system, but both men fall in love with Alex and have a hard time letting him go.

Meanwhile, Carter knows Donald is more than his icy façade and wants to break through to the real man he’s had glimpses of before.

Donald is guarding his heart and his secrets but can’t help but be enthralled by both Alex and Carter.

In the end – when an amazingly convenient solution presents itself – we see the formation of a new family and a very HEA.

**
I thought this was better than the first book (and I liked the first book) and I really liked Carter and Alex and the story they shared. I thought Donald was a little harder to like and found his reluctance to share frustrating.

Overall it was a good book and I recommend it to fans of Andrew Grey and fans of men with kids stories.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Trowchester Blues by Alex Beecroft

Riptide Presents
http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/trowchester-blues

TrowchesterBlues_500x750_0Blurb

Michael May is losing it. Long ago, he joined the Metropolitan Police to escape his father’s tyranny and protect people like himself. Now his father is dead, and he’s been fired for punching a suspect. Afraid of his own rage, he returns to Trowchester—and to his childhood home, with all its old fears and memories. When he meets a charming, bohemian bookshop owner who seems to like him, he clings tight.
Fintan Hulme is an honest man now. Five years ago, he retired from his work as a high class London fence and opened a bookshop. Then an old client brings him a stolen book too precious to turn away, and suddenly he’s dealing with arson and kidnapping, to say nothing of all the lies he has to tell his friends. Falling in love with an ex-cop with anger management issues is the last thing he should be doing.
Finn thinks Michael is incredibly sexy. Michael knows Finn is the only thing that still makes him smile. But in a relationship where cops and robbers are natural enemies, that might not be enough to save them.
Review

Fintan is an ex-fence who lost his lover 5 years ago and re-made himself as an honest bookseller in Trowchester.

Michael is an ex-cop with anger issues who is divorced and has moved back to Trowchester to exorcise the figurative ghost of his abusive father now that he’s died and left him a house.

Together these guys are real. They are authentic and real and sincere… just real. They both have some issues to overcome, and they do a lot of personal growth in this novel. I also really liked that nothing came along to “fix” them – not their relationship or anything else – but they made realistic progress as they learned new lessons.

There wasn’t a lot of sex in this book, but what was there was very hot.  The two have a lot of chemistry and the intimate scenes are very well written.

Alex Beecroft is a new author to me, and I am so very impressed with her work. Her writing is lyrical and poetic without being flowery and pedantic. I found myself bookmarking and highlighting many phrases. An example: “Sure, sex was a fine thing, but a fight at the end of which the pair of you were more lovingly entangled than ever, that was closer to being one flesh, one soul, than anything else.”

I found the supporting story – the non-romance part- to be engaging and moving as well. Michael finds a homeless girl to help, helping him to deal with some of his past insecurities. Finn struggles against getting pulled back into his old life and has to make some amazingly tough decisions that ultimately set him free.

All in all a great read from a new author and a happy beginning to a new series!

5 out of 5 hearts

5

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Dallas in Wonderland by Evan Gilbert

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6390

DallasinWonderlandBlurb

Dallas Fox owns porn movie studio Wonderland and for him, sex is all about business. He hasn’t felt passion in a long time, so he is surprised when he develops an attraction for Johnny Roman, a college student who has recently become a porn actor for the studio, and Miguel Duarte, an office assistant. Dallas is even more surprised when he realizes they are as interested in him as they are in each other. Those attractions violate Dallas’s number one rule: no mixing business and pleasure.

Dallas slowly lets his guard down, and eventually winds up in bed with both Johnny and Miguel. Their painful backgrounds are similar, and they begin forging bonds that could grow into something much deeper. Miguel, however, faces a threat that could endanger them all and destroy any chance of finding the romance they want and need.

Review

Dallas is the consummate “bottom”, and has played that role for years, turning it from a role in porn to owning his own successful studio. His life is good, but he’s lonely – he just doesn’t realize it yet.
Johnny is living life well. He’s in school, has a bright future, making money doing something he loves – playing the hard-assed “top” for Dallas’ studio. But – he’s had a crush on Dallas for years and though Dallas plays a bottom in every role he’s ever done – he’s really a top outside the studio. Johnny – who’s never bottomed isn’t sure he’s ready for that. Not to mention, Dallas has a strict “no fraternization with employees” rule.

Miguel stumbles into studio life when his roommate runs off mysteriously with the rent, leaving him high and dry and desperate. Luckily Dallas’ business partner finds Miguel before he ends up renting out his ass and gives him an assistant job at the studio. There Miguel sees Johnny and Dallas and their chemistry and wishes he could be part of it. But no one like them could ever see someone like him and think he’d make a great partner – could they?

In a very brief period of time – all three men face some tough decisions/situations and end up thrown together. They find strength and love with one another in addition to some sizzling hot chemistry.

This is a short book, and so we end with essentially a solid HFN but it feels good and definitely on the path to longevity.

My only complaint is that the novella is full of “telling” and not nearly enough “showing”. There is a lot of information “dumped” on us as each character gives us their physical descriptions and back-stories. I would have appreciated taking the time to either develop these more organically or finding a way to give the information in a less clichéd way. (IE Dallas looks in the mirror and tells us what he sees as a way to let us know how he looks physically.)

This is a new author to me and I will definitely look for more in the future.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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Falling (Fall or Break book 1) by Barbara Elsborg

Samhain Publishing Presents https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5374/falling

fallingBlurb

He’s acutely aware of the dark-haired young man checking him out in the supermarket, but he’s too deep in panic mode to even meet the guy’s gaze. Afraid the slightest move will trigger a fall that will never stop.
Fresh off a long-term relationship with a controlling man, Malachi is stuck living with relatives who think he’s a waste of oxygen. The tall guy in the long, gray coat is the first bright spot he’s glimpsed in a long time…though the man’s unblinking stare at a bottle of shower gel is a touch alarming.
Hard experience tells both of them to turn away before lust turns to hopeless attraction, and inevitably to disaster. But once their sparks connect, the arc of electricity is too strong to deny. Even if the cost is too much to bear.
Product Warnings
Contains an ex-con with disaster written all over him, a boy toy who’s trouble with a capital T, a damp old British house, compulsive meddling, and enough hot sex to cure the severe case of nervous babbling.

Review

Harper and Malachi. Whew. What a hard, hard story they share. Harper is fresh from prison where he was wrongfully accused of raping students. Malachi is coming off an intense relationship with a controlling boyfriend. Both are wary but so very needy.

There is about a 10 year age difference but Malachi is definitely mature for his age, he’s lived a hard life.

Their relationship is full of hurdles, Elsborg gives us lots of angst and difficulties to struggle against. My heart hurt throughout most of this book – there is a lot of injustice and I was aching for someone to set things right.

The sexual tension and its relief are done really well and the smexy times are very hot between these two.

This is a longish book and for some, there might just be a tad too many of these angsty hurdles to wade through, but the end is pretty satisfying and our heroes certainly earned their HEA.

I think the writing was excellent, the romance fairly wonderful, the chemistry sizzling and overall I really enjoyed this book. Personally I started to lose some steam around the countless road-blocks and crises, but I’m impatient for my happy endings, no matter how long the book!

4.5 of 5 stars – practically perfect!

4.5

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The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper

Samhain Publishing Presents https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/4117/the-rebuilding-year

the-rebuilding-yearBlurb

Losing nearly everything leaves room for the one thing they can’t live without.

A few excruciating minutes pinned in a burning building cost Ryan Ward his job as a firefighter, the easy camaraderie of his coworkers, his girlfriend, and damn near cost him his left leg. Giving up, though, isn’t an option. Compared to the alternative, choosing a new profession, going back to school, and renting a room from the college groundskeeper are simple.

Until he realizes he’s falling in love with his housemate, and things take a turn for the complicated.

John Barrett knows about loss. After moving twice to stay in touch with his kids, he could only watch as his ex-wife whisked them away to California. Offering Ryan a room seems better than rattling around the empty house, but as casual friendship moves to something more, and a firestorm of emotions ignites, the big old house feels like tight quarters.

It’s nothing they can’t learn to navigate, though. But when dead bodies start turning up on campus—and one of the guys is a suspect—their first taste of real love could go up in smoke.

Product Warnings
Contains two hot men wrestling with a shift in their sexuality, as well as a few positions probably listed in the Gay Kama Sutra. But it’s not all about the hot and sweaty—especially when your previously straight life knocks on the door and comes back to visit.

Review

Ryan is a med student, former fireman who was injured in the line of duty, looking for a cheap place to stay while studying. He meets John on campus where John does the maintenance for the university. John is recently divorced father of two who is looking for a friend and someone to share expenses.

John and Ryan quickly become great friends and find themselves inexplicably attracted to one another as more than friends. Neither has identified as gay before but are suddenly seeing the other as very attractive.

There are a lot of hurdles. Neither is willing to jump into this without being sure of their feelings. Ryan has scars on his body that makes him leery of opening himself up to anyone. John’s wife and family aren’t going to see this as something to embrace. And – there’s a dead body found on campus and John is a suspect!

With a lot of careful movements forward and some deep discussion the couple explore their new feelings and in the end find a deep and abiding love.

**

This was one of the first mm books I ever read and I have re-read it dozens of times! I absolutely loved it. It’s a double GFY, both male “virgins” and they are so very sweet with each other! Kaje Harper is an amazing writer, she carefully crafts their relationship so that it is believable and romantic and yet full of realistic challenges and day to day hurdles.

I can’t recommend this book enough and I am ever so excited to read the sequel (finally!)!

6 of 5 hearts

amazing

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Forever for Now-Scotty Cade

Dreamspinner Press

Blurb: 

Leeland Jeffers is a contented single man with a thriving career in Atlanta. He’s had a few unsuccessful relationships over the years, but no one has even come close to his first love, Harrison Rhinehart. They met in college when a mutual friend, Suzie Garrison, introduced Harry into their close-knit group. When the supposedly “straight” Harry made a move on Lee, the two men entered into a tumultuous secret love affair. In their senior year, the relationship finally ended when Harry informed Lee he was marrying Suzie.


Since graduation, the college friends have drifted apart. However, an unexpected invitation to a destination wedding seems set to reunite them all. Lee’s speculation on whether Harry and Suzie will make an appearance threatens to derail his attendance. But Lee decides the hell with it and makes plans to go, Harry Rhinehart or no Harry Rhinehart.

  

Kiwi’s Review:

There are several things you can always count on when you’re reading anything written by Scotty Cade. You’re going to get the beautiful covers, you’re going to get a book that is well written, well researched; the smooth flowing storyline, interesting characters, well written dialog, and editing that is on point.  And again, you’re going to read books featuring mature men and not ‘twinks’. What you get is a nice, contemporary read that is geared toward readers like me who are of a particular age who appreciate reading about two mature men in love and experiencing the ups and downs of a relationship. 

This one tells us about two men who like most of us, made mistakes when they were  in college. Here, you have Harry, a young man who wasn’t ready to own up to his sexuality, has a secret relationship with Lee but because he wasn’t ready to be himself ends up marrying a woman. Lee never really gets over in and I think that it affected his decisions as far as the type of relationships he wants and has. I feel that Lee put up this facade of being this slightly campy, funny, sassy type of man who enters into no strings sexual relationships with men from time to time. I think he does this because he really doesn’t want to invest his time and feelings into a relationship that he feels may not work and he wasn’t over Harry. Lee was Hurt and angry so he wasn’t going to admit his feelings for Harry. 

Meanwhile, Harry’s made a complete mess of his life. Harry’s bad decisions have led to him hurting first Lee, then his wife, and ultimately himself. Now that’s not to say that it was all Harry’s fault. Susie, Harry’s wife, has to take some responsibility for the mess of their marriage. I don’t understand how women marry a man who they know may be conflicted about their sexuality or gay but marry them or enter into relationships with them anyway thinking he will change, that they will  be the ones to change them or the man will change for them. I don’t know if it’s ego, desperation or a combination of the two that makes some women do that. Whatever the reason is they must bear some responsibility when the marriage going awry. Cade approached this issue with in a mature manner.  When Susie made the decision about her and Harry’s marriage she did so in a calmly when he could’ve written it in a way that made her look vindictive and petty. I really appreciate  how he refrained from doing that. He never demean or vilify the female characters in his books and I find that refreshing.

This story was a little shorter than I’m used to from this author but it worked well. The pace was fast but smooth. If you’re looking for a book or an author that specializes in writing books featuring grown and sexy man then you should definitely get this author a try. This novella is definitely worth picking up. 


❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Just the Way You Are EE Montgomery

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6274
JustTheWayYouAreBlurb
After ten years in an abusive relationship and a near-fatal knife wound, Jonathan Watson is finally free. Unused to being able to make even the smallest decision and smothered by family and well-meaning neighbors, he’s floundering in the real world. Jonathan is afraid of falling into another relationship too quickly and realizes he needs time to rediscover who he is before he attaches himself to another man.

He never counted on meeting Ben Urquhart, though. Ben tempts Jonathan to forget everything and take a leap. For Ben, it’s love at first sight, and he doesn’t want to take it slow. He wants to build a life with Jonathan, free from harm and full of laughter. But before they can take the next step, they must protect Jonathan from his possessive, threatening ex. Jonathan must find the courage to confront him and break the chains of his past before he can be truly free to build a future with Ben.

Review

Jonathan was in a terrible relationship for years and is almost killed by his ex. The last thing he wants is another relationship but … when he meets Ben, he can’t help but be entranced.

Ben just plain falls for Jonathan and wants to help him get through his troubles with the ex.

**

I vascillated on this story because I liked the relationship between Ben and Jonathan in that it felt intensely real at times and I liked that.
However, what I didn’t like was the constant drama, the fact that Jonathan continued to make disturbing choices and the fact that our couple is a couple for only about 20% of the book.

I thought the writing was good and perhaps if I had read the previous books in the series I may have been more invested in this one. I think that if you have liked the earlier books you will probably like this one as well.

3 of 5 hearts

3

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