Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6560 Blurb
If he can make room in his life and his heart, an isolated medieval history professor might find a real life knight in shining armor.
A terrible breakup in his twenties left David shying away from relationships. For years he’s been content with his solitary life, finding fulfillment in his career, books, television show marathons, and his cat’s companionship. When David meets his neighbor Zach, he can’t tell if Zach is just being friendly or if the handsome fireman might actually be interested in him. The more time they spend together, though, the more David questions his resolution to remain single. If Zach can extinguish the flames left by David’s past, David might finally break away from his structured life and take a chance on love.
Review
David has just moved to town, starting fresh with a promotion at the university, determined to be happy and alone, no man needed, no siree.
Zach is a fireman, a great neighbor, a rescuer of cats, a fixer of things, and a genuinely nice guy. Oh, and super hot.
At first David is confused by the good-neighborly acts of kindness Zach bestows upon him, but then, with a little help from another matchmaking neighbor, he begins to think that maybe his plans on being happy and alone might just need to be altered a bit…
**
I really like Nico Jaye’s writing style. It’s so smooth and effortless. This story just grabs you right from the start and keeps you enthralled.
With short-stories it’s easy to feel short-changed and this is definitely not one of those. The characters are well-developed, the pacing is quick but fulfilling, the smexy times are very hot and though (as is appropriate with any story) you wish it didn’t end, you still feel very satisfied at the HEA.
I highly recommend this and give it 6 of 5 hearts!
Bush pilot John Tillman never expected to raise his kid sister. As her graduation approaches, he can almost taste the freedom of the empty nest in his near future—to fly in his eagle form for days…walk around his house naked…maybe even bring a man into his bed for the first time in years. To save her college fund, John’s taking every run his plane can handle and doing his best to keep his shifting under the radar. Then his latest job walks into the local bar with a strange gait and velvety Southern drawl.
After three tours, two new legs, and one long-overdue divorce, the only thing Logan Maddox is counting on now is a distraction-free hunting trip with the son whose teen years he’s almost missed. Logan isn’t a hero, just a guy trying to readjust with new parameters. If he hasn’t quite put into practice the gay identity he’s finally accepted…well, it’s not top priority. But fate has its own tactics, and the only pilot available to ferry them looks like a recruitment ad for Alaska’s hottest unit, and arrives with a seventeen-year-old girl in tow.
Review
Logan is a newly single guy, sharing custody of his son, bonding on a trip to Alaska. He’s also learning to use his prosthetics after being injured in the military.
John is raising his sister, on the final leg as it were, and thinking about the future. He ends up taking a job of playing tour guide to Logan and his son and knows that, at least in the near future, things are looking good.
**
This is a novella, so things move quickly. The attraction is there immediately and the men – not bar sluts, so they move with some trepidation – act swiftly but with temperance. I loved that they didn’t immediately have sex though they did become physical right away.
Mia West is a new author to me and I’m looking forward to more of this series! Her writing is smooth and flows well. Her world building is EXCELLENT and the characters are complex, including the secondary characters.
As with any good story, I wish it’d been longer, but I definitely feel we got a solid HEA and that our guys were in it for the long haul.
I highly recommend this new series with 5 of 5 hearts!
Tyler Mitchell has worked hard to rebuild his life after his family kicked him out. A culinary student and sous chef who spends his spare time volunteering with kids, he’s happy enough even though he has no time to consider a relationship.
Trevor Pratt is finally getting over losing the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but it’s taken screwing every cute guy in Manhattan to get there. He’s vowed to repair the friendship he broke along the way, but that’s hard to do when his friend’s new employee catches his eye. Despite being warned to stay away from Tyler, Trevor turns on the charm.
Romance is a terrible idea. Trevor is ten years older and a relentless playboy. Tyler is still unsure of his place in the world. Neither of them is ready for life-changing love, but as things heat up, their chemistry in the bedroom might just take that decision out of their hands.
Review
Tyler has trust issues. He was kicked out of his “loving” family for being gay, forced to the streets, but rescued by Ethan and Jamie – two restaurateurs who help him to become a sous chef and get him enrolled in school.
Trevor is Jamie’s best friend, the proverbial playboy, and is 10 years Tyler’s senior. Trevor sees Tyler and wants to bring him out of his shell, help him to explore his new sexuality, but knows he will bail at any sign of drama or permanence.
Tyler is captivated by the older man but leery. Both Jamie and Ethan tell Tyler to stay away from Trevor, in fact they practically forbid it. But he can’t stay away and a tenuous relationship begins.
Oh, Tyler lives in Seattle and Trevor in New York – so there’s that, too.
Through some stolen weekends and many phone conversations and texts, the couple draws closer, but Trevor refuses to take it that ultimate step, fearing for Tyler’s heart.
Just when it seems the couple might be crossing some bridges, trust on Tyler’s part, commitment on Trevor’s, something comes up. They reconcile. Then something else comes up. They reconcile… etc.
Finally, after facing his awful family, coming to grips with what he really wants for his future and deciding that he has to value himself first, Tyler essentially boots Trevor to the curb.
When faced with absolutely no connection to Tyler, Trevor also begins to re-consider his values, fears and desires and decides that nothing is going to keep him from Tyler, especially not Tyler’s fears.
**
First let me say that I didn’t read books one and two. But I read the blurb and this sounded really intriguing and it sounded like a standalone.
I believe you didn’t have to have the background from books one and two – per se- but it would have made the story so much richer. Trevor and Jamie and Ethan have a LONG history together that totally shapes the story. Add to that, this is a long book, much of it filled with Jamie/Trevor/Ethan interactions that probably held more appeal for followers of the series.
There was a lot to like in this story. The characters are very well developed, and there is as much development of the secondary characters as the MCs. The emotions feel mostly authentic and each hurdle is handled realistically and thoroughly.
The May/December aspect was maybe downsized and rolled into the lack of experience/trust/playboy hurdle more than an actual issue of age.
The distance is handled really well, and very realistically.
What I didn’t like:
I never felt that connected to Trevor. The authors did too good a job setting him up as an unfeeling ass, and though he was good to Tyler, Tyler was so shiny and good that he really needed someone as wonderful to balance him out. (Tyler works all the time, volunteers when he’s not at school or at work, won’t take a handout, is demure about his talents, etc., etc.) Trevor just shows up, is hot, works a lot, pines over Tyler and never really shows himself as NOT being the playboy his reputation leads us to believe. He just wasn’t as likable as Tyler.
Add to that, Ethan, one of Tyler’s heroes, absolutely despises Trevor for some past sin (undoubtedly found in the other books) and this shades the reader’s opinions as well.
Another thing I didn’t care for was Tyler’s seemingly split personality. He’d be at once flirty and adventurous, then suddenly give Trevor the cold shoulder.
There wasn’t much time with the couple as a couple, and most of their interactions were via text or the phone, which were nice ways to develop their relationship, but we aren’t given much time at all to see them in a relationship on the same coast. It didn’t make me feel that the couple had a lot of potential longevity.
So, overall, I wasn’t that impressed by this. I liked the writing, the editing, the characters and most of the plot, but I wasn’t crazy about this couple or the length. Far too much time was spent on Tyler’s insecure waffling and it got a bit monotonous.
If you have read books one and two, this will undoubtedly be something you should read, and perhaps had I read the first two I’d have felt more warmly about this.
After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he’s done. But Dex’s plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition’s crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn’t taking any chances. Dex’s team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost.
With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies—however well intentioned—begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who’s pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it’s up to Sloane to show him what’s at stake, and finally put a name to what’s in his heart.
Review
Wow. Just wow. This book is sooooo full of good feels.
Sloane and Dex are so wonderfully gushy and sweet in this book. Their relationship is definitely cemented by the end.
We get a peek into the mystery that is Hobbs and an amazingly sexy and funny scene between him and Calvin.
Ash is looking like less and less of a hard ass and more and more like the love of Cael’s life.
All of the relationship stuff is amazing. The dialog, like always is hysterical. The spying done is both naughty and funny. The danger… well this isn’t really that “tense” of a book.
The biggest “hurdle” in this story is Dex trying to avenge Sloane’s attack. Predictably, Sloane doesn’t want him involved, and in fact, the team has been ordered to stand down. But… Dex is determined to capture the culprit himself, in Sloane’s name.
I kinda wanted to shake Dex, and totally understood Sloane’s feelings about it. I liked, however, that this was the first time we saw Dex as the guy who might screw up the relationship, and Sloane was doing everything “right” for a change.
All in all this totally appealed to my every romantic sensibility and tickled my funny bone.
I can’t wait for the next installment and I really hope Calvin and Hobbs get their own book ☺
Audio
I really enjoy Mark Westfiled’s narrations. He does a great job differentiating the different and myriad characters. He adds extra touches like altering his voice for telecom and intercom communications. I love even his female characters and his accents are wonderful!
After his move to Atlanta and away from the influence of his conservative parents, Mikey O’Malley finally feels free to be himself: art student, aspiring animator, and out gay man. He has friends, a new job, and not one, but two men interested in him. Cory Lassiter and Jimmy Black have been a happy couple for years, occasionally bringing a twink into their bed, but only for a brief roll in the hay. When Mikey meets the pair, the attraction is immediate, and it runs three ways. Mikey just can’t believe they’d have room in their lives for a permanent addition.
When Mikey’s newfound life is shattered by a lawsuit that accuses him of molesting a child years earlier, he’s determined to face his troubles on his own, but Cory and Jimmy are just as determined that he not have to go it alone. To reconcile his need for independence and his desire for love, Mikey has to learn that being a man isn’t just about standing on your own two feet. It’s about letting yourself lean on the ones who love you.
Review
We start the story with Mikey, a young man, living with friends, kicked out for being gay, but making his own life, about to lose his job because he’s being sued for inappropriate actions.
Mikey’s not all alone, however, he’s got good friends and two boyfriends.
Mikey is just starting a relationship with Cory and Jimmy – two older men in an established relationship – and though he cares about them and vice versa, he doesn’t really know where he stands with them. As a result things haven’t moved much beyond the innocent.
Both Cory and Jimmy are big personalities and they have often invited a third to join them, this time they want someone to keep. Mikey doesn’t know how he feels about that, but he knows he wants to explore it and he knows that in this cruel world, he can’t afford his ego and must lean on whomever he can for help.
**
This is a tough review to write. I didn’t read book one, so I know that some of my confusion may be as a result of that fact. However, it’s listed as a standalone. But – the story literally jumps right in the middle of things and while I can appreciate that as a writing ploy, as a reader I really wished I had seen more of the “get to know you” story of Jimmy, Cory and Mikey. I kind of felt like I had missed a chapter or something, what with them already being on the cusp of a relationship but not quite fully involved, right at the beginning of the book.
I really liked the writing and found the characters engaging. I thought the lawsuit part of the story was engaging and well-handled.
As a triad, I’m not sure how successful this one will be. On the one hand, the author did a great job of showing us why Cory and Jimmy live apart, but I never really saw exactly how much Mikey contributed to the triad, other than the sex part. We just didn’t get enough time with them as a triad for me to believe in their success. It still felt like Mikey was more of a diversion than an equal in the relationship, even by the end.
I believe that they have a chance, and that’s a good enough place to leave them, but the whole experience left me feeling like I sort of fell into the middle of their story, not the beginning nor the end.
Overall, it was an intriguing book and for the most part well done, but it felt incomplete.
Dumped by his lover, Harlie Rose ducks for cover in the Belladonna Arms, a seedy apartment building perched high on a hill in downtown San Diego. What he doesn’t know is that the Belladonna Arms has a reputation for romance—and Harlie is about to become its next victim.
Finding a job at a deli up the street, Harlie meets Milan, a gorgeous but cranky baker. Unaware that Milan is suffering the effects of a broken heart just as Harlie is, the two men circle around each other, manning the barricades, both unwilling to open themselves up to love yet again.
But even the most stubborn heart can be conquered.
With his new friends to back him up—Sylvia, on the verge of her final surgery to become a woman, Arthur, the aging drag queen who is about to discover a romance of his own, and Stanley and Roger, the handsome young couple in 5C who lead by example, Harlie soon learns that at the Belladonna Arms, love is always just around the corner waiting to pounce. Whether you want it to or not.
But tragedy also drops in now and then.
Review (Book reviewed on this site previously)
We return to the amazing Belladonna Arms. Arthur is still there, in horrible drag. Chi Chi and Ramon are there, but fighting. Stanley and Roger are there and in love. Sylvia is about to have her surgery, the kleptomaniac Charlie is still taking his meds and he and Bruce are still a couple. All in all love is in the air, specifically the Love Pollen that Arthur claims falls on the unsuspecting tenants and makes them succumb.
Harlie thinks he’ll be immune to the pollen, however, since he has just gotten back from a four month journey across the country getting “over” his ex. He’s alone and plans on staying that way. His only focus: getting a job and writing his novel.
Sylvia comes through with a job for Harlie, working as a baker’s assistant at the restaurant she works. The owner of the restaurant, Mr. Burger, an older gentleman whose lover has recently died. We suspect she probably knew that his son, Milan, might just cure Harlie of his blues, as he too is a gay man recently alone.
Sure enough, the two set off sparks. At first, Harlie thinks Milan is straight and hates him, which only makes him that much more fascinating, but then we see them connect outside of work and Milan is really just shy and heartbroken.
Sylvia has other plans for our Belladonna Arms tenants. Arthur. Harlie, mistakenly!, tries to change Arthur’s style by making him more “butch”. What a hilarious failure that was! No matter what he tries, Arthur glams it up and looks miserable without his flowing garments. But… Mr. Burger sees something in Arthur he’s been looking for and it is love at first sight!
The remainder of the book is Sylvia healing, Arthur and Mr. Burger sexing and loving, Milan and Harlie sexing and loving, and… a horrible, horrible sad story involving Chi Chi and Ramon…
Overall, it was another amazing book by John Inman and I loved (almost) every second of it as much as the first book Serenading Stanley. I’m not sure why the sad story was included… maybe to give some more depth to this very sweet story, but it was hard to read. I hope we hear more about their story in another installment, because it’s just too good to stop now!
I highly recommend this book and the series.
5 of 5 hearts.
Audio
Tyler Stevens narrated the first book in the series and he is a hard act to follow. For reasons of both continuity of character and the fact that I really adore Tyler I wish he’d done this. Caleb Dickinson did a nice job, he just lacks some of the “flair” Tyler put into his characters. There wasn’t as much character voice differentiation and though he does a nice job with the pacing and emotion, it lacked the panache that I admire with Tyler’s work.
There’s more to life than work, and love has no expiration, even for those approaching their forty- fifth birthday.
There’s more to life than work, and love has no expiration, even for those approaching their forty-fifth birthday.
Daniel Richards is a private chef in New York City who has committed over a decade to his skills and passion. He has carved out a name for himself in the industry and has bookings for parties and dinners months in advance. Now that he’s in his midforties, however, he’s come to the realization that he’s lonely and desperate for companionship. Two days before Valentine’s Day, he meets Keith Maxwell at a farmer’s market and can’t keep the much younger man out of his thoughts. Keith is eager and willing to take a chance with someone older, but Daniel’s reluctance stops Keith’s every attempt. Worried his career will suffer if he dedicates time to a serious romance, or that Keith won’t be satisfied with someone so much older, Daniel nearly thwarts his own attempts at finding happiness.
Review
This is a short story that does a nice job of setting up our MCs, showing us a lot about how lonely and cynical Daniel has become and then introducing him to an intriguing younger man.
We don’t really get to know much about Keith, other than he likes older guys, he’s also really busy and he loves animals.
I liked the MCs, and felt their HFN but I’m not sure I felt there was a HEA in their future. Neither seemed willing to address the fact that both were so busy and really in different places in their lives.
That being said, like Keith says, if it’s important you make time for it and both were definitely willing to try.
The writing was nice and well paced given the length of the story.
Blurb
Mason Blackmoor just can’t compete with his brothers, much less his father. They represent the epitome of black magic, strong, dark, and wicked, and though Mason tries to live up to his respected lineage, most of the spells he casts go awry. To make matters worse, his active power has yet to kick in. While his brothers wield lightning and harness the cold, Mason sits on the sidelines, waiting for the moment when he can finally enter the magical game.
When a dead body is discovered on the football field of his high school, Mason meets Drake Carpenter, the new kid in town. Drake’s confident demeanor and quick wit rub Mason the wrong way. Drake is far too self-assured for someone without an ounce of magical blood in his body, and Mason aims to teach him a lesson—like turn him into a roach. And if he’s lucky, maybe this time Mason won’t be the one turned into an insect.
Not surprisingly, the dislike is mutual, and Drake does nothing to dispel Mason’s suspicion that the sexy boy with a southern drawl is somehow connected to the murder.
If only Mason didn’t find himself inexplicably spellbound whenever they are together, they might actually find out what danger hides in the shadows.
Review
Wow – this is an amazing new genre (I think) for Jacob Flores! He did a terrific job with this new series (Yay – a new SERIES!).
Mason and Drake are both high school seniors (over 18) when they meet. Mason is the leading “bad boy”, a warlock of black magic (not bad, just a different energy). Drake is the new guy, Southern drawl sticking out in the North East town in Massachusetts.
They have an instant attraction and as the book suggests, they may in fact be Spell Bound, or soul mates.
There is some dancing around their attraction but they pretty much hit it off right away. What keeps them separate is the fact that humans can’t know about Warlocks and there is something about Drake that strikes Mason as “otherworldly”.
Between making googly eyes at one another, both boys are involved in the mysterious deaths that keep popping up around town.
When push comes to shove and the danger arrives at Drake’s door, secrets get revealed and some really hard decisions have to be made.
One other big wrinkle – Mason doesn’t actually have control over his magic – though being around Drake seems to make it easier – the question is why? What will happen when Drake finds out? Will the two even be allowed to be together? What will happen to his magic if Drake and he can’t be together?
**
Though this at times feels like a YA book, it is filled with adult issues and the smexy times are pretty “adult” though not very numerous.
I think I’d call it New Adult and feel comfortable with that as a category.
The paranormal stuff is outstanding in this book – magic everywhere! I love it when the author actually USES magic in their storylines rather than having the magic only be important as regards a “mate” or significant other.
The dramatic murders and that mystery move the story along quickly but don’t overshadow the romance.
I was very impressed by this book and look forward to reading the next book SOON!
Now happily married to writer and producer Paul Marion Keane, television star J. Alex Cook’s life has been a fairytale of success and romance for years. But when an unexpected tragedy throws his and Paul’s social circle into chaos, the alumni of hit TV show The Fourth Estate are forced to pick up the creative pieces left behind.
…is just the beginning
Confronted with his own mortality, Paul suggests he and Alex start a family. But figuring out what family means when your best friends’ polyamorous marriage may be melting down and you have Hollywood’s most malevolent fairy godmother to thank for your success is no easy proposition.
As Alex questions whether anyone in a profession full of make believe can truly have fame, fortune, kids, and the happily ever after of their dreams, he sets out to take control of his own life and discover that the best love stories never truly end.
Phoenix is Book 3 in the Love in Los Angeles series.
Alex’s eyes flutter shut when Paul slides his hands into his back pockets and pulls him closer. They’re not dancing so much as grinding together, but they’re hardly alone in that regard—at least they still have their shirts on, and if Alex is willing, Paul has absolutely zero desire to stop.
Paul can’t hear it, but he can feel the breath of a moan on his neck when Alex gets insistent about digging his fingers into Paul’s hair while he mouths at the skin above his collar. Six months apart, with only two weeks in the middle, was a very long time, and the time they’ve had since has barely been enough to get used to sharing space with each other again, much less fall back into their relationship with all their knowledge of each other’s bodies and hearts intact.
“This is possibly a stupid idea,” Alex murmurs at some point.
Paul isn’t sure how much time has elapsed since things crossed into slightly inappropriate but totally expected territory. “I don’t think you care.”
Erin McRae is a queer writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C. She has a master’s degree in International Affairs from American University, and delights in applying her knowledge of international relations theory to her fiction and screen-based projects, because conflict drives narrative.
Racheline Maltese lives a big life from a small space. She flies planes, sails boats, and rides horses, but as a native New Yorker, has no idea how to drive a car. A long-time entertainment and media industry professional, she lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their two cats.
Together, they are co-authors of the gay romance series Love in Los Angeles, set in the film and television industry — Starling (September 10, 2014), Doves (January 21, 2015), and Phoenix (June 10, 2015) — from Torquere Press. Their gay romance novella series Love’s Labours, set in the theater world — Midsummer (May 2015), and Twelfth Night (Fall 2015), is from Dreamspinner Press. They also have a story in Best Gay Romance 2015 from Cleis Press and edited by Felice Picano. You can find them on the web at http://www.Avian30.com.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23487692-phoenix
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BS Clay
Tour Dates & Stops: June 10, 2015
Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Kimi-Chan, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, MM Good Book Reviews, Chris McHart, Inked Rainbow Reads, Mikky’s World of Books, Charley Descoteaux, Happily Ever Chapter, Carly’s Book Reviews, Havan Fellows, Cate Ashwood
Rafflecopter Prize: An e-copy of Starling, Book 1 of the Love in Los Angeles series
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Crick has been home from Iraq for five years, Jeff and Collin are finally married, and Shane and Mikhail are quietly making lives better for the dispossessed teenagers who come their way. Everything is right in Deacon’s world, but nothing ever stays the same.
When Deacon’s best friends, Jon and Amy, answer the call of an opportunity in Washington, DC, Deacon figures that’s life. You love people, and they leave you, and you survive. Even Benny, Crick’s little sister, is close to grown and ready to start her own future. But Benny loves Deacon, and she owes him—she may move beyond The Pulpit and Levee Oaks one day, but not without leaving something of herself behind. And so she offers Deacon and Crick an amazing gift… and a terrifying decision.
Benny’s offer forces Deacon and Crick to dredge up every past mistake and offer of redemption. And not just the two of them—everybody is forced to examine the chances they’ve been given and the promises they’ve made. In a real family, a child is a promise, and to the men and women of Promise Rock, keeping that promise will change their lives forever.
Review
It took FOREVER for this to come out as an Audiobook! (Did you see what I did there?) Thank you, thank you, thank you Paul Morey for doing this and to Dreamspinner for finally producing it!
This book nicely joins all three of the previous books for a last(?) look at their lives as couples.
Without giving away too much – Benny wants to give Deacon and Crick a baby to help complete their family. She knows how important children are to Deacon and she knows that with her DNA and Deacon’s she can do the next-best-thing to having Crick and Deacon actually make a baby together. Of course this is FULL of drama and hand-wringing and of course, tears – Amy always makes me cry!
Mickey and Shane are dealing with their own house full of crises. Kimmy and her fertility problems. Two of the girls in Promise house are not getting along – one is Crick’s sister and the other is a sweet girl Martin has eyes for.
Jeffy and Collin are adjusting to married life and making their own decisions about family.
Jon and Amy have their own bomb-shell to drop and it, too, shakes up the Promise-universe.
**
What I loved about this book was that it didn’t feel like an afterthought. These stories felt like they NEEDED to be told and it was the perfect way to give some of these guys closure.
Now I would absolutely ADORE another book, but barring that kind of miracle, this is a nice way to cap off the drama and leave everyone – more or less – in a really happy place.
As for the narration. Well, you know I just love Paul Morey and his Mickey just makes me so happy! There is a particular moment, when Mickey has gotten some devastating news (it’s and Amy book – of course there’s devastating news!) – and Paul’s voice is so full of emotion and it just feels so damn REAL!
I can’t say enough that the listening to these books makes the amazing stories even that much more amazing and like “being there”.
Though I read them again and again, I also listen to this series again and again because the narration is so strong.
