Category: Romance

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Hoofbeats by A.J. Marcus and Nicold Godfrey

HoofbeatsLGFrom Dreamspinner:

After a run of bad luck, gifted horse trainer Cole Frasier thinks he’s lost his touch. When he’s offered three times his normal rate to gentle a stallion, he needs the money badly enough he jumps at the opportunity, even if his boss is of questionable morality.

Once he meets Midnight Blood, he knows there’s something special about the horse, but he doesn’t know how special until he begins sharing dreams with the magnificent steed.

Derek Dancing Hawk is a horse shifter trapped in his horse form due to guilt over losing the wild herd he was guarding. When he meets Cole, as Midnight Blood, he wants to find a way to be human again. During a fight between Cole and the ranch foreman, he manages to shift and save Cole, but his transformation from horse to human is captured on camera. This not only gives Cole’s boss blackmail material, but also creates the need to warn the horse shifter council of the threat to their anonymity. The existence of shifters is a closely guarded secret, one they will go to great lengths to keep.

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

I was looking forward to reading tis as it’s a shifter story that is a bit different, what with it being a horse shifter and a trainer. It was an easy read and I really enjoyed it, though I will say it felt a bit rushed. We’re only given snippets of the past in brief paragraphs, no real backstory until the very end. The ending felt a bit uneven in the writing as well. I see this written by not one, but two authors, and it shows in the way the storytelling wanders a bit and then the pieces are all stuck together in the end.

 

The angst is palpable when reading about Cole, but I failed to completely connect with Derek as he was not presented quite as three dimensionally. A lot of reiteration on the single occurrence that led to his traumatic shift and being stuck in his horse form, but not much else really seems to go on besides avoiding Cole and then wanting to get it on with Cole, until the last quarter of the book. Likewise, the mystic aspect with the coyote was fascinating, but strangely left more questions than answers, and not just in the way that book perhaps intended. I think if the book had been expanded bit to explore more of the backstory and given more page time to coyote and other secondary characters who became suddenly important in the end, it would have been a much better book. As it is, it’s a good book, just not a great one.

 

Rating: 3.5

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Sentries Bundle by Elizabeth Noble

SentriesElizabethNoble

From Dreamspinner:

Three hundred years ago, natural disaster reformed the face of North America, and the people who lived in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains would never be the same.

Now, the master/slave bond in New Colorado has become a sacred rite of service, protection, and, sometimes, for the lucky, love. Follow Nick and his beloved Master, Todd Ruger, a sentry of the territories, as they struggle to survive together amid the collision of old superstition, new beliefs, territorial war, and the ever-present danger of the natural and supernatural frontier.

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

First off, I’m going to come out and say it: This may be listed as BDSM, but it most definitely is NOT. It’s a literal master/slave relationship, with one human being purchased by another, with no choice in the matter. Other than some light bondage play (being tied to a bed post) and light playful spanking, there is nothing to suggest BDSM in the least. It is a well written alternative reality piece though that often reminded me of Supernatural, with hunters and ghosts, demons and what not, not to mention the snarky conversation, only this time, it’s mostly between the two lovers. It was an enjoyable romp  that thankfully did not glamourise slavery (it dealt with a lot of the psychological effects of it, the demeaning attitudes, and so on and did so by weaving them into the story naturally).

Not that this was by any means a perfect read. The main niggle for me is that the final book ended on a note that left me expecting more, but apparently there isn’t. That doesn’t stop me from recommending this series though. Bought as a bundle, instead of spending nearly $35 on the individual titles, the cost is instead just under $10. Bargain! If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a meaty plot and mild angst, this may be just the set you’re looking for.

Rating: 4

kimisig

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The Stolen Suitor by Eli Easton

StolenSuitor[The]

From Dreamspinner:

His future was set until a thief stole his heart.

All of Clyde’s Corner, Montana, knows local dandy Chris Ramsey will marry Trix Stubben, young widow and heir to the richest ranch in the area. But one woman isn’t too keen on the idea. Mabe Crassen wants to get her hands on that ranch, so she sets her older son to court Trix, and her younger son, Jeremy, to distract Chris and lure him astray.

Jeremy Crassen thinks his mother’s scheme is crazy. But he wants desperately to go off to college, which Mabe will agree to—if he seduces Chris. How will shy, virginal, secretly gay Jeremy attract Chris, who seems determined to do the right thing and marry Trix? Jeremy can’t compete with a rich female widow. Or can he?

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

This reads as if it was written before equal marriage and not updated, as it flat out states gay marriage isn’t legal in Montana at the time of the story’s setting. Not that this is a problem, but with it being a new release and nothing else to  indicate otherwise, I was happily motoring along under the assumption that it was set in the here and now until that tidbit was shared, so I thought I’d give folks a heads up. That aside, I did have a few other issues.

I knew going in that the Dreamspun Desires line is meant to be “traditional” old school Harlequin/Mills and Boon type romances featuring m/m pairings. So, I wasn’t expecting serious angst or anything like that. After all, sometimes you just want some fluff, and these promised plenty of it. Yes, plenty of sweet fluff was indeed present. I found myself unable to completely enjoy it though as  I was pulled out of the story several times by the prose, having to blink and ask myself, “Seriously?!”

This gem was one such occasion:

“You look like a grape man-sundae in that shirt. I’m already looking forward to dessert.”

Between such treats as this, all the hair flipping, obsession with blow drying hair, etc., were constant plot reminders the could have been edited out. A scene with Trix? A reminder that she had really, really loved her husband John and so should just marry John’s gay bestie as she’ll never be able to love another man. Jeremy? Got to have a reference to his long bangs, the fact that his dad died in prison, and he was raised in a trailer. Chris? Got to mention AGAIN how his previous boyfriend was a cheat, so if he wants a family, he’d be best off marrying his dead best friend’s wife and raising his kid.

The facile way both Jeremy and Eric take to Mabe’s idea, though for their own reasons, not hers, also rather disturbed me. It was a bit TOO fantastic, but not as fantastic as how forgiving Billy Stubben is, already excusing her transgression against him (and a certain someone else, but no spoilers here) as a simple forgivable one chalked up lightly as mere pride.There were more niggles, especially in regards to Janie towards the end of the book.  All together, it was simply too much for me to really get into, which is a shame, because in between all of this, is the bones to a really sweet romance that had the characters been fleshed out a bit more and the plot tightened up, would have made for a really great read rather than a merely middle of the road one.

Rating: 3

 

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Like I Know Jack by MC Lee

 

knowjackFrom Harmony Ink:

Jack is about to embark on a new mission. Agent Anna Baxter has tried his patience on previous assignments, and he expects more of the same. On the bright side, he’ll also be working with Leo McCormack. The three agents must go undercover to insinuate themselves into a drug ring led by Gregor Slovik, and to do so, they must gain the trust of Gregor’s friend, high schooler Connor White. This creates a dilemma for Jack—Connor is gay, which gives Jack an opening to make a connection with him. But should he exploit it? Luckily Jack has Leo to turn to for advice and support, and together they try to avoid falling into the traps that arise during the mission. But Agent Baxter has an agenda of her own—one that forces Jack into a treacherous situation.

There was no obvious surveillance equipment in this room, but Jack knew the pinhole on the wall behind the interrogator’s head was a camera that was hooked up to a monitor, which was no doubt being watched by his handler, Sean. Most likely the feed was also being routed to one of the bank of screens in his guardian’s office. Jack fought down the urge to raise his middle finger, figuring it would end badly for him if he gave in to the impulse. Instead he forced himself to focus on Dr. Clark and tried to come up with answers that wouldn’t get him sent to a retraining program.
“So, Jack,” she said, “would you say your last assignment was a success?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jack replied.
Sometimes she let him get away with monosyllabic answers; sometimes she pressed him for more. This time she wanted more.
“What, in particular, did you feel was successful?”

Kimi’s thoughts:

Book three pick up right where the previous title left off and plunges the reader headfirst into the next assignment. It’s a turn about for Jack as he’s asked to assume a role akin to the one Leo  had played when Jack himself had been the unwitting target. This causes him to re-examine his feelings and think more with his brain, though as he’s Jack, his heart gets in the way and he once more finds out that there are wheels within wheels within wheels, deceptions and double crosses designed to manipulate not only the marks. No longer sure of who he can trust, Jack  once more goes with his gut. Once he’s made his choice, his very life and the outcome of the op depend on it.

I must say here that Agent Baxter is a stone cold bitch, but given Jack’s early upbringing at the Center (with Judith), I’m surprised he has such a violent person reaction to her. He doesn’t remember his own Mom, just Judith, and never got to watch TV until three years ago, and then that was carefully vetted (only enough to build the role he was assuming) so it’s bit puzzling as to why he doesn’t see her as normal. She’s certainly no worse than his guardian. I also have very mixed feelings about Sean, given the “discipline” he gives Jack when even a minor rule infraction occurs, particularly when it happens under the rigid confines of The Centre itself. These are just niggles though, not enough to get in the way of a good thriller, which this most definitely was. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Rating: 4

kimisig

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If You Knew Jack by MC Lee

knewjack

From Harmony Ink:

Jack Carlisle has returned to the Center after an assignment designed to push him to the edge of his limits—and beyond. He is given just a few short days to get used to a new identity and a new team. He’s been trained to assume a new identity, but working with a new team is more difficult, especially since it throws him back in the path of Leo McCormack, the boy who stole Jack’s heart and handed it back broken into tiny pieces. With “Jack Carlisle” dead and “Jack Cross” reborn comes a new mission. Jack Cross and his team are sent undercover to Forbes Academy, an elite boys’ school in rural Connecticut. Here they must protect Adam and Sam North, whose lives are threatened by an unknown source. Jack’s training never prepared him to deal with the animosity he still feels toward Leo, but he knows the only way to figure out the cause of the danger in time to save Adam and Sam is to work together.

Kimi’s thoughts:

Not having read the first book in the series , I was unsure how easy I’d find this to follow. I was pleasantly surprised to find that enough backstory was woven in that I had no trouble at all and was quickly engrossed in the story that unfolded. Jack has spent what he can remember of his life at The Center, from early childhood to the age of 16. he comes to grips with what he sees as betrayal along with the discovery of his sexuality, all the while having to channel normal teenaged rebellion into acceptable outlets. he doesn’t even know what is normal, thanks to only having been at The Centre or tightly under their control while out on assignments that are all very James Bond (though without Q, the cool car, or the super fancy gadgets).
This assignment is no different, though he’s now questioning everything he’s previously trusted or thought he knew. He’s also unsure of what to do about his feelings about Leo, hesitant to place his faith in him after what had gone down between them during the previous assignment. It all comes to a head with the fate of the two young boys he and Leo are assigned to protect seemingly in the balance. A real page turner with enough twists and turns to keep fans of the suspense genre interested and angsty romance to sweeten the deal.

Rating: 4

kimisig

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Champagne Kisses by Lynda Aicher

From Riptide:

The Christmas Eve wedding Evan Cleary pulled together in four weeks is crashing down around him and taking his fledgling event planning business with it. With an empty altar and over a hundred guests arriving soon, he turns to the resistant, gorgeous brother of the runaway groom for help.

When Richard Patterson’s flamboyant brother storms out hours before he’s scheduled to marry his equally dramatic partner, Richard is left dealing with the fallout. The last thing he wants is more drama, yet he can’t deny his attraction to the effeminate event planner trying to salvage the wedding.

Evan thinks his crush on Richard is a lost cause, but one steaming kiss later, he learns different. What starts as a night of hot sex turns into a connection neither expected. But Evan knows their relationship is hopeless unless the ultra-conservative Richard can embrace every part of him—both in private and in public.

ChampagneKisses_500x750

Kimi’s thoughts:

Recently there seem to have been a trend in the m/m publishing world that harkens me back to the old Harlequin romance novel days, circa the early to mid 1970’s. Those were the very first romance novels I ever read, pulled from the family back shelf once I was old enough to read them. This definitely follows the fluffy formula, complete with the requisite head hopping so one knows that the gruff romantic lead is as head over heels and unsure of himself as his quarry is. It’s a short and sweet romance with the reasons for self doubt being gay specific enough that it didn’t read as if a m/f romance had been done over for a new audience, but written specifically for the m/m audience.

It’s one of those reads where you don’t have to think or feel too much, just sit back and enjoy the tasty treat as it’s served up. Admittedly, every thing is a little TOO pat, but it’s perfect for de-stressing or just general relaxation (such as a poolside or for reading on the work commute), this is not the read if you want something meaty or filled with deep angst. It’s a one night stand after weeks of apparently gazing surreptitiously at each other from across rooms, but it’s a one night stand that ends with a sugary sweet as cotton candy happy ever after that’s even tacked on as a very brief epilogue.

 

Rating: 3.5

kimisig

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Clockwork Heart (Clockwork Love book 1) by Heidi Cullinan

clockworkFrom Samhain:

As the French army leader’s bastard son, Cornelius Stevens enjoys a great deal of latitude. But when he saves an enemy soldier using clockwork parts, he’s well aware he risks hanging for treason. That doesn’t worry him half as much, however, as the realization he’s falling for his patient.

Johann Berger never expected to survive his regiment’s suicide attack on Calais, much less wake up with mechanical parts. To avoid discovery, he’s forced to hide in plain sight as Cornelius’s lover—a role Johann finds himself taking to surprisingly well.

When a threat is made on Cornelius’s life, Johann learns the secret of the device implanted in his chest—a mythical weapon both warring countries would kill to obtain. Caught up in a political frenzy, in league with pirates, dodging rogue spies, mobsters and princesses with deadly parasols, Cornelius and Johann have no time to contemplate how they ended up in this mess. All they know is, the only way out is together—or not at all.

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

As one might surmise from the blurb and cover, this is a steampunk adventure romance. It has a lot going for it- despite the time it is set, it has a contemporary vibe in tone and doesn’t bog itself down in trying to be overly historical. It stays true to it’s aim, that of of providing swashbuckling adventure with pirates, soldiers, airships, and clockwork while serving up a dollop of romance. It’s a sweet romance on many fronts but this is Heidi Cullinan so it’s not syrupy and there is a definite edge to how our heroes like to play.

The villains are properly heinous, though much less fully fleshed out as characters than our heroes. The plot itself is fast moving though the late introduction of the parasol wielding princess felt a bit overly convenient. All in all though, this was a great way to spend some time if in the mood for something lightly spiced and most definitely fun.

Buy from Amazon

4

kimisig

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Blog Tour: The Covenant by M. LeAnne Phoenix with Excerpt and Giveaway

CoverThe Covenant E-Book Cover with logo

Author Name: M. LeAnne Phoenix

Book Name: The Covenant

Series: Covenant Series

Book: One

Release Date: January 15, 2016

Blurb:

When love is forbidden, who can you trust?

Seventeen year old David has been best friends with Jonathan for as long as he can remember, but the day he sees the pastor’s daughter press a soft kiss to Jonathan’s cheek everything changes. Overcome by jealousy, his explosive reaction reveals a deeper connection that sends their relationship spiraling down into dangerous territory.

When their clandestine love is discovered, they have nowhere to turn for help. The brutal circumstances of their parting test David and Jonathan’s covenant to each other in unimaginable ways. Forced to face their fears, it is in their darkest moments that the two young men discover that the courage, hope, and strength they need to to fight for their love, has been the foundation of their covenant all along.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: The Covenant by M. LeAnne Phoenix with Excerpt and Giveaway”

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The Other Side of Winter by G.B. Gordon

wintercvr

From Riptide:

Skanian investigator Bengt fell in love with fellow policeman Alex Rukow in a week. But that was a year ago, and they’ve been apart ever since. Then Alex escapes the corrupt and destitute island nation of Santuario and comes to live with Bengt. Happy ever after . . .?

Alex’s lifelong dream of leaving Santuario has come true at last. But he finds himself adrift in a society he doesn’t understand. Worse, past nightmares come back to haunt him, and after so many years of suspicion and self-reliance, it’s harder than he imagined to trust someone else.

Bengt just wants Alex to share his comfortable life. But the more he tries to give, the more Alex pulls away. Their physical connection couldn’t be better, but Bengt can’t seem to get through to his difficult, taciturn lover outside the bedroom. Meanwhile, he has his own demons to confront—not to mention a serial killer on the loose.

Bengt and Alex must dig deep for the courage to face their pasts, but it may be too late to save their relationship or their lives.

 

Kimi’s thoughts:

It seemed like FOREVER before this came out. No, seriously, it did. You see, I’d been waiting ever since I finished the very last word on the very last of Santuario, so when this came out, I was ecstatic. The story picks up shortly after Alex has left Santuario and begun his new life with Bengt. It’s far from easy though, as culture shock sets in and he finds himself adrift. Add in his PTSD and Bengt’s own issues and you get a volatile mix.

The solutions to the serial killer case and their relationship woes, as well as Alex’s finding his feet, is far from simple. The separate issues become intertwined and the result is a tightly plotted suspense story with realistic romantic nuances. It’s a great read and I’m hoping Gordon continues with this as a series.

Rating: amazing