Posts

Posted on

Shotgun (Part of the Coda Series) by Marie Sexton

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6443

ShotgunBlurb

As a young man, Dominic Jacobsen already suspects he’s gay, and he gets all the confirmation he needs when a rich boy from out of town climbs into the back seat of Dominic’s GTO. One night with Lamar Franklin is all it takes to convince Dominic he’s found the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, that one night is all he’ll get before Lamar returns to Tucson.

Fifteen years later Lamar returns to Coda, Colorado, after ending the latest in a string of bad relationships. He’s alone, depressed, and plagued by late-night phone calls from an unidentified caller. Lamar’s ready to give up when he comes face-to-face with his past.

Since he was seventeen, Dominic has dreamed of a reunion with Lamar, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for it now. Facing small-town rumors and big-family drama is bad enough, but Dominic won’t risk losing custody of his teenage daughter, Naomi. The only solution is to make sure he and Lamar remain friends and nothing more. Clothes stay on, no matter what.

It seems simple enough. But for better or worse, Lamar has other ideas.

Review

Though this comes from the Coda story line, it is a standalone. However, if I hadn’t read the other books I wouldn’t have found much that I found appealing in this story.

Basically, this is about Dominic and his complete unwillingness to be a gay man because he’s afraid of what people will think. Poor Lamar just gets hurt over and over as Dom chooses everyone’s happiness but Lamar’s time and again.

Lamar and Dom met as teenagers and made out once on the night before Lamar left town.   There is no contact between the two for the next 15 years.

Lamar ends up dating several men with major problems and never finding the “right” guy. He moves back to Coda not realizing Dom still lives there and is in fact teaching his daughter for weeks before realizing who she is.

Dom can’t be gay – he thinks – so he ends up in a failed marriage with a wonderful woman and they have a daughter. For the last several years he’s been raising his daughter and sharing custody with her mother.

When Lamar comes back to town, the attraction is still there. Back and forth we go with the “I want you” “I can’t be around you” but “I want you” but “I can’t be gay” but “I want you” until finally Lamar puts his foot down.

When Matt (from earlier books), the wife, and ultimately the daughter, all finally get Dom to listen to reason, Dom finally admits who he is to his family and reaches out to Lamar, hoping it’s not too late.

**

Marie Sexton and the Coda series was one of the first few books in this genre I read. I LOVE them. I was so psyched to see the boys again that I barely skimmed the blurb and just said YES,YES,YES!

While I was more or less happy to catch up with the guys: all married now, still acting like they did before (ie Jared makes Matt jealous just by breathing, Matt still checks out women more than men, Zach still likes watching Ang with other guys) it wasn’t earth shattering.

I really, really didn’t care for Dom. Not even at the end when he’s supposed to have “redeemed” himself. He just felt like a douche and Lamar could do better.

Though I was happy for the HEA I didn’t feel it as keenly as I had in the other books in this series.

If you’re a fan, you’ll probably be like me and be interested enough in the series to continue with this, but if you’re not I don’t know that this will appeal all that much.

Marie writes really well, and I love her descriptions of life in Colorado (makes me homesick!), but I was disappointed in the love connection between Lamar and Dom.  I just didn’t see them making it.

I give it a 3 of 5 hearts because it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t nearly as good as I was expecting or hoping.

3

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Take Your Best Shot By Starlight by Yolande Kleinn
Halden

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6551

From the Daily Dose Series

TakeYourBestShotByStarlightBlurb

Halden Blake was a good soldier and a good man. He never intended to be a hero, and he definitely never intended the events that landed him in intergalactic politics. Now, three presidential terms later, Halden must decide if running for office again is worth five more years of putting his own life on hold.
Isaac Knox has been President Blake’s public liaison from the start, an ally and friend through difficult times. Halden has always carefully resisted thoughts of more, and Isaac has never given any hint of returning his guarded attraction. But when Halden finds himself struggling with questions about his own future, Isaac makes a surprising offer that could change everything.

Review

So – first thing I missed when I read the blurb – this is about a Space President. So be warned. ☺
It was actually great and had very few aliens or other spacey type weirdness – which I usually avoid like the plague.

Halden is the current Intragalactic President – big, big important role in the universe. He’s been there 15 years, which to a human is a long time but to other species is a drop in the bucket.
He has an assistant who has been with him the entire time, Isaac. Isaac is about 20 years younger than him and his best friend.
We meet up with Hal when he is deciding to re-run for office or get out and take care of his own sad personal life – he’s lonely.
We end with him still deciding.
**
This is a short story and thus has its limitations. However, this isn’t really even a complete story as the main conflict presented: does Hal re-up? is never resolved.
The side conflict: his loneliness is sort of resolved, but barely.

I loved the writing. The world building was amazing, but overwhelmed this short story and took page time away from the actual action or conflict resolution.
This would be better as the intro to a longer novella rather than calling itself a complete short story.

So – I have conflicting emotions regarding the rating – I give it a three because there was much to like, but far from perfect.

310805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Heart of the Race by Mary Calmes

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3930

HeartoftheRaceBlurb

Varro Dacien spends his life riding toward the next adventure. Brian Christie, his best friend and touchstone, the one person who’s always truly seen him, plays sidekick on these madcap adventures and subsequent trips to the hospital until he can’t take it anymore. While Brian can see Varro, Varro has never caught on that he’s breaking his best friend’s heart.

Without Varro, Brian builds himself a life that’s all about just getting by, doing his best to ignore the hole in his heart and his life. Without Brian to balance him, Varro pushes harder and takes more risks to reach that ultimate high. His job racing high-octane bikes on suicide-level courses makes it easy to get that rush… until it’s no longer enough and Varro realizes it’s not the race, but who’s waiting at the finish line that truly matters. Now he just has to convince Brian to be there.

Review

Varro and Brian have been best friends since they were thrown together as foster kids. Varro is wild, crazy, an adrenaline junky and straight. Brian is quiet, studious, a rock and gay. Of course Brian has wanted Varro forever, but not been willing to act on it for the obvious reasons.

Varro is a motorcycle racer and Brian goes out on the circuit to help him stay focused and safe for an entire year. During that year it becomes clear that Brian can’t stay around Varro without completely losing his heart so he opts to leave the circuit to pursue his own dreams.

Varro misses Brian and begins to evaluate his feelings more closely.

When the two get together it is super-nova hot and sweet at the same time.

Though I hate to “spoil” things for you – this is one quote that epitomizes their relationship for me:

“I love you, Brian.” I leaned forward to meet his dark gaze and whisper the words he needed to hear and I needed to say.
“I love you, Varro, so much.”
“Swear it,” he said and held out his pinky with his right hand as he fisted my cock with his left.

“What’re we?” My voice dropped off. “Ten?”
“I am. You’re nine. Now swear.”
I hooked his pinky with mine as he pushed up from under me. “Jesus, Varro, you feel so good.”
“So do you.” His voice sounded like sandpaper as he reached up and hooked a hand behind my neck, drawing me down to him.

So, in my constant bid to bring the books I love to audiobook format, I highly recommend this amazing and wonderful book!

6 of 5 hearts

amazing

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Devil Night (Vampire of Waikiki book 6) AJ Llewellyn

Amber Quill Presents http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1963-Devil-Night.aspx

DevilNightBlurb

(Book 6 of the A Vampire In Waikiki series)
It’s Halloween in Waikiki, the holiday some call “Devil Night.” Tem and Divine Thunder, celebrating their first Halloween together, invite all their family, friends, neighbors, and former gay-porn co-stars to Trick or Treat. Tem’s gone berserk hiring caterers from every single island, and they’ve even built a spook house on their property for the festivities and planned moonlight pony rides.
Tem’s in full-scale party diva mode when things start going horribly wrong. One by one, their guests start disappearing, and even Tem’s beloved cat, Moontime, goes missing. And then from their mountaintop home on Tantalus, they see that Chinatown is on fire.
Tem and Div throw themselves into action, but are they too late to solve the mystery of what’s happening and stop the madness?
NOTE: This story was previously published with the ISBN: 978-1-55487-407-1. This reissued version of the story has been revised and reedited.

Review

A fun, scary, sexy, and funny way to end(?) the series of Tem and Div.

Tem is out in his Tiara but sad when his party ends in a fire. Ghosts from the past show up to keep things interesting (because a Halloween party thrown by real vampires isn’t enough?!). Poor Moontime goes missing and Div is left to pick up the pieces.

As always there is lots of laughs and steam and another great addition to this off-beat series.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Coffee Cake- Michaela Grey

Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Bran Kendrick never expected to fall in love. He’s asexual, after all. What chance does he have of finding someone who’ll see past that? So when Malachi Warren catches his eye, Bran tells himself his crush will pass. Malachi disagrees. He has been attracted to Bran for some time, something he is delighted to find Bran reciprocating. They begin to date and feel their way through an intimate relationship that meets both their needs.

Suddenly Bran finds himself juggling a new boyfriend, a demanding job, and a college degree he’s not sure he wants, but he couldn’t be happier—until a series of seemingly random accidents befall Malachi. When they escalate, Bran realizes someone is trying to take away the best thing that ever happened to him, and he must scramble to keep Malachi safe while they search for the would-be killer.

 

image

Review:

I must say that I’ve never read a book with an asexual main character. This book is about two college guys who have been admiring each other from afar as it were, who finally enter into a relationship with each other and  fall in love. All of this occurs while someone from Mal’s past trying to kill him. The bones of the story is solid, it’s the meat of it that I felt needed more time to cook. If it wasn’t for the mystery of who had it out for Malachi, this story probably wouldn’t have held my interest. Don’t get me wrong, this book was in no way poorly written, quite the opposite, actually. It was just very bland, very…vanilla, if you will, and that’s just not my thing. One of the MCs being asexual  was interesting and intriguing to me because I had no idea how a person who identified as asexual was able to sustain romantic relationships. So this was a learning experience for me. Normally, the lack of heat in a book doesn’t bother me if the storyline was strong enough to carry the story but in this case it just wasn’t, at least for ME, it wasn’t. Yes, the mystery as to who was behind the attacks against Malachi held my interest but just until the culprit was revealed. Once that was revealed, I lost interest.

This author did a wonderful thing by stepping outside of the box by featuring an asexual MC. It helped me to better understand this sexual orientation but I will more than likely not read any other story where a MC is identified as being asexual. The heat level was simply too low and the story not strong enough for ME make up for it.

Rating:

❤️❤️❤️

  

Buy links:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on

Mens Rea by Brooke Edwards


Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6555

Daily Dose Short Story

MensReaBlurb

James Carter is forty-five and has been a police officer most of his life. He married young, lost her young, and his life revolved around his work and his son. Young is a recurring theme in his life, he thinks, when he meets the considerably younger AUSA Derek Moore on a case and finds himself ruled by the whims of his heart.
The road to love between a hotshot lawyer and a veteran cop was never going to be smooth, not in the real world, but there are criminals, misunderstandings, and a lack of communication standing in their way too. Both are so stubborn and convinced their interest is one-sided that it takes a murder case, exhaustion, and an adjournment for them to get their act together. They move fast after that, but they both know there’s no guarantee for tomorrow.

Review

This is how a short story should be written.

The author moves us forward through time without the obvious – “two weeks pass”, instead showing us the important information with well written examples.

Both characters are very well developed, and again this shows the author’s skills in that it is all shown to us rather than dumped on us in one long spew.

There are even well-developed secondary characters!

I thought the love story was very sweet but wish there had been more steam as the sex is fade to black.

Be warned, this is told in third person present tense and that can be difficult for some readers. It’s done well, though it isn’t my favorite writing style.

All in all 4.25 of 5 hearts, well done!

4.5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Blue Notes Audiobook by Shira Anthony Narrated by Peter B Brooke

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6454

BlueNotes[2ndEd]AUDMedBlurb

A Blue Notes novel.
Blame it on jet lag. Jason Greene thought he had everything: a dream job as a partner in a large Philadelphia law firm, a beautiful fiancée, and more money than he could ever hope to spend. Then he finds his future wife in bed with another man, and he’s forced to rethink his life and his choices. On a moment’s notice, he runs away to Paris, hoping to make peace with his life.
But Jason’s leave of absence becomes a true journey of the heart when he meets Jules, a struggling jazz violinist with his own cross to bear. In the City of Love, it doesn’t take them long to fall into bed, but as they’re both about to learn, they can’t run from the past. Sooner or later, they’ll have to face the music.
Note: Each Blue Notes novel is an independent story, although the characters all inhabit the same classical-music universe. Books in the series can be listened to in any order.

Review

This is my first book by Shira Anthony and it was very good. I really loved how she wove the music throughout the entire story, using the music analogies to move the story forward very fluidly.

I think the writing is excellent and for the first part of the book I was really compelled. It started to unravel for me when our MC Jason aka “Jaz” falls under the spell of the alluring Frenchman so easily. For a straight guy (mostly entirely straight guy) it felt a bit too easy.

I loved watching the couple fall in love and Jules is an engaging character. I was really rooting for him and his budding music career. However… I was really disappointed by “the big misunderstanding”. I could see Jules getting mad when he sees Diane (the ex) in Jason’s arms, but when both have declared the big “L” word wouldn’t he at least give him a fighting chance at an explanation… especially after he calls so many times. And Jason, he claims he could never find the man to properly explain – but he’s homeless! How hard could it be to track him down through his job or his friends?

I think it would have been a more poignant story had they dealt with the more real hurdle of their huge age difference, their different life styles and the fact that they live on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

That being said, there was a lot of really great writing and I thought the love story between the two was very sweet and steamy.

Audio

Peter B Brooke, with your vaguely southern twang… what an amazing French accent you have!!

I absolutely adored listening to this because he did such great work with both the French and the accented English. It was practically flawless (to my non-French speaking ears)!

I really think the audio is the way to take in this story – his narration adds so much flavor to the characters that it absolutely raised my rating from a 3.25 to a 4.25 of 5 hearts.

4

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Rainbow Connection by Alexa Milne

MLR Press Presents http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=AMRAINBW

rainbow connectionBlurb

Two men, one with a past, and one determined to give them a future, together.

Mick Flanagan has kept himself hidden since his only lover died three years ago. He works at night, keeps to his routine, has impressive facial hair, and avoids contact with other people. Enter Ceri Llewellyn, with his constantly changing rainbow-coloured hair, who seems determined to talk to him. Gradually, Mick tells his story and begins to trust Ceri, but Mick has a past that contains more than just a dead lover. Can Ceri show him that he deserves to be loved and, above all else, help him find his true self?

 

Review

This was a surprisingly different book than I expected. I was thinking it would be a fairly fluffy geek/nerd love story with a twinky/goofball and instead I got a fairly rich, and deep story about a deeply controlled man who has never been on his own and doesn’t know what to do when he is.

Mick’s mom is a piece of work. She never let Mick stray far from her grasp all throughout his childhood, threatening home schooling and demanding almost complete isolation from him while instilling fear of the outside world into his head. It is only dumb luck that Mick finds love at the hands of a paramedic, Alfie, who both saves his life and rescues him from his mom.

But Alfie has his own imperfections and he, too never let Mick be his own man. He loved Mick, to be sure, but he controlled him and never let him flourish. Neither his mom nor Alfie encouraged his creativity or self-reliance and when Alfie suddenly dies, Mick is on his own. (His mom kicked him out for being gay, of course.)

Now, three years later, Mick is coping – just – but still not thriving. He meets Ceri (pronounced Sherry – it’s a Welsh name) at work and is immediately captivated by the outgoing man who literally changes his hair color each week.

Ceri is a big kid – not quite but almost ready to settle down and admit he will never be a pro-skateboarder at the age of 27. He meets Mick and thinks he sees a diamond in the rough hiding behind the awkwardness and the bushy beard.

The two start to get to know one another and Mick slowly comes out of his shell. Here things move along rapidly (maybe a bit too rapidly) and they become lovers. But Mick is still holding tight to his dead-lover’s memory and can’t let Ceri in.

Only when an old friend interferes can he really let Ceri in and get past Alfie. At the same time he finds out his mother is dying from cancer and may only have a limited time left around for building bridges.

What really surprised me about this story was how much growth we got to witness in Mick. He really was so controlled, but in both cases lovingly, if not dangerously. Ceri has to dance around helping him without taking over and becoming the next leader Mick follows blindly.

All in all I really enjoyed this and will definitely look for more from this author.

4.25 of 5 hearts

4

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Living Promises Audiobook (Keeping Promise Rock book 3) by Amy Lane Narrated by Paul Morey

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3370

LivingPromisesAudMEDBlurb

Six years ago, Jeff Beachum comforted a frightened teenager outside an HIV treatment clinic, and Collin Waters has remembered his kindness ever since. Now, after six years of crushing on the kind, brown-eyed sweetheart of his dreams, Collin is feeling adult and together enough to make his move. Too bad fate, which has never been kind to Jeff, has something else in mind.
Jeff’s life had fallen completely apart before that long-ago day, and it isn’t much better now. Jeff has toughened up, become self-reliant, been the funny guy his friends turn to, the one who gives advice and comfort when needed. But every phantom from Jeff’s past is about to come out to haunt him, and the family Jeff has staked his future on isn’t in such great shape either. Collin is more than a starry-eyed kid, and it’s a good thing, because Jeff’s going to need all the help he can get. No one knows better than Jeff that life can be too short to turn your back on honest love, and that living happily is the best promise of all.

Review

This is book three in Amy’s Promise series and it is one of the roughest (IMHO) to read. Right from the start she pulls our heartstrings with the tale of Jeff’s ex, the man who gave Jeff HIV then essentially kills himself rather than deal with the consequences of the disease and his homophobic family.

Then there’s Collin. Young, dumb and full of … exuberance… and not wearing a condom while doing it. He, too contracts HIV and is touched by the caring he receives at the hands of Jeff at the crisis center.

Years later the two meet again and Collin is determined to have Jeff as his own.

Jeff, however, hasn’t really put himself out there and certainly not for a “boy” several years his junior.

The push/pull of attraction goes on for quite awhile but Collin is perseverant and eventually he gets his man.

Meanwhile – lots of things are happening at the Pulpit… Crick is Crick and Deacon is Deacon and Mickey and Shane are adorable and snarky and at their best…

Martin, Jeff’s ex Kevin’s brother comes to town looking for answers and meets Shane and Mickey and learns to love something he was taught to hate.

**

First let me say that I loved all the books in this series. LOVED. THEM. But, this was the weakest in my opinion. (Still awesome, amazing, wonderful, brilliant…) I loved seeing the folks at the Pulpit but sometimes wanted to see more of Jeff and Collin. I never connected with them as a couple as strongly as I did the others and I think one reason why is the lack of page time for them developing their relationship as compared to Crick, Deacon, Mickey, Shane or even Benny and Drew!

I loved the Martin/Kevin storyline though it tore me up… so much.

This was an amazing (and difficult) book and I highly recommend it. It is NOT a standalone.

Audio

Paul Morey did a great, great, great job of giving Jeff a swishy but not over the top voice. I wish he’d made Collin’s voice a little bit more differentiated, but I appreciate the challenge of giving so many “main characters” unique voices. I loved his Kevin/Martin voices and really enjoyed this narration.

5 of 5 hearts

5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

My Favorite Husband (Vampire in Waikiki Book 5) by AJ Llewellyn

Amberquill Presents http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1962-My-Favorite-Husband.aspx

MyFavoriteHusbandBlurb
(Book 5 of the A Vampire In Waikiki series)
You can steal a man’s heart or you can steal his wallet, but stealing his car?…that’s just asking for trouble. Waikiki Vampire, Divine Thunder, and his husband, Tem, thought that going to hell and back—literally—was an ordeal. Now they’re home and things are a mess. Even Div’s precious car, which he calls his “other husband,” has been stolen. Picking up the pieces of their half-demolished home, they find themselves in the middle of a new and weird mystery.
They’ve employed an art historian who’s a real weirdo, and somebody keeps pinching their good wine and leaving booby traps in their garden. So they decide to hire Francois, a big, beautiful, black security expert to get to the bottom of the twisted events. But wait…now they keep seeing Div’s car, driven by the thief, all over the island. This is gonna give a whole new meaning to “thunder in paradise.”
NOTE: This story was previously published with the ISBN: 978-1-55487-364-7. This reissued version of the story has been revised and reedited.

Review

This is the next short segment in the adventures of Tem and Div. In this “episode” Div’s car gets stolen, they invite a third to share their bed and they consult with Francois about security.

As always there is a lot of hot, steamy sex – ménage this time! – and lots of laughs.

If you’ve been enjoying this quirky series you will undoubtedly want to continue with this. This is NOT a standalone.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n