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Then The Stars Fall Audiobook by Brandon Witt Narrated by Andrew McFarrin

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6437

ThenTheStarsFallAUDMEDBlurb

The death of his wife four years earlier left Travis Bennett a shell of the man he used to be. With his dog by his side, Travis raises his three children, manages his business, and works as a ranch hand. But every day, every minute, is an aching emptiness.
Wesley Ryan has fond memories of the small Ozark town of El Dorado Springs. Seeing it as a safe place to put his failed relationships behind him, Wesley moves into his grandparents’ old home and takes over the local veterinary clinic. An early morning visit from Travis and his dog stirs feelings that Wesley seeks to push away – the last thing he needs is to fall for a man with baggage and three kids as part of the package.
Life, it seems, has other plans.

Book Review (Previously posted on this site.)

Wesley moves back to the small town of El Dorado after a break up, but there is no hiding he’s a city boy. He drives a yellow Miata convertible with a rainbow dog sticker and everyone in town knows just what that means. He is faced with prejudice and sometimes violence, but he stays in town to be close to a family that was once good to him.

Travis is heart broken, he just lost his wife to cancer, his dog is sick and he has 3 kids to raise. He doesn’t want to be attracted to the “swishy” Wesley, so he’s a jerk at first, but later, he begins to think Wesley might just be exactly what he needs to heal.

The town finds out about their romance and makes life rough for both the couple and their family. Prejudice like this just doesn’t die an easy death and they drive a wedge between Wesley and Travis that has to be overcome before they can really be together.

The kids in this story are great, and (blessedly) easy going about a new love interest for dad, even though it’s a man. Wendy, Travis’ sister is also amazing, and helps to keep things running smoothly when times get rough.

There is an amazingly happy ending after a lot of hard work and some devastation, and our pair finally settles in to life HEA.

**

This is an amazing book. It is sad, realistic, funny, sweet, tender and somewhat sexy. The love scenes are fade to black, and that may turn some people off, but the emotion is there and the love story is incredible.

I loved the setting and the pragmatism shown by the “country folk” and really appreciated the truly bi-sexual nature of Travis. He absolutely loved his wife and mourns her deeply. But… he is absolutely attracted to (and later in love with) Wesley and that is also part of who he is.

I highly recommend this book for the romance and the writing.

Audio
Andrew McFarrin really did an amazing job with this amazing story. He handles the emotion well, I loved the difference between Travis and Wesley – striking and perfect! – he handles the female and children’s voices well and overall really impressed me.

Overall 5 of 5 hearts

5

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The Eskimo Slugger Audiobook by Brad Boney Narrated by Michael Ferraluolo

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6453

EskimoSlugger[The]AUDMEDBlurb

It’s the summer of 1983, and Trent Days is Major League Baseball’s rookie sensation. Since he was born in Alaska to an Inupiat mother, the press have dubbed him the Eskimo Slugger, but a midseason collision at home plate temporarily halts his meteoric rise to the top.
Sent back to Austin to recuperate, Trent visits his favorite record store, Inner Sanctum, where he meets amiable law student Brendan Baxter. A skip in the vinyl of New Order’s “Blue Monday” drives Trent back to Brendan, and their romance takes them into uncharted territory. As Trent’s feelings move from casual to serious, he’s faced with an impossible dilemma. Does he abandon any hope of a future with Brendan and return to the shadows and secrets of professional sports? Or does he embrace the possibility of real love and leave baseball behind him forever? As he struggles with his decision, Trent embarks on a journey of self-discovery to figure out who he really is and what matters most.

Book review (Previously posted on this site.)

Trent is a baseball player from Alaska, thus the name Eskimo Slugger. He’s at the top of his game when he gets injured and ends up spending two weeks in Austin, TX. There he meets Brendan, a law student/record store clerk. They start as friends but once Brendan tentatively asks Trent “Is this a date?” the two acknowledge the deeper aspect of their blossoming relationship. The two immediately set sparks off one another, though neither has ever had a gay relationship before.

With some pretty funny forays into gay sex, the two explore each other and a relatively unexplored aspect to their personalities. For Brendan, being gay is something he’s pondered but been afraid of, but with the right incentive he embraces the idea and eventually decides to incorporate into his life fully and without secrecy.

For Trent, being gay means possibly (probably) the end of his career, certainly the end of his life as it stands currently, and though he’s always known he was gay, he has never let himself entertain the idea that he could actually live as a gay man.

Brendan enlists the help of Stanton and Hutch (from The Return) as “gay mentors” and together, with Bill Walsh (from The Nothingness of Ben) the group bonds, smoke a lot of weed and begin to form relationships that even death won’t end.

Ultimately, Trent has to make the biggest decision of his life: Choose baseball or choose Brendan. Perhaps the two can be together, but probably it’s one or the other.

**

By now you should have read the first two books (The Nothingness of Ben and The Return). If you haven’t – go! What are you waiting for? Technically this could be a standalone, I guess, but it won’t make a heck of a lot of sense and will leave you very unsatisfied.

If you have read the other books you know that the end of this book is really the beginning of TNOB. That, Brad Boney, is an amazing feat! Mr. Boney has managed to create this beautiful circular set of books that literally bleeds one into the other so that (as a reader) you want to just keep going round and round the merry-go-round.

I found myself referencing both of the earlier books time and again with the “treasures” that were revealed throughout this book. Without completely giving away all the secrets just know that the MCs of all three books are inter-related in various ways and little bits of their stories, past and present are slipped in throughout the story.

In The Return it was all about music – fast paced facts and quips, with Slugger it’s baseball. For me, the music was more interesting, but if you are a baseball fan this will really hit home. (See what I did there?)

I didn’t like the love story as much in Slugger as in The Return or TNOB, probably because it happens so quickly. I just never felt the emotion – especially from Brendan. Trent was invested, you get that feeling so strongly. Brendan was too standoffish for me and it made me a little sad. But… since I know what I know about how things end… he’s forgiven ☺.

I really, really enjoyed these books and was sad to see it end. I can’t say for sure, but I think that if I were to recommend a reading order I would say start with The Return, then Slugger then finish with TNOB. There may be something “missing” with that order, but I think, ultimately, it will be so much more satisfying. Or… do as the author may have intended and read it : TNOB, Return, Slugger, TNOB… and so on and so on…

Just a fantastic book all around, 5 of 5 hearts and for the series 6 of 5!

Audio
Michael Ferraluolo did an excellent job with this! I adored Charlie David and was disappointed he didn’t narrate this, the third of the series. I think the continuity would have been great. But… Michael didn’t disappoint with his performance. He has a great voice that is easy to listen to, did a nice job differentiating the characters, really got into the emotion of the story and even managed to do a nice job with the female voices.

All in all I am sticking with 6 of 5 hearts for this in either book or audio form!

amazing

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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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The Altered 2 by Annabelle Jacobs Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway

TheAltered2-final2-RGB (1)A remote farmhouse in Cornwall seems the perfect place for Ash to settle into his recently altered status. Starting a new life there with Sam—the shifter he can’t stay away from—should be easy this far from London where they faced so much danger. So why does adjusting seem impossible?
Sam has issues of his own. He has to get used to his human form again after living the last eight years as a wolf. It’s hard when human worries weigh so heavily on his shoulders. Life is much more straightforward from a wolf’s perspective, until Ash needs his human support.

Ash’s problem is simple: he’s fearful of shifting fully. How can he believe he won’t hurt Sam when his genes were altered to create a killer? Despite repeated reassurance, his anger and resentment increase. Only one thing is certain: if Ash can’t learn to trust himself soon, he’s in danger of proving himself right.

Pages or Words: 37,000 words (approximate)

 

Excerpt:
Ash knocked twice, only pushing the door open a little when Sam howled softly for him to come in.
“Oh, hey.” Ash stuck his head around the door, frowning when he saw Sam. “Um… Keira said today was a human day. But… er….” He came fully inside and closed the door behind him. “Don’t you fancy it?”
Ash walked over to Sam’s bed and sat down on the bottom corner, propping his elbows on his knees.
Sam sighed and padded over to sit next to him, placing his head in Ash’s lap. As soon as Ash’s fingers were in his fur—stroking back and forth—Sam felt a hundred times better. The soothing touch spread warmth throughout his body and Sam closed his eyes, letting it chase away whatever had been bothering him earlier.
Ash’s touch always had this effect on him. Sam had known what that meant from the very first time they’d met.
Ash was meant for him.
Everything about Ash: the way he looked, his scent—which drove Sam crazy sometimes—and even his voice, made something in Sam settle. Something he’d been missing for years. It was that feeling that had helped Sam to shift back in front of other people for the first time in eight years. That, and the fact that some fucking guard had a gun pointed at Ash’s head.

Sales Links:

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Altered-2-Lycanaeris-Annabelle-Jacobs-ebook/dp/B00XYVOC8S/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Amazon UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Altered-2-Lycanaeris-Annabelle-Jacobs-ebook/dp/B00XYVOC8S/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
All Romance ebooks – https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thealtered2-1810421-145.html

About the author:

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with her husband, three rowdy children, and two cats.

An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Annabelle-Jacobs-Fiction/458768424158896
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website: http://www.annabellejacobs.com

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25469030-the-altered-2
Publisher: Annabelle Jacobs
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
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Rafflecopter Prize: A book from Annabelle’s backlist
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Nothing Special Audiobook by Jay Northcote Narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6519

nothing specialBlurb

Noah thinks he’s nothing special. Average height, a bit on the skinny side, and cute but rather geeky, he’s relentlessly ordinary. He certainly doesn’t expect to be noticed by Sol, the gorgeous, dark-haired stranger Noah sees on his commute home most days. But when Noah’s friend, Dom, persuades Noah to take a huge risk in a bid to get Sol’s attention, things turn out better than Noah dared to hope. Noah and Sol start dating, and much to Noah’s surprise, his feelings seem to be reciprocated.
But Noah’s insecurities make him doubt Sol. He doesn’t believe he’s interesting enough or sexy enough to hold Sol’s attention, and as Sol tries to get closer, Noah’s instinct is to pull away to protect himself. If their relationship is going to survive, Sol needs to convince Noah that he sees Noah very differently than Noah sees himself. Because to Sol, Noah is something very special indeed.

Book Review (previously posted on this site)

Noah is a shy guy, a little low on self-esteem, but knows something good when he sees it.

Sol, named after the sun, is as hot as all that, but, surprisingly, a super-sweet guy, too.

Noah sees Sol day after day on the train and one day Noah gets brave enough to ask Sol out and, wonder of wonders, Sol agrees! The two end up on the longest first date ever and with very little fanfare, find themselves in a relationship.
This is not a book full of angst or mystery. It is just so stinking fun, touching, nice and sexy… I loved it. It was like eating a bowl of ice cream on a hot afternoon. Tasty, sweet, and leaving you feeling happy you took the time out to appreciate it.

I absolutely loved that Noah, though amazed at his good fortune, almost never lets his self-esteem issues get in between him and Sol. I loved how the families were not the problem, or society. Instead it was just two guys, genuinely caring for each other, navigating the first days of a romance and taking it all the way to their happy ever after. I LOVED the ending. LOVED IT!

Jay Northcote’s writing is crisp and well-paced. The editing is perfect and the over all effect is a very tight, happy, well-done novel.

Audio

Matthew Lloyd Davies has done several Jay Northcote titles now and he has a very nice, respectable British way about him. In general I like his narrations and think he does a nice job handling the emotional aspects of the storylines. In this case he doesn’t make a huge distinction between Sol and Noah, but you can tell who is who. I liked this narration better than some, and thought he did a great job of illustrating how sweet the guys were with one another, especially the epilogue!

5 of 5 hearts

5

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Partnership Reforged (Partnership in Blood Book 6) by Ariel Tachna

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5697

PartnershipReforgedBlurb

A Companion to the Partnership in Blood series

For two years, Thierry has wanted the one thing Sebastien’s past denies him: an Aveu de Sang. With the help of friends new and old, he has finally assembled a ritual that will give him a close approximation of the ultimate bond between vampire and mortal… if it succeeds.

Review

This is more a chapter than a book. It’s the ceremony where Sebastian and Thierry bind themselves to one another. It’s very erotic (almost a bit kinky) and very sensual and sweet at times, too.

5 of 5 hearts

5

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From the Ashes by Lillian T. MacGowan Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway

LM_FtA “What…the unholy…”
“Fuck?” Naim finished Jen’s statement for her as her voice trailed off. They stood wide-eyed and slack-jawed, staring at Jen’s husband, who leaned, sullen and glowering, against the ambulance while a young girl snapped photos and pleaded with him to try to smile. Or at least emote. He was wearing a hazmat jumpsuit, unzipped with the top half hanging down his shirtless back, and holding a gas mask, his hair a wild mess as though he’d just taken the mask off.
Hearing Jen’s voice, he looked up at them, cringed, and groaned. “Fuck. You called them, you fucktarded bag of ass?” Keller shouted up toward the ladder truck while the girl clicked away, hoping for some good, angry “passion” shots.
“Naim!” Deck called down from the cherry picker, looking anxious but glad to see him.
“Oh God,” Keller groaned, falling back against the ambulance and dropping the mask.
“Oh God.” Jen stared at her husband.
“Oh God.” Naim looked up to the cherry picker, eyes widening, where Deck was grinning awkwardly, wearing nothing but bunker trousers with one suspender over his unscarred side, and a helmet.
Naim shifted, horrified at his sudden, Pavlovian state of arousal. He reached for Jen’s hand. She squeezed.
“What…what…” Jen stammered, tearing her eyes from her husband long enough to jump, startled by the big black smiley face plastered across Peyton’s bright yellow butt as he climbed off the hose bed.
“Thank God you guys are here,” Deck called out, unlatching the cherry picker.
“No!” Naim panicked, squeezing Jen’s hand tighter and pointing at Deck. “You stay there!” This was bad. He was never coming back to the firehouse again. Ever.
Jen snorted.
“Fuck.” Fucking cherry picker. “No. Get out of there.” Naim squeezed his eyes shut. “But don’t…don’t come down here!” He turned and buried his face in Jen’s shoulder, groaning. She cuddled him and whimpered quietly.
“Why are they doing this to us?” she asked Naim.
He pulled his face out of her shoulder. “What the fuck is going on?”
“They’re making a fucking calendar. Well, more like a date book.” Freya wandered up to them, fully clothed, a shit-eating grin on her face, and her braids a messy, rumpled disaster. She was covered in green glitter, and there seemed to be some on her teeth.
“Oh, but you’ve got clothes on?” Naim growled.
“What… Why…” Jen glanced at Freya, then back at Keller, who was glowering harder at the camera. The photographer asked him to turn around, and he snarled. She snapped away. “Why are… What happened to your hair?” Jen asked Freya, a little breathless.
“Are you kidding?” Freya still had the shit-eating grin, and Spellacy popped up from where he’d been relaxing on the hose bed; he wore a pair of bright green shorts printed with pints of Guinness, and his turnout coat had green glitter all over it.
“Hey. What are you two doing here?” he asked.
“Oh God.” Jen sounded like she wanted to cry.
“Can I come down now?” Deck yelled from the ladder.
Naim refused to look at him. “No. Not until you…give…put…put something on.”
“He can’t. He’s next,” Freya explained, grinning harder.
“Next?” Naim whimpered again.
“Naim, please? I really gotta talk to you!”
“Get a turnout coat!”
“Hey, what are you two doing here?” Liebgott saw them as he strolled out of the kitchen, munching on a cupcake.
“Liebgott.” Jen managed to glare and whine at the same time. “Why is my husband half-naked, having his picture taken against an ambulance? Why is everyone half-naked?”
Liebgott rubbed his neck and glanced with a guilty expression over to the ladder truck where Deck was yelling at Spellacy to give him his turnout coat. Naim heard bells jingle somewhere.
“Well. See—”
“It wasn’t my idea. I didn’t even know about it!” Deck got a face full of green glitter as he caught Spellacy’s coat.
“We, uh, we thought it would help raise some money.” Liebgott looked to Naim sheepishly. “To help rebuild the clinic.”
“Wh…” Naim blinked. “Can I sit down? Is anyone else in the kitchen?”
“Peyton, but come on. I’ll boot him out.”
Naim tugged on Jen’s hand as he dragged her away from the sight of her husband. “Jen.”
“Shut up.” She tripped a little. “You’re in this with me.” They heard Freya cackle.
Deck was right behind them, trotting into the kitchen as Naim plunked down into a chair, still refusing to look at him. This was insane, but he really had no business being surprised.
“I swear to God, I had no idea, love. This is not my fault,” Deck exclaimed.
“That’s true, Naim. I’m not sure why he’s so bent out of shape about it, but we didn’t want to tell you until the money came in, so we kept it from Deck until the last possible minute.” Liebgott took a seat at the opposite end of the table while Deck danced nervously next to Naim, and Jen peeked from the door.
“I… What…” Naim squinted at the table, then reached for a cupcake, wondering if he was turning into a stress eater.

Sales Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Lillian-T-MacGowan-ebook/dp/B00X6CZLRQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431268935&sr=1-1&keywords=9781623008536

http://www.loose-id.com/from-the-ashes.html

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fromtheashes-1797310-149.html

About the author:

You can usually find Lily MacGowan reading, knitting herself into the sofa, or writing. Lily has been a carpenter, a circus aerialist, a Sunset Strip club kid and a corporate mogul, but she gave all that up to teach middle school on the east coast and is happier than ever. Lily’s hobbies include food, household renovations and avoiding laundry. She’s a huge fan of comfy jammies and happily ever after.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @LilyMacGowan
Tumblr – http://ltmacgowan.tumblr.com/

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25315940-from-the-ashes
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: Kalen O’Donnell

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Aiden’s Angel by Aundrea Singer

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6430

AidensAngelBlurb

Aiden Lobo is a graduate student in a world where magic, gods, and demons are part of everyday life. After a terrible betrayal, he is cursed with a Crack in his heart, turning him into a living doorway for an ancient demon of war to come to Earth and kill millions. Aiden is rescued by his guardian angel, who seals the Crack with his own Light. As a servant of the divine, the nameless angel was supposed to kill Aiden to prevent the growing cataclysm inside him. But he loves Aiden too much to end his life, even to save the world.

Aiden falls for his guardian and names him Eskandar, but then learns to his horror that because Eskandar was created for him, when Aiden dies Eskandar will too. Aiden will do anything to keep his beloved angel safe. But with no choice except to sacrifice himself to prevent the apocalypse, he only has one option: a terrible betrayal of his own.

Review

This is a fast paced, low steam, full of maglc novel. The smexy times are more suggestive than actualized, but still very nice. The love is sincere and sweet.  The fantasy is engaging and well done.

The bulk of the story is Aiden fighting against the evil forces that are trying to come out through a gateway opened in his heart. Everywhere he turns, people he trusts are turning against him. Only his guardian angel and sidekick are completely trustworthy but the answers they give – he doesn’t want to hear.

I really enjoyed this, even without tons of hot sex, and think that those of you looking for adventure and sentimentality will like it as well.

4.25 of 5 hearts

4.5

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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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