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The Serpent and the Angel (Shifters #8) by MD Grimm

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6201

SerpentandtheAngel[The]Blurb

In the year 1866, Sheriff Tobias Goldstein guards a small mining town in the Colorado territory with a cold and merciless hand. A rare rattlesnake shifter, he lives by a code and expecting others to do the same has kept the peace—until a nameless stranger wanders into town. Intrigued by the lone man, Tobias names him Angel Smith, and sensing he’s trustworthy, he deputizes Angel.

A guardian at heart, golden eagle shifter Angel protects the townspeople, but his dedication is to an ancient scroll capable of great destruction. For generations, Angel’s family protected the artifact with their lives. Now something has returned to hunt down the scroll. Forced to leave his tribe, Angel enjoys the quiet he’s found with Tobias, who hides a warm heart under his aloof exterior. Angel knows the quiet will not last and fears the battle on the horizon. But with Tobias at his back, Angel might stand a chance against his enemies.

 

Review

This is another historical tale, this time in the 1800s Colorado territory.  As with the previous book we get more history of the scrolls and a new pair of lovers who are entrusted with their care.

I really like how MD Grimm incorporates the flashes of history with the bits of scroll history and intermingles it with a new (if not completely unique) love story.

In this case we have two men, one very stoic and one very kind, gentle character.  Together they make a united whole and a great pair for protecting the scrolls.

I highly recommend this book and the series.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Bits of Magic by Angela Benedetti Tour

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Excerpt:
Sebastiano Fiorentelli studied the calendar — a freebie from the Humane Society with photos of puppies and kittens on it — on the wall of his cluttered basement laboratory and observed that it was the thirtieth day of October. Since emigrating to the United States and discovering the Halloween custom of sending children around to beg for treats, he’d made a habit of including something extra in the candy he made for the occasion each year. By the Nineteen-seventies, when hysteria over poison and razor blades swept the population, Mr. Fiorentelli had been living in his San Jose neighborhood long enough that no one fussed about letting their children eat his wax-paper-wrapped candies.

He paced back and forth in front of open cabinets and crowded shelves, pondering what to make this year, until finally he stopped and nodded.

“Courage,” he said. “This year, I think I’ll make courage…”

Sales Links: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200&products_id=4384

bitsofmagic1400About the author:

Angela Benedetti lives in Seattle with her husband, five computers, and thousands of books. She started writing as a teenager, and discovered soon after that romances with two hot guys are twice as good as romances with only one. When she’s not at the computer, she enjoys cooking and baking, going to science fiction conventions, and cruising with her husband. She’s one of the few people in the universe who loses weight on cruises. (Must be all those walking-around shore tours and the lack of free internet access.) Her favorite mainstream fiction genres are science fiction and fantasy, both of which tend to seep into her own writing; the Hidden Magic series is a fun blend of romance and fantasy.

Where to find the author:

Blog: http://www.angiebenedetti.com/blog/
Livejournal: http://angelabenedetti.livejournal.com/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100361343167913966179/about

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3067621.Angela_Benedetti
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BS Clay
Rafflecopter Prize: An e-copy of the novel that started the series, A Hidden Magic
Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Deception (Vampires of America book 9) by DB Reynolds

ImaJinn Presents http://www.imajinnbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=90&products_id=237

Deception - 200x300x72Blurb
Book Nine of The Vampires in America Series
Kauai, Hawaii—tropical paradise, vibrant jungle, turquoise sea… and sensuous nights that hide vampires so powerful they can change the world.

Raphael—powerful, extraordinary, arrogant. He’s been eliminating rivals and gathering allies, determined not just to survive, but to demolish the Europeans who think they can steal what he’s worked for centuries to create. In a final bid to avert a war that seems inevitable, Raphael agrees to meet an enemy he knows of old. She is formidable, wily, and not to be trusted. But in his arrogance, Raphael believes he can foil whatever treachery she has brewing.

Cynthia Leighton—Raphael’s human mate, beautiful, smart, and deadly when threatened. She doesn’t trust anyone, much less a powerful vampire claiming to want peace. So while Raphael prepares to negotiate a treaty, Cyn is preparing for the inevitable double-cross that she knows is coming. Raphael worries about saving thousands of vampire lives. She only cares about one, and she will do anything to keep him alive and in her arms.

When Cyn is proven right, when it all falls apart and Raphael’s enemies draw on ancient magic to trap him, taking him away from Cyn and out of the war, it all falls to her—to find Raphael, to save the thousands of vampires who will die if she doesn’t succeed… and to kill every single being, human or vampire, who gets in her way.

Review

This is one of my favorite m/f romance writers and this series is amazing. In a nutshell we have a very, very tough Cyn mated to the uber-alpha Raphael, the most powerful Vampire in American and possibly in America. Throughout the series we have seen Raphael’s enemies fall as his allies have taken over the various parts of North America into Mexico and Canada as leaders, each time finding their own mates, always a powerful woman.

(In one case the woman was the vampire!)

What I love about DB Reynolds is that her women are tough but still feminine and the alphaness of the vampire does not require them to fold and quaver. The sex is really hot (and plentiful!) and the action is always exciting.

Cyn and Raphael have had several novellas and this is their second full length novel. Their relationship is not usually at question, but their safety is always at risk.

In this, the ninth book in the series, Raphael is facing off against the Europeans and has been taken captured by them. Cyn and the remaining vamps have to find him and rescue him and then defeat the evil vamps.

I love that each time Cyn and Raphael come together it’s like they’ve been apart for days. They are always so hot for each other, yet caring.

The final scene is an epic battle and victory for our team… but there’s the hint of the next phase to come…

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Beneath the Stain Audiobook by Amy Lane Narrated by Nick J Russo

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6367

BeneaththeStainAUDMedBlurb
Complete novel.

In a town as small as Tyson, CA, everybody knew the four brothers with the four different fathers– and their penchant for making good music when they weren’t getting into trouble. For Mackey Sanders, playing in Outbreak Monkey with his brothers and their friends—especially Grant Adams–made Tyson bearable. But Grant has plans for getting Mackey and the Sanders boys out of Tyson, even if that means staying behind.

Between the heartbreak of leaving Grant and the terrifying, glamorous life of rock stardom, Mackey is adrift and sinking fast. When he’s hit rock bottom, Trav Ford shows up, courtesy of their record company and a producer who wants to see what Mackey can do if he doesn’t flame out first. But cleaning up his act means coming clean about Grant, and that’s not easy to do or say. Mackey might make it with Trav’s help–but Trav’s not sure he’s going to survive falling in love with Mackey.

Mackey James Sanders comes with a whole lot of messy, painful baggage, and law-and-order Trav doesn’t do messy or painful. And just when Trav thinks they may have mastered every demon in Mackey’s past, the biggest, baddest demon of all comes knocking.

Book review here: https://kimichanexperience.com/beneath-stain-amy-lane-first-episode/

Audio

Wow. Can I just say? Wow.

I absolutely loved Nick J Russo’s narration! His Trav was sooooo sexy! He did an amazing job with the hours and hours of narration – giving each character a distinct voice and flavor. He does a nice job even with the female characters.

I really wish he could have included the bonus material – but I know that wasn’t his decision to make – I would have loved to hear the “ass-babies” discussion at the end!

I can’t recommend this book and the audiobook highly enough – 6 of 5 hearts!

amazing

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Claw (Gothika Volume Three) by Kim Fielding, Eli Easton and Jamie Fessenden

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6254

ClawBlurbs

Gothika: Volume Three 
Beasts lurk in the shadows of wild and forgotten places and in the hearts and souls of men. They are the stuff of dreams and nightmares, but are they feral and savage, or just misunderstood? Creatures of myth and legend stalk these tales of dark desire and animal passions. Three men come face-to-face with such creatures and find they are much more than they seem. While there is danger, there might be unexpected benefits as well, if they can accept the impossible and dare to venture into the primordial regions where nature and the beasts still reign. Three acclaimed authors of gay romance explore the boundaries between man and beast and the place where their worlds overlap.

Isolation by Jamie Fessenden
When Sean’s marriage breaks up, he returns to his hometown, hoping to find the childhood friend who meant everything to him in his teens. He finds Jack living in a cabin, surrounded by the forest he always loved, and the two begin to tentatively repair their damaged relationship. But a large animal has been seen prowling around the edge of town, and soon Sean comes face-to-face with the beast. Jack insists the creature isn’t dangerous—it’s been coming around the cabin for years. It isn’t long, however, before Sean discovers a far more disturbing connection between his friend and the beast.

Transformation by Kim Fielding
After being caught in bed with another male student in 1886, Orris Spencer is declared an abomination by his wealthy father. Orris is promptly banished from their Fifth Avenue mansion and sent across the continent to Oregon. Now Orris must try to find a place for himself on his brother’s farm and figure out how to deal with life as a pioneer. When he’s called on to help protect the livestock from a predator, he’s not at all certain he’s up to the task. Then he meets Henry Bonn, a strange and intriguing man who lives in a cabin in the hills. Orris’s attraction to Henry may not be an abomination—but it may prove a greater danger than banishment.

The Black Dog by Eli Easton
Constable Hayden MacLairty is used to life being dull around the tiny hamlet of Laide on the north Scottish coast. They get occasional tourists, “monster hunters” interested in the local legend of the Black Dog, but Hayden thinks that’s only a myth. A rash of sheep killings, a murdered hiker, huge footprints, and sightings of the Black Dog force Hayden to rethink the matter. With the help of Simon Corto, a writer from New York doing research for a book about the Black Dog, Hayden tries to figure out why the enormous hound is reappearing. Hayden finds himself strongly attracted to another person for the first time in his life. But between the danger stalking the hills, Simon’s inevitable return to New York, and Hayden’s mother’s illness, true love may be more of a phantom than the Black Dog.

Reviews

All three of these stories are very dark but strive to leave us with a happy ending.

In Isoloation two former lovers are reunited but things have changed and the question remains as to what secrets can be told and how will they be handled.

I didn’t care for this story as much as the others – I wanted a more concrete ending to satisfy the romantic in  me.

2 of 5 hearts

Transformation is an historical tale in Oregon (yay!) of farmers and hunters living in the wildneress.  I loved the historical aspect of being gay in the 1800s and though I was sad by the decisions that separated the brothers (both sets) I loved the overall joy that Orris and Henry found together.

4 of 5 hearts

Black Dog was my favorite in this series.  It was a fully fleshed out short story about a man who doesn’t know his own families secrets and when he finds out he has to make some tough decisions.

Eli is one of my all time favorite authors and this story is just as amazing as her longer stories.

5 of 5 hearts

Overall 3.5  of 5 hearts

3.5

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Releasing the Shifter by Summer Devon

Samhain Publishing Presents :

https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5419/releasing-the-shifter

Coming May 5th

releasing shifterBlurb

To save his love he must face his monster and—worse—be nice to people.

Montag is a monster. He doesn’t know what sort of creature he would turn into if he ever let himself shift, but he knows it’s something predatory and lethal. He fights back the urge to shift every day of his life, and has never dared get close to anyone—not that they want him to. He can literally smell their fear.

Kevin’s not scared of monsters. He works for the SSU, the agency in charge of tracking shifters—particularly the dangerous ones. When he and his young niece are kidnapped by her scum-bucket dad, he’s grateful to be rescued by Montag, whose curmudgeonly defenses can’t hide the kind man beneath.

As they work together to protect Kevin’s niece, attraction sizzles between them. But their relationship may not survive if Montag learns who writes Kevin’s paycheck—or if Montag dares to confront the inner monster he hates and fears.

Warning: Contains a grouchy virgin shifter (and we mean virginal in all possible ways), a hero with a back pocket full of secrets, and a couple of jerks.

Review

In a unique world where Shifters must be tagged and identified by the government, but biogotry still runs rampant, Montag is a shifter in hiding.  He’s a mechanic in a small town and he’s sort of keeping the peace by acting as an “enforcer” for the local criminal element when he meets/rescues Kevin.

Kevin is literally being held by his psychotic brother-in-law and his sister when Montag crashes in and saves the day.

There are a lot of secrets being held.  Montag doesn’t want anyone to know what he is (and he’s not all that sure himself).  Kevin doesn’t want Montag to know he knows about Shifters nor does he want him to know who he works for.

Everyone wants to keep Kevin’s niece safe from her psychotic father.  Nobody wants the local law to know about Montag, and Kevin wants to keep his family under the radar as well.

There is an instant “mate” attraction between Montag and Kevin, and though Kevin would readily act on it, Montag fears the results.

Between keeping the humans safe from the perceived and real monsters, dodging the law,  and going to the hospital, the relationship between Montag and Kevin builds.

Finally, with the help of Colt (who we met earlier in book 2), the two manage to cut through to the truth and find their own path towards a permanent relationship.

**

So – there are shifter novels that you can read through in a hour or two, their pattern so familiar that it’s almost just a change of names to keep the story “new” and there are shifter books where the previous “lore” is unique, different and detailed in such a way that anything short of a careful reading will leave the reader scratching her head.

This is the second.  Summer Devon has given us a unique shifter lore in well-written prose with fantastic characters who draw you into the story and keep you turning pages.  She has included some of the more common lore and blended it with a sort-of dystopian future to keep things fresh, yet grounded.

The romance and the story are both much darker than some of the more traditional shifter stories out there and the prose is more dense and definitely more complex.  The focus is definitely more on the story and less on the sex, though there are some smexy times (With a virgin!).

I really enjoyed Summer’s character development and world building and though I was sometimes forced to re-read things to be clear about the whos and the whats, I really enjoyed this take on Shifters and will look to reading the previous two books and any future stories.

Writing/Editing  4

Romance  4

Sex/Heat   3

Storyline  4

World Building/Characterizations  4

3.8 of 5 hearts

4

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Keeping Sweets Audiobook by Cate Ashwood narrated by Jeff Gelder

Dreamspinner Presents  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6327

keeping sweetsBlurb

Days away from high school graduation, with hardly a penny to his name, Evan Lowry needs to earn money for college. When he comes across an ad for modeling, he thinks his luck has changed – until he learns he’s interviewing for an adult film and will be expected to have sex. On camera. With other men.

For gay porn star Brandon Court, the shine has worn off of regular shoots. He and his producer Les decide to try something new: a reality-show porno set at a beach house. When he meets wide-eyed and naïve Evan for the first time, Brandon isn’t sure if he wants the kid to get lost or get naked. Naked wins.

On set, Brandon takes Evan under his wing, and over the next month, they are thrown together in every intimate way conceivable – except emotionally. Both Brandon and Evan are terrified of trying for anything deeper, and insecurities and doubts wear on their hopes, but the chemistry between them won’t let them slow things down.

Review

This is a lovely story about a jaded porn star who falls in love with a newbie/virgin.  There was a lot of great sex and some pretty nice “feels” in this story.  Brandon and Evan fall for one another pretty much right away and the only “hurdle” happens near the end when Brandon abandons Evan after the shoot – causing Evan to despair.

However – Brandon realizes his mistake and we get a solid HEA after all.

You definitely have to suspend your disbelief – this is not porn like anything I’d have seen or expected – definitely a rosy vision of the industry.  But… it’s nice and the love story is very sweet.

I loved all the Oregon references 🙂

Audio

Jeff Gelder does a nice job with this.  He’s not my favorite narrator and he doesn’ “move me” like some narrators do, but he tells the story in such a way that the story takes center stage, not the narrator.

Overall 4 of 5 hearts

4

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Cronin’s Key (Book one) by NR Walker

NR Walker Presents  http://www.amazon.com/Cronins-Key-N-R-Walker-ebook/dp/B00UFO0I9Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429554380&sr=1-1&keywords=cronin%27s+key

croninBlurb

NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec’s view on weird is changed forever.

Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last thousand years waiting for Alec. He’d been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn’t expect him to be human, and he certainly didn’t expect that shield to be a police badge.

Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball.

Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death.

Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn’t always what it seems.

 

Review

What a great new direction for a favorite author!  NR Walker always delivers quality writing with well developed MCs and an entire cast of secondary characters that are three-dimensional and fully developed.  I love paranormal books and I love NR Walker – so this was an excellent combination!

Since Alec and Cronin are fated lovers – another tick on my box of likes – we get to see the “insta-attraction” that makes vampire/shifter books so compelling.

In the nature of NR Walker books, I know that there will be more “lovey dovey” moments in the sequel – so I am holding off judging the overall “feels” for now.

Suffice it to say that this book sets up the back-story and puts our two MCs together and (I expect) book two will wrap up their love story and give us the ooey gooey happy ending I know NR Walker delivers.

4.5 of 5 hearts

 

4.5

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Saving Samuel (Manchester Ménage #1)-Nicole Colville

Publisher: Hidden Pleasures

Police officer Milo and Fireman Daniel have been dating off and on for six years, but it always seems more off than on. Just when their relationship reaches breaking point, someone enters their lives, unknowingly helping the confused couple work through their differences.

Falling in love with the man Daniel rescued and who Milo is investigating as a potential arson suspect isn’t a conventional start to any relationship, especially one which includes a mysterious blond who’s afraid to stop running. But they both see what didn’t work out as a couple, could work out as a ménage.

Daniel and Milo unite to help save Samuel, but quickly realise he’s not the only one being saved.

With so many obstacles in their way threatening to destroy the future they desire, all three have to fight to create a bond too strong for anyone or anything to break.

  
Let me start by pointing out how much I liked the cover. I don’t know if it was the color, or the fact that it was the fireman wearing his gear looking hot, but I really liked it.  The characters were wonderful, I just couldn’t get enough of reading about these characters. For some reason, Milo was my favorite of the three. Then it was sweet Daniel and even sweeter and gentle Samuel. 

These three men’s personality is so different from each other but they fit together perfectly. It was clear from the beginning of the story that Daniel and Milo are deeply in love with each other but their personalities caused these two men to bump heads.  Daniel wanted more from his relationship with Milo. It wasn’t that Milo wasn’t willing to give Daniel what he needed, he simply couldn’t because he didn’t quite understand how, you know? 

Then Samuel enters their lives. One would think that the timing was bad to bring a third into a rocky relationship but in this case, this particular third was exactly what the two men needed. They saved each other. Samuel endured a past filled with abuse, both physical and sexual at the hands of his kidnappers. First Daniel and then Milo became his saviors and gave him the newest, sweetest lease on life.

I loved this book, these characters. Ms. Colville did the best job of crafting them. Their dialog and the storyline was amazing. This is a new author to me, brought to my attention completely by chance. I truly enjoy the all male ménage storyline and she did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life for me. I am really looking forward to reading the second book in this series. I was so excited to see that Dalton would get his story. I really liked his character. This is a great start to what to what is looking to be a brilliant series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️AMAZING⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Not Just Friends Audiobook by Jay Northcote Narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies

NotJustFriendsAUDMEDFrom Dreamspinner:

Blurb

Leaving home to go to university is an exciting phase in anyone’s life. One that’s full of new places, new friends, and new experiences. But Lewis is not prepared for the sudden and intense crush he develops on his out-and-proud flatmate, Max—given that Lewis had always assumed he was straight. Max starts dating another guy, and Lewis’s jealousy at seeing them together forces him to confront his growing attraction.

When Max’s relationship goes awry, Lewis is the one to comfort him and one thing leads to another. But after a night together, Lewis is devastated that Max wants to go back to being just friends. Lewis tries his best to move on and their friendship survives, but the feelings he has for Max don’t go away. He faces other challenges as he deals with coming out to his parents and needs Max’s support more than ever. But Lewis isn’t the only one who’s conflicted. When Max finally admits he cares for Lewis too, Lewis must decide whether he dares risk his heart again on being more than just friends.

Review

Lewis is 18 and just starting University where he meets Max, one of his dorm mates.  Max is out and proud and gets Lewis thinking that he may be something other than straight.

At first Lewis fights his attraction to Max, but it isn’t long before he begins to acknowledge that the feeling he’s experiencing watching Max hook-up with other guys is jealousy.  After a sad break-up one night, the two get drunk and mess around.  Lewis is ready to go all in after that; admit he’s gay, admit he likes Max, everything, but Max is on the rebound and isn’t ready to “break in” a new boyfriend, especially since Lewis is new to being gay and they live together.

Lewis is heartbroken, but admits it makes a bit of sense.  Moving on, Lewis begins to explore his newfound sexuality by telling his family, friends, joining the LGBT group at school and even dating.

As the semester goes on, Lewis discovers more about himself and Max does, too.  They have some hurdles to overcome, but in the end we see a very HFN (or HEA depending on how you look at it.)

**

This was another sweet, wonderful book by Jay Northcote.  It’s told in a way that seems very natural and realistic.  Lewis isn’t hung up about finding out he’s gay – he’s reluctant at first, only because he’d had a girlfriend in High School, but it doesn’t take much in the experimenting phase for him to admit his preference.  Lewis’ family is essentially pretty supportive as are his friends.

Max is a fairly easy going, very open gay man, who is really just following his heart.  He doesn’t have any terrible, dark secrets keeping him from loving, just normal life-is-never-perfect stuff that gives him some substance.

When all is said and done, the really nice thing about this story is that it ends up being more about the love story than a “gay” love story.

Audio

I really like Matthew Lloyd Davies.  I think it’s important for these British books to be read in a British accent and Matthew has a lovely one!

I highly recommend the story and the audiobook; 5 of 5 hearts.

5

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