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Books I’ve read and reviewed

Mr. Right? Or, CONNECTION ERROR-Review and Giveaway!

Connection Error Blitz BannerHi there! I’m super excited to share a release day review and giveaway for a new contemporary M/M romance from Annabeth Albert. CONNECTION ERROR is the third book in her #gaymers series and features a new couple dealing with big changes in their lives. If you liked STATUS UPDATE or BETA TEST, you’ll enjoy this one, but it’s totally a standalone, too

Catch the excerpt, my review and enter the giveaway for a $20 GC below!

CEAbout the book:
It’s typical of video game programmer Josiah Simmons to be the last one on the plane on the way to the biggest meeting of his career. Though he’s (mostly) coping with his ADHD, he can’t handle another distraction. But he also can’t ignore his rugged seatmate—especially once he learns the military man’s a fan of his game.

Ryan Orson refuses to let his severe injuries pause his career as a navy SEAL. He’s got hours of grueling physical therapy ahead of him, and no time for anything that might get in the way of his return to active duty. But that doesn’t mean he’s above a little first-class flirtation with geeky-cute Josiah.

When a delay strands the pair in St. Louis, they agree to share a hotel room and a night of gaming. Neither expects their new connection to move to the next level in the light of day. Opposites may attract, but is this game over before it’s even begun?

How about a delicious taste?

Chapter 1

Somewhere between the third newsstand and the fourth moving sidewalk in LAX, Josiah regretted not joining his friend Ravi in training for a 10k charity race. Nothing like a flat-out sprint from the check-in counter to the slow-moving security lines and another dash from security all the way through gates to make him rethink his aversion to cardio. And the worst part was that for once in his life he’d made every effort to be on time, getting up before the alarm, starting coffee, making sure they were out of the house by o’dark thirty ready for his early morning flight to Germany via a stop in Washington, DC.

Passport? Check.

Carry-on with both laptops, tablet and assorted accessories? Check.

Suitcase with more shirts with buttons than he’d ever owned in his life? Check.

Double-checking that his ticket was booked under “Josiah” not “Joseph”? Total fail, but in his defense, it never occurred to him that the travel agency his employer used would give the wrong name. And the check-in attendant at the airline counter didn’t want to believe that there was a mistake. Thus, every careful endeavor he’d made to ensure that he was on time—early even—went up in a huff of waiting for a supervisor and then another supervisor.

And now finally he was sprinting to make sure he didn’t miss the plane. Forget being there in time to priority board, he was going to be lucky to make the plane period. His first time flying first class—thank you, Space Villager for being such a bestselling game—and it was off to an inelegant start thanks to a stupid mistake.

Finally, finally, he reached the last few gates of the terminal. The TV sets scattered throughout the waiting area were all taking about that huge freak snowstorm heading for the New York area and whether it might veer south enough to cause snow along the whole Eastern Seaboard. Josiah shook his head, trying to not get sucked in to the TV. As long as he got to Germany on time, it wasn’t going to affect him and he needed to stay focused on—

“Last call for Flight 324 nonstop service to Washington Dulles International,” the loudspeaker blared.

“I’m here, I’m here,” he panted as the gate attendant set the red phone back on its hook. He held out his ticket. The woman was around his mother’s age with very red lipstick and very short blond hair and a spectacular frown just for him.

“Ah. Mr. Simmons.” She looked up after scanning his tickets, decidedly less frosty once she saw his first-class seat number. “Come with me, I’m going to have to walk you down.” She spoke into a walkie-talkie as they headed down the walkway. “We’re going to need to gate check your bags. I’m so sorry, but the first-class overhead compartments are all full.”

“Crap.” She gave him a questioning look, and Josiah remembered that he was supposed to be Mr. Smooth and Sophisticated Project Manager, not some whiny kid. “Sorry. That’s fine. Just let me grab my laptop.” He grabbed the laptop with the longer battery life before the attendant put a pink gate-check tag on his two bags. “But…uh…fragile.”

She gave him a tight smile, but added a yellow Fragile tag to his laptop bag. “You’re in Seat 1A,” she said, handing him his ticket back. “You’ll get your bags back when we land, I promise. Enjoy your flight.”

After a brief conversation with the gate attendant, a male flight attendant shut the plane door behind Josiah. “Welcome aboard,” he said to Josiah in a tone that clearly meant, “thank you for pushing back our departure.” In fact, the plane was rolling away from the gate before Josiah almost tumbled into the empty aisle seat of the first row.

“You made it.” A warm chuckle eased past the pounding of Josiah’s heart.

“Wha—what?” he whipped his head over to the window seat—a farther distance than one might expect. The first-class seats were huge padded affairs and there was a thick console dividing the seats. And…hello, most gorgeous guy Josiah had ever seen.

Wide, mischievous smile. Sparkling hazel eyes. Unshaven jaw. Short dark brown hair. And holy hell, arm muscles for days. Bulging biceps with tats poking out of his T-shirt sleeves.

All of a sudden this flight started looking way up.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. I just meant I was beginning to think I’d get the row all to myself.” The guy’s voice was possibly even more attractive than his model-worthy face, deep and soothing, with an undercurrent of the sort of confidence that never failed to make Josiah shiver.

And he was all Josiah’s for the next five hours.

Well, except for the part where he seemed ready to take a nap and tune Josiah out—the guy had a pillow behind his head and a blanket on his lap. He yawned, revealing gleaming teeth worthy of a toothpaste ad.

“You’re not a model, are you?” As usual, Josiah’s tongue leaped into action before his brain could restrain it.

“What? No, not a model.” The guy laughed, more of that smoky chuckle that did things to Josiah’s insides.

“TV star? Athlete? Because it seems like I should know you from somewhere, and I don’t want to get to DC and people be like, hey, you were next to that Laker the whole flight…” He trailed off because his friends were right that he had absolutely no filter, and that was triple true around Muppet-flail-worthy hot guys.

“Nope, not famous.” The guy studied Josiah for a long moment, considering, the sort of are-you-for-real expression on his face that Josiah was well used to. Seeming to come to some sort of decision, the guy stuck his right arm across the console. “Lieutenant Ryan Orson, US Navy.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Josiah accepted the handshake. Navy made sense given the Navy-emblazoned T-shirt stretched tight over the guy’s aircraft-carrier-wide chest. Holy crap, the guy was big. Josiah was a skinny 6’2” with big hands and feet that always got in the way. But this guy’s hand made Josiah’s feel downright dainty. “I’m Josiah, Josiah Simmons.”

“Well, Josiah, want to know a secret?” Ryan asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

“Sure.” Josiah was down with whatever secrets this guy wanted to share.

“Not only am I not famous, I’m not even supposed to be in first class.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope.” Ryan winked at Josiah. He had a very disarming wink, all good humor and twinkly eyes.

“The check-in clerk bumped me into first.”

“You got the nice clerk.” Josiah was still a bit grumbly over the name hassle.

“She lost a brother over in Afghanistan.” There was a subtle hint of “grow up” in Ryan’s tone. Josiah straightened, remembering again who he was supposed to be. And here was this impossibly attractive guy to practice on. Sure, he might be Josiah the clueless geek back home, but here he was Josiah the new project manager. This Josiah knew the right way to act and speak and could impress even tough audiences.

“That’s so sad for her.” Josiah tried for sophisticated empathy, something he knew he kind of sucked at.

“Yeah, it is.” Something indecipherable passed over Ryan’s face, his eyes getting darker and cloudier and that wide smile flagging a bit. “Anyway, guess she saw…the Navy connection and had a spare seat to bump me into.”

“What do you do? In the Navy I mean?”

The guy went silent, considering, and Josiah was afraid he’d been too nosy again, but right when he was about to apologize, Ryan finally spoke. “I’m a SEAL. I do a little bit of everything, but mainly I make things go boom. You?”

“Oh my God, you’re Special Forces. Do I ever have questions for you!” Josiah babbled again, only slowing down as Ryan’s easy smile morphed into grim line. “Sorry. I’m just excited because I’m a video game designer. And special ops is our new expansion pack.” And it happened to be the one Josiah was in charge of.

“You program games?” Ryan blinked, and Josiah wasn’t sure what he’d expected Josiah to do, but this clearly wasn’t it. “Anything I’ve heard of?”

Ah. That was it. He assumed Josiah was some sort of kid programming a dot matrix game in his basement. Josiah knew he looked too young for his job, because he was too young. At twenty-three, he was the youngest lead developer on the design team. Thus, he took no small amount of pride in saying, “Space Villager.”

“Oh wow, really?” There was a new note of respect in Ryan’s voice. “I love that game, especially the pod racer and first-person shooter expansion packs.” There was a hint of Texas or something else Southern in his voice, and Josiah could listen to him all day.

“Yeah? Well you’re going to love our special ops expansion pack even more.” Josiah projected far more confidence than he actually felt. He could make this project a success. He had to. The PR team had already hinted that the next expansion pack would revolve around special ops activities on a small war-torn planet, so Josiah didn’t worry too much about sharing this much with Ryan.

“I bet. My ex got me to back the crowdfunding drive, and I’ve been hooked ever since. My buddies were already teasing me about how much time I spent gaming, but there’s something particularly addictive about your game.”

Your game. Josiah liked the sound of that. He only knew a handful of women who played Space Villager, but the ones who did tended to be rabid fans. It was possible he might even know Ryan’s ex by her user handle, but Josiah had just enough self-control to not ask.

“Prepare for takeoff,” the pilot intoned over the PA. This was the part Josiah hated, the acceleration and stomach-dropping ascent. Today he hated it even more, knowing they might catch the edge of that storm. Focusing on turbulence that was probably hours away wasn’t logical, but then, Josiah’s brain seldom was.

“You always so antsy or are you a nervous flyer?” Ryan asked.

Oh crap. Guess he wasn’t doing such a bang-up job projecting the aura of a with-it project manager. He laughed nervously. “Both?”

“I promise we’re going to be okay.” Ryan gave him a quick friendly pat on the knee.

Oh. Josiah’s eyes went wide. Ryan was missing part of the pinky finger on his left hand and had some wicked scarring further up his forearm. Josiah tried not to stare, but knew he failed miserably.

“Mission gone wrong,” Ryan said gruffly. “Now back to flying, millions of people fly every day. It’s safer than car travel.” His tone made it clear further discussion of his hand was not on the table.

“I know flying’s safe. Knowing that’s not the same as believing it.”

Ryan’s answering laugh seemed to strip some of the tension from his face. “How well do I know that attitude. My ex got nervous before every flight, and his buddies used to razz him about it mercilessly.”

Man, two ex references in five minutes. Ryan must be totally hung up on his ex…wait. “His buddies”…What the hell?

“Your ex is a guy?”

“Yup.” Ryan’s smirk said he’d pegged Josiah ten minutes ago, probably when Josiah couldn’t peel his eyes away from those tasty biceps.

“Cool.” He was grinning, but he couldn’t make his facial muscles behave. Hot damn. Gorgeous, muscled, single, gamer, and gay. He ticked every last one of Josiah’s “perfect man” boxes. And if the gods were kind at all, Josiah could keep it together long enough to make a lasting impression.

My Review:

Josiah and Ryan meet in the first class cabin on a flight from LA to Washington DC. They hit it off, and Josiah is thrilled to meet such a sexy, gay man, who also loves gaming. Ryan is a Navy SEAL on his way to get fitted for his new legs so he can re-take his life in active duty as an instructor–or so he hopes. Josiah is a fun and flirty seat-mate, but Ryan’s frustrated that young, cute Josiah didn’t even notice that he’s a double amputee. Or, so he thinks.

When the flight gets diverted due to a blizzard, Ryan offers Josiah a bed in his hotel room. Turns out that’s the only bed. And, while that’s totally cool, it’s not really romantic. Not for Ryan, who feels awkward about his stumps and still suffers acute phantom limb pain. But Josiah’s a sweet guy, and they make a little magic happen. While Ryan’s ready to walk away the next morning, even after their late-night gaming camaraderie, he realizes that Josiah–headed for a big meeting in Germany–left one of his laptops behind. Thus begins a sweet connection between Josiah and Ryan. Over the three week separation, they game together, they message each other, and they build a rapport neither expected.

Josiah hoped, of course, but he’s a young, flighty guy on a cocktail of meds for his ADHD. What would a serious, muscular, sexy Navy SEAL see in him? Still, he’s being challenged at work to run his own team, and it’s stressful. Being able to confide in Ryan is therapeutic, and Ryan feels the same. He can’t talk to his fellow amputees or therapists about his struggles to adapt to life on prosthetic legs because he still hopes to remain in active duty. And, his family is still overwrought with grief over his injuries to be helpful. Ryan is determined to never be a burden, and this makes it hard for him to fully engage with anyone, especially Josiah.

They meet again, a few weeks later, when Josiah stops over in DC to collect his computer and spends a few days visiting with Ryan. Their time together is sweet, and a little sexy. They make plans for another visit when Ryan returns to LA for a family party. Meanwhile, they keep in touch through phone calls and messaging. And, by little fits and starts, their romance blossoms. Josiah learns to take charge of his life, his work and his relationships, and Ryan learns being vulnerable allows a deeper connection to be made. Each man struggles–Josiah emotionally, Ryan physically and emotionally–but the end result is a tender love. They have some sweet and spicy sexytimes when all is said and done, and it’s definitely an HEA for this gamer and his SEAL.

Interested? You can find CONNECTION ERROR on Goodreads, Carina Press, Amazon (US and UK) Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and Google Play. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $20 GC.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Annabeth Albert avatarAbout the Author:
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children. Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Find Annabeth online on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.
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Falling For the LORD OF A THOUSAND STEPS–Excerpt, Review and Giveaway!

Lord of a Thousand Steps Blog Tour BannerHi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new contemporary M/M romance from Tara Lain. LORD OF A THOUSAND STEPS is the fourth book in her Love in Laguna series. I really enjoyed KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE, and PRINCE OF THE PLAYHOUSE, so I couldn’t wait to read this one! It features Ian, younger brother of Jim–star of KNAVE OF BROKEN HEARTS–and so we get to follow Jim and Ken all the way to the alter, through Ian’s eyes.

Catch the excerpt and enter to win a $15 gift card down below!

LordOfAThousandSteps400About the book:
To architecture student Ian Carney, family means everything. Taken in by his brother, Jim, when his father threw him out at eighteen for being gay, Ian yearns to create his own family with his boyfriend, Rico. But Rico’s in Mexico caring for a sick father, Ian hasn’t had sex in a month and a half, and his gorgeous boss, Braden Lord, CEO of the architectural firm Ian interns for, is looking better and better.

Braden’s life is chaos. Just out of the closet and going through an ugly divorce from his wife of fifteen years who’s trying to take custody of his two children, he desperately resolves not to succumb to a completely inappropriate attraction to Ian—even though his kids adore both the man and his crazy cat.

When Rico proves to be a snake in the grass and Ian exercises his powers of seduction, what starts as a “friends with benefits” fling turns into real life real fast. Can Ian give up his romantic dreams for an “old guy” who didn’t come out until he carried a mountain of baggage? It’ll only take a thousand steps.

How about a little taste?

“Daddy! Daddy! Look at the kitty.”

The high-pitched squeal cut through Ian’s foggy brain.

Anderson shifted on his belly, then started to vibrate.

Ian opened an eye and met two gigantic blue ones only a couple of feet away. The little girl squatted down beside him on the sand in her Frozen bathing suit, gently petting Anderson’s head and getting the motorcycle response. Ian grinned. “Hi.”

She eyed him with a grain of suspicion, but the allure of the purr proved too great and she kept petting. “Hello. What’s his name?”

“Anderson.”

“That’s a most unusual name for a cat.”

He snorted, and one of her little brows rose in an expression so far beyond her years—which appeared to be somewhere around five or six—that Ian almost snorted again. Almost. One didn’t face such disdain lightly. “Yes. I suppose it is. Have you ever heard of Anderson Cooper?”

“Uh, I believe so.” She raised her head, looking behind Ian, and said, “Have I heard of Anderson Cooper, Daddy?”

Daddy? Okay, he hadn’t moved so as not to disturb the petting frenzy. Now he scrambled to sitting, getting a yowl from Anderson, and looked behind him. Well, holy shit.

Braden Lord leaned against the rocks, one hip cocked slightly, and Ian knew that because he wore very little on those hips. Just a pair of slim-fitting board shorts that cupped an ass on its way to legend and thighs Ian could only imagine in X-rated postures.

“Hi. I mean, I didn’t see you there. Sorry.” Ian brushed sand from his legs and tried to find some moderately respectable posture that wouldn’t show his half-masted cock.

“Providing a resting place for fifty-pound felines does tend to keep you in one place.” Lord laughed. “Don’t see mountain lions much on the beach.”

“Never know when you might need protection from small angels in Frozen bathing suits.”

The little girl had flopped on her butt and now proceeded to pile sand on top of Anderson, who cooperated by stretching to his full, massive length. She gave Ian that eyebrow again. “Are you referring to me?”

Best sidestep that one. Ian extended a hand. “How do you do. I’m Ian Carney. I work for your—” He glanced up at Braden. “—daddy.”

She took his hand and shook it seriously. “I’m Mireille Lord. And I really like your cat.”

“What a pretty name.” It sounded like Mir-ray. “I’m sure Anderson likes it too.”

“Thank you. My daddy picked it out.” She glanced up at Braden as she piled more sand on the cat. “Have I heard of Anderson Cooper, Daddy?”

Braden replied very seriously, “He’s a news reporter, Mireille. You might remember him because his hair is the same color as the kitty.”

“I see.” She gave Ian an approving grin. “How very clever of you.”

My Review:
4.5 Stars. This is the fourth book in the contemporary M/M romance Love in Laguna series, but can be enjoyed on its own.

Ian is a 21 year old architecture student with a prime internship at Lord & Kendrick, a well-regarded firm. His boyfriend of the past three years, Rico, has returned to Mexico to visit his ailing father, and has promised to return so he and Ian can get an apartment together. Currently, Ian lives with his brother Jim and Jim’s fiance, Ken. Their courtship was the topic of Book 2 in this series. Jima nd Ken have a deep love, and are getting ready for their wedding. It’s a great example of the kind of loving bond Ian wants, and the family he’s desperate to build, after his wealthy father cut him off for being gay three years before.

Braden Lord is a 37 year old man, top of his game in architecture, yet struggling to hold onto custody of his two kids now that he’s coming out and divorcing his wife. He deeply loves his children and feels he’s been the emotional connection in their lives–as his wife is a bit bitter and might be more interested in new shoes than caring for her offspring. Braden feels bad about his subterfuge, but he didn’t feel like he had a choice once he accidentally helped conceive Jo-Jo, his 14 y/o son. And 5 year old Mireille is a treasure he’ll never regret…but, Braden’s not had a lot of experience being gay. He was generally abstinent, and he doesn’t know how to be out. Plus, he hasn’t actually come out, exactly. He’s shamefully attracted to young Ian, who is fun and attentive, and a little starry-eyed over Mr. Lord, the famous architect. Add that they live near each other, and Braden’s kids meet and adore both Ian and his cat, Anderson Cooper, and it’s a muddle.

As the weeks go by, Ian’s upset that he rarely hears from Rico, and that he’s attracted to sexy silver fox Braden Lord. It doesn’t help that Rico strings him along for over a month before texting Ian that he won’t be coming back at all. While Ian digs into that mess for understanding and closure, he’s also drawn into a close connection with Braden, due to a client request. Gotta love assertive women! Braden’s uncomfortable spending so much time with Ian, but he can’t get out of the agreement he made with the client for this new design,. That Ian’s actually helpful in the initial concept and CAD drawings makes Braden more uncomfortable in lusting after his new assistant.

Thing is, once Rico cut the cord, Ian’s a free man, and he’s eager to help Braden learn all there is to being a gay single man–plus, the rapport with the kids is deepening, too. I liked the kid dynamic, though I felt Mireille’s speech was (oddly) more formal than a Brit ex-pat at a tea shop. I’ve got precocious kids, and her diction was the wrong side of condescending, for me. That said, I got the flavor of it. She’s a bit bossy and demanding and Braden’s doting permissiveness was beneficial, because giving Mireille her way also meant getting lots of face time with his fave boy candy.

It’s Ian who makes all the moves, though. He knows it’s a bad career move, but he’s also way attracted. Braden, who should know better, does put the brakes on a few times, but not before it causes some trouble for his divorce settlement.

This is a sweet read, that I wished had MORE STEAM. There’s such a wealth of opportunity here, yet, we didn’t experience much of it. The plot’s nice, but there were lots of times I wanted less family drama, and more romance. I was rather shocked at how Ian took charge, that first time, and expected more fall-out in the office politics game. I really enjoyed this family, though, and how Ian made it complete. The divorce drama wasn’t TOO overwhelming; I hate to think that these fictional legal issues and conversations were indicative of real-life proceedings, but I’m sure they are. Which is sad. Braden’s ex’s attorney is a hateful woman, and his ex is no prize, which was odd, considering she was a decent woman back in the day–it seemed. As a woman, I hate reading hateful women. It’s aggravating, so those scenes were always tough, for me.

That said, I love how Braden made the grand gesture, and Ian found a family that really loved him. Not that his brother and ken didn’t–because they really do–but because Ian deserves to be an integral part of a loving family, and he really gets that in Braden’s house. Plus, beach house on the cliff? Yes, please.

Interested? You can find LORD OF A THOUSAND STEPS on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (eBook and paperback), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and AllRomance.

Love in Laguna Series Collage 1-4Don’t forget to check out previous titles in the series!  KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE, KNAVE OF BROKEN HEARTS and PRINCE OF THE PLAYHOUSE are all solid reads in this genre.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $15 GC.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Get BREAKAWAY for a Steal!

Hi there! I’m so excited to share a review and giveaway for a contemporary M/M sports romance from Avon Gale. As you know I adored her hockey playing hunks in SAVE OF THE GAME and POWER PLAY so I went and picked up the first book in the series, BREAKAWAY. The fourth book, EMPTY NET, just released yesterday, and I’m nearly finished with it, as well. So, so good! I’m not even a hockey fan, and I adore these stories!

Breakaway (Scoring Chances, #1)About the book:
Drafted to play for the Jacksonville Sea Storm, an NHL affiliate, twenty-year-old Lane Courtnall’s future looks bright, apart from the awkwardness he feels as a gay man playing on a minor league hockey team. He’s put his foot in his mouth a few times and alienated his teammates. Then, during a rivalry game, Lane throws off his gloves against Jared Shore, enforcer for the Savannah Renegades. It’s a strange way to begin a relationship.

Jared’s been playing minor league hockey for most of his career. He’s bisexual and doesn’t care if anyone knows. But he’s determined to avoid another love affair after the last one left him devastated. Out of nowhere a one-nighter with rookie Lane Courtnall gives him second thoughts. Lane reminds Jared why he loves the game and why love might be worth the risk. In turn, Jared hopes to show Lane how to be comfortable with himself on and off the ice. But they’re at different points in their careers, and both men will have to decide what they value most.

My Review:
Lane is a young closeted gay man who’s on his own for the first time in his live. He’s moved from Canada to Jacksonville, Florida to play for the Sea Storm, a minor league hockey team in a place where people hardly understand the concept of ice. It’s a total culture shock, but Lane’s generally flummoxed. He’s got no filter, and is awkward to the point of /facepalm + Oh man!. He can’t help pissing off everyone in his vicinity with his unconscious lack of tact. In a last ditch attempt to win some favor, Lane, a superlative forward and primo scorer takes on the goon for a rival team, Jared Shore.

Jared isn’t sure what to make of young, virile, talented Lane. But he doesn’t kick the man out of bed. To be the only man that Lane’s ever been with? Seems like an empty net opportunity, but he’s also got to learn to tune out Lane’s odd chatter, at times. Lane’s ashamed of being gay, afraid that his parents will disown him–something he really struggles with even though he’s supporting himself now. Jared helps him to see that being an adult means coming clean with his fears and insecurities, and that helps Lane grow as a man and a player. It’s all good preparation for Lane when he gets The Call bringing him up to the big time, a few games in the NHL. Jared’s an amazing support and together they are able to deal with Lanes parents. I have to admit that was so much sweeter than I had expected. Poor Lane, he tortured himself for so long, and for no reason! I loved Lane, even when I wanted to smack him. He did crack me up with his completely outrageous conversations.

This is a very tender read, considering the guys are grown adult hockey players. I loved how the romance built a little at a time, as Lane and Jared are players on different teams and have lots of forced separations due to schedules. It made their brief trysts so much sweeter, and that was really fun to experience. Also fun? Lane and his new sexual experiences! I do love me a virgin, from time to time. I’m not a hockey fan at all, but this one put me in a smiling frame-of-mind and gave me warm feels despite all that ice.

Interested? You can find BREAKAWAY on Goodreads, and for a single DOLLAR on Dreamspinner Press through 9/4. Regularly priced on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.

SaveoftheGameFSPowerPlayfsSAVE OF THE GAME (Scoring Chances #2) is also on sale. Catch my review here, and pick it up for $2 on Dreamspinner Press.

POWER PLAY (Scoring Chances #3) is ALSO on sale. Catch my review here, and pick it up for $3 on Dreamspinner Press.

About the author:
Avon Gale was once the mayor on Foursquare of Jazzercise and Lollicup, which should tell you all you need to know about her as a person. She likes road trips, rock concerts, drinking Kentucky bourbon and yelling at hockey. She’s a displaced southerner living in a liberal midwestern college town, and when she’s not writing you can find her at the salon, making her clients look and feel fabulous. She never gets tired of people and their stories — either real or the ones she makes up in her head.

You can find Avon on Facebook, twitter, Pinterest or sign up for her newsletter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Finding Love While LOOKING FOR GROUP–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary M/M romance from Alexis Hall. I really liked WAITING FOR THE FLOOD and FOR REAL, so I jumped at the chance to read LOOKING FOR GROUP. It’s a New Adult romance between two gamers who meet in cyberspace.

Looking for GroupAbout the book:

So, yeah, I play Heroes of Legend, y’know, the MMO. I’m not like obsessed or addicted or anything. It’s just a game. Anyway, there was this girl in my guild who I really liked because she was funny and nerdy and a great healer. Of course, my mates thought it was hilarious I was into someone I’d met online. And they thought it was even more hilarious when she turned out to be a boy IRL. But the joke’s on them because I still really like him.

And now that we’re together, it’s going pretty well. Except sometimes I think Kit—that’s his name, sorry I didn’t mention that—spends way too much time in HoL. I know he has friends in the guild, but he has me now, and my friends, and everyone knows people you meet online aren’t real. I mean. Not Kit. Kit’s real. Obviously.

Oh, I’m Drew, by the way. This is sort of my story. About how I messed up some stuff and figured out some stuff. And fell in love and stuff.

My Review:

Drew is a 19 y/o student in video game design in Leicester. He’s a gamer, but not obsessed. Well, he’s good at Heroes of Legend and is super pissed when his Guild doesn’t value him, or his skills, so he ragequits them. He searches for a new Guild and joins one that’s specifically less intense than the one he’d been with the past three years. These folks are far more engaged in game for game’s sake playing, and take time to study the game, and the lore of it, for funa dn enjoyment, not simply moving forward to rack up points and prestige. It’s different, but oddly welcome, and Drew finds himself really enjoying the game in a way he hasn’t in a long time.

He’s also intrigued by the main Healer, Solace, whose winged Elf avatar is strangely compelling. Drew spends more time in HoL than ever, messaging with Solace thinking that she might-could be a gamer girl. It’s been more than a year since Drew’s dated, and he’s a bit smitten. Then he learns that Solace is really Christopher, call him Kit, and a physics student at Uni of Leicester. It’s frustrating and confusing, because he’d built a bit of a rapport, and now thinks it was all a hoax. But, it wasn’t, and Kit is just a shy gay man who’s never ever dated. His friends are all virtual, though he’s met many in person over the years.

Drew wants to meet Kit in person, and there’s a lot of angst around this, but the do eventually, and they hit it off. Drew never imagined being with a man, but he’s clearly attracted to sweet, shy and stunning Kit. And, he wants more IRL (in real life) time than Kit is quite comfortable with giving, at first.

This was a sweet book that is very low steam, lots of self-investigation, and tons of gaming. Like, so much gaming I might have felt I was IN THE GAME with the avatars of our characters. That was not entirely awesome, for me, as I really prefer being in the character’s heads and so much happened in the game space I was often left behind. It took me a while to catch on to the gaming lingo and syntax, and I found out–way too late–that there was a Glossary just waiting for me at the end of the book…and, it’s a British read, so the Brit slang plus game slang was challenging, for me.

About the romance, it was low-key, but high stakes. Drew’s a straight man, falling for a man he’s only virtually known. Their immediate connection in real life is as scary as it is thrilling. Drew’s friends are less-than-charmed with all his gaming time spent in HoL with Kit, however, and this becomes a problem, because Drew’s sensitive to Kit’s lack of life experience and fears he has a gaming addiction Drew hopes to fix. Kit’s never had a real boyfriend, and finding Drew, who also knows HoL, seems like a dream come true…yet, it isn’t.

I liked the sweetness, but I’ll admit to wishing there was more steam and less Steam (that’s a gaming joke; Steam is where you go buy/play games…). The big conflict left a rift that Drew made right in the only, and best, way possible. I loved how his grand plans were so intricate and really relied on his gaming skill. It was charming. The book is sure to appeal to readers who also have a more-than-casual interest in gaming-slash-gaming romance. The M/M aspect was limited to kissing and exhilaration, with no other descriptions on the page. Still, first love/new love is always fun to absorb.

Interested? You can find LOOKING FOR GROUP on Goodreads, Riptide Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

About the Author:

Alexis Hall was born in the early 1980s and still thinks the 21st century is the future. To this day, he feels cheated that he lived through a fin de siècle but inexplicably failed to drink a single glass of absinthe, dance with a single courtesan, or stay in a single garret. He did the Oxbridge thing sometime in the 2000s and failed to learn anything of substance. He has had many jobs, including ice cream maker, fortune teller, lab technician, and professional gambler. He was fired from most of them.

He can neither cook nor sing, but he can handle a 17th century smallsword, punts from the proper end, and knows how to hotwire a car. He lives in southeast England, with no cats and no children, and fully intends to keep it that way.

Catch up with him on his website, twitter and Facebook.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Their Love is HEARTBORN–Review and Giveaway!

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary YA supernatural romance-ish novel from Terry Maggert. HEARTBORN is a book where angels not only exist, they’re ready to rule. And humans they save may return the favor.

Be sure to drop below and enter to win a $25 GC in the giveaway.

Book Cover - HeartbornAbout the book:
Her guardian angel was pushed.

Keiron was never meant to be anything other than a hero. Born high above in a place of war and deception, he is Heartborn, a being of purity and goodness in a place where there violence and deceit are just around every corner.

His disappearance will spark a war he cannot see, for Keiron has pierced the light of days to save a girl he has never met, for reasons he cannot understand. Livvy Foster is seventeen, brave, and broken. With half a heart, she bears the scars of a lifetime of pain and little hope of survival.

Until Keiron arrives.

In the middle of a brewing war and Livvy’s failing heart, Keiron will risk everything for Livvy, because a Heartborn’s life can only end in one way: Sacrifice.

Fall with Livvy and Keiron as they seek the truth about her heart, and his power, and what it means to love someone who will give their very life to save you.

My Review:
Livvy is a seventeen year old girl with a congenital heart defect that keeps her just healthy enough to not be hospitalized. She works in a library, inexplicably, despite the seemingly intense struggle to simply walk to and from her post at the information desk.

Keiron is an angel on Earth. Literally. His mission is to find and save Livvy. Because reasons. He does find her, and pretends he’s human to befriend this nearly-friendless human girl. They even share a few chaste kisses that pretty much leave Livvy swooning, or maybe that dizziness was simply her heart being overtaxed. Meanwhile, Keiron’s family is preparing for battle. His elder brother has been accused of Keiron’s murder, and his parents are standing trial in what’s little more than a thinly-disguised power grab by an ancient angelic council. Battle looms and Livvy’s heart is growing weaker. Good thing Keiron is there to save the day….

I really felt like this was a tale of two books. It’s a supernatural romance, of sorts, with angels and humans. Many of the chapters relate the angelic host and the fight to come once Keiron falls to Earth on his quest to save Livvy. The parts with Livvy on Earth are pedestrian and tired. I had about a million questions regarding Livvy and her job, and why? What’s up with her heart condition? Why is she working? What are Heartborn, and what is their purpose?  Where are her parents? Why so many convenient mean people? And, who are these weirdos in the library?

The pacing of the story is slowed with flamboyant descriptions of setting and backstory and characters that set a very grand stage, yet the resolution comes far too quickly. And, it’s a confusing resolution. Livvy is a girl that lots of stuff happens to, and her passivity as a character made it hard for me to relate. Keiron seems like a great guy, and I’m pretty unhappy how things turned out for him. I’m also not clear on a good bit of what happened. At some point all the library people seemed to turn into her medical team, so was the library an illusion? Or, was she constantly monitored by some mystical watch team. I don’t know. I’m not really sure. Too many questions, too few answers, and that’s kind of frustrating. Ultimately, my problem was with the slow reveal of motivation and plot, and when information was finally given, the picture still felt incomplete, to me.

In short, it’s a winding fantasy with a lot of stuff that happens, but no clear reason for much of it. Lots and lots of coincidence, or perhaps just plain illusions that felt mostly contrived and stereotypical. I liked the scenes in “Heaven” best, but understood them the least. Go figure. I expect there’s another book, because Livvy ascends to the Heavens to help fight the angelic war, powered by the love and sacrifice of Keiron. Readers who like metaphysical books will enjoy HEARTBORN more than I did.

Interested? You can find HEARTBORN on Goodreads and Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About Author Terry Maggert:
I discovered fishing shortly after walking, a boon, considering I lived in South Florida. After a brief move to Kentucky, my family trekked back to the Sunshine State. I had the good fortune to attend high school in idyllic upstate New York, where I learned about a mythical substance known as “Seasons”. After two or three failed attempts at college, I bought a bar. That was fun because I love beer, but, then, I eventually met someone smarter than me (a common event), and, in this case, she married me and convinced me to go back to school–which I did, with enthusiasm. I earned a Master’s Degree in History and rediscovered my love for writing. My novels explore dark fantasy, immortality, and the nature of love as we know it. I live near Nashville, Tennessee, with the aforementioned wife, son, and herd, and, when I’m not writing, I teach history, grow wildly enthusiastic tomato plants, and restore my 1967 Mustang.

You can catch up with Terry on his website, Facebook, twitter, Goodreads and YouTube.

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Finding Out If He’s BOYFRIEND MATERIAL–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary M/M romance that’s somewhere between YA and New Adult, recently published from K. A. Mitchell. BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is a kinda sweet story that’s best read after GETTING HIM BACK.

Boyfriend Material (Ethan & Wyatt, #2)About the book:
Physically, it’s easy for Ethan and Wyatt to be together—well, if “easy” means stolen moments when Ethan’s roommate is away, or sneaking away to a hidden nook in the library. Privacy is hard to come by in a dorm, but finding ways to connect is half the fun.

Emotionally, though, that’s a different story. Wyatt isn’t sure if a relationship is something he can make last—years of having to hide his emotions have left him with a shaky sense of self-confidence. And when it’s time to head home for the holidays, their steamy on-campus connection may not translate so well to the real world…

My Review:
3.5 Stars.  This is the second book in a contemporary New Adult/Upper YA M/M romance series and likely best enjoyed when read in order.

Ethan and Wyatt are boyfriends on campus. Wyatt is a little older, been there for a couple years. Ethan is a freshman. The first book, which isn’t recounted at all, is all about them getting together. This book is all about the challenges of them building a relationship.

Wyatt is a “bad boy” in that he assisted in a large theft, in a stolen vehicle, when he was a young teen. Like 14-15. He was caught, tried, convicted and served 2 years in juvie. He’s from a Nowhere West Virginia Small Town where everyone is poor, and has been raised by his mother alone for his whole life. Ethan’s an only child from an upper middle class family. He’s honest, kind and patient, comfortable in his skin and sexuality, while Wyatt is reserved and mostly ashamed of many aspects of himself and his life. Wyatt has little experience with men, because he wasn’t sure he was gay, and didn’t want to become a bigger target by revealing his homosexuality. Now, with Ethan, he’s willing.

Ethan wants Wyatt to come home with him for Thanksgiving. And Christmas break. And, probably forever, but Wyatt is reticent. He knows/believes that he’s not boyfriend material, and doesn’t want Ethan’s family to reject him.

So, as far as the story goes, it was okay. I was a bit lost on some of the beginning, having not read the first book. As a devout serial reader, it is a pet peeve of mine when there is nothing to orient the reader to certain salient parts of the past in the new book. These are novellas, and a few sentences would go a long way to bringing fresh readers in, without too much repetition of the first book for those who’ve read that. Especially as this novella is told from Wyatt’s POV, and what a big switch that is, apparently, from the first book. Like, I have no idea what Waardenburg syndrome is–and I’ve got a Really Big Degree that certifies me to teach medical physiology. Wyatt suffers from it, and I barely got even a cursory description of what that meant, or how it affected his life. Heads up: it’s a genetic disease and means Wyatt’s partially deaf, and he has two different color eyes and brilliant white hair. His uncle has even greater penetrance and is totally deaf. Wyatt’s sensitive to his appearance, and how it affects those around him. He doesn’t want to be a curiosity, which is why he shies from contact with people, and hides behind a hoodie. All the time.

Ethan’s this sunny, “glass is nearly full” loving young man. He recently broke off from a relationship with a boy from his hometown–one who goes to significant lengths to make Wyatt feel uncomfortable–and he wants to crow out his good fortune at finding Wyatt, and getting Wyatt to love him. He is charmingly naive and starry-eyed. I’m glad he loves Wyatt, because Wyatt NEEDS someone to love him. I wish there was a bit more to this book. I know it’s a HFN, with a third installment promised, but I wanted there to be a bit more meat. Mostly it’s Wyatt worrying about the state of his relationship, and pushing away from Ethan before he can get his heart broken. It seemed a little juvenile, which is why I think it’s more Upper YA than New Adult. There’s sex on the page, and that was pretty good, but the overall vibe is still kinda young, IMHO. I also struggled with the mostly-telling narrative, and didn’t quite bond with Wyatt, as a result. It’s a quick read, though, and I might pick up the third book, if I had the time.

Interested? You can find BOYFRIEND MATERIAL on Goodreads, Carina Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
K.A. Mitchell discovered the magic of writing at an early age when she learned that a carefully crayoned note of apology sent to the kitchen in a toy truck would earn her a reprieve from banishment to her room. Her career as a spin-control artist was cut short when her family moved to a two-story house, and her trucks would not roll safely down the stairs. Around the same time, she decided that Chip and Ken made a much cuter couple than Ken and Barbie and was perplexed when invitations to play Barbie dropped off. She never stopped making stuff up, though, and was surprised to find out that people would pay her to do it. Although the men in her stories usually carry more emotional baggage than even LAX can lose in a year, she guarantees they always find their sexy way to a happy ending.

Catch up with KA on her website, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Not Easy Being THE YOUNG AND THE SUBMISSIVE–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary BDSM novel from the writing team of Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob, and Isabella LaPearl. THE YOUNG AND THE SUBMISSIVE is the sequel to ONE DOM TO LOVE. I’m catching up so I’m ready when the next book drops in September. TYatS had a whole lot more loving, but also a whole lot more fighting, as Raine, Liam and Hammer work themselves into a sexy menage.

The Young and the Submissive (The Doms of Her Life, #2)About the book:
Raine Kendall has everything a woman could want…almost. Sexy, tender Dom Liam O’Neill is her knight in shining armor, but Raine is constantly pinching herself. Is he too good to be true or is this growing connection one that could last a lifetime? She’s constantly torn by her abiding feelings for her commanding boss, Macen “Hammer” Hammerman, especially in the wake the mind-blowing night he cast aside the barriers between them and ravaged every inch of her body.

Hammer, Liam’s former best friend, can’t stop coveting Raine. But Liam is determined to hold and guide the woman he loves and see if she can be the submissive of his dreams. However, he’s finding that her trust is hard won and he needs a bloody crowbar to pry open her scarred soul. So he risks everything to win her once and for all. But once he’s put his daring plan in motion, will it cost Liam his heart if he loses Raine to Hammer for good?

My Review:
This is the second book in a contemporary BDSM menage romance and is best enjoyed when read in order.

Raine has spent six years in love with her dark knight, Macen “Master Hammer” Hammerman, ever since he took her in off the streets when she escaped her abusive father’s attempted rape. Hammer may run a BDSM dungeon, but he’d never force a partner–and he’s never wanted to abuse petite Raine. He’s loved her, but fears his own dark desire might be too much for her. Plus, she’s now connecting with his best friend and fellow Dom, Liam’O’Neill. Years ago Liam and Macen shared Macen’s wife, Juliet. It seemed a perfect arrangement, but wasn’t, and the men are gun-shy about sharing another sub.

Even if that’s what Raine needs.

This book is all about working in the kinks, and part of that is Liam and Hammer learning how to share. Their bickering is freaking Raine out, even before they decide to try a menage. Liam has collared Raine, but she can’t give her whole heart and submission to him, on account of having such a longing and respect for Macen. For my part, I was ready to kick Macen out of bed, empty chip bag or not. He’s a mental whirlwind, and devious. In the previous book he did the unthinkable, tried to claim Raine after she accepted Liam as her Master–and his treachery isn’t small, because he didn’t protect Raine when she was truly vulnerable.

Liam’s tender and loving, but he struggles with Raine’s silence. She may not lie, but she sure doesn’t tell the whole truth. His biggest gambit seems to all but fail, until some friends intervene. I really liked Beck, the dungeon’s resident sadist, and how he was the right kind of tough to get Raine back on track. These guys are a little bit silly, to me. They practice D/s but they aren’t hard 24/7 which was a relief. Liam and Hammer get on board with Beck’s plan to work together, and that’s the best part of the book–also the end, mostly. Expect a sated sub, two frazzled Doms and a smart aleck surgeon to save the day. While it’s the end of the book, it’s just the beginning of their new menage. I found this one to be both more sexy and more romantic than the first book.

Interested? You can find THE YOUNG AND THE SUBMISSIVE on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Authors:
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels. For over fifteen years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold well over a million copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past seven years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and a very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

You can find Shayla on her website, Facebook and twitter.

Bestselling author Jenna Jacob paints a canvas of passion, romance, and humor as her Alpha men and the feisty women who love them unravel their souls and heal their scars to find their happily-ever-after kind of love. Heart-tugging, captivating, and steamy, Jenna’s books will surely leave you breathless and craving more.

A mom of four grown children, Jenna and her Alpha-Hunk husband live in Kansas. Jenna loves books, Harleys, music, and camping. Jenna’s zany sense of humor and lack of filter exemplify her motto: Live. Laugh. Love.

Meet the wild and wicked family in her sultry series: The Doms of Genesis. Or become spellbound by the searing love connection between Raine, Hammer, and Liam in her continuing saga: The Doms of Her Life (co-written with the amazing Shayla Black and Isabella La Pearl). Journey with couples struggling to resolve their pasts to discover unbridled love and devotion in Jenna’s new contemporary series: Passionate Hearts.

Find Jenna online on her website, Facebook and twitter.

Find Isabella on Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Paranormal Lovin’ WRIGGLE AND SPARKLE-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a newly released paranormal M/M police shifter romance from Megan Derr. WRIGGLE AND SPARKLE is unlike most shifter stories, in that, the main characters are a kraken and a unicorn. While this is MOSTLY a M/M romance, there are M/F elements, because, well…krakens can change gender. Which I found to be fantastic. This book made me smile all day and half the night.

Wriggle & SparkleAbout the book:
Lynn is a kraken shifter in every way: detailed, tenacious, resilient, and hard-working. Also possessive, vain, arrogant, and demanding. It makes him an excellent agent for the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Security and Investigation—and impossible to work with, as the long list of partners who have transferred away from him will attest.

His newest partner is a unicorn, possibly the worst type of paranormal for work that often turns ugly and violent. Everyone knows unicorns are too delicate for such things. Then Anderson proves to be a unicorn like no other, the kind of partner Lynn has always wanted—the kind of partner he wishes was more. But if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s that the only thing harder to keep than a partner is a lover.

Warning: Contains tentacle porn.

My Review:
This is a collection of paranormal M/M romance novellas that feature the “Paranormal FBI” partners Lynn Seymour, a kraken shifter, and Anderson Meadows, a unicorn shifter.

Soon into their first case together Lynn and Anderson begin a very delicious and dirty sexual relationship. I was enthralled with the variety and intensity of sexytimes these two got up to, especially as Lynn, being a kraken, can change his sex. Anderson seems to prefer the male Lynn, but he has no trouble loving up the lady bits either, when Lynn goes undercover.

There are five or six novellas that follow “Wriggly” and “Sparkleson” as they build a life together, even if their work partnership fizzles. I really enjoyed their hi jinks and how they were smart investigators–and handled all the misadventures they got rolled up into, even by accident. I don’t want to reveal all the fun stuff. I came into the book expecting to be amused, and that expectation was absolutely exceeded.

Lynn is a wealthy kraken, who will spare no expense for his beautiful, snarky Sparkleson. Anderson had never planned to settle down, but he is enthralled by Lynn’s possessiveness and deep affection. Oh, and the sex is phenomenal. Tentacles abound. And, later on, lady-bits, too. There’s so much variety that Anderson never needs to look for another partner. Lynn’s love for Anderson knows no limits and Anderson’s amazed to realize this is the case for him, too.

Expect meddling family, murderous family, snark, snark and more snark, spoiling of a unicorn, the thorough taking of one shifter by another on the regular, many solved crimes and bad guys brought to justice, and a happily ever after so sweet I need a dental x-ray.

Interested? You can find WRIGGLE & SPARKLE on Goodreads, Less Than Three Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Megan is a long time resident of m/m fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies (especially all things James Bond). She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all around the internet.

Check out Megan’s website, blog, twitter and Tumblr.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Cephalopod Coffeehouse August 2016–HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

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Hi there! Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the tomes they enjoyed most over the previous month. Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my fave read of the month, and it’s clearly HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD. I’ve talked to some young readers who’ve recently devoured the series, and they report it’s not THEIR kind of book, but, as an adult reader, I adored it.

Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildAbout the book:
The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

My Review:

So. I bought the hype, somewhat. I’ve read ll the HP books with my eldest, nearly 20 years old now, and I couldn’t resist this one, even though it’s not a novel. It’s a play. Expect stage directions and all if you pick it up. It’s also not really a kid’s story. Which is totally fine because the last three books, IMHO, were for elder readers–late teen to adult. How many ten year olds really want to slog through THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, after all?

That said, this book makes a distinct break because a large portion of the story is told from an adult POV, that of Harry Potter at ages 37-40. He’s married with three children and one of his kids, the middle child Albus Severus Potter, is a misfit. Not only does Albus get sorted into Slytherin, his best friend is outcast Scorpius Malfoy, only child of Draco Malfoy. Albus struggles with his auspicious parentage, especially as he doesn’t possess the fantastic gifts at wizardry of his father, or even his popular elder brother, James. Further, Albus and Harry have a very strained relationship. Harry struggles as a parent to Albus, but has no issues with James and Lily. It isolates Albus, even when Harry makes deliberate attempts, fruitless though they are, to connect.

Meanwhile, Scorpius is haunted by rumors that his father is truly Voldemort, and he’s mercilessly harangued at Hogwarts. Albus stays by his side, and they develop a strong, true friendship. The plot gets very messy when a Time Turner is discovered by the Ministry of Magic. See, Time Turners are outlawed because changing the past is a BIG PROBLEM. And, the experimental Time Turner is able to bring people back far further than ever imagined. One person in particular, Amos Diggory, wants Harry to go back and save his lost son, Cedric. This cause, saving The Spare who was murdered in Harry’s stead, becomes of prime importance for 14 year-old Albus. And he recruits Scorpius and Cedric’s cousin, Delphi, to assist in stealing the Time Turner from his Aunt Hermione in order to pull off this daring rescue.

I think we all know this goes poorly. As all adults will opine, changing the past is fraught with collateral damage. And that’s exactly what happens. While we’re never eager to embrace the atrocities that have come to pass, we also know that undoing such things, say by murdering Hitler as a child or something, would lead to so many unforeseen consequences that our world would be irrevocably altered. So, the play, the story, embraces the worst of these outcomes, and builds real terror for Albus and Scorpius. It harkens to the adage “No good deed goes unpunished,” and we experience a great deal of punishment in this fiction-scape.

As an adult, I relished the nuances of the story. I expect many younger kids won’t. They don’t have the maturity to fully experience the adult POV, but so many of the readers of this series are adults, and I believe that those people are, like myself, well satisfied. Several themes are similar to all HP books: friendship saves the day, valor is a consequence of situation–not a goal to seek, and courage is being who you are, regardless of consequence. The old ties are strong, and new ties can be beneficial. It was rewarding, to me, to see Harry and Draco on the same side, openly, for the first time. I liked how all the pieces fit together, in the same way that they always have. I didn’t feel as if I was wondering, much, and I liked the pacing of the story. I’m out of practice reading plays, but fell right in once I got started. In truth, it was refreshing not having the ponderous descriptions of setting bog me down, just this once. That said, I much prefer novels, on the whole. Though, in reality, this book would have been twice as big if it had been a novel. I was able to follow along with all the scene changes and implied emotive notes without any difficulty. Younger readers might struggle with the format, which is the sentiment I’ve gathered from those who have read the book already.

I really do not want to spoil the book, but it must be said that both Voldemort and his progeny are present on the page, albeit briefly. It’s a bittersweet read with tons of action and a plot that satisfied. I literally read the book in the span of an evening, so you know the pace is fantastic.

Interested? You can find HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD pretty much anywhere. But also on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks so much for popping in. Be sure to check out the fave reads of my fellow Coffeehouse reviewers.

 

Rough Roads in FIRST COMES LOVE-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a women’s contemporary read from Emily Giffin. I had thought FIRST COMES LOVE would be a romance, based on the title, but it was a family drama that touched a lot of nerves for me.

First Comes LoveAbout the book:
In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead.

My Review:
The Garland family suffered a horrifying tragedy just before Chirstmas fifteen years ago: the eldest son, Daniel, a med student and all-around great guy, was killed in a car wreck while home visiting his family for the holidays. A year later, his parents divorced. His sisters, Josie and Meredith, are still shattered by the loss.

Josie is a 37 year old first grade teacher. She’s always been the pretty, party girl, and long suspected that Daniel was out on that icy December night to pick her up from a bar, where she’d been black-out intoxicated. She’s been to Daniel’s grave only once in fifteen years: the day of his funeral. Her relationship with Meredith has always been strained by sibling rivalry, but they are virtual strangers to each other at this point, their only true connection Josie’s huge love for Harper, her niece. At this point, Josie’s done looking for Mr. Right. She has good friends, a solid job and the only missing piece is a child of her own. She’s considering single motherhood, very seriously.

Meredith’s life is far different at 35 than she expected it to be. She’s a lawyer, not an actress. She’s living in her childhood home, with a veritable shrine to Daniel just down the hall. She’s married to Nolan, Daniel’s childhood best friend–and she’s woefully insecure underneath her tough veneer. Did she accept Nolan’s proposal on account of Daniel? Did Nolan propose out of some perverted sense of duty, or guilt? Does she even love her husband? She’s in therapy, and trying to work things out, and struggling with the choices she feels she made out of duty rather than desire. And, she’s jealous of Josie, who, she believes, rather selfishly always made her own way.

This book isn’t a breeze read. It’s filled with regret, remorse and recollection. Josie and Meredith tell the story with dual viewpoint, and it’s tough to see how these good folks find themselves still so lost, fifteen years after Daniel’s sudden death. I personally recognized certain elements from my own family in the aftermath of my Grandfather’s death–where paths quickly changed and relationships soon soured. When beloved people, caught in a trap of mourning, made decisions they later regretted. So, I got that. I also recognized Meredith’s deep unhappiness in her marriage–which I think a good number of people can relate with–for unhappiness within herself. I was shocked and satisfied with Nolan’s take on it all. While the whole ‘if you love someone, let them go’ idea is still a little counter to the romance ‘dogma’, I think it mainly worked here.

Josie and Meredith have a lot of fences to mend, and I applauded the role of Gabe, Josie’s best friend, for his unshakable support, and also speaking plainly to Meredith about her callous treatment of Josie. I think it’s easy to dislike Meredith, because she’s so cold and harried, and ungrateful for what seems a “perfect” life, but she’s also incredibly human, and an approachable model of many working mothers.

The loss of one person, at the wrong time, often has far-reaching effects within a family. I’ve seen this happen in real life, and I deeply sympathized with the characters as a result. That made this book a far more difficult read, personally, for me. The marriage issues were also tough to take, as I know I’ve had similar introspection as Meredith. No one likes looking at a difficult reflection, after all. The book resolves in a way that makes it seem as if the ship has changed course and is bound for brighter shores. It’s still a long journey toward healing, but the heading is right and the wind is fresh and strong. I really liked it, even if it didn’t leave me glowing.

Interested? You can find FIRST COMES LOVE on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time. The author of seven New York Times bestselling novels, The One & Only, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love The One You’re With, Heart of the Matter, and Where We Belong, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children. FIRST COMES LOVE is her eighth novel.

Catch up with Emily on her website, Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!