Reviews

Books I’ve read and reviewed

Surviving the Darkness: LOVE IN THE LIGHT–Review and Giveaway

LITL available nowHi there! I’m so excited to share a review for a new contemporary romance from bestselling author Laura Kaye. LOVE IN THE LIGHT is the long-awaited sequel to HEARTS IN DARKNESS, a novel of two people finding love in a tight situation: trapped in an elevator during a power outage. I just adored Makenna and Caden and was so glad to have an HEA for them once the rescue was long past. This sequel, however, deals with the darkness that creeps in when we least expect it: depression, and PTSD, and finding a way back to the light of love. It was really touching for me, a depression survivor.

Catch my review below and be sure to enter to win one of three totes filled with book swag.

Love in the Light (Hearts in Darkness, #2)About the book:
Two hearts in the darkness…
Makenna James and Caden Grayson have been inseparable since the day they were trapped in a pitch-black elevator and found acceptance and love in the arms of a stranger. Makenna hopes that night put them on the path to forever—which can’t happen until she introduces her tattooed, pierced, and scarred boyfriend to her father and three over-protective brothers.

Must fight for love in the light…
Haunted by a childhood tragedy and the loss of his family, Caden never thought he’d find the love he shares with Makenna. But the deeper he falls, the more he fears the devastation sure to come if he ever lost her, too. When meeting her family doesn’t go smoothly, Caden questions whether Makenna deserves someone better, stronger, and just more…normal. Maybe they’re too different—and he’s far too damaged—after all…

Praise for LOVE IN THE LIGHT:

“Readers that have been anxiously waiting for more of this story will be thrilled with the passionate and poignant way Kaye dives back in with this complicated and much loved couple. Love in the Light will have readers falling in love with Caden and Makenna all over again!” ~ Jay Crownover, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Marked Men Series

“Sexy, emotional and incredibly heartwarming, fans of Laura Kaye won’t be disappointed!” ~ Monica Murphy, New York Times Bestselling Author of the One Week Girlfriend Quartet

“Laura Kaye has a gift for writing beautifully damaged men and Caden Grayson leads the pack with enough vulnerability to twist your heart in knots.” ~ Tessa Bailey, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Line of Duty Series

“This book delivers – sweet romance, smoking hot sex, an entire tissue box full of angsty drama, and such love shining off the pages that it will blind you.” ~ Christi Barth, Author of the Shore Secrets Series

“This follow up to one of the most beloved couples in romance is delivered in the emotional and touching way that only Laura Kaye can do. Love in the Light is everything I could have wanted for Makenna and Caden–and more!” ~ Jillian Stein, Read-Love-Blog

My Review:
This is the second book in a series, and can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed after reading HEARTS IN DARKNESS.

**SPOILER ALERT**(of Hearts in Darkness…because it’s super relevant to the second book!)
So, Makenna and Caden met two months ago when they were trapped in an elevator for hours. Caden is a paramedic; he chose this profession because his family was in a horrific wreck when he was fourteen, and he was trapped for hours upside-down in a drainage ditch with no assistance. His father was unconscious and his mother and younger brother were killed. His family shattered that night, with his father living a half-life that had no love or affection for anyone, not even Caden. Caden still suffers PTSD and claustrophobia as a result of the wreck, but he’s a damn good paramedic, and thrives on his level-head while assisting people in emergencies. While trapped in the elevator Makenna helps Caden with his clautrophobia-induced panic attack. They bonded over them each losing their mothers when young–Makenna’s mom died when she was a toddler.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving. And LOVE IN THE LIGHT. Caden hasn’t had a family holiday since the car wreck. He usually works overtime at the firehouse so guys with families can have the holiday off, but Makenna’s family wants to meet him, so they drive to Philly. There, Caden has to face the gauntlet of Makenna’s three brothers and father. He actually holds his own, despite his anxiety, and is even able to tolerate the appearance of Cameron–bestie of Makenna’s brother Ian and also Makenna’s former serious boyfriend–former fiance, truth be made clear. And Cameron’s sure he wants Makenna in his life.

This book is told from both Caden and Makenna’s POV, so we get to experience the highest of highs and lowest of lows. And boy howdy, does it get dark. Caden’s been asymptomatic for PTSD for a while, but he finally has someone real in his life–Makenna–to lose. And Cameron, successful, attractive doctor, is certainly better-suited to giving his beloved Makenna a far better life than Caden can. Right?

Enter depression and complete freak out and Makenna having her own sincere challenges–that include a pushy Cameron, medical issues, and an unshakable love for Caden. This is a romance that started with an HEA, got mired in the depths of depression, and worked hard to find the light of love. And succeeded. As a depression survivor, the descent into darkness that Caden experiences is eerily reminiscent of my own personal history. The love that Makenna has, and Caden has for that matter, are really intense. Life is not easy, as they both learn, and–what may be more relevant: life doesn’t wait for you to get your act together. So many good parts of the book that touched off memories for me–big family, lots of nosy siblings, ulterior motives, and the helplessness/hopelessness of depression.

The end is a bit of a thrill ride, with Caden facing his worst fears and coming out on the side with joy he never dared to dream. While Makenna tells a lot of this story, I really felt that Caden’s journey was more compelling. Mostly because she’s being excellent and supportive and dealing while Caden is a complete wreck inside and out that must get fixed right this time.

I wonder if we’ll hear more of their love story, but even if we don’t…I’m sure they make it.

Interested? You can find LOVE IN THE LIGHT on Goodreads, Amazon, Amazon UK, iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo

****GIVEAWAY****

Click this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win one of three totes filled with book swag.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

HID 99SaleDon’t forget to pick up HEARTS IN DARKNESS–Currently on sale for $.99!

Two strangers…

Makenna James thinks her day can’t get any worse, until she finds herself stranded in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call, the pin-striped accountant catches only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights go out.

Four hours…

Caden Grayson is amused when a harried redhead dashes into his elevator fumbling her bags and cell phone. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he’s terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he’s trapped in his own worst nightmare.

One pitch-black elevator…

To fight fear, they must reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?

Author PhotoAbout Laura Kaye:
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

You can catch up with Laura online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Newsletter SignUp.

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Revolution and Romance: SONG OF THE NAVIGATOR–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a futuristic M/M sci-fi romance from Astrid Amara. SONG OF THE NAVIGATOR is part Dune, part Star Trek, and an enemies-to-lovers romance. I found it engaging and would love to read a sequel.

Song of the NavigatorAbout the book:

Worst Possible Birthday: Being sold into slavery by none other than your lover.

Tover Duke’s rare ability to move anything instantly across light-years of space makes him a powerful, valuable asset to the Harmony Corporation, and a rock star among the people of the colonies. His life is luxurious. Safe. Routine.

He has his pick of casual hookups passing through Dadelus-Kaku Station. His one brush with danger of any kind—the only bright spot in his otherwise boring life—is Cruz Arcadio, a dark-haired, hard-bodied engineer whose physical prowess hints he’s something much more.

When a terrorist abducts Tover, hurling him into a world of torture, exploitation and betrayal, it’s with shattering disbelief that he realizes his kidnapper is none other than Cruz. As Tover struggles to find the courage to escape his bondage, he begins to understand the only way to free his body, his mind—and his heart—is to trust the one man who showed him that everything about his once-perfect life was a lie.

Warning: This story contains descriptions of extreme violence and assault. It also contains graphic sexual depictions. It also has a lot of birds. And pirate movies from the future. And romance.

My Review:

4.5 Stars for this futuristic M/M adventure romance.

Tover Duke is one of 42 navigators in the galaxy. He is esteemed by all for his ability to shift cargo and people, using his voice and some sophisticated technology and body implants, and is well paid for his service to the Harmony Corporation. He loves his beautiful hotel suite home, and his aviary stocked with tame birds, but he doesn’t love how he has to sneak around to find men for his pleasure. Harmony Corp doesn’t approve of same-sex relationships, and Tover has had to hide behind trysts with women. He has one special man he routinely seeks out–Cruz, an engineer who occasionally pops into the space station where Tover lives and works, but those reunions are few and far between.

On Tover’s 30th birthday there’s a huge celebration–and it’s interrupted by the advent of a disheveled Cruz popping in and taking Tover hostage. Cruz convinces Tover to “jump” them both to a remote space station. As soon as they arrive, Tover is taken into custody, and traded to pirates aboard the station to secure the release of Cruz and his associates. (It seemed clear that this was the best of a lot of bad options for Cruz, and one he agreed to reluctantly.) While imprisoned on the pirates’ vessel, Tover is beaten and tortured for his unwillingness to assist moving the pirates’ cargo.

He’s rescued later, but the damage has been done. His torture has resulted in psychological damage that causes him physical and visceral pain whenever he even considers “jumping.” That doesn’t bode well for Tover’s illustrious career in transport. While recuperating in a locale that’s surrounded by enemies, Tover begins to see that his early life was not a roasy as it seemed, and his work for Harmony not as straight-forward. Cruz is back, and his true colors are shown in a way that earns Tover’s grudging acceptance.

I loved how this story worked. It had excellent elements of futuristic life, and technological elements that thrilled my inner-geek. The love story between Tover and Cruz is rocky, but took it’s natural course toward an eventual and appropriately delayed HEA. In the reading I was struck by parallels to Dune: galaxy-bending transport, falling in with a native of a foreign world, understanding and championing the underdog against a galactic behemoth hierarchy.

I’ve had this one in my TRB for too long, and relished the rich world-building. I think the big disappointment I had was a lack of the dialogue/culture uniqueness. Cruz and his associates speak Spanish, and have a deeply Hispanic culture. While I liked that there was some cultural inclusion, it was not terribly different from today’s speech or manner. And, that was my disappointment. Having been a long time fan of the richness of alien culture (think Enemy Mine, think Star Trek etc) having these CO2-breathing humanoids sit down to a table full of tamales was…anti-climactic. It’s like having a Klingon sit down to the traditional feast of hamburgers. That said, the story was truly compelling and the love story one to root for. There are few sexytimes, but what exist are tender and passionate. I really enjoyed this one and hope there might be more work in this world to enjoy.

Interested? You can find SONG OF THE NAVIGATOR on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.  I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Astrid AmaraAbout the Author:

Astrid Amara lives in Bellingham, Washington with her husband, three dogs, three goats, and a horse. By day she is a civil servant. Her free time is devoted to her writing, working for animal rights and rescue organizations, and sleeping.

She is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer and a graduate of Western Washington University.

Her novel The Archer’s Heart was a finalist for the 2008 Lambda Literary Award for Best Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror. Hell Cop won the XXXX Rainbow Award for best anthology.

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

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

New Love TIED TO TROUBLE–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new M/M romance from Megan Erickson. TIED TO TROUBLE is a part of the Gamers series, which is a M/F romance series, but I felt like this was an integral part of the series, not written as a book to be skipped, as with other mainstream M/F authors. I liked the gaming aspect, and the interconnectedness of the characters. For a mainstream romance writer to pick up M/M, it was a smooth transition.

Tied to Trouble (Gamers #3)About the book:
Between love and hate, there’s a whole lot of trouble…
Chad Lake only showed up at his sister’s party for the free food, but when he spots an uptight nerd at the edge of the crowd, he can’t resist trying to ruffle the guy’s perfect bow tie and impeccable hair. The hottie’s ready for him, though, and in the end, it’s Chad who’s left wide-eyed, his ears still ringing with the filthy things Bow Tie whispered in his ear. No one gets the upper hand on Chad. Ever.

Owen Hawkins has heard all about the cocky Adonis from Chad’s sister—the same sister who holds Owen’s career advancement in her hands. He has every intention of steering clear of the other man…until Chad’s sexy taunts push him too far. There’s something intriguing about Chad, and even though Owen knows that getting tangled up with the infuriating man is trouble, he can’t seem to stay away…

**This is part of an M/F series but can be read as standalone**

My Review:
While this is the third book in a series, it’s easily enjoyed on its own.

Chad is the bad boy younger brother of Marley (MC from a previous book) and shows up at her house on the promise of 1. free food 2. free drink. That’s where he “meets” “Bow Tie,” a svelte geeky member of Marley’s staff at <i>GAMERS</i> magazine. Bow Tie ties Chad’s guts into knots when he doesn’t immediately fall for Chad’s come hither. The wearer of the eponymous bow tie, Owen, (or:  Oh-Oh-Owen because Chad wants to give him an “Oh! Oh!” face, not because of a stutter!!) is interested, but not willing to let on how inadequate he feels in the presence of sexy-sexy Chad.

Owen wants Chad, bad, but doesn’t want Marley–his direct superior–to find out about their bathroom shenanigans, or supply closet shenanigans. Or that time they did it on the floor… Meanwhile, Chad wants more floor time. Or naked in the park time…or any time with Owen.

Chad’s always felt like a ne’er do well after flunking out of college. He pays his bills, and lives alone, but he can’t stick with a job. He has aspirations in graphic design, but doesn’t know if he has the staying power to commit to going back to school. And how would he pay for it anyhow? Plus, Owen’s whole life had been commitment-phobic. He’s bisexual (some people claim that’s a commitment thing–not me, but it was there), and his longest stint at a job is his current one–four months as a topless bartender. Chad’s starting to realize that this is not the best life for a 27 y/o man, and one who sincerely desires a successful man like Owen to find him desirable.

Trouble is, Chad’s immature. Turns out that it might be better if he’d been forced to stick it out–in anything–because then he might have learned conflict resolution skills that are better than juvenile. Every time Chad gets upset, it seemed, he did the adult-equivalent of yelling “You’re a poop-head” and taking his ball home from the park. (Which, honestly was pretty close to what he actually did.)

I adored Owen, who is a fully-functional adult. He may not be happy with Chad’s behavior but he endeavors to root out the cause, instead of being smug. I guess finding the person to challenge him was what Owen needed. And, he helps Chad grow up. Chad decides to do some growing up of his own, on his own. Marley’s there as a confidante, and there’s a big part of the plot that hinges on Marley’s boyfriend Austin’s very public, very cosplay wedding proposal, and that keeps Owen and Chad in very close proximity when they would ordinarily not see each other. As a device it wasn’t too obtrusive, and the proposal scene will definitely satisfy readers of the predominantly M/F romance series.

This is a quick read with steamy sexytimes and delicious dirty talk. Expect pornographic graphic arts and bow ties to go where no bow ties have gone before…  HEA All The Way.

Interested? You can find TIED TO TROUBLE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Megan EricksonAbout the Author:
Megan worked as a journalist covering real-life dramas before she decided she liked writing her own endings better and switched to fiction.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. When she’s not tapping away on her laptop, she’s probably listening to the characters in her head who won’t stop talking.

For more, visit Megan’s website, twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Flirty Fun! LIFE’S A BEACH–A Review

Hi there! Thought I’d warm things up a bit, sharing this fun beachy romance from Jamie K Schmidt. In LIFE’S A BEACH, Amelia Parker needs to get her groove back, and aims to do so with “Dude” the happy-go-lucky beachcomber she meets in Maui. Turns out, “Dude” is not who he claims to be. Will it be Surf’s Up, or Mahalo?

Life's a Beach (Hawaii Heat, #1)About the book:

Sex on the beach has never been so much fun! USA Today bestselling author Jamie K. Schmidt kicks off a series set in paradise with an irresistible tale of second chances, secret identities—and a connection that’s too sweet to miss.

When Amelia Parker arrives in Maui, newly single and unemployed, she’s shocked to discover the resort she booked is actually a ramshackle little beachside hotel. At least the scenery is easy on the eyes—as is the toned, laid-back snorkel instructor, “Dude.” After two weeks of sun, serenity, and mind-blowing sex, she even accepts a job as the hotel’s concierge. But what Amelia really wants is to relaunch the place completely. And that means convincing the absentee Wall Street billionaire owner, Samuel Kincaide, to take a chance on her.

Samuel has a plan, too: selling off every last reminder of his former life and chilling all day, every day as his slacker altar ego . . . Dude. He loves his romps in the ocean, and under the sheets, with the feisty Amelia. If she discovers his true identity, her boundless enthusiasm and innovative business plan will seriously diminish his hammock time. But when Amelia runs into real trouble on the island, he’ll put everything on the line to keep her safe. He just hopes that the woman who’s falling for Dude will feel the same about Samuel.

My Review:

This is a sweet beachy read with a “can’t keep me down” gal on the personal and professional rebound. Amelia is about to celebrate her second anniversary with her trust-fund brat boyfriend, Jay, in Maui with a hard-earned vacation when she loses both her job and the cheating cheater all in a few hours. Packing up all her belongings, and her eccentric Aunt Zarafina, Amelia’s all ready to enjoy her all-inclusive vacay and perhaps kick start her life island-style.

While there, Amelia–a former concierge at a boutique hotel–sees the kitschy Palekaiko Beach Resort for it’s former glory. It’s now a bit run-down, and Amelia places the blame for that on the absentee owner the uptight and tightwadish Samuel Kinkaide. Amelia can’t help getting involved with the thin-stretched staff, and falling a bit for beachcombing snorkel instructor “Dude;” if only she knew Dude = Samuel.

This is a breezy read with some seriously fun moments. I liked the development of the love story between Amelia and Dude (and eventually Samuel). There are some great insights to island life, including great elements of dialect and the shady underpinnings of the mafia. I loved how Amelia took charge of her world, and built something good for herself. Her psychic Aunt Zarafina is a trip–and I adored the close bond they shared. I was glad that Amelia and Samuel were able to get onto the same page, and work together. LIFE’S A BEACH is set as the first in a series, but I suspect other characters will find love matches in the books to come. The sexytimes are yummy, and the plot is fun, fun, fun. I was able to soar through this in an afternoon.

Interested? You can find LIFE’S A BEACH on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.  I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Jamie K. SchmidtAbout the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author, Jamie K. Schmidt is a hybrid author who has over thirty short stories published in small press and ezines, and a variety of novellas and books online. Her Club Inferno series from Random House has been in Amazon’s top 100 ebooks sold and Barnes and Noble’s top 10. She has a dragon paranormal romance series at Entangled Publishing. Book one of the Emerging Queens series is The Queen’s Wings.

Jamie holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz in Secondary Education English, which is a fancy way of saying she went to college to teach high school English. When that didn’t pan out, she worked as a call center manager, a Tupperware consultant, a paralegal, and finally a technical writer for a major conglomerate company. She is an active member in the Romance Writers of America (RWA). When not writing, Jamie relaxes with a mug of hot tea and knits or makes beaded jewelry.

You can reach her at Twitter, or at her website.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Nutty Fun: NUTS ABOUT YOU–Review and Giveaway!

Nuts- BannerTemplate
Hi there! I’m sharing a review for an adorable M/M shifter romance from Kate Lowell. This fun and fresh novella, NUTS ABOUT YOU, follows the, initially, unrequited interest of a squirrel shifter and the customer who makes him nutty.

Catch my review and enter to win a cute plush squirrel buddy!
nuts
About the book:
Nathan’s been crushing on one of his regular Bulk Mart customers for a while now. In his squirrel form, he sits on Vince’s bird feeders, munching on seeds and enjoying the eye candy. Until the day Vince catches him raiding the feeder…

A voyeuristic taster….

The best part was coming next. Nathan took an absentminded bite of the sunflower seed in his paw and hung a little further out from the feeder to get a better view. Because now, the body wash was coming out. Vince’s hand stretched past Nathan’s field of vision, returning with what looked like the Natural Sea Sponge Vince had bought at Bulk Mart a month ago. He flicked open the cap on the almond-scented body wash and spread it on the sponge. Though Nathan couldn’t smell it through the window, he knew that scent. It drove him wild—he stopped to sniff it every time he walked down the aisle, and he even had a bottle on his bedside table. Not to use, just to smell every night as he lay in bed, wishing it was Vince’s hand on him instead of his own.

There it went, the sponge traveling over all the places where Nathan would like to run his tongue. Vince started on his neck, smooth up and down movements covering his skin with a rich lather. The bubbles slid down his body, clinging in a way that made Nathan irrationally jealous of them. The sponge followed the bubbles down, making circles over the sleek chest, then crisscrossing back and forth over the flat stomach and past his bellybutton, with its narrow trail of hair leading down to—OH MY WALNUTS!

My Review:
I breezed through this cute little story that centers on Nathan, a squirrel shifter and workaday cashier at a big box store. Vince has been a regular customer for the past few months, coming in to purchase bags of seed for his many bird feeders. Nathan does a little bit of stalking, and a lot a bit of peeping on his crush.

Crashing out in his squirrel form, munching quality bird seed from Vince’s feeders, Nathan revels in the lack of window coverings for Vince’s bathroom and bedroom. It certainly feeds all his fantasies…until an irate Vince startles him from his perch and apprehends him!

I really liked the pace here, with little beating about the bush…Nathan and Vince are well on their way to enjoying more adult activity. The elements of squirrelness were adorable, and, as Nathan tells this tale, we get a whole lot of his nutty point of view. Okay, okay, enough with the puns already. This is a short read, perfect for a sexy lunch break.

Interested? You can find NUTS ABOUT YOU on Goodreads, Amazon, iTunes, and AllRomance.

Squirrel****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a plush “Nathan” squirrel. (Shifting not guaranteed!)

Meet the author:
Kate Lowell lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farm house that has way more personality than it has any right to. During the winter, she spends her time dreading snow, cursing at snow, shoveling snow, and scheming ways to shove it down the kids’ necks. During the summer, she prays not to have snow. 🙂

Kate likes to play in ALL the sandboxes. While her main genres are paranormal and contemporary suspense, she is also interested in science fiction, fantasy and–weirdly–romantic comedy. She’s willing to pay large amounts of money to anyone who can come up with plot-bunny repellent, which she will first use on herself, then sell to LA Witt for an exorbitant price to recoup her costs.

You can contact her at katelowellbooks (at) gmail.com . If you think you’d like to try writing gay romance, come visit her critique group (Link can be found at http://katelowell.com). New members are always welcome.

You can catch up with Kate on her website, Facebook, https://twitter.com/, and Goodreads.
pride

Dangerous Terrain–GONE AWAY-Excerpt Review & Giveaway

GA-BannerTemplate
Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary M/M reconnection romance from Elizabeth Noble. GONE AWAY is a thriller with a romance mixed in. I really was blown away by the plot and how realistic the danger felt.

Be sure to drop down and enter the giveaway for your chance at winning one of Elizabeth’s many published titles.

GA Final Draft 101515About the book:
Mason Arquette isn’t one for mincing words. In fact, he often rubs people the wrong way—with the exception of Riece Burrell. Riece came with his own set of social issues, but he saw right through Mason’s tough exterior, and they made a perfect couple. Or so Mason thought… until Riece abruptly ended their relationship without much explanation.

Years later, Mason and Riece are thrown back together. As a US Forestry Service photographer, Riece is sent on assignment to the Black Hills, where Mason works. When Mason is tasked with guiding Riece around the territory, old feelings quickly are rekindled.

But nothing is ever easy. Just as Mason and Riece begin to work things out, they’re targeted by people with motives so vile and twisted they defy imagination. In a desperate race for their lives, they must depend on one another and take a big step out of their personal comfort zones to find their way back to safety—and back to love.

How about a little taste?

“Hungry?” Mason poked at the campfire he’d started. This spot was a popular one. There was already a fire pit rimmed with rock and stone, set against an outcrop and facing a small stand of trees. Whoever constructed it had clearly thought out the location well. The trees were far enough away to be of minimal danger from the fire, yet close enough to be convenient for hanging food from. Their fire was protected by the outcrop and the shallow pit.

Riece turned and studied Mason and their camp. He grinned and raised his camera to take a few more pictures. “You photograph very well.” Riece walked over and sat beside Mason. “Want to see?”

“Sure. If I don’t like them, do they get deleted?”

“No,” Riece said and rolled his eyes. He settled on the ground beside Mason and leaned against him while going through the photos he’d taken that day.

Without thinking, Mason lifted one arm and put it around Riece, tucking him close to his side. “Those are pretty good. Even the ones with me in them.” Both of their actions seemed natural and easy.

Riece snorted and pulled the micro-memory chip out. “Of course they are. I have excellent technique.”

Mason laughed and handed Riece his bag. Riece extracted a plastic case, slipped the chip into one of the slots, and put a new one in the camera. “What’s on the menu?”

“Chicken burritos—well, my version. I threw some potatoes on to bake too, and the all-time campfire favorite of s’mores.”

“Oh, nice. I haven’t had those since I was a kid. My mom used to make them for me over the stove.”

“You haven’t had s’mores until you’ve had them made over an open fire,” Mason said.

Riece tucked his camera away, and they set about assembling and eating their dinner. Mason squeezed shredded chicken from foil pouches onto tortilla wraps. They added shredded cheese, some salami, and dried fruits and spices to the mix. Mason rolled them in foil and set them on the hot embers from the fire to warm up. Dried power-drink mix to add to their water completed the meal. It was completely dark by the time Mason loaded skewers with marshmallows for roasting.

“That was pretty good.” Riece leaned against his pack and gazed up at the sky.

Mason laughed. “What were you expecting, squirrel meat?”

“I was worried about what we were going to eat. I’ll admit I had visions of freeze-dried food packets. I didn’t really pay attention when you were packing. I was afraid to look too closely,” Riece confessed.

“Tomorrow we’ll be near a river, and we can score some fresh fish and use our water filters to refill our bottles. I’ll show you how to spear fish.” Mason stood and stretched. When he began collecting their food stocks and garbage, Riece immediately joined in, helping him. “Anything like toothpaste or mouthwash we’ll store in our sack as well. That stuff smells good to wildlife too.”

“We can keep the lube with us, right?”

That made Mason laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of having it any other way. It’s nice enough out tonight. I can set the tent up, or we can sleep without it.”

“If you don’t mind, and if the wildlife will cover their eyes, I’d like to be able to see the open sky.” Riece sat cross-legged near the fire and pushed his hands against the ground. “Sort of hard and lumpy.”

“You’re such a city boy,” Mason said with a chuckle. “That’s what I brought a sleeping pad for.”

“Now who’s being a city boy? I was thinking more along the lines of how comfortable you are to sleep on.”

Mason smiled, rolled his eyes, and shook his head before he went about completing the task of getting their sleeping area readied. Riece packed their food in the bear bag they would use to secure it high enough off the ground it would be safe. Using a rock and some utility cord, Mason showed Riece how to rig it between two trees.

“We’ll use this as a base camp, hike farther out tomorrow, and come back here to sleep before heading to the next area you need to go to,” Mason explained. He’d spread the map out and traced their path with one finger.

Riece looked over his shoulder. Mason could feel his warm breath on the back of his neck and how he nodded every few seconds. Eventually Mason spread the sleeping pad out, and Riece inflated it before arranging their bedrolls over it.

The temperature dropped fast after the sun went down. Riece was lying on his back, arms bent under his head, looking up at the sky. They’d hiked quite a way that day, and Mason was getting tired. He spent a few minutes watching Riece. He’d folded his clothes and neatly placed them in his backpack, which made Mason smile. Even in the wilderness, there were some things Riece would do to follow his routine, and there was no stopping him. Mason had learned long ago trying to make Riece give up too many of his habits too quickly would cause him to close off and withdraw. Something Mason wanted to avoid at all cost.

Mason stripped off his clothes before he slid into the bedroll with Riece and wrapped one arm around his waist. Despite the cool night air, he was warm in seconds with Riece’s body against his.

My Review:
While this is the fourth book in a series, it can be fully enjoyed as a standalone.

Mason Arquette is a mixed-race (white and First Nations!) gay US Forest Service ranger whose territory covers the Black Hills region of South Dakota, his homeland. Years ago he met Riece Burrell at college. Both Riece and Mason have some emotional issues; Mason has a temper and Riece has OCD and crippling social anxiety, but they fit well together in spite of those impediments. They had a satisfactory relationship that ended when Riece left suddenly, with no discussion. As it turned out, Riece’s mother counseled her son to leave–making it clear that Mason wouldn’t continue to tolerate Riece’s tics indefinitely. (Thanks, Mom!!)

So, after three years they are reunited when Riece is assigned to photograph parks in Mason’s jurisdiction. Mason surprises him at the airport, and again, when he takes them to a romantic inn en route to their destination. While Riece and Mason have separate rooms, Riece can’t take the separation any longer. They seem to get on like a house afire, burning up the sheets anyway….

After getting Riece settled in Custer the ardor ebbs, a bit. Mason wants time to regroup, and be sure he can trust Riece again. They have an extended hike planned so Riece can get images of some of the more remote vistas, and while their reconnection is still going strong, it suddenly gets thrust into overdrive. Encountering some shady characters on the trail has Mason thinking of remote meth labs or poachers, but it’s far, far worse.

No, Mason’s soon employing all his backwoods tracking skills to keep himself and Riece out of the range of lethal crossbow bolts. Nothing like some psychotic killers to make a scenic trail harrowing, amiright? I really got into this thrill ride, as it truly was something I hadn’t expected. Expect bloodshed, mayhem and daring forays. Expect Mason and Riece to fully repair their breach and become better than the couple back in college–excellent sexytimes, yo. Also, expect slurs of all varieties–including homophobic and racial. Just sayin’.

Interested? You can find GONE AWAY on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a book from Elizabeth Noble’s giant backlist!
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by an adorable mixed breed canine princess and one tabby cat. She lives in her native northeast Ohio, the perfect place for gardening, winter and summer sports (go Tribe!). When she’s not writing she’s working as a veterinary nurse, so don’t be surprised to see her men with a pet or three who are a very big part of their lives. Three of Elizabeth’s books have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards.

You can catch up with Elizabeth on her website, Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, or sign up for her newsletter.

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A BEAR WALKS INTO A BAR–Cover Reveal, Review and Giveaway!

bear--BannerTemplateHi there! Today I’m reviewing an erotic M/M poly romance between oodles of sexy shifters. A BEAR WALKS INTO A BAR sounds like a bad joke, but, whew! It’s seriously erotic. The dominance, the sexytimes, the unexpected tenderness… I loved.

Catch my review and enter to win your own copy below. But first, the COVER. Yum. Looks a bit like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, amiright?

A Bear Walks Into A BarAbout the book:

It takes one strong alpha with a tight grip to keep a mountain full of shifters under control. Sawyer Ballantine’s contending with an uppity wolf leader and a herd of shifter elk bound and determined to take over. He might be the lone bear on the mountain, but he’s not going to allow another four shifters to just move in, especially not when they whiff of power. They’ll either be his in all ways, or they’ll be gone.

Dillon, Jerry, Kevin, and Brad have no one but each other since their shifter groups kicked them out. The young bear, wolves, and fox make a merry ménage, pooling their meager shifter skills and serving beer. They’ve stumbled into more than they understand, caught in the dispute between the Urso of Ballantine Mountain and the elk. But winter’s setting in, and they don’t know how to keep Dillon safe for hibernation.

And then a bear walks into their bar.

A delicious teaser….

“Where exactly are you going? Would you at least tell me that?”

“A town nobody’s heard of about thirty-five miles from home.” If Sawyer needed to hide, he’d find a similar out of the way spot. Too bad this particular spot sat on the border between elk and predator. Just because they lived off vegetation didn’t mean his rivals weren’t a threat—an expert marksman had joined the herd a few years ago. He’d been tough and stringy, but ceased being a problem.

Conversation grew impossible when Sawyer fired up his bike. Mother Moon, but he loved the rumble of the big Harley between his thighs, the wind on his face, tempting his sensitive nose with a million different scents: moss, pines, rabbit, clover, chicken barbequing on a grill at a campsite downhill, all awaiting him once he reached his mountain.

Fluffy clouds overhead cast shadows over the scenery, and the crisp scent of snow drifted over the highest mountaintops. Colorado. No greater place existed on earth.

Occasionally he caught a whiff of human emotions: anger, fear, sorrow, lust. Especially lust.

Damn, he needed to get laid.

My Review:
This is an erotic M/M menage/poly shifter romance that is HEAVY on the sexy. It features regular interspecies sex and multi-partner scenes.

Dillon is a bear shifter who was banned from his sleuth for being gay. In the years since, he’s has collected two outcast wolves, alpha Jerry and his cousin beta Kevin, and Brad a sexypants fox shifter to become a happy family for each. They’ve scrounged and scraped to get the money to buy a bar on Ballantine Mountain in Colorado. Together these four work the bar and frolic in bed. And out of bed. And anywhere, pretty much. Especially Brad who–as a fox shifter–is totally promiscuous.

Sawyer Ballantine is an Urso bear–he should be leading his own sleuth of bears, if they hadn’t been massacred a decade previously. Now, Sawyer leads the many shifter packs on his mountain with a ruthless manner, subduing all by violent or sexual means. He keeps the alpha of the wolf pack, Rudy, as his second-in-command, recognizing that the elk shifters are encroaching and wolf politics could turn against him at any time. But first, Sawyer must deal with the four rogues taking up space on his mountain. With sexy results.

This is a COMPLETE erotic adventure of shifter politics and hierarchy. There is so much sex, of all M/M varieties–partners, triads, foursomes, orgies–some of (initially) dubious consent that I’m reminded of a category on a Book Review Blog called “Books you read one-handed.” A BEAR would most probably fall into this category. The book fairly steamed up the screen of my iPad.

Despite all the multi-partner and non-monogamous action on the page there is no abdication of emotion. The players involved are thoroughly invested in what’s happening, and reveling in true hedonistic fashion. Even where there are partnerships, the inclusion of others is welcomed, and understood. For one, a wolf-fox partnership, Sawyer attempts to inject a dose of reality. Foxes, in this world, have no concept of monogamy, but he counsels both parties to “play together” to foster intimacy even as partner-sharing will be expected.

As to the plot, Sawyer’s domination of the shifters on his mountain has become a stress and burden, one he’s willing to share with Dillon. Thing is, being with Dillon, and observing Dillon’s management of his merry band of sexy shifters, Sawyer begins to recognize that domination isn’t always necessary and that mutually beneficial partnerships might could be the best policy. It’s worth exploring, in any case, as a cougar threat looms on the horizon.  Also, this hardened Urso surely benefits from the TLC he gets from Dillon and his buddies. Furthermore, the traditional ban on interspecies loving seems antiquated in this new progressive management strategy; it’s removal is fully applauded by those randy foxes!

Expect roughly 65% of the book to be sexytimes. And the rest is a rather simple plot that’s engaging and interesting. I’d re-read this in a hot second.

Interested? You can find A BEAR WALKS INTO A BAR on Goodreads, and pre-order it in advance of the Jan 16th release on Amazon and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link to enter to win an ecopy of A BEAR WALKS INTO A BAR.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
You will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs!

Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit.

She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures she has written fourteen m/m romance novels, has won several Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.

When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s a mild-mannered business executive, mother, grandmother, vegetarian, and PFLAG activist.

Her natural habitats are airports, coffee shops, and on the backs of motorcycles.

Where to find Eden online:  Facebook and twitter.

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Taboo Love: QUILLON’S COVERT–Review and Kindle Giveaway

Hi there! Well, this is my last review post of 2015–tomorrow I’ll feature a “Best Of” recap–and I figured why not go out with a bang. I had my curiosity piqued regarding a new M/M taboo romance QUILLON’S COVERT from the writing team of Joseph Lance Tonlet and Louis Stevens so I went for it.

You’ll remember that I absolutely loved Tonlet’s GRIF’S TOY, and I’m no stranger to taboo romance. I read VC Andrews’ FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC when I was in seventh grade. So, at age 13, my first experience reading sex was the rape of a sister by her beloved brother. And I followed that series with MY SWEET AUDRINA which featured the gang rape of a pre-teen girl. So, yeah, my HEAs got off to a VERY rocky start!

That said, QUILLON’S COVERT is an erotic taboo romance that has graphic depictions of consensual incest between a father and son. It includes, as an off-shoot, adultery, as both characters are married at points in the story. If any of these are a trigger for you, avoid the book.

The authors have hosted a series of blog posts in support of the book, which features some candid thoughts and snippets regarding the book’s content and their philosophy. You can access those here. I was not part of that tour, but I read and enjoyed the book enough to recommend it. And there’s a huge giveaway that includes a Kindle, which you can enter down below.

Quillon's CovertAbout the book:
Martin is a guy’s guy, one who enjoys the simple things in life: baseball games with his son, family days, barbecues, and date nights with his lovely wife.

Once a year for two weeks, Martin takes his son, Marty, to Quillon’s Covert, a rustic family cabin secluded in the beautiful California mountains. Since before those long days of learning to play ball, Marty has loved his dad, but as Marty matures, Martin starts to see something else settle in his son’s uncertain gaze. What’s there lingers a little more than it should, and it seems far more appraising than it once was.

As Marty shows every sign of taking the lead, Martin is faced with the tough choices most parents never see: lose his son by being a father, or try to balance what’s best for their relationship by being something… more.

But with another trip to Quillon’s Covert on the horizon, has the point of no return already begun?

Note: This book contains incest. GAY, EROTICA, ROMANCE, TABOO, INCEST, INFIDELITY

My Review:
4.5 Stars for this one. I had to dip my toe in this pond–even just to experience it from a simply puerile viewpoint. So many books in the hetero world deal with incest, of a sort–there’s a huge rise in step-brother/step-father romance. And, after my youthful reads from VC Andrews I knew I was in the target audience for taboo incestuous romance.

This is as soft and romantic a love affair as I could envision. I was captivated, despite my initial fears.

Martin Quillon is a doting father who has feared the loss of his son, Marty, in very real terms when he choked on a candy cane at age 6. Marty has struggled with bullying and stuttering, and Martin’s been his rock, a constant source of unfailing love. This is not to say Marty does not experience this with his mother; he does. But the story is only told in vignettes of the two-week excursions to their father-son retreats they take to their isolated mountain cabin every year.

The book begins when Marty is fourteen, a few years into their visits. While on the Quillon’s Covert “compound”–a one room cabin near a lake–they shed their clothes and live one with nature, fishing and barbequing and having a boys time of it. By the time Marty is fourteen he’s beginning to recognize that he’s enamored of his father, but this is still chrystalizing. His father is big and broad and strong, and all that Marty longs to be. The first several vignettes are really there to establish their deep and loving bond as father and son.

As Marty matures he recognizes that he’s not just in awe of his father, he’s attracted to him. He’s 16 and already confessed his homosexuality, and been totally supported through that. Due to some injury Martin is obliged to not only punish Marty (it makes sense in the story) but to facilitate Marty’s hygiene, and this is the first time that Martin begins to suspect Marty has more than a filial affection for him. Because we have been privy to both characters’ POV, we know that Marty has long desired his father, in a pure love sense.

I will not be coy about this: there is a physical sexual relationship between Marty and his father. This is fully desired and incited by Marty–and only becomes fully physical once Marty is 18 y/o. The result is a spectacularly tender relationship that exists only two weeks a year. It’s expressly a loving experience, one the men anticipate for 50 weeks each year as the story winds on. This continues for…years. As a kid I watched SAME TIME NEXT YEAR (which was wholly inappropriate both of me, and for me) and this book has the same sense of two people finding a respite together in a socially-unacceptable relationship. During this time Marty matures, grows into his manhood, and still never wants his precious alone time with Martin to change. The sexual encounters become more defined and explicit as the story continues. They are determinedly honest.

“No,” Marty began at length, “I don’t feel guilty.” He looked up and met Martin’s interested gaze. “What I mean is, I look at the cabin, at our time here, as a bubble–and I’ve thought about it in those terms for years.”

“A bubble?”

Marty nodded against Martin’s knee. “Our ‘real life’ doesn’t touch out time here, and our time here doesn’t touch our ‘real life’. I said before I’ve accepted that we’ll never live as a couple, and I meant that. It’s taken me a long time to get to that point, but it’s true, Dad.”…”What we do here is between us and no one else.”

I think the biggest problem I had with this one–setting the incest angle completely aside–was this infidelity issue. As mentioned, I read a metric ton of VC Andrews as a kid, so I’m kinda inured to incest. Also, this book has such tenderness, such love, I was less afraid of the damage that Marty might have–especially as he was always the aggressor. No, I think I had this niggle in the back of my mind regarding Martin’s wife, and later, Marty’s husband. I was not satisfied by the epilogue which brought Marty’s son to the lake house–while the shenanigans continued. As a parent, I’m well-versed in getting sexytimes in under the oblivious eye of a toddler, and yet this somehow upset me. It’s probably some hang-up of mine, but it still got to me. I think I would have liked the end better if Little M had stayed home with his other daddy.

That said, this is a well-written taboo story that explored a consensual father-son sexual relationship that was so carefully written as to be a romance.

Interested? You can find QUILLON’S COVERT on Goodreads, Payhip, AllRomance, Smashwords, and Paperback. It is not available at many ebook sellers due to its taboo content.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter link to enter a giveaway for MANY prizes, including a Kindle Fire 7, and several ebooks, audiobooks and signed paperbacks.

Good Luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Authors:
Joseph Lance Tonlet is a born and raised Southern Californian—with a twenty-year stint of living in the Midwest. He loves the laid-back lifestyle of San Diego and considers himself lucky to live where people dream of vacationing.

A lifelong reader of m/m fiction, he began his writing career one night sitting at his MacBook and has never looked back. He writes to bring the characters he dreams about to life.

You can find Joseph online on his website, Facebook, Twitter (18+), Ello, Google+, tsū, Pinterest, Tumblr (18+ only!), Goodreads, and YouTube.

Louis Stevens is a gay romance author born and raised in South Africa. He was a shy outcast who had few friends in school; generally feeling excluded and on the fringe of society. However, when he discovered gay romance and erotica in 2007, at the age of seventeen, his mind and world opened up.

He wrote his first story, A Better Life, longhand in a 197 page spiral notebook, on his bed every night with a pillow curled under his chin. Although the book wouldn’t be published until 2011, with the now defunct Silver Publishing, he found the experience entirely liberating. He’s considered himself a writer ever since.

Catch Louis online on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, his website, his blog, and on Youtube.

Their Love Was BUILT–Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

Built Tour Banner_edited-1
Hi there! Today I’m sharing an excerpt and review for BUILT, the first full-length novel in Jay Crownover’s new Saints of Denver series. Releasing next week, BUILT is a contemporary romance featuring a hard-working man with a checkered past, and the ice queen lawyer whose heart he melts.

Be sure to check out the excerpt and enter to win a $25 gift card and a set of The Point book series!

Studio portrait of young bearded man --- Image by © pinkypills/Corbis

Studio portrait of young bearded man — Image by © pinkypills/Corbis

About the book:
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes an electrifying new spin-off series, Saints of Denver, featuring all the characters fans have been dying to read about.

Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn’t be more different. She’s country club and fine-dining, he’s cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation, while Zeb spends his working with his hands. She’s French silk, he’s all denim and flannel.

Zeb’s wanted the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her. It doesn’t matter how many smooth moves he makes, the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest—either that or she doesn’t return it. Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior.

But just as things start to heat up, Zeb is blindsided by a life altering moment from his past. He needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. He can’t risk what’s at stake just because his attraction to Sayer feels all consuming. But as these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, battling together to save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide can no longer be ignored.

How about a little taste?

                   I dug my fingers into his wrists and scowled right back at him as his pulse kicked into my touch. “I don’t think you’re an asshole or a player at all, Zeb, but I also have no experience with men like you.”

“Men like me? What does that mean? What kind of man am I?” He was getting angry and frustrated and I couldn’t blame him. It was hard for me to explain why he was everything I wanted but everything I could never have. We were on two different levels when it came to our personalities and I knew there was no way someone as passionate and expressive as he was would ever be interested in someone as reserved and closed off as I was. Where I was the frozen tundra when it came to emotional availability, he was the blazing heat of the desert. I could see the fire of his annoyance in his gaze as he waited for my shaky explanation.

“You’re a man who is sure of himself and confidant. You’re a man who is used to having women fall at his feet. You’re a man who is exiting and interesting.” I lifted an eyebrow at him. “You’re a man who is tattooed and drives a cool vintage truck around, you’re a man who doesn’t mind getting dirty and can create things for a living. All of that is the total opposite of everything I’ve ever known, Zeb.”

His eyebrows went from the deep frown over his nose to shooting up on his forehead and disappeared under the dark fall of hair that rested there. A grin that could only be described as wicked slashed through his beard and his hands tightened where they were still holding on to my face.

“I thought you were going to say a man with a past. A man that has been to jail. I thought you were going to say a man with my history is the kind of man you have no experience with. You surprised me.”

If I was a different type of woman, I might have smacked him for that kind of ignorance. “Where you have been doesn’t define who you are, Zeb. I told you when we first met that I understand that people make mistakes.”

He grunted and moved his face closer to mine. “And here I am on your doorstep with another one. You want me to teach you about a man like me, Sayer? I’m pretty simple to figure out.”

I didn’t believe that for a single second, so I opened my mouth to tell him. There was never anything simple about passion. I didn’t get a chance to utter a sound because before I got a word out I suddenly knew exactly what it felt like to be kissed by a guy with a beard because he dipped his head and devoured my mouth with his.

It felt phenomenal.

My Review:
Sayer is on her own for the first time in her life, but that doesn’t mean she’s left her baggage back in Seattle. Six months ago her father died dropping the bombshell that he’d fathered another child–Rowdy from the Marked Men books. Sayer’s mother committed suicide while Sayer was in her teens, and her father was an emotionally abusive man who found fault with everything Sayer did–including crying at her mother’s funeral. It’s not been easy to open herself up to Rowdy and his friends, but she’s trying hard to rebuild her life.

In doing so, she buys a beautiful historic home that needs renovation. For this job Sayer hires Rowdy’s good friend Zeb. Zeb had spent 2 years in jail for assaulting his sister’s abusive partner. Since then, he’s put all his effort into being a model citizen, including starting his construction/renovation business from scratch and hiring guys with criminal histories, training them to be overcome their past and develop a worthwhile trade. Zeb makes no secret of his attraction to Sayer, and while she’d like to sate her desire for more with Zeb, she’s so ingrained with insecurity thanks to her daddy issues it’s hard for her to relax around him.

Before they can even begin to gain ground together Zeb needs Sayer in a professional capacity. Sayer’s not thrown off by Zeb’s past–or present–she only feels unequal to the strong love she knows he gives unflinchingly. Watching both Poppy and Beryl, strong women friends who have overcome physical abuse, gives Sayer a guide to dig her true self out from beneath her callous mask. While Sayer helps Zeb she becomes more and more involved in his life, and the relationship they both wanted begins. It’s still a hard path, but I liked how they were honest–even when it hurt and meant temporary separation.

I don’t want to give away too much, but I think readers are REALLY going to love Zeb. He is a stand up man, who takes on too much responsibility for others, perhaps. He does the hard work for himself and Sayer, and his steadfast love is the balm to her chafed heart. I think he’s one of the best hetero male leads I’ve read in a long time. There’s not too much sexytimes, though when it happens it’s yummy. Readers may not find Sayer approachable–and that’s by design. I still could appreciate her compassion, even if I didn’t connect with her self-loathing. The end is a spectacular HEA.

Interested? You can find BUILT on Goodreads and pre-order it in advance of its Jan 6th release on Amazon, iBooks, and Barnes & Noble.

***GIVEAWAY****

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $25 gift card and a set of The Point book series!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Jay CrownoverAbout the Author:
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
Catch up with Jay on her website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

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Buried Feelings in DARK ECONOMY–A Review

Hi there! Toady I’m sharing a review for an historical M/M mystery with a dash of romance tossed in. DARK ECONOMY by M. Keedwell is a full on 19th century sleuthing expedition, and it was rather interesting.

Dark EconomyAbout the book:

Love can’t stay buried.

Medical student Cadell Meredith has been known to acquire “volunteers” from the occasional pauper’s grave in order to improve his surgical skills. While the legality of this practice is a bit murky, he wouldn’t go so far as to call it out and out robbery.

His latest acquisition, however, is different. The body on his table was obviously healthy, wealthy—and murdered. Cadell feels compelled to seek justice for the dead man, but while dissection comes naturally to him, crime investigation is unfamiliar territory.

Furthermore, he’s caught the attention of one of those new police officers, Blaine Breton. A handsome, sentimental fool who insists Cadell is a criminal. A criminal! Cadell is the first to admit he’s no saint, but he’s no killer.

A marvelous game of cat and mouse ensues as Cadell seeks to expose the truth while hiding his own secrets. A task that grows ever more difficult as his desire for Breton grows…and the danger deepens.

Warning: This story contains mystery, mayhem, and a male romance that starts off in the most delicious way possible—mutual hostility. Enjoy!

My Review:

This is a LONG, but interesting, historical mystery with a DASH of M/M romance.

Cadell Meredith is a medical student in 19th century London. Driven to supplement his income by drawing true-to-life medical diagrams for some of his professors, he stoops to stealing fresh bodies from graves, which is how he comes across the recently murdered Robert Treswick, son of an earl and buried unnamed in a pauper’s grave. It’s also how he falls onto the radar of Constable Blaine Breton–of his majesty’s service. Seems Breton has a particular dislike of graverobbing louts, and lumps Cadell in with this criminal sort.

Cadell is drawn into discovering who murdered Treswick and that puts him into contact with Breton more than feels comfortable. The unnatural urges he’s squelched since he and a childhood friend were caught experimenting and Cadell’s father disowned him eight years ago are all inflamed in the presence of the cold and calculating Breton. In order to turn the tables in his favor, and work toward the mystery’s end, Cadell devises a plan to steal one of Breton’s constable suits and masquerade as an officer. This does move the plot along, and forces Breton to follow his quarry, Cadell, more closely.

I’m not going to belabor the talk of the plot. It’s long, and circuitous. I felt as if I was reading Alistair McLean again, at times, with all the misdirection and partial clues. I will say that I wanted there to be more of a spark between Cadell and Breton. They have a very tentative dance–how does a man approach an officer of the law with his unlawful desires, anyway! That’s one stumbling block. The other is the graverobbing. Both crimes would get Cadell swung from the gallows. That said, there are moments of quiet intimacy where a rapport and grudging regard are built. When Breton needs assistance, be it medical or menial, he calls upon Cadell. There are others involved in the morass, a friend of the late Treswick who becomes an intimate confidante, and a reconnection of Cadell with his teen love.

Throughout, however, there is this excellent discipline of Cadell’s to remain obsessively focused on deciphering the guilty party. By the end he’s uncovered three bastards, foiled a theft ring, and solved three murders–while nearly becoming a fourth. If you’re looking for a spicy romance, this is not your book. If you are looking for a complicated mystery with some M/M elements and excellent historical accuracy, this is your read. I did enjoy it, but would have loved a bunch more lovin’.

Interested? You can find DARK ECONOMY on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!