Reviews

Books I’ve read and reviewed

Joining the WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN–Review and Giveaway

WoB-bannerHi there! I’m so excited to share my review of Brad Vance’s WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN, a historical, paranormal, M/M adventure/romance. I really dug the new mythology Brad’s unleashed, and look forward to more stories in this series.

WoB-CoverAbout the book:
Darien Mackey wasn’t looking for an adventure. For ten years, he’d been happy living in Brooklyn, working as a butcher in the same job, living in the same apartment, dating some “nothing-special” guys. Until one night his buddy Jacob talked him into taking ayahuasca, the soul-changing drug. And Darien had a vision…of a wolf, its all-too-human eyes on him, its paws on his chest, its enquiring mind in his own…

Darien Mackey is changing. He’s more confident, more assertive, hungrier, hornier. And his world is changing around him – his job, his home, his beloved Mechanic’s Library all falling victim to the predations of unscrupulous developers, bent on demolishing the old Brooklyn he loves and replacing it with a forest of condos. But he’s no longer a passive observer of his own life, and as this thing, this power, grows inside of him, he resolves to fight back, to preserve the way of life he loves.

And he’s not alone in the fight. The Lipsius Preservation Society of Brooklyn stands ready to assist in the battle, even though it seems like a bit of a joke to Darien, with its King and its Duke, Marquess, Earl and Viscount.

But there’s nothing funny about his growing attraction to Albeus Finley, King of this mysterious Court. And when slumlords and condo-mongers start to die mysterious, violent deaths at the hands of savage animals, Darien begins to realize that something is afoot in Brooklyn – something supernatural.

And it’s afoot in him, too…

A little teaser:

The wolf’s eyes were lava-yellow with hate. His growl and his snarl were meant to terrify Darien, to freeze him in his tracks, prepare him for his death.

Then something rose up in Darien, rage, frustration, primal energy. And his own lips curled, his own growl met the enemy’s.

The Duke retreated a pace, taken aback. Darien felt sharp pains in his palms and looked down. Where he’d had fingernails, he had claws, long and sharp, and the fists he was making were digging them into his flesh.

He smiled, exhilarated, wild. He lunged and snapped at his enemy, knowing that his canines had become…literally that, elongated spikes ready to tear out a neck.

Darien’s ears were ringing, something surging in him beyond mortal feeling – like testosterone but stronger, more powerful, the smell of victory, immortality.

“The King is mine,” Darien declared. “And I am his.”

He knew he’d taken a step from which there was no turning back. He was the King’s man, the King’s consort. He would open to Albeus and take him, and be taken by him, and he would be alone no more.

He was one of the pack.

And it curdled the blood of men for miles around when he raised his face to the full moon, and howled.

My Review:
I must admit, I’m addicted to shifter stories. I’ve read dozens by now, and I was so engaged in this one. It’s not the normal “guy gets bitten” story, though. In fact, the mythos regarding transformation was completely new to me and gave the story a freshness I didn’t expect.

Darien is a man out of time. He lives in contemporary Brooklyn but he doesn’t have a TV or a computer. He has restored his apartment to it’s Old World charm, and has learned to be a craftsman butcher, traveling to Italy, Poland and other areas to learn from the masters. He’s an apprentice to Mr. Nowak who is more father than employer. Every Sunday he sits to dinner with the Nowak’s and Darien is a part of their family–well, until money comes into the matter. Mr. Nowak is offered $12 million for his property, including his business and Darien’s apartment above it. The Nowak family is clamoring to sell, but Mr. Nowak is holding out for Darien to find a new job, a new home, and the family is growing impatient.

Also impatient are the real estate developers who cannot wait to carve the history and soul out of Darien’s once down-rodden Brooklyn slum, as expertly as Darien would carve a side of beef. Gentrification is ripping the heart right out of the area, and the historic Mechanic’s Library is on the chopping block, as well. Invigorated by an experience with Amazonian medicine, (read: psychadelic trip) Darien cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. Becoming an activist for the first time in his life, Darien meets all the members of a community he’d lived in yet hardly experienced. Among them the Court.

Darien thought the Lipsius Preservation Society would be a consortium of billionaires who’d never worked a day and had money to blow–and he was so, so wrong. Their Old World manners belied a secret world that Darien was only beginning to experience. And, as his hungers become more and more primal, Darien knows that Albeus, King of the Court, is the secret to understanding his brave new world.

I really was taken by Darien–such an old soul. His attraction to Albeus is immediate, and Albeus senses this, but the physicality comes so much later. Darien doesn’t understand the full ramifications of his dabbling in the spectral plane, but he does get that he is forever changed, and that his transformation is not complete. His energy is through the roof, he’s ravenous, and his sexual appetite is far more physical than previously. Albeus is a bit stunned by the rapid pace of Darien’s transition, but he’s grateful–it seems clear the connection between them is more than camaraderie, in contrast to that with the bulk of the Court. No, Albeus and Darien believe they are mates–and move all the more slowly to cement a permanent bond.

In the backdrop are the realty haggles, personal tragedy, and Albeus’ own transformation story. The book is so well-developed and richly textured I could see it all unfold through Darius and Albeus’ eyes the entire time. I really loved the slow burn, but I’d have liked a bit more sexytimes, too.

Young male fashion model posing outdoors against rustic background

Interested? You can find WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN on Goodreads and Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win on of three ecopies of WEREWOLVES OF BROOKLYN.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Brad Vance writes gay romance, erotica and paranormal stories and novels, including the breakout hits “A Little Too Broken” and “Given the Circumstances.” Keep up with Brad at BradVanceErotica.wordpress.com, email him at BradVanceErotica@gmail.com, and friend him on Facebook at facebook.com/brad.vance.10.

You can catch up with Brad online on his website, Goodreads, Facebook, email, twitter, and Pinterest

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They Found Themselves SATED–Review & Giveaway

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for SATED, an erotic paranormal, menage novella from Lucy Felthouse. This one is a real scorcher!

There’s an excerpt below and also a giveaway for a $10 AllRomance gift card, too!

SatedAbout the book:
A human, a vampire and a werewolf walked into a bar. Sexy is what happens next.

Since getting together with her vampire boyfriend, Ace, Aneesa is enjoying a sex life she could never have with a human. Ace has skill, strength, stamina…and is massively adventurous. Aneesa is checking things off her sexual bucket list at a rate of knots. However, she hasn’t even come close to experiencing the ultimate item on her list. So when Ace beats her to it, proposing a threesome with his werewolf friend, Barton, Aneesa’s definitely up for it.

Barton is attractive, smart and sexy—almost too good to be true, in fact. Aneesa decides not to jump straight into things, but makes sure it’s what she truly wants. However, it turns out Barton’s not so easily dissuaded.

Will Aneesa get the ultimate erotic experience she’s desired for so long? Will she be truly sated, or is the plan doomed to failure?

Some thoughts from the author:
A Human, a Vampire and a Werewolf by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985)

I had a couple of people ask me why I combined a human, a vampire and a werewolf in this story. The short answer is that the call for submissions for the story asked for humans, vampires and werewolves. Not all of them, necessarily, but as it was a paranormal call for submissions, clearly there had to be either a vampire or a werewolf. I decided to go whole hog and throw all three species into the mix and see what happened! Since the call also specified the stories should be ménage, it was an easy decision.

The call had heavy emphasis on the characters having needs, desires, an unquenchable thirst… I let my mind wander and it soon provided me with the solution. Along came Aneesa, a sassy, gorgeous Indian chick with lots of sexy needs and one hell of a bucket list. Add in one gorgeous vampire boyfriend with some useful contacts, and I ended up with a steamy story that garnered this reaction from a reviewer:

“This book ticked all of these boxes and then some. Aneesa is the luckiest human lady alive. Not only does she have a hot vampire boyfriend named Ace who ramps up the kink in her life but now his horny werewolf friend Barton wants a share too. I loved this story, it completely captivated me and I devoured it all in one sitting. The steamy ménage action is first class and scorching. I only have one complaint, I wanted more, more, more!” Karen Shenton

I had great fun writing this story, and I hope readers enjoy it, too!

Happy Reading,

Lucy x

How about a little taste?

With a quick nod, Barton turned back to the bar and attempted to get the attention of a member of staff. I took the opportunity to study Barton in greater detail without him knowing. Quite honestly, I really enjoyed what I saw. He was a tad taller than Ace, making him maybe three inches over six feet. Tight—but not obscenely so—jeans covered what looked like a very grabbable, bitable backside and thick thighs that were in perfect proportion with the rest of him. A narrow waist flared out to wide shoulders, encased in a short-sleeved T-shirt which showed off his physique. His arms, of course, were muscular, and looked as though even if he hadn’t been a werewolf, that he could throw me around in the bedroom. Mmm…

He also had a couple of tattoos peeking out of his sleeves, but I couldn’t see them properly. Providing things worked out, I’d have the opportunity to study his ink in great detail later. That and the rest of his no doubt delectable body.

Having stared for longer than was polite, even though he was facing the other way, I shifted my attention to Ace, who was watching me with an amused expression on his face.

“You like?” he mouthed.

I waggled my eyebrows theatrically in response, stopping suddenly as Barton turned to us, holding our drinks. We both took the ice-cold glasses and murmured our thanks.

“So,” Barton said, snagging his own drink, “shall we go and grab a booth?”

“Absolutely,” Ace replied, “lead the way, mate.”

As we followed Barton past a group of guys at the pool table, I tried to get my brain in gear for some conversation. Although I hadn’t said it out loud, I did want to get to know him better before I considered getting naked and horizontal with him, so I needed to figure out what to say. I couldn’t rely on Ace and Barton to get the chatter going—they might fall into reminiscing about times gone by, or talking about sports or people I didn’t know.

As we reached an empty booth right in the corner, Ace stood aside and let me sit down first. I slid along the vinyl seat, and he moved in beside me. Barton sat opposite us, his bulk filling a good chunk of the space on his side of the table.

Damn, he really was handsome. I took a long swallow of my drink, using the time to check him out some more. His chin-length dark hair looked soft, strokeable—ideal for tangling one’s fingers into. And maybe tugging. His eyes were brown, with laughter lines at the corners, which were always a positive note in my book. If someone laughed a lot, then they were either fun, or had a lot of fun. Both were good with me. His nose was long, not over-large, and had been broken, likely more than once. Finally, his mouth—possibly the best part of him. That I could see, anyway. Sinful, tempting lips, straight white teeth, and a dimple in his left cheek.

Putting my glass down on the table, I crunched on an ice cube, preparing to ask my first question to get the conversational ball rolling. Barton beat me to it.

My Review:
This is a quickie ménage scene that answers the question: what happens when a vampire, a werewolf and a human walk into bar?

Aneesa is a human in love with a sexy, non-sparkling vampire, Ace. They’ve been dating for eight years, enjoying the many splendors of love with each other, but both have a ‘bucket list’ ménage fantasy to tick off. Ace has chatted with his friend, Barton, a werewolf with an insatiable sex drive, about the possibilities, and he’s down for it. (Or should I say up for it?) Regardless, Barton wants to get it on, and isn’t above a bit of (harmless) stalking to get the party rolling.

Thing is, Aneesa’s simultaneously put off and aroused by Barton’s interest. The deed goes forth with sexy results.

For a sexy short, it packs a lot of heat, and the whimsical writing kept me smiling throughout. Looking forward to more…

Interested? You can find SATED on Goodreads, Totally Bound, Amazon: UK, US, AU, and CA; All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, iBooks UK, iBooks US, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the link below for your chance to win a $10 GC to AllRomance.
Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women’s Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house.

She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at her website, join her on Facebook and Twitter, or even subscribe to her newsletter.

Catching That DEMON OF MINE–Review & Giveaway

Demon Of Mine Blog Tour Banner

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review in the blog tour for
DEMON OF MINE , a contemporary M/M paranormal romance from Rayna Vause. I really enjoyed this simmering romance!

Demon of Mine (Hell Inc. Series, #1)About the book:
Climbing the corporate ladder can be hell….

As a Collections Demon, Zavier grants his “clients” one wish in exchange for their souls. His job sucks, but once you make a deal with Corporate South, they own you. The trouble is, Zavier’s not a very good Collections Demon, with his tendencies to spurn authority and find loopholes to help deserving clients out of their contracts. He’s under scrutiny from the head of his department, who would quite literally like to see him burn. He just needs to close a simple deal to get upper management off his back. Instead, he meets Ryan.

Ryan is desperately searching for a way to save his dying sister. He doesn’t believe in magic and demons, but he’s out of options. Zavier’s not what he expects in a demon, and even more unexpected is the strong sense of familiarity—very intimate familiarity.

While trying to free Ryan from his contract, Zavier discovers secrets unscrupulous even by South standards. Exposing them could cost Zavier everything, but it might be Ryan’s only hope.

How about a little taste?

The man dug in his pocket and pulled out a picture of a beautiful blonde woman wearing a huge smile as she cuddled a newborn baby. “This is my sister, Maggie, and her daughter, Mya. Maggie has cancer. Pancreatic, stage four. She’s terminal.” He glanced at the photo, and grief flitted across his face before determination chased it away. He handed him the image.

Zavier took the photo but didn’t look at it. Instead he watched a mix of emotions flicker over the man’s attractive face. His heart clenched with sympathy and an odd sense of commiseration. A part of him recalled the pain of knowing that a loved one’s time was running short, but he didn’t know why. As far back as he could recall in his existence as a demon, he’d never lost anyone. This acute identification with this man’s feelings made no sense.

“I need you to cure her. I want her to have a one-hundred-percent clean bill of health.”

Zavier finally looked at the picture of the glowing woman and child. In that captured moment she shone bright, happy, and full of life. “I imagine you must love her a lot, but are you sure you really want to do this?”

“I’d do anything for her.”

Tears shimmered in the man’s eyes. He pressed the heels of his hands into them before any could fall and took a deep breath. When he continued, his words turned defensive. “Look, my mind is made up. I-I just want to do this and go home.”

Zavier stared at the man, awed by his selflessness. No one this genuine had summoned him in ages. It tugged at something inside him, warming him at the same time as it annoyed him. Shit, here’s another one that’s going to bite me in the ass and get me in even deeper with upper management. He hated these types of cases. The selfish, stupid wishes, he granted without question, without a qualm. But these types of cases, where no one really came out ahead in the end, they got under his skin and made him detest his job a little more every time.

Zavier wished he could help this man in some way without locking him into the soul contract. If he could offer him this wish free of charge, he’d do it. The Board, however, would have his hide. Pushing his personal feelings aside, he did his duty, despite the sour taste it left in his mouth, and went about claiming another soul for South.

“It’s your life.” Zavier reached into his jacket and pulled out a packet of papers. “You agree to sign your soul over to me. In return, I’ll give your sister a clean bill of health. The cancer, along with any other medical issues she may have, will be cured. Please understand, it’s not a ‘snap of the fingers’ situation. It will take some time for a full recovery. In a few weeks, you’ll notice a marked improvement. Over the course of a year, the disease will completely disappear.”

“Why a year?”

“It’s a protection issue—for you, and for us. Last thing we want are people—the government, whomever—asking questions when sick people miraculously recover overnight. It needs to look natural to a certain degree. Make sense?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Okay, moving on. You’ll have five years, and then I’ll come to collect. Use your years wisely. If these terms are acceptable to you, we’ll seal the deal with a handshake. At the same time, I’ll need you to verbally state your name and accept the terms. Then you’ll sign on the dotted line. We clear?”

“No. Yes. Contracts? Really? That seems awfully normal and more businesslike than I expected, especially after the summoning spell. Nothing about this entire situation is like I’d anticipated.”

“Yeah, well. Like I said, we’ve upgraded a lot of our practices and traditions over the years. Even demons have to update their methods from time to time. But, we keep enough of our old ways to retain a hint of mystery and mysticism about things. Don’t want to feel too corporate.”

The man stared at him dumbfounded, and then his expression changed. Zavier watched as the man gave him a long, analytical once over for the first time.

“Would you like me to do a little turn for you? Give you a better look?”

“What? No.” A slight blush spread across the man’s face. “It’s just—you aren’t what I imagined at all. I envisioned something a little more Hellraiser and a little less Ralph Lauren. With the juxtaposition of the magic and the paperwork, I’m just having a hard time piecing it all together in my mind.”

Zavier cocked his head at the man. “Still? I thought we’d addressed this a few minutes ago. Look, let’s try this instead.” Zavier closed his eyes and called up a bit of the darkness caged within. When he raised his lids, he let his inner demon show through.

“Better?”

The man gasped. “Uh, not really. No.”

“Whatever.” Zavier huffed and snuffed out the fire, allowing his eyes to return to their usual brown.

“Look, don’t worry about it for now. You’ll find out about the inner workings of the demon world soon enough.”

My Review:
4.5 stars for this contemporary M/M paranormal romance.

Ryan is wrecked watching his only sister die of pancreatic cancer. Desperate to save her, and spare her daughter becoming an orphan, Ryan does something he can’t even believe–he makes a pact with a demon, Zavier. For the exchange of his soul, his sister will be saved. Ryan is given a five year delay on collection, but when he seals the deal with Zavier something equally extraordinary happens–both men feel a deeper connection.

For Zavier, touching Ryan unlocks the history of his human life–the one he sacrificed when he made a pact with a demon to save the life of his dying lover, Ryan. Fifty years have passed since Zavier’s contract came due and he entered Hell’s ranks, but how could his new client Ryan have opened Zavier’s locked memories? Zavier begins to investigate his own contract, with the help of a guardian angel and a lesser demon with mad computer skillz. The answers are as infuriating as they are shocking, and Zavier is torn between his demon duty and his love once lost.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. Do not be looking for lots and lots of steamy sex–there is a bit of physicality near the end, but it’s a small part of this bittersweet story. The story is told from Ryan and Zavier’s points of view, so we really get to see their insights, throughout. The descriptions of Hell are interesting and compelling–I definitely enjoyed the “corporate structure” and how the demons and angels jetted about with a touch of a cell phone.

The star-crossed love between Ryan and Zavier is allowed to develop in a new time–with Ryan being a more equal partner in love than the man Zavier sacrificed his mortality for all those decades ago. Still, things happen fast. Zavier’s boss is frustrated by his slip-shod efforts at signing new souls, and collecting souls which have come due. I adored Zavier’s sense of morality–he’s practically the anti-demon, all conscience and no avarice. His best friend is an angel, for goodness sake!

As Zavier works to protect Ryan from his own selflessness, Zavier makes the same mistake he did when he was human–and his keen protectiveness nearly ruins the tenuous love they are building, now. The end is nothing short of a miracle, but what can one expect when the angels hear your prayers. I know there are more books in this series planned, and I’m eagerly expecting Adrian (the guardian angel)’s story. I want that guy to find love again.

Interested? You can find DEMON OF MINE on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (ebook or paperback) Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Rayna Vause loves to craft romances that mix a little action, a little adventure, and, often, a touch of the paranormal. She’s voracious reader and a perpetual student. Rayna has collected more degrees and certifications then she cares to admit and eventually she’ll probably earn a few more just because. She is a proud geek who injects a little bit of her geeky, tech obsessed soul into every story she writes.

When Rayna isn’t busy make up stories, she’s likely indulging her love of video games. Why? Because playing through the action, adventure, and romance in a role playing game is as good as reading a romance novel and is sometimes great inspiration for her writing. She’s a martial artist having studied American Kenpo Karate. She is also a Disney fanatic of epic proportions.

Rayna is a member of RWA, RRW, and a founding member of Liberty States Fiction Writers. She lives in southern NJ, just a bit outside of Philadelphia and shares a home with a cat who thinks she’s royalty.

Catch up with Rayna online on her website, Facebook, twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Thanks for popping in. And keep reading my friends!

Cephalopod Coffeehouse August 2015–IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT by Judy Blume

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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.

In the Unlikely EventThis month I’d like to share my review for IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT newly released by Judy Blume. I am a girl who grew up devouring Blume’s coming-of-age stories and needing that frank honesty in a world I didn’t quite understand. I had the chance to attend a lecture by Ms. Blume, as part of this book’s launch. It was a wonderful evening; a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.

As for the book:

It is a piece of historical fiction. The first I believe she has ever written. It centers on Elizabeth, NJ in 1951-52 dubbed “Plane Crash City” because three commercial aircraft crashed there within 58 days of each other. Ms. Blume was living in Elizabeth at the time, a little younger than the book’s main protagonist, Miri Ammerman, a 15 y/o Jewish American girl whose world seem to split at the seams in the wake of these tragedies.

The story is an ensemble piece, built on short news articles and longer vignettes from probably 15 different characters, though the main voice is that of Miri. She is a girl who has never known her father, raised by her mother, grandmother and uncle–and they barely make ends meet. Her best friend, Natalie, is from a well-off family; her parents are married and her dad is a dentist.

Miri and her mother are eye-witnesses to the first crash, as is Miri’s Uncle Henry, a reporter. He ends up making a name for himself, as the story winds on, covering all the investigations and the subsequent crashes. Miri’s friends all speculate as to the causes of the crashes–aliens, sabotage, Commies–it’s a freaky time to be a young person. Historically, WWII has barely ended and thousands of soldiers are still dying in Korea. Public awareness and political leanings of are fixated on McCarthy hearings and the Red Scare is very real. In Miri’s day-to-day, people she knows are killed in the crashes, as the planes sometimes strike homes and apartments in the closely-packed suburban area, and nobody can explain why.

The strain of identifying dead bodies by the dental records drives Natalie’s father a bit round the bend, and Natalie’s sure she can hear voices of the dead and dying. I was struck by the deft interleaving of narrative arcs. Miri’s falling for a young man, Mason McKittrick, an Irish boy who is not a suitor of whom her Jewish grandmother would approve, then Mason becomes a hero in one of the crashes–and he’s seen on his own merit. The affair between them them is intense for both, but it’ s not enough–for reasons only Mason can explain.

Meanwhile, Natalie’s family is falling apart, and Miri’s family is so deeply entrenched in that debacle that their friendship suffers greatly. Looming overhead is the constant prospect of another plane falling from the sky. The public backlash is fierce, even causing the closure of Newark Airport for a time, while the runways and airline patterns are rebuilt/rerouted.

It’s an engrossing read that kept me up well past a reasonable bedtime. The story spans thirty-five years–from late 1951 to early 1987, so we get to see how many of the players fared in the wake of such tragedy. The actual events of the crashes were meticulously researched by Ms. Blume, and the detail of the story is so rich–down to the “archaic” practices of 50s fashion (putting angora sweaters in the fridge!) I was captivated.

I will always love the YA fiction of Ms. Blume and my childhood, but this all-grown-up story was fascinating and uplifting, even at it’s lowest.

Interested? You can find IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and most other stores and libraries.

Thanks for popping in, and don’t forget to check out the reviews from my fellow Coffeehousers!

Living Through RECKLESS HOPE–Review & Giveaway

RH bannerHi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a contemporary New Adult M/M romance, RECKLESS HOPE, by j. leigh bailey. This is the second book in the Letting Go series, about young men who find love when they are least looking for it. I really enjoyed NOBODY’S HERO, and I found RECKLESS HOPE to be a touching story about living through loss, and making the best of bad circumstances.

CARINA_0815_9781459290068_RecklessHope.inddAbout the book:
What’s life without a little risk?
Or a lot of risk, if you’re Sebastian Carlisle. He’ll never live up to the legacy of his dead brother, so why try? Being the wild child in a family of stuck-up rich snobs suits him just fine.

Until he meets Micah Burke, and everything changes.

Micah’s got too much going on for a relationship. Even if he could trust Sebastian, a distraction—a sexy, reckless distraction with a death wish—would only derail his carefully scheduled life. If it were just Micah, maybe that would be fine, but his mother and sister depend on him, and he can’t let them down. Or at least that’s what he tells himself.

A hot moment leads to a hot night leads to a connection neither of them are ready for. And when a crisis hits Micah’s family hard, Sebastian will have to shed his bad-boy image and decide whether he can be the man Micah needs—and Micah needs to decide whether he’ll let him.

How about a little taste?

“I thought I knew what kind of person you were.”

“Yeah, you made that pretty clear.”

Micah cringed, but kept going. “You take for granted everything I work my ass off to achieve. It’s easy for you. And now I know there’s more to you than that. I don’t understand your choices, or the need for an adrenaline rush you seem to have.” He held up a hand to keep Sebastian from saying anything. He scooted up, resting his back against the handlebars. “I don’t have to understand. It’s part of who you are.”

“Somehow I don’t think this discussion is heading in a direction I’m going to like.” Sebastian drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

“The thing is, you’re a bad influence on me.”

“I don’t—”

“You don’t even have to do anything. Take tonight, for instance.”

“Tonight?”

“I have a midterm tomorrow. I should be studying. Or even sleeping. Instead I’m here. I never have trouble doing what I’m supposed to do. Setting aside my ‘want tos’ to do my ‘have tos.’ Except around you.”

“I’m not trying to make your life harder. I’m just trying to be part of it.”

“That’s what I don’t get. You could have almost anyone. You could find someone a hell of a lot less complicated than me.”

“You may not believe it, but I don’t mind complications.”

My Review:
This is the second book in a series, but is fully enjoyable as a standalone.
4.5 Stars.

Micah Burke is 19 going on 62. He is the guardian for his 14 y/o sister and caregiver to his paraplegic mother. Two years ago his alcoholic parents were responsible for a car wreck that killed his father, paralyzed his mother, and killed three others. Since then he has had to take on two jobs and the role of parent. He barely makes ends meet and only goes out one night a month–one night of dancing–where he meets Sebastian Carlisle.

Sebastian Carlisle is as rich as they come. He’s a sophomore at Northwestern and an entitled prick with a sad history–his twin died of leukemia four years ago. His parents have pretty much moved to Europe and his only remaining family is his wealthy, but strict, grandfather–who absolutely does not approve of Sebastian’s risky life choices. Since then, Bas has lived his life on the edge, never showing his tenderness or vulnerability to anyone. Something about staid and sober Micah calls to Bas, reminds him of his conscientious and caring brother. The closer Sebastian gets to Micah, the more Micah tries to push him away–at first.

Micah has no time for a flighty boyfriend, but he can see that Sebastian isn’t a relationship guy. This is (at first) a problem–Micah doesn’t do casual, but then again Micah doesn’t do…anything. The close contact Micah and Sebastian have while working at the Carlisle Gardens Nursing Home (Micah as a CNA and Sebastian as a volunteer) keeps tempting Micah to take Sebastian up in his offers of fun. And casual sex…

This is a definite hurt/comfort story of two lonely young men looking for a partner who can be a support, not a burden. Micah is the first guy Sebastian has met in a long while who wants nothing from him–not money or contacts or anything, except a bit of fun now and then. Micah is sure being with Sebastian is a mistake–that he will let Micah down, just as everyone else in his life has. He’s so sure that he continually pushes Sebastian away, even when he truly needs his help.

I did like when Micah opened up, and asked Sebastian for help. And Sebastian’s response was way past stellar. I loved how Sebastian just meshed with the most difficult people–cantankerous old men and wild teens. He saw pieces of himself reflected in others and decided that he didn’t need to live up to his brother’s memory–rather he could behave like someone his brother would have been proud to know, and love. It was a very touching coming-of-age. These guys are young for all the tragedy in their lives, but the end speaks of happier days and a brighter future together. Expect a bit of angst and a decent amount of sexytimes.

Interested? You can find RECKLESS HOPE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win ebook copies of both book sin the Letting Go series.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
j. leigh bailey is an office drone by day and the author of New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in the way of… well, everything…but some habits aren’t worth breaking. She’s been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance, relationships and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She’s a firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending.

She wrote her first story at seven, which was, unbeknownst to her at the time, a charming piece of fan-fiction in which Superman battled (and defeated, of course) the nefarious X Luther. She was quite put out to be told, years later, that the character’s name was actually Lex. Her second masterpiece should have been a best-seller, but the action-packed tale of rescuing her little brother from an alligator attack in the marshes of Florida collected dust for years under the bed instead of gaining critical acclaim.

Now she writes New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance novels about boys traversing the crazy world of love, relationships and acceptance.

You can find j. leigh online on Facebook, her Facebook Author Page, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Meeting COLETRANE Head On–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for the final book in Rie Warren’s Bad Boys of Retribution series. As you know I’ve followed the other three stories with glee! HUNTER, BO, and KINKAID were all yummy biker guys finding solid, sexy women, and COLETRANE is no exception. While this is a part of the series, it can be read as a standalone.

Coletrane (Bad Boys of Retribution MC #4)My Review:

Coletrane is a new member of the Retribution MC. He’s a level-headed college grad, working as a tattoo artist, and trying to keep his past at bay.

Then he meets Sinclair Chatham, sexy socialite he should steer quite clear of–but he can’t and it’s bringing him a world o’ hurt.

Sin, as he calls her, is a good girl who likes it bad. She’s headstrong and heartstrong and sure she can tame Cole’s inner beast, but Cole’s brand of lovin’–BDSM of a fashion–is as intoxicating as his sultry voice.

Cole’s past isn’t pretty. He ran around with the wrong folks, and had little direction from his mom who was always looking for the next big take. He barely survived when his sister OD’ed. His mom had a mental breakdown, and he’s been shouldering a lot of blame over the past several years. Between Cole and Sin the heat is intense. He’s falling hard and fast for this strong woman, but her dad isn’t best pleased–and his former friends see Sin as a gravy train they’d like to skim.

As with all the other Retribution books, we get the men of Retribution MC coming together for a tense showdown, the hero being a real hero, and so much sexytimes it’s a guaranteed HEA. I liked how Cole took Hunter’s advice and put his degree to real use, and made amends over his past at the same time. It was also cool that everything didn’t work out perfectly for Cole, keeping it real for us readers. Sin is the sexiest and most forward of all the gals bound to Retribution men, so far. Her daring was fun to experience.

Interested? You can find COLETRANE on Goodreads and Amazon.

Rie WarrenAbout the Author:
Badass, sassafras Rie Warren is the author of Sugar Daddy and the Don’t Tell series—a breakthrough trilogy that crosses traditional publishing boundaries beginning with In His Command.

She lives in gorgeous Charleston, South Carolina with her small family where she basks in the sunshine during the day, and adjourns to her woman cave at night. A nocturnal creature, she stays up way too late talking to herself, her characters, and anyone who will listen. She’s all about writing with heat, heart, and a hint of the dark, and she doesn’t shy away from the impossible.

Rie’s work has been called “edgy”, “daring”, and “some of the sexiest smut around”.

You can find Rie online Goodreads, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

New Dangers in THE DUALITY BRIDGE–Review & Giveaway

Singularity 2
Hi there! Today I’m so excited to share my review for THE DUALITY BRIDGE, a YA sci-fi book about artificial intelligence and the quest for immortality from a fave author Susan Kaye Quinn. This is the second book in a series, and you should read THE LEGACY HUMAN first. Don’t forget to scroll down and enter the $25 GC giveaway.

Duality BridgeAbout the book:
What does it mean to be human? Elijah Brighton is the face of the Human Resistance Movement. He’s the Olympic-level painter who refused an offer of immortality from the ascenders—the human/machine hybrids who run the world—in solidarity with the legacy humans who will never get a chance to live forever.

Too bad it’s all a complicated web of lies. Worse, Eli’s not even entirely human. Few know about the ascenders’ genetic experiments that left him… different. Fewer know about the unearthly fugue state that creates his transcendent art—as well as a bridge that lets him speak to the dead. But the Resistance is the one place he can hide from the ascender who knows everything the fugue can do. Because if Marcus finds him, he’ll either use Eli for his own nefarious purposes… or destroy him once and for all.

The Duality Bridge is the second book in the Singularity series and the sequel to The Legacy Human. This thrilling new young adult science fiction series explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world.

How about a tiny taste?

Delphina is watching me from outside the holo matrix… along with Kamali, whose wide brown eyes hold silent judgment for the things she thinks I’ve done. Forbidden things, like being a love toy for my ex-patron and current-rebel-ascender, Lenora. Who happens to be standing right next to her. While Kamali’s graceful dancer body is hidden under the black military garb of the resistance, Lenora’s perfect bodyform is barely covered in scintillating ascender-tech fabric. The thing is, I’ve never so much as kissed Lenora. Except in my dreams, which really shouldn’t count against me. Any seventeen-year-old guy would have those kinds of thoughts. But the truth is Kamali’s not wrong to judge me.

My feelings for Lenora have always been… complicated.

My Review:
This series of books takes place in a future Earth where humanity is the minority of the population and the Ascenders are humans who long ago put their knowledge and consciousness into a computer matrix called Orion. They exist in artificial bodyforms are are essentially immortal–replacing parts but not awareness over the years. Eli is a legacy human, part of a cultivated population comprised of the progeny of people who chose not to ascend over a hundred years ago. He has earned a modest living as an artist due to the payments of his Ascender patron Lenora, but his true goal was to win Ascendance at the Olympics that just ended. His goal was two-fold: he would be ascender and could pursue Lenora, for whom he always pined, and his mother, who is sick with lymphoma and unable to be cured with the limited medicines humans are allowed to take, would also ascend and she would be cured in the process.

In the previous book, THE LEGACY HUMAN, Eli’s plans did not succeed. And, he has learned that his humanity–which he ofttimes cursed–is not complete. Lenora had a hand in Eli’s conception, with a number of other Ascenders who were hoping to determine if Ascenders in fact had souls. Eli has fits, fugues, where he loses his active consciousness and sees scenes that may be future or past. He paints within these fugue-states creating art that is transcendent, but he now realizes that his visions in the fugue are far more than art–they are communion with Orion, outside of Ascendency.

Eli is a poster child for the Human Resistance, factions of humans who want Ascendency to be a right, not a privilege to “win” but, at the moment, Eli isn’t a believer in their cause. He isn’t human, but his sick mother is–and the rebels are willing to cure his mother for his cooperation. Unfortunately, their camp is compromised and Eli is singled out as a security risk. Eli and his friend Kamali (a human girl he’d like to actually date) fight to save the captured members of their camp, while also keeping Eli’s secret. It’s getting harder and harder to keep his genetic origins secret, however, especially as they are captured by human True Believers–God worshippers in the darkest sense–and other Ascenders, including Marcus, who believe Eli’s origin to be a mistake that needs to be rectified.

The plot takes amazing twists, between the harsh reality of human life in New Portland and the surreal nature of Eli’s fugues which are becoming more frequent and more detailed. Eli’s able to discern the true nature of all creatures he meets in the fugue, and his fears over some are more warranted than others. He’s also forced to make alliances that do not best suit him, in order to save the people he loves–sacrificing himself is not a viable option for his protectors and friends, however.

I really enjoyed the detailed world-building and the depth of the plot, which (naturally) features a character bent on world domination. Shame this character has such close ties to Eli. The characters within the story are fantastically crafted, with real motives and drives that cause alliances that are not always permanent. The secondary characters, Kamali, Cyrus, Lenora, Marcus and others, have true roles to play in Eli’s journey. The resolution of this novel is sufficient to remove any cliffhangers, but readers know there is more of the story to come. Can’t wait!

Interested? You can find THE DUALITY BRIDGE on Goodreads and Amazon.

legacy human
The Legacy Human by Susan Kay Quinn

What would you give to live forever? Seventeen-year-old Elijah Brighton wants to become an ascender—a post-Singularity human/machine hybrid—after all, they’re smarter, more enlightened, more compassionate, and above all, achingly beautiful. But Eli is a legacy human, preserved and cherished for his unaltered genetic code, just like the rainforest he paints. When a fugue state possesses him and creates great art, Eli miraculously lands a sponsor for the creative Olympics. If he could just master the fugue, he could take the gold and win the right to ascend, bringing everything he’s yearned for within reach… including his beautiful ascender patron. But once Eli arrives at the Games, he finds the ascenders are playing games of their own. Everything he knows about the ascenders and the legacies they keep starts to unravel… until he’s running for his life and wondering who he truly is.

The Legacy Human is the first in Susan Kaye Quinn’s new young adult science fiction series that explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world… and how technology will challenge us to remember what it means to be human.
You can find my review for the THE LEGACY HUMAN here and pick up the book on Amazon.

Praise for The Legacy Human:
“This book is Hunger Games (without the violence or controversy) meets Divergent.”
“This story is so intense I felt I couldn’t get a proper breath.”
“Science fiction with philosophical depth!”

$25 Blog Tour giveaway

$25 Blog Tour Giveaway

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $25 Amazon eGift Card or Paypal Cash.
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SusanAuthor Susan Kay Quinn
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the Singularity Series, the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, and the Debt Collector serial, as well as other speculative fiction novels and short stories. Her work has appeared in the Synchronic anthology, the Telepath Chronicles, the AI Chronicles, and has been optioned for Virtual Reality by Immersive Entertainment. Former rocket scientist, now she invents mind powers, dabbles in steampunk, and dreams of the Singularity. Mostly she sits around in her PJs in awe that she gets to write full time.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Learning WHEN TO HOLD THEM–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a new contemporary M/M romance from GB Gordon. WHEN TO HOLD THEM is a book in the Bluewater Bay universe–which is loosely connected to the other books in the series (STARSTRUCK, LONE WOLF, HELL ON WHEELS, THE BURNT TOAST B & B, and WEDDING FAVORS)  but fully enjoyable as a standalone. I’ve loved other GB Gordon books, SANTUARIO and THE OTHER SIDE OF WINTER, so I was excited to read this one!

When to Hold Them (Bluewater Bay, #9)About the book:

Doran Callaghan doesn’t know when to fold ’em. His gambling has landed him in debt and in jail, and now it’s got him stuck in the sticks in a reintegration program. He wants to turn his life around, but old habits come knocking, and some creditors are harder to shake than others.

Xavier Wagner cares more about the National Park he works in than the people around it, until a stranger awakens desires he didn’t know he had. Doran’s natural submissiveness turns Xavier’s ideas of how to treat a lover upside down. But Doran doesn’t seem to know about boundaries — or even to have any — and Xavier’s not sure that Doran will say no if he needs to. Which means someone’s going to get hurt.

While Xavier struggles with his principles, Doran’s past comes calling. Trusting each other is suddenly a matter of life or death, but Doran has to decide whether counting on Xavier — or himself — is a gamble he’s willing to take.

My Review:
Doran is 22 y/o man with a gambling addiction. He ran up some substantial debt to a card shark, and then embezzled money from his uncle’s clients in order to pay it back. This was doubly hard to do as Doran respects his uncle greatly–he took Doran in after his mother disowned him for being gay. Doran tries to comply with his parole agreement, attending GA sessions and working at his job in the tourism office redesigning the Bluewater Bay website and travel brochures. He sets aside some of his weekly allowance to repaying his uncle, but the urge to gamble is strong. In fact, the only urge that even compares is Doran’s obsession with catching sight of a local forest ranger whose truck appears at the gas station across the street from his office every Sunday afternoon.

One Sunday Doran’s too overwhelmed to simply observe–he enters the gas station to buy his lunch at the same time Officer Xavier Wagner is chatting up the attendant. And, a few days later, Doran can’t help sneaking a peek inside Xavier’s truck. It’s a miracle to him that Xavier is polite.

Xavier is a man between worlds. Son of a German emigre and a black woman, he’s not “black enough,” and he’s not “straight enough” for his mother’s conservative church. He lives in a cabin in the woods, preferring solitude–though he’d make an exception to bringing home the man-child he caught snooping in his truck. The desires that awaken when he’s near Doran almost scare Xavier–he wants to have him, to own him, and Doran is (even more frightening) into it.

Xavier doesn’t tolerate secrets or lies, so he’s put off when Doran’s evasive about his personal history. Doran’s so anxious to not be a cast off that he comes to terms with his inner steel, and stands up for himself, which was great to see. The dynamic that is developing here is one of limited D/s with many hints at it going further as more trust develops. The gambling addiction made for a nice character development with Doran–his ability to be so “all in” with Xavier, his impulsiveness, his remorse and “getting it” about chasing the thrill. All of those rounded Doran out nicely.

I had wanted a bit more steam. The sexytimes were nice, but felt whitewashed and ephemeral, removing me from the players which was mildly disappointing. Still the mountainside hunt was an interesting plot point. I appreciated how Xavier took great care of Doran, and left the story feeling as if these two were going to make it long-term. Yay!

Interested? You can find WHEN TO HOLD THEM on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
G.B. Gordon worked as a packer, landscaper, waiter, and coach before going back to school to major in linguistics and, at 35, switch to less backbreaking monetary pursuits like translating, editing, and writing. Having lived in various parts of the world, Gordon is now happily ensconced in suburban Ontario with the best of all husbands.

You can reach GB online here: website, Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook.

Moving Beyond WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a super sexy M/M/M ménage romance newly-released from LA Witt. WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND is a book about married friends helping a friend recover from abuse. My goodness, it was a swooner! I’ve loved these other books from LA Witt, ON THE CLOCK, LONE WOLF and STARSTRUCK, and jumped at the chance to review this one. So glad I did.

What He Left BehindAbout the book:
Can you ever have a second first time?

Josh Carver thinks it’s just another lunch with his best friend, Michael—until Michael confesses he just turned down a date with his hot veterinarian crush. It seems Michael’s abusive ex left him more scarred than Josh realized.

Josh and his husband, Ian, have done their best to help Michael leave his horrific past behind, but even Josh is stunned when Ian suggests that Josh help Michael with his fear of physical intimacy. After all, it isn’t like it would be the first time—Josh and Michael were once each other’s firsts.

A hesitant first kiss, and Josh and Michael’s natural attraction eases the way. But with Michael still balking at the prospect of sex with someone new, Ian steps into the breach.

Everything is fine and dandy until emotions become so entangled, their friendship—and a marriage—could be at risk.

Warning: Contains three guys who will do anything for each other, a hot tub that’s always the right temperature, and a cat with an attitude problem.

My review:
This is a “melt your e-reader” erotic, contemporary M/M/M ménage story that can be summed up thusly: sex, and feels, and sexy feels.

Michael was in a long term relationship with an abusive partner, Steve, for five years. It has been roughly five years since Michael escaped Steve’s abuse, and he’s been working with a therapist all this time, but he still cannot bear to be touched, and has had no sexual relations with any partners in all that time. Each time Michael tried to initiate something with a potential partner he suffered panic attacks and PTSD episodes. He’s in his mid-thirties and completely, miserably, celibate.

Josh is Michael’s friend from childhood. They grew up together and shared all their first sexual experiences. They were besties with benefits, for a long time, but haven’t had any sexual relations in more than a decade–not since Josh met and married Ian. Ian and Josh have a stable, satisfying monogamous marriage, and a close friendship with Michael. When Michael confesses his fears over having sex with a new partner, it is Ian who suggests that Josh offers himself to Michael. That’s right. Ian is so sure that Josh can give Michael sexual healing–without damaging their marriage–that he urges Josh to help Michael get it on.

Through fits and starts, Josh is able to coach Michael to open up sexually. They are slow and tentative with each other, and it’s shattering Josh’s confidence, always wondering if he’ll push Michael too far, while also worrying that he is pushing Ian away.

I’m just gonna say that this is one of the most tender, most honest, and most absolutely scorching ménage stories I’ve read in a long time. The feels! My god! I wanted to weep whenever Michael clenched up and panicked. And Josh is an absolute mess inside. He tells the story, so we are constantly privy to his conflict. Ian is spectacular. Honest, and compassionate, and unrelenting as a sexual partner. When Michael becomes comfortable with Josh, and his anxiety over new partners is the last hurdle, Ian is steadfast. And hot! I almost chuckled when Josh began watching them interact and realized, ‘Hey! Why am I WATCHING when I could be joining in!’ I was cheering these guys on from this side of the screen for sure.

Of course, all good things come to an end, and Michael needs to find himself a stable partner, opening up the next round of conflict between the three of them. Turns out so, so good! It’s an HEA all the way.

Interested? You can find WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance.

About the Author:

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who, after three years in Okinawa, Japan, has recently relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a three-headed clairvoyant parakeet named Fred. There is some speculation that this move was not actually because of her husband’s military orders, but to help L. A. close in on her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who has also recently transferred to Omaha. So, don’t anyone tell Lauren. She’s not getting away this time…

Visit her website, Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in my friends, and keep reading!

Life as the KNAVE OF BROKEN HEARTS–Review & Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for Tara Lain’s KNAVE OF BROKEN HEARTS, a contemporary M/M Romance. While this is the second series in the Love in Laguna series, it can be easily enjoyed as a standalone book. I really liked the KNIGHT OF OCEAN AVENUE and looked forward to this story. Jim is a construction worker with a dark past and Ken is a Japanese-American physician with willful parents. Can they make it work?

Don’t forget to enter the $25 Amazon GC giveaway below.

About the book:Jim Carney has a full time job—running from himself. Since he walked out on his wealthy family at sixteen because he’d wrecked his best friend’s life over some yaoi graphic novels, Jim has lived a macho, blue-collar existence of too much booze and too little responsibility. Then Billy Ballew, the man Jim most admires, gives Jim a chance to come through as his construction supervisor. For once, Jim is determined to make someone proud. Then Jim goes in for a physical for his new job and his yaoi dream comes to life in the form of cardiologist Ken Tanaka. Jim discovers he has two heart problems—a wonky mitral valve and a serious attraction to his doctor. But Ken is a major player, and Jim might be just a notch on the doc’s stethoscope. To Ken, Jim is unforgettable—but the living embodiment of his traditional family’s worst nightmares.

How come the minute Jim decides to be responsible, he finds himself taking care of his kid brother, getting a proposal from a wealthy woman, making a deal with the devil, and winding up in the hospital—when all he really wants is the Knave of Broken Hearts?

How about a little taste?

“Jim?”

He looked up at Ken Tanaka standing in the door to the inner office. The doc came to get Jim
himself.

“Are you okay? You look upset?”

“Oh no, not exactly.”

“Want to come in?”

“Sure.”

He stood and walked through the door, inhaling Tanaka’s spicy/sweet scent that filled his head like smoke. God, he felt disoriented, like he didn’t know which world he lived in—one where he went out on dates with a rich woman, or one in which he gazed into the beautiful eyes of Yaoi Man and got a hard-on. Hell, both of them had to be fantasyland.

Ken motioned him into a private office that wasn’t an examining room. “Please, take a seat.”

Jim sat in a guest chair in front of Ken’s desk, and the doc walked all the way around to
sit in his big leather chair. Very professional. Very distant. Very not a good
sign. “So I got back the results of your echocardiogram.”

“Yeah?” Shit, they should take another test right now. The way his heart hammered in his ears, he’d sure as fuck fail.

“Your mitral valve prolapse is what I would call moderate to severe. It’s difficult to tell exactly without doing surgery.”

“Surgery?” Close your mouth, idiot.

“Yes, that’s how a severely, shall we say, floppy valve is corrected.”

“Floppy?” It came out like a squeak.

“I’m not recommending surgery now. We’re going to observe over the next few months. I want you to let me know any problems, arrhythmic heartbeats, racing heart, chest pains, anything irregular that might occur, okay?”

Shit, all of that was so regular for him, and he was so not going to tell Tanaka that. He nodded.

“Don’t worry. Mitral valve prolapse is quite common. Most people never have any real difficulty. Just follow my directions. Don’t drink excessively, eat healthy food, even organic would be advisable, and avoid stress.”

Jim’s mouth opened, then closed. He was okay on the drinking thing so far, although this news made him want to down a bottle of Jack. Still, on the other stuff, the doc might as well say fly to the moon and bring back some green cheese. Hell, even being around Tanaka could give him a fucking heart attack. Sitting here thinking he might die any moment, and his cock still wanted to escape his jeans just from looking at the doctor’s lips. Maybe that’s how he’d go out. Lean over and kiss Ken Tanaka. Bye-bye, Charlie.

“Does that all seem doable?”

Jim nodded. “Does, uh, that mean I don’t get the insurance?” Jesus, that would be bad.

“No. As I told you, mitral valve prolapse is common. I’ve signed the papers and turned them in. You should get the approval with no problem. You’re officially no longer a patient.”

That felt both good and bad. “Thanks, man.”

“My pleasure. As I say, it’s not an inherently worrisome diagnosis.” Ken sat back in his chair. “So you’re hooking up with our sexy landlord, huh?” He smiled, but something seemed phony about it.

“Uh, no. She was just talking to me about how to build out her suites. And she, uh, has some
more work for us.”

Ken stood and walked toward the door of his office. “I don’t know, buddy. I’d look out for her. You could find yourself hooked.”

Buddy? Seriously? “I won’t worry too much. You told me to avoid stress.” He walked over to the door, looked at Ken, then glanced away. “You seem to have a new boyfriend. Cute guy.”

He frowned. “My mother fixed us up.”

“Seriously?” Jim snorted a laugh.

“You, my friend, are not Japanese, or you’d understand.”

“You were born in Japan?” Ken had no accent at all.

“No, I was born in Costa Mesa, but—well, it’s complicated. So don’t worry about your heart. My office manager is gone, but she’ll call you to make an appointment in about two months. Meanwhile, I’m serious about contacting me if anything unusual occurs.”

“Anything?”

“With your health, crazy man.” He smiled, and this time it reached his eyes.

Two months. He had no excuse to see Ken Tanaka for two months. Hell, that was good news. Maybe
he’d get his feet back under him, if he didn’t die of a heart attack first. “Thanks again for
helping me with the architect thing.”

Ken raised an eyebrow. “Is it working out with Willings?”

“Yeah. He assigned one of the young guys in his office to handle the drawings, and he’s
great. He’s really saved my ass.”

“Good. See, I helped relieve your stress.” He sounded sad.

“Yeah.” He stuck out his hand. Ken took it, and heat traveled up Jim’s arm all the way to his heart. “Guess I’ll see you in two months.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t marry any guys you don’t want to marry.” He tried to grin.

Ken didn’t grin. “I’ll try.”

My Review:
Jim has many issues–he’s an alcoholic and just coming to terms with his sexuality, at age 27. He’s pretty sure that he’s not into women. Because, while he’s always dated women, he can only get off sexually while imagining yaoi–a type of Japanese erotic comic. Essentially, yaoi is gay graphic art, and Jim has been hooked on it since he was a teen.

Jim was raised in an affluent home, but he walked away after his homophobic  father, a powerful cardiovascular physician, learned of his yaoi interests. Now, eleven years later, Jim is finally getting his life together. His best work pal, Billy, has hired him on as stie manager for a tenant improvement project while Billy and his new husband go on their honeymoon.  All Jim must do is complete the physical–which brings him close to Dr. Ken Tanaka, the living embodiment of Jim yaoi fantasies. Dr. Tanaka is a young, brilliant cardiologist who is investigating the severity of Jim’s newly diagnosed heart murmur.

Teaser #3 - Knave Of Broken HeartsAnd that’s a big problem because being anywhere close to Dr. Tanaka makes Jim’s heart pound.

Ken Tanaka is the dutiful son of Japanese immigrants. His mother has finally stopped trying to convince Ken to marry a suitable Japanese girl, but Ken’s not sure that he’s able to appease his mother by dating the gay men she arranges for him, either. See, Ken’s totally, unethically drawn to his patient, Jim. He practically pants for Jim’s burliness and honesty, and is frustrated that (ha, ha!) all the good ones are straight.

They find themselves in close quarters more than once, and the chemistry is off the charts. Jim, despite his fantasies, has not had a gay encounter since his first sexual partner at 16 and Ken is a desirable man–one other men and women find very attractive. How can he, a high school dropout and self-taught construction supervisor be a catch for his sexy cardiologist? Also, Jim’s distracted by his new roommate–his 18 y/o younger brother whose been kicked out for coming out as gay. Ian’s a sweet boy, eager to please and get on with his interrupted life, and becomes a fantastic confidant to his sexually-confused elder brother.

I so loved the interplay between expectation and reality, here. Both Ken and Jim want each other, but neither will take the first step on account of believing that it will go nowhere. Plus, Jim isn’t sure he can be with a man–at first. But life takes a strange turn when friends of the boy Ken is set up with turn out to have criminal intent and Jim is called to rescue Ken from some pretty dire circumstances. Their proximity is too much for Jim to resist–especially when Ken wants him so openly.

Still,it’s a tricky business, this coming together. Jim and Ken have professional and personal responsibilities that aren’t going away, and at least one man’s heart is set for breaking. I really enjoyed the slow burn, and struggled with the complications of this love story. Jim is a closet case, with lucrative reasons for staying so, and Ken has a lot of family pressure to accept his mom’s hand-picked husband candidate. There’s a good bit of bitter to go with the sweet here, as both men figure out the way to make their plans and their attractions work in concert. I loved the steamy bits and only wished it was a bit rosier of a story–but appreciated the honest issues that plagued both Ken and Jim. Jim has to choose to come out, and Ken has to choose to stand up to his parents–neither are easy choices for them to make.  The HEA was excellent after all that turmoil.

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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:

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