adult contemporary

Transformed by MARK OF CAIN

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a fabulous contemporary M/M romance from Kate Sherwood. MARK OF CAIN is a moving story about prejudice and forgiveness.

Mark of CainAbout the book:
When a man is consumed by hatred, is there anything left to love?

After a tough day of counseling sessions, Anglican priest Mark Webber is looking forward to a relaxing dinner at a local restaurant. When he sees who’s bellied up to the bar, though, he reaches for his cell phone to call the police.

It’s Lucas Cain, the man who killed Mark’s brother three years ago. Apparently he’s out of jail and hanging out with his old crowd, which has to be a breach of parole, right?

Pulled over upon leaving the bar, Lucas blows a clean breathalyzer and hopes this isn’t a harbinger of things to come. He’s ready to build a sober, peaceful life. His friends aren’t ready to let him move on, though, and he ends up taking refuge in an Anglican half-way house.

Thrown together, Mark and Lucas find common ground in the struggle to help a young gay man come to terms with his sexuality—and the fight against homophobic townsfolk. As attraction grows, the past is the last stumbling block between them and a future filled with hope.
Warning: Bad boys being good, good boys being bad.

My Review:
Father Mark Webber is an out gay Anglican priest in Canada. He is struggling in his position at the church, and wishes to help move past the homophobia and into acceptance. He’s a godly man, but he’s also human–and he hates Lucas Cain, the newly-released convicted killer of his younger brother, Jimmy.

Lucas Cain is 22 and a closeted gay man who has struggled with his sexuality and close-up, violent homophobia and abandonment his whole life. He was released after three years of serving a 6-year sentence for manslaughter, due to his exceptionally good behavior in jail. Lucas cannot forgive himself for his drunken fight which killed Jimmy Webber, and his remorse is bone-deep.

Here’s the scene that sets this whole book in motion:

“They’re having a party,” Mark said. He shifted to the side, staring at the scene in front of him. Three or four long tables had been shoved together like the bar did when sports teams came in after their games, but on this night, no one was celebrating a great pitch or brutal body check. This night, the guest of honor was a blond kid with cold green eyes, sitting at the head of the table with his hand wrapped around a mug of beer. He was smiling at the woman next to him as if she were the most beautiful and charming thing he’d ever seen. The rest of the extended table was lined with laughing, celebrating drinkers welcoming home their prodigal son.

The man who had killed Mark’s baby brother was being treated like a hero.

This book is about the difference between appearance and reality. Mark believes that Lucas is out drinking and carousing. In reality, Lucas is grudgingly dragged to a celebratory outing, drinks a non-alcoholic brew, and constantly watches the clock so he that doesn’t stay out past his imposed curfew.

Father Mark is the main liaison for a halfway house where Lucas ends up when his best (and perhaps closeted) friend Seth kicks him out. Homeless and jobless, Lucas needs a place to stay, but Mark twists things in his own mind, creating more havoc for Lucas–out of his own prejudice and hate. It is Mark’s misspoken words that land Lucas in the hospital from a hate crime, in fact.

Mark begins to see the error of his ways, soon, and he asks both God and his boss at the church to intercede. At this point, I stopped hating Mark. See, as a reader who gets both sides of the story, I was REALLY mad with Mark’s lack of compassion, and, frankly, lack of honor. He knew he should have asked for help, or asked to be replaced, but he craved the ability to watch Lucas, and even to make life more difficult for him. To punish Lucas, as he should have been in jail. Even better, to send Lucas back to jail to serve out the rest of his sentence. But Mark turns his sinking ship of hate around and does the right thing, and for that I stopped hating him.

Over a few months, Lucas develops himself. He works hard and plays within all the rules. He commits to staying sober and free of fighting. Never misses a curfew, and makes a few new friends. He inadvertently lands in some trouble when a young boy takes a crush on him, but he does the right thing–because Lucas always does the right thing, even if he knows it could land him in trouble. And, Mark is able to see that more and more. It is Mark’s close scrutiny of Lucas that shows him that Lucas was simply caught in a bad moment, in that fight with Jimmy. Mark himself knows that Jimmy was a brawler, and clearly outweighed Lucas by a lot. This turning point allows Mark to see Lucas as a man, not a killer.

And, before Mark even realizes what’s happened, he’s forgiven Lucas for that ill-judged moment which killed Jimmy. What remains? A developing respect for the man Lucas is becoming. All of this unfolds over about six months of semi regular contact. Before long, Mark is finding attraction where he only had scorn. Lucas thinks Mark is crazy–for forgiving him just as much as for wanting him. How can a priest love a convict, anyway?

There is real emotion here. The slow burn from hatred to love is remarkably poignant. This is not an easy transition, and causes far more heartache than stomach butterflies. There are a few scenes of physical connection, but they are not the centerpiece of this story. The story here is in forgiveness, and grace, and love.

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

About the Author:
Kate Sherwood started writing about the same time she got back on a horse after almost twenty years away from riding. She’d like to think she was too young for it to be a midlife crisis, but apparently she was ready for some changes!

Kate grew up near Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and went to school in Montreal, then Vancouver. But for the last decade or so she’s been a country girl. Sure, she misses some of the conveniences of the city, but living close to nature makes up for those lacks. She’s living in Ontario’s “cottage country”–other people save up their time and come to spend their vacations in her neighborhood, but she gets to live there all year round!

Since her first book was published in 2010, she’s kept herself busy with novels, novellas, and short stories in almost all the sub-genres of m/m romance. Contemporary, suspense, scifi or fantasy–the settings are just the backdrop for her characters to answer the important questions. How much can they share, and what do they need to keep? Can they bring themselves to trust someone, after being disappointed so many times? Are they brave enough to take a chance on love?

Kate’s books balance drama with humor, angst with optimism. They feature strong, damaged men who fight themselves harder than they fight anyone else. And, wherever possible, there are animals: horses, dogs, cats ferrets, squirrels… sometimes it’s easier to bond with a non-human, and most of Kate’s men need all the help they can get.

After five years of writing, Kate is still learning, still stretching herself, and still enjoying what she does. She’s looking forward to sharing a lot more stories in the future.

You can catch up with Kate online on her website, Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Swept Away by DANCE OFF–Review & Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing in the blog tour for DANCE OFF by Ariel Tachna and Nessa L. Warin. This was a super fun read, sure to appeal to fans of those dance competition shows all over the TV. It’s a very sweet contemporary M/M romance with some nice steamy bits, too!
Check out the Excerpt and Giveaway below.
About the book:

On the reality show Dance Off, pro rugby player Olivier Gautier and Olympic swimmer JC Webster each have one goal in mind: to stay on the show as long as possible to earn his charity of choice maximum exposure and a larger donation. As the competition heats up, their goals expand to catching each other’s interest, but Olivier is firmly in the closet and plans to stay there. JC is willing to be discreet, but not to hide forever.

Starting a romance with another man is challenge enough for any celebrity, but doing it under the microscope of reality TV—and one majorly intolerant costar—is even harder. Add in meddling dance pros, JC’s overbearing family, and the need to play up chemistry with dance partners to win America’s hearts, and JC and Olivier’s time together is looking more and more like a recipe for disaster.

As the pressure to stay in the competition mounts, JC and Olivier must face their inevitable separation at the end of the show as well as decide whether a relationship as complicated as theirs can survive in the real world, outside the bubble of the set and practice studios.

How about a little taste?
JC stretched up on his toes in the doorway to the old
restaurant that had been converted to a dining room for the cast, hooked his
fingers over the molding at the top, and leaned forward a little to stretch his
chest muscles. It hurt with the good kind of pain, and he stayed on his toes
until Chelsea came up behind him.
“Move,” she said, smacking him lightly on the ass and
knocking him off balance. “Some of us want to eat.”
“Some of us don’t want cramps later,” JC countered as he
stumbled forward. “I forgot to stretch my arms before coming up.”
“Well, you’ve stretched. Now let’s eat. We need to get back
downstairs.” Chelsea grinned and started making a sandwich from the deli meat
platter on the island. “The more we practice, the better you’ll be.”
“Not if I’m so stiff I can’t move.”
The sight of JC’s strong, compact body in a full stretch was,
as far as Olivier was concerned, the perfect anodyne for four hours of dancing
in shoes that felt like they were solid steel. He figured whatever Chelsea had
spent the morning doing to her partner, she needed to keep doing for another
several hours so Olivier could get another such view at the end of the day. “What’s
this about being stiff?” he asked as he took a plate for himself and prepared a
sandwich.
“Chelsea seems to think I should scarf down lunch and head
straight back to work.” JC took four bottles of water out of the refrigerator
and handed them around to Chelsea, Olivier, and Tricia. “I think I should take
time to stretch so I can move in the morning.”
“Worry about tomorrow in the morning,” Tricia said. “You’ve
still got four hours of rehearsal this afternoon. Everyone will be exhausted by
the end of the first week. It’s just the way it goes.”
“It can’t possibly be worse than the start of off-season
training after we’ve had a break post championships,” Olivier said. “Yes, it’s
eight hour days, but we aren’t lifting weights or running drills.”
“I’m just worried about using muscles I’m not used to using.
Swimming is very repetitive once you learn the right way to move. This is
different.” JC pulled his arms across his chest one at a time, stretching them.
The pull of muscle felt good and let him relax a little as he took a long
swallow of water and picked up his sandwich.
“You’ll be fine,” Chelsea said with a wink. “Though I would
like it if you could move in the morning.”
Olivier took another moment to appreciate the play of JC’s
muscles beneath his T-shirt and then forced himself to concentrate on lunch. He
still didn’t think it would be worse than the start of off-season training, but
that didn’t mean he intended to let anyone get the best of him. “You didn’t
stay here at the house last night,” he said to JC after a few minutes. “Do you
live nearby?”
JC swallowed the last of his sandwich and grinned. “No. I
live in Texas when I’m not training. My aunt has a house here in LA, though, so
Mama and I are staying with her.” He ducked his head as he realized he’d just
admitted he’d brought his mother with
him, and he tried not to think about whether he was more embarrassed because it
was Olivier or not. “She’s a huge fan of the show and insisted. My aunt said
she could stay too, and, well….” He shrugged, trying to play it off.
“And well, you love your Mama, and that’s as it should be,”
Olivier replied. “Don’t disappear every night, though. We had a good time
sitting around playing cards last night. Tyler says tonight he will teach me to
play rummy.”
“Tonight is family dinner. Mama, my aunt, all my cousins….”
JC chuckled ruefully. “There’s no way I can stay around tonight. If I miss it,
I’ll never live it down. You, uh—” He bit back the urge to invite Olivier over,
though he knew his mama would love it. “Let me know how the rummy goes. Maybe I’ll
stick around later in the week, and we can play.”
“Yes, another night,” Olivier said. This way he could learn
the game without JC present to see him embarrass himself. “You should bring
your mama to watch a rehearsal. I’m sure other couples would let her watch as
well.”
“Maybe once we’ve had a few more days to practice. I don’t
think Chelsea would appreciate Mama trying to give advice when I’m just
learning the moves.”
“I would be happy to meet your mother, but maybe not just
yet,” Chelsea said. “I’d hate for you to be embarrassed.”
“She’s more likely to embarrass you. I’m used to her.” JC
grinned. “She loves dancing, and she’s watched every episode of Dance Off. She’ll probably try to give
you advice about what the judges like and what gets audience votes. I wouldn’t dare let her watch other couples yet.”
“Maybe we should get her to come give us advice too,” Olivier
said with a wink for Tricia. “I could use all the help I can get.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” Tricia said. “We’ll make sure
to give the audience what they want. I already have an idea for your costume.”
“Nothing too over-the-top,” Olivier insisted.
JC smirked. “Oh please, Tricia, over-the-top. I want to see
Olivier shirtless. It’ll make all the girls swoon.”
No one would be swooning if they saw the burn scars on his
back, but he’d worry about convincing Tricia of that if it actually came up
with the costume department.
“Careful or I’ll get you shirtless too, JC,” Chelsea warned
as she bumped her shoulder against his. “I’m sure all the girls would love to
see your abs as well.”
“I’ve competed in a Speedo,” JC pointed out, trying to hide
his amusement and failing. Dance Off
was different from swimming, but shirtless was shirtless, and on the ballroom
floor, he’d still have on pants and shoes. “Dripping
wet in a Speedo, mind you. No outfit you put me in could possibly be more
revealing than that.”
“Don’t tempt her,” Tricia said. “I saw some of the outfits
her partners wore in previous seasons.”
Don’t
tempt me, Olivier thought, but he wasn’t quite ready to share with
everyone else just yet. He didn’t know Tricia and Chelsea that well, and while
he knew JC was bi, he didn’t know how JC would react to anything more than the
light flirting they had done so far. Olivier was willing to find out, but not
when they had an audience.
“I thought this was a family show,” Olivier said instead. “Doesn’t
everything have to be appropriate for children?”
“Swim meets are generally considered family friendly.” JC had
definitely gotten some well-concealed enjoyment out of watching some of his
teammates climb out of the pool at the end of practice or after swimming in a
meet, but there was no doubt that families of all sorts had watched them in
competition. “No one objected to the Speedo when I won races.”
“Swimming pools and dance floors are a little different,”
Chelsea said. “People expect you to be mostly naked and soaking wet at a pool.
Not while you’re dancing.”
“The costume designers know the guidelines,” Tricia added. “They’ll
keep everything in line. They do a fabulous job with fitting everything. We’ll
probably have the first meetings with them tomorrow so they can take
measurements.”
“It will be interesting to see what they come up with,”
Olivier said. He finished his sandwich and his bottle of water. “But now it is
time for more practice, yes?”
“Yes.” Chelsea finished her water and tossed the bottle in
the recycling bin under the counter. “Come on, JC. Time’s a-wastin’.”
“Slave driver,” JC muttered fondly, but he tossed his water
bottle in the bin and followed Chelsea out of the dining room, pausing to touch
the top of the doorframe as he passed through. “Don’t work too hard, Olivier.”
Olivier narrowed his eyes as JC disappeared down the hallway.
If they had known each other better, Olivier would have sworn that last little
stretch was for his benefit. As it was, he was left hot and bothered thinking
about it without any way to do anything about it.
“Don’t work too hard, mon
oeil,” Olivier muttered. “We will show them how to do the cha-cha, n’est-ce pas, Tricia?”
She smiled at him. “Believe me—you have advantages in this he
doesn’t. Come on. Let’s get back to work.”

 

My Review:
What a fun story! I am not a big reality TV fan, and have never watched DWTS, but this book is absolutely enjoyable…and makes me curious to indulge!

Olivier is a pro rugby player whose dashing good looks and sultry French accent is sure to be catnip for the female viewership, despite his relative anonymity. Thing is, Olivier’s gay. And, in the closet. He doesn’t know how being out will affect his opportunities in his sport, and he really doesn’t want to become the poster boy for gay rugby, either. He’s private…and very much attracted to his fellow co-star, Javier “JC”, an Olympic-medalist swimmer.

JC is out publicly at a bisexual, has been since he was in high school. He has kept a low profile on his relationships–he doesn’t want anyone else to have their privacy invaded due to his own celebrity. He’s drawn to Olivier form the start, and it’s a huge issue. He doesn’t know if Olivier would welcome his attention, and there’s another co-star who is a well-known conservative radio host, renown for his homophobia and hate speech. JC really doesn’t want to end up as a subject on that show.

The mutual attraction simmers, each man suffering in silence as they each prepare for the competition. I know there’s a reason some locales have banned dancing–whoa, boy it can really get hot in there!

JC, Olivier and their pro partners wow in the first week. Each is happy to return for more, and to have the chance to earn money for their charities. But each is also happy to figure out that, yes, the other is “into” him. They still keep everything on the down-low, but their partners quickly find out.

I loved how supportive the side characters are in this. Olivier is really intent on staying publicly quiet, but wants to share some of his joy of being with JC, of having not to hide his looks, or to be able to share even a casual embrace. Seeing how supportive the rest of the cast is with a gay pro, once the radio host is booted, gives Olivier the push to begin dropping his walls.

JC is loving and supportive throughout. He also knows his large, exuberant Mexican-American family will be quick to embrace Olivier as their own, if that’s a possibility. The main tension in the story comes from waiting to see who will be eliminated from the show, and when. Soon, JC and Olivier are not simply competing for the big prize, but for their fledgling relationship to stay cocooned in the guise of the show. They are always careful to hide their secret from the camera, but the promise of more time together becomes the biggest reason to make it to the finals.

I really, really liked this. It was a bit light on the heat factor, but emotionally I was right there the whole time. The judges were so fun, and the commentary was constantly humorous. The men and women swoon for both JC and Olivier–who swooned for each other just as much! The end was spot-on, and won’t leave the reader hanging on.

Interested? You can find DANCE OFF on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (eBook and Paperback), Amazon, AllRomance and Barnes & Noble.


About the Authors:
Ariel Tachna lives outside of Houston with her husband, her daughter and son, and their two dogs.  Before moving there, she traveled all over the world, having fallen in love with France, where she met her husband, and India, where she hopes to retire some day.  She’s bilingual with snippets of four other languages to her credit and is as in love with languages as she is with writing.

You can find Ariel online on her website, Facebook, twitter and Goodreads.


Nessa L. Warin lives in a fantasy world that’s mostly inside her head, though her physical address is in southwestern Ohio. Her two cats kindly play along with her fantasies and graciously let her pay all the bills, but they do require her to provide pampering on a regular basis. Nessa enjoys exploring the wonders of this world through travel—something her cats strongly disapprove of as it cuts into their pampering time—and can find whimsy in the most mundane places. When the real world becomes too much, Nessa enjoys dressing in costume and going to Renaissance Festivals and fantasy conventions. A short trip to either does wonders for her state of mind, so she makes sure to attend at least one of each a year. These trips help Nessa add to her collection of faerie and dragon art, and she swears she will frame and hang all the prints she’s collected some time soon.

When she’s not living in a fantasy world, Nessa enjoys tasting and learning about wine, particularly since it’s one of the few things she and the rest of her family agree on. She’s a regular at the wine tastings held by her local wine shop, and considers it a sin for her wine rack to have more empty spots than full ones. She’d prefer her wine rack to be filled with Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Syrah, but one of her favorite things about wine is the way it can always surprise her. More than once she’s been taken aback by which wine she likes best at a tasting, and she loves the way her wine rack illustrates the joys of trying new things.

You can find Nessa online on her website, Facebook, twitter and Goodreads.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win one of 3 signed copies of DANCE OFF and a backlist book from Ariel and Nessa!
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Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Magic and Mayhem in WINTER’S WOLF–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing in the blog tour for WINTER’S WOLF a contemporary M/M shifter romance from Tara Lain. I reviewed the first two books in this series not long ago, and though Winter’s Wolf is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

About the book:
Winter Thane was raised on the two cardinal rules of werewolf existence: don’t reveal yourself to humans under penalty of death, and there’s no such thing as a gay werewolf. It’s no surprise when his father drags him from his wild life in remote Canada back to Connecticut to meet his old pack in hopes it will persuade Winter to abandon his love of sex with human males. Of course Dad’s hopes are dashed when they come face-to-face with the gay werewolves in the Harker pack.

Winter takes one look at FBI agent, Matt Partridge, and decides bird is his favorite food. Partridge is embroiled in an investigation into drug dealing and the death of a fellow agent. He can’t let himself get distracted by the young, platinum-haired beast, but then Winter proves invaluable in the search for clues, a move that winds them both up in chains and facing imminent death. Winter quickly learns his father’s motives are questionable, the pack alphas are a bunch of pussies, humans aren’t quite what they seem, and nothing in the forests of Connecticut is pure except love.

Excerpt

Walk slowly. Look casual. Matt left the way he’d come—out the back door. When his feet hit dirt, he jogged away from the club and ducked behind the shed that had been built on the edge of the forest.
Going to die. Heart can’t beat this hard and survive.
He leaned against the shed and gasped for breath, but his cock had grown to the size of a monster, stealing all his oxygen. Think. What the fuck are you doing? No reasonable human being could believe that Winter Thane wanted Matt Partridge, so there had to be an ulterior motive. The dude had asked the marshal about him. For all Matt knew, Winter could be involved in the disappearance of the agent. Maybe he wanted to discredit Matt or—maybe he had something to do with the weird wolf stories. Jesus, the only man he’d ever seen who looked more like a wolf than Cole Harker had to be Winter Thane. Those eyes. Even his teeth were sharp. All the better to eat you with. He closed his eyes and banged his head against the metal siding. Those teeth scraping his cock—
“Dreaming of me?”
Matt’s eyes flew open. “Shit! How did you get here?”
He looked over his shoulder. “Like you said. Out the front, around the side.”
“But I didn’t hear you.”
He grinned. Oh yes, those teeth glistened. “I’m sneaky.”
Matt took a breath, pushed away from the shed, and walked a couple of steps toward the trees. Need distance. “Look. I don’t mean to lead you on, but I’m with the FBI and this isn’t a good idea—”
The hand that gripped his shoulder must have been iron. In one move, Winter grabbed him, pulled him against a body so hard and hot it penetrated Matt’s jacket on contact, hauled Matt’s head back, and covered his mouth in a devouring kiss.
Tongue. Teeth. Perfection.
Winter held Matt’s head both hard and gentle, like he wanted to control him but didn’t want to hurt him. Oh God, so nice. He tasted like beer and smelled like—what? Musky and clean at the same time, like Matt’s dog Buster when he was freshly washed. Man, he wanted to bury his nose in Winter’s neck like he did with Buster.

 

Winter reduced the speed and intensity of the kiss from fast food to a gourmet meal. He licked and nibbled, tasted and savored, his tongue a finely tuned instrument exploring every cranny of Matt’s mouth. He’d never been so completely kissed. So much so that even the screaming pressure of his cock couldn’t make him want Winter to move on. Matt twined his arms around Winter’s neck. Standing only six feet, he couldn’t get his cock to meet Winter’s, but the prod of that big rod against his belly made him want to beg. He pulled his mouth away an inch. “I should arrest you for carrying a lethal weapon.”

My Review:
Winter Thane is a gay werewolf, no matter how much his father, Damon, insists there is no such beast. His is also an alphanta, or second to Damon, with pure werewolf blood. They have lived in the wilds of Canada for Winter’s whole life (20 years), but are returning to Damon’s home pack–the Marketo Pack–in Connecticut. The reason: Damon wants Winter mated to a proper she-wolf. Winter thinks Damon’s nuts, but he goes along because Winter does not truly wish to be left behind, alone.

Upon arrival, Winter is displayed to all the eligible females, and his only attraction? Matt Partridge, a human FBI agent. While Winter has some support for his homosexuality–the Harker and Marketo packs have several prominent gay werewolves–not a one will allow him to break the Cardinal rule: exposure of his werewolf nature to a human.

Well, Matt Partridge isn’t quite sure why Winter is so captivating. And, he doesn’t understand if Winter’s sudden appearance in this locale has to do with either the uptick in drug trafficking or his dead colleague. Matt knows he can’t mess up this assignment because he’s responsible for his father’s care–and dad’s dementia is getting worse. Moving to another locale will undoubtedly make things worse. Of course, on the full moon both Matt and his dad go a little moon-mad, leading Matt to seek out some hot outdoor interludes with a willing Winter.

The story is more complex than the previous books in this series, but involves crooked law enforcement, homophobia, break-up-to-make-up, and shifting power dynamics in the Marketo and Harker packs. Winter is recruited to help Matt. And also the local drug lord. And also factions in the Marketo/Harker pack who don’t care for current alpha politics. He must carefully tread the lines between these competing interests, and his attempt to woo Matt.

Winter is a truly white knight who rescues more than Matt, and the baddies get what’s coming. The book ends with an HEA, and more than puppy love. Expect hot and dirty lovin’ and a lone wolf who finds a true pack home.

Interested? You can find WINTER’S WOLF on Goodreads, Amazon, Dreamspinner Press (eBook or Paperback), AllRomance and Barnes & Noble.

Tales of the Harker Pack Series

Check out my reviews of THE PANTHER OR THE PACK, and WOLF IN GUCCI LOAFERS for more info on the previous two books in the series, and links to buy them. I really enjoyed!

        

 

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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Compelled to BREATHE YOU IN–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing a newly re-released contemporary romance from Lily Harlem. BREATHE YOU IN is the grief-recovery story of Katie, a young widow, and Ruben, a man who received a heart-lung transplant. The catch? Ruben’s donor was Katie’s husband.

imageAbout the book:
Soul-aching desire was only the first layer of emotion around a secret I had to keep for all of time.

If the road to Heaven starts in Hell then I was ready to start climbing my way out and Ruben Strong was the man to accompany me. With his devastating good looks, seductively sexy charm and lust for adrenaline he was sure to make it a sensual and erotic experience as well as one to re-awake the passionate, throw-caution-to-the-wind woman I’d once been.

I’d given Ruben something, though, without him realizing, and that gift had come from the man I’d loved before. But I couldn’t tell Ruben. I had to keep that a tight secret even on the nights our naked bodies wound together, sought out pleasure and hit the dizzy heights of ecstasy. Because Ruben had my husband’s heart, literally, and that heart was still in love with me, so it seemed, and now I was in love with Ruben.

Emotions tangled with bliss and fears were locked away as I surrendered to the touch of Ruben’s hands, the taste of his skin and the sounds of his pleasure. I couldn’t deny that Ruben had brought me back to life the same way I had him and there was no way I was giving up that feeling, not for anyone.

My Review:
This is story about second chances in life and love.

Katie has been living a half-life of depression since her husband Matt died. More than a year since the funeral, Katie still has nightmares and struggles to survive in their home surrounded by constant reminders of their deep love and her great loss. Recently, she has become obsessed over the health of the person who received Matt’s heart and lungs as a transplant. Desperate to know if the recipient is healthy and happy–thinking this will give her peace and allow her to move through her grief–she hires a private detective to find the identity of the man with Matt’s organs.

Learning his name (Ruben) and place of work (less than 40 minutes drive) Katie impetuously plans to take a peek–just to confirm that she made the right decision about organ donation. That actually SEEING this Ruben will show her how Matt didn’t die for nothing, but saved someone in the process.

A chance meeting turns into conversation. Ruben is charming and friendly, saving Katie from two awkward moments. This cathartic encounter with Ruben tips off Katie’s new life. In the course of their conversation Katie states that she’s moving to Ruben’s town, and thinks “why not?” She has the financial wherewithal to do so, and starting over somewhere fresh may allow her to stretch her wings again.

She moves and changes jobs. In her new space, Katie isn’t always seen as ‘the widow’ and she can breathe again, releasing some of her deep grief. That Ruben helps her do this, is especially poignant. Ruben befriends Katie, and they get on very well–moving into a romantic relationship. Katie is scared Ruben will learn that she knows he received Matt’s organs, but she feels so free with Ruben. He is so kind and thoughtful, and, around Ruben, she wants to experience life for the first time since Matt died.

This story had the prospect of being gloomy or icky–but instead it was touching and lovely. Taking careful steps into connection, Katie and Ruben find a real love together.

Interested? You can find BREATHE YOU IN on Goodreads, Amazon, Totally Bound, Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
Lily Harlem lives in the UK and is an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance. She writes for publishers on both sides of the Atlantic including Ellora’s Cave, HarperCollins, Totally Bound, Xcite and Sweetmeats Press. Her HOT ICE series regularly receives high praise and industry nominations.

Before turning her hand to writing Lily Harlem worked as a trauma nurse and her latest HarperCollins release, Confessions of a Naughty Night Nurse, draws on her many experiences while nursing in London. Lily also self-publishes and The Glass Knot, The Silk Tie, Breathe You In (USA Today Reviewer’s Recommended Read of 2013) and Scored have been blessed with many 5* reviews since their release.

Lily also co-authors with Natalie Dae and publishes under the name Harlem Dae – check out the Sexy as Hell Box Set Trilogy available exclusively on Amazon – The Novice, The Player and The Vixen – and That Filthy Book which has been hailed as a novel ‘every woman should read’.

One thing you can be sure of, whatever book you pick up by Ms Harlem, is it will be wildly romantic and down-and-dirty sexy. Enjoy!

You can catch Lily on her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, Author Page, Pinterest. She’s also got a newsletter, Goodreads and Google +.

Check out her blogs on Raw Talent, BritBabes, and Hockey Romance!

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Shifter Saturday with Tara Lain

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a double feature of M/M shifter novels from Tara Lain. Both books are part of the Harker Pack series and feature recurring characters, but can be read as stand-alones.

About the books:

The Pack or the Panther (Tales of the Harker Pack, #1)THE PACK OR THE PANTHER:

Cole Harker, son of an alpha werewolf, is bigger and more powerful than most wolves, tongue-tied in groups, and gay. For twenty-four years, he’s lived to please his family and pack—even letting them promise him in marriage to female werewolf Analiese to secure a pack alliance and help save them from a powerful gangster who wants their land. Then Cole meets Analiese’s half-brother, panther shifter Paris Marketo, and for the first time, Cole wants something for himself.

When Analiese runs off to marry a human, Cole finally has a chance with Paris, but the solitary cat rejects him, the pack, and everything it represents. Then Cole discovers the gangster wants Paris too and won’t rest until he has him. What started as a land dispute turns into World War Wolf! But the bigger fight is the battle between cats and dogs.

My Review:

Cole Harker is a pure blood werewolf, and alphanta (second in command) of the Harker pack in Connecticut. His pack’s territory is recently under attack from a NYC wolf, Nikel Eliazer. They want to control the whole of Connecticut, and the Harker pack is small and vulnerable to a hostile takeover.

The way Cole’s father arranges to strengthen his pack? A marriage alliance between Cole and the alpha daughter of the neighboring Marketo pack. Problem? Cole is an out gay male. For his whole life Cole has heard that there’s no such thing as a gay werewolf, but he begs to differ…he’s very much a werewolf, and just as much gay.

Turns out Annalise Marketo doesn’t want to marry Cole. Which is pretty crushing, actually. Cole was prepared to sacrifice his happiness for his pack, but Annalise?  Not so much. Luckily, Cole is comforted by Paris–Anna’s older half-brother who is, well, gay and a panther shifter. Paris is totally attracted to Cole (feeling = mutual) but Paris abhors pack-life. He doesn’t want to be tied down, much like the cat he is…

With the alliance in shambles, Cole endeavors to head off a war with Eliazar’s pack. When he discovers Eliazar has unholy designs on Paris, well, it’s a rumble. Especially when Paris goes missing!

Cole knows that he can’t keep Paris, but he is willing to spend whatever time he can with the alluring cat. Their connection is fast and fierce, though Paris refuses to commit. Cole? Jilted twice. Still, he recognizes Paris as his mate and will protect him to his dying breath. Super glad Paris got that memo before the final exhale.

Good action, a quickie connection that mellowed into a more mature love, and battles with foreign packs, homophobes and fear of public speaking abound. This is a super fast read with an interesting cast and delish sexytimes. I liked how Cole’s parents were sorry for forcing him into marriage–especially with a woman–and appreciated how open they became in the end. I liked Paris’s sassiness, but wished he’d been even a little compassionate to Cole earlier.

Interested? You can find THE PACK OR THE PANTHER on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (<–Cheapest), Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Wolf in Gucci Loafers (Tales of the Harker Pack #2)WOLF IN GUCCI LOAFERS:

Socialite Lindsey Vanessen wants someone to love who will love him back — an impossibility for a gay, half-human, half-werewolf. Too aggressive for humans, too gay for wolves, and needing to protect the pack from human discovery, Lindsey tries to content himself with life as a successful businessman.

But when someone starts kidnapping members of wealthy families, Lindsey meets tough cop Seth Zakowsky—the hunky embodiment of everything Lindsey wants but can’t have.

Seth has never been attracted to flamboyant men. What would the guys in the department think of Lindsey? But intrigue turns to lust when he discovers Lindsey’s biting, snarling passion more than matches his dominant side. It might mean a chance at love for a cop in black leather and a wolf in Gucci loafers.

My Review:

I found I liked this book better than the first in the series. Lindsey is a sympathetic character–the socialite with a social conscience. He’s 24, wealthy and lonely. His family is very loving and he’s got close friends in the Harker pack–notably Cole Harker–but he wants a life partner. Wolves are very big on mates, and Lindsey is unapologetically flamboyant, which is just not acceptable to his fellow wolves.

He’d settle for a human, but, well, rules of the pack state that humans can never know of their existence, plus Lindsey always wishes he could be the rough, dominant animal he hungers to unleash in bed and humans are…fragile.

Lindsey’s secret isn’t only that he’s half-werewolf, he’s also a vigilante. Super Granny has been policing the streets saving victims of mugging and attempted rape. Now, there’s a kidnapping ring that’s been ransoming children from Lindsey’s country club and Lindsey isn’t willing to sit on the sidelines–not when Super Granny can save the governor’s daughter!

In the mix of this, Lindsey meets Officer Seth Zakowsky–a rough-and-tumble motorcycle-riding expert on kidnappers. Seth is gay, but not interested in a “queen”–well, not at first. Lindsey is thoroughly attracted and knows full-well that a butch man like Seth would never accept him, yet Lindsey’s throwing of attitude has the opposite effect. Seth sees him as brave and really admires Lindsey’s athleticism and kindness. Seth had been raised in lower class life, and Lindsey’s wealth is kinda off-putting, but the more time they spend the more Seth sees Lindsey’s altruism, and the more he wants that man, despite the neck-kerchiefs and purple Gucci loafers.

“Everything about you weirds me out.” Seth didn’t look up. Those bubbles must be mesmerizing. “Your fucking silk scarves and purple shoes. Your ‘darling’ this and ‘sweetheart’ that. I hate that shit.

Lindsey spoke softly. “It’s not necessary to elaborate.” He downed the champagne in his glass.

“But then you get on that fucking horse as all I see is that ass and those thighs and I wish I was fucking Trigger. You’re pretty as a damned girl, but you command people like the king of something.”

Lindsey’s heart hammered in his chest.

“You’re confusing.” The gold eyes lifted slowly. “But I must fucking love being confused because I think about you all the time. I get horny in the middle of the damned day when somebody says your name. ‘Lindsey Vanessen volunteered to pay the ransom.’ Sprong. ‘Lindsey Vanessen will be attending the governor’s meeting.’ Hard-on. Crap, I may be confused about who you are, but I don’t know me at all.”

He could barely get the words out. “So wh-what are you saying?”

“That if I had my way, I’d be having you for dinner, and they wouldn’t let us back in the country club.”

There’s some complications–not the least of which is Seth uncovering one of Lindsey’s two major secrets–and a rather big kerfuffle. Spoiler: two break-ups here, and both are settled by outside forces.

I loved Lindsey, and really enjoyed the pace and action of this book. Cole was a great friend, and the intervention on Lindsey’s behalf to create the HEA was Pretty-Woman-ish in impact. Plus, the stage is set for the homophobic issues that come up in the next book, WINTER’S WOLF.

Interested? You can find WOLF IN GUCCI LOAFERS on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (<–Cheapest), Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Tara LainAbout the author:

Tara Lain never met a beautiful boy she didn’t love – at least on paper. A writer of erotic romance, mostly ménage and male/male, Tara loves all her characters, but especially her handsome heroes. A lifelong writer of serious non-fiction, Tara had the first novel she ever wrote accepted for publication in 2011. She’s now on book 27 and counting.

After an exotic life of travel all over the world and work in television, education and advertising, Tara settled in Southern California with her soul-mate husband and opened her own small marketing business. She paints, collages, and started practicing yoga “way before it was fashionable”. Passionate about diversity, justice, inclusion and new ideas she says on her tombstone it will read, “Yes”.

You can catch up with Tara on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.

Anywho, thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Danger & Lies in THE HIDDEN LIBRARY–Review and Giveaway

THL Tour BannerHi there! Today I’m sharing in the blog tour for THE HIDDEN LIBRARY. This is the second book in the The Collectors series and it’s an action/lovin’-packed adventure of the literary kind.

HLyons_THL_eBook02_450x675About the book:

Sometimes, the rabbit hole is deeper than expected . . .

Alice Reeve and Finn Van Brunt have tumbled into a life of secrets. Some secrets they share, such as their employment by the clandestine organization known as The Collectors’ Society. Other secrets they carry within them, fighting to keep buried the things that could change everything they think they know.

On the hunt for an elusive villain who is hell-bent on destroying legacies, Alice, Finn, and the rest of the Society are desperate to unravel the mysteries surrounding them. But the farther they spiral down this rabbit hole, the deeper they fall into secrets that will test their loyalties and pit them against enemies both new and old.

Secrets, they come to find, can reveal the deadliest of truths.

A few words from Heather:

I had the chance to ask Heather a few questions about creating THE HIDDEN LIBRARY….

You are a huge audiophile. What sort of music did you listen to while working on THE HIDDEN LIBRARY?

I listened to a lot of Bleachers, Nico Stai, and Taylor Swift (mainly off her new album). I love music!

The COLLECTORS’ Series is based on updated fairy tales. How are fairy tales relevant for today’s YA/adult readers?

I think a lot of readers nowadays only know fairy tales from movies and/or tv. Their ideas of the stories are more Disney-esque than anything, because even adapted versions of the stories in children’s books nowadays are watered down to match these changes. The source materials are not like that, though. They’re pretty dark and often have messages in them. What I like about fairy tales is that there’s always a sliver of hope in them. The stories have stuck with societies for generations because of that.

Authors always say that books are semi-autobiographical…. In that sense, which is the character in The Hidden Library with whom you most identify?

I think there will always be parts of an author hidden away in their characters. A silly example, is how Alice loves to wear dresses. I wear mostly dresses—and yet, it also fit her character because of the Timeline she came from, too. That said, I identify with both Alice and Finn simply because they’ve been in my head while writing . . . but their experiences and mine are quite different!

Hidden Library Teaser1

My Review:

I truly didn’t know what I was getting into reading this book, but, what I found, was a lush world of literary romance in today’s world.

See, in this world, the characters are from books, and they work to save books. Alice, from Wonderland? She is all grown up and a warrior Queen, willing to take on a maniacal murderer. Huck Finn? Victor von Frankenstein? They got adopted by Brom and Katrina van Brunt (from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow) and raised in today’s NYC. Finn and Victor are top operatives in the Collectors’ Society. Finn and Alice are, in fact, a couple (expect some nice bam-chicka-wow-wow!).

Their current mission is to hunt down a rogue editor, believed to be Sweeney Todd, who has been collecting legacies–bits of ephemera that contain the ‘soul’ of a book–and destroying them. This, in turn, destroys the Timelines of every character in the book. It is akin to literary genocide, and was responsible for Katrina van Brunt’s untimely death.

Along the hunt, Finn and Alice have to enter Finn’s Timeline, the world of Huck Finn, to pay respects to The Widow who is dying–and deal justice to Tom Sawyer, who caused Jim to die. It’s a HUGE kerfuffle.

Don’t think Wonderland is sitting on the sidelines. The Queen of Hearts has a diabolical plot to kill Alice, despite her absence into the “real world”. Alice had to leave in order to save her subjects, which meant abandoning her first love, the White King. Now, Finn has to seek his assistance in saving the queen of his world.

And, what the heck is happening with Peter Pan?  The man who seems to be pulling all the strings is clearly a double-talker. And his house is an homage to the written word…or is it? His hidden library seems to be the key, if only Finn and Alice could find the door.

Here’s the thing: I loved this book’s pace and story. I found it thrilling and creative. Finn and Alice have to search their souls over, and over. And over. There’s this part of writing that says authors have to torture their characters to give them depth–well these characters are practically water-boarded. The result? They leap off the page.

With the climax coming so close to the end, I was terrified we would be left with a horrifying cliffhanger. As it stands the cliffhanger is not-quite-barbaric to the reader, but…it’s certainly uncomfortable. Looking forward to the next book!

Interested? You can find THE HIDDEN LIBRARY on Goodreads, Amazon (US or UK), B&N, Kobo, and iBooks.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win signed paperbacks and a $10 GC!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Heather LyonsAbout the author:
Heather Lyons writes epic, heartfelt love stories and has always had a thing for words. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

Catch Heather on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.

Inkslinger

Love In GRIF’S TOY–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for Joseph Lance Tonlet’s extraordinary contemporary M/M BDSM romance. This is a rough read–lot’s of loss and some serious orgasm denial/humiliation as part of the kink, but I LOVED it. (Totally an ADULT book.)

Grif's Toy (Tease and Denial, #1)About the Book:
Grif believes he’ll live his life as a virgin. After all, who would want him? How could anyone find him, a guy who came with less than man-sized equipment, worthy of their love?

What he hadn’t counted on were the two amazing men who would change his life. After entering college, he meets Tate, his fun-loving roommate. While years later, with Tate now just a memory, Wes, a handsome, rugged ex-marine who runs his own security firm enters his life.

Both men lead Grif through a twisted mesh of pleasure, pain, and denial, as they force him to see his value, despite his size and insecurities.

My Review:
4.5 Stars. I finished this and had to sit on the review. It is not a happy-happy book, nor does it have a lot of humor to offset the sincere emotional challenges.

Marcus “Grif” Griffin is a poorly-endowed man. He only recognized his “equipment” was substandard on his first day of junior high gym class when all the boys were naked in the shower and Grif’s stick didn’t measure up.

He is gay–he knows this from a young age–but he doesn’t know how to handle being so deficient. Luckily, Grif has a very understanding and accommodating father who ensures Grif is never in danger of being exposed.

The book shifts time frames almost by chapter, though the entire book is told from Grif’s POV. We can see that Grif is currently in a relationship, with a Dom-type man, Wes. At first, I hated Wes. I thought he was inordinately cruel to Grif, but, as I read on, I could see the development of Grif’s character dynamic. He has a humiliation kink, and Wes has a sadist streak that loves to exploit it.

We get snatches of Grif’s first sexual partner–Tate, his “straight” college roommate and bestest friend in the whole world–even if the sex is all one-sided. We learn about the deep bonds that Grif makes, first with Tate and then with Wes. The sex is not as steamy as other BDSM books, mainly because it is always tempered by humiliation and orgasm denial. As a reader I was totally in synch with Grif’s emotional landscape. When he was anxious about exposure, I was, too. I think that’s the mom in me, but I was thoroughly engaged–which, again, is why I hated Wes so much. All I wanted was for Wes to love and satisfy Grif–but what I didn’t get until, perhaps, the final third of the book was: he was. Wes thoroughly satisfied Grif, in every way Grif desired.

When the timeline flashed into Wes and Grif meeting, and how they took baby steps forward to the point where Grif was able to feel like a total man, not a disappointing or deficient one, I was ready to jump into Wes’ arms and smooch him all over his face.

These two are a really special couple.

Interested? You can find GRIF’S TOY on Goodreads, Amazon, AllRomance iTunes and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
Joseph 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 on his website, Facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends.

Her Life is TEQUILA & TEA BAGS–Review and Giveaway

Facebook Cover PhotoHi all! Today I’m sharing in the blitz for a quirky contemporary New Adult romance. Laura Barnard’s TEQUILA & TEA BAGS is a hoot sure to be enjoyed by lovers of Bridget Jones… This is ADULT read.

Tequila and Tea BagsAbout the Book:

Sent to live with her cousin Elsie in the Yorkshire countryside, Rose has only one thing on her mind; joining her friends as a club rep in Mexico.

When she hears about a council incentive offering the promise of free flights to the person who clocks the most volunteering hours at the local care home, she’s got her plan set.
But she doesn’t plan on bonding with the old ladies, going after the village bad boy and trying to persuade Elsie not to become a Nun.

Soon she’s questioning who her real friends are and whether her old life is one she wants to return to.

Can the village win her over and will she win the chance to leave it behind? Will she even want to?

Teaser-2

My Review:

Well! I do love me a funny romance, and Bridget Jones is a go-to for my feel good times, so I was destined to enjoy this!

23 y/o Rose is given a serious wake-up call when her parents cut off all her allowance and force her to move from the London suburbs to a hamlet in the Yorkshire countryside. She’s now sharing a flat with her cousin Elsie–who is trianing to become a nun.

This party girl is bereft, until she learns that volunteering in the local retirement home will garner the chance at a holiday. Her BFF is currently in Mexico, and Rose is desperate to join her. Naturally, the center’s director–the infuriating, yet good-looking Will–is an impediment.

Rose finds trouble without even trying–by basically lying about her skills. Barmaid? Sure! (Cue the beer flood) Horse-minding? No problem! (OMG–even Bridget never caused this kind of havoc!)

Along the way, Rose becomes the shag-buddy of Will’s younger (disreputable) brother James. through the month of Rose’s visit, she and Will get to know each other very well. Much like BJ, Rose is involved in a love triangle she never intended, but I think we can all guess this girl has a whole lot of hilarious self-discovery in her future. And, a good-looking, compassionate man at her side!

The book moves quickly and is peppered with interesting side characters. I loved how Rose and one of the retirees, Betty, bonded. They had a far better relationship than even Rose and her parents. It’s fun to see a character grow when loved and respected, instead of pitied and reviled.

Interested?  You can find Tequila & Tea Bags on Goodreads and Amazon (US and UK).

****GIVEAWAY****

Like my FB page and that of Laura Barnard, then come back and tell me you did in the comments. One lucky commenter will get a book! Yay! Thanks, Laura!

Laura BarnardAbout the Author:

My name is Laura Barnard and I am an author from Hertfordshire, UK. My first chick-lit novel, The Debt & the Doormat was an Amazon number 1 best-seller and won Best Laugh Out Loud Book of 2013. It is available via Amazon, Smashwords, iBooks. Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository and many more.

In my spare time I enjoy drinking my body weight in tea, indulging in cupcakes the size of my face, drooling over hunks like Jamie Dornan, Ryan Gosling and Leo Dicaprio…oh and my husband of course! I like wearing yoga clothes and reading fitness magazines while I sit on the sofa and eat chocolate. I’m a real fan of the power nap and of course, READING!

I write not to get rich or famous, but because I LOVE writing. Even if one person tells me they enjoyed my book it makes the midnight typing worth it!

Catch up with Laura on her website, Goodreads, Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

They Shared A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA–A Review

Hi there! Here’s a sub-genre I never thought I’d read: Gay Amish Romance. But, I’ve been a fan of Keira Andrews for a bit now and I thought I’d give it a go. WOW!!! FYI:  This is an adult read.
A Forbidden Rumspringa (Gay Amish Romance #1)

About the book:
When two young Amish men find love, will they risk losing everything?

In a world where every detail of life—down to the width of a hat brim—is dictated by God and the all-powerful rules of the community, two men dare to imagine a different way. At 18, Isaac Byler knows little outside the strict Amish settlement of Zebulon, Minnesota, where there is no rumspringa for exploration beyond the boundaries of their insular world. Isaac knows he’ll have to officially join the church and find a wife before too long, but he yearns for something else—something he can’t name.

Dark tragedy has left carpenter David Lantz alone to support his mother and sisters, and he can’t put off joining the church any longer. But when he takes on Isaac as an apprentice, their attraction grows amid the sweat and sawdust. David shares his sinful secrets, and he and Isaac struggle to reconcile their shocking desires with their commitment to faith, family and community.

Now that they’ve found each other, are they willing to lose it all?

Note: Contains explicit sexual situations and graphic language. This is not an inspirational/Christian romance.

My Review:
I never thought I could get so beat up by forbidden Amish love. As a kid I remember seeing WITNESS and being blown away with this quiet, idyllic life–or so I thought!

Issac is 18 and due to begin Church in his sheltered devout Amish community in Zebulon, Minnesota. He has lived here for the past seven years, ever since his sect had broken from a more “worldly” Amish community in Ohio. This community breach occurred because three Amish teens drowned while intoxicated in the period of rumspringa, a time of youthful experimentation (rebellion) in Amish communities that precedes adulthood and marriage. Rumspringa is forbidden in their new community.

In this new community, Issac’s family is less well-off. In Ohio they were allowed to have English jobs and sell their handicrafts openly. Their new locale is far more remote and restrictive. The families must subsist off the land by farming, and minimal sales of wares to tourists. Issac is unsure how to live in this life–he’s not interested in farming–and he also misses his older brother, Aaron, who ran away.

Isaac’s father arranges for Isaac to become an apprentice carpenter, to David a man the community is questioning. David is 22 and unwed. This is strange, and Isaac wonders why David, who is industrious and attractive, is unmarried. He also feels shame for finding David attractive–especially as David’s sister, Mary, makes no secret of her interest in Isaac. All of Isaac’s friends are beginning “dating”, and Isaac has no interest in the women of their community.

Working with David becomes a torture–Isaac is so incredibly, shamefully, aroused by David. The best/worst thing? It seems David reciprocates.

Okay, David TOTALLY reciprocates. And David has a secret life in the “English” world that Isaac never could have dreamed. Together, David and Issac find love, but is it meant to be? There is no homosexuality in the Amish community, and especially not in their even more restrictive sect. Their time together becomes a forbidden rumspringa, and the longer it continues, the more dangerous their feelings become. If they are caught, they will be shunned, leaving David’s widowed mother and five sisters without a provider. Isaac fears his family will also suffer, having two sons who are shunned.

Still, as David takes steps to begin a family life, Isaac realizes that he cannot stay in Zebulon. His heart is David’s and he can’t go on pretending that he’ll one day marry. Isaac finds the courage to make his future outside–and his love is soon rewarded.

This is, without question, an HEA. And the Amish life was so detailed and well-described, I could feel the constriction around my heart for Isaac and David. I had never imagined the Amish life would be so interesting, or complicated. Even Isaac’s siblings feels stifled in this new life. His younger brother, Ephraim, begins to strike out against the many rules of their world. Meanwhile, David’s family is under constant scrutiny–and yet he finds his path rightly. The end is quick and satisfying, with a sequel published and a third book in the offing.

Interested? You can find A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA on Goodreads, All Romance, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Keira AndrewsAbout the Author:
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

You can catch up with Keira on her website, Facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

UNMAKING MARCHANT Requires Love–A Review, and a FREE BOOK!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a sexy New Adult romance from best-selling author Ella James. I read the first book in this series, SELLING SCARLETT, which features a strong independent woman selling her “carnal treasure” to help a friend in dire need. It was a steamer I enjoyed, so I thought I’d give the latest Love Inc book a look-see. UNMAKING MARCHANT has a story built on the power of addiction and mental illness.

Unmaking Marchant (Love Inc., #3)About the book:

Marchant Radcliffe, owner of the exclusive Love Inc. brothel, is no stranger to darkness. He lost his parents in a plane crash and since college has harbored a secret almost too terrible to bear. He keeps his head above water by pouring his energy into his business—and he’s thrived, despite the dark blot on his soul.

Then, after ten years of good fortune, Marchant’s skeletons start to peek out of the closet, tossing him down a trail of ruin that begins with arson and could end with murder. Because he’s kept his struggles private, he has no one to pull him back from the brink.

After a breakup with her longtime fiancé, Suri Dalton, daughter of one of Silicon Valley’s tech tycoons, has nowhere to go except her BFF’s new penthouse in Las Vegas. The last thing Suri is looking for is a man, but after drowning her woes in wine on the flight over, she stumbles into a torrid make out session with a beautiful stranger—who just so happens to be Marchant Radcliffe, playboy and literal pimp.

Despite an immediate attraction, Suri writes Marchant off as exactly the sort of guy she should avoid. Until Love Inc. goes up in flames, Marchant winds up at the bottom of a swimming pool, and Suri is the only one around to pull him out.

What happens when what you see isn’t what you get? What do you do when destiny is too alluring to resist and too dangerous to survive?

My Review:

This was an interesting steamy read. Suri is a smart woman engaged to an abusive alcoholic, Adam. He’s the only man she’s ever been with–they are high school sweethearts, but Adam’s continued alcoholism is a major stumbling block to their relationship. One night he’s way-too-handsy and ends up hurting Suri–which sends Suri from her Napa estate to Vegas to meet up with her BFF, Lizzy.

Lizzy is engaged to a billionaire, and has friends in quite low places: particularly a high-class brothel, owned by Marchant. Suri’s woefully prudish, perhaps, but she’s not interested in anything to do with a pimp. Well, at least not until Marchant ends up (inadvertently) saving her from an assailant and they have a brief tryst–Suri’s first-ever anonymous hook-up. She’s rather mortified to discover Mr. Love Inc is the sex-god who drew out her elusive orgasm like a bee finds pollen.

Still, there’s something vulnerable about Marchant, and Suri’s the Patron Saint of Lost Men, or something. She can tell Marchant is messed up, but she thinks he’s on drugs (Spoiler: yep) but that’s only a small part of the story. He suffers bipolar disorder and is on a mania high when they first meet, which later collapses into suicidal depression.

So, Marchant saved her, and she returns the favor. These two have a magnetic attraction–even before Marchant seeks treatment for his illness. He blames himself for ruining a good woman years before and doesn’t want Suri (or any woman) to get her heart broken. Guess what, Marchant? YOU are not the boss of WOMANKIND. We will have a broken heart if we WANT one, dangit!

Expect sex. Lots of it. Expect some brief domestic violence, and some drawn-out mania and many many bad decisions. It takes Marchant a LONG time to reveal his dark secret, but the end comes quickly after that–though this book ends with a cliffhanger.

Interested? You can find UNMAKING MARCHANT on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

You can grab the first book in this series, SELLING SCARLETT for FREE on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Like MARCHANT, this is an ADULT read. Click here for my review.

This story introduces Lizzy, Cross and Suri. Lizzy attempts to sell her virginity in order to raise money to pay for Cross’ medical care after his parents cut him off and he’s injured in a bike crash. (There’s an argument for universal healthcare in this premise, methinks!)

About the Author:

Ella James is a USA Today bestselling author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a feisty two-year-old who will probably grow up believing everyone’s parents go to war over the placement of a comma.

Ella’s books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among Amazon’s Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

To find out more about Ella’s projects and get dates on upcoming releases, find her on Facebook, follow her blog, or twitter feed.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!