Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (30th November 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Bored with the privileges and duties of a member of the first family, Ferro finds himself in the slave tents as a consequence of his antics, knowing he’ll be rescued before long. At least, that’s the way it’s always worked before. This time, though, Ferro finds himself sold as a sheep-tender along with an intriguingly mysterious slave called Lysias. For the first time, Ferro’s met someone who seems immune to his wiles, and he’ll soon learn that Lysias has more to teach him than just shepherding.
Review: Ferro is used to being sent to the slave-market as a punishment for his deeds, it is now a game for him to see how obnoxious he can be and how long he can hold off being sold before his father’s men come to get him back. Only this time another slave named Lysias insists they be sold together. Lysias recognizes something in Ferro and decides that he will be the one to bring the other slave to heel.
Lysias recognizes that Ferro needs a gentle but firm hand to bring him to a commitment. Ferro has never been able to commit to anything and he knows it brings his family shame but has never been able to do anything about it until he meets Lysias. These two characters seem too different, at first, but as we see them together we see that they are actually really well suited. Lysias brings a strong but firm hand, tempered with kindness and understanding to Ferro. While Ferro brings a little bit of life and disorder that Lysias needs.
I think that a lot of people will enjoy this book as it isn’t too heavy or too fluffy. It’s about a man who feels constrained by a prophesy at his birth and about the man who shows him the way through it. The sex is fantastic and erotic with a bit of bondage thrown in to take it to scorching levels.
So I will recommend this to those who love hot sex, Ancient Greece, a bit of bondage and a happy ever after.
Publisher: Liquid Silver Press (28th November 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb:A chance meeting heralds the convergence of two heretofore wildly divergent fates.
From the moment he laid eyes on the handsome Lord of Ilmaren, Naeth Orosse fell head over heels in infatuation with him. And after that first meeting in the middle of a tavern brawl in the dual-gendered realm of Ylandre, Reijir Arthanna did not forget the orphaned youth who came to his aid unasked. When fate brings them together anew, Reijir becomes Naeth’s guardian, which proves both blessing and bane when their mutual attraction is guilelessly nursed by one and distrustfully downplayed by the other.
Between attempting to ignore Naeth’s artless overtures and suppressing feelings he had long disavowed, Reijir has his hands full. But more than a title and duty were forced on this enigmatic cousin of Ylandre’s king. A less than benevolent past has left its imprint on Reijir who is as known for his cynical outlook on life as he is for his exotic features and proficiency between the sheets. Convincing him to risk his heart in love is a battle more experienced Deira than Naeth have waged and invariably lost.
Warning: Hermaphroditism (dual sex). This book is part of a series and must be read in order.
Review: Oh yes… Eressë you beauty, you have produced yet another incredible story. Reijir is wary of trusting anyone but when Naeth sweeps into his life Reijir’s family and friends notice the difference straight away. Naeth’s life fell apart when his family was killed in a fire, helping a friend of his father out; he ends up meeting Reijir who turns his world upside down.
YES! YES! YES! Ylandre is back and is just as interesting as always. All the world building was done in the first book Scared Fate along with the history and the explanations as to why and how it’s an all-male world. This book is well written and plunges you right back into the world of Ylandre. In this one we find out more about Reijir and Naeth and the development and difficulties of their relationship.
Reijir is the Herun of Ilmaren (there is a glossary in the back of the book) and was once badly burned in love and has now built a wall around his heart, when he takes Naeth in as his ward he begins to thaw but it isn’t until it is nearly too late before he admits it to himself. Naeth falls rapidly for Reijir but it is years before he can act on it and even then he still doesn’t know if Reijir feels anything for him but lust.
I loved this story as it has conflict, love, despair, intrigue, danger, lust, hidden secrets and misunderstandings. The story is well crafted and the plot well-developed, we meet the characters from the previous books and those books run parallel to this book, all the characters are well-developed and well-rounded and the sex is off the charts scorching hot.
I will recommend this to those who love fantasy, science-fiction-ish type stories, hot sex, m-preg and a very happy ever after.
Blurb: Curtis’s need to rid himself of his virgin status drives him to his mate with anticipation, and his love of mountainous men lands him the largest man he’s ever seen. Chauncey will be the perfect mate if Curtis can get his dads to stop interfering long enough to let Chauncey claim him.
Chauncey is fascinated with his mate. But it seems every time he opens his mouth, his extra-large foot goes straight in it. He gives Curtis anything he wants, even when Curtis decides he wants his own apartment instead of moving in with the bear.
Curtis thinks life is great with his new mate until his past comes back to haunt him. Can Curtis get past a betrayal from long ago, and can he keep Chauncey from getting blood on his hands when he hunts the one who betrayed him?
This book is part of a series and is best read in order.
Review: It’s been a pleasure to read all these stories as we have watched Lynn Hagen develop as a writer and I have got to say she is now up there with Stormy Glenn, Amber Kell and Gabrielle Evans.
Curtis is being cock-blocked at every turn by his fathers, so he plans to take his own life into his hands. First, by getting his mate and then by getting his own apartment. Everything is falling into place when a nightmare from his past comes back. Chauncey just wants to claim his mate unfortunately his mate’s dads are very protective. When he finally gets his mate he begins to realize that being mated is not all sweetness and light and his mate needs his support when he has to face his past.
This is a really well written story that has a solid story-line and plot. Mind you, there are links to previous books and story-lines. I loved both these characters. Curtis we have known for quite a while so we already knew that he was into big men after the way he drooled over the warriors. We also knew that he had had a problem with his first boyfriend but we never learned that it was much worse than we knew. There are a few moments when Curtis reacts badly to something and we begin to suspect something bad happened. But, with the support of the bears, the wolves and his mate he learns he can face his demons.
There are some funny moments, some sad moments, some loving moments and some exciting moments and let’s not forget the rescue of an innocent. These characters are fitting to the entire series and there is never a dull moment of reading, the future mate ‘D’ is brilliant and I can’t wait for his story.
So I have got to recommend this to everyone who loves shifters, paranormal, hot sex, lots of giggles and laughs and a story that leaves you genuinely happy.
From the Publisher: The virgin isn’t the only one with something to lose…
Self-described manwhore Kieran Frost is loving the single life. Two years after moving to Seattle, he still has his friends with benefits, Rhett and Ethan, plus a never-ending supply of gorgeous, available men wandering through the bar where he works. A relationship? Spare him the drama and heartbreak. He’s got no complaints about his unattached lifestyle.
When Rhett’s daughter introduces him to newly-out-of-the-closet Alex Corbin, Kieran’s interest perks up. After all, the quiet ones are always the freaks in bed. But Alex isn’t just shy and reserved. He’s a virgin in every sense of the word, having never even kissed anyone else.
Kieran is no one’s teacher, and his first instinct is to run like hell in the other direction. But his conscience won’t let him throw the naïve kid to the wolves for someone else to take advantage of. The plan is to introduce Alex to his own sexuality, pull him out of his shell, and then go their separate ways.
It’s the perfect, foolproof plan…assuming no one falls in love.
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…
My Review: I have read a number of L. A. Witt’s book in the past but let me say that this has got to be one of my favorites so far! I read it straight through in about 2 days and then when back and bought the book leading up to this one, The Distance Between Us. That one didn’t disappoint me either so I recommend buying both!
When we are first introduced to Kieran in The Closer You Get, he is a bit of a wild man and is having the time of his life bar tending at a popular gay bar and enjoying a wonderful friends-with-benefits relationship with his 2 best friends. Those two best friends, Ethan and Rhett are the subjects of the previous book and happen to be happily committed to one another while sharing some very sexy threesome moments with Kieran. Suffice it to say that Kieran knows his way around the bedroom.
As a favor to Ethan’s daughter, Kieran agrees to a blind date (of sorts) and ends up meeting Alex, a slightly shy and newly out of the closet young man who has just moved to the area from a very gay unfriendly town. Now that Alex is free to express his sexuality, he isn’t quite sure how do go about doing it. Kieran has LOTS of ideas but doesn’t really know how to handle an inexperienced virgin! He also doesn’t want to let Alex go! They come to a mutual agreement…Kieran will teach Alex everything he needs to know about being gay and there will be no falling in love!
There is a sweet getting to know you phase, hesitant explorations, passion when Alex finally starts to feel comfortable with his sexuality, and the eventual falling in love. Kieran lets Alex lead the way and in the beginning there are some insecurities, a few small mistakes, a LOT of sexual frustration and a whole bunch of really tender moments. There is also a bit of freaking out when the word ‘love’ gets thrown in the mix!
The thing I loved about Kieran is that he is really sweet. Yes, he gets around quite a bit and declares from the get go that he is only in it for the sex but he is a nice guy. I liked him…that is important to me in a main character!
Alex is shy but Ms. Witt does a great job of hinting at the devil inside…one that has had to hide his sexuality a little too long but who wants to come out and play! He does not always take a passive role in this relationship, even though he is clearly the less experienced of the two.
Overall, a wonderful story with characters I really enjoyed. The passion between them is amazingly hot but is well balanced by the tender emotions they clearly feel for one another. This is one that I will keep in my library to read again!
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (14th November 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: In the six years since Jerry, David, and William first welcomed Billie and Cory into their home, a lot has changed in their lives. William has fallen in love, Cory has graduated and is engaged, and Jerry is as irascible as ever. David, however, is struggling. He worries about William and Cory, about how he and Jerry will deal with their house becoming an empty nest, and about his aging parents.
Then circumstances conspire to give David more concrete worries: Jerry finds a potentially cancerous lump, William’s first experience with love is in jeopardy because he has two dads, and David’s long-lost mother shows up, wanting to reconcile with him. Amidst the drama of a heartbroken sixteen-year-old, a husband facing a medical crisis, and an impending wedding, David will learn that life should be lived to the fullest—and that each of us is endowed with roots and wings.
Review: This book is part of a series is best read in order. Jerry and David are a well-established couple, they have their adopted son William and foster son Cory. They have a ranch and everything seems great. David is starting to worry though… Cory has already left home and soon enough so will William, his mother has just had a car accident and he’s found a lump on Jerry.
This is a well written story that brings back together the characters from previous books. David isn’t looking forward to William leaving home in a year and his mother has had an accident, William is worried that he has disappointed his parents by acting rashly, Cory has some news to share and Jerry has to have a medical examination. I thought that the way that the family came together and supported each other was sweet but I do think that their response to William’s news is too calm for a parent no matter how logical that parent is… believe me I know.
I liked the story and the reconciliation between David and his mother was done quite well but I do think David took a lot onto himself when he didn’t need to and he could have easily shared his burden instead of thinking he could keep it hidden. Jerry tries to support David through his troubles and help William as much as he can as well. I liked all the characters and thought they made a lovely family.
So I recommend this to those who love family, hot sex, reconciliation, young love, old love, proven love and a happy ever after.
Series: Tales of the Midnight Pearl Brotherhood 05
Author: Adrianna Dane
Genre: Fantasy, Witchcraft, Magic, Voyeurism
Length: Short (30pgs Mobi)
Publisher: Amber Quill (Amber Allure) (20th October 2011)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥2Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: The ancient myths of the Brotherhood of the Midnight Pearl tell of an island formed from the depths of the ocean, in the midst of a sea of mystical, sapphire beauty. It is an island paradise built on love and devotion to a common belief, a society made up entirely of handsome and desirable men. And Alonzo Smith is on a journey to discover his place among them.
After his last adventure in the jungle with the Obscurants, Alonzo finds re-acclimation with his initiate brothers a difficult adjustment. There’s also the fact that Master Phelix still hasn’t claimed him in the way he would like and Alonzo becomes frustrated by the situation—although Master Phelix readily helps Alonzo to deal with his more immediate problem, not quite in the way Alonzo would have liked.
Crisis erupts in camp as David is taken with fever, and it appears he may die. Alonzo cannot lose his friend, no matter what it may take to save him. And after his experience in the jungle, Alonzo may be the only one who can help David survives his strange fever.
While Master Phelix teaches Alonzo about the value of patience, the crisis with David teaches Alonzo about the dangers of temptation. Lessons from the past learned as Lord Wetham’s boy come into play when David’s life hangs in the balance.
The sequel to Tales of the Midnight Pearl Brotherhood 04 – Primordial Impulse…
NOTE: Don’t miss the next installment in the series, Tales of the Midnight Pearl Brotherhood 06 – Above the Clouds, available December 11th!
Review: Alonzo doesn’t understand why Master Phelix refuses to take him and it frustrates him. When David is stuck down by a strange bite, Alonzo strives to save him and comes to the realization about himself and why he can’t fully submit.
This story is well written but, to me seemed a bit surreal in places, especially when he was trying to save David. It also confused me the way it would revert to his past and how it related to the now. I also didn’t like the way that Master Phelix acted with him and got someone else to have sex with him without allowing Alonzo to see who it was.
I must admit I am not a fan of this series and find it very hard to get into each segment unless I read all the books from the first one onwards so that I can get back into it.
I recommend this to those who have already got the rest of the series and advise anyone else to buy the entire series when it is finished.
Publisher: Amber Quill (Amber Allure) (27th November 2011)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Being a forty-three-year-old vampire in a small town creates a whole host of dating issues, including a particularly sensitive one. That’s why undead accountant Darryl Yates has pretty much given up on the idea of finding a man of his very own. But thanks to his brother Larry, he’s got a date with a “plant guy” who happens to bear the same name!
Nursery owner Daryl Keyes lusted after Darryl back in high school. Now he’s got a chance to make some fantasies come true. But what’s up with Darryl’s pointy teeth?…
Review: Darryl is being fixed up on a blind date by his brother. he really doesn’t want to know as the last time his brother set him up it did not go well. he’s trying to talk his brother out of it when his doorbell rings and he gets a nice surprise. Daryl has lusted after Darryl for over twenty years and is really happy that Larry (Darryl’s brother) says that Darryl is interested.
This is a cute short that gives us warmth, charm and a bit of hotness. This author has taken us back a bit with the vampire lore i.e. can’t go on moving water, sleeps in a coffin, bursts into flames in sunlight etc. Both these characters seem really nice but as the story is so short you don’t get to know them that well.
All I can say about this book is it’s a really good short that makes you grin in places, it also makes you feel sorry for Darryl as being a vampire isn’t all its cut out to be. But, Daryl seems like a good match for the vampire and it’s the start of something good between them. So all in all I say give this book a go if you like vampires and happy endings.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (21st November 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Detective Eric Geller just saw his case against crime boss Victor Kroger thrown out of court. Convinced there’s more to the dismissal than contaminated evidence, Eric shifts from investigating Victor to investigating the judge, determined to bring Victor to justice. But when a package of photographs appears on his doorstep, it sets into motion a series of events that begins to threaten his personal life as well as his professional career.
T.J. Briscoe has been married to Eric for seven years, and he knows the stress of the job can lead to jumping at shadows. While initially supportive of Eric’s decision to pursue Victor, T.J. nevertheless grows wary as Eric’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic. He may have married Eric with the intention of forever, but if Eric crosses the line between caution and paranoia, their relationship may be the first casualty.
Review: Well, I have done a search on this author as I was sure that she must have other books published but I wasn’t able to find anything… so could this be her first published work??? If it is then my hat is off to her because it is brilliant.
Eric has just watched the case he worked on for a year get thrown out of court and he’s not taking it well, with his Captain’s approval he starts to investigate the judge who dismissed the case and a series of events start him to suspect everyone around him. T.J. supports Eric and tries to believe in him as his behavior becomes erratic but it becomes harder to believe as time goes on.
This is a well written story that has good characters, a great story-line and plot with plenty of hot sex thrown in. This book is really, really well written because it pulls you in and makes you believe that, yes, Eric is right. There is something behind what he thinks. You can see all the connections that lead him to believe what he does and the doubts that he has. With T.J., you do think that he takes everything too calmly and that he should be a little bit worried about what is going on but his belief in his husband is that strong that he just doesn’t believe that he has anything to worry about.
These two characters are so perfect for each other that it is amazing that they don’t combust when they come together. They are a well-established couple of eight years who still love each other to death and the spark is still there. This story is also very much a psychological thriller as Eric starts to jump at shadows. The way T.J. is written is really good as you begin to believe that he is deliberately trying to make Eric look paranoid. When if he had been wrote differently, then you would have believed that Eric was being paranoid, brilliantly done R.G.
I will have to recommend this to everyone as I really do think that this story is too good to miss.
Blurb: Alec and Nahele are feral-Maith, genetic offshoots from a fantastic race. Their clan is home to many kinds of feral characteristics, but the powerful predators—wolves and felines alike—are the protectors, hunters, and leaders. Both Alec and Nahele enjoy their arrangement, finding pleasure with one another away from prying eyes, but Alec’s worries about their clan’s security have long fallen on deaf ears.
Under pressure, Alec challenges Nahele for leadership of their clan, threatening to destroy the relationship they’d been building for years. Nahele is anything but weak, and his stubbornness could endanger the clan’s stability, not to mention his own life. When push comes to shove, Nahele is confronted with the most difficult choice a leader can face: resist and maintain his pride or yield control of the clan to the feral-Maith he once trusted.
Review: Alec has advised his Alpha and lover several times that he has to make changes for the sake of the clan but Nahele ignores him and Alec feels he has no other choice but to challenge him. Nahele feels betrayed when Alec challenges him and sets out to make Alec’s life miserable.
This is a great short that seemed longer than it actually was, there isn’t much world building in this but just from reading the story you get the feeling of a primal world where everything is simple and primitive but with a sense of structure as though they are at the beginning of civilization. Although Alec and Nahele love each other they still have sex with other members of the clan as it is their way.
Alec just wants what is best for the clan and it tears his heart out to challenge Nahele. Nahele has too much pride to change as he has led the clan for several centuries. This is an erotic, brutal brilliant story that makes you wonder if our ancestors civilization started out like that and keeps us reading as we wonder if these two characters will sort out their differences to have what they had before.
I think that readers who enjoy primitive races, hot sex, brutal vicious fights, dominance, love and a good story will love this one because I did.
Blurb: The last thing Jake Sullivan wanted to do upon returning to the city was get involved in the ongoing struggle between the organized militia and the fox people. After saving a fox child from bullies, however, he finds himself in the heart of the foxes’ slums, where showing his face as a human can be just as dangerous as messing with the militia in the city proper. The proximity of Liam, a white fox with healing powers, certainly doesn’t make things any easier. The attractive fox throws his own powers into an uncontrollable overdrive, not to mention his libido.
When several of the fox people are captured by the militia, Jake’s presence is like salt on old wounds. Prejudices and politics flare, and Jake’s secrets threaten to ruin his shaky alliance. If they are to save the foxes taken by the militia for experimentation, it will take all the cunning and power the clan can muster. Unfortunately, that also means they’ll have to put their trust the one place they’d never imagined: in the hands of a human.
Originally released in “Wild Passions” Anthology (June 2011)
Review: Jake has just got back to the city when he rescues a ‘fox’ child from the clutches of three men, as he makes a run for it he is shot and is rescued by Liam the temporary leader of the foxes.
This is a really good short story that gives us a lot of action and a good plot. Jake has a secret in his past that he knows he has to tell Liam is anything is going to happen between them. Liam has a lot on his plate trying to keep his pack safe while planning to rescue the Chief as well. They both have an enemy within the pack.
I liked the way this was written. You get a good idea of what the world is like and how the different species interact and how they live. Liam and Jake suited each other quite well and the sex was hot between them. Jake really regrets his past and has tried to make up for it, but it still haunts him. The action is really good and very well written. Although…I would have liked to know more about Jake’s power, was he born with it? Does any other human have power?
I’d recommend this to those who like paranormal, urban fantasy, hot sex and a good story.
Blurb:The Gathering is called. The spell is cast. There is no escaping the Midnight Matings.
Socially awkward and practically invisible to the rest of the world, Whitley Turner wasn’t overly upset by the elders’ announcement. Either he’d find someone to claim him or he’d disappear completely. So when he finds himself mated to a sexy-as-sin orca shifter, he’s not sure whether to jump for joy or run screaming.
Jude Chambers knows exactly who the shy swan shifter is. He’s been looking for a way to get close to him for months. Using the forced mating decree and a little cunning help from a friend, landing Whitley as his mate was a piece of cake. Feeling guilty about the situation wasn’t supposed to happen. Why couldn’t Whitley be the egotistical jerk he imagined him to be?
It doesn’t take long for Whitley to realize something isn’t right. When the truth is revealed, how can Whitley forgive his mate when being invisible was far less painful?
Review: Hmmm, the Midnight Matings series is cool; always a different combination of paranormal matings with some angst and danger thrown in. Oh and don’t forget that no animal is safe from being a shifter in this, fantastic.
Whitley is a swan shifter who has been treated like a nothing all his life. When he gets mated unexpectedly with Jude he is quite pleased and hopes his new mate will like him for him. But just when things seem to be going well for between them, he learns the truth about his mating. Jude needs Whitley and sets a plan in motion to get him, it isn’t until it’s too late that he realizes that he has gone about it the wrong way but by then it’s too late and he has a lot to make up for.
This story is well written and the plot and story-line are quite good. The characters are great and although you don’t realize it at first, the blurb gives too much away. At first I thought the blurb was completely wrong and it wasn’t until much later in the book that I realized the blurb was just giving too much away, much too early.
I enjoyed this story because although they got instantly mated and had to have instant sex, the love and trust doesn’t come easy or fast, both have to be earned. Whitley comes across very early on as downtrodden and an afterthought, so he keeps to himself a lot and doesn’t have any friends. Jude comes across as a great guy but it isn’t until later that you realize that he hasn’t treated Whitley right but you hope that he will get Whitley to forgive him and make it up to Whitley.
I will recommend this to those who love paranormal, shifter, fantasy, hot sex, angst and a happy ever after.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (28th November 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Tuulois MacColewyn’s simple life performing dirty jobs for fey hiding in New York City has died a quick death. Consulting for the NYPD on a case involving child abductions, losing a friend, laying siege to a stronghold at the end of Broadway, and being chased through a hospital by animated scarecrows combined to make last month hell. This month is shaping up to be much worse.
Yet, it’s not all bad. Cole has a new place to live, a steady-paying job working for the NYPD, and the heart of Inspector Joss Vallimun, head of Section Thirteen and, incidentally, Cole’s new boss.
Section Thirteen is understaffed and overworked, trying to solve every supernatural crime in New York, including a series of grisly child murders and evidence that local fey are being enslaved. When Vallimun is gravely injured just as the investigation reaches a fever pitch while a snowstorm blankets the city, Cole will need all the help he can get to have any hope of salvaging this month at all.
Review: Oh My God… It’s here finally after waiting years and years and years… What? What do you mean it wasn’t that long ago? Well, it felt like it was years and years that I waited *pout* and honestly you should know by now I have no patience whatsoever. Anyway, back to what I was saying it’s finally here… the long-awaited sequel to The Thirteenth Child and it is just as Brilliant.
Cole is back and he is just as leather wearing as ever. He might now be a special detective with Section Thirteen but he’s not retiring his leather for anyone. Joss is now his lover and superior and it seems to be going well for them and James Corhagen is still living in Narnia (I doubt he will ever find those closet doors) and now makes snide remarks about Cole and Joss.
This book starts with Joss and Cole trying to solve the murders of some young boys. Then Corhagen having really bad timing (which I thought was really funny) and a new murder which has ties to a private school. As Joss, Cole and Corhagen investigate they find it’s much worse than expected when they discover that The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn is involved.
Wow! what a trip I have got to say that this is just as good as the first book and J.L. O’Faolain keeps it paced nicely throughout; throwing us little tid-bits that begin to make more sense and fit together really well the longer we read. The relationship between Joss and Cole is really good and the sex between them is scorching hot. Joss’s injury hits Cole hard but he has to save the fey and stop the one who calls himself the Lord of All Fey.
So my recommendation is you go get this book and read it ASAP. but if you need more reasons than that then how about this, red-hot scorching sex, Marcel the ogre, Jynx the changeling, Boogaloo the wood goblin, Mal the ghost sorcerer, a pack of Cu Sith (fey wolves), pixies, a trow, a tree dryad, cake golems!!!, alchemy, a witch, Aed Deigh (Cole’s double headed blade which has cool new powers), Cole’s twin guns, explosions… do I really need to go on???
Blurb: Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.
Review: Oh, Mary Calmes, this is why we love you so. Eli/Jake has been hiding from the past and although he loves Craig more than anything, it has become an ingrained habit to run. Craig isn’t about to let the best thing to ever happen to him slip through his fingers so he sets about to convince Eli/Jake that there is no reason to run anymore.
This is an incredibly written book that just happens to wring your emotions out. Eli/Jake runs to his old hometown and bumps into his long-lost brother, he feels it is time for him to reconnect with his family that he hasn’t seen since he was 15 years old, he has so much to tell them about what happened all those years ago and none of it good. Craig just wants to hold onto his man and support him, he knows everything about Eli/ Jake and will do anything for him, even hunt him down when he does a runner.
Wow! This is a touching, heart-breaking, angsty, loving, joyful wonderful story. There isn’t much missed in this one; we even have violence and fear in the way of a flashback and re-telling of what really happened to his mother. The meeting between Eli/Jake with his brothers and father was touching and was really nicely done, although I do believe that Eli/Jake should have put his foot down with his step-mother. Craig is a fountain of support for Eli/Jake and these two men were perfect for each other.
So I have to recommend that when you read this one you have a box of tissues handy as this will bring tears to your eyes.
Title: Shepherd, Slave and Vow
