After Eli Wright came out, his parents threw him out. In the five years since, he’s made his own way, lived by his own rules, determined to never change himself—not for anyone. He’s not against finding Mr. Right, but Mr. Right Now will do just fine.
Quinn Maloney’s reward for ten years of faithfully keeping his closeted boyfriend’s secrets? A hell of a wake-up call to go with his morning coffee. Not only did Peter have affairs, he went straight to marry his pregnant girlfriend—and Quinn was to never reveal their history.
With the baby’s baptism looming and Quinn expected to put on a polite front, he decides he’s had enough of playing the peacekeeper. One wink from a much younger, eyeliner-wearing guy in a bar, and Quinn’s found a perfectly outrageous date for the occasion.
The date goes better than he ever imagined. And so much worse, as Eli convinces everyone they’re madly in love. That wasn’t part of the plan, but the more Quinn learns about the man behind the makeup, the more he wishes it was true.
Product Warnings
Contains an absolute bastard of an ex-boyfriend. Not responsible for sudden uncontrollable urges to punch him in the teeth. Also not responsible for any overheating or sudden urges brought about by explicit sex with a little BDSM thrown in.
Review: I can honestly say, I have never read a K. A. Mitchell book that I didn’t like. Bad Boyfriend has everything that I’ve come to expect from K.A. Mitchell; namely, a very well-written story with believable characters who muddle through to their HEA.
Strictly speaking, this is Quinn’s story. He’s the first character we meet and I instantly pegged him as the sweet guy next door. Then enters Peter. From scene one, he rubbed me the wrong way and I kept my fingers crossed that Mitchell had a nice house fire planned, he could be trapped in. No such luck.
But, luckily, Peter was dumb as a brick and dumps poor Quinn. If he hadn’t, Quinn wouldn’t have met Eli and despite their differences, Eli is perfect for Quinn.
The guys from Bad Company feature quite heavily in Bad Boyfriend. But, if you didn’t read book one of this series, Bad Company, Bad Boyfriend still works as a standalone.
This was really an enjoyable read. Emotionally, it was a lot more angsty than the holiday novellas I’ve been gouging on this week. And there were a few instances where my Kindle was in danger of being thrown across the room. I hate when men make bone-headed decisions, because they’re too proud to ask questions. But, obviously, that is a fabulous plot device, designed especially to endanger Kindles all over the world.
Blurb: New Orleans is beautiful, mysterious, and above all, sexy. Po’ Boys explores all the dark alleys and shadowy cemeteries the city has to offer, with all the heat you expect from the Deep South.
In Ghost Hunting with the Stars by Lydia Nyx, Harley Weston is an average guy. So when Jackson Carney, America’s favorite gay ghost hunter, comes to film a TV show at the haunted French Quarter hotel Harley works in, Harley isn’t impressed. However, Harley does admire Jackson’s surprisingly down-to-earth attitude.
In Bubba’s All Night Diner and Bait Shop, by Kiernan Kelly, you’ll find muffuletta and murder at Bubba’s, where the danger is as thick as the accents, and the sex is as spicy as the jambalaya.
In Sexual Frankenstein, by TC Blue, friends and band mates Darian Jones and Tony Delacourt think they know each other well. When an opportunity for the band falls into their laps, it seems like a dream come true, but between their unacknowledged attraction, and some questionable decisions, they must decide whether to play it safe, or risk it all.
Finally, in Link to the Crescent, by Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga, werewolf Landry is sent to New Orleans from his home in the swamp, told he’ll meet his destiny. What he meets is vampire, Thierry, who might just be exactly what Landry’s looking for.
Review: Having lived in the Gulf Coast area for many years, I fell in love with all things Cajun. So, I was really looking forward to reading this book. It is made up of 4 different stories, all set in or around New Orleans,
In Ghost Hunting with the Stars, by Lydia Nyx, Harley meets Jackson Carney, America’s favorite gay ghost hunter, and immediately thinks he resembles a perfectly decorated cake. All pretty on the outside but weirdly fake. Harley is just an average guy and has no interest in celebrities, but as he gets to know Jackson he starts to realize that America’s favorite gay ghost hunter is really a pretty nice guy.
I loved the author’s writing style and she created two very likeable characters. They had an easy way of bantering with each other that made me smile. I also enjoyed the secondary characters she added into the story. Harley’s best friend Keith was funny and a bit crass and Jackson’s assistant Amanda was slightly scattered and frantic.
This story had a little bit of ghost hunting, a little bit of sex, some real life stuff thrown in and really well written characters and dialogue. Very enjoyable!
In Bubba’s All Night Diner and Bait Shop by Kiernan Kelly,Jackson shows up at the diner looking for the Malvin brothers and Bubba offers to show him the way to their cabin. Bubba is the diner’s owner and has an accent as thick as the gumbo they serve. Jackson looks like an FBI agent, but is really looking for the Malvin brothers to get their signature on the paperwork that will give his company rights to the natural gas reserves hidden underneath the swamp. Too bad the Malvin brothers are too dead to sign anything!
Bubba and Jackson get acquainted during the murder investigation and subsequent arson investigation and hospital stay. When the whole thing finally unravels, Bubba and Jackson are more than happy to keep seeing each other, even if they do come from two totally different worlds.
I liked the story the author created and it really was true to life with gators and shotguns and everything else you find in the back woods of the bayou. I admit, though, I am never a huge fan of trying to read accented speech. It makes it very realistic, but there are a few too many aint’s in the story.
In Sexual Frankenstein by TC Blue, Darien and Tony have been in the band with each other for a couple of years, each one secretly crushing on the other and assuming they have no chance. An amazing gig falls in their laps and during the course of the night they find themselves getting involved with other people. These brief liaisons serve to open their eyes to what they COULD have if they just manage to find the courage to grab it!
When Tony and Damien finally acknowledge their attraction to each other and end up in bed it is sweet and hot and a little bit frantic and even just a tad bit awkward. Just what you would expect of 2 college kids who have been suffering from unrequited love for the last 2 years!
The author created a group of very likeable characters and I loved that there was an epilogue at the end to let us know how things ended up after the initial craziness of the new relationship.
In Link to the Crescent by Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga, Thierry is bored. He has been around a long time and has lost interest in life. Landry is a werewolf, sent from his pack, in search of his destiny. He is young, but denies it, and hungry and wanting to play. Thierry offers him a nice rare steak and a bit of fun and they quickly move forward to a fiercely loyal and protective relationship. Unfortunately, another pack has already claimed this area for themselves and Landry and Thierry need to stake their own claim.
This was a fast paced story with thoroughly enjoyable characters. Thierry is protective and loving and Landry is adorably playful and willing to please. I found it interesting how the author blended the wolf and the human in some scenes. It was often difficult to determine which one was actually in charge. Throughout the story, I could really feel how much they cared for each other. I wish the story had gone a little farther, I didn’t want it to end!
These four stories are all very different, but if you love the bayou and all things Cajun I think you will really have fun with this anthology!
Blurb:Orlin didn’t know when he put himself up for sale that he would be responsible for changing a kingdom.
Broke and homeless, Orlin puts himself up for sale as a pet. Approached by his new Master, Orlin decides maybe being owned by a gorgeous king wouldn’t be fate worse than death. He doesn’t expect to become the one person who changes the views of an entire kingdom…or to be more than a lover for the man who buys him.
At first sight of the sexy oiled sub, Aester Fall knows he’s not leaving until Orlin belongs to him. He might be hanging on to his kingdom by his fingernails but he knows some things are worth the fight. When he returns home with Orlin, he learns his new pet might not be as pet-like as he first appeared.
Neither man expects to change the fate of a world…much less two of them.
Review: Orlin sells himself at auction as a pet after his parents die and he is left with nothing. Orlin hopes that life, as a pet, won’t be too bad and after his term of service, he will have the money he needs to start a new life. But, he never expected to be sold to his mate. Aester follows the advice of the seer and goes to the auction where Orlin is on the auction block. The first look he gets of Orlin and he knows he is the one, now he just has to keep him safe.
A cute little novella that provides great entertainment. Orlin has had a lot to cope with, his parents died and left behind huge debts, his extended royal family won’t help him out so he does the only thing that he can think of… he becomes a pet, a nice name for a submission love slave. Orlin isn’t really suited to be a pet, because although he is slightly submissive he has his own way of doing things. That and the whole “fifth in line for the throne” thing, that has given him royal training since birth. Aester is new to his throne and set on doing everything the law says, but his pet is disrupting everything by how he acts; insisting on *gasp* walking and translating with cat people. Before long, it brings Orlin to the attention of Aester’s uncle.
This is an enjoyable light read that is well written. I liked the way that Orlin got into trouble without even trying and that it brought to light to Aester the problems in his Kingdom that he never suspected. And also unearths some unsavory people, who would do him harm. I would have liked to know more about Orlin’s powers as they developed, but it was only a novella ;-). Aester is a strong character, but he wanted an equal that he could spoil and while Orlin is a submissive he can hold his own and be a strong support to the right man.
You know, I love this series because we have strong characters that are either dominate or submissive but each will have a strong core and they need a partner who is their equal, but also the perfect match to their own personality. I also like the way Amber Kell has written this in the way that although they are Doms and subs, it isn’t in the way that BDSM is usually portrayed. It is more like, their natural personalities have one partner who is slightly more Dominate than the other.
So, if you enjoy science fiction, hot sex, magic and slight danger, hot men, slight D/s relationships and a happy ever after then I have to recommend this to you.
Blurb: In a world where humans and paranormals coexist in secret and where they are at war with soulless demons, vampires dream to be united with their mates.
Darcy Burke is a strong and caring vampire warrior who lost his family long ago. After so many casual hookups, he bumps into a man who he longs to love and support for the rest of his life.
Ayden Magee is a werewolf who has been stuck in his wolf form and is desperately trying to find a way to save his brothers. When Darcy helps him change back, Ayden sees the possibility of a future with this man, one filled with the tenderness and love he has been missing.
Will Darcy and Ayden be able to save Ayden’s brothers and build a lasting relationship together, or will their differences and their pasts be too much for them to conquer?
Review: Ayden is a werewolf who has been through a traumatic experience and is now stuck in wolf form; he is desperate to change back so he can get help rescuing his brothers. When he meets Darcy, his dreams might just come true. Darcy is a warrior and he liked to play around a bit, when he meets Ayden he promises to help get his brothers back, but their mating is far from easy.
I enjoyed this book to an extent as it was well written, but there was some stuff that really niggled at me. When Ayden and Darcy first come together it was with a patience that must have nearly killed Darcy. He tries to pace it, because of what happened to Ayden in the past, but also because he has just gulped down a load of shifter blood so he is extremely horny. Ayden lets Darcy in, but because of the short amount of time they know each other they haven’t had the chance to get to know each other and it causes problems between the two.
The pace of the book is good and there isn’t any real danger, just a slight threat. And there’s some arguing as they try to work things out, the sex is really hot and erotic and it is really sweet and slightly funny, but cringe-worthy when Darcy takes things into his own hands as so not to hurt Ayden (I crossed my legs in sympathy). The two characters were good together and I enjoyed how they interacted with the other characters.
The only thing that niggled at me was Elena (Marius Brother’s mother) can’t she just keep her nose out of other people’s business for just one book and can’t she just stop throwing her weight around like she’s the freaking Queen. I mean, God, she’s in The Marius Brothers, The O’Hagan Way and Beyond The Marius Brothers, please just give me a break from her.
So, in all honesty a good book that I will recommend to those who love vampires and shifters, a bit of conflict, a bit of relationship conflict, hot man love, great characters and a happy ending with a good idea of the next Marius Brother’s story.
Blurb: Two weeks after Philip d’Autremont is acquitted of his wife’s murder, it’s time for him and his partner and lawyer, Charles Barnett, to start building their life together. But it turns out that not everyone in Atlanta is as ready to leave the trial in the past as Charles and Philip, and a surprise attack leaves Charles in the hospital and Philip’s arm in a sling.
With thoughts of their own mortality fresh in their minds, Charles and Philip make a decision that will change their lives forever. Future plans and home renovations take their minds off the attacks, but the danger isn’t over yet: the people behind the attacks are still at large, and they weren’t acting alone.
Review: Philip and Charles are building their lives together, but there are repercussions from the trial when supporters of those who tried to derail justice decide to serve out their own form of justice. Philip and Charles take stock of their lives and make life changing decisions and further plans for the future.
Another well-crafted story from Etienne. With this story we see the progression of Philip and Charles’s relationship as they make changes in their lives and try to find those who would harm them. Philip and Charles are still as close as ever when they are attacked. it makes them take stock of their lives and their future and so they set in motion plans to enrich their future. They are still a much loved up couple and at times they struggle to keep up their active sex life, as they recover from their injuries.
As always, the story is focused on the MCs relationship, with the hunt for the attackers going on in the background. In this one we also get to see that Richard’s and Bruce’s relationship has progressed and they make a very nice couple together. We meet Philip’s nephew, Steve, who will be prominent in the next book. So, we get some details on his background and his current fears.
The realistic relationship portrayal is fantastic and although there is danger it isn’t over done or down played too much. we just have two men who are just trying to live their lives the way they want without interference from others and they manage that with the support of family and friends old and new. The focus of Etienne’s books is always the relationships and the everyday life they lead and how they cope with the ups and downs that life throws at them and this one doesn’t let us down.
I have to recommend this to those who love solid relationships, slight danger, true love, well written stories and a happy ending. P.S. I am hoping that we might get Richard and Bruce’s full story one day.
Title: Bad Boyfriend
