Blurb: If you lie with scorpions, you’d better have a taste for poison.
Now that Kendras’s lover Adrastes has claimed the throne of Dalman, Kendras is tangled deeper than ever in politics and intrigue. As the new leader of the Scorpions and Adrastes’s one true friend, he and his men stand between Adrastes and those who wish him dead.
And many do. Adrastes openly challenges the ocean priesthood for power while establishing himself at court and brokering with the realm’s various factions. He means for the Scorpions to become a fearsome legion again, but Kendras must first learn how to be a good officer and recruit to replace the fallen. His choices will determine the future of a group steeped in hundreds of years of history and tradition.
As both Kendras and Adrastes settle old scores, a new enemy arises in Commander Graukar, a war hero loyal to the old order. In his formidable mountain fortress, Graukar may hold the balance of power. But while Adrastes aims to either rule or destroy Graukar, Kendras finds himself doubting Adrastes for the first time, and sharing more with Graukar than he ever thought possible.
Review: Well, it’s finally done and after a long time filled with anticipation, book two of the Memory of Scorpions takes us into yet another enthralling tale.
In direct opposition with Book one, this novel starts relatively calm. Adrastes is now the new Lord Protector and on his way to claim Dalman and her throne with his very own personal guard, the Scorpions, and his lover Kendras at his side as his personal bodyguard. And they are needed too, because Adrastes claims the throne with barely concealed threats.
And it is apparent that this book is quite different from the previous in many ways. It starts calmly and the plot flows steady, slowly taking you through the story. Nearly half of the book is a slow pacing through Adrastes’s setting on the throne, the games and politics of the generals, a slow change on Adrastes’ personality or perhaps character leaving Kendras in a state of uncertainty for most of the read. Now I always thought that Kendras has a lot of inner thinking going on with him, but his new role as Officer has him overdoing it. I’m not sure how much I liked that fact or the drag of half of this story.
However the pace did pick up, the story became quite interesting and surprising. I think I felt the same with Kendras there when it came to Graukar and the Ambassador of the Jaishani. I was astonished with those characters. I expected a brute on Graukar and his genteel soul left me with a jaw hanging. As for the Ambassador, oh my, what a character, and what amazing possibilities that one brings for the future of this series.
So there it is, this book starts shattering slowly into pieces once the action picks up. I loved the “mission,” I loved the amazing help of the Black Legion, I loved the feeling and emotions that came from the unexpected new love affair, and I felt the painful grip in my heart when Kendras finally got a glimpse in his past and his family. I think that was the mostly emotional charged part of this entire second installment, with a second the Betrayal that came to the end. The pinnacle of intensity and what made me so sad in the end, but so very much-needed to give the story the push and reason to move on. As much as I saw the need for it, I must admit I close the book with the thought “poor Kendras.”
Overall, it was a great sequel to the first book however, for me it didn’t quite shake me like the first one. I loved it however and I’m definitely now more interested on the third book of the series. It is now that Kendras will rise and I can’t wait for it. As for this one, it’s quite worth reading it, with amazing scenes of battle and secret missions, the blood we’ve come to expect from the Scorpions, and a great deal of conspiracy and back-stabbing. Recommended!
Blurb: When he finds himself captivated by a movie-star handsome stranger he meets in a bar, lawyer Ford Reilly watches a simple one-night stand develop into a taste of what living honestly might bring him.
Out and proud Gus Hansen has built a small architectural firm from nothing, but could lose it all as he tries to break a contract he signed before knowing about the project’s antigay ties.
After Ford discovers he spent a passionate night with the man on the other side of the dispute he’s handling, he finds himself in more than one quandary. He can either maintain the status quo, enforcing the contract to the letter, or he can defy his overbearing father and break free of the closeted life he’s built for himself in order to be with Gus.
Gus has his own choices to make. He knows the sting of loving a man who hides himself, but the longer he lingers in Ford’s presence, the more difficult it becomes to deny their attraction.
Review: Being a black man means living in a prejudiced sub culture. This is Ford’s reality. His antithesis is Gus Hansen, a man who has just emerged from heartbreak. Button Down is the story of how a closeted black gay man and an out and proud white man can come together. Often a story tells a tale from one either the point of the protagonist or the antagonist. This story is told from both sides. When the reader experiences the story from Ford’s perspective, they see Gus as the man who will allow Ford to come into his own and become comfortable as a gay man. When the story is told from Gus’ perspective, the reader sees a man who is comfortable in his skin, but who needs the additional love and loyalty of the family, which Ford can provide for him.
The men find their HEA in a spectacular manner and Ford is able to come out and be true to himself and his family. In doing so, Gus will gain more family, a home and a man to call his own. The secondary characters in this book are as critical to the HEA of Ford and Gus as a duck is to water. This story could not have been told without Gus’ best friend or Ford’s family. They provide the backdrop and provide color and depth for the story. The underlying political commentary in the story is also timely and well placed. Homophobia is rampant in the African-American community and this story takes the prejudice head on and cuts a wide swath by discussing not only homophobia, but also the other white elephant with the interracial pairing of both Gus and Ford.
The story is well written, well paced with multi-faceted characters who we can identify with and whom we learn to love. We root for Gus and Ford to be happy. Well worth the read.
Blurb: After two years together, Alex has been dreading the inevitable moment when Damon learns the truth: that Alex is a shifter, part of a small percentage of the population able to switch genders at will. Thanks to a forced implant, though, Alex is suddenly static—unable to shift—and male. Overnight, he’s out to a world that neither understands nor tolerates shifters . . . and to his heterosexual boyfriend.
Damon is stunned to discover his girlfriend is a shifter, and scared to death of the dangers the implant poses to Alex’s health. He refuses to abandon Alex, but what about their relationship? Damon is straight, and with the implant both costly and dangerous to remove, Alex is stuck as a man.
Stripped of half his identity and facing serious physical and social ramifications, Alex needs Damon more than ever, but he doesn’t see how they can get through this.
Review: The terms ‘Shifter’ and ‘Static’ are used within the context of this novel as a metaphor. A shifter is someone who can change gender at will. Imagine if you will, within our society today, if you are a bi-sexual or transgender person how fantastic it would be to change your body type as easily as you change your clothes. Now imagine having that ability stolen from you with a forced implant that blocks the shift, locking you into a body you want to crawl out of half the time.
Damon and Alex have been dating for two years, never taking that next step. Every time Damon approaches Alex about marriage, she shuts him down. Love is not the issue here, I’m afraid. You see Alex is a shifter, able to change gender at will. And Damon is a static, unable to change his sex and unaware that his girlfriend is a shifter. When Alex’s family, the type of family that picks the parts of the bible they want to wield like a sword and ignores every other part, drugs him and forces an implant that will block his shifting abilities; Alex is certain he is going to lose Damon. This is the very reason Alex never told Damon the truth about herself, for fear of losing the person, she loved the most.
The majority of the story is spent with Alex coming to terms with the possibility that he may never be able to shift again. At times, he wants to crawl out of his own skin. His brain and his soul still shift to his female form, but now his body cannot adapt, and it’s driving him mad. Alex has to learn to live every aspect of his life as a man. He’s still madly in love with Damon. He’s just not sure if Damon can still love him as a he. Alex has only ever been with men, whether he was a male, or female, but Damon is certifiably straight. Or is he?
All the while Alex is coming unglued inside and out, Damon is wrestling personal demons of his own. He will not abandon Alex, but he is having a little trouble reconciling his growing feelings for his girlfriend, that can only now be his boyfriend. There is a lot at stake for both men. Will Alex find a way to have the implant removed? And what if he can’t, will Damon still want to be with him if he can never be she again?
I loved everything about this book. It made me stop and think, is this what Transgender people live with everyday? Being stuck in a man’s body when everything inside you feels feminine? Witt really conveyed Alex’s emotional distress perfectly. And to watch Damon falling in love with Alex as a man all over again was priceless and beautiful. At times, the story was very dark, but it fit within the context perfectly.
Dark and dramatic, but kind of beautiful in a different sort of way. I highly recommend this book. Even if you don’t normally read this genre, I think you would still enjoy the storyline in this book.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for MM Good Book Reviews*
Blurb: Detective Douglas Brody has only ever known the life of a cop. Raised strict but fair by his police chief father, he joined the academy right out of school, climbed the ranks hard and fast, and now works homicide for the City of Charleston. The job is his entire life. For years it’s kept him happy enough to minimize the side of him that craves what he believes is wrong. An accident on the job puts him on medical leave and everything in Brody’s world changes. He has to prove himself once more to be best cop in the department, all while dealing with Zack – his persistent, sexy, and out of the closet physical therapist.
Zack is tan skin, big grins, floppy hair and tackles his job with the same full-blown enthusiasm he does everything else. When the “patient from hell” is thrown his way by another PT who can’t handle him, Zack is committed to achieving the impossible. His new patient is a headstrong and hot as hell homicide detective, who oozes as much resentment as he does sex appeal. Any involvement with a patient, especially a man who is so deep in the closet he can’t see light, is something Zack swore he’d never do. But Brody slowly proves too much to resist…
Review: This title is very apropos because this is exactly how the reader feels as they discover Brody and Zack. Brody is just about the biggest asshole that could ever be found because he’s fighting so hard to not be a gay man. But he meets Zack and everything about Zack makes him want to forget about the walls he’s created and instead simply allow himself to bask in the goodness that is Zack. Both men are fighting their own personal demons: Zack to not be attracted to a man in the closet and Brody to not be attracted to this man at all.
The chemistry proves to be more than either man can resist and they will indulge in a no-holds barred relationship that will involve not only their bodies but also eventually their hearts. Everybody should have a Zack in their life. He’s the person who is always the bigger man, who’s willing to see the good in everyone and who is patient and long-suffering simply because he cares and wants the best for everyone. He will be there for Brody in ways that Brody doesn’t understand until he comes face to face with a crisis and realizes just how much Brody means to him.
The relationship between these two men is very real. They must manage their personal demons and learn how to be together. Their deeper relationship grows out of them learning to love, trust and respect each other. If you want to read about how two men can connect in a very real and meaningful way, so that one can feel cherished and the other can feel valued and claim his sexuality, then this is the book for you.
Blurb: Did Mårten Larsson want to be a vamp? Not so much. He wanted it as much as he asked to have a sissy circle over the å in his name. He just woke up dead one day with a piece of paper that said, “Dude, you’re a vampire. Drink some blood. Don’t suntan.”
Luckily, another vampire finds Mårten and agrees to teach him how to live (well, not live, exactly) as a vampire. And so Mårten goes to Vamp Camp, where he has to survive without getting staked or baked, learn how to work with fangs and blood lust while spending time with his boyfriend, and employ his wicked wit as he masters the art and science of vampirism.
Review: Mårten (pronounced Morton) is a good ole boy from Texas. He has a stable home life and parents that love him and they know he’s gay. In fact, when he was a teenager, his mother gave him a three-dollar bill to show him how queer he was. Although his parents are caring and understanding, they aren’t always emotionally available. When he graduates college, he joins the Navy and ends up in a POW camp after he is captured by the Germans. Mårten has never been one to shy away from a fight, and his defiant behavior lands him in solitary confinement, of sorts. It’s while he’s confined that one of the guards rapes, assaults and bites him. Mårten wakes up in a cave with a note pinned to his shirt, “You’re a vampire, drink some blood, and stay out of the sun.”
Mårten is trying to decipher why it is the sun hurts him, he can fly and jump really high, and likes to drink animals dry when he meets another vampire. Menz is a centuries old vampire that lives on an estate that he runs much like a gay Peyton Place. Filled with lots of young, beautiful, sexy men (both gay and straight) that are willing blood donors. In exchange for their donation, these men live a life of luxury under the protection of Menz.
Menz takes Mårten under his wing and trains him to be a proper vampire. Menz himself is gay so he recognizes the trait in his new young trainee. On Mårten first night at the estate, Menz sets him up with a tall, handsome donor with long black hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Oberon and Mårten are instantly and insanely attracted to each other, and though they actively participate in all manners of threesomes, foursomes and orgies, they only have eyes for each other. The two start making plans to be together forever. But when one of the donors winds up slaughtered on the front lawn, their plans are put on hold. Mårten and his newfound family are forced to face his demons together, and not everyone will make it out alive, much less get a ‘Happy Ever After’.
Okay so, the narration was so terrible that it was good. This kid that tells Mårten’s story goes so overboard with the Texas twang, that it’s at times laughable. But I couldn’t take out my earplugs! The storyline was so engrossing, and Mårten’s dry, witty sense of humor coupled with Menz’s proper British appearance made for some very intriguing reading. The sex scenes between Mårten and Oberon are some of the tamest, yet hottest scenes I’ve ever read. The story at times was a bit disjointed and the fact that it was obviously an adult book, but the main character would teeter between the words but and ass drove me a little crazy, but for whatever reason I just loved this story!
This was just a fast, fun read with a young spitfire of a main character that was forced to grow up way too soon. Seriously, his favorite curse is ‘Holy!’ That’s it, just Holy! I can’t wait to see what happens next for Mårten, Oberon and Menz. Not sure if I’ll grab the second book, or wait for it to come out on audible. Stay tuned.
Well today we have a special treat for all you readers, Thommie has been doing some schmoozing and has Jackie Nacht stopping by for a brief visit with an incredible giveaway, I will leave it up to Thommie and Jackie to tell you all about Full Moon Gamma and what you can win. So read the review and enter the Giveaway and good luck guys. *hugs* ~Pixie~
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Hello everyone, Thommie here. I’m here today with the help of my Book Goddess and aspiring Universe Conqueror, Pixie, to introduce you to my favorite series Moon Compoundand the release of its new installment Full Moon Gamma.
. Now all of you, who know me, know that I have a serious love for wolves and shifter stories. One of my favorite ever since they started was Moon Compound with their first knock out the Full Moon LockdownFull Moon Lockdown review. It was apparent that this series was going to be my undoing, but then again I said to myself “Thommie, wait it out, they usually get boring”.
. So I waited and out came Full Moon FeralFull Moon Feral review and while the pace there went a bit slower, the story didn’t fail to intrigue and make me bounce on my toes in anticipation of the next one.
. Still I felt reserved, but now came the newest baby, Full Moon Gamma, and ok, I’m throwing my towel and pledging my eternal servitude because I’m officially well and truly captivated by this series. That said I’m going to leave you at the hand of the wonderful Jackie Nacht and her special surprise for you today.
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Jackie Nacht:
Hi Everyone!
. First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Thommie, Pixie and Portia for having me on today. Second, I’d love to have some fun and do a giveaway today to celebrate my new release of Full Moon Gamma. Plus shhh, this is a secret, but it’s my birthday today as well. Don’t tell anyone! Here’s the prize and how to enter. Winner will receive a $10 Amazon card and choice of pdf backlist of one of my books. How to enter: Just leave your email addy and name below to enter. I’ll pick the winner on January 21st.
. Have a great day and good luck!
. Jackie Nacht
. Where a little love goes a long way. YA LGBTQ and M/M Romance Author Published at Devine Destinies and eXtasy Books http://www.jackienacht.com/
. Excerpt:
Malach, Ripley and Lukas were waiting for him at the front door. Malach opened the door.
“Ready?”
Rayce nodded and led the team out.
They climbed into the vehicle and drove off. Malach drove while Ripley sat in the passenger side, giving directions to the bar. He should be focusing, watching where the hell they were going, but his mind was back with Peyton. Gripping his hair, he felt like pulling the damn strands out.
Malach stared back at him in the rearview mirror. “Do I need to turn around?”
Rayce really fucking thought about it. “No, but tonight, get someone else down here. I’m a weakness.”
Ripley turned in the front seat. Rayce remembered how powerful that feral was. “You better get your head out of your ass. We’re all counting on you, and my mate is counting on you. Hell, yours, too. Think of that and that’ll be all the focus you need.”
For someone thrust into this world, Ripley had more insight than anyone else in the car. Ripley knew the right words to say to bring Rayce’s mind back on the mission.
The drive was short, a mere five minutes. The place was off to the side of a road and there was a guy standing outside checking identification. They all exited the vehicle as one.
“That normal?” Rayce nudged Ripley.
“That’s the same guy I’ve seen every damn time I come here. Can’t believe he’s still working here.” Ripley cracked his neck. “Are we ready?”
Malach stared at the bouncer as well. “Is everyone armed?” he whispered.
“Just knives and daggers,” Rayce murmured.
Lukas nodded. “Same here.”
Malach eyed the door again. “Be ready for anything.” He turned and led the group and Rayce took up the rear.
The man at the door was human, but to Rayce, he appeared crooked as hell. Ripley nodded and handed over his ID. Thank gods, Malach had thought to get one made up for him when they planned the recon mission last week and that they had the connections to get one made.
“Ripley, been awhile.” The bouncer handed Ripley’s identification over.
“Yeah, been busy,” Ripley said smoothly. Rayce was impressed. The guy didn’t so much as pause.
The bouncer checked all their licenses and then they were waved in the bar. The lighting was shitty, and voices could be heard even in the hallway. They walked as a group and turned the corner.
Malach halted in his tracks, and Rayce immediately stopped and scanned the area.
Holy fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck.
The room fell silent as all eyes turned and focused on them. All black soulless eyes. The entire room was hellhounds. The entire fucking room.
. Title: Full Moon Gamma
. Series: Moon Compound # 3
. Author: Jackie Nacht
. Genre: Paranormal / Werewolves
. ISBN: 978-1-77111-797-5
. Length: Novella (142 pages)
. Publisher: eXtasy Books
. Heat Level: Low~Moderate
. Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts
. Reviewer: Thommie
. Blurb: When Rayce finds he has two paths before him, the unknown consequence is the only alternative to help the man he loves survive.
. Rayce is sent on a recon mission to find out if hellhounds are in Lansing. What he discovers on his way is his mate, Peyton, has followed him into the very heart of danger.
. Peyton has loved Rayce from the moment Rayce saved him. He knows he probably shouldn’t be following Rayce, but the instinct driving him to protect the man he has already fallen for causes him to go recklessly into the city. All is not as it seems, and Peyton will have to find strength to survive for not only himself but his mate and friends as well.
. Authors note:This may be read as a standalone book however for better reading enjoyment, it is advised to read the series in order. Thank you!
. Review: I am NOT going to reveal this story or talk about the blurb or give away spoilers. One must read it and feel the full impact of this story without anyone spoiling it or taking away from the tension that surrounds you the entire read. But I am going to tell you my opinion on Full Moon Gamma.
. I knew it, I knew it the first time I laid eyes on the series that I’m going to get hooked. I knew it. But Sweet Mother of Hades, this is beyond good. I love, love, LOVED this book. It was painful, it was horrible even, it was explicit to the point I felt the welts on my own flesh and the pain wreaking havoc on my own body. Add to that the emotional break-down of a mating pair being slowly torn apart and I had a lump the size of an elephant on my chest for mostly half the read, and yet I loved every single moment of it. But it was incredibly painful reading the story as it unfolded. Even as I knew it’s all going to be well in the end, even as I saw how and where the help was going to come from. And oh my god, can you believe I felt sorry for the “helper”? At some point I wished for him not to be able to feel, because damn, his inner turmoil dealing and coping with those emotions must have been HELL, which by the way I can barely stand to wait for his turn and story.
. I just, oh dear me, don’t you just love it when a book makes you forget everything and lets you immerse in its clutches and just get lost in it. There are no words to describe the wicked idea behind this story and how brilliant I found the Gammas. You know, up until now we’ve only seen the Alphas and Omegas. In Brendan’s case we literally witnessed how important the Omegas are for balancing their Alpha mates. But the Gammas are seriously incredible. They just plain rock, and the possibilities they bring in the overall lore are numerous. They are like superheroes. Yay for the Gammas people! In a way this book feels like a crossroad or a stopping light after which the party begins. It’s like all three books together up until now slowly gathered they basics of the core story while simultaneously introduced us with the core players and now that the chess game is set up and every piece and pawn taken its place the battle can begin. It’s plain brilliant, it’s amazing how a series can evolve with each installment, how it’s not only about the “couples” and their sex life/mating, but there is a deeper story in there, one that hooks you, and drives you crazy, enthralls you and makes you a slave of it without you even knowing it until it’s too late. Yeah! I’m a captive of this series and never want to escape.
. Have I gone on too much? I feel like I can talk and talk forever and words will keep on coming. Not so sure they make sense though. If you haven’t read the series, you probably have no idea what the heck I’m babbling about, but there I can help. I strongly urge shifter-lovers out there to go ahead and make the jump. Dive in the murky and dangerous waters of Moon Compound series, let this lore take you in an incredible journey filled with action and adventure, love and want, and a tale that will rock you and make you see shifters with a whole different perspective. You might get a bit addicted and feel differently for other shifter books out there after this, but that’s not a bad thing.
. Now I seriously need to stop reading for a while and get my brain back in track, or go and re-read the series from the beginning… Hmm, choices, choices…
Strongly, wholeheartedly, blindly recommended!
p.s. Daegal and Oren… ugh… uhm… yeah, their story is going to be… fun? Well, it does start with a heartfelt “I hate you”.
A big Happy Birthday to Jackie and may you have a fabulous day!
And with that I leave you to the fantastic world of Moon Compound! Have fun!
Blurb: Budget cuts shuffle the decks of the Prince George’s County Police Department. Separated after years as partners, Hank Capstone and Patrick St. James find themselves having to make a new start. Assigned as a training officer, Hank takes on the tough task of showing hot, fit young rookie Jessie Morgan the ropes. Unfortunately, Jessie’s beauty is only skin-deep, as he seems to have a habit of spouting homophobic comments to anyone who will listen. Still, Hank watches closely, figuring his rookie hides a deeper secret.
While Hank is distracted by his new partner, secrets from his past resurface. A former Iraqi general with a grudge against Hank arrives in the area seeking revenge. Does his appearance connect to a terrorist threat made against the local mall? Hank and Patrick must reunite to save the day
Review: Hot cops in and out of uniforms, what more can a person ask for.
This is book five in the Murder Most Gay Series and to get a feel for them you should start with book one. This book has such an amazing plot and it will capture your attention from the get go. Great sex scenes, danger, murder, friendship, and love are just parts of what you will get from this. Now these amazing hot sex scenes are not between Hank and Patrick but with their husbands. So you actually get lots of hot sex scenes with both. They had met right after graduating from the police academy and became best friends. Being there for each other when they were married and grew to love each other as brothers.
They had separated for a bit on the job, they were surprised to find themselves teaching rookies how not to get themselves killed. They still protected each other no matter what, especially when danger comes for Hank. This has them reuniting together to stop the danger from killing Hank and terrorizing innocents at a mall. This story has the excitement you crave and love. I actually read this story three times, because it was so good.
I have always loved this series and was happy when this book came out. It has the perfect amount of twist and turns that will keep your attention. You will love Hank and Patrick along with their husbands Shawn and Dean. They are just so cute together and you can’t help but love them. Besides what is there not to love Hot and sexy cops and danger…all in this juicy story.
Blurb: Charlie Fitzgerald is sick of being the kid nobody takes seriously. His older brother Colin is fighting vampires and other troublemakers in New York City, and Charlie wants in on the action—but no one will listen. Then he overhears the Lycan council is looking for a human emissary to take a message of peace to a werewolf in the forests of Romania, and Charlie decides he’s the man for the job.
Xan is furious: his best friend, Charlie, one of the Fitzgeralds he’s vowed to protect, is walking into danger, and Xan chases him all the way to the freezing Romanian forest to save his stubborn butt. When Charlie is almost killed, Xan realizes he feels much more than friendship for his charge, and emotions that have been bubbling under the surface of his calm façade threaten to boil over and flood them both.
They end up in the middle of a political mess involving Lycans, werewolves, and nosy vampires, and if they make it out alive, the friendship between the headstrong hunter and his bullheaded protector might turn into a love neither can live without.
Review: This is the 2nd edition. The 1st edition was published by M.J. O’Shea, April 2012.
To get a good idea on who everyone is you need to start with Book one. I got to tell you that this one is my favorite of this series. I am not sure why, but it just seemed more real to me. The story line is fantastic, with the danger and excitement flowing throughout the book. It had more of a serious tone to it, but it did have its humorous side to it. It always amazes me the gift one has to tell a story.
Charlie is a human that comes from a long line of hunters. Usually one thinks that hunters kill every paranormal in sight, but with this story they seem to work together to get rid of those who are evil. He has known all along about his family, even growing up thinking that was what he would do. Although he does find out that is not the case when it comes to him. He is so cute, that you just want to hug him all the time. He has a bit of attitude about certain things, but he can be persuaded to have it changed.
He had grown up with Xan since they were little children. Now he is notices more and more that times are changing between them. He finds out Xan is not what he seems. He is in fact his protector. He is so pissed at him, but he also realizes he is in fact falling for his best friend. Xan has always known certain things, but when it comes out, he fears that he will lose the one person he is falling in love with him. He needs to be near the forest, but he wants to be with Charlie.
Xan is loveable, caring, gentle, and fiercely protective of Charlie. The sex starts out slow and heats up to a nice flame.
I loved this book and I do hope that there will be another book to this series. I lose myself in stories when life gets too much, and this will be one of my top choices to read more than once. It makes a great add to my library.
Blurb: Fighting for your heart’s desires is always worth the hardship.
After injury forces Brendan Gateman to stop playing pro football, he falls back on his physical education and teaching degrees and begins coaching high school ball. Settling in a new town and hanging with his defensive coordinator, Dan Roper, Brendan finally feels like his life is back on track. His only regret is that the fear of losing not only his new life but also his family forces him to remain deep in the closet. Still, he has two of the three things people always want out of life, and that’s enough for him. At least, that’s what he thinks until he meets paramedic Randy Coughlan. The out and proud man makes Brendan start rethinking his choices. When problems in Randy’s life force the man to make some tough choices, will Brendan’s insecurities make him walk away? Or will he step up and become the man he never thought possible but always wanted to be?
Review: I have always loved Charlie’s books and this was definitely a pleasure to read. In all my life I have come across those who have told their families that they were gay, some were disowned, and some were lucky. It saddens me to hear about those who say they love their children but when they are told about their sexual orientation that love is thrown out the window. I was so pleased about the exact opposite in this book.
Brendan is a coach at the local high school and even though he was gay, he never came out never had relations with any men. He is very caring and tender but comes off as an alpha if you ever met him. Randy is a paramedic and is very out at work, to his family and friends. He is just as adorable and loving with just a bit of mischief it would seem. Even with Brendan’s insecurities, he wants to make a go of a relationship with Randy. He wants it all. The sex is very sweet, caring and so dang loving you just want to blush with the feelings. I absolutely loved this story. It was told with such a way that you would think you are there with them going through it all. You would cheer them on with each step they take to making a life as a family.
This story comes off so true and real, because not only there are men that go through it all around you but also because of the way, it is told. I cannot wait to read it again and I do hope that there will be more about this couple in other books.
Blurb: When Duncan of the Gents leaves for the Crusades, he promises to return to his friend and lover, Adam Gordon, but he never does. Three years later, upon learning that Duncan died in an ambush, Adam travels to Jerusalem to join the Cross Knights, seeking revenge.
Wyon Eastman, Captain of the Cross Knights, meets Caliph Omar on the battlefield and in peace parliaments. But discovering the cruel, heartless infidel is human forces Wyon to struggle with growing romantic feelings and religious loyalties.
As the English army sweeps across the Holy Land to conquer Jerusalem for the Christians, four men fight for true love in uncertain times.
A Timeless Dreams title: While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma.
Review: Well, if this wasn’t a great and fun novella to read. The book tells us the tales of two different couples, set back in a time where Kings and Knights and Dragons and Crusades took place. We get to read the almost epic love story of a young servant with his noble master. We get to read the tale of their love, how it flourished, and how it nearly ended in the bloody battlefields of the desert of Jerusalem. We get to admire the single-minded determination of a young monk, going through thieves and criminals, and then through hundreds of Arabs in his quest for vengeance. And we get to lose ourselves in the intense emotions this book evokes in you. We get to feel the love-conquers-them-all deeply as we keep on reading till the very end.
I loved it; honestly, it was like going back and reading my childhood books. I loved the writing, and it didn’t matter to me one bit if some facts couldn’t have possibly happened back then. I loved the men here; Duncan and Adam were truly epic heroes, and they made my heart melt and my imagination scream wild. As for Wyon and the King, what can I say; they were exquisite. My only regret that they had such a short time in this tale. Yup, surprise-surprise, I wanted more.
Overall, this was a fantastic adventure I loved reading and if you like the genre, if you like the tales set in medieval times, I strongly recommend this one to you. Enjoy!
Blurb: Board up the windows, push an old dresser against the door and load your shotgun. A zombie apocalypse is about to hit Wilde City, and if you want the best survival tips, six of Wilde City’s boys are here to help. You’ll never want to exercise again as Eric Arvin and TJ Klune turn a gym full of hunks into a smorgasbord of terror in GHOUL’S GYM.
Gather your friends and fight for the man you love, as Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine turn Vegas into a zombie nightmare in SURVIVING SIN CITY.
And bring a date to dinner to celebrate Grumpy Grampy’s 90th birthday and introduce your family to your new zombie boyfriend in Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day’s GUESS WHO’S COMING AT DINNER.
You’ll scream with terror and howl with laughter as Wilde City’s boys bring you our first undead anthology ZOMBIE BOYZ.
Review: So what is the politically correct way to deal with individuals infected with the zombie virus? And what do you say when your boy brings one home for dinner?
Answers to these questions and more are found in this funny and PUNny short story about a zombie apocalypse. This has plenty of slapstick and queer as folk, humor. Plenty of vomiting, blood gore and mad cows, and might I admit, yes, sympathy for brain-eating zombies! There is little to no sexual content, just innuendo, in fact, I think my tween son would laugh at this book. It contains his type of humor.
It’s what I would expect for a book about Zombies from these two!
Blurb: Derek Martin becomes a suspect in the murder of his ex-lover. Chance Martin, Derek’s twin and a disgraced TV reporter, is certain Derek isn’t the killer. Then a second man is murdered, pointing to the existence of a serial killer.
Detective Nico Villa is bent on capturing the ‘Slasher’. He is none too happy when Derek involves himself in the case, above and beyond some initial assistance on Derek’s part.
Meanwhile, Chance’s ex, and the reason for his disgrace, newspaper reporter Tyler Burke, becomes caught up in what is happening when he tries to assist the detective and make amends for what he did to Chance.
Can these four men stop the ‘Slasher’ before he stops them? And in the process, will the attraction, both new and renewed, that Derek and Chance feel respectively for the detective and the reporter, survive what is to come?
Review: If you like, a nice mystery combined some sweet romance; Edward Kendrick is the author for you. These stories are a great choice to snuggle up on a cold winter night or for a nice day on the beach.
The Martin twins are quite the charming pair. I loved how a mystery of closeted gay men being brutally slain, brought these four men together.
Chance and Derek are twins. Chance was a TV reporter but a bad split with a competitive boyfriend ended that career. Derek his twin manages a costume shop, it’s near Halloween and he just finds out his ex-boyfriend was murdered about the time they broke up and is panicking.
He meets Nico a cop that comes to question him and soon things take a strange turn. Soon Tyler chances ex gets involved trying to get a story and perhaps something else. Wanna know what else he wants? Read the book!!
I found the mystery fun, the men funnier!
If you like a cozy mystery, a little suspense, loving relationships, reporters, hot cops and a sweet ending this is definitely for you!
Blurb: Enslaved during the invasion of the rival King of Herra, Micah cut off his emotions and adapted to his new life in servitude. Xerxes, the Herran King, abuses his captive to keep the neighboring kingdom of Alekia under his yoke, but after Micah nearly dies when plague sweeps Herra, the Alekian King sends Eli to bring his beloved son home. Conditioned by his slavery, unable to cope with his freedom, Micah seeks to please the new master he’s found in Eli throughout their harrowing journey to a homeland he no longer remembers. Eli protects the young man and introduces Micah to the pleasures denied him as a prisoner.
Will Micah accept his noble birthright when they reach Alekia, and more importantly, can he accept Eli as the devoted slave his father has given him rather than the master he’s come to love?
Note: This book was previous released under the same title by another publisher. It has been re-edited and revised in this version.
Review: Mind numbing panic and terror. Abuse and torture, the life of a slave. A prince conditioned to forget, broken down to the core, abased and made to believe himself no better than a dog. Forced to malnourishment to remain weak, forced to harsh work, forced to humiliation of serving men who wished to have him in their bed, never allowed even the tiniest morsel of pleasure in return. Twelve years in captivity and Micah is nothing more than a mute, mindless slave striving to survive another day. Until one day, his own slave comes and saves his young master.
A tale of heroes, war, magic, and adventure.
A tale of love.
Okay, so I’m going to spit it all out the good and the bad and let you make up your mind for yourself. This book in my eyes was a huge frenzy of delirious mating. The passion never-ending, the acts carnal and erotic to the point you need to watch your breathing to stop hyperventilating. On and on it goes, every other paragraph yet another claiming scene, and if it’s a bit ludicrous, it also makes it up to you with how easily it drags you into its web of guilty pleasures.
Now, the sex was too much, Micah’s character a bit non-save able, the bad guys were OMG cruel and the condition Micah was raised had me thinking no one would be able to survive and get to their twenties. And as for a plot or a background story, it was a bit weak. The only strong part of this book and the main reason I liked it as much was the fact that the passion was all over the place, overflowing and reaching so hard, you felt dizzy with it, you felt like living it even.
It was good, it was fun, and it was a fast read. The end was surprising and I liked even more than I thought I would. Overall, I had a great time reading this book and I totally recommend it to fans of the genre.
p.s.:
Heads up, this is a captive, slave/master story and there are many non-con/dub-con scenes along with explicit violence in the beginning.
Blurb: Jack hates going back to the East Texas town where he was raised. Even as a successful chef in Austin, he feels like that awkward gay kid all over again. But his dad is sick, and wants Jack’s famous hollandaise sauce for holiday breakfasts. When Jack finds out his old flame Kent is in town for Christmas, too, he thinks things can’t get much worse. Can Kent convince him Christmas miracles can happen?
Review: Already unhappy at coming home, with its bad memories as well as his father’s advancing Alzheimer’s, Jack thinks things can’t get any worse when he bumps into his old flame Kent. To add insult to injury, even after ten years, Kent is as beautiful as ever.
They arrange a get together to give Jack a break from being at his parent’s home, and quickly find that the spark between them is still there. In fact, it never went away. They make love as if they’ve never been apart.
Now that they’re older and wiser, they’re less likely to end up in a fistfight if the going gets tough. They even find they both live in Austin. Perfect.
This is a nicely crafted piece with a second chance at love and happiness for the guys.
If you like sexy couples, happy endings, second chances, and hot sex, this is for you.
Blurb: Because of an opportunity he’d be a fool to turn down, Lyle Powers transfers to his company’s warehouse in central Kansas. The last thing he expects is to meet another gay man in the small town, let alone one who captures his interest.
Roger Kypers is a recovering alcoholic with a twelve-year-old daughter he only gets to see for part of the summer. Neither Lyle nor Roger is looking for a relationship, and they fumble at the start, yet emotions build as Roger shows Lyle the landmarks of Oz.
But when Roger’s wicked witch of an ex-wife threatens to take his daughter away for good if he doesn’t act “normally,” he’s faced with the challenge of letting her get away with it, or fighting to accept himself and standing up for what he knows is right.
Review: Lyle Powers has recently relocated to the small town in Kansas where everything revolves around Oz, yes, The Wizard of Oz. He’s sort of been just going through the motions in life since his last relationship. His company urges him to take a position within their Kansas office, and his best friends think that the change will be good for him. So he packs up his life and moves, the last thing he expects to find in Oz is a reason to stay.
Roger Kypers is a gay single father, fantastic baker, and owner of his restaurant, and a raging alcoholic. From the moment he lays eyes on Lyle, he wants what he knows he can never have. His extremely homophobic and slightly psychotic ex-wife has made it perfectly clear that his “deviant behavior” will not be tolerated, not if he wishes to keep seeing his daughter. With the support of his daughter, everyone in town and now Lyle, Roger starts to think he can actually live his own life and be happy. Enter bat shit crazy ex-wife to ruin the day!
What a fast, fun read. Just the right amount of passion and drama mixed with clever dialogue and an intriguing story dynamic. The last thing Lyle expects is to find romance in the small Kansas town that, at first, he feels he’s been exiled to. He even tells his best friend that he’s pretty sure he’s met the only other gay man in town. And how everyone in Oz embraced Roger and rallied around him after his divorce and through the rough patches. As the story progresses, you learn that as much as Roger tried to hide his sexuality from his neighbors, they really aren’t stupid. And they really couldn’t care less!
I’m certain that Roger’s daughter Lizzie completely stole the show. She was certainly his ‘mini me’ with a backbone of steel and amazing resilience. There were some seriously passionate moments between Lyle and Roger as they got to know one another, and their relationship progressed. But there wasn’t a lot of sexy bedroom action in this book, and I didn’t mind that at all. The moments these two share were precious and I was quite pleased that the focus of the story stayed on building the foundation of their relationship.
Another must read from Andrew Grey! Seriously, go to Amazon and type in Andrew Grey, then one click anything you can find and you won’t be disappointed. Promise!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for MM Good Book Reviews*
Publisher: Less Than Three Press (13th November 2013)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Lord Vellem is a man desperate for escape. His father hides from his problems in alcohol, his mother hides from her misery in drugs, and his brother fled to the relative safety of the royal palace. Vellem eventually found solace in the Royal Army Corp of Engineers, but still could not entirely escape. Then his brother provides him with an unexpected chance, and now Vellem’s marriage to the young prince of a neighboring kingdom is only months away.
The marriage promises not just a fresh start in a new land, but a challenge to his famed skills in building roads and bridges. But before he can settle into his new life, tragedy strikes, and Vellem isn’t certain he’s up to rebuilding the ruin left in its wake.
Review: Vellem found his own place in the world when he joined the Royal Army Corp of Engineers, but he still can’t quite escape his father’s vicious alcohol fuelled rages and his mothers fall into the haze of drugs. When his brother offers him the chance to escape for good and to help settle peace on the country, Vellem agrees to marry a neighboring prince, Perdith. But just as Vellem is about to embark on his new life tragedy strikes and Vellem must step into a role he never wanted, prepare his new country for war and also save his fragile marriage.
Ah, to sink into a fabulous fantasy and be swept away to another world is a true treat and Megan Derr always hits the spot. When we enter this story, we are introduced to Vellem and his family and we are quickly pulled into the story. Vellem is a fantastic character who is a blend of confident and insecure, hard and compassionate, knowledgeable and oblivious. Perdith is a character we don’t get to know quite as well but he seems to be slightly shy and awkward but with a flash of temper that makes itself know during trying times. These two men are thrown together to help settle peace between their countries, but their first day together as husbands nearly destroys everything they hope to achieve.
This is a great story that has a bit of everything thrown in, danger, betrayal, a developing romance that’s fraught with misunderstandings and miscommunication. It has mischievous plotting and planning, swift retribution and finally a happy ending. I loved the world building and the way the plot was lay out, it brought me fully into the world as I followed Vellem through a harsh time. Perdith’s and Vellem’s relationship is nearly over before it begins and it is a very tense one, while Vellem does his best to hold it all together it seems that Perdith is pushing Vellem away but they finally come to an understanding when they both give the other a chance.
The supporting characters are brilliant, each of them playing their part wonderfully and adding to the storyline with their personalities. The storyline itself is brilliant with dark betrayal threaded throughout, but with that spot of hope as Vellem refuses to succumb to the despair that is trying to take hold. While we might not get to know Perdith well we do understand why he acts and reacts as he does, he doesn’t know his new husband, and trust is a very delicate thing especially when their countries have been at war for so long and the peace is still new. One thing I can say about them as a couple though, is that when the trust is built they are incredible together and they make a formidable team.
I highly recommend this story to those who adore high fantasy, brilliant characters, a romance that is rocky and trust is fragile, a story filled with doubts, betrayal, devastation, and unforgivable kings, but also filled with hope, trust and developing love.
Finn de Morisco knows he is walking into a trap when he enters the Vampire Cathedral to rescue his sister Cynthia. Aided by Schwint and his other sister, Caitlin, he intends to free Cynthia and avoid enslavement. But when he confronts the master of the Voice that has tortured him, Finn faces a grim choice: compromise his soul or lose his family.
For centuries, members of the Chromis tribe have disappeared, and Brett Wright is on a quest to discover the fate of the captive mers and to stop the abductions. Despite the risk of tribal warfare, he embarks on a dangerous ocean journey to find other mer tribes experiencing the same plight. When destiny brings him back to land, Brett encounters new allies and old dangers while coming to grips with the past.
Review: I’ve been waiting for this all year and WOW! It was worth the wait. This is book three of the Men of Myth series and I do suggest you read them all in order to get the full impact. The covers are also brilliant!
This series is like getting three stories in one. It has three characters and we get viewpoint from all three. I loved this. When a view changes it tells us at the beginning of that chapter so it isn’t confusing at all, though Both Brett and Finn are in two separate places now and that makes it easy to tell whose view also.
Speaking of separate places let’s start with Finn. Finn and his sister Caitlin and his new boyfriend Schwint embark on a mission to go to the Vampire Cathedral to rescue Cynthia, Finn’s sister. We get on last look at the Square. This world is very supernatural and dark. You have all sorts of creepies there. I loved how this was a supernatural world blended in the human world. Now let’s move on to Costa Rica and the Vampire Cathedral. This is the main setting where Finn is throughout this story. We meet Gwala the Vampire king, if you want to know more about him read the prologue. I love how he looks like a child but it’s clear he isn’t a child or sweet as his appearance lets us believe. This is a vampire that would give Dracula a run for his money. He summoned Finn because Finn possesses powers he doesn’t even realize he has and Gwala needs the strongest witches and warlocks he can find.
Now on the world Brett is in. Brett has been living under the sea with his father and the Chromis tribe for the past six months. I think this is one of my mot favourite supernatural worlds I have read to date. It’s mystical and magical and I felt I was right there swimming along with the mers. The descriptions are beautiful and paint a picture and fits in with the action and dialogue so it never gets boring. Just when you think, it can’t get any better, the tribe moves along to another place even more beautiful and mystical.
Now for the story. I love this story it’s poignant and heartfelt, mystical, and magical, dark and heart wrenching at times. This is definitely not a Cinderella love story or a sparkling vamp romance. It’s extremely emotional and full of angst. There were several surprising twists that left me in shock. I will say near the end it brought tears to my eyes. Though there are only a couple of sex scenes, they are quite the scorchers. I cannot wait to see more from this series.
If you like strange, mystical supernatural worlds, Demons, vampires, mermaids and mermen, Witches , Warlocks and Fairies, drama, mystery, angst and lots of twists and turns this one is definitely for you
Blurb: Dawson Barnes recognizes his world is very small and very charmed. Running his community college theater like a petty god, he and his best friend, Benji know they’ll succeed as stage techs after graduation. His father adores him, Benji would die for him, and Dawson never doubted the safety net of his family, even when life hit him below the belt.
But nothing prepared him for falling on Jared Emory’s head.
Aloof dance superstar Jared is a sweet, vulnerable man and Dawson’s life suits him like a fitted ballet slipper. They forge a long-distance romance from their love of the theater and the magic of Denny’s. At first, it’s perfect: Dawson gets periodic visits and nookie from a gorgeous man who “gets” him—and Jared gets respite from the ultra-competitive world of dancing that almost consumed him.
That is until Jared shows up sick and desperate and Dawson finally sees the distance between them concealed painful things Jared kept inside. If he doesn’t grow up—and fast—his “superstar” might not survive his own weaknesses. That would be a shame. Because the real, fragile Jared that Dawson sees behind the curtain is the person, he can see spending his life with.
Review: Oh my God, what is there to say about this book, or about Amy Lane’s writing? It’s ridiculous really when you think about it, since her books have been one better than the other, and no matter the genre there is this one constant; the promise of a freaking fantastic, mind-blowing, reality-shattering good time.
No, I’m not biased, she’s just that good. If you’ve read one of her works then you know, you really know what I’m talking about, if you haven’t yet, then I must wonder what cave you’ve been hiding and urge you to make it up to your soul and feed it some seriously quality books, just pick one and you’re bound to feel the freedom that comes along with it. Yeah, I’m a fangirl, sue me.
So, back at this book, oh God, this time Amy graced us with yet another charming couple, though to be honest, under no circumstances were Dawson and Jared the MCs here. That spotlight was big enough for the entire crew, as they were each and every single one of them amazing. But Dawson made it out there the most. Dawson with his clumsiness and babbling, making you laugh out loud; Dawson with his amazingly sweet personality and big, no huge heart making you gush over him; Dawson with his purity and loveliness making you fall for him; Dawson with his persistence and faith that magic can be done.
This character will simply rock your world, for he’s what we all wished we had in our lives. And then there’s Jared the dancer. Jared whose whole life has been lonely except for dancing. His family rejecting him for being gay, his dream job demanding everything he has till the last drop of blood, everyone wanting a piece of him, Jared doesn’t believe in family, friendship, or love so pure it can be a reason to live for. Until Dawson lands on him… literally.
This is a love-story. A story that tells the tale of magic, the power it holds on us, how it can heal our soul. This is a romance, the kind that soothes you from inside out and makes you believe again, makes you want again. A story that breaks through every crump of bitterness leaving the sweetest of feelings in its wake. This is a story you want to read anyway, just because it’s so freaking great.
And what’s not to love with a solid plot, gorgeously developed characters, a flowing pace, and a never-ending pull and drive to keep on reading, because not doing so seems like a crime. I swear I felt like I had a spell on me the moment I read the first line. A spell that never let go until the curtain went down and the end was achieved. I laughed, I swooned, I cried, I fanned myself, I smiled, and I felt hopeful. But most of all I felt a soul-deep satisfaction for not having this one missed. It was just pure perfection. Everything, all of it.
So, bottom end, yet another brilliant novel one ought to have on their shelf. Strongly recommended!
Westley Stone didn’t expect to survive being kidnapped and tortured by hunters, but he did, and only because a dragon literally dropped out of the sky to save him, and after waking up in the man’s house, he can’t help but feel grateful and very attracted to his rescuer.
Chris Knucker has a thing against werewolves ever since his family was killed, but he’s willing to put old fears aside for the handsome man he’s just saved. The problem is that Westley seems a little shy to his advances, which makes sense when Chris discovers that Westley has to get married and produce a litter of wolf pups for his pack.
That’s fine. Chris knows the other man won’t go through with it, so it’s just a matter of waiting him out, and since Chris is the pack hero for saving Westley’s life, he has all the access he needs to slowly wear down Westley’s defenses. When Westley does finally come to him, he reveals another reason why he held back, something that could make them both very happy if only Westley can put his trust in Chris.
Author’s Note: This is the story of how Chris and Westley from The Legend of the Werewolf, meet and fall in love. While there is a resolution to their immediate problem of will he/won’t he? or should I/shouldn’t I? The remainder is still concluded in another book which is M/F dominant. I’ve included the word Prequel in the title to avoid confusion.
Review: The book blurb essentially tells the story and there really isn’t much left to explore with the plot. It’s always nice to see diversity in books even when it involves shifters. The basic theme behind m/m romance is always about overcoming adversity and the general prejudice that can be found within mainstream society towards minorities and sub groups. So paranormal books often take that theme to another level by mirroring the world using paranormals to illustrate how disruptive and harmful prejudice is in any form.
As such, the pairing of a dragon and a were is an interesting extension of this theme. The concept of a soul mate, life partner, or one’s forever person is rife in paranormal stories. It takes romance to a whole new level. In this story, because they are of differing species they must handle not only species difference but also Westley’s fundamental belief that this inter-species mating cannot lead to a lasting love. This is where the story ends because this is the prequel to explain how these two men got together in a later book.
The cliffhanger left of if Chris and Westley will become soul mates and how the events, which led to the men meeting, will play out and if the men will get their HEA should compel the reader to continue reading the book that follows.
Blurb: As a principal dancer for a contemporary New York ballet company, Sean has the privilege of working with student interns. The company’s newest intern, Lupe, is a talented dancer from Purchase College—but the man who picks her up from class really piques Sean’s interest.
Jaime is Lupe’s cousin, a photography and graphic design student at Purchase. Not long after Sean and Jaime start dating, their casual hookups evolve into something special, something neither wants to lose—no matter how a commitment will complicate their lives.
Lupe figures out the nature of their relationship and outs Jaime to his extremely religious Arizona family. Sean decides to support Jaime all the way, even though Jaime might choose pleasing his family over a life of love and freedom with Sean.
Review: The story is set in the world of dance. At the beginning of the story, the character of Sean, who’s a principal dancer in a dance company, openly discusses the lack of minorities in the world of dance. This opens the door for the story to discuss how some cultures view homosexuality and how members of those sub-communities deal with this as part of their daily lives. This sub-text runs through the entire book and serves to inform the actions of the other half of the couple, Jaime, who is from a Spanish/Catholic background.
Sean and Jaime’s story is not atypical of any relationship where one person is hiding the relationship from their family. At first blush, Jaime is out and happy with this life, but simply accepts that his family will not accept him as a gay man and so chooses to keep the two parts of his life separate. As the story unfolds, the eventual crisis happens, and the two parts of Jaime’s life collides, it becomes unclear whether Jaime is really as secure with his gayness as he first appears. His indoctrination as a Catholic weighs heavily on him and it becomes a very interesting plot twist; that being, the balance that gay men of faith have with the church and their families who fail to see them as anything but wrong and needing to be fixed. More importantly, it explores the notion of having to lose one’s family if they are to embrace their life as a gay man and how that affects them.
Sean is nothing short of a martyr in this story, but that is what Jaime needs most if he is to survive his crisis of self. Sean must stop thinking about himself and his own needs and fears and instead simply be there for Jaime in any way he needs. The reader will get frustrated with Jaime who as a 24-year-old man seems incapable of standing up for himself and allowing others to make him feel less than simply because of his sexual orientation.
The story is very well written and the reader thoroughly understands the key characters of Sean and Jaime and all the factors that drive their actions. There are several secondary characters who excellently move the story along and they are also superbly crafted and add depth, dimension and colour to the story. The reader might have enjoyed reading more of the personal struggle that Jaime endured by seeing his viewpoint in the story. But this is essentially Sean’s story and so instead, the reader feels Sean’s angst instead. The story also ends with some unanswered questions such as the status of Jaime’s relationship with this family and how he plans to move forward, not just in his relationship with Sean, but also in the larger picture as a gay man. Some of those pieces were left untied, but this is fitting since, as with life, nothing is ever really complete.
Title: Lying with Scorpions
