Hi peeps! We have Jeanne Marcella popping in today with her new release The Demon Lord of California, we have a brilliant guest post from Jeanne, a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
The Demon Lord Of California
(Infinity 8 01)
by
Jeanne Marcella
Earth, 1900.
Calico Winghorse has no choice but to flee to the plane of existence called Earth. His great grandfather, suffering from a terrible curse, strips him of his psychic abilities and nearly murders him.
As a mixed-blood phoenix concealing himself in human form, Calico first settles in England, then in the San Francisco Bay Area. In order to make a living, he opens a small bakery and quietly licks his wounds.
But just how Calico escaped his childhood home—via interdimensional portal—is the very reason why he’s drawn the unwanted attention of Infinity Corporation.
Representing this angelic-run company is Agustín Chávez de la Cruz, the Demon Lord of California. Even though Agustín is IC’s heir, he finds himself demoted from his daily duties for a new assignment: take absolute control of Calico’s portal.
Calico and Agustín’s first brief encounter ignites sparks of attraction. Their second is highly explosive, bogging down initial communication with innocent mistruths and a healthy dose of fear.
As Agustín struggles to restore trust, Harper, the demanding head of IC interferes, further complicating matters. With negotiations slowed, Calico and Agustín realize they both wish to establish more than just a business deal.
However, until the extensive and brutal psychic injuries Calico received from his great grandfather are healed, the portal remains vulnerable to the darker forces that want it at any cost. Agustín will have to push both his angelic heritage, and his psychic powers to the very limits to mend someone who bears more than celestial blood, but who is also the god of space and time.
Hi guys, we have Rick R. Reed popping in today with his new release Blue Umbrella Sky, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Blue Umbrella Sky
by
Rick R. Reed
Milt Grabaur has left his life, home, and teaching career in Ohio to start anew. The Summer Winds trailer park in Palm Springs, butted up against the San Jacinto mountain range, seems the perfect place to forget the pain of nursing his beloved husband through Alzheimer’s and seeing him off on his final passage.
Billy Blue is a sexy California surfer type who once dreamed of being a singer but now works at Trader Joe’s and lives in his own trailer at Summer Winds. He’s focused on recovery from the alcoholism that put his dreams on hold.
When his new neighbor moves in, Billy falls for the gray-eyed man. His sadness and loneliness awaken something Billy’s never felt before—real love.
When a summer storm and flash flood jeopardize Milt’s home, Billy comes to the rescue, hoping the two men might get better acquainted… and maybe begin a new romance.
But Milt’s devotion to his late husband is strong, and he worries that acting on his attraction will be a betrayal.
Can they lay down their baggage and find out how redemptive love can be?
Blue Umbrella Sky is my first novel set in my new home of Palm Springs, California. The old song is true—it never rains in southern California, but when it does, it pours. A flash flood plays an unlikely Cupid in bringing our two main characters together, as you’ll see in the excerpt below.
Hi guys! We have C.B. Lewis stopping by today with her new release Time Taken, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Time Taken
(Out of Time 03)
by
C.B. Lewis
Time travel is a precarious business at the best of times, but when Qasim El-Fahkri’s mission to the past ends in violence, it has a ripple effect through every level of the Temporal Research Institute.
Rhys Griffiths finds himself caught in the wake of the disastrous jump, his own career uncertain. With the Supervisory Board breathing down his neck, operatives demanding answers to baffling questions, and life outside of work bearing down on him, his only respite comes from Qasim’s company. As the professional slowly becomes the personal, they must confront the echoes of their own pasts to try and move forward in the future.
But another past is waiting for Qasim, and there may be no coming back from this one…
For full enjoyment, it is recommended to first read books 1, Time Waits, and 2, Time Lost.
Hi guys! We have J.K. Hogan popping in today with her new release The Perfect Shine, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
The Perfect Shine
by
J.K. Hogan
Jackson Meade was a shy, awkward kid just trying to survive a high school with too many bullies and too few friends. Now that he’s in college, his eyes have been opened to a whole world of possibilities, especially those regarding love and sexuality. However, he can’t enjoy any of it since he’s been separated from his best friend.
Blake Renault has been in love with his best friend almost since they first met. After escaping a bad family situation, he lived with Jackson and his mom for the last two years of high school, which made it much harder to keep his feelings a secret. Graduation brings lots of changes for the boys, including Blake moving to a different city to apprentice with a tattoo artist and Jackson going off to college.
Being forced apart after high school leads them to new revelations about themselves and their relationship. While Jackson questions whether his attachment to Blake is normal for best friends, Blake decides to risk everything and tell Jackson the truth. Jackson and Blake must figure out what they want from each other while the future of their deep friendship hangs in the balance. Will they find love, or lose everything?
Blurb: Daryl plays with fire and gets burned by fate…
Former Primrose Pack member Jason Black happily accepted his role as beta in the new Regent’s Hill pack, knowing that merging the two was the best decision for everyone involved. Daryl Easton is loyal and honest but wary of change. The joining of the two packs wasn’t his preferred outcome, and he’s struggling to see all the newcomers as pack, including those now working alongside him.
When the alpha council proposes a two-week pack-building course to help improve troubled relationships, Jason and Daryl are sent along as backup. It soon becomes clear that the unit members and their betas won’t be the only ones taking part in tasks—Daryl and Jason will have challenges of their own to complete.
With the full moon adding to the rising tension, emotions are volatile, and tempers flare among the unit members. Jason and Daryl become closer than either of them expected, but with such opposing views on relationships, a messy outcome seems inevitable unless Daryl can let go of the past.
Review: Each Book in the Regent’s Park pack features a new romantic couple. To enjoy the overall story arc and crossover characters, I would recommend reading the series in sequential order.
Their pack has been through much heartache but it is trying to go forward. That is if they could get them all to just get along. So with the help of the council it looks like they are going to try bonding through many tasks. Daryl and Jason are both beta’s but there is just a hint of attraction between them both. Things heat up.
However Daryl never wants a relationship and a mate bound is out of the plan right off the bat. However it would seem their hearts are not in agreement and Daryl really needs to communicate better. However there is always at least one person that has issues with the pact bonding, but you must read to find out.
Heat level between these two are smoking hot and they are just about to get burned with it. The attraction is so right there in your face but damn if the boys don’t need a good smack upside the head, especially Daryl. As for the story itself well I did notice some grammar or spelling issues with it but it didn’t take away from the story as one would expect. It has some danger, excitement, adventure, kick ass moves and some hot sexy times in this story, plus a bit more.
I found that in the beginning I wasn’t as caught up in it as I should have been but once it starts moving a bit more I truly enjoyed reading it. I liked the guys but I must say that Jason will be my favorite in this story. I can’t say that this is one of my favorite but it is high up there especially the humor that I found in it.
I had a blast reading it and can’t wait to see what happens in the next story.
Hi peeps! We have Kat Cassidy popping in today with the tour for her new release Back Streets, we have a brilliant guest post with an exclusive excerpt and a fantastic giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Back Streets
(Hot Wire 02)
by
Kat Cassidy
“Where there’s nothing to gain and everything to lose.”
It’s modest, but after a lifetime spent barely holding on, former car thief Peter Bauer is proud of what he’s managed to achieve. He’s got a legal, legitimate job as a mechanic, a firm grasp on his addictions, and a steady relationship with Nikos Petrakis—stable, handsome, and recently widowed. Nothing is going to upset that, not the ever-present memory of Nik’s wife, not the claustrophobia Peter is starting to feel trapped in domestic bliss, not even the sudden reappearance of Peter’s ex—the sexy and dangerous Stavros Giannopoulos.
But when Nik’s daughter goes missing, Peter will be forced back into the seedy underbelly of the LA crime world, where anything goes. Can his and Nik’s relationship survive? Can Peter?
Backstreets is the second book in Kat Cassidy’s Hot Wire series which contains themes of crime, suspense, family drama, hurt/comfort, dark humor, addiction, and abuse. It should not be read as a standalone.
Hi peeps, we have Annabelle Jacobs stopping by with the tour for her new release Bitten by Fate, we have a fantastic giveaway for a $10 Amazon CG, Bitten By Mistake and Bitten By Desire Ebooks, and we have Lisa’s review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Bitten By Fate
(Regent’s Park Pack 06)
by
Annabelle Jacobs
Daryl plays with fire and gets burned by fate…
Former Primrose Pack member Jason Black happily accepted his role as beta in the new Regent’s Hill pack, knowing that merging the two was the best decision for everyone involved. Daryl Easton is loyal and honest but wary of change. The joining of the two packs wasn’t his preferred outcome, and he’s struggling to see all the newcomers as pack, including those now working alongside him.
When the alpha council proposes a two-week pack-building course to help improve troubled relationships, Jason and Daryl are sent along as backup. It soon becomes clear that the unit members and their betas won’t be the only ones taking part in tasks—Daryl and Jason will have challenges of their own to complete.
With the full moon adding to the rising tension, emotions are volatile, and tempers flare among the unit members. Jason and Daryl become closer than either of them expected, but with such opposing views on relationships, a messy outcome seems inevitable unless Daryl can let go of the past.
Hi guys, we have Elvira Bell popping in today with the tour for her new release Forlorn. We have a great exclusive excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Forlorn
(Wavesongs 02)
by
Elvira Bell
Nick Andrews is back in England. He is a broken man, living on the streets and trying to cope with everything he’s been through. Nick thinks that his life is over, but then Tom comes along. Tom, who is handsome and wealthy and intent on making his acquaintance.
Nick ends up as Tom’s valet, a position that brings him to the remote estate of Ravensleigh. At Ravensleigh, he soon realizes that Tom and his family have a past laden with shadows. Nick regrets coming there, but at the same time finds it harder and harder to resist Tom’s advances.
Then one night, a stranger arrives at Ravensleigh. And Nick’s world is turned upside down once more.
Warning: This book ends with a cliffhanger. The series as a whole will have a HEA ending.
Please note that the books in the Wavesongs series should be read in chronological order!
Hi guys! We have Cordelia Kingsbridge stopping by today with her new release A Chip and A Chair we have a brilliant $10 Riptide GC, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
A Chip and A Chair
(Seven of Spades 05)
by
Cordelia Kingsbridge
It’s time to lay all the cards on the table.
Detective Levi Abrams and PI Dominic Russo are reunited and more committed to each other than ever, but they can’t truly move forward with their lives until the serial killer who’s been tormenting them is behind bars. When a secret burial site is discovered in the desert with the remains of the Seven of Spades’s earliest victims, that goal finally seems within reach.
But just as the net is tightening, the neo-Nazi militia Utopia launches their master plan with a devastating act of terror that changes the landscape of Las Vegas forever. As Levi and Dominic scramble to prevent the city’s destruction, they’re opposed by treacherous forces that propel them toward catastrophe. In the end, Levi’s fate may rest in the hands of the very killer he’s been hunting.
The race to save Sin City is on, and these players are going for broke. No matter how hopeless things seem, as long as they’re together and they’ve got a chip to play and a chair to sit in, they’re still in the game.
Blurb: It’s no secret cosplayer Felipe Suero is looking for his happily ever after—in his love life as well as his career. He’s getting his degree so he can quit his miserable job and start his own costume business. Now he just needs to land the sexiest silver fox to ever attend a con.
Trask Briscoe’s life revolves around staying clean and sober, running the Magick Den, and attending local cons. His rules haven’t left much room for romance. But he can’t deny Felipe has caught his complete attention. He’s just not sure what he can offer a man so full of joy and sass.
When Trask finally accepts Felipe’s offer for a cup of coffee, he soon finds himself on a second date and a third. Between cosplay projects and roleplaying games, they discover a deeper connection than either of them expected. And Trask realizes that sometimes rules are made to be broken.
Now Felipe just has to convince his family—and Trask—that Trask has more love to offer than he ever dreamed.
Review: I have been excited about reading this book. After reading the first book in the series, a little unsure and with a little in trepidation and not at all with familiar with the author (Marguerite Labbe), by the end of the book I was pumped for the story that was undoubtedly going to unfold between two characters which we had met, Felipe and Trask. I was looking forward to this because I really got to know the characters in the first book and loved the connections (romantic and otherwise) between the various characters. Also, I now know that Labbe wouldn’t fill the book with a whole heap of unnecessary and cringeworthy clichés about geeks that usually go back to Big Bang Theory (FYI I hate BBT for that reason).
Whole Latte Sass is about the romance between Felipe and Trask, who know each other from the comic book convention circuit although they don’t always see eye to eye. The first thing, and probably most important thing in Trask’s mind is that there is an age difference between the two of them.
Trask is a great, brooding character. He has devoted his life to sobriety, running his gamers shop, Dragon’s Den, and attending all the local cons. Felipe is, quite simply, light and life. He takes cosplay seriously and is truly gifted at creating intricate and flawless cosplay costumes. He also has a major crush on his favourite and very single silver fox on the con circuit, Trask. This is something that we were introduced to in book one, but now we finally get to know why Trask is the way he is and I was so happy to discover that there is much more to the Felipe character than the flighty costume designer which I caught a glimpse of previously.
The age difference is one of the most important hurdles in the budding romance between Felipe and Trask, but I like how tastefully it was done (I’m not into big dramas over age differences). Felipe works hard for Trask and is just the ray of sunshine that Trask needs in his life, but he also has to convince his very supportive and loving family that they don’t need to worry about the age difference as well. I liked that, because Labbe wrote this whole part of the story as very relatable and logical. To top it off, these guys have great chemistry between them and so it makes the fight for the relationship the most important aspect of the book. I really enjoyed how these characters developed, particularly how Trask changes as he opens his heart and mind to new possibilities.
Fans of book one will not be disappointed and highly recommended. Although, I don’t believe that it is vital to have read book one to be able to read this one as we get enough information about other characters that these can be standalone books. Others that are into geek culture, or are geeks, and love a May-December romance will also enjoy this book.
Blurb:They have eyes for each other. But someone is eyeing them for murder.
In the Junior students’ dormitory at Oakschott Hall, a heavy gaslight falls from the ceiling, crushing the head of a student sleeping beneath it. Was it simply a tragic accident? To avoid publicity, the Headmaster asks Colin Revell, a young Oxford University graduate and former Oakschott student, to quietly investigate.
While interviewing the faculty and staff, Colin meets Max Lambourne, a handsome don who was wounded and gassed in WWI. When Colin tries to help Max overcome his trauma and depression, the two men fall in love and begin an erotic affair.
But when another student dies—diving at night into an empty swimming pool—murder is suspected. Students and faculty all come under suspicion, and rumors proliferate when Scotland Yard intervenes. Meanwhile, during all this confusion and wild theories, the murderer sees Colin and Max as threats. Unbeknownst to the two lovers, their lives are now in danger.
Review: This story is a mash-up of Murder at School by James Hilton, so uses much of that story’s plotline and its characters. The gay romance element was added by Jim Austen.
So when I first started reading this I didn’t know it was a mash-up, I only found out about half-way through and being honest it didn’t make a difference to me.
Colin comes across as a bit sex mad, most thoughts seem to linger on sexual feelings, reminiscing, and fantasising… it was a bit off putting until he met Max and then his sexual thoughts petered off a bit. Another thing is that after the first couple of pages my mind seemed to want to read the book in a droll tone, and I can safely say that that was also Colin’s influence because he just seemed to be soooooo droll about everything until he gets his teeth in the mystery and thankfully my mind also jumped on board to drop the drollness. Okay enough about that lets move on.
Colin (for some reason) gets a note from the headmaster at Oakshott Hall, where he was once a pupil, asking him to investigate a mysterious death, but while he’s investigating the headmaster suddenly changes his tune but not before Colin meets the lovely Max. Colin heads home regretting not getting to know Max better, but Colin soon has another chance with Max when another death occurs at Oakshott Hall, the first dead boys’ brother. And so the true mystery begins.
Now I did enjoy this story but I did feel like throwing my kindle at times because of how dense everyone seem to be concerning the culprit, it was just so incredible that everyone believed the culprits innocent act. And the twist… very well played out.
Colin’s relationship with Max was a sweet little thing, very intense and passionate for both of them. I can’t say much about how well suited they are because we don’t really get to know Max that well. But the author did well to get their relationship off the ground considering it’s a mash-up and the characters we’re both straight men in the original story.
So the story is enjoyable and interesting, the outcome was exciting, and the characters are interesting. If you love historical mysteries, men finding love, and a surprising twist then you’ll enjoy this story.
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand, Inc. (October 15, 2018)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Blurb: What would you do to save the man you love? For the Keeper, he would sacrifice the universe. Bitten by Morog, his first creation, the Keeper is dying. He isn’t sure how he ended up in the vet clinic, but when Trey walks into the exam room, he knows he’s found his mate. But he grows weaker by the day, depending heavily on Trey to keep him alive. When he bites his mate, the Keeper discovers that Trey’s blood just might be the key to his survival.
As far back as Trey could remember he’s had the most bizarre dreams. But lately, his dreams have turned apocalyptic. He sees the world ending, and there is nothing he can do to stop it. When Trey is kidnapped and forced to help a dying man who claims to be the creator of the universe, Trey isn’t sure what to believe. But the harder he fights against his attraction, the harder Trey falls for the one man who could destroy mankind.
Review: Each book in the Demon Warriors collection features a new romantic couple. To enjoy the overall story arc and crossover characters, I would recommend reading the series in sequential order. This series is connected to the Brac Pack, Brac Village, Zeus’s Pack, Christian’s Coven, Brac Pack Next Gen, and several more. I would start with book one of the Brac Pack to begin with.
Trey has had the strangest dreams, dreams he remembered. Not all were sex dreams or just plain weird, but also as his best friend would say they were biblical. The end of the world. He has the best of parents and a great best friend, but life was not always fun. He was always bullied and belittled, so he kept his prize possession in tact. That is until the most gorgeous man showed up at work, then popped out and Trey is certain he is going to need a shrink to explain.
The Keeper or Aldric is the creator of everything. Too bad he no longer had control over the first demon he created, and the damn thing bit him. He has had the poison flowing through his system for over two years and now he was in dire need. Maybe he should have gone to Maverick’s the first go around. Now he needs to get the cure, catch those who have escaped, and have sexy times with the man who has turned out to be his mate. A mate that he had never expected.
This series is one of my favorites from this author. I actually love it and the books that are connected to it. It caught my attention from the start and kept it all the way to the end. It gives you action, excitement, adventure, danger and some hot sexy times plus so much more. The characters are unique and fresh to read about and they always keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether that is because you love them or want to smack them, I haven’t figured out yet.
I had a blast reading this and can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.
Alpha Morris Danvers likes his quiet life as a paralegal and as the uncle to his beta brother Morgan’s infant son Aeron. Raised by an abusive sire, Morris and Morgan have relied on each other for years, and Morris doesn’t trust himself to do right by an omega mate. When a tragic accident leaves Morris alone to raise a baby, he reaches out to his boss Ronin Cross for help—and gets more help than he ever imagined from Ronin’s mate and their friends. But Morris can’t take bereavement leave forever and Aeron needs a caregiver.
After surviving an abduction and months of torture, all omega Jaysan Rowe wanted was to give away the baby he never asked for and move on. But after months of acting out, Jaysan finally hits rock bottom on the one-year anniversary of his child’s birth. Desperate to get his act together, he meets with an alpha who needs full-time daycare for his infant nephew. But the instant Jaysan sets his sights on little Aeron he knows: Aeron is his biological child. Even Morris’s nose can tell the pair belongs to each other. His nose also tells him something even more shocking: Jaysan is his bondmate.
Both men feel the bond, but neither is ready to mate, period, so they come to a business arrangement. Jaysan wants a relationship with Aeron, and Morris needs a sitter. It should have been perfect, except for that pesky mating bond. A bond that draws them together, over and over, no matter how hard each man fights it. Jaysan swore long ago he’d never mate or let another alpha touch him during heat—except everything about Morris makes him feel safe. Wanted. Whole. But Morris deserves an unsoiled mate, not someone as dirty and used as Jaysan, and Jaysan will do anything to prove it to the stubborn alpha…even if it means giving up his son a second time.
NOTE: This is a non-shifter Omegaverse story with alpha/omega/beta dynamics, heats, knotting, and mpreg. In this world, omegas are second-class citizens with few civil rights and almost no protections under the law. Trigger warnings for physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. This series is best read in numerical order.
Review: Morris loses his older brother to a car accident and finds he is the guardian of their son Aeron. Jaysan has mourned the fact that he gave his child up for adoption the day he was born. Kell tells Jaysan about someone needing a sitter so Jaysan goes to the interview. When he arrives he meets Morris and feels a bond. But more importantly he finds his son.
Jayson and Morris fight the bond between them every step of the way. I was flabbergasted at the lengths Jaysan went to make Morris see he was not interested but understood his reasoning. I love this story about two broken men who find light at the end of a tunnel in each other.
There was many ups and downs for these two along the way. Their friends help them out along the journey to finding happiness. I am in awe of this series. The only problem I’ve seen so far is couple of spelling errors in each book. Other than it’s wonderful.
I can see several more books in this series with certain characters coupled up.
Blurb: For the first time ever, Shane is not looking forward to the annual Boxing Day barbecue at Matty’s house. He recently divorced, none of his friends know what to say to him now, and Shane is tired of the pity and awkwardness. Things take a turn, however, when he meets Matty’s English cousin. Neil is struggling with the Australian heat, having left the UK after a bad breakup. When Shane suggests the two of them head to a secluded beach to cool off, the growing intimacy between them might make both reassess their current situation.
Review:Shane is going to a friends barbecue and doesn’t really want to go. His life has gone up in flames or so he thinks. Just wait till he gets his eyes on Neil.
The story just gives you a small taste. I am surprised at just how much story can be put into a book so short. However it doesn’t really give you a great time. It just doesn’t seem to stick with me.
It is a cute story with what one truly wants in the end. I just felt like there could have been more. I will also say the title didn’t really make me want to read the story in the first place.
Publisher: Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes (March 7, 2019)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 4 1/2 Hearts
Blurb: Gifted power over life and death, Lysandros has spent millennia in the underworld, listless and alone. The youngest child of Hades and Persephone, he’s been sheltered from the threats in the world above.
Theo Ward hasn’t been so lucky. After watching his mother wither away, he’d do almost anything to have her back. When a messenger appears at the Banneker College of Magic and offers the young professor a chance to save her, Theo can’t pass it up, even if it means going straight into the underworld and dragging her home. But Theo gets more than he bargained for when he crosses paths with the prince of Hades.
Set against the king of Olympus, they must shed their past burdens and learn to trust in each other, so they can face down a storm that threatens to wipe the nation’s capital off the map.
Review: I loved this story about Theo. He’s on a journey to see his mom in the underworld. His travels send him on a romance when he meets the prince of Hades, Lysandros. These two were a great match and helped each other overcome different struggles. I loved the plot and how not everything is as it seems.
This story draws the reader into Greek mythology in a modern day setting which was intriguing t read. I found myself immersed in a fantastic telling of two men on a journey into the unknown yet together they traverse through danger, peril and love.
I am looking forward to reading more in this series to see what else takes place.
Blurb: When a new group of Assassins arrives at the Coalition, it’s up to Shane and his Assassins to test and train them. Even though the Coalition has a treaty with their normal enemies in place, there still is the problem of the pretty birds with rotted cores. After evaluating the new group, Shane isn’t sure what’s going to happen with them. To say their skills are a disaster is putting it mildly. Good thing Shane excels at disasters.
Review: This series is branched off from several other stories including Lost Shifters and Wayne County Wolves. I would start with book one in the Lost Shifters series.
Shane needs more assassins to help them fight the dino-birds but he doesn’t expect the ragtag group that came in. What idiot trained their assassin’s on just one weapon, a dead one that is for sure. Their enemy was beautiful but deadly. They needed all the help they could get, but damn these guys were in some desperate need of training.
I had almost given up on this series continuing. Shane is the top assassin with quite a bit of quirks and I have a blast reading them. This is one of those series that will be read more than once.
Blurb: Aidan Headly never wanted to be the man giving orders. That’s fine with the Democratic State Force base he’s been assigned to command: they don’t like to take orders. Nicknamed the Wildcards, they used to be the most effective base against the seven Corporations owning the former United States in a war that has lasted over half a century.
Now the Wildcards are known for creative insubordination, chaos, and commanders begging to be reassigned. Aidan is their last chance. If he can pull off his assignment as Commander and yank his ragtag crew of dreamers and fighters together, maybe they can get back to doing what they came to do: fighting for a country worth living in. Life’s a bitch. She deals off the bottom of the deck. But you play the hands you’re given.
Review: Aidan is about to embark on his first command and he’s nervous as hell. The Wildcards were the most famous base in the Democratic States Force but since the death of their last Commander they’ve become an unruly force and it’s Aidan’s job to turn them around and make them efficient again or the base will be disbanded.
This is a great story for those who love futuristic/dystopian settings. America’s Government has fallen and seven corporations have taken over, these corporations have their own rules for their territories. Citizens are rated and if you displease those above you then you are dropped down the ranks. Depending on which corporation territory you live in then just being yourself could get you dead.
Democratic States Forces (Dusters) are fighting back the best way they can, but it’s a tough fight that’s lasted for over sixty years. Wildcards are a team who has always succeeded but when their long term Commander dies of cancer the team grieves hard affecting their performance and attitude. Aidan is brought in to repair the team but it’s a tough challenge especially when he’s dealing with his own problems and depression.
We meet the Wildcards and can see the fracturing in their team straight away, Wildcards is a family unit who are grieving for the man who brought them all together, and while they try to keep it together they resent outsiders coming in and ordering them about.
Aidan finds a home at Wildcards; he’s been rejected at his home base and knows that his life is forfeit if some of the Corporations get their hands on him. Aidan is scared to death of how people will react if they discover his secret, and although he knows it could be dangerous he finds himself falling for Kevin, the logistics officer, and Kevin has his own secrets he’s keeping.
This is a really great story, we see a group heavily affected by the death of someone who was important to them, we see a young man struggling to find a place for himself while whipping them back into shape, we see a romance beginning to blossom, and we see people fighting back against the cruel grip of selfish leaders.
I enjoyed this story, I liked the way that there was a good mix of personal interaction between the characters and the missions they took part in, meaning that neither was overlooked so we become invested in both the characters and their mission to fight against the corporations.
The romance between Aidan and Kevin is perfectly woven, both men accepting the other and their secrets but not making it too easy on either of them. The romance is just a tiny part of the story, because at the end of the day they have much more important things to focus on.
I really liked all the characters and enjoyed seeing them all together; it truly is like a large extended family and with any large family when new people come into it they have to find their own place without upsetting the status quo.
There is danger as they guy’s head out on missions; we also see personal struggles, fears, and anger.
Just don’t expect to see hands on fighting because these guys are an invisible force, they make raids, help refugees to escape the corporations, and come up with ways to help their forces while disrupting the Corporations as much as they can.
I’d recommend this to those who love futuristic dystopian stories where the oppressed fight back the best way they can, where love is discovered, where a family is rebuilt, and where something precious can be built in a desolate Country.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (17th November 2017)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Once upon a time, the wizard’s apprentice, Sam of Wilds, got his happily ever after in the arms of his cornerstone, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart. A year has passed, and while Sam’s been captured five or six more times since then, things are pretty great. His parents are happy, Gary and Tiggy still eat sass for breakfast, Randall is somehow alive despite being older than the gods, the King rules with a gentle hand, Kevin the dragon is as gross as ever, Morgan sighs a lot, Ryan continues to be dashing and immaculate, and Sam is close to convincing Prince Jus-tin they will be best friends forever. Life is good.
Until it’s not.
Because Vadoma, the leader of the gypsy clan and Sam’s grandmother, has come to the City of Lockes with a dire prophecy written in the stars: a man of shadows is rising and will consume the world unless Sam faces his destiny and gathers the five dragons of Verania at his side.
And she brings along her second-in-command, a man named Ruv. Ruv, who Vadoma says is Sam’s true cornerstone.
Review: I absolutely adore TJ Klune. I adore just about every book he writes. I love how he can make a reader laugh and cry within the same book within pages of each other. But mostly I love how he can keep an audience entertained where I am, more often than not, laughing throughout a book, and in the case of audio books I’m often on public transport trying not to be obvious. However, that also applies for when I’m on public transport and trying not to cry.
That being said, there are a few of his books which I’ve not really connected with when I first read them and never went back. The Lightning Struck Heart, the first book in the Tales of Verania series, was one of them. However, I’ve seen the light, I gave it another go and absolutely fell in love (for this reason my review of book 1 is quite long, but I promise to tame reviews for the rest of the series). So here I am, at the end of book 2, A Density of Dragons, in the Tales of Verania series and ready to continue.
This series is an epic saga so it is vital to read this series from the start and not do it out of order either.
A Destiny of Dragons picks up where we left off at the end of book one. Sam and Ryan (aka Knight Delicious Face, which I say in my head in the voice lent to Tiggy by Michael Lesley) are finally together, but Sam still has the tendency to get into trouble. His friends are as whacky as ever and part of Sam’s antics is to become Prince Justin’s “best friend 5eva” and help him find love. This is sort of changed when Sam’s estranged gypsy grandmother, Vadoma, makes an appearance and reveals that Sam’s fate and his importance to Verania is something prophesised and essential to the survival of the people. I mean, this just shows that Sam is always getting into trouble for a reason. This book is the start of what I can already see is going to be a long, winding and very hard road for our hero, which is uplifted by continual moments of hilarity. Once again, Gary, Kevin and Tiggy are wonderful highlights of the book as they help Sam, and by extension Ryan too, start to unravel the extent of what is about to shake the foundations of their world.
As with the first book, and I suspect with the next two books of the series, Michael Lesley’s is an absolute joy. For me, I call a book which is laying in a lot of groundwork for the complex storylines to follow a “filler book”. As a very general rule, I find the even numbered books in these complex type series good not as good as the odd numbered books. Mostly because these books feel like they have a less meaty plot but are absolutely necessary. I’m saying this because Lesley’s narration kept me hooked and I never once got tempted to skip through scenes or chapters.
Lesley’s delivery of the story itself was just as brilliant as the first book. He carried on the distinct voices that he gave to all the characters in that instalment. He wonderfully articulates the emotion in the characters as they go through their highs and lows. Seriously, this is audio bliss.
Hi guys! We have Brad Shreve stopping by today with his new release A Body In A Bathhouse, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 Amazon GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
A Body In A Bathhouse
(A Mitch O’Reilly Mystery 01)
by
Brad Shreve
On the verge of bankruptcy, private investigator, Mitch O’Reilly takes any gig that comes his way, while running his Eye Spy Supply shop in a forgotten Los Angeles strip mall. After two tours in Afghanistan, Mitch’s life amounts to operating his store, coping with his fun-loving sister, Josie, and scoring with anonymous men he meets online. That changes when he gets a break. A beloved comedy scriptwriter is murdered at a bathhouse, and Mitch is hired to prove the innocence of the club custodian. Adapting from a two-bit gumshoe to a high-profile sleuth proves more challenging than he expected.
As if Mitch didn’t have enough to deal with, charismatic bathhouse operator, Trent Nakos, enters his life. After a heartbreaking past, the manager is the definition of a man the brooding P.I. actively avoids.
Following leads from sprawling mansions to sketchy hoods is demanding but becomes more troublesome when deadly threats jeopardize the biggest opportunity of his career.
Hi guys, we have V.L. Locey popping by today with the cover for her upcoming release Tales of Bryant, we have a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Tales of Bryant
by
V.L. Locey
Four Seasons. Two Men. One Love.
For struggling film student Isamu Taylor, life’s refrain is about to change from boring documentary about a passionless delivery boy to a blazing and wildly erotic love story.
After spending weeks admiring handsome but older Manhattan executive Brian Gilles while delivering brioche to him in Bryant Park, the man of his lusty dreams has just expressed a desire to get to know Isamu better. A night on the town is just the beginning of a whirlwind romance that will span not only four seasons but countless years.
Amid the beauty and charm of Bryant Park, New York City, two men are about to discover that love knows no age or economic boundaries. This is a collection of four short stories starring these two amazing men, their one sublime love, and the park where it all started.
