Handle With Care by Cari Z ~ Audio Review

Cari Z. - Handle with Care Audio Cover 2348knmTitle: Handle With Care

Series: Dreamspun Desires

Author: Cari Z

Narrator: John Solo

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 5 hrs, 23 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (21st February 2019)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 4.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: A fragile heart needs extra care.

Burned-out social worker Aaron McCoy is on vacation for the first time in years – boss’ orders. Road-tripping to his brother’s wedding with his best friend, Tyler, seems a fun way to spend the mandatory two-week leave, and they set out for Kansas – and a difficult homecoming.

Aaron’s mother was a drug addict, and his adorable younger brother was quickly adopted, while Aaron spent his childhood in foster care. As Aaron mends fences, Tyler hopes to show him that this time, he won’t be left behind to face his problems alone.

Aaron’s opening up to how right it feels to be with Tyler and to the possibility of taking the leap from friends to lovers. But along with the wedding celebration comes a painful reminder of the past. Aaron’s heart is still breakable. Can he put it in Tyler’s hands?

Purchase Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: Handle With Care is a standalone novel from author Cari Z. The only previous experience I have had with Cari Z was actually reading this book. I was attracted to the book in the first place because it was a friends to lovers story, that also had a side helping of childhood demons. If that’s your thing, then I will say now that I recommend it to you. The only thing was that while I remember liking it, I didn’t love it.

And the narrator responsible for this is John Solo. Solo is one of my top narrators and is one I’ve been looking forward to listening to since when I first started listening to audios. He and Dorian Bane are my absolute favourite MM narrators. Solo’s performance was excellent and delivered the goods for everything that I had missed when I first read the book. Most importantly I felt the chemistry and the sexual tension between the two MCs was much more obvious in the audio.

The story is about Aaron McCoy. He is a social worker because he wants to help the kids who, like Aaron, were the impossible cases taken away from their primary caregiver(s) because they are in danger. Aaron has no love for his drug-taking mother and misses the little brother, Zach, who he had felt that he had been forced to leave behind after Zach was adopted. Aaron had a lot of issues and the parents who adopted Zach could not take Aaron, and while h has some issues concerning that he understands why. However, Aaron is close to burning out and so he has been forced to take a 2-week vacation from work.

The only other person who Aaron truly spends time with is his best friend Tyler. When Aaron left his home town and his little brother it was Tyler and his family who came to the rescue. Aaron still keeps them all at arm’s length, but these are people that consider Aaron family.

Tyler is a happy go lucky sort of bloke. He is a computer geek who can do most of his work on the road or at home. Knowing what Aaron is like he has the perfect solution for the 2-week holiday – Aaron’s baby brother is getting married and Aaron had been invited. Tyler not only forces Aaron to face up to his past and his brother, but also joins him on the road trip. They become closer as Zach and his family assume that the guys are a couple and as Aaron begins to tackle demons he had been too scared to face.

After such a fantastic audio, I have to admit that I only have one issue which I had initially had with the book that wasn’t resolved with the audio. Not that narration solves everything but the emotion the narrator gives often helps to smooth over the edges. My issue being that I thought that Aaron’s demons from being in the foster system still felt a little glossed over.

This story is one of the best examples where I can enjoy reading the story and then I listen to the audio and I am absolutely blown away by how wonderful the story is. The right narrator gives the characters and story so much depth.

Handle With Care by Cari Z

Title: Handle with Care

Series: Dreamspun Desires 68

Author: Cari Z

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (194 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (16th October 2018)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 3.5 Hearts

Blurb: A fragile heart needs extra care.

Burned-out social worker Aaron McCoy is on vacation for the first time in years—boss’s orders. Road-tripping to his brother’s wedding with his best friend, Tyler, seems a fun way to spend the mandatory two-week leave, and they set out for Kansas—and a difficult homecoming.

Aaron’s mother was a drug addict, and his adorable younger brother was quickly adopted, while Aaron spent his childhood in foster care. As Aaron mends fences, Tyler hopes to show him that this time, he won’t be left behind to face his problems alone.

Aaron’s opening up to how right it feels to be with Tyler and to the possibility of taking the leap from friends to lovers. But along with the wedding celebration comes a painful reminder of the past. Aaron’s heart is still breakable. Can he put it in Tyler’s hands?

ISBN: 978-1-64080-446-3

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Cari Z is a new author to me, however, just reading the blurb of the book had me looking forward to story. Thankfully, the story was everything that I had hoped for and even a little bit more. This is an emotional friend to lovers story where one of the MCs has a lifetime of baggage to overcome before I can take the steps to fall in love with his best friend.
The man with all the baggage is Aaron McCoy. He is a social worker because he wants to help the kids who, like Aaron, were the impossible cases taken away from their primary caregiver(s) because they are in danger. Aaron has no love for his drug-taking mother and misses the little brother, Zach, who he had felt that he had been forced to leave behind after Zach was adopted. Aaron had a lot of issues and the parents who adopted Zach could not take Aaron, and while h has some issues concerning that he understands why. However, Aaron is close to burning out and so he has been forced to take a 2-week vacation from work.

The only other person who Aaron truly spends time with is his best friend Tyler. When Aaron left his home town and his little brother it was Tyler and his family who came to the rescue. Aaron still keeps them all at arm’s length, but these are people that consider Aaron family.
Tyler is a happy go lucky sort of bloke. He is a computer geek who can do most of his work on the road or at home. Knowing what Aaron is like he has the perfect solution for the 2-week holiday – Aaron’s baby brother is getting married and Aaron had been invited. Tyler not only forces Aaron to face up to his past and his brother, but also joins him on the road trip. They become closer as Zach and his family assume that the guys are a couple and as Aaron begins to tackle demons he had been too scared to face.

The only two reasons that stopped me from giving it a higher rating were: 1) I thought that there could have been more about the demons that Aaron had to handle when it came to his time in the foster system. I felt that this was rather glossed over throughout the whole book. 2) While Aaron and Tyler had chemistry, for guys that knew each other for some years, I felt that there needed to be more sexual tension and deeper chemistry between them. There is a particular scene in the book where Aaron literally flips a switch in his brain and decides its ok for him to love his best friend. This links back to first point too, I feel.

Handle with Care by Cari Z. Guest Post & Excerpt!

Cari Z. - Handle with Care Banner

Hi guys, we have Cari Z. popping today with her upcoming release Handle With Care, we have a brilliant guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! ❤ ~Pixie~

Handle With Care

(Dreamspun Desire 68)
by

Cari Z.

A fragile heart needs extra care.

Burned-out social worker Aaron McCoy is on vacation for the first time in years—boss’s orders. Road-tripping to his brother’s wedding with his best friend, Tyler, seems a fun way to spend the mandatory two-week leave, and they set out for Kansas—and a difficult homecoming.

Aaron’s mother was a drug addict, and his adorable younger brother was quickly adopted, while Aaron spent his childhood in foster care. As Aaron mends fences, Tyler hopes to show him that this time, he won’t be left behind to face his problems alone.

Aaron’s opening up to how right it feels to be with Tyler and to the possibility of taking the leap from friends to lovers. But along with the wedding celebration comes a painful reminder of the past. Aaron’s heart is still breakable. Can he put it in Tyler’s hands?

.•.•.**❣️ Release date: 16th October 2018 ❣️**.•.•.
.•.•.**❣️Pre-order: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK ❣️**.•.•.

Continue reading “Handle with Care by Cari Z. Guest Post & Excerpt!”

Double or Nothing by Cari Z. & L.A. Witt

Title: Double or Nothing

Author: Cari Z. and L.A. Witt

Genre: Contemporary, Suspense

Length: Novel (282pgs)

Publisher: Cari Z. & L.A. Witt (7th August 2017)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts

Blurb: Rich Cody joined the U.S. Marshals to hunt down bad guys, not babysit witnesses. Orders are orders, though, and now he’s protecting a hacker with ties to the Albanian and Sicilian mobs. It’s just another exciting day in WITSEC.

Leotrim Nicolosi was born into a world of crime and bloodshed. When that bloodshed hits too close to home, taking down Leo’s boyfriend—the son of a notorious mob boss—Leo is determined to destroy the Grimaldi family. He’s got evidence that will send every last Grimaldi to prison, he’s got the family’s wealth in an electronic chokehold, and he’s got a vendetta that can only be settled with the blood of the man who killed his lover.

When a routine transfer to a safehouse goes horribly wrong, Rich and Leo narrowly escape with their lives. With the Marshals compromised and Leo being framed for murder, he and Rich are on the run from criminals and law enforcement alike. They have no one to trust except each other, and nowhere to go that their enemies can’t reach.

And the only way out might mean making a deal with the Devil.

ISBN: B07G2VLZ7C

Product Link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: They are in a world of hurt. Rich joined the U.S. Marshals right after the marines. He had joined the marines to prove to everyone that he was a strong man, turns out he hadn’t needed to prove it to his father. Now he wanted to get the bad guys, but WITSEC was not what he had wanted. Now here he was going to protect someone who was definitely not innocent. He was part of the mob and new what bloodshed look like. However Rich had not expected the man to be who he was.

Leo had been born into the family. A half-breed who wasn’t treated like an enforcer should be, but then again being gay in the mob is a death sentence. Which is how he got to be in the spot he is in. Matteo had killed his own brother on the say so of their father because Tony and Leo had not been so careful. The only reason he made it out of there alive was for his boyfriends sister. Now on the run he didn’t know who to trust, except for the marshall that was in the same kind of trouble as he was. The mob wanted him dead and it would seem so did some of the good guys.

I have not read any stories by this author and lets just face it she is the bomb. Talk about an action packed story that has some hot sexy time mixed in with it. There is explosions, gun shots, death and destruction going on all around them. It is a longer story than what I had expected, but damn if the story didn’t just keep me captivated with it all. Which was a nice surprise after reading some really horrible stories lately. I absolutely loved the guys and damn if they are not in for a world of pain.

I only had one issue with this book and that was the ending. I didn’t see anything that made me think this would go into book two and left me hanging at the end. I wanted to know what happened and wham it just stopped. It was well written and the plot rocked. This is one of the best suspense stories I have came across in a while and I do hope there is a second book in the works.

I had a lot of fun reading this and would definitely recommend it.

Soothsayer by Cari Z.

Title: Soothsayer  
Author: Cari Z.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: Novel (184 pages)
Publisher: Nine Star Press (January 30, 2017)
Heat Level: Low – Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Blurb: .Cillian Kelly can look into people’s eyes and see their fates. He’s running from a past filled with mistakes, lying low and selling his services on the sly. When he learns that Sören Egilsson, a man who sacrificed himself so Cillian could escape imprisonment two years ago, is somehow still alive, Cillian has to find out how. What he gets is the body of the man he loves possessed by an ancient spirit who draws Cillian into a battle to the death for the right to control Sören’s fate, and the power that comes with it.
ISBN: 978-1-945952-52-4
Reviewer: Shorty 
Review: Cillian sees peoples fates. I really felt bad for him as I cannot imagine how much pain and stress that would put someone in. It seems like a terrifying ability to have. Cillian has a habit of getting into sticky situations because of what he can do.
As a result his past comes back to haunt him in the form of someone he thought was dead. I have to admit Sören’s character confused me greatly. It was hard for me to understand how something could possess someone yet at the same time let that person live their live freely.
It was strange yet fascinating reading about Sören and the being with him. I personally cannot imagine having to live that way day to day myself. But I did enjoy the story.
Great read.

Perilous by Cari Z.

Title: Perilous

Author: Cari Z.

Genre: Historical

Publisher: NineStar Press (May 9, 2016)

Length: Novella (129 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb: In 1803, England declares war on France, staking the fates of two mighty empires against one another. Thousands of men serve in the British navy, hungry for distinction in the battle against Bonaparte.

One of them, Lieutenant Thomas Williams, thinks he knows what he wants out of life: prize money at sea, a career of decent note, and the means to maintain his independence when he leaves the navy. What he finds is service under Captain Christopher Knightly: a tactical genius, inveterate charmer, and the youngest son of a wealthy noble house.

Their unexpected and perilous love affair is a gamble against the odds, for in a time of war, nothing is sure to last. If the French don’t tear them apart, one slip in front of the wrong eyes or ears might. When the demands of Christopher’s family take him from Thomas’s side, he thinks it might be the best thing for his captain. Little does Tom realize just how far Christopher will go to return to him, and when life takes a turn for the worse, how much further he will go to save him.

ISBN: 978-1-91112-350-4

Product Link: NineStar Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: I am really at mixed feelings with this story. I will admit that I have never been a fan of historicals. It sounded really interesting, but to me it would have made for a better story if the female had been left out of it.

Tom is a lieutenant for the navy and is about to find himself at odds. In the time where being gay is a crime itself, he finds love with another man. During a war, love is what holds them together. When captured, love is what keeps him whole. It was a way for his escape. He meets a man that holds his heart but things will tear them apart. For Christopher is to marry another.

Christopher meets and falls in love with Tom, but his family has him already set to marry a nice young lady. Christopher is the captain of the Perilous, where as Tom is second in command. Now with this story it is basically told in three different parts, which for me didn’t really do it any justice. Tom is a sweet bit of sunrise and quite quirky to say the least. Christopher is like a captain should be well except for the part that is hidden.

It is a very action pact story that will tear you apart. There is war, torture, and some nasty surprises. It has explosions, cannons going off, some pretty cool sword fighting and even death, but their love holds true to the end. I still hated the cheating and yes I call it cheating. Don’t much care for the time period, but you fall in love, you stay true no matter what. The story made it seem like a meet, greet, in bed and boom. Which didn’t do the story any good, made it feel just a bit off. Although it did give you a happy ending which for me Tom needed the most.

I hate to also admit that I skimmed over parts of the story, even though the love part was fast pace, this story just felt too damn slow. For a novella, it should have felt just a bit faster. It is however a smooth story with lots of depth to it. The characters are well rounded and the heat that comes from them is off the charts.

Another part was the female’s reaction to the fact that both Tom and Christopher loved each other. She was gracious and just wanted to know if her soon to be husband could love her, and Tom gave her what she wanted to hear. So even though I can’t stand adding something like this in, it was done with taste. However I am still afraid that it made the story drop for me. I still think it is cheating when with one person but love another.

So overall the story is very good and will keep your attention, it did not mine. I am afraid that no matter how well it was or how well it was written, the story just wasn’t for me.

Romantic Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z. Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - Romantic Behavior TourBanner

Hiya guys! We have L.A. Witt & Cari Z. popping in today with their new release Romantic Behavior, we have a fantastic guest post from Cari, a brilliant tasty excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

Romantic Behavior

(Bad Behavior 04)
by

L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

Detective Andreas Ruffner is no fool—he’s found a man who loves him, puts up with him, and has stuck with him through hell and back, and it’s time to put a ring on it. Darren Corliss is the love of his life, and he wants the whole world to know it.

Now the fun part—the wedding!

Well, after the not-so-fun part of planning the wedding in between dealing with overbearing and impossible-to-please family members. With future mothers-in-law driving them both up a wall, the guest list growing out of control, and the wedding getting ever more complicated, Darren and Andreas have to wonder if they’re in over their heads.

But they’re going to make it to the altar if it kills them . . . and at this rate, it just might.

Continue reading “Romantic Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z. Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!”

Reckless Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - Reckless Behavior TourBanner

Hiya guys! We have L.A. Witt & Cari Z. popping in today with their new release Reckless Behavior, we have a brilliant tasty excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~  😛 

Reckless Behavior

(Bad Behavior 03)
by

L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

After too many years of putting his job first, Detective Andreas Ruffner is getting his priorities straight. He’s ready to spend some quality time with his adult kids, not to mention come clean about some things he should’ve told them a long time ago. And introduce them to his partner and boyfriend, Darren Corliss.

But in a heartbeat, a family dinner turns into Andreas’s worst nightmare. When the dust settles, one of his kids is hurt, and the other three have been abducted.

Andreas is going to find his kids, and nothing, not even a broken ankle, is going to stop him. Thank God for his sharp, level-headed partner . . . who has a crisis of his own pulling him away when Andreas needs him the most. As both men try to support—and lean on—each other, they get no closer to finding the kids. And the longer the children are missing, the less likely it is they’ll ever be found.

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Off the Beaten Path by Cari Z.

Title: Off the Beaten Path 

Author: Cari Z.

Genre: Paranormal, Werewolves, Shapeshifters

Length: Novel (200 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 18, 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 1/2 Hearts

Blurb: When Ward Johannsen’s little girl Ava shifted into a werewolf, she was taken into custody by the feds and shipped off to the nearest pack, all ties between father and daughter severed. Ward burned every bridge he had discovering her location, and then almost froze to death in the Colorado mountains tracking her new pack down. And that’s just the beginning of his struggle.

Henry Dormer is an alpha werewolf and an elite black ops soldier who failed his last mission. He returns home, hoping for some time to recuperate and help settle the pack’s newest member, a little pup named Ava who can’t shift back to her human form. Instead he meets Ward, who refuses to leave his daughter without a fight. The two men are as different as night and day, but their respect for each other strikes a spark of mutual interest that quickly grows into a flame. They might find something special together—love, passion, and even a family—if they can survive trigger-happy pack guardians, violent werewolf politics, and meddling government agencies that are just as likely to get their alpha soldiers killed as bring them home safely.

ISBN-13: 978-1-63533-898-0

Product Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/off-the-beaten-path-by-cari-z-8844-b

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: Ward has his daughter, Ava, taken from him when she shifts. He goes on the hunt to track her down. His search leads him to an elite Black Ops Alpha werewolf, Henry Dormer.

It really disturbed me the way the werewolves were treated in this story by the Federal government. It seemed as though the werewolves were suposed to do whatever they asked no questions asked without any regard for their welfare. Did the federal government forget these are people? Or did they just not care for anything other than what they wanted?

I liked the fact that even though there was chemistry it did not overtake the storyline itself. I enjoyed reading this book.

Great read.

Off The Beaten Path by Cari Z. Guest Post & Excerpt!

Hi guys, we have Cari Z. popping today with her upcoming release Off the Beaten Path, we have a brilliant guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~

Cari Z. - Off the Beaten Path Cover

Off The Beaten Path

by

Cari Z.

When Ward Johannsen’s little girl Ava shifted into a werewolf, she was taken into custody by the feds and shipped off to the nearest pack, all ties between father and daughter severed. Ward burned every bridge he had discovering her location, and then almost froze to death in the Colorado mountains tracking her new pack down. And that’s just the beginning of his struggle.

Henry Dormer is an alpha werewolf and an elite black ops soldier who failed his last mission. He returns home, hoping for some time to recuperate and help settle the pack’s newest member, a little pup named Ava who can’t shift back to her human form. Instead he meets Ward, who refuses to leave his daughter without a fight. The two men are as different as night and day, but their respect for each other strikes a spark of mutual interest that quickly grows into a flame. They might find something special together—love, passion, and even a family—if they can survive trigger-happy pack guardians, violent werewolf politics, and meddling government agencies that are just as likely to get their alpha soldiers killed as bring them home safely.

Release date: 15th September 2017
Pre-order: Dreamspinner Press ebook | Dreamspinner Press paperback | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Continue reading “Off The Beaten Path by Cari Z. Guest Post & Excerpt!”

Suspicious Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hiya guys! We have L.A. Witt & Cari Z. popping in today with their new release Suspicious Behavior, we have a brilliant tasty excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

Suspicious Behavior

(Bad Behavior 02)
by

L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

Detective Darren Corliss is hanging by a thread. In between recovering from a near-fatal wound and returning to work at a hostile precinct, he’s struggling to help care for his ailing brother. His partner and boyfriend, Detective Andreas Ruffner, wants to help, but doesn’t know how. And with his own family crises brewing, Andreas is spread almost as thin as Darren.

For cops, though, life takes a backseat to the job. When a stack of unsolved homicides drops into their laps, Andreas and Darren think they’re unrelated cold cases. But when a connection surfaces, they find themselves on the tail of a prolific serial killer who’s about to strike again.

Except they’ve got nothing. No leads. No suspects. Just a pile of circumstantial evidence and a whole lot of hunches. Time is running out to stop the next murder—and to pull themselves back from their breaking points.

Riptide Publishing | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Continue reading “Suspicious Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!”

Risky Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

Cari Z. & L.A. Witt - Risky Behavior CoverTitle: Risky Behavior

Series: Bad Behavior #1

Author: L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (May 1, 2017)

Length: Novel (309 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts 

Blurb:  It’s day one of Darren Corliss’s career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.

Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.

As Darren gains Andreas’s hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’s unorthodox—and borderline unethical—methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder—is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?       

ISBN: 978-1-62649-564-7

Product Link: https://riptidepublishing.com/titles/risky-behavior

Reviewer: Lisa

Review:  Wow, talk about a hard day’s work.  Darren has finally made it to detective and already has run into a road block.  Internal affairs wants dirt on his new partner.  A partner that not only turns him the hell on but might also be a dirty cop.  

Andreas is one hell of a good cop and tough to boot.  He doesn’t put up with anyones shit, but he has a few secrets.  He doesn’t play very good with anyone and is always running his new partner’s off, well maybe not this one.  There was just something about the kid that might just change his attitude.  Drugs, death, dirty cops, dirty politician’s and who knows what else is coming out of the woodwork with our guys.

The good parts of this story outweighs the bad.  Although the author has used one piece in this story that is a deal breaker for me.  I cannot stand a story, especially a love story that involves HIV.  In many police forces it is definitely not allowed, and for these authors to have a detective with it, well no.  As in my police force’s there is a mandatory physical that they go through over time and if this cop was HIV, the force would have known.  His ass would have been either booted off the detective stage, and possibly the force.  Also the way Darren is with the news, I am sorry but that doesn’t work either.  I can see him staying with the guy but to be so flippy floopy with it, no.  It places the others in danger, so I am sorry but this just brought the story down quite a bit. 

 As for the good parts, well let’s just say it is action pact and hot.  I can’t say the guy on the cover was anything good and in fact was one of the worst covers I have come across.  Now that being said it seemed to work for this type of story.  The story itself has a dark tone to it and very little humor mixed in.  It was not an over the top feeling though, but you can still feel it.  The characters and the story were described to the tee and were pretty well developed.  

Over all I would say the story has great potential and if it was not for the HIV part, I would have said at least a full point more.  I enjoyed the story but am not really sure if it will keep my attention ready and willing for the next book.  Guess we will wait and see on that. 

Risky Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Cari Z. & L.A. Witt - Risky Behavior Header Banner

Hiya peeps! We have L.A. Witt and Cari Z. stopping by today the tour for their new release Risky Behavior, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~ 

Cari Z. & L.A. Witt - Risky Behavior Cover

Risky Behavior

(Bad Behavior 01)
by

L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

It’s day one of Darren Corliss’s career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.

Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.

As Darren gains Andreas’s hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’s unorthodox—and borderline unethical—methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder—is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?

Continue reading “Risky Behavior by L.A. Witt & Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!”

Changing Worlds by Cari Z. (2nd Edition)

cari-z-changing-worlds-coverTitle: Changing Worlds (2nd Edition)

Author: Cari Z.

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: Novel (236pgs)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (24th October 2016)

ISBN: 978-1-63477-908-1

Heat: Moderate

Heart: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 ½ Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Their love will either inspire change in the world or tear it apart.

Former starship captain Jason Kim and his lover, Ferran, are starting a life together on Ferran’s native planet. The Perel matriarchs reluctantly allowed their marriage in the hopes of securing better diplomatic relations with humanity, even though the decision ignites anger from traditionalists. Ferran’s family accepts Jason and the love the two men have found, but other influential families are less accommodating and much less willing to welcome an outsider to their isolated, subterranean world. Some of their enemies are willing to go as far as eliminating Jason permanently. Tensions are quickly building toward a breaking point that might push Perelan into a bloody civil war.

If Jason and Ferran have any hope of surviving the coming conflict, they’ll have to rely on their devotion to each other more than ever before. But that won’t be easy when a figure from Jason’s past reappears to make them question everything.

First Edition of Opening Worlds published by Storm Moon Press, 2011.

First Edition of Changing Worlds published by Storm Moon Press, 2012.

Purchase Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/changing-worlds-by-cari-z-7685-b  

Review: Jason is not happy to find out that he has to transport three Perels to their home world, he has nothing against them personally he just isn’t impressed with their loose morals. Ferran is on his homeward journey when he meets Jason and he becomes intrigued by him, as Ferran gets closer to home it becomes harder for him to face the life he must face.

This is a sweet and gentle romance that leaves you with a warm heart and a gentle smile. Jason split with his ex a year ago and they parted on bad terms, when one of the Perels show an interest in him he knows that a relationship is futile as he knows that the Perel is returning home for good. Ferran also knows that a relationship with the human won’t last but is desperate for a little happiness before he returns home.

I enjoyed this story as both characters got to know each other and developed a friendship before they made love for the first time and it is making love and not just sex. We find out that Jason was hurt in the past by his last love and has avoided any type of relationship since but when he meets Ferran he starts to change his mind, Ferran is so sweet and gentle that it’s no wonder that Jason fell for him. Seeing these two fall for each other is really touching and you root for them to find a way to be together although it doesn’t look good.

Finding the solution is just the beginning as Jason has to learn about living on an alien planet which has strict rules on what roles men can and can’t have, he also discovers that not everyone is happy to have him on their world. Ferren is over the moon that his mother has found a way for him to keep his love, and when danger heads their way it changes Ferren in ways that have never been seen by the Perels before. The way the story developed is fantastic, watching as Jason tries to fit into Ferren’s world is interesting and watching these two men stand by each other and love each other to overcome the obstacles is just amazing.

I have to recommend this to those who love science fiction, with a fantastic storyline, great characters, a dash of danger and a true love story.

Friendly Fire by Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hiya peeps, we have Cari Z. popping in with her new release Friendly Fire, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

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Friendly Fire

by

Cari Z.

Elliot McKenzie is the king of reinvention. Five years after losing his job and his lover and almost going to prison, his self-help program, Charmed Life, is more successful than he’d ever dreamed. He thinks he’s put his sordid past firmly behind him, until he starts receiving cryptic threats . . . and realizes it might not be as over as he’d hoped. 

Security expert Lennox West has been lost since a deadly skirmish in Afghanistan led to his forced retirement from the Army. His PTSD makes helping his ex raise their daughter a challenge. When his ex’s sister asks him to set her boss up with a security system, Lennox isn’t expecting anyone like Elliot McKenzie—a man who captures his attention and makes him feel relaxed for the first time since leaving the service.

But Elliot is dangerously stubborn. Even as the threats against him escalate, he refuses to involve the police, and Lennox fears that stubbornness could kill him. A battle of wills ensues that brings them closer to each other than either man expected. But if the threats turn real, they might not live long enough to get their future together. 

Continue reading “Friendly Fire by Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!”

Shadows & Light by Cari Z.

cari-z-shadows-light-coverTitle: Shadows & Light 

Author: Cari Z.

Genre: Erotic Romance, Fantasy, Historical

Length: Novel (183 pages)

Publisher: Pride Publishing (March 15, 2016)

Heat Level: Sizzling

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: A fight to the death against his former master turns into a chance for Rafael, an assassin denied the immortality he lived to achieve, to learn the shocking truth about the fate he was spared.

Rafael wanted nothing more than to serve his immortal master, Xian, a High One of Clare, who taught him from an early age how to be an assassin. But after failing the final test, Rafael was turned out into the Lower City, abandoned by the one person he thought he could count on.

Years of hatred and thoughts of revenge have fueled Rafael’s quest for vengeance, but when the time comes to strike at Xian, he hesitates and is taken prisoner. Rafael expects to die, either at Xian’s hand or at the hand of Myrtea, his sadistic mistress.

Instead Xian heals him, spares him a brutal interrogation and tells him the dark truth driving the ruthlessness of the High Ones—the source of their immortality is spent. Soon the city will devolve into chaos as High Ones battle one another and the rebelling denizens of the Lower City for power and resources. Xian wants to spare Rafael that pain, just as he spared him the pain of becoming a High One a decade earlier.

Their only chance for survival is to escape Clare before civil war breaks out. Even if they make it out of the city, though, there’s no guarantee that Xian will live through the agonizing process of becoming human again. The only ones they can rely on are each other…if Rafael can bring himself to once again trust his former master, the only man he’s ever loved.

Reader Advisory: This book contains mentions of blood-drinking, blood magic, blood-play, knife-play, addiction and withdrawal, as well as flogging and whipping. This book also refers to pain and blood-play as coping mechanisms.

Publisher’s Note: This book has been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.

ISBN: 978-1-78651-386-1

Product Link: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/shadows-and-light

Reviewer: Shorty 

Review: Rafeal has been working toward one goal: becoming a high one. He is devastated to learn he failed the final test and even more so when his master and the man he looked up to, Xian, casts him out. He falls back into the one thing he was good at, an assassin.

Revenge motivated Rafeal meets Xian again and instead of killing him is taken prisoner. Xian finally explains his reasons for failing him and also informs him of the dark secrets of the high ones. Intent on escaping the battle coming between the high ones and the lowers Xian and Rafeal plan to leave.

This book is full of great scenes both suspenseful and thoughtful. I loved how the story played out. It was an amazing journey. Xian and Rafeal, despite the rough beginning once they found each other again, were great together in their bid to survive.

Highly recommended.

Where There's A Will by Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have Cari Z. stopping by with her great new superhero/supervillain release Where There’s A Will, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so enjoy the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~

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Where There’s A Will

(Panopolis 03)
by

Cari Z.

Being a Hero in Panopolis means living the high life: parties, money, influence, even reality television. And I’m one of the most powerful Heroes in the city. I have plenty of fans, a manager who looks out for me (after himself), and a job that pays the bills. I should be enjoying myself.

Unfortunately, the downside of my superpower means I can’t touch anyone, which tends to put a damper on things. I probably don’t deserve all those perks anyway, since I’m working in secret with two of Panopolis’s biggest Villains to undermine GenCorp—my main sponsor and the company that controls what gets through my force field.

I obviously don’t trust my corporate overseers, but they’ve hired a new scientist who actually seems interested in helping me. Dr. Mansourian might have the answers to all my questions—not to mention a starring role in most of my dreams—but he’s hiding something big. If I let him have what he wants, I might not live to regret it.  

Then again, the way things are going in Panopolis these days, I might not live either way.

Continue reading “Where There's A Will by Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!”

Where There's Fire by Cari Z

WhereTheresFire_500x750Title: Where There’s Fire
Series: Panopolis # 2
Author: Cari Z
Genre: Sci-fi/ Alternate World / Dystopian/Suspense/Action-Adventure
Length: Novella (119 pages)
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (July 13, 2015)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: Making a name for myself as a Villain in Panopolis is hard work. Six months ago, my boyfriend broke me out of jail. Now he’s spending most of his time defending our turf against other Villains he accidentally freed along with me. And my new psychic powers are not only impossible to control, but they’re also giving me migraines.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. My skills are improving every day, and Raul—aka the Mad Bombardier—and I have never been happier. That is, until my first solo job is interrupted by a mysterious woman who tells me that Raul has been kidnapped by a ruthless new Villain. The only way to free him is to do a job for Maggot, a man with scary ideas and an even scarier superpower.

I can’t go to the cops or a Hero for help. Odds are they wouldn’t listen to me anyway. If I fail, Raul will be killed. If I succeed, we’ll both be bound to a man who’ll stop at nothing to put Panopolis on the path to civil war.

It looks like the only way to win is to take out the competition.

ISBN: 978-1-62649-297-4

Product Link: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/where-theres-fire

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: This is the second book in the Panopolis series. It was just as good the first book with a new villain added into the mix who used Edward to get what he wanted by holding Raul hostage. Although I did understand and agree with his reason I did not like the way he went about it. This guy was truly disgusting. As soon as I read his villain name I was glad I had already eaten because I just knew some of the scenes were going to be stomach turning.

I really liked that even though Edward is a villain he tried his best not to hurt anyone seriously. I was pissed at what Maggot had his cronies do to Raul to get Edwards cooperation and then what one did to make sure he went through with what he supposed to do.

The ending came as no surprise to me because I would have felt the same if I were Edward. Edward ability was very intriguing, though it comes with a price of migraines. Action packed, mystery, adventure are all throughout this fantastic book. I really hope there will be more in this series.

Highly recommended.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Where There's Smoke by Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have Cari Z. stopping by with her newest release Where There’s Smoke, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and my review, so enjoy the post of this great book where the villain gets his man and leave a comment (with email address in the comment) <3 ~Pixie~

Cari Z. - Where There's Smoke _500x750

Where There’s Smoke

(Panopolis 01)
by

Cari Z.

Panopolis is a rough place to be an average Joe. I came here looking for adventure and excitement, but nobody cares about one more normal guy in a city filled with super-powered heroes. The closest I’ve come to glory is working in a bank that villains often rob.

But then I maybe accidentally-on-purpose helped a villain escape the hero who was trying to save the day. Imagine my shock when, a week later, that villain asked me out for coffee. One date turned into more, and now I’m head over heels in love with Raul.

Falling in love with the guy dubbed the Mad Bombardier isn’t without its downsides, though. I’ve had to deal with near-death encounters with other villains, awkwardly flirtatious heroes who won’t take no for an answer, and a lover I’m not sure I can trust. It’s getting to the point where I know I’ll have to make a choice: side with the heroes, or stand fast by my villain.

Either way, I think my days as a normal guy are over.

Continue reading “Where There's Smoke by Cari Z. Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!”

Summer's Child by Cari Z.

18080264Title: Summer’s Child

Series: Titania’s Court #2 (Oberon’s Court)

Author: Cari Z.

Genre: Fantasy (Fae) / Thriller & Suspense

Length: Novella (50 Pages)

Publisher: Total E-Bound (July 12th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Will the distant but brutal past destroy a changeling’s hope for a better life with the Summer Fae?

Dis, a human changeling, is tasked with delivering Oberon’s solstice gift to his estranged wife, Titania, at the Summer Court. Leaving behind the land where he barely survived to adulthood is harder than he expected—it means leaving behind his lover Marten as well. Dis hopes that once his task is completed, he and Marten can be together again.

The Summer Fae welcome Dis to their court, but there’s more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. Dis struggles to keep Oberon’s gift for Titania safe while being continually tempted by the willful Summer Fae to disobey, and worse, he loses contact with Marten. Dis is left with no one he can trust, and is faced with the impossible choice between disobedience to Oberon, who will surely kill him once he finds out, or losing the man that he loves forever.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of violence.

Product Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2195

Review: Let me start with the completely illogical way this series has gone out and how confusing it is to find what you want. This is supposed to be book #2 in Titania’s Court Series, however that couldn’t be more wrong and I wonder how the authors and the publisher made this mistake.

Anyway, for the readers that loved the first book of this series by Cari Z. and that would be The Solstice Gift, previously reviewed by Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/the-solstice-gift-by-cari-z/, this is the sequel and we find Dis in The Ways trying to make it to Summer Court and give Titania her husband’s gift of power. The gift though is a temptation hard to resist, its power always pushing Dis at his limits. It would be so easy to use it and no longer be a changeling, no longer be seen with contempt. But one thing Dis knows well enough, the one thing that helped him survive all this years in Winter Court, is the fact that he knows his place and what he most definitely must not do.

His journey comes to an end and he barely makes it to Summer Court where he is received quite differently from the Summer Fae. He is almost cherished there, as he is the sole changeling to have survived the horrors of Winter Court. However, he is not welcomed from everyone. While Queen Titania might accept him and his gift there are others who remember well the war between the Fae and their losses hurt no less now after all these years. Dis must wait for a month until the Queen will be ready to receive her gift, but that is a month that Dis must constantly avoid temptation, the Fae’s tricks, and what is worse, another month away from his beloved Marten.

I loved this book. It’s such a different take from the typical fae stories we read. The world of Winter Fae was dark and cruel and filled with pain and death, while the Summer Fae is, of course, happier, but no fewer tricksters. The scheming and backstabbing are in full effect even here, and one does not know who to trust and what to believe.

While the first book made you feel for Dis due to the horrors of the darkness he was wrapped with, at least there you knew without a doubt what to expect. In this one, though you have to see behind the masks and expect anything from anyone no matter how bright the smile. And while you’re on your toes with suspicion and the plot, you get carried away with the eroticism and the gorgeous relationship between Dis and Marten. How very sweet and romantic Marten was and it was the fact that he was an anomaly in his world that made him incredibly hot.

The ending was perfect this time around and while it gave you the hints that more might come in the future, you don’t mind this novella ending here. The unexpected happened and I loved the turn the events took.

So if you love the Fae world and you want a fresh take and see them with a fresh set of eyes, I definitely recommend this book to you. You can pick the previous one or read it as a standalone; it won’t really matter because it’s so well written that you’ll have no problem getting into the story. Recommended!