Tag: Eli’s Reviews

Nobody's Home by Dev Bentham Book Blast, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi peeps, we have Dev Bentham popping in today with her new re-release Nobody’s Home, we have a great new excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Eli’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~

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Nobody’s Home

by

Dev Bentham

Second chances can appear where you least expect them.

An artist: You can’t go home again—that was Nick’s motto for the past twenty years. He was a teenager when he left his abusive, mentally ill father back in Lacland, a small town in the northwoods of Wisconsin.

Nick’s made a successful life for himself in New York. Then comes the call—his estranged father has killed himself. Nick flies home to a house crumbling from years of neglect, and one very fat bulldog.

And a veterinarian: Jonas doesn’t love his job enforcing university research protocol. His passion is working with dogs, especially volunteering for his boyfriend’s behavioral studies projects. But when he discovers his so-called “life partner” is messing around, he leaps at a job offer in a small town miles away.

In spite of the grief swirling around Nick and Jonas, their first meeting is electric. But Nick will be in town for only a short time and Jonas is still stinging from the betrayal. The men try to keep their distance, but that’s easier said than done, especially in a small town where misery and hope share the same address.

This poignant story about two mature gay men will warm the hearts of readers who believe happy endings are within anyone’s grasp.

**This is an author’s version of the original story first printed in 2013 by Amber Allure.**

Continue reading “Nobody's Home by Dev Bentham Book Blast, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!” →

A Stick and a Stone by Laurie Terson

81FERdxPf6L._SL1425_Title: A Stick and a stone (Rings of Glory)
Author: Laurie Terson
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (64 pages)
Publisher: MLR Press
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Reviewer: Eli
Blurb: Grabbing Olympic gold and finding love, for Tony and Jamie it’s happening on the ice.

Olympic gold has always been Tony Marino’s dream, only two things stand in the way. His missing wrist shot and the testosterone filled world of hockey. He’s got to find one and ignore the other for his dream to come true. Jamie Cunningham has his own dream of glory and gold with Team USA Curling. Who knew a look into the stands would scores him more than just a gold medal. Over the ruts on the ice and in life, Tony and Jamie find that there’s an even better prize than an Olympic gold medal.
Purchase Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=LTSTKSTN
Review: This is a very sweet little story about the Winter Olympics. In light of the real life drama that occurred in Sochi and the huge issues with gay athletes, reading stories like this are heart warming and help the reader believe that eventually the world will be okay with whomever someone loves.

Tony struggles with his wrist shot and Jamie participates in one of the most unusual sports out there. The two men meet and bond as all men should over food and sports. While it is a short story, the author does a good job of spanning time and allowing the reader to get a good sense of the development of the relationship between Tony and Jamie. The addition of Jamie’s family also rounds out the story nicely allowing the men to appear three-dimensional and not just existing in the story either as solely lovers who are bound to be together or tools for a story about the Olympics.

The reader will enjoy reading about how these men prepare for their rigorous sports and understand the sacrifices and commitment that is essential to perform at the Olympic level. Additionally learning about the sport of curling was just an additional bonus in this short feature.

Dancer's Heart by DP Denman

91i2V6T6tIL._SL1500_Title: Dancer’s Heart
Author: DP Denman
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (319 pages)
Publisher: North Shore Press (December 29, 2013)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Reviewer: Eli
Blurb: Not just another breakup story.

Simon Leander is living a lie. He hides the truth from his partner in a relationship he’s determined to tolerate…jealousy, rants and all. Michael was supposed to be the love of his life and he’s not ready to let go of that dream even though the romantic has turned tyrant.

When Drew appears, Simon’s determination begins to waver. Drew is everything Michael used to be but isn’t anymore. Drew also knows his secret. When the truth he works so hard to hide bursts from the shadows he must decide whether he can trust Drew and if love deserves a second chance
Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Dancers-Heart-DP-Denman-ebook/dp/B00HLT7C72
Review: This is not a story about the romance between Simon and Drew. This is really the prequel so that story.

Simon is in an abusive relationship but he’s afraid to leave for all the same reasons that most persons won’t leave – they are still in love with the person they first met and not the monster they now live with. They keep believing that the person will change. Simon, however, has great friends and a life of dance, which allows him to escape from his abusive life. Drew has his own demons to bear but the story does not take the time to develop his back-story with the detail that it does Simon. The story would have been much better had time been dedicated to Drew because his sadness is palpable in the story, but so too is the deep feelings that he has for Simon. The reader, however, doesn’t really know or understand why those feelings flourish, that is not very well-developed in the storyline.

The story does explore domestic violence and it’s repercussions as well as some forays into other dark secrets of the gay community such as rape and how many crimes against gay men occur and how they are handled; and how the men embroiled in those situations handle themselves personally. As such, the story is a dark one – but at its core, this is Simon’s story and how he has to move from one reality to another and learn how to rebuild his life. Along that journey, Simon will learn his value as a man, a friend, and employee and a lover and it will ultimately allow him to grow from this horrific experience he’s had and perhaps learn that he is worth of love and a good man.

Running off the Edge by Megan Linden

81tAUxMOipL._SL1425_Title: Running off the Edge
Author: Megan Linden
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (52 pages)
ISBN: MLR-1-02014-0198

Publisher: MLR Press (February 7th, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Reviewer: Eli
Blurb: Former lovers meet again in Sochi and have a chance to learn that a gold medal isn’t the greatest prize you can win at the Olympics.

After the knee injury, Liam O’Connor, the former gold medalist, is no longer able to compete in the Olympics. He’s in Sochi as an assistant coach for another male figure skater and hopes to avoid Eric Lanney as much as possible. Meanwhile Eric is back to compete for gold in pair skating, but is that the only thing that will be important to him? Maybe when the former lovers meet again in Russia, they will both learn that a gold medal isn’t the greatest prize you can win at the Winter Olympics.
Purchase Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=ML_ROFTE
Review: This was yet another story that broached the issue of same-sex love and the controversy that brewed with the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. This story however had another layer which added a wealth of rich meaning to what it really means to accept who you are despite what the world may think or what you think you need to do in order to achieve your goals and dreams.

Eric and Liam were lovers,who broke up because one of them could not deal with the pressure of being in a gay relationship while pursuing their sport. When Liam loses his ability to compete and must find a new life for himself, he must deal with that personal anguish. He must then also deal with the relationship he had which ended badly and still has never been truly resolved. Eric on the other hand must fight his own personal demons and determine for himself what is most important to him if he is to be truly happy.

This story when measured against the backdrop of the Sochi issue, which required gay men and women to not be true to themselves in order to compete at a world-class level provides a very humbling dichotomy and throws equality back some fifty years. Layering Eric and Liam’s relationship and what broke them up in the first place and their being able to find each other again and accept their new reality, how they feel and have always felt about each other and accept who and what they both need to do and be in order to be happy is the theme which makes this short story one which is a great read.