Title: As You Are, 2^nd edition

Author: Ethan Day

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Humor

ISBN: 9781925031645

Length: Novel (166 pages)

Publisher: Wilde City Press (November 13^th, 2013)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Operation Danny…that’s all bartender and recent college graduate, Julian Hallowell has had on his mind the past year. Julian may have no idea what he wants to do with his life, but he definitely knows he‘s in love with the boy next door: The one in next room to be exact, his roommate Danny Wallace.

Danny owns a used text-book store just off campus and while Julian has done his level best to make Danny fall for him, all his hard work appears to have been in vain. Danny doesn’t seem to view Julian as anything other than that…a roommate and friend. So when new guy in town Andy Baker asks him out on a date, Julian can’t seem to think of a good reason to say no.

Julian has already instituted a Reverse Operation Danny plan, which he’s positive, will purge all thoughts of love, and lust for his roomie out of his head. He’s ready to move on and start looking for his next Mr. Right, and Andy just might fit the bill.

Product Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-romance/as-you-are/#.UoRJRUnnbwo

Review: Oh wow, I’m surprised that I liked this book so much. I don’t tend to be all over 4+ hearts for a rom-com but wow. See this book if you take the general idea you know nice handsome guy falls for super-hot roommate, the know-all mom, the girlfriend that is always there and if a guy doesn’t like her, it’s the deal breaker. Let’s face it, this story has been told and has gone so freaking old.

But I literally started reading and never stopped till I reached end. I went through the haze of my everyday routine with my kindle on my hand and chuckling, giggling, and outright laughing with this book. What was it that captivated me so much?

I think it was the voice, the narration. I loved Julian! Yes, he was wrapped up in his own ideal world with his ideal romantic ideas and the fact you couldn’t shake him from them did frustrate me, but God I loved him. The underlying humor during the entire book was fantastic, made for such a light, fun feeling that even when shit hit the fan I was still reading with a smile on my lips. And that is the core. Beside the gorgeous men, the romantic plot, the ultra-funny scenes, and the sensual erotic scene between our lovebirds, the main reason I loved this book so much was the writing that was exquisite and never stole a smile from my face.

I could go on one the story, but I will probably kill it if I so much as touch it. What more is there to say? If you love reading a romantic story between a guy set on how the ONE should be and a guy who is afraid of relationships and avoids them like hell, if love good writing and want to read a book that will expand your heart with joyous feelings, if you want to close the book in the end and have the Cheshire grin on your face, satisfied and content, then this is definitely the book for you. I enjoyed it immensely and strongly recommend it.

Title: Northern Star

Author: Ethan Day

Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781925031553

Length: Novel (249 pages)

Publisher: Wilde City Press (September 25^th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Deacon Miller never had it all—he never really believed he could. Growing up in a broken home with an alcoholic mother and a revolving door of truly pathetic father figures taught him to keep his expectations low. Now at twenty-seven, on the night before Christmas Eve, his life is turned upside down yet again; his boyfriend has dumped him, he just fled the holiday family reunion from hell, and now to top it all off, a blizzard has left him stranded in an airport hotel.

Steve Steele has spent the better part of his forty-four years living a lie, ignoring his attraction to other men in an attempt to fit into the mold of the man he thought he should be, instead of living life as the man he knew himself to be. Recently divorced after coming home from work one day and coming out to his wife, Steve has floundered over the past year, desperately attempting to wade through the guilt and find the courage to start again.

That’s when a chance meeting in a hotel bar brings two lonely men together… and what should’ve been a one night stand turns into something much more than either one ever expected.

Product Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-romance/northern-star/#.Uqc5U_QW20d

Review: After reading this I truly believe Northern Star is a truly memorable book. Not only is it well written and with strong characters, but it also is quite thought-provoking, making you truly think about the way you view your life and that of others, and in the end making you appreciate what you have. Yes, this book had that effect on me. Now, with all the above, one would think this was a heavy read. Though some parts of it were heavy indeed, overall it was a most enjoyable romance, one that dripped real from start to finish.

The protagonist of this story is quite powerful in the way that he deeply affects you and evokes strong feelings from you. Deacon is the child of a monster-mother. His entire life he’s been verbally abused made to think he was worthless and the cause of everything bad and evil in his home. He has no self-esteem, never felt loved, he doesn’t even believe he deserves to be loved and cared for. That in itself is enough to make you feel closer to this character, but add in there the fact that he is so selfless and sweet, thinking of others and caring for other people even when at the same time he thinks nothing of it, and you have a character you instantly love. He breaks your heart with his sadness that always cloaks him, and he makes you wish you had the power to change his past. Yes, the author did quite a good job breathing life to this character and making you forget you’re only reading a fictional story.

So back to the plot, we have Deacon on Christmas Eve in a hotel bar getting drunk out of his mind. His reunion with his mother and sister for the Holidays went to Hell and back forcing him into an early retreat, his flight was canceled and he’s stuck there, but even if he had the flight he has no place to go as his boyfriend dumped him via email… I think it’s safe to say that there couldn’t be getting any worse than that. But as he’s drinking himself to numbness, a stranger enters the bar, all smiles, and charm and before he knows it, they’re hooking up. What should’ve been a random encounter turns to something more and through the darkness the two men connect in a deeper lever that should be normal.

This is the start of Deacon’s and Steve’s love story. Steve, newly out of the closet even as he’s in his forties has his own demons, but he feels positive that he can overcome them as long as he has Deacon in his life, looking at him like he hung the moon. However, Deacon’s demons lurk deeper and have much more power over him, inevitable rearing their head, and making his life miserable just when he thought he found his safe place.

I loved this, I really did. The plot that had no straight way about it, but was a constant fight for love and life. The characters with their depth and emotions that came right through life. The intimacy and private encounters that had you melting with these two awesome men. The bad guys that were simply too real, making you seethe with anger at the fact that though these were fictional characters, there are people like that out there. I loved it all, more so the range of emotions this book woke from me. The writing itself was pretty commendable as well, as it was written in third person past tense and mostly from Deacon’s point of view, but what made a real effect was the tinny flashbacks, like a day or two or even a couple of weeks back, making you feel as if you were indeed inside the character’s head and experiencing the moment when he went through his memories, reviewing the events that had happened to him till that moment, and then you’d get to witness the rest of the events as they took place. A very nice trick that kept you entranced there in the story, losing yourself in the lines.

Summing this up, I had a terrific time reading this book, I enjoyed all of it, the good, the bad, the hilarious, and the sad. It was as if reading about a person’s life without leaving out any of the details, yet lacking the overbearing drama and angst that these characters (the abused) usually come with. It’s sufficient to say that Northern Star made it at the must-read list of mine. Totally worth it!

Title: At Piper’s Point, 2^nd edition

Author: Ethan Day

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: Extended Novel

Publisher: Wilde City Press (July 24^th, 2013) First published July 27^th, 2010

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Ten years and many boyfriends later, Cassidy Winters finally returns to the ancestral home of his late grandmother, Sadie Hart, despite the best efforts of his father to prevent it. Cassidy’s plans of a quiet, seaside ceremony to wish a final farewell to Sadie quickly unravel. Interruptions run roughshod, beginning with Neil, who walks out of the ocean and straight into Cassidy’s bed. The dominos topple one by one when the little dog he rescues from the hounds of hell brings him to Ben, the hunky vet who rescues Cassidy right back. News of his arrival spreads faster than Cassidy’s legs, bringing his boyhood friend and first love Nate Sommers to his doorstep — leaving Cassidy spiraling into a multi-layered love snafu. As if the island wasn’t getting crowded enough for Cassidy’s good taste and bad decisions, best friends Ollie and Spencer arrive in time to witness the uninvited return of Cassidy’s most recent ex, Teddy, who’s refusing to stay dumped.

Fists fly and all hell breaks loose amid mojitos and martinis while Cassidy finds himself planning a huge party to celebrate Sadie’s life. Accusations are aimed as arguments and libidos boil over, but even through the chaos, Cassidy knows exactly who he wants. While he’s certainly willing, he isn’t sure if he’s ready or able for love and life at Pipers Point.

Product Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-romance/at-pipers-point/#.Uj9Od4anqU5

Review: This was a very interesting story to read. I fell in love with it not in first sight, but in a steady pace as the story evolved. At first, I admit I thought it was a bit too melancholic for me. As I went on reading I had resigned myself for a bittersweet kind of book, hence the hilarity that followed caught me unaware. I am now thankful I wasn’t eating or drinking anything while reading, because I don’t think I would survive the gathering of Cassidy’s exes, old and new, unscathed.

And that brings me to the many characters of this book. I think I’m in love… with all of them – yes, even Tom, the last character to be introduced at the very end of the book. I think I love them all because each and every one of them was so very unique.

Cassidy is, ah, how should I put this, a man-whore you cannot fail to adore. He’s a natural charmer, irresistible, and insatiable, yet he’s also the most vulnerable creature in this little corner of the world.

Raised in richness Cassidy lack the love of his parents, who were both cold people, especially his father. Yet he was fortunate enough to spend his summer with his Sadie (she refused to be called grandmother) who loved him unconditionally. His grandmother’s unique personality and immeasurable love shaped Cassidy’s own character and gave him strength he otherwise might not have had to keep on fighting for her when she needed him to against his own father. Alas! His failure hunts him and guilt rides his heart. Finally, after years of legal fights Cassidy is able to bring his Sadie back home to Piper’s Point for the last goodbye. But he forgets one thing; Sadie was not only his, she belonged to Hart’s.

It is a journey really this book, a journey into growing up, owning yourself and the world around you, and finally finding and accepting love. Cassidy has to relive his past, own his present, and be open to his future, all the while Nate, his best friend, first lover, and first and only love stands by him through his journey. I think those two are the world’s greatest teasers I’ve ever seen in a book. The entire read was one great tease, and by God even I felt I was about to lose it with Nate’s antics.

Spencer and Ollie, Cassidy’s best friends (and both exes), were an incredible couple adding humor and fun to the mix, as were Neil (the new ex) and Teddy (the second to last ex) with their rivalry over our man-slut. These characters had a great effect in dispelling the melancholic situation this entire story revolves around. And Natalie (Nate’s mother) *groans* oh my God, Natalie; I will remember this character and her kitchen scene for as long as I live. I’m still wincing inwardly for them damned bite-marks.

But the greatest character of them all for me was the deceased Sadie Hart, the great Lady of Piper’s Point. She was simply brilliant, even dead!

This is such a multi-dimensional book and I could talk/write for it for hours. In the end, what you need to know is that it’s brilliantly written and that you will have the best time reading it. Strongly recommended!