Title: A Thing for Cops Series: N/A Author: Roland Graeme Genre: Contemporary/CopKink Length: Novel (219 pages) Publisher: eXtasy Books (August 7th, 2014) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥2Hearts Blurb: Jim Melton has had “a thing for cops” ever since he can remember. So it is only natural that be becomes a police officer himself. As a gay cop, Jim soon realizes that he belongs to a subculture within the law enforcement subculture. His many erotic adventures with both civilians and his fellow cops give new meaning to the phrase, “to protect and serve.”
ISBN: 9781771118576 Product Link: http://www.extasybooks.com/roland-graeme/a-thing-for-cops/ Reviewer: Gigi Review: So Jim likes cops so much he becomes one. He quickly finds a gay cop sub culture and becomes initiated through many tiring repetitive erotic adventures.
The plot is not as thick as all the phallic references I read, but I think this is what most expect for jerk-off material. In that sense, rating it as masturbatory reading, I would still only rate this a 2. The scenes had some fun kink, but the relentless sexual thesaurus became tiring.
Within the opening gambit of one scene, I read the phallic descriptions, fuck stick, prick, cock, aching tool, pouting piss slit, glistening tool, and fuck piston, drooling piss slit, on and on…. The dialogue was amazing, “Your cock really feels good in me. Are you feeling as good as I am?” …..” Hell, yeah.” Add new names, multiple partners and repeat.
Eventually, Jim pairs up, and he and his partner have frequent sex parties, threesomes, and foursomes with other cops to celebrate their anniversary, monthly. Like I said, it’s jerk-off material with a few mildly erotic scenes, without a plot, and meant for the porn industry.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Blurb: Donny “Foxy” Foxley is hot. Noble knows it. All those screaming teen girls know it. And so does the production company with their millions staked on the teen idol’s dreamy good looks.
So when the supposedly straight movie star comes onto him, Noble is floored. Never one to ignore the allure of a pretty young man, Noble can’t resist and doesn’t even try. Why should he? Even if it has to be a secret, he’d be crazy to pass up a night of sexy times with the one man everyone wants.
But one night turns into two, and then blossoms into a friendship with the potential for so much more. If that’s what Noble was after, which he’s not. But Foxy gets under Noble’s skin until he cares way too much. Because there can never be anything but sex between them. To the world, Foxy is straight and Noble is anything but.
Review: For fans of YAOI and Jet Mykles in general, Noble fits the bill. We get another healthy sexy dose of glamorous rock stars and beautiful movie star men, and of course a coming out of the closet situation. Noble is right in line with the previous Indigo Knights books as well as fitting the mold of Heaven Sent, that’ what her readers want, and that’s how I critiqued this book.
Foxy and Noble are both glamorous, figures, each with their own sexual appeal. Foxy, the shy but gorgeous up and coming film star with heavenly locks and a buff bod, Noble the ideal rock star image, dyed purple/indigo Mohawk hair, lots of silver rings and piercings, and a bad boy tattoo of a horny toad, both collide to form a steamy hot love affair. The problem is Foxy is a closeted movie star caught up in a morality clause contract and Noble is as out and proud as it gets, with a wild boy sex fiend reputation.
The tension of this plot is how Noble can keep true to himself, have some self-respect, and allow his love for the closeted star to grow. Will Foxy tuck tail and hide away from himself and Noble, or will he let their love shine in the light of day no matter the consequences. I’m sure you can guess the ending, but Noble is still a fun, feel good YAOI novel in the spirit of Heaven Sent and the previous Indigo Knights series with out as much angst or drama.
Blurb: Never stop running. No matter how often life trips you up, or how many times your enemies knock you down, just get up and keep on moving until you find where you belong.
Kelly Phillips has been out of the closet since he was a young teenager, and thanks to the gay youth group he frequents, he has never been short on friends or lovers. But when you have almost everything, it’s hard not to focus on what’s just out of reach: A best friend, who would be Mr. Right if he weren’t already Mr. Straight. Or that handsome guy at school, who would be easier to wrangle if not for his angel wings.
And then there’s the one who might be a perfect fit, maybe even a soulmate… if only he wasn’t convinced he didn’t need anyone at all. Kelly has always been good at running. Now he must learn to chase, which will not only test his endurance, but the durability of his heart as well.
Something Like Lighting is a new beginning in the Something Like… saga, shifting the focus to a fresh set of characters while also revisiting a familiar face or two.
ISBN #: 9781310109133 Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Lightning-Storms-Book-ebook/dp/B00N7OR36U
Reviewer: GiGi
Review: I really enjoyed Something Like Lightening for its moments of self-realization. Kelly seems to have it all, confidence, speed, talent, looks, and plenty of attitude!!! But he really needs to take a closer look at himself…and it takes a huge tragic moment to do that. It’s the sadness, loss, aching awareness of flaws in ourselves and those we love, it’s those things that Jay Bell magically worked into …Lightening. Those are the themes that stung my heart and kept me glued to the pages.
Something Like Lightning is a coming of age, finding one’s true self kind of read. I’m not sure but I think this fits into the Young Adult genre…I’m not as familiar with that.
Now, I know I would have an even greater appreciation for this book if I had read the previous Something Like series…there are repeat characters, overlapping and intersecting plots, and a ton of character building for Kelly that I missed and thus lost a big chunk of the impact this book makes for those readers. So I really need to go back and do some more reading.
The writing is smooth, the characters rich, and the plot painful, somewhat predictable, and poignant at the same time. The big moment I had to read carefully, think about and reread comes before the big accident, it comes in the subtle details of a relationship in decline, the pain in recognizing that, and letting go for the sake of both people involved….such a big life lesson, a huge thing for an author to tackle.
I must also add, I really like the cover art for all of Jay Bell’s books! Yes, beat the stereotype baby!
Blurb: London, 1899. The beautiful people are dying…
A malevolent power is attacking London’s bright young things, and the only clue to what’s happening is written in ancient Egyptian script. As ghost-hunter Simon Feximal and his companion Robert Caldwell investigate the mysterious deaths, the arrival in London of a notorious scholar-sorcerer seems to hold the answer to more than one of their problems.
A quiet break in London while en route to Egypt turns dramatic for Dr Percival Endicott Whyborne and his lover Griffin Flaherty when they encounter the hostile ghost-hunter. Feximal clearly suspects the worst of Whyborne – and his flirtatious sidekick seems to think a great deal too well of Griffin…
Jordan L Hawk’s heroes Whyborne and Griffin meet KJ Charles’ occult detectives from the Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal in a mystery that takes all four lovers through the decadent underworld of Victorian London in pursuit of an ancient and deadly evil.
Review: I think this is like my fantasy match-up! Jordan Hawk and K.J. Charles get together to write a short story that combines their captivating, mystery solving, sorcery-filled series!
As Percival Whyborne crosses the Atlantic in search of documents and research on an Egyptian dig that his co-worker Doctor Putnam is working on, he, as usual, stumbles into trouble. In the form of the domineering and scary ghost hunter/sorcerer Simon Feximal.
Simon thinks Whyborne is dangerous and up to no good, and it takes his partner Robert and Griffin to convince him otherwise. While these two couples seem to have a lot in common, both Whyborne and Feximal seem to have a distinct distrust and even rivalry.
Insecure once more, Whyborne isn’t happy with the fast friendship that develops between Robert and Griffin, and this element plays into the plot very nicely. All of us Griffin fans know better, he’s wrapped around Percival’s talented spell casting fingers!
Back to the plot…yes something dark is happening again, and it involves sorcery. Once Feximal figures out it isn’t Whyborne behind the dark deeds, they work together to solve the murders and handle the dark magic and dark sorcerer behind them. Another very Hitchcock-like feel to the whole story.
While the Whyborne and Griffin series is much more developed, the two fit together seamlessly as this is written as a set of journal entries. We see things both from Robert Caldwell and alternately Percival Whyborne’s point of view. Plenty is known about Whyborne if you’ve read the series, and many very tasty details about Simon Feximal are sprinkled in among the plot that leads me to want to know so much more about Caldwell and Feximal!
I love both of these series, and would love to see another joint effort in the future! I love the way they leave the respect/reflect relationship between Whyborne and Feximal. I have the feeling that while they have finally come to respect each other, trust and irritation keep that fire burning hotly. They make a great dynamic alongside their partners Griffin and Robert who get along smashingly well.
Blurb: Journalist Robert Caldwell is still smarting from his first encounter with ghost-hunter Simon Feximal. Their night in a haunted house was thrilling, but the aftermath leaves Robert hurt, disappointed, and resolved not to see Simon again.
But just a few days later their paths cross once more, this time investigating a pair of mysterious deaths: two corpses shrouded in butterflies.
Now Robert wants the truth – on the deaths, on where the butterflies came from, and most of all, on the attraction that still burns between him and Simon.
A free standalone short story (8700 words) in the Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal. The first Simon Feximal story is The Caldwell Ghost, available from Torquere Press.
Review: Once again, a short story that really delivers a punch! 17 pages must be her lucky number because between the lines Charles delivers a truly odd mystery, dark edgy and complete with the odd couple that is like fire and water, or maybe kerosene and matches!
Once again, Simon Feximal and Robert Caldwell cross paths and solve an odd mystery. The ending is dark and rather similar to the feel of an Alfred Hitchcock story. The heat is there and Robert throws himself at Simon, I swear that man loves to be had and with rough dominance, that Simon needs to give.
I want to read so much more from this Secret Casebook! I hope K.J. Charles keeps writing them!
Blurb: He never thought he’d become one of the agoraphobic sludges of New York City—trapped with one view of a courtyard and a head full of wrenching memories. Dumped, disconnected, and depressed, he surrenders to spying on the neighbors as his only entertainment.
Until one day, without warning, the lascivious and suspicious behavior of the closeted lawyer in the huge apartment across the courtyard leads him to a spine-tingling conclusion… his neighbor is a murderer.
Perhaps collaborating with the beautiful and fierce Detective Marzoli to catch the killer can finally breathe life back into a man suffocated by the stranglehold of a tragic past. Unless the killer across the way decides to make him… The Next.
Review: I really enjoy a good murder mystery, hot cops, and twisted, damaged characters, so I knew this book would grab my attention right away, and it didn’t disappoint!
The whole story is rather reminiscent of a good Alfred Hitchcock episode, if good ol’ Al had included some hot man on man action that is. The depressed and agoraphobic songwriter, does not so much become clear, as gets laid out for us one depressing, frustrating, detail at a time. At first I don’t’ want to see that he is so damaged, and I want to shake him out of his stupor. Thank god for Detective Marzoli, who seems to have knocked on his door at just the right time, the bottom of this neurotic songwriter’s spiral.
Marzoli seems to see where the MC is at, The Next may very well be suicide, and he’s there not only to solve a murder, but also to stop the waste of humanity. The sexual sparks are there, though the MC has had a recent breakup with his girlfriend, I had the feeling that men were not foreign to him.
Add to the twists of mental breakdown, agoraphobia, the fact that the MC has given up on socializing, cleaning his house, earning money to pay his bills, and last but not least, VERY disturbing flashbacks to his youth after receiving a call about the death of his brother. Though I’m starting to wonder if the brother was real, or if the brother is him, that’s a concept for a much longer, more rambling review…
The MC (I’ll keep calling him that because I can’t seem to remember a name, (another reason I think he’s Paul) is interrogated by Marzoli about his upstairs neighbor, only to come to the conclusion that he’s been killed, not gone missing. As Marzoli challenges MC to open his windows, and himself, to life around him, he links the neighbor’s behavior to the missing/murdered twink upstairs.
The mystery deepens, and so does Marzoli’s relationship, friendly, sexual, and otherwise, as the plot thickens. We see MC gaining strength, as Marzoli exposed his own weaknesses.
So many little twists, so many mysteries among neighbors, so many layers. That’s what I like in a good book, layers, suggestion, the planting of an idea, to let it grow and fester in my mind until I can‘t help but demand the answers. I read until I completed this story, losing hours of sleep, and pieces of my mind to plotting and puzzling.
The Next is a great mystery, thriller, and sexual twister. I highly recommend to those who love more than romance.
Series: The Light In Your Eyes,#2 (A Spy vs. Spook Spinoff)
Author: Tinnean
Genre: Contemporary/Spy/Suspense
Length: Novel (345 Pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 24th, 014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts
Blurb: Giving up a life as rent boy Sweetcheeks for his lover, William Matheson, was an easy decision for Theo Bascopolis. But years of selling his body and the lingering pain from being thrown out by his father leave Theo worried that Wills, who’s always had his family’s acceptance, can’t truly love him. Life has taught him love isn’t for rent boys, and he’s having a hard time tearing down the walls he built around his emotions and trusting that Wills sees beyond his past.
Despite Will’s reassurances, he leaves for an extended assignment with no contact, giving Theo too much time to think about the future. A message arrives, and as far as Theo is concerned, it proves him right. Maybe it’s too late to protect his heart, but he’s not going to hang around waiting for Matheson to stomp all over it. Theo runs, breaking all ties to his former lover.
When Wills returns to an empty apartment and no sign of his lover, he wonders whether Theo really wants to be found and if they are meant to be together after all. But they’ve been through too much, and Wills always gets his man.
Review: I must admit I fell in love with Theo (AKA Sweetcheeks) and this book is kind of like a very extended “day in the life” of Theo and Wills once they settle down. There are many bumps in the road to domestic bliss for both of them. Theo’s lack of confidence and trust issues blow up in his face when, in a monumental moment of dramaqueeniness, he draws the conclusion that Wills has cheated on him, and makes an overly dramatic exodus to Tim’s place.
Up until that very moment, I never really thought of Theo as a drama queen who was so insecure in his relationship with Wills. But truthfully, Wills hiding his real job lead to most of their problems. So when Wills lets Theo in on his day job with Mr. Vincent’s approval I’m at first relieved, and then perplexed.
Theo doesn’t seem to understand the risks, and he starts acting like a mother hen, bringing Wills and co-workers dinners at the office. That just seems warm and fuzzy but a bit unrealistic to me. Well, this is a bit of a fantasy I admit, in the vein of Pretty Woman, with spooks and spies.
We see a lot of Mr. Vincent again, though he does finish his new house with Theo’s decorating help and eventually move out of the apartment he had rented. We see Mr. Vincent sweep to the rescue again, and bring a date to a few events. He also has a cat. Cat’s are a huge part of this book, just in case you needed to know that.
As Theo and Wills’ relationship develops, both Wills’ and Theo’s insecurities come to the fore, and they reconcile them together. Wills contacts Theo’s parents and they accept him back into the fold. However when Will’s attempts to let his grandparents know about Theo, the results are much less than favorable.
Throughout the story, we see both characters hit relationship landmarks, Theo constantly questioning everything until the end. I won’t give away the big reveals, but there’s pretty much a checklist. This is a warm and fuzzy, head scratching, and often times frustrating installment. Very different from the first and though so much occurs, it could have been summed up in about 100 less pages. Entertaining, but different than I had expected.
Blurb: Widower Steven drives to the North of England two days before Christmas to meet his estranged son Andrew hoping for a reconciliation. Steven had rejected his son when, as a 19-year-old student, he came out to his parents as being gay. Andrew now lives with his partner Peter who initiates contact with Steven by forwarding on to him the almost childlike ‘Letter to Santa’ that the lad has written asking for a father who loves him.
At first, Andrew is hostile to his father’s overtures but the bad weather conspires to strand them all together over the Christmas period. Father and son both experience a steep learning curve, not helped by the father realizing that his son’s lover is actually older than he is. Proximity breaks down barriers and the three men work together in the spirit of cooperation and of the season to create a Christmas experience, which will change their lives forever.
Review: Coming to terms with his son’s homosexuality, begging forgiveness, both during an impromptu visit to his son and his partner’s county home was difficult enough. Imagine Steven’s surprise when his son’s partner turns out to be his father’s age! That was what greeted him at the door, that and a whole lot of hurt in his son’s eyes.
Can he learn understanding, will Andrew ever forgive him?
Luckily, we have a long holiday weekend in the English countryside to find out! The snowy scene is complete with holiday cooking, decorating, Christmas shopping, Yule log splitting and gathering at a traditional community pub. I really enjoyed the details of the setting for this story, the family coming together and all that involved was icing on Andrew’s Christmas cake! Wonderful little read for the holidays.
Blurb: Two and a half years ago, travel writer Timothy O’Shay let NYPD Detective Luke O’Brien talk him into hiking into the New Jersey Pine Barrens to face down a monster.
Now Tim and Luke meet again under very different circumstances. The old attraction is still there — but so are some of Tim’s monsters. Is it too late to find their way back to each other?
Review: This book was passionate, compelling, painful, hopeful, and ripe with sexual tension that snapped and exploded in a good way! A large part of this storyline continued Tim O’Shay’s battle with alcoholism from the first book. I can practically feel his trembles as I’m reading through his temptations and encounters with friends at parties, dinners and other difficult situations that could easily knock him off the wagon again.
That ultimate sacrifice Tim made to cut his ties with his home and his friends to flee to California and seek help for his addiction was powerful for me. The fear Tim has of coming back and being confronted and tempted with his past are also huge parts of this storyline, handled beautifully and honestly. The pain, anger, heartache, and the desperate need Luke has to understand why Tim did it, why he cut him off so completely is palpable.
You need to read In A Dark Wood to get Luke and Tim’s back-story, but this book stands alone in its power, and is the stronger of the two by far.
I’m not one to easily hand out five star reviews…but this one deserved it, no question.
Blurb: Laurie and Sasha have built a bright new world together. Sasha is working for the Immigration Guidance Council, and Laurie is landing theatre roles he could once only have dreamed of. Best of all, they’ve spent the past two years enjoying the love they snatched from the jaws of Sasha’s violent, dangerous past.
But Laurie has a history too. He’s on edge, his talents increasing beyond his ability to deal with them. And although his father is dead, Laurie can’t deny the turbulent genetic heritage the old man has bestowed on him. Only Sasha’s love is keeping him anchored and sane – and Sasha is vulnerable, shaken by bad dreams about his life on the streets.
Then Laurie learns that Sasha’s Romanian gang-lord father is on the loose in London, and his deepest fears boil to the surface. The last time Stefan’s shadow fell, Sasha made a run for it, and Laurie can’t bear the thought of losing him again. When Laurie lands a part in the latest Hollywood blockbuster, he abandons England for a dream of safety in the States, persuading the astonished Sasha to come with him.
But the dream becomes a waking nightmare for both of them beneath an alien Californian sun. Laurie must meet his demons head-on, and Sasha must confront the inner barricades that have kept him from treating Laurie as a comrade as well as a lover and a friend. The frosts of a midwinter London brought them together – will this blazing summer crack them apart, or forge enduring love from first romance?
Review: I had not read the first book, which even as the author does her best to fill in the back-story. I feel I need to do. However…this book I could not put down! I lost a ton of sleep last night, just to let you know! My first impression, is that this story was about watching a train wreck…the tracks were set, both engines were full steam full of mistakes, each picking up speed for a collision you know would happen but could do nothing to stop.
Sasha and Laurie hold so much passion. Both characters had me in their corner. I was in turns angry at and cheering for both love interests. Harper’s characters are truly human with beautiful flaws and painful strength. Every mistake they made to protect each other along the way was clear, I imagined myself making those same mistakes, and was more sympathetic to each character for it.
This book stabbed me in the heart, but mended the wound beautifully. There will be scars, but they just stand to represent strength. I loved this book for the passion, for the characters and for the adventure. Lots of surprises lay in wait around every corner, and all this is sprinkled with very hot and sometimes painful sexual encounters. Not only does the reader traverse the globe, but cultures, and relationships as well. There’s murder, covert operations, deceit, betrayal and forgiveness.
I also cant’ possibly end this review without commenting on the tongue in cheek resemblance of Blood Moon to another movie franchise we all love to hate. Readers, you’ll know what I mean when you crack this baby open, all I can say is I’m looking forward to attending live theater in the near future. High five, Harper Fox! Keep up the great work!
Series: This title is part of the Haunting Words AmberPax™ Collection.
Author: Clare London
Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal
Length: Novella (147 pages)
Publisher: Amber Quill Press (June 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Felix’s life is full, juggling a supportive homelife for his disabled brother, a job as a care home assistant, a brand new boyfriend—and now he’s had his arse pinched by a lewd gay ghost on the late night bus!
If only that were the end of it. But Bryn the ghost follows him home and wheedles himself into Felix’s life. That includes sharing his shameless opinions on the patronizing way Felix treats his brother, on how Felix should eat more food and put some flesh on his bones, and—worst of all—exactly how Felix should be getting down to it with his seriously sexy new boyfriend Mickey! And in between all that, Bryn finds time to leer at Felix himself and make outrageous suggestions on what they’d be doing if Bryn wasn’t…well…ghostly.
Felix considers he’s a tolerant guy. But the last thing he needs now is to get wrapped up in the mystery of a missing teenage girl, the inhabitants of a local squat, and conversations with a fire-and-brimstone old preacher. Yet with a nudge or six from Bryn, the help of his brother Patrick, and some cozy loving from Mickey, Felix starts to wonder how he ever thought his life was busy before!
Review: An insanely busy life between work, caring for his brother, and basically everyone else, but himself, Felix is accosted by a guardian angel of sorts. Well, maybe he’s more like a big ol’ angel-bear. Bryn is thrilled that Felix can sense him, and taunts him constantly, bringing a lot of crude humor and working class gay bear attitude to the story.
Bryn works hard to make Felix see himself in a new light, see that he’s worthy of love, that he needs and deserves to pay attention to his own life. His brother Patrick needs independence more than he needs Felix now, but Felix just doesn’t know how to let go of the mother hen act.
So Bryn gives him a shove, and a grab, and plenty of sexual innuendo along with comedic relief. The biggest thing, besides the humor, that Bryn brings to the table, is opening Felix’s eyes to see that he is worthy of Mickey, and in fact Mickey needs him just as much.
No Angel is a fast-paced read, with humor, a bit of mystery, sexual tension, and a sweet aw shucks ending. * I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: The Hippie Whisperer Series: This title is part of the Silver Foxes AmberPax™ Collection. Author: J.D. Walker Genre: Contemporary Length: Novella (52 pages) Publisher: Amber Allure, Amber Quill Press (July 30th, 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts Blurb: Carl Neilson, a forty-seven-year-old counselor at Baden Community College, meets his match in Benjamin “Ben” Brooker, an alluring artist with questionable fashion sense and a garish, multi-colored hairstyle.
Ben calls things as he sees them, including the way Carl uses his college-aged son Chester as a reason not to make changes in his life, or even to cut his hair. The truth is hard to take, but it forces Carl to look at himself in a new way, and maybe get rid of his sideburns, too.
And in the end, a haircut, a Polo shirt, and willingness to find love in unexpected places might be just enough to bring two very dissimilar men together, in spite of it all. ISBN: 9781611246711 Product Link: http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2035-The-Hippie-Whisperer.aspx Reviewer: Gigi Review: A cute, short and sweet reawakening for an aging hippie whose bird is leaving the nest, and leaving himself to reexamine who his is and what he wants for the future.
The trouble making, and matchmaking son, Chester, sees that his dad, Carl, is not living life for himself, but holding on, maybe a bit too tightly to his son, and Chester feels the guilt and weight of that.
So….he tries to set his dad up, and boy howdy does he! Ben is rather blunt, but he achieves the job of waking Chester’s Dad up to living life for himself for once. Stepping out of his comfort zone, changing his appearance, his social life, and his love life are all things that Ben will spark Carl to do.
The Hippie Whisperer is a cute story, with a hot scene here and there, which put a smile on my face.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Wolf Hall Series: N/A Author: Harper Fox Genre: Contemporary/Shifter Length: Novella (19K words) Publisher: FoxTales (October 30th, 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts Blurb: Once upon a time, a family lived up on the wild northern moors. They were clever and attractive, close-knit and polite. And everyone left them strictly alone…
Halloween is a wild, weird night in the lonely moorland towns of the north. It’s dark and cold, and cracks can open up in the fabric of the safest world.
Davey Bell has been trying to live safely. He’s struggled through a rough adolescence and has a decent job, a home of his own. He agrees to a meeting with his ex, even though Burdo got him into so much trouble in the past.
But Burdo has plans, armed robbery amongst them. When Davey recoils from his efforts at blackmail, Burdo swears he’ll track him down. There’s something inhuman about Burdo’s rage, and Davey panics and runs from him. The town is small, the darkness beyond it absolute. Davey has lived there all his life, but he takes a wrong turn on the moorland road and is suddenly lost.
It’s the first night of winter, and set to freeze hard. Not much chance of survival for a man without shelter, a man on the run from his past… Then Davey stumbles into the forest, and his fears of Burdo and the cold dissolve to nothing at the sound of deep, bestial growls.
The moon is full. Ancient moorland legends are coming to life in its silvery radiance. Out of the woodland steps a strange young man, and the snarling beasts fall back. He’s offering sanctuary, but at what price? He’s the most beautiful creature Davey has ever seen. If Davey follows him in fascination through the gateway of Wolf Hall, what secrets will unfold before the dawn? ISBN: 9781910224120 Product Link: http://www.harperfox.net/books/wolf-hall/ Reviewer: Gigi Review: A bad past, and a bad ex-boyfriend are haunting Davey nowadays. Fox starts us in s seedy diner in Davey’s ex-mining hometown to have a meet up with his ex-boyfriend Burdo who only seems to dredge up bad memories and bad feelings for him.
Davey has spent years trying to get a new start, an education, a job, a way to get out of his small town and away from his past. He feels pride and guilt in turn until he sees Burdo, who only makes him feel guilt, and resentment.
Burdo has not tried to better himself, only taking a downhill turn to a life of crime and drug abuse, and now he wants to abuse his past relationship and friendship with Davey. Burdo tries to use Davey’s guilty conscience to make him assist in robbing a local store by gunpoint so he can pay his debts, and get his hands on more drugs.
When Davey stands up for himself, stops Burdos’ plans and attempts to seek help, he finds himself running for his life, directed by a witch to choose Wolf Hall as shelter, and running right into a mysterious man’s paws…ahem…arms.
This is where Davey’s life truly becomes strange and twisted, as he finds himself instantly attracted to this man, feels safety in his arms, and a need to confide everything with him, and reverse that role of secret sharing to cast light on the secrets of Wolf Hall…
A fun twist on coming of age for a shifter, and becoming part of the clan, for Davey who has been outcast most his life. Will he find shelter, and commitment, and a new start in this most strange of places?
A fun read, wish it were a novel instead to the details and plot could be longer and more layered…basically great enough to want more!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Blurb: The way to a man’s heart is on a sleigh.
Arthur Anderson doesn’t want anything to do with love and romance, and he certainly doesn’t want to play Santa in his mother’s library fundraising scheme. He knows full well what she really wants is to hook him up with the town’s lanky, prissy librarian.
It’s clear Gabriel Higgins doesn’t want him, either—as a Santa, as a boyfriend, as anyone at all. But when Arthur’s efforts to wiggle out of the fundraiser lead to getting to know the man behind the story time idol, he can’t help but be charmed. The least he can do is be neighborly and help Gabriel find a few local friends.
As their fiery arguments strike hotter sparks, two men who insist they don’t date wind up doing an awful lot of dating. And it looks like the sleigh they both tried not to board could send them jingling all the way to happily ever after.
Warning: Contains a feisty librarian, a boorish bear, small town politics, deer sausage, and a boy who wants a doll.
Review: I always knew that librarians were sexy, and Cullinan threw in some kinks for fun! This is a fast-paced read full of details and drama. I always love the challenge of turning a cynical man into a love-struck ball of passion and Arthur Anderson fits that bill!
This second Minnesota Christmas tale fits right in with the language, lifestyle, and atmosphere of the first. Small town, both broad and narrow minds, traditions, family and a mischievous mother are all part of the sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking plot to bring Arthur and Gabriel together.
Don’t let the glasses and kids’ story time hero fool you, this small town librarian is a lusty one, but he’s in denial of the kinky side of his passions. Arthur may think he needs big strong one night encounters, but what he doesn’t know is that Gabe can handle whatever Arthur dishes out, and they may have much more in common that what lies on the surface.
There are a few small town stereotypes complete with anti-gay bashers, but even Arthur is guilty of stereotyping. He first overlooks Gabriel as weak, snobby, over educated, but one encounter at library story time open his eyes to how important Gabriel is to this town, and thus to Arthur. What starts as Arthur’s mom’s attempt to save the library budget, quickly becomes Arthur’s pet project, but can it become more?
So much great entertainment is crammed into this wonderful story! I’d be amiss to overlook the very sensual scenes, where Cullinan whips out her kink writing skills. A bit of D/s, a bit of consensual non-con, a little rough trade, and a lot of chemistry!!!!
I highly recommend this read, and not just for the cold winter months, but for hot winter nights!!!!
Blurb: Fifty years ago, Roland Mills belonged to a violent activist group. Now, someone is willing to kill to prevent him from publishing his memoirs.
When ex-FBI agent, Elliot Mills is called out to examine the charred ruins of his childhood home, he quickly identifies the fire for what it is—arson. A knee injury may have forced Elliot out of the Bureau, but it’s not going to stop him from bringing the man who wants his father dead to justice.
Agent Tucker Lance is still working to find the serial killer who’s obsessed with Elliot and can’t bear the thought of his lover putting himself in additional danger. straight-laced Tucker has never agreed with radical Roland on much—”opposing political viewpoints” is an understatement—but they’re united on this: Elliot needs to leave the case alone. Now.
Tucker would do nearly anything for the man he loves, but he won’t be used to gain Elliot access to the FBI’s resources. When the past comes back to play and everything both men had known to be true is questioned, their fragile relationship is left hanging in the balance.
See how Tucker and Elliot’s relationship began in Fair Game
Review:Fair Play captivated my mind and kept me guessing at the puzzle throughout! I love a good mystery suspense, and this is an excellent one! Lanyon’s ability to layer in details, emotion, foreshadowing, character subtleties, and a twisting plot is why I come back again, and again.
Fair Play, as a sequel to Fair Game, knocks it out of the park! My mind was kept busy on three different levels: First and foremost, I kept trying to guess who was after Elliot and his Dad. Second, I was wondering what really happened to the rest of the Collective, were some of them really killed, are some in hiding, and what do they have to hide? Third, are Elliot and Tucker going to make it as a co-habitating couple?
There are moments where I really want to shake sense into both of them! When two very independent, hard-headed men try to tiptoe around each other’s boundaries it has to be challenging, let alone trying to find ways to define their relationship, their roles in each other’s lives.
My anxiety really amped up when there were whispers of deceit feathered in early on: Tucker staying in town, Tucker turning off his phone, Tucker becoming distant….I won’t say more but just, argh! But hey, maybe all you need is love…
About three-quarters the way through I still had three different theories as to whodunit, and I have to say that’s a great thing. I get a little disappointed when I can solve a mystery and predict the outcome right away, but this is not the case. Lanyon once again kept my mind chewing on this puzzle until the very end.
A superb mystery thriller, packed with action, suspense, some very intense sexual dominance, and I’m still wondering what is going to happen with Corian….where are those heads?
After three years of waiting for “rabbit” Jeremy to commit to a life in Granby—and a life together—Aiden Rhodes was appalled when Jeremy sustained a nearly fatal beating to keep a friend out of harm’s way. How could Aiden’s bunny put himself in danger like that?
Aiden needs to get over himself, because Jeremy has a long road to recovery, and he’s going to need Aiden’s promise of love every step of the way. Jeremy has new scars on his face and body to deal with, and his heart can’t afford any more wounds.
When their friend’s baby needs some special care, the two men find common ground to firm up their shaky union. With Aiden’s support and his boss’s inspiration, Jeremy comes up with a plan to make sure Ariadne’s little blackbird comes into this world with everything she needs. While Jeremy grows into his new role as protector, Aiden needs to ease back on his protectiveness over his once-timid lover. Aiden may be a wolf in student’s clothing and Jeremy may be a rabbit of a man, but that doesn’t mean they can’t walk the wilds of Granby together.
Review: A bit less angst, more warm and fuzzy cheering for Jeremy to finally discover his worth. The theme song that runs through this tale of heartache, healing, and happiness is, you guessed it, Blackbird. And I couldn’t stop humming it for the rest of the two days I took to read this beauty.
It had been a while since reading the last Granby novel and this felt like coming home to old friends. The warmth and strength of community in our Granby guys, and gals, surrounds both Ariadne and Jeremy as they face the hurdles of healing both physically and emotionally. As Ariadne faces delivering a baby through a high-risk pregnancy and knowing she’ll be faced with birth defects, Jeremy is by her side, healing from his attack. Turns out, they heal each other. Jeremy convincing Ariadne that no matter what, her baby will be beautiful and loved eventually turns into a much larger gesture, one that holds a mirror to show him his own worth.
Aiden has to swallow the pain of seeing his lover sacrifice himself in the previous attack, and he needs to work on convincing Jeremy of his value to everyone most especially Aiden. The scars on his face don’t hide the beauty that affects Aiden’s heart, and so the theme plays on.
Through a huge community project to raise money for Ariadne’s baby, Jeremy sees himself through others eyes, and realizes that not only has he found home in Aiden’s heart, but in Granby, and maybe it’s time to do something about that safe under the bed.
Ben, Craw, Stanley, Gio- Johnny, Rory, Ariadne, Aiden and his family, the whole knitting community and even Rich, get together to make great things happen. A warm and fuzzy, feel good story that makes me want to live in Granby too! A nice welcome back to some of my favorite guys. Take these broken wings and learn to fly….
Blurb: Martin David, an eager but inexperienced financial analyst, is the newest member of the investment team at Skeiron Capital Partners in London. His boss is an avowed financial genius, but he’s also overbearing and intense. Despite his erratic behavior, Martin can’t help being drawn to him both professionally and personally.
Too bad his boss doesn’t seem to feel the same. In a firm where pedigree and connections mean far more than Martin’s newly-minted business degree, Martin feels desperately inadequate—at least until he meets the enigmatic investment manager Alec Berger, who promises to help Martin establish himself in the financial community. Martin is so charmed by Alec’s sophistication and wit that he gives him data that should have stayed confidential.
Then the financial crisis hits. Banks burn, companies teeter on the brink, and Skeiron’s survival is at stake. Martin is pushed into the middle of the fight for Skeiron—against both the tanking economy and a ruthless enemy who’s stepped out of the shadows to collect the spoils.
Return on Investment is the new gay financial thriller from EPIC Award winner and Lambda Award finalist Aleksandr Voinov.
Review: A book that demands your time and attention. Return On Investment is definitely more corporate thriller than anything else. Voinov seems to grab a hold of the culture of London/Wall Street Market and Investment firms. It’s a dog eat dog worlds, the competition is rough, unforgiving, and the fierce competition is in the blood. And blood is spilled, both figuratively and literally.
The beginning of the book lets the reader know where all this infighting, deceit, and overzealous and risky work ethic are leading. Lies, greed, violence, betrayal all have a part as one might assume in this thriller, what I did not expect is morality. Yes plenty of immorality, anyone who paid attention to the market and banking crisis of the 90’s expects that in this book set in the investment and banking market of the same time period. But what hit me most is how Voinov brought his characters through a crisis of personal morals.
I really started to give up hope on Martin redeeming himself, after some bad decisions both in whom he chose to trust, how he let professional relationships become sexual trysts, and hurt people on the sidelines, like Josh, with little concern. Until it hit him, and that moment of epiphany changes the momentum and pace of the books for me.
Alec, greedy, smarmy, conniving, and beautifully presented, I loved to hate this man. I don’t’ want to give out the surprises surrounding Alec, but he’s one of the most interesting and evil characters in the book. I think that Voinov wrote the best bad character I’ve read in a very long time.
Francis, Martin’s boss, was a puzzling character for me. The shocking beginning of this book undermined for me, all the confidence and strength he seemed to exude throughout the book. Maybe that is a strong point Voinov wants to make here. That you never know what will topple a powerful, intelligent, otherwise confident man of the edge. Everyone has their limits, and sometimes it takes drastic measures to pick a man up once he hits bottom.
I will warn you Voinov drags the reader through a ton of jargon and investment/banker culture, complete with conferences, strategy meetings, portfolio reviews, networking, and corporate takeover. If you really don’t like reading about business, and can’t warp your head around that culture, you may want to look elsewhere. I admit to wanting to speed read or scan over sections of the more corporate related details, but I’m glad I gave this book a closer look.
This is not a romantic book, though personal character, commitment, and loyalty do prove to aid in turning a professional and sexual attraction into a powerful intimate connection.
Watch out Michael Crichton, here comes Aleksandr Voinov. I highly recommend Return On Investment to those who enjoy a good corporate thriller!
Aaron Seavers is a pathetic mess, and he knows it. He lives in terror of incurring his father’s wrath and disappointing his mother, and he can’t stop dithering about where to go to college—with fall term only weeks away. Ditched by a friend at a miserable summer farewell party, all he can do is get drunk in the laundry room and regret he was ever born. Until a geeky-cute classmate lifts his spirits, leaving him confident of two things: his sexual orientation, and where he’s headed to school.
Giles Mulder can’t wait to get the hell out of Oak Grove, Minnesota, and off to college, where he plans to play his violin and figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. But when Aaron appears on campus, memories of hometown hazing threaten what he’d hoped would be his haven. As the semester wears on, their attraction crescendos from double cautious to a rich, swelling chord. But if more than one set of controlling parents have their way, the music of their love could come to a shattering end.
Warning: Contains showmances, bad parenting, Walter Lucas, and a cappella.
Review: Okay, Heidi-baby is sneaking her angst back in now…but still, if Love Lessons #1 was woven around a Disney fetish, Fever Pitch is practically a musical, in fact that’s how my weird mind started imagining these fellas, moving into a dramatic scene and breaking out in song.
Poor Aaron is always hiding from himself, until he makes the decision to follow a high school tryst, Giles, out to college. He only picks the school because Giles is there, but once he faces him off and is seemingly rebuffed, Aaron makes efforts and has no problem fitting in. Only problem is it isn’t the pre-law crowd that Aaron finds his home with, but the music department, and the a cappella choir. He finds such swift success with the music department that he decides to switch majors but know his father will soon find out and facing that wrath is scary as hell.
Speaking of scary as hell, his roommate truly gave me the creeps along with the “toads” he hangs out with. Cullinan truly did well on the creep factor there! I really don’t’ want to give away the most interesting things about Aaron’s roommate, let’s just say, fuel plus fire can only lead to explosions and not good ones.
And Giles, that damned boy got things so screwed up with Aaron, he can only stand back, and try to be friends. Good thing Giles is a great guy, with very supportive parents to convince him to be patient. They wind up working together on some major musical programs and soon the lust reignites….YAY!
But all this fun and good times can’t last long. Aaron’s dad will discover many truths about his son and behave abhorrently. Thank goodness for good ole, Walter from Love Lessons #1. The moral of this story is to pay it forward. Be a good example for the youth of the next gen, be there for a friend in need. Walter took this to heart and is always there to help both Aaron, Giles and the creepster roommate.
This fever-pitch storyline crescendos into a huge explosive scene dredging up everyone’s past and creating a serious crossroads for all characters involved.
This story has more drama, more angst, and more twist sand turns than book one. I love them both for different reasons, though this one left us hanging with the tasty plot for book three. And I for one can’t wait!
Blurb: Dare Buckley has come home—or at least, he’s come back to Palladian, the small town he left as a teenager. After a major lapse in judgment forced him to resign from the Seattle PD, Palladian is the only place that’ll hire him. There’s one benefit to hitting rock bottom, though: the chance to investigate the mystery of his father’s suicide.
Dare also gets to reacquaint himself with Finn Fowler, whose childhood hero worship ended in uncomfortable silence when Dare moved away. But Finn isn’t the same little kid Dare once protected. He’s grown into an attractive, enigmatic stranger who neither wants nor needs what Dare has to offer.
In fact, Dare soon realizes that Finn’s keeping secrets—his own and the town’s. And he doesn’t seem to care that Dare needs answers. The atmosphere in Palladian, like its namesake river, appears placid, but dark currents churn underneath. When danger closes in, Dare must pit his ingenuity against his heart, and find his way home the hard way.
Review: I swear this book should begin with the phrase, “A dark and stormy night…” The whole image, feel, and plot of this story had a dark, malevolent feel to it. Much like the wastewater in the river, the townspeople were toxic. The question is why, and what will wash away the evil that is lurking in the shadows on those dark and stormy nights?
From the beginning, the author makes us feel some kind of dark threat in Finn, from his lurking behavior in the parking lot, to his quite connectedness to Bill the bully.
We know that Finn is hiding something, from the reason behind his limp, to what his side work may be. But what is the big secret? I admit to thinking even darker nefarious thoughts about Finn’s connection to Dare’s father’s death, glad that wasn’t the case, but the end was still surprising.
The writing was smooth, though my favorite aspect was that the environment in the story reflected the emotional and behavioral state of the main characters. I like those layers in a good mystery, and Maxfield slips them in as more people get involved in the plot and Dare’s attachment to Finn grows stronger even though it could ruin him the same way his career was destroyed in Seattle.
All in all a dark tale, a mystery that kept me on the hook until the end, and a sizzling sexual heat between Dare and Finn that kept me on my toes the whole time. A great read, I’d definitely recommend!
Blurb: Charlie Corcoran is the best thing about twenty-five-year old Zach Prentiss’s life. Sure, they’ve never met. Charlie’s never seen Zach from the neck up, but because of Charlie, for a few hours Zach can forget about his sick father, his falling grades, and his dwindling clientele who don’t like that he’s a rentboy who ages. With Charlie, he talks online about comics, cars, and movies.
Then a new client arrives. It’s Charlie wanting sex tips… for a date with Zach. Zach goes through with the appointment, convinced it’s over if Charlie recognizes him.
However, he doesn’t have long to nurse his broken heart or worry about Charlie’s before Charlie is back, wanting to take him out, introduce him to Mom, and treat him like he’s decent.
Review: The idea of selling your sexual services for big money may seem erotic and a way to make some fast cash, but the reality is ugly. Zach’s career choice while earning money for college loses him the chance to have a real relationship with his online sex buddy Charlie. His regular clients start to get complicated and dangerous all the while Zach keeps hiding his secret from Charlie.
Having sex with Zach while keeping his identity secret is a double-edged sword. He gets to enjoy his intimate encounters with Charlie, but knows he’ll only hurt him in the end.
When one of Zach’s clients gets dangerous enough to leave Zach seeking medical attention, Zach and Charlie have to face the truth, and the future looks bleak.
There is a happy ending, but I was still left unsatisfied somehow. Maybe I can’t wrap my head around being romantically involved with a prostitute, knowing it and trying to live with it. The BDSM content is scary and other times made fun of, so I would not recommend this book for those who enjoy the BDSM genre.
Title: A Thing for Cops
