Hiya guys, we have Cardeno C. stopping by today with her excellent audiobook McFarland’s Farm, we have a short sample and a great promo vid, there’s a fantastic giveaway and we also have Tams review for you to check out, so enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Wealthy, attractive Lucas Reika treats life like a party, moving from bar to bar and man to man. Thumbing his nose at his restaurateur father’s demand that he earn his keep, Lucas instead seduces a valued employee in the kitchen of their flagship restaurant, earning himself an ultimatum: lose access to his father’s money or stay in the middle of nowhere with a man he has secretly lusted over from afar.
Quiet, hard-working Jared McFarland loves his farm on the outskirts of Hope, Arizona, but he aches to have someone to come home to at the end of the day. Jared agrees to take in his longtime crush as a favor. But when Lucas invades his heart in addition to his space, Jared has to decide how much of himself he’s willing to risk and figure out if he can offer Lucas enough to keep him after his father’s punishment is over.
Title: Tequila Mockingbird Series: Sinner’s Gin, #3 Author: Rhys Ford Narrator: Tristan James Genre: Romantic Suspense Length: 9 hours and 11 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (11-04-14) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Lieutenant Connor Morgan of SFPD’s SWAT division wasn’t looking for love. Especially not in a man. His life plan didn’t include one Forest Ackerman, a brown-eyed, blond drummer who’s as sexy as he is trouble.
His family depends on him to be like his father, a solid pillar of strength who’ll one day lead the Morgan clan.
No, Connor has everything worked out—a career in law enforcement, a nice house, and a family. Instead, he finds a murdered man while on a drug raid and loses his heart comforting the man’s adopted son. It wasn’t like he’d never thought about men — it’s just loving one doesn’t fit into his plans.
Forest Ackerman certainly doesn’t need to be lusting after a straight cop, even if Connor Morgan is everywhere he looks, especially after Frank’s death. He’s just talked himself out of lusting for the brawny cop when his coffee shop becomes a war zone and Connor Morgan steps in to save him.
Whoever killed his father seems intent on Forest joining him in the afterlife. As the killer moves closer to achieving his goal, Forest tangles with Connor Morgan and is left wondering what he’ll lose first—his life or his heart.
Review:Tams e-book review from May 2014…
Conner Morgan is the eldest of the eight Morgan children and with that, he holds himself to a higher standard. He feels the burden of having to project a certain persona to everyone because of who his father is. Everything he thought he was is about to be called into question on his latest case. When one blonde haired, brown eyed, barefoot musician barrels into his life.
Forest Ackerman has had a very hard life. Used, abused and tossed out like trash by his own mother… unless she needed something from him, of course. He was saved by a man who saw the innocence of a child that needed to be protected. Forest found solace in his drums and the studio his dad owned, until an explosion tears his world apart and throws him right into the arms of a large, in charge and sex on a stick Irish cop. Conner Morgan.
Both men struggle with the attraction from the start, sort of. Forest doesn’t want to fall for a straight guy, but said straight guy keeps showing up at the coffee shop Forest works at, every day, making him impossible to ignore. And I don’t think Conner struggled so much with his attraction to Forest, as he did with this persona he had created for himself and a fear of not being what he thought his family wanted him to be.
After the initial explosion and the coffee shop bombing and then the hit and run, Conner finally admits his feelings for Forest. And once Forest is released from the hospital, Conner doesn’t give him much choice but to stay with him. So Forest gets a crash course in Morgan family politics 101 before these two even have a chance to define their relationship.
Now this alone would send most men running, screaming and searching for the nearest EXIT. But not Forest. I think Brigid Morgan, the spitfire pixie matriarch of the Morgan clan, nails it when she tells Forest that his mother simply gave birth to him for her, for Brigid, that he was hers now. And unlike Mickey, Forest relishes the attention.
There was a lot more interaction with various members of the Morgan clan in this book, and I loved that. Classic Rhys Ford with drama, suspense, a mountain of bodies, a psycho killer and some hot, steamy, sweaty gay man sex dripping off of every page! I love the Irish and Gaelic terms that are used throughout this series and the strength of the family unit that is the Morgans. Every last one of them is fiercely loyal, stubborn, outspoken, full of piss and vinegar and carries an exorbitant amount of love.
Yes, if I really need to say it, this is a must read. You must read them in order as well to appreciate the Morgan family as a whole. As well as Mickey/Sinjin and Damien/Damie who it looks like will be staring up a new band, now that they found themselves a drummer. They just need a bass player. Oh, wait, Sionn’s best friend Rafe is a bass player. And this story ended with Quinn Morgan making his way up that tree!
Tams Audio review addition from December…
It is such a joy to listen to an Audio of a book I’ve already read, and find something new within the story. The relationship between Connor and Forest was so much more powerful when the characters were given a voice. To “hear” Connor call Forest a ghrá with so much emotion behind the word added even more depth to this story for me.
Don’t get me wrong, Ford did a great job of conveying emotions with the written version and I devoured that copy. But to hear the strain in Connor’s voice when he is calling out to Forest after the bombing, to hear the love in his voice when he uses the Irish Gaelic term of endearment, hell, to hear the struggle in Forest’s voice as he slowly falls in love with his big, brooding, Irish cop, it was a thing of beauty.
Narrated by Tristan James who is fluent in the Irish brogue that is the Morgan Clan. And you will never be confused as to which Morgan is talking at the time, he has mastered the art of nuance and tone inflections so you always know when there is a shift in character. If you are like me and love to put a voice with the words on paper, then you are really going to get a treat with this one.
This is one of the best M/M series you can get your hands on right now, written by a well-rounded author and narrated by a talented storyteller. Definitely a must read and/or listen, but either way you chose to experience these stories, do so in order or you won’t understand a lot of what is happening from one book to the next. While each story is for a different couple, the core of the stories is a continuation of the characters relationships and how they develop as a whole.
* I received a copy of this book and this audio book from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Turkey in the Snow Series: 2012 Dreamspinner Press Advent Calendar: Evergreen Author: Amy Lane Narrator: Gomez Pugh Genre: Contemporary Length: 2 hours and 32 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (9-15-14) Heat Level: Mild Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts Blurb: Since Hank Calder’s four-year-old niece, Josie, came to live with him, his life has been plenty dramatic, thank you, and the last thing he needs is a swishy, flaming twinkie to complicate things. But when Justin, the daycare worker at his gym, offers to do something incredibly nice for Hank—and for Josie—Hank is forced to reconsider.
Justin may be flamboyant in his speech and gestures, but his heart and kindness are as rock steady and dependable as anyone, even Hank, could ask for.
Can Hank trust in his dramatic “turkey in the snow” to offer his heart the joy he and Josie have never known?
Review: Hank Calder is going through the motions, trying to raise his young niece after his sister left several months ago to “go to the store” and left him holding the bag. The strain of it all gets to him sometimes, and he uses his workouts at the gym as an escape. While Hank works off his issues, little Josie spends her time in the daycare center with Justin, a flaming twink that Hank went to high school with and never much cared for.
When Justin goes out of his way to help Hank and Josie both of them warm to him quickly, much to Hanks surprise. He didn’t think he could ever do a relationship with anyone again after his last disastrous one, nor did he ever imagine he would be attracted to someone as flamboyant as Justin. You know what they say though, Opposites often attract.
Amy Lane is the queen of angst and I loved how she managed to keep true to her roots and still deliver a well-rounded story in so few pages. The story flowed steady and I found myself at the end and ready to rewind and listen again. My only complaint would be the way Pugh read the character Justin. I realize he is written as a flamboyant, flaming twink, but still, it was a little overboard in my opinion. But overall the narration was good and Pugh did a fantastic job of making sure you knew when there was a change in character.
The perfect little story for Lane’s hard core fans, or if you are just looking for a Holiday themed story where the guys have to work a little bit for that happy ever after.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Feels Like Home Author: Rowan McAllister Narrator: Michael Stellman Genre: Contemporary/Holiday Length: 1 hour and 46 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (11-10-14) Heat Level: Mild Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts Blurb: It’s only three days ’til Christmas. Jeremy Porter is still grieving over his mother’s death, and Paul McClellan is a lonely divorcee just trying to make it home even though the only one waiting for him is his cat. It may seem like a miserable combination, but when Jeremy saves Paul from being hit by a car during a nasty snowstorm, their connection and chemistry are undeniable. It’s easy to cuddle up with a stranger when you’re snowed in but can a holiday affair turn into more if being together feels like home?
Review: Jeremy Porter is on his way home just a few days before Christmas when a sexy stranger catches his eye. Paul McClellan is stranded with a flat tire just outside Jeremy’s apartment when a would be hit and run driver comes dangerously close to ruining Paul’s Christmas. After pulling Paul to safety, Jeremy invites him up to his apartment to warm up and wait out the snow before they can safely change the tire.
There is a connection between them that cannot be denied and almost as soon as they are inside and in wrapped up in warm clothes, they are out of them and wrapped up in each other. They spend the next two days wrapped in a world wind romance getting to know more about each other. They are both single but Jeremy is still mourning the loss of his mother and his ex-boyfriend while Paul has been divorced for close to six years, but his ex-wife can still make him feel like a petulant child.
Jeremy is amazed at how quickly he acclimates to having Paul around, thinking being with Paul feels like home, feels natural. And yet, he won’t tell Paul, or ask him to stay. When the storm clears and they replace Paul’s tire, will he go? Or will he stay and make a home with Jeremy.
This was a cute story about finding the one in the oddest of ways. My only complaint would be I wanted the author to decide between adult and YA. Words used were definitely descriptive, but then it was more of a fade to black than actual details of what these guys were doing. I would have rather had one, or the other, instead of teetering between the two. My first audible with Michael Stellman and I’d listen to him again, he held his own with voice changes and had the ability to carry the story with his voice.
If you are looking for something short and festive for the season, give this one a go.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Chase in Shadow Series: Johnnies, #1 Author: Amy Lane Genre: Contemporary Romance (trigger warning. Abuse, neglect and attempted suicide) Narrator: Sean Crisden Length: 9 hours and 39 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press at Audible (04-01-14) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts Reviewer: Tams Blurb: Chase Summers: Golden boy. Beautiful girlfriend, good friends, and a promising future.
Nobody knows the real Chase.
Chase Summers has a razor blade to his wrist and the smell of his lover’s goodbye clinging to his skin. He has a door in his heart so frightening he’d rather die than open it, and the lies he’s used to block it shut are thinning with every forbidden touch. Chase has spent his entire life unraveling, and his decision to set his sexuality free in secret has only torn his mind apart faster.
Chase has one chance for true love and salvation. He may have met Tommy Halloran in the world of gay-for-pay—where the number of lovers doesn’t matter as long as the come-shot’s good—but if he wants the healing that Tommy’s love has to offer, he’ll need the courage to leave the shadows for the sunlight. That may be too much to ask from a man who’s spent his entire life hiding his true self. Chase knows all too well that the only things thriving in a heart’s darkness are the bitter personal demons that love to watch us bleed.
Review: At first glance, one would think Chase Summers life is perfect. He has a devoted fiancé, a home, friends and good paying job. Dig down deep though and you’ll find the stuff of nightmares. Chase buries his sexuality behind a blood red door that binds his soul. His father is a homophobe of the highest order, and his mother killed herself when he was just a boy, only adding to the emotional scars that make up Chase’s tattered soul. The little piece of heaven in Chase’s otherwise psychotic existence is his job for a ‘gay for pay’ site, Johnnies.
Tommy Halloran has his own personal demons to deal with. He’s bulimic, brought on by a need to look as fit and trim as possible in front of the cameras. His Johnnies persona, Tango, is a sexy little minx with his dark hair and piercing eyes and absolutely zero inhibitions where sex is concerned. Tommy and the other guys at Johnnies quickly befriend Chase, but somewhere along the way, the relationship between Tommy and Chase becomes something more.
After Tommy’s mom dies and Chase is a shoulder to cry on, the two begin a passionate affair. Yes, Chase is still closeted and lying to his fiancé, but he doesn’t lie to Tommy about the important things, or so he thinks. Keeping his sexuality and his past bottled up behind that red door that is starting to buckle under the pressure, turn out to be more than anyone could bear. When the bough breaks, and Chase takes a razor to his wrist, he finally opens up about his sexuality. Turns out, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
First, I’m going to tell you this was one of the best books I’ve ever listened to. Then I have to warn you that if you have triggers… severe depression, attempted suicide, abuse, neglect… be warned all of these situations are depicted in this story. While this was a very heavy story to listen to it was told in such a way that I was engaged and intrigued throughout. I found myself silently weeping at one point, when Chase finally opens up about the red door and his mom, it was devastating. But the way he gets through everything, surrounded by nothing but love and support, because Tommy and the rest of his friends NEVER leave his side, was beautiful.
Either Amy Lane works with people with depression and anxiety, has a family member or close friend that suffers or she does some of the best research in the business. I know someone whose situation is quite similar to Chase’s and the way Lane describe things were so eerily true, it was almost haunting.
Now the narration, wow! It’s no secret Sean Crisden is one of my favourite narrators, his voice is mesmerizing. The way he can change his tone with just the barest of pitch or breathe adds so much more to the story. And then when you couple his expertise with a fantastically written story, it’s a masterpiece. Throughout the story, Chase has this inner monologue going, the demon that is his depression speaks and Crisden had a specific voice, monotone almost, that he used for these parts in the story. It allowed me as a listener to feel the gravity of Chase’s situation. He’s all sunshine and smiles on the outside, but inside he’s being torn apart, and all the while, this demon of depression is so matter of fact about everything, it really shows the truth of what goes on inside the minds of people who suffer this debilitating disease.
This story is dark, dramatic and emotionally draining. But there is such a beauty to the bond between Chase and Tommy and the way they literally drag each other out of hell, that I can’t not recommend it.
Title: A Gentleman’s Agreement Author: J. Roman Narrator: Paul Morey Genre: Historical/Holiday Length: 2 hours and 24 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (10-22-2014) Heat Level: Low Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Thomas Derrik is about to have the worst Christmas of his life. Three days before the holiday, he finds out the father he doesn’t get along with is arriving on Christmas Eve, his ex-lover and new brother-in-law will be staying at his estate until the New Year, and his beloved brother, Edmund, has died.
Luckily, Edmund’s last holiday scheme may well save Thomas’s Christmas: Henry Appleby, a young lord fresh from the Continent, has arranged to court Thomas. But the family tragedy and jealous exes may put an end to the romance before it begins.
Review: Thomas is considered a miscreant in his era. A place and time where attraction to the same-sex is punishable by death. Not long ago he ended a relationship with his best friend of many years after learning the man had a man in every port, Thomas wasn’t as special to him as Thomas had been led to believe. Now with the Holiday fast approaching Thomas is alone, surrounded by family he doesn’t much care for and to make matters worse, he has just learned of his beloved brother’s death.
Edmond, Thomas’s younger brother, was a true friend and ally, very understanding about Thomas’s choice in partners. So much so that it would seem even in death, he is still looking out for his brother. A gift, of sorts, arrives along with Thomas’s father in the form of one Lord Henry Appleby and his sister. It would seem that Henry and Thomas have many things in common, including the same best friend, Edmond, and a proclivity for other men.
A deal brokered by Edmond and Henry to ensure Thomas both happiness and stability is set in motion, but Edmond’s untimely death and Thomas’s clingy ex could destroy even the most intricately detailed plan.
For such a short story, there was a lot of attention paid to even the finite details of descriptives and characters. Set in a time where a Gentleman’s word was his bond and an agreement carried as much weight as a contract. But the relationship between Thomas and Henry becomes much more than just a means to an end, they truly care for one another. The narration was the perfect complement to the characters and the storyline, Morey is so well spoken and has sort of this aristocratic air to his voice that blended perfectly with the written words of this novella.
A perfect story for the season, and very inexpensive for either the audible or the e-book version. I highly recommend for fans of historical romance or just fans of romance in general.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Christmas Cole Author: BG Thomas Narrator: Paul Morey Genre: Contemporary/Holiday Length: 2 hours and 4 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (10-30-2014) Heat Level: Low Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Javier Torres was a sweet, plump, and very unpopular child. But over the years, he turned himself into a gorgeous gym god. The problem is he’s also become an egotistical snob. But one day his arrogance pisses off the wrong little old lady, and he wakes up to find that, like the Prince in Beauty and the Beast, he’s been transformed into something from his personal nightmares.
Javier has nowhere to go but back home. Where to his surprise, he is greeted with open arms. Not just by the family he remembers, but by his new brother-in-law, Cole. Cole suspects there might be a pretty heart to go with the pretty face locked inside that new body. But has Javier learned enough to earn Cole—instead of coal—for Christmas?
Part of the Dreamspinner 2011 Advent Calendar – I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Review: Javier Torres went from an isolated, over weight and insecure teenager to a conceited, self-absorbed and condescending adult. Somewhere along the way, Javier forgot what it was like to be the one who was picked on, ridiculed, and ostracized because of his appearance and sexual preference. Enter one lovely little old woman with silver hair and a stunning smile to remind him.
When Javier wakes up in the body he thought he left behind and his partner jets off to vacation without him, he is left alone and confused just days before Christmas. A cup of coffee in the mall and a random message scrawled on the table send Javier back to the place he couldn’t get away from fast enough a decade ago, home.
In a twist on the It’s a Wonderful Life and Christmas Carol stories, Thomas takes a man who lost sight of what’s important, and shows him that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. In an effort to hide the pain of his past, Javier remade himself. Only to turn into the type of person that sent him away in the first place. When the tables are once again turned and he heads back home, he is embraced, to spite his appearance.
I really enjoyed the moral of this story and how Thomas explored such a wide array of emotions in such a short amount of time. Add to that the voice of Paul Morey and his ability to stretch himself into a multitude of characters from one breath to the next. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him actually whine before though, and it was so perfect for Javier when he is at his lowest point.
Javier learns through pain and disappointment what is truly important. The good thing is, it’s not too late for him to have a chance at happiness. And for the first time ever, someone WANTS Cole in their stocking!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Snow Globe Author: LE Franks Narrator: Dave Gillies Genre: Contemporary/Holiday Length: 58 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (11-10-2014) Heat Level: Low Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Kris Hamilton escaped the rat race in LA to live his dream of owning an art studio and making snow globes in a Christmas-themed town in northern Minnesota. But life in a tiny town isn’t as peaceful as advertised, and being treated like an outsider is making Kris’s Tourette’s flare up. When he inadvertently offends Tyr Tollefson—a beautiful blond giant of a man—Kris is ready to chuck it all. But he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Tyr’s cousin Bun, who shows them the magic of Christmas and gives them both a lesson in love and acceptance.
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package “Heartwarming.”
Review: Kris Hamilton turned his online snow globe making business into something full-time, buying into a store in Minnesota, and moving his life across country. Only to be ceremoniously ostracized by his neighbors because he is different. Kris is tall, thin and has the appearance of an Anime character come to life, he’s gay, and he has Tourette’s. Any one of these characteristics would be frowned upon in this straight-laced Midwestern town, but Kris seems to have nailed the trifecta.
When Tyr Tollefson and his niece stumble into Kris’s store and are witness to a full on episode, Tyr gets the wrong impression. But Kris’s personality shines when he starts to get to know Try and Bun, and Tyr learns the real reason behind Kris’s outbursts. While Kris is unable to control what comes out of his mouth most of the time, his outbursts serve to bring him and Tyr closer together as an odd form of communication. But inexperience and a town full of judgmental people threatens to drive a wedge between them.
This was a super short Christmas themed story. I was surprised at just how much content was given for a book just shy of an hour in length. I loved the detailed descriptive of the town, Kris’s work and Kris and Tyr’s appearance overall. I seriously had a visual of these two men and where they lived just by the words used for them. This was my first LE Franks book as well as my first Dave Gillie’s audible, it will not be the last for either of the aforementioned! What a great collaboration of written word and the translation of them.
Definitely a must read for any fans of the genre that are looking for a heartfelt, romantic read for the Holiday. Again, it is very reasonably priced in both Audio and E-book. Cheap enough, in fact, that this would be a great option for gifting, as well.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: A Lion in Tales Author: Andrew Grey Series: Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package “Heartwarming.” Narrator: KC Kelly Genre: Holiday/Contemporary Length: 2 hours and 9 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (9-19-2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Larry Kincaid isn’t ready to be a parent, but when his sister dies in an accident, he takes his nephew, Angus, into his home. The change throws Larry’s life into limbo until he meets Joshua Langdon.
To Joshua, Larry is a lion: growly and strong, but too proud to ask for help. Joshua gets past his defenses and finds a place in Larry and Angus’s family, but Larry’s pride gets in the way. Can they turn their holiday romance into a relationship that lasts into the New Year?
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package “Heartwarming.”
Review: Short, Sexy, and Steamy wrapped up in a pretty red bow! My three favorite colors, oh how I’ve missed you!!
Larry Kincaid inherited the responsibilities of being a father to his young nephew, Angus, when his sister passed away. Every day is about going through the motions with Larry thinking of what is best for Angus. All that changes when he takes Angus to a local shop to get a tux for their annual Christmas party. Angus is immediately enamored with the shop worker, Joshua Langdon, as is Uncle Larry.
Circumstance leads Larry to invite Josh to the Christmas party, and the two share a very heated, very passionate night for an after party. But when Josh leaves in the night without so much as a word or a note, Larry is hurt. A past relationship that went bad left a sour taste in Larry’s mouth and he jumps to conclusions about why Josh left. Then refuses to hear his explanation. As fate would have it, the two meet again by chance, shopping for Christmas trees. Can Larry let go of the past, be a father to Angus, and have a relationship with Josh?
Trademark Andrew Grey with the perfect plot and precise character development. The flow from start to finish was steady and graceful. Larry is a lion when it comes to his role as a father figure and his business, but when it becomes more personal with Josh, he acts like an unsteady kitten. Until Josh calls him out on it, and then it’s on! What he has to do is find a balance between being Angus’s father and Josh’s lover. This book seriously made me laugh, cry, and swoon.
If you’re looking for a fun Holiday read that is equal parts sexy and sweet, then this is the book for you.
Updated Audio review December 2014…
I do love when a narrator can take a story I’ve already read and enjoyed and add just that little something more to it. There were actually little things in the story that I either missed or just didn’t quite catch when I read it, or perhaps Kelly’s rendition of the written word just brought something new to it. Larry lost his sister and became the sole guardian to his young nephew and he constantly worries that he can’t give little Angus what he needs. Josh sees the man who Larry truly is. A fiercely loyal, strong single father and the perfect partner for him.
Through Christmas parties, fancy suits and decorating trees these two men fall in love and show a promise of becoming a family. Kelly took Grey’s words and told them in a way that expanded an already fantastic story. Like I said before… Short, Sexy and Steamy! The perfect companion to the written work.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: By the Creek Author: Geoff Laughton Narrator: Paul Morey Genre: Contemporary/Young Adult Length: 5 hours and 29 minutes Publisher: Harmony Ink, Dreamspinner Press (06-18-2014) Heat Level: Mild (age appropriate for teens and young adults) Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Soon-to-be high school junior David Harper hates his family’s move to the country. There’s nothing to do, and he misses his friends in the city. But he doesn’t have a choice. His mother’s job is in Mason County now, so David and his mom are too, and he has to make the best of it.
At first, the only redeeming feature of David’s new home is the swimming hole across the field from his house. Then David meets Benjamin Killinger, and suddenly life stops being so dull.
Benjamin is Amish, and cooling off in the swimming hole is one of the few liberties he and his brothers enjoy. A friendship with an English boy is not—but that doesn’t stop him and David from getting to know each other, as long as it’s on the neutral ground by the creek.
After David risks his life to save Benjamin’s father, the boys’ friendship is tolerated, then accepted. But before long, Benjamin’s feelings for David grow beyond the platonic. Benjamin’s family and the rest of the community will never allow a love like that, and a secret this big can’t stay secret forever…
When I first took this book for review I asked the author to tell me about the story. He said he wanted to write a YA novel with a gay storyline because there really aren’t any available. I have to agree with him, at least not where the entire story is based on the two young men. This isn’t a sexy steamy M/M novel, this is a well written YA novel about young love, that love just happens to be between two young men.
David and Benjamin happen upon each other one afternoon at the swimming hole that lies between their properties. David has recently moved into his ancient country home with his mom, and Benjamin is a member of the Amish family that lives in a homestead across the road from David. The pair move at a steady pace starting with a friendship that is forbidden at first, and then accepted due to David’s actions, moving into something kind of like love. It’s not an instant overnight love, and it’s not a slow burn, it’s pleasantly steady and happens exactly when it’s supposed to.
Benjamin is wildly curious about the outside world and David is more than happy to fill him in. The swimming hole becomes their sanctuary where innocent conversations lead to looks of longing and ultimately, that first kiss. It’s during one of these afternoon frollicks when the boys are locked in a passionate embrace that Ben’s father finds them. David is inconsolable as his mom and two best friends rally at his side. Will Ben come back to him, or will he ultimately choose to stay with his family.
Laughton has a way of conveying emotions from pen to paper that is really unique in books today. I was seriously drawn into David and Benjamin’s reality, I grew with them, I fell in love with them, and I cried with them… it was fabulous!
I was reminded of one of my favorite movies while reading this book, Latter Days. There is a line in By the Creek where Ben questions if the love that he and David share is a sin, David quickly tells him that to be loved and love someone could never be a sin. At the end of Latter Days Jacqueline Bissets character has one of the best lines in any movie ever “So, your church forbids drinking and homosexuality. Well, forgive me for not joining. I can’t imagine Heaven without both of them.” That line is so perfectly, David and Ben!
Highly recommended! Well written. Characters have depth and realism. Overall an emotionally fabulous read!!
Updated audio review…
David is all but forced away from his home, job and friends due to his mom’s relocation for her job. Miserable to say the lease, and slightly bored with isolation, he ventures to the creek that lies between his home and the local property of the local Amish community. It’s here that he meets Benjamin, an Amish teenager that knows nothing other than the life he has been taught to lead. Through his friendship and mutual attraction to David, Ben starts to question the life he is meant to lead. The two teenagers build an unbreakable bound and love that will last a lifetime, by the creek.
The perfect marriage of narration and writing, Morey gives Laughton’s words a voice, he truly brings David and Ben to life. I love when I can listen to a story that I’ve already read, and find something new within the story or the characters that I missed in black and white. While I was so drawn to this story because of the passion and pain that was written into the relationship, hearing David’s pain at possibly loosing Ben at that point in the story just took it to an entirely new place for me.
These two young men were the very definition of endearing, the story just utterly engaging and now with the addition of Paul Morey’s voice to give the words new meaning, one word… Flawless! This is a YA story, but I believe it is written and conveyed in such a way that fans of all ages will fall in love with David and Ben and their journey.
Definitely a must read AND a must listen!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: The Terms of Release Author: BA Tortuga Narrator: Slate Anders Genre: Contemporary Romance Length: 8 hours and 1 minute Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (09-12-2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.75 Hearts Blurb: They say a man can always come home. So after doing hard time, Sage Redding heads to his family’s northeast Texas ranch to help his ailing daddy with the cutting horses.
Adam (Win) Winchester is a county deputy and the cousin of one of the men killed in the incident that sent Sage to prison for almost a decade. While Win’s uncles, Jim and Teddy, are determined to make Sage and the entire Redding family pay for their loss, Win just figures Sage has paid his dues and maybe needs a friend. Maybe he needs more than a friend. In fact, Win’s counting on it.
No one’s denying Sage is an ex-con who went to prison for manslaughter. Regardless of the love he has for his father, he’s returned knowing things will likely go badly for him. Maybe a man can always come home, but he may not be able to stay.
Review: You can always go home, but why would you want to when almost everyone considers you responsible for the death of one of their own? Sage Redding is called home to help his family on their Ranch when his father falls too ill to continue working with the horses. No sooner than he steps off the plane in Texas, the local sheriff makes it clear he has Sage in his sights. A decade spent in prison has not lessened the hate that is simmering in the hearts of the family that feel Sage took something from them.
Deputy Adam Winchester, Win, can understand the pain his family still holds on too, it was his cousin that died, but he doesn’t think Sage is as responsible as he was punished for. Win does his best to keep his family at bay, but Sage is hurt by some people ‘out for justice’ regardless. As the story progress’s so does the relationship between Win and Sage, Win becomes very protective of his lover, but his family doesn’t know when to quit. Add to that Mother Nature herself in the form of a very pissed off tornado, and the ability to keep Sage safe is literally jerked out of Win’s hands.
I really enjoyed the storyline of the good boy gone bad, supposedly, but in actuality, he is protecting the memory of his friend. Sage takes the blame for far more than he is responsible for and through it all, he keeps his dead friends memory clean. And I loved that Sage’s family stood up for him regardless, the controversy behind his conviction, his sexuality, and the trouble that follows him everywhere. They just love him and support him.
Alas, there was so much going on within the spines of this story that at times, I was confused, and the story itself felt rushed. This could easily have been split into two books with more attention paid to specific details in each installment. There were situations and words used repetitively in abundance, which took away from the overall feeling of the story as well.
This was my first audio with Slate Anders and I won’t be rushing to grab another one from him. I don’t know if he thought he was bringing the characters to life by using likenesses of John Wayne, Elvis Presley, and Carson Kressley but it did not do this story justice and came across as campy and generic.
I’m torn on this one, I think perhaps I should have read this one and not listened to it, but the overuse of terms and words would still lower my rating. If you like Cowboy Romances though, this story may appeal to you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: The Snow Garden Author: Christopher Rice Narrator: James Daniels Genre: Mystery/ Thriller Length: 12 hours and 20 minutes Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (originally published 9-11-2008 this is a re-release for 12-9-2014) Heat Level: Mild Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: A shocking death exposes dangerous forces of seduction, obsession, and vengeance lurking beneath the idyllic surface of a prestigious New England university.
It is more than just the late November weather that has cast a chill over the campus of Atherton University. When the wife of respected professor Eric Eberman is killed in a tragic accident, his secret student lover, Randall Stone, fears the professor tried to avert career suicide by committing homicide. Or do the dead woman’s haunting last words point to an even more damning crime?
Fearing the truth, Randall digs into his lover’s hidden history. But what he finds draws him and everyone he cares for into a dark dance of sexual manipulation, twisted retribution, and murderous rage where nothing is as it seems. And no one will escape from it unscathed…if they escape at all.
In this emotionally gripping tale from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice, the past may seem buried, but it can come back with a deadly vengeance.
Review: Atherton University, freshman year. Kathryn, Randall, and Jesse come from different worlds, but find themselves drawn together in unexpected ways. For each of them, college promises a bright future and a way to disconnect from a dark, haunted past. But as winter sets in, their secret histories threaten to disrupt the layers of deceit that protect their fragile new lives.
Kathryn along with her roommate April, her openly gay best friend Randall, and his roommate Jesse who gives new meaning to the term promiscuous are just a few months into their freshman year at the prestigious Atherton University. The backdrop is a picturesque New England college town fraught with murder, mystery, mayhem, snow, and random college hookups.
The story opens twenty something years in the past with a chilling memory of lies, deceit and death that sets the stage for the series of events that about to unfold.
Kathryn, Randall and Jesse… the troublesome trio, have all come to college in an attempt to escape their own individual realities. All three haunted by their pasts and all three determined to make a fresh start and own their futures. The secrets they don’t share are the ones that could get them all killed though. When their Art Professor’s wife dies under somewhat mysterious circumstances, leaving behind and broken trail of clues as to what may have happened that dark, snowy night, Randall sets out to discover the truth behind her death.
What his friends don’t know is that Randall was having a torrid, secret affair with Eric Eberman, Art Professor and widower to the late Mrs. Eberman that just died in said crash. And he is just as determined to keep that secret under wraps. Kathryn and Jesse can sense the unease, the change in attitude and demeanor of their friend. They just can’t put their finger on the why.
With the Holidays approaching, Kathryn’s parents are hounding her to fly home, the last place she wants to be. And Jesse’s dad, who is in rehab, is looking for money from the same person he always looks to for cash, his son.
These three “friends” have to deal with normal, everyday college antics, studies, demanding families, a lover with a dead wife, their own psychotic tendencies and the discovery of another death that happened on campus over two decades ago that is directly linked to Eric. With danger around every corner there is a darkness lurking in the shadows that surround these three young adults, a darkness that could devour them all if they aren’t careful.
This book was a total mind f*ck! So many twists and turns with an ending that I didn’t see coming, not at all. The story started out a little slow, but once the pace picked up it didn’t stop. And regardless of the slow start, I was completely enthralled after that prologue, taking a look back to the past at Atherton University. That one chapter set the tone for the story and is directly linked to everything that is happening in the present.
There are several stories slowly unfolding throughout this novel that converge in the last few chapters, and Rice did an amazing job of slowly weaving each thread together from one chapter to the next, that when it all explodes at the end it makes perfect sense.
It’s hard to truly describe this story and not give anything away. I will say that it is one of the best books I’ve ever listened to. The writing was so intricate and personal, the spine was the suspense as it held the story up, the bones was the mystery as it flowed underneath the skin, a never-ending current. And the skin was the storyline that was strengthened by flawed, literally f*cked up characters that will keep you on the edge of your seat long after the story ends. I recommend this read to fans of mystery, suspense, psychological thrillers, and just a well-written story that is anything but predictable.
As for narration, this was my first listen with James Daniels leading the way. It will not be my last. I love a good storyteller, someone who can embody the words the author has written and deliver them in a way you can easily follow and recognize changes in tone and character. Daniels did just that with his re-telling of The Snow Garden.
Title: Ethan in Gold Series: Johnnies, #3 Author: Amy Lane Narrator: Sean Crisden Genre: Contemporary Romance Length: 10 hours and 46 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (04-25-14) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Evan Costa learned from a very early age that there was no such thing as unconditional love and that it was better to settle for what you could get instead of expecting the world to give you what you need. As Ethan, porn model for Johnnies, he gets exactly what he wants—comradeship and physical contact on trade—and he is perfectly satisfied with that. He’s sure of it.
Jonah Stevens has spent most of his adult life helping to care for his sister and trying to keep his beleaguered family from fraying at the edges. He’s had very little time to work on his confidence or his body for that matter. When Jonah meets Ethan, he doesn’t see the hurt child or the shamelessly slutty porn star. He sees a funny, sexy, confident man who—against the odds—seems to like Jonah in spite of his very ordinary, but difficult, life.
Sensing a kindred spirit and a common interest, Ethan thinks a platonic friendship with Jonah won’t violate his fair trade rules of sex and touch, but Jonah has different ideas. Ethan’s pretty sure his choice of jobs has stripped away all hope of a real relationship, but Jonah wants the whole package—the sexy man, the vulnerable boy, the charming companion who works so hard to make other people happy.
Jonah wants to prove that underneath the damage Ethan has lived with all his life, he’s still gold with promise and the ability to love.
Review: Evan Costa was a happy little boy with a loving mother, devoted father and way too many cranky sisters. Until a teacher violated his innocence and pushed his mother over the edge. Afraid to touch her own son or let anyone else, Evan became withdrawn and isolated.
As he grew and matured, he sought solace in his therapy sessions, a love of Manga and a group of equally nerdy teenagers at school. Life continues to deal heavy blows to Evan as he navigates his way through bullying, being a gay teenager, a friends attempted suicide and a very unique need that was spawned by his Mother’s lack of empathy.
Johnnies becomes the family that Evan longs for and he transforms himself into Ethan, the big, burly porn star that longs to be touched, and shines like gold when he is. His co-workers become his family and they share a kinship and a camaraderie that he has ached for since he was five years old. But a real life relationship with a real life boy is out of the question as far as Ethan is concerned. He feels he is too damaged and broken to bring anything good to anyone’s life long-term.
Jonah Stevens works a job he can’t see going anywhere and lives a life less ordinary in order to be there for his ailing sister. He meets Ethan at the pet store where he works and is enamored with the big guy’s confidence and swagger. Jonah is a very non-confrontational, laid-back guy, but he finds himself taking chances and taking charge in an effort to turn his friendship with Ethan into something more.
Ethan has dug in his heels, convinced that his past and his internal demons would be too much to ask Jonah to accept, so he continues to push Jonah away. Perseverance is not a trait Jonah thought he had but he quickly learns the only way he is going to win Ethan’s heart is persistence and tenacity.
Ethan may have been with dozens of guys during his tour with Johnnies, but when it comes right down to the mechanics of a relationship, he is just as inexperienced as Jonah is, and they will have to learn how to be a couple and be in love together. The obstacles they have to overcome are many.
Ethan is severely scared mentally from the incident when he was a child and the reaction of his family, mostly his mother, in the aftermath. He doesn’t think he deserves to be loved. And while Jonah knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Evan is what he wants, he will have to come to terms with the life Evan leads and learn how he fits into it.
I swear to Jesus, Amy Lane is going to be the death of me! That woman takes my heart, rips it out, stomps up and down on it, and then hands it back to me all bloody and bruised. This was an intense, emotional story and Lane really made me feel Evan’s pain in the words she used to describe it. It is such an insane journey following his thoughts, seeing how he coped with the madness that is his life on a daily basis.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Jonah either, though he never doubted his parent’s love for him even with the stress of a terminally ill sibling, he had to deal with his own issues of self-worth and loathing. They have to learn how to balance the confusion with confidence and take the good with the bad and find a way to keep moving forward in order to make a life together.
Sean Crisden has narrated all the books in this series thus far, and I hope he continues to lead that charge. His voice has become another one of the brother’s in this motley crew of a family that is Johnnies! It’s all about the tone change, nuances, and subtle inflections he uses from one character to another that gives Lane’s words a voice and makes these characters a reality inside my mind.
This book left me wrung out and exhausted, but it was so worth it in the end. Dramatic, slightly dark, definitely sexy, and just so well written. A must read for fans of Amy Lanes work, as well as those that like gritty romances with an edge.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Dirty Deeds Series: A Cole McGinnis Mystery, #4 Author: Rhys Ford Narrator: Greg Tremblay Genre: Mystery/ Suspense Length: 8 hours and 5 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (08-12-2004) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Sheila Pinelli needed to be taken out.
Former cop turned private investigator Cole McGinnis never considered committing murder. But six months ago, when Jae-Min’s blood filled his hands and death came knocking at his lover’s door, killing Sheila Pinelli became a definite possibility.
While Sheila lurks in some hidden corner of Los Angeles, Jae and Cole share a bed, a home, and most of all, happiness. They’d survived Jae’s traditional Korean family disowning him and plan on building a new life—preferably one without the threat of Sheila’s return hanging over them.
Thanks to the Santa Monica police mistakenly releasing Sheila following a loitering arrest, Cole finally gets a lead on Sheila’s whereabouts. That is, until the trail goes crazy and he’s thrown into a tangle of drugs, exotic women, and more death. Regardless of the case going sideways, Cole is determined to find the woman he once loved as a sister and get her out of their lives once and for all.
Review: Cole McGinnis has been through hell and back in search of a little piece of something to call his own, to have a family, and to just be happy. But there always seems to be some deranged psychopath hell-bent on destroying Cole and those he holds dear. The last person he expected to come after him, or try to kill his lover Jae was his dead partner’s wife, Sheila.
In the world of Cole McGinnis you will learn, whatever can go wrong will and as tough as Cole claims to be, the man is not bulletproof. All that he can handle, what he can’t handle is the threat of losing the person that means more to him than anything, again, and that is threat that Sheila Pinelli poses. All Sheila did when she pulled that trigger was bring down the wrath of the one man that will hunt her to the ends of the earth to make her pay for her sins.
Of course, this is Cole we are talking about, so the situation has to be more involved than just a bit a revenge. A very bad man is paying young Asian men that want to be women to come to America with the promise of hormones and surgery. The price is for his generosity is unquestioned allegiance with the pills and the operations dangled in front of them like a carrot.
Cole is quickly neck-deep in bodies trying to find Sheila and a very elusive transsexual. And while he and Jae are finally living their lives openly as a couple, both of Cole’s brothers are having a little trouble adapting to the danger Cole deliberately puts himself into. To make matters worse, there is something weird going on with Bobby.
Murder, mayhem, and madness are an everyday occurrence in the life of this Private Dick. But this case may uncover one too many secrets for Cole to come back from.
This is the best Cole McGinnis book to date! Everything was more grandiose and extreme in this story, but at the same time, it was not overwhelming as one might think. Both Ford’s writing and Tremblay’s narration kept an even, steady pace that built from the first line to the last, and what an ending. I mean, I saw it coming it was just so direct that it left me cracking up and oh so anxious for that particular story to unfold.
I have always been completely enamored with the relationship between Cole and Jae, it would seem that Jae finally being able to live his life out loud was just what the doctor ordered. The passion and innate sexual energy between these two literally exploded in this book. I’m talking toe curling, eye blurring, ears ringing, off the charts sexy! It’s not JUST their animalistic attraction to one another and the way they can tear up a bedroom though, it is the way they love each other with no apologies, the trust and the admiration they have for one another that just make them that much more endearing.
As usual, Ford builds a masterpiece full of mystery, suspense, and intrigue that is bathed in blood and bodies then wrapped up nicely with a sexy little bow. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into Down and Dirty and see where she takes Cole’s big, brooding best friend and the brother he swore he wouldn’t take skinny-dipping. A note to the author… please write faster! I need more Cole and Jae, and Miki and Cain, and Damie and Shion and isn’t there a naughty little tease you put out there for Quinn Morgan?! Hustle woman, hustle!!
Oh, right, narration. It’s fantastic. Greg Tremblay really has given Cole and Jae their own voice through Ford’s writing and his translation of how these characters would sound. The beauty of it is, I can literally picture them in my mind and think of them as real people because of his talent. Must read series people, Must Read!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Fire on the Mountain Series: Mountain, #1 Author: PD Singer Narrator: Finn Sterling Genre: Contemporary Length: 7 hours and 8 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (09-25-14) Heat Level: Mild to Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.75 Hearts Blurb: Take a break from academics, enjoy the Colorado Rockies, fight a fire now and then. That’s all Jake Landon expected when he signed up to be a ranger. He’ll partner with some crusty old mountain man; they’ll patrol the wilderness in a tanker, speak three words a day, and Old Crusty won’t be alluring at all. A national forest is big enough to be Jake’s closet—he’ll spend his free time fishing.
Except Old Crusty turns out to be Kurt Carlson: confident, competent, and experienced. He’s also young, hot, friendly, and considers clothing optional when it’s just two guys in the wilderness. Sharing a small cabin with this walking temptation is stressing Jake’s sanity—is he sending signals, or just being Kurt? And how would Kurt react if he found out his new partner wants to start a fire of a different kind? Jake’s terrified—they have to live together for five months no matter what.
Enough sparks fly between the rangers to set the trees alight, but it takes a raging inferno to make Jake and Kurt admit to the heat between them.
Review: Jake Landon takes a job as a park ranger to bide his time until he starts pharmacy school. He expected to be partnered with someone older and more seasoned, to pass his time waiting with working and fishing. He did not expect the distraction that is Kurt Carlson. Jake made the mistake once on acting on his attraction to another man, a friend, and it didn’t turn out so well. He is not about to make that mistake twice. In fact, Jake is so intent on ignoring his attraction to Kurt that he completely misses the signs pointing to that attraction, being a mutual feeling.
Kurt as well shared his feelings with someone in the past, only to be shot down and hurt in the process. And while Kurt doesn’t wave his rainbow flag, he is a very confident young man who tries to subtly tell his new partner he would like to put out HIS fire, not just the ones popping up on the mountain. It takes Kurt getting hurt and their lives endangered by an out of control fire before Kurt finally asks Jake for something more. When the danger subsides, Jake is left questioning if Kurt’s feelings were real, or just a mistake made in the heat of the moment.
While there was a lot of action and drama, and the backdrop of the picturesque mountains added a beauty to the storyline, the relationship between Jake and Kurt felt either forced or lacking at any given time. I wanted more of a connection between them. And what little they had didn’t come until toward the end of the book, and even then, it just didn’t fit with their personalities. A couple of times the words or phrases they chose to use seemed too juvenile for them as well. They were both very intelligent and driven, so I didn’t connect with them when they spoke like twelve-year-olds.
The thing that really saved this story for me and kept me going through to the end was the narration. I love the little nuances and inflections that Finn Sterling adds to the stories he tells. So I loved the scenery set in the Colorado Mountains and the narration, but the story itself was not quite there for me.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: All Kinds of Tied Down Series: A story in the Matter of Time universe Author: Mary Calmes Narrator: Tristan James Genre: Contemporary Length: 9 hours and 1 minute Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (09-24-14) Heat Level: Moderate to Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts Blurb: Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they’ve gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.
As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn’t working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn’t work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn’t being tied down at all.
Review: Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are just two of the men that work on an elite team of US Marshalls led by Sam Kage. Miro was in and out of foster homes as a child, got into a little trouble but he always looked up to the men in uniform. He could have gone in a completely different direction with his life, but instead of lashing out at the lot life dealt him, he wanted to be like the men that protected him.
Ian is a seasoned soldier first, and a US Marshall second.
He spends almost as much time away and on top-secret missions as he does at home. Over the past few years as partners, they’ve built a unique partnership based on friendship, mutual admiration and the ability to trust each other with their lives. While Miro fell for Ian a long time ago, he knows that Ian is straight, so he locks away those feelings behind a door so thick that when Ian starts acting different toward him, Miro doesn’t even notice.
While Ian is away on a mission, Miro is injured while transporting a witness and Ian is less than pleased when he finally finds out about it. You see, while Ian could test the patience of a saint, Miro should buy stock in an insurance company, he gets injured on the job THAT much! When Miro heads out to transport their next witness, he’s a little surprised to find Ian waiting at the airport for him. What is completely unexpected is the way Ian looks at him and visibly shudders when Miro touches him.
From here these two pretty much hit the ground running, going from partners and best friends to lovers in the blink of an eye. The pompous ass with more money than common sense that also happens to be the homophobic father of their current witness’s lover threatens to get them both killed before the sweat that drenched them just a few hours ago even dries.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish. Very nice to catch up with where Sam Kage is after the series of events in the Matter of Times books, but the main focus of this story is Miro and Ian. Miro has spent three years learning how to navigate his intense feelings for his partner. Convinced that Ian is straight and will never be his, he gets so good at ignoring his reaction to Ian that he misses Ian’s change in feelings toward him. Ian, lovingly referred to by their fellow Marshall’s as Captain America, doesn’t even try to avoid his feelings for Miro. What Ian struggles with is the urge to stake his claim on Miro, and how to express those feelings and that need out loud.
Narrated by Tristan James, his voice was the perfect complement to the characters Calmes created for this story. There was a push and pull between them as partners that bleed over into their sexual relationship, but in a role reversal of sorts. While Ian is very protective and demanding at work, Miro takes the lead in the bedroom. Ian has to be on his game 24/7 at work and when he is on a mission, what he wants, no needs in his personal life is for someone else to take that control. And Miro gladly accepts the challenge.
This was a very sexy and steamy read, full of action and suspense and James did a splendid job of conveying all those emotions and circumstances, and then some. From the camaraderie between Miro and Ian in the beginning to the foreplay in the middle, and then finally the passion in the end. I highly recommend this audible to fans of Calmes writing and/or James narration. I am crossing my fingers that there will be another book for these guys, Calmes wrote in enough scenarios to comfortably give them a sequel, if not their own series.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: When One Door Opens Author: JD Ruskin Genre: Contemporary Romance Narrator: K.C. Kelly Length: 8 hours and 50 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (08-05-14) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts Reviewer: Tams Blurb: Logan Sellers’s parole officer has issued three commandments: stay sober, stay employed, and stay out of trouble. At first, Logan thought those three simple rules would be easy to follow. But that was before he accepted a side job assisting his boss’s housebound agoraphobic nephew, Caleb.
Caleb is deceptively normal for a guy who hasn’t left his apartment in three years, and his friendly, caring personality tugs on heartstrings Logan didn’t know he had. But hitting on his boss’s nephew is asking to be unemployed. Logan has enough problems with booze on every corner and a supervisor trying to jump into his bed. He doesn’t need to work out how to free Caleb from the anxiety that keeps him in his apartment; he needs to keep his nose clean, attend his AA meetings, and make a fresh start—alone.
If only his heart would get with the program.
Purchase Link: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/When-One-Door-Opens-Audiobook/B00MEW2MCQ Review: Caleb hasn’t left his apartment in over three years, aside from the occasional visit across the hall to his neighbor. Once the fire alarm went off and the building was evacuated. Caleb helped his elderly neighbor and her cat get down to the lobby, then went back upstairs and barricaded himself in his apartment. He doesn’t leave, and he doesn’t have friends. He does run a successful online website and graphics design company that keeps him afloat, so there is that.
Caleb’s uncle feels responsible for him for many reasons, and so he tries to make sure Caleb has someone to pick up his mail and groceries every few days and deliver them. It’s also a way for his uncle to keep tabs on him, as the person that delivers is required to stay a certain amount of time and always ask Caleb innate questions. Logan is somewhat puzzled as to why his new boss would hire a convicted felon to assist his obviously troubled nephew with even such mundane tasks as mail and groceries.
Logan just wants to go to work, go to his meetings, keep his nose clean and get on with his life. A recovering alcoholic with a very short fuse, Logan just spent a year of his life in Prison for damn near beating a man to death in a drunken rage, and breaking his best friend’s wrist when he tried to stop Logan from killing the man. Now he’s being given an opportunity to help someone, Caleb. The attraction is obvious from the first awkward meeting, but Logan doesn’t need any more complications in his life right now, especially a man who is scared of his own shadow, and would rather burn to a crisp than leave his apartment.
But Caleb trusts Logan, and the two begin an unlikely friendship. Logan forces Caleb out of his apartment. First to the roof of his building, then on walks to the store with Logan to pick up his groceries. Logan continues to battle with himself over his ever-growing attraction to Caleb, but once he realizes the feelings are mutual, all bets are off. Soon Logan begins working full-time at the warehouse and is no longer Caleb’s paid delivery boy, and the two begin a relationship out in the open.
Logan’s past, and unclear future coupled with Caleb’s disease aren’t their only obstacles though. Something strange is happening at the warehouse, and the someone involved will stop at nothing to keep it a secret, even if that includes threatening Caleb’s safety and Logan’s freedom.
What I loved about this story was how it captured my attention from the beginning, and held it throughout. That was a combination of a well-written story, and well delivered dialogue by Kelly. It was so interesting to me to listen as Logan brought Caleb out of his shell, and thus, freed himself of his own demons at the same time. He still thinks about drinking, longs to taste just one drop again, but he longs for Caleb more and that was a very interesting twist in the story for me.
At the end, all wasn’t right with the world per say. Logan was still an alcoholic, Caleb was still an agoraphobic, and the difference was they had a reason to strive everyday to deal with their problems and issues. Each other. Love is a very powerful weapon, as proven with this story.
This was my first book by Ruskin, and my first audible narrated by KC Kelly, won’t be my last for either of them. I really enjoyed the way the two characters played off each other, the way they were written as polar opposites, and yet, no one else could get through to the other quite the way each of them could individually. And Kelly’s narration was such a treat. He is really good with that New York twang. This is a great listen, but I’m certain the written format will be just as enjoyable. I recommend it for sure!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Dirty Secret Series: A Cole McGinnis Mystery, #2 Author: Rhys Ford Narrator: Greg Tremblay Genre: Romantic Suspense Length: 8 hours and 4 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (05-08-14) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts Reviewer: Tams Blurb: Sequel to Dirty Kiss
Loving Kim Jae-Min isn’t always easy: Jae is gun-shy about being openly homosexual. Ex-cop turned private investigator Cole McGinnis doesn’t know any other way to be. Still, he understands where Jae is coming from. Traditional Korean men aren’t gay—at least not usually where people can see them.
But Cole can’t spend too much time unraveling his boyfriend’s issues. He has a job to do. When a singer named Scarlet asks him to help find Park Dae-Hoon, a gay Korean man who disappeared nearly two decades ago, Cole finds himself submerged in the tangled world of rich Korean families, where obligation and politics mean sacrificing happiness to preserve corporate empires. Soon the bodies start piling up without rhyme or reason. With every step Cole takes toward locating Park Dae-Hoon, another person meets their demise—and someone Cole loves could be next on the murderer’s list.
Review: Private Detective Cole McGinnis and his lover, Kim Jae-Min, are trying to settle into as normal a relationship as their crazy lives will allow in the aftermath of Jae’s cousins death. While Cole is still haunted by the murder of his long time lover, Jae is at odds with himself. He is committed to Cole like he has never been to anyone else, but hides his sexuality for fear of being ostracized by his traditional Korean family.
When their mutual friend Scarlet asks for Cole’s PI skills in locating a friend that has been missing for close to twenty years, Cole accepts the job and soon comes to regret that decision. Wherever Cole and Jae go, madness and mayhem are sure to follow, and this time is no exception. As the bodies start to drop, Cole becomes more desperate to solve the mystery. Is Scarlet’s friend really missing, or is he dead? Worse, could he be the one doing all the killing?
What I thoroughly love about this series is the electric, scorching, white-hot fucking chemistry between Cole and Jae. I’m talking bed breaking, hip bruising, resorting to speaking another language because your brain is completely fried, mind numbing sex! It’s utterly fantastic, a thing of beauty, truly. I digress… there is more to their story. Cole is a trouble magnet. Wherever he goes, death and dismemberment are sure to follow. His body is riddled with scars from all the near misses in his life, including the shooting that took the life of his former lover. His guardian angel must be seriously exhausted. The man always manages to make it out of the most harrowing situations alive.
Then there is the vivid and wildly described Korean culture that is wrapped around Jae, his family and his friends. It is no secret how that part of the country views homosexuality and Ford pulls no punches in her scripts. Jae is so obviously and stubbornly in love with Cole, but he’d just as soon die as admit to it, he is so afraid of losing his family. It’s something that Cole couldn’t truly grasp until he is face to face with his own hateful and ignorant parents for the first time in ten years. After a blood boiling confrontation with is stepmother, Cole finally fully recognizes Jae’s fears. And I think their relationship grows stronger because of it.
Narrated by Greg Tremblay who is very monotone and matter of fact when he is portraying Cole, which is spot on with the way the character is written, but colorful and exasperating when reading Jae. Tremblay brings Cole’s dry and witty sense of humour to life while nailing all the various Asian characters with precision and finesse. Did I mention the hot, sweaty, passionate, toe curling sex? *fans self just thinking about it*
I think that Ford is such an accomplished writer that whether you chose to read or listen to this story or both, that you would have the same experience. I just always love it when a narrator can take the words and really bring them to life, which is what Tremblay has done with this series. I can’t wait to see what dangerous and deadly mystery Cole and Jae stumble into in the next book!
Note: this is the second book in a series that should be read in order.
Title: Taste Series: Horizons, #2 Author: Mickie B. Ashling Genre: Contemporary Romance with a flair for leather and lace Narrator: Paul Morey Length: 6 hours and 57 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinnner Press through Audible (06-12-12) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts Reviewer: Tams Blurb: What should have been a brief interlude turns into something deeper when Lil Lampert meets Grier Dilorio at the Taste of Chicago. Lil is in town visiting good friends Jody Williams and Clark Stevens, and he didn’t plan to hook up with a younger man and discover a mutual love for architecture, interior design, and a unique sexual kink that keeps Lil coming back for more.
By all appearances, Grier is the quintessential bad boy who loves speed, tattoos, and leather, but Lil slowly uncovers another side: selfless, responsible, and tender, especially for Luca, the son he’s had to deny. With Lil’s love and support, Grier will make a decision key to opening the door to a possible future together, one that includes fatherhood, something Lil has dreamed of but has never dared to explore.
Author’s Note: Spin-off from Horizons.
Purchase Link:http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Taste-Audiobook/B008AW0S1G Review: Lil Lampert is vacationing in Chicago with his best friend Jody and Jody’s husband Clark (book 1 in the series) when he meets the younger, sexy, tatted up Grier Dilorio. The Taste of Chicago is an annual fair with flare and food abounding, and Lil is enjoying every delicious mouthful. He ends his first day at the fare with a mouth-watering kiss from the handsome stranger, and the promise of a date that evening.
While both men are in the mood for some fun, and the attraction won’t be denied, they also realize that some fun with a few fringe benefits is all they could possibly share. Lil is heading back home to California in a week, and Grier would never leave his family or his son behind. They are determined to enjoy what little time they have though, but Grier’s family and friends are determined to make that difficult.
Grier is not in the closet, but his family chooses to ignore his sexuality. When he was still a teenager, he had an ill-fated night with his best friend, Jillian, that resulted in a child. Jill convinced Grier that they should keep the fact that he is the father of Luca from their families, so the last eight years he’s been there for Luca in every way aside from acknowledging his parentage. And with Grier having found a man he can see spending the rest of his life with, his brother and Jill, who are now dating by the way, launch a full on assault with snide comments and homophobic attitudes that they’ve kept to themselves until now.
With Lil’s help, Grier will face the demons of his past so that he can move forward. The question is, will they move forward together? Or when Lil goes home will that be the last these two instant and intense lovers see of each other?
A story of insta-love that is wrought with emotion and betrayal. Grier has always believed that he was doing what was best for his son, and always trusted Jill to hold true to their mutual understanding. And everything is fine and hunky dory until Grier finds someone to love. Jill goes out of her way to belittle the man who is supposed to be her best friend, becomes a bigot overnight. I truly hated this woman! But then the balance was Lil. Grier and Lil barely know each other and yet, Lil is standing by his side ready to fight for him, with him, for what is right. I truly loved this man!
Narrated by the best in the biz, Paul Morey, Taste kept me entertained and engrossed from start to finish. Morey can tell a story like no other, so when he has such an intriguing story to work with and convey to listeners, so that you can still have a solid grasp of the characters and storyline, it’s fantastic. To say that Grier and Lil have an instant and intense connection is almost an understatement. Their chemistry was off the charts sexy. And Grier’s little kink, while I found it odd at first, it was written in such a way that it became just another part of him, almost like an appendage.
If you are a fan of the insta-love stories, struggling and overcoming, a little bit of a lingerie kink and Paul Morey’s sultry voice that just drips off your ear buds like honey off the comb, then you don’t want to pass this one up!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Falling Series: Falling, #1 Author: D.W. Marchwell Narrator: Charlie David Genre: Contemporary Romance Length: 8 hours and 32 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (06-06-2012) Heat Level: Moderate to Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts Blurb: When Scott Alan gets a phone call that his brother was hurt on a logging job, he rushes to Brian’s side, only to find that his injuries are minor-but not before he meets Hank Ballam, an adrenaline-seeking logger who’s an outcast among his co-workers.
Hank is a study in contrast: he lives for the rush of climbing and cutting trees almost as much as he loves the peace he finds exploring the mountains he calls home. Scott’s attraction to Hank is immediate and mind-blowing, and it’s what Scott has always wanted: to know what it’s like to love someone he can’t live without. Scott needs to know if Hank’s true feelings will be a roar of passion or simply a quiet friendship, one that doesn’t match Scott’s devotion.
But it may be too late… Scott simply can’t help himself from falling hard for Hank.
Reviewer: Tams Review: Scott Alan is a gay singer, songwriter that left home as soon as he was able. He wasn’t running from his past or his sexuality, he just didn’t want to be in the place where his parents had died any longer. He and his brother Brian are very close. He basically raised Scott after their mother died. Then when their father died in a logging accident, Brian took over the family business. Scott rushes back home when he gets the news that his brother has been in an accident.
Hank Ballam is a wild card. He works hard and plays harder. He loves his job working for Brian Alan as a logger, but he loves to party and drink as well. After an accident leaves Brian hospitalized, Hank blames himself, as do some of their co-workers. When Scott arrives and witness’s the way Hank is being treated, he quickly comes to his defense. There is just something about Hank that makes Scott want to protect him.
Scott decides to stay on indefinitely to take care of his brother, and spend more time getting to know Hank. A swim in the lake during a camping trip starts a whirlwind love affair for these two. What started out as nothing serious soon ends with both men falling, hard. When Hank is injured on the job Scott will realize just how deep his love for the big burly logger goes.
This is not your typical straight guy just miraculously turns gay story. Hank confesses to Scott that he’s messed around with a couple of guys over the years. He’s had an active sex life with woman, he just never quite felt comfortable with them though. Let me tell you that these two cannot keep their hands off each other! They are passionate, sexy, and loving. Seriously, when they kiss it could melt the walls it’s so hot.
Narrated by Charlie David, and I do love Charlie. His little noises, grunts and pants while he’s conveying the story are just spot on, as they should be. Well written as a book and well versed in audio, I highly recommend this story. Sweet, sexy and endearing. Falling is a perfect little love story.
