Tag: GLBT Indie Author

Opposites by T.M. Smith

Opposites_finalTitle: Opposites

Author: T.M. Smith

Genre: Futuristic, M/M, F/F, M/F

Length: Novella (153pgs)

Publisher: TamsTwoCentsPublishing (1st June 2013)

Heat: Explicit

Heart: ♥♥♥♥3 ½ – 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: In the year 2081 our planet survived global warming of an apocalyptic scale. When the dust settled and the water receded Dr. Anthony Smith, one of only a few hundred survivors of GWI, started society anew. Having come to the conclusion that injudicious breeding played a huge role in the destruction of Earth as we knew it in the twenty-first century; he worked closely with other survivors to isolate the Dionysus gene. This gene has the ability to manipulate human DNA to ensure that all male children are born gay, and all female children are born lesbians. A new society is born.

In the year 2300 Dr. Smith’s descendants are ushering in the twenty-fourth century having maintained control of the government that still rules society. Twins Aiya and Aiyan are preparing to meet their matches and take control of House Gaeland, the current ruling House. But not everything is as it seems.

Love is Love… it knows no gender and doesn’t conform to restrictions and boundaries. Aiyan has found his soul mate in Kaden, the prince of House Devi that he is matched with and eventually marries. But when the person Aiya falls in love with tests the boundaries put in place after GWI, all hell breaks loose. And in the midst of one secret unraveling, another will emerge. There is a growing anomaly that threatens to destroy over two hundred years of progression. This anomaly is known as Opposites.

Purchase Link: US: http://www.amazon.com/Opposites-ebook/dp/B00D54PF6M

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opposites-ebook/dp/B00D54PF6M

Review: Aiyan and his twin sister, Aiya, are both nervous to be meeting their matches; strangers picked out for them by their parents to be their spouses. But, Aiyan has nothing to worry about from the second he sets eyes on Kaden. Aiya has a harder time when she meets Maeve, her intended, because her eyes keep straying to Sawyer, Kaden’s adopted brother. Living in a world where being gay or lesbian is the norm and being straight leads to you being Outkast, Aiya is caught between doing what is expected and what she longs for. 

This is quite an interesting story of a future society who goes back to basics and also makes homosexuality the norm. Aiyan, Kaden, Aiya and Maeve are the main couples in this story and while Aiyan and Kaden have a perfect match, Aiya and Maeve have to work at theirs. It doesn’t help that neither woman is attracted to the other or that Aiya’s eye keeps straying to a man. But, that is the least of their worries when a jealous servant causes trouble and a group of Outkasts seek revenge on the ruling Houses.   

There are many people who play a part in this story and whose relationships we follow; Aiyan, Aiya, Kaden, Maeve, Raven, Tanis, Sawyer and Autumn along with their parents. It does get confusing at times, as to who is doing what and who is speaking because the perspective changes very quickly with no warning. But, you get used to the writing style and manage to keep up. There are some beautiful details that explain the history and culture and we get a lot of background details as to how the world now works. The actual storyline is interesting and keeps you reading as you want to know how it is going to be resolved, but then bam something new happens and takes it in a new exciting direction. There is some explosive sex with an array of couples, ranging from erotic M/M to sensual F/F to tender M/F; there is definitely something for everyone in this book.

I will recommend this to those who love a futuristic Earth, same-sex societies, hot sex, great characters, a good storyline, danger, kidnapping, rescues and plenty of hot loving.  

 

The Wrong Side of Right by Nya Rawlyns

97deb51034036f54d4ab54492b36a75ce66f24abTitle: The Wrong Side of Right

Series: N/A

Author: Nya Rawlyns

Genre: MM / Erotic Romance

Length: Novel

Publisher: Nya Rawlyns (May 27th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Tony Mitchell is a loner who spends most of his life staying low, denying who and what he is until Aiden Caldwell walks into the shop and changes everything. Tony thinks his new supervisor hates his guts, but that doesn’t keep Tony from dreaming and yearning. His fantasies drive him to follow the older man, revealing a secret that only confounds Tony’s obsession.

Conflicted and confused, Tony falls under the spell of a man called Tank who leads Tony down a dark path of seduction and dangerous cravings. Under Tank’s guidance, Tony learns to suspend reality, to succumb. The one thing he doesn’t learn is how to say no.

Aiden Caldwell pulls Tony from the precipice but not from the addiction that threatens to consume the young man.

In the matter of love and trust, can two men intent on hiding their most secret selves find common ground as fate and their own tumultuous pasts conspire to tear them apart?

Product Link:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Wrong-Side-Right-ebook/dp/B00D1FYDCW

Review: Yeah, I’m a sucker for abused characters and this story had a whole lot of them. Too many in my opinion, but that didn’t deter me from enjoying it.

So, there were many things I loved about this book starting with how the main character, Tony, literally drags you into his weird life from the very start. His character, his personality is the kind you almost can’t shut your eyes on. His being a twenty-seven years old virgin, not having had a single relationship, never having felt wanted by his own family or anyone since and always, always feeling unworthy of love or intimacy, a pervert good for nothing and pathetic he surrounds you in his veil of depression and desperation. And you simply can’t escape. It is almost surreal following him around in his efforts to find a fleeting feeling for which he has no name. A special place where he can escape his constantly overworking brain, even if it’s for a few minutes every time.

As this story is Tony’s we experience everything from his perspective, so it’s a given that his personality and his emotions are everywhere. Often distorting reality and events the way he understands them. Sometimes it’s frustrating, as I said; his view of self-worth is quite low. He is naïve in so many ways you don’t expect a man his age to be. While he has a secret crush for his boss, Aiden, he also dislikes the man. What he understands about him is that his boss hates him, is always hanging over his shoulder waiting for Tony to fuck up. Could he be more wrong? I don’t think so.

Yes, we – the readers- do understand how wrong Tony is, but he simply can’t get out of his own head for a second, to be objective about his surroundings. He strongly believes that he is not worth of love, or even friendship. It’s how he allows Jorge to completely take advantage of him and use him as is proven toward the end in the most horrible way in Tony’s head. His once a week encounters with the bisexual man leaves him drained and each time it feels as if he’s missing another small piece of his soul.

But, then into the picture comes Tank, a man full of anger and dangerous vibrations that should cause Tony running the hell away from him. Instead we witness Tony not being able to say no. craving those dark fantasies too much. Even when things turn ugly and the ecstasy turns to sheer horror and the pleasure to a death-wish, their poisonous allure is too strong for Tony to resist. And if it weren’t for Aiden Caldwell, the white knight in stilettos as Tony refers to him, if it weren’t for Aiden’s blind and unreasonable love for his unworthy self, Tony would never want to escape those dark sensations, the despair, the agony, the shame and disgust for himself that he got out of his encounters with Tank and his ilk.

I will have to admit here that some scenes regarding this pair (Tony/Tank and the gang) were from cruel to downright gritty. It also made an impression to me how Tony escalated from a virgin to a complete slut in a matter of days, some scenes making no sense in the health department and how a body reacts after severe wounds and acts such as being raped viciously by three sadistic bears. I turned a blind eye here.

It is a strange book in so many ways. I’m afraid not everything was ok with me, such was Aiden’s love. He took one look at Tony and fell in love with him and that is not explained throughout the story. I suppose I could understand why he fell for Tony. Tony’s character is quite smart when it comes to numbers. he is an honest man, one you can rely on to do his job in a kind of purity you don’t often see, and he has many other attributes that unfortunately were not rightly shown to his advantage. I suppose it’s that that makes Aiden’s love seem so ludicrous, his possessiveness standing no grounds and his all-I-have-you-have attitude making no sense. While the author gave some serious pair-time for Tank and Tony and even for Tony and Jorge, the relationship of Tony and Aiden was left a bit vague and hasty. It suddenly escalated seemingly from one heart-beat to another and before we had time to figure out their chemistry they had jumped into fighting – and boy did they fight- for money and gifts (Tony kept feeling a kept boy-toy) and trying to understand and compromise and make a real partnership work. In the end there were so many things I simply didn’t get about this pair and their reactions toward each other. especially Tony who was a real study in weird behavior.

But, and this is a big but, I still stand by the fact that I loved this book. It was too intense for me not to and I got really invested from the beginning. Add that this is also a book containing some very interesting fetishes (sounding [good God, sounding finally in a damn book] and cross-dressing) and yeah, I’m totally lost. If in any way you gain a guilty pleasure out of cruelty, harsh and vicious sex, fetishes and kinks, well then you might want to take a look at this book. It certainly had me on my toes. 😉

The Boys of Summer by Sarah Madison

17798678Title: The Boys of Summer

Series: N/A

Author: Sarah Madison

Genre: Contemporary (Interlude Historical WWII)

Length: Novel

Publisher: Sarah Madison (April 14th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Working for a California-based film production company, David McIntyre is the go-to man for matching the right location to the right project for the right price. On an extended trip to Hawaii, he hires Sutton’s Air Service to cart him all around to some of the most exotic locations in the South Pacific. During one of those trips, a freak tropical storm forces them to make a crash landing, leaving both men stranded without a radio and with very little in the way of food and water. Rick Sutton’s injuries make it imperative that they be rescued soon, and David finds himself calling on all his professional skills to keep both of them alive.

It takes a vivid dream about WW2 however, to make David realize that he has real feelings for Rick—more than just his natural concern that both of them get out of this mess alive. But putting his heart on the line might be the greatest risk David has ever taken—does he have the courage to make it before time runs out on both of them?

Product Link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/306320

Review: Well, first of all, I’d like to acknowledge the beautiful cover work for this book. It’s fantastic and put me into a proper mind-space for the book.

Second, I’d like to stress the fact that this is a self-published work, so the typos and grammar errors I found on the way, especially at the second half of the book I’m not going to count all that much, mostly because they were not horrible and did not affect my reading enjoyment.

And now the story.

This is not the typical “we had a plane crash and fell in love while waiting rescue” story. From the very beginning, it had an underlined humor and a slow-build of intensity that grabs your attention. David is the character from whose point we see things and his personality comes forth early on. He’s the typical Hollywood guy, or so it seems, and everything about him screams hilarious. He’s the guy that will come up with a line from a movie for everything happening in real life and his knowledge on things is great. He is actually very intelligent, something we rarely see on Hollywood-types. Rick on the other hand is quite the opposite. He rarely speaks unless what he has to say is worth hearing; he’s serious and keeps to himself. He’s something of a mystery almost through the entire book.

So when the plane crashes you expect that Rick will take matters on his hand fending off a crazed Hollywood drama queen. Right there we get pleasantly surprised with Rick of course doing all he can, since he’s wounded, but David shows some real strength and determination, and an iron will to survive and keep Rick alive.

The second surprise that I had not seen coming was the fact that there is total lack of the “only two people on earth and let’s start screwing our brains out” factor. There is no jumping each other’s bones here while our characters are strangled in the island, only the slow build of emotions and feelings. On one hand I recognize the brilliance of this approach. It was damn invigorating to read a book where the realistic approach has been given proper weight. On the other hand though it made the ending somewhat surreal, but I’ll come back at that in a bit.

So the WWII historical story comes in the form of a dream. David has been quite stressed and exhausted trying to keep Rick in health long enough for the rescue team to find them. He’s also suffering his own wounds albeit smaller that Rick’s. The entire desperation of their situation hits him and in his dream, reality and fiction merge together. The story is quite wonderful indeed. It was partly inspired from Alan Turing’s life and work, partly on the WWII pilot’s and their sacrifices. I loved it. The thing that got me more was the fact that the author took parts of the prime story and blended them within the dream in a great way and indeed she gave life at the illusion of David hallucinating due to his circumstances.

So far I was utterly convinced that this was a 5 hearts read for me, unfortunately the end of the book didn’t satisfy me as much as I thought. David displays a side of him that I totally despised, a major drama-queen act that had my jaw hanging, and Rick; well I don’t know what to make for his final façade. If that was the real Rick than I’m very disappointed. Their relationship escalated in one go so fast, so furious that the “surreal” feeling didn’t let me go for many hours.

However, even though the end of this story let me down, I did enjoy the story in its entirety quite a lot. The writing skill was very good, the blending of contemporary and historical was of my taste and the intimate scenes as they were, were excellent for me.

So if you love a good romance with a bit war desperation blending in this is a book you’d love to read. I certainly enjoyed it.

 

The Lost Dragon by Drako

14429639Title: The Lost Dragon

Series: Dragon Hunters 01

Author: Drako

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Length: Novel (228pgs)

Publisher: Drako’s Den (30th June 2012)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½ Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Andreas was born a Spartan warrior, long before human history even records Sparta existing. He served directly under Ares, until the day his lover was killed on the battlefield in front of him. On that day, he met his father, the mysterious Black Dragon God known as Jarel. From then on, he served his father faithfully, enforcing the laws of the primordial embodiment of black fire and father of the paranormal.

Now, in these modern times, he hunts the rogue vampires and their leader. Little does he know, there’s more to this than vampires simply turning against his father. While protecting the lovely Cassandra Odele, Andreas must battle forces he doesn’t know as he attempts to stop the resurrection of the Titan king, Cronus. Added to his problems, he now has two teenage nephews to see into adulthood. Of course, there’s always a twist when dealing with the gods, and Andreas will come face to face with his past, leaving him to decide which is more important, his soul or the world?

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Dragon-Hunters-ebook/dp/B008GHMOSU

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Lost-Dragon-Hunters-ebook/dp/B008GHMOSU

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/286688

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-dragon-drako/1108579261

Review: Andreas has served his father, the Black Dragon God, for thousands of years, enforcing the laws for all paranormals. When his father asks him to protect a human from the vampires, little does he know what he is about to walk into. as a vampire attempts to resurrect Cronus, Andreas is made guardian to his twin nephews who also become targets and with gods causing trouble, Andreas past comes into play and Andreas has a choice to make; his loyalty to his father and God or his love for his soul mate.

This is a fantastic fantasy world that immerses us in the world of Gods, Goddesses and paranormals. Andreas held his lover, Kazarian, in his arms as he died on the battlefield among the Spartans. Only to have Ares appear before him, seconds too late to save Kazarian, but not too late to save Andreas from a similar fate, because he is the son of the Black Dragon God, Jarel. Now, in this modern age, he serves his father enforcing his laws, but there is an attempt to resurrect Cronus and overthrow Zeus, and Andreas is called upon to guard a mortal and his nephews to prevent it from happening. But, the conspirators play dirty, trying to force Andreas to do their bidding. But, they also make a mistake by showing the involvement of a god or goddess.

I really enjoyed this story of mythical gods and goddesses and the world they live in. Andreas is only one of the main characters in this book with each character bringing a bit of their own story to the table. Weaving together a wonderful fantasy that has veiled hints for future couples, uncovers a conspiracy and is a touch violent. This is a well written story that draws you in. feeding you bits and pieces and making you long for more. There are many characters that you get to know and you begin to wonder what their stories will be. Brandon, Demun, Vic, Apollo, Adonis and Odele along with Jarel, Andreas and Kazarian make this book vastly interesting.

While we don’t get the chance to see much of Andreas and Kazarian together because of the flow of the storyline, the time they do get together is incredible and when they come together in passion it is wonderful and passionate. There’s action and danger that is well described and fits perfectly into the story. The paranormal powers aren’t overused and it actually adds more to the story because of that. Drako has created a world that I want to know more about and although I personally don’t like M/F, I will still be reading the other books in this series because I need to know what happens next with Jarel and Zeus.  

I recommend this book if you love paranormal, fantasy, battles and fights, tastefully placed humor, some fantastic love-making, great characters, a wonderful storyline and an ending that is happy for Andreas and Kazarian, but leaves you wanting the stories of other characters.   

 

Who I Am and What I Want by David Michael O

e5bc64aff70f7a19324117dbba0e9e04f8b3043aTitle: Who I Am and What I Want

Series: N/A

Author: David Michael O’Quinn

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Transgender (TMF)

Length: Novel

Publisher: Self-published (July 21st, 2012)

Reviewer: Thommie

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5~3 Hearts

Blurb: A post-operative transwoman tries to lead a “normal” life in Western Mass.

Desiré Andersen has been through a lot in her life. From her grandmother dying, being kicked out of the apartment she shares with her mother and brother, and leaving her pimp boyfriend. Finally on the straight and narrow she gets a retail job and quickly moves up in Hollywood.

Like most things in life her heart gets in the way threatening to hold her back. A series of events over the course of four years leads her to figure out who she is as a person not just a transsexual and what she wants out of life as far as career, love, and family.

Product Link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/210386

Review: Okay, so this book is divided in two. First part is “Who I AM” and I quite literally loooved it. That is the story of a little girl born in the wrong damn body, and as it appeared in the wrong family, too. Her father dies early and from that moment on her life becomes a living nightmare. Her brother is bound on making her life Hell and her, while seeing the abuse and violence, turns a blind eye. The only reason Desire survived her childhood at all was her surrogate family. The family of her best friends who always kept an eye on her, and her grandmother. Who while alive couldn’t help her much, did so by her death, leaving Desire a huge amount of money that translates into her independence. The first part of the story follows on with Desire going from relationship to relationship, hardships along the way and abusive men in her life all leading into her finding who she really is.

And while I loved this part of the story I also got an extreme headache with the flashbacks and the narration. It took me a while, but I finally figured it out that the whole book is written as a script. Told in an almost clinical way, as if the narrator is hiding behind a peephole seeing it all and leaving all feelings and emotions in your imagination. Something that makes Desire’s story even more horrific in your eyes.

However there comes part two of the book, “What I Want”, which lost me completely. I simply couldn’t see it or get attached to the story. This part starts with an Oprah show where Desire is a guest. Her life has taken off and she is now a star, but things are quite different from what part one made you think they were going to be. This entire part is so full on fast-forwards and flashbacks that it requires you to constantly be on your toes and full focused in order to follow the story. It irritated me a lot. I was too invested in Desire’s life with her husband that this entire back and forth hit on my nerves and didn’t let me enjoy it. To add more to my irritation the author focused so much on the outfit Desire wore that I had this feeling of reading “Sex & the City” with Carry Bradshaw’s obsession with trend marks.

The People’s Choice Awards Desiré’s Dark Brown hair is bunned at the base of her neck as she stands in a Fuchsia Dalia MacPhee One-Shoulder Ruffle Dress with Multifloral Aldo Shurkus Pumps in between her sisters Monica who’s wearing a Navy Adrianna Papell Polka Dot Halter Dress with Pink Enzo Angiolini Show You Pumps as her Blonde wavy hair falls past her shoulders & Rachel in a Red Laundry by Shelli Segal Draped Jersey Gown paired with Red Charles David Complex pumps with her Blond hair in a high bun.

And that flows on in the entire second part of this book and really made me want to close it and stop reading. Let’s just that part two is like reading a TV show something that doesn’t appeal me at all.

So in the end, I liked only half of this book. The end itself was the predictable happily ever after, after a lifetime of struggles for the heroine who finally, finally got all she ever wanted.

 

Serpent vs. Serpent by Patrick Wendling-Markwell

2940016694795_p0_v1_s260x420Title: Serpent Vs Serpent

Series: The Shifter Royalty 01

Author: Patrick Wendling-Markwell

Genre: Paranormal, Erotica, MM, MMMM

Length: Novella (70pgs)

Publisher: Lazy Beagle Entertainment (21st April 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3 – 3 ½ Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Crown Prince Nicholas of the Snake Shifter Kingdom is busy hiding his sexuality from his family who doesn’t care that he is gay. However, he is the heir to the throne which means he needs to produce an heir.

Crown Prince Edward of the Dragon Shifter Kingdom has been kicked out of his palace by his father after coming out of the closet so he turns to Prince Nicholas.

When the two fall in love and decide to hold the mating ritual that will bind their souls together as one presided over by Mother Nature, their two kingdoms decide to go to war; the Snakes and the Dragons consider one another to be inferior. Can they figure out a way to perform the ritual and still keep their kingdoms from destroying one another or before Mother Nature steps in and takes matters into her own hands? Because Mother Nature strikes with fire and death to any who defy her.

What do they do when the other Shifter kingdoms become involved? Will the horses, wolves, bats and others tolerate two different species uniting as one thus throwing off the balance of power forever?

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Shifter-Royalty-ebook/dp/B00CH5XEZE

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Serpent-Shifter-Royalty-ebook/dp/B00CH5XEZE

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/308779

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/serpent-vs-serpent-patrick-wendling-markwell/1115161968?ean=2940016694795

Review: Nicholas is the crown prince of the snake shifters. He is surprised when he is approached by the dragon crown prince, Edward, for aid. Snake and dragon shifters think each other inferior, so for a dragon to hunt out a snake for aid is extremely rare. When Nicholas gives Edward a place to stay, they rapidly fall in love and they decide to mate. But, tensions run high in their kingdoms when their fathers’ find out. Now it’s a race against time to complete the mating ritual before their fathers destroy each other.

This is a great story to read if you are looking for a sexually charged shifter story. Nicholas and Edward make a very sexual and hot couple. they fit together like two halves of a whole even though they are different species. The storyline is interesting with its tension and arrogance between the species; the role that Mother Nature plays and Nicholas and Edward’s determination to stay together no matter what. The sexual descriptions are down and dirty, rough and passionate, there is no tender loving just passionate sex including some dragon tail loving.

There are a couple of times that you have niggles, like they fell in love really quick or you felt the sex was at an inappropriate time, but the author addresses these issues quite nicely each time and with humor in some places. The writing becomes stilted and more formal at times, but that is when the characters seem to be addressing us, the readers, in explanation. There are some characters that we meet that will be in future books and the storyline will follow on with the uniting of the different species.

I will recommend this story to those that want a hot shifter sex fix, explicit sex, interesting characters, a hot foursome, finding surprising love and a very happy hot ending.   

 

Siren Song by Anna Marie May

sirensongTitle: Siren Song

Series: Watchtower 05

Author: Anna Marie May

Genre: Fantasy

Length: Novella (128pgs)

Publisher: Anna Marie May (Self-published 16th March 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Legend says sirens will lead you to your death with a smile. Myths also claim dragons are nothing but figments of imagination.
Who could’ve possibly known that the last missing piece required to restore the Watchtowers to their full power would also carry within it the seeds of destruction?

A chance meeting between Raphael, first knight to King James, and Darren, related to the King of Muria, leaves everything Rafe has ever known in tatters. Still reeling from the loss of his former lover, Rafe embarks on a journey of self-discovery which will not only shake his beliefs to the core but also change the world.

Purchase Link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sirensong-1145801-143.html

Review: This story is part of a series and must be read in order. After his beloved, Vivian, was encased in ice to save their world, Rafe decided to stay close and has been living in the Icelands since. Saving a mysterious man from an icy death, begins him on the journey of re-joining the world outside. But, what he discovers nearly brings destruction to Dinas. Darren is on a journey to the focal point, when he slips beneath the ice and is rescued by the man who is his mate.  But, things become strange when the shadows come to life and legends of old return to the world.

This story continues not long after Icelands ended.  It picks up the story with Rafe and his happy ending. Rafe is still suffering from the loss of his beloved Vivian, but when he meets Darren he feels conflicted over the feelings that Darren evokes.  Returning to his home island, he confronts the past. But, when Darren turns up with strange stories of shadows, they begin to investigate the mystery. Darren knows he has to be patient if he wants his mate, delving into the mystery that seems to surround Rafe leads to them to discovering Dinas and their world may be in danger.  Can they save their world before it is too late? And, will Rafe ever be able to accept Darren as his lover?

I really enjoyed the conclusion to the Watchtower series.  Everything that has been hinted at and questions left unanswered in the previous books are all answered in Siren Song.  We see Rafe work his way through his grief for Vivian and discover if he can accept love again. Darren is a wonderful addition to the cast, although we saw him briefly in Out of the (Werewolf) Closet we get to know him a whole lot better in this story. I liked the new twists and loved how they all linked together the previous stories.  And Rafe and Darren make an excellent team. I really do hope that Anna Marie May will revisit this world again… we will just have to keep our fingers crossed.

I recommend this to those that love fantasy worlds, a great storyline, surprise twists, great characters and a very happily ever after.

 

Tormented Discovery by Jayson James

17290632Title:  Tormented Discovery

Series:  Finding Our Way Series Book Two

Author:  Jayson James

Genre:   Young Adult

Length:  365 Pages

Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (January 27th, 2013)

Heat Level:  Low

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts

Blurb:   Justin and Derrick have a secret that they revealed only to their closest friends. They are gay and are now a couple. The story of Justin and Derrick continues as they learn more about being a gay couple in their senior year of high school and the complications that arise from it. Some friends will have their backs while others simply stand on the sidelines. Other friends will be accepting and others will ridicule them.

Sometimes love is almost not enough to save a relationship and both Derrick and Justin begin to have their doubts as they watch relationships around them rise and fall. Justin and Derrick both want to have new experiences, new choices and make new friends, which leads to them questioning their own relationship. They soon discover that some of the people they consider friends have their own secrets, some darker than others. The couple begins to see how people react towards homosexuality and just how people want to deal with it and them.

Will Justin and Derrick be able to hold onto each other while their lives and secrets spiral around them?

Or will they decide to step back and give up on themselves and each other?

Product Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Tormented-Discovery-Jayson-James/dp/1480246433

Reviewer:   John

Review:  Oh no! Oh yes! I loved this novel. This story is told in three points of view, Hayden’s Derrick’s and Justin’s. To some, that might be a little confusing, but it’s not. When there is a skip of one point of view to the other, the story flows smoothly. It does not go back and retell what you just read. At first, I found it hard to know in whose point of view I was, but when I catch on, I loved the story from beginning to end.

My favorite character was Hayden. I loved the little kid. He was straight and friends with the gay guys in school. His best friend Ryan has a little crush on him. A little? He falls for the guy! Who wouldn’t? He was awesome! At first, Hayden freaks. Name a straight guy that wouldn’t, right? After he calms down, he seeks Ryan and tries to fix their friendship which he does. Those two stay as friend and I liked that.

Derrick and Justin were awesome. I liked their love story, but Hayden stole the show. I hated Kristian. He was mean and unlikeable. I hope he gets what he deserves in book three. The plot was good, but the story was a little too long for me. I liked the fact that I felt like a fly on the wall throughout the novel. I truly felt like if I was eavesdropping on their conversation and a part of the gang by the end of the book.

In a nutshell, the story and characters were great and likeable. I recommend this novel to anyone who wants to read about a group of friends as they make their way through life.

 

The New Boy by Maddy Linehan

Title:  The New Boy

Series:  None

Author:  Maddy Linehan

Genre:   Young Adult

Length:  157 pages

Publisher:  Self Published (June 12th, 2012)

Heat Level:  Low

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts

Blurb:   Alex thinks he has the perfect relationship with boyfriend Gary. When Dexter moves in next door to Alex, things start to get complicated. Everyone Dexter meets seems to develop feelings for him, and even though the new boy is straight, Alex can’t help but start to fall for him. These concerns he outlines in his brutally honest diary, while also dealing with his psychotic best friend Andie and his parents’ divorce.

Product Link:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/171354

Reviewer:   John

Review:  Alex thinks that his life is perfect with Gary, even though Gary can be very manipulating. His world is slowly coming down, as their relationship crumbles and he has to deal with his parents divorce. But wait, something is shinning a positive light over him. Could it be the new boy next door? Yes. Dexter is the opposite of Gary. He is funny, understanding and very extrovert. He is the life of the party and the guy you want to have around. The main idea of the story is beautifully told by Maddy Linehan since she is a new fresh voice in the YA world. On the down side, there were a few mistakes, but nothing that would make your eyes bleed. I would recommend this story to anyone who wants to experience High School drama, first true love, more drama and coming to terms with your own sexuality.

 

 

No Fault of His Own by Sara York

Title:  No Fault of His Own

Series:   N/A

Author: Sara York

Genre: Contemporary /Free Read

Length:  Short Story

Publisher: Goodreads

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb:   He says he can’t believe that I would fall in love with someone like him but I’m the one who is in awe every day that he loves me. I know we both have our faults but together we are perfect. The only thing that would make us better is if he says “Yes” when I ask him to marry me.

Photo Description: Two guys lying in bed together. The bed has striped sheets, mostly tan with thin red stripes. One of the guys is in jeans, the other looks like he’s wearing pj’s.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s ‘Love is Always Write’ event.

Product Link: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/882510-sara-york-no-fault-of-his-own

Reviewer:  Cat

Review this was a very good romantic love story. I loved both characters a lot. The story was sweet and loving and just made you want to sigh and say I wish I had a love like that.

I recommend this story to anyone that loves a sweet friends-to-lovers story, Love at first sight, a sad conflict, and really hot mansex

Dawn of Darkness by Daniel A. Kaine

Title: Dawn of Darkness

Series: Daeva 01

Author: Daniel A. Kaine

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Vampires, Shifters, Magic

Length: Super Novel (275pgs)

Publisher: Daniel A. Kaine (Self Published) (20th October 2011)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Unburdened by the pain of loss and heartbreak, Mikhail is content with his life of solitude. But everything began to change the day he realized he has a psychic ability — the power to alter the emotions of those around him.

Ushered into the Military Academy with others like him — other Daevas — Mikhail does his part to help tip the scales of war against the vampires that destroyed the world and plague what remains of humanity. But after going up against his first vampire, Mikhail starts to question everything he thought to be true.

To discover the truth and expose the lies he once believed, Mikhail will set out on a journey of discovery, and learn some things about himself in the process.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dawn-of-Darkness-Daeva-ebook/dp/B005XLPH3Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332190323&sr=1-1 UK only… No working links for USA ( If you are better at cyber-hunting than we are, please leave an US link in the comment section. Thanks)

Review: Mikhail is a Daeva, a human who has some sort of powers; these powers give the humans an edge over the other supernatural beings inhabiting the world. After the plague that nearly wiped out humanity, the Silver Dawn has reshaped what is left and have taken over. Mikhail starts to look for answers when he notices that vampires have the same gifts as the Daeva, but it puts him in grave danger as the Silver Dawn has secrets that it doesn’t want discovered.

Whoo hoo!!  a great story that is both entertaining and enjoyable. Mik is a young man who has always felt like he has been abandoned in the past.   Now, he keeps people at a distance until Ash.  Ash has snuck his way past his wall and now he’s burrowed in deep and Mik finally lets him in the rest of the way.  As their new relationship progresses , Mik begins to question why Daeva powers are similar to vampires and it isn’t long before someone tries to silence him.

An interesting twist on humans, vampires, werewolves etc.  They had, at one time, lived happily next to each other.   mingling and getting on fine despite the warnings of the Silver Dawn… until the plague strikes humanity. Okay, so even though you can see where it’s going, you still don’t uncover the full story until much later and the truth of the Daeva’s origins is just wow and eww. The characters all add something great to the story and each character we get a brief background on.

Now, even though I liked all the characters, I must admit that Mik is the character that I could relate to the most.   Trying to protect himself from harm.   When he does give in, he loses it almost straight away.   the fear of rejection because he no longer believes in the Silver Dawn, the new fear that he might have to fight or kill the man he loves etc., so he has a bit of angst and lots of dwelling on what could happen. Now the ending leaves you with HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN because although I’d hoped it would happen there wasn’t an inkling that it would and it was WTF when? Who? Why? And it’s the very last sentence.

So, I will recommend this to those who love Post-Apocalyptic, Vampires, Shifters, Magic, Dystopian, gentle love, a bit of angst, danger, twists and an ending that leaves you begging for more.