Crimes of the Heart by Jaxon Grant

81q+opN7oTL._SL1500_Title: Crimes of the Heart
Series: Crimes of the Heart, #1
Author: Jaxon Grant
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (264 Pages)
Publisher: JTG Publishing (December 11, 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Everyone deserves to be loved. But with constant abuse from his step-father and his mother’s contempt, Christian Goodley isn’t so sure. Being gay in high school is hard enough. Also being the black sheep in the family with only one friend in the world makes life damn near impossible to bear. But when Christian’s path crosses with a new teacher his senior year, a ray of hope brings new life and meaning to his world.

Damien Duvel, a recent college graduate and History teacher, forges a bond of friendship with Christian that the young man so desperately needs. As their relationship evolves and matures the rumor mill in the school starts turning. Hushed whispers and sidelong glances turn to outright accusations.

For both Christian and Damien it would seem that fate had brought them together. But with so many factors conspiring against them, it is unclear whether they can tow the fine line they walk without stepping away unscathed emotionally or physically.

ISBN-13: 9781494755300
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Heart-Jaxon-Grant-ebook/dp/B00HBHAG2C
Reviewer: Lisa
Review: I have to say that this was not my favorite story at all. In fact I wanted to rip most of the characters apart. It is so sad to watch a child go through what this young man went through. It is not a happily ever after book either which made it even worse for me.

The story itself without my actual feelings was well written and an excellent story. In fact I would wish more people would read this story. I spent most of the time just crying because you can feel this boy. The pain he must have felt not just from the physical abuse but the mental abuse. His mother, I mean his own damn mother was such a bitch to him because he was gay. She allowed the physical abuse by her husband, his step father. People like that should have been shot before they were allowed to have children.

Christian had known he was gay for a while and he was fine with it. Then he was caught at an early age and his life went downhill from that. His mother would slap him around and call him such filthy names. She would allow his step father to smack him around. His brother and sisters were just as emotionally abusive as the parents. He tried so hard to live with it. He had started a relationship with his teacher when he turned eighteen. However the teacher was also involved with a woman. So there are lots of issues all the way around.

Damien did want Christian. Had since he first walked in to his class. When Chris’s parents kicked him out, he helped him by getting him a motel room. However it went further than that. He was seen however and was going to be black mailed, his fiancé found out and went after Chris. He kept it up till he knew he would lose it all. He didn’t even think of what it would do to Chris.

I hate damn selfish people and Damien himself should have been shot. He took advantage of a young boy and basically used him. This was a good story but I wished I hadn’t started reading it. It was definitely more real than most books you come across and you can see it happening with the children out in the world.

I would recommend reading this book. It is a tearjerker and will have you pissed off. If you want to know what many gay children go through in real life, read this book.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Glorious Mistake by Vicktor Alexander

91G0BBfwOEL._SL1500_Title: Glorious Mistake
Series: Mistakes #2
Author: Vicktor Alexander
Genre: Contemporary/ Multicultural
Length: Novella (72 pages)
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (September 25th, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 1/2Hearts
Blurb: Keith Williams has spent his life hiding from his true sexuality, but when he stops to help Estevian Tucker on the side of the road, he realizes that true love won’t let him run from this glorious mistake.

Keith Williams gets a phone call from his best friend, Russell Heter, about his decision to stay with Xavier, a much older, disgraced former mayor, in his cabin in Wyoming. Positive that Russell is making a mistake, Keith rushes off to rescue his friend from himself and his mistaken fantasy of being in love. However, when he sees a man on the side of the road, smoke billowing from his car, Keith pulls over and makes his own mistake.

Estevian Tucker’s life has gone from bad to worse. A single father of a developmentally delayed son, struggling to make ends meet, disowned and having just received even more, life-changing bad news, he escapes to Wyoming to visit his former mentor, Xavier Edmond. When Keith stops to help Estevian after his car finally dies completely, Estevian experiences an immediate and incredibly inconvenient attraction to the obviously straight stranger. He knows that taking a ride from temptation itself is a huge mistake, but it’s one he makes anyway.

Keith and Estevian are determined to not let their decision affect the future beyond the trip to Wyoming, not just for Estevian’s son EJ’s sake, but for their own as well. But when one mistake becomes another, they’ll discover that the truly glorious mistake was them falling for each other.

ISBN: 9781784302108

Product Link: https://www.totallybound.com/glorious-mistake

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: Very sweet story of Keith, Russell’s best friend, coming to terms with his sexuality when he stops and helps Estevian. Both go to Wyoming to see their friends who are together. Keith wants to talk his friend into taking things sow or backing out and Estevian wants to talk to Xavier about what he’s going through. I loved the way Keith tried to help any way he could with Estevian and Ej when he finds out what is going on.

Along the way, Keith discovers that he cares a great deal for Estevian and his son Ej. The intimate scenes between Keith and Estevian were hot. Loved it, great read.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com*

Crank Me Up by J.D. Walker

71U9KsnISoL._SL1500_Title: Crank Me Up
Author: JD Walker
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short (39 pages)
Publisher: Amber Allure, Amber Quill Press (April 9th, 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts
Blurb: Marius Rabineaux tolerates his neighbor across the hall—computer tech Xavier McDay—only because his daughter Sherie is best friends with Xavier’s niece, Tonya. But taciturn, clueless nerds have never been Marius’s thing, despite their attractiveness. So, no matter how hot he may find “Uncle Cranky,” Marius leaves well enough alone.

One evening, Marius picks up Sherie from her play date with Tonya, and Xavier opens his mouth long enough to insult Marius about his parenting skills. Then later, Xavier turns up at Marius’ workplace and, instead of apologizing, further offends Marius by disparaging his work ethic.

When Xavier finally apologizes and invites Marius and Sherie to dinner, Marius, on the advice of friends and family, decides to give his nerdy neighbor another chance. Thankfully, dinner becomes a fun affair as both men get to know each other better.

But when Marius challenges Xavier to a night away from computers by going to a nightclub, both men get a whole lot more than they bargained for…and perhaps a chance at something even better…

ISBN: 978-1-61124-581-3

Product Link: http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1944-Crank-Me-Up.aspx

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is a nice, sweet story narrated by Marius, who lives with daughter and doesn’t have much more human company in his life. Marius’s daughter and her BFF, Tonya from across the way, make the story even cuter. Tonya is being raised by her uncle, Xavier, who lacks enough human contact that he’s become the stereotypical hermit IT sort.

Marius and Xavier don’t get along, but when they finally do, the fireworks fairly much explode. There is one particularly long sex scene (for a story of this length) which should make most readers happy, despite the fact that there is no definite conclusion at the end of the story. It felt to me as if we were cut off right before the beginning. To me this was an excellent start to a grand or whirlwind romance.

I’m a fairly new reader to JD Walker’s work and I have to say none of it disappoints.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Everything East of the Sumida River by Kaneyoshi Shikaku and Heiko Shihenkei

EverythingEastoftheSumidaRiverLGTitle: Everything East of the Sumida River

Author: Kaneyoshi Shikaku & Heiko Shihenkei

Genre: Contemporary / Japanese Culture

ISBN: 978-1-62798-233-7

Length: Novel (344 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5~3 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Japanese businessman Takamatsu Masamune takes great pride in the empire he built from nothing. His shady past and connections to the underworld prove he has no problems getting his hands dirty, but his fondness for beautiful things gets him into trouble.
Captivating Naoya Tashimo performs as a traditional dancer in sordid underground clubs. While he loves to dance, other men viewing him as an erotic object has left him numb. Caught in a summer storm, Naoya seeks shelter inside a local import shop where company owner Takamatsu and his PA, Koji, are attending to some business. Immediately smitten, Takamatsu woos Naoya and wants to give him the world.
When they learn each other’s secrets, it tests the tenuous trust they’ve built. Takamatsu wants to own Naoya for himself. Having dealt with greedy, possessive men, Naoya turns his back on all that Takamatsu offers. In exchange, to truly have what he wants, can Takamatsu give up everything he built?

Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4474

Review: This novel had a very weird way of captivating my attention, although it failed to reach my expectations. I loved the poetic language this is written. The way you understand immediately, even without the Japanese names, that it’s Japanese culture; the melancholic verging to tragic story of the characters that are thinly wrapped in a mysterious veil.

The main character here is Takamatsu, aka the businessman, aka, the entrepreneur, aka the Iberian Lynx, aka the older man. There is a reason I’m mentioning all the above; they identify Masamune on each and every turn and give you a hint of what the passage/paragraph is about. We meet him as a shop owner, but quickly understand that there is much, much more behind the business suit. There are layers upon layers upon layers to this character, facades that are hidden behind a cool mask, a dark past that makes your heart beat faster in anticipation of unraveling and exploring it. He allures you, drags you into his lair, and mesmerizes you like a siren calling to your death… But in the end, this character fails to deliver. For me it was a bit disappointing, I kept expecting for something… more.

I didn’t much understand his obsession with Denka. Yes, Denka has his own allure and magic, but to be willing to gift a total stranger his entire empire…? That made no sense to me. I shoved it under the Japanese drama rug, yet it still bothered me throughout the read. I was also let down by the fact that when the story ended, many secrets still remained in the shadows leaving me deeply unsatisfied. And speaking of satisfaction, I hit the red levels of my patience when all that sexual build up, the sadistic nuances Masamune had, his kinky side that was shimmering and burning under the line through the entire book, led to… nothing. That is something that deeply wounded the pervert and kinkster in me, leaving a bitter taste there when I closed the book.

Then there was Tashimo Naoya, aka Denka, aka Neko-chan, aka the white crane, aka the dancer.
If there was a character with the most screwed up life in this book, it was him. His Mother I have no words of what she forced him to do. His Father; I didn’t get it. I have my suspicions (they were never confirmed), but if he was who I thought he was, I have no words, zero, nil, nothing. I’m speechless. Denka is gorgeous in an androgynous way, he is a geisha (yes, you read right) and loves traditional dancing, but that’s it. He suffers through a state of being his Mother has put him in. He loves his dance, but hates what comes along with it. He longs for freedom, yet finds himself a man who wants to own him whole. Behind his seemingly nothingness there are secrets, and apparently, Denka is worth a lot. He has no idea though as who he is and what he’s worth are a mystery to him as well, and this is the reason that got me frustrated with his parents. I just don’t get it.

In the end, his relationship with his danna was weird. It had potential, so much potential, but it was all lost in an abundance of details and plot twists and mystery and intrigue… Ah, what a waste and what a pity. Such a bittersweet taste after all the anticipation.

And to top it all, there was Koji, aka the PA. What a tragic figure that one was. The very unrequited-love persona who always hides his feelings behind the mask of professionalism. The person who is inside everything yet never can touch the one thing he truly wants. And what a pervert if I may say so, what with all his stalking and taking pictures…

However, despite the fact that I was deeply disappointed in the end, and despite the fact that this is by no means an easy read (too many Japanese words) I still couldn’t put this book down. Literally! I had to take small break while reading this to clear my head and give my brain a chance to absorb meanings and events, but I felt a compulsion to come back, pick it up, and resume reading. As I said, the language and writing style had that Japanese allure, the words flowing like water, and the similes and metaphors taking you into a dreamlike state, traveling you into a place you long to visit and perhaps never leave. I just couldn’t have enough if this particular style and let myself get wooed into the dramatic romance of this story.

If you are the least bit like me, you’ll enjoy this read as well, but be prepared about the shortcomings so you don’t get over excited. It is a book well worth reading just for the cultural journey it takes you on, if not for the story itself.