Together in Cedarwood by Megan Slayer

Title: Together in Cedarwood

Series: Single Father Society 04

Author: Megan Slayer

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: Loose Id LLC (July 19, 2016)

Length: Novel (229 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Bobby Gagnon came back to Cedarwood in the hopes of starting over. He’s got his kids and his accounting business, but he wants more. One look at the hot guy sharing the running trail with him is enough to stoke Bobby’s fire. He wants to hook up with the sexy runner, but he doesn’t even know the guy’s name. Will the man even want to be with a single father?

Remy Bard never considered himself a kid person or parent material. He’s happy with his job at the Cedarwood Tribune, but it’s not enough. Something’s always been missing in his life. He keeps seeing the same guy at the park—tall, dark, handsome and hot as hell in those running shorts. Although he’s shy, Remy isn’t about to let this guy get away without at least one night together.

These opposites certainly attract, but will their differences be enough to keep them apart or will they find a way to come together in Cedarwood?

ISBN: 9781682521533

Product Link: Loose Id | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Each book in the Single Father’s Society collection features a new romantic couple. To enjoy the overall story arc and crossover characters, I would recommend reading the series in sequential order.

Bobby and his two kids move back to his home town. After a disaster of a relationship goes downhill he decides he wants more for his family. He decides to open up his own accounting business and to be closer to his parents. He just wasn’t sure about starting over with a new guy in his life. That is until he catches his eye on one sexy runner named Remy.

Remy is a sweet journalist who has about the same bad taste as Bobby. However he wasn’t into sports and didn’t really want kids. Then he sees Remy and realizes that might just change. To make matters a bit hard, the coalition is still causing trouble for them all. They must stand together to prove that well you are just going to have to read the book.

The chemistry between these two guys is off the charts, but there are some challenges that these guys and most the others have to get through. Remy is definitely low on self-esteem and he pushes his issues into focus, but Bobby seems to have something similar to go through. His two kids are amazing.

Now the story is slow paced, but the romance is the opposite. It is moving right ahead even if there are a few road bumps to go around. Now not having read the rest of the books in quite awhile, this story just didn’t seem to really need them to connect with the characters. It brings the others into it, but in truth the story could stand alone. There are a lot of good lessons that this story comes with.

Now for the bad news, this story really is similar to the others in the story itself. The only change is characters and such. They hop in to bed, so to speak and then all of a sudden they are a couple. The kids, as great as they are, just seem to be moving just as fast as they are. However the author has made the story turn out pretty good. It just the pace of the story itself and the pace of the characters is a bit strange. It did take awhile to actually get into the story and it didn’t keep my attention like it should have. Parts seemed to just be thrown into it but overall it is still an enjoyable story to read.

I would definitely recommend it and the previous books.

The Moonlight Market by Aidee Ladnier

Title: The Moonlight Market

Author: Aidee Ladnier

Genre: Fantasy

Length: Novel (205 Pages)

Publisher: Loose Id (August 16, 2016)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 2.5 Hearts

Blurb: College senior Cory Long tracked his missing sister to the magical Moonlight Market to bring her home. Instead, he found a disorienting world of performers and hawkers, bizarre sights and sounds, and one very familiar showman, Sanderson Beets. Like a drowning man, he latched onto Sanderson, trusting him to navigate the twists and turns of the Market as unerringly as he had steered Cory to passion in their furtive trysts on campus.

But Sanderson was tired of being the quickie in the alley.

Sanderson Beets had escaped the Moonlight Market to attend college, hoping to settle into a normal life, maybe meet someone and fall in love. To obtain that new life he made a dangerous bargain. And when the sinister woman known as the Weaver of Dreams is involved, second chances always come with strings attached…and sacrifices. Sanderson’s debt has come due, and the only payment he has to offer is Cory, and their chance at a relationship.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-185-4

Product Link: Loose Id | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Cory and his sister Poe have had a hard life. Poe had been injured in the same accident that had killed their parents. Cory took over taking care of Poe, basically giving up his life. Poe had been badly burned and her soul was wasting away. Then she found the magic in the Moonlight Market.

Cory was a senior in college and was trying to get to know Sanderson. However Sanderson had a dark secret. He was a carne, but he had to give something up to be able to go to school and have a different life. But payment time was coming up. When Cory showed up looking for his lost sister, Sanderson was to give him to the weaver. But his heart shows him a different direction.

This story starts with sex between our two main characters but nothing more. They might have had a chemistry, but it was hard to tell with this story. More anger, pain and stress is what you get with this story. The ending was actually better then I had expected, but I will admit that I wished I had never read this story.

It has a dark tone to it, and if I had read the blurb first, I would have never even gave it a chance. This is one of the creepiest stories I have ever came across. The story itself is well written and the plot is extremely good. The problem is there is no connection with the characters at all. Why give up a life, if the dang idiot girl is over the age limit. The old weaver is just a witch, and we all know where witches end up.

This is one of the worst stories I have read and I am afraid that it has made it difficult to even think of reading another book by this author. I hate to admit it, but this story was definitely not for me.

Dragon Balls by Emily Carrington

Title: Dragon Balls

Series: SearchLight in the Sun #1

Author: Emily Carrington

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy

Length: Short Story (20 Pages)

Publisher: Loose Id  (June 15, 2017)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb: Mark and Luke Tavery are happily raising their daughter Zia, a precocious, six-year-old dragon. But they’re also busy trying to get in each other’s pants at every opportunity. A fun-filled trip to the Epcot Center results in an exhausted, happy daughter. Once she’s safely abed and deeply asleep, they couple waste no time in taking out the spanking toys…

ISBN: 978-1-68252-373-5

Product Link: Loose Id 

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Mark and Luke are taking their daughter to the Epcot Center. However they need a little fun time of their own, but must wait.

Ok truth is, the blurb pretty much gives the whole story away. It is just about two parents, one who is a dragon, wanting to get it on. But they have to be parent’s first. There really is not a story here. I hope the rest of the series has action, excitement, danger because this one is just raising a kid and having sex.

It is an ok read for when you just want a little break. I am sorry but this was a big bummer.

Only Fools Kiss Cowboys by Nessa Vincent

Title: Only Fools Kiss Cowboys

Author: Nessa Vincent

Genre: Vampires, Cowboy & Western, Fantasy & Paranormal

Length: Novella (145pgs)

Publisher: Loose ID (September 20. 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: After months of herding undead cattle, Casey Newkirk is ready for a little relaxation. Too bad Mullentown isn’t exactly a relaxing place for a vampire. Even setting foot in town is risky, but a chance meeting with a stranger makes the risk worthwhile. Vance Bellamy is obviously dangerous, very enticing, and unafraid of flirting with a bloodsucker. For Vance, the threat of being bitten only heightens the thrill of taking Casey to bed. As the saying goes, only fools kiss cowboys, but Vance is content to be a fool.

Sex with Vance opens up a new world for Casey. He can’t leave Mullentown, even if locals and law enforcement conspire to drive Casey’s kind away. Vance can rescue Casey from a bind or two, sure, but he’s not welcome either. With the sheriff breathing down his neck, plus a murderous brother trying to redress old wrongs, Vance has no time for a doting vampire.

But when Casey crosses one line too many and sets the law after him, fate drives them together again. And when Vance’s brother makes his move, Vance might just need some rescuing of his own.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-217-2

Product Link: Loose Id

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: After finishing a cattle drive Casey, a vampire, ends up in a town where the undead are not welcome. He encounters Vance at a saloon and soon is enraptured with the man. But Vance is deadly and has secrets of his own.

I loved the interactions between these two. The way they both came to the others rescue was sweet.

This is a well written this story draws you into the wild west and never lets go.

The sheriff and Vance’ brother added extra elements of danger to the mix.

Enjoyable read.

A Soul Remembered by Vivien Dean (2nd Edition)

Title: A Soul Remembered (2nd edition)

Series: Reborn 01

Author: Vivien Dean

Genre: Science Fiction & Space Opera

Length: Novella (135pgs)

Publisher: Loose ID (14th March 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb: The Reborn project began out of the desperate need to keep a dying man alive. It turned into a century-long hunt for his soul.

Then everything changed a single fateful night in a Bayside alley.

Bleeding out from an unexpected attack, prostitute Adam Silver is convinced he’s going to die again without finding the man he’s been looking for since his very first death over a hundred years ago. He gets lucky. Rescue comes in the form of Dr. David Bogart, but it’s in the ambulance on the way to the hospital that Adam sees the birthmark he created to designate the reincarnation of his long-lost love. For the first time in years, he feels hope.

But it turns out, finding Bogart was the easy part. Staying alive as he fights to help the man the media has dubbed “Dr. Death” is a hell of a lot harder…

Note:This book was previously released by another publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-284-4

Product Link: Loose Id

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: This story is an interesting read. From what I gathered Adam Silver is reincarnation of someone who invented the reborn project.

What is the reborn project: I was never actually sure as it started it was a chip implant or something like that. So how a chip was in someone different each reincarnation I have no idea.

Aside from that I loved the story. Bogart and Silver are two completely different people. Plus there’s the fact someone is killing those that Bogart are involved with.

I truly wanted to love this story but it fell flat for me. It needed more explanation for me.

Send Lawyers, Guns, and Roses by Heloise West

Title: Send Lawyers, Guns, and Roses

Series: Heart & Haven 02

Author: Heloise West

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense

Length: Novel (282pgs)

ISBN: 978-1-68252-112-0

Publisher: Loose Id (19th April 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 ½ Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: When Hunter and Alex (formally Shawn) are given the vacation of a lifetime, it’s a chance for them to pay attention to romance and get out of the path of danger. The tiny Caribbean island of Saba is gorgeous, the first to have marriage equality, and the Sabans are the nicest people on earth. There’s lots of rum poolside for relaxing and a room with a mirror on the ceiling for passion. Hot karaoke nights, cold beer, and new friends.

Their new friends Orfeo and Max, and Max’s sister Talisha, confide a troubling secret, and, of course, Alex and Hunter want to help. As a hurricane bears down on them, a dead body surfaces, and then a purple backpack loaded with stolen jewels. The jewel thief Derek Boyd wants his boyfriend and his stolen jewels back at any cost and a Russian mobster wants his wife’s jewels returned…

Alex and Hunter’s vacation paradise just turned into hell on earth.

Purchase Link: http://www.loose-id.com/send-lawyers-guns-and-roses.html

Review: This book is part of a series and must be read in order.

We first met Hunter and Alex (was Shawn) in Hitting Black Ice and now we re-join them in  another action packed adventure when all they are trying to do is enjoy a holiday. Even though the guys thought the past was behind them it becomes apparent that not everything was tied off neatly when a surprising twist is revealed. Hunter handles the news badly and after Alex has a brush with a couple of dangerous bar customers they really need a holiday.

Their holiday gets off to a great start, relaxing and just being together while Alex catches up with childhood friends, but a couple of their new friends are acting suspiciously. The truth comes out and with a hurricane bearing down on them trouble heads their way, and Hunter and Alex take it into their own hands to protect their friends from the jewel thief who wants his boyfriend and his jewels back… and the Russian mobster who is determined to get his wife’s jewels back at any cost.  

This is a fantastic story that has action and danger raining down on Hunter and Alex, try as they might they just can’t avoid it but they face the danger head on. Their relationship grows stronger and their love deeper as they face the trials that life throws them, it’s a bit of a bumpy ride but they come out stronger the other side with more hope for a future.

Heloise West has written a story that you are never quite sure what will happen next, it surprises at turns and has you eagerly turning pages as Nick and Alex’s adventures unfold… and yes it is an adventure because that’s the only way that I could describe their life together. I loved reading this book and losing myself in the story, it held my attention from the first page and while the ending is great I was still sad to have come to the end of the story.

I recommend this to those readers who love everyday guys stumbling across danger, who love a couple whose relationship grows at every turn, who love twists and surprises and the bad guys getting what’s coming to them and an ending that makes you smile.  

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Vivien Dean (2nd Edition)

Title: Bridge Over Troubled Water (2nd edition)

Author: Vivien Dean

Genre: Mystery & Suspense, Vampires , LGBTTQ, Fantasy & Paranormal

Length: Novella (122pgs)

Publisher: Loose ID (17th October 2016)

Heat Level: Low – Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Detective Brady Lindstrom deals in death, and not just because he’s a homicide cop with the slaughter of a century to solve. Ten years ago, vampires murdered his lover. Ever since, he’s looked over his shoulder, ready for vampires to strike again.

Exhausted and angry about the needless deaths he has to investigate, Brady worries that the killers he’s looking for aren’t even human. Those fears are compounded by an unexpected visitor, the battered and nearly broken Cole Singer, the lover he’d long ago given up for dead. When Cole offers to trade information on the killers in exchange for sanctuary, Brady realizes he doesn’t have a choice. It’s not about justice. He simply can’t turn his back on the only man he’s ever loved. Even if he’s a vampire.

Note:Bridge Over Troubled Water was previously released by another publisher but has been revised and reedited in this version.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-204-2

Product Link: Loose Id

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: Brady’s dead lover, who was killed and turned into a vampire ten years prior, shows up on his door step. Despite his animosity he lets Cody in only to discover the case he is working on may come to a conclusion sooner than he thought as Cody has answers.

I understood Brady’s aggression to a point but after so long I found him to be a repetitive asshole to Cody. If he was so bothered by Cody why not send him packing?

The case itself was interesting. Especially when the suspects turn their sights on Brady and Cody.

Enjoyable read.

His Dark Reflection by Heloise West Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Heloise West - His Dark Reflection RBBanner

Hi guys! We have Heloise West visiting today with her new release His Dark Reflection, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~ 

His Dark Reflection

(Heart & Haven 03)
by

Heloise West

Disgraced FBI agent Nick Truman has failed to save his sister, held hostage by a drug cartel until he could give them Alex Crow, who eluded him. His epic downfall lands him in Witness Protection, where he plays by the rules and keeps to himself. But the murder of his neighbor brings danger to his door. He unexpectedly finds himself the champion of innocents and helplessly attracted to the homicide detective in charge of the case.

This can’t end well.

Homicide Detective Hank Axelrod is good at digging out secrets, maybe because he hides a big one of his own. He also suspects his husband has one foot out of the door of their marriage and the specter of single life looms unpleasantly on the horizon.

A murder resembling another brings Nick into his world, a man who claims to be a mystery writer looking for a real life resource. Hank’s instincts say he’s more than that, and he’s rarely wrong.

Torn between the errant soon-to-be-ex husband and the distracting, sexy stranger, Hank needs to focus all his attention on his murder case before he becomes the next victim.

Loose Id

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Heart & Haven Series by Heloise West Recap Blitz, Reviews & Giveaway!

Heloise West - Heart & Haven BlitzBanner

Hi guys! We have Heloise West visiting today with her Heart and Haven series, we have my reviews and a fantastic giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~ 

Hitting Black Ice

(Heart & Haven 01)
by

Heloise West

ER physician’s assistant Hunter guards his heart carefully, but that doesn’t stop him from falling for Shawn, the front desk clerk. He keeps his distance from relationships for a reason, but just can’t help himself when it comes to Shawn.

Shawn is on the run from the law and love to protect himself and anyone else involved. One man is dead because of him, and his life now is simple and easily thrown into a bag at any hint of danger. Until he meets Hunter, and he no longer wants to run.

Forced into a hostage situation, buried passion explodes in the aftermath, and sex in the supply closet brings their hearts back to life. Tentatively, step by step they begin to explore a relationship together until the past catches up with Shawn.

FBI agent Nick Truman has finally found his man, but when Shawn escapes, he focuses his attention on Hunter. Shawn returns, even though it means sacrificing himself to save Hunter from the man who framed him for murder.

LooseIdAmazon US | Amazon UK | B&NKobo

Send Lawyers, Guns, and Roses

(Heart & Haven 02)

When Hunter and Alex (formally Shawn) are given the vacation of a lifetime, it’s a chance for them to pay attention to romance and get out of the path of danger. The tiny Caribbean island of Saba is gorgeous, the first to have marriage equality, and the Sabans are the nicest people on earth.

There’s lots of rum poolside for relaxing and a room with a mirror on the ceiling for passion. Hot karaoke nights, cold beer, and new friends.

Their new friends Orfeo and Max, and Max’s sister Talisha, share a troubling secret. Alex and Hunter want to help. As a hurricane bears down on them, a dead body surfaces, and a purple backpack loaded with stolen jewels leads a gang of dangerous men to the island.

Alex would rather poke his own eyes out with a pointy stick than call on his old enemy Nick Truman for help; he’d also do anything to keep Hunter out of danger. But even his old nemesis can’t reach them now.

Once again, they only have each other to depend on as their paradise is about to become hell on earth.

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The Hunt for Magic by Johnny Miles

Title: Hunt for Magic

Series: Yuletide Knights 03

Author: Johnny Miles

Genre: Paranormal, Holidays

Length: Novel (282pgs)

Publisher: Loose Id LLC (19th December 2016)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb: Someone is kidnapping Magicals. Kris Kringle and his soulmate, Bucket the Elf, are determined to find out why. Only then can they spend the rest of their lives together. But first they must find a suitable candidate to take over the mantle of Santa Claus. They find Griffin Kloss in the backwoods of North Carolina and realize they must get to him quickly. Someone else is after Griffin and it’s not his former boyfriend, Jackson Frost. Whomever is after Griffin doesn’t want him for his good looks.

Putting themselves at risk, Kris and Bucket, together with Griffin, Old Man Winter, and members of The Wild Hunt, travel to the Ninth Realm. There, in a dark and dismal place, Griffin and Jackson are reunited, the missing Magicals are found, and Krampus, an ancient evil once thought dead, is found alive. Together they must all join forces to battle demons and the menace that threatens their existence, if they are to return to Earth Realm for their happily ever after.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-281-3

Product Link: Loose Id | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Johnny Miles is an author that I don’t think I’ve ever totally gotten on board with in the past. I have previously enjoyed the earlier installments of the Yuletide Knights series, book 2 is definitely my favorite book in the series. You definitely need to read the first two books, or if you already have a quick refresher would not go amiss. I had to stop and go back because I thought that I was missing way too much because I didn’t remember the first two books very well.

But for a number of reasons, while I enjoyed the story, I can’t say that I loved it.

There is a lot going on. And while that is usually good in a book, I just felt that there was too much going on and so things felt like they were falling along the wayside (e.g. Kris and Bucket’s relationship and what happens at the end). For that reason, even after going back to reread the previous books, I found myself a tad bit confused. The book only seemed to fit into itself by about halfway through. This is certainly not the type of book you can read to unwind or if you are already sleepy. All your attention needs to be available, although that is not necessarily a bad thing.

The story itself picks up with a number of characters we had already met in the previous book. The epilogue itself doesn’t make too much sense until you get at least half way through either. The main plot of the book is that magical beings are being kidnapped and for some reason it is up to the current Santa, Kris Kringle and his lover, an elf called Bucket, to find out what’s going on as well as find and protect the previous Santa’s son. I don’t feel comfortable saying much else because I don’t want to introduce any spoilers into the mix. But the book is filled with action from start to finish. The premise is simple, sure, but it totally complicated probably due to the number of characters present.

Finishing the book left me with mixed feelings: sure, I want to find out what happens next because, well, cliffhanger, but at the same time I think I’d be equally as happy not to find out. This is definitely a book that is for people that love the paranormal and are willing to invest in a new series if they haven’t already.

Divergence by Lyn Gala

Lyn Gala - Divergence CoverTitle: Divergence

Series: Aberrant Magic # 3

Author: Lyn Gala

Genre: Multicultural, Urban Fantasy

Length: Novel (231pgs)

Publisher: Loose ID (August 30, 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Kavon and Darren believe they finally have the life they want—a lead on O’Brien, a better understanding of the failures that have plagued the team, and time to nurture the bond between them as shamans and lovers. However they’ve gotten involved in magical politics, and that has consequences that neither of them could foresee. Magic is changing, and Kavon and Darren are in the center of a coming storm. 

In the past, Kavon’s only fear was that he might inadvertently damage Darren, and he is painfully aware that he has hurt his lover before. He’s vowed to never make that mistake again, but new forces threaten their relationship and pose a special threat to Darren. With the danger growing more intense, Kavon struggles to find a way to protect the ones he loves and Darren realizes that the magic that gave him his heart’s desire could take everything away just as quickly. Magic is a two-edged sword and the two lovers have to find a way to wield the weapon before it becomes the instrument of their death.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-209-7

Product Link: Loose Id | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon DE

Reviewer: Shorty 

Review: Kavon and Darren are adjusting to their new lives as a couple with all that entails. They are not without their struggles as is with all pairs. Amid this is their continuing investigations of cases that are not closed yet. 

There was a lot going on in this story. I liked the explanations regarding the magical world as it gave me a better understanding. Some answers from the first two books are given as well. 

Yet I felt like the book was incomplete at the end. There were still questions left unanswered as well as some new characters thrown into the mix that left me feeling like maybe there will be another book in the future. 

Aside from this it was still a great read with plenty of mystery for all. Great read.

Derivation by Lyn Gala

Lyn Gala - Derivation CoverTitle: Derivation

Series: Aberrant Magic # 2

Author: Lyn Gala

Genre: Multicultural, Fantasy & Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Length: Novel (224pgs)

Publisher: Loose ID (July 26, 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Darren and Kavon have committed to each other, but magical rules are changing and that tests the strength of their bond. The death of a prominent Egyptian shaman and the shadowy remains of O’Brien’s conspiracy to kill adepts and steal their magic also pressure the new couple. Kavon is determined to protect his partner through these storms, but he is also painfully aware of his own tendency to hover. And as Darren is quick to point out, he is an armed federal agent who won’t allow Kavon to keep him off the front lines.

Making the relationship even more difficult, the spirit guides who offered their loyalty have their own hopes and needs. The world is changing, and Darren’s spirit guide pushes them to find the right path to navigate. However, Kavon has never enjoyed being pressured, and he is particularly uncomfortable walking into a situation he doesn’t understand. Worse, the longer he knows Darren and his guide, the more confused Kavon becomes about how magic even works. The two men must pull together or the forces moving in the shadows threaten to destroy them before they have any chance at happiness.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-177-9

Product Link: Loose Id | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon DE

Reviewer: Shorty 

Review: While I enjoyed the deepening relationship between Darren and Kavon my main focus was on the spirit guides. I found them fascinating and intriguing.

At times the ifrits seem to turn the story dark with their unique abilities. The change in dynamics for Kavon was amazing. I loved how he tried to understand what was going on and go with the flow. Darren seemed to grow as he grew accustomed to his new powers.

The overall feel of the book was a great story with magical and dramatic elements that made for a nice addition to the series. Looking forward to reading the third book and what happens next.

Great read.

Deductions by Lyn Gala

Lyn Gala - Deductions CoverTitle: Deductions

Series: Aberrant Magic # 1

Author: Lyn Gala

Genre: Multicultural, Fantasy & Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Length: Novel (225pgs)

Publisher: Loose ID (June 21, 2016)

Heat Level: Low – Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Darren is proud of his work on the FBI’s magical Talent unit. However, his own lack of magic means he can never be with Supervisory Special Agent and Shaman Kavon Boucher. The shamanic magic poses a real danger to any mundane who gets too close, so Darren tries to hide his attraction and keep a professional relationship at work. That resolve begins to crumble when a new man sets his sights on Kavon and Darren can’t control his resentment.

Now they have a brutal new case of a suspect targeting magical adepts. Darren tries to keep focused on that crime, but when he starts to show signs of his own magic, he hopes that maybe he can not only be a more effective part of the team but also a real partner to Kavon. He might have a second chance at love if only Kavon can learn to trust his new and unpredictable magic that has changed the rules of the magical game. 

ISBN: 978-1-68252-159-5

Product Link: Loose Id | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon DE

Reviewer: Shorty 

Review: Darren is a mundane with no magical capabilities, until they start manifesting, that serves as a go between for his unit. Kavon, Darrens boss, shoots down Darrens advances because of the shamans ability to drain the life from humans. There is a lot of drama when a new guy is entered into the mix.

I loved all the explanations of the magical sense. Although at times I felt bogged down by it I still felt grateful. It was a magical story about cops, animal spirits and the beginning of a relationship though the relationship aspect really does not go far until the end.

The mystery was intriguing and the investigation in depth. I was enthralled in the case and the way it unfolded. I am looking forward to seeing what else happens in the next book.

Great read.

Highland Gathering by Douglas Black

Douglas Black - Highland Gathering CoverTitle: Highland Gathering 

Series: Abducted Hearts 02

Author: Douglas Black

Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal 

Publisher: Loose ID (December 27, 2016)

Length: Novella (112 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb: Recently widowed Stewart Robertson agrees to spend New Year’s Eve with Gary James, a man he only met a few days before Christmas. There’s a lot they don’t know about each other, and despite Stewart still reeling after discovering Gary’s big secret, he remains undeniably drawn to the American parapsychologist.

Gary is keen to make things work with Stewart, but he doesn’t know if the man will be able to accept his unconventional job, let alone his belief in all things paranormal. Gary hopes to show the man that his work is more normal than it might first seem by bringing Stewart and Stewart’s daughter, Havana, to a haunted castle in the Scottish Highlands.

Stewart is excited by the prospect of spending more time with Gary. He’s also excited to not spend New Year’s Eve alone in the house he used to share with his husband.

Accompanied by Eleni, a skeptic who takes an instant dislike to Stewart, and Phoenix, Gary’s crazy ex, their ghost-hunting adventure promises to be one hell of a ride. Whether Gary and Stewart are still hanging on at the end of it remains to be seen.  

ISBN: 978-1-68252-244-8

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/abducted-hearts-2-highland-gathering.html

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: With this type of story you must always start with the first book.  Otherwise you will be lost in most of it.  I am still not too sure what to really think about this book, but I am still thinking bizarre and twisted.

Stewart is still a non-believer when it comes to the paranormal worlds such as ghosts.  However he wants to see where things are heading with Gary.  He gets to meet Gary’s ex and a wicked woman named, well who cares what her name is.  She is the twisted one in the group a very big skeptic but she is also downright nasty towards Phoenix.  Where Gary is slowly falling in love with Stewart but afraid of what Stewart thinks most of the time.  

Like I said above about this story being bizarre is still there.  It has a serious tone to it and very little humor.  It is like this dark tone that just doesn’t make the story any better in my eyes.  It even feels like the author himself is a believer of these types of worlds and is writing about an experience.  Like I said weird and bizarre.

I am not a big fan of this book but will hold most of my thoughts until I read the final book.  It is a slow paced story so for me it seems very drawn out and a bit on the boring side.  To top it off there is another cliff hanger with this one.  Right now I am afraid that this book is definitely not for me.

Haunted Hearts by Douglas Black

Douglas Black - Haunted Heart CoverTitle: Haunted Hearts 

Series: Abducted Hearts #3

Author: Douglas Black

Genre: Fantasy 

Publisher: Loose ID (February 14, 2016)

Length: Novella 

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb: Widower Stewart Robertson hasn’t known Gary James long, but he doesn’t want to let the man out of his sight. Gary wants to be with Stewart, but he knows Stewart is going to find it hard to accept entering into a new relationship so soon after the death of his husband, Archie. With Valentine’s Day approaching, Gary wants to make things official, but life is never easy.

Even if Gary can convince Stewart a new relationship isn’t going to tarnish Archie’s memory, he also needs the man to accept his beliefs and his job investigating everything from aliens to the paranormal. On top of that there’s the stress of selling Stewart’s house and the weird phone calls Stewart has started receiving that are verging on harassment.

In the end, the question seems to be not do they want to be in a relationship, but will they be able to overcome all the obstacles in their path, and leave behind Stewart’s past so they can have a future together.  

ISBN: 978-1-68252-245-5

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/abducted-hearts-3-haunted-heart.html

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: With this type of story you must always start with the first book.  Otherwise you will be lost in most of it.   

Well we have finally concluded why Elani is plain nuts and nasty.  You will be surprised by this little twist, but I have to admit that I kind of figured it out earlier.  She knew too much about Stewart and Havana.  Things are progressing quite nicely between Stewart and Gary but paranormal not so much.  Selling his home, weird phone calls, strange feelings are just a bit of what he is going through, suppose it could explain his kooky attitude.  

This is the strangest story I have ever came across, better than the first two but not by much.  At least there is some humor in it that balanced it out.  Gary is still a bit worried about how Stewart will take things and afraid that he still might call an end to it.  However he is holding on just like Stewart.  Havana is a little girl with a big girl sight I suppose.  She definitely doesn’t act her age, but then again neither does Phoenix. 

It is a very strange story but still a good read.  I can’t say that I like it, because I really don’t but it is still a fun read. All though there is still that next cliff hanger and ghost to find.  You would think that by now they would have proven to Stewart about ghosts and spirits, but nope.  That part of the story just seems a bit dull.  They are doing all the talking but still haven’t proven that they are not crazy to me nor to Stewart. I can tell from the ending that there will be another book in this series but I am not really sure I want to read it.  I will though because I want to see what happens next.  Guess I might just be as crazy as them. 

Left Behind by Douglas Black

Douglas Black - Left Behind CoverTitle: Left Behind

Series: Abducted Hearts #1

Author: Douglas Black

Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal

Publisher: Loose ID (December 12, 2016)

Length: Novella (115 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Blurb:  Faced with the prospect of spending Christmas alone with his daughter, Havana, in the house he used to share with his husband, widower Stewart Robertson heads north to a campsite in Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands. There, he meets Gary James, an American parapsychologist with beliefs very different to Stewart’s own.

The sexual attraction is instantaneous, and overwhelming, and when Gary asks Stewart to spend Christmas with him and his friends in Fort William, Stewart agrees. Knowing next to nothing about each other, the two quickly start a physical relationship.

Stewart, emotional, angry and still reeling from the recent death of his husband, doesn’t know if he’s ready to start dating again, but he can’t deny that he wants Gary, a man who is keeping a secret that threatens to derail any chance of a happy ending before they even get started.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-243-1

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/abducted-hearts-1-left-behind.html

Reviewer:  Lisa

Review:  When I chose this book I was thinking on a different line to what this story is about.  I knew I should have read the blurb but nope I decided to just grab and read.  

Stewart lost his husband over a year ago to cancer.  He is left behind with their daughter to figure out how to make life good again.  He is a weird guy who doesn’t believe in anything that can’t be proven.  He decides to take his daughter to a campsite instead of doing Christmas with her.  Like I said he is weird.  Anyway he meets Gary and Gary’s nephew Lucas.  If Stewart doesn’t believe in some things such as religion or heaven, can you imagine how he is going to feel about what Gary does for a living.

Gary is a parapsychologist but he has a secret that he is not telling Stewart about.  Something that is bizarre enough to get Stewart to run.  Something that is hard to believe, but Gary is scared that it might just end what is becoming love.

I am sorry but this book is so damn slow paced that it was just off to me.  To top it off ghosts and alien abduction, I am with Stewart on this.  However it is a fantasy book and the story was pretty good even if it was slower then what I would have liked.  I hate to admit that it was just a tad bit boring also.  I hope the next book sparks a bit more interest than this one did. To top it off, it ends in a cliff hanger, not one of my favorite things. 

A Year and A Day by Elizabeth Silver & Jenny Urban

Elizabeth Silver & Jenny Urban - A Year and A Day CoverTitle: A Year and a Day

Series: Fae Haven #1

Author: Elizabeth Silver & Jenny Urban

Genre: Fantasy, Fae 

Publisher: Loose ID (October 17, 2016)

Length: Novella (110 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts

Blurb: Reserved, bookish Ben isn’t looking for a relationship. Then he meets Niall, a gorgeous stranger with a knack for avoiding direct questions, and tumbles headfirst into love. Niall is perfect in just about every way, right up until he leaves town for a short trip…and vanishes off the face of the earth. 

A magical being trapped in his own realm, Niall has to fight to come back to this world for the chance to be with Ben. But by the time he gets back, more than a year has passed, and Ben refuses to believe Niall’s story of Fae and magic. 

With only a month to woo Ben back and earn a chance at staying here permanently, Niall is willing to try anything to be with the man he loves. Then Niall’s world spills over into ours and puts Ben’s life in danger, forcing them work together to save Ben before their stolen time comes to an end.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-226-4

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/a-year-and-a-day.html

Reviewer:  Lisa

Review:  Ben is a teacher of folklore and very reserved in nature, whereas Niall is fae.  In the fae’s life they are given one year to go to the human world and see whatever they want.  Time is different in each world, where three days here is about a year in Niall’s world.  They are immortal creatures that love to play pranks and jokes.  

When Niall comes across to the human world he is finding it a bit boring.  That is until he comes across Ben striding out of the water.  His heart takes a beat and he wants whatever he can get with this man, however going home to inform his family that he wants to stay with Ben leads into disaster.  Disaster meaning he was gone from the human world for almost a year.  Ben has no need for a man like that, but then again he has no real clue what Niall truly is.  Then the huntsman catches his scent and the paranormal world is brought right out into the open.  

I came across these authors at different times, having read a book or two by these women made me decide to give this story a chance.  However I have got to say that it was one hell of a weird story.  It starts off a bit fast and things are moving at a great pace, but then it felt like they rushed the rest of it.  It doesn’t make the story change but it just made it feel off.  I am still not too sure I liked it or not, but will reserve judgment for a later time.  I can’t imagine these two worlds in this way and I am not a big fan of the fae, but I did get a kick out of them

So I am off to read book two in this series and hope to see these two in the next story even if it is just a peek.  

Trustworthy by Astrid Amara

Astrid Amara - Trustworthy CoverTitle: Trustworthy

Series: Policy of Lies #2

Author: Astrid Amara

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Loose ID (May 9, 2017)

Length: Novella (161 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Ten years ago, lovers and best friends Ivo Toreli and Robert Mackenzie were separated by death.

But sometimes life gives you second chances. Life…and a lot of cybernetic enhancements.

Trust Agent 505 may not remember who he was before he worked security for Trust Insurance, but now his prisoner thinks he knows him. This revolutionary named “Mack,” who has stolen one of Trust’s prized possessions, seems to think Agent 505 is named “Ivo,” someone from his past. Someone he once loved more than anyone on any of the inhabited worlds.

Ivo doesn’t remember any of it, of course. But if he’s going to get Trust’s property back from the revolutionaries, he’s going to have to play along.

And if playing along also means sleeping with a handsome, humorous, and slightly dangerous ex-soldier, all the better, right? 

ISBN: 978-1-68252-327-8

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/trustworthy.html

Reviewer: Lisa

Review:  I have never really been a fan of anything Sci-fi, but this was a pretty damn good book if I must say so.  I hadn’t even taken a look at the blurb, so I had no clue what type of book I picked so imagine my surprise when I started reading it.  It is definitely futuristic and unique, a definite new type of story for me.  

Two young boys, orphaned at a young age find themselves together and bond in a way that many do not.  They grew up together, took care of each other and protected the other with fierceness.  Then they became lovers and decided to never be without the other.  Fighting for what they thought was right, Ivo was killed.  Ten years has gone past and Rob finds out that the man he loved, the man he watched die is in fact very much alive.

Ivo or Agent 505 had no memory of anything other then what he was.  Part man and part machine, but still human.  He has been killed many times but always brought back.  His reward is a drug that basically keeps him under the Trust’s hand.  That is until a man who knows him, shows him a different side of himself… one that he, well your just going to have to read the book.

A very fascinating story and I will now have to go back and read the first book in this series.  It is a very entertaining tale and caught my attention from the very start.  This is more than just a fight for the world, but for each other and the love they once had.  I fell in love with the characters and that dog just made a hit with me. 

I can see myself reading this book more than once, way to go!  I would definitely recommend this book.

Gryffon Hall by Alexis Duran

Alexis Duran - Gryffon Hall CoverTitle: Gryffon Hall

Author: Alexis Duran

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Historical

Publisher: Loose ID (August 30, 2016)

Length: Novella (150 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Born the useless fourth son of the Lord of Glimmerveen, Wryler dreams of getting married and escaping the rustic confines of his father’s castle. A wealthy merchant’s son seems to hold the key to Wryler’s safe if somewhat dreary future. However, the arrival of a mysterious stranger on the eve of Wryler’s betrothal sends his plans into disarray and Wryler finds himself traded off in marriage to one of the most notorious rogues in the land. 

Is Lord Aeric Rouchet the scoundrel he appears to be, or is he something much worse? Separated from his family and thrust into a strange and dangerous new life at the foreboding Gryffon Hall, Wryler must unravel the secret of his husband’s shadowed life and defeat the curse which threatens not only his growing affection for the barbarian in his bed, but the lives of everyone the Lord of Gryffon Hall is sworn to protect.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-188-5

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/gryffon-hall.html

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: At first I was not too sure if I wanted to read this story.  I am not a fan of anything historical and the cover is a bit off.  However I do love a good paranormal especially when the characters are two sexy men.  This is the first book by this author I have read and I must say she does have a talent.  

Wryler is a young lad who loves a good book.  He has no real standing in his family but that all changes when he is traded off to marry Lord Aeric.  This story is a bit like a prince and princess book with a monster vibe to it; a fairy tale of beauty and the beast, with Aeric being the beast. Aeric is in fact human and gryffon.  And Wryler’s family has just basically sold him to this man.  Talk about a rush.  Wryler is in fact part fae, so he does have some magic of his own.  But that fear he had at first soon turns to love.  

Aeric does look a lot like a pirate rather than a barbarian but he is in fact gentle and very caring.  He just didn’t let Wryler know that it wasn’t a curse but a blessing to be able to turn into the gryffon.  Might have come back to bite him in the ass at some point, but hey read the story.

I will also admit that the beginning of the book was a bit dull for me, so I skidded through it as fast as I could.  I actually liked the rest of the story a bit more than the beginning.  Although I still don’t like the historical part of it, which might have been the reason I didn’t like the story as much as I should have.  

The heat between the two men was off the charts.  I actually found that I did like Wryler quite a bit more than the others.  That might come from the fact that he was a geek when it came to books.  It is a fun little story that you might like though I can’t see myself reading it more than once.  It does have a humor to it that makes it pretty good and if your into historical, paranormal and fantasy type stories with humor and a bit of danger, then this will be for you.

Assumed Dead by Becky Black

Becky Black - Assumed Dead CoverTitle: Assumed Dead

Author: Becky Black

Genre: Horror, Zombies

Publisher: Loose ID (June 14, 2016)

Length: Novel (294 Pages)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: The zombie apocalypse left twelve people trapped, but safe, at a scientific research base on an Arctic island. Three years later, with supplies critically low, they know they can’t survive another harsh winter. But all of them fear what awaits them on the mainland.

Former grad student, Matt Warner, has retrained as a nurse under the group’s doctor, Peter Lane. Training is not the only thing Matt wants to be under Peter for, but Peter has always resisted responding to Matt’s interest in him. Before all this started Peter had a husband, Harrison, back home. A husband he desperately hopes is still alive.

Despair finally weakens Peter’s resolve and he and Matt begin sharing a bed. It’s Matt’s dream come true, even if he knows Peter’s feelings for him aren’t as strong as his for Peter. But everything changes, when the group learns of the existence of a vaccine against the zombie virus and they escape the island to search for the people distributing the vaccine. Matt fears their relationship won’t survive, because Peter wants to search for his husband—even if only to confirm his death. And Peter knows if he goes looking for Harrison, he’ll lose Matt forever.

ISBN: 978-1-68252-148-9

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/assumed-dead.html

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Ok I am done laughing now; I really should pay attention to more than just the title or the hot men on a cover when I choose a book.  However this was one of the good choices.  I have never been a fan of horror books or even movies, but for some strange reason I love to read or watch anything with zombies.  

I would have never thought during the zombie apocalypse to head to the Arctic’s but then again these guys were there when the whole thing went down.  Twelve people surviving and learning to live with one another.  However you can only eat caribou and eggs for so long.  Peter has been married for some time but three years they have not seen one another.  He has no idea if Harrison is even alive.  He kept pure for that bond, but damn if Matt is not getting to him.

Matt is a former grad student and is being trained by Peter to be a nurse.  He also has the hots for Peter, but the man doesn’t return his feelings.  Then the zombie’s start showing up on their island and Peter realizes that he does have feelings for Matt.  However he still needs to know if Harrison is alive or dead, he has to make choices.  

I love the little twist to this story, although I have to say I kind of knew the outcome for both of my questions before I got to it in the story.  It was a fairly easy step to take.  I normally don’t like to read books by author’s that I have not heard of or read, but damn if this author is not going to be a favorite of mine.  I can’t wait to see what other stories she has out.  Danger, zombies, freezing temp’s, fear and hot sex is just a bit of what you get in this story.  Let’s just say that it rocked and I hope to see more stories like this one from this author.  Way to go!