Tag: Meredith Russell

Dead Things by Meredith Russell

Title: Dead Things

Author: Meredith Russell

Genre: Zombie, Contemporary

Length: Novel (284pgs)

Publisher: Silver Publishing (11th August 2012)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: A deadly virus creates hungry monsters. Devin Reid, a survivor, risks his life scavenging food and supplies. One day, Devin finds someone with the potential to change a dark future into one of hope and second chances, Noah Weber.

A deadly virus rages indiscriminately across the United States and then beyond. The survivors face a new terror–the undead creatures created in the wake of the infection.

Devin Reid is part of a group surviving out of a high-security penitentiary near Kansas City. Resources are limited and it’s down to a handful of people like Devin to meet the demands on food and supplies. The newly-made monsters are hungry, and the survivors risk their lives scavenging the cities and highways.

On one fateful venture, Devin finds something, someone, with the potential to change a dark future, destined for blood and heartbreak, into one of hope and second chances. He finds Noah Weber.

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/products_id/1179

Review: Devin is part of a small group of survivors living in a prison after a deadly virus outbreak. On a scavenging trip, Devin comes across another survivor, Noah, who has managed to survive living out in the open, which the zombie bites doesn’t infect, and who could just be humanities savior. But the journey to survival is harsh, with blood, loss of life and an egomaniac leading the way. Will there be a future for any of them?

This is a very grim and bloody zombie story, which has a glimmer of hope and maybe developing new relationships after you have lost your whole world. Devin nearly lost everything when the virus struck, but with himself and his sister safe in one of the only safe places in the country, he at least has life. But, when he comes across another survivor he is made to face the fact that although he has life…he is not living. Noah lost everything when the virus struck, he has survived by himself since those first bloody days and now he has been dragged to ‘safety’ where they inject him and want his blood. The only one he trusts is Devin, but Devin holds him away at arm’s length. Can Noah crack the shell that Devin has built around him?

I really enjoyed this story as it has a slightly darker outlook on life, after a virus outbreak that turns the population into zombies. Both the characters of Devin and Noah are really well written, with both of them reacting differently to how the disaster has affected them. Devin draws into himself and continues on, because he has people relying on him. While Noah, grips life with both hands and tries to get as much joy as possible or it could just be that he is around humans who aren’t trying to eat him.

This isn’t a huge romantic, sex-filled story, far from it. It is a story of new hope and maybe new beginnings. It is a story of starting to lay old ghosts to rest and of a glimmer of happiness in the future. This story also isn’t for the faint hearted as it has some pretty gruesome scenes with lots of blood, some with characters we are just getting to know and we don’t get a hearts and flowers happy ending. What we get is the beginning of something that could be special, and a new hope for all humanity.

So, I am going to recommend this to those who love grisly zombie stories, finding the beginning of new love amid harrowing times, of an egomaniac who just hasn’t got a clue and of hope for the future.

 

 

 

Sex and Cocktails by Meredith Russell

Title: Sex and Cocktails

Author: Meredith Russell

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (87pgs)

Publisher: Silver Publishing (28th July 2012)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: After cocktails, Daniel and Ty embark on a passionate encounter in sun-soaked Miami. Living a thousand miles apart makes being together hard, but the last thing they want is to have the heartache of saying goodbye over and over again.

Daniel Rawlings is happy with his nine-to-five life in Chicago. He has an office job, a mortgage, and he’s about to turn thirty. He’s happy, or so he thought. During the last night of a sun-filled vacation in Miami, he meets wild-haired, free-spirited Ty. With the help of some summery cocktails, Daniel and Ty embark on a passionate one night stand, though neither man really wants it to be just one night.

With a thousand miles between cities, it may be harder than either man could have imagined. In the end, Daniel and Ty have a decision to make: Is what they have when they’re together worth the heartache of saying goodbye over and over again?

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/products_id/1167

Review: Daniel is spending the last day of his vacation in a bar with his friends, when he is approached by Ty, who isn’t his usual type at all they have a passionate one night stand, but both want more, and Ty spends his vacation in Chicago with Daniel and now they have to decide what they want and can they really make it work with a thousand miles between them.

Meredith Russell has given us a great hot steamy holiday romance, where the MCs have to decide if a thousand miles is really too much. Daniel is drinking his last night away when he is approached by Ty; they hit it off and spend the night together. When morning comes, both wish they had more time together and Ty makes the first move to make it happen. Ty is a lot more confident in what they could have, if only they try, and shows Daniel through actions that maybe they can make it work. But, when it comes time for Ty to leave, both men feel it keenly.

So a good story of long distance romance and combining two vacations into one story. The love comes pretty fast and the sex is hot, dirty and steamy. We have to good characters in Ty and Daniel, Ty is laid back and easy-going, while Daniel is slightly more uptight and cautious. I must admit that from Daniel’s thought process, at first, I thought that he wasn’t keen on Ty at all and just seemed to be humoring Ty. But, as we get used to the way he thinks (or when he is sober) it is easier to see that he is just really cautious.

Ty is a great man, who is willing to try anything to see the man he is falling in love with and although we don’t manage to see them together as a couple as much as we might want, the time that we do get to spend with them shows us how good they are together. The sex is hot between them and their first time together was really hot, but their time together means more than just sex.

I am going to recommend this to those who love long distance romances, holiday love, hot sex, and a happy for now ending, with maybe the hope of more to come.

 

 

The Art of Words by RJ Scott and Meredith Russell

Title: The Art of Words

Author: R.J. Scott & Meredith Russell

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (165pgs)

Publisher: Silver Publishing (14th April 2012)

Heat Level: Low – Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Tom offers Blu his dream of a gallery show. Though an attraction exists, their worlds collide because Blu speaks through paint and brushes and Tom’s life is filled with words and paperwork. Though opposites attract, these differences might push them apart.

After years of following his activist parents, artist Blu Taylor finally found somewhere to call home.

He sees art in the world around him yet is never truly part of it. There’s a line that keeps him just on the outside of everything and everyone except his best friend.

Thomas Harrington has everything–the money, the car, and the designer suits. But something is missing from a seemingly perfect life, lost when his mother fell ill.

After attending a local art show, Blu is contacted by Tom and offered his dream–a chance to show at a gallery.

Though there is a growing attraction between the men, their worlds couldn’t be more apart. Blu speaks through paint and brushes, and Tom’s life is filled with words and paperwork.

Though opposites attract, these differences might push them apart.

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/products_id/1048?zenid=8b78d21c65cb5da7d402cda85dabf60d

Review: Blu is a struggling artist who suffers with severe dyslexia.  With the help of his best friend, Jackson, he gets through life. At Jackson’s insistence, he enters a local art exhibit and is contacted by Tom, who offers him his dream. Tom is a rich and sophisticated businessman who was taught to love art by his mother. When he takes an interest in Blu’s work, he quickly becomes enamored with the artist.

A well-written story that is sweet and enjoyable. Blu is embarrassed because he can’t read and write well, but he loves to paint and is talented.  When his work catches Tom’s eye, he is both excited and scared. Tom quickly becomes important to Blu, but Blu is scared to reveal his true self for fear of ridicule and rejection. Tom is enchanted by the way Blu sees the world and wants to help him with an exhibit of his art, but he quickly begins to fall for Blu.

In this story both Blu and Tom are wonderful characters and even though Blu hasn’t had the best of educations (his mom and dad moved around a lot), he has enough street smarts that he can usually fake his way out of a situation. And if he can’t then his best friend Jackson is there to help him. The authors have done a wonderful job of showing the struggles that someone with dyslexia cope with and how they try to cover the disability. Blu’s fear of ridicule and his shame were well done and his actions to try and divert attention from his weakness were brilliantly portrayed.

The way the relationship between the two men played out was great. They got to know each other and grew close before the relationship progressed further.  There were some blips as Blu’s insecurity and Tom’s privacy clashed. It was also really nice that we got to know what kind of men they were through their friends and family.  The support and love they received from them and how they interacted with them as well. The sex between Blu and Tom is erotic and also sweet with a little bit of chocolate body paint ;-).

So for this one, I recommend it to those who love artists and businessmen, a sweet love, a bit of conflict, wonderful lovemaking and a happy ending.