Tag: Rick R. Reed

Sky Full of Mysteries by Rick R. Reed (2nd Edition) *Dual Review*

Rick R. Reed - Sky Full of Mysteries Cover 734hcni sTitle: Sky Full of Mysteries

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (220pgs)

Publisher: NineStar Press (27th Jan 2020)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts (combined)

Blurb: What if your first love was abducted and presumed dead—but returned twenty years later?

That’s the dilemma Cole Weston faces. Now happily married to Tommy D’Amico, he’s suddenly thrown into a surreal world when his first love, Rory Schneidmiller, unexpectedly reappears.

Where has Rory been all this time? Has he time-traveled? What happened to him two decades ago, when a strange mass appeared in the night sky and lifted him into outer space? Rory has no memory of those years. For him, it’s as though only a day or two has passed.

Rory still loves Cole with the passion unique to young first love. Cole has never forgotten Rory, yet Tommy has been his rock, by his side since Rory disappeared.

Cole is forced to choose between an idealized and passionate first love and the comfort of a long-term marriage. How can he decide? Who faces this kind of quandary, anyway? The answers might lie among the stars….

ISBN-13: 978-1-951880-28-6

Product Link: NineStar | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewers: Shorty & Lisa

Shorty’s Review 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts:

Twenty years ago Cole and Rory were young and in love. Then one night Rory mysteriously disappears never to be seen. Cole spent years looking for Rory. I felt his pain and despair of not knowing what happened. Then Cole meets Tommy. The two start a relationship and marry. Now twenty years later Rory is back and Cole has a decision to make.

I really felt for both Rory and Cole. So much had been taken from them when Rory was taken. But at the same time Cole finds someone new years later. I felt that Cole found Tommy comforting but at the same time never really gave Tommy his all because of what he felt for Rory. This was a deep story with plenty of drama and emotional aspects as well as what exactly happened to Rory.

I felt Cole’s decision in the end was the right one. What added to the story was the thoughts and feelings from Cole, Rory and Tommy. We got to see what each thought and their feelings on certain things as the story progressed. I don’t want to ruin the ending by giving anything else away but I will say it was a well written story with deep thoughts and heartfelt decisions to be made by Cole.

Fantastic read and highly recommended.

Lisa’s Review 💖💖💖 2 1/2 Hearts:

Cole and Rory were so in love and belonged together like no other. Then Rory disappeared one night after making love. Cole could hardly eat, hardly sleep and hated going to work. Then he accidentally runs into Tommy with his bike and things were changing for him. He just never forgot the man he loved.

Twenty years have past and his love has changed. He married Tommy and their lives were looking good. The problem was his past love was the one he always thought about. Then Rory showed back up.

Rory has been gone for twenty years but to him he was only gone for a night or two. He even still looked like he was in his twenties and his love for Cole was still strong as ever. He just had no clue what happened to him.

When I came across this book I actually figured the author was just going to turn it into a menage a trois story. That however was not the way he took it. I hate to admit that this book was twisted and not in the good way. There were no clues to where Rory had ended up for twenty years and you never get the answer. The book was down right creepy and I hated the ending.

I was glad that **** didn’t end up breaking ****’s heart, but what happened was ****’s heart was the one being broken. However I guess it was the only way that could have ended but I was disappointed in it either way. I would have loved it better if the three of them had gotten together in the end.

To be truthful I hated this story and it is going straight to the never read again list.

Overall the story is quite unique and is a very refreshing type of story. It just wasn’t for me…

Sky Full of Mysteries by Rick R. Reed Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Rick R. Reed - Sky Full of Mysteries RB Banner

Hi guys, we have Rick R. Reed popping in today with his new re-release Sky Full of Mysteries, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~

Rick R. Reed - Sky Full of Mysteries Cover 734hcni

Sky Full of Mysteries

by

Rick R. Reed

What if your first love was abducted and presumed dead—but returned twenty years later?

That’s the dilemma Cole Weston faces. Now happily married to Tommy D’Amico, he’s suddenly thrown into a surreal world when his first love, Rory Schneidmiller, unexpectedly reappears.

Where has Rory been all this time? What happened to him two decades ago, when a strange mass appeared in the night sky and lifted him into the heavens? Rory has no memory of those years. For him, it’s as though only a day or two has passed.

Rory still loves Cole with the passion unique to young first love. Cole has never forgotten Rory, yet Tommy has been his rock, by his side since Rory disappeared.

Cole is forced to choose between an idealized and passionate first love and the comfort of a long-term marriage. How can he decide? Who faces this kind of quandary, anyway? The answers might lie among the stars….

Warning: Death/disappearance of prominent character

.•.•.**❣️ NineStar | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo ❣️**.•.•.

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A Demon Inside by Rick R. Reed (3rd Edition)

Rick R. Reed - A Demon Inside Cover bhe674hTitle: A Demon Inside (3rd Edition)

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Paranormal, Horror

Length: Novel (269 pages)

Publisher: JMS Books (18th January 2020)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖 3 Hearts

Blurb: Hunter Beaumont doesn’t understand his grandmother’s deathbed wish: “Destroy Beaumont House.” He’d never even heard of the place. But after his grandmother passes and his first love betrays him, the family house in the Wisconsin woods looks like a tempting refuge. Going against his grandmother’s wishes, Hunter flees to Beaumont House.

But will the house be the sanctuary he had hoped for? Soon after moving in, Hunter realizes he may not be alone. And who — or what — he shares the house may plunge him into a nightmare from which he may never escape.

Sparks fly when he meets his handsome neighbor, a caretaker for the estate next door, but is the man salvation…or is he the source of Hunter’s terror?

ISBN: 9781646562466

Product Link: JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: A Demon Inside by Rick R. Reed is a rather spooky novel and not for the faint of heart. For anyone who has read the first edition of this book, I have to admit that I never read the first edition, so I’m not entirely sure what has changed since.

The story itself has left me with some rather mixed feelings. This book isn’t a romance, means that any romance is not front and centre of the plot, and what romance there was throughout the story was really nicely done. However, it is not that aspect that has bothered me. The horror was fantastically written and I really enjoyed it. In hindsight, though, I think that there was some sort of spark missing with the horror that connected all the dots for me in my head. But mostly, I found that after the build up in the horror and the terror felt by Hunter, the ending was a little too flat and a little too quick for my liking.

Nonetheless, this book does the creepy and poltergeist things perfectly, so on the surface this is a fantastic horror story which may well leave you with chills running down your spine.

The story follows Hunter Beaumont and finds his life at loose ends when in a tumultuous short period of time his beloved grandmother dies and his boyfriend dumps him. In a move that is something like a classical gothic horror, Hunter decides to live in Beaumont House after being told by his grandmother on her death bed to burn it down. Beaumont House has no end of secrets (which leads Hunter to uncover the memory of when his parents had died when he was a child) and some of them are quite deadly (this is one house with a bad history).

The subplot featuring the neighbour of Beaumont House, Michael, is where the romance comes in. Michael is a sweet guy and matches well with Hunter. However, Hunter seems to spend a lot of time doubting his new relationship and I’m not entirely sure whether or not this is actually to do with the “demon” of Beaumont House or just Hunter being insecure. This adds a nice, lighter plot to the otherwise dark/horror we otherwise get.

Despite my conflicted feelings, this is a good book and anyone into horror and anything that is generally just creepifying (in the words of Joss Whedon) stories will at least enjoy this read.

Unraveling by Rick R. Reed Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Rick R. Reed - Unraveling RB Banner

Hi guys! We have Rick R. Reed stopping by today with his new release Unraveling, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~

Rick R. Reed - Unraveling Cover msxn7h

Unraveling

by

Rick R. Reed

Randy Kay has the perfect life with his beautiful wife and adorable son. But Randy’s living a lie, untrue to himself and everyone who knows him. He’s gay.

Marriage and fatherhood, which he thought could change him, have failed. He doubts if anyone can love him for who he really is—especially himself.

With his wife’s blessing, he sets out to explore the gay world he’s hidden from all his life.

John Walsh, a paramedic with the Chicago Fire Department, is comfortable in his own skin as a gay man, yet he can never find someone who shares his desire to create a real relationship, a true family.

When Randy and John first spy each other in Chicago’s Boystown, all kinds of alarms go off—some of joy, others of deep-seated fear.

Randy and John must surmount multiple hurdles on the journey to a lasting, meaningful love. Will they succeed or will their chance at love go up in flames, destroyed by missed connections and a lack of self-acceptance?

Warning: Attempted suicide

.•.•.**❣️ NineStar | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | B&N ❣️**.•.•.

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I Heart Terriers by Rick R. Reed (3rd Edition)

Rick R. Reed - I Heart Boston Terriers Cover ns6h33Title: I Heart Boston Terriers (3rd Edition)

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Short Story (54 Pages)

Publisher: JMS Books (2nd January 2020)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Blurb: Love at first sight can work for dogs as well as humans.

When Aaron finds Mavis, an emaciated and timid Boston terrier, at a pet adoption fair, his heart goes out to her — irrevocably.

When Christian, who is manning the adoption fair for the Humane Society that fateful autumn Saturday, finds Aaron, his heart goes out to him — irrevocably.

I Heart Boston Terriers is all about embracing love, whether it’s for someone who walks on four legs or someone who walks on two. The Boston terrier Mavis’s journey back to wholeness and finding her forever home runs parallel to the story of two men finding each other at that perfect moment — a moment that defies logic, propriety, and common sense.

But then when do the dictates of love follow a rational course?

Come along for a journey about a man and his dog and see how that journey teaches him the truth about love and making a caring connection that just might last a lifetime.

ISBN: 9781646562343

Product Link: JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: He lost his boyfriend, his car and his home. Now he is living with his nutty sister who is trying to talk him into adopting a pet. When he meets Mavis, his heart just says this is the perfect dog. Mavis is a cute Boston terrier who has been abused. To top it off the cute guy from the Humane Society might just be willing to help him.

I will say that at first I thought his sister was pretty cool, but that did not last long. She is a royal bitch, if I must say so. But the guys together, well they rocked. It is a cute little story made even better with a dog. I think the author could have given it a better ending but it was still pretty good. Felt like a longer story but it turned out to be perfect for a break time read.

I will admit that it is not one of those stories I would read more than once though. It is still a pretty nice story with some cuteness to it. I would recommend it.

Dinner at Jack’s by Rick R. Reed (2nd Edition)

Rick R. Reed - Dinner at Jacks Cover ns7djmTitle: Dinner at Jack’s

Series: Romance With Recipes 03

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (235pgs)

ISBN: 9781646562206

Publisher: JMS Books LLC (18th December 2019)

Heat Level: Nil

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Personal chef Beau St. Clair, recently divorced from his cheating husband, returns to the small Ohio River town where he grew up to lick his wounds.

Jack Rogers lives with his mother, Maisie, in that same small town, angry at and frightened by the world. Jack has a gap in his memory that hides something he dares not face, and he’s probably suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Maisie, seeking relief from her housebound and often surly son, hires Beau to cook for Jack, hoping the change might help bring Jack, once a handsome and vibrant attorney, back to his former self. But can a new face and comfort food compensate for the terror lurking in Jack’s past?

Slowly the two men begin a dance of revelation and healing. Food and compassion build a bridge between Beau and Jack, a bridge that might lead to love. But will Jack’s demons allow it? His history could just as easily tear them apart as bring them together.

Purchase Link: JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: This story is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone.

When Beau gets divorced from his cheating husband there’s only one place he thinks of going to lick his wounds, to the small town he grew up. Not sure what to do now Beau spots an ad for a personal chef and decides to check it out, it leads him to a man he never thought he’d see again.

Maisie is desperate when she posts an ad for a chef, her son has retreated into himself and is often snarly and surly, and she hopes that good food will tempt her son but the first visit doesn’t go too well.

Jack can’t remember anything of the night that changed his life, he’s terrified to leave his room and he hates the man he’s turned into. When his mom hires a chef in a desperate attempt to get Jack to engage in life, Jack is resentful but Beau begins to chip away at Jack’s blocked memories.

This is a great story that fits in perfectly with the other Romance with Recipes books (Dinner at Home, Dinner at Fiorello’s), it’s a touching story of budding love and healing. Beau is a fantastic character who is feeling slightly wounded after his divorce, when he gets a challenge in Jack he’s determined to bring Jack back to the land of the living and to being the man he knew one magical evening many years before.

Jack is suffering, he’s scared to live, there’s something lurking in his memories that has him terrified and has taken him from being a man who embraces life to one who shuns it. Jack isn’t a very nice character when we first meet him, in fact he’s downright nasty but as we learn what he has been through we understand that it’s a coping mechanism so he doesn’t have to re-join the world. When he meets Beau his behaviour doesn’t chase the man away and Jack soon learns that maybe that’s a good thing.

The story is really well written and the storyline is great, it’s a story that surprised me as I figured that the story would be straight forward and the blurb covered everything, and yes that’s true but there’s a little bit more that had my breath catching and a twinge of sadness struck me for what was lost by an act of hatred and bigotry. Rick R. Reed writes in such a way that even the expected comes as a surprise and he can tease feelings from you that you don’t expect.

While there is a touch of romance developing between Jack and Beau there is a lot of healing and facing the past before we get to that point, so don’t expect a lovefest because there’s a lot of ground to cover especially for Jack. On a side note Jack’s mother Maisie and Beau’s father Niles are great characters and it was so sweet to see their little romance play out as well.

I recommend this to those who love stories that have a little meat to them, characters who know sorrow and pain, men who have suffered but who begin to heal and bloom, and a romance that is just beginning.

Dinner at Fiorello’s by Rick R. Reed (2nd Edition)

Rick R. Reed - Dinner at Fiorello's Cover 45hfy7Title: Dinner at Fiorello’s

Series: A Romance With Recipes 02

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Contemporary, New Adult

Length: Novel (214pgs)

ISBN: 9781646562183

Publisher: JMS Books LLC (8th December 2019)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Henry Appleby has an appetite for life. As a recent high school graduate and the son of a wealthy family in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs, his life is laid out for him. Unfortunately, though, he’s being forced to follow in the footsteps of his successful attorney father instead of living his dream of being a chef. When an opportunity comes his way to work in a real kitchen the summer after graduation, at a little Italian joint called Fiorello’s, Henry jumps at the chance, putting his future in jeopardy.

Years ago, life was a plentiful buffet for Vito Carelli. But a tragic turn of events now keeps the young chef at Fiorello’s quiet and secretive, preferring to let his amazing Italian peasant cuisine do his talking.

When the two cooks meet over an open flame, sparks fly. Both need a taste of something more — something real, something true — to separate the good from the bad and find the love — and the hope — that just might be their salvation.

Purchase Link: JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: This story is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Henry knows what he wants to do with his life now that he’s graduated from school and it isn’t what his wealthy father has planned for him, but he doesn’t know if he will be brave enough to go after what he wants until he spots a help wanted ad for a little Italian restaurant called Fiorella’s. Vito was blessed with a good life until a tragic turn of events took what he loved most, now he lives quietly, keeping to himself and working as the chef at Fiorella’s. For over a year nothing has breached the shell he lives in until a blond ‘bubble dancer’ begins to crack his shell, but Vito doesn’t want his safe shell shattered and Henry’s life is falling apart around him. Will either man take a chance on something more or will they retreat to the safety or the world that they know.

Fiorella’s is another wonderful story from Rick R. Reed that touches our hearts. Henry is the typical rich kid who has had everything offered to him on a platter except the love of his parents, his mother is cold and distant and his father is a powerful attorney who has Henry’s life mapped out for him. Henry wants to take a chance of grabbing his dream though, a dream that would have him cooking for other people, a dream that his father would look down on but with only the summer free before he starts collage he decides to grab the chance he is offered. Vito is perfectly with his lonely life working as the chef at Fiorella’s, at least that’s what he wants everyone to believe, the loss of those he loved the most still weighs him down and he never wants to open is heart to that kind of hurt again. Having Henry come into his life has Vito tempted to live again. As Henry’s life begins to fall apart and he turns to Vito, but cracking Vito’s secretive shell isn’t easy.

Henry is a young man who doesn’t want to be caged into a life he won’t enjoy, but going against his father’s wishes isn’t easy especially when he gets no support from his mother. As Henry moves into the world of adulthood he learns that life isn’t easy or going to fit into what he wants, it’s a hard world with realities he might not like and he has to grow up. Vito knows that life is far from easy; he now keeps himself to himself with no interest in love. We don’t get an easy romance, in fact Vito seems to barely tolerate Henry, what we get is a young man on the verge of making his own adult decisions and a jaded man who has turned his back on life.

This is a beautifully written story, we are made to feel both men’s pain in this story, Henry’s pain as his life changes and his solid family base is shaken and Vito’s bleeding pain as he tries to let go of the past. There are some poignant moments as Vito loses himself in his dreams and memories and as he begins to open up to Henry but we also have his anger as he feels that he’s being forced to let go of the past. With Henry we get his excitement of beginning his life, the fear of going against his father, the devastation of his family not being what he thought and the twisting feelings he has for Vito. These two men need each other and it takes a large part of the book to get to that stage, but it fits as we get to know both Vito and Henry, it’s the pace that suits both of them.

I recommend this to those who love stories of embarking on your own path in life, of being poked back to life and the living, of a tentative new love blooming, of grabbing life with both hands and facing the fall out, and of two men who embark on a new stage in their lives.    

Dinner at Home by Rick R. Reed (2nd Edition)

Rick R. Reed - Dinner at Home Cover h84fjnTitle: Dinner At Home

Series: Romance With Recipes 01

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (206pgs)

ISBN: 9781646562114

Publisher: JMS Books (20th November 2019)

Heat Level: Low – Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 4 ½ Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: It only takes a few days for Ollie D’Angelo to lose his boyfriend, his job, and his home. Instead of mourning what he doesn’t have, Ollie celebrates what he does: the freedom to pursue his real passion—cooking. He begins Dinner at Home, a home-catering business, and it takes off.

Late one night, Ollie catches Hank Mellinger, a streetwise hood down on his luck, about to rob his car. Ollie soon discovers that appearances aren’t necessarily what they seem. Hank isn’t a criminal caught red-handed, but a hungry young man trying to make a life for himself and the four-year-old niece he’s trying desperately to take care of.

Instead of calling the cops, Ollie offers Hank a job and a way to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Together, they discover they can really cook… and that their shared passion for food just might lead to a passion for each other.

Purchase Link: JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: Ollie wakes up one weekend thinking everything is perfect, he has a loving boyfriend, a wonderful home and a great job and then reality strikes as his boyfriend dumps him, he has to find a new place to live and he gets laid off from work. Ollie moves his focus to his freedom to do what he now wants: cooking. Hank fell in with drugs but after a stint in jail is trying to get back on his feet, when he finds himself having to take care of his niece, Addison, it becomes a struggle just to earn enough to buy food. Starving he goes looking for some quick cash but is surprised and ends up finding his saviour, Ollie, who offers him a job and a safe environment for his niece. Both Ollie and Hank discovered more on that dark night, they discover a shared passion for food and each other.

This is an amazing story of a man with a huge heart who, instead of wallowing in self-pity, embraced the opportunity to change his life and invited others to do the same. Ollie is an incredible character, he suffered the blow of being dumped by his boyfriend followed quickly by losing his job and he began to move forward with his life instead of stewing on what had happened. Hank is, amazingly, a character that you come to admire; he dabbled with drugs but cleaned himself up and genuinely wants to make something of his life and he keeps trying no matter what obstacles are thrown in his way. They might both come from different walks of life but their core is very similar, a love of food and the need to help and share with others.

While it might seem that food has a lot to do with this story (just wait till you get a load of the amazing recipes at the beginning of some chapters) it’s the love and comfort that is represented by the food that really shines through, a quite meal for two in the comfort of their own home, a lonely man needing a meal for one and a bit of company or even a family meal where the entire family attends and can relax, and for Ollie and Hank it’s the comfort of working together to make those meals that draw them together. It isn’t a rushed ‘oh my god he’s hot, lets jump into bed’ relationship, it’s one that is built up between them without them really realizing it and which is pushed into the forefront of their minds by a sudden burst of jealousy.

The entire story is wonderful; you have Hank and Ollie building a family unit with Addison and Rosa (another young person in need), then you have the sudden loss of a member which rocks the boat and nearly tears them all apart but they work to accept the changes. Hank and Ollie are beautiful together, they make a great couple for all that they seem so different and their love will get them through anything that life might throw at them.

I recommend this to those who love stories of dragging yourself up from the cesspit and making a new life for yourself, who love men with huge hearts who will hold a hand out and offer help, finding love when you least expect it, building your own family to love and getting your happy ever after through sheer hard work.