Tag: Samhain Publishing

Prince of Tricks by Jane Kindred

18714334Title: Prince of Tricks
Series: Demons of Elysium, #1
Author: Jane Kindred
Genre: Angels & Demons / Alternate World / Kink & Fetish
Length: Novel (375 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-61922-089-8
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (January 7th, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Reviewer: Thommie
Blurb: When desire rises, angels will fall. One, by one, by one…

Over the past century, Belphagor has made a name for himself in Heaven’s Demon District as a cardsharp, thief, and charming rogue.

Though the airspirit is content with his own company, he enjoys applying the sweet sting of discipline to a willing backside. Angel, demon, even the occasional human. He’s not particular. Until a hotheaded young firespirit steals his purse—and his heart. Now he’s not sure who owns whom.

A former rent boy and cutpurse from the streets of Raqia, Vasily has never felt safer than in the arms—and at the feet—of the Prince of Tricks. He’s just not sure if Belphagor returns those feelings. There’s only one way to find out, but using a handsome, angelic duke to stir Belphagor’s jealousy backfires on them both.

When the duke frames Vasily for an attempted assassination as part of a revolutionary conspiracy, Belphagor will do whatever it takes to clear his boy’s name and expose the real traitor. Because for the first time in his life, the Prince of Tricks has something to lose.
Purchase Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/prince-tricks-p-73194.html
Review: This was a most refreshing book, the world it was set upon was Heaven itself, though a very intriguing and enticing view, not at all the cliché Heaven we’ve been bored out of our head off. To say I loved it would be accurate yet lacking something. Lacking the fact that this book nearly sent me spinning into fanfic mode, it was so inspiring and so enticing that you couldn’t simply read it without letting your imagination soar wild in this word.

The characters we meet in this wonderful tale are two lovely, albeit completely different from each other, demons. Set in a world where demons are the lowest form of life and angels feel more than entitled, these two characters draw you in an adventure a bit dark, a bit kinky, and way too dangerous from which you don’t want to escape.

Belphagor is a self-made character, strong and cunning, his smarts and wits are what have granted him the title Prince of Tricks. He is also a very dominant creature in bed, his inclinations being a lot on the rough and cruel side. He appears to have no weaknesses…
At least that’s what our second star of the story believes. Vasily, a rent-boy and former thief forewent his life, as he knew it when he met Belphagor. He gave himself to this seemingly uncaring airspirit, even as his heart hurts with the uncertainty that colors this relationship. Being a firespirit and a hothead, he constantly finds himself in peculiar situations until he gets in the worst predicament ever, charged with attempted murder against the very crown. Penalty is immediate death and both Belphagor and Vasily must take a wild journey through intrigues and emotions in order to survive this obstacle. For where Vasily has his life in the line, Belphagor has his heart.

I loved the tale, oh my God a fascinating one. It had action, conspiracy, a well-threaded plot put in a lovely pace that kept you always on your toes and most of all, and this damned relationship that was not just a relationship. Belphagor is a wild creature, a cruel, cruel “master” always goading and humiliating his “sub”, and as for Vasily, well the fact he’s a firespirit should give you a hint or two that while he submits it doesn’t happen easily and it’s always loaded with defiance. It is absolutely fantastic to read and damn well written too. So, you might wonder on the quotes I put for the words “master” and “sub”. It’s the fact that these words are never once worded in this book, though that’s exactly what Belphagor and Vasily are to each other. It’s the fact that there are no labels when it comes to the nature of relationships in this world, except perhaps when it comes to interactions between Angels and Demons. There are still judgments and slurs, but in a kind of different way, that makes it utterly non-Earthly, and that it made this book such a sweet and original read.

I could keep on going on and on about the nature of the dynamic between our protagonists, the fact that there were way too many lovers and non-lovers and m/f scenes and orgies, and sharing of partners, all written gloriously resulting in exquisitely hot and pant-worthy scenes, but I’m going to refrain. Because in the end you have to read it yourself and find the magic of this Hell of a tale. What I can do is recommend that jump through the rabbit-hole, or the Ascend of the stairway to Heaven, or the Fall from the Celestial… Ah, there I go and lose myself again. Damn this book stole my head.

Recommended!

 

Against Reason by Scarlet Blackwell

19549900Title: Against Reason

 

Author: Scarlet Blackwell

 

Genre: Contemporary

 

Length: Novella (109 pages)

 

ISBN: 978-1-61922-219-9

 

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (February 18th, 2014)

 

Heat Level: Moderate

 

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

 

Reviewer: Cat

 

Blurb: He lost his heart once. Is it too damaged for love to find it again?

 

In the five years since the love of his life abandoned him at the altar, Jake Morgan hasn’t left his house. The locals in this small, English town have dubbed him “Mr. Havisham”, but he’s too preoccupied wrestling his demons to care about Dickensian comparisons.

 

Forced to admit he’s losing the battle to keep up his large estate alone, he reluctantly places an advert for help. The striking young man who answers his call shakes him to the core.

 

When Darius answers the ad for the position at the mysterious mansion, the bitter, lonely master of the house tugs at his heartstrings. Setting aside his own run of bad luck, Darius batters at Jake’s emotional walls with kindness and determination that defy all attempts to drive him away.

 

Just as tendrils of new love begin to intertwine, though, a terrible voice from the past intrudes. And threatens to drive Jake back into the shadows where Darius can never reach him.

 

Purchase Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/against-reason-p-73235.html

 

Review: Against reason is a story about a man who is very broken and another that is going through a lot of personal issues, such as finding a job to make ends meet and keeping a roof over his head.

 

I am going to start by talking about characters.  Jake had been left at the altar five years ago and was still reeling from it.  He is very heartbroken, the town talks about him and calls him Mr. Havisham (from Great expectations), and he has suffered physically and emotionally for the tragedy. Aside from the jilting, he is also a recluse, and has a severe case of OCD.  I liked Jake since i do relate. Some people that aren’t experienced with OCD may not understand some of the references to numbers, and the need to keep his personal space.

 

There were things I didn’t like about Jake, such as he sometimes bordered on being plain mean and cruel to Darius in my opinion. 

Darius, I would have liked a little more information such as why he was having such employment issues, why he was fired, since he seemed to be a very hard worker and easy to please.  Marc… I won’t even go there… Nope didn’t like him but I am sure we aren’t supposed to.

 

I actually liked the storyline, but I have a thing about broken main-characters, especially if they can overcome whatever broke them.   I like a lot of angst and there is tons of it in this story.

One of my favourite things was the dining room. This was a big shocker and I won’t tell you what was there, but I liked the description, I found it slightly macabre and felt it really emphasized the pain Jake was suffering from.

 

I am not sure a wedding cake  left out would even be standing in five years, but I myself let the reality go  from that and liked the effect it served. After all this is fiction. I also would have liked to know where Jake go his money, had such a huge house and grounds and why he didn’t have to work

 

If you like, a good romance full of angst, dark, sad stories, broken men and some relatively hot mansex this is for you!

Malachi's Word by Lissa Matthews

81p+eJn5vBL._SL1500_Title:Malachi’s Word

Series: The Bar Next Door, 01

Author:Lissa Matthews

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (50 pages)

Publisher:Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (November 6th, 2012)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer:   Cat

Blurb:   Drunken confessions. Sobering friendship. And two cowboys gambling on love…

The Bar Next Door, Book 1

Could he love me? Malachi has wanted to know the answer since his best friend, Daniel, confessed to being gay. He has never forgotten that long-ago conversation, or the secret hope that another confession would follow: that Daniel is in love with him.

Daniel is—and always has been—in love with Malachi. But how is he supposed to share that information without risking the only friendship that has ever mattered to him? He couldn’t handle it if he were kicked out of Malachi’s life. The best Daniel could do was move home to Texas, buy a little rundown ranch to work outside Austin, and visit the watering hole where Malachi tends bar.

Malachi knows that something heavy is riding his friend and he’s tired of watching Daniel’s downward spiral of too much beer and too many meaningless flings. Enough is enough.

Except, when he gets Daniel home and some strong coffee down his gullet, the truth comes pouring out. A truth that nearly knocks Malachi out of his boots.

Courage like that doesn’t come easy…and Malachi can only pray his answer is enough to turn lifelong friends into forever lovers.

Product Warnings
This little tale tries to contain a gay bar, a lot of beer, a hot cowboy with a pitchfork, another one with a serious addiction to boots and coffee, and a secret yearning between the two for hot blooded, can’t wait to get naked, just leave your boots on sex. Oh, and there are doughnuts…

Purchase Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/malachis-word-p-7107.html

Review: Malachi is part owner of The Bar next Door with his friend Eli.  Mal has to sit every night and watch his best friend Daniel hit on guys and get sloppy drunk, wishing it could be him going home with Daniel and wondering why he does this every night. Daniel got a ranch near Mal’s bar so he could at least be close. He has always loved mal since they were boys but knew if he ever told him he would lose him. After his stint in the service, he could no longer be so far away so he did the only thing he knew to do, move to the same town.

This is actually a very interesting story, however I felt like I was in the middle of a series not on the first book. I loved how Mal and Daniel had the same feelings and was afraid to tell the other. I liked all the characters and can’t wait to read Eli’s story, which is next.  I adored the little warnings in the blurb and front of the book.

If you like, friends to lovers, bars, cowboys, and donuts this is for you!

Eli's Promise by Lissa Matthews

18356980Title:   Eli’s Promise

Series: The Bar Next Door 02 

Author:   Lissa Matthews  

Genre: Contemporary Western

Length: Novella (95 pages)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (December 31st, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer:   Cat

Blurb:   “Time and distance have a way of sneaking up on feelings thought long buried. “
“The Bar Next Door, Book 2”
Five years ago, Eli held the hand of his dying lover and made a promise he never intended to keep. Find someone new to love? Be happy? Fat chance. Eli s happiness died that day. He s doing well to put one foot in front of the other, much less risk his heart again.

The only thorn in his side is Asa, part-time waiter at The Bar Next Door, who can’t seem to take a hint.

After years of carrying more responsibility on his broad, cowboy shoulders than most people twice his age, Asa knows what he wants when he sees it. Eli. Shadows haunt the gorgeous older bartender, who also happens to be one of Asa’s bosses, but Asa doesn’t t care about potential complications. He only wants to banish Eli s ghosts and bring Eli back to life.

Persistence, a little impatience, and Asa’s very wicked mouth goes to work on Eli’s grumpy, prickly defenses. But Asa may have to block the door to love with his foot or his heart before Eli slams it in his face.

Warning: Beware of stubborn cowboys, sticky bar floors and hot sexy showers, eavesdropping cooks and well-meaning friends, Irish whiskey, and a young man who doesn’t t understand the word no.

Purchase Link:   http://store.samhainpublishing.com/elis-promise-p-73175.html

Review: This is book two of the Bar Next Door series. I did feel this one stands alone pretty well.

Eli is still pining over the death of his lover and does not intend to keep the promise he made on Thad’s deathbed, to find someone else to love. He can’t imagine loving anyone else, until the cute new waiter Asa showed up.

I really liked this story much better than the first, though  I would have liked more on the first lover and the death but we did get enough here in tidbits to get the feel of the situation.  This story has a lot of sadness and I will say I nearly cried a couple of times.  I love stories that make me cry! I absolutely loved Eli and Asa. We also get a little more on Abe the cook and we did get some more of Danny and Mal and even their fathers. This was a sweet, sad, but very good story.

If you like, cowboys, college students, Bartenders, sad stories, happy endings, sweet loving ManSex and sticky floors this one is for you!

Conduct Unbecoming by L.A. Witt

15733931Title: Conduct Unbecoming

Author: L.A. Witt

Genre: Contemporary Military Romance

Length: Novel (381 pages)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (October 23rd 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 1/2 Hearts

Reviewer: Tams & Thommie

Blurb: “As long as no one asks and they don’t tell.”

First class petty officer Eric Randall is less than thrilled about taking orders to Okinawa. Three long, lonely years on a crappy island, that’s thousands of miles from his daughter? Oh. Yeah. Sign him up. But as long as he’s stuck here, he might as well make the best of it, so he discreetly checks out the local gay scene.

Shane nearly drops his drink when the gorgeous, cocky-looking guy strolls into Palace Habu. He buys him a drink, and before long, they’re making out in a booth. Eric is a straight-to-the-point kind of guy and doesn’t want to play games. Since Eric’s idea of not playing games is getting the hell out of there and going back to one of their apartments, Shane is more than happy to go along with it.

What starts as a scorching-hot one-night stand leaves both of them wanting more until Eric finds out Shane doesn’t just outrank him, he’s an officer. DADT may be repealed, but an officer getting involved with an enlisted man falls under conduct unbecoming.

Still, they can’t resist their mutual desire. There’s no reason anyone has to find out. But secrets have a way of outing themselves.

Warning: Contains two military boys who keep forgetting they’re not supposed to be together. Probably because they never have their uniforms on for any length of time.

Purchase Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/conduct-unbecoming-p-7039.html

Tams Review: 5 ♥♥♥♥♥ Hearts 

The backdrop of this story is the beautifully written Okinawa, brought to life superbly in the words Witt uses as descriptives. I was literally transported by her descriptions of the land, islands and castles. I would close my eyes between paragraphs and I was there at Katsuren Castle with Eric and Shane!

Eric is new to the island and not even remotely excited with his latest tour, having left behind his teenage daughter in the states with his ex-wife for the next three years. He is a career military, enlisted MP and he’s gay. Not necessarily openly gay, but he’s not touring Okinawa waving his rainbow flag either. It doesn’t take him long to begin his search for something, or someone, to help him pass the time.

The first thing Eric see’s when he walks into Palace Habu is the sexy, stranger at the end of the bar. Shane almost drops his drink when he lay’s eyes on Eric. The attraction is overwhelming, immediate and mutual. And what should be a one nightstand leaves both men wanting, no aching, for more. Okinawa is not the largest island on the planet, but it takes weeks before these two happen upon each other again. Sparks are soon flying again as these two trip over each other on their way back to the bedroom, quickly agreeing this should become a habit. Then Shane drops the bomb that he’s an Officer. DADT has been removed, but the long-standing rules against Officers and Enlisted in a relationship still stands. This is one rule not likely to change, not even for this Officer and his gentleman.

Not only do these guys have to deal with being gay in the military and all the sideways glances and hushed whispers that come from their narrow-minded fellow soldiers; but Witt delved even deeper by including the forbidden Officer dating Enlisted taboo. Eric and Shane still manage to skirt the boundaries of what they should and shouldn’t do, neither one willing to admit just how emotionally attached they’ve become to one another. As they learn ways around the rules and explore the wonder that is Okinawa, as well as each other, they skirt dangerously close to breaking a rule that could have devastating consequences for both of them.

I’m not certain what I liked more about this story. Watching the slow building love story between Eric and Shane as lust and fire become want and need; or the enthralling backdrop of Okinawa and the picture of perfection Witt was able to capture in this novel. This was the first book by L.A.Witt that I had the pleasure of reading, and have since read four more. I intend to eventually read all her books. She has an ability to pay as much attention to the background of her story as she does to the characters, but not taking any of the interest away from the characters. The exquisite background just made me that much more eager to turn each page.

Thommie’s Review: 3 1/2 – 4 ♥♥♥♥ Hearts

I keep being surprised by Ms. Witt. Such a peculiar writer, kinda fooled me with this one. I expected a somehow action/adventure story, with a fast beat and with lots of agony, but this is not one. Oh the agony was there or maybe it was angst and frustration, it just was not what I expected. But again I’m running ahead of myself.

This is a love story. I’m not certain if it’s fiction or if it’s real, it felt like the most realistic love story I’ve read, like some kind of biography. Eric is a Petty Officer and his orders are to serve 3 years in Okinawa, where this story takes place. The depression and amount of suffocating feeling that accompany him on his flight to the island are quite heavy (I felt them all while reading it) because that means he’s going to be away from his daughter for 3 whole years. Add to that the time difference conspiring to his inability to video chat with her often and he feels like his career is literally killing him. He expects nothing but misery while he’s in Okinawa, wondering how he’s going to manage not to lose his mind. Yet, against all odds, he’s in for a great surprise. Life always deals our best cards when we least expect it and accompanied by a great deal of awful ones too.

Shane is a Navy Officer and he’s already serving in Okinawa for some time. He’s in for a great surprise the night he sees Eric walk in the club. While Eric is hot, sexy, damn gorgeous, with a vibe that sends shivers through all his body, Shane never expected he’d be the best one-night stand of his damn entire life. But a one-night stand he is and he found himself mentally pounding his head on the wall for not asking his number. The fact that he can’t forget about Eric even after two weeks drives him crazy, how can a man get under his skin in the short hours of just one night?

Their elation when they find each other is beyond description. Yes, this is just hooking up, but damn they are so good together they could get used to that. Unfortunately, after yet another night of bone shattering, mind-blowing, send me to heaven or just let me die sex, they find out each other’s rank, And Hell surrounds them. They are not meant to have a relationship, hell they are not meant to even be friends, the regulations are clear enough, an officer getting involved, even as a simple friend, with an enlisted sailor means Military Court, both of their careers dead and the awful line of “Conduct Unbecoming a Gentleman” on their files. They must stop seeing each other; this is definitely not worth it… right?

And Oh My God, but the two men’s dynamic is absolutely fantastic. Jesus, it makes me wonder how does this author manage to convey it so acutely. Everything, everything in the protagonist’s life, from strolling down the streets to taking each other in bed is fueled with a gigantic shot of electricity that I swear traveled from the book to my body while I read it. Perhaps this exactly why it was such a disappointment for me when the plot suddenly flowed elsewhere. The moment one of the two characters was on his way to do his job or anything else, the flow stopped, the fast and intense read that had my brain spinning slowed down to a dull feeling. If you take off the characters interactions all that remains is a travel guide. Yeah I’m not saying that reading about Okinawa was not fascinating, but damn it, it was so detailed that had me almost sleeping after the adrenalin shot I got from Eric and Shane. It was like those train rides that go slowly for a while, then they pick up tremendous speed, and then they slow down again… If you add the fact that the only action the book got was the one and only time they almost got caught which resulted to them breaking out, it was… Well, it was not what I expected from the blurb.

This is a love story, one that you find on your everyday life, no miracles happening, no extreme baddies that make the protagonist’s life hell while they fight for their true love. This is a great love story between two navy guys that by getting together broke the law. It could happen to the guys next door; it could happen to your brother or cousin; it could even happen to you. If this is the kind of story you’re into, I strongly recommend it, it’ will certainly rattle you with the intensity the feeling reveal in the lines and make you remember your own.

Hell's End by Ally Blue

41439Title: Hell’s End

Series: Hellscape 01

Author: Ally Blue

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: Super Novel (292pgs)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (21st May 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Rebellion, war and survival. Love’s a bitch.

Tuck’s a Gutter, one of a gang of violent orphans running level thirty-six of Hell’s End, the solar system’s outermost space station. There’s only one way out of this brotherhood of blood—grow up and be killed and eaten by other Gutters.

Tuck barely escapes his death sentence, only to fall prey to the powerful L’arisian family. Rescue from a L’arisian whorehouse never happens, but rescued he is, and by Gov soldiers no less. Alone among the enemy, Tuck trusts only one person—the man who risked everything to pluck him to safety.

Ivan’s a soldier. No more, no less. But the disquieting things he learns about the Government’s plans for the Gutter kid have him doing the one thing a soldier shouldn’t do. Think about doing what’s right instead of what he’s told. All for a guy he can’t get out of his head.

Getting involved in a rebellion that might get them killed is a problem. Falling in love? That’s a disaster in the making.

This book contains rebels, spies, soldiers, bad guys, love, sex, betrayal, fights to the death, and robot spiders. Really.

Purchase Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/hells-end-p-7405.html

Review: Hell’s End is a war field. Between the Gov and the families fighting for control, it’s a fight for survival every day. Tuck is a Gutter, one of the many children who band together to stay alive. But life expectancy is short. If you live past 18/19 years old and the Gov and families don’t get you, then the other Gutters will. Tuck’s time has run out and when he outruns the Gutters, his problems have only just begun. Ivan is a Gov soldier and when he is ordered to rescue a kid from one of the families’ whorehouses, his suspicions are aroused. Just what is so special about a Gutter kid that the Gov would pull off a daring rescue? Discovering the truth, Ivan sets out to do what is right. Getting involved with the rebellion may get them both killed, but falling in love gives them something to live for.

Oh. My. God. hold on to your seat because this ride is about to get bumpy. Tuck lives on level thirty-six of Hell’s End. That level belongs to the Gutters. Children abandoned throughout the station are taken in by older children and they survive by any means necessary and if you get older or slow down, then you make a tasty meal for the rest of the Gutters. Tuck’s time has come and when he manages to escape, he ends up being caught by one of the families. And being rescued isn’t something he even imagined. Being rescued by the Gov is a disaster and when Ivan comes to him with a warning; it draws both of them into Gov secrets that the Gov don’t want discovered. Ivan and Tuck are drawn together in hard times, developing feelings that could be used against them. But, their feelings won’t be ignored, and can they save each other while fighting against the Gov?

*Squeal* This book grips you by the throat from the first page, and as a warning if you have a delicate stomach there are times when it will churn. The setting in this book is brutal. It is a fight for survival. There aren’t many levels where the brutality doesn’t reach, and even the levels that should be safe have hidden dangers. The characters are varied, but each has the underlying need for survival. Ivan and Tuck may come from completely different levels, but there is a spark between them that is rough and needy and their love doesn’t come easy or wrapped in a pretty package. Their love develops during harsh times, while they are digging and delving in places better left alone.

The storyline is a twisting maelstrom. We discover the Gov’s dark secrets, and the lengths they will go to get their way. But, as we are drawn in further, the depths of the Gov’s duplicity are revealed. The background settings are brilliantly written. The backdrop stands out against the story that is being played out and the characters add the life and danger that lingers all over Hell’s End. Should I tell you about the spider robots? Nah, I think that is an experience you should discover for yourself. Should I describe the rolling street battles? Now, where would be the fun in that? Should I tell you more about the Gutters… the scariest group of all? I wouldn’t want to ruin your revulsion or the kindling seeds of pity.           

If you want a science fiction story that is brutal and gritty, that has danger and excitement, that will turn your stomach, that has love and hope, a brilliant storyline and the beginnings of a happily ever after, then this story is for you.

Room to Grow by Kate Sherwood

Title:  Room to Grow

Author:  Kate Sherwood

Genre:  Contemporary

Length:  Novella (81 pages)

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (August 7th, 2012)

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Blurb: Cole Wheaton is a high-end garden designer just getting out of a difficult relationship with a deeply closeted architect. David McLean is just coming out of the closet himself. Cole befriends him, but won’t get any more involved, because David is a risky proposition, and Cole wants something stable. They finally get close enough to try for something more, but then David’s ex-wife pulls him back into her life, and it may end up pushing Cole away.

Product Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/room-grow-p-6957.html

Reviewer:  Showme

Review:  First off, let me say, I adore Kate Sherwood and her writing. Her Dark Horse series are the only books about three men in a relationship I have ever truly enjoyed.  She writes real characters that I fall in love with. So yeah, she’s on my automatic buy list. If all that wasn’t true then the beautiful cover on Room to Grow would have drawn my eye.

Cole Wheaton designs beautiful landscapes for a living. He’s creative, successful and openly gay. Cole is just coming out of a relationship with a man who isn’t coming out of the closet anytime soon. He hurt Cole and treated him like he was a dirty secret while Cole had real feelings for him. So the last thing Cole needs is to be attracted to a married man who is just admitting to his preference for men.

David McLean is married to his best friend, Stephanie. He loves her, but he just can’t make himself love her like a husband should love his wife.  Her latest project, the backyard, is an attempt to find some common ground with her husband, but brings Cole Wheaton into their lives.  Cole and David find they enjoy each other’s company and David is strongly attracted and develops feelings for Cole. Cole doesn’t want to get involved with a newly out of the closet man coming out of a marriage to a woman. He’s still doing Stephanie’s yard and would prefer to keep it professional but Stephanie asks him to help David through his transition. Things start out friendly, but the attraction proves too much for the guys.

I was a little worried in the beginning that I’d find it strange for Cole to get together with his clients soon to be ex-husband, but Kate made me want a HEA for them. The book does move at a slower pace, but that may be what makes the progression of the relationship between Cole and David more palatable while working for his lover’s soon to be ex-wife. She’s not demonized either, which I appreciated.  I loved the descriptions of the yards and Cole’s descriptions helped me get to know him better. It was almost too short and I would have liked a little more fleshing out the guys going from resisting the temptation to falling in love. In the end, this was not my favorite Kate Sherwood book, but well worth the time and money.

 

Coyote's Creed by Vaughn R. Demont

*****Favorite Cover Art of the Week*****

Title: Coyote’s Creed

Series: Broken Mirror 01

Author: Vaughn R. Demont

Genre: Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Alternative World, Urban Fantasy

Length: Novel (218pgs)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (11th October 2011)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: If con games were taught in high school, Spencer Crain would be on the honor roll. As it is, he’ll be riding the edge of failure to graduation next month. Then Spence gets the news that his long-gone father is not only dead, but was a Coyote, one of three clans of tricksters in the City.

With a near-catatonic mother on his hands, Spence couldn’t care less about the Coyotes’ on-going feud with the Phouka and the Kitsune—until it lands on his doorstep. Suddenly he’s thrown headfirst into a dangerous world he knows next-to-nothing about. His only guide is Rourke, dashing King of the Phouka, plus a growing pack of half-siblings, a god, and Fate herself.

As Spence embarks on a journey to learn the Coyote’s creed, the truth about his heritage, and how to handle his growing attraction to Rourke, he wonders when his life turned from TV sitcom to real-life danger zone. And what price must he pay to survive the next roll of the dice…

Warning: Contains PG-13 rated violence, R-rated language and X-rated hotel scenes. Meta-humor, pop-culture humor, utter disregard for the 4th wall abound.

Purchase Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/coyotes-creed-p-6485.html

Review: Well hmmm what to say, what to say… I loved it, thought it was brilliant, so go out and get it… what? You want me to tell you why, geeze there’s no pleasing some people. Okay here goes… Spencer is an eighteen year old who is failing his classes, he gets the news that not only is his deadbeat dad dead, but he is half coyote as well and that’s when everything changes for him. Rourke is like an uncle to Spencer keeping an eye on him when he was growing up and being there for him if he needed it, when suddenly things change between them when they both least expect it.

This is a well thought out story-line and plot that, to be honest, if someone asked me to describe it I’d make a hash out of it and mess it all up. So I will just say this: there are twists inside twists and plots inside plots, there’s back-stabbing, intrigue, puzzles, tricks and pranks some for the long game but some for the quick pay off. We have the Fates and a God, an ex-Sorcerer, the Phouka, Kitsune and Coyote, a troll and… well I think the only thing that I didn’t read something about was Vampires but I might have missed it (don’t think I did but you never know).

The way this story is told is great, there is always something going on and sometimes you think you are being led astray but it always comes back around and makes perfect sense (sort of like a light bulb moment), it is brilliantly written and I am amazed that there was so much going on that Vaughn R. Demont didn’t lose his way or forget to tie something off. Brilliant.

The relationship between Spencer and Rourke is kinda like May to December in looks anyway as Rourke is described as looking in his fifties but is soooo much older than that… I wonder if that is his real appearance though because he’s the King of the Phouka and it says they are basically immortal.  Hmmm, I wonder…, so anyway getting back on track, Spencer doesn’t love Rourke but wants to still be with him. I think that’s for the future books, yeah!!

So if you like any of the above and some really, really hot sex then you need to read this book. I highly recommend this book but as I have said in previous reviews this is my favorite type of genre.

 

 

Mummy Dearest by Josh Lanyon

Title: Mummy Dearest

Series: The XOXO Files 01

Author: Josh Lanyon

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal

Length: Novella (85pgs)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (4th October 2011)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: The truth is out there. Way, way, way out there!

Drew Lawson is racing against the clock. He’s got a twenty-four-hour window to authenticate the mummy of Princess Merneith. If he’s not at his boyfriend’s garden party when that window closes, it’ll be the final nail in their relationship coffin.

The last thing he needs traipsing on the final shred of his patience is brash, handsome reality show host Fraser Fortune, who’s scheduled to film a documentary about the mummy’s Halloween curse.

The opportunity to film a bona-fide professor examining the mummy is exactly the aura of authenticity Fraser needs. Except the grumpy PhD is a pompous ass on leave from his ivory tower. Yet something about Drew has Fraser using a word he doesn’t normally have to draw upon: please.

With no time to waste — and a spark of attraction he can’t deny — Drew reluctantly agrees to let Fraser follow his every move as he unwraps the mummy’s secrets. Soon they’re both making moves behind the scenes that even the dead can’t ignore!

Product Warnings: Who so shall ever open this tomb, er, book shall suffer the curse of the Pharaohs. Okay, maybe not. But set aside a chunk of time for marauding mummies, too many cosmopolitans, illicit sex in hotel rooms, and other non-academic shenanigans.

Review: Drew is expecting to examine an Egyptian Mummy at a small museum in Walsh, Wyoming.   What he doesn’t expect is Fraser and his film crew to mess with his schedule.  Fraser is at the museum making a film about the mummy’s curse of Princess Merneith.   He doesn’t expect the stuck up Professor but decides to use him in the filming.

I enjoyed this story as it’s a light-hearted read. Drew is having some doubts about his relationship and although Fraser annoys him he finds himself attracted to him.  Fraser is also attracted to Drew but he doesn’t have high hopes. We then see these two men drawn into the mystery of the mummy’s curse, while Drew tries to sort out his relationship. There are movie references and witty banter that has you giggling.   The interaction between the two MCs is good and the mystery surrounding the mummy’s curse was ok. It is written well and moves smoothly along.

This is a great Halloween romp which I will recommend to everyone who wants a light-hearted romp that will leave you with a smile on your face.

 

Life, Love and Lemon Cookies by Ally Blue

Title:  Life, Love and Lemon Cookies

Sequel to:  Love’s Evolution

Author:  Ally Blue

Genre:  GLBT Contemporary

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing (August 16th, 2011)

Length: Novella

Heat Level:  Hot

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer:  Portia

Blurb:  When life hands you lemons…make cookies.

A Love’s Evolution Story

Chris Tucker’s perfect life has just gone up in smoke. The fire that destroyed the best restaurant in Asheville took his head-chef dream job along with it—and the owner is walking away. Sure, Chris still has his beautiful home and blissful marriage to his soul mate, Matt Gallagher. But for the first time in his working life, he’s unemployed and spiraling into depression.

Matt’s trying hard to be supportive, but it’s tough when every time he tries to get Chris to open up, the man shuts down tighter than a live clam. Maybe it’s best to hide his hurt and back off. Yet as Chris’s fruitless search for work wears on, Matt begins to wonder if his lover will ever come around.

As the tension between them reaches breaking point, Chris faces the fact that it could be the end of an era for him and Matt. Unless one sweet idea can turn his mounting troubles into a fresh-cut path back to the arms of the one man who makes him whole.

Warning: This book contains gay sex, lots of angst, occasional smartassedness, and an abundance of cookies. Ally Blue and Samhain Publishing will not be held responsible for any resulting food-porn habit.

Review:  I enjoyed this book.  That’s not to say that there were multiple passages where I wanted to say…really?  Chris and Matt’s story started six years ago with Love’s Evolution.  The passing years have not dimmed their passion one iota.  Which makes it really sad when Chris keeps pushing Matt away.  I understand about needing space to collect your thoughts, but come on.  Six years and a handfasting later, you would have thought Chris would have made better choices.

This is a pretty short read and there’s  a bit of really steamy sex…quite a bit.  For a very sweet love story, fabulous make up sex and a happily ever after, I highly recommend this book.

Oh, and there’s a really great recipe included. 😉

Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon

Title: Come Unto These Yellow Sands

Author: Josh Lanyon

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Mystery, Gay Contemporary

Length: Novel

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb:  Sometimes the adventure chooses you.

Lover of fine poetry and lousy choose-your-own-adventure novels, Professor Sebastian Swift was once the bad-boy darling of the literati. The only lines he does these days are Browning, Frost and Cummings. Even his relationship with the hot, handsome Wolfe Neck Police Chief Max Prescott is healthy.

When one of his most talented students comes to him bruised and begging for help, Swift hands over the keys to his Orson Island cabin—only to find out that the boy’s father is dead and the police are suspicious. In an instant, the stable life Swift has built for himself hangs on finding the boy and convincing him to give himself up before Max figures out Swift’s involvement in the case.

Max enjoys splitting an infinitive or two with his favorite nutty professor, but he’s not much for sonnets or Shakespeare. He likes being lied to even less. Yet his instincts—and his heart—tell him his lover is being played. Max can forgive lies and deception, but a dangerous enemy may not stop until Swift is heading up his own dead poets society.

Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that Josh Lanyon’s smart, sexy, sophisticated stories may prove hazardous to your heart.

Review:  This is a great suspense/mystery that keeps you on your toes. Swift somehow manages to find himself in grave danger, just by helping a kid out. Max is furious that Swift helped out his murder suspect and is soooo not happy that he seems to keep holding things back.

From Swift’s musing’s I took a dislike to Max but as the book developed I realized my mistake and it was because Swift seemed to live in his own little world and didn’t notice anything but himself really, So it wasn’t so much as Max holding the relationship back, it was neither of them communicating and just letting things slide. The description of Swift’s battle with his addiction was poignant and his finally seeming to need Max made me smile as Max seemed very eager to help.

The Mystery is great and you really can’t see where it’s going until near the end, and you really do wonder how on earth did a Professor of Literature seemed to fall right into the middle of it all.

So all in all a cracking good read and you’d be insane to miss it.

 

 

 

Bound by Love by S. E. Jakes

Title: Bound by Law

Series: Men of Honor 02

Author: S.E. Jakes

Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Romantic Suspense, Ménage, M/M/M

Length: Novel

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥ 4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb:   After the one man he trusted disappeared, it took Law Connor ten years to take a chance on another relationship. Trouble is, right about the time he’s finally ready to let go of the past, the past stages a hostile takeover.

Back when they were teens, Styx was the boy with no memory. He and Law had each other’s backs until he was forced to leave to keep Law safe. Now a CIA agent, he’s finally discovered who he is, and why he’s a hunted man.

Detective Paulo McMannus has almost succeeded in helping Law forget his lost love when Styx comes plowing back into their lives. No way is Paulo giving up his lover without a fight.

Suddenly Law finds himself on the run with Styx, the man who can still bring him to his knees…and with Paulo, the man who brought him back to life. The worst part? He can’t choose between them. And it’s getting harder to remember why he should.

Product Warnings:  Contains rough language, rougher sex and warriors who fall hard for one another.

Review:  Law Conner is now in a fix, he has just decided to let someone new into his heart, when the man that he has loved for more than sixteen years waltzes back into his life. And not only does he waltz back into his life but he brings trouble with it that endangers not only Law’s life but also the man he is falling for as well. Paulo McMannus is finally where he wants to be – in Laws bed, in his dreams and creeping into his heart, when the ex-lover returns in a hail of bullets. Styx has come back to protect Law, he left him in the first place to protect him but that didn’t go as planned because now his enemy is after Law.

The storyline is pretty cool in this book as Styx can’t remember the first 16yrs of his life but then around the age of 20 he gets a reminder of the past that sets him running from Law. When he returns to save Law he has to save Paulo as well, we then have trips to safe houses, assassins hunting them and these three strong men trying to figure out if a relationship between them could work.

I think this quite a good ménage as the men fit together nicely. They work out the dynamics of a relationship that works for them and it’s not an uneven balance. They even start to stray into D/s but nothing too heavy.

So my recommendation to you is if you love your men strong, hot and dangerous; your plot filled with danger and suspense; and your sex rough, scorching and slightly kinky then this is the book for you.