ARC Review: Jesse's Diner (Hope Collection) by Cardeno C.

From the blurb:

Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.

Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.

Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another, all they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true.

Rosa's review:





I've got a song stuck in my head. You know Jesse's Girl by Rick Springfield? My version goes "You know I wish that I had Jesse's guy! I wish that I had Jesse's guy! Where can I find a fellow like that?"


*clears throat* Anyway.

Tanner is a shy 22 year old virgin who has major crush on muscular 39 year widower Steve Faus (aka Jesse's guy). Steve's son (Tanner's best friend) convinces Tanner to visit Steve to make sure he's doing alright. This quickly leads to smuff. I'm talking about smut and fluff, people, something at which Cardeno excels. Tanner and Steve are just so sweet and sexy together.

I only have a couple of teeny tiny niggles. Both are just my own thing, really. First, I do like how Cardeno creates characters that know each other before the start of the novella (which is true of both this one and the first book in the series, McFarland's Farm). That way it doesn't feel totally unrealistic when they start whipping out the "I love you's." However, in this book I still felt like the relationship between Tanner and Steve happened quite suddenly. I was as shocked as Tanner when Steve started flirting with him. (Though what the hell did I think was going to happen? It's a freaking romance novel.) Maybe that's because Steve's a widower. Yeah, it's been a year and a half, but I'm weird about widows and widowers. Normally I avoid books where someone's lost their life partner because I feel uncomfortable with it for whatever reason. But this is Cardeno and I couldn't resist -- and I'm glad I didn't.

Book Review: The Roommate Situation by Zoe X. Rider

Blurb:

College freshman Shane Hahn finds himself unexpectedly shuffled to a new dorm room--which is fine by him, but his over-involved mother takes one look at toothpick-chewing, motorcycle-riding Derek McClain, his new roommate, and gets on the phone with the school. The school requires that Shane be the one to file the room-change paperwork, but Shane's reluctant.

He's attracted to Derek's independence, even though that independence means Derek has to pay his own way through college, which he does by making leather products (you know: belts, wallets...bondage gear) and selling it online. Shane isn't even allowed to work while he's in school, much less join a band, which is what he really wants to do with his life. Unfortunately, his parents are holding his guitar hostage until he can prove he's taking his future seriously.

When he decides he needs a way to come up with cash--the kind his parents won't find out about--so he can buy a guitar his parents can't take away from him, he turns to Derek with what sounds like a win-win solution: he'll model bondage gear for Derek's online store photos, Derek will get more sales, and Shane will get a cut. The one thing he doesn't factor into his plan is the giddy stomach-flip feeling Derek McClain causes whenever he walks in the room--and what that might mean for them when Derek starts locking leather cuffs on his wrists.

Todd’s rating:

The blurb for this one looked really good and I'd wanted to read this story forever, so I finally made the time and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book was way different than what I typically read, in that it had a definite BDSM (ish) element to it. I normally avoid that genre like the plague, as it isn't anywhere close to being my thing.

Eighteen year old Shane is forced to move out of his freshman dorm when his antisocial, disturbed roommate commits suicide.

Enter twenty year old Derek, Shane's new roommate in a dorm for upperclassmen. Shane is a junior, paying his own way through college by making and selling hand-crafted leather products on eBay.

Bit whoop. Belts and wallets. Whatever. But most of Derek's sales are from his erotic leather line, which include harnesses and cuffs.

Now that I have your attention, heh, Shane offers to model the bondage gear for a small cut of the profits, which works out well for both boys.

Also, from the moment that the first cuff is locked into place, Shane immediately realizes that fetish gear makes him crazy. In the very best sort of way. *Schwing*

Then when both boys, neither of whom have ever been with a man before, fell into bed and began testing out said fetish gear, things got extremely interesting. And surprisingly hot.

What I loved about this book was that the bondage stuff was more like 2 guys horsing around. It wasn't a serious "Me Tarzan, you Jane" kind of domination power trip and they didn't want to turn it into a huge lifestyle sort of thing. Just two guys getting a bit kinky, pushing boundaries, exploring.  And role swapping, so hello!

Like I said, HAWT.

The majority of the conflict in this story came from Shane and Derek's mothers, who were polar opposites in regards to raising their sons.

Shane's mother is controlling and extremely manipulative, ensuring that every life decision, major or minor, are precisely what *she* wants -- not Shane.

Derek's mother abandoned him when he was 3 years old, making disruptive reappearances over the years. Now she wants him to uproot his life to move across the country with her in order for *her* life to look more like the picture in her head.

One thing that I truly enjoyed was that both young men never hesitated where the other was concerned. They were blazing new territory, with both their sexuality and their feelings, but it was a complete non-issue.

My one niggle about the story was that there was no actual consummation of the relationship (read, 'backdoor action',) although both guys discussed their possible 'future' willingness to take one for the team, if you will.

The story does end on a strong HFN, with much, but not all, of their mutual support systems behind them, which left me feeling both up-beat and hopeful about their prospects for the future.

So 4 very strong “Well, that was unexpected” stars this time around.
This was my own copy of the book.

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Blogtour: Rough Road by Vanessa North

Please welcome Vanessa North with 

Rough Road

Blurb:

Eddie Russell is many things: A wealthy pillar of the community. An outrageous flirt. A doting best friend. A masochist with a kink for brawling with his bedmates. But he is definitely not a man who invites intimacy. His friends are close but few, his lovers rarer still.

When Eddie runs his Mercedes off the road on a hot July afternoon, Wish Carver comes to his aid—and leaves his number in Eddie’s phone. Wish, a road crew worker half Eddie’s age and sexy as sin, seems fascinated by Eddie’s different sides. Mutual attraction and compatible kinks ignite the sheets, but it’s their connection outside the bedroom that Eddie begins to crave.

When the two come down on opposite sides of a local issue, Eddie finds his growing feelings for Wish at odds with his business interests and his devotion to his best friend, local wakeboarding legend Ben Warren. Torn between old loyalties and his new love, Eddie is reluctant to make a choice. But he knows he can’t make Wish wait too long to make up his mind.

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Hi, Welcome to the Rough Road Blog Tour!

I’m Vanessa North, and I’ll be sharing some of my thoughts throughout the week on writing the second book in the Lake Lovelace series, Rough Road. Join the conversation by commenting on the posts and you’ll be entered in the drawing for a $25 Riptide Publishing gift certificate. Thanks for reading!

Politics and Romance Don’t Mix! (Or do they?)

Many, many years ago, I read one of my favorite romance novels for the first time--Lavyrle Spencer’s The Gamble. The story, an American Historical, is set in a small town during the Temperance movement. The heroine and the hero are on opposite sides of the major political issue du jour, and it made for some blistering-hot tension of the non-sexual kind between them, which is one of the reasons the story has stuck with me all these years, and stands out even among Spencer’s other amazing works.

When I began writing Rough Road, I knew the roads project mentioned in Double Up would come into play somehow, but I didn’t quite know how. It wasn’t until I had written the car-accident meet-cute that it occurred to me I could make it a point of conflict between Eddie and Wish, who both have personal and professional stakes in the conflict. You know those movie sequences where someone gets an idea and paper starts flying as they scramble to write it down? That was me.

But UGH. Politics. How the hell was I supposed to write politics into a story and not piss off my readers or succumb to stereotypes?

ARC Review: The Shepherd and the Solicitor by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon

From the blurb:

One careless, public sign of affection cost Daniel Pierce’s lover his life at the hands of a hate-filled mob. Grief-stricken, Daniel retreated from society to a sheep farm in the wilds of the north. Years later, Gregory Tobin erupts into his solitary life.

Sent to confirm the existence—or the death—of the Pierce family’s lost heir, Tobin isn’t sure he’s found the right man. The gruff, shaggy hermit calling himself Jacob Bennet bears little resemblance to photographs of the younger Pierce. Tobin needs more time to study his quarry.

With lambing season in full swing, Daniel grudgingly admits he could use an extra hand. Through a long, exhausting night, they parry back and forth as Tobin probes closer and closer to the truth. And something beyond casual attraction simmers between them.

They come together in a crash of desire, but ultimately Daniel must overcome the terrors of the past to reconcile the man he was with the man he’s becoming—a man capable of loving again.

Heather's rating:





Typical good quality historical romance from the duo of Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon.

Whenever I see these two author's names together, I don't hesitate, I just BUY. I swear, these authors have one heck of a mind meld! They smush their thoughts together and out comes some of the most consistent and well conceived historical M/Ms in publication. This story was no different, but though it was very pleasant reading, I also thought it was just a touch on the dull side, just enough that I didn't have a problem putting this story down for a day or two.

ARC Review: Jesse's Diner (Hope 2) by Cardeno C.

Blurb:

Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.

Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.

Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another, all they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true.

Dani's rating:

Reading CC is like biting into a warm cookie, wrapping yourself in a robe pulled straight from the dryer, or stepping into a cold movie theater on a hot summer day.

It's FEEL GOOD central.

At 39, Steve is a young widower. He has a 20-year-old son, Mike, he adopted with his much older (recently deceased) partner.

Tanner is 22 and an honest-to-goodness virgin. Tanner is friends with Steve's son and has had a crush on Steve since he was 16 years old.

I loved Steve's attempts at flirting, which of course went right over Tanner's head.

Tanner is adorable, but a little clueless and not the sharpest tool in the shed. Tanner didn't read as a particularly dynamic character, which was a little problematic since he's our first-person narrator.

Steve has a medical condition that's central to the story but not really discussed. I wanted more details about Steve's treatment. This is an important, complex topic, and it wasn't given enough page time.

There isn't a lot of plot here. It's mostly smiles, touches, and passionate first-times.

The story was over far too quickly (mostly because CC's writing is SO accessible) but filled with steamy bits and moments of pure sweetness.

Blogtour and Review: The Articles Of Release by BA Tortuga

Please extend a warm welcome to BA Tortuga and her new book, 

The Articles Of Release 

Blurb:

Just released from the military, wounded warrior Eric Tremaine is trying to put his life back together like the doctors reassembled his shattered leg. He’s a man with no home, since his Louisiana family rejected him, so Eric winds up in Texas with his old Army buddy, Adam Winchester, and his lover, Sage.

When Eric decides to stop sitting on his ass feeling sorry for himself, he is introduced to trainer Troy Daniels, who lost both his legs in a teenage accident. Troy knows what it’s like to feel as if your body is your enemy. While Eric and Troy have a bumpy start, they soon find enough common ground to make a friendship, if not more. But taking it to the next level means finding out what they have to offer each other, and the world, before they can trust that the love they find together won't cause more pain than pleasure.

Excerpt:

“Want to join me?”

“Thanks, but I’ll stand. Sitting’s a pain in the ass.”

Eric blinked. That was a new one. “Uh, did I piss you off? I didn’t mean to.”

“Huh? No. No, you’re totally good. Completely. How’s your falafel?”

He hadn’t even tasted it. What was it about this guy that got under his skin? “It’s fine. What, the trainer doesn’t want to be seen with the cripple or something?”

“Pardon me?” The asshole actually looked around, like he didn’t know what Eric was talking about.

“Well, it’s not like I wear a T-shirt, but the heavy limp is kind of a giveaway.” He could do sarcasm too.

“What the hell are you going on about, man?”

“I want to know why you would rather stand and hold your food than sit with me!” That came out loud enough to draw few stares, and Eric kinda felt as if he was having an out-of-body experience.

Troy’s cheeks went a dark red, and the man moved over and set his food down. “Sorry, man.”

Sage and Win were heading over, and Troy sat at the end of the table, sitting awkwardly at the edge, legs barely tucked under.

ARC Review: Rough Road by Vanessa North

From the blurb:

Eddie Russell is many things: A wealthy pillar of the community. An outrageous flirt. A doting best friend. A masochist with a kink for brawling with his bedmates. But he is definitely not a man who invites intimacy. His friends are close but few, his lovers rarer still. 

When Eddie runs his Mercedes off the road on a hot July afternoon, Wish Carver comes to his aid—and leaves his number in Eddie’s phone. Wish, a road crew worker half Eddie’s age and sexy as sin, seems fascinated by Eddie’s different sides. Mutual attraction and compatible kinks ignite the sheets, but it’s their connection outside the bedroom that Eddie begins to crave. 

When the two come down on opposite sides of a local issue, Eddie finds his growing feelings for Wish at odds with his business interests and his devotion to his best friend, local wakeboarding legend Ben Warren. Torn between old loyalties and his new love, Eddie is reluctant to make a choice. But he knows he can’t make Wish wait too long to make up his mind.

Heather's rating:






I don't want to own you or master you or any of that Dom shit. I'm not looking for a waxed body to push around and call mine. I want to watch a grown man take a goddamned beating and thrive on it.

Woah, Vanessa North, pain sluts are SO not my kink, but you made pain sexy and you OWNED this book!

I solemnly swear that Vanessa North is the ONLY author that can make me like first person, present tense. When other authors fail and make this format painful to read, this author thrives. She has skills, ladies and gentlemen. I am a HUGE fan of this author and Rough Road just confirmed why that is, yet again.

I was interested in Kinky Eddie from Double Up and I LOVED him in this story. Eddie is amazing. Rich, flamboyant, loyal, and knows what he wants, I fell in love with every swishy ounce of him. While his pain kink made me a wee bit uncomfortable at times (some of the scenes made me want to run for an ice pack!), I recognize that it turned the MCs on, so, in turn, it turned me on. Despite the kink thing, I just loved being inside his head, and I loved his interactions with Wish.

Wish. I adored him, too. First of all, I LOVE me an age gap, and I really liked how Wish didn't care one iota about the pretty sizable difference in age between him and Eddie. He was sexy, self-confident, and kinky as hell.

ARC Review: Rough Road by Vanessa North

Blurb:

Eddie Russell is many things: A wealthy pillar of the community. An outrageous flirt. A doting best friend. A masochist with a kink for brawling with his bedmates. But he is definitely not a man who invites intimacy. His friends are close but few, his lovers rarer still.

When Eddie runs his Mercedes off the road on a hot July afternoon, Wish Carver comes to his aid—and leaves his number in Eddie’s phone. Wish, a road crew worker half Eddie’s age and sexy as sin, seems fascinated by Eddie’s different sides. Mutual attraction and compatible kinks ignite the sheets, but it’s their connection outside the bedroom that Eddie begins to crave.

When the two come down on opposite sides of a local issue, Eddie finds his growing feelings for Wish at odds with his business interests and his devotion to his best friend, local wakeboarding legend Ben Warren. Torn between old loyalties and his new love, Eddie is reluctant to make a choice. But he knows he can’t make Wish wait too long to make up his mind.

Dani's rating:

Predictably, I LOVED this book.

I say predictably because:

1. I love Vanessa North's writing. 
2. I gave 5 stars to the first book in this series: Double Up (Lake Lovelace 1). 
3. I adored Eddie in the first book and wanted more ... more Eddie, more sass, just MORE.

I am so fucking happy this book didn't disappoint. Eddie is still a big queen, but reading a story from his POV was a big eye opener. Eddie isn't all flip and sass. I mean, he IS that, but he's also a little insecure, insanely kind, and truly has no fucks left to give.

When Eddie runs off the road in his S-Class Benz, a man with the bluest eyes and a hard hat comes to the rescue. Eddie realizes that A. Angels wear hard hats and B. HOT DAMN, his angel's hot.

But Wish (short for Aloysius, which I think is crazy hot in that dirty-boy-hiding-behind-a-prim-name way) is 20 years Eddie's junior.

He's also a sadist.

Mmmhhh ... have I mentioned that Eddie craves pain? He loves being bitten and whipped and slapped around. But Eddie's not a submissive. Oh, no. Eddie gets off on fighting back. And Wish doesn't want a submissive. He wants a masochist. Wish loves to inflict pain, and marking is his biggest kink.

A match made in heaven, you see?

Blogtour: Just The Way You Are by EE Montgomery

Please say hello to E.E. Montgomery and 

Just The Way You Are 

Blurb:

After ten years in an abusive relationship and a near-fatal knife wound, Jonathan Watson is finally free. Unused to being able to make even the smallest decision and smothered by family and well-meaning neighbors, he’s floundering in the real world. Jonathan is afraid of falling into another relationship too quickly and realizes he needs time to rediscover who he is before he attaches himself to another man.

He never counted on meeting Ben Urquhart, though. Ben tempts Jonathan to forget everything and take a leap. For Ben, it's love at first sight, and he doesn't want to take it slow. He wants to build a life with Jonathan, free from harm and full of laughter. But before they can take the next step, they must protect Jonathan from his possessive, threatening ex. Jonathan must find the courage to confront him and break the chains of his past before he can be truly free to build a future with Ben.

Excerpt:

Chapter ONE

JONATHAN SHIVERED in the early morning air but not from the chill. He wrapped his arms around himself and groaned as his wound tugged against the movement. He relaxed slowly as the pain eased. From where he stood, he could see between the two apartment blocks to where the sun glinted off the Brisbane River. Five years ago he used to watch the ferries puddle their way up and down the river, dropping passengers here at Hamilton and across the way at Bulimba. He’d missed that view for a long time. He wondered if he’d miss the house now that he was leaving it.

The house was gray—morning gray, Anthony had called it, but it had always looked like unwashed, neglected underwear to him. The lines of the house were precise and symmetrical, unlike the yard. The front lawn bore scars, just like his chest. They were from his Cruiser skidding to a stop the night Anthony had sent him to kill Mark. His eyes burned as he thought how close he’d come to doing what his boyfriend told him to.

At the time, he didn’t think he had any other choice. It was kill or be killed. Literally. By the end of that night, Mark had been the only one left uninjured. Liam’s leg had thankfully healed quickly where Anthony had stabbed him. Anthony was still in hospital with a self-inflicted knife wound to the stomach, and Jonathan… Jonathan was done with that life. Anthony’s knife in his chest—so close to his heart it was clearly intended to be fatal—had cured him of whatever delusions he’d held onto that let him believe he was in love with the man. Even Anthony’s assertions that Jonathan was responsible for him being in a wheelchair since the car accident two years before wouldn’t get him to stay.

He was out of it now, or at least he would be as soon as the removalists came and took his stuff away. Then he could begin to heal. The first step had been to learn to breathe again after his lung collapsed when Anthony stabbed him. The next step… he didn’t know what the next step after this was. He wasn’t going to admit it to anyone, but he was just as terrified now, starting a life of his own—on his own—as he was when he thought he was going to die.

The trembling began again. Dizzy. Couldn’t catch his breath. He leaned beside the front door and forced himself to bring his mind back to the here and now and looked around again. There was a new section of fence now, and the Cruiser had been repaired and sat at the curb, waiting for him. His cousin must have had the damage repaired while Jonathan was in the hospital—learning how to make his lung work again after his boyfriend had tried to kill him. He shook the thoughts from his head. He had to stop thinking like this or he’d go mad.

Sleep last night had been impossible. The house had been cleaned, but nothing was going to completely remove the blood splattered on the white carpet. His blood.

A low rumble burbled through the air, and a truck turned onto the street. Jonathan’s heart raced. “You can do this,” he whispered, although he wasn’t quite sure which part of “this” he was talking about. It could be dealing with strangers on his own, or it could be leaving Anthony—finally. He pressed the heel of his hand over the dressing on his chest. Staying with Anthony was no longer an option.

The truck stopped and turned to reverse into the driveway. The high-pitched beeping made Jonathan jump and, to calm himself, he focused on the two men sitting in the cab. The driver looked young and blond, the passenger older and shriveled, his hair sticking out in unkempt tangles.

“Two people. Not Anthony. You’re outside, everything’s marked. You don’t need to go inside with them at all if you don’t want to. You can do this.” He counted his breaths in and out. The beeping stopped, the engine cut out, and the driver’s door opened. Long, well-formed legs slipped from the cab, by-passing the step completely as a muscled body slid to the ground. Khaki cargo shorts bunched enticingly around a spectacular package before settling loosely around slim hips as the man’s boot-clad feet landed on the ground and he stood away from the truck. Jonathan moved his gaze up the body. The worn T-shirt did nothing to hide the trim stomach and prominent pecs and the sleeves framed the rounded deltoids perfectly. Jonathan sighed as he lifted his focus higher to see the man’s wide smile.

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ARC Review: Love And The Real Boy by JK Hogan

Blurb:

How­­ much heartache can one man take before he breaks? Rich Langston asks himself that question every day.

A Seattle advertising exec who uses his designer suit and showy car like a suit of armor, Rich refuses to let the world get to him. His traumatic childhood has ruined any faith he had in people, friendship, and love. After a meltdown that led to him alienating everyone in his life, Rich agrees to help with the restoration of an antique sailboat as a form of penance.

Roped into heading up with the boat repair by his mother, marine restorer Patrick O’Dowd finds himself having to babysit a moody, spoiled rich boy with absolutely no carpentry experience. His easy-going nature is sorely tested, but he quickly realizes that things are not always what they seem; sometimes a fancy suit is nothing but an elaborate deflection from what’s real.

Through unavoidable personality clashes and fierce attraction, both Rich and Patrick explore their hidden pain and inner demons, and they end up finding with what really matters—love.

Sandra's review:





Super late with this review. My apologies to the author and publisher.

However, I read this twice, by the way, and really savored it the 2nd time around.

Love And The Real Boy is Rich's story. If you read the first book (I Survived Seattle), you'll remember Rich as Rory's friend/roommate who lashed out at Justice repeatedly and eventually outed the poor man. Needless to say, I didn't have much sympathy for Rich after the first book, and went into this one wondering how JK Hogan would redeem him.

The book starts out with Ricky, barely 13, trying to save his brother John-Michael from his drunken, drug-addicted mother's boyfriend. Clearly, the author is not pulling any punches - setting up her readers to immediately feel sorry for the kids. After a few years in foster care, Ricky's brother is adopted, and Ricky eventually ages out of the system.

As a result, Rich is born. Rich keeps the anger and hurt and pain tightly locked up within himself. He works his way up to Junior executive of a marketing firm. He uses his designer suits as an armor. He keeps his personal life, including his sexuality, completely to himself. He knows he's gay, but he doesn't feel that this is anyone's business, and nobody needs to know. He hides in a closet much like Justice did, if for different reasons. All he's known in his life is loss, and he works hard to not lose again. Ever. Opening himself up to a relationship can only mean future loss, so he avoids them at all cost.

And finds Rory on his doorstep. I liked that the author gave us a bit of background on just how Rich and Rory became friends and rooommates, including a scene where Rich figures out what's making Rory so sick all the time. She cemented the reason for their close relationship in that scene, and suddenly Rich's actions in book 1 became, if not excusable, at least understandable.

Rich projects all his longing for family on Rory, and believes he might be in love with the straight man, a love that will never see fruition, but if he can't have him as a lover, he will keep him as a best/good friend, which is precisely what Justice threatened when he came into town for Rory's wedding. Which explains, but not justifies, Rich's behavior.

But Rory is married now, Justice has found love with Nic, and Rich needs to make amends for his terrible behavior. A suitable punishment is helping Justice and Rory work with Patrick O'Dowd to restore Nic's boat to its former glory as a wedding present from Justice to Nic.

I loved Patrick. A big, burly Irishman, with a lovely brogue and a good head on his shoulders, he was just the kind of man to pull Rich out from behind the walls he'd built all around himself. He saw the grieving child who only wanted to be safe, and provided that safety in his arms.

Book Review: To Love a Traitor by J.L. Merrow

From the blurb:

"Wounds of the heart take the longest to heal."

When solicitors clerk George Johnson moves into a rented London room in the winter of 1920, it s with a secret goal: to find out if his fellow lodger, Matthew Connaught, is the wartime traitor who cost George s adored older brother his life.

Yet as he gets to know Matthew an irrepressibly cheerful ad man whose missing arm hasn't dimmed his smile George begins to lose sight of his mission. 

As Matthew's advances become ever harder to resist, George tries to convince himself his brother's death was just the luck of the draw, and to forget he s hiding a secret of his own. His true identity and an act of conscience that shamed his family.

But as their mutual attraction grows, so does Georges desperation to know the truth about what happened that day in Ypres. If only to prove Matthew innocent even if it means losing the man he's come to love. 

Warning: Contains larks in the snow, stiff upper lips, shadows of the Great War, and one man working undercover while another tries to lure him under the covers.

Rosa's Review






You know how in almost every mystery (novel, TV show or movie) there are those people that are disgusted with the investigators. How dare this cop dredge up all this shit that’s best left forgotten or unspoken? What good does this PI do anyone? What kind of nosy housewife enjoys combing through other people’s misery?

I sympathize with those people, but at the same time I don’t entirely get it. In my own life I’d rather feel humiliated and depressed and know than live in uncertainty. And of course in real life there are always questions that will never get answered – so in my fantasy life I get a lot of satisfaction out of the definite answers found in mysteries. But I’ve always wondered if I’d have a different reaction if someone investigated my family or friends. Would I be equally disgusted?

Merrow based To Love a Traitor on her short story Dulce et Decorum Est. In that story George has a secret and he meets and falls in love with Matthew. I really love Dulce – the hurty comfort of it, the Britishness of it always gave me a cozy feeling. Like someone handed me a cup of hot Earl Grey Tea and didn't complain when I drowned it in cream. In Traitor, George has two secrets, one is that he believes Matthew to be the spy that is responsible for his brother’s death, but he falls in love with him anyway.

ARC Review: Everything I Left Unsaid by Molly O'Keefe

From the blurb:

I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.

And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.

His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.

Heather's rating:



 

There is a LOT of love for this book out there among early reviewers, and I have to say, much of that is warranted. I think if you are looking for a well written book that is about a woman's sexual exploration after a horrible relationship, this book will suit you very nicely. However, for me, I was looking for so much more- more relationship development, more REAL feelings, a more believable story- and I don't think that was what I got.

The main plot of the story is a woman on the run meets reclusive, rich man, who is also damaged in his own way. While I really liked the fact that Annie was coming into her own, I really didn't buy the whole jump to a deeply sexual relationship with a stranger. From someone with that level of repression to trust someone else so easily with a part of herself that she has never explored, it just didn't read as believable.

Annie was also a bit of a mess of a character. She was so contradictory; bold but shy, blushingly naïve but also a temptress, and I can't help be reminded of many of the "good girl" typical main characters that I've seen over and over again. I didn't find her sexual exploration to be very interesting, and unfortunately that was a main part of the relationship development between her and Dylan.

Book Review: Fit to be Tied (Marshals #2) by Mary Calmes

From the blurb:

Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?
Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they've forged will be strong enough to hold.

Rosa's Review

 


Hi! *waves* Welcome to my attempt to write a non-apologetic-less-than-4 star review of one of my favorite authors.

Some things I don’t give a damn about:

*FIORENTINI + BAKER suede boots
*Burberry wool-blend military greatcoats
*John Varvatos lace-up biker boots
*AMI Alexandre Mattiussi Black Chelsea boots
*Alexander McQueen black monk strap boots
*Hattington wingtip boots
*Cole Haan Brogue Medallion Double Monkstrap brown shoes
*Jo Ghost boots
*$800,000 apartments in Chicago – Seriously, seriously, how does Miro afford it and the above clothing items on a marshal’s salary? Is he streaming a live sex show from his bedroom? Is he making meth? Is he lobbying for Big Oil?)

Some things I do give a damn about:

*The progression of Miro & Ian's romance. There were some disagreements between them at the beginning of the book that worried me. I must admit I was a wee grumpy about Ian's attitude, but after awhile I stopped grumping over it -- this is a Mary Calmes romance novel and she won't let me down! Also, lots of people (myself especially) say lots of things that don't make a lot of sense when they're arguing with their loved ones -- it's normal. So after that I just relaxed and enjoyed the process. (Oh, if only I could say the same about the rest of the novel.)

*There's a thriller part of the book that I enjoyed. I forget that Mary can get dark when she wants.

*Sam Kage (from the Matter of Time series) is still a badass.

You know what distracts from the list of things I do give a damn about? The list of things I DON’T.

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ARC Review: Unbreak Broken (Coming About 3) by J.K. Hogan

Blurb:

Rory Donovan’s life is a hot mess. His marriage is failing and he’s in intensive psychotherapy, working through the unfortunate side effects of memories from a childhood trauma. The only thing good in his life right now is his job—teaching photography to gifted high school students.

Harbor Patrol officer Bennett Foster is co-parenting his teenage daughter with his high school best friend Jessie. When he meets Addison’s teacher and realizes they’ve met before, he can’t get the sexy stranger out of his head.

Striking up a sexual-tension-filled friendship, together they must help an angsty teenager deal with a dying friend. Bennett must keep his little family from falling apart while Rory struggles to come to terms with his new reality. Somewhere along the way, most unexpectedly…love happens.

Dani's rating:

This is a tender, hopeful story about second chance, self-discovery, family, and that crazy little thing called love.

This book can be read as a standalone, but if you've read either of the two previous books in the Coming About series, you'll probably remember Rory (Justice's best friend and Rich's roommate) as the even-keeled guy who always has a smile on his face.

Rory, a high school photography teacher, never stood out for me, and now I know why. Rory blends right into the background. He's good ol' reliable Rory. No one knows that his smile hides confusion and pain.

With his recent marriage falling apart, Rory has to do some soul searching.

One thing Rory knows for sure: Lieutenant Bennett Foster makes his heart beat faster.

Bennett is gay but not out on the force. He's tired of hiding though, especially when the slightly nerdy, gorgeous Rory enters the picture. Never mind that Rory is Bennett's daughter's teacher and straight. Maybe.

Blogtour: Sex, Lies, And Videogames by CJane Elliott

Please say hello to CJane Elliott and 

Sex, Love, and Videogames 

Blurb:

Shy guy Jed Carter has always felt invisible next to his charismatic older brother, Kent. Kent’s master plan for Jed is simple: University of Virginia, business, sports, and ladies’ man. None of it is Jed, except for playing on the rugby team, which he joins in defiance of soccer-loving Kent. Jed comes out in his sophomore year and starts seeing Pete, an attractive junior, who uses him for sex and videogames. Jed wants more—in life and in love—and starts making his own plans. First on the list: getting to know Charlie, the handsome guy working at the local videogame arcade.

Charlie Ambrose has always felt like an oddball, and not just for his tendency to stutter. Being gay sets him apart from his African-American community, and as a “townie,” he doesn’t fit in with the college crowd. Charlie’s inspiration is his cousin, Morocco, who’s transgender and doesn’t give a fig about fitting in. Art is Charlie’s passion, and when a local videogame designer discovers him, Charlie’s living a dream. The only thing he’s missing is love. But the last person Charlie expects to find it with is a cute, white U.Va. rugby player named Jed.

Excerpt:

“Okay, warm up laps!” Beau led the rugby team in a slow circuit around the perimeter of Mad Bowl. After a few laps, he stopped and had them do stretching exercises.

The other team did their warming up, and when they moved to take positions, Jed noticed a pair of people standing on the sidelines. His breathing stopped for a second. Charlie stood, hands in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot, while Morocco, a vision in a pink track suit, set up a camp chair (apt name, that) and sat down. Morocco saw Jed looking and waved. Charlie turned and gave a small wave himself, and Jed waved back, heart beating faster.

“Who’re they?” Bud asked, squinting over at them.

“Um, Charlie’s a guy who works at Lucky’s. In the gaming area. And the other is his cousin.”

“Hmm. Townies?”

“Yep.”

“She’s cute.”

“Um, well, about that….” Jed cut himself off because the referee blew the whistle. Time to play ball and hope he did well in front of those two.

The game proved the usual testosterone-fest, with lots of grunting and body contact. When Jed scored some points, Morocco produced pom poms that matched her outfit and waved them wildly.

At the break, Jed ran over to them for a minute to say hi—fuck what the rest of the team thought.

“Jed, child, my word!” Morocco fanned her chest. “Y’all are such manly men! Rugby is going to be my new obsession, I just know it!”

“I like it. My mom never let me play contact sports in high school, so I kinda love ramming into people.” Jed felt his cheeks flame at what he had said. Crap-a-doodle.

But Morocco laughed and Charlie faked a cough so he could smile behind his fist.

“So, hey, thanks for coming. I gotta go back now.”

Charlie nodded as Morocco said, “We’ll see you after the game.” She picked up her pom poms. “Wa-hoo-wa!”

When the team huddled before the second half, a homophobe named Welburn said with a sneer, “Who are those freaks on the sidelines?”

Another guy laughed. “Yeah. I thought all the he-shes lived in San Francisco.”

“What’re you talking about?” Bud peered over toward Charlie and Morocco. “That girl?”

Welburn spit on the ground. “That girl is no she. She’s a he. What the hell are they doing here?”

Beau raised his voice. “Hey, concentrate, guys. We need to win this game.”

Jed held up a hand to stop Beau from continuing. “Before we do that, you all need to know that those are some friends of mine. So shut your fucking faces before I shut them for you.” He leveled a lethal glare at Welburn and his compatriot.

Fueled by his anger, Jed played an amazing second half, and the team pulled out a victory on the strength of his points alone. After their team high five, he trotted over to Charlie and Morocco. Charlie smiled broadly while Morocco jumped up and down. “Jed, Jed, Jed! Wa-hoo-wa! Thass right!”

“Okay, okay.” Jed couldn’t help laughing at Morocco’s outrageous enthusiasm. “Thanks for coming to the game.”

“It was fun. I’m glad we came.” Charlie took a step back, seemingly surprised to have gotten two stutter-free sentences out.

“I’m glad too.” They gazed tentatively at each other, and Morocco suddenly got busy folding up the camp chair.

Get the book:

    

Hi there. Thanks so much for having me on your blog today to talk about my newest book, Sex, Love, and Videogames, the third novel in the Serpentine Series. Each book is a standalone but the series has recurring characters. Sex, Love, and Videogames is the story of Jed Carter, who we first met in Serpentine Walls, and Charlie Ambrose, a new character to the series.

Character Interview: