Book Review

L.A. Witt Week Review: If It Drives by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Reviewed by JustJen

If It DrivesTitle: If It Drives
Author: L.A. Witt/Aleksandr Voinov
Series: Market Garden #7
Heroes: James/Callum
Genre: M/M Contemporary, BDSM
Length: 221 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: March 31, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: If it flies, drives, or fornicates, it’s cheaper to rent it.

After driving James Harcourt, his wealthy banker boss, around for a year and a half, Cal isn’t surprised by much anymore. Not even James’s regular trips to Market Garden, London’s most elite gay brothel.

But when James leaves the Garden alone one night and turns to Cal instead, Cal’s floored. After crushing on his boss for ages, it’s his wet dream come true . . . until the awkward morning after. Cal still has a job to do, but he wants to offer more. Yet James doesn’t take him up on it; he keeps Cal at arm’s length and continues his chauffeured jaunts to Market Garden.

As Cal learns what James needs from the rentboys, he tries to fill that need himself. But there’s more to James’s penchant for rentboys than Cal realizes, and it may be one role that Cal can’t fill without overstepping his duty.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Reawakening by Amy Rae Durreson

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Reawakening
Author: Amy Rae Durreson
Series: Reawakening #1
Heroes: Tarn & Gard
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 260 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 17, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: For a thousand years, since their defeat of the Shadow at Eyr, the dragons have slept under the mountains. Now their king, Tarnamell, has woken. Driven mad by loneliness, he hurls himself south until he finds and tries to claim the Alagard Desert. Unfortunately, the desert already has a guardian spirit, and he doesn’t want to share. Amused by the cocky little desert spirit, Tarn retreats, planning to return in human form.

When his caravan enters the desert, however, Alagard is missing. Rumors fly of a dark power, and soon Tarn’s caravan encounters the living dead and an amnesiac mage called Gard.

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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

L.A. Witt Week Review: Wrenches, Regrets and Reality Checks

Reviewed by Heather C

21472262Title: Wrenches, Regrets and Reality Checks
Author: L.A. Witt
Heroes: Reggie & Wes
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 18,000 words
Publisher: Amber Allure
Release Date: March 15, 2014
Available at: Amber Allure
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Ever since Reggie’s garage became part of a popular reality show, business has been booming. As much as he hates playing games with the network, at least he doesn’t have to worry about his bottom line anymore.

As the show’s lowest-ranking producer, Wes is tasked with proposing a new spinoff show to Reggie. He has a hard enough time looking the sexy mechanic in the eye on a normal day, but this time, he’s holding cards he can’t show. With execs breathing down his neck, he’s there to pitch a show he knows Reggie will never agree to do, even if his refusal puts his existing show on the line.

The network is counting on Reggie refusing to sign. But they’re not counting on their messenger falling for the man they’re trying to fire…

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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Be Were by Eliza Gayle

Reviewed by Nikyta

Be WereTitle: Be Were
Author: Eliza Gayle
Series: Southern Shifters #5
Heroes: Niki & Dean
Genre: M/F Paranormal Erotica
Length: 41,000 words
Publisher: Gypsy Ink Books
Release Date: January 27, 2014
Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Dean had a family once. Until tragedy and betrayal consumed them. Now he lives on his own terms keeping life simple and carefree. Then one night leads to one bite and he’s forced back into a dangerous world that reminds him he’s still as angry as ever and this time he’s not leaving until he gets what he wants. Niki.

Niki Harris has lived a life of secrets and solitude with no interest in making a change. But an easy one night stand turns complicated and she finds herself marked. Now she has to decide, tell the sexy shifter with a possessive streak a mile wide she’s pregnant and in danger or do what she’s always done–run.

Be Were is the continued story of Dean and Niki from the free story, White Cougar Christmas. (If you have not read WCC, no worries. It is included as the first chapter of Be Were).

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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Dead Man & the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper

Reviewed by Heather C

17858589Title: Dead Man & the Restless Spirits
Author: Lou Harper
Series: Dead Man #1
Heroes: Denton & Bran
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance, Mystery
Length: 38,740 words
Publisher: Harper Books
Release Date: June 23, 2013
Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Dying sucks hairy monkey balls, even when you’re not the stiff.

Denton Mills has a secret: he can see dead people. Or rather, how they died. It’s quite a drag in a city like Chicago, teeming with the echoes of the no-longer living. Rather than whine about it, Denton has learned to live with his troublesome talent. His adaptability comes in handy when he meets his enigmatic new neighbor.

Bran Maurell catches Denton’s eye right away, but unfortunately Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious is as standoffish as he is alluring. However, after an unexpected introduction from Bran’s cat brings the two men together, Denton discovers they have a mutual interest in the spirit world. Herbalist by day, Bran moonlights as a witch, performing house cleansings for a fee.

From Bran, Denton learns that his knack for interacting with the dead qualifies him as a necromancer. It makes good business sense for them to team up and rid Chicago of its pesky spirits one grateful client at a time. Amongst ghostly adventures the attraction between the men is impossible to ignore. They seem like perfect partners—unless Bran’s not-so-little secret comes between them.

Warning: men loving men, ghosts with attitudes, and a portly feline with hidden talents.

Note: Denton also plays a small but important role in Spirit Sanguine.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

L.A. Witt Week Review: Where Nerves End by L.A. Witt

Reviewed by Susan65

Where Nerves EndTitle: Where Nerves End
Author: L.A. Witt
Series: Tucker Springs #1
Heroes: Jason Davis and Michael Whitman
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 239 Pages
Publisher: Amber Allure
Release Date: June 3, 2012
Available at: Amber Allure, Amazon & All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Welcome to Tucker Springs, Colorado: Population, 70-something-thousand. Home to beautiful mountain views, two respected universities, and a ridiculously high cost of living.

Jason Davis can handle a breakup. And an overwhelming mortgage. And a struggling business. And the excruciating pain that keeps him up at night thanks to a shoulder injury. Handling all of it at once? Not so much. When his shoulder finally pushes him to a breaking point, he takes a friend’s advice and gives acupuncture a try.

Michael Whitman is a single dad struggling to make ends meet. When a mutual friend refers a patient, and that patient suggests a roommate arrangement to alleviate their respective financial strains, Michael jumps at the opportunity.

Living together would be easy if Jason wasn’t so damned attracted to Michael. Good thing Michael’s straight, or the temptation might just be too much.

Well, their mutual friend says Michael is straight…

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2012, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Capture by Annabelle Jacobs

Reviewed by Nikyta

CaptureTitle: Capture
Author: Annabelle Jacobs
Series: Torsere #1
Heroes: Nykin & Ryneq
Genre: M/M High Fantasy
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 24, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Over two hundred years ago, when dragons were hunted for their blood, the King of Torsere offered them sanctuary. In return, the dragons bestowed a magical gift on the King’s people, allowing those born with the mark to become dragon riders and forge a mental connection between dragon and rider.

King Ryneq of Torsere is undeniably attracted to Nykin, a young dragon rider. Ryneq’s sister, Cerylea, encourages him to pursue the relationship. But with the stresses of ruling Torsere, a romantic attachment is low on Ryneq’s list of priorities. Nykin admires the king from afar, but wants more than to warm his bed for a night or two.

Torsere remains under threat from the lowland armies of Rodeth and Athisi. To protect their kingdom, Ryneq and Cerylea intend to form an alliance with the elves through Cerylea’s marriage to elf prince Morkryn. On the road to the wedding, the lowland army attacks the party. Cerylea escapes, but Ryneq is captured and taken to the impenetrable Risvery Castle. In the aftermath, Nykin volunteers for a perilous mission, endangering the lives of him and his dragon. The odds are against him, but Nykin will risk everything for his duty and his king.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Early Review: Dirty Deeds by Rhys Ford

Reviewed by Nikyta

Dirty DeedsTitle: Dirty Deeds
Author: Rhys Ford
Series: Cole McGinnis #4
Heroes: Cole & Jae
Genre: M/M Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: 228 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: March 28, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Sheila Pinelli needed to be taken out.

Former cop turned private investigator Cole McGinnis never considered committing murder. But six months ago, when Jae-Min’s blood filled his hands and death came knocking at his lover’s door, killing Sheila Pinelli became a definite possibility.

While Sheila lurks in some hidden corner of Los Angeles, Jae and Cole share a bed, a home, and most of all, happiness. They’d survived Jae’s traditional Korean family disowning him and plan on building a new life—preferably one without the threat of Sheila’s return hanging over them.

Thanks to the Santa Monica police mistakenly releasing Sheila following a loitering arrest, Cole finally gets a lead on Sheila’s whereabouts. That is, until the trail goes crazy and he’s thrown into a tangle of drugs, exotic women, and more death. Regardless of the case going sideways, Cole is determined to find the woman he once loved as a sister and get her out of their lives once and for all.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Double Alchemy by Susan Mac Nicol

Reviewed by JustJen

Double AlchemyTitle: Double Alchemy
Author: Susan Mac Nicol
Heroes: Quinn Fairmont/Cade Mairston
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 280 pages
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Available at: Boroughs Publishing Group, Amazon & Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Powerful yet tormented warlock Quinn Fairmont must initiate the silver-eyed Cade Mairston into the world of witchfinders, Withinners, and what can happen when two men fall truly, madly, deeply in love.

THE WORLD IN SHADOW

In modern London,, there lurks a warlock. Quinn Fairmont. Dangerous, powerful, tortured. Sharing his body with the soul of an ancient Welsh sorcerer, Quinn is never alone—and never wholly himself. He fights against all those who would exploit his kind. He also takes pleasure where he can find it.

In the forest of Hampstead Heath, Quinn’s hometown, Cade Mairston appears like a waking dream. Lithe, lean and silver-eyed, he evokes feelings in Quinn unlike any other: along with lust comes true affection, immediate and shocking. Cade is clearly more than he seems. And yet, though a man of the world, Cade knows nothing of warlocks, witchfinders or Withinners. He knows nothing of what he is, what he might be, what he might feel. For him, the story is just beginning, and magyck, peril and passion await.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

L.A. Witt Week Review: Static

Reviewed by Heather C

19165476Title: Static
Author: L.A. Witt
Heroes: Damon & Alex
Genre: M/M Romance, Science Fiction
Length: 74,000 words
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: January 20, 2014 (re-release)
Available at: Riptide Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  After two years together, Alex has been dreading the inevitable moment when Damon learns the truth: that Alex is a shifter, part of a small percentage of the population able to switch genders at will. Thanks to a forced implant, though, Alex is suddenly static—unable to shift—and male. Overnight, he’s out to a world that neither understands nor tolerates shifters . . . and to his heterosexual boyfriend.

Damon is stunned to discover his girlfriend is a shifter, and scared to death of the dangers the implant poses to Alex’s health. He refuses to abandon Alex, but what about their relationship? Damon is straight, and with the implant both costly and dangerous to remove, Alex is stuck as a man.

Stripped of half his identity and facing serious physical and social ramifications, Alex needs Damon more than ever, but he doesn’t see how they can get through this.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments