Book Review

Book Review: Burning Fall by E.J. Smyth

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Burning Fall
Author: E.J. Smyth
Series: Frankfurt Hot Seasons #1
Heroes: Damien & Yannik
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 156 pages
Publisher: Unapologetic Romances
Release Date: June 18, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Opposites attract, but can they ever work together?

Damien is an ambitious young lawyer. After moving to Germany, he doesn’t expect to feel quite so out of his element. Apart from hating his job, a rumor spreads that he is a homophobe.

To redeem himself, he is put in charge of the firm’s signature event Burning Fall. He has no choice but to hire Yannik, a gorgeous yet unconventional event manager.

But from their first disastrous meeting, everything possible goes wrong.

Can the two men find a way to work together, or will Damien’s career, Yannik’s future, and the most important client event of the year go down in flames?
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Embrace the Fire by Felice Stevens

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Embrace the Fire
Author: Felice Stevens
Series: Through Hell and Back #3
Heroes: Brandon & Sebastian
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 390 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 24, 2017
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Brandon Gilbert has spent years in hiding, but he’s finally accomplished his dream of working as a public school teacher. When offered the chance to help bullied children, there was no way he could say no. Not to mention that meeting Dr. Tash Weber, the psychiatrist who helps them, a sad yet sexy older man, ignited a spark inside Brandon he’d never had before.

Though five years have passed since the death of his lover, Dr. Sebastian “Tash” Weber has no interest in relationships or love. But young, enigmatic Brandon awakens his heart and his desire. Despite Tash’s best efforts to push him away, Brandon unlocks the passion for life Tash thought he’d lost forever.

Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan for either Brandon or Tash, but neither family disapproval nor self-doubts can stop them from embracing the fire that burns between them. And when Brandon returns home to fight for a future he never imagined possible, he and Tash discover that the one thing worth fighting for has been with them all along.

This is a re-release of the original book published in 2015. It has been completely revised and re-edited with over 10,000 words of additional content added.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dual Book Review: Hex and Candy by Ashlyn Kane

Reviewed by Ami & Nikyta

Title: Hex and Candy
Author: Ashlyn Kane
Series: Strange Bedfellows #1; Dreamspun Beyond #26
Heroes: Cole & Leo
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 214 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: True love’s kiss can break the curse. But then what?

Cole Alpin runs a small-town candy store. He visits his grandmother twice a week. And sometimes he breaks curses.

Leo Ericson’s curse is obvious right away, spiderwebbing across his very nice body. Though something about it worries Cole, he agrees to help—with little idea of what he’s getting into.

Leo is a serial monogamist, but his vampire ex has taken dating off the table with his nasty spell, and Leo needs Cole’s companionship as much as his help. When the hex proves to be only the beginning of his problems, Leo seeks refuge at Cole’s place. Too bad magic prevents him from finding refuge in Cole’s arms.

Cole’s never had a boyfriend, so how can he recognize true love? And there’s still the matter of the one responsible for their troubles in the first place….  Continue reading

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, 4.5 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: After the Fire by Felice Stevens

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: After the Fire
Author: Felice Stevens
Series: Through Hell and Back #2
Heroes: Jordan & Luke
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 395 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 24, 2017
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A single bullet destroyed the dreams of Dr. Jordan Peterson. With his lover dead, Jordan descends into an endless spiral of self-destruction that nearly costs him his friends, his career and his life. When Jordan finds himself working closely with the aloof Lucas Conover, the investment banker’s mysterious past and unexpected kindness shocks him back into a life and emotions he’d thought lost forever.

The betrayal by the foster brother he’d worshiped, taught Lucas Conover never to trust or believe in anyone. Living a solitary life doesn’t free him of the nightmare of his youth; it reinforces his belief that he would never fall in love. When the death of one of his clients forces him to work closely with Dr. Jordan Peterson, he meets a person whose suffering exceeds his own. Though Jordan rejects his effort to help, something within Luke pushes him discover more about the first man to ever get under his skin.

As Luke lets down his guard and Jordan lets go of his pain, desire takes control. Each man must come to terms with past struggles if they are to create a future together. And learning to trust in themselves and love again after tragedy and a lifetime of pain, may be the only thing that saves them in the end.

This is a re-release of the original version published in 2015. It has been re-edited with over 4000 words of additional content added.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Wanted – Bad Boyfriend by T.A. Moore

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Wanted – Bad Boyfriend
Author: T.A. Moore
Series: Island Classifieds #1
Heroes: Nathan & Flynn
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 218 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: His mother. His best friend. The barmaid at the local pub. Everyone is determined to find Nathan Moffatt a boyfriend. It’s the last thing Nathan wants. After spending every day making sure his clients experience nothing but romantic magic, the Granshire Hotel’s wedding organiser just wants to go home, binge watch crime dramas, and eat pizza in his underwear.

Unfortunately, no one believes him, and he’s stuck with lectures about dying alone. Then inspiration strikes. He needs the people in his life to want him to stay single as much as he does. He needs a bad boyfriend.

There’s only one man for the job.

Flynn Delaney is used to people on Ceremony thinking the worst of him. But he isn’t sure he wants the dubious honor of worst boyfriend on the entire island. On the other hand, if he plays along, he gets to hang out with the gorgeous Nathan and piss off the Granshire’s owners. It’s a win-win.

There’s only one problem. Flynn’s actually quite a good boyfriend, and now Nathan’s wondering if getting off the sofa occasionally is really the worst thing in the world.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Risk by Baylin Crow

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Risk
Author: Baylin Crow
Series: N/A
Heroes: Drew/Asher
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 271 Pages
Publisher: Baylin Crow
Release Date: April 25, 218
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: We never should’ve been anything more than roommates.

DREW: Life dealing me a hard blow is nothing new. What’s one more sucker punch?

When my uncle offers me a job working at his MMA training center, I jump at the chance to turn my life around…not upside down and questioning everything I know about myself.

Light Heavyweight Champion Asher Ramsey is the definition of a ladies’ man. His stormy gray eyes and inked skin call to the artist in me and make me itch for my pencils and sketch pad so I can capture every detail. If I’m honest, they make me itch to touch every detail too, which confuses me.

After he offers to let me stay in his guest room, I discover there’s more to Asher than he allows the world to see.

ASHER: My life is a lie. A play written and directed by my PR manager.

With the biggest fight of my career only weeks away, my focus is on securing my title. Losing my belt to some new up-and-comer isn’t an option, and I can’t afford any distractions. Or an unwanted attraction.

When Drew begins working at the gym where I train, my priorities waver. To make things worse, I offer to let him stay with me until he finds a place of his own. It’ll be fine. Sure, I’m attracted to him, but I’m an expert at hiding behind the mask of a straight man. Besides, he’s completely off-limits. Not that it matters–we don’t even play for the same team.

What’s the worst that can happen?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Aftershock by Tanya Chris

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Aftershock
Author: Tanya Chris
Series: Ever After #2
Heroes: Syed/Dashiell
Genre: MM BDSM
Length: 198 Pages
Publisher: Tanya Chris Publishing
Release Date: August 14, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Being acquitted of Jamie’s murder won’t bring him back. Syed might be free, but he’s lost his lover and his sub, along with his sense of control, his libido, his friends, and the stomach to inflict the kind of pain Jamie thrived on. Even his high-rise apartment doesn’t suit him anymore.

Dashiell is drawn to the handsome man he represented in court, but he’s promised himself never to get involved with another confident playboy. His next boyfriend—if he can find such a thing—will see him as something more than a backup plan for a better offer. And how could he ever give a man like Syed what he wants anyway?

Dashiell fears the day Syed will ask him to bear more pain than he can handle as Syed struggles to reconcile how he’s coming to feel about Dashiell with how he still feels about Jamie. Can their fledgling relationship survive the discovery that Syed’s new sub might be representing the man who murdered his last sub?

Jamie deserves justice, Dashiell deserves love, and Syed wants to be the one to give both these men exactly what they need.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Sink or Swim by L.A. Witt

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Sink or Swim
Author: L.A. Witt
Series: Anchor Point #8
Heroes: Alhazar Bukhari/Dylan Pederson
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 340 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: July 16, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When need meets fear, can two very different men find common ground?

Alhazar Bukhari spent his Navy career in the closet. Now he’s retired, divorced, and hungry for the love he’s never had a chance to experience. He tries to put his faith in Allah to bring the right man into his life, but it’s hard to be patient after all this time.

Chaplain Dylan Pedersen spends his days counseling Sailors, and his nights with men he doesn’t know. Months after finally escaping an abusive relationship, he’s terrified of anything more than a physical connection. Maybe it’s a sin, but he’s too lonely to not let men into his bed, and too scared to let them into his heart.

When Alhazar’s civilian job brings him aboard the USS Fort Stevens, and his daily prayers bring him into Dylan’s chapel, the chemistry is instantaneous. Sex and friendship quickly evolve into more, but Dylan’s too haunted by his recent past to be the man Alhazar wants. Alhazar needs love, Dylan needs time, and if they can’t find some sort of balance, they’ll sink before they ever have a chance to swim.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Reaching Nerdvana by Michael War

Reviewed by ReadsLate

Title: Reaching Nerdvana
Author: Michael War
Heroes: Kel & Gunnar
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 39 pages
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: January 6, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: At twenty-three, Kel is buff but awkward. He hates going to clubs but loves to play online games. His current boyfriend Jimmy would rather go out and dance the night away, and often makes fun of Kel for wanting to stay home. After a bad fight, Kel catches Jimmy cheating on him and they break up. Later, Kel later tries to ignite a spark with a local hunk named Gunnar, but their first kiss ends in disaster and the rest of their date is even worse.

Heartbroken and alone, Kel retreats to the online 3D game world of New Life, a virtual earth where people can meet others with similar interests … including naughty ones. At one of his favorite fantasy clubs, Kel becomes intensely involved with Darius, a black knight with a penchant for dominance. Their first meetup is slightly kinky online fun, and soon they realize they have more in common than they first thought.

When Darius wants to move things to the next level, Kel isn’t so sure. Is he ready to make their online relationship reality?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Crooked Tree Ranch by R.J. Scott

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Crooked Tree Ranch
Author: RJ Scott
Series: Montana #1
Heroes: Jay & Nate
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 275 pages
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Release Date: November 15, 2015
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When a cowboy, meets the guy from the city, he can’t know how much things will change.

On the spur of the moment, with his life collapsing around him, Jay Sullivan answers an ad for a business manager with an expertise in marketing, on a dude ranch in Montana.

With his sister, Ashley, niece, Kirsten and nephew, Josh, in tow, he moves lock stock and barrel from New York to Montana to start a new life on Crooked Tree Ranch.

Foreman and part owner of the ranch, ex rodeo star Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Todd has been running the dude ranch, for five years ever since his mentor Marcus Allen became ill.

His brothers convince him that he needs to get an expert in to help the business grow. He knows things have to change and but when the new guy turns up, with a troubled family in tow – he just isn’t prepared for how much.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment