Book Review

Book Review: Far From Happy by Jeni Decker

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Far From Happy
Author: Jeni Decker
Hero: Jackson
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 20, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon & All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: There was no smoking gun. No horrible family secret behind why I left. No reason at all for me, at nineteen, to leave for New York, ready for anything life had to offer—especially if it involved certain proclivities. In the time required to walk to Times Square from the Port Authority Terminal, my naiveté was wiped away. I witnessed a prostitute performing her nightly hustle. In the days to follow, I was mugged twice, ripped off while trying to purchase pot, and beaten to the point of soiling myself. But a chance encounter with a young hustler led to a meeting with Mr. B, mob-connected owner of multiple clubs on Times Square, all under fire from a new mayor embarking on an anti-sleaze campaign directed squarely at The Deuce.

I spent the next twenty years of my life coming of age on the streets, but now, as I speed south across the countryside, heading for my native New Orleans and a dying sister, I make a pact to leave New York in New York, only to find coming home proves harder than coming out. Continue reading

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

Sleuth Week Review: Rogue Descendant by Jenna Black

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Rogue Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
Series: Nikki Glass #3
Heroine: Nikki & Jamaal
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Available at: Pocket, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: No longer the leader of the Olympians, Konstantin has now gone into hiding. Konstantin is vulnerable, and Anderson believes now is the perfect time to destroy his nemesis. He orders private eye Nikki Glass to use her powers to locate Konstantin, and she balks at the idea until a series of attacks leads her to believe that Konstantin is gunning for her and Anderson instead of remaining safely in hiding.

Nikki’s search is complicated by Cyrus—Konstantin’s son and the new leader of the Olympians—who threatens retribution should his father be killed. The complications mount up as Nikki begins to suspect that Konstantin might not be behind the attacks after all. The only person who hates Konstantin more than Anderson does is Anderson’s estranged wife, Emma, who has joined the Olympians. And Nikki knows Emma would be more than happy if Anderson and his people embroil themselves in an all-out war against the Olympians—a war they cannot hope to win.

As Nikki tries to figure out who the true enemy is, she deals with her tumultuous relationship with Jamaal, who struggles to control his death magic. But being loved by a descendant of a death goddess is the least of Nikki’s worries… Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sleuth Week Review: Don’t Look Back by Josh Lanyon

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Don’t Look Back
Author: Josh Lanyon
Heroes: Michael Griffin and Peter Killian
Genre: M/M Mystery
Length: 98 Pages
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: June 29, 2009
Available at: Amazon & All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: He was chuckling, a deep, sexy sound as he pushed Peter back on the satiny cushions. Was this for real? Was he going to go through with it? Peter blinked up as his tie was unfastened, tossed aside, his shirt unbuttoned, laid wide. The evening breeze — scented of smog and jasmine — felt cool against his overheated skin, like the lightest breath…

Peter Killian, curator at Constantine House in Los Angeles, wakes in the hospital to find himself accused of stealing a tenth century Chinese sculpture. Peter knows he’s not a thief — but that’s all he knows. Why is hot and handsome Detective Mike Griffin so sure he’s guilty — and so hell-bent on seeing Peter arrested?

And why is Peter having these weird dreams about an unseen lover who somehow reminds him uncomfortably of Michael Griffin? Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published Before 2010, Susan65's Reviews, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Blah, Blah Valentine’s Day by Kyle Adams

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Blah, Blah Valentine’s Day
Author: Kyle Adams
Heroes: Andrew & Evan
Genre: M/M Contemporary Humor
Length: 33 pages
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: February 14, 2014
Available at: MLR Press, Amazon & All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Valentine’s Day has always been one major suckfest for Andrew. He knows he is cursed and has resorted to avoiding everything even remotely related to the stupid “holiday.” Against his better judgment, Andrew lets his best friend talk him into attending a themed party one Valentine’s Day evening. Andrew spends the whole night cautiously waiting for his bad luck to kick in, nervous to see what disastrous situation he might find himself in. While at the party, Andrew meets Evan and is immediately attracted to him, but Andrew worries it will end in another Valentine’s debacle if he tries anything.

Can Evan convince Andrew he’s worth the risk or will this really be one more Valentine’s disaster? Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: Wild Burn by Edie Harris

Reviewed by Heather C

16103311Title: Wild Burn
Author: Edie Harris
Series: Wild State #1
Hero/Heroine: Delaney Crawford & Moira Tully
Genre: M/F Historical Romance, Western
Length: 283 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Available at: Samhain PublishingAmazonAll Romance eBooksBarnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf at: GoodreadsBooklikes

Blurb: Shoot first. Ask her name later.

Infamy weighs heavy on Delaney Crawford’s broad shoulders, first as a supposed Confederate turncoat, then as a relentless hunter of Cheyenne dog soldiers. Summoned to the small mining community of Red Creek, the exhausted, embittered Del is doing what he does best—ridding the town of its savage scourge—when one of his bullets misses the mark.

Ex-nun Moira Tully has been working with John White Horse for months to integrate a band of peaceful Cheyenne with the local townsfolk. Now he’s hurt, and she’s been caught in the crossfire. There’s only one man to blame for her simmering anger and the inexplicable attraction that tilts her heart on its axis. Del.

When Del is forced to acknowledge the truth that the Cheyenne are no threat, his task just gets more complicated: fighting a wild attraction that catches flame at the most inconvenient times, and figuring out the treacherous motives behind his hiring.

But the most heart-wrenching challenge could be overcoming sordid pasts that won’t stay in the past—pasts that threaten to bury all hope of happily ever after.

Product Warnings
Features a trigger-happy Southern gentleman, an ex-nun gone rogue and consistently thwarted desires that frustrate them both. Continue reading

Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, M/F, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sleuth Week Review: The Trouble With Tony by Eli Easton

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: The Trouble With Tony
Author: Eli Easton
Series: Sex in Seattle #1
Heroes: Tony DeMarco & Jack Halloran
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 144 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: August 21, 2013
Available at: Dreamspinner Press
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: As part of the investigation into the murder of a young woman, Seattle P.I. Tony DeMarco poses as a patient of Dr. Jack Halloran, the therapist who treated the victim at a Seattle sex clinic. This isn’t the first time Tony has gone undercover, but it’s the first time he’s wanted to go under cover with one of his suspects. He can’t help it—Jack Halloran is just the kind of steely-eyed hero Tony goes for. But he’ll have to prove Halloran’s innocence and keep the doctor from finding out about his ruse before he can play Romeo.

Dr. Halloran has his own issues, including a damaged right arm sustained in the line of duty as a combat surgeon in Iraq and the PTSD that followed. He’s confused to find himself attracted to a new patient, the big, funny Italian with the puppy-dog eyes, and Tony’s humor slips right past Jack’s defenses, making him feel things he thought long buried. But can the doctor and the P.I. find a path to romance despite the secrets between them? Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Abel – Hearts in Chaos by CJ Bishop

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Abel – Hearts in Chaos
Author: CJ Bishop
Series: Phoenix Club#2
Heroes: Abel Sims and Devlin Grant
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 108 Pages
Publisher: Rascal Hearts
Release Date: February 6, 2014
Available at: Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Devastated after learning his abuser (and the man he killed in self-defense) was Dr. Devlin Grant’s much beloved brother, Abel feels he can no longer have anything to do with the man because of his secret.

Now locked into his agreement with Horatio Kaplan – and suffering heart break over Devlin – Abel finds no purpose in his life except taking care of Savannah. When Devlin refuses to be put off and insists Abel tell him the truth of why he is suddenly pushing him away, Abel must make the hard decision of whether or not to expose the hideous acts of Devlin’s brother – and shatter the man’s heart. Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sleuth Week Review: Bartender, PI by Ethan Stone

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Bartender, PI
Author: Ethan Stone
Heroes: Linc/Brady
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 135 pages
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Release Date: April 14, 2012
Available at: Silver Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: When hockey star Linc Carpenter is banned from playing his beloved sport, he starts over in Tampa. Master of the mixed metaphor, Linc knows he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He’s a lousy bartender, but doesn’t know what else to do until he gets a shot at being a private investigator. If he can prove that wealthy fashion designer Quentin Faulkner is cheating on his wife, this case will earn him big money. Faulkner’s bodyguard, Brady Williams, proves to be the biggest hindrance to completing his assignment, other than his own ineptitude. Linc is shocked when Brady admits to being attracted to him. He’s even more shocked when Brady turns down immediate sex because he’s looking for so much more. Will their new relationship survive the dangers of this case? Continue reading

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

Sleuth Week Review: Pros and Cons by Jenna Black

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Pros and Cons
Author: Jenna Black
Series: Nikki Glass #2.5
Heroine: Nikki
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 82 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: February 25, 2013
Available at: Pocket, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: An original eNovella in the acclaimed Nikki Glass urban fantasy series, taking place between the events of the novels Deadly Descendant and Rogue Descendant.

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down—but this time, her latest case leads to unexpected revelations of lies and betrayal… Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: One Night Ride by Jennah Scott

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: One Night Ride
Author: Jennah Scott
Heroes: Jace Peterson and Brett Colson
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 28 Pages
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Available at: Decadent Publishing & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Brett Colson’s ready to get back into the dating game. Competing in rodeos across the country kept him out of the game, so when he hears about the 1Night Stand service from a friend, he takes a chance.

Bull rider Jace Peterson lost his first love over a year before to another man. Hitting his thirtieth birthday, Jace listens to his friends’ concerns; he needs to end his self-imposed dry spell and enlist the help of Madame Eve.

Brett and Jace expect nothing more than a satisfying one-night ride. But they’re wrong. Continue reading

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment