Book Review

Book Review: Risky Behavior by L.A. Witt and Cari Z.

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Risky Behavior
Authors: L.A. Witt and Cari Z.
Series: Bad Behavior #1
Heroes: Andreas Ruffner/Darren Corliss
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 309 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 1, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: It’s day one of Darren Corliss’s career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.

Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.

As Darren gains Andreas’s hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’s unorthodox—and borderline unethical—methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder—is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Murder Once Seen by J.T. Hall

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Murder Once Seen
Author: J.T. Hall
Series: The Oddities #1
Heroes: Derwin/Elliott
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 352 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: December 12, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: In the city of Nis, things often aren’t what they seem.

Derwin is a bounty hunter gifted with the Oddity of superhuman strength and agility—perfect for hunting down fugitives and demons who roam the streets. One killed his boyfriend two years ago, and Derwin won’t stop until he finds out who. Police suspect it was someone he sent to prison, but he can’t shake the idea that they’re missing something.

Elliot is a rentboy who’s been living on the streets since his parents disowned him. He mistrusts everyone and, given his uncontrolled ability to Read Objects and a client list that includes a major gang boss, despairs of ever having a normal life.

Derwin and Elliot meet in a storm of lust. Derwin’s Oddity is fed by the pain of others, but he only wants what’s freely given. Elliot loves pain, but needs safety and a way off the streets before he can allow it. They may be able to solve each other’s problems . . . if they can survive long enough to work together.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Any Given Sunday by Mercy Celeste

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Any Given Sunday
Author: Mercy Celeste
Series: Southern Scrimmage #6
Heroes: Bo/Dylan
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 251 Pages
Publisher: Mercy Celeste
Release Date: March 29, 2017
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Mind the gap.
Any Given Sunday is the story that takes place in the gaps of Six Ways from Sunday.

Six Ways from Sunday was NEVER supposed to be part of a series.
Six Ways from Sunday was written in five days and was supposed to be a standalone short story.
As the Scrimmage series evolved and the story grew I realized that I needed to know Bo and Dylan’s whole backstory.
Any Given Sunday started out as Sunday Schooled. It retells Bo and Dylan’s story from the day they met until the ending of Six Ways from Sunday. Including the flashback scenes from Sidelined and certain aspects of Bootleg Diva from Bo’s POV.
Any Given Sunday explores the time gaps in Six Ways from Sunday, in greater detail.
Any Given Sunday is a companion to the Scrimmage Series and can be read in any order.
Any Given Sunday is an original story, the scenes from Six Ways from Sunday are not repeated in this companion edition.
Certain details and characters from this expanded story will return in Blindsided.
Warning:
Readers sensitive to the perceived cheating in the original two books should avoid.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: A Worthy Man by Jaime Reese

Reviewed by Morgan 

Title: A Worthy Man
Author: Jaime Reese
Series: The Men of Halfway House #5
Heroes: Vannguard/Drayton
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: Not available
Publisher: Romandeavor, Inc.
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Vannguard Shaw has spent the last ten years serving a life sentence and adjusting to the ache of solitude. He accepts his fate, a sacrifice for the only man he ever loved and the one person who saw beyond his rough edges.

Drayton grew up with a trust fund and pre-planned future, but an unexpected encounter one night forces him to abandon everything and start from scratch. He is now a self-made man and developer of one of the most sought after electric exotic automobiles in the world with a fortune greater than that of his birthright. Yet, he’d surrender it all—again—for the only man who’s still ever-present in his heart.

After a decade and entirely too much distance between them, Vann is suddenly released back into a world that has been nothing but cruel. Drayton never lost hope they would once again reunite and pick up where they left off, but Vann’s stubborn nature and repeated encounters with a heartbreaking world prove to be a challenge.

Vann needs to tap into his fighting spirit’s reservoir of strength and hope life doesn’t punish him for taking a chance. Only then will he realize his own value and feel worthy enough to finally have Drayton’s heart. And their chance at forever.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Cask Strength by Layla Reyne

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Cask Strength
Author: Layla Reyne
Series: Agents Irish & Whiskey #2
Heroes: Aidan/Jamie
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 205 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: May 1, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Professionally, the FBI team of Aidan “Irish” Talley and Jameson “Whiskey” Walker is as good as it gets, closing cases faster than any team at the Bureau. Personally, it’s a different story. Aidan’s feelings for Jamie scare the hell out of him: he won’t risk losing another love no matter how heart-tripping the intimacy between them. And loss is a grim reality with the terrorist Renaud still on their trail, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.

Going undercover on a new case gets them out of town and off the killer’s radar. They’re assigned to investigate an identity theft ring involving a college basketball team in Jamie’s home state, where Jamie’s past makes him perfect for the role of coach. But returning to the court brings more than old memories.

As secrets and shocking betrayals abound, none may be more dangerous than the one Jamie’s been keeping: a secret about the death of Aidan’s husband that could blow his partner’s world apart and destroy forever the fragile bonds of trust and love building between them.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Revelation by Sloane Kennedy

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Revelation
Author: Sloane Kennedy
Series: The Protectors #7
Heroes: Cain/Ethan
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 336 Pages
Publisher: Sloane Kennedy
Release Date: April 7, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: “I trusted once. I won’t make that mistake again…”
An ugly childhood and devastating betrayal have left 25-year-old Cain Jensen scarred inside and out. Protecting himself means keeping everyone at arm’s length and protecting others means never getting emotionally involved. In the three years since he’s joined an underground vigilante group, every life he saves helps ease the guilt of the ones that were lost to him so long ago. So when he’s sent to a remote cabin in the Cascade Mountains just north of Seattle to follow up on the disappearance of his boss’s co-worker, his only thought is to see that justice is served, no matter what the circumstances.

But nothing he’s ever experienced has prepared the cold-hearted and very straight Cain for who he finds on that mountain…or the intense need to suddenly offer more than just protection.

“I’ve finally managed to break free, but I’ve never felt more trapped in my entire life…”
Ethan Rhodes has been running for six months, but it’s never fast enough, it’s never far enough. At 30 years old, the talented ER Doctor should be spending his days saving other people’s lives, not worrying about his own. But he knows that the four years of physical and emotional abuse he’s suffered at the hands of his volatile ex are nothing compared to what will happen when Ethan runs out of places to hide, especially after taking something from the man he once was sure would be the love of his life.

A violent episode that has Ethan narrowly escaping death leads to a quiet cabin in the mountains where his battered body will have time to heal before he and the young girl relying on him need to run again. But everything changes with the arrival of a mysterious stranger who threatens to give Ethan something he’d finally accepted was gone forever…hope.

“I didn’t see this coming. I don’t think he did either…”

To get to the truth, Cain must first get through Ethan’s defenses, but watching the other man’s walls start to come down forces Cain to face his own past. And as the tremulous connection between the two men grows and gives way to something more, both will need to decide if they’re willing to risk giving each other the one thing that has cost them so much in the past…trust.

Will two men who’ve vowed never to let someone close again let down their guard long enough to find each other, or will they let their pasts determine their future?

Trigger Warning: This book includes references to physical, emotional and sexual abuse so please proceed with caution

Note: This book contains M/M sexual content and is intended for mature audiences.

***This is Book 7 in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone story – no cliffhangers.***

The Protectors series crosses over with some of my other series, so for the most enjoyment, they should be read in this order, but it is not required:

Book 1 – Absolution (M/M/M)
Book 2 – Salvation (M/M)
Book 3 – Retribution (M/M)
Logan’s Need (Escort Series #3) (M/M)
Redeeming Rafe (Barretti Security Series #2) (M/M)
Saving Ren (Barretti Security Series #3) (M/M/M)
Freeing Zane (Barretti Security Series #4) (M/M)
Book 4 – Forsaken (M/M)
Book 5 – Vengeance (M/M/M)
Book 5.5 – A Protectors Family Christmas
Book 6 – Atonement (M/M)
Book 7 – Revelation (M/M)
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Vampire and the M.D. by J.P. Bowie

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: The Vampire and the M.D.
Author: J.P. Bowie
Series: The Vampire and… #3
Heroes: Daniel/Blake
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 212 Pages
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: April 20, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  When Dr. Blake Farnon hits a shadowy figure with his car, he is astounded when the man almost instantaneously recovers from the accident. But Daniel Vale is no ordinary man, as Blake soon discovers. Daniel is Vampire, and not only that, works for the US government in a secret department of the FBI.

At first wary of the undeniably handsome vampire, Blake cannot resist Daniel’s allure for long. From the moment Daniel shows up at Blake’s apartment with a poisoned silver sword imbedded in his side, Blake is hurled into an adventure he never dreamed he would be a part of.

Demons, ancient gods and a vindictive goddess determined to tear apart the fragile fabric of world peace after the Middle East War, can only be stopped by other supernatural beings–vampires. And Blake finds himself caught up in the fight, whether he wants to be or not. Can his fledging relationship with Daniel possibly survive? He’d thought it crazy enough he’d fallen for a vampire, but the rest of it? What would his mother say?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Rediscovering Himself by Charlie Richards

Reviewed by Morgan 

Title: Rediscovering Himself
Author: Charlie Richards
Series: Wolves of Stone Ridge #40
Heroes: Drako/Kwanza
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 108 Pages
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Release Date: April 21, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Out of the Cage: Freedom takes all forms, including how to learn to live with yourself…and your limitations.

Drako Rundin had a rude awakening to the paranormal world—holy crap, vampires and shifters are real! Still, he thinks it’s pretty cool. After so much time thinking he’s weird for being a gay, video-game-loving geek, he finds he’s not the only oddball. Accepting his new friends’ offer to go to Denver, helping the pair move an ostrich farm in the process, he meets so many more people who are different.
Kwanza doesn’t know how long he’s been in captivity. He just knows he’s grateful to the group of friendly paranormals who rescued him. While he remembers shifting to human form—decades ago—he struggles to actually do it. The other shifters are patient and accommodating, giving him wide open spaces in which to live.

When Kwanza meets Drako, he recognizes the plump, cute human as his mate. While he succeeds in shifting, he can’t seem to hold it for long. With Drako’s help, can he relearn how to be human all over again?
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Devour by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Devour
Authors: Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott
Series: Unbreakable Bonds #4
Heroes: Ian/Hollis
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 249 Pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 28, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head.

Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight. He’s kept his distance, knowing the gorgeous, self-confident man is out of his league. Yet there’s no standing aside when Boris Jagger escapes a raid. Jagger’s world has been nearly destroyed and this time, the crime boss is coming after Ian and his friends personally.

Hollis will do whatever it takes to keep Ian safe as they escape to a safe house with a couple of Ian’s overprotective friends. And Ian finds himself in a race to unlock painful memories—memories containing information that could take down the very last of Jagger’s illegal operations forever.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Tied to You by Riley Hart

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Tied to You
Author: Riley Hart
Series: Wild Side #2
Heroes: Miles/Quinn
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 204 Pages
Publisher: Riley Hart
Release Date: April 25, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Miles Sorenson prides himself on his brutal honesty. Facts and logic are a hell of a lot easier to deal with than emotions. He’s got his career and a small, close-knit group of friends, and he doesn’t need nor want anything else. The total opposite of Quinn Barker, who doesn’t take life too seriously and thinks a good laugh can cure anything.

When Quinn takes Miles home, it’s supposed to be a one-time deal. Except they really click in the sack and end up spending the weekend together, enjoying each others’ bodies as much as their company…to Miles’ dismay. Matters get even more muddled when, months later, they run into each other at the popular West Hollywood bar, Wild Side, and pick up right where they left off.

On the surface, Quinn and Miles are like oil and water, but the draw between them is undeniable. As their lives further entwine, they realize there’s more to their connection than the way they singe the sheets together.

But demons from the past have a way of catching up, and no matter how strong the link is tying Miles and Quinn together, the pressure may be enough to make it snap.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment