Published in 2014

Kim Fielding Week Review: Pilgrimage

Reviewed by Nikyta

Pilgrimage by Kim Fielding eBookTitle: Pilgrimage
Author: Kim Fielding
Heroes: Mike & Goran
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: February 3, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Fiscal analyst Mike Carlson is good with spreadsheets and baseball stats. He doesn’t believe in fate, true love, or fantasy. But then a fertility goddess whisks him away to another world. A promise has been broken, and if Mike is ever to return to California—and his comfortable if lonely life—he must complete a pilgrimage to the shrines of a death goddess.

A humiliating event convinces Mike to hire a guard to accompany him, and hunky Goran is handy enough with a sword, if a little too liberal with his ale. A man with no home and no family, Goran is deeper than he first appears. As Mike learns more about Goran, his disbelief wavers and his goals become less clear. Contending with feuding gods, the challenges of the journey, and his growing attraction to Goran, Mike faces a puzzle far harder to solve than simple rows of numbers.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Mark of Cain by Kate Sherwood

Reviewed by Susan65

20522718Title: Mark of Cain
Author: Kate Sherwood
Heroes: Mark Webber/Lucas Cain
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 338 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Available at: Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When a man is consumed by hatred, is there anything left to love?

After a tough day of counseling sessions, Anglican priest Mark Webber is looking forward to a relaxing dinner at a local restaurant. When he sees who’s bellied up to the bar, though, he reaches for his cell phone to call the police.

It’s Lucas Cain, the man who killed Mark’s brother three years ago. Apparently he’s out of jail and hanging out with his old crowd, which has to be a breach of parole, right?

Pulled over upon leaving the bar, Lucas blows a clean breathalyzer and hopes this isn’t a harbinger of things to come. He’s ready to build a sober, peaceful life. His friends aren’t ready to let him move on, though, and he ends up taking refuge in an Anglican half-way house.

Thrown together, Mark and Lucas find common ground in the struggle to help a young gay man come to terms with his sexuality—and the fight against homophobic townsfolk. As attraction grows, the past is the last stumbling block between them and a future filled with hope.

Warning: Bad boys being good, good boys being bad. Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones

Guest Reviewed by Gyn

Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson, #6)Title: Sixth Grave on the Edge
Author: Darynda Jones
Series: Charley Davidson #6
Hero/Heroine: Charley Davidson & Reyes Farrow
Genre: M/F Paranormal
Length: 337 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Available at: St. Martin’s Press, Amazon & Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Sometimes I wrestle my demons. Sometimes we just snuggle. —Bumper Sticker

Most girls might think twice before getting engaged to someone like Reyes Farrow—but Charley Davidson is not most girls. She’s a paranormal private eye and grim reaper-in-training who’s known to be a bit of a hell-raiser, especially after a few shots of caffeine. Her beloved Reyes may be the only begotten son of evil, but he’s dark and sultry and deeply sexy and everything Charley could hope for. Really. But when the FBI file on Reyes’ childhood happens to land into her lap, she can’t help herself: She opens it…and then the real fun begins. First, Charley finds a naked corpse riding shotgun in her car. Then, a man loses his soul in a card game. Throw in a Deaf boy who sees dead people, a woman running from mobsters, and a very suspicious Reyes, and things can’t get any worse for Charley. Unless, of course, the Twelve Beasts of Hell are unleashed…
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, M/F, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Early Review: Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh

Reviewed by Nikyta

Shield of Winter (Psy-Changeling, #13)Title: Shield of Winter
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #13
Hero/Heroine: Vasic & Ivy
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Available at: Penguin & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to suffocate her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Hold the World Together by Pepper Espinoza

Reviewed by Heather C

21964324Title: Hold the World Together
Author: Pepper Espinoza
Heroes: Alfred & Sam
Genre: M/M Historical Romance
Length: 31,000 words
Publisher: Amber Allure
Release Date: April 2014
Available at: Amber Allure, Amazon, All Romance eBooks and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Harvard graduate Alfred Chan jumps at the chance to teach languages at the new University of California, eager to leave his life behind even if it means a dangerous cross-country journey. He knows there are bandits in the western mountains, but he never expects the most infamous of those bandits to stop his wagon train and steal him away into the night.

Sam and Shane Lyons are wanted for robbing stagecoaches and wagon trains across the western territories, and they don’t just take money. Sometimes, they kidnap educated men. A mysterious Chinese scroll holds the promise of a better life for the two brothers, if only they can find somebody able to read the strange marks on the page. They whisk Alfred to their hideout high in the ragged cliffs of the Uinta Mountains, and there, during a brutal winter, they warn him that his life will end if he fails to deliver a full translation.

Alfred knows he should fear for his life, but somehow, when he’s with Sam, he’s not afraid of anything… Continue reading

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

Book Review: What Can Brown Do For You? by Hunter Frost

Reviewed by JustJen

miu-whatcanbrowndoforyou185Title: What Can Brown Do For You?
Author: Hunter Frost
Series: Men in Uniform Anthology
Heroes: Sean Barlow/Rob Goodwin
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 33 pages
Publisher: Torquere Press, Inc.
Release Date:  May 21, 2014
Available at: Torquere, Amazon & All Romance eBooks

Men in Uniform Anthology is also available at Torquere.

Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: IT geek Sean Barlow lusts after the dreamy UPS guy who charms the ladies in his office with his roguish smile and sinful brown shorts. The delivery guy couldn’t be more out of Sean’s league, even if by some miracle he was gay. But when a freak power outage finds Sean trapped in the elevator with his uniformed hunk, he learns first-hand that you can’t judge a UPS guy by the size of his package.

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

Honorary Blogger Susan Mac Nicol: Susan’s Perfect Man + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Large-Banner-Ad_DA_Climax

Susan’s Perfect Man

By Susan Mac Nicol

I’m often asked what my ideal man would look like. What type of personality would he have and is there a specific profession that might leave me drooling.

My daughter and I have an ongoing disagreement. She is very fond of overly large muscle bound men with huge pecs, washboard stomachs, arms like hocks of hams, and hair. She likes hirsute men. I don’t. I’m not overly fond of too much hair on my blokes, I certainly don’t mind a treasure trail, or a finely tasteful smattering on the chest, but I draw the line at hairy backsides and I certainly don’t like my men looking like grizzly bears.

I definitely prefer a man to have the body of a swimmer, tall, lean, muscled, smooth skinned, muscles playing under skin and a tight, round arse. Flat stomach is preferred, if it’s a six pack, all the better. My idea man is probably Cade Mairston. He’s gorgeous and not one I would say no to. For anything he might want. I love dark men, strong eyebrows, quirky smiles, warm eyes and thick hair. I’m not averse to blonds or dirty blonds (the dirtier the better I hear you murmur?) if they look like Shane Templar or Quinn Fairmont.

My men have to have a sense of humour and intelligence. They don’t have to be Mensa members by any means because I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them but they need to be great conversationalists and entertaining. I’d prefer a man that reads, and if he wears sexy designer glasses when he gets into bed at night in his silky boxers, all the better. I don’t mind boxers or briefs. Either will do me until it’s time for them to come off. Then of course the measure of the man underneath the underwear is important. Size is important -don’t ever let anyone tell you different *grins*

Then when he sits in bed and smiles at me across the top of those sexy spectacles with that glint in his eyes that says’ ‘Be there soon, wait for me’, as he then turns his attention to the geeky process of being a hacker, a software developer, a computer games creator -yep, that’s my secret, I like ‘em geeky- I can give a satisfied grin , lay back on my satin pillows and wait for him to finish what he’s doing in the knowledge that later, he’ll be all mine.

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Excerpt

Quinn’s eyes flashed violently at his uncle. “I am not fucking losing him to the depths of a bloody Hampstead Heath pond.”

He knelt down beside Cade again, closing his eyes as he tried once more to heal, but the wound just kept seeping blood, now at a much slower rate than before. Cade’s face was ash white, his dark hair standing out starkly against the deathly pallor of his face.

Quinn. Your Cade is nearly gone. You have to put him in the water now before it is too late. There is no time for your modern medicine. He will not survive unless you do it now. The Water Sprites will take him and heal him as long as there is still a spark of life left in him.

“I can’t. Don’t ask me to do that. I can’t.” Quinn’s voice was strangled as he struggled to compose himself. His body was cold, his mind sluggish and he had never felt so desperate.

Daniel strode forward and despite his small and wiry frame, he picked Cade up in his arms. He looked at Quinn, his voice resolute. “He’s dying. This may be the only way to save him.”

Quinn growled and reached out with a hand to hold him back. Daniel sidestepped him and looked at him with a resolute expression. “You can hurt me if you want but it won’t help Cade. This is all we have left to try before he dies.”

Quinn’s hand still gripped him tightly and the older man winced.

“If anyone is going to do this, it’s going to be me.” Quinn’s voice cracked and he held out his arms. Wordlessly, Daniel placed Cade in Quinn’s outstretched arms and Quinn pulled his lover closer to his body. He walked down to the water’s edge and waded in as Daniel watched helplessly from the bank, his face stark. Quinn gently laid Cade down in the water. He seemed to float for a while, hair spreading about in the water like black smoke. His face was still, eyes closed as Quinn held tightly onto his cold hand, rubbing his thumb over the engagement ring. Quinn’s vision blurred as tears filled his eyes.

You need to let Cade go. Let him join his kind below the water. Trust me.

Taliesin’s voice was soft, compassionate. Quinn heaved a shuddering sigh as Daniel joined him in the water, laying a comforting arm on his.

“I can’t—” Quinn shook his head in grief, his heart breaking.

His uncle took hold of his shoulders, firmly holding him back. “There’s no other way, son. Let him go.”

Quinn relinquished his grip on Cade’s hand, standing there as he heard a soft splash and saw the water rippling around them. As they watched, two sets of pale hands emerged out of the water, and slowly, lovingly, Cade was dragged gently beneath the dark waters of the pond. Quinn saw the hand with his ring on it slowly disappear under the water. It was the last glimpse he had of the man he loved.

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About Double Alchemy: Climax

DA Climax-2Powerful modern warlock Quinn Fairmont found ecstasy with the silver-eyed and not-quite-human Cade Mairston, but to know true happiness the pair must best both the shadow of a long-ago lover and an ancient enemy who seeks to destroy love, light and all they hold dear.

A BLINDING LIGHT

It begins with a Book of Shadows discovered by a London coven. The grimoire is as dangerous as it is rare, which is why it evokes modern-day warlock Quinn Fairmont’s desire. He collects objects of great power and beauty—like his lover, Cade Mairston.

Against all odds he and Cade found each other, but their perils have just begun. First is the ex-lover who once held Quinn in thrall. And, someone has been killing warlocks. Could it be one of his own kind? There are those too who would challenge Quinn’s power in their quest to overthrow him as Grand Master. Or is the danger something darker, something invoked inadvertently, rising from the shadows, building from the very inside of a man until it brings an end with a quick flash of light? Of the truth, the surface has only been scratched. Now Quinn and Cade must go deeper and find both answers and an end. They must learn what lurks in the hearts of men…and whether it seeks to love or destroy.

Available at: Boroughs Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble & All Romance eBooks

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About Susan Mac Nicol

SueSusan Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, UK, and left for South Africa when she was eight. She returned to the UK thirty years later and now lives in Essex. Her debut novel Cassandra by Starlight, the first in a trilogy, was published last year by Boroughs Publishing Group in the US. Sue’s latest story, Double Alchemy is her fifth m/m romance.

Sue has written since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself becoming a Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends continuing the trend.

Sue is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association here in the UK.

You can reach Susan at WebsiteBlogTwitterFacebookGoodreads, & Pinterest

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

The prize in this blog tour is a chance to win an eBook copy of Double Alchemy AND The Gift of Magic by Susan Mac Nicol! Just click the link below to enter!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above.  Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway but will be welcome anyway.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of Double Alchemy: Climax to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , | 17 Comments

Book Review: Double Alchemy: Climax by Susan Mac Nicol

Reviewed by JustJen

DA Climax-2Title: Double Alchemy: Climax
Author: Susan Mac Nicol
Series: Double Alchemy #2
Heroes: Quinn Fairmont/Cade Mairston
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 254 pages
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Available at: Boroughs Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Powerful modern warlock Quinn Fairmont found ecstasy with the silver-eyed and not-quite-human Cade Mairston, but to know true happiness the pair must best both the shadow of a long-ago lover and an ancient enemy who seeks to destroy love, light and all they hold dear.
A BLINDING LIGHT
It begins with a Book of Shadows discovered by a London coven. The grimoire is as dangerous as it is rare, which is why it evokes modern-day warlock Quinn Fairmont’s desire. He collects objects of great power and beauty—like his lover, Cade Mairston.

Against all odds he and Cade found each other, but their perils have just begun. First is the ex-lover who once held Quinn in thrall. And, someone has been killing warlocks. Could it be one of his own kind? There are those too who would challenge Quinn’s power in their quest to overthrow him as Grand Master. Or is the danger something darker, something invoked inadvertently, rising from the shadows, building from the very inside of a man until it brings an end with a quick flash of light? Of the truth, the surface has only been scratched. Now Quinn and Cade must go deeper and find both answers and an end. They must learn what lurks in the hearts of men…and whether it seeks to love or destroy. Continue reading

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

Book Review: Highfell Grimoires by Langley Hyde

Reviewed by Heather C

18617680Title: Highfell Grimoires
Author: Langley Hyde
Heroes: Neil & Leofa
Genre: M/M Steampunk
Length: Novel
Publisher: Blind Eye Books
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Available at: Blind Eye Books and Weightless Books
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Born to privilege, gifted in languages and spells, Neil Franklin has planned his brilliant future—from academic accolades to a proper marriage—and is intent upon upholding his family name and honor. The sudden death of his parents shatters all of that, leaving Neil and his younger sister beggared and orphaned.

When Neil’s estranged uncle offers him a bargain that will save him and his sister from debtor’s prison or exile, Neil eagerly agrees. Handing over the family grimoire as collateral for their debt, Neil devotes himself to working as a teacher for wayward youths at a charity school high in the clouds.
But Highfell Hall is not the charity Neil imagines it to be and the young men there aren’t training for the dull lives of city clerks. Amidst the roaring engines and within the icy stone halls, machinations and curious devices are at work. And one man, the rough and enigmatic Leofa, holds the key to the desire that Neil has fled from all his life and a magic as dangerous as treason.

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

Book Review: Saugatuck Summer by Amelia C. Gormley

Reviewed by Susan65

SaugatuckSummer_500x750Title: Saugatuck Summer
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Series: Saugatuck #1
Heroes: Topher/Jace
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 363 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 19, 2014
Available at: Riptide, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: One summer can change everything

Hi, I’m Topher Carlisle: twenty-one, pretty, and fabulous. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. But let’s get real. Walking the fake-it-til-you-make-it road to independence and self-respect isn’t easy. Especially since my mom’s a deadbeat alcoholic, and most of my family expects me to turn out just as worthless. Oh, and I’m close to losing my college swimming scholarship, so let’s add “dropout” to the list.

My BFF has invited me to stay at her beach house on the shore of Lake Michigan. That’ll give me one summer to make money and figure out what I want to do with my life. So of course I decide to have an affair with my BFF’s married, closeted dad. Because that always works out.

Now I’m homeless, friendless, jobless. Worthless. Just like my family expects, right? Except there’s this great guy, Jace, who sees it differently. He’s got it all together in ways I can only dream of—he’s hot, creative, insightful, understanding. He seems to think I don’t give myself enough credit. And if I don’t watch out, I may start to believe him.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment