2 Star Ratings

Book Review: At All Cost by Katerina Winters

Reviewed by Heather C

Title: At All Cost
Author: Katerina Winters
Hero/Heroine: Jax/Alessia
Genre: M/F Contemporary Romance
Length: 138 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 21, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The remote woods of Oregon.

A desperate young woman.

And a mean-tempered recluse.

Standing alone in the middle of the Oregon woods, Alessia Conners was officially out of options.

With no money, no family, and no friends to turn to Alessia has little hope of escaping the predator in her home without doing something–drastic. All she wanted was a safe place to call home. With a tent and some camping gear, she is determined to find refuge and a new start to life in the peaceful woods of Oregon.

There was something in his woods, something that didn’t belong.

Jax Beranek is a rugged, mean recluse whose powerful presence and sharp tongue hide a damaged man who has given up on the world. He is a man that doesn’t need or want anyone. He has his cabin, his peace and quiet, and above all else is solitude. So when he happens to find some young woman sorely unprepared and close to getting herself killed in his woods he gives her a hard but fair choice: leave with his aid or leave tied and gagged over his shoulder, but either way she was leaving his damn forest.

It was the pain though, that familiar soul-wrenching pain he recognized all too well inside the lonely, sad-eyed woman that struck at a cord of compassion he didn’t know he possessed.

But his help wouldn’t be free–he was going to put the little vagabond to work.

With her days filled with hard work, back and forth bickering and her nights filled with exhausted sleep in Jax’s safe, cozy cabin, Alessia could finally for the first time in months breathe easy and forget about the monster in her past.

If only the monster would forget about her.

HEA Guaranteed

Contains some violence and lots of steamy adult themes Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, M/F, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Fairy Shop by Tara Lain

Reviewed by Ami

Title: The Fairy Shop
Author: Tara Lain
Series: 2019 Advent Calendar | Homemade for the Holidays
Heroes: Nate & Asher
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 64 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 1, 2019
Available at: Dreamspinner Press and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When Nate Hawthorne meets Asher Dane, the huge, tattooed hunk is the personification of Nate’s dreams. But Nate knows there’s no future, because Asher is also the personification of his beloved five-year-old daughter Delly’s nightmares. She’s frightened of big men. Things turn around for both of them, however, when Delly goes Christmas shopping at the Fairy Shop and begins her quest for a wand that will make her brave. Neither of them guesses that the Fairy Shop will be the source of far more than Delly’s courage. On Christmas Eve, under the influence of a very unusual fairy, Nate’s life will change forever.
Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Haste Ye Back by R. Quincy Cameron

Reviewed by Ami

Title: Haste Ye Back
Author: R. Quincy Cameron
Series: 2018 Advent Calendar – Warmest Wishes
Heroes: Aaron
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 31 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 1, 2018
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The situation seems ideal: a month off work and a sweet deal to extend his stay in an unexpected paradise. Needless to say, Aaron is thrilled to snag an extra few days in Scotland after his work conference to soak up the magic of the country.

However, his plans to tourist his way around Edinburgh before his January 1st flight home are thwarted by a strange influx of people into the capital. Add in trains that don’t run on New Year’s, fireworks, first-footing, and running into the same gorgeous stranger as he exits every other shop, and Aaron really should have googled what “Hogmanay” was before he found himself whisked into the whirlwind of Scottish revelry and the impossible draw of that sexy stranger who tastes like scotch and, impossibly, already feels like the beginnings of home. Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Denying Fate by C.C. Dado

Reviewed by Ami

Title: Denying Fate
Author: C.C. Dado
Series: A Series of Fates #1
Heroes: Max/Christian
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 83 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: August 31, 2018
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Fate is a funny thing. Some try to cut its threads, while others wrap themselves in it like a blanket.

Young wolf shifter Max is cocky and crass. Unlike others his age, he has yet to discover a talent that will serve his pack. Since childhood, he’s been convinced the pack alpha is his mate, but Alpha Christian cannot envision unfiltered and directionless Max taking the place of his elegant mother at the head of the pack. As Max begins to build a life with his best friend, he also begins to see that maybe what he thought was inevitable was all in his head, and it’s time to move on.

Or are they both denying fate?
Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Set Ablaze by KC Burn

Reviewed by Ami

Title: Set Ablaze
Author: KC Burn
Heroes: Hayden & Jez
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Available at: Dreamspinner PressAmazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: California firefighter Hayden Hurst is starting to realize there’s more to life than fighting fires and drinking with his buddies. He has room in his home and his life for someone special, but no one has stood out among his hookups. And while he’s out at work, admitting he’s gay is very different from showing up at social functions with a man. He’s afraid that’ll be too much for his less-than-accepting “friends.”

Broadway dancer Jez Bouchet hasn’t been mistaken for straight since he was gay-bashed at seventeen. After getting a lucrative job offer in Hollywood, he uproots his life in New York and drives to Los Angeles. His brother, who is Hayden’s best friend, arranges for him to crash at Hayden’s place.

The attraction between Hayden and Jez is unexpected but fiery, and they succumb before they’re even sure they like each other. But Jez hates Hayden’s homophobic friends, and Hayden knows Jez is too flamboyant for him to fly under the radar. Then there’s the complication of Jez’s brother.

Despite those hurdles, they fling themselves into a relationship. But Jez has secrets: a tiny spoiled dog and a determined stalker. If he doesn’t come clean, he might torch their burgeoning relationship before it has a chance to bloom. Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Blueprint by S.E. Harmon

Reviewed by Ami

Title: The Blueprint
Author: S.E. Harmon
Series: The Game #1
Heroes: Kelly/Blue
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 270 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: March 13, 2018
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Kelly Cannon is satisfied with his life. He has friends, a wonderful family, and a great job. But his love life has reached a new level of pitiful. Why? Well, his heart decided to break all the rules. Don’t fall in love with a straight guy. And definitely don’t fall in love with your best friend.

NFL standout Britton “Blue” Montgomery has pressure coming at him from all sides. From his father, who’s only interested in Blue’s football career. From his coaches, who just want him to play without getting injured again. From the fans. From his agent. And from his mother, who has popped up on the radar after leaving his family years before. And now his relationship with Kelly is on shaky ground, and that frightens Blue more than anything.

When Kelly admits he’s in love with Blue, bonds are tested, and Blue has to decide what’s really important. He doesn’t want to lose the number-one person in his life, but the cost to keep Kelly close might be more than he’s willing to pay.

It’s a good thing his nickname is the Blueprint—it’s time to draft a new set of plans.
Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Welcome Home, Soldier by Deanna Wadsworth

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title:Welcome Home, Soldier
Author: Deanna Wadsworth
Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily – Stocking Stuffers
Heroes: Clay & Daniel
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 76 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 1, 2017
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Clay and Daniel fell in love as enlisted men during Desert Shield, but Don’t Ask Don’t Tell meant they had to keep it secret. After Clay’s convoy was ambushed, PTSD changed him, and their relationship ended in a horrible fight on Christmas Eve.

Twenty-five years later, they’ve reconnected on Facebook, and Clay finds out Daniel will be alone on Christmas Eve. Impulsively, he sets out for Daniel’s hometown of Gilead, Ohio—where Daniel is now the mayor—to surprise him with a visit. But a blizzard strikes and Clay wrecks his car. All hope of seeing Daniel is lost—until a mysterious old man named Nick offers Clay a ride.

The weight of past wounds and the scars of war might make their reunion awkward, but Clay is willing to take the risk to win back his lost love. Despite a lifetime of disappointing holidays, Clay hopes that this soldier is finally coming home for Christmas. Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Book Review, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Hope Is the Thing with Feathers by Brandon Witt

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
Author: Brandon Witt
Series: 2017 Advent Calendar Daily – Stocking Stuffers
Heroes: Samuel & Raymond
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 48 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 1, 2017
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Fifty-six-year-old Samuel Phipps is all alone on his small farm in the Ozarks, with nothing but a menagerie of chickens, pheasants, turkeys, and other birds as company—which is just the way he likes it. In fact, if Samuel had his way, he’d tear down his neighbor’s house so his solitude could be absolute. One day Faloola, his favorite turkey, escapes, forcing Samuel to make the trek next door. When Raymond Webber—sixty-seven—answers the door as naked as the day he was born, Samuel doesn’t know whether he’s more annoyed… or attracted. The two men are opposites in every way—Samuel is serious, while Raymond believes in free love and herbal relaxation. The weeks leading up to Christmas are rocky to say the least, but some holiday spirit might help them get past their differences….
Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Safe and Sound by Caitlin Ricci

Reviewed by Ami

Title: Safe and Sound
Author: Caitlin Ricci
Heroes: Mason/Oliver
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 84 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 18, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Twenty-one-year-old Mason has to get out of his mother’s house, where her boyfriend subjects him to unwanted advances—and won’t take no for an answer. Since she didn’t believe Mason when he told her about his uncle’s sexual abuse, Mason knows he’s on his own, and it’s up to him to raise the money he needs. He thinks he’s in luck when he takes a modeling job.

Oliver is a photographer, and getting guys and sex has always been easy for him. His current open relationship is no exception: more friendship and fun than anything. But when Oliver meets Mason, he can see the younger man is fragile and desperately in need of help. Before anything can develop between them, Mason needs to free himself of his terrible living situation and start on the road to healing. Oliver wants to stand beside him as he does. What surprises him is the discovery that he might need Mason as much as Mason needs him.
Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: I Heart Boston Terriers by Rick R. Reed

Reviewed by Ami

Title: I Heart Boston Terriers
Author: Rick R. Reed
Heroes: Aaron/Christian
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 54 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 20, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  When Aaron finds Mavis, an emaciated and shy Boston terrier, at a pet adoption fair, his heart goes out to her—completely.

When Christian, manning the adoption fair for the Humane Society that autumn Saturday, finds Aaron, his heart goes out to him—completely.

This is a story about embracing love, whether it’s for someone who walks on four legs or on two. Mavis’s journey back to wholeness and finding her forever home parallels the story of two men discovering each other at the perfect moment—a moment that defies logic, propriety, and common sense. But when did love ever follow a rational course?
Continue reading

Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment