4.5 Star Ratings

Book Review: For Real by Alexis Hall

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: For Real
Author: Alexis Hall
Series: Spires Universe
Heroes: Laurie/Toby
Genre: MM Contemporary/BDSM
Length: 470 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: June 1, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Laurence Dalziel is worn down and washed up, and for him, the BDSM scene is all played out. Six years on from his last relationship, he’s pushing forty and tired of going through the motions of submission.

Then he meets Toby Finch. Nineteen years old. Fearless, fierce, and vulnerable. Everything Laurie can’t remember being.

Toby doesn’t know who he wants to be or what he wants to do. But he knows, with all the certainty of youth, that he wants Laurie. He wants him on his knees. He wants to make him hurt, he wants to make him beg, he wants to make him fall in love.

The problem is, while Laurie will surrender his body, he won’t surrender his heart. Because Toby is too young, too intense, too easy to hurt. And what they have—no matter how right it feels—can’t last. It can’t mean anything.

It can’t be real.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Spell Bound by Jacob Z. Flores

Reviewed by Nikyta

SpellBoundTitle: Spell Bound
Author: Jacob Z. Flores
Series: The Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge #1
Heroes: Mason & Drake
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 216 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 27, 2015
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Mason Blackmoor just can’t compete with his brothers, much less his father. They represent the epitome of black magic, strong, dark, and wicked, and though Mason tries to live up to his respected lineage, most of the spells he casts go awry. To make matters worse, his active power has yet to kick in. While his brothers wield lightning and harness the cold, Mason sits on the sidelines, waiting for the moment when he can finally enter the magical game.

When a dead body is discovered on the football field of his high school, Mason meets Drake Carpenter, the new kid in town. Drake’s confident demeanor and quick wit rub Mason the wrong way. Drake is far too self-assured for someone without an ounce of magical blood in his body, and Mason aims to teach him a lesson—like turn him into a roach. And if he’s lucky, maybe this time Mason won’t be the one turned into an insect.

Not surprisingly, the dislike is mutual, and Drake does nothing to dispel Mason’s suspicion that the sexy boy with a southern drawl is somehow connected to the murder.

If only Mason didn’t find himself inexplicably spell bound whenever they are together, they might actually find out what danger hides in the shadows.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Altered 2 by Annabelle Jacobs

Reviewed by Nikyta

25469030-1Title: The Altered 2
Author: Annabelle Jacobs
Series: Lycanaeris #2
Heroes: Ash & Sam
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 37k words
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: May 28, 2015
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A remote farmhouse in Cornwall seems the perfect place for Ash to settle into his recently altered status. Starting a new life there with Sam—the shifter he can’t stay away from—should be easy this far from London where they faced so much danger. So why does adjusting seem impossible?

Sam has issues of his own. He has to get used to his human form again after living the last eight years as a wolf. It’s hard when human worries weigh so heavily on his shoulders. Life is much more straightforward from a wolf’s perspective, until Ash needs his human support.

Ash’s problem is simple: he’s fearful of shifting fully. How can he believe he won’t hurt Sam when his genes were altered to create a killer? Despite repeated reassurance, his anger and resentment increase. Only one thing is certain: if Ash can’t learn to trust himself soon, he’s in danger of proving himself right.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Suit Yourself by Susan Mac Nicol

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Suit Yourself
Author: Susan Mac Nicol
Series: Men of London #3
Heroes: Oliver Brown/Leslie Scott
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length:
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Release Date: May 21, 2015
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Scarred both physically and emotionally after a motorcycle accident, twenty-five year old ex fashion model and porn star Oliver Brown is about to be stripped bare by flamboyant twink Leslie Scott—and they’ll rebuild love from the bottom up.

BARING THE BEAST
Twenty-five year old Oliver Brown is addicted. Two years ago, he was at the height of his career as “Nikki Star,” fashion model, porn actor, partier without peer. Then came the accident. Hiding his scars, both emotional and physical, he’s gone into hiding. But fine clothing is some solace. A new suit by Debussy? Better even than a ride on his motorcycle Hulk or all the things he used to give and take on camera.

Enter Leslie Scott, the flamboyant, dark-haired, heel-and-tiny-short-wearing twink sent to deliver Oliver’s newest fix. A firecracker, Leslie is dapper, generous, in touch with his feminine side but all man, and as gorgeous as any garment ever made. He makes Oliver dream of ending his reclusion, of recapturing a future forever denied him. But for that to happen, Leslie would have to strip him to the bone. Only then will they rebuild life from the bottom up.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: Evac by Michael Murphy

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Evac
Author: Michael Murphy
Heroes: Benji/Nick
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 27, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  While on a mission in northern Afghanistan, Benji’s helicopter is shot down. Benji went in with a band of brothers but comes out with a stack of body bags, including one for his partner, Blade.

After recovering physically in Germany, Benji is sent home to San Diego. He’s been a soldier so long he doesn’t know how to live as a civilian. The loss of his brothers and his partner weighs heavily on him. Benji’s body might be healed, but he is still a very broken man. Unable to find work, Benji turns to drinking, bar fights, risky sex with anonymous men, and striking out at everything. As he spirals out of control, he even tries volunteering in a BDSM club as a sub for demonstrations and private scenes.

Despair drives Benji to action, and he meets Nick, a young man in desperate need of hope. With his options and his money running out, the only question is if Benji will find his way in time.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Cronin’s Key II by N.R. Walker

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Cronin’s Key II
Author: N.R. Walker
Series: Cronin’s Key #2
Heroes: Alec/Cronin
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 195 Pages
Publisher: N.R. Walker
Release Date: May 22, 2015
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: History isn’t always what it seems.

With the battle of Egypt behind them, Alec and Cronin are enjoying the thrill of new love. Though fate doesn’t wait long before throwing them back into the world of weird.

They know Alec’s blood is special, though its true purpose still eludes them. And given Alec’s inability to be changed into a vampire, Cronin is free to drink from him at will. But the ramifications of drinking such powerful blood starts a ripple effect.

With the help of Jorge, a disturbing vampire-child with the gift of foresight, Alec and Cronin face a new kind of war. This time their investigations lead them to the borders of China and Mongolia—but it’s not what lies in the pits beneath that worries Alec.

It’s the creator behind it all.

In the underground depths of China, amidst a war with the Terracotta Army, they will find out just what the Key is, and what Alec means to the vampire world.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Depravity: Book One Punishment by M.J. Ferguson

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Depravity: Book One: Punishment
Author: M.J. Ferguson
Series: Depravity #1
Genre: MM BDSM/Horror
Length: 33 Pages
Publisher: M.J. Ferguson
Release Date: May 13, 2015
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  There is darkness in all of us even if we choose not to acknowledge it or act on it. What happens when a person not only acknowledges their darkness but revels in exploiting it to the fullest? Join me on a journey and explore the many different ways people choose to express their…Depravity.

In book one, we find a master who forces his pet to participate in a demonstration for a large audience of other masters. When he’s pushed too far will the master lose his pet? Or will the trust they have built be enough for the pet to accept his Sir’s darkest side.

Please note: This short erotic horror story is intended for mature audiences only. This story contains content some readers may find objectionable: explicit sex between men, extreme violence, nonconsensual sex, and murder.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Twice the Hands to Hold by Louis Stevens

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Twice the Hands to Hold
Author: Louis Stevens
Heroes: Brian and Matt Walker
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 265 Pages
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: April 19, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Twin brothers Brian and Matt Walker went to live with their mother’s brother after the death of their parents at an early age. Brian is still wracked with the guilt he carries around from a young age and sees the world through a distorted lens of self-loathing. When he meets a sexy and interested college-aged guy at the beginning of his senior year of high school, he may have finally found someone who can help him escape his mundane existence.

Matt has his life all planned out — he longs for a solid career in journalism after graduating college. But his tenuous hold on family life threatens his dreams of independence, as does the attentions of a closeted new transfer to their school.

Can Matt pull away enough from his family to come into his own? And will Brian finally get to grips with his past and allow his twin to chase his own happiness?

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: A Counselor Among Wolves by Liv Olteano

Reviewed by Nikyta

25311292Title: A Counselor Among Wolves
Author: Liv Olteano
Series: Leader Murders #2
Heroes: Tim & Weiss
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 230 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 8, 2015
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Five dead leaders, their bodies arranged in a pentagram. Treason, lies, and backstabbing. A make-believe affair that turns into a real mating.

Timothy Sands is a PBI counselor, half-fey, half-elf, with a secret crush on Herman Weiss, PBI director. As a new chapter is added to the Leader Murders, it is Weiss’s responsibility to investigate what seems an impossible-to-solve case. The other problem? Weiss is suffering from rages, and his only salvation lies in Tim’s emotional-grid-balancing skills. They only have to pretend to be a couple for Tim to use his talents, and he owes Weiss a big favor. Piece of cake, right?

The fey might be involved in the Leader Murders. Someone on the Council might be their ally, and another prominent PBI figure looks more and more suspicious as they investigate. The stakes are upped when Timothy’s father, the Fey King, threatens to leave the Council destitute if they don’t hand Timothy over to him. Weiss’s brilliant solution? Mating Timothy and forcing the Council into protecting him.

There’s only one small hitch in that plan: instead of protecting one, the Council might decide to get rid of two.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Book Review: Sacrati by Kate Sherwood

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Sacrati
Author: Kate Sherwood
Heroes: Theos/Finnvid
Genre: MM Historical Fantasy
Length: 407 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 2, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: As an elite Sacrati fighter in the mighty Torian military, Theos is blessed with a city full of women who want to bear his children, and a barracks full of men proud to fight at his side and share his bed. He has everything he needs—until he captures Finnvid on a raid.

Finnvid is on a secret mission to prevent the Torian invasion of his homeland Elkat. Being enslaved by Torian soldiers wasn’t in his plans. Neither is his horrified fascination with the casual promiscuity of the Sacrati warriors. Men should not lie with other men—and he should not be so intrigued when they do. He definitely should not be most intrigued by the leader of the soldiers who captured him and plan to invade his home.

For Theos, everything would have been easier if the infuriating, lying, bewildering Elkati had never come into his life, but he can’t stay away. When betrayal and treachery threaten both their nations, they must work together to stop a war that could destroy their homes forever—even as they begin to question everything they’re fighting for.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment