4 Star Ratings

Audio Review: Shades of Sepia by Anne Barwell

Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: Shades of Sepia
Author: Anne Barwell
Narrator: Michael Ferralulo
Series:  The Sleepless City #1
Heroes: Simon Hawthorne/Ben Leyton
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: Book – 210 Pages / Audio – 7 Hours and 59 Minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Book – January 31, 2014 / Audio – October 14, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A serial killer stalks the streets of Flint, Ohio. The victims are always found in pairs, one human and one vampire.

Simon Hawthorne has been a vampire for nearly a hundred years, and he has never seen anything like it. Neither have the other supernaturals he works with to keep the streets safe for both their kind and the humans.

One meeting with Simon finds Ben Leyton falling for a man he knows is keeping secrets, but he can’t ignore the growing attraction between them. A recent arrival in Flint, Ben finds it very different from his native New Zealand, but something about Simon makes Ben feel as though he’s found a new home.

After a close friend falls victim to the killer, Simon is torn between revealing his true nature to Ben, and walking away to avoid the reaction he fears. But with the body count rising and the murders becoming more frequent, either, or both of them, could be the killer’s next target.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: A Chaotic Range by Andrew Grey

Reviewed by Nikyta

A Chaotic Range (Range, #7)Title: A Chaotic Range
Author: Andrew Grey
Series: Range #7
Heroes: David/Brian
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: November 7, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Most of the time ranchhand David rescues stray cattle, but this time he and his fellow cowboys Wally and Haven save a stranded motorist. David is surprised to find his former high school classmate nearly frozen in his car. After learning that Brian Applewright’s boss fired him from his ranch for being gay, they invite him back to theirs to take a job.

David and Brian moved in different social circles at school, but working together brings them closer. However, David has a rocky history on the ranch. The foreman is his ex, and he only recently returned after a heartbreakingly unsuccessful attempt to find greener pastures. He can’t risk his heart getting close to anyone.

But on a ranch, nature has a way of forcing an issue. When a snowstorm threatens, David and Brian head out to mend a fence and round up some stray cattle. David gets injured, and they must survive in the snow, cold, and wind. It might be the start of a relationship… or the end of their lives.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Escorted by Claire Kent

Reviewed by Heather C

21945190Title: Escorted
Author: Claire Kent
Series: Escorted #1
Hero/Heroine: Ander/Lori
Genre: MF Contemporary Romance
Length: 281 pages
Release Date: December 2012
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: She hired him to take her virginity…but now she wants even more.

Lori might be a popular romance writer, but she’s never been anything but a flop with sex and love in her personal life. Still a virgin at twenty-six and increasingly frustrated by her inexperience, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires a talented, sexy male escort to take care of her inconvenient virginity.

She assumes one time with Ander will be enough, but she never dreams how much pleasure he can make her feel. Once isn’t nearly enough. Twice isn’t enough either. Soon, she becomes one of his regular clients.

Lori knows that nothing would be as foolish as falling in love with her paid escort, but she’s never been wise with her heart. And, despite his professionalism, he doesn’t seem entirely immune either.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, M/F, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Reaper’s Touch by Eleri Stone

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Reaper’s Touch
Author: Eleri Stone
Series: Reaper #1
Heroine/Hero: Abby/Jake
Genre: MF Historical Romance
Length: 95,000 Words
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: February 10, 2014
Available at: Carina Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Abby is a Ranger, part of an elite group who defend the border against Reapers—humans infected with a parasite that turns them into mindless cannibals. Rangers are immune to Reaper infection, and as one of the only female Rangers, Abby is expected to settle down and breed more Rangers—a fate she’s keen to avoid. When she’s ambushed on the plains, she’s ready to go out with guns blazing—until a mysterious, handsome cowboy rides to her rescue.

Jake has his own motives for helping Abby, beyond aiding a damsel in distress. He’s a Reaper, and while he’s learned to wrest control of his mind from the parasite, the effects won’t last without a permanent cure. And he needs Abby to get it.

Abby and Jake are natural enemies and unlikely partners. But when their search reveals a conspiracy between Reapers and the rich industrialists who own the mountain cities, they must work together to find the cure—or lose the border, and each other, forever.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, M/F, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Unicorns and Rainbow Poop by Sam Kadence

Reviewed by Nikyta

Unicorns and Rainbow PoopTitle: Unicorns and Rainbow Poop
Author: Sam Kadence
Series: Vocal Growth #2
Heroes: Dane/Bas
Genre: M/M Contemporary/Young Adult
Length: 260 pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink
Release Date: November 6, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Ex-boyband member Dane Karlson is struggling to overcome an eating disorder and a body dismorphic disorder. His fall through a glass table puts him in rehab and on the road to recovery. Then a friend dies. When depression causes him to lose ground, he calls for the only person he trusts—former bandmate Tommy. But Tommy doesn’t know how to help. He begs his friend Sebastian “Bas” Axelrod to aid them through the emotional struggle.

Bas, an openly gay high school student who’s recently lost his grandmother, is trying to survive his last few months of school before escaping to Stanford. Having just lost the only person in his family to care for him, he is victim to the cruelty of the others. His younger brother bullies him, and his parents are suing him for his gran’s inheritance. When Tommy calls, Bas can’t help but run to his side.

Together Dane and Bas find a middle ground, supporting each other through the lows, dancing together during the highs. They build friendships and plan for the prom and graduation, thinking positively as long as they are together.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Dingo Run by Jack Byrne

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Dingo Run
Author: Jack Byrne
Series: Bushrangers #3
Heroes: Jim Kelly/Mark Turner
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 82 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 22, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: New South Wales, Australia, 1876. As captured outlaws, Jim Kelly and Mark Turner face the gallows. Help comes from an unexpected quarter, but their hasty escape goes wrong and now Jim’s life hangs by a thread. Mark is driven by desperation to form an alliance with an infamous bushranger who may hold clues to his mysterious past. But as Jim and Mark’s relationship intensifies, it is also tested. Their secret is discovered, tempers fray, and jealousy flares.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Paper Cuts and Mistletoe by Jackie Nacht

Reviewed by Nikyta

Paper Cuts and MistletoeTitle: Paper Cuts and Mistletoe
Author: Jackie Nacht
Series: Holiday Jobs that Don’t Suck #3
Heroes: Kipp/Jesse
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 42 pages
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Release Date: December 15, 2012
Available at: eXtasy Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Who thought paper cuts and sabotaging Christmas lights could bring two men together?

Kipp is having one hell of a time after graduating from college. Subbing jobs are pretty inconsistent and desperate times call for desperate measures. He finds himself working as a gift wrapper at the department store in the mall during the Christmas season. Kipp can freely admit that he sucks at it but needs the cash to stay in his tiny apartment. Then he sees Jesse working at the mall, the guy he grew up with but never had the courage to talk to. Can these two finally connect after all these years? Is this nightmarish job going to give him the best present of all…an opportunity to get to know the crush he’s had most of his life?

Authors Note: This book may be read as a stand-alone, story but for better reading enjoyment, you may want to read secondary characters, Xathan and Chaddrick’s story in Full Disclosure on Black Friday.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Full Disclosure on Black Friday by Jackie Nacht

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Full Disclosure on Black Friday
Author: Jackie Nacht
Series: Holiday Jobs That Don’t Suck #2
Heroes: Chaddrick/Xathan
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 42 Pages
Publisher: Extasy Books
Release Date: November 15, 2012
Available at: Extasy Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Stores open at midnight. Look for sales, the season’s hottest toys, long lines, fighting and two friends revealing their love for one another on Black Friday

Chaddrick had been friends with Xathan for years. Now that they are in college rooming together he realizes he’s actually fallen for his best friend. After having a long talk over Thanksgiving with his sister, he finally works up the courage to admit his feelings to his best friend…at the toy store he works at on Black Friday.

Xathan has given every signal to Chaddrick that he’s willing to move their friendship into relationship. He doesn’t want to lose the bond they have, but knows that Chaddrick is the one meant for him. So when he sees Chaddrick come stumbling through the toy store doors at his job…he has no idea what to expect. Tired of not admitting his feelings, he wants to tell his friend the truth. Will he be able to confess to his friend he’s in love with him and if so, can he do it in a store full of shoppers?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Billabong by Jack Byrne

Reviewed by Heather C

18872690Title: The Billabong
Author: Jack Byrne
Series: Bushrangers #1
Heroes: Jim Kelly & Mark Turner
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 70 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: November 27, 2013
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Having long ago lost his wife and children, cattleman Jim Kelly works the family farm in the harsh 1800s Australian outback, most days wondering why he bothers. That question is foremost in his mind when a venomous snake takes him by surprise. Another surprise comes when a skilled doctor is in the vicinity to save his life. But the third, and biggest, surprise for Jim is falling hard and fast for that man.

Life on the lam is tough, and bushranger Mark Turner simply wants to maintain his freedom as long as he’s able. Unfortunately, being a doctor, his conscience won’t let him leave a snakebite victim to die. Before he thinks about the consequences of his humanitarian actions, he’s both saved Jim and become smitten with him. But considering how Mark’s past could negatively impact any possibility of a future, maybe falling in love wasn’t such a great idea after all.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey

Guest Reviewed by Trish

1Title: Hidden Gem
Author: Lissa Kasey
Heroes: Misaki “Aki” Itou/Shane mcNaughton
Genre: MM Sci-Fi
Length: 246 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 26, 2014
Available at:  Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Misaki “Aki” Itou is a psi—a person with mutated DNA granting him psychic abilities. He’s also a contracted companion—a whore. It may not be the perfect profession, but having a roof over his head, food to eat, and not being subjected to torture is a dream come true. He is the top companion at the Hidden Gem, and it makes him enough money to buy the prettiest, most sparkly shoes he can find.

Shane McNaughton is an Irishman who survived the Third World War and works as a cop. Head of Missing Persons, he’s good at finding people, but after the plague of the Third mutated his DNA, he has a hard time letting anyone see the monster inside. He’s been paying for Aki’s services for two years, both the psi and the sexual kind, but he wants more from the companion.

Shane needs Aki’s ability to see into another person’s past to track down a serial killer murdering the children of rich and powerful men, but the more they work together, the clearer it becomes that they are linked through a darker past than either of them realizes.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment