5 Star Ratings

Book Review: Heart by Garrett Leigh

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Heart
Author: Garrett Leigh
Heroes: Seb Wright/Dex
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 204 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 27, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Cornish pastry chef Seb Wright dreads the summer tourist season. The cash injection to his artisan fudge pantry is more than welcome, the extra work, less so. Then one summer, a shadowy Good Samaritan catches his eye. Irish Traveller Dex is bewitching, a beautiful sullen enigma who turns Seb’s world upside down until he disappears in the night, vanishing like a mystical summer rain.

Twelve months later Dex is in the midst of a dark storm. A slave to his master, ‘Uncle’ Braden, he spends his days cleaning caravans and his nights working in Braden’s other businesses. His short summer with Seb seems a lifetime ago. Lost in the savage violence of the murky underworld, he doesn’t dare dream he’ll ever find his way back, until one night, a brutal crime opens the door for a chance escape. A new life beckons, old faces emerge, and immersed in the heady vibe of London’s East End, new love begins to heal his fractured heart.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Archangel’s Shadows by Nalini Singh

Guest Reviewed by Gyn 

1Title: Archangel’s Shadows
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #7
Heroine/Hero: Ash/Janvier
Genre: MF Paranormal
Length: 384 Pages
Publisher: Berkley Jove
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Available at:  Berkley Jove, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  In the wake of a brutal war, the archangel Raphael and his hunter consort, Elena, are dealing with the treacherously shifting tides of archangelic politics and the people of a battered but not broken city. The last thing their city needs is more death, especially a death that bears the eerie signature of an insane enemy archangel who cannot— should not—be walking the streets.

This hunt must be undertaken with stealth and without alerting their people. It must be handled by those who can become shadows themselves…

Ash is a gifted tracker and a woman cursed with the ability to sense the secrets of anyone she touches. But there’s one man she knows all too well without a single instant of skin contact: Janvier, the dangerously sexy Cajun vampire who has fascinated and infuriated her for years. Now, as they track down a merciless killer, their cat-and-mouse game of flirtation and provocation has turned into a profound one of the heart. And this time, it is Ash’s secret, dark and terrible, that threatens to destroy them both.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, M/F, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Grif’s Toy by Joseph Lance Tonlet

Reviewed by JustJen

Muscular bodyTitle: Grif’s Toy
Author: Joseph Lance Tonlet
Series: Tease and Denial #1
Heroes: Grif/Wes
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 370 Pages
Publisher: Joseph Lance Tonlet
Release Date: November 1, 2014
Available at:  Amazon and Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Grif believes he’ll live his life as a virgin. After all, who would want him? How could anyone find him, a guy who came with less than man-sized equipment, worthy of their love?

What he hadn’t counted on were the two amazing men who would change his life. After entering college, he meets Tate, his fun-loving, roommate. While years later, with Tate now just a memory, Wes, a handsome, rugged ex-marine who runs his own security firm enters his life.

Both men lead Grif through a twisted mesh of pleasure, pain, and denial, as they force him to see his value, despite his size and insecurities.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Audio Review: Parting Shot by Mary Calmes

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: Parting Shot
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Tristan James
Series: A Matter of Time #7
Heroes: Duncan Stiel/Aaron Sutter
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: Book – 266 Pages / Audio – 8 hours, 2 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Book – July 19, 2013 / Audio – March 7, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Life has never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself.

Everyone thinks Aaron has it all – looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important – his heart.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Frog by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Morgan

5Title: Frog
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: K.C. Kelly
Heroes: Weber Yates/Cyrus Benning
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: Book – 178 Pages / Audio – 5 Hours, 23 Minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Book – April 25, 2012 / Audio – September 16, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Weber Yates’s dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand’s job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.

Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider’s clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he’s not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it’s not Weber’s job that makes him Cyrus’s perfect man, it’s Weber himself. With the help of his sister’s newly broken family, he’s ready to show Weber that the home the man’s been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it’s turned into a vow—he’s never going to let Weber out of his life again.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vampire Week Review: Brazen by Jordan Castillo Price

Guest Reviewed by Morgan 

5Title: Brazen
Author: Jordan Castillo Price
Series: Channeling Morpheus #6
Heroes: Michael/Wild Bill
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 72 Pages
Publisher: JCP Books
Release Date: February 17, 2012
Available at:  JCP Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  It’s a sultry July night, and Wild Bill is content. It’s deliciously warm outside, the fireworks are about to start, a whole pint of freshly-tapped blood is on the menu, and his boyfriend hasn’t murdered anyone in months.

Too bad Bill’s contentment isn’t shared by Michael, who’s tired of his own lack of experience. He hints that a new lover in their bed might broaden his horizons. Their first encounter might have been a threesome, but it certainly didn’t end well for the third participant.

Even now, Bill can’t seem to shake the memory of the hickory stake protruding from the chest of his old nemesis. Lust wars with guilt as Wild Bill tries to figure out how to bury his past, once and for all.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2012, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Sacrificed: Heart Beyond the Spires by Bey Deckard

Reviewed by JustJen

5Title: Sacrificed: Heart Beyond the Spires
Author: Bey Deckard
Series: Baal’s Heart #2
Heroes: Baltsaros/Tom/Jon
Genre: MM Historical Fantasy
Length: 380 Pages
Publisher: Bey Deckard
Release Date: October 15, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Reunited once more, the crew of Baal’s Heart must make the long and treacherous journey south to the towering spires of the Devil’s Isles. The path through the mountain range is fraught with peril; mayhem and tragedy plague the pirate ship, but what the men find beyond the spires is the most shocking of all.

In this sequel to the acclaimed Caged, the pirates are dragged into a dangerous new world by Captain Baltsaros’s all-consuming obsession. In the midst of terror and chaos, Jon learns that the captain and first mate have been keeping secrets from him. But will the truth tear them apart?
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Laurel Heights 2 by Lisa Worrall

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Laurel Heights 2
Author: Lisa Worrall
Series: Laurel Heights #2
Heroes: Scott/Will
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 143 Pages
Publisher: White Stiletto Press
Release Date: October 1, 2014
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Will and Scott are now out and proud and living together in Scott’s tiny house. So everything is perfect, right? Wrong…

Scott has a new partner, a new male partner, and Will is not happy about that at all.

A sadistic serial killer is at large, torturing his way through the gay community, but Will and Scott have no leads.

And one of the residents of Laurel Heights has been arrested for murder.

Review: What a great, freaking ride…Wowza!!! I must admit that I was a bit concerned I would be lost reading this story as it had been so long since I’d read book one, but nope, I was instantly right back on the Scott and Will bandwagon and loved every minute. Scott and Will are two of the hottest MM characters ever, and when they slam each other against the walls, the doors, the back of the couch, or on floor and then go at it, it’s some of the steamiest sex you will ever read about. Lisa Worrall nailed it…pun intended.

Will and Scott are now in a committed relationship, living together, and out & proud at the police station where they work. They are not partners on the force though, and Will is not thrilled with Scott’s new partner Kelly…a man, not a woman…and a man that he is convinced has his eye on Scott. Will and Kelly have a battle of words throughout the story and you wonder when they will come to blows. However, all is not as it appears, and more than once, we get a surprise twist where Kelly is concerned. Can’t give anything away, but I will tell you that I was wrong about him…more than once.

Laurel Heights is once again in the middle of an uproar. And even though I initially forgot who was who in that little cul de sac, it didn’t take long to put a name with a crime or scene. Jay is still the bad guy in prison, and Todd is still the victim…just not like you would think. Scott and Will are driving themselves nuts trying to keep their friends together and safe, but that’s hard to do when they can’t even wrap their minds around the issues still plaguing that exclusive enclave.

If you love hot alpha males who are devoted to each other deeply and exclusively, but fuck like it’s their last time together, then this book will be for you. If you enjoy a great mystery involving a sadistic serial killer, the violence is not a hard limit, and it’s impossible to even guess who it is, and then freak out when you finally learn…and it’s the last person you imagined…then this book is for you. If you enjoy reading about strong secondary characters, get pleasure from amazing dialogue, and hope that another book is in the works…then this book will be for you. My heart was in my throat all through the last chapter and the epilogue…that speaks volumes on how great this book turned out to be.
I can’t recommend this story highly enough. It was amazing and worth the wait and I think you will love it too.

Overall Impression: It was amazing!

*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Butterfly King by Edmond Manning

Guest Reviewed by Trish

1Title: The Butterfly King
Author: Edmond Manning
Series: The Lost and Founds #3
Heroes: Vin Vanbly/Terrance Altham
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 350 Pages
Publisher: Pickwick Ink Publishing
Release Date: September 20, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Terrance Altham doesn’t know why he’s been arrested. He’s committed no crime and the cops aren’t talking. Sadly, the man sharing his holding cell talks too much. Known only as Ghost, he is a young grifter, apparently familiar enough with this police station to convince Terrance a break out is possible, and pushy enough to leave Terrance no choice but to follow Ghost into the underbelly of New York City.

Terrified by the unjust imprisonment and the possibility of a life behind bars, Terrance searches for proof of his innocence while Ghost seeks the elusive Butterfly King. But neither man seems in control of the weekend’s direction and the consequences of missteps are life-changing. As Ghost’s manipulations come to an explosive head, each man must decide amid danger and street violence what kind of man will triumph, lost or found?

Narrator Vin Vanbly (a.k.a Ghost) returns in the most revealing King Weekend yet, where he faces the dark side of his dangerous manipulations, and learns mistakes can be deadly. Vin must confront sinister dealings from his past—and a future promising disaster—as he waltzes Terrance across Manhattan in spring, searching for the elusive and charismatic, Butterfly King.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Old Loyalty, New Love by Mary Calmes

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: Old Loyalty, New Love
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Tristan James
Heroes: Quade Danas and Roman Howell
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 246 pages / 8 hours
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Book – December 13, 2013 / Audio: September 22, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father’s prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants – his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can’t seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman’s feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he’s used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he’s strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.

Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father’s rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment