Reviewers

Vampire Week Review: Payback by Jordan Castillo Price

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: Payback
Author: Jordan Castillo Price
Series: Channeling Morpheus #1
Heroes: Michael/Wild Bill
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 38 Pages
Publisher: JCP Books
Release Date: April 25, 2011 (2nd Ed.)
Available at: JCP Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The hunt is on.

Pretty young men and women like Michael’s best friend, Scary Mary, are disappearing from underground goth clubs all over Detroit. For over two years, Michael has been scouring the midwest for buried newspaper articles and obscure medical reports, and now he’s finally pinpointed the source of the problem. Too bad he can’t exactly go to the cops and tell them his friend was murdered by vampires. Since it’s his duty to start wiping out the scourge, he’s posing as bait—and he’s got a bag of sharpened hickory stakes to do the job.

Everything should go smoothly, given the amount of preparation that Michael has put into the hunt. He’s got a practiced repertoire of come-hither eyeliner looks and a full blister-pack of the date rape drug Rohypnol. But he didn’t count on Wild Bill showing up.

Wild Bill is a vision in spiked hair and scuffed black leather—exactly the type of guy Michael would have fallen for…if he’d ever had the chance. Unfortunately, with a vampire in his sights, Michael has no time for an actual date. Despite his best efforts, it seems there’s nothing Michael can do to shake Bill loose. Looks like they’re in for a wild, wild ride.
Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2011, 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?
Continue reading

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: A Twist and Two Balls by Clare London

Guest Reviewed by Trish

1Title:  A Twist and Two Balls
Author:  Clare London
Series:  With a Kick #1
Heroes: Eddy March and Nuri
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 66 Pages
Publisher: Jocular Press
Release Date: August 29, 2014
Available at:  Jocular Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Eduardo Mancini is going to be a star of the London stage and screen. Or that was the plan. His alter ego Eddy March hasn’t got further than the chorus and a bit part in a TV series. His parents aren’t supportive, his agent can’t place his particular skills, and he’s finding it hard to hang onto his young dreams. Things go from bad to worse when he’s late for an important audition, hasn’t got enough to money to pay the taxi fare, and is chased across the streets of Soho by the irate driver.

Eddy reaches what he believes is sanctuary – With A Kick, a store where ice creams are blended with alcohol and imagination, and where his friends can help him. But Nuri the taxi driver is persistent in his steady pursuit, above and beyond the money he’s owed. Despite their very different characters and background, Eddy and Nuri’s relationship goes from a complete unknown to a wary balancing act. There are still mistakes to be made, and hurdles to clear. And both of them have to admit that their life so far hasn’t gone the way they planned.

But maybe being caught by Nuri was just what Eddy’s career needed – both for his job and his heart.
Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Liesmith by Alis Franklin

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Liesmith
Author: Alis Franklin
Series: Of the Wyrd #1
Heroes: Sigmund Sussman/Lain Laufeyjarson
Genre: M/M Urban Fantasy
Length: 308 Pages
Publisher: Hydra Publication
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Available at: Random House and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Working in low-level IT support for a company that’s the toast of the tech world, Sigmund Sussman finds himself content, if not particularly inspired. As compensation for telling people to restart their computer a few times a day, Sigmund earns enough disposable income to gorge on comics and has plenty of free time to devote to his gaming group.

Then in walks the new guy with the unpronounceable last name who immediately becomes IT’s most popular team member. Lain Laufeyjarson is charming and good-looking, with a story for any occasion; shy, awkward Sigmund is none of those things, which is why he finds it odd when Lain flirts with him. But Lain seems cool, even if he’s a little different—though Sigmund never suspects just how different he could be. After all, who would expect a Norse god to be doing server reboots?

As Sigmund gets to know his mysterious new boyfriend, fate—in the form of an ancient force known as the Wyrd—begins to reveal the threads that weave their lives together. Sigmund doesn’t have the first clue where this adventure will take him, but as Lain says, only fools mess with the Wyrd. Why? Because the Wyrd messes back.
Continue reading

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

Book Review: Test of Endurance by Kora Knight

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Test of Endurance
Author: Kora Knight
Series:  Up-Ending Tad: Volume 2
Heroes: Tad/Scott
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 69 Pages
Publisher: Kora Knight
Release Date: October 8, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  The last time Tad saw Scott, the ripped physical trainer left him with quite a lot to think about. And that’s pretty much all Tad’s been doing for nearly two weeks straight. At his wit’s end, he seeks Scott out, voluntarily, on his own terms. Will the completely different setting offer what he’s seeking; proof that their exchange’s unexpected turn was just a random mishap? Hormones run amok and truly nothing more? Or will being in Scott’s presence suggest something different… their newest encounter tempting Tad’s resolve while testing his ultimate limits.
Continue reading

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

Book Review: Stranded Anthology + Giveaway!

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: Stranded
Authors: Alina Popescu, Michael P. Thomas, Kim Fielding, Asta Idonea, Rob Colton, Nephylim, Lily G. Blunt, Eric Gober, Nikka Michaels, Louise Lyons, Kirifox, Sarah Hayes, and J.N. Olsen
Genre: Various
Length: 247 Pages
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing
Release Date: October 10, 2014
Available at: Wayward Ink Publishing and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Stranded contains thirteen stories from a range of sub-genres. We have dystopian futures, historicals, contemporary romances, sci-fi and paranormal. We have angels, time travelers, and Vikings. We have it all!

STRANDED – DEFINITION:  adjective · (of a boat, sailor, or sea creature) left aground on a shore.  “a stranded whale” · left without the means to move from somewhere.  “he offers a lift to a stranded commuter”

###

The boys in this collection of short stories have most definitely been left STRANDED!
They’ve been shipwrecked and abandoned.
Marooned and cast away.
And left helpless and high and dry.
But you should never underestimate the tenacity of the human heart…

STORIES INCLUDED:

Craving Stains by Alina Popescu
Say Cheese by Michael P. Thomas
Standby by Kim Fielding
The Raider by Asta Idonea
The Buckle by Rob Colton
Ari by Nephylim
Opposites Attract by Lily G. Blunt
Out of Order by Eric Gober
Dating for Deafies by Nikka Michaels
One Snowy Night by Louise Lyons
The Climb by kirifox
Did You Leave Any For Me by Sarah Hayes
Sweetness and Strength by J.N. Olsen
Continue reading

Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, Giveaways, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Book Review: Bone Dry by Kim Fielding

Reviewed by Heather C

23206076Title: Bone Dry
Author: Kim Fielding
Series: Bones #1
Heroes: Ery & Karl
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Length: 214 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 10, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Ery Phillips’s muse is MIA. He’s pretty sure his job as a graphic designer is to blame, because let’s face it, what kind of muse wants to draw grocery store logos and catheterized penises?

When Ery’s friends Dylan and Chris head off on a European vacation, Ery jumps at the chance to stay on their farm, hoping a stint in the country will encourage his muse to reappear. To be sure, the farm has attracted a few oddities—Dylan is a werewolf and the place was recently haunted—but Ery isn’t canceling his plans just because his friends warn him that there’s something strange going on in their pond. What he doesn’t expect is Karl, a beautiful naked man who appears at the water’s edge.

With Karl as his inspiration, Ery creates amazing paintings and begins to achieve the success he had previously only dreamed of. But Karl comes with certain challenges, causing Ery to question his own goals. Creating the life of his dreams with an unusual beloved may be more challenge than Ery can handle.
Continue reading

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

Early Review: The Half of Us by Cardeno C.

Guest Reviewed by Gyn

6Title: The Half of Us
Author: Cardeno C.
Series: Family #4
Heroes: Jason Garcia/Abe Green
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 206 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 10, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Short-tempered, arrogant heart surgeon Jason Garcia grew up wanting a close-knit family, but believes he ruined those dreams when he broke up his marriage. The benefit of divorce is having as much random sex as he wants, and it’s a benefit Jason is exploiting when he meets a sweet, shy man at a bar and convinces him to go home for a no-strings-attached night of fun.

Eight years living in Las Vegas hasn’t dimmed Abe Green’s optimism, earnestness, or desire to find the one. When a sexy man with lonely eyes propositions him, Abe decides to give himself a birthday present—one night of spontaneous fun with no thoughts of the future. But one night turns into two and then three, and Abe realizes his heart is involved.

For the first time, Abe feels safe enough with someone he respects and adores to let go of his inhibitions in the bedroom. If Jason can get past his own inhibitions and open his heart and his life to Abe, he might finally find the family he craves.
Continue reading

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Forgiving Thayne by J.R. Loveless

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Forgiving Thayne
Author: J.R. Loveless
Series: True Mates #2
Heroes: Nicholas Cartwright/Thayne Whitedove
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 290 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 1, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Nicholas Cartwright has done everything in his power to forget that night six months ago in Senaka, when his true mate rejected him, leaving him shattered and disillusioned. Burying himself in his work, he pushes himself to the point of exhaustion while finding the touch of another unbearable. Suddenly his mate needs his help, and he may be asking for more than Nicholas can find it in himself to give.

Thayne Whitedove has always been a wanderer, spending his days on the road and his nights wrapped in the arms of whatever random hookup he meets, until a fateful mistake sends him rushing for the comforts of home. To his utter dismay, the only way to correct his error in judgment is to accept the one thing he’s never wanted… his mate. Thayne must decide whether to keep running or to stay and fight for Nick’s forgiveness.
Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 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