Reviewers

Book Review: The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Heather C

Reviewed by Heather C

Title: The Way You Make Me Feel
Author: Maurene Goo
Heroine: Clara Shin
Genre: M/F Young Adult
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: From the author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love, a laugh-out-loud story of love, new friendships, and one unique food truck.

Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn’t so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind? With Maurene Goo’s signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look. Continue reading →
Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, M/F, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Edge of Forever by Barbara Elsborg

Posted on May 31, 2018 by justjenbo

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Edge of Forever
Author: Barbara Elsorg
Series: N/A
Heroes: Pasha/Levi
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 279 Pages
Publisher: Barbara Elsborg
Release Date: May 31, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When you stand on the edge, you might just find yourself falling.

Teaching Russians how to be cowboys? Levi thinks his father is joking when he tells him that’s what he wants him to do for the next six months. Working in the frozen desolation of southwest Russia he’ll earn enough to buy a new barn for their Montana ranch. But there’s a deeper agenda for sending him to the edge of nowhere. It will stop him sloping off on Saturday nights to gay bars and clubs for threesomes with strangers.

Pasha finally pushes his father too far and is banished to a remote ranch in the middle of a snowy Russian winter. Stripped of all the trappings of his privileged Moscow lifestyle, he has nothing at his disposal but a suitcase of designer clothes and a whole lot of sass. Pasha hates the countryside, hates physical work, hates the cold and hates cows. But de-prived of money, phone, and access to anyone who might help him, he’s screwed and not in a good way.

Levi’s counting down the days till he can return to the States and his Saturday night hook-ups. Then Pasha arrives at the ranch wearing eyeliner, retching every time he walks into a barn, and Levi is amused, irritated—and attracted. After a vicious attack on Pasha throws them into close quarters, both men are forced to re-evaluate not just who the other is, but whether they truly want to return to the lives they left behind.

When you stand on the edge, you just might find yourself falling in love.
Continue reading →

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Heather C

Reviewed by Heather C

Title: Legendary
Author: Stephanie Garber
Series: Caraval #2
Heroine: Donatella Dragna
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…the games have only just begun.
Continue reading →

Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, M/F, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Riven by Roan Parrish

Posted on May 28, 2018 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Riven
Author: Roan Parrish
Heroes: Theo & Caleb
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 235 pages
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Theo Decker might be the lead singer of Riven, but he hates being a rock star. The paparazzi, the endless tours, being recognized everywhere he goes—it all makes him squirm. The only thing he doesn’t hate is the music. Feeling an audience’s energy as they lose themselves in Riven’s music is a rush unlike anything else . . . until he meets Caleb Blake Whitman. Caleb is rough and damaged, yet his fingers on his guitar are pure poetry. And his hands on Theo? They’re all he can think about. But Caleb’s no groupie—and one night with him won’t be enough.

Just when Caleb is accepting his new life as a loner, Theo Decker slinks into it and turns his world upside-down. Theo’s sexy and brilliant and addictively vulnerable, and all Caleb wants is another hit. And another. That’s how he knows Theo’s trouble. Caleb can’t even handle performing these days. How the hell is he going to survive an affair with a tabloid superstar? But after Caleb sees the man behind the rock star, he begins to wonder if Theo might be his chance at a future he thought he’d lost forever.
Continue reading →

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Slow Heat by Leta Blake

Posted on May 27, 2018 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Slow Heat
Author: Leta Blake
Narrator: Michael Ferraiuolo
Series: Heat of Love #1
Heroes: Vale & Jason
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 14 hours and 7 minutes
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: May 7, 2018
Available at: Amazon & Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A lustful young alpha meets his match in an older omega with a past. 

Professor Vale Aman has crafted a good life for himself. An unbonded omega in his mid-30s, he’s long since given up hope that he’ll meet a compatible alpha, let alone his destined mate. He’s fulfilled by his career, his poetry, his cat, and his friends.

When Jason Sabel, a much younger alpha, imprints on Vale in a shocking and public way, longings are ignited that can’t be ignored. Fighting their strong sexual urges, Jason and Vale must agree to contract with each other before they can consummate their passion.

But for Vale, being with Jason means giving up his independence and placing his future in the hands of an untested alpha – as well as facing the scars of his own tumultuous past. He isn’t sure it’s worth it. But Jason isn’t giving up his destined mate without a fight.

This is a stand-alone gay romance novel, 118,000 words, with a strong HFN ending, as well as a well-crafted, non-shifter omegaverse, with alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. Content warning for pregnancy loss and aftermath.

Continue reading →

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Wash Out by L.A. Witt

Posted on May 24, 2018 by justjenbo

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Wash Out
Author: L.A. Witt
Series: Anchor Point #7
Heroes: Logan/Casey
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 265 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 21, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Casey Olson has always known he was destined to be a Navy SEAL, and the best day of his life was when he was accepted into training. The worst day was when a snapping bone ended his dream.

After three combat tours in five years, Logan Carter left the Marines and self-destructed. Now he’s sober and, thanks to a forgiving ex with friends in high places, has a promising job as a civilian contractor. All he has to do is stay on the rails and out of a bottle, even when his demons won’t leave him alone.

Logan likes his job, and he really likes the gorgeous man at the next desk. Casey tries not to check Logan out, but who is he kidding? From the start, despite their best efforts, neither man can resist the other. Sizzling chemistry leads to sex so hot they can both almost forget why they’re stuck in this office to begin with.

It would be perfect, except Logan can’t stop reliving wars he’ll never forget and Casey can’t stop grieving the SEAL he’ll never be. And they’ll never have a future together until they can make peace with their pasts.
Continue reading →

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment