Book Review: Ordinary People by E.E. Montgomery

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Ordinary People
Author: E.E. Montgomery
Heroes: James Laramee/Vinnie Canterbury
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 90 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 14, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When Queensland Police Force Constable James Laramee raids a hotel room, he finds Vinnie Canterbury on top of a naked, dead man, covered in blood. Vinnie promptly vomits all over James’s shoes.

Thanks to a cocktail of horse sedatives and Hendra vaccine, Vinnie’s memories of his ordeal are fractured. Finding the culprits and the reasons behind his abduction will be a challenge. With his apartment trashed, his building set on fire, and his clothes, phone and wallet gone, Vinnie needs a place to stay. To his surprise, James not only takes him in, but also lets him cry on his shoulder. It must be true love. Vinnie has plans for his future with James all mapped out, and he hopes he can get James on the same page.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Full Moon Torn by Jackie Nacht

Reviewed by Nikyta

Full Moon Torn (Moon Compound, #5)Title: Full Moon Torn
Author: Jackie Nacht
Series: Moon Compound #5
Heroes: Knox & Whitley
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 25k words
Publisher: Extasy Books
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Available at: Extasy Books & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Knox has been at Moon Compound for over three years. His life forever changed when his mate was brought in, injured from the cruel captivity endured at the hands of hellhounds. Now, torn between protecting Whitley and letting him help his pack, Knox loses the battle with his wolf and turns feral.

When Whitley is summoned back to Moon Compound, he finds his beloved mate locked in a cell to protect both himself and others at the compound. Whitley knows what to do, but isn’t sure Knox will agree to the consequences.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Honorary Blogger Jennifer Bray-Weber: Fire In the Hole! + Giveaway!

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Fire In the Hole!

by Jennifer Bray-Weber

Have you ever read a book with pirates or watched a pirate movie that didn’t have a sea battle? Not likely. Pirates engaging in battle at sea are as common as bad pirate puns. Arrgh, shiver me timbers!

In my MUTINY OF THE HEART, pirate captain Joelle Quint engages in not one, not two, but three sea battles. Really, what’s a pirate adventure without some live action?  However, did you know that pirates often avoided going into battle?

Sure, pirates are known for their larceny and rioting. Pillage and plunder, yo, ho, ho. But when chasing down ships under sail, pirates preferred tactical strategy over a blood bath.

Once the pirates spotted a potential prize, they shadowed the quarry, following them for hours, and sometimes even days. They did this to determine several things—the country the ship hailed from, where the ship was headed, how fast she could sail, what she might have in her hold, and if the vessel was well-armed.  How did they determine all this? By being fearless, cunning, and bad ass, of course.  These men were experienced in the seas they prowled, became knowledgeable of the trade routes, and had rats, er, informants staked along in every ports. It was just business, after all.

Armed with this intelligence, the pirate crew voted on whether they wanted to take the ship or let her pass.  Should they decide a ship was a worthy prize, they still didn’t attack. Engaging in battle was the last thing they wanted. What good was a prize if she was damaged, or worse, sinking? And no one wanted to die, right? Pirates relied on the elements of speed, surprise, and bullying.

First, they might show their colors by hoisting their jolly roger. If that didn’t scare the bejeebers out of ’em, they’d fire a single warning shot across the quarry’s bow. You’d think that would be enough. Alas, there were some stubborn fools who needed more persuasion. Pirates would then resort to vapouring techniques, terrorizing victims into surrendering. Fierce shouts and fearsome threats, lively battle music, and brandishing weapons were usually quite effective. Think Blackbeard lacing and lighting fuses into his scraggly beard. Crazy. Giving up the goods spared lives. But those who resisted, well, they were shown no quarter.

So what happens when pirates hunt pirates? Things get nasty. Throw in the Royal Navy, dangerous shoals, and a slave hell-bent on stirring up a mutiny, and Captain Joelle Quint  is having a really bad day. It’s no wonder she’s ready to fire all her guns.

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About Mutiny of the Heart

1Navigating the high seas as the female captain of a pirate ship means always being on your guard—especially when one takes a temptingly handsome slave on board.

Captain Joelle Quint believes the slave claiming to be a cartographer can help her decipher the map her father left her when she was a child. She’s spent years trying to unlock its truths, hoping that it holds the answers to a dark family secret.

Sloan Ricker has no intention of remaining captive. When the fiery, red-headed captain offers him his freedom in exchange for solving her map, what begins as an opportunity to escape becomes a struggle to make the beautiful, intriguing Joelle his mistress in more ways than one.

Amidst a battle with the Royal Navy and a first mate’s jealousy, Joelle also fights her growing lust. And as much as he’d like to deny it, Ricker’s desire for Joelle has overcome his initial disdain. To get the answers, independence and love that they both long for, Joelle and Ricker must relinquish control to each other…or die trying.

Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, iBooks and Kobo

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About Jennifer Bray-Weber

Award-winning, multi-published author Jennifer Bray-Weber has always wished for real life to mimic adventuresome tales. As if being a mother of two wasn’t enough adventure, she writes pirate historical romances and dabbles in erotica fantasy romance. Her next two books in the Romancing the Pirate series are scheduled to release early in 2014. Connect with Jennifer on her website to join her mailing list for sneak peeks, excerpts, and free giveaways.

Blogger_Giveaway

Jennifer has graciously offered up a chance to win an eBook copy of Mutiny of the Heart to one lucky winner! The giveaway starts now and ends July 12, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out Heather C’s review of Mutiny of the Heart to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, M/F, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , | 3 Comments

Pirates Week Review: Mutiny of the Heart by Jennifer Bray-Weber

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title: Mutiny of the Heart
Author: Jennifer Bray-Weber
Series: Romancing the Pirate #4
Heroine/Hero: Joelle Quint/Sloan Ricker
Genre: M/F Historical Romance
Length: 216 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: June 23, 2014
Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Navigating the high seas as the female captain of a pirate ship means always being on your guard–especially when one takes a temptingly handsome slave on board.

Captain Joelle Quint believes the slave claiming to be a cartographer can help her decipher the map her father left her when she was a child. She’s spent years trying to unlock its truths, hoping that it holds the answers to a dark family secret.

Sloan Ricker has no intention of remaining captive. When the fiery, red-headed captain offers him his freedom in exchange for solving her map, what begins as an opportunity to escape becomes a struggle to make the beautiful, intriguing Joelle his mistress in more ways than one.

Amidst a battle with the Royal Navy and a first mate’s jealousy, Joelle also fights her growing lust. And as much as he’d like to deny it, Ricker’s desire for Joelle has overcome his initial disdain. To get the answers, independence and love that they both long for, Joelle and Ricker must relinquish control to each other…or die trying.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, M/F, Published in 2014, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July Theme Week!

Ahoy, mateys!

Take a guess at what July’s Theme Week is!

We’ll give you a hint… this week’s reviews may contain many… lads and lasses, buccaneers and picaroon, scallywags and rapscallions…

Have you guessed what that means?!

It means this week is Pirates Week!

Woohoo! We’re very excited about this week (Heather C most of all!) and really looking forward to sharing some great pirate themed books with y’all.

This week we’ll even have a special guest who will talk all about pirates and writing them!

So, stay tuned to see what we’ll be reviewing this week! Arrr!

Shiver Me Timbers

-The Blogger Girls

 

Categories: Theme Week | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Book Review: All Kinds of Tied Down by Mary Calmes

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: All Kinds of Tied Down
Author: Mary Calmes
Heroes: Miro/Ian
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 290 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: July 4, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they’ve gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.

As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn’t working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn’t work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn’t being tied down at all.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Flesh Cartel 18: The Long Road by Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau

Reviewed by JustJen

20692882Title: Flesh Cartel 18: The Long Road
Author: Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau
Series: Flesh Cartel #18
Heroes: Mat/Doug
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 88 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: July 7, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  In the exciting final season of the Flesh Cartel . . .

With the help of the FBI, Mat Carmichael has let himself be re-taken by the Flesh Cartel. Objective? Rescue his brother, exact revenge, and destroy the entire organization from the inside.

FBI Special Agent Nate Johnson will be playing backup, of course, but to get Dougie out alive, Mat will need to make sure his brother is out of Allen’s clutches before calling in the troops. Now that Mat’s back in bondage, though, there’s no way he can do it alone. He’ll have to ask for help from the only man within the Cartel who cares about Dougie’s welfare: Nikolai. And even knowing it will destroy him, Nikolai delivers.

Bringing down the Cartel should have been the hardest part, but it doesn’t take long to realize that the real challenge has only just begun. Dougie doesn’t know how to be free anymore, and Mat is forced to admit that he may no longer be strong enough to help himself, let alone his brother. But with loved ones in their corner and their love for each other banked but not extinguished, Mat and Dougie learn that you can come home again, no matter how desperate the circumstances you’ve left behind.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger Brina Brady: Brina’s Writing Process + Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Brina’s Writing Process

by Brina Brady

My writing process begins with two characters and then I add more. I fill out a thorough character chart for each. I create in Scrivener because I am able to have pictures of my characters while I type. From this point, I begin writing and have my characters talk to each other. My first draft is dialogue with sparse settings and descriptions. For some reason, I like to focus on 3000 words at a time. I will work it for a week until the skeleton grows some flesh. During this process, I add more action and beats to the tags. The description is more detailed, sometimes too much then later needs cutting.

In Rent Me, I did extensive research on the Russian culture and Russian mobsters located in California. I know California since I lived there. I wanted to make sure Dmitri reacted to his oppressive culture and grew from it. He was suppressed as a child because in Russia you can’t be openly gay. This caused problems for him because he was in love with Brennen, but he married Nika to appease his family and friends. I like to create conflict in each chapter.

I researched rent boys on Twitter to see why they liked their job. Another great resource for me was Tumblr. The pictures fused my imagination for sex scenes. I also investigated some pictures and videos on some Gay sites to get ideas. That was the fun part of researching.

One day I sat down and thought about a backstory for Brennen. Where did he come from? How did he meet Dmitri?

As time went on, I added layers to each chapter. I took many writing classes from Romance Writers of America. I found out I needed some hooks so I added them in later. I joined writing groups and listened to what my beta readers suggested and having a great editor helps, too.

My writing begins in my head and my characters demand time on my screen. I allow them to do as they will for the most part. A couple of times, both Dmitri and Brennen were out of control so I had to rein them in.

Currently, I am working on my new novel Bent Over but the sequel to Rent Me is also in process due to the demands of Brennen and Dmitri. I love writing and will never stop.

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About Rent Me

22047254

Rent Boy Brennen wants to belong to his lover Dmitri Dubrovsky. The Russian mobster controls every inch of his life in and out of bed. Brennen works for Dmitri’s escort service. His only desire is to please his lover. When Dmitri marries Nika, his lover moves him out of their home to an apartment in Beverly Hills and tells him nothing has changed. What is Brennen going to do now?

Warning:

This is a Gay adult consensual story focused on themes of corporal discipline punishment and explicit sex with some elements of BDSM between adult men over the age of eighteen.

Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo

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An Excerpt from Rent Me

Dmitri pounded his fists on the table and said, “Now, you are being disrespectful to me.”

“Well, you are siding with all our enemies.”

 “What the hell are you talking about? You are under my protection and in exchange, I asked you to respect me. And if you disrespect me, I am in charge of the consequences. You agreed to this. Do you remember our written agreement?”

“Yes, I remember. Sorry if I was disrespectful, but I feel you don’t treat me like an adult.”

“Sorry is not good enough this time. For your punishment, you have three choices. Your first choice is to quit being an escort. Your second choice is for me to take you back to Adrik. Your third choice is to give your consent to be whipped with my belt and it won’t be play discipline.”

“I can’t believe you want to bring me back to Adrik.” Brennen shook his head. “I’m not quitting my job. Especially now since you are married. And you are not going to punish me with a belt. You’re my boyfriend.”

Dmitri got up from the table, picked up the red apple timer on the stovetop, and set it down in front of Brennen. When he had gotten into trouble, Dmitri and Mischa used the timer for time-outs. The timer was their way of giving him some quiet space to think about what he had done wrong.

“Why a belt? Brennen looked up at Dmitri.

“Did you think I would discipline you with our play paddle?”

“But Adrik used to hit me with a belt.” He was annoyed at his own whining voice.

“It’s punishment. Quit your damn escort job, then.”

“I can’t believe you are doing this to me,” Brennen said.

“You have twenty minutes to decide which punishment you want. You only have three choices, but if you don’t accept any of the choices, then you are choosing to walk away from me as your lover.”

“You don’t mean this, do you?” Brennen asked.

“Have you ever known me to lie to you?”

“No.”

“I will always take care of you, but you will no longer be my lover if you don’t choose one of the three punishments. Our relationship is based on me being the top man who makes the rules and you are the bottom man who follows the rules. You knew this when we became lovers.”

 Dmitri set the apple timer. “You have twenty minutes to decide.” He left him alone in the kitchen with the red ticking frying pan clock.

Why was he doing this?

Brennen knew Dmitri could force him back to Adrik. But even if he made him go there, he would probably be able to run away. He did not want to take any chances. No, that was not an option, and Dmitri knew that.

Dmitri playing God again.

This was all about Dmitri forcing him to quit the escort job at the agency. Brennen was not going to quit his job. He loved it, and it made him feel good about himself. But to walk away from Dmitri as his lover was not what he wanted either. The only thing left was to give consent to be punished with the belt. How hard would he hit him? The timer continued to tick along with the clock on the wall. His nerves went to hell.

Dmitri entered the kitchen as the timer buzzed. Brennen covered his ears and slapped it. He picked the apple timer up and returned it to its proper place.

“What have you decided?” Dmitri asked.

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About Brina Brady

I am from Huntington Beach, Ca. I taught various subjects at a Continuation High School in Los Angeles, California for 27 years. I obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in history, Secondary Social Science Credential and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Reading and Secondary Education from California State University, Long Beach. I also enrolled in some creative writing classes at UCLA. I am currently taking classes from Romance Writers of America. I belong to the Rainbow Romance Writers.

I would love to hear from my readers, so please drop me a line. You can email Brina or check out her Blog.

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Brina has kindly offered up a chance to win an eBook copy of Rent Me to THREE lucky winners! The giveaway starts now and ends July 11, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of Rent Me to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Debut Authors, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 36 Comments

Book Review: Rent Me by Brina Brady

Reviewed by JustJen

22047254Title: Rent Me
Author: Brina Brady
Heroes: Brennan/Dmitri
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 260 Pages
Publisher: Brina Brady
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Rent Boy Brennen wants to belong to his lover Dmitri Dubrovsky. The Russian mobster controls every inch of his life in and out of bed. Brennen works for Dmitri’s escort service. His only desire is to please his lover. When Dmitri marries Nika, his lover moves him out of their home to an apartment in Beverly Hills and tells him nothing has changed. What is Brennen going to do now?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Will and Pleasure by Iyana Jenna

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Will and Pleasure
Author: Iyana Jenna
Heroes: Jake/Luke
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 16,000 words
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: June 29, 2014
Available at: JMS Books
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: After his parents’ nasty divorce, Jake Welther was raised by his mother, so when his father dies, he’s surprised to find his name among his brothers’ in the will. Jake never thought he’d get anything from his old man, but neither the house nor the money is his inheritance. It’s a young sex slave named Luke.

Luke is a product of the streets. One unfortunate night, a bad encounter with a client ended with him curled up in an alley, filthy and hurt. When Craig Welthier Sr. took him in, Luke thought he was finally safe and protected. Little did he know Craig would turn out to be worse than any of his previous clients.

With his father gone, Jake doesn’t know what to do with Luke. His three brothers see no harm in continuing to use their father’s slave for their own twisted purposes. Though he doesn’t think of himself as anyone’s hero, he knows what Luke has endured at the hands of his family is wrong. Can Jake stand up to his brothers to rescue Luke? Will Luke find his happy ending after all?
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment