Posts Tagged With: dark

Book Review: Storm’s Eye by Dean Gray + Giveaway!

Posted on July 12, 2014 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Storm’s Eye
Author: Dean Gray
Heroes: Jordan/Zane
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 181 Pages
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Release Date: May 1, 2014
Available at: eXtasy Books, Amazon and All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: In spite of all the bad memories and fears, Jordan had dutifully returned home to Mt. Desert Island, Maine to look after his ailing mother. Now, financially devastated by her care and emotionally exhausted by her death, Jordan tries to pick up the pieces of his life and rebuild his floundering career as an illustrator. While working on a new commission, he finds a man unconscious at the local lighthouse. When the man regains consciousness, he has no memory.

The only clue to his identity is a limited edition hardcover copy of Storm’s Eye, a mystery novel by Jordan’s favorite author and client. Inside is a scrawled dedication, ‘To Zane’. What is this man’s story? And why, since meeting him, has Jordan’s life strangely paralleled the plot of the book that he carried? Will Jordan weather the harrowing trials of ‘Storm’s Eye’? Or will he become a casualty of the mysterious stranger to whom he opened his heart?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: Abduction, Abuse, Amnesia, Bullying, Captivity, Coming-of-Age, Contemporary, Cops, dark, Dean Gray, Depression, Dub-Con, Extasy Books, Family Drama, HEA, Hurt/Comfort, Illness/injury, Law Enforcement, M/M, Men with pets, mystery, Reunited, Revenge, Storm's Eye, The Blogger Girls, Violence | 9 Comments

Book Review: Will and Pleasure by Iyana Jenna

Posted on July 5, 2014 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: 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: Abduction, Abuse, Age Gap, BDSM, Bullying, Captivity, Contemporary, Cops, criminals, dark, Depression, Domestic abuse, Family Drama, HFN, Hurt/Comfort, Illness/injury, Iyana Jenna, JMS Books, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Con, Rape, Sex Slave, The Blogger Girls, Violence, Will and Pleasure | 1 Comment

Book Review: The Rekindling of Love by Derrick Knight

Posted on June 20, 2014 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: The Rekindling of Love
Author: Derrick Knight
Series: The Innkeeper #1
Heroes: Dwyer Von Strohm/John Fitzgerald
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 350 Pages
Publisher: Derrick Knight
Release Date: April 10, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Dwyer Von Strohm thought his life was perfect. He had a great job as a pharmaceutical sales representative; he lived in Chicago’s premiere gay community, drove an expensive car, and had an unlimited number of hot gay men to pursue. Dwyer thought his was living the life he had always dreamed. Then one day he becomes a causality of a poor economy. In a very short time, Dwyer loses his job, loses his status in the gay community and is reduced to living a lonely existence.

Dwyer’s situation forces him to move back home and live with his parents in the small town of Glasburg Illinois. Dwyer had left Glasburg many years ago because the love of his life, John Fitzgerald, had broken his heart. Dwyer reunites with gay friends from high school who are facing their own life challenges.

Soon Dwyer and John’s paths collide and it is evident both men still have strong feelings for each other. Will Dwyer find it in his heart to forgive John or will he let the demons from their past prevent them from rekindling the love they once shared?
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: Abuse, Arts, Bullying, College, Coming Out, Coming-of-Age, Contemporary, Cops, dark, Depression, Derrick Knight, dubious consent, First-Time, Friends to Lovers, High School, Homophobia, Hurt-Comfort, Illness-disease, In-the-Closet, Infidelity, interracial, M/M, Masturbation, Public activity, Reunited, Revenge, Self-Published, Teaching, Teenagers, The Blogger Girls, The Innkeeper Series, The Rekindling of Love | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Flesh Cartel #17: Boxed In by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz

Posted on June 3, 2014 by justjenbo

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: The Flesh Cartel #17: Boxed In
Author: Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz
Series: The Flesh Cartel #17
Heroes: Mat/Doug
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 64 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: June 2, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing; Amazon; Barnes & Noble
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..

Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes: dubious consent, explicit violence, non-consent.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: Angst, dark, Drama, FBI, Heidi Belleau, Horror, illness/recovery, M/M, Past Abuse, PTSD, Rachel Haimowitz, Riptide Publishing, Short, Suspense/Thriller, The Blogger Girls, The Flesh Cartel Serial | Leave a comment

Book Review: Another Man’s Treasure by Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock

Posted on June 2, 2014 by justjenbo

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Another Man’s Treasure
Author: Lisa Henry, J.A. Rock
Heroes: Ilia/Patrick
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 268 pages
Publisher: CrocobearPress
Release Date: June 1, 2014
Available at: Create Space, Amazon Print, Amazon Kindle,Smashwords

Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Ilia Porter is Chechen mob boss Mikhail Kadyrov’s greatest treasure. After leaving home at eighteen to escape his verbally abusive father, beautiful, selfish Ilia has lived with Mikhail, proud of his ability to bring such a powerful man to his knees to worship. But when Ilia’s father, a police captain, kills Mikhail in a raid, Ilia’s world falls apart.

Entering to pick up the pieces is Mikhail’s younger brother, Nick—impulsive, power-hungry, and dangerous. When Nick tells Ilia he’s taking everything that belonged to Mikhail—including Ilia—Ilia is too lost in grief to fight. Nick takes Ilia prisoner in the apartment Ilia once shared with Mikhail and grooms him for a very important mission: to kill Ilia’s father and avenge Mikhail’s death.

Ilia wants no part in the plot, but being Nick’s ally is preferable to being Nick’s victim, so he begins to warp himself into the monster Nick wants him to be. Hope arrives when Nick takes another captive: Patrick, a shy massage therapist who’s stronger than he seems. Patrick and Ilia must join forces to escape Nick—and to keep each other whole as Nick does everything in his power to break them. Continue reading →

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: Another Man's Treasure, Contemporary, dark, dubious consent, HFN, J.A. Rock, Kidnapping, Lisa Henry, M/M, Mafia, No HEA, non-con/rape, piercings, psychological thriller, Rape, torture, Violence | 3 Comments

Early Review: Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Shield of Winter
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #13
Hero/Heroine: Vasic & Ivy
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Available at: Penguin & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to suffocate her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: against all odds, assassins, Berkley, cat shifters, dark, emotionally damaged, empaths, favorites, illnesses, m/f, military, Nalini Singh, Pets, Psy-Changeling Series, psychics, romance, saving the world, series, Shield of Winter, tear jerker, The Blogger Girls, urban fantasy, warriors, wolf shifters, working together, yearning | Leave a comment

Urban Fantasy Week Review: Cruce de Caminos by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane

Posted on May 14, 2014 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Cruce de Caminos
Author: Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane
Series: Layers of the Otherworld #0.5
Heroes: Sean O’Hara and Angel
Genre: M/M Urban Fantasy
Length: 51 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 21, 2013
Available at: Riptide Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Addiction and desperation drive Sean O’Hara to a critical crossroads. Will he make the right decision, or will the floodwaters bound for New Orleans sweep him away?

Street kid Sean O’Hara has never had it easy, but New Orleans has driven him to his knees. His girlfriend’s broken up with him for a sugar daddy, a gun-toting pimp has robbed him of everything but the clothes on his back, and he’s down to his last two Oxycontin. Sean’s no seasoned streetwalker, but he’s not above it either, not when he’s already itching for his next fix.

A familiar-seeming stranger named Ángel may be his ticket to some quick cash, but only if Sean’s willing to help him indulge a high-class john’s weird fetish for the night. As Ángel tells him, in this city and this business, you have to get a little weird to survive.

When night falls on the French Quarter, Sean realizes Ángel and the john want more from him than he was expecting to give. What once seemed merely strange soon crosses the line into supernatural and sinister. And Ángel, the man Sean had viewed as a partner and protector, might also be his otherworldly judge and executioner. Continue reading →

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2013, Susan65's Reviews, Theme Week | Tags: Abuse, addiction, Bi-Sexual, Cruce de Caminos, dark, Drug/Alcohol Use, dubious consent, Gay-for-Pay, Heidi Belleau, Layers of the Otherworld Series, Menage, No HEA, No HFN, Other-World, paranormal, rent boy, Riptide Publishing, Road trip, The Blogger Girls, Urban Fantasy Week, Violetta Vane | 2 Comments

Book Review: Escape from CONICA by Robert Cummings

Posted on May 5, 2014 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Escape from CONICA
Author: Robert Cummings
Heroes: Phil Barcardi and Ted Rosenberg
Genre: M/M Action/Alternate Universe
Length: 210 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: April 18, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: In an America that achieved equality long before our own, Phillip Barcardi works as a security contractor. He’s hired as a site commander at a major pharmaceutical company, only to be kidnapped from his post after learning the truth about an aggressive virus spreading across the East Coast, one that targets homosexuals. A small group of wealthy and powerful dissenters are hell-bent on forming a “New World Order” that will remold society into their twisted vision. As US citizens are choosing sides for or against homosexuals, Phil’s husband, Theodore Rosenberg, a high school teacher, is sent to a “containment” zone where accused homosexuals are infected rather than saved—all by executive order of the President. As Ted struggles to understand what’s happening around him, Phil strives to break free before the people in power infect Ted with the deadly virus. No matter what it takes, Phil will fight his way to Ted, even if it means exposing himself to the virus. He only hopes he won’t be too late to save them both. Continue reading →

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: Abuse, action, Alternate Universe, Captivity, Cops, criminals, dark, Doctors, Dreamspinner Press, Escape from CONICA, Established couple, Homophobia, Illness-disease, Law Enforcement, M/M, Medical Personnel, military, Political, Reunited, Robert Cummings, scientists, Security Guards, The Blogger Girls, vacation, Wedding | 2 Comments

Book Review: Full Moon Gamma by Jackie Nacht

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Full Moon Gamma
Author: Jackie Nacht
Series: Moon Compound #3
Heroes: Peyton & Rayce
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 29,367 words
Publisher: Extasy Books
Release Date: January 15, 2014
Available at: Extasy Books, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: When Rayce finds he has two paths before him, the unknown consequence is the only alternative to help the man he loves survive.

Rayce is sent on a recon mission to find out if hellhounds are in Lansing. What he discovers on his way is his mate, Peyton, has followed him into the very heart of danger.

Peyton has loved Rayce from the moment Rayce saved him. He knows he probably shouldn’t be following Rayce, but the instinct driving him to protect the man he has already fallen for causes him to go recklessly into the city. All is not as it seems, and Peyton will have to find strength to survive for not only himself but his mate and friends as well.

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: cruelty/abuse, damaged, dark, demons, Extasy Books, Full Moon Gamma, injury/recovery, Jackie Nacht, kidnapped, M/M, mates, Moon Compound Series, paranormal, series, The Blogger Girls, torture, warriors | Leave a comment

Book Review: Dirty Ross by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

Posted on April 20, 2014 by susan65coug Miss Behaving

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Dirty Ross
Author: Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Series: Assassin-Shifter #22
Heroes: Ross Collins and Cole Ryker
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 282 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Cole Ryker has been a man on a mission since the second he laid eyes on tall, dark and dirty-talking Ross Collins. That mission? To get the macho Delta Force soldier into his bed and out of his head, putting an end to his obsession. When Ross finally agrees to a date, Cole is overjoyed – and, frankly, rather surprised. Ross is like no man he’s ever met. When one date leads to another and another, the men struggle to sort out their feelings.

Ross Collins is in full command of everything in his life. When Cole Ryker hits on him – and keeps hitting on him – something in Ross is drawn to the confident firefighter and the uncertainty that comes with letting someone else take the lead. Time with Cole is intoxicating, unlike anything Ross could have imagined. He’s falling fast and Cole is right there with him.

But everyone has secrets, don’t they? Ross is hiding the fact that he’s a werewolf, and Cole is terrified his own past relationship will ruin any chance he has of finding happiness with Ross. There’s also the matter of a man from Ross’ past who’s pretty determined to stake his own claim on the soldier.

Truths explode as quickly and terrifying as a five-alarm fire, putting relationships in jeopardy and loved ones in danger. Is there an escape or will their love turn to ashes?

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