Posts Tagged With: emotionally damaged

Shifter Week Review: A Wizard’s Shelter by Hollis Shiloh

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: A Wizard’s Shelter
Author: Hollis Shiloh
Heroes: Rue & Elliot
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 120 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: March 5, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Visiting his sister Mary at the lighthouse should be a delightful vacation for Elliot–except he’s going there in disgrace while he awaits his fate from the wizard council.

Mary’s assistant, Rue, is a gentle, self-possessed young man about Elliot’s age. Elliot is drawn to him, and his magic seems to calm down around the handsome and mysterious Rue. Elliot sinks gratefully into the unexpected grace of Rue’s kindness and friendship. He doesn’t understand why his magic is broken or why it feels whole again around Rue. But right now he’s just trying to survive, grateful for the reprieve Rue’s friendship provides.

But then a a potential tragedy on the beach culminates in Rue revealing his true nature: he’s a selkie, both man and seal, with a magic that somehow complements and heals Elliot’s when they’re together. And that might not be possible for much longer. Continue reading

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

Book Review: Black Magic by Megan Derr

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Black Magic
Author: Megan Derr
Series: Black Magic #1
Heroes: Sorin & Koray (and a few others)
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 90,000 words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: October 31, 2012
Available at: Less Than Three Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: When High Paladin Sorin discovers the brutally dismembered body of his cousin Alfrey, a much loved priest in the royal palace, he is left baffled as to who would do so terrible a thing to so good a man. But to find the answer to that question, he must cooperate with one of the highly despised necromancers, men who practice black magic, sleep in graveyards and feed upon souls…

The necromancer Koray, however, is far from what he expected. He is beautiful, stubborn, and possessed of a tongue sharp enough to cut down even the High Paladin himself. Koray is also possessed of a strength like nothing Sorin has ever encountered, and the power of the Goddess herself.

It does not take them long to realize that solving a murder is the easiest challenge they must face, and in order to save a kingdom they must first unravel centuries of lies and misunderstandings. Continue reading

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Early Review: The Oracle’s Hatchling by Mell Eight

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: The Oracle’s Hatchling
Author: Mell Eight
Series: Oracle #2
Heroes: Ling & Rion
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 20,000 words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: March 5, 2014
Available at: Less Than Three Press & All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Ling is hated because his birth killed his mother. He hopes that testing will ease his troubles—either his rank will be so low that everyone forgets about him, or it will be so high they’ll be forced to respect him. What he doesn’t expect is to walk out of the testing chamber with an egg emblazoned on his back. Laughed out of the Monastery, Ling hides himself in Altnoia, where he becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow King Edan and the Oracle who supports him.

The ringleader behind the plot is Prince Damarion, son of the evil despot who forced King Edan to flee in the first place—but his motives are not anything that Ling could have anticipated. Neither could he anticipate a friendship, or what that friendship could become, and the choices it would force him to make.

Continue reading

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

Book Review: The Experiment by Alicia Nordwell

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: The Experiment
Author: Alicia Nordwell
Heroes: Ryker & Seral
Genre: M/M Sci-fi Romance
Length: 270 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 27, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: In the distant future, humans wage war against the alien planet Caeorleia, with no tactic off-limits if it will help the humans get their hands on Caeorleia’s resources. Ask Ryker. He thought he volunteered for a simple experiment that would help his government in the war. He didn’t realize sadistic doctors would turn him into the experiment—by injecting him with blood from a captured Caeorleian, Seral Iorflas.

Nor did Ryker realize he’d be sent to sabotage a planet full of the very beings his world is battling, beings who kill humans on sight. But then, thanks to the experiment that irrevocably changed him, he isn’t exactly human any longer—and with each passing day, as his blood bond with Seral strengthens, he’s less and less sure as to whose side he’s on. Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Challenge Week Review: Beyond Complicated by Mercy Celeste

Reviewed by Heather C

17974051Title: Beyond Complicated
Author: Mercy Celeste
Heroes: Liam, Kel & Seth
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 88,800 words
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 30, 2012
Available at: AmazonAll Romance eBooksBarnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf at: GoodreadsBooklikes

Blurb: Liam McGuire has the perfect life–his job is a nightmare, his apartment was swank back in the eighties, and he has a secret so painful it could destroy him. What can top that? Meeting his son’s new boyfriend, that’s what.

For former porn star Liam McGuire, life is pretty tame, except that his twenty-one year old son is now dating the love of Liam’s life. At the ripe old age of thirty-eight, Liam’s entire world is collapsing around him, his past catching up with him, his secrets and his lies are coming back to bite him. All because Kel had to go and fall in love with Seth.

Continue reading

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Challenge Book Week, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Early Review: Clockwork Tangerine by Rhys Ford

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Clockwork Tangerine
Author: Rhys Ford
Heroes: Marcus Stenhill & Robin Harris
Genre: M/M Steampunk/Fantasy
Length: 90 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: February 19, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The British Empire reigns supreme, and its young Queen Victoria has expanded her realm to St. Francisco, a bustling city of English lords and Chinese ghettos. St. Francisco is a jewel in the Empire’s crown and as deeply embroiled in the conflict between the Arcane and Science as its sister city, London—a very dark and dangerous battle.

Marcus Stenhill, Viscount of Westwood, stumbles upon that darkness when he encounters a pack of young bloods beating a man senseless. Westwood’s duty and honor demand he save the man, but he’s taken aback to discover the man is Robin Harris, a handsome young inventor indirectly responsible for the death of Marcus’s father.

Living in the shadows following a failed coup, Robin devotes his life to easing others’ pain, even though his creations are considered mechanical abominations of magicks and science. Branded a deviant and a murderer, Robin expects the viscount to run as far as he can—and is amazed when Marcus reaches for him instead. Continue reading

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

Challenge Book Review: A Reason To Believe by Diana Copland

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: A Reason To Believe
Author: Diana Copland
Heroes: Matthew Bennett & Kiernan Fitzpatrick
Genre: M/M Contemporary/Paranormal Mystery
Length: 81,000 words
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: October 22, 2012
Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Detective Matthew Bennett doesn’t believe in ghosts. So when the spirit of a murdered child leads him to her body, he’s shaken to the core–and taken off the case. Unable to explain his vision, or to let go of the investigation, Matthew turns to renowned medium Kiernan Fitzpatrick. Though he has doubts about Kiernan’s claims to communicate with the dead, Matt is nevertheless drawn to the handsome psychic, who awakens feelings he thought were long-buried.

Haunted by the lingering spirit of the little girl, Kiernan is compelled to aid in the search for her killer. The chance to get closer to the enigmatic Matt is an unexpected bonus. Although Kiernan’s been betrayed by people who turned out to be more interested in his fame than in himself, with Matt he’s willing to risk his heart. As the two men grow closer, Kiernan helps Matt rediscover that life offers no guarantees–but love offers a reason to believe… Continue reading

Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, Challenge Book Week, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Early Review: Of Last Resort by Megan Derr

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Of Last Resort
Author: Megan Derr
Series: Princes of the Blood #1
Heroes: Raffé & Cambord
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 73,000 words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: February 19, 2014
Available at: Less Than Three Press
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: In a kingdom ravaged by the beasts and terrors of an ancient war, the only hope against them is the army of mixed-blood beings known as the King’s Legion: dragoons, shadowmarch, sorcerers, titans… and the Princes of the Blood, nigh-invincible warriors of fearsome magic and strength, their only weakness a need for pure human blood.

When his brother runs away, Raffé agrees to undergo the Blooding, but he is a pale imitation of his strong, capable brother. No one expects him to survive and become a Prince, merely to die to save the rest of his family and preserve honor.

But runaways and weaklings are the least of the kingdom’s concerns when an ancient evil returns with new tricks, and their only hope lies with knowledge long lost and a fierce bond forged in darkness… Continue reading

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

Sleuth Week Review: The Trouble With Tony by Eli Easton

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: The Trouble With Tony
Author: Eli Easton
Series: Sex in Seattle #1
Heroes: Tony DeMarco & Jack Halloran
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 144 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: August 21, 2013
Available at: Dreamspinner Press
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: As part of the investigation into the murder of a young woman, Seattle P.I. Tony DeMarco poses as a patient of Dr. Jack Halloran, the therapist who treated the victim at a Seattle sex clinic. This isn’t the first time Tony has gone undercover, but it’s the first time he’s wanted to go under cover with one of his suspects. He can’t help it—Jack Halloran is just the kind of steely-eyed hero Tony goes for. But he’ll have to prove Halloran’s innocence and keep the doctor from finding out about his ruse before he can play Romeo.

Dr. Halloran has his own issues, including a damaged right arm sustained in the line of duty as a combat surgeon in Iraq and the PTSD that followed. He’s confused to find himself attracted to a new patient, the big, funny Italian with the puppy-dog eyes, and Tony’s humor slips right past Jack’s defenses, making him feel things he thought long buried. But can the doctor and the P.I. find a path to romance despite the secrets between them? Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sleuth Week Review: Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Deadly Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
Series: Nikki Glass #2
Heroine: Nikki & Jamaal
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Available at: Pocket, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: An ancient evil is unleashed in the modern world— unless one fearless P.I. can hunt it down. . . . Nikki Glass, Immortal Huntress, returns in this new novel in the acclaimed series by Jenna Black.

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the Descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington, D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are really jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backward may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead. Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2012, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment