Posts Tagged With: emotionally damaged

Book Review: The Reluctant Husband by Eliot Grayson

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: The Reluctant Husband
Author: Eliot Grayson
Series: Goddess-Blessed #2
Heroes: Tom & Mal
Genre: M/M Historical Fantasy
Length: 168 pages
Publisher: Smoking Teacup Books
Release Date: June 7, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Is their marriage a blessing…or a curse?

Tom Drake wants nothing to do with his patron goddess. Her blessing has always been little more than a cruel curse. But when he finds himself disowned, disgraced, and on the verge of homelessness, he knows he can no longer afford to ignore her demands. He must marry. Sadly, his one marriage prospect is a pragmatic, stubborn man who only seems to value him for his blessing…and his body…

Mal Leighton will stop at nothing to save his beloved cousin’s life, even if it means marrying Tom—and using him for his blessing—to do it. Theirs would be a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience. Love was never part of the equation. He’ll just have to somehow learn to ignore his overwhelming attraction to his dangerously charming and seductive new husband.

As weeks pass, Tom and Mal find there’s often a fine line between love and desperation, passion and pride—and what exists between them is infinitely more complicated than their simple marriage of convenience was ever meant to be. Can they set aside their painful pasts and misconceptions to take a chance on the love match they never expected to find?

This is an M/M romance set in an alternate-universe Regency. It contains the ideal number of carriages, duels, and redeemed villains, but beware of pagan goddesses who like to micromanage. It is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Tom’s previous dastardly deeds can be found in The Replacement Husband.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Tears of Life by Shea Balik

Posted on November 2, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Tears of Life
Author: Shea Balik
Series: Druid’s Curse #7
Heroes: Mingus & Oluf
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 188 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 13, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Mingus had one true love in life, animals. None of them were off the list, although, if he were completely honest, his favorite was his cat, Pretty Baby. He never imagined one day he might have to put someone else first. Not just anyone, but the man who has stolen his heart.

For centuries Oluf has dreamed of finding the one destined to be his. He’d even anticipated the need to woo him by becoming a chef. After all, according to his mother, the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. What he hadn’t expected was that he would come in second to a cat with sharp claws, who seemed to enjoy using people as her personal scratching post.

As Mingus, Oluf, and their friends get closer to Samhain, the Fae will try to stop them using everything at their disposal. It means finding a way to work together, even if it takes shedding a few Tears of Life to do so. But in the end, will the fate of the human world come down to a cat?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Mastering the Flames by S.J. Himes

Posted on October 27, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Mastering the Flames
Author: S.J. Himes
Series: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #4
Heroes: Isaac & Constantine
Genre: M/M Urban Fantasy
Length: 394 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 4, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The fourth book in the hit urban fantasy series shifts focus to the remaining Salvatore brother in this slow burn romance…

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Guilt-ridden after the massacre of his family, Isaac Salvatore turned to binge drinking to escape the pain. Now twenty-four years old, Isaac is a recovering alcoholic woefully out of practice in the magical arts, leaving his fire affinity hanging on the edge of disaster. After a month of rehab, he returns to Beacon Hill and his family, determined to remain sober, learn to control his magic, and figure out a plan for his life that doesn’t involve drinking.

Constantine Batiste is the oldest, most powerful vampire in the city. Born in ancient Gaul, the bastard son of a Celtic king, his long life has been shrouded in tragedy and horrors. Recent mistakes have left him wary and determined to guard his clan from all foes. When two of his clan members fall victim to an ancient evil, he summons the Necromancer of Boston for aid. Accompanying his older brother to the Tower is the handsome young fire mage once wounded by Constantine’s arrogance, and their encounter reignites an attraction that burns within both Constantine and Isaac.

The answer to who is targeting the vampires of Boston is buried in the dark, early days of Constantine’s transition to an immortal life. Isaac finds himself saddled with a painful insight into the evil cutting a swath through the supernatural population of Boston. While his brother, Angel, takes over the hunt to find and stop the threat to the city, Isaac struggles to find a balance between helping his brother and finding his own purpose and place in the world, free from his brother’s shadow.

Falling in love wasn’t part of his plan, but mastering the flames that burn between him and Constantine soon becomes the most important thing in his life, even as an ancient evil seeks to destroy them.

Mastering the Flames is the fourth book in The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series and is not a standalone. The series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment and understanding of the plot and characters. The Content Advisory is on the Copyright Page and can be seen by downloading a sample or using the Look Inside feature. 130k words.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Mind over Matter by Shea Balik

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Mind over Matter
Author: Shea Balik
Series: Druid’s Curse #6
Heroes: Wylie & Fritjof
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 191 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 27, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Who would have thought there was something more horrifying than an indoor boy being forced to live in the Amazon? Yet, there was. In fact, the more descriptive word would be mind-numbingly terrifying. That it was brought into his life by a drop dead gorgeous man claiming he was there to protect Wylie, only made everything that much more surreal.

Since the first druid came into their lives, Fritjof prayed he would never meet the druid that was destined to be his fated love. He knew that emotion would always lead to devastation and heartache. He’d seen it, experienced it, when his mother disowned him for not being able to save his father.

But what happens when the Fae goes after someone they both love? Will they be able to find a way to trust in each other? Are some things impossible to overcome or is it Mind Over Matter?

PLEASE NOTE: Although each book in this series focuses on a different couple, to best enjoy the overall story arc, these books SHOULD be read in order.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Guarding His Heart by Beth Laycock

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Guarding His Heart
Author: Beth Laycock
Heroes: Tristan & Lane
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 118 pages
Publisher: Rainbow Romance Press
Release Date: October 9, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: He’d risk his life to find his brother. But he never expected to risk his heart as well.

Three months since his brother, Jake, went MIA, Lane Matthews is tired of waiting for answers. With a little help, he arranges a posting to Jeddah for his first overseas deployment—the perfect opportunity to find his brother.

Life in a foreign land isn’t quite like he imagined and neither are his duties. But when he meets his housemate, Tristan, while it may be memorable, it’s not one of Lane’s finest moments.

Tristan threatens to throw him way off course, and falling for the hot straight soldier is definitely not in his plans. But as tensions rise and the truth about Jake is revealed, will Lane’s heart follow orders or will all be lost like grains of sand swept away in a desert?
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Archangel’s War by Nalini Singh

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Archangel’s War
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #12
Hero/Heroine: Elena & Raphael
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 478 pages
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, faces a new challenge that threatens the balance of the world.

Wings of silver. Wings of blue. Mortal heart. Broken dreams. Shatter. Shatter. Shatter. A sundering. A grave. I see the end. I see. . . .

The world is in chaos as the power surge of the Cascade rises to a devastating crescendo. In furiously resisting its attempts to turn Elena into a vessel for Raphael’s power, Elena and her archangel are irrevocably changed. . .far beyond the prophecy of a cursed Ancient.

At the same time, violent and eerie events around the world threaten to wipe out entire populations. And in the Archangel Lijuan’s former territory, an unnatural fog weaves through the land, leaving only a bone-chilling silence in its wake. Soon it becomes clear that even the archangels are not immune to this deadly evil. This time, even the combined power of the Cadre may not be enough. . . .

This war could end them all.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Archangel’s Prophecy
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #11
Hero/Heroine: Elena & Raphael
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, is thrust center stage into an eons-old prophecy…

Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.

This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Yours, Forever After by Beth Bolden

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Yours, Forever After
Author: Beth Bolden
Heroes: Gray & Rory
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 6, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Fifteen years ago, Prince Graham of Ardglass barely escaped from the ancestral castle with his young life. Rescued by a magical creature and spirited off to a faraway valley, he grew into a strong, capable man—never shirking his duties on the farm, but forever bitter over his father’s betrayal. But just when he has finally come to terms with being lost and staying lost, a visitor arrives in his valley and changes everything.

After a lifetime spent lost in his beloved books, Prince Emory awakens to find his villainous aunt working to usurp the throne of Fontaine. When she sends him on a dangerous quest, he’s certain the journey is a trap, but he’s not willing to accept defeat without a fight.

But a fight is something Rory is unprepared and untrained for, until he’s saved by a handsome, unassuming farmhand and his snooty, smug, and surprisingly talkative unicorn.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Fated Hearts by Garrett Leigh

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Nikyta

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Fated Hearts
Author: Garrett Leigh
Series: Shadow Bound #1
Heroes: Zio & Devan
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Fox Love Press
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: “He’s not a wolf.”

Devastated by the death of his best friend, Zio is a soldier with one thing on his mind: revenge. Consumed by a conflict that’s raged as long as he’s been alive, he’s had little time or inclination to learn the legends of the shifter world he was raised in.And he certainly doesn’t have time to deal with a shifter of a different kind, even if it’s for the good of the war effort. For the good of his pack. The fact that he’s already crossed paths with the new face in his unit is almost irrelevant.

Almost.

Do no harm. Give life not death: it’s the oath Devan was reborn to live by, so when he’s sent abroad to embed with a wolf pack as their resident healer, he doesn’t hesitate. In the supernatural world, some bonds are instant—soldiers become brothers, pack become family. But others run deeper and before long, Devan’s at the mercy of instincts he can’t control.

Zio’s inner wolf is desperate to be with Devan, while Devan struggles to keep the pack safe. But as the war escalates, and new love is tainted by anguish and pain, the battles within might prove the toughest of them all.

“I won’t let him die.” Continue reading →

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2019 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment