Posts Tagged With: Family Drama

Book Review: Fire and Fog by Andrew Grey

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Fire and Fog
Author: Andrew Grey
Series: Carlisle Cops #6
Heroes: Dwayne/Robin
Genre:</strong MM Contemporary
Length: 192 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Carlisle police officer Dwayne knows what Robin is doing the moment he lays eyes on the young man at Bronco’s club. But he doesn’t know that they both come from families who’ve cast them out for being gay, or that they’re still lugging around the pain of those rejections. Robin leaves the club, and soon after Dwayne decides to as well—and is close by when things between Robin and his client turn violent.

When Dwayne finds out Robin is the victim of a scam, which lost him his apartment, he can’t leave Robin to fend for himself on the streets. Despite Dwayne’s offer of help and even opening up his home, it’s hard for Robin to trust anything good. The friendship between them grows, and just as the two men start warming up to each other, Robin’s sister passes away, naming Robin to care for her son. Worse yet, their pasts creep back in to tear down the family and sense of belonging both of them long for.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Suspicious Behavior by L.A. Witt and Cari Z

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Suspicious Behavior
Authors: L.A. Witt and Cari Z
Series: Bad Behavior #2
Heroes: Darin Corliss/Andreas Ruffner
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 283 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: August 21, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Detective Darren Corliss is hanging by a thread. In between recovering from a near-fatal wound and returning to work at a hostile precinct, he’s struggling to help care for his ailing brother. His partner and boyfriend, Detective Andreas Ruffner, wants to help, but doesn’t know how. And with his own family crises brewing, Andreas is spread almost as thin as Darren.

For cops, though, life takes a backseat to the job. When a stack of unsolved homicides drops into their laps, Andreas and Darren think they’re unrelated cold cases. But when a connection surfaces, they find themselves on the tail of a prolific serial killer who’s about to strike again.

Except they’ve got nothing. No leads. No suspects. Just a pile of circumstantial evidence and a whole lot of hunches. Time is running out to stop the next murder—and to pull themselves back from their breaking points.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Empty Net by Avon Gale/Scott R. Smith

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Empty Net
Author: Avon Gale
Narrator: Scott R. Smith
Series: Scoring Chances #4
Heroes: Isaac Drake/Laurent St. Savoy
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 6 Hours, 38 Minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 10, 2017
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Spartanburg Spitfires’ goalie and captain Isaac Drake ended last season with an unexpected trip to the playoffs. He’s found a home and family with his coach and mentor, Misha Samarin, and he’s looking forward to making a serious run for the Kelly Cup. But things take an interesting turn when Isaac’s archnemesis, Laurent St. Savoy, is traded to the Spitfires. After Laurent’s despicable behavior in the playoffs last year, Isaac wants nothing to do with him – no matter how gorgeous he is. But that changes when Isaac discovers the reason for Laurent’s attitude.

Laurent St. Savoy grew up the only son of a legendary NHL goalie in a household rife with abuse, constantly treated like a disappointment on and off the ice. When a desperate attempt to escape his father’s tyranny sends him to the Spitfires, the last thing Laurent wants is to make friends. But there’s something about Isaac Drake that he can’t resist, and Laurent has an opportunity to explore his sexuality for the first time, but he’s cracking under end-of-the season pressures. When facing the playoffs and a rivalry turned personal vendetta, Isaac’s not sure he’s enough to hold Laurent—or their relationship—together.

Please be advised: This book does contain some non-graphic references to past childhood physical/emotional abuse as well as issues relating to ED (bulimia and restricted eating, disordered thoughts about eating).
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Two-Man Advantage by Leigh Carman

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Two-Man Advantage
Author: Leigh Carman
Series: Players of LA #3
Heroes: Viktor Novak/Bowen Miller
Genre: MM Contemporary BDSM
Length: 220 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: July 7, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A hockey star skating on the edge of a catastrophe.

A PR specialist so adept, he’s called “the Fixer.”

Working together will be the biggest challenge of both their careers.

The LA Vikings hockey team is fed up the violent outbursts of its huge, intimidating enforcer, Viktor Novak. Hounded by a homophobic and domineering father, Viktor takes out his frustrations by spilling blood—on and off the ice. Now he has one last chance to clean up his image, or his career is over.

That’s where Bowen Miller comes in.

Bo has taken on the hardest cases and succeeded—by micromanaging every aspect of a client’s life—at the expense of his own happiness. But in the stubborn, hot mess that is Viktor, Bo might have met his match—both in and out of the bedroom. One man is out of control, and one controls everything. But when sex and attraction come into play, those roles are open to negotiation.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Double Down by Lissa Ford

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Double Down
Author: Lissa Ford
Series: Doubleback #2
Heroes: Rowan/Jude
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 142 Pages
Publisher: Lissa Ford Books
Release Date: June 21, 2015
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: After surviving a deadly attack by a psychopathic killer, homicide detective Rowan Muir is ready to take his relationship with ex-deputy sheriff and former ex-boyfriend Jude Anderson to the next level. Trouble is, Jude is happy with going slow. As in glacial. And, fair enough, their previous attempt as a couple wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. It took murder and the volcanic attraction between them for both men to put old grievances aside and try once more.

But the past rears its ugly head again when Rowan’s drug-addicted brother goes missing. Rowan is summoned home and is immediately mired in family dysfunction better seen in a rear-view mirror. When Jude agrees to help Rowan investigate his stepbrother’s disappearance, Rowan fears his fragile relationship with Jude won’t survive the stress.

Being back in his hometown dredges up old fears, a lot of baggage, and murder. Soon Rowan has to decide if he is going to double down on his relationship with Jude, or if it’s wiser to pick up his chips and split for good.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book/Audio Review: The Dark Side by Laura Baumbach

Reviewed by JustJen and Susan65

 

Title: The Dark Side
Author: Laura Baumbach
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Series: Reese Holt #1
Heroes: Reese Holt/Alex Throne
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 240 Pages / 8 Hours, 20 Minutes
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: October 14, 2016 / May 15, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Kidnap victim Alex Throne literally drops into the arms of security specialist Reese Holt, pulling Holt into a battle against a ruthless drug cartel, personal betrayal, and a specter from Holt’s CIA past.

Holt agrees to put his team of specialists on the trail of Alex’s assailants while he takes on the personal job of protecting the life he inadvertently saved, motivated, in part, by a romantic attraction.

Keeping his mind on protecting Alex could prove difficult, especially when he can’t keep his mind off Alex’s body.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Forest of Thorns and Claws by J.T. Hall

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Forest of Thorns and Claws
Author: J.T. Hall
Heroes: Donovan/Kersen
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 247 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 15, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Donovan McGinnis, a veterinarian and conservationist at a research center in Sumatra, is fighting to save the rainforest from poachers and politicians alike. One day he discovers a tigress trapped by a snare, and while treating her injuries, she bites him. He becomes ill with strange symptoms that leave him feverish and dreaming of the jungle and blood.

Kersen and his family are part of the Harimau jadian, a clan of tiger shifters hidden away in a secret village near the rainforest. When Kersen’s sister is caught, he knows he must free her before she infects someone with their magic and reveals their secret.

But Donovan has already been turned, and only time will tell if he can control the tiger within. Kersen must help him, but will the fierce attraction between the pair bring ruin to them all? With the rainforest under threat from outside forces, they may be doomed anyway, unless Kersen and Donovan can find a way to defeat the danger from inside and out.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Impossible Boy by Anna Martin

Reviewed by Susan65

Title:The Impossible Boy
Author: Anna Martin
Heroes: Ben Easton/Stanislav Novikov
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 204 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 16, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: This is not your average love story.

Ben Easton is not your average romantic hero. He’s a tattooed, badass, wannabe rock star, working in a perfectly horrible dive bar in Camden Town. His life is good, and he’s totally unprepared for how one man will turn it upside down.

Stan isn’t your average heroine. As a gender-fluid man, he proudly wears his blond hair long, his heels sky-high, and his makeup perfectly executed. A fashion industry prodigy, Stan is in London after stints working in Italy and New York City, and he quickly falls for Ben’s devil-may-care attitude and the warm, soft heart Ben hides behind it.

Beneath the perfect, elegant exterior, Stan has plenty of scars from teenage battles with anorexia. And it only takes the slightest slip for his demons to rush back in while Ben is away touring with his band. With the band on the brink of a breakthrough, Ben is forced to find a way to balance the opportunity of a lifetime with caring for his beautiful boyfriend.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Bound Together by Aiden Bates

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Bound Together
Author: Aiden Bates
Heroes: Jesse/Max/Connor
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 172 Pages
Publisher: Aiden Bates
Release Date: May 22, 2016
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Jesse is an unclaimed omega. He’s also been a member of an exceptionally nasty drug cartel in California who’s been wanting to go legit for a long time.

Connor was a mid-level drug runner who turned on his bosses when he found out they were involved with something he couldn’t accept. He’s also a single alpha.

U. S. Marshall Max Sandoval knows that Jesse and Connor’s enemies are all looking for single men. Pairing them up should throw people off their scent, and it saves the Marshalls on housing. Having Connor claim Jesse also ensures that Connor will always have a bodyguard on hand, because Jesse’s skills are valuable and their bond will force Jesse to stay by Connor’s side.

Unfortunately, neither the omega nor the alpha is initially enthusiastic. Neither of them has ever wanted to be part of a claimed pair, and Connor is terrified of forcing himself on an unwilling omega. Mutual reluctance and unfamiliarity leads to misunderstandings, caused by powerful attraction, high stakes and the constant threat of danger.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2016, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Hot Under the Collar by Summer Devon

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Hot Under the Collar
Author: Summer Devon
Series: Love Off the Leash
Heroes: Sam Trevisani/Dan Bailey
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 103 Pages
Publisher: Summer Devon
Release Date: May 15, 2017
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Love dogs and smoking hot men? The Love Off Leash series is for you. Different authors. Unrelated stories. Shared theme of new love and pets.

Attorney Sam Trevisani never thought he’d play the bad guy, but now his job to stop a dog park makes him the enemy of every dog owner in town—and whenever he meets his main opponent, Dan Bailey, the vet gives him the evil eye. Tired of playing for the wrong side, Sam has to find a solution. Maybe the tempting Dr. Bailey can help him find a solution for his restless need for change. Or maybe it’s his attraction to the vet that pushes Sam to pay a late-night visit.

Tired of town politics and manipulative games, Dan has no interest in helping the flashy lawyer. Yet Sam’s dogged interest in him proves oddly appealing. Dan reluctantly allows the attractive lawyer into his house and sparks fly. Sam doesn’t mind hookups, but Dan doesn’t do them–yet in one night, they both change their minds.

Determined to keep Dan from running away from something promising between them, Sam has to get past his attorney uncle, Dan’s pack of misfit dogs, and a powerful but unpleasant client who could end not only the dog park but any chance of romance between the lawyer and the vet.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment