Posts Tagged With: Grief

Book Review: Dark & Dazzling by Elizabeth Varlet

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Dark & Dazzling
Author: Elizabeth Varlet
Series:Sassy Boys #2
Heroes: Azariah “Z” Hayes/Connelly Reid
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 261 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: November 7, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Z doesn’t need a hero…

Azariah “Z” Hayes is a diamond. Equal parts strength and sparkle, he’s more than capable of standing on his own stilettos. So if waiting tables and stripping at The Vibe are what it takes to keep a roof over his head, well, there are worse ways to earn a living.

Connelly is a white knight with a badge…

For NYPD detective Connelly Reid, to serve and protect is just another day at the office—even if that means protecting himself from his own true desires. He’s been curious about Z, his waiter, for months, but it’s not until he sees him in his makeup and heels that the curiosity becomes a fierce attraction. Z, despite all his over-the-top dazzle, might just be the man Connelly has been waiting for his entire life.

But when Connelly investigates underground porn and drug activity with ties to The Vibe, one thing becomes very clear—acting on what he knows is going to hurt Z, financially and emotionally. And though Connelly would love nothing more than to fix all of Z’s problems, no amount of mind-blowing sex can make Z comfortable becoming dependent on his lover. Yet if there’s one thing Connelly knows from his years on the force, it’s this: when things go bad, you need a trusted partner to have your back.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2016, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Fin by Maggie Walsh

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Fin
Author: Maggie Walsh
Series: The Angel Pack #15
Heroes: Jesse/Micah
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 124 Pages
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Release Date: February 14, 2018
Available at:  Siren Publishing
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The battle the pack have all been waiting for is now upon them. Their enemy advances closer as even the world around them falls to total annihilation.

Jesse and Micah try to grasp the severity of the situation while still keeping everyone safe, but soon learn that is not possible. Pulling on their love for one another in hopes that it will see them through, Micah and Jesse step out onto the field of battle, along with those they love, and hold onto their faith that Fate knew what she was doing when she chose them.

As the battle ensues, many surprises are revealed, but a world of heartbreak shatters their resolve. In the end, will they stand victorious or will Hades win and bring the world to its knees in darkness for eternity?

When all is said and done, when the battle is over and the smoke clears, only one remains standing, in a field of blood, but is it one on the side of good or evil?
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Winter Cowboy by R.J. Scott

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Winter Cowboy
Author: R.J. Scott
Series: Whisper Ridge, Wyoming #1
Heroes: Micah Lennox/Daniel Sheridan
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 272 Pages
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Release Date: February 28, 2018
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Micah Lennox left Whisper Ridge after promising the man he loved that he would never return. But the only way he knows to keep his pregnant sister and nephew safe is to go home. Spending winter in Wyoming opens too many old wounds, but he’s on the run from justice which can’t be far behind, and this is his last chance at redemption.

After a hostage situation leaves Doctor Daniel Sheridan struggling with PTSD, he returns to Whisper Ridge. Joining his dad in family practice is a balm to soothe his exhausted soul, and somehow, he finds a peace he can live with. That is until he meets Micah in a frozen graveyard, and the years of anger and feelings of betrayal boiling inside him, erupt.

Two broken men fight and scratch for their lives and that of their families, and somehow, in the middle of it all, they find each other.

Is it possible that love can be rekindled and become a forever to believe in?
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Semblance by Chris E. Saros

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Semblance
Author: Chris E. Saros
Heroes: Drake/Scotty
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 236 Pages
Publisher: DSP Publications
Release Date: February 27, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Drake isn’t looking for justice. He’s not interested in doing what’s right. He’s after one thing and one thing only: revenge. That means taking down the Boredega drug cartel—and the shadowy, seemingly invincible man who heads it—even if he goes down with them.

Drake plans to destroy the cartel from within, and he uses his nightclub, Semblance, as a front for money laundering and drug trafficking. He’s sacrificed almost everything to complete his mission, and just as he’s getting close, he’s derailed by flirtatious bartender Scotty, who offers Drake a glimpse of the happiness he’s missed by pursuing a personal vendetta. Scotty might be irresistible, but Drake has come too far to turn back now. He’ll have to find a way to keep Scotty safe, fend off persistent prostitute Natasha, feed tips to the authorities, and edge his way closer to the upper echelon of the cartel, where he can finally strike. He’ll need to do it all while keeping his intentions covert—and he’s not the only one at Semblance with secrets.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: September by Robert Winter

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: September
Author: Robert Winter
Narrator: Kale Williams
Heroes: David James/Brandon Smith
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 10 Hours, 1 Minute
Publisher: Robert Winter Books
Release Date: February 7, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: David James is smart, successful, handsome… and alone. After the death of his lover, Kyle, from cancer, he buried himself in his law practice and the gym. At forty-eight, he is haunted by his memories and walled off from the world. When David injures himself working out, he’s assigned to Brandon Smith for physical therapy. The vibrant young therapist is attracted to David and realizes he needs a hand to get back into dating. What begins as a practice coffee date escalates to friendship, passion, and maybe something more, as they navigate a new relationship in Washington, DC, and the gay mecca of Provincetown.

But David remains trapped behind the barrier of fear and guilt. Will he remain loyal to Kyle’s memory if he moves on? Can he and Brandon manage a twenty-two-year age gap? Brandon thinks he understands David’s concerns, and for him, the answer to those questions is yes. He wants to be with David, and he believes he can overcome David’s barriers. But Brandon fails to account for the world’s reaction to a handsome young man attached to an older, wealthy lover.

David’s memories, Brandon’s pride, and an unexpected tragedy might cost them something very special…

Note: Another publisher released September previously with a different cover. The author has made only minor changes to this edition.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Omega Stolen by Susi Hawke

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Omega Stolen
Author: Susi Hawke
Series: Northern Lodge Pack #1
Heroes: Jake/Kai
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 122 Pages
Publisher: Susi Hawke
Release Date: July 27, 2017
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: THE LAST THING HE WAS LOOKING FOR…

Jake is an alpha wolf on a mission to find his missing sister, who’s been kidnapped by the Alpha of his former pack. What he didn’t expect to find was a whole group of omega’s being held captive along with her. When he catches the scent of his fated mate among the group of omegas, he knows that he will do whatever it takes to get them all to safety – even if it means taking them all, along with a group of his alpha buddies and forming their own pack, a thousand miles to the north.

WAS THE ONE PERSON HE NEEDED.

Kai was shocked when his own father sold him to the evil Alpha Fremont for a paltry sum of gold. He is befriended by the ragtag group of omegas who also being held in a life of captivity. That is, until the night that a gorgeous Alpha appears, looking to rescue his sister. He takes all of them to safety, along with his studly posse of alpha wolves, moving them all up north to form a new pack.

HIS FATED MATE…THE FATHER OF HIS CHILD?

Kai soon becomes pregnant, settling into his new-found role as the Alpha’s mate, he begins to feel safe for the first time in his life. As his pregnancy progresses, so does the danger, as the former Alpha tracks them down – putting their new pack, and Kai’s future happiness, at risk.

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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Two Man Station by Lisa Henry

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Two Man Station
Author: Lisa Henry
Series: Emergency Services #1
Heroes: Gio Valeri/Jason Quinn
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 273 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: January 22, 2018
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Gio Valeri is a big city police officer who’s been transferred to the small outback town of Richmond with his professional reputation in tatters. His transfer is a punishment, and Gio just wants to keep his head down and survive the next two years. No more mistakes. No more complications.

Except Gio isn’t counting on Jason Quinn.

Jason Quinn, officer in charge of Richmond Station, is a single dad struggling with balancing the demands of shift work with the challenges of raising his son. The last thing he needs is a new senior constable with a history of destroying other people’s careers. But like it or not, Jason has to work with Gio.

In a remote two man station hours away from the next town, Gio and Jason have to learn to trust and rely on each another. Close quarters and a growing attraction mean that the lines between professional and personal are blurring. And even in Richmond, being a copper can be dangerous enough without risking their hearts as well.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Blood Fury by J.R. Ward

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Blood Fury
Author: J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: Black Dagger Legacy #3
Heroes: Peyton/Novo and Saxton/Ruhn
Genre: MF/MM Paranormal
Length: 13 Hours, 10 Minutes
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A vampire aristocrat, Peyton is well aware of his duty to his bloodline: mate with an appropriate female of his class and carry on his family’s traditions. And he thought he’d found his perfect match—until she fell in love with someone else. Yet when his split-second decision in a battle with the enemy endangers the life of another trainee, Peyton has to face the idea that his future, and his heart, actually lie with another.

Novo, as a female in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training program, feels like she has to prove herself to everybody—and she has no interest in being distracted by falling in love. But when Peyton proves to be so much more than a rich playboy, she is forced to confront the tragedy that has broken her soul and closed her off from love.

As the two grapple with Novo’s past and Peyton’s present, another couple must contend with an erotic connection that is unparalleled—and potentially scandalous. Saxton, who has had his heart broken, discovers in himself a deep-seated attraction to Ruhn, a new member of the household. But will the other male explore the connection? Or will he close his mind and his heart to what could be true love . . . and cost Saxton everything?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, M/F, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: For the Living by L.A. Witt

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: For the Living
Author: L.A. Witt
Narrator: Charlie David
Heroes: Jay Warren/Scott Lawson
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 8 Hours, 4 minutes
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: October 26, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: For the last year, Jay Warren has struggled to find the nerve to tell his wife he’s gay. He’s ashamed of hiding it all this time and he doesn’t want to hurt her, so every time he gets the chance to tell her, he freezes up. The guilt has been almost unbearable, but when his wife dies suddenly, Jay’s conscience threatens to eat him alive.

Funeral director Scott Lawson deals with the bereaved every day of his life, and he’s also all too familiar with the inside of the closet. He offers Jay some much-needed compassion and understanding, and from that connection comes a friendship that quickly—perhaps too quickly—turns into something more.

But are grief, guilt, and loneliness the only things tying them together? Or will Scott get tired of being used as an emotional crutch before Jay realizes what he has?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Jared’s Fulfillment by Riley Hart

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Jared’s Fulfillment
Author: Riley Hart
Series: Jared & Kieran #2
Heroes: Jared/Kieran
Genre: MM Contemporary BDSM
Length: 385 Pages
Publisher: Riley Hart
Release Date: November 29, 2017
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Kieran

My relationship with Jared has lasted too long. He’s mesmerizing, beautiful in his devotion, pure in his need. He reaches parts of me I thought no longer existed, places I’d never known were there. His submission is a gift. His cries of pleasure and pain call to the most primal parts of me. I want to inhale him, own him, mark him as mine. He’s my boy and I need to be his Daddy, but my fear holds me back. I’ll fail him like I’ve failed everyone else I’ve loved. Before that happens, I’ll walk away.

Jared

I’ve never known security, love, or true pleasure before Kieran. With every touch, every command, every second of blissful, torturous pain, my heart grows and my soul is at peace. He protects me, spoils me, gives me what I need. Still, in some ways, he’s closed off and won’t let me in. But Kieran’s given me strength. I’ve evolved, and won’t accept less than I deserve…and I won’t let Daddy accept less than he deserves, either.

It’s a delicate balance: give and take, pleasure and pain. Together we can break each other down to our purest forms and build each other up again. Kieran always says I’m stronger than I think, but I know that together we’re invincible…if only he’d believe me.

We have two choices: say goodbye or fight for what’s always been out of both our reaches…fulfillment.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment