Posts Tagged With: High School

Book Review: I’ll See You Again by Chris Bedell

Reviewed by Astros

Title: I’ll See You Again
Author: Chris Bedell
Heroes: Cyrus & Nico
Genre: YA M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 227 pages
Publisher: Deep Hearts YA
Release Date: March 6, 2020
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: It’s the start of his senior year, and Cyrus should be worried about college applications, procrastinating on homework, and staying up past his bedtime. And he does, until his mother’s cancer returns.

To make matters worse, Nico Valentine—the person Cyrus hates most—insists on being his friend. Carefree, flirtatious, and spontaneous, Nico is everything Cyrus’s childhood never allowed him to be. When their English teacher offers Cyrus extra credit to tutor Nico, Cyrus knows he shouldn’t accept. He could use the distraction, though.

A fling soon ensues, and Cyrus realizes they have more in common than he thought. What is more, Nico is the first person who seems to get him and who is there no matter what. But, if Cyrus wants his romance with Nico to turn into something real, he’ll have to do something he’s never done before—be vulnerable with another person.

Adam Silvera’s HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME meets Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE in this tale of heartbreak and second chances.

Content Advisory:
This novel contains discussions and scenes of self-harm and suicide ideation.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2020 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Kissing Lessons by Susan Laine

Reviewed by Morgan 

Title: Kissing Lessons
Author: Susan Laine
Series: Before…And After #2
Heroes: Merry/Boone
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 81 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: April 26, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  A kiss is just a kiss. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Does it?

At seventeen, Merry’s never been kissed. Since he doesn’t want to disappoint his prom date, he asks his more experienced best friend, Boone, for some pointers. Surprisingly, Boone agrees to give him a hands-on lesson.

But they have no idea what they’re getting into.

They explore hundreds of ways to make out, but somehow it isn’t enough. A week later, they’re back together for another session. This time things go further than either of them planned, and their relationship becomes awkward and uncomfortable.

Have they learned enough to salvage their friendship and help it evolve? Their lessons have come to an end. They can either part ways forever… or share a true love’s kiss.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Trailer Trash by Marie Sexton

Reviewed by Morgan

trailertrash_audiobook-1Title: Trailer Trash
Author: Marie Sexton
Narrator: John Solo
Heroes: Nate Bradford/Cody Lawrence
Genre: MM Historical
Length: 9 Hours, 43 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: October 19, 2016
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: It’s 1986, and what should have been the greatest summer of Nate Bradford’s life goes sour when his parents suddenly divorce. Now, instead of spending his senior year in his hometown of Austin, Texas, he’s living with his father in Warren, Wyoming, population 2,833 (and Nate thinks that might be a generous estimate). There’s no swimming pool, no tennis team, no mall—not even any MTV. The entire school’s smaller than his graduating class back home, and in a town where the top teen pastimes are sex and drugs, Nate just doesn’t fit in.

Then Nate meets Cody Lawrence. Cody’s dirt-poor, from a broken family, and definitely lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Nate’s dad says Cody’s bad news. The other kids say he’s trash. But Nate knows Cody’s a good kid who’s been dealt a lousy hand. In fact, he’s beginning to think his feelings for Cody go beyond friendship.

Admitting he might be gay is hard enough, but between small-town prejudices and the growing AIDS epidemic dominating the headlines, a town like Warren, Wyoming, is no place for two young men to fall in love.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Spy Stuff by Matthew J. Metzger

Reviewed by Morgan 

29775399Title: Spy Stuff
Author: Matthew J. Metzger
Heroes: Anton/Jude
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 226 Pages
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: April 30, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Anton never thought anyone would ever want to date him. Everyone knows nobody wants a transgender boyfriend, right? So he’s as shocked as anyone when seemingly-straight Jude Kalinowski asks him out, and doesn’t appear to be joking.

The only problem is … well, Jude doesn’t actually know.

Anton can see how this will play out: Jude is a nice guy, and nice guys finish last. And Anton is transgender, and transgender people don’t get happy endings. If he tells Jude, it might destroy everything.

And if Jude tells anyone else … it will.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dual Book Review: They Called Him Nightmare by Deja Black

Reviewed by Morgan and Nikyta

30297970Title: They Called Him Nightmare
Author: Deja Black
Series: 2016 Daily Dose – A Walk on the Wild Side
Heroes: Kai Bennu/Alec Vasilios
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 26 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 1, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Growing up, Kai Bennu was taunted for skin dark as midnight and his otherworldly appearance. They called him Nightmare, but Alec Vasilios, a wealthy and powerful businessman, wants to call Kai his own. Kai’s past has left him with little trust in others and even more reluctance to surrender himself to Alec’s power. With both men harboring supernatural secrets, finding common ground won’t come without sacrifice.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Believing Rory by S.C. Wynne

Reviewed by Morgan 

29746687Title: Believing Rory
Author: S.C. Wynne
Heroes: Lane Graham/Baron MacDonald
Genre: MM/NA Contemporary
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: April 29, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Will Rory bring them together or stand between them?

Eighteen-year-old Lane Graham has always relied on his braver, more confident buddy, Rory. But Rory’s sudden suicide blindsides Lane and sends him into an emotional tailspin. How’s he supposed to start college in a few months feeling this damaged?

Baron MacDonald knew Rory from playing League of Legends together. He was always intrigued by Lane’s online presence, and Rory had promised to set them up. Now that Rory’s gone, Baron has to approach Lane on his own.

On the surface, Baron and Lane couldn’t seem more different. Baron is confident and serious, and Lane is guarded and uncertain. But it’s the pain beneath the flesh that binds these two souls together like barbed wire and cement.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Another Shot by J.H. Knight

Reviewed by Susan65

27056340Title: Another Shot
Author: J.H. Knight
Series: Heartsville
Heroes: Aaron Forester/Brad Collins
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 74 Pages
Publisher: J.H. Knight
Release Date: October 28, 2015
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The town of Heartsville means something different to everyone who lives there. For Aaron Forester, it’s a gay-friendly buffer between himself and the rest of the world. After being outed in high school and bullied to the point of violence, his family uprooted their lives and relocated to the small hamlet. He’s moved on from all that and now owns a popular café in the bustling shopping district. But after twenty years of happy living, Aaron’s past creeps up on him in the most unexpected way.

Brad Collins only has one regret and he’s carried it with him since he was a teenager. When he moves to Heartsville and gets set up on a blind date with the most adorable, engaging man he’s met in a long time, he couldn’t be happier. But Brad didn’t expect the guy to be the person he outed in high school—whom he’s now falling in love with.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: By That Sin Fell the Angels by Jamie Fessenden

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: By That Sin Fell the Angels
Author: Jamie Fessenden
Heroes: Terry Bachelder/Jonah Riverside
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 210 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: August 29, 2012
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: It begins with a 3:00 a.m. telephone call. On one end is Terry Bachelder, a closeted teacher. On the other, the suicidal teenage son of the local preacher. When Terry fails to prevent disaster, grief rips the small town of Crystal Falls apart.

At the epicenter of the tragedy, seventeen-year-old Jonah Riverside tries to make sense of it all. Finding Daniel’s body leaves him struggling to balance his sexual identity with his faith, while his church, led by the Reverend Isaac Thompson, mounts a crusade to destroy Terry, whom Isaac believes corrupted his son and caused the boy to take his own life.

Having quietly crushed on his teacher for years, Jonah is determined to clear Terry’s name. That quest leads him to Eric Jacobs, Daniel’s true secret lover, and to get involved in Eric’s plan to shake up their small-minded town. Meanwhile, Rev. Thompson struggles to make peace between his religious convictions and the revelation of his son’s homosexuality. If he can’t, he leaves the door open for the devil—and for a second tragedy to follow.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2012, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Turning 16 by Perie Wolford and Michelle Doering

Guest Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: Turning 16
Author: Perie Wolford/Michelle Doering
Series: Turning 16 #1
Heroes: Sam and Mitch
Genre: M/M YA Contemporary
Length: 161 Pages
Publisher: Perie Wolford/Michelle Doering
Release Date: May 5, 2014
Available at:  Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  New Gay Series To Pay Tribute To Sixteen Candles Movie and Other Awesome John Hughes Movies (The Second Edition)

Sam never liked his birthdays because not a single one of them was happy… When he turned 1, he fell face-down into his birthday cake; when he turned 5, he broke his left arm and when he turned 7, he broke his right arm and his left leg; when he turned 12, his house caught fire. Now Sam is about to turn 16 and he is dreading the day. The only birthday wish he has is for Jake who is the Mr. Popular of Arcadia High to even acknowledge his existence, or better yet give him a happy-birthday kiss.

But Sam knows that it’s not gonna happen. Or is it?

Disclaimer: The plot of the books substantially varies from the John Hughes movies and all the references to the movies are made as a tribute to their awesomeness.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: The Rekindling of Love by Derrick Knight

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: 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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment