Posts Tagged With: PTSD

S.A. Meade Week Review: Stolen Summer

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Stolen Summer
Author: S.A. Meade
Heroes: Evan/Colin
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 210 Pages
Publisher: Totally Bound
Release Date: August 29, 2011
Available at:  Totally Bound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  The horror of Evan and Colin’s stolen summer may be over but the nightmares remain. Can their love survive the fallout?

The last thing journalist Evan Harrison expects to hear, when he returns from covering the war in Afghanistan, is that his best friend, Colin Williams, is in love with him.

Colin, an Oxford Professor with a poet’s soul and a roving eye, turns out to be a temptation Evan can’t resist. What he discovers is that sex with Colin is hot, wild and relentless. The two of them embark on a passionate affair and Evan knows he’s going to spend his days with Colin – after one last assignment.

A western journalist in Pakistan is too tempting a target for local insurgents. Evan’s ‘Oh-shit’ sense fails dismally when he is taken hostage and spends four months refusing to let his captors grind him down by clinging to memories of the lover he left behind. Freedom from captivity, however, doesn’t bring freedom from terror. The legacy of Evan’s ordeal results in meltdowns and nightmares that threaten to destroy his life with Colin. He can’t even seek comfort in lovemaking because the pills intended to save his sanity kill his desire.

Evan seizes a chance to put his nightmares behind him by taking one final assignment, covering unrest in Jordan. Colin sees Evan’s decision as the end of a relationship he fought hard to save. If Evan makes it back to England in one piece, winning Colin back will be the toughest assignment he’s ever faced.
Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2011 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Never Let It Go by Emily Moreton

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Never Let It Go
Author: Emily Moreton
Series: Mended 2014 Daily Dose Anthology
Heroes: Will Jones/Isaac Andrews/Ade Drew
Genre: MMM Contemporary
Length: 26 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 1, 2014
Available at:  Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  After being seriously injured in an explosion, Will Jones is sent home from Afghanistan—alone. Struggling with the physical and psychological effects of his injuries is hard enough without worrying about the other two-thirds of his threesome, Isaac Andrews and Ade Drew, who are are still on assignment. When Will hears that their unit is being recalled to the US early, it should be good news, but Will knows how quickly things can go wrong. He’s not willing to trust until he can lay eyes— and hands—on the men he loves.
Continue reading

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Flesh Cartel #17: Boxed In by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: The Flesh Cartel #17: Boxed In
Author: Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz
Series: The Flesh Cartel #17
Heroes: Mat/Doug
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 64 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: June 2, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing; Amazon; Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: In the exciting final season of the Flesh Cartel . . .

With the help of the FBI, Mat Carmichael has let himself be re-taken by the Flesh Cartel. Objective? Rescue his brother, exact revenge, and destroy the entire organization from the inside.

FBI Special Agent Nate Johnson will be playing backup, of course, but to get Dougie out alive, Mat will need to make sure his brother is out of Allen’s clutches before calling in the troops. Now that Mat’s back in bondage, though, there’s no way he can do it alone. He’ll have to ask for help from the only man within the Cartel who cares about Dougie’s welfare: Nikolai. And even knowing it will destroy him, Nikolai delivers.

Bringing down the Cartel should have been the hardest part, but it doesn’t take long to realize that the real challenge has only just begun. Dougie doesn’t know how to be free anymore, and Mat is forced to admit that he may no longer be strong enough to help himself, let alone his brother. But with loved ones in their corner and their love for each other banked but not extinguished, Mat and Dougie learn that you can come home again, no matter how desperate the circumstances you’ve left behind..

Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes: dubious consent, explicit violence, non-consent.

Continue reading

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

Book Review: Daylight Again by SE Jakes

Reviewed by Susan65 and JustJen

Daylight Again (Hell or High Water, #3)Title: Daylight Again
Author: SE Jakes
Series: Hell or Highwater #3
Heroes: Elijah “Prophet” Drews and Tommy Boudreaux
Genre: M/M Action
Length: 265 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 5, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Before Prophet Drews can have a future, he must first put his past to rest.

Prophet Drews is a man on the edge, and he’s pulling Tom Boudreaux, his partner on the job and in real life, right over with him. When his old CO calls in a favor, Prophet asks Tom to join the off-the-grid rescue. But the mission raises all of Prophet’s old ghosts: CIA assassins, the terrorist Sadiq, and most importantly, John—traitor, former teammate, and Prophet’s first love.

To help bury those ghosts for good, Prophet and Tom gather the members of Prophet’s former SEAL team . . . and a spook named Cillian who’s been tailing Prophet for years. In the process, Prophet is forced to face his team’s shifting loyalties, ghosts who refuse to stay dead, and scariest of all, his own limitations.

With everyone’s lives in danger, Prophet and Tom must unravel a tangled knot of secrets, including their own. Prophet must decide how much to reveal to Tom, while Tom must decide how far he’s willing to go to help Prophet lay his ghosts to rest.

Continue reading

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Book Review: The Flesh Cartel #16: To the Victor by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz

Reviewed by JustJen

The Flesh Cartel #16: To the VictorTitle: The Flesh Cartel #16: To the Victor
Author: Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz
Series: The Flesh Cartel #16
Heroes: Mat/Doug
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 58 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: May 5, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: In the exciting final season of the Flesh Cartel . . .

With the help of the FBI, Mat Carmichael has let himself be re-taken by the Flesh Cartel. Objective? Rescue his brother, exact revenge, and destroy the entire organization from the inside.

FBI Special Agent Nate Johnson will be playing backup, of course, but to get Dougie out alive, Mat will need to make sure his brother is out of Allen’s clutches before calling in the troops. Now that Mat’s back in bondage, though, there’s no way he can do it alone. He’ll have to ask for help from the only man within the Cartel who cares about Dougie’s welfare: Nikolai. And even knowing it will destroy him, Nikolai delivers.

Bringing down the Cartel should have been the hardest part, but it doesn’t take long to realize that the real challenge has only just begun. Dougie doesn’t know how to be free anymore, and Mat is forced to admit that he may no longer be strong enough to help himself, let alone his brother. But with loved ones in their corner and their love for each other banked but not extinguished, Mat and Dougie learn that you can come home again, no matter how desperate the circumstances you’ve left behind..

Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes: dubious consent, explicit violence, non-consent.

Continue reading

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

Book Review: Spencer by J.P. Barnaby

Reviewed by Susan65

Spencer (Survivor Stories #3)Title: Spencer
Author: J.P. Barnaby
Series: Survivor Stories #3
Heroes: Aaron Downing and Spencer Thomas
Genre: M/M Contemporary/Family Drama
Length: 216 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: March 21, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: It’s been nearly five years since Aaron woke up in the hospital so broken, he couldn’t stand the sight of his own face. The flashbacks no longer dominate his life, but he’s still unable to find intimacy with his lover, Spencer Thomas. With time, patience, and the support of his family, his therapist, and his loving partner, Aaron has figured out how to live again. The problem is, Spencer hasn’t. His life has been on hold as he waits for the day he and Aaron can have a normal relationship. Hoping to move things forward for them both, he takes a job as a programmer in downtown Chicago, leaving Aaron alone.

Reeling in the wake of Spencer’s absence, Aaron receives another shock when his attackers are caught.

Now, he must testify and verbalize his worst nightmare. Publicly reliving his trauma without Spencer at his side destroys his precarious control. But he finds someone who can understand and empathize in Jordan, who watched his brother cut down in a school shooting. With Spencer gone and the DA knocking at his door, Aaron seeks solace in Jordan, and Spencer will have to risk everything to hold on to Aaron’s love.

Continue reading

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

KC Burn Week Review: Cover Up

Reviewed by Nikyta

Cover Up (Toronto Tales, #2)Title: Cover Up
Author: KC Burn
Series: Toronto Tales #2
Heroes: Ivan & Parker
Genre: M/M Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: 236 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 14, 2012
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Awake and Alive by Garrett Leigh

Reviewed by JustJen

Awake and AliveTitle: Awake and Alive
Author: Garrett Leigh
Heroes: Jed Cooper/Max O’Dair
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 34 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: April 11, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A Missing Moment from Only Love

After a successful surgery relieves Jed of the illness that nearly killed him, he returns home to slowly recover with Max. With time to reconnect, Max shows him a new way to love. Now at a crossroads and facing a new life, Jed must listen to his friends and family to learn how to move forward.

Continue reading

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

Book Review: Only Love by Garrett Leigh

Reviewed by JustJen

Only LoveTitle: Only Love
Author: Garrett Leigh
Heroes: Jed Cooper/Max O’Dair
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 274 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner
Release Date: April 11, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: The diagnosis of a chronic stomach condition leaves thirty-two-year-old Sergeant Jed Cooper with little choice but to call time on his Army career. Then on the dusty streets of Kirkuk, an ambush gone tragically wrong decimates his team, and he returns to the US with a shattered leg and the memory of his best friend dying in his arms.

Life in his sleepy hometown proves intolerable until he finds solace in a lakeside cabin with vivacious young carpenter, Max O’Dair. In the shadow of the epilepsy that periodically plagues Max, he and Jed form an unspoken bond. After a late night episode, Jed realizes how much Max means to him, and life has taught him not to waste time.

But the lines between contentment and complacency are blurred. Things left hidden resurface to tear through their world, and before they can repair the damage, death comes to call again. Faces, past and present, rally around them to weather the storm, but before long, they are left with only love.

Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Finding Peace by T.A. Chase

Reviewed by Nikyta

Finding PeaceTitle: Finding Peace
Author: T.A. Chase
Series: Nowhere Diner #2
Heroes: Chad & Zane
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 41,000 words
Publisher: Amber Allure
Release Date: March 24, 2014
Available at: Amber Allure, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Chad Mitchell is on a downward spiral and he’s not sure how to stop it. Between the flashbacks of fighting in Afghanistan and the alcohol, he feels like he’s losing his mind. And if he’s not careful, he knows he might lose more than that. Working at Cookie’s Diner is a chance at working through his problems, yet his demons are stronger than he thinks.

Sergeant Zane Smithson comes to the diner in the middle of nowhere to check up on Chad. The men had served together in Afghanistan, and even back then, Zane had been interested in Chad, who had served under him. But when Zane got home, he had his own demons to beat before he could help his troubled comrade. Now, once Zane finds Chad, he sees there is more to the man’s problems than just flashbacks of war.

When a confrontation between them leads Chad to the depths of a bottle, Zane realizes they both need help to find peace in their lives… Continue reading

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments