Posts Tagged With: PTSD

Book Review: The Courage to Heal by Hunter Frost

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: The Courage to Heal
Author: Hunter Frost
Heroes: Wade Carter/Jesse Okenah
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 57 Pages
Publisher: JMS Books, LLC
Release Date: May 17, 2015
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Former U.S. Army Sergeant Wade Carter returned from Afghanistan a broken man. Permanently injured and weighed down with PTSD, his scars run deeper than flesh and bone. When his regular physical therapist is taken ill, the sexy replacement doctor has Wade wishing he’d touch much more of his body than his busted leg.

Dr. Jesse Okenah isn’t a beginner when it comes to working with veterans, but his new patient stirs up feelings that go beyond professional. It’s Wade’s wounded soul, more than his mangled leg, that needs TLC in order for him to live a healthy, fulfilling life again. Jesse just needs to figure out how to deliver that care to the stubborn vet without crossing a line — and losing his heart.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: No Matter What by K.A. Merikan

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: No Matter What
Author: K.A. Merikan
Series: Sex & Mayhem #4
Heroes: Ghost/Luca
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 176 Pages
Publisher: Acerbi & Villani Ltd.
Release Date: April 25, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  — A gentle heart has no place in an outlaw’s chest —

 

Ghost. Not a member of the Coffin Nails MC. Not a doctor anymore. Not gay.
Luca. Bent, not broken. Will not let go of Ghost. No matter what.

Ghost finds out the hard way that people you meet online aren’t always who they seem to be. When he met ‘Zara’ five years ago, they became inseparable. She’s been with him through the rough and the smooth. He’s been there for her when her abusive boyfriend had her in tears.

She is The One, and despite all his friends considering him crazy, Ghost is about to propose.

But ‘Zara’ turns out to be Luca, and Luca is most definitely a guy. Yet Luca is the same person with big dark eyes, so desperate to be saved that Ghost can’t help but fall head first.

Luca’s so-called boyfriend is not just abusive. He is a Sicilian drug lord, a man dangerous and ruthless. If Ghost is to ever save the person who wreaked havoc on his heart, he has to make a deal with the Coffin Nails MC. But being a member is a destiny he’s always tried to avoid. And when a life of violence becomes too much to bear, he might be the one needing Luca to catch him when he falls.

WARNING: Adult content. Explicit gay sex, strong language, violence, potentially triggering sexual abuse scenes. Reader discretion advised.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Out of the Blue by R.J. Jones

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Out of the Blue
Author: R.J. Jones
Heroes: Cameron Cooper/Jake Montgomery
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 186 Pages
Publisher: R.J. Jones
Release Date: March 27, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When everything happens Out of the Blue…

Lt Cameron Cooper has been with the San Francisco Fire Department for fifteen years. He’s seen and dealt with a lot of horrifying situations. He’s always considered himself mentally tough, but when he attends a multi-vehicle accident and sees a dead boy with features remarkably similar to his long-time boyfriend, his mental health takes a hit.

All Jake Montgomery wants is to propose to his boyfriend on their ten-year anniversary. He’s already bought the perfect rings, but when Cameron struggles to look at him after a tragic accident, he has doubts about their future. Cam is withdrawing, and Jake doesn’t know why.

With heated arguments and cold shoulders, Cam and Jake’s life starts to fall apart. Just when Cam thinks he can overcome his issues and finally talk to Jake, memories from Jake’s past threaten to push them apart forever.

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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2015, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Everything Changes
Author: Melanie Hansen
Heroes: Carey Everett/Jase DeSantis
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: March 13, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  What happens when friendship catches fire?

Former Marine and lower-leg amputee Carey Everett keeps a grueling schedule of counseling fellow war veterans and their families. The injury he received in Afghanistan forces him to rely on a reserve of strength he didn’t even know he had. A much deserved vacation will let him reconnect with his best friend, who saved his life and has been there for him through devastating injury and painful recovery.

Part-time EMT and aspiring singer Jase DeSantis has been in love with Carey for years, but he’s come to accept that his straight friend will never be able to offer more. Jase fills his days with band rehearsals, ambulance shifts, and willing groupies, all while trying to cope with debilitating PTSD.

A week of sun, fun, and music in San Diego changes Jase and Carey’s lives forever when their relationship takes an unexpected turn. Jase has been longing for that change, but it leaves Carey reeling with confusion. As Jase fights to hold things together, Carey deals with doubts, fears, and his own preconceived notions about labels and the true nature of love.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Strangers in the Night by Jaycee Edward and Helena Stone

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Strangers in the Night
Authors: Jaycee Edward and Helena Stone
Series: Strangers #1
Heroes: Slade/Callum
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 51 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: March 11, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  When Army veteran, Slade, stumbles upon an isolated cottage on a cold, dark, night, the young man finds more than just the shelter he’s seeking.

Former club Dominant Callum is surprised to find a handsome stranger knocking at his door but invites him in despite his reservations. A nightmare reveals Slade’s deep-seated emotional issues, and Callum knows he needs to get creative if he’s going to help Slade leave the past behind.

Neither man is prepared for the feelings Slade’s introduction into the world of BDSM will unleash, and thirty-six hours will either be enough to bind them, or they will remain forever strangers in the night.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Losing Control by Riley Hart

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Losing Control
Author: Riley Hart
Series: Broken Pieces #3
Heroes: Ben/Dante
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 225 Pages
Publisher: Riley Hart
Release Date: February 27, 2015
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  On the surface, Ben seems to have it all: money, influence, good looks. He smiles and jokes in all the right places, but it’s all a façade. Inside he’s a wreck, and it’s only getting worse. With his Congressman father using Ben’s recent kidnapping for his own political agenda, and Ben still struggling to get over the only guy he’s ever loved, he feels like he’s losing his grip on reality and he’s quickly spiraling out of control.

Then he meets Dante, an enigma of a man with as much self-hatred as Ben has. In Dante, Ben finds what he didn’t know he needed: Dante’s control, his power, is the only thing that clears the fog in Ben’s brain. For the first time in his life, Ben has a lover who just might need Ben as much as Ben needs him. When they’re together, the demons from their pasts don’t lurk so heavily on their shoulders.

But Dante can’t fix him. Not when a memory from Ben’s past is haunting him in ways he doesn’t understand, waiting for him to put together the missing pieces in his head…and what he discovers just might have the power to break him for good.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: His Soldier by Anna Lee

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: His Soldier
Author: Anna Lee
Heroes: Ryder Brooks/Dean Anders
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Totally Bound
Release Date: March 6, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Sometimes you find love where you least expect it, for Sergeant Ryder Brooks that’s writing letters home to Dean Anders, his army pen pal…
After a tragedy, in a way to honor his brother and try to cope, Dean becomes a army pen pal to Sergeant Ryder Brooks. The two connect through letters and phone calls for a year, falling in love and making plans to meet when Ryder finishes his tour. However, in an effort to save one of his men who steps on a mine, Ryder loses his leg. Broken and depressed, he doesn’t think Dean will want him. But once Dean learns what happens, he immediately goes to Ryder, determined to help him heal and show him that he loves him no matter what. Ryder has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but with Dean’s support, he realizes his life isn’t over, it’s just beginning if he’ll only give them a chance.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: A Gorgeous Mess by Layla Wolfe

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: A Gorgeous Mess
Author: Layla Wolfe
Series: The Bent Zealots MC #2
Heroes: Anson/Ormond
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 250 Pages
Publisher: Layla Wolfe
Release Date: February 26, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
ANSON: I was just a mercenary back from fighting the good fight overseas. I was on a quest for my father, my roots, looking for answers. Turk Blackburn, Bent Zealots MC Prez, ordered me on a fresh operation to prove myself, my guts, my valor. Infiltrate the Navajo Rez and find out who is claiming the Zealots’ turf, using kids to cook drugs.

My partner is the famous badge slut, Ormond Tangier, known far and wide for his mad oral skills, his subservience to anyone in uniform. Mercenaries don’t wear badges, but my dominant side soon has me all over that seductive Spanish servant. A man may as well have a few laughs while on a fatal mission. Because these things never end pleasantly.

ORMOND: I was flung into a life-or-death battle against the slimy Iceman, leader of a rival MC. Iceman is running all sorts of questionable ops on Bent Zealots land, and now Anson and I have to prove our street creds just to stake a claim in our own backyard.

I’m a friend of cops, firemen, and soldiers alike, but suddenly I only want one man ordering me around. Anson Dineyazzie, macho half-breed hired gun, has stolen more than just my heart. This was never supposed to happen.

ANSON: I swear I’m never falling for that service bottom Ormond. I’m accomplishing this op and going back to Afghanistan. But I have to wrest control of this Rez land from Iceman and the lethal hit man who has been trailing us. I’d bury anyone who got between me and Ormond. Does that mean I’m in love? God, I hope not. Don’t think I can take that again. Just need to get back onto the open road and blow the dust from my soul.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Early Review: Every Little Kiss by Kendra Leigh Castle

Guest Reviewed by Ami

1Title: Every Little Kiss
Author: Kendra Leigh Castle
Series: Harvest Cove #2
Heroine/Hero: Emma Henry/Seth Anderson
Genre: M/F Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 Pages
Publisher: Penguin/Signet
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  The second novel featuring small New England town of Harvest Cove, where the residents know that Emma Henry likes things nice and orderly—but everyone has to let loose sometimes…

Event planner Emma Henry is used to focusing all her attention on reaching her goals and letting romance fall by the wayside. But when her sister Sam’s bachelorette party prompts the most tightly-wound Henry to let her hair down, Emma’s night ends with the entire town linking her to a man who could lay waste to anyone’s best-laid plans.

Army vet Seth Andersen thought that joining the police department in sleepy Harvest Cove would offer a quiet, normal life. But when he finds himself responsible for uptight Emma Henry at the end of her wildest night ever, his world turns unexpectedly complicated—and he’s surprised to discover he doesn’t mind at all…

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, M/F, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Wait For Me by B.J. Grinder and T.S. McKinney

Reviewed by JustJen

aTitle: Wait for Me
Authors: B.J. Grinder and T.S. McKinney
Heroes: Susannah and Jasper
Genre: MF Contemporary
Length: 404 Pages
Publisher: Dark Hollows Press
Release Date: November 5, 2014
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Susannah is a dominatrix and FBI agent. Jasper is a younger submissive who wants to surrender to her every desire. The dominant side of her wants him badly, but the age gap holds her back. Susannah’s first assignment introduces her to the sickening world of human trafficking. Jasper, a genius with computers, jumps at the chance to do anything that will allow him to spend time with Susannah.

When Susannah is betrayed; Jasper is abducted. Will Susannah rescue Jasper before too much damage is done to his body…and soul? Will she get the chance to prove her love?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, M/F, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment