Posts Tagged With: trust issues

Book Review: Keeping a Warrior by Melanie Hanson

Reviewed by Susan65

warriorTitle: Keeping a Warrior
Author: Melanie Hanson
Series:  Loving a Warrior #2
Heroes: Devon Lowe & Rhys Halloran/Shane Hovland and Matt Knytych
Genre: MF & MM Contemporary
Length: 77,000
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: April 29, 2019
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Sometimes the only hope for the walking wounded is in each other’s arms.

Devon Lowe is a survivor.

A survivor of war. Of combat. And of a betrayal by men she considered her brothers-in-arms. But her trailblazing work as a Cultural Support Team member working alongside the navy SEALs is too important for her to back down now.

Fresh off a painful breakup, air force pararescueman Rhys Halloran recognizes Devon’s trauma for what it is—something that’s left her isolated but far from irreparably damaged.

With Devon’s trust still lying shattered back in Afghanistan, putting her faith in a man who’s nursing a broken heart isn’t easy. But she’s tired of people making her feel weak, and Rhys makes her feel anything but, sparking a heated attraction that was never part of the plan.

With all eyes on Devon to prove herself in a brutal man’s world, having it all will mean putting her heart on the line like never before. But when it comes to Rhys, it’s an uphill battle she’s ready to fight.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, M/F, Published in 2019, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Staggered Cove Station by Elle Brownlee

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Staggered Cove Station
Author: Elle Brownlee
Narrator: Colin Darcy
Series: Coast Guard Rescue #1
Heroes: Dan Farnsworth/Karl Radin
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 6 Hours, 11 Minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: April 20, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Rescues are wild in the Alaskan terrain. So is romance.

Sun-kissed California guardsman Dan Farnsworth might be at home in the water, but he’s out of his element at remote, rugged, and freezing Staggered Cove Station. Acclimating proves hard enough, but he’s also digging into how the station’s previous rescue swimmer was lost at sea. Was it an operation gone bad or something more sinister? Add to that the instant tension between him and his partner—no-nonsense Alaska-born Karl Radin—and Dan has his hands full.

As his investigation heats up, so does the attraction between Dan and Karl, even if they don’t completely trust each other. But as suspicious events escalate to sabotage, Dan starts to fear that he and Karl won’t get the chance to become more than reluctant coworkers.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Dirty Deeds by S.E. Jakes

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: Dirty Deeds
Author: S.E. Jakes
Narrator: Dorian Bane
Series: Dirty Deeds #1
Heroes: Cillian/Mal
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 2 Hours, 30 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: April 12, 2018
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Two seasoned operatives finally meet their match: each other.

Cillian works for the mysterious Special Branch 20: an organization that runs black ops commissioned by the British government. His specialty is deep undercover assignments with virtually no support. He’s been alone for so long that he no longer knows anything else.

Mal’s also used to being alone. Wanted in several states and even more countries, he’s not allowed in the vicinity of any of his former Navy SEAL teammates. And his current assignment is to track Cillian in order to discover the spook’s endgame. Except he’s no longer sure which one of them is getting played.

Cillian isn’t about to let the mission that’s consumed him for the past several years crumble because an outsider is poking around where he doesn’t belong. But Mal forces his way through Cillian’s defenses—and into his heart—exposing a devastating betrayal that could destroy them both.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Brave & Beautiful by Elizabeth Varlet

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Brave & Beautiful
Author: Elizabeth Varlet
Series: Sassy Boyz #3
Heroes: Tameron “Tam” Kis/Driver Ellis
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 249 Pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: October 9, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Sexy, seductive and hiding dark secrets, the Sassy Boyz return to the stage in Brave & Beautiful

There’s only one relationship that matters to Tameron “Tam” Kis—his love affair with dance. Life’s been pretty shitty, but dance got him through it and now he’s ready to focus on what he loves. He doesn’t have the bandwidth for any distractions—especially not his sexy, not-quite-straight new neighbor.

Driver Ellis doesn’t need anything but his bike and the open road. He wouldn’t trade his drifter lifestyle for anything…until his friend calls in a favor and Driver suddenly finds himself pet-sitting. Driver isn’t thrilled being stuck in one place, though things start to look up when he sets eyes on the gorgeous girl next door.

There’s just one problem… She isn’t a girl at all.

All it takes is one spontaneous dance to turn both Driver’s and Tam’s worlds upside down. They might not have been looking for love, but as things heat up between them, it’s clear life has very different plans.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Losing It by Christine D’Abo

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Losing It
Author: Christine D’Abo
Series: Ringside Romance #4
Heroes: Finn Miller/Jason McCormisk
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 229 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: February 19, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Finn Miller doesn’t do social. He works his IT job from home as often as he can to avoid people. If it weren’t for his weekly training sessions at Ringside Gym, he might never leave his apartment. And he only does that because of Leo, the gym member he’s in love with. When Finn gets talked into attending a speed dating fundraiser at the gym, his greatest wish is to have the courage to try to say something—anything—to Leo.

Justin McCormick has spent most of his adult life being used, whether playing a corporate heavy, or acting as guard dog for his ward. So when he leaves Vancouver for a fresh start in Toronto, he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself.

The moment Justin sees Finn at a speed dating event, he knows there’s no way he’ll make it without a little help, so he offers to coach Finn on the art of conversation. What he doesn’t count on is his unexpected attraction to this shy boxer, or his fear that if Finn gets his way, Justin might lose out on his best chance at love.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Chief’s Mess by L.A. Witt

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: Chief’s Mess
Author: L.A. Witt
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Series: Anchor Point #3
Heroes: Anthony/Noah
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 7 Hours, 45 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Anthony Talbot is in Anchor Point to visit family, but after two days of strife, he needs a break. A local gay bar is calling his name.

When Chief Noah Jackson sees that red head stroll into the club, he immediately wants him. They’re perfectly matched, and before long, they’re burning up the sheets. Noah can’t get enough. Anthony can’t stay in Oregon for long, but as soon as he leaves, he’s counting down the days until he can fly back for more. And between his increasingly frequent visits, there’s always phone sex, sexting, webcams . . . anything they can get.

But Noah’s got a carefully crafted façade, and Anthony can’t help noticing the slowly forming cracks. The scent of alcohol in the middle of the day. The extra drinks at dinner. The hint of red in his eyes. Anthony knows what it means. He doesn’t want to believe it, but he’s seen this before, and there’s no denying it. If Noah doesn’t get his downward spiral under control, he’s going to lose both his career and the first man he’s ever really loved.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Published in 2018, 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: Wet Heat by R.D. Hero

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: Wet Heat
Author: R.D. Hero
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Heroes: Cain/Lee
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 2 Hours, 41 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Most omega werewolves want a mate and pups, but Lee Aung prefers an unconventional party-boy lifestyle. Yet at forty-two, he’s stopped going into heat, which means he’s expired goods—no longer a fertile, young omega that alpha wolves drool over. So Lee uses Wet Heat, a synthetic pheromone, to reel in the alpha hookups.

After losing his job at the bank, Lee can’t afford to keep up his Wet Heat habit. His solution: scam free samples by pretending to be a happily mated test subject at Wet Heat headquarters. There, Lee spends two years being interviewed by the reserved alpha scientist, Cain, who at thirty-two is unmated and—up until this point—content with that.

Cain never really felt his alpha instincts, nor took part in the usual alpha/beta/omega social dynamics. But after discovering that Lee has been lying about his unmated status for two years, Cain finally admits that for the first time, he wants to court an omega. Unfortunately, he’s picked the one omega who doesn’t want to be courted.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2018 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Audio Review: OUT! by J.L. Merrow

Reviewed by Morgan

Title: OUT!
Author: J.L. Merrow
Narrator: Mark Steadman
Series: The Shamwell Tales #3
Heroes: Mark Nugent/Patrick Owen
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 7 Hours, 51 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: October 19, 2017
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When the costs are added up, will love land in the black?

Mark Nugent has spent his life in the closet—at least, the small part of it he hasn’t spent in the office. Divorced when he could no longer deny his sexuality, he’s sworn off his workaholic ways and moved to Shamwell with his headstrong teen daughter to give her a stable home environment.

His resolve to put his love life on hold is severely tested when he joins a local organization and meets a lively yet intense young man who tempts him closer to the closet threshold.

Patrick Owen is an out-and-proud charity worker with strong principles—and a newly discovered weakness for an older man. One snag: Mark is adamant he’s not coming out to his daughter, and Patrick will be damned if he’s going to start a relationship with a lie.

Between Mark’s old-fashioned attitudes and a camp, flirtatious ex-colleague who wants Mark for himself, Patrick wonders if they’ll ever be on the same romantic page. And when Mark’s former career as a tax advisor clashes with Patrick’s social conscience, it could be the one stumbling block they can’t get past.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: How to Heal a Life by Sloan Parker

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: How to Heal a Life
Author: Sloan Parker
Series: The Haven #2
Heroes: Seth Fisher/Raymond Vargas
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: N/A
Publisher: October 24, 2017
Release Date: Sloan Parker Press
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Seth Fisher has been to hell and back, but he has no intention of letting the torment of his past destroy his future. He thinks he’s doing good. He’s working again, talking, laughing, living. But everyone else still sees him as broken.

Except for one man. Raymond Vargas.

If only Seth could leave his apartment alone without a panic attack, then he could prove to everyone he’s going to be okay. And he could tell the one man who has never let him down that he wants him.

Raymond Vargas has spent the past two years trying to make up for what happened to six young men who were tortured at the hands of a member of his club. He’d do anything to keep them safe, to help them heal and move on, to help them forget they ever set foot inside the Haven.

If only he hadn’t fallen in love with one of them.

If only Seth wasn’t still in danger.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment