Men of the Cross by Charlene Newcomb

Title: Men of the Cross
Author: Charlene Newcomb
Buy at Amazon
Genre: Historical with romance elements
Series: Battle Scars #1
Length: 355 pages

Two young knights’ journey to war at Richard the Lionheart’s side sweeps them from England to the Holy Land in this historical adventure set against the backdrop of the Third Crusade.

Henry de Grey leaves Southampton in high spirits, strong in his faith and passionate about the mission to take Jerusalem back from Saladin’s army. Stephan l’Aigle’s prowess on the battlefield is well known, as are his exploits in the arms of other men. He prizes duty, honour and loyalty to his king above all else. But God and the Church? Stephan has little use for either.

Henry’s convictions are challenged by loss and the harsh realities of bloody battles, unforgiving marches, and the politics of the day. Man against man. Man against the elements. Man against his own heart. Survival will depend on more than a strong sword arm.

**

What a big, sweeping historical drama! Make no mistake, the Crusades and politics are primary in this book. The timing of the campaign drives the pacing of the story.

The reality of the Crusades must have hit the Crusaders very much like this book hits the reader: This is not what I signed up for, where is God in this endeavor, and why am I shooting at people who aren’t Saracens? It’s the ugly side of an idealistic war.

Against this gritty campaign, we have Henry de Grey, who has God in his heart and believes in the sanctity of what they’re doing, and Stephan l’Aigle, more focused on the practical and political. Becoming lovers works at Henry’s mind, he worries about betraying the greater cause, and Stephen’s more cavalier attitude bothers him. Yet they become partners in bed and on the field.

Richard the Lionheart and his traveling queen Berengaria are here, as are the future Robin Hood and a couple of not-quite-so-merry-and not-yet men. What I loved is that they’re secondary characters in someone else’s story. They add depth and familiarity, not steal the show.

If I wanted total accuracy in all historical details, I’d read non-fiction. Not being a scholar of this period, I’m willing to accept what the author tells me because it’s consistent and it feels right. Maybe that’s truthy rather than truth, but the storytelling carries it. Even if ex-urchins become confidantes of a queen. It’s set up in a way that works, and it kept me reading.

The greater story arc has two more books to carry through, so I was prepared for both the relationship and the war not to resolve by the end of the book, but that’s fine. I’m ready to be transported back to the twelfth century again. 4 marbles

Aunt Belle's Time Travel and Collectibles by Marshall Thorton

Title: Aunt Belle’s Time Travel and Collectibles
Author: Marshall Thornton
Genre: humor, time travel
Cover artist: Marshall Thornton
Length: 126 pages

Where would you go if you could travel to any part of your past? That’s the question Terrance faces on his 45th birthday—and right away, he knows. He wants to go back to 1992 and not meet Mr. Wrong. But what begins as a journey to change the past becomes a trip to find the future. From the writer of Femme comes a story of best friends, time travel and falling in love.

**

This is a sweet and humorous tale of second chances. Because of the rules governing time travel here, Terrence has a chance to go back in time and do things differently. Except—somehow it doesn’t work out the way he expected.

Because how can things stay changed if not everyone remembers they got changed to start with? And why is Sean mad at him this time?

The baked in rules generate a comedy of errors tinged with sadness: Terrence has a lot of chances to explore exactly how things got fouled up to start with, and it’s only when everyone’s playing in the same timeline can things work out. Smiles for happy ending!

One thing I really enjoyed was that the characters aren’t young and trying everything for the first time (at least part of the time.) Terrence has some miles and mistakes on him, and strives to be a better man. His mistakes mostly come from well-meaning gone awry, and you have to love him for trying again and again until he gets it right.

Afterburn by E.Davies

Title: Afterburner
Author: E. Davies
Purchase or read on Kindle Unlimited at Amazon
Cover Artist: Resplendent Media
Genre: contemporary
Length: 60k Est
Formats MOBI

“This guy is boyfriend material.”

Santa Barbara firefighter Liam Knight is in hot water for showing up late after chasing yet another pretty guy into bed. It's just an accident—Liam's never let hookups get in the way of work before. He only agrees to therapy to keep the chief happy. When he bumps into a pretty guy working in the craft store below his apartment, Dylan seems like the perfect thing to relieve Liam's stress... until he catches Liam's interest and protective instinct, not just his eye.

“I'm not good enough for him.”

The only thing Dylan Waters needs less than the distraction of love is the alternative medicine his mother wants to foist him into. He's juggling part-time jobs at a therapy office and craft store while attending college to become an art therapist. Worse, he's about to transfer to a huge campus, but his childhood left him afraid of crowds. When hunky firefighter Liam blusters into his PTSD knitting support group, Dylan spots the familiar signs of a man hiding from his past, but he can't stop thinking about him.

“It was nothing. I thought I was over it.”

It's more than fleeting attraction between them, but Dylan's stubborn fear of help and Liam's low self-esteem are a deadly combination. When it all goes up in smoke, they only have themselves to blame. Can Liam get to Dylan in time to save him and the one relationship that could make him believe in love?

I enjoyed this opposites attract story—cute little twink Dylan who knits and freezes up in stressful situations with hunky fireman Liam, who sometimes thinks too much with his small head and not enough with his large one.

Except—are they so opposite? They’ve both got some issues going related to awful incidents in the past, and perhaps the biggest difference is how self-aware they are about how they’re coping. Because Liam’s trying hard not to think about some things that still bubble up to create havoc in his life. Dylan understands where his troubles originated, and is more than a little unhappy that understanding it doesn’t mean it all goes away.

The burn is slow, which is sweet—Liam isn’t one for a lot of small talk first, so getting to really know Dylan before dragging him off to bed is new for him, and hard to do well. He’s putting some effort into it, too. Overlap with the therapy his captain insists he have is a nice bonus, and it’s cute to watch him fight with the knitting needles which Dylan wields expertly.

They have a lot more to work through together and separately that it seems like at first blush, and when Liam pushes too hard on one of the sore spots, it’s enough to make Dylan run.

I liked the author’s style, but kept getting tripped up by assumptions that things work a certain way when it’s either unfamiliar and I just don’t know the details, or when it is familiar and it’s just a little off. Also, why is Dylan surprised by Liam being from Boston? Boston has an accent to give it away. So through the story there are little sprinkles of low level whut? that make it hard to stay immersed.

What started as a flirtation ends up going some really heavy places, and the guys really have to work for their HEA. The frequent thoughts of oh how cute disappear entirely at around the ¾ mark to go really serious, and the tone change was a little disconcerting. But I’m glad they got to their happiness. 4 marbles.

The Alpha and His Ace by Ana J Phoenix

Title: The Alpha and His Ace
Author: ana J. Phoenix
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix
Genre: contemporary, paranormal, free
Length: 18k
Formats:   Mobi, epub, pdf

Young, handsome, and the alpha of his wolf pack, Brandon has never had trouble finding men to have sex with. Only one thing is missing--his mate. Brandon can’t find him, and the rest of his pack is growing concerned about his lack of partner. An alpha needs a strong partner.

Things seem to be looking up when he finally finds his fated companion in Aidan. One problem—Aidan’s asexual, and Brandon’s now confused. Who doesn’t want sex? Aidan, that’s who. And Brandon hasn’t got a clue how to make someone love him without it.

It's going to take some serious self-examination, acceptance, and some really good cake for Brandon to make his way into Aidan’s heart.

This is a sweet freebie, with a dab of education. I hadn’t read any ace stories before, and that’s the big problem these two guys have: alpha werewolves are sexy beasts, and bond for life. And with an asexual partner?

I’m going to skip over lightly on the alpha werewolf part, because that section isn’t the most developed, and it’s not why I picked the story up anyway. There’s lots of werewolves. Aces are harder to come by.

Brandon runs into the main conflict when he at last locates the one destined to be his mate. He’s a really decent person, looking after a drunk girl who comes on to him, because the next guy she approaches could be a predator of a different kind. He gets her home safely, and wow, here’s the guy he went to meet—and he’s not on Brendan’s wavelength. Aidan is charming, and ace, and Brendan’s having trouble not just pouncing. He’s acting like a big goof, really, and it’s funny. How do you tell someone you’re a wolf, and that he’s stuck with you, and there’s sex involved?

Brandon's wolfiness is actually used in a cute way here, because with him in wolf form, sex isn't on the table, which frees them both.

The story did work out as a bit of a public service announcement in the middle, but Brandon had to educate himself, and then Aiden helps, and they do find a way that everyone gets what they want and need, or don’t. And also is a lesson on preconceived notions.

I actually found it odder that the alpha werewolf still lives with Mom.

I learned something from this story, and maybe I will keep from saying something stupid to a RL person now. The author has kindly set this one to free, and I say read it, you'll be a better person for it. Plus entertained. 4 marbles

Connection Error by Annabeth Albert, REVIEW, excerpt and giveaway

Title: Connection Error

Author: Annabeth Albert

Series Title and Number: #Gaymers, Book 3, but stands alone well too

Publisher: CARINA PRESS

Cover Artist: CARINA PRESS

Release Date: September 5, 2016

Heat Level: 4 (explicit m/m sex, but lots and lots of plot too!)

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: approx. 66,000 words

Genre/Tags: Romance, M/m Romance, contemporary romance, military romance

Synopsis

It's typical of video game programmer Josiah Simmons to be the last one on the plane on the way to the biggest meeting of his career. Though he's (mostly) coping with his ADHD, he can't handle another distraction. But he also can't ignore his rugged seatmate—especially once he learns the military man's a fan of his game.

Ryan Orson refuses to let his severe injuries pause his career as a navy SEAL. He's got hours of grueling physical therapy ahead of him, and no time for anything that might get in the way of his return to active duty. But that doesn't mean he's above a little first-class flirtation with geeky-cute Josiah.

When a delay strands the pair in St. Louis, they agree to share a hotel room and a night of gaming. Neither expects their new connection to move to the next level in the light of day. Opposites may attract, but is this game over before it's even begun?

Book Three of the #gaymers series

Review

This may be book 3 in a series, but it reads perfectly well as a standalone. Or as a jumping off point into the others, because Reader Knows Something Character Doesn’t is a fun place to be, and I suspect Josiah does more than his share of bumbling around in the other stories.

Josiah isn’t very secure in his adulthood, being twenty-three and seriously ADHD. He’s also very good at what he does, which is write computer games, and he’d better get good at what he needs to do next, which is lead the development team. He’s used to other people treating him like a project to be kept on track, not being the one to keep the train running. We get a glimpse of him here without his meds, and the poor guy is random.

Which isn’t to say he can’t manage his life or his team, it’s just skills that he needs to acquire, and watching him learn with a little coaching from Ryan is a lovely part of the story.

Navy SEAL Ryan, on the other hand, is scary controlled at managing, because his entire training is at taking that control into chaos and chaos loses. So when he gets into a situation he can’t possibly control with his body and his career, he needs to work on adapting to a loss of control. Josiah’s a wild card in this, but he has a few things to teach Ryan, and Ryan has a few things to coach Josiah on.

Because Ryan is so tightly wound, he’s slow to warm up to Josiah, and there are physical issues to contend with as well as mental ones. Watching these two guys get their acts on the same page makes for a slow burn: Jos knows what he wants and lets it all hang out trying to get it, while Ryan can barely admit he wants Jos in the same room. Not that they were off to such a great start with that, when Jos says the first thing that flies through his brain. He’s honest, not tactful.

These guys intersect and learn to be friends first and lovers second, which Ryan needs, but it makes for a very distant romance arc, and frankly, Ryan’s been through so much crap that starting a relationship is more than should be asked of him. Don’t expect a lot of sex here: among Ryan’s other losses was a relationship that meant a lot to him, and he has to get past all that and learn to see Josiah as a functioning adult and not a kid to be guided.

So I didn’t quite buy the big finish with I love you. This is hurt/comfort, except there’s not a lot of comforting going on, Ryan won’t accept it. The ending has a lot of the story to carry for a romance. I can’t help but feel that much of the story went on between the last chapter and Epilog, but I enjoyed reading all the same. 4 marbles

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Somewhere between the third newsstand and the fourth moving sidewalk in LAX, Josiah regretted not joining his friend Ravi in training for a 10k charity race. Nothing like a flat-out sprint from the check-in counter to the slow-moving security lines and another dash from security all the way through gates to make him rethink his aversion to cardio. And the worst part was that for once in his life he’d made every effort to be on time, getting up before the alarm, starting coffee, making sure they were out of the house by o’dark thirty ready for his early morning flight to Germany via a stop in Washington, DC.

Passport? Check.

Carry-on with both laptops, tablet and assorted accessories? Check.

Suitcase with more shirts with buttons than he’d ever owned in his life? Check.

Double-checking that his ticket was booked under “Josiah” not “Joseph”? Total fail, but in his defense, it never occurred to him that the travel agency his employer used would give the wrong name. And the check-in attendant at the airline counter didn’t want to believe that there was a mistake. Thus, every careful endeavor he’d made to ensure that he was on time—early even—went up in a huff of waiting for a supervisor and then another supervisor.

And now finally he was sprinting to make sure he didn’t miss the plane. Forget being there in time to priority board, he was going to be lucky to make the plane period. His first time flying first class—thank you, Space Villager for being such a bestselling game—and it was off to an inelegant start thanks to a stupid mistake.

Finally, finally, he reached the last few gates of the terminal. The TV sets scattered throughout the waiting area were all taking about that huge freak snowstorm heading for the New York area and whether it might veer south enough to cause snow along the whole Eastern Seaboard. Josiah shook his head, trying to not get sucked in to the TV. As long as he got to Germany on time, it wasn’t going to affect him and he needed to stay focused on—

“Last call for Flight 324 nonstop service to Washington Dulles International,” the loudspeaker blared.

“I’m here, I’m here,” he panted as the gate attendant set the red phone back on its hook. He held out his ticket. The woman was around his mother’s age with very red lipstick and very short blond hair and a spectacular frown just for him.

“Ah. Mr. Simmons.” She looked up after scanning his tickets, decidedly less frosty once she saw his first-class seat number. “Come with me, I’m going to have to walk you down.” She spoke into a walkie-talkie as they headed down the walkway. “We’re going to need to gate check your bags. I’m so sorry, but the first-class overhead compartments are all full.”

“Crap.” She gave him a questioning look, and Josiah remembered that he was supposed to be Mr. Smooth and Sophisticated Project Manager, not some whiny kid. “Sorry. That’s fine. Just let me grab my laptop.” He grabbed the laptop with the longer battery life before the attendant put a pink gate-check tag on his two bags. “But…uh…fragile.”

She gave him a tight smile, but added a yellow Fragile tag to his laptop bag. “You’re in Seat 1A,” she said, handing him his ticket back. “You’ll get your bags back when we land, I promise. Enjoy your flight.”

After a brief conversation with the gate attendant, a male flight attendant shut the plane door behind Josiah. “Welcome aboard,” he said to Josiah in a tone that clearly meant, “thank you for pushing back our departure.” In fact, the plane was rolling away from the gate before Josiah almost tumbled into the empty aisle seat of the first row.

“You made it.” A warm chuckle eased past the pounding of Josiah’s heart.

“Wha—what?” he whipped his head over to the window seat—a farther distance than one might expect. The first-class seats were huge padded affairs and there was a thick console dividing the seats. And…hello, most gorgeous guy Josiah had ever seen.

Wide, mischievous smile. Sparkling hazel eyes. Unshaven jaw. Short dark brown hair. And holy hell, arm muscles for days. Bulging biceps with tats poking out of his T-shirt sleeves.

All of a sudden this flight started looking way up.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. I just meant I was beginning to think I’d get the row all to myself.” The guy’s voice was possibly even more attractive than his model-worthy face, deep and soothing, with an undercurrent of the sort of confidence that never failed to make Josiah shiver.

And he was all Josiah’s for the next five hours.

Well, except for the part where he seemed ready to take a nap and tune Josiah out—the guy had a pillow behind his head and a blanket on his lap. He yawned, revealing gleaming teeth worthy of a toothpaste ad.

“You’re not a model, are you?” As usual, Josiah’s tongue leaped into action before his brain could restrain it.

“What? No, not a model.” The guy laughed, more of that smoky chuckle that did things to Josiah’s insides.

“TV star? Athlete? Because it seems like I should know you from somewhere, and I don’t want to get to DC and people be like, hey, you were next to that Laker the whole flight…” He trailed off because his friends were right that he had absolutely no filter, and that was triple true around Muppet-flail-worthy hot guys.

“Nope, not famous.” The guy studied Josiah for a long moment, considering, the sort of are-you-for-real expression on his face that Josiah was well used to. Seeming to come to some sort of decision, the guy stuck his right arm across the console. “Lieutenant Ryan Orson, US Navy.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Josiah accepted the handshake. Navy made sense given the Navy-emblazoned T-shirt stretched tight over the guy’s aircraft-carrier-wide chest. Holy crap, the guy was big. Josiah was a skinny 6’2” with big hands and feet that always got in the way. But this guy’s hand made Josiah’s feel downright dainty. “I’m Josiah, Josiah Simmons.”

“Well, Josiah, want to know a secret?” Ryan asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

“Sure.” Josiah was down with whatever secrets this guy wanted to share.

“Not only am I not famous, I’m not even supposed to be in first class.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope.” Ryan winked at Josiah. He had a very disarming wink, all good humor and twinkly eyes.

“The check-in clerk bumped me into first.”

“You got the nice clerk.” Josiah was still a bit grumbly over the name hassle.

“She lost a brother over in Afghanistan.” There was a subtle hint of “grow up” in Ryan’s tone. Josiah straightened, remembering again who he was supposed to be. And here was this impossibly attractive guy to practice on. Sure, he might be Josiah the clueless geek back home, but here he was Josiah the new project manager. This Josiah knew the right way to act and speak and could impress even tough audiences.

“That’s so sad for her.” Josiah tried for sophisticated empathy, something he knew he kind of sucked at.

“Yeah, it is.” Something indecipherable passed over Ryan’s face, his eyes getting darker and cloudier and that wide smile flagging a bit. “Anyway, guess she saw…the Navy connection and had a spare seat to bump me into.”

“What do you do? In the Navy I mean?”

The guy went silent, considering, and Josiah was afraid he’d been too nosy again, but right when he was about to apologize, Ryan finally spoke. “I’m a SEAL. I do a little bit of everything, but mainly I make things go boom. You?”

“Oh my God, you’re Special Forces. Do I ever have questions for you!” Josiah babbled again, only slowing down as Ryan’s easy smile morphed into grim line. “Sorry. I’m just excited because I’m a video game designer. And special ops is our new expansion pack.” And it happened to be the one Josiah was in charge of.

“You program games?” Ryan blinked, and Josiah wasn’t sure what he’d expected Josiah to do, but this clearly wasn’t it. “Anything I’ve heard of?”

Ah. That was it. He assumed Josiah was some sort of kid programming a dot matrix game in his basement. Josiah knew he looked too young for his job, because he was too young. At twenty-three, he was the youngest lead developer on the design team. Thus, he took no small amount of pride in saying, “Space Villager.”

“Oh wow, really?” There was a new note of respect in Ryan’s voice. “I love that game, especially the pod racer and first-person shooter expansion packs.” There was a hint of Texas or something else Southern in his voice, and Josiah could listen to him all day.

“Yeah? Well you’re going to love our special ops expansion pack even more.” Josiah projected far more confidence than he actually felt. He could make this project a success. He had to. The PR team had already hinted that the next expansion pack would revolve around special ops activities on a small war-torn planet, so Josiah didn’t worry too much about sharing this much with Ryan.

“I bet. My ex got me to back the crowdfunding drive, and I’ve been hooked ever since. My buddies were already teasing me about how much time I spent gaming, but there’s something particularly addictive about your game.”

Your game. Josiah liked the sound of that. He only knew a handful of women who played Space Villager, but the ones who did tended to be rabid fans. It was possible he might even know Ryan’s ex by her user handle, but Josiah had just enough self-control to not ask.

“Prepare for takeoff,” the pilot intoned over the PA. This was the part Josiah hated, the acceleration and stomach-dropping ascent. Today he hated it even more, knowing they might catch the edge of that storm. Focusing on turbulence that was probably hours away wasn’t logical, but then, Josiah’s brain seldom was.

“You always so antsy or are you a nervous flyer?” Ryan asked.

Oh crap. Guess he wasn’t doing such a bang-up job projecting the aura of a with-it project manager. He laughed nervously. “Both?”

“I promise we’re going to be okay.” Ryan gave him a quick friendly pat on the knee.

Oh. Josiah’s eyes went wide. Ryan was missing part of the pinky finger on his left hand and had some wicked scarring further up his forearm. Josiah tried not to stare, but knew he failed miserably.

“Mission gone wrong,” Ryan said gruffly. “Now back to flying, millions of people fly every day. It’s safer than car travel.” His tone made it clear further discussion of his hand was not on the table.

“I know flying’s safe. Knowing that’s not the same as believing it.”

Ryan’s answering laugh seemed to strip some of the tension from his face. “How well do I know that attitude. My ex got nervous before every flight, and his buddies used to razz him about it mercilessly.”

Man, two ex references in five minutes. Ryan must be totally hung up on his ex…wait. “His buddies”…What the hell?

“Your ex is a guy?”

“Yup.” Ryan’s smirk said he’d pegged Josiah ten minutes ago, probably when Josiah couldn’t peel his eyes away from those tasty biceps.

“Cool.” He was grinning, but he couldn’t make his facial muscles behave. Hot damn. Gorgeous, muscled, single, gamer, and gay. He ticked every last one of Josiah’s “perfect man” boxes. And if the gods were kind at all, Josiah could keep it together long enough to make a lasting impression.

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Meet the Author

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency

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Holy Cow! by EM Lynley

Title: Holy Cow
Author: EM Lynley
Purchase at Amazon 
Purchase at All Romance eBooks 
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Genre: paranormal, shapeshifter
Length: 17,600 words
Formats Mobi, Epub, PDF

American med student Duncan Stirling is traveling around India with his two best friends, who have just married. Their last stop is the magical city of Jaisalmer, a fort in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. He feels like a third wheel on their honeymoon, though the three friends had the trip planned for years, to celebrate finishing medical school and have a last adventure before they start their residencies back in the States.

Akash Nandi is an Indian man from a wealthy and well-known family. At least that’s how he appears. He hides the truth that his family is descended from Nandi, Lord Shiva’s bull, and they’ve guarded sacred places for millennia. Being gay and immortal is tough, especially when his family’s expectations make finding the right mate impossible. As his grandmother, the family matriarch, nears death, a struggle for power puts Akash and his new crush, the charming American Duncan, in harm’s way.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2016 Daily Dose package "A Walk on the Wild Side."

From Patricia:

I really loved reading this great story. The settings were exotic and richly detailed, the sex was hot, and I just had to laugh when I realized just how accurately the title of this gem described the shifters.

Cryselle says:

I have to agree 100 % with Patricia, this story really takes us to a faraway place and makes us believe we are there, EM Lynley’s always good with locations, and here she takes us to India and makes us smell the food cooking, see the city glowing golden in the dawn, and taste the desert dust.

Duncan’s completely smitten with Akash, which could break his heart right in two, because of their culture gap and because of his own obligations. His friends are happy he’s having a vacation fling, and a lot less than happy he’s moping around when things aren’t going well. Well, too bad, that’s what they get for dragging a single guy on their honeymoon. Even if it is a grand adventure.

Akash is truly caught between cultures: he has Indian standard and the expectations that go with his sacred bull status, and now there’s this sexy American guy… The resolution to Akash's difficulties seemed a bit jumbly and made me kind of mad, considering who did what: Akash had every right to expect better from certain quarters.

A bull shifter doesn’t come along every day, which made this story unique, and the sense of place is really strong, and so is the bond between Akash and Duncan. 4 marbles

A Twist and Two Balls by Clare London

Title: A Twist and Two Balls (With a Kick Book 1)
Author: Clare London
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 27,000 words (novella)
Formats Mobi, Epub, PDF


Eduardo Mancini is going to be a star of the London stage and screen. Or that was the plan. His alter ego Eddy March hasn't got further than the chorus and a bit part in a TV series. His parents aren't supportive, his agent can’t place his particular skills, and he's finding it hard to hang onto his young dreams. Things go from bad to worse when he's late for an important audition, hasn't got enough money to pay the taxi fare, and is chased across the streets of Soho by the irate driver.

Eddy reaches what he believes is sanctuary - With A Kick, a store where ice creams are blended with alcohol and imagination, and where his friends can help him. But Nuri the taxi driver is persistent in his steady pursuit, above and beyond the money he’s owed. Despite their very different characters and background, Eddy and Nuri’s relationship goes from a complete unknown to a wary balancing act. There are still mistakes to be made, and hurdles to clear. And both of them have to admit that their life so far hasn’t gone the way they planned.

But maybe being caught by Nuri was just what Eddy’s career needed – both for his job and his heart.

With a Kick must be the best ice cream shop in the world, serving adult flavor combinations spiked with alcohol, along with flavors suitable for kids. Everyone's happy, right? This shop is the backdrop and a unifying element for the series. Eat ice cream, work out lovelife problems… Sounds good to me!

Eddie the aspiring actor manages to fall flat on his face a lot, but in the best way. Not enough money for a cab fare, missing auditions and revising his aspirations, and getting what he wants after all. Once he knows what that is, beyond Nuri the handsome cabbie of Turkish extraction. He’s quite histrionic, able to provide a comparison to every current situation from plays and TV shows. This also slops into his personality, leading one friend to be pleased when he stops acting like “a tragic Shakespearean arse or a blockbuster diva.” This reader appreciated it too, since once he got that tendency under control Eddie got a lot better at adulting.

His chance encounter with Nuri escalates from an unpaid cab fare to being incorporated into Nuri’s big, rambunctious family, who accepts him with open arms. They’re outspoken and if their charm is a little rude, their hearts are good. Eddie needs to be kicked into shape, and Adem, Sadi, Jamal, and the silent but observant grandmamma are just the ones to do it.

Nuri needs some nudges of his own, and this part I just have to believe, because the author knows the British system Nuri’s involved in and I don’t. Still, it’s good to see how Eddie helps Nuri, even if it wasn’t intentional, and very good to see how the family backs their own.

There's a lot of British flavor here, including some slang, but it's all clear from the context, and gives a nice sense of place to Clare London's always pleasing prose.

Patrick and Lee, owners of the shop, have their own simmering story. They’re secondary characters but you can tell there’s something between them aside from differing opinions on gratis dishes. It should be fun to continue the series and find out their story along with the friends they feed with sweet treats and reality checks.

This was a delightful afternoon’s read, and now I want ice cream! 4 marbles

Dinner at Foxy's by Silvia Violet, Blog tour, Giveaway, and review

DINNER AT FOXY’S

LAW AND SUPERNATURAL ORDER BOOK 3

SILVIA VIOLET

M/M ROMANCE, PARANORMAL, SHIFTER

COVER DESIGN: AJ Corza

BLURB

Fox shifter Luke runs Foxy’s Chicken Shack, known for the best and spiciest chicken in town. For months he’s had his eye on Silas, a young cop who patrols the area around his restaurant. When Silas arrives to question Luke about his cousins’ criminal activities, things blow up, literally, and Silas is injured. Luke will do whatever it takes to see his cousins brought to justice. He might not survive his crazy plan, but if he does… Could there be a chance at love for this fox shifter and his cop?

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REVIEW

After Sex On the Hoof (reviewed here), I was ready for another story in this paranormal universe. Foxy's has another couple and another look at the way economic upheaval and the new reality of shifters in society are affecting the world. Again there's a law enforcement angle, with Silas, a babyfaced cop who's much tougher than he looks, and foxy Luke, whose family is definitely into some shady business.

Silas is everything Luke feels he shouldn't want and can't really have: honest, kind, human and breakable. Luke doesn't do relationships, being a love'em and leave'em guy means they don't get entangled in his dirty family secrets. Silas is going to mess with all that, and as a cop, he's already involved.

We have first person, present tense in this story, from both Luke and Silas, which pushes the story along at a quick clip. We get to see a lot more of the shifter angle than in the first book, which was a lot of fun. Luke as a fox gets into and out of trouble, and there's a fun but dangerous sequence where cop work and shifter work collide head on. These guys are hot in the sack, where their preferences fit together.  Luke especially has a strong, entertaining voice--he's bad boy though not a bad guy, and he rocks the attitude.

I enjoyed this story the more for having read the first one and knowing some of the characters. Drew the vampire detective and Jason the stag shifter crime lab tech both have secondary parts. I'm  settling into this series for the long haul,  I enjoyed the read and need the third book. And a fourth, when Sylvia Violet writes it. :) 4 marbles

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EXCERPT

I’m Luke, and I’m a fox. Okay, I’m a fox shifter, but I’m also hot, a smooth-talker, and I give one wild ride. I run a restaurant in Atlanta. We sell the best damn fried chicken you’ve ever eaten. That’s right. I’m a bona fide fox in the henhouse. Our chicken comes in spicy, spicier, and fuck-me-I’m-on-fire.

The dinner shift is crazy as fuck tonight even though my best people are in the kitchen. I don’t know who decided to send me all the large parties, prize-winners for most finicky order, and downright bitchy-as-fuck complainers, but they are all out in force tonight.

I’m about to take a break. I need a whiskey, but a large sweet tea will have to do since I’m working.

The door chimes as it swings open, and I glance up, expecting another party of nine, half of them gluten-free vegans—at a fucking chicken shack—but, no… Fuck me. It’s that gorgeous blond twink in a cop’s uniform, the one who’s become a regular. His baby face makes him look like he’s playing dress-up. I want to run my hands—and my tongue—over every inch of his smooth, pale skin. He glances my way, and his eyes widen for just a second. Then his tongue slides out to moisten his lips.

Maybe this night is about to improve. Officer Blond and Surely-Not-As-Young-As-He-Looks moves my way. Oh yes. Come to Daddy.

I thought you didn’t do cops.

Sometimes I hate my fucking conscience.

Nothing but trouble there.

I’m not like the rest of my family. I don’t run guns or steal cars. I don’t hurt people or use them. But some of my business interests aren’t exactly what you’d call legal. Hell, the simple fact that I’m a fox shifter makes me suspicious to most people. However, this is one officer of the law I wouldn’t mind having a close acquaintance with.

The hottie in blue reaches the counter. “What can I do for you, Officer?” I ask.

His cheeks pinken adorably, but he holds eye contact. “You’re the owner, right? Luke Redtail.”

“That’s me.” I wink, and he glances away. This is going to be fun.

“I’m Officer Bixby, and I need to ask you some questions in connection with an investigation. Is there somewhere private we could go?”

My bed. It’s right upstairs. “I’ve got an office in the back. Let me get someone to run the register.”

As I turn toward the kitchen I see my uncle standing in the small side parking lot. My uncle who’s supposed to be dead. What is he doing here? “Oh fuck!”

As he throws the object in his hand, I scream, “Get down! Now!” I grab my cop and haul him over the counter. Thank God for shifter strength. I wrap myself around him, but in the shock of the blast, we hit the floor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including sci fi, paranormal, alternate history, and historical.

She can often be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like "Do you write children's books?" She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she's actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinful chocolate treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading children's books to her wickedly smart offspring.

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Angel Undone by Leta Blake, Book blitz and review

Title: Angel Undone

Publisher: Leta Blake Books

Release Date: 7/18/2016

Genre: Gay Urban Fantasy

Tags: angel, wings, erotic content, blasphemy, urban fantasy

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 25,000 words in Mobi, Epub, PDF 

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Synopsis

The Archangel Michael is tired. He fought wars and shoved his brother Lucifer out of heaven all before the Dark Ages rolled around. His role as protector of Israel now encompasses all of humanity, and while he performs his job perfectly, there's little personal joy in it.

Until one night in a bar when he meets Asher.

Michael isn’t sure what it is about the vulnerable, self-deprecating Asher that calls to him, but something about the restrained depths of Asher, his gentle smiles and encyclopedic knowledge of flowers, tugs at Michael in a way that can’t be denied. Too bad romance isn’t part of his mission.

Facing an eternity of perfect submission to God’s authority, rebellion stirs in Michael. Questions of free will, angelic vocation, and the role of love and lust demand answers that just might cost Michael his place in heaven.

Excerpt

Angel wings aren’t easy to fold into the shape of human scapulae, but Michael is accustomed to the strain and hardly breaks a sweat. He forces the long primaries to bend into the upper wing coverts, and then, in moves like feathered origami, he tucks it all in again, before smoothing them under flawless human skin.

He glances in the modest hotel room’s bathroom mirror and pulls on the dark brown shirt that will set off his eyes, before running a hand through his blond, curly hair. The light of his angelic grace glows from his pores, too bright to escape notice, and with a small exertion of will he tamps it back.

Though human form is confining and uncomfortable, the time has long passed when dropping down in a blaze of angelic righteousness was appropriate. Now covert operations pay the dividends of souls delivered from jeopardy. Even if Michael’s skin feels too tight, and his wings are already aching, protection is his business and discomfort is a small sacrifice.

After tightening the laces on the leather, soft-soled Clarks he keeps for nights of trawling the Mercy Street bars, he kneels by the sliding glass door to the balcony and looks up at the stars. It’s a fallacy that heaven is up there somewhere. Heaven is everywhere all at once, and yet when Michael dons human skin, he finds his eyes drawn to the sky when he prays.

He rises. Time to go.

Review

The premise had me intrigued: much more than the usual guardian angel falls for his person story, this examines an angel’s relationship to God. The questions are good ones, and the answers—well, for that you have to read. It’s hard to discuss without spoilers. God makes an interesting secondary character.

The third person present tense gives a dreamy feeling, very suitable for being in the head of an angel. Michael’s physical being is an interesting concept: he can fold his wings into an impossibly small space and use them for shoulder blades, he can manifest physically and touchably, but he can’t or doesn’t think to adjust his facial features. His angelic glow gets away from him sometimes, which is good for a smile.

Asher is sweet. Forty years old and only now able to admit to himself that he’s gay, he’s hovering on the cusp of bad decisions, bringing Michael into his life. And Michael wants to stay.

In his turmoil, Michael consults his brother with experience, Lucifer, who’s running a surf shop on the coast. Lucifer’s funny and irreverent, wistful and untrustworthy. In the end, Michael still has to make up his own mind, and that, as much as the love between him and Asher, is where the meat of the story lies.

I think the author’s heat rating is way over stated, 5 makes it sound pretty darn kinky but it’s more of an enthusiastic 3. The sex is happiness for both of them in a way they’ve never had before. Considering that Michael originally gets in bed with Asher as part of his mission, there’s a pretty nice piece of subversion. The 5 may have been chosen for the way God is portrayed, which not may not fit with all readers' ideas of Diety, but which I was okay with.

This is a very thoughtful story with moments of heat and moments where the best of humanity comes out, in thinking and change and accepting joy, and maybe that’s the best of an angel, too. 4 marbles

Purchase

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Meet the Author

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake's educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

You can find out more about her by following her online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Complexity by Harper Miller (review)

Title: Complexity
Author: Harper Miller
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Taria Reed
Genre: contemporary, multicultural
Length: 34,600 (novella)
Formats Mobi, Epub, PDF

Fairy tale endings weren’t made for people like me. Happy for now usually ain’t in the cards, either.

The dents on my wall from where my headboard kept knockin’ against the same spot was the first clue that I needed to calm my ass down. At the rate I was racking up notches and plowing through hookups, I wasn’t ever gonna find nothing real. Guess I kinda jinxed myself. I created my circumstances. You can’t get what you want if you keep falling back into the same pattern of bad habits. But then things changed. I stumbled onto somethin’ I never in a million years expected to happen. You gotta understand, I’m never the guy who wins. It was supposed to be just sex, but that shifty, rhyming and scheming bastard, Cupid, pulled a fast one.

I may have changed some stuff to protect a couple of people. But before you go believing the tabloids, make sure you understand that you’re gettin’ the lowdown straight from the source.

I needed to get this off my chest and it’s only fair that you at least get my side of it all. At some point, I might regret telling you any of this, but for now, you need to know.

*Disclaimer* This is a novella. Not a short story, novelette, or novel. This tale features an M/M pairing. If gay erotica/erotic romance is not your cup of tea and you are offended by same-sex relationships or crass language, you should bypass this story. Content is intended for a mature audience, 18+.

Complexity is the fourth installment in The Kinky Connect Chronicles. The Kinky Connect Chronicles are short erotic stories/novelettes all wrapped up in neat little bows. These stories are standalones. No cliffhangers in the lot!

Read that blurb carefully, because the style you see there persists. The entire book maintains the aggressive stance and spelled out phonetic speech. We stay in Manny’s head in a first person present tense ride through one hot and steamy relationship.

Manny’s caginess in revealing his love interest has something to do with the glare of the Hollywood spotlight on the man who called him for a night of no-strings sex that turned into something more. However, it also has something to do with Manny’s focus—we don’t even get a name for Christopher until close to the halfway point. Christopher is an up and coming leading man, not yet secure enough in his star power to risk getting outed.

So some things you have to take on faith, like why Christopher would hook up with someone he met on a singles site that’s not so very more relationship oriented than Grindr when he’s so recognizable, or bring said hookup to a great place for causing a scene, but the chemistry is immediate and hot. The sex is gritty and primal, and the guys are great together in the sack.

Outside the sack, it’s harder, but they find a way to be together under everyone’s noses, and this works until it doesn’t any more. The story starts with this awful time and backs up to show us how they met and got involved.

Manny’s interesting: he has plans and dreams for his own business, and even if at thirty four he’d like to find someone for more than a few hours, he’s looking for it in places where a name seems too much to ask. His background is Puerto-Rican and Bronx-tough, and he’s not about to tell anyone he likes the guys as well as the ladies. His culture is very present (there’s a glossary in the back if you can’t work the words out from context). He’s also kind of blind to his own bullshit—he’s ready to take offense where none was offered and if he demands something difficult from Christopher, he sure hasn’t thought it through.

While I agree with Manny that what he has at stake should be as important as what Christopher has at stake, Manny’s putting his own needs way ahead. That Christopher doesn’t even get into the blurb is perfectly consistent with Manny’s priorities. I don’t actually like him much—he’s not exactly registering Christopher as a lover, more as a meeter of Manny’s needs and those needs better be met right now damn it.

We only see Christopher through Manny’s eyes. He wasn’t planning a relationship any more than Manny was, and is both surprised to find it happening and devastated to find it crumbling. He seems like a genuinely nice person caught in a publicity trap. The two of them take “not talking” to new heights.

The style hovered at the borderline between okay and annoying on the phonetic spellings of Manny’s narration, which was characterization but also wearing. I was happy for Manny in the end, although I’m very concerned for Christopher. I’m not sure what to make of the offer linked at the end: click to find out what happens next seems more like a “rest of the novel” than a sequel, and while the book ends on an emotional high, it certainly leaves the “what happens after that?” open, and if you don’t mind signing up you can find out.

The story is well written, emotional if only on one side, and ends on a high note. For those who have been yearning for stories featuring an MC of color, this may be what you’ve been looking for. This story’s hot and definitely spicy.  4 marbles

Perilous by Cari Z

Title: Perilous
Author: Cari Z
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks 
Cover Artist: Aria Tan
Genre: Historical
Length: 43K novella
Formats Mobi, epub, pdf

In 1803, England declares war on France, staking the fates of two mighty empires against one another. Thousands of men serve in the British navy, hungry for distinction in the battle against Bonaparte.

One of them, Lieutenant Thomas Williams, thinks he knows what he wants out of life: prize money at sea, a career of decent note, and the means to maintain his independence when he leaves the navy. What he finds is service under Captain Christopher Knightly: a tactical genius, inveterate charmer, and the youngest son of a wealthy noble house.

Their unexpected and perilous love affair is a gamble against the odds, for in a time of war, nothing is sure to last. If the French don’t tear them apart, one slip in front of the wrong eyes or ears might. When the demands of Christopher’s family take him from Thomas’s side, he thinks it might be the best thing for his captain. Little does Tom realize just how far Christopher will go to return to him, and when life takes a turn for the worse, how much further he will go to save him.

I do love some Hornblower and Jack Aubrey, and also some Alex Beecroft and Charlie Cochrane, but let me say right now that Perilous fits in with this company!

Cari Z gives us a perfectly plausible way to get our two characters together, and to let them have some stolen moments of happiness. While Captain Knightly is aboard, the endless blockade work and the stealthy attacks on the French have panache and derring-do. And the celebrations afterward have to be very, very quiet, because an 18 gun sloop is a very small ship!


The penalties for male/male contact in those days were severe, so the captain and his lieutenant had to be extremely careful. When duty to King and family rears its ugly head, Captain Knightly has little choice in obeying. Duty above all, to those in the Royal Navy, and Thomas does his to his lover as best he can. Heartbreaking for both of them.

The style will be very familiar to Hornblower readers, descriptive and a little distant. The story has more of what they’re doing than the details of ship-handling, which is fine, I didn’t feel deprived of leewards and starboards and such, I can get that from Patrick O’Brien, who will never ship Aubrey/Maturin like we do. The romance is satisfying, and the ending both heartbreaking and endearing, when happiness is at last in reach.

I was a little concerned how Captain Knightly advanced to his rank without being much of a shiphandler, because how would he have the opportunity to demonstrate his tactical skills? Once I stepped back and let him wow me and (and fluster the French!) it was fine. I think my bigger quibble was a collision of rimming and the hygiene of the day, and a requirement for penetrative sex. A little more sensory input would have been nice: I didn’t feel entirely present on board ship, but I did cheer for the Perilous and her gallant officers. 4 marbles

Beauty Inc. by Tara Lain: Blog Tour with giveaway and review

Is beauty only skin deep?

Chemist Dr. Robert “Belle” Belleterre loves flowers, green trees, his best friend Judy, and “his baby”: the new face cream he developed to help put his father’s small cosmetics company on the map. Sadly he gets no help from his alcoholic, gambling-addicted father who loses Belle in a poker game to Magnus Strong, the CEO of Beauty, Inc. the largest American cosmetics company—a man infamous for his scarred ugliness.

Belle finds himself uprooted from his home, living in a wildly crazy apartment in New York owned by Mr. Pennymaker, and completely unprepared for his mad attraction to the charismatic Strong. Feeling like a traitor, Belle fights his passion only to see more and more of the goodness and humility hidden by Strong’s ugly face. But when Belle’s family starts manipulating his life again, the odds turn against happiness for beautiful Belle and his beloved beast.

Available for purchase at 

            

Excerpt 

 Magnus stared at the photo he kept in the top drawer. Quit being sappy. Still, helping Judy Brancoli brought it all back. He sighed. A good reason to stick with other philanthropies.

 Is someone here?

 He looked up just as Belle stepped into his doorway. His heart skipped. What did Belle’s expression mean? Confusion? Anger? Hope? “Hello.”

 Belle swallowed hard. “Are you the one who called Judy last night?”

 Okay, what had he done now? “Uh, yes. I—I thought—it was so late, and no one else was here.”

 “You had a ticket waiting for her at the airport and got Leroy to meet her?”

 “Yes.”

 “And gave her a job and insurance?”

 “I talked to HR, yes.”

 Some huge storm battled behind Belle’s midnight blue eyes. He didn’t seem to be able to catch his breath. He just gasped and clutched his chest. Magnus stood. “Are you okay? Can I get you water?”

 Suddenly Belle took off like a gazelle that had spotted a lion—except he ran to the lion. In three bounding steps, he crossed the office and hurled himself at Magnus. Before Magnus could prepare, a tall, slim body hit him full force, arms wrapping around his neck. “Thank you. Thank you. Oh my God, how can I ever thank you?”

 Magnus lost his balance and staggered, arms coming around Belle, falling until his butt hit the office chair, which rolled back. They smacked the wall with Belle sprawled on his lap. He gasped for breath, and the exhale came out as a laugh. It was like having the world’s cutest dalmatian on his lap—a dalmatian he’d like to kiss and embrace and otherwise manhandle. Dream on.

 Belle kept hugging and muttering, “Thank you. Thank you.”

 Magnus adjusted Belle a little so he was actually sitting on Magnus’s lap but didn’t make a big enough thing out of it to scare him off. Hell, this was a moment to savor and prolong.

 Finally Belle stopped wiggling, which was good, since the vibration was getting to Magnus’s cock. Belle stilled and seemed to hesitate. Reluctance or embarrassment? He sat back and looked into Magnus’s face. “Hi.”

 “Hi.” Magnus couldn’t help smiling, even though the effect wasn’t really friendly. “I’m very glad you’re happy.”

 “No one’s ever done such a wonderful thing for me before.”

 Magnus tried to be corporate and fatherly—very challenging in his current position. “It’s the mission of this company to help women.”

 “Yes, but this was very personal. I’ll be grateful all my life.”

 “I’m glad.” His heart beat so hard they both should have been able to hear it.

 Belle looked down at where he was firmly planted on Magnus’s lap. “I guess I was a bit more enthusiastic than I planned.”

 “You don’t hear me complaining.”

 Belle slowly looked up at Magnus’s face, which made Magnus want to cringe or hide. Too close. Belle cocked his head and inspected every inch of Magnus’s ruined landscape of a face. Slowly, he leaned forward and kissed the scar across the bridge of Magnus’s nose. He whispered, “In for a penny—” and his mouth moved south until he kissed the distorted corner of Magnus’s mouth.

Cryselle's Review

This latest reworked fairy tale from Tara Lain gives us a Beauty and the Beast with sweet, manipulated “Belle” and a wounded but goodhearted “Beast.” Tara Lain treats some heavy subjects in here, but with a light enough hand that the read doesn’t bog down in moralizing.

You know from the blurb that Belle’s family is screwed up beyond belief if his father can use a son as a wager and expect to pay off. Belle himself has a very strong sense of right and wrong, which he must have learned from his late mother, because the rest of the family certainly doesn’t have any. Fortunately, Magnus isn’t expecting favors, just the brilliance of a prodigy of a cosmetic chemist.

We’ve all known how this story ends since we were six, so here it’s the getting there that’s the fun. The author calls in Mr. Pennymaker, a cheerful meddler of a landlord and confidant, who shows up in other books in the series to help matters along, a la fairy godfather. Here his sage advice comes as probing questions to make the other characters think more deeply, and we should all have such a kind and level headed friend.

While we would all love to believe that we can see beyond the surface, the truth is so many people don’t look. Magnus, with his craggy, scarred features, doesn’t fare well in the gay dating market, and being in the cosmetics industry he stands out even more. Strength of personality he has in spades though, and the kind of heart that sees what needs doing plus the resources to make it happen. Even so, he is his own harshest critic.

The road to the happy ending is strewn with the speedbumps that come of this setup, plus the issues that arise with other secondary characters, some sweet, some snakes. It’s all woven together with one of the funniest, oddest sex scenes I’ve ever read.

A major subplot involves the health of someone dear to Belle, and while this was in the main done well, a few aspects of it pinned my personal rage-meter. I actually had to put the book down for a bit because of this, and many readers won’t have all the issues I did. However, it did fling me out of the story for a while, and I had to remind myself this was a fluffy read, not a serious read, before I could finish the book. I would say this is all on me except that the primary issue touches the lives of so many women and some of the details are important to me but not necessarily to others.

Even so, this is a sweet and heartwarming story with a familiar framework, with right and kindness and love winning, exactly the sort of read that can rescue a down day. 4 marbles

The Pennymaker Tales Series

Sinders and Ash

(The Pennymaker Tales Series, #1)

by Tara Lain

Available for order at 

           

Driven Snow

(The Pennymaker Tales, #2)

by Tara Lain

Available for purchase at 

            

About the Author

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at

               

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