Category Archives: Books

Book Review: Shattered Secrets (In the Shadow of the Wolf #1) – Diane Adams, R.J. Scott

Posted on March 20, 2015 | Leave a comment

Shattered Secrets[Book 1 of In The Shadow of the Wolf Series]

At first, I didn’t get Rob’s revulsion towards having a relationship with a “different species” (werewolves), not even an intimate one-time contact would do for him. When he met Jamie at a club and had a very hot one night stand with him, he was affronted when he realized that the other guy was a “shifter.”  He’d gone all Rambo and kicked the other guy out. His reasoning all throughout the story doesn’t really make sense that with not having equal strength / power in a relationship. That was pretty lame, really.

As Rob got promoted to a special police force specializing wolf/human cases, a kidnapping of young werewolves used for sex trade landed on his desk revealing secrets that he thought he already had knowledge of especially since his best friends are actually werewolves. When he faced Jamie again, he found himself going back and forth with his prejudices and fighting off his feelings but in the end, he knows that he’s got to do something about it to keep his lover alive.

Don’t get me wrong though, I loved the story as a whole but I just don’t like Rob’s prejudice towards the werewolves. It was like rejecting a whole bunch of people who are in love with shifters. He’s not perfect yeah but he comes off through the first part of the book like a big effin prick. Jamie on the other hand reminds me of Jessica, the baby vamp from True Blood if you’re familiar? He’s that cute and his maturity level isn’t there yet in my opinion. He’s what you call in the shifter world, a late bloomer but yeah – his characterization was cute and charming but isn’t a strong one. I guess his character simply balance out Rob’s dick thoughts regarding human-shifter relationships.

The supporting characters here were great especially Doug. I initially thought that it’d be some kind of a love triangle but was glad that one didn’t pan out. The whole “breaking” thing was new for me and that was the most interesting part of the book and I loved that it’s at least something new to offer the readers of this genre. It’s not so bad, it’s really not so bad.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published June 21st 2013 by Love Lane Books (first published August 27th 2011)

Buy now:
Love Lane Books | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , , , ,

Book Review: Our December (The Making Of A Man #1) – Diane Adams

Posted on March 19, 2015 | Leave a comment

Our December[Book 1 of The Making Of A Man Series]

At fifteen, Alex Ross knows that he’s gay and he’s scared. When he meets twenty year old construction worker Jared Douglas, he started to think that the gay thing isn’t so bad at all.

With Alex’s tender age – Jared knows that he needs to keep their intense mutual attraction in check. This became easy for Jared when Alex’s father ships him off to prep school. He expects the younger guy to forget him and find a boyfriend of his own age but he didn’t expect that it’ll hurt. When Alex returns home for Christmas and just turned 16, Jared knows that what they have is something special that they won’t be able to suppress any longer.

This story totally just made me all mushy deep inside. It made me think of that first love, that first kiss and it made me melancholic as well for some reason. I loved how their age gap was such an issue since Alex was still a minor – it was quite refreshing because this time, it’s not just about the age gap – it’s about the maturity of the other character that became the concern of the relatively “older” guy.

I loved that there was no sex scene involved in it. I loved the respect that Jared bestowed to Alex and his parents. I also adore Alex’s best friend! It’s always nice when you also fall for the best friend in the story and I was so happy to find out that he’s got his own story as well!

I cannot wait to read the second installment of this beautiful, tender love story!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published October 5th 2013 by Love Lane Books (first published December 25th 2010)

Buy now:
Love Lane Books | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , , , , ,

Book Review: Sandpipers’ Secrets – Jade Archer

Posted on March 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

Sandpiper's SecretsBrody moved halfway across the country to start a new life but it’s difficult to feel hopeful when you’re a meal away from starvation and about to get kick out from your place. He found his luck when Sandpiper’s restaurant was in need of a kitchen hand. With this development, Brody was finally able to breathe a little until his attention was focused to his two new hot bosses.

Lark and Zak have been partners for years and knows everything about each other. They loved each other but there’s still seemed to be something missing to complete what they have. When they hired their new kitchen hand, things started to get hot and dawn some realizations. Each of them keeps a secret and this may either get them closer or drive them apart.

I actually enjoyed reading this ménage story. I mean, I’m really not big of a fan of such premise but when the story is beautifully written then I’d definitely enjoy it, regardless. This story is good. There’s enough charm from the each man and I’d say that the story was pretty solid despite its unnecessary conflict at the end. I mean, the author could simply leave it without the whole “gun” thingy. That was a bit forced but I guess it’s tolerable.

For some reason, I find the sex scene lacking in sparks. The minimal descriptions made the intimate side of their relationship bland which I thought should be part 50% of these kind of story especially in the genre (that’s just for me though *wink* *wink*)

I still enjoyed it nevertheless and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for polyamorous / ménage stories.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published January 24th 2011 by Total-E-Bound

Buy now:
Total-E-Bound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , , ,

Book Review: Witness – L.A. Gilbert

Posted on March 17, 2015 | Leave a comment

WitnessBLURB: Ben Jenkins is a down-to-earth cop leading a quiet life in a big, empty house. Visits to the gay bars scratch an itch, but they don’t really satisfy, and though he’s used to the quiet, he recognizes that the empty feeling plaguing him of late is loneliness. It takes a police cruiser and a ten-speed to bring him together with Reece Withers, a bike messenger and photographer who’s still waiting for his big break to arrive. Ben’s pretty sure what he’s feeling is love, but they both have old hurts that need to heal before they can live and live well… together.

Okay, so I finally read all the published works of L.A. Gilbert so far and I’m just really impressed with everything she has written. The Coil, Kieran and Drew, Ghost On My Couch and this one are just simply sublime! I loved her way of telling stories and this one just totally touched my sappy side.

I’m first to admit though, that I didn’t get the significance of the book’s title. The whole story was simply a narration of both men as they go through life and how they found love. There was really nothing extraordinary about it but somehow, it makes you feel so good after reading the whole thing. I was trying to think if the title pertains to the last part of the story when they went overseas or simply just about witnessing each other’s kindness and just love for life. I really want to understand the title but regardless of this, I just totally enjoyed reading it and I sure wished that Ms. Gilbert will write more of these stories in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published April 30th 2010 by Dreamspinner Press

Buy now:
Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , ,

Book Review: Jurassic Heart – Anna Martin

Posted on March 16, 2015 | Leave a comment

Jurassic HeartThis is the fourth book I’ve read from the author and again, I’m duly impressed by her unique writing style. I loved her very realistic approach towards her characters and the natural flow of her stories from start to finish.

Here, we have Dr. Nick Eisenberg, a paleontologist summoned to Alberta to assist a team who thinks they have discovered bones of a velociraptor. If there is one thing that interest Nick more than anything else, it is prehistoric animals’ esp. dinosaurs and this project once more ignites his passion to dig even further. What he didn’t expect to find getting in the way is eco-conservationist Hunter Joseph who opposes the way their team was destroying the landscape of the place. Despite their differences, mutual attraction ensues and they have to figure out how to “co-exist” without trying to kill each other – that is before someone after Nick does the job.

I just loved how Anna Martin spins stories around her characters. Jurassic Heart has that easy vibe that lets its reader enjoy the story without unnecessary drama and excessive characterization. With story development similar to her novels Tattoos & Teacups and Cricket, I knew I just have to read all of her works! I absolutely adore her style!

I loved Nick’s character – there’s something so human about him (like Rob of Tattoos and Henry of Cricket) that you could easily relate with. Halfway through the story, I’ve to say though that I was more in love with Nick’s bestfriend Boner than Hunter. Nick has great chemistry with Boner and I just adore their easy relationship. With Hunter, I loved how Nick doesn’t use much of his brain – I mean, I loved how he’s trying to keep his emotion in place but he’s also going with the flow at the same time. I loved that kind of relationship. I was sorely disappointed though that Boner ends up getting engage with Raven – yeah, yeah, I’m a jealous bitch. LOL

The little action at the end was anti-climactic at least for me since I was already expecting the person behind the attacks. The ending was great though I was expecting maybe more about the development of their relationship – like some sort of weddings or babies or something but yeah – I enjoyed a hell lot of it regardless. Another beautiful story from Anna Martin. Thank you!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Published December 27th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

Buy now:
Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

About The Author
Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the south west of England. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English Literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.
Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, she is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theatre (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), travelling, learning to play the ukulele, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.
Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, pre-reading and creative ass-kicking provided by her closest friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept any responsibility for anything Anna has written.

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , ,

Book Review: Cricket – Anna Martin

Posted on March 15, 2015 | Leave a comment

CricketBLURB: New York native Henry Richardson needs a change. His boyfriend just dumped him, and his business has fallen victim to the economy. But is jumping on a plane after a surprise phone call taking things too far?

The promise of a new opportunity drags Henry away from the city to a tiny village in the English countryside and an enormous manor house his great-grandmother wants to bequeath him. As an experienced wedding planner, he sees the potential in renovating the dilapidated building and using it for events. All he needs is to find some local businesses to provide the essentials.

That’s how Henry meets Ryan Burgess, the shy but hardworking owner of an organic farm. The spark between them sizzles slowly while work on the house continues, but Ryan is deeply in the closet and unwilling to take the last step. They finally find something that clicks in cricket, something that Henry, a former amateur baseball player, is surprisingly good at. For him, cricket helps bridge the gap between England and New York—but unless Ryan can find something to span the divide between his sexuality and his fear, their relationship doesn’t stand a chance

***

This book is one of my favorite reads from last year along with her novel Tattoos & Teacups. There’s just something about her writing style that lured you further with her story and her characters. Cricket is one story that I’ve always reread since my first time getting ahold of it. The sceneries, Henry and Ryan’s character, the dialogues! It’s just perfection! Much as the same way Tattoos & Teacups was written – the author employed both realism and metaphorical description to develop the story. I loved the frankness of Henry’s character here. There was no pretention in it – just one solid characterization. There was also an overflowing charm from Ryan’s character. His hidden desires, the underlying sexual tension between him and Henry and just the way his personality resonates with the things he’s experienced was just amazing! The story was vivid, charismatic and all too British that it feels like you need to experience it yourself.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Published July 1st 2013 by Dreamspinner Press (first published June 30th 2013)

Buy now:
 Amazon | Barnes and Noble| Kobo |  Dreamspinner Press

About The Author
Anna Martin is from a picturesque seaside village in the south west of England. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English Literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.
Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, she is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theatre (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), travelling, learning to play the ukulele, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.
Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, pre-reading and creative ass-kicking provided by her closest friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept any responsibility for anything Anna has written.

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , ,

Book Review: The Devil Will Do – Heidi Cullinan

Posted on March 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

The Devil Will DoBLURB: In a land unforgiving of indulgent, dangerous sex, merchantman Eryn does his best to keep his desires in the dark…until the plight of a beautiful prince leads him out of the shadows and into adventures both sensual and terrible.

Capture, curse, and torture litter Eryn’s road to true love, along with carnal delights beyond his most wicked imaginings. His strengths and limitations are exposed—and the hard truth, that nothing holds him back more than the monster of self-loathing in his heart. Prince Wyn might be everything he’s dreamed of in a man—and master—but before Eryn can accept the exquisitely wicked affections of his one true love, he must first save himself…from himself.

This novella was originally published under the title Sweet Son and has been significantly revised. [s]

I loved Heidi Cullinan’s books! Ever since I’ve read Nowhere Ranch, I was hooked by her stories – her writing style was just absolutely superb! I haven’t read the novella Sweet Son so I’ve nothing to compare this with so I’m looking at this book as a fresh story which I believe is the main idea why it was revised ^_^

This was a fairly quick read. There’s not much of a dialogue in it – probably 60 percent of it was narration. I’ve this title in my head after reading this story = The Do’s And Don’ts of BDSM – Mastering the Submissive You. LOL. Seriously though, it’s exactly what the story is about in a fairy tale form. I didn’t get attach with a single character, didn’t think the story was that original but like every fairy tale, I went along with it and was glad that it had at least a happy ever after. Is it a story about acceptance? Self-love?  Freedom? I honestly can’t give a hundred percent yes but it would really depend how you would look at it and if you’re into this stuff at all. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so it didn’t really work for me at all.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Published February 4th 2015 by Wilde City (first published July 2010)

Buy now:
All Romance eBooks | Amazon | Wilde City | Kobo  |Nook

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , , ,

Book Review: Sleigh Ride (Minnesota Christmas #2) – Heidi Cullinan

Posted on March 13, 2015 | Leave a comment

Sleigh RideBLURB:The way to a man’s heart is on a sleigh.

Arthur Anderson doesn’t want anything to do with love and romance, and he certainly doesn’t want to play Santa in his mother’s library fundraising scheme. He knows full well what she really wants is to hook him up with the town’s lanky, prissy librarian.

It’s clear Gabriel Higgins doesn’t want him, either—as a Santa, as a boyfriend, as anyone at all. But when Arthur’s efforts to wiggle out of the fundraiser lead to getting to know the man behind the storytime idol, he can’t help but be charmed. The least he can do is be neighborly and help Gabriel find a few local friends.

As their fiery arguments strike hotter sparks, two men who insist they don’t date wind up doing an awful lot of dating. And it looks like the sleigh they both tried not to board could send them jingling all the way to happily ever after.

***

Although I liked the first book better, I find this installment of Minnesota Christmas more solid. I was maybe hoping from the first book that Arthur will end up with his best friend Paul but I guess, we’ll have to wait for Paul’s story next.

Gabriel Higgins here was all kinds of adorable especially when he’s doing the storytelling with the kids and that scene with the Doll? Damn’ I think I was about to tear-up reading that.

There’s just a tinge of BDSM here and I’m glad that nothing more extreme add up into that knowing that Arthur’s a big BDSM aficionado (sorry for the term).

As a whole, there’s the usual flare of sexy scenes and D/s characters usual from Heidi Cullinan and I loved that there was no major conflict to worry about between our main couple. It’s a great follow up and I’d definitely get hold of the next one in the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published November 11th 2014 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Buy now:
All Romance eBooks | Amazon | Samhain Publishing| Kobo | iTunes | Nook

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , , ,

Book Review: Hook, Line, & Sinker (Hard Hats #2) – Piper Vaughn

Posted on March 12, 2015 | Leave a comment

Hard Hats 2BLURB: When they were teens, Castor McCormick was the bane of Blake Kowalski’s existence. Their mutual animosity led to summers filled with rivalry. Now, nearly two decades later, Cas is moving back into the neighborhood to live in his grandmother’s old house. Blake tells himself he isn’t interested in seeing how snarky little Cas grew up, but when his mother dupes him into visiting his former nemesis, he finds out “pretty” can evolve into “sexy as hell” on the right man.

 Cas didn’t think he wanted to see Blake again. No one has ever pushed his buttons like the arrogant boy he remembers from their youth. Turns out, the adult version of Blake still gets him hot under the collar—and everywhere else. With Blake on leave from work to nurse an injured leg and Cas taking time to move and unpack, they form a tentative friendship that turns into a sexual affair neither man can deny. But when Cas’s job sends him out of state to deal with a difficult client, their new relationship will be tested, and if they fail, Blake’s broken leg might not be the only thing to end up scarred.

***

I loved this better than the first book mainly because Blake’s character’s so compatible with Cas. I loved that they have a share history together and have been pining secretly from each other! Hah!

The series isn’t particularly that memorable but it has its moments. I loved the fact that there’s not much sex in it and somehow, the author deemed it necessary to put more conflict about trust and all. That’s okay I guess, it was an okay read and a better follow up to the series. Will I buy the next one? Yes.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published November 19th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press

Buy now:
Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble| Kobo

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , ,

Book Review: Wood, Screws, & Nails (Hard Hats #1) – Piper Vaughn, Kade Boehme

Posted on March 12, 2015 | Leave a comment

Hard Hats 1BLURB: Aaron Costa’s summer was all planned. Despite having to remodel the family lake house, it would be a vacation of sorts, and he had every intention of enjoying it—until the friend who was supposed to help him got injured and left him in a lurch. He decides to take the opportunity to bond with his son and hires Julian and his roommate, Malachi, to assist.

As a broke college student, Malachi could use the money, and spending the summer with Aaron for eye candy sounds like a dream. “Look but don’t touch” becomes his motto. But when Julian starts flaking on his responsibilities and Malachi and Aaron are forced to spend long hours alone together, their mutual attraction is impossible to resist.

Aaron can’t fight the temptation sexy Malachi presents. But more than their age difference stands in their way, not the least of which is Aaron’s semi-closeted status and the fact that he’s never openly discussed his sexuality with his son. He has no idea how Julian will react when he learns his father is not only gay, he’s also dating his best friend.

***

I’m a fan of Piper and Kade and I loved it when my favorite authors collaborate to produce a good story. Although this book I find leaning more towards Piper’s writing style. There’s the usual flare for light conflict and the too detailed sex scenes. There was an age gap which by the way reminds me of Thomas Elkin series – remember Tom who’s dating his son’s bff? Anyways, the story was fine but I didn’t feel that much chemistry between Malachi and Aaron. There’s just something off about their relationship and financially, obviously they’re not equal but disregarding that – their connection isn’t that transparent without the words being said. Overall, this was a good start for the series and I’m pretty sure that the next one will be way better than this.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Published April 23rd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published April 22nd 2014)

Buy now:
Dreampinner Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Leave a comment

Posted in Books

Tagged , , ,