Quick Reviews

Sno Ho & Life in Fusion by Ethan Day : Quick Reviews

December 19, 2015 by Denise

Boone Daniels seems to have trouble finishing things. Along with the half dozen or so novels he’s started, only to abandon mid-way through, his love life could be best described as a series of drive-bys.

Boone has spent the past week staying at a ski lodge in the tiny mountain town of Summit City. He’s been using his time alone to write while waiting for his boyfriend to join him for their anniversary.

What happens to Boone when he winds up dumped on the eve of his one-year anniversary and ends up at a bar having one too many cocktails? Wade Walker.

Do you know that friend who’s absolutely amazing most of the time, but sometimes goes off on these wild tangents that make you roll your eyes, wondering why they’re trying so hard? That’s how I felt about Sno Ho by Ethan Day.

Boone is an interesting character. When he chilled out, I loved him. But when he was trying to be funny, I felt it was exactly that. He was trying. Or rather, Ethan Day was trying to craft a hilarious character and could have pulled it back a bit. At one point, the joking around when Wade was trying to be serious annoyed the hell out of me.

And Wade… oh, Wade… I spent a great deal of the book trying to figure out what his deal was. He’s obviously the golden boy of Summit City and he has a pure heart, but sometimes, I felt like he’d gone from being a big teddy bear to a bearskin rug. He was willing to call Boone out on his eating habits, and asked a few times about the inappropriate banter and inability to be serious, but I can’t imagine many people sticking around long with how Boone behaved.

The story opens with Boone waking up after a drunken one-night stand, but by the time he leaves, the only reason he knows the name of the man who left him walking funny is that he dug through his mail. Okay, cool. It happens. But honestly, I’m still not sure WHY these men were attracted to one another. It may have been the hot sex, but other than that, I’m somewhat clueless. I guess what I’m saying is I wish we had more connection and fewer antics in Sno Ho.

This was a quick read, and I’ll admit I’m getting ready to dive into Life In Fusion. My hope is that we’ll get to learn more about why Boone and Wade work when it’s more than a one week vacation rebound fling.

3.5 pieces of Eye Candy

Aspiring author, Boone Daniels, always figured love would be as easy as he was. Fresh off a whirlwind winter-vacation romance with ski-god and would-be boyfriend, Wade Walker – Boone was certain that saying goodbye would be the hardest part.

He’d survived the unconventional way in which they came together, proven himself somewhat worthy to Wade’s hometown of Summit City, and felt certain the self-imposed, six month boy-buffer would prove one thing – their fate was to be forever entwined.

Once real life settles in, Boone suffers the realization that no one ever actually said love was easy and that even after you fall, you can still break. As their two worlds collide, he begins to understand that if he can navigate the landscape of life in fusion, he just might get that happily-ever-after…after all.

Wade and Boone’s story continues from Sno Ho into Life in Fusion…

For the most part, I enjoyed Life in Fusion more than I did Sno Ho. Boone seemed to chill out a bit and wasn’t quite as immature. He still had his moments of randomness, but they didn’t feel as forced in this book.

I enjoyed seeing Wade and Boone tackle their time apart. I fell in love with them as people and was cheering for them to have their happily ever after. There were a few moments when I wanted to shake the life out of Boone and tell him to use his big boy words instead of getting pissy, but I got past them.

The friendship with Gabe, and how upset he was about Boone being with someone, confused me. At first, I thought he was worried for his friend, but the longer it went on, the more it felt like he was a jealous tool. I wound up really NOT liking him. And never understood why Chip and Wade didn’t like one another.

The only reason this book didn’t rate higher is that I found myself skimming. A lot. The background stories threatened to barge their way into Wade and Boone’s time. And I’ll admit, after reading the first part of Boone’s WIP, I skipped over the rest. I get that the author was trying to show that Boone had his mojo back, but it wasn’t the type of story that intrigued me as a reader. And there wasn’t just a paragraph here and there, it was pages at the beginning of each part of the book.

3.75 pieces of Eye Candy

Ethan Day | Author

ethan@ethanday.com w. www.ethanday.com

Moment of Silence by Karen Stivali : Release Day Review and Giveaway

December 18, 2015 by Denise

Growing up, Jason Stern led a charmed life complete with devoted sisters, a father who was one of Brooklyn’s most respected rabbis, and a mother who made the world’s best babka. He headed to NYU ready for anything—except falling for the wrong guy, coming out, and getting disowned by his once-loving family. In spite of that, Jason managed to graduate with honors. He’s got friends who treat him like family, and he’s proudly running the largest LGBTQ teen shelter in Manhattan. Life is good, but he’s still falling for the wrong men.

When charming, sexy Quinn Fitzpatrick begins work at the shelter, Jason falls hard and fast. Quinn is tall, blond, funny—damn near perfect. Only if Quinn’s gay, even he doesn’t seem to know it. If he does, he’s not telling anyone. And he’s about one ceremony away from becoming a Catholic priest.

Long hours of work turn to long nights of talking and laughter, and Jason dares to hope this time he’s falling for the right guy. But Quinn’s got a past to deal with and major decisions to make about his future. When Quinn leaves for a silent retreat, Jason knows the silence may change everything.

Author Name: Karen Stivali

Book Name: Moment of Silence

Series: Moments In Time

This book is a ‘Moments in Time Novel’. It takes place in the same world, but can be read separately.

Release Date: December 18, 2015

Pages or Words: 76,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5170527.Karen_Stivali

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska

Pierogi were just what the evening required. We got two orders, potato with fried onions, and cheese doused in butter. To round things out, we added a gigantic link of kielbasa and finished it all off with blueberry blintzes. By the time we were done eating, I was so full I could barely move.

“This was awesome.” Quinn licked a purple streak of blueberry off his fork before setting it down and pushing his plate away.

I was too mesmerized by the sight of his tongue to speak right away.

The waitress stopped at our booth. “All set?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

She placed the paper check between us, and Quinn reached for it, but I grabbed it first. “I’ve got this one. Make up for the popcorn you gave away.”

“You don’t have to do that.” He pulled out his wallet and put a twenty on the table.

“You can’t let anyone do anything for you, can you?”

Quinn’s eyes bugged, then softened. “Yeah, I guess I do have a problem with that sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“Okay, most of the time.”

“You know what they say. The first step is admitting you have a problem. And the second is letting me pay for dinner.” I stuck the check and enough money for the meal and tip under the glass sugar shaker, then grabbed Quinn’s twenty, folded it in half, leaned over, and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

My fingers were in the pocket before I fully realized what I was doing. Then the whole universe condensed into the drag of my fingers on that two-inch-square area of his chest. His rock-solid chest that tightened the instant I made contact. My own chest froze, devoid of air. I’d forgotten how to breathe. All I could do was think about the fact that I had my hand on this man who’d consumed my waking and sleeping hours for weeks. And I had to let go. Literally.

I pulled my hand away, trying to turn the rush of breath that returned to my lungs into something resembling a laugh. “Ready to get out of here?”

Quinn nodded.

Shit. He’s silent again. Did he notice that moment of fantasy lust I just played out? What the fuck is wrong with me? Way to make him uncomfortable. Fuck—My monologue of self-criticism was interrupted by his hand on my shoulder.

His hand was probably a normal temperature, but given the heat it generated in my body, he might as well have been the Human Torch . Great. I’m not only in love with a straight priest, he’s also a superhero.

Quinn chuckled, and for a second I worried I’d said my crazy thoughts out loud. My face flushed to match the heat that coursed through the rest of me. “What?”

He handed me my keys. “You left these on the table.”

“Oh.” I took them, heat flaring through me in another rush when his fingers brushed mine as he placed the keyring in my hand. “Thanks. Geez. That would have sucked if I’d left those here.”

“Yeah.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I nearly tripped over the step as we left the restaurant. It was a text from Campbell. I laughed. “Apparently my roommate’s having an orange juice crisis, as in we’re out of orange juice. I need to stop at the bodega on the way home. I feel like we’re married sometimes. In a weird, sexless way.” Stop talking. Now.

“It’s good you get along so well.”

I gestured to the store on the next corner. “You need anything?”

“Nah. I’m too full to even think about eating or drinking anything.”

“The power of the pierogi.”

He grinned. “See you tomorrow?”

“Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll work on those shelves. Unless you think we need to run the math one more time.”

“Just triple-checking your skills.” The teasing sound in his voice made me want to stay on that corner and talk to him all night. Anything to keep hold of the pleasant hum that was vibrating through my body. But then he turned away, heading toward his place, hand in the air in a backward wave of sorts. “Good night.”

It was indeed. “Night.”

I’m a huge fan of the Moments in Time series. It took me a while to pick up Moment of Impact, but once I did, I couldn’t get enough. Now that Tanner and Collin are happy and in love, Karen Stivali has moved on to writing about some of their friends and family.

Moment of Silence is the story of Jason and Quinn. Those who’ve read the earlier books in the series will remember them from Moment of Truth and Moment of Clarity. Jason was the friend who was crushing on Collin when they were on Fire Island, and Quinn is Collin’s almost-priest brother.

I went into the story blind because Karen Stivali has yet to let me down with a book in this series. That may have been a bit of a hindrance, because it took me a little while to remind myself who they were. Once the puzzle pieces started to fall into place, I couldn’t get enough.

I worried about how this story would play out given the fact that there was not only Quinn’s potential priesthood, but the fact that Jason’s father is a Rabbi. That could have been a recipe for disaster because sometimes books with such strong, religious characters tend to come across preachy. Not the case here.

Quinn definitely struggled with his feelings for Jason and the future he’d been working toward for a decade. As I read, I felt for him. I wanted him to be happy. And luckily, Jason didn’t go into this relationship with any expectations of what would happen in the future. He knew the score. He knew there was a chance Quinn would walk away.

I can’t say too much more without giving away major parts of the story, but I will say this is one of the first books in a while to make me both laugh and cry. When I finished the last page, I couldn’t help but read the excerpt for Moment of Fate at the back of the book, because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this cast of characters. Karen Stivali is still firmly on my must-read list with this great new release!

4.5 pieces of Eye Candy

Amazon

DSP eBook

DSP Paperback

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She’s also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love…like real life, only hotter.

Karen’s lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen’s novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex—all the best things in life.

When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don’t hesitate to contact/follow/like her at: [insert contact info here]

Where to find the author:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenstivali

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenstivali

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karenstivali/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5170527.Karen_Stivali

Blog: http://karenstivali.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenStivaliAuthor?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Unquietly Me, KathyMac Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Jessie G. Books, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Elin Gregory, Inked Rainbow Reads, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Just Love Romance, Three Books Over the Rainbow, Book Lovers 4Ever, Butterfly-O-Meter, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Charley Descoteaux, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, A.M. Leibowitz, My Fiction Nook, V’s Reads

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Snowed In by Teodora Kostova : Quick Review

December 15, 2015 by Denise

Be careful what you wish for…

Nate has been in love with Quinn, his brother’s best friend, for as long as he can remember. But when he finally gets the chance to show Quinn how he feels, his heart gets broken in the most unexpected way.

Second chances come when you least expect them…

Quinn doesn’t believe in miracles, especially not Christmas ones. When he decides to win Nate back he knows it won’t be easy. The last thing he expects is a health scare, a road trip and a vicious snow storm to work in his favor.

In the end, a cabin in the woods turns out to be not only the shelter they desperately need, but also Quinn’s very own Christmas miracle.

Sometimes, to forgive, you need to get snowed in…

*Stand alone novella, not connected to any series

Amazon

This holiday novella follows Nate and Quinn, through their very young adulthood for part one. Then again several years later for part two, as they get to their HEA.

Nate was such a sweet young man in part one, who couldn’t wait to see the man he had been in love with since they met. Quinn left town, and broke his heart, and Nate became an angry, promiscuous man, who hated Quinn upon seeing him again.

I will admit, that after Quinn broke Nate’s heart at the end of part one, I was angry myself. I couldn’t read the novella for a while after that, stewing in my anger, much the way Nate seemed to do. When Quinn came back, to win Nate over, I was hesitant at first too, not knowing why Quinn left in the first place. He tried to convince Nate that he wanted him back, that he wanted to make up for the pain he had caused.

I did have a few issues with the characterizations in this novella, though. There might be a few small spoilers ahead, so you are warned.

The brain tumor of Quinn’s roommate led the pack here. Quinn felt beholden to the roommate as he got sick, and that he needed to care for him. That was the type of person he was, wanting to take care of a man who had taken care of him. However, in all honesty, they had been roommates and friends, so why would Quinn choose to hurt a man so tremondously, that he claimed to love, because someone who was a friend was sick? Could it be because he didn’t want Nate to see him struggling to deal with it? Perhaps. Another reason might have been their ages. Making a decision like that, at that age, could very well be what someone would think was best. However, for me, it didn’t strike me as something someone who loves you would do.

In addition, remembering that Nate’s parents had taken in Quinn, much as the roommate had, why would the roommate win over Quinn’s devotion more than Nate? Was it because Nate had his brother and parents, and the roommate had no one? That is entirely possible, but again, I go back to the fact that the roommate was just a friend, and Nate could have easily been a source of support for Quinn as he helped the man die with dignity.

All that being said, I definitely felt the connection between these two. One of the issues sometimes with novellas is they are so fast, it’s hard to feel the connection that the reader wants in order to get to the HEA satisfactorily. In this case, that wasn’t an issue. Because Nate and Quinn had a connection prior to expressing their love to each other, the reader was able to feel that bond reform as they traveled towards Denver, and found themselves at the place that their previous falling out had taken place.

There was so much to love in this novella, two men who tiptoed around each other for years, then had to find a way to go from enemies to lovers, some hot sex scenes (because Teodora can definitely write some of those!), and an awesome cover, that my other issues could be put to the backburner somewhat.

I definitely enjoyed this one, and was glad I got a chance to read it. I would love to read a little more on these men. How they were able to work through some of the lingering anger and fears to solidify their relationship could be an entirely different novella!

3.75 pieces of Eye Candy for me

Hi, my name is Teodora and I live in London with my husband and my son. I’ve been writing ever since I can remember, but it became my full time job a few years ago when I decided that everything else I’ve tried bores me to death and I have to do what I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the guts to fully embrace. I’ve been a journalist, an editor, a personal assistant and an interior designer among other things, but as soon as the novelty of the new, exciting job wears off, I always go back to writing. Being twitchy, impatient, loud and hasty are not qualities that help a writer, because I have to sit alone, preferably still, and write for most of the day, but I absolutely love it. It’s the only time that I’m truly at peace and the only thing I can do for more than ten minutes at a time – my son has a bigger attention span than me.
When I’m procrastinating, I like to go to the gym, cook Italian meals (and eat them), read, listen to rock music, watch indie movies and True Blood re-runs. Or, in the worst case scenario, get beaten at every Nintendo Wii game by a kid.
Don’t be shy and get in touch – I love connecting with my readers.

Blog: www.teodorakostova.blogspot.com

Twitter: @Teodora_Kostova
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teodorakostovaauthor

E-mail: t.t.kostova@gmail.com

Instagram: teodorika1

What Happens At Christmas by Jay Northcote : Quick Review

December 15, 2015 by Denise

When two friends pose as boyfriends, could what happens at Christmas turn into something more?

Justin is recently and unhappily single. Christmas is coming, and he doesn’t want to face his ex alone at their office party. So Sean—Justin’s best mate and long-time secret crush—volunteers to go with him and pretend to be his new flame.

Sean has always lusted after Justin from afar, but there’s never been a good opportunity to ask him for more than friendship. Posing as Justin’s boyfriend isn’t a chore, and if Justin wants to rebound onto him, Sean’s more than willing. At the party pretence and reality blur, and a kiss on the dance floor leads to a night of passion.

In the aftermath, they both assume it was a one-time thing until fate intervenes. Stuck together in London over the holidays, they give in to temptation again. But what happens at Christmas stays at Christmas… right?

Length: 37,000 words

Amazon

What Happens at Christmas by Jay Northcote combines two of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers and holiday magic. Justin and Sean were both written beautifully. Even though this is a novella, I felt there was plenty of time given to getting to know both characters, as well as explore their feelings for one another.

It would have been so easy for this story to take a turn into a cheesy mess, but the author never went that far. It was a perfect balance between Sean and Justin trying to play their parts in front of Justin’s ex and them trying to decide whether to hide or reveal their own feelings.

Even though it would have been plausible if they had jumped right into the sack, I appreciated that there was a bit of build up to them doing the deed. It made their connection that much stronger and believable.

I’m not typically a fan of novellas because they always leave me feeling like something’s missing, but that was NOT the case this time. I feel confident that Justin and Sean are on their way to a great new life together and will stand the test of time!

This book has already been added to my holiday collection and I can’t wait until next year when I can enjoy it all over again!

5 pieces of Eye Candy

Winter Wonderland by Heidi Cullinan : Quick Review

December 14, 2015 by Denise

Finding Mr. Right can be a snow lot of fun.

Minnesota Christmas, Book 3

Paul Jansen was the only one of his friends who wanted a relationship. Naturally, he’s the last single man standing. No gay man within a fifty-mile radius wants more than casual sex.

No one, that is, except too-young, too-twinky Kyle Parks, who sends him suggestive texts and leaves X-rated snow sculptures on his front porch.

Kyle is tired of being the town’s resident Peter Pan. He’s twenty-five, not ten, and despite his effeminate appearance, he’s nothing but the boss in bed. He’s loved Paul since forever, and this Christmas, since they’re both working on the Winter Wonderland festival, he might finally get his chance for a holiday romance.

But Paul comes with baggage. His ultra-conservative family wants him paired up with a woman, not a man with Logan’s rainbow connection. When their anti-LGBT crusade spills beyond managing Paul’s love life and threatens the holiday festival, Kyle and Paul must fight for everyone’s happily ever after, including their own.

Warning: Contains erotic snow art, toppy twinks, and super-sweet holiday moments. Best savored with a mug of hot chocolate with a dash of spice.

Amazon

Can I tell you how much I love the little town of Logan, MN? Sure, they have their issues and their closed-minded jerks, but I want to move there so bad! Especially after reading Winter Wonderland, the third book in the Minnesota Christmas series.

Last year, I fell in love with Arthur, Marcus, and Paul. The first two men found their happily ever afters, but poor Paul was left without someone to keep him warm at night. I needed him to find love.

When a book starts out with something as cheesy as snow penises, it could be cause for worry. It would have been if not for the fact that the first two books in the series were so solid.

Yes, it got a bit tiring to listen to Paul’s reasons why he and Kyle couldn’t work out, but I think that’s because if Paul was my real-life friend sitting in the room with me, I’d have wanted to slap him and remind him that he deserves to be happy. He was written that well.

And then you have poor Kyle… my mom used to tell us that we’d better not do anything on one end of town that we didn’t want her knowing about before we got home. Because small Midwestern towns take that whole “it takes a village” philosophy very seriously. And just like long lost relatives, small towns have a hard time believing that one of their own is all grown up. But damn, Kyle is grown!

One thing that sticks with me about this book is how Heidi Cullinan bucked stereotypes. Paul might have been the “bear” of the couple, but Kyle has no problem trying to tame him.

If I had to make a complaint at all, it’d be that there’s not a fourth book out. Like now. I love the boys of Logan and really hope there are more stories coming, because I need to know if their big dreams for Logan become a reality!

5 pieces of Eye Candy

The Deepest Blue by Christina Lee : Quick Review

December 14, 2015 by Denise

Lee exchanges skyline for swampland in the next book of her male/male romance series, Roadmap to Your Heart.

Rugged and conventional Callum Montgomery enjoys running Shady Pines hunting preserve, except for the secret that’s eating him alive. When his sister brings a date for a family wedding, he can’t stand the arrogant city slicker with the stick up his perfectly fine ass. He doesn’t understand his draw to Dean, who pushes his buttons at every turn, but he’d never dream of betraying his sibling over some lust fueled fantasy.

Handsome and conscientious Dean Abbott is a research assistant in his university’s biology lab. When his roommate, Cassie, begs him to be her pretend date in front of her meddling family, he begrudgingly agrees to help. He doesn’t anticipate being enchanted by the countryside, the colorful cast of characters, or her sexy and brooding straight brother.

When contempt turns to passion and leads to stolen moments in a sugar cane field, Callum can’t help longing for the kind of connection he believes he can never have. But not even the world’s most heart-melting kiss can bridge the vast philosophical differences between the men.

Dean’s return to his urban lifestyle leaves him restless, his mind continually wandering to the charming setting that spoke to something missing deep inside him. Because you can take the city boy out of the country but you can’t make him forget the intriguing man he left behind.

Author: Christina Lee

Title: The Deepest Blue

Series Title and Number: Roadmap to Your Heart #2 (can be read as a standalone)

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: 12-4-15

Genre: LGBTQ Romance

Tags: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Heat Level (1 being no sexual content, 5 being erotica): 4

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 250 pages

Amazon

Most of the time, every book in a series follows the same characters in the same world. Early in The Deepest Blue by Christina Lee, I felt a bit lost because there was nothing about this book that followed The Darkest Flame, which is the first book in the series. That feeling didn’t last long, because Christina Lee is a master storyteller and she sucked me into the Montgomery family and left me needing more.

The biggest fear with this book was that it could’ve easily taken on a Duck Dynasty feel with the southern, backwoods family and the city boy. It didn’t. It toed the line a few times, but never stepped over into something cliche and annoying.

I wanted to slap Callum on more than one occasion, because it was so obvious to me, the reader, that most of his family loved and supported him. But it wasn’t just his family he had to worry about, and he acted the way he did because he was trying to protect his family. Was that necessary? Quite probably.

Yes, there were some moments that seemed a bit out of character, mostly on Callum’s part. Yes, there was a moment or two where I wanted to slap Dean for treating Callum like an uneducated hick. But overall, I love this book just as much, if not a little bit more, than the first in the series.

Christina Lee has written two complete standalone books that have a very minor tie holding them together. That’s a good thing, because you will lose nothing if you pick up The Deepest Blue without having read The Darkest Flame. That being said, you really should grab both of them because both are among my favorite reads of this year.

4.5 pieces of Eye Candy