Book Reviews

Broken by Colette Davison: RDB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

March 5, 2019 by Denise

Rule #1: Keep running.

Jag’s rules have kept him safe and free since he escaped conversion therapy, but that was before he walked into Heaven and Hell. A no-strings fling with the club owner, Michael, turns into so much more as Jag finds himself breaking one rule after another.

Michael hasn’t been able to commit to anyone since his partner died, until Jag walks into his club. Falling in lust with the elfin young dancer is easy, and his heart is quick to follow.

Michael gives Jag a reason to stay, but fear rules Jag’s heart more than love. Despite his deepening feelings for Michael, Jag knows he can’t stay. Can he?

**Contains adult themes, content, and language.**

Book Title: Broken

Author: Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Colette Davison

Genre/s: MM Contemporary Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“I need to say a few things,” Michael said, pausing as he felt Jag stiffen. “I need to be honest with you.”

“No.” Jag’s hand pressed against Michael’s mouth, no doubt transferring silver smudges to his lips. “I’m happy with the lie you told me last night.”

Well, at least Michael knew he definitely hadn’t fooled Jag. Gently, he moved Jag’s hand away from his mouth. His hand became coated in a sparkling silver sheen.

“I’m not.”

Jag clenched his teeth.

“I care about you,” Michael said. “And I can’t pretend otherwise.”

“You don’t know me,” Jag hissed.

“Don’t I?”

Jag became even more rigid, his muscles so hard beneath Michael’s fingers he felt like a statue as well as looking like one.

“I don’t have to know about your past to know who you are now.”

I went all in on this book because I love angst. But, this was kind of meh.

The whole premise is that Jag is running from his family because they had him in conversion therapy as a teen. BUT HE IS NOW A GROWN ASS MAN. What is he still running from? Ugh

Michael hires Jag and gives him a place to live with no proper id, no real name and no references at all. Mmmmkay. And even though his partner died years ago, he hasn’t been able to move on. Until Jag. Now all of a sudden he is hot to trot. And he seemed to kind of be a stage mother. Dressing Jag up for the stage in paint and wings. It was just odd.

I didn’t get any chemistry at all between the two men. And it seems the only big trauma for Jag going through conversion therapy is that he can’t watch gay porn. But he is totally fine having sex with strangers.

Big disappointment that left a lot to be desired.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairy tale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

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Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

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Halo (Fallen Angel Book 1) by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine: New Release Review

February 27, 2019 by Denise

Massive world tours. Over a hundred million albums sold. Groupies galore.
Every day is a party for Viper and the guys of TBD, the biggest rock band in the world. But it all comes to a screeching halt when the lead singer walks out of the studio one day and never comes back.

Ear-blistering vocals. Butchered lyrics. Fame chasers.
After months of lackluster auditions, Viper, the lead guitarist and resident bad boy of the group, is ready to find solace in the bottom of a bottle. Time’s running out and the pressure’s on to find a new singer, but it isn’t until an angel walks through the door that the band’s prayers are answered.

Charismatic. Talented. Magic behind the mic. Halo is everything they’ve been looking for.
With a voice to match his stunning good looks, it isn’t long before Viper’s taking notice. But there are several reasons this is a bad idea:

1.Interpersonal relationships in the band are discouraged
2.Viper has already broken rule #1—big mistake
3.Halo is straight

Too bad Viper’s body isn’t listening to his head—at least not the one on his shoulders. But you can’t fake chemistry, not onstage and certainly not off it, and Viper and Halo? They have it in spades.

As both men try to resist the fire blazing between them, and the band is forced to reinvent themselves, it’ll be a complicated rise back to the top. But from the ashes of what was, something beautiful is born. Something better. And when the world finally sees Halo stretch his wings, they’ll discover what it’s like to fall for an angel.

BOOK ONE OF THE FALLEN ANGEL SERIES
A ROCK ROMANCE

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Ok. I am a fan of both authors. And I particularly like when they co-author. And this book was fun as hell. And sexy. And a little bit sweet. And super hot. But if you are fans and have read their books before- Viper is the new Logan and Halo is the new Tate. There were A LOT of similarities.

Did I still totally enjoy this book? HELL YES I DID!

I love rock star books. They are just fun. A glimpse behind the scenes. This glimpse being the band, TBD, looking for a new lead singer after their original one walked out with no explanation. There is quite a bit of back story there that we didn’t get and I can only assume we will hear about in the coming books.

Halo, yes apparently that is his real name, auditions and blows the band away. Viper, lead guitarist, is immediately drawn to him. But he is straight.

After their big comeback show is a flop, the band regroups. Viper flirts HARD with Halo, Halo shows off that he is a musical prodigy, and they discover a new sound for themselves.

I didn’t really understand the comeback show flopping because the lead singer took off 7 or 8 months ago. That had to have been common knowledge. I mean, it is the age of social media. In fact, you’d think there would have been a social media blitz to introduce Halo. These little things bug me. Luckily, most of these little things happened at the beginning and I was able to move on. Mostly.

This book is a slow burn. There’s a lot of flirting by Viper. Quite a bit of soul searching by Halo. But for a gay for you book, slow burn in necessary. Keep us turning the pages waiting for the magic to happen.

I really liked that because of the lead singer change that the group went with a whole new sound and band name. Too easily could Halo have just slipped into a role.

The other band mates are fun and play good supporting roles. Two straight, one gay. They don’t seem to harbor as much vitriol for the missing lead singer as Viper does. Which is another big clue that there is way more to that story than we know yet.

So yes, I drew a lot of parallels between this book and Try. But I also really enjoyed reading it and want book two. Because I need answers!

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

A New Life (Loving Again Book 2) by Mel Gough: Exclusive Interview, Blog Tour and Review

February 22, 2019 by Denise

New apartment, new job, new love – Ben and Donnie’s life in Atlanta is everything they dared to hope for. And when Zac, a baby in need of a home, comes to live with them, their family is complete.

But caring for a little one is hard work, and Donnie’s fragile health soon suffers. And then certain criminal elements from Donnie’s past turn up again. Ben and Donnie fight hard to preserve their little piece of heaven, but the destructive forces are determined to pull their happiness to pieces.

Can the two men prevail, or will they lose their baby son and everything they’ve fought for?

Book Title: A New Life (Loving Again Series, Book 2)

Author: Mel Gough

Publisher: Self-published

Cover Artist: Black Jazz Design

Genre/s: Contemporary romance

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 49,000 words/188 pages

Release Date: February 22, 2019

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Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

What one thing happened as you were writing this book that you absolutely weren’t expecting? (No spoilers needed here!)

To be honest, I hadn’t expected this to become a series. As most readers know, the three books started as fanfic. I wrote the first one with no intention for it to be more than a long-ish story on AO3, but found that I loved the concept so much that I wanted more from Ben and Donnie. And I think that Book 2 is the best out of the series, in terms of suspense and action. A lot of drama happens, but there’s such sweetness too, which also was somewhat of a surprise.

Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?

I first write all my books and stories by hand, into an A5 notebook. I can write on the train that way and in fact do so most days. I used to carry one notebook with my current story, but now tend to carry two, one that’s exclusively dedicated to my current new novel and one for other things (like short stories or rewrites of other projects).

Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?

I’m not usually very excited to write the sex scenes. I can write them ok I think, but they’re not my forte. And I don’t particularly enjoy reading sex, either. It’s not that it bothers me, and sometimes it’s needed, but I find it hard to come up with new ways to make those scenes interesting. For the Ben and Donnie books, at least the sex had the added bonus of being something that’s not easy for them, so I used thoe scenes to explore some of their hang-ups and difficulties.

What does your next project look like?

Which one? 😉 I have a lot right now. I’m writing the first draft of a reverse harem story, which I’m hoping to finish sometime in the middle of the year. Then I have a short story that I want to submit to an anthology. I also have a five-part MF romance series I’ll publish after the Ben and Donnie tour de force is over. They’re currently in a slightly chaotic editing stage.

Always my fun one! A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

Ha! It probably got on the wrong train at Victoria and is looking for the zoo. Here in London sometimes the pigeons take the train, and I’m not entirely convinced they don’t know exactly what they’re doing because they’re always super chill and hop off when they get to the stop they wanted!

The story continues with Donnie and Ben, only now it’s a couple of months later and things are settling in with them quite well. They’ve got a new place together, Ben’s got a new job, Ben and his ex are getting along, and he gets to see his daughter, though she doesn’t have much page time in this one either. He’s very much a sometimes dad to her, which sucked in my opinion, because in this one, he and Donnie get a baby and he’s all kinds of a dad to him!

Okay, so I’ll explain. A woman at the shelter Donnie works for is staying there with her baby, and once Arthur (love him) helps her find a job, the baby, Zac, stays in the daycare with Donnie. He forms a quick bond with him, wanting to protect him from the life he knows they live. He’s familiar with it, having lived it himself as a child and he wanted to protect him. He’s also positive, like Donnie, so it seemed to just kind of bond them in a way that was easy and genuine and really sweet, though very sad…He’s good to the core like that, Donnie is. I really grew to like him a lot in this one.

I also liked the realness of the stress and sleepless nights and irrational frustration with people, when they’re only trying to help. Having a new baby around is stressful and I like that things were portrayed the way they would be in real life. Although, some things still irked me….. DCFS, would not take the word of someone saying their a baby’s real father without a blood test to confirm, especially going so far as to show up at a foster carers house without warning and take the child from their carer. There are guidelines and protocol’s that have to be met; the dad would have to have several meetings with the baby, his house to be inspected, paperwork galore and it wouldn’t happen in 10 minutes… more like weeks. Also.. why in the world were Ben and Donnie trying to give a 6-month-old baby, tea? I can’t be the only one who noticed that.

And seriously? I have never, in my life, called a boyfriend “buddy” unless he was in trouble and I needed him to hear my words before someone got hurt… i.e. him…. “listen up, bud.”…. but as far as endearments go…. Buddy is a terrible one. I hope that gets fixed for the next book, which I’m not sure I’m looking forward to if it’s called “A Broken Promise”… I think Donnie’s had enough brokenness in his life, he doesn’t need more and I’m not sure I can handle any more for him.

Also, prepare for random flashbacks that make a little bit of sense in the end, but otherwise were just random, confusing and there is on page sex with someone other than the boyfriend. Some don’t like that… I didn’t mind it because it eventually made sense… kind of. But warning, it’s there.
You’ll also see the word “summat” a few times, if anyone knows what that means, please let me know.

So, in this one, there are more hospital visits, (seriously, they should rent a wing, they’re all there so much), we meet new friends, there’s a new baby (and you all should know by now how I feel bad hot dads), ever patient boyfriends (Ben), loving daddy’s (Donnie) and a cute HFN. I suspect we’ll see more from these three in the future.

3 pieces of eye candy from me

Mel was born in Germany, where she spent the first twenty-six years of her life (with a one-year stint in Los Angeles). She has always been fascinated by cultures and human interaction, and got a Masters in Social Anthropology. After finishing university she moved to London, where she has now lived for ten years.

If you were to ask her parents what Mel enjoyed the most since the age of six, they would undoubtedly say “Reading!” She would take fifteen books on a three-week beach holiday, and then read all her mom’s books once she’d devoured her own midway through week two.

Back home in her mom’s attic there’s a box full of journals with stories Mel wrote when she was in her early teens. None of the stories are finished, or any good. She has told herself bedtime stories as far back as she can remember.

In her day job, Mel works as PA and office manager. No other city is quite like London, and Mel loves her city. The hustle and bustle still amaze and thrill her even after all these years. When not reading, writing or going to the theater, Mel spends her time with her long-time boyfriend, discussing science or poking fun at each other.

Author Links

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE FOR A NEW LIFE

Educating the Professor by Sean Michael: New Release Review

February 19, 2019 by Denise

Kenneth Brannigan is a small-town history professor. He’s happy with his life, loves the classes he teaches, and lives in a tiny apartment in a converted house with his best friend, Tim, next door. He’s still recovering from a bad breakup and is content to stick to his comfortable routine. It’s Tim who insists he come to the Queer Alliance’s Rainbow Mixer.

At the mixer, Kenn meets David Burgundy, a new-to-town TA who is working on his masters. Dave is drawn immediately to Kenn and is thrilled when Kenn offers to show him the best pizza place in town. One meal leads to two, which leads to Dave and Kenn spending most of their free time together… and Kenn loosening his self-imposed rules regarding dating and sex for some kinky fun.

Kenn’s ex isn’t going to just let Kenn be, though, and the happier Kenn is with Dave, the less the ex likes it. Will Kenn continue to run away from his past, or will his relationship with Dave help him face it head-on?

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Love this story!

This story has it all: a little bit of kink, a little bit of drama, one hell of a good story. The characters are well developed with great backstory. Even the secondary characters were entertaining. The story is believable and thoroughly enjoyable.

Once I picked this one up I couldn’t put it down which is why Sean Michael has become one of my favorite authors.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy from me!

Don’t Fear the (Not Really Grim) Reaper by Carole Cummings: New Release Review

February 18, 2019 by Denise

When unassuming college student Emery Sutton wakes up in the morgue, it takes him a few minutes to remember he has magic (superpowers, damn it!) and free himself from the refrigerated drawer. And the body bag. (God.) It doesn’t take long, though, for him to remember the hot guy with wings he ran into just before a city bus ran into him.

Junior Reaper John must explain to his supervisor how his first solo assignment went so wrong. All he knows is that he happened upon Emery quite by accident, that Emery saw John when he shouldn’t have been able to, and when they accidentally touched, a bus came out of nowhere and plowed Emery under. (John really does feel bad about that.)

Hot angels, annoying demons, hijinks, absurdity, drunk siblings, a dash of silly romance, an inordinate attachment to wings, and a highly disorganized bid for world domination—Don’t Fear the (Not Really Grim) Reaper follows Emery and John down the rabbit hole where they find that moms are scarier than demons from hell, a goat is not a puppy no matter what Emery’s sister says, and awkward romance can happen anywhere.

Title: Don’t Fear the (Not Really Grim) Reaper
Author: Carole Cummings
Release Date: January 11, 2019
Category: Paranormal
Pages: 62

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

This is a short novella that I grabbed not knowing what to expect. Initially, I was a little confused as to what was happening, but it kicked in quickly.

What a fun story. I laughed out loud several times.

He’s luckier than most–actually any–who might find themselves in this ludicrous situation, though, because Emery is a little bit magic–

God, Dad, they’re superpowers, okay?

Emery, turning your sister’s hair green and purple is not a superpower.

I felt bad for John, finding himself in a rather odd situation, and falling in love with a human with superpowers. However, it made for some additional awkward situations that you couldn’t help but enjoy as a reader.

If you are looking for a fun little read, this is a great one for it.

4 pieces of eye candy

Cronin’s Key IV: Kennard’s Story by N.R. Walker: New Release Review * 2

February 18, 2019 by Denise

Kennard and Stas have been enjoying being newly bonded mates, hidden away for the last six months in Stas’ cabin, deep in the forests of Northern Russia. When they get a visit from Alec, Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis, Kennard and Stas decide to return to London where they get news of a supernatural disturbance in India.

Excited for a new adventure, the band of friends embark on a journey like they’ve never seen before. Following a trail of snakes and serpents, they slip through gates into timeless dimensions all over the world, leaving them without their vampire powers. Even Alec is powerless as they follow a trail of gates and doorways to their final destination.

But the bad guy isn’t who they think it is, and Kennard will need to draw on his past to save their future. Because history is never what it seems…

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Cronin’s Key I

Cronin’s Key II

Cronin’s Key III

Confession time. I read books 1 and 2 a long time ago. And I remember being like, meh, whatevs, about them. I never read book 3. So when this was coming out, I figured I would give them another go. And I am so glad I did. I love NR Walker. Before this there wasn’t a book of hers I didn’t like. I must have been in a bad place or something.

Anyway…the first three focus on Cronin and Alec. Kennard was a side character who helped them on their “adventures”. He deserved his own story. And he got it. Although he met his fated mate in book 3, so book 4 was really more about the adventure than the romance. Which was still super fun, but not really a romance in my eyes.

That being said, I think their adventures (for lack of a better spoilery term) are awesome. The way the author ties together real history and changes the perspective is so clever. I honestly don’t know how she gets her brain to do those things.

This one was shorter then the previous and I think that really had to do with skipping over the first 6 months of Kennard and Stas together. But since they were holed up together in a remote cabin in Russia with no outside contact, it was just a lot of sex.

We still get Cronin, Alec, Eiji and Jodis. There is still a ton of cool history and lots of vampire goings on. And as fun as these adventures are to read about, these guys need a break to just relax for a bit.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

I love NR Walker‘s work, everything she writes. When I first hooked into Cronin’s Key, I had to be pulled and dragged to read it because “I don’t read paranormal”, “I don’t want to read vampires”, blah blah. I was wrong, just plain wrong. I loved this series, just loved it. In fact, before I read Cronin’s Key IV, I went and listened to all three of the audiobooks back to back first (that review is ahead, as well), to get re-acquainted in preparation for this one. This series proved to me I should read anything and everything NR Walker writes, without question.

I have to admit, I was a bit perplexed by this book initially. Because Kennard met his fated in Book 3, and clearly realized it immediately, it was hard to see how it would be Kennard’s story. And for a portion of the book, I thought that it was feeling like it was still Alec’s story, just from Kennard’s point of view. Again, I was wrong. Yes, it did have a little of that feel initially, but as the reader got into the story, you realized that it went much deeper than that, and really was Kennard’s story–and a great one at that.

I don’t know how the author is able to mix all that history with a different perspective on what actually happened, but it is amazing, and as a reader, very engaging. She keeps it fresh and inventive, and makes the reader wonder if it really could have happened the way that these adventurous vampires know it to be true.

As usual with this group, there were lots of laughs, lots of harassing, even as they faced their villains, but they fought together with everything they had to get each other out of it all.

I’m not sure there is more story here for this group, but I could see a few more adventures ahead. Maybe not additional romances, but definitely some adventures. Doesn’t matter…as I said, I’ll read anything NR Walker writes. Grocery list anyone?

4 pieces of eye candy