Book Reviews

Alaska (Sawyer’s Ferry Book 1) by Cate Ashwood: Quick Review

November 5, 2018 by Denise

Nobody says no to a Prescott.

Not even one of their own.

Holden:
Living up to expectations had never been easy, but when I went after something, I got it. Success. Money. Victory. I was standing on the doorstep to having it all. There was only one thing standing in my way.

Gage:
Power and prosperity are overrated. Especially when they come at a price. When enough became enough, I walked away. Nothing had ever tempted me to look back, until one day the past showed up in my back yard.

I’m not so sure I can walk away a second time.

Title: Alaska

Series: Sawyer’s Ferry

Release Date: April 26th, 2018

Author: Cate Ashwood

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Length: Novel

Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood

Goodreads Link

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I have to admit, I was a little bit adamant in the beginning, after reading how Holden’s dad treated him.
I could literally write an entire monologue about how awful this man is, but in no way would I do him justice… He’s that terrible and you will hate him. Be prepared for that.

Holden Prescott is a skilled surgeon with his own department and lab to study chemical trials and everything he thinks he’s ever wanted. Only problem is, his dad – the older, other Dr. Prescott is holding his strings because he was financially helpful making sure Holden got to where he is thus far….
So, when the older Dr. Prescott wants the partner he sold out to come back and work for him, he does what he does best and threatens to take everything Holden has unless he brings him back to New York to work.
Sending him to Sawyer’s Ferry, Alaska is his only shot to get Gage to come back and if he doesn’t, his whole life is ruined. No job, no money, no home, nothing…. Yep, that’s how evil his father is. Did I mention how badly I hated him?

Gage was happy to leave New York two years ago when his mentor and partner got money hungry and sold out…
Finding a home in the tiny town of Sawyer’s Ferry, he liked the small community and having his best friend close… even if the two of them were 2 of the only few surgeons at the small hospital they ran. So, imagine his surprise when the younger, gorgeous Prescott shows up unannounced because he’d ignored the older Dr’s attempts to contact him.

It’s a little rocky at first, what with Holden having everything riding on him getting Gage to come back and Gage not wanting anything to do with anything that has to do with either Dr. Prescott’s or their business.
What neither man was expecting was their instant attraction to one another and the way they made each other feel.
Their chemistry was immediate, and I loved it. No matter how hard the both of them knew it couldn’t be anything, except maybe a night or two of fun… it was fun to watch them go back and forth, learning about each other and going from enemies to bone buddies, to friends, to in a relationship, to being in love.

Gage is sweeter than I expected him to be, and Holden is charming and nothing like his father. They were perfect for each other, and I loved their back and forth as well as their steamy times…. which were indeed, really hot.
When an emergency situation has Holden staying in town longer than he planned, he not only falls in love with the temporary job and the charming little town…. but he falls in love with Gage too… And it…. is…. SWEET!

I kind of figured that Holden’s dad was up to something, after being so desperate to get Gage back after he’d bought him out two years previous… but it was a little twist when we got to why.
I liked that Holden got closure and a tiny little piece of karmic justice… but I’m petty in a way that I wish he’d have done more damage, and his father would’ve gotten it rubbed in his face that not only did he land on his feet, but that he was actually happy, doing well and WITH Gage. That would’ve been fun to see…
And then if he could’ve just beat him up or something equally as painful…. that would’ve been nice to see too…
But, ya know… it was more realistic the author’s way, I reckon LOL Not everyone is all about Angry Vengence Life, like me haha

I also loved the secondary characters, both Frankie who Holden’s best friend and Logan who was Gage’s….
I loved the townspeople and the guys’ co-workers.

And I loved, loved, loved the ending! I cannot wait to see more of these two and I really hope something great happens with Logan and Frankie…. even if it’s not together.
This was an excellent start to what I hope will be an even sweeter series.

5 pieces of eye candy from me!

Who We Were by Melissa Collins: Release Day Review

November 5, 2018 by Denise

Who We Were…

Two awkward teenagers – the loner and the nerd, trying to find our place in the world. Paired in wood shop, we knew nothing of each other, except that we wanted to know everything. Then one life altering moment changed it all and we were left with shattered dreams and broken hearts.

Who We Are…

Two grown men – braver and smarter than we used to be, trying to heal the damage from that irrevocable moment. Even though the past was behind us, dead and buried long ago, we found it impossible to move on without ripping open the scars of our deep wounds.

With twelve years of unanswered questions fueling our desperate need for the truth, we must figure out if who we were will destroy who we are.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I am a pretty big fan of Melissa Collins. I will admit that her last book kind of fell flat for me. But, one flat book doesn’t keep me away. So I went in with eyes wide open on Who We Were. And…a lot of the old storyteller I liked so much seems to be back.

Ryan and Quinn were the typical awkward teenagers. Ryan who totally kept to himself and had no friends was now navigating a friendship with Quinn. Who he might definitely have a crush on.

Ryan and Quinn were the opposite in so many ways- from personality to family life. Ryan wanted the happy family life that Quinn had. But instead he had miserable parents who only paid attention to his jock twin brother.

There were a lot of painful family dynamics here that were well written. And being that the first half of the book takes place when they are 17, there was quite a bit. Because Ryan’s family life is the catalyst of who he becomes in the second half of the book.

Flash forward about 10 years (I think?). Ryan’s twin brother is getting married to Quinn’s sister. And even though Ryan left home as a teen, he has never returned. But his mother guilts him into it. And Quinn.

Their chemistry is off the charts. But when confronted about what happened 10 years ago, Ryan runs away. AGAIN. Ugh, I hate runners. So Quinn chases him. And Ryan wants to run again, but Quinn won’t let him.

Ryan and Quinn getting back together and finding their happy place was fairly angsty. And Ryan had no reason to be upset with Quinn, so it was a little odd to me.

Throughout the book there is a BIG SECRET. I won’t tell you I figured it out (mostly) even though I did. But it still left a lot hanging for me. But since I don’t spoil, sorry, can’t explain.

I feel like we are on the road back to the author of Let Love Live, the book that got me hooked on her work. And that’s a good thing.

3.5 Pieces of Candy

Melissa Collins has always been a book worm. Studying Literature in college ensured that her nose was always stuck in a book. She followed her passion for reading to the most logical career choice: English teacher. Her hope was to share her passion for reading and the escapism of books to her students. Having spent more than a decade in front of a classroom, she can easily say that it’s been a dream.

Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.

Frostbite by JM Wolf: New Release Review

November 4, 2018 by Denise

Cyrus Winters, an omega wolf and an ice mage is dangerous to others. After running away from his birth pack at an early age, Cyrus traveled from place to place in hopes of finding a pack that would accept him. But once they realized that he was no ordinary omega wolf, they quickly turned their backs on him. Alone and shunned as a monster, Cyrus has kept himself hidden at the top of the Wichita Mountains where nobody would reach him. That is, until he hears the song of his fated mate.

Dorian Lovell once had the family he’d always dreamed of, but after the death of his son, his whole world fell apart. When he begins having dreams about a white wolf at the top of a mountain, howling for him, Dorian realizes that he may have found his fated mate. Joining his friend Tobias’ pack in the Wichita Mountains, Dorian sets out to find the wolf from his dream; but once he meets Cyrus, he quickly realizes that mating with the frosty omega won’t be as easy as he thought it’d be.

An omega with a heart of ice, and an alpha who’s destined to thaw him out. With a threat to Cyrus’ life approaching, the two must learn to come together as one. Can Dorian’s pack accept the gifted omega, and can Cyrus trust his life and future to his new pack, and the alpha the fates paired him with?

TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains sexual and verbal adult content, MPREG, violence, bloody gore, death, and talks of loss and heartache. No babies were harmed in the making of this book.
*** This is Book 1 in the series, but can be read as a standalone story – no cliffhangers ***

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

JM Wolf is a new to me author but I believe he has several books out. This is his first foray into mpreg and shifters and I decided to give it a try.

It was a little messy, but overall I liked it. Enough that I want to read book 2 when it comes out.

Why messy? Well there seems to be all kind of worlds in one and it got confusing. There are shifters- wolves being the main one in this story- but also bears, jaguars, hawks, etc. Among the shifters there are alphas and omegas. But not just men. I thought it was only men because mpreg, but one of the omegas gives birth to a girl. But that is the only female wolf that is talked about.

THEN there are also just regular people. Men and women. With these alpha omega shifters living with them, marrying them, having children with them. It was just too much.

Oh! And one of the wolf shifters is also half “mage”. A spellcaster, warlock, has magic, whatever you want to call it. I really liked this angle because he is a real rarity. So that was cool and added to the story.

Now, onto the story. Yes, I liked it. It wasn’t a super strong story, but it was strong enough to keep me reading. Cyrus is the half wolf half mage shifter who is a loner because he is outcast from not only his born pack, but every pack he tried to join since.

Dorian is searching for his fated mate who he sees in his dreams. After being married, having a child who died and then divorcing, Dorian seems eager to find his fated mate. (another kind of messy part- he was married to a human woman, they had a seemingly human child but now he lives as a gay wolf shifter).

I suspect the series will get “neater” as we now know most of the main characters and the world that they live in. But it was still a bit huh? for me. Like I said at the beginning though- I liked it enough that I want to read book 2!

3 Pieces of Candy

Where Nerves Ends by L.A. Witt: Release Day Review

November 2, 2018 by Denise

Welcome to Tucker Springs, Colorado, where you’ll enjoy beautiful mountain views and the opportunity to study at one of two prestigious universities—if you can afford to live there.

Jason Davis is in pain. Still smarting from a bad breakup, he struggles to pay both halves of an overwhelming mortgage and balance the books at his floundering business. As if the emotional and financial pain weren’t enough, the agony of a years-old shoulder injury keeps him up at night. When he faces a choice between medication and insomnia, he takes a friend’s advice and gives acupuncture a try.

Acupuncturist Michael Whitman is a single dad striving to make ends meet, and his landlord just hiked the rent. When new patient Jason, a referral from a mutual friend, suggests a roommate arrangement could benefit them both, Michael seizes the opportunity.

Getting a roommate might be the best idea Jason’s ever had—if it weren’t for his attraction to Michael, who seems to be allergic to wearing shirts in the house. Still, a little unresolved sexual tension is a small price to pay for pain and financial relief. He’ll keep his hands and feelings to himself since Michael is straight… isn’t he?

First Edition published by Amber Quill Press, LLC, June 2012.
Second Edition published by Riptide Publishing, June 2014.

Title: Where Nerves End
Series: Tucker Springs
Author: L.A. Witt
Release Date: November 2, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 192

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Jason Davis injured his shoulder in a biking accident several years ago and has been living with chronic pain in his shoulder since. Nights and nights of sleepless, pain-filled nights has him finally giving into his friends’ hassling about seeing an acupuncturist…. he can’t afford it, since losing his boyfriend and gaining the other half of his mortgage and running a business now without a business partner… he just can’t seem to keep his head above water… throw in, endless, unbearable shoulder pain and he’s a few steps passed desperate…
P.S. this story is solely from his POV.

That’s where he meets Michael…. convinced the guy is a voodoo doctor who’s going to tell him something ridiculous that won’t work, he’s surprised to find that it actually does! Fortunately and unfortunately….. Fortunately, because he gets some semblance of peace from an otherwise unbearable shoulder but unfortunately because we all know how expensive doctor visits are and he can’t afford visits as often as he needs them…

However, Michael is divorced and new to Tucker Springs because his family up and moved there, including his son. He also knows how expensive it is… so when Jason offers a roommate situation to help alleviate all of their troubles, it should be a bonus right?
Did I mention that Michael is straight and Jason is ridiculously attracted to him? Yea! That shouldn’t make things awkward, should it? Muahaha, this is where things get good.

Is Michael reaaaally straight? Or did his upbringing and conservative community make him wish he was? One thing is for sure, he’s just as attracted to Jason as Jason is, him.
Interesting, right?

One thing I didn’t like was literally the night before something huge happens to flip Jason and everything he thought on his head…. He and Michael have a conversation outside on the patio and Michael, flat out lies. Like, where he could’ve just been honest, because of what takes place the never next night… but, he was adamant. It left me confused… I was like, what? What just happened?
But, whatever…. to each his own I guess, I just didn’t understand…

What I loved was Michael’s support from his ex-wife and son. I’m used to seeing vindictive, troublemakers who make a coming out, all about them. It was nice he had the support and his kid worried more about a pudding cup that his dad having a boyfriend lol
I also liked the friend, Seth… where things could’ve been awkward, they weren’t there either…. nothing but support. I wish it was always like that, for everyone!

For a minute, the back and forth between Jason and Michael was aggravating. I hated how they’d jump in then Michael would regret it then he’d say let’s do it, then backtrack after sex. But, I guess it’s all just part of it… they got theirs in the end…

Because this one was so great, I went ahead and just got the rest of the series haha! Looking forward to the rest of it!

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

All He Ever Needed by Cate Ashwood: New Release Review

November 1, 2018 by Denise

Some secrets are too heavy to hold on to forever.

For Ethan, pretending has become second nature. After all, he’s spent the last decade pretending to be straight, pretending to be happy, and pretending he isn’t desperately in love with his best friend. But in a single moment of raw honesty, all those lies come crashing down around him and he’s left wondering what to do next.

When Jase learns his best friend is going through a breakup, his first instinct is to come to Ethan’s rescue, and he knows just the thing to help. The cabin where they spent summers as kids is sitting vacant, and a week there is the perfect remedy to start healing a broken heart.

In the seclusion of the mountains, long-buried fears and emotions take their friendship into unexplored territory that will either bring them closer together… or tear everything apart.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

What an emotional, loving, sexy story. I love Cate Ashwood’s writing, and this book was no exception. It had so many raw moments, but so many sweet and loving moments. These two men loved each other, not just as lovers, but as best friends.

Being best friends with a guy for more than two decades forged a kind of love I’d never experienced anywhere else. We were closer than brothers, and now that he was hurting, I’d do whatever I could to take care of him.”

It was obvious how much Jase was willing to risk to help Ethan through what was such a devastating time. He didn’t question it, he literally picked up Ethan, packed the car and drove away with him for a week. Giving him time to heal, time to tell him exactly what happened, and then time to figure out that what they really needed was each other, as lovers, and as the most important person in each other’s lives.

It created such a touching dynamic for Ethan to be as devastated as he was, knowing that part of it was that he knew without a doubt (as did Allison) that he was gay, had been hiding it, and was in love with his best friend. At the same time, Jase’s only concern was picking up the pieces, and making Ethan whole again. It was obvious that their devotion to each other had been melded over many years, and yet, the final piece remained stubbornly out of reach for both of them.

This book had so much heart, and so much caring, not just for the two MC’s, but also for the other important people in these two men’s lives…including their ex’s. I loved that! No one walked away from this story without their own version of a happy ending (and speaking of which…oh my, there were some seriously HOT sexy times!), and that made this reader very happy.

Highly recommended! 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Trex or Treat by Tara Lain: Release Day Review

October 31, 2018 by Denise

Josh Harris is all dad all the time. A busy college professor and devoted single father, Josh tries to be happy with only his son for company. But then Bradley “Trex” Trexler moves in across the street with his stepbrother, Bogo, and takes advantage of their empty home, making it into a haunted house for Halloween.

Josh’s son, Ernie, can’t wait to go, so Josh dresses up like a movie cowboy and saunters over. It’ll be the best Halloween of Ernie’s life, but there’s another sharpshooter roaming the dark corridors, and this one might have a special treat for Josh….

Title: Trex or Treat
Author: Tara Lain
Release Date: October 31, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Holiday
Pages: 34

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

This was a quick short story, but fun! I really enjoyed the fact that these two, although had not “officially” met, Trex knew of Josh and his books, and already wanted to connect with him. That took this short story from a sexy one night stand (although with kids connected, that usually keeps it from being just a hookup) to potential relationship material.

It was cute, and had just enough sweetness that it felt more romantic. And I really loved how Trex really thought the entire date evening through. I’d actually have loved a little more of their story.

3.75 pieces of eye candy