review

Resurrection by S. Davidson: Release Day Review and Book Blast

June 1, 2016 by Denise

Two men with painful, complicated pasts who have shut themselves down from ever loving again. Complete opposites of one another, one raised in a strict military household, who grew up with the sole purpose of becoming a soldier and defending his country, only to have that cut short by an IED; and the other raised in the rodeo, small town and ranch life his safe haven; and their chance meeting.

How the two of them end up in some small town diner can only be credited to divine intervention. But are both men too damaged? They say God works in mysterious ways. Well, he certainly had his hands full when he chose these two for saving.

Is it too late?

TITLE: RESURRECTION
AUTHOR: S. DAVIDSON
GENRE: M/M MILITARY ROMANCE 18+
PUBLISHER: ENCOMPASS INK
COVER ARTIST: RUE VOLLEY
LENGTH: 296 PAGES
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 1, 2016

This was unlike any book I have ever read. The way the whole story was layed out was something I haven’t seen before and for me it worked perfectly. The characters were so well developed. I really enjoyed the way the author gave so much back story. It was enough to explain the life of each character without going overboard. I got to know each one so well I fell in love and cried and laughed right along with them. All of the scenes in this story were written so clearly that I felt like I was really there. I could picture everything and felt like I was seeing through the characters eyes.

For it to cover the type of subject matter that it did, the author pulls it off beautifully. Coming from a military family where my Grandfather and Uncle fought in Vietnam, WWII and Korea, this book touched a special place in my heart. She told a very believably story and it helped me to understand more about some of the things my own family members go through on a daily basis. Having grown up listening to war stories from both of them, the author paints a very accurate picture.

Going into the story and not knowing a thing about the Rodeo circuit or bull riding didn’t matter. She explained everything and I had no trouble following. It actually made me curious and want to learn more.

This story will stick with me. When I get done reading something and all I can do is sit there and stare into space while it consumes my brain definitely makes it a fantastic story in my opinion. It was heart wrenching and at times incredibly violent. Not for the faint of heart for sure but a wonderful read for me.

5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Who is Shelly Davidson? Shelly is someone who has been writing literally her entire life (and that’s a LONG time) and has always written M/M. Her first story was back in high school and she hasn’t stopped since. Of course, Shelly never dreamed of getting published, so needless to say, she’s in heaven! Shelly loves her characters. Her writing focus is real people, flaws and all, who are hurting or damaged, but deserve a little joy in their lives. Shelly was born and raised in Arizona, but currently lives in California because that is where the money is! She is currently single, but has a grown daughter and an adorable grandson both of whom she loves dearly. While she usually stays pretty much to herself, she does have a Bachelor’s in Social Services and a diverse background that ranges from theater to health care and currently works in accounting, she swears it’s not as boring as it sounds. While this is her first publication, it is by far not the last! She plans on being around for quite some time! You’ve been warned!

https://sdavidsonauthor.org/

https://www.facebook.com/sdavidsonauthor/

https://twitter.com/sdavidsonauthor

If you want, you can write her at: sdavidsonauthor@earthlink.net

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Test Drive by Riley Hart : Pre-Release Day Review

May 29, 2016 by Denise

A double shot of devastating news turns Justin Evanson’s life upside down. When he learns his father has cancer, and he has siblings he never knew existed, he leaves everything behind and moves to Virginia to support his dad as he tries to make amends with his family—a family Justin’s not sure he has a place in. Things go from bad to worse when he discovers his recent hookup is his newfound sister’s brother-in-law.

Drew Sinclair never expected to see Justin after their night at the club or to discover their family connection. If anyone found out, it would give Drew’s brother another reason to hate him. But there’s something about Justin that draws him in, and it’s not only because they burn up the sheets together.

One meeting leads to another, and before Justin realizes it, Drew has become the only thing in his world he feels is his. And for the first time in his life, Drew knows what it means to be needed. Being there for Justin and supporting him when things spiral out of control feels right. But with so much happening so quickly, it’s hard to trust their feelings. Is this thing between them real? Or just a test drive before life forces them down two separate roads?

I am in love with this series so I was eager to read this one and at the same time hesitant to read it because I knew this one was going to be more emotional than the other books. I’m so glad I pulled up my big girl panties and dove in!

Justin has uprooted his whole life to move to Virginia with his terminally ill father so that he can help him reconnect to his other two children that Justin knew nothing about. So, not only is Justin caring for his Dad but he’s trying to navigate new relationships with a sister and brother he’s never known.

Drew is just starting to own his bi-sexuality. He isn’t in the closet, however no one in his family knows. He has a strained relationship with his brother and he isn’t close to his parents, there isn’t any animosity it’s more like indifference.

Justin and Drew come together at a bar for an anonymous hookup, immediately after Drew runs. At a birthday party for Justin’s Dad, Drew and Justin meet again and realize how entwined their lives are. Justin’s sister is married to Drew’s brother.

The two start hanging out together, becoming friends and exploring the sexual side of their friendship. Drew is the should Justin desperately needs to lean on with his father becoming sicker and not knowing where he fits in his new family dynamic.

Once things are settled with his Dad, Justin plans on returning home, but meeting Drew has him redefining what home means.

This book made me feel so many different emotions. You could feel the stress and helplessness that was strangling Justin just jump right off the pages at you, but when Drew was with him there was a calm that settled over everything.

I felt so sad for all the time that Justin’s dad lost with his family, but I love how his love for Joy was still so strong after all those years. What a woman she is! Taking care of the man she has loved forever while he’s terminally ill even though he just came back into her life.

I love how all the characters from the previous two books made appearances. I love the friendly dynamic they all have together. Reading the last chapter I was a little sad thinking the series was over and the Shazam Riley hits you with a glimpse at the next one.

5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Bad Dogs and Drag Queens by Julie Lynn Hayes: Release Day Review

May 25, 2016 by Denise

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.

Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?

Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!

The author is donating 10% of the royalties from this book to No Kid Hungry. Visit nokidhungry.org for more information about this organization.

Title: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens
Series: Rose and Thorne: Book One
Author: Julie Lynn Hayes
Release Date: May 25, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Pages: TBC (Novella)

Do you ever read so much romance that you need something else to break of the monotony. This book did that for me. The two MC’s are already together both romantically and professionally.

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are two undercover Federal Agents. They have just closed out a case involving a purse snatching dog and are ready for a little downtime together when they are thrown into a new case at a down-town Roanoke drag bar. Some of the queens have been threatened, and some of the patrons property has been damaged. Vinnie and Ethan are called in to solve the case before it escalates. Ethan is going undercover as a bartender while Vinnie is masquerading as a drag queen.

This book had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. Ethan’s internal dialogue was a riot, as were the exploits of the purse snatching Pekingese. Drag queen names like Orgazma, Boom-Boom Sanchez, Vee Gina, Sparkle Aplenty and Afternoon Delite had me giggling like a thirteen year old girl.

I loved the established relationship between Ethan and Vinnie, their trust for each other on and off the job really came through. Their witty banter and the way Ethan always cared for Vinnie was endearing.

I enjoyed the story as a whole, but I feel like I was left with some unanswered questions since it ended abruptly. Why was Muldoon at the bar? Who was he with? I thought Vinnie and Ethan were going to have to work together a little more before the mystery unraveled itself. All in all it was a solid read.

3 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Becoming Rafe by Thianna Durston : Release Day Review

May 23, 2016 by Denise

Eighteen-year-old Nephi Rafe Norton goes to Falcon Pointe University to find himself. Away from his conservative family, he hopes to discover if his attraction to men is the real deal. Encouraged to be someone a little different, he starts using his middle name. “Rafe” quickly makes friends, some of whom use a paddle to dispense caring discipline, and he lives it up—until midterms hit, and he realizes he’s flunking statistics class.

When Scotland native Éigneachán Jackson Levlin offers to help, Rafe is eager to accept—not only because Levlin is a psychologist, but also because he’s out and proud and hot as hell.

As their relationship heats up, Rafe decides to spend one last Christmas with his family before he tells them. When his little sister outs him to his siblings, they turn out to be fully supportive, and he takes heart—until he introduces Levlin to his father, who brutally dismisses both of them. Now Rafe must come to peace with his father’s rejection or risk losing Levlin—and all that he has become at Falcon Pointe—forever.

Title: Becoming Rafe
Series: A Men of Falcon Pointe Novel
Author: Thianna Durston
Release Date: May 23, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

I am a huge fan of Thianna Durston‘s work. I was excited to see she had a new series out but didn’t have a chance to grab it up and read it. I hate starting a series in the middle, but while the characters overlap books the stories are their own. It totally cool picking up with the third book. I never felt lost or like I had missed something important. I will tell you, I’m definitely going to go back and read the first two.

18 year old Nephi leaves his super strict Mormon family to attend college in Falcon Pointe. Nephi plans to use college as a journey of self discovery. Nephi knows he’s attracted to men, but as far as being “gay” he’s not really sure what that means. His roommate convinces him that he needs to separate the old Nephi from the new bold Nephi. He cuts his hair, pierces his ear, gets a tattoo and starts going by his middle name, Rafe.

Through his cousin Bastien, Rafe meets Levlin. Levlin is a 36 year old psychologist from Scotland. While Levlin is “out” in Falcon Pointe is family back in Scottland have no idea he’s gay and he plans to keep it that way.

The two see each other around and become friendly. It’s not until Rafe is in danger of failing his statistics class that Levlin offers his help and the chance for more. Levlin introduces Rafe to domestic discipline, which helps Rafe deal with all the stress of statistics and the looming threat of his family finding out he’s gay.

Over Christmas Rafe is outed to his family by his sister. While his brothers and sisters are supportive, his devout Mormon father can not accept it. Rafe goes back to Falcon Pointe feeling like he’d lost a part of himself. It’s only with Levlin’s help that he is able to see that family isn’t made by blood only, but those you choose as yours.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that while Rafe’s father didn’t understand his sons life style, he wasn’t screaming hateful things hiding behind his religion.

The strong relationship that all the men of Falcon Pointe have will keep me coming back for more.

5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

ARe

Dreamspinner Press

Fire and Snow by Andrew Grey : Release Day Review

May 19, 2016 by Denise

Fisher Moreland has been cast out of his family because they can no longer deal with his issues. Fisher is bipolar and living day to day, trying to manage his condition, but he hasn’t always had much control over his life and self-medicated with whatever he could find.

JD Burnside has been cut off from his family because of a scandal back home. He moved to Carlisle, but brought his Southern charm and warmth along with him. When he sees Fisher on a park bench on a winter’s night, he invites Fisher to join him and his friends for a late-night meal.

At first Fisher doesn’t know what to make of JD, but he slowly comes out of his shell. And when Fisher’s job is threatened because of a fire, JD’s support and care is more than Fisher ever thought he could expect. But when people from Fisher’s past turn up in town at the center of a resurgent drug epidemic, Fisher knows they could very well sabotage his budding relationship with JD.

Title: Fire and Snow
Series: Carlisle Cops: Book Four
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: May 20, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but I’m beyond in love with the boys of Carlisle! I’m not sure how Andrew Grey does it, but every time a book releases in this series, I fall even harder.

JD and Fisher both have their demons to battle, but Andrew did an amazing job of making sure that their issues complemented one another. They weren’t both so broken that it felt as if he’d tried to write in every obstacle possible. Fisher’s past, combined with his memory and anxiety issues, definitely solidified him as the more damaged character. JD, on the other hand, had faced just enough in his life to be empathetic to Fisher and feel drawn to help him.

It’s understandable that Fisher thought JD was with him out of pity or some sort of need to help someone who appeared to be down, but JD fought hard to prove that wasn’t the case.

As always, there were a few unexpected little turns, which sadly I can’t tell you because you’ll have to read about those in the book, but they were well done.

Fire & Snow by Andrew Grey gave me exactly what I want out of a romance. It was an amazing love story (meaning it’s not the book for you if you’re into porn on paper), I saw the characters grow, not only together but as individuals, and when I closed the book, I was certain JD and Fisher will be one of those couples who grow old together.

The Carlisle Cop series is my favorite series by Andrew Grey so I was really excited to get my hands on the new book. Not only was I not disappointed but it exceeded my expectations!

JD Burnside is a cop in Carlisle with roots in the south. JD’s family has turned their back on him in the wake of a small town scandal and he is forced to not only leave the only home he’s ever know, but to find a way to succeed on his own.

Fisher Moreland was in an accident a few years ago suffering a traumatic brain injury which has left him bi-polar. Fisher had a hard time adjusting after his injury and made a few bad choices which caused his family to wash their hands of him. Essentially alone, trying to live a normal life and stay in control of his bi-polar symptoms, Fisher shuts down not allowing anyone to get close to him.

When JD sees Fisher sitting on a bench in the snow he is drawn to the man. A few late night dinners and JD starts to feel a connection with Fisher. Fisher feels it too, but to protect his heart he immediately pulls away. Fisher needs order and routine in his life and JD walks in upsetting his orderly existence. JD realizes that he can’t muscle his way into this one, he will need patience and finesse to win over Fisher.

As a budding relationship forms between the two, JD’s job starts to get hectic. Someone is pedaling drugs through Carlisle, not just one type but all of them. JD and his friends on the force can’t seem to get any leads on the case. As if stress from an unsolved case isn’t enough, JD’s mom makes a surprise visit to town and things really heat up. Through it all Fisher and JD realize that if they have each other’s back, they can weather any storm.

I didn’t want to put this book down. I was so mad when real life interfered with my reading. The story is fast paced and exciting. I was so into the story that when I finally looked up it was 2 AM.

I loved the quiet strength Fisher didn’t even know he had. I loved how JD cherished and cared for him without babying him. I love that JD’s friends accepted Fisher without question.

JD’s mom, what can I say. I hated her…. at first. By the end of the book I really think she redeemed herself, and I loved that she loved Fisher. Fisher may just be what saved her relationship with JD and I love Fisher even more for that.

Everything about this story was amazing; the plot, the characters, the setting, but this is what I have come to expect from Andrew Grey.

5 pieces of eye candy

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

ARe

Shirt by Amy Lane: Release Day Review

May 18, 2016 by Denise

After a meet-cute in a bathroom and a whirlwind courtship, Ryan is ready to introduce Scotty to his parents. But a misunderstanding and some stubborn cuff buttons tangle Ryan up in an oxford shirt at a really inopportune time. Can Scotty take this opportunity to teach Ryan one or two more lessons about falling in love?

Title: Shirt
Author: Amy Lane
Release Date: May 18, 2016
Category: Contemporary, Free Fiction
Pages: 30

I don’t read short stories, pretty much ever. I like to be invested in characters, enjoy (and hate) the push and pull, the hate and love. Yet, this was an Amy Lane short story. Which means that I will read it, because, well Amy Lane does romance right. She will give you angst, and sweet love. She can give you sexy, hot men, and down and dirty sex. But always there is an HEA on the horizon.

I grabbed this one, and was suprised how quickly I liked what happened with these characters. In one scene, you actually saw growth in the characters. (How this woman can take a sex scene, and give you growth in the characters, is beyond me, but she does it so well.) Ryan and Scotty were so cute together, that I was sad when I finished the story…then found out, there was more out there on these two. YEAH!

So, grab this one, enjoy a little romp, some fun, some sexy, and the beginning of a beautiful relationship. 🙂

3.5 pieces of eye candy