Rhys Ford

Ramen Assassin by Rhys Ford: New Release Review

August 2, 2019 by Denise

When life gives Kuro Jenkins lemons, he wants to make ponzu to serve at his Los Angeles ramen shop.

Instead he’s dodging bullets and wondering how the hell he ended up back in the Black Ops lifestyle he left behind him. After rescuing former child star Trey Bishop from a pair of thugs in the middle of the night, he knows it’s time to pick up his gun again. But it seems trouble isn’t done with Trey, and Kuro can’t quite let go… of either the gun or Trey Bishop.

Trey Bishop never denied his life’s downward spiral was his own fault. After a few stints in rehab, he’s finally shaken off his Hollywood bad-boy lifestyle but not his reputation. The destruction of his acting career and his relationships goes deep, and no one trusts anything he says, including the LAPD. When two men dragging a dead body spot him on a late-night run and try to murder him, Trey is grateful for the tall, dark, and deadly ramen shop owner he lusts over—not just for rescuing him, but also for believing him.

Now caught in a web of murders and lies, Trey knows someone wants him dead, and the only one on his side is a man with deep, dark secrets. Trey hopes Kuro Jenkins will stick around to see what the future holds for them once the dust settles, but from the looks of things, neither of them may survive to find out.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I haven’t read anything written by Rhys Ford before, but I was in the mood for something a little different than my usual. I wanted a little mystery, a little intrigue and I got that in spades.

Trey and Kuro both stumble into the alley at the wrong place and wrong time, but maybe the universe got something right, as long as they can make it out alive. The plot has a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes. The characters were so well developed that when Trey felt like there was no one in his corner, I felt that! I felt his despair and helplessness.

This was a wild and entertaining ride. The perfect book to pull me out of my reading slump.

4 pieces of eye candy

Tutus and Tinsel by Rhys Ford: Release Day Review

December 21, 2018 by Denise

Zig Reid-Harris has everything an eleven-year-old girl could ever want: a great home, two fantastic fathers named Deacon Reid and Lang Harris, and all the books she could possibly read.

When a school assignment about holiday traditions unexpectedly broadsides her, she discovers burying the past isn’t as easy as it looks, and the stark reality of her life before her adoption sinks in. Ashamed of the bleakness and poverty she came from, Zig struggles with the assignment until an epiphany strikes the whole family—it’s time to start their own traditions.

Zig and her fathers plunge into the insanity of holiday joy, exploring everything the season has to offer and learning how precious family truly is along the way.

Title: Tutus and Tinsel
Series: Half Moon Bay
Author: Rhys Ford
Release Date: December 21, 2018
Category: Holiday
Pages: 79

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

This book was AH-DORABLE! What’s more is that I didn’t even read the first book where these guys met and fell in love. But it was written in such a way that you didn’t have to read the first one. Spoiler alert- I am definitely going back to read book 1.

Zig’s mother died of a drug overdose and she never knew her father. She was then adopted by her uncle and her uncle’s husband (maybe boyfriend then? Like I said, I haven’t read book 1). Until she got her two new dads, her life was pretty awful. So when she gets an assignment about family holiday traditions she doesn’t know what to do.

Make new ones!

So we got a really cute story of 2 dads wanting to make new happy memories and traditions for their daughter. By blending some old and some new and making them their own.

Zig is amazing really. Potty mouth, combat boots and tutus who loves her dads fiercely while still dealing with past traumas.

This was a lovely palate cleanser book just right for Christmas.

4 pieces of eye candy

Devil Take Me Anthology: Exclusive Author Guest Post – Rhys Ford, Blog Tour

October 15, 2018 by Denise

Devil Take Me Blurb:

Temptation lurks around every corner in worlds sometimes dark, sometimes lurid. Giving in is both dangerous and satisfying, though never in the ways one expects. While these enticements offer a vast range of benefits and boons, the cost is a soul and the devil expects his due. Sometimes suave and charming or calculating and cruel, these devils have schemes and desires of their own. They can be creatures to run away from… or toward.

Join the most unique and celebrated authors of LGBT urban fantasy and paranormal fiction for a fast-paced and unpredictable ride, from a city on the other side of reality, to a world suspended in dusk, to a twisted version of the 1960s and 70s.

Meet devils in top hats and waistcoats, a defrocked motorcycle-riding priest, and a genderfluid antihero—among many more. Full of humor, romance, horror, action, intrigue, and magic, these stories have one common element….

They’re one hell of a good time.

Wonderland City Blurb

Author: Rhys Ford

When Xander Spade went through the Looking Glass, he wasn’t looking for salvation. He’d been running from the devil who took his soul, only to fall prey to the greatest monster in Wonderland City, the Queen of Hearts. Years later, the Queen is dead and Xander has a chance to go through the Looking Glass and back home where he belongs.

Xander’s devil wants him to find a little girl who escaped into Wonderland City, before her presence brings down an apocalypse of uncontrollable chaos to the already mad world. Along with Jean Michel, the former Knave of Hearts, Xander now is in a race against time to find the missing child before all Hell breaks loose and he loses his chance to go home.

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I love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. I found these books when I was younger and devoured them. I can’t even tell you how many times I bought them because they didn’t survive me or were lost in one of my many moves. I currently own four copies, including the Kindle version because why not.

So when we started to talk about doing the Devil Take Me anthology, I knew I wanted to dive into that world but not during the timeline of the books. Especially since I wanted to explore what would happen to Wonderland after the Queen of Hearts fell and how a little girl — a very human little girl — would affect the chaotic carousel of Wonderland’s infrastructure.

Because nothing can mess up chaos more than a little girl.

But I didn’t want to write one.

Instead, I wanted to introduce a new take on the Queen’s deck of cards. A sort of Battle Royale situation where she pitted people against one another to become her favourite and right before she was taken down, that position was held by Xander Spade, a human who’d traded his soul to the devil in order to escape the life he was living on Earth.

This change up allowed me to expand on Wonderland, evolving it from the place Carroll left it to a post-industrial revolution sprawl where magic might be king and any inventions have to be cobbled together by whatever technology is brought through the Looking Glass. So in essence, I had a sort of Victorian-influenced society with bits of modern touches populated by Wonderland’s creatures as well as a couple of humans I tossed in for good measure.

I wanted to keep this in a more noir vein, a bit of that language and tone because I felt that smoky, metal taste in the words would enhance Wonderland’s current state.

And well, there’s always the fun and dabs of violence and horrific to play with.

I had a lot of fun writing this somewhat familiar world with a different twist to it. I loved figuring out the machinery and tech brought into the world, extrapolating how Wonderland City would adapt things like cars and landlines to the reality and also what was the realm’s normal.

Telling the story from the POV of a human who’d been there a while was a great challenge because he was rooted in the familiar of an Earthen perspective yet still be able to function in the Looking Glass world without being overwhelmed by the fantastical.

Because we had a lot of room to play with word wise, I was able to introduce Xander as a character and establish a bit of the world before plunging directly into the main part of the story. Since I always view the environment as its own character in the story, it gave me some time to play with the surroundings and at the same time, embed Xander into the space.

Also, I could have a really great time playing with the Looking Glass characters and explore how Xander would fit into it. And since he really just wants to go home, explore how he could get out of the crazy realm he’d been thrust into after signing his name on that dotted line.

I hope you all have as great of a time reading Wonderland City as I had in writing it. I am beyond honoured to be included in this cast of great writers and the anthology was a fantastic project for us to let loose and stretch our wings, letting us take our imaginations to places for a brief jaunt and delve into storylines we hadn’t yet explored.

Thank you for having me along for the ride and I hope you enjoy your trip through the Looking Glass.

Rhys Ford

Tour:

10/10/18 – My Fiction Nook: Jordan L. Hawk

10/11/18 – It’s About the Book: TA Moore

10/12/18 – Love Bytes Reviews: Ginn Hale

10/13/18 – Joyfully Jay Reviews: C.S. Poe

10/15/18 – Two Chicks Obsessed: Rhys Ford

10/16/18 – The Novel Approach Reviews: Jordan Castillo Price

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist with her Murder and Mayhem novels. She is also a 2017 Gold and Silver Medal winner in the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards for her novels Ink and Shadows and Hanging the Stars. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Harley, a grey tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled alley cat who isn’t sure living inside is a step up the social ladder as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

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Savior (415 Ink book 2) by Rhys Ford: Release Day Review

September 18, 2018 by Denise

415 Ink: Book Two

A savior lies in the heart of every good man, but sometimes only love can awaken the man inside the savior.

The world’s had it out for San Francisco firefighter Mace Crawford from the moment he was born. Rescued from a horrific home life and dragged through an uncaring foster system, he’s dedicated his life to saving people, including the men he calls his brothers. As second-in-command of their knitted-together clan, Mace guides his younger siblings, helps out at 415 Ink, the family tattoo shop, and most of all, makes sure the brothers don’t discover his darkest secrets.

It’s a lonely life with one big problem—he’s sworn off love, and Rob Claussen, one of 415 Ink’s tattoo artists, has gotten under his skin in the worst way possible.

Mace’s world is too tight, too controlled to let Rob into his life, much less his heart, but the brash Filipino inker is there every time Mace turns around. He can’t let Rob in without shaking the foundations of the life he’s built, but when an evil from his past resurfaces, Mace is forced to choose between protecting his lies and saving the man he’s too scared to love.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I love books that are set in San Francisco. That is what drew me to book 1 in this series. And while I liked that one, it was very cluttered with getting to know these five “brothers”. But now that that has all been established, the romance and love story between Rob and Mace were the focus.

Mace is one of the brothers who doesn’t work at 415 Ink, although he is one of the owners. Instead he is a firefighter in China town and also lives in the neighborhood. Instead of falling back on stereotypes, the author offers some insight into the neighborhood without it being a history lesson.

Rob is a newer artist at 415 Ink and he and Mace have been doing that strange dance around each other where they act like they hate each other but they really want to rip each other’s clothes off.

Which they finally do in the aftermath of an earthquake.

*Quick note. After the earthquake IT WAS NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN! Like, what? If you go through an earthquake no matter how big or small, you talk about it. With everyone. But nope, just a tool to get Mace and Rob naked together.

Back to the story. Mace broke my heart with his entire backstory. Ugh, gutted. And while I sort of understand Rob’s situation, I don’t completely. But maybe I just misread something.

All of the other brothers are included in the story without taking it over, which I always enjoy. That is one of the great things about reading a series.

Overall, I liked this one a lot more than the first and I am glad I kept reading. And now bring on book 3!

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Rebel by Rhys Ford: Double Release Day Review

December 29, 2017 by Denise

The hardest thing a rebel can do isn’t standing up for something—it’s standing up for himself.

Life takes delight in stabbing Gus Scott in the back when he least expects it. After Gus spends years running from his past, present, and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, karma delivers the one thing Gus could never—would never—turn his back on: a son from a one-night stand he’d had after a devastating breakup a few years ago.

Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his family’s tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself together… until the firefighter who’d broken him walked back into Gus’s life.

For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadn’t the strength or flexibility to hold on to. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt, but Gus hadn’t wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul.

When Gus’s life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream.

Title: Rebel
Series: 415 Ink
Author: Rhys Ford
Release Date: December 29, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 220

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I wanted to love this book. And there were parts that I did, but….

As an avid m/m reader this was actually the first Rhys Ford book I’ve read. I liked the blurb, second chance love, set in one of my favorite cities, so I jumped in. But I was a bit disappointed.

Gus is part of a rag tag family of brothers. Some related by blood, others by circumstance. After running away to try and find himself after a bad break up, he returns to San Francisco and the brothers he left behind. And the man who broke his heart.

Being that this is the first of a series there is a lot of getting to know all of the various characters. Sadly, I didn’t feel like any one character was really fleshed out. Even Gus and Rey, the main characters of this book felt incomplete. And while Rey was the more likeable guy, Gus was broken and didn’t seem to want to put the pieces back together.

As for the group of guys, his one “brother” Mason seems to really be a bit of a jerk when it comes to Gus. They treated each other horribly- and not in the brotherly way, in my opinion. There were parts of the book where I was just shocked that two guys who considered themselves brothers, lived together for years, but treated each other with such animosity. The oldest “brother” Bear is the typical curmudgeon with a soft side, Ivo- Gus’ half brother- was my favorite of the bunch and I actually look forward to his book. Luke rounds out the five and he intrigued me as well. He went down a different path than the other four but still is one of them.

To complicate Gus and Rey finding love again is the love child that Gus didn’t know he had. And while I understand that he had a crappy childhood and wanted to do better for his son, he is very repetitious with “I can’t think about me, only my son”. A man needs to have a life.

But like I said, there were parts that I did like. I am all for a good angsty book. I love families that are made and not born. And the story arc was decent, but it was just overdone. Too much descriptors in different parts, relationships that didn’t seem genuine and circumstances that seemed a bit over the top.

I am going to take it all with a grain of salt that this was the first in the series and there are a lot of characters to get to know and a world to build. I will definitely read the next (especially if it is about Ivo), and hope for the best.

3 pieces of eye candy

Second chance romance, tattoo artists, and a group of (mostly) non-blood-brothers that have formed their own family? Gimme.

Rey and Gus were crazy about each other but broke up 3 years ago. Gus didn’t seem to want to settle down, and Rey didn’t tell him that that’s what he wanted. Gus skipped town right after, but now he’s back and ready to get serious about his life. Rey wants a second chance, but Gus has a new set of baggage with him: he just learned that his post-breakup one-night stand produced a son.

Gus has had a tough life and I totally feel for him. He had a horrible family trauma as a child, lived through the foster care system and now has a small band of brothers who are also foster care survivors. I love people forging their own family, made of members who’ve chosen each other. Rey had a more stable childhood and he’s now a firefighter. He has seen the happy family and wants that for himself, but Gus is wary of that life.

I have to say it took me a little bit to get into this book. Sometimes the writing sort of confused me and it took me a while to understand who all the “brothers” were and how they met. But eventually I did get into this and liked it. Gus’ past trauma just hurts my heart. Rey has had a more stable upbringing and I want him to be just what Gus needs in his life. Gus wants to be the dad he didn’t have to his own son, and seeing him try is very sweet. These two are clearly still in love with each other, I hate seeing them apart!

Gus’ brothers are all pretty different and I expect there will be further books for each of them. This is the first book I’ve read by Rhys Ford, and while the writing sort of weirded me out initially, I will definitely read more from her.

3 pieces of eye candy

There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford: Release Day Review with Giveaway

March 17, 2017 by Denise

How do you save a drowning man when that drowning man is you?

Jake Moore’s world fits too tightly around him. Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness.

It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued art deco building on WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the sweet, artistic man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.

When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him.

Title: There’s This Guy
Author: Rhys Ford
Release Date: March 17, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Rhys Ford has yet to create a character that hasn’t had me wrapped around their finger. Jake and Dallas were no exception. Jake about broke me in this story. His parents messed him up so bad, it made me cry. As a parent I found myself wondering through a lot of this story how a parent could treat their child this way. I’m as clueless now as I have ever been. Jake is an extremely well developed character. I went on this journey with him and I was exhausted by the time I finished(in a good way). Dallas was perfect for Jake. His lightness was so good for Jake to experience. He has such a beautiful heart. And of course it wouldn’t be a Rhys Ford book if it didn’t have a little mystery in it. Not telling what though, you’ll have to read and find out for yourself.

5 pieces of eye candy

The only book I have read by Rhys Ford before was Fish and Ghosts a few years ago, and I recall enjoying the book. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started There’s This Guy.

The opening scene with Jake was powerful, frightening, and grabbed you quickly. The reader can tell that they are in for a hell of a ride from the very beginning. Dallas was light-hearted and was able to slowly take a hold on Jake’s heart, one interaction at a time. You literally saw Jake changing as you read the book. That was awesome to see.

However, where I struggled with the book, and considered putting it down was the descriptions. There were too many metaphors and embellished descriptions for me. It felt overly wordy and unnecessary, especially in the first half of the book. I struggled with really loving the story and the characters, especially Celeste, and feeling as if the book might have been even better with about 1/3 less words.

In the end, I enjoyed the story, and stayed in, happy to see Jake work so hard to find his happy ending with Dallas.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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