Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Book Review: Drama Queens and Love Scenes by Kevin Khler
by Kevin Khler
Ninestar Press (Re-release)
Genre: Romance, Literary Fiction, Angels, cisgender, Fantasy, friends to lovers, gay, humorous, Life after death, romance
4.5 Stars
Blurb:
Close friends Allan and Warwick are dead. They’re not crazy about the idea, so to help them deal with this dilemma are Samantha, a blond bombshell from the 1950s, and Guy, an insecure angel. Allan also has a secret. He has a romantic crush on his friend, Warwick, but shortly after confiding in his new angel pal, his love interest falls for the cock-sure playwright, Pedro. Not only does Allan have to win the heart of his companion, he also has to grapple with the faded memory of how he actually died.
Review:
This was a fun-filled romp through a theatrical afterlife, or as Guy the angel puts it, The Limelight District. While Allan pines for Warwick from afar, they both become involved in the theatre productions, where there is just as much jealousy, backstabbing and bitchiness as on the mortal plane.
The book is in first-person from Allan's point of view, so we only got to see Allan's opinions of the other characters. I wanted to be in some of the other character's heads for a while, especially Guy, the orphaned angel who was never taught how to fly, I really adored him.
I wouldn't necessarily say the characters were true to life, most were flamboyant and over the top, but maybe that's what a lot of theatre people are like and I just haven't met them. The world building is good, with lots of different districts from different eras of Earth history, but the characters wander about to the other ones at will. There were also some little mysteries to solve such as how Allan and Warwick died and who is trying to sabotage the plays.
The path to true love never did run smooth, but the author has made Allan's journey to not only find love, but to find himself a very engaging tale.
It's a fun little read, well over 70K words is not that little, but I got so engrossed in the story and the characters that the pages flew by.
Review & Giveaway: Revolutionary Temptation by Silvia Violet
Revolutionary Temptation - Silvia Violet
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | KOBO
Length: 67,500
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Blurb
The American colonists are fighting for their independence, but the battlefield is not the only place to wage war. When General Washington’s head of intelligence asks Captain Jack West to spy on the British in New York, Jack agrees, despite reservations about this ungentlemanly pursuit.
Jack’s contact in the city recruits bookshop owner Elias Ashfield, an impeccably dressed sensualist who flaunts his desire for both men and women and seeks a place in high society. Jack longs for a simple life guided by clear principles. Eli is a risk-taker who knows how to get what he wants. And he wants Jack in his bed.
Events in Jack’s past have made him fearful of acting on his secret craving for a man’s touch, but Eli intrigues Jack as much as he infuriates him. As Jack and Eli search for the information the rebel army needs, they realize there’s more between them than mere lust. But finding a way to be together may prove more difficult than defeating the British Empire.
***
Review: 5 Stars
Wounded while fighting against the British, rebel captain Jack West, is given other orders while he recuperates in New York. To find out as much as he can about the British troops there. Soldier numbers, supply routes, plans for their next attack in the Spring. Jack is very reluctant at first, he feels like spying and gathering information in such an underhand way is not the work of a gentleman. And when he discovers his contact in New York is a woman, he feels even more appalled that the army would recruit a lady to do such work.
Elias Ashfield, outwardly a British Loyalist book shop owner, in his heart supports the rebels and anyone else who would take the opposite side of his cruel uncle. Eli enjoys life, enjoys pleasure, both of the male and female variety and wants to rise himself up in society so that he never has to ask his uncle for anything ever again.
Sparks fly when they first meet but Jack denies their mutual attraction for a long time. Jack is older, but not more experienced and his few encounters with men have been of the paid variety. He doesn't know what to make of Eli, who flirts openly and doesn't seem to care what other people think, despite the fact that if they were caught, it could be the hangman's noose for both of them. Can Eli ever make him see that what they could have together is worth the risk?
I've never read any books set in this time period before, so it was interesting to read about it. Jack and Eli are both wonderful characters, both different, but both damaged in different ways. It's quite a slow burn romance, as they don't really get together until about half-way through, but there is lots of pining from afar and the reader knows how much they really care about each other.
It's written well and the author hasn't fallen into the "gadzooks" trap. No "gadzooks" or "forsooths" here. The dialogue, while reading as historical, caters for the modern reader and the story flows well. All the characters are well rounded and I liked the fact that the women portrayed were strong in their own right Widow Constance Sullivan is their immediate contact in New York and I found it perfectly believable that she could work as a spy. There were real feisty women throughout history, so it didn't seem too incredulous here. Who better to spy than a woman who some men thought should be seen and not heard? She could listen where others could not.
The love scenes, while sensual and explicit, were not coarse and flowed well within the story. But the main part of the romance is emotional rather than physical. The physical aspects just add another dimension to their relationship. There is a lot of plot as well as the romantic aspects, it's a good beefy novel to get lost in. Just the thing for curling up on a Winter's day.
Danger, intrigue and romance. A very enjoyable tale.
January 17 - Gay Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Keysmash, V's Reads
January 19 - MM Good Book Reviews
January 30 - Diverse Reader, Urban Smoothie Read
February 1 - Dog-Eared Daydreams, Sarandipity, It's About The Book, Making It Happen
February 3 - Zipper Rippers, Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books, Engaging Secrets
February 6 - Bella's Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Sinfully Gay Romance
Author Bio
Silvia Violet writes fun, sexy stories that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. Silvia's stories include sizzling contemporaries, paranormals, and historicals. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, taking long walks, curling up with her favorite books, and spending time with her family.
Newsletter: http://silviaviolet.com/newsletter
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Review & Giveaway: Blood Stained Tea by Amy Tasukada
Blood Stained Tea - Amy Tasukada
M/M Thriller with romantic elements
Blurb
Nao hides from his violent past in the Japanese mob by opening a teahouse in Japan's cultural center, Kyoto. His past comes flooding back when he discovers a gravely injured man with a tattooed chest, a bloody knife, and a Korean business card.
Saehyun would've died if not for Nao's help. He knows nothing of his savior's connection with the local mafia, but Saehyun has his own secrets. He commands the Korean mafia, the mortal enemy of Nao’s former syndicate.
As Nao and Saehyun grow closer, so does the strength of the Korean mob. A shocking murder pulls Nao back into a past he'd all but abandoned. War is looming, and Nao must choose between protecting Saehyun or avenging the honor of his old mafia family..
The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained Teais the first book in a series of Japanese mafia thrillers. If you like complex characters, blood-soaked violence, and twists you won't see coming, then you'll love Amy Tasukada's gritty crime masterpiece.
Review: 4 Stars
Nao Murata runs a teahouse in the historical district of Kyoto and leads a simple, peaceful existence. But that wasn't always the case.
Finding an injured man in the canal during one of his walks, Nao takes him home and patches him up. But that simple act of compassion has repercussions and Nao is drawn back into the life of violence he thought he'd left behind forever.
For Saehyun Park, that injured man, is one of the leaders of the Korean Mafia, Double Moon gang, the arch-rivals of Nao's old Yakuza clan. The two feel an instant attraction, but neither man is honest as to who he truly is. And soon there is an all out turf war between the Kyoto Yakuza and the Double Moon who want to take over Kyoto.
Does Nao follow his heart, or his honour? And neither choice is an easy one. They are both stuck between a rock and a hard place.
We just recently came back from a holiday to Japan and I found the Japanese aspects very interesting, about the history and meanings of various festivals. And it was interesting to read about a place that you've been too and we spend some time in Kyoto.
This was a gritty, page-turning thriller that kept me up till two in the morning to finish it. You may have noticed I classified this as a thriller with romantic elements, rather than a romance. For while there is a love story here, it is a tragic one reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, and what happens at the end cements it firmly in thriller category rather than romance category.
The love scenes aren't very explicit, but a lot of the violence is. Not that I was expecting a tale about Yakuza to be light and fluffy, but I could have done with a few more lighter parts to contrast with the darker aspects.
It's well written and while it may not be a light read, it is a compelling one and a fascinating insight into what might make people do such things.
Amy Tasukada lives in a catless home in North Texas. (She enjoys cats but can’t quite make that kind of commitment yet.) As an only child her day dreams kept her entertained, and at age ten she started to put them to paper. Since then her love of writing hasn’t cease. When she’s not chasing after stray cats, she can be found drinking hot tea and filming Japanese street fashion hauls on her Youtube channel.
Book Review: A Triad in Three Acts by Blaine D. Arden
Books 1-3 The Complete Forester Trilogy
by Blaine D. Arden
Cayendi Press
M/M/M Fantasy/Elves/Mystery
4 Stars
Orignally posted at The Romance Reviews
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=22810
Blurb:
“Your Path is muddy, Kelnaht, but don’t think avoiding the puddles will make it easier to travel.”
Kelnaht, a cloud elf, is a truth seeker caught between love and faith, when a murder reveals an illicit affair between two tree elves he desires more than he can admit. Kelnaht’s former lover Ianys once betrayed him, and the shunned forester Taruif is not allowed to talk to anyone but the guide, their spiritual pathfinder.
The guide mentioned puddles, but I envisioned lakes, deep treacherous lakes, and I was drowning.
Then a stripling goes missing from the tribe, and heavy rainfall hides all traces of his whereabouts. With days creeping by without a lead, it’s hard to keep the tribe’s spirits up, more so when Kelnaht’s own future depends on the elders. Taruif has been shunned for almost twenty turns, but now that a possible forester’s apprentice is coming of age, the elders consider reducing his sentence. Taruif could be set free.
“I have great responsibilities, but my path ahead is as foggy and blurred as the path behind me.”
Later, when several children fall ill with more than a summer bug, truth seeker Kelnaht is assigned to investigate. What he finds is deadly and threatens the life of every underage child in the tribe, including Ianys’ daughter Atèn. Then a wounded traveller is found in the forest, left to die after a vicious attack.
“There is always a way.”
Kelnaht, Taruif, and Ianys are meant to be together, but old promises and the decree of the elders prevent them from claiming each other openly at Solstice. Kelnaht can investigate murder and foul play, but he can’t see how he can keep both his lovers without breaking the rules. But if he believes in the guide’s words and trusts his faith in Ma’terra, they will find a way to clear the fog and puddles from their paths.
***
Review 4 Stars
A wonderful mix of fantasy, magic and mystery with characters to fall in love with.
Three books in one, The Forester Trilogy includes the tales The Forester, Lost and Found and Full Circle. I'm glad I got to read them all at once, because each flowed into the other and made a much more satisfying read.
Kelnaht is a the truth seeker of his tribe, much like a modern day detective or investigator, but has natural magical talents that help him get to the truth of the matter. Whether it is murder, missing children or mysterious illnesses, Kelnaht is the elf who deals with these things.
Kelnaht is still in love with his previous partner, Ianys and is shocked and dismayed when he discovers the elf is now in a relationship with the forester, Taruif, an elf who has been shunned for decades. No one may utter his name and no one may speak to him except for the Guide, the elves' spiritual leader and advisor. Kelnaht is torn between keeping their secret and wanting to be included in it, for he has long desired Taruif from afar.
Invited to join their relationship as a triad, Kelnaht accepts, but due to the elders' restrictions, they cannot openly be together due to the shunning. Can the three men find happiness or is their love doomed to failure before it has a chance to grow?
The entire book is told through Kelnaht's point of view, which make sense with him being a truth-seeker, but I would have liked to get a glimpse into Taruif's and Ianys' minds too, even if only for a brief while.
Part magical adventure, part mystery, part love story, the book has a good balance between plot and romance. The prose is as lush as the forest surrounding the elves and sweeps you away on a fantastical adventure.
The love scenes, while well written, jarred me out of the story in places when the author used modern day expressions or slang. It didn't seem to fit with the fantasy/faerie tale feel of the rest of the book. Having an elf in a fantasy world use the expression 'jack off' just didn't seem to fit. But maybe that's just me :)
I've not read that many books with a poly or triad relationship, but it seemed to work well here and it was common in the elvish culture in the book. I loved the fact that Kelnaht was a cloud elf because he had wings and could fly, while Taruif was a tree elf and knew more of earth magics. Ianys was a blacksmith and each character had their own different skills and personalities which suited each. There is little jealousy in their relationship, all three know they are wanted
If you like fantasy tales with elves, magic and a love story that sweeps you in, this could be the book for you.
***
Book Review & Giveaway: Setting His Sights by B.A. Tortuga
Fearless 6
BA Tortuga
Genre: Gay Romance, action adventure
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication: July 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-945193-20-0
Word Count: 20000
ARe
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book Description:
Trey’s waited long enough to take what he needs.
Trey Jamison leads an elite mercenary team that specializes in snatch and grabs. Things have been going well – well enough that he’s letting himself notice Kai Tanaka, fellow Texan and team long-range sniper.
Kai hasn’t made any secret of his attraction to Trey. But the boss is the boss, and it isn’t until the team gets compromised and Kai is captured during a job that Trey lets himself admit the feelings he has for his captured teammate.
***
Review 4 Stars:
Trey Jamison and his elite team of ex-special ops are good at what they do - rescuing kidnap victims, getting in and out the quickest way possible and with the least amount of casualties. They've worked together for years, know each other's method and know that everyone will always have their back. They are colleagues as well as boss and employees, but sometimes Trey wishes that he and Kai could be more. But mindful of the team dynamic, he doesn't make a move, even though he very much wants to.
Kai has been in love with Trey for as long as he can remember, and although he sometimes wishes for more, he doesn't want to rock the boat and mess with the team either. So he might joke and flirt, but he doesn't think his feelings would ever be reciprocrated.
Their most recent job should have been a simple in and out, a teenage girl snatched by a drug baron boyfriend. It goes according to plan, but then they hear of another hostage situation - two reporters taken a few days ago. Since they were in the area anyway, they decide to take on the extra job. Only things there don't quite as planned.
Someone is gunning for Trey and his team and they start with snatching Kai...
This book was thrilling, keeping you on the edge of your seat as things unfold. The banter between them all is fun and snarky, but you know that deep down all these characters care about each other and would die for them.
We get into the heads of Trey and Kai the most, as the story is told alternately from their points of view. They are both well-drawn, with their own quirks and foibles and the attraction between them sizzles off the page. These are tough, hard men, and the sex they have isn't flowery in the least, which suits their characters. The earthy, down-to-earth language of the love scenes fit much better than purple prose would have. They are hot together and leave you breathless.
The romance and the plot seemed to be evenly paced. Dialogue might seem a bit rough for some, but I woudn't expect them to talk like they were having tea and cake, so it suited here. The ending seemed a little too abrupt, but other than that it was a great read.
***
About the Author:
B.A. Tortuga Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting, and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA's personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.
For more information on other books by B.A., visit her official website:
http://www.batortuga.com/
http://batortuga.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
https://twitter.com/batortuga
***
Tour Giveaway:
3 winners to receive Smashing the Spotlight by BA Tortuga
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Review: Coexistence by Clare Solomon
Human Hybrids #1
by Clare Solomon
M/M Sci-fi/Futuristic/Shifters
3.5 Stars
Heat Level: Low.
Author Website: http://claresolomon.com/
Amazon
Review Copy supplied by author
Edited to add
The author has let me know that Goodreads had an old description of the book up, which is where a lot of the confusion came in. Goodreads now has the correct version up. I'm upping my rating to 4 stars, as it was a mistake on Goodreads part, not by the author. If you read the correct blurb below, the book should make a lot more sense now :)
Revised blurb:
Scientists have genetically engineered five human hybrid races known as werewolves, vampires, dragons, sensers and wendigoes. The first four races coexist with humans in relative peace. The fifth one wants to butcher the others and they are getting stronger.
Jaspal ‘Pal’ Khatri is nearly killed and forced to leave his home with a werewolf pack in Oxford, England when the local HyCO group leads a mob of anti-hybrid rioters against them. He travels to the Highlands of Scotland for a fresh start and meets Brand, a werewolf still grieving after the murder of his lover, Kye, a year ago. He and Brand find a dead vampire and Pal is suddenly in the nightmare situation of being accused of the murder. There is a link between this death and that of Kye and Brand works for another branch of HyCO so, to prove his innocence, Pal must join the organisation he loathes and try to ignore his growing feelings for Brand as they work to solve the case
Review:
I'm really not sure what to make of this book. On the one hand it was very well written with a good plot and interesting characters.
On the other, I'm feeling a bit let down with the romance aspects and a bit confused about how the story starts. From the blurb above, I expected Kye and Brand to be main characters in the book. But (spoiler ahead) Kye is dead long before the book starts, over a year ago. The same with the Wendigo attacks, they have happened offscreen a year ago and are only mentioned. The book actually starts with the attack on Pal in Oxford, before he flees to Scotland.
I got the feeling I started reading the story somewhere in the middle. There is some good world-building with the different hybrid races etc. And I liked that these were genetically engineered hybrids, rather than paranormal creatures as such. It gave the book something different.
I loved Pal, despite being a werewolf, he was a very gentle soul and was a doctor, doing his best to help people, no matter what race.
Brand was harder to get to know. He's still grieving over his dead lover, Kye, and he pushes Pal away all the time, despite feeling that they might have some connection.
Their romance doesn't really start until near the end of the book, somewhere around 70% on my Kindle if I remember. So I would say it's more of a detective/whodunnit book with romantic elements, rather than a Romance per se. It depends on what you're looking for I suppose.
It's an interesting story and kept me reading on, despite the few flaws I found with it. If you'd like a different take on vampires, werewolves, dragons et al, give it a go.
The author has a free prequel novella on her website, I'd suggest reading that one first. Then this one will make a lot more sense.
Recommended for people who like sci-fi, shifters and detective novels.
Book Review & Giveaway: Boy Banned by R.J. Scott
by R.J. Scott
M/M Contemporary/Musicians
Cover: Meredith Russell
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Buy Links - Links to follow here: http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/boy-banned.html
When the only way to win is to hide who you are, how far are you prepared to go?
Reuben “Angel” Jacobs is one step away from giving it all up. Losing a place in the live finals of Sing UK almost kills him. He has no choice but to go home and work for the family business, even though it means giving up his dreams and proving his old bullies right.
Corey Dixon is a rocker at heart. Being on the spectrum means that making sense of other people’s ‘normal’ is hard in itself, let alone in the chaos of a high-powered competition. Singing is his safe space, the only way he can think through the noise in his head. Messing up his audition for the live shows means his journey is over, and it’s the worst day of his life.
The judges throw them a lifeline and create a boy band from the near-miss hopefuls. Angel, Corey, and three others are put together in a room and offered the chance to sing as a group. Agreeing to become part of the new band means Corey has to hide who he is and what Angel has come to mean to him.
Is winning worth the price Corey and Angel have to pay?
Review 4 Stars:
Now, let me preface this review with the fact that I have never seen an episode of The X-Factor, The Voice or any other talent show for that matter. I've seen clips of the shows, but I have never watched an entire episode from week to week as it were. But for this book, it didn't matter that I hadn't seen any of that. Take a character with any sort of dream and it will speak to the reader, even if it isn't a dream the character and reader share.
We all have hopes and dreams, doubts and fears, it's just that Corey's and Angel's dreams are a little bigger.
Narrowly missing out on being finalists in Sing UK, they are offered the chance with three other young men to form a boy band. They aren't really sure at first. Each of them has their own singing style and were all soloists. How do you take each of them and form a whole unit? They decide to give it a go, it's the only way they'll stay on the show.
I loved this book. There was angst, there was drama (but not too over the top), real emotions from real people and the romance between Cory an Angel was so sweet and romantic.
Corey has Asperger's and it was handled very well. I'm not on the spectrum, but I do have social anxiety and like Corey I can't handle crowds. It was beautiful the way he could hug Angel and all the noise went away.
There were lots of things going on behind the scenes, the rivalry between various contestants, the judges, how to handle the media etc. Everything had a place and although it was a romance, there was a good balance of plot too besides the romantic parts.
All the characters were well drawn and the writing flowed well. I can't say too much more without giving stuff away, so just go out and read it.
A must-read for any romance fan.
***
Excerpt:
“Filming in five, four….”
Brianna was clearly the leader in this particular choice. “Hi, guys,” she said strongly, her tone belied by the fluttering of her hands around her face. She had assumed the “we have terrible news” expression. Both the male judges had relaxed back in their seats.
All five of the contestants said hello back; the other four were as worried and subdued as Corey sounded to his own ears.
“Okay,” she began, “boys, boys, boys… you all know that the auditions at boot camp weren’t so good. Mistakes, wrong song choices, emotions getting the better of you….” She trailed off and looked into the distance with a soft pout. She was acting out the whole disappointment thing and was a freaking expert at it.
Corey shifted from one foot to the other. His head was banded with the start of a headache, which he was convinced would deteriorate into a migraine if he didn’t get some meds soon. That would just be the perfect shitty end to the perfect shitty day.
“We’ve considered you a lot. You’re the hardest group of singers, and it took us a long time to come to a decision.”
Another dramatic pause, in which Corey imagined music would be inserted for added drama. He stopped breathing, waiting for her to finish what she was going to say. Maybe, somehow, they’d been given the chance to prove themselves again, and she would say they were through.
She shook her head slowly. “Sorry, boys. We’re not taking you through as solo singers to the live finals.”
And there it was. Corey’s dream gone. Finished.
***
About the Author:
My goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.
I've has been writing since age six, when I was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies and the mixing bowl. You can't tell a six year old not to lick the bowl!
I was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.
As an avid reader myself, I can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, my first real true love will always be the world of romance. I love my cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and love to write dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men. (Yum)
With over 90 titles to my name and counting, I am the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway, which was All Romance Ebooks best selling title of 2010.
I'm also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.
I'm always so thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the following links below:
Email RJ (rj@rjscott.co.uk)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scott
http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/
RJ on Twitter
https://www.facebook.com/author.rjscott
https://www.librarything.com/catalog/author.rjscott
https://uk.pinterest.com/rjscottauthor/
***
Giveaway:
Prizes: $20 Giftcard for Amazon or All Romance eBooks, 3 x Texas books, 3 x Bodyguard books.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Review: Lab Rat by Nephy Hart
by Nephy Hart
M/M Sci-fi/Paranormal/New Adult
Wayward Ink Publishing
Buy Links: Allromance | iTunes | Wayward Ink
Lab Rat will be on sale from May 4th to 7th with 30% off list price at Wayward Ink.
5 Stars
Blurb:
At thirteen, Gabriel was subjected to experimentation designed to awaken latent psychic abilities.
He’s been locked in a downward spiral of self-destruction ever since.
Then one night he meets Laurie, who is the antithesis of everything Gabriel’s become: cheerful, optimistic, and comfortable in his own skin.
Laurie pursues Gabriel. But Gabriel no longer believes in love. With a dark past and a history of disastrous relationships, he’s promised himself ‘no more’. Laurie, however, won’t let go, no matter how many obstacles Gabriel places in his way.
When Gabriel starts hearing voices in his head, he realizes they belong to the scientists who experimented on him. Worse, they’re trying to track him down.
With the past nipping at his heels, Gabriel and Laurie flee together.
Can they outrun the enemy? Can they save Gabriel before either his life or his sanity are forfeit?
And is Gabriel as helpless as he, or Laurie, thinks he is?
***
Review 5 Stars:
Art student Gabriel is in pain, both physical and mental. He suffers from debilitating migraines, pain so bad that he can hardly move. Sometimes he blacks out with no warning. He's been to various doctors, being passed from one department to another but the doctors don't know what's wrong with him. He has fits, but he doesn't have epilepsy, he hears voices, but he isn't schizophrenic. Gabriel is convinced the doctors don't believe him and think that it's all in his head and no medication seems to work.
He's already been in a mental hospital and he doesn't want to go back, so he doesn't go back to the doctors to tell them the medications aren't working. After losing two lovers, Gabriel is convinced that he himself is toxic and that no one should come anywhere near him and he pushes everyone away, fearing he'll hurt them or worse when he has one of his episodes. He feels he doesn't deserve to be loved.
And then he meets Laurie. Laurie with bright blue eyes and the face of an angel who keeps coming back no matter how many times Gabriel pushes him away. And it's Laurie who has to make him see that he is worth something.
I made the mistake of starting this book late at night when I was in bed. A few hours later, eyes gritty, I had to put it down, but only because I was so tired.
It was gripping from the very first page. The reader knows something has happened to Gabriel in the past, but we don't find out what until later in the book and it makes you keep reading. The plot is excellent, well-paced and the writing flows well.
Gabriel is so damaged, but I really related to him in this book. I too had spent years being sent from one doctor to another to try and find out what was wrong with me, at times half-convinced I was mad too, but finally I got the right specialist, the right diagnosis and treatment. I have migraine associated vertigo and like Gabriel when I have an attack I can barely move.
Laurie, oh Laurie, I think I am a little in love with him. Laurie is the light to Gabriel's darkness, he is a knight in shining armour, which may be dented in places, but hasn't lost any of its lustre.
I'm not normally a fan of present tense for novels, but it's a testament to the author's skill that after I while I didn't even notice what tense it was, the story was so engrossing.
I love angst, and this book has angst by the bucketload, but it has hope and love too. In a word, perfect.
Book Review: Beta Test by Annabeth Albert
by Annabeth Albert
Carina Press
M/M Contemporary/Friends to Lovers
Release Date: May 30 2016
5 Stars
ARC from Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher
Blurb:
Ravi Tandel is ahead of the game. He’s a top video game developer and he just got asked to present a top-secret project at a huge gaming conference in Seattle. All systems are a go…until he learns his office nemesis is coming along for the ride. Player vs. Player. Fight!
Newly minted MBA Tristan Jones doesn’t seem like the gaming type but he knows the business inside-out. Together, they’ll give an awesome presentation – they just have to survive the cross-country trip. Ravi’s opinion of Tristan is rebooted when he discovers a softer side to the conservative charmer and a new tension builds between them.
Despite their best efforts to keep it casual, things heat up quickly. Tristan is hiding his true self for fear of what his parents might think. Ravi knows that feeling all too well, but he didn’t disconnect from his family years ago only to hide who he is now. To be together, Tristan has to push past his fear and ultimately decide, does he want a future with Ravi? Or is it game over?
***
Review 5 Stars:
Ravi and Tristan both start working at the same video game company on the same day, but the two of them couldn't be more different.
Ravi is out and proud, loves to be the centre of attention, has lots of friends and volunteers for lots of gay charities. His desk is like him: full of personality and no holds barred.
Tristan on the other hand is semi-closeted, has few close friends and his idea of casual Friday is to perhaps loosen his tie a little. He likes order, needs everything to fit into a neat little box and Ravi's out and out gayness makes him uncomfortable. Does he have to broadcast it?
At a work dinner, Ravi finally decides to have it out with Tristan, for he thinks Tristan's discomfort is actually homophobia. But their little argument is overheard by most of the staff at the dinner, and now Tristan is out at work, whether he wanted to be or not. Ravi feels like heel for outing Tristan in public like that and resolves to make it to him.
He gets his chance, when after a food poisoning disaster with most of the other developers out of action, he and Tristan are the only two who can make it the big gaming convention in Seattle. There's one big problem though: the two who were supposed to go on the trip were a married couple and since the hotels are all fully booked, they have to make do with what was already on the reservation: one room.
I have to admit I have a soft spot for characters who have to endure some sort of forced closeness, such as a hotel room, or they get stuck in a broken lift, what have you. And Beta Test was no different, I really enjoyed the fact that our two heroes had to share the room or else.
This book has something that seems rare in a lot of fiction these days, it was almost like discovering a unicorn. The characters talk, they talk a lot and get to know each other before they jump into bed together (shared rooms or not.) You could see they really cared about each other and despite what they both at first told themselves, it wasn't casual sex. They were connected on an emotional as well as physical level and it really shone through in the love scenes.
They were hot, sensual, with vivid descriptions without resorting to being coarse. They are love scenes at the most fundamental level, not sex scenes.
Tristan had a lot of hang-ups about sex, his ex had told him he wasn't very good in bed, and he believed it. Tristan thought that once Ravi had a taste of just how terrible he was, Ravi would soon lose interest. Ravi is appalled that someone would actually say that to a lover and he sets out to show Tristan just how very good he is, and sets about teaching him.
Ravi and Tristan are both different characters, but they do say opposites attract, and I had no feelings of disconnection when reading about these two getting together. They were like jigsaw puzzle pieces that fit together just right. They both had some things in common of course, both had family dramas to deal with, but this book was low on the angst. Not that I mind angst, it was just good to see something different, something a bit lighter for a change.
Well written with lovable, sympathetic characters, Beta Test was a joy from first page to last and I still find myself smiling when I think of Ravi and Tristan. Now, that takes some doing - to keep thinking about the characters after the last page is turned.
Book Review: The Runaway Millions by Parker Avrile
The Runaway Millions
The Runaway Model #2
M/M Contemporary/Suspense/Drama
5 Stars
They're the perfect couple until the money runs out...
Kyle, a rising model, is the toast of Manhattan. Bryce, a wildcatter who got rich in the Bakken gas fields, is an inch away from becoming America's newest billionaire.
But their world is turned upside-down when a competing oil company wrests away Bryce's business, his personal jet, and even his condo. Bryce has no choice but to scramble to save his career-- even though a famous rock star is sniffing around in hopes of claiming Kyle for his own.
When Kyle steps forward to defend another model accused of a terrible crime, he's deported. The tabloids follow him, happy to spread rumors about his alleged affairs with the beautiful and the famous of Europe.
Can love survive when one man is on his way up while the other is on his way down? When an ocean divides the lovers? When the gossip columns can't help stirring the pot? The Runaway Millions is Book 2 in The Runaway Model trilogy. This 78,000 word full-length novel complete with a HEA can be read as a stand-alone but if you prefer to read the series in order, please start with The Runaway Model.
***
Review:
We first meet Kyle and Bryce in The Runaway Model and I think you will get more out of the story if you read that one first. This one can be read on its own, but the first book will fill you in more on the backstory between these characters.
This book starts almost at where The Runaway Model finishes, after the rescue of Kyle from his stalker. Bryce has lost his money, his business and most of his assets and he is worried that Kyle only ever wanted him for his money and as they spend more time physically apart, with Bryce trying to get his career going again in the States and in Arabia, and Kyle on model assignments all over the world, they become more distant emotionally too.
The go through an on-again off-again stage, with Bryce thinking that Kyle wants the famous and rich rockstar Stoney Rockland. There are always photos of Kyle with various models and famous people all over the papers and Bryce, despite wanting to believe otherwise, comes to believe in some of these rumours.
I have to admit I felt like shaking some sense into Bryce in parts of this book. First off, he was worried about a barely ten-year age gap between the two of them, that a nineteen year old wouldn't want to settle down with one man, that they wouldn't know their own mind. Kyle grew up fast, and he certainly knows his own mind and knew he loved Bryce. And as for that not being realistic, I met my husband when I was nineteen and he was almost ten years older and we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary this year. So yes, a nineeteen year old can meet the love of their life at that age. Age is just a number anyway.
Kyle has grown up a lot in this book and at times it seemed he was the sensible one and Bryce needed to be looked after. They balanced each other out and the love between them was palpable on the pages.
There is less sex in this book than the first one and that makes sense, because there is so much drama and angst going on that too many love scenes would have stopped the flow mid-story. As it is, it's well-paced and suited to the story it's telling.
And Michel, Kyle's model friend who is accused of murder goes through so much that I felt my heart had been stomped on and then put back in my chest. I really ached for him and I can't say much more unless I spoil the story, so I won't.
I know nothing about the fashion scene, but what appears in the book seems plausible enough to me and it was interesting reading about a world that I know little about.
There is angst, there is drama, but there is hope and love too. The fact that they hard to work so hard towards their happily ever after made it so much sweeter.
***
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