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Review: First Class Package by Jay Northcote

*Free Read*

A geeky science writer has a crush on his postman—but will he ever make a move?

Working from home suits introvert Jim until he gets a special delivery—an extremely cute, temporary postman called Patrick. Jim’s drawn to his wide smile and sexy legs, while Patrick can’t keep his eyes off Jim’s package.

Their doorstep attraction seems mutual, so asking Patrick out on a date should be easy. There’s just one problem—Jim could fit all the pick-up lines he knows on the back of a postage stamp.

As Christmas approaches, Jim knows the end of Patrick’s postal-delivery contract is looming. Taking a chance might be worth it if it keeps Patrick coming to his door.

This book is free to download at All Romance eBooks and Smashwords and in most Amazon regions.



Lorix -

A free read by author Jay Northcote is never to be sneezed at - and this was absolutely no let down.

Short and sweet but still hot and sexy First Class Package is a must read. It's fun and well, just exactly what a cute, kinda holiday read, is all about. Who doesn't like a surprise package? Especially when delivered by a sexy postie, Jim certainly does. In fact he cares not if the package is a surprise or an expected delivery, as long as Patrick is delivering it.

For a fun, free, sweet and sexy read featuring a hot postman, a geeky geek  and an abundance of cuddly toys you need look no further! Recommended to beat the winter blues.

Ann -

So, apparently Jay Northcote is the queen of the Christmas meet-cute. Because seriously, this was adorable. Jim is shy and awkward, he’s been working from home alone for too long but he knows what he wants when he meets his new delivery man Patrick. He wants Patrick and Patrick’s package he just doesn’t know how to make it happen. At least in a cool, not completely geeky way. So, he goes with his awkward geekiness because it’s really all he knows and by damn if it doesn’t work. That’s the feel good thing I loved about this one, Jim didn’t have to change and Patrick fell for him just as he was. I love that. There was minimal angst and what was there was charming and sweet. These two found one another at just the right time. This is the kind of Jizzmas story you can read all year as the Christmas is on the low and the feels are on the high. This one will be a reread for me and I definitely wouldn’t complain about more from these two.


Review: Wollstone by Hayden Thorne

The moment Emil Gogean sets foot inside Wollstone Academy’s fairy tale-like campus, he realizes his freshman year in high school is bound to be a very strange one. The school itself, a uniquely romanticized boarding school for boys, boasts remarkable elements that appear to be deliberate -- as though a hidden power has chosen woodland details, a chapel ruin, and school masters who seem to hearken back to a long-gone age, with a clear purpose in mind.


When strange things begin to happen to Emil, an unnerving warning from his late grandmother returns to haunt him. A warning about Emil attracting the attention of the king of the dead.

Strange faces in wood patterns and mullioned windows. The apparition of a boy among the trees. The unfathomable feeling of sadness permeating the idyllic environment. Emil gradually learns that Wollstone is more than just a school, that the answers to a three-hundred-year-old mystery surrounding a tragic romance lie in the ruined stones of a small chapel and in Nature itself. And that Emil, whose appearance in school has set certain wheels in motion, will have to place himself at the mercy of three mysterious students if he wishes to learn the truth about Wollstone, the boy lost in the woods, and himself.
 

Before I even start my review about the story I want to draw your attention to the cover - isn't it beautiful? It really appealed to me anyway and that, along with the blurb and it's YA premise, is what drew me to this book and accept this review request.

Set in a boarding school, new kid at school, Emil, is no stranger to the supernatural. He is aware of the presence of more than most can see, but it isn't a huge part of his life - til now. Sent to Wollstone Academy at the wish of his beloved (and now dead) grandmother, Emil quickly realises there is more to this ancient school than first meets the eye. Time and events ensure he is soon knee-deep in a three hu7ndered year old mystery.

Although Emil is a gay character, and in a way this is integral to the storyline - it's about loves lost - it is not a book about a teenager dealing with being gay. It is a mystery story, a ghost story, a paranormal story, whose protagonist happens to be gay. i think more books of this structure should be available mainstream. But now is not the time for a political debate on reading materials and how available they are to the younger generation.

Hayden Thorne has created a wonderful mystery, great characters and a fabulous setting....and this is where I have a confession to make.

This book took me ages to read because I was bored by it. But for the life of me I can't figure out why. I am wholly convinced it is firmly a case of it's me, not you. My head is a weird place, some very, very popular books just don't work for me. On paper everything about this book should have dragged me in and had me hooked. I've analysed and re-analysed why this isn't the case....and I am yet to come to a conclusion. I can't actually fault anything about it, yet it didn't work for me. I would hate others to be put of by my apathy towards it though. This is the kind of book I do want out there, available.

Maybe I've finally convinced myself I'm not a teenager anymore(hell it only took twenty odd years). Maybe I am just not the target market. Whatever. If this book interests you give it a go. I truly cannot say why it didn't work for me - and I really would like to see it succeed. I'd love people who have read this and enjoyed it to let me know, I want to work out why I didn't - I almost feel like I failed this story and it's author. I truly hope you love it.
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on Goodreads!

Review: A Bond of Three by K.C. Wells

In the kingdom of Teruna, the red-cloaked Seruani teach the Terunans the art of love. Taken from their homes at seventeen to be trained, they are shunned as outcasts by society and considered the lowest of the low. So when Prince Tanish falls in love with the Seruan Feyar, the man who took his virginity and the only one to share his bed, he is not about to declare that love. No one can ever know, because the consequences would be too painful to consider for both of them. 

When the king of Vancor visits Teruna, he promises that his son, Prince Sorran, will marry Prince Tanish to solidify the alliance between the two kingdoms, with the proviso that the virginal Sorran is instructed in the art of pleasing his husband-to-be. When Tanish’s father chooses Feyar to be this instructor, the lovers decide Prince Sorran must be taught that this is to be a marriage in name only…. 

A resentful prince, unwilling to share his lover. 

A resentful Seruan, unwilling to share his prince. 

And the shy prince whose very nature sparks changes in the lives of all those around them. 

Teruna is about to change forever.







This book was not my cuppa. 

I wanted it to be. I mean, look at that cover. 

Let's all take a moment to admire the pretty… 

I like fantasy. I like ménage. This should've been a slam dunk. Actually, this would make a decent porn script. Light on plot, heavy on sex with dudes walking around in easy access robes. I'd watch that. Hard. Fast-forwarding through all the talking bits mind you, but still.

If you're like me and enjoy books with conflict, some angst, edge and/or meat on their bones, this is not the book for you. If, however, you enjoy books that are sweet, feel good and leaving you feel like you've just skipped through a field of daisies, you are going to love the stuffing out of this thing. I, however, felt like I was being subsumed by a tidal wave of Sunny Delight.

I wanted to sink my teeth into the fantasy world, but aside from knowing Teruna and Vancor are allies against Kandor, I know nothing not even why Kandor is their mortal enemy. Feyar is a Seruan which essentially translates into courtesan only in Teruna they are reviled rather than revered for unknown reasons, thus Tanish and he are forced to conceal their love. Yet, they still sleep together every night. To cement the alliance between the two provinces Sorran is offered up as consort to Tanish. Tanish vows that nothing and no one will separate him from Feyar. For a couple minutes until Sorran's sweetness changes his mind. Same goes for Feyar. This is all chalked up to "the bond".

I wanted to sink my teeth into the story and be challenged by it, but it's predictable. Multiple opportunities for conflict and grit were stranded. Sorran has some unusual gifts that also could've provided something substantive that weren't elaborated on or explained well. The Seruani being treated abominably was the only point with any weight which I can't help but see as a thinly veiled parallel of the raging contemporary debate on marriage equality. Admittedly, a political hot potato that's deserving of discussion, has sparked countless debates and as much as I and a whole fuckton of other people would like it to be resolved favorably for all LGBTs, I in no way believe that the world will morph into a utopian society capable of amalgamating a ruling body's decision into their ethos within the span of a few months. An idealistic sentiment indeed that coincides with the tone of this book perfectly, but one I couldn't help but view as childlike magical thinking and somehow inappropriate for a topic this divisive. 

The sex is in the medium hot range and there is plenty of it which was really the only teeth sinking that occurred, figuratively speaking of course. Teeth are ill-advised. Mostly. Except when they're not. Never mind. It did give me pause that Sorran, a buttsex virgin prior to meeting his bond mates, after all of two trips to Pound Town decides he's man enough for DP. You go, Sorran. Go hard or go home, right? Then again, I don't feel as though I know any of these characters; they're all two-dimensional. But they are hot for each other. That hotness translates into 2 Hearts.

Objectively speaking, this book has an audience. Clearly. Just look at the reviews it's gotten thus far. Unfortunately, I'm not part of that audience, so take this review with the proverbial grain of salt. Read the other reviews.



Recommend to fans of escapist fluff.



An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Review: May in December by Dawn Flemington

Bruce Deirmann has lost everything. His job, his house, his children and his partner. The holidays are fast approaching and even though he has a well-meaning ex-wife cheer leading him on and his daughter’s wedding in the wings, he still feels hopeless. At the end of his rope, he is challenged to make an early resolution--to start living again.

Jorry Nelson is a quirky dog walker who’s made a few resolutions himself. Alone in the world, he is determined to better his life and get out of the illegal job he is trapped in. A childhood friend of Bruce’s children, he enters Bruce’s life at the right time and the attraction on both parts is immediate.

Love blossoms like May in the cold of December. However, trouble follows Jorry and though he and Bruce are working on a new beginning for the both of them, will Jorry be able to leave his past activities behind? Or will they haunt the couple and tear them away from each other before true love and happiness have a chance to live?


The front cover and blurb drew me to this book when a review request came in. It sounded like a potentially great story. I have to admit, that when I started reading I wasn't disappointed - we meet Bruce and I liked him. I liked his characterisation and the way his relationship with his ex-wife, still friend was portrayed. Unfortunately, the story grew too fantastical for me as it went on. What could have - should have - worked as a great story about the growing relationship between Bruce and Jorry and the difficulties of Jorry's past and the age difference between them didn't, because it felt like the author threw everything bar the kitchen sink into the mix. 

While the characterisation was great for the two MC's, the villains of the piece were almost cartoon-like in their villainousness? Villainy? Vill....nastiness. It just all went too far, I was rolling my eyes and skimming great chunks - yet I still cherished the moments between Bruce and Jorry. Their relationship kept me reading.  While it could have felt wrong, Jorry being a childhood friend of Bruce's children, it didn't. Bruce was just right for Jorry. I loved the dynamic of the two of them. And I liked Bruce's family - ex-wife and children and the dynamics there too. 

It really was just the storyline that went too far. Had one twist too many. One coincidence too far - and in my opinion that's a shame. A good editor, beta reader, honest friend - anyone just to say, "Whoa, hold your horses, we're moving away from Pleasantsville, Funreading Land, to Are You Serious?-ton. This bit does not work," and the book could have been reigned in...redeemed. 

Of course, as I always say - this is just my opinion and my opinion is only worth as much as the next person's. And if the next person loves this story then that is equally as right as me knowing it didn't work for me and the reason's why. 

I will keep Dawn Flemington on my radar, I have a feeling she can, and will, write some beautiful relationships. For it to work for me personally though I need a little less drama.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on Goodreads!

Happy Hour Chat: In the Red by Kari Gregg

Good day, and happy January and 2015 to all of you lovely ladies and gents! This month's happy hour chat was delayed a bit due to holiday schedules and unicorns living Wild and Crazy Lives™.  

However, fear not! We are here! And we are chatty!

This month's happy hour chat book was In the Red by Kari Gregg. As you've no doubt guessed from the reviews that have been floating around BMBR this month, Kari Gregg is our January author of the month.

In case you missed it, there was also a great interview with Kari Gregg earlier this week. Now sit back, relax, and get ready for a squirmy and super sexy time!



Ann of Ween Gaybles: I loved the book, I hope I remember stuff
Sunny: me, too, Ann
Cuppers: Was it just the 4 of us that read it?
Lorix: I managed to read it before bed last night! Just - didn't think I was going to!
Sunny: 5, I think
Cuppers: 5 sorry
Sunny: lol...
Cuppers: ok… well… I hearted it real hard.
Cuppers: it were FUCKHAWT!!!!!!
Ann of Ween Gaybles: YES Cuppers - FUCKHAWT!
Ann of Ween Gaybles: i like that word
Sunny: I'm mad there isn't a sequel, though :(
SRAL: I really, really liked it! >:)
Audrey: Quick recap of the book's blurb: Forensic accountant Brian Foster was a rising star at TFOS -- the FBI's Terrorism Financing Operations Section -- until he was abducted, "questioned," and left for dead. His nine days of captivity broke him. Brian retreats to the mountains of western Maryland where he amasses enough weaponry to declare himself an independent nation and enough lamps to pinpoint his location from the International Space Station. He's losing the battle against paranoia. Too bad TFOS needs him. Brian stumbled onto something big when he vanished last year and TFOS needs that case resolved. Now.

The FBI tasks Special Agent Zachary Murdock with gluing Brian together and returning him to TFOS. Brian will steady once he focuses on work instead of his neuroses. As Zachary nudges Brian back into the career that cost him dearly, Brian's paranoia escalates. Personal and professional lines blur. Zachary isn't sure which presents the biggest complication anymore: Brian's peculiar brand of crazy, the case they're working, or the closeted submissive's surprising -- and enthralling -- kink.

Zachary and Brian both know, when the case heats up and they're forced to run, they're operating at a loss, though: they are in the red.
Sunny: My favorite scene...when they first opened the toy box...when Brian kept spreading his thighs further...so hot.
Ann of Ween Gaybles: *nods* Brian has some seriously enthralling kinks

Ready to hear about Brian's kinks? Then click on and check out the rest of the chat after the jump! :)


Review: Unexpected Moments (Unexpected #2) by Bailey Bradford

Love begins at the most unexpected moment.

Carter Hausemann and Eddie Canales are embarking on a new romance. They know they’re compatible sexually. Now it’s time to find out if they’re meant for each other—and a third man, because Carter has always known what he needed, he’d just been afraid to reach for it.

Eddie will do whatever it takes to make Carter happy, and since he’s not the jealous type as long as he’s included, he’s more than willing to see if a relationship can work between three men. But first he and Carter need to concentrate on them.

Dare Habrock has the microbrew everyone’s talking about. He also has a secret that has kept him from having a lover in far too long.

When these three meet, they begin to understand that love flourishes in the most unexpected moments.

But someone is determined to destroy every bit of joy they have.

Bailey Bradford books are my crack. Every reader has the author that they just gotta read and when said reader starts a series by said author there is no stopping until the series is complete. For me, it doesn’t matter if it’s perfect, doesn’t matter if there are flaws because there is crack in them thar pages and I need my fix.

Bailey Bradford writes hot fucking sex scenes, or sexy hot fuck scenes, whatevs, she writes them and I read them. Repeatedly. Unexpected Moments was a great example. So, this is the “what comes next” from the short story Unexpected Places. I didn’t pick up on that until about half way through and I’m going to read that next for kicks and the aforementioned scenes. But, I can tell you, you don’t need to read that first, not that you don't want to, because I'm sure you do. There are some references to what happened in Unexpected Places, but nothing that would leave you feeling lost.

ETA: Duuuuuuuuuudes, I read UP last night and you definitely want to read it. Definitely.
That is all, now back to our regularly scheduled review . . . .

The book starts with Carter and Eddie meeting for a first real date. It didn’t take me long to figure out they had already boned in UP, in a menage no less, they were feeling a connection and decided to get together again. The two get to know each other better in bed and out. Their complimentary kinks are trigger trippers and I loved these two together. They are deliciously filthy with no apologies and I love reading that. They both know what brought them together so there is no need to be coy now. Spank that ass until it’s hot and raw and tell Peachy ALL the details.

Carter has always dreamed of being in a relationship with two men. He’s been honest with Eddie all along and the two of them are on the same page about being open to adding a third to their relationship if the right man came along. Conveniently enough he does in the form of Dare. Dare was a total sweetheart and I fell in love with his quiet strength. He’s understandably floored at the offer Carter and Eddie make him, but they are all honest from the get go and decide to give it a shot. Carter and Eddie don’t meet Dare until well into the book and I was feeling pretty solid with where Carter and Eddie were going. I wasn’t sure how Dare was going to fit in, but his personality and story were so different from the other two I had no problem buying into his place in the relationship.

During all of this, Carter is being threatened by a stalker and the danger is getting more real and more serious as the story progresses until Carter is attacked in his own home. The attack puts things into perspective for the three of them and clears the angsty cobwebs of being in a menage relationship more quickly than they may have otherwise. The relationship between the three of them is pretty fairy tale throughout. They communicate, listen, are honest and reasonable throughout. I mean, what the hell? It may not have been super realistic, but I’m glad there wasn’t a bunch of ridiculous drama with jealousy and neediness. That wouldn’t have fit the story or these guys well. I’m sure they are all on their best behavior still, it is all pretty new, but knowing that there is more story coming after this makes me fine with the ease and the fluff of the relationship.

That and the heat. Sweet grilled cheezus, the heat.

Now, after Carter is attacked he’s not in any condition to do any menaging. Does that stop these cats? No, no it does not and good for them. And me :D. Carter may be down for the count but his sweet little mouth still works for talking and describing and I appreciated the play by play muchly.

There were some editing errors, nothing that took me out of the story, but there was one point where one character was referred to with the wrong name. It wasn’t awful but it was at a pretty intense moment and I did a “wait, what?” thing and had to read it again to make sure I was following along.

If you’re looking for sweet and dirty romance with no relationship angst this is your story. There is a lot that can still happen for these three and I’m already anxious to see what comes next and how they are going to resolve the logistics of them committing permanently, not to mention all the sexy shenanigans along the way.

For More Information on Unexpected Moments, check it out on Goodreads!


**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Author Visit & Giveaway with J.A. Rock



We're thrilled to welcome the incomparable 
J.A. Rock to the blog today.
She's here to promote her latest.


Dresden Marich has failed out of high school three months shy of graduation. He’s infatuated with his online friend, Evan, alienated from his family and former classmates, and still trying to recover from his father’s death six years ago. He’s also keeping a troubling secret about his older brother, Gunner, who is away at boot camp.


Then Dresden meets Caleb, a judgmental environmentalist who’s hardly Dresden’s fantasy come true. But Caleb seems to understand Dresden’s desire for rough sex, big feelings, and, ultimately, safety. As Dresden becomes embroiled in a farmers market drama involving Caleb, a couple of bullying tomato enthusiasts, and a gang of vigilante vegans, he discovers he might be willing to trade a fantasy relationship with Evan for a shot at something real with Caleb.

But Dresden fears telling quick-to-judge Caleb his secret, and the news that Gunner is coming home sends him fleeing to California for a chance to meet Evan in person and hopefully fall in love. When the encounter doesn’t go as expected, Dresden faces a choice: stay in California and carve out a new life, or take the long road home to his family, Caleb, and a past he must face if he has any hope for a future.



TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME: Vegan Myth-busters Edition

I wasn’t terribly kind to my own people in TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME. Vegans kinda get a bad rap (because hey, I’m just gonna say it—smug vegans are a thing!), and some non-vegans seem to have trouble believing that vegan diets are motivated by anything other than a tree-hugging, meat-hating, hippie-fueled desire to make group dinners difficult. But I was a strict vegan for five years—though now I’m back to Mostly Vegan Except Ice Cream—and I can tell you vegans are just like everyone else. Except they hate eating at the Cracker Barrel.

Also, Bob Evans.

In TtLWH, the trio of vegan side characters is not intended to represent all vegans. These three are kind of…extreme. Here’s a look:


“Who are they?” I don’t really care, but I also don’t like being left out.

Caleb stops moving the carvings. “We call them the Greensleeves.”

“The Greensleeves?”

He drapes his arm over the back of my folding chair. He’s not wearing flannel today; he’s got on a long-sleeved gray T-shirt, and if he would just shift back a little more, I’d be able to see the outline of his pecs. “That’s just what we call them. They’re all vegan.”

I don’t 100 percent know what vegan means. “Are those, like, extreme vegetarians?”

“They don’t eat any animal products,” Printy says. “Butter, eggs, cheese, the whole deal. And these three are nuts.”

I look at Caleb, who nods. “They’re, like, the vegan Tea Party. Regular vegans don’t want to be seen with them.”

“They’re coming this way.” Printy holds the dowel rod like he might use it as a weapon.

The guy vegan is thick and muscular. One girl is tall with dark skin and hair, and the other one is short and pale and kind of hunched. “Hey, Caleb,” the short girl says.

“Hey.” Caleb glances at me. “Don’t know if you’ve met Dresden yet. Dres, this is Candace. And that’s Tate and Bev.”

“Hey.” Tate sticks out his hand and shakes mine.

“Dresden. That’s a cool name.” Bev has on some kind of long, knitted sweater with pom-pom balls on the hood cords.

“Thanks.”

Printy rocks his folding chair. “We were just telling Dres you’re insane.”

“Aw.” Candace laughs. “Not really, Dresden.”

“Well, we were telling him you’re vegan,” Caleb says. “So almost the same thing.”

“Truth.” Tate puts a hand on Candace’s shoulder. “But we’re not the kind of vegans you normally think of.”

“I don’t really think of any kind.” I watch the way Tate’s muscles bunch. It’s impressive, I guess, that he’s got muscles like that even though he doesn’t eat meat.

“We just get sick of everyone assuming all vegans love animals and eat organic and drive hybrid cars. I only went vegan to manage my weight. And I don’t give a shit about the environment.”

“It’s true,” Bev says. “He uses paper cups.”

“I don’t like animals,” Candace says. “But I’m passionate about the earth.”

“I love animals.” Bev shrugs. “But I hate yoga and spirituality.”

“Fuck tofu.” Candace picks up one of Caleb’s carvings and turns it over.

“We all agree on that.” Tate holds up his hand, and the three of them vegan-high-five.

“So is it, like…hard to find food to eat?” I’m trying to be friendly, but by the way they all turn to stare at me, I can tell I’ve said something stupid.

“Vegans enjoy a varied and nutritionally balanced diet.” Candace’s voice is low and falsely pleasant.

Tate leans forward. “If you ever ask us how we get our protein—”

“Or our B12,” Bev puts in.

“We can’t be responsible for what happens to you.”

“Uh, okay. Sorry.” I glance at Caleb, who rolls his eyes.

“All right, all right.” Caleb waves them away. “Leave Dresden alone. I told him regular vegans don’t want to claim you.”

Bev snorts. “Regular vegans? We don’t want to claim them. We’re, like, ultimate vegans.”
Tate turns to her. “Yet you eat honey.”

“I don’t care about bees.”




Today, in honor of the Greensleeves, I’d like to “true or false” some of the most common ideas I’ve heard expressed about vegans and veganism. Answers are based solely on my own experience, naturally.

Finding Vegan Food Is Hard. 
In most American restaurants, true. Pretty much anywhere else, no. If you cook for yourself, making vegan stuff is super easy. And the only foreign country I ever had trouble eating in was Scotland. Cloudy with a chance of haggis.

Vegans Don’t Believe in Eating Meat.
False. I believe in it. I used to do it. I’ve seen other people do it. I know it’s real. I don’t think it’s morally wrong. The only thing I want to stop is the abuse of animals while they’re alive.

Being Vegan Means You’re Always Hungry.
True. I’m sure not every vegan experiences this, but I definitely did. Vegan food tends not to hang out inside you too long, if you get my drift. I definitely had trouble staying full.

Vegan Euphoria Exists.
Yep. I heard other vegans talk about it before I was vegan. I thought they were just being smug and vegany. But it’s true. If you eat a balanced vegan diet, you may experience unparalleled bursts of energy. My theory is it’s because you go to the bathroom pretty much every fifteen minutes, so you feel super light. And then you can use your newfound energy to dart between toilets.

Vegans Don’t Get Enough Protein.
False. I’m with the Greensleeves on this one. Don’t ever ask a vegan where they get their protein. It’s in so many things. Even broccoli.

Vegans Love Yoga.
No, no, a thousand times no. I admire yoga for the joy and hard abs and centeredness it has brought millions of people. I just…kinda find it super boring. (Don’t come after me, yoga fans—I’ll give you ice cream!). I recently started muting my yoga DVD and listening to episodes of Serial while I do the routine so I can replace the relaxing music and the gentle rolling of the Hawaiian waves with stories about murder.

So, while I may have taken a few potshots at vegans in TtLWH (and hey, I didn’t—characters did), it’s still a way of life I love.

Except…

Milk-based ice cream all the way.



Buy Link (available January 20th):

Loose Id



One commenter will receive a choice of any backlist title—including co-written titles. The winner will be drawn at 11:59 p.m. on January 23rd. Thanks for participating!

Bio:

J.A. Rock has worked as a dog groomer, knife seller, haunted house zombie, standardized patient, census taker, state fair quilt hanger, and, for one less-than-magical evening, a server—and would much rather be writing about those jobs than doing them. J.A. lives in Chicago but still sees West Virginia behind Illinois’s back.



Review: The Glass Prince by Sandra Bard

Kidnapping was not Daniel's plan, but when he met a man who seemed unaffected by his magic, Daniel couldn't just let him go.

Eren has every reason to hate Daniel, and no reason at all to like him. He's not some fairytale to be kept in a glass room at the top of a tower. And he's definitely going to have to rescue himself. He has a mother and girlfriend to get back to, after all, and a life waiting for him.

But the hardest part of escaping proves to be his reluctance to leave a man who is much more than he at first seemed…

I enjoyed this book - more so as the story went on. Set in an AU where the world is similar to the world we know, yet magic and magic users exist. In fact, being susceptible to magic is the norm and this is why Eren is such a draw to Daniel - Eren is completely unaffected by magic. A rare gift (or curse, depending on your perspective - and we see both sides of that coin in this tale). 

Daniel, who has been unable to touch another human for years because of his magic can finally touch and feel the warmth and softness of another. His desire and obsession with Eren is completely understandable, however in a world where he is The Glass Prince, cold, unfeeling and isolated, he makes a supremely bad decision. Spur of the moment it may be, but as the days - heck, hours, minutes - pass, he doesn't undo what he has done. 

The relationship between Eren and Daniel held maybe a trace of Stockholm syndrome in parts, yet it still managed to develop into a believable thing.  Eren became understanding - but not a limp lettuce. He still fought for what was right (his freedom) when it was sensible to do so.  Daniel's back story, as we learnt it and by default about him, made the glass prince someone to care for. Well played Sandra Bard - I didn't feel manipulated by starting to like the 'enemy'. Manipulation of my feelings (when done with the subtlety of a sledgehammer) is a sure fire way to put me off a book!

Sandra Bard had a pleasing style of writing. It was easy to read and, though the similar-to-our-world-but-not-quite AU threw me for a heartbeat, it wasn't hard to picture the world in which Eren and Daniel live. And frankly, I liked that it was just that little bit different. I love high fantasy and great world building, epic tales, but this was just different enough to work for me. Not steam-punk, nor sci-fi....it was us with fantastical elements. I liked it.

All in all, I found this a very enjoyable and readable read. Hope you do too!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.