Review: The God Code Nephilim Prophecy (The God Code #1) by Adrienne Wilder

Genre:Fantasy & Paranormal
Indigo Black is Palet: a human cursed with the ability to see the Demonic, trained to hunt and kill them. Since the peace Covenant was implemented by the Church, Palet have not been allowed to seek out the Demonic. And the one time Indigo challenged the Covenant nearly cost him the life of his lover and guardian angel, Ariel. Indigo was forced to watch Ariel suffer. They broke his wings and cast him out of Heaven, and the burden of that guilt has cost Indigo everything.

But now the rules are changing. The Demonic have broken the Covenant by creating a creature that should not exist: a Nephilim with a human soul who can withstand being possessed by the most dangerous members of the Demonic Parliament.

With the rise in power of the Demonic, Indigo must face the darkest battles of his life: one which will decide the fate of mankind, and another which will decide the fate of his heart.

I love the world Adrienne Wilder created here - demons, palets (demon hunters for the uninitiated), nephilim, an unsteady truce between heaven and hell...it's fantastic.

Indigo is a Palet. He has the ability to see demons and the training to hunt - and kill - them. He is one of the last in a dying breed. Things are done differently these days, a covenant set up between heaven and hell - or at least, the church and demons - means that it is no okay to just go and kill demons any more, even if they are using humans in nefarious ways. In writing it all seems to be on the legitimate side, humans are the only creatures gifted with free will, the right to make choices, if the choice they make is to mix with demons...well it's their bed and they must lay on it. Except demons are sneaky bastards not at all averse to tricking human, trouble is, tricked or not, if the human made the choice with free will there can be no intervention. Basically it's the church trying to find the easy way out of a bloody horrible problem. Of course things are never that simple.

Indigo gets dragged into a fight that seems impossible to win, even with the back up of his true love, fallen guardian angel, Ariel. I loved the intricacies of this story. The whys and who's. The struggle for power that is being fought by the demons and church alike, and the struggle for love that is the centre of both Indigo and Ariel. True, it's a love Indigo is ignoring and denying for a good part of the story, but really it's the back-bone of his actions and reactions. He believes in good and he believes in love. He believes in humans and doing the right thing, even when the price is high.

A complex world and a story full of twist and turns. It definitely falls into the spectrum of three dimensional characters. Are the 'good' guys always good? Are the 'bad' guys always bad? Whose right is it to decide good and bad and right and wrong? The human soul, that =which gives us free will, so coveted by those who don't have one. If it is free will though, do other humans have the right to decide for us what we can and can't do? It's complicated, beautifully written, engaging and I really, really want to read more in this series. Adrienne Wilder is an author I've had the pleasure of reading a few times in the last year - and I'm getting more and more drawn into her writing style and the wonderful worlds she creates. A recommended read from me!

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
To find out more check out Goodreads.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Fallout by KRAKENRY!!!!!!!

When I was first saw this pairing had teamed up I had a rather embarrassing reaction... 

They delivered. Everything I wanted and then some.

And now they want to give you stuff!!!!!!

Talented AND generous?!?!?

Hi! We’re Lisa Henry and M. Caspian, the authors of FALLOUT. We’re touring the web talking about our influences, our processes, anything we can think about actually, and even giving you guys a sneak peek or two! And what would a blog tour be without a contest? Check out the details at the bottom of the post to see what you can win!

Today M. Caspian talks about volcanos and renewal:

I have one recurring nightmare. In a literal version of The Floor Is Lava, a volcano erupts under my house and I have to leap between patches of broken cement to avoid being vaporized by molten rock at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. So naturally I co-wrote a book about a volcanic eruption. And the thing is, everything about volcanoes and their effects in FALLOUT is accurate.

My subconscious is haunted by the 2,000 feet of lava in the Western Ghats mountains in India, from an eruption that lasted 30,000 years. True, there is no lava in FALLOUT. There doesn’t have to be. Your basic pyroclastic blast will send ash and pulverized rock 10,000 miles into the atmosphere at 100,000 tonnes per second. When Mount Pinatubo blew in 1991 it lowered global temperatures by a degree Fahrenheit for two years.

And a supervolcano? Well, that will basically ruin your day for the forseeable future, or 10,000 years, whichever comes last. (Today’s trivia: volcanologists don’t call them supervolcanos. Instead they’re called Massive Explosive Eruptions, or Igneous Provinces. Clearly, volcanologists are doofuses.)

But the thing is, no matter how bad the damage is from a volcano; life finds a way (wait, let me say that while drinking from my Jeff Goldblum coffee mug).

As a child, Lisa knew the lush, tropical city of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea well. In 1994 Rabaul was buried under so much volcanic ash that it’s still just a big grey blank on Google Earth. But right now there are lichens, and tiny seeds, and birds, and insects, and hardy grasses, and mosses encroaching on the volcano, and one day it will be a rich tropical jungle again . . . until the next time.

Those Western Ghats in India? They now have 7,400 types of flowers, 508 kinds of birds, and 288 species of freshwater fish. Volcanic soil is really fertile. There’s a reason why people grow crops right on the slopes of Mount Etna. Some farmers in New Zealand cut sections of pasture and flip them over to bring 5,000-year-old volcanic soils to the surface, for better pasture growth. We have volcanic carbon dioxide to thank for Earth not being a frozen snowball harboring nothing more than cyanobacteria.

Volcanos renew. They replenish. They bring hidden treasures -- minerals and metals and gems -- up from the depths. That transformation comes at a horrible cost, but from even the worst disaster, there’s always a backhanded gift; a revitalization. A chance for something new to grow.

And that’s what FALLOUT’s about. You should read it.

About FALLOUT:

High-school boyfriends Jack Haldane and Bastian Wade thought everything would be perfect once they reunited at college, putting disapproving parents and small-town attitudes firmly in the past. Now Jack’s on track for a PhD scholarship and a career as a researcher, and Bastian . . . well, living inside a broken body and trailing along in Jack’s shadow didn’t feature in his lofty teenage ambitions. A weekend camping trip back home offers a chance for them to reconnect, but an ugly confrontation with the local motorcycle gang is only the start of their problems. When disaster occurs and the world unravels, will Bastian and Jack manage to hold on to each other, or fall further apart as they try to survive? 

Thanks for following our tour! To celebrate our release, we’re giving away a $20 Amazon gift voucher for you to spend on whatever you’d like. Hey, you should buy Fallout, I hear it’s pretty good!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with a way for us to contact you, be it your email, your twitter, or a link to your Facebook or Goodreads account. Please put your email in the body of the comment, not just in email section of the comment form, because we won’t be able to see it otherwise! On April 22, 2015, we’ll draw a winner from all eligible comments! Be sure to follow the whole tour, because the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win the prize!

Review: Dear Alex by Clare London

Alex Palmer writes the “Dear Alex” Agony Uncle column for Meant for Men – a magazine aimed at gay men’s life and issues. What started as a genuine and ground-breaking feature has become a snark fest, due to Alex’s boredom and personal cynicism. His respect for the correspondents has dwindled away in direct relation to his own self-respect as a journalist. He no longer believes in his readers’ search for a soulmate, or in his own column’s headline: “Is He Really the One?”

In the early days, Robbie Cooke was Alex’s co-presenter on the magazine. They’d been lovers, too. But unlike Alex, Robbie still sees the anguish and need behind the letters they receive. He wants to help the writers, rather than turn their situations into journalistic entertainment. He and Alex may still have to work together, but their fundamental disagreement on how to run the column tore them apart as romantic partners.

Excess drinking and a succession of casual lovers is wearing Alex out, yet he’s in denial. He’s convinced he doesn’t need “Dear Alex” to set him straight about what’s wrong with his life. But when he’s alerted to the fact that Robbie may be in danger, he realises that what he’s really missing is his ex-lover’s care, compassion and love. The problem is, by the time Alex is desperate to make amends, Robbie may have already moved on.

This was originally published in the Dreamspinner Press anthology "Make Me a Match".

Ohhh, I do so love a bitter bad boy who gets a second chance and grabs it with both hands.

Alex and Robbie have worked together at Meant for Men for years and co-wrote the Dear Alex column with advice for the lovelorn. It started with the best of intentions, but as time went on Alex became more jaded and the tone of the column went from being a sympathetic ear to mocking ridicule, all in the name of entertainment.

 Robbie was less than thrilled with the evolution and their relationship suffered along with the integrity of Dear Alex. At one point Alex and Robbie were more than friends, but less than boyfriends. From what the story infers Robbie would have been very happy with something more, but that was at the same time Alex was on the road to Bitter City. The stars were just not in alignment for these two.

Thankfully they had a foulmouthed fairy Godmother type looking out for them in the form of their boss and a night of working on the column leads to some eye opening realities for Alex and I was just glad he paid attention. It’s a short story so waffling on his part wouldn’t have worked for me. One thing about second chances, there has to be enough time for organic resolution. I hate when a character is all douchey for the majority of the story and in the last 5% “sees what he’s been missing all along”. That doesn’t give me enough time to reconcile the two pieces to that character. But, this one worked and I believed in what he was feeling towards Robbie.

The only thing I would have liked was more of Robbie. I liked his character and we really only know him through Alex’s eyes. Not that he wasn’t a fully fleshed out character, because he was. I just wanted both sides to their story. Alex was good at seeing Robbie though, when he pulled his head out of his ass, and I liked the man that was introduced. So, that’s me wanting more of Robbie.

Overall a quick sweet read I would recommend for fans of second chances that are light on the angst.

For more info on Dear Alex check it out over on Goodreads!

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

Review: Jock Auction by Alex Pendragon

Sexy high-school footballer Kyle has two big blind-spots: first, he assumes he’s straight, and second, he doesn’t know quite how much his shy, geeky classmate Craig lusts after him. When the two are thrown together after a charity slave auction, however, how incredible the sex is turns out to be hard to miss. Problem is, Kyle’s awakened sexuality is on a collision course with his hot teammates, and not everyone in his conservative Midwestern town is quite so open-minded.

When Kyle unexpectedly gets up close and personal with another closeted jock, and realizes in the process that there’s more than just teenage hormones between himself and Craig, he’s faced with a choice: walk away, or fight for what until now he didn’t know he wanted. Meanwhile, Craig is learning that there’s more to his appetite for athletic guys than playing the meek submissive, and Kyle’s mea-culpa arrives right on time for him to explore some of the kinks he never knew he had.

Hard bodies meet even harder truths as two very different guys discover that, while you can buy someone’s time, you still have to win their heart.

Longest one-handed read ever!

Seriously. This has got to be some sort of record! I've read my fair share of porn and erotica that borders on porn and I've come up with a set of guidelines, if you will, that I affectionately refer to as the Porn Club rules. 

First rule of Porn Club:  It needs to be hot. The hotter the better. Think bushel of habañeros and work down from there.
Second rule of Porn Club:  Brevity is the order of the day.
Third rule of Porn Club:  Go long only if you've got a semblance of a story OR awesome characters.
Fourth rule of Porn Club:  Go for OTT & imitate The Tingle. Not really a rule per se, just sound advice.

Only the first rule of Porn Club was followed here. The sex is stupid hot and varied. These two knuckleheads plow the hell out of each other every which way to Sunday. They get a little kinky. They have a penchant for that we might get caught and that makes it hotter sex even at school in the Nurse's office. In case you're wondering, they do get caught a couple of times and take it in stride. What they lack is connection, intimacy.

Unfortunately, there's only so much cock talk I can take and 260+ pgs of cock talk was overkill. I've never been so bored with two horny teens. Both Kyle and Craig are about as interesting as paste which lessened my interest further. I can forgive them the instalove. I remember being 18 and one date meant you were in love. I get it. What I can't forgive is this snoozefest of a story. 

Jock Auction is a slice of life tale that goes on and on and on. Besides the sex nothing happens. It's all told through Kyle, the jock. Kyle is "straight" until he gets bought by Craig at a charity auction. The events that ensue and bring these two numbnuts together are too asinine to even go into. Suffice to say, he's not that straight afterwards and proceeds to dive head first into the mosh pit of Cockapalooza . This stretched the limits of my reality suspension, something that's not my strong suit even under ideal circumstances. He's checking out teammates in the showers, gets handsy with one of them even, gets fucked by him and his monster cock which makes him realize his feelz for Craig. An epiphany inducing monster cock! What a novelty! Despite their "devotion" he's still cockadoodle. Always checking out other dudes' cocks, has a permaboner that's oozy often, most frequently on the carpet. Ewww. Seriously, dude. No one wants that in their carpet. I get that he's a horny teen but would it be too much for them to have a honeymoon period where they only have eyes for one another?

Neither of these MCs are fleshed out. I don't know a thing about either of them aside from the obvious. They say the love each other. I don't see it. Kyle thinks in $10 words yet his action are more akin to Bill or Ted with virtually every sentence containing the word "dude". They never have "the talk" and bareback, and in Kyle's case, with more than one person which is beyond stupid in contemporary society. In a nutshell, I never invested in them as a couple. If these two make it to summer break it'll surprise the hell out of me.

So, the sex was a hot, if tedious, 4 hearts with a 1 heart story and a heart deduction for violating the Porn Club rules.

Recommend to fans of straight to gay, jock/geek fantasy wish fulfillment stories with the proviso that you skim all the talking bits.

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Excerpt: The Glass House by Suki Fleet.

The Glass House: Blurb
At seventeen, Sasha is a little lost and a lot lonely. He craves friendship and love, but although he’s outwardly confident, his self-destructive tendencies cause problems, and he pushes people away. Making sculptures out of the broken glass he collects is the only thing that brings him any peace, but it's not enough, and every day he feels himself dying a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas.

Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha can't understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that he is worthy of love and doesn't give up even when Sasha hurts him. Little by little Sasha begins to trust Thomas. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past, he realizes accepting the love Thomas gives him is the only way to push back the darkness.

Suki Fleet has dropped by with an excerpt from her latest novel, The Glass House. Out tomorrow - I totally lied, this fantastic book is out TODAY -, any way, as I was saying,  I highly recommend this book, I truly loved everything about it and believe it is well worth a read. It is the kind of book that lingers with you long after the last word has been read.  Check out the excerpt below...and the buy links!

The Glass House: Excerpt
I stroked my hand across the dip in his mattress. It was a small crater, a valley for a body to lie in. It was my connection to him when we spoke on the phone.
Thomas watched, his expression curious.

“My mattress dips like this in the middle,” I murmured. “Sometimes I think of you lying here.”

“I think of you when I’m lying there,” he admitted softly with a rueful smile.

I didn’t know what to say. We kept looking at one another, but neither one of us could hold the eye contact for more than a few seconds. It felt as though we were standing on a tightrope, the both of us trying to stay upright, to achieve the delicate balance required.

“Have you ever… been with anyone…? I don’t mean—” Thomas tripped awkwardly over the words and closed his eyes.

I knew what he didn’t mean.

“No… for a long time I thought I might’ve become asexual or something, but now I’m pretty sure I’m not….” Mostly because I want you so fucking badly, I tried to imply as our eyes locked for a second. It’s possible I just never really felt close enough, safe enough, with anyone before now. Liking people from afar was so much easier. My foot juddered up and down of its own accord. I wondered if Thomas found it annoying.

“It’s understandable, though,” Thomas replied quietly. “Do you… masturbate much?” He blushed hard as he spoke, but I liked that he said it anyway even if it made him uncomfortable. I guess he just wanted to know if I was still interested in sex after what had happened.
“No. Sometimes I do, but….” Now it was my turn to feel embarrassed. “I find it hard to come.”

Weirdly I felt myself smiling just at the exquisite awkwardness of our conversation. We were barely looking at one another at all now. When I lifted my head, I saw Thomas was smiling a little too as he looked at his hands.

“What turns you on?” he whispered, as if he were asking me for a thousand precious secrets. And perhaps he was.

“I don’t know… when I jerk off sometimes I look at….” I didn’t know how to describe it.

“Porn?”

I shook my head. “Pictures. They’ve got to be sort of artful and, I don’t know, posed in a certain way—like their expressions have to be sort of faraway… like they could be statues or something.” I was sure Thomas would find it weird.

“Nonthreatening.”

“What?”

“Because of… of what happened, maybe you need them to look nonsexual or something.”

I stared at him. He blinked his large brown eyes and sucked on his full bottom lip as he looked back at me a little apprehensively.
It was a pretty accurate approximation.

“Sometimes I have this fantasy… but I can tell you’re just going to psychology the hell out of it too.” I grinned wryly at him to show him I was teasing. I wasn’t upset. In fact it felt kind of freeing to talk about this stuff all of a sudden. I’d never imagined I would ever tell anyone any of it. And here we were, trusting one another to talk about our desires.

“I won’t. I promise.”

God, he looked so earnest and sincere. It hit me then how much Thomas wanted me. It was like being whacked in the stomach with a thick plank of wood. He wanted me and I wanted him. The atmosphere was no longer swimming with our cautious uncertainty. At some point we had both realized the other was all
the way onboard here. And I didn’t have a fucking clue what to do about it.

“It’s a kind of obvious fantasy…,” I began. I felt a little light-headed.

Thomas waited, watching me closely, his eyes half-hooded and his pupils dilated, eyelashes touching his cheeks as he blinked.

“I’m always fully clothed, and the other person is…. They will…. I say what I want them to do, and they do it.”

“You’re in control.”

“Yeah, completely…, I mean, it’s just a fantasy. I know it’s not normal or anything….” I trailed off.

“We could… try it…,” Thomas said tentatively in a whispery voice.

“What?”

“We could…. I mean, if you want to tell me what you like, I would…. I don’t mind… as long as it didn’t go too far or anything…. I think I’ve heard that people use safe words and stuff so the other person knows when to stop.”

My eyes grew wide.

“I don’t want to tie you up or anything. All that usually happens is they get naked, and I wank them off….” My voice faded.

“I’m good with that.” He smiled hesitantly.

Fuck, I thought weakly.

The Glass House: Buy Links 

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

ARe

DreamspinnerPress

Review: The Glass House by Suki Fleet

At seventeen, Sasha is a little lost and a lot lonely. He craves friendship and love, but although he’s outwardly confident, his self-destructive tendencies cause problems, and he pushes people away. Making sculptures out of the broken glass he collects is the only thing that brings him any peace, but it's not enough and everyday he feels himself dying a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas.

Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha can't understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that he is worthy of love, and doesn't give up even when Sasha hurts him. Little by little Sasha begins to trust Thomas. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past he realises accepting the love Thomas gives him is the only way to push back the darkness.

This book is basically Suki Fleet doing what Suki Fleet does best. That is taking broken characters and helping them mend. Making us, the readers, love them enough that they heal. I swear I am the WORST unicorn friend sometimes, because I barely give the others a look-in when a Suki Fleet novel comes in for review. The Glass House is another example of this author at her finest. So, sorry uni's, I think I gave you like five seconds to claim this one for review but...as Ann says, better ask forgiveness than permission and so please forgive me (I feel no guilt so guilty at claiming this fab read).

By the end of the first sentence I knew I was going to love Sasha hard. The wall he has surrounding himself is so thick and cold, like the glass he sculpts with, it's pretty much impenetrable. Sasha is the kind of person you know has so much depth if you can just get under his layers and I love how Suki manages to do this. It's not easy insta-reveal, but a slow, natural uncovering of this hurting being. 

We can tell his past is complex and hard and this has helped form the attitude he faces the world with. It would be so easy to make a character like Sasha a stereotype, but Suki Fleet manages not to do that. She makes him real. Every aspect of him...this is a trait she manages for all her characters. Whether I as a reader like them or not, they are all very real.

Again Thomas is a wonderful MC. He has warmth and light, and I love that he fought his natural shyness to get to know Sasha. I love that he wanted to see more than the superficial outer layer of Sasha, but instead needed to see through to the real him. As their friendship developed and slowly became more I relished how protective they became of each other. For neither of them was this an easy relationship - as friends or lovers - but they were invested in it and I loved that.

In his own way Thomas experienced loss of love as much as Sasha. The shiny, homely house and warm loving nan couldn't quite hide the fact that he was alone too in many ways. We look at Sasha and his circumstances and judge him as poor Sasha, look at the crap hand he's been dealt - and it really is. Thomas on the other hand, you see the good and not the pain of loneliness and parental absence. It feels like neglect to me, just in a different guise to usual.

I always like the setting of Suki's books and this was no exception. I find the cold, damp flat Sasha and his sister occupy so easy to imagine. The cold concrete and ugly seventies exterior. Soulless. Desolate. It fit so perfectly the character of Sasha and I could virtually smell the dampness and see the mould. This applied to to the warm little estate house Thomas and his nan occupy. Cosy, homely and full of love. In both cases the setting matched the character beautifully.

Talking of Thomas' nan - I ADORED her. With her paper-cutting and love. It's more than I can say for the parents' of the piece. Thomas', their important jobs (and they were important but still, they chose to have a child) and Sasha's sorry-excuse for a mother. I had no pity for her. Some people generate their own bad luck, and the healthy dose of self pity with every sentence she uttered made me hate her all the more.

It all fitted together so well - the characters, the setting, the storyline. Suki Fleet writes books with heart, with characters to love and to root for. The kind of book that stays with you long after you've read the last page. Recommended to everyone.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

To find out more, check out Goodreads.

Review: Underneath His Armor (Outlaw MC #2) by James COX

What if bad guys ruled the world and the good guys were the outlaws? As President of the Outlaw MC of Mars, Knox needs to keep his head clear and always stay on alert. That’s easier said than done. In the middle of this war with the government, another MC wants to start making some big moves. Knox knows they need to watch their back but he always wants to protect his club brothers. The laws are too chaotic not to bend and try to break. Women are for breeding. Dark skinned men are slaves. Homosexuals are executed. He had a problem with all of them. Especially the last part, because Knox was in love with his Vice President.

Knox and Liam grew up watching each other’s back. That didn’t change when they were both sent to prison or when they turned helplessness into a thriving motorcycle club. But Knox is determined to keep Liam at a distance to keep the MC objective safe. Then Liam is injured and Knox is faced with a terrible truth. What if Liam dies before Knox can say just how much he loves the sexy VP?

Explosions, hover bikes, corruption and hot sex. Mars is supposed to be humanities savoir but will it keep two men from finding happiness in each other arms?

I can tell this is going to be one of those series where, every time I finish a book I’ll be all,

“Those two dudes are my favorite”

and then the next one will be,

“Ok, now THOSE two are my favorite. Don’t tell the others!”

I was hooked after meeting Chaos and Beau in Chaos Unchained, but then I got to meet Knox (Outlaw) and Liam (Lover) in Underneath his Armor. These two had it all going on. They’d been best friends forever, they are both full members of the Outlaw MC, and they are both totally badass. They’ve also been in love and denying it for way too long.

It makes sense since they have their priorities, they need to take down Wexman and right the wrongs on Mars. But, by focusing all their energies on their altruistic goals, they are missing the amazing thing that is right in front of them. Well, Outlaw mostly. He’s the leader so he holds himself to a higher standard and doesn’t think he can afford the distraction that is Lover. It’s SO obvious he’s in more than just lust though and it was both sweet and frustrating reading his inner dialog.

There were some seriously hot moments that didn’t even have much to do with either MC, but man did it ratchet up the UST. The scene in the clubhouse bar? Yeah, that’s the one. Highly recommended. It was some sweet torture for them both and a hell of a lot of fun.

There was an exciting mission that gave even more insight into the world they’re living in. It was dangerous and heroic. It also put some things into perspective for Outlaw. He could have lost the one thing that meant more to him than anything and he finally realized that the torture he was putting himself through was even more distracting than just letting himself go after what he wanted and a chance of happiness in an environment of misery.

My favorite thing about these two was, underneath all that badassery, they were really sweet and romantic together. Not in a hearts and flowers way, but in a way that has more meaning. They had those little moments that I love. Like calling each other by their given names when they finally get down to really talking (among other things) and their reactions to each other were honest and damn hot.

Like all COX books, there are amazing sentences, one of my favorites in Underneath His Armor was:

“Harley could charm the foreskin off a dick.”

Hehehehehe.

Speaking of Harley, I hope we get more of him at some point. I like him muchly. Purrrrrrr.

For more info on Underneath His Armor (Outlaw MC #2) go check it out on Goodreads!

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

Review: Just This Once by A.J. Ridges

When the geeky kid Nick used to bully returns home as a successful and incredibly sexy man, Nick’s hidden desires flair to life. 

Nick is all grown up, but he still can’t admit his feelings for Seth. After one shared night of pleasure, Nick walks away confused and insecure. However, when another man is suddenly interested in Seth, Nick has a decision to make — face his fears and fight for what he wants, or risk losing Seth forever...


This is a complete, short, smutty romance containing explicit m/m sexual situations, content and language, intended for adult readers.

This is another sexy little story by A.J. Ridges. (I previously reviewed Just A Game here.). This one is a friends-to-lovers story and it starts out with a bang. Literally! As the blurb states, Seth and Nick "shared a night of pleasure". However, instead of that being the start of a new and fulfilling relationship, it left them both alone and confused.

Honestly, the premise behind Nick and Seth having sex the first time is a bit absurd if you try to rationalize it but I just rolled with it. I chose to read this story as erotica, not to be taken too seriously. Now don't dismiss this just because it's erotica. This story does have an underlying romance so it’s more than just porn. It's the story of Nick and Seth overcoming their past so they can have a future. I’d call it a “fantasy erotic romance”. 

"Just This Once" is a fun and entertaining read. A.J. delivers steamy sex and a short, romantic story all in one neat little package. Get you copy for less than a buck at Amazon or Smashwords.

A copy was provided by the Author for an honest review. This is an erotic short story and I rated it accordingly.

Find more info Goodreads

Review: Labyrinth of Stone by T.A. Moore

Ten years ago the Black Rapture transported thousands of people, seemingly at random, from Earth to the strange, inimical world they call the Labyrinth. Will Teller was one of them. Surviving that meant joining an army and becoming better at killing than he's comfortable with. It's enough upheaval for anyone's life. The only problem is, apparently no one told his commanding officer that.

Pride, and heart, stung by abandonment, the icily controlled General Nathan Kearney has decided that Teller can either find the wayward lover, or he can take his place in Nathan's bed. That's pretty good motivation for a straight guy, only thing is - Teller's sexuality seems to have gone a bit Magic-8 Ball on that issue. Suddenly Nathan's starting to look pretty good, and the only question is whether or not Teller wants to be the consolation prize? 

I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming this is going to be a series, or there will be at least a sequel. Because, holy cliffhanger!

Labyrinth of Stone was fast paced, with lots of action and tons of smark.

Ten years ago, these people were mysteriously and randomly transported to a place they call the Labyrinth. They don't know where they are, or why or how they got there. Teller is part of the army that protects the Keep. Kearney and his ex, Colt, started this army to protect the Keep from the threats of the mysterious place they live in. The world they live in is brutal, and everyone is just trying to survive with what they have, which isn't much.

When the story starts, Colt has left.  Kearney isn't quite sure how to deal with his lover up and leaving him. In his version of coping, he has sex with anyone who resembles his ex-lover. But he starts to notice that Teller is hot. He really starts to notice. Teller's not sure how to react to this. Well, his dick knows how to react, just not the rest of him.

I really liked Teller. He was snarky and fun. Even though he's straight, he didn't rule out being with Kearney, instead he kind of went for it.

I'm not sure how I feel about Kearney... he's not at all nice. He was rude, too possessive and not very likeable. He's totally messed up about his ex. He is obviously not over him, but is still way into Teller and not only in a one night stand kind of way.

They had some tension and, being both alpha males, there was fighting along the way. I don't know... I'm not too keen on MC's hitting each other. It really bothers me. I mean, they're on the same side, working together, right? Just because someone is bothering you doesn't mean you get to hit them, no matter who you are, male or female. It's something that I see in M/M romance that I just can't get behind.

Just like any start to a series, there's a lot of world building to muck through. I admit to being confused, but I also think there were quite a few holes. What was with the moss people? And the blood? The reach? I'm not entirely sure. It didn't help that I wasn't invested enough to go back and reread. I was at the point where I just wanted to finish and didn't want to put any more time into trying to figure it all out.

But, there's bound to be some fun love-triangle drama coming! If there's anything I'll read book 2 for, it's the return of Colt and how Teller is going to react. It should be great fun!

I think as the series continues (again, assuming this will be a series), and the world building becomes clearer, it will be an exciting ride.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

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