Tag Team Review: Max by Bey Deckard

Novella (49,000 words)
Genre(s): transgressive, psychopath, dark erotica, QUILTBAG

Fresh out of school, Dr. Crane takes on a new patient who both intrigues and unnerves him. Charming, manipulative, and amoral, Max has exactly the sort of mind Crane finds himself drawn to with fictional characters.

As Max weaves himself into Crane's life, Crane realizes that while fiction might be safe, Max certainly is not.

When the professional line between them thins, who gets to define where one man ends and the other begins?






Sara - 4.5 Hearts


I’ve said it more than once, I’ll read anything as long as it’s written well even if it’s dark, depraved and full of the folks being debased and this book, it’s written brilliantly.

You liked it. I swear. I didn’t push you into anything. You wanted it.

This book is loaded with psycho sexuality, with moral ambiguity, with pure WTAF-ness and I couldn’t get enough. We begin the story with fresh faced and new to the practice, Dr. Dennis Crane with one Max. Crane wants to be the type of professional to be – professional – and yet when Max flirts with the chance to get an upfront and personal look into the workings of his mind, it’s an offer Crane can’t refuse.

I love that Dr. Crane has doubts but he also has the kind of curiosity that could very well kill the cat. That we know what movie and what character gave him the push to be a shrink of the minds and get inside people’s heads. When Max starts to twist things, to make Max want things he’s never wanted before, even I started to wonder…

… the mysteries of the human mind are both multitudinous and rather fascinating,n’est-ce pas, mon cher?

Max is the type of character that always intrigues me. It’s a sick curiosity of the mentally twisted, the master manipulators and how they do it. I mean, to a point a good number of sexual predators and serial killers and a charming skill that lures their victims in and makes them vulnerable. Here, we have Max who uses his own knowledge of psychology, though a bit depraved and turns the tables on the Doc so much that you wonder who really is analyzing whom?

Though certain lines reminded me of movies and/or songs, the lyrics added to the unease of the unknown. At one point, I started to wonder if I was actually enjoying the story or if this was my reader’s version of dub-con. My own hearts filthy lesson at wanting to take a trip to the dark side. The twists in the story are amazing. Just when I thought I knew what was up, I would turn the page. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was the true reality, Crane would snap out of that one into another or he would get a text from someone I should not have forgotten about because, fuck! OMG!

It was madness, but it was a beautiful fucking madness indeed.

There is a soundtrack to go along with the story that, as a professed music nerd, makes it even better. I mean, anyone who can make a playlist with Marc Almond singing about making scenes, being a team and making headlines sound like a dream, is a-fucking-okay in my book but music and books have always been the heart of my life so I love the soundtrack. Listening to it gave the story a cinematic quality reminiscent of some deep and disturbing films that I happen to find, interesting. I have to add a few lines from a song that wasn’t on it though because for me it was on repeat when I would think of how lost or maybe just how found Crane was becoming all because of Max. It’s a bit less, transcending than that on the soundtrack but, for me it’s that deep part of Crane that can’t figure out which side of the looking glass he is on.
Heaven help me for the way I am
Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand
But I keep living this day like the next will never come
-“Criminal” by Fiona Apple

Max is a twisted mind fuck of story that will have you guessing and more than likely getting it wrong each and every time. Toward the end I was lost and confused and really stuck with needing to know the truth just like David Mills needed to know what was in that box delivered to the middle of the desert. I needed to know and what I got… man, that end. I almost wish it went darker… yeah, I just said that but at least there is some sort of breathing room now that it’s over and maybe I can leave the dark side and go home too. No? Kay? I have friends on this side anyway and they have snacks.



SheReadsALot - 4.5 Hearts

There was no climbing back out of the rabbit hole; he was fucked and fucked good, but at least the company was interesting.
Down the rabbit hole indeed...



What a twisted, psychological thrilling roller coaster of a ride Max turned out to be.

I'd rather warn potential readers there are triggers in here: rape, dubious consent, unethical practices, cheating, some violence. (A checklist of sorts that guaranteed me reading) And I don't consider this a trigger by any means, but there are readers who don't like vaginas in their fiction *gasp*...whelp, there are few in here (put to good use might I add. I mean it is a Bey Deckard title *grin*) Is Max dark? I don't think so. On a scale from 1-5, maybe 1 or 1.5? It's more a head game...a devious fucking head game.

Lying.

There's oodles and oodles of lies. And I've read this 1.5 times, and I'm trying to figure out where all the truths were.

Set in Montréal, Dr. Dennis Crane is a newly minted psychologist, married and seems to have a normal life. Enter his patient, young Max, who he can tell has a madness in his eyes, that Max is hiding something. But Dr. Crane is drawn to the younger man. Maybe he can diagnose him, fix Max. He doesn't even realize he's been ensnared in the spider's web and Max is running the show.
"Are you afraid of me, Dennis? You shouldn't be. I'm trying my very best to make you understand that I like you. And I'm offering you the very thing you desire the most: me. You know I'm a fine specimen of amorality. I'm giving you the opportunity to look behind the curtain. No holding back."
I believe I've made it known I enjoy reading the cray crays, especially when they're well written. Psychopaths, sociopaths, amoral puppet masters that treat others they encounter as their toys...I enjoy reading them.

This is Max.

He's a level 7 on my scale, 100%.  And I was plugged in for his show. Really enjoyed that twisted fucker.

Reading Dr. Crane lose more of himself to the miasma of the depravity that reeks from Max, and you read it as Crane knows and still can't help himself. *claps hands wildly* That was everything. The story is told in a journal style, from Dr. Crane's POV. Max and Dr. Crane's interactions starts with sessions, and steadily moves from the doctor's practice, taking over Crane's life. A mild mannered man who develops kinks he didn't even know existed. The sex was scorching hot, while the lines between doctor and patient blurred, melded and made new definitions.
"I've opened you up to a whole new range of experiences. Once you get acclimatized, you'll see it the way I do."
I had minor quibbles.  I wanted to know more. What exactly happened during the missing days? There are hints, subtle hints dotted in between the lies. It's a little frustrating not knowing. Maybe there'll be a B-side to Max? Maybe not. Who knows if the world's ready to know what's going on inside that "lizard brain" of Max's. *wink*

The ending is...I'm still a little wide eyed after that ending. I don't know what else to define it other than a little sad, yet fitting.

Recommended for readers who like amoral liars, characters who don't care to define their sexuality and twisted psychological erotica.

Watch your step.


That rabbit hole, man...it's a helluva ride.


Find on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Review: My Boyfriend's Back by Elliot Cooper

After losing both of his parents, Academy of Magecraft student Steven Durant doesn't want to see anyone else lose a loved one before their time. Traditional resurrection methods, however, only create mindless, flesh-hungry zombies; they're no cure for death. He's certain his unique brand of necromancy—using alchemy and blood magic—is the only answer.

When his boyfriend, Dax Everhart, has a fatal accident, Steven sees no choice but to use his experimental Lazarus Elixir. Dax comes back wrong, but the more humans he consumes, the more human he becomes.

With the help of his best friends, his ghostly aunt, and her living doll homunculus, Steven fights to regain normalcy and repair his shattered relationship with Dax. But with Dax openly embracing his monstrous nature, Steven shoulders the guilt of assisting in a murder spree that could lead the mundane and magical police right to their door.



Huh. Well... okay. That was certainly not what I was expecting.  

Confession: I didn't really read the blurb before I snatched this one up. I saw the cover, liked it, and said, "YES, PLEASE." 

Luckily for me, I ended up really loving this... weird, gory, zombie, love story. 

Steven and Dax are both students at Academy of Magecraft. Steven specializes in alchemy and is determined to find a way to bring people back from the dead. But without creating zombies, of course. When Dax takes a fatal fall, Steven hastily uses his experiments to bring him back. 

It worked. Kind of. 

He wasn't a mindless zombie... but still a zombie with a hunger for human flesh. This sends Steven into a tailspin trying to find a way to "fix" Dax. The idea of sentient zombies... not something I've read about before and the idea was more than intriguing. And disgusting. Dax wasn't completely himself after being brought back, but he was aware enough to know what he was doing to survive and to be okay with it. He was heartless and did what he had to do to "live". It was almost humorous. I say almost because I felt weird laughing at his cannibalism. But I did.

At the same time, he was kind of cute. Like I said, he wasn't totally himself and had some things missing. He wasn't sure about his feelings for Steven and he was adorably shy around his long-time boyfriend. Between finding snacks and eating his "leftovers", I pretty much loved Dax. 

I loved Steven, too. He was a frantic mess for most of the story, understandably so, but he didn't give up on helping Dax. Even if he also found himself in a less than desirable position along the way.

I'm not sure I would call this a story with an HEA. But it was more than a HFN... ? I guess, it was the best that could have possibly come out of Steven and Dax's situation. I really liked the ending. If everything ended too perfectly, I don't think it would have done Dax and Steven's story justice. They did the best they could with the situation they created, and their ending felt they way, too. 

If you like zombies and some humor mixed in with your gore, then pick this one up for some Halloween fun. It was a little creepy (did I mention a talking doll? O__O), slightly disturbing, funny, with a sweet couple doing everything they could to stay together.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads.  

Check out the blog tour for this title here!



Excerpt
Elliot Cooper © 2016
All Rights Reserved.

Catrina skipped through the garden, her bangs fluttering below the neat braid pinned across the top of her head. Her hair was darker than the rest of her unearthly blue-green form, the yard partially visible through her translucent skin and clothes. She flopped down on the ground in a way that made her appear to have mass and then poked at the fetid opossum corpse until she managed to flip it to its belly.
“Told you so,” she said matter-of-factly. “You didn’t use enough.”
Steven ignored her and kept digging. She didn’t have any idea what she was talking about. Catrina had admitted to him multiple times that she’d never dabbled in necromancy in life; she’d been too young to get much further than simple charms and potions. Back in her day, they hadn’t even had the local campus of the Academy of Magecraft, which meant she’d been homeschooled by his great-great-grandmother.
“Did you run it over yourself?”
Steven huffed in annoyance and jammed his shovel into the earth. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one gloved hand and glared at the little ghost.
“No. I found it. I’m a necromancer, not a murderer.” He looked down into the hole he’d made, judged it to be deep enough for the poor animal, and then gently lowered the opossum body into the ground.
The potion hadn’t been potent enough, which wasn’t entirely his fault. Several of the ingredients were out of season and expensive. His little herb garden was already done for the year with the cooler fall weather turning the trees in his yard gold and umber. Steven didn’t like to waste any of his potion supplies and didn’t think it was a fault to be conservative with his elixirs.
Only maybe he’d been overly cautious. Maybe he needed to take a cue from his boyfriend, Dax, and get overzealous with his potion making and application rituals.
Steven’s mouth screwed into a sour frown at the thought as he shoveled the pile of dirt back into the hole.
“Is it really smelly?” Catrina peered up at Steven from her seat on the grass. She plucked at the hem of her dress and pulled it down over her knees.
“It’s not too bad.” Steven shrugged one shoulder as he tamped down the loose dirt with the flat side of the shovel. “I can’t even smell it now.”
“So that’s your ‘I just thought of something that offends my Stevie senses’ face.” Catrina pursed her lips at him and then skipped off toward the house.
“Don’t call me that!” Steven called after her. Catrina was the only one who called him that, and she’d done so since he was little enough to want to play games with her. But he’d outgrown the nickname a long time ago. It was a child’s name, not the name of a future world-renowned mage.
He heard Dax’s car pull into the driveway as he put the shovel and gloves back in the shed with the rest of his gardening equipment. At least Dax wouldn’t get all holier than thou about his failed attempt to raise roadkill from the dead. Again.
“Hey, babe!” Dax called to Steven as he walked around to the front of the house. “You wanna help me with these groceries? I got you a little something special.” He waggled his dark brows and grinned but then noticed his jovial expression wasn’t catching. “Everything all right?”
“Opossum number three was not, in fact, the charm,” Steven said with a shake of his head. He let out a sigh and sidestepped Dax to reach into the car for the bags.

Blog Tour + Giveaway: My Boyfriend's Back by Elliot Cooper


Welcome Elliot Cooper's return to the clubhouse! He's sharing a bit about horror and romance. also, sharing an excerpt from his romance betwixt a necromancer and a zombie in "My Boyfriend's Back". (We reviewed the title here!) Want more? There's a discount code for preorders. Still not satisfied? Okay there is a GIVEAWAY too! Take it away Elliot!



Horrifically Romantic
by Elliot Cooper

Growing up, I had a love of (often quite campy) horror films like The Fly, Ticks, Hellraiser, Scream, Idle Hands, and Cat's Eye. One thing I usually found missing, though, was a romantic happy ending. This wasn't as true in the YA fiction I read in middle school--I glutted myself on Christopher Pike, RL Stine, LJ Smith, and Richie Tankersley Cusick. Those books were more likely to have a happy ending of sorts, despite the horrific events between their covers.

One movie in particular, Scream, had an ending that irritated the crap out of me. It was a novel ending for its time--the teen heroine saved the day instead of dying a horrific death--but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. There'd been a strong romantic thread through the film between Sid and Billy and to have it severed just because he was a homicidal psycho...?

Wouldn't it have been a lot more twisted and interesting if Sid, so completely traumatized by her boyfriend and his best friend being serial killers, flipped because of her love for Billy? What if she took out the friend (who was the real piece of trash) to show Billy just how much she loved him and wanted to be part of his (sick) world? Then they could go off on a horror-themed Bonnie and Clyde misadventure, covered in the blood of their victims.

Okay, so maybe I watched too much Batman the Animated Series's Harley Quinn and Joker as a kid.
Looking back at my fantasy fan-ending as an adult, it's easy to see how problematic and groan worthy it is. It'd make a decent horror flick (if the murderous love birds got their just desserts), but it wouldn't be a real romance. Or, not a healthy one in the least.

I'm still in love with the concept of a horror romance genre mash up, which My Boyfriend's Back slides into. Some may find it fits better in paranormal territory, but it definitely has its roots (as I do!) in romanticized horror.

While My Boyfriend's Back was initially inspired by the old song title and the concept of a necromancer and a zombie being in love, I had to figure out an important issue: how do I write a murderer--a cannibal, no less--who deserves a happy ending?

There's a bit of a precedent in pop culture, lucky for me. Hannibal Lecter springs to mind as the quintessential fan favorite homicidal cannibal. Then there are the various zombie themed romances with zombie protagonists that have sprung up here and there--though they're not as prominent as the staple humans surviving the zombie apocalypse tales. Warm Bodies is probably the most well known of these.

But R in Warm Bodies and Hannibal have been given very different approaches by their writers to make them sympathetic. Hannibal is a genius oozing with creepy charisma. He has character depth in spades, but at the end of the day he's a monster in human skin. R, on the other hand, is a victim of his affliction. He's not a cannibal by choice, but by circumstance. As a complete counter to Hannibal, R is a human in monster skin.

Those characters represent two ways to go about creating a monster readers will root for, but they're not the only route. There's always the anti-hero: the master of that gray area between good and evil. With Dax, I chose to go the middle road, combining elements of both extremes to create a character who straddles the line between human and monster. At first, he's more like R--he's a slave to his zombie nature. But as he regains his humanity, his sentience, over the course of the story, he changes even while those baser instincts don't.

As a writer, one of my goals is to write the stories that I want to see in the world. For My Boyfriend's Back, that meant taking my favorite romantic horror tropes and twisting them together in a way that would allow for a positive ending for the main characters. A happy, loving ending. Even if a necromancer and a zombie might not be the typical heroes in any story, I hope readers will root for these two in theirs.




After losing both of his parents, Academy of Magecraft student Steven Durant doesn't want to see anyone else lose a loved one before their time. Traditional resurrection methods, however, only create mindless, flesh-hungry zombies; they're no cure for death. He's certain his unique brand of necromancy—using alchemy and blood magic—is the only answer.
When his boyfriend, Dax Everhart, has a fatal accident, Steven sees no choice but to use his experimental Lazarus Elixir. Dax comes back wrong, but the more humans he consumes, the more human he becomes.
With the help of his best friends, his ghostly aunt, and her living doll homunculus, Steven fights to regain normalcy and repair his shattered relationship with Dax. But with Dax openly embracing his monstrous nature, Steven shoulders the guilt of assisting in a murder spree that could lead the mundane and magical police right to their door.





Title:
My Boyfriend’s Back
Author: Elliot Cooper
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: October 10, 2016
Category: Romance
Genre: Paranormal
Sex Content: Explicit
Pairing: MM
Orientation: Gay
Identity: Cisgender
Length: Novel
Words: 61600
Pages: 125
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Purchase Links:
NineStar Press: http://ninestarpress.com/product/my-boyfriends-back/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/My-Boyfriends-Back-Elliot-Cooper-ebook/dp/B01LZ21XAU/
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-myboyfriendsback-2140831-145.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/670038

COUPON CODE: Get 20% off preorder on NineStar Press website with coupon code “preorder”
* (Good until release day)

Author Bio

Elliot Cooper is a creativity addict who enjoys writing stories that embody adventure, a hint of the taboo, and shadows that are deeper than they appear at first glance. He also enjoys video games and knitting, and lives in the southern US with his human and feline family.

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/elliotwrites
Favorite my Smashwords author page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/elliotcooper
Visit my website: http://www.elliotcooperwrites.com

Excerpt

Elliot Cooper © 2016
All Rights Reserved.

Catrina skipped through the garden, her bangs fluttering below the neat braid pinned across the top of her head. Her hair was darker than the rest of her unearthly blue-green form, the yard partially visible through her translucent skin and clothes. She flopped down on the ground in a way that made her appear to have mass and then poked at the fetid opossum corpse until she managed to flip it to its belly.

“Told you so,” she said matter-of-factly. “You didn’t use enough.”

Steven ignored her and kept digging. She didn’t have any idea what she was talking about. Catrina had admitted to him multiple times that she’d never dabbled in necromancy in life; she’d been too young to get much further than simple charms and potions. Back in her day, they hadn’t even had the local campus of the Academy of Magecraft, which meant she’d been homeschooled by his great-great-grandmother.

“Did you run it over yourself?”

Steven huffed in annoyance and jammed his shovel into the earth. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one gloved hand and glared at the little ghost.

“No. I found it. I’m a necromancer, not a murderer.” He looked down into the hole he’d made, judged it to be deep enough for the poor animal, and then gently lowered the opossum body into the ground.

The potion hadn’t been potent enough, which wasn’t entirely his fault. Several of the ingredients were out of season and expensive. His little herb garden was already done for the year with the cooler fall weather turning the trees in his yard gold and umber. Steven didn’t like to waste any of his potion supplies and didn’t think it was a fault to be conservative with his elixirs.

Only maybe he’d been overly cautious. Maybe he needed to take a cue from his boyfriend, Dax, and get overzealous with his potion making and application rituals.

Steven’s mouth screwed into a sour frown at the thought as he shoveled the pile of dirt back into the hole.

“Is it really smelly?” Catrina peered up at Steven from her seat on the grass. She plucked at the hem of her dress and pulled it down over her knees.

“It’s not too bad.” Steven shrugged one shoulder as he tamped down the loose dirt with the flat side of the shovel.

“I can’t even smell it now.”

“So that’s your ‘I just thought of something that offends my Stevie senses’ face.” Catrina pursed her lips at him and then skipped off toward the house.

“Don’t call me that!” Steven called after her. Catrina was the only one who called him that, and she’d done so since he was little enough to want to play games with her. But he’d outgrown the nickname a long time ago. It was a child’s name, not the name of a future world-renowned mage.

He heard Dax’s car pull into the driveway as he put the shovel and gloves back in the shed with the rest of his gardening equipment. At least Dax wouldn’t get all holier than thou about his failed attempt to raise roadkill from the dead. Again.

“Hey, babe!” Dax called to Steven as he walked around to the front of the house. “You wanna help me with these groceries? I got you a little something special.” He waggled his dark brows and grinned but then noticed his jovial expression wasn’t catching. “Everything all right?”

“Opossum number three was not, in fact, the charm,” Steven said with a shake of his head. He let out a sigh and sidestepped Dax to reach into the car for the bags.


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Review: A Kind of Honesty (A Kind of Stories #3) by Lane Hayes

Music is drummer Tim Chalmers’s great escape and the one thing that’s never let him down. But his band Spiral’s meteoric rise to fame has made it difficult for him to maintain a low profile. Unwanted press pesters him after a public breakup with a volatile ex-girlfriend who loves the limelight as much as he loathes it. Tim’s main goal is to avoid confrontation. However, when a handsome stranger in a dive bar turns out to be someone he might know, everything changes.

Carter Hamilton-Temple might be a successful financial consultant with more brains, sophistication, and charm than most, but he always falls for the wrong guys: closet cases or men with issues. He can’t fight his attraction to tattooed rock star Tim, but can he trust his own judgment? When the thrill of danger combined with a fierce physical connection proves too strong for either man to resist, a quiet liaison away from the public eye and curious friends seems like a safe bet. But some secrets are hard to keep. When rumors threaten to rock his world, Tim realizes it’s time to confront his fear with his own kind of honesty.



“You’re the only one who counts.”

Man I absolutely love this series! This book has such well developed characters and a steady romantic build up of their relationships. There tends to also be some inner torment that needs to be overcome by one of the main characters in order for their relationship to reach a HEA. In this book, that main character is Tim, and he is probably the most resistant to change out of all the characters so far.

I really liked Tim, even though he frustrated me at times. He is a mix of rockstar and nerd and even though he’s scared of being who he really is, he’s very sweet.


Tim’s biggest fear is becoming as dysfunctional as his family. He’s lived with alcoholics, drug addicts and a mum with neurosis, but has managed to escape all that and make something of his life. He wants to fade into the background so not to disturb the delicate balance he thinks he has on life. He’s worried if he takes to much, he’ll just have more too loose when the inevitable ‘inherited’ demons lurking within come out.

I pulled out my cell and typed an impromptu text.
I’ll be home tonite. Miss u.
I stared at the message but didn’t push Send. It was mushy. It wasn’t me.


Man he was frustrating at times, talk about one step forward two steps back, but I still loved him. He was sweet and desperately wanted everything he could have with Carter.

I fell in love with fun-loving, caring, devastatingly handsome Carter in A Kind of Romance and I absolutely loved him in this, but the poor guy has had it rough with relationships.


He has some pretty big trust issues and has been used and hidden in the closet by the majority of his previous lovers. At times it felt like when Tim wanted to take a step forward, Carter was hesitating, but really these two were beautiful to watch fall in love. I always expect the worst with the inevitable ‘final hurdle’ but it’s never as bad I think it’ll be. Yes, it took a shitty situation and seeing Carter hurt to push Tim into gear, but he doesn't hesitate to make things right.

These two smoke up the sheets, seriously! There is so much dirty talk and sex in weird places (like a public park), it really was ridiculously hot. This is from the first 10% of the book:

A gentle sway gave way to a moderate rhythm. And then finally something wilder. His boots dug into my ass as he sucked my tongue and licked my ear. He met me thrust for thrust, picking up the pace with me until the mattress creaked incessantly under the strain of the steady thumping.
….“Fuck me hard, trucker. I can take it.” I snapped my hips, loving the sound of his groan. “Do it harder.”...

This was once again an incredible romance in a series full of them.


Tim had the furthest to come out of all the characters so far, so while he was frustrating, there was no one better to help him than Carter. I adored this, it had my heart pounding and my eyes tearing at the end. I recommend giving this series a go!


Review: All Hallow's Eve by Annabelle Jacobs

Will a centuries-old broken heart ruin the promise of new love?

Dominic Ashworth is descended from a long line of witches, although the family practice of witchcraft died out generations ago. Forever connected to a dark history, the house he grew up in remained in the Ashworth family for generations until his estranged father sold it.

On a mission to check out the new owners, Dominic runs into Caleb Jones and gives the gorgeous man his phone number—but getting a date should be the last thing on Dominic’s agenda.

Caleb and his best friend, Zach Briceworth, are oblivious to the heartache and magic tied to the foundations of their new home. When strange things start to happen, the truth emerges and surprises them both, especially as everything revolves around Caleb’s new love interest.

After a shaky start, Caleb and Dominic settle into an easy relationship, falling faster than either of them expected. But with Halloween approaching, the possibility of danger increases. The past is not always as it seems, and the ripples of a tragic event threaten to put an end to everything between them.



Romance AND Halloween AND ghosts? Yes, please. I'll take it. 

Dominic and his sister come from a long line of witches that have been protecting their house that's been in their family for generations. Strange events and stories surround their house, so when their estranged father sells the house, they're worried the new owners won't be protected from the potential danger.

When Dominic goes to check the new homeowners out, he meets Caleb. It's one of those "instant connection" sort of meetings and the two hit it off. Only problem is Caleb doesn't know Dominic is really there to find more about them and how to handle someone outside of the family living there. It would make sense to come clean from the beginning, right? If only...

The progression of their relationship is very smooth and organic. I felt all their feels and there was some sexy sexin'. They're very open with their attraction and I liked that a lot about them. There wasn't any question about where they were headed relationship-wise. I just wish they were that open about everything. 

My biggest problem is how long it took Dominic to tell Caleb the truth about the house and his involvement. There were a lot of conversations between Dominic and his sister and, heck, between Dominic and himself concerning whether or not to tell Caleb about the house. The struggle was very repetitive. It also led to a Big Misunderstanding plot-line. I'm good with that occasionally, but I didn't like it here. I think it was drawn out too long and I became bored with the same internal struggle from Dominic over and over again.

There was a ghost story that was very touching and sad. I really liked the integration of their story with Dominic and Caleb's. I didn't think it was creepy, but the mystery and happenings surrounding Halloween and the ghosts was fun, especially this time of year.

All Hallow's Eve is mostly a winner for me. It's definitely one to add to your Halloween shelf if you're a fan of ghost stories and witches. 

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads.

Review: Coach! by Turner Kane

"I guess we’ve both been waiting a long time for this. It’s not gonna hurt if we wait a bit more."

Jonas Jones is the new quarterback of the Statham City Stallions. But though his talents are undeniable, he just doesn't seem to be able to bring them to the game.
That is, until his Coach, the attractive older man Charlie Decker, steps in to help out. The two men find their feelings towards each other growing as they begin to work together. But will they be able to express how they secretly feel? Or will their commitment to success get in the way of the happiness they so desperately desire?

"I could take a forever of that and not get bored."

'Coach!' is a 25,000 word steamy, standalone novel with a happy ending. It contains sexually explicit material not suitable for those under 18.



This wasn't the worst story I've ever read but it was lacking an awful lot. The story line was one I was drooling over, age-gap and a ‘boss’ situation, plus all that football muscle,
I mean yum! But it just didn't deliver any of the aspects I was looking forward too.

Jonas has just started at the Stratham stallions as the lead quarterback and is struggling with his newfound fame and the pressure that comes with it. He hasn't been winning the last few games of the season. Decker is his coach who is very attracted to Jonas and claims to feel something ‘much more’ for him.

Before I get into why I struggled with this, I want to reiterate this isn't the worst story. I didn't hate the characters and the sex was plentiful and hot in a rather standard way. So that's something…

I think the aspect I struggled with the most was Decker and Jonas’ relationship. Since this is supposedly a love story between those two, that pretty much encompasses the book as a whole. From the beginning of the story both Jonas and Decker expressed an attraction and ‘something a bit deeper’ for each other. They didn't tell each other this of course because there were no signs from the other person that they were interested or even gay. The problem is there is absolutely no connection or chemistry between these two! That could be largely to do with the fact they hardly spend any time in the book together. In fact Jonas has three sex scenes with different men and Decker has sex with an old friend, all on-page (they weren't in a relationship at this point).

While I seriously don't have a problem with sex with other people before the MCs are a couple, usually the couple is still the main focus of the story, but they were together (as in, in the same vicinity) for about 15-20% of the story. Obviously I felt more of connection between our MCs and the other men they had sex with, because at least they had the history of friendship or something.

Anyway so suddenly at the end of the book Decker says he's madly in love with Jonas…. They didn't even know if the other man was gay until literally that conversation! They've never had any sort of conversation or meeting that hasn't revolved around football and now they're confessing their undying love…. *sigh* it was just too soon and too forced.

There were also changes of POV and time jumps with no break or warning in between, which in the scheme of things isn't very important.

Look, if this was free or cheaper I'd suggest giving it a go because other people will no doubt feel differently than I do, but at $3 (USD) or $3.99 (AUD) .... I wouldn't pay that much to read it.



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Blog Tour + Giveaway: Settling the Score by Eden Winters


Eden Winters is celebrating her re-release, Settling the Score with a GIVEAWAY! One lucky winner will win an ebook copy of Settling the Score and an ebook copy of Diversion!

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Title: Settling the Score
Author: Eden Winters
Publisher: Rocky Ridge Books
Release Date: 10/6/2016
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 86,000 words
Genre: Romance, Humor, Age Difference, Movie Star, Author, Small Town, Mechanic, Getting Even

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Synopsis

Outed and dumped on national television by his rising star boyfriend, Joey Nichols must face the bigotry of the locals in his small Southern town alone. His dreams of a happy ever after lie crushed at his feet.

Novelist Troy Steele has an axe to grind against Hollywood heartbreaker types. Transforming Joey into a gorgeous, unobtainable hunk would be payback worthy of Troy’s poison pen. It's a brilliant way to get back at Joey’s image-obsessed ex-boyfriend and the movie producer who’s mutilating Troy’s novels.

What begins as simple revenge may tangle them together in something far more complicated. Living well may be the best revenge, but Troy and Joey could rewrite that to loving well.

Excerpt

The Nichols’ dining room table could easily seat six people if it weren’t covered with business records, homework, and car parts. Instead of clearing it off, the family assembled in the living room, parents on the couch, Joey and his sisters on the floor. Overloaded plates balanced on each lap.

“Hush, it’s starting,” Joey’s mom warned, mostly to thirteen-year-old Stacey.

“Oops! Gotta go!” Stacey disconnected her call and dropped her phone onto the floor.

Joey and Jackie were quiet already, Joey afraid he’d miss something important if he so much as blinked.

Ten years separated him and his twin from Stacey. Mom often joked that it had taken her that long to forget the horrors of giving birth enough to try again.

Dad blamed his cousin’s homebrew.

“Good evening, I’m Evelyn Hugh. Welcome to Hollywood Seen. Tonight’s hottie, err, I mean, hot story”—the show’s hostess began, grin unapologetic—“is a young man who’s got all of Hollywood talking. Riker Sanderson has what it takes to survive in this town: looks, talent, and a legion of screaming fans.”

On cue, the camera focused on the audience, where the legion, mostly young and female, chanted, “Riker! Riker!”

“Sorry to disappoint you girls. Rumor has it that Mr. Sanderson is taken.” Evelyn pouted for the camera. “Or is he? Joining me tonight is none other than Riker Sanderson, star of the action thriller, Something to Die For.”

Taken? Joey swallowed hard. Surely she couldn’t mean...

The camera zoomed out, showing the beautiful man who’d stolen his heart and who’d shared his apartment up until a few months ago. Riker, more muscled thanks to a heavy training routine for the movie, sported gold highlights in his now much shorter hair. He looked downright sinful in tight-fitting T-shirt and jeans.

Joey idly toyed with the silver band on his middle finger, a nervous habit, before noticing its mate missing from Riker’s hand. Maybe he’d taken it off for the movie. It didn’t mean anything. No, nothing at all.

All worries disappeared when Riker slowly raised a simmering gaze to the camera. Something clenched deep in Joey’s insides. Those dark eyes hypnotized him, even if they were on a TV screen and not actually in the room. Bedroom eyes intense enough to cause instant paralysis. How many times had Joey lost himself in them, lying in a sweaty, satisfied tangle with Riker?

“Thank you for joining us,” the bleached-blonde hostess gushed, a woman Big Joe said gave him gout.

“Why does she do that to her hair?” Mom asked. “She’s ruined it.” She added the tried and true statement guaranteed to grant forgiveness for any unkindness spoken by a Southerner: “Bless her heart.”

With her whiney voice and constant fawning, Evelyn Hugh reminded Joey of one of the teenaged fans. “I can call you Riker, can’t I?”

“Sure, if I can call you Evelyn.” Her ordinary name sounded exotic when spoken in Riker’s deep tones. That was his gift. He could make anyone feel like the most important person on the planet just by talking to them. Joey had warmed himself by Riker’s fire on many a cold winter’s night.

“I loved you in the romantic comedy, Trying the Knot, filmed in your home state of Georgia. Although only a minor supporting role, your portrayal of the obnoxious cousin at the wedding turned out to be a real scene-stealer and resulted in your big break, didn’t it?”

Riker hadn’t really wanted the cousin role that required him to wear a fat suit and play a backwoods redneck, even if he’d had to beat out a lot of other hopefuls for the part.

“Well, Evelyn,”—Riker turned puppy dog eyes on the hostess—“I’d originally auditioned for the role of Chuck.”

“The pain-in-the-ass playboy who seduced several bridesmaids? Oh, you’re too sweet to play such a cad.”

“You’re too kind.”

A better-known actor had won the honors of playing asshole Chuck. Riker had stormed around the apartment for days.

Riker smiled like he’d hit the jackpot by missing the role. “Actually, I found the cousin part more intriguing. I mean, it stretched my acting skills to play someone so unlike myself.”

“Oh, please, I’m trying to eat here,” Jackie spat.

Joey flashed her a quick evil eye and went back to watching TV.

What a tantrum Riker had thrown about “playing a hick nobody.” In the end he took the money, and assurances from his agent of appearing with a few big stars being a good career move and a way to get noticed.

But he’d done the part enough justice to bring Hollywood knocking.

“What an amazing experience,” the man of Joey’s dreams replied, though that’s not what he’d called it to friends. “It really helped me grow as an actor.” He’d privately referred to the part as beneath someone of his talent and his own personal hell.

“What’s it like working with powerhouse actress Clair Clancy?”

Joey lost the battle to keep a straight face. He’d gotten more earfuls about “Clair, the air-headed bitch.” She’d only spoken to Riker twice during filming when their roles overlapped.

Onscreen, Riker described her as, “An amazing actress. A true professional.” He waved at the camera. “Congrats on the birth of your little girl, Clair. You’ll be an amazing mother.” This from the man who’d wanted to pass a law making it illegal for the woman to breed. Wow, what a good actor. For a moment even Joey believed him.

“In a real-life Cinderella story, a relatively unknown actor is chosen for the lead role of Mitchell Keller in the biggest film of the year. How’s that working out for you?” Evelyn leaned her head on Riker’s shoulder, eyeing him through batting lashes. How dare she? She needed to back off.

A punch to the shoulder brought Joey back to reality, breathing hard and fingernails digging into the palms of his clenched fists.

“She does that with everybody,” Jackie murmured. “What’s your problem, anyway?”

Joey took a deep breath and let it out slowly, a flush creeping up his cheeks.

After what could have been two years, or more probably, two seconds, Riker answered, “It’s really amazing.”

“Doesn’t he know any adjectives besides amazing?” Stacey cut in. “I mean, really! He’s an actor, he’s supposed to be good with words.” Oops, the last holdout in the family swayed to the “We don’t like Riker” side.

Joey ignored her. He’d show them. Soon he’d be living the good life, basking in the California sun. He and Riker had even talked about getting married.

“...and my producer, Ian Hagan, is amazing,” Riker was saying.

Stacey made an “I told you so” face.

Their mother swatted her arm, nipping in the bud whatever sarcastic remark she’d been about to sling.

Riker plowed on. “He took a huge chance in hiring an unknown for such a major role, and I’m grateful he believes in me. I’ve done everything I can to make sure he doesn’t regret taking a risk. We’ve wrapped up the final scenes. Now it’s in post-production, where they’ll add the Hollywood magic.”

What? Riker said a few hours ago that they were still shooting. Well, maybe they had to reshoot some parts.

“Oh, that’s fabulous.” Evelyn’s fake smile lost its battle to look sincere.

Joey knew how she felt. The standing local rule: Never mention acting around Riker unless you had a least an hour and didn’t mind listening. Folks in town phrased their words very carefully.

“Now, Riker, I know you’ve heard the rumors and seen the pictures posted on the Internet of yourself with someone who is apparently very close to you.”

Joey’s heart pounded and his ears rang. Rumors? Pictures? He peeped over at Jackie, who sat up straighter and put her plate down on the floor.

The smile fled Riker’s face, and he wore the same pleading expression he’d used to get out of cooking. “Yes, I have. For the record, I’d like to state that my personal life isn’t anyone else’s business.”

Oh, shit! What had they found out?

“Breathe, Joey,” Jackie urged.

No matter how he tried, Joey couldn’t, because Evelyn dropped a bomb. “Are you gay?”

Oh, my God! They’d been careful since Riker signed the movie deal. How had anyone suspected? Sure, in a few months maybe, when they were ready. Not now!

Jackie stiffened and Joey held his breath.

“Yes, Evelyn, I am.” Riker sighed, his anguished eyes filling with tears. Joey had never seen anyone who could cry on demand quite so convincingly, not even Stacey. “I’m not ashamed of being a gay American, and I don’t see how my orientation has any bearing on my acting ability.”

“I knew it!” Stacey shrieked. Jackie shushed her. Joey ignored her again.

Evelyn scented blood and went for the throat—her trademark. “The man shown with you in the pictures, is he your boyfriend?”

Man in the pictures? Boyfriend? Surely it couldn’t be... Who the hell were they talking about? If it wouldn’t have given too much away, Joey would have made a mad dash to his parent’s aging computer to find out. Evelyn Hugh moved much too slowly. Stomach too queasy to eat, Joey plopped his uneaten meal down on the coffee table.

Riker sat quietly gazing into the camera and Joey almost heard the wheels turning under that mop of highlighted hair. Finally, his lover became his ex-lover with the casually spoken, “I guess you could say we were in a relationship at the time. Nothing serious. We’ve decided to cool things down while I focus on my career.”

What!? Nothing really serious?! Joey gaped at the screen, a flash fire creeping up his cheeks all the way to his ears. Did Riker mean him? A boulder formed in his throat.

They’d talked about forever. He gasped for breath, unable to turn away from the train wreck of his life unfolding on national television.

“Yes, it’s true.” Riker used the same sorrowful tone the hick cousin had during a big scene in Trying the Knot. “I mean, he’s back home, I’m here. It wouldn’t work out.”

Jackie might have snapped, “Oh, cry me a river!” Joey was too caught up in his own personal drama to know for sure.

He knows I’m watching! He knows I’m seeing this! Why is he coming out now? Why couldn’t he tell the nosy woman it’s none of her damned business?

Riker focused directly on the camera, as if seeking Joey out. “Yeah, we kind of grew out of each other. It’s time to move on.”

“I certainly appreciate your candor, and I’m sure there’s plenty of people around town willing to keep you company.” Evelyn sat up, patting at her hair. “We all look forward to your upcoming movie. It’s sure to be a blockbuster. Thank you for joining us.”

Joey dared not dart out of the room like he wanted to and give too much away. At the moment the family only knew that he’d had a gay roommate. Should he act surprised?

The camera left Riker and zoomed in on the hostess. Joey saw her through a glaze of tears and fears. “Remember that you heard it first on Hollywood Seen.” Her goofy grin dimmed a few watts. “Now, here’s another Hollywood Seen exclusive, the photographs that started it all. Last month they began circling the Internet. Until tonight, spokesmen for Mr. Sanderson firmly denied their authenticity. A pity, really. They made such a handsome couple, don’t you agree?”

Joey’s reality crumbled, replaced by a nightmare. The TV screen filled completely with an image of Riker and himself dancing at the club in Atlanta, Riker’s leg wedged between Joey’s, Joey’s mouth locked to his lover’s neck and his crotch pressed against Riker’s denim-covered thigh.

Oh dear God! He looked like a humping vampire!

The image lasted forever. Enough already, take it down! He’d been stripped naked. Laid bare, all his deepest, darkest secrets exposed.

Calm down, no one can tell it’s you. Maybe they’ll think it’s someone out in Hollywood. That hope dashed to pieces with another picture, probably taken shortly after the first. In it, Joey and Riker both faced the camera. The hostess delivered the killing blow. “Our sources tell us that the man in the picture with Riker Sanderson is Joseph Nichols, Jr., with whom Riker lived in Georgia before moving to California.”

Joey fumbled his cell phone out of his pocket and barely managed to hit the right number. Instead of one of the ever-changing heavy-metal ringtones Riker used, a recorded message stated flatly, “The number you have dialed has been disconnected...”

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Settling the Score Square

Meet the Author

Author Avatar

You will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs!

Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit.

She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures she has written sixteen m/m romance novels, has won several Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.

When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s a mild-mannered business executive, mother, grandmother, vegetarian, and PFLAG activist.

Her natural habitats are airports, coffee shops, and on the backs of motorcycles.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail

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One lucky winner will win an ebook copy of Settling the Score and an ebook copy of Diversion.

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Audio Book Review: Groomzilla by Tere Michaels, narrated by Nick J. Russo

When drama threatens to ruin a romance on a reality show, only a true friend can save a groomzilla’s wedding.

Daniel Green, an event planner with a neat, quiet, orderly life, reluctantly agrees to plan the wedding of his childhood friend Ander, an outrageous fashion designer soon to marry a wealthy entertainment lawyer named Rafe. To complicate matters, the happy couple have agreed to have their wedding made into a reality show—something that practical Daniel isn’t sold on.

Daniel is neither a romantic nor a wedding planner, but he’s the only person in the world who can manage Ander. Distracting him from his mission is Owen Grainger, a too-handsome-to-be-true producer whose quiet charm pulls Daniel into his orbit.

When the stress of the show triggers bad behavior from Ander, co-producer Victor Pierce decides it's the key to a ratings bonanza, and he begins to undermine Ander and Rafe’s relationship to create more drama. Daniel is determined to protect his friend and his own reputation, but when he finds himself falling hard for Owen, there’s much more at stake than ratings.



I always love everything I read by Tere Michaels. Usually enough to reread her books more than once. I think I was expected something a little different than what was delivered with Groomzilla.

First things first, the narration is really good. Nick J. Russo did an amazing job with bringing Groomzilla to life. He did especially great with the conversations between Ander and Daniel. He really brought out their bond and the special kind of humor they have together. There were more than a few laugh out loud moments and the narration gave them that little something extra.

I loved Ander and Daniel. Their friendship was something special and their scenes together were my favorite. They were funny, snarky, and always put forth the effort to work out their (numerous) problems. They were always fighting and poking at each other, but that was part of their charm. Even through the sarcasm, I could feel how strong their relationship was.

Owen... I liked him. He was okay. I didn't think he was particularly special and I didn't think the relationship between him and Daniel was all that special either. They were "meh" together. They had their hot moments and their sweet moments, but their romance wasn't something I could really sink my teeth into. Honestly, I would have liked to read more about Daniel and Ander planning Ander's wedding.

The whole reality TV plot was thin. Much of the drama happened off page and was mentioned kind of in passing towards the end.

The narration was the best thing about Groomzilla. Tere Michaels is still an autobuy for me and I'll still read anything she puts out, but this one isn't one of my favorites from her. I'll certainly be adding Nick J. Russo to my list of narrators to look for.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads and Dreamspinner Press.