Tag Team Review: Dragon's Heat (City Dragons #1) by Lisa Oliver

Jon Erskine had made a good life for himself as one of the top Forensic Accounts and Systems Analysts in the country. He doesn't mind working with paranormal clients - after all, he's a shifter himself. However, he could do without all the slurs and derogatory comments. Not all shifters are wolves, bears and other predators. Still, his expertise and reputation is solid and Jon is more than capable of holding his own. That is until Dirk Hollingsworth runs from his office.

Dirk is running out of time. He has to find out who's been stealing from his company before his father turns up for his wedding in three weeks' time. Acting on the recommendation of a friend, Dirk turns to Jon, or at least thinks about it. That is, until he catches the man's scent in the doorway of his office and does a runner. Not the proudest moment for one of the proudest of all shifters, but Dirk has a responsibility to his clan and catching the tantalizing scent of a dog isn't going to change anything. Or so he thinks.

Family betrayals, a strong-willed dragon spirit; all things collide as Jon and Dirk struggle to find common ground. Calling off the wedding is easy; staying alive might be that much harder.

Lorix - 4 Hearts
... I think.

I have to admit I am slightly in a muddle about how to rate this book, it's a strange one alright. My initial reaction is that this book is weird - but - yep, there's a but - I couldn't stop reading it. I enjoyed it. My head was telling me one thing (poor format, lazy characterisation, sometimes just odd) but my heart just went ahead and enjoyed it anyway. And I want to read the next one. Which is how I came to the 4 heart rating. I pretty much agree with everything Lost says, I really do, however all that aside I enjoyed reading about dirk and Jon. 

The shifter world here is different to others I have read about and I embraced that. Dirk was an arsehole... but I didn't hate him entirely. Jon was lovely and redeemed a lot of this book. It was an odd little number really, but I read for enjoyment and entertainment and sometimes that just beats logical thought entirely.  Go figure.


Lost in a Book -2 Hearts

I've expended enough brain power trying to figure out how to start this review and every time I come back to same thought.

wtf.gif

I had to keep checking the book info just to make sure it wasn't listed as a shifter parody. My enjoyment might have gone up a smidgen if it was. My first thought was that it’s silly and cartoonish which is disappointing as I'm a fan of the alpha-shifter-growly-fated mate vibe. I think the intention was the latter based on the synopsis, but it wasn't executed properly. Not even a little bit.

I'm hoping you guys have read the synopsis so I can go ahead and make my case for its immediate citizenship approval to WTF-ville.

Exhibit A:
When Dirk catches a whiff of Jon and immediately realizes it's his fated mate, he runs the other way (against his dragon's wishes) because there is zero chance he would mate with a lowly dog.

Exhibit B: Dirk and his dragon were practically written as two separate beings that shared the same body. They had actual conversations about vacation spots, cuddling, etc... I get more of a Pete's Dragon (circa 1977) than a fiery alpha "proudest of all shifters" feel.

”We should take him on holiday and lavish lots of attention on him until he knows better; somewhere with lots of sun.”

”Ooh, our mate is soooo smart.”

petes dragon.gif

Exhibit C: Dirk dream-walks with his dragon to talk some sense into him. Dirk doesn't want to claim his mate so he tries to reason with his dragon in hopes it will stop putting him in mating heat. The dragon disagrees with the decision and removes himself until Dirk changes his ways.

“Fine. I will stop it. In fact, you won’t notice me at all.”

Exhibit D: Dirk comes up with a plan to use his mate for personal gain (again, bizarro world) which doesn't work. Once Dirk has been tortured enough by his own dragon, his dragon breaks free to find and claim Jon. Of course Jon forgives instantly, they find a little motel to have sex, get their claiming marks and are talking about adopting within hours.

Exhibit E: Lets not forget the soap opera drama with crazy dads, brothers, cousins, trapping into marriage, pregnant but not yours, attempted murders, embezzlement, getting shot but instead of checking your mate right away you have rational conversations with the two men who aided in the crazy. Around 50% I thought the book was wrapping up due to all the craziness getting resolved that I had to check the menu to see if another book was starting. Not to worry, more boarded the crazy train soon after and kept on going.

Exhibit F: After the claiming, Jon the dog shifter is now able to shoot flames out of HIS FINGERS.

Exhibit G: Dirk's brother challenges him with the intention of becoming head of the company/clan. This is where both dragon forms come out and they fight. But when they got to the challenge, Byron's dragon wouldn't come out to play because he didn't like the way Byron was treating him. Then, and I can't make this shit up...

Exhibit H: Byron's dragon spirit left his body. A little blue dragon spirit FLOATED up and refused to come back until their "human" changed its attitude.

“’You belong in me, dragon. Get your ass over here so I can fight my brother,’ he yelled, flapping his arms around, which when naked is never a good look.”

face palm.gif

Exhibit I: Dirk brings Jon to see his hoard and then they play in the piles of gold and gems.

“Count it. Roll in it. Add to it. Play with it.” Dirk stepped out of his pants and Jon swallowed his drool. “It’s fun. Watch.”

This one I could understand. If I was loaded, I'd probably wanna roll around in my money every once in a while too. *shrug*

moneyy.gif

There are more exhibits of evidence but the defense rests and I hope by now you understand why I’ve granted this book its WTF-ville citizenship card.

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When I read shifter books I know I'm going to have to forgive more than I would in regular romance. I can overlook a lot and just pass off the ridiculousness as a mates thing. But this. Can't recommended this one.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information see Goodreads!

Audiobook Review: To Love and To Cherish (Vows #3) by Addison Albright

Companion to ’Til Death Do Us Part

Jilted by his fiancé two weeks before their wedding, Nash Marino’s outlook on life in general, and love in particular, is jaded. After months of couch-surfing, Nash is fed up. He’s sick and tired of his living conditions, worn out by the demands of his nursing job, and despairs of ever finding love again. In fact, he doesn’t think he’s capable of true love. Monogamy, commitment, companionship, and regular sex ... that’s all he wants, and the sooner, the better.

When Nash crosses paths with a like-minded man who’s also in need of a live-in nurse for a beloved relative, Nash figures all his problems are solved. But matters are complicated by a freak accident and amnesia. When Nash’s marriage of convenience scheme is muddied by notions of love after his memory reboot, will their plans go awry, or will Nash’s new outlook on life be just what the doctor ordered?

Listening Length: 7 hours and 45 minutes
Narrator: David Gilmore


Reviewer: Annika

Let's start this off with a few words about the narration. The narrator, David Gilmore, was ok to listen to. He had a pleasant voice but I felt he had a limited set of voice differentiations for the different characters he was portraying. And at times I also felt that he was only narrating the book and not really trying to add that extra depth of feeling, truly being there with the characters you know. This is not a unique phenomenon as I feel that many narrators end up there, it's just what separates a great narrator from a good one. And David Gilmore firmly ends up in the latter category. So nothing that detracts from the book and the story, but he didn't elevate it either.

We first met Nash in ’Til Death Do Us Part, when he was engaged to Sam. I think we all felt for him, well the whole trio really. Such an impossible situation to find yourself in. Undoubtedly, people will get hurt no matter what. To Love and To Cherish probably can be read as a standalone as it's not heavily interwoven with the previous books and the backstory is explained. That being said, I think you should at least read the first book to fully enjoy this one.


So let's talk a bit about the plot shall we. I mean here Nash is, driving along with his friends to pick up his last few boxes so he can move in with Emmitt. They were generally having a good time...


Along comes a bird...


...and Nash's life will never be the same...

I'll spare you some of the gruesome details, but let's just say, the bird didn't survive the impact with Nash's arm. And it was touch and go for Nash too for a bit there. The result of this freak accident? Well Nash lost all of his memories of the past four months. Along with the memory of his new fiancé... Oh, he remembers that he's engaged - only he thinks he's still with Sam...


Now this could've turned out to be some melodramatic soap opera farce - I mean the setup is all there, but thankfully it wasn't. Nash never tries to win Sam back or mopes and longs for him.

So yeah, this plot device is beyond unbelievable. I mean come on, a bird collides with your arm and you lose the past 4 months of your life? Yeah, don't believe that for a second. But I will confess, that didn't bother me at all. I laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the accident, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the book.

I loved Nash and Emmitt and they were just perfect for each other, ridiculous situations and agreements aside. They were fun and sweet, a bit naïve at times, but enjoyable to read about all the same. Sure I didn't get that depth of feeling like I did in the first book, but that was ok, it fit with this book. Angst-free mindless fun.
A fair warning, don't pick this book up and expect a plot anchored with reality, because that's not what you are getting. However you do get a lot of fluff and sweetness, fun and happiness. And lots and lots of love - resistance is futile ;)

A great end to a very, very sweet series with a great amount of love!

A copy of this audiobook was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.






Don't miss the release blitz HERE!

Audiobook Release Blitz + Giveaway: To Love And To Cherish (Vows #3) by Addison Albright


Celebrate the release of audio book To Love And To Cherish (Vows #3) with Addison Albright and Signal Boost Promotions! Narrated by David Gilmore, see more info about the new release below and enter in the backlist giveaway!





Length: 7hrs 45 mins

Narrator: David Gilmore

Vow's Series

'Til Death Do Us Part - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Audible US | Audible UK

From This Day Forward - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Audible US | Audible UK

Blurb

Jilted by his fiancé two weeks before their wedding, Nash Marino's outlook on life in general, and love in particular, is jaded. After months of couch-surfing, Nash is fed up. He's sick and tired of his living conditions, worn out by the demands of his nursing job, and despairs of ever finding love again. In fact, he doesn't think he's capable of true love. Monogamy, commitment, companionship, and regular sex...that's all he wants, and the sooner, the better.


When Nash crosses paths with a like-minded man who's also in need of a live-in nurse for a beloved relative, Nash figures all his problems are solved. But matters are complicated by a freak accident and amnesia. When Nash's marriage of convenience scheme is muddied by notions of love after his memory reboot, will their plans go awry, or will Nash's new outlook on life be just what the doctor ordered?


Companion to Til Death Do Us Part





Author Bio


Addison Albright lives in the middle of the USA with two peculiar cats. Her stories are gay (sometimes erotic) romance, and tend to be sweet man-love in contemporary settings. Her education includes a BS in Education with a major in mathematics and a minor in chemistry. Addison loves spending time with her family, reading, popcorn, boating, French fries, “open window weather,” cats, math, and anything chocolate. She loves to read pretty much anything and everything, anytime and anywhere.


eMail: addison.albright@gmail.com

Website/Blog: https://authoraddisonalbright.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AddisonAlbright

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/addison.albright.profile

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AddisonAlbright

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/addisonalbright/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/addison-albright

Queeromance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/addison-albright/


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Review: Fangs and Catnip (Dead and Breakfast #1) by Julia Talbot

A romance worth fighting for—tooth and claw.

Solitary vampire Fallon Underwood gets all the social interaction he needs being the silent partner at the Dead and Breakfast B and B high in the Colorado mountains. Change is hard for Fallon, so when his business partner, Tanner, suggests hiring a new manager for the inn, he’s adamant that they don’t need help, especially not in the form of bouncy werecat Carter Hughes.

Carter is a happy-go-lucky kitty, and he loves the hospitality industry, so the D and B ought to be a great place for him. He falls for Fallon as soon as he picks up one of Fallon’s novels and begins to woo the vamp with gifts. When Fallon finally succumbs to Carter’s feline charms, the results are unexpected, to say the least. Their mating will have irreversible consequences—for their bodies and their hearts.


“Tell me a story?”
“What kind of story, sweet? A fairy tale?”
“Once upon a time,” he started, amused to the core.
“Oh, I’m good at those. Once upon a time, there was a werekitty. He came to save a vampire from himself.”
That quote really does sum up this sweet and supernaturally packed book.

Told through dual POV’s, this story begins as we meet werebear Tanner who runs the Dead and Breakfast B and B with his silent vampy partner Fallon. Though Tanner has help with a night manager and a cook for the guests, Tanner is exhausted and his bear would love to get some additional sleep during the winter. When Tanner gets Fallon to agree to hire help, he picks the best candidate to interview and ends up hiring him.

Fallon Underwood is one grumpy and gloomy vamp who is also one hell of a horror author. Housed in the top floor of the B and B, Fallon is a silent and stoic partner of the business, allowing Tanner to handle the day to day giving their menagerie of supernatural guests the best treatment the Colorado mountains can offer. When his best friend comes to him begging for help, Fallon gives in though he can’t quite agree with Tanners choice of a werekitty, but at least it’s not a mummy right?

Carter Hughes is the equivalent to Tigger with his kitty bounce and his sometimes very juvenile way of talking and thinking. Though his speech sometimes drove me nuts, Carter is a smart and caring man who just happens to think Fallon is stunning. Not only does he admire the vamps looks but when Carter gets his puma paws on Fallon’s books, he devours all of them in a matter of days and is head over heels for the author.

This was really sweet. I like that Fallon is all “I’m too old. Too set in my ways. I can’t be with a young cat that bounces” and all that denial he has going for him. When in truth, Fallon is drawn to Carter in ways he can’t quite understand. When Carter starts to woo Fallon with thoughtful gifts, Fallon tries to put a stop to it and let Carter down easy even though that’s not what he real wants to do. But with one whispered apology through a closed door and an overhead fanatic review of Fallon’s work by Carter has the vamp finally deciding that denial really is just a river in Egypt he doesn’t want to go down anymore.

These two were as cute as a vamp and a cat can be. I liked the take on Mates between different beings and how each of them handled it. I adored Carter in his shift and how Fallon saw him as well. Though there is trouble with their mating and all the biting (there is A LOT of biting!) that’s going on, neither man knew it what was going on and it does cause a bit of angst in the book. The angst, for me was unnecessary as it made the story drag on when it could have been dealt with sooner with the doctor but, whatever.

The guests at the B and B are so much fun to read about they really added depth to the story. I loved how many different creatures show up and how they B and B caters to their special needs. It really is a fun place to visit while reading this romance and I truly hope that with this being listed as the Dead and Breakfast series that a certain wolf gets a book possible with a certain doctor? Maybe?






Giveaway + Blog Tour: Infamous (Famous, #2) by Jenny Holiday


Jenny Holiday is making her clubhouse debut to promote Infamous, the second book of her Famous series. There's also a giveaway for a $20 Amazon Gift Card. See the deets below. Good luck!


Hello! I’m Jenny and I’m happy to be here to celebrate the release of Infamous. Infamous is book two in the Famous series, which mixes m/f and m/m romance. (And mixes famous musicians and regular people!) In Infamous, Jesse, our resident bad-boy rock star has to decide if he’s willing to risk his career to be with Hunter, a doctor he’s rapidly falling for. I hope you enjoy it!

About Infamous


All that up-and-coming musician Jesse Jamison has ever wanted is to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. When a gossip website nearly catches him kissing someone who isn’t his famous girlfriend—and also isn’t a girl—he considers the near miss a wake-up call. There’s a lot riding on his image as the super-straight rocker, and if he wants to realize his dreams, he’ll need to toe the line. Luckily, he’s into women too. Problem solved.

After a decade pretending to be his ex’s roommate, pediatrician Hunter Wyatt is done hiding. He might not know how to date in the Grindr world, how to make friends in a strange city, or whether his new job in Toronto is a mistake. But he does know that no one is worth the closet. Not even the world’s sexiest rock star.

As Jesse’s charity work at Hunter’s hospital brings the two closer together, a bromance develops. Soon, Hunter is all Jesse can think about. But when it comes down to a choice between Hunter and his career, he’s not sure he’s brave enough to follow his heart.



About Jenny Holiday

Jenny Holiday started writing in fourth grade, when her aging-hippie teacher, between Pete Seeger songs, gave the kids notebooks and told them to write stories. Jenny’s featured poltergeist, alien invasions, or serial killers who managed to murder everyone except her and her mom. She showed early promise as a romance writer, though, because nearly every story had a happy ending: fictional Jenny woke up to find that the story had been a dream, and that her best friend, father, and sister had not, in fact, been axe-murdered. Today she is a USA Today bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. She lives in London, Ontario.

Connect with Jenny:
     Website: jennyholiday.com
     Blog: jennyholiday.com/blog
     Twitter: @jennyholi




To celebrate the release of Infamous, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 2, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info! 

Review: High Test by Elizabeth Noble

The coffee is rich. Hayden isn't. But Neal doesn't need to know that—yet.

Hayden Owens is just your typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company—no relation. But he keeps the “no relation” part to himself when he meets dashing, older Neal Kirchner, a successful architect from an old-money family. Hayden doesn’t exactly lie, but he figures it can’t hurt for Neal to believe he’s a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn’t want Neal thinking he’s a gold digger.


The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it’s all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own.


I am a firm believer that there is a perfect time for a book to be read and for me, after having a stressful morning where I was hustling to get everything done, it was nice to spend some down time with Neal and Hayden watching them fall in love. This was such a simple yet sweet romance that I read in a single day. It’s a nice an easy read and Elizabeth Noble gave me a wonderfully light but poignant story that was perfect for my day.

Told from Hayden’s POV, the men meet as Hayden is working his university’s event for his major high-performance automotive design. Hayden has noticed Neal from across the room but on Neal’s arm is a woman. I liked that the first glance of Neal, Hayden realizes he is older than his 20 something years but admires that Neal is the type of man that just gets older with age and dubs him Mr. Silver GQ. When a patron decides Hayden is lonely and pawns him off on someone, that someone is Neal and the meet cute happens.

I adored Neal from the beginning. Of course from the blurb we know he is rich but his meeting with Hayden and how they get along paints Neal as a regular guy, an architect who loves his work as much as Hayden loves his. The age difference is there, roughly about 20 years between them, but you don’t feel in in this book. The men get along wonderfully throughout the evening and when Neal asks Hayden to dance, we get a swoony moment that leads into a sort of fairytale with Hayden having to run off to catch his bus home, leaving Neal without exchanging numbers.

From there the story moves along at a nice pace with Neal stopping in the coffeehouse where Hayden works and making a joke about Hayden keeping an eye on business the old fashioned way. Neal makes an observation when he puts Hayden’s last name together with the name of owners of the coffee house he works at, The Owens Coffee Company. Hayden realizes this mistake but doesn’t correct Neal immediately not wanting the man he’s now crushing on to think he is below his financial status. But the thing is, while Hayden knows Neal has money based on his appearance, he has no idea that Neal Kirchner is from old money and part of the family that owns the Indian Rose Tea Company. Just like age is mentioned in the story but not the main focus, wealth is mentioned but not the main focus. Really, this is a character driven romance that is sweet and sexy.

So while Neal pursues Hayden and they have a fantastic time together being able to talk about what they love with someone who gets it, there is this misunderstanding of Hayden’s family being an elephant in the room. Numerous times Hayden tries to come clean to Neal only to have them interrupted or Neal to tell him to hold the thought. It’s not that Hayden wants to keep this a lie by omission between them and does try to tell Neal the truth but circumstances don’t allow him to spill his guts.

I liked the time the spent together. It was romantic the way Neal courted Hayden and the physical attraction was definitely there but the men decide to take their time. I didn’t always want to them to wait... especially when Neal ‘rubbed one palm over the swell of Hayden’s ass, massaging lightly and slipping between his cheeks for a few beats.’ because it was kinda hot but I admired their respect and restraint. And yet, the moment they give in it was hot. With this series we are limited to the number of sex scenes we get and I love it when they author makes them count and these definitely counted.

Along with the romance, the talk and driving of expensive classic cars, there are a pair of dogs that belong to Neal, a woman who doesn’t get Neal likes dick and not her, wonderful friends of Hayden’s, staff members of the hotel who are like family to the couple and family members both good and bad. There is also Neal’s religion of Hinduism that was mentioned and we are given a few details of it.

But what I absolutely love about this book is how the author handled Neal’s age and the May December romance. . Too often we are given characters in romance that are over *gasp* the age of 40 and treated as if they are in their late 80’s. Being 40 myself, I find it a smidge offensive that folks my age are seen as this decrepit and geriatric human that is so old etc. etc. etc. In this, we get that Neal is 45 and that he is older than Hayden but other than the fact we know it and they mention it less than a half dozen times, that’s it. Age is just a number and the way these two men feel about one another is more important than the year they were born.

High Test isn’t just the name of Hayden’s favorite coffee blend, it’s also a lovely and light romance that made my Monday bearable. It’s a romance that proves age is in the eye of the beholder and the truth will set you free, even if the truth was already known.