Boy Meets Boy Reviews: Eli Easton

Showing posts with label Eli Easton. Show all posts

Guest Review: The Redemption of River (Sex in Seattle #4) by Eli Easton

River Larsen is a world traveler, truth-seeker, and tantric healer. He’s a master of loving all—and no one. Both his past and his spiritual path warn him against attachment. When he falls for his surrogacy client and coffee magnate, Brent McKay, River tells himself it’s a temporary idyll, a beautiful encounter they’ll both enjoy and move on from like two ships passing in the stream of life. Except his heart misses that memo.

Brent McKay hasn’t been interested in sex since his wife died two years ago. When he goes to Expanded Horizons sex clinic in Seattle for help, he meets River Larsen, a sex surrogate specializing in reiki massage and tantric sex therapy. Brent never expected to be interested in a man, but River’s light-filled spirit, inner peace, and electric touch bring him back to life. Brent’s loyal heart is ready to commit again. But how can he convince River that love can last forever—if you just have faith?

The Redemption of River features a widower who surprises the hell out of himself, a gorgeous hippy who thinks he’s a dandelion puff, an age gap, midlife discovery of bisexuality, foodie Seattle, a houseboat, dogs, a trip to Mumbai, and tantric secrets. (You know, the ones that let you have sex for hours. Those secrets.)

Reviewer: Shee Reader

I’d previously read the other books in the series and was delighted when I saw this one up for review. It was well worth the wait, and River and Brent were the cutest couple, who could give anyone a hope for a happily ever after!

Brent married his high school sweetheart and had a long and happy marriage until cancer stole Kathy away. He’s been grieving for a long time but decides it is time to face his lack of sex drive with the help of a sex surrogate recommended by his therapist.

Enter River, the spiritual healer and tantric expert who has just landed in Seattle as a house sitter and gotten a job at Expanded Horizons clinic. River is a traveller and seeker with a less than ideal experience of family.

River has never felt the desire to settle and put down roots until now, but getting involved with a former straight client who owns the coffee shop River is working in, is definitely not in the plan. But Brent is amazing, and Brent and River together is something even more special.

I adored this book! Obviously there are plenty of sexy times, but the healing sessions are more about how Brent’s body has internalised the trauma of his wife’s death and how River works to help Brent to release the pain. The romance and exploration is more significant than the sex, and the sweetness and hope are a delight.

The writing is lovely, and the characters are so well developed, flaws and all, and the HEA is everything you would hope it to be.

Highly recommended.

I was given free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Redemption Of River (Sex in Seattle #4) by Eli Easton

The Redemption Of River (Sex in Seattle #4) is out! Join author Eli Easton and Signal Boost Promotions in celebrating its release and enter in the $20 Amazon gift card giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 75,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Tiferet Design

Sex In Seattle Series

Blurb

River Larsen is a world traveler, truth-seeker, and tantric healer. He’s a master of loving all—and no one. Both his past and his spiritual path warn him against attachment. When he falls for his surrogacy client and coffee magnate, Brent McKay, River tells himself it’s a temporary idyll, a beautiful encounter they’ll both enjoy and move on from like mature adults. Only his heart misses that memo.

Brent McKay hasn’t been interested in sex since his wife died two years ago. When he goes to Expanded Horizons sex clinic in Seattle for help, he meets River Larsen, a sex surrogate specializing in reiki massage and tantric sex therapy. Brent never expected to be interested in a man, but River’s light-filled spirit, inner peace, and electric touch bring him back to life. Brent’s loyal heart is ready to commit again. But how can he convince River that love can last forever—if you just have faith?

The Redemption of River features a widower who surprises himself, a gorgeous hippy who thinks he’s a dandelion puff, an age gap, midlife discovery of bisexuality, foodie Seattle, a houseboat, dogs, a trip to Mumbai, and tantric secrets. (You know, the ones that let you have sex for hours. Those secrets.)

The Redemption of River takes place in part at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic and is thus book #4 of the Sex in Seattle series. It features a brand new couple and can be read as a stand-alone.

About Eli

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.

Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particular admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.

In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.

Her website is www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Re-Release Series Blitz + Giveaway: Sex in Seattle series by Eli Easton

Join author Eli Easton and Signal Boost Promotions as they celebrate the re-release of the Sex in Seattle series! If you're new to the series or want a revisit, check out today's blitz and enter in the giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Covers: Tiferet Design

The Trouble With Tony (Book #1) - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

As part of the investigation into the murder of a young woman, Seattle P.I. Tony DeMarco poses as a patient of Dr. Jack Halloran, the therapist who treated the victim at a Seattle sex clinic. This isn’t the first time Tony has gone undercover, but it’s the first time he’s wanted to go under cover with one of his suspects. He can’t help it—Jack Halloran is just the kind of steely-eyed hero Tony goes for. But he’ll have to prove Halloran’s innocence and keep the doctor from finding out about his ruse before he can play Romeo.

Dr. Halloran has his own issues, including a damaged right arm sustained in the line of duty as a combat surgeon in Iraq and the PTSD that followed. He’s confused to find himself attracted to a new patient, the big, funny Italian with the puppy-dog eyes, and Tony’s humor slips right past Jack’s defenses, making him feel things he thought long buried. But can the doctor and the P.I. find a path to romance despite the secrets between them?

The Enlightenment Of Daniel (Book #2) - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Business tycoon Daniel Derenzo lives for his work until his dying father reminds him life is short. When Daniel starts to reevaluate his world he experiences a startling revelation—he’s attracted to his business partner and best friend, Nick, even though Daniel always believed himself to be straight. In typical type-A fashion, Daniel dissects his newfound desires with the help of the experts at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic. He goes after Nick with the fierce determination that’s won him many a business deal.

Nick Ross was in love with Daniel years ago, when they were roommates in college. But Daniel was straight and Nick patched his broken heart by marrying Marcia. Two kids and fourteen years later, they go through the motions of their marriage like ships passing in the night. But Nick’s kids mean the world to him, and he’s afraid he’ll never get joint custody if they divorced. If he can trust his heart to an awakening Daniel, they all might find their way to a happily ever after.

NOTE: This novel can be read as a stand-alone.

The Mating Of Michael (Book #3) - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Everyone admires Michael Lamont for being a nurse, but his part-time work as a gay sex surrogate not only raises eyebrows, it's cost him relationships. Michael is small, beautiful, and dedicated to working with people who need him. But what he really wants is a love of his own. He spends most of his time reading science fiction, especially books written by his favorite author and long-time crush, the mysteriously reclusive J.C. Guise.

James Gallway’s life is slowly but inexorably sliding downhill. He wrote a best-selling science fiction novel at the tender age of eighteen, while bedridden with complications of polio. But by twenty-eight, he's lost his inspiration and his will to live. His sales from his J.C. Guise books have been in decline for years. Wheelchair bound, James has isolated himself, convinced he is unlovable. When he is forced to do a book signing and meets Michael Lamont, he can’t believe a guy who looks like Michael could be interested in a man like him.

Michael and James are made for each other. But they must let go of stubbornness to see that life finds a way and love has no limitations.

NOTE: This novel can be read as a stand-alone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Angels Sing (Daddy Dearest #2) by Eli Easton

Eli Easton and Signal Boost Promotions are here today to help you get into the holiday feels with new release, Angels Sing (Daddy Dearest #2)! Discover more about the latest standalone in today's blitz and enter in the $25 Amazon gift card giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Daddy Dearest Series

The Daddy Dearest series features single dads. Each book in the series features a new couple and can be read as a stand-alone.

Book #1 - Family Camp - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb

Stanton Potter, son of the most notorious businesswoman in Bedford Falls, loves his job teaching at the local elementary school. But he’s less than thrilled when he is forced to put together a Christmas pageant with first-graders, including Mia Bailey.

When Stanton meets Jamie, angels sing. Jamie’s gender-bending fashion sense and sweet aura have Stanton suffering through the worse crush he’s had since he was a teen. But can there be any hope for them when Jamie and Mia’s lives are about to be uprooted?

This Christmas, it’s Jamie’s turn to receive a little help from heaven.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Review: Angels Sing (Daddy Dearest #2) by Eli Easton

Jamie Bailey has not had such a wonderful life. He gave up his dreams of Harvard at 18 to raise his sister’s unwanted baby, and later a prized job to help a sick friend. Now the father of six-year-old Mia, and assistant manager at Raven Books, Jamie’s dreams are dashed once again when Uncle Billy admits what dire straights the bookshop is in.

Stanton Potter, son of the most notorious businesswoman in Bedford Falls, loves his job teaching at the local elementary school. But he’s less than thrilled when he is forced to put together a Christmas pageant with first-graders, including Mia Bailey.

When Stanton meets Jamie, angels sing. Jamie’s gender-bending fashion sense, and sweet aura, have Stanton suffering through the worse crush he’s had since he was a teen. But can there be any hope for them when Jamie and Mia’s lives are about to be uprooted?

This Christmas, its Jamie’s turn to receive a little help from heaven.

I am crushing it with the femme reads all the sudden! Keep em comin', authors. I dig it. I dig it muchly.

So... spoiler alert, one of the characters in this sentimental holiday story is androgynous AND femme. Jaime is 100% sweetheart too. He's given up a lot of opportunities in his life to do the right thing and that's a rarity in the human race so I connected to him and his precocious and adorable daughter Mia pretty quickly.

Stanton is his love interest, a slightly older jock type and his physical opposite. This could've easily turned cliche but Easton made him the awkward and tongue tied one which completely worked for me. I half expected him to walk into a door because he was so distracted and besotted by Jaime. Jaime takes a bit longer to glom onto Stanton's interest but once he figures it out it was pretty entertaining to watch him turn Stanton inside out, both the PG-13 version and the adult version, though in different ways. Obviously.

I must confess I'm not a huge holiday story person. More of a cynical grinch type but Easton is hard to resist especially since Unwrapping Hank continues to carry the title of most beloved holiday story.

Was this as good as Hank?

No, but those are big shoes to fill. However, it sure was comforting to read which is something I've come to count on from this author and, for what it's worth, I devoured it.

Another thing it has going for it is it's not overly reliant on the miracle of the Christmas gambit. It's there but subtle and I appreciated that I didn't feel like I had glutted on peppermint sticks and eggnog after I finished it.

So if you're looking for a lighthearted and heartwarming holiday read Angels Sing is just what the doctor ordered.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Puzzle Me This by Eli Easton

Puzzle Me This is out now! Celebrate with author Eli Easton & Signal Boost Promotions. Find out more about this romance & enter in the giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card too!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link - Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Blurb

Luke Schumaker designs computer games, working from his home. Every day he walks his dog in the woods nearby, never suspecting that someone who is completely smitten is watching.

The watcher is Alex Shaw, and he too works from home, designing logic and crossword puzzles. Alex’s options are limited: he’s too shy to approach Luke and his wheelchair won’t let him follow into the woods. His solution? Secret messages for Luke in the crosswords he writes for the local paper.

When Luke decodes them, romance begins, but then they face greater puzzles, like Alex’s interfering sister and what commitment to a man in a wheelchair really takes. And, most puzzling of all, how do you know if love is real?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Giveaway + Release Blitz: How to Run with the Wolves (Howl at the Moon #5) by Eli Easton

Welcome Eli Easton and Signal Boost Promotions who are here to celebrate the release of the fifth in the popular Howl at the Moon series, How to Run with the Wolves! Find out more about this paranormal romance, read an excerpt and enter in the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card too! Good luck!

See our 5 ❤️ review here.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link - Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Howl At The Moon Series

How To Howl At The Moon (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK

How To Walk Like A Man (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK

How To Wish Upon A Star (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK

How To Save A Life (Book #4) - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

Zeus loves his job on the Mad Creek Search & Rescue team, and his inner Saint Bernard is finally being used to his full potential. When he sees a mysterious and wild-looking quickened—a dog shifter—at an earthquake site in Alaska, Zeus is compelled to investigate. Zeus falls hard for the primal beauty of Timo and of Alaska itself. Both call to his deep canine soul. But the Qimmig pack’s laws are as harsh as the Alaskan winters, and Timo is out of his reach.

Timo’s pack of dog shifters left their Inuit village generations ago and have lived wild ever since. Not trusting the “one-skinned,” and with their numbers dwindling, the Qimmig are on the verge of extinction. Timo is shocked to discover a whole group of “two-skinned” working as a rescue team, and he is particularly fascinated by Zeus, a gentle giant. He senses what Zeus feels for him… but it’s forbidden.

Can Mad Creek save this lost quickened clan? Perhaps—if they can learn how to run with the wolves.

Exclusive Excerpt

Chapter 1 - Fault Line

August

Anchorage, Alaska

Zeus

“All right, guys. Remember: stay in your section and stay with your partner. No matter what. And make sure your radios are on so I can contact you. Check them. Are they on right now?”

Zeus knew his radio was on, but he obeyed Matt and checked it anyway, as did the other eight quickened in the Mad Creek Search and Rescue team. Yup, the red light was illuminated.

“Mine is on!” Sammy called out with barely suppressed excitement. Other voices rang out too. The team was eager to get moving, Zeus included. His skin itched with the need to run, sniff, find.

But their team commander, Matt, didn’t release them just yet. He had his hands on his hips and was giving them all a stern look. His glower was all for show, Zeus knew. You could see the pride behind it, wanting to break out. Matt was a good leader. He was a full-blooded human, so he was less likely to get distracted by the job than the rest of them, and he knew just how to coordinate with the other human relief crews at a disaster site. And if people thought the Mad Creek group was weird, Matt dealt with it somehow, keeping the secret of the quickened, well, secret.

“All right, team.” Matt clapped Sammy on the back. “Go save some lives!”

They scattered, everyone running. They looked like orange confetti, Zeus thought, with everyone wearing the Search and Rescue uniform—heavy neon orange canvas pants, orange T-shirts, black heavy-duty hiking boots, and small gray vest and packs with first aid gear and tools. Blood pumped hard in Zeus’s veins. Since joining Mad Creek Search and Rescue, Zeus and the team had been deployed three times, once to a flood and twice to help with wildfires. And even in his brief stint with the group, Zeus had found a sense of purpose and usefulness he’d never felt before.

He was born for this! And it felt incredible to let that part of him operate to its potential.

Zeus and his partner, Sammy, headed into the section Matt had assigned them. From their command post in Delaney Park, they ran north on G Street. They had the area from 3rd to 9th streets to the north and south and H to C streets west to east. Some of the street signs were down or hidden in rubble, but Zeus could still see the map in his mind, and he knew where to go.

The 7.5 earthquake had hit near Anchorage eight hours ago. It had struck just after nine in the morning when the downtown buildings and streets had been full of people. Since then, the city had been rocked by several large aftershocks. Roads were cracked and split apart, becoming stairsteps. Shattered glass was everywhere from windows that exploded under the pressure of buckling walls. Rubble made haphazard mounds that spilled into the street. Tall brick buildings had gaping holes that looked like missing teeth, and a couple had lost their heads entirely. The landscape was uneven, a building here and there in ruins while others stood tall and straight, unaffected or missing only a few panes of glass. And there were so many smells! There were dangerous smells like oil and smoke and sad ones like blood and fear and even death.

For a moment, Zeus hesitated, looking down G Street. Where to start? He wanted to go everywhere at once. A loud siren pierced the air, hurting Zeus’s sensitive ears, but he was too focused on the job to care.

Sammy stepped up beside him and pointed to a field of rubble on the right between two taller buildings. Big cement slabs stuck up and jagged ends of rebar were exposed like broken bones. A triangular slab stood into front of the pile, one pointed end buried in the asphalt as if it were a memorial statue. “Look, Zeus! I bet that was a parking garage. And I bet people are trapped in there. Let’s see if we can help.”

“Okay!” Zeus agreed, and the two of them ran toward the rubble. His blood sang in his ears. Find them, find them, find them.

They scrambled over cement and dust. Zeus could smell people here, people trapped under the collapsed parking garage—one, two, at least four people. The scent drew a mind map in his head of where they were located, how deep, how far from him in 3D. He sniffed around and around, moving in a circle, skin thrumming, every sense on alert. Yes, here, and here, far down.

Zeus pointed and rattled off his finds, interpreting the scent-pictures for Sammy, giving him distances and head count. Sammy wrote numbers on the little flags, planted them where Zeus said, and relayed the news to Matt over the radio. There were two older people, a man and a woman together, probably in a car. There was blood with them, but not much, and their heartbeats were strong. They calm one another, Zeus thought, an idea that entered his head and flittered away again with so much to smell and others to help.

A short distance away, he found two bodies both ten feet down. Near them he detected the faint smell of old urine, like you might find in a stairwell. Face sad, Sammy set a black flag with a “2” written on it.

Zeus sniffed around the perimeter he’d set for himself, three times, four, to be sure he’d caught everything, that the little flags matched the map in his head.

Sammy signed off the radio call. “Matt’s gonna let the fire department know. They’ll bring the big machines. It’s so sad. The ones who are alive, are they scared? I bet they’re scared.” He took a crowbar from his tool belt and banged on a piece of rebar sticking from the cement near the yellow “2” flag. “We’re here! We’re here and we will come for you! Don’t be afraid!”

Don’t be afraid. The words echoed in Zeus’s head. Don’t be afraid.

“Oh, those poor people. I wish we could dig! I wish we could dig right now! Are you sure they’re too far down?” Sammy leaned down close to a flag to sniff and listen.

Zeus just grunted. He was sure.

He loved many things about the Mad Creek Search and Rescue team.

He loved that everyone on the team—except for team-leader Matt—was a quickened and thus had a dog’s keener sense of smell and hearing and doggie instincts.

He loved that his teammates had boundless energy and enthusiasm.

He loved their compassion and can-do attitudes. They never got cranky and they never complained. Zeus had been born quickened, but he’d worked with many humans over the years, so he appreciated those traits.

He loved the sense of pack he was developing with his S-and-R brothers and sisters. The Mad Creek Search and Rescue team was made up of Sammy, a young chocolate lab, Goldy, a pretty and bouncy golden retriever in her twenties, a middle-aged German shepherd named Bacon, a somber young bloodhound named Watson, and a tough pit bull named Lola Blue who was thick and stocky with a square face, small gold eyes, grayish brown skin, and short hair the same amazing shade of blue-gray as her dog fur. Georgia and Roscoe, both mixed breeds, rounded out the team. Matt was the only human in the group. All together there were nine of them.

In short, Zeus loved this job. If Mad Creek had become too crowded to take, the S-and-R crew was small enough for Zeus to bear. Even if he sometimes felt he would never really be one of the Mad Creek quickened.

Zeus continued, picking his way over the rubble, scrambling on his hands and feet when the way got rough. The heavy steel-toed boots on his big arched feet enabled him to step anywhere, testing each foot-place for stability before settling his considerable weight on it. Despite his large size, he felt light and nimble with the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He had Sammy place several more yellow flags. And then….

“Here!” he told Sammy, huffing the rich scent. “There’s a man buried right here. We can get this one. He’s not far down at all.”

Sammy sniffed the ground, his face lighting up. “He’s alive.”

“He’s alive,” Zeus agreed. He went down on his knees and began to dig with both gloved hands.

A scree hill of gravel and powdered cement had landed here, next to a fallen piece of wall. Zeus’s hands were faster than his tools for small material like this, and his heavy gloves were nearly as good protection as the thick pads of his paws in his dog form. Sammy joined in, and the two of them scooped out the loose material and pulled away small chunks of cement and metal, finally clearing a hole under the piece of wall.

The hole was dark for a moment as the cloud of debris settled. Then fingers reached up. They were a man’s fingers, rough-hewn and covered with gray dust.

“Hello,” came a voice, then a cough. “H-hello? Are you there? Help me, please?” His voice had an accent Zeus had never heard before.

“Hello!” Sammy called out, his voice happy. “Yes, we’re here to help you. Are you hurt?”

More coughing. “Oh, thank fuck. I’ve felt better. I think I’m okay, but I would like to get out now.”

“We’ll get you out. Don’t worry!” Sammy enthused, while Zeus examined the situation. They had to be careful, because they didn’t want to cause the rubble to collapse. But the piece of wall on top of the hole felt stable when Zeus tested it. It wasn’t going anywhere. With some more digging—the man helped from inside with his bare hands—they managed to enlarge the hole. Sammy shone his light inside and they saw the man’s face. He was a young man, maybe in his twenties, and he had skin deeply tanned by the sun, eyes with a slight epicanthic fold, black hair covered in dust, and a lop-sided grin. Zeus thought he might be Inuit.

Sammy passed the man a bottle of water, and he unscrewed it and drank it thirstily, water making tracks in the dirt down his blue T-shirt.

Zeus sat back on his heels. The man was not badly hurt. He and Sammy could pull him out and send him on to the hospital. Then they could keep working. There was so much work to do. So many more to find! And hopefully they’d find more survivors, like this one, maybe even more they could dig out on their own. It was so satisfying to see them climb out of the earth like newborns, to know he had saved a life. Zeus would never tire of it in a million years.

As he waited for the man to finish drinking, Zeus’s gaze scanned ahead over the field of rubble. They could probably scramble over most of it and….

And that was when Zeus saw him.

About thirty feet away, standing on the flat roof of a small building, was a man.

The sun was behind him, his form outlined in the glowing light. He was average in height but taut and whip lean in faded, low-slung jeans, wide belt, and a short-sleeved T-shirt that was molded to his muscles. His brown hair gleamed red where it was struck by the sun and was incredibly thick, straight, and long, falling to his waist. Strands floated around him in the cold breeze. His eyes looked pale, though it was hard to tell from this distance.

Zeus sniffed, catching the barest tease of a new scent. It broke through the cloying, heavy aroma of dust and oil and smoke as though someone had opened a window in a stale house. The new scent was fresh, like the wind off a glacier, and there was something wild in it, too, wild and free, like deer or elk or… or…

Wolves?

Zeus couldn’t see the man’s face very well, backlit as he was, but something about him took Zeus’s breath away. His posture was agile and proud. And he was staring at Zeus. Right at him. His body was rigid, and Zeus could swear he was scenting him too.

Why the sight should strike him so deeply, Zeus didn’t know. But the man didn’t look like a rescue worker. He didn’t look like an office worker. He didn’t look like anything Zeus had ever seen before. He seemed to be a mirage, like something pulled up from the buried depths of Zeus’s own mind.

There was a grunt and a scramble next to him. Zeus turned to see the Inuit man dusting off his shirt.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“You have blood on your pants,” Sammy said worriedly. “Is your leg hurt? You can lean on me.”

The man shook his leg and stomped his foot twice. “Nah, I’m good. Just a scratch.”

Zeus looked back to where he’d seen the strange man—but he was gone. There was nothing there now but an empty roof and the bright glare of the afternoon sun.

“Did you see him?” Zeus asked Sammy and the rescued man. He pointed at the roof. “There was a man. Right there.”

Sammy looked confused. “Huh? I didn’t see anyone, Zeus.”

But the dark-skinned man grimaced, his face knowing. “Qimmig,” he muttered.

“What?”

The man coughed, then wiped his mouth. “It’s a tribe. They’re around. They work on the big buildings. Construction, you know? Hey, thank you guys for finding me. My name’s Aput. You saved my life, dudes!”

Aput gave Sammy a hug, which Sammy was happy to reciprocate. Then Aput turned to Zeus, his arms held wide. Zeus wasn’t much of a hugger with strangers, but the man’s grin was infectious, so Zeus hugged him too.

“I have a wife and three little ones back in my village. They’ll want very much to thank you! Man, I thought I was going to die in there.” He wiped a hand across his sweaty brow, smearing dirt. And despite all his brave words, his hand was shaking.

Well, of course it was. It would be terrifying to be buried for—Zeus checked his watch—nearly seven hours since the earthquake struck.

“We’re so happy you’re alive!” said Sammy. “Are you sure you don’t need to sit down and rest?”

But Zeus was anxious to keep moving, anxious to find more people to help, maybe anxious to see that Qimmig again too. “There’s first aid and food and water at the convention center. Do you know how to get there?”

“Yeah, I do. Hey, where are you guys from?” He looked at Sammy curiously, then up at Zeus. “Not Alaskan, huh?”

“Nope, we’re from Mad Creek!” said Sammy proudly. “That’s in California. We’re the Mad Creek Search and Rescue.” Sammy turned around and pointed to his back where the name was printed in black on the bright orange T-shirt. “I’m Sammy and this is Zeus.”

“Well, Sammy and Zeus. I’ll look for you again. Okay?”

“Okay!” Sammy said. “Be careful walking to the first aid station. Watch out for glass! You wouldn’t want to fall on your ass. Ha ha.”

Man, Sammy’s jokes. Zeus didn’t find them funny, but in this case, he was pretty sure he wasn’t the only one. He moved ahead, shutting out everything but the rubble under his feet.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Review: How to Run with the Wolves (Howl at the Moon #5) by Eli Easton

Zeus loves his job on the new Mad Creek Search & Rescue team, and his inner Saint Bernard is finally being used to his full potential. When he sees a mysterious and wild-looking quickened—a dog shifter—at an earthquake site in Alaska, Zeus is compelled to investigate. Zeus falls hard for the primal beauty of Timo and of Alaska itself. Both call to his deep canine soul. But the Quimmiq pack’s laws are as harsh as the Alaskan winters, and Timo is out of his reach.

Timo’s pack of dog shifters left their Inuit village generations ago and have lived wild ever since. Not trusting the “one-skinned,” and with their numbers dwindling, the Quimmiq are on the verge of extinction. Timo is shocked to discover a whole group of “two-skinned” working as a rescue team, and he is particularly fascinated by Zeus, a gentle giant. He senses what Zeus feels for him… but it’s forbidden.

Can Mad Creek save this lost quickened clan? Perhaps—if they can learn how to run with the wolves.

PUPDORABLE!

I love this series so much but this one holds a special place in my heart.

Why, you ask?

Zeus!

Zeus is the classic gentle giant which appeals on multiple levels for me but what pulled on my heartstrings was how displaced he feels. He wants more than anything to be useful, but he oftentimes doesn't really get people and their vernacular which feeds into his feelings of being "different".

The underdogs always get to me and Zeus got to me.

But Timo is totes adorbz in his own rite. His mindset is VASTLY different from Zeus'. He's part of a pack that's been isolated in the wilds of Alaska for generations.

He's so mischievous and playful not just in his dog form either. His vivaciousness is infectious and he makes it difficult not to fall for him.

What I liked best about their relationship was how blind they both are to the way it's evolving. They're both independent and self-reliant so watching them slowly realize that they want to spend more time with each other warmed the cockles of my heart.

This is a prototypical slow burn romance with minimal sexy times which was fine by me! To have rushed would have rang of inauthenticity and I probably wouldn't have enjoyed watching them fall in love as much I did.

The voices of all the dogs/shifters in this series have been fantastic but the uniqueness of Zeus and Timo's voices was phenomenal. Never did I question whose head I was in and they both had me smiling throughout this read. Of course, I loved touching base with some of the previous Mad Creek couples. Milo is still sixteen different kinds of adorable.

Clearly, I loved this book to pieces and if you want a read that will make you want to hug it out with your kindle then you should give it a try. I hope we've not seen the last of Mad Creek but my heartfelt thanks to Ms. Easton for all the smiles these puppers have put on my face if it is. However, I'm excited as all get out about the spinoff series! Recommended!

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review + Giveaway: Falling Down by Eli Easton

Eli Easton and Signal Boost Promotions host today's Falling Down audio review tour stop! Enter to win your very own copy of Falling Down on audio!

And don't miss R *A Reader Obsessed*'s review below on today's post!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Audible US | Audible UK

Length: 7hrs 33mins

Narrated By: Michael Stellman

Cover Design: Tiferet Design

Blurb

Josh finds himself homeless at 18, but he has a plan. He'll head north on the bus to New England and spend October there for his mother's sake. She always talked about going to see the fall leaves someday. And when the leaves are done and the harsh winter comes, Josh plans to find a place to curl up and let go. It will be a relief to finally stop fighting.

Mark spent his life trying to live up to the tough swagger of his older brothers until he pushed himself so far against his nature that he cracked. Now a former Marine, he rents a little cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he can lick his wounds and figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One thing was clear: Mark was nobody's hero.

Fate intervenes when Josh sets up camp under a covered bridge near Mark's cabin. Mark recognizes the dead look in the young stranger's eyes, and he feels compelled to do something about it. When Mark offers Josh a job, he never expects that he'll be the one to fall.

The snow is coming soon. Can Mark convince Josh that the two of them can build a life together before the flurries begin?

Trigger warning: Suicidal thoughts

One is not going to get anything less from Easton other than good writing and strong feels.

Josh has had it rough in his short 18 years of life, and he’s basically given up. He doesn’t want to feel or hope or want because that will inevitably bring disappointment, and Josh has definitely had quite enough.

Mark has his own baggage as well, especially from his time served in the military. He’s got a protective and caring side to him but at the same time, he’s scared of letting others down and thus afraid to commit to anything, including telling his brash traditional family that he’s gay.

When Mark sees Josh huddling under a bridge one night, Mark can’t not help him, and what begins as lending a helping hand slowly turns into so much more. Ensue a slow burn accompanied by lots of doubt and personal struggle on both these guys’ parts. Beware suicidal thoughts, in the closet anxiety, some selfishness and at times, an inability to empathize with the other’s situation, However, when it comes down to it, Easton doesn’t fail on the emotions nor the sexy.

Narrated by Michael Stellman, I’ve enjoyed him in the past and this was no different. He brings to the fore a certain melancholy fitting for the story, and the emoting done by both Mark and Josh was pitch perfect.

Overall, if you're a fan of this author, then I doubt this will disappoint. Easton for sure can be brutal in the angst but don’t be too intimidated by the subject matter here. Though there’s not a lot of puppy and rainbows except for the wonderful epilogue, this was kinda tame in the pain factor in comparison to some of her other stuff.

Again, a solid romance with a fulfilling happy ending!

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Menu