Guest Review: Dilly and Boz by John Inman

It’s funny how love nails you when you least expect it.

Dilly Jones has pretty much given up on romance ever finding him. Boz Jenkins, his neighbor, is recently out of a bad relationship but has definitely noticed the cutie across the street. When Dilly drops a bag of donuts on the sidewalk, it sets a chain of events into motion. And suddenly both men’s hearts are lost.

But Boz’s ex is still hanging around, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get Boz back.With a brand-new romance gearing up to knock their socks off, the last thing Dilly and Boz expect is to get tangled up in a stranger’s murder. Or to find themselves fighting for their lives.

Just as they finally find happiness, their love for each other becomes the thing that threatens them the most.

Reviewer: Annery

Score another victory for the #blurbswhatblurbs camp. This was my first John Inman book, though I’ve had my eye on him for quite a while, and based on this read it won't be my last. I chose this book solely based on the cover, quite beautiful IMO, and the title that led me to believe it was a gentle romance, which in a way it is, but it’s also something deeper, and sometimes darker. Grittier.

Dilly and Boz is the story of two unremarkable people, the kind who are maybe side characters in other books, but never protagonists. Dilbert ‘Dilly’ Allan Jones is 5’ 6”, 25 y.o., skinny, klutzy, miopic, has almost pathological anxiety, and he works as the sole clerk at the Retro Record Shoppe. He’s as lonely & poor as a church mouse, having only his cat Grace for company, but yearns for even a spark of human contact. Bosley ‘Boz’ Maurice Jenkins 27, is not much more physically imposing than Dilly, and has a painful recent past, but he’s marginally better off because he’s got a stable job as a waiter, has his little dog Leon, and despite intense shyness, is willing to risk going after what he wants, which thankfully is Dilly. When these two get together it’s the beginning of a sweet, beautiful, and tender romance which makes you yearn to wrap them up in cotton wool and sprinkle fairy dust on their road to HEA. You never doubt the veracity of them as men falling in love, the scents, and tactility of their physical attraction is clearly, and to my utter delight, written from a male perspective. I loved it.

Supporting characters to the Boz & Dilly show are Leonard ‘Puffer’ Moran, Dilly’s octogenarian boss who’s rarely without a joint, and his equally, young-at-heart, girlfriend Estelle. They provide not only comic relief but a grounding in the real world, unencumbered by inhibitions or fears. I’d say they’re a sound mirror for Dilly & Boz to imagine themselves into a future of joy. So why wasn’t this a 5 star read for me? Read on.

The other prominent character is Bobby Mayfield. Outwardly he’s a poster boy for both gay & heterosexual paradigms of masculine male beauty: tall, stacked, and a former soldier. But currently he’s a methhead, with a violent, and sadistic streak who also happens to be Boz’s ex, and won’t accept that the relationship is over. While he plots, schemes, and threatens to get Boz back he snorts meth in massive quantities and has the unsexiest sex with Angel, an undocumented Guatemalan young man, who deludes himself into believing that there’s a future with Bobby. The author does a tremendous job depicting both of these characters and the downward spiral progression of their story, which is necessarily dark, but at some points I felt like it almost overwhelmed the romance part.

Though intricately woven, they form a sort of unhappy marriage. Boz & Dilly’s story is a refreshing and unexpectedly engaging romance between two ordinary guys with no billionaires, blinding beauties, (save for how the MCs see each other), or six-packs in sight. But the Bobby appearances shift it into suspense territory, and it just threw me off a bit. My other quibble is of the greedy variety. Dilly & Boz grew on me and I’d really like to know more about them. We know nothing of their families, where they came from, or where they’re going, and they seem to have no friends. It’s almost as if they just sprouted in situ. *shrug*

Regardless of my minimal complaints I’d recommend this as a nice change from the common MM romances currently in vogue, and I’ll absolutely be reading more from this author.

Review: Larry Boots, Exterminator by John Inman

Kenny Long is living a new life. Blinded in an accident, he has taken control of his unexpected reality the best way he can, and it’s working out better than he hoped.

Of course Larry Boots doesn’t know any of that. All he sees is a beautiful man sitting on a park bench.

Larry has a few problems of his own: his mother. His job. The lack of romance in his life.

His job. In the course of that job, Larry strikes up a friendship with Kenny. The next thing he knows, he’s so head-over-heels in love, even his mother doesn’t seem so bad. Of course his career is still a problem, but he’s working on that. Hopefully he’ll have the problem resolved before the man he’s being paid to murder succeeds in murdering him first.

And before the man he loves finds out he’s a cold-blooded killer.

This John Inman mashup was such a treat. Any Inman-phile knows he writes 5 heart books in a multitude of genres and Larry Boots, Exterminator brings together two of my favorites, sweet, sweet romance and horror. It really doesn’t get much better than that for me.

I wasn’t sure how this was all going to come together, the dichotomous paths the author wanted to bring together (based on the blurb), merging them sounded like an awkward impossibility. But of course, it wasn’t and the two pieces melded together perfectly.

Larry is an assassin (don’t call him that, he hates it), but he’s dedicated his life to delivering justice to those who were let down by the system. He’s living to avenge others in his twin brothers name. His brother was the victim of a violent crime and in his “honor” he’s turned into a vigilante. He’s a good bad guy though, he’s likable and sympathetic. He loves his crazy mama and his two dogs, he falls in love with Kenny.

Kenny is a teacher at the blind center in San Diego. He lost his sight in an accident a few years prior and has since relearned how to live his life and support himself. He’s such a sweet man wearing his little sweater vests and bowties, I couldn’t help but fall for him myself as Larry described him and got to know him.

They have a very interesting meet-cute in the park one day. Kenny is there to sit in the sunshine on a park bench and enjoy his lunch. Larry is up in a tree scouting out his next mark. Larry climbs down from said tree and the two strike up a slightly flirtatious exchange. If you didn’t know what Larry did for a living, it would just seem like a set up to a love story that I wanted to read. But, and this is a big but, Larry kills people for a living and there’s really no way to just kind of forget that’s a thing.

Told from Larry’s point of view, he was either practicing his chosen profession or falling in love with Kenny.When Larry was with Kenny I was completely wrapped up in that part of the story. Then the page would flip and Larry would be back to work. Larry’s clients and their stories were truly heartbreaking, so there was a gamut of emotions to run throughout the book. The warm fuzzies with Kenny and the frustrating hopelessness of the families put the reader through the wringer. The author brought the two pieces of the story so well, he really made them mesh in a way that made me buy into every nuance of it.

And then 80% happened. Up until this point Larry’s work and his personal life were pretty well separated, never the twain shall meet. Larry’s lastest mark makes him uncomfortable, he seems to have put his eye on Larry, but Larry can’t be sure. Does he think that because he’s falling in love and finally has someone else to worry about or is this guy really wise to him? Insert tension here.

At 80% Larry is off to do his job, leaving Kenny home alone. That’s all I’m going to say because I want you to ride the tension wave like I did. I loved and hated every bit of the last 20%. The author is a master of the last 20%. He gets me every time and this time it was a little different. I was in romance mode, I was in love with Larry and Kenny’s love, but Larry’s pesky job was hanging over their heads and the resolution was coming. In romance mode, and in the author’s purely romantic books I would just be wallowing in the love pollen. However, Larry Boots, Exterminator has a horror element that won’t be denied so I honestly wasn’t sure how this would play out. I mean, I know what I wanted, but that doesn’t mean I was going to get it.

Larry Boots, Exterminator has so many great pieces that come together beautifully. While I loved the tension and Larry’s work life. His personality, his relationship with his mom, his reasonings, they all made for a fascinating character. But his relationship with Kenny was pure gold. The two of them together were simply lovely in their intimate moments, and not just the tingly, sticky bits, I mean the conversations and declarations between the two. Yes, Kenny was blind and vulnerable to an extent because of his circumstances, but he was also strong and fiercely independent. I loved how fully fleshed out his character was and how well he and Larry complemented one another.

Larry Boots has a permanent spot on my reread shelf. I know I’ll want to visit Larry and Kenny again.

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

Audiobook Review: Coming Back (Belladonna Arms #3) by John Inman

Barney Teegarden knows what it’s like to be alone. He knows what it’s like to have a romantic heart, yet no love in his life to unleash the romance on. With the help of a friend, he acquires a lease in a seedy apartment building perched high on a hill in downtown San Diego. The Belladonna Arms is not only filled with the quirkiest cast of characters imaginable, it is also famous for sprinkling love dust on even the loneliest of the lovelorn.

At the Arms, Barney finds friendship, acceptance, and an adopted family that lightens his lonely life. Hell, he even finds a cat. But still true love eludes him.

When his drag queen landlord, Arthur, takes it into his head to rescue a homeless former tenant, he enlists Barney’s help. It is Barney who shows this lost soul how to trust again—and in return Barney discovers love for the first time in his life.

It’s funny how even the hardest battles can be fought and won with laughter, hugs, friends, plus a little faith in the goodness of others. All it takes to begin the healing is the simple act of coming back.

Narrator: Shawn Hertel
Listening Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins

I have a serious soft spot in my heart for the Belladonna Arms series by John Inman. Every time I read a new one I’m all, “ooooooh, this one’s my favorite” and then the next one comes and I do the same thing. So, the audiobooks are a real treat to revisit, because each one gets a chance to be my favorite again! Total book logic that makes sense. Don’t question it, just roll with it.

The series is set in my hometown of San Diego which is an added bonus since I can picture every locale the author describes and he describes San Diego very well. Belladonna Arms feels like home when you get invited in, as terrible as it sounds aesthetically, the Arms are home to those who need the love pollen, and the Arms delivers.

While I may be fickle with my favoriting, in all honesty, Coming Back is probably my favorite of the Belladonna Arms series. The characters are extra deserving of the pollen, and the arc spans from books one through three, heavier on the one and three.

Barney is an unassuming everyman, he’s relatable and kind and I couldn’t help but want the best for him from the moment he moved in. He and Arthur, the resident owner/landlord/drag queen extraordinaire, bond from the moment they meet and it’s a perfect friendship for what Arthur ends up planning to bring an original member of the Arms back to the fold.

Arthur has shenanigans planned, he always seems to, and he’s his altruistic self wrapped in yards of organza and feathered boas gets Barney in on his plans. Coming Back is more than just a meet-cute and romance, it’s redemption and second chances and it has a depth beyond rom-com that I appreciated on every level.

I don’t want to go into too much detail, because spoilers and all (even though you can read every other review by now and figure out who comes back home), suffice it to say, Coming Back is everything you want in a redemption, second chance, first romance story. There’s laughs, a little bit of angst and lots of love. Coming Back delivers a John Inman trait that I love. He doesn’t wait until the very end to bring his MC’s together and that is one of the things that makes him a go-to/auto-buy author for me. I get to see the MC’s as individuals and as a couple, I get to get lots of time with them together as they grow and it makes me buy into an HEA easily.

The audiobooks from the Belladonna Arms series have different narrators for each story. I actually love that they’re all different, it gives each story its own voice, both literally and figuratively. Each one has been a great fit and Coming Back is right in line with the first two. This is the first time I’ve listened to Shawn Hertel narrate and he has Barney down perfectly. And his Arthur is spot in. I liked his tone very much, he was just enough without being too much all the way through.

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

Review: Ginger Snaps (Belladonna Arms #5) by John Inman

Even with a string of earthquakes jarring the tenants of the Belladonna Arms, rattling nerves and smashing dishes, life still manages to plod along as usual. Love pollen continues to fall, romances continue to flourish, and Arthur, the grand Pooh-bah in residence, continues to plan his upcoming wedding extravaganza. 

In the midst of all this drama fall Gideon Chase and Reed Kelly, two redheaded losers at love who find themselves regrouping under the auspices of the most incorrigible matchmaker in heels. 

Arthur sees hope for the two right away. He leases them adjoining apartments, then continually tweaks their budding friendship in the hope it will slip into love. Just as Arthur’s plans are coming along nicely, Reed’s past shows up to toss a monkey wrench into his and Gideon’s blossoming romance.

With Arthur’s wedding ceremony nigh, and Reed and Gideon on the verge of heartache yet again, Arthur faces one inescapable conclusion.

It will take more than love pollen to sort this mess out.

I don’t know anyone who has visited the Belladonna Arms series and not wanted to stay forever. The Love Pollen gets to everyone whether they want it to or not, and it especially seems to stick most firmly to those who don’t want it, which is always more fun for me as a reader. There’s nothing like reading about a character unlucky in love, down on romance and anti-Cupid to then have them meet Auntie Arthur who love pollens the hell out of them until they became a sappy puddle of goo. I love the goo, it’s my favorite part of the Belladonna Arms.

The couple in the fifth installment of the series are both “failures” at love when they move into the Arms. Gideon has been spectacularly dumped by his douchebag of an ex and is left with nothing but his car, laptop and a small sampling of questionable clothing. Our other MC, Reed has recently come to the revelation that he needs to live as his authentic self, a gay man, and he can no longer keep up the charade of a happy hetero marriage. The two have little in common besides the unlucky in love part and the fact that they are both a couple of ginger peaches.

They both proclaim to not be attracted to gingers but we the readers know from the get-go that these two are lying liars who lie about that subject. I think these two MC’s, well mostly Reed, had more emotional baggage moving into the arms than previous characters. And I’m not talking Ramon level external-forces issues, I mean internal baggage where he needs to figure out who he is in his own skin so that he can learn how to love himself and love a man how they both deserve to be loved. It’s a tough road for Reed because he’s a really good guy, so he feels a tremendous amount of guilt for the hurt he put his wife through and it weighs on him understandably. Gideon has been his authentic self forever and he’s a good fit for Reed. He asks Reed the hard questions and with a gentle, but firm touch, pushes Reed out of his shell. Reed feels happier than he ever had in his adult life and he credits Gideon for getting him there.

They agree to a friends with benefits thing, which technically is a good idea considering their not so distant past romantic entanglements, but it’s obvious the two of them are growing closer. This is where John Inman’s words shine. He is so damn good at showing the reader how two characters come together. I don’t have to be told that they are falling in love, I read it in every interaction and inner musing both in and out of the bedroom.

Throughout the time of the budding romance of Gideon and Reed the other tenants make welcome appearances and Arthur is planning his dream wedding to Tom. I honestly could read that whole story as a book by itself because Arthur is Arthur but with all his settings cranked up to 11. He always had one eye on Gideon and Reed though, he can never get completely sidetracked by anything that will take him away from his self imposed match making duties.

The extra baggage I mentioned previously is heavier and makes a pretty profound return to Reed’s life. This part was heartbreaking and not something I have become accustomed to in my Belladonna books. It made sense for Reed’s character though and while I wanted to punch him in the throat, I also wasn’t at all surprised at his actions. It turns out he’s not just unlucky at love, he’s also none too smart about it either. Sometimes people can take the high road too high out of misguided loyalty and that is Reed in a nutshell. Thankfully he does have his Auntie Arthur to help him get his shit together and it wouldn’t have resolved without Arthur’s interference. Now granted, the dramatics and the resolution were pretty sugarcoated considering, they weren’t made disposable and the author dealt with them at a level that made the whole plot point consistent with the tone of the book.

The ending was perfect and I hope it doesn’t mean the end of the Belladonna Arms series. There was nothing alluding to that but seriously, what does one do after an Arthur wedding? I have faith though because as long as Arthur has couples moving in together he’ll have a vacancy or two for new residents available. I do love these character driven romances and the strength in the MC’s is the bond the author builds between them while we watch. Not every writer can pull that off well, but John Inman is a true craftsman when it comes to connecting two people in the most authentic of ways.

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

Review: The Hike by John Inman

Ashley James and Tucker Lee have been friends for years. They are city boys but long for life on the open trail. During a three-hundred-mile hike from the Southern California desert to the mountains around Big Bear Lake, they make some pretty amazing discoveries.

One of those discoveries is love. A love that has been bubbling below the surface for a very long time.

But love isn’t all they find. They also stumble upon a war—a war being waged by Mother Nature and fought tooth and claw around an epidemic of microbes and fury.

With every creature in sight turning against them, can they survive this battle and still hold on to each other? Or will the most horrifying virus known to man lay waste to more than just wildlife this time?

Will it destroy Ash and Tucker too?

John Inman’s stories run the gamut of genres and I love that there is really something for everyone. I happen to love all manner of his words and The Hike reminded me why. One of my favorite themes is horror, but I do have to be in the mood. John can write stories that will haunt your nightmares, but they are always well balanced with memorable characters. I also get that not everyone is down for the horror thing so his stories that focus more on the love pollen that gets spread are more their jam. The Hike is kind of horror-lite compared to say, Sunset Lake or Willow Man but it wouldn’t play well with the Belladonna Arms boys either. The scare level is more along the lines of Spirit or My Busboy. Any Inman fan worth their salt knows what I’m rambling on about here.

The real strength in this story is the bond between Ash and Tuck. The Hike is an angst free (I’m just talking about the relationship here, not the horror that nature becomes) friends to lovers story. There is no question from page 1 that these two are best friends on their way to more. The evolution of their relationship was a treat to read, the banter was adorable without being sappy and the chemistry was dripping off every page. Once Ash and Tuck got together the romance was sublime, seriously, not many authors can write romance the way John Inman does for me. The sweetest thing was the appreciative awe they each felt about the other, Ash planned this whole hiking vacation to have Tucker all to himself and then found out Tucker wanted the same and the realizations and confessions made me swoon repeatedly. They shared firsts that solidified their bond, the kind of things that you only share with someone you trust with your heart and the magnitude of those firsts was not lost on either of them.

As I said, Ash planned this hike to get Tucker all to himself for three weeks, neither of them are great outdoorsmen, and reading about them getting ready and setting off was pretty damn funny. They prevailed and conquered though and that in and of itself was a story. Being a native San Diegan I loved reading the setting that was basically my backyard that we camp in often. John captured the atmosphere perfectly! So, these two are hiking from southeast San Diego to Big Bear and even without the scary AF mystery, their would have been a solid story. The scare factor elevated the tale just how I like though and I ate up the gradual tension that built as Ash and Tuck got further along the trail and further away from civilization.

I think the scariest part was that what was happening could be a legit thing. Unlikely? Sure. But if I heard about it years later as an urban legend, I’d buy it. When Ash and Tuck reached the cabin I was into the book until I finished. There was no putting this thing down at that point and I loved it. I was most certainly stressed out, but the ride the author took me on was a heart pounding and heartbreaking one. The thing that kept this on the horror-lite side was that I never felt like Ash or Tuck would meet their end. Not that everyone made it home, but I felt pretty solid that those two would be find and honestly when you’re reading a horror tale, that’s all you can ask for with your MC’s.

The Hike isn’t a sequel kind of story, but man, I would love to read more with Ash and Tuck. I loved these two and while there were moments of extreme sadness, nature can really be a bitch I swear, there was heavy doses of romance, friendship and some humorous banter that kept me locked into this book.

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

Audiobook Review: Willow Man by John Inman

Woody Stiles has sung his country songs in every city on the map. His life is one long road trip in a never-ending quest for fame and fortune. But when his agent books him into a club in his hometown, a place he swore he would never set foot in again, Woody comes face to face with a few old demons. One in particular.

With memories of his childhood bombarding him from every angle, Woody must accept the fact that his old enemy, Willow Man, was not just a figment of childish imagination.

With his friends at his side, now all grown up just like he is, Woody goes to battle with the killer that stole his childhood lover. Woody also learns Willow Man has been busy while he was away, destroying even more of Woody's past. And in the midst of all this drama, Woody is stunned to find himself falling in love - something he never thought he would do again.

As kids, Woody and his friends could not stop the killer who lived in the canyon where they played. As adults, they might just have a chance.

Or will they?

Listening Length: 12 Hours 49 Minutes
Narrator: Austin Rising

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of John Inman and his words in all their incarnations. I can’t get enough of his love pollen in the Belladonna Arms, his charming slapstick in Shy and his ventures into the dark side in Sunset Lake. Willow Man is definitely filed in the dark column and man did I love every heartbreaking moment.

I was born and raised in San Diego where Willow Man takes place and I remember the crash that is the catalyst for Willow Man well. I was a kid at the time and my mom worked in the area. I remember the panic and the fear as we waited at home for news. This was before you googled for news so we waited. And waited. And waited. Mom came home, all was well with us personally but San Diego was shell shocked for quite a while after. I know the canyons the author writes about and every little detail hit home for me. So, needless to say, I connected with the story from the beginning.

You can draw parallels to Stephen King’s horror masterpiece, IT, as mentioned in reviews here and there, but Willow Man is not IT and is its own horror masterpiece. The flavor is similar enough in that, if you love coming of age stories and you love the classic battle of good vs. evil; you can’t get enough bittersweet love and second chances and most of all you LOVE an epilogue that throws everything you found comfort in out the window, then Willow Man is for you just as much as IT.

Woody, Bobby, the twins Jeremy and Chuck and the total badass that is Cathy are inseparable childhood friends and the author nails the dialog and interactions in this group perfectly. And that is what elevates this to a classic for me. It’s so easy to make kids and preteens terrible, unreadable, but to make them real and to root for them as hard as I rooted for this group is impressive and the connection between their childhood and adult selves is flawless.

This is the first audiobook I’ve listened to with Austin Rising as the narrator and I need to hear more from him ASAP. There was a huge range of characters to cover in Willow Man and he got them all just right. Every bit of terror and every word of love was so organic I got caught up in the story from the first line to the last listening to him read the authors words.

Willow Man is evil incarnate. The amount of detail and backstory for him was just enough to make sure all his motivations were understood, and he’s just subtle enough to keep you extra off center while you’re listening. There’s no question of his terrible words and deeds and good gravy he’s a villain to beat all villains, but he never gets campy or overdone, he made my skin crawl with what was implied as much as what was described.

The kids though. Every one of them made this story. Sure, Woody and Bobby are the cornerstones of their younger years, but nothing would have worked without all of them together. The dynamics were perfect and the transition from childhood to adulthood was seamless considering the years they missed together.

The relationship between Woody and Bobby was, in a word, beautiful. Sure, they were young, but the love they felt for one another was so, so pure. It made my heart so happy and also filled me with more dread than I should ever feel! It’s a horror story, bad things are coming, I know this as I’m listening, but dammit, it didn’t make ANY of it any easier.

Flash forward to second chances and the epic battle between good and evil, and I couldn’t stop listening. How is this going to play out, how do you defeat Willow Man, when you are literally a man down and their nemesis is inhuman? The playout was ideal. I loved how things worked for the remaining friends and the takedown of Willow Man totally worked for the environment he dwelled in and cultivated all his evil.

And the epilogue, damn you John Inman, I love and hate the epilogue sooooooooo much. The part of me that loves the love pollen hated every bit. The part of me that loves good horror reveled in every word. The epilogue had to happen, it had to be there. I had to listen to Austin Rising scare the crap out of me and unsettle everything before it was over. Thanks for that, I mean that both sincerely and sarcastically and I know that horror fans will get that without any explanation.

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

Review: Love Wanted by John Inman

When it rains, it pours. Not only has Larry Walls been evicted from his apartment, but his hours have also been cut at the department store where he works, leaving him facing homelessness.

Meanwhile, Bo Lansing, a total stranger to Larry, toils at a dead-end job as a fry cook while attending night classes to become a certified chef. When the school closes its doors without warning, leaving Bo in the lurch for thousands of dollars in tuition, his dream of becoming a chef is shattered and his financial troubles spiral.

Desperate for a new beginning, each man answers an ad for live-in help posted by a wealthy recluse, and wonder of wonders, they are both hired! Just as their lives begin to improve, a young Kumeyaay Indian named Jimmy Blackstone joins the workforce at the Stanhope mansion.

When Mr. Stanhope’s true reason for hiring the young men is discovered by one of the three, a fourth entity makes its presence known.

Greed.

With all these players vying for position in a game of intrigue orchestrated by one lonely old man and a mischievous ghost, can a simple thing like love ever hope to survive the fray?

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of John Inman’s words. His books always make me feel good regardless of their genre. Even his “horror” stories can give me warm feels and don’t get me started on the love pollen. His good guys are easy to root for, faults and all and in Love Wanted the author took that comfort I’ve come to love and presented it in a completely new and unique way.

When I first read the blurb I didn’t really know what to expect once I started reading. Honestly, this story could have gone in so many different directions and while the build-up was a little slow, actually I should say, it was “quiet”, the pace fit the story overall because I needed to read every angle and POV to appreciate all the characters fully. This story is told in a multitude of POV’s so you do have to pay attention but the story was more completely told because of the way it was written. I don’t think many authors can pull that off well, but John Inman can.

The story does not take the easy way out for an HEA for anyone and the conflict made the story much more realistic and the characters much more believable. The added option for a love interest for Larry gave a vehicle for the author to explore love and happiness from many more different angles elevating the story to much more than a love story between two MC’s and the whimsical dreams of an old man; it was a character study of love itself in its many forms.

Larry was my favorite from the get go even though he was more reserved than Bo. Then Jimmy shows up and Larry really started to blossom. While it was a love triangle per se, it wasn’t overly angsty, it was actually just more interesting. I’m not usually a fan of the triangle because I end up sad for someone, but this one really worked for me because the author dove deeply into the emotions beyond the actions.

All of my ramblings make this sound like a really serious tale, but there is a balance between the heavy ideas and the whimsical side of love and relationships. There are characters that provide the lighthearted side that the story needed mainly by way of Roger, Jeremy and Mrs. Price. I didn’t know what to make of Roger at first, I mean his ad that he placed for live in help could have been super pervy, but once you get to know the guy, you can’t help but like him and love his intentions. And his love story is just as good as Larry’s. Roger and Jeremy add the sass to the sauce and I loved it when I got to their page time.

Love Wanted is an incredibly well written and easy to read love story and it’s a perfect feel good tale that we all kind of need right now. Reading Love Wanted will remind you how amazing love can be.

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

Release Day Review & GIVEAWAY!: My Dragon, My Knight by John Inman

Danny Sims is in over his head, torn between his abusive lover, Joshua, and Jay Holtsclaw, the bartender up the street, who offers Danny the one thing he never gets at home: understanding.

When Joshua threatens to get rid of Danny’s terrier, Danny knows he has to act fast. Afraid of what Joshua will do to the dog, and afraid of what Joshua will do to him if he tries to leave, Danny does the only thing he can do.

He runs.

But Danny isn’t a complete fool. He has enough sense to run into the arms of the man who actually cares for him—the man he’s beginning to trust.

Just as their lives together are starting to fall into place, Danny and Jay learn how vengeful Joshua can be.

And how dangerous.

Hey all! So, Mr. John Inman is one seriously good guy, as anyone who has ever had the privilege to converse with him knows, but did you also know, he's very generous?? And he's very generous to YOU! We'll pick a commenter at random to win an ebook from John's backlist on April 7th, courtesy of John himself, so drop a comment with your email address below and good luck!

On to the reviewing  . . . . 

You know what would be super cool and make me super happy? If there was a channel that actually made movies I wanted to watch. It would have to be cable because there would definitely be tingly bits on screen and I’m hoping the language would be of a questionable nature. Every once in a while I’m reminded why I really want this to be a thing and it usually happens after reading a book like My Dragon, My Knight. This book would make a perfect addition to the scheduling on my fantasy network. I’d curl up on my couch in my onesie with an adult beverage in one hand and a bowl of something I shouldn’t be shoveling in my face in the other and I’d binge watch the hell out of this flick.

My Dragon, My Knight has all manner of elements that I love in a story. There were really likable characters, one that I could loathe unconditionally, second chance love and pets. I love when an author can work pets into the family organically and John Inman is a master of it. Danny is in an abusive relationship with the loathsome Josh and all the scenes with Danny and Josh together were pretty stressful. I could feel how torn Danny was, it wasn’t like Josh changed from the loving, care taking boyfriend at the beginning of their relationship to the tyrannical control freak he became overnight. I felt Danny’s hopelessness and fear grow as the story progressed. Danny’s one safe space is the bar down the street from the condo he and Josh live in. The bar in owned and tended by Jay Holtsclaw, he’s a bit older than Danny but something about Danny brings out the protective side of Jay.

Jay has heartbreak in his background and my heart hurt as his history was revealed. The two didn’t open up to one another right away, but they did build a tentative friendship and looked forward to the bit of time they did get to spend together.

As one would expect, shit got seriously real for Danny with Joshua and he had to make a break for it to save himself and his beloved pooch when Joshua went on a rampage of a proportion that even Danny hadn’t seen to that point. Danny goes to the only person he believes he can count on, Jay. Initially Danny only wants Jay to dog-sit, Danny has no way to support himself on his own suddenly and has only the clothes on his back. Jay is having none of that nonsense and the two become roomies at Jay’s secluded mountain cabin in the hills outside of San Diego.

I’m a native San Diegan, so I knew exactly where Jay’s cabin was and there couldn’t have been a better haven for these two to get to know one another, blend their furry families and heal. The environment became another character in the story for me. Jay and Danny’s time on the mountain is a story in itself and I ate up their moments together. This is way more than just one man making an escape and starting a new life. All the characters introduced had depth to them that made them integral to the plot and development of the story. Jay wasn’t just a savior to Danny at the right time, I had no doubt he truly cared for Danny and vice versa. The respect Danny showed for Jay’s past was very touching and spoke volumes about Danny’s character.

Of course, Josh couldn’t just take a big fucking hint and leave things be, crazy people don’t do that and just as things were getting cozy and happy, shit got real yet again. The pace all worked out for the best though, I mean, the second coming of Josh was inevitable but before then there was plenty of the author’s brand of romance and “bonding” that I absolutely love. The characters actually talk about their feelings and fears and it always makes me believe in the HEA between the MC’s.

When Josh does show up, it’s in a truly epic way that makes for great drama in the book and in my fantasy movie. It’s at about this time I really need to make sure my beverage is topped off. The ending is dramatic, emotional and over the top. For an ending that is going to make or break some lives, I’m not gonna lie, it was entertaining as hell to read and again, brings me back to the cable movie feeling that I love to indulge in. Josh’s destiny in My Dragon, My Knight is . . . not pretty and not realistic, but at this point I’m over reality, I want Inman’s brand of comeuppance, that’s what will satisfy my comfy couch self who at this point is sporting a good buzz and needs revenge! And, that’s what I got.

My Dragon, My Knight runs the gamut of emotions, but it’s balanced throughout and I really liked how Danny was more than just his relationships. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the whole story nearly as much if he was just that one note. While the impact Josh had on him was undeniable, it didn’t define him and I think that’s what made me able to believe in a relationship between he and Jay, I never got the impression that Jay was a convenient hero for Danny. Jay had his own history and it was given the right amount of page time so that Danny could be there for Jay too. So, get comfy, pour a cocktail and settle in, because My Dragon, My Knight is quite an emotional ride that is worth every comfort calorie you’re going to ingest along the way.


Head over to Dreamspinner Press for more information and to pick up a copy of My Dragon, My Knight.

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

Review: Acting Up by John Inman

It’s not easy breaking into show biz. Especially when you aren’t exactly loaded with talent. But Malcolm Fox won’t let a little thing like that hold him back.

Actually, it isn’t the show-business part of his life that bothers him as much as the romantic part—or the lack thereof. At twenty-six, Malcolm has never been in love. He lives in San Diego with his roommate, Beth, another struggling actor, and each of them is just as unsuccessful as the other. While Malcolm toddles off to this audition and that, he ponders the lack of excitement in his life. The lack of purpose. The lack of a man.

Then Beth’s brother moves in.

Freshly imported from Missouri of all places, Cory Williams is a towering hunk of muscles and innocence, and Malcolm is gobsmacked by the sexiness of his new roomie from the start. When infatuation enters the picture, Malcolm knows he’s really in trouble. After all, Cory is straight!

At least, that’s the general consensus.

John Inman writes in many flavors, comedy, romance, horror, drama, mystery, and he can own any of those genres. Acting Up is an addition to his RomCom flavor menu and I do so love this menu. It was a perfect escape into some fun and romance.

While Acting Up may not be the most realistic of story arcs, it is what I want reality to be and real realism is not what I’m there for when I’m reading a FluffInmantastic tale. That’s a word now, just FYI.

Malcolm Fox is a struggling actor with passable talent that he has no delusions of grandeur about. He loves it though and so he soldiers on. He and his roommate, Beth plod along in menial jobs in order to pursue their passions, they‘re young and full of snark making their banter fun to read. Malcolm is described as, and admittedly is, kinda self-absorbed, but he owns and it and he’s not a bad guy by any means.

Sure, Malcolm is pretty much all about Malcolm, but he’s never really had a reason not to be and he’s no more so than most at that age. He’s on a slow road to self-discovery and that’s what Acting Up is all about. Malcolm has never been in love so he just rolls with whom and what feels good. His world gets thrown out of whack when Beth’s hunky country boy brother, Cory, moves in with them in San Diego from his small hometown in Missouri.

Cory is made of muscles, innocence and a sweetness that Malcolm just can’t deny. He assumes Cory is straight (Cory moved to SD after breaking up with his girlfriend, so it makes sense that Malcolm would make that assumption) but all is not what it seems on that front and honestly reading about Cory and his coming out was ideal. I loved the dynamics between the two of them from the moment they met until the final page.

Cory was on his journey coming out, and while Malcolm was out and proud, he still had a journey of his own to figure out who he was as Grown-Up/Not-Selfish Malcolm. They were on two different life adventures, but their paths crossed at just the right time, making all the perfect RomCom moments happen deliciously.

Inman makes the absolute best secondary cast and they always play an integral role, especially so in his FluffInmantastic offerings. Beth, Malcolm’s roommate and Cory’s sister is awesome but even better is Malcolm’s mom. Any description I give is not going to do her justice, but suffice it to say, she’s not an oatmeal cookie mom, she’s a gin and tonic mom, I love her.

Acting Up is the antithesis book you need to have queued up after you’ve read something heavy and angsty or when real life just gets too real, that’s what I saved it for and it worked beautifully.

For more information and to get your copy of Acting Up, head over to Dreamspinner Press.

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

Review: Ben and Shiloh (Belladonna Arms #4) by John Inman

Shiloh Smart is alone and looking for a fresh start. Convinced he’s finished with love forever, he signs a lease at the Belladonna Arms, a tacky, run-down apartment building situated high on a hill in downtown San Diego.

Determined to turn his back on romance, Shiloh works hard at carving out a life for himself where love doesn’t stand a chance and staying single is all that matters.

Then his drag queen landlord’s nephew, Ben Moss, moves in. Thanks to a rumor Ben has heard since childhood of a fifty-year-old crime and a fortune in stolen money, he sets out to find the loot supposedly hidden decades ago in his uncle’s apartment building.

The minute Ben spots a kilted Shiloh toddling off to work at the Scottish restaurant up the street where he waits tables, he falls hard and fast for the aloof young redhead. Even a hidden treasure can’t compete in Ben’s eyes with the beautiful waiter with the fiery copper hair.

But even while he diligently works to break down Shiloh’s defenses, Ben doesn’t give up his quest for buried treasure. Soon, as their friendship deepens, the two young men join forces in a search for the stolen cash.

As the treasure hunt gathers steam and all the tenants get involved, Ben and Shiloh come to realize the greatest treasure isn’t buried in the Belladonna Arms at all. It’s buried far deeper—in each other’s hearts!

Greetings my fellow Belladonnians.

We gather here today to wallow joyously in the love pollen that spreads through the Belladonna Arms.

We gather to honor OTT drag queens with hearts of gold, kilts, firsts, friendships, gingers and did I mention kilts?

Given the state of our world, I really needed this story and I can always count on John Inman to give me a tale that makes me turn into a puddle of goo with the aforementioned love pollen. I’m generally not a huge fan of overly sweet stories, but John’s flavor of sweet totally works for me. The good dose of humor, snark and sexy times gives the Belladonna Arms series more personality than most. The depth of the secondary characters gives these books their appeal just as much as the MC’s and it actually seems wrong to call them secondary characters.

The whole series has great balance. Serenading Stanley, Book 1 was incredibly romantic and set the stage for the rest. Work in Progress, Book #2 and Coming Back, Book #3 in the series were just as romantic but they also tackled some heavier issues with respect while still hanging on to the hopeful romance. Ben and Shiloh circled back around to a more Serenading Stanley feel to me and it makes the overall series arc more relatable. The focus stays on the characters and the issues we’re already been privy too without getting diluted by an unnecessary amount of more drama just for the sake of it.

There are two new residents introduced in Ben and Shiloh and yes, they were Ben and Shiloh. Shiloh is a young man who has been burned by love and booted out of his two timing ex’s apartment. He’s a server at a Scottish themed restaurant, hence the kilts. The kilt is like catnip to many, myself included and it was funny to read it worked into the story line throughout.

Shiloh ends up at the Belladonna arms and under the wing of Arthur the resident landlord and drag queen. I love when Arthur meets people for the first time, it’s always amusing as hell. Not long after Shiloh settles in, Ben arrives. Ben is Arthur’s nephew and when the residents heard he was moving in there was all kinds of speculation about what he would be like. No one really expected a massive mountain of muscle with a handsome face and a sweet as pie personality though, so it was a pleasant surprise all around. Shiloh thinks Ben is a little off as one would expect from a relative of Arthur’s because it turns out there’s an urban legend about a cash trove stashed somewhere in the Belladonna Arms and Ben is convinced he can find it. Shiloh is convinced Ben is nuts. Yummy, but nuts.

The two of them get to know one another through a series of mishaps and run-ins while Shiloh is just going about his life and Ben is treasure hunting. Ben also makes it his mission to court Shiloh and I absolutely loved every moment of the wooing. Shiloh didn’t give in too easily, he was still a little gun shy about the whole love pollen thing, but Ben is a sincere and persistent persuader and soon enough the guys are on their way to building a forever type of relationship.

That’s one of my favorite things about this series, the characters don’t wait to get together until the end, they get together earlier on so I get lots of page time with them and their relationship. And the page time with Ben and Shiloh was delicious. There is no doubt that they trip each other’s triggers. The descriptions of them and pretty much everything they do was wonderfully thorough. The two are complete opposites physically and the author worked the kilts into their time together as well which will make many readers very happy. There was more to their alone time than the rubbing of tingly bits too, they were ridiculously romantic, funny and caring with one another and I needed to read that and get it into my life right now.

The mystery is secondary to the love story, but it isn’t forgotten and the wrap up was fun and it fit into the Belladonna Arms history just right. There’s HEA’s all around as the love pollen in this one was at epic levels and I’d recommend the entire series to anyone feels like they need to fall in love with love again.

For more information on Ben and Shiloh, check it out on Goodreads and over at Dreamspinner Press.

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

Anniversary Giveaway: John Inman Giveaway

Inman has come to party!

And he's made it really easy to join in!

Enter in Rafflecopter below for a chance to win an eBook copy of My Busboy, which we reviewed here!

Robert Johnny just turned thirty, and his life is pretty much in the toilet. His writing career is on the skids. His love life is nonexistent. A stalker is driving him crazy. And his cat is a pain in the ass.

Then Robert orders a chimichanga platter at a neighborhood restaurant, and his life changes—just like that.

Dario Martinez isn’t having such a great existence either. He needs money for college. His shoes are falling apart. His boyfriend’s a dick. And he has a crap job as a busboy.

Then a stranger orders a chimichanga platter, and suddenly life isn’t quite as depressing.

But it’s the book in the busboy’s back pocket that really gets the ball rolling. For both our heroes. That and the black eye and the forgotten bowl of guacamole. Who knew true love could be so easily ignited or that the flames would spread so quickly?

But when Robert’s stalker gets dangerous, our two heroes find a lot more to occupy their time than falling in love. Staying alive might become the new game plan.

***

About the author:

John has been writing fiction for as long as he can remember. Born on a small farm in Indiana, he now resides in San Diego, California where he spends his time gardening, pampering his pets, hiking and biking the trails and canyons of San Diego, and of course, writing. He and his partner share a passion for theater, books, film, and the continuing fight for marriage equality.

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Release Day Review: My Busboy by John Inman

Robert Johnny just turned thirty, and his life is pretty much in the toilet. His writing career is on the skids. His love life is nonexistent. A stalker is driving him crazy. And his cat is a pain in the ass.

Then Robert orders a chimichanga platter at a neighborhood restaurant, and his life changes—just like that.

Dario Martinez isn’t having such a great existence either. He needs money for college. His shoes are falling apart. His boyfriend’s a dick. And he has a crap job as a busboy.

Then a stranger orders a chimichanga platter, and suddenly life isn’t quite as depressing.

But it’s the book in the busboy’s back pocket that really gets the ball rolling. For both our heroes. That and the black eye and the forgotten bowl of guacamole. Who knew true love could be so easily ignited or that the flames would spread so quickly?

But when Robert’s stalker gets dangerous, our two heroes find a lot more to occupy their time than falling in love. Staying alive might become the new game plan.

Anyone who is an Inman connoisseur knows that his books are more than one note. His library includes a range of genres from comedy to angst to horror to mystery and a mashup of everything in between. In a nutshell, there is something for every reader. My Busboy falls in the funny/mystery/shenanigans categories with a sweet dose of romance that I ate up with a big ol’ spoon.

Robert is a writer with a case of writer’s block. His personal life is in the crapper and he’s a true artist with a flare for the dramatic. Not in an overt way, but more of a “glass is half empty” way. Not being an author/artist type myself, I can only imagine what being inside of their brains is like, but I like to think that many are like Robert when he’s in a state of feast or famine with the word flow. The all-encompassing passion was pretty interesting to be a part of and I liked being inside Robert’s head through his processes.

He’s got a best friend who has been in love with him forever and while on paper, Chaz should be the perfect match, Robert just doesn’t have that THING with Chaz that would make him the one. Chaz would beg to differ on that count and their friendship was a little heartbreaking but very honest. Both sides were very clear and I appreciated Robert’s clarity with Chaz even if it wasn’t easy.

Jealousy rears its ugly head when one fateful evening, Chaz and Robert hit their favorite Mexican restaurant and Robert lays his peepers on one very delicious busboy. Said busboy just happens to have a copy of Robert’s first book in his back pocket and reading about the effect that had on Robert was seriously adorable. The moment was really the epitome of the meet-cute. Chaz is less than impressed, but Robert gives very few fucks about Chaz’s opinion at that moment and makes it back to Sombrero’s to see Dario and a relationship is on its way to happening.

Chaz was sure to point out repeatedly the age different between Robert and Dario and that does weigh on Robert’s mind. Robert is not that much older, but he is pretty set in his ways and what I got out of it was that the dried up well of writing was making Robert feel and act older than his chronological age. The concern that his best work was behind him made him a tad touchy about the whole thing and best friends now how to hit those buttons, especially when they see the object of their affection turn their attention elsewhere.

Dario has an asshole for a boyfriend, very soon to be ex, and Robert ends up at the right place at the right time to provide Dario a strong shoulder and a safe place. Getting to know Dario was delicious. I loved his character. The more I read about him, the more I could see his openness and honesty as a perfect balance to Robert’s artistic temperament. While Robert would have a tendency to over analyze the hell out of something and worry a thought to pieces, Dario would cut to the chase, wrap it up and put Robert’s heart and mind at ease.

One of my absolute favorite things is John sets so many of his stories here in San Diego. We’re a big, little city and reading about it from someone who knows how to capture the mood and the setting perfectly is very satisfying. He doesn’t just keep his characters in the city either, in My Busboy, Robert and Dario head out to the high desert of San Diego and being that it’s one of my family’s favorite places to be, I was all kinds of happy and homey reading that part of the story. That whole section just melted me to pieces, it was the perfect vehicle for the budding relationship between them.

Being a relatively well know author, Robert does have himself a stalker. And this is where the mystery follows the characters. John throws in a couple of tricky deflections and a hint of his horror side comes out to play when the stalker ups his game. Especially the part with Clutch (Robert’s cat), holy hell, stress me out why don’t you John?? The stalker is both scary and sad, you have to trust me on that one and while the ending was prophetically fitting, tense and really well done, it was still realistically heartbreaking keeping the story grounded.

I need to take a moment to discuss the epilogue. All I can say, is “D’awwwwwwwww”. So many things made me happy in the epilogue and while everything was wrapped up it was done well and didn’t have an air of convenience about it. The author built everything up to that point to make the epilogue work and give me the HEA I really needed for these guys.


For more information on My Busboy and to get your copy, head over to Dreamspinner Press.

**a copy of this story was provided to BMBR from the publisher for an honest review**