Showing posts with label Kate Lowell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kate Lowell. Show all posts

Review: Rise of the Alpha Squirrel by Kate Lowell


Nathan's met Vince's family, but Vince hasn't met Nathan's, and Nathan would like to keep it that way. Holy smoked almonds, what else do you do when you know how completely nuts your relatives are?

Why, you ease your man into it, by introducing him to normal shifters. Assuming you can find any.

But with a gossipy werehummingbird spreading the news, and a pair of young red pandas wreaking havoc with their fainting goat friends, Nathan’s about ready to climb into a pine cone and pull it in after him.

Then the local playboy weremoose hears about Vince, and Nathan has to find his inner alpha or the consequences will be worse than moldy hazelnuts.



"Oh acorns and apple cores"!

This unicorn is back for more weresquirrel! #TeamNathanAllDay




Kate Lowell followed up to the hilarious fluffy hit, Nuts About You, book #1 of the Nutty Romances series with Rise of the Alpha Squirrel. It is not recommended to read the series out of order.

Nathan and Vince are a couple who are finding their groove together. Nathan can't believe the hunky message therapist chose him, still is working on his self esteem issues and is trying to come to terms that Vince is cools with weres, even if he never introduced Vince any. All of that changed in book #2.
Nathan plans a romantic getaway in the woods, to camp. And meet his "people", so to speak.
"He's one of my 'people.'" Nathan made air quotes around the word.
"A hummingbird?" Vince's expression was incredulous. "You're kidding me."
"What? You can believe in a squirrel shifter, but not a hummingbird?"
The story is basically an entire day in the were-friendly camping grounds that Nathan frequents. There, the walnuts are out of the bag about his human lover and the were-menagerie comes to inspect the human that shouldn't know they exist. We're talking hummingbirds, fainting goats, moose, lizard and twin red pandas. (What's up with the red pandas popularity lately?) The couple continue to bring out the fluff and cheese in this sequel and had a lot of help in the fluff department a la the pandas and goats...they were kids! A major part of the book is dedicated to babysitting them and combating their adorable antics. And in all of that, Nathan has to fight for the man he loves against an unlikely opponent, realizes some things about himself that he didn't believe he could do until he had a reason to.

Nuts About You had a charm to it, this book I think it got saturated at parts with the fluff and cheese. I am a cheese lover myself but even I'll have to call it that this was a little heavy handed. And the couple kinda got lost with all the adorable were antics going around. Don't get me wrong, they still have their moments:
"He'd share everything with Vince. Even the hazelnuts. and the sunflower seeds.
Okay, maybe the sunflower seeds."
Cute right?

I'll admit, I'm a gamble when it comes to established couple romances. I need something to motivate me to read, and I think this story could have been cut down some. the side characters overshadowed the main players in this one. I did love meeting them, so it's closer to a win category than a loss. I just wish some of those moments were shortened. This book was about Vince meeting and embracing the were-world, which he did.

Now, while I liked this book...I think Nuts About You was slightly stronger. I think the author paid attention to the main complaints about book #1 - not enough information and a feeling of wanting more. Because this book details just about every action. And at points, repeats the same idea or statement, more than once. Thankfully, the fluff was there but I was a little lost in it.


Onto my favorite bit! I know Jude, the weremoose was supposed to be villain. And he was a dick, but he was my fave character in this book. Maybe it was his arrogance? (*shrugs*) Maybe it was because he had a fat bubble butt, which made me search for hulking muscle booty guys on Twitter? (for science) Or maybe it was with his ridonkulous line:
"Once you've had moose, you'll never notice a mouse."
(*gut laughs*)

He gets his comeuppance for that line (and more). But you always remember your first...weremoose.

Overall, I had a good time. And I like where book #3 is headed- especially if the Walls are proven to be how Nathan has made them seem to be - overbearing, crazy and wild. Good times should be had.

Recommended to unusual shifter readers who like a stick of Velveeta with their fluff and like it light and airy!




For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Rise of the Alpha Squirrel (Nutty Romances, #2) by Kate Lowell

Kate Lowell is visiting again with book #2 from her adorable Nutty Romances series, Rise of the Alpha Squirrel! #teamNathan is in the Hizz-ouse! And I'm ready to get nutted on! Kate has not only returned to promote her follow up to Nuts About You (series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment) and dropped an excerpt. She is also hosting an AMAZING  GIVEAWAY! That's right...even BETTER than the last giveaway!


Nathan's met Vince's family, but Vince hasn't met Nathan's, and Nathan would like to keep it that way. Holy smoked almonds, what else do you do when you know how completely nuts your relatives are?

Why, you ease your man into it, by introducing him to normal shifters. Assuming you can find any.

But with a gossipy werehummingbird spreading the news, and a pair of young red pandas wreaking havoc with their fainting goat friends, Nathan’s about ready to climb into a pine cone and pull it in after him.

Then the local playboy weremoose hears about Vince, and Nathan has to find his inner alpha or the consequences will be worse than moldy hazelnuts.

Pages or Words: Approximately 24,000 words
Release Date: February 25, 2016
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy





Excerpt:
“Breakfast,” Vince said and waved a hand toward the table.
It was a squirrel’s wet dream. Or it would have been, if good-enough-to-lick-all-over-then-eat Vince hadn’t been sitting on the other side of the table. Maybe he could say it was any other squirrel’s wet dream—whatever, it was the breakfast of Roman squirrel emperors.  
A pile of thick, deep brown pancakes waited for him in the center of his plate. Raspberries and shaved almonds sprawled seductively over the side of the stack, glistening with sweet, sticky maple syrup. Some of the less audacious ones hid decorously beneath the edges of a heavy daub of whipped cream, but Nathan knew they were there, waiting for him to discover them. He could see them peeking diffidently out, uncertain whether they wanted to attract his attention or not.
And the best part—the most gorgeous massage therapist in the world was sitting across the table from him, watching him with eyes that were dark in more than just the usual way. He looked at Nathan like Nathan was a maple walnut ice cream with a peanut dip. Like he wanted to lick him all over and suck bits of him deep inside his mouth...

Buy the book: 

Meet the author:

Kate Lowell lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farm house that has way more personality than it has any right to. During the winter, she spends her time dreading snow, cursing at snow, shoveling snow, and scheming ways to shove it down the kids' necks. During the summer, she prays not to have snow. :)

Kate likes to play in ALL the sandboxes. While her main genres are paranormal and contemporary suspense, she is also interested in science fiction, fantasy and--weirdly--romantic comedy. She’s willing to pay large amounts of money to anyone who can come up with a Time Turner, or find her an agreeable Time Lord to sort out her scheduling problems.

You can contact her at katelowellbooks (at) gmail.com . If you think you’d like to try writing gay romance, come visit her critique group (Link can be found at
http://katelowell.com). New members are always welcome.

Where to find the author:


Publisher: Kate Lowell
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix


Kate Lowell also an excerpt from a popular were series. Take it away Kate!

The following excerpts are taken from the best-selling series ‘A Were’s Guide to Living in the Human World’ by Finnley Lakewood, Ph.D, and Gardenner Monk, Ph.D. Please don’t tell anyone where you got this excerpt—I had to take ridiculous risks to get my hands on these books and if they found me, they’d probably eat me.


From Kids, Cubs, Hatchlings, and All

Appendix B: Night Owls vs Early Birds

Depending on your species, your child may prefer to be awake either during the day or during the night. Luckily, this appears to be a common range of behaviors for human babies as well, and thus can easily be disguised as human.

However, as your child ages, human society expects that it will conform to human societal norms—such as sleeping at night and being awake during the day. This proves no difficulty for diurnal species, but nocturnal species may have to develop a schedule of naps during the day to allow their young to at least present the appearance of a day walker.

Other options are to avail yourself of some of the services found in Appendix L: Rent a Day-Active Child. Short term rentals of a day-active species benefit both parties—the daytime species gets childcare, while the night-living species throws off suspicion on the part of their human neighbors. (Rental fees are designed to offset the costs of costuming and props necessary.)



Tour Dates & Stops: 



Get this...Kate Lowell topped her last Nutty Romances giveaway! Are you ready for the cuteness?

One lucky winner will be the owner of this plush ruby-throat hummingbird:




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Review: Nuts About You (Nutty Romances, #1) by Kate Lowell

Nathan’s been crushing on one of his regular Bulk Mart customers for a while now. In squirrel form, he sits on Vince’s bird feeders, munching on seeds and enjoying the eye candy. Until the day Vince notices him raiding the feeder…













"So, a shapeshifter, huh?"
Nathan nodded.
"And you're a squirrel?"
Nathan nodded again.
"And you don't feel screwed at all by fate?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, shifters in books and movies are all werewolves and weretigers and stuff like that. It doesn't suck being a weresquirrel?"
Nope, it doesn't suck at all.

Let me tell you, Nathan the weresquirrel is ADORABLE. I am definitely #teamsquirrel #teamNathan after reading Kate Lowell's first story in the Nutty Romances series, "Nuts About You".


Nathan is a sales clerk at the local Bulk Mart. He has a massive crush on one of his customers, Vince. Sweet, chubby Nathan gets flusters when he is around the yummy man so he spies on the object of his eye. It could be considered stalking but who is going to report a squirrel? Nathan watches Vince and munches on nuts and birdseed in Vince's yard until one day fate steps in.

The story is light and funny. The nuts puns weren't stuffed down the throat and it wasn't an excuse to just have oodles of sex. There is a plot underneath the fluffy smiles. There is an erotic moment and we get to learn each man in this short story. I still wanted to know more. I liked the hint of shifter society the author began to introduce.

The story ends with a HFN and kind of earl (81%) but there is an excerpt for the next installment of the series which will continue with the world the author created. Since I know there will be more, I won't harp on wanting more. I hope the questions I have or might have have will be answered with future books.

I liked that Nathan wasn't the run of the mill shifter. And major points for him being "fluffy", we don't normally get chubby shifters. They're usually eight pack abs and chiseled faces with mega long dongs and ten feet tall. It was nice to have normal. Well, for a squirrel shifter who had normal human quirks and insecurities.

Recommended for shifter lovers who want something light and airy with funny (and not overly cheesy)


Oh my Walnuts! Don't forget to check out this book's AMAZING GIVEAWAY today!

For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Nuts About You (Nutty Romances, #1) by Kate Lowell


Kate Lowell is celebrating the release of her latest short story, 'Nuts About You'. This is book #1 of the Nutty Romances series. The book is being released today and not only is the author sharing an excerpt but she is also hosting a giveaway for an adorable plush toy squirrel, Nutsie! (Details on how to win and Nutsie below).

Book can be read as a standalone

Release Date: January 7, 2016


Nathan’s been crushing on one of his regular Bulk Mart customers for a while now. In his squirrel form, he sits on Vince’s bird feeders, munching on seeds and enjoying the eye candy. Until the day Vince catches him raiding the feeder…

Pages or Words: 11,500 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal (Shifters: Squirrel), Romance, Urban Fantasy








Excerpt:

The best part was coming next. Nathan took an absentminded bite of the sunflower seed in his paw and hung a little further out from the feeder to get a better view. Because now, the body wash was coming out. Vince’s hand stretched past Nathan’s field of vision, returning with what looked like the Natural Sea Sponge Vince had bought at Bulk Mart a month ago. He flicked open the cap on the almond-scented body wash and spread it on the sponge. Though Nathan couldn’t smell it through the window, he knew that scent. It drove him wild—he stopped to sniff it every time he walked down the aisle, and he even had a bottle on his bedside table. Not to use, just to smell every night as he lay in bed, wishing it was Vince’s hand on him instead of his own.

There it went, the sponge traveling over all the places where Nathan would like to run his tongue. Vince started on his neck, smooth up and down movements covering his skin with a rich lather. The bubbles slid down his body, clinging in a way that made Nathan irrationally jealous of them. The sponge followed the bubbles down, making circles over the sleek chest, then crisscrossing back and forth over the flat stomach and past his bellybutton, with its narrow trail of hair leading down to—OH MY WALNUTS!

Buy the book:

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nutsaboutyou-1955968-145.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019X1MXKQ?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1071207061


Meet the author:

Kate Lowell lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farm house that has way more personality than it has any right to. During the winter, she spends her time dreading snow, cursing at snow, shoveling snow, and scheming ways to shove it down the kids' necks. During the summer, she prays not to have snow. :)

Kate likes to play in ALL the sandboxes. While her main genres are paranormal and contemporary suspense, she is also interested in science fiction, fantasy and--weirdly--romantic comedy. She's willing to pay large amounts of money to anyone who can come up with plot-bunny repellent, which she will first use on herself, then sell to LA Witt for an exorbitant price to recoup her costs.

You can contact her at katelowellbooks (at) gmail.com . If you think you’d like to try writing gay romance, come visit her critique group (Link can be found at http://katelowell.com). New members are always welcome.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008313548018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kate_Lowell
Website: http://katelowell.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7132484.Kate_Lowell


Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28219642-nuts-about-you
Publisher: Kate Lowell
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix

Tour Dates & Stops:



You could the lucky winner of Nutsie, the Stuffed Red Squirrel by way of the author Kate Lowell! Enter in the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win Nutsie wearing a bandana!!

Rafflecopter Prize: http://www.stuffedsafari.com/Nutsie-the-Stuffed-Red-Squirrel-by-Aurora-p/ar-30531.htm

This dude, wearing a bandana that reads “Oh My Walnuts!”



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