Audiobook Review: Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore #2) by K.A. Mitchell

Causing trouble has never been more fun.

Eli Wright doesn’t follow anyone’s rules. When he was seventeen, his parents threw him out of the house for being gay. He’s been making his own way for the past five years and he’s not about to change himself for anyone’s expectations. For now, romance can wait. There are plenty of hot guys to keep him entertained until he finds someone special.

Quinn Maloney kept the peace and his closeted boyfriend’s secrets for ten years. One morning he got a hell of a wake-up along with his coffee. Not only did the boyfriend cheat on him, but he’s marrying the girl he knocked up. Inviting Quinn to the baby’s baptism is the last straw. Quinn’s had enough of gritting his teeth to play nice. His former boyfriend is in for a rude awakening, because Quinn’s not going to sit quietly on the sidelines. In fact, he has the perfect scheme, and he just needs to convince the much younger, eyeliner-wearing guy who winks at him in a bar to help him out.

Eli’s deception is a little too good, and soon he has everyone believing they’re madly in love. In fact, he’s almost got Quinn believing it himself….

First Edition published by Samhain Publishers Inc., December 2011.

Listening Length: 6 hours and 34 minutes
Narrator: Chet Daniel

Reviewer: Shee Reader

Quinn comes home early to find his live-in boyfriend of ten years packing up to leave him. Peter has always maintained he’s ‘straight’ despite the boyfriend his family calls his roommate. Quinn is broken hearted, or so he thinks. Meeting hot little Eli in the club and taking him home to soothe the ache, then asking him to be Quinn’s plus one to the family christening the next day isn’t his smartest idea. The baby belongs to Peter (the ex) and his wife who it turns out Peter was cheating on Quinn with. This event is a cluster-f*ck in the making! Quinn’s brilliant beer-fuelled idea that taking a hot date with him will make it clear that Quinn is in fact gay, and consequently so is Peter…

I do absolutely adore the “pretend relationship where they fall in love” trope, and this is a super example of the species! Eli can’t understand why Quinn is so involved with the ex’s family, and decides to have a little fun until Peter propositions him in the bathroom.

The set up for this story is awesome! Eli is a wonderfully flamboyant character who has had some hard knocks. I really liked him from the outset, and he is such a good fit for Quinn, even if Quinn is extremely slow on the uptake! I liked Quinn too, but my heart was for Eli. This is the second book in the series and we get to see Eli’s friends (from book 1) quite a bit in Eli's story. I do love a series where we get to check in on characters and their HEA in the next book!

There was a good deal of pace and low level angst in the story. Peter needed a serious kick up the ass but he didn’t get it. Maybe in the next book??? The HEA is lovely and worth all the drama.

Chet Daniels isn’t my favourite ever narrator, he’s pretty monotone, but he did kind of grow on me, and I didn’t hate his characterisation.

I really liked the story, but maybe I’d have loved it more if I’d been reading and not listening!

Guest Review: Space Mac by Emma Jane

Cocky escort Mackenzie “Mac” Jones has just the right type of blood so that when he steals an odd silver brooch from a client, it transports him to a strange planet. Frightened and confused—and confronted by aliens—he flees and ends up bumping into a handsome humanoid male named Teevar.

But Teevar and his companions are also on the run, and Mac finds himself embroiled in the affairs of his new friends with no idea how to get back to Earth. Can Mac and Teevar survive long enough to work out their feelings for each other? And will Mac ever see home again?

Reviewer: NeRdyWYRM

Space Fun

I had a lot of fun with this title. A rent-boy Earth guy steals something from a client that lands him in a processing center for humans in space. This was an understandably jarring experience, so the first chance Mac gets to escape what he thinks will be some horrific experimentation, he takes it.

Of course, this lands him in even further hot water as he runs into a crew of people, including his love interest, Teevar, who is also on the run. Apparently Teevar's people don't much care for the fact that he's gay or that he killed to protect himself, essentially, and he's being hunted across the galaxy doing ... slightly unsavory things with his crew in order to remain free. Sounds like fun, right?

Well, it was.

It was also harrowing in places, sad here and there, and sweet where it needed to be. There was a little slow burn UST and a couple of MCs who couldn't have been more opposite in many respects. Mac was jaded and a little too experienced and Teevar was about as shy, restrained and inexperienced as a guy can get.

However, factor in the whole we'll-kill-you-cuz-you-like-men aspect of his society (thankfully not a universe-wide issue) and it was pretty understandable and made for some interesting interactions between him and Mac.

Now, Mac was kind of an oblivious douche-bag here and there. He was so singlemindedly focused on getting back to Earth, he was a little callous about what was right in front of him. He was also a raging narcissist and kind of an ass about it, TBH. In reality, he was unlikable a lot of the time, but there was also a sense that a lot of it was a front.

So ... redemption was in the offing and that's catnip for me. I think Mac was in "flight" mode for a lot of the book and was chasing after what he thought he should have wanted without thinking too much about whether it was actually worth the effort to get back to. I mean, if I had a choice between going back to selling my ass or traveling the universe with a crew of *cough* slightly disreputable folks and a guy that really loved me (and vice versa). Well, I think I'd go for the space jam.

The crew was cray-cray. Just ... yeah, cray-cray. There was some fast-paced action, a lot of running, and more running. The plot was a little OTT, but the romantic interest element balanced it out nicely even though Mac spent all his time trying to get back to Earth and Teevar spent the same time preparing to get left behind for dead.

I liked the little bit of world-building that was included. A lot of it was on kind of a micro level, as in, they went here, they went there, they went back over here. Those places were described well in isolation.

There's a lot of space-faring worlds out there that we hear about and some beings we see in passing. The worlds have their own individual societies which are not interfered with for the most part, but many of those same worlds are part of a larger collective with a kind of universal set of laws that are enforced as it pertains to lesser beings and other worlds.

It's hard to explain because we only got hints of the Big Picture and I would have liked a lot more of that. The way I looked at it was kind of like our world. Each country has their own laws that the rest of the world may or may not frown upon, but as long as you're not Hitler, you're pretty much left alone.

Then there's countries who belong to NATO, and they have an agreed upon set of rules that are followed by their member countries for the good of all. Supposedly.

Were there problems? Sure. I said before it was a little OTT and short on Big Picture. It wholeheartedly embraced a few offensive gay stereotypes and ran with them which some might find objectionable. I felt like it was a deliberate vibe and it fit the voice of the story.

Since it was an ARC, I try not to harp too much on editing because that usually means it's not finished yet, but that has bitten me in the butt before. So ... there were some minor editing issues and the language had a definite British cant to it. There, butt covered.

Other than that, if you don't take this one too seriously, it's a lot of fun. I hope to see more of this world from the author, and honestly, more of these characters. There weren't any glaring loose ends as far as Mac making a decision—stay or go—but the ending was quite abrupt and there's a lot of room for more ... adventurous misadventures.


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An ARC copy of this title was provided for an honest review.

Review: Masc (Femme #2) by Marshall Thornton

Lionel and Dog are back in this follow-up to the Lambda finalist, Femme. Almost six months have passed and, after taking an online quiz, Lionel believes their relationship is doomed because they have nothing in common. To save their future together, the pair joins a gay bowling league and discovers that Lionel is an excellent, if somewhat eccentric, bowler.

Meanwhile, Dog gets profiled in a work newsletter. He’s excited that he’s out at work, but doesn’t immediately realize that by fawning over Dog’s masculine nature the writer was also putting down all femme guys. Lionel takes it personally, which leads the to a crisis in their relationship. Attempting to make it up to Lionel, Dog makes a grand gesture—which backfires spectacularly.

Will the two manage to put things right? And will a night in jail, a morning of drag bingo, an afternoon of day drinking, and a month of moping make things better or worse?

Masc is a solid follow up to the Dog and Lionel show. It had many of the same ingredients that were present in the first:

Sassy Lionel? Check
Clueless yet introspective Dog? Yep
Dog’s crazy family? uh huh
Over analysis of how a relationship should look? In spades.
OTT moments? Is the sky blue?

Masc deals a lot with the growing pains of a new relationship and the questions that creep up after the honeymoon phase; Questions about purpose, direction, and the longevity of Lionel and Dog's future. Lionel and Dog also have a lot of personal obstacles they have to battle before they can fully appreciate each other and the relationship they’re building. Things get shaken up when Lionel takes a relationship quiz that shows having nothing in common pretty much equates to a doomed relationship.

Unfortunately for their supposed doomed relationship, shit hits the fan even more when Dog is profiled at work. That article shines the light on biases/stereotypes/gender role issues that plague the MCs, their family, and co-workers. I’m not sure I’m all the way on board with the way Dog had to work through his issues, but I will say that I was raging for a bit during the read.

Dog and Lionel are so silly but stay true to themselves. I enjoyed it for the most part but at times I felt like I was hitting my threshold for dramatics. I was hoping that there would be more growth to the relationship but much of this book was dysfunction with a big helping of OTT. They got their HEA but the cohesiveness took a lonnnnnnnng while to obtain.

I’m not going to lie, I was a tad nervous in the beginning with Graham’s sister being on page so soon. Dog’s family drove me crazy in book one but his sister was the icing on the cray-cray cake. It’s enjoyable to *see* the growth she makes and how far his dad has come since the first book. They all grew on me and become a nice support system for Lionel and Dog.

Dramatics and OTT-ness are pretty much the M.O. for Lionel and Dog’s relationship in Femme so expect the same for this one. There are some serious issues taking place in this book with a trigger warning for sexual harassment and insinuation of past child abuse. It was nice to spend more time with Lionel and Dog. Recommended.

Review: On and Off (Memories with The Breakfast Club) by Jenna Kendrick

On
For almost a year, Doc1984 and Wallflower have been battling it out online. There's no subject they can't disagree over, no end to their aggravation with each other.

Off
Mitchell Abend and Jackson Wallach are in perfect sync from the moment they're introduced. Mitchell's never quite gotten over being publicly humiliated by a former lover, but Jackson's quiet strength encourages him to trust once again. Jackson's isolated himself after a devastating accident, but Mitchell makes him want to live again.

On and Off
Wallflower and Doc's online battles take an unexpected turn from adversaries to friends. But when one of them discovers his online friend and offline lover are one and the same, revealing the dual connection may cost him both a friendship and a chance at love.

So…

I’ll start off by saying that for the longest time I wouldn’t read novellas because I didn’t think they could pack a full story in so few words/pages. I admit that was extremely naive and have since found some AMAZING novellas by very talented authors. However, this novella didn’t follow in the same vein. It was rushed, full of insta-love, and weaksauce “angst” to finish it off.

Doc1984 (Jackson) and Wallflower (Mitchell) have been chatting online for about a year. By chatting, I mean disagreeing and debating everything (totally foreplay). On a chance encounter, they meet at a club and hit it off. Neither man knows that they are sitting and dancing with their online crush. Things progress on and offline for these men. Mitchell has trust issues and Jackson has insecurities after an accident.

All fine right? I'm a fan of the meeting-online-and-in-person-but-not-knowing-it trope. I’m also a fan of novellas. What I’m not keen on is skipping the character and/or relationship development due to the length. Prior to the club, Mitchell makes a huge deal about how it isn’t his scene, no hook-ups, etc… Yet, literally minutes after meeting Jackson we get this gem-

“C’mon, sexy. Let’s go dance before I change my mind and lead you to the nearest bathroom stall, instead.”

The rest of the book is consistent with rushing, insta-love, lack of character development, and predictable/OTT angst. I refuse to blame the length for these issues and wish more depth was present. Neat trope and premise, missed the mark in execution.

Review: Hearts and Flour by Tara Lain

Second Edition
Can a raw food enthusiast find love with a guy who bakes cupcakes?

When Micah Truveen’s devoted health-food customers start showing up with white flour, Micah wants to chew nails! To make his misery worse, he finds his yoga teacher boyfriend in bed with another guy the day before Valentine’s Day. Micah decides to drown his misery at a friend’s anti-Valentine’s Day orgiastic hookup party—and meets the beautiful Queen, a gorgeous cross-dresser who’s got Southern sugah in his mouth and the right equipment under the dress. But when the hookup turns serious, Micah has to compromise to protect Queen’s secrets from his beloved grandmother. With everything against them, can two hearts rise above the flour?


First Edition published by Etopia Press, January 2013.

I think it’s important to note that when reading the blurb I somehow missed the word orgiastic. If I had paid better attention, I probably wouldn’t have chosen a story with that being important enough to mention in the synopsis. But, I did choose it and in turn gave my best shot at enjoying it.

As the blurb mentioned, Micah is obsessed with health and eating raw. He’s extremely uptight and wants everyone else to be just as passionate about their health and consumption of shakes that smell like “fresh cut grass.” When Micah catches wind of some sugar and flour creations in the hands of his loyal customers, he nearly loses his mind.

“She looked up at him with big brown eyes. Her cheeks bulged hamster-like and the huge godforsaken cupcake she held poised in front of her face sported a large missing piece. Frosting clung to her lips like cocaine on an addict’s nose. “Mmmpfff.”

Quentin is new to town and opened a Cupcakery that’s become extremely popular. He’s kind, laid back, takes care of his grandma, and still locked in the closet along with all the dresses, wigs, and manties he adores wearing.

After breaking up with his cheater boyfriend, Micah gets invited to the orgiastic party.

“A night of meaningless sex in the name of anti-Valentine’s Day, right? Screw Cupid and all manufactured holidays.”

At this “party,” Micah meets Queen (Quentin) in all “her” red dress, blonde wig, and thong wearing glory. Obviously this is a fuckfest party so Queen and Micah waste zero time getting down to business.

“Queen’s lips came up by Micah’s ear and one hand grasped Micah’s dick. “I want you to stain me and muss me. Ride me and put me up wet, darlin’.”

Before departing, Micah gets Queen’s number so they can actually get to know each other beyond a quickie in the bathroom.

*sigh*

The rest of the book didn’t increase my enjoyment either. Miscommunication, irrational reactions, a crazy ex, and a focus on sex which wasn’t compelling enough to keep my interest left me disappointed. Quentin is from the south and for some reason has this completely affected speaking vocabulary. I’m from the south, have lived in many southern states and it felt *very* fake. Also, he’s 24 and says dear. A lot.

“Let’s not waste that lovely erection on mere masturbation, dear.”

Their conversations were awkward, and interactions cheesy. I’m talking a straight up cheesefest.

“You turn me on like a Ferrari ignition.”

Anywhoo, it wasn’t all negative. I liked Quentin’s sassy grandma. I also liked the way Micah was so uptight about the cupcakes at first. His reactions to them made me smile and I was looking forward to the epic moment when someone loosened the strings on his control. Another positive was manties… because manties!

This book didn’t work for me. There were many elements that held promise but nothing became fully realized. It wound up being ball of fluff covered in jizz from the orgiastic party while lacking anything I could sink my teeth into- besides the epic cupcakes that I’m now craving. Not recommended.

Guest Review: Blush (Uncorked #3) by Shea Balik

Raise your wine glasses high to toast the men of Dahlonia while they discover the secret to happiness – LOVE.

Fifteen years ago, Kadyn Bellamy and Valor Lee had blown any chance of building a future together. Valor had joined the CIA to hunt down terrorists and Kadyn abhorred violence. At the time, their differences had seemed insurmountable.

When Valor shows up in Dahlonia looking as hot as ever, Kadyn needs to decide if he can reconcile their divergent viewpoints. The choice wasn’t as easy as it might seem. If only the love he’d felt for Valor had diminished, he could easily walk away. It didn’t seem fair that he might have to give up the love of his life, twice.

All Valor wanted was the future he and Kadyn had dreamed. For fifteen years, his love for Kadyn had only grown. He’d known when he’d walked away from Kadyn all those years ago, it would be a challenge to convince Kadyn they could still make their dreams come true.

It was only when tragedy struck, that Kadyn was forced to come to grips with the past. With eyes wide open, he was ready to take a step into the future. He just needed to decide if Valor would be a part of it or not

Reviewer: NeRdyWYRM

Second Chance Sweetness

Shea Balik adds another installment to the Uncorked series with a second chance romance between MCs Kadyn and Valor. I will admit, I almost DNF'd this one a couple of times because of Kadyn's idiotic intransigence. I mean, I was incensed on Valor's behalf and wanted to reach in, wrap my hands around Kadyn's throat and throttle him a little while screaming, "Grow the fuck up already!"

But I'll let you experience that for yourself. Because, you know ... you really should. Just so I'm not alone in my frustration. It's been a while since I read this one and that aspect of it remains luridly vivid. Poor Valor. I wanted to throttle him, too, but only because he kept throwing himself on the proverbial sword or figuratively laying down so Kadyn could stomp all over him. Grow some pride, man! FML.

Of course it all works out in the end. There's soul searching and drama. There's some OTT ridiculousness from Kadyn and some more self-effacement from Valor until, of course, something happens that breaks the stalemate. FINALLY! Little Kadyn grows up a little and stops looking at everything with rose-colored glasses.

I mean, really, I don't want every MC to be some jaded, cynical bastard like me but come on! This guy really had his head in the sand. Deliberately obtuse. Revisionist historian. Seriously.

Yeah, I guess I'm still a little salty about that. Must come from being a military spouse. Some give all ...

Anyway, get past the bullshittery of one MC and you had a realistic love story. First loves reunited and second chances. You never forget your first, or at least you don't if they can still set you on fire years later. These guys had that in spades.

This was a good addition to the Uncorked lineup and I actually enjoyed it more than I did book 2. If you liked the others, this one is well worth continuing with the series.


More reviews by NeRdyWYRM can be found on Goodreads here.
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An ARC copy of this title was provided for an honest review.

Guest Review: Undercover by Lily Harlem

When two alpha males collide, sparks will fly.

Samuel’s job is to scrutinize the store’s customers and make sure everyone stays on the right side of the law. One sexy guy in particular has him not only hot under the collar, but filling his dreams and starring in his wildest fantasies. Yet, he can’t pluck up the courage to spark a conversation and find out if those lingering looks mean what he thinks they do.

Until, that is, a misdemeanor occurs giving him the chance to haul hot bloke into his office. The only trouble is, Samuel soon realizes he’s bitten off more than he can chew. This man isn’t going to take a reprimand lying down, no matter how much attraction is fizzing between them.

There’s only one thing for it and that’s to allow the heat between them to reach combustion point—even if it means switching, pushing boundaries and bending the rules. Undercover or not, burning desire and scorching lust can’t be ignored.

Publisher's Note: This book was previously released as part of the Right Here, Right Now anthology with Pride Publishing.

3.25 Hearts

Reviewer: NeRdyWYRM

Oh-Bee Kay-Bee

What to say? What to say? Alright. Here it is. Jettison any expectations you have for this title. Suspend all disbelief. If you have a lazy eye or an astigmatism, put an eye patch on because the eyerolling is kind of epic. E-pic. As crazy as it sounds, it was still pretty damned entertaining.

I had to forget about looking at this title as a romance short and had to instead view it through my erotica glasses. That helped immensely. There is, after all, a Very Big Difference between the two. Without that little adjustment to my perspective, the Paul Blart rent-a-cop wanna-be MC was just Too Damn Much. I mean ... flexing your ass muscles? Really? A GRAPE?! Really?!

That said, for what was basically, in my humble opinion, PWP, it wasn't bad. Like I mentioned earlier, you have to suspend disbelief a little because there were just some serious yeah-the-fuck-right moments (at least for me). But it didn't stop this short from being a fun little romp even if it was more than a little OTT and flimsy in terms of plot.

It was a whole lot of hilariously entertaining to watch/read this ridiculously macho, highly egotistical poseur slightly reminiscent (in a real-life kind of way) of Ryan Foxheart's character—from TJ Klune's stellar Tales of Verania series—fold like a house of cards. Hell, I think that was half the fun. I wanted to take the guy down a few pegs. Kind of like this:

Mm-hmm. Our other very put together MC knew just what he needed to do to take the hot air out of this vainglorious security guard who sort of drove me a little nuts. Now, without giving too much away ... it is a short story after all ... what was also cool about this little nugget was the fact that despite some of it's more obviously lesser charms, you could see that these two MCs actually could have some long-term potential if they were given the chance to shine in a full-length story. It would take a little bit of an overhaul of how at least one of the characters was portrayed because, I mean, come on! But still ... I could totally see it.

I think a successful short is one that has potential to translate to a more involved story. This one fits that criteria even though there are only so many good things I can say about it since it is severely limited by what it actually is.

So, if you want to be blown away by something unforgettably fantastic, this is probably not going to fit that mold. If you want something short, mindless, hot, and fun to pass a little time with, go for it.

More reviews by NeRdyWYRM can be found on Goodreads here.

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An ARC copy of this title was provided for an honest review.

Review: Sweet Thing (Pretty Boy #2) by Isobel Starling

French male model Simeon Duchamp has a lot of explaining to do.
Two years after a breakdown Simeon is off drugs and booze and wants to stay that way.
On his road to reclaiming his life and modeling career, Sim first needs to apologize to the man he hurt the most -his ex-best friend and object of his unrequited affection Pieter Bayer. Pieter now has a long-term partner, artist Emily Raven, with whom he shares a baby son. Sim is amazed when Pieter accepts his apology, and invites him into his family.

Closeness to Pieter sees Simeon's longing for his friend is rekindled. But then, when Simeon meets an attractive older man, Bastian Roth at an Art Exhibition, he realizes that there is a soul more broken than his, and Simeon feels compelled to help. Simeon's connection with the troubled Bastian Roth turns his world upside down. He has to decide whether to allow himself to fall for the man who wants him or pine for the man he can never have.

***THIS BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE***

DNF 44%

I'm not sure what happened here, but I just didn't connect with either Simeon or Bastian. It may have been the writing style and the shifts in multiple points of view, including secondary characters that didn't allow me that connection to the main leads.

I also had some difficulty with content. I cannot like Bastian from what I read. I know he's going through something, but from the glimpse into his past, it seemed he always had boundary issues. This is probably the biggest reason I didn't connect with him for Simeon. And why I eventually had to admit defeat.

Simeon was pretty stereotypical with his personality, and that's not fun for me. I didn't feel like he had any layers, and the story didn't delve deep enough into his actual feelings and self reflection. He was very superficial, and I got impatient for something more from him. I made it almost halfway before I decided it wasn't going to happen the way I wanted it to.

This may work for others, and by all means, do not take my word for anything. This just wasn't for me, for multiple reasons, most of which was where my headspace is at this moment in time, and my very low tolerance for a lot of problematic content in romance.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion.

Guest Review: Encore by Ruth Clampett

When shy programmer, Charlie, is dragged to a "Magic Mike” club in Hollywood by his co-workers, the last thing he expects is to be pulled onstage. But when he’s approached by Ramon, a dancer whose only focus is to bring him pleasure, something awakens in Charlie that can’t be denied.

Yet heated attraction only goes so far when one man dreams of true love and a life finally fulfilled, and the other is still grieving the one he lost, and the mistake that cost him everything.

Can a realist and a dreamer from two different worlds move forward and build a future together, or will their painful pasts keep them from fulfilling their destiny?

***This standalone is a M/M love story with graphic sex.***

Reviewer: Annika

Drama, drama, and more drama. What a mess!

It kind of feels like the author went on a crazy shopping spree for ideas for her book and then threw everything in there. She really threw anything and everything into it. And in the end it was just a mess. But maybe she was going for the soap opera vibe? I don't know, but it sure did read like one.

I never warmed to Charlie. He comes across like immature and a bit childish. Which is odd, because in a way he had to grow up overnight when he lost his parents and his sister ended up in a wheelchair due to a car accident. You'd think that after something like that, the struggles that he and his sister went through, he'd have grown a backbone. But he never did. He came across as this meek and innocent/insecure and almost child-like man. Needless to say; he annoyed me for most of the book.

Then you have Ramon who also is all over the place. Happy and bouncy, but also depressed and mellow. Kind, but also a cruel and inconsiderate. Add to it a past that he doesn't want to let go of and ones that comes back to haunt him....

I never really felt the connection between Charlie and Ramon, they never made sense to me as a couple. And even less how they started out and the insta-love/obsessive stalker vibe over it all. Nothing about the characters or the plot felt believable (or even likable) to me and I struggled my way through this book.

I won't go into the plot because most of it didn't make sense. In a way there wasn't really one, but there was still too much of it.... (Like I said - it didn't make any sense)

This was my first Clampett book, and sadly it will most likely be my last.

A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.