Group Review: Out of the Ashes (Asheville Arcana #1) by Ari McKay

In their differences, they’ll find strength—and love.

Alpha werewolf Eli Hammond returns from a fishing trip to discover a nasty surprise—five members of his pack murdered and the rest missing. He needs help locating and rescuing his pack mates, but the supernatural council in Asheville, North Carolina, turns him away.

Except for one man.

As they work together, Eli is stunned—and not especially thrilled—to discover half-elf Arden Gilmarin is his destined mate. But as Arden and his friends struggle to help Eli in his quest, Eli surrenders to the demands of his body—and his heart. They’ll need to bond together, because the forces opposing them are stronger and more sinister than anyone predicted. The evil has its sights set on Arden, and if Eli wants to save his mate and the people he is entrusted with protecting, he’s in for the fight of his life.

3.91 Averaged!

SheReadsALot - 3.75 Hearts

The inaugural read of the Dreamspun Beyond line was a success!

When I learned the Dreamspun line was branching off into the paranormal lane, I was tickled pink and curious. Curious to see what book would start off the paranormal line.

And it's werewolf and elf fluff!

And I ate it up...mostly.

I loved the world building. I am coming off a True Blood binge (R.I.P. Nelsan Ellis) and this book perfectly fit into my paranormal crave. Contemporary setting, paranormal beings are known and living in harmony...mostly. The town of Asheville is small but the paranormal community is huge. Arden is a half mage/half elf business owner in that town. When werewolf alpha Eli leaves Georgia to Asheville to ask for assistance in seeking answers for his missing wolf pack, Arden is the only being who gives Eli a shot.

Arden asks his best friends and sometimes lovers, wizard Whimsy and vampire Julian, to help Eli because he can't help being drawn to him. Ahh... fated mates score!

The conflict for the story is that a certain someone tries to deny their bond. I wanted to reach out and touch him, because dude, don't you read shifter romance. Fated mates can't be denied. It's Shifter Freakonomics 101. (You know I got an A++ for the course, right?)

The band of friends use all sorts of magic and ask other paranormals for help like angels/demon hunters and dryads. So frigging cool. And though I'm not too keen on the baddies of this series (I happen to love the horns, is all I'll say), the suspense part was fully recognized and enjoyable to read.

But I didn't full out love this.

What I didn't like as much as the play into Arden's passiveness. I love me a good ol' power bottom but was the need to play up how pretty and nurturing Arden is necessary? I wished Arden was a little more stronger and less damsel in distress--ish. He knows he's a big bad 300+ year old half elf. Why is he getting carried around when it's not necessary. I would have loved it more if he showed more why he is equal to being a werewolf's mate than getting downplayed into a submissive role. He can be a power bottom who loves nothing more than getting held down in the bedroom (or wall) but he doesn't need to be a stereotype when a man is present. You feel me?

There were a few lulls but the pacing overall was quick.

I can't wait to read more from this series. Fingers crossed for Julian and Whimsy getting their own books!


Sara - 4.5 Hearts

What a fun debut for the new Dreamspun Beyond line! It’s no secret I am a fan of the Dreamspun Desires series and when I saw Dreamspinner was expanding that line to include paranormal reads within the same formula; let’s just say I was excited. Like really excited and then I saw who the authors were for the first book and the excite was too much to handle.

I love that this is listed as not only a Dreamspun Beyond book but also the first book in the Asheville Arcana series. This book gave us just enough information and world building to intrigue the reader and pull them in wanting more of this book and the others to follow. I don’t need an info dump of world building to let me know the layout of the supernatural as they come on the page nor understand the story of fated mates. What I do want to know what new secrets Asheville has and on what side of the deck of divination they will fall.

Eli Hammond returns from a trip to find members of his pack murdered and the others missing. As pack Alpha, Eli wants answers and he travels to Asheville to ask the supernatural council for help. But none of the council wants to help him but half elf Arden Gilmarin and he sets about to help the alpha wolf anyway he can.

When Eli and Arden sit down to discuss the situation they are just a wolf and an elf until they finally touch in a handshake and Eli’s wolf perks up and realizes Arden is his mate. Eli keeps this fact to himself though literally everyone around them can see they are true mates… excerpt Arden.

I love Arden. He is pocket worthy and so damn adorable. His pull toward Eli was immediate and he was in awe of Eli’s aura and dumbfounded that no one else could see how amazing the colors were. Well, they couldn't see them because they aren’t Eli’s mate. Sigh. Arden was so clueless about Eli but I loved that he followed his feeling of simply needing to help the alpha no matter what.

...it’s a mark of an especially strong bond when a werewolf’s mate’s not another werewolf. Something about each of you completes something about the other and does it so well that things like your outsides don’t matter. It means you’re marked to do something special.”

Eli is gruff and perfect for an Alpha but he doesn’t want a mate and even if he did, the timing isn’t right for him with his murdered and missing pack members. Plus, he just never thought he’d find his mate and didn’t think it would be in someone as seemingly delicate as Arden seems but fated mates are fated and cannot be denied. The moments we get with Eli and Arden once Arden realizes they are mates were so yummy I could have eaten them with a spoon. I love the banter and the UST between these two. It was so much fun for both men to fall into their roles as mates without even realizing it. Arden is the caretaker and Eli is his protector and defender. Eli wants to push Arden away but his wolf wants to get down and cuddle with his mate. It was great to see the natural reaction both men had to one another and to see them get advice from friends to take a chance on the bond. When we, along with Eli are told how special their bond is I fell further in love with the story. But still, Eli is unsure about going all the way with Arden but he knows it’s not just his life he’s messing with denying Arden his chance at a true and fated mate and so… what’s a wolf to do.

Goodness. I feel like the biggest dork as I write this review because all these moments are coming back to me and I can’t help but smile. I seriously love that we get Eli who is like a cowboy with the way he talks/acts wrapped up in the gorgeous body of an alpha werewolf who calls his elf mate “Itty Bitty” as an endearment. Color me happy and clean up the puddle of goo I melt into when he uses that. The man is gruff but the man is sexy as all get out when it comes to Arden. And Arden, his need to take care of everyone was super sweet and the man lives in a treehouse. Need I say more?

So yeah, this book was so much fun and I love how the authors translated the Dreamspun formula into this paranormal line. We get the romance with fated mates, we get the mystery of what happened to Eli’s pack and we get a world full of beautiful supernatural beings that intrigued me and some that were mentioned briefly that made me take note and wonder.

I have to say I am in love with Arden’s mage friend Whimsy and I think I highlighted some of the best lines from the book because they were his. I, like Arden, want Whimsy to find his perfect romance and I really hope we get his story. Then there is Julian, Arden’s Vampire friend and he was so mysterious with his past and I don’t know why, but I want Julian to go back to Micah's house and meet his grandson. Can that happen? A natural born demon hunter and an elder vampire??? Please?

Anyway, this is one jumbled mess of a ramble but that seems to happen to me when I really like a book and I really liked this. I can’t wait to see whose book we get next in the series and if any of my theories – that are not bunnies – are true.

Ann - 3.5 Hearts

The paranormal genre is such a perfect fit for the Dreamspun Series of stories and I was soooooo excited to jump on the Dreamspun Beyond train. Out of the Ashes is an excellent intro to Dreamspun Beyond and the Asheville Arcana series. I could tell while reading it was the beginning of something bigger, it’s an intro to the Asheville Arcana world. I love, love, love the idea of an Alpha Wolf and Half-Elf pairing, the whole opposites attract/balance each other is a delicious trope for me in the paranormal world. Arden and Eli were the perfect representation, but maybe just a little too perfect.

Since this is the first of a series there was a lot of focus on the world building, history and secondary characters and less on the main characters themselves. While I loved them, they were a little one note and I would have loved a little bit more nuance to them so that they didn’t fit into their molds (top/bottom, alpha hero/submissive damsel) quite so neatly.

Beyond that, I really like where the story is going and I will happily revisit Asheville along with the various and sundry supernatural folks who live there. I’m anxious to see how the new dynamics work out with the realigned wolf packs and new members of the Asheville community. I want to see where the authors take Whimsy and Julian. Julian is so very contrary and his dry snark is going to make for a great tale. I hope we get to revisit Arden and Eli too. I would love to have some more time with them and get to know them both together and separately in the context of their new lives.

Tag Team Review: Ride Along (States of Love) by Meghan Maslow

Drew Nolan is a loud-and-proud mystery writer with a brutal case of writer’s block. He needs practical experience with the Baltimore police beat to get his latest manuscript to his publisher on time. When he wins a ride-along at a writer’s conference, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot… until he meets his partner.

Closeted cop Josh de Oliveira lost his family, his partner, and the respect of his unit—all for doing the right thing. Recently busted back down to patrol, he’s relieved to get a cushy assignment at the Author’s Police Institute where he’ll take one lucky writer on a ride-along. Unfortunately, his author looks like he belongs in the backseat of Josh’s squad car—long, ginger dreadlocks, piercings, and an “I would bottom you so hard” T-shirt. But there’s something about Drew Josh is having a hard time resisting.

It’s going to be a long night and one hell of a ride as opposites attract and realize they share a lot in common beneath the surface. As animosity becomes desire, they realize they can help each other out—in more ways than one.

Sara - 3.5 Hearts

Told from the dual POV’s of our MC’s, we meet Drew Nolan as he is attending a writer’s conference, the Author’s Police Institute, to do research for his next book. After winning the prestigious Edgar Award for his first novel, there is a bit of pressure from his agent and publisher for this next book to be great. While at the conference, he spots a tall drink of water who just happens to be a cop and who just happens to want nothing to do with Drew or his fabulous shirt. But when Drew befriends a fan at the conference, she steps in and comes to his rescue.

That tall drink of water is Officer Josh de Oliveira and he does have a problem with Drew, his problem is attraction to the man with the ginger dreadlocks that he shouldn't find sexy. But Josh is having a few problems at work that go back to how he dealt with his partner and late secret lover. His brothers on the force aren’t letting him forget how he handled it and Josh takes it out on Drew before he even knows him. But when Drew wins the coveted ride along drawing for the conference, he gets paired up with Josh and well, things happen.

I loved the banter between Josh and Drew. This book was lighter than I expected and I liked that the men got off on the wrong foot with one another but soon find a path they can both be comfortable on. When Drew decides being direct is the best way to handle this new deal of flirting with Josh, Josh answers with a cheeky comment about Drew’s shirt he was wearing earlier. Goodness, these two were so much fun to get to know.

After a hot and freaking sexy night together, Drew sees Josh downstairs in the hotel and gets a glimpse of how deep Josh’s closet really is. It was heartbreaking to have Drew hear that, knowing he’d been kept a secret before but while it’s an asshole move, Josh has reasons. I was so hoping that Drew would be the one reason he would stop acting that way.

I have a soft spot for boys in the closet and I felt for Josh. Both he and Drew have secrets from past relationships and how they were the secrets and neither of them have fared well from it. But part of moving forward and growing is learning to trust again and it’s a good thing neither man thinks the night there shared was even close to enough.

I like that Josh manned up and did what was right after he hurt Drew. Though it wasn’t intentional it happened and he is prepared to make up for it as long as he has to. The way he goes about it was adorable and meeting Drew’s family that way was cringe worthy yet it set the tone for how meddlesome Drew’s family is. There were times I wanted to tell them off but they love Drew and don’t want him hurt again even if what they think happened never actually happened…. Ugh.

Things move fast between Drew and Josh but there is a lot of communication between them where you can see the trust building and the romance coming fast. It was hard not to fall for these two as they became grounded with each other by their side. Drew learned that trusting someone to not keep you a secret is hard but rewarding when your trust pays off, even if your boyfriend's timing is terrible and Josh learned he can lay his troubles down for Drew to hear and he’ll not only stand by his side but fight by his side as well.

This was a low angst, sweet and fun book. I went in expecting something a bit different but am glad with the outcome. Drew and Josh just really complement each other and this was a fun read.

SheReadsALot - 3.5 - 3.75 Hearts (sliding scale)

"I expect to test out the claim on your shirt too. Just so you know."

Did you read that blurb? It has all the fixings for an incredible ride, am I right?

Ginger MC meets hot police officer while wearing the fabulous shirt above and magic happens? Sounds like a good set up but also the start of a one shot scene.

Not the case in Ride Along from Dreamspinner Press's States of Love collection. There's an actually story behind the setup, with great main characters. This isn't my first time reading Meghan Maslow, she's impressed me last year with her paranormal short, A Cobra's Charm. Of course, I jumped at the chance to read longer contemporary from her. The fact that Ride Along features a ginger dreadlocked out and proud man who would wear that shirt? It's a bonus.

Set in Maryland, ginger mystery author/grant writer Drew Nolan attends a police/author convention where he can learn police procedures and hopefully get to interact in police daily life. There was one guy who caught his ye, but the hot cop screams straight and homophone to Drew. Lucky for him, he gets to attend a ride along with hot cop aka Joao "Josh" de Oliveira.

The two do not hit off despite the attraction. Josh is in the closet due to his job, his last lover did a number on him and his life, his family all but disowned him for his sexuality and his baggage has baggage. Let's say Joao has some issues he needs to work through but he bottles it up inside. The two share a car ride, travel along Josh's beat and start off on a sorta hostile/awkward beginning. After some time, assumptions are cracked open and Drew learns about the closeted hot cop... and likes what he finds underneath the gruff exterior.

Thankfully the story is dual POV, so we get to spend equal time in the main character's head and learn their feelings. That first day might've started rough but it ends very hotly.

The sex? *pants* Josh and Drew's bodies had no problems in the bedroom and definitely knew how to speak that language of lust. Rimming fans will be happy. Someone's a power bottom and I'm not made at it in the least.

After that magical night, the story could've ended. But there was a plot, more so a self discovery for Josh. He's unhappy with his lot in life. And has been quietly dealing with the stress and harassment at his job. It's taking a toll on him. Drew helps him put his work issues to words. And Drew isn't as happy go lucky as he seems. He has insecurities from a previous relationship and overprotective, meddling family to deal with.

The Nolans. *sigh* Some might gripe Drew's family is way too nosy and protective. And they'd be right. We're talking crossing the line such as showing up uninvited and unannounced, talking about Drew as if he's still an adolescent, putting his successes down. Thankfully, backbones were discovered and a believable end to that plot point was reached.

The story is funny, low angst and sweet. A good mix like sweet and salty. It's sort of on the quieter side and most of  'angst' is more internal and if not, family/work related. There were serious topics approached: community strife, homophobia, abusive relationships that didn't weigh down the tone of the book. It read light and easy. There were some lulls like the couple would have a conversation that could have been summarized and then a scene that might've added to the discovery part glossed over. It's not a super smooth ride but I enjoyed myself and keep thinking back on Drew and Josh after finishing.

They're cute. I love their relationship and their growth. I think it's a strong point of the story. Another strong point is the setting. It's clear someone is a native Marylander, or at least knows what they're talking about. It was a great mix of romance, personal growth and a love of Maryland.

Totally will read more from this author.

Giveaway + Blog Tour: Action (A Murmur Inc. novel) by Quinn Anderson

Quinn Anderson is here today talking character names. She's also promoting her latest, Action, a contemporary MM romance involving PORN STARS!!!

Also be sure to enter the giveaway below. Good Luck!

Picking Character Names

I have trouble coming up with character names. I admit it. I tend to go for the same kind of names all the time, too. For a while, my main characters all had one syllable, four letter names: Zack, John, Pete, Evan, Kyle, and so on. I needed some variety, so naturally I turned to lists of popular baby names, but for some added fun, I also used Facebook.

Whenever I need a name, I post on Facebook saying, “the first person to comment on this gets a character named after them!” and whoever is the fastest wins! Not a bad way to get immortalized in print, right? And my followers always have a lot of fun in the comments, whether they were first or not. Some have even told me they set their preferences so that my statuses show up first, so they can snatch a spot before it’s gone, ha ha.

That’s a good reason to follow my Facebook author page, if you like! You could end up in one of my novels. 😊

Thanks for reading, and good luck in the giveaway!

Hello, everyone! This is Quinn Anderson, author of the Murmur Inc. series, and I’m here to share some inside information about Action, coming out June 5th. Stay tuned to get an inside look at what filming porn is really like, hear fun facts about this novel, and find out what’s next for the Murmur Inc. series. Leave comments on the tour posts for a chance to win a $10 Riptide Publishing gift card!

About Action

Pete Griflow is the last person anyone would suspect of being a porn star. He’s quiet, gawky, and can’t even talk to guys without turning red. But on camera, he’s a different person. In the porn world, he’s Jaden Prime, a coquettish power bottom who’s been tantalizing fans for over a year now.

Pete is in a rut, though, and he knows it. And what’s worse, his boss knows it. If he can’t reignite his passion for the biz, he’s going to have trouble paying his none-too-cheap college tuition.

When Pete is given the opportunity to star in a huge summer production, sparks fly between him and his costar, Kyle Darko. Kyle is Pete’s opposite: he’s daring, achingly sexy, and in love with the sex industry. Their chemistry is palpable on and off screen, but dating on a porn set is tricky. Even pros struggle to separate fantasy from reality, especially with a script dictating their seduction. But what’s building between them can’t be ignored, and it’s so much more than getting some “action.”

Now available from Riptide Publishing. https://riptidepublishing.com/titles/action

About Quinn Anderson

Quinn Anderson is an alumna of the University of Dublin in Ireland and has a master’s degree in psychology. She wrote her dissertation on sexuality in popular literature and continues to explore evolving themes in erotica in her professional life.

A nerd extraordinaire, she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, pop culture, and comics from infancy. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life and frequently draws inspiration from her many fandoms, which include Sherlock, Harry Potter, Supernatural, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Buffy, Marvel, and more. You will often find her interacting with fellow fans online and offline via conventions and tumblr, and she is happy to talk about anything from nerd life to writing tips. She has attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. She advises anyone who attends pop culture events in the UK to watch out for Weeping Angels, as they are everywhere.

Her favorite television show is Avatar: the Last Airbender, her favorite film is Tangled, and her favorite book is Ella Enchanted. She can often be spotted at conventions, comic shops, and midnight book releases. If you're at an event, and you see a 6'2'' redhead wandering around with a vague look on her face, that's probably her. Her favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she's not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, screwing the rules, finding the Master Sword, guided falling, consulting for the NYPD, guarding the galaxy, boldly going, and catching 'em all.

Connect with Quinn:

●     Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorQuinnAnderson/

●     Tumblr: quinnandersonwrites

To celebrate the release of Action, one lucky winner will receive a $10 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on June 10, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Audiobook Review: Snowblind by Eli Easton

Snow, steam, and secrets.

The latest snowstorm carries something unexpected to the doorstep of Hutch’s secluded Alaskan cabin: a stranger named Jude, the most beautiful man Hutch has ever seen. Jude says he’s in the area for a ski trip and that he fled a domineering lover, thinking he could make it into town. But Hutch is a suspicious SOB and treats his unwanted guest warily. The problem is Jude isn’t just gorgeous, he’s funny and smart and flirtatious.

Two gay men snowed in for three days—things happen. Really good things. By the time the storm clears, Hutch finds himself a little too attached to Jude Devereaux, San Francisco-based male model. But is Jude what he claims to be? Or is he entangled in the secrets Hutch moved to Alaska to escape?

Listening Time: 5 hrs 39 min
Narrated by: John Solo

Sweet lord, I have missed the cracky fluff that is the Dreamspun series! I *may* have gorged a teeny lil bit on this one.

oops

I couldn't help myself, though, because this fluff was primo. We have the pretty boy model in Jude meeting the strong silent type in Hutch under some life threatening circumstances in the wilds of Alaska. Hutch is guarded and gruff. He trusts no one which is why he lives between the middle of nowhere and the end of the line, but the bubbly Jude is very appealing. I started dancing a little bit at this development. You know my feels on the grumps.

Once Jude defrosts it's clear he is Hutch's opposite and seemingly into Hutch. Trapped in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm things start to heat up with a quickness. 

Sexy cracky fluff?!?!?!!? YAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DSP has said this series isn't meant to be super sexy but I don't think Easton got that memo or if she did she knew just where to stick it. Because between the flirting, the strip poker, the kitchen pounding... KITCHEN POUNDING WITH A POWER BOTTOM, PEOPLE!!!!!!!! I seriously considered licking my phone while listening to this. I refrained but it was a near thing.

Alright... I *may* have fondled it a little. We're still on speaking terms so alls well that ends well.
I had my pink heart shaped goggles going and was settling in to Cheech & Chong the fuck out of the Jutch fluff when the secret past plot twist came along and took this thing next level! 

I love suspense and action and this had both, though I don't think they overwhelm the romance. Easton did a fantastic job of showing their connection and how gaga they are about each other with the dual POVs throughout the story while keeping the plot moving forward with the action. And when the thing happened in the basement when Jude thought Hutch was a mirage...

SQUEEEEEEEPLOSIONS! SQUEEEEEEEEPLOSIONS ERRRRYYYWHERE!!!!

More often than not I had a goofy smile on my face and even a few times fist pumped the air. Because I am a dork. Their exponential levels of cuteness are my only defense. Tis true I OD'd on the Jutch fluff throughout but the ending very nearly killed me to death.  

What made this even greater was Solo's narration. He did distinct voices for all the characters with a spot on Hutch. Gawd, his Hutch was awesome-deep and rumbly. Mmmmphf. It makes for an all encompassing entertainment experience when the narrator has fun with the story and really brings it. Solo brought it and in so doing brought life to the Jutch fluff.

I do sincerely hope Easton writes another cracky fluff and if it involves Randy... *meaningful nodding* I will be a happy reader/listener if she does. Snowblind has climbed to the top of my cracky fluff faves list and I would recommend it to romance and audiobook fans. 

A review copy was provided.

See our ebook review HERE

Review: Unzipping 7D (Unzipped Shorts #2) by J.C. Long

Jordan Price is used to the boring wait in airports, given that he practically lives on business trips. He's all set for this to be more of the same, until he meets a self-described power bottom on Unzipped—a guy who happens to be in the same airport. It seems like a perfectly good way to kill time until his flight, but soon Jordan realizes that Heath, his newfound friend on Unzipped, will be taking the same flight, and the wheels in his head get spinning. Jordan is determined to test Heath's bottoming skills himself, and if he has his way, the flight will be anything but boring.

Another hot more porn than plot Unzipped Short from this author and I am not complaining one bit. Actually, these shorts remind me of the Letters to Penthouse books I used to sneak read as a young girl… did I just out my pervy side? As if that was ever closeted. *grins*

When Jordan Price is waiting to board a connecting flight for business, he gets bored of the mundane social media and decides to check his neglected Unzipped account. Unzipped is basically Grindr for this series so you get why it could be fun, eh? Anyway, as he scrolls through who is close he lands on a slim hipster with a nice cock from his nude shot and starts up a chat. When Jordan laments about his flight and where he is going, Mr. Hung Hipster informs him they are on the same flight and he’s seated in 7D… hence the title.

It was fun to get the flirty conversation via the Unzipped app and then get Mr. Hung Hipster aka Heath being a bit flustered by Jordan’s whispered compliment as they boarded as well as his audacity to ask the man in 7E to switch seats. It’s not that Heath wasn’t turned on but it’s one thing to chat on an app, even one such as Unzipped when you know nothing is going to happen and then have the dude who sent you a dick pic, seated next to you for a three hour tour, I mean flight.

“What exactly do you think we’re going to be able to do here? We’re on an airplane, for Christ’s sake. I don’t think we can have all that much fun.”

“You’d be surprised,”

“We’ll get caught,”

“Isn’t that part of the fun?”

What Heath and Jordan get up to on the plane was hot and fueled my exhibitionist needs. What they decide to get up to when they get off the plane and at the hotel was even hotter and that end? Well it left it wide open, like gaping for the possibility that these two could be something more than sex. Or at least that’s what my romantic heart hoped for because you know…

This series is fuckhot and I like that it is. I like my romance and I like my porn and when you mix those and toss in possibility, I get a nice buzz. Yup. This was a good one.

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