Group Review: Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton

Toby Kincaid loves being the junior librarian in his hometown of Sandy Lake, Ohio. He spends his days surrounded by books and chatting with the library patrons. He especially adores the head librarian, Mr. Miggles, who is kind, witty, knowlegable about everything, and hopelessly addicted to Christmas. Sean Miggles is also pretty cute—especially for an older guy who wears ties and suit pants every day.

But Sean keeps himself at a distance, and there’s a sadness about him that Toby can’t figure out. When Sean is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he gives up without a fight. Toby realizes that he alone can save the library—and their head librarian.

Toby will need to uncover the darkness in Sean’s past and prove to him that he deserves a second chance at life and at love too. And while Christmas miracles are being handed out, maybe Toby will get his own dearest wish—to love and be loved by Mr. Miggles.

It's an international unicorn group review! Miggles oozes Jizzmas seems to be the only agreeing consensus! 

Adam - 3.75 Hearts

Toby Kincaid loves his job as junior librarian. He enjoys the work, and he’s also got a great boss. Sean Miggles gives his all to the library, but there’s a sadness around Sean, and he keeps himself distant from Toby. The only time Toby’s seen Mr. Miggles be truly happy is during the Christmas season. But Sean’s holiday cheer disappears when his concern for a child leads to retaliation.


Toby watches as Mr. Miggles gives up in the face of humiliation and town politics. Toby refuses to let Sean be taken advantage of, and sets out to rally the troops. Along the way, Toby and Sean acknowledge something they’ve been suppressing for a while - they want more from each other.


I look forward to Eli Easton’s holiday story every year. They always put me in the holiday spirit. While ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles’ isn’t exactly the light and fluffy book that I’d expect a holiday story from Easton to be, it still delivers a good dose of romantic Christmas feels.


This book is written by a library lover for other library lovers. The romance and plot revolve around the library, and both Toby and Sean live and breath for it. There are poignant observations throughout the book on what the library means for a community, which won me over early on.

While Toby and Sean share a love for the library, they have quite different personalities. Sean is reserved and cautious, while Toby wears his heart on his sleeve. Sean had fallen for Toby throughout the months working with him, but it takes Toby much longer to realize that his admiration for his older and very proper boss had turned into something more.


The romance doesn’t really kick off until the second half of the book. It’s clear through Toby’s POV that his feelings for Mr. Miggles aren’t strictly platonic, but the two have very firm boundaries set. Toby also happens to be in a relationship with an immature and inconsiderate man. There isn’t any cheating, but Toby doesn’t break things off until the halfway point.


The romance doesn’t move forward until after Sean has baseless accusations hurled at him, which a local politician decides to take advantage of. The author handled the situation with sensitivity, but I think the story could have worked just as well without going there. It’s just a very serious topic, and I can understand why it might take some readers out of the story.


Even so, I loved seeing how Toby brought the town together to protect the library and rehabilitate Mr. Miggles.


Once Toby and Sean finally admit that they’ve got feelings for each other, the romance is just the sweet and sexy kind that I hope for in a holiday read. I really liked seeing Sean come out of his shell and let his guard down for Toby.


While the relationship might seem fast, it had clearly been building over months between Toby and Sean. It took no stretch of the imagination to understand why they fell for each other, and it was easy to root for the two.


Overall, ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles’ is a very enjoyable and romantic holiday read. It takes a while for the romance to get going, but it doesn’t disappoint. Recommended if you’re looking for an MM holiday romance with some angst!

Sheziss - 2 Hearts

A Christmassy story!

It was a decent light book, if only a lacking one. It’s well written, and the moral is positive and warm. The characters are nice, the plot is nice, the development is nice.

Super nice.

Mr. Miggles is such a good person. Toby is also the best. Everybody in town is good and the bad guys are easy to find. Very black-and-white. If you are looking for a trouble-free love story, this is the one for you.

Unfortunately, it didn’t fill me with the myriad of emotions I was expecting.

Something was missing for me here. More passion, more love. More feelings coming out of this.

It’s very decaf, very dull. Very flat.

My reasons:

1. Toby already has a boyfriend. And surprise, surprise, he’s an asshole. So fitting.
2. The plot focuses too much on the major obstacle: a legal one.
3. That means there is not much to see in terms of romance. A few sex scenes, a few “I’ve always been in love with you”, a short epilogue to say, “Yes, it worked out in the end, so no worries”.
4. It’s extremely sappy. Both characters, yes, but more importantly, the people surrounding them. I mean, I know Christmas is a sappy time in general, but there is so much sugar I can take. And here, damn, here I OD’d.

So I’m sad to say this time Eli Easton wasn’t a win. Not bad. Just average. There were times when I had to do a conscious effort in order to pay attention to the story. It didn’t call me.

Not my cuppa.

Chelsea - 4.5 Hearts


Oh I was so excited about this year's Eli Easton Christmas story! They're always so sweet and full of love! Mr Miggles is definitely all those things but the story was more serious than I was expecting. Not a bad thing at all, hence my rating, just different.

Toby has been working as Junior Librarian to Mr Miggles for the past 2 years. He’s always noticed Mr Miggles has this air of sadness that seems to follow him everywhere, except at Christmas time when he’s finally in his element. A few unfortunate incidents and accusations cause Toby to need to step up and fight for Mr Miggles and in the process he starts to see Mr Miggles as more than his boss.


I enjoyed these characters a lot, Toby was sweet and brought a subtle humour to the novel that lightened the mood when the themes could have darkened it. But Mr Miggles, wow, he is such a gorgeous character. He’s had a fair few unpleasant things happen in his life, but he’s still all about love and giving to others who have less than him. He is like Father Christmas but a sexy 35 year old, glasses wearing, book loving version.

My only downside to this book was that the romance didn’t start at all until at least 50%, it took a backseat to the story of Mr Miggles’ drama. However, Easton books have these moments, these movie moments that are just like something from a fairytale. You can feel the joy radiating from the pages and it sucks you in with a ridiculous happy grin and watery eyes. The end of this book has so many of those moments and that's why this is 4.5 hearts, because I was left feeling full of love and ridiculously happy.


This isn't as fantastic as some of Easton’s previous Christmas stories, but it still has all the elements that you love from them, just towards the end.

Find on Goodreads!

Group Review: Murmuration by T.J. Klune

In the small mountain town of Amorea, it’s stretching toward autumn of 1954. The memories of a world at war are fading in the face of a prosperous future. Doors are left unlocked at night, and neighbors are always there to give each other a helping hand.

The people here know certain things as fact:

Amorea is the best little town there is.

The only good Commie is a dead Commie.

The Women’s Club of Amorea runs the town with an immaculately gloved fist.

And bookstore owner Mike Frazier loves that boy down at the diner, Sean Mellgard. Why they haven’t gotten their acts together is anybody’s guess. It may be the world’s longest courtship, but no one can deny the way they look at each other.

Slow and steady wins the race, or so they say.

But something’s wrong with Mike. He hears voices in his house late at night. There are shadows crawling along the walls, and great clouds of birds overhead that only he can see.

Something’s happening in Amorea. And Mike will do whatever he can to keep the man he loves.

Welp. We seem to have a habit of Unicorn piling on T.J. Klune whenever he releases something. Hope he likes horns otherwise... awkward.

Unicornian Average

Sara - 5 Hearts

Holy cow and the whole pasture! This book is nothing like I have read before. I am a fan of the Klune-age but this, it’s over and beyond what I had hoped for.

It’s remarkable, really. Amorea really is one of the greatest places in the world.

The best books are the ones that make you think. The ones that challenge what you think you know and make you reach for what could be. The ones that make you, yeah… apply Occam’s razor to the story because what you think is happening, well, isn’t. Or is it? GOOD LORD. This book is a mind fuck but not in the way you think. It’s not dark or devious, it’s just psychologically intense, ridiculously intimate and amazing.

This isn’t physical… It’s intimacy, simple and easy.

You wanna know what else this book is? It’s stupidly romantic. Like head over heels romantic and not much happens physically between Sean and Mike to make that so. It’s the emotions that pour off the page and into my soul that make this romantic. It’s the idea of doing anything and giving all for love. Le sigh.

He likes books and knows sometimes, what’s on the page is nothing more than what’s on the page. That’s it. Nothing more. There’s no hidden meaning. There’s nothing to parse out.

Go ‘head and throw that idea out the window or wait, maybe marinate in it until your fingers are pruny because you know what? This book is full of twists, turns and full on “what if’s’ from page to page and it was stellar. It had me thinking of my favorite episodes from The Twilight Zone, A Stop at Willoughby to be exact, with Gart Williams and his need to escape a terrible existence. Was the stop at Willoughby Gart going insane or was it him actually finding his sanity? Would there be a connection to how I saw that episode and what I was reading? Hmm. Oh and it had me pausing numerous times to google Starling Murmurations. Let me just say, if you’ve never watched one, do it because it’s stunning to watch. But along with watching the birds dance like water in the sky, I started to read up on why they do it and the why of it; the protection and defense to put themselves between predators made me start to question everything about this book.

I don’t know how to properly review it without spoiling so I will wrap it all up with a few thoughts. Read this with an open mind. Fall in love with the hopelessly romantic romance between Mike and Sean. Take a stroll through Amorea and feel the need to go to the mountains. But most of all…don’t try too hard to figure it all out and just enjoy the slow thrusting of Klune’s words between your cerebral cortex as he fucks your brain into the mattress and turns you into goo.

Yup.

This was a good book.

Jenni Lea - 5 Hearts

How does one write a review of a book that they can’t say anything about without spoiling? I’m not sure it can be accomplished but I’m going to try.

This book was intense. A total mind fuck of a story that had me bewildered from the very first page. By the time I reached chapter two (which, by the way, was in Roman numerals thus adding to the confusion as I had to remember how to read them) I knew I was in for a serious mind melting tale. I had so many theories by the time I reached the quarter mark that my brain was starting to short out. Of course, shortly thereafter I had to toss all those theories out the window. Luckily, I have ADD and my brain thrives on chaos so I was able to give up trying to figure out what was going on and just sit back and enjoy where the story was taking me. That turned out to be the best decision I ever made, for many reasons but especially for two.

First, letting go allowed me to focus on the romance. And let me tell you, this story is sooo romantic! TJ said it was his most romantic story and I have to agree with him 100%. It’s not a romance in the traditional sense; I felt it on a much deeper level. It made me feel more than I have while reading in a long time. I was swooning almost from the beginning. These characters and what they say to each other, what they mean to each other… gah! I can’t describe it. I’m trying to come up with a comparison but I’m coming up empty. With just a look, just a “yeah”, I was a goner. I’m still thinking about it days after reading. I’m still feeling this days after reading. My heart is so full. I just.., don’t know what to say. I have the urge to find TJ and give him the biggest hug in thanks for writing those beautiful, beautiful words. They moved me.

Dammit! I’m tearing up right now just thinking about it. *deep breath* Ok, JL, get it together and finish your review. You can read the book again once you’re done.

The other main reason letting go helped was that I was able to immerse myself in the story so deeply that I felt like I was there. I let all of the words just wash over and through me and it helped me to connect with the characters to the point I felt like I knew them; like I’ve always known them. I lived in Amorea with them. I ate at that diner. I perused the shelves in that bookstore. I sat on the grass in that park and I watched the clouds go by. I was invested. I was so involved with this story that I just had to talk to someone about it. Thank everything in the world that I had a friend who read this with me because if I didn’t talk about this book I was going to explode. And we talked. We talked until we just about broke gmail. Did you know there is a limit to how many emails can be in one thread on gmail? I do… now.

So there I was, reading and talking and feeling when something happened. Something amazing happened. All it took was one word, just one little word, and it happened.

I got it.

I got it! It all just clicked together in my brain and I understood everything! I knew what this story was about! I knew what was happening and more importantly, I knew why. It was incredible! It was brilliant! I was in awe.I’m still in awe sitting here writing this review. TJ’s writing skills and his brilliant, magnificent brain are beyond contestation. I urge everyone to pick up this book. Lose yourself in the story. Feel the romance. Take a stroll through Amorea. Stop in the diner for a quick bite and be sure to visit the bookstore while you’re there. It’s an experience I guarantee you’ve never had before and will never have again.

Chelsea - 4.5 Hearts


Please please please don’t read reviews with spoilers in them, it will ruin what is fantastic about this book. If there's anything you’re anxious about, hopefully I’ll put it to rest with this review (without spoilers).

I’ll be brief because I won’t be giving away spoilers and there are lots more detailed reviews out there. I’m just going to go through a few points that I generally like to know before going into a book I know nothing about. So here goes.

1. HEA

Yes it does! Some (although not many I’m sure) would argue with that, but to me there is no way better way I could imagine this ending!! (And you get all the answers you want!)

2. Romance

The romance in this is one of those forever and ever type of loves, and it is soooooo beautiful. I craved all the scenes with Mike and Sean together and gushed like someone discovering romance novels for the first time. While the romance is prominent and constant, I still felt it was overshadowed by the mystery at times, but the mystery was so mind-blowingly engaging I didn’t mind.

3. Sex

Like all Klune books, they are not about sex but about feelings and relationships, it’s exactly the same here. That being said there is a sex scene and it’s made better for the build-up. It ends up being everything you’d what for these two, romantic, tender and still super hot!

4. Writing Style

There’s nothing like it. I was glued from the first sentence and was stuck in Mike's head until the end! Perfect!

5. How it made me feel

Now this is the important one isn’t it. I don’t like feeling stressed or anxious while reading and honestly that's why this is 4.5 and not 5 hearts, because I was anxious while reading it. That was because I wasn’t sure if there’d be a HEA though, and now that you know there is, you can enjoy the wild mind-fuck for what it is.

This made me feel lots and lots. Confused is probably the most prominent emotion. If you can just sit back, relax and let events unfold as they do it’ll be more enjoyable and it's completely engrossing. Being with Mike each step of the way was a journey I loved and will be thinking about a lot over the next few weeks.

Give the book a shot. Whether you love it, like it or can’t stand how confused it left you, Mike and Sean’s story will leave you thinking about it long after you’re done.

Optimist King's Wench - 4 Hearts

“The very essence of romance is uncertainty.”
– Oscar Wilde

True story! I was not in the mood to read this. I must’ve opened and closed it three times before I told myself, ‘let’s get ‘er dun. Daylight’s wasting!’ But that tide turned quickly when I realized I was only going to get one chance to read this for the first time and I shouldn’t deprive myself of the experience. I think that’s a testament to Klune’s writing prowess that I feel like his stories are meant to be experienced and make no mistake Murmuration is an experience. One that I’ll not soon forget and am fairly confident in it being a book people will discuss.

I’ve thought about this book for several days now even woken up at ungodly hours thinking about it. I read the blog post that said Murmuration was exceedingly romantic. I agree that the premise is the stuff of a classic romance-mostly chaste (excepting one whopper of a sex scene!) with a timeless romance trope that’s always inviting. But I think the execution of the sentiment was buried under the verisimilitude of Amorea and the white noise of Mike’s psyche. I’m still conflicted on this though because there are several swoonworthy moments. While the connection between Sean and Mike is unequivocal, there was something missing for me that’s hard to define. Maybe it’s that uncertainty Wilde speaks of? Maybe Sean’s perspective would’ve made a difference? I’m not sure. Regardless, I am rooting for them, but they didn't set up camp in my heart. Also, if you’re looking for a solid HEA you’ll likely be disappointed.

However, the cleverness of Murmuration is something I cannot ignore. It’s clear time, effort and research were put forth and those are things that appeal to me. Amorea is a halcyon 50s town with all its controlled rigidity and contrasting it with contemporary society poses a number of interesting questions. The 50s possess a winsome quality that harkens back to a simpler time where everyone was stalwart and there was a sense of inclusion, if you towed the line. There is a certain charm about the era, conservative and restrictive morals notwithstanding. But Klune making the queer community inclusive added another dimension that made it just a tiny bit tempting. I wouldn’t want to return to that sort of parochial society, but I have to say the dynamics, implications and possibilities under these particular circumstances got into my head. I wish I could go into more specifics but spoiling and you should enter into this book with a clean slate. I truly believe everyone will have a different experience or interpretation of it which gives it an irrefutable gravitas and respectability, in my opinion.

There were a couple of plot points that I’ve mostly chalked them up to foolishness and superstition, but the bottom line is I still have questions and I wish I didn’t. Another thing that needled was the repetition. I’m still a Klune neophyte and I believe this is a facet of his writing style. It worked for me in Wolfsong but here it seemed manufactured with the express purpose of convincing me just how much Mike and Sean love one another rather than allowing me to come to that conclusion on my own.

Nonetheless, the story is engaging, cerebral, held my attention and made me think which is why I think everyone should read it.

Sheziss - 4 Hearts

Beware of yourself.

Beware of the horse.

Beware of the birds.

Beware of everybody.

And everything else.

But beware of yourself first.

You can never know. The psyche works in mysterious ways.

Right?

Well, that was all sorts of spectacular.

There are moments like these in which I realize Klune is not just a good M/M romance writer. But he is a good writer. His stories show off a utter complexity formed with a layer and a layer, and a layer beneath, that they become a solid and bullet-proof cloth with apparently no effort. It just flows. They become something tangible, something real.

The book is marvelous. I was hooked and couldn’t let go. Mike’s voice is compelling and inquisitive. There are questions, questions, questions, and wrong, wrong, WRONG signs. From all directions: up and down, right and left, from the inside, from the outside. I felt chills during most of the time. It definitely put me on edge. It surely drove me crazy.

Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the most romantic story written by Klune. Moreover, what dazzled me was everything that was not love. Everything else. Like… everything in the end? I know it doesn’t speak high of the book, because chances are people wanna know whether or not this is a good romance. Well, the romance is sweet, friends becoming lovers so very slowly, trust and friendship taking an eternal meaning. Yes, I enjoyed it pretty much. But it’s eclipsed by the utter magnificence of everything else. Which is like, the most important part of the book. For me, the romance was a secondary plot, even though the MC’s motivations are truly led by this strong emotion. His decisions are driven by love at its purest sense. So I guess that’s why Klune said this was his most romantic novel. However, I also have to admit I got more love feelz in other novels of his.

I have no way to classify this story. There is no corseted genre in the M/M romance with whom I could compare this book. The blurb leads you to believe this is historical, but I dare to say that’s not it, not exactly. I’d say it’s more fantastical than historical. No, not unicorns to be seen, but believe me, very weird things happen here. You can never let your mind rest in peace, because you never know when and how the next blow will come. And I promise you this, it will come, in one way or the another, but it will. One after the other. KO after KO.

Sends shivers down my spine, body’s aching all the time...

Although you get hints and clues, you cannot entirely grasp what’s going on, and that was a powerful incentive to go on by itself.

But what a hell of a trip! This maelstrom in Mike’s head surely sucks you in. No escape.

Everything was spot-on. Every question unveiled. Every mystery unfolded. Everything was ok. More than ok. Superb. Spectacular. Mindfuck. And reaching the climax, reaching the climax, reaching the CLIMAX… puff. I mean, that ending? I admit I had issues with that last 5%. I rebelled against the idea. It didn’t sit right with me. It didn’t agree with me. So I let some time pass. I let myself ponder it. Chew on it. Sleep on it. And you know what? I like that ending more and more with each passing day. Funny that.

Visions. Voices. Hallucinations. Memories. Memories lapses. Reminiscences of a past which doesn’t begin to be understandable. Dreams that sound like experiences. Experiences which seem taken out of a dream. Surrealism. Hyper-realism.

And when the inquisitive man finally gets out of the cave… is he the wise man or is he the mad man? Will he ever be able to get back to what it used to be, to erase everything that came after that exact moment in which he began realizing there was something else, something more, something not quite right? Everything that used to be a major truth is losing its reliability. Every reference point is upside down. What to believe? What to trust? And the most important question: What is real here? What is an illusion?

Kind of creepy.

Amorea. I think it sounds like amor. Not only because of Mike and because of Sean. Sean and Mike. But because everything was lovely here. Most of the time, so much so. So much so to be true.

To be real.

Tag-Team Review: Optical Illusion (Paint #1) by Emma Jaye

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Group Review: Can't Hide from Me by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Charles Hunter’s team is on a mission to extract an unidentified ATF agent from an undercover job gone wrong. All they’ve got to go on is the rendezvous location—until Charles recognizes the ex he hasn’t seen in years. Their “simple rescue mission” is about to get a lot more complicated.

For Ángel Medina, adjusting to life after his cartel nightmare is hard enough without confronting memories of a failed relationship. All he wants is a fresh start. But when a violent stalker lashes out from the shadows, Ángel realizes his nightmare is far from over.

As the stalker’s obsession escalates and bodies start dropping, Charles and Ángel are thrown together in a desperate search for the culprit. Tempers flare and old passions reignite, drawing them back into the same turbulent relationship that once ended in disaster.

But the stalker isn’t letting go—and the next strike might hit straight through the heart.


Adam - 4 Hearts

Charles Hunter is less than happy when the undercover agent his team extracts turns out to be Ángel Medina, the ex he’s never been able to forget. Both Ángel and Charles have a lot of anger towards each other, but they’re also still undeniably attracted to one another. Neither Charles nor Ángel have ever been good at keeping their hands off each other.

Things go from complicated to outright dangerous when someone linked to Ángel’s undercover mission decides to torment him. As the stalker’s obsession escalates, innocent people get caught in the crossfire. Ángel and Charles race to find the stalker, while trying to avoid being sucked back into the unhealthy relationship that made them miserable the first time.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Cordelia Kingsbridge’s first published book. Having read a number of her slashfics, I can say without a doubt that this author knows how to tell a story, and how to tell it well.

‘Can’t Hide from Me’ definitely lived up to the expectations!

I was hooked early on. Within the first couple of chapters, we’ve got danger, high emotions, and sexual tension you could cut through with a knife.

It would be easy to dislike Ángel, given what he did to Charles and his very cocky attitude. But I thought the author did a good job of hinting at a more complex character, so I was happy to sit back and find out how the story unfolded before making any snap judgements. Plus, I loved how unapologetic Ángel was about his sexuality.

Charles was a lot easier to understand and connect to. He’s a simple man who likes a simple orderly life, and tries to avoid drama. He might not have been as exciting or intriguing as Ángel, but I got where he was coming from.

Charles and Ángel don’t hash out their issues until much later in the book. Instead, they speak through sex, because that’s the only time when they’re not at each other's’ throats. And I have to say - this was some hot sex. It’s rough, raw, and just a bit dirty. I approve!

The mystery/thriller kept me very entertained. I had an inkling about what was going on around the halfway point, however the twists and turns still kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was a bit of a clusterfuck, but I still enjoyed the ride.

It isn’t until right at the end that Ángel and Charles finally talk and figure out what they want from each other so that they can build a future together. It was emotionally draining, and I might even have sniffled once or twice. I was really happy with the outcome!

Charles and Ángel certainly get a happy ending, though it might not be a conventional HEA. But that’s okay, because neither of the two are conventional MM romance heroes.

This book has everything I enjoy - a crime mystery that kept me guessing, a complicated romance with two multi-layered MCs, and some scorching hot sex. If you’re looking for an action-packed and sexy read, ‘Can’t Hide from Me’ might fit the bill!



Sheziss - 3 Hearts

This was fun.

I expected no less from Cordelia.

The Spanish was awesome. I was close to tears with the proper use of the opening exclamation and interrogation signs (“¡” and “¿”), the syntax with the verb and noun conjugations, the use of accents, and the loving nicknames. That “cielito” made me laugh and swoon in equal parts. It’s not that I’m fond of nicknames themselves but I loved how the author made her homework and wasn’t content with online translators.

And yes, there are lots of Spanish sentences, dialogues and isolated words now and then. Not only because of the Mexican cartel, but also because of some of the “good” characters themselves speaking this language. So maybe it can be a little challenging for non-Spanish speakers but I suppose the general idea is understood.

Also, Ángel with accent! I can’t tell how delighted I’m with this.

Ángel is not an angel at all.

There were a few minor mistakes, though. A few forgotten accents. Just the sort that are easy to overlook if you are not paying attention. Nothing really important. Still, I hope they are corrected once this book is released:

Ángel shrugged. “He also had a wife an several girlfriends It was no threat to his machísmo to fuck a man the same way he would a woman.”

Correct word: machismo. But I’m not sure if machismo is the proper word in this specific context. I’d say “masculinidad” fits there, too, maybe even better. Above all after this:

Raúl didn’t respect me - his particular concept of masculinity meant he couldn’t treat me as an equal if he was going to fuck me.

Later we have:

¿Como estás?”

“Pues más o menos.”

Correct version: ¿Cómo estás?

Sometimes names have accents, sometimes they don’t. I’m not delighted with this constant changes but in USA accents tend to disappear. Anyway, there was a character (Mexican) who was called “Manuel Juarez”, no accent, but then the author mentions “Ciudad Juárez” (Mexican), with accent.

This made me laugh. Hard:

“Fucking Spanish! Says he doesn’t like not knowing what they’re saying around him. I told him, ‘Johnny, those fuckers are gonna come to America, they gotta speak American.’ You know?”

Jesus Christ.

My sentiments exactly.

Ángel was undercover in a Mexican cartel. As the toy boy of an important mafioso. Once this mafioso is killed, he’s at risk, to he asks for a way out. The team in charge of this mission is Charles’s one.

And it’s not a nice reencounter.

Charles is black. Ángel is Hispanic. I loved how naturally Cordelia describes the characters. No “coffee skin” or other ambiguous terms, just straight to the point. In my head, Ángel was white, as no further description was provided, with a mischievous glance that makes Charles nervous more often than not. I don’t know if I’m wrong but that’s how I imagine him. Charles is more serious and tries to keep the distances and the anger awake (he also has the biggest cock Ángel has ever seen, which I think is a cliché, but whatever).

I love how shamelessly Cordelia writes sex scenes. They are porny. Every time I read a book of hers, I know what I will get, and I rub my hands in advance. Dirty talk is mandatory with her. And dirty sex. In fact, I was disappointed there weren’t more hot scenes. There should have been more and longer!

Even more, I think this book should have been longer. The love department needed a deeper development. Things are doomed since the very beginning because of a past that none of them can forget nor forgive. So they don’t talk, they don’t form a bond. They fuck instead. Multiple times. Then the relationship seems finished for good after a Big Revelation, and then all hell breaks loose with the stalker taking the reins of the situation.

At this stage of the story, the MCs find out that nothing really matters, only them together. Because of the danger and the oh-my-god-you-almost-died vibes, everything is “solved”. I feel the book should have dedicated a few chapters to the “after”, to the “re-bonding”, the “getting to know each other for real”. But that didn’t happen. Or happened off-stage.

The mystery part was weak. I suck in mysteries but I figured who the baddie was once this character’s good façade makes an appearance. A pity.

So, it was an entertaining read. Not the best by Cordelia, but good enough to hold my attention until the very end.


Cupcake - 4.25 Hearts


Long ago when I was but a mini Cupcake and we still bought our Christmas trees *gasp* my parents let me (within reason) pick them out. I loved this part of the holidays. One year I picked the most amazing tree; it was fluffy without gaps and it smelled heavenly. Were I the dendrophiliac kind of Cupcake I would’ve given this tree my number; it was a good looking tree, I tell ya. After we put the lights, garland, ornaments and tree topper on it was dazzling though. I still remember that tree. And that is the best way I can describe Can’t Hide From Me. The original version was really good but the editing made it shine.

I read the original when CK was writing it and I had… issues that made me… animated at times. Mostly the so called professional behavior of the two protagonists, but I still gave that version 3.5 stars with the caveat that I’d reread it in one go and see if that changed my experience any. Then Riptide optioned it before I got a chance to download it.

I have to say whomever CK worked with they make a good team. All the things that I took issue with in the original were either omitted or expounded upon in logical and believable ways. In my experience, feds are meticulous planners and are partner/team oriented not reckless or impulsive. Not only were those things addressed but the dynamics and page time with the team were enhanced. I enjoyed the time spent with them and having those characters fleshed out more added positively to the narrative. I can always count on CK to write strong female characters and have a wide diversity of characters that aren't carbon copies or recycled.

There is a lot of water under the Charles and Ángel bridge. I feel like their back story was infused with more emotion in this version. Each of them have depth and getting inside both of their psyche's showed me just how deep the hurt they've caused one another runs as well as how deep the love between them is. The connection was plain to see in the original, but it’s stronger in this version, grander in scope somehow. Both Charles and Ángel are clearer to me as people and what motivates them. Also, I appreciated the attention given to the lasting impact of trauma. The thriller aspect was just as absorbing the second time around and I knew who the culprit was!

One thing that needed no improvement was the off the charts chemistry between them. Jimmy Crack Corn! Can CK write the sex! It’s dirty and filthy and perfect. Tongue slap your brains out hot. Every time! I don’t know how she does it. Adam and I were talking recently about how CK, HC and Hassell should have a sex off. I’d happily volunteer to be front row center for them to reduce us all to quivering, drooling, monosyllabic puddles.

I’m about to make a bold statement so brace yourselves. I think CK could rival the top MM authors in relationship development and that’s BEFORE she was published. The evolution of her character’s relationships always strikes a chord with me; they’re always realistic, lack melodramatic antics and make me invest in the couple. Worldbuilding is certainly in her wheelhouse as is gripping dialogue. *stepping off my fangirl soapbox* But more people should take notice of this author is all I’m trying to say.

I do wish there had been an epilogue but I think I am greedy just wasn't ready to say goodbye to Charles and Ángel yet.

Recommended for mystery/thriller as well as MM romance fans.



ARCs were provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews.

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Review: What It Looks Like by Matthew J. Metzger

Eli Bell is the only son of a police chief inspector and a forensic scientist. He's grown up wonky in a world that only deals with the straight and narrow -- and his new boyfriend isn't helping.

Rob Hawkes is six feet of muscle, tattoos, and arrest warrants. A career criminal and a former guest of Her Majesty's Prison Service, he'd rather hit Eli's parents than sit down to dinner with them. One wrong move, and Rob could destroy Eli -- and his family -- without a second thought.

But this isn't what it looks like.

Rob's not in control here -- and Eli's the one to blame.

One of my favorite reads of this year. This book is awesome. Period.



My first reaction when reading the first pages of this book was feeling the irresistible temptation of hitting myself in the head with a rock.

Hard.

Yes, I’ve always been a little extreme.

See, Metzger is not a new author for me. I read one of his books a long time ago, Vivaldi in the Dark, and fell in love with his style. But, for some stupid reason, I didn’t stay true to my promise, and I kept letting him pass.

Again and again.

When I finally decided to give him a chance, it was because of the cover and the blurb, which sounded kind of fun and sarcastic and the prospect of lots of sexy scenes seemed to be quaranteed.

Those were stupid motives, I do know that now.

This book is of the special kind.

Not of the shallow laugh-and-forget kind.



I can’t begin to describe how perfect this is. It reminds me of my dear Stockholm Syndrome, by Richard Rider, and that sounds the opposite of reassuring, I know. Only this is a much more balanced (and healthier) relationship. Shocking as it is, the characters really do play the part, they are really good for each other, make each other feel safe and cherished and loved and valued.



It was painfully obvious, this constant ache and yearning.

And still it was so funny and it only complied me to keep reading and reading.

I think that’s the best thing you can say about a book. That you are so into the characters’ skin, into the narrator’s voice, that your life stops existing for those hours in which everything is just… perfect.

No, it’s not yoga.

Something funny happened to me here. I’d never read a transgender story before. It’s not that I have a tendency to avoid them (but I do), but I never dared to make the big step. I supposed it wasn’t my cuppa, for the same reason mystery or cross-dressing are not my cuppa. Here I didn’t expect the topic to arise (yes, I know, I should read the blurbs more closely, but in the end I focus on what the story makes me feel rather than what it’s really about, once the doubts are silenced) so when Eli speaks the truth I was as stupefied as the next man. But everything began to make sense. The author subtly led me to the idea that something was not entirely “average” about Eli, but no explanation was provided until very far into the story. When that “little” fact was uncovered, it was a surprise, but it was not a shock.



So my cherry popped in the sweetest of ways, without me looking for it, and without forcing the situation in the least.

A few months ago I met a little boy with gender dysphoria. It was one of the most precious and profound interviews I have ever seen, I could barely breathe with what I was hearing and seeing, and it made me aware how amazing being a child psychiatrist is. It’s an art, you have to avoid all kind of explicit questions, you apparently go around in circles “guiding” the kid so to make him speak his mind by his own accord. That is the way it’s done with abuse cases, too. Inserting ideas in a child can lead to the creation of untrue facts and that can be proof enough to dismiss the whole denunciation.

Anyway, in this occasion it was the other way around. She felt like a girl. She wanted to be a Frozen princess, like half the girls her age. She wanted to have long hair in order to get it braided. All her friends in pre-school were girls. Her bedroom was pink. She said her boyish name was ok, but she would prefer a Disney girl name. She was too young to really gasp the reality of what she was experiencing but she already knew something was not entirely alright with herself.

I do know the conflict is much more meaningful than that, but the signals were there already, at such an early age. There was little doubt about it, after a whole year of appointments. Her mother was very understanding and wanted to make all the process of growing up the most natural and the least traumatic possible for the kid. She was scared but determined. The father was not that accepting. They were in divorce proceedings.

She was beautiful, and I only wanted to hug her. Not just because of some sort of maternal instinct or whatever (although I must admit there are very cute kids out there), but because immediately afterwards, I was sad. I just remembered the news of a 17-year-old trans who commited suicide a few months before because she couldn’t bear all the bullying at school. She had had the complete support of her mother and had already gone through the breast surgery, but she never managed to complete her transition.

So I felt hope that this time, this time everything would be alright. That the 17 teenager died, but that Frozen princess would come to the other side safe and sound.

Maybe I’m an over-sentimental fool, but that’s how I felt.

So this little gem was a gift in other senses of the word, too.

Harsh reality indeed, and this book doesn’t beat around the bush, which I appreciate. Eli suffered isolation if not rejection at school, and the situation at home is not ideal, either, as Eli’s parents still struggle with the fact their daughter is in fact a son. All of this takes a toll on Eli.

Rob is just the total opposite. Rob is freedom and exhilaration and acceptance.



This book is also challenging in another aspect. Eli and Rob have been together for 6 months already. I don’t usually like books with relationships that are already stable. It’s not something I hate per se, it’s just that I usually don’t feel the connection, the “je ne sais quoi” that makes it believable and vital for me. This time I didn’t need any push nor explanation, I just let myself being carried by the words, by the dynamics of this unusual pair.

I was struck by Eli’s authencity. His serenity and his self-possession, his loyalty and his fierceness, his naughtier side and his sweet words. But also his wild façace and his claws when they need to be shown, to protect what is his, and to fight everything that comes between himself and Rob, even Rob himself. He's a voice to behold. His perspective was insightful and enlightening. I particulary loved his way of being kind towards Rob but with the necessary steel beneath to dominate the situation when it goes emotionally out of hand.

Because Rob is more vulnerable than it seems. It was one of the reasons why I loved him so much.




If I adored Eli, I was even more dumbfounded by this tattooed ex-con with a cause, rough around the edges, who has not led an easy life. Bad attitude, bad education, and bad vibes rolling off him, he’s not exactly the best choice to introduce to your parents, above all when they are both on the most righteous side of the law, chief policeman and forensic specialist, to be precise. Rob won my heart with his real self, the one hidden from the world. The one Eli sees and fell in love with.

Still, that was nothing to compare with Rob’s endless devotion and surrender when I finally got to know what Eli’s ‘weirdness’ is about. Even when the mystery is unfolded, there was still so much more space and time for surprise.

Nothing is what it looks like.





These two characters are joined together with super-glue and I couldn't see the extent of that, the botton of that. Because it floods and soakes everything they touch. They loved and lived for each other and there were no limits for that.

The BDSM aspect blowed my mind. It’s pretty hot the idea of the bad guy being the submissive, whereas the skinny trans guy mandhandles him when the mood strikes. But it was even better seeing how Rob worshippes Eli with all his might. He doesn’t understand the first thing about dysphoria, why Eli is so sick of his own body beyond not liking wearing high-heeled shoes. He just knows Eli feels like that, and, as he loves Eli, that’s just reason enough to believe in him, to comply and make his dreams come true, to support him no matter what, and to bend and protect him from whoever hurts him. To cherish him even though Eli doesn’t consider himself ‘himself’ yet.



Do not expect a sappy reading here, although there are loads of gentle moments and cuddling, and I’m a sweet-cuddling junkie. I was surprised by the amount of “fucks” and “fuck you” and “fuckings” I found. If you can’t stand word repetitions, this may fed you up. It seemed a Tarantino movie or a Guy Ritchie comedy. Rob is a bad-ass from a bad-ass background, and he is not shy in demonstrating this fact, he doesn’t precisely have a mouth filter or a non-impulsive mind. The same goes to his brother Danny, an interesting character I would have liked to know more about. I didn’t mind the “fucks” as much as the mobile phone messages, which sometimes gave me headaches trying to decipher them. I’m not trained enough to read hieroglyphs, mind you.

All in all, Rob prefers rubbing his bad-guy vibes in Eli’s parents’ faces rather than behaving as a polite boyfriend would in a family dinner. But Eli doesn’t let him cross certain limits. Not exactly a tight leash to make him act as someone he’s not, but he’s not scared of keeping him in line and deal with the consequences if Rob doesn’t obey.

And sometimes Rob doesn’t behave very well.



But he always has Eli’s interests at heart.

IDK if I was clear with my little speech but I do recommend this book.



(PS: paella packets are a sacrilege. I have never crossed myself but here I felt like doing so at the mention of such.)

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Review: Counterbalance by Aidan Wayne

John loves his job as head rigger for Cirque Brilliance. The heavy scarring over half his face makes it a little hard to meet new people, but John's got a good crew and a nice found family, and he’s content with his lot in life.

When Cirque hires talent for a new show, John meets Bao, a bright, ever-cheerful acrobat. Bao seems drawn to John and becomes a constant presence at his side—talking to him during downtime, spending time with him at lunch, and generally seeking out his company.

John doesn't know what to make of this. Sure, he likes Bao—maybe a little too much, honestly—but he’s had enough experience to know that Bao couldn’t possibly like him back. Or so he thinks, anyway. Fortunately, Bao seems determined to prove him wrong.

This is so sweet!

Aidan Wayne really knows how to write feel-good books. Reading a story of these is a promise of a smile threatening to split my face in two.

They are kind of theatre plays.

Basically they are about two characters with flaws, but this kind of flaws that are not really defects, but an aspect of their lives that prevents them from really looking for happiness because of the fear of how they will be viewed and judged by society. The problem is, this view and judgment they are scared of focuses only on the superficial aspects rather than the real person beneath. The characters grow thanks to the other one, they get free of their chains and embrace and cherish what’s truly important of themselves. Or at least, they find the way to go there.

John’s surname in the Cirque is Phantom. It’s no wonder why that is, as half his face is scarred, like part of his body. People try not to get close to him if they can help it.

Until Bao.

Bao is the new Chinese acrobat. He is cheerful and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He loves talking to everybody. And, apparently, he seems to like to be close to John more than to anybody else.

John doesn’t know what to make of it. At first, he has no clue why someone like Bao would want to do anything with something like him. At first, he tells himself Bao is nice to everybody, and for once, he doesn’t make an exception with him. At first, he tells himself Bao just want him as a friend.

However, John begins to wish for something more, things that he gave up ages ago: a connection with someone. Love. He tries to lower his expectations, to extinguish hope before it ever has the chance to sparkle. He can be described as deliberately obtuse, but you also understand his reasons to be so blind, even when reality is so painfully obvious.

Because he knows it’s not possible. For someone to love him. For Bao to love him.

Is it?

Bao is adorbs. John is too cute for words. Their interactions made me hop on my seat. The action goes smoothly and their closeness happens naturally, without forcing the situation, which, by the length of the book, is impressive.

Bao can be considered too bright, too perfect, too selfless. But hey, John is the epitome of a generous heart, too. This may feel more like a fairy tale than the real world. But in the Cirque magic happens, right?

All in all, I can see this relationship being developed beyond that open ending, resulting in a great novel. In fact, I’m curious enough to know how this author is when writing a full story.

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