Guest Review: Chasing Eddie (Golden Gate Love Stories #3) by Frank W. Butterfield

January 29, 2019

Eddie Smith is a chubby bear of a guy who lives in Daytona Beach and doesn't work much anymore but isn't retired.

Whit Hall has just retired as a tight end for an NFL expansion team and lives in San Antonio.

At 52, Eddie feels at home with himself and has learned how to roll with life. He's happy enough where he is and doesn't expect much to happen anytime soon.

At 35, Whit is ready for a life that put less of a strain on his body. He's banked plenty of dough but doesn't know what to do next.

. . .

About to sit down to his favorite take-out lasagna, Eddie gets a call from a friend who wants to hire him to help Whit figure out what's next in his life.

Eddie is a kinda, sorta life coach and might be able to help but seriously doubts it.

Reluctantly, he climbs aboard his friend's private jet and flies to San Antonio. Once he arrives, he ends up getting a whole lot more than he bargained for. Whit Hall is aggressive, he's angry, and he's under a lot of pressure.

It's a good thing Eddie (sorta) knows what he's doing!

. . .

Now that he's retired, Whit is looking for the next thing.

He's set, with plenty of bank. And he's doing what he can to deal with his parents, who are all up in his business. A lot.

Then, one Wednesday morning, he opens his front door. Before he knows it, Whit is chasing Eddie Smith out of his house, down the street, and even further.

It's a good thing Whit is (kinda) in shape for this new type of chase!

. . .

Neither man wants to go far...

But unexpected changes are chasing them both...

Wherever they end up going, and whatever ends up happening, this will be the beginning of something new and wonderful for them both.

. . .

This 45K word stand-alone contemporary male/male (MM) romance involves a chubby bear guy and a retired professional football player.

Reviewer: Annery

This is the third installment in the author’s Golden Gate Love Stories, which is a spinoff of the Nick Williams Mysteries. I’ll be honest, so far these have not worked for me, and I’ll probably stop at this one, because taking a whirl at other reviews, I’m clearly in the minority opinion. Perhaps these stories are not for me and I’m at peace with that. I love the component parts: non-traditional MCs, age difference, MCs with bodies that don’t conform to IG six-pack model, but the couple stories have not felt true to me. Not liking these more makes me sad. I can feel that the author is coming from a good place, a good heart, and has based his characters in the real world. Sadly the writing and progression of the story doesn’t bear out the wished for results.

As I feared Bob & Mario, from Their Own Hidden Island have inherited the mantle from Nick & Carter, but as I said in my review of that story, and continues to be true here, I don’t think they’re worthy heirs or I can’t say we know enough about them to say bequathe them honor. The book opens in January 2019 with the titular Eddie, Eddie Smith, getting a call from Bob & Mario ***spoiler***who’ve inherited Nick & Carter’s empire after their deaths***spoiler***. Eddie is, by his own definition:”... a light trance channel which, for some people, sounds all fancy but it really isn’t. I just means that I’ve taught myself how to let another kind of voice talk and write through me.” So. Yeah. Some kind of medium? Occasionally he also dabbles as some sort of life-coach and general New Agey type activities. Bob & Mario want him to go to San Antonio, Tx. and perform some sort of coming out intervention for Whitley “Whit” David Hall, a recently retired football player, who they’re not even sure is gay. To complicate things Whit’s parents are leaders of a megachurch in Lakewiew, Tx., which preaches a prosperity gospel, and put me in mind of Joel Osteen & co. Needless to say that more than complicates Whit’s life. I felt for this man-child, who at 35 is struggling be his own person, and I would’ve been interested in his journey but the book is really a love letter/wish fulfillment for Eddie, whom I suspect is a bit of a stand-in for the author or people near and dear to him.

Eddie Smith is 52, 340lbs., and hairy. A bear. But not a muscle bear, though he does work out, and has killer legs, if he says so himself. He’s more like a chub who wears a CPAP mask to sleep. He’s also a bit of a wanderer with “alternative employment?” Whit at 35, has football money, is an athlete, and at 6’7” some kind of Texas size demigod, who resembles the book cover model or Rob Gronkowski, I’m hoping for the former. Wishful thinking and dreams are my bag but … I didn’t buy these two as couple? Not within the immediacy of the story. Not in my book. And quite frankly my stumbling block is Eddie. Like someone past a certain age he’s pretty set in his ways, maybe a bit judgemental (yes lefties can be prejudiced too), and I’ll say nothing about his wardrobe choices. He goes to Texas and I can’t say how his conversations with Whit actually helped, rather they were opportunities for Eddie to expound on his opinions, likes, and dislikes, and then he leaves. Perplexingly Whit follows him to Florida (that’s not a spoiler, it’s in the super long blurb & title) and suddenly they’re in love. How? Why? Worse yet this ends in a sort of cliffhanger with our love birds running away together and what felt like a tacked-on, preposterous subplot about the church & criminal activity on a honeymoon. I’m sorry. I can believe that Eddie being the first gay man Whit opens up to, he could develop an affection for, but I just didn’t buy the insta “we’re in love”. I believe in insta. Have loved quite a few insta books. But insta must be earned.

If you’re interested their story continues in what seems to be yet another series, The Romantical Adventures of Whit & Eddie “Getting to Know You”. Will I follow them? I dunno.

Guest Review: Stay (Working Out the Kinks #1) by K.M. Neuhold

What happens to a couple when one of them discovers a new kink that he’s not sure his partner will be into?

Dear Art,
I’m sure you get messages like this all the time but I feel like I don’t even know who I am anymore. I suppose I should start from the beginning... Three weeks ago, I saw puppy play for the first time and now I can’t stop obsessing about it. Wait, no, that’s not really the beginning...Ten years ago, my best friend who I’d been in love with my entire life told me he loved me too.
For ten years I’ve been living in complete bliss with Lars, the man of my dreams. Don’t get me wrong, we have our fights and disagreements (mostly because I do irritating shit and every once in awhile he reaches the end of his patience), but he is my other half in every way. I didn’t know I could love someone the way I love him.
Then, three weeks ago, I saw puppy play for the first time and now I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s not so different from when I realized I was gay, there was a moment where everything sort of clicked into place and my whole body was like “yes, THAT’S what we’ve been trying to figure out all this time.” At first I thought maybe I should just let it go because it’s not the kind of thing I can imagine my partner being into. But last week I went into a kink shop and ended up walking out with a puppy hood. I stashed it in our guest bedroom closet and haven’t even had the courage to take it out and try it on again, let alone show it to Lars. I don’t know what to do. How do I bring this up to him? And what if he isn’t into it? I feel like I don’t recognize myself anymore and I don’t know where to turn. Please help.

Sincerely,
One Lost Puppy

Reviewer: Annery

I’ve thought long and hard about this review. What to say, that doesn’t come off as harsh or petty, because really there isn’t anything objectionable about the story. It’s constituent parts are like a list of some of my favorite things, including a flipping of expectations when it comes to D/s relationships. Maybe I’ll start there, with what I liked and what worked for me. Small mercies.

Lars and Jonah are what Lars himself calls “lifers”. Their moms are best friends who were pregnant at the same time leading to the guys being BFFs since infancy, though their romantic involvement didn’t come until they were twenty-five. When the book starts they’ve been together for 10 years and are everything but married. Lars is a veterinarian and Jonah is an emergency room doctor, they share a home, a life, and a deep love rooted in friendship and familiarity of the best kind. Jonah is a big strapping ginger, a head taller than Lars, but he’s also bit of a playful goof who likes to dance around the house and ruffle his partner’s more serious personality. Perhaps it’s a way of letting off steam from a stressful job, but it’s also an aspect of their, heretofore, unacknowledged D/s relationship, as Jonah says:
”I’m nearly twice Lars’ weight and more than a head taller than he is. Granted, I do top more often than not, but that doesn’t mean I’m in control.”
Lars is fairly regimented. He likes order and everything in its place, but he also loves Jonah fiercely and makes sure of his well being. The love of between these two is another check in the plus column but it’s also is a good starting point for the this wasn’t for me column.

If you like your characters to have pretty much zero conflict between themselves and the world at large, this book is for you. If you like your MCs to say “I love you” and “anything you feel or want is good, valid, and I’m on-board with it” every five seconds, this book is for you. If you believe that the introduction of a major life change should present zero ambivalence in an established couple, this book is for you. I’ll have to demur.

One sunny day Lars & Jonah go to a Pride Parade and they come across some Puppies and their Masters. Jonah is more than a little intrigued by the group:
One of the men is dressed in a dog mask with black leather harness on his chest, and a pair of underwear with a bone on the ass and the word woof printed inside the bone. He’s naked aside from that, but honestly, that’s not the part that shocks or draws my attention, he’s hardly the least dressed person in the crowd. It’s the joy shining in his eye as he wiggles and starts to wrestle with another man dressed similarly. It’s the absolute inhibition as he lets out a happy bark like he doesn’t have a care in the world, and it’s the way the man holding his leash smiles at him with warmth and love. (btw, I’m pretty sure it should be *lack of inhibition*)

So that’s fine, right? Sometimes we suddenly find something that just clicks with us, but Jonah takes this to a whole new level. It’s suddenly the thing he always needed but never knew about. There’s reference to him having dabbled briefly in BDSM during college, before he and Lars became an item, but apparently he never pursued it further and puppies had never been on his radar. Really? Odd, I know all about them, but okay, I’ll buy it. That’s not what made me have to read this with a squinty eye, it’s the fact of his immediate quasi obsession with the kink and then his reluctance to talk to Lars about it. After the almost diabetic coma inducing protestations of love and acceptance between these two it was a tough pill to swallow. Sure, Lars makes an off the cuff remark about puppies being weird, when they first spot them at the parade, but wouldn’t anyone who isn’t into that lifestyle? They are weird. I think that is, and should be, a point of pride for folks in the kink community. And this is the heart of my dislike of this story, it’s so eager to tell us it’s okay to like what you like and be who you are (not a point I disagree with) that it treats kink like apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, and vanilla ice cream. It’s that thing where you take something you love and try to tame and polish it to the point where you can’t recognize in it the reasons you loved it in the first place. The weirdness, uniqueness, and non-conformity are domesticated to unobtrusively fit in with square or proper society. It’s taking a cat, a creature that’s two meals away from being feral, having lost none of its shared traits with larger felines, you make it a housecat, neuter and declaw it for good measure. Utterly sad, senseless, and kind of infuriating. I’m fairly sure the folks who participate in the Folsom Street Fair are happy to be active participants of what society deems the margins and aren’t dreaming of that spot on the PTA or the white picket fence house in the suburbs. Perhaps they do belong to those two groups, but their love of kink isn’t something they’re going to try to mold like a square peg into a round hole.

On with the book. There might be a few spoilerish comments, although there is no mystery or conflict to spoil. Sorry.

There isn’t much more to tell, but fairytale fantasies. Before telling Lars about this new obsession, Jonah writes to an online advice columnist voicing his fears of Lars’ reaction and HE USES Lars real name! Umm … wow. In the end Lars finds out and …. *crickets*. Nothing happens. Acceptance without a single doubt. Sure. Granted Lars had always been somewhat dominant, but I’d think jumping to wanting a puppy sub would merit a teensy bit of self reflection. But that’s just me. These two go full swing into the lifestyle, taking classes, because they’re just super dot the i’s cross the t’s kind of guys, and go off into the sunset in bliss.

There’s a dangle for the next book but I’m not sure I’ll go along for the ride. This was like reading the diary of your most boring cousin. You still love them but you don’t need to know about that day they reorganized their sock drawer. Also I didn’t care for this sort of present tense continuous? thing the author had going. *shrug* On the plus side this is one more book to add to my growing Vanilla Kink shelf. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

This didn’t work for me, and I’m probably in the minority, but it might for someone who wants zero angst, conflict, and a super cautious, and perhaps inaccurate, peek into kink. It has likable characters, it’s well formatted, and has a cute cover.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review: One-Eyed Royals (Seven of Spades #4) by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Spoiler Alert! The following blurb contains spoilers for Cash Plays, book three of Seven of Spades.

Shattered by their devastating breakup, Detective Levi Abrams and PI Dominic Russo find themselves at war right when they need each other most. While Dominic is trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction, Levi despairs of ever catching the Seven of Spades. The ruthless vigilante’s body count continues to climb, and it’s all Levi can do to keep up with the carnage.

When Levi’s and Dominic’s paths keep crossing in the investigation of a kidnapping ring with a taste for mutilation, it feels like history repeating itself. Thrown together by fate once again, they reluctantly join forces in their hunt for the mastermind behind the abductions.

But the Seven of Spades hates sharing the spotlight, and they have an ace in the hole: a new batch of victims with a special connection to Levi. Their murders send shockwaves through Las Vegas and change the rules of the game forever.

The Seven of Spades has upped the ante. If Levi and Dominic don’t play their cards right, they’ll end up losing everything.

SPOILERS FOR Kill Game, Trick Roller & Cash Plays!

This was a hard read in more ways than one. All of them up have been, by degrees, harrowing but with this one was particularly jarring in that I was immediately knocked off kilter by Levi's actions. I thought I had a good handle on these two characters.

I was wrong.

Levi... it's like he became someone else. Maybe I was wrong about him from the start or maybe the breakup brought forth a heretofore unknown and ugly side of him. I don't know but I was confused and dismayed by it.

So let's just rip the band-aid off quickly, shall we?

Levi is petty, cruel and he sleeps with someone else, so readers who are dogmatic about their couples being faithful irregardless of whether or not they're together, you've been warned. For me, him fucking someone else was the least of my issues. It was the cruelty and pettiness that I struggled with. I even found myself at one point thinking surely the Seven of Spades (SOS) was behind some of it.

Nope. All Levi.

I know he's heartbroken about their breakup and hurt by Dom's gambling addiction. The way he lied and manipulated Levi to continue to engage in his addiction must've cut deep considering Levi's never been in love with anyone before, but that doesn't justify cruelty in my mind. What's more, Dom's addiction is mutually exclusive from his feelings for Levi and Levi knew his addiction could be a problem in their future. Dom never lied to him about that.

Obviously, I've taken a side here. I tried not to and I do believe Levi has redeeming qualities despite his morphing into a vicious anger ball the minute he discovered Dom's gambling. But his transformation was deeply troubling to me. To see his personality change, this level of anger emerge towards someone he purports to love? If it's largely due to the breakup rather than a culmination of events then I think I'm even more troubled by that.

I am happy they're back together but an apology, some promises to get help and a whirlwind fuck via Dom's monster magic peen isn't enough to fix this and I hope more reparations are forthcoming in the finale.

The sex was phenomenal, as always. Biting fans are in for some quivering.

As far as the thriller aspects of this installment, I like the progression where the SOS is concerned. They seem to be grandstanding more and I think that grandiosity and need for attention will ultimately be their undoing.

I thought more would come of the Utopia plot line but instead a new high dollar kidnapping and ransom ring turns up. Las Vegas can't catch a break, I tell ya!

It gets pretty gruesome at points, so be advised but I like that there is a case within each book that gets resolved so we get some sort of closure rather than relentless cliffhanging. The details of this particular case didn't quite add up for me but I can't say I wasn't glued to my kindle from beginning to end.

What ultimately pushed this installment into 4 heart territory was the domino chain of events that occurred at the end. Well executed action sequences always earn points with me and both these guys kicked ass. It was awesome. Parts of it were bad wrong, but still... awesome. And fun. In a bad wrong way. What can I say? *shrugs*

Last thing I'll say is... Stanton. *sigh* I know nothing will come of his storyline and he'll likely never get his own book, but he deserves someone befitting his capacity for love.

In short, gird your loins. It's a bumpy ride but well worth it in the end.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Ardulum: Third Don by J.S. Fields

The planet wakes.

Atalant is torn between two worlds. In uncharted space, head of a sentient planet, the new eld of Ardulum now leads the religion she once rejected. Emn is by her side but the Mmnnuggl war brewing in the Charted Systems, threatening her homeworld of Neek, cannot be ignored. Atalant must return to the planet that exiled her in order to lead the resistance. She must return home a god, a hypocrite, a liar in gold robes, and decide whether to thrust her unwilling people into the truth of Ardulum, or play the role she has been handed and never see her family, or her world, again.

*Contains spoilers from Book 1 & 2*

By now readers will know about the Andal. A semi-sentient group of trees with intricate root systems and what appears to be a psychic link to Ardulan’s and their distant cousins from planet Neek. For Ardulum this is a symbiotic relationship as Andal is a source of food, shelter, and tech for Ardulan’s and in return, Ardulan’s assist the Andal by finding new planets for it to spread its seeds (children, it calls them children!!).

While I am geeking out on Andal, I’d like to bring attention to a native fig tree in Australia commonly named ‘Morton Bay Fig’ (which can also be found in other subtropical climates around the world). While my imagination modified this while I was reading, this is the link I made. Further to geeking out, here is an excerpt from Wikipedia about the behaviour of how this (real) tree thrives….

“It is best known for its imposing buttress roots. As Ficus macrophylla is a strangler fig, seed germination usually takes place in the canopy of a host tree and the seedling lives as an epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground. It then enlarges and strangles its host, eventually becoming a freestanding tree by itself.”

This is similar to how I imagine Andal, native to Ardulum, thriving on other planets. Somewhat insidious in a totally weedlike way but it’s psychic “voice” heard through our main characters makes it seem innocent and somewhat likeable (yes I just wrote that)…..

So now that I’ve bored you all to death with my love for trees, let’s get on with the actual review……

There is a surprise in the beginning of this third book which I was not prepared for but totally on board with. The Captain has returned and has a sidekick who is another hybrid Risalian-Ardulan who cannot speak and has been named Salice (pretty). Yorden and Salice are captives of the Mmnnuggls who are planning an attack on Neek to draw out the Ardulans and destroy them for their betrayal.

We learn Neek’s birth name in this book, and she is struggling to fit in as an Eld on Ardulum as well as balance her duties with her time in her new relationship with Emn.

I really enjoyed the way this book brought everything together. There is a lot going on but I didn’t feel confused at all. Some sci-fi I just done get, and feel stupid when I read, but this is not one of them. I followed along and was immersed in this world. We get more time inside Emn’s head in this story, and I really enjoyed her point of view. Emn is essentially an outsider even though she is powerful. She has a hard time fitting in on Ardulum with the people who are not used to flairs or other species.

There is a fair amount of conflict in this story, and a lot of the groundwork is set in book one and two. Ekimet has a bigger role. They are stranded on Neek, which is under fire from Mmnnuggls with low tech and no contact with other planets to assist.

Oh, and there are fungi beings!! Like in Fantasia, but cooler. That was a lot of fun. Ridiculously intelligent and very outspoken I loved this addition to the beings in this world.

I’d recommend this to fans of sci-fi and anyone wanting to dip their toes in to see if they enjoy this genre. This cannot be read as a standalone so definitely start at the beginning.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion

Tag Team Review: Clay White: A Bureau Story (Bureau, #2) by Kim Fielding

Someone—or something—is murdering young men in San Francisco. Clay White has been fired from the Bureau of Trans-Species Affairs, but he’s determined to track down the killer. When he comes across a vampire named Marek, Clay assumes he’s caught the perp. But the encounter with Marek turns out to be more complicated than Clay expected, and it forces him to deal with his own troubled past and murky psyche. As Clay discovers, sometimes the truth doesn't come easy—and the monsters are not who we expect.








If you’re feeling charitable all of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS so… buy one for yourself and your friends!

Averaged

Jenni Lea - 3.5 Hearts

"Monsters come in many guises. Some of them are human."

Clay White knows this to be true.  A big beast of a man, Clay's seen more than his fair share of monsters, the biggest of which being his own father.  After being "let go" from the Bureau for a case gone horribly wrong, Clay's drifting in life, not setting down roots.  But just because he no longer carries a badge doesn't mean he can't still hunt down those who would harm the innocent.

He's on the trail of who he thinks may be the cause of the latest string of desiccated young men that have been turning up around the city.  He catches up to Marek, his suspected perp, in a local club and hopes, by some subterfuge, to take him down.

Things aren't always what they seem, however, when he discovers that not only is Marek not the villain he's looking for, but that Marek is also on the hunt for this monster.

This book had a different feel than its predecessor, Corruption.  It takes place in a more modern time, at least from what I could garner by the subtle hints dropped throughout the story.  While I liked the tone and tempo of this, I missed the somewhat ethereal feel of the first book.  I kept wanting for Clay and Marek to have the connection that Grimes and Ten had.  I didn't quite get that here but what I did get was good.

Things didn't turn out like I expected them to when I first started reading this.  For some reason, I thought Clay was something other than human.  I have no idea why I thought that, but there you go.  Sometimes it's best not to look too far into my brain.  So, when the events that happened later on in the story, well, happened, I was pleasantly surprised.  I love when a story doesn't follow the standard tropes.

And we get to see Grimes and Ten again!  They're still together and their connection to each other is stronger than ever.  Clay sees their connection and is filled with a want he didn't think he was capable, or deserving, to feel.  His thoughts turn to Marek in hope that maybe, just maybe, he can have that same connection with him.

This book left me wanting more.  Whether that's because it was so good or because it was too short, I have no idea.  All I know is that I'm waiting with bated breath for the next book.  I need to see how everything turns out for these guys (Yes, I know.  Vague JL is vague).

Recommended for those who enjoy a different take on paranormal.  The world building, while subtle, was complete and didn't leave me wanting.  And the writing, of course, was excellent.  I say give this book a try.  If nothing else, your money will go to a good cause.


Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ - 4 Hearts

SPOILERS FOR CORRUPTION so if you’ve not read it yet prepare to be spoiled.

Clay White takes place in the same AU established in “Corruption” but is more modern in tone and less dark. Clay is a former agent of The Bureau. What’s that saying? You can take the boy out of The Bureau but you can’t take The Bureau out of the boy or some such.

Clay has gone rogue (sort of) and is focused on finding who or what is desiccating young men in San Francisco. To that end he goes to a club one night and meets Marek. Marek is an OLD vampire within this world. Turns out Marek is also trying to track down the killer. I have some thoughts on what motivates Clay, but they’re kinda spoilery so I'll leave it at you have to read it and come to your own conclusions.

Clay and Marek have a wholly different dynamic that’s compelling in its own rite but not as magnetic as Ten and Grimes. There is lust between them initially and I got the feeling that they were inevitable, but the timing’s wrong, so they leave it as a hookup. For much of the story they aren’t together but it's clear they both got under the other's skin so when they reunite… DAMN!

Speaking of Ten and Grimes… guess who make an appearance? I LOVE them! Like, seriously, I could talk about them all day and their dynamic is so… *heart eyes* Anyways, Clay is pointed in their direction for help with the case because they’ve been working as private investigators. Since forever. There are no dates but their whole vibe and a few things that happen make it clear they’ve been together for a loooonnnnnngggggggg time which made me heart eyes even harder.

Anyhoozit, I told you I could squirrel on them endlessly.

The two things I enjoy most about this series are the banding together of ex-bureau, quasi-disgraced agents, and the fact that Fielding has crafted a universe wherein she can move about with ease in time. If the next one is futuristic I will not be sad about that. At all.

Another thing I like, though I could be reading too much into the subtext, is the general theme that being different shouldn’t automatically equate to being feared. That resonates with me living in a Trump America. Most of the monsters out there are just plain ole human and the fact that these supernatural/paranormal beings are forming their own justice league to protect (most of) them anyway makes me a lil verklempt.

Recommend to UF, AU and romance fans.

Can’t wait to see who gets drafted into the justice league next!



ARCs were provided by the author.

Series Review: Immortal Dragons 1 & 2 by Ophelia Bell

Even immortal dragons can have crazy exes.

Three thousand years ago, immortal blue dragon Belah and her old lover took their kinks just a step too far, and she's been trying to get over it ever since. The problem is that her ex is still out there wreaking havoc on her world, while Belah spent the last three millennia in hiding.

With her race's world changing, it's time for Belah to show her face again. Finding a new mate should be easy for a dragon as powerful as her, but "baggage" is an understatement when your ex is your race's mortal enemy, and he's just let you know he wants you back.

Determined to move on, Belah finds Lukas and Iszak North--not one, but two gorgeous, musically talented, and especially kinky brothers from one of the dragons' sister races. The pair are perfect for Belah. Their race of falcon shifters mate for life--one look at Belah, and both North brothers know she's their One. The problem is, they have baggage of their own, and Belah's old lover is at the center of it. The brothers can't help but love her in spite of her past, and when Belah answers their mating call and gives herself to them completely, they would do anything to keep her, even forgive her connection to their enemy.

When Belah's old lover calls in a promise, she and her new mates learn there is more at stake than love, and it might take more than fancy knots and an adeptly wielded whip to find true happiness.

average for series

2 Hearts 

When I picked up Dragon Blues I believed it to be MMF. It is not and apparently wasn't tagged as such either so I can't really knock it for not being something it never claimed to be. I can say I was a wee bit disappointed, though. There is one FF scene that is over in a blink and I believe Lucas could claim heteroflexiblity, but in a nutshell this book isn't really appropriate for this blog. However the stories interconnect and come as a package, so let's keep this short, shall we?

Belah is an immortal dragon shifter who's been around since forever. She's got a crazy ex-boyfriend and is missing a couple "babies" (actually adults) that she'll do just about anything to find but is also longing for a mate. As lucky would have it, she finds two (Lucas and Iszak) who are falcon shifters and brothers which, I suspect, is why they don't cross the streams. They fall in instalove which works considerably better for me in shifter stories, but I still find it jarring when there's minimal supporting evidence of said love. Not only was there no relationship development or showing their connection but they're almost immediately spouting off about impregnating her!  

Erm... Not a fan of this sort of thing in my reads, particularly not my kinky/porny reads, though this was less porny than I envisioned (hoped).

There are a few meager attempts at worldbuilding that are pedestrian and a whole gaggle of borderline bizarre plot twists that I hope to all that's holy are going somewhere. And not somewhere hokey either. The character voices were my biggest stumbling block, especially Belah's. For someone who's ancient she's not very wise or mature, though none of them are well developed nor are they eloquent which I found odd.

The kink is good, though. I particularly liked the suspension bondage scene. That merits a star on its own.

A woman born on the wind... 

A Turul princess, Evie North has waited long enough for her “one true love” — a man she’s stopped believing truly exists. She throws caution—literally—to the wind and decides to take matters into her own hands. She chooses a handsome stranger from a crowd and falls into bed with him, hoping love might find her in his arms. 

A human man drawn to powers beyond his comprehension... 

The only thing Marcus Calais knows is that he’s likely to die in a pointless war but also honor-bound to run into battle. At least until he meets an angel named Evie in Central Park who incites stronger desires than he’s ever had and whose songs drive him to levels of passion he never imagined. After just one night with the lovely, waifish beauty, he discovers he has so much more to live for. Will he sacrifice his principles to stay alive for her? 

The immortal dragon who owns both their souls... 

“Ked” is what his five siblings call him, but others simply refer to the huge black dragon as The Void. He is darkness personified, but nothing is darker than the enemy he is up against. It will take true darkness to fight the evil permeating his world, and to save the female Fate intended for him. But Fate has a funny way of switching things up when he least expects. What will he find when he ventures forth into the enemy’s lair in search of love? 

What other surprises does Fate have in store? 

Publisher's Note: Dragon Void is a full-length novel with a complete resolution between the characters involved. They get their Happily Ever After, but sometimes Fate doesn't make it easy.


1 Heart

Two words: Hot Mess

The second in this series didn't work for me at all. On any level. It's not my place to tell anyone how to do anything, particularly an author but I can say (until the cows come home) that this story is not what I wanted to read.

I would ask that you to read the blurb. I'll wait.

Now, tell me doesn't that blurb read like a ménage romance of some sort? Show of hands? Me too! Do not be hoodwinked like I was because Dragon Void isn't a romance and, yeah, I'm kinda fussy about that.

The trouble is I'm not quite sure what it is or what it wants to be. The worldbuilding gets no better in this book. I let it slide in book 1 because it was more urban fantasy but this is rife with fantasy possibilities and I found the lack of worldbuilding hugely disappointing. There are several mentions of an organization called the Ultiori but no real explanation of what they do or why they're so dreaded. There's a dragon monastery in this one! A. Dragon. Monastery. that just sits there like a... well, like a... like a monastery, I guess. 

I would *think* a triad romance would primarily build the triad, show how they all contribute and bring something to the relationship, develop these characters and maybe delve into how they might work out the logistics of a potentially tricky endeavor. I would be wrong. 

It took them to almost the 40% mark just to get Evie and Marcus back to the Dragon Monastery! That's just travel time, folks. Most of which one or the other of them were passed out cold from their injuries, the rest of the time is spent rehashing recent events. We got up to well past the 60% mark with flashbacks of Evie and Marcus's history which is bursting with 1960s draft remembrances and a whole lotta Vietnam era sentiments which came across slightly didactic and largely pointless considering we already knew they had history as a couple.

I thought for sure once they reached the monastery they would start coming together as a triad. Nope. I mean, they take a few trips to the bone zone and the word "mate" is bandied about but sex doesn't equate to a long-lasting relationship nor does it make a romance. Instead time was spent head hopping between the three of them with more 60s flashbacks and we even head hopped to Nikhil (Belah's ex) who's on a mission to find whatever possessed him, complete with time jumps and some clunky, quasi-forced efforts to shoehorn him into Belah's triad.

Also, did I mention that Evie's knocked up BEFORE the 50% mark? Yeah, super happy about that plot development which actually morphed into the death knell for this book. 

So... SPOILERS!

Since Marcus was made immortal by Ked and his brother's blood and Marcus knocked up Evie, Evie's baby has special "needs". Namely the semen of all of them. 

I'll let that sink in for a minute.

In the hands of a different author this plot twist might've worked for me, but given the fact that the three of them hadn't even convinced me of their commitment to each other to then have the female lead hit the bone zone of her brand new mate's two brothers seemed like random squirrelly storytelling to me and not really that romantic either.

Last but not least, the sex wasn't that hot. The MM scenes were vaguely insulting. I'm not going to go into specifics but there were some poorly chosen words IMO, things that made me twitchy with regard to Marcus's deflowering and just generally the whole kit and kaboodle had the words 'get correct' rumbling through my head. To add insult to injury, no kink!

The narrative is too busy for me, much of it doesn't make sense and the writing is amateurish. I highly doubt I'll be reading anything else by this author in the future nor would I recommend this series to others.

Review copies were provided.

Audiobook Review: The Worst Best Man by M.J. O'Shea

It was her special day... but his worst nightmare.

A rekindled romance wasn’t part of the plan.

Despite his American background, August O’Leary is the most sought-after wedding planner in London. Naturally, Libby and Edward come to him for a wedding the city will never forget. But Edward is an international businessman, so the details are left to Libby and her best friend—who happens to be the love of August’s life and the one who broke his heart eight years ago: Christopher Burke.

How’s August supposed to pull off the event of the year with Christopher distracting him and old feelings crashing the party uninvited?

Christopher has let money and status dictate his life, but no more. His failure to stand up to others’ expectations cost him his future with August—one he hoped would include marriage. Now he has to face August’s hurt and anger and prove he’s still the best man to make August happy.

Listening Length: 5 hours and 20 minutes
Narrator: Dorian Bane

Reviewer: R *A Reader Obsessed*

This was my first Dreamspun Desires book, and I have to say on a whole, it was pretty good with just some niggles.

Way back when in college, August and Christopher were fabulously in love. They were inseparable and believed they’d never be apart. However, they were from vastly different worlds, with most likely hundreds of millions of dollars separating them in social status, and ultimately, Christopher was pressured by his parents to break things off with August. Ever since then, Christopher hasn’t forgiven himself and has regretted his decision, never having moved on. So, when happenstance allows him to meet up with August years later, he’s determined to right some wrongs and get his man back. August understandably, is still hurt. He too hasn’t found someone to measure up to what he had with Christopher, but he’s hesitant and wary, not trusting Christopher to carry things through.

Admittedly, there was some initial angst, especially when these two first meet back up again, but the gradual wooing and winning August over was very sweet and enjoyable. I admit, I was hesitant to read this due to the preconceived notion that this was smexy-light but was oh-so pleasantly surprised. Granted, there isn’t act after act after act, but what we got was nice and steamy. Things progress smoothly until that requisite misunderstanding inevitably occurs, a tactic that I feel is overly used and is often tiresome...  

SPOILER: It’s basically one big miscommunication that seemed to me, a bit blown out of proportion, and while forgivable, it dragged out way too long. Then the conflict was rectified so quickly it made me wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place.

However, this is O’Shea and she typically writes easy breezy, sweet romance, which this delivered on except that last 15% or so. I think this DSP series definitely has its pros, and I’m not opposed to more!

On a side note, I listened to this story narrated by Dorian Bane. This was my first from this narrator, and I’m not completely sold. His voice is consistently raspy/husky which made it hard at first to differentiate between all the characters, but luckily, the MC’s were distinct - August having a Boston accent, Christopher a British one. I was a bit tickled though, because Christopher sounded exactly like Jude Law to me, so if you like his voice, then you’ll surely enjoy this. Overall, this narration was just “okay”.

Review: Whispering Pines Ranch Series (Whispering Pines Ranch #1-5.5) by S.J.D. Peterson

Lorcan James ran long and far in search of adventure, in Lorcan’s Desire, but instead he’s discovered a new side of himself with rancher Quinn Taylor. But if Quinn isn’t willing to give Lorcan what he needs most—love—Lorcan will find someone else who will. In Quinn’s Need, Lorcan is back at Whispering Pines with his new lover in tow and Quinn has a man who is willing to beg for anything, but Quinn may just be ready to give Lorcan what he’s always desired.

In Ty’s Obsession, Ty Callahan believes that Quinn is the perfect man, if only there weren’t the obstacle of Lorcan James. When Blake Henderson strolls into Ty’s life, can he convince him to look past his obsession?

Thirty-seven years ago, John Price and Connor Burnett fell in love. In Connor’s Courage, a cancer diagnosis threatens to tear apart what they’ve fought so hard for.

Lorcan broke Jess Jenkins’s heart and an car accident broke his body and spirit. In Jess’s Journey, his friends are eager to bring him back to the sweet man he once was, despite his bitterness.

Finally, in Riveted, Blake and Ty are living together in New York and have decided it’s time to take the next step.

Average Rating: 3.91 Hearts

I’m going to make this as spoiler free as possible, but because this is a series, each subsequent story review may have some plot spoilers from the previous books. I will do my best to review without giving away anything major. Be warned, there are major spoilers for Lorcan’s Desire in Quinn’s Need, and spoilers for Quinn’s Need in Jess’ Journey, so if you’re not one to read spoilers before reading a story, plan your reading accordingly.

Lorcan’s Desire - 4 Hearts

Lorcan is twenty-one and on an adventure to find his place, and get some worldly experience. His independence is riding on working away from home, and out from under his older brothers’ shadows. While on his journey, he comes across a ranch called Whispering Pines, where Quinn, the owner, gives him a chance to work as a stable hand, and provides lodging for him.

Unfortunately Lorcan has a crush on the older man, and doesn’t understand it, because he didn’t think he was interested in men. Quinn seems to just scowl at him all the time, anyway, so he fights the pull and tries to be Quinn’s friend. It comes to a head, when fed up with all the dirty looks, Lorcan confronts Quinn during a drunken pity party for one, and discovers that Quinn’s scowling isn’t what he thought.

Quinn has never officially been in the closet, but he never advertises. Until his secret desire for Lorcan becomes open, and he realises he was in the closet after-all, and has no intentions of coming out.

This is part one of two part story arc for this couple. Their chemistry is hot, but Quinn is a difficult and stubborn man, who wants to hide his relationship with Lorcan from his town, and his employees. Lorcan is only new to admitting his preference for men, and isn’t ready for the reality of hiding his feelings for Quinn. Their tumultuous relationship is pretty dramatic really. While I was reading it, I was fully invested in their drama. It was like crack to my pretty drama free life. Their misunderstandings, lack of communication, and stubborn personalities made this pretty chaotic.

It was frustrating and angsty, but I couldn’t put it down. I’m not usually a fan of this trope, but something about the characters kept me engaged. Whether it was the side characters, or the main characters themselves, outside of their drama, or the erotic content, I can’t tell you. All I know is that it was addicting, and I had no intention of putting the book down until I had read the entire thing.

I can’t say more without spoilers so I’ll leave it there. If you enjoy a little bit of drama, and fully developed characters, this will be a fun time.

Quinn’s Need - 3.5 Hearts

**Reader beware: Spoilers for Book One**

Quinn is having a difficult time letting go of Lorcan. He has become harder, angrier, and spends most of his time drinking himself to sleep. He decides he needs to grab back some control, and starts visiting the closest leather bar, where BDSM is an appealing way of getting his frustration out.

Meanwhile, Lorcan has accepted that Quinn will always be the love of his life, but has decided to make it work with Jess. Moving to Jess’ ranch is a decision they make together, and happiness appears to be within their grasp.

I have mixed feelings about this story. There is a lot going on, and the introduction of another complication makes this story both more and less angsty. While the relationship between Jess and Lorcan appears to be pretty easy going, there is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction. This couple still had chemistry. Their relationship was still passionate. I could tell Lorcan was giving it everything he could, and Jess was content for the time being. They just lacked that breath stealing intensity that was apparent between Lorcan and Quinn.

This story will probably piss people off, but also lure them back in. Again, a lot of drama, and some angst with Quinn. He is just a knobhead to me, and I’m not sure he deserves to be happy. I’m not sure I approve of the direction of this story, but I understand the story arc and the necessity for the drama.

I was still fully invested in this story, and my personal feelings about Quinn aside, I enjoyed the plot. This is a complex read, and something that creates more than it resolves.

Ty’s Obsession - 3.5 Hearts

**Minor Spoilers**

While I enjoyed this story about Ty and Blake, I wasn’t really convinced that Ty’s issues could be resolved in this manner. In my humble opinion, this man needs serious therapy, and I would have enjoyed it more if there was at least some mention of seeing someone about his psychological problems.

I liked Blake in this story, and I found his character strong and endearing. His own issues run deep, and he is willing to put it aside to help Ty through some really rough battles.

I liked the kink in this. It was sexy and satisfying. I thought the storyline worked pretty well. I think if Ty wasn’t so messed up, I could appreciate this more for what it was. It turned someone angry and psychotic into a relatable character and I really appreciated that. But I felt it was a little too simplistic and that is why it doesn’t get a high rating. I don’t always need believability in my fiction, but it can’t be this far from reality in a contemporary novel.

The plot was consistent, and the writing was tight. The chemistry between Ty and Blake was great, and I enjoyed the character development overall. Throw in a therapy session to start with and I would have adored this story.

Connor’s Courage - 4 Hearts

I was a bit reluctant to read this story, because usually flashback stories make me feel morose and on edge. This story, however was beautiful and fun. Conner and John mirror Lorcan and Quinn 37 years earlier. I loved the way Connor came to Whispering Pines, and how fearless he was in his attitude.

This is a story about the beginning of their relationship, and the hurdles they had to get through to finally become a couple. Set in a time where being gay was unacceptable, and in a small town that would make it even more dangerous to come out, these two managed to create something wonderful, even through the bumps. I really appreciated this glimpse into their lives.

Conner is one of my favourite characters throughout the entire series. I like people who are outrageous, and he fits the bill perfectly. Add that to a quiet, closeted introvert, and you’ve got some pretty awesome sex scenes, and some great drama-filled relationship building.

Jess’s Journey - 4.5 Hearts

***Reader beware: Spoilers for Book Two**

Jess’s story was really necessary, and I am pleased with how the story was written. There was no quick miracle. This was a hard won battle for Jess. A battle of acceptance, and the possibility that he would always be limited in his ability. A strong prideful man, who finds it impossible to take offers of help, Jess really has to learn to swallow his pride and accept that his life is different now.

Jake has really fallen for Jess, even with his surly temperament. He’s seen the way all Jess’s friends rallied around him, and has faith that the man the town loves, is still buried somewhere beyond the anger and pain. He intends to meet that man for himself.

This was one of my favourites in this series. I loved the friendship between Jess and Jake, and really appreciated the way the recovery was presented. Both men worked hard to get to a place where they could be together. That hard won battle stole my heart for these two men.

Most of the character development was around Jake, as we met Jess in books one and continued with his story in book two. I appreciated how the author created a more complex layer to Jess, given his new situation, but I really enjoyed learning about Jake more.

This story is a slow burn romance, which is a little different to the tone of the previous stories in this series, but it is worth the attention and care the author took in navigating the relationship between these two men.

Riveted - 4 Hearts

Ty and Blake’s story continues in this novella. Trying to gain Ty’s trust is near impossible with his abandonment issues, but Blake is determined to do something that is at least a start to building the forever they both crave.

This story is a great conclusion to the Whispering Pines Ranch series, and the start of the Guards of Folsom series. If you’re like me, and read The Guards of Folsom series first, you’ll get a kick out of this, going back to where it all began. Not recommended as a standalone, this should be read in order, or at the very least, after Ty’s Obsession.

Find on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads!

Review: Alpha's Redemption (The Alpha/Omega Verse #3) by D.C. Juris

Tondreau has spent the last four years helping raise Cadajen's terminally ill daughter, Linea. Though not mates, they've carved out a happy life with each other. It all comes crashing down when Linea's health takes a turn for the worst. Together, they must face the hardest decision of their lives. Will it tear them apart? And can Tondreau put aside his fears and be the Alpha Cadajen needs him to be?

Holy shit that book hurt like a mother fucker! It was also ridiculously sweet and heartwarming, but my God I looked ridiculous while reading it!

First off this can’t really be read as a stand alone. You might be able to make your way through it, but it will be a bit confusing. This couple are completely different characters than from previous books, but the alien species aren’t described as full in this book and you will be a little lost with some of the terms.


This book deals with one very heavy issue and I will be giving away spoilers in this review, so if you don’t want to know what happens step away!


So let's start with Cadajen, who is an Alien (they’re humanoid but very very alien, as in blue glowing skin and hairless) and an omega. He has a terminally ill 4 year old daughter, Linea, who is at the last stages of her life. Tondreau, (another very Alien humanoid of a different species, he has scales) is an Alpha and friend of Cadajen, he’s been with Cadajen since the birth of his daughter and has helped raise and care for her.


For reasons I won't reveal in this review Tondreau feels he is unable to mate with Cadajen, so they’ve been tiptoeing around the fact they act as mates and are madly in love, but are not in fact mated. Their HEA is perfection and well deserved!


Ok onto the heavy stuff, Cadajen and Tondreau have to go through the process of euthanizing Linea when her condition worsens…. yes, now you see why I was an ugly mess!!! This is beautifully written, which was terrible in this instance because it made every feeling and every ounce of pain seem more real.

They both looked down at Linea when the healer had finished. “We love you, baby girl,” Cadajen murmured. “We love you so much. It’s not because we don’t want you anymore. We just don’t want you to hurt.”
Tondreau squeezed his leg. “She knows.”

Ahhh just reading those quotes has me teared up again.


Everyone knows I’m not a fan of ‘the sad’ or ‘the angst’ in my books, but this gets such a high rating because it is more than that. Cadajen and Tondreau do get their own beautiful HEA and there is just so much love in this book, even the sad moments were only sad because of the love.


Definitely recommend, but only with tissues and if you can handle the heavy content.

A copy provided for an honest review.

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Review: A Little Blood (The Blood Bond Trilogy #1) by Aimer Boyz

Can you handle forever?

Eternity comes with a price. Forever is a lonely word and Etienne Vaillancourt needs more than blood.

Andrew Delaney needs to pay down his student loans, maybe save enough money to fix up his relic of a Honda. No rush, Andrew’s got his whole life ahead of him.

But one lifetime isn’t always enough.

A chance meeting in a movie theatre is the start of a future neither man had thought possible. A future together … if they can handle forever.

It’s been ages since I’ve read a vampire story and I was sooo glad this wasn’t a flop!


Etienne is a 236 year old vampire in a 28 year old’s body. During a chance meeting whilst seeing Twilight (I know right!?!), Andrew walks into Etienne’s life. Humans don't know vampires exist in this world, so Andrew and Etienne have a new relationship to work out as well as this secret that will need to be revealed.


I like how this world had elements of traditional vampires, like how Etienne actually dies when the sun rises and comes back to life when it sets and how his pupils turn red when feeding. Boyz has mixed these ideas into vampires living within the modern world with little details like how Etienne manages his wealth over 200 years. It was pretty engaging.

What really surprised me was the banter and humour. I loved how Etienne and Andrew interacted with each other. Andrew is happy and down to earth and Etienne has a dry sarcasm that compliments Andrew nicely.

Holy shit. How did I not think of that before? Andrew walked into the school, grin stretching across his face . There were a veritable arsenal of taunting, teasing nicknames for Andrew’s oh, so, dignified favourite fiend: Dracula, Nosferatu, Vlad, Night Walker. Awesome.

The build up of Etienne’s and Andrews relationship and the eventual ‘vampire’ reveal was great. It was pretty realistic with them dating first and slowly becoming more serious. It was a little bit insta-love with Etienne feeling Andrew was ‘special’ from the moment they met. It was all quite sweet and I was surprisingly suck to the pages because of these two.

Etienne took Andrew’s hand. “But you, there is no darkness in you. The first time you smiled at me, I saw it; sunshine . It is a part of you, it is who you are. Laughing, and teasing, calling me those ridiculous names; you chase the darkness away.”

The sex was hot! All biting and bleeding, everything vampire books should have! Some scenes were fade to black and some were glossed over but it was explicit enough to keep me interested, so that's saying something.

So if this was so good why the average rating? Well I was rating this 4.5 hearts all the way until the epilogue, when I finished I couldn’t believe how much was cut out completely and I find that really disappointing.


Spoiler ahead.


We finish the end of the book (minus epilogue) with Andrew deciding whether he was going to let Etienne ‘turn’ him. From about 80% onwards I expected not to see ‘the turning’ in this book as the build up was really well done and I knew it was the first of a trilogy. Then came the epilogue and the words…”Eight years later….. and yes Andrew has already been turned and apparently there was a bit of a story/drama with the whole process, so why the fuck couldn’t I read about that!!! It's what the whole story was building up to! I was sooooo excited to read about two characters I really liked going through the most important decision and moment of their lives, but no, instead I got highlights. Unfortunately the rest of the trilogy isn't about them either, so there's no possible way of getting more information about how they got to the point of their HEA.

I really really enjoyed this and I’ll definitely continue with the series, but I’m still so disappointed with the ending when I think of this book.

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Trivia Question

Name this angsty book that contains a triad relationship (Paul, Eve & Danny) that is based on BDSM & set in Florida. (worth 10 pts)

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