Review: Love Can't Conquer by Kim Fielding

Bullied as a child in small-town Kansas, Jeremy Cox ultimately escaped to Portland, Oregon. Now in his forties, he’s an urban park ranger who does his best to rescue runaways and other street people. His ex-boyfriend, Donny—lost to drinking and drugs six years earlier—appears on his doorstep and inadvertently drags Jeremy into danger. As if dealing with Donny’s issues doesn’t cause enough turmoil, Jeremy meets a fascinating but enigmatic man who carries more than his fair share of problems.

Qayin Hill has almost nothing but skeletons in his closet and demons in his head. A former addict who struggles with anxiety and depression, Qay doesn’t know which of his secrets to reveal to Jeremy—or how to react when Jeremy wants to save him from himself.

Despite the pasts that continue to haunt them, Jeremy and Qay find passion, friendship, and a tentative hope for the future. Now they need to decide whether love is truly a powerful thing or if, despite the old adage, love can’t conquer all.

Kim Fielding is an author I always forget I like, so when I pick up a new book from her I'm generally utterly pleasantly surprised by it. I totally need to keep her more on my radar because with enjoyable reads like Love Can't Conquer she really should be an auto buy author for me.

This is the kind of angst I like. It's very... person orientated. Drama for the sake of drama is a big turn off for me, any drama and angst needs to be a part of the story, part of the characters, and not just there to rack up tension for the sake of it. In order for me to love a story I need to be able to feel the characters and for that to happen I have to trust them. However they act on paper I have to understand the reasoning behind actions and reactions. This author does this well.

Drink, drugs and an unhappy childhood coalesce to make this an intricate story balancing pain with hope. The part of the blurb that really drew me in was the last lines "Despite the pasts that continue to haunt them, Jeremy and Qay find passion, friendship, and a tentative hope for the future. Now they need to decide whether love is truly a powerful thing or if, despite the old adage, love can’t conquer all." and it encompasses the whole feel of the story for me. The tentative flowering of trust and friendship that lights the way through a dark past. A great read.

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

For more information see Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads.

Group Review: What Happens at Christmas by Jay Northcote

When two friends pose as boyfriends, could what happens at Christmas turn into something more?

Justin is recently and unhappily single. Christmas is coming, and he doesn’t want to face his ex alone at their office party. So Sean—Justin’s best mate and long-time secret crush—volunteers to go with him and pretend to be his new flame.

Sean has always lusted after Justin from afar, but there’s never been a good opportunity to ask him for more than friendship. Posing as Justin’s boyfriend isn’t a chore, and if Justin wants to rebound onto him, Sean’s more than willing. At the party pretence and reality blur, and a kiss on the dance floor leads to a night of passion.

In the aftermath, they both assume it was a one-time thing until fate intervenes. Stuck together in London over the holidays, they give in to temptation again. But what happens at Christmas stays at Christmas... right?

Did you feel that? I felt it. That, my dear unicorns, is sexual tension. To. The. Max. If you love tension, best friends to lovers and fake boyfriends, all covered in Christmas jizz, then THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.

Justin was single and was pressured to go to the work Christmas party where he would have to see his ex. Not just his ex, but also the new guy he's with. Ew. Not so much fun for a Christmas party. 

Lucky for him, his BFF Sean was in town and came up with the brilliant idea to be his date for the evening to make the ex jealous. Well, it worked like a charm. In more ways than one.

Both Justin and Sean had crushes on each other since they were young. There was never a right time to reveal their true feelings, so they kept on being besties, while secretly pining for each other. A night pretending to be boyfriends was too much for them to handle. I have to say, it was too much for me, too! That dancefloor scene? Unf. Too. Much. Tension. It was delicious. *smacks lips* It was too much, so they gave in and it was glorious. Until they were predictably stupid about it all the next morning. 

What happens at Christmas stays at Christmas, right? Heh.

They did try the friend act after they had The Sex, which I still loved (even if they weren't doing it) because they were so great together. Their friendship felt real and I was completely charmed by them. 

What Happens at Christmas is highly recommended for some sexy and fun holiday reading. 

This book is going on my read and read again pile. Friends to lovers, pretend boyfriends and snowy Christmas stories are my three favourite things combined. AND THEY'RE ALL IN THIS BOOK.

Honestly, this book is just everything I adore about Christmas stories. It made me feel warm and fuzzy. The friendship these two had was so beautiful, their love for each other was glaringly obvious to everyone except them. That step from friends into something more is always a tricky one to take, the risk of losing something so precious versus the possibility of making it even more... intense? Wonderful?

A strong friendship ion any book is one of my weaknesses. Trust and understanding. That sense of knowing someone as well as you know yourself. Wanting to protect another person from hurt and pain. Yep, this is what makes my heart beat faster.When that moves forward to something even more intense I melt. It's not even about sex - first kisses and I love yous are the bits that make me weak kneed. Of course, I'm not averse to reading about those first forays across the boundary into sexual relationship (!!!!!), but it kinda means nothing - or at least something different, it doesn't mean as much to me as a  reader - if the feels aren't in place first. It's just sex.

This book was about friendship first. This book was about the slow burn and sexual tension - even though it took place over the Christmas period (i.e. a period of time). This book was about love.

Happy sigh.

Jay Northcote has skills people! This may be favourite story of hers yet and, really, that's saying something. 

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on Goodreads
Purchase on Amazon 

Review: Second Act by Kaje Harper

Sometimes you have to go home again.

When Bryce Edwards left Minnesota for the bright lights of Hollywood ten years ago, he was determined not to look back. He's built a solid acting career through his own hard work and talent. But when he finds himself unemployed right before Christmas, the memories he's been ignoring start to rise up and annoy him.

Maybe it's time to take a different approach; maybe it's time to confront his past and not just use it as motivation for his next angsty scene. If he can make peace with what happened back then— the small-town bigots who drove him away, and his first boyfriend who refused to leave with him— maybe he'll be free to move on to something better. He's not sure what “something better” will look like, but he's finally ready to get on a plane, go home, and find out. 

Kaje Harper is one of my favourite authors - one of my auto-buy authors, you know, the kind where the blurb isn't even read because you know you'll love it whatever - and so when the chance to review Second Act came up I was flattening unicorns to get to the front of the line. (I jest, I just told them there were cocky boys warming up outside the clubhouse and that place was as empty as bottle of red on a Friday night). Anywho, as I was saying I was really pleased to get the chance to read this book - even though it was about an actor.

Everyone has those books that don't quite work for them. If it features famous people (actors, celebrities or singers), the very wealthy or cowboys, then often I find them boring. It's a me thing. Doesn't mean I never read them, but they are never usually near the top of my TBR pile and often when I do read them I'm left with an unsatisfied feeling, like the book didn't quite hit the spot. I can honestly say this was not the case with this book.

Kaje writes as beautifully as ever about characters that I care about. Bryce Edwards ( the actor in question) had me on side from the start. I wanted - oh how I wanted -  for things to work out for him. In fact, I was sure things were going to go his way, so sure, that when things took a turn I hadn't anticipated - well I was left feeling hugely sad. Like that burn at the back of the throat sad, don't talk to me now or I might cry sad. Luckily, it didn't last too long. This is not an angsty-angst fest book. But it was a surprise.

Firstly, I'm not easily fooled by books (or author and their wily ways), I'm pretty much always sure I know which direction the story is going in and am proved wrong on very few occasions. Kaje managed it though. And secondly, not only did she manage it, but she did it without me spending half the book furious that things weren't going the way I'd expected. (What can I say, I'm a possessive reader and assume that every book has been written JUST FOR ME - nobody else can surely love the characters, the story, the book as much as I do!)

In fact, it was a nice surprise (I hate surprises) and I was so invested in the story and Bryce's journey to love.  And that is the talent of this author. She makes me love what i would have sworn blind I wouldn't. Actors and unanticipated directions all wrapped up in the super comfy blanket that is a Kaje Harper story. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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

Review: Full Circle by Ashley John

Can you have a second chance at a first love?

The year is 1997 and 18 year old Porter has been left devastated after his first love, Kane, chose a life in the army over a life with him in Surf Bay. With his broken heart, he had to find a way to rebuild his life.

17 years later and Porter has it all. He has the handsome deputy Sheriff boyfriend, the adorable daughter and he runs the surf club, but Porter's life is far from perfect. His relationship is filled with abuse and his surf club is failing.

Kane can't stop thinking about the decision he made on that dark night when he was 18 and finds himself back at his mother's little pink house, ready to face his past. When Kane comes face to face with his old flame, deep and buried feelings start flooding back and Kane is faced with the same difficult decision once again. Porter, or the army?

Can Porter resist the first love who shattered his heart? Can Kane find a life of his own without ruining someone else's? Can Porter juggle his heart, his family and his business, without losing everything?

For all of you who have been waiting for today (release day for the second in the Surf Bay series), Porter's story is no let down. In fact, it is my favourite Ashley John novel (read) to date.

Porter was an interesting character in Lost and Found. He is the kind of secondary character that catches my eye - supposedly the carefree owner of the surf shack, Oliver's boss and friend. Yet even in the first book there were hints that things weren't quite as happy and settled as he made them out to be. I liked this hook, I was ready for Porter's story (as I am for Michael's the next in the series).

This book flits between two time frames, current day and 1997. In 1997 we see eighteen year old Porter have his heart broken by his one true love, Kane. In 2014, we see the sparks that fly when they re-meet for the first time in seventeen years.

Ashley John has been clever how his character's are in relation to each other, how the friends and relatives dynamics work. I like series where, even if the focus characters change, we still catch up with old favourites and learn more about them as the books unfold. Each story unfurls different layers which leads to a richer reading experience. He is also clever with how he tells his story, feeding us bits here and there, playing with our emotions. Sad, happy, loving, hating - it's all there, as is the need to find out what is happening to Porter and why he's letting it happen.

Surf Bay is a series I'm going to enjoy. It's the kind of series that makes you feel as though you're greeting old friends when you open up the pages. Occasionally, I wish he'd cut out some of the reporting clauses and stuck with 'said'. Yep, show don't tell. It's a little thing really, a simple fix. Please don't let this put you off reading these books - the story dragged me in and I found myself needing to read more.

I really can't wait for Michael's story - at the moment I want to hate him...but I feel that by the end of the next book I will understand and love him just like I do Porter and Kane, and Oliver and Charlie. I love watching this writer grow with each book he writes,  it makes anticipation of the next one to come even better.

Find out more about Ashley John on Goodreads.

An arc of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.