Showing posts with label rape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rape. Show all posts
Guest Review: Spotless Box Set by Bailey Bradford
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When you think you’ll never fit it, never be whole, love can show you a truth you’ve never seen.
Adal has been abused all of his life. The only person who cared for him was his brother, Steven. Without him, Adal would have been killed long ago. After he and Steven are sent on a mission for their twisted father, they learn they’ve been pawns in an evil plot all along. And that their father has been slowly killing them, one pill at a time.
Steven leaves Adal to seek revenge and secure safety for them in the world. Adal is astounded to find out he has a mate. A halfbreed like him shouldn’t have anyone to love, should he?
Dorso Rodriguez doesn’t know what hit him, literally or figuratively. A fun-loving guy, he wakes up with a knot on his head and a strange, sexy, scarred man who’s scared and defiant and intriguing.
Together they embark on a journey to defeat the demons from Adal’s past.
Hunt
Steven was on a mission he knew could cost him his life, but instead he might find himself truly living for the first time.
Steven has spent his life protecting his brother Adal and serving their sadistic father, Bashuan, as a means of bargaining for both of their lives. He’s done things no man should have to do, things no shifter should have to do. Throughout it all, Bashuan has hated him and Adal for being halfbreeds, part puma and part leopard. Doesn’t matter that Bashuan is responsible for their mixed blood. There’s no logic to his hatred.
But Adal has found a mate, and Steven is going to make sure his brother gets the opportunity to live out a normal shifter life with the man. He’s going to try his best, anyway. Steven is aware that Bashuan may win, that evil could triumph the new-found good in Steven’s life. He’s seen it happen—good guys don’t always survive.
What Steven forgets is that he’s not nor has he ever been the good guy, and the Fates have a reward for him that will break the rules of all known shifter matings. They’re sending him not one, but two mates, and both men will fight with him and for him—and nothing will keep them from Steven.
Home
Solomon wanted nothing more than to stay at home and raise his siblings, until he’s kidnapped and everything in his world changes.
Solomon survived being abused by his father. He took care of his many siblings during that time, and continued to do so after he’d been rescued by his half-brother Steven, and Steven’s mates Cole and Shaun.
Now Solomon’s grown up. He’s still raising his family, and he wants to keep everyone right there, safe and with him.
Then he’s kidnapped, and he’s taken away. He’s got a secret that helps him escape his captors. That, and one of the jaguar guards who is supposed to be trying to capture him again turns out to be his mate, while the other guard is a woman who’s fed up with the cruelty of the clan who sent her after Solomon.
Azil has known only subservience all his life. The jaguar clan he’s from is warped, but he doesn’t know that. It’s just the way things are. It takes a taste of freedom, and finding a man who believes in him, to help free Azil from the chains of his past.
But someone wants to make sure neither he nor Solomon gets a happy ending.
Heart
Rolly has waited ten years to claim his mate. Now the wait is over, and he’s coming home.
Rolly has waited patiently for his mate. When he first met Erdwin, the boy was still a child. Rolly felt nothing but compassion for him back then, but Erdwin came of age five years ago, and Rolly’s stayed out of his life in order to give Erdwin time to experience life.
Erdwin never fit right in his skin. He didn’t like what he saw in the mirror. It didn’t match how he felt inside. As a shifter, he was stuck with the body he had. Surgery wasn’t an option for him. But Erdwin found a way to accept himself—by embracing the part of herself that felt like her true nature. She struggled with it, but with her family’s support, she became Edie, the young lady she was meant to be. She stopped worrying about her parts, and concentrated on her heart.
When Rolly, a powerful shaman, moves back home to the pack, Edie is transfixed. He makes her nervous—and arouses her. But what would a man like him think of a woman like her?
Edie’s about to find out, and she will have to be stronger than ever to help fight off a threat to her pack, to her mate, and to her family.
Reviewer: Shee Reader
When I got this box set to review, I had not heard of the series at all, so I was a brand new world to me. I enjoyed the world building and complexity of the variety of relationships. The bad guy (the father figure) was truly horrific but it wasn’t too graphic or gory which was good for me. I was glad how things resolved for him.
In book one, I liked one of the MC’s (Adal the shifter) straight away, but took a while to warm to his human mate. It was a bit of an effort to get into the story, but once I did, It just rolled away!
I really loved book two from the get-go. Steven is Adal’s brother and finds he has not one but two mates who are both wolf shifters. The wolves were super characters I really liked from the outset.
Book three was a bit of a change in pace, but lovely nonetheless and I was so worried that after everything Solomon had been through that being kidnapped would finish him off, but the angst and threat was quite manageable for a big softie like me.
Book four was delightful and I was looking forward to all the ends being tied off, but it was not at all what I was expecting! Rolly and his mate could have been a hard pairing to understand, but I found it positively and lovingly written.
On the whole it was a super engaging and satisfying sexy shifter box set that was a whole lot of story put together. It felt like there was a whole complexity to the stories which isn’t something I have always found with this author, and this worked extremely well in this context. The pairings are all strong and emotional as well as fated -mate insta sexy times!
If you love a good undulating romp with sexy shifters and a not unbearable amount of drama, this could be the set for you.
Highly recommended.
I was given a free copy of the set in exchange for an honest review.
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Blog Tour + Giveaway: In Safe Arms by Ann Grech
In Safe Arms is out! Celebrate with author Ann Grech and Other Worlds Ink on today's blog tour stop! Learn more and enter in the $20 Amazon gift card giveaway!
Ann Grech has a new MM romance out: "In Safe Arms."
When a damaged man stumbles on a second chance, it’s all too easy to turn and run. It takes a determined photographer to convince him risk is worth it all.
People deserve a second chance, right? How about a third or fourth?
But what if I can’t even admit to myself who I am? I was truthful once before. I came out to one other person, and he left me broken and scarred. He destroyed the boy I was. I don’t even use the same name anymore; I go by Trent now. But I survived the streets. I got lucky and I made something of myself. I’m happy, sort of.
It’s Angelo who lights up my life. He’s my world. My rock and my family. He’s always there for me. But I keep hurting him. I say stupid things, and I always keep him at a distance. Still, he knows me better than anyone.
And I want him. But I can’t let myself go there. Not again.
I’ve lived in denial for so long and it’s killing me. In my weakest moments, I reach for Angelo and when he slips into my arms, I can breathe. He’s my solace. Selflessly, he’s there and he never expects anything in return. No judgment, not even an explanation. Having him in my arms is everything, and it’s getting harder to push him away. I’m not sure I want to anymore.
He doesn’t date, but he deserves to be loved. Cherished. Then he drops a bombshell—he’s found The One. I wish he’d fallen for me. I need that second chance to tell him. I need to risk it all because in his arms, I’m safe. I’m me.
Warnings: violence, rape
Giveaway
Ann is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour. For a chance to win, enter via Rafflecopter:
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Excerpt
“The cat you’re minding?”
“Yep.” He nodded. I bit my lip trying not to laugh. It wasn’t funny. He was telling me about some shit that’d gone down that had upset him,but come on. How was I supposed to react? He’d used needing food for the cat he was sitting as an excuse to get out of a date. And the cat’s name was Dodge? You couldn’t make that shit up. I snorted, unsuccessfully trying to stifle my laugh, and wiped my eyes, tears welling from the effort. Trent paused and looked at me, confused, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I laughed and shook my head, holding my hand up to him.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at you, but seriously?” I sucked in a breath, my side hurting because I was laughing so hard. “Cat food? For Dodge?” Trent’s lips twitched, and I could see him fighting the smile. I looked at him again and laughed once more, nudging him with my shoulder. “You didn’t even realize how it sounded until now, did you?” When he shook his head and finally let that smile loose, I sucked in a breath, happy for a whole other reason. It was his story andhe’d told it, but he was smiling andI couldn’t help but take a little pride in that.
“Fuck me. She looked so damn horrified when I said that, but all I could think about was getting out of there.” He chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m such a dumb ass.”
“Nah, you just didn’t think.” I nudged his shoulder playfully, letting him know that it wasn’t all bad. “At least tell me you got the food.”
He nodded and sobered up. “I couldn’t wait to get out of there, but I didn’t want to go home either. Figured you would have been busy, so I stopped by the sports bar. Watched a footy match. Haven’t done that by myself in years, and I hated every minute of it. Suppose I had too many drinks.”
My heart clenched, and I wanted to reach out to him. InsteadI leaned closer, my side pressed against his, and asked, “You didn’t drive home, did you?” I wasn’t sure whether I was begging him or scolding him for being so damn stupid. If he’d been drinking and driving not only could it be the end of his career, but more importantly,he could have killed someone. And it was all because he didn’t call me.
“Nah, I walked it. The night air sobered me up pretty fast.”
Thank God. I let out the breath I was holding, relief winningmy emotional tug-of-war.
“So whathappened yesterday and today? You just kept drinking?” It was none of my business, I knew that, but I didn’t care. I needed to know.
“Something like that,” he muttered. This was him shutting down. A noncommittal answer followed by either a subject change or him going quiet, but I couldn’t do it. I needed him to be able to talk to me.
“Look, I’m not going to push you, but maybe it’ll help if you spoke about whatever is bothering you. I’m here. I’ll listen, and I’ll do my best to help, but I can’t unless you talk to me. If not me, then pick someone else. I’m worried about you.”
“Some bad shit happened when I was younger. This time of year always drags it back up, but I’ll get through it.” He paused and added, “This—walking and being outside, spending time with you—it’s helping. You’rehelping.”
Author Bio
By day Ann Grech lives in the corporate world and can be found sitting behind a desk typing away at reports and papers or lecturing to a room full of students. She graduated with a PhD in 2016 and is now an over-qualified nerd. Glasses, briefcase, high heels and a pencil skirt, she’s got the librarian look nailed too. If only they knew! She swears like a sailor, so that’s got to be a hint. The other one was “the look” from her tattoo artist when she told him that she wanted her kids’ initials “B” and “J” tattooed on her foot. It took a second to register that it might be a bad idea.
She’s never entirely fit in and loves escaping into a book—whether it’s reading or writing one. But she’s found her tribe now and loves her M/M book world family. She dislikes cooking, but loves eating, can’t figure out technology, but is addicted to it, and her guilty pleasure is Byron Bay Cookies. Oh, and shoes. And lingerie. And maybe handbags too. Well, if we’re being honest, we’d probably have to add her library too given the state of her credit card every month. What can she say? She’s a bookworm at heart.
Author Website: http://www.anngrech.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/ann.grech.9
Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/anngrechauthor
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/anngrechauthor
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7536397.Ann_Grech
Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/ann-grech/
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/anngrech

Guest Review: Murder by Design by J.P. Bowie
An unexpected meeting in a bar gives Detective Sam Walker a real chance of finding long-awaited happiness. All he has to do is stay alive.
Detective Sam Walker gets a surprise phone call the day he wakes up with the hangover from hell. The caller informs him that his name is Justin and that they met the night before in a gay bar. Not only met, but kissed and traded phone numbers and Sam has no memory of it at all. Intrigued, Sam wants to meet Justin again, but any chance of that is delayed when he and his partner are assigned a murder investigation and told to take care of it ASAP.
Sam has a problem, a deeply personal one that he doesn’t talk about, but when he’s with Justin the problem seems to disappear and he’s convinced he’s been given a new lease on life. His elation is short-lived, however, when the case he and his partner are working on takes a dark turn.
Justin also has a problem…Maria Esteban, a fiery-tempered Puerto Rican who owns the fashion company Justin designs for. Theirs is a volatile relationship and when tragedy strikes, the finger of suspicion points at him.
Can Sam save Justin not only from a bigoted detective intent on cracking the case quickly, but from a new and unexpected source, too? Or is their love affair doomed before they can truly savor Sam’s newfound freedom from the past?
Reader Advisory: This book contains homophobia, the remembered assault and rape of the main character and attempted murder. There are some scenes of violence, as well as brief references to child slavery.
Reviewer: Annery
Sam Walker left Texas, fleeing a small town life that threatened to kill him figuratively, possibly literally, and a family that rejected him for being gay. He made his way to Los Angeles, and at 30 has carved out a career for himself as a Detective in the LAPD, found friends and been embraced by the family of his work partner Martin McCready. His life is nice. Fine. Really. Except he’s lonely. But all that is about to change.
After a night of drunken celebration Sam gets a call from Justin, a guy he chatted up at a bar, but doesn’t remember. Justin isn’t offended on account of Sam being a fantastic kisser. They exchange a few steamy phone calls, meet, and it’s all happy sailing. There really is no conflict between these two, they’re exactly what cranks each other’s engine. Actually Justin turns out to be the cure for Sam’s “ailment”, sort of like magic D but in reverse. Sure. It could happen. It could also be that time has healed Sam and that Justin is the person who tics his boxes. Just a thought. I didn’t hate the idea, because I’m a romantic at heart.
At this point you may be wondering “what about the mystery?” Well … there isn’t one. Not really. The prologue teases the case you think the story will be about, but the bulk of the book, probably 80% deals with a different case that Sam & Martin catch (a young hustler found murdered in a known cruising park), Sam’s relationship with Martin and his family, the casual homophobes at work, but also the staunch allies, Justin’s work woes, Justin’s relationship with his own family, and primarily with Sam and Justin’s romance, which is on the fast lane to love with zero bumps or stops. The Case, when it comes, is fairly straightforward, and perhaps a bit anticlimactic. But the rest of the story was nice. Cozy.
This is my first J. P. Bowie and I think the author, in this instance, just uses the template of a murder mystery to do some character & societal portraits. I liked that Sam & Justin don’t seem to be the result of what’s trending or hot in the romance world. In fact, they’re pretty traditional in their roles (save for the gay thing), and Justin’s speech, in particular, is peppered with old-fashioned expressions, like “Put me down, varlet,”, who says that? Granted, he is a designer, but he’s like 26? On the plus side I learned what a kirby grip is. I liked the other characters, particularly Martin and his family, and I liked the accurate sense of place.
If you're looking for something low-angst and well written to fill a couple hours this could be it. I don’t know if you’ll remember it later, but that’s what re-reads are for.
Detective Sam Walker gets a surprise phone call the day he wakes up with the hangover from hell. The caller informs him that his name is Justin and that they met the night before in a gay bar. Not only met, but kissed and traded phone numbers and Sam has no memory of it at all. Intrigued, Sam wants to meet Justin again, but any chance of that is delayed when he and his partner are assigned a murder investigation and told to take care of it ASAP.
Sam has a problem, a deeply personal one that he doesn’t talk about, but when he’s with Justin the problem seems to disappear and he’s convinced he’s been given a new lease on life. His elation is short-lived, however, when the case he and his partner are working on takes a dark turn.
Justin also has a problem…Maria Esteban, a fiery-tempered Puerto Rican who owns the fashion company Justin designs for. Theirs is a volatile relationship and when tragedy strikes, the finger of suspicion points at him.
Can Sam save Justin not only from a bigoted detective intent on cracking the case quickly, but from a new and unexpected source, too? Or is their love affair doomed before they can truly savor Sam’s newfound freedom from the past?
Reader Advisory: This book contains homophobia, the remembered assault and rape of the main character and attempted murder. There are some scenes of violence, as well as brief references to child slavery.
Reviewer: Annery
Sam Walker left Texas, fleeing a small town life that threatened to kill him figuratively, possibly literally, and a family that rejected him for being gay. He made his way to Los Angeles, and at 30 has carved out a career for himself as a Detective in the LAPD, found friends and been embraced by the family of his work partner Martin McCready. His life is nice. Fine. Really. Except he’s lonely. But all that is about to change.
After a night of drunken celebration Sam gets a call from Justin, a guy he chatted up at a bar, but doesn’t remember. Justin isn’t offended on account of Sam being a fantastic kisser. They exchange a few steamy phone calls, meet, and it’s all happy sailing. There really is no conflict between these two, they’re exactly what cranks each other’s engine. Actually Justin turns out to be the cure for Sam’s “ailment”, sort of like magic D but in reverse. Sure. It could happen. It could also be that time has healed Sam and that Justin is the person who tics his boxes. Just a thought. I didn’t hate the idea, because I’m a romantic at heart.
At this point you may be wondering “what about the mystery?” Well … there isn’t one. Not really. The prologue teases the case you think the story will be about, but the bulk of the book, probably 80% deals with a different case that Sam & Martin catch (a young hustler found murdered in a known cruising park), Sam’s relationship with Martin and his family, the casual homophobes at work, but also the staunch allies, Justin’s work woes, Justin’s relationship with his own family, and primarily with Sam and Justin’s romance, which is on the fast lane to love with zero bumps or stops. The Case, when it comes, is fairly straightforward, and perhaps a bit anticlimactic. But the rest of the story was nice. Cozy.
This is my first J. P. Bowie and I think the author, in this instance, just uses the template of a murder mystery to do some character & societal portraits. I liked that Sam & Justin don’t seem to be the result of what’s trending or hot in the romance world. In fact, they’re pretty traditional in their roles (save for the gay thing), and Justin’s speech, in particular, is peppered with old-fashioned expressions, like “Put me down, varlet,”, who says that? Granted, he is a designer, but he’s like 26? On the plus side I learned what a kirby grip is. I liked the other characters, particularly Martin and his family, and I liked the accurate sense of place.
If you're looking for something low-angst and well written to fill a couple hours this could be it. I don’t know if you’ll remember it later, but that’s what re-reads are for.
Blog Tour + Giveaway: Out of the Shade by S.A. McAuley
A Novel Take PR and author S.A. McAuley host the Out of the Shade exclusive blog tour! Learn more about the contemporary romance, check out today's exclusive excerpt and enter in the $10 Amazon gift card giveaway (Three winners!)
Out of the Shade by S.A. McAuley
Publisher: Self-pub (S.A. McAuley, LLC)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): May 21, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): 332 pages (print), 103k words
Subgenre: Contemporary
Warnings: alcoholism, mentions of sexual and physical abuse, mentions of drug addiction, mentions of rape, attempted suicide by a minor character, violence, homophobia, closeting
Order now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QBNNR5N?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
Book synopsis:
Jesse Solomona has always tried to be the perfect straight guy—a cocky sports fan who drinks more than he did in his fraternity days and an expert at one-night-stands. That he hooks up with just as many men as he does women is a secret Jesse’s been hiding for years, fearful of losing his family and tight group of friends. He’s a Kensington boy—a group of guys that grew up in the same neighborhood and somehow all ended up back in their hometown. They, and his family, are the only things that still matter in his otherwise soul-sucking life.
Chuck Dunn, a tattooed and pierced sports photographer, has refused to step back into the closet since he was disowned by his family, but he keeps choosing men who can’t fully be with him. Finally free from a long-term relationship he should’ve ended years ago, he quits his high-profile gig in favor of getting back to the art of sports photography—documenting a local boxing club that works with at-risk teenagers. He may not have the same swagger anymore, but he’s working to be happy with who he is.
When Chuck joins one of the Kensington boys’ community center sports leagues, Jesse’s self-imposed rules are systematically demolished. But there’s one barrier Jesse can’t find the strength to break through—coming out to the other Kensington boys. Chuck knows hooking up with Jesse is a bad idea. Falling for him even worse. But he can’t stay away.
Chuck is damaged by his past. Jesse is frightened about his future. But, together, they may just be able to come out of the shade.
BMBR Excerpt
Jesse riffled through an old issue of Sports Illustrated, stopping to glance at the byline of each photo and finding, just like Kam had said, Chuck’s name peppered throughout the glossy mag.
Chuck was stretched out on the couch, his feet crossed on the armrest and hands balancing his phone on his bare chest as he typed. Jesse cleared his throat and turned the pages more forcefully, with a loud thwack each time despite the flimsiness, but Chuck’s eyes stayed riveted to his phone. Jesse flipped to an action shot of a hockey player, blatantly stared at Chuck, and held the magazine up.
Chuck’s gaze flicked to Jesse, the corner of his lips tugged up, and he set his cell on the coffee table. “Meow?”
Jesse stared at him blankly, then roared with laughter. “Yeah, cat’s out of the bag, buddy.”
“Sorry I wasn’t the one to tell you.” Chuck sat up, scratching his stubble. “With as much as we’ve been talking, I’m honestly surprised it didn’t come up yet.”
“Well, you’ve been outed. Big time. What the fuck?”
Chuck ran his fingers through his hair, tousling it. “Are you seriously pissed?”
“Hell no! This shit is awesome. I gotta ask, though….”
Jesse took a deep breath. He wasn’t pissed that Chuck hadn’t told him about his previous job—the man’s business was his own. What was fucking with his head, though, was that a guy with that status, and likely the money that followed, could’ve used it as bait to get whatever man he wanted into bed.
He’d searched for even a hint of that persona when Chuck had knocked on his door last night, but once they were alone inside, Chuck had kissed him with confidence, not bravado. Then he’d thrown his hoodie over the arm of the couch, stripped down to nothing, and let Jesse take control. Jesse hadn’t really expected Chuck’s actions, or his own view of Chuck, to change at all—Chuck wasn’t a prick.
He simply couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Chuck could’ve picked anyone, and yet he’d chosen Jesse.
“I don’t get it. I’m a salesman in a suburban shithole. Why…me?”
Chuck furrowed his brow like the question didn’t make sense. “Because I like you too, asshole.”
Jesse chuckled. It wasn’t exactly a romantic proclamation, but warmth spread through Jesse’s chest nonetheless.
“Listen. I should’ve told you. But people look at me differently when they know.”
“You thought I would?”
Chuck shook his head. “Charles Dunnbradley is my birth name, but it isn’t me. You know the real me, not that guy”—Chuck waved a hand dismissively over the stack of magazines—“and you still want me around.”
Now Jesse was even more confused. “You’re fucking with me, right? You have your shit together and I’m a closeted, out of shape—”
“Hey.”
Chuck’s gentle tone cut Jesse off immediately. Chuck stood and closed the distance between them, climbing into the chair with Jesse and straddling his hips. “Your body turns me on, Jesse. You turn me on. And I definitely don’t have my shit together.”
Jesse wrapped an arm around Chuck’s waist and pulled him closer. “You want to tell me about that?”
“Not now.” Chuck tipped his head and bit at his lip. “The rest of me is a canvas you’ll just have to unfurl.”
Jesse snorted. “Damn, you are an artist.”
Author S.A. McAuley is a wandering LGBTQ author who sleeps little and reads a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. Her name is Sam, not Sammy, definitely not Samantha. She’s a dark/cynical/jaded person, but hides that darkness well behind her obsession(s) with shiny objects.
Connect with her:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorSAMcAuley
Website: https://www.samcauley.com
Tumblr: @authorquestionmark
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Ly9Rv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsamcauley/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authorsamcauley
Giveaway:
Celebrate the release of OUT OF THE SHADE with author S.A. McAuley by entering this giveaway for a chance to win 1 of 3 $10 Amazon Gift Cards!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d45f0393/
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Guest Review: Surrendering for Two (Soul Match #4) by Morticia Knight
Strength is found when surrendering to destiny.
Graham has suffered so much at the hands of the Nall. Ever since he was enslaved after the invasion, he’s been raped and tortured by the Alasharian Supreme Commander and his cohorts. Condemned to die by hanging for his part in the human rebellion, Graham gives in to the inevitable, no longer caring if he lives or dies. But an unexpected event occurs and at the last moment, Graham is saved.
Balor is a guard to the Nall, but he’s also a part of the growing rebellion among the Alasharians. When one of the Nall’s advisors enlists his help in getting a human prisoner to safety, Balor comes to his aid. Startled by the soul match hum that sparks to life when he touches Graham, but unable to do anything about it, Balor is determined to protect his human match at all costs. When Advisor Oman arrives on the scene to rescue Balor as he helps Graham to escape, it becomes clear that yet another alien/human triad is forming—even if Graham may never accept being bonded to two aliens after the trauma he’s endured at the hands of Alasharians.
The time has come to depart to the secret military complex located in the Rocky Mountains where the human and Alasharian allies will stage their final assault against the Nall and the Void. Families are reunited and others torn apart as they prepare for battle. But the biggest question that remains is where Chris has gone. The allies fear what will become of them all if the special human Sha Sha Ar chose to lead them spiritually is no longer there to guide them.
Reviewer: NeRdyWYRM
Bait and Switch
Allow me to preface this by saying ... WTF? And nooooo, I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Although ... well, not entirely in a bad way. Let me see if I can explain.
I like the space-opera-ish-ness of these even though they take place on Earth. Let's face it, they are way, way, way OTT in many respects. Again, not necessarily a bad thing because at least these are consistently OTT in very specific ways that span the entire series and don't try to 'one up' themselves by getting progressively more and more Days of our Lives if you know what I mean.
So why the WTF? Well ... that would be because, after book 3, I somehow had it in my head that things would be wrapping up in book 4. Hmm. Yeah, not so much. Imagine my surprise when another cousin-neighbor-acquaintance comes out of the woodwork and ends up with his very own alien boy toys. Yum, right? But still. I thought we were done!
Am I upset that we're getting a little more story than I expected? Not really. BUT! I'm beginning to get déjà vu à la a certain other alien invasion-type *cough* Kindred *cough* never-ending-series. It's giving me waking nightmares that I hope don't come true. As much as I initially loved that whole story arc, it got really old after about book 13 or so, ya know?
Let's hope these don't end up there because that would be a shame. It's also why I stopped watching a certain daytime soap opera about 10 years ago when real life people were beginning to get demon-possessed [head-desk—thump—head-desk—thump]. Yep. EYEROLL.
Anyway, I digress. I liked this book because we got to see the unprotected human point of view. The MC in this one had it rough. Beware triggers people; there are a few here. He was egregiously abused in every possible way. Every. Possible. Way. It was awful. But his hunky-sweet aliens make up for it.
It's absolutely cringeworthy from a psychology standpoint—the impossibility of an insta-recovery from the abuse this MC suffered—but FFS! This is a story about an alien invasion of Earth. Suspend disbelief folks, m'kay?
That said, if we immerse ourselves in the hypothetical, who's to say the soulmatch/bond thing these triads have going on—in conjunction with that everloving bitch Fate—wouldn't be enough to overcome some singularly human frailties if these things were possible in real life? Suspend disbelief folks! It's worth it because it makes these stories a lot of fun.
This series won't be winning any pretentious prizes for literary achievement, but I give it high fives for entertainment factor and steaminess. Three words: perpetually hot threesomes.
So ... I hope the author doesn't drag the overarching story line out too far, but I really enjoyed the darker side of the human coin we saw in this installment. I'm pissed that we spent the whole book not knowing WTF is going on with Chris. I feel like the author's giving us an unnecessary cliffhanger on that aspect (hate it!).
But the tension is mounting and I'm still thoroughly interested in finding out how it all turns out. Hopefully sooner rather than later. At any rate, that makes it a success in my book even if it's OTT and patently unbelievable if you're using your rational mind. It's still really damned fun.
More reviews by NeRdyWYRM can be found on Goodreads here.
Images (when present) may be subject to copyright.
An ARC copy of this title was provided for an honest review.
Graham has suffered so much at the hands of the Nall. Ever since he was enslaved after the invasion, he’s been raped and tortured by the Alasharian Supreme Commander and his cohorts. Condemned to die by hanging for his part in the human rebellion, Graham gives in to the inevitable, no longer caring if he lives or dies. But an unexpected event occurs and at the last moment, Graham is saved.
Balor is a guard to the Nall, but he’s also a part of the growing rebellion among the Alasharians. When one of the Nall’s advisors enlists his help in getting a human prisoner to safety, Balor comes to his aid. Startled by the soul match hum that sparks to life when he touches Graham, but unable to do anything about it, Balor is determined to protect his human match at all costs. When Advisor Oman arrives on the scene to rescue Balor as he helps Graham to escape, it becomes clear that yet another alien/human triad is forming—even if Graham may never accept being bonded to two aliens after the trauma he’s endured at the hands of Alasharians.
The time has come to depart to the secret military complex located in the Rocky Mountains where the human and Alasharian allies will stage their final assault against the Nall and the Void. Families are reunited and others torn apart as they prepare for battle. But the biggest question that remains is where Chris has gone. The allies fear what will become of them all if the special human Sha Sha Ar chose to lead them spiritually is no longer there to guide them.
Reviewer: NeRdyWYRM
Bait and Switch
Allow me to preface this by saying ... WTF? And nooooo, I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Although ... well, not entirely in a bad way. Let me see if I can explain.
I like the space-opera-ish-ness of these even though they take place on Earth. Let's face it, they are way, way, way OTT in many respects. Again, not necessarily a bad thing because at least these are consistently OTT in very specific ways that span the entire series and don't try to 'one up' themselves by getting progressively more and more Days of our Lives if you know what I mean.
So why the WTF? Well ... that would be because, after book 3, I somehow had it in my head that things would be wrapping up in book 4. Hmm. Yeah, not so much. Imagine my surprise when another cousin-neighbor-acquaintance comes out of the woodwork and ends up with his very own alien boy toys. Yum, right? But still. I thought we were done!
Am I upset that we're getting a little more story than I expected? Not really. BUT! I'm beginning to get déjà vu à la a certain other alien invasion-type *cough* Kindred *cough* never-ending-series. It's giving me waking nightmares that I hope don't come true. As much as I initially loved that whole story arc, it got really old after about book 13 or so, ya know?
Let's hope these don't end up there because that would be a shame. It's also why I stopped watching a certain daytime soap opera about 10 years ago when real life people were beginning to get demon-possessed [head-desk—thump—head-desk—thump]. Yep. EYEROLL.

Anyway, I digress. I liked this book because we got to see the unprotected human point of view. The MC in this one had it rough. Beware triggers people; there are a few here. He was egregiously abused in every possible way. Every. Possible. Way. It was awful. But his hunky-sweet aliens make up for it.
It's absolutely cringeworthy from a psychology standpoint—the impossibility of an insta-recovery from the abuse this MC suffered—but FFS! This is a story about an alien invasion of Earth. Suspend disbelief folks, m'kay?
That said, if we immerse ourselves in the hypothetical, who's to say the soulmatch/bond thing these triads have going on—in conjunction with that everloving bitch Fate—wouldn't be enough to overcome some singularly human frailties if these things were possible in real life? Suspend disbelief folks! It's worth it because it makes these stories a lot of fun.

This series won't be winning any pretentious prizes for literary achievement, but I give it high fives for entertainment factor and steaminess. Three words: perpetually hot threesomes.
So ... I hope the author doesn't drag the overarching story line out too far, but I really enjoyed the darker side of the human coin we saw in this installment. I'm pissed that we spent the whole book not knowing WTF is going on with Chris. I feel like the author's giving us an unnecessary cliffhanger on that aspect (hate it!).
But the tension is mounting and I'm still thoroughly interested in finding out how it all turns out. Hopefully sooner rather than later. At any rate, that makes it a success in my book even if it's OTT and patently unbelievable if you're using your rational mind. It's still really damned fun.
More reviews by NeRdyWYRM can be found on Goodreads here.
Images (when present) may be subject to copyright.
An ARC copy of this title was provided for an honest review.
Review: Dirty Games by Barbara Elsborg
Let the games begin.
When you play dirty, mud gets in your eyes. And when your vision clears, it might be too late to say sorry.
Linton Williams is moving up in life, he’s secured a great job, he’s living his dream - until it all comes crashing down, courtesy of a brother who’s hooked on cocaine and owes money to dangerous people. When Linton’s offered enough cash to pay off his brother’s debts and send him to rehab, he can’t say no.
But there’s a catch. To save his brother from the hell of addiction, Linton makes a deal with the devil. His job? To teach film star Thorne Morrisey a public lesson in humility that might just destroy Thorne’s acting career for good.
When Thorne and Linton meet, sparks fly, and one kiss sets into motion a chain of events that could destroy them both. By the time Linton decides the price is too high, it’s too late. He’s fallen hard. And now he’s trapped between destroying his lover or his brother.
Game over
This book has dark themes and violence.
Wow. To say this book was complex would be putting it lightly. As a few reviews have stated, there is a lot going on in this book but the method to which each character is weaved into the fabric that ultimately becomes the romance between Thorne and Linton was done so flawlessly, you won’t get lost.
***I am going to say this now, this book has on page rape in it and also stories of past rape as well as on page violence so if those are a trigger for you, be aware.***
We meet Linton Williams as he arrives home to his flat after being gone for three months working in the States. When he gets there, the last thing he expected to find was his younger brother Dirk, assed out of his mind on some drug and drink and in Linton’s bed with a man and a woman. Linton hadn’t offered his flat to his brother and he is furious and lets his emotions run his mouth as he kick his brother out. Linton is rightfully upset at his brother for taking advantage yet when he gets a call that his brother has been beaten, overdosed and is in hospital, Linton drops everything to be at his side.
About the same time in a another part of town famous actor Thorne Morrissey is attending a charity premiere of his latest movie, but is quite bored. So when a good looking guy offers him a bit of fun in a hotel room, Thorne agrees. But this invite comes with a spiked drink, an extra player that Thorne wasn’t aware of and sex that he didn’t agree to, along with photo evidence of it all. When Thorne is coherent enough to leave the hotel, he comes upon a young man being beaten by two thugs and does what any human would do, he calls the police.
Linton is shaken at the condition of his brother. Not only the physical marks that are all over his body but learning he may have been raped and he had heroin in his body. Linton knows Dirk is an addict but heroin was never his drug of choice. When the doctor suggest he get Dirk into a rehab and Linton sees the cost, he has no idea how he will afford it. When Dirk tells him he owes his drug dealer, the one who had him beaten, £10,000 Linton knows he will do whatever it takes to save his brother but at what cost to him?
So that right there sets up our story, kinda. When Linton gets a frantic call from his boss, who is also the brother of a childhood friend, Linton drives to a meeting to find out what’s happened. Owen is the friend and Owen is quite frankly fucked up in the head in so many ways. Linton learns that Owen was engaged to Thorne Morrissey, but Thorne ended their engagement with a terrible live and hateful dismissal that happened to be very public. He not only disgraced his then fiancé but he also threw in a few words about Max’s architectural ability that cost Max a few clients and projects. The brothers decide they want revenge on Thorne since the breakup made Owen depressed and suicidal. They want Thorne to pay and to hurt like he hurt Owen so they offer him a deal. Max will give Linton £50,000 up front to make Thorne fall for him and then publically dump him the way he did Owen. Linton is disgusted at the offer and yet he will do anything to save his Dirk. When he asks about the money and the possibility that he can’t make Thorne fall for him, Max tells him it’s his if can make Thorne hurt.
By this time, all I wanted was for Thorne and Linton to meet and when they did in the most organic way I was one happy ginger. Their first kiss was exceptional and so good that it really began the game these two would play. The game, the real one of flirting, creating insane UST and the playful banter between Thorne and Linton was so much fun. I smiled ridiculously all while cringing knowing the secret that Linton held.
From the first time the men are together, you know the chemistry is strong and since we get both POV’s we know Thorne is falling just as fast for Linton as Linton is for Thorne. The true romance between the men was organic and so sweet and sexy AF. Goodness. The first kiss was great with its delivery but when Thorne takes his turn, things get so hot and then when they move forward, the hands were sweating from holding my Nook. I mean, the freaking Skype session and what Linton does and then um… belts? Yeah, Elsborg can write some seriously hot scenes that have so much emotion you feel it.
Oh! Talk about angst! The whole lie of why drove Linton a bit crazy and me too. I wanted him to tell Thorne so many times. I twistedly wanted him to tell Thorne and them to turn around a play a dirty game back with Owen and Max, but Owen has his own issues that get him in enough trouble.
Now there is much that Linton and Thorne have in common that really deepens the story. We have a lot of family dynamics going on with Linton and Dirk and how they grew up. They had a horrible mother who doted on Linton and treated Dirk like shit, so Linton has always felt the need to protect his brother because he didn’t realize all that went on when he left for Uni. Thorne has a brother as well, River, who is autistic and while Thorne grew up with money his parents treated River as if he was a mistake and not worth their time. Both men have unconditional love for their younger siblings and know they’d go through hell for them. This in itself is important to the fruition of the story.
I loved that Linton is so loyal that he’ll lose everything to help Dirk and not hurt Thorne intentionally. I know that may sound strange considering what he agreed to but Linton was blackmailed into it but I don’t fault him at all. When his past with Owen is revealed and we know what Owen was holding over his head from when they were young was awful on many levels but the way Max and Own used it and used Dirk being in rehab was unforgivable. I did not like either of them and though Owen grows up a bit toward the end, I still dislike him immensely.
Thorne was amazing. It was a blast being in his head knowing how much Linton affected him from the first time he saw him in the pub. Watching Thorne let his guard down and fall for the guy who doesn’t believe in love was a pure pleasure. Being witness to Thorne doing little things for Linton because he could and truly wanted to touched my heart. Sure, Thorne has a bit of reputation of being an ass to fans and to lovers when he leaves them but every old dog can learn new tricks when he has a penguin bringing him pebbles. I KNOW that made no sense but it does when you read the book.
Thorne and Linton together is full of every emotion possible. The author truly makes you see and feel it all. From the men bonding with one another’s brothers to them sharing their pasts and learning to trust. I know the trust sounds false when it’s built on a lie but what they have together is not a lie. It’s beautiful and it was a pure pleasure to watch.
I completely adored this book. I did. I honestly think that timing can be everything when you read a book and while it took me a second time to get into this when I first stopped after Thorne’s rape, I am beyond happy that I picked it up again. I devoured this in less than 24 hours. It was amazing and so complex with all that was going on that I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up late reading then woke up on my day off, rolled over grabbed the book and my glasses and read until I was done. I fell in love with this book and though the angst just about did me in I couldn't have stopped reading.
Dirty Games is just that, a book full of dirty games people will make you play to get what they want. It’s a story about doing anything for family and it’s a deep story about forgiving the ones you love, it’s a story about making mistakes and being able to move on to be a better person. It’s a story about love and loving those who can’t say the words back even when they feel them. It’s a beautiful story and I am again so happy I read it. This will be one of those books that stays with me for a long time.
Oh and one last note, that epilogue was stunning and those last three pages were perfection.
When you play dirty, mud gets in your eyes. And when your vision clears, it might be too late to say sorry.
Linton Williams is moving up in life, he’s secured a great job, he’s living his dream - until it all comes crashing down, courtesy of a brother who’s hooked on cocaine and owes money to dangerous people. When Linton’s offered enough cash to pay off his brother’s debts and send him to rehab, he can’t say no.
But there’s a catch. To save his brother from the hell of addiction, Linton makes a deal with the devil. His job? To teach film star Thorne Morrisey a public lesson in humility that might just destroy Thorne’s acting career for good.
When Thorne and Linton meet, sparks fly, and one kiss sets into motion a chain of events that could destroy them both. By the time Linton decides the price is too high, it’s too late. He’s fallen hard. And now he’s trapped between destroying his lover or his brother.
Game over
This book has dark themes and violence.
Wow. To say this book was complex would be putting it lightly. As a few reviews have stated, there is a lot going on in this book but the method to which each character is weaved into the fabric that ultimately becomes the romance between Thorne and Linton was done so flawlessly, you won’t get lost.
***I am going to say this now, this book has on page rape in it and also stories of past rape as well as on page violence so if those are a trigger for you, be aware.***
We meet Linton Williams as he arrives home to his flat after being gone for three months working in the States. When he gets there, the last thing he expected to find was his younger brother Dirk, assed out of his mind on some drug and drink and in Linton’s bed with a man and a woman. Linton hadn’t offered his flat to his brother and he is furious and lets his emotions run his mouth as he kick his brother out. Linton is rightfully upset at his brother for taking advantage yet when he gets a call that his brother has been beaten, overdosed and is in hospital, Linton drops everything to be at his side.
About the same time in a another part of town famous actor Thorne Morrissey is attending a charity premiere of his latest movie, but is quite bored. So when a good looking guy offers him a bit of fun in a hotel room, Thorne agrees. But this invite comes with a spiked drink, an extra player that Thorne wasn’t aware of and sex that he didn’t agree to, along with photo evidence of it all. When Thorne is coherent enough to leave the hotel, he comes upon a young man being beaten by two thugs and does what any human would do, he calls the police.
Linton is shaken at the condition of his brother. Not only the physical marks that are all over his body but learning he may have been raped and he had heroin in his body. Linton knows Dirk is an addict but heroin was never his drug of choice. When the doctor suggest he get Dirk into a rehab and Linton sees the cost, he has no idea how he will afford it. When Dirk tells him he owes his drug dealer, the one who had him beaten, £10,000 Linton knows he will do whatever it takes to save his brother but at what cost to him?
So that right there sets up our story, kinda. When Linton gets a frantic call from his boss, who is also the brother of a childhood friend, Linton drives to a meeting to find out what’s happened. Owen is the friend and Owen is quite frankly fucked up in the head in so many ways. Linton learns that Owen was engaged to Thorne Morrissey, but Thorne ended their engagement with a terrible live and hateful dismissal that happened to be very public. He not only disgraced his then fiancé but he also threw in a few words about Max’s architectural ability that cost Max a few clients and projects. The brothers decide they want revenge on Thorne since the breakup made Owen depressed and suicidal. They want Thorne to pay and to hurt like he hurt Owen so they offer him a deal. Max will give Linton £50,000 up front to make Thorne fall for him and then publically dump him the way he did Owen. Linton is disgusted at the offer and yet he will do anything to save his Dirk. When he asks about the money and the possibility that he can’t make Thorne fall for him, Max tells him it’s his if can make Thorne hurt.
By this time, all I wanted was for Thorne and Linton to meet and when they did in the most organic way I was one happy ginger. Their first kiss was exceptional and so good that it really began the game these two would play. The game, the real one of flirting, creating insane UST and the playful banter between Thorne and Linton was so much fun. I smiled ridiculously all while cringing knowing the secret that Linton held.
From the first time the men are together, you know the chemistry is strong and since we get both POV’s we know Thorne is falling just as fast for Linton as Linton is for Thorne. The true romance between the men was organic and so sweet and sexy AF. Goodness. The first kiss was great with its delivery but when Thorne takes his turn, things get so hot and then when they move forward, the hands were sweating from holding my Nook. I mean, the freaking Skype session and what Linton does and then um… belts? Yeah, Elsborg can write some seriously hot scenes that have so much emotion you feel it.
Oh! Talk about angst! The whole lie of why drove Linton a bit crazy and me too. I wanted him to tell Thorne so many times. I twistedly wanted him to tell Thorne and them to turn around a play a dirty game back with Owen and Max, but Owen has his own issues that get him in enough trouble.
Now there is much that Linton and Thorne have in common that really deepens the story. We have a lot of family dynamics going on with Linton and Dirk and how they grew up. They had a horrible mother who doted on Linton and treated Dirk like shit, so Linton has always felt the need to protect his brother because he didn’t realize all that went on when he left for Uni. Thorne has a brother as well, River, who is autistic and while Thorne grew up with money his parents treated River as if he was a mistake and not worth their time. Both men have unconditional love for their younger siblings and know they’d go through hell for them. This in itself is important to the fruition of the story.
I loved that Linton is so loyal that he’ll lose everything to help Dirk and not hurt Thorne intentionally. I know that may sound strange considering what he agreed to but Linton was blackmailed into it but I don’t fault him at all. When his past with Owen is revealed and we know what Owen was holding over his head from when they were young was awful on many levels but the way Max and Own used it and used Dirk being in rehab was unforgivable. I did not like either of them and though Owen grows up a bit toward the end, I still dislike him immensely.
Thorne was amazing. It was a blast being in his head knowing how much Linton affected him from the first time he saw him in the pub. Watching Thorne let his guard down and fall for the guy who doesn’t believe in love was a pure pleasure. Being witness to Thorne doing little things for Linton because he could and truly wanted to touched my heart. Sure, Thorne has a bit of reputation of being an ass to fans and to lovers when he leaves them but every old dog can learn new tricks when he has a penguin bringing him pebbles. I KNOW that made no sense but it does when you read the book.
Thorne and Linton together is full of every emotion possible. The author truly makes you see and feel it all. From the men bonding with one another’s brothers to them sharing their pasts and learning to trust. I know the trust sounds false when it’s built on a lie but what they have together is not a lie. It’s beautiful and it was a pure pleasure to watch.
I completely adored this book. I did. I honestly think that timing can be everything when you read a book and while it took me a second time to get into this when I first stopped after Thorne’s rape, I am beyond happy that I picked it up again. I devoured this in less than 24 hours. It was amazing and so complex with all that was going on that I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up late reading then woke up on my day off, rolled over grabbed the book and my glasses and read until I was done. I fell in love with this book and though the angst just about did me in I couldn't have stopped reading.
Dirty Games is just that, a book full of dirty games people will make you play to get what they want. It’s a story about doing anything for family and it’s a deep story about forgiving the ones you love, it’s a story about making mistakes and being able to move on to be a better person. It’s a story about love and loving those who can’t say the words back even when they feel them. It’s a beautiful story and I am again so happy I read it. This will be one of those books that stays with me for a long time.
Oh and one last note, that epilogue was stunning and those last three pages were perfection.
Labels:
actor,
Angst,
Autofellatio,
Barbara Elsborg,
Contemporary,
Damaged Hero,
Dark,
Dual POV,
erotic,
Fake to Real Relationship,
family problems,
Past Abuse,
rape,
Reviews,
Sara,
Triggers,
violence
Guest Review: The Boy Who Fell to Earth by A. Zukowski
Jay Palmer is two months away from his sixteenth birthday. He doesn’t realise how his life will be changed forever when a gang of thugs leaves a badly injured boy on his doorstep. The biracial boy and his white single mum Maggie nurse the stranger, sixteen-year-old Aleksander Zukowski or Sasha. Sasha ran away from care two and half years ago. He sleeps rough, is addicted to drugs and sells himself on the streets of London to fund his habit. For the first time in his life, he has a reason to change.
Sasha confirms what Jay already knows about himself but it doesn’t make it easy for him to come out to his macho mates in a largely black neighbourhood. Sasha has an uphill struggle to stay clean when his past threatens to throw him back into the abyss. Are the two boys strong enough to stay together against all odds?
Reviewer: Lost in a Book
This book.
I’ll start off by saying this is my first rent boy read. I typically stay away from them but this one called to me for some reason. I was hesitant. I knew it would hurt but I was just hoping it would hurt so good.
At first I struggled with the writing style and then the actual story. But the promise of redemption for Sasha kept me reading.
All of the heart breaking elements were present. You know, the ones where you need a bottle of wine to get through reading about them; Drugs, rape, molestation, prostitution, homelessness, cheating and let’s not forget…unnecessary drama.
Jay was a 15(almost 16) year old boy who lived with his single mom(Maggie). Sasha is a drug addicted, homeless rent boy. One night Sasha's raped and brutally beaten body was literally dumped on Jay's front yard. Jay and Maggie get him inside and begin the process of helping Sasha without the notification of police and social services. Jay took an instant liking to Sasha.
Sasha was intrigued by Jay but really only wanted to "score" his next hit. He ends up leaving after a few days... but not before Jay kissed Sasha and Sasha jerked him off.
This is where I started making excuses in my head based on Jay's age. Maybe being raped and beaten to his 15 year old self didn't make him stop and think that he should wait to pounce. But, I digress…
Sasha headed back to his squat and over the next few weeks Jay seeks him out.
They spent time together at the squat and Sasha bathed at Jay's house. This was all dandy until Maggie catches them asleep and wrapped in a naked embrace.
Maggie makes Sasha promise to stay away from Jay. This starts Sasha's downward spiral into getting as much of any drug he could and being even more unsafe with sex just to get money for his next hit; To feel numb.
Sasha hits bottom.
Rockfuckingbottom.
Luckily a bouncer, Big Al is there to catch him along with the Vicar, Eric.
Yay!! That's a wrap. Let's tie a pretty bow on it…
Just kidding, that's only the first 57%
From there, they go through way more drama. There are at least 3 more plot twists that send Sasha into a tail spin of... you guessed it... drinking, drugs and sex. These will leave you raging and wanting to do more damage than a cracked out 70s rock star to your kindle and surrounding objects.
Ok, so let's put the story aside. The writing style for the first half was all about telling instead of showing. The book overall could go through another editing round. If I'm really digging a book, I typically don’t let it bother me. This wasn't a dialect issue, it's a word choice/spelling deal (ex. felt asleep in his arms). There were also time lapses everywhere and without warning. There was so much taking place I felt as if I needed to create a story map.
With alllll that said, I still wanted to give this 3 hearts. There was a story there... I just had to cut the crap to get it. However, all the added unnecessary drama at the end brought it to 2.5.
At least there was redemption… *shrug*
Sasha confirms what Jay already knows about himself but it doesn’t make it easy for him to come out to his macho mates in a largely black neighbourhood. Sasha has an uphill struggle to stay clean when his past threatens to throw him back into the abyss. Are the two boys strong enough to stay together against all odds?
Reviewer: Lost in a Book
This book.
I’ll start off by saying this is my first rent boy read. I typically stay away from them but this one called to me for some reason. I was hesitant. I knew it would hurt but I was just hoping it would hurt so good.
At first I struggled with the writing style and then the actual story. But the promise of redemption for Sasha kept me reading.
All of the heart breaking elements were present. You know, the ones where you need a bottle of wine to get through reading about them; Drugs, rape, molestation, prostitution, homelessness, cheating and let’s not forget…unnecessary drama.
Jay was a 15(almost 16) year old boy who lived with his single mom(Maggie). Sasha is a drug addicted, homeless rent boy. One night Sasha's raped and brutally beaten body was literally dumped on Jay's front yard. Jay and Maggie get him inside and begin the process of helping Sasha without the notification of police and social services. Jay took an instant liking to Sasha.
"I only knew I wanted him there, I needed to nurse him back to health."
Sasha was intrigued by Jay but really only wanted to "score" his next hit. He ends up leaving after a few days... but not before Jay kissed Sasha and Sasha jerked him off.
This is where I started making excuses in my head based on Jay's age. Maybe being raped and beaten to his 15 year old self didn't make him stop and think that he should wait to pounce. But, I digress…
Sasha headed back to his squat and over the next few weeks Jay seeks him out.
"I came out today, not knowing why I needed to find him, but it was like he had put a spell on me and I’d follow him wherever he went like a child to the pied piper."
They spent time together at the squat and Sasha bathed at Jay's house. This was all dandy until Maggie catches them asleep and wrapped in a naked embrace.
Maggie makes Sasha promise to stay away from Jay. This starts Sasha's downward spiral into getting as much of any drug he could and being even more unsafe with sex just to get money for his next hit; To feel numb.
Sasha hits bottom.
Rockfuckingbottom.
Luckily a bouncer, Big Al is there to catch him along with the Vicar, Eric.
"I took one last look at the mirror to remind myself of the horror of my decline and I unlocked the door and came out."Redemption follows...
Yay!! That's a wrap. Let's tie a pretty bow on it…
Just kidding, that's only the first 57%
From there, they go through way more drama. There are at least 3 more plot twists that send Sasha into a tail spin of... you guessed it... drinking, drugs and sex. These will leave you raging and wanting to do more damage than a cracked out 70s rock star to your kindle and surrounding objects.
Ok, so let's put the story aside. The writing style for the first half was all about telling instead of showing. The book overall could go through another editing round. If I'm really digging a book, I typically don’t let it bother me. This wasn't a dialect issue, it's a word choice/spelling deal (ex. felt asleep in his arms). There were also time lapses everywhere and without warning. There was so much taking place I felt as if I needed to create a story map.
With alllll that said, I still wanted to give this 3 hearts. There was a story there... I just had to cut the crap to get it. However, all the added unnecessary drama at the end brought it to 2.5.
At least there was redemption… *shrug*
Labels:
A. Zukowski,
British,
Cheating,
Contemporary,
Damaged Hero,
Drama,
drug addict,
Guest Review,
Homeless,
Lost in a Book,
rape,
rent boy,
Triggers,
violence,
YA
Review: Jerricho’s Freedom by Jake C. Wallace
2nd Edition
As prince of the Anzuni demon clan, Jerricho’s entire life has been planned for him. At twenty-five, he will become the crown prince of the Anzuni, marry a man chosen by his parents, and bear his husband’s children all without choice. If that wasn’t enough, he must remain a virgin until his wedding night. To do otherwise would spark an unimaginable scandal.
With only ten months until his twenty-fifth birthday, the walls close in on Jerry, and the realization that he will lose his small apartment, his job at the library, and his freedom hits hard. But that’s nothing compared to losing the man he loves. Rex is a smart and sexy construction foreman with a keen interest in demon “mythology.” When Jerry and Rex give in to spending one night together, their indiscretion can’t be kept secret for long. But that’s only the beginning of their problems.
Someone wants to harness the power of Jerry’s bloodline and his ability to conceive—someone with designs on horrifying experiments, sex slavery, and murder. Jerry and Rex are at the mercy of power-hungry sadists. With no one left to trust, they must fight for each other, their freedom—and their unborn child.
First Edition published by Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure, 2015.
This was actually a lot darker than I expected it to be and it really threw me off. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this kind of story so I will try my best to review it fairly.
I think this story will appeal to a lot of die-hard dark erotic romance fans. Especially if they’re a fan of Mpreg. I’ll talk about the Mpreg a little later in the review though.
This story starts off light, but as the blurb says, there is an element of capture and imprisonment, as well as rape, and forced breeding.
Jerry was a fun character in the beginning. I liked his spark and his independence. The world building around the Demon clan was well done, and I found the concept interesting and well thought out. I liked the supporting characters too. His family and the staff at his parents home. They all gave me warm fuzzies for the most part.
The sexual tension between Jerry and Rex was great. Even the short time they had together was convincing. I enjoyed their relationship building, and I found I liked them both. I wanted them to be together.
It’s going to be hard to write this without spoilers, so if I do add a minor spoiler, I’m sorry.
Where this became an issue for me was the plot around the experimentation and the sex-slavery. Interesting, since I am known to enjoy some really dark stuff. I think the problem was this whole plot centred around a pregnant male Demon and the repetition of the routine surrounding the imprisonment. My heart and head just wasn’t in it. I found myself wishing the story was over. It was too drawn out. There was too much angst. I found it really hard to follow the plot and the twists and turns of the story.
I have to say the Mpreg stuff was okay at first. It was explained well enough, and I found that satisfactory. What was missing was something probably only a few people would consider (or maybe not, I don’t know, maybe I’m weird and overly analytical, or maybe it will be obvious to everyone). How are they feeding this baby? There was nothing in the story about it. Jerry didn’t grow boobs for lactation. And you know, I’d probably go along with that, if there was another evolutionary way that the baby would be fed. It’s something that annoyed me. Petty, maybe, but it is important to me, because it is a gap in world building, and to me a pretty significant one. Men can lactate, so I’m not sure why this wasn’t used.
While it wasn’t the right time for me to read this, I still appreciated it as a well written story. I think it was a little longer than it needed to be, but that’s only my opinion, and may have more to do with how I was feeling as I read the story. If there weren’t so many plot twists, I think I would have handled it better. While a lot of the plot was explained well, some of it came out of left field and I didn’t know how to absorb it all. I can’t say all of them are good for the story. And the angst. It was a little too overwhelming for me (this is a draw for some though, so go ahead, get your angst on).
I’d recommend this only for people who are interested in dark paranormal stories with Mpreg. It may be a bit much for those who aren’t used to this element of writing.
A review copy was provided for an honest opinion
Find on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads!
As prince of the Anzuni demon clan, Jerricho’s entire life has been planned for him. At twenty-five, he will become the crown prince of the Anzuni, marry a man chosen by his parents, and bear his husband’s children all without choice. If that wasn’t enough, he must remain a virgin until his wedding night. To do otherwise would spark an unimaginable scandal.
With only ten months until his twenty-fifth birthday, the walls close in on Jerry, and the realization that he will lose his small apartment, his job at the library, and his freedom hits hard. But that’s nothing compared to losing the man he loves. Rex is a smart and sexy construction foreman with a keen interest in demon “mythology.” When Jerry and Rex give in to spending one night together, their indiscretion can’t be kept secret for long. But that’s only the beginning of their problems.
Someone wants to harness the power of Jerry’s bloodline and his ability to conceive—someone with designs on horrifying experiments, sex slavery, and murder. Jerry and Rex are at the mercy of power-hungry sadists. With no one left to trust, they must fight for each other, their freedom—and their unborn child.
First Edition published by Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure, 2015.
This was actually a lot darker than I expected it to be and it really threw me off. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this kind of story so I will try my best to review it fairly.
I think this story will appeal to a lot of die-hard dark erotic romance fans. Especially if they’re a fan of Mpreg. I’ll talk about the Mpreg a little later in the review though.
This story starts off light, but as the blurb says, there is an element of capture and imprisonment, as well as rape, and forced breeding.
Jerry was a fun character in the beginning. I liked his spark and his independence. The world building around the Demon clan was well done, and I found the concept interesting and well thought out. I liked the supporting characters too. His family and the staff at his parents home. They all gave me warm fuzzies for the most part.
The sexual tension between Jerry and Rex was great. Even the short time they had together was convincing. I enjoyed their relationship building, and I found I liked them both. I wanted them to be together.
It’s going to be hard to write this without spoilers, so if I do add a minor spoiler, I’m sorry.
Where this became an issue for me was the plot around the experimentation and the sex-slavery. Interesting, since I am known to enjoy some really dark stuff. I think the problem was this whole plot centred around a pregnant male Demon and the repetition of the routine surrounding the imprisonment. My heart and head just wasn’t in it. I found myself wishing the story was over. It was too drawn out. There was too much angst. I found it really hard to follow the plot and the twists and turns of the story.
I have to say the Mpreg stuff was okay at first. It was explained well enough, and I found that satisfactory. What was missing was something probably only a few people would consider (or maybe not, I don’t know, maybe I’m weird and overly analytical, or maybe it will be obvious to everyone). How are they feeding this baby? There was nothing in the story about it. Jerry didn’t grow boobs for lactation. And you know, I’d probably go along with that, if there was another evolutionary way that the baby would be fed. It’s something that annoyed me. Petty, maybe, but it is important to me, because it is a gap in world building, and to me a pretty significant one. Men can lactate, so I’m not sure why this wasn’t used.
While it wasn’t the right time for me to read this, I still appreciated it as a well written story. I think it was a little longer than it needed to be, but that’s only my opinion, and may have more to do with how I was feeling as I read the story. If there weren’t so many plot twists, I think I would have handled it better. While a lot of the plot was explained well, some of it came out of left field and I didn’t know how to absorb it all. I can’t say all of them are good for the story. And the angst. It was a little too overwhelming for me (this is a draw for some though, so go ahead, get your angst on).
I’d recommend this only for people who are interested in dark paranormal stories with Mpreg. It may be a bit much for those who aren’t used to this element of writing.
A review copy was provided for an honest opinion
Find on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads!
Labels:
Blue Collar,
Contemporary,
Dark,
Demons,
Drama,
Fantasy Living,
ginger mc,
Jake C. Wallace,
Librarian,
Mpreg,
Paranormal,
rape,
Re-Release,
Reviews,
Sex Slave,
Triggers,
Virgin
Tag Team Review: Max by Bey Deckard
Novella (49,000 words)
Genre(s): transgressive, psychopath, dark erotica, QUILTBAG
Fresh out of school, Dr. Crane takes on a new patient who both intrigues and unnerves him. Charming, manipulative, and amoral, Max has exactly the sort of mind Crane finds himself drawn to with fictional characters.
As Max weaves himself into Crane's life, Crane realizes that while fiction might be safe, Max certainly is not.
When the professional line between them thins, who gets to define where one man ends and the other begins?
Sara - 4.5 Hearts
Max is a twisted mind fuck of story that will have you guessing and more than likely getting it wrong each and every time. Toward the end I was lost and confused and really stuck with needing to know the truth just like David Mills needed to know what was in that box delivered to the middle of the desert. I needed to know and what I got… man, that end. I almost wish it went darker… yeah, I just said that but at least there is some sort of breathing room now that it’s over and maybe I can leave the dark side and go home too. No? Kay? I have friends on this side anyway and they have snacks.
SheReadsALot - 4.5 Hearts
What a twisted, psychological thrilling roller coaster of a ride Max turned out to be.
I'd rather warn potential readers there are triggers in here: rape, dubious consent, unethical practices, cheating, some violence. (A checklist of sorts that guaranteed me reading) And I don't consider this a trigger by any means, but there are readers who don't like vaginas in their fiction *gasp*...whelp, there are few in here (put to good use might I add. I mean it is a Bey Deckard title *grin*) Is Max dark? I don't think so. On a scale from 1-5, maybe 1 or 1.5? It's more a head game...a devious fucking head game.
Lying.
There's oodles and oodles of lies. And I've read this 1.5 times, and I'm trying to figure out where all the truths were.
Set in Montréal, Dr. Dennis Crane is a newly minted psychologist, married and seems to have a normal life. Enter his patient, young Max, who he can tell has a madness in his eyes, that Max is hiding something. But Dr. Crane is drawn to the younger man. Maybe he can diagnose him, fix Max. He doesn't even realize he's been ensnared in the spider's web and Max is running the show.
This is Max.
He's a level 7 on my scale, 100%. And I was plugged in for his show. Really enjoyed that twisted fucker.
Reading Dr. Crane lose more of himself to the miasma of the depravity that reeks from Max, and you read it as Crane knows and still can't help himself. *claps hands wildly* That was everything. The story is told in a journal style, from Dr. Crane's POV. Max and Dr. Crane's interactions starts with sessions, and steadily moves from the doctor's practice, taking over Crane's life. A mild mannered man who develops kinks he didn't even know existed. The sex was scorching hot, while the lines between doctor and patient blurred, melded and made new definitions.
The ending is...I'm still a little wide eyed after that ending. I don't know what else to define it other than a little sad, yet fitting.
Recommended for readers who like amoral liars, characters who don't care to define their sexuality and twisted psychological erotica.
Watch your step.
That rabbit hole, man...it's a helluva ride.
Find on Goodreads or Booklikes!
Genre(s): transgressive, psychopath, dark erotica, QUILTBAG
Fresh out of school, Dr. Crane takes on a new patient who both intrigues and unnerves him. Charming, manipulative, and amoral, Max has exactly the sort of mind Crane finds himself drawn to with fictional characters.
As Max weaves himself into Crane's life, Crane realizes that while fiction might be safe, Max certainly is not.
When the professional line between them thins, who gets to define where one man ends and the other begins?
I’ve said it more than once, I’ll read anything as long as it’s written well even if it’s dark, depraved and full of the folks being debased and this book, it’s written brilliantly.
You liked it. I swear. I didn’t push you into anything. You wanted it.
This book is loaded with psycho sexuality, with moral ambiguity, with pure WTAF-ness and I couldn’t get enough. We begin the story with fresh faced and new to the practice, Dr. Dennis Crane with one Max. Crane wants to be the type of professional to be – professional – and yet when Max flirts with the chance to get an upfront and personal look into the workings of his mind, it’s an offer Crane can’t refuse.
I love that Dr. Crane has doubts but he also has the kind of curiosity that could very well kill the cat. That we know what movie and what character gave him the push to be a shrink of the minds and get inside people’s heads. When Max starts to twist things, to make Max want things he’s never wanted before, even I started to wonder…
… the mysteries of the human mind are both multitudinous and rather fascinating,n’est-ce pas, mon cher?
Max is the type of character that always intrigues me. It’s a sick curiosity of the mentally twisted, the master manipulators and how they do it. I mean, to a point a good number of sexual predators and serial killers and a charming skill that lures their victims in and makes them vulnerable. Here, we have Max who uses his own knowledge of psychology, though a bit depraved and turns the tables on the Doc so much that you wonder who really is analyzing whom?
Though certain lines reminded me of movies and/or songs, the lyrics added to the unease of the unknown. At one point, I started to wonder if I was actually enjoying the story or if this was my reader’s version of dub-con. My own hearts filthy lesson at wanting to take a trip to the dark side. The twists in the story are amazing. Just when I thought I knew what was up, I would turn the page. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was the true reality, Crane would snap out of that one into another or he would get a text from someone I should not have forgotten about because, fuck! OMG!
It was madness, but it was a beautiful fucking madness indeed.
There is a soundtrack to go along with the story that, as a professed music nerd, makes it even better. I mean, anyone who can make a playlist with Marc Almond singing about making scenes, being a team and making headlines sound like a dream, is a-fucking-okay in my book but music and books have always been the heart of my life so I love the soundtrack. Listening to it gave the story a cinematic quality reminiscent of some deep and disturbing films that I happen to find, interesting. I have to add a few lines from a song that wasn’t on it though because for me it was on repeat when I would think of how lost or maybe just how found Crane was becoming all because of Max. It’s a bit less, transcending than that on the soundtrack but, for me it’s that deep part of Crane that can’t figure out which side of the looking glass he is on.
Heaven help me for the way I am
Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand
But I keep living this day like the next will never come
Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand
But I keep living this day like the next will never come
-“Criminal” by Fiona Apple
Max is a twisted mind fuck of story that will have you guessing and more than likely getting it wrong each and every time. Toward the end I was lost and confused and really stuck with needing to know the truth just like David Mills needed to know what was in that box delivered to the middle of the desert. I needed to know and what I got… man, that end. I almost wish it went darker… yeah, I just said that but at least there is some sort of breathing room now that it’s over and maybe I can leave the dark side and go home too. No? Kay? I have friends on this side anyway and they have snacks.
SheReadsALot - 4.5 Hearts
There was no climbing back out of the rabbit hole; he was fucked and fucked good, but at least the company was interesting.Down the rabbit hole indeed...
What a twisted, psychological thrilling roller coaster of a ride Max turned out to be.
I'd rather warn potential readers there are triggers in here: rape, dubious consent, unethical practices, cheating, some violence. (A checklist of sorts that guaranteed me reading) And I don't consider this a trigger by any means, but there are readers who don't like vaginas in their fiction *gasp*...whelp, there are few in here (put to good use might I add. I mean it is a Bey Deckard title *grin*) Is Max dark? I don't think so. On a scale from 1-5, maybe 1 or 1.5? It's more a head game...a devious fucking head game.
Lying.
There's oodles and oodles of lies. And I've read this 1.5 times, and I'm trying to figure out where all the truths were.
Set in Montréal, Dr. Dennis Crane is a newly minted psychologist, married and seems to have a normal life. Enter his patient, young Max, who he can tell has a madness in his eyes, that Max is hiding something. But Dr. Crane is drawn to the younger man. Maybe he can diagnose him, fix Max. He doesn't even realize he's been ensnared in the spider's web and Max is running the show.
"Are you afraid of me, Dennis? You shouldn't be. I'm trying my very best to make you understand that I like you. And I'm offering you the very thing you desire the most: me. You know I'm a fine specimen of amorality. I'm giving you the opportunity to look behind the curtain. No holding back."I believe I've made it known I enjoy reading the cray crays, especially when they're well written. Psychopaths, sociopaths, amoral puppet masters that treat others they encounter as their toys...I enjoy reading them.
This is Max.
He's a level 7 on my scale, 100%. And I was plugged in for his show. Really enjoyed that twisted fucker.
Reading Dr. Crane lose more of himself to the miasma of the depravity that reeks from Max, and you read it as Crane knows and still can't help himself. *claps hands wildly* That was everything. The story is told in a journal style, from Dr. Crane's POV. Max and Dr. Crane's interactions starts with sessions, and steadily moves from the doctor's practice, taking over Crane's life. A mild mannered man who develops kinks he didn't even know existed. The sex was scorching hot, while the lines between doctor and patient blurred, melded and made new definitions.
"I've opened you up to a whole new range of experiences. Once you get acclimatized, you'll see it the way I do."I had minor quibbles. I wanted to know more. What exactly happened during the missing days? There are hints, subtle hints dotted in between the lies. It's a little frustrating not knowing. Maybe there'll be a B-side to Max? Maybe not. Who knows if the world's ready to know what's going on inside that "lizard brain" of Max's. *wink*
The ending is...I'm still a little wide eyed after that ending. I don't know what else to define it other than a little sad, yet fitting.
Recommended for readers who like amoral liars, characters who don't care to define their sexuality and twisted psychological erotica.
Watch your step.
That rabbit hole, man...it's a helluva ride.
Find on Goodreads or Booklikes!
Labels:
Bey Deckard,
bisexual,
Canada,
Cheating,
Contemporary,
Cross Dressing,
Dark,
Doctor,
drugs,
Erotica,
M/F sex,
mindfuck,
Psycopaths,
QUILTBAG,
rape,
Reviews,
Sara,
SheReadsALot,
Twisted Love,
Unhealthy Relationship
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