Review: King Slayer (Fog City #2) by Layla Reyne

Never fall for a mark. Mission fail.

Christopher Perri—a.k.a. Dante Perry—infiltrated the Madigan organization with one goal: vengeance for his murdered partner. Falling for the assassin at the head of the table wasn’t part of the plan, but Hawes Madigan is not the cold, untouchable Prince of Killers Chris expected. Everything about the newly crowned king is hot, and every inch of him eminently touchable…and off-limits once Chris’s cover is blown.

Exposure couldn’t come at a worse time. Hawes’s throne is threatened, and Chris suspects the same person who killed his partner is behind the coup. Working with Hawes benefits them both, but Chris’s employer has other ideas. Dismantling criminal organizations is what Chris does best, and his boss expects the King Slayer to deliver.

But Hawes is taking the Madigans in a new direction, one Chris can get behind, and the two men form a shaky alliance strengthened by the irresistible attraction between them...until Chris learns who killed his partner. Once he knows the truth, the King Slayer is unleashed, and Chris will stop at nothing to destroy those who betrayed him, including the king who stole his heart.

Twists and turns—and cliffhangers—continue in book two of the Fog City Trilogy. Read at your own risk!

Lively and sexy!

The second in the Fog City series was packed to the gills with twists and turns and told from Chris/Dante's perspective. King Slayer kept me guessing and turning the pages which is something of a rarity for me these days so hat tip to Ms. Reyne on that front. But this book hooked me right away with the thriller/whodunit storyline then sealed the deal with the weapons grade UST.

Chris and Hawes are "on the outs" in this one. Deeeee-lish-cious! I love it when couples who aren't "supposed" to be together can't stay away from each other. Hawes and Chris definitely cannot. Against everyone's wishes, though I think most of them understand that they are inevitable so it's a weak protest at best, they keep colliding in the sexiest of fashions. Once in an alley even! 🙌🙌

Bonus points continue to be awarded for the the kinky adjacent-ness that they've got happening between them.

Not to discount the action/thriller aspects which are on point so if you are a fan of action, this is a book for you. Multiple high octane action sequences keep the pacing brisk and all of these encounters come with the added benefit of basically ensuring Chris and Hawes have to at least cooperate if not full on collaborate on uncovering the culprit. The baddie isn't outright revealed but I thought it seemed pretty obvious who it is so... cliffhangerish? At any rate, watching it unfold in the finale should be a fun ride. And hopefully a sexy one too. 🙏

In short, it's shaping up to be one helluva finish and I am here for it!

Recommended!

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I Do, or Dye Trying (Curl Up and Dye Mysteries #4) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Newly engaged Josh Roman and Gabe Wyatt know the road to happily ever after won’t be easy, but the two men are certain their biggest challenges are in the rearview mirror. However, life in Blissville is never what it seems and all signs point to dangerous curves ahead.

Josh and Gabe refuse to take a detour because everything they've dreamed of is within reach, not even when professional and personal revelations threaten to wreck their plans. It should be the happiest time in their lives, yet neither man can shake the feeling that something sinister waits around the next corner.

Buckle your seatbelts and hang on for the ride because Josh and Gabe are committed to saying “I do” or die trying.

I Do, or Dye Trying is the fourth book in the Curl Up and Dye Mysteries series. These books need to be read in order as the storyline unravels throughout the series. They contain sexually explicit material and are intended for adults 18 and older.

To be honest, this series started out just being an okay read for me.  Yeah, it had charm and the writing was smart but it didn’t really grab me.  There was a bit too much of a lack of communication in the first book and I wanted to wring Josh’s neck more than a few times.  Stubborn man is stubborn!  But, with each subsequent book I became more and more interested.  There was just something about Josh and Gabe that called to me and by the time I reached the third book in the series I was in love and these two men had become one of my most favorite couples of all time.   

Gabriel is a dream.  Big, strong alpha male of a police detective, Gabe is every man’s (and woman’s) fantasy come to life.  Not only is he gruff and protective, he’s also not afraid to show his more sensitive side.  Especially when it comes to loving Josh.

I think one of the things I love most about Josh is that he knows exactly who he is.  He’s campy; he’s flamboyant; he’s a total drama queen and he’s not afraid to flaunt it.  He knows he presents as the stereotypical gay boy.  It’s not a front; it’s just who he is, and if you don’t like it you can keep on walking.  He doesn’t have time for your shenanigans, he’s got enough of his own to deal with.

Put them together and you have the most perfect-for-each-other couple that I’ve ever read about.  They complement each other so well.  You know those couples that seem to know what the other is thinking and can have entire conversations with each other just using their eyes?  That’s Josh and Gabe.  I wouldn’t say that they live in each other’s pockets, they’re too independent for that, but they work together seamlessly.  I’d be quite jealous of their relationship if they were real.

In this final installment, Gabe and Josh have worked out most of their issues and they’re getting married!  Of course, something’s got to come along to put a wrinkle in their happy, right?  I mean, what is their life without someone trying to murder one of them? 

This book focuses more on their relationship than it does the mystery and I find that I don’t mind that at all.  We still got a bit of the whodunit, it was just on the back burner, though the reveal at the end was gasp worthy in my opinion.  The further I got into the series, the less I cared about the mysteries.  I just wanted to read about Josh and Gabe.  I could read many, many more books about them and never get bored.  Ms. Walker sure knows how to write fascinating characters!  For a bit there I wanted to move to their town so I could befriend them.  Then I remembered that they live in Ohio and it’s too danged cold there for this Southern girl.  Plus, they’re, ya know, not real, but whatever.  I still want to know them.

So, it’s with a heavy heart I say good-bye to these fabulous men.  I will miss them so very much.  I recommend this for lovers of romantic suspense, smart writing, witty banter and just feel good stories all around.

P.S.  in case you were wondering, the sex was hot hot HOT!  All kinds of smutty goodness up in here.  Wall sex… table sex… chair sex… stripper pole sex…  Smut lovers will certainly be pleased. 

I know I was.

Review: Drama Muscle by Joe Cosentino

It could be lights out for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodybuilders popping up on campus, Nicky, and his favorite colleague/life partner Noah Oliver, must use their drama skills to figure out who is taking down pumped up musclemen in the Physical Education building before it is curtain down for Nicky and Noah. Complicating matters is a visit from Noah’s parents from Wisconsin, and Nicky’s suspicion that Noah may be hiding more than a cut, smooth body.

You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining second novel in this delightful series. Curtain up and weights up!

When we met Nicky and Noah in Drama Queen, they were Jessica Fletcher(s) to Tree Meadow's Cabbot's Cove - all while falling in love. Of course, by then end of the book they'd tied up the mystery is a velvet bow and worked out whodunnit before going back to their busy lives, their short careers as detectives behind them.

Until now that is. Now, when they are working with the gym department to put on a body building show (Nicky and Noah add a little help in the theatrics part of the competition) and all of a sudden they find themselves having to work out whodidit again. It was in the gym, with... well, various weapons... but WHO is the culprit? They know the where and the how, but they need to work out the who and the why before anyone else falls foul of the gym killer.

In Joe Cosentino's inimitable style Nicky, and Noah, set out to find out who is killing off body builders faster than you can say gym bunny. There is a fine line of writing farcical humour, too far and it just becomes eye-rollingly stupid, but Cosentino walks it beautifully. It's in your face, but has subtle undertones at the same time. It's the sublime and the ridiculous in just the right amounts. From the names to the situations and scenarios, every detail is thought out.

The who's shagging who in this story is reminiscent of an eighties bedroom swapping drama. You know, the ones where nobody ends up in bed with who they expect too. Nobody is as sweet and innocent as they appear. I suppose all that oil the body builders are rubbing into their bodies makes for good lubrication.

As well as trying to stage this show and solve this mystery, Noah's parents have come to stay, and Nicky is getting a little suspicious about Noah's frequent disappearances. The story lines keep us loving the relationship between Nicky and Noah as well as the mystery and humour.

Drama Muscle is such a well woven story that is literally laugh out loud funny. Reminiscent of the Carry On films in humour, if you've not tried this author I'd say start with Nicky and Noah, they definitely hooked me in.

Before I go...it's gotta be said, on my (decidedly rare) visits to the gym, I often feel like killing people. All that working out, it's meant to make you feel happy and buzzed but it's just a waste of good reading time, if you ask me.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information, see Goodreads.

Review and Excerpt: Drama Queen: A Nicky and Noah Mystery by Joe Cosentino

It could be curtains for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodies popping up all over campus, Nicky must use his drama skills to figure out who is playing the role of murderer before it is lights out for Nicky and his colleagues. Complicating matters is Nicky's huge crush on Noah Oliver, a gorgeous assistant professor in his department, who may or may not be involved with a cocky graduate assistant...and is also the top suspect for the murders! You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino's fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat, delightfully entertaining novel. Curtain up!

Oh. My. God.

I cannot stop laughing.

Drama Queen is Hardy Boys-meets-Murder She Wrote-meets-Midsummer Murders, with a side of parodic, farcical, satire.

Colonel Cumharder did it in the boudoir with the oversized dildo...

Who-dunits don't come more whodunnity than this. It really was a delightful read that had me laughing out loud despite being (quick, ready those violins) poorly. With an MC who has a nine inch cock (and only a little aspiration to be a porn star), to an old fart called Wally Wanker, this story is the perfect mixture of humour and mystery. It's nice to read a story that doesn't take itself too seriously, that has both an overt and covert humour to it.

Being part of the drama department at this school is akin to living in Midsummer - the chances of making it out alive buy the end of the book (programme) are limited. And if you have a secret, some skeleton hidden in the back of the closet (well you're not in there, so something needs to be and clothes are so mundane) then you'd better be prepared for that skeleton to end up centre stage dancing to its own tune.

(And then prepare yourself for a likely imminent death). Nobody was beyond suspicion. I think I suspected every character in the book (though hands up, detective material I am not) and I was second guessing myself constantly. 

Let's not forget the sex. Sex makes the world go round, or at least the theatre tick! Who was sexin' who - past, present or even in the future, was almost as much of a whodunit as the mystery. Or maybe more of a whodunthem. Of course, Nicky and Noah stole my heart. Every farce needs a romance that is sweet. Every amateur sleuth needs a willing partner. Willing to be the Holmes to his Sherlock that is... Willing to don a moustache and greasepaint and play the sidekick. Also willing to give soppy old romantics like me a falling in lurve storyline. Perfect.

If you like something a bit different. If you need a laugh. If sometimes, just sometimes, you think life takes itself too seriously, then this could be the book for you! Thanks Joe Cosentino for cheering up my Monday!

Excerpt from Chapter 1

After I had given my first few notes, I noticed Noah Oliver standing in the back of the theatre. Noah is tall and lean with curly blond hair, blue eyes, and the sweetest smile I have ever wanted to kiss in an Assistant Professor. While I teach Theatre History and Play Directing, Noah is our department’s specialist in Acting, and for good reason. Noah is a terrific actor, a creative and passionate teacher, and a wonderful colleague. More importantly, I have had a crush on him since the moment he made his entrance into our humble campus three years ago. Noah is single, gay, and seems to really like me. Why don’t I ask him out? Noah is twenty-eight years young. As a junior professor in my department in need of my vote for tenure this year, if I make a pass at him it could be considered attempted coercion on my part.

It was difficult for me to concentrate on giving my notes to the students since Scotty Bruno, my graduate assistant and Assistant Director of the play, was talking, laughing, and obviously flirting with Noah in the rear of the theatre. I had reason to be concerned. Scotty has bleached blond hair, contact lens turquoise eyes, ultra-white bonded teeth, and muscles as if sculpted by Michelangelo,

housed in multi-colored, stuffed shorts and tank top (in winter) that were not unnoticed by Noah. Unless I was becoming nearsighted, I could have sworn that Scotty whispered something into Noah’s ear then handed Noah a box. What the heck is in it? Love letters? Condoms? My heart on a silver platter?

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

Find out more on Goodreads.

Fangirl Moment: Review: Dirty Kiss (Cole McGinnis #1) by Rhys Ford

Cole Kenjiro McGinnis, ex-cop and PI, is trying to get over the shooting death of his lover when a supposedly routine investigation lands in his lap. Investigating the apparent suicide of a prominent Korean businessman's son proves to be anything but ordinary, especially when it introduces Cole to the dead man's handsome cousin, Kim Jae-Min.

Jae-Min's cousin had a dirty little secret, the kind that Cole has been familiar with all his life and that Jae-Min is still hiding from his family. The investigation leads Cole from tasteful mansions to seedy lover s trysts to Dirty Kiss, the place where the rich and discreet go to indulge in desires their traditional-minded families would rather know nothing about.

It also leads Cole McGinnis into Jae-Min's arms, and that could be a problem. The death of Jae-Min's cousin is looking less and less like a suicide, and Jae-Min is looking more and more like a target. Cole has already lost one lover to violence he's not about to lose Jae-Min too.

Jenni Lea and the Ebook:

Rarely does a book have the ability to surprise me. It's the reason why I don't really like reading mysteries. I always, ALWAYS figure out whodunit way before I ever finish the book.

This book though, shocked me. Here I was, thinking I was so smart to have figured out the perpetrator when something happened to bring me to a screeching halt.

I was wrong.

I didn't know whodunit! I was left with my mouth hanging open and grasping at straws to try and figure out who else it could be. And when they were finally revealed it was the last person I would have ever suspected.

I liked other aspects of this book as well. I really connected with Cole and his dry, almost self deprecating humor. I liked Jae-Min as well. He's no Miki but I really warmed up to him.

There were a few cringe-worthy descriptions used during the sex scenes but I knew about them prior to reading (I peeked at a few reviews beforehand) so I was able to brush past them fairly easily.
 

Ann and the Audio:

I read this one a long time ago and when I started my Audible account, this was at the top of my list of books to listen too. I had already listened to Sinner's Gin and fell in love with Tristan James. I figured at that point I had hit the pinnacle of audiobooks. Then, I listened to Greg Tremblay as Cole McGinnis. Dammit, that man can read the WORDS. You know how the movie is never as good as the book? Audiobooks can be the same way. Then you see/listen to one that does justice to the words you love and you fall in love with the stories and characters all over again. That's how I felt with Dirty Kiss.

I would imagine this would be a tough story to narrate. It's an intricate story, with lots of characters and a bevy of twists and turns. The things that made it a great story to read could make it a tough story to listen to with the wrong set of pipes. Thank grilled cheezus Rhys Ford's words were paired up with Greg Tremblay's narration. The character voices were all unique and he nailed the moods perfectly making the story easy to follow. I lost all kinds of hours listening to this one, I just couldn't turn it off.

Just a warning, well a couple actually. Be aware of your surroundings when you get to the smexy parts. You don't want to get cockblocked by RL in the middle of a Rhys Ford written sex scene as read by Greg Tremblay. Secondly, be ready to queue up the rest of the series because like all wonderful indulgences, you can't stop at just one.