Review: Unbound, Unbroken by Nasia Maksima
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Blog Tour: Reading Alley
Unicorns! Love reading? Ha! Silly question... I know... Want to to it for FREE? Yeah, another silly question...
AN INVITATION
Calling all passionate book reviewers!
Reading Alley is officially launching and we are marking it in a big way with our Grand Opening event! Join us on this 3-month fun-filled bonanza, where we will have plenty of fun, games and challenges. What’s more, there will be lots of irresistible prizes, including an Amazon Kindle and various gift certificates, up for grabs!
WHAT IS READING ALLEY?
Reading Alley is a site that caters to passionate book reviewers. Book reviewers get the chance to read the latest books in the market for FREE. In exchange, the only requirement is for them to submit their honest, unbiased review afterwards.
We feature a variety of books from different genres such as Romance, Mystery and Thriller, Erotica, LGBTQ, New Adult, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Young Adult, and more. These books are from both known and up-and-coming authors. Examples of books currently up for review at the site are:
Authors are welcome to set up their books for review at a reasonable price. By joining Reading Alley, authors gain instant access to this community of reviewers who can share their thoughts and recommendations, leading to greater awareness and exposure of their books.
Learn more.
Sign Up for a free account and join our Grand Opening celebration!
Author Visit: Keira Andrews
Keira Andrews is visiting to chat about her newest book, Kick at the Darkness!
In my new book, Kick at the Darkness, a terrifying virus is unleashed on humanity, turning normal people into killers. While not technically undead, they are zombies in spirit. My heroes, college student Parker, and the TA he hates, Adam, are thrust together in the chaos.
Now Adam has a big secret: he’s a werewolf. I have to say I think being a shifter would come in extremely handy during a zombie apocalypse!
Top Five Shifters When the Zombies Take Over
5. Snake. Great camouflage, and can hide in very tight spaces.
4. Dolphin. Zombies are typically not good swimmers.
3. Werewolf. Speed, strength, and claws are a winning combo.
2. Grizzly bear. Even zombies would be hard pressed to vanquish nature’s very own killing machine.
1. Hawk or falcon. Since zombies can’t fly (at least not yet), you’d be able to stay easily out of their bloody reach. Also great for scouting hideout locations!
Cover & Blurb:
To live through the zombie apocalypse they have to survive each other first.
College freshman Parker Osborne is having the worst day ever. He humiliated himself trying to pick up a cute guy, he hasn’t made any friends at school, and his stupidly hot jerk of a TA gave him a crappy grade on his paper. He’s going to drop Adam Hawkins’ film class and start fresh tomorrow after he’s had a good sulk.
But Parker’s about to find out what a bad day really looks like—if he can survive the night.
A virus is unleashed, transforming infected people into zombie-like killers. After these quick and deadly creepers swarm campus, Parker only escapes thanks to Adam swooping him onto the back of his trusty motorcycle. Now they're on the run—and stuck with each other.
When they’re not bickering, they’re fighting off the infected in a bloody battle for survival. Their only hope is to head east to Parker's family, but orphaned Adam has a secret he’s not sure Parker will accept: he’s a werewolf. Can they trust each other enough to find some light in these dark days?
Read now:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FEhFBT
All Romance: http://bit.ly/1J4N0Bz
B&N: http://bit.ly/1G70Gvt
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Qfc5Zj
iTunes: http://apple.co/1HAm3Qm
Scribd: http://bit.ly/1SGv9nq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1dzRoeX
An excerpt from Kick at the Darkness
He really should have gone to bed.
Instead, Parker was in an empty classroom sitting in a circle with a bunch of people who looked as if they should be smoking up and playing Hacky Sack at the Oval. He squirmed in his wooden chair, wondering if he could just get up and walk out in the middle of the lesbian’s story about her struggle to add vegan items to the cafeteria menu. He had nothing against lesbians or vegans (or lesbian vegans), but he clearly didn’t fit in with the LGBT student group. Activism wasn’t really his thing.
He’d spotted the flyer for the group meeting after his lecture, and had decided it was high time to stop feeling sorry for himself, and to try making friends. Or take Jason’s advice and maybe pick up a hot guy.
Of course the only guy he could think about was Adam Hawkins. All day, Parker had replayed their encounter in his mind, devising witty comebacks and scathing putdowns. Not that he’d ever see Adam again, thank God. First thing tomorrow, he was dropping that class. He’d pick up another elective next semester, or in the summer if he had to.
“What do you think, Parker? It’s Parker, right?” The blonde girl who’d been speaking smiled encouragingly.
Shit. “Um, I think it’s great. Sounds like a plan.”
A murmur buzzed around the circle, and a short Asian guy with a pierced eyebrow spoke up. “You think we should stage a sit-in until the school bans all meat and dairy products? Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?”
He felt the heat of a dozen pairs of eyes on him. “Uh…it would get their attention, though. Then maybe they’d compromise?”
The blonde exclaimed, “Exactly!”
As everyone debated the merits of food-based activism, Parker eyed the cute guy sitting next to him. Reddish hair and green eyes, and a tight little body. The guy hadn’t said much of anything so far. Maybe he wasn’t digging it either? It was hard to tell. But he could be cool. He was definitely hot, at least. I won’t meet anyone if I don’t try.
Screwing up his courage, Parker leaned over and whispered, “Meat, I get, but no dairy? And no chocolate? Life isn’t worth living.”
The redhead glanced at him with an unreadable expression. “Chocolate is overrated.”
“Uh, yeah, of course.” Parker waved his hand. “I was just kidding.”
The guy smiled. Hmm. Wait, had he been kidding too? Everyone liked chocolate, right? Heart thumping, Parker whispered, “Want to grab a coffee after this? We could live dangerously and have a latte with real milk.”
Please say yes. Please say yes.
The redhead’s gaze swept up and down Parker, like a searchlight coming up empty. Parker wanted to puke as the guy pasted on a smile.
“That’s so sweet. But I’ve got a lot of studying to do after the meeting.” Then he decisively turned back to the group. “Marjorie? Can we discuss that stunt Kappa Sigma pulled on the weekend at our cruelty-free bake sale? I think we should petition the administration…”
As they discussed something involving an unholy alliance of snickerdoodles and condoms, Parker wished the scuffed tile floor would open up and swallow him whole. Sadly, the floor was apparently vegan, because Parker remained right where he was, his face burning, sure that everyone knew he’d just been shot down.
He cursed himself for thinking it was a good idea to attend this meeting in the first place. Why did he need to officially meet other gay people? Maybe he should just pledge a frat and put his cocksucking skills to good use like he had in prep school. He didn’t need a boyfriend anyway.
But I want one.
Remembered shame flooded Parker, joining the fresh humiliation of being rejected by the redhead beside him. He’d only tried to kiss Greg Mason once, and he could still feel the hard tile floor of the shower, cold and wet as he’d landed on his ass, Greg staring down at him with a curled lip. “Don’t be a little faggot.”
The fact that he was eighteen and still had never properly kissed someone was so pathetic he could barely stand it. Sitting there in the circle of LGBT students who’d probably all kissed a dozen people, he felt like he had a neon sign blinking over his head.
Loser! Loser! Loser!
But what was the point of finding a boyfriend anyway? It’s not like he could ever really bring someone home. His parents tried their best—they really did—but the whole gay thing made them so awkward and uncomfortable. Not to mention he knew their rich pals at the country club would surely not approve. Parker wondered what his father would say if he dated an anti-establishment hippie type. The mere thought made him bark out a laugh.
Heads swiveled. “Is there something you wanted to share?” The blonde asked, her smile a little strained.
Before Parker could answer, a white guy with dreads interrupted, frowning at his smartphone. “Whoa. Did you guys see this? There are some crazy riots or something in New York.”
“What are they protesting?”
“Probably not meat and dairy, Abrah.”
“Is it Occupy Wall Street? I hope so. I heard they’re trying to make a comeback.”
“Dunno. Oh wait, it’s in DC too. Probably something about police brutality?”
As the group talked over each other, checking their phones, Parker slung his messenger bag over his head and made a beeline for the door. He escaped back to the quad and grabbed a sandwich (turkey and Havarti, thank you very much) on the way to his dorm. The common room was crowded with people watching CNN, but Parker didn’t care about whatever protest or riot or whatever-the-fuck was happening. He probably should, but he had way too much reading to do, especially after wasting time at that meeting.
Embarrassment flooded him again as he thought of the dismissive way the redhead had examined him. Then a voice echoed in his head—Adam Hawkins calling him a lazy freshman. “I work hard at what matters. Ugh, he’s such an asshole,” Parker muttered as he kicked the door closed behind him.
“Who’s an asshole?”
“Jesus!” Parker’s heart skipped a beat. “Don’t do that.”
Grinning, Chris pulled a T-shirt over his shorn head. “Sorry, bro. Just came back to do some laundry.” He smelled his arm pit. “Febreze is the best invention ever.”
“I’ve barely seen you since NSO.” New student orientation had been a week of mandatory activities designed to help frosh settle in and make friends. Parker had learned his way around, but totally failed to meet anyone he connected with. Chris was nice enough, but another pang of missing Jessica and Jason swelled in Parker. He cleared his throat. “How’s Michelle?”
“Spectacular. Seriously, her tits are just…” Chris raised his fingers to his mouth to kiss them. “Bellissimo. I’ve found the woman of my dreams.” He shrugged. “At least for now. Hey, her roommate’s pretty hot too. Wanna come back with me? I got some dope weed. We can hang out and play Call of Duty. I bet she’ll blow you by the end of the night.”
Parker chuckled. He could undoubtedly give Michelle’s roommate some pointers. “Nah. I’ve got a lot of reading to do. Econ test tomorrow already.” Maybe he should go hang with them, but he hadn’t had a chance to come out to Chris, and he had zero interest in weed. Sometimes Parker felt like he was eighteen going on forty-five. Partying and getting high had never really been fun for him.
“Cool. If you change your mind give me a buzz.” Chris raised his hand as he headed to the door.
Parker slapped Chris’s palm and flopped down on his bed. “Later.”
In the silence that followed, Parker found himself actually missing the near-constant thump-thump of the house music favored by the girl next door. Maybe she was watching TV in the lounge. The news channels always made such a big deal out of everything these days, and Parker didn’t see the point in getting worked up.
He stared at Chris’s empty bed. Jason had been his roommate all through high school at Westley, so it should have been nice to virtually have his own room at school for a change. It should have been freaking awesome.
But it wasn’t.
Parker pulled out his phone. No message from Jessica. He hit her number and waited while it rang, sighing as her voicemail clicked on.
“This is Jessica. Quick—leave a message before phones become completely obsolete.”
For a moment, Parker was frozen with indecision. Then he tapped the screen and ended the call. What would he say that didn’t sound ninety-nine percent pathetic?
“Okay, enough.” His voice was loud in the stillness of the room. “Time to get to work.”
After wolfing down his sandwich, he opened his textbooks. The dorm was quieter than usual, and he put his phone on airplane mode and lost himself in free trade theory. By eight o’clock his eyes drooped, and he stretched out for a power nap. He was drifting off when a girl’s piercing voice echoed in the hall.
“It’s happening in San Francisco!”
With a roll of his eyes, Parker put in his earplugs and curled toward the wall. He’d check the news later when there was actual information to report instead of just fear-mongering speculation. Let them protest corporate America or the police or whatever they were doing. He had his GPA to worry about.
#
It was ten-thirty by the time Parker dragged himself out of bed. He still wore his jeans and a T-shirt, and he zipped on a dark green hoodie before stuffing his feet into his sneakers. The fifteen-minute walk across campus to the coffee shop would wake him up, and sweet caffeine would keep him going all night. He needed to do better. He needed to ace this test. He would ace this test.
He popped in his earbuds and skirted around the people jammed into the dorm’s common room.
“Yo, Parker. Are you seeing this shit?” Mike from two rooms down—nice enough guy, but obsessed with sports—called out as Parker hurried by.
“Later, man. Need coffee.” Parker gave him a wave and turned on his music. They were probably watching the baseball game since the Oakland A’s were one win away from the playoffs, but he couldn’t let himself be distracted.
He’d mapped out this shortcut the first week of school after the RA had confiscated his Italian coffee maker. The night air was crisp, and Parker shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets as he navigated the nooks and crannies between buildings. He caught glimpses of the main quad, where a large number of people milled about. Probably some frat thing; all the better that he avoided it so he could get back to his books ASAP.
But he wondered what the riots or whatever had been about, and he thumbed off the airplane mode on his phone so he could Google it. As the phone reconnected, it vibrated in his palm and the screen filled with notifications. Nothing from Jessica or Jason, and Parker wished he didn’t feel the stab of disappointment and hurt. It wasn’t their fault they were fitting in and making friends at college. He couldn’t expect them to have the time for him that they used to. But it still stung.
He shook it off and focused on the screen. “Seven missed calls from Mom?” he muttered to himself with a smile. “Classic.” When she got something into her head, she was a dog with a bone. As he walked, he listened to the voicemail message she’d left.
“Honey.” The recording was staticy and garbled, with some kind of background noise. Parker stopped to listen harder. He couldn’t make out the next few words. Then, “Cape house. We love you.” The message ended.
Huh. That was weird.
Why would she be calling about the Cape house? His parents went to Chatham most weekends in September, but it was Tuesday. Parker deleted the message and started walking again. He’d call her when he got back to the dorm, or maybe wait until morning. It was after midnight on the east coast.
As he cut behind one of the science buildings, he stopped in his tracks. By a palm tree, there stood Adam Hawkins and his ludicrous cheekbones. Of course—he’d never seen the guy before today, and now he was likely doomed to run into him daily.
Adam had a motorcycle helmet in one hand, and had changed his loafers for black work boots. Wearing earbuds, he peered at the bright screen of his phone with a frown creasing his forehead.
Ugh.
Adam’s gaze shot up, his eyes hard as he removed his earbuds. “Excuse me?”
Parker realized he might have said that out loud. He paused his playlist and cleared his throat, trying to remember one of the witty comebacks he’d had a million of that afternoon. “Um, nothing.” Of course he’d think of ten more the minute he left Adam behind. Which couldn’t be too soon. In his black leather jacket and stubble, he looked ridiculous. Ridiculously hot, which wasn’t really fair since he was a film geek. A documentarian, even! Not to mention a condescending know-it-all. Parker kept walking.
“You didn’t have to complain to the dean,” Adam called after him.
Parker stopped and faced him. “Huh?”
“Are you seriously going to pretend it wasn’t you? I have to meet with Professor Grindle and the head of the department at the end of the week because a student with rich alumni parents put up a stink. She wouldn’t say who, but she didn’t need to.”
“It wasn’t me.” When Adam snorted and started walking away, Parker couldn’t stop himself from following. “Hey! It wasn’t me, asshole.”
“I’m the asshole?” Adam turned, gripping his helmet. His nostrils flared. “Every year I get kids like you taking my courses. Kids who don’t care about the arts and just want an easy grade. And now you’re messing with my future. This job is everything to me. My degree is everything.”
“First off, who says I don’t care about the arts? I like the arts just fine, thank you very much. I played viola in my school orchestra, I’ll have you know. And like I said, it wasn’t me. Whatever, dude. You’re not worth it. I have important things to do like study for my econ test.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“That eighteen-year-olds think they know it all.” Adam shrugged, his flash of passion concealed again behind a flat expression. “If you say it wasn’t you, I guess it wasn’t.”
Jesus, this guy was annoying. “And what are you, twenty-two? So wise.”
“Twenty-three, actually.”
“Oh, that changes everything. Whatever. I don’t have to talk to you.”
“Okay.” He shrugged again, now completely calm.
“Econ is a hell of a lot more important than dissecting movies.”
Adam watched him with an inscrutable gaze. Just like with the cute redhead, it felt as though he was being evaluated and found hopelessly lacking. “Okay.”
“Stop saying that! Oh my god, why am I even having his conversation?” Parker brushed by him and pressed play even though now he was going the wrong way for the coffee shop. He’d loop around, since he couldn’t turn back. “Have a nice life,” he called in his wake. If Adam replied, Parker didn’t hear it over the music in his ears.
He could not drop that class soon enough. He should have known—
A scream pierced the night, so loud he heard it over the new Macklemore song. Parker ripped out the earbuds and glanced around. He and Adam stared at each other. “Do you hear—”
“Yes,” Adam replied, his entire body tensed.
In the distance, the screaming swelled as other voices joined in. Parker’s heart thumped. “That’s a hell of a hazing ritual.”
The din increased, and more shrieks raised the hair on Parker’s arms. A girl and guy raced around the building. “What’s going on?” Parker shouted.
“They’re killing everyone!” the girl yelled, her eyes wild as she shoved past him.
More students streamed behind the buildings, and Parker watched them as his brain struggled to process what was happening. Then he was being yanked so hard he thought his shoulder might pop free of its socket. Adam propelled him forward, and yes, run. Run!
Copyright © Keira Andrews
~
About Keira Andrews:
Where you can find Keira:
Website: http://www.keiraandrews.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/2Z-G5
Twitter: twitter.com/keiraandrews
Facebook: facebook.com/keira.andrews.author
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/1366040.Keira_Andrews
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/keiraandrews
Thanks so much for visiting, Keira!
Group Review: Murphy (F.I.S.T.S, #2) by Bey Deckard
Sometimes when it seems like it’s too late, the right person comes along and opens your eyes…
Murphy is the continuing story of a D/s relationship between two Space Marines who found each other in the midst of hopelessness and misfortune.
Sarge and his newly minted squad travel across the galaxy on a top-secret mission that could help win the war. However, to Murphy something about the mission stinks, and it’s not just the planet they’ve landed on.
Sunny: 4.5 Hearts
Another punch to the gut. After reading the first book, 'Sarge', I should have been prepared for all the emotions this author can pull from me with so few words.
Oh, man, I love these two guys.
Sarge, tough, possessive, demanding, with a touch of vulnerability.
Murphy, just as tough, but eager to please, with some sweet kinks perfectly met by Sarge.
Oh, yeah, Sarge knew how to take care of his boy. So much so, that his moments of uncertainty provided a nice contrast and gave him more depth as a character. Their relationship appeared harsh at times, but there was obvious respect and caring. In fact, other than the steamy bits, my favorite parts were the moments of sweet tenderness that showed us the love they haven't yet admitted to.
I'll be waiting impatiently for the next installment of their story.
...there better be more installments.
Cupcake: 4.5 Hearts
Cupcake doesn't get sappy often. I'm as surprised as the next person that an old curmudgeon like Sarge could get me there in so few words, but he did. Or maybe that was BeyBey. At any rate, it started with the dedication:
For those that think it's too late.Such a simple thing to say but Sarge is a cranky old bastard who by all accounts should be too prickly for anyone to love let alone Murphy. He knows it and comes to realize how lucky he is to have a guy like Murphy so devoted to him.
As his grin gets a little wider, I'm struck with just how much trouble I'm in. My career has always come first. Always. What the hell are you supposed to do when something else becomes more important?Murphy and Sarge have spent the last few months together while they recover from the attack, but Sarge has kept Murphy at arm's length. Through a series of events during their mission Sarge's guard begins to crack and he finds himself lovestruck, smiling constantly and wanting to be near his boy all the time. He struggles against these feelings not liking to feel vulnerable which seemingly inspires an inverse reaction in Murphy.
Murphy is hard to resist with his blushing and complete obedience. Sarge doesn't stand a chance against those baby blues. Murphy isn't much of a talker, a trait many mistake for incompetence. He's actually very intelligent and has a secret weapon of sorts. And he dearly loves being Sarge's boy.
Thinking back to the day I promised him I'd always obey, I smile. I remember how overwhelmed with relief I'd been over finally having found real freedom.The edging, face fucking and cock drooling were enough to send me into twirls of delight, but when combined with Murphy being a big un... I thought I might faint. I might've bounced a little or maybe that was squirming or something. Sarge makes Murphy beg until he's incoherent. Often. There's only so much self-control once can ask of another. The cherry on top of this cake of kinky goodness is Sarge has a delightfully filthy mouth.
*groans*
Lest I forget, there are some VERY intriguing secondary characters introduced like some inordinately close brothers.
*cough*
Ditto what Sunny said about more installments. Cupcake needz.
An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!
Review: Despite the Odds by Chris T. Kat
Michael Campbell can’t hold a job for more than a few days. He’s lucky his foreman is giving him another chance with the solar panel project at an elementary school in Atlantic City. When he spies a man walking strangely in front of the school, Michael laughs, assuming he’s drunk or high. Little does he realize that Joshua Stone, a teaching assistant, has cerebral palsy, and he’s having a bad muscle control day. Taking a tumble right in front of the handsome construction worker is just his luck.
When Michael learns the truth, he feels bad for his cruel behavior. He offers to give Joshua—and his tricycle, the Racing Rhonda—a lift. Joshua accepts the help, and suddenly there’s a gorgeous man breezing into his life, turning his world upside down. But Michael has more issues than his inability to hold down a job, and neither man is sure if they’ll be able to overcome their fears in order to be together.
Anybook that doesn't have your a-typical MC's is going to grab my interest. I love books that feature characters who are real, who have the same issues that many folks in this real big ol' world have to face. Don't get me wrong, reading is the best form of escapism there is, and I've read and enjoyed many books with 'perfect' hero's, but those books with real heroes are going to always be held nearest to my heart.
Especially when the MC who actually has the most difficulty isn't the one you think it's going to be.
Chris T. Kat, does a good job of showing that, while we as a world often focus on physical differences, it is oft times not those that can be most disabling for a person.That the unseen can be just as, or more, debilitating than the seen. Don't judge a book by it's cover is an old cliché, it doesn't make it any less true.
We meet Michael and Joshua and make the instant judgement that Joshua is the most debilitated of the two, and in many way he is. It doesn't stop him getting what he wants or needs though. It's not held him back from life. He is a determined character who refuses to be pities even when he does need help. And isn't it a sign of strength to ask for help when it's needed? We all need help at times for different things and (to use another cliché) pride often comes before a fall!
Michael is a prime example. On the outside he seems fine and dandy. Physically able, clearly able minded...yet he is the bull headed MC who is being held back by what he considers a disability. Sometimes I wanted to slap him! I have to admit, when we first meet him I'm not all that keen - especially the way he takes the piss out of Joshua when it's clearly a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Like him though, I made a snap judgement on a little fact. We all do, it's human nature, no matter how much we don't want to. And as Michael was proved wrong as the story went on, so was I.
Despite it sounding choc full of morality issues, this was really actually a quite light love story. The kind that brightens the day and makes you pleased to have read it. It could have gotten deeper and heavier but it isn't any less of a book because it doesn't. In many ways that was exactly why I liked it. It brought me two characters, who had issues but managed to navigate them while falling in love and at the end of the day the love story is what I love.
A really enjoyable read.
Review: Axel's Pup by Kim Dare
As the landlord of The Dragon’s Lair and leader of The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, Axel Carmichael has seen it all and done it all. He’s a respected and experienced dom. Nothing shocks him any more, and nobody catches him off guard.
When Bayden rides up to The Dragon’s Lair on a bike worth more than most men earn in a year, and immediately demonstrates that he has far more attitude than sense, it’s easy for Axel to write him off as a silly little rich boy who’s about to get himself killed.
But, there’s more to Bayden than meets the eye. He’s no silly little boy, rich or otherwise, and werewolves aren’t easy to kill.
Another KD Classic!
I think it's well known that I'm a KD fan. Her writes give me the warm fuzzies with her never-ending ability to put the heart into kink, I tell ya.
If memory serves this is her 100th published work and while I've not read her entire backlog, two things stood out while reading Axel's Pup, the first being that it's abundantly clear she put her heart and soul into this novel, and secondly, I think she pushed the kink envelope outside of her comfort range. I ain't mad about that.
I saw/read some of the reviews prior to picking this up and the one thing that everyone seemed to comment on was the length. It is longer than what KD usually writes but it didn't read long, if that makes sense. She made her words count, using them either to world or character build, for the most part. Yes, there was a lot of pushing the hair off Bayden's face but that's their thing.
Did I love this couple? No. I like them a lot. I like how possessive Axel is, but I thought he was too lenient at times and as much as I get what he's trying to do with the limits and boundary setting, I feel like a lot of that stuff could've been mediated by setting a precedent during their first conversation OR would've made sense to rely more on instincts/intuition. I also feel like the level of possessiveness also could've been mitigated by starting off with the honesty talk. Then again, I am kind of partial to TPE, so there is that. It did kind of have that TPE vibe...
"I want to screw you, and tie you up, and make you writhe from-you know all that. But I want so much more. I want the whole thing, not just a quick scene. I want twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I want you to be mine. I won't take anything less."
Could be I just saw what I wanted to see.
Anyhow, it was clear to me early on that things are not what they seem with Bayden not to mention that he seemingly has no practical experience with BDSM. I've learned the never judge a book by its cover lesson the hard way, but Axel seems oblivious to the obvious. That I found disappointing and instead of discussing why he's betting and getting into fights all the time when they have their first serious conversation about their would be relationship they discuss orgasm control. I appreciate trying to find out what turns someone's crank but if your intention is to collar that person then it's prudent to get to know them in a global sense particularly when they are throwing up enough red flags to rival a NASCAR race. Really, this is my only quibble in an otherwise delightful book, but it did pervade Axel's Pup.
Bayden is the epitome of sweet submissive as only KD can illustrate. His transformation from a rough and scrappy leader of his pack werewolf to docile submissive I found a little jarring, but I guess love and a muscled, tatted and über possessive alpha who's also leader of a BDSM motorcycle club can do that to a wolf.
Axel's Pup is a wonderful beginning to what appears to be a series and let me just state right now for the record that I am DYING for the next book to be about Hale. A submissive cop who's in denial about being submissive?
I'll take two. Thank you very much.
Recommend to everyone who likes a feel good read.
A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Find out more on Goodreads.
Author Visit & Interview: Love Spell by Mia Kerick
I'm so excited about Mia Kerick's upcoming YA book, Love Spell. She's here today to answer some of our questions, and along with that an excerpt and giveaway!
Author Interview:
BMBR: How did you come up with the title for this book?
Mia: The story is about devious ways to capture your man, and it mainly focuses on a how-to list that Chance and his BFF find in an online woman’s article. However, it hit me that conducting having Chance conduct a love spell could be interesting and funny, and so I did an online search for love spells. What I found was a literal gold mine to a writer, and maybe to a stand-up comic. I just knew I had to include at least one love spell in my new story, as it is a romantic comedy. And I really had no choice but to name the book Love Spell. The title screamed its desired name at me with such ferocity that I had no choice but to comply.
BMBR: Do you have a specific writing style?
Mia: I do. And it is the very opposite of the brief two-word sentence I just used to reply to your question. I tend to write many long sentences, broken into pieces by commas, and I like to follow these sentences with shorter incomplete sentences, such as: Not to be dramatic. Or, Like a rat in a corner. I find the abrupt change in flow humorous. I thrive on the use of creative language and dialect, and I love to put internal thoughts in italics. Get my meanin’?
BMBR: Rather than only writing M/M romance, you’ve ventured into different sexual/gender identities in the LBGTQ spectrum with your writing. Other than M/M, are there any other LBGTQ romances in your plans?
Mia: I have written roughly 12 (or is it 13) gay romances in YA and adult categories, but I did stray from my usual course and write a YA lesbian romance, Come To My Window. In Love Spell, I write the story of an out and proud gay teenage boy who happens to suffer with gender confusion. He is not transsexual but he identifies with both genders. He doesn’t want to be forced to choose between the genders. So, writing a gender fluid person’s story is a new place on the gender spectrum for my fictional characters. I feel certain that I will continue to seek out new places on the gender spectrum to explore using romance. Everybody needs a story.
BMBR: You’ve written quite a few inspiring YA novels, do you enjoy reading YA yourself?
Mia: I really do enjoy reading YA, in fact, right now I am reading Cody Kennedy’s Slaying Isidore’s Dragons. I have Brian Katcher’s Almost Perfect on my TBR list. But I read more adult gay romance, as I do not want my perspective as a YA writer to get overly influenced by the styles and flavors of other YA authors. I like to keep my perspective fresh.
BMBR: Is there a message in this book you want your readers to understand?
Mia: There are several important messages in Love Spell, I will not lie. I include a theme about labeling people; I don’t come out and say labels are good or bad, but I urge readers to question their necessity. There is also a strong theme of the importance of being true to oneself. And being honest with others. I hope to encourage readers to see that some kids are different from most, perhaps even odd, but they have hearts and souls and concerns and joys, like everybody else. The values of friendship and the pure love of family is not overlooked.
Cover & Blurb:
As far back as he can remember, Chance has been “caught between genders.” (It’s quite a touchy subject; so don’t ask him about it.) However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness—he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as “girl-boy.”
But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make “Jazz” Donahue his man.
An article in an online women’s magazine, Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You (with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.
Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.
Pages or Words: 44,300 words
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Excerpt:
Not to say that I kept my phone basically right beneath my chin for the next four days, but I kept my phone basically right beneath my chin for the next four days. Yes, I was oh-so-pathetically waiting for his call, which I am aware fully explains the need for the phrase “get a life.” But Jazz hadn’t been at school on the Thursday or Friday after he had called and cancelled our playdate, and now it’s Sunday night, and I still haven’t heard from him. And although I’m frustrated that all of my elaborate plans to make him fall head over heels in love with moi have apparently tanked, I’m also growing genuinely concerned.
That’s when my cell phone, which I placed on my chest before I lay down on my now “love-spell-pink” wrapped mattress, starts singing Express Yourself.
“Yo.” I don’t check the number. It’s Emmy—who else would it be?
“Hi, Chance.” The deep voice is so not Emmy’s.
Yaaassss!!! This is what ninety-nine percent of my insides shout. One percent says quietly, “It’s about frigging time you called, asshole.”
But my voice is calm. “Jasper,” I say blandly. In my opinion, he hasn’t earned the right to be called Jazz any longer.
“Um, sorry, no. It’s Jazz.”
I try not to roll my eyes even though I know he won’t see, but it’s an epic fail. “Whatever.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch for a couple days. My mom’s been real sick. I was lookin’ after her, gettin’ her to the doctor, goin’ to the pharmacy, bringing JoJo back and forth to school, and stuff.”
Oh.
“Mom caught JoJo’s strep throat and had to go to the ER because she couldn’t even swallow.” He stops talking for a second and then clears his voice. “Alls she could do was spit into a rag whenever she needed to swallow.”
Well, that’s definitely TMI, but I get the fucker-nelly revolting picture. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault, dude.”
And then there’s silence.
“Gonna take JoJo to the library after school tomorrow. But first I gotta stop by the cable company and pay up or we’re gonna lose our TV and internet at home. They already warned us like twice.”
“Want me to pick up Yolo at school and take her to the library?” I’m so freaking pissed off at him. Why am I offering to save his ass again?
“That’s cool of you to offer, but there’s a bus she can take to the library from her school. Could ya be waiting for her at the library, in case I get held up?”
“Of course.” I’m a Class A sucker.
“You’re such a cool pal.” Ugh—so not what I’m going for.
“Thanks.”
“I’m not gonna be at lunch tomorrow seein’ as I’ll probably be collecting my makeup work. So, I’ll see ya at the library. ‘Kay?”
I don’t say kkkk cuz it’s not even slightly cool. “Sure. The libes after school, it is.”
“Thank you, bro,” Jazz offers.
One more silence, and then I say, “Later.”
I have research to do.
About Mia:
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, CoolDudes Publishing, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.
Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
Stop by Mia’s Blog with questions or comments, or simply share what’s on your mind. Find Mia on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.
Author Links:
Goodreads
Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing
Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
A special thanks to Will at Pride Promotions for organizing this tour.
Review: Aloha Man by Danica St. Como
Hawaiian demolitions expert Kamaka decides to take charge of his life, and spends a long winter at Sanctuary paramilitary training camp revamping himself from soft and mellow to hard bodied and focused. When Kamaka is introduced to exquisite Navajo silversmith Zachariah Black Crow, his heart damn near stops and his libido kicks into overdrive. Kamaka is convinced the Island gods have bestowed upon him the greatest gift the earth has to offer--all Kamaka needs to do is convince the younger, over-the-top handsome man to come to his bed. Freely. Willingly.
Zach, shy and withdrawn, avoids entanglements with people he doesn't know. A victim of a brutal attack in his college days, he focuses on his art to help deal with the nightmares. He's never had a relationship, male or female, so his newly awakened sexual interest in Kamaka confuses him. Should a man want to submit to another man, the way he wants to submit to Kamaka? Can he be the responsive, giving lover Kamaka needs, the man Kamaka desires?
This is closer to 1.5 Hearts but because the cover isn't horrible, I'll round up.
My face while reading this book...just add a bucketful of eye rolls and groans.
Essentially, this was supposed to be a romance between a Hawaiian demolitions expert (Kamaka) and a Native American jewelry artist (Zachariah). Both men have their own demons but they found love in a hopeless place.
Kamaka is a demolitions expert that didn't really showcase his job other than talking about working with a bucket load of people, so I'm going to assume it's touched upon in the previous books. The rest of the series is mostly het BTW. Kamaka was formerly overweight without the self esteem issues. He had a lover who was claimed to be deviant for liking pain with his sex (SM). He is loved by everyone the moment they meet him and he is so hot because he looks just like the Scorpion King.
And EVERYONE thinks this when they meet him including children who weren't even born when the movie came out. All 7-8 year old boys in 2015 love the Scorpion King, right?
And Zach, the Native American artist with a troubled past who struggles with his sexuality can't deny the pull of the
"What a contradiction he is. Intelligent, well-read, so curious. Soul of a poet, strength of the Terminator. Sometimes well-spoken Oxford English, other times Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. A gentle man who explodes things. A pacifist who trains warriors. A Renaissance man. A lover of men."The writing style is not for me - the numerous characters, the telling, the name dropping.
This book had a number of issues, I'll try to keep it brief.
The main issue? This book is 251 pages. It is 201 pages too long.
The secondary characters get equal face time as the "main characters", it really read like a continuation on Lorelei, Abigail, Keko, Lucian, Adam, the sheriff, the annoying non-kid (I'll get to my contention with a child acting like an adult soon) Jeremiah...everyone else is talking about what cook, eat, sleep, wore...does the reader really need to know those things? The romance was insta-love when you remove the secondary characters taking over the book. The main character suffered from being overshadowed by everyone that anything they did read unbelievable.
Another issue: being out of date - if this book was maybe publish twenty years ago, it might make sense. It was corny. But it might work better in the 1990's than today...maybe. It might need to be pushed even further back in time.
Child sized adult: Jeremiah was 7 going on 70 years old. He spoke like an adult for the most of the book:
"I know what skedaddle means now. It means hurry up, but it's more polite than sayin' move your ass."How charming. :( No one corrected him or anything. I also don't get how he was so advanced he knew how to get out of complex security system and to befuddle a slew of ex-soldiers and FBI agents...yet he spoke like a baby in the next and didn't have enough sense to stay away from strangers.
The name dropping - if I wanted to read a book about a guy who is like the Scorpion King or James Dean or all the other celebrities the author used to describe a person, I'd read fan fiction. Wait was this Scorpion King fan fiction?
The focus on Kamaka - he's so mighty that Zach (who had the better background to explore) got swept under the rug. And this will be a spoiler, so look away now because it needs to be reviewed. How can his rape be swept under the rug like that? Kamaka tells him to get over it because he had it rough too since his ex-lover dumped him in public. Public breakup is worse that gang rape PTSD? I wish Zach was written differently. He had potential to be a good character. It was handled wrong, he was written flat.
The suspense - the sloppiest plot twist. The "villain" is Kamaka's ex. We meet him in the first scene where he tries to get back in Kamaka's good graces because he's not heavy anymore. Kamaka tells him no and then cut to 80% or so where he pops up ready to kill Kamaka and everyone he holds dear. Um...why? Even Kamaka thinks:
"In years past, Kamaka had never considered Randy really dangerous, more like keeping a at terrier leashed to prevent him from getting into trouble with larger vermin that he could handle."The guy wasn't violent and now he's ready to shoot a kid and Kamaka? The logic in Randy as a character was missing. It's apparent he was thrown in to move the Secondary Character Recap aka "Aloha Man" along.
And my last gripe about Kamaka - just because he's Hawaiian, it doesn't mean he has to be a walking and talking cliche. He wore Hawaiian t-shirts, spoke in a weird surfer dude-philosophic way. It was frustrating to say the least.
Though I did not like this book, I think fans of Brita Addams and Vicktor Alexander would enjoy it. This author's style is in the same vein.
I won't be reading anymore of this series or from this author.
For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!
Review: Origins (The Talisman Ring of Amenhotep #2) by Zev de Velera
What is fun about their characters is their uniqueness. You know that feeling you get when you watch a great classic movie on TCM? Everyone in the movie is classier, fancier and prettier than your average schmoe. That’s how it is reading these characters. And it’s not like reading snobbery or anything like that, they are just naturally in a different world and it’s so pretty to read. At the same time, they are accessible and relatable on an emotional level so you can appreciate all the fancy and still connect with the story.
In Origins there are some new characters introduced, including a double agent of sorts that I’m dying to know more about. You have to read it, but this could end up going so wrong or so right depending on this character and I really want to know! Hiroshi is back and I’m still up in the air about how I feel about that slutty little number. I don’t trust him at all, but he’s totally piqued my interest. He better not keeping messing with Julian too much though, Dinesh is way more understanding than I am. The connection between Julian and the Directrix is revealed. Sort of. There’s a lot more to that story and I’m going to anxiously await the next installment.
This is one of those series that is written in a way that makes me want to see it as a movie. The visuals the author paints are so vivid and I’ve already mentioned the pretty so you can get where I’m coming from there. I’d highly recommend this series to anyone with a fascination for history in general and Egyptology in particular. It’s a great old-fashioned mystery with memorable characters and a couple I’ve come to love reading about. Their banter is endearing and their sexy times are quite sexy. Highly recommended.
For more information on Origins, check it out on Goodreads.
**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**
Group Review: Out in Time by Grey Cole
Wade Truman had grown accustomed to admiring Heath Taylor from afar. Now, years of denying himself and the irresistible Heath are wreaking havoc on Wade’s resolve. The odds are stacked against them … they’re graduating college soon. Wade just signed a multimillion dollar football deal—thrusting him even further into the spotlight. Not to mention, what would the gorgeously refined Heath want with a small town jock boy like himself anyway?
Heath grew up privileged, accepted, and out. And the two hells he swore he would never put himself through—crushing on a straight guy and being anyone’s dirty little secret—have presented themselves in one sweet talkin’, dream hauntin’ package. One weekend with Wade, and Heath’s sure the devil himself has come a-knockin’.
Warning: Contains Southern accents wielded like weapons of desire, a snarky, do-gooder Pennsylvanian, and two boys deserving of true love.
Ann: 4 Hearts
There was SO much about this story I loved and only one thing I didn’t. Considering the one thing I didn’t was the fact that I really wasn’t ready for it be over and I wanted more, I’d say that’s pretty damn good. I would say that going in, keep in mind the story ends with a super optimistic HFN and not necessarily a rock solid HEA you’ll be prepped. It made sense actually because anything else wouldn’t have fit with the characters and in order to complete the HEA the book would have to be three times as long. So, consider it the beginning of the HEA, There, that works.
Wade and Heath are incredibly appealing characters on pretty much every level imaginable and while they were both good guys they weren’t too perfect making them more accessible to the reader. One of the most appealing things to me was the communication between them. The banter was witty and refreshing and there wasn’t a bunch of unnecessary misunderstandings to move the story along. The story relied on honesty in a realistic way to get these two together.
And damn I did love reading about them getting together. Wade’s way with words is amazing and it could have been over the top if the groundwork with his background hadn’t been laid. He’s an English major and writer, so he knows his way around the words and he’s not afraid to use them. I could feel Heath melting through my Kindle. I loved reading about supporting families too and I think overall the story was a refreshing change that I appreciated muchly.
Justin: 3.75 Hearts
Nooooooooooooo!
That can't be it! Who in the hell wrote the first "slice of life"
story and why did this author chose to torture readers with that type of story for
our two MCs, Wade and Heath?!?!
Ok,
on with the review. Out in Time was a very good story for me. I adored the main characters and I really liked the supporting ones. I had a few
moments of uncertainty when reading this but the author ultimately convinced
me that Wade and Heath belonged together. I had one or two eye rolls but they
weren't over anything major.
My biggest complaint would be the editing issues.
This story was too good to be plagued with so many errors. It seemed to get
worse toward the end of the book. There were missing words, extra words and in
some instances I'm not even sure how the sentence was supposed to read. These
kept pulling me out of the story and that really sucked. If the errors bothered
me there's a problem. I can usually
roll right past them but there were too many to ignore in this story.
This
author definitely has talent and as I understand it is writing this under a pen
name to keep her identity on the DL. I don't have a problem with that at all
but I do recommend getting a good editor. But editing aside, I'd read more stories
from this author and I'd definitely read more about Wade and Heath.
For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)