One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (January – June 2023)
This is a round up of the books I read on the 1st half of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.
Luckless: Dauntless – Cari Z
Evan Luck is a dragon rider who, after years of thinking he’d never bond with another one, now has a dragon again. His empathic connection with the powerful silver dragon Ladon, known in his human form as Lee Caldwell, has made them the most valuable defenders of the city of Forge against monstrous invaders. The fact that they love each other and dote on Lee’s ten-year-old son, Jason? Those are blessings Evan never saw coming. He knows life is good…even as he realizes that the world is becoming more dangerous by the day.
With monsters leaving the mountains of the Front Range to roam the plains for food and the influx of refugees to Forge increasing by the day, Evan has his hands more than full defending the city and training new recruits to fight. When Jason, desperate to bond with a dragon of his own but continually refused by the dragons of Forge, begins to lose control of himself, Evan and Lee make plans to do the unthinkable: leave Forge to fend for itself and take their son to Chicago, the nearest human and dragon stronghold to their own city.
But Chicago has its own terrors to deal with, and their last hope for Jason’s future might be lost before they can save it.
This underrated gem needs more sequels!
(4.5 stars)
Secret Santa – Deanna Wadsworth
It’s Christmas Eve and Adam has a special gift for his boyfriend—himself, wrapped in a big red bow.
Blindfolded and ready for a magical holiday night, Adam anxiously waits for his boyfriend to come and unwrap him. Just when he thinks their date has been forgotten, the door bursts open and his lover arrives. They have the best sex of Adam’s life, but afterward his man disappears before Adam can catch his breath or even remove the blindfold.
Left with only the memory of a passionate kisses kiss, a mysterious Santa hat, and a tray of half-eaten cookies, Adam soon discovers his lover was not who he thought it was…
The nifty little twist is Santa’s gift to all!
(4.5 stars)
Hitman vs Hitman: Killer vs Kingpin – Cari Z & L.A. Witt
August Morrison and Ricardo Torralba would really like to live a quiet life—as quiet as life can be for a couple of eccentric hitmen, anyway. Unfortunately for them, they pushed their luck with the authors and demanded a second book. So now, whether they like it or not, they’re getting a third installment.
Yes, this is a revenge book. Because we’re the authors, that’s why.
This time, August and Ricardo are in way over their heads, because there are few things more dangerous than owing a favor to the mafia. When that favor gets called in, though, it’s not to kill anyone—it’s to save them. Time is running out to find the source of tainted street drugs poisoning innocent people.
Now they’re caught in the middle of a deadly war between rival families, all while trying to dodge suspicious police and merciless drug cartels.
Maybe this time, August and Ricardo will learn their lesson and not demand another book… assuming they survive this one.
Killer vs. Kingpin is book 3 in the Hitman vs. Hitman series that seems to have evolved from an alleged “standalone” to “yeah, we don’t even know.” They’re just too much fun to torture! Err, write. Too much fun to write.
This former standalone keeps churning out killer sequels and I don’t want the mayhem to ever stop!
(4 stars)
Adam Binder – David R. Slayton
Not all magicians go to schools of magic.
Adam Binder has the Sight. It’s a power that runs in his bloodline: the ability to see beyond this world and into another, a realm of magic populated by elves, gnomes, and spirits of every kind. But for much of Adam’s life, that power has been a curse, hindering friendships, worrying his backwoods family, and fueling his abusive father’s rage.
Years after his brother, Bobby, had him committed to a psych ward, Adam is ready to come to grips with who he is, to live his life on his terms, to find love, and maybe even use his magic to do some good. Hoping to track down his missing father, Adam follows a trail of cursed artifacts to Denver, only to discover that an ancient and horrifying spirit has taken possession of Bobby’s wife.
It isn’t long before Adam becomes the spirit’s next target. To survive the confrontation, save his sister-in-law, and learn the truth about his father, Adam will have to risk bargaining with very dangerous beings … including his first love.
Slooow going yet consistently intriguing plots that always finish with a blast!
(4 stars each)
Haven Hart: Head Rush – Davidson King
Rush
All I want is to finish college, live life as a musician, and love the man of my dreams. That man, however, is Simon Manos, nephew of crime boss Christopher Manos, and there’s a war brewing on the streets of Haven Hart. Achieving my dreams has to be done while ducking bullets, trying not to get blown up, and hoping enemies don’t kill me.
Simon
I love Rush and want him to have everything he could ever hope for—all that his father denied him. As the heir to the Manos family business, it’s not quite that simple; I have responsibilities to fulfill. Haven Hart is getting dangerous, enemies need to be dealt with, and unfortunately, our dreams of the future must be put on hold.
We call on old friends and band together to face a common threat. When we’re forced into hiding, the situation escalates and the odds don’t seem to be in our favor. We do the only thing we can…stand our ground to the bitter end. As our lives start to fall apart, the unasked question is posed: Will someone have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone?
Less a rush more standard fare but cameos from old friends never failed to perk me up.
(3.5 stars)
Snow & Winter Books 2-5 – C.S. Poe
Curiosity kills. Or, in the case of antique shop owner and amateur sleuth Sebastian Snow, curiosity leads to dead bodies. With the reluctant help of his boyfriend, NYPD homicide detective Calvin Winter, and armed with his magnifying glass and understanding of Victorian America, Sebastian sets out to solve the murders he keeps stumbling upon.
Sebastian’s antiquing knowledge becomes a critical key to every investigation he gets tangled up in with Calvin. And with the two at one another’s side through thick and thin, the partnership between Snow and Winter evolves into something that’ll last long after the cases are closed.
Handful and stubborn Seb left me cold at first but he completely won me over at the end.
(4 stars each)
Dr. Maxwell Thornton Murder Mysteries: Arsenic and Old Lies – S.C. Wynne
I assumed I was done running from psychopaths for a while. I guess I was wrong.
Doctor Maxwell Thornton, brilliant ex-surgeon and man most likely to insult you without even trying, seems to have an unwanted penchant for landing in the middle of murder cases.
Since moving from the bustling metropolis of LA to a small town in Texas, Maxwell has struggled to fit in with the eccentric citizens of Rainy Dale. He’s made tiny steps forward, but the only person who truly seems to understand him is Sheriff Royce Callum.
When one of Maxwell’s new patients ends up poisoned to death, the cold blooded killer suspects Maxwell knows a lot more than he actually does. Avoiding homicidal maniacs is always prudent, but once they catch your scent, it’s fight or die
My anti-social spirit animal Max and his laidback sheriff boyfriend Royce search for the truth and I’m with them every step of the way.
(4 stars)
Dr. Maxwell Thornton Murder Mystery: Smoke and Murders – S.C. Wynne
Maybe my time in Rainy Dale has run its course.
Things are spiraling out of control for our indelicate, but occasionally loveable, Doctor Thornton. His romantic life is already in turmoil, but when someone sets fire to his medical practice his finances are also in jeopardy.
Sheriff Royce Callum offers Maxwell a safe place to stay, as he searches for the arsonist. Maxwell can easily rub people the wrong way, which makes it challenging for Royce to figure out if the attack on Maxwell’s business was personal or random.
When other fires begin to pop up in Rainy Dale, it becomes obvious there’s a serial arsonist spreading terror through town. Things go from bad to worse when one of the fires turns deadly.
Rooting hard for my anti-social spirit animal, Max, as his life goes up in smokes.
(4 stars)
Sons of the Fallen: Galen – Jaclyn Osborn
Simon just wants to run his antique shop in peace.
But then he finds a small mysterious box that’s (probably) haunted, and his shop is broken into by the hottest man he’s ever seen who then steals said creepy box.
Now demons are after him and his only hope is to trust the tall, muscled, combat-boot-wearing thief who claims to be the son of a fallen angel.
Galen is charged with protecting humanity from dark forces. Cursed with Wrath, he’s hot-tempered and spends his days fighting demons and trying not to kill his six brothers when they irritate him.
His number one rule? Never fall in love. But then he meets Simon, a clumsy human who asks way too many questions and is—unfortunately—a total demon-magnet, and he starts breaking his own rules.
What’s inside the box, and why do the demons want it so badly? One thing is for sure… Simon can kiss his peaceful, ordinary life goodbye.
Book 1 in the Sons of the Fallen series. A low-angst urban fantasy MM romance featuring a grumpy half-angel and the human he swears he doesn’t like (he’s lying), seven warriors representing the deadly sins, a seaside mansion where they all live, banter, a snarky demon, and a HEA.
Didn’t fall for the romance but loved the premise, liked the story
(3.5 stars)
Psychic Detective Mysteries: Shadow’s End – S.C. Wynne
Will this be the end of my war with Steven Pine? Or just the end of me?
Psychic Liam Baker and his boyfriend Detective Kimball Thompson have battled the murderous and terrifyingly powerful psychic, Steven Pine twice now. Both men would love to put that chapter to rest. Unfortunately, when Steven manages to escape police custody, he immediately goes to work murdering innocents. It seems Steven’s happiest when taunting Liam with the spirits of his prey.
Thompson and Liam follow the trail of victims, well aware that Steven is setting a dangerous trap for them. What Thompson doesn’t realize is that Liam has decided that there will be no fourth battle with Steven.
Even if Liam has to personally escort Steven Pine to Hell.
This 60,000+ MM romance mystery is the FOURTH book in my Psychic Detective Mystery Series. You’ll want to read the first three paranormal LGBT mysteries in the series first for optimal enjoyment. (Shadow’s Edge, Shadow’s Return, and Shadows Deceive.)
Long-awaited comeuppance for a vile villain and a satisfying happy ending for a troubled psychic and his detective boyfriend.
(4 stars)
Dearly and The Departed: Dearly & Deviant Daniel – L.A. Kaye
When the family business is death, what does it take to feel alive?
Maybe a gorgeous motorcycle mechanic with a dark past has a few ideas?
Mortician Keir Dearly has a secret he plans to take to his grave. If he tells anyone he speaks with the dead who come through his funeral home, who will believe him? Keeping the secret prevents Keir from pursuing a love life because how would a lover react to such news?
Mechanic Dashiell Clegg owns Clegg Cycles, the family business his father left to him and his estranged brother Daniel. Dash has only seen Daniel twice since Dash was released from prison, and that’s perfectly fine with both of them. The brothers stay out of each other’s lives until one day, Dash gets a call that changes everything.
When Dash’s brother, deviant Daniel Clegg, shows up on Keir’s table with a final request: Keep my brother from being blamed for my murder, the temptation to jump into the mix is too much for Keir to resist. Can Keir save Dashiell Clegg without telling anyone about his conversations with the dead?
After being warned about communing with the Departed, will Dearly have to pay a price for assisting them in finding their final peace?
L.A. Kaye’s debut novel, Dearly & Deviant Daniel, is the first tale in the Dearly & the Departed M/M paranormal romance series.It’s a little mysterious, a little creepy, and a lotta sexy, so be sure to check it out! It’s approximately 90,000 words in length and ends happily for now
His opening story fell between like and love, and Keir is a sweetheart I dearly want to know better.
(3.5 stars)
Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed: Dead Serious Case #1 Miz Dusty Le Frey – Vawn Cassidy
In the business of unfinished business…
Tristan Everett has always preferred the company of the dead because they usually don’t talk back. Being a somewhat awkward introvert working as a pathologist at the Hackney Public Mortuary suits him just fine. That is, until a freak accident with a rogue ice cube and suddenly he can see ghosts. No longer content to just lie on the table and let him figure out how they died, they’re now peering over his shoulder critiquing his work and confessing their most lascivious sins before skipping off merrily into the afterlife.
Just when he thought his life couldn’t get any weirder, sassy drag queen, Dusty Le Frey, is wheeled in with a toe tag and she’s not prepared to go quietly into the light. Not only is she furious at the prospect of spending eternity in last season’s gold lame, she’s determined that he help her solve her murder.
Suddenly Tristan finds himself thrown into a world of sequins and fake eyelashes, and worse still, he may have developed a bit of a crush on Scotland Yard’s brand new drool-worthy detective, Inspector Danny Hayes, who’s been assigned to Dusty’s murder. Oh, and as the icing on top of a really crappy cake, the killer now wants him dead too…
All he ever wanted was a simple life but suddenly he’s juggling work, a deliciously sexy detective, a stubborn ghost and a relentless murderer… and things have just gotten dead serious….
From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy comes this hot and funny, slow burn, opposites attract paranormal caper across the East End of London.
A stellar cast, captivating humor, and exciting mystery breathe life into this British paranormal series.
(4 stars)
Cold Case Psychic Books 3-6 – Pandora Pine
After a dramatic end to the Justin Wilson case, Psychic, Tennyson Grimm heads to a small island off the coast of Maine, hoping to clear his mind and renew his spirit. When the dead won’t let Tennyson rest, the psychic curses his gift and orders the spirits to leave him. He wakes the next morning to silence, and finds truth in the saying, “Be careful what you wish for.”
Detective Ronan O’Mara has been tasked by his boss with the chore of finding a more “sedate” cold case to investigate this time around. The handsome cop is only too happy to oblige. He chooses the twenty-year-old case of a family patriarch who was murdered on Christmas night, 1997. The only possible suspects are either his wife or his daughter, who were both with him at the time of his death. Ronan figures this one will be a piece of cake. All he has to do is get his favorite medium to talk to the deceased man’s spirit.
When Tennyson reveals the truth about what happened in Maine, he’s forced to take a hard look at who he thought he was, and what his gift really means. Ronan does his best to help his lover cope with his new normal while he uses good old-fashioned police work to figure out a family who put the ‘dis’ in dysfunction.
Will Tennyson be able to find the key to unlock his gift, or will the spirits stay dead silent?
A romance that goes from strength to strength and cases that are always intriguing keep this series alive!
(4 stars each)
Murder and Mayhem – Rhys Ford
Murder and Mayhem: Book One
Dead women tell no tales.
Former cat burglar Rook Stevens stole many a priceless thing in the past, but he’s never been accused of taking a life—until now. It was one thing to find a former associate inside Potter’s Field, his pop culture memorabilia shop, but quite another to stumble across her dead body.
Detective Dante Montoya thought he’d never see Rook Stevens again—not after his former partner falsified evidence to entrap the jewelry thief and Stevens walked off scot-free. So when he tackled a fleeing murder suspect, Dante was shocked to discover the blood-covered man was none other than the thief he’d fought to put in prison and who still makes his blood sing.
Rook is determined to shake loose the murder charge against him, even if it means putting distance between him and the rugged Cuban-Mexican detective who brought him down. If one dead con artist wasn’t bad enough, others soon follow, and as the bodies pile up around Rook’s feet, he’s forced to reach out to the last man he’d expect to believe in his innocence—and the only man who’s ever gotten under Rook’s skin.
Wanted to like this more but it was murder and meh.
(3 stars)
Hot Head – Damon Suede
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire…
Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181, Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately, Dante is strictly a ladies’ man, and the FDNY isn’t exactly gay-friendly. For ten years, Griff has hidden his heart in a half-life of public heroics and private anguish.
Griff’s caution and Dante’s cockiness make them an unbeatable team. To protect his buddy, there’s nothing Griff wouldn’t do… until a nearly bankrupt Dante proposes the worst possible solution: HotHead.com, a gay porn website where uniformed hunks get down and dirty. And Dante wants them to appear there—together. Griff may have to guard his heart and live out his darkest fantasies on camera. Can he rescue the man he loves without wrecking their careers, their families, or their friendship?
Bit too angsty but as white-hot combustible as advertised!
(4 stars)
Valor and Doyle: Inevitable Disclosure – Nicky James
Quaid is adrift in MPU. With his partner on extended leave, he’s alone and unsure if he wants to continue working on missing persons cases now that his sister’s case is closed. When the missing teen he’s been seeking for a week turns up dead, it’s the icing on the cake.
Maybe it’s time to explore a different career path.
Aslan and his partner, Torin, take over Quaid’s case, but Quaid can’t help but get involved. He wants justice for the girl. Justice for her grieving family.
Is homicide the career change he’s been looking for?
The trio makes a solid team, and their banter takes the edge off a serious case. Working alongside Aslan again is fantastic. They have found a balance that works, but for as comfortable as they have become as a couple, for as inevitable as their future together seems, something’s missing.
Aslan is ready to take the next step in their relationship, but Quaid needs certain feelings to be disclosed first.
Do actions speak louder than words? Or is there magic in saying I love you?
** Inevitable Disclosure is the fourth book in the Valor and Doyle Mystery Series. It is a same-couple series that should be read in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliff-hangers, the romance is overarching and progressive throughout the series. **
The most sinister case so far!
(4 stars)
Badlands: No Surrender – Morgan Brice
Cold cases, hot leads, a psychic psychopath, a copycat killer, cursed objects, the trial of the century–and wedding plans.
Psychic medium Simon Kincaide and sexy homicide detective Vic D’Amato met hunting a supernatural serial killer. Since then, Simon has become a police consultant on cases involving the paranormal, and Vic has gotten over his doubts about Simon’s abilities being real. Along the way, they fell in love and got engaged. But it seems like the danger never ends.
Now, the first case Simon and Vic worked together comes back to haunt them as the killer goes to court and all hell breaks loose. The killer has a crazy fan setting curses on key players in the upcoming trial. Ghosts from an old cold case suggest that someone got away with murder. And a supernatural creature attracted to fear and death is using the Grand Strand as its feeding ground. Simon and Vic feel like they’re waging a war on all fronts, but with the stakes so high, there can be No Surrender!
No Surrender is a fast-paced thrill ride MM paranormal romance packed with supernatural suspense, haunted tourist attractions, monsters, visions, hot sex, hurt/comfort, loyal friends, wedding planning, found family, ghosts galore, dark magic, and an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.
No Surrender is Book 5 in the Badlands series but can be read as a standalone.
Faithfully following this riveting paranormal series because it never disappoints!
(4 stars)
Cowboy’s Don’t: Cowboys Don’t Come Out – Tara Lain
Rand McIntyre settles for good enough. He loves his small California ranch, raising horses, and teaching riding to the kids he adores—but having kids of his own and someone to love means coming out, and that would jeopardize everything he’s built. Then, despite his terror of flying, he goes on a holiday to Hana, Hawaii, with his parents and meets the dark and mysterious Kai Kealoha, a genuine Hawaiian cowboy. Rand takes to Kai’s kid brother and sister as much as he drools over Kai, but the guy sports more prickles than a horned toad and more secrets than the exotic land he comes from.
Kai’s earned his privacy and lives to protect his “kids.” He ought to stay away from the big, handsome cowboy for everyone’s sake—but since the guy’s just a haole on a short vacation, how much damage can he do? When all of Kai’s worst fears and Rand’s darkest nightmares come true at once, there’s not much chance for two cowboys who can’t—or won’t—come out.
A sweet and dramatic cowboy coming out tale.
(4 stars)
Vancouver Orcas: Game Plan – Amy Aislin
As the new head coach of the Vancouver Orcas, Matt Shore has got his work cut out for him. Coming off a season where the Orcas came in last in the entire AHL, Matt’s job is to whip his new hockey team into shape for the oncoming season.
He doesn’t need any distractions, especially not one in the form of a tall, dark, and gorgeous antiques dealer.
Who’s also his ex—and his best player’s father.
Pierce Langley-Brown has a lot of regrets. The biggest? Leaving Matt behind two years ago when his son needed him. Now, with his son on Matt’s hockey team, there’s no avoiding the man who once owned his heart.
Not that Pierce wants to avoid him. And that heart? It still belongs to Matt.
But will Matt choose to keep it after all this time?
Game’s not as exciting as planned.
(3 stars)
Sinister in Savannah – Aimee Nicole Walker
Sinister in Savannah is a fictional podcast exploring the city’s most nefarious crimes with Southern-fried snark. The best-selling trilogy is now available in one collection!
Ride the Lightning: When the Sinister in Savannah team delves into the thirty-eight-year-old murder of a drag queen, they quickly discover that the story doesn’t end with the alleged killer’s confession in 1995.
Mr. Perfect: The podcast is back to investigate allegations that a local businessman is dabbling in money laundering. On the surface, everything about Cameron Spencer, aka The Auto King, appears to be perfect. Seeking the truth will challenge reporter Felix Franklin’s convictions and put his life in grave danger. The biggest threat to his well-being isn’t an unknown villain; it’s the reappearance of his first and only love.
Pretty Poison: Tess, a woman accused of killing her three husbands, has been tried and convicted in the media, something PI Rocky Jacobs knows all too well. When their investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, Rocky will keep digging. When a sexy federal marshal turns up in Savannah, Rocky is reminded of his greatest love and deepest regret.
The ride isn’t perfect but it’s pretty enjoyable!
(4 stars each)
TIN: Gone But Not Forgotten – Charlie Cochet
Codename: Chaos.
Former THIRDS agent turned TIN operative Dexter J. Daley is a legend. Just ask him, he’ll tell you. Chaos isn’t so much a codename as it is Dex’s state of being. As a spy for the Therian Intelligence Network, Dex has spent the last four years bringing down the bad guys. Hell, his middle name is literally Justice. But a new mission brings him face-to-face with a different kind of monster, one with a weapon that can alter the course of history. Failure is not an option, but as the mission goes from dangerous to deadly, Dex finds himself up against a far more terrifying force, and this time, there’s no escape.
Codename: Atlas
As former team leader for Destructive Delta and now a TIN operative, Sloane Daley knows what it feels like to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. But no matter the challenge, Sloane knows that together, he and his husband, Dex, can overcome anything. When their latest mission takes a personal turn, Sloane is forced to confront the very thing that created him. Looking back to a past he thought he’d left behind is the least of Sloane’s problems, because the greatest threat he’s about to encounter … is his own husband.
The usual fun Charlie Cochet shenanigans but a bit on the forgettable side.
(3.5 stars)
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