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On Davis Row – N.R. Walker
Nearing the end of a suspended jail sentence should unlock a brighter future for CJ Davis, only the chip on his shoulder is as hard to shift as his bad reputation. Born into a family of career criminals who live down Davis Road, an address the cops have dubbed Davis Row, his name alone is like a rap sheet that makes optimism impossible.
Brand-new parole officer Noah Huxley is determined to see the good in men like CJ. After all, he knows firsthand that bad things can happen to good people. His colleagues mock his doe-eyed optimism, but Noah soon sees CJ’s bad attitude and bravado are weapons he uses to keep people at a distance.
Both men know one simple mistake can change a life forever. At first glance, they might seem to be polar opposites. Yet underneath, they’re not that different at all.
My god, that was beautiful!
Right after I finished this book, I had to stand up and pace around the house because I was sooo high. I am not an emotional person and it takes a lot to make me feel things but this book!
I just had to root really hard for CJ. He was dealt a really shitty hand. Born into a family of criminals, didn’t graduate from school, had to put up with abuse, had to cope with illiteracy and deal with the stigma that comes with his name. Through out all this, he tries really hard to get by along with Pops, his grandfather who raise him. Pops has emphysema. His dad is in and out of jail. The asshole has also been abusing CJ since he was a child. Everybody assumes CJ is as bad as all the Davis before him, but CJ’s boss, Mr. Barese would be the first one to tell you, “he’s a good boy.”
Noah is a rookie parole officer. Still enthusiastic and optimistic about making a difference. The great thing about Noah is that he never lost the spark. He really believed not only in CJ but in all his parolees. AND *stage whisper* he smells really good!
Bloody hell. I wanted to hug him again. “You’ll nail this. You watch. You’ll pass everything and the only thing you’ll be left wondering about is why you didn’t do it sooner.”
When he looked up, his dark eyes were vulnerable, like the true CJ Davis was exposed within them. “Because ain’t no one believed in me before now.
There were ethically murky lines between them and though they dip their toes across once in a while, I love them for sticking to the rule. The rule being they become officially boyfriends the minute CJ’s parole ends, unofficially is another matter. Thus begins the delicious anticipation, a whole lot of USTs and the goddamn countdown that made me a messy bundle of paranoia because Pops might wheeze his last breath, CJ might descend into a downward spiral, Noah might fail CJ, the dad might beat the living crap out of CJ just because, things might blow up their faces, the system might screw them and so on because something will jinx this, I just know…!!!
So I breathed a sigh of relief when, among other things, Pops kept breathing.
It was so uplifting to see CJ gain his confidence and a little bit of happiness day by day until the time he was finally free. Noah’s sincerity really impressed me. He kept assuring CJ that no matter what happens between them he would still help him with everything. And I know he really would.
I love the list of firsts. CJ has missed out on a lot of things, the kind of things people take for granted like being able to read, getting a hug or having a driver’s license. Noah was his first in a lot of things. My favorite were the hugs.
He was rigid, uneasy, but he didn’t recoil, and he didn’t tell me to fuck off.
“You can hug me back, you know.”
Then I realised that maybe no one had ever bloody hugged him before either. Pops was a great guy but none of the Davis clan seemed overly affectionate. Without pulling away, I said, “I’ve wanted to hug you for a while.”
Still, with his arms by his sides, he asked, “Why?”
“Because sometimes people hug as a way of saying things are gonna be okay.”
I’ll hug you too, CJ!
This book is full of emotions but it’s not sappy. It’s also one of the most emotionally satisfying books I have read this year. The slow-burn and the chemistry were amazing. That last chapter! I got goosebumps and a pleasant case of hangover.
A solid 5-star book, no doubt about it.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect
Soundtrack: Worth the Wait
Artist: We Are Scientists
Album: With Love and Squalor(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36668702-on-davis-row)
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REVIEW: Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector by Nicole Kimberling
Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector – Nicole KimberlingVampire Hunter. Leprechaun Fighter. Food Inspector. Keith Curry has his work cut out for him. NATO’s Irregulars Affairs Division is a secret organization operating in thousands of cities around the globe. Its agents police relations between the earthly realm and those beyond this world, protecting citizens from both mundane and otherworldly dangers. Former chef turned NIAD food inspector, Special Agent Keith Curry found out about magic the hard way and is now determined to keep dinner safe for everybody. Includes the novellas Cherries Worth Getting, Magically Delicious and the never-before-published Bring Out Your Best plus bonus shorts and more!
The shared world of Irregulars is the kind of well-realized world authors can play around with and have lots of fun. I enjoyed the original Irregulars anthology where every conceivable mythological creature is real and there are special agents doing magical investigations. I had hoped for more stories about NIAD and all the humans and extra-humans like Rake and Archer, Deven and Silas, and Half-dead Henry and Jason.
Nicole Kimberling happily granted my wish with a short story collection about former chef and food inspector Special Agent Keith Curry and his boyfriend, trans-goblin and NIAD strike force member, Gunther Heartman. I like the slice-of-life feel of the interrelated short story format because I can read about several different cases while keeping up to date with Keith and Gunther’s relationship without having to deal with too many details.
Keith describes himself as average but he’s pretty damn good at his job. He goes above and beyond and gets into a lot of trouble. He has no magic but he gets by with tenacity, quick thinking and a bit of luck. Gunther is a snow goblin who was magically transformed into human form in-utero. He is blue-eyed, dark haired, really good looking and very loyal to Keith. He is close to his mom and dad and his gazillion cousins in the Heartman clan. And despite his ferocious goblin lineage, he is an “all-around sweetheart”. I love them both!
Cherries Worth Getting: posted here
Cookie Jamboree: I keep hearing about this Cookie Jamboree Gunther was so gung-ho about. Nice to know that the perfect Gunther Heartman has a dorky side. Cookie cutter collection?! Really?!
The Little Golden Book of Goblin Stories: Because goblin moms are the best! Expect to feel teary-eyed.
Magically Delicious: Keith deals with potty mouth leprechauns and missing pixies while Gunther is hospitalized. He gets three wishes but what would he wish for? Needless to say, this case involves defying death in creative ways. This story’s a win.
The Most Important Meal of the Day: The apocalypse has arrived. Keith makes breakfast for a lazy-ass wizard as the world falls apart. Equal parts urgent and laid-back. My favorite of the collection.
Bring Out Your Best: Contaminated blood investigation takes Keith and Gunther from vampire bars and deadly entertainment sports arenas to air force bases where Keith talks to a jet plane. Also, unsubtle hints from Gunther but Keith thinks he might not be good enough to be a Heartman. For crying out loud, just do it, Keith!!! That ending tho ( ˘⌣˘)♡(˘⌣˘ )
This is such a fun read! Definitely recommended!
P.S.
I’m not into the genre but man, those goblins love their metal. Keith likes it too, so a metal love song for you both.
I received a copy of Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector from Blind Eye Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
Cherries Worth Getting – 3.5 stars
Cookie Jamboree – 4 Stars
The Little Golden Book of Goblin Stories – 4.5 Stars
Magically Delicious – 4 Stars
The Most Important Meal of the Day – 4.5 Stars
Bring Out Your Best – 4 StarsOverall:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Entrails of You
Artist: Suffocation
Album: Suffocation(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38814322-grilled-cheese-and-goblins)
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Eidolon – E.S. Yu
When Cyrex Corp, one of the foremost bioaugmentation companies in the world, sends Vax to assassinate Zai Lumero, Vax thinks it’ll be a simple, straightforward job. Zai is only a journalist, after all, and with his bioaugments, Vax has never botched a job before. But then the hit unexpectedly goes south, and before Vax can correct his mistake and finish Zai off for good, he discovers that Cyrex has turned on him, putting him in their crosshairs as well.
With no one else to turn to, he strikes a grudging partnership with Zai to help him expose Cyrex’s connection to a missing persons case and take the company down. Getting along with a justice crusader who hates Vax’s profession with a burning passion isn’t easy—though Vax finds himself drawn to Zai in a way he never expected.
As they race against time to unearth Cyrex’s secrets, Vax can’t shake the feeling that Zai is hiding something from him. And the closer he gets to uncovering the answers—of how he’s related to Zai’s investigation, and how Zai is connected to a past that Vax can’t remember—the more he suspects that finding out the truth might destroy him.
The book caught my attention with two magic words: assassin and asexual.
Eidolon is a sci-fi book about an assassin who was hired to kill a journalist investigating the company the assassin is working for. When he tried do his job, he was in for nasty surprise.
Vax, the assassin doesn’t seem to be hard-core and deadly. He seemed more like a harassed salaryman trying to get the job done and get the boss off his back. His boss being Atali Norman, CEO of Cyrex and one hell of a manipulative bastard. When Vax was confronting Atali, I was like, just shoot him already! Don’t talk to him, he will mindfuck you! Vax then proceeded to prove himself human.
Zai, the crusading journalist, is out to uncover the nasty secrets of bioaugmentation companies.I liked that he is very dedicated to his job. Meeting Vax was like meeting a ghost but that doesn’t stop him from involving Vax in doing what he set out to do. There were a LOT of complications, personal and otherwise but Zai was, if anything, determined to do good so he made it work.
I think this should really be two stories. First is the sci-fi dystopian thread where humans were augmented with electronic parts for medical purposes or more insidiously to create super soldiers and spies.
This is a fast read and the writing was easy to go through.
I liked the world building here. It was not bogged down by info-dump but relevant bits and pieces were mentioned here and there that mesh naturally to create a good picture of the futuristic city of Orphis. There was a big mystery and some action scenes. This part by itself makes for an interesting read.
The second part was a hurt-comfort story about a man trying to deal with PTSD, depression and amnesia. This had a more contemporary feel, the futuristic elements were insignificant and barely mentioned. I liked how the mental issue and the asexuality were handled. I felt the friendship more than the romantic spark between Vax and Zai. I think Vax is in dire need of friends right now although their relationship had a good potential to be so much more exciting had the story been solely about second chances and dealing with mental illness.
Overall, I wasn’t blown away but I liked the story. The sci-fi elements were done nicely, the mystery was intriguing enough to hold my attention, the premise was interesting and the prose is uncomplicated. However, the first part and the second part seemed disconnected and I would have preferred two different stories if not a better transition/connection between the sci-fi mystery and the drama part.
P.S.
I received a copy of Eidolon from Ninestar Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it
Soundtrack: Someone Great
Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Album: Sound of Silver(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41059670-eidolon)
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Candy Man: Bitter Taffy – Amy Lane
Rico Gonzalves-Macias didn’t expect to fall in love during his internship in New York—and he didn’t expect the boss’s son to out them both and get him fired either. When he returns to Sacramento stunned and heartbroken, he finds his cousin, Adam, and Adam’s boyfriend, Finn, haven’t just been house-sitting—they’ve made his once sterile apartment into a home.
When Adam gets him a job interview with the adorable, magnetic, practically perfect Derek Huston, Rico feels especially out of his depth. Derek makes it no secret that he wants Rico, but Rico is just starting to figure out that he’s a beginner at the really important stuff and doesn’t want to jump into anything with both feet.
Derek is a both-feet kind of guy. But he’s also made mistakes of his own and doesn’t want to pressure Rico into anything. Together they work to find a compromise between instant attraction and long-lasting love, and while they’re working, Rico gets a primer in why family isn’t always a bad idea. He needs to believe Derek can be his family before Derek’s formidable patience runs out—because even a practically perfect boyfriend is capable of being hurt.
It was a scene worthy of a Mexican telenovela. Up and coming young man caught sleeping with his boss’s in-the-closet son. Father confronts young man in front of co-workers and throws him out of the office. Young man begs the rich man’s son “come with me”. Rich man’s son is dragged away by bodyguard.
Such was the end of Rico Gonzalves-Macias’ promising internship in Manhattan. Out of job and nursing a broken heart, he returns to Sacramento and found that Adam and Finn made his minimalist apartment cozier. Of course fab matchmaking candy fairy Darrin has foreseen his return and promptly sics Derek Huston on him because Darrin knows Derek is good for Rico
I like Rico. He looks like Adam but more metro. He is as nice as Adam but more social. He has experienced homophobia from his family but was able to find the courage to come out
“Mami, this is Derek. He’s my boyfriend. We were on our way out—and so were Finn and Adam. We’ll be out in five minutes, and if you don’t want to see any gay people holding hands or kissing, you three had better be the holy fuck away from my place.”
Sufjan Stevens in a suit as Rico Gonzalves-Macias
I like Derek. He is a blond, blue-eyed golden prince with a golden heart who lives in a cozy picture book cottage. He has great parents and a happy childhood and he want to share that happiness with Rico.
“No, c’mon.” Rico studied him, unsure of what was wrong. “It’s been a great day.”
Derek nodded and kissed him on the forehead. “Yeah. It has. I want a lot more like it. I want them with you.”
Rico’s smile made a quick return and then retreated again. “Then what —”
Derek bit his lip. “I just… I get the feeling you and Adam—you didn’t have much of that when you were kids. I just… I wanted to give it to you, that was all.”Alexander Skarsgard in a tux as Derek Huston
I like Rico and Derek. Their banter was enjoyable and the chemistry was fantastic although there were bits of dialogue that were too flowery and melodramatic. However, for the the most part, they were fun together. And in the sweltering heat, in the sea of cazh, they stick to their designer suits. I approve.
Metrosexual yuppies doin’ their thang:
Derek shook his head and turned, taking in Rico’s best spring suit and his dazzling emerald green tie.
“Nice,” he purred, and then he made the once-around gesture with his finger. Rico rolled his eyes, but the suit had been one of his last purchases before he’d left New York, and he was sort of proud of it. He held his briefcase out at his side and did a smart little pivot, his dress shoes sliding easily on the short pile of the carpeting.
Derek laughed and clapped his hands. “Very nice,” he said, and then, to Rico’s amusement, he did the same.
His trim form was very nicely accentuated in something Hugo Boss, gray linen, with a melon-colored tie.Rico obliged him by clapping.Adam and Rico’s relationship is one of the best parts of the story.
Adam has always hero worshiped his cousin and because of that Rico was able to achieve a lot of things. Rico, on the other hand, has always treated Adam like a brother.
A telenovela is only as good as its villano. These come in the form of the harpy mami, Adam’s and Rico’s moms and their abuela, bitter homophobic women who showed up one day at their apartment (because Rico was avoiding his mami’s calls after getting shitty reception for coming out) and started the haranguing and the name calling and oh no! You did not just spit on Adam! At which point Finn went berserk and Adam had to bodily haul him away. Thankfully, the wonderful Stewart women were there to save the day. They shed light on the way of the gay and thus Rico’s mom was enlightened. “Magic fuckin’ happy people” make miracles happened. Do not get in their way.
Bitter Taffy is a story about moving on and fresh starts. The characters draw you in and you end up emotionally attached.
I really love the Candy Man world and its people. I’m glad that almost everybody from the first book made appearances (more Adam and Finn is always a big plus). It makes everything more real and I want to be friends with these people. This series also makes me want to live in Sacramento. The neighborhood is so nice!
This installment ends with big drama. Luckily, Rico knows whats good for him and held on to it. Darrin, on the other hand, ends up with another project. I can’t wait to start on that!
So, on to Ezra and Miguel’s story…
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Me & You
Artist: Parekh & Singh
Album: Ocean(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25821026-bitter-taffy)
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Whyborne & Griffin: Balefire – Jordan L. Hawk
Whyborne’s Endicott relatives have returned to collect on the promise he made to help them take back their ancestral manor from an evil cult. In exchange, they’ll give him the key to deciphering the Wisborg Codex, which Whyborne needs to learn how to stop the masters.
To that end, Whyborne, his husband Griffin, and their friends Iskander and Christine travel to a small island off the coast of Cornwall. But when they arrive at Balefire Manor, Whyborne must not only face the evil within the ancient mansion, but the painful truth about his own destiny.
I can’t believe we’re almost at the end…
It has been quite a ride and ten books in, I’m still feeling the thrill. In fact, I think Balefire is the best book yet!
Reading the previous installments is definitely a must and I strongly recommend the Whyborne & Griffin series for those into paranormal historical because this is one of the best series out there.
Balefire has our quartet, Whyborne and his husband Griffin, Iskander and Christine, traveling across the Pond to help the Endicotts take back their mansion in exchange for the key to the Wisborg Codex. I love that the story almost instantly gets into the action with some major laugh out loud moments to break the tension. And there is tension aplenty. Whyborne and friends do not trust the Endicotts, the Endicotts consider Whyborne an abomination and the ketoi are making demands.
Hell yeah, Christine! Our girl is in dire need of sustenance. In her condition, she’s craving for lemons but she’s still fighting monsters in that devil may care badass way of hers. I’m also glad to see Heliabel has a major role in the story as Persephone’s emissary. The Whyborne Matriarch can fight as ferociously as the best of them.
The romance was not the focus in this installment but that is understandable. Saving the world took precedence and I greatly approved the fact that Jordan L. Hawk did not push the usual romance conflicts as Whyborne and Griffin are already married and it would be tiresome if they go through big misunderstandings or almost break ups every time. Instead we are treated with tender moments that speak volumes of the deep love between the two. Even Iskander and Christine had their moments.
Jordan L. Hawk did a great job connecting all the threads and then amping up the volume by introducing another interesting magic system, having Whyborne do more mindblowing spells and just generally making things more action- packed and fast-paced.
The author not only made good use of Lovecraftian mythos but she was also able to deftly include Arthurian legends to the mix.
Our favorite bad guy from the Outside made his appearance and he is still bent on making Whyborne surrender. Whyborne, stubborn man that he is, is holding his ground with some help from an ancient being. Although it still seems we are not any closer to seeing these Masters, I am already feeling the excitement of the final showdown.
And now for some burning questions:
How would Widdershins be now that the Endicotts are in town? What would their lives be like when our quartet becomes a quintet? What would Whyborne find in the Wisborg Codex? And who would survive the battle with the Masters?
The adventures of Whyborne, Griffin, and their friends will conclude in
Deosil, Whyborne & Griffin Book 11.Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Long & Lost
Artist: Florence + the Machine
Album: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40281878-balefire)
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Fence #6 – C.S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad
After an unexpected defeat, tensions run high among the fencers of Kings Row.
Coach’s genius move at handling crushed egos.
“You can’t call me zero anymore.”
Good job, Nicholas!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Better Now
Artist: Collective Soul
Album: Youth(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38892114-fence-6)
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REVIEW: Gold Digger by Aleksandr Voinov
Gold Digger – Aleksandr Voinov
Not all that glitters is gold.
Nikolai Krasnorada leads the life of a corporate nomad. Working for a gold explorations company, he’s never put down roots, and he likes it that way. Roots can be dangerous, as everyone from his “man-hating” sister to his manipulative mother to his war-traumatized father has proven.
But when his CEO sends him to Toronto to strike a deal with LeBeau Mining, Nikolai meets Henri LeBeau, crown prince to the resources conglomerate and inveterate flirt. Sparks fly immediately, despite the business deal that threatens to go sour and Nikolai’s own reluctance to give Henri false hope about him being Mr. Right. He’s barely come to terms with his bisexuality, and getting involved with Henri would get messy.
When LeBeau Mining launches a hostile takeover bid, Nikolai and Henri find themselves on opposite sides of the negotiating table. But fortunately – or perhaps unfortunately – for Nikolai, Henri’s not nearly as interested in his company as he is in his heart.Because I’m the type to nitpick on book covers, I’d like to put it out there that the Italian cover is so much better
Also it took me halfway through the book to realize that the Vadim mentioned here, Nikolai’s father and ex-spetnaz, is the Vadim in the epic Special Forces saga (I must have missed the part that says it’s a spinoff). Holy hell! This man’s a legend!! But as much as I love Aleksandr Voinov’s books, I don’t think I have the courage nor the patience to read something dark with more than 2000 pages. Maybe audiobook, please?
Aleksandr Voinov doesn’t do cute and fluffy the way it is typically done. In fact his writing is usually associated with the words “smart”, “dark”, “sensual”, “masculine”, and “powerful”. However, for Gold Digger, there’s a line that describes how he writes the story
Henri’s agitation was odd and endearing, so very him, and Nikolai found himself smiling. “Cute” wasn’t a word for Henri, but damn, he was a manly version of that.
Manly version of cute. This is how the story certainly feels and Henri and Nikolai both fit the bill.
Henri is endearingly open and honest about what he wants, almost to the point of being pushy but he’s not a manipulative asshole and he never goes beyond Nikolai’s boundaries. I feel like he has this streak of crazy in him and it would have been fun had it been unleashed but the story underplayed this side of him. He was, for the most part, a flirtatious, easy going but driven guy.
Nikolai is a man struggling to get his bearings after being talked to getting a blowjob by Henri and discovered he liked it. To make things more complicated he was attracted to Henri even though he knew until now he was straight and Henri is on the enemy’s side. Him trying to wrap his head as to what is going on between him and Henri is cute. They had great chemistry and I enjoyed the banter. My complaint here is that the development of their relationship happened in the span of their first meeting with the LeBeaus up to the time they met again to talk about the take-over which is like one week? two weeks? I don’t think it even took a month and here they were, already talking about selling Henri’s condo and settling in Armenia or Georgia. That’s pretty fast for a man who just discovered he is bisexual.
Nikolai is loyal to Cybele, the company he is working for and his bestfriend, Ruslan Polonin, who is the CEO. They try to avoid a hostile takeover from LBM, the company Henri works for. This part alone is enough to keep my attention. I have always been interesting in how these high flying corporate types do business and nobody writes financial thrillers like Voinov.
Nikolai’s relationship with his family, particularly with his father, Vadim, was also a major plot point. Nikolai has always felt like an outsider in his family and the revelations by his sister, Anya, only proved the point. Vadim, being a former soldier has to deal with a dark past and mental trauma. Father and son are not emotional touchy feely types but when they laid some important issues out it was a very touching emotional moment albeit in a stoic military way. Would have wanted to meet Dan though. Where is Vadim’s husband in all this?
Overall, I really liked the feel of the story. It not as dark and heavy as is typically the case with the author but it still feels sophisticated and understated. The corporate drama was engaging. The romance was lighthearted and sweet.The characters were likable people except Anya who is a vindictive bitch. Gold Digger works well as a standalone but it will make you very curious about Vadim. I’m looking forward to a sequel and maybe someday, I will have it in me to read Special Forces.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Make Them Gold
Artist: Chvrches
Album: Every Open Eye(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32497127-gold-digger)
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Candy Man – Amy Lane
Adam Macias has been thrown a few curve balls in his life, but losing his VA grant because his car broke down and he missed a class was the one that struck him out. One relative away from homelessness, he’s taking the bus to Sacramento, where his cousin has offered a house-sitting job and a new start. He has one goal, and that’s to get his life back on track. Friends, pets, lovers? Need not apply.
Finn Stewart takes one look at Adam as he’s applying to Candy Heaven and decides he’s much too fascinating to leave alone. Finn is bright and shiny—and has never been hurt. Adam is wary of his attention from the very beginning—Finn is dangerous to every sort of peace Adam is forging, and Adam may just be too damaged to let him in at all.
But Finn is tenacious, and Adam’s new boss, Darrin, doesn’t take bullshit for an answer. Adam is going to have to ask himself which is harder—letting Finn in or living without him? With the holidays approaching it seems like an easy question, but Adam knows from experience that life is seldom simple, and the world seldom cooperates with hope, faith, or the plans of cats and men.
Lots to love about this sweet little treat!
First, Candy Heaven is real!!!
According to the author’s note, there is an actual Candy Heaven somewhere out there in Sacramento owned by a fabulous candy man named Darrin which I’d say would make a great pilgrimage site for book tours.
Whether or not the real Darrin can read fortunes out of Pixy Stix is something I want to find out because fictional Darrin did a sugar reading and saw that Adam and Finn go together like peanut butter and jelly so he set things in motion to get them together.
The tie-dye flags mentioned in the story:
The loft Adam hides in to avoid Finn:
Candy Man has some bits of magic realism, fairy tale-like elements, low-angst drama and maximum cuteness levels that make it a charming read. There’s also a homicidal cat who has seen better days, a friendly dog, a new kitten and Finn’s delightful family.
Despite all the bad things that happened to Finn and especially Adam, the book is chock-full of humor, happiness and hope, enough to make even hardcore pessimists like me see things in a brighter light even just for a little bit.
Finn is a curly haired, blue-eyed ginger who wears that dog hat from Adventure Time. He is a walking ray of sunshine with the boundless energy and enthusiasm of a Labrador retriever. Also with the persistence of a hound on a scent so Adam stood no chance.
“I was going to fall in love with you whether I liked it or not, and it’s just a good thing you were awesome, or I would have been fucking doomed.“
Random redhead as Finn Stewart.
Meanwhile, due to some terrible circumstances, Adam is pessimistic as fuck and has a tendency to sink into a pit of negativity had he not been forced out of his shell by do-gooders, Finn, Darrin and the other Candy Heaven employees. On the upside, he is a really great artist, has dreams of becoming an animator and leaves sandwiches on dumpsters for the homeless. And despite the pessimism, he is full of hope. He’s just low-key about it.
Sufjan Stevens as Adam Macias.
Try as he might to deny it, Adam knows he and Finn are on to something. Finn might be the talkative one, but Adam has some great lines.
“Right now you and me are-we’re a sketch. And we could be a real great picture someday, with ink and oils or watercolor, and hell we may even be a movie.”
Yep, a match made in
candyheaven! Sorry, couldn’t resist that one (^_^;)Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Sugar, You
Artist: Oh Honey
Album: Wish You Were Here(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23525657-candy-man)
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The Boys Only: The Prep and the Punk – Imogene Kash
In this elite school… locked high away in the Colorado mountains… it’s boys only.
He’s a loner.
Sebastian “Bash” Lowell is used to not fitting in or going with the flow.
They call him a punk in the press, so he does his best to live up to the title.
He’s practically a professional outcast at this point, having changed schools so many times he’s lost count.
Bash learned long ago it’s far better to stand out than it is to fit in, so he’s made sure everything about him screams “back-off.“ Finding friends is more hassle than it’s worth when he knows he’s going to be gone again at his parents’ next whim.
Bash fought to get into the elite, exclusive, private school to avoid his publicity-hungry parents who use him to fuel gossip and fend off far-reaching rumors.
Having learned a few tricks from his vicious, media-savvy mother, Bash broke a few laws, ruffled the right feathers, and was exiled to Castle Pines. Now he gets to finish his high school career in peace and quiet, and in the same damn place.
All Bash wants is to graduate and get on with his life outside the limelight. No attachments, school only, so he can focus on getting into his dream college.
Nothing prepared him for Rutledge Darby.
He’s a legacy.
Rutledge “Edge” Alexander Darby IV has had everything in his life handed to him on a silver platter.
They call him the preppy-billionaire-heir in the press, although he resists his title at every possible opportunity.
Edge is American royalty, his last name synonymous with wealth and privilege. His family crest adorns the walls of the elite private school he’s attended since before he could walk. Castle Pines is all he’s ever known—a kingdom he’s ruled since birth.
Everyone in his world wants something from him, and Edge isn’t the type to give anything away for free. His life is simple. No attachments, no entanglements, and the only person he trusts to watch his back is his best friend.
For their senior year, they fully plan to do as they please and raise as much hell as possible.
Edge longs for something to surprise him. He’s desperate for the unexpected. He’s ready for something real.
Nothing prepared him for Bash Lowell.LGBTQIA+ Gossip Girl? I’m in!
Welcome to Castle Pines, an elite all-boys school where the rich and the famous hide their dirty little secrets aka gay sons they want to forget they have.
Spotted: new boy, Sebastian “Bash” Lowell. Bleached hair, pierced and tattooed within an inch of his life. Not my definition of attractive but definitely eye-catching. He certainly caught the eye of Castle Pines’ king, Rutledge “Edge” Alexander Darby IV. Rumor has it the golden boy had it bad for our resident punk, so hands off boys! You’ve heard what happened to Rodgers.
Oh, it’s not a one-way street. New boy is also apparently smitten with Master Darby but our dear Bash has all his walls up. Not until Edge throws him a surprise birthday party, his first birthday party in all the 18 years of his life, that he literally throws himself in Edge’s arms. That birthday scene is super sweet! After that, the prep and the punk were all over each other. Thank god, they spared us all the unnecessary drama.
Little ginger Ron Kray-in-training, Malachi “Mac” O’shea lives for the drama that is Theo and Klein, his two feuding, apparently straight roommates whom he had been shipping with each other. I ship them too, Mac. Our little leprechaun is pretty astute at reading people and is as manipulative as Edge. I can’t wait to see him take over his dad’s Irish mob. Oh, the havoc he can wreck! I hope we get to read about it, Imogene Kash.
What’s this? Edge’s bestfriend and shadow, Cutter Cunningham is apparently in love with him? All this time they have been together, Edge didn’t know? You think poor Cutter’s going to stick around now that Edge found somebody who makes his cold, cold heart pitter-patter? Who wouldn’t want to be the best third wheel ever? Nobody, that’s who.
Seems like our boys have an exciting senior year ahead of them. What with falling in love, falling out of friendship and a drug bust to shake things up. Not as twisty as I would have liked, the manipulation level being YA PG-13 but with NC-17 bedroom scenes. I would have wanted plots and intrigues up the wazoo but I’m loving the strong Gossip Girl vibes here so I could deal. I definitely can’t wait for the next book.
Bored beautiful boys in boarding school. Anything can happened.
You know you love it…
XOXO
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Twice as Hard
Artist: Interpol
Album: El Pintor(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40040224-the-prep-and-the-punk)
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The Tutor – Bonnie Dee
Gothic romance with a twist.
Elements of The Sound of Music, The Enchanted Garden, Jane Eyre, and “true” ghost hunting shows make this story feel familiar. Gay love makes it unique.
Seeing an ad for a position at a Yorkshire estate, typesetter Graham Cowrie decides to make an upward career move by passing himself off as a tutor. How hard can it be to teach a few subjects to a pair of nine-year-old boys? But on his arrival at the ancient house, he finds the staff creepy, the twins odd, and the widowed master temporarily absent.
His first meeting with brooding, stern, but oh-so-attractive, Sir Richard doesn’t go well, but with no other prospects vying for the teaching position, Graham manages to keep it. His mission soon becomes clear, break down the walls of reserve both father and sons have erected and attempt to bridge the gap between them.
But strange sounds, sights and experiences keep Graham on edge until he finally admits the Hall is haunted by two entities with very different agendas. Graham works to appease one and combat the other while protecting the broken family he’s grown to care for.
This seems like a book where there should be a person on the cover running away from a foreboding manor while looking back. However instead of a woman, it should be that book model above. Rowan Mcallister’s We Met in Dreams had one such cover.
The Tutor is a Gothic novel without the deep, complicated prose of the Gothic classics. It is dark, atmospheric and creepy but the scare factor is blunted by the irreverent humor and blase attitude of the almost always cheery Graham Cowrie. Graham is, in his own words, a jovial, affable person with an active imagination. He really is. He tends to be cheeky even to the ghostly voice of the dead wife, Lavinia, in his head.
He laughs at the face of spirit possession.
Graham, whom I suspect is an atheist, seems to only half believe this ghost business the entire time even when he was looking for ways to exorcise the spirits. I liked this side of him. His personality was what carried the book to the end.
Richard Allinson is a dour, sad man who is terrible at dealing with his traumatized sons. I don’t know what attracted Graham to him other than he is handsome and he pinged on Graham’s gaydar. That and their mutual love of books perhaps. Whatever the case I think Richard and his equally sad sons need a ray of sunshine in their lives and if Graham is it, then who I am to say otherwise. Graham certainly loved playing the coquette with Richard and Richard wasn’t so bad after having all his USTs resolved.
Whitney and Clive are nine-year old twin boys grieving the loss of their mother. Clive does not speak because of the trauma and Whitney is the one who speaks for both of them. At first, they try to drive Graham away with pranks and tricks but Graham won them over with his fun, inventive lessons and masterful story telling. Juggling the responsibilities of tutor, nursemaid and caretaker, Graham tries to keep young active minds occupied, help the boys get over their loss and try to reconcile them with their father. All that is missing in this scenario is a talk about favorite things and making play clothes out of draperies.
Allinson Hall is exactly the kind of house with a name I want to get lost in, minus the malevolent spirit. Can you imagine all the secret places you can discover?! As much a character as a setting, the hall is dark, gloomy and cold and infects its inhabitants with melancholy so profound they kill themselves. It doesn’t help that it rains all the time and nobody seems to have an umbrella.
The resolution was cliche. I keep thinking maybe we will get an ending where all these mysterious happenings would be explained by perfectly logical, non-supernatural means but Bonnie Dee went ahead with the ghosts, evil spirits and Exorcism 101 techniques. Funnily enough, Graham still seems to be taking things a bit too lightly. He really is the best guy to take when exploring haunted houses.
By itself, the story was moderately enjoyable but I could definitely say the experience was made better because of narrator, Ruri Carter, whose dry comments and occasional profanity as heard through Graham’s acquired posh accent seemed funnier than they actually are. When a plummy voice says “fuck”, I imagined this is how William sounds like when he says “Fuck you, Harry! I’m next in line.”
This is only my second book from Bonnie Dee and though I liked The Fortune Hunter slightly better, I think The Tutor an OK book to start with if you want to get into her works.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
Soundtrack: Give Up the Ghost
Artist: Radiohead
Album: The King of Limbs(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25859807-the-tutor)
