-
Laws of Attraction: Damage Control – Kate McMurray
Senate candidate Parker Livingston chose his political dreams over a future with the man he loved. He lives with constant regret about not having Jackson Kane in his life. Or his bed. And when a strange woman is found murdered in Parker’s apartment, Jackson is the only person Parker trusts to help clear his name.
Jackson never forgave Parker for the way their relationship ended. He moved on, built a name for himself as a criminal defense attorney and swore he’d never let heartbreak back in. But when Parker shows up on his doorstep, wild-eyed and handsome and desperate for his help, Jackson can’t say no. Parker is a lot of things, but he’s no murderer.
Forced back together, searching for answers, their attraction returns with a vengeance. Any distraction—personal or professional—could be deadly. The murderer is still at large, and he’s made it clear one of them is his next victim.
If I get a dollar for every failed I’m-not-gonna-sleep-with-him self-promises these book people have, I would have enough money to replace this 8-year-old laptop with the latest Apple Macbook Pro. But then again, it’s not really a matter of if but of how many pages these people would last until they finally lose it.
Jackson Kane lasted until page 83 (213 page ebook version) and should have already been disbarred from law practice for getting involved with his ex, Parker Livingston’s case. Everybody, including Jack himself, was saying it was a terrible idea. Funny, Jack didn’t suffer any harmful consequences; nobody called him out plus he even got the love of his life back. But as somebody purported to be a damn good lawyer, his integrity is very questionable.
Park is the scion of the Livingston family, one of the oldest and wealthiest in New York. He has political ambitions, has funky dress sense and is good at handling media attention. He is also whiny and has “dabbled in pretty much every martial art that offers classes in New York City” but couldn’t even defend himself properly. Sure, the assailant has a gun but I’m pretty sure there’s some nifty krav maga move he can use to disarm him.
Murky ethics and wimpy-ass rich boys aside, this is a heartwarming story about first loves and second chances. Jack and Park were each other’s firsts and were in a committed relationship for eight years. One day, Park walked out of Jack’s life, his reasons for doing so remained unconvincing until the end. Park and Jack never entirely got over each other and the attraction remained mutually strong when they saw each other again after five years.The two were on the opposite side of the political spectrum. In addition, Jack was out while Park was back in the closet. Kate McMurray did a good job rekindling their romance as well as resolving these two conflicts so I’m sold on the romance part of the story.
The politics, I cannot comment on because I don’t know American politics but a look at the inner workings of a political campaign was interesting. This is something Strange Bedfellows, a similar book on gay politicians, failed to do, so I’m giving Damage Control extra props for showing me this side of political life.
The murder mystery was intriguing for the most part but the villain was as generic as they come. I wish the suspect has a more compelling motive for doing what he did. It would have added an extra layer of complexity had this part been made more sophisticated. .
I say this book is best enjoyed with liberal suspension of disbelief and tolerance of other people’s political stance. It is a romance novel at its core and at that point it, delivered a touching love story. Whether the rest of it works, depends entirely on your taste.
P.S.
I think Reed and Gavin deserves their own story. I liked these two so I’m hoping for a gay-for-you story for them.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Second Chance
Artist: Sounds Like Sunset
Album: We Could Leave Tonight.(source; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39777837-damage-control)
-
Witchmark – C.L. Polk
C. L. Polk arrives on the scene with Witchmark, a stunning, addictive fantasy that combines intrigue, magic, betrayal, and romance.
In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.
Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family’s interest or to be committed to a witches’ asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans’ hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.
When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.
Such a gorgeous cover! Why can’t MM books have covers this classy?
I have been waiting for this book since last year. Reviews say it reads like a fanfiction, albeit a really good one. I agree but a fanfiction of what, I couldn’t guess.
Witchmark introduces us to Dr. Miles Singer, a psychiatrist trying to heal soldiers with PTSD in a veteran’s hospital. This was a time when psychiatry was not yet taken seriously. Miles is also hiding the fact that he is a witch. He covertly uses his healing powers to help the soldiers. He is also keeping a low-profile because he is hiding his true identity.
Tristan Hunter is a mysterious individual with magical powers. He taught Miles how to control his powers. He and Miles conducts an investigation on the death of Nick Elliot who was Miles’ patient. Nick Elliot died shortly after claiming he was murdered. He was also a witch and a journalist.
Miles and Tristan’s romance started with insta-attraction but it also burned slow. I like the friendship that blossomed alongside the low-key romance and although that proposal in the end seemed to come out of nowhere, I’m glad Tristan is not disappearing from Miles’ life anytime soon.
Dame Grace Hensley is Miles’ sister. She is aiming for the position of Voice among the circle of mages. She needs Miles help to boost her candidacy but she promised not to enslave her brother. When she first made an appearance, I was kind of annoyed with her meddling but she redeemed herself in the end.
The world-building is vivid and palpable. Aeland is a nice world to live in if you don’t count the war with Laneer and the fate of witches. It is ruled by Queen Constantina and there are individuals called the Invisibles who have magic powers.
Aeland runs on aether which I guess is like electricity. There are cars and telephones though only the well-off could afford them. There are also trains but many have bicycles. I could imagine myself riding my bicycle on my way to work in this fascinating alternate Edwardian world. It is really my dream to ride my bicycle to work but it is highly impractical in this blazing tropical heat where you arrive at your office badly in need of a shower if you don’t get hit by a car first (no bicycle lanes here).
In this world there are witches and there are mages. It is implied that there is a difference between the two but until now I don’t know why they are different. It was not explained explicitly. However, witches are usually taken to asylums located in remote regions of the country and were never heard from again. The only people who are considered important are the Storm-singers who maintain the pleasant weather of the country. The rest of the magic welders were treated as second class hence the literal name, Secondary. In this kind of scenario, class conflicts and power struggles come into the picture. The book did a good job showing the kind of struggle Miles had to go through to maintain his freedom when he was discovered by his sister to be alive.
The magic system could use some fleshing out. I am the type who likes going through the rules and imagining myself applying the principles of a certain magic system. The author kept it vague and general. As Tristan was teaching Miles how to control his powers it would have been nice if there were more explanations but they took the more intuitive approach, which means, they just wing it.
The ending left me hanging. Shortly after the liberation, Miles woke to find himself under the care of Tristan’s friend. An imminent war is threatening to erupt and it all depends on Miles. Tristan reveals his new ties to Miles and then poof! It ended just like that. I guess we need that second book.
I could say Witchmark was worth the wait. The story was well-written, the characters were well-developed and likable, the mystery was intriguing but overall, the book didn’t quite hit the 5 star mark like I expected it to. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t really surprised about anything. There were some well-used tropes and I expected something grander but while it fell short, it did deliver enough goods for me to enjoy myself. The book also didn’t resort to cheap tricks like exaggerate the lust-levels or insert unnecessary sex scenes just to spice things up. In fact, the book has zero steam which makes it my ideal MM book.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Mysterons
Artist: Portishead
Album: Dummy(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36187110-witchmark)
-
Demonica – Megan Derr
Life as a mercenary isn’t kind or easy, and Shale has lost much: one family, then another, one leg, one arm, one eye, and the love of his life when pain and medication left him disinterested in sex. The last thing he wants is to accept a job from his ex-lover’s mother, but the pay is too good to refuse, especially as it should be a relatively simple job.
But crucial information was withheld, and the man they’ve been sent to escort home is like no one Shale has ever met—despite the dangerous reason he’s spent so much of his life sequestered, and the fact he’s part of the family that hurt Shale once before.
author’s note This story was originally published in Magic And Mayhem: Fiction and Essays Celebrating LGBTQ Romance)
Wow! This is such a nicely written ace short story that has so much potential. I’m usually wary of reading ace stories because I have this pre-conceive notion that there would be a part where they would try to seduce the ace to have sex. I’m glad there’s no such thing here. The magic system seemed intriguing and the world as a whole has this awesome matriarchy vibe going. I would love more stories from the Demonica world!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Color
Artist: Finish Ticket
Album: When Night Becomes Day(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35116712-demonica)
-
The Shamwell Tales: Caught! – J.L. Merrow
You can run from the past…but the past runs faster.
Behind Robert’s cheerfully eccentric exterior lies a young heart battered and bruised by his past. He’s taken a job teaching in a village primary school to make a fresh start, and love isn’t part of his plans. But he’s knocked for six—literally—by a chance encounter with the uncle of two of his pupils.
Sean works in pest control, rides a motorbike, and lives on a council estate. On the face of it, he shouldn’t have anything in common with Robert’s bow-tie, classic-car style and posh family background. Yet Robert is helpless to resist Sean’s roguish grin, and a rocky, excruciatingly embarrassing start doesn’t keep the sparks between them from flaring.
Despite Robert’s increasingly ludicrous attempts to keep his past where it belongs, his past hasn’t read the memo. And soon his secrets could be the very things that drive Sean away for good…
Warning: Contains the alarming misadventures of a pest control technician, a stepsister with a truly unfortunate name, and a young man who may have more bow ties than sense.
Hipster pretenses aside, I am of the opinion that bow ties are cool. Had I the physique to pull off tailored menswear with credibility, I would probably wear one myself.
Robert, effortlessly rocking that Dr. Who vibe, is just too cute for words. Unfortunately, Robert, gifted in Math but lacking in sense, is also hiding some sordid secrets that would come biting him in the ass. How he handled the situation when these secrets came calling was definitely not cute. However, his POV and observations were funny in that not-keen-on-social-cues kind of way
Sean, a pest control technician and a motorcycle riding ginger, is a nice guy but I think, him always being the first one to make an effort to reconcile when Robert was the stupidly rude one is just too much. I get a kick out of Sean getting a kick out of Robert’s dress sense but they seem to not have much in common other than the mutual attraction. Maybe mutual attraction is enough to work on for some people but it might work to the book’s advantage if we had Sean’s POV.
Rose, co-worker and BFF, is a voluptuous, recently single woman with a wicked sense of humor. As the voice of reason and snark, she has no problems telling Robert or any body what she thinks. She played mostly a sidekick/wingwoman role and although she did not actually come across as cardboard, it would have been nice if she did other things and had her happy ending too.
This is my first L.J. Merrow book and it certainly won’t be the last.
Points in the book’s favor are the delightful British humor and setting, and the wonderfully eccentric and quirky characters. The big misunderstanding was predictable and is the kind of plot device I’m tired of reading about although this was offset by the good parts. The writing is the fun, easy to digest kind that makes reading a breeze. Overall, a highly enjoyable read.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Chances
Artist: Athlete
Album: Tourist(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22030684-caught)
-
To My Future Number 1 Fan – L.A. Witt
Struggling actor Adam Jacobsen was ready to pack up and leave Hollywood when a stranger gave him the encouragement he needed. Five years later, he’s made it, and when he wins his first major award, he dedicates it to the man who said “It could be you.”
Brian Stewart is stunned by the acceptance speech, and so are Adam’s fans. Immediately, both men find themselves swept up in a media frenzy. Everyone wants to know the man who gave Adam that much-needed boost—including Adam. When the guys finally meet again, a single talk show appearance isn’t enough. Before long, they’re flying to see each other at every opportunity.
But Adam’s career means being in a fishbowl. When word gets out that America’s biggest crush has a new boyfriend, the press and the public descend on Brian. Adam can’t protect him. Brian can’t handle the constant attention.
And something has to give before fame costs each man the love of his life.
This would make a super cute rom-com movie!
I haven’t read a lot but I think this is one of the better famous person falls in love with non-famous person stories. I’m thrilled with the concept as well as the execution of the plot.
“I…” He laughed self-consciously and flipped to a blank page. “I realized a long time ago how many servers in Los Angeles are actors trying to break into Hollywood. And it occurred to me that any one of them could be the next big thing. There’s no telling who it’ll be.” Some of the shyness faded as he looked right in my eyes and added, “It could be you.”
Those opening scenes were simply heartwarming and the acceptance speech got me teary-eyed. I was right there with them when the nerves and anticipation of their talk show meeting was almost too much to bear. It was a major aaw moment when Adam got choked up sharing the story of how a complete stranger turned his life around. Then they were finally face to face for the first time in five years…
There he was.
Adam stood up, and he smiled even bigger now. He came around the chairs and threw his arms around me, and all the butterflies vanished as I hugged him. He was shorter than I’d realized—I’d been seated the entire time we’d interacted at the diner—and I had two or three inches on him. We fit together, though. His embrace was tight and strong, and over the roar of the crowd I heard him whisper just loud enough for me and nobody else to hear, “Thank you.”
It was clear to both parties that the mutual attraction of that fateful day in the restaurant was still there. They decided to meet again and found they just clicked.
The honeymoon phase was generally smooth sailing which could be a bit boring depending on your taste. While some novels depend on miscommunication for conflict, Adam and Brian talked. They talked about about what they want in a relationship and what their limits are which is quite refreshing. A point of interest for those on a lookout for such things is that Adam, at 28, is still a virgin. I don’t know if this is a point of interest for people in the US but Brian is a male nurse. Male nurses are very common in my country so I’m not sure why Brian said there was a big deal about him being one. Whatever. I think it was pretty sweet how they dealt with each other with infinite patience. They just matched each other perfectly, the story could have ended right there when they first came out as a couple.
The conflict came in the way of paparazzi and social media. Brian shuns the spotlight, dreads it really due to some childhood experience. When they announced they were a couple, a shitstorm of vitriol from internet trolls hit. Brian claims the unwanted attention was not a deal breaker but it very nearly wrecked them. I was disappointed with Brian for even paying attention to these toxic people but fortunately, our boy rallied.
Yeah, this was wrong. I’d let the assholes win. It was no different than when I’d let my middle school tormentors chase me off the wrestling team or let the homophobic assholes in high school scare me off the baseball team. Or when, believing the classmates who’d convinced me I was stupid, I’d declined to take a test for Honors classes. Except it was different. This was way worse. I wasn’t just missing out on a sports team or an advanced class—I was missing out on the man I loved.
Cue: reconciliation scene. We see echoes of that iconic boombox scene except with a selfie. Two years later, Adam and Brian attend movie premieres together and nobody gives a damn. Also, L.A. Witt owes us a wedding scene.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Actors
Artist: Bravestation
Album: V(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40508649-to-my-future-number-1-fan)
-
A Tender Curiosity – Charlie Cochet
Take a journey into the past and meet the men who laughed, lived, and loved in a bygone era. This collection includes three short but sweet tales of infatuation, adventure, humor, and even a dash of the paranormal.
When Love Walked In
Private investigator Bruce Shannon’s cases of missing persons and infidelity don’t inspire warm feelings around Valentine’s Day. Luckily Bruce is quite happy with only his cat for companionship—until handsome Jace Scarret wanders off the street and into Bruce’s life.In His Corner
Former world heavyweight boxing champion Jessie “the Demon” Dalton needs a cornerman, and Eli jumps at the chance, hoping for answers about why Jessie broke his heart years ago. It soon becomes clear that Jessie needs Eli in his corner—and in his life. Now all Eli has to do is convince Jessie.Believe Me, Beloved
Robert Bradley dreams of singing on the radio, and when he attends the masked ball of handsome station owner Gabriel Chase, Robert has no idea his dream is about to take an unexpected paranormal turn.In His Corner originally published by Torquere Press, Inc., September, 2012.
When Love Walked In originally published by Torquere Press, Inc., February, 2012.
Believe Me, Beloved originally published in Masks Off Anthology by Top Shelf, An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers, 2012.A collection of historical stories set in the same era as The Auspicious Troubles of Love series.
Two were set in the real world while one had paranormal elements.
All three featured age-gap which is catnip to some but not really my thing.
When Love Walked In: Mittens and her human, Bruce Shannon, pick up jobless Jace. They fed him, clothed him, housed him and gave him a job. Throughout all these, Bruce and Jace dance around their mutual attraction. Well-paced, well-developed and sweet. Comes with Mittens’ seal of approval.
In His Corner: Washed up boxer Jesse Dalton tries to deal with his feelings for Eli as the young man whom he had pushed away comes back to his life as his new cornerman.
A story about second chances with fully-fleshed out background and convincingly delivered romance.
Believe Me, Beloved: Aspiring singer Robert Bradley was invited to a posh ball hosted by his boss and crush Gabriel Chase. There he discovers a different kind society. Weakest story for me. I must have bad luck with Cochet’s shifter stories because this one did not work. It seemed nothing more than a set-up for a human/were-jaguar mating.
Rating:
When Love Walked In –4 Stars
In His Corner –3 Stars
Believe Me, Beloved –
2.5 Stars
Overall:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it
Soundtrack: First Day of My Life
Artist: Bright Eyes
Album: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39722627-a-tender-curiosity)
-
Psycop: Criss Cross – Jordan Castillo Price
Criss Cross finds the ghosts surrounding Victor getting awfully pushy. The medications that Victor usually takes to control his abilities are threatening to destroy his liver, and his new meds aren’t any more effective than sugar pills.
Vic is also adjusting to a new PsyCop partner, a mild-mannered guy named Roger with all the personality of white bread. At least he’s willing to spring for the Starbucks.
Jacob’s ex-boyfriend, Crash, is an empathic healer who might be able to help Victor pull his powers into balance, but he seems more interested in getting into Victor’s pants than in providing any actual assistance.
I know most people are squee-ing over the romance but up until now, I still don’t understand what Jacob sees in Victor. I get the protective streak, pill-popping Victor is high most times and tends to to get into trouble but he’s a mess and seems to bring nothing into the relationship. Is it a wish fulfillment thing? Because this could have been done more convincingly with a bit of depth and background information.
I also don’t know why Vic kept thinking about how gay something is, like do straight guys eat salad, that sort of thing. It’s kind of stupid.
Not to say I didn’t enjoy the audiobook. I do like Gomez Pugh’s voices for both Vic and Jacob as well as Vic’s commentaries apart from the one mentioned above. The mystery wasn’t that deep but it kept me listening. And we have Crash, Jacob’s ex. Crash is interesting enough in his own right without the Jacob connection and I am vaguely entertaining a Vic + Crash hook up because Jacob is perfect the way computer simulations are perfect.
Rating
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Walking with a Ghost
Artist: Tegan and Sara
Album: So Jealous(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5260435-criss-cross)
-
REVIEW: Peter Darling by Austin Chant
Peter Darling – Austin Chant
Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland to grow up, leaving behind his adolescent dreams of boyhood and resigning himself to life as Wendy Darling. Growing up, however, has only made him realize how inescapable his identity as a man is.
But when he returns to Neverland, everything has changed: the Lost Boys have become men, and the war games they once played are now real and deadly. Even more shocking is the attraction Peter never knew he could feel for his old rival, Captain Hook—and the realization that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain.
Peter Darling is a brilliant retelling of the classic story of Peter Pan.
Peter, who knew he was a boy and not ‘Wendy’ his family insists he should be, returns to Neverland after ten years only to find the Lost Boys and the pirates are no longer at war.The first person he announces his presence to is, of course, his favorite rival, Captain Hook.
“To die,” Peter began, “would be an awfully big—”
“Don’t start that again,” Hook said. “Surely you could have come up with something new to say after ten years.”
Peter promptly re-ignites the war and there were the inevitable casualties. In one of their battles, Peter and Hook were trapped together in the tunnels. They had no choice but to work together. Peter in a vulnerable moment, grieved the loss of an important friend. This is where Hook surprised him.
“I find that enemies are the most satisfying people to share secrets with,” Hook said. “If you must tell someone, tell someone who’s sensitive to all our vulnerabilities, on account of trying to exploit them.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Peter soon discovered that he and Hook had many things in common. They were both dreamers who had gone to Neverland to make their dreams come true. Peter dazzles with his youthful energy, his arrogance and confidence that he could be anything he wants to be in Neverland. Hook was a revelation! He is dastardly, ruthless and greedy but also a cultured dandy, sardonic, charming, a man of his word and a skilled artist. It is hard to erase the image of the Disney Captain Hook in my mind but Austin Chant did a good job recreating this supposed villain, this caricature of a pirate into an engaging character capable of sympathy and love.
I felt narrator Mark B. Knight’s quiet, almost monotonous, almost clip voice didn’t quite deliver the right kind of emotion. Also, it was helluva lot confusing that the faeries have masculine sounding voices despite the female pronouns though this is probably consistent with the transman theme. At first, the narration threw me off and though I know the story was really good, I couldn’t fully get into it until Hook made his big move. Turns out, Knight’s style was perfect in delivering the right amount of tension to capture that momentous, explosive moment when these two mortal enemies stopped being at each others throats and were suddenly at each others lips! After that I was hooked! Sorry, I had to say that.
Peter Pan and Captain Hook! Who knew it would work out! There’s hope for all you bitter rivals out there!
I’m looking at you, Dexter and Mandark.
Hook gave a low chuckle. “Your obsession is flattering, Pan. And I share it.”
“Obsession?”
“Is that not what they call it,” Hook said, “when two men can think of nothing but each other?”Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Neverland
Artist: Takenobu
Album: Introduction(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33358438-peter-darling)
-
The Art of Murder: The Monet Murders by Josh Lanyon
All those late night conversations when Sam had maybe a drink too many or Jason was half falling asleep. All those playful, provocative comments about what they’d do when they finally met up again.
Well, here they were.
The last thing Jason West, an ambitious young FBI Special Agent with the Art Crimes Team, wants–or needs–is his uncertain and unacknowledged romantic relationship with irascible legendary Behavioral Analysis Unit Chief Sam Kennedy.
And it’s starting to feel like Sam is not thrilled with the idea either.
But personal feelings must be put aside when Sam requests Jason’s help to catch a deranged killer targeting wealthy, upscale art collectors. A killer whose calling card is a series of grotesque paintings depicting the murders.
Wow, this… is complicated…
How awkward and cringe-worthy would it be to see your friend slash almost boyfriend after eight months of flirty, confessional phone calls only to pretend like there’s nothing going on between you? But while I am very tempted to smack stupid Kennedy on the head, I very much approve of their professionalism and competence on the job in spite of so many personal things left unsaid. Despite working together, West and Kennedy might have been oceans apart. I would have happily sailed along with the West + Shipka ship had Shipka not had too many death flags all over him to be a viable love interest for our main guy. I felt sorry for West pining for Kennedy, although at some points it got rather tiresome. It was satisfying to see lone wolf Kennedy struggle to let West into his life, satisfying because he could be cold, aloof and off putting majority of the time. I think Kennedy is an acquired taste, something that I am still trying to get used to.
This time around, West and Kennedy are working on separate cases. West was investigating a high and mighty art dealer allegedly involved in forgery and larceny while Kennedy was investigating murders where the killer is leaving bad imitation Monet paintings on the crime scene. They found that these two cases might be related so their paths crossed again. As with the first book, The Mermaid Murders, the mystery here was well-written but the suspense was not as tight as that of the first book. As I have the audiobook, I enjoyed listening to West going about his investigation and I felt like I was there, tagging along with him, looking over his shoulder as he conducts his daily business. I like the sense of realism, like the parts where Jason occasionally compares Hollywood FBI to ‘real-life’ FBI, or where cases don’t get wrapped up neatly and loose ends are sometimes left hanging. And from what I have read of Lanyon so far, the author likes to leave some things hanging. Also something that takes getting used to.
I’m bumping this series up from 3.5 stars to 4 stars. It is an achievement to keep the reader riveted to the story despite this not having the requisite lovey-dovey romance typical of MM. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, the romance might even be superfluous as the mystery is well-developed and well-executed enough to carry the story on its own. Although, I must admit, that ending was pretty sweet! Happy Birthday indeed!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: What the Water Gave Me
Artist: Florence + the Machine
Album: Ceremonials(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30245414-the-monet-murders)
-
Rainbow Sprinkes – Anna Martin
Cooper Reed has a fairly relaxed life for someone who lives in LA. He’s no celebrity—just the guy who makes sundaes at the Dreamy Creamery, and that’s the way he likes it. The highlight of every week is the beautiful guy who turns up and orders a sundae with rainbow sprinkles. Cooper still isn’t sure if that’s a code, because he has a huge crush and the hot guy is terrible at flirting.
Drew Tanner, it turns out, is an original California dreamer. He’s as wholesome as apple pie and twice as sweet, a real-life Disney Prince at Disneyland. But while Drew’s head is in the clouds, Cooper’s feet are firmly on the ground, and their different outlooks might be more than their new relationship can take.
If stories have flavors, I would say this is really just vanilla with extra spoonfuls of, well… rainbow sprinkles.
Rainbow Sprinkles is a feel-good, toothache-inducing novellete that’s high on fluff and low on angst. The conflict was a came-out-of-nowhere, blown-out-of-proportions variety thrown in just so there would be conflict. Still, Cooper and Drew is a super cute couple and their story delivered the recommended daily dose of sugar. It could use a little more oomph but this is something you might want to nibble on if you’re craving for something sweet and lactose-free.
P.S.
Although the deadly rides of Tokyo’s Fuji-Q is more my speed, this story made me want to go to Disneyland. But sad life as it is for a roller coaster junkie, there are no theme parks around here. Boo hoo…
Rating
3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
Soundtrack: Ice Cream Man
Artist: Tom Waits
Album: Closing Time(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34431416-rainbow-sprinkles)
