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Agents Irish and Whiskey: Single Malt – Layla Reyne
The heart’s a resilient beast
Eight months after the car crash that changed everything, FBI agent Aidan Talley is back at work. New department, new case and a new partner. Smart, athletic and handsome, Jameson Walker is twelve years his junior. Even if Aidan was ready to move on—and he’s not—Jamie is off-limits.
Jamie’s lusted after Aidan for three years, and the chance to work with San Francisco’s top agent directly is too good to pass up. Aidan is prickly—to put it mildly—but a growing cyber threat soon proves Jamie’s skills invaluable.
Jamie’s talents paint a target on his back, and Aidan is determined to protect him. But with hack after hack threatening a high-security biocontainment facility, time is running out to thwart a deadly terrorist attack. They’ll have to filter out distractions, on the case and in their partnership, to identify the real enemy, solve the case and save thousands of lives, including their own.
God, I was bored. I found myself tuning out majority of the time because it was so dull. If this was an ebook, I wouldn’t be able to finish this. But I had the audiobook and I enjoyed Aidan’s Irish brogue and Jamie’s southern drawl enough to go through the whole thing but it mostly felt like a chore. Both agents were likeable but I couldn’t care less about the the mystery, the romance and the characters. A lot of people seem to love this. I’m beginning to think contemporary books and me just don’t click. I should stick with the historical, paranormal or magical.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
Soundtrack: 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
Artist: The White Stripes
Album: Icky Thump(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33296928-single-malt)
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Strange Bedfellows – Cardeno C.
Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.
As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult, he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.
Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.
When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.
In the last election, history was made when a trans woman won as representative of her district. She has lived as a woman for 20 years. I could imagine all the homophobic slurs her opponents might have said about her but she won by 62%, according to some articles I read. It was one bright moment in this giant mess of a country.
When I saw the blurb of Strange Bedfellows, I knew I had to read it. The book features Trevor and Ford who are both scions of rival political families (the former is the presidential son, the latter is a conservative Republican congressman) who met at a bar for a one night stand, had instant chemistry and now wants to keep seeing each other. Trevor is out but Ford keeps his sexuality under wraps because he has his political career to worry about so he can’t be seen with an openly gay guy.
70% of the book is spent agonizing over coming out. I skimmed most of it because it’s something I have read a million times before. When they finally (finally!) told Ford’s parents and started planning the election campaign, I felt a little more invested in the story because it was what I was looking forward to.
Cardeno’s style was sexposition sprinkled with some sugar. She has Trevor obsessing about Ford’s dick while they exchange info about each other’s family which didn’t really sound very sexy. People who like it steamy and sweet might go for her kind of stories. I don’t really go for steamy and the only reason I stayed is that I wanted to see how Trevor would win the election (not really a spoiler because it was pretty obvious he is going to win). This part was glossed over sadly. A gritty, realistic look at the life of a gay politician this is not but if you are looking for a cuddly love story about a gay politician and a tech billionaire, this is for you.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn bookSoundtrack: Fear and Delight
Artist: The Correspondents
Album: Puppet Loosely Strung(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25734007-strange-bedfellows)
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The Forestry: His True Nature – Silvia Violet
Dan comes out to his family on his thirtieth birthday. Instead of being embraced, he’s condemned and insulted. Wanting to escape, he buys a camper on a whim and takes a three month sabbatical. He plans to spend the summer in the Nantahala Forest fishing, hiking, and camping despite being far less than adept in the great outdoors. His mishaps catch the attention of a sexy forest ranger who leaves Dan wondering whether Parker’s interested in friendship or something more.
Bland as bland can be. Most of this is just Dan thinking about his hard-on. The big reveal was a blah. Waste of time really.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2650832-skirmish)
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Mechanical Universe: Duende – E.E. Ottoman
Famed opera singer Aimé has a lot in common with Badri, the Royal Ballet Company’s most popular male lead. They have both dedicated their entire lives to their art, and struggle to be taken seriously among the Empire’s elite. And both harbor a secret admiration and desire for the other.
This year for his birthday Aimé treats himself to a night at the ballet seeing Badri perform, and after the show decides to meet Badri and confess his admiration for Badri’s skill. But when that first awkward meeting turns to more, they are left wondering if there is room in their lives for both career and romance…
Artist types who can’t wait to get into each others breeches. If it succeeded in making me feel anything, it was boredom. The idea of a castrato and a ballet dancer pairing certainly piqued interest there was not much going on in terms of the story itself.
Rating
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22699093-duende)
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The Bestiary Vol. 1: The Staff of Kyade – James L. Craig
When royal soldiers attack his village in search of a magical relic, Kenji watches in horror as all that he loves is destroyed. Determined that they will not get what they want, he takes the staff they seek and flees, vowing to avenge all those he lost as soon as he can.
Boring shit and cheesy too but not so abysmally bad as to merit one star.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15839842-the-staff-of-kyade)
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REVIEW: Babycakes by Armistead Maupin
Tales of the City: Babycakes – Armistead Maupin
The characters that filled the pages of the three earlier Tales of the City books with love and laughter are at it again, as an ordinary house-husband and his ambitious wife discover there’s more to making a baby than meets the eye. Unexpected help arrives in the form of a British monarch, a grieving gay neighbour, and an international ring of mail-order brides. Armistead Maupin has written a comedy of manners for our times.
Maybe I was too young when I read this or I was just too bored to care but I couldn’t recall or understand what was going on in this book.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/660955.Babycakes)
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REVIEW: Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Luna – Julie Anne Peters
Regan’s brother, Liam, can’t stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, reveals herself only at night. For years, Liam has transformed himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be with the help from his siter’s clothes and makeup in the secrecy of their basement bedrooms. Now, everything is about to change – Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam’s family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives?
Boring really.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225278-luna_)
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Openly Straight: Openly Straight – Bill Konigsberg
The award-winning novel about being out, being proud, and being ready for something else … now in paperback.
Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.
And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.
So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret – not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben … who doesn’t even know that love is possible.
This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.
Did not really enjoy it as much as I expected. I thought it was pretty stupid how people ask inane questions about which sport or ice cream flavor a gay guy would like. The best characters in the books were Toby and Albie. I want to hang out with them and they seriously need a book of their own. Claire Olivia was also great, she was the best friend any gay guy could ever ask for.
I found the main character and his love interest dull. I totally get what Rafe said about being label-free and Ben was suppose to be this nice, sensitive guy but I prefer the scanner pong and apple gang adventures.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16100972-openly-straight)
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Crossroads: Shifting Gears – Riley Hart
Rod Nelson is used to being someone’s good time, and that’s fine with him. Spending his days at his adult toy store, Rods-N-Ends, he never knows who he’ll meet. The second Landon Harrison walks in, he has Rod’s full attention. It seems as if Landon wants him too, so why won’t the man jump in the sack with him already?
Landon never thought he’d return home to the town where memories lurk around every corner. He has to admit, Rod makes the adjustment a lot easier. He keeps Landon laughing. Despite the fierce attraction between them, he’s not willing to risk his newfound friendship to get laid.
Neither man wants something serious, but the more they’re together, the harder it is to keep their hands to themselves, until eventually they stop trying.
But flings between friends are never simple, and as they attempt to shift gears, diving into their first relationship, they’re slammed with setbacks. If they want to truly move forward, before they hit the open road together, they’re going to have to let go of a past that could make them crash and burn.
I’m not really too keen on contemporary gay books or contemporary books in general (things are soo ordinary) and I only listened to this because I like the narrator. His voice acting is really superb.
The language here is really explicit with f-bombs, dicks and what-not. I’m ok with that but the story itself was boring. Ok, so you like hanging out with the guy, you have chemistry, he’s a good friend and that is a problem because you just want to sleep with the guy? The dad issues were also a snoozefest for me. What saved this book were the sassy lines by Rod. I think this is more of a it’s-not-the-book-it’s-me problem because the main MCs sounded good together. The other couple was great too and I would have liked to listen to more conversation between Bryce and Rod.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30262695-shifting-gears)
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Crossroads: Shifting Gears – Riley Hart
Rod Nelson is used to being someone’s good time, and that’s fine with him. Spending his days at his adult toy store, Rods-N-Ends, he never knows who he’ll meet. The second Landon Harrison walks in, he has Rod’s full attention. It seems as if Landon wants him too, so why won’t the man jump in the sack with him already?
Landon never thought he’d return home to the town where memories lurk around every corner. He has to admit, Rod makes the adjustment a lot easier. He keeps Landon laughing. Despite the fierce attraction between them, he’s not willing to risk his newfound friendship to get laid.
Neither man wants something serious, but the more they’re together, the harder it is to keep their hands to themselves, until eventually they stop trying.
But flings between friends are never simple, and as they attempt to shift gears, diving into their first relationship, they’re slammed with setbacks. If they want to truly move forward, before they hit the open road together, they’re going to have to let go of a past that could make them crash and burn.
I’m not really too keen on contemporary gay books or contemporary books in general (things are soo ordinary) and I only listened to this because I like the narrator. His voice acting is really superb.
The language here is really explicit with f-bombs, dicks and what-not. I’m ok with that but the story itself was boring. Ok, so you like hanging out with the guy, you have chemistry, he’s a good friend and that is a problem because you just want to sleep with the guy? The dad issues were also a snoozefest for me. What saved this book were the sassy lines by Rod. I think this is more of a it’s-not-the-book-it’s-me problem because the main MCs sounded good together. The other couple was great too and I would have liked to listen to more conversation between Bryce and Rod.
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30262695-shifting-gears)
