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REVIEW: Shiver by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliot
Unbreakable Bonds: Shiver – Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott
Lucas Vallois is always in control. He’s building an empire in the glittering city of Cincinnati and created his own family from his three close friends. The self-made millionaire has everything he wants within his tight grasp. But his world starts to crumble after he’s jumped by a trio of thugs late one night after leaving a club. The warning is clear—give up his new property venture or end up dead.
Caving to the demands of his friends, Lucas accepts the help of bodyguard, Andrei Hadeon, as as he hunts for the source of this new threat. But as Lucas gets closer to uncovering the danger, he realizes the sexy Romanian bodyguard poses an even bigger risk to his carefully constructed world. Trapped by a need he never expected, Lucas must find a way to deny the shiver of longing he cannot control.
His brother. His warrior. His heart. Four friends. Unbreakable bonds.
Unbreakable Bonds is centered around four men who have deep connections with each other. Lucas Vallois, the alpha and the center who holds everything together. Ashton ‘Snow’ Frost, dark and brooding, is a trauma surgeon and the one Lucas considers his brother. Rowan ‘Rowe’ Ward, laid back and goofy, they met him during basic military training. He is their warrior. Their heart is Ian Pierce, a talented chef. He’s adorable, the type you want to put in your pocket to keep safe. Well, I want to put them all in my pocket really. I love these guys! ♡
Shiver is Lucas’ story.
Lucas, a born protector, suddenly found himself in need of protection. Because of his new business venture, he received threats to his life which landed him in the hospital. Rowe, a security specialist, insisted he had a bodyguard and brought in his best employee, Andrei Hadeon, a former MMA fighter. Lucas, who was bi, found himself instantly attracted to the bodyguard but he has a rule of not sleeping with straight men and Andrei screams straight. Meanwhile, Andrei, who was not 100% sure he’s straight, was unexpectedly drawn to Lucas who made it hard for him to do his job.
The story is first a romance, the rest comes in second. There’s some insta-love in play which I’m not really into. They came together in a matter of days. Still, the authors made it work. The chemistry between Lucas and Andrei was obvious from the start and it was fantastic!
Lucas had a thing for Andrei’s hair and couldn’t resist touching it every chance he gets. One time, it was singed so he had his best hairstylist work on it and refused to let him cut it short. Meanwhile, Andrei tried to figure things out.
“It’s that I’m attracted to Lucas. He’s…”
“Beautiful,” Ian supplied and Andrei glared at him. That word went without saying. “But I think you mean that Lucas is one hundred percent pure alpha. He’s controlling and dictatorial. He’s dominant and there’s no way around that. It’s his comfort zone and I have a feeling it’s the only way he knows how to be.”
“Yes.”
He even went so far as to test it, kissing other guys to see if he liked it. Which made Lucas possessive and growly. ♡〜٩(^▿^)۶
With the “am I gay” question, I was hoping the authors would go with something like Andrei liking Lucas as a person and not worry about the gay thing. I mean, you like who you like, unless you’re a pedo.
The mystery was moderately interesting and, IMO, a bit thin. The men needed to find out who’s behind these threats. It could have been solved sooner. It felt like it was just there to provide some action and conflict. Andrei’s MMA background proved useful when he needed to infiltrate the gang running illegal fights to identify the boss behind the threats. When the bodyguard’s life was in danger, Lucas was all but ready to rain fire on the city. Rowe and Snow rallied around him and the three ex-soldiers immediately got their soldier mode on. It was a suspenseful moment but I already had an inkling who was behind the threats and the guy turned out to be laughably weak in the end. Meh.
Now, if I didn’t know Hollis Banner was being set-up for Ian, I would have said the guy was up to no good. He kept showing up, accomplishing what exactly? Spreading his germs? Why was he out and about with that flu? And why was he alone? Don’t detectives normally work in pairs? I wished he had a more compelling reason to be around and a more useful role but I guess it’s still not his moment.
Shiver is best read for it’s sizzling romance and lovable characters. Lucas, Snow, Rowe and Ian are fast becoming my favorite found family. What they had was something special. The authors did a great job portraying their awesome group dynamics. I loved how Andrei won his place in this tightly-knit group and I’ll be sticking around to see where he and Lucas would take their ‘monogamous no-strings attached‘ arrangement.
P.S.
Snow is up next. YES!!! We all know the dark, brooding ones are always the favorite.
Other Jocelynn Drake books here.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Shiver
Artist: The Gazette
Album: Shiver -
REVIEW: Hostile Ground by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov
Hostile Ground – L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov
After the deaths of three undercover cops investigating a drug ring in a seedy strip club in Seattle, Detective Mahir Hussain has been sent to finish the job. He joins the club’s security team in the hopes of finding enough evidence to bust the operation before the men in charge find a reason to put him in a shallow grave.
To protect the strippers, only gay men can work the club. Ridley, the cold and intimidating head of security, knows exactly how to test potential new hires-including Mahir. From the minute they meet, Mahir and Ridley engage in a dangerous dance of sex and mind games. Mahir needs to find his evidence before Ridley figures out he’s a cop-and before they both grow too close to betray one another.
As the game goes on, Mahir burrows deeper into the operation, where he learns there’s much more happening than meets the eye . . . and why every cop who made it this far has been silenced with a bullet.
Two of my favorite authors collaborating in what promised to be explosive and intense. I know many people gave high ratings and loved it but this one falls between like and love for me.
There are many elements present that I have come to expect from LAW and Voinov so that might be one reason why some parts were predictable such as Kinza’s involvement, Ridley’s real name, what happened to the boys they used as couriers, etc. This was probably one of the few LAW stories where the surprises were not so surprising. What I was surprised with was that the connection between Mahir and Kinza was not utilized to the max. That was something the authors would normally do to up the ante. I thought Lombardi would recognize those gazelle eyes anywhere OR maybe he just thought all Middle Eastern people look the same. Still, he should have known, he was supposed to be astute. Also, there were too many sex scenes that didn’t do anything to the story and we can only hope Ridley’s office was sound proof what with all their conspiratorial talks and out of control moments in there.
Those niggles aside, I greatly enjoyed Hostile Ground. Mahir is a detective, assigned to an undercover mission in Lombardi’s strip club which was a front for something more sinister. Mahir who went by Saeed in this mission, is a muslim which makes him a target of racists jokes while his family grudgingly accepts the fact that he is gay. There were many derogatory terms in the story, so be warned but I liked the way Mahir handled these issues like a boss.
His nephew Kinza was recently outed which caused some conflict with his family. The boy ran away to live with Mahir, who was his favorite uncle. This couldn’t have come at the worst time, the detective was in the middle of his undercover work. Things got even more dangerous when the boy followed him to the club one day and was recruited by Lombardi. The interactions between Mahir and Kinza were some of the best parts of the story. Mahir adored his nephew and would do anything to keep him safe. He nearly panicked and blew the case when he saw his nephew walking inside the club but fortunately, Ridley talked some sense into him AND Kinza was awesome! Boy got nerves of steel. And super smart too! Where other boys would have broken down and panicked, he kept his head. He’ll make a great FBI agent one day.
Ridley is a man of many personalities. There’s the ice-cold psycho bastard, the man who made sure Mahir got home safe after making him inhale cocaine, the one who who can’t resist fucking the new recruit and more. The more time Mahir spends with the man, the more layers he uncover, even after the case was over.
The guy with the icy stare behind the dark sunglasses- he could shoot a cop and not blink. The one who’d left Mahir aching all over, and who had seemed just as unhappy as Mahir that they couldn’t continue things, wasn’t murderer. He couldn’t be. Could he?
Theirs was a romance between two men in a high stressed environment. It started with insta-lust where they used each other to blow off steam and it gradually evolved into something deeper, solid and more meaningful. The way the romance developed was convincingly executed and the authors happily provided an epilogue.
The case was a bitch to crack and the whole set-up reminded me of the HongKong movie, Infernal Affairs, where an undercover cop goes so deep he almost didn’t get out. Even though I knew what was coming, I could still feel the suspense. Every goon was keeping an eye on Ridley and Mahir, waiting for them to slip up. Lombardi got Kinza in his clutches. There’s more at stake than Mahir had bargained for. Things begin to escalate and then one day, the goons showed up at Mahir’s doorstep. Shit really hit the fan! Bullets flew, covers blown, and close calls that were too close as the story builds into to its heart-stopping climax. It was, overall, a fun ride with a satisfying conclusion. And although I want to keep them all safe, Mahir isn’t ready to retire just yet. As we speak, they’re preparing for another mission because as Ridley said
“I like it dangerous.”
So, a sequel please!
P.S.
L.A. Witt books here
Aleksandr Voinov books hereRating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Acid Fight
Artist: Deaf Scene
Album: Chimera -
REVIEW: Deadly Lover by Jocelynn Drake
Exit Strategy: Deadly Lover – Jocelynn Drake
Justin Mallory has years of bad decisions to make up for, starting with agreeing to join the CIA after being recruited out of the Marines. Now he chooses the jobs and he works alone. It’s safer that way, and he can make sure the good guy always wins.
But this job…he can’t do alone. Two pharmaceutical researchers are dead and a dangerous drug is on the cusp of winning FDA approval if he doesn’t track down the culprit behind the lies and murders.
Gabriel Prescott is a well-trained, efficient, and cold-blooded killer. After a brutal betrayal left his lover dead, Gabriel is out only for himself. But when this lucrative contract lands in his lap, he can’t pass it up. Even if it means working with the unpredictable and insane Justin Mallory.
Dodging bullets and secret meetings find them depending on each other. And one hot, frantic night together leads to a hidden sweetness…and questions of whether they could possibly have something more.
A Goodreads friend said it best ( here ):
“It’s a bit thin on the mercenary procedural angle and highish on the OTT scale. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but this could have been much more. Take out some of the sex, some OTT phrases, add in more mystery, more edge, then we would have had a winner. Alas, that was not to be had.”
Deadly Lover introduces us to Justin Mallory and Gabriel Prescott, a mercenary and an assassin with deep secrets and false names, who found themselves partnered against their will. They were drawn to each other despite having opposite personalities.
The story is part mystery, part thriller, more romance. There’s a bit of fake boyfriend thrown in and some forced proximity angle. I wasn’t a particular fan of the writing. It followed a sex-work-sex-work-sex pattern that would have made it predictable and boring. But what it lack for a more solid storyline, it more than made up for the fantastic chemistry between Gabriel and Justin. I had fun listening to their banter and I could easily overlook the weaker parts.
Justin is goofy and laidback while Gabriel is more uptight and tends to overthink. If it weren’t for the fact that their jobs involved hacking and killing, they could have been your favorite neighborhood gay couple. And they did a lot of cute couple things like grocery shopping and cookouts. I loved how Justin brought out Gabriel’s playful side. My favorite part was Gabriel knowing exactly where Justin hid his secret cameras and deliberately trying to provoke him. Also the “he can only speak Russian” gag was fun.
While not exactly a throwaway, the job wasn’t that hard either and the breakthrough was a matter of waiting for a program to finish decrypting the hard drive. Not my favorite way of moving plots forward but it did serve to give the two men more time together and make the development of their relationship more plausible.
The book ends with a kiss and a promise. And I am eagerly rooting for them to see that promise through. The whole premise of the Exit Strategy series is about two hired guns trying to leave the mercenary life behind and live normal lives. I don’t really like my assassins retiring but I also like them alive and would like Gabriel and Justin’s HFN become an HEA, which is only possible if they permanently remove themselves from their very exciting careers. But knowing these two, I’m pretty sure trouble will still find them no matter what.
All in all, not that deadly but still enjoyable. Recommended to those who love to see cold-blooded assassins getting hot and bothered.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and love -
REVIEW: Sinner’s Ransom by M.D. Gregory
Criminal Delights: Taken: Sinner’s Ransom – M.D. Gregory
Montgomery Booker has it all—good looks, an inheritance, and an endless list of hookups. He uses his social elite influence to bully, manipulate, and blackmail, and he’s not ashamed of it. Quite the contrary, he enjoys it. But when he’s kidnapped, forced into ropes and gagged, he discovers the consequences of his actions when no one cares enough to send help.
Stone and his crew have one job: kidnap a spoiled, pretty boy and hit up his rich daddy for cash. When dear old dad refuses to pay the ransom, Stone switches to plan B. The torture he delivers doesn’t have the effect he expects on Montgomery though, and Stone savors every cry that leaves his pretty mouth.
If someone finally comes for Montgomery, will he be able to walk away from the man who made him feel this kind of delicious pain? And will Stone let him?
Themes: Kidnapping, stockholm syndrome, breathplay, pain play.
Genre: Very dark gay romance, psychological fiction.This story is part of the CRIMINAL DELIGHTS series. Each book is a standalone story with the theme of dark, gay romance.
I expected this to be action-packed. I expected some BDSM or maybe blood. What I didn’t expect was this to be funny.
LOLing at Monty who could not shut his mouth even if his life literally depended on it. And he was asking for it, again literally, asking to be punched and choked and hurt and would happily suck anybody for a hot shower. Also him and Conall, Sloane’s boy, bonding and comparing notes on who’s more fucked up, the guy who wears a collar and acts like a pet or the guy who likes fucking his kidnapper. Guess who won.
I’m not even going to bother with the insta-attraction and the lack of build up because we’re talking about a spoiled rich brat who acts on impulse though Stone I would have expected to be tougher and more menacing. The guy was just too nice and lenient even if he says he’s not. His threats felt like they lack teeth and the “training” was too easy. Monty was hardly treated as a prisoner. He was locked in a stifling room. He was occasionally tied up but he was still more or less the bratty demanding brat who needed to be taught to behave. Heck, he even got his hair shampooed by Stone.
“Better?”
“Yeah.” Montgomery frowned at Stone. “Why are you being nice?”
“Aren’t I always nice?” Stone’s lips twisted into an amuse grin.
“No.” Montgomery grinned and laid his arms along the edge of the bath. He leaned closer until their lips were inches apart. “But I like it when you’re not nice too”
SInner’s Ransom was more of a kidnapping how-to than action suspense. A major part of the story is about Stone’s gang creating a ransom demand video for Monty’s father, a man who couldn’t care less about his son. The gang worked with Sloan Killough, a New York mob boss, and together they tried to make Monty a believable kidnap victim.
“The first scene will be Montgomery, struggling, crying. Everything a kidnapped man does, everything that your boy is currently not doing. He’s very comfortable for somebody who’s been kidnapped.”
He’s so comfortable he’s making suggestions! And making sure the gang gets the money!
Sloane and Conall nearly stole the show and Ardan, the assassin who appears on another Criminal Delights installment, I’m super excited to read his book.
I enjoyed this grey romance story. I liked the humor and met interesting characters. There are some elements that might not be that convincing but I still find the Stockholm Syndrome aspect believable even if it happened in a span of only a few days. And though Richard Booker would rather keep his money than save his son, Stone and his crew made sure the asshole got what he deserved. Monty got all the punishment he wanted and he finally learned how to say “please“.
P.S.
Other Criminal Delights books here
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Bellevue Bridge Club
Artist: Andrew Bird
Album: My Finest Work Yet -
REVIEW: Dark Rivers by Morgan Brice
Witchbane: Dark Rivers – Morgan Brice
One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse.
Seth Tanner uncovers the cycle of ritual killings that feeds the power of the witch-disciples, and he’s hell bent on getting vengeance for Jesse and stopping the murders. His fledgling romantic relationship with Evan Malone complicates his mission, but Seth can’t walk away. Seth and Evan are learning to navigate their partnership—as lovers and monster hunters—while they chase down the next witch-disciple and avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention.
When the hunt takes Seth and Evan to Pittsburgh on the trail of the next killer, they’ll have to save the intended victim and take down the powerful witch. If the skills they possess and the bond between them isn’t enough, the evil will remain unchallenged, and more people will die…
Note: Includes mention of past domestic violence and stalking.
While Witchbane, book one, left me unimpressed, Dark Rivers, the second book went a long way into convincing me about this series. Enough to earn an extra star.
One of the best things about it was that Evan definitely improved a lot. He is now far from the TSTL character I tagged him in the first book. Now he can do magic spells using sigils and martial arts. He and Seth still has to deal with PTSD but he was able to keep his cool during his abduction. And saved himself. Attaboy!
I also complained previously about the first book trying too hard to be steamy. Here, the horny thoughts and sex scenes were less distracting and mesh more naturally into the story. The developments between Seth and Evan was more believable and I’m now sold on their romance.
The POV switched between Evan and Seth which generally worked throughout the story, although I would have wanted Evan’s POV when he was fighting with Mike, the psycho ex, instead of having it relayed through Seth’s eyes.
The writing is still straightforward and no frills but the suspense is tighter and the story is more action packed. A big plus is the introduction of the other monster hunter team, ex-priest Travis and former special ops Brent, characters from the author’s other series, Night Vigil. I know Seth and Evan could hold their own in a fight but it’s comforting to know there are other people who can watch their backs.
Overall, this is a good sequel to Witchbane and though still far from perfect, is definitely much better written. The author was able to address some issues from the first book and also gave our heroes time to grow and catch a break. And most importantly, Dark Rivers succeeded in changing my mind about this series. I’m definitely into this now so good job, Morgan Brice!
P.S.
review of Witchbane here
other Morgan Brice books hereI received a copy of Dark Rivers from Darkwind Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Where The River Flows
Artist: Collective Soul
Album: Collective Soul -
REVIEW: Blood & Bitcoin by L.A. Witt
Criminal Delights: Organized Crime: Blood & Bitcoin – L.A. Witt
Chris Emmett has a talent for screwing up and landing on his feet. As a SEAL, he managed to evade bullets and court-martials alike. As an FBI agent, he dodged danger and disciplinary action—right up until he didn’t.
With his career and freedom hanging in the balance, he’ll do whatever it takes to clean the slate… including an off-the-books deep cover solo mission.
The objective: infiltrate the Hive, a complex crime syndicate operating on the dark web, and find out who’s trying to kill Piker, the organization’s enigmatic and strangely alluring Mob boss.
The moment he’s pulled into the Hive, Chris enters a world where no one is what they seem, including the man he’s there to protect. Lines blur between moral and wrong, legal and criminal, ally and foe, and—as Piker’s seductive magnetism draws Chris in—straight and queer.
Chris is running out of time to stop a killer. He has dangerous feelings for a dangerous man, and the deeper he moves into the realms of modern day organized crime, the less he knows and the fewer people he can trust.
And that’s before he learns the truth about Piker’s assassin.
————
This 104,000 word book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance. For other books in the collection, please see: Criminal Delights ListopiaWarning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.
L.A. Witt and Michael Ferraiuolo is my favorite author/narrator combination. With them at the helm, you’re almost always guaranteed a thrilling experience.
Blood & Bitcoin was one hell of a ride but one that didn’t go full throttle the way I wanted it to. This is by far, the lightest among the dark offerings of the Criminal Delights series. The characters make many morally grey decisions and ‘the end justify the means’ actions but as emphasized by Chris, it is for the right reasons. Which is all good because, yeah these are people we can root for but sadly not what was advertised in the blurb aka it needed more blood.
Also, there were moments where I just about had enough of Chris getting caught one too many times. And Piker forgiving him yet again and again and again. Oh, just shoot him already!
I absolutely love Piker! The man is lethal and mesmerizing as fuck. His effect on both men and women is palpable. I could definitely understand why Chris was so drawn to him. Michael Ferraiuolo’s Piker voice is really spot on and the slight exotic accent added to the crime lord’s enigmatic appeal. His past remained a mystery throughout the entire book. He’s so mysterious we don’t even get his real name.
Chris I liked less. He was too reckless. He was bumbling his way through the missions. I don’t know if he is just extremely lucky but his unorthodox methods worked somewhat. It helps that he got more chances than most people would dare ask from a Mafia boss. He and Piker play a dangerously exciting game of Golden Retriever & snake. Who bites who first? And for that matter, are we even sure who is the dog and who is the snake?
Although the chemistry and USTs between Piker and Chris were always a tantalizing hair trigger away from snapping, the romance needed a little more boost. Majority of the book, it was just mostly sex for them which is meh. But the last quarter of the book made up for the missing feels and convinced me their HFN would eventually be HEA.
The part about the bitcoin was info dumpy but did not majorly hinder the story. The Hive also got me intrigued about the dark web which I only learned from some hoaky Youtube videos. I’m hoping for a sequel where we get to learn more about Piker, his hacker friends who form The Hive and see if Chris learned to be circumspect.
Notwithstanding my complaint earlier about the book not being dark, in itself, Blood & Bitcoin is a very enjoyable suspense/thriller. It does not let up on the action and the twists and turns will keep your adrenaline running on high. There were many ever changing threads to unravel and identities to uncover. I had some inkling about Piker’s father but The Big Twist completely caught me off guard. That was, DAMN!
I recommend Blood & Bitcoin for those into stories about people with the right intentions doing it the wrong way.
P.S.
Other Criminal Delights books:
Only The Devil Knows (review here)
Devil Next Door (review here)
Wrong Way Home (review here)Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: In For The Kill
Artist: La Roux
Album: La Roux -
REVIEW: Wrong Way Home by K.A. Merikan
Crimnal Delights: Taken: Wrong Way Home – K.A. Merikan
— One wrong turn. One right man. —
Colin. Rule-follower. Future doctor. Witness to murder. Captive.
Taron. Survivalist. Mute. Murderer. Captor.Like every other weekend, Colin is on his way home from university, but he’s taunted by the notion that he never takes risks in life and always follows the beaten path. On impulse, he decides to take a different route. Just this one time. What he doesn’t realize is that it’s the last time he has a choice.
He ends up taking a detour into the darkest pit of horror, abducted by a silent, imposing man with a blood-stained axe. But what seems like his worst nightmare might just prove to be a path to the kind of freedom Colin never knew existed.
Taron has lived alone for years. His land, his rules. He’d given up on company long ago. After all, attachment is a liability. He deals with his problems on his own, but the night he needs to dispose of an enemy, he ends up with a witness to his crime.
The last thing Taron needs is a nuisance of a captive. Colin doesn’t deserve death for setting foot on Taron’s land, but keeping him isn’t optimal either. It’s only when he finds out the city boy is gay that an altogether different option arises. One that isn’t right, yet tempts him every time Colin’s pretty eyes glare at him from the cage.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: prepping, alternative lifestyles, disability, crime, loneliness, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fish out of water, opposites attract, abduction, Stockholm syndrome, family issues
Genre: Dark, thriller M/M romance
Erotic content: Scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenes
Length: ~ 70,000 words (Standalone)This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and will contain a dark M/M romance.
Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.
This story contains scenes of explicit violence, offensive language, morally ambiguous characters.So the book comes with all these dire warning and promised to be dark but what we really get are bunnies, kittens and animal lovers who stand by their pets come hell or high water. Sure, somebody got an axe to the face and a few more were murdered, but they all deserved it. Like that guy who planned to burn an entire house full of cats. As Lucifer Morningstar would say, there’s a special place in hell for you, buddy.
The real star of the show were Missi and her kittens, who turned things around, kicked the story up a notch and made me warm up to the humans.
As for the humans, well, Colin was a bit none too bright for my liking. Like those horror movie characters, he made a wrong turn and was caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time. He was held inside a cage and his plan was to fuck his way out of captivity. Good luck with that. To his credit, Colin never gives up without a fight. He could be a brat but he really did care about the cats.
Lucky for Colin, his captor, Taron, was an attractive hulk of man who lives in the middle of the woods so putting his plan into action was no hardship. Taron is a prepper who had some enemies out to get his property. He is very territorial, self-sufficient and makes a mean rabbit bacon. He has a soft spot for strays and doesn’t want to go to jail, so quite understandably he couldn’t let go of Colin, who, aside from being a witness to murder, has appealing chestnut eyes, is conveniently gay and most precious of all, knows ASL. The book felt entirely like him. Gruff, intimidating, hard-edged, intense, wild and rough but also with a surprisingly caring side that could give you a case of warm fuzzies.
I wasn’t entirely convinced with Colin’s reasoning during his captivity but maybe that was the point. They weren’t supposed to be 100% rational for the rest of humanity (and who cares really). But Stockholm Syndrome or not, the attraction between Colin and Taron was real and the part where their relationship gradually transformed from captor to partner was believable and executed really well.
Overall, Wrong Way Home falls between like and love. It is written in the usual K.A. Merikan style where huge chunks of the story were devoted to sex scenes and skipping those parts makes things go faster without losing the thread. It took a while for me to feel entirely invested in the story but in the end, it won me over and now, I am entirely convinced Colin and Taron would make it work. Also, the cats were safe which is what really mattered.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: The Woods
Artist: Hollow Cove
Album: Wanderlust -
REVIEW: Exit PLans For Teenage Freaks by Nathan Burgoine
Exit PLans For Teenage Freaks – Nathan Burgoine
Being the kid abducted by old Ms. Easton when he was four permanently set Cole’s status to freak. At seventeen, his exit plan is simple: make it through the last few weeks of high school with his grades up and his head down.
When he pushes through the front door of the school and finds himself eighty kilometers away holding the door of a museum he was just thinking about, Cole faces facts: he’s either more deluded than old Ms. Easton, or he just teleported.
Now every door is an accident waiting to happen―especially when Cole thinks about Malik, who, it turns out, has a glass door on his shower. When he starts seeing the same creepy people over his shoulder, no matter how far he’s gone, crushes become the least of his worries. They want him to stop, and they’ll go to any length to make it happen.
Cole is running out of luck, excuses, and places to hide.
Time for a new exit plan.
Ever had a dream where you’re suddenly in a public place with no clothes on?
That could very well be Cole’s reality when he suddenly gained the ability to teleport and he needed to get it under control fast! Teleportation is one of my top five must-have superpowers and like Cole, I’d have my fun with it too but we could all do without the creepy guys watching our every move.
The way teleportation was used in this book was closer to magic realism than full blown fantasy because it was hardly focused on majority of the book. It was more like just another skill Cole needed to work on on top of academics and art. At some points, it felt inconsequential on the face of the everyday events Cole and his friends dealt with. It even occurred to me, this subplot was just there to give the book an extra something because without it, it would simply be a typical LGBT-themed YA.
It took me a while to totally get into the story. It started slow for me then picked up when I was a third in. What I really enjoyed the most were the people and their relationships. I really loved Cole’s parents and I am happy to see a teenager who has a happy and contented relationship with his parents since many teenagers in books and movies seemed to complain about their parents. The Rainbow Club is a joy and even Grayson, the one they complained about, did good. Cole and Alec’s friendship are goals, Malik is a sweetheart and I want Candace in my corner. The representations were awesome and genuine. I think the only thing missing was a dog.
The story zooms back to the teleportation part on the last 30% of the book. Cole finally meet the creepy people face to face, did some gutsy moves then poof! it ended just when him and Malik were heading somewhere fun. I don’t know if the book has a sequel, I hope it does. The way things ended between them, I think he might hear from other teleporters in the future. Also, I want to go places with Cole and Malik.
Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks deals with a lot of things, from sexuality, growing up, career plans, disabilities to discovering you have superpowers. Some of these were well-developed and I particularly liked the inclusion of ASL in the novel, something the author knows first hand. Other aspects were either rushed or tossed around then left open such as Grayson and Alec’s conflict, Alec and Ben or that year-end party that was mentioned here and there but not shown. These asides and casual mentions reflects real life conversations but in a book, they’re kind of frustrating.
Another plus for me is that while the book is about a gay teen, it is not about coming out and all the LGBT+ teens were happy being themselves. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I think most people would also like the positive relationships, the diversity, and realistic portrayal of teenagers.
P.S.
I received a copy of Exit Plans For Teenage Freaks from Bold Strokes Books via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Song About Teleportation
Artist: Wings of Love
Album: The Charming Ghost of Freedom -
Sovereign: The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey
In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.
Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, a boy who believes in fairytales that Julia’s world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.
But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.
Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.
One way or another, the walls of the Blue are coming down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do.The Gilded King is the first book of Sovereign, a dystopian+romance+fantasy YA series. When I first read the blurb, the walled-in city setting surrounded by wilderness vaguely reminded me of Shingeki no Kyojin. The similarity ends there. Instead of titans, we get vampires and zombies.
The book splits into two. First is Julia’s story, where she yearns for freedom and reluctantly becomes the Attendant (a job she never wanted) of a Noble because what choice does she have? The Noble, Lucas was not what she expected and she started having conflicting thoughts. I found Julia a bit naive and too careless about revealing her true thoughts, especially to Rufus, Claudia’s Noble, who was not to be trusted. However, I approved of her conviction there there must be something better outside of her station and outside Blue.The fact that she gave it a try and would have gotten farther if not for some unfortunate timing made me root for her.
The second follows the Invicti, Cameron, as he searches for his friend, Emmy, thought to have been lost or dead for centuries. Being hundreds of years old, I expected Cam to act more world weary and well, old but he acts the way he looks which is 21. I liked his determination to find his friend and also, yes! to his slow-burn relationship with Felix.
I admit, I hit a slump at the part where Cam was on his journey and it took me a while to shake it off. I started feeling invested in the story again when Lucas was telling Julia the tale of the Gilded King and Cam fell into a hole and met Felix. After that, the whole thing hit its stride and I couldn’t put it down. The book flipped from Julia’s and Cam’s POVs and each chapter ended with enough suspense and tension to keep readers on the edge.
In terms of world-building, I wasn’t exactly confused but there were some references and backstories I would have understood better if I had read the Solis Invicti series. One particular backstory that piqued my interest is the politics among the Invicti, how Laila became the Empress and what happened to Sol and Emmy. However, there were legends and fairy tales that served as background information and I can safely say readers can read Sovereign as a standalone series.
One thing I especially liked is that this book is a rare beast wherein the female protagonist, Julia and the male protagonist, Cameron, do not end up romantically linked. I make a special mention of this because all too often, the hero and heroine are always a couple. The romance between Julia and Lucas and Cam and Felix progressed at a reasonable pace and developed convincingly. Also major points for treating the gay relationship as normal as the other relationships.
The book also focuses on friendship. Claudia, Julia’s friend, was somebody who I was close to not liking because I thought she was the type who needs rescuing. But girl proved her mettle and her connection with Julia only grew stronger. Marcella is another interesting character and I am curious to find out if she is friend or foe. There was also Cam’s loyalty to Emmy and his friends but the Invicti was not as united as they want the citizens of Blue to think. What happens if they fall apart?
The two POVs merge into a gripping climax as the world they knew was invaded from the outside. There were revelations I didn’t see coming and that ending was damn!
The search for Emmy continues. Would Cam and his friends finally find her? Would Felix reveal his secrets to Cam (and why does Felix smell like nutmeg)? Is Lucas running away from Blue? Will Julia succeed in getting out? And more importantly, what happens if the king and queen wake up? Would they ever see each other again?
Definitely need that second book!
P.S.
Thank you to the author, Josie Jaffrey, for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Hunger Blood
Artist: Lions & Creators
Album: Growing(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40127369-the-gilded-king)
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Trouble Brewing: Imperial Stout – Layla Reyne
Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout , the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series
It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.
Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.
Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.
I liked Aidan and Jamie but their series, Agents Irish and Whiskey, as a whole was wonky. I am glad to say that Imperial Stout was much better.
Nic Price, who dated Aidan briefly, piqued my interest before for being sartorially correct and him hooking up with Cam Byrne was something of a pleasant surprise when it was revealed in Blended Whiskey.
Imperial Stout takes you immediately to where the action is as several teams stake out the bad guys. Slight niggle on the part where Nic is part of the stakeout team and started shooting people himself. I agree with one GR reviewer who mentioned that lawyers usually come in after the fact and not while the Feds are in an operation. I also wanted to see Nic doing lawyerly things so a courtroom scene would have been nice.
Cam goes undercover and did what he did best, rescuing kidnapped victims, namely Nic’s star witness, Abby. For this job, Cam digs into his not so stellar past and tries not to get involved in a threesome with Abby and her girlfriend, the main antagonist, Becca who both found him attractive. All the while dancing around his attraction to Nic and the memory of their kiss.
The book could be read as a standalone but I still recommend reading Agents Irish and Whiskey since most of the characters there play significant roles in Imperial Stout. The group dynamics is still as enjoyable as ever and I am happy that Lauren had more page time. She is fast becoming my favorite female character along with Mel. And for some reason, I might be seeing sparks that weren’t there because I was shipping Lauren with Percy Hunter, the B&E guy they nabbed.
Suspension of disbelief is still necessary at some instances but the story as a whole was entertaining. One of my issues before with Aidan and Jamie, aside from the plot holes and long drawn out investigations, was that they were too emotionally compromised to do their jobs properly as working partners. With Nic and Cam, there was less of that complication since they were from different departments. Overall, their book was simply better written compared to the original series.
P.S.
Meh ratings on Agents Irish and Whiskey here.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
Soundtrack: Overnight
Artist: Parcels
Album:(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39672580-imperial-stout)
