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AUDIO REVIEW: Home for Christmas by R.J. Scott
Texas: Home for Christmas – R.J. Scott
Can Connor show River a real family Christmas?
When Connor finds River on the roof of the campus admin building, he doesn’t know what to do. His friend is drunk, and shouting into a snowstorm, a bottle of vodka in his hand. The easy part is getting River down; the hard part is insisting River comes home with Connor for Christmas.
River doesn’t have a family, or any place outside of college that he calls home. Not that it matters to him; he’s happy being alone for Christmas in his budget motel, watching reruns of Elf. Only, Connor keeps telling wildly improbable stories of the perfect family celebrations at his parents’ ranch in Texas, and it’s wearing River down. He didn’t ask to be kidnapped. He didn’t want to fall in love with the entire Campbell-Hayes family. But he does.
From one Christmas to the next. This is Connor’s year to rescue River, and himself, for them both to mess things up, make things right, fall in lust and finally, for Connor to show the man he loves what being part of a family can mean.
Home for Christmas is Connor and River’s story of friendship-turned-love. The two young men couldn’t be more different. Connor came from money. He had a sunny disposition, a glass half-full kind of person, a do-gooder who loves to fix things. River is a talented gymnast and diver. He had bounced from foster home to foster home and struggles with his black moods, his epilepsy and anxieties. He doesn’t want to be ‘fixed’.
The story showed Connor and River spending the holidays at the ranch and how their feelings for each evolved. It started with Connor finding River on the roof, drunk and attempting to balance on his hands. Afraid that of what River might do to himself, Connor very persistently did not leave him alone and all but forced him to come with him to his family ranch for Christmas. Right off the bat, Connor’s tendency to help and fix things were obvious. Said tendencies also misfired at the latter point, a mistake that almost cost him River.
River’s conflict and loneliness tugged at the heart. He was envious of a perfect family, wished he was part of it and also did not want the Campbell-Hayes to see his ugly side. The book tackled, among many things, mental issues like fear of abandonment. I liked how it was handled. There were no miracle cures. Instead, there were people, like Connor, who were willing to be a constant in River’s life.
We meet different members of the sprawling Campbell-Hayes family, starting with Jack and Riley all the way to the aunts and cousins and by extension, the Legacy family. As a person who don’t do the holiday socializing thing, I sympathized with River and Jack, Connor’s Pappa. I liked that the author understood that anxious feeling of being in a crowd and gave the introverts their own quiet moments.
This is my first Texas book and my first time meeting the Campbell-Hayes family. Like River, I was both overwhelmed and delighted by this warm, loving, larger-than-life family. Now I have to read book one just to see how everything started. Even though I started at book 9, it can be read as a standalone. There were enough backgrounders via improbable family stories to help you sort through the dynamics of the clan.
I am a bit torn with the narration. Sean Crisden did a stellar job portraying the different characters and all the emotions really came through, especially River’s and Connor’s. However, I found his reading a little too fast. There were some moments where I thought a slightly longer pause would have been needed. I almost missed some parts where the characters did something because the sentences ran together. Slowing down the audiobook to 0.5X made it sound weird. I’m not sure if the reading speed is how Crisden typically narrates. I have listened to two of his audiobooks by Megan Derr and Riley Hart and I enjoyed how he read them.
Still, Home for Christmas is a great holiday novella. It’s full of love and family with characters you couldn’t help but be drawn to. It’s a well-done hurt/comfort story with just the right balance of angst and sweetness. Recommended if you are in the mood for a Christmas story about opening your heart to love, hope and future possibilities.
P.S.
Thank you to Signal Boost Promotions and Audible for providing a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Driving Under Stars
Artist: Marika Hackman
Album: Wonderland -
REVIEW: Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy
The most important things in Simon Murray’s life are football, friends, and film—in that order. His friends despair of him ever meeting someone, but despite his loneliness, Simon is cautious about looking for more. Then his best friends drag him to a party, where he barges into a football conversation and ends up defending the honour of star forward Declan Tyler—unaware that the athlete is present. In that first awkward meeting, neither man has any idea they will change each other’s lives forever.
Like his entire family, Simon revels in living in Melbourne, the home of Australian Rules football and mecca for serious fans. There, players are treated like gods—until they do something to fall out of public favour. This year, the public is taking Declan to task for suffering injuries outside his control, so Simon’s support is a bright spot.
But as Simon and Declan fumble toward a relationship, keeping Declan’s homosexuality a secret from well-meaning friends and an increasingly suspicious media becomes difficult. Nothing can stay hidden forever. Soon Declan will have to choose between the career he loves and the man he wants, and Simon has never been known to make things easy—for himself or for others.
I listened to the audiobook and I thought it was a such missed opportunity that the narrator did not do the Australian accents. Instead, he read the book in a neutral American accent. The voices were distinct and the characters were emoted really well but man, do the Aussie accents please!!!
Nonetheless, I had a great time with this book. This is another cute meet-cute sports-rom about a closeted footballer and an out and proud film fest director filled with snarky humor and fade to black sex scenes .
Bearing in mind that Tigers and Devils was first published in 2009, there are some slight differences in the ‘feel’ of the book, particularly in the way people were not yet so ‘woke’ so expect homophobia, dumb questions and terminologies such as ‘the woman in the relationship’.
But that’s just the rest of humanity.
Simon Murray, of the Triple F, an indie film festival, is lucky to have supportive and awesome best friends in the couple, Fran and Roger. Not only are they open-minded, they took it upon themselves to find a man for him. Their well-meaning intentions don’t always work, but it was them who forced Simon to attend The Party. Same party where Simon, like all of Australia, had football as his religion and therefore couldn’t resist opining upon the subject of Declan Tyler.
Declan was an award-winning football superstar, injured and always benched. Aspersions were cast on his abilities and Simon jumped in on a strangers’ conversation to both compliment and insult the footballer. Little did he know, the man was right behind him.
I think this is a really adorable and also a most awkward way to meet your future celebrity boyfriend. Which is what made me grab this book immediately. Adorably awkward is catnip to me and Tigers and Devils had it in spades.
Simon is a self-deprecating, self-confessed artistic wanker who couldn’t believe a football god like Declan Tyler would be interested in him much more date him. Dec is a well-mannered and very grounded superstar, perfect in every way. His only fault was that he tends to run away when things get too intense. Their romance followed the celebrity-dating-an-average-joe trope which was done in the most charming way possible.
On the other hand, there were a lot of secrecy involved. I didn’t like the way Declan was outed. I would have preferred he done it himself but it was, understandably, part of the narrative. I would have also preferred Simon and Dec to power through the storm together instead of letting the pressure tear them apart but well, that is usual how things go in romance.
The story is told through Simon’s first person POV and I loved how his ‘voice’ brought out the humor in many seemingly ordinary situations. It made the book come alive.
Fran and Roger were a hoot. The three best friends had stuck together through thick and thin but their friendship was tested here when Roger felt the need to protect his friend from the footballer. Also there’s the fear of losing a best friend to a boyfriend. Simon falling out with his friends was almost as bad as him and Declan separating.
Tigers and Devils did a great job portraying the high and lows of dating a closeted celebrity. It showed the pains of dealing with a controversial outing, and the hassles of fending off a very nosy public eager to judge your every move. It is also a story of enduring friendships where your football fanatic best friend is ready to punch a football god to defend your virtue.
As far as sports-romance go, this is something I would recommend. Do check it out if you’re up for some PG-rated jock+artist hookup featuring doofus friends, cringy scenarios and Yoda’s advice to singletons.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Never My Love
Artist: Knox Hamilton
Album: The Heights -
REVIEW: Game Changer by Rachel Reid
New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter takes his pregame rituals very seriously. In this case, it’s not just a lucky smoothie he’s craving—it’s the man who made it.
Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic…and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.
Kip knew there was more to Scott’s frequent visits than blended fruit, but he never let himself imagine being invited back to Scott’s penthouse. Or kissed with reckless abandon, never mind touched everywhere all at once. When it happens it’s red-hot, incredible and frequent, but also only on Scott’s terms and always behind his closed apartment doors.
Scott needs Kip in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career…like introducing the world to his boyfriend. Kip is ready to go all-in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?
A very cute meet-cute with a huge dollop of steam and just enough angst to keep you from sugar coma.
Game Changer is the first book of the fantastic Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. The series features hockey players falling in love in and out of the rink. I read the second book, Heated Rivalry, beforehand which I absolutely adored so I was very motivated to read the first book too.
I wasn’t disappointed.
This is almost as charming as book 2. The story is totally different. Whereas the second book was about two rival hockey players falling in love with each other, Gamer Changer was about Scott Hunter, a closeted team captain of the New York Admirals, dropping by a smoothie cafe, bought a lucky blueberry smoothie and quickly fell in love with the barista, Kip Grady.
The two men had instant attraction and threw off sparks that were pretty obvious to any bystander. However they had to keep their relationship a secret because it might ruin Scott’s career. To Kip, it felt like going back to the closet.
As mentioned above, things were all sorts of warm fuzzy feels and sweetness. Also, too much smexy scenes that could have been edited out but that’s the honeymoon period for you. As is usually the case with contemporary romance/rom-com, once reality sets in and Kip started having niggles about being the dirty secret, you brace yourself for the Big Fight, which did happen. The two men both seemed like sensible level-headed guys so I had hopes it wouldn’t. Then again, Scott is a sweetheart and so is Kip and they patched things up after a brief falling out.
That’s not all.
The ending was everything a romantic at heart could ever hope for. A grand gesture by way of the Stanley Cup and here I am just an ‘eyewitness’ and I was giddy and exhilarated and melting softly from all the heartwarming fluff-tastic fluff! Can you imagine what Scott and Kip must feel?
Even if the book followed a typical romance story pattern, it would be the kind that easily becomes a favorite reread. I loved the two MCs and the secondary characters were well-fleshed out (and hella funny too). I gave a little hurrahs every time Rozanov appears. The author kept things fresh, fast-paced and very engaging. Even with all the bedroom play, the plot had a strong narrative to carry it through. All in all, good job, Rachel Reid!
Game Changers is a very apt name for the series because it changed the way I feel about about sports romance. I had sworn I will never read anything sports-related (hah! famous last words) and now here I am eager to delve into more sports-rom. At least if hockey players are involved.
I wished Hollywood would pick the books up and make them into a movie. We all could use a feel-good gay sports-rom and Game Changers could be that breakout hit the genre needs.
Make it happened, Hollywood! I mean, seriously, think of all the awesome memes and tumblr posts you can generate if you get two cute hockey players to kiss each other.
P.S.
Heated Rivalry review here.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Lucky
Artist: Hoobastank
Album: The Reason -
REVIEW: The Vampire’s Club 4 by X. Aratare
Lucas Daniels is in danger!
Not from his mysterious new job, but from someone in his own house: his stepfather. Just when he thought Garrett’s intentions were all in his head, his stepfather’s actions send him running to Dyavol and Konstantin for protection.
Count Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk will do anything to protect Lucas, and not only because Lucas’ blood may be curing him. When he finds Lucas under threat from every corner, he’ll do things he never thought possible in order to keep the young man safe. Cutting deals with ancient dangerous vampires, testing the bounds of his curse, even opening up the heart of his vampire Sanctuary itself to a mere mortal. Nothing is off limits.
But while Konstantin is focused on keeping Lucas safe, could the real person in danger be Konstantin himself?
For me, the hardest books to review are the rare 5-star books. There is the very real temptation to simply fill the page with incoherent squees and emojis bursting with heart eyes and stars and exclamation marks. So excuse me just a sec.
The Wolf is claimed!!!!!! ♡☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆♡ !!!!!!!
And holy mother that elevator scene!!! (
ω) !!!!!!!“Anything? Everything?” ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ｡o○♡ !!!!!!!
Now that’s out of the way…
Book 4 of The Vampire’s Club finally has the evil stepfather making his move on Lucas (TW: sexual harrassment). The Volk family, the awesome Lizzie and the paranoid (and vocal) Xavier in particular, rallied to Lucas’ aid. They attempted their powers of seduction on Lucas’ mother to make her see the truth regarding the incident. However, they were met with the strongest mental barrier they have ever encountered. The evil stepfather has a mental wall as well…
I could understand the spell on Lucas’ mom but the evil stepfather too? Hmm…
On a happier note, we are getting a LOT of Lucas and Konstantin! Hence the explosion of emotions above. The plot thickens some more as two arch-enemies meet face to face. I am on tenterhooks!
What exactly is Gaia’s plans for the vampires? Are witches and vampires truly enemies? Is Lucas the Trojan Horse the Nomad suspects he is? Will Lucas realize what Konstantin really is? Will Konstantin ever tell him?
TELL HIM DAMMIT!!! Make him your fledgling!!!
The Vampire’s Club continues to work it magic. I am completely enthralled. Let it seduce you too.
P.S.
The serial should be read in order. TVC books here
X. Aratare books hereRating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect -
REVIEW: Deadly Dorian by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott
Someone is trying to kill Marc Foster.
Attempted poisoning was bad enough, but when the would-be killer messes with the brakes on Marc’s precious Porsche, the art dealer admits he needs help. He just wasn’t expecting help to be quite so dark and sexy.
Royce Karras loves his job at Ward Security. He’s making up for a lifetime of bad decisions and a bloody past he’d rather forget. But Marc isn’t the spoiled rich boy he thought he’d be protecting. Sticking close to Marc as his “boyfriend” gives Royce insight into his toxic family, but it also reveals a brilliant, compassionate man who completely disarms Royce. Against his better judgment, Royce finds himself falling.
But can they find a way to make it work when Royce’s past threatens to tear their lives apart? Their futures hinges on a lost Renaissance painting, six Bichon Frises, and a pornographic Robin Hood.
No worries, right?
Ward Security is the spin-off series of Unbreakable Bonds. This features Ward Security employees from the bodyguards like Royce to the tech specialists like Quinn. Ward Security is like a family to many of them
Hmm…
Okay so I really like Royce. I really liked Marc. They were great together but finishing their book was a struggle. Seemed like the story let them down somehow.
There were two major threads running. First was somebody was trying to kill Marc, possibly someone from his own family. This led to him hiring Royce as a bodyguard and pretending to be a couple to avoid letting his siblings know he was suspecting them. This in turn led to their fake boyfriend deal turning into the real thing.
I loved this part. Sure there was too much ‘desperate need‘ for my liking and also a little too insta but Royce and Marc had undeniable chemistry. Even Marc’s homophobic siblings could see that. So I’m all in for their romance. The mystery of who was trying to get Marc out of the picture had a neat little twist to it that I didn’t see coming. All in all the mystery side of the story was well done.
The second plot point was Royce’s family woes. Royce was the nephew of a Greek mob boss. Royce mother took him away from the family business when he was young and the uncle never forgave her for that. Royce still ended up working as an enforcer. Somewhere along the way, he met a gentle writer named Michael with whom he had a serious relationship. After some dirty deals gone sour and a tragic incident occurred, Royce resolved to leave the past behind and live a new life. However, the past caught up to him and now his mother was in danger.
This one could have been great. I loved that we finally learn more about Royce’s past and why he is so damn angry and closed off all the time. However some things here were a bit too OTT even if I did my usual suspension of disbelief trick. The part of him and Marc pulling off a heist in order to get a valuable painting had me scratching my head for a bit. Angelo the thief was kind of unnecessary. Royce could have handled things more smartly than this while still staying true to his Dark Lord persona. The rescue could have been done much sooner.
Also Royce was being an idiot with his ‘for your own good’ reasoning when he very stupidly pushed Marc away because he was scared he might put Marc, with his heart condition, in danger. Like if his uncle’s goons jumped his boyfriend and have a heart attack. Eh, should have have let him grovel more, Marc.
But of course, this series is all about the characters. It’s great that Garrett finally had more page time. He should get his own book. Quinn was adorkable as always (where the hell is Shane) and yay for Sven and Geoffrey. Rowe and Noah nearly stole the show simply by being their usual crazy selves.
Overall, it was a mixed bag of highs and lows.
Ward Security might not be as strong a series as Unbreakable Bonds but even if I’m not so impressed with Deadly Dorian, I’m not throwing in the towel just yet. I love these boys too much.
P.S.
Dom is next. I’m not so sure about the age-gap thing but we’ll see how his story works out.
Ward Security is best read in order. WS books here
Unbreakable Bonds books hereRating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn bookSoundtrack: Fear and Loathing
Artist: Marina and the Diamonds
Album: Electra Heart -
REVIEW: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Game Changers: Heated Rivalry – Rachel Reid
Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.
Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.
Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.
As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option…
This book is what every sports romance fan dreams of and more!!!
Heated Rivalry is the second book of the Game Changers series and can be read as a standalone. Admittedly, the super generic cover did nothing to encourage me and I put off reading this for a while. Tsk! Should have read it sooner. I haven’t read the first book but the blurb for book two grabbed my attention as I am on the look out for a true enemies-to-lovers story. Some of the ones I’ve read lacked intensity or don’t even hate each other at all. This one promised to be intense!
From Rachel Reid’s twitter And it was!
You can see from the list above that the enemies as lovers, opposite attracts, sports rivals combination mean all kinds of fun, fun dynamics. From the get go, you can feel the super fierce competitive spirit between the two players, each trying to be number one at everything from first draft to Rookie of the Year to the Stanley Cup, to the Olympics to Cosmopolitan’s hottest hockey player. The smacktalk pops up every chance they get. It continues in the bedroom and long after they exchanged L-words. I would gladly read, or better yet, watch an entire series of just Shane and Ilya trying to get one over the other.
He wanted to kiss Rozanov and maybe also punch him for being such an arrogant fucking prick. And he hated himself for wanting any of this. But not enough to stop. Never enough to stop.
I totally relish the crazy, crazy combination of their animosity and the magnetic pull that drew Shane and Ilya together. Their inner turmoils and character progressions were portrayed beautifully. Their chemistry was fireworks!!! My favorite part was that even in the moment of truth, their confessions were so true to their characters.
“Yes. Listen. These women, they are so sexy and fun, but is no matter. I cannot stop thinking about this short fucking hockey player with these stupid freckles and a weak backhand.”
“A weak backhand?” Shane couldn’t stop smiling.
“Yes. And he is just so boring and he drives a terrible car and…that is my problem. All of these beautiful women and I am always wishing they were him.”
LOVE IT!!! ♡(─‿‿─)♡
This one is right in the kokoro:
“…And I want to learn Russian. I wasn’t kidding about that.”
“I’ll teach you.”
Shane smiled so wide and bright, Ilya almost had to look away.
“I should let you sleep,” Shane said.
“Da. Yes. Okay.”
And then… Shane kissed the tips of two fingers and reached out and touched them to the screen. And Ilya’s heart fucking stopped.
Bam! My heart stopped too. Σ>―(〃°ω°〃)♡→
The story covered the span of seven years or so starting from when they first met as rookies up to the present day when they started planning to come out as boyfriends. It documented each encounter and how they evolved from mere hook ups to something the two men can’t quite wrap their heads around. And all this time, they had to keep it a secret.
Author, Rachel Reid, wisely kept game play to a minimum but successfully incorporated the sports in such a way you still felt the game. It was the ideal style for those like me, who had zero knowledge of the hockey. We can enjoy the story while not be overwhelmed with the sport.
I never thought I would enjoy a sports romance book this much. I never even imagined giving one 5 stars but Heated Rivalry took my frosty view of sports-rom and set it on fire! I even googled hockey players and OMG, they’re cute! I’m so into this series now.
Absolutely recommended for when you’re into stories of people who are so wrong yet feel so right for each other.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Nicotine
Artist: Panic! At The Disco
Album: Too Weird To Die Too Rare To live -
REVIEW: Surprise Groom by D.J. Jamison
Marital Bliss: Surprise Groom – D.J. Jamison
Can two men fake their way to marital bliss?
Caleb Taylor is shocked to learn his family could lose Bliss Island Resort — their home and livelihood — unless he makes use of a clause to marry the child of investor Louis Chastain. Sofia Chastain is more like a sister than a love interest, and Caleb isn’t ready to sign over his future. But Sofia has a brother, and Caleb has a plan …
Julien Chastain was disowned at fifteen and has made a life as a go-go dancer in Miami, but he lives paycheck to paycheck. When his childhood friend proposes an outlandish marriage contract, he thinks he’s crazy. But it’s a chance at a future that’s tough to pass up.
Caleb and Julien must present themselves as an authentic couple for the legal loophole to work, but the lines between “fake” and “real” keep shifting as they navigate intimacy, public scrutiny, and sabotage.
Love isn’t part of the plan, but plans change. If they can outsmart Julien’s father and prove their love is worth more than a transaction, they just might find a true happily-ever-after.
Despite being into the MM genre, I rarely reads books that revolve solely around romance . Contemporary romance tend to be a miss for me because I usually feel like there’s nothing going on.
Surprise Groom by D.J. Jamison was one of the few that piqued my interest. I haven’t really read any MM fake husband stories yet. This seemed like a good place to start. It’s the first book of Marital Bliss, a series exploring different marriage tropes. This is also my first Jamison book and certainly not my last. Lots to love here!
The story features the marriage of convenience/fake husband set-up of Caleb Taylor and Julien Chastain, childhood bestfriends who fell apart after Julien was thrown out of the house at 15 for being gay. Caleb is a wedding planner and owns an island resort with his mom. His late father owed money to Louis Chastain, Julien’s father, who wrote a contract stating that the debt will be paid if a Taylor child marries a Chastain child. This part boggled me slightly because why would Louis make such an arrangement. What would he gain? It was even mentioned that the island didn’t worth much to him.
Whatever the reasons, Caleb, who is straight, cannot marry Sofia Chastain in good conscience. She was like a sister to him. So finding a loophole, he tracked down Julien, found him working as a go-go dancer, and asked him to marry him. After giving it a serious thought, Julien agreed. Two men then had to deal with public scrutiny, sabotage and their own growing feelings.
First, I loved both MCs! Caleb is perfect. The kind of perfect perfect that is not annoying or unrealistic. He’s a born planner and a workaholic with infinite patient and understanding. As in he never jumps to conclusions but instead gave Julien the benefit of the doubt, especially at the latter part where the evil dad tried to gain the upper hand over them. The bastard maneuvered to stop the wedding and cause his son to disappear once again.
Caleb was smart enough to know what Julien might or might not do and what his dad is capable of. After putting things in perspective with the help of his mom, Julien’s sister and his mom, he trusted his childhood friend/fiance completely.
Julien is great too. He’s prickly and slow to trust. Also talented, artistic, tough and protective. He’s been through a lot. After moving to Miami, he was basically living paycheck to paycheck. His days as a dancer were numbered, 27 is old in go-go years. Caleb’s offer couldn’t come at a better time. He has always been attracted to his childhood friend and seeing how gorgeous his friend turned out to be only made the proposal more enticing.
The slow-burn build-up was delicious! Their chemistry was palpable from the start. The two men tried to resist their rekindled attractions. Julien, because he knew Caleb is straight. Caleb, trying to wrap his head around the fact that he is attracted to a man. I loved how their inner conflicts were depicted. I love the way the lines kept blurring.
I also appreciated how the author handled the part of Caleb coming to terms that he is bi. It was done with with care and without making too much fuss about it. Especially in the light of a past traumatic event that left Caleb with the wrong impression of his sexuality. Julien was awesome here. He gently guided Caleb through his awakening and made sure he respected his boundaries.
This being romance, I kept expecting the Big Fight. I was pleasantly surprised by it’s absence. My favorite part was that the MCs don’t fight at all, ever. They were big on communication, taking time to actually listen and talk things though. It’s a simple thing, one many authors tend to by-pass in favor of conflict and drama. So it’s always refreshing when it happens.
The story had good pacing in general but the ending felt kind of rushed. I would love an epilogue but I guess Caleb and Julien will be making appearances on the next book so that would be that. I want Julien’s go-go friends and Rory, Caleb’s friend to have their own books, too.
Overall, Surprise Groom is a fun story and a delightful take on a standard trope. It’s an extremely well-done romance set in a beautiful island with MCs you can’t help but root for. Good job, D.J. Jamison! You might completely convert me to contemporary romance just yet.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Metaphors
Artist: Keaton Henson
Album: Metaphors -
REVIEW: Not Dead Yet by Jenn Burke
Not Dead Yet – Jenn Burke
Dying isn’t what it used to be.
Wes Cooper was dead. Then he wasn’t—though he’s not exactly alive, either. As an immortal not-ghost, he can transition between this world and the otherplane, which makes him the perfect thief for hire. For seventy years he’s made a “living” returning items to their rightful owners, seeing his fair share of the bizarre in the process. But he’s never witnessed murder. Until now.
His latest mission brings him more than he bargained for: a very-dead actor who is definitely going to stay that way. It’s just Wes’s luck that his ex-boyfriend, Detective Hudson Rojas, is assigned to the case. Hudson broke Wes’s heart years ago—and could again, given he’s rocking a hot silver-fox look that shouldn’t be legal.
As they work together to track down the murderer before anyone else gets hurt, it becomes clear Wes and Hudson have unfinished business. And when a secret Hudson’s been keeping threatens more than just their happiness, it might mean the end of their not-life together—permanently.
This book is approximately 91,000 words
Not Dead Yet by Jenn Burke has one of the most unique premises I’ve encountered for a while, putting a fresh spin on the ghost lover trope.
First, it’s set in Toronto and I can’t even remember the last time I’ve read a book with a Canadian setting. So that’s a big plus. Also, Wesley Cooper is a not-ghost. He’s 110 years old, killed by a lover in 1933 and brought back to life by his lover’s sister who was a witch.
Wes works as a ‘recovery specialist’ aka glorified thief who retrieves certain items per client request. He can become a ghost and go to the other plane at will, which is a very useful ability for his job because ‘no breaking, just entering‘. He has not aged in a century and forever looks in his 20s.
The other MC is Detective Hudson Rojas, Wes’ ex-boyfriend, with whom he parted in not so good terms. They met in the 80s when people were not open to gay relationships especially in the police force. They met again when Wes was involved in a murder case. Hud turned out to be quite the silver fox at 58. Interestingly, he stopped aging in his 30s (he turned grey early) because, well, you’ll see.
These established the backbones of a highly entertaining paranormal mystery. The world-building came naturally. Nothing too complicated on the surface, very magical realism feels. But as I get deeper into the story, it became obvious that there’s more to this than merely witches and ghosts. There’s so many fun things you can do with this set-up and different avenues to explore.
The story is told in Wes’ POV. I loved his ‘voice’. Wes is very open with his feelings. He could be a tad dramatic sometimes but his thoughts never failed to be funny.
Hudson is the opposite of Wes. He’s grumpy and blunt. He was an asshole to Wes many times. As in, downright insulting at some instances. Then just like that, he turns on the charm. The hot and cold treatment should have been a turn off but Jenn Burke pulled it off really well and I can’t even dislike Hudson that much. He had his reasons.
I really enjoyed the slow-burn, second chance romantic subplot. It was integrated nicely to the story. It’s pretty obvious that the spark was still strong which was highlighted by how easily they traded zingers as if they never parted. And since slow-burn is my jam, I get a thrill out of the whole process of catching up, dancing around barely suppressed feelings and hashing it out.
It’s not just the romantic chemistry between them. I liked how the the contract thief and the police detective worked together in the case. Their shared history and complimenting abilities was put to good use in the investigation. Their partnership came together through necessity but they just clicked on many levels.
Very likable supporting cast too, with Lexi, Wesley’s witch bestfriend and the great grandaughter of the witch who brought Wes to life. There’s also Evan, somebody they adopted because Hudson accidentally killed him when Wes appeared out of nowhere. I appreciated the found family thing forming for these people who always end up alone as their loved ones come and go through the decades.
The book also has a good ace rep. Wes is demisexual and Hudson is one of the rare few who did it for him. Appropriately, it’s a low heat book with only one sex scene. Low heat or no heat makes reading more convenient for me because it usually means less pages to skip.
The mystery was a well-written one. For one of his jobs, Wes had to retrieved an item from the house of an actress, only to walk in on her being strangled by a shadowy being. Who suddenly looked directly at Wes while he was still in his ghostly form. That should have been impossible!
Not Dead Yet effectively blended police procedural and paranormal. It kept me engage all throughout the story and kept me in the dark until the big reveal. I had a few suspects but then there were more mysterious agendas from mysterious masterminds in action. And with this, things unraveled fast. The two men were in a whole world of trouble!
The story ended with a great jumping off point for the next book. Wes and Hudson came to an agreement. Major career changes were planned. Something is happening to Wes and he doesn’t know what. I need to find out more ASAP!
Overall, Not Dead Yet is shaping up to be a very promising series. It’s heavy on humor, light on spook, with a just the right balance of romance, mystery and paranormal that really worked for me. Recommended if you like your ghosts sassy, your detectives gruff and your stories twisty.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Ghost
Artist: Parachute
Album: Losing Sleep -
REVIEW: Heartsong by T.J. Klune
Green Creek: Heartsong – T.J. Klune
All Robbie Fontaine ever wanted was a place to belong. After the death of his mother, he bounces around from pack to pack, forming temporary bonds to keep from turning feral. It’s enough—until he receives a summons from the wolf stronghold in Caswell, Maine.
Life as the trusted second to Michelle Hughes—the Alpha of all—and the cherished friend of a gentle old witch teaches Robbie what it means to be pack, to have a home.
But when a mission from Michelle sends Robbie into the field, he finds himself questioning where he belongs and everything he’s been told. Whispers of traitorous wolves and wild magic abound—but who are the traitors and who the betrayed?
More than anything, Robbie hungers for answers, because one of those alleged traitors is Kelly Bennett—the wolf who may be his mate.
The truth has a way of coming out. And when it does, everything will shatter.
THIS BOOK
Grass.
Lake water.
Sunshine.Robbie. Kelly.
My soft, soft boys…
At first, I thought it was a flashback.
It’s not.
Then I thought Ezra and his liverspots was a nice old man.
He’s so much more than that.
Oh, no. No no no!
T.J. Klune took us once again to Green Creek and the wonderful Bennett pack. But not before he tore a piece of them out yet again. Even the wolf mother, Elizabeth, started to think they were cursed.
Heartsong was a fight to survive. To find the mate who was stolen. To take back the memories that were erased. To restore bonds that were shattered. To heal hearts that were broken. To have a place to belong to and peace and love and happiness even just for now.
I howl for you.
Heartsong is packed with FEELS. It was fluffy and awesome and bittersweet and funny, also painful and shitshitshit I can’t look and oh my fucking gad how can you do that to them, TJ!!!
I.FELT.EVERYTHING.
P.S.
Heartsong is the third book of the mind-blowing Green Creek series. The books are best read in order because you’ll howl for them too.
T.J. Klune books here.
Happy Asexual Awareness Week, everyone!
I’m very glad to celebrate it with the amazing ace, Kelly, middle Bennett brother, Green Creek deputy and Robbie’s mate. These two are adorbs! Kelbie is my favorite Green Creek ship.
Carter as mayor is gold tho.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: I See You
Artist: Missio
Album: The Darker The Weather // The Better The Man -
REVIEW: Song Of The Navigator by Astrid Amara
Song Of The Navigator – Astrid Amara
Worst Possible Birthday: Being sold into slavery by none other than your lover.
Tover Duke’s rare ability to move anything instantly across light-years of space makes him a powerful, valuable asset to the Harmony Corporation, and a rock star among the people of the colonies. His life is luxurious. Safe. Routine.
He has his pick of casual hookups passing through Dadelus-Kaku Station. His one brush with danger of any kind—the only bright spot in his otherwise boring life—is Cruz Arcadio, a dark-haired, hard-bodied engineer whose physical prowess hints he’s something much more.
When a terrorist abducts Tover, hurling him into a world of torture, exploitation and betrayal, it’s with shattering disbelief that he realizes his kidnapper is none other than Cruz. As Tover struggles to find the courage to escape his bondage, he begins to understand the only way to free his body, his mind—and his heart—is to trust the one man who showed him that everything about his once-perfect life was a lie.
Warning: This story contains descriptions of extreme violence and assault. It also contains graphic sexual depictions. It also has a lot of birds. And pirate movies from the future. And romance.
Tover Duke loves four things: food, soccer, birds and fucking.
Tover is a navigator, one of only 42 improvisional navigators, someone with the ability to instantaneously transport anything to any part of the known and unknown universe using orbifolds he can create through vibrations in his vocal chords. He is a cherished celebrity, a demigod even to himself, whose every whim was catered to by his company, Harmony. That includes his own personal aviary because Tover is a hardcore bird otaku.
At his birthday celebration, he was held hostage by Cruz Arcadio, a Harmony engineer he had occasional hook ups with and who he had a serious crush on. He was then sold by the Pulmon Verde, terrorist soldiers from Carida, to pirates in exchange for data. His world was turned up side down. Please heed the trigger warnings because it was nasty.
I love this navigator world Astrid Amara created. The physics behind the orbitals is solid and interesting, though it would have been more so had I had some knowledge of string theory. Nonetheless, I was amazed with Tover’s teleportation powers. Like any realistically rendered superpower, it has its limitations. This being it takes up a LOT of energy which means he has to eat a lot too. At one point, it left Tover severely emaciated after jumping from Dadelus-Kaku to Carida to save Cruz. It didn’t stop him from doing it again.
I love Tover! Like every navigator, he was a diva who had questionable rock star wardrobe (snake skin pants, really?). He may or may not have been an asshole at some point in his career, but the torture in the pirate ship and the eye-opening truths he learned in Carida changed him completely.
The torture he suffered was brutal! My heart went out to him. It resulted in paralyzing PTSD. It was so bad he lost the ability to create orbifolds, the only thing he’s good at. It wasn’t just the pirates. Tover also learned the reality of his existence as a navigator. His was a story of what it means to be truly free. It was one of the most moving and satisfying character progressions I’ve ever read.
Song of the Navigator is also story of corporate exploitation. The carbon-dioxide breathing people of Carida is fighting against the terraforming of their planet by Harmony. Terraforming Carida had very disastrous consequences. Cruz is a soldier of the Pulmon Verde, a military group working to bring down the corporation. He was working undercover. He was willing to do anything for their cause.
I wanted to hate the poker-faced Cruz for doing what he did to Tover. It was a shitty, shitty thing to do. But when he showed Tover what was at stake, he convinced me it was worth it. He’s also fiercely proud of Tover’s ability and very protective of Tover’s freedom. It was his little acts of affection that made me believe he genuinely feels for the navigator.
Tover was harder to convinced. Couldn’t blame the guy (and I wouldn’t have been impressed had he gave in easily. Yes, let Cruz grovel for a bit.). He refused to see that Harmony was using him. At the end, it was the birds that finally did it. And because Tover always had to be the hero, he did what he did best and gave a grand middle finger salute to his company. Attaboy!
Favorite part:
“You didn’t react to being shot. You don’t feel anything at all, do you?” Tover hated the hurt in his voice.
“I feel everything.” Cruz stepped toward him. He said nothing more. But his eyes,they were warm now, dark and dilated. He moved so close he could pin Tover to the wall if he wanted to.
“You should show it,” Tover suggested.
And for a moment, Cruz’s visage broke. His eyes trembled and a glitter of moisture filled his eyes.
The story was a study in contrasts. Tover was an adored rockstar. Suddenly, he was a pirate slave. Then he was a beloved guest only to end up where he started. Even the settings were strikingly different, from the a highly urbanized space station, to an old pirate ship to a verdant planet. These 180-degree turns only served to heighten the gut-wrenching, emotional whiplashes I felt when reading the book.
It was a tale as old as time. Betrayal. Slavery in its many forms. Huge corporation vs the minority. Natural resources threatened by bland suburban development. Even in the far future, these are still relevant and at a galactic scale. Tover, Cruz and the Pulmon Verde made major strides in saving Carida. I had a feeling they still have a few ways to go. It’s only an HFN ending but at least Tover will not be strapped to a machine against his will ever again. He has his birds and his games and all the tamales he can eat and he and Cruz can go at it everyday.
Because Tover Duke loves five things.
P.S.
Astrid Amara books here
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine
Artist: The Flaming Lips
Album: Embryonic
