-
NEW RELEASE: Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson
-
RELEASE BLITZ: Drive by Courtney Maguire (Excerpt & Giveaway)
-
REVIEW: Buried Passions by Andrew Grey
Buried Passions – Andrew Grey
When Broadway actor Jonah receives word that his uncle has passed away and named him the heir to a property in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Jonah’s plan is to settle the estate as quickly as possible and return to his life in New York City. Much to Jonah’s surprise, the inheritance includes the Ashford Cemetery—and its hunky groundskeeper, recent Bosnian immigrant Luka Pavelka.
Jonah soon discovers Luka is more than easy on the eyes. He sees into Jonah’s heart like no man ever before, and his job at the cemetery is all he has. If Jonah sells, Luka is left with nothing. Luka is there for Jonah when Jonah needs someone most, and there’s no denying the chemistry and connection between them. But Jonah has a successful career back in New York. Now he must decide if it’s still the life he wants….
Andrew Grey is an author I’ve seen around for some time and only read recently. I regretted not doing so earlier because I practically inhaled his series, Carlisle Cops and Bad To Be Good.
His stories are about down-on-their-luck fellows and do-gooding average joes who changed their world. His storylines are rooted in the everyday with kindness at their core. They have a certain simplicity that could be boring in the wrong hands, but he had a way of imbuing them with pathos and heart, as well as uplifting moments that I almost always end up glued to his books until the very end. They make me believe that humanity is innately good.
Buried Passions is another brilliant example of that. Jonah Hughes is a Broadway actor in between jobs who recently inherited an old house with a cemetery, along with the hunky groundskeeper, Luka Pavelka. Little did he expect how they would change his life.
Luka is a hardworking Bosnian immigrant who still can’t speak English fluently. Frequently overlooked and underestimated, he’s also burdened with bringing shame to his family for being gay. His broken English hides a sharp sense of humor and a keen eye for detail. He is a man who likes taking care of someone, and he found that in the kind-hearted New Yorker who is a bit overwhelmed by his inheritance. Luka’s a total sweetheart!
The theme is seeing another person as they are. The story portrayed it at its most heartwarming in every way Luka and Jonah interacts. There is mutual respect and admiration from the beginning, and affection that grew into a soul-deep connection in the few weeks they were together.
When Jonah’s friend said Luka looks at Jonah like he hung the moon, the rightness of it hit me hard in the kokoro! Because that is exactly how you look at someone who treats you the way Jonah changed the world for Luka.
Their romance vaguely reminded me of one of my all-time favorite movies, God’s Own Country. It’s how Luka taught Jonah about making love instead of just fucking. It mirrors how the Romanian worker taught the Yorkshire sheep farmer intimacy during sex.
The plot follows Jonah as he navigates the changes in his life and his blossoming relationship with Luka. It also tackles the age-old dilemma of career vs. love. Jonah had to choose whether to grab the coveted starring role he was offered in New York or stay in Carlisle, the cozy little Pennsylvanian town that already felt like home the short time he was there. I loved that this is set in the same town as Carlisle Cops.
Like the author’s other stories, Buried Passions is deeply moving and downright engrossing. My heart bled for Luka and soared at his reconnection with his family. I was charmed by the small town coziness and swept away by the swoony romance. Although, the ending might be tied too neatly, all in all, it’s a sweet little tale about following a dream or following the heart.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Noticed
Artist: Mutemath
Album: Mutemath
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Buried Passions. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
99c BOOK BLAST: Chasing Hope by Gwen Martin (Excerpt)
-
COVER REVEAL: Summer Dreams by Laura John
-
REVIEW: A Stroke of Brilliance by Nazri Noor
Arcane Hearts: A Stroke of Brilliance – Nazri Noor
The fragrance of chaos. The flavor of terror. The color of madness.
Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright are loving a life of hunting and harvesting rare reagents wherever the Black Market travels. But a routine trip to visit Japanese tree spirits turns up something sinister: two crystal shards, embedded in the bodies of wild animals. They’re familiar, glimmering, violet… like splinters of amethyst.
But that’s not all. Two rival guilds are in strife, Jack and Xander caught in a crossfire of spells and slander. SEER and its hundred eyes are still watching their every move. And then there’s the matter of meeting Xander’s parents, perhaps Jackson’s deadliest challenge to date.
The Chrysanthemyst’s return is the least of their problems.
A Stroke of Brilliance is a 70,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a HFN ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, childhood friends who become bitter enemies, then lovers, as they explore a world filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience A Stroke of Brilliance today.
Arcane Hearts is a series I like to think of as a shounen anime with a BL romance. It has the kind of scenes I’d love to see on screen, and vivid writing that makes them come alive in my head. With the majority of the world-building, and tons of info-dumps, taken care of in Book 1, A Touch Of Fever, the rest of the installments could focus more on Jackson and Xander’s adventures.
A Stroke of Brilliance follows partners and boyfriends Jackson Pryde and Alexander Wright, working as glorified errand boys for guilds looking for rare materials to use in their crafts. In one of their quests, they came upon purple crystals strikingly similar to the Chrysanthemyst that caused the fevers in Book 1.
This sequel has everything I loved about the series. Jackson still talks a a little too much for me, but he’s also more amusing now. He’s the last remaining Pryde of the defunct Guild of Artificers. The way he misses his parents is one of the more serious notes of the story. Author, Nazri Noor, created a clever way of making them come back from the dead, so to speak.
Book 1 has Jack pining after his frenemy neighbor, Xander, from the Wright family of mages and graduate of the super-elite Greyhaven Academy. Boy had it bad, and I could definitely see why. Xander’s adorbs! And their romance was pretty cute. Now that they’re a couple, the author succeeded in making them even more floofy! The boys are so madly in love, it’s ridiculous!
Speaking of Greyhaven boys, man, am I super intrigued! Total badasses and complete nerds, all of them! I am glad this is not about a magic academy because I’m tired of that. But the way Jack talks about the Greyhaven boys, he’s in awe but also considers them his rivals. I want more of them!!!
There’s the cocky SEER agent, Reza Arshad and his cool teleportation, and the Guildmaster of the Thousand Hands, Kaoru, who looks magnificent in his swooshy white robes. I’m low-key shipping the two.
One thing that makes me think of this as shounen anime is how each character has a signature magical power. Reza has the smoke thing going on, and Kaoru is the master of paper. Xander is on his way to becoming magic personified, and Jack has his gauntlet. As the series progresses, we’ll probably be introduced to more powers, which makes me go nuts because I love imagining which magical powers I’ll have. That’s what I tend do when I watch anime.
Not to mention the fight scenes! Holy hell, that scene inside the inner sanctum of the Thousand Hands was pure awesome!!! I live for spectacular displays of magic, and this second book certainly lives up to its titular brilliance.
And with these heart-thumping action, we have a gripping mystery, a bitter rivalry between two guilds, a secret hiding in plain sight, and family drama worthy of a soap opera. The plot moves the overarching storyline forward, with the threat of the purple crystals looming over everything. And even with the numerous side commentary from Jack, things move fast without loosing a beat.
Xander’s future is one I’m waiting on with bated breath. I’m half expecting him to become the Incandescent, a being of pure magic, something his horrid parents are forcing him to do because it is the Wright legacy. I love it when Xander completely unleashes his magic. The sad thing about it he loses part of himself every time he does it on his way to Incandescence until he’s nothing but a shell. I don’t want to Jack to lose the his favorite person.
A Stroke of Brilliance gives us all the bombastic action, humor, and magical fireworks while keeping the plot solid and making the romance even more squee-tastic. It’s a fantastic sequel that promises more thrilling adventures for our boys! All in all, a masterfully crafted tale!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Light My Love
Artist: Greta Van Fleet
Album: The Battle At Garden’s GateP.S.
Jackson and Xander’s adventures should be followed in order, starting with A Touch Of Fever.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of A Stroke of Brilliance. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
A Stroke of Brilliance: US | UK
You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
A STROKE OF BRILLIANCE
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
3-DAY BLAST: McShayne’s Elf by Nicole Dennis (Excerpt & Giveaway)
-
RELEASE BLITZ: A Long Way Home by Blake Allwood (Excerpt & Giveaway)
-
REVIEW: Knight in the Shadows by Ali Lyda & Alexa May
Knight in the Shadows – Ali Lyda & Alexa May
Serve the Family at all costs. That’s my purpose in life.
No one asked me if I wanted it.
Now there’s no way out.
And there’s definitely no place for Jake, a do-gooder military vet who sticks his nose in where it doesn’t belong.He thinks he saw darkness in the Army? He hasn’t looked at the depths inside me.
He’d run screaming if he knew.
But he’s made something in our crumbling neighborhood I thought couldn’t exist.
Something I want to be a part of.
Just like I want him. But I have to walk away.
No one betrays the Family and lives.Knight in the Shadows is a full length m/m mafia romance featuring a wounded army vet trying to make the best of his neighborhood and the mafia enforcer with a dark past who never expected to fall in love!
Knight in the Shadows is a book I picked up just because it says mafia on the cover. Ali Lyda & Alexa May are both new to me authors, so I came to this almost blind.
The plot revolves around a community-minded military vet, Jake, whose personal mission is to protect his neighborhood by keeping their community center, his gym, The Elm, from being taken over by the mob. Jake lost his military brothers and one of his legs in an explosion, and he’s currently coping with PTSD. The Elm is his life, and the employees and members are his family.
Max Russo is a reluctant mobster tasked by his stepdad, mob boss Ricky Russo, to find out what happened to a lost shipment of drugs. He crossed paths with Jake, and after the initial antagonism, they agreed to work together to save the gym and earn Max his freedom.
The story isn’t breaking any new ground or doing anything too flashy. It kind of went on longer than expected. I also found the mafia aspect lacking in authenticity, very mafia-lite. Same with Jake’s background. I’m not even sure if his rank was mentioned, just that he led a bunch of soldiers. Still, it had several things going that drove me on.
First, the romance between Jake and Max was super swoony! Max had the protective mafioso with a golden heart down pat. Jake had the Captain America good looks and do-gooding attitude.
They have the couple dynamics I like best. They’re both equally strong-willed, capable alphas, and physically they’re also the same build. There’s no cringey power play or dirty talk, yet they’re intense AF. Plus, they switch! And they have the sizzling chemistry that makes me squee. Loved that first kiss scene!
Second, this book is about community, and it succeeded spectacularly in this theme. There is a strong sense of belonging in The Elm, and the impact of its impending loss is palpable.
Single dad Sam, the personal trainer, and his two “budding pro-wrestler” kids, the small but badass gym employee Terry, the fab and sassy accountant Oliver, the tech-savvy and uber-efficient Maggie, Max’s PA and friend, and the deadly giant Cole, Max’s best friend, and enforcer, created the cozy found family feels with their distinct personalities and staunch support of Jake and their second home. I usually only mention the supporting cast if they’re memorable enough to stand out, and a lot of them did.
Third, narrator Max Peterman elevated an okay story into a very enjoyable one with his spot-on performance. It was the kind of delivery that had me glued from the moment I pressed play. The characters are already lovable, and I loved how he made them come alive. This one’s great as an audiobook.
Knight in the Shadows snuck up on me. I had little expectations, and it turned out to be one sitter. While I had my niggles, overall, the squee-tastic romance, the wonderful sense of community, and the masterful narration created a highly entertaining experience and one of my most favorite couples!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Jaws
Artist: Sleep Token
Album:P.S.
Cole and Sam’s book is next! These two had a history together so it’s all about second chances.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Knight in the Shadows. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
Knight in the Shadows: US | UK
You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
Knight in the Shadows
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
RELEASE BLITZ: Postscript by Anne Barwell (Excerpt & Giveaway)
