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AUDIO REVIEW: Shot In The Dark by Riley Long
Shot In The Dark – Riley Long
If you win the bet, we’ll let you disappear. If you lose, you’ll be trapped on stage forever.
Charlie
I’m definitely straight, but when rock god Eli Steele offers me the opportunity of a lifetime in exchange for being his fake husband for a year, I can’t say no. That’s how I find myself sharing a bed – and more than a few kisses – with the lead singer of Blood Money. All I have to do is stay focused on my work and pretend to be in love with him. Easy, right?Eli
I took a stupid fucking bet and now I have to convince Charlie to fall for me without using mind control. He’s straight, but the bigger problem is that he’s human and I’m not. Once he finds out I’m really a vampire, will he be able to look past my fangs and see what’s in my heart?
Shot In The Dark grabbed my attention because of several things. We have a rock star who’s also a vampire who wrangled a fake husband in order to win a bet. If he wins, he gets to hang up his guitar and fade into oblivion a.k.a. retire. What he didn’t count on was falling in love with his fake husband who is straight.
The rock star in question is Eli, 290 years old, the youngest in a band of vampires known as Blood Money. He’s tired of his current life and wants to leave it all behind. The band made a deal with him that they would end their life as a band if he falls in the love with the first person who walks in the bar.
Eli is my favorite vampire here. He’s got that intense vampire charisma down pat. He’s also gentle, sweet, caring, and generous. He closed his heart, determined not to fall in love again, after his human lover was killed by a coven of vampires many, many years ago. That’s why the band came up with the bet.
The other members were Drew, Rudy and Zach. The one who stood out the most was Drew, mostly for being an ass. He was right about a lot of things but did he have to be so goddamn obnoxious about it?
Charlie was the lucky man who came in at the right place, at the right time. He’s an aspiring filmmaker who wanted to create a documentary about Blood Money. Meeting the great Eli Steele, he couldn’t help but feel things even if he was as straight as they come. And to his amazement, the rock star offered to let him secretly document the notoriously private band in exchange for pretending to be in love and becoming his husband. They had to convince the band their relationship was real.
At this point, I was left wondering, how come nobody questioned that Eli was suddenly married despite knowing Charlie for only a couple of days? I would assume Drew was sharp enough to pick up on that suspicious timing.
That little niggle aside, Eli and Charlie went about this fake husband thing in the most spectacular way. Right off the bat, the chemistry between the MCs was palpable and gave the story sparkle and zing. The way the romance was pulled off, in that delicious journey from uh-oh there’s only one bed to I can’t he’s straight to so very gay for you right now, was the best thing about the book.
And alongside of the romance, the friendship that blossomed between Eli and Charlie was a beautiful thing too. It highlighted how good they are for each other. Charlie is lovely! I loved his open-minded approach to their relationship and how he just naturally fell into place in Eli’s life.
I also liked many of the concepts presented in the story. However, they were as not fully explored as I would have liked. The world building was minimal, just enough to give paranormal color. We get only a small glimpse of the larger vampire world but that is already at the latter part. The secret documentary could have been an interesting issue, especially with vampire identities needed to be kept on the down low but that went nowhere. I also wished we get a more fleshed out backstory for Eli and his friends. Majority of the book was spent with the band on tour but I didn’t get a strong grasp of the other personalities apart from Eli, Charlie and Drew.
Too bad we only hear about Eli’s fierce fighting skills after Charlie was captured by the bad vampires. That would have been one heck of a climactic scene had it been shown. Instead we get a ridiculous separation period that was totally unnecessary. Although, I get that the book was going for conflict but it could have been done differently.
The audiobook is narrated by Andrew Morrison. He is a new-to-me narrator. He brought Eli, Charlie and their friends to life with distinct personalities, recognizable voices and accents. Although, there were a couple of dialogues where the accents bled a bit into another character, specifically Eli’s British accent and Charlie’s American accent. Nonetheless, I greatly enjoyed his performance. I was able to listen to the story in one sitting because he made it flow so easily.
Shot In The Dark is a sweet, low-angst novella, focusing primarily on the romance with the paranormal elements mostly low key. If vampire-flavored fake husbands, gay for you tropes tick your boxes too, this one is definitely worth a shot.
P.S.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews and Audible for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: One Shot In The Darkness
Artist: Joshua Hyslop
Album: One Shot In The Darkness
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SHOT IN THE DARK
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REVIEW: Secret Admirer by D.J. Jamison
Secret Admirer – D.J. Jamison
You deserve all the kisses you want …
Benji,
I want you to know how amazing you are. You won’t believe me, because I’m just your brother’s best friend, but it’s true. Each day my feelings for you grow, confusing but undeniable.With a few anonymous love tokens, I finally have an outlet for all the things I can’t say. And with each gift and note, you smile. For me. Not your brother’s straight friend, but something new. Something more. Something that will change everything if we can both find the courage to believe.
All I have to do is confess who I really am:
Your Secret Admirer
Secret Admirer is a super cute, feel-good offering from D.J. Jamison. She’s one of the more enjoyable MM romance authors out there. I said this about her before, she can make me read and like pure contemporary romance, a genre I typically struggle with.
This is an opposites attract, nerd + frat boy, brother’s bestfriend romance. It’s not really breaking new grounds but it makes up for it by all the adorkable moments.
First off, I really liked that the identity of the secret admirer was known to the reader right off the bat. I don’t have to drive myself crazy trying to figure it out. This is dual POV.
Benji is out and proud. He’s been secretly crushing on Ace, the best friend of his older brother, Jeremy, since forever. He knows it’s hopeless because the guy is straight. Ace has always been kind to him. Now that he is in college, Ace looks out for him on behalf of Jeremy. Ace treats him like a lil’ brother. Or so Benji thought.
Normally, I’m all over the shy, nerdy types and I was so ready to love Benji. But as the story progressed, his insecurities got the better of him. He gradually lost his charm.
Ace was the better guy here for being genuinely nice, caring, sweet and selfless. He had to reflect on his attraction to Benji a bit, especially in relation to his bi-curiosity and his best friend who might not think too highly about Ace hooking up with his baby brother. Eventually, he became honest with himself and took a chance to see where his feelings would lead.
There is the spectre of Jeremy hanging over most of the story with the guys holding off from telling him. He made his grand entrance, surprising both Ace and Benji. Then it tapered off to a blessedly drama-free but yeah, also anti-climatic, ending.
Secret Admirer falls somewhere between like and love. While there were many scenes that gave me warm fuzzies, these were mostly because of Ace’s efforts. The Benji issue could be a ME thing because many other GR reviewers were okay with him. I could still say the romance developed nicely despite Benji not appealing to me as a character. The story is low-angst and humorous, ideal for days when you’re in the mood for light, fluffy college boys shenanigans.
P.S.
Posts on D.J. Jamison’s works here.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: He’s So Fine
Artist: The Chiffons
Album: He’s So Fine
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to get your copy of Secret Admirer. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
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REVIEW: Breaking News by Ella Frank
Prime Time: Breaking New – Ella Frank
Breaking News is the continuation of Xander and Sean’s story and should only be read after book one, Inside Affair.
Xander
Sean Bailey, the older brother of my lifelong best friend, has always been a surly, temperamental pain in my ass. But sometime during the last few weeks, I’ve gone and fallen head over heels for him.
Gruff and charming, charismatic in his own way, I’ve found myself looking past my preconceptions and discovered a whole new side to Detective Dick—a side I could fall in love with.
But life isn’t always easy—it can change course in the blink of an eye. Sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. I know this because last night I experienced both sides.
I went to Sean for help in guarding my body; what I didn’t expect was for him to steal my heart.
Like many readers, I was excited to delve into this Prime Time sequel as we were left with one heck of a cliffhanger in Inside Affair. Like some of them, I expected more. This review echos their reactions.
Breaking News picks up right after that momentous awards ceremony where the stalker finally decided to make his move.
While I am ecstatic that Xander and Sean lost none of their magical chemistry, there was really nothing earth-shaking happening in the story. Not that that I was bored, more like the story was ‘just there’ and wasn’t really grabbing me.
I felt it would have done the overall presentation a whole lot of good if the entire series was one book instead of chopping it to 3 volumes. Cliffhangers are Ella Frank‘s thing and which, I believe does work wonders if executed properly. However, Breaking News felt like we were dropped smack in the middle of a story that was just there to set up the next big event.
On the upside, Xander and Sean took their relationship to a higher level. Sean really stepped up his game here! And boy did he ace it. Not only risking his life to save Xander but also making sure he was emotionally okay too after the trauma.
Xander was okay for the most part, but had panic attacks triggered by unexpected noises. Sean takes him to his secret getaway to recuperate and woos him with an outdoor spa and a sky full of stars. It was all very romantic until sophisticated, city boy Xander was jumped on by a teeny tiny frog. All hell broke loose…
So yeah, romance-wise, things are pretty spectacular. Xander and Sean still has one of my favorite gay-for-you stories out there. The way they sync together was almost flawless. I loved the way they continue to discover new things about each other. It’s amazing how a person they knew their whole life could surprise them in so many ways. The book really did a great job highlighting that.
Overall, I got that middle book feels mixed in with a wonderful relationship development. This ends with another cliffhanger but one I already expected so it wasn’t that shocking.
I love this series, most especially the characters so I am looking forward to the third book. Xander and Sean went from fake to real to intense and now they just need to let the rest of the world know. The rest of the world a.k.a. Bailey a.k.a. Sean’s lil bro a.k.a. Xander’s bestfriend a.k.a. ex. If only it’s that easy…
“Thank you for showing me the real you. I had no idea what I was missing.”
“And what was that?”
“Someone truly magnificent.”
P.S.
The books end in cliffhangers so Prime Time is best experienced as a binge read. Find out where it all started and check out my review of Inside Affair, book one of Prime Time, here.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: I’ll Maybe Let You
Artist: The Irrepressibles
Album: Mirror Mirror
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SERIES REVIEW: Marital Bliss Books 2-2.5 by D.J. Jamison
Marital Bliss is a contemporary romance series by D.J. Jamison centering around a group of friends and how they found their other halfs. It started with the squee-tastic Surprise Groom, a fake boyfriends story full of authentic feels and delicious USTs up the wazoo. This was set in Bliss Island, a wedding resort venue owned by Caleb and his husband Julien.
The next two stories take us to the Triple J Ranch owned by Wyatt Jones who inherited it from his grandfather. The ranch is struggling and Wyatt is doing his best to keep it afloat by turning part of it into a wedding venue.
Marital Bliss: Wrangling A Groom – D.J. Jamison
Can two men keep a childhood promise for marital bliss?
Wyatt is overwhelmed after his grandfather dies, leaving him to take over the cattle ranch. The Triple J is floundering, vandals are targeting him, and his first and only love is finally within reach–and still holding a grudge. Wyatt has wanted to marry Diego since they made a childhood pact, but Diego isn’t back for their second chance.
When a funeral calls Diego back to Texas, he comes face-to-face with the cowboy who broke his heart. Resentment has burned inside him for years, but his anger wavers as he realizes just how much Wyatt is struggling to keep his head above water. The man he once loved is lonely and burdened, and Diego feels compelled to help him rediscover the strong, capable rancher he knows him to be.
Hostility gives way to passion, then friendship as they fall into a rhythm of work and sex. Wyatt has renewed hope he might wrangle the man he wants to be his groom. But Diego has a life waiting for him one thousand miles away, and love may not be enough to prevent history from repeating itself.
Wrangling a Groom is Book 2 of the Marital Bliss series, but can be read as a standalone.
Wrangling a Groom starts with the death of Wyatt’s grandfather. Wyatt’s childhood friend and son of his ranch foreman, Diego arrived for the funeral. The two had a pretty tumultuous history.
At the age of 6, they made a pact to marry each other when they turned 25. Wyatt and Diego were very close and even became boyfriends. They were unfortunately caught kissing by Wyatt’s grandpa who didn’t approve of homosexuals.
Wyatt was made to choose between the ranch and Diego. He chose his heritage and Diego promptly took off without saying goodbye. He ended up in Miami as a bartender.
After 6 years of radio silence, the sparks between the two men were still there. But Diego was still angry and Wyatt was still sorry.
A bulk of the story focused on the men working to get the ranch going as well as Wyatt’s determined efforts to renovate some buildings for the wedding venue. These parts were slow for me. I wasn’t particularly interested in ranch chores so I actually put the book on hold for a while.
But then I’m glad I decided to go at it once in a while because the story did pick up the pace a after bit. What eventually won me over was Wyatt’s endearing earnestness and willingness to put his whole heart on the line. I loved how he never held anything back.
On Diego’s first day at the ranch, he reminded him of their pact. He was eager to fulfill his promise. Diego outright said no. Then he offered his heart on a platter again despite Diego rejecting him once again. Diego was clearly still not over his anger.
But spending time together in the ranch as Diego helped out because of the lack of manpower did plenty to bridge the gap between them. They rediscovered their friendship and some good memories. They even made new ones. It was easy to see what the two men could have been had they never separated.
As far as friends-to-lovers went, this went on a circuitous route. It may take patience but the journey was worth taking. Once you get past the middle part, the charm of the story becomes more apparent.
I liked how everything connected back to Bliss Island. Wyatt met Diego’s friends, Caleb and Julien. They helped him with his new business venture. And then they helped Diego and him in their other new venture as Diego finally realized where he belonged all along.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: A Pact of Blood
Artist: Rome
Album: Die Æsthetik der Herrschaftsfreiheit: Aufruhr / A Cross of Fire
Marital Bliss: Nobody’s Groom – D.J. Jamison
Can two enemies find love after a rocky start?
TJ hoped the Triple J Ranch would be a fresh start under a new name, with his tarnished family reputation behind him. He didn’t count on the young, spirited Colby provoking him at every turn. But when tempers boil over, TJ discovers that Colby’s disgust with him is more like lust, and that he’d do just about anything to tangle with the confused kitten.
Colby likes everyone, but something about the new, unfriendly cowboy on the crew gets under his skin. He doesn’t understand just how worked up TJ has him until his body reacts, shocking them both. Colby’s never been with a man, but he can’t fight the desire TJ’s rough hands have awakened in him.
It’s just physical, an opportunity to indulge Colby’s secret desires. But the young ranch hand’s innocence softens something inside TJ, and he can’t deny he wants more. He’s nobody’s groom, but could he be Colby’s love — or will his lies come between them?
Nobody’s Groom is a Marital Bliss novella. It can stand alone, but is best read after Wrangling a Groom due to overlapping events that may contain spoilers.
I was excited for this series’ take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. TJ and Colby were introduced as the ranch hands at the Triple J.
For some reason, TJ rubbed the normally affable Colby the wrong way. Colby blamed TJ when something goes wrong in the ranch. TJ being the new guy, he was the easy target.
The two were also opposites. TJ was big, gruff and silent while Colby was slender and talkative. TJ was out but quietly gay while Colby was straight but curious. It didn’t take long for things to ignite between the two because Colby was drawn to TJ like moth to a flame.
This story has good bones in it. There were some family drama in the mix but whatever plot it had was overwhelmed by too much sex scenes. Meh.
This novella’s timeline takes place alongside Wyatt and Diego’s. Many events were referenced so this is not a standalone.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Habits of My Heart
Artist: Jaymes Young
Album: Habits of My Heart
A lot of contemporary romance fall flat for me but despite some complaints, Marital Bliss was able to draw me in and keep me engaged. It helps that that it is full of characters you can root for, well-loved tropes that feel fresh, writing that’s easy to go through, some angst, some drama, some laughs and definitely a lot of heart.
I’m looking forward to the next groom!
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BLOG TOUR: The Experiment by Rebecca Raine (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q & A With Author)
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COVER REVEAL: The Experiment by Rebecca Raine (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Inside Affair by Ella Frank
Prime Time: Inside Affair – Ella Frank
Xander
If I had to describe Sean Bailey, it would be: a surly, temperamental pain in my ass. Never in that equation would I ever include the word boyfriend—and not just because he’s straight.The older brother of my life-long best friend, Sean is a detective for the Chicago PD, and is also known as Detective “Dick” for being…well, a surly, temperamental pain in everyone’s ass. He also happens to be the best they have, which is why I find myself on his doorstep the night my life is threatened by an anonymous stalker.
I only wanted the name of a bodyguard; I didn’t expect for Sean to volunteer for the job. Now, not only do I have a bodyguard, I also have a fake boyfriend.
Sean
It must be so hard to be Alexander Thorne, the number one prime-time news anchor in the country, with millions of dollars and a car that costs more than my house. I mean, I’m allowed to give him a hard time about it, but when some creep decides to cross the line and go after him, they’re gonna have to answer to me.Going undercover has never been an issue in the past, so I don’t see why there’d be a problem now. Xander and I have known each other for years, so this should be a breeze. Except suddenly my stomach’s flipping when he looks my way, and my body comes alive whenever he brushes by me. I know I’m good at my job and playing a character and all, but this is getting out of hand.
I can’t be sure that either of us are playing anymore.
It’s those times where you tried this and that and nothing sticks. It’s the dreaded slump! It was only when I read the reviews for Inside Affair that I knew this is the book that will bring me out of it. Thank you GR friends for bringing this book to my attention.
The moment I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed it so much I was very tempted to blow off work and just read.
This series opener had all the right ingredients. We have two antagonistic MCs, not quite enemies, just two people who barely tolerated each other. Throw in a stalker, a fake relationship, a bodyguard gig, lots of zingers and you got a winner.
The banter between Sean and Xander had me chuckling all the way. They say all kinds of annoying shit, trying to get a rise out of the other. Sometimes, they hit a particularly sensitive nerve and things get ugly.
Then… they started noticing each other.
Bam!
USTs explode!
This had the kind of expert execution that makes gay-for-you tropes so delicious. Not to mention the fake to real transition came about so naturally it left no room for doubts. The progression was a lovely slow-burn that kept anticipation high and made the feels so damn good. The aha moment was very satisfying as unfolds most especially because they had known each other for most of their lives but hadn’t really look.
And so Xander was like, “But this is Sean!!!”
Sean who was his bestfriend and ex, Bailey’s annoying big brother.
Sean who so grumpy they called him Detective Dick.
Sean who was straight and yet…
Sean who never even imagined that Xander lived in a castle with rotating floors.
Xander whose eyes, Sean suddenly realized, were a gorgeous shade of green
Xander whose face was so blinding, Sean could see nothing but him.
Now they know.
P.S.
Just a heads up: Inside Affair ends with somebody bleeding and fate unknown. Best to wait until all the books are released if you are not of fan of cliffhangers.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Your Body Changes Everything
Artist: Perfume Genius
Album: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately -
AUDIO REVIEW: Just Like Heaven by T.L. Bradford
The Young Americans: Just Like Heaven – T.L. Bradford
Noah Sinclair
Noah Sinclair is best described as an egotistical, pompous, anal retentive, asshat. And those are his better qualities. Lately, Noah has lost touch with his playboy character “Jace” on the show Americana and can’t quite put his finger on why. The studio decides it is time to shake up his character by making him an offer he can’t refuse, literally. They will introduce a new love interest for his character “Jace.” Only this time, there’s a twist.Josh Hill
Josh Hill is up a creek and sinking fast. He’s got no job, no money, no credit and is about to be kicked out of his apartment. Opportunity comes in the form of a job offer from the show Americana. Everything should be perfect; only there is one hitch. He will be the new love interest for Noah Sinclair’s character on the beloved show.So, opposites are supposed to attract, right? Not so fast. No one said life was that easy. Both actors find themselves in untested waters. Will they be able to play a same-sex couple with no prior experience authentically? Well, they say practice makes perfect.
Carefree, fun-loving Josh and uptight, overbearing Noah, realize they need to make the best of their bad situation and are forced to find common ground. Over time, their roles in each other’s lives become blurred. Is their attraction fake, or is it real? To top it off, Noah has a dark skeleton in his closet that can prevent them from ever moving forward.
Can they get on the same page and save both of their careers and their relationship?
Or will they end up yesterday’s tabloid fodder?
(Just Like Heaven is a full-length, slow-burn love story. It can be read as a standalone. It contains a cast of fully-developed characters that encounter romance, heartache, laughter, and life lessons. The book has darker themes that may act as triggers to some readers. It contains adult language, mature themes, and is best enjoyed by those over the age of 18.)
Just Like Heaven is a case of life imitating soap. It’s just as long, just as melodramatic.
I think the author was trying to cram every popular trope possible. Noah and Josh started out as enemies, then friends then lovers. There was a slow-burn gay for you thrown in with both claiming to be straight. Then coming out issues with Noah refusing to even admit to himself he was gay because he was so traumatized by his abusive father.
Sometime later, we get Josh admitting he had a crush on his football teammate back in high school and revealing he was bisexual. There’s even the big breakup and a second chance romance of sorts.
All of these would have been one hell of an epic saga. However the book had an unfortunate tendency to tell rather than show. There were chunks and chunk of paragraphs of just telling.
The book could benefit from taking out some passages. For instance, there was Noah looking back to the time he was caught kissing a boy. The same scenario was later described in dialogue by the actor to Josh in almost the same way.
I wasn’t particularly drawn to the two MCs. Noah was as difficult as advertised. Josh was the more likable one, the type who’s friends with a person within 5 minutes of meeting them.
Their honeymoon phase was indeed sweet but on the whole they weren’t exactly the healthiest couple out there. There were petty jealousies and possessiveness. They don’t talk properly. They had better relationships with the other people they hooked up with. So their relationship wasn’t something I could root for.
On the upside, the other cast members were great supporting characters. I could see how their real life chemistry would translate well on screen. They were like the millennial version of the Brat Pack.
The Hill family Christmas was the most fun part of the book. Everyone had a blast at their Christmas Olympics. This was where Noah and Josh synced perfectly together. We get a glimpse of what they could be if they were simply regular guys named Noah Sinclair and Joshua Hill instead of Primetime Emmys’ Best Couple.
It wouldn’t be your favorite daytime soap without scandals and messy breakups. The big fight was ugly, the separation painful. But it wasn’t long before they started hooking up with other castmates. At this point, my interest petered out.
Narrator Corey H. Bennson was a major reason why I stuck around for as long as I could. He’s one of those narrators who acts rather than just reads. I really enjoyed his style.
I wish Noah and Josh well. I know they would eventually find their way back to each other. And stay there, hopefully.
P.S.
Sorry, this was supposed to be posted yesterday but my blog’s I.P. address had some technical issues.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: The Magic Position
Artist: Patrick Wolf
Album: The Magic Position -
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Ibis’ Affliction by Nero Seal (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Shelter in Place by Simon Strange (Excerpt & Giveaway)
