-
COVER REVEAL: A Summer of Smoke and Sin by T.J. Nichols (Excerpt)
-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Boiling Over by Thea McAlistair (Excerpt & Giveaway)
-
REVIEW: Christmas Homecoming by L.A. Witt
The Christmas Angel: Christmas Homecoming by L.A. Witt
August 1939. Roger Miller and Jack O’Brien have been close since childhood. By the time they realize there’s more between them than friendship, Jack is leaving their sleepy Iowa town for college. But they console themselves knowing he’ll be home for Christmas. Right?
It is Christmas before they see each other again, but that Christmas comes six years and a world war later. Aged, beaten, and shaken by combat, they’re not the boys they were back then, but their feelings for each other are stronger than ever.
Neither know the words to say everything they’ve carried since that peacetime summer kiss, though. Even as they stand in the same room, there’s a thousand miles between them.
But maybe that’s some distance the little angel in Roger’s rucksack can cross.
The Christmas Angel series books are standalones and can be read in any order.
I love historical MM stories set during the wartime periods. They are especially poignant and bittersweet usually ending with me blinking back tears.
Christmas Homecoming is part of The Christmas Angel series, where a carved wooden angel worked its magic to bring people together throughout the years. This novella is the only one in the series I’ve read so far.
The story starts in 1939 when Germany was about to invade Poland. Roger and Jack were two childhood friends. Jack was about to leave town for the city. Roger was doesn’t know what to do with his life yet but he is sure that he doesn’t want to be a farmer and marry a girl.
On the day before Jack was about to leave, the two friends decided to take a swim together for the last time. That was when they realized the feelings between the two of them evolved into something else. They shared a kiss. They didn’t see each other again for 6 years.
This is a beautiful love story between two men at a time when such love was not yet accepted. It is full of yearnings and sweet stolen moments made more precious because it’s taboo. I wanted to hug them and give them their safe space.
The war tore the two men apart. L.A. Witt deftly inserted details that portrayed the life of soldiers at war-time and after. It made what would otherwise be a sweet but simplistic fairytale more complex and nuanced. The survivors had to deal with PTSD. Roger and Jack were not spared. They each carry with them complicated memories of bombs and the men who kept them company in the lonely nights. My heart went out to Oskar, the spy and Floyd, the pilot. The story did a good job drawing me to these two secondary characters who existed only in memories. I wanted their stories too.
Admittedly, the middle part did drag a bit but as the story slowly eased its way to the resolution I found myself enjoying it even more. I liked how the author gave Roger a way out of the prescribed path his parents laid out for him. I liked how they found a way to be together. I even found myself interested in the two old codgers who inspired the boys that it’s possible.
Christmas Homecoming is a touching holiday story I recommend. For a book its length, it’s filled with many interesting characters and intense emotions. It captured the small-town atmosphere, the post-war melancholy and the fervent longings of forbidden lovers. It didn’t make me cry but it did warm my heart.
P.S.
L.A. Witt books here
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To
Artist: Dinah Shore
Album: -
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Ablaze by Elvira Bell (Excerpt & Giveaway)
-
REVIEW: The Fall by X. Aratare
Winter Haven: The Fall – X. Aratare
Gay romance is forbidden in this 1930s gothic romantic suspense story, but a greater darkness than prejudice haunts our lovers’ steps.
When Carter Thomas discovers the elaborate clockwork door in the Dupre Mine, he seeks out Etienne Dupre, the sheltered son of the mine’s owner, for answers. Both young men have long secretly loved one another from afar.
But even as their summertime love affair flames hot and forbidden, they discover secrets about Etienne’s heritage and the dark plan Armand Dupre has in store for his son. If the door is opened then Etienne – and perhaps the world – will all be sacrificed to Armand’s lust for power.
Can Carter and Etienne stop Armand or has their fate already been written in stone?
An M/M gothic romantic suspense story for the darker months
The Fall tells of a mysterious door that was found inside a tunnel in a mine. Who made the door? What is behind it? Dare they open it?
The book is part of the extensive Winter Haven universe and contained what I have come to recognized as the author’s signature style. X. Aratare‘s stories are gothic, heavily atmospheric, and paranormal with internal dialogues that are ‘thought out loud’ rather than told to the reader. There are creepy father figures with questionable designs on their sons. The pure and innocent is juxtaposed against the worldly and dark. The delicious USTs unfold in their distinct electrifying prose. And of course, the cliffhangers are of hair-pulling intensity. These elements came together spectacularly in The Vampire’s Club, the only other series of theirs I have read.
The Fall had a more subdued effect a.k.a. I’m not as gaga over it as TVC. I wasn’t as strongly drawn to the characters. I wanted something more from the story and I was left hanging over Carter and Etienne’s future.
Etienne is the only son of the Dupre family with bloodlines that could be traced back to royal families from his late mother’s side. His circumstances, being an asthmatic, was limiting in many of ways. He was confined to the house, under the strict watch of his father, Armand. It did not leave much for him to do so character-wise it was hard not to see him as nothing more than sweet and pretty. He wasn’t totally helpless. He was always curious and eager to escape to the wider world but when he finally learned his true nature and was only starting to spread his wings, the story ended. Tsk!
Carter had more freedom so he was more-fleshed out. He was the head miner in the Dupre mine. He had a strong sense of responsibility. He cared for the welfare of his fellow miners. Even if he was poor, he was educated and dreamt of becoming an archaeologist. Armand trusted him and treated him with a measure of respect. Carter is a great seme. He’s gentle, caring and protective but he’s not the most memorable character in the Winter Haven line-up.
Armand Dupre is Etienne’s always impeccably dressed father. By most accounts, he’s a good boss who paid his miners well. By all appearances, he is a devoted father who made sure his sickly son is well-cared for. His real obsession is power. So much so that he studied the occult. And was willing to sacrifice his son.
Armand had the uncanny ability to tell what Carter and Etienne are thinking. I suspect he really can read minds. In terms of evilness, nurturing a progeny as a sacrifice to The Unnamed One is up there on the scale but then again, he gave subtle hints and tacit approval that the two young men should get on with it and I was close to liking the guy.
A huge chunk of the story is Cartier and Etienne’s courtship and forbidden romance with nothing to stop them except society’s disapproval. It was all very sweet and touching. It was nothing I haven’t seen before. Except that the author has a way with words and could ignite sparks out of a simple conversation on a porch swing like no one else. I liked that their writing is sensual rather than sexual, focusing on the eliciting squees rather than stirring up lust.
The door and what lies behind it ties the story to the greater universe. Carter is trapped inside. Etienne’s fate is much worse than dying young. Armand lays his soul bare or… does he?
A Faustian bargain is struck.
At what price?
What happens when He comes calling?
We’ll never know unless you pick up the other books which are not about them anymore.
They were told to go to Winter Haven to be with Etienne’s kind and we are told the general outline of their future. Then it ended with Carter and Etienne riding off towards the sunset. I was left in the dust gaping like a fool.
THAT’S IT?!!! (ﾉ`□´)ﾉ⌒┻━┻
P.S.
The Vampire’s Club books here
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Pet
Artist: A Perfect Circle
Album: Thirteen Step -
REVIEW: Hexhunter by Jordan L. Hawk
Hexworld: Hexhunter – Jordan L. Hawk
Detective Bill Quigley fell in love with the familiar Isaac the night they met. But after more than two years, it’s time to admit to himself that Isaac doesn’t return his feelings.
Isaac knows he’s too broken by his experiences for anyone to fall in love with. Especially someone like Bill, who deserves a partner unplagued by Isaac’s nightmares and doubts.
When children go missing from an orphanage, Bill and Isaac must work together to find them. And as years of yearning threaten to ignite into passion, they must decide once and for all whether to take a chance on love.
Hexworld is a brilliant Jordan L. Hawk creation set in alternate New York run by hexes and magic is channeled through a combination of witches and familiars. Any witch and familiar may bond but the strongest magic comes from the bonding of a fated familiar and witch pair. There are three books and some novellas released so far, each couple bringing their own unique dynamics. I loved all the stories!
Hexhunter stood out for having a witch and familiar pair not fated to each other. In this world, familiars have the raw end of the deal, forced to bond with a witch or not even considered human. In book one, Hexbreaker, we learned Isaac was treated horribly by his fated witch and he was forced to quit the Metropolitan Witch Police. He was later forced bonded with another, kept imprisoned in his mastiff form and drained of magic. He was rescued by Tom and Cicero with the help of Bill Quigley, who quickly fell in love with Isaac.
Isaac and Bill slow-burned their way through several books and every Hexworld fan has been waiting for their moment. After several books, the plot has gotten a bit predictable but I don’t really mind. I’ve been rooting for these two.
The familiar has PTSD and the book dealt with Isaac’s journey to recovery. Because of past abuses, he is slow to trust and thinks he is tainted because his magic is drawn to bad men. He constantly puts himself down and considers himself unworthy. Bless Bill and his big heart! He was exactly what Isaac needs. With infinite patience and a lot of TLCs, he showed Isaac his true worth. Theirs was the softest romance of them all. Those years finally paid off!
Isaac ran his hand lightly over Bill’s chest. “Worth the wait?”
“Aye.” Bill kissed Isaac’s hair. “ Worth everything.”
The abuse of familiars and the desire to control them has been the main conflict in the series. This book once again tackled this threat. The big bad villain who remained unseen and only spoken in secret, masterminded a plot of manipulating familiar forms with hexes. Children from the orphanage were kidnapped and thought to be subjected to this inhumane treatment. As with other JLH books (e.g. Whyborne & Griffin), long lost relatives were not to be trusted and some parental units are just not worth it.
The world-building is top-notched as usual and skillfully interwoven with actual historical events and mythological stories, that of the 1900s archaeological excavations in Knossos and the story of the Minotaur. I love how this part was put into good use in the climax. Bill blindly running around in the dark, creepy noises, monsters lurking, all classic edge of your seat fun.
A big hoorah for all the appearances of the rest of the gang, Tom and Cicero, Owen and Mal (my favorite couple), Nick and Jamie, and Dominic and Rook. Of course, Cicero and his big mouth stole the show in every scene he is in. He got Isaac in trouble once again, this time causing friction between Isaac and Sionn, an owl familiar and Isaac’s officemate, who was also interested in Bill. Sionn’s a good guy so I hope he gets his own book and *fingers crossed* it’s him and Valentine, the journalist.
All too often, Hexworld magic is blind and connects a familiar and witch seemingly at random. Unlike the other books where it plays a pivotal role in the pairing, Hexhunter is about healing and making a choice. Because sometimes, it’s better to choose a good witch than the right witch.
Magic ain’t everything .
P.S.
Hexworld books here.
Jordan L. Hawk books here.Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Euphoria, Take My Hand
Artist: Glasvegas
Album: Euphoric Heartbreak -
REVIEW: The Left Hand Of Calvus by Ann Gallagher
Former gladiator Saevius is certain Fortune’s smiling on him when a Pompeiian politician buys him to be his bodyguard. That is until his new master, Laurea Calvus, orders Saevius to discover the gladiator with whom his wife is having a sordid affair. In order to do that, Saevius must return to the arena, training alongside the very men on whom he’s spying. Worse, he’s now under the command of Drusus, a notoriously cruel—and yet strangely intriguing—lanista.
But Saevius’s ruse is the least of his worries. There’s more to the affair than a wife humiliating her prominent husband, and now Saevius is part of a dangerous game between dangerous men. He isn’t the only gladiator out to expose the Lady Verina’s transgressions, and her husband wants more than just the guilty man’s name.
When Saevius learns the truth about the affair, he’s left with no choice but to betray a master: one he’s come to fear, one he’s come to respect, and either of whom could have him killed without repercussion.
For the first time in his life, the most dangerous place for this gladiator isn’t the arena.
This novel has been previously published under the pseudonym L.A. Witt, and has been lightly revised.
INTENSE!
The Left Hand of Calvus is an extremely well-written and tightly woven story of a gladiator involved in “a dangerous game between dangerous men” against his will. Authored by Ann Gallagher, also known as L.A. Witt, it oozes USTs without the MC, Saevius, fully understanding what was happening and with nary a sex scene in sight. People might complain about the lack of steam but I am the type who can happily live off USTs alone so this novel is totally my jam.
And it’s not just tension of the sexual kind that is tight. There is constant threat to life and limb and Saevius was perpetually walking on razor’s edge. As a gladiator and essentially a slave, he had no choice but do anything his masters tell him to do. He was told to spy on his fellow gladiators both by Calvus and Drusus, albeit for different reasons. A slight misstep could get him killed by either masters and/or his fellow gladiators and he had to survive on fighting skills and wits. As a veteran fighter, Saevius was nothing if not a survivor and I enjoyed seeing him outwit and outlast hostile elements from his first person perspective.
The author did a great job with the historical aspect giving many interesting details about gladiator life in and out of the arena, one of which was that it’s okay for rich married women to bed these fighters but it’s a big no no for them to sleep with a citizen or free man. This fact was cleverly utilized in the story. I also liked how 78 AD Pompeii came alive without overwhelming the reader with tons of info.
The mystery sounds simple but executed with enough suspense and surprises to keep me glued to the book. Calvus suspects his wife was sleeping with somebody from Drusus’ ludus (house), who might or might not be a gladiator, and wants to put an end to the affair to save his reputation. Drusus, on the other hand, wants to find out who might potentially be another Spartacus. With both masters demanding complete loyalty, it was Saevius’ strange attraction to Drusus that tipped the scales.
Seen through the eyes of the gladiator, Drusus was, for the most part, a mystery but damn was he intriguing! He’s cold, cruel, calculating and something else. I totally get why Saevius was drawn to him without actually knowing much about the person. And while the book is not really about romance, the romance kind of sneaks up on you in that delightful slow burn way. Then BAM! came that big twist which I never saw coming. The best part of it all was that Saevius was super cool about the whole thing. What a sweetheart! The only problem with twists like this is that the hashtag is a spoiler so I’m not putting a tag on it.
I haven’t read that many gladiator stories but I think The Left Hand of Calvus is one of the best ones out there. The story is short, gripping and fast-paced. It just grabs you from the start and keeps you enthralled. If you like twisty historical stories about battle-scarred warriors grappling with impossible situations, this one’s for you.
P.S.
Other L.A. Witt books here
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Escape
Artist: 30 Seconds To Mars
Album: This Is War -
REVIEW: Band Sinister by K.J. Charles
Band Sinister – K.J. Charles
Sir Philip Rookwood is the disgrace of the county. He’s a rake and an atheist, and the rumours about his hellfire club, the Murder, can only be spoken in whispers. (Orgies. It’s orgies.)
Guy Frisby and his sister Amanda live in rural seclusion after a family scandal. But when Amanda breaks her leg in a riding accident, she’s forced to recuperate at Rookwood Hall, where Sir Philip is hosting the Murder.
Guy rushes to protect her, but the Murder aren’t what he expects. They’re educated, fascinating people, and the notorious Sir Philip turns out to be charming, kind—and dangerously attractive.
In this private space where anything goes, the longings Guy has stifled all his life are impossible to resist…and so is Philip. But all too soon the rural rumour mill threatens both Guy and Amanda. The innocent country gentleman has lost his heart to the bastard baronet—but does he dare lose his reputation too?
I haven’t read Georgette Heyer but if her works are as fun-tastic as this, I’d gladly read her entire oeuvre.
Band Sinister is KJ Charles “going full Heyer” and there’s lots to love.
First, the characters all stood out, even the secondaries and extras who had minimal page time. She made me curious about all the cast that I started wishing for a book for many of them. Especially Corvin! Give us Corvin’s book, please please please!!! He’s just too good to pass up.
The rake and the virgin trope was executed perfectly! A lot of times, this trope could get rapey so a million points for the big emphasis on consent. I loved Philip Rookwood for being simultaneously a devilish gentleman and golden-hearted rake. Who could resist such combination!
“Let me be frank. I find you intriguing, and extremely appealing, and delightful company, and very much a man who deserves more pleasure in his life. If you’d like to take that pleasure with me, I’d be honoured. If you aren’t so minded, don’t take offence at the offer, and I shan’t at the refusal. And if you decide you’d prefer Corvin, for example, I shall bow out like a gentleman, although I shall probably kick him in the shins at some point from pure envy.”
Certainly not Guy! Who soon discovered there is so much more to their neighbor and his hellfire club than their unspeakable activities. Who was intrigued and curious despite himself. Who found the courage to be honest and go after what he wanted. And who was the best brother any sister could hope for.
Guy and Amanda’s relationship was one of the most enjoyable part of the book. The siblings stuck together no matter what and I’m glad that both of them got their HEA in equally adorable ways.
Needless to say, I love the Murder! I wanted to join the club. A Facebook friend once said, our country is stuck in perma-Victorian times, and although Band Sinister is set in the Regency period, the small town small minded atmosphere is similar to the oppressiveness of Guy and Amanda’s village. A club like the Murder would be like a breath of fresh air. I could totally understand the sense of liberation Guy felt when he was with Philip and his friends.
KJC has always been a great storyteller and her writing was sharp as always. There were many lines that had me chuckling and laughing out loud. Her writing works wonderfully well with Cornell Collins’ narration whose delivery of upper crust sarcasm practically “dripped to the carpet”
Band Sinister is the type of book you could enjoy reading over and over again. It is peopled with characters you’d love to be friends with. It takes well-worn tropes and turn them on their heads, and in doing so gave them polish and edge. I would love more of this sensational world of hellfire clubs, gothic novelists and free-spirited individuals. I would certainly love another rendezvous with our polyamorous gang so more Murder please!
P.S.
Lord Corvin and John Raven also appeared on Wanted, An Author (review here).
KJC books hereRating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Stay Here For A While
Artist: Paper Lions
Album: Trophies -
The Artist and the Soldier – Angelle Petta
Two young men come of age and fall in love, set against the backdrop of true events during World War II.
It’s 1938. Bastian Fisher and Max Amsel meet at an American-Nazi camp, Siegfried. Neither have any idea what to do with their blooming, confusing feelings for one another. Before they can begin to understand, the pair is yanked apart and forced in opposite directions.
Five years later, during the heart of World War II, Bastian’s American army platoon lands in Salerno, Italy. Max is in Nazi-occupied Rome where he has negotiated a plan to hire Jews on as ‘extras’ in a movie—an elaborate ruse to escape the Nazis. Brought together by circumstance and war, Bastian and Max find one another again in Rome.
Exploring the true stories of Camp Siegfried and the making of the film, La Porta del Cielo, The Artist and the Soldier is intense, fast moving, and sheds light on largely untouched stories in American and Italian history.
The Artist and the Soldier was right up my alley. A historical novel set in the WWII era featuring two young men who fell in love. And it started as idyllic. Max and Bastian met and became close in Camp Siegfied, a real life American-Nazi summer camp for young boys of Aryan descent. I think of it as idyllic even though they have to deal with bullies and other unpleasantness. This is the part where the two boys, in their relative innocence, felt drawn to each other though they don’t fully understand it yet.
The summer was interrupted by the pronouncement that Max’s father was death. This is followed by tedious scenes of dealing with grief and Max’s mentally ill mother which was made worse by Bastian’s monumental fuck up just right after the boys admit their feeling to each other. This effectively killed my enthusiasm for the book.
I understand this is a ME problem and maybe I’m so used to romance where HEAs are a given. Age-gap makes me cringe but I could shrug it off, abuse, dub-con or non-con might be pushing it but the ultimate turn off for me is cheating. And I couldn’t fathom what in the fucking hell made Bastian meekly follow that woman to her bedroom right after having sex with Max. Also, Bastian is possibly bisexual (he has been with girls) and if so, here we go with the cheating bi thing. Can we not with this trope, please?
And so with a heavy heart, I tried to read the rest of the story but like I said, the impetus is dead.
Objectively (because I need to take a step back from my own stupid biases), I love the premise. It combines two real historical events, the film La Porta del Cielo and the American-German camps. Stories about how Jews escape the Nazis are always fascinating and it always amazes me how resourceful and resilient people can be in order to survive. I think most readers would love this book. I recommend this for history buffs, especially those into WWII stories, and those who, unlike me, can move past Bastian’s mistake. Because deep in my heart, I know there’s more to the story than their love affair.
P.S.
I received a copy of The Artist and the Soldier from
Warren Publishing
via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
No stars because it’s a ME issue.Edit: Netgalley is asking for stars so I will give it 2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book
Soundtrack: Submarine
Artist: The Drums
Album: Summertime(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39170800-the-artist-and-the-soldier)
-
A Charm of Magpies: Rag and Bone – K.J. Charles
It’s amazing what people throw away…
Crispin Tredarloe never meant to become a warlock. Freed from his treacherous master, he’s learning how to use his magical powers the right way. But it’s brutally hard work. Not everyone believes he’s a reformed character, and the strain is putting unbearable pressure on his secret relationship with waste-man Ned Hall.
Ned’s sick of magic. Sick of the trouble it brings, sick of its dangerous grip on Crispin and the miserable look it puts in his eyes, and sick of being afraid that a gentleman magician won’t want a street paper-seller forever—or even for much longer.
But something is stirring among London’s forgotten discards. An ancient evil is waking up and seeking its freedom. And when wild magic hits the rag-and-bottle shop where Ned lives, a panicking Crispin falls back onto bad habits. The embattled lovers must find a way to work together—or London could go up in flames.
Fluffiest KJC book so far!
Awesome magic system based on frequencies and resonance.
“Freckles” !!!
(๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
Crispin + Ned = adorbs!!!
✺(^▽^✺) ✺(^O^)✺ (✺^▽^)✺
Appearances by Stephen Day (please don’t leave the Justiciary, please), Mrs. Gold, Janossi, and Ben Spencer.
Jonah Pastern pops out of nowhere:
Ned looked round, startled. He hadn’t noticed anyone joining him, but there
he was, a young chap with a jagged streak of white running through his black
hair, like a lightning strike. He was good-looking, blue-eyed, smartly dressed
with a flash blue waistcoat, and if ever Ned had seen untrustworthy, it was
sitting on the bench next to him.Oh Jonah!
(－‸ლ)
The villain was kind of obvious but it didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story.
Cornell Collins’ voice for the ghost thing is creeeepy. Do not listen to it in the dark at 3 a.m.
Fighting resurrected witches with music hall sensations is a thing now?
Magic police are cool!
P.S.
I recommend reading the fantastic A Charm of Magpies series before reading Rag and Bone.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away
Soundtrack: Butterfly Caught
Artist: Massive Attack
Album: 100th Window(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34870160-rag-and-bone)
