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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Sugar and Ice by Eule Grey (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Wayward by Mary Calmes
Wayward – Mary Calmes
Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down? It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.
I’m on a mob boss falls in love with cop streak, it seems. Last week’s read was the dark and possessive Take Me Apart, and the week before that was the fluffy rom-com Pretty Policeman. This week’s read combines the two.
Wayward by Mary Calmes gives us something we don’t often see. A reformed mob boss living a new life with a cop. The story is divided into two parts that are polar opposites of each other.
It started with the sordid life of much-feared bratva second in command, Maksim Lenkov. As the younger son, he was tasked to inherit the criminal side of their family and has to live in the shadows. Meanwhile his older brother, the golden boy, Pasha, lives in the limelight as the billionaire heir handling real estate and other above board businesses.
This part was the most compelling for me. Here we have Maks, a reluctant bratva boss, secretly working in the shadows behind the shadows to make life better for his men and their families. He is adamant that the Lenkovs do not traffic humans, do not sell drugs, or handle prostitution. A stance that came biting him in the ass.
It’s a story of betrayal of epic proportions that suckerpunched Maks with cars and bullets. I was as shocked as Maks when it happened! It was a miracle he survived. Then he turned around and dropped his own bomb on them.
The second part is a redemption fairytale of sorts. Maks, now with a different last name, is driving to the small town of Rune to his new home. He stumbles upon two injured dogs that he took to the vet. There, he learns that the dogs are own by woman whose abusive husband wouldn’t let her daughter keep them.
Said abusive husband and his buddies came to the clinic intending to rough them up, but Maks jumped in to save them. He was hailed a hero. And this became the running theme, Maks ending up saving someone and everyone adores him, much to his bewilderment. People tend to be scared of him before.
In keeping with the fairytale vibe, Maks’s new home is in a crumbling Victorian estate of a famed eccentric heiress, Ada Farley, who promptly took a liking to Maks and hired him as the caretaker.
Right off the bat, Ada practically signed away all her money to Maks just because she feels good about him and trusts him as the caretaker who would rebuild her estate. The banker handling her account, also took an immediate liking to Maks and keenly gave him access. All these, knowing the man just arrived in town and knowing jack shit about him.
I am on the fence with the book. I feel it should be two different stories, while at the same time, I loved that we see the before and after of a reformed criminal’s life, where the Maks grabbed his second chance and ran with it. Reading about a ruthless bratva boss with a moral compass appeals to the anti-hero fan in me, but seeing that former mob boss thriving as a regular law-abiding citizen is an endearing story that doesn’t get told often.
While some aspects of the bratva thread were stretching it a bit, some parts of the the redemption fairytale were simply ridiculous. The second part was written like an OTT rom-com, and it fell flat to me.
The romance also felt like an afterthought. Maks and Deputy Chief Gale Malloy met nearly halfway through the story already. This would have been okay. Gale is a sweet guy but totally forgettable. And the romantic development, or lack thereof, was forced through a couple days. It would have developed more naturally had it been given more chapters or a sequel to grow.
One aspect I like explored more is Maks using his bratva-acquired abilities to help the police. There was a scene where Maks was able to find a missing child because the bratva had to deal with a lot of kidnappings in past, so he knew what to look for. It would be interesting to read about him help solve crimes.
Overall, Wayward is a mixed bag. It is a gritty story of family and betrayal, and a tale of redemption and second chances. While the ridiculous antics and lack-luster romance took away some stars, I loved Maks living in the shadows and walking the straight and narrow. He made the two worlds worth the journey!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Wayward Love
Artist: Jeremy Enigk
Album: World Waits
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AUDIO TOUR: Confetti Hearts by Lily Morton (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper by Fifer Rose
Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper – Fifer Rose
Going undercover at a strip club owned by your mafioso boyfriend without running it past him first? Not the best idea. (Then again, a few spankings never hurt anyone… much.)
Micah Hart had learned a few things the first few months of officially dating Damon Romano, a vicious mafioso/ridiculously rich billionaire, infamous throughout New York City for his cut-throat “business”
1. Damon was soft for nothing and no one… except Micah (and maybe his sisters).
2. His domineering tendencies definitely extended to the bedroom.
3. Damon didn’t trust him – not completely.That last one shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. After all, there were bound to be certain obstacles to overcome in a relationship when one person was a mafia don and the other was a police-detective-turned-PI.
Damon keeps Micah far away from anything related to his “work”, and Micah allows it… at least until a stripper named Ginger waltzes into his struggling detective agency, claiming that her boyfriend – also a stripper – is trying to kill her. Ginger just so happens to work at Lust, the most infamous of a chain of clubs Damon has specifically warned Micah away from.
Taking the job would require him to go undercover at Lust, and he should say no.
But Damon is out of town for the weekend.
And Micah’s been salivating for an actually worthwhile case for weeks now.
What’s the worst that could happen?
(Psst. Spankings.)
Pretty Policeman is a fantastic brain candy written in the vein of Pretty Woman but with an undercover cop posing as a rent boy and a ruthless mafia don hellbent on being his sugar daddy. Against all odds and common sense, the two made it work.
Fast forward to the present day, former detective Micah Hart is now working as a private investigator with his partner, also former detective, Tessa Gallagher. One particularly interesting case came their way, and the two were eager to jump on it.
Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper has Micah and Tessa investigating claims by Ginger, a stripper, that her boyfriend and fellow stripper, Tommy, is trying to kill her. To do this, the detectives have to work undercover as employees of the club owned by Damon Romano and managed by his sister Joelle. And Micah has to do it secretly because everyone knows Damon’s possessive caveman tendencies.
As with the first book, its best to suspend disbelief, grain of salt, etc. Also, read Pretty Policeman before diving into this to get the lay of land, so to speak, because this installment assumes you had done just that. The plot moves fast and doesn’t waste time explaining who’s who. Previous events were vaguely referenced, as well.
The new case is interesting but can hardly hold water. It runs on the miscommunication gag where a character says one thing, and Micah thinks another. The people involved could have sorted it out themselves had Joelle not been scheming about Micah and her brother.
Micah is still our lovable TSTL hero with spectacularly bad self-preservation instincts, has a look of wide-eyed innocence only seen in lambs, and a heart of gold as bright as his smile. The doofus still makes me laugh with his internal dialogues, this time written with less mini-explanations in parentheses. I kinda miss those because they show how Micah’s mind works.
The story is in Micah’s POV. One of the things that makes it entertaining is that there is a constant sense of impending disaster, or anticipation of the other shoe dropping, whenever Micah makes god awful decisions or is talked into doing dumbass things. We as the reader see the approaching trainwreck a mile away while Micah doesn’t or does but forges on anyway.
Our boy is all good intentions and saving the people, and we root hard for him, but also, yikes! As cute as he is, I would l love to see Micah’s character develop. When he was still a detective, he convinced me he was good at what he does. Here, his investigations skills were a joke.
Damon, on the other hand, effortlessly kept the growly, possessive, soft-for-no-one-but-you moments as delicious and swoony as possible. The romance focused more on Damon being a Daddy rather than a Sugar Daddy, though he still loves pampering his precious tesoro. Fuck knows why the man latched on to Micah the way he did, but the mafia don had some of the most intensely romantic lines in the book!
“You’re my heart, tesoro, and it’s terrifying having to watch it walk outside my body.”
My favorite part is Geoffrey’s POV. He is Damon’s loyal chauffer and bodyguard who notes the changes in his boss since Damon had Micah. Through him we see a different side of Damon, the much-feared mafioso part, and the more recent besotted boyfriend side that few ever see. Geoffrey’s internal dialogues were more cynical than Micah’s but no less hilarious.
Pretty Policeman: The Case of the Suspicious Stripper is a shorter read than its predecessor. The plot may be thin, our hero might lack common sense, but the writing made me chuckle, and the romance is high on squees. All in all, fun, light-hearted, and super swoony!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Treasure
Artist: Port Duo feat. Jonathan Ogden
Album: Far AwayP.S.
Pretty Policeman the series is should be read in order. Find out how the unlikely pair of a mafia don and police detective came together in Book 1, Pretty Policeman.
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PRETTY POLICEMAN: THE CASE OF THE SUSPICIOUS STRIPPER: Kindle
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COVER REVEAL: Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume By Vawn Cassidy (Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Confetti Hearts by Lily Morton
Confetti Hitched: Confetti Hearts – Lily Morton
Joe Bagshaw doesn’t believe in love or marriage anymore, which is rather a hindrance for a wedding planner.
His own marriage was a whirlwind affair that ended before the ink could dry on the wedding certificate. Nevertheless, even with his divorce pending, he’s getting by. Or at least he was until he finds himself snowed in at a remote Scottish hotel with the wedding party from hell, a terrible ABBA tribute band, and his soon-to-be ex-husband.
Lachlan has missed Joe from the second his husband walked away. He wants Joe back and is prepared to do anything to get him. Being snowed in together seems to offer the chance Lachlan needs, but does he have what it takes to get Joe to trust in love and their marriage again?
From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about love, matrimony, and the best of second chances.
This is the first book in the Confetti Hitched series.
One of my favorite tropes is the second-chance romance between estranged husbands. There’s not a lot of that around, so when Confetti Hearts was released, I was ecstatic!
Confetti Hearts is the opener of Confetti Hitched, a wedding planning company. Joe Bagshaw is one of its top wedding planners, spectacularly adept at putting out fires and averting impending bridal disasters. His biggest secret is that he and his husband, forensic accountant Lachlan Moore, is about to be divorced a few months after a whirlwind romance and a Vegas wedding. Not something someone in the business of making happy ever afters want known.
The story is told mostly in Joe’s POV, with a couple chapters in Lachlan’s. Right from the get go, Joe had my sympathies. Our boy was thoroughly swept off his feet. He threw himself wholeheartedly into the relationship and only pulled back when he felt he was being shut out by Lachlan. The other shoe dropped when he discovered Lachlan and his PA kissing.
For second chances for estranged husbands to work, I need both parties to be worth rooting for. Sadly, Lachlan didn’t do it for me. His character lacked depth. Sure, he was making all these grand gestures and saying romantic things, but I didn’t feel any genuine spark between him and Joe.
Add to that him being describe as capable of charming everyone, including Joe’s anti-social cat, but being a twat to Joe in private, I don’t know, but the word sociopath came to mind. And if it was by design that his character had his wall up in the first parts, I’m still left unconvinced in the latter parts despite him supposedly a changed man and making all these grandiose vows.
Another issue I had with their relationship and the story, as a whole, is that Joe was such a doormat. The “power dynamics” was heavily skewed in Lachlan’s favor. And it irritates me how Joe and the story were oh so quick to absolve Lachlan of any wrongdoings, despite not redeeming himself satisfactorily. He needs to grovel more, damn it!
I think the book could benefit from more of Lachlan’s POV. Having his perspective could also give his character dimension. The main conflict here is miscommunication, one of my least favorites. Knowing Lachlan’s side sooner might make him more sympathetic. And I think the plot and Lachlan’s secret scheme to get Joe back could work better with this, rather than keep things in the dark until the end.
I also wasn’t a fan of the dialogues. Snark is the author’s signature, but here, I feel the characters talk for the sake of being snarky. I didn’t find any of their lines particularly funny. This was the same issue with another book by the author, which I couldn’t finish due to the dialogues.
Confetti Hearts wasn’t quite what I expected. I was prepared to squee but, instead, ended up wanting to yeet the damn book out the window. Our boy Joe was the only reason I kept going, plus I really like the book model as him on the cover. Joe deserves better!
Rating:
2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn bookSoundtrack: Confetti
Artist: Grand Lotus
Album: The Vibrant Migrant
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CONFETTI HEARTS: Kindle | Audiobook
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BLOG TOUR: We Could Do This Forever by Emerson Beckett (Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: The Orc and the Manny by Chloe Archer (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Pretty Policeman by Fifer Rose
Pretty Policeman – Fifer Rose
Detective Micah Hart wasn’t sure when his fairly safe, predictable life became something more closely resembling a dumpster fire.
But if he had to pinpoint an exact moment, he would say it was the first time he went undercover as a prostitute in an attempt to bait the notorious serial killer who was stalking New York City’s streets – the media-dubbed Hooker Hunter.
It’s when Damon Romano plows into his life, with his fierce protective energy, and those thick thighs, and the bluest pair of eyes Micah has ever seen.
If only he wasn’t also a temperamental mafioso in charge of running one of the city’s largest criminal empires.
Damon fixates on Micah, obsessing over feeding him and making sure he always has a coat. He spoils him rotten with gifts and insists on taking Micah on as his personal escort – a “boyfriend” to get his nagging sisters off his back.
It’s weirdly sweet, and Micah doesn’t know how he’s become a soft spot in the ruthless man’s otherwise hardened exterior, but it would be a lie to say he didn’t want even more: a real relationship with Damon.
There was just one teensy, tiny problem with that.
Despite what Damon thinks, Micah isn’t actually a prostitute. He’s a cop for the NYPD.
Pretty Policeman is an MM billionaire/mafia romance, sprinkled liberally with rom-com elements, served with a side helping of sugar daddy kink and mistaken identity trope.
I’m not a fan of Pretty Woman because I don’t find Julia Roberts and Richard Gere attractive or appealing as actors. But I could see that the trope could be hella romantic if done correctly.
Pretty Policeman is a take on Pretty Woman, but instead of a sex worker, we have an undercover cop, Micah Hart, playing rent boy in order to catch a serial killer. He was rescued from an abusive john by billionaire Damon Romano, who then fed and clothed the underdressed, underage-looking Micah. And showered him with presents without expecting anything in return.
Micah tried several times to reject the care and the presents, but the older man sincerely and quite firmly wants to help get him off the streets. Thing is, Micah has a case to solve. Later, Damon gave him an offer he can’t refuse. And it turned out the caring billionaire is also a ruthless mafia don.
The premise grabbed me immediately, and I didn’t initially realize what trope it was referencing. Author Fifer Rose sold me the fantasy and spiced it up with forbidden love between an undercover cop and a mafia boss, and I bought it hook, line, and sinker.
And she made it so much fun! Written in Micah’s POV, his internal dialogues were hilarious, especially with how clueless he is in many situations and how we, as the reader, could see disaster written all over it. The writing also tends to use cutesy mini-explanations in parenthesis. It could have been annoying, but it worked with the tone of the story.
Both characters have a duality to them. Our boy Micah, lovable as he is, is a total himbo, suffers from verbal diarrhea, prone to making spectacularly bad decisions, and should avoid vodka at all costs. As a newly minted detective, he is surprisingly good at his job. Micah is eager to prove himself, works his cases with dedication and diligence, and has good instincts he utilizes to maximum effect during investigations.
Damon is known to Micah as a kind, protective, and generous man with a sugar daddy kink. He is a total gentleman, respecting Micah’s virtue even when the dork came on to him while completely smashed. Unknown to our boy, Damon is a much-feared mafia don whose wetwork makes even his hardened chauffer, Geoffrey, queasy.
We never see Damon’s POV, which I wanted so badly. On the other hand, seeing him through Micah’s eyes enhances his mystique. And boy, does he cut a dashing figure in his sharp suits and greek god good looks! Not to mention all that TLC he showers Micah.
In the last scene, we are teased with Geoffrey’s POV of his boss, where he comments on the changes to Damon’s character (“pep in his step” among them). While he secretly thinks Micah is an idiot, he couldn’t deny the dork’s good for the don. Heck, their chemistry sizzled and zinged! Even a grizzled mafioso could see that.
I hope we get Geoffrey’s POV again in book two because I am intrigued by a third person’s POV of the mismatched pair.
The trick to this book is to suspend disbelief, take it with a heaping pile of salt, and just let the romance sweep you away. The plot is OTT ridiculous but the case is actually interesting and is woven well with the crazy, implausible sugar daddy shenanigans, family drama, and workplace woes. I haven’t had this much fun with a book in a while!
Pretty Policeman isn’t the kind of literary masterpiece people rhapsodize about. But to me, it is a masterful take on a classic romance trope, a novel of pure escapist fun, and a swoony fantasy of dark knights sweeping pretty boys off their feet. It doesn’t get more perfect than that!
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Sugar
Artist: Tonic
Album: Sugar
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PRETTY POLICEMAN: Kindle | Paperback
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REVIEW: Can’t Help Falling in Love with an Alien by Chloe Archer
Tentacular Tales: Can’t Help Falling in Love with an Alien – Chloe Archer
River
Working for the Alliance is a sci-fi nerd’s dream–aka mine–come true. I’ve even won the heart of my grumpy-sexy alien boyfriend. Nothing can bring me down, baby. I’m walking on freaking sunshine! Except now one of Kai’s douchey AF exes decides to turn up like a bad case of crabs. I don’t trust him one bit. But I’ve got even bigger problems to worry about. Like helping some awesome aliens in trouble, and maybe moving in with Kai, who’s totally going to propose any day now—right? Oh, and my shady relatives might be hiring an assassin to take me out. So, you know, a day in the life of River Sullivan. I’m sure everything’s going to be fine. Won’t it?
Kai
We’ve finally got a new lead on the drug dealer targeting extraterrestrials on Earth. But the more we unravel in this investigation, the less I like it. Outside of work though, things are going amazingly well with my adorable mate–dear galactic gods, how did that happen? But with an ex back in my life and wanting to be friends, and the threat of a potential assassin looming, things are getting a little complicated. I love River with both my hearts—and all five tentacles—but even I’m worried I might not be able to protect him from the dangers ahead. Also, I need to figure out how the heck I’m going to propose to him. River deserves something “epic,” and I don’t want to let him down. Am I going to be able to deliver?
Can’t Help Falling in Love with an Alien (Tentacular Tales #2) is a (116,000 words) M/M sci-fi rom com and the second book in the series. It should be read in chronological order. This installment features a pajama party date that will go down in infamy, inappropriate team t-shirts, a half-baked love poem, more Captain Starblade and Lord Vardox, drunken shenanigans courtesy of spaceship moonshine, unexpected mating instincts, plenty of new aliens with problems for River to solve, and tentacles galore. And possibly an epic proposal? This book has an HFN ending and no cheating. Never fear—there is a guaranteed HEA by the end of the series!
Can’t Help Falling in Love with an Alien, Book 2 of Tentacular Tales, continues the tentacular shenanigans of interspecies couple River Sullivan and Captain Kai Genaro. It picks up after the events of the second book, where the Alliance is working on the case of drugs being smuggled and illegally used on the resident aliens of Las Vegas. It also moves Kai and River’s relationship forward.
I’m on the fence with this second book. I understand why the author went with the direction the story went. It makes sense to follow River’s career in the Alliance, as well as clues to his alien heritage, not to mention the riveting, super epic love/hate affair between Captain Starblade and Lord Vardox. It takes a special kind of genius to make me more excited about a fictional couple written by a fictional character than the actual MCs of the story.
And I enjoyed watching River deploy his crazy ideas to help aliens integrate better in human society. The fact that he genuinely wants to help the displaced aliens, and his ideas are ingenious and effective are points in his favor.
But I also want the series to follow a different couple per installment. I am dying to read about the notorious playboy Mel winning over the demisexual Big Lebowsky, Uncle Benjie. And the petite but spicy twink, Evan, seducing the hulking blue virgin alien, Zion.
I am sad to say the book was too long with a saggy middle I struggled to go through. And because I am extra bitter about recent anxiety-inducing events in my work-life, I am not happy with how Kai is frequently put in embarrassing situations supposedly in the name of love. I sympathized with Kai at how even his mother relishes her son’s humiliations. All because he’s the introvert of the family, and introverts are always being forced out of their shells.
Kai is a grump but he’s a good guy. It was endearing how he wants to be a better person for River. Personally, I think it is River who should learn to reign it in sometimes. (Again, don’t mind me. I am just tired of loud people right now.)
Happily, the story picked up at the third arc. The Magic Mike climax really brought the energy up several notches. Those multi-colored aliens sure knew how to bring the house down! This is why I love River’s wacky ideas!
Can’t Help Falling in Love with an Alien is an entertaining sequel (especially when I am in a better frame of mind). I’m in it for Kai and the rest of the not-so-loud characters, humans and aliens alike. Most especially the hotter-than-blue-stars romance between Captain Starblade and Lord Vardox. It’s a book that needs to be written, and its going to be out of this world! So please, please, please write it, Chloe Archer!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Alien Lover
Artist: Luscious Jackson
Album: Electric HoneyP.S.
Tentacular Tales must be read in order. Witness a relentless courtship, a sci-fi erotica gone viral, and an intergalactic Tom Jones in It’s Not Unusual To Be Loved by an Alien
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CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH AN ALIEN: Kindle | Audiobook
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