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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: To Mend A Broken Wing by Fearne Hill (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (September – December 2022)
This is a round up of the books I read on the 4rd quarter of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: When the Glow Lights the Woods by Eule Grey (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BOOK BLITZ: Anubis by Adrienne Wilder (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: Haven Hart Books 1-7 by Davidson King
***Long post. you can skip to the end for the tl,dr version if preferred
Never judge a series by its spin-off is a lesson I learned from Haven Hart.
I read Joker’s Sin series first, and I’m sad to say, I wasn’t too impressed. I didn’t bother with Haven Hart after that. Then on a whim, I decided to pick up Snow Falling, since heck, Joel Leslie and Philip Alces were narrating, and these two are always fantastic. Plus, I was also in the mood for some mafia romance.
I ended up binging the entire series! That GOOD!
These are not-so-mini reviews of the seven books in the main Haven Hart universe. The books should be read in order.
Snow Falling: A man with a dangerous past and a man with a dangerous future find love amidst murder and mayhem. But with Snow’s life being threatened at every turn, will Christopher’s best be enough to prevent Snow Falling?
I didn’t have much expectations going in. I thought it would be the usual mafia romance. Little did I know, I would be completely charmed by the delightful titular character, Snow. This ray of sunshine also charmed a houseful of mobsters, especially the boss, Christopher Manos.
Snow saved Simon, Christopher’s 8-year-old nephew, from a dire fate, putting himself in grave danger in return. Christopher offered the homeless Snow protection and a place to stay, hiring him as Simon’s companion.
It was a joy to watch the much-feared mob boss, Christopher Manos, become simply Chris. I loved how he was drawn to Snow without seeming to realize it. He instinctively let him take the lead, and it was so endearing that Snow didn’t even realize how much power he had having the Christopher Manos in his corner. Our boy asked for so little, and here was Chris, ready to give him the world!
It’s a fabulous book to open the series. It showed a glimpsed of Haven Hart from its underbelly. It touches upon some dark themes, but still relatively lighter than the other books. The plot had many surprising twists and dark secrets to uncover. I was completely riveted!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Naked
Artist: Jaymes Young
Album: Feel Something
Hug It Out: When a mole is discovered within Riordan’s organization, relationships are compromised, and people’s lives are in danger. Time isn’t on their side, and they discover answers can’t always be found by hugging it out when someone is hell-bent on eliminating each and every one of them.
So I tried reading this a couple years back, but I wasn’t feeling it. I was a bit skeptical (and admittedly judgey) about Teddy’s job. Like seriously, a professional hugger? I don’t even like hugging my relatives.
Second time’s the charm because past the first couple of chapters, I got the hang of it. It’s a cute story of an assassin who was gifted with a professional hugger. He didn’t know what to do with him, so he ended up falling in love.
I wasn’t as interested in the romance as I was with Riordan’s organization and his co-workers. He works for Black, an enigmatic and intimidating Thor of a man, who suddenly discovered somebody plans to launch a hostile takeover of his assassin company. Riordan and a few other trusted assassins work to uncover who was behind it.
This installment introduced many of the characters who star in the succeeding books. The plot is as suspenseful and more action-packed. It also hinted at the presence of the nameless, faceless, hella mysterious heir to the Haven Hart founding family via the presence of Poe. He is an artist Snow befriended, and also the Hart heir’s representative. I was dying with curiosity!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Bullet Holes
Artist: Gregory Alan Isakov
Album: Evening Machines
A Dangerous Dance: Bill and Mace’s traitorous hearts draw them closer together no matter how hard they fight the inevitable. With the lives of their loved ones hanging in the balance, they find themselves in the middle of a dangerous dance.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story of Bill, Christopher Manos’s underling who became Snow’s best friend, and Mace, an assassin from Black’s organization. They were forced to work together.
I didn’t expect Bill to get his own book. He was a goon from the Russian mob who threatened Snow. He had been given a second chance by Christopher after Snow asked to spare his life. He was mostly in the background, so I was surprised that he was suddenly Snow’s best friend.
Mace was more memorable because he’s a flashier character. That’s all I’ll say about him because he and Bill weren’t that interesting. However, both are great as secondary characters.
Their story felt very much like a mid-series book. It picked up the threads from the previous book and ended in an HFN. Not so satisfying but understandable given how things went.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Born Killers
Artist: Selebrities
Album: Lovely Things
From the Ashes: Unknowingly sharing the same goal—burying their own pasts deeper than the fires of hell can reach—Black and Quill are unaware that jumping into that fire will do more than ignite their feelings, it could lead to their own demise.
I was excited about this because Quill piqued my interest when he first appeared in Book 2. I was thrilled he’s paired with Black because they’re total opposites.
Quill is the colorfully tattooed smallish barista who latched on to Black and flirted every chance he got. Black is this grumpy giant who couldn’t understand why Quill, 20 years his junior, was interested in him. After the events in Book 3, he hired the young man to do deliveries.
At first, the story was cute and amusing with Black trying to fend off the relentless Quill. Then things took a darker turn when it was revealed Quill was a victim of domestic abuse. Black was in full protective mode because he took such crime personally.
Why he takes it personally was a story so tragic and horrific it triggered my anxieties. And I’m normally the type of reader who’s barely ruffled by blood and gore scenes. The author didn’t make it too graphic, it was just that terrible. You can feel how heartbreaking it was for Black to talk about it. Also, the scene where Quill was being hunted had me holding my breath. I was so terrified for him!
My heart went out to Black and Quill! I am so glad this is romance, and the happy ending is guaranteed, or else I would be completely devastated.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Born In Flames
Artist: In This Moment
Album: Mother
Snow Storm: The city of Haven Hart rests under the heel of Christopher Manos. Snow has found a home, a family, and the love of one of Haven Hart’s most powerful men. When Christopher and Simon are kidnapped, Snow risks everything to find his family. Snow calls in every favor he is owed, risking his life promising favors in return, all to save his family and the man he loves.
This installment returns to Christopher, Snow, and now teen, Simon. The happy couple wants to celebrate Simon’s birthday. Chris promised his nephew the two of them would go camping so that they could spend some quality time together. En route, they were ambushed and kidnapped.
Manos family skeletons were unearthed when Christopher came face to face with their kidnappers. The lengths Snow would go through to save his family knew no bounds. He even went so far as break his friendship with Poe by asking him to do the unthinkable, betray the Hart heir.
This part was particularly juicy because I was hungry for crumbs about the Hart heir. Poe guarded his secrets like a dragon guarding his hoard. I’m so tempted to skip to the 7th book!!!
Anyway, Snow was wonderfully brave and smart, even if he had to hurt Poe in process. Thankfully, they reconciled later on. With Black’s help, Snow hatched a clever rescue mission. This book also has a mid-series feel to it, bridging the past events to the present and laying down the seeds of things revealed in the next book. It’s not as dark as the previous book but still very gripping!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Find You
Artist: Ruelle
Album: Rival
Triple Threat: Lee, Jones, and Ginger deal with dangerous situations and mounting stress daily working for the most powerful assassin organization in the world. All of those things seem like a walk in the park compared to the friction that sparks between them. When all three are assigned to the same job, ignoring the heat from the inferno of desire becomes impossible.
Lee, Jones, and Ginger are Black’s people. Jones is the muscle and Lee’s best friend, while Ginger is the recruit. Lee is a hacker who went to the dark web to track down human traffickers who were running an auction. Then they discovered Ginger’s brother being sold and rushed to save him.
This is a road trip poly romance running alongside a vigilante mission to take down the human trafficking ring. It had Jones and Lee pretending to be buyers while Ginger worked in the shadows since his close resemblance to his brother would give them away. They had to follow instructions and codes to various locations before they could retrieve their “merchandise.”
Given the stomach-turning crime tackled here, the author did a good job keeping things from becoming too disturbing. The plot brings various arcs together and edges closer to the finale. I love how things are starting to fall into place. At the same time, it had me asking burning questions!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Bloom
Artist: Murder By Death
Album: The Other Shore
Raven’s Hart: Haven Hart stands on the edge of good and evil. Having balance between the two is the only thing keeping the town from crumbling to the ground. For years, one man has been charged with maintaining that balance. Poe. The air of mystery surrounding Poe is one of necessity. Poe will need the help of his friends to fight the ultimate battle; not just save Haven Hart but everything and everyone he holds dear to him.
Finally, Poe’s book!!!!
I will not say much about the plot. All you need to know is that it’s so worth it to read the first six to get to this! My jaw dropped to the floor at the revelations. And that’s just in the opening chapters!
I was also floored to know the true measure of the weight and heartache Poe carries. This guy is holding Haven Hart together single-handedly. And doing it while barely holding himself together. It’s a wonder he’s still standing, the poor man! Poe is amazing!!!
Davidson King definitely saved the best for last! Haven Hart was never the same after this!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: You
Artist: Tally Hall
Album: Good & EvilThe Haven Hart series is about family. The good ones, the ones people found, and the ones they’d rather forget. I loved how the main characters were so alive and real, I felt like I knew them personally. Their stories moved me, scared me, amused me, made me feel like I’m part of their lives. Their stories are a delicate balance of good and evil, much like the city that gave the series its name.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Haven Hart. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
Haven Hart Boxset 1-4: US | UK
Haven Hart Boxset 5-7: US | UKYou can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
HAVEN HART BOXSET 1-4
HAVEN HART BOXSET 5-7If 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!
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COVER REVEAL: The Dating Disaster by Saxon James (Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: The Last Son Of Venus by Dion Marc (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Sleight Of Hand by Charlie Cochet
The Kings: Wild Cards: Sleight Of Hand – Charlie Cochet
Former Special Forces Green Beret, Sacha “Joker” Wilder, is well-versed on the subject of demolitions. As a silent partner of Four Kings Security, Joker spends his days working alongside his brothers-in-arms and his best boy, Chip—a bomb-sniffing Belgian Malinois with sass. Years of military and private security experience have prepared Joker for almost anything, except the explosive attraction between him and Giovanni Galanos.
When Gio returns from his travels abroad, everyone is charmed by the handsome billionaire philanthropist, but in Joker’s experience, anyone who’s too good to be true usually is. Gio is hiding something, but the more time Joker spends around Gio, the more his walls start crumbling, leaving him exposed and at risk of losing his heart, something he swore he would never do. Love is for suckers, and that’s not him.
For years Gio has dedicated his life to his charity work, helping people around the globe, but when things go horribly wrong during one particular trip, Gio decides it’s time to come home for good. The desire for family, and a certain ex-Green Beret with a chip on his shoulder, has Gio eager to restart his life Stateside. For all of Sacha’s blustering and griping, no one makes Gio feel safer. If only Sacha could see how right they are for each other.
Danger lurks in the shadows as someone sets their sights on Gio, and secrets are forced into the light. If Gio and Joker are to have any kind of future together, they’ll have to face difficult truths, because where love is concerned, it’ll take more than sleight of hand to make things work.
The Kings: Wild Cards series is a spin-off of the Four Kings Security series.
Among the ex-Special Forces Green Beret co-owners of the Four Kings Security, cybersecurity specialist Jack is my favorite. But my most anticipated story is his best friend, Joker’s.
Our boy Joker is the group’s wild child. He grabbed my attention from the start. He hates being called by his real name, Sacha. He boldly declared he was never going to fall in love, EVER. He is short of stature, with an even shorter fuse, sloppily dressed, occasionally skips showers yet still managed to be very adorable. Jack might be his brother but his best friend is Chip, his black, bomb-sniffing Belgian Malinois. This lovable duo charmed their way into everyone’s hearts.
When Gio made his appearance and Joker expressed his dislike of the do-gooding billionaire, I knew right off the bat that what these two have was something special. The author teased us with glimpses of their USTs-filled, long-distanced interactions in previous installments. Gio has always been upfront about his interest in Joker who he calls Sacha. This, despite never having met him face to face yet.
Now home after a long stint abroad, he was very determined to show his beloved Sacha how good they could be together. Meanwhile, Joker was very determined not to fall for Gio’s considerable charms. Still, the very enticing billionaire has a way of breaking through his walls.
The magic of Sleight Of Hand was how it brought Gio and Joker together in the most delicious and satisfying way possible even if we already know what to expect. I loved how naturally Gio and Joker fell for each other and the way Joker came to terms with his feelings. This was one of the most enjoyable and well orchestrated relationship progressions I’ve ever encountered. The chemistry was off the charts!
Joker’s antagonistic approach to Gio stemmed from preconceive notions fueled by trust issues. Despite his best efforts to disliked the billionaire, he was attracted to him. The more time he spent with Gio, the more he realized how truly kind-hearted and sincere about his intentions the other man was.
Gio is awesome! He is sweet, generous and caring. He is a self-made billionaire who’s always smiling and genuinely enjoys helping people. He has so much love to give. Joker was surprised at how much the billionaire cared for him. Also, the man loved his dog Chip almost as much as he did. So really, our boy stood no chance of resisting.
I lived for that moment when things fell into place for Joker and he realized, oh fuck, he was indeed in love! With last person he expected to fall for. It was so damn GOOD!
My favorite part was how the two showed they care. These are men who take action. And their gestures, no matter how grand or small, really showcased the depths of their feelings. Joker, for all his griping about Gio, always made sure the busy man had eaten properly. What Gio did near the end made me a bit emotional. It was a touching tribute that meant the world to Joker.
The book is mostly romance with bits of action/suspense and mystery to move things along. The bad guy’s identity was very obvious but even with the elements of predictability, the story never felt stale to me. The plot moved fast while still giving Gio and Joker enough time to slow-burn their way towards each other (and make us squee).
The book is written in that inimitable Charlie Cochet style that’s always humorous, engaging and immersive. There were a lot of ridiculous dialogues and gags. Also, very thorough with details, especially the actions, yet never dragging.
The best thing about her books are the people and their wonderful dynamics. Joker and Gio belonged to a big family of ex-Green Berets, their boyfriends and their friends. Since the first time I meet this group in Jack’s book, Stacking The Deck, they felt very real to me. The author created such a fabulous cast, every one of them is memorable. And watching them interact with each other is always a treat.
However, the real star of the show is Chip. I loved all his cute doggy antics! New dog Cookie is also a sweetheart. You need to see how Cookie came into the picture. This part is pure heart-melter!
Sleight of Hand gave us everything we hoped for for our boys, Joker and Gio. Theirs was a fun, emotional, fluffy, sweet, delicious and happy coming together, with furry friends to light their way and human friends to cheer them on. Well played, Charlie Cochet!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Wild Heart
Artist: Bleachers
Album: Strange DesireP.S.
Sleight of Hand is best read after meeting all the Kings, Jack and their fabulous Boyfriend Collective in the sister series, Four Kings Security and The Kings: Wild Cards Book 1, Stacking The Deck.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Sleight Of Hand. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
SLEIGHT OF HAND
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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SERIES REVIEW: Claimings Books 1 & 2 by Lyn Gala
*note: long post so you can skip to the end for the tl:dr version if you wamt
Covers like these make it easy to dismiss alien romance as nothing more than smut with freaky body parts. But judgey mcjudgey me should have learned my lesson from Earth Fathers Are Weird. This is Lyn Gala we’re talking about here and she is a master of romances that are out of this world.
I picked up this series because I found out it is narrated by John Solo. He blew me away with his performance in Earth Fathers Are Weird so it’s pretty much guaranteed this was going to be enjoyable even if the story itself might not be that good. Turns out, this was absolutely perfect!
Claimings is so much more than alien meet cute. It is an epic love story, a very unique cultural experience and perhaps, also a mini commentary on human nature. It introduces us to a species known as the Rownt.
Rownt are natives of the planet Parorownt. They are a large, extremely long-lived humanoid species with heights up to 11 ft and lifespans reaching a millennium or so. They have purple skin and tails. They are born from eggs. They are very vaguely based on turtles.
The Rownt are a status-conscious, matriarchal society ruled by grandmothers (who, btw, are total badasses, you’ll love ’em!). They have a highly logical mindset, predatory nature and live solitary lives. They only engage in sex to procreate then go their separate ways immediately after the act. They are highly protective of children but don’t have family units. Their primary occupation is trading and thus live for profit. As Liam puts it, this is a society that “worships on the altar of business acumen“
I am not a detail-oriented reader. I tend to gloss over a lot of things. That I can easily recall these information is a testament to how immersive this series is. This is one of the most fully-realized worlds I have ever come across. The amount of details the author put into these books is astounding. And she did it without making me feel overwhelmed. She made the Rownt feel real and likable yet still truly alien.
And the language! I enjoyed this part so much. It was like she created a foreign language using English words. We gradually pick up Rownt-speak the same time the MC, Liam, is learning his way around it. This is one of my favorite parts of a Lyn Gala book.
I loved how the way the author writes about two characters trying to work around language and cultural barriers. She always does it in an amusing and thought-provoking way. And it further heightens the feeling of being in another planet.
Sgt. Liam Munsun is a soldier, linguist and trader currently assigned as a liason in Prarowont. After many traumatic experiences fighting in the civil war, Liam wants a peaceful, boring life. Trading in the Rownt marketplace is as close as he could get to that.
One day, he met a certain Rownt trader named Ondry with whom he struck a friendship. They had lunches together and spent their time talking about Rownt culture. This went on for about 5 years until Liam had a new superior officer who treated him badly. Ondry saw this incident and immediately made a move to stake his claim on Liam. This is where things get really, really interesting.
Claimings: Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts – Lyn Gala
Liam loves his life as a linguist and trader on the Rownt homeworld, but he has ignored his heart and sexual needs for years. After escaping the horrors of war, he wants a boring life. He won’t risk letting anyone come too close because he won’t risk letting anyone see his deeply submissive nature. For him, submission comes with pain. Life burned that lesson into his soul from a young age.
This fear keeps him from noticing that the Rownt trader Ondry cares for him. Ondry may not understand humans, but he recognizes a wounded soul, and his need to protect Liam is quickly outpacing his common sense. They may have laws, culture, and incompatible genitalia in their way, but Ondry knows that he can find a way to overcome all that if he can just overcome the ghosts of Liam’s past. Only then can he take possession of a man he has grown to respect.
The first book is solely from Liam’s POV. For 5 years, our boy was apparently very oblivious to the fact that he was being courted by Ondry. The astute trader recognized that he is paltea, a certain type of rare individual highly valued by the Rownt.
Because I didn’t even read the blurb properly, it took me a while to figure out what it meant until it was spelled out to me. And so I suddenly realized I’m right smack in the middle of a BDSM set up. A pretty unique one at that.
The Rownt perspective is especially significant because humans tend to look at submissives as weak and broken. Liam had a really shitty past where his submissive nature was abused (TW: off page sexual abuses). His current situation wasn’t helping either. He’s good at his job but knows he’s not going to be promoted because of his past.
Meanwhile, to the Rownt, a paltea is someone who serves, someone who devotes his life to his chilta‘s happiness. Therefore, such person should be cherished and protected at all cost. They are the closest thing these solitary creatures ever get to a spouse.
While the two did get around their anatomical differences to enjoy sexual pleasures (which involved creative use of twitchy appendages), the beauty of Ondry and Liam’s dom/sub relationship is that it’s not even sexual in nature. It is a relationship of equals where one person willingly gives his complete submission to a dominant who would fight even the gods to protect his beloved submissive.
His very obvious pride of his paltea, his gentle comforts to the wounded man, his growly protectiveness, his single-minded devotion to Liam delivered in unerring Rownt logic, Ondry just makes you swoon!
The dork is so damn proud of his Liam, he goes around town just to show him off. Also, his “unholy glee” whenever Liam bested another trader.
Liam! I was rooting really hard for this guy. Such a cinnamon roll. The man deserves all the hugs! I liked that he has a good sense of humor without being wasn’t overly sassy. I could definitely relate to him wanting a boring life.
This book blew me away so much that I finished it in one sitting. Then I immediately dived into the sequel.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Protect
Artist: High Sunn
Album: Wishes
Claiming: Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities – Lyn Gala
Ondry and Liam have settled into a good life, but their trading is still tied up with humans, and humans are always messy. When political changes at the human base lead Ondry to attempt a difficult trade, the pair find themselves entangled in human affairs. Liam wants to help the people he left and the worlds being torn apart. He also wants to serve Ondry with not only the pleasures of the nest but also by bringing human profits.
Ondry has no hope of understanding human psychology in general, he only knows that he will hold onto his palteia with the last breath in his body, and he’d like to keep his status and his wealth too. Unfortunately, new humans bring new conflicts and he is not sure how to protect Liam. He does know one thing that humans seem to constantly forget—that the peaceful Rownt are predators and when their families are threatened, Rownt become deadly killers. Liam is his family, and Ondry will protect him with his last breath… assuming that he can recognize the dangers in time to do so.
Here we meet another human who attempts to liaise with the Parorownt natives. What she was actually trying to do was, well, let’s just say Ondry wasn’t pleased.
We finally get Ondry’s POV along with Liam’s. I love getting inside the Rownt’s head. He finds humans confusing, amusing. and not very bright. Excerpt of course for his Liam who he adores. If he could bind this human to his very existence, he would.
Our boy Liam is practically a Rownt now. He very much came into his own here. He’s so happy now! I also loved how he and Ondry just sync together perfectly.. The trust between the two men was absolute, the love and affection was infinite and pure.
That scene after they were attacked by a huge predatory animal was, hands down, the most intimate scene I have ever come across with. It’s even more intimate than sex scenes.
This was the part where Ondy was making sure Liam wasn’t injured. I had this weird feeling of wanting to move away and give them privacy. I was holding my breath the entire time! For this scene alone, John Solo deserves an award for his sublime performance.
The second book answers my burning concern regarding the huge difference in Rownt and human lifespans. For which I was so relieved because I don’t want Liam dying on Ondry any time soon.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: It Would Be An Honor
Artist: Night Terrors Of 1927
Album: Everything’s Coming Up Roses
Admittedly, Liam and Ondry’s caudal bonding might not be someone’s preferred way of interspecies liaising. But freaky body parts notwithstanding, these are alien stories with a lot of heart. Claimings is one of the most achingly tender and breathtakingly beautiful love stories out there.
The first two books are set in Parorownt. The next two take Liam and Ondry to space. I will review them in the future. The series is should be read in order in audiobook as decreed by the grandmothers.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Claimings. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts
Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities
Affiliations, Aliens, and Other Profitable Pursuits
Expedition, Estimation, and Other Dangerous Pastimes
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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BLOG TOUR: Getting Friendly by Saxon James (Excerpt & Giveaway)
