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Review: The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out

The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out by Gayleen Froese

Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: Novel (~212 pages)

I really liked this book. Ben is a private detective, who was once a cop. He was blackmailed into quitting the force because of reasons (I won’t spoil you, but I do think he was dumb to have put himself in that situation). But generally, he’s a good guy. Jesse is his ex who is now a super star musician. And he’s pretty good too. I like it when my characters aren’t jerks.

Ben is asked to find a missing girl and Jesse joins in, (who is sick, so can’t perform) helping where he can. Both of their past angst and issues come out through the story, a way to show the characters are slightly broken so they can heal each other. I wasn’t as into that, but I loved the teamwork, Jesse’s fun confident manner, and Ben’s surety. The mystery plot and the romance plot both continued steadily throughout the book. Also, social media is evil.

They mystery is followed through naturally. I felt the steps made sense based on the clues he was given. There were a few red herrings and great secondary characters. I was worried for Kim and had my heart squeezed by the end of the story.

The title connection with the girl’s reason for being missing I thought was great. Tricksy and lovely.

The attraction between the two exes was great and expected in this kind of story. I like that they had a past so it wasn’t an instalove.

I was pushed out of the story on two occasions. Both, when the author’s opinions/politics came to the forefront. I skimmed both politics discussion and anti-depressant discussion. Didn’t even read those sections and found when the discussion ended and started again, because I was enjoying the story. But other readers might not even notice.

Definitely recommended for those who like to follow mysteries, enjoy engaging characters, and second chance romances.

I asked Gaylene to let us know more about her, and she agreed to be interviewed! So let’s get to know this great author of a fun detective series.

 


I’m a mystery writer who lives in Edmonton, Canada with a house full of pets, including three dogs and a three-foot tegu lizard named Marlowe. My housemate, Laird Ryan States, is also an author. Marlowe hasn’t written anything yet. They say everyone has a book in them but it’s possible this doesn’t apply to lizards.

I have two previously published books, Touch and Grayling Cross. The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out is my first book with DSP Publications and the first in a series. If you’re looking for me online, my website is gayleenfroese.com and I’m on Twitter @gayleenfroese

Are you promoting a book now? Tell us about it.

I’m promoting my new detective novel, The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out. I met the main characters, Ben and Jesse, in a dream, which is how I usually meet the characters I end up writing about. The book is set it, in part, in a real place called Dead Man’s Flats. It used to be called Pigeon Mountain and it got its new name in 1985 because someone thought it would encourage tourism. I think, if a town is going to have a name like that, it should earn it.

The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out is the story of a P.I. named Ben Ames, who’s looking for a missing university student. It’s also the story of Ben’s musician ex-boyfriend Jesse, who gets pneumonia on tour and crashes at Ben’s house, then winds up coming along for the ride while Ben works the case. There’s nothing better than a long highway drive for aggressively not discussing your failed relationship. There’s also nothing better than getting everything you think you want for making you question the whole idea of luck.

The trade paperback and e-book are available June 14, 2022, and you can find pre-order links and an except at https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-girl-whose-luck-ran-out-by-gayleen-froese-12145-b

What was your ‘ah ha’ moment when you realized you wanted to be a writer?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t plan to be a writer but I didn’t think I would write novels. I thought I’d write for television and I went to university with that in mind. The more I talked to working TV writers, though, the more I realized TV writing wouldn’t be for me. I’m more suited to connecting with my characters on my own and working through the story myself than I would be to having to advocate and negotiate for them in a writers’ room. That’s definitely not disrespect for TV writers or writers’ rooms—it’s just my temperament and how I prefer to work.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve sold the sequel to The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out to DSP Publications. The working title is The Man Who Lost His Pen, which may not sound dramatic, but you’d be surprised how bad losing a pen can be.

Now I’m working on a book about a teenager who gets mysterious superpowers, and accidentally comes out to his family and friends, on the same night. He takes one of these things much more seriously than the other.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I often put together music playlists to write to. I might have an overall playlist that covers the main themes and settings of the book and then scene-specific playlists that are more geared to generating a specific mood. If I can’t find exactly the song I need, sometimes I have to write one, but I’m a painfully slow songwriter and this approach soon begins to look like avoidance of the book I meant to be writing in the first place.

Avoidance. Yes, I think we all recognize that. Thank you Gayleen for the interview. And good luck with the launch of The Girl Whose Luck Ran Out! I know your other readers will love it.

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Book Blast and Review – AUDIO Life Lessons by Kaje Harper

AUDIOBOOK TOUR

Book Title: Life Lessons

Author: Kaje Harper

Publisher: Self-published rerelease

Narrator: JF Harding

Review

I’ve been a huge fan of Kaje Harper since I read her Tracefinder series. She has a great knack for creating characters with depth and slowly revealing their inner dimensions.

Tony is out and proud and a confident younger man, who is in a position of authority as a teacher. Mac is so not out, but very proud of the man and police detective he is. He’s carrying for his child and sacrificing everything for her. When Tony is a near witness to a murder, Mac is the detective who is given the case. It was inevitable that the two be drawn together. But it’s not insta-love. It’s insta interest, that evolves into a realistic journey between two men with very different needs and comfort zones. I enjoyed how each was given unique personalities and were confident enough to know his limits.

The mystery was fun and satisfying–we were given the right amount of hints to figure it out if we were looking. I’m not a reader of simple romance, but the story about the killer, the constant threats, the emotional turmoils, were all super engaging for a plotty reader like me.

The audio reader was SO GOOD! I am sorry to hear I have to wait for the next audiobook.
He had distinct voices and a steady delivery that was very expressive when needed. Love him and would seek him out for other audiobooks.

All in all, a great listen/read and I would highly recommend this MM mystery to any fan of the genre.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Audible, KU and Paperback

Audible US  |  Audible UK 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

 

Mac’s three goals: keep Tony safe, catch the killer, don’t come out.

 

Blurb 

Tony Hart’s a dedicated teacher, though he’s not much older than his high-school students. Between his profession, a few good friends, and plenty of books, he’s content with his quiet life. Then the murdered body of another teacher falls into the elevator at his feet, and Tony’s life becomes all too exciting.

Jared MacLean is a homicide detective, widowed father to a young daughter, and deeply in the closet. But from the moment he meets Tony’s blue eyes in that high school hallway, Mac can’t help wanting this man in his life. Mac’s not out ― can’t afford to be out ― but Tony makes him want the impossible.

Mac isn’t the only one with their eyes on Tony, though. As the murderer tries to cover their tracks, Mac has to work fast or lose Tony, permanently.

(This is a rerelease of the 2011 original with light editing.)

 

Excerpt

Tony said after a pause. “You’re not the only person trapped in the closet. All those guys in the military, stuck with don’task, don’t tell; other guys with macho jobs or religious families. Lots of guys are doing it.”

“But you don’t want to,” Mac acknowledged.

“It wouldn’t be my first choice, no. I’ve put a lot of effort and pain into being out so I wouldn’t have to hide. But I do want you, and I know that comes on your terms.”

“They’re not my terms,” Mac protested.

“Whatever. It comes with being secret and hiding whatever we have together. The question is whether that’s better than not having anything together.”

Mac wanted to shout that of course it was, but he bit his tongue.

Tony looked at him hard. “The other question you have to ask yourself is whether you want to take the risk. No matter how careful we are, you may get caught. A wrong look, a note in your pocket, someone tracking down your cell in an emergency; there are lots of ways this could come out in the open. It’s not a problem for me. But is that a risk that you want to take?”

Mac opened his mouth to say yes, and hesitated. How have I come this far this fast? He’d been willing to cut away anything in his life that risked his daughter Anna or the job. And sex had never been that important. But this wasn’t about sex; it was about Tony. And Tony had somehow become too important to cut away. It might hurt less to give up breathing.

“There’s never been anyone I could go to, to just be myself. I’ve never had a lover, or even a fuck-buddy. I thought I could live without that, but now… I don’t want to. Even with Mai, I wasn’t… I couldn’t relax completely. With you, I’m just me.”

“Yeah.” Tony smiled at him. “That’s part of being gay, you know. It’s not just who you want in bed. It’s who your emotional relationships are with the other twenty-three hours of the day, whose arms you want around you when life hands you shit.”

 

About the Author  

I get asked about my name a lot. It’s not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – forty-five years*), although mostly for my own entertainment. I write M/M romance, often with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi, paranormal… I also have Young Adult short stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)  

After decades of writing just for fun, my husband convinced me I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out in May 2011. I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published, including Amazon bestseller The Rebuilding Year and Rainbow Award Best Mystery-Thriller Tracefinder: Contact. A complete list with links can be found on my website “Books” page at https://kajeharper.com/books/. 

 

 

Social Media Links

Audible Profile  |  Blog/Website  |  Newsletter Sign-up

Facebook | Facebook Group: Kaje’s Conversation Corner  

Goodreads Author page  | BookBub

 

 

About the Narrator

JF Harding Facebook Page  |  Facebook Group

 

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Review: The Schoolmaster’s Spy by Ruby Moone

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: The Schoolmaster’s Spy

Author: Ruby Moone 

Publisher: Self-Published 

Cover Artist: Meredith Russell 

Release Date: October 28, 2021 

Genre: Regency MM 

Tropes: School Crushes / King’s spy with trust issues & geeky school master 

Themes: Trust, love, finding a family, self-acceptance 

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length: 93 000 words

It is book three in the Winsford Green Series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Book 1 – Dances Long Forgotten

Book 2 – People Like Us 

Goodreads Series 

Review:

Dexter is a spy, who used to be deep in the trenches (so to speak) in France. Now the French war is over and he’s sent on other odd jobs, like looking for French spies on British soil. He meets up with his old instructor, back when he was a rambunctious youth, and there is INSTANT attraction. It’s cute how the playboy is immediately smitten with his old instructor, who is also equally taken by him.

I was drawn to this book, because like my recent release, it has the past student/teacher relationship that I adore. The story was sweet with not too much unnecessary drama (But it’s a book, so of course there is drama!), but in general, the two men get along and want to be honest and protect each other, and I appreciated that. The plot was a backdrop to watch these two get past the initial lie that was the foundation of their coming together and their eventual admission about with how they feel about each other. A delightful historical romance.

The book did have two properties that kept throwing me out of the story, though. My guess is most readers won’t even be bothered by these. First, though it’s historical, it was flush with modern sentimentality and expectations. Second, if I go by the statistics in this book, I’d guess about 80% of England at this time was gay. It appeared to be a bloodline trait as well.

Definitely a recommendation for those who enjoy gay historical romance. You get your HEA, sweet love, action, intrigue and above it all, Heroes.

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link   |  Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

Mark Dexter was the one boy that schoolmaster, Felix Brook, never forgot. Ten years later, he’s back… 

Blurb

With Bonaparte defeated, King’s spy, Captain Mark Dexter is furious at being sent to investigate the latest headmaster of his old school, rather than a smuggling ring on the south coast. Things look up considerably when he realises that the schoolmaster he admired above all others, Felix Brook, is still there. The man who listened to him, the man who cared about him, the man who is still out of bounds. With only half an eye on the job, Dexter puts Felix in a compromising position. The mission goes catastrophically wrong, leaving Felix to bear the brunt of the repercussions. With his commanding officer after his blood, and Felix running from him, Dexter is desperate to put things right.

Felix Brook, schoolmaster, is devoted to Hestingley’s school and its pupils. His life is quiet and unremarkable, but When Mark Dexter turns up at an Old Boys’ dinner, he turns Felix’s life inside out. In the decade since he last saw him, the wild, unpredictable schoolboy has become a devastatingly handsome man. Felix can scarcely believe it when Dexter makes his attraction clear, it’s like a dream come true. Until it all goes wrong.

Reluctantly thrown together at the Winsford Green annual Summer Fete, Felix and Dexter attempt to piece together what happened, rebuild trust, and deal with the searing passion that still burns between them. When the truth is finally revealed, Felix must not only prove his innocence, but hold tightly to love as Dexter’s world crumbles beneath him.

Excerpt

Felix yelled aloud at the shock of running into someone in the dark corridor. A firm hand clamped over his mouth and Felix clutched the strong arm that held him. When the hand eased a little, he was wondering frantically what to say by way of explanation for his presence, when a wave of sandalwood mingled with leather hit him. There was only one person in the world who smelled like that. Only one person with that underlying scent of manliness. He swallowed and stared at the floor, gathering his composure. Why would Dexter be here? Why? The conclusion he drew both terrified and exhilarated him.

The hand over his mouth lifted and Felix had to make himself not lick his lips.

“Brook?” It was him. Mark Dexter was standing in front of him, one arm holding him tight. Felix had regretted not taking up the earlier, blatant invitation with every fibre of his being. Castigated himself as an abject looby for not responding with at least a smidgeon of sophistication and behaving like the insular, lonely schoolmaster he was.

“You followed me.” He hadn’t a clue what else to say.

“Is that what you think?”

Felix had to look up at that. “Well, why else are you here?”

Moonlight shone through the window beside them, casting a ghostly glow over Dexter’s head, making his hair look darker and his eyes gleam.

“Why else indeed,” Dexter whispered and stepped closer. Felix’s instinct was to run, but he held his ground. This was probably the last chance he would get to spend time with him. Who was he fooling? Spend time? He didn’t want to spend time, he wanted to… Well, he didn’t know what in God’s name he wanted but it involved Captain Mark Dexter in his rooms. In his bed, leaning over him, kissing him, feeling the weight of him. Christ, he wanted him naked.

“Do you want me to leave?” Dexter was so close he could feel the warmth from his body.

This was it. All he had to do was say ‘yes’ and he was sure that Dexter would leave. He had done so last time.

“Mr. Brook?”

“My name is Felix,” he said, surprised at how deep and rough his voice was.

A smile spread across Dexter’s sculpted features. “Felix,” he whispered as though tasting the word on his tongue.

“You can’t be calling me Mr. Brook. That man was your teacher.”

“And this man, Felix?”

Felix shivered as Dexter moved closer. He touched his nose to Felix’s ear and the breath left Felix’s chest. His eyes fluttered closed, his mouth opened on a soundless word, and he leaned into the contact.

Dexter’s hand slid around Felix’s waist, and he pulled him a tiny bit nearer. He pushed his nose against Felix’s cheek and nuzzled. Felix felt the soft warmth of his breath, the scent of his skin, and the latent strength in the body that stood so, so close.

“Might this man, Felix, be my lover for tonight?”

About the Author

Ruby Moone lives in the wilds of Lancashire with her husband and writes historical and contemporary romance. At school, her teachers said that she lived with her head in the clouds and if she didn’t stop daydreaming she would never get anywhere. She never did stop daydreaming, and after years of happily living in the clouds, decided to write the stories down.

Social Media links

Facebook Page  |  Facebook Group – Ruby’s Room  

Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Tumblr

Webpage and Newsletter sign up

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Review: Best Laid Plaids


Best Laid Plaids (Kilty Pleasures) by Ella Stainton

Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | Carina Press | Kobo
Length: Novel (283 pages)

As a Scotch/Irish descendent, I was drawn to the delightfully fun title of this book. This book hits the ground running in a superbly masterful unveiling of character balancing fun, heat, and the struggles of hiding one’s true feelings. Once I picked it up, I found it difficult to set aside.

Dr. Ainsley Graham is a wealthy Scot, full of energy, who jumps from bedmate to bedmate in an era where it’s illegal to love other men. Oh, and he hears ghosts. Joachim Cockburn is the older man, a student of psychology, coming to prove Ainsley is a bit off his rocker due to his belief in ghosts.

The steam hits early, but the characters go back and forth, trying to hide their growing feelings for each other. Ainsley is a playboy, and Joachim doesn’t want to push him away by revealing his attachment. Together they cross the Scottish countryside looking for ghosts, grasping at intimate moments while convincing themselves it will all end in a week.

The culture and world building really bring Scotland and the characters alive on the page. Ainsley’s grief and guilt about his dead brother keeps him from reaching out and getting close to other people. Joachim’s desire to get his phd and make something of himself works against his realization that Ainsley isn’t mad. There really are ghosts.

The ghosts flit in and out of the story and play a major role for the characters’ growth and the plot, but I’d have loved a bit more play with them. Hopefully in the next story, well see more ghosts.

Note: this is a Dom/sub style story, but it’s not whips and chains BDSM. The dynamics unfold naturally and fit the characters in believable ways. It hits on some hurt comfort, facing falling in love, loyalty, all in a post WWI historical atmosphere.

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Review: Hathonatum by Taylin Clavelli

Hathonatum by Taylin Clavelli

Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Publisher: MLR Press | Smashwords
Length: Novel (~300 pages)

An interesting take on star-crossed lovers. A soulmate story that crosses dimensions. This review is littered with spoilers, so beware. Long story short, a very sweet romance with some great characters and fantastic world building.

I was drawn to this novel for two reasons. I love Egypt and the mythology and history of that country. The other was the promise of interspecies romance. Taylin delivered beautifully on both. Her research and knowledge of Egypt shone in this novel and in her interview, she talks about her own love for Egypt. And while Hathonatum isn’t all that different from humans, there are definite differences between biology, culture, and world.

Ben is an archaeologist and one of the reasons he’s drawn to Egypt is that in his past life he was the king’s consort of a sort. And Hathonatum (in a very interesting way I won’t go into to avoid too many spoilers) was that king.

The worldbuilding really shines in this story with the layers of past lives, soul mates, and alien cultures. It seems like a huge mash up, but it works.

Ben, the human, knows what he wants. And when he meets Hathonatum, he knows this is the man he’s been waiting for. They are drawn together. Hathonatum was there specifically for Ben, because he knows Ben is his soulmate. Hathonatum is the capable, older, confident man of the relationship, but doesn’t bully Ben. There is support and love.

Though the story has one (unnecessary in my opinion) relationship set back, for the most part there isn’t much relationship angst. (Ugh relationship angst… not my fave.). The conflict is with the world out there, with other characters, with other aliens with agendas, it isn’t between the two main relationship characters. So, cheers for that.

Ben’s brother is a pretty significant character in this book. Jared is awesome and supportive and makes me wish I had a sibling like him. Their closeness is a gem and how they will do anything for each other. I’m happy to see strong family support.

My biggest gripe has nothing to do with the relationship, but one aspect of the worldbuilding. I had issues with the time slip between dimensions. I’m wondering if I missed some vital clue in my reading. So an hour in Hathonatum’s dimension is a week or so on Earth. But we have a couple where one half is on this side and the other half is on that side, but there is no problem with the time slip with them. I didn’t understand why. There was another issue with DNA sequencing to make earthlings and Hathonatum’s people age at the same rate (apparently Hathonatum’s people are very long lived)… but I wasn’t sure if this was attached to the time slip, and if so, why would it matter if the human was in the other dimension. It seems he would age at the speed of whatever time he was in (see author’s comment explaining where I got it wrong!). So, those two things kinda nagged at me, but if you’re not picky about details like these, they shouldn’t bother you to enjoying this romantic story as a whole.

I wanted more closure on Jared getting the King’s DNA (for the aging issue mentioned above) and what exactly that meant. Lots of hubbaloo and hinting with no actual follow through. Then I found out this was book one of a series, and I’m betting this is going to continue in the next book, which has me excited and eager to find out what is up with the DNA sharing!

All in all, a satisfying story and a fairly smooth read. The characters are likable, you want to root for the romance, and the world is interesting. Interesting teasers for what might be unveiled in the next book. Definitely worth a read to anyone interested in star-crossed/soulmate type stories.

Check out Taylin’s guest post on why she chose Egypt as her settling! Guest Post Taylin Clavelli

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Review: Behind the Stick


Behind the Stick by K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn

Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | Apple | Kobo
Length: Novel (370 pages)

Luka is a hot, bulky, sweet guy who saves people’s lives for a living. He’s a bit of a mamma’s boy, but his respect for his mother his part of his charm. He doesn’t want to disappoint her, but feels horribly disappointed in the fact that his mother has issues with her son dating a white man.

Kyle is a bartender who has an on again off again booty call with his business partner/ex and his boyfriend. He’s got a bother he’s really close to, is very proud of his business, and is well put together.

Both of these guys are confident, and they know what they want. They are equals. I loved that about them. (Equal partners are very important to me.)

This is a character driven romance about these two guys coming together, finding ways to include each other in their busy lives, dealing with frustratingly prejudiced family members, and dealing with being attacked by gay bashers. If you’re looking for a story with a lot of external plot, this is probably not your story.

But if you’re looking for heart, this story has mountains of it.

First, I did not read the previous books to this series, and I think that was a detriment. There are a lot of characters, so many, in fact, that I lost track of who was who. I’m sure if I’d read the previous novels, I would have been more grounded. So, I focused on Kyle and Luka and their families.

Second, when I agreed to read and review this book, though the blurb did say MMMM menage, I did not think ‘oh this meant open relationships’. Smack myself in the head—that’s exactly what it meant. So… that was a sideswipe for me, because, I don’t like open relationship romances, and I would not have picked up this book if I had put two and two together. (so, I am surgically removing this part from my rating, but I wanted other readers to be aware of it in case that wasn’t their cup of tea.)

I like my love between romantic partners to be about the romance, not just the sex. So, one of the sex scenes felt very impersonal (the mmmm hook up) and didn’t really work for me. I found myself skimming them. Others, however, were spot on spicy!

The book really dove into the life of the characters, settling into the every day elements that define them. The emotional attachment the two men developed for each other and how they banded together against the adversarial world was the strength of this book.

I felt the book really gripped me once the characters were attacked (is that horrible, I want to say that’s kinda horrible). It was a faster paced read as they dealt with their own reactions and how such violence effected them personally and their relationship. My heart went out to these guys, because I just wanted them to be happy.

So, if you’re keen on character driven almost slice of life stories, with some emotional hurt/comfort and recovery, this is your book. If you dig open relationships and want to sink your teeth into an mmmm sex scene, this is most definitely your book.

Check out my interview with the authors on why they chose to write interracial romance! Author Interview with K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn

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Series Review : A Series of Fates by C.C. Dado

A Series of Fates by C.C. Dado

This entire series  was a fun, light-hearted romp through a shifter community, from one gay pairing to the next.  If you are looking for heavy angst, truly evil bad guys, layered plot, hot sex, or deep meaning from your books, move on.  This is not your series.  If you want warmth, romance, laughter, interesting characters, deep friendships, and a happy ending, these are perfect for you.  These are like the cozy of paranormal romance.  Perfect for when you’ve had a rough day and you just want to see somebody happy.

So, on that topic, being novellas they are also a great length to finish in a night, however, I feel like they could have benefited from some length and heftier plot lines.  But you sit down, read one, and it’s all sunshine and happiness, so it gives you what it offers.

I actually read these books backwards, so the first one was the last one I read.  By Denying Fate I knew the world and the characters.  Really, each can easily be read as a standalone (but reading them in order is probably better).  I had no problem understanding the world Dado had developed.

These are not steamy, and it fits the sweet, innocent nature of the series.  These stories are ‘finding mates’ stories and have to do more with love and connection than passion and sex.

 

 

Denying Fate

Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella (83 pages)

Max knows that Christian is his destined mate, which is a big thing, to find your mate.  But Christian denies him.  Max shines with a very large personality, and he’s a man who goes after what he wants, damn the consequences.  He isn’t some ‘fall by the wayside and wait for the world to hand him what he wants’ sad little waif.  Oh no, he works for his desires, and I appreciated that about him.

To me, Christian wasn’t as fleshed out as Max and his best friend Seth, and felt distant.  I didn’t quite warm to him like I did the others.  But Christian totally pulls through once he’s accepted his place in the world, as Max’s mate.

We don’t get to see the claiming, and even if the sex was fade to black (no sex in these stories, and I’m totally fine with that) I would have liked to see them commit to each other with the claim scene.  That’s one of those sweet/dynamic/important scenes I like to have fleshed out in a story.

 

 

Embracing Fate

Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella (91 pages)

Seth and Max are best friends, but since Max found his mate, Seth has been living on his own.  Then a new neighbor, Jack, moves in, and Seth’s wolf does interesting things when he hears Jack’s voice.

It’s a delightfully cute story.  Seth is a kind, shy guy with a self-esteem issue and never expects to find his mate.  He’s a master chef, too, with a good business, so why the low self-esteem, I’m not sure.  His best friend is boisterous and outgoing and the two balance each other very well.

One of the delights of Embracing is the banter between Seth and Max and the humor tied to their deep appreciation and affection for each other.  It’s all ribbing all the time, and Max doesn’t really seem to have an off button, but it’s fun to read and had me laughing out loud several times.  So, Seth decides to pretend to be Max’s unruly pet and the hijinks unfolding from that were fun and light-hearted.  There’s the pregnancy lie that keeps on giving (poor Zeus) and Seth’s rotating dog name.

The work is short, so there are certainly scenes I wish I could have read, like seeing Jack’s reaction when Seth willingly shifts for him.  I wanted to see that!!

 

 

Fearing Fate

Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella (71 pages)

A very sweet paranormal romance that delivers a wonderful HEA and warm feelings.  Toren gave my heart a squeeze, and I just wanted to comfort the guy.  And Zeus was solid and kind and dedicated, all my favorite things!

Zeus has watched his closest family and friends all find mates.  He’s big and strong and the beta of the pack and seems fine to just protect everyone.  Then a stranger shows up and his instincts kick in.

Zeus is wonderful.  It’s nice to see him fleshed out in this story, especially after how he reacted to the pregnancy lie in book 2.  He’s a well-developed character that fans of paranormal romance will adore.  He’s a huge and kind man, that soothes babies and fosters orphaned dogs.  He looks out for his people and puts up with his friends.  Toren, even though his back is to the wall, still wants to do the right thing.  These two are perfect for each other.

The mystery with Toren and being a shifter was great, and I wanted to sink into it.  It’s a shame this is a novella because I feel there were a lot of ‘missing’ scenes and moments that could be fleshed out.  I really wanted to be there when Toren shifted for the first time (!!!) and see them work through that.  And the story suffered from a bit of repetition and I couldn’t help but wonder why Zeus didn’t just confront Toren the minute he found him instead of drawing out the stalking-plot that seemed unnecessary.

But even with these slight flaws I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the humor, the world, and the romance.   There’re enough loose threads to suggest a sequel (like who is looking for the kids!) so I’ll be keeping my eyes open for those.

 

natkennedybooks Review

Gay Fantasy Book Reviews


On a wild hair, I’ve opened myself up to book reviews! Of the gay fantasy kind (though, I’ll take horror, scifi and detective stories as well.)

I’m not a super fast reader so I’m going to start with one a month and see where I go from there. I totally take on the rule that if I am not engaged in the first three or so chapters, I’m skipping it. Sorry! But life is short and there are a lot of books out there.

And I have another rule, I can’t know you. Sorry about that, too, but I feel friendships are more important that reviews.

Review Policy

So, send your gay genre fiction my way and see if we’re a match.