TWO 5 and 4.5 Stars for Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen (Guest Post)- #MM #Military #Amputee @MelJoyAZ

Title: Everything Changes
Author Name: Melanie Hansen
Publication Date & Length: March 13, 2015 – 68,029 Words

Former Marine and lower-leg amputee Carey Everett keeps a grueling schedule of counseling fellow war veterans and their families. The injury he received in Afghanistan forces him to rely on a reserve of strength he didn’t even know he had. A much deserved vacation will let him reconnect with his best friend, who saved his life and has been there for him through devastating injury and painful recovery.

Part-time EMT and aspiring singer Jase DeSantis has been in love with Carey for years, but he’s come to accept that his straight friend will never be able to offer more. Jase fills his days with band rehearsals, ambulance shifts, and willing groupies, all while trying to cope with debilitating PTSD.

A week of sun, fun, and music in San Diego changes Jase and Carey’s lives forever when their relationship takes an unexpected turn. Jase has been longing for that change, but it leaves Carey reeling with confusion. As Jase fights to hold things together, Carey deals with doubts, fears, and his own preconceived notions about labels and the true nature of love.

This is my first novel by Melanie Hansen, and I have to say the Prologue grabbed my attention.

This was one of the most profound, heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching, and beautiful journey’s I have read and I read a lot!!!!

Jase and Carey met and became friends when they were officers in the Army. Jase was a medic and when Carey was wounded, Jase saved his life, and the feelings Jase had for his friend were forever, and deeply embedded in his heart. Carey was indebted to Jase but he also wanted to forget everything that happened during the War. They remained friends but it was strained…until Carey decides to take a visit to Jase, in San Diego. And what ensues is a panty-melting page turning seduction that will leave you flushed and breathless. *fans self* Phew!!!

Melanie Hansen has an incredible way of describing so many gut-wrenching and heart-felt moments, you will sob out loud without even realising it, and not care either. I would suggest not reading this in public as the emotions won’t be contained.

Both have very difficult inner battles to overcome. The war did not leave them unscathed. But with each by their side, the battle doesn’t feel so lonely…. Sigh. I devoured this in one sitting, one morning actually, could not put it down!!! That is all I got, and if you are getting the impression that I loved this author, and the story is a MUST READ, then I said enough.

Reviewer: Kimberley

This is truly a beautiful piece of writing.   The enduring friendship between Marine Corey and Medic Jase is forged in the heat of an Afghanistan warzone.  The men are inseparable on deployment until a tragedy leaves Corey badly injured and Jase trying desperately to save his life even if he can’t save his leg.

Both men return from the war deeply damaged, but their friendship is immutable.  What Jase never tells Corey is how much he truly loves his straight best friend.

Hansen’s elegant prose elevates this book beyond the average wounded warrior story.    Her characters are complex and fully developed.  Hansen never shies away from the realities of war or underestimates the strain of civillian life on former servicemen and women.  Her plot drags readers back and forth in time until we have no hope but to fall madly, deeply in love with both of her captivating leading men.

A character in the story explains that “the best kind of love is friendship that has caught fire.”

Hansen captures this love with sensual, sumptuous language.  Corey’s growing awareness of Jase sexually is delectably slow.  The chemistry between Jase and Corey is explosive, delivering moments of almost unbearable desire.   The slow burn attraction between two men who have loved each other for a very long time is painfully sexy.

Highly recommended.

Sarah

Jase and Carey are kind of an odd couple. They had such a close connection while in the army – so close, that they stayed connected even after the tragedy that is war touched their lives.

Carey seems to hold all of his emotions in side. He hides himself away. Hints from his past creep in to the story and the reader can then guess as to why Carey is the way he is. His character was a hard nut to crack – despite his inner dialogue, he was very frustrating at times. I wanted to hit him over the head to get him to really see how he was living.

Jase is much more free spirited. He is much more go with the flow. However, even with that attitude, he was not unaffected by the war and he has his own demons to overcome.

Despite years of loving each other, neither was able to express that love for quite some time. The story of their love is a struggle – it is filled with years of meaningless encounters with other people, sometimes with each character floating through their life, not really living. While I thought the story was slow at times, I really liked how Hansen brought it all together.

One quote that really hit home was “Just give me one more day. And if that’s all you have to give me, it just today, I’ll take it.” I think that is a great way to get through rough times. This story was about survival, love, finding yourself and finding happiness even among the broken pieces of your life. Today is not tomorrow, nor is it yesterday and these characters were able to live in the moment. So many times, people are not able to do that.

So, this story was touching, hopeful and romantic.

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Dreamspinner

“You keep looking at me like that, this ain’t gonna last long,” Jase growled. Carey smirked, then twirled his finger in a turn-around motion.

“I feel like a piece of meat,” Jase grumbled good-naturedly, but turned in a slow circle. Carey’s mouth watered as he took in Jase’s broad shoulders and muscular back, tapering in a perfect V into slim hips and high, round buttocks. Carey was a little bemused at how looking at another man’s body was revving him up, but it was. It was just… Jase. Carey already knew how beautiful he was on the inside; now he knew how stunning he was on the outside too.

Using his support leg and his arms, he pulled himself to the edge of the bed and sat up, crooking his finger “Come here.”

Jase’s eyes flared hot, and he took the few steps necessary to reach the edge of the bed. Carey reached up slowly and moved his hands onto Jase’s hips, stroking over the hipbones lightly before tugging him forward to stand between his legs.

“I just want to touch you,” he said hoarsely. “Is that okay?”

Jase smoothed Carey’s hair back from his forehead, his fingertips achingly gentle. “Touch me,” he said

One of my characters in Everything Changes, Carey Everett, is an amputee due to an injury he suffered in Afghanistan.  The surgery he received to remove his damaged leg is called a transtibial amputation, which means below the knee.  Carey is fortunate in that respect since transfemoral, or above the knee, amputations are more complicated and prosthetic fittings more difficult.  With a transfemoral amputation, an artificial knee is required so the recovery time and mastering the range of motion takes longer.

Prosthetic comes from the Greek word meaning “addition.”  The oldest prosthetic discovered in history was on the mummy of an Egyptian noblewoman dating back 3,000 years ago.  It was a prosthetic toe made of wood and leather and was fully articulated, meaning it could bend and move exactly like a real toe.

Carey wears a prosthetic made of a blend of lightweight plastic, carbon fiber and titanium.  He attaches it to his residual leg, or stump, with a suction socket.  When he dons, or puts on, his prosthetic, he bears down until air is expelled through a one-way valve and a vacuum seal forms.  When he doffs it, or takes it off, he opens the valve to expel the air and break the seal.

Fitting for a prosthetic is a long, arduous process since an amputee’s residual leg is constantly changing due to swelling or shrinkage.  Physical therapy is painful and involved.  Carey was already dealing with a traumatic and life-changing injury, and adjusting to and learning to walk again with an artificial leg was emotionally and physically draining.  Jase’s support and care during this time made all the difference to Carey’s recovery, and it cemented the existing emotional bond between them which eventually turned to love.

Melanie Hansen has spent time in both Texas and Florida prisons…for work.   She’s been in a room with a 17-year-old mass murderer who was also one of the most soft-spoken and polite teenagers she’s ever met.  After a 13-year career as a court reporter, she can tell many stories both hilarious and heartbreaking.

She grew up with an Air Force dad, and ended up marrying a Navy man.  After living and working all over the country, she hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to her stories about people finding love amidst real-life struggles.

Melanie left the stressful world of the courtroom behind and now enjoys a rewarding career transcribing for a deaf student.  She currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

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5 and 3 Stars for Black and Blue Love: A Lesbian Novel by Judy Folger #FF #DomesticViolence #SameSexAbuse #Lesbian Abuse @Judy_Folger

Title: Black and Blue Love: A Lesbian Novel
Author Name: Judy Folger
Publication Date & Length: August 24, 2013 – 131 pgs

After Kallie Moran’s husband, Aaron, is killed in Iraq, Kallie asks her law firm to transfer her back to her home town so she can be close to her mother.

When her request is granted, she realizes that closeness to her mother also means closeness to her mother’s dreadful sister, Bessie Benson.

Bessie is loud and crass, and her sons make a lifestyle of rotating in and out of the county jail. The only Benson that Kallie has ever been able to tolerate is her cousin, Andi. Andi, too, once dreamed of getting out of Brookville, but unlike Kallie, she never quite made it.

Now an out lesbian, Andi drags her intimidated partner, Della, to local bars and out-of-control family affairs. Della seems so miserable that Kallie finds herself reaching out to this beautiful, fragile-looking woman who just doesn’t seem to belong among the Bensons.

As Kallie and Della become friends, Kallie witnesses the verbal and emotional abuse Andi heaps on Della. Then comes the terrible night when Andi is no longer able to confine herself to words and slams Della to the ground, permanently scarring her face.

Della flees to Kallie for protection. In relative safety, she struggles to face the fact that she is a victim of lesbian domestic violence. She is also falling hard for Kallie, her rescuer.

Kallie, meanwhile, is keeping some secrets of her own. She wants to be with Della as much as Della wants to be with her, but she is afraid to embark on her first lesbian relationship.

Their love blossoms when Kallie risks her life to save Della from another of Andi’s vicious attacks. But it doesn’t take Andi long to realize she’s been betrayed. Furious, drunk, and carrying her father’s hand gun, she vows that this time she will REALLY make Della and Kallie pay.

As the title suggests this is a tale of growing attraction and deepening love between Kallie, an attorney, and Kallie’s cousin Andrea’s partner, Della, and the circumstances and actions which result in domestic violence.

Kallie starts off as a strong, forceful professional woman, Della the quiet, gentle one, however, as the story unfolds we see the roles becoming reversed. Ms Folger does an excellent job with these intriguing characters, I was particularly impressed with the way she developed the character of Andrea, the protagonist. Obviously well researching the  characteristics associated with domestic violence, Ms Folger manages to make us understand  Andrea, and, to some extent her actions, without ever condoning the horrors which are domestic violence.

Despite the serious and horrifying aspects of this story line Ms Folger keeps her novel uplifting and yes, enjoyable, there are many light hearted moment involving each of the main characters families and the story is so well  presented I found myself unable to put it down until I found out how the characters and tale would finally unfold.

This is the first novel I have read by this author but I will certainly be reading more!!!

Chris

Kallie Morgan is transferred to her hometown by her law firm where she hopes to reconnect with her cousin/best friend, Andi Benson.  However, she doesn’t get to spend much time with her because Andi is out of town because of work more often than not.  Kallie does connect with Andi’s partner Della, who works at the local furniture store.

The relationship between Della and Kallie is rushed.  Della feels that Kallie is the one for her right after she meets her.  It would have helped the story if the friendship aspect had been explored.

Kallie does spend a rare moment with Andi and finds out that when she is out of town she cheats and that Della does what she tells her to do.  Kallie can’t believe what she is hearing.  Andi asks her to take her to a dinner theater that she has tickets to.  She can’t take her due to work and won’t let her go alone.  Kallie agrees.  This is not the first event that Andi asks Kallie to take Della to.  It is almost like Andi is pushing the two of them together.  Almost.

Della goes to a cookout at her parent’s house because Andi out of town.  However, when Della arrives home, Andi is there.  Drunk and angry.  She is begins accusing her of having a girlfriend.  She slaps Della and she falls.  The ring cuts her face and her head hits the floor.  Andi leaves.  Luckily she is not knocked out.  She calls her sister & brother-in-law.  They come over and tell her she needs stitches. This scene is difficult to read regarding the abuse that happens to Della and the way that Andi leaves with no remorse.

The relationship deepens between Della and Kallie after the abuse.  Andi shows up a Halloween party at Della’s parents house.  She had seen Della and Kallie kiss. She tries to grab Della, but her mother is able to get her before Andi can.  Then goes after Kallie with a piece of wood.  Kallie trips and hits her hit on a stone.  The cops had been called when she arrived and she is hauled off to jail. Now Kallie needs stitches.  Finally, a restraining order is filed against Andi.  Of course, as a reader I am wondering why this wasn’t done when Della was slapped.

She, of course, violates it.  There are many twists and turns in this story.  I wish there had been some background on Della.  We don’t know much about this character at all.  The romance between the two main characters should have been delayed and back story interjected would have given readers a better understanding about them.

Angela

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Della leaned into Kallie so that their bodies were pressed close together. Kallie finally did what she had been wanting to do since the day she met Della. She reached up and tangled her fingers in that glorious, unruly hair. She had expected Della’s hair to be coarse, but it was soft and warm in her hands.

Then Della’s hands found her breases, and Kallie remembered where they were and what they were doing. It took every ounce of willpower that she’d ever possessed, but she withdrew from Della, backing into the wall at the end of the step. “We shouldn’t do this,” she said in a voice so hoarse with passion she scarcely recognized it.

Della’s green eyes reflected hurt and confusion. “Why not?”

“Because you’re my cousin’s partner.”

Della nodded sadly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

Kallie tried to think of something to say that would ease things between the two of them, but no words came to her mind. All she could do was watch as Della walked out the door.

A proud member of the lesbian community, Judy wrote her first book after she retired and hasn’t looked back since. Her books tell the stories of women in love who fight to overcome real-life problems. Judy was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Wichita but now lives in Merriam, Kansas. She has a son who also writes and a daughter-in-law who does paranormal investigations.

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5 Stars for Pluck and Play (With a Kick #5) by Clare London #MM #Romance @clare_london

Title:  Pluck and Play (With a Kick #5)
Author Name: Clare London
Publication Date & Length: February 6, 2015 – 106pgs

Everyone knows Curtis Wilson around the Soho business scene: a hard-working, budding young entrepreneur, who can get you supplies of whatever you need, and always with a joke and a laugh. Only Curtis knows that’s a purely public persona. Secretly, he’s still licking his wounds after being beaten up by his ex-lover, and he’s not about to let his guard down again.

Handsome Riley Richmond was born to be a cowboy, on his father’s side at least. But after his parents’ deaths, he finds himself stranded this side of the Atlantic, an anachronism in the bustling capital, and without financial capital. His consolation is his music, albeit he’s not a very successful busker and he loses his only decent piano gig after standing up for Curtis against a homophobic bully.

After that, they keep meeting, partly by accident, partly by Riley’s design. He’s smitten, and doesn’t mind letting Curtis know. Their music brings them together – Riley’s guitar playing and Curtis’ sharp, sexy poetry are a powerful combination. But Curtis still has some unfinished business with his ex-lover that he’s struggling to handle on his own. Riley intends to be the man Curtis calls on for help, whether he likes it or not. He’ll do whatever it takes to show Curtis that people can still be trusted to be honest and caring – even if it means walking them both into danger.

This one felt just a little different to me. It still had all the humor and heart, but it felt like a much more serious undertone, perhaps because of the subject matter. I hate to give spoilers, but fair warning: while there’s nothing graphic, there are mentions of domestic abuse in this one.

Curtis and Riley both got to me at a much more emotional level. These guys had some heavy things to deal with. Even so, Ms. London did it with the same light touch as with the other stories, blending equal parts tug-at-the-heartstrings and laugh-out-loud fun. This pair were also, in my opinion, the steamiest of the bunch.

I’m not sure how realistic the end is, but I loved the themes of friendship and trust. Like in previous books, I found myself cheering for these guys at the end, and I was more than a little teary at the way the whole thing resolved.

5 stars

Amy

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Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello

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5 and 4 Stars for Blue Blood’s Trifecta (Wind Warriors #6) by Cheyenne Meadows #MMF #Action @Totally_Bound

Title: Blue Blood’s Trifecta (Wind Warriors #6)
Author Name: Cheyenne Meadows
Publication Date: March 27, 2016

When past meets present things begin to sizzle.

When an emergency call goes out, FBI agent Ryan tags along with his sister on a Wind Warrior mission. Along the way, he meets Tempest, a beautiful female pilot who stirs his desires and Rogue, a former Army buddy. Seeing Rogue again brings out feelings Ryan doesn’t understand and isn’t prepared to accept.

Their old rivalry returns as both men want Tempest, who happens to be Rogue’s employee.

The mission that had brought the three of them together comes back to haunt them all with danger hanging over the head of every Wind Warrior and their loved ones.

Can Ryan work through his newfound interest in Rogue even as he’s falling for Tempest? Will they pull together and unite in time to save each other from a hired assassin?

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for release with Totally Bound.

I loved this.  Lots of action, hot men, strong women… fantastic.  I love books about super covert ops, but this time, two women were included on the front lines which made it even better.

The romance in the story focuses on Ryan, an FBI agent who was once an army ranger.   He has feelings for Tempest, a kick-ass helicopter pilot and aeronautical engineer and Rogue, a former military buddy who is now Tempest’s boss.

The action in the story focuses around Ryan’s sister Lark’s covert ops group called the Wind Warriors and Ryan’s own role as an FBI agent.

I’m going to have to read back over the first five books in the series to get the whole story, but there was enough offered to make this a good stand-alone action book.  In this book, the good guys are hunting heroin dealers who are out for revenge.

This was a really sexy book – though the sex really only took part in the second half of the book.  Leading up, we have all sorts of action, attraction and angst.  The chemistry between all three characters is explosive and the author puts her imagination to good use thinking up new ways to use all the possibilities three characters bring.

A great read!

Sarah

Ryan, Tempest and Rogue are kick ass, take no prisoner’s type people. This trio is both hot and tender towards each other.

Although I have not read the previous stories, I did not feel that I was missing too much – I could follow the story well.

Ryan and Rogue’s characters, while similar, were also so different. I appreciated that Meadows was able to create that distinction. So often soldiers are written to be all the same, but these two were rough, tender, fierce and sweet depending on the situation.

The action in this story was fast paced, well executed and exciting. The love in this story was great between each pair, but lacked a little for me amongst the trio itself.

This was a great story, but I wish the interaction and romance was more played out. It was more about the mission and less about the relationships.

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// Cheyenne Meadows – Erotic Fiction Author published by Totally Bound – The home of Erotic Romance //

Growing up in the Midwest, I began reading romance novels in high school, immediately falling in love with the genre, to the point where I decided to write professionally for a career. However, that dream splattered against a brick wall, resulting in a quick death in my first writing class in college when my professor told me bluntly that I wasn’t any good at it. I shifted gears quickly, and left my writing dreams behind, eventually settling on becoming a nurse.

A few years back, I stumbled across a fan-fiction writing site on a favorite author’s webpage. I began to read stories others wrote, not only making some wonderful close friends from the experience, but also, really learning to write for the very first time. Here I was able to share short stories, practice my writing skills, and truly develop into a writer. More than that, the experience allowed me to revitalize my dream, as I rediscovered joy in writing. Now, I spend my days off with my alpha male characters, quick witted heroines, and see how much trouble everyone can get into.

When I’m not working or writing, I enjoy working in the garden, canning, and seeing my backyard as a living canvas for my whimsical landscaping, and, of course, reading romance novels.   

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5 Stars for Diving In by Alice Cross #FF

Title: Diving In (Bridge to Desire Book 2)
Author Name: Alice Cross
Publication Date & Length: November 13, 2014 – 31pgs

Sometimes holding onto love means you’ve got to risk losing it all.

It’s not like Sam to fall too hard for any girl, let alone one who only recently broke up with her boyfriend of several years. But Lissa isn’t just any girl. In three short weeks, she has managed to wrap Sam around her little finger without even trying. Sam knows better than to expect a newly-minted lesbian to settle down with her first fling, but she’s not ready to let her latest catch go just yet. Can she offer Lissa the freedom she needs to explore, without cutting her loose altogether?

This is a hot and steamy quick read.
I absolutely loved it!
This book draws you in quickly and keeps you turning the pages. It gives you just enough to satisfy yet leaves you wanting more at the same time.
It has just enough bdsm in it for it to be kinky but not to controlling. Just hot, steamy and sexy.
This book is well written and to the point. I didn’t want to put it down even when it was over!
Its easy to read and easy to fall in love with.

Amber

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5 Stars for Slap and Tickle (With a Kick #3) by Clare London #MM #Romance @clare_london

Title:  Slap and Tickle (With a Kick #3)
Author Name: Clare London
Publication Date & Length: October 29, 2014 – 102pgs

Bryan Harrison is a successful accountant and a man who admires order and self-discipline. It’s a startling break from his routine when he literally bumps into Phiz Bussman outside With A Kick. Phiz’s lifestyle and behaviour are in complete contrast to Bryan’s, and appear totally chaotic. But they each recognise something in the other that they need.

Bryan has been helping With A Kick with its financial difficulties, and is finding it difficult to balance his professional persona with friendship with the owners. But then he’s always found it tricky to expose his more vulnerable feelings. His cool facade hides loneliness: he believes he’ll never find a lover who accepts and welcomes his secret desire.

Whereas Phiz is all about exposure! He’s defined by his cheerful but clumsy liveliness, his open-hearted emotions, and his physical needs. Despite that, he’s lonely as well. He craves someone who will help him bring purpose and focus into his life, and admits freely he needs a firm hand – in every way.

If they can both accept a friendship that’s destined for more, Bryan may be just the man to provide it.

This was far and away my favorite of the entire series. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

Phiz is one of the most delightful characters in any book I’ve read. I would have gladly read lots more of him! Even though the story is told in Bryan’s POV, I felt like it was Phiz I got to know. He reminds me strongly of people I know in real life, which is probably why I adored him.

I don’t usually go for BDSM, but this was BDSM-lite, and it wasn’t terribly detailed or graphic. The interactions between Bryan and Phiz were true to their personalities, and it was great watching them both blossom. The end had me cheering for them.

5 stars and a glowing recommendation

Amy

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Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello

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NEW 4 Star Review for Claimed by Love by Skye Jones – #Menage #Paranormal #Erotic

Title: Claimed by Love (Wild Hunters #1)
Author Name: Skye Jones
Publication Date & Length: December 22, 2014 – 214 pgs

Kayley’s passion-filled dreams of two sexy men torment her nights … but meeting them in real life turns her world upside down! Passion brings them together, but a menace from one’s past threatens to destroy them. Now they’ll have to risk it all and fight for their love. Skye Jones presents Claimed By Love, Book 1 of her exciting new paranormal romance series Wild Hunters.

Kayley Edwards has spent the last four years closing herself off after a vicious attack by her lover left her scarred and terrified. After fleeing her native Alaska, she ran the length of the country and began a new life in Miami, far from family and friends.

When her cousin and his friends decide to vacation nearby, he invites her to join them because he has important news. Determined not to let fear rule her life, she agrees to meet with them, only to have her world turned upside down. His friends include the two gorgeous men who’ve haunted her dreams for months, kindling her desire and challenging her to take a chance on love.

Pack alpha, Luke Johnson, has dreamed of Kayley for years. He and his mate, Sean Wallace, know she is meant to be theirs. But how will she react when she finds the world they inhabit is one she never imagined existed?

As passions collide, Sean finds himself acting as a bridge between his strong-willed alpha and a skittish Kayley. Can they break through her defenses and convince her to join them?

Just as it seems the three may have a future together, a ghost from Sean’s past strikes at the heart of their happiness. They must fight for everything they hold dear to win their chance at love.

Content Notes: Hot, Anal Intercourse, Non-Sexual Violence, Paranormal, Shifters, Wolves, Suspense, Ménage, M/M, M/M/F

Skye Jones’ menage a trios werewolf novel is a pretty good read. Kayley finds herself dreaming of two men. She discovers the men, Sean and Luke, seemingly by chance, and after some tortured soul-searching, there’s a hot threesome. Very hot. Story as advertised, and I was pleased.

There’s a lot more to it, of course. Kayley’s recovering from sexual violence, as is Sean. There’s plot where more sexual violence, and graphic physical violence, occur. Be warned. Beasts lurk here.

And it is essential shifter worldbuilding–alpha males and strict gender roles and masculinity contrast (rather nicely) with the femininity Kayley brings. Which is what drew me (moth to flame) to the story in the first place. There’s no debate, no attempt to define or explain the obvious. Refreshingly bisexual, from a publisher that might be defining the genre. Claimed by Love delivers.

C.E. Case

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5 Stars for Spice by Lilah Suzanne #MM #Romance #RomCom @lilahsuzanne

Title: Spice
Author Name: Lilah Suzanne
Publication Date & Length: April 2, 2015 – 250pgs

As writer of the popular “Ask Eros” advice column, Simon Beck has an answer to every relationship question his readers can throw at him. When it comes to his own life, the answers are a little more elusive—until computer troubles introduce him to the newest and cutest member of his company’s IT support team. Simon may be charmed by Benji’s sweet and unassuming manner, but will he find the answer to the one relationship question he has never been able to solve: how to know when he’s met Mr. Right?

Simon and Benji

This is a wonderful book!  It is the very simple story of the beginning of a relationship.   It is the story of Simon, an advice columnist at a women’s magazine in New York.  It is also the story of Benji, an IT technician at the magazine.

At the start of the story, Simon is slowly extricating himself from an unhealthy relationship.  His friends are marrying and settling down and he feels lonely.

Benji is the consumate geek.  He references science fiction films, wears character t-shirts and has collections.

This book is so well observed.  As the central characters developed, I moved from thinking that I’d known people exactly like them to wondering uncomfortably if Suzanne was actually writing about me and my relationships.  The relationship between the two characters was real.  It was possibly the third character (though Walt the pit bull might have something to say about that).

This wasn’t an urgent, passionate rush for bed followed by declarations of undying love.  Instead, and unfortunately unusually, it records the slow, sometimes awkward getting to know a new lover.  It observes the equally awkward and sometimes frustrating meshing of lives and homes that follows.  Above all, it manages to capture very accurately the silly moments, the unfailing support offered by true partners, and the playful interludes that make everything else in life worth doing.

So often, romance is serious and passionate involving exaggerated misunderstandings and artificial barriers.  This is just real.  The story is funny and sweet and almost painfully well observed.  I loved it.

Sarah

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“How about you? Did you always want to be a writer?”

“Yeah. I think I did.” He finally gives up on work completely and closes the laptop. “I mean. I guess what I write about is kind of pointless, but I wanted to be a poet once upon a time, so I guess it could be even more pointless,” he jokes.

Benji’s eyebrows knot. “It’s not. Why would it be pointless?”

Simon gives a humorless laugh. “I mean, I write a sex column for women. Not exactly moving prose or hard-hitting journalism.”

Benji scoots over little on the desk, sitting with his legs so close to where Simon is sitting low in his chair that he can smell Benji’s crisp laundry detergent and citrusy soap. He suddenly has to fight the urge to move a fraction to the left, press his nose to the inside seam of Benji’s jeans and breathe him in.

“You listen to people. You remind them that they’re valuable and worthy of love and respect. How is that not important?” Simon is struck speechless, chest tight and breath caught.

Then Benji claps him on the shoulder and hops off the desk. “Come on. Let’s go have lunch.”

Lilah Suzanne has been writing actively since the sixth grade, when a literary magazine published her essay about an uncle who lost his life to AIDS. A freelance writer, she also authored a children’s book and has a devoted following in the online fan community.

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5 Stars for An Infatuation by Joe Cosentino #MM #Romance #Love #Loss

Title: An Infatuation
Author Name: Joe Cosentino
Publication Date & Length: February 4, 2015 – 106 pgs

With his ten-year high school reunion approaching, Harold wonders whether Mario will be as muscular, sexy, and tantalizing as he remembers. As a teenager, it was love at first sight for Harold while tutoring football star Mario, until homophobia and bullying drove Mario deep into the closet. Now they’re both married men. Mario, a model, is miserable with his producer wife, while Harold, a teacher, is perfectly content with his businessman husband, Stuart. When the two meet again, will the old flame reignite, setting Harold’s comfortable life ablaze? How can Harold be happy with Stuart when he is still infatuated with his Adonis, his first love, Mario? Harold faces this seemingly impossible situation with inimitable wit, tenderness, and humor as he attempts to reconcile the past and the future.

First off, I love how this story was told. A look back on how things unfolded is not a perspective many writers use, but it was most effective in this story.

Mario and Harold – high school buddies – study buddies – friends? While the author shows a realistic view of how these two interacted and their emotions behind their interactions, I believe that Cosentino did an amazing job allowing the reader to feel each of those reactions, interactions, emotions and see that relationship from an outside perspective.

Had we been given a different perspective, I think the story would have had a far less profound effect on me.

While I cried during this story, I also laughed and was incredibly frustrated.

I loved this story and am so happy that I was able to read this.

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Joe Cosentino is the author of AN INFATUATION (Dreamspinner Press), PAPER DOLL Jana Lane mystery 1 (Whiskey Creek Press), DRAMA QUEEN Nicky and Noah mystery 1 (Lethe Press–releasing this summer), and THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. His one-act plays, INFATUATION and NEIGHBOR, were performed in New York City. He wrote “The Perils of Pauline,” available on CDROM (through Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe received his MFA from Goddard College in Vermont, and MA from SUNY New Paltz. He is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York.

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5 Stars for A Twist and Two Balls (With a Kick #1) by Clare London #MM #Romance @clare_london

Title:  A Twist and Two Balls (With a Kick #1)
Author Name: Clare London
Publication Date & Length: August 29, 2014 – 66pgs

Eduardo Mancini is going to be a star of the London stage and screen. Or that was the plan. His alter ego Eddy March hasn’t got further than the chorus and a bit part in a TV series. His parents aren’t supportive, his agent can’t place his particular skills, and he’s finding it hard to hang onto his young dreams. Things go from bad to worse when he’s late for an important audition, hasn’t got enough to money to pay the taxi fare, and is chased across the streets of Soho by the irate driver.
Eddy reaches what he believes is sanctuary – With A Kick, a store where ice creams are blended with alcohol and imagination, and where his friends can help him. But Nuri the taxi driver is persistent in his steady pursuit, above and beyond the money he’s owed. Despite their very different characters and background, Eddy and Nuri’s relationship goes from a complete unknown to a wary balancing act. There are still mistakes to be made, and hurdles to clear. And both of them have to admit that their life so far hasn’t gone the way they planned.

But maybe being caught by Nuri was just what Eddy’s career needed – both for his job and his heart

I felt for down-on-his luck actor Eddy March right away, even though he didn’t exactly start out on the right foot. Of all the characters in this series, I think he’s the one who undergoes the most significant changes. I enjoyed seeing him blossom from someone lacking confidence and responsibility to a man who took pride in his work.

I absolutely adored Nuri from the first moment. The interactions with his family made me laugh because boy, could I relate to some of what he experienced. The banter between his brothers and among the children was charming and fun. This was a delightful story.

5 stars

Amy

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Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello

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