Category: B reviews (Page 41 of 74)

Devil’s Game by Joanna Wylde

June 3, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Liam “Hunter” Blake hates the Reapers MC. Born and raised a Devil’s Jack, he knows his duty. He’ll defend his club from their oldest enemies—the Reapers—using whatever weapons he can find. But why use force when the Reapers’ president has a daughter who’s alone and vulnerable? Hunter has wanted her from the minute he saw her, and now he has an excuse to take her.

Em has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Reapers. Her overprotective father, Picnic, is the club’s president. The last time she had a boyfriend, Picnic shot him. Now the men in her life are far more interested in keeping her daddy happy than showing her a good time. Then she meets a handsome stranger—a man who isn’t afraid to treat her like a real woman. One who isn’t afraid of her father. His name is Liam, and he’s The One.

Or so she thinks.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): There were a lot of things to enjoy in Devil’s Game – most especially the heroine, Em Hayes. As the daughter of the Reaper’s local President, she’d grown up knowing Club culture and understanding her place in it. She’s protected in many respects because of her dad’s position but at the same time, she feels stifled as well. Reese “Picnic” Hayes knows what guys are like, being one himself, and he doesn’t hesitate to chase off unworthy contenders. This has left Em in the unfortunate position of being a virgin at the ripe old age of 22. After she is kidnapped (which occurred in Reaper’s Legacy), she has something of an epiphany and decides to push back against some of the Club culture she dislikes and strike out on her own a bit more.

May Round Up

June 1, 2014 / Kaetrin

on Paper/eBook

The French Have A Word For It by Josh Lanyon – B- Last month, when I bought Heart Trouble, I also bought a number of other novels and short stories by Josh Lanyon (Twitter is my book enabler). This is a sweet short about an American guy in Paris, there to pursue his painting career and get out from the watchful eye of his wealthy grandfather. When he was 14, Colin was kidnapped and Thomas was the bodyguard who rescued him and then make sure of his safety until Colin went off to college. Colin thinks of Thomas as his first love but realises that part of that was youthful infatuation and the unique circumstances which made Thomas very much a hero to Colin. When Thomas turns up in Paris, 10 years have passed and Colin has grown up. They connect and there is the very beginning of a relationship. I would have liked maybe another couple pages to get a better handle on their potential future (because I’m not a fan of ambiguity) and I could easily have read more than that, but it was an enjoyable story and perfect for a night when I didn’t have a lot of time to read.

BUY IT:
AMAZON KOBO

Coming Soon

Enlightenment Trilogy by Joanna Chambers

May 28, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’ve had my eye on this series for a while. I knew from the author that there was no HEA until the third book and that by the end of the first book, the protagonists are apart. That being the case, I decided to wait until the third book was out before I read any of them. That way I could get my HEA fix. While there are no cliffhangers, and book two does have a kind of happy for now ending, the big payoff is in book three.

I decided to review them all together because I think it is a story in three parts. Unless the writing style doesn’t work for a particular reader, anyone who picks up Provoked will read Beguiled and Enlightened as well. I read them one after the other and I suspect new readers are likely to do the same.

Necessarily, the blurbs for the second and third books contain some spoilerish things for the previous stories but given that readers know that it is a romantic trilogy, I don’t think they give that much away.

Provoked

Lowborn David Lauriston lacks the family connections needed to rise in Edinburgh’s privileged legal world. Worse, his latest case—defending weavers accused of treason—has brought him under suspicion of harbouring radical sympathies.

Troubled by his sexuality, tormented by memories of a man he once platonically loved, David lives a largely celibate life—until a rare sexual encounter with a compelling stranger turns his world on its head.

Cynical and worldly, Lord Murdo Balfour is more at home in hedonistic London than dingy, repressed Edinburgh. Unlike David, he intends to eventually marry while continuing to enjoy the company of men whenever he pleases. Yet sex with David is different. It’s personal, intimate, and instead of extinguishing his desire, it only leaves him hungry for more.

As David’s search for the man who betrayed the weavers deepens, he begins to suspect that his mysterious lover has more sinister reasons for his presence in Edinburgh. The truth could leave his heart broken…and more necks stretching on the gallows.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’m really glad I waited for all three books before I read this one. While it is the necessary first chapter and provides context to the relationship between David and Murdo, it doesn’t have a satisfying ending in terms of romance. The story was complete – the mystery regarding the agent provocateur was resolved and there really was no other way for the story to end – neither man was remotely read for a happy ending but my romance loving soul was not soothed. I was very happy to be able to move straight Beguiled. It would have been a mistake for me to read Provoked when it was first released.

His Fair Lady by Kimberly Gardner

May 23, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I bought this after I saw Jayne’s review on Dear Author.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Mark Talleo is something of a dog with the ladies. Any girl, anytime, anywhere is his motto until he meets Josie Frazier. The long lean redhead not only shares his love of musical theatre, but her smoky sexy voice and infectious laugh drive Mark wild and haunt his every step. Equally fascinating is his sense that she has a secret, one he is determined to uncover on his way to becoming her leading man.

Josie does have a secret, one she guards with her whole self. Although she has always known she was female, her name used to be Joey and she’s still biologically male. As much as she yearns for love and acceptance, her fear of rejection is just as strong.

Mark’s need to know the truth is matched only by Josie’s need to hide it. But when malicious gossip reveals her deepest secret the price of honesty may turn out to be too high to pay. But if each can accept that the woman he wants is the woman she is then at last he may find His Fair Lady.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’m so glad I read this book. It was so good.

I’ve been meaning to diversify my reading further but so far have largely been defeated by the size of my TBR. Since I started reading m/m romance and hanging out on Twitter, I’ve become more open generally and much more socially aware. I still have a long way to go of course but I’m not as blind to things as I once was. And I’ve found that fiction is both a safe space and a great way for me to learn about people I might not get to meet in my real life white bread world.
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Floored by Ainslie Paton

May 12, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. (In the interests of full disclosure: The author and I often chat on Twitter and I met her when I went to Sydney recently.)

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) They’re a car crash waiting to happen…so why do they keep crashing into each other?

From the moment Fetch gets knocked off his Harley, crawls into Driver’s car and offers her an obscene amount of money to drive him from Sydney to Perth — no questions, no names, no chit chat — they’re stuck with each other. By the time they arrive, they’re stuck on each other.

It’s lust at full throttle, with no seat belts. It could be more, but he’s a fake and she’s a liar. They’re both neck deep in crime, and only one of them is on the right side of the law.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): There were so many things to like about this book. I loved that the main characters (Cait and Sean) were together for almost the whole of the book (yay for road trip books!). It was a relatively long book (these days I expect maybe 200 pages so 330 means long) and there was plenty of time for the characters to be developed, to get to know one another, for the sexual tension to build and still get all the payoff of those things later on without being rushed. I loved that Cait and Sean took time to get to know each other before things turned physical. There was a point where tension became combustible and Sean cranks it up yet another notch – I felt it both fit the story but was also a clever way of increasing the readerly tension of “when will they get it on!” and I appreciated that it wasn’t drawn out unnecessarily.

The Submission Gift by Solace Ames

May 10, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I was provided with a review copy by the author.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Newlyweds Jay and Adriana had a happy marriage and a spectacular sex life—until tragedy struck. Wounded in a car accident, Jay spent a year recuperating while Adriana worked overtime as a chef to pay their bills. Though he’s made nearly a full recovery, some aspects of their intimate play will never be the same. It’s a small price to pay, all things considered.

But when a long struggle with the insurance company results in an overdue payout, Jay has a plan. He’ll take some of it and hire a high-end rent boy who specializes in sexual dominance. Not for him, but as a gift for Adriana, for taking care of him for the past twelve months.

Paul is the handsome stranger they choose…and the one who changes everything. What starts out as a onetime session to fulfill a fantasy turns into something bigger than all of them. But when the money runs out and Paul’s dangerous past resurfaces, the sacrifices required to stay together may end up tearing them apart…

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This book had a very strong start for me. I enjoyed the love and acceptance between Adriana and Jay. I liked how they each wanted the other to have everything they wanted sexually but could not necessarily personally fulfil. I liked it even though in real life that would threaten me so much I’d just hide in the corner forever. But these characters are not me and that was very clear in the book. Because, for them, it worked. For them, it was right and good and healthy.