with an audiobook review of Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning. See what I thought here.
Tag: contemporary (Page 122 of 122)
Why I read it: The author sent me a copy her latest anthology of short stories, for review. I think it takes special talent to write short (not a skill of mine really!) and sometimes, a story of only a few pages is just the ticket when I am pressed for time, having trouble deciding what to read next or I’m just feeling flighty.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) What do a graffiti artist, a nerdy virgin, a lunar cop, a handsome devil, a sexy boater, a disgraced aristocrat and a misbehaving valet all have in common? Bestselling gay romance author Josephine Myles, of course! In this collection of nine short stories you’ll find all these characters coming together (quite literally sometimes).
The collection mingles contemporary erotica with a hint of a happy future with historical, paranormal and futuristic kinky romance. There are even a couple of stories that are sweet romance. One thing you can be sure of, though: the blokes in these stories will always get their man!
Buckle up for Jo’s British sense of humour and fun, and don’t be surprised if there’s sex in the potting shed, because with Jo, anything can happen.
NB: all these stories have been previously published in anthologies or on the author’s website.
Blooming Marvellous This delightful story is about graffiti artist, Ky, completing community service who meets up with newcomer, James, a clean cut professional type who had an embarrassing incident with a policeman while under the influence and thus finds himself planting flowers in the middle of a roundabout. On the surface the pair have little in common but looks can be deceiving. It has an appropriately hopeful ending for the story length and I liked it quite a bit. And Ky could totally be the guy on the cover.
Why I read it: This is the free “novella” released last week by Harlequin. I enjoy all things Mayberry so I not only downloaded it the same day – I read it too. I say “novella” because it’s 180 pages so it’s a long-ass novella. Bonus!
It’s free until the end of August but after that, it’s likely to go up to $2.99 or so. It’s well worth the money but free is better so get downloading.
Australian readers please note that the title is spelled Her Favourite Temptation over here.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Leah Mathews has always been the good sister, the favored one who could do no wrong. But as her thirtieth birthday looms, she’s ready to step out of her parents’ shadow and make changes in her life. Shes even more inspired by the sexy musician who moves in next door and his seize-the-day attitude. And tempted to take comfort in his arms…
Will Jones is facing the prospect of losing the career he loves–and possibly his life–to a sudden illness. When he meets Leah, he feels a powerful connection to her, and flirting with a smart, beautiful woman seems like the perfect way to spend the weeks before his risky operation.
But as their relationship heats up, Leah still doesn’t know the truth about Will’s situation. Will their bond be strong enough to face the challenges yet to come.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): Leah Mathews is a doctor training to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. Unlike Christina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy however, she doesn’t have passion for the role and is jumping off that train to get on board with Clinical Immunology. While she is very happy with her decision it also marks the first time that she has stepped away from her parents’ wishes/hopes/plans for her and they don’t take it well. I was pleased that Leah stuck to her guns even though it brought her into conflict with her family and I liked the way that being on the receiving end of her parents’ disapproval opened her eyes in a new way to how her older sister Audrey has been treated nearly her whole life. This spurs Leah to reconnect with Audrey and attempt to establish a closer relationship and I really liked how Leah actually does something here. She doesn’t just lament, she makes a move and by the end, she and Audrey are forging a new bond. I hope this will be explored a little more in the next full length book due out in early September – Her Favourite Rival (Her Favorite Rival for US people).
Why I read it: This book was recommended to my by one of my Twitter friends when we were having a discussion about m/m/f menage stories, so I went and bought it.
What it’s about: (from author’s website) Straight, gay or in between, turning thirty’s never easy.
Craig wonders just where his life is heading. His relationship with Jack is satisfying, to say the least. But deep down, he sometimes still craves the soft touches of a woman.
Something’s bugging Craig, and Jack knows it. Some sort of pre midlife crisis that he just can’t understand. The sex is hot and demanding. Their home life is comfortable without being too familiar. But he just can’t help feeling he might be about to lose the love of his life.
Then they meet lovely, loyal and slightly broken Wren Browne. It doesn’t take long to realize, they might have just have found the solution to both of their problems.
Love isn’t tidy or simple; it doesn’t come packaged in neat little boxes. And sometimes you have to set the table with tea for three.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): If there are two men and one woman in a romance, my personal preference is that it is an m/m/f rather than an m/f/m story. I have enjoyed m/f/m stories but I think they work better where there is a sexual connection between all three parties – it has something to do with my sense of equality I think. When GrowlyCub said that she thought this book was one of the better examples of the genre, I couldn’t resist. I didn’t end up liking it as much as she did, but I did enjoy it.
Why I read it: I was provided with a review copy by the author.ETA April 2015: At the time I accepted/read the book and wrote the review, I didn’t know Jen Frederick was also Jane Litte from Dear Author. No Jen Frederick books have been reviewed by me, anywhere, since I became aware of this and, given my existing relationship with Jane, I will not be reviewing any more of her books. I will continue to update my personal Goodreads account with all the books I read as per usual but, consistent with my review policy, there won’t be further formal reviews of Jen Frederick’s work.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) For four years, Grace Sullivan wrote to a Marine she never met, and fell in love. But when his deployment ended, so did the letters. Ever since that day, Grace has been coasting, academically and emotionally. The one thing she’s decided? No way is Noah Jackson — or any man — ever going to break her heart again.Noah has always known exactly what he wants out of life. Success. Stability. Control. That’s why he joined the Marines and that’s why he’s fighting his way — literally — through college. Now that he’s got the rest of his life on track, he has one last conquest: Grace Sullivan. But since he was the one who stopped writing, he knows that winning her back will be his biggest battle yet.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): When the author approached me regarding a review, I read the blurb and then went to her website and read the two excerpts available. I liked the premise and I liked the excerpts, particularly the one from Noah’s POV, so I said yes. I’m glad I did but the experience wasn’t wholly successful for me
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