Hi everyone! We are now wrapping up Week 2 of our big Reading Challenge Month here at Joyfully Jay. This week’s challenge has been TBR Pile Week and we have been reading and reviewing books that have been in our TBR piles at least a year.
You guys can play along with this event in two ways. First off, you can leave a comment on any of this week’s challenge week reviews. And second, if you read along with your own challenge book, you can tell us all about it here on this post and get mega contest entries.
This week’s prize is a loaded iPad Mini donated by Dreamspinner Press! All entries also make your eligible for the big grand prize donated by Riptide Publishing.
Ok, before we get too far, some things you may need to know:
- All the contest details and rules are in this post or at least linked from here
- This week’s deadline to leave comments on our reviews, or your mini review of your own book here on this post, is Sunday night. All entries will be tallied at that time and the Week 2 winner announced. All entries will also carry over for the grand prize at the end of the month.
- If you read along your own challenge book this week, leave your mini review here on this wrap up post.
- And if you missed the chance to leave any comments, here is quick recap of the books we read this week:
- Not His Kiss to Take by Finn Marlowe
- Barren by Anna Hedley
- Hot Ticket by K.A. Mitchell
- Scarred by J.M. Snyder
- Complementary Colors by Adrienne Wilder
- The Devil Lancer by Astrid Amara
- Twice in a Lifetime by Shawn Lane
- Sam and Derek by Brad Vance
- Lightning Rod by Vaughn R. Demont
Each week in September we have a new theme and new chances to win! Monday will kick off our Genre Week where we are reading books from genres we read less often. We hope you will join in the fun!
I only had a few books on my TBR over 1 year old!
Chase the Sun, RJ Scott & Meredith Russell 3*
I had this as part of the Sapphire Key series
I found this book a bit up and down – the beginning was a bit hard to get into but then other parts were quite intense and absorbing, then it would get a bit flowery for my preferences.
I would have liked more exploration of the impact of prison on Adam, though the effects were seen with his panic attacks and lack of confidence. In some ways I thought that Adam had moved on better than Scott – he was learning a trade at culinary school and had long term plans whereas Scott was still an itinerant worker effectively, albeit for friends.
The series is character based and this one has little in the way of background story – the others had weddings going on.
So overall, nice inclusion in the series but nothing spectacular
Thanks for the review Suze!
I was going to read The Pinch of the Game, but after reading Jay’s review on Not His Kiss To Take, and as it was also in my TBR pile, I decided to change.
Not His Kiss To Take
This was a wonderful surprise. It is refreshing and amusing and sometimes hilarious, mainly thanks to the dynamics established between Evan and Jamie. Both characters are so likeable. Evan is a doctor who cannot practice anymore, due to his migraines. He’s become isolated from the world, fighting his headaches by hiding from noise and light and mostly any stimuli in his luxurious penthouse. As for his personality, all his life has been about control and doing the right thing. He is gay, and his parents do not accept it, that’s why his relationship with his family is almost inexistent. And he is kinky in bed… Oh, so kinky. But in a sort of funny, twisted way I found almost comic . As for Jamie, he’s completely the opposite. Life has shown him people won’t help you, he’s been delivered many blows (both physically and emotionally), but despite this he’s decided to live his life to the full, and to take all the chances he can. But his loudmouth and terrible attitude don’t seem to bother the restrained doctor. He actually seems to enjoy Jamie’s belligerency as much as Jamie loves teasing him. They complement each other perfectly, and their battle of teasing and taunting soon moves into a frantic sexual relationship… but acknowledging feelings is more difficult than considering what they have as just sex. That leads to the inevitable rupture and bit of anguish in the book and eventually to the sweet HEA.
In short I really liked this book, although there are some tricky issues, such as whether Evan is abusing his position, after all he’s Jamie’s doctor, and Jamie has been assaulted and in need of affection; Evan is older, more experienced and really pushy sometimes… I know all that can raise some people hackles, but somehow it did not bother me in this book. I think Evan wasn’t being sadistic or cold-blooded, I’m certain he fell for Jamie hard and was pursuing what he wanted the only way he knew how to. So it is a love story for me. And a really enjoyable one.
Oh, I am so glad you gave it a try and that you enjoyed it! And yes, I had the same feeling as you. On paper the story could have been a bit squicky, but the way Marlowe writes it, things just work. There is just that right level of dirty undertone that makes it sexy, but the guys are so good together and Evan so clearly cars about Jamie that it never bothered me at all. So happy you enjoyed it!
This is a fave of mine, and I love your take on it! I too was nervous about the Dr/patient issues, but it was expertly written to keep it just this side of distasteful.
I had fun this week looking at the TBR pile on my ereader. The book i read was Boy’s by GA Hauser. Here’s my review: Carson Phelps is a thirty year old man who is on a “date” with his almost girlfriend Virginia and her brother Howard and his boyfriend Tyson. Tyson is a personal trainer who invited one of his clients (and also friend) Jag to join them. Jag who is also gay has a thing for straight men, especially the All American Jock type, and Carson certainly fits that bill. When Jag meets Carson he is imidiatly smitten and he falls for him hard. And you can tell that Carson is also very intrigued by Jag. I really liked this story it was a funny read and i liked the fact that although Carson was straight he was never uncomfortable with hanging out with gay guys in general and with Jag. I really liked both main characters. Some of the secondary charaters like Tyson were great too. The one person i had some trouble with was Virginia who i found very immature. All in all a very enjoyable read that i rate with 4 stars 🙂
Thanks for the review!
I haven’t read this, but it sounds fun! The GFY trope is a classic.
A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA (Gay Amish Romance #1) by Keira Andrews
Blurb: ??When two young Amish men find love, will they risk losing everything?
In a world where every detail of life—down to the width of a hat brim—is dictated by God and the all-powerful rules of the community, two men dare to imagine a different way. At 18, Isaac Byler knows little outside the strict Amish settlement of Zebulon, Minnesota, where there is no rumspringa for exploration beyond the boundaries of their insular world. Isaac knows he’ll have to officially join the church and find a wife before too long, but he yearns for something else—something he can’t name.
Dark tragedy has left carpenter David Lantz alone to support his mother and sisters, and he can’t put off joining the church any longer. But when he takes on Isaac as an apprentice, their attraction grows amid the sweat and sawdust. David shares his sinful secrets, and he and Isaac struggle to reconcile their shocking desires with their commitment to faith, family and community.
Now that they’ve found each other, are they willing to lose it all?
Note: Contains explicit sexual situations and graphic language. This is not an inspirational/Christian romance.
Review: I just fell in love with this book! While I admit I was worried about the whole Amish aspect, Andrews handles that whole culture with great sensitivity and respect. The details are thoroughly researched, and she takes pains to emphasize that no two Amish settlements are exactly the same. The whole plot point that this particular Swartzentruber community had splintered off from a more permissive original settlement due to tragedy really brought home the boys’ plight, while allowing me to understand where the elders were coming from. The families were acting out of the terror that they would lose more of their children, which came from a place of love as much as misplaced fear. So, while I resented the elders often, I couldn’t demonize them out of hand. Isaac and David experience a double awakening in this story–to the awareness of and curiosity about the modern world outside, as well as their powerful feelings of love and sexual desire for each other. Both aspects feed off each other so beautifully! (I’ve come to skim a lot of m/m sex scenes in the past few years, but Andrews’ COLD WAR clinches made me eager to see what she’d present here. The erotic content builds so beautifully here, with very vivid, sensual detail. You feel the overwhelming beauty of the moment, the simultaneous fear of and arousal by the cultural taboos that rule their lives, and the boys’ transition into knowing and trusting their own and each others’ bodies. In other words: OWWWW! Ahem, moving on.) While I knew that there is a sequel to this story when I started it, I honestly could not predict how it would end until nearly the last page. I’m so eager to see what happens next!
So glad you enjoyed it! This is one of my favorites!
You will LOVE the rest of the series, I think. The books go into different, yet poignant and amazing directions than I thought, and I loved them so hard. Glad you picked this one up. I adore Keira’s stories.
This week’s challenge finally got me to read Tamara Allen’s “The Only Gold”, which has been in my TBR pile since some time 2013. I’ve been meaning to read it the entire time, it’s a historical novel without being a regency romance, without a single duke or any other socialites, but the kind of historical novel that I like the best, with ordinary characters with a real life feel to them – in this case a bunch of white collar workers – and I’ve read Allen before (Downtime) and really enjoyed her writing, so it shouldn’t have taken so long.
“The Only Gold” is told from a single third person point of view, namely Jonah Woolner, whose an assisting bank cashier since 14 years at the same bank in New York, late 1880’s. When the story starts we learn that the former main cashier has died and the bank is about to make the announcement for whom is to become the new main cashier. Jonah is certain it will be him, after all he has taken care of all the shores the cashier normally does for quite some time. It’s all a formality really. When the appointment goes not to Jonah, but to an entirely new man, not from within the bank at all, I truly felt with Jonah. He’s a man very careful about his appearance and he does everything he can as to make sure no one realizes just how disappointed he is, but he has a difficult time hiding his dislike for the new cashier. And it only gets worse when everyone else at the bank quickly starts to show their appreciation for Reid Hylliard, as the new man is called.
This is a great slow burner. If you want insta-love this is not for you. But I love slower paced story, and I particularly love it when romance blossom ever so slowly. Here it grows so slow at times you may think nothing has happened at all, but all along there’s this delicious tension between the two men and the fire between them is faint at first and it seems to take for ever to light a stronger flame, but they’ll get there. In fact this part, the first 40-50% of the book was the best in my opinion. Not only is Allen a master at showing this slow, teasing growing emotions, but she’s also very good at showing historical details so that it feels genuine and relevant for the story, and even though I am not in the position to judge whether it is all historically correct, at least it seems that way to me, nothing rings anachronistic or out of time.
The middle part is the happy part, the one where the romance blossoms and old dislike is overcome. Luckily Allen throws in some foreshadowing, hinting at more than the fact that other banks have been robbed, and at a few times I thought I knew what the outcome would be, and I feared for poor Jonah’s heart – the poor man really deserved a happy end and I wasn’t sure he’d get his. Much to my delight the story picked up pace and tension toward the end Allen managed a twist and two and I was a bit surprised, though happily so, toward the end.
This is a great read for anyone who likes a historical romance with realistic setting and real life like characters with a slow burning romance. Like the last time I read Tamara Allen, she manged to make me feel as if I was there, at the bank, wandering the streets of New York, living at the boarding house. It all felt so genuine, as did the depiction of love between two men in an era when it could have ruined them all so easily. (4.5/5)
This sounds fantastic! Thanks for adding it to my TBR! 😉
Snowball in Hell (Doyle & Spain Book 1)
by Josh Lanyon
4 Stars
Josh Lanyon is one of my favorite authors. I have not read a book by him that I did not enjoy. The reason Snowball in Hell was on my TBR list for so long was because it looks like the first in a series and I often like to read series straight through (or at least know that the next one is available or soon-to-be-available), so was holding out for a sequel. But, it looks like there will not be one. I was in the mood for a mystery and decided to read it for the TBR Pile list.
And I got a great mystery with a wonderful setting and a noir feel. Josh Lanyon unraveled the murder case, along with unraveling the MCs personal secrets, well. I got the a-ha moments along with the characters. (I don’t like it when I guess stuff well ahead in a mystery.)
Matthew and Nathan are both tormented in their own way, yet are also heroic. I was both frightened for them and cheering them on at the same time. Their relationship was complex, realistic feeling and not perfect. I thought Lanyon was spot on for the time period and the two men.
This would have been a five-star read for me except that the ending felt rushed. The build up was excellent, but then a lot happens in the last 30% or so of the book and it seemed out of sync with the first 70%. Also, the ending was a bit abrupt and some loose ends were left, which would be fine if there was a second book in the series. But since that seems unlikely, I would have liked a bit beefier of an ending.
If there ever is another book, I would definitely read it.
I read Loser Takes All- Upending Tad Volume One by Kora Knight. I’ve been meaning to read this quick novella for a while. It’s a quick story about a young man named Tad who loses a bet and has to submit himself to a BDSM session with the gorgeous Scott. While the whole novella is just one long, extended sex scene, it’s very hot. Tad has never been with another guy or done any BDSM, but he soon finds himself submitting completely & enjoying his first time with another man. Ms. Knight can certainly write hot, hot, hot erotica. By the end of the story, the characters and myself needed a cold shower. I immediately went and purchased the next few books to see what happens next. I highly recommend this novella for anyone who enjoys hot men enjoying each other. Did I mention it was hot lol ?
LOL! Love it!
I need to get this series. It’s on everyone’s Must Read!
I also read The Scarlett Tide by Stephen Osborne, which just scraped in at 1yr and a few days on the TBR!
More intense shenanigans with Duncan, Robbie, Nick, Gina and Daisy.
It is over a year since I read book 2 in the series but it all came back to me quite quickly. The odd cast of characters and the love triangle between Duncan, Robbie and Nick and a spooky story too, all well told, pulling together really well and getting the reader really invested in the relationship dynamics.
I shall be getting onto book 4 very soon as it seems to resolve some of those relationship questions. I do quite like the uncertainty of how it will all work – wanting Duncan to get the human close contact he craves, routing for Nick even though he seems too placid (I want him to yell at Duncan, tell him to see Nick!) and wanting some sort of answer to Robbie – stay or go.
I enjoyed the vampires in this one, nasty things rather than the sanitized versions.
I have enjoyed this series despite the gap in reading (have also read Dead End, book 4 since reading this one) and hope the author carries on the series.
Oddly enough, both challenge weeks ended up combining for me. Last week I tried Almost Home by new-to-me-author Jair Marlowe. I enjoyed it so much that I looked to see if he had any other books only to discover one other book, Dog & Pony, that I had already bought it over a year ago and had never read it. Both books are available on amazon and, honestly, the blurb and reviews there are far better than anything I could come up with but I will give it a try. I thought Dog & Pony was a fantastic read. The author is a very talented storyteller and did a great job with all of the characters (both main and side). Josh works at a small TV station and so much humor comes from the shenanigans that happen there. The book is not explicit in terms of sex, but it is an engaging story and I never had the feeling of boredom or wanting to skip ahead while I read it. I would rate this one 5 stars. This author only gets better, though, and I found that I enjoyed his second book, Almost Home, even more. One thing I’d like to mention is that, usually, what city a book is set in is a non-factor for me – anywhere, USA never seems to add or detract from a story. I do tend to enjoy books set in a foreign country, the UK is a favorite for me, as I usually pick up a new word or two and I love reading about different foods. Both Jair Marlowe books were a #1 standout for me, in terms of location, though, because they are set in Milwaukee, WI. I grew up in Wisconsin, went to college in Milwaukee, stayed after college for several years, and really wish that I still lived there. These books was like going home for me. It’s always been so hard for me to describe, but there is just something different (good different, to me) about people in the Midwest. There is a friendliness, openness, and (dare-I-say) corniness in people. This author understands the type of people in the area perfectly and it shows in his characters.
As a Chicagoan, I second Heather’s sentiment about Midwesterners. We really are the best. 😉 lol.
I look forward to checking out Marlowe’s books. Did you also know JC Price’s Mnevermind series is set in Milwaukee?
No, I didn’t realize that series was set in Milwaukee…I’m definitely going to try the first one later this weekend. Thank you so much for mentioning it!
This week I read Tali Spencer’s Thick as Thieves, or as it’s known in some circles “the unicorn horn book.” This one has been on my TBR for over a year, and it’s one I’ve run across while looking for another book, and I kept saying I should get to it some day. I’m so glad that day came! This was such a fun book, but it really had a surprising depth. (Everyone should read the first chapter, and if you can find joy in it, you’re going to enjoy this book.) The story follows Vorgell the warrior and Madd the witch as they escape from the clutches an evil baron. I really loved these characters. Vorgell is a warrior who loves to fight and pillage and thanks the unicorn horn enchantment can’t go too long without thinking of having sex (where even a knot of wood starts looking good), and who allows his “life essence” be available to Madd, which is not wholly unselfish on his part. He was such a caring person, despite his thoughts of wanting to take Madd when Madd heartily refused. Madd was a bit more complicated, as someone who’d had a hard life with his family and the witches who didn’t value him. He took advantage of Vorgell’s magical essence and didn’t always seem to care about anyone but himself. This dynamic was great to watch, especially as they interacted with others and their feelings grew. The action and adventure in this was great, tempered by emotional moments. It was fantasy fun with enough depth to satisfy all kinds of readers, and I’d recommend everyone take a look at a sample to see if they might want to read more.
I really enjoyed the humor in it–there’s not enough of that in fantasy *or* m/m usually!
Right? The humor really makes it all work, and I am probably going to be spoiled a little for that kind of fun in fantasy. Now that I’ve finally read it I can go over and take a peek at what she’s been sharing on her blog, the WIP excerpts for Thick as Ice!
Most of my old TBR pile is M/F since I switched over almost two years ago, but I did find Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat. I’m probably the only one who hasn’t read this one yet. I loved it despite the fact it was a historical war story with little to no romance. Also it should be noted that it is rather harsh for those who like lighter stories.
Captive Prince is the story of a prince who is tricked into slavery by his half-brother who becomes King in his place. The Prince becomes a slave in a land where he can not reveal his true identity because he killed their Prince. It is a character driven book and the world building is wonderful.
Of course it ends on a cliff hanger, and I had to go buy and immediately read Prince’s Gambit. It also was excellent, had more romance, and ended on a cliff hanger. The third and final book (?) can be preordered. I can’t wait for it to come out!
I was apparently the only other person in the world who hadn’t read this, but I am so glad I picked it up earlier this year. I loved both Captive Prince and Prince’s Gambit and am SO excited for the third book!
*raises hand* No, I haven’t either. I’m sure I’ll get to it *looks at tbr* …sometime.
LOL! Definitely worth the read Carolyn. At first it is a little daunting, but the politics and intrigue are so fascinating and Pacat is just an amazing writer. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down and gobbled up both books. The third in the series comes out in Feb I believe, so you have some time to catch up. But I would definitely recommend them.
The book on my TBR pile is Z.A. Maxfield’s The Long Way Home. Psychic Kevin Quinn is called to help his BiL, Chief of Police (?)locate young boys that have gone missing over the past 6 months. He is paired with Det. Conner Dougal, a skeptic. As the 2 work together Kevin senses/sees that something in Conner’s past connects him with the missing boys. Conner and Kevin are both likable characters but I never felt the spark between them. Most of the book I had to keep reminding myself who was who. But this story had a compelling story line and I was hooked on it the entire time. I absolutely loved the last paragraph of the epilogue. I give it 3.5 stars.
I chose from TBR pile Wayward Son by Shae Connor. Blurb:
After his move to Atlanta and away from the influence of his conservative parents, Mikey O’Malley finally feels free to be himself: art student, aspiring animator, and out gay man. He has friends, a new job, and not one, but two men interested in him. Cory Lassiter and Jimmy Black have been a happy couple for years, occasionally bringing a twink into their bed, but only for a brief roll in the hay. When Mikey meets the pair, the attraction is immediate, and it runs three ways. Mikey just can’t believe they’d have room in their lives for a permanent addition.
When Mikey’s newfound life is shattered by a lawsuit that accuses him of molesting a child years earlier, he’s determined to face his troubles on his own, but Cory and Jimmy are just as determined that he not have to go it alone. To reconcile his need for independence and his desire for love, Mikey has to learn that being a man isn’t just about standing on your own two feet. It’s about letting yourself lean on the ones who love you. My review ( I’m not really good at this so bear with me): I enjoyed the book but it didn’t pull me in . I felt that the characters were okay but not really well rounded. I would have liked to see more about how Jimmy and Cory got together and what made them seek a third. Also would have liked to see Mikey’s struggle in college to get a better handle on his choices. The story line was interesting but I felt the resolution was over to quickly for the subject matter. Like I said I enjoyed it give it 3 stars
I’ve had this book for a while and after going through a bunch of books on my Nook, I settled on Melting the Ice Prince by Amylea Lyn (which has been on my Nook for longer than a year since Silver Publishing isn’t around anymore). David Talhoone is the secretary to a multi-billionaire, he’s assumed a icy persona at work and keeps everyone but the ones he love (his autistic older brother, Sammy and elderly neighbor, Ms. Petty) at arms length. Nicolas (Nick) Masterson, has been traveling for a year, trying to get over the betrayal of his ex. Upon returning home, he visits his father and in doing so meets David, whom mistaken him a pushy client and kind of rudely turns him away. Nick is instantly infatuated. After getting the scoop about David from his father, the two strike a bet. Nick begins trying to get into David’s good graces and as the two get to know each other. Nick finds himself falling in love with David.
I really liked the story and thought it was well paced with a good balance of relationship development and angst. The author did a great job spreading light on Asperger Syndrome, which I don’t think we see enough of in books compared to other issues. The secondary characters were awesome, Sammy was just too wonderful for words.
Sounds like a good one!
I read The Initiation of PB500 by Kyle Stone. A deep space catastrophe strands Sub-captain Micah Starion in a strange land where he is stripped of all rank and used as a plaything by his brutal captors. Micah, now known only by a number, is gradually transformed.
It was a very different book than I have read before. I have read stories where people have been captured and forced into slavery. But this one was different due to the fact that the is no spoken language between master and slave. Micah is human, and his owner, Attland, is Kudite, who speaks in a flowing liquid language. The slaves are taught sign language. The trials Micah goes through would be enough to break anyone.
The story is not something I would read again. It did keep my attention, if only to find out how it ended, although, I knew there was a sequel to the story.
I had plenty of old books to read. Ended up reading Sister Laurel and the Atheist by Dee Dawning which has been on my shelf since 2011. I had read other Dee books and was expecting maybe a bit dark and pretty dirty. But it turned out o be a surprisingly sweet story. With her family to back him up Julian woos Laurel. She is torn between her growing feelings and a promise she feels she must keep. I loved the gentle way the story plays out and the rich ensemble of characters that step in to help.
For the TBR reading challenge I ended up with Zero Hour by Jordan Castillo Price. It’s a dystopian sf, and we meet Earnest who just turned 30, which in his society means 30 days of retirement after which you turn yourself in at reclamation to die. Earnest starts his retirement with exploring the older parts of the city and meets Will behind the counter of an historic coffee shop. Will is different from everything Earnest knows, and Earnest finds himself wanting to come back to visit the coffee shop and Will. But it is also difficult to believe in what Will tries to tell him, that he doesn’t need to to die in 30 days, as this goes against everything that has been drilled into him from a very young age.
Basically, Earnest has spent most of his life in a pod with an AI which seems to be a combined transportation vehicle and place to live and also where he performs his work. All sustenance comes from “the shunt”, a mechanism in his arm. He has no need for eating or drinking with his mouth, and this is actually taboo. (Tongues are for talking) I read the first 20% of the book when I bought it, but what made it end up in the TBR pile was that I found it difficult to wait for Earnest to realize that it was bad for him to shunt in and that it would age and kill him. (No Earnest don’t do it!) His pod, which can talk to him and is the closest he has to family and the only thing he socializes with prior to meeting Will, has provided for all his needs since the age of 10 and it takes time to overcome all this. Eventually he starts questioning his beliefs and his and Will’s attempt to escape the city takes him on a journey through the society which shows him the horrifying reality of “reclamation” and that society is not what he was made to believe. Together with a few other people Will and Earnest look for a way to escape the city and make a new life for themselves.
I found this book very entertaining and well written. It was fascinating to read about this future society and follow Earnest’s journey. The book follows Earnest’s viewpoint and so it feels like it’s mainly his story, but it was satisfying to see his blossoming connection with Will and their relationship. It was also fascinating to read about Earnests discovery of doing things we see as normal everyday stuff, like drinking water, and having to pee. This also adds a new dimension to his relationship with Will, as he experiences touching and kissing and more for the first time.
I could have wished for more background on how Earnest’s society ended up like it did, but the way it was presented was very organic to the story and ultimately this makes it a lot more realistic, that Earnest has to piece things together as best he can instead of meeting an oracle that presents everything in a convenient infodump manner.
All in all an excellent and exciting read. Like all good dystopians it makes you think about what’s important. The way these people spend their life so into games and screens that most can barely hold a conversation much less understand facial expressions and body language is terrifying and does build on tendencies that we can see in today’s society. Recommended for everyone who enjoys a good SF read. Four stars.
I liked this one a lot too. And yes, I loved the part where Earnest is learning to do things like pee! I thought it was really interesting and well done.
I read The Walls of Troy by L.A. Witt. I have had it in the pile for almost a year. Glad to have gotten a little nudge to read it!
I ended up giving it 3 stars. I put it on the pile since it had several tropes that I really like: military hero, bodyguard romance, and May/December romance. There are also some dogs in the story which aren’t my thing but I know others like them. The basic premise is that military policeman, Iksander, has been assigned to protect an admiral’s son, Troy, from threats that no one quite believes except his father and Iksander. The threat is real and Iksander and Troy need to fix the problem before they can be together.
I liked the relationship between the admiral and Troy, he was very supportive of his son even when he didn’t know the whole story. I also liked how Troy and Iksander interacted with each other…I just wished there was more of that on page because the romance seemed a little rushed to me especially considering Troy’s last relationship. I also had some problems with Iksander’s internal angst about the relationship. There was so much of it that it made it hard to relax about the eventual happy ending. Tropes I love and a few things I wished were different added up to a read I liked, but didn’t love.
I read Take Me, Break Me by H.C. Brown. This was a one star read for me.
The only reason I finished this book was because I was reading it for a challenge. The dialogue was cheesy & awful. There were several instances of unsafe BDSM scenes being practiced (at which I would have quit reading if not for the challenge) mostly where Reno was restrained & gagged without a method to signal distress. Once when he was in a sex sling, Tanner left him alone in the room. There were also instances where the players were drinking unsafe amounts of alcohol & then practicing BDSM scenes. I would not recommend this book, nor do I plan to continue the series.
Wow, yep, I hear you on the unsafe BDSM. That is a deal breaker for me as well. Sorry it didn’t work out for you but glad you joined in the challenge!
My TBR read was Tigerland by Sean Kennedy. It sat on my TBR pile because (1) I couldn’t remember if I read it or not before (I hadn’t) and (2) sometimes I like to leave a couple happy and don’t want to see them troubled. But, since the third book came out, I decided to give it a read.
Simon is true to character in this book, and I do love me some Simon. However, I struggled to finish this. Seemed like a bit of drama for the sake of drama. There were struggles normal couples have – the MCs and all their friends. But, I found it a tad boring overall. I still love Simon and Declan, and will likely read the third book In the series, as it introduces some new characters. If you like a slice of life type of books, then you will enjoy this. If you want more drama (or any sex scenes), then this one may not be for you.
The longest-standing book on my TBR list happened to be a short.
On The Kitchen Floor
Jamie Lake
3 Stars
Well, this one let me down at the end. I was enjoying the story despite a few grammatical errors and typos, and I thought the developing relationship between the two MCs Gerald and Pablo was going well. Then it abruptly ended. But it was definitely a good effort for such a short read.
I picked Tigers & Devils from my TBR to read since I’ve had it since 2012, it was about time! I was worried I wouldn’t have time to get it done but I finally finished it yesterday!
I’m so glad I finally read it & can’t believe it took me this long to do it! One of the reasons I never got around to it is because I’m not a sports fan *at all* and thought the football stuff would overpower the story & bore me. Totally not the case! There is very little actual footballing going on & I never felt like there was anything technical that a non sports person would get confused about. I feel silly for letting that keep me from reading it for years!
Simon & Declan were very different people & this caused a lot of tension for them in addition to the celebrity aspect. One thing I really liked was how both men had difficulty trusting in a relationship but that really Declan was the one that had the larger issues. And of course while there was conflict this really wasn’t what I would consider angsty at all.
I will totally be picking up the sequel for this, actually think there are two, I will enjoy seeing these guys going forward in their relationship.
For this week, I decided on Infected: Epitaph by Andrea Speed, which I’ve owned nearly since the day it came out. I’ve been putting it off partly because I wasn’t ready for this series to end, and partly because I didn’t think I would get an ending I could be content with. Fortunately, that last part didn’t end up being true.
Epitaph is a wonderful conclusion to the Infected series, but I’m so sad to see them go. Roan is such a hot mess of a character, and the fact that Speed can make so many readers fall so hard for him is astonishing. I am just so relieved that Roan and Dylan finally got something as close to a happy ending as they can carve out for themselves. And I’m really hoping we’re going to see some glimpses of how that works out for them when Holden’s spin-off series comes out. If you’ve already gotten to this point in the series, I really don’t have to convince you, but I’m so pleased with the way Speed wrapped things up.
Now I just have to get up the courage to read Infected: Paris.
I have scads of OLD books on my Kindle TBR. I decided to go with Primal Red by Nicole Kimberling.
The story is set in Bellingham Washington.
The main character is Peter. He’s a reporter for a free weekly and he’s looking for a story. He’s out
one night trying to get evidence to show that a local tea shop is actually a brothel, without much luck. He heads back home to the artist’s loft he lives
in and walks in to find a murder has occurred and his “crush”, Nick, is with the dying woman.
Then Peter is off and running to catch a murderer. Along the way he gets to know, and fall in love with Nick.
This was so much fun to read. I’d probably give this book 4.5 stars. I have the follow-up book Baby It’s Cold Outside and will definitely get to it next.
Is this one of her Bellingham mysteries? I have heard good thins about this series!
I finally read ‘Gemini’ by Chris Owen. I know this one is controversial since it the story of a menage that includes twins. The squik factor of twin-cest might put some readers off. But I decided to give this one a chance since I loved other books by the author’s s including ‘Bareback’ and ‘Natural Disaster’. And I liked this one too. It’s written from the first person perspective of Gent, a tattoo artist, who meets Paul when he comes into the tattoo shop to get pierced. After an intense first date, Paul tells Gent about his identical twin and their relationship. While Gent is obviously shocked, he’s surprisingly not repulsed but intrigued. When Gent meets Jamie, it’s explained that any further relationship between Gent and Paul would also include Jamie.
I know that this type of story is not for everyone. But Owen’s managed to make it work. Be warned…there’s LOTS of sex in this book as well as some light BDSM.