Hello everyone! Today we are wrapping up the second week of this year’s Reading Challenge Month with our New-to-Me Author Week challenge.
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 earn one entry point for each. And second, if you read along with your own challenge book, you can tell us all about it by leaving a mini review in the comments of this post and earn 10 contest entries. So if you comment on all the posts and do a mini review, you can earn mega entries!
This week’s awesome prize is sponsored by the folks at JMS Books! They are giving away FIVE $20 JMS Bookstore gift cards! And remember, all entries over the month qualify you for our amazing Grand Prize sponsored by NineStar Press! They are giving away a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with 50 books from NineStar Press! You can see all our Challenge Month prizes here on our Prize Preview page.
Here is what you need to know this week:
- 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 Saturday, September 19th at 11:59 pm ET. All entries will also carry over for the Grand Prize at the end of the month.
- In case you missed any, here are the books we reviewed this week for the New-to-Me Author Week Challenge. Comment on each for chances to win!
- The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters
- Solemn Contract by Morgan Cheshire
- Sweet Revenge by Tilly Keyes
- When Lightning Strikes by Darragha Foster
- Lightning Dragon Strikes Out by Toshi Drake
- Hematoma by Matteo Polk
- Cinderella Boy by Kristen Meister
- Finding Tulsa by Jim Provenzano
- The Assistant by John Tristan
- Surviving the Merge by C.P. Harris
- If you read along your own challenge book this week, leave your mini review here on this wrap up post.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been participating all week! Don’t forget to leave your comments and your mini reviews for a chance to win! And be sure to check in on Sunday for the kickoff of our next challenge, Past/Future Week!
This week I read CEMETERY BOYS, the YA debut by Aiden Thomas. Here’s the blurb:
“Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.”
I resisted reading this for a while because Covid-19 has made me exceptionally tender these days, especially regarding stories involving death and grief. (There are story aspects that may trigger other readers, such as references to Yadriel being deadnamed and some ritualistic moments of self-harm.) The rave reviews I’d seen convinced me I should try it. Julian (the ghost) is exceptionally vivacious and fun, which made the concept easier to take (though his love of life made some poignant moments hit that much harder, especially in the budding romance). At any rate, the world-building and characters swept me up right away. Thomas identifies as Latinx, queer, and trans, and you can feel how much emotional investment they place in their heroes. Yadriel’s cousin Maritza is equally compelling, which is always refreshing to see in an m/m story. The plot touchingly examines the push and pull of wanting to carry on family and cultural traditions that don’t perfectly jibe with who you are. (Yadriel isn’t seen as a summoning brujo because he’s not cis male, and Maritza denies her healing bruja capability because, as a vegan, she won’t perform rituals that use animal blood.) The pacing is excellent, and the mystery aspects add a layer of depth and urgency to the story. I live in a primarily Latinx community and thought my familiarity with the Mexican Catholic Day of the Dead observance would help me comprehend more as I read. Since the Dia de Muertos here has more Central/South American and witchcraft influences, some of the Spanish words and phrases in my galley copy were hard for me to figure out just from context–a glossary would have been wonderful. (I’ve heard that several edits have been made to the final release, perhaps this is one.) Without giving anything away, I can say that I’ll enjoy subsequent readings much more. Apparently this book made history this week as the first trans YA book to hit the NYT bestseller list, and it’s a worthy choice.
I especially loved BE GAY, DO COMICS (a compilation by online comics site The Nib). Most of the artists were new to me, and there’s an amazing array of styles and topics. I really appreciated the historical content (the story of gay Jewish WWII freedom fighter Gad Beck will make you swoon, and needs to be a movie!), as well as the strong ace/demi presence. I found it on Hoopla, but I hope print copies exist!
Wow this sounds amazing! I’ll have to check it out! Thanks so much for the review!
I was really looking forward to reading this one, and after your review, I’m even more pumped!
Book Read: The Duke of Hand to Heart (Royal Powers #6) by Jackie North. 3.5/5 Stars: After reading your review that told me this one’s timeline overlapped with the first volume I knew I wanted to skip to it next (even though it’s volume 6). This is a much more relaxed and slice of life style tale than the first volume. This was my first Jackie North, and the writing style is different than what I’m used to. I have to admit I did stumble over a few sentences and had to reread them. There are a few things that didn’t feel fully explored/explained in the volume. Cassian’s final pouty bit of vindictiveness seemed like it was supposed to tie up the loose ends of Mer’s feelings, but to me it just didn’t quite accomplish this. It felt random rather than proper. The volume epilogue also doesn’t go very far into the future to show whether or not the vineyard succeeds. The romance feels like a bit of a slower burn (there were feelings before smut), and I like slow burns. I love that we get a cast – that a royal Duke learns about and cares for the people that help his vineyard survive. It better shows off Merrick’s gentle but quiet nature. It’s a warm and fuzzy comfort book overall.
Thanks for the review Red!
I read four works each with a new to me author.
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh — this was an enjoyable novella. The main characters were Tobias Finch, who lives in Greenhollow wood and Henry Silver, the new owner of Greenhollow Hall and a folklorist. Henry’s mother plays a role as do dryads and a malevolent spirit. If you like fairytales, you will probably like this. I will happily read the next book in the series.
**
Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher — Grace, a perfume maker in a vaguely medieval town, meets Stephen, a paladin whose god has died. Feelings ensue. There is romance, murder, a spy, a lawyer with they/them pronouns, and education about perfume making. I laughed a lot and will definitely read more by this author.
**
Felix and the Prince by Lucy Lennox — Felix, a graduate student studying stained glass, meets Lio unaware that he is a prince about to ascend the throne. (Lio’s father is about to ‘retire’ … not abdicate?) Lio, gay and closeted,sees this as a last chance for a fling; however, the two men soon establish an emotional connection. There is a nice supporting cast of family, friends, and staff. I enjoyed this.
**
The Knight and the Necromancer: Book One: The Capital by A. H. Lee — I bought this in May, long enough ago to forget hearing the book ends ABRUPTLY. Be warned! I quite enjoyed this fantasy about Roland, brother of the Queen, who flirts with a man at a tavern only to be horrified to learn the next day that he kissed a necromancer. I definitely will read on.
Thanks Kareni! Great reviews! The only one I have read is Felix and the Prince and it is one of my favorites in that series.
I hadn’t heard of Paladin’s Grace, but you’ve definitely made me want to check it out, Kareni.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, Jovan!
I read Laying Pipe by Kiki Clark:
4 Stars
“Laying Pipe” is a delightfully high heat (cabin time, whew!), low angst age gap romance and light read. It hedges a bit on the sweet side, but not on a sugar shock level, and MCs John and Lukas are very likeable and relatable (and a shout-out to author Kiki Clark for giving John a realistic body and a touch of insecurity to go along with it).
With the main drama being telling Lukas’s father aka John’s best friend about their relationship, this story is refreshing in how open John is to love and discovering himself to be a “late-blooming bisexual” (as he describes it) and how accepting he and Lukas are of their 16-year age difference. Naturally the story ends with a very satisfying HEA, but also be sure to check out the steamy bonus chapter on the author’s website (whew again!).
I’m hopeful this book is the start of a series because I’d like to see more of Lukas’s friends Kevin and Hank, and perhaps even more of land developer Garrett Singer… I’ve no doubt there’s a story there. And additional glimpses of John and Lukas thoroughly enjoying their HEA would be welcome, too.
I just read this a few days ago (review is forthcoming) and agree with everything you said. I liked this a lot!
Oh! I read Kiki Clarks other series, the kincaid pack, and liked it a lot, I want to make sure I keep up with her latest releases
I read Hidden in Darkness by Alice Winters, which is a new-to-me author. This book is the first in the In Darkness series and I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.
The book is about Felix, who is hired to take care of a recently blinded man, Lane. Lane is not at all interested in having a ‘babysitter’ and seems determined to make things difficult for Felix. Still, as Felix is trying to figure out who Lane is and what happened to him, the two start to grow closer.
This book was only okay for me. I didn’t love any of the two main characters, and while I did feel the chemistry between them I also felt like there was something lacking. I think I would have liked to see more of the actual romance, because most of this book is pretty action packed and mostly focused on that part, and the romance didn’t get as much focus as I would’ve liked. Also, the first sex scene happened quite early and felt rushed and a little off, so that kind of put me off a little bit from the start.
The mystery/crime aspect of the book was also just okay. It didn’t really engage me as much as I would’ve wanted and I think that the story wrapped up a little too quickly.
There were some things I liked, though. I liked Felix’s attitude towards Lane – the way he refused to feel sorry for him or treat him any differently just because he’s disabled. I also enjoyed their banter, even though I sometimes wished for less banter and more honest conversation. And I didn’t think this was a bad book – I actually think I lot of people might enjoy it – it just didn’t quite work for me. I might continue the series though, as the book ended in a way that made me curious about what’s going to be next for these characters.
Thanks Sunny! I love this series, but I am a sucker for banter, lol. I agree the romance side isn’t as developed here early on and the first book was my least favorite of the three. But I am a big fan of this series and of Alice WInter’s books in general.
I had a similar experience to yours, Sunny. People love this series, but it just didn’t work for me. I could see why people would love the banter, but it didn’t draw me in and the humor felt like it was trying too hard. I’ve tried all of Winter’s comedies, and everyone seems to love them but me. I feel so left out! =(
I read The Elves and the Bondage Daddy by JP Sayle.
This was such a great book. I loved it. This is a new to me author and I’m very interested on reading more. I loved the way the fairy tale element was involved in a mostly contemporary setting.
The characters were so charming, everyone of them so diferent and interesting. I liked Gwil the most, but all of them were nice. I loved the interations between the elves. I also loved the internal struggle they all had. It was so good.
I’m not such a big fan of some aspects of BDSM, but this book worked perfectly for me.
The only reason I won’t be giving it 5 stars is because I don’t feelt it was really dark, I even found it kind of sweet, which isn’t a bad thing for itself, but it was suposed to be a dark theme book. Other than that, I loved it. Definitely recomended.
Thanks Ana! It was fun to see your review bc I think this title caught a lot of people’s attention when the author was here on the blog this week. Glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve read Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes by Evan J. Corbin. This is the blurb:
“The oldest translation of a Gospel is returned to the world by a secret society long dedicated to its preservation. In it, Jesus explicitly condemns bigotry and homophobia. In a new world in which LGBTQ passengers receive preferential boarding for flights and the United States has elected its first lesbian President, Pastor Rick Harris is stalwart, closeted preacher who doggedly holds onto his increasingly unpopular convictions.
When an incendiary sermon goes too far and offends an influential family, Rick makes a painful choice to keep his job: He attends an atonement camp run by drag queens for society’s most unrepentant and terminally incurable homophobes.
Atonement Camp is immersion therapy for Pastor Harris, and it might be working. An open bar with pedicures, a devastatingly attractive roommate and an endless supply of glitter help him manage to make new friends. Soon, Rick and his cohorts learn the camp may hold its own secrets. Amid the smiling faces and scantily clad pool boys who staff the camp, a clandestine group plots to discredit the New Revelation and everything it stands for.
If Rick has the conviction to confront his own hypocrisy, he might be able to uncover the conspirators with help from his adopted flock—and find new truths within himself.”
And this is my review:
I can see why this book could start controversy. In a way or another, religion was a big part of the story, anti-gay sermons included. I can also imagine it would be a hard read for many people who went through the hardships of being accepted for who they are, who had to deal with society’s rejection. Although, if nothing else, this book opened my eyes even more to what obstacles people on the LGBTQ spectrum encounter in their lives and made me an even a stronger ally.
But, as a whole, it seemed to me that the author treated many serious issues mostly in a humorous way. I laughed a lot, especially thanks to “the treatments” applied at the camp. Yet, even during the funniest moments, there was always the underlying issues of openness of mind and self acceptance.
Honestly, aside from the hurtful passages, I think this was a really entertaining read. The idea for the fictional society and the new revelation were refreshing, there were a lot of colorful and interesting characters, multiple POVs, a bit of spy story action, surprises and a hint of romance.
Definitely a recommended read.
Ok. That blurb sounds AMAZING. Thank you for bringing this one to me attention, Ana!
Thanks for the review!
I picked Acsquidentally in Love by K.L. Hiers for New-to-Me Author week. This story is set in AU where magic exists and different gods are worshipped. When a follower of old god Azaethoth is murdered, the god takes over his body and hooks up with PI Sloane to exact vengeance. This was a fun story with a side of tentacles (if that’s your thing) that I enjoyed and I’m looking forward to more.
Oh this does sound fun! Thanks for the review!
I read The Riddles of Mulberry Island by Huston Piner.
I don’t usually read YA novels and I think this author specialises in this genre.
I found this an enjoyable tale that did keep me engaged.
Centres around 2 15yo boys and a 17yo girl (I think that’s the ages), and is set in the simpler times of the early 1950’s and they go off adventuring on a local abandoned island.
Cue cranky caretakers, mystery residents, smugglers, nefarious plots, a lot of action and a very youthful romance.
Also, the ‘let’s investigate ourselves rather than engage with adults’ mentality of groups like The Famous 5 give a somewhat unreal feel at times.
The boys sometimes came across as much younger and Wendy as a bossy meddler, but that could be my take on a 15yo now vs one in the 50’s.
In that age of enlightenment for kids, Tommy is confused by his feelings for both Wendy and John, though John wins out. And John’s parent were just dire!
I heard good things about this author. This one sounds interesting. Thanks for the review!
I read Speakeasy by Suzey Ingold
Official Blurb: in the height of the Prohibition era in Manhattan, recent Yale graduate Heath Johnson falls for Art, the proprietor of a unique speakeasy where men are free to explore their sexuality. When Arts sanctuary is raided, Heath is forced to choose between love and the structured life his parents planned for him.
It was ok. I’m not sure I can articulate what I felt was missing. Once Heath and Art meet, there is some nice build up to their first kiss. But once that happens I lost track of their physical relationship. I think it was Heath’s first relationship and after their first kiss, I almost felt like there was just an assumption that their physical relationship had progressed. Later they take a bath together, but it didn’t really read as a new, exciting part of a new relationship. Not closed door, just missing.
And I got frustrated with Heath as a character. He tries to surprise Art on a date and then gets mad when Art isn’t interested in the surprise. Art gets the news his business is gone and Heath tries to help by trying to get Art to pay attention to him. At the end, the author’s note said she pictured Art as Sebastian Stan. I wish I had that image in my mind reading the book, I may(?) have liked it more.
Sorry this wasn’t a total hit for you, but thanks for the review!
I read My Boyfriend Is A Dog by S.A. Smythe, This story has a talking dog who keeps pestering the main character, Travis, and trying to convince him they are mates/true love. His pet goes so far as to chase away any potential competition for Travis affections. But Travis isn’t having any of it, instead he’s crushing on his neighbor. Travis eventually gets a date with the neighbor and the date goes a bit sideways. Misunderstanding arise and get resolved.
It started off well. There were moments where I felt there was too much dialogue but otherwise I didn’t mind. It kind of got weird as the story was nearing the end..all I have to say is there was an orgy. For me, mates and orgies don’t compute.
Lol well that totally took at turn from what I was expecting at the start of the review lol! Thanks for sharing!
H.B., you might be interested in Cooper West’s book
Parker’s Sanctuary: A Guardsmen Novel. A free prologue is available for Kindle readers; it’s titled Rescued: A “Parker’s Sanctuary” Story.
Oh good suggestion! Kris and I reviewed this series and both liked it a lot. I agree it might be a good choice for you. https://joyfullyjay.com/tag/guardsmen-series/
I read Demons Do It Better by Louisa Masters this week. I realize I am probably late to the party where Louisa Masters is concerned, as this was the first book of hers I read.
This is the beginning of a new series set in an alternative universe where there are demons, shifters, magic users and the like. Their existence is kept secret from humans and they are policed/supported by the Community of Species Government. Our two protagonists, Sam and Gideon both work for the CSG.
I enjoyed the world building in this book. The explanation of magic and the idea that god and lucifer are actually job titles was novel to me.
I liked Sam’s internal observations and his point of view. Gideon was harder to know. There was little information given about his history. This was not a perfect book, but I liked it well enough to be eager for book two.
Thanks Deandra! I haven’t read Louisa Masters either. Sounds interesting!
This week I read Death of a Bachelor (Cherrywood Grove Series, book 1).
Two very different men are brought together by the loss of a loved one. Damon has just lost his wife,Era, and Cathal has lost his best, closest and only friend. Damon and Cathal have never liked each other and as Cathal explains to Felix, Damon’s son, they are nails and chalkboard respectively.
Due to a deathbed promise to his friend, Cathal moves in with Damon to look after him. Damon has given up his job as chef and is full of self doubt and insecurities and feels inferior to Cathal, who is an astrophysicist, snarky and arrogant. As weeks and months go by, they go from hating each other’s guts, to tolerating each other, to becoming friends which turns into a slow simmer romance.
Slowly Damon regain his confidence, finding his joy in pastry work and ends up participating in a baking competition. Cathal admits he doesn’t want to be alone anymore, his fear of abandonment has kept from forming close relationships. Cathal’s family abandoned him, when he came out as gay. This story has moments of grief but also moments of so much warmth, humor and a good helping of snark. There’s also very positive LGBT representation, Damon is bisexual, Cathal is gay, and as Damon explains “he was raising a son who had run down the rainbow and never looked back “. Death of a Bachelor was a delightful book, it was such a pleasure to read.
The author of Death of a Bachelor is M. A. Hinkle.
Thank you Sofia. Sounds interesting!
I read “The Taste” from Christian Williams, one of the reviewed books from last week. This book says it’s inspired by the film “call me by your name”. I’ve read the book cmbyn from Andr’e Aciman already 10 years ago and I love it so so much! It is a masterpiece. I also watched the film and was very impressed how it captured the essence of the book. I think it is in fact one of the best films I’ve ever seen. So with this in mind, my expectations for Williams book were high. I think way too high. I never got into his novella. I had a hard time with his writing style. What does he want to say was constantly on my mind. But the ending was really good. I asked myself if it would had been better for me without the relation to the film and I think yes. It would have been a nice little novella with a good, surprising end. But, this is just my opinion and I think most of the readers liked this book very much. So I would recommend to read the book and maybe to read the original by Aciman 🙂 and to watch the film!
Thanks Cyntia! It’s was nice to get your perspective on this one!!
What did you think of FIND ME, if you read it (since I’d imagine not all CMBYN fans would want to)?
I read Five Minutes Longer by Victoria Sue. It’s about two guys who are new partners in law enforcement in a world where there are enhanced people(those who have some sort of powers). I love novels where it’s about romance between partners, as you have to find a balance between work and your person life. I didn’t especially love this book, and don’t think I’ll continue with the series. But I’m sure many people would love it.
Thank you Nidhi! I like stories about coworkers too!
I chose Impossibly Fond by Tanja Chris, as I had never read anything by her
A wizard, a Galoot and a Leprefae enter in a tavern… and hell breaks loose!
Waltham is a wizard down on his luck… which obviously has nothing to do with the fact that he skipped most of his lessons in the Academy and decided to end his apprenticeship way before it was due… but his luck is about to change, as he’s managed to snatch a Leprechaun… or something like that, as Mindy has pink wings and a very annoying personality. When a spell gone wrong turns a handsome Galoot (a mini-giant), Ian, into his biggest fan, Mindy’s annoying personality reminds Waltham that he has to correct it, because there is no way somebody as nice as Ian would be as fond as somebody as unpleasant as Waltham. But to do so, the three of them have to spend some time trying to find grasshopper’s gonads, kitten tears and other crazy stuff. And in that time, Waltham realises that he would love to be the wonderful person Ian sees when he looks at him. Too bad, as soon as the lifts the spell, all that fondness is going to be gone… or is it?
So this was a fantastic read. So fresh and funny. The dynamics between the three characters is really hilarious sometimes. I loved every single one of them. And then Diva arrived and I was completely sold.
I had never read anything by Tanya Chris before, but I will certainly read more of her stories
Very recommendable
I read this one this week too (for an upcoming review). I enjoyed it as well not was fun to read your take on it too!
I chose Heart of Stone (May-December Hearts Collection, #2 by Sam E. Kraemer as my new to me author and rated it 4 star.
*´¨)
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(¸.•´ (¸.•`They were making a family—a new kind of family.?*´¨?*
I was 87% deep into this book, when I stopped and said, oh my gawd, this is so real. All the while, I was waiting for something, unsure of what it was I was expecting. And there it was, hitting me square between the eyes. There was no big explosion of sexual fusion (although with these guys, once the slow roll was lifted, they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves!) There wasn’t the drama one would expect from all the guilt and other issues to arrive. No. Here were two men trying to navigate fields they had never ventured into before. Stone, losing a husband who had been very alpha and now having to step up to the plate to support his family. Theo, much younger and falling fast; but having such a big shoe to fill, even if he put it all on himself. The cast of characters were fantastic. I loved Grandma Hope and Grandpa Gerald. I felt their presence dictated Stone’s and Theo’s upbringing and what they faced together.
But, I digress. Everything was real. Yes. I even cussed Theo out too many times and begged Stone to man up and see what was right in the front of him. The language I used against Barron, Stone’s dead husband, was not one a lady should ever repeat…but then again, have I ever claimed to be a lady? The fusion of hurts, lies, confessions and drama made this a good story. The avenue this new-to-me author took would have scared most, but she stood by her beliefs and did a great job.
Why did I chose this book? One, it is good to be challenged. And finding good new-to-me authors have become that. I always said, it is good to find a new author who gets me to four star level on the first try and be ready to read another book by them. Two, when I read the backstory, I was intrigued. I needed to know more and I wanted to know if the direction would be met. My conclusion is…I will recommend this book. Be warned, it does not end after three hours so be prepared for over 5 hours of reading. But it will make you appreciate love, death and the ones left behind.
Thank you so much Cee! Great review!