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Monday, August 31, 2015

A Demon Inside by Rick R. Reed Review





Author Name: Rick R. Reed
Book Name: A Demon Inside
Publisher: DSP Publications
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Length: 85,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Horror, M/M Romance, Paranormal
(From the author: I would say it’s a horror novel with an m/m romance as a subplot)
Release Date: August 25, 2015



Hunter Beaumont doesn’t understand his grandmother’s deathbed wish: “Destroy Beaumont House.” He’s never even heard of the place. But after his grandmother passes and his first love betrays him, the family house in the Wisconsin woods looks like a tempting refuge. Going against his grandmother’s wishes, Hunter flees to Beaumont House.
But will the house be the sanctuary he had hoped for? Soon after moving in, Hunter realizes he may not be alone. And with whom—or what—he shares the house may plunge him into a nightmare from which he may never escape. Sparks fly when he meets his handsome neighbor, Michael Burt, a caretaker for the estate next door. The man might be his salvation… or he could be the source of Hunter's terror.







Rick R. Reed is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love. He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation and The Blue Moon Cafe). Raining Men and Caregiver have both won the Rainbow Award for gay fiction.  Lambda Literary Review has called him, "a writer that doesn't disappoint." Rick lives in Seattle with his husband and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever "at work on another novel."


Where to find the author:


REVIEW


A Demon Inside



Hunter is the last of the Beaumont line. They are an old money family with a strange history. Hunter has been sheltered all of his life. He never went to school, work or anywhere without his grandmother. Although in his early 20's, his emotional maturity and street smarts are very stunted.

Situations happen which lead to Hunter deciding to move away from the city. Despite it being vacant for several generations and him being heavily warned against it, Hunter decides to move to Beaumont House. I would have ran after the first visit, but his fear of society overshadows his response to this haunted house.

Just right off, I have to say, Hunter is crazy. I like to read on my kindle late at night and early in the morning while it's still dark and my kids are asleep, but I got so creeped out, I had to get up and cut all the lights on. Hunter is living there and still manages to sleep at night! I was unable to understand much of Hunter's behavior so I didn't get into the characters as much as the scare factor of the book. The author does an excellent job of bringing the creepy.

This novel gave me a good dose of fright, and I plan to read more from the author.


***copy given in exchange for an honest review***


toni






Friday, August 28, 2015

Ricochet by Keri Lake Review









The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.

A beautiful wife.
A son.
A reason for living.

Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.

They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I'm cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.

A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.

I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who's seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.

Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.

An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.

If she doesn’t destroy me first.

WARNING: **Not recommended for readers under the age of 18 due to graphic violence, sex and strong language. Trigger warning for self harm.






















Ricochet

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a story of revenge and survival. It's told in first person, alternating between Nick and Aubree. Flashbacks are also prominent. Basically Detroit is a cesspool ran by an alliance of the worst of the worst in criminals and city officials. Human trafficking, rape and murder happen as freely as crossing the street. The storyline gets quite brutal at times.

Michael Culling is the head of this evil undertaking. What he took from Nick is just unimaginable. It can never make up for what he's been through, but Nick is on a mission to take Culling and his crew down as painfully as possible. Part of his plan includes Culling's wife Aubree. What Nick comes to know is that he and Aubree have more in common than anyone realized.

I recommend this book for someone who likes the whole Dark Knight idea with added very mature content. Nick is reminiscent of the DC character, but he also comes with plenty of extra twists.



***copy given in exchange for an honest review***


toni






Thursday, August 27, 2015

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts by Charlie Cochet Blog Tour Review










Title: Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts

Author: Charlie Cochet

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Length: 86 pages

Release Date: August 19, 2015

Blurb: Julian “Quinn” Quinetro, a gruff, tough Miami SWAT officer, has been injured on the job, and all he’s looking for is a little peace and quiet to recover—difficult to achieve with his large Cuban family. An adventure in picking up his prescriptions puts him in the path of his geeky, brownie-baking neighbor, Spencer Morgan. Spencer sweeps into Quinn’s life like a tropical storm of sunshine and rainbows. Not surprisingly, it’s chaos at first sight. Quinn’s in need of a little tender loving care, and Spencer decides he’s just the man for the job. Their very different lives might clash, but they might also find some common ground—and maybe more.







“This is sad, man. What is it with you and brownies?”

“These aren’t just any brownies,” Spencer stated proudly as he removed his latest batch of baked chocolate decadence from the oven. “These are Nutella caramel brownies with nuts, made from scratch. These are orgasm-in-your-mouth brownies.”

“Not really sure what to think about that,” Danny muttered, eyeing the brownies dubiously. “Seriously, dude. The only orgasm you should be chasing is the one waiting next door. This is your perfect chance! He’s defenseless.” Danny reached for a brownie, but Spencer slapped his hand away before he could pilfer one.

“I have to spread the Nutella and top them with walnuts. Also, I don’t know what I find more disturbing: that you think I should take advantage of the poor guy in his defenseless state, or that you believe the only way I’ve got a shot is to take advantage of him in his defenseless state.” He stopped and turned to his pouting best friend. “And FYI, defenseless is what babies and puppies are, not huge-ass mountain men in possession of heavy artillery. I ran into him once, literally, and it’s like he’s made out of fucking granite. He’s got an eight-pack. An eight-pack.”

Spencer had never seen an eight-pack outside of cyberspace. Until his sexy neighbor, he’d questioned their existence, much like Bigfoot. The sighting had taken place one morning on his way to get groceries. Quinn had been on his way to their gated community’s pool, sporting nothing but low-riding swim trunks and flip-flops. He’d stepped into the elevator next to Spencer, and the heat outside had nothing on the heat that had spread through Spencer’s body. Luckily Quinn had been too busy texting to notice Spencer’s Human Torch impression.

“I have… I don’t even know what this is.” Spencer lifted up the hem of his apron and the Hulk T-shirt underneath with a frown. He ran his finger down a groove along his torso as he sucked his stomach in. “Does this look like muscle definition to you?”

Danny reached over to pat Spencer’s pale belly. “Looks like you need to stop baking brownies. And get some sun, man. Look at you. You’re not even white. You’re like, transparent.”

“That’s harsh.” Spencer lowered his clothes. “I don’t tan like you. I burn. You couldn’t lie to me? Besides, what am I supposed to say to him? ‘Hi, remember me? I’m the guy who’s been living next door to you for the past year. We pass each other in the hall every day, take the elevator together, have parking spaces next to each other, have mailboxes next to each other, do laundry in the same room together, and shop at the same supermarket. No? That’s okay. Excuse me while I die of embarrassment.’” Spencer walked around the kitchen counter and flopped down into a chair, waiting for the brownies to cool. “The guy doesn’t know I exist. He’s freakin’ Miami SWAT. He’s probably an overbearing, misogynistic asshole with a giant ego, anyway.”

Danny took a seat next to him, his expression filled with concern. “You don’t know that. Besides, since when do you judge people?”

Spencer narrowed his eyes at his friend. “No one likes a smartass.”

“Says the guy who got a ticket for mouthing off to a police officer.”

“I wasn’t mouthing off. I was being witty and adorable. The guy just had no sense of humor. Besides, I was nowhere near that fire hydrant. He was clearly behind on his quota. Bet that wouldn’t have happened to Quinn.” Was he pouting? Oh God, he was. Danny was right; he was sad.

“Probably because he’s SWAT and can park his ginormous truck wherever the hell he wants.” Danny went to the glass doors of the balcony overlooking the parking spaces and started laughing.

“What?”

“You know how they say dogs look like their owners? I wonder if the same applies to cars.”

Spencer joined Danny at the window, letting out a low groan. His tiny yellow Fiat gleamed cheerfully beside Quinn’s monster black Chevy Silverado. “It looks like a sunspot.”














Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

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Winner’s Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card





Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts



Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts is super cute and sweet. Quinn is all big, manly and no-nonsense. Spence is peppy, fun and sushiney. When Quinn gets shot on the job (SWAT), he's stuck at home, and Spence finally sees an opening with his neighbor (who's also his crush). Spence offers his company and help. Quinn is grumpy, and Spence is sort of quirky and bumbling. Things go from there.

The story is filled with humor, family, great food and friends, along with oh-no-he-didn't and aww moments. I had a splendid time reading it.



***copy given in exchange for an honest review***


toni






Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Unconditional Anthology Release Day Blitz Review





 



Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Eab2u3
Purchase on B&N: http://bit.ly/1IkRkYE
Purchase on iBooks: http://apple.co/1TY2Nby
Purchase on Kobo: http://bit.ly/1MIiwWy




Life isn't easy. Love is harder. Love cuts, love burns and sometimes love breaks.
But living a half-life, living with regrets, that’s no life at all. People say we’re broken, not like other people. Maybe that’s true—ability, disability—what’s in a word? So whatever the world throws at us, we won’t stop, we won’t crumble. When we love, we love hard. Love without limits. Unconditional is an Anthology from authors Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Jane Harvey-Berrick, Sarina Bowen, Mary Elizabeth, D.Hart, Amber L. Johnson, CJ Lyons, Lauren K. McKellar, Shay Savage, and Magan Vernon.






He stole her lipstick…and her heart.

Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he ends up in her bed. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands.

Ten years after their first affair, Sebastian and Caroline meet again. Now a successful journalist, Caroline heads out to report from the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. Love is the last thing on her mind when she crosses paths with Marine Chief Sebastian Hunter.



Will this chance encounter reignite the erotic passion of their past, or will the hidden cost of war tear them apart again?


Until his accident, bad boy Hank “Hazardous” Lazarus had everything: a gorgeous girlfriend, a career as a freestyle snowboarder and a spot on the US Olympic team. Could he possibly meet the love of his life in the last place he ever wanted to go--the hospital?


Some days are brighter than others, but Penelope Finnel is invisible behind the colored lenses of her heart-shaped sunglasses. Dillon Decker hopes he is the cure to her madness. But when friend turns to lover, and lover turns to caretaker, how much can either of them tolerate before they’re swallowed whole?


Fate took away Baylor's past, giving her a second chance at life, but when faced with a choice to move forward, leave it buried, or follow her heart, she struggled with her basic need to survive and be loved. When she met Brandt, he gave her a reason to rebuild a life full of forgotten treasures.


When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional.
Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special.Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating.
Their friendship grows into love, even as Colton does not express it in words. But one decision threatens to break down the world that Lilly has tried so hard to integrate into and she must figure out if the relationship can survive if they are apart.


A West Virginia mountain, the middle of a blizzard, killers on his trail…no place for a city boy like Lucky Cavanaugh, an ATF explosives specialist.



Out-manned, out-gunned and shot, he takes Forest Service Wildlife Biologist Vinnie Ryan hostage until he convinces her that he’s one of the good guys.



Vinnie heals not only his injuries but also his broken heart. But when they uncover a terrorist plot, Lucky is forced to choose between duty and passion, risking the life of the woman he loves in order to save the lives of thousands.


When eighteen-year-old Kate’s father turns up drunk to graduation, she knows something is wrong—really wrong. What she doesn’t expect is a hereditary disease that will turn her life around.
The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life—about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.

Isolated on a raft after their ship capsizes, an alcoholic death-match fighter and a young woman have to face the elements as well as their entwined pasts. Bastian can survive in the harshest environments, but can he survive Raine?
Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.



Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.













REVIEW

Unconditional (A Love Without Limits Anthology)Unconditional by Stacey Wallace Benefiel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Falling From The Sky by Sarina Bowen
Hank is a snowboarder who becomes a paraplegic after an injury while gearing up for the Olympics. He's rich which enables him to use money to remodel his life, but no amount of money can take away all the struggles for him. Callie is a doctor, and has never been adventurous, wealthy or confident. She doesn't see herself for the exceptional person that she is. When their paths cross, they help each other to gain a new perspective.

I thought this was a great original story. I love how he is still portrayed as every bit the desirable male of any other leading man. Issues that go along with spinal injuries come up which make the storyline more realistic. The author also seems very knowledgeable about winter sports, and a book is always better when the details make sense; so, I appreciate that. Falling from the Sky has good friendships and a sweet romance. I enjoyed reading it.



Surviving Raine by Shay Savage
I love this book, and I love Sebastian Stark.
I continue to love every book I read from Shay Savage.

I guess she can't write a bad book after all. ;)
Bastian is technically not a good guy. I love how damaged he is yet what a wonderful man he is under all of that.
"No matter what actual words come out of my mouth—every time I think of you, every time I touch you, and every time I speak to you—I am making love to you."
He is seriously f'd up and seriously someone I would want on my team no matter what the situation. He is a survivor.
I love and recommend this book. <3