Busy, busy, busy.

Been trying to catch up on the wonderful stories coming out from the M/M Romance Group and at the same time I've been catching up with a lot of my crocheting WIPs.

However everything ended up on hold today when I picked up this book and didn't want to put it down until the end.


Black Ice Heart by Ella Drake 5*
BLURB: Condemned and in transit to an asteroid prison, he found what he'd never had before--a chance to love.
***
Ensign Joan Holly has one last mission before transferring to a secretive, elite unit, the Nex. It's what she's wanted since joining the military as a child. All she has to do is escort the most reviled prisoner on Geonate to meet his fate. Simple, since he's immobilized and nobody has ever escaped the Asteroid Pit.
Cenak Bronson never had it easy. He's never been free and never had a future. He accepts his doomed fate until he's rescued by a band of half-aliens, the Scoriah. After the chaos of his breakout, Cenak finds himself reluctantly bound to the only other survivor, his jailer Joan.
But they aren't the sole survivors by coincidence and they weren't captured by the Scoriah randomly. To survive, they join forces, uncovering secrets and lies that change everything. Including the future of Geonate itself.

My Review: I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review. Thank you Ella. I loved this book and although it is #1 in a new series called Space Grit it is also a stand alone story. I found that I was rooting for the 'bad' guy Cenak from quite early on in the book and was enchanted by the Scoriah. Without giving too much away it is difficult to write a review that will do justice to the book but suffice to say I am putting it on my reread shelf it was so good. The characters have depth and the story has an intensity and continuity that appealed to me. It had everything I look for in a science fiction romance, plenty of action, romance and plot.

Now for the bad news - you can't get to read it until September 21st.

It's taken a while

but I have finally read all the stories in 'my book' ;)


Discovery: QSF's Second Annual Flash Fiction Contest by Various Authors (including me) 5*

BLURB: The rules are simple enough. Write a complete story—either sci fi, fantasy, or paranormal. Make sure it has LGBT characters and/or an LGBT vibe. And do it all with just 300 words.
The stories in this volume run the gamut, from platypus shifters to alien slug monsters, from carnival horror stories to haunting stories of ships with souls. There are little jokes, big surprises, and future prognostications.

My Review: If you want a quick five minute read before bed or whilst waiting for an appointment than this book is full of them and all of them are either sci fi, fantasy, or paranormal with an LGBT vibe.
I am probably biased as I have a small story in this book but I will admit to the others being of a far better quality than my poor effort and well worth every penny you pay for it.

Against The Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet

Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet 5*
BLURB: As the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.
Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.

My Review: All the way through the first four books I have enjoyed the relationship between Ash and Cael. This book adds more depth and insight into said relationship. What made it truly remarkable was the way Charlie started the book exactly where the previous one finished off so that you were dropped straight back into the worlds of THIRDS and the Therians and everything that makes these books so good. As is usual with this series there is a subplot running through it and although it takes up a lot of the book it doesn't (IMO) detract from the relationship between the main characters. Off course reading about all the others was fun too and I can't wait to see what Charlie gives us in the way of relationship problems and resolutions for Calvin and Hobbs who I absolutely adore (right after Dex).

Knight of Ocean Avenue by Tara Lain

Knight of Ocean Avenue (Love in Laguna #1) by Tara Lain 5*

BLURB: How can you be twenty-five and not know you’re gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy’s life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Being terrified of taking tests keeps Billy from getting the contractor's license he so desires, and fear of his mother's judgement blinds Billy to what could make him truly happy.
Then, in preparation for his sister’s big wedding, Billy meets Shaz—Chase Phillips—a rising star, celebrity stylist who defines the word gay. To Shaz, Billy embodies everything he’s ever wanted—stalwart, honest, brave—but even if Billy turns out to be gay, he could never endure the censure he’d get for being with a queen like Shaz. How can two men with so little in common find a way to be together? Can the Stylist of the Year end up with the Knight of Ocean Avenue

My Review: There are two things I have come to expect from a Tara Lain book and this one gave them both to me in spades. The first is a truly emotional romance between two people who seem like they shouldn't go together at all yet somehow they always do and it works. The second is a wonderful medley of secondary characters who are fun to meet. This book delivered some amazing personalities in those secondary characters as well as a few really horrible people who I would have nothing to do with if they were real. All I can add is go buy the book. You will enjoy it if you liked any of her previous books or if you just like sexy, sweet, minimal angst romances that make you feel good when you get to the end.

An exciting (new to me) series.

Monster Hunter International (Monster Hunter International #1) by Larry Correia 5*
BLURB: Welcome to Monster Hunter International.
Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a fourteenth story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer.
It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.
It's actually a pretty sweet gig, except for one little problem. An ancient entity known as the Cursed One has returned to settle a centuries old vendetta. Should the Cursed One succeed, it means the end of the world, and MHI is the only thing standing in his way. With the clock ticking towards Armageddon, Owen finds himself trapped between legions of undead minions, belligerent federal agents, a cryptic ghost who has taken up residence inside his head, and the cursed family of the woman he loves.
Business is good . . .

My Review: I don't know why I haven't come across this series before now but my thanks go out to John Ringo without whom I'd never have found it. It was exciting, action-packed, humourous. gory and everything I have always loved about Saturday B-Movie Matinees. The use of monsters from all backgrounds (American Indian legends, Celtic Sidhe Tales, Heroic Fantasy etc.) were both uniquely used and enjoyably twisted to suit the storyline and characters. From page one I was hooked and I am certainly going to be asking for these as gifts come gift giving days (if I haven't thrown caution to the wind before then and bought them myself!)

Just finished reading Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock #1) by Faith Hunter 5*
BLURB: Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind-a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she's been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie's Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who's killing other vamps...

My Review: Why has it taken me so long to find this series? I loved the action and the intrigue but most of all I loved the kickass heroine. What made the book even more enjoyable was the excellently written secondary characters and the beautifully described world of New Orleans and a society that has vampires and witches as the norm. As soon as funds allow I think I'll be doing a catch up on this series. After all I need to find out how she and Beast solve who will be top dog (or should I say cat?).

A Winter to get hot with.

Winter's Wolf (Tales of the Harker Pack #3) by Tara Lain 5*
BLURB: Winter Thane was raised on the two cardinal rules of werewolf existence: don’t reveal yourself to humans under penalty of death, and there’s no such thing as a gay werewolf. It’s no surprise when his father drags him from his wild life in remote Canada back to Connecticut to meet his old pack in hopes it will persuade Winter to abandon his love of sex with human males. Of course Dad’s hopes are dashed when they come face-to-face with the gay werewolves in the Harker pack.
Winter takes one look at FBI agent, Matt Partridge, and decides bird is his favorite food. Partridge is embroiled in an investigation into drug dealing and the death of a fellow agent. He can’t let himself get distracted by the young, platinum-haired beast, but then Winter proves invaluable in the search for clues, a move that winds them both up in chains and facing imminent death. Winter quickly learns his father’s motives are questionable, the pack alphas are a bunch of pussies, humans aren’t quite what they seem, and nothing in the forests of Connecticut is pure except love.

My Review: I hate the cold of the winter season but loved this Winter, who was really hot, and I wished the story were even longer so that I could get more of him (not that it was a short story really). Tara has produced another great werewolf story with twists and turns I never saw coming . She also kept the emotions on the boil with her characters, who were practically leaping off the pages to entertain the reader. I hope she writes more Harker Pack stories as I have fallen for all those wonderful Alphas and Alphantas and would love to revisit them. In the meantime I guess I'll stick to re-reading or re-listening to these first three.

Review of No Crayons On The Front Line by Kallysten

No Crayons On The Front Line (The Demons Age #10) by Kallysten 5*
BLURB: When Samuel gets his class of elementary students to write letters to soldiers fighting on the demon invasion front line, the children coax him into doing the same. Lieutenant Williams soon answers his letter, and it’s only the beginning of a long exchange of thoughts, anecdotes and feelings. This long-distance relationship is bound to change when they meet in person… Will they each be true to what they showed through their words? An epistolary novella

My Review: First of all I want to say don't be put off by the fact that this is #10 in a series. It can be read as a stand alone and loses nothing by doing so. I personally have only read three others so far and enjoyed them all. What I enjoyed about this one though was something a little different that made it stand out as unique and interesting. In it's way it is quite nostalgic as the whole story is told in the form of letters passed between the two main characters very reminiscent of pen pals and old fashioned courtship. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good fantasy and in depth characterisation in their books.

Review of Threshold (Whyborne & Griffin #2) by Jordan L. Hawk

Threshold (Whyborne & Griffin #2) by Jordan L. Hawk 5*
BLURB: Introverted scholar Percival Endicott Whyborne wants nothing more than to live quietly with his lover, ex-Pinkerton detective Griffin Flaherty. Unfortunately, Whyborne's railroad tycoon father has other ideas, namely hiring Griffin to investigate mysterious events at a coal mine.
Whyborne, Griffin, and their friend Christine travel to Threshold Mountain, a place of dark legend even before the mine burrowed into its heart. A contingent of Pinkertons-including Griffin's ex-lover Elliot-already guard the mine. But Griffin knows better than anyone just how unprepared the detectives are to face the otherworldly forces threatening them.
Soon, Whyborne and Griffin are on the trail of mysterious disappearances, deadly accidents, and whispered secrets. Is Elliot an ally, or does he only want to rekindle his relationship with Griffin? And if so, how can Whyborne possibly hope to compete with the stunningly handsome Pinkerton-especially when Griffin is hiding secrets about his past?
For in a town where friends become enemies and horror lurks behind a human mask, Whyborne can't afford to trust anything-including his own heart.

My Review: Having enjoyed book one of this series I decided it was time for me to read book two and see if it stands up against the first one. It does! It was an excellent historical thriller which just happened to have two guys who are lovers solving the mystery. The relationship was beautifully woven into the drama and action of an exciting detective story. I am falling for the main two characters but I know I'm in love with the supernatural aspects of the mysteries they have to solve. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of the series sooner or later.

I have also been reading a great little short story series Called Tri Omega Mates by Stormy Glenn. They are quick easy and each is a little different in the way the three way relationship goes even though the premise is identical for each. I gave them all 4* ratings but haven't bothered reviewing them individually.

I've listened to some audio books most of which were repeats of ones I'd already listened to just because I was in that kind of mood.

BOOK ONE IN A BRAND NEW SERIES . . .

by Nebula and Hugo Award Winner Catherine Asaro set in the world of her Skolian Empire universe.

Undercity (Major Baahjan #1) by Catherine Asaro 5*
BLURB: In the galaxy-spanning future, Major Bhaajan is a tough female P.I. who works the dangerous streets of Undercity.
Major Bhaajan, a former military officer with Imperial Space Command, is now a hard-bitten P.I. with a load of baggage to deal with, and clients with woes sometimes personal, sometimes galaxy-shattering, and sometimes both. Bhaajan must sift through the shadows of dark and dangerous Undercity—the enormous capital of a vast star empire—to find answers.

My Review:Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley I've been a fan of Catherine Asaro ever since I first read her book Catch the Lightning . Since then (almost 19 years ago!) I have read many of her Skolian Empire books, not always in order but, just like this new one, it didn't matter. Ms Asaro has the knack of giving you all the information you need in each book without boring old readers or swamping new ones with facts. One of the first things I noticed about this eARC was the cover and for once the cover matches the insides and the heroine really is as formidable as the picture shows. So what can I say about the story that won't give away spoilers? Well it's science fiction, well blended with a thriller and a psychic action story. The story is about two very different societies in the one city, where the top city dwellers know next to nothing about the Undercity ones, and this story tells how they end up interacting through the actions of the heroine. As it says that this is the first in a new series I can promise you I will be anxiously awaiting book two. Meanwhile can I just say if you like a well written book that deals with characters and plot in equal measure then you won't go far wrong buying this one when it comes out 2nd December 2014.

What do Sue Brown, Spider Robinson and K. A. Merican have in common?

They are all authors I have read over the last two days!!

Telempath by Spider Robinson 3*
BLURB: Spider's 1976 first novel, in its umpteenth reincarnation.
Isham Stone is the second-best assassin left in a shattered world. He's many miles from home, half-dead, his left arm is gangrenous, and he possesses--like everyone else--a sense of smell 1000 times better than a wolf's. Ahead of him, in the stinking ruins of New York, hides Carlson, the greatest killer of all time. All Isham has to do is stay alive long enough to find Carlson and kill him. But Carlson is guarded by ghosts. They rode the winds when Earth was bubbling rock, shared the world with men for a million years, and though we sensed their presence we never truly believed in them--for in our arrogance we assumed life was an exclusive property of solids and liquids... Now they've declared war on us, and our species is nearly annihilated...thanks to the man Isham has come to kill.
The first third of this book, as "By Any Other Name," won the Hugo Award for Best Novella, the first of Spider's 3 Hugos.

My Review: I first read this one when it came out back in !976 and I hadn't realised how much my taste in reading had changed over the years. I don't know if it's because I wasa single teenage girl when I first read it and am now a widowed mother in her 50's but it wasn't as good as I remembered it. Don't get me wrong it was a wonderful book but the impact it had back then just wasn't there any more. I would recommend this if you enjoy nostalgia and the idea of peaceful solutions and a plot so twisted it makes your mind spin but otherwise I think it would have been better for me to have remembered this book rather than reread it.

Diary of a Teenage Taxidermist by K.A. Merikan 4*
BLURB: --- Too cool for school. ---
Ethan is a levelheaded, some might say ‘antisocial’, young artist-entrepreneur with a love for quirky taxidermy. He is close to graduating high school and at a crossroads. All he wants is to develop his business further, yet all his parents want is for him to go to law school. That is more than enough problems for Ethan, so any kind of love life is off his agenda. That is until Robert Hunter, the quarterback of the football team, comes crashing into him. Literally.
Robert drifts along in high school. He has good grades, he’s getting ready for med school, he’s even leaving potentially problematic dating until college. He’s gay, not ashamed of it, but he doesn’t want to stir up any trouble. His carefully laid plans might just go completely off the rails though, when he drinks too much at a party and causes irreversible damage to Ethan, the school’s weirdo.
Robert has to face the fact that maybe he isn’t the good guy he always considered himself to be. And maybe he doesn’t want to go to med school. And maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t actually want to wait with dating until college.

My Review: It was the title that first drew my attention with this book, then the blurb piqued my interest. This was an excellent coming of age gay romance even though it had a very strange start to the relationship. I really enjoyed both main characters albiet Ethan was a little bit on the socially inept side of life and Rob was a typical blind to the obvious kind of guy. Over all, having bought up four teenage boys, I truly identified so many quirks and behaviours that I felt the book had some true realism to it, although the irreversible damage with Ethan wasn't as central to the story as I had expected it to be.


Complete Faith (Morning Report #2) by Sue Brown 5*
BLURB: For Tommy Bradley, a hand working on the Lost Cow Ranch in rural Texas, admitting his sexuality is impossible, even if his bosses, Luke and Simon, are gay—Tommy has spent his entire life hiding the truth from his homophobic parents. Then Tommy meets pastor Noah Taylor in Luke’s father’s hospital room, and his difficult secret becomes that much harder to keep.
Noah is unlike any man of God—or any man—Tommy’s ever met. For one thing, his congregation is made up primarily of GLBT individuals and their families. For another, he isn’t afraid of the attraction he feels toward Tommy, and he makes his intentions very clear. But Noah won’t hide his sexuality or his love from the world, and he won’t start a relationship with Tommy while Tommy hides his, either. Faced with the choice of losing Noah or coming out to his parents, Tommy takes his first steps out of the closet.
But Tommy isn’t the only one facing challenges. Thanks to an outpouring of hatred from Pastor Jackson and a group of ranch owners, Noah must cope with the possible loss of his church and his livelihood.
My Review: This was a truly well woven story that was not preachy although one of the main characters was a preacher. One thing I really liked about this story was that Ms Brown drew the reader so deep into the story that every nasty thing that happened hurt like it was happening to one of my own. On the other hand she didn't fill it with angst and grief so I felt really good when I go to the end.

Papa's Boy (Morning Report #3) by Sue Brown 5*
BLURB: Sequel to Complete Faith Morning Report: Book Three
When Ray Sloane tires of the men in his usual club, he finds himself in the Pink Palm, an inauspiciously named spit-and-sawdust dive, not the sort of place an elementary school teacher and pastor’s assistant should be seen in. On the other hand, Ray needs a fresh face. But what he gets is a closeted, desperately unhappy divorcé named Zeke.
Losing his teaching job and his kids has left Zeke bitter and in denial about his sexuality, but Ray is determined to get under his skin. Just as Zeke starts to relax, life interferes with Ray’s plans: Lee, the teenage organist from St. Mark's, tells his parents that he was abused as a teenager by a prominent congregation member from his old church, and Ray becomes the target of bullies at school and has to worry about his own job. With the specter of what happened to Zeke hanging over him, Ray must protect Lee and his own reputation, all while trying to convince Zeke that he doesn’t need to run away when their relationship grows more intense.

My Review: This was, yet again, an excellently written complex story that gives the reader plenty to think about and manages to bring to an end the story arc started in Morning Report. Ms. Brown manages to give the reader an excellent romance between two men who couldn't have been more different in their approach to being gay. I liked that as in the previous book the religious aspects didn't bog the story down, nor was it ignored as it played such an important role in the lives of everyone involved. I must say that the book gave me a happy, well rounded finish that I truly liked.

A Call to Arms (The Arden Chronicles #1) by Shiriluna Nott

A Call to Arms (The Arden Chronicles #1) by Shiriluna Nott 5*
BLURB: War is brewing on the eastern border of Arden. The shaky truce between Arden and the neighboring realm of Shiraz has all but dissolved, and both sides are building their forces for battle. But in the quiet farming community of Willowdale, the rumors of war are the least of young Gibben Nemesio’s concerns. With both parents dead and two younger brothers to care for, Gib doesn't have time to focus on anything besides keeping food on the table. Everything changes the day he receives a conscription notice and must report to Arden’s capital.
In Silver City, Gib is forced to leave his life as a farmer behind when he enters the legendary Academy of Arden as a sentinel trainee. If called to war, he will have no choice but to go, for the Sentinels of Arden are the realm's first line of defense against the evils beyond the border.
A newcomer to this breathtaking city of stone, Gibben finds himself thrown into a world of cutthroat politics and scandals that run deeper than he ever imagined. Caught between the responsibilities to his family and to his country, Gib struggles to find balance. When he unwittingly overhears a sinister plot--that if seen to fruition will bear dire consequences for all of Arden--the young sentinel trainee must find a way to warn those in power before it is too late.

My Review: Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author Have you ever read Mercedes Lackey's Collegium Chronicles? Or maybe Elizabeth Moon's Deeds Of Paksenarrion? If you have, then you know that when I say this book is in a similar vein, you are in for an epic fantasy read with good characters and a lovely, magical and intriguing story. In fact this is such a good read that I didn't put it down more than I really needed to (a visit to the doctor and some shopping :( ) and had just finished it before this review. I hope that book two isn't too long in getting published as it is going on my wishlist immediately. I know I should say something about he story itself but if I start I will end up gushing so much I will be giving away spoilers and all my readers know I don't do that. So take my word for it you won't go wrong buying this one if you want an epic 'young boy grows to manhood in service to the crown' fantasy book. One word of warning it has an m/m romance but, as the main character is a young teen, it is extremely mild.

Published today!!

Tales from High Hallack, Volume Three: The Collected Short Stories of Andre Norton (Tales from High Hallack #3)
by Andre Norton Not yet finished but a 5* so far.

BLURB: In the third and final volume of High Hallack, tales of high fantasy, science fiction, and coming of age reach back as far as 1943, yet are still as fresh and relevant today as when they were written. High Hallack was a place in Andre Norton's fiction and was also the name of the genre writer's library she opened in Tennessee. It is a wondrous keep that she called home, and now High Hallack opens its gates and allows these amazing stories to unfold
My Review (So Far): Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley I've been reading the individual stories a day or so at a time, so as to really enjoy them without the next one interfering with it. So far I am about half way through and each story has been really good and exactly as I expected the standard to be after reading the previous High Hallack books. Unless my opinion changes on reading the second half of the book I think this one will stay as a 5* read.
24/11/2014
ETA: I didn't change my mind This book was worth the 5* I gave it on the 14th Oct. and I highly recommend it to any Andre Norton or Anthology fans.

Reviewing Prince Of Faith by Belinda McBride - A 'Must Buy' book!

Prince of Faith (An Uncommon Whore #3) by Belinda McBride 5*
BLURB: Held captive in a whorehouse, Markus Dayspring wakes every morning with a thirst for revenge, and collapses every night with a prayer for strength. He lives on in spite of deadly addictions and a crippling, shameful secret. When he’s rescued by a man from his past, his reawakened love threatens to crush his damaged soul.
Caius also has a secret, one that could ultimately kill him. But his vow to rescue Markus is stronger than guilt, fear and even his loyalty to King Helios. Too many have died because of Caius and rescuing the missing prince might allow him to sleep without nightmares.
Old habits are hard to break and new pain threatens their growing love. Yet one gleaming ray of hope continues to guide them to safety, even in the face of an unexpected violation of trust. With the stakes growing higher by the hour, Markus and Caius must learn to have faith before they can heal and face the future together.

My Review: This was an eARC from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. The book is out at the end of the month (20th I believe) but you can download the first three chapters for free from LooseId right now.
So on to that honest review.
I loved it! Now I could stop there as I am loath to continue incase I give away any spoilers. Suffice to say that the book lived up to my every expectation of well written characters and an intriguing and action packed story line. We even get to see Helios and Griffin near the end, which is a bonus for all those out who are big fans of that pair! However the main pair in this story are Marcus and Caius and the way they both deal with the betrayals, violations and hurts of the past and learn to deal with the present and look forward to a, hopefully, happier future. Belinda takes a pair of broken men and gives them a hard time and really puts them through the wringer but, as a loving touch, she also gives them each other. Throughout all the hardships of drug withdrawal and illness they find they trust no others but themselves, not even family. I best stop here or I will be giving away those spoilers and I want everyone to go an buy the book when it's out and read it for themselves so they can feel all the emotions I felt whilst reading this book. It will be worth it I promise.

Reading and listening to some good stuff.

Audiobook: Adorned by John Tristan Narrator: Shannon Gunn Narration: 5 Story: 5

Audiobook: Space Cadet by Robert A Heinlein Narrator: David Baker Narration: 4 Story: 4

Temptations of Desire (Desires Entwined #3) by Tempeste O'Riley 5*
BLURB: Alexander James Noble is a gender fluid gay man who gave up on finding Mister Right a long time ago. He’s not asking for much, though. He just wants a guy who loves all of him and appreciates his feminine form too.
At the local LGBTQ center where Alex regularly volunteers, he meets Dal Sayer, an officer of the Milwaukee PD. Because he’s been rejected one too many times, Alex doesn’t trust the huge cop and the interest he shows in him, but once Dal sets his mind on something, he goes all out. Pushing aside his preconceived notions, Alex opens up just a little and soon caves.
From their first date—while dealing with his father’s failing health and his parents’ demands for him to settle down and have children—Dal never takes his eyes off his goal of making Alex his. But proving to Alex he isn’t like all the men who couldn’t see him for who he truly was and only wanted to hide him away is harder than he thought.

My Review: As seems to be common with this series there was a lot of intrigue and danger going on in the background. There was also a different point of view on the situation with Dal's father and his demands (some of which is touched upon in book #2). However, as should be the case, most of the book focuses on the relationship between Dal and Alex. I really loved Alex and the way Tempeste showed how his life was affected by his wanting to cross dress and his gender fluidity. She also did a good job of portraying Dal's bisexuality (which made this book ideal to have read in this week of celebrating bisexuality in the real world). However at no point did either man's sexual preference so dominate the story of their relationship that it became a treatise on sexual identity, instead it became a love story about accepting the person with all their foibles and flaws and still loving them. I recommend this story to anyone who likes a little spice and sweetness in their romances, because Tempeste put both in there with style.

Love Comes Home by Andrew Grey

Love Comes Home (Senses #3) by Andrew Grey 5*
BLURB: When architect Gregory Hampton’s son, Davey, starts having trouble in Little League, Greg takes him to an eye doctor. The diagnosis hits them hard. Davey’s sight is degenerating rapidly, and eventually he’ll go blind.
Tom Spangler is used to getting what he wants. When Greg captures his attention, he asks Greg for a date. They have a good time until Greg gets a call from the friends watching his son, telling him Davey has fallen. Greg and Tom return to find the worst has happened—Davey can no longer see.
With so much going on in his life, Greg doubts he’ll see Tom again. But Tom has researched beep baseball, where balls and bases make sounds to enable the visually impaired to participate in Little League. Tom spearheads an effort to form a team so Davey can continue to play the game he loves. But when Greg’s ex-wife shows up with her doctor boyfriend, offering a possible cure through a radical procedure, Greg must decide how far he’ll go to give Davey a chance at getting his sight back.

My Review: I love the way Andrew Grey writes. He takes your heartstrings and plays them to the max. In this story he has a ten year old boy going blind and the reader is given a true insight into how that must feel for everyone involved. The relationship is also given equal billing and the slow growth of love between Tom and Greg is shown with sensitivity and panache.
I look forward to reading the next book in the Senses series.

Hidden Gem is a gem of a book!

Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey 5*
BLURB: Misaki “Aki” Itou is a psi—a person with mutated DNA granting him psychic abilities. He’s also a contracted companion—a whore. It may not be the perfect profession, but having a roof over his head, food to eat, and not being subjected to torture is a dream come true. He is the top companion at the Hidden Gem, and it makes him enough money to buy the prettiest, most sparkly shoes he can find.
Shane McNaughton is an Irishman who survived the Third World War and works as a cop. Head of Missing Persons, he’s good at finding people, but after the plague of the Third mutated his DNA, he has a hard time letting anyone see the monster inside. He’s been paying for Aki’s services for two years, both the psi and the sexual kind, but he wants more from the companion.
Shane needs Aki’s ability to see into another person’s past to track down a serial killer murdering the children of rich and powerful men, but the more they work together, the clearer it becomes that they are linked through a darker past than either of them realizes.

My Review: WARNING This book should not be read before trying to go to sleep! It is such a page turner that I didn't put my light off until gone 2am. The Characters are all well written and the intrigue is scattered throughout the story. Just as you think you have a handle on it a new surprise or plot twist turns up. Without giving away spoilers this book is as sparkly as the Shoes Shane buys for Aki and as gut wrenching as the monster who kidnaps teens. Yet I was both happy and sad when I finished. Happy because the book was full of all sorts of lovely new ideas and sad that it didn't go on forever.

N.B. Ms. Kasey generously wrote a short story called First Glimpse which is a prelude to Hidden Gem and was the reason I HAD to have this book :D.

Reviewing Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities by Lyn Gala

Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities (Claimings #2) by Lyn Gala 5*
BLURB: Ondry and Liam have settled into a good life, but their trading is still tied up with humans, and humans are always messy. When political changes at the human base lead Ondry to attempt a difficult trade, the pair find themselves entangled in human affairs. Liam wants to help the people he left and the worlds being torn apart. He also wants to serve Ondry with not only the pleasures of the nest but also by bringing human profits.
Ondry has no hope of understanding human psychology in general, he only knows that he will hold onto his palteia with the last breath in his body, and he'd like to keep his status and his wealth too. Unfortunately, new humans bring new conflicts and he is not sure how to protect Liam. He does know one thing that humans seem to constantly forget—that the peaceful Rownt are predators and when their families are threatened, Rownt become deadly killers. Liam is his family, and Ondry will protect him with his last breath… assuming that he can recognize the dangers in time to do so.

My Review: Remembering how much I enjoyed book one of this series I couldn't resist reading book two as soon as I got my greedy hands on it. I cannot believe how well Lyn Gala manages to portray the utter alienness of the Rownt and the way they think. She does such a wonderful job of getting Liam to be our view into Rownt thinking and society that I was a little disappointed to reach the end of the book. If you like your books with a true science fiction feel that is character driven and very alien then this is for you, just read Claimings #1 first.

The Servant by Mary Calmes & others reading stuff

The Servant by Mary Calmes 5*
BLURB: After saving his younger brother’s child, Daemon Shar is cursed by a witch and runs far from home, a stray who will seemingly never be anything more. But destiny is hard to outrun, even for a man who is now more cat than man beneath his robes and cowl. A chance battlefield meeting between he and Ehron, a foreign lord, gives him purpose amidst the darkness of his accursed life. Soon Daemon finds that his true nature cannot be corrupted no matter the form he inhabits.
As Ehron’s consul, Daemon plots and plans to shape his new lord's future so that he may leave it blessed when he runs away yet again. But he never counted on his soul hungering for Ehron’s brother Gareth or for his past to catch him by the tail at last.
My Review: I love Mary Calmes books, as she has a wonderful way of bringing all her characters to life (even the minor, in for a few minutes ones)and this book was no different. At times I was reminded of Puss-in-boots because of the cat aspects of the hero and the way he creates situations to help his friend Ehron. But mostly I was just so fixated on reading what came next that I didn't do anything I had planned for the day and I only meant to read the first chapter!

Plus one short story, one audiobook and one Love's Landscape one to rate as well

Goldilocks and His Three Bears by A M Riley 3* (Some of it was a little far fetched but it was great as a bedtime erotica).

Science and Fiction by Ray Van Fox 5* (Go read this at LL on the M/M Romance group if you like unusual science fiction concepts).

Audiobook: Shades Of Dark by Linnea Sinclair Narrated by: Dina Pearlman Narration: 5* Story: 5*

Werewolves Don't Purr by J. S. Rowan gets 5*

Decided to go to my TBR and get one of the sci-fi books that had been on there for a long time. Glad I did!

Werewolves Don't Purr by J.S. Rowan 5*
BLURB: Thor and Leona were a happily married couple from Texas. Well, they were from Texas before the alien raiders captured them and converted Thor into a werewolf. Leona is just a little too feisty to let a little thing like her husband being turned into a monster get in her way. Seeking the help of an international cast, including the resolute Commander Gupta from India, they battle for survival and make the aliens wish they had left Earth alone. Add in lots of coffee, telepathy, star ships, battles, explosions and many, many more werewolves, and you get one fantastic adventure!
My Review: I remember I got this one because the title intrigued me and I am very glad I finally got around to reading it. If you like evil aliens, heroic humans and werewolves you won't go far wrong in taking time out to read this one. Thor and Leona are wonderful people and the author shows them with faults and all. The secondary characters are as richly filled in as the main ones and the story was wonderful. I feel this would make a great tongue in cheek, action, science fiction film very easily as the writing is so descriptive I felt almost like I was watching it on a screen. I have now decided that when the book funds allow I MUST get book two in this fun and action packed series.