Reviewing two great shorts by Jessica Freely

Complimentary Review Copies Provided by Author in return for an honest review.


Undaunted (Freedom #2) by Jessica Freely 5*
BLURB: Larke didn't know Droje was a rebel when he found him beaten and bruised in an alley. Now they're on the run and there's no going back. While Larke can't get enough of Droje's hot body, the man's radical ideas -- like freedom and justice for all -- challenge his whole worldview. There may be more to life than illicit sex and survival, but unless Larke can get Droje to the safe house in time, neither of them will survive long enough to find out.
This sequel to Unlawful is the second short story in the Freedom Series, set in the universe of Jessica Freely's novella, His Own Devices
My Review: As with the first book in this series (Unlawful) I was pleasantly surprised at how much story Ms Freely managed to squeeze into so few pages. There were even some nice little sex scenes to spice up a really interesting piece within a continuing storyline about two great characters. I don't want to tell you more as it would include spoilers and besides I want you all to go out and get it to read for yourselves.

Unbound (Freedom #3) by Jessica Freely 5*
BLURB: When Larke met Droje his whole world changed. Now he's left behind everything he's ever known to join Droje's band of freedom fighters. Life on the run is full of perils but Larke doesn't care so long as he's by Droje's side. Every day he's discovering more -- about who he is, who he can become, and the unprecedented feelings he has for Droje. But when an enemy from within nearly costs Larke his life, Droje's efforts to protect him could end their relationship and rob Larke of his chance to help the rebellion as only he can. In this third volume of the Freedom series, Larke learns that before he can free others, he must first free himself.
My Review: Book three was written just as well as the first two books, with plenty of story for such a short piece. In fact my only complaint about this series is that I don't have a longer story to read. What I especially liked with this one that Ms Freely used characters from her previous book, His Own Devices, which gives it a nice united feel about the galaxy it is set in. Again I advice reading it for yourself if you enjoy m/m science fiction romance, though I also advice reading them in order to get the most out of the storyline.

Reviewing All The Colours Of Love by Jessica Freely

All The Colors Of Love by Jessica Freely 5*
BLURB: It sucks being the son of a super villain. At home, Harry spends half of his time getting medical treatments and the other half tied up in his father's underwater lair. It was different when his mother was alive, but she disappeared when Harry was six. He can't seem to stay out of trouble at school, and his new room mate, Antonin, thinks he’s a spaz, but somehow Harry has to find a way to stop his father's evil plans.
Antonin Karganilla wants to become a comic book artist, but other than that, being gay is the most normal thing about him. His uncle is an aquatic plant man, his aunt is a molecular biologist back from the dead, and his mom is an overprotective pain in the butt. Antonin's in boarding school and it's starting to look like he and this Harry kid might have a lot in common... and that means a whole new set of problems.
My Review: Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author. My inner teenage comic book geek girl was giddy with delight whilst reading this story. I loved the depth of worldbuilding and the characters, but I especially loved the interaction between them all. Even though it is a young adult coming of age type story it is also a painful story about abuse and surviving it with dignity. Ms Freely writes her characters so well that she even managed to make me feel sorry for the villain by the end of the book and that takes some doing! If you like well written human interaction, the odd mention of super heroes and mutants or just a plain well told tale then you need to read this book.

Review of Broken by Jessica Freely

Review of Broken by Jessica Freely 5*
BLURB: Eben does what his brother, mob boss Nicky Flannery, tells him, even when he’s not so sure it’s right. Letting Nicky do his thinking for him is a lifelong habit. So is hiding the fact that he’s gay. Then Nicky buys a Hong Kong rentboy to expand the mob's escort business and Eben's life gets a lot more complicated.
Forced into prostitution, Song Xiu is an unsentimental survivor. He takes his pleasures where he can and leaves his clients weak in the knees. Xiu knows he's hot for Eben's powerful body, but it’s more than that. Eben's kind face and gentle touch give Xiu a strange feeling that no amount of sex or drugs can banish. Is this what people call love?
Eben is instantly attracted to Xiu's erotic beauty, but it's the sweet young man beneath the glossy surface that he falls for. When he learns Xiu's story, he begins to wonder if Nicky is really the hero he grew up worshipping, or something else entirely.
An unguarded moment leads to a passionate encounter that rips away all of Xiu and Eben’s illusions. Suddenly the answers to their questions become alarmingly clear. They have one last chance to rescue each other from their broken lives, but only if they can survive Nicky's retribution
My Review: Interesting, Intriguing, Intense all could be used for this story. Both main characters fit the title of Broken but at the same time they are both good people caught in a bad situation. I loved how they interacted and how the secondary characters were equally well written and helped make this a story I enjoyed reading immensely.

More laptop reading done

Review of Angel On The Rope by Jill Schultz 4*
BLURB: An incomparable trapeze artist who lives to fly is about to hit the ground—hard.
Amandine Sand walks a high wire between two lives—hobbled by a life-threatening secret. She’s a leopard, one of the spotted humans wrongly accused of being a plague carrier. Leopards like her are hunted by zealots to protect their offworld colony from the scourge. Despite this threat, Amandine spends her days guiding other leopards to an underground shelter run by the pacifist Seekers. At night, with her own spots hidden, she takes to the air, the one place this extraordinary artist feels free and gloriously alive.
When the persecution of leopards explodes into widespread violence, the Seekers demand more of her time. But her circus is teetering toward bankruptcy and desperately needs her, too. She has no time to breathe... and then she meets a stranger who leaves her breathless. And might just be the biggest risk of all. If her trust is misplaced and she’s unmasked, everyone she loves—and everything she’s fought for—could crash.
In her darkest hour, Amandine must draw upon everything she’s learned from the circus and Seekers to bring peace to her fractured society. Can a reluctant angel fly beyond her limits to save her life, her love, and her world
My Review: This was so different to what I have read before that it took me some time to decide what I thought of it. Armandine had me hooked from the first page and all the other characters leapt of the pages to fascinate and intrigue me. Even the odd gestural language used and the many pages of descriptions of trapeze acts was not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the story. Put it on your to buy list for June :D

Review of Alex In Wonderland by Jessica Freely4*
BLURB: Fresh out of a sexless relationship with a manipulative, two-timing boyfriend, Alex enters the notorious sex club, Wonderland, looking for action. But between the dungeon of dubious Doms, the malfunctioning steam room, and the “alien” go-go boy with glow-in-the-dark everything, it’s beginning to look like Alex will never get laid again. Then a mysterious masked man gives Alex the dance of his life—and more—only to disappear without a trace.
Try as he might, Alex can't find the man who swept him off his feet. But when the night is through, and the masks are cast aside, Alex makes a startling discovery. What he’s been looking for all night, and maybe all his life, might be the biggest and best surprise of the night
My Review: This was a short, sweet and very hot story about Alex and the worst (and best) day in his life. The things that go wrong for him are amusing and yet he can still be nice to others, I really liked him. Overall I think this story was good but I would have loved to read more about Alexand Sam.