Book Review: Doubleback, by Lissa Ford

Title: Doubleback

Author: Lissa Ford

Publisher/GR Link: GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Cops, Injured heroes, mystery

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lock this book up: 4 keys...this book is hot and sexy!

Length: Novella

Satisfaction: HEA, and dying for more

Cover Impressions: Clean and simple.  I like it.

Synopsis: After a tragic shooting left him wounded and in disgrace, all that remained of former deputy sheriff Jude Anderson’s life was a shattered femur, the standard disability package, and a host of issues. Jude seeks sanctuary in a remote upstate cabin and tries to get his life back on track. 

Life has other plans when Jude finds a dead man draped across his front doorstep. The victim is the first hookup Jude’s had in, well, ever. Once Jude processes that shock he gets another when he learns that the homicide detective sent to investigate the murder is Rowan Muir, Jude’s ex. Their split was ugly, and Rowan isn’t the forgiving type. 

Now Jude is drawn back into a world he left behind: murder investigations and fighting the undeniable attraction he has for Rowan. Rowan is still holding onto a substantial grudge. But both men need to figure out how to cope with being thrown together again, because it’s becoming increasingly clear that Jude is being targeted by a murderer – one who may have come from Jude’s past for revenge. 

Warnings: if you don't like man-on-man sexytimes, this isn't the book for you. Everyone else: hot law enforcement officers, angst and hot make-up sex is on deck.

Impressions: This book really grabbed me, and I was glad to have the day off so I could devote the time to finish it!  Jude melted my heart, and I was so eager to watch him get the love and acceptance that he deserved.

The romance between these men was paced just right.  I liked Rowan, and I loved picking up on the feelings he hid beneath is cool exterior.  Ford did a great job of showing who he was without just info dumping.  The build between them was sweet, sexy and burned up the pages.

I liked the mystery, though I definitely read it for the romance.  I am very eager to read the next in the series, and I was excited to see that there would be a follow up. 

If you need a great read with a slow, perfect romance to burn up the pages of your kindle, grab this one now!

Definitely recommended!

5 Star Review: The Truth as He Knows It

This book is released 2/10 from Samhain Press - Preorder it now!

Title: The Truth as He Knows It.

Author: A.M. Arthur

Publisher/GR Link: GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: OFY, loss, cops

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Lock this book up : 4 out of 5, the sex is very hot but totally suits the story

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA, with a few tissues

Cover Impressions: Cute, and looks like the mental image I had of the men

Best Line: "I want us, and everything that comes with us, and maybe even a dog."

Synopsis: Officer Noel Carlson isn’t out to anyone in small-town Stratton, Pennsylvania, only to distant friends and family, so a relationship is out of the question. That doesn’t stop him from wanting one, though.

When a night-shift call brings him face to thonged butt with a hired stripper whose girl-party gig went terribly wrong, Noel takes pity on the guy and lets him go. But he can’t get the encounter out of his mind.

Shane has big-time debts to repay, especially to the brother who sacrificed nearly everything for him. His two jobs, in a deli and as a stripper, leave him no time for a social life. But a non-date of hot sex and takeout food with Noel? He can squeeze that in.

The bond they form is stronger than either expected or wanted. Especially since the step Shane’s about to take to put his brother—and his soul—back in the black isn’t quite legal. And he never calculated just how much his determination to make things right will cost him in the end.

Impressions: I love AM Arthur's work, and this book is a loose spin-off from the Cost of Repairs series, but can definitely be read on its own.  I love that series, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a few familiar "faces" pop up.

If you love AM Arthur's work, don't let this one slip by you.  I got the same feeling of being swept away in a great story with three dimensional characters that I always get from Arthur's work.  If you are new to this author, this is a great book to start with.

I really loved Shane, and I found his relationship with his brother to be complex, realistic, and touching.  In a move right out of the Gift of the Magi, both work to help each other, and in the process sacrifice their mental and physical health.  

Noel was a great hero for Shane, and I enjoyed watching him develop and grow throughout the story. Their love was real and believable, and I yearned for the two of them to get their well deserved HEA.  You will need a few tissues along the way, however!

I have to say, I am VERY eager for the next book in this series!

Highly recommended!

Series Review: Sex in Seattle

 Title: Sex in Seattle Series:  The Trouble with Tony, The Enlightenment of Daniel, The Mating of Michael

Author: Eli Easton

Publisher/GR Link: Dreamspinner, GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Cops, disabilities, healing

 

Rating: 5 for the series, (5 for Tony, 4 for Daniel and a 5+ for Michael!)

Lock this book up : 4 keys out of 5.  This book is HOT, but so sweet.  The sex totally fits in the story

Length: Novellas for the first two, novel for the second

Satisfaction: HEAs

Cover Impressions: I love them all, but especially the last one.

 

Best Line: “I really, really like him. I mean, I like him more than it makes any sense to... Like my heart has already signed the contract and picked up the keys even though my brain is still going 'wait... what?” 

Synopsis: Book #1: As part of the investigation into the murder of a young woman, Seattle P.I. Tony DeMarco poses as a patient of Dr. Jack Halloran, the therapist who treated the victim at a Seattle sex clinic. This isn’t the first time Tony has gone undercover, but it’s the first time he’s wanted to go under coverwith one of his suspects. He can’t help it—Jack Halloran is just the kind of steely-eyed hero Tony goes for. But he’ll have to prove Halloran’s innocence and keep the doctor from finding out about his ruse before he can play Romeo.

Dr. Halloran has his own issues, including a damaged right arm sustained in the line of duty as a combat surgeon in Iraq and the PTSD that followed. He’s confused to find himself attracted to a new patient, the big, funny Italian with the puppy-dog eyes, and Tony’s humor slips right past Jack’s defenses, making him feel things he thought long buried. But can the doctor and the P.I. find a path to romance despite the secrets between them?

Book #2: Business tycoon Daniel Derenzo lives for his work until his dying father reminds him life is short. When Daniel starts to reevaluate his world he experiences a startling revelation—he’s attracted to his business partner and best friend, Nick, even though Daniel always believed himself to be straight. In typical type-A fashion, Daniel dissects his newfound desires with the help of the experts at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic. He goes after Nick with the fierce determination that’s won him many a business deal.

Nick Ross was in love with Daniel years ago, when they were roommates in college. But Daniel was straight and Nick patched his broken heart by marrying Marcia. Two kids and fourteen years later, they go through the motions of their marriage like ships passing in the night. But Nick’s kids mean the world to him, and he’s afraid he’ll never get joint custody if they divorced. If he can trust his heart to an awakening Daniel, they all might find their way to a happily ever after.

Book #3: Everyone admires Michael Lamont for being a nurse, but his part-time work as a gay sex surrogate not only raises eyebrows, it's cost him relationships. Michael is small, beautiful, and dedicated to working with people who need him. But what he really wants is a love of his own. He spends most of his spare time reading science fiction, especially books written by his favorite author and long-time crush, the mysteriously reclusive J.C. Guise.

James Gallway’s life is slowly but inexorably sliding downhill. He wrote a best-selling science fiction novel at the tender age of eighteen, while bedridden with complications of polio. But by twenty-eight, he's lost his inspiration and his will to live. His sales from his J.C. Guise books have been in decline for years. Wheelchair bound, James has isolated himself, convinced he is unlovable. When he is forced to do a book signing and meets Michael Lamont, he can’t believe a guy who looks like Michael could be interested in a man like him.

Michael and James are made for each other. But they must let go of stubbornness to see that life finds a way and love has no limitations.

Impressions: First off, I don't know what took me so long to read these!!  I was hooked right way.  I love Eli Easton's work, and if you love this author's classics like Blame it on the Mistletoe or Superhero, then read these ASAP!

In the first book, it was impossible to not fall in love with Tony.  He is adorably geeky, and Jack is hot, smart, and oh-so flustered by Tony that you cannot help but cheer as they fall into each other's arms.  

In the second book, Daniel and Nick are so adorable as they fall in love, and so heartbreaking as they struggle to make it work.  

The third book, however, was a whole new ball game for me.  I've been crushing on Michael in the first two books, but in this one, I fell head over heels.  I think it was just a beautiful love story, and Michael's huge heart is the only thing I can imagine breaking down James' humongous, and hard earned, walls.  

Check these out ASAP if you have not.  Then again, I'm late to this party, so you may be rereading them or the 3rd time by now!

Book Review: Home the Hard Way

Title: Home the Hard Way

Author: Z.A. Maxfield

Publisher/GR Link: Riptide, GR

Genre: MM, mystery romance

Vice: Cops, Mystery, Contemporary, Returning Home

Rating: 4.5

Lock this book up: 4 out of 5 keys.  Sex is hot, and important to the story and relationship

Length: Longer novel

Satisfaction: HEA.  Hard earned!

Cover Impressions: I love it!

Best Line: "Finn was right.  Dare did need the loss of control to find the release he craved...Yet Dare wondered what it would be like to simply take Finn into his arms and kiss him."

Synopsis: Dare Buckley has come home—or at least, he’s come back to Palladian, the small town he left as a teenager. After a major lapse in judgment forced him to resign from the Seattle PD, Palladian is the only place that’ll hire him. There’s one benefit to hitting rock bottom, though: the chance to investigate the mystery of his father’s suicide. 

Dare also gets to reacquaint himself with Finn Fowler, whose childhood hero worship ended in uncomfortable silence when Dare moved away. But Finn isn’t the same little kid Dare once protected. He’s grown into an attractive, enigmatic stranger who neither wants nor needs what Dare has to offer. 

In fact, Dare soon realizes that Finn’s keeping secrets—his own and the town’s. And he doesn’t seem to care that Dare needs answers. The atmosphere in Palladian, like its namesake river, appears placid, but dark currents churn underneath. When danger closes in, Dare must pit his ingenuity against his heart, and find his way home the hard way.

Impressions: ZA Maxfield is an auto-buy for me, and I was very eagerly awaiting this one. I was not let down, but I was in for a wild ride!  This book is very complex and carefully crafted, and I found the story and writing to be tightly woven and well done.  There is mystery and romance here in almost equal measures, and though I am not a huge mystery fan, I was totally intrigued and guessing right until the end.  

I don't want to spoil the mystery (and its a great one!) but I will say that I really loved the big reveal at the ending.  As a reader, I was carried along by the mystery and given just the right amount of clues to keep me guessing but hooked.  At the end, I was surprised, but I could se the hints that had been layered through the story.  It was a very well done and engaging mystery, and I was impressed with how it was done.

For me, the heart of a story is the romance, and this was no exception.  Finn Fowler has had a hard life.  The son of the town scandal, he lives with a large dose of disdain from the people around him, and its mixed with a handful of pity from others.  Finn keeps people at arms length, really in much the same way the rest of the town treats him.  When Dare comes back to town he finds Finn a changed man, and can't stay away.  Finn is definitely more complex than Dare first realizes, yet despite this they are drawn together.

I found Finn's character to be very consistent, and in much the same way the mystery is layered through the novel, I found the pieces of Finn's character to also be layered.  With each new piece I learned about him, the previous pieces all fit and lined up with who he is.  Dare is a more straightforward man, though no less complex.  He is also fighting his own demons, and I appreciated his desire to learn more about his own needs, while advocating for the ones he knows he has.

This was a great read, and I couldn't stop thinking about it on the unfortunate times I had to put it down.  I loved seeing Dare and Finn truly connect, but I would love to see more about where their journey takes them.  Dare has some demons he still has to work through (alcohol and some poor decision making) and Finn is left to deal with a lot of fall through from the mysteries of the book.  I do want to see more about their reconnection, and how they make their new lives work.

I also felt so much compassion for the character Bill, and I am dying for him to get his own story.  Maybe a sequel where we can visit Dare and Finn?!

I can definitely see re-reading this one, as I think I will pick up on the mystery and romance tidbits I might have missed at first read.  This is a great read, and though different from many of ZA Maxfield's other books, it is no less compelling!  If she isn't already on your auto buy list (and why not?!  Put her one it!  and start with St. Nacho!), pick this one up.  You won't be disappointed!

Highly Recommended!

This review is posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Last Thing He Needs

Title: The Last Thing He Needs

Author: J.H. Knight

Publisher/GR Link: Dreamspinner, GR

Genre: MM

Vice: Contemporary, Cops, Kids

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Lock this book up : 4 out of 5 keys.  Very sexy and hot, but totally in support of the story line

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA- Never wanted it to end!

Cover Impressions: I love it.  Totally fits

Best Line: "'You can't even let me buy the ice cream?' ...'If you pay, you get to pick the flavor....' 'And I always pick your favorite.  Chocolate peanut butter.'"

Synopsis: Tommy O’Shea is raising his seven younger brothers and sisters without any help from his drug abusing father and stepmother. Since he was fifteen years old, he's managed to keep the children fed and out of foster care. It takes up every ounce of his energy and the last thing he needs is romance complicating his life further. 

Rookie cop Bobby McAlister doesn't belong in Tommy’s harsh world, but Tommy can’t push him out. As their unlikely friendship turns into a tentative relationship, they weather the daily storm of Tommy’s life with a lot of laughs and more than a few arguments. 

Tommy isn't used to trusting outsiders, and he's never asked for help in his life. But when a tragedy strikes the O'Shea family and threatens everything he's fought for, he'll have to learn to do both to recover from the brutal hit.

Impressions:  This was a great book!  I was excited to read it based on the blurb, and it never let me down.  Tommy's character is great, and I found him to be very realistic and three dimensional.  His struggles to take care of his family are admirable, and all too real for many people.  Bobby was a complete sweetheart, and I felt that his struggle to not overwhelm Tommy, coupled with his desire to "swoop" in, really showed a lot of depth to his character too.  I felt like they were both people I knew and "got."

Knight wrote in 7 siblings in Tommy's family and did an amazing job giving them individuality and making them three dimensional.  Even more amazing, they were also clearly a family, and that always resonated with me.  

Bobby's mother, Judy, was a great character too.  She was totally believable as Bobby's mother, and she complemented the story perfectly.  The setting worked, and the characters were awesome.  The sex was super hot, and showed dimensionality between the characters.

This was definitely a story that I never wanted to end.  I would love to hear more about how these guys, and their siblings, do.  (Or Ben?!)  Overall, just a great read that I totally recommend!

Very Highly Recommended!

This review posted on Amazon and Goodreads.