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!

5 Star Review: Godsend

This novel is being released on 2/9!  Pre-order it today!

Title: Godsend

Author: Sloan Johnson

Publisher/GR Link: GR

Genre: Contemporary MM

Vice: Loss, Coming Out, Complex identities 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Lock this book up: 4 out of 5 keys.  Sex is super hot and fits the plot.

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: Well earned HEA

Cover Impressions: I love it.

Best Line: "The man Chris is comforting isn't the man I was married to, he's the man I always felt was lingering somewhere beneath the surface."

Synopsis: You can’t choose who you fall in love with. Despite knowing from a young age that he was gay, Scott Murphy couldn’t imagine life without Shelly. He threw away the labels and had eleven amazing years with her, but now, he feels even more lost trying to figure out how to move on after Shelly’s death. After nearly a year of watching Scott fade away, Shelly’s father forces him to start living again.

As much as Chris loathes the idea of attending a bereavement group week after week, it’s one of the only places he can go in this town, other than the bar, to not feel so alone. When there’s nothing to distract him or dull his senses, he spends too much time obsessing over how he should have been able to help his sister. When Scott shows up at his group session, Chris decides that maybe some good can come out of his sister’s death. 

There’s no denying that Chris is the first man to catch Scott’s attention in a long time, but how can he move on when just thinking of Shelly sends him to his dark place? 

The road to recovery won’t be an easy one, but Chris is determined to help Scott see that life is still worth living. But before Scott can allow himself to admit what he feels for Chris, he knows he has to reveal the full truth about Shelly’s death. 

Impressions: This is an amazing book, full of such deep emotions and such all consuming love, that I could barely put it down. 

The beginning of this book had me in literal tears.  Not like LOLing when I'm not really doing anything more than a smirk- but honest to God tears on my cheeks.  It was beautifully written, and in a lesser author's hands that could have been cheesy, in Ms. Johnson's capable hands it was moving and effective.

Having been part of a bereavement process in the past,  I was very interested to see how this was written, and I found it to be very accurate and honest.  The grieving that both Chris and Scott are experiencing is poignant and practically tangible.  

What really impressed me in this book, besides the love story, was how well she handled the complexities of Scott's sexuality coupled with his true love for Shelley.  I found this so authentic and so well portrayed that it truly impacted me as an observer to their love and friendship.  In the same vein that many of us love OFY and GFY stories, I loved this version of a friendship so deep that it became a true love.  There was no "cop out" on their love, and it made Scott's suffering so much deeper.

Obviously the best thing about this novel is the love story at the heart of this tale.  Chris and Scott do not have any easy path ahead of them, but I was swept away by their connection.  There were amazing secondary characters and plot developments, but it was the journey of love and connection between these two hurt men that made this a 5 star read for me.  

Highly recommended.  

5 Star Review: With or Without Him

Title: With or Without Him

Author: Barbara Elsborg

Publisher/GR Link: Samhain, GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Prostitutes, Abuse, Rich men, Great secondaries

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Lock this book up:  4.5 out of 5 keys.  Sex is HOT, plot driving, and fitting to the story.

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: Delish!

Best Line: "You came to mean more and more to me, and I could no sooner have turned away from you than stop the earth spinning. I thought, if this ends with me broken, so be it. But as every day passed, I thought: he won't break me, he loves me and one day, he'll tell me. But you didn't because you don't."

Synopsis: "The most dangerous refuge could be his lover's arms. "

Everyone has at least one deep-seated fear. For Tyler, it's being in debt. He's so desperate to get out and stay out of it, he'll do almost anything-including selling his body at Saturday night sex parties.

But he refuses to open his mind to anyone, especially the men paying to use him however they want. The only time he's truly happy is during the week at college, when he can escape into his music.

The moment Haris sees Tyler playing piano at a concert, he falls hard, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make the guy his. Even if it means-for the first time in his life-opening his wallet as wide and desperate as his heart.

20,000 to live with a good-looking guy for four months? How can Tyler resist the chance to ditch the sex party scene for good? But neither man realizes how much they're risking. And when outside forces close in, ready to destroy them, the trickiest part about the next four months could be just surviving.

Warning: Contains a "for hire" bad boy with a filthy mouth, an awkward guy with a penchant for BDSM, a hypochondriac butler who won't shut up, a dog called Alcide, and a lot of hot and dirty M/M sex.

Impressions: This was one of those please-let-the world-leave-me-alone-so-I-can-read kinda books.  I was lucky enough to be snowed in for a few days, so I got a few of those minutes when I could hide away and keep reading!  I felt totally engrossed by these guys, and I felt like I *needed* to keep reading so they could get their HEA!

I wasn't sure that I would really get Tyler's panic over debt, especially given that so many of us have it, but Ellsborg made his fear totally relatable and believable.  Tyler had been through so much and it was totally evident in his current behaviors and beliefs.  Haris was also a man with a past, though he initially seemed so much more in control.  In reality, he was damaged and maybe even more in need of love.  

The secondary characters were very engaging, in particular Winslow and Jeremy.  They played a crucial role, and moved the story along nicely.

The action was intense and believable, and kept me tapping away on my kindle.  The miscommunication between Haris and Tyler was hard to watch, but never became a ridiculous plot device.  Everything about this book was gripping, but the connection between these two was amazing and really kept me hooked.

Though you may suffer a book hangover at its conclusion, it is worth every sigh!  Check this book!  I know I will be going to Ellsborg's book list and making sure I don't miss any other great reads!

Book Review: Enticing Hart

Title: Enticing Hart

Author: Mae Hancock

Publisher/GR Link: Loose Id, GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Cowboys, coming out

Rating: 4 out of 5

Lock this book up : 4 out of 5 keys, sex is very hot and appropriate to the story

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA, and looking forward to the stories to come

Cover Impressions: What's not to like?!  Hot cowboys and pleasant scenery. 

Best Line: "Oak clung to him and inhaled Hart's scent as he nuzzled his neck.  It was the safest place in the world."

Synopsis: Hart Emile is tired of cruising for guys, living a soulless existence. He needs a change; so when an acquaintance gives him the number of the gay friendly Red Fox Ranch that’s hiring for staff, he heads south.



Oak Redman is eighteen years old and desperate to explore his awakening sexuality. The moment Hart lays eyes on the handsome young rancher he’s smitten. Not only is Oak hot, spirited and very persistent, he is also the ranch boss’s son and strictly off limits. Hart tries to fight his feelings and to respect his boss and the family who quickly become dear to him, but after Oak's Grandma suggests he gets with Oak he can't deny himself the most exciting and enticing man he has ever met. 

Hart’s not the only man to have noticed how sweet and charming Oak Redman is. A family friend, Steve, is also anxious to have the affections of the young rancher. Can Hart work out Steve’s dark secrets before it’s too late and keep his job, his lover and his life?

Impressions: I liked this book, but it was a little iffy in the beginning.  I liked Hart, but I really did not connect with Oak at all.  He struck me as spoiled and selfish, and I was prepared to feel the same way throughout the book.  Fortunately, in a very short time I came to really like Oak, and to believe in the romance between Hart and him.  What bothered me about Oak faded into an understanding of his own lack of maturity, but coupled with his self awareness and willingness to change, my perspective on him changed as his character deepened.

This book was a fun, sexy Ranch romp, and it had the right blend of romance and intrigue that it kept my interest.  It was definitely hot, and the story, while high on plot drama, was fun and engaging.

One thing that set this apart was the character of Bey, and his struggles with OCD.  I found him to be complex and interesting, and I am hopeful that we will hear his story next.  (A little birdy hinted to me that that might be the case! Loose Id has contracted for the second book in the story, and if I tell you it has "Cotton" in the title, you'll understand my excitement!)

Bey was handled with compassion and realism, and what could have been a contrived plot device became something much more believable and integral to the coming stories.  

Definitely check this one out!  I know I will be checking for the next book, and awaiting more sexy times from this ranch!