Book Review: Real World, book 5 by Amy Jo Cousins

Title: Real World, book 5

Author: Amy Jo Cousins

Publisher/GR Link: Samhain, GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: series, holiday read

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lock this book up: 4 keys out of 5, the sex is hot!

Length: 175 page Novel

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: These covers are amazing!

Best Line:  "…Tom was done fucking up. Was done putting his relationship in jeopardy because he was ashamed and fearful and hiding under the shaky leaf of his own lies as if they were rocks."

Synopsis: Five years ago, Tom Worthington busted his ass to overcome the fear and paranoia that led him to withdraw from the world and nearly lose his boyfriend. He never thought he’d find himself right back there, shutting Reese out, keeping secrets again.

Reese Anders is ready to try anything to get Tom to talk: if he can’t seduce his boyfriend with food, he’ll get Tom to open up in bed. But even Tom’s confession that his dad is getting out of prison soon doesn’t clear the air between them. And as the holidays approach, intensive mentoring from a new British boss creates more distractions, until Reese is keeping secrets of his own.

At a company Christmas party, it only takes Tom one look at Reese’s new boss to figure out how much danger their relationship is in. But he’s not about to let the connection that started all those years ago at Carlisle come to an end. It’s time to deal with their problems like adults. Face to face. Or back to front. Starting in the bedroom.

Impressions:  I have loved the Off Campus series, and I jumped at the chance to review book 5 in the series.  The fact that it was a holiday read?  Buttercream icing on a cake I was already going to eat!

It was great to see Tom and Reese again, but my heart broke to watch Tom suffer so mush in silence.  I really liked that this book showed Tom having made some progress in his communication issues, but showing that this is not a quick fix.  I thought it was really respectful and realistic when looking at the way Tom had been raised.  I loved that Reese was there for him, and this was a true development of a relationship that I already loved.  This story didn’t need any crazy plot twists or “big misunderstandings” because what carries this read is characters that we love and a romance that keeps growing.

I loved seeing some other familiar characters in this story, and it was great seeing how their lives were all connected as they supported and loved each other.

This was a great read, and the holiday setting made it an amazing and fun pre-holiday gem!

Double Review: Howl at the Moon, books 1 and 2 by Eli Easton

 

Title: Howl at the Moon- How to Howl at the Moon, book 1 and How to Walk Like a Man, book 2

Author: Eli Easton

Publisher/GR Link: Pinkerton Press, GR Book 1, GR Bk 2

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Shifters, Police, PTSD

Rating: bk 1- 4, book 2- 4.5- 4.25 Overall

Lock this book up: 3 keys out of 5, the sex is hot and romantic

Length: Two novels

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: I love them and they go so well together.

Best Line:  “I’m a selfish bastard.  I’ve always wanted the best.  Trust me to find the most extraordinary guy in the world.” (book 2)

Synopsis:

Book 1: Sheriff Lance Beaufort is not going to let trouble into his town, no sir. Tucked away in the California mountains, Mad Creek has secrets to keep, like the fact that half the town consists of ‘quickened’—dogs who have gained the ability to become human. Descended on both sides from Border Collies, Lance is as alert a guardian as they come.

Tim Weston is looking for a safe haven. After learning that his boss patented all of Tim’s work on vegetable hybrids in his own name, Tim quit his old job. A client offers him use of her cabin in Mad Creek, and Tim sees a chance for a new start. But the shy gardener has a way of fumbling and sounding like a liar around strangers, particularly gorgeous alpha men like Sheriff Beaufort.

Lance’s hackles are definitely raised by the lanky young stranger. He’s concerned about marijuana growers moving into Mad Creek, and he’s not satisfied with the boy’s story. Lance decides a bit of undercover work is called for. When Tim hits a beautiful black collie with his car and adopts the dog, its love at first sight for both Tim and Lance’s inner dog. Pretending to be a pet is about to get Sheriff Beaufort in very hot water.

Book 2: Deputy Roman Charsguard survived Afghanistan where he lost his best friend—his K-9 handler James. Roman was a military dog until two years ago when he developed the ability to shift into a human. It’s not easy to learn how to be a man. He found a place to live in Mad Creek, a haven for the secret world of dog shifters. Finding a reason to live has been harder. That is, until a certain human walks into the Mad Creek Sheriff’s office and starts making trouble.

Matt Barclay has the worst luck. First he was shot in a SWAT drug raid, then he was sent as DEA investigator to Mad Creek, a little town in the California mountains. Matt’s job is to keep a lookout for illegal drug farms, but nobody in the town wants him there. And then there’s Roman, Matt’s erstwhile baby-sitter. He’s the hottest guy Matt’s ever seen, even if he is a bit peculiar. If the town doesn’t kill him, sexual frustration just might.

The town is counting on Roman to prevent Matt from learning about dog shifters, Matt’s counting on Roman to be his work partner and tell him the truth, and Roman’s trying to navigate love, sex, and a whole lot of messy human emotions. Who knew it was so complicated to walk like a man?

Impressions:  I love Eli Easton, and I have gobbled up several of her novels and novellas with gusto.  I have to be in the mood for a shifter book, so I wasn’t sure about these, but the pull of a new Eli Easton book could not be stopped, so I grabbed these two and read them back to back.  I am so happy I did!

These are not your typical shifter stories.  I loved that the shifters in these books are dog shifters (not wolf) and I found it so adorable to see how dogs can be “quickened” into human form.

These books have Easton’s typical humor and warm fuzzies, and I couldn’t put them down.  I loved the world building that started and book one, and Tim was a great partner for uptight Lance.  I liked Tim’s nervous, yet stubborn, persona to bring Lance to his knees.

In book 2, I really loved both Matt and Roman.  Ro, so recently quickened, has so much to learn about human life and human sexuality.  Add in his developing feels for Matt, and Matt’s for him, this was an adorable love to watch!

The outline of these stories allows for such a unique and endearing GFY development.  I love these two stories and I hope there will be more to come!  Don’t let these pass you by, even if you aren’t always a shifter fan!  (If you ARE a shifter fan, you are probably reading them right now!)

5 Star Review: Blueberry Boys by Vanessa North

Title: Blueberry Boys

Author: Vanessa North

Publisher/GR Link: Riptide, GR

Genre: Contemporary

Vice: Stuttering, Rural life

Rating: 5 juicy stars!

Lock this book up: 4 keys…This is a hot, romantic read.

Length: Novel

Satisfaction:  HEA

Cover Impressions: I love it!  Feels like an Indian Summer day

Best Line: “I want you. I want you so much, I shake with it.”

Synopsis: Connor Graham is a city boy—a celebrated fashion photographer in New York. When his uncle’s death drags him back to the family blueberry farm, all he wants to do is sell it as quickly as he can. Until he meets his uncle’s tenant farmer.

Jed Jones, shy and stammering, devout and dedicated, has always yearned for land of his own and a man to share it with. Kept in the closet by his church, family, and disastrous first love, he longs to be accepted for who he is. But now, with his farm and his future in Connor’s careless hands, he stands to lose even the little he has.

Neither man expects the connection between them. Jed sees Connor—appreciates his art and passion like no one else in this godforsaken town ever has. Connor hears Jed—looks past his stutter to listen to the man inside. The time they share is idyllic, but with the farm sale pending, even their sanctuary is a source of tension. As work, family, and their town’s old-fashioned attitudes pull them apart, they must find a way to reconcile commitments to their careers and to each other.

Impressions: This was a pure delight.  The setting and characters were just perfect, but the love between these two men set the pages ablaze.  I could not put this book, and it swept me away on to Connor’s farm and Jed’s blueberries.

Jed captured my heart.  I felt his pain and his eagerness to be accepted and loved for who he is.  I liked the complexities of his family dynamics and the reality of rural life in Massachusetts.  As a native Bostonian who was visiting Western MA as I read this, I found it so believable.  In Boston we tend to assume that Massachusetts is an evolved place for LGBT people, and this was a reminder that laws and protections only go so far when it comes to actually feeling comfortable and accepted.  They don’t stop religious struggles and familial worries.

When Jed meets Connor it is a clash between cultures as well as identities.  I loved watching Connor believe that he was as desirable as Jed sees him, and together these men were just perfect.

This isn’t a story with crazy plot twists, exacting exes or friendly ghosts, but it IS a story about love, acceptance and family.  It was exactly what I wanted and I didn’t even know it until I opened to page one.  North doesn’t need tricks and twists- what she has is a well paced plot, a developed setting, and two amazing MC’s who will sweep you into their love story until you never want to leave.

I received a copy of this story through netgalley for my honest review.

Book Review: Fortunate Blizzard

Title: Fortunate Blizzard

Author: LC Chase

Publisher/GR Link: Riptide, GR

Genre:  MM Contemporary

Vice: Disability/Illness, Snowstorms

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Lock this book up: 3 out of 5 keys- This book will keep you warm and the sex supports a great story.

Length: Novella (175 pages)

Satisfaction:  HEA

Cover Impressions: Adorable.  I want to wrap myself up in a blanket and dive in. 

Best Line:  “Eventually he needed oxygen more than he needed to kill Marc forever, but he only broke away enough to breathe.”

Synopsis: Artist Trevor Morrison has always appreciated the little things in life, treating each day as a gift. And with good reason: he’s been on the transplant-recipient list for too long now. When he learns just how numbered his days truly are, he resolves not to take them for granted. But he won’t be unrealistic, either—which means romantic commitments are off the table.

Marcus Roberts seems to have it all. He’s handsome, financially sound, and on the fast track to partnership at a prestigious law firm. In reality, though, his drive for success has meant no time for friends or relationships. Add in the fact that his family discarded him long ago, and he’s facing yet another holiday season alone.

When the biggest snowstorm to hit Colorado in decades leaves Marc and Trevor stranded at the same hotel, a chance encounter and a night of passion leads to more than either of them expected. Finding comfort in each other is a welcome surprise, but time is not on their side. Either they find a way to beat the odds, or they lose each other forever.

Impressions: As soon as I pull out my big, fluffy blanket and my sheepskin slippers, I’m ready for some cuddle up and read novels, and I could not have asked for a better choice than Fortunate Blizzard. 

Trevor is a great character who is trying to balance is quality of life with his quantity of life.  He is strong, and yet so torn as he acclimates to the short time he has left.  When he meets Marcus, he is gifted with a perfect weekend of connection and humanity.  When he has to leave Marcus, I felt his sadness, and Marcus’ heartbreak.

I loved the connection between these two guys.  The sparks fly between them both, and I loved watching Marcus realize that he has been missing out on something that he doesn’t want to miss out on anymore.

I found this story to be so sexy, sweet and fulfilling.  I wanted to cuddle up with Trevor and Marc and never run out of pages as I clicked away.  Sadly, like all good things, it had to come to an end, but I bet I’ll be revisiting these guys again.  You don’t want to miss this winter treat!

This is available now at Riptide's side, or for general release on 11/2/15.