standalone book – Love is Love Reviews

Review: Cemeteries by Moonlight by Hunter Frost

A surprisingly full-bodied story for such a short book.

4.25 out of 5 stars

E-book. 108 pages. Published January 18th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

When a serious bout of writer’s block threatens to delay mystery author Drew Daniels’s newest book, his aunt offers her New Orleans apartment in the heart of the French Quarter as a writing retreat. She neglects to mention that it’s occupied by the enigmatic and sexy Finn Murphy, a cemetery tour guide with a penchant for Victorian attire and a Cajun accent.

A body discovered in an open crypt forces reclusive Drew to deal with Finn’s eccentric group of friends and his underlying attraction to the hot Cajun—despite warnings about Finn’s violent past. Drew might write this stuff, but he’s never had to solve a real-life murder. With a deadline looming and a killer on the loose, this retreat is proving to be anything but helpful for Drew’s novel. Drew can only hope he won’t end up a tragic tale for the Ghostly Legends & Lore, Inc. haunted tour.

Likes:

A lot went on in such a short book.
Drew and Finn were a cute couple.
Drew’s struggles with his body and self-esteem.
How accepting Finn was.
Aunt Celia’s deception.
Colorful side characters.
Lots of New Orleans flair.

Dislikes:

Not as in-depth as a longer mystery.
Drew jumped to conclusion a lot.
Not the most exciting murder mystery I’ve read.

I’m genuinely impressed how good this story was for how relatively short it was. 104 pages isn’t a lot, but it was plenty of time for a fully formed murder mystery, a romance that took its time, and a nice amount of New Orleans history. Sure, it’s not as in-depth as a longer book, but I can’t be mad at that.

Drew was easy to like. All he wanted was a new place to try to beat his writers block, and his Aunt Celia’s ‘forgetfulness’ had him rooming with a hot, sweet, kindhearted guy with an amazing accent. It wasn’t what Drew initially wanted, but it definitely turned out to be what he needed.

Drew has self-esteem issues, and they lead him to jump to the conclusion that Finn couldn’t be interested in him. This happens a lot. And while I definitely understand why Drew would ignore Finn’s signals, I also think Finn could have been a little blunter in his flirting. Or at least that he could have done it in English. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of French knew that Finn liked Drew before Drew did.

The story’s told from Drew’s first person point of view, which worked well with the story and the short length. It added to the tension when Finn went off on his own, as well as making Drew wonder if Finn was the murderer. But, despite never getting to see anything from Finn’s point of view, he was well characterized and easy to like as well. Especially with how easily he accepted all of Drew, even the parts that Drew didn’t like about himself.

The mystery was well written, with all of Finn’s friend group having motive. Drew’s decision to investigate made sense, given how torn up about Roz’s death Finn was. Plus, Drew writes mysteries and his dad is a former law enforcement officer. And while the mystery wasn’t the most exciting thing I’ve ever read, I’m not docking points for that. Given the short length, I’m impressed by how complete the mystery was.

The New Orleans flavor and brief history lesson was a fun addition to the story. I loved that all of Finn’s friend group constantly dressed in alternative styles. They certainly were a colorful cast of characters. The spooky undertone was nice and atmospheric, as was the crow that followed Drew all over the place.

I’m definitely going to have to check out some of Hunter Frost’s other books in the future. I enjoyed the writing style of this book, and am interested to see what Frost can pull off given a full length novel.

Review: Tea or Consequences by K.C. Burn

A great mystery with great characters. Wish it was a series.

4.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. 210 pages. Published September 22^nd 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Riley Parker: temp, twink, geek… sleuth?

Maybe Riley isn’t living up to his full potential, but being a temp executive assistant suits him. He’s never bored at work, he’s got friends who let him geek out, and he’s got a carefully crafted twink exterior… which might be getting constrictive now that he’s on the other side of thirty. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s comfortable.

It all unravels when he takes a job working for a tea-obsessed cosmetics queen, the owner of Gautier Cosmetics. During the launch party for a new product, Riley finds his boss dead under suspicious circumstances, and the homicide detective is none other than Tadeo Martin, Riley’s high school obsession who never knew he was alive.

Tad drafts Riley to get the scoop on the inner workings of Gautier, and for Riley, it’s like a drug. His natural inquisitiveness is rewarded with more and more Tad. Unfortunately, his snooping puts him in the running for two other roles: suspect and victim. The killer doesn’t care which.

Likes:

Good mystery.
Both Tad and Riley, together and separately.
Good tension throughout the story.
The side plot with Riley’s brother.
More intense than a cozy mystery.
Kept me hooked.

Dislikes:

Riley being Tad’s secret.
I seriously worried for Riley a few times.

I love mysteries, and this was a good one. I wouldn’t call it a cozy mystery because it takes place in a big city, but it still managed to have a similar feel. Mostly because all of the sleuthing and most of the possible killers were working for Gautier Cosmetics, and Riley had ample opportunity to interact with them all.

Riley was likeable and a great main character for a mystery. Being a temp gave him freedom and flexibility. I especially liked how professional he was. A lot of people looked down on him for being a temp, but he liked doing the work and was damn good at it.

I did get worried for Riley’s safety a time or two. That usually doesn’t happen with cozy mysteries. Then again, this wasn’t a cozy. The danger felt more imminent, both for Riley and those around him. It kept me hooked, and I finished the book fast.

Watching Riley and Tad’s relationship develop was mostly fun. The guys had great chemistry, and there was just enough hesitation to add some tension. I didn’t like that Riley had be Tad’s little secret, even though I know why it was necessary. The fact that they weren’t guaranteed a happy ending because of Tad’s job was a nice touch.

Like all mysteries, the romance was secondary. I didn’t mind that, since Tad was never far from Riley’s mind. There was a good balance between the mystery and the romance.

Riley’s strained relationship with his brother, while not a big part of the story, was surprisingly impactful. It made me wish this was the first in a series and not a standalone. I would have happily read multiple books where Riley keeps finding dead bodies at his new temp jobs. It would keep the mysteries fresh, though Riley would probably end up thinking he was cursed.

Review: Bewitched by Bella’s Brother by Amy Lane

A solid story featuring a perfect dad, his cute kid, and a scholar who needs to learn not to be afraid of growing up.

4 out of 5 stars

E-book. 192 pages. Published August 11th 2010 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Sebastian Craig and Isabella Bryne have been best friends for five years in the Neverland of academia, and that’s where they’re planning to stay. So when Bella’s brother, Asa, offers them a rent-free summer in his gorgeous home before they move to their next college and degree, they jump at the chance. It looks like a good deal at first… but there’s more to Asa than meets the eye, and Sebastian finds himself suddenly hip-deep in complicated, grown-up problems and the frightening, bemusing prospect of having a family that will miss him when he’s gone.

When the best summer of his life finally ends, Sebastian has to make a difficult decision between staying in perpetual childhood forever, and facing adulthood—with all of its joys and fears. It seems that when Sebastian and Bella came up with a master plan for the future, they didn’t count on Sebastian being bewitched by Bella’s brother.

Likes:

Sebastian and Asa’s first meeting.
Sebastian and Bella’s friendship.
Jordan was a cute kid.
The entire Bryne family.
Almost no homophobia.
In many ways, this was a story about growing up.
Cute and fluffy.
The tougher subjects that were touched on were treated well.
Bella and Asa’s relationship got better.

Dislikes:

Not much tension.
Not much of a hook.
Asa was too perfect.
The original cover.
Deidre.
Jordan should have been in therapy.
Everyone was attractive.

I think of Amy Lane as a solid writer, and this book is another example of that. The characters were fun and engaging, even the side characters. The story was lighthearted even though it touched on some tougher subjects. Overall, it was fun and fluffy and low angst. And almost no homophobia at all.

I loved how Sebastian and Asa initially met. It was both funny and a way for me to finally get invested in the story. There wasn’t a strong hook for me, since the book is basically about Sebastian and Bella’s summer, and at the start they’re moving into Asa’s huge house.

Sebastian was a fun character, and the story is told completely from his point of view. He’s a smart guy, likeable and charming. He got along well with Asa’s son Jordan, who was a cute kid. In fact, Sebastian adores the entire Bryne family, and they love him back. It’s part of why he was so hesitant to start something with Asa. If things went south, Sebastian worried about losing his place in the family.

Asa was a perfect man. Handsome, hardworking, a loving father, a caring brother. The fact that Asa was bi but had practically no experience with men was one of the few downsides Sebastian could find. And even then, it wasn’t much of a problem. There’s not a ton of smut in the book, but Asa didn’t have any internalized homophobia and was ready to go all in with a relationship. It was Sebastian who had the misgivings.

I loved the way that Sebastian finally got over all his issues and decided to get serious about Asa. It sure took him long enough, but it was worth the wait. In many ways, Sebastian had a lot of growing up to do. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he needed to stop being afraid of what becoming an adult would mean.

Sebastian and Bella’s friendship was amazing. They were very different but fit together perfectly. Best of all, Bella got her own mini arc within the story, fixing her relationship with Asa and finally forgiving herself for a mistake she made as a teenager.

In fact, the entire Bryne family was great. Super accepting of Sebastian and Asa. I loved seeing that, but it compounded my feelings that everyone in the book was both super attractive and a perfect person. Seriously, very few people had any flaws, and certainly not the main characters. Even when we finally found out what Bella’s day was about, it wasn’t her fault. Just a mistake made by a teenager that she’d been beating herself up about for years.

I do think Jordan should have been in therapy. The poor kid went through a lot. His mom was easy to dislike, but her issues were handled with care and respect. In fact, all of the harder issues in the book were handled well, even though none were given much page space.

My biggest complaint, and the thing that kept me from reading this book for years, was the original cover. I’m so glad it’s been replaced. No offense to the original artist. I surely couldn’t have done better, but it just didn’t look good, and did a disservice to the story.

Review: Acrobat by Mary Calmes

The professor/mob muscle dynamic wasn’t as stereotypical as I had expected. Both men has a lot of nuance.

4.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. 252 pages. Published May 7^th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.

Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been looking for. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.

Likes:

The story behind the cover art.
Great characters all around.
I ended up deeply invested.
The eventual acceptance of Nate and Dreo’s relationship.
The drama at the end.
Good smut.
Went from slow-burn to hyperdrive.

Dislikes:

I was confused that Dreo wasn’t the guy Nate was flirting with at the start.
Meandering story.
Didn’t have a strong hook.
The homophobia.
Nate was too perfect.
Mel’s freak out didn’t make sense.

I’ve seen this book around for a while, not surprising since it was published in 2012 and I just read it in August 2021. I think it was the English professor/mob muscle dynamic that kept me away. I expected something stereotypical out of the men and their relationship – a wimpy, nerdy professor falling head over heels for the badass alpha male. Which, yes, reflects a lot on me and on the books I’ve read in the past.

Now that I’m really looking at the blurb, I see that it did try to give the men more nuance than I gave it credit for. And the reality of the book was even better.

Nate isn’t some weak little pushover. He might not be the fighter Dreo is, but he’s smart and can stand up for himself. He’s fierce when it comes to looking out for his family, and worked hard to build up good relationships with his colleagues.

In the same way, Dreo isn’t some dumb lackey. He’s got a vision for the kind of future he wants and is working hard to make it a reality. He puts his all into everything he does, without expecting anyone to comfort him when things get tough.

It was Nate’s personality that got me invested in the story. The start of the book didn’t really have much of a hook, and the story felt a little meandering. I was also confused why there was so much focus on Nate setting up a date with someone who wasn’t mentioned in the blurb. Still, I finished the book quickly. Nate had a magnetism to him. He always seemed to know what to do or say in every situation to make it better. He was like an everyday hero, solving problems for his friends, family, and neighbors.

In other words, Nate was perfect. Which did get a little annoying. Even when he got hurt, it wasn’t his fault. Dreo was the same. Physically attractive, caring, monogamous, and the perfect amount of toppy alpha to suit Nate’s tastes. You’d think a guy who was mob muscle would have issues, but nope. Not even nightmares after

Spoiler

Their relationship starts out as a slow burn, with the first half of the book focused on Nate’s life. Then, when Nate finally realizes Dreo likes him, things shift into hyperdrive. The smut is fantastic, they’re super compatible, and the feelings come quick. It definitely wasn’t the slow buildup I prefer, but by the time it happened, I was too invested to care.

The drama at the end, both physical and emotional, was good, if expected. The physical danger had been mentioned in the blurb, so I knew something more was going to happen. The emotional stuff, all centered around who was blatantly homophobic and who accepted their relationship, was a bit of a surprise. Especially with how many people ended up being accepting.

The inspiration for the cover art was a sweet touch to a sweet story. The side characters were all fantastic. There wasn’t much angst, which felt strange for a book where one of the MC’s is part of the mob. Nate had very little hardship, in part because he was so perfect.

Overall, the book was surprisingly fluffy, even if some of the situations felt a little ridiculous. Especially Mel’s freak out about

Spoiler

It didn’t make sense, but it did contribute to the big happy ending, while also giving Nate another chance to save the day.

Review: Hot Head (Head #1) by Damon Suede

Hot firefighters, good smut, and lots of angst.

3.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. 320 pages. Published June 15th 2011 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire…

Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181, Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately, Dante is strictly a ladies’ man, and the FDNY isn’t exactly gay-friendly. For ten years, Griff has hidden his heart in a half-life of public heroics and private anguish.

Griff’s caution and Dante’s cockiness make them an unbeatable team. To protect his buddy, there’s nothing Griff wouldn’t do… until a nearly bankrupt Dante proposes the worst possible solution: HotHead.com, a gay porn website where uniformed hunks get down and dirty. And Dante wants them to appear there—together. Griff may have to guard his heart and live out his darkest fantasies on camera. Can he rescue the man he loves without wrecking their careers, their families, or their friendship?

Likes:

Dante and Griff were good guys.
Sexy firefighters.
Believable angst.
Good smut.
Dante’s family.
The way people treated Tommy in the end.
Alek turned out to be a decent guy.

Dislikes:

Too much angst.
Some scenes weren’t shown.
The ending left wide open.
No closure with Griff’s dad.
The homophobia.
Not much firefighting.

I’ve seen this book around for years, and was always curious about it. I held off because I figured there would be a bunch of angst. I mean, how could there not be? Griff is secretly pining for his best friend who goes through women like he does underwear.

Was I right about the angst? Yes. That’s most of the book. It’s angst. Even when Griff tries to reveal his true feelings, something inevitably comes up that makes him decide it’s a bad idea. Which happens multiple times.

Now, I’m not going to say anything against the angst. It felt realistic. Considering the low level of homophobia throughout the story, I don’t blame Griff for keeping quiet. There’s a gritty realism to this story. Griff is terrified of what will happen to him if his feelings are discovered. And he’s right to be scared. A side character ends up severely injured because of a hate crime.

Despite his mixed emotions, Griff was easy to like. He was a good guy and a good firefighter, though there wasn’t much firefighting in the book. His relationship with the Anastagio family was heartwarming. I loved the way they essentially adopted him, and the way they supported him and Dante.

Because the book is told completely from Griff’s point of view, I’m still not sure how I feel about Dante. He was a good guy but made some really stupid decisions. The way he got possessive about Griff when they finally got together bothered me to no end. Especially the shitty way he acted towards the photographer Beth, who was just trying to do her job.

As for the whole porn thing, which took up a vast majority of the book, I liked it. It was something I haven’t seen in many other books. The way it acted like a huge temptation to Griff added a lot to the story. Plus, it made for some great smut scenes. I am disappointed that the first scene Griff and Dante did together didn’t happen on-page. When I was reading, I honestly thought I’d somehow skipped a chapter.

In the same way, I’m a little disappointed in the book’s end. Yes, Griff and Dante get together, but so much is left unfinished. They come out to Dante’s family, but no one else. Griff admits that their relationship might cause them to lose their jobs, and acts like it’s no big deal. Which seemed strange because the whole plot of the book revolves around Dante needing money so he can keep his house. Being blasé about losing their job seemed strange. I was also disappointed at the lack of closure with Griff’s dad. The man seemed like he was developing dementia, and it wasn’t addressed at all.

I was happy with how things with Tommy ended. He’s supposed to be the main character of the next book, but since it’s been a decade since Hot Head came out, I assume the next book will never happen.

Review: The Luckiest by Mila McWarren

There was very little I liked about this book.

2.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. 256 pages. Published July 7th 2015 by Interlude Press

Blurb:

When New York-based memoirist Aaron Wilkinson gathers with his high school friends to marry off two of their own, he is forced to spend a week with Nik, the boy who broke his heart.

As they settle into the Texas beach house where the nuptials will be performed, Nik quickly makes his intentions clear: he wants Aaron back. “He’s coming hard, baby,” a friend warns, setting the tone for a week of transition where Aaron and Nik must decide if they are playing for keeps.

Likes:

Good reason for the week long pre-wedding gathering.

Dislikes:

Lots of side characters with little introduction were hard to keep straight.
I was initially confused by the romance’s timeline.
Didn’t connect with either man.
Hate that Aaron is made to feel like the breakup is his fault.
Didn’t like any of the characters.
All the time jumps, e-mails, blogs, texts.
So much felt like filler.
The epilogue is told entirely through voicemails, blog posts and text messages.

This book was massively not my cup of tea, and I would have DNFed it if I wasn’t reading it for a challenge. At first, I thought I didn’t connect with any of the characters because I’m not a twentysomething anymore. Then I realized that I have no problem reading stories with characters in their twenties. There was something about the way this book was written that was a massive turnoff.

The one thing I did really appreciate was that there was a concrete reason why everyone was gathered for a week long pre-wedding hang out session. They were all being used as unpaid labor to help decorate the house, make the food and wedding cake, tailor the clothes, help shop, make the music playlist, take the pictures, and more. Which, honestly, sounded awful. Bridezilla Alex did practically nothing to help any of them.

There were a lot of side characters, and all of them got introduced at once when Aaron arrived at the house. It was hard to keep them all straight, especially since many only got a few lines of introduction.

In a similar way, it was initially hard for me to keep the timeline of Aaron and Nik’s romance straight. There’s so many flashbacks and references to the past that I didn’t have a good grasp of what had happened between them until about halfway through the book.

Neither Nik nor Aaron was particularly likeable. The same goes for the side characters. They’ve all just finished college and are looking back at their high school days with nostalgia. It definitely didn’t feel like enough of a time gap for the intensity of emotion. Not when they should have been looking forward to the next step in their lives.

I get why Aaron thought about high school a lot. That was when he and Nik were together. Aaron’s still not over Nik, in part because their breakup lacked closure. He never did know why Nik suddenly decided not to follow the plan they’d made and go to college in New York with him.

I absolutely hated that Nik made Aaron feel like it was his fault they broke up. And I don’t mean as teens. Adult Nik made adult Aaron feel bad because when they broke up as teens, Nik didn’t explain anything to Aaron. Despite Aaron calling Nik to ask what was going on, Nik didn’t tell him anything because he wanted Aaron to show up in person. Nik wanted Aaron to get over his own heartbreak so he could coddle Nik, who’d just learned that his parents didn’t have an infinite amount of money.

I think I would have liked the story more if it hadn’t been for the time jumps, flash backs, and use of e-mails, blogs, texts. I especially hated that the entire epilogue is told through voicemails, blog posts and text messages. It felt gimmicky.

I know that the wedding preparations were supposed to function as a subplot, but they ended up feeling like filler. I didn’t care about the wedding or the bride and groom. Especially since it turned out that Alex was a cheater, and David got mad that Nik and Aaron were getting involved, when it was obvious that would happen. The entire story takes place in a week, and it honestly felt like there was more flashbacks and filler than anything else. I got to the point when I just wanted to see the present day romance move forward.

Review: Lupine Road by Cal Matthews

I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a different kind of shifter romance.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 277 pages. Published September 1st 2017 by Cal Matthews

Blurb:

A wolf on the run

Cyrus Del Basque has been running his whole life. Born to a pack of fugitive werewolves, he travels the country with his family, trying to stay one step ahead of the hunters who pursue them. With only each other to rely on, his family roams from town to town, never stopping long enough for Cyrus to make friends, let alone have a relationship.

But living under constant threat has taken its toll, and when Cyrus’s grandfather falls ill, his desperate family takes refuge in the most unlikely of places—a drive-in movie theater outside of tiny Modesty Creek, Montana.

A man looking forward

Nathan Anderson is comfortable in his world. Proud owner of the Throwback Theater, Nate’s life revolves around movies, books, and World of Warcraft raids with his long-distance best friend. He’s spent the last few years healing from a car accident that left him in a wheelchair, and though he has lingering mental and physical scars, Nate is happy and content in the life he has built.

But Modesty Creek is small, and the dating options slim. So when the strange family blows into town, Nate is immediately drawn to the quiet, intense oldest son. And when sparks fly, Nate—ever the romantic—can’t help but start imagining the future they might have together.

Two world colliding

But Cyrus knows he can’t risk putting Nate and his family in danger. How could he even begin to explain? He knows that, at best, they can only have a few days together. But even as Nate and Cyrus are drawn closer together, Cyrus knows that at any moment, hunters could arrive to tear them all apart… and burn down the world that Nate has created.

Likes:

Handicapped main character.
Tough subjects handled well.
Nate’s disability was a part of him without defining him.
Nate didn’t immediately believe that Cyrus was a werewolf.
Nerd references.
Everything about Nate and most things about Cyrus.
Nate’s family.

Dislikes:

No trigger warnings.
Not immediately hooked.
Multiple tough subjects.
Confusing beginning.

If I had to describe the characters in this book in a few words, it would be ‘damaged, but still trying’. If you’re looking for a happy, fluffy book, keep moving. I normally don’t go for stories where the main characters have suffered extensive physical and/or psychological trauma. But something about this story called to me, and I’m glad I read it.

I am a big fan of HEAs and HFNs, and this book definitely had an HFN. It’s tentative, but reminded me of the first flower to bloom in spring – a sign of better things to come. Again, not my normal type of book. I like the big production ‘and then they rode happily into the sunset’ kind of endings. But the ending fit. Nate and Cyrus chose to take a chance on happiness and each other. After everything they’d been through, together and separately, that was a wonderful thing.

That being said, this book was a little tough to get through. All the characters, major and minor, have gone through a lot before the story started, and proceeded to go through a lot during it. Which brings me to my first major dislike: no trigger warnings. So I’ll put them here. This book touches on/deals with subjects of disability, self-harm, sexual assault, incest, assault, abduction, death, and murder.

But here’s the part that mattered most to me – everything was handled well. I’ve read books where an amputee’s missing appendage is barely mentioned (looking at you, Merrychurch Mysteries). Reading this book, I never forgot that Nate was in a wheelchair, but it didn’t define him. I was happy to see that Nate thought of his wheelchair as a form of liberation. That without it, he wouldn’t be able to get around. I also thought that Emily’s decision at the end made sense with everything that she’d been through. Even though she’s a side character, it was nice to see her get a tentative HFN as well.

Nate was hands down my favorite character. I loved that he was fairly happy with his life, despite being in a wheelchair. He turned to books, movies, TV shows, and video games to take him on adventures to far off places. Which meant that his nerd culture was on point. Watching him teach Cyrus about video games and slowly open up to being intimate was wonderful.

Cyrus gets major brownie points for letting Nate set the pace. Nate was extremely self-conscious, but Cyrus never pressured him. It was the opposite of how I normally think of shifter romances. This wasn’t a book about fated mates, it was about two people who have both been hurt in the past, finding each other and wanting to try even though they don’t think it will last.

I will say, the beginning of the book was a little confusing. It took me a while to understand the pack dynamics and what was going on with Cyrus’s grandfather. Information was sprinkled through the beginning, which made me curious about what was going on, even if I wasn’t immediately hooked.

The way that Nate didn’t immediately believe that Cyrus was a werewolf, even when the evidence was right in front of him, was a new way of handling the typical werewolf coming out scene. In fact, everything about this book was different from the normal shifter romance. I’d recommend Lupine Road to anyone looking for a different kind of shifter romance.

Review: Vespertine by Leta Blake and Indra Vaughn

This has been on my TBR list for years, and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 420 pages. Published September 10th 2015 by Ledra

Blurb:

Can a priest and a rock star obey love’s call?

Seventeen years ago, Jasper Hendricks and Nicholas Blumfeld’s childhood friendship turned into a secret, blissful love affair. They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper’s calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never stopped looking back.

Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He’s determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.

As Nico Blue, guitarist and songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it all started.

Jasper and Nicky’s careers have ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face again, they must choose between the past’s lingering ghosts or the promise of a new future.

Likes:

Jasper and Nicky, together and separately.
Jasper didn’t feel preachy.
Kept me hooked.
People’s reactions to Jasper felt real.
Nicky’s views on his maintenance patches.
The dark night of the soul moment.
The story flowed well.
The memories were woven into the story well.
Safe sex.
The LGBTQ youth shelter.

Dislikes:

The band manager.
The way the church pressured Jasper.
The setup is heavy-handed.

I’ve had this book on my TBR list since 2015, which is around when I got into MM romance. I probably wouldn’t have ever read it, if not for a reading challenge. The setup of priest x damaged musician is heavy-handed to say the least. Plus, at 420 pages, the book is long, and I’ve encountered so many self-published books in need of major editing that I tend to stay away from anything over 300 pages.

Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting much from the book. Which is part of why I was so shocked that I loved it. Despite being a priest, Jasper wasn’t preachy at all. He was quietly content with his faith, and didn’t push any of the kids at the LGBTQ youth shelter to convert. Jasper just wanted to give them a safe place to live. He even made sure to help them transition into adult life when they aged out.

Nicky was a typical damaged musician. That’s not a bad thing. I’ve enjoyed books about damaged musicians before (hello Sinner’s series), and it helped that Nicky wanted to change. He missed how things were before all the drugs, but was worried that he couldn’t get back there sober. His journey through the book, struggling with sobriety and explaining to Jasper that he’d likely always need a management patch to control his addiction, was well grounded. For all the fans Nico Blue had, Nicky Blumfeld turned out to be a really great guy.

Both men go through powerful journeys during the book. I might have initially been worried about the length, but the book takes the time the story needs, without cutting corners or stretching anything out. There’s no soggy middle, and I was hooked the entire time.

The story’s a slow burn, which felt natural. Jasper and Nicky have history, and while neither of them expects to become more than friends when they reunite, they kept circling each other, getting closer and closer until falling back in love became inevitable. The memories the two had of their time together as teenagers were woven into the story well, as were all the non-romantic plot points.

Not everyone excepted an only gay priest, despite the fact that Jasper was celibate. His superiors in the church weren’t happy with the LGBTQ shelter, and it was heartwarming to see how hard Jasper fought for it. The way people, both in church leadership and in the community, viewed Jasper and the shelter, felt realistic. The same goes for the band manager, constantly pushing drugs on the members as a way to keep them compliant.

I was glad to see Jasper and Nicky practice safe sex. Not only did they know that spit wasn’t enough, they were both willing to stop when Jasper wasn’t willing to take things to the next level.

The dark night of the soul moment should have been cheesy, but it worked really well. My emotions flipflopped around as I worried about Nicky, then Jasper, then back and forth again.

I can see why more than 50% of the Goodreads ratings for this book are 5 stars. It’s the best kind of rollercoaster of emotions. I’m so glad I finally read it.

Review: Spice by Lilah Suzanne

The ending was unsatisfying and preachy.

2.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. 250 pages. Published April 2^nd 2015 by Interlude Press (first published March 28^th 2015)

Blurb:

As writer of the popular “Ask Eros” advice column, Simon Beck has an answer to every relationship question his readers can throw at him. When it comes to his own life, the answers are a little more elusive—until computer troubles introduce him to the newest and cutest member of his company’s IT support team. Simon may be charmed by Benji’s sweet and unassuming manner, but will he find the answer to the one relationship question he has never been able to solve: how to know when he’s met Mr. Right?

Likes:

Most chapters start with an Ask Eros question.
Benji and Simon.
A fluffy read.
Reminded me of Sex and the City.
Nerd references.

Dislikes:

Low/no tension.
Ending felt preachy to the point of being a little insulting.
Some chapters were nothing but sex.
Saw a lot of the tension coming.
Tension was always wrapped up fast.
Romance moved really fast with big time jumps.
Didn’t get to see the wedding.
Simon only had one friend.

I enjoyed the majority of this book. The setup was fun and the characters were likeable. But the ending was unsatisfying, preachy, and a little insulting. It negatively colored my perception of the entire book, hence the lackluster rating.

The story gives me Sex and the City vibes, with Simon’s job as the Ask Eros columnist. I was glad that he liked his job, even though it wasn’t exactly hard-hitting journalism. He felt like he was helping people. And I loved that each chapter started with an Ask Eros question and answer.

Benji was adorkable, with his endless supply of random facts and love of nerd culture. The guys were a good fit. I was cheering for them from the start, despite Simon dating someone else at the beginning.

There’s a lot of potential trouble both at the start of the book and throughout it. Enough to keep the plot engaging. Unfortunately, everything gets wrapped up fast. This wouldn’t be a bad thing, except the tension completely disappeared once Simon and Benji move in together. The only thing moving the plot along is Simon’s need to try out different types of sex acts for his new column. Which meant that there were multiple chapters in a row containing nothing of substance.

The romance in this book moved very fast. The first ‘I love you’ came at the 45% mark. Then there was a time skip, and suddenly they’ve moved in together. We don’t get to see a lot of little details about their relationship, like the first time Simon meets Benji’s family, again thanks to time skips. It didn’t bother me when I was reading, but looking back it feels like the author was really focused on ending the story after Benji and Simon had been married a while.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with ending the book beyond where most romance novels have their HEA. If it wasn’t for the preachy vibe, I wouldn’t have minded so much. Of course, we don’t get to see the wedding, which absolutely pissed me off. We got to see Tia’s wedding (she’s Simon’s only friend) but not Simon and Benji’s? That’s a major foul.

The end of the book, both Simon’s point of view and his final Ask Eros, really pushed this idea that boredom and monotony are going to happen in every relationship, that’s the reality, and you just have to deal with it. And while I do agree with that to a certain extent, it made for an incredibly unsatisfying ending. After all the fun types of sex Simon and Benji had, Benji wants to just do a puzzle at night instead.

Maybe I’m just sensitive to this topic because romance readers get shit on by everyone, but the ending felt like it was written by someone who was tired of the cheesy happily ever after endings and decided to show romance readers what ‘real romance’ looks like. Both Simon’s final POV section and his final Ask Eros column were pushing this narrative hard.

“He could get used to boring married life. As long as it’s with Benji.”

“But don’t forget why you were in that rut in the first place: Because sharing your life with someone means sharing everything: the good, the bad, the thrilling and the monotonous. Some days will mean paying bills and picking up prescriptions. Some days will mean handcuffs and blindfolds and riding crops.”

It felt preachy to me. Worse, it felt insulting. Like romance readers don’t know that the romance in novels isn’t what real life looks like, and the author is out to educate us. Including adding seven “Questions for Discussion” at the end. As though this is a book for middle schoolers who need to fully understand the points being made in the book.

The ending negatively colored me entire view of the book. It made me think back and wonder if everything that had happened, all the tension that was wrapped up quickly and not allowed to go anywhere, was because that was what would happen in ‘real life’. The book’s definitely not set up in a typical style and doesn’t flow in a typical way.

I’m sure other people have loved the way this book ends. That it feels realistic. But I don’t read romance to be reminded that everything ends up becoming monotonous. I read to escape the monotony of life. I read romance to watch people fall in love and struggle to make their love work and find compromise. Simon and Benji didn’t have to struggle for their romance. They had an instant connection, smooth sailing with their romance, and didn’t have to compromise at all. For a book that feels like it’s trying so hard to show what ‘real romance’ looks like, that’s a glaring failure.

Review: Counter Culture by J.L. Merrow

In the end, this book wasn’t worth it.

3 out of 5 stars

E-book. 344 pages. Published November 4th 2019 by Riptide Publishing

Blurb:

Customer service has never been this personal.

Robin Christopher, beleaguered retail worker, isn’t having an easy November. His boss is raising stress levels planning a Black Friday to end all Black Fridays, his family doesn’t understand him, and his best friend thinks his new crush is a hallucination brought on by watching too many episodes of Doctor Who.

Archie Levine dresses in Victorian style and divides his time between caring for his young son and creating weird and wacky steampunk gadgets from bits of old junk—when he’s not looking after his mum and trying to keep on good terms with his ex. The last thing he’s got time for is a relationship, but the flustered young man he met while disembowelling a fridge is proving very tempting.

When his mum’s social conscience is roused by a local store with a cavalier attitude to the homeless, former rough sleeper Archie shares her anger. Little does he know that Robin works for that same store. When Archie finds out he’s sleeping with the enemy, things could cut up very rough indeed.

Likes:

The steampunk.
Impossible to forget it’s set in England.
How nice Robin was to the homeless.
The plague doctor.

Dislikes:

Never hooked me.
Took forever for the romance to start.
Neither Robin nor Archie were particularly interesting.
Robin’s friends.
All the assumptions.
Abrupt ending.

I’ve read and liked other books by J.L. Merrow, which is whyI stuck with this one all the way through despite not being hooked. I kept expecting it to get better, and the second half was more interesting than the first. That’s mostly because it took until the 44% mark for Robin and Archie to actually have a substantial conversation.

I hesitate to call the romance a slow burn, because once Robin and Archie started meeting up regularly, things took off pretty fast. It simply took them forever to actually get to know each other. There were a number of quick meetings between them, but mostly the first half of the book was about their lives. Their perfectly normal, boring, mundane lives.

Most real-life romances are nothing like romance novels. This book feels like all of it could actually happen. While there is a spark of interest on both Archie and Robin’s parts at their first meeting, life gets in the way of them connecting for a while. That wouldn’t have been a problem if there was something interesting going on in their lives. But there isn’t. One of my college creative writing professors used to say “A character must want, and want intensely, even if it’s only for a glass of water.” That’s because the ‘want’ is what drives the story.

But neither Robin nor Archie has a want. They’re both just living their lives. It made the book feel like it was lacking something, and it was – a hook and something to drive the plot forward.

Robin was my favorite of the two men, because of the almost casual way he was nice to the homeless who slept in front of where he worked. Other than that, Robin didn’t stand out much. Archie was the one who had the uniqueness, what with him being a steampunk. His past experiences with homelessness made him sympathetic, but there was a noticeable lack of specifics on that subject, as well as a lack of volunteering or community activism on his part.

I also didn’t like all the assumptions Archie and his mom made about what went into the production of the advertisement they wanted to protest. But it was all the excuses Archie made about how spending time with Robin wasn’t breaking his promise, and how he was in a different place emotionally from the mother of his child that turned me against him. It’s easy for the secondary parent to be ready for a new relationship when his son is only 6 months old. It was easy to see why Bridge was worried that Archie would enter a new relationship and start neglecting his duties as a father.

The fact that Archie was a steampunk was a cool addition to the story. I liked that there was plenty of information in the book about what it meant to be steampunk. Plus, it gave Archie and Robin something to do together.

Normally I’m a big fan of interesting side characters. Unfortunately, like Robin and Archie themselves, I was underwhelmed by the side characters. I thought Heath and Azrah treated Robin like crap, especially when they pushed him out of the Black Friday event planning. Robin’s parents were downright horrid. Even Archie’s mom, who I generally liked, was pushy and manipulative, as well as having her own vendetta against the shop where Robin worked.

One thing I will say about this book is that it’s impossible to forget that it’s set in England. Unlike with other books I’ve read by J.L. Merrow, there’s a lot of English slang throughout the story. I liked it, and it added lots of local flavor. The little sprinkles of pop culture were also nice.

The book’s ending felt strangely abrupt. After such a meandering plot, a lot of stuff both happened and was revealed at the end. Like about Arche’s grandparents, and the identity of the plague doctor. The book basically ends right after Archie and Robin get back together.

Looking back, I should probably have DNFed this book. But I wanted so badly for it to get better. I think if the romance had happened sooner, the book would have worked better for me. As it is, I wouldn’t suggest this book.