NEVER SAY JUST - KATIE HARPER

Haunted by her past of murder for hire and skinning people alive to gather vital intelligence, Kat Boudreaux wants nothing more than to hide away in her sprawling mansion with the love of her life--her daughter. But then Private Gump and his band of Bubbas land on her doorstep. Her brother and his unit of misfit Marines insert themselves with the misguided need to protect her from someone hell-bent on vengeance.

For Shooter, it's love at first sight, though he wouldn't be caught dead admitting it. When Kat is nearly fatally injured while saving his life, he knows he's found the woman for him. Together, they fight side by side to get to the bottom of the threats. Kat's daughter is kidnapped and this ex-assassin mom reverts back to old habits to save her. Saving Kat and her daughter is easy, taming the shrew that is Hell Kat Boudreaux might mean losing his favorite appendage.


REVIEW: 5 Lulu's

What can I say about Katie Harper's first novel? *Taps chin* What does it have?
The question should be, what doesn't it have? Intrigue, suspense, family, love, excitement. Everything but the kitchen sink... no wait... there's one of them in there, too!

It grabs you from the first couple of pages and it's grip only tightens as you read more and more, until you are so firmly wrapped up in the story you find yourself glad the kids are away for a week, because if they'd disturbed you during this... you may have had to build some stairs to put a cupboard under it so you could get rid of them!

I want to be Kat Boudreax when I grow up. She's fantastic. Feisty, beautiful, sensual and, best of all, within minutes of meeting her you know she ain't gonna take no shit from no one.

I also want a Shooter of my own. *whispers* I would quite like THE Shooter, but I think Kat would stake me naked to an anthill and then add some fire ants for good measure.  They are perfect together, damn them!

To say I was impressed with this book and couldn't put it down is an understatement and I cannot wait to see what the uber-talented Harper comes up with next.  I am tapping my fingers impatiently and my breath is bated!

I insist you do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars and go straight to Decadent Publishing for your copy... now... go on... I can still see you... run... or I'll set Kat on you!

REVIEW: FINAL ADMISSION BY SUE BROWN

BUY HERE - NOW THIS MINUTE - IF NOT SOONER

RATING:  5 LULU'S


BLURB:
James Trenchard is a dick. Everyone in Bingwell, Brock, and Bacon says so, and after Ethan’s first encounter with the man, he agrees. Ethan resolves to avoid James but ends up working closely with him and discovers the lawyer's hiding a secret from the world. Ethan also realizes he's falling too hard too fast. Ethan has to decide if he should help James and risk getting entangled in the mess James has gotten himself into, or move on. But walking away from love is never a simple decision to make.


REVIEW:
I love Sue Brown - there - I've said it. It's out there and I don't want to take it back. I have yet to read anything of hers that has left me feeling short-changed and when I picked up Final Admission, she didn't let me down.


The Queen of Angst strikes again in a poignant love story revolving around a devastatingly all too common situation, but one that is hardly ever mentioned. Ms Brown handles it with flair and aplomb and the utmost sensitivity. 


Meeting Ethan gives James a reason to want to live again. To love again. And the gentle way this big, muscled, mountain of a man soothes James' tired and empty heart, makes your own heart skip a beat and wish he was yours. 


I loved every word and could not put it down from start to finish, and will be adding it to my list of Sue Brown favourites and eagerly awaiting what she has in store for us next.

REVIEW: BODY OF WATER BY STUART WAKEFIELD

BUY LINK

BLURB:
"Stay away from the water."
Leven has heard that rule all his life but, when he breaks it, he loses the ones he loves.
Bereaved and broken-hearted, escape seems like his only option.  At the invitation of the father he never knew, he flees London and seeks refuge in the storm-battered Orkney Islands.
Thrown together with the handsome but volatile Dom, a series of strange and terrifying encounters lead Leven to the reason the rule existed.  Something in the water is coming for him.
But as evil rises, so must good.  Leven faces his ultimate test but, when he is born from chaos, can he calm the storm?




REVIEW:
I don't normally go for fantasy, but I'd seen the trailer and heard lots of good things about this book, so quickly handed over my moulah and settled down with my kindle.


For someone who doesn't normally go for fantasy, I was immediately sucked into this wonderful underwater world that Mr Wakefield created.  It's told from the first person's point of view and I was totally drawn in to seeing everything through Leven's eyes.  His confusion about his attraction to Shaun, his neighbour and best friend's brother, his devastation at his personal loss and his determination for answers when he travels to Orkney at the demand of his real father.


Then he meets this beautiful dark man who he doesn't understand but cannot help being attracted to and I can't say I blame him.  Dom was the architypal romantic interest.  Dark, beautiful, mysterious and obviously hiding a secret.


I adored this book and couldn't put it down and I thoroughly recommend it.  I personally cannot wait for book 2, Memory of Water and have no problem whatsoever in reading anything Mr Wakefield decides to put out there.  Definitely going on my top ten list :)


RATING: 5 LULU'S

HOME & HEART - CHRIS QUINTON

BUY HERE

Deep in the Cotswolds in the heart of England, Ben Elliot settles in for a quiet Christmas house-sitting and caring for an elderly woman's two dogs while she's away. When her black-sheep grandson, Adam Prescott, turns up on the doorstep, Ben takes in the human stray as well. Destitute and betrayed by family, boyfriend, and Fate, Adam has lost all faith in others, and in himself.


Determined to help, Ben soon loses his heart to the other man and believes Adam has feelings for him, too. Then Adam's ex shows up, offering him the world if only Adam will come back to him. Now Ben must choose whether to step aside or reach for the only gift he wants this Christmas.   

RATING:  5 Lulu's 

REVIEW:

This was just what I needed on a cold and wintry Sunday afternoon.  A beautiful rich, warm, fulfilling love story.  Ben was just adorable with his optimism and his heart, welcoming Adam into his life and making the man feel as though there was nothing he couldn't achieve with Ben beside him.

Then there was Adam, with his quick temper and his defeatism.  His scowl couldn't hide the scared and insecure little boy inside, worried that he would turn out to be just like his father.  Ben was his lifeline and he grabbed him with both hands.

Ms Quinton has done it again.  She's put a smile on my face and warmth in my heart and made me want to read it all over again.  I bloody loved it.

What Can I Say?

Okay, first of all, I must start this off by saying that I have a friend, Heaven Liegh Eldeen.  She is a fellow writer and on of my Friday Flash Fiction cohorts.  She gave me the greatest gift earlier this week - she freely admitted that she'd bought my current release, Forever Dusk, primarily because she classes me as her friend and as a fellow author she was showing her support by making the purchase.  Let me clarify, most of you probably already know, but I write M/M Erotic Romance, and she confessed that it wasn't her cup of tea, really wasn't interested in it and I admired her honesty.  But she said she was going to give it a go - then proceeded to tell me how wonderful I was and how fabulous a writer I am and how I drew her in and that she is now a bonfide M/M reader - woo hoo - she is one of us now - my work is done....except it's not....not quite....

I must begin by saying that I am what is termed a "Supernatural Fan" - one of the members of Kripke's Barmy Army - and would quite happily drown in Jensen Ackles' eyes as well as have his lips tattooed on my bum (which I have done) - so I am more than happy surrounded by Angels and Demons all day and all night and any time in between....so when it comes to reading the paranormal/fantasy genre, you'd think I'd be buying it before it hit the shelves...um....nah...don't mind vampires....but apart from Stephen King, I wouldn't say I branch out in that area myself and I have never even looked at a Terry Pratchett book (much to my friend Lisa's chagrin) - it's just not really my "thing".

Okay....I'm getting there....my point is that I bought Heaven Liegh Eldeen's first ever published work (which she has been so excited about she's like Tigger on fast forward) The Demon Side....and this is my honest opinion of it...and I hope she'll forgive me...

When worlds collide… Every kid has problems. Every kid has even more problems when they move to a new home. But when a kid with problems moves to a new home that has a Demon living inside it—look out! Etta’s world is about to spin out of control when she encounters her new roommate—and Rahovart, that ancient trickster, is in for a few surprises too. So don’t mind all the crashing and rumbling; that’s just the normal noise Angels and Demons make when they’re fighting an epic war in the attic. One thing’s for sure: Etta and Rahovart will have to go through Hell to Heaven and back again before that old Victorian home in Quantico Town finally quiets down…


What can I say about this first scintillating tale from Ms Eldeen?  Let me think...there are a few words that come to mind...awe-inspiring (is that two? My blog - my rules)... brilliant... engaging... page-turning... edge of my seat (sue me)... fan-bloody-tastic stuff!


I literally opened The Demon Side this afternoon and I could not put it down, well didn't WANT to put it down...I did put it down to feed the children, but this was very reluctantly and with much muttering under the breath - they're six and eight - I'm busy, can't they figure out how to peel a potato between them?  I digress... after a few interruptions that were silenced with an "I'm busy!"  I finished it in a little over three hours.


I was enthralled from the word go.  Rahavort's confusion as to why he had actual feelings for the girl who had dared to move into his home.  Etta's pain and sorrow for what she had endured and the total faith she had in someone, something, that should have had her running for the hills.  I wanted to see what happened, how she would help him as he helped her and it was heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time.  I couldn't get enough and when I got to the last page, I actually shook my Kindle like some sort of tithead, because I was hoping some extra pages she'd written just for me would fall out.


When I give reviews, I try to be as honest as possible and am aware that they are my own opinion... and this is my opinion.... BUY THIS BOOK NOW, IMMEDIATELY, RIGHT THIS MINUTE, IF NOT SOONER!


I'd give it 50 Lulu's if I could, but I can't 'cos they only go up to 5....so....


5 Lulu's, Heaven my lovely and deserving of every single one.

REVIEW: LEGAL ARTISTRY BY ANDREW GREY

Years ago, Dieter Krumpf’s grandmother died and left him everything, including a photo album containing pictures of the art collection she left behind when her family fled the Nazis. Now, Dieter is calling on the services of a lawyer, Gerald Young, to determine whether his family’s legacy might be returned to him.

Gerald doesn’t hold out much hope that the paintings will be returned, but Dieter’s earnestness speaks to him and he agrees to help. At first he concludes that while Dieter has a case, suing in Austria isn’t practical.  But Gerald is a good lawyer, and as his feelings for Dieter develop, so does his determination to win the case. Together, Gerald and Dieter navigate research, hearings, and a dysfunctional family in the pursuit of fine art—and discover the art of love along the way.

 ********

Rating: 4 Lulus

I finished Legal Artistry last night, curled up under my duvet, and what a ride it was.  From America to Austria in one evening, what a thrill.  Dieter's love for his grandmother and his Aunt Katie are palpable right from the start.  His shock at the knowledge that not only is The Woman in Blue his great-grandmother, but he has a right to claim her back, is fabulous and how he handles himself throughout is brilliant.

Gerald, the lawyer who takes on his case, is possibly one of the sweetest men I've ever met (you know what I mean) and given that his family are so far up their own arses they can see what they've had for breakfast, it's amazing that he's as well-balanced and loving as he is.  His attraction to Dieter is immediate and the tussle he has with himself before pursuing it is charming, as he worries about a conflict of interest.

In short, this is one hell of a rollercoaster that everyone should ride on and I loved every minute.  And am off to read the follow on : Artistic Appeal.

REVIEW: BEAR, OTTER & THE KID BY TJ KLUNE

This is my personal review of TJ Klune's current release with Dreamspinner...

BUY BUY BUY!

 

 

 

Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid. Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living—with a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that. Until Otter comes home.

 

Otter is Bear’s best friend’s older brother, and as they’ve done for their whole lives, Bear and Otter crash and collide in ways neither expect. This time, though, there’s nowhere to run from the depth of emotion between them. Bear still believes his place is as the Kid’s guardian, but he can’t help thinking there could be something more for him in the world... something or someone.

****

Rating:  5 LULU'S

I would like to start this review by saying one thing....Jessewave Reviews....you have no idea how much you should be kicking yourself right now for refusing to review this utter delight, simply because of a sentence that implies straight sex has been had.  Bear, Otter & the Kid is a true to life story of a man coming to terms with the realisation that he prefers men...well one man in particular actually, and what man when flailing around in the sea of confusion hasn't tried both courses before deciding he likes the dessert more than the main? 

Now that I've got that off my chest--

TJ Klune has woven a story so heart-rending and hear-warming at the same time, that you don't even realise you're crying for joy one minutes and sobbing like a five year old the next, well not until your Kindle almost shorts out on you!

Bear is the epitome of the best big brother in the world, who makes the ultimate sacrifice for Ty, the Kid.  What else is he supposed to do but step up to the plate when their mother walks out when Ty is six and Bear is seventeen?  What does he do, when he is no more than a kid himself?  He makes sure that the Kid's world is stable, and warm and safe, even if his own is crumbling around him.

Otter has been a part of Bear's life for as long as he can remember.  His best friend's older brother.  The one who has always made him feel safe.  His anchor.  Keeping him above water when he thought the waves would drag him under.  The one who swore that he would never leave, that he would always be there.  Until he wasn't.  But then he comes back and Bear's world is turned upside down again...because with Otter's return comes all the confusing and gut-tingling feelings that Bear has had for so long but has never examined, never acknowledged. 

And the Kid.  Oh, my, God!  The Kid!  He is absolutely fantastic.  A tiny eco-terrorist in training, the only eight year old vegetarian Bear knows and an IQ that's probably higher than everyone's put together.  But for all of his procrastinations, and his attempts to guide others away from the meat counter...at the heart of it all is the fact that he's just a little boy, whose big brother is the only father he has ever known, or needed.

And of course the other cast of this marvellous movie, because that what reading this book was like, it was like sitting on the sidelines of some wonderful film that you couldn't tear your eyes from or get up to make a cup of tea in case you missed anything.  There's Creed, the cool best friend who knows there's something going on but can't put his finger on it.  Then we have Anna, Bear's long time on/off girlfriend who knows what's going on in Bear's head before he does.  And Mrs Paquinn the neighbor who looks out for the boys next door...did you know she used to drive stock cars?  They are all important and have a story of their own mixed in with Bear's fight to find himself and Otter.

I cannot recommend TJ's first book highly enough.  Cannot jump up and down high enough (besides the kids keep telling me I look stupid) at the rollercoaster of emotions this story sends you on.  If I could give him a hundred Lulu's I would, but since they only go up to five, he'll have to be happy with that--oh, and the sandwich board I plan on walking around town wearing with the book cover on it.

So go buy it...now...this minute...do not pass go...do not collect two hundred dollars...go...go on...

REVIEW: UNDERCOVER NIGHTS - PATRICIA LOGAN

In the midst of ending a miserable relationship, gentle physical therapist Gage Neary has been accused of the most horrific of crimes -- murder. As a number of his patients die of poisoning, the evidence seems to point to him, and he becomes the prime suspect in the FBI investigation. Cody Redsun, the smokin’ hot FBI agent assigned to investigate the crimes, decides that it’s Gage he’d rather probe for answers.

When they find their lives threatened, Cody gives himself a new assignment; keep Gage alive until he can find the actual killer. While the true menace to the two men seems to be clear, Cody hides a tortured past that is just as threatening to their deepening bond. As the danger heats up, so do the two men, burning only for each other and the fiery passion that promises to consume them.

Rating: 4 Lulus

After reading Leather Nights, I was looking forward to another great book by Patricia Logan.  Unfortunately, I didn't get one.  I got a fantastic book!  As much as my favourite line is in the first Armadillo series, this one blew me away.  

Cody - our lovely, sweet, hot, Cody.  All tortured soul and gossy black hair, sigh.  

Gage - passive, sweet, except in the bedroom, accused of a crime he didn't commit, sucked into a web by a former abusive lover.

Okay...I have to admit that maybe the sex between them comes a little soon in the book - but we all know men are sluts, bless them, and so it's not unrealistic, just a personal taste.  The connection between the two men is instant and it's not just a wam bam, suck my dick man.  You know there is going to be more, and that the feelings are there from the word go.  

Patti builds strong characters and I love how we see Jake and Cade and Tyler in this one too, and then get a little glimpse of Kyle who is in the third book of the series, Warrior Nights.  Made me smile and tingle with anticipation.

We see how Cody would risk everything, including the career he loves to protect Gage.  He knows that he should take himself off the case because he's sleeping with the prime suspect, of course he does, he's not an idiot.  But how many of us have known what we SHOULD do and still led with our heart? And that's what this book has, tons of heart.  

I thoroughly enjoyed it and Ms Logan is not only one of my favourite people, but one of my favourite authors.

REVIEW: TY HARD BY LAURA HARNER

 After six long months in rehab, Navy Veteran Tyler Hardin received his medical discharge and heads west to visit with his mentor and surrogate father, only to arrive minutes after his old friend passes. Ranch owner Cass Cartwright takes one look at the handsome stranger and knows he's in danger of doing the one thing he swore never to do: fall in love. Cass works to convince Tyler to overcome his past and give a relationship with another man a chance, even while someone is working to sabotage his ranch, and maybe their love.

 Rating:  5 Lulu's

Available now at All Romance Ebooks

This is Laura Harner's first forage into the M/M genre in the shape of a gorgeous cowboy and a broken man; a man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders along with past grief, PSTD and the denial of who he really is. 

Okay, so I've read it before and anyone who sees the dedication page will know why I squeed when I opened it on my Kindle last night - my name is alongside two other lovely ladies as I am one of Laura's critique partners.  My first reading of the finalised version of Ty Hard was done on word so I didn't realise she'd done that and I actually filled up I was so touched.  Anyway, enough of that.

As I said, I've read it before as a CP but last night I opened it as a reader and was totally lost in the beauty of Laura's writing all over again as I was sucked into the world of the Willow Springs Ranch and Cass, and Tyler.

The two characters are written with such strength and conviction and their instant attraction is sizzling.  Underneath all that lust is Cass' realization that he doesn't just want this man's tight little ass, he wants the whole package.  He wants to protect this man from the world that has left him uncertain and in pain, both mentally and physically.  For the first time in his life, he wants more than phsyical release.  My heart ached for him as he not only has to come to terms with the fact that he's falling in love with his 'sailor' but also with the knowledge that Tyler may never be ready to take that final step.

Tyler is a broken man, looking for somewhere to call his own, and meeting Cass Cartwright was the last thing he expected.  The man stirs up feelings and wants in him that he is not ready to face, even though he knows he has been denying them all his life.  A tragedy in his past has left him hiding behind a wall that Cass has to break through to get to him, and even though he knows his feelings for Cass are true, he is uncertain whether he can truly allow himself to give over to them.  My heart ached for Cass, but it shattered into a million pieces for Ty as his story was revealed and his insecurity and fear of letting himself love Cass.

In short, I couldn't put it down and finished it in the early hours of this morning, hence my late wake up.  First of all, you'd never know that this was the first m/m Laura has ever written, the sex was hot without being overly graphic and the sensuality of it all will leave you needing to open a window and racing for the next page.  The story was seamless, not once were you left wondering if you'd missed part of the plot as you are in so many books of late.  Laura's descriptive writing style and emotional content reaches in and grabs the pit of your stomach one minute and your heart the next and then she has to go and throw in a little suspense and terror along the way, just to keep you on your toes.  It was a beautiful story of love, romance, and overcoming the odds to realise that the one might just have been standing in front of you all along.

I can put my hand on my heart and say that this is a must have addition to your Kindle, bookshop, bloody everywhere.  It's one of those stories that you can read over and over and still want to go back to it again.  Pure class.

REVIEW: MORNING REPORT - SUE BROWN

A decade on from their first kiss, Luke Murray is more in love with Simon every day. Running the Lost Cow ranch for Luke’s parents, they keep their heads down and get along with the locals, even if Luke is known for being a hothead. Then one day they discover the local store owners refuse to serve them.

They’re bewildered until Luke’s mom tells them the new pastor has targeted the couple in his sermons. Suddenly Luke and Simon find themselves alienated from people they called friends, and their ranch comes under a series of attacks. As the town’s hatred and homophobia turns on them, Luke and Simon will face a critical choice: give in to the town’s demands and disappear, or stand and fight for themselves and their love.

***

I am a huge fan of Sue Brown anyway, but I just couldn't put this down from the moment I turned on my Kindle.  You tend to mostly find in this genre that a book maps the path of romance between the two main characters, with their meeting and falling in love and the trials and tribulations along the way; so to find a story about a long established relationship was both refreshing and heartwarming.

The love the two men have for each other leaps off the page at you, sending butterflies flapping around your belly and warming the cockles, as you get tangled up in their stoic support for the other and their ranch.

You feel for them when the town they've lived in for ten years suddenly takes the word of a new preacher who has his own personal homphobic issues and tells the town to rid itself of these sinners.
Throughout it all, their love and support for each other carries through every word, every glance, every morning report.

I bloody loved this book and shall be buying up every delightful tale Ms Brown weaves as soon as it has left her imagination.

Rating:  5 Lulu's (just for fun - I'm Lulu ;) )

Keeping House (Truth or Dare) - Lee Brazil

Apart from some wafflings on Goodreads and Amazon, I've not really done what you would consider a "proper" review before...but I thought I might have a go as I have just finished my first book on my Kindle (I'll fill you in on the new Kindle obsession later)...and also my first purchase on my amazing Kindle...well actually, Jackles is his name...I know, I know, I'll get out more I promises, but first I want to tell you about this amazing book:-

Keeping House is the first book in the Truth or Dare series and I was hooked from the blurb on.

Mischa Blake, the youngest of the Blake family siblings, one of the wealthiest families in Hollywood, is dared by his older brothers to basically get his lazy ass up and get a job and support himself for a whole year.  Obviously there are provisos and his brothers quite happily sit back, knowing that he'll never win the wager.

Donovan Holloway was definitely not expecting Mischa Blake, with his goth garb, piercings and mohawk to apply for the role of housekeeper; so when he answered the door to this vision, he was rather taken aback.

I totally loved every minute of this and I couldn't put it down and it had nothing to do with the fact that I find it difficult to put Jackles down.  I adored Donovan's surprise at finding himself attracted to a man half his age and the fact that it's mutual has his head in a spin.

Mischa totally rocked it.  Refusing to conform to what his brothers' had planned for him, dressing how he wanted, looking how he wanted and loving whoever he wanted.  The way he surprised everyone and himself by throwing himself into the job and surpassing expectations without complaint.  And his affection for Donovan is there in every word.

In short, Lee gave us characters that were sweet and honest and charming and I can't wait to get started on the next one :)

 

Review of Nanny for Nate from Dawn Roberto

A beautiful review from Dawn Roberto over at Dawn's Reading Nook, on A Nanny for Nate.

Dawn's Reading Nook