Monthly Review

Friday, June 30, 2017

A quick recap of all the happenings around my blog.

Popular Posts:

Reviews:

# of Reviews: 20

Average Rating: 3.7

How I'm Doing On My Reading Challenges:
(you can always click here to view current challenge updates)

Goodreads Challenge: 102 out of 200 books
Beat the Backlist:   19 out of 50 books
New Release Challenge:  72 out of 125 books

I'm doing pretty good on my Goodreads Challenge and the New Release Challenge, but I've fallen pretty behind on the Beat the Backlist Challenge.  I have 4 backlist books worked into my schedule for next month, and I've tried to slow down with requesting ARCs so I can read read book from my backlist.  Hopefully, I can catch back up soon!

What you can expect in July:

The month of July is probably going to look a lot like June.  This past month I posted a lot more reviews than I have previous months because I got a little too overexcited with requesting ARCs.  I have a lot of book reviews in mind for next month, but I've also been really enjoying the lists posts.  I may cut back on the Waiting on Wednesday posts tho.  Instead of doing those every Wednesday, I may just do one every other week so I can work in more reviews.  I will also be posting my one art post.  This month I'm going to share my Wolverine painting.  It's looking like I will be posting it the 3rd Friday in July.

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What would you like to see more/less of on my blog?  How was your May?
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Review: Oversight by Santino Hassell

Friday, June 30, 2017

Title: Oversight
Author: Santino Hassell
Series: Community, #2
Genre: MM Romance, Sci-Fi
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publication Date: June 26th 2017

Spoiler Alert! The following blurb contains spoilers for Insight, book one of The Community.

Holden Payne has it all . . . or so he thinks. As heir to the founder of the Community—an organization that finds, protects, and manages psychics—he’s rich, powerful, and treated like royalty. But after a series of disappearances and murders rock the Community, he’s branded the fall guy for the scandal and saddled with a babysitter.

Sixtus Rossi is a broad-shouldered, tattooed lumbersexual with a man-bun and a steely gaze. He’s also an Invulnerable—supposedly impervious to both psychic abilities and Holden’s charms. It’s a claim Holden takes as a challenge. Especially if sleeping with Six may help him learn whether the Community had more to do with the disappearances than they claimed.

As Holden uncovers the truth, he also finds himself getting in deep with the man sent to watch him. His plan to seduce Six for information leads to a connection so intense that some of Six’s shields come crashing down. And with that comes a frightening realization: Holden has to either stand by the Community that has given him everything, or abandon his old life to protect the people he loves.



Oversight is the second book in Santino Hassell's Community series.  I would not recommend reading this one without reading the previous book first.  There is a strong continued plot that continues through the series as they unravel what is really going on within the Community.  I originally heard of Santino Hassell from reading the Cyberlove series the he co-wrote with Megan Erickson.  I loved that series, so I knew I wanted to give more of his books a try.  I'm so glad I did, because I LOVE this series!  I thought the first book was going to be hard to top, but I may have liked this one even better!

We met empath Holden Payne, manager of Evolution, in the first book Insight. Holden's father is one of the Community's founders and Holden is finding it hard to believe the Community is anything other than an altruistic organization helping those with paranormal skills. Sixtus Rossi has been sent to Evolution by Richard Payne to handle club security and also watch Holden closely.  Holden's empath powers don't work on him at all. His mind and body are completely impenetrable, and he can bring down a "wall" to protect himself. Because he has this "wall" around his thoughts, he has a hard time picking up on tone of voice, body language, or other social cues. He has a sarcastic and abrasive personality. And Holden is intrigued by someone whose head he can't get inside.

I was so glad to see that Holden is not quite the man we saw in the previous book. He's not nearly as arrogant and self-serving. This book did a great job showing his more vulnerable side. While he is what some would call promiscuous, he doesn't feel the need to apologize for it. He's become completely reliant on  his empath ability to feel what other people are feeling, especially when it comes to sex.  I loved the steamy scenes between Holden and Six because he couldn't "read" Six at all and had to rely on nothing but what he was feeling, which ultimately led to a more intimate experience.  I loved seeing them develop throughout the story, as they started out seemingly antagonistic then grew to a tense friendship, into more.  

Oversight has a lot of twists and turns that always leave you guessing what's going to happen next.  I love the story building and suspense that Santino Hassell is able to achieve in this series.  I read this one really quickly because I needed to know what was going to happen.  This one does end in a sort of cliffhanger, but not when it comes to their relationship.  They are secure together.  We are left needing to know what's going to happen next with the suspenseful storyline.  Basically, I need book #3 in my hands right now! lol!  Book 3 is going to be Chase and Elijah's story and I can't wait for that one! 

*I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. *

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Review: Chief's Mess by L.A. Witt

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Title: Chief's Mess
Author: L.A. Witt
Series: Anchor Point, #3
Genre: MM Romance
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publication Date: June 19th 2017

 Anthony Talbot is in Anchor Point to visit family, but after two days of strife, he needs a break. A local gay bar is calling his name.

When Chief Noah Jackson sees that red head stroll into the club, he immediately wants him. They’re perfectly matched, and before long, they’re burning up the sheets. Noah can’t get enough. Anthony can’t stay in Oregon for long, but as soon as he leaves, he’s counting down the days until he can fly back for more. And between his increasingly frequent visits, there’s always phone sex, sexting, webcams . . . anything they can get.

But Noah’s got a carefully crafted façade, and Anthony can’t help noticing the slowly forming cracks. The scent of alcohol in the middle of the day. The extra drinks at dinner. The hint of red in his eyes. Anthony knows what it means. He doesn’t want to believe it, but he’s seen this before, and there’s no denying it. If Noah doesn’t get his downward spiral under control, he’s going to lose both his career and the first man he’s ever really loved.



Anthony has flown in to Anchor Point to offer moral support to his sister while she meets up with her ex-husband Clint (from Afraid to Fly, book #2) and his boyfriend.  Because of the way things ended between his sister and Clint, Anthony is not of fan of Clint.  Sensing his discomfort, his sister tells him to go out and blow off some steam, so he decides to check out a local gay bar.  As soon as he heads to the bar he meets Chief Noah Jackson. They have an instant attraction and decide to have a week long fling while Anthony is in town.  When Anthony returns to Portland, they decide to continue their arrangement because of their smoking hot chemistry.  They end up texting and Skyping to continue their casual sexual relationship. Pretty soon they are visiting each other every other week to further explore their insane chemistry between the sheets and eventually their long-distance-hookups turn to love.  Things remain as steamy as ever, but Anthony starts to notice that Noah always has a drink in his hand, or seems like he's sneaking more drinks on the side.  He has a feeling that Noah has a drinking problem, but he isn't sure if it's just his imagination.

Holy cow, these two have some explosive chemistry!  There is no shortage of steamy scenes in this one.  I loved the chemistry between the two of them.    The sex scenes were super steamy and they had some great dirty talk.  I also really like how the feelings between the two of them grew gradually and didn't happen overnight.

While I did really love the steamy scenes, I did wish for a little more of a plot to this one.  I wanted a little more substance.  The "big issue" of the story is obviously Noah's issues with alcohol, but I feel like it wasn't dealt with much until the very end.  The issue is brought up fairly early but then we don't hear much about it for a while.  I would have liked to see him getting help for it earlier, and maybe see him going through some of the struggle of staying sober.  It's sort of glossed over and I think it was too important to be pushed aside.

I'm a little torn about this one because I think these two probably had the best chemistry out of all the couples in the series, but I was a little let down with the plot.  If you are looking for a super steamy read, then this one is definitely for you.  But if you are looking for something with deeper meaning or lots of angst, then this one probably isn't for you.  I am a huge fan of L.A. Witt's books, so I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

* I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. *

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Review: Mature Content by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Title: Mature Content
Authors: Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell
Series: Cyberlove, #4
Genre: MM Romance
Publication Date: June 2nd 2017

My life plan is to be brutally honest all the way to the bank. Don't believe me? I run a popular YouTube channel called TrashyZane, and my claim to fame is oversharing about every aspect of my personal life. Sometimes while tipsy. Not everyone loves my style, but I have a long history of icing out people who can't handle me. I have no time for judgmental foolishness.

Except, apparently, when it comes to Beau Starr. His channel is the polar opposite of mine, and so is he. Wholesome, inspirational, and clean-cut. Everything about him should turn me off, but when we hook up following a confrontation at a convention, my world flips upside down. Not only does Beau Starr turn me on, he uses the exact combination of dirty talk and roughness needed to turn me out.

But we still hate each other. I think.


 

Yesssss!!!   I've been eagerly awaiting this one since I finished the previous book in the series.  I knew I was going to have to read this one right away. I think I have a new favorite from the series (does happy dance)! Whew, I just fangirled a little bit there, sorry.  This is an enemies to lovers romance and it was done so well.  I really loved this one!  I will read just about anything from Megan Erickson but this is my favorite series from her so far.  I just recently started reading more from Santino Hassell and really enjoy his work too.  All of the books in this series can be read as standalones but you do see couples from previous stories, so I think you would get more enjoyment out of reading them in order.  

Beau has a pretty large following of people that tune into his youtube channel to hear him talk about safe-sex practices, answers embarrassing questions that people have about gays, and talks a lot about self love.  People love his perfect image and constant positive attitude.  His family is almost too involved with his life and support his career and also his sexuality.  Zane is pretty much the polar opposite of Beau and his channel.  He treats his channel like a personal journal and overshares about his sex life.  He often films himself when he is super hung over and gives off the attitude that he doesn't care what anyone thinks about him.  Zane has a very tense relationship with his mother and the only one he actually has to support him is his grandmother.

I really loved both of these characters but I loved Zane just a little bit more.  Zane has so much sass and I can't help but love him!  He always comes off as someone who doesn't care about what anyone thinks about him but he has some really great vulnerable moments where you can see the soft side underneath.  The chemistry between these two was absolutely off the charts, and there were some great steamy scenes.  There is some mild kink (blindfold, tied wrists, begging, role play) but it isn't too far into any BDSM scene that would turn some people off, in my opinion.  Since these two start as enemies that have a couple hate sex scenes but they quickly soften towards each other.  I loved "watching" them open up to each other and really feeling when it started heading into the "more" territory.

Beau image isn't as squeaky clean as he would like it to be and he has a few secrets.  In an effort to protect Zane he makes a pretty bone-headed move towards the end, but there is an "epic grovel" so I forgave him pretty quickly. lol!  I really loved that while there was the silly "bone-headed move", they didn't drag it on forever and things were handled/fixed fairly quickly.  I can't stand when things are drawn out when they don't need to be and people can just talk it out.  There wasn't nearly as much angst as the last book, which I loved!

This one is definitely one of my favorites for the year, and I can't wait to pick up the next one in the series.  There are some great secondary characters in this one and I really want to read more about a few of them...ahem, Miguel and Debonair!

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Best Books I've Read In 2017 So Far

Tuesday, June 27, 2017


I am linking up today at The Broke and the Bookish's link up "Top Ten Tuesday".  They have a different topic every week and it's a lot of fun to meet some new bloggers and find a bunch of new books to add to my list!  This week's topic is: Best Books I've Read In 2017 So Far.

Oh man, this was hard!  I kept adding and taking away books. lol!  I tried to only include books that I read that were released in 2017, but I loved a couple earlier books too much to not include them. I put a * in front of any books that were published before 2017.

Surrender the Dark by Tibby Armstrong
* Cinder & * Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
* Daring Fate by Megan Erickson


Have you read any of these?  What is your favorite read so far this year?
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Review: Make Me Stay by Sidney Halston

Monday, June 26, 2017

Title: Make Me Stay
Author: Sidney Halston
Series: Panic, #2
Genre: MF Romance
Publisher: Loveswept
Publishing Date: June 27th 2017

 April: Walking away from Matt Moreno was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Lying to him was a close second, but for his safety, I had no other choice. I was undercover, working to put some nasty people behind bars. But when Matt nearly recognizes me on Lincoln Road a year later, all those very real feelings come rushing back. Now that my assignment’s almost over, will he understand why I lied? Why I had to leave? Most important, can he ever forgive me?

Matt: I was madly in love with June Simpson . . . or, at least, with the woman I thought was June. Then she just disappeared while my family’s nightclub went through hell. And after months of searching, when I think I’ve finally found that sexy, raspy voice and those exquisite blue eyes, she slips away once more. Turns out, “June” is actually Detective April White. She’s been playing me the whole time. And she’s about to rock my world all over again.



Make Me Stay is the second book in Sidney Halston's series, Panic.  They can be read as standalones but I would recommend reading book one first because the couple from the first book are in this one a lot, and there are also events that are mentioned that happened in the first book.  The first book in this series, Pull Me Close, was about Nick and this book is about his twin brother Matt. Matt is a lawyer who also helps to run his family’s night-club, Panic. Matt first meets June at Panic and is instantly drawn to her. They have a ton of chemistry together and begin dating, when things finally start to become serious and Matt falls for her she disappears.  I don't want to give too much else away about the story because I think it would ruin it.  The book is split into two parts. The first part is set in the past with Matt meeting June at Panic. The second part of the story is told in the present (about a year later). 

I loved Matt in the first book and have been eagerly waiting for his story. In the first book Nick is the grumpy bear who always seems stressed, and Matt was shown as the fun-loving one that never lets anything get to him.  In this book, we see that isn't really the case and he hides his emotions well.  I have to be honest, it took me a while to warm up to June. I, personally, wouldn't have been able to get past what she did to Matt, but I liked how everything was dealt with in the end, and they could each see the other's side of things.  I liked June's attitude in the first half of the book and how spunky she was, but in the second half of the book I felt she lost a lot of that.  

I don't think I loved this one quite as much as the first book in the series, but I still liked it a lot.  I thought this one was a lot more angsty than the first one, so that may be why I didn't love it as much.  A big portion on the second half of the book is Matt dealing with his anger and hurt over what June did to him.  He values honesty and he had to decide if he could trust her again, or if he could even let go of the past. There were a couple other issues I had with this one but they are really spoiler-y so don't read past this point if you don't want to know!!!  SPOILER! I didn't love that April getting hurt is what brought them back together, and I REALLY didn't enjoy the amnesia trope.  I feel like that's so overdone and way to "convenient". END SPOILER. All of that being said, I did end up enjoying this one, angst and all. lol!


*I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *

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Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post

Saturday, June 24, 2017

I am linking up again this weekend with Tynga at Tynga's Reviews for Stacking the Shelves and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer for Sunday Post to share all of the books I picked up lately, share my posts for the past week, and also share what's coming up soon! 

For Review:

Freebies from Amazon:

Bought:
NONE

Life Lately:
I had REALLY bad migraines week this past week.  I had an ocular migraine on Father's Day, and ended up in bed for the rest of the day.  Monday I was migraine free, but after that I had a 3 day long migraine that didn't let up until Friday morning.  It was horrible.  I almost went to the ER for help with the pain.  I tried my 1st appointment with a chiropractor and massage therapist, and felt REALLY good afterwards.  I think I will try to keep a regular schedule with those types of appointments and see if it helps keep them away.  I have my piercing appointment later today so which me luck! lol!  I mentioned last week that I am getting a piercing in the cartilage of my ear (called a daith piercing) because a lot of people have said it helps migraines.  I'm willing to try anything at this point. lol!

I have A LOT of  catching up to do on my blog.  I barely got to do anything blog-wise since the migraines kicked my butt yet again.  

Oh on a random note, yesterday we had a tornado that touched down about 10 minutes from where I live!  I love watching storms but I don't think I want to be that close to a tornado.  We live in an area that tornadoes really aren't common at all.  We've been having such crazy weather lately.  I think the storms have been part of the reason that my migraines have been kicking my butt so bad.

Recently on my blog:
Wedding Favors by Anne Tenino - Review
Trusting You & Other Lies by Nicole Williams - Review
12 Series I've Been Meaning To Start But Haven't...Yet!
Waiting on Wendesday - Irresistible You by Kate Meader
Strays by Garrett Leigh - Review
Wired by Julie Garwood - Review
Hostile Ground by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov - Review
Dark & Dazzling by Elizabeth Varlet - Review

Coming up next on my blog:
Make Me Stay by Sidney Halston - Review
Best Books I've Read in 2017 so far
Mature Content by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell - Review
Chief's Mess by L.A. Witt - Review
Monthly Review
Oversight by Santino Hassell - Review

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What have you read lately?
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Review: Dark & Dazzling by Elizabeth Varlet

Friday, June 23, 2017

Title: Dark & Dazzling
Author: Elizabeth Varlet
Series: Sassy Boyz, #2
Genre: MM Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: November 7th 2016

Z doesn't need a hero…

Azariah "Z" Hayes is a diamond. Equal parts strength and sparkle, he's more than capable of standing on his own stilettos. So if waiting tables and stripping at The Vibe are what it takes to keep a roof over his head, well, there are worse ways to earn a living. 

Connelly is a white knight with a badge…

For NYPD detective Connelly Reid, to serve and protect is just another day at the office—even if that means protecting himself from his own true desires. He's been curious about Z, his waiter, for months, but it's not until he sees him in his makeup and heels that the curiosity becomes a fierce attraction. Z, despite all his over-the-top dazzle, might just be the man Connelly has been waiting for his entire life.

But when Connelly investigates underground porn and drug activity with ties to The Vibe, one thing becomes very clear—acting on what he knows is going to hurt Z, financially and emotionally. And though Connelly would love nothing more than to fix all of Z's problems, no amount of mind-blowing sex can make Z comfortable becoming dependent on his lover. Yet if there's one thing Connelly knows from his years on the force, it's this: when things go bad, you need a trusted partner to have your back.



This actually the second book of the Sassy Boyz series, but I accidentally read them out of order...oops!! Lucky for me, these books can be read as standalones so I didn't feel lost at all. It did make me really excited to read Ansel's story tho!

Connelly often goes into the diner where Azariah works because he can't keep his eyes off of him and he intrigues him, but it isn't until he finally sees Azariah fully decked out in his makeup and heels that he makes his move. He keeps telling himself that he shouldn't start anything with him but every time he sees him the pull of attraction gets harder to resist. Azariah's roommate bailed on him, making him short on the rent so he pushes himself harder and takes on more shifts at the diner. Things seem to be going well until he hurts himself practicing for one of his new dance numbers, making it impossible for him to dance or continue waiting tables, so he falls farther behind on rent and bills. He makes a serious of bad (and frustrating) decisions and he pushes Connelly away. Connelly has a bit of a hero complex and Azariah does not want to be treated like a damsel in distress. They both have to learn to trust and talk to each other.

Azariah, or Z (his nickname), is feisty and full of attitude. He makes no excuses or apologies for the way he is, and I love that. Z is fiercely independent and doesn't know how to OR want to accept help from others. I loved his sassy remarks, and I had to smile every time he used his nickname for Connelly (Hot Fudge). 

Connelly has your typical knight in shining armor complex. Every time his sister calls and is in a jam, he rushes to her rescue. He was also guilty of doing the same thing in all of his past relationships. He's a fixer. I thought he was super sweet even when he was being a bit of a bonehead at times. lol! When he set his mind to winning Z over, he was determined and refused to give up. He said the sweetest things...even though Z didn't know how to take his compliments. He was a giant sweetheart.

There were a couple moments in their story that had me cringing and I didn't love some of the things that happened, but that's more of just a hangup of mine, I guess. I still enjoyed MOST of their love story. I'm excited to go back and read the first one in the series, since I'm a dummy and read the wrong one first. lol!

*I received a free cooy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *
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Quickie Review: Wired by Julie Garwood

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Title: Wired
Author: Julie Garwood
Series: Buchanan-Renard, #13
Genre: M/F Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: July 4th 2017


Allison Trent doesn’t look like a hacker. In fact, when she’s not in college working on her degree, she models on the side. But behind her gorgeous face is a brilliant mind for computers and her real love is writing—and hacking—code. Her dream is to write a new security program that could revolutionize the tech industry.

Hotshot FBI agent Liam Scott has a problem: a leak deep within his own department. He needs the skills of a top-notch hacker to work on a highly sensitive project: to secretly break into the FBI servers and find out who the traitor is. But he can’t use one of his own. He finds the perfect candidate in Allison. Only, there’s one problem—she wants nothing to do with his job and turns him down flat. 

What Liam doesn’t know is that Allison is hiding secrets that she doesn’t want the FBI to uncover. But Liam will do nearly anything to persuade her to join his team, even break a few rules if that’s what it takes. A temptation that could put his job—and both of their futures—on the line…
and longing for more . . .



 This is the first book from Julie Garwood that I've gotten a chance to read.  I've seen her books everywhere and wanted to give one a chance.  Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.  I really thought this sounded like my type of book.  Computer hacker and FBI agent, what's not to love, right?!  Not so much.  Wired is the 13th book in the Buchanan-Renard series, but all books can be read as standalones.

The two biggest issues I had with this one was the plot and the romance, so that pretty much ruined the story for me. Because this is a book involving an FBI agent and hacker combo, I really expected more suspense.  Allison hacking for the FBI felt REALLY anticlimactic.  I also felt no chemistry between either of the MCs.  It was really strange.

I didn't love that Allison had that "special snowflake" quality about her either.  She's apparently the most gorgeous person EVER.  We repeatedly hear how gorgeous she is and how everyone can't help but stare.  Oh and she's also a model part time.  Then there's also the fact that without any proper training at all, she is a better hacker then anyone else in the FBI...you know, the guys that actually HAVE been trained.  She's just way too perfect!

* I received an ARC of this title via First to Read and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. *

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Review: Hostile Ground by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Title: Hostile Ground
Authors: L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov
Genre: MM Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publication Date: May 12th 2014

After the deaths of three undercover cops investigating a drug ring in a seedy strip club in Seattle, Detective Mahir Hussain has been sent to finish the job. He joins the club's security team in the hopes of finding enough evidence to bust the operation before the men in charge find a reason to put him in a shallow grave.

To protect the strippers, only gay men can work the club. Ridley, the cold and intimidating head of security, knows exactly how to test potential new hires-including Mahir. From the minute they meet, Mahir and Ridley engage in a dangerous dance of sex and mind games. Mahir needs to find his evidence before Ridley figures out he's a cop-and before they both grow too close to betray one another.

As the game goes on, Mahir burrows deeper into the operation, where he learns there's much more happening than meets the eye . . . and why every cop who made it this far has been silenced with a bullet.



Mahir Hussain is a cop that is tasked with being sent undercover inside a possible drug dealer's strip club to investigate the deaths of three other undercover cops before him, and to get more more information on the illegal activity going on in the club.  The first day there, he isn't expecting to find himself instantly attracted to a dangerous man who happens to be head of security of the strip club/operation.   Mahir is warned that David Ridley is a stone cold killer and to keep his distance. Mahir has been told that Ridley is second in command to Lombardi and is the one who pulls the trigger on traitors.  Despite the warnings, they both can't help but act on their attraction to one another.  As if Mahir doesn't have enough on his plate, his nephew has run away from home and decided that he's going to stay with him until things calm down at home.  Mahir now has to juggle his attraction to Ridley, worry about his nephew, and he has no idea who he can really trust.

What I liked:
I loved the diversity of the characters. Mahir is a gay, practicing-Muslim character. I've never read a mm romance with a Muslim main character.

If I'm being honest, the I really loved the steamy scenes!  I love the dirty talk and power plays between the two of them.  They had some sizzling chemistry.  There was an added danger element since they didn't trust each other.

I also really loved how gradual the feelings built between the two of them.  At first all they had was a ton of chemistry and some rough sex but then they started having more tender moments, and I loved that.  They both had to worry about pretending to be someone else and it was nice to see them break character sometimes and show their vulnerabilities.

What I didn't like:
There were some pretty unbelievable moments in this one, and some pretty significant plot holes.

I also thought most of the suspense of the story was really predictable.  I like to be at least a little surprised, and I wasn't really at all with this one, so that disappointed me.

I don't want to give too much away with this one, but there is something that happens involving Mahir's nephew that really rubbed me the wrong way.  I didn't like the way that was handled at all, and it felt really unrealistic to me.


I've read a lot of L.A. Witt's books, and I will definitely keep reading just about every book she puts out.  I can't keep myself way. lol!  This one was co-written with Aleksandr Voinov, and I'm new to his books but I may have to check out some of his other books in the future after reading this one.  The beginning part of this story was my favorite, but as the story went on I felt like there were just more and more plot holes and it bothered me.  While I didn't absolutely love this one, I guess I still found it pretty entertaining at times.  It had great potential.

* I received a free copy of this title via Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  *


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Review: Strays by Garrett Leigh

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Title: Strays
Author: Garrett Leigh
Series: Urban Soul, #2
Genre: MM Romance
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publication Date: March 25th 2017

Work, sleep, work, repeat. Nero’s lonely life suits him just fine until his best friend, Cass, asks him to take on a new apprentice—a beautiful young man who’s never set foot in a professional kitchen. Despite his irritation and his lifelong ability to shut the world out, Nero is mesmerised by the vibrant stray, especially when he learns what drove him to seek sanctuary on Nero’s battered old couch.

Lenny Mitchell is living under a cloud of fear. Pursued by a stalker, he has nowhere left to run until Nero offers him a port in a storm—a job at the hottest restaurant in Shepherd's Bush. Kitchen life proves heady and addictive, and it’s not long before he finds himself falling hard and fast for the man who has taken him in.

Fast-forward a month and a neither man can imagine life without the other, but one thing stands in their way: a lifetime of horrors Nero can’t bring himself to share with Lenny. Or can he? For the first time ever, happiness is there for the taking, and Nero must learn to embrace it before fate steps in and rips it away.



Strays is the second book of the Urban Soul series, but each book can be read as a standalone.  I did not read the first book in the series before reading this one and I didn't feel as if I was lost at any time.  It did make me a little curious about the previous couple tho.  There relationship is a M/M/M romance, and all three of them are also in this story as secondary characters.  This is only the second book by Garrett Leigh that I've gotten to read and I hope to read more soon.  I do have to admit that I think I enjoyed the last book of hers just a little more than this one.

Things that I liked:
This story starts being told from Lenny's point of view, but it switches between both main characters.  I like stories that give both MCs perspective because it gives a better idea of what's going on in their heads.

Lenny.  I loved that Lenny was just who he was and that's all there was to it.  He liked bright clothing, eyeliner, pink hair, and glitter but it was never a overly talked about subject.  I feel like a lot of the time, that's made in to a huge deal in MM romance.  I also really loved his personality.

I loved the sweet moments between the two main characters.  Nero is a very closed off person and hides behind his grumpy attitude, but Lenny is able to eventually able to break down his walls.

Things that I didn't love as much:
I thought the story felt really drawn out at times and like there were some slow moments.  It probably could have ended a couple times before the true end.

I found it really hard to connect to Nero.  Normally I really love the broody, gruff types but he was really hard to figure out and came off emotionless a lot...except for his anger issues.

I wanted Nero to open up a little more emotionally.  I will say that he does a bit, but I wanted him to show it a little earlier.  It wasn't until the very end that he got really affectionate.


While I had a few little issues with this one, I still ended up enjoying it and I definitely want to read more by Garrett Leigh in the future.

*  Thank you to Riptide Publishing for giving me a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. *

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Waiting on Wednesday

Wednesday, June 21, 2017


Waiting on Wednesday is a meme where we have the opportunity to let others know about books that we are eagerly waiting for.

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Irresistible You
Author: Kate Meader
Series: Chicago Rebels, #1
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Pocket Star

Releases On: August 14th, 2017!

Harper Chase has just become the most powerful woman in the NHL after the death of her father Clifford Chase, maverick owner of the Chicago Rebels. But the team is a hot mess—underfunded, overweight, and close to tapping out of the league. Hell-bent on turning the luckless franchise around, Harper won’t let anything stand in her way. Not her gender, not her sisters, and especially not a veteran player with an attitude problem and a smoldering gaze designed to melt her ice-compacted defenses.

Veteran center Remy “Jinx” DuPre is on the downside of a career that’s seen him win big sponsorships, fans’ hearts, and more than a few notches on his stick. Only one goal has eluded him: the Stanley Cup. Sure, he’s been labeled as the unluckiest guy in the league, but with his recent streak of good play, he knows this is his year. So why the hell is he being shunted off to a failing hockey franchise run by a ball-buster in heels? And is she seriously expecting him to lead her band of misfit losers to a coveted spot in the playoffs?

He’d have a better chance of leading Harper on a merry skate to his bed…


Why I'm waiting: I decided to mix things up a little this week and go with a romance because I LOVE Kate Meader!  She writes a great steamy romance.  This one is the first book in her brand new series, "Chicago Rebels", and I'm sure I will be reading each and every one of them. lol!  I also really love hockey romances.


What books are you waiting for?

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