The Novel Approach Reviews

I keep being caught off guard when an author or artist or musician shows that they possess talent in a different area of the arts. It shouldn’t surprise me anymore. Yet, it still does. I am often gobsmacked by the amount of talent a particular individual has. I have a friend who is an author, does amazing graphic stuff (I know that’s not the right word!) for his own book covers and blog banners. He writes songs: lyrics and music, then records those songs. So much talent packed into one soul! And it still surprises me when I come across it. I know a dozen talented authors right off the top of my head who are also incredible artists, or geniuses with yarn or amazing photographers.

That’s why this wonderful little book was such a pleasant surprise to me. I have been reading Thorny’s blog for years, so I know he knows how to tell a story well. But relating an incident in your life in a highly amusing or heartfelt way is different than creating characters from nothing and telling their story just as amusingly, heartfelt, warmly, sexily and as alive as a blog about your life.

I’ve known Thorny was writing a book. I have followed its progress with the rest of you. I have seen the photo that served as inspiration for Al and Duke’s story. I have watched Thorny’s creative process while he did the cover art for Splinters. I honestly didn’t expect much. I don’t mean to hurt anyone by that. There are a lot of people who think they can write a book and they really (!) can’t. That is so not the case with Thorny Sterling and Splinters.

The mystery part of the story, which plays second fiddle to the romance, is such an original concept. I felt completely torn by the person who was Allan’s tormentor. I could really understand why the person did what they did but was pissed that Al had been victimized.

If Al hadn’t been victimized, though, he never would have met Jazz (sorry, I mean Duke!). I don’t know Jazz, never seen him, but the way Thorny described Duke, the love I felt shimmering from the page, could only mean that Duke is a representation of Jazz. And we know Thorny has some unique wardrobe preferences which Al happens to share.
When I read how safe and warm and happy and loved Al felt when he was all wrapped up in his cowboy’s big hairy body, I could really feel those emotions with him. It made me a little envious in actuality. I wanted to be in those arms with that fur pressed against my back!! The way in which those feelings were made to feel so real indicates a level of talent that (again) surprised me. I think Thorny is an incredibly talented young man. I really want to read more of the things that go on in his brain.

As a reviewer, I have had mixed experiences with self-published books. Splinters is flawless. It is well written, mechanically perfect, terrifically edited. Most importantly, though, it is impassioned without being gushing. It is torrid without being sappy. It is red-hot without being graphic. It is eloquent but not overemotional. It is funny without being cartoonish. Mr. Sterling has hit all the right notes with this, his first book.

Yeah, there was almost insta-love, of which I’m not a huge fan. But I am a fan of Al and Duke. From the moment they laid eyes on each other, the air surrounding them was incandescent with passion and desire. I wanted insta-love for them. The author wrote their desire and need for each other so well that I couldn’t help but want to see it come to fruition. This is an outstanding start to what I hope will be a long and prolific career as an author. I heartily recommend Splinters to anyone who likes a good, old-fashioned love story.

A prince is held captive by his own promise. Left to an endless life of use and abuse after having been lured away from all of his family by the promise of love and care, Morgan is now trapped inside the hell of his own making in many ways. But his Mother cannot rest until she finds the elusive “hero” that can love her son enough to rescue him from his captor. In an alternate reality where a prince is actually the very building that holds him captive and evil walks among humans without detection, our hero goes blithely unaware to his construction job each day, passing what appears to be an empty lot.

Hal has left his home in Kansas to come to California in the hopes of escaping the guilt and shame he feels about his being gay. In fact, he can barely acknowledge to himself that he likes men, and the idea of following through and actually being with a man leaves him terrified and wracked with misery. Then he sees a building where there should be none, and in its window a man, a beautiful man who looks so terribly lost and sad—just like himself. After a bewildering encounter with that man where Hal must finally come to grips with whether he will remain locked in his own closet or become the man he was meant to be, our hero sets off to rescue his prince. But how can one man show another that inside each of us lies a hero waiting to save the day?

Heidi Cullinan gives us a unique world where shape shifters take on a whole new meaning. The idea that Morgan is, in essence, able to be both male or female and also erect rooms and entire buildings around himself is at times breathtaking and also baffling. What makes her characters, both Hal and Morgan so raw and shatteringly real, however, is their pain and sorrow. The author explores the thought that our own disbelief in ourselves binds us to an almost half-life existence where we are mired down in our self-loathing and despair. Both Hal and Morgan have little faith in themselves. It is this that allows the evil and manipulative character, Eagen, to use Morgan so cruelly and nearly prevent Hal from understanding that his love for Morgan can make him strong enough to rescue the prince.

Their story and journey is really what makes this novel shine. Both Hal and Morgan deserve a happy ending, and that hangs in the balance until the very end. Layered with a action packed rescue and multiple moments where sex is performed for the pleasure of a jeering crowd, this story is a fast read that keeps you glued to the page until its final moments. The problem that arises in this story has little to do with the burgeoning relationship between Hal and Morgan and more to do with what exactly Morgan is. I found myself never fully understanding how he could be a, well, a building of sorts. I couldn’t quite understand what type of creature Morgan actually appeared to be, and that continually nagged at me, sometimes drawing me away from the story. I felt as though that portion of the story was left unfinished and since it was pretty vital to understand exactly what Morgan was, as it affected Hal so dramatically, I felt the lack of explanation to be a fairly serious flaw.

However, Heidi Cullinan’s Hero was still an exceptionally compelling and beautiful love story. The change that takes place in both Hal and Morgan was nothing short of breathtaking and left one with a restored belief that heroes do indeed walk among us; and may, in fact, be inside each of us.

I am normally not a huge fan of historical books, but I found that I really liked this story, and may have even found a tiny bit of love for historical romance stories that I wasn’t aware I had deep down inside.

The story begins with Joshua Endersley breaking off his engagement to a less than sane young lady. Between an angry father and flying vases, Joshua decides he might be better off out in the countryside with his Uncle.

After claiming his inheritance Joshua finds himself loving the simplicity of country living and settles in quickly. He couldn’t have asked for a better place to avoid the temptations of the male brothels in London. Each time he sated himself, he would feel guilty for days after, and that was no way for him to live.

The arrival of an artist, Daniel Wyndham, puts temptation right back to the forefront for Joshua, and it seems the attraction is mutual. While Daniel is in residence to complete the commission he has taken to paint Joshua’s house, the two men try to put their attraction aside. Eventually they can’t fight it any longer, and they begin a fairly torrid affair.

Due to the unfortunate circumstances of the time they live in, they obviously can’t live out in the open. To keep up appearances Daniel chooses to leave, traveling and taking on more commissions, and Joshua goes to London to see him as often as he can. Both of them hate being separated, but they can’t find a way to be together and not end up in prison.

When Joshua’s ex-fiance’s brother takes an interest in them, and tragedies begin to happen around them, they don’t know who to trust except for one another. When the tragedies start to happen at Endersley, and a surprise visitor brings with him the identity of their enemy, they have to fight the final battle for their lives on home turf. Hopefully Daniel, Joshua, and their friends will be able to survive.

I think this book worked for me because it was written so well. I fell in love with Daniel and Joshua from the very beginning. These two men loved one another, and they would do anything they could to be together, no matter the consequences. I haven’t read the first book in the series, which is Joshua’s Uncle’s book, but I believe I will have to go and buy that one next. S.A. Meade has a wonderfully descriptive writing style, and I truly felt like I was right there at Endersley with these characters. I don’t know who the MCs will be in the next book of the series, but I will surely be picking it up. I would highly recommend you give this one a read.

4.5 Stars

Harper Fox delivers another thoroughly embraceable taste of the metaphysical in Tinsel Fish, the continuation of the increasingly strange occurrences in the romance of medium Lee Tyack and his constable lover, Gideon Frayne.

Where the danger in Once Upon a Haunted Moor came from without, in Tinsel Fish it comes from within when Lee is attacked by a dark and dangerous spirit lurking in a home with much to hide, and while I don’t think the sense of evil and danger necessarily eclipsed or even matched the goose bump inducing fun of Haunted Moor, I did find these two books tantalizingly twitch inducing in different ways—Haunted Moor is the scary story told by the village crone to keep small children close to hearth and home; Tinsel Fish is the story told by an author who enjoys a bit of the macabre, a bit of murder mystery, and has just so happened to set her stories during times of the year when, perhaps, the veil between this world and the other is at its thinnest.

The introduction of Gideon’s brother Ezekiel in this installment was a great bit of dynamic tension between the three men, and while I expected to loathe him (point of reference: he’s a minister of the rather traditional sort), Ezekiel turned out to be a rather decent seeming guy, albeit grudgingly so, as he becomes integral to the investigation into what it is that’s haunting Lee. I find myself hoping that he, Ezekiel, will show up again in the next two books, if for no other reason than to see if he’ll play to stereotype or if he’ll put his prejudices aside and simply be Gideon’s brother. Ms. Fox plays their connection out perfectly, not offering immediate solutions, nor giving me a solid and inarguable reason to like Ezekiel, but not shutting things down between the brothers either, which added an emotional sub-text to the plot.

Harper Fox is taking her time with Lee and Gideon’s relationship, allowing them to build upon their mutual attraction, their fears, their uncertainties in a way that fits perfectly with what we know about them and their past relationships. It’s a lovely thing watching Gideon become more comfortable with his feelings for Lee, coming out from under the teachings of his father’s religious prejudice and publicly acknowledging the affection he feels for the man who is becoming his partner in every way, and I’m anxious to see where the author will take them, and us, next. Wherever it is, there’s sure to be more adrenaline pumping, mind freaking moments to love.

When I read the first book in this series, I just adored Aiden and felt so bad for him when he was beaten up, so I was thrilled when I found out the second book of the series was going to be Aiden’s story. Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Aiden and Connor, but we all kind of expect that, don’t we?

When Aiden set out to climb up to Hiji Falls, it isn’t for sightseeing and it definitely wasn’t him looking to hook up. Aiden was trying to set up a cover story for the beating he took at an off-base gay club. Even with DADT a thing of the past, being gay and out can still tank a career if you aren’t careful. Even the best laid plans can go awry, however, when you are faced with a gorgeous man in a beautiful setting.

When Aiden reaches the falls and sees Connor swimming, he is so attracted to the young man he almost forgets all about why he was up there in the first place. Aiden and Connor start with a dinner date and over time, they find themselves in an honest to goodness, head-over-heels love affair. The only thing that could derail their happiness ends up banging on Aiden’s door one night and putting the two men in a very uncomfortable predicament.

Aiden’s commanding officer is at the door, and it turns out he is also Connor’s overprotective father. Connor and Aiden are forced to make a decision: do they defy Connor’s father and continue to explore their relationship, or do they buckle under his demands?

I absolutely loved this second story in the series. Ms. Witt has done a fabulous job with the scenery and the customs of the island. I lived in Japan for two years myself, and reading this book brought back all kinds of great memories. The military aspects of the book were spot on, and that is always a win in my opinion.

What I liked best about this book was the fact that when these two men made a decision, they stuck with it, and had a “damn the consequences” attitude about it. They stuck to their guns and that makes all the difference sometimes.

It was wonderful to see the guys from the first book again and to get to see them still together and happy. I hope there will be another book in this series. I will be sure to snatch that one up quickly. If you like to read about military guys and know that you are getting a real representation of the lives they lead, then you cannot go wrong with either of the books in this series. I would highly recommend this title and any others Ms. Witt gives us in this universe.

I haven’t read this author before. After reading the blurb I was really excited to read this one. I really can’t pass up a private investigator story, ever.

I really loved the style in which the author chose to tell this story. The memory about his father’s death was told in third person by the main character. It was very well executed and gives the readers a little background of what drives the main character to do what he does. The rest of the story is told from Jimmy’s POV; he’s definitely never gotten over the loss of his father.

The pacing of this story flows very easy, never a dull moment. We follow Jimmy as he wraps up one investigation and begins a new one. I loved how the author makes you think you know what’s going on, but you really don’t. Cleverly done. As to not give many spoilers away, this new case is pretty cut and dry, but some incidents occur that made me scratch my head and wonder what the hell was going on and who was behind it all. A few times I thought I had it all figured out and knew who the bad guy was, but something always happened that threw my theory right out the window. I love how the author keeps the reader in the dark until the very end.

As for the romance, yes, there is a love interest, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. I was okay with that. Being inside Jimmy’s head we know his first love is his job. He’s not quite over a past relationship, he’s just not ready to give a hundred percent. We see a good candidate for a boyfriend come and go during the course of the book. We also see a new potential lover come into play, but again, we don’t see any development between them. I’m fine with that but other readers who want that HEA, or even a HFN, will be disappointed. It just didn’t happen here.

The secondary characters were a big part of this story and a big part of Jimmy’s life, from his sisters and mother, to his father’s old friends, to the new people he encounters while working his cases. I felt each and every one of these characters play a significant role in Jimmy’s life and well being. They definitely added spark and intrigue to the storyline.

Overall, I really liked this story. I enjoyed getting to know Jimmy as well as some of the other characters here. I’m hoping the author plans on more Jimmy McSwain books. I would love to revisit Jimmy and follow along with the investigations and, hopefully, see him find his HEA.

Men in Uniform is a collection of stories about, you guessed it, men in uniform. From the sexy UPS guy to a Windsor guard, this little collection will surely satisfy anyone with a little kink for a man in uniform. I know I was satisfied, and I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem. I was very impressed with the quality of the writing and storytelling, and these morsels of uniformed sexiness left me wanting more!

The stories in Men in Uniform run the gamut of delivery man reconnecting with lost love, a stripper realizing his cop fantasy will be his reality, and a geek snagging the hottest UPS man around. All these stories were fun, engaging and most of all, HOT! All your fantasies come to life. But the one that got to me was Seven Steps to Heaven by Emily Moreton. The story’s about a stripper, Steve, who finds a dead body outside the club where he works, and Cameron, the cop, who first arrives on the scene. The story is told in seven parts, and those parts add up to one entertaining tale. There is an immediate attraction, and the fun is in watching it unfold. My favorite scene was when Cameron came to the club to watch Steve dance. It was very cute and sexy!

I just could not get enough of Steve and Cameron. Cameron as your typical Alpha male, all hard, possessive and sexy, and Steve was your sex on legs stripper. When you put these two archetypes together, and the author knows exactly how to write them, sparks fly! What else can you ask for? The sexual chemistry was off the charts and over time, they developed a deeper connection. But I was a bit disappointed with the ending because the story just…ended! Don’t worry, it was happy, but I wanted to know what happened the next day. I wanted more! And I would definitely read a full length novel. ::Hint Hint::

Men in Uniform has something for everyone, perfect read on a rainy afternoon or lounging by the pool.

4.5 Stars

There’s nothing better than a good spooky story to get the brain juices going and the adrenaline flowing, and as far as spooks and stories go, Harper Fox’s Once Upon a Haunted Moor is a really good one.

The setting of this book is the perfect place for a legendary beast to reside, Halloween the perfect time for bogeymen to lurk in the shadows. The Beast of Bodmin Moor is alleged to haunt the fog shrouded and craggy hills above the village of Dark, where Constable Gideon Frayne is working a case that has haunted him day and night for a fortnight now. A child has disappeared from Dark without a trace, and Gideon is at wit’s end to find little Lorna Kemp and bring her home. Or, at least to give her mother closure. The first thing Harper Fox does so well right from the outset of this novella is draw the reader into the legend of the beast by supplying an atmospheric and ethereal sense of place. The second thing she does well is leave more questions than answers about the legend—is it merely a folktale handed down from generation to generation, or is there something that lurks in the mist, waiting to claim its next victim? The best part of any ghost story is that which can’t be proved and that which can’t be disproved, and the author balances belief with skepticism perfectly.

Never has the phrase desperate times call for desperate measures applied more so than in this case, and never has it been applied more appropriately than when psychic Lee Tyack shows up in the village to offer his particular talents to the investigation, though Gideon has a difficult time admitting he’s grown quite desperate enough to employ a charlatan to unravel this clue deprived crime. Circumstance, fear, and need throw these two men together, but it’s a little bit of loneliness and a lot of attraction between them that ignites their budding romance, then dials up the tension when Lee, too, disappears. Harper Fox is playing this relationship out, thank goodness, resisting the insta-love temptation, for which I am truly grateful, but before I can say I’m invested in this one, I need to see these two men together outside of them working a case. The potential is there, no doubt, but there’s not quite enough there yet to support my own insta-love for them. I’m sure that’s being saved for the books to come, however, and I’ll be reading each and every one of them to be sure.

Once Upon a Haunted Moor is a bit of a cat-and-mouse story—the reader is given a pretty significant clue to the kidnapper’s identity before enough evidence comes together for Gideon to make a case, or at least before he’s willing to believe what he sees. When the chase gets underway in a race-against-the-clock rescue, as well as to apprehend the culprit, the tension hits just the right pitch to once again mix reality with legend, which all leads to this book’s happy for now ending and the promise that Gideon and Lee working together is sure to bring more supernatural suspense, and more romance too.

The blurb for this book caught my eye the second I read it, and I was so looking forward to reading it. I loved the idea of more mature MCs than we normally get in M/M romance. Unfortunately, the book fell a little short of my expectations.

The prologue introduced us to Douglas “King” Fisher. He was definitely a different kind of guy than most in his day. He had a definite sense of right and wrong that was taught to him by his father. He and his friends started a group of “Knights” at his school, dedicated to protecting the kids who were directly in the bullies’ crosshairs. On graduation day he saved one last kid, one last time, and this save would set something in motion that King wouldn’t find out about until almost 40 years later.

While trying to perform another act of bravery the summer he graduated, King inadvertently tanked his chances at the future he dreamed of outside the small town he desperately wanted to leave behind. When King has to give up his dreams, he ends up settling. This leaves him feeling like a failure, even if no one else sees him that way.

One other thing he couldn’t do was come out. At least, that was the way he saw it. He figured, as most young men do, that the people in the small town where he lived wouldn’t accept him if he was true to himself, so he lived a pretty solitary life and the only thing he had was his unrelenting fandom of Rex Rodman. Rex was an action hero from the 80′s, who went from superhero to super zero when he came out. King always thought the man was a hero, especially after he came out, because he did something that King could never do. He believed that it showed amazing amounts of integrity to risk everything to be honest about who he was and who he loved.

So here sits King, forty years later, in the small town that he only ever wanted to leave behind. He still feels that he has let down the memory of his father by not making more of his life. It seems most of the town doesn’t agree, though, and the surprise they have in store for him makes that more than clear. It seems he has touched most of these people’s hearts, and he didn’t even know it.

Their surprise also brought one more thing into King’s life, and this was the biggest surprise of his life. Now his surprise has to give the performance of a lifetime to get King to see himself the way everyone else does so both of them can finally have what they have wanted for decades.

I loved the premise of this book, but for some reason the delivery just left me wanting. Most of the “getting to know you” portion of the book was King’s internal dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, King had a great internal voice, but I would have loved to have experienced him interacting with the people in town more instead of only hearing about it through his inner monologues. I also felt the ending was a tad farfetched and a bit abrupt. This was definitely a HFN ending, and I guess I was just hoping to get to see more of a HEA for two people who had been waiting for one another for so many years.

Even though this book was not a hit for me that doesn’t mean it may not be for someone else. The book was well written and the characters I actually got to know were entertaining, so I would recommend giving it a try.

Did Mary Calmes just write two characters that some readers may love even MORE than Sam Kage and Jory Harcourt?? Is that what just happened?? I mean…I just read this amazing book, and it feels like that’s what happened. I have a deep affection for all things Mary Calmes. Frog was one of my first M/M books, and I adore it still. I will never stop trying to talk Mary into writing more of Nate and Dreo. And, of course there is the A Matter of Time series; who doesn’t love Sam and Jory? But, Ian and Miro may have taken the spot at the top of my faves list.

Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are the sexiest, swooniest, most bad-ass US Marshalls in the history of forever. They are constantly in peril – Ian getting so flustered every time Miro is in harm’s way is the greatest thing, I can’t even tell you – but, having been partners for 3 years, they can anticipate each other’s every move, and they always have each other’s back. But, what one of them is too afraid to admit, and the other is too oblivious to realize, is that they are also completely in love.

I can’t decide which of these guys I love more. Miro’s quiet calm totally works. He is great at his job, has some incredibly loyal and attentive friends – including Ian – and seems quite secure in his life, including knowing the true depth of his feelings for his partner, even if he thinks nothing can ever come of them. Ian, on the other hand, is adorably clueless about his feelings for Miro. But, beyond that, he is obviously comfortable in his own skin, is also very adept at both his job as a Marshall, and a Green Beret, and would do absolutely anything for Miro. The way Mary writes these guys is perfect. The banter, the friendship, the affection…their chemistry, both on and off the job is explosive, and the way they interact is just completely effortless.

The book is fast-paced and action-packed. The secondary characters bring a lot of color to the story, and we get quite a few glimpses of our beloved hard-ass, Sam Kage, as well as a few other fun cameos. I could even see several of the new players appearing in future Ian and Miro books (HINT, HINT). But, the highlight for me was being introduced to these two characters and falling in love with them. I feel like they both have really strong backstories that the author just started to touch on. It also took Ian quiiiiiite a while for his head to figure out what his heart was trying to tell him all along. When he finally got it…when he finally realized that the only person that could give him what he needed was Miro, it was full-on. But, I really think they have a LOT MORE STORY left to explore (Again…HINT, HINT). I could definitely see this as a series. (No-longer-even-slightly-subtle HINT). ;) In all seriousness, though, I adored this book. Go check it out, folks!!

3.5 Stars

Anywhere Tequila Flows is the 4th book in the Rags to Riches series. Sidney finally gets his book! After Sidney watches his best friends fall in love and either marry or move in with the love of their lives, he decides maybe it’s time to put his playboy status to rest. He is a smart, wealthy, and successful business man who has a reputation for being a indiscriminate playboy, but when asked the question, “Who do you see yourself spending the rest of your life with, a woman with children, or a man?” he decides a man and a very specific one: a tattooed, ex-con, ex-gang member bartender named Tito. Sidney has been attracted to Tito for over a year. His problem is that he is an employee. It never seems to bother him that Tito is an ex-con or that he comes from a completely different background. Tito’s bad boy image and fierce loyalty to his friends seems to hook, line, and sink Sidney immediately. Sidney finally gets the opportunity and the guts to make an advance on Tito, which he quickly accepts.

This is a novella that throws you into the mix at the first page. This book follows the template laid out in the Rags to Riches series, where a rich prince charming falls in love with someone who has lived a deprived, poor or painful life, and is finally seen for their personality and heart instead of being judge by their past. We are told of Sidney’s year old attraction to Tito at the beginning, and after the wedding, where Tito is the bartender, their lust for each other quickly escalates over the next few days. The main characters are endearing and you cannot help but fall in love with Tito and his love and loyalty for his friends, especially Linda/Larry, but the story is too short to fully complete the storylines developed by the author. There is insta-lust which turns into insta-love after a few dates. Tito shows a glimpse of doubt about the possibility of Sidney until Linda smacks him down and explains he deserves happiness more than anyone. There is a development from his past that attempts to destroy their future, but the author quickly resolves the issue with no repercussions.

If you like this series, the story falls right in line with the other three books. It is short and sweet with a HEA. It is good comfort reading for a Sunday afternoon. It would have been nice to have a more in-depth understanding of Sidney’s life, and also the situation involving the gang issue. It seemed to be glossed over and then next thing you know, there was an epilogue. I am a T.A. Chase devotee because her characters are easy to love. I do hope the she writes a story about Linda/Larry, because it would be wonderful to see her have a happy ending. Enjoy!

3.5 Stars

This story is another from Dreamspinner Press’s “Daily Dose – Mended” Anthology. I haven’t read anything by author Felicitas Ivey before, and as my first foray into this writer’s work, I found myself quite pleasantly surprised. This short story deals with many themes, and based on the prompt for this anthology, Ivey chose to deal with not only the physical scars of the character of Raph, but predominantly the unseen scars lurking beneath the surface of protagonist Marcus.

This was a hurt/comfort story, set in a vivid countryside in Vermont and with every word the author wrote, I found myself more and more lost in the imaginative descriptions of the isolated farm where the uncles resided. I loved the way the author used this setting to bring Marcus to some realization about what his life had been turned into at the hands of his abusive ex, Dan. The setting seemed to compliment the burgeoning attraction between Marcus and Raph perfectly, and it gave the story more feels by way of the lake and the unique decor of the home.

The love story that unfolded in this brief tale was a little hurried, and while it never promised such things as everlasting love, the story focused more on sexual release and the gift of letting go, so the sex between our two MCs was actually healing to the boy who had been broken as a result of a psychologically damaging union. The sex, however, seemed to dominate the back end of the story, and whilst everyone likes a good sex scene, it seemed to be overdone as far as narrative went. I feel in the words used to portray these scenes more story might have unfolded between the characters, making more of an impact on the final climactic scene.

One thing I did love was the crash course through brewing that the front end of the story offered. It was original and something I had not read before, so I enjoyed learning the tricks of the uncles’ trade right alongside Marcus. The home-grown country setting allowed for these images to be romanticized, and it lent the story an air of whimsy that captivated me. The bees however seemed a little misplaced in the story, as I was expecting them to be more than simply mentioned. The title was a throw-away title based on a single line of delirious dialogue, but that didn’t really damage the story much.

In comparison to other offerings from the “Mended” anthology, this one stood its ground nicely, and though I have read better from this series, I’ve certainly read a lot worse. This author shows great promise and I would strongly recommend, as I intend to, to look out for more from Ivey in both her past offerings and ones in the future. The story lent itself perfectly to the hurt/comfort theme of the anthology’s prompt and was not a disappointment to read. Had it been a bit longer and the sex scenes not overridden the back half of the story, I would have been whole heartedly impressed. As it stands, I liked it but did not fall in love alongside Marcus and Rafe. 3.5 stars to this cute and heartfelt tale from an author I’ll be looking out for.

4.5 Stars

Impractical Magic is a tie-in to Newton’s Laws of Attraction. I suggest that you read Newton’s first as part of the story blends into this book, although you won’t be lost if you decide to dive into this story first, which is what I did.

Fen Keene is feeling a little out of sorts on his summer break from teaching. His best friend Ben is off teaching an art class out of town. He is still hanging out with his friends Rory and Jeremy, but it’s just not the same without Ben. Until he meets the sexy fireman, Kevin, while at the pool one day. Kevin is just in town for the summer months, covering for his uncle at the firehouse. Even though he’s never acted on his attraction to men, Fen is so into Kevin he goes for it this time.

Fen’s relationship with his friends is a major part of his life outside of teaching, and it really defines him as a strong character. Add Kevin to Fen’s life and it makes him complete, even though they both start this out as a summer fling. Neither says they want a relationship, however it gradually morphs into that without their realizing it’s happened. And then Kevin goes back home, and they eventually have to acknowledge that they mean more to each other than just a summer fling. As with any relationship it takes them a while, and in that time things happen that may be a deal-breaker for moving forward.

Fen is just sweet, goofy, klutzy, and a-dork-ably cute. Kevin is more of the smoldering sexy, younger man still figuring out what he wants in life besides being a firefighter. What really made this an enjoyable story was because it wasn’t just sex between Fen and Kevin; they put effort into getting to know each other. They had dinner every night together, they’d watch movies or TV and just talk about things. Yes, they still had hot, sheet burning chemistry, too. (Yes, I went there!)

Where they a perfect couple? No, they weren’t; both had issues and even some stupidity to overcome. Fen had to deal with coming out to his friends and family, which anyone who’s gone through that knows it’s a big deal. Even when it goes okay, it still stresses you out. Both had to learn to speak up, listen, and yes, communicate their wants to each other. Why they never had the ‘what happens next’ conversation before Kevin left is a mystery.

The story is thoroughly enjoyable, even the things that Fen and Kevin had to work through to get to the conclusion of their story. M.J. O’Shea has always been an author I’ve enjoyed due to her characters and the realistic storylines. She creates some of the best slightly flawed, kind of nerdy/dorky, or even socially inept characters. This book hit all of the right funny, romantic, and sexy moments for this reviewer.

It is really a true delight when an author consistently puts forth incredible novellas that are so rich in detail and boast well defined characters who just capture your interest from the moment you meet them. I am speaking of author JL Merrow, of course, and her latest story Raising the Rent.

Nathan is a rent boy. In order to pay the rent and be able to take his qualifying levels for university, he has taken to the streets where he sells himself most nights for the money it will gain him. His life is hand to mouth and he manages to garner a few regular customers, one of which he calls “The Voice”. Every Thursday night like clockwork, the man with the golden voice shows up seeking Nathan’s attention. Imagine Nathan’s shock when the first day in class he hears the very same voice that spoke to him in the dark while he was on his knees, fumbling to pleasure the man. Yes, his Thursday night regular is none other than his new English professor. Each day in class, Nathan fantasizes about a better life, but a vicious physical attack leaves him helpless and hospitalized and shortly after, homeless and destitute. Will his Professor swoop in to save the day? Or will Nathan be left to find his own way in the dark once again?

I could say many things about this story. I could tell you that Nathan was so beautifully written, a struggling young adult who had lost his mother and suffered at the hands of an abusive stepfather. I could recount how his plight tugged at my heart, and how each time he refused to be pushed down and struggled to regain his footing I felt like cheering. I would add that the Professor, Stephen, was such a wounded soul who had aloof down pat, who so desperately needed to start living again. Then I could finally explain that all this wonderful character development, along with a strong, flowing storyline occurred in fewer than 90 pages of text. That, dear readers, is how you write an excellent short story. You take interesting people under extraordinary circumstances, throw in a dash of emotional upheaval, and you end up with a delicious romance that leaves you smiling and satisfied.

JL Merrow’s Raising The Rent is a gorgeous tale of two needy hearts finding one another in the dark. I highly recommend it to you!

Anyone who knows the story behind the story of A Heart for Robbie knows this is a novel that’s very close to JP Barnaby’s own heart, and reading this novel with the bias of a parent is heart-wrenching. Reading this novel with the objectivity of a reviewer is uplifting. Reading this novel simply as a human being, parent or not, is an emotional paradox. It’s an odd juxtaposition to look at a book from such divergent points of view, but it’s one of the things that makes A Heart for Robbie a beautiful experience—as a parent, I empathized with Julian Holmes and the agony he experiences throughout the journey to save his son; as a human being I felt so much compassion for Julian’s experience and the horrific possibility of losing a child, all the inadequacy and helplessness and anger and terror that goes along with it, especially the overwhelming guilt of knowing that another child must die in order for your child to live; as a reader I was elated the author was able to rewrite the ending she didn’t get in life, and give her characters all the joy and happiness that can be found when miracles happen. But that’s the true beauty of fiction, isn’t it, the ability to give a happy ending to the realities that aren’t always so benevolent or forgiving in real life?

The emotional contrast that works so well in A Heart for Robbie is the love story not only between a father and his son but also between Julian and Simon Phelps, the hospital’s insurance coordinator and a man who, for reasons of professional ethics, should’ve been off limits. Though Simon never denies his sexuality to himself—he’s fully accepted that he’s a gay man—he very much hides it from his co-workers, friends, family, and I have to confess that I worried a bit about how JP Barnaby would work that conflict into a story that was already so heavy with emotion, but the answer is that Julian and Simon falling in love was woven into the story perfectly, giving the plot the balance it needed between hope and heartache. When Simon finally meets Julian and the two men realize there’s a spark there, the fact that Julian is able to find happiness during one of the most terrifying ordeals any parent can face was the perfect contrast to Simon’s fear of coming out. When Simon is given the opportunity to put things into perspective, it was a moment that made me want to cheer for him.

A Heart for Robbie isn’t what I’d call a light summer read, but it is a story where light is found in a dark time. There are so many things that make this book highly recommendable: JP Barnaby makes certain that all the while she’s breaking your heart just a little, she’s also working hard to stitch it back together again, which is very much what she does for Julian. There is no angst for the sake of angst, but there is love for the sake of love, hope for the sake of hope, and happiness for the sake of a parent’s love for his child. There are tears and there are smiles, there are smiles through tears—Julian’s, Simon’s, and yes, maybe I shed a few myself, but there’s no better way to get to a happily ever after, as far as I’m concerned, than to feel my way to it one word at a time, and that’s what this book does.

3.5 Stars

I’m having mixed feelings about the narration of Coming Home. Even though Tom Vilot has a very pleasant, sexy voice worth listening to, it was the overall reading of the story that I had problems with. My impression, at times, was that he didn’t enjoy what he was reading very much, and it showed in the characters’ voices and the emotions he was to have been portraying. At times, Tom sounded very bored (drone-like) while narrating Coming Home, and to be honest, he almost put me to sleep while driving. Very dangerous!

I’m not giving up on Tom and would gladly give him another try, but I have to say that while I enjoyed reading Coming Home, it’s still a 4.5 Star book for me, sadly, the audio version did not meet my expectations and will not be a repeat experience.