Lis’ Review of Wild Magic by Poppy Dennison

Poppy Dennison

Wild Magic (Triad, #4)

Dreamspinner Press, September 25, 2013 | 108 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Joseph Anderson was heartbroken when his childhood best friend Dominick Levent moved away. Years later, Joseph is a successful real estate broker with good friends, an easy smile, and a stunning house. When he finds a dying mountain lion who miraculously shifts into Dominick’s sister, Joseph must find Dominick and reunite him with the two young sons she left behind.

Review of All In with the Duke by Ava March

Ava March

All In with the Duke (Gambling on Love #1)

Carina Press | November 11th 2013 | 81,000 words

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
London, 1822

Max Arrington, the Duke of Pelham, vows to never again let a handsome face blind him to a man's true intentions. But ten months of celibacy and lonely nights drive him to a decadent brothel, where a beautiful young man arouses his illicit passions as never before.

Review of Trace Evidence by Alexa Snow

Alexa Snow

Trace Evidence

Torquere Press | March 6, 2013 | 99 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Mitch is a police detective with a life that should be smooth sailing; unfortunately, his boyfriend is getting on his nerves, he has a murder to solve, and he has a mysterious stranger telling him details no one but the killer could know. Can Mitch make sense of the chaos before the killer chooses another victim?

Originally published in To Protect and Serve.

Review of Fearless by Tawny Weber

Tawny Weber

Fearless

Cosmo Red Hot Reads by Harlequin | September 15, 2013 | 150 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Promising career: check
Amazing apartment: check
The best of friends: check
Sex life: MIA

There’s just one thing missing from Gia Renyard’s life: sexual adventure. And the one man she’d like to have it with is her hot co-worker, Luke Monroe. If only company rules didn’t prohibit her from asking him out. So Gia comes up with a plan: make herself over into a fantasy seductress, follow Luke to a convention in Sin City, and have her way with him for one erotic weekend. The man will never even know who did him.

Review of Junk by Josephine Myles

Josephine Myles

Junk

Samhain Publishing | August 27, 2013 | 351 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Letting go is the first step to healing…or bringing it all crashing down.
When an avalanche of books cuts off access to his living room, university librarian Jasper Richardson can no longer ignore the truth. His ever-growing piles of books, magazines and newspapers can no longer be classified as a “collection”. It’s a hoard, and he needs professional help.

October M/M Releases I Look Forward To

I'm not sure what happened with September but it's October already. So, time for my monthly list of M/M releases. These titles caught my eye:

Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan | Goodreads

Review of Cake by Lauren Dane

Lauren Dane

Cake

Harlequin | September 15, 2013 | 85 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
She won’t be satisfied with just one bite...
Art student-slash-bike messenger Wren Davis pursues what she wants. And what she wants now is Gregori Ivanov, rock star of the Seattle art scene. With his tattoos, piercings and sensual sneer, Gregori is the ultimate bad boy. Wren’s gotten to know the man beneath the body art, too—and it only makes her crave him more.

Review of Whiskey and Wry by Rhys Ford

Rhys Ford

Whiskey and Wry (Sinners #2)

Dreamspinner Press | August 19, 2013 | 254 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
He was dead. And it was murder most foul. If erasing a man’s existence could even be called murder.
When Damien Mitchell wakes, he finds himself without a life or a name. The Montana asylum’s doctors tell him he’s delusional and his memories are all lies: he’s really Stephen Thompson, and he’d gone over the edge, obsessing about a rock star who died in a fiery crash. His chance to escape back to his own life comes when his prison burns, but a gunman is waiting for him, determined that neither Stephen Thompson nor Damien Mitchell will escape.

Review of Reburn by Anne Marsh

Anne Marsh

Reburn (The Hotshots #1)

Kensington Books | July 18, 2013

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Not every man knows how to put out a fire. Fewer know when to keep it burning. . .

He Battles The Flames. . .
Nobody messes with Sam Clayton--or his territory. The big bruising ranger is the last line of defense in forest infernos and he'll go up against anyone who gets in the way of putting them out. Even the FBI tracking a terrorist through the heart of a blaze. But when Sam discovers the agent is ex-lover Olivia Albert, saving himself will be more dangerous than any fire he's faced before. . .

Larissa’s Review of Haffling by Caleb James

Caleb James

Haffling

Dreamspinner Press, July 11, 2013 | 274 pages

Author’s Facebook | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title
All sixteen-year-old Alex Nevus wants is to be two years older and become his sister Alice’s legal guardian. That, and he’d like his first kiss, preferably with Jerod Haynes, the straight boy with the beautiful girlfriend and the perfect life. Sadly, wanting something and getting it are very different. Strapped with a mentally ill mother, Alex fears for his own sanity. Having a fairy on his shoulder only he can see doesn't help, and his mom's schizophrenia places him and Alice in constant jeopardy of being carted back into foster care.

Review of Making It Last by Ruthie Knox

Ruthie Knox

Making It Last (Camelot #4)

Loveswept | July 15, 2013

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone.
Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink.

September M/M Releases I Look Forward To

I'm home from Greece and one of the first things I did when I had an internet connection again was browsing for books! And I found some pretty awesome upcoming m/m releases for September (and some already released ones). Here's my wish list for this month:

Sept 1

Vacation Time & 10 Summer Reads

I'm on a vacation for the next couple of weeks and so is the blog!
I hope to be back with a new post in three weeks, on Monday the 9th. Until then I also take a break from the internet since we most likely won't have a connection in our rented house in Greece. Instead we have a private swimming pool. ;)

Of course I won't take a break from reading. I'm bringing tons of books, about which I hope to blog in a couple of weeks. Just a few examples of the books I plan to read are:

M/F

M/M

See you later!

Review of Bread, Salt and Wine by Dev Bentham

Dev Bentham

Bread, Salt and Wine (Tarnished Souls #4)

Loose Id | June 11, 2013

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. Now he's a troubled man. At thirty-eight he moves across the country to start a new life in Los Angeles, working as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant.

Review of Absolutely Eric by Erica Pike

Erica Pike

Absolutely Eric (Boston Boys #2)

MLR Press | May 11, 2012

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Eric Wesley is short and snazzy, hot and happy. Or that’s what he thought. After three years of living on the wild side he’s tired of being a playboy and wants to find love.
Eric, however, has never been in love before and doesn’t see that the guy who’s been gazing at him all summer might be Mr. Right. Boring-suit-guy Alexander Centauri isn’t only style-less and clumsy, but also terribly awkward. After a miserable date, Eric plants Alex on another guy’s lap and goes after Mr. Wrong…who looks so right.
When Eric realizes his mistake, it might be too late.

Review of The Winning Season by Alison Packard

Alison Packard

The Winning Season

Carina Press | July 15, 2013 | 241 pages, 95,000 words

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Kelly Maxwell has finally landed her dream job as publicist for the San Francisco Blaze. But the team's newest member, handsome bad boy catcher Matt Scanlon, is refusing every interview. She's got to get him to open up before the season ends, or she may not be back next year. And after everything she overcame to achieve her dream, Kelly's not about to let that happen.

Review of Safeword by A.J. Rose

A.J. Rose

Safeword (Power Exchange #2)

Voodoo Lily Press | June 1, 2013 | 110,000 words, 333 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Everywhere Detective Gavin DeGrassi looks he’s reminded of his attack by the Breath Play Killer. It’s in the house he lives in with his partner and Dom, Ben Haverson. It’s in the sympathetic yet pitying looks he receives from his fellow detectives when he returns to the force after a year-long hiatus. It’s in the suffocating coddling of his entire family, and the relentless reporter demanding an exclusive of his ordeal.

5 Questions For Author Josephine Myles

Today I’m very pleased and honored to have one of my favorite m/m authors as a guest, Josephine Myles! A collection of her short stories - Blooming Marvellous - has been released recently and later this month a new novel will come out at Samhain Publishing, called Junk. And I’m happy to have the opportunity to ask her a few questions about those, and other things related, like the UK Meet. So here are the 5 questions and answers!

Hi Janna, thanks for having me over today!

Welcome Jo, here we go! :) 

1) Your most recent release, Blooming Marvellous, is a self-pubbed anthology of m/m short stories. Is this your first self-published title? What can you tell us about self-publishing?

I’ve self-published a few short stories and anthologies before, as well as one novella, Boats in the Night, so I think I can now talk about this with a little bit of authority.

August M/M Releases I Look Forward To

It’s a hot summer here in the Netherlands! And what better way is there to spend those hot days reading hot romances, right? Here’s my list for this month’s most anticipated M/M romances:

Review of Dangerous Submission by Lori Toland

Lori Toland

Dangerous Submission (Dangerous Affairs #2)

Loose Id | April 23, 2013

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
British Agent Drake Steele never thought when he was hired on at the Serious Organised Crime Agency that his job would involve spanking a co-worker. But when the colleague is Lord Robbie Covington, the sexy red-headed computer hacker for SOCA and MI-6, Drake can't agree fast enough to pop Robbie's cherry and pull him into the sensual world of BDSM.

Series spotlighted: The Cole McGinnis Series by Rhys Ford

I've read the Cole McGinnis Series by Rhys Ford back to back; I started with the first of three books and I just couldn't stop reading until I finished the last one. Cole McGinnis stole my heart. He is the narrator of the books in this series and he's an ex-cop turned private investigator in Los Angeles. At the beginning of the first book he meets his (soon to be) lover Kim Jae-Min, when he is investigating the suicide of Jae-Min's cousin. All of Cole's investigations are, from the first book on, taking place in the midst of Korean culture. Jae is Korean and being gay in his culture is a big problem. This is a recurring theme in all the books. It's amazing how much these stories are drenched in Korean culture, without it being too overwhelming. I'm actually surprised at how much it fascinated me.

Review of Empty Net by Toni Aleo

Toni Aleo

Empty Net (Assassins #3)

Loveswept | April 23, 2013 (first published January 1st 2012) | 451 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Definition of an Empty Net: When a team pulls the goalie for an extra attacker, desperately seeking a goal.

Audrey Parker was in a horrible place.
She hated her job, her sister was getting married and moving out, but worst of all, she was in love with a total jerk. No matter what she did, every guy she met hurt her. All she wanted was her happily ever after. Her Prince Charming. Her Lucas Brooks! She didn’t know how to change her life but she knew she needed too.

Review of Bound For Keeps by S.E. Jakes

S.E. Jakes

Bound For Keeps (Men of Honor #5)

Samhain Publishing | February 19, 2013 | 222 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Since losing their beloved third to cancer, Keith Masters and Johnny Lou Reed haven’t thought about filling the void in their lives with anyone else. Until a stormy Christmas Eve, when a half-frozen, newly discharged Army Ranger shows up on their doorstep—with no memory of who he is or how he got there.

Double Review of Herbal Remedy by Megan Derr & Beach Remedy by Sasha L. Miller

Megan Derr

Herbal Remedy

Less Than Three Press, June 12, 2013 | 12,000 words

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Jordan is used to being the butt of every hedge witch joke, painfully aware he's a checklist of clichés, and long resigned to never being as successful as the more favored elemental witches. Then a prestigious magic firm puts out a call for hedge witches, and the chance to prove himself and become more than a joke is impossible to resist—even if he has to put aside all those things he loves for a little while. It's only temporary, the money is great, and it will all be worth it in the end.

Review of City Mouse by Amy Lane & Aleksandr Voinov

Amy Lane & Aleksandr Voinov

City Mouse (Country Mouse #2)

Riptide Publishing | May 18, 2013 | 160 pages

Amy Lane’s website | Aleksandr Voinov’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
A magical weekend, a breathless declaration, a happy ever after . . . Right?
Wrong.
When Malcolm Kavanagh took his first step toward emotional maturity by declaring his love to Owen Watson, that was just the first chapter in their story. Anyone who’s ever been in love knows that happy endings take a lot more work than that.

Larissa’s Review of Save the Date by Kate McMurray

Kate McMurray

Save the Date

Loose Id, June 4, 2013 | 126 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Tristan knows he and his ex-boyfriend Stuart were not meant to be, but that doesn't make the invitation to Stuart's wedding any less of a punch in the face. Tris decides that the only thing for it is to find a super hot date to prove to Stuart that he's moved on and is doing just fine, thanks.
The path to the altar is fraught with obstacles, however, and Tris has to deal with the wilds of online dating, wardrobe malfunctions, men who look like pirates, emotional baggage, grooms with cold feet, and sports team rivalries before he even gets to the wedding.

5 Contemporary Romances (M/F) That Recently Caught My Eye

I’ve been shuffling my reading genres more this year than I have been the last couple of years (when I mainly stuck to gay romance only). Now, I’m reading more literary fiction again – my old love, but I won’t bore you with those titles on this blog ;) – and also more romantic suspense, military romance and contemporary romance of the M/F variety. The past week a few of those types of titles popped up in my Goodreads and Twitter timelines, or jumped me in the face while browsing Netgalley’s catalogues. I thought I’d share 5 of them here, 5 titles that are all released in the first half of July.

Review of Never a Hero by Marie Sexton

Marie Sexton

Never a Hero (Tucker Springs #5)

Riptide Publishing | May 13, 2013 | 167 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Everyone deserves a hero.

Owen Meade is desperately in need of a hero. Raised by a mother who made him ashamed of his stutter, his sexual orientation, and his congenitally amputated arm, Owen lives like a hermit in his Tucker Springs apartment. But then hunky veterinarian Nick Reynolds moves in downstairs.

July M/M Releases I Look Forward To

The Summer months usually mean more time to read for me. So time to stock up my ereader for the beach! Here’s a few of the releases that are on my wish list this month:

The Broken Triangle (The Square Peg #2)

Davitt, Jane

Release date: Jul 02, 2013

Vin's a hot Goth, tattooed and pierced and the most popular bartender at the Square Peg. Want to date him or buy him a drink? Sorry. Vin's body is a temple and he's barely been kissed. His heart belongs to Riley, the guy he crushed on in high school and can't forget.
How about Vin's BFF Patrick? He'd let you buy him a drink and have your wicked way with him in the men's roo...more

Giveaway & Guest post - 'Damned If You Do' Virtual Book Tour

Hi there! I’m Sarah Frantz, and author JL Merrow has been kind enough to let me join her on the virtual book tour for her latest paranormal romance series Damned If You Do. I’ve decided to share a little bit about why we at Riptide are so excited to release this great collection, and how it all came to be. I’ve also come bearing gifts—one lucky commenter will walk away with $10 to spend at Riptide Publishing! Share your thoughts below by midnight on Friday, June 28th to enter.

Last year, Aleks Voinov, one of the co-owners of Riptide, came back from the UK GLBT Meetup with the news that JL Merrow might want to publish with us. I immediately said I’d knife fight anyone for the

Review of Velocity by Amelia C. Gormley

Amelia C. Gormley

Velocity (Impulse #3)

self-published | March 2, 2013 | 210 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
REACHING OPTIMUM SPEED

For Detroit handyman Derrick Chance and his lover, Gavin Hayes, the holiday season is filled with the promise of new beginnings. Gavin’s officially moving in, and after the New Year, they’ll begin house hunting. But they both know all the talk of gift exchange, whose holiday

Larissa's Review of Backwoods Asylum by Megan Derr

Megan Derr

Backwoods Asylum

Less Than Three Press, May 22, 2013 | 60 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Skylar is used to the way people think of him as frightening, mean, and dangerous. Snakes are not the most popular shifters around and the fact he grew up wild doesn't help. He knows the way he's chosen to live alone in the woods only makes things worse, but he didn't think it meant people thought him capable of killing a couple of wolf puppies.

Review of Power Exchange by A.J. Rose

A.J. Rose

Power Exchange (Power Exchange #1)

Voodoo Lily Press | September 15, 2012 | 270 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
From the moment Detective Gavin DeGrassi steps into the world of BDSM to solve the brutal slaying of Dom George Kaiser, his course is not his own. Mesmerized by the context in which the victim lived and the images of the lifestyle seared into his soul, Gavin must find a way to navigate these unknown waters.

I'm Back & This Month's Anticipated M/M Releases

Although I usually post my m/m wish list for the upcoming month on the first of that month and I'm 9 days late this time, here's still my (belated) list of anticipated m/m releases for June.
I wasn't able to post it sooner because I was on a trip with hubs. We traveled a lot, we toured through California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado en New Mexico where we visited many of the famous National Parks, like Bryce Canyon, Arches, Monument Valley and of course Grand Canyon. I don't need to say it was awesome, do I? :)
Anyhow, my list this month consists of only the book covers, titles, author names and release dates, since I don't have the time (on this late Sunday night) to look up the blurbs as well. *lazy me*

Lis’ Review of Skin Deep by Adrienne Wilder

Adrienne Wilder

Skin Deep (Gray Zone, #3)

Dreamspinner Press, July 9, 2012 | 290 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Taylor Simmons has everything he’s ever wanted: a decent job, a nice apartment, and Joey Martin, his perfect geek boyfriend. But all that is about to change.
First Joey gets sick. He’s feverish for days, starving for food. Finally a terrified Taylor calls EMS only to be told there’s nothing they can do. Joey’s body is changing, and he’s not going to be Human anymore. He’s a Lesser-Bred.
Suddenly Taylor, who has always taken care of Joey, can’t even begin to fulfill his needs. Joey needs to eat—to feed. And that means he needs a sexual connection with Gabriel, a Lesser-Bred being kept by a Kin named Pavel. Stripped of his job, his cushy apartment, and his connection to the sweet, dorky Joey he fell in love with, Taylor struggles to maintain a sense of identity—and humanity—in Atlanta’s Gray Zone, where Human dreams become nightmares. Suddenly it’s Taylor, not Joey, who needs to be protected. Because the people around him are dying, and if Taylor doesn’t open his eyes, he might be next.

Lis’ Review of Monster Town by Dakota Chase

Dakota Chase

Monster Town

Prizm Books, March 13, 2013 | 67 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
James Dire has a problem. He doesn't breathe fire, suck blood, or sprout fur and a tail during full moons. He doesn't eat babies, or trample cities, or carry screaming women off to his underwater lair. In short, he's about as dangerous and exotic as a boxful of sand.
While this may not be an issue elsewhere, it is in Eden, James' hometown. Here, everyone, from his parents and siblings, to his classmates, to the mayor, are fire-breathing, bloodsucking, fur-sprouting monsters, and James doesn't fit in anywhere.
James always feels excluded and knows he's always suspect because of his difference. He's very shy, has few friends, and his only sense of purpose comes from his job as reporter for the school paper.

Where Am I?

Lately I've been horribly absent from the internet and this blog. If it wasn't for Larissa's reviews it would've been very quiet around here. Conflicts and work overload are sucking up all the energy I usually put into writing reviews, so, that's my excuse... It's a lame one, I know.

But hopefully it will all change soon, as I'm due to go on a vacation. Yay! I'm actually flying across the Atlantic Ocean when this post goes up. We (hopefully) left Amsterdam early this morning and we're heading to Los Angeles where we will jump in a car to drive to San Diego. The first week of our vacation we're staying in SD, hubs is attending a convention there while I seek out the beach. ;)
After San Diego we will travel around for a bit. We plan to visit a few National Parks like Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Monument Valley and of course Grand Canyon. And than, to go home well-rested, we'll spend a few more days in Santa Monica to conclude our vacation. :)

I'm not sure how much time I will have to blog when we're traveling, I guess not much. But I hope to at least read a lot and also to write a couple of reviews once I'm less stressed, so that I can post a few when I'm back again in mid-June.
Larissa has written a few reviews that will be posted in the next weeks and I might pop in occasionally as well, so hopefully it won't be too quiet here at the blog. But in case it is, you know why. :D

Quick Review of Firesong by Terry Milien

Terry Milien

Firesong

Less Than Three Press, January 31, 2013 | 35 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Miller has a long history with fire, one he cannot forget as he was disfigured by it. So when the crippled, flying Sasha crashes into his home from exhaustion and burns the whole place down with his unchecked magic, he does the only thing he can think of: he runs into the raging flames and saves the unconscious creature.

Genre & Keywords: M/M Romance, Fantasy, Mystical Creatures, Sweet Romance, Abandonment, Short Story