Motorcycle club crack: Cole by Megan O'Brien

Lately I have this new guilty pleasure: reading MC biker romance stories. It started with watching Sons of Anarchy of course, followed by reading some Kristen Ashley novels and from there on I lost control. I’ve now read quite a few different stories and bought even more.
My latest read in this genre is Cole by Megan O’Brien. It’s one that is far less gritty and much tamer than most of the MC stories so far.

The blurb:
For eight years I’d been content with my quiet life. I was safe in the bubble I’d built for myself. But I wasn’t really living.
Until one chance encounter changed it all.
Scarlet Malone has lived quietly for years hiding from her past. Aside from her best friend Kat she doesn’t allow herself to get close to anyone. Then Cole Jackson, Vice President of The Knights MC comes bursting into her life with his gorgeous eyes and fierce determination to have her in his bed and his life.
Scarlet’s letting her walls down for the first time in her life. Could Cole really be her happily ever after?

Freshly Found M/M Author: Darien Cox

I've been struggling with my love for m/m books for a while now, and have been reading more m/f romance for that reason too, but every now and then I try another m/m book again. Hoping to find what I loved about the genre once more. Last week I tried a book from a completely unknown author to me: Guys on Top by Darien Cox. It was discussed by Amy and Jen at Fiction Vixen and it piqued my interest because of the ménage that's not a ménage premise.
Reading this book accomplished what not many m/m books could lately: I couldn't put it down!

Doug Crandall’s perfect suburban life imploded after his boyfriend’s betrayal and a subsequent lawsuit left him personally and financially devastated. A year later, with a new place in the city and a fresh outlook, he’s back on his feet and ready to start over. Eager to lose his cynicism and heal his battered heart, he immerses himself in the local social scene, which includes a pair of charismatic men engaged in an open relationship. As Doug finds himself becoming emotionally and sexually entangled in their lives, he’s forced to reevaluate his views on fidelity, betrayal, love, and the often calamitous price of happiness.

A Sign of Life

It's been quite a while since my last blog post. The reason is that I was sort of suffering from a blogger burn out. It had become quite difficult to keep up with my reading and review obligations. At first it was mostly because of an increase of other activities in my personal life: I not only work full time but I also decided last year to go back to school. I’m studying Communication and Multimedia Design, and it’s been putting quite a strain on my spare time, as you can imagine. While I didn’t want my social life to suffer too much from all that, there was nearly no time left to read and write reviews.

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.