What Are We Reading & Reviewing in June-2024?

It's June Already...so What Are you Planning to Read?

Carol's Pile Of Books For June
🏳️‍🌈 - ★
29/46
🏳️‍🌈Wild and Wicked Things - Francesca May - 5★ (Friend #12)
Written in Blood - Chris Carter - ★ (England) - (Group Read) (2)
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🏳️‍🌈Savior - Rhys Ford 4.5★
🏳️‍🌈Hellion - Rhys Ford - 5★
🏳️‍🌈Inked in Vegas- K.M. Neuhold - 4.5★ (Nevada)
Hiatus - L. A. Witt - ★
XGiving Chances- Tanya Chris - ★ (Connecticut)
Unbreakable Stories: Snow- Jocelynn Drake - ★ (Ohio)
Torch - Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliot - ★ (Ohio)
🏳️‍🌈Of Sunlight and Stardust - Christina Lee & Riley Hart-5★
Red Dirt Heart - N.R. Walker - ★ (Australia)
Love Song - Christina Lee - ★ - (Hoopla)
XOn The Mountain - Riley Hart - ★ (Hoopla)
Dead Draw - Layla Reyne - ★ (Hoopla)
Fall Guy - Felice Stevens - ★ (Hoopla)
🏳️‍🌈Saints Like Him- Aimee Nicole Walker - 4.5★
🏳️‍🌈Shattered Pieces - K.M. Neuhold - 5★
🏳️‍🌈Zeus - Eden Finley - 4★
🏳️‍🌈Learn The Rules (Rough Love) - Leighton Greene - 4★
🏳️‍🌈Obey The Rules - Leighton Greene - 4★
🏳️‍🌈Wicked in Wranglers- B A Tortuga - 5★
🏳️‍🌈Temptation Ranch - Jodi Payne & BA Tortuga -5★
🏳️‍🌈Flash Me - K.M. Neuhold -5★
🏳️‍🌈Meet Me There- K.M Neuhold - 5★
🏳️‍🌈Bro Split - K. M. Neuhold -5★
Temptation- E.M. Lindsey - ★ (Hoopla)
🏳️‍🌈Renegades - E.M. Lindsay- 4.5★
🏳️‍🌈Dirty Deed - Gianni Holmes - 3.5★
🏳️‍🌈Hermie: A Daddy for Christmas - Della Cain - 4.5★
🏳️‍🌈Lane's Lost Kitten- Della Cain - 4.5★
Pretty Boy - K M Neuhold - ★ (Texas/Nevada) (29)
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🏳️‍🌈The Last Witness - Denzil Meyrick - 2.5★
From the Dead - Mark Billingham - ★ (England)
Katie - Michael McDowell - ★ (New York) -
The Disinvited Guest - Carol Goodman - ★ (Maine)
🏳️‍🌈By Book or by Crook - Eva Gates - 3.5★
🏳️‍🌈Dragon Tears - Dean Koontz - 5★
🏳️‍🌈The Once and Future Witches - Alix R. Harrow - 3★
🏳️‍🌈A Witch's Lament - Cathy Walker - 5★
🏳️‍🌈Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty - 4.5★
🏳️‍🌈The Lying Woods - Ashley Elston - 5★
🏳️‍🌈 Thirteen - Steve Cavanaugh - 5★
As The Crow Flies - Craig Johnson - ★ (Wyoming)
🏳️‍🌈All the Dangerous Things - Stacy Willingham - 4★
🏳️‍🌈Bluejay - Megan Stockton - 5★
XLife and Death at Windover -Rachel K. Wentz - ★ (15) (Florida)

X = Currently Reading

Learn The Rules - Leighton Greene - (California)
Rough Love Series Books 1-5
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
4★
These books do really need to be read in order, unless you are only planning to read one. This says it's parts 1-5 but the "parts" aren't very well defined, so it looks and reads like its one story and the beginning felt a bit underplayed and some parts seemed rushed and somewhat confusing. After their first encounter Xander says he’s going to go but only goes into the other room of Ben’s house. I actually went back to the beginning and read to see if I missed the fact they perhaps lived together. It took me well until later in the book to realize that he was staying over because he had had too much to drink, and this was just their routine. These two characters were really made for one another. It didn't take very long to become invested in them and their relationship and even their growth as individuals. Make no mistake...they were definitely flawed, but truly lovable, each in their own way. They both are young and have a lot of "finding" themselves to do. I began to think they both needed to seek more therapy to work through some of their issues, but their relationship is clearly what they each needed...even if it was on the dangerous side. There were lots of "spicy" scenes, however, I was expecting there to be a little more variety in their play considering some of the conversations that they had in the beginning. For all the talk of Xander being so much into BDSM and pain-play in particular in the beginning, there was very little that was actually explored here.... which might have been a good thing:) The book could’ve been twice as long with more in-depth exploration into their likes and wants. Some things were hinted at about their childhoods and aspirations, but most was glossed over. The story was a lot more glossed over than most that I've read with BDSM topic. The book or the others in the series will, as with any genera or topic, not be for everyone...but we can't and don't all like the same things.


Obey The Rules
Rough Love Series Book 6
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
4★
we find that Ben is beginning to struggle with his life as well as with his kink. Xander's and his careers are going well but keeping them working on opposite sides of the country. Their relationship is still potent, intoxicating and fresh, but Ben feels like the rug is being pulled out from under him...and he begins to self-destruct, and his anger management issues start to escalate. He's needs desperately to be around Xander, in order to feel comfort, stability, and security. He's starting to slide into the worst part of his personality. We knew from the start that there was not going to be much of anything perfect, smooth or consistent in this relationship. It's rocky despite how much they love one another. Balancing the sadistic/masochistic aspect of their sexual relationship with its psychological effect on their emotional well-being is not for the weak of mind or body. At the end of the day, they're still in uncharted territory, wading through it all to the best of their ability. There is, however, honesty in their relationship even with the violent outbursts and the emotional pain that they just can't seem to overcome. One thing that is admirable about this series is how seriously the kink is portrayed. They're into cutting & bruising which everyone I'm sure recognizes as dangerous...and that is not ever downplayed or dismissed. It's pointed out repeatedly how much control and communication are 100% absolutely necessary. Ben and Xander both grow in this addition to the series. They gain insight into one another and into one another's perspectives. Xander begins to open up more, and surprisingly we learn that Xander has layers that have not yet even begun to be peeled.

Wicked in Wranglers - B. A. Tortuga - (Nevada)
Beat The Heat Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/ Rodeo Cowboys
5★
I just can't seem to get enough of this author's cowboys. I loved this one about a second chance romance between two bull riders at opposite ends of their careers. Terry is at the height of his career, and very successful on the rodeo circuit. Matt is a former bull rider, driven out of the profession by an injury that nearly cost him his life. Without much to fall back on, Matt takes up underwear modeling. He’s not very happy about it, constantly denigrating himself and his current status in life...but it pays the bills. Matt and Terry had previously dated awhile back. Despite being in love, Matt walked away because he hadn’t made peace with his sexuality. He also wasn’t comfortable being in love with a man who wanted things “hard and heavy”. Matt and Terry ran into one another again in a Los Vegas bar where Matt was signing autographs. Matt runs, but quickly once in Terry’s presence changes his mind. He agrees to a one-time hookup. From there, it’s not too hard for Terry to convince Matt to come home with him. Matt was living out of his car so not much convincing was needed. Their relationship picks up again, and Matt’s attitude definitely changes. The story focuses on the Dom/sub, BDSM elements of Terry and Matt’s relationship. This is "cowboy loving" BA Tortuga so you get her signature style of showing us the sexy rodeo guys. She definitely knows cowboys, bull riders, and rodeo. That "cowboy informality" is easy reading as well as warm and inviting, but more so, it is 100% believable. The main story follows Matt and how he learns to open up and become more confident while learning to accept and love himself for who he is. Terry is effusive in his love, support, and dedication to Matt, which bolsters his journey. The narrative makes clear that Matt has some scars and not just the physical ones. However, I never really understood the extent of his emotional scars. The story doesn’t ever really explore the "how’s and why’s" of Matt’s personal struggles and recovery from his bull-riding injury...the loss of his career...or how it led to his current situation, where he is living out of his car and being tied to a sleazy agent willing to essentially pimp him out for a quick dollar. Overall, this book lives up to its advertisement as being a "hot summer read". It's filled with hot, sexy, and heavy content with an enjoyable storyline. It's not a real long story but neither can it be called short...if you want a book you don’t have to think too much about...just enjoy and fall in love with the two sweet, hot guys and of course the dogs, chickens and horses... then Wicked in Wranglers will fill that bill for you just finer than frog hair:)

Temptation Ranch - Jodi Payne & BA Tortuga
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
More cowboys by my favorite cowgirls...Jodi and BA. Tad's out with his friends in their favorite Friday night bar. He just wanted to dance, talk with the guys and have a drink...but then he spots the stranger at the bar and decides to take a chance and see if he'd be interested in just a one-night meet-up. Tad had no idea how fast that stranger was going to turn his world inside out and upside down. Strait has attended the funeral of one of his best friends and decided to stop in for a drink to toast his friend Dave's memory before heading back home. it was supposed to be one quick drink and then home...but Strait is pleasantly surprised at the “sweet little thing”, Tad, that came to speak to him. Maybe he didn't have to go home just yet. He didn't pick up guys often but maybe he will make an exception this once and see what this pretty man had to offer. I'm a big fan of these two authors BA and Jodi. It doesn't matter if they are writing alone or together, the men and books are hot and exceptional. They know how to add the right amount of heat to the sweetness. Strait finds that Tad is just what needed to complete his life. Tad doesn't need or want gifts lavished on him or money to burn. He just wants love and a strong hand. He’s had the money life with his family but needs the man who truly gets and wants him. Tad saw that Strait had what he needed and just went for it. Temptation Ranch is another fun, steamy and fast read with puppies, a tropical island, and lots and lots of romance, along with wonderful, loveable characters. It doesn't get much better than this.

Wild and Wicked Things - Francesca May - (England)
Genera: Historical Fiction/Fanasty/ (Contains a lesbian trio)
5★
This is a hunting tale with a supernatural twist that spins an interesting yarn about the seemingly unlikely bond between three women – Annie, Emmeline, and Bea. We have witches, blood magic, and small-town intrigue on the shores of the North Sea. It's an atmospheric, slow burner of a tale that will delight until the very end. I loved the hauntingly atmospheric setting of Crow Island. It was reminiscent of the American Roaring Twenties, but it is hauntingly familiar to readers of this genera to be a U.K setting that would make Agatha Christie proud. Among many other good things, this is an exceptional piece of writing. Our main character, Annie Mason has come to Crow Island to settle legal affairs after the death of her father. As she walks along the shore by her cottage, she is drawn to the revelries taking place in Cross House, the manor house next door. This is the grand home of Emmeline Delacroix, who is known for loud, boisterous parties with the serving of Kazam, which we learn is an alcoholic drink that may...or may not... be laced with magic. She had been warned of this, but Annie feels almost magnetized and that she is being drawn into a world of magic and forbidden romance. With the exception of a few brief diary entries from a mysterious "someone", the story flows back and forth between Annie and Emmeline’s individual perspectives. The secrets the novel focuses on are gradually revealed and shared with the reader. I don't usually care for this style of presentation but in this case, it worked exceptionally well as each character’s perspective gives up pieces of the puzzle and uncovers the true nature of this mysterious bond between Annie and Emmeline. This is a slow-paced story that demands the reader to be patient. From each conversation we learn more and more of the important aspects of the characters. The story has been crafted meticulously to be savored and enjoyed.

Flash Me - K.M. Neuhold
Heathens Ink Series Book #6
Genera: M/M/M Romance/Triad/Transgender
5★
This has been a really good...no, this had been a GREAT series...but what more would you expect from K.M. Neuhold? This entire series has been a "Kink-educational experience". In this one we are given information regarding transgender folks and what they must face to have the life that most of us just take for granted. It's eye-opening seeing how much we all do that maybe without thinking much about it. It's also about triads or trios...a subject that even most M/M Romance books don't often feature, and I have to say that this author did a magnificent job. Our hopeful threesome/triad/trio... consist of Liam a 21-year-old transgender man who is a very sought-after, successful photographer who has two loves in his life that he's anxious to form this poly relationship with....one his current lover the other his "bestest" best friend. Then there is Wyatt who is 30, and a therapist who gives free time to the residents of Rainbow House, a place where advise and help are given to the those in the gay community that need and seek it. Last, but not least is Owen, who is also 30, and a tattoo artist at Heathens Ink, who has PTSD along with horrific nightmares from his past that was filled with violence that most of us can't begin to imagine. All these wonderful, lovable characters are "given" life by letting us meet them in each of their past stories and traveling along with them on their hoped-for future. We get a view of their inner thoughts, their emotions both good, bad and hopeful...and there is some heartbreak associated with their pasts...but K.M. Neuhold always gives her guys hope and happiness. I have never read anything by this author that I didn't want to own and love...so I'm so glad I bought his series so I can revisit again and again.

Saints Like Him - Aimee Nicole Walker - (Colorado)
Redemption Ridge Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance/FBI
4.5★
The guys at the ranch are special...some are broken, but not beyond repair...some are working on a second , or third , or even a fourth chance but beyond anything else, they are a family...a chosen family, a family that is simply brilliant together. They have one another's backs, they laugh, the first in a long time for some of them. Cash owns the ranch and provides this home and multiple chances for all the guys, no matter what their previous lives had been like. Most had been in prison and are turning their lives around Cash is giving them his help. Cash has a best friend, FBI agent Nick. It was obvious there was more to them but just what it really was only was hinted at...until this book, which is finally Cash and Nick's chance to tell the story of their love for one another. We learn that they had a very steamy weekend together 12 years ago, but both were working on their budding careers, so they chose to remain in the "friend zone", but that didn't stop them from pining for each other those 12 long years. Nick turns up at the ranch unexpectedly. He's injured, thin and entirely burnt out, Cash, wants to do everything he can to help him and welcomes him “home” literally with open arms. They both have regret for ever opting for the friends not lovers option and use some of the time now given to them to make up for the 12 lost, lonely years. They now delve into their past and talk about their hopes and plans for perhaps a future. The ongoing storyline continues around the religious cult harassing the town. It comes to head now putting Cash and his little family in danger. The characters in these three books have been adorable and I it was an adventure worth taking to see these couples are getting their happy endings. Thank you, Aimee Nicole Walker, for giving us such wonderful and engaging stories.

Thirteen - Steve Cavanaugh - (New York)
Eddie Flynn Series Book #4
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
5★
How do you like this angle for a storyline? "The serial killer isn't on trial, he's on the jury." When I read that from the book cover I knew that I HAD TO READ THIS!!! This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will certainly be searching for more of them out after reading this. It's basically about the murder of a starlet and her supposed lover, who were found by the husband that supposedly beat him to death with a baseball bat...and then stabbed her repeatedly. Now enter Flynn as part of the defense team who becomes "the" defense team following a few revelations whereby the main lawyer (who is employed by the studio) is told to withdraw. Meanwhile, someone is going to great lengths to be on the jury ... welcome...Joshua Kane, a very disturbed individual. Flynn is a fantastic character; you have to absolutely adore him. He's so likeable...he's "normal" ... well, that is if you can call a previous con-man with a shady history, " normal"... but it does give him a unique view of things which certainly comes in handy in his line of work. Joshua Kane is anything but normal but still a great character - he's such a "good baddie"! The chapters are written alternatively between Flynn and Kane and whilst Flynn's are written in the first person, Kane's are written in the third; this was, I think, a stroke of genius as it gives different perspectives from Flynn who's trying his best for his client, in contrast to Kane who is cleverly manipulating things from the jury box. The pace of the book is absolutely perfect with plenty of action, thrills, twists and turns that will keep you hooked from the first page. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read...and it will get repeats.

Zeus - Eden Finley - (Nevada)
Mike Bravo Ops Series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance/Suspense/Thriller
4★
Zeus has served his time in the Marines to escape a personal tragedy in his family, and then went to work for Mike Bravo. His counterpoint in this book is Callie, who figured prominently in Atlas’ book as Lemon’s troubled friend. He escaped an abusive boyfriend and betrayed Lemon which he regrets. A year later and he’s still on the run from a bad guy to whom he is indebted. Callie stays under the radar, moving from one place to another to stay alive. Callie is still their friend so Atlas and Lemon ask Zeus to find Callie so they can know he’s alive and okay. Callie is barely surviving but feels as safe as he can until Zeus finds him. He mistakenly thinks Zeus was sent to kill him so he on the run again. A lot is happening in this book compared to the others. The men don't seem to have the strong chemistry and a lot of the passion is missing in this one. "Found family" has been a very strong component of the series but I found that that is also lacking in this book. All of our wonderful favorite characters are present but not utilized as much. The mission lacked the same degree of danger and a cat and mouse chase that encompassed the majority of the Mike Bravo team as we’ve seen in the past. I did enjoy is Haz, a young man who recently joined the team. He promises to be an engaging and amusing character in the future. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers already invested in the series but be aware that this is not a standalone series so new readers should start at the beginning.

Bluejay - Megan Stockton
Genera: Horror
5★
I don't usually include the story-line from the book in reviews, but I honesty had difficulty saying what this little jewel was about...so I'm including it here.
From The Book: Noah, Jack, and Phil are three average guys who collect horror memorabilia and have a running competition to see who can come up with the most extreme or repulsive horror movie for their weekly guys’ night. When one of the friends gets the opportunity to steal tickets to an exclusive club that touts offering a realistic, immersive torture simulation, he jumps on the opportunity. Once they arrive at the theater, they quickly realize that it isn't a simulation at all, and they have delved into an underground world that they don’t belong in. They have to uphold their stolen identities while trying to escape and not die (or kill anyone else) in the process.

It's a short, 121 pages, story filled with extreme horror, especially for our three good friends, Noah, Jack and Phil, who decide they wanted to indulge some of their much darker fantasies. As the plot says..."they collect horror memorabilia and have a running competition to see who can come up with the most extreme or repulsive horror movie for their weekly "guys’ night". It doesn't take them long to find out that they're not in control at all....and furthermore they never were. They are smart enough to know that that this was certainly not what they were expecting.... or was it?? The story is filed with sex, brutality, violence, gore and revenge.... just to name a few of the "finer" points. Everything in it is disturbing and gross...but it IS very well written, and the plot is "interesting", for lack of a better description...and the conclusion is where you find that everything will get handed to you with a beautiful, little red bow. Oh...wait...is that blood??? A little word of warning...there are SO many things in those 121 pages that can/will/may trigger every possible trigger reaction that any reader may have...or didn't even know you had...but oh what a ride if you really, genuinely, truly like horror....and I mean REALLY TRUE horror. Move over Edgar Alan Poe. You have absolutely nothing to compare with Megan Stockton.

Bro Split - K.M. Neuhold -(Washington)
More Than Friends series Book #2
Genera: M/M/M Romance
5
This is Ezra, Zeno and Andre's story. For a while I thought that it might not going to be anyone's story. The characters were funny, and sweet...but even Andre and Zeno that had been out with their sexuality for most of their lives, seemed to not catch on to how this relationship would/should work for them with the addition of Ezra. Ezra is a 30-year-old accountant who was married to a woman, but he knew right down to his very bones that something wasn't working for him...until he met Andre in a bar. That meeting forever changed his life. The story moves forward a year. Ezra is making lists of things to do for his new gay life. He had lists for everything...literally. He hadn't thought about Andre again...it was after all just a casual meeting with q guy that gave him some good advice ...but old fickle fate had some other plans for them. Zeno owns his own bakery...he is also a bit "body vain" and several times a week attends the gym, owned by his friend and main flirt guy, Andre...yes, Ezra's Andre from the bar. They work out together and sometimes a bit "more". Imagine the surprise of all three men, especially Ezra, when they find that they all live in the same apartment building. I thought they would get their heads and other body parts in the game now...but not quite yet. Andre and Zeno are both attracted to Ezra and he to both of them. These guys must not read the same M/M/M romance books that I do...because they couldn't figure out how these feelings were ever going to work!! While they were working on figuring out what I and probably several hundred other readers were yelling..."duh.... three guys can do this"...they are scratching their heads. There was no real big drama in this one, for which I was grateful...and I, in spite of wanting to hit Andrea and Zeno up beside their heads, did love this book as much as I have all this author's other works.

By Book or By Crook - Eva Gates - (North Carolina)
A Lighthouse Library Mystery
Genera: Cozy Mystery
3.5★
The story is based mostly around Lucy, a former Harvard librarian who is determined to start a new life away from her "high society" responsibilities and a lifeless, meaningless relationship. She moves to her favorite place in all the world, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Lucy is excited when she finds a job as the librarian at the iconic Bodie Island Lighthouse Public Library. Living in a lighthouse, working with such nice people and mostly, escaping her life in Boston is exactly what she wanted and needed. Just when things were going well a priceless Jane Austen first edition book is stolen and the chairman of the library board is murdered. I don't often read cozies, but this book was recommended and handed to me by my sweet little cozy mystery loving neighbor. She said that it lived up to all she had hoped and more....and knowing that anything that contains a single drop of blood will have her hyperventilating and running for the hills...I was, shall we say... skeptical...but, this time, she was mostly right. The storyline was the typical straight forward, what you would expect of a cozy murder mystery, the characters were a bit too "vanilla" for me but very...I believe "relatable" adequately describes them. The biggest plus for me of the entire book was Charles, the library cat, who in my opinion deserves his very own book! Cozy mystery lovers will...well, love it.

Apples Never Fall - - Liane Moriarty - (Australia)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
4.5★
The mystery in this story is about the events surrounding a 69-year-old Sydney woman’s disappearance. Joy and Stan Delaney met as champion tennis players more than 50 years ago and ran a well-regarded tennis academy until their recent retirement. Their long, complicated marriage has been filled with perhaps as much passion for the game of tennis as for each other or their five children. Then Joy disappears February. 14, 2020. The last text she sends to her now-grown children...Amy the bohemian, Logan the passive one, Troy the flash, Brooke who suffers severe migraines, is too garbled by autocorrect to make any sense of...and Stan, the fifth and the strangest child, refuses to believe or accept that there might be a problem, for some odd reason. Days pass and Joy remains missing with no other communication attempts...which is not like her at all. As details begin to come together the police finally become involved. At this point the mystery is becoming clearer when it jumps back several months into the past. Here, we return to the day that a stranger named Savannah turned up one day on the Delaney's doorstep, bleeding...and Joy welcomed her to stay for an extended visit. Who is Savannah? Is she’s an innocent, or is she a scammer, or could she be something else entirely? This all continues to remain unclear. This author is very good at only giving the small details such as the tossed tennis racket or the repeated appearance of apple crumble and the abandoned bike that's found by a passing motorist. The evidence that accumulates around what happened to Joy constantly challenges the reader both take notice to which are minor details and which characters are telling truths or mere half-truths. It became at one point difficult to distinguish between what are red herrings, buried clues, or out-right lies. The ultimate reveal is troubling. I finally interpreted it that the authors main focus was on the mystery of family...what it means to be a parent, or a child, or a sibling in the Delaney family, or in any family, for that matter, more than what actually happened to Joy. The story is funny, sad, astute, occasionally creepy, but absolutely intriguing.

The Last Witness - Denzil Meyrick - (Scotland)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
2.5★
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: SEVERE, VERY GRAPHIC ACTS of VIOLENCE
It seems that a Glasgow mob boss may have returned from the dead to exact his revenge on those who brought him and his empire down and sent him to prison. The gangster, James Machie, is a nasty specimen of humanity...but was eventually done in by a combination of good old fashion police work and associates who were more than willing to turn evidence in exchange for being placed in the Scottish equivalent of witness protection. When those informers begin turning up as corpses, DCI Jim Daley, whose young partner also had a hand in the case, is confronted with evidence that the person he believed long dead is still alive and kicking. The race is now on to find this resurrected bad guy before he can start to cross off every name on his "folks I want to kill" list. This would be much more believable if the plot here hadn't kept falling over itself. We kept getting explanations of events after the fact, with those explanations often being unclear. The graphic violence, which I was not opposed to in itself, started before I had even read 12 pages...and it is severe with all capital letters, which I was also not necessarily opposed to, but it will diffidently bother a lot of readers, and it goes on way, way too long, without anyone trying to stop it. Perhaps the police had reason to be extra cautious since part of that violence was when a young police officer sees his partner’s head blown apart...BEFORE he actually died. There were also several pages of a man being macheted to death then his bound-and-gagged wife being shown the corpse before her own head is blasted to smithereens. I won't go on any longer... I think everyone gets the picture. I was totally surprised by how graphic these events were and how long they went on, taking up so much of the book. This hasn't happened in any of the other books I have read by this author. It only served to ruin what could have been a good story.

Of Sunlight and Stardust - Christina Lee & Riley Hart - (Michigan)
Genea: M/M Romance/Bisexual
5★
Tanner Rowe is just going through the motions...it only looks like he is living. Actually, he's just putting into place the promise he made to his wife after she died. She had always wanted them to move to Red Bluff, Michigan...a small town in the Upper Peninsula, and live on the farm with the burned-out barn. She wanted to paint, and she thought that Tanner would teach college courses on-line and make his home brewed beer. It all sounded wonderful...but then Chris's world crashed around him, leaving him grieving for his only love and the life that has been taken from him. Then there is Cole. Cole Lachlan had never had it easy. He absolutely knew that his grandfather loved him, but he had nothing with mostly only himself to blame for that. He's recently out of prison, and while he was imprisoned his beloved grandfather had died. While trying to find work Tanner finds himself by the lake and homeless. After a lot of bartering and negotiating, Cole begins working on Tanner's burned-out barn. This gives the men the opportunity to talk to each other, and for a friendship to start to develop. They learn to trust each other. Cole finds a diary in the barn, and it becomes the key that will unlock their hearts. When reading this I thought of what my grandmother told me when I was very young and my best friend in my young world wasn't allowed by the "rules of narrow-minded society" of the 50's and 60's, to go into the same places I did or even drink out of the same water fountain. She said that "just because a person isn't exactly like you that didn’t make them wrong. You should accept people as they are no matter the color of their skin, what church they may or may not attend, or who they choose to love...just accept them and love them equally". I had a pretty remarkable role model in my young life. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the events and the characters in this story. The two authors kept always rooting for Cole and Tanner throughout the entire book as they attempted to rebuild their lives. Tanner and Cole sat down together every evening to read yet another chapter in Tom’s journal. The journal story was about the forbidden love of Tom's time with his "friend" Charlie. Their story in the journal opened the communication lines for Tanner to ask questions and investigate all these "newly found" feelings. They found that it also encouraged open and honest communication between them. Once Tanner had the courage to explore his feelings for Cole, he wasn’t about to keep them a secret like Tom and Charlie had been forced to do. It was personal for me as I thought about my youngest son...15-years old and having those feelings for his friend that he thought were wrong. They weren't wrong, and he later married the boy that shared those feelings with him. They are now the parents of an 8-month little girl. I can’t find enough words to express how much this story meant to me.

Meet Me There - K.M. Neuhold - (Washington & Illinois mostly)
More Than Friends Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Of course, I read book #2 in the duo first...purely by accident though...but it really didn't make a great deal of difference in the end. Marlon and Reed were childhood long-distance friends that communicated online every night from the time they were teens. Eventually real life got in their way...but they never forgot each other and that they were all that each other had in the way of friends or much of anything else at that time. The way Marlon and Reed reunite accidently in New Orleans as adults is pure fate at its very purest. Both men are mature enough to understand that the physical connection and chemistry they feel is because of their past unique friendship. As they separated the first time, I had no idea where this book was going or what, or even if there was going to be a "happy ever after" or what it would look like, but I was definitely invested in hanging in there to see it. I enjoyed the many, many times that their communication was only by text or telephone...but I couldn't imagine how they could tolerate such long periods apart, sometimes as much as 6-months going by without seeing one another in the flesh...and this went on for years...but I guess that is what proved the strength of their friendship, which in turn made the physical reunions all the much better. The inevitable emotions both men have for each other, despite all the opinions of those around them, are not a surprise, but the way they handled them was. It resulted is a strange kind of limbo in which Marlon and Reed are completely dedicated to one another but are both afraid to upend the delicate balance. It was always on each of their minds if could they be MORE than just best friends. The second half of their story is surprisingly emotional. I really liked that there was a very low amount of angst in the story despite all that was going on in each of their lives. Anyone who doesn't mind that the lovers happen to be two guys and enjoys the "friends-to-lovers" theme...especially when the path getting there doesn’t come with the usual stereotypical map.... will really like following the long journey with Reed and Marlon. We witness throughout the many years, the separate character development each man undergoes based on the support from the other... his very best friend. Multiple journeys of all sorts are undertaken in this book, and you won’t regret "meeting them there".

The Lying Woods - Ashley Elston - (Louisianna)
Genera: Mystery/Suspense/Young Adult
5★
"I awoke to the news with a Post-it note stuck to my forehead." This is how Owen Foster, a high school senior, first learns the unsettling news concerning his father and begins to learn the truths that will unsettle his known world, with his father disappearance. Owen Foster has been sheltered for most of his young life and especially so in his ritzy, upscale New Orleans boarding school. He can barely comprehend the shocking news his mother has told him... that his father has been embezzling money for years and now he has simply disappeared, leaving his company and his employee's lives, as well as Owen's and his mother's...in complete shambles. Owen returns home only to find himself the target of the town’s utter outrage. Threatening and unnerving messages accusing himself and his mother of collusion and other nasty, unbelievable things. He tries to escape the endless demands to know where his father and the money are by working in an orchard that seems to house the only nonjudgmental, undemanding person in the entire town...a local pecan farmer. Soon we learn that Owen has been keeping a secret of his own... a secret that he has not shared with one solitary person. He had received a letter from his dad shortly before he disappeared, suggesting that they should meet over Thanksgiving....but Owen doesn't know why his dad had made this suggestion, but now he can only guess. If you have read this author before you know how good she is at creating and carrying out the tension in most any situation with double narratives, all combined to create an enthralling mystery. None of that has changed with this one and you will not be disappointed. The story alternates between the past and the present with several different character's perspectives.... all setting the stage for a shocking ending reveal. Owen’s fall from a life that he never knew or suspected was funded by stolen money is almost heartbreaking as he negotiates the relearning and acceptance of everything that he ever thought he knew about his father and himself.

Dirty Deed - Gianni Holmes
Daddies Broken Boys Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy/boy
3.5★
Noah is a brat who loves acting out for attention. His father's law firm partner, Sawyer, steps in and decides a stern "Daddy" is what Noah needs. What progresses is a really, loving and beautiful Daddy/boy relationship that does allow Sawyer to blossom into the man he was meant to be. Okay...this is a tough one. I like this author. I've read a lot of her work. This one?? I'm not quite sure what to say about it. Noah is a grown man but sometimes acts like he's 15. I thought at first that it was because he was the rich & privileged guy that was used to getting his own way...but that became a yes and a no. He's in college...not grade school or high school. He seems to be "book" smart...but when it came to his grades, it appeared that he thought they should just automatically be handed to him because of who he was, and besides...he was busy...busy partying with his friends. So much so that when he doesn't get the grade that he needs, he goes to the professor that gave him the grade...has sex with him in the professor's office...and thinks that that will get said professor to change the grade. I have to admit that the professor is a degusting low-class creep but how could smart, "adult" Noah not know that this could/was absolutely going to escalate and blow up in his face? Noah is expelled and the creepy professor is fired...but of course we have not seen the last of him. Noah's Dad and Sawyer were partners in a law firm. Sawyer, as a defense attorney represented some "scum of the Earth" clients...but otherwise he was the smartest, most likeable character in the entire story. As Noah's father was on his honeymoon with his new wife, Sawyer gave Noah a place to stay...with him. Noah at times showed maturity and good common sense...he held a job in Sawyer's law office as Sawyer's PA, he volunteered at an animal rescue center...and he and Sawyer fell in love. Noah's past soon comes roaring back in spades. A very sad, heart-breaking event occurs in the story, which lost it a half star...and some other real drama takes place...almost entirely too much. I loved the character of Sawyer...had mixed emotions about Noah but was happy to see that nothing could stop Noah and Sawyer from finding their happiness. There was just too much that happened in between before them getting there. Will I read another book in this series? Absolutely.

Savior - Rhys Ford - (California)
415 Ink series Bool #2
Genera: M/M/Romance/Firefighters
4.5★
This entire series is composed of compelling journeys of healing and love. This is the second story in the 415 Ink series, and it can diffidently be read as a standalone, but I also highly recommend the first book in the series be read as situations and characters swarm throughout each of the stories. Mason “Mace” Crawford is a firefighter that has worked hard to put his extremely dysfunctional and abusive childhood behind him. His father was a nasty piece of work. He has been mostly successful by having devised a few coping mechanisms that help hold the demons back. Then an unexpected rescue at the scene of a fire revives some of those haunting memories from his past. He fears the reactions of what he calls his "brothers of his heart", so he doesn't reveal any of these heart-stopping experiences to any of them. He also struggles with low self-worth, so he avoids relationships which is why he finds his reaction to 415 Ink tattoo artist Rob Claussen more than a little troubling. Mace tries to ignore this very inconvenient attraction but realistically, how long can these two men ignore their desire for one another? On the surface, Mace appears to have moved past his troubled childhood since he shares a tight bond with the "family" that he has made for himself. He has a few quirks that the folks he calls friends simply accept. However, none of the guys at 415 Ink have any inkling, (no pun intended), of the secrets he is keeping, and he happy for it to stay that way. When he receives shocking news and all of the shameful memories come rushing back, Rob convince Mace to trust him enough to confide in him. Rob’s relationship with his actual family isn't much better than Maces, but he is much happier since he decided to follow his dream of becoming a tattoo artist. The two guys spend most of the story circling around each other until a cataclysmic event finally leads to them acting on what their hearts have been telling them. It's not until Mace’s past collides head on with his present that Rob finally persuades him it is time to talk about the events from his childhood. There is a romantic aspect to the plot, but the main focus of the novel is Mace making peace with his childhood. Savior is a heartwarming story with a marvelous band of characters and a deeply moving storyline. Rhys Ford brings the novel to a heartfelt conclusion that is also quite satisfying. Readers will be pleased with the intriguing glimpse of the couple who will be featured in the next installment in the 415 Ink series.

The Once and Future Witches - Alix Harrow - (Massachusetts)
Genera: Fantasy/Witchcraft
3★
It's a story about reclaiming power, specifically power that has historically been denied and/or taken away from women. We are transported back to 1893 to the town of New Salem and directly into the heart of the women’s suffrage movement. It is also a story about sisterhood, both in the sense of the sisterhood of women fighting to make their voices heard at the ballot box, and in the sense that the three witches are actually sisters... sisters who have been raised to embrace magic even though magic and witches had been gone for a long time. They had been separated for years, but the sisters find themselves drawn to the location of the latest suffragette rally and therefore, back to each other. When an unexplainable event happens at the rally, the sisters take their reunion and this supernatural occurrence as a sign that magic is trying to return and that they should help it along and perhaps recruit some suffragettes to their cause, thereby combining the women’s movement and the witches’ movement into one major force to be reckoned with. James Juniper is the first sister we meet. She’s the youngest and is a bit of a wild child. She’s incredibly brave and forthright and has no filter whatsoever. She also holds a major grudge against her two older sisters because they both ran away from home and left her behind to contend with their abusive father. Beatrice Belladonna is the oldest and most cautious of the sisters. Beatrice is into books and not much else, although she does have an interest in magic. She works as a librarian and in her spare time has searched the library’s collection of books from Old Salem, trying to find hidden or forgotten spells. Agnes Amaranth is the middle sister. She’s the most caring of the three having taken on the role of Juniper’s mom after their mom died. The dynamic between Juniper, Beatrice, and Agnes is complicated...both in their adventures to bring back magic and witches, and most especially in their emotional journey to work through the pain of the past and get back to each other. Somewhere amongst the massive 500 pages of this book... I simply lost interest. One thing that I did think was cleverly done by the author was her having given the sisters the idea to use popular childhood nursery rhymes as a way to camouflage the witchy spells. it's not a bad or uninteresting book by any means...just not MY book, but it might be yours.

A Daddy for Christmas: Hermie - Della Cain & Kayde Kat (I love her name)
Part of the Daddy for Christmas Series
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy& little
4.5★
These "Daddy for Christmas" and "Found by Daddy series books written by Della Caine, are more like novellas than full length books...but they are so full of love and happiness that more than makes up for their shortness. They all have, thus far, had wonderful, happy, warm endings. Hermie is simply adorable...no other word for him. He's just the right mix of sweet and steamy, wrapped up and put together for the holidays. Hermie does the right thing when he let the Toy Store know that the gift that was delivered to him was not the one he ordered...and as a result he made a Merry Christmas wish come true, when Erik from the Toy Store told Hermie to keep the gift and he delivered the right one to a sweet little boy recovering from surgery. In spite Hermie being disappointed that Santa didn't deliver the gift he was expecting, it was okay as Santa had an even better gift in store for him and it didn't even need to be gift wrapped. Erik's family owned the Toy store. It was a place that you wouldn't have to be kid to want to visit. Erik and Hermie knew and "liked" one another in high school but lost contact over the years...Erik delivering the gift made a reconnection possible between the two guys and it was absolutely perfect. As I said these books are all short, a little over 100 pages but like all of them, they are well paced, all are age play (Daddy/little), with romance as well as adult interactions....and this one come with a giant helping of holiday sugar cookies.


Lanes Lost Kitten Della Cain & Kayde Kat
Found By Daddy Series Book #9
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy & little
4.5★
Elio is new to the whole 'landlord" thing, but he inherited an apartment building from his grandfather. This is where Lane settles down after leaving his old job and finding a new life in a different city. Eilo catches his eye right away, but he has no idea if the gorgeous "hottie" was even gay much less, interested. They are just two guys, landlord and tenant that need to find out who they are and maybe what they could be. Elio has all the behavior of a "Daddy" but has no idea what that is or what it means and since he and his wife divorced, he's ben busy with the apartment and hasn't had the time to think about dating. Lane asked if it was okay to have a pet and Elio said it was fine...so off Lane goes and brings home the cuddy, adorable little handful that he names ,
Cat-terine. Things go along fine for Lane with his job, with his little fur-ball, but Elio who is already calling "Dady" in his head...not like he'd like. Lane comes home one day and Cat-trerine is missing!!! There was no way she could get out. Eilo come to help. He comforts Lane as best he can and searches the apartment for the missing kitty. Cat-terine was okay when found and Lane goes back to wondering how to approach Elio about...well...the thing that is most on his mind. What can he say? The men that he dated in the past are great for "big" Lane...but they didn't understand or even try to understand his little side. Elios finds out about Lane being a little after dropping by his apartment with a gift for Cat-terine. From there, they explore both sides of their relationship. Finding that...hey... they do fit together in both areas and Elio starts to learn about being a "Daddy" and what his "little" likes and needs. Of course, there is a brief appearance by the pair from the first book in the series... Bridger and Hudson. I really like visits by the other characters. Another happy ever after and a really cute kitty.

A Witch's Lament - Cathy Walker - (Massachusetts)
Salem Witch's Series Book #1
Genera: Paranormal/Mystery
5★
Skye was drawn to the old house the first time she saw it. Something told her that it was just for her...so almost sight unseen...she buys it. When she returns to the town after buying the house, she meets some of the residents and learns that she’s purchased Sarah Good’s house, one of the women who was hanged during the Salem witch trials. Skye has always known that she was a bit "different" and that she processed some powers, but she had no idea the extent of those powers. She promised her mother that she would never use her powers without her mother being with her. Skye, for some reason, doesn’t consider that buying a house without her mother’s knowledge as breaking her promise. It's not long before she begins to have strange visions.
These visions are different than those she had experienced before.... but she's still not too concerned. Finally, when she discovers a woman’s skeleton behind a secret door in the library of the house...she starts to realize that maybe she could be in danger. She decides that maybe she should contact her mother, only she can’t seem to be able to do that. There is a huge cast of witchy characters...after all this is Salem, so nothing else should be expected. I thought I knew what was happening and who was to blame early in the story, but I wasn't so sure about half-way though. That is, for me at least, the sign of an excellent story and this one was just that.

Hellion- Rhys Ford - (California)
415 Ink Series Book #3
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
The brothers have a unique and special relationship even though there are so many different personalities between the five of them. They all are above and beyond loyal, to one another, to their friends and to the causes they whole-heartedly believe in. It was no surprise to see them become a little overbearing when Ivo, the baby of the five...finds someone he "likes"...hoping to eventually it would become a lot more than merely "like". Ivo and Ruan have a few rough spots. They are both young, but Ivo is wise almost beyond what you would expect for his age and that’s why he fit so well with Ruan. Both guys could also be said to be a bit on the domestic" side. It was a nice change to have a character like Ivo, who’s eccentric, willing to bring his cop boyfriend meals at work and willing to feed his cat and do his laundry. Things that many wouldn't consider "manly", maybe I could borrow him:) Ruan wasn’t really sure how he felt or how to handle things. He had another more private side that was quite interesting but unexpected and "off the norm". Overall, though, this was another phenomenal book by Rhys Ford with wonderful characters. It's a great addition to the 415 Ink series. It was also good that nobody had to die for Ivo and Ruan to reach their happiness.

Dragon Tears - Dean Koontz - (California)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Paranormal
5★
From the Book: Tuesday was a fine California day, full of sunshine and promise, until Harry Lyon had to shoot someone at lunch'. Who wouldn't want to know why Harry's lunch had to include shooting someone...especially if the service had ever made you ever want to do that? Harry is a cop, and the man he stops his lunch to shoot, with the help of his partner, Connie Gulliver, is a lunatic who interrupted their lunch by shooting the establishment to smithereens. I have to admit that it was quite a start to the story, and it was also the start to this authors' many red herrings, because the crazy was just that...crazy. Then there is the guy that Harry and Connie take on later...Bryan Drackman, who becomes fixated on the cops when he's drawn to the restaurant shooting. Bryan, like most serial killers, believes that he has been endowed "godlike" powers; but we find there is SO much more to Bryan since...he really has been. He was doomed to this future even before birth by radiation and drugs, and this is what Bryan believes has turned him into a sociopath who can conjure up any entity he wants...especially his sometimes "friend and companion...Ticktock,'' a giant who is now stalking Harry, Connie, and the others, including a dog, (who I absolutely loved), who makes understandable audible narrations like "piece of paper. candy wrapper. smells good'', " better pee here". The dog is charming...and just about the only character in this story that you would give that moniker to. Ticktock warns Harry & the rest that they will all die at dawn, and it's only late into the night that they learn that Bryan has the power to stop time, which naturally causes a jaw- dropping moment for the cops but they manage to flee through a frozen world with "Ticktock" close behind them. Bryan, the cops now know, must sleep after his time-stopping escapades...which may be another "bad" thing for Harry and company. The story becomes a bit on the "preachy" side about social decay...but the action never slows down. I have to give any author who can produce and publish anything with this much over-the-top imagination...something that actually makes adult people sit for hours glued to the pages to see how it all concludes...5 or more stars. Well done Dean Koontz!

Inked in Vegas - Heathens Ink series - (Nevada)
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
This is shown in some places as being a novella, 145 pages, and others as book #5 in the Heathen's Ink series...but no matter what you consider it, all the characters get to take part. We get to take a trip to Los Vegas, watch everyone participate in a fun scavenger hunt designed by Royal...so you know that it isn't by any means vanilla...and attend a wedding. The biggest plus is that we get to spend time and visit with all the guys from Heathen's Ink, even Dani., who isn't a guy, but she is still a big part of the gang. If you're familiar with the men from the Heather's Ink series, then this is probably okay to be read as a standalone...but if this is your first visit with them... you will understand the dynamics' better if it is read in order. Even though it's short...it's 5-star worthy.

Renegades - E.M. Lindsay-
Breaking The Rules Series - Book #1
4.5★
Possible Trigger: Mental Abuse
This was on left off my May list. I wrote the review but didn't get it posted it on all the sites. Better late than never:)
As usual this author does a fantastic job of writing about and bringing out the difficulties faced by different members of society without ever making the book specifically or entirely about those differences. Kane experienced the occupational and subsequently the financial issues that follow a felony conviction all the while balancing the quiet internal stigma of being a domestic abuse survivor. At first, Soren makes living with his physical disability look easy, until one of the darker moments of the book forces him to focus on his limitations long before he had planned. All this is happening while dealing with the fallout of a divorce and child custody problems, which can be just the same as a M/F marriage even when it was a M/M or F/F marriage. Together, the men must acknowledge the burgeoning feelings between them, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against them. However, when in need, Kane and Soren show up for each other, despite how it might add to their personal difficulties. That is one of the major cornerstones of a real relationship...you just have to heal the best you can. It a well written fantastic story about two men who were broken in completely different ways but find a way to fix each other's broken hearts.

All the Dangerous Things - Stacy Willingham - (Georgia)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
4★
Isabelle Drake was once a lifestyle reporter for The Grit but she turned freelancer so she could marry the Grit publisher, Ben Drake, without causing too much controversy. Poor woman hadn’t slept more than an hour or so a night since her 18-month-old son, Mason, was taken from his crib as she and Ben slept only a few yards away. Since then, her entire existence has been a tireless pursuit of endless leads that result in nothing. She even begins taking her frustrations out on bystanders...once breaking the nose of a supermarket cashier that she had learned had a criminal record. The detective working the case, Det. Arthur Dozier with the Savannah Police Department has repeatedly warned her to stay out of, and away from, the case. She's exhausted from lack of sleep and from her constant travels to all the true-crime conventions across the region, telling the story of her little lost boy and the breakup of her marriage that followed, hoping that someone, somewhere, might know something. Isabelle eagerly agrees to tell her story to a podcaster, Waylon Spencer, thinking that he could spread it more widely. However, she only finds that the questions he asks to be unsettling...so much so that she begins to wonder if maybe she herself could have been the one responsible for Mason’s disappearance...and also what her role might have been in another family calamity that took place more than 20 years earlier that was swept under the rug because her father was a South Carolina congressman from a long line of congressmen. The conclusion to this story was nothing even resembling neat and orderly. There were multiple mysteries that ended up requiring a host of multiple suspects.... entirely too many. The author was relentless in linking Isabelle’s lack of sleep to her waking nightmare...something that I admit allows readers allows readers to easily relate to and sympathize with this woman. Even though Isabelle's nights are sleepless...her nightmares are many and continuous.

Shattered Pieces - K.M. Neuhold -(Washington)
Heathers Ink Series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
It's been nearly 10-years since Gage's boyfriend took his own life. Nearly a decade of guilt had festered and grown. They were teen-agers but they were truly in love. Gage didn't understand even 10 years later, the why of this...but he had managed to create a numbness that allowed him to go through the motions of still breathing but not really living while all the time disbelieving that he was allowed to find happiness or love again...that he even deserved that. Beck, (I loved Beck), is determined to prove him wrong. Beck lives a dual life. He loves and enjoys dancing and wearing the pretty, lacey" things, but he also wears an "unhappy suit", with the hated, and unwanted prospect of making partner in his father's law firm. He had lost someone also, someone that had meant the world to him, so both men are broken in places that only the other may be able to fix. The characters of Gage and Beck are both well-written and so very emotionally engaging. Their chemistry is off the charts hot. The supporting characters...their friends and co-workers, were also perfect. The plot was nothing short of dynamic with an emotional depth that was moving and sometimes heart breaking. The conclusion is very, very satisfying providing a "Happy Ever After" even if it was sometimes only implied. I've read the entire series, so I know how everything turns out. No book in this series is really a stand-alone. I suggest that the series be read in order to experience the dynamics of this cast of characters to one another. Just so you know...Inked in Vegas is book #5 although in some places it's listed as #4. It's a short 143-page addition that continues Gage and Beck's story. Reading it before this one will slightly ruin the rest of the storyline for you.