Review: SECRETS (PsyCop #4) by @JordanCPrice #AmReading

Victor Bayne's job as a PsyCop involves tracking down dead people and getting them to spill their guts about their final moments. It's never been fun, per se. But it's not usually this annoying.

Vic has just moved in with his boyfriend Jacob, he can't figure out where anything's packed, and his co-worker is pressuring him to have a housewarming party.

Can't a guy catch a break?

On a more sinister note, Vic discovers there's absolutely no trace of him online. No trace of anyone else who trained at "Camp Hell," either.

Everyone Vic knows has signed a mysterious set of papers to ensure his "privacy." The contracts are so confidential that even Vic has never heard of them. But Jacob might have.

Another wonderful installment in the PsyCop series! This time Victor discovers his co-workers, friends and even his boyfriend Jacob are keeping secrets from him. Why can’t Victor be Googled? Why is there no record of the infamous Camp Hell or any of its former residents online? In this day and age, that’s a scary thing. The worst part is that everyone seems to know the answers except Victor.

On top of trying to piece out what people are hiding from him, Jacob is stuck investigating a crime so horrible, that it’s taking a serious emotional toll on the usually tough-as-nails detective and his relationship with Victor. I think this is the first time we get to see Jacob’s flawed side. The way he chose to deal with his emotions pissed me off. I also thought Victor was a little too quick to forgive once he figured it out. That said though, I’m glad the boys worked out their issues, and were playing nice by the end.

Overall, I give Secrets...

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character Development - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Horror Elements - 5 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Matthew Gray Gubler (Victor), Channing Tatum (Jacob), Michelle Rodriguez (Lisa), Cherry Jones (Carolyn), Boyd Holbrook (Crash)

Review: MEATWORKS by Jordan Castillo Price @JordanCPrice #SciFi #Amreading

Desmond Poole is damaged in more ways than one. If he was an underachiever before, he’s entirely useless now that he’s lost his right hand. He spends his time drowning his sorrows in vodka while he deliberately blows off the training that would help him master his new prosthetic. Social Services seems determined to try and stop him from wallowing in his own filth, so he’s forced to attend an amputee support group. He expects nothing more than stale cookies, tepid decaf and a bunch of self-pitying sob stories, so he’s blindsided when a fellow amputee catches his eye.

Corey Steiner is a hot young rudeboy who works his robotic limb like an extension of his own body, and he’s smitten by Desmond’s crusty punk rock charm from the get-go. Unfortunately, Desmond hasn’t quite severed ties with his ex-boyfriend, and Corey isn’t known for his maturity or patience.

Meatworks is set in a bleak near-future where cell phone and personal computer technologies never developed. In their place, robotics flourished. Now robots run everything from cars to coffee pots. Taking the guesswork out of menial tasks was intended to create leisure time, but instead robots have made society dependent and passive.

Desmond loathes robots and goes out of his way to avoid them. But can he survive without the robotic arm strapped to the end of his stump?

Wow. Just wow. Once I started reading Meatworks, I couldn’t put it down. That’s not to say the novel was always comfortable. There were times when I felt like I was watching a speeding train headed for the edge of a cliff. But dang, it was worth the ride. Let me just start by saying this is not a romance. If you are a reader who likes weddings and puppies, you’ll have to look for them somewhere else. The closest you’ll get here are some re-hydrated sea monkeys.

Desmond Poole is a beautifully written anti-hero. More than just flawed, this guy is a hot mess! While he’s not the most likeable character I’ve ever read, his vulnerability really shines through--even when he doesn’t want anyone to see it, or admit it to himself. I do believe this is the first science fiction novel I’ve read where the main character is a total Luddite when it comes to technology, and that was one of Desmond’s most endearing traits. He lost his dominant hand, and has a robotic prosthetic that, because of his aversion to robotics, he doesn’t know how to use. But just when you start to feel sorry for him, he does something completely despicable.

The supporting cast isn’t much better. Corey is a hot little guy Desmond meets at the amputee support group. He’s fun and a bit wild, but also moody and immature. Then there is Desmond’s ex-boyfriend, Jim, who on the surface appears to be a well-adjusted, productive member of society, but under his veneer is just as flawed as the others. While Desmond and Jim broke up before the accident, Jim, a social worker, has made it his do-gooder mission of the year to “help” Desmond and assuage some of his residual guilt from the break-up. I know this sounds like the makings of a love-triangle, but really, it’s nothing that sappy. Like I said, this is not a romance. Even if there is some boy drama and a couple hot sex scenes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the quality of the writing. Jordan Castillo-Price writes prose the way some writing poetry, each sentence carefully constructed for maximum impact. Her setting details were so gritty, I could see the story like a film in my head. She also used action to convey character brilliantly. My favorite example of this is the hamburger wrapper. Each day, Desmond stops by a burger joint and eats the sandwich on the way home. He then tosses the greasy wrapped over his neighbor’s fence, so his lawn-bot will have to come out to clean it up. This small action of tossing the wrapped in his neighbor’s yard says so much about Desmond’s contempt for the robotic helpers as well as for other people.

Meatworks is a dark and gritty story that sucked me right in. Desmond is the perfect anti-hero, masking his vulnerability in a tough façade, ten inches thick. His bent toward self-destruction is, at times, disturbing, but you won’t want to put this book down.

Overall, I give Meatworks...

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character development - 5 bookmarks

Writing quality - 5 bookmarks

Love story - PSYCH!!!! How many times do I have to tell you this is not a romance?

Dream cast (Otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - A really punked out and dirty Channing Tatum (Desmond), Jake Bass (Corey), William Levy (Jim), Cate Blanchett (Pam)

Find Meatworks here:

Smashwords

Amazon

Review: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE by @JuliannRich1 #Amreading #LGBT

Two boys at Bible camp; one forbidden love.

That is the dilemma sixteen-year-old Jonathan Cooper faces when he goes away to Spirit Lake Bible Camp, an oasis for teen believers situated along Minnesota's rugged north shore. He is expecting a summer of mosquito bites, bonfires with S'mores, and photography classes with Simon, his favorite counselor, who always helps Jonathan see his life in perfect focus.

What he isn't expecting is Ian McGuire, a new camper who openly argues against phrases like pray the gay away. Ian is certain of many things, including what could happen between them if only Jonathan could surrender to his feelings. Jonathan, however, tosses in a storm of indecision between his belief in God and his inability to stay away from Ian. When a real storm hits and Ian is lost in it, Jonathan is forced to make a public decision that changes his life.

It’s hard to think of a more awkward setting for a gay love story, but I love it! The pray-the-gay-away people completely creep me out. I can’t imagine being a young man, just figuring out who he is, and be subjected to these people. That said, a huge positive about this book is the author didn’t vilify religion or God. She offered a very balanced view, giving different interpretations of biblical arguments for and against homosexuality. Jonathan is able to find a way to be comfortable with himself inside his faith. That’s a difficult and powerful thing.

The relationship between Jonathan and Ian was a little fast, but very typical of teenagers. It wasn’t “insta-love” at least. There was also good, realistic chemistry between them. Being the only two gay boys in the camp, you might think they gravitated to each other out of convenience, but I never got that feeling here.

My only problem with the book is there were a few times I wanted to smack Jonathan upside the head for the way he treated Ian. I get it that he was conflicted and scared, but he should have talked to Ian about it rather than pushing him away. Though this too is probably typical of a teenage boy. I also didn’t really buy the characters of Dawn and Simon. They almost seemed too understanding and perfect.

Overall, I give CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE...

Plot - 4 bookmarks

Character Development - 4 bookmarks

Love Story - 5 bookmarks (I like how it ended. Not a HEA or HFN, but realistic.)

Handling of Sensitive Subjects - 5 bookmarks!

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Dylan O’Brien (Jonathan), A younger Prince Harry - my go-to for HAWT redheads (Ian), Peter Dinkledge (Simon), Alexander Ludwig (Jake), Jeanette McCurdy (Bethany)

Review: STRANGER ON THE SHORE by Josh Lanyon #Mystery #Amreading

Twenty years ago, little Brian Arlington was kidnapped from his family's Long Island estate and was never seen again. The trail went cold, but investigative journalist Griff Hadley has always thought there was more to the story—much more. When the Arlingtons' patriarch invites him to stay at their estate to research his true crime book, Griff can't say no. It's the story of a lifetime.

But not everyone is happy about Griff's presence. Relatives and staff alike regard him coldly, including Pierce Mather, the Arlingtons' attractive lawyer, who is more than a little wary of Griff's motives.

When a stranger shows up claiming to be the long-lost Brian, Griff and Pierce are united in their suspicions. Startled to have found an ally in the buttoned-up lawyer, Griff soon realizes it's hard to keep a professional distance. Even in the midst of a groundbreaking investigation, even in the face of a shocking family secret…

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I love the concept. Cold case mystery involving a missing child and one of America’s most wealthy families? Cool! Unfortunately, the execution of mystery fell short for me. The clues were so painfully obvious right from the beginning that I spent most of the time pissed off at the characters for not figuring it out. Rather than creating tension, I wanted to throw my Kindle against the wall. I kept hoping there would be some twist at the end to prove me wrong, some big pay-off to wow me...but the end was just sort of meh. Coincidence as a plot point just doesn’t do it for me.

I also thought the romance lagged. The attraction between Griff and Pierce wasn’t believable. I feel like there needs to be more than, “Oh, you’re gay too? Let’s go!” Pierce was a jerk to Griff even after they hooked up. And Griff taking it from him made him seem weak. If you are going to have a highhanded Alpha male, you need someone to put him in his place.

I don’t want you to think I hated this book. It was okay. The prose was strong, and like I said, I loved the concept. I guess I just expected more from Josh Lanyon.

Overall, I give Stranger on the Shore...

Plot - 2 1/2 bookmarks

Character Development - 3 bookmarks

Romance - 3 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Jamie Bell (Griff), Armie Hammer (Pierce)

Review: A CASUAL WEEKEND THING by AJ Thomas #AmReading

Doug Heavy Runner left the life of an openly gay Miami police officer and returned to his home on the Salish-Kootenai Indian Reservation when his mother got sick. In the two years since she passed, he’s carved out an empty life as a small-town deputy, relying on out-of-town one-night stands to keep him sane. Then he meets Detective Christopher Hayes, and they share a wild night so incredible Doug breaks his own rule and allows a one-night stand to grow into a weekend of amazing sex.

When Christopher travels from San Diego to Montana to deal with his abusive brother’s suicide, he doesn’t expect to find the man he spent the weekend with to be handling his brother’s case. He certainly doesn’t mind spending more time with Doug—but then an arsonist destroys the house Christopher inherited from his brother, and Christopher and Doug discover they are the primary suspects.

As they investigate, they discover Christopher’s dead brother has set them on the trail of a psychotic pedophile who will stop at nothing to silence his last victim. However, the search for the victim goes horribly wrong, leaving Doug hospitalized and Christopher at the mercy of the killer….

Just finished the audio book of A Casual Weekend Thing by A.J. Thomas. Great story, but I almost couldn't get through it because of the narrator. He had the least sexy voice ever. For some books, that would work fine, but he made all the guys in this book sound like creepers. I see there is a second book out. I hope when Dreamspinner produces the audio version, they chose a more appropriate reader.

As far as the story goes...I enjoyed the characterization. Christopher and Doug were interesting, thought I really wish the author would have left off the lame back story and nightmares for Doug. It felt like an afterthought, and didn't really add to his character or the plot. I liked his struggles with prejudice as a Native American. That was enough. No need to try to make him more damaged.

The plot moved quickly. There was enough mystery to keep me guessing. The love story was handled well. I liked that it showed even relationships with sleezey beginnings can find their happily ever after.

Overall, I give A Casual Weekend Thing...

Plot - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Character Development - 4 bookmarks (I'm just going to go ahead and pretend Doug's stupid back story with the boy from college didn't exist.)

Love Story - 5 bookmarks (Felt very natural.)

Dream cast (Otherwise known as who I pictured while reading/listening) - This was tough, because the narrator had me picturing Ron Jeremy. I suppose if I were reading this book my brain would have pictured Adam Beach (Doug) and Cam Gigandet (Christopher).

Review: CRISS CROSS & BODY AND SOUL by @jordancprice #PsychicsRock #AmReading

The PsyCop series by Jordan Castillo Price is quickly becoming some of my favorite books. I just finished books 2 & 3, so thought I’d review them together. Here goes!

  

Criss Cross

Criss Cross finds the ghosts surrounding Victor getting awfully pushy. The medications that Victor usually takes to control his abilities are threatening to destroy his liver, and his new meds aren't any more effective than sugar pills.

Vic is also adjusting to a new PsyCop partner, a mild-mannered guy named Roger with all the personality of white bread. At least he's willing to spring for the Starbucks.

Jacob's ex-boyfriend, Crash, is an empathic healer who might be able to help Victor pull his powers into balance, but he seems more interested in getting into Victor’s pants than in providing any actual assistance.

The thing I like about this series is how unique it is. The writing is witty and inventive. I just love the world that the author has built. Victor is an unlikely hero. He is a mess, literally and figuratively, and he has a bit of a drug problem. Sometimes I have a hard time picturing him doing any actual police work. But somehow it works!

Jacob, on the other hand, is the very definition of Hero with a capital “H”. I don’t know why, but I was suspicious of him in the first book. He is just too perfect, too much of a police department Golden Boy. My opinion of Jacob has changed a lot through this book. I don’t know what I read in the first book that raised a red flag with me, but it’s gone now. Jacob can’t help it if he is a good guy. Victor desperately needs someone to love him like Jacob does. And he obviously has good taste in men, because I loved Crash as much as I love Victor. (Please tell me Crash gets his own story.)

The plot of this story is fast-paced. The ghosts around Victor are creepy and obnoxious. The humor is smart. What’s not to love?

Body and Soul

Thanksgiving can't end too soon for Victor Bayne, who's finding Jacob's family hard to swallow. Luckily, he's called back to work to track down a high-profile missing person.

Meanwhile, Jacob tries to find a home they can move into that's not infested--with either cockroaches, or ghosts. As if the house-hunting isn't stressful enough, Vic's new partner Bob Zigler doesn't seem to think he can do anything right. A deceased junkie with a bone to pick leads Vic and Zig on a wild chase that ends in a basement full of horrors.

The opening scene with Victor in small-town Wisconsin having Thanksgiving dinner was hilarious! And creepy. And hilariously creepy. 

So now Victor is trying to function without his spirit-suppressing drugs, but the constant chatter from noisy ghosts might just make him go insane. I feel for Victor, because like a lot of people, he can’t seem to find a balance between using and abusing prescription medication. For years he has over medicated as a way to cope. Now he is trying to cut the meds out cold-turkey. Poor Victor.

The cool thing about this book is we get to see Victor act a little more like a police officer. He carries a gun and everything. Not that he didn’t in prior books, but it felt more like a prop before. He also can’t use Lisa’s si-no as a crutch anymore either. This leaves good old-fashioned police work to solve a missing persons case with a gruesome ending.

Speaking of endings, Body and Soul ends with the most romantic scene yet. Beautiful!

  

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character development - 5 bookmarks (Packs a lot into novella length books.)

Love/Sex - 5 bookmarks (Getting more romantic as the books go on.)

Humor - 5 bookmarks (These books actually make me laugh. Not an easy feat.)

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Matthew Gray Gubler (Victor), Channing Tatum (Jacob), Michelle Rodriguez (Lisa), Cherry Jones (Carolyn), Boyd Holbrook (Crash)

Review: STRAIGHT SHOOTER by @HeidiBelleau #AmReading

This macho jock has a crooked little secret.

College hockey player Austin Puett is in trouble. Unless he starts treating his flamboyantly gay roommate with respect, he’ll lose his room and his job at Rear Entrance Video. But Austin’s got a not-so-straight secret of his own: nothing turns him on more than insults implying he’s gay—even though he’s definitely not!—and all his old coping methods have stopped working.

Pure desperation drives him to rent a Mischievous Pictures porn flick about straight men tricked into servicing Puck, a male dominant. Instead of letting off steam, though, it just leaves him craving more, more, more, and suddenly, Austin finds himself at Mischievous Pictures Studios for an audition. After all, you can be Gay For Pay and still be straight . . . right?

But meeting Liam Williams, the real person behind Puck, confuses Austin even more. Liam really seems to like him as a person, and Austin likes him back. And while Gay For Pay’s okay, what does it make Austin if he still wants Liam when the cameras aren’t rolling?

I generally don’t like to read a series out of order, but something about this one interested me, so I broke my rule. Sounds like each book can stand on its own, so I think I caught on okay. of course now I have to go back and read the first two. :)

I have to be honest; I didn’t like the character of Austin at first. He comes across as a homophobe, and I can’t stomach too much of that. But I’m glad I stuck with him, because seeing him overcome his inner struggles was worth it. On top of roommate problems, work problems and problems on his college hockey team, Austin has a fetish that he lives in fear of anyone discovering. No wonder he comes across as an ass at first. Over the course of the novel, Austin comes to terms with all of these things, but I love how the author chose to do it.

A lot of books spend 90% of the book with the character whining, and then there is a quick, tidy wrap up in the last two chapters. Not so here. Belleau let Austin work his issues out in a way that felt natural. Things between him and Liam aren’t perfect, but somehow it works for them.

Speaking of Liam...I found his character fascinating. His porn personality, Puck, is a bit of a dominant asshole, and while Liam brings the dominance home with him, he is also this regular guy. I’m so happy that Austin was able to separate those two sides of him out. No one can have a relationship with a porn star unless they are 100% accepting of their work life. I kept waiting for Austin to pull some whiny crap about making Liam quit his business, but that never happened. If it had, the book could have easily gone cliché. Nice choice, Belleau!

I also loved the theme of this story. Humans are complex creatures, and we don’t always fit into cozy categories and definitions. Much of Austin’s problem revolves around him tormenting himself over whether he is gay or straight. The answer is neither. Once he accepts that, he golden. Loved it!

Overall, I give Straight Shooter...

Plot - 4 bookmarks

Character Development - 5 bookmarks

Moral Lesson - 5 bookmarks

Love Story - 5 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - A younger Don Diamont (Liam), Michael Graziadei (Austin)

Review: INTO THIS RIVER I DROWN by TJ Klune

Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, when his truck crashed into a river. Everyone called it an accident, but Benji knows it was more. Even years later, he’s buried in his grief, throwing himself into managing Big Eddie’s convenience store in the small-town of Roseland, Oregon. Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day to day, struggling to keep his head above water.

But Roseland is no ordinary place.

With ever more frequent dreams of his father’s death and waking visions of feathers on the river’s surface, Benji finds his definition of reality bending. He thinks himself haunted; by ghosts or memories, he can no longer tell. Not until a man falls from the sky, leaving the burning imprint of wings on the ground, does Benji begin to understand that the world is more mysterious than he ever imagined—and more dangerous. As uncontrollable forces descend on Roseland, they reveal long-hidden truths about friends, family, and the stranger Calliel—a man Benji can no longer live without.

(Amazon description)

Wow. Just...wow.

I loved this book so much that I almost don’t know where to start. Usually, when I write a book review, I focus on plot and character, but the striking thing about Into This River I Drown is the writing itself. I read one of TJ Klune’s other books a while back, and I liked it well enough, but it didn’t take my breath away this one did. The language is almost poetic. The words curl their way into a reader’s heart and wring out every emotion until you are left completely spent. Klune’s use of repetition is interesting. Normally, I find that annoying, but somehow here it works.

Symbolism and imagery are heavy in the book, but I’m not going to get into that or this review will end up long enough to bust into chapters. Let’s just say, as an author myself, I am in complete literary awe.

As for the characters... Benji was well-developed and interesting. He had an almost hero-worship relationship with his father, Big Eddie, and has never been able to move on after his death.  Benji remembers his father as an almost mythically perfect being, almost like a very young child feels about their parents before they are old enough to see their flaws. The side characters perpetuate Benji’s exalted opinions by constantly talking about how perfect Big Eddie was. At the time of this story, Big Eddie has been dead for five years, so I assume Benji had a more realistic opinion of his dad back when he was alive. And while this hero-worship thing gets to be a little much after a while, it really clues the reader in to Benji’s fragile emotional stability.

I don’t want to say too much about Calliel, because I don’t want to give anything away, but I found him quirky and endearing. I understood why he and Benji felt so much for each other, but even at the end of the book, I feel like I only know him about 95%. There is still the hint of mystery about him. Not that I think there will be a sequel, this appears to be a standalone novel, but this mystery left me still thinking about the book after I finished reading. That’s a good thing.

The book is filled with wonderful supporting characters who often defy stereotypes. Benji’s Aunt Nina was the perfect mix of loving and spooky. She has a mild form of Downs, so people may write her up, but she sees the world like a prophetess, wise and mystical. Abraham Dufree is a senior citizen and Benji’s only friend. Like Nina, people may dismiss an elderly man, but Abraham turns out to be tough as nails. The older woman who runs the local diner carries a shotgun and isn’t afraid to use it.

The plot of the story does have a few pacing issues, but it never gets too bogged down. It basically revolves around Benji trying to unravel who killed Big Eddie, but there are several sub-plots to layer on interest. There are “bad guys” who are obvious bad guys, but then there is a twist to the mystery at the end to take a reader by surprise.

Overall, I give Into This River I Drown....

Plot - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Character Development - 5 bookmarks

Mystery - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Paranormal Elements - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Love Story - 5 bookmarks

Literary Quality - 5 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Logan Lerman (Benji), Chris Hemsworth (Calliel), Abraham (Michael Fairman)

Review: TRAINING SEASON by @LetaBlake #AmReading

Unquestionably talented figure skater Matty Marcus is willing to sacrifice everything for his Olympic dream, but his lack of discipline cost him the gold once before. Now the pressure’s on. He needs a coach who can keep him in line, but top coaches don't come cheap, and Matty can't afford to stay in the game no matter how badly he wants to win.

When a lucrative house-sitting gig brings him to rural Montana, Matty does his best to maintain his training regimen. Local residents turn out to be surprisingly tolerant of his flamboyant style, especially handsome young rancher Rob Lovely, who proves to be much more than a cowboy stereotype. Just as Matty requires a firm hand to perform his best on the ice, Rob shows him how strong he can be when he relinquishes control in the bedroom. With new-found self-assurance, he drives himself harder to go straight to the top.

But competition has a timetable, and to achieve his Olympic dream, Matty will have to join his new coach in New York City, leaving Rob behind. Now he must face the ultimate test. Has he truly learned how to win—on and off the ice—during his training season?

I am a huge figure skating fan, so when I saw this book come up on NetGalley, I jumped on it. It didn’t take me too long to figure out the main character, Matty, is inspired by Johnny Weir--one of my all time favorite male skaters. It made me love the book a little bit more, actually. As soon as I finished reading, I hit up YouTube to re-watch some of Johnny’s best performances. No man has ever matched his artistry on the ice. But Matty isn’t Johnny, and this is fiction, so enough waxing poetic about J.W.

When the book opens, Matty is at a turning point in his career. Just coming of a disastrous performance at the Olympics and a rough injury, he retreats to Montana to get his head back on straight and focus on his comeback. Rob is the hot rancher next door, who in addition to being “practically perfect in every way” is also gay.  I found the character of Matty to be well-rounded and full of depth and flaws. And while I liked Rob, he never felt real to me. He was too good, too sweet. It made the scenes where he plays the Dom unrealistic.

Yes, I did say Dom. Nowhere in this book description does it mention this is a BDSM relationship. Not that I mind reading about BDSM, but there were two things that Rob did that made me squeamish, and readers should be warned (The corn maze and the bathroom. That’s all I’ll say.). Other than those two things, I found the romance sweet and sensual. My favorite scene was one where Rob threw Matty into his jumps. I felt like I was there in this beautiful place, watching this beautiful love story play out.

The supporting characters were well-written. Elliot was a party boy with a heart. Bill and Angus were fabulous comic relief. Matty’s family were way more supportive than mine would have ever been. Even Rob’s ex-wife Anja was cool. In general, I’m not a fan of overly precocious children, so there were a few scenes where Rob’s son Ben bugged me, but he grew on me.

The best part of this book is the lesson it teaches about the balance of dreams and reality. It’s something I think we all have to deal with at some point in our lives. Watching Matty learn it is rough, but necessary.

Overall, I give TRAINING SEASON...

Plot - 4/2 bookmarks

Character development - 4 bookmarks (Again, Rob needed to be a little more human, but Matty was fab!)

Love story - 5 bookmarks

Sex Scenes - 4 bookmarks

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Johnny Weir, of course (Matty), Alan Ritchson (Rob), Kevin McHale (Elliot), Michael Fassbender (Bill), Diana Argon (Anja)

Review: AMONG THE LIVING by Jordan Castillo Price ‏@jordancprice #AmReading

Victor Bayne, the psychic half a PsyCop team, is a gay medium who’s more concerned with flying under the radar than in making waves.

He hooks up with handsome Jacob Marks, a non-psychic (or “Stiff”) from an adjacent precinct at his ex-partner’s retirement party and it seems like his dubious luck has taken a turn for the better. But then a serial killer surfaces who can change his appearance to match any witness’ idea of the world’s hottest guy.

Solving murders is a snap when you can ask the victims whodunit, but this killer’s not leaving any spirits behind.

Because my series revolves around psychics, I tend to avoid books about them. I just don’t want to be influenced by other authors. But when I read the premise of the Psy Cop series, I figured it was different enough to avoid those kinds of pitfalls.

AMONG THE LIVING is only novella length, but it packs a lot of punch. We get creepy horror, humor, well-developed characters, some fun sexy-times...everything I like in a book. I love the world this story is set in. The pairing of psychic and stiff investigators is a really cool concept. It’s interesting how the two types of people bring different talents to the table while solving crimes. The psychic investigators also vary in their talents, leading to some interesting plot possibilities. I found it interesting that even thought psychics are utilized in such an important way in this society, they are still feared and discriminated against. I see so many exciting possibilities for where the author can take these characters.

Short review for a short book, but I already purchased the second book, and I can’t wait to continue!

Overall, I give AMONG THE LIVING...

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character development - 5 bookmarks (considering this is only 90 pages, there is a lot of depth to Victor)

Love/Sex - 4 1/2 bookmarks (the only reason I downgraded it from five is because I’m not fully connected to Jacob yet)

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Matthew Gray Gubler (Victor), Channing Tatum (Jacob), Michelle Rodriguez (Lisa), Cherry Jones (Carolyn)

Review: COLLEGE BOYS by Daisy Harris #LGBTRomance

When soccer star Chris Fischer moves next door to an openly gay classmate, he doesn't realize the wall between their rooms will be so thin he'll hear his neighbor's every move. But soon he and Peter become friends, and Chris is intrigued—imagining what happens on the other side of the wall. Active on the Queer Student Council, Peter Cohen wishes he wasn't so damn hot for his straight neighbor. He can't tell if Chris is flirting or in denial or what, but Chris's innocent overtures lure Peter into flirtation that throws his world into chaos. Peter doesn't want to date a closet case, but he desperately, passionately wants Chris. Soon Chris must choose whether to run away from his new feelings or embrace a relationship with the guy he loves. And Peter must decide if he can give his heart to a guy who hasn't yet figured it all out.

I love stories of self-discovery. While I think most people have an idea whether they are gay or straight before they get to college, love and attraction are mysterious, and sometimes we can’t predict the direction our attractions will take. Seeing Chris discover love for the first time with a person he never expected was beautiful. Yes, the sex was hot, but it was the sweetness and honesty to the relationship between them that really drew me in. The awkward moments along the way were fun to read about.

However, the plot was a little light and predictable. Chris’s teammates on the his soccer team pretty much behaved in the predictable manner at the discovery of Chris’s relationship with Peter. There were no stunning revelations that I couldn’t see coming a mile away, but sometimes it’s nice to have a simple, romantic read that isn’t too heavy.

Overall, I give College Boys...

Plot - 3 bookmarks

Character development - 4 bookmarks

Love story - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Dream Cast (Otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Sam Claflin (Chris), Colton Haynes (Peter)

5 Star review for GRAVEDIGGER’S BRAWL by @abigailroux

Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.

Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.

But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

Forgetting the fact that Abigail Roux is one of my favorite authors right now, Gravedigger’s Brawl was almost a perfect read for the mood I was in. It had a little of everything: romance, ghost stories, history, strong characters and an exciting plot.

Very few ghost stories scare me, and I’m not going to say that this one did, but I definitely felt creeped out as the characters slowly moved from skeptical to scared. In fact, I think that was one of the great successes of the story. For most of the book, the strange occurrences in the historic bar were completely explainable by every day things. As a reader, I wasn’t sure whether this was an actual ghost story or not. It made reading it fun, like I was participating in the mystery, and not just reading about it.

I am completely obsessed with the character of Ash. He was unique, well-developed and had loads of personality. He's one of those characters that I will continue to think about for years. Wyatt was likable, but he just didn’t resonate with me in the same way. I suppose that makes some sense since he was supposed to be the stodgy historian-type, but I found myself wanting more from him. The chemistry between Wyatt and Ash was wonderful, but then, I think Ash could have chemistry with just about anybody. Even with the minor flaw in Wyatt, the dynamic supporting characters helped to make up for it.

While I love series books, it was nice to read a well-rounded, stand-alone that gave me a sense of completion. Not that I wouldn’t mind seeing these characters again in their next home, wherever that may be.

Overall, I give Gravedigger’s Brawl...

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character development - 4 1/2 bookmarks overall, but 6 million for Ash!

Love story - 5 bookmarks (though I would have loved to see more of the romance between Noah & Caleb.)

Dream Cast (Otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Aidan Turner (Ash), Hayden Christensen (Wyatt), Chris Hemsworth (Noah), Tom Hiddleston (Caleb), Taylor Kitsch (Ryan), Lizzy Caplan (Delilah)

Book recommendations for the reader on your list! #AmReading #Christmas

As many of you know, I read a lot. A LOT! Last time I counted, I finish about 250 books per year. That makes me somewhat of an expert when it comes to recommending books to people, especially this time of year when people are looking for gift ideas. So, I thought I would write some gift book ideas for you to help you on your shopping. 

For readers who liked The Hunger Games, I recommend Veronica Roth's Divergent Series. Within an action-packed dystopian world, it explores what it means to be human. It would also give the reader a chance to check out the book before the movie is released in 2014. 

For readers who like Twilight, AND for those who didn't like Twilight, I recommend Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Series. This is how a young adult vampire series should be done. No dippy heroines, over-protective boyfriends and lots of kick-ass action. Not to mention, it has one of my favorite romances of all time. The first movie also comes out on Valentines Day, so your reader can get a head start.

For readers who liked the Anita Blake Series, I recommend Shannon Mayer's Rylee Adamson Series. Filled with action, supernatural creatures and humor, without going all "porny" like Anita Blake did. The first book is Priceless, but there are a total of five books out so far if you wanted to make your own boxed set.

                   

For readers who liked Fifty Shades of Gray, I recommend Sylvia Day’s Crossfire Series: Bared To You, Reflected In You and Entwined With You. The first three books are now available in a boxed set. 

Or check out Christina Lauren's Beautiful Series. The first book is Beautiful Bastard. 

For readers who like erotic fiction, but found Fifty Shades of Gray to be ridiculous, I recommend Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners Series: The Siren, The Angel, The Prince and The Mistress. This is one of my favorite series ever!!! It is erotic literary fiction, and the characters are amazing.

For those who liked Beautiful Disaster, I recommend Easy by Tammara Webber.

Or try M. Leighton's Bad Boys Series: Down To You, Up to Me and Everything For Us.

For readers who liked On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, I recommend Surviving Raine by Shay Savage. This is how a tortured, brooding man should be written. I officially have a new book-boyfriend in Bastian Stark. 

For readers who like alpha males, lots of action and are open to M/M romance, you have to look at the Cut and Run Series by Madeline Urban and Abilgail Roux. This is another of my all-time favorite series. The characters are beautifully flawed, hilariously written and sexy as hell. There are more books than this, but here are the first four:

 

For readers who think vampires should be sociopaths, not romantic heroes, I recommend a little known book called Scent and Shadow by Mercy Loomis. Horror readers will absolutely love this book! And the writing is brilliant. 

I hope these recommendations help. If you need more, I read many genres, and I'm happy to help you come up with something for the reader on your list. Leave a comment, or hit me up on Twitter - @Jesilea.  

And of course, my books are also available to the young adult, paranormal loved on your list.  #ShamelessSelfPromotion.  

Happy Holidays!!!!

Review: NO FLAG by @LizBorino #FridayReads

For Mike and Will, "No Flag" meant "come home alive", but will their love survive what happens next?

Captain Mike Kelley does not ignore his intuition, so when sexy bartender Will Hayes captures his heart, Mike embarks on a mission to win him over to a Domestic Discipline relationship. Will accepts with one caveat: Mike must promise not to renew his Army commission. Mike agrees, and they spend a year building a life together, getting married, and starting a business.

Only days before their café's grand opening, Mike receives news that threatens everything he and Will have built. The Army invokes the Stop Loss military policy to involuntarily extend his commission and send him back overseas. Will, left alone to cope with the café, must rely on the support of old friends who may be no longer be trustworthy. Through emails and Skype calls, Mike and Will keep their love and structure alive...until the day a horrific terrorist attack occurs on Mike's outpost.

Mike awakens in a hospital with a devastating injury and no his memory of the attack. As the only survivor, Mike's memory may be the key to national security. Mike struggles to cope with his injury and Will struggles to support the man who always held him up. Both fear they have lost their previous relationship. Will has Mike back rather than a folded flag, but in the aftermath of war, can they rebuild the life they had before? Especially when those closest to them may not have their best interests at heart?

I almost don’t know where to start discussing this book.  I suppose I should say first that I really, really liked it.  Not quite love, but close.  The story was emotional and drew me right in.  I get the purpose of Stop Loss, but I think it is royally unfair, and only should be used in the direst of circumstances. Mike and Will had everything set to embark on a life together when the government decided to play games with their lives. I support those who step up to serve our country, but that support includes letting them go when their service is over.  Of course, then Mike gets hurt and it made me even angrier at the injustice of it all.  (Angry at the situation, not the book. The book was quite good.) 

I loved the “no flag” catch phrase. I don’t have a whole lot of experience with the military, so I’m not sure if that is a common saying or not, but it tugged at my heart every time the guys used it.

Mike’s rehab and rekindling of his marriage were also very well written. I really felt how devastating and frustrating the whole situation must have been for them both.

Now, I am going to say something about a book that I don’t think I have ever said before in a review --- I wish the book would have moved a little slower.  I know! Really!  It’s just that I felt some of the build of the romance and the character development suffered a bit with the quick pacing. I like to fall in love alongside the characters, but the romance was too rushed for that here. There wasn’t a whole lot of build to the sexual tension/chemistry.  It worked out okay because there was a lot of story to carry me along without it, but the book could have benefitted from about ten pages of romance expansion to fill it out. 

This book is listed in erotica, but I didn’t see it that way -- more of a straight-up M/M romance. The sex is there, but not overly described in long, vivid detail.  The DD relationship added to Mike’s character. As someone who suffers from OCD, he needs exacting structure in his house hold. Will understood this and did all he could to accommodate.  That said, I thought Mike took the discipline a little too far a couple of times. It kind of made me hate him just a little.

Will was a wonderful character. (Mike was good too, but I connected more with Will.) Their character development was fine. But the supporting characters could have benefitted from depth.  The “bad guys”, Mike’s commanding officer and Will’s friend Casey, did not feel real to me. I could guess that Mike’s boss was probably a homophobe, but that was never explored. I wasn’t sure if he enacted Mike’s Stop Loss provision purposefully, or if the order came from someone else. As written, he seemed like a douche for douche’s sake.  I also didn’t buy Casey’s weird crush on Will.  Maybe it’s because I didn’t have a clear picture of her motives. Her actions seemed extreme for someone who didn’t have some sort of fucked up back story. I wanted to know what it was. Seth waffled between clueless and supportive, but I never really felt I knew him. Another ten pages could have been added to flesh out some of these side characters.  For me, that would have elevated this book from a four to a five star. 

Overall, I give No Flag...

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character Development - 3 bookmarks

Love Story - 4 bookmarks (What was there was wonderful. I just wished it was less rushed.)

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Wentworth Miller (Mike), Zachary Levi (Will), Ashley Benson (Casey). 

Review: BAD IDEA by @DamonSuede. 5 Stars #AmReading #LGBTRomance

Some mistakes are worth making.

Reclusive comic book artist Trip Spector spends his life doodling super-square, straitlaced superheroes, hiding from his fans, and crushing on his unattainable boss until he meets the dork of his dreams. Silas Goolsby is a rowdy FX makeup creator with a loveless love life and a secret streak of geek who yearns for unlikely rescues and a truly creative partnership.

Against their better judgment, they fall victim to chemistry, and what starts as infatuation quickly grows tender and terrifying. With Silas’s help, Trip gambles his heart and his art on a rotten plan: sketching out Scratch, a “very graphic novel” that will either make his name or wreck his career. But even a smash can't save their world if Trip retreats into his mild-mannered rut, leaving Silas to grapple with betrayal and emotions he can't escape.

What will it take for this dynamic duo to discover that heroes never play it safe?

Damon Suade has done it for me again! Proving that romance transcends stereotypes, Bad Idea has completely charmed me.  This book isn’t just a gay romance - it is a book about the human needs of love and acceptance.  As a straight, married woman from the mid-west, I might not be who Suade and his publishers would envision as their target market, but I’m telling you, Suade’s books are now on my “automatic buy” list.

Like Suade’s previous novel, Hot Head, the dialog in Bad Idea is witty, and the prose quietly genius. I never use the highlight function on my Kindle, but I had to break it out for this novel. Little pearls of wisdom abound:

“Sometimes an artistic career felt like climbing a glass mountain wearing nothing but bacon fat.”

“S’important to have old friends...They remember who you were before you made yourself up.”

“Never make a permanent mistake to solve a temporary problem.”

These are characters I’ve never met, but somehow, always wanted to know.  Trip and Silas are both men trying to find their place in the world in their own ways.  On the surface, they couldn’t be more different - Trip is quiet and anxiety-ridden; Silas has a charm that is larger than life.  The two bond over the geekdom of comics.  What is better than a sexy nerd?  TWO!!!  But the relationship is not perfect.  Both men stumble and fumble their way toward each other, making plenty of mistakes along the way.  But the issues between them are not trite and contrived as I find in so many other books; rather Trip and Silas come across as real people, as if they didn’t have an author orchestrating their actions and peering over their shoulders. As an author myself, I know how incredibly hard that is to do.  

I can’t review this book without commenting on the erotic scenes.  The sex in this book is just the right combination of realism and romance - hot, steamy and tender with just a touch of comic relief mixed in for fun.  While I have no problem with M/M sex, there are readers out there who do. If you happen to be one of these people, do everyone a favor and don’t read the book.  But for readers who are more open to that sort of thing, you will find the eroticism heart-racing.

At 136,000 words, Bad Idea is a fairly long novel, but the depth of the story keeps the plot moving.  Aside from the main romantic plot, there are many other conflicts at work.  Trip battles endlessly between creating art for commercial purposes and creating art that he loves.  Complicating matters is his boss and “Unboyfriend”, Cliff, who treats Trip like his personal branded, cash-cow, and who cuts Trip off at the knees every time he strays from his planned route. Artists of all types can relate to the battle of “selling out” to make a living and doing what you love. I love reading about other authors’ creative processes , so Trip creating his new graphic novel character Scratch was really fun.  (And I’m thrilled to see on Damon Suade’s website that Scratch will be coming to life in his own novella in 2014.)

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book, but this review is getting long. Check it out for yourself. Bad Idea is actually a truly brilliant idea.

Overall, I give Bad Idea...

Character development - 5 bookmarks (Even the supporting characters are fabulous!)

Love story - 5 bookmarks

Geek references - 5 bookmarks

Sex scenes - 5 bookmarks (HAWT!!!!)

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Kellan Lutz (Silas), Max Irons (Trip), Ryan Reynolds (Cliff), David Tennant (Kurt)

**** Bad Idea releases for sale 

on October 22, 2013. ****