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A Shadow of Wings by Linda Gayle (5 Stars)

Jul19

Positively magnificent! Between the romantic, sensual love story and the unique shifter angle, I was in paradise reading this story.

Dylan has been living a very challenging life after being abandoned by his family. He’s barely making ends meet working for a veterinarian, but he’s trying hard to improve his place in the world. Cam Coburn is a cockatrice shifter (large bird-like creature with a tail) who is drawn to finding and helping people in danger. They meet when Cam rescues Dylan from being attacked by a group of thugs. This is the beginning of a forbidden relationship, since Cam isn’t supposed to spend a lot of time with humans.

The characters were extremely well-developed, and I loved both of them. Dylan had this sexy, tough exterior with a need to protect. I could have listened to him talk all day, especially when he was sweet talking Cam. Cam had more of a refined but naive tone to him. He was very cultured about the world, but had never really been in love before. Dylan and Cam were amazing together. They cared about each other, and truly treated each other with respect. I loved how Dylan questioned Cam’s uniqueness, but also accepted it in a way that seemed believable.

A good portion of the story was focused on their evolving relationship, with the remainder dedicated to the paranormal aspects which created a perfect dynamic. The story was sensual, romantic, and suspenseful. There was a solid epilogue, and the ending was perfect. Since there is the opportunity for the author to continue in this world or stop here, I certainly hope she continues.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Mating Balance (Love’s Landscapes) by Gina A. Rogers and Kyle Adams (4 Stars)

Jul13

Troy was a shifter who was on the verge of suicide after spending years unsuccessfully searching for his mate. The beginning of the story, is told by a very depressing Troy, explaining the downfall of his family. Seth was an extremely jubilant person who enjoys every moment life has to offer. His narration focused on the beauty of the world. Troy and Seth formed an interesting pair. I enjoyed watching the two of them together as they slowly moved their relationship forward, and Seth was able to make Troy smile.

Link to free download once available at http://www.mmromancegroup.com.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s “Love’s Landscapes” event at Goodreads. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
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Turbulence (Turbulence #1) by Lyn Gala (5 Stars)

Jun30

Phenomenal and romantic adventure in deep space with wonderful characters and an intriguing plot that kept me completely entranced from the beginning to the end.

Corporal Jacqs Glebov and Commander Zeke Waters are stationed on the Candiru, a spaceship patrolling the borders while humans are at war with the Ba’kel. As Jacqs and Zeke begin to develop their relationship, they must also deal with their crew, ship politics, and changes in the war climate.

The entire story is told from Jacqs’ point of view, and he has definitely been added to my list of favorite characters. I loved the way he was always so blunt and honest. He told you how it was and never played games. Once he knew what he wanted, he went after it. He took his work seriously, and quickly became frustrated when others didn’t do the same. In his opinion, he wasn’t book smart, but I thought his street smarts were worth significantly more in this world. He also had a heart of gold and was always protecting those weaker than him without giving it a second thought. Listening to everything from his viewpoint was addictive.

I also adored Zeke! He was the perfect complement to Jacqs. He was patient enough to truly get to know how amazing Jacqs was, and he always made sure he understood whatever point Jacqs was making. To top it off, the sex scenes were incredible. They would have full-blown knockdown fights leading to hot and heavy sex, and it was amazingly steamy because it matched their lives and personalities.

I simply couldn’t get enough of this world the author built. It had the perfect balance of science fiction and reality without an excessive amount of new terminology. Although there were quite a few people on the ship, I actually felt like I knew most of them which is pretty amazing for me. The ending of this story was brilliant and realistic.

Extraordinary storytelling and incredible character development made this science-fiction adventure a definite keeper!

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Havoc by Linda Gayle (5 Stars)

Jun26

Riveting, romantic character driven intergalactic love story with three amazing characters in a fight to save themselves and humanity.

Kels Nero Havoc, captain of the Ash Nova, is trying to get said ship back. His first mate and best friend, Elion Ingemar Andervaars, is unsuccessfully trying to help him. Along comes Sayal Iluma, a stranger with a proposition. If she helps them win their ship back, will they take her to the Zone? Thus begins the mystery of unravelling who Sayal really is and her reasons for desperately wanting to go to the Zone.

All three of these characters bring their point of view to the story which allowed us to get to really know each of them. Kels was a solid leader with high morals, an innate kindness, and a charming sexually charged personality. Elion has been in love with Kels, along with having a bit of hero worship, ever since Kels saved his life. Raised in the military, Elion is kind, quiet, and strong. He knows he wants Kels as more than a friend, but isn’t sure how to get him. Sayal is also a strong character, both in her abilities and in her desire to accomplish her main objective.

As they work toward their goal of getting Sayal to the Zone, the three of them begin to fall in love, both separately and as a triad. It was perfect that they spent time alone with each other before finally coming together as a team.

The plot was exciting, including participating in the sex games, winning their ship back and their travels to the Zone. The story was dynamic, weaving together several ideas throughout the tale to bring us to our conclusion. There were also some interesting concepts presented about the beginning of life on earth and why we’re here.

An amazing story where every action, every sex scene, and every conversation helped to move the plot, the romance, and the relationships along. The love story was beautiful, and the action-packed, science fiction-based plot was exciting and interesting. I would love to see more stories take place in this world the author built.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb