Tag Archive | 4 Stars

Ruin Porn (Resonator #1) by S.J.D. Peterson and S.A. McAuley (4 Stars)

Nov1

Interesting take on the life of a rock band.

There are four members of Resonator, and all four shared their story. It was easy to keep track of whose head you were in, and each character had a unique voice. The story focused on how the four guys got along, or more often than not, didn’t get along, while they were on tour for their band. Part of the problem was due to the obnoxious, homophobic personality of Miah, the lead singer. Finn and Evin are trying to develop a relationship, but they have a few obstacles. They struggle with how to share their feelings for each other. They didn’t spend enough time talking to each other to convince me that they belonged together. They didn’t convince each other very well either. It felt like Finn and Evin spent too much time arguing or ignoring each other. They also have Ritchie mixed in the sexual side of their relationship which created even more misunderstandings. We eventually get our HEA for  Finn and Evin, but there were a lot of loose ends for Miah and Ritchie which I’m sure we’ll see played out in the next story.

The writing, characters, and interesting backdrop made this an engaging story, but I would have liked a heavier romantic element.

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Book Blurb

Looking for Adventure by Valentina Heart (4 Stars)

Oct19

If you found out you only had a few months to live, what changes would you make in your life?

Jonathan Morgan has just been handed a death sentence in the form of a tumor. As he reflects on his life, he realizes that he’s been extremely lonely for way too long. Fate has him meeting Nino Herc, and an impulsive decision has Jonathan hiring Nico to cook for him as he takes an extended vacation.

Jonathan was regimented in his life as a lawyer and in his every movement. This was the complete opposite of the free-spirited Nino who treasures every moment and embraces life. I enjoyed watching these two spend time together while becoming friends and then lovers. Nino did a wonderful job helping Jonathan learn how to enjoy life once again and appreciate the little things. It was nice to see how they took care of each other in their own way.

There was plenty of dialogue and the relationship was realistic. The only thing that bothered me about this story was the lack of contractions which made the dialogue seem stilted. The biggest threat to their relationship was Jonathan’s decision not to share his current health condition.

Jonathan was given a second chance with his life, and it was delightful to see him make the most of it.

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

The Demon You Know by Barbara Elsborg (4 Stars)

Oct2

Very enjoyable romp through the lives of an angel, a demon, and Hell itself.

Roman is a angel who serves as judge, jury and executioner for any paranormal creature who causes trouble. When a group of demons come up to the Earth’s surface, Roman is tasked with capturing the demons and returning them to Hell before they cause trouble for humans. Ezra is a rare demon who was raised in Hell. Having never been to the surface before, he jumps at the chance to finally see what it’s all about. These two certainly shouldn’t be attracted to each other, but there’s more going on than meets the eye.

Roman is not very happy with his life. He’s living with past regrets and not thrilled with his days dealing with the bad parts of society. Deep down, he’s a good guy and spends his time trying to do the right thing. Ezra has no recollection of ever being anywhere outside of Hell, and no memory of ever doing anything wrong in his life that would have caused him to be sent there. He’s an extremely nice guy with an optimistic view on life. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any friends and is picked on constantly. He spends his days in Hell fixing clocks and time pieces. When he gets the chance to go to the surface, he makes the most of it. If you had any doubt Ezra was good to the bone while he was in Hell, it’s even more obvious once he gets to Earth and goes out of his way to save and help other people.

Ezra and Roman are very well developed characters, and I felt like I really got to know them before they connected about halfway into the story. Roman’s negative vibe was a bit too much, and I enjoyed the story more when I wasn’t in his head. The romance was front and center of the story, and it was believable that these two should be together. I really enjoyed the suspenseful plot with little surprises around every corner. The world this takes place in was interesting, and there was plenty of action.

I also read Bloodline, the story that precedes this one. It’s not necessary to read them in order, but I loved Bloodline and highly recommend it. This story wasn’t as violent which I was happy about.

A very enjoyable paranormal tale with a variety of creatures, including demons, angels and faeries, where love doesn’t always follow the rules.

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

Closing the Loop by Jane Davitt (4 Stars)

Sep7

A romance develops between Lee and Cole on a cruise ship under interesting circumstances. Once the cruise is over, they need to decide if the relationship can survive.

I enjoyed this story and really liked both of the characters. The mystery of Cole’s friend on the cruise was just a minor part of the plot, but served as a backdrop for some of Cole’s behavior. Since Lee just went through a break-up, he’s sensitive and tends to take Cole’s actions personally. Their dialogue and interactions were presented in a realistic light. It wasn’t all sweet talk and roses. There was also some very minor kink in the steamy hot sex scenes.  I liked how the author continued the story after they left the cruise and entered the real world. You usually see somebody at their best on a vacation, and it was nice to see their relationship strengthen in a more realistic setting.

It felt like the author had a longer story to tell, but wanted to keep it short. Many of the chapters ended in the middle of a scene. We were always updated on the results through the next chapter, and I never felt lost. It was just an interesting writing style that took a bit of time to get used to reading. I liked it since it kept the story focused and kept it from feeling repetitive.

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Book Blurb