Tag Archive | 5 Stars

The Two Gentlemen of Altona (Playing the Fool #1) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock (5 Stars)

Dec29

With plenty of brilliant and enjoyable dialogue, the beginning of this series was a fast-paced, suspenseful romance.

Con man Henry Page just witnessed a murder. He reports the crime, but then quickly leaves the scene as opposed to becoming the next body in the bag. Unfortunately for Henry, Special Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness really needs his testimony and makes it his mission to bring Henry in. As these two play cat and mouse games, they slowly start to get to know each other better. Can their relationship survive the fact that they operate on opposite ends of the legal spectrum?

Henry’s non-stop chattering was fascinating. Although he likes to quote Shakespeare, Henry’s own thoughts and behaviors were much more charming and interesting. He has a mysterious background which we don’t get to learn too much about in this story. Mac was a strong cop who doesn’t always do everything by the book. He lacks friends, mostly due to his standoffish nature, but he’s a good cop who wants to protect the innocent.

Henry and Mac develop a smoldering connection while trying to keep Henry alive and finding a mole at the FBI. Although there wasn’t any kind of resolution to this budding romance, I was left with a feeling of hope that they would figure it out in the next book.

I really enjoyed this first story in the series, and having been fortunate enough to read all 3 books back-to-back, I can say that the excitement continued.

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

Winner of The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Awards
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In Another Life by Cardeno C. (5 Stars)

Dec20

At age 18, Shiloh has finally decided that he’s had enough with the bullying, lack of friends, and lonely life. He’s decided to end it all, but fortunately he’s not successful. Flash forward 18 years when he meets Travis. Working as a doctor, and leading an equally lonely life, Travis is immediately drawn to Shiloh. They connect and begin a lovely, sexy relationship where they know deep down that they are meant for each other.

Unfortunately, fate seems to have something else in mind for them. This is where you have to suspend your knowledge of reality and open your heart to magic. We flash back to 18-year old Shiloh recovering from his suicide attempt. Travis is the EMT who saves his life, and continues to visit him in the hospital while they quickly become friends. The rest of the story is simply beautiful.

This touching love story, with a bit of magic and holiday spirit, melted my heart.

Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Bloodline by Barbara Elsborg (5 Stars)

Dec6

I really enjoyed this action-packed adventure-filled book with wit, romance, and excitement.

An evil and brutal king rules the faeries, but Micah is determined to take him down. Unfortunately, the king captures and brutally tortures Micah. The king needs a tattoo as part of his coronation and kidnaps Inigo, the best tattoo artist around. Fortunately, Micah and Inigo help each other escape, and now they will work together to bring the rightful king into power.

Micah, a faerie, and Inigo, a vampire, are instantly attracted to each other. They were both funny, sweet, and always looking out for each other once they started their mission. After spending time working together to accomplish their goals of getting rid of the king, it became clear that they were falling in love with each other. There were enough conversations and actions to make this believable. I felt bad for these two guys dealing with so many problems, but I loved watching them work together.

I didn’t read the first book in the series (Jumping in Puddles), and although it didn’t impact my enjoyment, I’m going to rectify that. My only issue was the level of violence at the beginning. There were a few torture scenes, including forced oral sex, that had me cringing.

I felt like I was watching this story happen in front of me. I was completely caught up in the excitement and action while at the same time thoroughly enjoying the romance.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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A Threefold Cord by Julie Bozza (5 Stars)

Nov30

A beautiful look into the emotional challenges of being in a polyamorous relationship.

Grae Edwards tells us the story of how he, Ben Clyde, and Chris Willoughby meet and fall in love. All three were involved in the world of theater as actors, with Ben also being a writer. They met while working on a play together, and initially it was only Grae and Ben. However, over time, both Grae and Ben realized that they needed Chris. Now they have to see if they can work through the dynamics of having three people in a long-term relationship.

I found this story fascinating. I love to feel like I’m in the middle of what’s happening in the minds of the characters, and this story did a great job of really pulling me into Grae’s head. The conversations between these characters were also perfect in their simplicity. They addressed several issues including how to tell their family and how to address sex when there were only two of them available. Watching them address the issue of jealousy through their thoughts and actions put me on the edge, wondering if this relationship could truly be pulled off.

A magnificent and emotional reflection on the complexities of a relationship among three men.

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