Tag Archive | 5 Stars

Dragon’s Eye (Sumeria’s Sons #5) by Lexi Ander ( 5 Stars)

Jan28

Hello lovers of major world-building! Keep your thinking caps on while reading this action-packed story in the continuing saga of Ushna, Tristan, and Brian.

There was so much happening in this story, in part because it’s longer than the other books, but also because it seems we’re getting closer to the end. The story started out a bit slow for me. The world and its characters, including friends, enemies, gods and goddesses, continued to be developed at a pace I simply couldn’t keep up with. Fortunately, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story itself, especially since it quickly picked up and focused on the main characters. The author is extremely talented in writing action scenes, and she had me on the edge of my seat several times.

Ushna was such a strong and beautiful person, and it was nice to finally be inside his head. His heart is broken, and he doesn’t even have time to grieve before he and his extended family and friends are under attack. Fortunately, he quickly learns what the reader already knew, that both Tristan and Brian are going to return to him. Watching the three of them reunite, and hearing all of their unique voices, was the heart of the story. Their undying love for each other was so precious, and while I liked each character, Tristan is still my favorite. He brings a sense of enjoyment to the story with his love of life and witty comments. Brian was kind and patient and fit in perfectly with Ushna and Tristan. The backstories of several of the friends were also brought to light to add an even deeper dimension. On top of all of this, you have dragons.

This series must be read in order due to the complexity of the world and relationships and the timeline the story follows. This is the fifth story in the series and there is at least one more listed on the author’s website. Although the overall arc with the gods and the enemies hasn’t been fully resolved, the story felt like it had more closure with the characters.

The love between Tristan, Ushna, and Brian is powerful and engaging, and it might just be enough to conquer their enemies.

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

Dreams of the Forgotten (Sumeria’s Sons #3) by Lexi Ander (5 Stars)

Jan10

Tristan’s life continues to get more challenging as the past clashes with his destiny.

Tristan and Ushna continue to develop their relationship. Although they have been friends since they were children, it seems that only now are they finally able to express their deep love for each other. Their protective instincts for each other and the way they treated each other with respect was beautiful. They also had to work through some minor, realistic issues in order to move forward. A portion of the story is devoted to the strange dreams Tristan is having involving two other men. Tristan is troubled by the dreams and concerned about their meanings. It will be interesting to see where this leads.

Tristan and Ushna continue to build their community, and it thrives under their leadership. I enjoyed the sense of a strong family the story created. Tristan’s best friends come to visit, and we begin to learn how deep the mystery and betrayal extends. Dark magic continues to wreak havoc on their lives. However, Tristan continues to strengthen his connection to the Earth which helps tremendously. Tristan is getting closer to giving birth, and I still found many of his comments pretty humorous. I must admit that I could listen to Tristan describe paint drying for 50 pages and find it fascinating.

There are also two free shorts on the author’s website which I highly recommend. They revolve around their friend, Gregori, and his love interest, Juan. Gregori is an extremely strong Magi, and it was interesting to get his perspective on some of the activities taking place. There was also a sweet romance taking place.

I always find it hard to start a series with a continuing arc not knowing if the strength of the writing and characters will hold up. Three books in and I’m still completely enamored with the characters, the plot, and the writing.

cover

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

Rough Road (Lake Lovelace #2) by Vanessa North (5 Stars)

Jan8

A sweet romance mixed in with some serious sadistic play and extremely hot sex scenes made for a smooth ride.

Eddie Russell is wealthy but lonely. Over 40, he calls himself an old queen who is very comfortable with himself. He’s a masochist but definitely not a sub. Wish Carver is very mature for only being 24. He’s a major sadist but not a Dom. In the bedroom, these two are definitely made for each other. Eddie enjoys caning, biting, spanking, and bondage. Wish is more than willing to meet Eddie’s desires. Outside of the bedroom, it was even better.

I really enjoyed how well these two connected and the amount of time we spent watching them develop their relationship. They were both very considerate of each other, and they seemed to bring out the best in each other. While age was a discussion point, it didn’t overwhelm the plot. Since neither of them had really been in a serious relationship before, they had to learn how to deal with conflict. The biggest problem came from Eddie trying too hard to take care of his old friend, Ben, and putting Ben before Wish one too many times. I liked the way the author had them work through several issues making their HEA realistic.The addition of family and friends also added a nice touch to the story.

Although this is the second book in the series, it stands on its own. However, I really enjoyed the first story and highly recommend it.

cover

Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

The Gift (Las Vegas Escorts #2) by Andrew Grey (5 Stars)

Jan5

Love shouldn’t be impacted by our choice of professions, but too often it is. Can an escort and a prince rise above this and find happiness?

Ember Savoy is an escort in Las Vegas and also the owner of a yoga studio. He knows the escort business won’t last forever, and he also needs yoga and meditation to help him deal with being an escort. Ember is taking care of Jimmy, a young man from his hometown that was kicked out of his home for being gay, just like Ember was. Ember and Grant, from the beautiful first story in the series, are trying to help Jimmy get his GED so he can go on to college. Ember is clearly a warm and compassionate person.

Alejandro Martine is the prince and future ruler of a small foreign country who is taking an extended vacation before stepping up to his new responsibilities back home. His family doesn’t know he’s gay, and he doubts that they will support him if they discovered this fact. Alejandro brought his best friend, Christo, along with him. I loved the interaction between these two as Christo encourages Alejandro to live his own life. Alejandro definitely matures as the story builds, and he moves from being a spoiled prince to a mature leader.

Alejandro meets Ember after taking one of the yoga classes. Their chemistry is instant, but it’s the build-up of the relationship through dates and discussions that cements the deal. I enjoyed watching Ember and Alejandro get to know each other better as they took in the sights while talking about thier pasts and futures.

In the back of my mind, I kept wondering how these two would get over the huge hurdles in front of them. Alejandro needed to return home or it would cause issues for his family and the country. Ember has his studio, his friends, and his estranged siblings that he hopes to reconnect with. Ember would also have to stay hidden if he followed Alejandro. Ember had already given up so much to live his life in the open, and he really doesn’t want to go back to hiding. Fortunately, the story didn’t focus on the issues that could separate them, but instead kept showing why they should stay together. The author tends to write characters that are very realistic, faults and all, which always makes the stories more enjoyable and unpredictable. I was very happy with the final resolution and how it was reached.

I really enjoyed this latest addition to the Las Vegas Escorts series, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

cover

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