Tag Archive | Gay Romance

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

Surrounded by Crimson (Sumeria’s Sons #4) by Lexi Ander (3 Stars)

Jan20

Tristan’s life is becoming more dangerous, but love will carry him through the tough challenges he will face.

The author created a very rich, detailed world with an interesting history. The majority of the story seemed to be focused on building the world instead of further developing the characters or their relationship. I would have loved to have seen more time spent with Tristan and Ushna.

Tristan started to exert some of his power when he returned to his original home to face the prisoners that attacked his village. I loved watching him show his strength and abilities in order to protect those he loves. His pregnancy continues to trouble him leading to some of the lighter moments in the story. He had a knack for complaining in a humorous way. The plot revolving around Nikita/Brian from the last story continues and strengthens in this story. The saga seems to be headed in the direction of a menage relationship. The Gods and Goddesses continue to interfere and cause trouble, but they also keep things interesting. Ushna and Tristan continue to be on solid footing with their relationship. Their love for each other is shown repeatedly through their actions.

This series must be read in order due to the complexity of the world and relationships and the timeline the story follows. Although this wasn’t my favorite of the 4 books so far, it was still an interesting story and must be read if you’re following the series.

Tristan and Ushna continue their adventure as they build their bond, family, and community.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Tristan has agreed to bond with Ushna, but there is still much to do and returning to Tribe Enkidu puts everyone on edge. Tristan is being stalked like prey, all the while fighting depression as he mourns the loss of Nikita, and enduring a battle of wills with the Elder Council over his birthright. The pleading of his adoptive daughter only adds still more stress to the situation.

Stumbling onto a secret prison while searching for Ushna leads Tristan to risk everything to free a lost God. But breaking the tie to his Flame has more repercussions than Tristan knew and the assistance of a forgotten Goddess and a centuries old lover may not be enough to save him.

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.

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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.

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