Tag Archive | MMM

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

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

Misfits by Garrett Leigh (5 Stars)

Mar16

A sweet, but angst-filled, romance with three men trying to find their place with each other.

I loved all of the characters, and I really enjoyed the restaurant angle of the story. Tom, Cass, and Jake were all misfits in their own way brought together by Jake. He became the glue they needed to bond together. I didn’t know much about Tourette’s Syndrome before, but I liked how the author kept it as a natural part of the story. It didn’t define Jake, and instead it was just something he lived with.

This was definitely not your standard romance story, and watching Tom and Cass try to work through their poor communication skills was heart-wrenching. Tom seems to be the strongest of the team, and he definitely likes to be in control of everything, but it’s really just a front. He’s desperate for more attention from Cass. He wants to take care of Cass, but he also wants more from Cass than it seems Cass is capable of giving. Cass seems like he just doesn’t love himself mostly due to how he was treated while he was young. He’s also holding onto the past in a way that isn’t letting him grab the future he has with Tom. It was nice to see these three people help each other heal in their own way, and accept that they were deserving of better. I loved that we got all of their points of view by the end of the story. It really helped to understand where they were all coming from.

All of the guys are extremely talented and hard-working. I loved how the author wove their talents so that they worked and played well together. Not really an overt romance, but you knew they really loved and cared about each other because of the things that they did for one another. It’s not that it was high angst, but it also wasn’t a happy feel good kind of story either.

I was trapped in the vortex of their messed up lives, wondering how on earth this would resolve itself in a believable way. Needless to say, I was very happy with how everything worked out.

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

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Book Blurb