Tag Archive | No or Low Angst

Reclamation (Love is an Open Road) by Cari Z. (4.5 Stars)

Nov25

Set in the future, in a world that is filled with despair and crime, Grayson and Matt are both fighting to make it a better place. They meet under unusual circumstances while Matt is working undercover as a stripper. As they begin to develop a relationship, Matt needs to figure out when to come clean with Grayson. Fortunately, this aspect of the story didn’t overwhelm the story. The depressing lives that they both lead was also lightened up by their developing relationship. I enjoyed watching them spend time together and support each other.  As usual, the author always manages to make me feel like I’m living in the story’s world with her incredible descriptions.

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Link to free download.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s “Love is an Open Road” event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

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Candy Man by Amy Lane (5 Stars)

Nov20

A lovely holiday treat that’s light on angst and heavy on hope.

I loved this magical holiday story! Darrin runs Candy Heaven, and he has some strange ability to see bits of the future. His pixie stick is telling him that he needs to hire Adam Macias in order to give him the help he so desperately needs. I thought it was interesting to get two points of view in this story with only one from a main character. It worked very well in this story. Adam has a lot of issues to deal with, and I loved getting to know him better. Since Darrin runs the store, and also has to step in a few times to save the day, it was great hearing his thoughts, too.

I adored Adam. He has not had a great life, and things continue to go wrong for him. However, that doesn’t stop him from trying so hard to move forward. Every time a new obstacle is thrown in his way, he just moves it and carries on. The only thing he’s really bad at is accepting help of any kind from anybody, and after hearing about his upbringing, I could certainly understand why. I loved the different ways the author used Adam’s drawing skills to further the story along. Meeting Finn was the best thing to ever happen to Adam, and he isn’t quite sure what to do about it. Thank goodness Finn wasn’t easily put off by Adam’s behavior. These two were made for each other, and I enjoyed every minute that they were together.

I loved how the author managed to touch me with this story without a horrendous amount of angst or anything over the top, but with a very beautiful story about how love and friendship heals.

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Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Where There’s Fire (Panopolis #2) by Cari Z. (4 Stars)

Nov17

Our super villains continue their adventures in this second and equally enjoyable story set in Panopolis.

Ed and Raul, the Mad Bombardier, are happy and in love, but their lives aren’t easy. Ed escaped prison with a new power – the ability to make somebody experience Ed’s emotions. This allows him to bring somebody to tears or experience extreme fear. Unfortunately, using the powers gives him horrible migraines. Raul is trying to teach Ed as much as possible about being a villain, but before he finishes his training, Raul is kidnapped. Now Ed has to do a special project for the evil Maggot in order to keep Raul from being killed.

I really like these characters and adore Ed. He’s a likable guy with a great voice for telling this story. The romance and relationship were lighter than I would have liked, but the action and Edward’s voice kept it interesting. The ending was solid, but it also left the door open for additional adventures which I will definitely read.

As in the last story, SuperTruther, the blogger, introduces the chapters with an interesting view on the world. I love the way this plot device was used to give us more background on current events in this world.

I really enjoyed this fun, action-packed adventure with my favorite villains from Panopolis.

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

Where There’s Smoke (Panopolis #1) by Cari Z. (4 Stars)

Nov15

Very enjoyable story with super heroes, villains, corruption and an interesting narrator.

Edward Dinges moved to Panapolis to find purpose in his life. Until that happens, he works at the local bank and tries to make the most of his days. Raul Tremblay, aka “The Mad Bombardier”, has worked with explosives since he was a small child. Raul would have been killed while robbing the bank if Edward hadn’t helped him out. This is how they begin their relationship, but they have an uphill battle to keep it from coming to an early demise.

Edward was a sweet guy, and although he was bothered by Raul’s status as a villain, he also felt that Raul was a good guy deep down. Raul made sure nobody ever got hurt during his escapades. Raul spent his days robbing banks and hiring himself out to other villains to handle the explosives. Although I felt like I got to know the characters based on their actions, I would have liked more time with Edward and Raul actually talking to each other instead of just being told about it.

I really enjoyed the way every chapter opened with a broadcast by SuperTruther, the person who informed the city about the corruption taking place between the government and corporations.

A fun story and introduction into an interesting world with plenty of opportunity for a great series. I’m really looking forward to the next book, Where There’s Fire.

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