Tag Archives: Nicole Kimberling

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Reading Update
Frat Boy and Toppy by Anne Tenino. ebook. Very good, very steamy, and very sweet m/m romance about a college jock and frat boy who’s been in denial for years that he’s gay, but finally can’t deny it any longer when he realizes he has a crush on his history TA.
False Start by Janey Chapel. ebook short. Very good m/m romance about two guys who were secretly together for one year during college. One graduated and ran away from even the thought of being gay and the other… didn’t.
One Man’s Treasure (Bellingham Mysteries #4) by Nicole Kimberling. ebook. Very good m/m mystery/romance in which Peter tries to figure out why the guy who collapsed in front of him at the farmer’s market died.
First You Fall (Kevin Connor #1) by Scott Sherman. ebook. Very good gay mystery about a rent boy who does some investigating of his own when his friend dies under suspicious circumstances and the police rule it a suicide.
Second You Sin (Kevin Connor #2) by Scott Sherman. ebook. Very good gay mystery in which Kevin tries to figure out why some other rent boys have been killed or injured. This one ends on a heckuva relationship cliffhanger – I hope the next book is out soon!
Mine by Mary Calmes. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who works as a mob runner and who’s the only thing keeping his highstrung boyfriend grounded, until everything in their world changes overnight.
Payback (True Colors #3) by Clare London. ebook short. Steamy short m/m scene in which Zeke arrives at Miles’ office for a meeting but gets a bit of a surprise instead.
Changing Pitches by Steve Kluger. Very good novel about a major league baseball pitcher who, at 36, is heading the last place team in the league as he slowly realizes he needs to make some changes in his personal and professional lives.
Assumption of Desire by Elizabeth Brooks. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about an auditor who hooks up with a totally-not-his-style twink while he’s in town for two weeks. A few years later, he finds himself back in the same town…
Obedient Slave (Sun, Sea & Submission #2) by Kim Dare. ebook. Steamy kinky m/m romance about a guy who works at a gay resort. He doesn’t realize that someone is supposed to serve as his “slave” for a week when he gets promoted…
Office Hours by Rena Butler. ebook. Good m/m romance about an adjunct composition instructor who’s suspicious when the cute senior who sleeps through class turns in an excellent paper…
Sink or Swim by Lissa Kasey & Xara X. Xanakas. free ebook. Good short m/m romance about two guys moving to Australia to work as a dive instructor and a masseuse at a private resort. As they travel, one of them worries about their relationship and how things will be after they arrive.
China House by Vincent Lardo. ebook. Ok gay gothic mystery about a small group of people staying for a week in China House, which has been empty for 20 years… except for a ghost? I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters and could’ve definitely lived without the incestuous overtones in the story.
Cuffs and More by Dakota Dawn. ebook short. So-so short kinky m/m scene between a shy bdsm store owner and the dom he has a crush on. Unfortunately, neither of the guys felt believable to me.
Five Star Review by Lara Brukz. ebook. Meh m/m romance about an m/m author and a reviewer who become friends online and then have the chance to meet. Unfortunately, this was stilted, cliched, awkward, and just painful to read at times.


“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Linkity for a new year



Congrats to Jen B, who won Melting by VJ Summers!

Congrats to Gina, who won Blind Space by Marie Sexton!ร‚ย Blind Space will be released by Silver Publishing on January 7.

Congrats to Azure J, who won The Gallows Tree by RJ Scott!ร‚ย The Gallows Tree will be released by Silver Publishing on January 7.



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Reading Update
Camp Hell (PsyCop #5) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. reread. Excellent m/m paranormal romantic suspense in which Vic experiences some personal growth (beyond his paranoia, even!), and both Vic and Jacob have unexpected professional growth.
GhosTV (PsyCop #6) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. reread. Excellent m/m paranormal romantic suspense in which Vic and Jacob head to California to find their friend Lisa, who’s vanished without a trace. Definitely looking forward to the next book!
Turnskin by Nicole Kimberling. ebook. Very good m/m fantasy romance about a young half-blooded man who grew up in a small town in a world split between Shifters and Skins. When his lover abandons him, he tracks down his cousins in the big city who own an impoverished theater.
Cherish Your Name (Warder #6) by Mary Calmes. ebook. Sweet paranormal m/m holiday romance about Warder Malic visiting his hearth Dylan’s family for Christmas and things getting off to a rough start because Dylan’s family thinks Malic is too old for their son.
Where the Heart Is by Kaje Harper. ebook short. Sweet short holiday m/m romance about a vet who’s been running his father’s remote practice for the past few months since his father died, while his boyfriend is far away in the city.
I Dare You…Again (Dare #2) by Tam Ames. free ebook short. Sweet short m/m New Year’s Eve romance in which Steven needs to decide whether or not to take his roommate’s dare and tell Cory he loves him…
In December My Heart’s Full of Spring by Kate McMurray. free ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about two guys who find themselves on top of the Empire State Building together on New Year’s Eve.
Six Degrees of Lust (By Degrees #2) by Taylor V. Donovan. ebook. Pretty good m/m romantic suspense about an emotionally unavailable FBI agent who can’t get a one-night stand out of his head, even as he’s trying to track down a serial killer targeting gay men. This book was heading toward a solid four-star rating before a nasty cliffhanger ending. Pretty much nothing at all was resolved. That makes me really, really cranky.
FUBAR (EMS Heat #12) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a nurse who gets attacked outside of a gay bar and is rescued by an off-duty cop.
Dragma’s Tavern: Where Every Good Bar Comes by Bryl R. Tyne. free ebook short. Good short, trippy m/m story about a guy who ends up in a very odd bar on New Year’s Eve.
NYPD Night Shift by Eden Cole. ebook short. Meh short m/m story about a cop who’s being a jerk to everyone around him – turns out that he just needs to get laid. This wasn’t easy to read because of how much I was rolling my eyes. Definitely skip this one if you prefer stories with condoms, lube, realistic dialogue, or plausible plots.


“I know you’re all jealous of my lovely kitty bed!” -Mayhem

Please stay properly hydrated and nourished as you peruse linkity



Congrats to Helena, who won Fanning the Flames (The Match Before Christmas #2) by Eden Winters! Fanning the Flames will be released by Torquere Press on May 7.

Congrats to Lynn, who won Sharing Paul (Portals #3) by Jade Archer! Sharing Paul will be released May 9 by Total-E-Bound.



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Reading Update
Shifting Sands by Jet Mykles, Ally Blue, Willa Okati, JL Langley, Kimberly Gardner, & Brenda Bryce. ebook collection. Very good paranormal m/m collection about the cowboys of the Shifting Sands Ranch, who have been cursed to shift into animals from the Chinese zodiac each full moon. The stories were smoothly integrated, with the exception of one author who got carried away with the puns. Thanks to to Tam’s review for reminding me I had this one!
Some Kind of Magic by R. Cooper. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romantic suspense about a werewolf detective who’s known for two years that the half-fairy consultant is his mate, yet hasn’t done anything about it because everyone knows that fairies don’t do anything for the long haul.
The Red Thread of Forever Love by Nicole Kimberling. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a Canadian folklorist traveling in Japan who has somehow attracted a very amorous spirit…
A Rose is a Rose by Jet Mykles. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a beautiful young man, just dumped by his sugar daddy, who becomes friends with the very sweet straight owner of his apartment complex. I got a little sniffly while I was reading this one.
Alphabet Soup by CB Conwy. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a carpenter who keeps going to a BDSM club and hooking up with different Doms as he tries to get what he needs. He hasn’t been at all successful… and then he meets CK, who doesn’t behave like any of the other Doms. This story starts immediately after A Russian Bear and the free short Malaria, Cholera and Bubonic Plague takes place during this story.
Hotwired Heart (Tales from Rainbow Alley #1) by Jaime Samms. ebook short. Good short kinky m/m romance about a guy, trying to escape from his life as a gang member, who ends up in the Rainbow Alley part of town.
Finders, Keepers (Tales from Rainbow Alley, #2) by Jaime Samms. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a guy who’s inexperienced about bdsm and trusts the wrong Dom, who basically abuses him. This book would’ve worked better for me if it hadn’t been told in first-person, alternating between three different people. Also, stalker alert! ๐Ÿ™‚
Fix This, Sir (Tales from Rainbow Alley, #3) by Jaime Samms. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a guy who’s not doing so well recovering from a crippling injury on top of numerous other issues. I am so glad that this book was alternating third-person instead of the alternating first-person of the previous book! Made a huge difference for me. I was a little worried that this book suffered from Omniscient Dom Syndrome, but it turned out ok in the end.
A Helping Hand (Tennessee Cops #2) by Shayla Kersten. ebook. reread. This story of a closeted cop with a crush on his straight best friend was one of the earliest m/m romances I ever read, and I like to reread it periodically.
Mr. Plum by Sue Brown. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about two guys who always see each other at the same coffee shop and then in the train station before their morning commute. I love this cover.
Cup Check (Blue Line Hockey, #3) by Stephani Hecht. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a deeply closet hockey player who’s terrified that coming out will ruin his chance of ever making it to the NHL.
Anything For You by Ethan Day. ebook. Good m/m romance about a deeply closeted ad exec who gets involved with a coming-out advocate. This generates some tension… Maybe it’s because they’re mostly (all?) written in first person, but Ethan Day’s books are starting to all feel the same to me.
Going the Distance (Driven to Distraction #2) by Anah Crow & Dianne Fox. ebook. Good short m/m romance following up with the professor and the mechanic who got together in Driven to Distraction as they sort out what they are to each other.
Sonoran Heat by Katrina Strauss. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy in his 40s, recently single for the first time in nearly 20 years, who starts to date a much younger artist and student.
Wishing Star by Jambrea Jo Jones. ebook short. Cute short holiday m/m romance about a guy, sitting outside his stalled car in the middle of nowhere on Christmas Eve, who wishes on a star for true love and wakes to find himself miles away. This felt a bit rough due to some missing words and pronoun confusion.
Broken Rules (Broken #1) by Jade Buchanan. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who hasn’t been to his home town for ten years (ever since his parents kicked him out of the house when they discovered he was gay), but returns for his mom’s funeral and runs into his former best friend. I was frustrated by the sheer number of names introduced during the first third of the book. I’m not sure if that frustration was the reason I never fully connected with the characters or the story. Maybe.
Second Chance by Derek Adams. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a jogger and a cop who meet after the jogger chases down a burglar, then slowly get to know each other better.
Full Release by Marshall Thornton. ebook. Ok m/m mystery about an accountant who slowly realizes he’s being framed for a murder and tries to figure out who’s the actual killer. Unfortunately, he spent most of the book doing the most stupid thing he could in any given situation – TSTL characters frustrate me. A lot.


“If you loved me, you would feed me right now and forget this whole ‘It’s not time for dinner’ thing.” -Chaos

In which I can’t think of anything remotely clever for a linkity title and even begin to wonder if I’ve already used this title before



Congrats to Laura/Adara, who won Cup Check (Blue Line Hockey #3) by Stephani Hecht! Cup Check will be released by eXtasy Books on May 1.



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Reading Update
Carbon and Ash by Chris Owen. ebook short. reread. This was a short but sweet m/m romance about slowing sliding into something other than friendship without being fully aware. And it’s one of my comfort rereads.
The Morning Star (Shadow of the Templar #1) by M. Chandler. ebook. reread. Ok, yeah, so I just read this the first time last month and I already reread it. I’m ok with that.
Lovers Destined by HM Broussard. free ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance fanfic that finally brings together Qhuinn and Blaylock from the Black Dagger Brotherhood!
Hell Cop by Astrid Amara, Ginn Hale, & Nicole Kimberling. ebook collection. Very good m/m urban fantasy/romance collection featuring three related stories revolving around the hell cops – the bad ass sorcerers who try to keep order in demon-infested Parmas City.
Hell Cop 2 by Astrid Amara, Ginn Hale, & Nicole Kimberling. ebook collection. Very good m/m urban fantasy/romance collection about the hell cops (and their guys) introduced in the first book.
Flesh & Blood (In the Flesh #2) by Ethan Stone. ebook. Ok m/m continuing the story of Reno police detective Cristian Flesh as he works on a case that shakes free all of the demons from his past. While I really loved In the Flesh, this sequel felt flat and lacking in both mystery and romance.
Hellbourne 2: Bound & Determined by Amber Kell. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance, during which I realized I didn’t particularly care about any of the rather shallow characters.
Hellbourne 3: Heart & Soul by Amber Kell. ebook short. Meh short paranormal m/m romance, during which I couldn’t figure out why I kept reading.
Craven by Eden Cole. ebook. So-so m/m romance based on multiple big misunderstandings… not my favorite plot device. This is my favorite sentence from the book: “His cock, which had gone down, hardened immediately, and rushed over to his side of the car.”
Catch/Caught by Vivien Dean. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a corrupt cop and a musician who witnesses something he shouldn’t have seen.


“Maybe you should cut back on the nip, hmm?” -Mayhem

Linkity, plus 2010 Reading Year in Review

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Reading Update


I read 864 books in 2010, compared to 811 books in 2009. I had six dnf (did not finish) books, which I have not listed. I tagged 858 of the books I read as m/m, 826 as ebooks, 350 as shorts, and 24 as rereads. You can find my reviewettes of these these books in my LibraryThing (in the “Review” or “Comments” field, depending). Please note that not all of my books are in GoodReads, although Iรขโ‚ฌโ„ขm trying to be better about adding them!


One Real Thing by Anah Crow & Dianne Fox. ebook. Excellent m/m romance about two guys who were best friends in college. One got married and started a career and followed a path of things he felt he should do. The other slowly spiraled down and out of control. This book was, at times, not an easy read. It left me feeling gutted more than once. But it’s so very worth reading to find out for yourself if either of them can be saved…
All She Wrote (Holmes & Moriarity, Book 2) by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense/mystery continuing the story of Kit Holmes and J.X. Moriarity, mystery writers (although not coauthors), as Kit flies across the country to play amateur sleuth for a writer friend who thinks someone is trying to kill her.
Primal Red (Bellingham Mysteries, Book 1) by Nicole Kimberling. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about an investigative reporter for a free weekly paper who hears screaming, then sees a woman die in the arms of an artist that he’d very much like to date…
Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Bellingham Mysteries, Book 2) by Nicole Kimberling. Good m/m romantic suspense continuing the story of the investigative report and the artist – this time, they’re camping in the snow and participating in a New Year’s Eve snow sculpture event when they discover a dead body.
Black Cat Ink (Bellingham Mysteries, Book 3) by Nicole Kimberling. Good m/m romantic suspense in which our artist and investigative reporter search for a stolen penis statue and acquire a black kitten.
Appearing Nightly (The First Real Thing, Book 2) by Cat Grant. Very good m/m romance about a singer/drag queen/bar co-owner who’s fascinated by the cute, skittish guy who recently started working at the bar. You really need to read The First Real Thing before you read this book!
The Stroke of Twelve by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about an aimless young man who wakes up after a night at the bar to find he has a piece of paper with an address and a time written on it and only the vague memory of a handsome older man handing it to him. Curious, he turns up at the address on time… and his life is changed in a way he never expected.
A Change of Tune by J.M. Cartwright. ebook. Good m/m romance about a successful (and deeply closeted, even from himself) rock musician who leaves his band and moves to an out-of-the-way town in West Virginia, where he meets a very pushy sheriff…
Offside Pass (Blue Line Hockey, Book 1) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good m/m romance about a newbie sports reporter trying to figure out the dark secret in the past of three brawling hockey brothers, one of whom he finds very attractive.
It’s Smoking in the Locker Room by Stephani Hecht. free ebook short. Smoking (heh) short m/m romance about a college student whose secret high school crush (and former captain of the high school hockey team) emails him and asks to meet in their old high school locker room.
Burnt Orange: Sooner or Later by Dallas Coleman. ebook short. Good short m/m romance, told in a series of key scenes, that follows two guys who become friends in grade school, despite one being a Sooner and the other being a Longhorn and neither realizing the other is gay… I got sniffly once or twice during this one.
Sagittarius: Mr. November (Boys of the Zodiac, Book 9) by Pepper Espinoza. ebook. I read it because I love the song “Mr. November” by the National, but it’s actually a good (if rather heavy on the dreary football details) m/m romance about an older quarterback who’s been traded to a new team under mysterious circumstances.
Pulling Away (Book 1) by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Reread. Good short m/m romance about a guy who’s isolated himself since his parents died two years earlier, only really talking to a friend he met online.
The First by Rachel West. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about two guys in college who broke up because one caught the other kissing someone else while very drunk at a party.


Hey, Stella!!!!” -Chaos