Tag Archives: Cameron Dane

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity after a long week

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Congrats to Laura, who won the Hearts of England anthology by RJ Scott, Meredith Russell, Chris Quinton, Lisa Worrall, Sue Brown, & SA Meade! Hearts of England will be released by Silver Publishing on September 15.

Congrats to Brandi, who won Holding On by Em Woods! Holding On will be released by Total-E-Bound on September 17.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Learn, Make

Cookity

Gluten-Free

Drinkity

Crafty

Cool

  • R2-D2 luggage – I bet it increases the chance that your luggage is stolen… 🙁

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2) by Heidi Cullinan & Marie Sexton. ebook. arc. Very good m/m romance about a guy whose girlfriend left him for someone who could give her more stuff. As he becomes friends with the pawnshop owner he meets in the course of trying to sort out everything his ex-girlfriend left behind, he’s oblivious to the attraction simmering between them. I must confess that I wanted this book to be one day longer, which will make sense after you read it. 🙂
Steamroller by Mary Calmes. ebook. arc. Sweet m/m romance about a hardworking college student/copy center manager who’s snarky to a rude customer… a rude customer who seems to be everywhere he turns after that. But is that a bad thing… or a good thing?
Decorated to Death (Simon Kirby-Jones #3) by Dean James. Good gay mystery in which Lady Prunella foolishly invites a decorator, famous for his bad manners and extreme room makeovers show, to redecorate the drawing room.
Desert World Allegiances (Desert World #1) by Lyn Gala. ebook. Good m/m scifi romance about a guy who’s put into slavery as punishment and about the priest who realizes that all is not as it seems. This reminded me a bit too much of Dune…
Casual (Sex) Friday by Evie Kiels. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about a guy who went out on a dull date with his coworker, but now keeps saying no every Friday when the coworker asks him out for a drink… until said coworker runs into him in the park after work one Friday…
A Younger Man (Cabin Fever #3) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Meh m/m romance about a fortyish handyman who gets a twenty-something man and his siblings a place to live in exchange for fixing up the place. The handyman doesn’t want to be attracted to the younger man, but… The sex scenes were frequent, lengthy, and excessively euphemistic to the point of being purple prose. “Striated bud”? “Pulsing channel”? Just ugh. I only made it through the book because I finally gave up reading the sex scenes.

“Mom says to please caption amongst yourselves because she’s had a really long week already.” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Languid linkity lounges lazily

26 Comments

Congrats to Jen B and Beth, who each won a copy of Bulletproof (A Matter of Time #3 or #5, depending) by Mary Calmes! Bulletproof will be released September 26 by Dreamspinner Press.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

  • Have you watched Husbands, the Series yet? It’s a cute web TV series about two guys who wake up married after a drunken night out in Las Vegas. So far there are four episodes, from 1.5 minutes to 2.5 minutes long.

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Full Circle by Kaje Harper. ebook short. Excellent, poignant short m/m story about a drunk who rescues a very sick and homeless young man from the street. While the story covers a lot more ground, you really need to just let this tale of redemption unfold for you. I did spend the last third of the book crying… and be aware that the ending, while not a conventional HEA, is hopeful.
Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense about a professor and rehabilitated addict whose relationship with the town’s police chief is jeopardized by his helping one of his students leave town for a few days, then not coming clean about it when he learns the student is wanted for questioning.
Abercrombie Zombie by KZ Snow. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a pair of psychic mediums who are approached by a man claiming to be a zombie and to need their help finding the man responsible for his condition. Two important points: There is no zombie sex (whew!), but there is a cameo appearance by Wisconsin’s favorite wizard… 🙂
Aloes by Chris Quinton. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about an architect who wakes from a coma with synesthesia – he can taste truth and lies. As he begins to work on a major restoration for an intriguing new client, he starts to get threatening anonymous phone calls and mail. I enjoyed this, even though the suspense plot was easily figured out. However, the book ends quite abruptly, as if a sequel was planned – but there’s not a sequel at this point. 🙁
Fuzzy and Last Chance (First Impressions #2-3) by Josephine Myles. ebook shorts. Very good short m/m romances continuing the story of publishing assistant Steve and artist Jez that started in First Impressions. More crazy socks! And… knitting! 🙂
Clear Water by Amy Lane. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy with ADHD whose low self-esteem leads him to make some really bad choices. When the result of one of those choices leads to his near death and timely rescue by a field biologist, neither of them has any idea how much their lives are about to change.
Mixed Signals by Cooper West. ebook. Cute m/m romance about a handsome rescue copter pilot from money who meets (and is attracted to) a nerdy computer geek hanging out in a hair salon’s waiting area.
Training Cats by PD Singer. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a pharmacist who’s slowly realizing that his boyfriend is a jerk. (This is related to the On Call books.)
My Boyfriend Has a Scar by M. Raiya. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about a guy who returns to his home town ten years after he left because his father caught he and his boyfriend together and did not react well.
The Book of Wisdom (Change #2.5) by JM Cartwright. ebook short. Good short m/m romance set five years after A Change of Scenery, as Stephen’s protege is coming to stay with them after graduating from college and Con’s not pleased about it.
Of Russian Myth and Lore (Russian Bear #3.5) by CB Conwy. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about Mischa and Tom going to Canada to visit Mischa’s relatives.
Burning Bright by Rachel Wilder & A. Catherine Noon. ebook. Good kinky paranormal menage romance about an animal empath and veterinary surgeon who moves to Chicago to look for a job. When he’s rescued from Russian mobsters outside of a bdsm club by the club’s owner and bouncers, he finds himself strangely attracted to them… I would’ve rated this higher, but there was an extended bdsm scene in which the vet was flogged and had sex while lying on his stomach after his ribs had been broken only a few days before, but his ribs didn’t bother him at all…
Out of the Closet (Out of the Closet #1) by KevaD. ebook. Good short humorous m/m romance about a writer who decides to come out to the roommate he has a crush on, but things do not go at all as hoped.
Back in the Closet (Out of the Closet #2) by KevaD. ebook. Good short humorous m/m romance about a writer who has to go to Iowa and stay at his dead uncle’s farm in order to fulfill the terms of his uncle’s will. This read like the author was trying a little too hard to be clever.
Quick to the Hunt (Hawkins Ranch #7) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a soldier returned from Afghanistan with severe PTSD and survivor’s guilt who deals with things by self-harming. My major problem with this one was the overblown, often lurid prose, which made nearly everything seem completely over the top and just… too much, all the time.
Sex on the Hoof (Protect and Serve #1) by Silvia Violet. ebook short. Ok paranormal short m/m romance about a deer shifter who works nights in the police crime lab and finally can’t resist the sexy vampire detective he’s been lusting after. The sex-to-story ratio is a bit skewed in this one…
A Small, Still Voice by DW Marchwell. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a teacher who left his job after being falsely accused of raping a student. Now, six years later, that time comes back to haunt him. The beginning of the book was hampered by awkwardly integrated flashback infodumping, while the end suddenly tried to morph into a mystery without much success.
When Love Is Not Enough by Wade Kelly. ebook. Uneven m/m romance that starts with the funeral of a twenty-two year old who committed suicide, then switches between flashbacks of his life, the nearly present, and the present, trying to explain how he reached the point of suicide. Oddly, this book contained what felt like a commercial – a section in which specific m/m books and authors were mentioned and one of the characters read an excerpt to another. After that, I was no longer on board with the story.
In the Wings by Michael St. Anthony. ebook. DNF. I set this aside for a month to see if I’d pick it up again, but all I felt was relief at not continuing to read it. I didn’t like the main character at all.

“I’ll get you for this, Mom. Don’t think I won’t…” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity for the April Fools (feel free to interpret that however you’d like)

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Congrats to Kimberly, who won Three Alarm Fire (EMS Heat #8) by Stephani Hecht! Three Alarm Fire is being released today by eXtasy Books.

Congrats to Kero, who won Precious Possession by Clare London!

Congrats to Lily, who won Resisting the Temptation by Valentina Heart!

Congrats to Dana A, who won Taste by Mickie B. Ashling! Taste will be released by Dreamspinner Press on April 4.

Contests

  • Knitnzu’s having her annual Snow Melt Contest! Hurry and get your guesses in by 6 pm EDT today, April 1, for your chance to win yarn, a needle case, or a $25 donation to your favorite human rights, child advocacy, or animal welfare organization.

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

  • So back when I was in grad school and would clean my apartment instead of writing a paper, it was because I knew the clutter was reducing my mental focus! (Um, right. I was procrastinating.)

Crafty

Cookity

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

  • I hope my kitties remember the hungry part before they start such a project…

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 9) by J.R. Ward. Well. It was better than Phury’s book, covered a lot of ground at breakneck speed, didn’t have any boring chapters focused on the lessers, and ended most unexpectedly.
Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense about an FBI agent who’s spent his whole life looking at things in black and white and blocking out what he doesn’t want to see or acknowledge. Things get infinitely more complicated for him when he has to keep an ex-con alive to testify against a drug kingpin.
Concubine by Jill Knowles. ebook. Very good kinky m/m fantasy romance about a prince who suddenly and most unexpectedly finds himself as a demon warlord’s concubine.
Out There in the Night (Out There, Book 1) by Laura Baumbach. ebook. Very steamy paranormal m/m romance about a doctor working in Alaska for six months who’s rescued by a very mysterious and compelling man after being seriously injured.
Horizons by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. reread. Very good m/m romance about a deeply closeted college football player with a homophobic family who finds himself falling (despite himself) for the very out ER doctor who cares for his broken arm. That bizarre cover does such a disservice to this book!
Accidentally His by Shawn Lane. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who sort of meet after a bus accident during their commute.
Breaking Point by Chris Quinton. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who’s supposed to meet his ex to accompany him to a book auction but gets upset and a bit vengeful when his ex doesn’t show.
Clue Game (Breaking Point, Book 2) by Chris Quinton. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two guys who’d really rather spend the day in bed together, but get up to help an annoying friend with her scavenger hunt clues.
Breaking Logan’s Laws (Quinn Security, Book 4) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Steamy m/m romantic suspense about Quinn Security’s newest employee, Logan, who lives by a series of rules designed to keep his heart safe. The sex and romance are completely overdone and unrealistic in the usual Cameron Dane way.
Christmas at Reynolds Hall (With or Without, Book 4.1) by J.L. Langley. free ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m romance about Matt’s first Christmas dinner away from his family in New Mexico.
Attack of the Killer Dust Bunnies (With or Without, Book 4.2) by J.L. Langley. free ebook short. Cute short paranormal m/m romance about Aubrey, Matt, and Matt’s young twin brothers.
In the Light of Day by Sasha Devlin. ebook. Good m/m romantic suspense about a straight cop who’s been struggling with his feelings for the guy he went undercover with to break up some sort of porn film ring. I kept thinking there had to be a previous book about their undercover stint, but this is the author’s first book.
Mane Attraction by Sarah Masters. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a London man who see a lion change into a man on his fire escape. Little does he know that things are going to get stranger after that… This was obviously the first book in a new series (things were left really open-ended), but I can’t say that I have any interest in reading future books.
Undercover Sins by Hayley B. James. ebook. Trainwreck. This m/m romantic suspense about an undercover cop working as a rentboy in order to get close to one of the honchos in a human trafficking ring was extremely convoluted. The plot had as many holes as loops, no one behaved consistently or believably, and I never came to care what happened to the main characters. Be warned that there’s noncon and a complete absence of lube.

“What are you doing, Mom? I hope you’re not trying to sneak that tiara onto my head!” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity laceration!

30 Comments

Congrats to Shanna, who won Code Blue by Stephani Hecht! Code Blue is being released by eXtasy Books today.

Congrats to Susmita, who won Gayish (G-A-Y, Book 12) by Kim Dare! Gayish will be released by Total-E-Bound on October 4.

Contests

  • A number of bloggers are honoring urban fantasy author Jennifer Rardin, who died unexpectedly this week, by giving away a book from her Jaz Parks series: Renee’s Book Addiction (closes 11:59 pm PDT, October 1), Lurv a la Mode (one US winner & one international winner; closes noon EDT, October 4), and Sidhe Vicious Reviews (closes 11:59 pm, October 5).

Bookity

  • Has the Suck Fairy visited you when you reread a beloved book?

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Think, Do

  • Considering an Android smartphone, but have no clue where to start? Check out the Gizmodo guide.
  • Think the lottery’s your chance to improve your life? Play the lottery simulator to see how likely that is.

Gluten-Free

Linkity Peeps

  • Kristi’s got links to her fall-themed recipes. Wonder if I can make those pumpkin scones gluten-free?

Cool

  • Lego wedding ring! Why don’t they both have Lego rings? Then they could interlock. 🙂

Huh

  • Surely there’s a festive event to which you can bring a meat head?

LOL

  • I wouldn’t try this with one of your own SD cards…
  • Hmm. Do you think that tiger is hungry?! (Thanks, Jase!)

Teh Cute

Reading Update
72 Hours by Clare London. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about an agent for a shadowy government organization (think 24 here) who’s been suspended and is hiding out, sulking, when the last man/agent he wants to see (his former lover) is deposited with him for safekeeping. You know how you read some books and get annoyed because the conflict could’ve been solved with some conversation? In 72 Hours, you might be tempted to think that at first, but you slowly come to understand that the critical conversations aren’t always easy. Kinda like in real life. 🙂
Handcuffs and Headlocks (Rawlings Men, Book 3) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about an undercover police officer who’s played so many different parts that he’s always playing a part, even when he meets an extremely centered martial arts instructor to whom he’d like to submit.
The Subtle Build of Perfection by L.M. Turner. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a video store clerk and the video store customer who keeps coming in and renting movies to see him. This story definitely managed to capture the awkwardness of meeting someone, trying to figure out if that person is attracted to you, and so forth.
Devlin and Garrick (Seeking Redemption, Book 2) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Good m/m romance about Devlin, visiting San Francisco for a few days, who picks up a rough, tattooed guy for some quick fun that turns into a weekend in bed, followed by six months of emails and phone calls before the guy brutally dumps Devlin in email. Five years later, Devlin’s still struggling to deal with that when he bumps into a mysteriously familiar (but tattoo-free) guy new in town…
Hunter’s Light (Kindred Spirits, Book 2) by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes. Ok paranormal m/m romance about an overly enthusiastic guy who comes to the inn to see and write about its ghostly inhabitants. When he finds out there’s a ghost at the nearby lighthouse, he’s soon butting heads with the solitary lighthouse keeper.
Alex’s Appeal (Kindred Spirits, Book 3) by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a lawyer who comes to the inn to think about whether he wants to accept a judgeship and move away from the home that he and his partner, who died eight months ago, shared. While at the inn, he becomes intrigued by the handsome young cook…
Juicy, Melty, Fun to Share (Book 1) by Augusta Li. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m story about a caterer who discovers that the event he’s catering is a holiday kink party, hosted by a gorgeous Dom. (Also, that cover has nothing whatsoever to do with the book.)
Twelfth Night (Juicy, Melty, Fun to Share, Book 2) by Augusta Li. ebook short. Ok short kinky m/m story in which the caterer runs into the gorgeous Dom for the first time since the holiday party.
Hearts Afire: September by Philippa Grey-Garou & Michael Barnette. ebook collection. Very mixed two-story m/m romance collection. Grey-Garou’s contemporary tale about a chef and a firefighter who meet as the chef’s restaurant goes up in flames was good. Barnette’s scifi story about a firefighter who saves a telepathic executive from a mine fire was so-so: a good plot marred by sappy language.
On Call: Afternoon and On Call: Dancing by P.D. Singer. ebook shorts. Enjoyable short m/m romances about a doctor and a veterinarian who meet on the job and then again on the job. I’m looking forward to reading the third installment, which is buried in the Torquere Press Charity Sips Blitz.
Borders by Kathryn Scannell. ebook short. Good short m/m story about a doctor with Doctors Without Borders stationed in Gaza City, where he has to hide his sexual orientation because it could mean his life, who’s on a weekend leave in Tel Aviv at a gay bar.
Another Border by K.I.L. Kenny. ebook short. Sweet m/m romance short about a guy tending his lover after he gets home from a long shift in the Alzheimer’s ward.
Breathe into Me by Jenna Jones. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a salesman whose doctor’s given him ten years to live if he doesn’t get his blood pressure and stress under control. At his sister’s urging, he takes a yoga class and runs into his first love from high school, who teaches the class.

“I am not amused, Mom. Not. Amused. At. All.” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Absolinkity

31 Comments

Contests

  • Jane of Quiddity is celebrating her sixth blogiversary with a contest – guess how many pairs of socks she’s made since she started knitting and you could win yarn, a project bag made by Jane, and a calendar of her gorgeous flower photos. Contest closes at midnight EDT, March 21.

Books & Reading & Beyond

  • I’m quite intrigued by the Spring Designs Alex eReader, but I’ll be waiting a while so I can read some reports from users after it ships mid-April.

Learn Stuff

Geekery

Huh

  • When you’re desperate for that caffeine fix, you might want to try the Coffee Inhaler.
  • Arachnophobes might want to avoid this gadget stand (and completely skip the spider story in the post about the stand).

Moment of Silence

LOL

  • Wren posted a great list of random thoughts. Here’s one of my favorites from the list: “MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.”
  • Love xkcd’s take on romance novels… (as always, hover your mouse over the cartoon for additional amusing text)

Teh Cute

  • Chaos does the same thing, only he manages to splatter a much larger area.

Reading Update
A to Z by Marie Sexton. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a video store owner who hires one of his customers. They become best friends and… 🙂 I would definitely recommend that you read Sexton’s Promises first, as there’s a bit of character congruence. Definitely shouldn’t be a hardship, since both are good reads (although I think Promises is the stronger book). And after you’ve read both, there’s a free short story about the guys from Promises – it takes place shortly after A to Z.
Only in His Dreams by Shawn Lane. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a law firm billing manager who has a crush on one of the seemingly unattainable partners at the firm.
And Call Me in the Morning by Willa Okati. ebook. In this very good m/m romance, two straight doctors, whose friends always tease them about being a couple, kiss each other just to prove there isn’t anything like that between them. Whoops. (And, as many others have mentioned, neither of the characters is described as looking as old as the guys on the cover look.)
Saying I Do (Quinn Security, Book 3) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about the two guys from Finding Home (Quinn Security, Book 1) during their hotel stay in Vermont the week before their wedding.
Finding Home (Quinn Security, Book 1) by Cameron Dane. ebook. And then I had to reread this one. Still smokin’ hot.
Netting Neptune (Southern Cross Resort, Book 1) by KC Kendricks. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a resort owner who helps out a stranded and skittish traveler on the beach.
Damn Gorgeous by Jaye Valentine. ebook. Decent paranormal m/m romance about a tabloid reporter doing a story on Lizzie Borden’s house who gets involved with the mysterious owner of the inn where he’s staying.
The Wedding Planner by G.A. Hauser. ebook. An m/m romance about a stockbroker and his wedding planner that started strong, but about 2/3 of the way through deteriorated down to preteen girl gushing. *sigh*
Calling Dr. Love by G.A. Hauser. ebook. Disclaimer: This was a free m/m romance from ARe over the holidays, or I wouldn’t actually own it. So why did I read it? Um, I figured, since I already had low expectations based on how the previous book panned out… It didn’t help. Gah. And then… I kept reading out of sick fascination. I’m so ashamed. Especially after reading “Phil cuddled Phil…” and continuing.
Lifting Spirits by Alexandria Rayne. ebook. Um, should I confess that I bought this m/m romance simply to see if the continuity error in the excerpt was actually in the book? Yup, it sure was. Might’ve had potential, but with editing issues and way too much weird self-referential stuff from the author, it was a confused mess.
Nowhere Man by Jamie Craig. ebook. Good m/m romance about a grad student who tracks down a reclusive writer and works to break through the writer’s shell. (Yup,  you’re right – that is Neck Crick Guy on the cover!)
Calendar Boys March: Kiss Me by Jamie Craig. ebook. Ok sort of holiday (St. Patrick’s Day) m/m romance about a photographer who starts to date a p0rn star.
Carey’d Away by J.M. Snyder. ebook. So-so m/m romance about two guys working at a comic book convention who hook up. I could definitely have lived without the slanguage.
A Feral Christmas (Lost Shifters, Book 2) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance being the continuing story of a family of jaguar shifters searching for their lost siblings.
Sex, Lies and Wedding Bells by E.M. Lynley. ebook. Reread. Very enjoyable m/m romance in which a snarky Manhattan columnist researching a runaway bride story finds himself falling for groom #4.

“I love you, pink fluff, even if you aren’t sparkly!” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Kitty toes and linkity

32 Comments

Congrats to Kathy K, who won the copy of LB Gregg’s Catch Me If You Can (Romano & Albright, Book 1)! (Don’t forget about LB’s review contest, which runs through March 16.)

Contests

Books & Reading & Readers, Oh My!

Learn Things

Things That Didn’t Fit Elsewhere

LOL

Reading Update
The Larton Chronicles by James Anson. I heard about this delightful m/m romance when Josh Lanyon mentioned on his blog that it was one of his comfort reads. The book is about Robert, ex-policeman and mystery author who moves to the obscure village of Larton, and Michael, the horse-mad and out of control village “squire”. Written in a fabulously understated style that seems quite British indeed to me (Jenre and EH will have to confirm or deny this for me), the book chronicles the ups and downs of building a life together. (Also, all sex occurs entirely offsides and is only referred to in the most discrete terms.) I’d definitely recommend picking this up directly from the publisher and not from Amazon – the price difference is quite significant. Recommended.
The Dark Farewell by Josh Lanyon. ebook. As previously mentioned, I won this historical m/m romance over at Jessewave’s. This was an extremely well-done story about a reporter from NYC in central Illinois to follow up on a union-related massacre when he becomes intrigued by a medium who is staying at the same boarding house. From Josh’s comments on Jenre’s review of this ebook, I was sort of prepared for the abrupt ending to the story, which is modeled on ghost stories from the period (early 1920s), but I found myself really wanting to know more about these characters! Recommended.
No Souvenirs (Florida Series, Book 3) by K.A. Mitchell. ebook. Very good, steamy, and intense m/m romance about that mysterious ER doctor we met in previous books. Hard to go wrong with K.A. Mitchell! Recommended.
Custom Ride by K.A. Mitchell. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who has an anonymous encounter with a mysterious stranger at Pride (in Minneapolis!), then keeps encountering the guy again back home in St. Cloud.
Scared Stiff by Laura Baumbach, William Maltese, Josh Lanyon, & Sarah Black. ebook collection. This was a good m/m paranormal romance collection overall, although each story had its foibles. Baumbach’s was unfortunately plagued by egregious editing errors such as misused words, missing words, and randomly introduced names. (Wait, I thought that Eli and Mason were in bed together. Where did this “Josh” come from?!???) Black’s story suffered somewhat from the main characters overusing each other’s names in conversation, so their conversations seemed stilted. (Handily, author Patti O’Shea just posted about this very problem.) Lanyon’s story was very good, with just a condom use issue. I skipped Maltese’s story because I’m not a big fan of his style, plus it was fantasy.
Primal Passions (Lost Shifters, Book 1) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Enjoyable paranormal m/m romance about a paramedic who suddenly discovers that the world is much weirder than he knew when he’s imprisoned by thugs and rescued by a feline shapeshifter.
Fire and Ice by A.J. Llewellyn & Stephani Hecht. ebook. I definitely like Stephani Hecht’s work on her own better. This m/m romance about a former boxer and a hockey goalie was all over the place, with instalove and bits of story that didn’t fit very well.
Garron’s Gift and Rawley’s Redemption (Good-Time Boys, Books 2-3) by Carol Lynne. ebooks. Ok m/m romances being the continuing story of the Good brothers, their guys, and dangerous homophobes in their small Nebraska town. It appears that this series, like Campus Cravings, also intersects with the Cattle Valley series. Apparently Cattle Valley is like the Borg…
Now and Forever by Addison Albright. ebook short. Sweet m/m romance short about a couple planning their wedding reception, during the all-too-brief time gay marriage was legal in California.
Moving On and Moving Along by Addison Albright. ebook shorts. These are sweet m/m romance shorts about a guy trying to move on after his lover was killed in a car accident a year ago.
Aidan and Ethan (Seeking Redemption, Book 1) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Angsty m/m romance about a guy who vanishes without a word after planning a life together with his best friend, then reappears over a decade later. I started out feeling as if the entire premise of the story was extremely flimsy, but that was actually addressed a bit later. (Also, not so good with the condom thing in this book.)
Private Dicks by Katie Allen. ebook. This m/m romantic suspense was a reread – it’s one of my comfort reads. Obviously I think it’s a good book! 🙂 And you’ll have a chance to win a copy of the sequel in the not-too-distant future…

“Mom, do I really want to know why you’re taking a picture of my back toes?” -Chaos

If you commented on this post before 7:30 am CST, March 11, your comment has vanished. Sorry! My fault entirely.

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Ya wanna know the funny part? I didn’t think I’d have enough links to do linkity….

44 Comments

Contests

Books & Reading

Learn Stuff

  • ModernCat has some great pictures of a cat table (sort of an outdoor garden/platform for your cats to enjoy on your deck or patio), plus a link to how to make one.
  • Ugh. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat bagged salad again…

LOL

Teh Cute! It Burns!

Reading Update
My Fair Captain (Sci-Regency, Book 1) by J.L. Langley. ebook. Another book for Kris’ m/m rut challenge. This was a scifi m/m romance, with a Regency flair to it… and I totally loved it. (I’m really glad I totally loved it, because if I hadn’t? I’d be afraid, as this is a very popular book.) I was a little frustrated during the prologue and first few chapters, as I tried to pull the bits and pieces together (that world-building stuff), but after I hit the breakthrough point (where you absorb the background and it doesn’t interfere with the story anymore), I was transfixed. Very steamy, yet very romantic and highly recommended read. (Kris is gloating. I can hear her.)
The Englor Affair (Sci-Regency, Book 2) by J.L. Langley. ebook. Not quite as good as My Fair Captain, but still a very good m/m scifi romance.
Friction by J.P. Bowie, Jenna Byrnes, Jude Mason, Kim Dare, Ashley Ladd, S.L. Majors, & Cassandra Gold. ebook collection. This was an enjoyable m/m romance collection. I thought of all the stories were, at the very least, decent, with one exception. And there were definitely a couple that were excellent.
Running Hot by Stephani Hecht. ebook short. Nicely done short m/m romance about a paramedic and an ER doctor.
GPS by Leigh Ellwood. ebook short. Cute m/m romance about a guy who gets a GPS for his birthday, but what the heck is up with the darn thing?! (Yes, you’re right – that is Candy Cane Guy in the background.)
Sea of Sin (Creatures of Sin, Book 3? Book 2.5?) by India Harper. ebook short. Ok m/m romance short about a police commander who lives a celibate, closeted life except for the one week during which he goes on a gay cruise vacation. Based on the sort of non-ending to this story, I suspect it’s part of the setup for the next book in the series.
629 Miles To Love by Fae Sutherland & Marguerite Labbe. ebook. Ok m/m romance about two former lovers on a drive, talking about what went wrong. (Lost points for lack of condoms and lack of discussion of same.)
Skin Deep by S. W. Vaughn. ebook. Quite good urban fantasy m/m romance that was a bit hard for me to read at points, due to graphic violence in a domestic abuse situation. I am glad I persevered. (No condoms here, either…)
Falling (Hawkins Ranch, Book 2) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about two ranchers, one of whom happens to be a demon, which I would’ve enjoyed more if it had had a bit less torture. Those parts were hard for me to read and I definitely skimmed the more graphic violence.
ReneCade (Hawkins Ranch, Book 3) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Another good m/m romance (no paranormal this time) about a deeply closeted sheriff’s deputy who’s attracted to the sheriff’s son, but very afraid of the potential consequences of that attraction. I’m glad that this was less brutal than Falling, but the angst was flowing more freely and there was cheating, so maybe it was a draw.
Do You Believe in Magic by Drew Zachary. ebook short. Very steamy short m/m romance that was a good antidote to the brutality of Skin Deep and Falling.
Slap and Tickle by Drew Zachary. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a possessive cop and the stripper he’s in love with. I found the nicknames (“Big Daddy” and “Candy Pants”) annoying and the sex-to-story ratio was so skewed I skimmed a lot to find the tiny bits of plot scattered amongst the nudity. Plus a plot point that was played up throughout the book wasn’t resolved so much as dropped, which was odd and rather unsatisfying.

“Fine, Mayhem. Be that way. I was only trying to help. Now you will be shunned because your ears are dirty!” -Chaos

“Whatever, big kitty. I think you have OCD issues.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

La-la-la-la-la-linkity!

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Congrats to Jody, who won the Not Quite Wicked ebooks! Rumor has it there may be another contest starting tomorrow… 😉

Contests

Book and Reading News

Neato Cool

Stuff That Didn’t Fit Anywhere Else

Well, I Was Amused

Reading Update
Fatal Shadows, A Dangerous Thing, The Hell You Say, Death of a Pirate King, and The Dark Tide (The Adrien English Mysteries, Books 1-5) by Josh Lanyon. ebooks. I read books one through four last August and was amazed at how much emotional impact this m/m mystery series had on me. As I reread the first four books last week, preparing to read the fifth (and final) book, I was amazed again, because the books affected me just as much this time. When I wasn’t reading, I’d find myself thinking about Adrien, about Jake, about their complicated history. I was both looking forward to reading The Dark Tide and afraid to read it, knowing that it would most likely take me through the emotional wringer yet again. It did. I cried a few times. But at the end of the fifth book? I smiled.
Love Dot Come by Julia Talbot. ebook short. Absolutely adorable short about two geeky, klutzy guys who meet via an online personals site.
Aquamarine by Sara Bell. ebook. After a college football player is seriously injured during a game and learns that his publicity loving boyfriend won’t stick around, his life changes in unexpected ways in this sweet m/m romance.
The Manny by Sara Bell. ebook. Another sweet m/m romance from Sara Bell. This one’s about a male nanny/custom motorcycle designer and his evil landlord.
Crimson Regret, A Taste of Darkness, A Glimpse Inside, and Windows and Walls (Inches of Trust, Books 1-4) by A.R. Moler. ebook shorts. These m/m shorts are about an architect and a cop who meet as a devil and Zorro at a Halloween costume party. I enjoyed these, but found them frustrating at the same time – they read as sort of serial novel. I’d rather read the novel or collection.
Knowing Caleb (Hawkins Ranch, Book 4) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Pretty good m/m that I guess I’d categorize as a very steamy paranormal Western romance. (Hot demon cowboys!) I haven’t read the others in this series, but I’m sure I’ll read at least a few others.
You Were Always On My Mind by Deirdre O’Dare. ebook. Um. Yeah. I think I damaged my eyeballs from rolling them so much while reading this m/m romance. *shakes head at self for finishing this book*
A Promise Kept by Stormy Glenn. ebook. What is it about Stormy Glenn’s m/m romances? This one was about miscommunication and misunderstanding (with a stalker thrown in for good measure) – I was alternately sniffling, then rolling my eyes at the hokey bits. (My eyeball muscles are strong! Strong! after reading this story.) But I kept reading (er, skimming)… even though this book should have been about 1/3 the length it was, based on the amount of actual story.
Beautiful Viking by Steve Sampson. ebook. Well, the cover’s nice… Unfortunately, the writing in this m/m romance was clumsy and choppy and the characters unrealistic and gushing.
In the Rough (By Degrees, Book 2) by J. B. McDonald. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about two guys, longtime friends who are both survivors of childhood abuse and who slowly realize that even 20 years later, they’ve been allowing their pasts to control them.
Bastards and Pretty Boys by K. Z. Snow. ebook. Well done m/m romantic suspense about a guy who buys a cabin on a quiet Wisconsin lake, hoping to work through his hydrophobia. Alas, I’ve never stayed at a cabin that had such a scenic next door neighbor!
The Night Sky Man by Mallory Path. ebook. Nicely done dreamlike m/m romance about a model and a modeling agent.
As Serious as the Grave by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Well. Yes, I read an m/m zombie romance and liked it. (Anyone who knows how I feel about zombie stories probably just spit the beverage of their choice on their screens.) Both Jenre and Tam have said far more eloquent things about this short than I will ever manage, but don’t let the zombie aspect squick you out. As Tam kept reiterating, “He’s not a zombie, he’s reanimated.”

“If you really loved me, Mom, you’d buy me a super-fancy kitty house instead of making me live in this plastic tub.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

“Once in a very blue moon…”

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Tonight – a very rare and special, once in 20 years blue moon! Looks like we’ll have cloudy skies here in Minneapolis, but maybe you will be luckier… Happy New Year!

Don’t forget to leave a comment on the contest post by 7 pm CST, January 6 for your chance to win a copy of Wren Boudreau’s new m/m romantic suspense, Ice Cream on the Side!

Janna’s giving away an ebook copy of Bronwyn Green’s steamy romance, Cuffed and Dangerous – leave a comment by midnight, January 7, for your chance to win.

Don’t forget to stop by Sweet Vernal Zephyr for her near daily updates on new book contests.

Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) shows us that it’s a big week for urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases. And SciFiGuy covers both in his weekend update, along with all sorts of other fun things. Don’t miss his overview of the January paranormal, urban fantasy, and scifi releases, either.

This is a great time of year to get reading ideas as people post their favorite books of 2009 lists. I’m sure we’ll see many more of these over the next few weeks. I might even put one together.

Keira’s got some great book links over at Love Romance Passion. So does Dear Author, including a link to free ebooks at All Romance eBooks.

Certain ebook readers make it very easy to track your reading habits – how much does your reading privacy matter to you?

Shrink Pic looks like a really useful Windows program to resize pictures on the fly.

HP ink costs more than blood?! This graph makes oil look like quite the bargain, doesn’t it?

How did I not know that the magnetic north pole now is shifting nearly 37 miles a year?!

Gizmodo has another handy flowchart of inappropriate times to use your smartphone. Plus a little Snuggie humour…

Unsurprisingly, one of these calendars is on its way to me right now.

Evidence continues to mount that Chaos isn’t simply a minion, but is actually Basement Cat.

Those wacky engineers are at it again – this time they’re playing laser tag with cats.

I think we all need an antivirus kitten, don’t you?

Cute burn warning! (I know you’ll all click anyway…)

Reading Update
Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter. Kresley Cole’s story is part of her Immortals After Dark series, featuring vampire Murdoch Wroth and Ice Queen (literally) Danii. Since this story ties up all sorts of open storylines, it’s a must read if you follow IAD. This was also my favorite of the two stories. Gena Showalter’s story is part of her Alien Huntress story, and it too ties up some open storylines. While it was pretty good, I didn’t feel as invested in this one.
Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy. ebook. Excellent and highly recommended m/m romance about an Aussie Rules football player, a film festival director, and the complexities of getting involved with someone famous and closeted. If you’ve put off reading m/m romance because you’ve heard it’s all sex, sex, sex, Tigers and Devils would be a very good introduction to the genre – it’s touching and heartfelt: at times I was laughing out loud; at times I was sniffling. I did have some trouble with the Aussie phrases – famed Aussie m/m blogger Kris (and nearly neighbor of Sean Kennedy) directed me to several sites that helped with the lingo barrier.
Thaw and The Stroke of Midnight by Jordan Castillo Price. free ebook shorts. Two sweet holiday PsyCop shorts – one from Vic’s perspective, the other from Jacob’s.
Patient Eyes by Andy Eisenberg. ebook. Good m/m romance about a college freshman who is nearly starving until one of his housemates gets him involved in gay-for-pay pr0n. While I really liked the first 2/3 of this book (I figured I’d be gushing about it without reserve here), I found the last 1/3 disappointing – several critical scenes were skipped, then glossed over in brief flashbacks. There also was a sort of extraneous plot element (hello, stray stalker) that just didn’t feel fully integrated into the story.
Unrequited by Abigail Roux. ebook. Ok m/m romance about multiple unrequited love situations.
Caught Running by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux. ebook. Very good m/m romance about the star high school jock and the nerd, now back and teaching at that same high school ten years later.
Cut and Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux. ebook. This m/m romantic suspense about two wildly different FBI agents had a lot of potential, but it just didn’t quite work because it dragged on. Since I know that Urban and Roux can write some great stuff together, it was particularly disappointing.
Pyromancer by Amanda Young. ebook. After mentioning that Young’s m/m books haven’t seemed to really grab me, Tam convinced me to try Pyromancer, which is about a man who can control fire, but only to a certain extent. He can also be incredibly dangerous to the people around him. While I did like this more than the non-paranormals, I ultimately didn’t get completely drawn into this one either.
Burn Card by Laura Baumbach. ebook. So so m/m romance about a crime scene investigator and a guy who owns a security company. I did wonder whether this was part of a series… but not enough to go figure it out.
Seducing Light by K. C. Kendricks. ebook. Ok m/m romance – the title touches on one character being a photographer and the other a famous actor whose last name is Light. The next two books are also by Kendricks – I’ve concluded that while I may find the storylines intriguing, the excessively gushing language always ends up putting me off.
Tango in the Night by K. C. Kendricks. ebook. Another ok m/m romance, this time about two law enforcement agents, one of whom was seriously injured a year ago when his life partner was killed taking a bullet meant for him.
Taming Triton (Southern Cross Resort, Book 1) by K. C. Kendricks. ebook. Again, an ok m/m romance about a guy who’s always suspected that he’s bisexual, but has never acted on his attraction to men until he takes a vacation at the Southern Cross Resort.
Grey’s Awakening by Cameron Dane. ebook. Steamy m/m romance about a high-powered businessman who’s always kept his emotions in tight check. Will that change when he meets a sexy truck driver/artist while taking a vacation?
Time After Time, Liar, and Date Night by Jane Seville. free ebook shorts. These all take place after Zero at the Bone and provide some insight into life after the epilogue.
Tom or an Improbably Tail by Ruth Sims. free ebook short. This was a very cute m/m paranormal romance about a stray cat who isn’t always a cat…

“Ok, deep thoughts are boring. I wonder how this bag will taste?” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

So many book links, so little time…

30 Comments

Stop by my contest post or The Thrillionth Page by 10 am CST, December 6, to vote for the Softest Kitteh Evah on Our Street! Oh, dear, the taunting has begun. Can escalation be far behind?

Um, that would be no. 😉

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is giving away a Sony Pocket Digital Reader if you leave an appropriately tagged quote over at the Sony Style Words Move Me page. Contest closes midnight EST, 12/3.

Smexy Books is giving away an ebook copy of Penny Watson’s new romance, Sweet Inspiration, which is about Santa’s sexy sons looking for love, plus a box of Williams-Sonoma hot chocolate mix. Contest runs through 12/3.

SciFiGuy’s giving away a copy of Lili(th) Saintcrow’s new young adult urban fantasy, Betrayals. Contest closes midnight EST, 12/4.

Literary Escapism is giving away a signed copy of Kelly Meding’s intriguing new urban fantasy, Three Days to Dead. Contest closes midnight, 12/8. SciFiGuy’s giving away three copies of the same book (not signed), plus a copy of Kelly Gay’s new urban fantasy, The Better Part of Darkness. This contest closes at midnight EST, 12/8.

Book Junkie’s celebrating her birthday month by giving away 35 books. Read the directions and fill out the form – she’ll choose a winner on 1/1.

Check out the list of December 1 paranormal and urban fantasy releases over at Fantasy Dreamer and her links to contests and free reads. SciFiGuy’s weekend urban fantasy report always has a staggering amount of information. Heh, looks like Jackie at Literary Escapism got sucked into the whole “how evil is my blog?” thing while doing her weekend update. (Don’t miss her December edition of the Escapist Newsletter.)

TeddyPig reports that AllRomanceEbooks is giving away three free first-in-series ebooks from Loose Id, including the first Dark Elves book by Jet Mykles.

Free holiday m/m romance by T.A. Chase featuring the guys from the Love of Sports – grab it over at the Samhellion blog.

This list of DRM-free ebook publishers is a good reference.

Oh, dear, looks like Barnes & Noble is having problems getting the Nook out there. It’s hurting their stock, too.

Speaking of which, TeleRead has a list of reasons why it might be better to wait on getting an ebook reader if you don’t already have one. Check out their ebook reader predictions for 2010, too.

Awful Library Books manages to amuse and horrify me nearly every day.

Package delivery company secrets revealed in this amusing “training manual”. *snort*

The Washington Post on the Twilight craze (via Mary Lou), which inspired me to look back at these posts from Smart Bitches and Lilith Saintcrow about some of the less obvious messages in Twilight.

Hmm. Maybe this is part of my problem with the whole dating thing…

And here I thought Chaos had patented that glare as a kitten.

O noes! Flee, flee, before the evil horde swarms across the land.

Poor Basement Cat!

What if Hewlett-Packard built R2-D2?

Reading Update
Blood Vice: Nightfall Syndicate, Book 1 by Keith Melton. ebook. Very good, very intense paranormal romance about a vampire who does mob hits because he doesn’t want to kill innocents. Things are complicated a bit by an ancient enemy and a mob leader’s daughter. This one just came out in print, too. Recommended.
The Ultimate Kink (Quinn Security, Book 2) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Brace yourselves – this was an m/f romance ebook! 😉 The first Quinn Security book was an m/m romance and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I enjoyed this one, for what it’s worth. But this was ok. And I’m guessing that the next Quinn Security will be m/m.
Aussie Rules by Jill Shalvis. Ok contemporary romance. Mel’s barely holding her struggling aviation business together when Australian Bo shows up after ten years, raising all sorts of uncomfortable questions about Mel’s missing mentor and her possible role in Bo’s father’s death.
Snow on the Mountain by P.D. Singer. ebook. Very good m/m romance. After an exciting summer in Fire on the Mountain, Jake and Kurt are working at a ski resort for the winter and, of course, there are complications. Maybe it’s just me, but this cover sort of freaks me out. (Of course, after I finished reading this, I had to go back and reread Fire on the Mountain.)
Forgotten Song by Ally Blue. ebook. Ok m/m romance. Can a singer with a tortured past escape it to trust and love again? (Another sort of weird cover, although this is more in a 1970s sort of way.)
Diving in Deep by K.A. Mitchell. ebook. Very good m/m romance about getting a second chance with that guy you had a crush on as a teenager, who’s grown into an emotionally unavailable adult. I definitely got sniffly on this one. (This is also the precursor to Mitchell’s book Collision Course.)
Regularly Scheduled Life by K.A. Mitchell. ebook. Another really good m/m romance by Mitchell that had me crying pretty hard more than once. After becoming famous after being wounded during a school shooting, will Sean be able to return to his regular life with his partner of six years, Kyle? Recommended, but keep the tissues handy. (And does this cover have it going on or what?!)
Between Friends by Sean Michael. ebook. This m/m romance never really grabbed me, although it’s well rated and obviously enjoyed by others.
Win and Lose by T.C. Blue. ebook. The title of this pretty good m/m romance is a play on the nicknames of the two main characters: Winston and Lucien. Win’s a tattoo artist in the middle of nowhere and Luz’s the lead singer of a band who is lost in a snowstorm in the middle nowhere.
Spilled Ink by Rob Knight. ebook. Hmm. Musta been tattoo parlor week. Shortish but enjoyable m/m romance about a cop who goes to get a tattoo to commemorate his slain partner and ends up falling for the tattoo artist.
Take Me Out by Gabrina Garza. ebook. Meh m/m romance about two baseball players on a minor-league team.
Doggy Style by Ashely Ladd. ebook. Minds out of the gutter – it’s the name of a store that sells fashions for dogs. Of course, that’s not necessarily so clear when “Doggy Style” is emblazoned across the baseball team’s jerseys as the team sponsor. So, while the name was clever, that was the only clever bit about this m/m romance. I was laughing out loud about how hokey it was, plus I kept paging back to see if I’d skipped paragraphs or chapters. This wasn’t something that a few transitions could’ve fixed. Probably would’ve been a DNF, except I kept going to find out if the whole story was a disjointed dream sequence or something. (It wasn’t, more’s the pity.)
Love in an Elevator by Sean Michael. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a photographer and a high-powered businessman. Hmm. Not sure an elevator phobia was really enough to carry the story and balance all the steam. And oh, this book had a doozy of an editing miss – a completely random name switched in once for one of the characters at an inopportune moment. (“Samuel?! Who the *blip* is Samuel?!”)
Bad Case of Loving You by Laney Cairo. ebook. Very good, very steamy m/m romance about a resident and the doctor supervising him at the hospital. They just can’t seem to keep their hands off each other…
Undercover Blues by Laney Cairo. ebook. Hmm. Whose bright idea was it to send the allegedly straight cop undercover to hook up with the crime lord’s brother? Nicely done, even if I had to guess what some of the Aussie slang meant. 😉
Another Fine Mess, edited by Syd McGynley. ebook. I picked up this m/m romance collection primarily to read the story by Laney Cairo, which was related to Undercover Blues. Some of the other stories were fine, although I definitely skipped two or three.
I Can’t Drive 55 by Jade Falconer. ebook. Pretty sure that this method of getting out of a ticket should not be attempted outside of a fictional setting!
This Time for Keeps by Christiane France. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a man whose partner dies… so why do the pillows still smell like his shower gel? And who keeps changing the tv channel?
Interlude by Vivien Dean. ebook. Ok m/m romance about piano players with a dueling pianos gig in Nevada.
Off the Beaten Path by Katrina Strauss. ebook. Good m/m romance about a jock and an environmentalist who are sure they have nothing in common until they end up sharing a tent while working on a trail project.

“Come to the black kitty side. We have cookies. Unless the big kitty ate them.” -Mayhem