Tag Archives: Kaje Harper

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Learning Curve (Life Lessons #4) by Kaje Harper [CONTEST CLOSED]

130 Comments

Many thanks to Kaje Harper for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Learning Curve (Life Lessons #4), for a lucky commenter to win! Learning Curve will be released by MLR Press on September 6. (We hit 100 comments, so Kaje has donated a second copy! Thanks, Kaje!)

Mac is afraid he’ll never recover enough to go back to being a cop, while Tony is afraid that he will.

Three months after being shot, Detective Jared MacLean is healing, but he’s afraid it may not be enough to go back on the job. He won’t give up, though. Being a cop is written deep in Mac’s bones, and he’ll do whatever it takes to carry his badge again.

Tony used to wish he could have Mac safely home, but watching his strong husband battle disabilities is far from Tony’s dream come true. When Mac is asked to consult on a case involving one of Tony’s students, both men will have to face old demons and new fears to find a way to move forward together.

Other Books

About Kaje

I live in Minnesota (where the two seasons are snow removal and road-repair, and the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it is so beautiful you can’t breathe for gazing at it). I have been writing for longer than I care to admit, and currently am focused on writing m/m romance. I have an interview on the BookWenches site that is more biographical, for those who are interested.

My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. This was the first thing I had submitted anywhere and I was thrilled when it was accepted. And now I have other work in print, both free and professionally published. This writing thing is addictive. So read, comment, tell me what you like and what you don’t, and help me make the upcoming books even better.

You can find out more about Kaje and her books on her blog and at Goodreads.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Thursday, September 5.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“I wish Mom would open the windows again…” -Chaos

After the heatwave breaks…

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Sole Support by Kaje Harper [CONTEST CLOSED]

117 Comments

Many thanks to Kaje Harper for donating an ebook copy two ebook copies of her forthcoming m/m romance, Sole Support, for a lucky commenters to win! Sole Support will be released by Samhain Publishing on June 4. Thanks to Kaje for donating a second copy after we hit 100 comments!

He can find a use for his lover’s hands…except when he needs help the most.

Kellen is short on cash – at least until his first novel starts to sell – but he has plenty of friends. None of them, unfortunately, share his love of books. For that he turns to IM chats with Mike from his online book group.

Though he manages to coax the shy, socially inept pathologist into a real-time meeting, Kellen has no intention of letting his new friend become more than a casual lover. Shaky finances and ailing mother aside, self-sufficiency is Kellen’s prime directive.

Mike considers himself a nerd of the highest order – short, bespectacled, prone to blurting out the wrong thing at the worst possible time. Meeting Kellen face to face is the biggest risk of his life, and he wonders if they’ll get more body parts together than just their faces.

First meeting leads to first date – first everything for Mike – and soon Kellen’s faced with breaking his just-friends-with-benefits rule. Yet as his elderly mother wanders deeper into senility, Kellen wonders if it’s better to lean on Mike rather than fall.

Product Warnings
Contains an emotional love story between a too-proud-for-his-own-good writer with an allergy to the L-word, and a painfully shy scientist who takes his sisters’ nagging to “get out there” literally. Oh, and an adorable stray cat.

Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)

Other Books

About Kaje

I live in Minnesota (where the two seasons are snow removal and road-repair, and the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it is so beautiful you can’t breathe for gazing at it). I have been writing for longer than I care to admit, and currently am focused on writing m/m romance. I have an interview on the BookWenches site that is more biographical, for those who are interested.

My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. This was the first thing I had submitted anywhere and I was thrilled when it was accepted. And now I have other work in print, both free and professionally published. This writing thing is addictive. So read, comment, tell me what you like and what you don’t, and help me make the upcoming books even better.

You can find out more about Kaje and her books on her blog and at Goodreads.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, June 3.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“Why are you making those ridiculous cooing noises, Mom? You are so weird!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Home Work (Life Lessons #3) by Kaje Harper [CONTEST CLOSED]

132 Comments

Many thanks to Kaje Harper for donating an ebook copy two ebook copies of her forthcoming m/m romance, Home Work (Life Lessons #3), for lucky commenters to win! Home Work will be released October 5 by MLR Press. (Edited: Kaje donated a second copy when the contest hit 100 comments. Thanks, Kaje!)

Mac and Tony thought the hard part was over. They’re together openly as a couple, sharing a home and building a life with their two children. It’s what they dreamed of. But daughter Anna struggles with the changes, Ben is haunted by old secrets, Mac’s job in Homicide still demands too much of his time, and Tony is caught in the middle. It’s going to take everything these men can give to create a viable balance between home and work. Especially when the outside world seems determined to throw obstacles in their way.

Excerpt (scroll down)

Other Books

About Kaje

I live in Minnesota (where the two seasons are snow removal and road-repair, and the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it is so beautiful you can’t breathe for gazing at it). I have been writing for longer than I care to admit, and currently am focused on writing m/m romance. I have an interview on the BookWenches site that is more biographical, for those who are interested.

My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. This was the first thing I had submitted anywhere and I was thrilled when it was accepted. And now I have other work in print, both free and professionally published. This writing thing is addictive. So read, comment, tell me what you like and what you don’t, and help me make the upcoming books even better.

You can find out more about Kaje and her books on her blog and at Goodreads.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Thursday, October 4.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“I’ll just sprawl here until you throw that mouse for me, Mom…” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Sometimes I can’t think of a linkity title and then I am very sad

15 Comments

Congrats to Raevyn, who won the M/M Week books by Erastes, Kim Knox, Ava March, KC Burn, Dev Bentham, and Larry Benjamin from Carina Press. All six books will be released on March 19.

Congrats to Sarah Madison, who won Diversion by Eden Winters! Diversion will be released on March 18 by Amber Allure.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Do, Learn, Make, Think

Tuneity

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Moving in Rhythm by Dev Bentham. ebook arc. Very good m/m romance about a closeted online math instructor whose crippling shyness and social anxiety have him living a hermetic life. When his brother is deployed to Iraq, he agrees to take care of his pregnant sister-in-law during the deployment, and finds himself being forced, protesting, out of his shell… not always smoothly. This was a wonderful combination of sweet and serious.
Social Skills by S Alva. free online. Good m/m romance about a college freshman who plays the violin and has crippling social anxiety. He’s nearly incapacitated by anxiety when he realizes that the closeted football player he’s tutoring is gay and likes him.
Ghosts & Flames by Kaje Harper. ebook. Good holiday paranormal m/m romance a guy with a ghost problem who runs into a guy with a vampire problem. While the final 2/3 of the story was very involving, the first third simply had too much info-dumping – I kept wondering if this was the second book in a series.
Question Mark (Liaisons #2) by SE Culpepper. ebook. Good but uneven m/m romance about Mark from the previous book, who finally realizes that he needs to get over his ex and decides that a trip to Bora Bora is just what he needs. While I was rooting for Mark and his guy, parts of their interactions just didn’t make sense.
Stroke! by MJ O’Shea. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy on his college crew team who’s struggling to keep a freshman from taking his varsity spot. The big mystery was pretty obvious from the beginning.
Maple Leaf Red: Sugaring Off! by Vic Winter. ebook short. Cute short paranormal m/m romance about a guy living alone on a remote Canadian sugar bush who helps an injured wolf…
And Then I Met Him by L Arthur. free online. Pretty good m/m romance about a straight college student who works at a tutoring center and becomes strangely fascinated by a defensive and troubled young man.
Sorry Now? (Paul Turner #1) by Mark Richard Zubro. Good gay mystery about a Chicago police detective trying to figure out who killed the daughter of a homophobic minister and politician.
Political Poison (Paul Turner #2) by Mark Richard Zubro. Pretty good gay mystery in Chicago police detective Paul Turner tries to figure out who killed a professor/alderman. The background stuff that doesn’t change much between books was copied and pasted from the first book. Grrr. Strangely not feeling the urge to check more of this series out from the library… And seriously – why would you try mouth-to-mouth on someone who was poisoned?!
Promise in a Kiss by Piper Vaughn. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about two guys who made a promise to each other when they were kids, then lost touch. While this was sweet, it felt more like a tease than an actual story.
In the Penalty Box (Seattle Marauders #2) by Riley Shane. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a closeted hockey player and the freelance writer who used to have a crush on him. Alas, this did not stand up well against the fabulous (and free) m/m hockey player romance, Heart in Hand.
In the Name of the Law by Sue Holston. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a cop who’s been in love with his straight partner for years.
Schooled in Murder (Tom & Scott #12) by Mark Richard Zubro. Ok mystery in which Tom stumbles a dead body or two at school and is under suspicion for murder, with unsuspected enemies coming out of the woodwork. The whole thing with the blurb for this and the previous book saying that Scott is a former professional baseball player is beyond weird. Quote from the book itself: “Scott plays professional baseball.” That seems pretty clear to me at least!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper [CONTEST CLOSED]

108 Comments

Congrats to ShellBell, who won Waking Up Naked by Kim Dare! Waking Up Naked is being released today by Resplendence Publishing.

Many thanks to Kaje Harper for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, The Rebuilding Year, for a lucky commenter to win! The Rebuilding Year will be released by Samhain Publishing on March 6.

Losing nearly everything leaves room for the one thing they can’t live without.

A few excruciating minutes pinned in a burning building cost Ryan Ward his job as a firefighter, the easy camaraderie of his coworkers, his girlfriend, and damn near cost him his left leg. Giving up, though, isn’t an option. Compared to the alternative, choosing a new profession, going back to school, and renting a room from the college groundskeeper are simple.

Until he realizes he’s falling in love with his housemate, and things take a turn for the complicated.

John Barrett knows about loss. After moving twice to stay in touch with his kids, he could only watch as his ex-wife whisked them away to California. Offering Ryan a room seems better than rattling around the empty house, but as casual friendship moves to something more, and a firestorm of emotions ignites, the big old house feels like tight quarters.

It’s nothing they can’t learn to navigate, though. But when dead bodies start turning up on campus – and one of the guys is a suspect – their first taste of real love could go up in smoke.

Product Warnings
Contains two hot men wrestling with a shift in their sexuality, as well as a few positions probably listed in the Gay Kama Sutra. But it’s not all about the hot and sweaty – especially when your previously straight life knocks on the door and comes back to visit.

Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)

Other Books

About Kaje

I live in Minnesota (where the two seasons are snow removal and road-repair, and the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it is so beautiful you can’t breathe for gazing at it). I have been writing for longer than I care to admit, and currently am focused on writing m/m romance. I have an interview on the BookWenches site that is more biographical, for those who are interested.

My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. This was the first thing I had submitted anywhere and I was thrilled when it was accepted. And now I have other work in print, both free and professionally published. This writing thing is addictive. So read, comment, tell me what you like and what you don’t, and help me make the upcoming books even better.

You can find out more about Kaje and her books on her blog and at Goodreads.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Monday, March 5.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If you have an email account with AOL or Netscape, I may not be able to send email to you.
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

*rummaging* “Why does Mom throw away all this great stuff?! Crumpled post-its are the best thing ever!!” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity loves flying saucer sandwiches!

15 Comments

Congrats to choccygrl, who won Going With My Heart by Stephani Hecht and My Subby Valentine by Amber Kell!

Congrats to Paul B, who won First Impressions by Josephine Myles!

Congrats to Nette, who won The Only Easy Day (Sanctuary #2) by RJ Scott! The Only Easy Day will be released by Silver Publishing on February 18.

Congrats to Melissa, who won The Pirate’s Gamble by Eden Winters! The Pirate’s Gamble will be released by JMS Books on February 19.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

  • Toas-Tites are back! Or, as we called them when I was growing up, flying saucer sandwich makers! 🙂 They work well with a gas stove, too.

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Midnight in Berlin by JL Merrow. ebook. arc. Excellent paranormal m/m romance about an American who’s been drifting around Europe for a while. One rainy drunken night, he accepts a ride from a devilishly handsome man in a Porsche… and his life (and his reality) will never be the same again.
Lesson Learned by Lillian Francis. ebook. Excellent m/m romance about two teachers at a Welsh secondary school who become close friends, although one finds the friendship increasingly challenging, due to the attraction he feels for his oblivious, obviously attracted to women friend.
The Only Easy Day (Sanctuary #2) by RJ Scott. ebook. arc. Very good m/m romantic suspense picking up where the first book left off. As the Sanctuary guys work to build a case against the mobsters responsible for the murder Morgan witnessed, things are complicated by the murder victim’s Navy SEAL stepbrother showing up on a mission of vengeance.
The Hanged Man’s Ghost by Missouri Dalton. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a Chicago police detective with a drinking problem and a crush on his straight best friend. When he realizes he can see ghosts, his life spirals quickly out of control. Sloppy proofing and a storyline that needed to be reined in just a bit kept this from being a five-star read. (But! There is knitting!)
Fiends in Low Places by Missouri Dalton. ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who works for the MC from The Hanged Man’s Ghost and who’s trying to get back together with an FBI agent. Apparently the rest of this story (much alluded to throughout this one) is still being written.
Getting It Right (Life Lessons #1.8) by Kaje Harper. free ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about both Mac and Tony agonizing over what to get the other for Valentine’s Day.
I Dare You, Back (Dare #3) by Tam Ames. free ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a college senior who’s been sleeping around for two years, ever since his boyfriend dumped him and left for grad school. Now his ex is back in town…
The Swimming Swan (Cob Brothers #2) by Amber Kell & Stephani Hecht. ebook. Fluffy m/m paranormal romance about a merman come to land to meet his mate, who he doesn’t know is a swan prince.
Taking the Dare (Truth or Dare #4) by Lee Brazil. ebook. Ok m/m romance about the last unattached Blake brother, who habitually manipulates people and just can’t seem to stop. I didn’t particularly care for him or for his love interest.
Reluctant Mate by Eden Cole. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance about a wolf shifter who’s pissed off that his father has arranged for him to mate a man instead of a woman.
Awakenings by Tara Larson. ebook. DNF. I only made it to 8% – this looks to be another unedited book from Dreamspinner Press. It featured random and constant POV shifts, non-stop infodumping, and passive voice. Ugh.

*scratch scratch scratch* -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity has eyes like limpid pools

20 Comments

Congrats to Morgana, who won Academic Pursuits by Lou Harper!

Congrats to Demetra, who won The Swimming Swan (Cob Brothers #2) by Stephani Hecht and Amber Kell!

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Cinder (A CinderFella Story) by Marie Sexton. ebook. Excellent fairy tale m/m romance based on Cinderella. It was cute and sweet and left a smile on my face.
The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper. ebook. arc. Excellent m/m romantic suspense about a firefighter who was seriously injured in a fire a year ago and is now going to med school. When he falls down some stairs on campus, the head groundskeeper comes to his rescue and they slowly become friends. What made this book so amazing was how it felt organic to me – the story slowly built and grew and developed… and that worked really, really well. Recommended. Comes out March 6 – and look for a contest here the week before. 🙂
Beyond Moonlight (Lucky Moon 1.5) by Piper Vaughn & MJ O’Shea. free ebook collection. Excellent collection of three short stories that take place after Moonlight Becomes You, but before the forthcoming The Luckiest. The first one tied up a loose end from Moonlight, and the second two bridge into The Luckiest.
Fall into the Sun by Val Kovalin. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two guys who were best friends and then lovers when they were growing up, until one of them broke the other’s heart. It’s 20 years later – is this a second chance? Or will fear and family split them apart again?
Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a guy with a fiancee and a trust fund who works as a police detective and uses humor to keep people at an emotional distance. But for some reason his defenses start to break down when he sees a beautiful young man working at a diner… wearing bunny slippers. This is one wild ride of a book! In fact, I hid in the bathroom at work to finish reading because I couldn’t wait until evening to see how things turned out. Definitely looking forward to reading the author’s next book.
First Impressions (2nd ed) by Josephine Myles. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about an artist who becomes fascinated by the guy wearing a suit and crazy socks who he sits across from on the train every day.
Like the Taste of Summer by Kaje Harper. free ebook short. Very good short m/m romance that flashes back to how a long-term couple got together.
Tougher To Love by Diana DeRicci. ebook. Good m/m romance about a deeply closeted motorcycle mechanic who unexpectedly becomes the guardian of his teenage niece…. and fascinated by the cop who brought her back into his life.
Why Isn’t Becky Twitchell Dead? (Tom & Scott #2) by Mark Richard Zubro. Good gay mystery in which high school teacher Tom is asked to help out a student accused of murdering his girlfriend. I really enjoy the dynamic between Tom and his partner Scott.
The Only Good Priest (Tom & Scott #3) by Mark Richard Zubro. Good gay mystery about Tom and Scott getting involved in the investigation of the suspicious death of a priest who ministered to the gay community. This one was kind of all over the place…
Chicago by Shae Connor. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who finally realizes that his older, mostly long-distance boyfriend is a jerk and dumps him. And then he meets an absolute sweetheart of a guy…
Under One Roof by Diana DeRicci. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a writer who rents out part of his house to a cop newly moved to the area. Neither is aware the other is gay as they mutually lust after each other.
Fire Balls by Tara Lain. ebook. Good m/m romance about a flamboyant artist with a crush on a hunky firefighter – a hunky firefighter who, though gay, stays away from flamboyant guys, even if he finds them attractive.
Packing Heat by Kele Moon. ebook. Steamy m/m romance about a firefighter who thinks his straight cop roommate is going to want to move after their drunken makeout session…

“So itchy!” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity for a new year

22 Comments

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

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

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

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

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

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

Epic Linkity of Epicness

15 Comments

Congrats to Linda E, who won Finding Eden (Eden #2) by Kele Moon! Finding Eden is being released today Ellora’s Cave.

Congrats to Jennifer, who won Song of Oestend by Marie Sexton! Song of Oestend will be released August 22 by Total-E-Bound.

Congrats to jayhjay, who won On the List (Changing Plans #3) by L.A. Witt! On the List will be released on August 21 by Amber Allure.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Do, Make, Think, Learn

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Breaking Cover (Life Lessons #2) by Kaje Harper. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense that takes place a year after Life Lessons. Things have been going well for out teacher Tony and closeted police detective Mac up until now, but Tony’s increasingly frustrated by the constraints on their relationship… and then they hit the crisis point.
Man Falls Down by Eric Arvin. ebook short. Very good, very surreal, very short story about a guy who wakes up from an odd dream… and can’t really shake the feeling from the dream.
Crying for the Moon by Sarah Madison. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a vampire who’s tired of living with other vampires, so he moves to a remote area with the assistance of his werewolf friends. Too bad the vet living up the road is so persistently friendly…
Shift Happens by Storm Grant. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a Canadian anthropologist who heads to the Colombian rain forest to do some research with his mentor, but gets entangled in illegal drug manufacturing. When he runs into the hot guy he met on the plane to Colombia, things start to get really weird… (This could’ve been tightened up a bit in the middle, which might’ve turned it into an excellent read.)
Wolf Unexpected by Vic Winter. ebook short. Good, but extremely short m/m paranormal romance about a guy who gets really itchy and turns into a werewolf, with no clue what was happening. This really needed at least a few more pages to feel complete.
Guava Red: Almost Paradise by TC Blue. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who meet as teens but lose touch due to circumstances, then run into each other years later.
In His Hero’s Shadow (EMS Heat #10) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about two medics who are always at each others’ throats when their paths cross… well, almost always. 🙂
Twisted Rose by Amber Kell. ebook. Ok kinky m/m romance about a cop who agrees to be a bdsm club owner’s sub in order to help stop a serial killer who’s leaving bodies outside the club. This felt like it needed to be fleshed out a bit more… and it had a critical comma shortage.
Room Number Twelve by Rebecca Leigh. ebook short. Steamy short m/m paranormal that’s basically a sex scene between two vampire cowboys.
Simple by SJD Peterson. ebook. Ok m/m romance about two very insecure guys in a relationship together, neither thinking he’s good enough for the other, and both waiting for the other shoe to drop. This was a bit too sweet for me, and, unfortunately, I found the guys annoying.

“I didn’t want that stinky old nip toy, anyway. This scratcher is much better.” -Mayhem