Review: Splintered by S.J.D. Peterson

Blurb

A string of murders targeting effeminate gay men has the GLBTQ community of Chicago on alert, but budget cuts have left many precincts understaffed and overworked, and homophobia is alive and well within the law enforcement community so little has been done to solve the mystery. When the FBI calls in Special Agent Todd Hutchinson and his team, the locals are glad to hand the case off. But Hutch finds a bigger mystery than anyone originally realized—seventeen linked murders committed in several different jurisdictions. Hutch’s clues lead him to Noah Walker.

Working on his PhD in forensic psychology, Noah has been obsessed with serial murders since he was a child. Noah finds himself hunted, striking him off Hutch’s suspect list, but not off his radar. To catch the killer before anyone else falls victim, they’ll have to work together to bring him to justice.

 

Review

This book was so, good. I enjoyed it so much. It’s definitely the kind of book I love to read, I just wasn’t able to read as fast as I wanted to. It was very exciting.

Special Agent Todd Hutchinson (Hutch) and his team, are in charge of solving a series of murders targeting gay men. Noah Walker is working on his PhD in forensic psychology. He’s first seen as a possible suspect, but after discarding that possibility, he starts working with them trying to solve the crimes. But when they got the attention of the killer, things become a little different of what they expected.

I really liked this book. It was very interesting to read. The plot was so intriguing, and there were a little hints of the mind of the killer that were so amazing, my only issue about this was that it were too few, I wished I could get a little more inside that mind, but I guess that would give up too much about the identity and damage the plot. The pace it’s a bit slow at the beginning but it start to rush near the end. It had some really interesting twists.

The main characters were nice, I didn’t particularly loved them, but I guess I didn’t hate them either. They have some moments when they are able to transmit some intense emotions to the reader, on this matter I guess Noah was the best of them to do it, and perhaps my favorite character of them all.

The secondary characters were very nice, I liked the way the team interact. Sometimes they seemed a little immature, but it was a nice way of coping with the kind of job they had.

The book it’s not a romance. It have some romantic elements on it, but it main focus it’s on the mystery. There are graphic descriptions of some of the murders, not too many, but for readers who might find this disturbing, it’s probably not the book for you. That being said, I think it was great and for readers who like crime and mystery stories, this is a really good one, I would definitely recommend it.

 
*Book provided by NetGalley.

Review: Magpie (Avian Shifters, #2) by Kim Dare

Blurb

Everet has found his perfect place in the nest. As a raven, he’s ideally suited to his new role in the nest’s security flock. Some of the jobs it entails have been far more enjoyable than others, but when he’s called to retrieve a magpie, whose got himself into trouble in a local human club, it becomes a truly life changing experience.

Magpie shifters have always been looked down on by other avians. Just as attracted to shiny things in their human bodies as they are in their avian forms, everyone knows they’ll do anything for money—and they’re not above stealing what they can’t get by more honest means.

Kane knows what being a magpie means, and he’s got the bruises to show for it. When Everet rescues him from his latest scrape, Kane knows better than to believe the raven will actually take an interest in him and his welfare, but it’s just possible that Everet is different to any other man Kane has ever met.

Please note: This book is best to read in order as part of the Avian Shifters series. The previous stories are Duck! and Celebrate.

Review

This was so different than Duck. I liked Duck, but I really loved this one.

I think that, since the hierarchies have already been stablished, and the reader knows well the nest’s structure, this book took more time on the character development, and that made it so much better for me.

The pace it’s a little bit faster, I found this book more entertaining. It kind of seeks
the same Master/Submissive relationship, but the characters are so different than the ones in Duck, that it’s a totally different story.

Everet was very nice. He knew what he wanted and didn’t mind standing up for it, he was very protective, a good leader, strong but with the ability to show tenderness when needed, I liked him very much.

But, for me, who made this book so great, was Kane, I fell in love with this character since his first appearance. He was magnificent, there wasn’t a thing about him I didn’t liked. He’s perfectly arrogant at the first pages of the book. The development he had along the story it’s amazing. It was beautiful to see all the pain, insecurity, low self-steem, anger, so much feelings hidden behind that awful attitude.

He had the best quotes, things like “You don’t have me, darling,” Kane drawled. “And if you had ever had me, you’d remember who I was. Some of us aren’t forgettable.” made me laugh so much, I loved all his reactions.

The relationship of this two was also very nice, the way it was slowly growing and how much they got to appreciate each other. The sex scenes between them were so good, it’s been a while since I need to slow my reading for them, I really enjoyed them.

In general, I think it was so good, I think anyone would like it, I don’t think it’s a book only for shifter’s lovers. I generally don’t like shifters stories, but this one was amazing.

Review: Finding Master Right by L.A. Witt

Blurb

It’s all fun and games until somebody falls in love.

Chase has just arrived at a much anticipated leather convention, and he’s about to lose his mind. Not only is his ex attending, but Chase is also rooming with Derek, a submissive he’s been dying to top. Although Derek is in search of a Dom, he made it painfully clear when the two of them hooked up for a very hot—but very vanilla—night just before the convention that he wasn’t interested in submitting to Chase.

Derek isn’t stupid. No matter how desperate he is to submit to Chase, he wants no part of a rebound relationship. As long as Chase is still pining after the sub who broke his heart a few months ago, Derek’s keeping him at arm’s length. Besides, there’s another Dom at this convention, the gorgeous Master Raul, who Derek is determined to attract.

But when Chase and Derek are confronted with all their kinks, from ropes to leather, bondage to flogging—not to mention each other—they can only ignore their mutual attraction for so long.

Review

Chase is trying to recover himself after a painful break up. He attend to a leather convention with his friend Derek, but the things between them get a little complicated after they hook up just before the convention.

I’m not so sure what I think about this book. There were a lot of things I liked. The plot was so good, I really loved the characters, it was very entertaining and the writing was great.

But there was something about it that just didn’t do it for me. I just couldn’t get myself into the story. Perhaps my mind was somewhere else or wasn’t in the right mood for it, but something just didn’t worked.

It was a nice story. Very frustrating because of the lack of efficient communication between the main characters, but they seemed to be perfect to each other. The frustration was nice, or at least I feel it that way, because it’s always a good thing that the characters manage to transmit some kind of emotion, and for me, they did a fantastic job.  There are some secondary characters that were very likable, and the whole convention themed was very intriguing to me.

It was very well written.  There are some great BDSM scenes, I guess I wished they would be a bit longer or more descriptive, but they were fine.

In general was good, and I think someone interested on BDSM stories can appreciate it.

Review: Strangers by Eden Darry

Blurb

Three stories about chance meetings between strangers. Kip and Claudia are terrorised by an unknown creature lurking in the woods in Car Trouble. Summer Holiday takes place on a Caribbean island where Leigh and Amy discover a secluded pool for their erotic interlude. Charlotte gets an unexpected shot at love when Freya delivers her pizza in The Delivery.

Review

This was a very entertaining reading. Three short stories about stranger women finding what they weren’t looking for. Stories full of passion, lust and great characters.

Car Trouble
Claudia and Kip find themselves in the middle of nowhere and chased by childhood fears that become a little too real. This was my favorite of the three, it made me put the book down a while because I stared reading it in the night, and there was no way I’ll be reading a scary book at that time. In the morning after, I really enjoyed it, yes, it was a bit scary, but not enough to keep me away from reading it. It had a fast pace, a very good plot. At the beginning I didn’t liked Claudia, she seemed a little spoiled, but after a while she became nicer. I liked both character very much. And the ending was great.

Summer Holiday
Amy decides to give herself a break from life and, on her vacation, meets Leigh. Both women go seeking for adventure and a sexy escapade. I think Leigh was an amazing character, I loved her so much. She was such a flirtatious little thing, I enjoyed that so much. But it wasn’t just that about her, there is also the reasons she had to choose Amy among other possible women she met. It was a nice story.

The Delivery
Charlotte is tired of having bad dates. And, while disappointed thinking on her bad experiences, luck knocks on the door. They meet in a rather awkward situation, but that doesn’t prevents attraction and flirting start making its entrance among Charlotte and Freya. This was a sweet and fun story. Again full with great characters and very entertaining.

In general I think the three stories were great. I liked the plots, some more elaborate than others, but all very enjoyable. The characters were so nice, I wish they would be a little more developed, but at the length of the stories, I think it was a very well done job. It was very well written. One of the things that I didn’t liked too much was the extremely fast built of the relationships, I prefer books that take a while to develop the characters before they hook up, and this ones feel too rushed, but I think it was, again, because of the length of the stories, and perhaps other readers won’t have the same problem I had. I feel the same about the sex scenes, too rushed. I think they would worked a little better if they were longer or a bit more descriptive.
Overall, they were so good, very entertaining, and easy to read. I think it can be easily enjoyed by any reader.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

Review: The Trap (Love Unlocked) by Claire Davis and Al Stewart

Blurb

New job – sexy boss – fate – Art…

When Sal attends an open exam for an apprentice artist to work alongside the infamous Matthew Picard, the last thing he expects is to be the winner. But then his role is revealed and nothing is ever the same again. As he toils day and night on the unique sculpture, strange sensations begin to affect both him and the watching master artist.

Matthew Picard thought he was through with men and love. What he wanted was for Sal to help him create one final monstrous masterpiece – The Trap.

But as he observes his young apprentice, his focus shifts, and so do the very walls of the gallery.

Is it the beauty of art, or something more magical at work?

As the sculpture is created, a power is unlocked.

Can love save them, or will they be trapped forever?

* * *

A story from Love Unlocked – a collection of seven short stories and novellas – unique LGBTQ romances inspired by the Love Lock Bridge.

LOVE UNLOCKED:
The Trap by Claire Davis and Al Stewart
Writer’s Lock by Victoria Milne
Locked in the Moment by Dawn Sister
The Weekend by J P Walker
The Scarlet Lock by Caraway Carter
He Melted Us by Ofelia Gränd
Chain of Secrets by Debbie McGowan

 

Review

I will start my review stealing a quote from the book, which I feel the authors deserve and it makes a nice description of my thoughts of the story: “I am amazed at your dedication. Never have I seen such focus. It is…stunning,”

It was just beautiful, I loved this story. It was hard to put it down. The plot was interesting, it was nice to see where the story could be, and I definitely wasn’t expecting what happened, but I really enjoyed it.

The characters were great. Sal was so lovely, at times funny, and I loved his interactions with others. It was so easy to feel related to his feelings and his insecurities, I liked him very much.

Matthew was a little mysterious at the beginning and I liked it so much, I think that worked fantastically giving a feeling of uncertainty to the story. There was some sense of melancholy around him that made him so appealing to me.

The building of a relationship was at a pace that i enjoyed, it was believable and was coherent with the development of the characters.

I’m not particularly fond on magical thinking, but I felt like the story worked for me.

Overall I think it was a great reading. I think anyone can enjoy it.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the DBML program of the M/M Romance group at goodreads.

Review: The Clockwork Menagerie by Elliot Cooper

Blurb

Autosmith Clement Dyer wants to create his life-like, mechanical animals in peace. He’s tired of being badgered about selling his business to his long-time rival and former lover, Duke Goodwin. He also craves appreciation for his living works of art.

Unfortunately, not all of Clement’s clients see his clockwork creations the way he does, and a prominent but dissatisfied customer threatens to sink his struggling business into the ground.

Review

I loved this book so much. It was a little unexpected to me, because it’s not what I would usually read, but I give it a try, and glad I did because it was great.

Clement is an autosmith, he’s good creating mechanical animals but his business is facing bad times. He needs to deal, not only with that, but also with the mischievous behavior of his rival Duke.

The world created by the author was so beautiful. A perfect mixed between the technologies used to build of the animals and the, sort of historical, moment of time they live into. The pace was steady, with a few moments when it speed up a little. It took my attention the whole time.

The character were my favorite part of it. There was no one person who appeared on the book, that I wasn’t interested in. Even the ones who were there for little time or the ones who seemed unpleasant, all generate some kind of emotion to the reader, and that was simply amazing.

I really liked Clement, the way he believed in his creations. His feelings were so easily transmitted to the reader, I liked that a lot.

Duke was a little bit of a mystery, but I feel like that worked better for the story, the interactions between him and Clement were so great, but I felt liked there were too few.

Overall I think it was an amazing story. I think a lot of readers can be able to enjoy it,

The only problem I had with it was that it was too short. I wanted to know more about the story. I truly hope there’s more of this, I would love to know what might happened from the point the book ends.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange of an honest review.

Review: Stray by Kari Gregg

Blurb

With a lycan father, a human mother, and the human side of his genetic makeup dominant, Luke left his birth pack to try living among humans, but he felt awkward and uncomfortable isolated from the culture that raised him. He’s still searching for where he fits in.

After losing his family in a vicious attack, Dean rebuilt his pack by accepting loners, rejects, other survivors, and even ferals. He and his ragtag group of strays made a warm and welcoming home.

Luke believes he’s finally found where he belongs. Meddling parents and a neighbor who isn’t as human as he seems won’t sway him. Luke wants Dean to take in one last stray…him.

Content Warning: Shifter knotting/tying, mating heats (yes, plural), and jerky!

A 40,643 word short novel

Review

This was a very nicely made reinvention of a pack’s dynamics. The world created by the author managed to bring the reader to a creative and different interaction among lycans and humans.

Luke is tired of living among humans; having a lycan father and a human mother makes him feel inadequate to live between them. He decides to seek a pack where he can feel safe. A place where he can belong. Dean is known for accepting rejects, but, with enough reasons to mistrust humans, is he willing to let one join his pack?

The world building was one of the strongest elements in the book. It was nice to see a different portrayal of the pack’s interactions, but at times, it felt like it was too much, and took little time to develop the plot. The pace was mostly slow, but it managed to keep my attention the whole time.

Another thing I enjoy about it was the part discrimination play among both groups–lycans and humans. It felt realistic and I was trying to guess how the characters might react if they face it.

Luke is a human, but his father’s heritage makes him have very strong lycan’s traits. That makes him crave a feeling of belonging. He’s the character that had the major spotlight on the book, and yet, I didn’t feel like I really got to know him. There were feelings I get from him, like how insecure he was, but other than that, he wasn’t particularly likable.

Dean was mostly a mystery. It was hard to know how he feels, or how he would react to anything. In spite of that, I felt like I care more for him than I did for Luke. Their relationship was a little underdeveloped. I felt like they spend little time together and that was bothersome, because I wanted to feel something from this two.

Jeremy, though a secondary character, stole the show for me. I fell in love with him in the first scene I met him. He was fun, intriguing and a delight to read. I only hope there’s another book in the making with him as a main character, because he would be an amazing protagonist.

There is mention of past abuse in the book, but is off page and there isn’t graphic description of it.

Overall I feel like it was a very entertaining reading, nicely written. I think anyone who like shifter’s stories would enjoy it.

Review: Thief of Hearts by Perci T. Brooks

Blurb

On the surface, Jules Hanover leads a privileged life being a member of the town’s most prestigious family. Young, handsome and genteel, he runs his own successful party planning business and appears to be the type of son any parent would be proud of.

Except…

Underneath the glamour and illusion, the Hanover family is anything but the united front they project and Jules is desperate to get away from the charade that’s forcing him to endure a secret hell.

With the help of his best friend and a pair of heartbroken ghosts, Jules races to find the truth about an ancient scandal, an unsolved murder and himself. But will the answers he seeks give him the strength he needs or will he become just another skeleton in the family closet?

Review
I feel like it was a lovely story. I especially liked Diona, she was such a great character, a very good friend. Someone who can be trusted. Her and her family were great.
Jules was nice, but i felt like there were moments when he act very different of what would be expected, that’s nice, but i feel like it was out of character. At the beginning of the story his feelings were very well transmitted, but i think that was decreasing when the story keep going. Near the end i find hard to connect with any emotion he had.

The plot was interesting, but i feel like it was too rushed. It was full of great ideas, but i’m not sure they worked so good altogether.

Heartbroken ghosts?, i guess i was expecting something less literal. I didn’t like that part too much, but that’s on my, because the blurb was clear. Yet, i had a bit of an issue because of the way everyone reacted to them.
Jules family was just awful, the way things end up with them was also a little rushed.

I finished the book wishing it was longer, because as i said, i think the writer had good ideas, but the story was too short to fully develop them.

Overall i think it was a nice story, i saw that there’s a sequel, i would check on that one, because i want to know what comes next.
By the way, i loved the cover, it’s very beautiful. It was what attract me to the book on the first place, i’m glad i’d read it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the DBML program of the M/M Romance group at goodreads.

Review: Duck! (Avian Shifters #1) by Kim Dare

Blurb

Raised among humans, Ori Jones only discovered he was an avian shifter six months ago. Unable to complete a full shift until he reaches his avian maturity, he still can’t be sure of his exact species.

But with species comes rank, and rank is everything to the avians. When a partial shift allows the elders to announce that they believe Ori to be a rather ugly little duckling, he drops straight to the bottom rung of their hierarchy.

Life isn’t easy for Ori until he comes to the attention of a high ranking hawk shifter. Then the only question is, is Ori really a duck—and what will his new master think when the truth eventually comes out?

Review

I liked it since the first pages. I like the world created by the author, the importance of the hierarchy was something that got my attention. I really wanted to know more about how it worked, who was the higher or the lower rank, i really enjoyed that part.

The character were a little trouble some to me, mostly Ori. I did liked him,he was very sweet, and likable, make me feel protective over him, but i felt like there was too little time explaining what he liked or disliked, his dreams, hopes, anything. I finished the book feeling like i didn’t really knew him.

Raynard was a little bit different, i felt like i know him a bit better, but still feel like simething was missing. He was a very nice character, sort of like a prince charming in hawk’s suit. I got to care much for him. His relationship with Ori was also very sweet, i was expecting something different but i’m really glad to see wherethe story went.

It had a steady pace, i feel like near the end it was a bit slow, but still enjoyable. The plot was nice, it got my attention, it had some twists but i felt like, at some point, become a bit predictable. I loved to see an unusual shape shifters, that was so refreshing, i’m not particulary a fan of shifters, but this book, make a great job on that matter.

Overall i think it was a very entertaining story, I think someone who love shifter’s stories, definitely will love this one. I know there are more books and this series and i’m sure i will be reading the soon.

Review: Where No One Knows by Jo Ramsey

 

Blurb

Kellan McKee is different, but not for the reasons everyone thinks. He’s open about being transgender and grateful to have his mother’s support, even if his stepfather disapproves. When Kellan is attacked by one of his stepfather’s friends, he’s more than capable of defending himself. But doing so comes with a price: Kellan is forced to reveal what really sets him apart—his psychic abilities.

Now Kellan must escape his stepfather’s vengeance with only the money his mother can provide. In Denver he meets Shad, a person with powers similar to his own who is willing to help him. The two agree to travel together, and Shad reveals there’s a group in Boston where Kellan can find a safe haven and learn more about his gift—and how to control it.

Kellan’s respite might be short-lived, however, if his stepfather manages to find him. And not everyone in Boston welcomes him with open arms. Kellan might not be as safe as he’d hoped.

Review

This book had my attention from the first page, i was so intrigued by the story and i couldn’t help to love Kellan, who was such a beautiful character.

Kellan is on the run after hurting one of his stepfather’s friends, due to his psychic powers, something they are not willing to overlook. Since they are seeking revenge, Kellan is forced to leave his home. He is looking for a place where he can feel safe again, and people who can trust. He meet Shad, who suggest a place where he might find the safety he is looking for, but there are several obstacles on his journey to a place where he can feel safe.

I find the story very entertaining, it was full of conflicts Kellan need to deal with, in order to get somewhere safe, most of the time it keep a fast pace, anf interesting twists. Around the middle i felt like it went a little flat, but the last pages it redeem itself very nicely.

One of the thing i liked the most, was the ways the subject of Kellan being transgender was manage. It was part of him, but it kind of went in second place. I think that was good because it wasn’t all he was. The main concern was the psychic abilities because that was what was bothering Kellan at the time. Being transgender wasn’t bothering him, it was just who he was, and the way most of the people deal with it was also very nice.

I really loved Kellan, he was a very sweet character, dealing also with controling his emotions, and with trust issues. His mother was somehow confusing to me. I felt like she send contradictory messages, sometimes standing up for what she believe in and other letting other decide for her, but i guess that make her more believable.

Shad was my favourite character, besides Kellan, but on his case i felt like he was underdeveloped. I wish i would got to know him a little better. There are other characters on the story, but this three are the ones that got more of my attention while reading.

Overall i think it was a great book, with very positive elements. I Think anyone can enjoy it.

*Book provided by NetGalley.