Reviewed by Dan

TITLE:      Curiosity Killed Shaney

AUTHOR:     J. C. Wallace

PUBLISHER:  Rooster & Pig Publishing

LENGTH:     238 Pages

BLURB:

Shaney’s curiosity is always getting him into trouble, including stumbling into a ritualistic circle and being imbued with an energy that will eventually tear him apart. He soon finds out that Hudson, a man he cares for deeply, might be responsible for his misfortune. Add in the betrayal by his best friend Todd and the desire of a demented occultist named Silas to control the energy inside of him and there seems to be no way out. Can Shaney find a way to rid his body of the nefarious energy before he dies a horrible death?

REVIEW:

I loved Shaney, Hudson, Todd and the rest of the cast of Curiosity Killed Shaney. When we meet Shaney, he is doing his court ordered community service hours in a thrift shop. I was instantly hooked, because up until recently I worked at an agency that used a lot of community service people, and his antics reminded me of some of the people I saw pass through my office.

I would love to have had Shaney pass through. The balls stuck to the ceiling with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff was hilarious. I also knew instantly that the author was from the Northeast. Only those of us growing up in that region grew up with Marshmallow Fluff and the famous Fluffernutter (the rest of you were sooooo deprived). Thanks Mr. Wallace for making me have to add Fluff to my grocery list this week, LOL.

Enough nostalgia. Back to the story. One day while in the thrift shop wasting time and not doing much, Shaney notices a guy who he refers to as Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky. While spying on him and drooling, the man notices Shaney and comes towards him, saying “Hey You” and “Stop”. Shaney panics, backs into a display case, and a George Foreman grill comes flying off a shelf and lands on his head, knocking him unconscious! After a brief scene with mouth to mouth, a wild rollercoaster ride in an ambulance and having his hairy bits on display at the hospital, Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky walks in just in time to have Shaney vomit all over his tight black jeans and immaculate black work boots.

Imagine Shaney’s surprise when his probation officer, Mr. Anderson (AKA The Antichrist), tells him he has used up the last available community service location and no one will take him, except one person….Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky, who it turns out is actually named Hudson.

Within a couple days, Shaney is hopelessly in love with Hudson, but Shaney’s roommate and best friend of his whole life, Todd, who claims to have the best gaydar on Earth, says Hudson is straight. While helping Hudson investigate a noise/possible break-in at a remote cabin on a local lake, Shaney gets odd feelings, and thoughts that someone is telling him to run away from the cabin. Kind of a “here there be danger” type message. Of course, Shaney, being Shaney, goes back that night, dragging Todd along.

When they get to the cabin, Shaney rushes in before noticing the arcane shapes and circles that are all over the walls and floor. He steps into a circle, is frozen in place, and is zapped by some sort of power that feels like it is going to blow him to pieces. Luckily Hudson arrives in time to push him out of the circle.

There begins the arcane, occult tale that is Curiosity Killed Shaney. Will Shaney be able to get rid of all the power that flowed into him from the circle? Will anything happen with his feelings for Hudson? What will happen when Todd betrays him and turns him over to some occult bad guys?

I decided to rate this book purely on the story, characters, paranormal aspects, etc. If I had rated it on the editing, it would have scored lower. It really needs to be re-edited. There were a lot of places where I stumbled while reading. Little things, like “all of his uncle’s book” instead of “books” but enough to make me pause in reading.

That said, I really, really enjoyed this story. I am so hoping that at some point the author will revisit these characters. I want to know what happens next. There is also a load of info I want on the Todd and Dan story! I recommend you grab this book and give it a read. It isn’t your typical m/m romance, but has such interesting characters and enough hot sex to make anyone happy. I was particularly happy to learn that Maximus was a big old bottom! LOL

Throw in some bad-ass occult characters and some strange Sacred Geometry stuff taking place, and you’ve got an entertaining read!

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Rooster & Pig

Amazon

ARe