Book of the Week Poll
Welcome to the Love Bytes Book of the Week Poll!
Here are the books which achieved a 4.5 or 5.0 review last week from our reviewers.
As a reminder, the top two books from each week’s poll will roll into our Book of the Month poll at month’s end. Happy Voting!
Please scroll to the very bottom for the voting section.
POLL SCHEDULE:
This poll will remain open until at least 6PM, Amsterdam time next Friday. The actual closing time will vary depending on blog staff schedules…
A Worthy Man (The Men of Halfway House #5) by Jaime Reese
Reviewed by Donna
TITLE: A Worthy Man
SERIES: The Men of Halfway House #5
AUTHOR: Jaime Reese
PUBLISHER: Romandeavor, Inc
LENGTH: 124,000 Words
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017
BLURB:
Vannguard Shaw has spent the last ten years serving a life sentence and adjusting to the ache of solitude. He accepts his fate, a sacrifice for the only man he ever loved and the one person who saw beyond his rough edges.
Drayton grew up with a trust fund and pre-planned future, but an unexpected encounter one night forces him to abandon everything and start from scratch. He is now a self-made man and developer of one of the most sought after electric exotic automobiles in the world with a fortune greater than that of his birthright. Yet, he’d surrender it all—again—for the only man who’s still ever-present in his heart.
After a decade and entirely too much distance between them, Vann is suddenly released back into a world that has been nothing but cruel. Drayton never lost hope they would once again reunite and pick up where they left off, but Vann’s stubborn nature and repeated encounters with a heartbreaking world prove to be a challenge.
Vann needs to tap into his fighting spirit’s reservoir of strength and hope life doesn’t punish him for taking a chance. Only then will he realize his own value and feel worthy enough to finally have Drayton’s heart. And their chance at forever….Read More »
Quickening Vol. 1 (Little Goddess #5 Vol. 1) by Amy Lane
Reviewed by Tori (Vicki)
TITLE: Quickening Vol. 1
SERIES: Little Goddess #5
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
PUBLISHER: DSP Publications
LENGTH: 316 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 2nd, 2017
BLURB:
Cory thought she’d found balance on Green’s hill—sorceress, student, queen of the vampires, wife to three men—she had it down! But establishing her right to risk herself with Green and Bracken had more than one consequence, and now she’s facing the world’s scariest job title: mother.
But getting the news that she’s knocked up takes a backseat when a half-elf hunts them down for help. Her arrival brings news that the werewolf threat, which has been haunting them for over a year, has finally arrived on their doorstep—and it’s bigger and more frightening than they’d ever imagined.
Cory throws herself into this new battle with everything she’s got—and her men let her do it. Because they all know that whether they defeat this enemy now or later, the thing she’s most afraid of is arriving on a set schedule, and not even Cory can avoid it. The trick is getting her to acknowledge she’s pregnant before she gives birth—or kills herself in denial….Read More »
The Perils of Intimacy by Rick R. Reed
Reviewed by Donna
TITLE: The Perils of Intimacy
AUTHOR: Rick R. Reed
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 200 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2017
BLURB:
Jimmy and Mark make an adorable couple. Jimmy’s kindness and clean-cut cuteness radiate out of him like light. Mark, although a bit older, complements Jimmy with his humor and his openness to love.
But between them, a dark secret lurks, one with the power to destroy.
See, when Mark believes he’s meeting Jimmy for the first time in the diner where he works, he’s wrong.
Mark has no recollection of their original encounter because the wholesome Jimmy of today couldn’t be more different than he was two years ago. Back then, Jimmy sported multiple piercings, long bleached dreadlocks, and facial hair. He was painfully skinny—and a meth addict. The drug transformed him into a different person—a lying, conniving thief who robbed Mark blind during their one-night stand.
Mark doesn’t associate the memory of a hookup gone horribly wrong with this fresh-faced, smiling twentysomething… but Jimmy knows. As they begin a dance of love and attraction, will Jimmy be brave enough to reveal the truth? And if he does, will Mark be able to forgive him? Can he see Jimmy for the man he is now and not the addict he was? The answers will depend on whether true love holds enough light to shine through the darkness of past mistakes….Read More »
Cask Strength (Agents Irish & Whiskey, Book 2) By Layla Reyne
Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Cask Strength
SERIES: Agents Irish and Whiskey, Book 2
AUTHOR: Layla Reyne
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
LENGTH: 205 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2017
BLURB:
Professionally, the FBI team of Aidan “Irish” Talley and Jameson “Whiskey” Walker is as good as it gets, closing cases faster than any team at the Bureau. Personally, it’s a different story. Aidan’s feelings for Jamie scare the hell out of him: he won’t risk losing another love no matter how heart-tripping the intimacy between them. And loss is a grim reality with the terrorist Renaud still on their trail, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.
Going undercover on a new case gets them out of town and off the killer’s radar. They’re assigned to investigate an identity theft ring involving a college basketball team in Jamie’s home state, where Jamie’s past makes him perfect for the role of coach. But returning to the court brings more than old memories.
As secrets and shocking betrayals abound, none may be more dangerous than the one Jamie’s been keeping: a secret about the death of Aidan’s husband that could blow his partner’s world apart and destroy forever the fragile bonds of trust and love building between them….Read More »
Laurent and the Beast (Kings of Hell MC – Book 1) by K.A. Merikan
Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Laurent and the Beast
SERIES: Kings of Hell MC – Book 1
AUTHOR: K.A. Merikan
PUBLISHER: Acerbi & Villani, Ltd
LENGTH: 135,000 words
RELEASE DATE: April 29, 2017
BLURB:
— Nothing can stop true love. Not time. Not even the devil himself. —
- Laurent. Indentured servant. Desperate to escape a life that is falling apart.
- Beast. Kings of Hell Motorcycle Club vice president. His fists do the talking.
Beast has been disfigured in a fire, but he’s covered his skin with tattoos to make sure no one mistakes his scars for weakness. The accident not only hurt his body, but damaged his soul and self-esteem, so he’s wrapped himself in a tight cocoon of violence and mayhem where no one can reach him.
Until one night, when he finds a young man covered in blood in their clubhouse. Sweet, innocent, and as beautiful as an angel fallen from heaven, Laurent pulls on all of Beast’s heartstrings. Laurent is so lost in the world around him, and is such a tangled mystery, that Beast can’t help but let the man claw his way into the stone that is Beast’s heart.
In 1805, Laurent has no family, no means, and his eyesight is failing. To escape a life of poverty, he uses his beauty, but that only backfires and leads him to a catastrophe that changes his life forever. He takes one step into the abyss and is transported to the future, ready to fight for a life worth living.
What he doesn’t expect in his way is a brutal, gruff wall of tattooed muscle with a tender side that only Laurent is allowed to touch. And yet, if Laurent ever wants to earn his freedom, he might have to tear out the heart of the very man who took care of him when it mattered most…Read More »
One Call Away by Felice Stevens
Reviewed by Tammy
TITLE: One Call Away
AUTHOR: Felice Stevens
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH:
RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2017
BLURB:
When a brutal attack from a jealous competitor leaves Noah Strauss, darling of the modelling world, physically scarred and emotionally damaged, he quits the runway to become a psychologist. Using his contacts from his time in the spotlight, he creates One Call Away, a radio show dedicated to gay men looking for love, advice or someone to talk to. But with secrets of his own and a mother who refuses to understand the career path he’s chosen, the one person Noah can’t seem to help is himself.
On a drunken dare from the senior partner’s grandson, Oren Leavitt calls Noah’s radio show, pretending to be gay. Only Oren isn’t certain if he’s pretending. He’s left his strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing behind, but the guilt remains. Guilt that his actions have prevented his sister from finding a husband and guilt that he’s failed his parents. Talking to “Dr. Noah” helps, and as he finds himself calling the man again and again, he knows he must be honest. But Oren is unsure if he’s lying to Noah or himself.
For Noah, trust is paramount; he’s been deceived in his personal and professional life and while he desperately wants to help Oren, he also finds himself falling for the sweet and tortured man. Oren is trapped: he risks losing his job and more importantly the love and security of his family but knows he can’t hide if he wants to be with Noah. When unresolved heartaches from the past rise up to control the present, Noah and Oren discover that love often comes from the most unexpected places, and sometimes a call for help not only saves a life, it can be a new and beautiful beginning….Read More »
Every Breath You Take by Robert Winter
Reviewed by Cinnamon
TITLE: Every Breath You Take
SERIES: Pride and Joy book 2
AUTHOR: Robert Winter
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 240 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2017
BLURB:
When Zachary Hall leaves Utah for a job in Washington, it’s finally his chance to live as a gay man and maybe find someone special. In a bar he meets Thomas Scarborough, a man who seems perfect in and out of the bedroom. But Thomas never dates. He never even sleeps with the same man twice. Despite their instant connection, he can offer Zachary only his friendship, and Zachary is looking for more.
Thomas is tempted to break his own rules, but years before, he became the victim of a stalker who nearly destroyed his life. Even though his stalker died, Thomas obsessively keeps others at a distance. Despite his fascination with Zachary, he is unable to lower his barriers. Frustrated, Zachary accepts he will never have what he wants with Thomas and soon finds it with another man.
But young gay men in Washington, DC, are being murdered, and the victims all have a connection to Thomas. Once again someone is watching Thomas’s every move. Can it be a coincidence? When the depraved killer turns his attention toward Zachary, Thomas must face the demons of his past—or lose his chance to open his heart to Zachary forever….Read More »
Healing Minds (The Shifters #5) by M.D. Grimm
Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: Healing Minds
SERIES: The Shifters #5
AUTHOR: M.D. Grimm
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 186 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 3, 2013
BLURB:
Josh McPhee always wanted to be an agent. To keep from going crazy at the Agency’s New Mexico substation, he talks to the imprisoned wolf shifter—or tries to. Their one-sided conversations only prove the shifter is not getting the help he needs. After all, he is a victim too.
Wolf shifter Xavier doesn’t remember much before his time with the Knights or the time under their control, where he was brainwashed and used to kill innocent shifters. He wants to recover his memories, and yet he fears what he might find. He would escape were it not for the aide whose voice quiets Xavier’s implanted urges.
Late one night the Knights attack the station to retrieve what’s theirs. Overpowered, Josh cannot stop them before they unlock Xavier’s cage. But Xavier rushes to Josh’s rescue and, sensing his opportunity, escapes, taking Josh with him. When Josh wakes up on the road, they strike a bargain: Josh offers Xavier one month of freedom before he calls in the Agency. Both doubt he can be cured, but something about Josh makes Xavier better. They just have to figure out what before the past catches up to them….Read More »
Parker’s Sanctuary (Guardsmen #2) by Cooper West
REVIEWED by Caroline
TITLE: Parker’s Sanctuary
SERIES: Guardsmen Book 2
AUTHOR: Cooper West
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 389 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2017
BLURB:
Stalked by danger, will Parker ever find a place to call home?
Greg Lademar is an ordinary and average Army veteran who has settled down with his job as an accountant and his lingering PTSD. He lives a quiet life as a single man, alone on the former blueberry farm he bought from his parents after they retired to Orlando. When a friend who works with animal control asks him to foster Parker, a severely injured dog who has just been rescued from an abusive home, the last thing Greg expects is to be dragged into the mysterious world of the Guardsmen — the bonded pairs of humans and their weredogs, known as Protectors, who are literally the stuff of myths and legends.
Greg’s life is turned upside down by unexpected events involving Parker and the strange Guardsmen pair Marcus and Alex Stephanek, but far more dangerous to him is the man who used to own Parker and holds a grudge for having “his” dog taken from him. A game of cat and mouse ensues, with more on the line than even Greg ever thought possible: his life, and the life of Parker, who has become more important to him than Greg ever imagined a rescue dog could be.
Welcome to the world of Guardsmen, bonded pairs of weredogs and their partners who live on the edges of society — worshipped and feared in turn, sheltered as much as they are shunned, Guardsmen mates live, love, and die together.…Read More »
Toxic (Treacherous Chemistry #2) by Avylinn Winter
Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Toxic
SERIES: Treacherous Chemistry #2
AUTHOR: Avylinn Winter
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 233 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017
BLURB:
When true love is a lie and pleasure turns to pain.
Adam Webb spent most of his teenage years in love with his best friend, Gabriel Connor, only to be thrown out of their shared apartment when he finally found the courage to reveal his feelings.
Seven months later, Adam’s effort to save their lost friendship finds him more than he ever asked for. After all, being thrown out has to be better than thrown into a wall. However, Adam isn’t ready to give up. Trapped and isolated in a dangerous relationship, he falls deeper and deeper into Gabriel’s world.
Despite Adam’s attempts to push them away, his friends are determined to help, but the man who fights hardest is Cameron McCain, Adam’s photography teacher—a man who treasures what Gabriel does not.
They say love should conquer all. But when passion breeds fear and love turns toxic, will Adam make the right choice?…Read More »
Battle Born (Robbie and Sam) by Caitlin Ricci
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Battle Born
SERIES: Robbie and Sam #3
AUTHOR: Caitlin Ricci
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 180 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017
BLURB:
A Harmony Ink Press Title
A Companion to the Robbie & Sam Series
Daniel Messana wanted a way out of Thornwood, Colorado, and he found it in the Army. Now he’s returned with no more direction to his life than he had when he left as an angry teenager. And even though the war is behind him, the things he experienced won’t leave him in peace. His PTSD plagues him in crowds, and isolation sets in when he’s by himself. Because of the way he treated his brothers, regret gnaws at him, and he has no family to turn to.
For Franklin “Coop” Cooper, the Army was life, and one he loved. But when an IED in Afghanistan left him blind, it ended not only the career he’d built, but any chance of being his own man. Back home, his parents refuse to let him do anything for himself, even though Coop and his service dog are ready to move forward and adjust to his new conditions. His only escape from being coddled like a child is going for pizza on base while his mother shops on Fridays. There, Daniel sits down next to him, and the two men begin a friendship that could become more—if they can break free from everything holding them back….Read More »
Risky Behavior (Bad Behavior #1) by L.A. Witt and Cari Z.
REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: Risky Behavior
SERIES: Bad Behavior #1
AUTHORS: L.A. Witt and Cari Z.
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 309 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2017
BLURB:
It’s day one of Darren Corliss’s career as a detective, and not only has he been assigned a notoriously difficult partner, but the guy might also be a pill-popping dirty cop. Internal Affairs needs proof, and Darren gets to be their eyes and ears whether he wants to or not.
Detective Andreas Ruffner doesn’t play by the rules, and he doesn’t play well with others. With bodies piling up and a list of suspects who are way above his pay grade, the last thing he needs is a wet-behind-the-ears kid for a partner. Or babysitter. Not even if that partner is easy on the eyes.
As Darren gains Andreas’s hard-won trust, they both realize there’s more than just mutual suspicion simmering beneath the surface. But their investigation is heating up as quickly as their relationship, and Darren has no choice but to go along with Andreas’s unorthodox—and borderline unethical—methods. As IA puts the squeeze on Darren to give up the man he’s falling for, he has to wonder—is Andreas the only cop left in this town who isn’t dirty?…Read More »
Devour (Unbreakable Bonds #4) by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott
REVIEWED by Caroline and Jen B.
TITLE: Devour
SERIES: Unbreakable Bonds #4
AUTHORS: Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 249 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2017
BLURB:
Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head.
Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight. He’s kept his distance, knowing the gorgeous, self-confident man is out of his league. Yet there’s no standing aside when Boris Jagger escapes a raid. Jagger’s world has been nearly destroyed and this time, the crime boss is coming after Ian and his friends personally.
Hollis will do whatever it takes to keep Ian safe as they escape to a safe house with a couple of Ian’s overprotective friends. And Ian finds himself in a race to unlock painful memories—memories containing information that could take down the very last of Jagger’s illegal operations forever….Read More »