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.
It is the summer holiday season, so the number of books on the poll this week is less than normal, but there are some really good books, so show them some love!
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…
The Long and Winding Road (Bear, Otter, and the Kid #4) by T.J. Klune
Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: The Long and Winding Road
SERIES: Bear, Otter, and the Kid #4
AUTHOR: T.J. Klune
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 346 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 11, 2017
BLURB:
Family is not always defined by blood. It’s defined by those who make us whole—those who make us who we are.
And here, at the end, Bear and Otter will be tested like they’ve never been before.
There’s a knock at the door from a little girl who has nowhere else to go.
There’s a phone ringing, bringing news they do not expect.
There’s a brother returning home after learning how to stand on his own.
As these moments converge, all of their lives will change forever.
Beginning in Bear, Otter, and the Kid, and continuing in Who We Are and The Art of Breathing, TJ Klune has told a saga of family and brotherhood, of love and sacrifice. In this final chapter, the events of the past pave the long and winding road toward a future no one could have imagined.…Read More »
Textual Relations by Cate Ashwood
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Textual Relations
AUTHOR: Cate Ashwood
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 122 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 6, 2017
BLURB:
I really loved this story and couldn’t set it down.
Henry Hathaway is a text book copy of what it means to be scheduled and have an exact routine, if you were look at him clinically. I would say, just like his brother Calvin would, that he is stuck in a rut and so set in his ways he can’t function otherwise! But, that all changes on his 32nd birthday when he receives a wrong number text. Being the responsible person he is, he goes and meets the young woman, Ash, that sent him the text, to explain so she won’t felt stood up for her blind date. Much to his surprise, Ash is actually Asher and she is a he! They wind up talking and then going on a walk together, way out of Henry’s norm! When the end of the evening ends with a kiss Henry is shocked and then realizes that Ash is gay and this was a date. “Textual Relations” is the story of what Henry discovers in that kiss and what he is going to do with that knowledge.
Henry is so bright yet so socially inept and awkward and pretty naïve. It makes him so adorable. I wasn’t sure how this story was going to come about. Henry is straight and has always been so. Then I realized that all his awkwardness probably came to be because he was so lacking in self-awareness. Yes he his a college professor at University of Washington in their psychology department but I have found that some really bright people are extremely book smart but lack basic common sense knowledge and skills. That is why I am sure he was so regimented. Asher was the perfect guy for him. He is kind, caring, patient and the perfect choice to help Henry out of his cocoon. But then again, Henry is the perfect person to help Asher settle down a bit in life! They bring out the best in each other and help them grow.
Usually I beg for more in my books when I fall for the characters but I must say I think that the author got this just right! I felt like I had their whole story and didn’t feel rushed. I highly recommend this wonderful book….Read More »
Red Fish, Dead Fish (Fish Out of Water #2) by Amy Lane
REVIEWED BY: Christie
TITLE: Red Fish, Dead Fish
SERIES: Fish Out of Water, Book 2
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 330 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 4, 2017
BLURB:
They must work together to stop a psychopath—and save each other.
Two months ago Jackson Rivers got shot while trying to save Ellery Cramer’s life. Not only is Jackson still suffering from his wounds, the triggerman remains at large—and the body count is mounting.
Jackson and Ellery have been trying to track down Tim Owens since Jackson got out of the hospital, but Owens’s time as a member of the department makes the DA reluctant to turn over any stones. When Owens starts going after people Jackson knows, Ellery’s instincts hit red alert. Hurt in a scuffle with drug-dealing squatters and trying damned hard not to grieve for a childhood spent in hell, Jackson is weak and vulnerable when Owens strikes.
Jackson gets away, but the fallout from the encounter might kill him. It’s not doing Ellery any favors either. When a police detective is abducted—and Jackson and Ellery hold the key to finding her—Ellery finds out exactly what he’s made of. He’s not the corporate shark who believes in winning at all costs; he’s the frightened lover trying to keep the man he cares for from self-destructing in his own valor.
Barrel Proof (Agents Irish and Whiskey #3) by Layla Reyne
![Barrel Proof (Agents Irish and Whiskey) by [Reyne, Layla]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GS5mkwrzL.jpg)
REVIEWED BY: Christie
TITLE: Barrel Proof
SERIES: Agents Irish and Whiskey, Book 3
AUTHOR: Layla Reyne
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
LENGTH: 189 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 7, 2017
BLURB:
FBI agents Aidan “Irish” Talley and Jameson “Whiskey” Walker can’t get a moment’s peace. Their hunt for the terrorist Renaud seems to be nearing an end, until a fire allows him to slip through their fingers—and puts Jamie’s life in danger. When Jamie is nearly killed, Aidan learns how many forms loss can take. Aidan says I love you just moments before learning that Jamie’s been keeping a devastating secret about Aidan’s late husband. How quickly trust and love can go up in flames. When Aidan requests a solo undercover assignment, Jamie hopes Aidan will find a way to forgive him. But the explosions are far from over. Aidan’s cover lands him in the heart of the terrorist’s conspiracy, and Jamie will have to put his life, his career and his freedom on the line to save the man who has become his entire world. Partners, always is a promise he intends to keep….Read More »
The Garden (Lavender Shores #2) by Rosalind Abel
![The Garden (Lavender Shores Book 2) by [Abel, Rosalind]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51pDeCudJ1L._SY346_.jpg)
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: The Garden
SERIES: Lavender Shores (book #2)
AUTHOR: Rosalind Abel
PUBLISHER: Wings of Ink Publications, LLC
LENGTH: 254 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2017
BLURB:
Beautiful Gilbert Bryant designs jewelry for the rich and famous, and he made his escape from his gossipy little hometown of Lavender Shores. However, with so many friends and family, he keeps getting pulled back. When he attends his best friend’s engagement party, Gilbert can’t help but sample one of the new men in town. It’s just some innocent—or not so innocent—fun. Nothing that will even cross his mind once he gets back to his everyday life.
Walden Thompson dreamed about living in Lavender Shores since he visited as a child. He finally gets his chance, and he embraces the opportunity to start over, to become someone new. He leaves both hurts and dangerous habits in the past, where they belong. When Gilbert crosses his path, Walden gives in to his baser instincts. He can indulge in the carnal pleasures this once and still be okay.
Their few hours together haunt Gilbert, the two-hundred-mile buffer from home no longer shutting out the past or the sexy man he left behind. Walden is just beginning to recover from the smoldering encounter with Gilbert when they are thrust together once more. This time, neither of them can walk away, no matter how hard they try. But when their pasts crash into each other as surely as the magnetism that pulls them together, walking away may be the only option…Read More »