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…
Cataclysmic Shift (The Aloysius Tales #3) by Tara Lain
REVIEWED BY: Christie
TITLE: Cataclysmic Shift
SERIES: Aloysius Tales #3
AUTHOR: Tara Lain
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 201 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2017
BLURB:
Aloysius, the magical black cat and powerful witch’s familiar, isn’t afraid to go into battle to protect his master, but the outcome of the fight turns his feline world upside down. A direct hit of magic steals not only his memories and power, but even the body he’s lived in for several centuries. When he wakes up naked on the floor of a veterinarian’s office, it isn’t as the cat Aloysius, but as the sixteenth-century French gentleman Alain Bellarose. And when Alain sees sexy and enigmatic veterinarian Luke Elliott, he decides he’ll make the best of his time as a human.
Luke is a man with secrets who generally prefers the company of animals—though the flamboyant boy who washes his face with the side of his hand and tries to lick his own privates might prove an exception.
Meanwhile, Witch Master Killian Barth and his secret weapon, Sammy, struggle without Aloysius’s power to draw on. Two evil females are circling, and seeing the coven’s weakness, they’re about to move in for the kill. When Alain’s memories return, he’s faced with the ultimate dilemma: protect his community or stay with the man he loves. Read More »
Thunder and Lightning (Death and Destruction #6) by Patricia Logan
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Thunder and Lightning
SERIES: Death and Destruction (book #6)
AUTHOR: Patricia Logan
PUBLISHER: Westburg Publishing
LENGTH: 320 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2017
BLURB:
Jarrett Evans and Thayne Wolfe have been partnered in the ATF for nearly two years and their love and commitment to each other has grown over time. Now faced with one final challenge, the boys are headed to Arizona to help Thayne’s mom, stumbling headfirst into a brand new case. When a man is shot on Dot’s sister’s ranch, their informal investigation leads to the Native American reservation bordering the property.
Juggling tricky tribal politics isn’t something Jarrett and Thayne are accustomed to but, as with most things in their lives, nothing is ever uncomplicated. When a surprise sighting shakes Thayne to his very foundation, they call out for help and their colleagues ride to the rescue along with a little help from the FBI. The mystery on the reservation only deepens when they start putting two and two together. Questionable cigarettes at the Ahtunowhiho Trading Post may be the least of their worries.
From the mean streets of Los Angeles to the vast deserts of Arizona, Thayne and Jarrett once again brave the minefields of bad guys, bigshots, and a vicious betrayal that kicks them in the ass. But one thing is certain. Thru thunder and lightning, Jarrett and Thayne are never alone. They’ll fight for each other down to the last man standing, even if it costs them their very lives. Read More »
The Rules by Jamie Fessenden
Reviewed by Cinnamon
TITLE: The Rules
AUTHOR: Jamie Fessenden
PUBLISHER: self published
LENGTH: 275 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 6, 2017
BLURB:
WHEN HANS BAUER, a college student in New Hampshire, accepts a job as a housekeeper for an older gay couple, he soon learns the reason they’ve hired someone with no experience is that professional agencies won’t work there. Thomas is a successful businessman whose biggest goal in life appears to be giving his husband anything he wants. Boris is a writer who immigrated to this country from Russia, and suffers from depression and PTSD because of the things he endured in his native country.
He also refuses to wear clothes—ever.
While Hans is working alone in the house with Naked Boris all day, things start getting a little weird. Boris gets flirtatious and Hans backs away, not wanting to come between him and his husband. So Boris calls Thomas at work and asks permission.
At that moment, The Rules are born—rules about touching and kissing and pet names that the three men use to keep jealousies at bay, as they explore the possibilities in a new type of relationship…. Read More »
Finder’s Keeper (Heart’s Gate #1) by Shira Anthony
![Finder's Keeper (Dreamspun Beyond Book 4) by [Anthony, Shira]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WSuLLesZL._SY346_.jpg)
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Finder’s Keeper
SERIES: Heart’s Gate #1, Dreamspun Desires #4
AUTHOR: Shira Anthony
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 236 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2017
BLURB:
A Heart’s Gate Story
The truth might ruin his dreams—or make them come true.
When Zane moves into an old gothic brownstone, he discovers the house comes equipped with a caretaker—Kit, who lives in the basement. Zane is immediately drawn to the charming and attractive Kit. But Kit is much more than he seems. He is a two-hundred-year-old half-human, half–red-fox spirit who guards a Gate between the mortal and spirit worlds—a fact Zane should recognize, but doesn’t.
Orphaned at a young age, Zane never learned he comes from a long line of mystical Keepers. Kit needs Zane’s help to protect the Gate, but how can he tell Zane of his legacy when that will crush Zane’s dreams of traveling the world? If he takes up the mantle, Zane will be bound to the Gate, unable to leave it. But when Zane realizes Kit’s true nature, and his own, he’ll have to make a choice—fight to protect Kit and the Gate, or deny his destiny and any chance of a future with Kit. Read More »
Daimonion (The Apocalypse #1) by J.P. Jackson
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Daimonion
SERIES: The Apocalypse #1
AUTHOR: J.P. Jackson
PUBLISHER: Ninestar Press
LENGTH: 330 Pages
RELEASE DATE: July 10, 2017
BLURB:
Dati Amon wants to be free from his satyr master and he hates his job—hunting human children who display demon balefire. Every hunt has been successful, except one. A thwarted attempt ended up as a promise to spare the child of a white witch, an indiscretion Dati hopes Master never discovers.
But Master has devilish machinations of his own. He needs human-demon hybrids, the Daimonion, to raise the Dark Lord to the earthly realm. If Master succeeds, he will be immortal and far more powerful.
The child who was spared is now a man, and for the first time in three hundred years, Dati has a reason to escape Master’s chains. To do that, Dati makes some unlikely alliances with an untrained soulless witch, a self-destructive shape shifter, and a deceitful clairvoyant. However, deals with demons rarely go as planned, and the cost is always higher than the original bargain. Read More »
Never Let You Go (Forever Yours, #2) by Andrew Grey
Reviewed by Tammy
TITLE: Never Let You Go
SERIES: Forever Yours, #2
AUTHOR: Andrew Grey
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 200 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2017
BLURB:
Friends since they met in school, Ashton and Brighton soon become much more. Ash and his aunt are Brighton’s haven away from his mess of a family, and when Ash enlists in the Army, Brighton learns to endure his long absences and eagerly awaits his return from missions.
Until one day Ash doesn’t come back, and Brighton thinks his greatest fear has come true.
Months pass and Brighton grieves for Ash, not knowing that a terrible misunderstanding sent Ash running, unable to cope when he thought Brighton had betrayed him. Even after an emotional reunion, their relationship isn’t the same- Brighton is now responsible for his young niece, and he’s having a hard time rediscovering the trust he once had in Ash. Ash must still tend to his mental health, but before he can, he’ll have to deal with a past secret that puts all their lives at risk. With so many forces determined to tear them apart, can Brighton and Ash hold on to each other and never let go? Read More »
Calm (Sequel to Wake) by K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Reviewed by Tammy
TITLE: Calm
SERIES: Sequel to Wake
AUTHOR: K. Evan Coles & Brigham Vaughn
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 392 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 12, 2017
BLURB:
A love worth the wait.
When Riley Porter-Wright comes out as bisexual and confesses his feelings for Carter Hamilton, it severs their friendship. Carter’s rejection forces Riley to move on and he’s shocked to learn Carter’s marriage has fallen apart.
Overwhelmed by his failure as a husband and father, Carter misses Riley, but feels guilty for disappearing after Riley’s coming out. After Riley extends an olive branch, the former friends agree to repair their relationship. Slowly, Carter pieces together a new life, admits his attraction to men and confesses his feelings for Riley.
Leery of Carter’s initial rejection, Riley turns his focus to a new man, Will Martin.
Disappointed, Carter fosters new friendships with men like Jesse Murtagh and Kyle McKee, while also navigating new waters with his ex-wife, Kate, as their children learn their parents are dating other people.
As they rebuild their friendship, both Carter and Riley draw strength from each other, hoping the choices they’ve made are for the best. Read More »
The Quarterback by Mackenzie Blair
Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: The Quarterback
AUTHOR: Mackenzie Blair
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 330 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 11th, 2017
BLURB:
Matt Lancaster is the star quarterback at Bodine College, a small Southern Division II school with an ultra-conservative Dean of Athletics. Matt is also very much in the closet, and he thinks he’s kept his secret well hidden. Until his best friends take him to a happy endings massage parlor and request a male masseuse for him.
In walks Trevor Kim, a gorgeous, pierced, tattooed fellow Bodine student who does massages—without happy endings—to pay for school after his family kicked him out for being gay. Trevor takes one look at Matt and breaks all his own rules about mixing business with pleasure.
Matt needs to keep his scholarship, win the National Championship, and survive his asshole father. Instead, he falls in love. Trevor needs to accept that the football god is meant to end up with him rather than a perky cheerleader. It’s time for a happy ever after for both of them. Read More »
The Family Eternal (Deputy Joe #5) by James Buchanan
Reviewed by Tori (Vicki)
TITLE: The Family Eternal
SERIES: Deputy Joe #5
AUTHOR: James Buchanan
PUBLISHER: MLR Press
LENGTH: 262 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 15th, 2017
BLURB:
When the body of a young woman is found in a burning rental cabin, Deputy Joe Peterson and newly minted Fire Inspector Kabe Varghese must learn to work together to find out who she is and why she died.
Folks will tell you that family is second only to God in Utah. But what brings strength to some can sow sorrow with others.
On a bleak winter morning, a young woman’s corpse smolders in the remains of a burned rental cabin. Clues to her identity are rarer than frozen choke-cherries in the Utah backcountry. Deputy Joe Peterson, assisted by Kabe Varghese in his first case as a fire inspector trainee, doggedly hunts for who she is and why she died. As they sink deeper into the investigation, Joe struggles with how his life is now personally and professionally intertwined with Kabe’s.
Outed, excommunicated and disciplined because of the man he found love with; the last year of Joe’s life has careened like an avalanche toward an abyss. Is doom inevitable? Or is the best chance to live surrendering to the fall? Read More »
Thank you for the great polls every week