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…
The Way to His Heart (Together #2) by Felice Stevens
REVIEWED by Danielle
TITLE: The Way to His Heart
SERIES: Together #2
AUTHOR: Felice Stevens
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 44 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2017
BLURB:
Love is going pretty well for Gideon Marks. He’s living with his boyfriend, Jonah, and his business is thriving beyond his wildest dreams. So why is he still worried he’s not enough, and all he holds dear will slip through his fingers?
Jonah Fine has everything he wants; he’s head over heels in love with Gideon and has finally stepped out from under the shadow of his father. Aware of Gideon’s continuing struggle with dyslexia, Jonah tries to reassure him that they are equal partners in their relationship by making their first Valentine’s Day one to remember.
Ghosts from the past reappear, sending Gideon into a tailspin. He must make the decision to either hold on to the anger he grew up with or forgive the pain he’s carried with him all his life. It will take all of Gideon’s courage, Jonah’s love, and a special surprise for Gideon to finally realize the one person he must learn to love is himself. Read More »
Pain (Save the Kids #1) by E.M Leya
Reviewed by Kelly M.
TITLE: Pain
SERIES: Save The Kids Book 1
AUTHOR: E. M Leya
PUBLISHER: E.L Publishing
LENGTH: 272 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 12 2017
BLURB:
When his daughter is kidnapped, Matt’s life screeches to a halt. He would do anything to get his daughter back, but first he needs to find her. When the police exhaust all possible leads, Matt does the only thing he can do — he uses his hacking skills to infiltrate the dark web. Torn, he desperately hopes he finds a lead on his daughter among the heartbreaking details he comes across, yet prays she isn’t one of the countless children being victimized for thousands to watch.
Xander is a tough, bearded, tattooed pedophile hunter, working for a team who takes down some of the most dangerous people in the country. He doesn’t have time for love or relationships, at least until he meets Matt. Xander’s never let anyone get close, but there is something about Matt that draws him in, and it’s more than just concern for his daughter.
Xander and Matt come together explosively, both searching for a distraction from the darkness they face, but what they didn’t expect were feelings to form. Matt finds himself leaning on Xander and his team for support, while doing what he can to help them find and protect other children from the darkness creeping into their world, never once giving up hope that they’ll get a lead on his daughter.
One phone call threatens to change everything, and when faced with a new reality, the two of them must decide if what they have is worth fighting for. What they need to realize is, sometimes finding the one person who calms you can make it all worthwhile. Read More »
Messenger (The Shifter War #1) by K.K. Ness
Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Messenger
SERIES: The Shifter War Book One
AUTHOR: K.K. Ness
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 150 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2017
BLURB:
For centuries, the deadlands have separated the kingdoms of Roldaer and Amas, enforcing an uneasy truce. But the deadlands hold their own secrets.
Danil is a deadlands scavenger, his days spent scouring a barren land for ancient battlefield relics and mage-crystals. When the brutal magi of Roldaer take over his village, Danil becomes the key to unleashing a powerful enemy set on plunging both kingdoms into war.
Desperate and on the run, he finds unexpected aid from the Amasian shapeshifters. Among them is Hafryn, an irreverent shifter who fights the magi with sword, tooth and claw. But safety with the shifters cannot last. As the magi set their plans into motion, Danil will have to embark on a terrifying mission to a broken citadel where an ancient enemy awaits. Failure to stop the magi may cost him far more than his life, and Danil discovers that courage and determination may not be enough… Read More »
The Preacher’s Son by Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock
Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: The Preacher’s Son
AUTHOR: Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 272 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 16, 2018
BLURB:
Jason Banning is a wreck. His leg’s been blown to hell in Afghanistan, his boyfriend just left him and took the dog, and now he’s back in his hometown of Pinehurst, Washington, a place that holds nothing but wretched memories…and Nathan Tull. Nathan Tull, whose life Jason ruined. Nathan Tull, who will never believe Jason did what he did for a greater good. Nathan Tull, whose reverend father runs a gay conversion therapy camp that Jason once sought to bring down—at any cost.
Nathan Tull is trying to live a quiet life. Four years ago, when Nate was a prospective student visiting UW Tacoma, his world collapsed when senior Jason Bannon slept with him, filmed it, and put the footage online. A painful public outing and a crisis of faith later, Nate has finally begun to heal. Cured of the “phantoms” that plagued him for years, he now has a girlfriend, a counselor job at his dad’s camp, and the constant, loving support of his father.
But when he learns Jason is back in town, his carefully constructed identity begins to crumble. As desperate to reconcile his love for God with his attraction to men as Jason is to make sense of the damage he’s done, Nate finds himself walking a dangerous line. On one side lies the righteous life he committed himself to in the wake of his public humiliation. On the other is the sin he committed with Jason Banning, and the phantoms that won’t let him be. But is there a path that can bridge those two worlds—where his faith and his identity as a gay man aren’t mutually exclusive?
And can he walk that path with the man who betrayed him? Read More »
A Royal Miracle (The Royal Series #3) by Elaine White
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: A Royal Miracle
SERIES: The Royal Series #3
AUTHOR: Elaine White
PUBLISHER: Encompass Ink
LENGTH: 269 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 12, 2018
BLURB:
Miracles happen when they are least expected and most needed.
Now an adult and ready to take on the world, Jaycob has found himself at a crossroads. Full of loneliness, an eagerness to find love and abilities that no one else can understand, he feels alone in a world full of life mates.
Then he stumbles upon a street fight, during a late night walk, and a young man he nicknames Silent Boy flips his world upside down.
On his winter journey, Jaycob must separate himself from the helpless child he once was and become the adult he knows he can be. Read More »
Ghost of a Chance (Requiem Inc #1, Dreamspun Beyond #12) by Kris T. Bethke
Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: Ghost of a Chance
SERIES: Requiem Inc #1, Dreamspun Beyond #12
AUTHOR: Kris T. Bethke
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 216 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 16, 2018
BLURB:
Only love makes life worth living—over and over again.
Ghostwalker Blake Jones dies every day. It’s his job and how he helps trapped souls cross over. But to return to life, he needs an anchor. His new partner, Derek Scott, is a surprise. Not only is he male, but his appearance belies a caring and gentle heart. Despite attraction and a strengthening relationship, they know they shouldn’t take things further.
But there’s a big difference between knowing and doing.
Their growing love presents a problem, though not the one they expect. Blake and Derek have to decide if they should take their relationship to the most permanent level—an unbreakable metaphysical bond. Doing so offers both risk and unimaginable reward. Can Blake let go of his fears and put his complete trust in Derek in order to have the happily ever after he’s always craved? Read More »
Beneath This Mask (Enchanted #3) by Victoria Sue
Reviewed by Caroline
TITLE: Beneath this Mask
SERIES: Enhanced Book 3
AUTHOR: Victoria Sue
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 206 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 16, 2018
BLURB:
Gael Peterson has spent years hiding behind the enhanced abilities he wears like a mask, even though he is an important, confident member of the FBI’s exclusive H.E.R.O. team. The hurt and betrayal of his mom’s abandonment and his father’s fists are secrets buried deep beneath the ugly scars on his face, and he doesn’t trust Jake, his new regular human partner, with any of them. In a world where those with special abilities like Gael’s are regarded as freaks and monsters, it won’t be easy for him to rely on Jake to have his back, especially when the abilities of a vulnerable, enhanced, nonspeaking child make that child a murder suspect.
Tempers rise and loyalties are challenged, and when the serial killer targeting the enhanced finally sets his sights on Gael, not only will Gael have to trust Jake with his secrets, he might have to trust him to save his life. Read More »
Tribute Act (Porthkennack #8) by Joanna Chambers
Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: Tribute Act
SERIES: Porthkennack #8
AUTHOR: Joanna Chambers
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 206 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 15, 2018
BLURB:
Nathan Bridges hadn’t intended to settle down in his home town of Porthkennack—he just ended up staying after saving the family business from ruin. The truth is, Nathan can’t stop himself from stepping in when problems arise. He’s a fixer, the man everyone turns to. But even fixers can’t solve everything.
When Nathan’s sister needs an organ transplant, it’s his stepbrother, Mack, who the family turns to as Rosie’s only potential living donor. Nathan’s curiosity about the stepbrother he’s never met turns to shock when he realises that Mack is his latest—and hottest ever—one-night stand.
Nathan and Mack agree to forget their single night together, but that’s easier said than done. When Mack moves in to Nathan’s place to recuperate after surgery, it’s not just the sexual tension between them that keeps growing. Against all the odds, and despite Mack’s wariness of intimacy, the two men grow close enough that Nathan begins to wonder what it would take to mend the rift that’s kept Mack and his father estranged for over a decade . . . and whether Mack might consider staying with Nathan in Porthkennack for good. Read More »
Bearing it All (Bear Brothers mpreg romance #2) by Kiki Burrelli
Reviewed by Becca
SERIES: Bear Brothers mpreg romance #2
AUTHOR: Kiki Burrelli
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 186 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 9, 2018
BLURB:
When Heath moves in with his sister in the sleepy forest town of Noel, he thinks he is going to help her out. She’s been having some trouble with the locals, and the inn needs a lot of work to keep running. He never expects the move to open his eyes to a whole new world of men who can turn into bears. Even more unusual are the unfamiliar feelings Heath has after meeting alpha bear shifter, Angus. Angus makes Heath feel in ways he never has. On top of that, he stares at Heath like he’s a starving man and Heath is his next meal. No matter how Heath tries to deny and avoid his attraction, Angus is somehow always near.
Heath isn’t used to being watched so closely, and despite his efforts to keep Angus out of his problems, the possessive shifter is always there. There isn’t much he can do to help Heath though. He owes money to the wrong type of people, and now those people want him to pay, with his body. All Heath has to do is survive an unregulated fight with men who are all more experienced than he is and his debts will be cleared.
Angus knew his pack was starting over. They’d carved their own slice of heaven out of the land near Noel, and when Angus arrives with the lumber and resources needed to expand, he expects to find a community in the making, not his mate. He knows what everyone says about Heath, but Angus can see through the man’s mask. He soon sees that Heath is in trouble, but won’t tell him how.
When Angus discovers who Heath is in trouble with and what they want him to do, he knows he can’t allow it. Heath may be willing, but Angus will not let his mate to be put in harm’s way.
While Heath might not recognize his attraction to Angus, by the time Angus is done, Heath will realize his feelings and who he belongs to. Read More »
Two Feet Under (Lindenshaw Mysteries #3) by Charlie Cochrane
Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: Two Feet Under
SERIES: Lindenshaw Mysteries #3
AUTHOR: Charlie Cochrane
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 333 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 8, 2018
BLURB:
Things are looking up for Adam Matthews and Robin Bright—their relationship is blossoming, and they’ve both been promoted. But Robin’s a policeman, and that means murder is never far from the scene.
When a body turns up in a shallow grave at a Roman villa dig site—a body that repeatedly defies identification—Robin finds himself caught up in a world of petty rivalries and deadly threats. The case seems to want to drag Adam in, as well, and their home life takes a turn for the worse when an ex-colleague gets thrown out of his house and ends up outstaying his welcome at theirs.
While Robin has to prove his case against a manipulative and fiendishly clever killer, Adam is trying to find out which police officer is leaking information to the media. And both of them have to work out how to get their home to themselves again, which might need a higher intelligence than either a chief inspector or a deputy headteacher. Read More »
Never (The Pennymaker Tales #4) by Tara Lain
Reviewed by Louisa
TITLE: Never
SERRIES: The Pennymaker Tales #4
AUTHOR: Tara Lain
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 210 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 3, 2017
BLURB:
Wendell “Wen” Darling lives in a world of shoulds and musts. Left to care for his brother and sister by his dull drudge of a father and wacko irresponsible mother, he suppresses his creativity, slaving in an ad agency seventy hours a week, letting his no-talent supervisor take the credit.
Then his bosses blow the campaign for their biggest client and Wen gets a chance to shine—but only if he can find the artist who painted a wild, glorious wall of graffiti in the subway. Hiding behind a pillar at 2:00 a.m., Wen comes face-to-face with the scarlet-haired, elven-faced embodiment of his divergent opposite—Peter Panachek, the flighty, live-for-today painter, singer, and leader of the rock group the Lost Boys. Everything Wen takes seriously, Peter laughs off, but opposites attract, even if their kisses always lead to battles. Peter’s devil-may-care persona hides a world of secrets, self-protection, and hidden fears, until the day a drug dealer, Vadon Hooker, threatens everything Wen holds dear. Guided by the mysterious Mr. Pennymaker, Peter has to choose between facing responsibility or burrowing even deeper into Neverland. Read More »