Book of the Month Poll July 2018
IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN!
Welcome to our Book of the Month Poll for July 2018!
Here are your voter chosen top two from each week in no particular order. Please vote for your favorites and you can vote for as many as you want, but as with our Book of the Week Poll you only get one visit, so make it count!
Remember, the top two go through to the Book of the Year Poll!
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…
Balefire (Whyborne & Griffin #10) by Jordan L. Hawk
Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Balefire
SERIES: Whyborne & Griffin Book 10
AUTHOR: Jordan L. Hawk
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 306 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 13, 2018
BLURB:
Whyborne’s Endicott relatives have returned to collect on the promise he made to help them take back their ancestral manor from an evil cult. In exchange, they’ll give him the key to deciphering the Wisborg Codex, which Whyborne needs to learn how to stop the masters.
To that end, Whyborne, his husband Griffin, and their friends Iskander and Christine travel to a small island off the coast of Cornwall. But when they arrive at Balefire Manor, Whyborne must not only face the evil within the ancient mansion, but the painful truth about his own destiny.
Speed Dating the Boss (Cowboys and Angels #1) by Sue Brown
REVIEWED BY CINDY
TITLE: Speed Dating the Boss
SERIES: Cowboys and Angels Book 1
AUTHOR: Sue Brown
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 213 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2018
BLURB:
Will a mix of privilege and blue collar be a recipe for love… or disaster?
Dan’s pretty satisfied with his job at the working-class bar Cowboys and Angels. He enjoys his simple life, his apartment, and his cat, but he could do without the fights that break out in the bar, his boss’s meddling daughter, Ariel… oh, and a brutal, unrequited crush on his straight alpha boss, Gideon.
When Dan’s friend prepares to tie the knot, everyone insists that Dan needs a date for the wedding. Before he can protest, Ariel arranges a gay speed-dating event at the bar with Gideon as a participant. The unforeseen revelation that Gideon is bisexual raises Dan’s hopes, especially when Gideon announces that he wants to accompany Dan to the wedding. Could Gideon really be interested in Dan?
When Dan needs someone most, Gideon offers his unconditional support, and with genuine commitment, he shows Dan the kind of man he really is. Teaming up to save the wedding from a hungover groom and intolerant parents, can Gideon convince Dan they’re the best match since beer and pizza?
The Necromancer’s Reckoning (The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #3) by SJ Himes
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: The Necromancer’s Reckoning
SERIES: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer #3
AUTHOR: SJ Himes
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 302 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2018
BLURB:
Every action has consequences.
For a decade, Angel Salvatore has been the most powerful sorcerer and only necromancer in all the Northeast. Never one to ask permission nor apologies, he has acted with near impunity for years.
Until now.
The High Council of Sorcery has come to Boston, and Angel is their target. Charged with numerous violations of practitioner laws, his freedom and family are placed in jeopardy.
If found guilty, Angel’s apprentice Daniel will be imprisoned to serve out the remaining years of his apprenticeship. Isaac, his brother, is too vulnerable to be left unguarded, and Angel fears for his sanity and health. And Simeon, Elder vampire and Angel’s mate, refuses to see Angel convicted under the laws of the Council and his actions to keep Angel free threaten to start a war that could destroy their world. And Angel faces the severest of punishments—the castration of his gifts.
The Council has never cared for the people of Boston, and Angel doubts their motives. They have come for some insidious reason, and it has nothing to do with upholding the law and everything to do with Angel.
Dealing with an impending trial, a wayward ghost, and a graverobbing ring of thieves leaves Angel on the edge. He thinks he may have a handle on things until violence erupts across the city, and a stranger comes to town…a stranger with his own dark powers of necromancy.
Thin Blue (Thin Blue Line #1) by Patricia Logan
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Thin Blue
SERIES: Thin Blue Line (book #1)
AUTHOR: Patricia Logan
PUBLISHER: Westburg Publishing
LENGTH: 360 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 27, 2018
BLURB:
Detective Pope Dades is a veteran police officer working in the Hollywood division, one of the busiest police precincts in the country. Dealing with drug dealers, hookers, and mentally ill suspects on a daily basis is his stock and trade. He once loved his job with the LAPD but three years ago, he put his trust in the wrong man and he’s been paying the price ever since. Refusing to work with a partner after the first one nearly killed him, Pope is jaded, still hurting, and hanging onto the career he once adored by a thread. Homeland Security Investigator Felix Jbarra is a fresh-faced young agent with a bright future in the DHS ahead of him. Deeply closeted, Felix hides his sexual orientation from his huge Catholic family which brings him terrible guilt and grief. One night in a back-room nightclub encounter, he connects with a man who inexplicably makes him want to confess everything. Assigned to help shut down an elusive child sex trafficking ring, Felix instinctively knows he’ll need turn to the more experienced detective for help if he and his partner want to crack this case.
In the first book of the brand new Thin Blue Line series, join Felix and Pope in this exciting adventure as their worlds collide on the mean streets and in between the sheets…
Thin Blue contains a sneak peek at Order & Anarchy (The Thin Blue Line series Book 2)
** Please Note**
If you’ve read the Death and Destruction series, Lincoln Snow, McBride M. McCallahan, Jarrett Evans-Wolfe, and Thayne Evans-Wolfe also play ongoing roles in this new series. Never fear, Jarrett probably won’t be base jumping off any more buildings… probably.
Love for All Seasons anthology by RJ Scott and various authors
Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Love for All Seasons anthology
AUTHOR: various
PUBLISHER: Love Lane Books Ltd
LENGTH: 252 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 19, 2018
BLURB:
Love stories for all seasons.
RJ Scott brings together authors in an anthology that reveals true love always deserves a happy ending, whatever the season.
With characters who find love in a New York park, or on a college campus, in the middle of a snow storm or in the heat of summer, ‘Love for all Seasons’ delivers romance for everyone.
Including stories from three authors, new to the world of writing MM romance.
Imperial Stout, (Trouble Brewing # 1) By Layla Reyne
Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Imperial Stout
SERIES: Trouble Brewing, Book 1
AUTHOR: Layla Reyne
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
LENGTH: 62, 000 words
RELEASE DATE: July 23, 2018
BLURB:
Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series
It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.
Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.
Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.
This book is approximately 62,000 words
Heart (Ballsy Boys #3) by K.M. Neuhold and Nora Phoenix
Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Heart
SERIES: Ballsy Boys #3
AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold and Nora Phoenix
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 340 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2018
BLURB:
Heart
Some people might look down on being a porn star, but to me, this job has been a salvation. It’s the only one that didn’t turn me away after learning about my criminal record. After being screwed over by my ex, I vowed to never let another man close, but when my sweet, nerdy friend Mason asks for my help improving his skills in the bedroom, I can’t resist. And then there’s my gorgeous yet grumpy parole officer who has made it his mission to save me. They both seem determined to test my resolve, and it’s getting harder and harder to remind myself why it’s so dangerous to trust.
Mason
When it comes to me, awkward nerd is an understatement. I’d rather spend my nights and weekends gaming and coding than socializing. When I somehow stumble into not only a friends with benefits situation with a freaking porn star, but also land a date with a drool-worthy parole officer, I’m certain I’m in over my head. Can I manage to keep from getting my heart shattered if these two figure out they’re better off together than with a klutzy dork like me in the middle?
Lucky
I’ve always had a weakness for nerds, so when I score a date with uber-cute Mason, I’m over the moon. The only problem is that I can’t seem to get a certain bad boy porn star out of my head…and he’s a freaking client. Dating him is against all the rules, but when I find out Mason and Heart know each other, I find myself in an unexpected threesome. My predictable life turns to chaos, but in the end, it may just be worth it.
Beta’s Surrender (Irresistible Omega’s #3) by Nora Phoenix
Reviewed by Becca and Kat
TITLE: Beta’s Surrender: MMMM mpreg
SERIES: Irresistible Omegas #3
AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 350 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2018
BLURB:
Sven’s heat is coming, and with his mutative gene, the omega is warned he needs an alpha. The only alpha he trusts is Grayson, who is twenty years his senior. He’s also the only one who’s not afraid to take on Sven’s lover, Lars. What is supposed to be just sex turns into much more for Sven. But what alpha would want two boys?
Lars vowed he’d always take care of Sven, but when his lover’s heat comes, he’s not enough. He has to accept the help of the alpha he hates more than anyone—with the exception of his brother Enar, maybe. When Grayson figures out what the beta really craves, Lars pulls his defensive walls up. Alphas can’t be trusted, no matter what promises they make. Not even if they can offer what he never knew he needed.
Grayson never expected to connect with the sweet omega, and even less with the bratty beta who seems out to defy his authority at every chance. But there’s a reason for Lars’s insolent behavior, and soon the combination of these two boys becomes irresistible for Grayson. Can he be the Daddy these two need?
Beta’s Surrender is an MMM mpreg romance and the third book in the Irresistible Omegas series. It is not a stand-alone but continues the story from the first two books. It ends with an HEA for our three men, but the overall storyline will continue in the next books.
Won’t Feel a Thing (St. Cross #1) by CF White
Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Won’t Feel a Thing 
SERIES: St. Cross #1
AUTHOR: CF White
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 62k
RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2018
BLURB:
It takes more than a doctor to mend a broken heart.
Ollie Warne is fresh out of nursing school and working his dream job as a paediatric cardiology nurse at St Cross Children’s Hospital. Wanting to start the New Year fresh from personal heartache and his track record of falling for the wrong man, Ollie’s New Year’s Resolution is to rid himself of emotional baggage and live a life of carefree liaisons.
But before the resolution can even begin, Ollie is called to care for eight-year-old Daisy Mallone struggling after heart surgery. Her father, Jacob Mallone, never leaves her side, apart from the times her mother comes to visit.
The tempestuous, and somewhat estranged, relationship of her parents are cause for concern enough but the brooding nature of the father has Ollie investing far more time than usual for his Room One patient. Striking up a friendship of sneaking takeaways into the ward, card playing until dawn and the occasional break up of domestic fights, Ollie finds himself drawn to Jacob and becomes a confessional sounding board for the man who is harbouring more guilt and past demons than even Ollie is, which is saying something.
The growing attraction makes it hard for Ollie to keep his distance, but he has to—not only do the ethics of his profession demand it… but Ollie is still somewhat involved with another man. One who has a huge stake in Ollie’s life, both personal and professional.
Ollie is risking more than just his job by getting involved with a patient’s father—much more even than the success of his New Year’s Resolution, something that is supposed to ensure that, this time, he won’t feel a thing.