Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: In Vino Veritas

AUTHOR: Sydney Blackburn

PUBLISHER: NineStar Press

LENGTH: 127 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 13, 2018

BLURB:

Anthony Beretta inherited the family winery at the tender age of twenty-four. It’s a struggle to keep it up, but he loves it and is determined to make it work even if it kills him. That is, if a motorcyclist doesn’t kill him first. He initially judges the man, attractive as he may be, on the basis of his appearance and apparently limited vocabulary. He soon discovers he’s wrong, but by then Oscar Kennett has already judged Anthony on his appearance.

Oscar thinks Tony Beretta is uptight and snobbish, and Tony’s speech for the charity they’re working on together reinforces that, even when he finds out Tony did it just to push his buttons. His adorable curls and sexy glasses might not be enough to change his mind, but maybe there’s more to Tony than meets the eye.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Feel: An Omegaverse Story

SERIES: Breaking Free #6

AUTHOR: A.M. Arthur

PUBLISHER: Briggs-King Books

LENGTH: 295 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2018

BLURB:

An Omegaverse Story.
Single omegin Brogan Dale is jealous of the loving, stable relationships his omega friends have with their alpha mates. For years, he’s longed to find his own bondmate and create a family, but that hasn’t been in the cards. Just when he’s determined to take the first alpha who’ll provide for himself and his young son Peyton, Brogan scents him across a crowded coffee shop. Too bad his bondmate is the unstable alpha who nearly killed Brogan’s best friend last year.
Mikel Tovey is taking it one day at a time, adjusting to life on his own, away from the oppression and abuse of his cruel sire. All he wants is to complete his probation, make sure his omegin and brothers are safe, and find a way to live with all the mistakes he’s made. When he scents his omega bondmate, Mikel is initially terrified of the older omegin and his adorable toddler. But Brogan is handsome, kind, and Mikel is completely enamored of little Peyton.With his bondmate in his sights, Brogan does everything in his power to prove Mikel can be a good alpha, a good mate, and a fantastic father to Peyton. But when Brogan’s past comes roaring into his present and puts Peyton’s future at risk, Mikel’s resolve is shaken. He wants to love and support his omega during this crisis, but he doesn’t know how. With Brogan surrounded by friends and chosen family who love him, he doesn’t need Mikel’s insecurities weighing him down, too—but Brogan has found his mate, and he isn’t letting Mikel walk away without a fight.
This time, Brogan has too much to lose…

NOTE: This is a non-shifter Omegaverse story with alpha/omega/beta dynamics, heats, knotting, and mpreg. In this world, omegas are second-class citizens with few civil rights and almost no protections under the law—although times are changing for the better. Trigger warnings for physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. This series is best read in numerical order.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Looking Forward

SERIES: Unconditional #2

AUTHOR: Michael Bailey

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 258 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 21, 2018

BLURB:

Owen Hannity was nineteen when he lost almost everyone he thought he could trust. Each loss more painful than the last.
With the unwavering support of his best friend, Andy, Owen put the pieces of his life back together. Now, more than two decades later, Owen owns and operates a successful comic shop. Despite his modicum of success, he still feels like a shell of a man, carrying the emotional scars from his past.
Without warning, Owen’s past returns. Secrets come to light. Secrets that could either destroy Owen or finally give him the strength to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about Andy, himself, and the way in which he views the world.
To see that he is truly worthy of loving himself and finally begin…
…Looking Forward.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: The Billionaire’s Wedding

SERIES: My Billionaire #2

AUTHOR: Geoffrey Knight

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 148 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 18, 2018

BLURB:

Italy’s Amalfi Coast, overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, is the dream location for the perfect wedding, and billionaire Calvin Croft is determined to pull out all the stops to make his marriage to Matt Darcy a day that nobody will forget.

But before Matt and Cal can walk down the aisle and say ‘I do’, someone uninvited turns up out of the blue… and turns Cal’s life completely upside-down.

Will Matt ever get to marry the man of his dreams? Will Cal be able to come to terms with his past and get on with his future? Or will an unwelcome guest put their romance on the rocks forever?

You’re invited to the wedding of the year as Matt, Cal, Mrs. Mulroney, Mr. Banks, Tilly and Angus return for more hilarious antics, swooning romance and a surprise that none of them will see coming!

** Sequel to The Billionaire’s Boyfriend

Reviewed by Tori (Vicki)

TITLE: The Englor Affair 

SERIES: Sci-Regency #2

AUTHOR: J.L. Langley

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 254 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 28th, 2018

BLURB:

A Sci-Regency Novel: sequel to My Fair Captain

Anxious to escape the confines of Regelence society, if only for a little while, Prince Payton Townsend poses as an admiral’s aide to further investigate a dangerous conspiracy. Payton plans only to use his computer skills to help navigate the tangled web of mystery and deceit on planet Englor, then return home, but he finds himself drawn to the charismatic Colonel Simon Hollister.

Simon, however, is no mere soldier—he is heir to the throne of Englor, and his life is meticulously planned to include a bride and heir. Unlike Regelence, the Regency society on Englor disapproves of same-sex relationships, and Payton and Simon’s attraction plays out in a daring secret affair, one Simon never expected would grow into love.

Risking scandal and certain ruin if they are discovered, Payton and Simon uncover more about a common enemy and a deadly plot that imperils both their worlds. But in this game of interplanetary intrigue, love might be the ultimate casualty….

Second Edition
First Edition published by Samhain Publishing Ltd., November 2008.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Heaven Aground

SERIES: Treble and the Lost Boys #2

AUTHOR: G.R. Lyons

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 430 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 24, 2018

BLURB:

Ryley Skye can’t take anything seriously. Not the murder scenes he investigates, nor the fact that he’s cheating on his boyfriend. Not the bloody nightmares he gets every other night, and especially not Vic’s ridiculous theory that Ryley might be a mage.
Magic? Him? There’s just no way.
When Vic decides he’s had enough of Ryley’s cheating and breaks things off, it couldn’t come at a worse time. They’ve just been handed a case that will require them to work closely together, whether they like it or not. But Ryley plays along. He has to. He can’t afford any kind of confrontation. Things happen when he gets angry or aroused. Weird things. Bad things. He has to stay bottled up and in control at all times.
Then he meets Asher Arden, and indulges in what he thinks is a little rebound fling. But when Ryley loses control and puts Asher’s life at risk, he realizes two things: He loves Asher more than anything else in the world…
And Vic just might have been right all along.

(Note: This story takes place in a fictional world, the same as in the Shifting Isles Series. There are multiple gods, different names for the days of the week, etc. A glossary is included.)

Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: The Enchanter’s Flame

SERIES: The Ellwood Chronicles #1

AUTHOR: Michele Notaro

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 245 Pages

RELEASE DATE: August 18, 2018

BLURB:

Strange things are happening all around Brinnswick. Things that remind me of a piece of my past I’d rather forget. Girls are being killed, drained of blood, and left with strange markings on their bodies. When I finally connect the cases together, a specialist is called in—though, what he’s a specialist of is beyond me.
When the chief assigns him as my new partner for the case, I can’t help but groan on the inside. Why of all people would I be assigned to Ailin Ellwood? The man is a disaster waiting to happen and a jerk to boot. A sexy jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.
What will Sebastian think when he discovers Ailin’s specialty? Will he make a run for it or will he stick around and discover a world of magic hidden beneath the city’s surface?

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: A Few Good Fish

SERIES: Fish Out of Water #3

AUTHOR: Amy Lane

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2018

LENGTH: 290 pages

BLURB:

A tomcat, a psychopath, and a psychic walk into the desert to rescue the men they love…. Can everybody make it out with their skin intact?

PI Jackson Rivers and Defense Attorney Ellery Cramer have barely recovered from last November, when stopping a serial killer nearly destroyed Jackson in both body and spirit.

But their previous investigation poked a new danger with a stick, forcing Jackson and Ellery to leave town so they can meet the snake in its den.

Jackson Rivers grew up with the mean streets as a classroom and he learned a long time ago not to give a damn about his own life. But he gets a whole new education when the enemy takes Ellery. The man who pulled his shattered pieces from darkness and stitched them back together again is in trouble, and Jackson’s only chance to save him rests in the hands of fragile allies he barely knows.

It’s going to take a little bit of luck to get these Few Good Fish out alive!

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: The Lovely Pines

SERIES: BJ Vinson Mystery #4

AUTHOR: Don Travis

PUBLISHER: DSP Publications

LENGTH: 254 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2018

BLURB:

When Ariel Gonda’s winery, the Lovely Pines, suffers a break-in, the police write the incident off as a prank since nothing was taken. But Ariel knows something is wrong—small clues are beginning to add up—and he turns to private investigator BJ Vinson for help.

BJ soon discovers the incident is anything but harmless. When a vineyard worker—who is also more than he seems—is killed, there are plenty of suspects to go around. But are the two crimes even related? As BJ and his significant other, Paul Barton, follow the trail from the central New Mexico wine country south to Las Cruces and Carlsbad, they discover a tangled web involving members of the US military, a mistaken identity, a family fortune in dispute, and even a secret baby. The body count is rising, and a child may be in danger. BJ will need all his skills to survive because, between a deadly sniper and sabotage, someone is determined to make sure this case goes unsolved.