Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Whisper

AUTHOR: Tal Bauer

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2018

LENGTH: 951 pages

BLURB:

The truth is complicated.

On September 11th, 2001, Kris Caldera was a junior member of the CIA’s Alec Station, the unit dedicated to finding and stopping Osama Bin Laden.

They failed.

Ten days later, he was on the ground in Afghanistan with a Special Forces team, driven to avenge the ghosts that haunted him and the nation he’d let down. On the battlefield, he meets Special Forces Sergeant David Haddad. David – Arab American, Muslim, and gay – becomes the man Kris loves, the man he lives for, and the man he kills for, through the long years of the raging wars.

David Haddad thought he’d be an outsider his whole life. Too American for the Middle East, too Arab for America, and too gay to be Muslim. It took Kris to bring the parts of himself together, to make him the man he’d always wanted to be. But the War on Terror wreaks havoc on David’s soul, threatening to shatter the fragile peace he’s finally found with Kris.

When a botched mission rips David from Kris’s life, Kris’s world falls into ruin and ash. A shell of the man who once loved with the strength to shake both the CIA and the world, he marks time on the edges of his life. The days bleed together, meaningless after losing the love of his life.

After being captured, tortured to the edge of his life, and left for dead by his comrades, David doesn’t know how much of himself is left. He vanished one day in the tribal belt of Pakistan, and the man who walks out almost a decade later is someone new: Al Dakhil Al-Khorasani.

But strange rumblings are whispering through the CIA. Intelligence from multiple sources overseas points to something new. Something deadly, and moving to strike the United States. Intercepts say an army from Khorasan, the land of the dead where the Apocalypse of Islam will rise, is coming.

And, at the head of this army, a shadowy figure the US hasn’t seen before: Al Dakhil Al-Khorasani.

David is coming home.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Tank

SERIES: Ballsy Boys #2

AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold & Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 420 Pages

RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2018

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Tank
Shallow pretty boy, conceited fuckboy, immature assclown. Take your pick, they all apply to Brewer. The world is his ass buffet and we’re all on the menu. I’ve never hated anyone like I hate Brewer. But when Rebel pairs us to do a scene together, I have to admit I’m looking forward to taking all my irritation out on his…well, you get the picture. But when one scene turns into a whole fake relationship, I’m not sure we’re going to make it out of this without some bloodshed.
Brewer
Tank has got to be the most boring, stuck up ass I have ever met. That man does not know how to have fun, not even when he’s doing a scene. And if there’s one reason to smile, it’s working with me, right? All the more reason to keep my real self from him because he’d laugh me out of the room. But when we have to pretend we actually like each other, something unexpected happens. The more time we spend together, the more I see a different side of him…and dare to show a different side of me. What the hell is happening?
Tank is the second book in the Ballsy Boys Production series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it more fun reading in order. Expect plenty of laughs and a lot of sparks.

Reviewed by Kimberley

TITLE: Hudson’s Luck

SERIES: Forever Wilde # 4

AUTHOR: Lucy Lennox

PUBLISHER: Self Publishing

LENGTH: 349 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 24 , 2018

BLURB:

Hudson:

Don’t ever accidentally propose to your girlfriend. In front of her family. Especially if her dad is your boss. Because when you make it clear you’ve made a mistake, he’s likely to send you out of the country to get you as far away from his broken-hearted daughter as possible. It happened to me. Now I’m stuck in Ireland trying to redeem myself so I can get promoted and have the life I’ve planned for: successful career, loving wife and kids, a comfortable, financially-secure home life in Texas.

But all of that seems to evaporate the moment I walk into the historic pub and see the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Only, he’s not a woman.

Charlie Murray is most definitely a man—the kind of man who causes me to take a second look for the first time in my life. And a third look, and fourth. I can’t help but want to get to know him better… to get close to him, touch him, maybe even kiss him. But I’m straight. Or so I’ve always thought. Even if I’m not, how in the world could a feisty Irishman ever fit into the safe, predictable life I’ve always planned for?
Charlie:

Don’t ever accidentally fall for the straight guy. Especially when he’s trying to pry your family’s business right out from under you. I should know. Because when Hudson Wilde walks into my family’s pub and begins babbling so adorably, I can’t help but fall just a little bit in love. But I’m looking for Forever Man, and the sexy American is certainly not him. He’s so confused about what he wants, even choosing something from the dinner menu throws him into a fuddle. But those eyes… how can I resist?

So maybe I’ll give in. One steamy night before he heads home and I go back to life at the pub. We’ll never see each other again.

Until, of course, his business deal sends me to Hobie, Texas, right into the middle of Hudson’s steady life, more gay Wildes than can fit on a dance floor, and an ex-girlfriend who may or may not be content remaining an ex. But the more time I spend with Hudson, the more I think he might be my Forever Man after all. And I may be his. Is it possible we could both be so lucky?

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Galaxies and Oceans

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2018

LENGTH: 313 Pages

BLURB:

Seizing his one chance to escape, Ethan Hosking leaves his violent ex-boyfriend, leaves his entire life, and walks into the path of a raging bushfire. Desperate to start over, a new man named Aubrey Hobbs walks out of the fire-ravaged forest, alive and alone. With no ID and no money, nothing but his grandfather’s telescope, he goes where the Southern Cross leads him.

Patrick Carney is the resident lighthouse keeper in Hadley Cove, a small town on the remote Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. After the tragic death of his lover four years ago, he lives a solitary life; just him, a tabby cat, the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a whole lot of loneliness. He’s content with his life until a stranger shows up in town and turns Patrick’s head.

Patrick never expected to be interested in anyone else.

Aubrey never expected to be happy.

Between Aubrey’s love of the stars and Patrick’s love of the ocean, these two fragile hearts must navigate new waters. If they can weather the storm of their pasts, they could very well have a love that eclipses everything.

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.

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.

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Private Charter

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: August 24, 2018

LENGTH:

BLURB:

Stuart Jenner’s job is high stress, high stakes, and everything he’s strived for. So why, when the apex of his career is within reach, does he stumble? At his doctor’s insistence, he books a privately chartered yacht to sail around the Whitsundays for two weeks of sun, surf, and sex. When his friend-with-benefits bails on him at the last minute, Stuart decides to go alone.

Foster Knight left the rat race behind six years ago, bought a yacht, and now calls the Great Barrier Reef his home. Sailing tourists around tropical waters is all in a day’s work, and he’s never been happier. When his next client arrives alone, the two-week charter will be the most private job he’s ever had.

Foster can see how stressed and exhausted Stuart is, and he promises him extensive rest and relaxation. Stuart slowly realises his original plan for two weeks of sun, surf, and sex might not be lost yet. Confined to a yacht, isolated by aqua-coloured oceans and the sweltering sun, Stuart and Foster are about to find out just how hot the tropics can get.

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 Chris

TITLE:  The Mystery of the Moving Image

SERIES:  Snow & Winter #3

AUTHOR:  C.S. Poe

PUBLISHER:  DSP Publications

LENGTH:  214 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 11, 2018

BLURB:  

It’s summer in New York City, and antique shop owner Sebastian Snow is taking the next big step in his relationship with NYPD homicide detective, Calvin Winter: they’re moving in together. What should have been a wonderful week of playing house and celebrating Calvin’s birthday comes to an abrupt end when a mysterious package arrives at the Emporium.

Inside is a Thomas Edison Kinetoscope, a movie viewer from the nineteenth century, invented by the grandfather of modern cinema, W. K. L. Dickson. And along with it, footage of a murder that took place over a hundred years ago.

Sebastian resists the urge to start sleuthing, even if the culprit is long dead and there’s no apparent danger. But break-ins at the Emporium, a robbery, and dead bodies aren’t as easy to ignore, and Sebastian soon realizes that the century-old murder will lead him to a modern-day killer.

However, even with Sebastian’s vast knowledge of Victorian America and his unrelenting perseverance in the face of danger, this may be the one mystery he won’t survive.

Reviewed by Jay V.

TITLE: The Bones Beneath My Skin

AUTHOR: TJ Klune

PUBLISHER: TJ Klune

LENGTH: 375 Pages

RELEASE DATE: October 26, 2018

BLURB:

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he’s been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family’s summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It’s not.

Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.

Artemis, who isn’t exactly as she appears.

Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Of Sunlight and Stardust

AUTHOR: Riley Hart and Christina Lee

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 269 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 18, 2018

BLURB:

After the death of his wife, Tanner Rowe takes a step toward making her dying wish come true and buys the house with the dilapidated barn she’d been inexplicably drawn to in the picturesque Upper Peninsula. But after a year, he still can’t get past his grief long enough to make the repairs he’d promised.

Recently out of prison, Cole Lachlan has little to his name. Homeless, broke, and without many options as a felon, Cole heads to Red Bluff with hopes of a second chance. There he meets Tanner, whose loneliness mirrors his own, and soon Cole is trading room and board for rebuilding the burned-out barn on Tanner’s property that hasn’t been touched in seventy years.

Turns out, the barn holds more secrets than either of them could have imagined. After unearthing a hidden journal from 1948, Cole and Tanner spend their evenings poring over the pages, reading about a young man pining after his best friend. The deeper they delve into this forbidden affair from the past, the more Cole and Tanner’s own relationship shifts—from acquaintances to friends…to undeniable attraction.

But as they begin to deal with the newness of falling in love in the wake of Tanner’s loss and Cole’s past, they also become more determined to unravel the mystery of the young lovers who’ve captured their hearts, the rumors about the fire, and what really happened that fateful night.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Drawn to You

SERIES: Beyond the Cove #1

AUTHOR: Jaclyn Quinn

PUBLISHER: self-published

RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2018

BLURB:

Leaving his enormous family behind, native New Yorker, Elijah, decides to move to Brighton Pier for a fresh start. Being part of a large LGBTQ community and landing his dream job at Inkubus, a local tattoo shop, is too big of a draw for him to turn down. But just when he thinks his new life is going perfectly, he finds out his burgeoning relationship is nothing more than a friends-with-benefits arrangement to the man he was swiftly falling for. Suddenly, everything that felt so right to him feels all wrong, and he wonders if New York, with his family, is where he is meant to be after all.
Jake has worked hard for the life he’s made for himself in Brighton Pier. His life as a bachelor is pretty set in stone. Running his own business and spending time with his family and friends is enough for him, or so he’s convinced himself. Though he’s met a man he cares for, he’s adamant about keeping his single life as is. He has his reasons for not wanting to commit to the beautiful man he’s irrevocably drawn to. He just hopes their friends-with-benefits arrangement will be enough to keep Eli in his life.
When tragedy strikes, and Jake’s world is turned upside down, his instincts lead him to lean on the one person who’s become someone special, despite his best efforts to try and push him away. Eli—unable to turn Jake away when a loss so great takes the strong man to his knees—steps selflessly into the void in Jake’s life, regardless of the toll it takes on him. As both men struggle to deal with their own emotional turmoil, their lives veering off course, they grow inevitably closer as the days pass. But even so, they are still left wondering—can two people, drawn together by tragedy, turn a devastating situation into a fresh start? Or is it too late for a new beginning?

Reviewed by Kimberley

TITLE: Teddy and His Bear

SERIES: Oh My # 1

AUTHOR: Andi James, Lila Wilde

PUBLISHER: Self Publishing

LENGTH: 315 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2018

BLURB:

At twenty-four, Teddy should be used to feeling abandoned and unwanted. After all, he’s been dealing with it most of his life. But a recent breakup takes him completely by surprise and now he’s on his own again. Nursing new and old hurts, he leans on his makeshift family and finds solace in a growing and unexpected friendship with an older man.

Forty-two-year-old Barrett has successfully ignored his biggest need for years. His last boy left him questioning everything he knew, and he is determined to lead a vanilla life, no matter how much his friends try to convince him to be true to himself. When he learns his favorite barista needs a new place to stay, he offers a solution that leads to spending more time with the younger man.

A change in circumstances brings both men together and their buried feelings to light. Teddy knows he’s attracted to Barrett but isn’t sure if he’s ready to risk his heart again, and Barrett is losing the struggle against his dominant nature. Will learning Barrett’s sexy secret be too much for Teddy, or is it just the thing he never knew he needed?

Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: Zenko

SERIES: Tags of Honor, Book 1

AUTHOR: Annabella Stone

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 241 pgs

RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2018

BLURB:

Finding an American civilian in a cave in Syria was not part of his mission brief. Zenko Marks, former Navy SEAL and member of the JSOC Task Force, has no idea who the mysterious man is, but he knows one thing for sure: he’s never left a man behind and he’s not about to start now—particularly one who looks at him with those stunning eyes.

Shaun Jacobson thought his number was up. Getting captured while undercover was never supposed to happen but getting rescued was a statistical impossibility, especially when he technically doesn’t exist on paper. The last thing he expected was a knight in shining Kevlar to ride in to save the day. Zenko is like no one he’s ever met before and while Shaun knows he should keep his distance he can’t help but want the man who rescued him from hell.

Can covert agents from two of the United States’ most secret teams allow their hearts to rule or will a joint mission between the teams cost them everything, their brothers and, worst of all, each other?

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: A Soldier’s Wish

SERIES: The Christmas Angel #5

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: BlueHeart Press

LENGTH: 224 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2018

BLURB:

The year is 1969…

Gary Fairchild is proud to be a hippie college student, and he protests the Vietnam War because he believes in love and peace. To him, it isn’t just a counterculture movement—it’s a way of life. When tickets to the Aquarium Exposition—3 Days of Peace & Music, or Woodstock, as it was better known, go on sale, there’s no way he isn’t going.

Richard Ronsman is a sheltered farm boy who lives in the shadow of his overbearing father. He’s hidden his darkest secret to earn his father’s love, but nothing is ever good enough—not even volunteering for the Vietnam War. And with just a few days left before he’s deployed, a striking hippie invites him to join them at a music festival.

Three days of music, drugs, rain, mud, and love forged a bond between these two very different men that would shape the rest of their lives. They share dreams and fears, and when Richard is shipped off to war, they share letters and love. For Richard’s first Christmas home, he is gifted a special angel ornament that just might make a soldier’s wish come true.