Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Pros & Cons of Deception

SERIES: Pros & Cons #2

AUTHOR: A.E. Wasp & May Archer

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 312 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2019

BLURB:

There’s nothing like being blackmailed by a dead man to really bring a group of cons together. The deal is simple, we do the jobs and Charlie’s lawyer wipes the slate clean for each of us, one at a time.
Job number two lands right in my lap. I’m Bond. Wesley Bond. (I can’t resist saying it that way. Blame my dad, if you can find him.) You could call me a hacker. I redistribute wealth – moving it from rich slimebags to poorer but infinitely more deserving people – and make a tidy profit as I do.  My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to bring down some modern-day slave traders.
I definitely choose to accept it.
With the life of the one person in this world I love on the line, I can’t afford any screw ups or distractions. Unfortunately, my biggest distraction is my biggest asset – Danny Monroe. Danny is an leftover complication from our first job; a victim of the vicious senator we’d gotten locked up. He’s a smart, funny, gorgeous, ex-prostitute, who can’t seem to keep his clothes on. I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut around him. But I need a fake boyfriend, and Danny is the only option.
Fooling the world into thinking we’re in love will be easy; fooling myself that I’m not might be impossible.
We don’t know who the bad guy is, we have no idea how to prove anything. There’s no internet on the island, no cell service, and I’ll have only the bare bones of my gear. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to need all the help I can get.

Like it or not, we’re all in this together.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Merry-Go-Round

SERIES: Fairground Attractions #2

AUTHOR: L.M. Somerton

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 79 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2019

BLURB:

Even the brightest places have shadows.

Stevie is sweet and shy—the only hint of an independent spirit comes from his lilac hair. For years he’s harboured a crush on his best friend, Adam, who is everything Stevie isn’t. The problem? When it comes to love, Adam is a bit slow on the uptake.
On top of that, Stevie fears the escaped killer known as Harlequin is targeting his friends, and clings to his role managing the merry-go-round for some semblance of normality. But someone is watching from shadows even the summer sun can’t penetrate.
Realising that life can be all too short, Adam takes steps to ensure that Stevie will be his. All his protective instincts kick in when Stevie attracts some unwanted—and very dangerous—attention, but he can’t take care of him alone. The group of friends needs to band together because the bright lights and whirling horses of the merry-go-round won’t be enough to keep Stevie alive. Some killers are far too good at hiding in plain sight.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Vanilla Clouds

AUTHOR: Roe Horvat

PUBLISHER: Beaten Track Publishing

LENGTH: 117 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2018

BLURB:

Sex and chocolate are the two pleasures Michał enjoys most in life.
His sex life has been nonexistent for some time, though. After a particularly bad hookup, he keeps mostly to himself. That leaves chocolate. Luckily, he works surrounded by the most delicious, extravagant produce in Gothenburg. Beside his job at the chocolaterie, his main source of excitement is his online friend, Magnus, whom he stubbornly refuses to meet in person.
A customer turns up at the chocolaterie one day—tall, shy, and charming. He could be just the right man. If Michał can step out of his overly safe shell, there might be not only chocolate, but sex, too. Maybe chocolate-flavored sex. And if he’s lucky, maybe even love.

Warning:
This book contains explicit scenes, adult language, and obscene amounts of chocolate.

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Mixed Signals

AUTHOR: Cooper West

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 222 Pages

RE-RELEASE DATE:  February 26, 2019

BLURB:

Devastatingly handsome pilot Frank Sheldon is doing his best to avoid his inheritance of money, charm, and good looks by rebuilding his life on his own terms after being discharged from the Air Force just before the repeal of DADT. When he unexpectedly meets the eccentric geek Benjamin Kaplan, sparks don’t quite fly, despite Benjamin’s obvious interest. Frank is not one to back down from a challenge, but what does any of that have to do with his sister’s campaign for governor, or the muckraking political website attacking her opponent, who just happens to be Frank’s unlamented, very closeted ex-boyfriend? It’s hard to fall in love when all you are getting is mixed signals.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Skin and Bone

SERIES: Digging Up Bones #2

AUTHOR: T.A. Moore

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 253 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2019

BLURB:

Cloister Witte and his K-9 partner, Bourneville, find the lost and bring them home.

But the job doesn’t always end there.
Janet Morrow, a young trans woman, lies in a coma after wandering away from her car during a storm. But just because Cloister found the young tourist doesn’t mean she’s home. What brought her to Plenty, California… and who didn’t want her to leave?
With the help of Special Agent Javi Merlo, who continues to deny his growing feelings for the rough-edged deputy, Cloister unearths a ten-year-old conspiracy of silence that taps into Plenty’s history of corruption.
Janet Morrow’s old secrets aren’t the only ones coming to light. Javi has tried to put his past behind him, but some people seem determined to pull his skeletons out of the closet. His dark history with a senior agent in Phoenix complicates not just the investigation but his relationship with Cloister.
And since when has he cared about that?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Demon on the Down-Low

SERIES: Supernatural Selections #3

AUTHOR: E.J. Russell

PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing

LENGTH: 320 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 25, 2019

BLURB:

Lovelorn kangaroo shifter Hamish Mulherne, drummer for the mega-hit rock band Hunter’s Moon, waited years for the band’s jaguar shifter bassist to notice him. Instead, she’s just gotten married and is in a thriving poly relationship. How is Hamish supposed to compete with that? But with everyone else in the band mated and revoltingly happy, he needs somebody. Since he can’t expect true love to strike twice, he signs up with Supernatural Selection. Because what the hell. When Zeke Oz was placed at Supernatural Selection through the Sheol work-release program, he thought he was the luckiest demon alive. But when he seems responsible for several massive matchmaking errors, he’s put on notice: find the perfect match for Hamish, or get booted back to Sheol for good. The only catch? He has to do it without the agency’s matchmaking spells, and Hamish simply will not engage.
But Zeke starts to believe that the reason all of Hamish’s dates fizzle is because nobody in the database is good enough for him. And Hamish realizes that his perfect match might be the cute demon who’s trying so hard to make him happy.

Reviewed by Kimberley

TITLE: The Fight For Freedom

SERIES: The Journeyer #3

AUTHOR: J.P. Bowie

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 134 pages

RELEASE DATE: January 29, 2019

BLURB:

Treachery and murder lead Jamie and Tanaka on the trail of a deranged deserter intent on personal revenge amid a looming war between the Choctaws and the English.

As the English army advances on the Choctaw nation, Jamie and Tanaka enlist the aid of a young Lieutenant, William McBride who is sympathetic to the Choctaw’s cause. Their quest for peace is thwarted by Captain John Davenport who orders their arrest then leads his men into a crushing defeat at the hands of the Choctaws. Court martialed for desertion under fire, Davenport seeks revenge on all those he holds responsible for his fall from grace.

As all these forces come together for the final struggle to survive, Jamie and Tanaka face their greatest challenge yet. Is their will strong enough to overcome those who seek to destroy them, and can their love protect them from the hazards of the wilderness itself?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: A Miracle for Markie

AUTHOR: Lynn Lorenz

PUBLISHER: MLR Press

LENGTH: 65 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 28, 2018

BLURB:

Seven-year-old Markie is determined to shine this Christmas. He’s decided his light can’t be hidden any longer, but not everyone in his life is supportive.

This Christmas, he’s looking for a miracle. Maybe if the family’s Nativity can host a miracle, then it might spill over onto him and his family.

Reviewed by Marieke

TITLE: The Boyfriend Cruise

SERIES: Pride of the Caribbean #2

AUTHOR: Deanna Wadsworth

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 294 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 25, 2018

BLURB:
The Pride of the Caribbean is a cruise ship unlike any other. Paranormals working on board the enchanted ship hide in plain sight, under the benevolent protection of a demigod captain and his fairy husband.

And this is a shipboard romance unlike any other.

Josh Gilbert’s well-meaning family booked a gay-friendly cruise for Christmas in order to find Josh a boyfriend. Hoping to escape the constant parade of bachelors—and the collapsible fishing rod dangling mistletoe his mom keeps in her purse—Josh takes solace in a growing friendship with the ship’s photographer, Nathan. Though Josh is falling for Nathan, he worries it will never be more than a shipboard fling.

Nathan recently became aware of his incubus heritage and has finally learned how to control his demon side. But Josh has awakened more than just the demon’s need for orgasms—Josh has awakened Nathan’s heart. What’s developing between them is the real thing, but can Josh ever accept Nathan’s promiscuous past… and love a sex demon?

Amid lush tropical settings, family hilarity, holiday costume parties, sexy snorkeling adventures, gingerbread martinis, and mythical creatures, will Josh get his Christmas wish and finally find the true love he’s wanted for so long?

Reviewed by Danielle

TITLE: HALO

SERIES: Fallen Angel #1

AUTHOR(s): Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

PUBLISHER: Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

LENGTH: 262 Pages

RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2019

BLURB:

Massive world tours. Over a hundred million albums sold. Groupies galore.
Every day is a party for Viper and the guys of TBD, the biggest rock band in the world. But it all comes to a screeching halt when the lead singer walks out of the studio one day and never comes back.

Ear-blistering vocals. Butchered lyrics. Fame chasers.
After months of lackluster auditions, Viper, the lead guitarist and resident bad boy of the group, is ready to find solace in the bottom of a bottle. Time’s running out and the pressure’s on to find a new singer, but it isn’t until an angel walks through the door that the band’s prayers are answered.

Charismatic. Talented. Magic behind the mic. Halo is everything they’ve been looking for.
With a voice to match his stunning good looks, it isn’t long before Viper’s taking notice. But there are several reasons this is a bad idea:

1.Interpersonal relationships in the band are discouraged
2.Viper has already broken rule #1—big mistake
3.Halo is straight

Too bad Viper’s body isn’t listening to his head—at least not the one on his shoulders. But you can’t fake chemistry, not onstage and certainly not off it, and Viper and Halo? They have it in spades.

As both men try to resist the fire blazing between them, and the band is forced to reinvent themselves, it’ll be a complicated rise back to the top. But from the ashes of what was, something beautiful is born. Something better. And when the world finally sees Halo stretch his wings, they’ll discover what it’s like to fall for an angel.

BOOK ONE OF THE FALLEN ANGEL SERIES
A ROCK ROMANCE

Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: The Vampires Quest

SERIES: The Realm of The Vampire Council #2

AUTHOR: Damian Serbu

PUBLISHER: NineStar Press

LENGTH: 317 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 11, 2019

BLURB:

The Vampire’s Quest brings back the beloved gay vampires, Xavier and Thomas, in the anticipated sequel to The Vampire’s Angel.

In 1822, the Archangel St. Michel orders Xavier to go on a quest to America, a quest that violates the Vampire Council’s laws to the point of a possible death sentence. Worse, Xavier must abandon his lover, Thomas. Xavier runs to his aging sister and pleads for Catherine’s help as Thomas races after them. With Thomas and the Vampire Council vying for Xavier’s soul, Xavier and Catherine struggle to obey the former priest’s divine calling before their inevitable capture.

Reviewed by Taylin  

 TITLE: Finding Forgiveness

SERIES: The Knight Club #5

AUTHOR:  C.J. Baty

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH: 85 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 6, 2019

BLURB:

Xavier Knight lied and now his past was catching up to him. Sebastian Brady meant everything to him. Losing him wasn’t an option Xavier was ready to accept. Ghosts from his past threaten to open up a secret that needs to stay hidden. He wasn’t going to let Zach Brady or anyone else take his happiness away from him.

Zachary Brady had lived in the shadow of his father his entire life. He’d lost his family, his job—everything. What happened between him and Xavier Knight was long ago and best forgotten. He wasn’t going to allow it to sabotage his chance to be accepted by his brothers and sister as family again.

Neither man realizes that they don’t hold the key to their peace of mind. And when the truth is revealed, it will shake their worlds. Family isn’t always the one you are born into, sometimes it’s the one you create for yourself.