Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Rough Trade

SERIES: Woodbury Boy #3

AUTHOR: Sidney Bell

PUBLISHER: Carina Press

LENGTH: 496 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 24, 2018

BLURB:

Quick-witted hustler Ghost is no stranger to living dangerously; survival has always been the name of the game.

He’s just always gone it alone.

Now he’s got the wrong people breathing down his neck, and the only way out demands placing his trust in the unlikeliest of heroes: Duncan Rook, a gruff cop whose ethics are as solid as his body.

Cozying up to a criminal is hardly what Duncan’s reputation on the force needs—especially when that criminal is temptation personified. Ghost is Duncan’s polar opposite, and the last person he expected to fall for.

So then why does every imaginable scenario for taking down their common enemy end with Ghost in his arms?

Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Crime and Chaos

SERIES: Thin Blue Line #3

AUTHOR: Patricia Logan

PUBLISHER: Westburg Publishing

LENGTH: 296 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2019

BLURB:

Homeland Security Investigators Pope Dades and Felix Jbarra have been partnered for six months and the excitement on and off the job keeps getting better. Working together every day is generally routine but when the partners are assigned to supplement the Secret Service on a VIP protection detail, things really begin to heat up.

An alternative energy conference is being held in Los Angeles. When Felix and Pope learn they’ll be bodyguards to a Saudi Arabian prince, they’re expecting rides in fancy limousines, a stay at the world-famous Beverly Wilshire Hotel, and exotic food. What they don’t expect is being once again thrown into the line of fire… literally.

Someone has put out a hit on Prince Ali ibn Abd Pasha and the killers want it carried out on US soil to embarrass the Americans in retaliation for US news coverage over the murder of one of their journalists late last year. Felix and Pope only learn of the danger to the prince when a Secret Service agent friend is nearly killed.

Pope and Felix dive headfirst into another exciting case but when they learn the man they’re guarding might be involved in arms trafficking because of ties to Mills Lang, they are forced to once again call on their buddies at the ATF.

Action, intrigue, and danger abound in the thrilling conclusion of the Thin Blue Line series.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Fireworks

SERIES: The Undead Canadian #3.5

AUTHOR: T. Strange

PUBLISHER: Less Than Three Press

LENGTH: 55 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 13, 2019

BLURB:

On Canada Day, Undead Canadian Kit, his husband, Edward, and their friend Kamaria to go see the fireworks. While there, Kamaria sees words written in the sky—Help Me. Realizing the fireworks must be involved somehow, Kit steals the ones that look out of place.

The ghost responsible for the message refuses to appear while Kit is nearby, but Edward and Kamaria learn the fireworks are blended with the ashes of a deceased woman. The woman, Rose, convinces them to return her ashes to her wife, Petra—so Kit, Kamaria, and Edward head off on a road trip.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: A Step too Far

SERIES: Too Far #2

AUTHOR: H.L. Day

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE:  June 3, 2019

BLURB:

Two men. Three identities. An unstoppable attraction.

Desperate for his luck to change, Jake Spencer manages to land a dance contract with Dmitry Gruzdev. The job has plenty of perks including a simmering lust between him and Dmitry’s hulking brute of a bodyguard, Mikhail. Life is finally looking up. Except as the shine wears off, it becomes clear that Jake’s stepped into a world of darkness and depravity where Bratva answers to no one and allies are not what they seem.

Mikhail’s hiding a secret: there is no Mikhail. He’s simply a front for undercover operative, Ryan Harris. A means to gain access to Dmitry. Ryan’s not stupid. There’s no way he’s going to get distracted by a pretty face, no matter how attractive Jake might be. That would be far too dangerous for all concerned. Only it’s not that simple and before Ryan knows it, the line between personal and professional begins to blur spectacularly.

Lust develops into more. Secrets start to unravel. Ryan’s got an impossible choice to make: keep Jake safe or maintain his cover. But how much does Dmitry know? The hunted may be about to become the hunter, blowing both men’s worlds to pieces and leaving them with nothing.

Can a relationship built on lies ever lead to love?

Warning: This book contains a seductive dancer prone to getting into trouble, a gruff man who’s anything but, and a villain that just won’t go away.

Reviewed by Chris

TITLE: Stalker of Shadows

SERIES:  SPECTR Series 3 #1

AUTHOR:  Jordan L. Hawk

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  129 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 17, 2019

BLURB:  

Some stones are better left unturned…

John Starkweather feels restless. Though still technically an agent for SPECTR, his only job now seems to be hanging out with his boyfriends, Caleb and the vampire spirit Gray, and binge-watching TV in their New Orleans apartment.

The inactivity comes to an abrupt end when a rougarou attacks John’s estranged grandfather. Even though he hasn’t seen his family since he was a teen, John can’t pass up the opportunity to reconnect.

The more John investigates the attack, the stranger everything about it seems, from his parents’ odd behavior to the rougarou’s unnatural size. And the closer John comes to finding answers, the nearer he draws to a truth that might be better left uncovered.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The Best-Laid Plans

SERIES: Plans, #2

AUTHOR: Addison Albright

PUBLISHER: JMS Books

LENGTH: 28,200 words

RELEASE DATE:  June 1, 2019

BLURB:

A death that wasn’t what it seemed … A kidnapping that isn’t what it seems … Time is running out.

The morning after his wedding night, Prince Marcelo thought he’d be embarking on a journey to his own personal fairytale happily ever after with his husband Efren, the crown prince of Zioneven. But when news arrives indicating his sister’s death wasn’t as accidental as previously thought, that journey becomes fraught with danger.

Enmeshed in political intrigue, death, and a kidnapping that might not be what it seems, will Efren untangle the web of misleading clues in time to save the naïve young man he’s already come to admire? Or will Marcelo dig deep to discover a previously untapped inner strength and determination to facilitate his own survival?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The Doctor Takes a Detour

AUTHOR: Bren Christopher

PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing

LENGTH: 214 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 6, 2019

BLURB:

After being attacked by a drug addict, Dr. Josh Parker fled New York, his career as an ER doctor, and a failed relationship. Determined to start fresh, he takes a job as a concierge doctor to the wealthy older population of sunny Naples, Florida. Nothing to fear there. No trauma. No stress.

It’s a good idea that doesn’t last long. Traveling to his new home, he discovers a car accident and is forced to make a detour to render aid. There he meets sexy paramedic Ian Manolas.

Since Ian returned from the Army, every day has been a struggle to atone for past mistakes. The Glades Free Clinic is his chosen path to redemption. The people Ian helps are a world away from Josh’s wealthy clients though. Addicts, prostitutes, gang members: they all come to Ian’s clinic for help, not judgment. He’ll do almost anything to keep the clinic going, including roping in one reluctant—and hot—ex-ER doctor.

The attraction is immediate, but Josh wants nothing to do with Ian’s clinic. For them to have a future, both men must work together to find a path to love, while helping those who need them most.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Always With Me

SERIES: With Me #6

AUTHOR: Kris Jacen

PUBLISHER: MLR Press

LENGTH: 114 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 24, 2019

BLURB:

Calvin and Camden Luna — why yes, their dad is a big baseball fan— have moved around the world with their parents. Their father has been in the military since before they were born. Proud of their father and uncles and all they’ve done, neither of them is sure the military is for them. Cam is a fantastic baseball player and Cal loves the science of everything. Haven’t they given enough?

Tristan Nolan and Maddy Holt both grew up as military kids too, but neither of their fathers moved them around as much as the twins. Maddy wants to save the planet and capture the heart of Calvin Luna… if he’d only open his eyes. Tris has grown up wanting to follow in the footsteps of those before him. But can he be himself — out and proud —serve and protect his country and end up with the one he’s loved for as long as he can remember?

What can happen when you grow up a military brat with the ties that they have with their fathers’ close friends and their families? Find the love of your life almost from the start? Or find out that maybe you’re all too close for anything else?

Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: On the Subject of Griffons

AUTHOR: Lindsey Byrd

PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing

LENGTH: 316 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 27, 2019

BLURB:

They’ll do anything to save their children’s lives, even if it means working together.

Kera Montgomery is still mourning the sudden death of her husband, Morpheus, when her youngest son falls victim to a mysterious plague. With no medicinal cure, Kera must travel to the Long Lakes, where magical griffons capable of healing any ailment reside.

As an heiress unused to grueling travel, Kera struggles with the immense emotional and physical strain of her journey—one made more complex when she crosses paths with her husband’s former mistress, Aurora. Aurora’s daughter is afflicted with the same plague as Kera’s son, so despite their incendiary history, the two women agree to set aside their differences and travel together.

The road is fraught with dangers, both living and dead. Each night, old battlegrounds reanimate with ghosts who don’t know they’ve died, and murderous wraiths hunt for stray travelers caught out after dark. If Kera, Aurora, and their children are going to survive, they’ll need to confront the past that’s been haunting them since their journey began. And perhaps in the process, discover that old friends may not be as trustworthy as they once thought—and old enemies may become so much more.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The More the Merrier

SERIES: The Teddy Bear Club #2, Dreamspun Desires #83

AUTHOR: Sean Michael

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 195 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 4, 2019

BLURB:

Too much of a good thing?

When Logan gets the call about newborn triplets in need of a home, he steps up, realizing too late the daunting task he’s taken on. He’d be lost without the men of the Teddy Bear Club—especially Dirk.

He even offers to spend spring break at Logan’s home, helping him and the babies settle in. Dirk loves being a dad, and he wants to help Logan find the same joy. It doesn’t hurt that they enjoy spending time together.

Before they even realize it, they’re settling into a routine… becoming a family.

Falling in love.

But their new bond is about to face the ultimate test. Will they come through and realize that with love, there’s no such thing as enough?

Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: Larry Boots, Exterminator

AUTHOR: John Inman

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 198 Pages

RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2019

BLURB:

Kenny Long is living a new life. Blinded in an accident, he has taken control of his unexpected reality the best way he can, and it’s working out better than he hoped.
Of course Larry Boots doesn’t know any of that. All he sees is a beautiful man sitting on a park bench.
Larry has a few problems of his own: his mother. His job. The lack of romance in his life.
His job. In the course of that job, Larry strikes up a friendship with Kenny. The next thing he knows, he’s so head-over-heels in love, even his mother doesn’t seem so bad. Of course his career is still a problem, but he’s working on that. Hopefully he’ll have the problem resolved before the man he’s being paid to murder succeeds in murdering him first.
And before the man he loves finds out he’s a cold-blooded killer.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: A Flicker of Hope

SERIES: Druid’s Curse #2

AUTHOR: Shea Balik

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 139 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 29, 2019

BLURB:

Kegan Tulach already knew that monsters were real. He’d faced them. Watched in horror as they killed those he loved. Then run from them. It was his response for the past two years. But now, on his twenty-first birthday, running wasn’t an option. He had no where to go. It was time for him to face his worst nightmare.

There weren’t many people who could do what Bjorn did. Fight monsters and live to tell the tale. It was a job thrust upon him as a kid. If he had known the true hell that would be cursed upon him, he would have preferred to die even though he’d only been fourteen at the time. Now, years later, he had hope that the curse would come to an end. The question was, would he choose the death he’d so desperately craved for more than a millennia, or would he do the one thing he swore he’d never do? Choose love.

If Kegan and Bjorn can find a way past their fears, they may discover something worth living for – each other.

This is a stand alone with an HEA, but reading the first book is recommended for full enjoyment.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: 11 Seconds: An Asher Radman Mystery

SERIES: By the Numbers #2

AUTHOR: John Charles

PUBLISHER: Manifest Vision Publishing

LENGTH: 199 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 9, 2018

BLURB:

In a world dominated by greed and political loyalties, the line between right and wrong is often completely blurred.

He wanted more than revenge.  His was a vendetta, a vendetta that he was capable of carrying out.  Tenodod was a cyber hacker who knew how to use the skills he developed while working for one of the most powerful systems developers in the world.  Only now, he was using those talents to bring down Bertram Lynnworth, Chairman and CEO of ESTG, and would continue until his vendetta was fulfilled, no matter who got hurt in the process.

Mystery, romance, and intrigue in a suspense filled thriller that will leave you asking how to protect yourself and your family.

We Own You appeared on every monitor in every ESTG facility around the world.  There Is No Escape voiced the laughing clown as Tenodod took over every system within the company.

Hackers can steal your identity, control your car, access your secret files.  What if one had a grip on your beating heart? What if it only took 11 seconds?

Tenodod would make Bertram crawl for what he did to all those innocent people.  Unfortunately, Marc Lynnworth, Bertram’s unsuspecting son, and hundreds of others, would become pawns in Tenodod’s evil plot.  “I never wanted anyone to die; I only wanted your father to see the error of his ways.”

A suspenseful, mind-piercing look into the very real secrets of cyber terrorism.

With a plot so real, you’ll keep looking over your shoulder.  11 Seconds will draw you in and make you wonder not if – but when will it happen to you?