Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Waking Bel

SERIES:  Lords of Discord #3

AUTHOR:  Jocelynn Drake

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  May 29, 2020

LENGTH:  380 pages

BLURB:

Beltran Varik believes in science.

It holds all the answers he seeks.

Except for one.

How in the world did he end up falling in love with two werewolves?

Of course, there was no way science could account for the beauty, warmth, and mind-blowing sexiness of Wyatt and River.

The two shifters are outcasts from their own kind and must seek the protection of a vampire.

Bel might take them in out of a need to keep them safe, but his feelings for them grow into something so much deeper.

Unfortunately, Bel might have to choose between his wolves and his family as a fight brews with the local werewolf pack and the Variks face a darker threat from the Ministry.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE: Tamarillo Tart

SERIES: Southern Lights #2

AUTHOR:  Jay Hogan

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  May 14, 2020

LENGTH:  262 pages

BLURB:

CASSIDY MARTIN is a country boy through and through. He loves his horses, his Lord of the Rings tourist business, and his isolated paradise at the foot of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Not that everyone appreciates the seclusion he craves. Take his ex-wife for example.

The sexy-as-hell guy on his latest tour might be whip-smart and push all of Cass’s buttons, but he’s about as country as a pair of Louboutins, and Cass has been there and done that. Broken heart with the T-shirt.

STEFAN HAMILTON doesn’t do ‘outdoorsy’, he’s a city boy, born and bred. The closest Stef gets to the country is ‘Cowboy Night’ at his favourite Auckland gay bar even if the music makes Stef want to rip his hair out by the roots.

But Stef is also a hardcore Lord of the Rings fanboy. So, when he gets the chance to go on a horse trek to the iconic film locations in the Southern Alps, he sucks up his fear of the gigantic animals and his allergy to camping for the chance to let his nerd flag fly. But when his mate pulls out at the last minute, Stef is left to negotiate the horses, the wrath of mother nature, and an inconvenient crush on the cowboy leading the tour.

City meets country and the sparks fly.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  After Felix

AUTHOR:  Lily Morton

SERIES:  Close Proximity

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  274 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 2, 2020

BLURB:

 Sometimes the best love stories come in two parts.

When Felix met handsome journalist Max Travers, it was lust at first sight. It was just his luck that he then had to develop a terrible case of feelings and got his heart broken. However, two and a half years later, he’s over all of that. His job is going well, he has good friends, and he doesn’t lack for male company. Which, of course, is when Max has to come bursting back into his life.

Felix Jackson will always be the one who got away to Max. He’s spent their time apart regretting his actions and hoping for a second chance. When an accident lands him in Felix’s less than tender care, Max is determined to grab this opportunity. The only problem is that Felix is equally determined that he doesn’t.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a story of missed opportunities, second chances, and two very stubborn men.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The Enforcer Enigma

SERIES: San Andreas Shifters #3

AUTHOR: G.L. Carriger

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 341 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2020

BLURB:

A werewolf without rank or hope and an enforcer who has lived too long go up against the selkie mob.

Charming urban fantasy from New York Times bestselling comedy author Gail Carriger.

ENFORCER

Judd has wandered from pack to pack his whole life, searching for wolves who will accept him for who he is and who he loves. Now he believes that he’s finally found the right pack and the right man.

NERD

Rejected by his family for being gay and geeky, Colin has never fit in with werewolves, yet now he is one. He doesn’t know how to react when Judd starts courting him. He’s even more lost when a famous singer, the selkie mob, and the feds also start chasing him.

Can Judd protect Colin and still prove his love? Can Colin figure out why enemy shifters are invading his favorite cafe? And what’s with all the gold sparkle? Find out in The Enforcer Enigma.

Delicate Sensibilities?

This paranormal romance contains M/M sexy times, horrible puns regarding country music, and men who wear suits without shirts underneath. If you get offended easily, then you probably will. The San Andreas Shifter stories include blue language, dirty deeds, and outright admiration for the San Francisco Bay Area. Not for the faint of heart (or mouth or tongue).

Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: All Kidding Aside

SERIES: Magical Mates # 1

AUTHOR: Macy Blake

PUBLISHER: Self Publish

LENGTH: 264 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 28, 2020

BLURB:

Building houses for a pack of orphans might lead one griffin to find his heart’s home.

Victor Eastaughffe knows three things for a fact:
-He does not have a mate.
-He does not like children.
-His duty is to his griffin clan.

When Victor meets Orsen Riggs, a scruffy bear shifter, and little Gus, an orphaned red panda cub, his orderly, structured world becomes messy and chaotic. All the things he once held true suddenly don’t make sense.

Asked to help the Smith pack navigate the difficult world of shifter politics, Victor realizes he might not know himself as well as he thought. Magic is in the air, and it’s making him long for things he never wanted before. But duty comes before all else, even at a price Victor no longer wants to pay.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Puzzling Encounters

SERIES: Mystic Pines #3

AUTHOR: Shea Balik

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 115 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2020

BLURB:

Come join us for a fun-filled vacation in Mystic Pines, Alaska, where the weather isn’t always warm, but our hospitality is.

Axom Boone has always believed that there was more out there than could be explained. He’d had his first encounter with Bigfoot when he was six and had been obsessed with the paranormal ever since. But not everyone understands. In fact, most tend to mock him or just call him crazy. But in Mystic Pines, he’d discovered a world that catered to his passion with the Alaskan Triangle, a place where anything could happen

Dawson Reeves moved to Mystic Pines to get away from a string of crazy boyfriends. But he had barely opened his bookstore when he caught a man stealing books from him, not because he didn’t have money, but because he thought they should be burned for daring to question that the paranormal activity of the Alaskan Triangle might not exist. Had he just jumped from the frying pan into the fire when it came to crazy?

Little did the two realize it would be the mysteries of the Alaskan Triangle that would bring them together. Then again, there was a chance the myths weren’t just legends and might kill them both. If they hope to survive, they will have to put their trust in each other, despite their differences.

Warning: This series takes place in the middle of the Alaskan Triangle. Anything could happen, from Bigfoot, to aliens, to disappearances and upside-down trees, so expect the unexpected.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The Eye of Evil

SERIES: The Devil’s in the Details #3

AUTHOR: Pelaam

PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing

LENGTH: 130 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2020

BLURB:

Power corrupts… Sometimes it can be petrifying.

In the upcoming council elections of the rural town where he lives, Jason is working as assistant to his cousin Neil, a man who’s as narcissistic as he is ambitious.

Almost running into Morena, the fortune teller from the visiting fair, Neil is able to turn the situation to his advantage and look good in the small community by offering free seats to the fair’s big top.

Paranormal detective Garen begins an investigation into a death where the victim is turned to stone and finds an unlikely ally in the victim’s housekeeper, Chloris Webling, a woman with powers of her own. However, when they are attacked by something that kills with fang and claw, Garen needs the help of his husband Luke.

Against his cousin’s wishes, Jason begins a relationship with Anaru, the nephew of one of Neil’s competitors. Jason’s concerned that not only might Neil discover his deception and sack him, but also about the infected bite on Neil’s forehead, which seems to be getting worse and making Neil more prone to furious outbursts than normal.

Luke comes to believe that the strange growth on Neil’s forehead is a manifestation of the evil eye of the demon Balor and that the fortune teller is using Neil as a vessel for the demon.

When the battle begins, it pits Garen and his forces against Madam Morena and her deadly familiar, while Luke and Chloris track down Neil to prevent the demon from using him as a gateway into the human world.

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence and murder.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Better Be True

SERIES:  Harrison Campus

AUTHOR:  Andy Gallo & Anyta Sunday

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  248 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 3, 2020

BLURB:

Two friends. One bed. A big Italian Wedding.

Nico Amato is in trouble.

He’s in love with his roommate. Who’s hung up on his ex. This so isn’t part of his summer plans. Luke’s an all-American jock, a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. The kind of guy who thinks Nico is too much.

That doesn’t stop Nico from pretending to be Luke’s boyfriend, once, twice, thrice . . . A friend does what a friend does to make an ex jealous.

Just . . . How many favors before Luke gives up on his ex?

Lucas DeRosa has a problem.

His roommate pushes every one of his buttons. Every. Damn. One. This so isn’t part of the script. Nico is flamboyant, a tight jeans/purple blazer kind of guy. The kind of guy who thinks Lucas is boring.

That doesn’t stop Luke from pretending to be Nico’s boyfriend again, and again, and again . . . A friend does what a friend does to repay a favor.

Just . . . How many favors before he wins Nico’s heart?

“Better Be True” is a roommates to lovers, fake-boyfriend, slow burn M/M romance with a HEA. This New Adult, college, opposite attract novel can be read as a standalone. The Harrison Campus series can be read in any order.