December | 2011 | The Novel Approach

Archive for the month “December, 2011”

31 Dec 2011

The Heart’s Greater Silence by Anne Brooke

The Heart’s Greater Silence by Anne Brooke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mark is a man who burns his candle at both ends. And he did so quite successfully for a while, until the two ends ultimately met and he got burnt in a most painful and consequential way. Mark is a man whose mind and body are divided between want and need. He is a man who had everything but ended up with nothing when the battle between pure lust and possible love made a casualty of his heart.

Richard is a man of the cloth, married to his God and his vocation, but is physically compelled to carry on an illicit affair with Mark. Craig is the man who could have been everything to Mark, a partner in every way, if only Mark’s feelings for Craig could have outpaced his desire for Richard. When the three men come face to face to face with the truth, the decisions and aftermath of Mark’s duplicity leave him aimless and uncertain of where he will go from there.

Anne Brooke has written a somber and beautiful story of a man who had everything and lost it all because he coveted two very different men. It is dark and solemn and resonates with a sense of conflict and despair that wove the ideal atmosphere. It was moving and played beautifully against the knowledge that sometimes free will and human nature simply don’t leave room for happy endings.

This is the story of a man who was commanded by his desires and driven by a compulsion for one man who ruled his body and the other who fulfilled his need to belong to someone. When their worlds collided, the destruction of life as Mark knew it was profound.

I’m hopeful the ending of this short story leaves room for more of Mark’s journey.

BUY LINK

Posted in Anne Brooke, Riptide Publishing and tagged Anne Brooke, Riptide Publishing

30 Dec 2011

Cherish Your Name by Mary Calmes

Cherish Your Name by Mary Calmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5/5 stars

Cherish Your Name is a special holiday story starring my all time favorite warder/hearth couple. Make no mistake, I love all the couples in this series, and I especially love Raphael, but as couples go, Malic and Dylan have always been at the top of my list, and this day-in-the-life—well, in this world, that is—installment in the series made me realize why: Malic and Dylan, in some ways, remind me of Sam and Jory from Mary Calmes’ “A Matter of Time” series, so the loving thing is a no-brainer for me.

Spending Christmas with Dylan’s family proves to be one of the biggest challenges Malic Sunden has ever faced. Squaring off with demons? Pish. That’s nothing when compared to facing the less than enthusiastic reception the Shaw family give him. Malic is definitely out of his element when it comes to interacting with the Shaws: after all, they see him as the older man robbing their cradle of their much younger son and brother. They’re suspicious of Malic’s motives and his intentions toward Dylan, and that’s a difficult stigma to overcome. But there are times, thankfully, when actions are far more eloquent and convincing than words could ever be.

A bit of romantic angst, a duplicitous neighbor, and yes, a demon come along to complicate things for the warders. A quiet Christmas just isn’t in the cards for Malic and Dylan, but it will most definitely be memorable.

Cherish Your Name is the perfect addition to the warder series; it encompasses everything the warder and hearth relationship is about—that the home is not the place but the who that is the sanctuary. It is the name of the one who shelters you and gives tangible meaning to the words family and love that is the touchstone, the thing that keeps you grounded and gives purpose and direction when the way becomes unfamiliar.

Mary wrapped this one up and delivered it with a very sexy and sweet bow on top. This is a definite must read for fans of the series.

BUY LINK

Posted in Dreamspinner Press, Mary Calmes and tagged Dreamspinner Press, Mary Calmes | Leave a Comment

27 Dec 2011

Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore, #2) by K.A. Mitchell

Bad Boyfriend by K.A. Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quinn Maloney spent ten years in a monogamous relationship with a straight man. Well, at least Quinn was monogamous. Peter? No, Peter was just an ass who’s “not gay,” and who used Quinn until something different came along; then he made like Houdini and performed an escape act without so much as a thanks for the memories. Upstanding guy, that Peter. Not.

The problem with Peter Laurent is his family. No, that’s not right. The problem with Peter is that he’s a selfish jerk who can’t admit he prefers men to women. So, let’s say the problem with Quinn is that the Laurent family became his family over the course of fifteen years, and Quinn can’t give them up, even if it means being forced to spend time with Peter, his wife, and his infant son. Yeah, it’s like that.

Quinn’s having a difficult time moving on.

And now he’s been asked to be Peter’s son’s godfather. More salt in the wound and more ties to the man who isn’t terribly acquainted with the words honesty or loyalty or honor. So, what’s a guy to do when he’s stuck between the rock and the hard place that is his past and his present? He brings a sexy and gorgeous date to the baptism just to rub a little of his own “take-that-ha” in Peter’s deceiving face.

Eli Wright is young; quite a bit younger than Quinn, in fact. They meet at a nightclub and are kind of caught off guard by the intensity of their sexual attraction to each other. It’s like when a positive and a negative charge meet; then K.A. Mitchell took that charge, which already crackled, and transformed it into a lightning storm of erotic goodness. I sat up and paid attention, that’s for sure, when these two men met. And I didn’t relax again until The End.

There were times when Quinn and Peter ran neck-and-neck for the title of “Bad Boyfriend” and poor Eli’s heart got trod on in the process. He was a tool in Quinn’s game of revenge until the rules changed and the game became complicated by feelings. That’ll happen to a man who opens his eyes one day and suddenly realizes that the world is a much more colorful place than the monochromatic little corner he has painted himself into, and it’s all because someone has come along and changed the palette through which he sees his life.

The sum total of Bad Boyfriend is that it’s one of those books that makes me really, really glad I love to read.

BUY LINK

Posted in K.A. Mitchell, Samhain Publishing and tagged K.A. Mitchell, Samhain Publishing | Leave a Comment

26 Dec 2011

Marathon Cowboys by Sarah Black

Marathon Cowboys by Sarah Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Drama and romance tangle in a wonderful way in Marathon Cowboys, the story of two very different men who meet through little more than chance and who find a common bond in the love of their respective art.

Jesse Clayton is a brilliant artist whose passion for his craft allows him to express himself through the symbols he chooses to represent his vision. Jesse’s theory on art is that it captures reality and preserves it for those who are too preoccupied with their own lives to pay attention to the world around them while it’s turning. Jesse’s art is frequently controversial and he often leaves a wake of anger behind him with the subjects he chooses to address, but for him, it’s the statement and the emotions that make what he does meaningful in spite of the sometimes negative consequences.

Lorenzo Maryboy is an ex-Marine and budding cartoonist who’s traveling to Marathon, TX to stay with Jesse Clayton, The Original—the grandfather of JC3, the artist. Lorenzo’s medium of expression is the Devil Dogs cartoons he draws that depict slices of life in the Marine Corps, cartoons with messages delivered in a non-political way. Lorenzo wants his art to make a statement without being too controversial. He served most of his years in the Corps under DADT, after all, so he’s accustomed to keeping things low key, doing his duty, and not drawing attention to himself.

When the Marathon cowboy from San Francisco and the Navajo ex-Marine connect, it’s a coming together of two different worlds; one man who stands firmly on one side of the fence with his art, living openly and proudly as a gay man; and the other who refuses to come down on either side of that fence with his own work, inexperienced in what it means to openly express his sexuality. The passion between them extends beyond the physical and into the realms of friendship and respect for each other. But when Jesse’s work crosses the line into betrayal, it could destroy the fragile bond of new love between them.

Sarah Black has written a moving story of love, loss, and second chances told through engaging men who learn what it means to trust and what it means to sacrifice that trust for the sake of being true to oneself, even at the risk of losing the one person who has come to matter more than anyone else in the world. It’s a story of life influencing art and art influencing life, and I loved the journey to forgiveness and redemption.

BUY LINK

Posted in Dreamspinner Press, Sarah Black and tagged Dreamspinner Press, Sarah Black | Leave a Comment

23 Dec 2011

Flamingo by Sarah Black

Flamingo by Sarah Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sixty-one year old William has spent a good portion of his life as a near recluse, taking sanctuary in the bookshop he opened in 1971, a mere couple of years after the Stonewall uprising that brought the gay rights movement out of the closet and into the social consciousness.

Having been passed over in the Vietnam draft because of his homosexuality, William’s father strongly urges him to leave their small Ohio town for New York City, where William might find others who are like him. It was the painful denial of father to son that helps to shape William’s isolation and reinforce his fears, but he made the move and eventually found his passion amongst the bricks and mortar and pages of his shop, where he carves out a small living space in the back.

Tommy is the young man who disrupts the quietude of William’s life. Going to school on the GI Bill that barely keeps him financially afloat, Tommy fosters a friendship with the much older William, connecting through the beauty of poetry and the love of the written word. Tommy and William forge an unlikely bond with each other, a friendship and a respect for each other that transcends their differences but for William also underlines them. How could a man forty years his junior—beautiful, intelligent, vibrant—possibly want to be with him? It is a culmination of all his doubts and repression that he has cultivated over the years that keep William from seeing the truth—that love cannot be defined or neatly compartmentalized into right or wrong.

Feeling as obsolete as the ink and paper books he surrounds himself with, William believes his love for Tommy could never be reciprocated; he believes that he is nothing more than a warm and comfortable place for Tommy to land when the young man needs the security and comfort William can offer. But, through the magic of words, Tommy opens up and attempts to show William how he truly feels, though sometimes words are not enough, and it’s the actions that must speak to the heart.

Flamingo is a beautifully understated story, intimate in its feelings rather than in actions. This is one of those stories that embraced me emotionally in a subtle way. Its quiet and simple message—that love is a risk, and that the real danger in life may come from never taking that risk—was shown through two characters I loved spending some time with.

BUY LINK

Posted in Dreamspinner Press, Sarah Black and tagged Dreamspinner Press, Sarah Black | Leave a Comment

22 Dec 2011

Santa Vic by J.M. Snyder

Santa Vic by J.M. Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beneath Vic Braunson’s tattooed, pierced, and buff exterior lies a gooey marshmallowy middle. Vic might look tough, but the man has a heart of gold, and it beats only for Matt di Lorenzo.

It’s Christmastime in Richmond and Vic has been asked by his boss to play Santa again at the company party. Saying no isn’t exactly an option, and the deal is sweetened just a bit by the offer of a little extra bonus, which Vic knows will go a long way toward helping achieve Matt’s dream of owning a home of their own. So, Santa Vic it is, even if it’s not the most comfortable of options.

This is the story of a man who comes to realize some truths about himself; that he has been heroic for far longer than he has had superpowers. That the gift of love is something he’s given for many Christmases but hadn’t defined it until he had the opportunity to make the holiday special for a complete stranger, a little girl who would be spending the day in the hospital.

Whether you know Vic and Matt or not, this is a sweet and heartwarming holiday story that can be read as a standalone. J.M. Snyder added just the right amount of spice, as well, to make it a sexy, sexy treat. I have to say this one made me love Vic even more than I already did, and it made me even more anxious for the next installment in the Matt & Vic series.

BUY LINK

Posted in J.M. Snyder, JMS Books LLC and tagged J.M. Snyder, JMS Books LLC | Leave a Comment

20 Dec 2011

Let There Be Light by R. Cooper

Let There Be Light by R. Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There was an amazing chemistry between the two characters in this book that was fairly visceral, knowing there was a history there that brought them together and, at the same time, tore them apart. It was deliciously aggravating because they were trying so hard to push each other away, yet the evidence was clear that they wanted nothing more than to draw closer. It was a clear and present danger for Hart and Karol to dredge up the past, and even more dangerous to consider the consequences of the circumstances that brought them together again after a three year separation.

Devotion to Queen and country is Hart’s prime directive. Karol is a brilliant scientist and inventor who has become the equivalent of England’s most valuable resource. Dedication to the safety and security of England is what brought the men together, and ultimately, part of what separated them. Now that Karol and the defenses of England herself have been threatened, Hart is once again sworn to do everything in his power to protect Karol. Or die trying.

Fighting or forging a connection—Hart and Karol did a bit of both before this story was done. And then it simply…ended…and I was the one who was frustrated, then, because there seems to be more story there and I want it all. Whether R. Cooper has a sequel planned for this one, though, I don’t know. What I do know is that these men, the machines, and the world they live in seem far larger and more extraordinary than what I got to see in these 102 pages.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this story. Just don’t expect a neatly tied up ending.

BUY LINK

Posted in Dreamspinner Press, R. Cooper and tagged Dreamspinner Press, R. Cooper | Leave a Comment

19 Dec 2011

A Summit City Christmas by Ethan Day

A Summit City Christmas by Ethan Day
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Go ahead and say it with me: Awwww. Seriously, that’s exactly what you’ll want to say when you finish reading A Summit City Christmas, as this is Wade Walker and Boone Daniels at their finest. With their eclectic group of friends and family along for the ride, the guys are all set to deck those halls and celebrate their first Christmas together in Colorado, complete with cookies, wisecracks, and plenty of romance and shmexy bits to go around.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; it takes a village to tell an Ethan Day story, and I’m not sure there’s anyone out there who can populate a book the way he does, with characters who, regardless of how small a role they play in the narrative, still manage to come across as people you’ve known for ages. They are like neighbors, friends, and family themselves, and sure, they may be a little whacky, but they’re familiar in a way that you can’t help but to love them. After all, what’s not to adore about a group of people who laugh and love and mock and snark at one another in equal measure?

This tasty little tidbit is the perfect addition to the Sno Ho series, like unwrapping a gift you didn’t even know you wanted until you realized how much fun you could have playing with it. And it comes fully assembled, no batteries required. All you need to supply is your sense of humor.

BUY LINK

Posted in Ethan Day, MLR Press and tagged Ethan Day, MLR Press | Leave a Comment

18 Dec 2011

Dark Soul (Volume 3) by Aleksandr Voinov

Dark Soul by Aleksandr Voinov
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do believe Aleksandr Voinov is the only author who can push my comfort level to its very limits—and make me love it, every salacious, kinky, erotic step of the way.

Anyone who’s been following this series knows that Silvio Spadaro is an entity unto himself. He is at once seemingly without conscience yet has a sense of loyalty that runs so deeply he will extend himself beyond every accepted social boundary to avenge the man he is sworn to protect. All while seducing that man—who is very married—pushing Stefano to accept his attraction and give in to the lust that draws them to each other.

The more that’s revealed about Silvio, the more I’m drawn to him and his utter lack of inhibitions. He is an entirely carnal being who knows how to use his innate sensuality to his benefit, whether it’s against his enemies or for the benefit of those he desires. There have been many times that I’ve wondered at Silvio’s complexity, yet understand him in ways that seem too simplistic to be true. He is, at his basest level, a man who lives by his own rules, but is also a man who is entirely ruled by his need for pain and pleasure, by his sense of loyalty and duty; there is no right or wrong for Silvio—only the ends justify the means by which he gets results. He is unlike any character I’ve ever known. He’s the sort of man who shocks and surprises and seduces with equanimity.

As the war against the Russians escalates, Stefano may have gained another weapon in his arsenal in Franco Spadaro, a man who promises to be every bit as complex as his brother, and whose relationship with Silvio is…unconventional, to say the very least. One thing is certain; it will be interesting to see how both of these men affect the status quo of Stefano’s life.

The Dark Soul series is Vashtan doing what he does best: daring his readers to think outside the paradigm of romance and venture into the realms of the forbidden erotic, to find intimacy in the unexpected, but fully accepting the untraditional is essential to the story.

It is a seduction of the most sublime sort.

BUY LINK

Posted in Aleksandr Voinov, Riptide Publishing and tagged Aleksandr Voinov, Riptide Publishing | Leave a Comment

16 Dec 2011

4 Comments

The Forester by Blaine D. Arden

The Forester by Blaine D. Arden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5/5 Stars

I so wish this novella had been titled The Forester: BOOK #1 because, let me tell you, there’d better be a BOOK #2 in the works or else. Or else I just might cry.

Blaine D. Arden knocks this one right out of the ballpark on her first swing, in a CSI meets Law & Order meets J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy/mystery; then, to top it all off, she throws in a little tickle-your-fancy with a sweet ménage à trois, which comes together in a world where elves and magic rule. It all adds up to one wonderful read, as far as I’m concerned, evidenced by the fact that I was cursing myself the whole way through for not being able to read faster so I could see what would happen next.

There’s been a murder committed in the forest community, and as the Truth Seeker, it’s up to Kelnaht to investigate the crime and find the perp. His abilities exceed simple forensics, however, as he is also able to reach out with his mystical abilities and senses for guidance, which gives the story its police procedural meets the otherworldly atmosphere. But while the mystery was entertaining, it came in second for me when compared to the intrigue presented in the relationship between Kelnaht, his ex-lover Ianys, and the Forester, an elf who has been shunned for reasons I won’t divulge, and whose name is forbidden to be spoken aloud.

The Forester, Taruif, is a bit like the proverbial elephant in the room. He lives on the outskirts of the community, is seen but not heard, is noticed but ignored by all but The Guide. So, what’s a Truth Seeker to do when the one and only person who may be an eye witness to a crime is the one and only person he is forbidden to speak with? It’s a conundrum, especially when the investigator is also incredibly attracted to the forbidden. And especially when the man who betrayed Kelnaht, the man he still loves, is discovered to be the Forester’s secret lover. Whew! Got all that?

Now, the crime is resolved before the end, but the relationship between Kelnaht, Ianys, and Taruif? No, that’s only just beginning, which is why I must have a sequel to this story. There are hurdles crossed, but there are still more in the way, and the navigating of them must be done carefully or else all might be lost, and that must be avoided at all costs because these three men, well, they just fit together so perfectly.

BUY LINK

Posted in Storm Moon Press and tagged Blaine D. Arden, Storm Moon Press

The Novel Approach

Reviews, Ramblings, and Randomness

Archive for the month “December, 2011”

The Heart’s Greater Silence by Anne Brooke

Cherish Your Name by Mary Calmes

Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore, #2) by K.A. Mitchell

Marathon Cowboys by Sarah Black

Flamingo by Sarah Black

Santa Vic by J.M. Snyder

Let There Be Light by R. Cooper

A Summit City Christmas by Ethan Day

Dark Soul (Volume 3) by Aleksandr Voinov

The Forester by Blaine D. Arden

Warning:

Search

Recent Posts

Archives

Follow Blog via Email

Authors

Publishers

Posts I Like

Twitter

Blogs I Follow

Follow “The Novel Approach”

Reviews, Ramblings, and Randomness

Archive for the month “December, 2011”

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Post Navigation

Warning:

Search

Recent Posts

Archives

Follow Blog via Email

Authors

Publishers

Posts I Like

Blogs I Follow

Follow “The Novel Approach”