Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Review: BAMF by SJD Peterson

BAMF by SJD Peterson
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 200pgs


2 Pants Off

Blurb
With his fauxhawk, sleeve tattoos, and visible piercings, Ridley Corbin has the whole bad ass vibe going on in spades. The image serves him well as the self-proclaimed protector of the underdog, and he wants nothing more than to be Alex Firestone's hero.   

Alex, a mild-mannered library assistant, has moved to Slater, a quiet college town, hoping to hide from his past. He keeps to himself, but that doesn't save him from catching the unwanted attention of the campus bully. But not all is as it seems. Alex's past comes calling, and it's time he becomes top dog.

Review
BAMF! I feel like this book needs a new title something along the lines of “WHAT!”. Like what the hell did I just read? I'm still trying to figure out. It's as if I walked into two guys story knowing squat and left their story knowing squat. I had such high expectations for this one. I thought I was getting a sexy nerd, and then it did a total 180, and I got something else instead.

Ridley Corbin looks like a badass with his faux hawk and tattoos. No one messes with him. So he uses his bad boy image to help the underdog. He doesn't like to see anyone get bullied. If he can put an end to that type of situation, he's gonna do it. So it comes as no surprise that his hackles rise when the campus bully hones in on his librarian crush. Alex Firestone has Ridley all twisted up inside with his nerdish good looks and just overall hotness. So it doesn't surprise him when he feels he wants to rescue him. Ridley can hardly say two words to Alex, so he just spends his time stalking skulking around the library looking at Alex.   

When he finally gets Alex on a date, their Chemistry is undeniable, and it leads to a passionate, explosive night. Seemed he pegged Alex for a very good boy and what he gets is nothing like what he expected. The never “judge a book by its cover” is strong with this one. Ridley gets a night of explosive hard sex, and then he's left hanging in the dust with no call back from the sexy Mr. Firestone and wondering if all that heat between them was just a figment of his imagination. When he does run into Alex again, it's not the private meeting he was hoping for. He lands in a fight and is surprised that Alex can take care of himself as more than take care. While trying to be a hero Ridley is brained (and not the sexy type). He gets a serious brain injury and then finds out there is more to Alex Firestone, and it seems he wasn't the bad boy after all.   

There is so much that annoyed me about this book. Like the complete lack of the sexy nerd. That cover cheated me, and I'm all types of disappointed. Next, the characters are flat. Like a five day old opened bottle of Pepsi (without all the sweetness). It's a series of “I thought I was the baddest but you the baddest” and so it goes on. Mans is suffering from a severe head injury, but he's down for rough sex and such. It's the stereotypical I’m a bad ass male BS, and I did not enjoy it all. I had to force myself to finish and overall it was just not a good read.   

This book certainly was not for me. Where it started out promising the overall premise fizzled and burnt out. It's becoming apparent that maybe this author just isn't for me, but I'm holding out hope. BAMF tried to deliver, but all it left me with was “WHY”. 

A letdown!!  
 

Monday, December 21, 2015

Review: Until Forever Comes by Cardeno C.

Until Forever Comes (Mates #2) by Cardeno C.
Novel: 60,702
Amazon, ARe

4 Pants Off

Blurb

A sensitive wolf shifter and a vicious vampire challenge history, greed, and the very fabric of their beings in order to stay together until forever comes.  

 Plagued by pain and weakness all his life, Ethan Abbatt is a wolf shifter who can’t shift. Hoping to find an honorable death by joining his pack mates in a vampire attack, Ethan instead learns two things: draining his blood releases his pain and his wolf, and he has a true mate—a vampire named Miguel.   

Over four centuries old, strong, powerful, and vicious, Miguel Rodriguez walks through life as a shadow, without happiness or affection. When a young shifter tells Miguel they're true mates, destined to be together, Miguel sends him away. But Ethan is persistent and being with him comes so naturally that Miguel can't resist for long. Their challenge is staying alive so they can be together until forever comes. 

 
Review
The second book in the Mates Series and I was all types of excited to read this. Who doesn't love a Vampire/Shifter pairing? Wasn't as angst-ridden as I was hoping but it was an enjoyable read overall.  

Ethan is a shifter that can't shift. He is ostracized from his pack and just really wants to fit in and be accepted. His body is always in pain waiting for a shift that will never happen, leaving Ethan longing to be a wolf, to becoming a man. He has his family, but he knows that will never be enough, and some way; somehow he has to finally shift. When the opportunity to finally do something with his pack mates finally arrives, Ethan jumps at the chance to be a part of it. Without questioning the dangerous position he will be in, Ethan goes after vampires with his pack mates knowing he most likely will die but the opportunity to prove himself as a man and wolf strong.   

The encounter with the vamps is a bust. They get their ass handed to them, and Etan is about to die. With blood dripping from his neck, his legs weak and his breath shallow Ethan realizes this was a damn bad idea. When it looks like their leader is about to put him out of his misery, Ethan's reaction is one of shock; he finds himself aroused to black haired vamp they call Miguel. Like he's full dick hard turned on, and the Vamp is giving him feels. Not the ones he should have for a bloodsucker but the kind where he wants to crawl into his skin and just live. There was never a sweeter way to die. And before Ethan can question his feeling there's nothing but sweet release and then blackness.  

 From what you already know; the vampire is Ethan's Mate. Which is crazy right, cuz he's a vampire and a dude. Ethan deals with all this quite easily along with shifting for the very first time. The crazy unusual comes with Ethan and his blood and the fact that he seems to produce too much of it (that's all you're getting from me). He has no reservations about leaving his pack and who can blame him he was treated as an outcast. He’s finally found his home with Miguel, and though the vampire is hardly thinking of forever Ethan knows that the mate bond cannot be denied.   

Throw in a little bit of plot with Miguel’s “coven” and it keeps the book from being a fluff fest. While I would have given anything to get a little POV from Miguel, I feel like I know the kind of man he is. Ethan is young, naïve, and sweet. He had this stereotypical small town boy mindset that was sometimes annoying, but it worked for his character. Together they're a little sweet and sometimes sexy. I feel like I liked this one only because it was vamp/shifter story. There were too many things that were glossed over, and the ending was very anticlimactic.   

Overall, a sweet read with some sexy points. I felt like this could have been a great story, but too much about it felt very safe.  


Review: Book #1 Wake Me Up Inside 

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Review: Bookmarked by Piper Vaughn

Bookmarked (Heartsville) by Piper Vaughn
Piping Hot Books
Short Story: 77pgs

4 Pants Off

Blurb
To save his bookstore from closing, Mark Werner realizes it’s going to take a miracle—like getting reclusive, best-selling author Shepherd Knight to agree to appear for a signing.

After their disastrous last encounter, Mark doesn’t hold up much hope Shepherd will agree. Shepherd’s never made a single public appearance. In fact, Mark wouldn’t even know what he looks like had he not accidentally discovered the sexy stranger he’d been flirting with for months, aka “Tall-Dark-and-Grumpy,” was also his fanboy obsession.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. If Mark can convince Shepherd, it’ll be a major coup in the book world and might just save Bookmarked from sinking. Too bad Shepherd won’t reply to his e-mails. Yet Mark didn’t earn the reputation of having a “sunshine-and-rainbow-fart” personality for nothing. He’ll do whatever it takes to get his man… and hopefully not make a fool of himself in the process.


Review
Welcome to the gayborhood, and man don't I want to move there.

Mark Werner is the owner of Bookmarked, a quaint little bookstore in the heart of the gay-friendly neighbourhood “Heartsville”. He's struggling to make ends meet, and the worst thing would be to give up his bookstore that means everything to him. But that doesn't stop him from crushing on the dark, handsome stranger that often visits his store. When he finds out that stranger is his favourite author Shepherd Knight he can't help but fanboy. Too bad the author turns out to be a dick and shuts him down before he even gets to say a few words. Seems Shepherd Knight is not the man he fantasized about, and quite honestly he's a bit of an asshole.

When reality sets in that he might have to give up his bookstore, Mark decides that he's going to save his store. He comes up with an author event of book signings and getting the reclusive Shepherd Knight to be the featured author sounds like the greatest of plans that is until Shep prove to be a bigger asshole than Mark imagined. He doesn't get away with being a douche, this time, Mark gives him a piece of his mind and wonders why he ever had a crush on such a man. Seems being a bit mouthy paid off and Mr Knight comes around with an apology and accepts doing the book signing. Bookmarked might be finally looking towards better times, and Mark might even land his dream man.

Bookmarked is such a sweet, fun read. Lots of sweet bordering on sexy without drama and angst. Mark is such a sweet nerdy character, Shepherd is mysterious and sexy (how I like them). I always find myself falling head over heels for one of the main MCs whenever I read anything Piper Vaughn and Shepherd Knight did it for me in such a few pages. Mark and Shep together are sexy sweet, and you will rejoice for their HEA.

Overall, a sweet fun filled read. You can knock this one out in a few hours, looking forward to reading the other books in the series. 

Friday, December 4, 2015

Promo Post & Giveaway: He Completes Me by Cardeno C (Audiobook)

Header - Audio He Completes Me copyCover - Audio He Completes Me

He Completes Me: Home Collection

Written by: Cardeno C.
Narrated by: Alexander Collins
Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:09-22-15
WLK synopsis

Not even his mother's funeral can convince self-proclaimed party boy Zach Johnson to tone down his snark or think about settling down. He is who he is, and he refuses to change for anyone. When straight-laced, compassionate Aaron Paulson claims he's falling for him, Zach is certain Aaron sees him as another project, one more lost soul for the idealistic Aaron to save. But Zach doesn't need to be fixed, and he refuses to be with someone who sees him as broken.
Patience is one of Aaron's many virtues. He has waited years for a man who can share his heart and complete his life, and he insists Zach is the one. Pride, fear, and old hurts wither in the wake of Aaron's adoring loyalty, and as Zach reevaluates his perceptions of love and family, he finds himself tempted to believe in the impossible: a happily ever after.
©2013 Cardeno C. (P)2015 Cardeno C.

AUDIBLE US
Audible UK
Ebook Links
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Coupon: EH83R
WLK Author Bio
Cardeno C - Logo
Cardeno C. - CC to friends - is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever- after sunset.
Cardeno's Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, "You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day."
WLK Giveaway
Win an audio copy of He Completes Me !
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