Title: Pack Business (Pine Hollow Wolves #2)
Author: Caitlin Ricci
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Length: 22,138 words
Genre: m/m Paranormal Romance
Heat: 2 – Romantic & Tame
Sex Frequency: 3 – Average Story to Sex
Keywords/Tags: Adorable, Existing Relationship, HEA, Kids, Pets, Secrets & Lies, Series, Wolf Shifters
Rating: Pretty Good
Reviewed by Nikyta
BLURB
Division lines are drawn when Hannah’s unusual gift creates panic within the pack. Liam has to choose between his pack and his new family and the choice he makes could have deadly consequences for the ones he loves. A confrontation for Travis will alter his and Hannah’s lives forever and he’ll have to make his own choices for the future of all he holds dear.
REVIEW
Liam, Travis and Hannah are just starting to settle into their new lives as a family when things within the pack start to become troublesome. Hannah’s extraordinary gift is causing the pack to become fearful of what she represents. When push comes to shove, Liam must decide between his family and his pack but family always comes first. Now Liam has to figure out a way to keep Travis and Hannah safe by himself and build up the courage to let Travis know just how much he and Hannah have come to mean to Liam.
I liked this one better than the first one because it had more conflict that branched out to include more of the shifter community. I also felt like this one was livelier with more emotions in it. You see further into Liam as a character and realize he has a knack for the dramatic but also a world of love for Travis and Hannah. Travis is more accepting and laid-back in this book because his life is settled and not as rough as it was. Hannah is, of course, still extremely adorable and I loved the little scenes with her even if I did think once or twice that her attitude seemed like a girl older than a two-year old.
This story had more action than the last. Whereas Almost Paradise was a sweet, slow story, this one was slightly too fast for the amount of conflict within it. Regardless, I found all of it very entertaining because it was so different than the first one but also because Liam tended to get a tad snarky while he’s snarling at other shifters.
I believe this series still suffers from a lack of detail because I still have questions about Hannah and the shifter community. To be honest, there’s a six month gap between Almost Paradise and this book that would have been beneficial to read about because it seemed like Liam figured out what Hannah was, how she used her abilities and how he found out that information that would have been nice to read about. We are told instead of shown, though, and that actually created more questions than answers. Beyond that, this book was a bit too rushed, which made the resolutions for each conflict seem a tad weak. I think the fact the whole story takes place over 24 hours added to the rushed feeling. If it had been spaced out over a longer period of time with a bit more details around everything, this story would have been a very good one.
All in all, I still really enjoyed it. It’s sweet with more romance than the last book but also with more action as well. We get to see more into Liam’s side of things by meeting new shifters and getting a taste of what a shifter life is like. I do love the way Liam and Travis are progressing in their relationship even if it is very fast, it’s still sweet. I’m curious is Samson, Liam’s alpha, will be getting a story. Even though he was a bit of a bastard, I’d still love to read about him getting his own man!
Title: Almost Paradise (Pine Hollow Wolves #1)
Author: Caitlin Ricci
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Length: 17,327 words
Genre: m/m Paranormal
Heat: 1 – Sweet/None
Sex Frequency: 1 – None
Keywords/Tags: Adorable, HEA-ish, Kids, Pets, Rich/Poor, Series, Wolf Shifters, Short Story
Rating: Pretty Good
Reviewed by Nikyta
BLURB
Travis will do anything to keep his daughter safe, now that he finally has custody. Financially ruined, he cannot even afford food for himself most days. Could a stranger’s offer to dog sit be the solution Travis has been hoping for?
Travis has done everything to keep his daughter safe. He’s fought a long, hard battle in the courts to gain full custody and has finally found some breathing room. But that security comes at a heavy price.
Staying in a motel and living off his quickly dwindling savings is no way to raise a toddler, so when Liam steps into his life and offers him hundreds of dollars just to watch his dogs for a weekend, it almost seems too good to be true.
But when he finds out there is more to Liam than he ever thought, he has a hard decision to make. Can he and his daughter stay and be safe or will he need to leave?
REVIEW
After two rough years, Travis is a man who has nothing now but his young daughter, Hannah. Out looking for any kind of work, he meets Liam, a strange man who gives him an opportunity to watch Liam’s dogs for the weekend for some quick cash. There’s instant trust between the two and Hannah takes a quick shinnying to Liam. There’s a connection between them but Liam’s hiding something from Travis and not only that but Hannah seems to know exactly what Liam’s hiding.
I found this story very enjoyable. While it doesn’t provide much information into Liam’s world, the characters themselves or even the relationship Liam and Travis are creating, there’s no denying that it was a cute story with some interesting road blocks. It’s a light read that was great between two heavy, long books.
I liked the fact that Travis was stressing about how to feed his daughter and his hesitance to accept Liam’s offer even though he knew Liam wasn’t a threat. I really liked Liam even if he is an enigma. He seemed simultaneously very old but young, yearning for a family of his own. Hannah was a real treat, though. She’s bubbly and energetic and I liked the fact that she fits right into Liam’s life.
Being such a short story, however, there’s a lot of questions I have left over because of the lack of details. For instance, I have so many questions about Liam and the shifter world but also about Hannah and her mysterious ability that is mentioned but never elaborated on or anything. Besides that, my biggest issue was with Travis’ ex-girlfriend. It was hard for me to understand how she went from a raving lunatic to cowering within a few sentences of Liam pulling dominance on her. It left me confused because she was human and crazy so it was hard for me to come to terms with her just giving up her pursuits.
Overall, this was a nice story although it felt like only the beginning to a journey. A light read that doesn’t dig too deep beyond the surface but enjoyable nonetheless with likable characters and a. I’m hoping the sequel provides the necessary information to answer my questions so I’m looking forward to reading it.
Title: The Guardian
Author: Mary Calmes
Publisher: Dreamspinner
Length: 58,903 words
Genre: m/m Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Heat: 4 – Spicy & Smutty
Sex Frequency: 4 – Very Often
Keywords/Tags: Author Backlist Project, Multi-Dimensions, Alternate World, Highlander, Guardians/Warriors, Alpha Men, Cheating Exes, Shifters, TGBT (Too Good to Be True), Mate Bonding, HEA, Pets/Animals
Rating: So So
BLURB
Jude Shea’s life is turned upside down when he rescues a dog he names Joe. Even though Jude has enough trouble taking care of himself—he doesn’t even have a job—he can’t resist the animal that needs him. Then one night, a man shows up on his doorstep looking to claim Jude’s new companion. As they run from a surprise attack, Jude finds out that “Joe” is not what he seems.
Eoin Thral is a guardian from an alternate dimension, and once he leads Jude through the veil that separates their worlds, he transforms into a handsome hulk of a man known for his fighting skills, not the capacity for love. Jude finds himself immersed in Eoin’s world, and he’s faced with the fight of his life to secure a happy future for them both.
REVIEW
This book is one of the main reasons I decided that I wanted to do an Author Backlist Project. Mary Calmes was my first choice from when I first thought of the idea directly to it’s debut last Fall, and this was one of the handful of books that I’ve had forever and intended to read for years now. Somehow, it never seemed to happen, and even in the case of a book like this, which I always had such high hopes for but ultimately didn’t live up to my (possibly) too-high expectations, it is still really nice to read more of Mary’s backlist and assuage my curiosity about this book.
Jude Shea is job-less and boyfriend-less, which all stems from one terrible betrayal. Now, all alone in his new (and sad) studio apartment, Jude is woken in the middle of the night with an inexplicable desire to take a walk in the park. While there, he comes across a pack of dogs killing another dog. The dog is absolutely huge and almost dead, but Jude has a sudden bout of confidence and runs off the pack of dogs. He soon starts to call the dog “Joe” after their trip to fix him up at the animal clinic, where the vet, vet techs and workers of the clinic are at once awed and afraid of Joe. To everyone else, he’s a wicked beast, but when he’s around Jude he turns into a big teddy bear. In a small amount of time they become best friends — Jude has never had a dog before and finds the companionship strangely comfortable, and Joe The Dog seems very attached and protective of Jude for such a short relationship. Jude is inconsolable when faced with the thought that Joe’s real owner might come looking for him.
When a man shows up at Jude’s apartment claiming the dog has his own and calling him Eoin, Jude is wary. The man seems strange, not only in his speech and mannerisms, but in his completely lack of emotion when talking about Joe/Eoin. Soon, both man and dog find themselves being chased through Chicago at night, only to disappear into a very strange fog bank.
Eoin isn’t just a dog, he’s a guardian for a baroness in the land across the veil. Guardian’s are the fiercest of protectors, with no love for anything but the safety of their charge. Across the veil, in his homeland, Eoin is a man like any other, but in Jude’s homeland he reverts to his shifted form, a dog. In rare instances, a guardian might find his cairn, his heart, in a mating bond that immediately severs ties to their old allegiances, purely because their mate will now forever be foremost in their mind. Now, with the gryphons once again on his tail, he knows that he must get Jude across the veil and back to his home in order to protect him from their pursuers and give their bond a chance to solidify, something that Eoin will not allow to go undone. He has found his mate, and he won’t give him up.
But life across the veil is very difficult for Jude, not only because he doesn’t understand anything about the lives they lead, but because of the political turmoil that followed them across the veil in the first place. Navigating their allies and enemies will test their relationship and Jude’s own self-worth, as he puts his life back together and looks forward to a possibly incredible future with Eoin back in his own world.
I didn’t really know what this book was about, honestly. I really liked the story — it’s almost a time travel story, but without explicit description about the veil and the technical aspects of the fantasy world and how it is connected to our world. I liked the characters also. Jude is a pretty typical Calmes’ character, almost perfect in every way, while it is impossible to hate a character like Eoin with a heart of gold, completely noble and loyal and moral and self-sacrificing, who speaks in a thick brogue and is the epitome of rough highlander warrior. The book is heavy on the sex (which I didn’t mind because it was so hot), but in the end, I had a lot of problems with it.
Perhaps my feelings are indicative of the upward trajectory of Mary Calmes’ writing. Reading this, one of her earlier novels, I could definitely see where her recent work has been of higher quality. The change in POV over the story bothered me somewhat. At times it is very frequent between especially Jude and Eoin. I actually liked getting the POV of secondary characters in this instance, though the transitions between all of them are what bothered me, usually because it got confusing. I also felt rather jarred when Jude and Eoin when through the veil into Eoin’s homeland. The first part of the story, in our world, was really enjoyable and easy to read, but once in the other land things sometimes became dreamlike and at other times simply confusing. With only small pieces of information about the political issues, I felt a bit like I had one foot in the world and one foot out. I wanted to know what was going on, but nothing was ever really described past a superficial level, which made my investment in the story less than usual.
So even while I enjoyed parts and liked the characters, it wasn’t even near my favorite Calmes’ books. I am certainly glad I have read it though, and if you haven’t either it is something to consider. It might be more your cup of tea than mine, or you might at least not feel the same way as I did about these specific issues. Now, I’m forward into the backlist and looking forward to next week’s book by Mary Calmes!
Title: The Hawk and the Rabbit
Author: Elizah J. Davis
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Length: 32,000 words
Genre: m/m, Fantasy, Romance
Heat: 2 – Romantic & Tame
Sex Frequency: 2 – Few and Far Between
Keywords/Tags: Action/Adventure, Adorable, Enemies to Lovers, Magic, Pets, Quests, the Bestiary Collection, HEA
Rating: Really Liked It
Reviewed by Nikyta
BLURB
When the Queen is struck down by a deadly curse, Leal’s only chance of saving her depends on cooperating with the Dragon Master, Hawk. But Hawk, like the rest of the palace, has no love of the foreign Leal or his magic, and would much rather throw Leal in prison until he has good enough reason to execute him.
REVIEW
Leal DuFray is a very powerful sorcerer from Serenee and living with his Prince in Ecottia, but when the Queen of Ecottia is cursed and he can’t cure her, he seeks the help of Sir Vincent Barclay, the leader of the Dragon Knights and known widely as Hawk. The relationship between Leal and Hawk is one of animosity and malice, at least on Hawk’s part for he hates all sorcerers with a passion. When Hawk learns that the only way to save the Queen is by enlisting Leal’s help, he pushes his biases aside and takes Leal on an adventure. While they embark on a journey through unicorns, phoenixes, gryphons and a sea serpent, they still have no idea who would wish to harm their beloved Queen. Was it a sorcerer or was it one of the Queen’s people?
This was a highly entertaining story. Being a fantasy lover, it was a real treat to be thrown into such an interesting world. I really enjoyed the fact that Hawk was so hostile to Leal, the little rabbit, but still warred with his feelings over him. It was amusing to see his struggle from thinking Leal was a horrible man to learning he has a soft heart. I loved Leal because he seemed innocent but he’s really not. I loved that Leal admired Hawk so much but was disappointed with their first meeting.
The journey they take was interesting and my only regret was that it was too short and didn’t offer enough details in some places. As it was, I really enjoyed the troubles they went through to get some of the ingredients for a spell to save the Queen. I really liked the way Hawk and Leal got closer with each task completed. I adored the slow progression of the story and how Hawk thawed to Leal and was able to change his views on all sorcerers. Also, the ending was absolutely perfect and so sweet it makes me smile just thinking about it!
All in all, this was a sweet, slow-burning story. I really enjoyed how they gradually developed a relationship with the time they had to spend together. While some scenes could have been more detailed, the overall quest they had to go on was very entertaining and the world was extremely intriguing. The villain is a bit obvious but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story at all. It was a great book and I’m hoping we can see more of this world in the future.
Title: Sex And The Single Zombie (Tales of the Arisen, #1)
Author: Cassandra Gold
Publisher: Amber Allure
Length: 13,000 words
Genre: m/m, Paranormal, Romance, Comedy
Heat: 2 – Romantic & Tame
Sex Frequency: 3 – Average Story to Sex
Keywords/Tags: Adorable, HFN, Pets, Zombies, Futuristic, Short Story
Rating: Pretty Good
Reviewed by Nikyta
BLURB
Caring, professional SWGZ seeks open-minded SGM for dating and possible LTR…
Since his death two years ago, zombie Peter Reese’s love life has been nonexistent. His attempts to meet a regular “live” guy through a blind dating website—without revealing an important detail about himself—have all blown up in his face. Now, his current blind date with “Shane1990” seems destined to end the same way, until the handsome guy inexplicably decides to give Peter another chance.
Can Peter prove that nice zombies don’t always finish last?
REVIEW
Peter’s been lonely enough to give online dating a change since his reanimation two years prior. After two disastrous dates, he meets Shane 1990 who’s shocked Peter’s a zombie. Feeling the rejection, Peter gives Shane an out. Instead of leaving, Shane stays and gives their date a try. As it happens, Shane and Peter hit it off. They have a lot in common. What follows, is numerous long phone conversations and eventually a second date. On that date, Peter meets Shane’s friends who are mostly nice, except for one nasty friend. Even though Peter’s a zombie, Shane has some real feelings for Peter and there’s strong attraction between them. When they go home together, they realize just how intense their attraction is and Shane gets a bit more personal with Peter’s zombie side than might be comfortable.
This is probably one of the sweetest zombie books you’ll ever read. Peter is so self-conscious now that he’s a zombie because he has to do all sorts of weird things like eat raw meat, constantly eat candy to boast his energy and ends up walking slower than everyone else. When he meets Shane, he’s excited but afraid of what will happen. It’s hard for him to believe that a hot guy like Shane would want a zombie. It’s cute but sad, in a way.
There’s some funny lines within this book that had me cracking a few smiles. Peter’s personality is enough to make anyone smile but his desire to make things as good as possible on his dates with Shane is just so cute. Then when he sees Shane actually liking him and then experiences the pleasure Shane can give him, he starts to panic a little at never wanting Shane to see what he must do being a zombie.
I don’t want to spoiler it too much but while Peter doesn’t eat people, he does eat raw meat and Shane walks in on him ‘enjoying’ a meal. It’s a nice story but it’s not very deep. We get the very basic details of Peter and even less of Shane. For instance, we don’t actually know how Peter died. Although, the concept about how Peter came back as a zombie was very interesting and gave a variation of the end of the world theory.
All in all, this was a very nice read. Perfect for someone looking for a quick and easy read that’ll put a smile on your face. It’s not very long and doesn’t lead one to believe there will be an HEA but at least there was a sweet HFN.
Title: The Friendly Werewolf and the (Almost) Virgin Vampire
Author: Helen Louise Caroll
Publisher: Amber Allure
Length: 10,000 words
Genre: m/m, Paranormal
Heat: 1 – Sweet/None
Sex Frequency: 1 – None
Keywords/Tags: Vampires, Wolf Shifters, Pets, Adorable, Funny Guys, Short Story, HFN
Rating: Pretty Good
Reviewed by Nikyta
BLURB
Have you heard this one before? A well-adjusted werewolf meets a slightly neurotic vampire walking a cat…
His father thinks he should shave more often. His mother thinks he should meet someone. But all Alan wants to do is find a nice, quiet place and howl at the moon. It’s tough being a forty-something chef and werewolf. You never have time to meet that special someone who doesn’t mind your wearing a fur coat in all kinds of weather. But Alan’s on the trail of someone who might be The One—Eric, a goth moppet who smells like death and walks a bruiser of a cat named Princess.
Eric’s used to being alone. A fifty-plus vampire in a small town doesn’t meet a lot of compatible people. So he spends his time watching his favorite movies and strolling with his tomcat. But things start looking up when he runs across an intriguing werewolf in a flea collar and backpack. Could Alan be the one to help Eric with his little problem?
REVIEW
Alan is a pretty unique werewolf. Turned furry after a botched food experience, he’s now adjusted to his new lifestyle and embraced it. Out in the full moon one night, he follows a smell straight to Eric, a lonely looking vampire, walking a cat of all things. Eric knows right away what Alan is and, finding a kindred spirit, invites him home for a movie. An innocent night together lets them learn about each other and decide whether they want to pursue things further.
This was a really cute story. It’s adorable because both characters are awkward and shy around each other. They get along right away but they aren’t sure how to act. Alan’s attracted to Eric, especially his smell, but Eric can’t figure out why Alan came home with him. He constantly questions whether it’s because Eric was convenient to Alan’s otherwise insatiable appetite or if it’s for other reasons. They are both funny and cute and shy. They have innocent conversations that let them get to know each other better. I found them both to be funny and interesting even if there isn’t much depth to them. Eric also has this really huge cat, Princess, that is probably as big as a puma . He’s aggressive and needy and doesn’t like to be brushed off for what he probably thinks is a big dog. So cute!
What I really loved about the story, though, is how different Alan is as a werewolf. He wasn’t created by a bite or born that way but rather turned into a shifter from mixing the wrong ingredients while cooking. He doesn’t have a tail but instead walks on three legs with his left leg sticking up behind him, he can talk in his wolf form and the few days before the full moon he essentially becomes Chewbacca, he gets so hairy. He also didn’t automatically turn into a handsome stud, he’s forty-something and he has to work to keep himself in shape. Eric is a bit different because, as a vampire, he can’t produce enough blood to get an erection, although he can achieve something close to an orgasm by biting into a human. Since he can’t get an erection, he doesn’t have sex which is how he’s an (almost) virgin. He had it once, when he was turned, but it’s been decades since then with no sexual interactions. I liked the differences these two had, it set them apart from other vampires and shifters which was refreshing.
While I enjoyed the story very much, my biggest problem with it was the POVs, it’s told in alternating first person, which is my least favorite writing style. I was confused sometimes on who was ‘speaking’ and had to go back and reread especially when I had to put the book down for a bit, coming back to it was doubly confusing to figure out who’s POV it was in. Beyond that, the book was too short. I wouldn’t exactly classify this as romance but there are undertones to Alan and Eric becoming a couple later on. What we see in this story, however, is almost completely platonic except for a few brief kisses and a promise of tomorrow.
All in all, a cute short story that I really liked. I didn’t exactly like the writing but the characters and their one night together was adorable. I loved the uniqueness of being a werewolf and a vampire and I liked the relationship they’re developing and I wouldn’t mind getting a sequel and seeing them actually become the couple they’re promising to be.
The Armchair Reader 