4 stars

Throw back review : Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price, new audiobook version

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5603414 Among the Living (Psycop #1)
by Jordan Castillo Price

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

I listened to the audiobook version of this novella for re-read as I was curious about the narrator. Also I may have mentioned that I’m seriously into audiobooks right now and can read more that way than sitting down to read a book. I’m happy to say that I think the audiobook version lived up to my first impressions of the series, all the way back to 2009. Kind of impressive for books these days. I don’t think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first time I read it, nor did I pick up on all the nuances within the writing and characters when listening to the audiobook. This is a drawback I’ve come to expect from listening versus reading and I try to factor that in to both my comprehension of books and my enjoyment. That said, my review still stands pretty spot on to how I felt about the book now.

What’s different is of course the narrator. He’s got a slight spanish accent when he’s listing details such as the author’s name but has the smooth blandness of a good narrator when speaking in Vic’s voice. I did think his voice for Jacob was kind of funny. It’s deeper and more of an attempt at sexy and it always made me laugh a little. As did the sex scenes because frankly I’m a prude when listening to sex. I keep thinking about whether the narrator was embarrassed having to describe very graphic sex scenes, because of course it makes -me- blush. But overall I liked this narrator quite a bit. He’s got a good voice to listen to and keeps my attention. He does the various voices with enough inflection I could differentiate them. His voice is very mature and I always thought of Vic as pretty immature and young (despite actual age) so that took a minute to get used to. However, I’m kind of eager to listen to the whole series now. Also because this was a novella the audiobook version was incredibly short and I finished it in a day, which made me sad. I wanted more. I hope JCP decides to do audiobook versions of all her work.  Continue reading →

Review: Caught!

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Caught!
Caught! by J.L. Merrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I generally like Merrow’s work and this is no exception. In fact I found myself enjoying this so much that I wanted to read it again when I was done. The story is definitely a gentle romance with barely any sex scenes but I liked that choice. This allowed the author’s great writing and excellent dialogue to shine. The tension in the story is easily resolved and relies heavily on connecting with the main character and believing his reasoning. I found myself swept up in the protagonist’s quirks and behavior and would have happily read about his antics for much longer. He’s definitely one of my favorite characters I’ve read in fiction and I’m not a Dr. Who fan. Anyway I think this will definitely go over well for those readers that enjoy gentle romances with a distinctly British flair. Continue reading →

Review: Hell on Earth

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Hell on Earth
Hell on Earth by Ally Blue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I eagerly got Ally Blue’s second book in her Hellscape series but then realized how little I remembered of the first book a year ago. I re-read my review so I would have some idea of who the characters were though I remembered the concept surprisingly well. I commented in my review of the first book that I would love to see books about the secondary characters such as Sandman. Well apparently I got my wish because the second book is all about Sandman, a character I literally did not (and still don’t) remember from the first book. That didn’t really phase me and the second book in the series is actually much stronger than the first. It also can easily be read as a stand alone, a fact that I am extremely grateful for as I was not going to re-read the first one. So dystopian fans – check this one out, it’s really good and can be read on its own. Continue reading →

Review: Widdershins

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Widdershins
Widdershins by Jordan L. Hawk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think we can safely establish I live under a rock insofar as knowing when books come out. This particular book came out well over a year ago and I finally heard about it at Rainbow Con. I’m glad I heard the author speak and her eloquence convinced me to check out her work. I liked Widdershins for many reasons including the solid writing, charming characters, interesting mystery component, and that it’s a fantasy historical set near Boston instead of London. I know this book has received rave reviews from a lot of people but the second half of the story dragged for me. I much preferred when the relationship development was mixed with the mystery instead of focusing on the two men exploring sex while the whodunit languished. However that compliant was overcome by my reading enjoyment and I’m looking forward to continuing the series with hopefully more focus on the actual mysteries to come. Continue reading →

Review: Sinews of the Heart

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Sinews of the Heart
Sinews of the Heart by Cody L. Stanford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I actually like anthro books so I was an easier sell for this one. I think it makes an easy and well-timed analogy to humans and their motivations and also because it’s just fun. I love Kyell Gold’s books and was thinking this might be a similar type of novel. I was also looking forward to a young adult anthro book with a genderqueer protagonist, which is more rare. The writing was amazing with interesting characters and a relatable story set amid a post-apocalyptic setting. At times the lessons within the story were a bit obvious and I felt pummeled over the head but the likeability of the narrator helped. At the core, it’s a story about acceptance and identity in whatever forms it comes. Continue reading →

Review: Merry Gentlemen

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Merry Gentlemen
Merry Gentlemen by Josephine Myles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute, fun, and lots of campy singing. What else does a holiday novella need? Myles is a great author and she’s once again delivered with this entertaining and enjoyable story about a city-slicker who falls back in love with his country ex. The two may live seemingly very different lives but the power of love wins out. The characters are adorable and the story reads incredibly fast. There’s enough minor action and witty dialogue to keep the pages turning. The ending is a bit optimistic and overly simplified to be believed but I like the concept of love winning out anyway. I especially appreciated the touch with the cranky gull. Continue reading →

Review: In All Your Ways

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In All Your Ways
In All Your Ways by Cari Z.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m a fan of Cari Z and loved these two characters during their cameo in the Cambion series (which I highly recommend). The author pointed out to me that Emiel and Renat had their own story and I beat feet to get a hold of it. It was available as a free download on Storm Moon Press’ website and I’ve read it twice so far. It has all the hallmarks of an epic romance but surprisingly compact within a short story. It could easily have been expanded to a full novel but perhaps that would have been too much drama and angst. Instead it fits wonderfully as a shorter length and is a great tale, both on its own and as a companion to the Cambion stories. Continue reading →

Throwback book…Bareback by Chris Owen

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Bareback (Bareback #1) by Chris Owen
4.1 of 5 stars average rating · My rating 4 out of 5 stars

 

Published July 1st 2003 by Torquere Press

 

 

Tam inspired me to give this one another try when she posted it as one of the great “older” books of m/m. Let’s just take a moment to recognize that a book from 2003 is still making lists and furthermore I remembered something about it. That’s pretty impressive. I do have the greatest memory for books after a few months. Some I remember forever but most just blend together. This one I actually remembered something about. I recall that the book is about cowboys who fall in love and that one cheats in the sequel book. I gave it 4 stars but I remember LOVING the book to pieces. However, I hadn’t written a review of it and I didn’t want to read anyone else’s review before diving back in so I was fuzzy on all the details of the book.

To summarize, Jake is the foreman of a ranch and likes to live his life quietly. He has a past he’s not proud of and would rather blend in with the furniture than make waves. That’s why he’s especially frustrated with a ranch hand named Tor that seems to irritate him on a daily basis. That irritation is taken to an explosive level one night during a rainstorm and the two are practically attached at the hip from that moment on. However, life as a couple of gay cowboys isn’t going to be easy.

This review may contain spoilers for anyone who is upset by that.

Continue reading →