carina press

Review: Promises Made Under Fire

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Promises Made Under Fire
Promises Made Under Fire by Charlie Cochrane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Promises Made Under Fire reminds me why I adore this author so much. The gentle tone and excellent writing always gives me a sense of deep romance without any explicit sex. I think the historical setting and slower pace help develop a deeper sentiment without ever feeling slow or boring. There’s not always a happy ending, but I love Cochrane’s writing so much I can always get over this minor point. I don’t always look for historical books but this is one of the very few authors I know will deliver an excellent book regardless of it’s time period or characters. Continue reading →

Review: Muffled Drum

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Muffled Drum
Muffled Drum by Erastes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Muffled Drum is an absorbing page turning historical story. In fact I didn’t want to put this down as the setting and characters sucked me in from the beginning. The story is poignant and often bittersweet but with a solid HEA ending that should definitely please fans. The writing is very strong with a rich, descriptive setting and lots of contrasting interests. The characters are intriguing with flaws and nuanced depth. My only slight issue is with the predictable “villain” character thrown in towards the end that I’m not sure even needed to be there. It adds a certain tone to the story but I disliked the obvious nature of his inclusion and furthermore the treatment of the character. However those could be personal reader preferences too and others won’t be bothered. Continue reading →

Review: The Tourist

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The TouristThe Tourist by Clare London
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Tourist is a unique premise and an interesting idea. A long dead entity can “hop” into a person’s body and heighten their sexual desires and appetites. The ghost gets the feeling of pleasure and the host body gets some uninhibited sex. Unfortunately the inherent disconnect with the concept means that you’re never sure whose emotions and thoughts are being displayed. Are they the ghost or the host’s? Additionally there are too many complications that just aren’t fleshed out very clearly to make this a wholly successful story. It is however unique and different and worth reading for that. Continue reading →

Review: One Real Thing

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One Real ThingOne Real Thing by Anah Crow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One Real Thing is an easy story to read and engaging for the most part. There is a friends turned lovers theme with repressed angst and longing that will play on those lovely romance heart strings of readers. The writing skillfully keeps the characters moving towards each other but once the couple gets together, the story could have ended there. The next 50 pages or so just reiterate how in love the two men are with no real appreciable changes. Nothing much is added to the relationship or the couple, though I was happy to finally get some sexual tension and sex happening. An interesting story but the ending lets it down.

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I Heard Him Exclaim by Z.A. Maxfield

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I Heard Him ExclaimI Heard Him Exclaim by Z.A. Maxfield

Blurb:
(Part of His For The Holidays Anthology)
Who Likes a Skinny Santa?

Steve Adams’s heart hasn’t been in the Christmas spirit ever since doctors put a stent in it and ordered him to clean up his act. No longer filling out his Santa suit or allowed to make merry, he’s forgoing the holidays this year and heading to Vegas to indulge in the few vices left to him: gambling and anonymous sex.

His road trip takes a detour when he encounters Chandler Tracey, who’s just inherited guardianship of his five-year-old niece. Overwhelmed, Chandler’s on his way to deliver Poppy to his parents. But fate has other plans and, after car trouble, Chandler and Poppy accept a ride home with Steve. Though the heat between the two men is obvious, they put it on simmer while they band together to make Poppy’s Christmas as perfect as possible.

Steve soon comes to believe that while Chandler is the right person to look after Poppy, someone needs to look after Chandler. Fortunately, Steve knows just the man for the job.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Review:
tinsel wrapped cock….

Mistletoe at Midnight by L.B. Gregg

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Mistletoe at MidnightMistletoe at Midnight by L.B. Gregg

Blurb:
Part of His For The Holidays Anthology)

Owen McKenzie has traveled to Vermont to spend an old-fashioned Christmas with his family when he finds himself staying at the same inn as his first love. Owen is disconcerted to realize he’s still attracted to Caleb Black but refuses to pursue him. Caleb left him once, and Owen’s not going down that road again.

Caleb is ready for a second chance with Owen and gets it when fate and the matchmaking McKenzies conspire to strand the two men in a rustic cabin during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Can Caleb convince Owen to rekindle their romance so they can stop spending their holidays apart?

why is an embarrassed dick so yummy?

Nine Lights Over Edinburgh by Harper Fox

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Nine Lights Over EdinburghNine Lights Over Edinburgh by Harper Fox

Blurb:
(Part of His For The Holidays Anthology)
Detective Inspector James McBride is riding high on the belief that he’s about to bust a human-trafficking ring. But just five days before Christmas, his unorthodox methods catch up with him and his world comes crashing down.

McBride tries to concentrate on his new day job as security for the visiting Israeli ambassador. He even starts to feel a renewed sense of self-worth when the leader of the Israeli team, the aristocratic Tobias Leitner, takes a bullet for him in the line of duty. But he can’t forget the trafficking case, especially when his investigations result in the kidnapping of his own daughter! McBride has no one to turn to for help—no one, except Toby.

Can these two very different men work together to bring about a holiday miracle—and heal one another’s heart in the process?

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Harper Fox is not for me…

In Darkness Bound by Christine Price

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In Darkness BoundIn Darkness Bound by Christine Price

Blurb:
Data Collection by Dalhousie, Dr. Donna L.

Patient 331

New, confused. His powers unknown.

Patient 289

No longer viable in the test pool, he remains in isolation.

Patient 77

Reclassified to staff status. Useful, malleable.

Confined in a sterile research facility and treated like a lab rat, Chris is alone and terrified. His special powers are his only escape, allowing him to psychically connect with other patients.

Alone in his cell for longer than he can remember, Vance is hungry. When newcomer Chris makes a mental connection, Vance is intrigued and soon wants more than just conversation.

Chris and Vance seek comfort with each other, and with Simon—the only staff member who’s shown them a hint of compassion. Their relationships develop during stolen moments, and they turn their thoughts to escape. But as Dr. Dalhousie’s madness spirals, more than cell walls threaten to keep them apart…

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

a threeway just cuz someone had to get some dick

Blinded By Our Eyes by Clare London

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Blinded By Our EyesBlinded By Our Eyes by Clare London

Blurb:
London art dealer Charles Garrett has devoted his life to appreciating and acquiring beauty, both in art and in his companions. His fashionable life is rocked to the core when he discovers the body of a young artist, Paolo Valero, in a pool of blood in his gallery.As Paolo-s mentor, Charles is haunted by the horror of his violent death. Seeking closure, he investigates Paolo-s past and soon discovers a tangled web of motives and potential suspects, some closer to home than he ever imagined. He-s drawn to Antony Walker, an aggressive, handsome sculptor with unsavory ties to Paolo. Charles is unsettled by Antony-s forceful nature but irresistibly attracted to his passion and his art.When the evidence points toward Antony-s guilt, Charles is thrown into emotional turmoil. Has he lost his heart to a killer?

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Giving Carina Press another try….