Loose Id

Review: Stowaway

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Stowaway
Stowaway by Becky Black
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I consider this book to be sure reading fantasy, in that nothing is very realistic about the plot, characters, actions, and dialogue but that’s not really the point. The story is trying to be entertaining and not necessarily concerned about things like world building, logic, and realistic behavior. If you’re a reader that doesn’t need a realistic take then this is probably entertaining enough to read and enjoy. I found it to be so but if you’re the type that harps on realistic actions in books then this one will likely drive you nuts and I’d suggest you avoid it. Continue reading →

Review: The Book Of Daniel

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The Book Of Daniel
The Book Of Daniel by Z.A. Maxfield
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While I like the St. Nacho’s series a lot, I’m not really happy with the turn it’s taken. Of course that could just be me but this book felt disjointed, rushed, and totally scattered. There wasn’t one consistent theme running throughout the book and the characters seemed to change randomly with whatever emotion they needed to express. I quite liked Daniel and Cam from the previous book but I couldn’t stand either one of them in Book of Daniel. They’re selfish, cruel, totally unforgiving, and would change at the drop of a hat. The book feels like it didn’t know exactly what direction to go but threw a few themes and concepts to see what sticks. Continue reading →

Review: Khyber Run

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Khyber Run
Khyber Run by Amber Green
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Khyber Run is a very interesting war novel and definitely kept my attention from beginning to end but it’s very oddly published with Loose Id. The story is absolutely not a romance, there is no discernable evidence of romance anywhere, and there are a few explicit sex scenes based on situations rather than emotion. Instead, this is a very absorbing read about the war in Afghanistan and the personal affect on one family and in particular one person. His quest to avenge his brother is the main theme and if anything this is merely a fictional story about war. Maybe if you squint it could be called gay fiction due to the few quickie rough sex scenes but that’s still a stretch in my opinion. If you’re looking for a very intricately detailed war story from a personal level, this may work for you. Continue reading →

Review: Dance With Me

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Dance With Me
Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a bit of a difficult review to write because while the book is decent, I didn’t particularly enjoy reading it. I’m not entirely sure why except I couldn’t connect to either character and thus never really cared about them together. Due to this the story somewhat bored me and I found myself sometimes skimming just to finish. There are a lot of great elements in the story that should work together to form a moving, memorable story. I like the individual characters but together I never really bought into their dynamic and I didn’t like some of the choices the story made. Overall this one just didn’t work for me unfortunately, but judging by the popularity of the story it might just be me. Continue reading →

Review: Moonlight Becomes You

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Moonlight Becomes You
Moonlight Becomes You by Piper Vaughn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Like others I’m a fan of rock star angst stories so I was happy to see this offering. Unfortunately the premise was hard for me to buy into and the ending just devolves into what was for me, an eye rolling experience. It’s an easy story to read and mostly enjoyable but overall it just didn’t work that well for me. Others may not be as bothered, especially if they can buy into the concept and “twist” presented. The writing is decent and the angst and sex scenes are enough to satisfy fans of those elements so this could be more successful with another reader. Continue reading →

Review: Rhapsody for Piano and Ghost

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Rhapsody for Piano and Ghost
Rhapsody for Piano and Ghost by Z.A. Maxfield
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoy this author’s voice and writing, perhaps even more than the book itself. The ghosts were the absolute highlight of this story while the main couple left me cold. In particular the ingénue in Fitz drove me nuts with his idiocy and often “too stupid to live” moments. He has a lot and his bumbling, socially awkward manner should be endearing but soon turns frustrating for me as a reader. Not everyone may feel this way but for me the best part of the story by far were the ghosts; an element that didn’t even make much sense or seem to fit in well. Yet I’m very glad it’s there. Continue reading →

Review: Dark Sun

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Dark Sun
Dark Sun by M.J. O’Shea
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a fan of dystopian fiction, I was pretty excited to read Dark Sun. The story has a very nice urban fantasy setting that fulfilled that craving I always have for the genre while the characters and plot are decent. They’re not great unfortunately, partly due to the short nature of the novella, and the entire story rushes from start to finish. The characters feel unfinished and somewhat empty as they stick close to pretty well known stereotypes. There is a vague Romeo and Juliet feel to the star crossed lovers from warring families while one character is a pretty typical Robin Hood by stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Because of these obvious tropes, the story never quite satisfies and moves into something wholly unique but the various elements included are enough to make an interesting enough story if you’re a fan of urban fantasy. Continue reading →

Review: Goldilocks and His Three Bears

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Goldilocks and His Three Bears
Goldilocks and His Three Bears by A.M. Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m one of the many that bought this book when it was published previously but for whatever reason never got around to reading it. So when I got it from Loose Id, I realized it was re-released but definitely worth getting. It’s a very cute story about a polyamorous relationship and it’s one that really works. I’m not always a fan of multiple partner books but this one is so cute, adorable, warm, and very entertaining. It’s just simply works as a great story and one that’s likely to leave you with a satisfied smile. Continue reading →

Review: Convincing Leopold

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Convincing Leopold
Convincing Leopold by Ava March
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Convincing Leopold is a decent sequel to Convincing Arthur. You should really read the first book to fully appreciate the main couple and their relationship but I found that the same frustrations I had with the first book are still present in this sequel. It’s an easy novella to read and March is a good writer but my main annoyance is with Arthur and those issues aren’t solved in the sequel. If you’ve read the first book and quite liked the couple, definitely continue with this one. Other March fans are also likely to enjoy the familiar tropes and writing that make a smooth, albeit delightfully steamy regency read. Continue reading →

Review: Make a Right

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Make a Right
Make a Right by Willa Okati
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I chose Make a Right because I like Willa Okati’s writing and the men seemed a touch angsty, which I adore. While the story succeeded in being romantic with a lot of elements fans are sure to love, I couldn’t quite connect with one of the main characters which kept me from truly enjoying this story. The right reader, however, will find this an easy, enjoyable book to read with very strong love conquers all and soul mate themes. Continue reading →