Fiction Friday finds my favourite read of the year so far

Let's start this week with a new release, and possibly my favourite book of the year so far.


Wild as the West Texas Wind by Jackie North

This was an amazing slow burn, historical, time travel romance. The writing was vibrant with a true feeling of the Wild West. The plot was exciting and I found the pacing to be perfectly excruciating (you'll know what I mean if you read it) to the point where it broke me even while 'good things' were happening, because I knew 'bad things' were coming.
The relationship is just achingly beautiful and my heart broke over and over for Layton.

I'll definitely be reading again (and so wish I could get it in audio).

NB: One of the main characters from the previous book, Honey From the Lion, plays an important in this book, but the situation is explained completely in the text and it's not necessary to have read it. However, having read this, I will be going back to read the previous book

#slowburn #dualPOV #historical #hurtcomfort #timetravel



Hidden Hearts by Clare London


Oh my, this rom com is typical Clare London. It's funny, and irreverent. The characters are endearingly imperfect. Thrown into an awkward situation, things only get more awkward as each encounter goes disastrously wrong until you're rooting for the lads to finally get together.




Three Stupid Weddings by Ann Gallagher

This is lovely. A relatively angst-free story about fake boyfriends and friends to lovers.

NB: There is talk of abusive relationships and eating disorders.

NB2: Both MCs are asexual to varying degrees. It was a pleasure to read about an asexual relationship where the main issue wasn't focused on why they don't want to have sex.


Downward Facing Dreamboat by Bru Baker

Very cute, slow burn, short story. Really enjoyed it. Oh, and if the cover and the title wasn't enough of a clue, it's about yoga.

It's still a free read, here at Prolific Works. Just scroll down the page until you find the cover.





Undertow by Brooklyn Ray

I can't possibly 5 star these books because I'm reading with a constant sense of dread in the back of my mind. But if you like your fantasy dark and your romance even darker then these books are definitely for you.
This time it's Liam's POV. The story carries on from Darkling as Ryder and Liam's magic gets even more entwined. And dangerous.





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It's back (again). It's Fiction Friday

I bet you thought I buried this segment. I have neglected it somewhat and that's not good, because I read some things that deserve a mention in recent months. This may take a couple of posts.


Awakenings & French Songs by Nell Iris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not what I was expecting after reading the first few pages.
Lovely short read.
No steam or angst. This is that perfect moment story. The point in the story when everything sorts itself out. I'd have loved to read a novel length story of these two with all the mutual pining and unrequited love leading up to this moment. But as it is this is a gentle read and provides a suitably sweet epilogue.



Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector by Nicole Kimberling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cherries Worth Getting: An interesting world with two solid leads and a well thought out investigation. Would have loved a longer investigation to stretch out the romance. 4* (This was taken from my review of Irregulars) 2nd read through: Still loved it. In awe of the world building. Glad I've got a whole book of Keith and Gunther to enjoy.

Cookie Jambore: 4*

A Christmas Coda that takes place between Cherries Worth Getting & Magically Delicious. This is a sweet and romantic short story that not only shows Keith joining Gunther in one of his regular commitments, but also deals with how the couple decide to move in together.

The Little Golden Book of Goblin Stories: 4*

Gunther has asked Keith to find a special book from his childhood. This cute story reveals how amazing Gunther's Mum is.

Magically Delicious: 4*
Previously released in Charmed and Dangerous.

This story focuses more on Keith than on the relationship. Keith and Gunther are now living together and someone is 'attacking' NIAD agents with pixie-dust. Gunther becomes the 8th agent to be effected. Keith's not the kind of boyfriend to sit by Gunther's hospital bed wringing his hands, so he heads out determined to find out who's behind the attacks. Although Gunther is in the background, Keith's realisations about his relationship are interspersed with his investigation. And there is a lovely scene with Gunther's parents. The leprechauns are great fun, especially the one who becomes Keith's temporary partner/son.

The Most Important Meal of The Day: 4*

Haha. This one is fun and graphically violent with people being ripped in two or eaten by a monster from the sky. Keith and Gunther are the only ones who can save the world, but they're about to have breakfast when the apocalypse strikes.

Bring Out the Best: 4.5*

Keith and Gunther have been living together for a couple of years when Keith starts investigating a case of bad blood being delivered to non-humans. Gunther's cousin comes to stay after being kicked out of the Air Force and spends a lot of time making toast and mooning over the plane he left behind. Gunther saves Keith when he does something stupid, but ultimately it's Keith that solves the case and proves his worth. The relationship is great in this one and it's obvious how much their relationship has thrived in this one. Brilliant ending.

While most of these stories received 4 stars from me, I have to give the overall book 5 stars. The collection shows the overall progress of the relationship and Keith's transformation back into fully functioning human. He's come a long way from the first story. All due to the love of a trans-goblin.



Over and Over Again by Cole McCade       
Available in Kindle Unlimited   

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Slow, gentle, melancholy, and at times quite heartbreaking.
I have no words. Cole McCade has stolen them all from me.






Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton 
Available in Kindle Unlimited

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, that was the best thing ever. So much fun. Western adventure meets romantic comedy, with a Some Like it Hot vibe. I laughed, I gasped, I cried (goddamit), I fell in love with all the characters.

This is a  brilliant and funny romp through the Old West. I've already added it to my 'comfort listens' list. I can guarantee I'll be back on the old homestead before the year is out.


View all my reviews

Fiction Friday

Just two today, because I've mostly been reading for blog post reviews, so I'm taking advantage of the Goodreads 'post to blog' button.


Escaping Exile by Sara Dobie Bauer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Excellent. An interesting take on a vampire story.
There's nothing sparkly about Andrew. He's not a soft-focus vampire, he's charmed and killed. Killed one too many times, which is how he ends up in exile, his only companions a tribe of cannibals, who he can't kill because they smell of death and decay. And who don't try to eat him for the same reason.
Then one day a ship crashes during a storm and a live sweet smelling man is swept ashore. Food, is Andrew's initial thought, until he catches sight of his 'dinner' and wonders if company would be a better use of the gorgeous man.

Edmund is, well, there's not a lot I can reveal about Edmund that wouldn't be more fun to out as the story unfolds (it's written solely in Andrew's POV, so we get the reveals at the same time as Andrew). I did love him though.

This book is well written and creates a perfect setting and story in such a short read (1 hr - 1.5 hrs). It's written in present tense, which I always find jarring at first but I settled into it quickly enough.
The book finishes on a 'to be continued'. This is not a cliffhanger. There is no danger present and the relationship is solid. Personally I'm happy with where the story leaves off and would regard that as a completed story. However, if I get the chance I'll certainly pick up the next book in the series.




Ghost's Sight by Morwen Navarre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Interesting world building in a post apocalyptic setting where mankind has been reduced to scavengers and starting again, as hunter/gathers and where witches are healers. Ghost is a sweet and very innocent character, a rare male witch with the sight. I really liked the gentle relationship between Ghost and Gerry, even though it was almost instalove, but in this world alpha leaders take on dependants, who aren't necessarily lovers, but who they become responsible for.

A quick and enjoyable read.

There's a sequel to this one which I hope to read shortly.

Fiction Friday says doesn't time fly

You may have noticed a change to the blog recently. I've been using it to promo other authors. Since some of these promos have included reviews I've not been as strict about Fiction Friday posting.

Nothing cryptic here. This cover perfectly
 reflects the story.

Femme by Marshall Thornton - This was fun, and funny. But also thought provoking. I adored Lionel, a fearless, femme character. And even though he acted like an arsehole on occasions, I loved Dog too.

Tied Up by the Boss (Office Kink #2) by Hunter Frost - I really enjoyed this novella. With any title like this there is the danger of it become PWP but Morgan and Parker saved it from that fate by being really enjoyable characters to read. Hunter Frost did a great job of developing the relationship and moving it forward. Hot and steamy with all the feels.

Sticks and Stones (Cray's Quarry #3) by Rachel Kane - I'd been hoping the author would write this pairing right from the very first book and this didn't disappoint. Enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes. Although as it turns out things are slightly more complicated than they first seem. This is probably my favourite of the series with a good plot and a great relationship.

The remaining stories were reviewed for promo purposes and thankfully I loved them. Click on the link in the mini review to see my full post.

Corked by Brigham Vaughn - The epilogue is perfect. I mean completely, wonderfully perfect.

The Perfect Whore (Storm and Lightning #1) by Josephine Myles - Fun romp with a smart-mouthed ex-whore (with a soft heart) and an arrogant space captain (with emotional depths) who join forces on a mission to obtain a passcode for a psychotic criminal type. 

The Sinner and the Saint (Ellery Mountain #8) by R.J. Scott - Both men were running away from things but they met their match in Ellery. Those mountains really do have a strange power. 

Owned by the Sea by L.M. Somerton - Set in Cornwall, this book had an amazing sense of place. I yearned to be on the beach or paddling in the sea while I read.

The King's Sun (The Brass Machine #1)by Isaac Grisham - This is fantasy with kings and princes, castles and magic, and mystical beings. But as I read I also got the impression that this was our future, that the civilisation that imploded thousands of sun cycles ago was our present or something similar.

Slow Heat (Heat of Love #1) & Alpha Heat (Heat of Love #2) by Leta Blake - If you only read one MPREG book, make it this one. (Both of them). 


I hope you like all the new content at the blog, even though it's rarely about me an my writing. Let me know if there is anything more that you'd like to see.

Fiction Friday is still playing catch up

Unfortunately last week I didn't get a chance to finish telling you guys about my favourite reads for March and April.

The God Game (Dan Sharp Mystery #5) by Jeffrey Round - This is not a romance. It's a political mystery with a gay hero. It's also very good. The mystery had me stumped for much of the story. Also, although this is book 5 I never once felt like I'd missed out on background info. Can definitely be read as a standalone. Word of advice, don't be put off by the writing style in the prologue, the rest of the book is nothing like this.

Murder Takes the High Road by Josh Lanyon - This is excellent. Classic Josh. Look out for a post on release day. But you can preorder now.

Office Romance Box Set by J.M. Snyder - 22 short stories in one volume.Yes, 22. Most were first meetings, some sweet with no sex, others little more than hook ups. A few involved existing couples but they were in the minority. Several involved multicultural pairings and I had some issues with the way POC were described in the stories. I understand some of the stories were originally written several years ago, however this is a new anthology and it wouldn't have taken long for the author to address this matter in the required stories. As is often the way with shorts it's hard to get a HEA without making the whole thing seem rushed and unrealistic but the author leaves all the stories on a positive final note that allows us as readers to envisage a happy ending for the couples. As you can imagine I enjoyed some stories more than others, some because the story just wasn't to my taste, some because they had obviously been written several years ago and the style felt slightly dated. My favourite stories were:
Maintenance!
Knocking Boots
Speed Trap (Working Man #9)
Easily Addicted (Working Man #3)
Cafe de l'Amour

The next book might surprise you...
Wolf & Bunny by Tara Harris - On Kindle Unlimited. Yes, I'm reccing an MPREG book. If you follow these posts regularly you'll know MPREG isn't normally my bag, but this one took me by surprise. A fairy tale with fated mates, a prince, the wicked villain, a wedding, and a nick of time rescue.

Kelpie Blue (Out of Underhill #1) by Mell Eight - This is a lovely N.A. paranormal tale of a broken boy and the kelpie who decides not to eat him. I loved the way this was written with the narrative interspersed with diary entries, mostly from Rin with Blue adding comments. I enjoyed it immensely.

You're My Everything by Lily G. Blunt - On Kindle Unlimited. A single author anthology of 6 stories. In case you missed the post on this one, you'll find it here.

Between the Lines by J. Scott Coatsworth - An urban fantasy set in the seedy world of politics. I'd have liked some more interaction between Sam and Brad earlier in the story to base their eventual relationship on. But overall a enjoyable way to pass an hour or so.

Fairytales Slashed 3 (Fairytales Slashed #3) by Megan Derr,  A.R. Jarvis, Remington Ward, Mara Ismine. -  This is an excellent anthology. I'd be hard pressed to pick my favourite. Unfortunately I'm doing something that I hate to do, because the anthology is no longer available and only one of these stories is actually still in print. I did try to contact the authors of the missing stories on your behalf but only had one response.

• Rasnake by Megan Derr - Banished brothers, dragons, magic, mad kings and missing princess. All written with Megan Derr's excellent fairy tale panache.
• Pretty by Mara Ismine - this was cute but it finished too abruptly, wrapping up what I thought was a major issue in a couple of paragraphs.
• He Shall Go To The Ball by Mara Ismine - this was a sweet take on the Cinderella story. Unfortunately it ended without a proper resolution.
• Greenwood by Remington Ward - A magic loose reworking of the Robin Hood story. I adored this.
• Moth To The Flame by A.R. Jarvis - Ninjas, people. Do I need to say more? It's well written and funny with a passionate (although low steam) pairing. And ninjas! I managed to get a response from this author, unfortunately though there are no plans to re-release this story at the current time. But I've included the link to several of her books on Amazon. 

To decorate the post I had a varied collection of covers this time around. Only one had the m/m standard naked torsos and was discarded straight away (although the cute bunny almost made up for it - kidding, I preferred the wolf). Two are featured else where in this blog recently (or in the future). I chose two that I felt were atmospheric covers. Let me know which cover you think should have appeared.

Fiction Friday got lost along the way

Love the colours in this cover

It's been a while since I published a Fiction Friday post. To be fair RL and day job have both been hectic.

As you may have noticed audiobooks now have their own space in my Listen with Lillian posts, so they won't appear here anymore.

Right let's crack on with the recs. 

How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Granby Knitting, #2) & Knitter in His Natural Habitat (Granby Knitting, #3) by Amy Lane - I really liked these two books. Jeremy's story in Rabbit was heartbreaking at times and the scope of his journey stretched from before the first book to during and then after. In Knitter, I liked that Stanley (a secondary character in the first book) got his HEA, and that we got a lot of interaction with previous characters, however I do think that it diluted Stanley and Johnny's relationship.

Set in Stone (Cray's Quarry #2) by Rachel Kane - Available in KU. This is more than a coming out story, and how different people deal with the revelation that their sexuality may not be what they've always thought. Karl carried this book for me. He was opinionated but somewhat adorable.

Myths, Moons, and Mayhem: Paranormal Gay Ménage and Erotic Romance by Dale Cameron Lowry - Anthology. This is a great collection of MMM stories in a variety of paranormal style. I enjoyed most of the stories but my favourites were Inside Man by Clare London (ghost) and The Cave by Dale Cameron Lowry (magic).

The Pride by Joe Glass - Issues 1-6. Fab Man collects together LGBTQ superheroes to make his own superhero team, The Pride. I loved it, the message, the representation not only for LGBTQ issues, but also HIV positivity. The issues were drawn by loads of different artists, which meant there were plenty of styles, some that I liked more than others.

I also read The Pride Adventures which is a several issues of short stories staring the characters from The Pride but they aren't a connected story arc like The Pride. Because of the nature of the issues there is a disconnect between the stories but there were some stories in this collection that I really enjoyed.

I've made no secret of the fact that I funded the recent kickstarter for the next issue of The Pride. And I can't wait to receive it in the post in the coming months.

Fiction Friday

It's time to show some love for the books I've been reading these last few weeks.

Let's start with an audio. 

Borrowing Blue (Made Marian #1) by Lucy Lennox - Audio. This was my first book by both Lucy Lennox and Michael Pauley. The story was well executed and cute as hell, utilising one of the age old tropes of romance, the pretend boyfriend. Told in first person, alternate chapters, this can sometimes be a tricky writing style but here the characters were different enough to carry it off, especially as read by Michael Pauley. The story flowed easily and the romance progressed in that same fluid way, with just enough angst to make me feel as though the characters had needed to work for their HEA. The overall tone was mostly joyful as Tristan came to terms with his sexuality in a positive way and Blue, well, Blue is one of those upbeat characters. There was shedloads of sex in this one, and I do wonder if I would have grown bored of those scenes if I’d been reading as opposed to listening, however Michael Pauley reads those scenes (and every other part of this book) with such gusto that it was hard to begrudge the lads any single moment of each of those earth shattering orgasms. While I’m on the subject of narration, MP was excellent, with each character getting a distinctly individual voice. Thoroughly enjoyed. I followed that with the free short story Brad (Made Marian #1.5) by Lucy Lennox. The instafreebie link for this one is dead. I'd have liked half as much again to give a more coherent story and less page time for the lesbian grannies and groupie. But the pair was cute and I'm pleased Brad got his HEA.

This cover is just perfect for Curtis
in both look and feel.

Trust with a Chaser (Rainbow Cove #1) by Annabeth Albert - Self Published. Available in KU. Read in KU. MUST have a copy for my permanent collection. I loved this book. Nash is the sort of character I adore, gruff and stoic, but I loved Mason too. 
The small town community is well fleshed out but not too intrusive and I'll definitely be heading back to Rainbow Cove for Logan and Curtis' story. 

Tender with a Twist (Rainbow Cove #2) by Annabeth Albert - Self Published. Available in KU. Read in KU. MUST have a copy for my permanent collection. Oh, look, I'm back in Rainbow Cove. 
In both books characters are manipulated by their families, even dead parents and lovers, but I was set not to like this as much as the first. I was wrong. My heart was breaking for Curtis half the time and Annabeth did a lovely job of showing Curtis blooming from the grief he'd been using as a shield to protect himself from further hurt.

I really liked this cover.
It's what drew me to this book. 

Darkling (Port Lewis Witches #1) by Brooklyn Ray - Ninestar Press. Love this cover. Ultimately this is a friends to lovers story, just with far more obstacles in the way than you would normally expect. Ryder has secrets, many many secrets, and worry if Liam, his best friend and the person he's been in love with for the last two years, will accept Ryder once he discovers he's trans is probably the least dangerous of the secrets he's keeping. The writing is lusciously descriptive, I could almost feel the dark magic swirling around me with every page I read. But that same quality gave the book an edge that meant I could never truly relax while reading. Some of the blood letting and knife play had heart in my stomach. Ryder's not the easiest person to like, but he's the only narrator and I think an unreliable one at that, because he is scared about the development of his magic and tries to cover that fear by distancing himself from the people he loves. The world building is excellent and I could easily imagine this world of witches and necromancers.



Doesn't seem like I've read much considering the last FF post was a month ago, but I did spend a fair chunk of my reading time on a massive comic book story line, DC's Forever Evil and all of the connected side stories. I really enjoyed seeing the villains become the heroes if only for a while. I'll leave you with my favourite panels.

Fiction Friday

First post of 2018, and first off can I say Happy New Year to anyone that is still out there reading this blog. At some point before the end of the month I plan to do a what's coming up this year style post, where I'll let you know of my writing plans but for now let's take a look at what I've been reading.


The Case of the Arms Dealers (Kanaan & Tilney, #1) by Jenna Rose & Katey Hawthorne - First off this is a LooseId title. As you probably know LooseId is closing its doors in May 2018, what will happen to those books will be down to the individual authors. I'm hoping this writing partnership republishes these and continue to write more stories. As for this book, excellent writing and world-building combined with two engaging MCs (I adored Lowell) make this a mystery well worth reading. I've already bought the sequel.

The Fortune Hunter by Bonnie Dee - Self-published. Well written early 20th century historical set between the wars. Enemies to lovers, broken characters, morally questionable characters with a heart of gold. All of my favourite tropes. This is a gorgeous book, with both humour and heart rending moments. There were times when I wondered how the author would pull off a HEA for these two, but she gives us a perfect one.

Bank Robber's Baby by Rachel Kane - Self published. Available in KU. This is book #4 in The Boys of Oceanside series (but can be read as a standalone) and it is by far my favourite of the bunch. I enjoyed the first three, but I absolutely adored this book. Remember what I said about morally ambiguous characters with a heart of gold being one of my favourite tropes, oh yes, that trope was made for Travis. I think he's my favourite inhabitant of Oceanside ever.

In Case of Emergency by Keira Andrews - Self published. Available in KU. It's a Christmas story, but it's only January and it I want to rec you a seasonal story I will. This is a sweet Christmas story of a good deed that turns into something more, a damaged man who's been hiding his pain, and in passing it touches on societal expectations with regard to sex, gender, and sexuality. There's also a douchey almost boyfriend, snow, a Christmas tree, and Star Wars. Lovely slow burn romance. 

Stolen Magic (World Breaker Beginnings #2) by N.R. Hairston - Self published. I picked this up in one of those Instafreebie giveaways over Christmas, along with about 50 other books. These books normally linger on my laptop forever before I decide to read them but for some reason (probably my new empty Kindle) I opened this one straight away, without consulting the blurb, series number or cover. If I'd done any of those things I probably wouldn't have read it at all. But this has an interesting idea, the concept that people in this world have powers and that Chaz's power is actually stealing power from other people to use their abilities. However, in the moments when they weren't using their powers this read like a regular romance. As I understand it Clink, the non-POV MC, had previously found his HEA(!?) in another book. I have to agree with some of the other reviewers. Had I read that book first, I wouldn't have been happy going into this one, and I doubt I would have enjoyed it as much. That said, this book can easily be read as a standalone. 

Why I Hate Men: The A to Z misadventures of gay dating by Joe Phillips - Self published. Available in KU. Done in the format of a children's ABC book, this amusing volume contains all the charm you get in Joe's Joeboy characters but in a black and white line drawing style. I'm contemplating picking this up in paperback. 

Fiction Friday - December Reads

Normally I'd manage about 20 books in December, Christmas stories are normally by nature quite short and low angst, which makes them easy to read. Unfortunately (from a reading point of view), I spent a lot of the month finishing Calamine & Christmas Cake, and although I'm proud of the work I put into that story to get it out by the 20th, it did have an impact on my reading time. Then, my Kindle died and I had to wait almost until Christmas Day to get a new one. I did finally get around to reading a few Christmas stories though and I've been happy with each and every one.

Christmas Can Kiss My Dickens by Hunter Frost - A contemporary take on the Christmas classic. Cute, with the requisite amount of angst to do that story justice without being over the top for a Christmas romance.

Desperately Seeking Santa by Eli Easton -  I love a 'gentle giant' story and this really has the perfect one. Adorable story. (In Kindle Unlimited.)

The Peppermint Schnapps Predicament by Clare London - Fun, fun, fun. I absolutely adore Frankie. Ms London writes contemporary British stories that often make me giggle out loud, or at least grin inanely at my Kindle, this is no exception.

The Power of Peppermint by L.D. Blakeley - A quick, cute read. Also free in one of those 'a million free books to clog up your e-reader' giveaways. I'm quite proud that I actually read one of them :D (In Kindle Unlimited.)

Yours For The Holiday by D.J. Jamison - A super cute frenemies to lovers story that will make you melt. Adorable. (In Kindle Unlimited.)

Secret Santa by Jay Northcote - Another Brit boys read. This one stars a reluctant Santa, and a dad of a 4 year-old who doesn't have time to date. The guys meet on Grindr and seem to hit it off, but how much do you reveal about yourself after only a couple of dates? This is a problem they both struggle with, and is the point that causes the main conflict in the book. The kid is well-written and realistic, thank God, and Theo's struggle with being a single father rings true. The slightly grumpy Luke was probably my favourite though. Cute, well-written with just a smidgen of low level angst. (In Kindle Unlimited.)

Snow Angels with Bear (Love off Leash #4) by Bonnie Dee - First off I just want to say that this isn't really a Christmas story (the climax is set around Christmas) and so this can be read at any time of the year. If an older MC appeals to you, Eric is in his forties and quite set in his ways, and I love the fact that he breaks through his isolation and routines to pursue August. This book had great (and not perfect) MCs, some light angst to squeeze a few tears out of the reader, and two adorable dogs. Recommended. And I plan to read the rest in the series.

I'm posting this with a couple of days to go, but since I'm currently reading a paranormal mystery and I've two ARCs lined up to read it seems unlikely I'll get back to anymore Christmas stories this year.

Fiction Friday

A thousand apologies. I've been trying to get a story finished and my blog seems to have just fallen by the wayside. I think I should round up my remaining reads for the year before December starts.

When Heaven Strikes by F.E. Feeley Jr. - Audio book for this one and also a new to me author. Narrator had a soft tone that really suited the story. And the story, well, that gave me all the feels. FYI, this book is written from multiple POVs.

An Unsuitable Heir (Sins of the Cities #3) by K.J. Charles - An exceptional end to an excellent series. I can't recommend the trilogy highly enough. I'm sad that it's over, but I've already got the audio books and they are perfectly narrated. 5 stars.

Bonds of Denial (Wicked Play #5) by Lynda Aicher - Despite being book 5 in the series, I didn't think I missed anything by having not read the other books. This was amazing. A character driven romance with two very broken characters. Loved it.

These Haunted Heights by Ally Blue - This book is almost 7 years old and I've had it on my Kindle for nearly 5 years. I should have read it earlier. Poor Drew was so broken. I loved it.

A Bell for Andy by GL Roberts - An interesting idea for a reincarnation/missed chances story. It could have benefited from less repetition on the dream front and more focus on the romance. But worth a read.

One More Chance (The Boys of Oceanside #3) by Rachel Kane - This book made me cry, ugly, throat-tearing tears and made me want to scream and pound my fist into people's faces (Ransom and Toby). But it made me feel, even if some of those feelings were anger and injustice.

Strong Side (Eastshore Tigers #1) by Alison Hendricks - An engaging coming out and self discovery story with a backdrop of American Football and two endearing leads.

The Only Option (Dubious #4) by Megan Derr - I have to admit that I don't really like the new cover art on this book. A dragon and a necromancer walk into a bar... After a slew of sweet reads from Megan Derr this takes a more raunchy tone right from the start. Tilo was a sweetheart and I wanted things to work out for him.

Spell Weaver by Megan Derr A Cinderella story, of sorts. The story is familiar, as fairy tales should be, but told with style and sweetness.

The Eagle and the Fox (A Snowy Range Mystery #1) by Nya Rawlyns - Another audio book. This is also a new to me author. Narrator is Nick J Russo, whose work I really enjoy, and who gave a stellar performance here. The MCs are both older characters, which I really enjoyed, and I adored Josh. The mystery was interesting and wasn't all neatly tied up by the last page.

Sons of Devils & Angels of Istanbul (Arising) by Alex Beecroft - Firstly the publishers should be questioned as to why they decided to publish this as two separate book instead of the epic it deserves to be. It's history, fantasy, and the paranormal all rolled into one, with a gentle but underlying love story beneath the surface. Told from the POV of 5 strong but very different characters, all broken in their own way, but all with the ability for greatness. Highly recommended.

A Taste Of Copper by Elin Gregory - Currently out of print. Knights and honour and unrequited love. Well written and well researched.

December will mostly be Christmas reads, although I may add other stories to mix it up. Any Christmas reads that I want to recommend will probably be posted in individual posts just so you can pick them up and read them in the appropriate time frame.

Fiction Friday - Are you in the mood for a fairy tale?

Let's talk about LT3 Press. They do publish an excellent fairy tale and I was obviously in the mood for a lot of sweet, low steam short (and not so short) stories in September. And who consistently writes the best fairy tales in gay romance? Yes, there is a flurry of Megan Derr on this list.

Once Upon a Dream by Megan Derr - Collection of short stories and ficlets that have previously been published elsewhere. Same are teasingly short and others are longer. Great for dipping into when you need that sweet, low steam fix. And it's free.

The Novelty Maker by Sasha L. Miller - Sweet (but not sugary) and heartwarming short story with a fantasy, almost steampunk, vibe.

Ravenhearth by Lotus Oakes - Enchanting fairy tale. It did leave me with a few unanswered questions (and I really hated the twins -- they creeped me out) but I could easily overlook those issues.

The Matchmaker by Megan Derr - I think this is a marmite book because you either love Sorrel or you hate him. I thought he was great. Plus a link to some free ficlets in this 'verse.

Crown Jewel by Megan Derr - Great world building and engaging characters.

Fairytales Slashed 2 (Fairytales Slashed #2) by Megan Derr - A collection of 4 stories. 'The Beast' & 'The Huntsmen' are by Megan Derr & 'The Wizard's Tower' & 'Sleeping Beauty' are by Sasha L. Miller. Much darker in tone than some of the fairy tales by this pair, especially The Huntsman, but I really enjoyed them.

The Royal Inquisitor by Megan Derr - Second chances and betrayal wrapped up in a short story.

And I still have so many more to read. *happy sigh*

Fiction Friday - Where did September go?

Well, gosh, that month just flew by. Um, I don't appear to have posted anything at all in September, my bad. Let's start with a Fiction Friday post, although I may need two... *wanders off to Goodreads to check what I read last month*

Lullaby: A Yaoi Fable by Amelita Rae. If you've read any of this author's other work then you'll be surprised by this one. It's a dark fairy tale (very dark; horrific events and non-con dark). But it's excellent and has a happy ending.

Talk To Me by K.C. Beaumont. This is a charming and funny short story. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy. Unfortunately it looks like this book is no longer available. But if you already have it in your TBR pile I suggest you dig it out.

Provoked (Enlightenment #1) by Joanna Chambers. Audiobook. This was one of the rare occasions where I listened to a book I hadn't yet read. Both the author and the narrator did an excellent job of holding my attention. The narrator is excellent, with perfectly differentiated voices for the MCs and a great tone to his voice. I'll be digging the sequels out of my TBR pile to get those boys their happy ever after.

Worst Men (The Boys of Oceanside #2) by Rachel Kane. Enemies to Lovers with just the right amount of angst. Set in the same series as Best in Show, but I didn't realise this. It didn't impact on my reading so I'd say it can be read as a standalone.

Solid Education (Campus Cravings) by Bianca Sommerland. After a slightly uncertain start I enjoyed this and really rooted for the MCs. Loved the epilogue.

Spell Cat (The Aloysius Tales #1) by Tara Lain. I enjoyed this story of witches and the machinations of the witch council. For me this needed fewer sex scenes, or at least different terminology, but most of them were quite short which made them bearable. This has lots of different POVs but they were quite distinct and worked for this story.

A Kind of Honesty (A Kind of Stories #3) by Lane Hayes, This is Tim (the drummer) and Carter's story. I adore this series and Carter is amazing.

Drag Marks by Darian Smith. Drag queens and zombies. Nuff said.

Nachos & Hash (Mary's Boys #1) by Brandon Witt. Cute but with just enough angst to make me shed a tear. A great group of secondary characters.

Tartan Candy (Fabric Hearts #1) by K.C. Burn. A broken porn star forced into retirement and kilts. What more do you need?

Fiction Friday

Some truly excellent books for Fiction Friday this week.

The Spectred Isle by KJ Charles – Set just after WWI, this tale tells a story of a war fought on two fronts, the one we all know about and the world of the supernatural. Of course the government just had to use the Supernatural world as a weapon and in doing so has weakened the barrier between our world and the world beyond. The world in which this is set is the same one that Charles wrote about in The Casebook of Simon Feximal, where things feel familiar but aren’t necessarily the same. Saul and Randolph are a well-matched couple. They are both broken men, unable to trust easily or even able to trust their own judgment on matters of friendship or the heart. Also neither of them thinks they are worthy of the others regard or affection. The story gave me serious plot envy. And the writing could go from chilling to absolutely delightful on the turn of a phrase. Highly recommended. (NB This book is the first in a trilogy and while the relationship arc is complete the overall story isn’t.)


The Heart of the Lost Star by Megan Derr – This is book three in The Tales of the High Court. Jader’s surprise as he falls in love is adorable, while Kamir’s belief that he is only a dalliance is heart-breaking. Not that Kamir is weak, he’s actually remarkably strong as someone who has faced abuse head on and survived, and who is still plagued by the gossip of the High Court and manipulations of his family. Also a great chance to catch up with the rest of the couples in the series so far. Highly recommended.





A Kind of Truth by Lane Hayes – I’m not normally one for rock star books. I find the ego required for the rock star persona often rubs me up the wrong way. In this one the band are just starting out and rand, the wannabe lead singer is an interesting mix of cocky and, when it comes to his relationship with Will, adorably confused. Will is actually the bigger enigma. Well written with engaging leads and a lovely developing relationship. But I could only give this book 4 stars. One character and the plot point revolving around her kept me on edge for a large portion of the book, making me feel physically uneasy it the point where I had to put the book down for several days on two occasions.


A Kind of Romance by Lane Hayes – Book two in the series. This features Benny, Will’s best friend, and Zeke, the son of the Bagel shop owner where Rand works in the first book. Will and Rand also make occasional appearances in this book if you’re hoping to catch up with them. This book was a good as the first but without the threat of impending doom. It made me happy and I read it through without a break. Highly recommended.

There are also a couple of freebie stories on the author's website for the 'kind of' series.

Fiction Friday

Back to the regular title since it's actually Friday.

Puss in Prada by Maria Jacquelyn. – (Short read – Less than an hour.) A-freaking-dorable. The narrator is in the body of a cat for 95% of the story having been cursed by a witch. This is a tale of second chances, learning to give rather than take, and, as befitting any fairy tale, True Love. It’s also funny, cute and adorable and yet still had me on the verge of tears as Alex realised all that he had lost. His ‘voice’ as Alex the cat was priceless.

Rain Shadow by LA Witt. – Back to Bluewater Bay. This is book 10 in the series. This started off so well for me, both MCs over 40, an alpha security guard, a silver fox, lots of hot sex, and a pair of clueless MCs that don’t realise they are in a relationship despite their insistence they are just fuckbuddies. And then we met Jeremy’s kids. I disliked them both, but I hated the daughter. I actually thought she was 13/14 from the immature way she was acting not 18. In the end, Jeremy’s so called family almost ruined this story for me. If Jeremy wasn’t suffering so much from not talking to them I’d say f**k’em. They don’t deserve him.

City Boy: Hot Off the Ice #1 by AE Wasp – Closeted 30something hockey player who doesn’t realise he is gay, blows a tyre out in the back of beyond and is rescued by a knight in shining leather on the back of a motorbike. Actually, he blows more than a tyre ;) This was really good. Bryce is a great character who embraces his new newfound revelation that he is gay with gusto. I liked both characters, and all their friends and family. The sex scenes are hot, especially if you’re partial to a gay virgin. Considering the premise, I didn’t think there was a great deal of angst or conflict. This was a sweet, sexy read and I’m already looking forward to book #2.

True Colors by Anyta Sunday – This seemed familiar when I started but when I checked I realised that I’d read the first book True Luck back when it was called Bottle Boys, and the two stories overlap. This is friends to enemies to lovers and a beautiful story of second chances. It broke my heart in places. 5 stars.

I’ll Still Be There by Keelan Ellis – New to me author. And a book I don’t even remember buying. This is a tale of two love affairs from two different periods, tied together by a house. This was a clever story, tying the two threads together in a most satisfying way. Something in the writing style distanced me from the emotions of the lovers. This book should have made me cry, but it didn’t. If it had I’d have given this 5 stars for sure. I've just bought the sequel.

Delivered Fast by Annabeth Albert – Book 3 in the Portland Heat series. And my favourite of the series so far. This got 5 stars from me. I love a grumpy MC and Chris is old (35!, okay he’s a mere pup) and cranky. And I knew from the blurb this had the possibility to make me cry and it did, ugly, blurry-kindle, tight-cheeked tears. I couldn’t let go of these guys, so I followed it up with Cranky Christmas (Portland heat 3.5) and their sequel, where we catch up with the guys 2 years later. Short and sweet, if slightly predictable.
When I went to do the link for this Amazon said it was 91p! That's nothing for such a brilliant story. I don't know if it's the regular price so grab it, grab it now!

Knit Tight by Annabeth Albert - Book 4 in the Portland Heat series. This series started off quite sweet and angst-free, what happened? This one had me in tears twice. Brady and Ev were an adorable couple, even when they weren't (a couple). The children were believable and realistic.
This might be my favourite one yet.

The 91p price tag appears to be across the board for the first 4 books of this series. No reason not to grab all four then.
And there is a 10K mini sequel to this story, Quick Knit, which might be even more adorable than the original story, because we finally get Ev's POV. *hugs him so tight*

And that pretty much has caught me up since I've taken a break to do some beta work and then fell back into the fanfic rabbit hole for a while.

Reading Round-up

Regular service is resumed after the comic edition on Monday.

There's several freebies in this list...

A pretty typical gay romance cover

Afternoon Americano by Becca Brant (Coffee Boys #3) – The only one of these books that is a recent release. And more than 99p. However it is available to read on KU. Sweet romance, low angst, and an easy read. With the added enjoyment of one of the MCs being a gay romance author. My first read by this author. I will probably pick up the rest of the series.

Half Past Forever by A Morell. - A free DRitC story. A stripper and a half-incubus walk into a bar… Actually, a far sweeter and more romantic story than I was expecting from the prompt.

The Backpack by Sue Brown – Only 99p! Don’t read the blurb! I mean it. This book benefits from not being aware of what is going on and the blurb really does give too much away. An unusual dual tense choice which may put some readers off. I found the story both hopeful and melancholy. It made me cry.

Something a bit different.
I really like this cover.

Atle’s saga by Kit Edwards. - A free DRitC story.Viking era historical. Excellent. I was enthralled. Yes, I know Vikings didn’t talk like that but when the story is that good I really can’t bring myself to care.

Knowing Patrick (Maewyn’s Prophecy) by Emily Veinglory. - Free short read from Loose ID. Interesting. I can’t say much more without giving away the suspense. It leads into a series but I’ve not read anymore of the stories. 

Ask, Answer, Look, Kiss by Livia Frost. Another free DRitC story. Fiends to lovers. Miscommunication. Sweet story with low angst.

So that's a couple of recs there that you can grab with very little outlay. How do you feel about free reads? Are you willing to take a chance on a new to me author if you don't have any outlay?

Reading Round-up

Because I can't keep calling it Fiction Friday when it's not (Friday).

I know not many of you follow this for recs on graphic novels but I feel remiss when I leave them out since they do make up a large proportion of my reading. Since I'm still catching up from my FF hiatus I thought I'd give this one up solely to my comic reads in that period.

Flintlock by Steve Tanner – An indie comic. I picked this up at Comic Con. I always enjoy this way of buying graphic novels because you often get to speak to the creators. Black and white line drawings make up the majority of the panels here. It’s a collection of three short stories, almost an introduction to three of the six characters the author intends to focus on. All the stories take place in the same timeline, although there is no guarantee that they will ever meet (or so the author tells me) and feature diverse main characters. My favourite of the three was the final one, with two urchin pickpockets recounting the tale of the newest addition to the Bow Street Runners—a metal man called the Clockwork Cavalier.


Widdershins Vol 1: Sleight of Hand by Kate Ashwin. - Another Indie comic that I picked up at Comic Con. Magic. Victorian. Crime fighting. Well-drawn and an interesting story.

The Backstagers issue 1. - Firstly, I was disappointed because I thought I was getting the whole volume but it turned out to only be the first issue. However, it was an interesting introduction to the world behind the stage. Jordy, the new boy at school, needs to find an after-school club and he joins the backstagers, the prop boys that support the theatre club. Jordy might have found somewhere to belong, some friends and maybe someone who can be something more. Wacky and well-drawn. Kudos for a comic with LGBTQ characters.

Fantastic Four, Vol 3: Doomed – I know this has been quite widely slated but I enjoyed most of it. There were three (yes three) Johnny Storms in this volume. Seriously people, three. What’s not to like.

Dash – Issues 1-4. - Independent comic. 1940’s hardboiled PI meets Indy meets The Mummy with an LGBT lead character. Be still my beating heart. The artwork is kind of basic but it suits the story. I loved this, devoured all 4 issues. My only complaint is the story arc isn’t finished. Things are left very up in the air. With the last issue having been published in 2015 I was prepared to put this down to one of those things. (Books/comics don’t get finished for whatever reason, any fanfiction reader will tell you that. Hell, as a fan fiction writer I’m guilty of that myself.) I was all ready to fix everything with a bit of fanfiction. But I decided to do a bit of Google Fu and I found that the project is back on track after a two-year hiatus and there should be two new issues in the autumn. Hoorah. Highly recommended. 

Justice League of America #1 Origins (New 52) - Geoff Johns (writer) and Jim Lee (artist). I like this writer/artist pairing.  This, as the title implies, shows the formation of the JLA at the start of the New 52. The panels are bright and colourful, and all the characters look great. The origin team are Green Lantern (Hal), Flash (Barry), Batman., Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg (Cyborg is the only one whose Origin story we get and it’s pretty much the same as the one I’ve recently read in the Rebirth issue of the same name). Hal is a bit of a dick (think Johnny Storm at his most obnoxious) but this makes for some very funny scenes between him and Batman. And OMG Superbat <3 Batman strips off his cowl and as Bruce Wayne goes to rescue Superman!  I read this as a copy from the library but I’m already planning to buy a copy of my own.

Justice League of America #2 The Villain's Journey (New 52) – An excellent continuation of the previous volume.

And Justice League of America #3 The Throne of Atlantis (New 52) – A change of artist for this volume but not too great a change in style. There was a weak story to start with Cheetah as the villainess but thankfully Arthur (Aquaman) is the focus of the rest of this volume. Oh and we get to see Clark rip open his shirt to reveal Supe’s costume underneath.

I've got the next volume of this already lined up and hopefully by then volume 5 will have turned up in the library.

I've been a Marvel gal for a long time but I'm really enjoying my new foray into DC.

Fiction Friday

Back to showing my favourite covers of the books
recommended here. It's probably the dog.
I would have picked KJ's but 
the cover model reminds me of Jason Orange.

Yes, it's really Friday this time. And this post is a catch-all of different authors.

Babyvamp by Lyssa Dering – Okay, now as a rule I don’t do vampires but I did two in the space of a week and enjoyed them both. I thought the world building was excellent with the vampire police and registration etc. Certain parts squicked me out (the bloodily fluids and use of the word ‘child’ for a lover) but the story was entertaining and the characters were fun. I’d happily read more in this world, especially about the human, Taylor.

Fake it ‘til you feel it by Ashley Oaks – This is just the cutest fake boyfriend trope story I’ve read in a long time. (There’s a short sequel, Valentine, Interupted, catching up with the lads on their first Valentine’s day, which while cute had one event that made me ragey. I'll link you to my GRs review because I can't put things under a spoiler tag here.)

Make Me a Match Vol 2 – Dreamspinner anthology. Overall a mixed bag with a couple of right clunkers in there, but I’m listing it here for ‘Fragments of a Fiery Sun’ by M Jules Aedin. A glorious historical about wharf rats and an Irish lad fresh off the boat. I could have happily read a novel about these guys. Well-crafted and a joy to read.   

All For Show by Rachel Kane – Would have benefited from less introspection and more dialogue tags, but I adored Owen and the author had a deft hand with a lot of Owen’s amusing one liners. Not quite the romantic comedy I was expecting. With issues of poor self-esteem, depression, and manipulative relationships this story had more substance than the light and fluffy tale I thought I was getting. 

And my highly recommended, 'must read' book for this post...

Sod it. I love the background of this cover.
Even if the cover model looks like he's going to
burst into a verse of 'Pray'.

An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles. (Sins of the Cities # 2)

 This overlaps with An Unseen Attraction and continues the overarching story line.

 This book was damn near perfect for me.

I adored the awkwardness of the first book and how sweet Clem and Rowley were together.

This one has a completely different vibe. Enemies to lovers and flawed heroes. Perfect. 

Now I can’t wait for Mark’s story.

5 stars. 

Enjoy. They'll be at least another 3 FF posts next week, but one will be graphic novels only.

And I'll leave you with two questions to consider.

I've blogged about vampire stories two days on the trot now. How often do you read outside your comfort zone?

And how likely are you to give up on an anthology if the the first few stories aren't very good?

My poor neglected blog (aka Fiction Friday - the Clare London edition)

It's been a month since I last posted here. And nearly two since I've done a Fiction Friday post. That’s what happens when you try to write and publish a book in two months. (Just Hanging Out, for any of you that might have missed it.)

Hasn't stopped me reading though and I've decided to share my highlights over several posts until we are all caught up. So Fiction Friday will be cropping up on other days, don't let that confuse you. I take no responsibility for confusion over the day of the week from reading my posts.

While compiling these posts I noticed one author got a lot of my attention in these last few weeks so I have decided to dedicate this post just to her. Welcome to

Fiction Friday (on a Thursday) - The Clare London Edition

Normally I pick my favourite cover to illustrate
these posts. Not this time. Publishers take note,
this is not an enticing cover. The cover models
bear no relation to any of the characters &
it gives no indication of the content of the story.

Out of Time – A short read (less than an hour). An interesting take on vampires (although that word is never used), the effect of immortality, and of being turned against your will. Well written and slightly melancholy as the two MCs meet periodically over time and their attraction turns to affection. Lovely.

No Angel – Okay. Let’s get my grumps out of the way first. I hate this cover. It has no bearing on the story and the models don’t seem to resemble any of the characters. But this cover is for the out of print edition so anyone buying in the future won’t need to put up with it. Second grump: It’s out of print. Boo *thumbs down* (as opposed to Boo!) Because yes, this story is about ghosts, or one in particular; Bryn, a ghost who pinches Felix’s bum on the bus. Be prepared to dislike Bryn at first, he’s a dick, but he’s dead and he’s not had any (dick, that is) for a while. And he’s not the love interest. The love interest is Mickey who is adorable.  This is a really fun read, with lots of Clare London’s trademark humour.
Rest assured this is being repackaged (with additional content - yay!) and will be available again soon. So add it to your GR shelf for a future purchase. You won't be disappointed.


Looking for a quick read. Try...

Chat Line  - Short read. Less than 30 mins. Jerry needs a hand cleaning up his flat. He phones Helping Hands, surprised to find them open on New Year’s Eve. But the service Sean is offering isn’t quite what Jerry was expecting. Sweet, sexy, and funny.

And my highly recommended, must read choice...

Romancing the Ugly Duckling - Clare's latest release and part of the Dreamspun Desire range from Dreamspinner. Gorgeous re-telling of The Ugly Duckling. It had the perfect balance of gentle comedy and romance. Some nice fish out of water moments with Perry. But it’s Greg, all gruff and self-deprecating (and the perfect book boyfriend for me) who steals the show. I got to the end and I wasn’t ready to let this story go. Brilliant. 5 stars.
And I don't have to let them go because I have just purchased this book in audio. I'll let you know how that goes in a future post.


I could recommend Clare London's books until the cows come home but these are the books of hers that I've read in the last six weeks. Enjoy.

Fiction Friday

The end of the month is nigh. I think it’s time to round up the last two weeks of reading.

The Last Light of Day by Rachel Kane – Don’t let the cover, or the blurb, fool you, this is a contemporary. It’s moody, atmospheric, and just a little bit creepy. I’ve not read this author before, she seems to be comparatively new, with her first release in December ’16 and 10 releases in the 6 months since. If they are all like this I would certainly buy them but I’ve noticed one of her series is dragon based, and I’m really not sure about that.

Rain by LA Witt – I must confess to being a numpty with this one. I didn’t realise this was a sequel. In fact, I was over halfway through before the thought occurred to me.  This is the sequel to Rules of Engagement, which I actually have unread on my Kindle *facepalm* Anyway not having read the first book didn’t impact on my enjoyment at all. I just thought I was going into a new book with an established couple for leads.

I don’t often bring low rated books to your attention but I feel I should here. Making Anthony Watch by Anita Dick. I one-starred this book. To me this book screamed sexual assault, pure and simple. There was nothing romantic about it. Luckily this was a free read and it was also quite short so I didn’t waste either time or money on it.

To cleanse the palate after that one something fairy tale sweet. And who better to go to for that than Megan Derr.

The Rapier Brothers by Megan Derr – A collection of stories about the three Rapier brothers and how they find love.  Low steam but perfectly sweet.

The Maker Jock by SA McAuley – Cute story that is classed as a HFN by the author. I had no problem with how the story ended but I have the sequel to read anyway.

The Magician’s Assistant by LF Blake – This is a very dark read. Again it is free, and I doubt I would have willingly picked it up. I can’t say I enjoyed it because the subject matter really doesn’t allow for that but it kept me enthralled until the end.

An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles – Despite the fact that the graphic taxidermy parts always seemed to appear when I was eating, I thought this mysterious tale was excellent. Well written and diverse leads, and a plethora of interesting side characters inhabited this historical tale of a Lord’s bastard, his manipulative brother, and a quirky little animal stuffer. Even with their quirks, or maybe because of them, the two leads fit together perfectly. 5 stars



This is a really mixed collection, I hope you find something that takes your fancy.

Fiction Friday

Let's try and get this bi-monthly at least.

Leo Loves Aries (Signs of Love #1) & Leo Tops Aries (Signs of Love #1.5) by Anyta Sunday. Absolutely adorable. Who knows why I waited so long to read these books. This is slow burn and so delicious. And the short sequel is more than just the rumpy pumpy that the title implies. 5 stars.

The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters (Granby Knitting #1) by Amy Lane. Another book I've had on my Kindle for ages. You know I love a grumpy, reticent MC, right? Yeah, this. Bring on the rest of the series...

Taken by the Geeks by E. Davies - PWP. Remember that fandom saying 'I'll be in my bunk'? *cough* Well you know where to find me ;)

The Locked Room by RayeAnn Carter. This is an interesting novella. I can't say too much without giving away the secret of what is behind 'the locked door'.

Bare Studs - A Dreamspinner Anthology.  Of these 10 stories I liked all but 2. Several would have benefited from being novellas rather than short stories.  My absolute favourites: Coffee a run by Jess Roth. 4*/Executive Decision by Alice Archer. 4*/Flat packed by Henrietta Clarke. 4.5*/Moonshine by Charlie Tannen. 4.5* (Gutted I can find no other work by this author)/Love on the Tarmac by Quinn Dressler 4*/How to Build a Shed by Kim Dias. - Adorable. A little white lie. It can't do much damage, right? 4*   Overall an above average anthology.

Where There's Smoke (Panopolis #1) by Cari Z. - Great take on the superhero story where the ordinary guy falls, not for the hero, but for the Villain. Can't wait t read the next one.

Prosperity (Prosperity #1) by Alexis Hall - First off this is not a traditional style romance. It's an adventure, with airships, robotic dead men, deranged priests, kraken, and the most diverse bunch of characters you'll ever fall in love with. Ruben and Milord damn near broke my heart. 5*

Not bad for less than a fortnight's worth of reading. And I've been writing this last few weeks, and beta reading.