book review

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Title: It’s All Geek to Me
Author: JL Merrow
Cover by: LC Chase
Genre: contemporary, mm
Word count: 13,600 (55 ms pages)

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBYWYOW/?tag=kimichee-20

Blurb from Riptide Publishing: Jez is on a mission of mercy: to replace a tragically deceased comic book for his injured best mate, Tel. Venturing into the Hidden Asteroid bookstore in London—the temple of geekdom itself—Jez is bowled over by the guy behind the counter.

Rhys is the poster boy for hot geeks: tall, gorgeous, and totally cool. Jez is desperate to impress him, so he bluffs his way through comic book jargon . . . and then dashes back to the hospital to beg Tel to teach him how to speak Geek.

Tel’s happy to oblige, and Jez is over the moon when Rhys asks him out. He’s even more thrilled when they discover a shared love of rugby, something he won’t have to fake for Rhys. The question is, how long can Jez keep up the deception, and what will happen when Rhys realizes he’s going out with a Fake Geek Guy?
– See more at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/its-all-geek-to-me#sthash.Lqc8hh1x.dpuf

This was a short read. That said, I really enjoy JL Merrow’s written voice. It’s always very engaging and sucks a reader in. She could quote a newspaper and make it sound like the most interesting thing around. Plus, I always add the British accent, which makes everything ten-times better.

I mostly wished that there could have been more. I was introduced to the characters and given a taste of who they are, and then it was over 🙁 I also didn’t like how Jez constantly puts himself down. It leaves me very curious about what happened in his previous relationship to make his self-esteem so low, but it also kind of made me uncomfortable to … Read the rest “RE BOOK: It’s All Geek to Me, by JL Merrow [mm, contemporary]”

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Title: Iron & Velvet
Author: Alexis Hall
Series: Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #1
Genre: urban fantasy, f/f, action
Word count: 77,200 (309 ms pages)

AMAZON: Kindle
AMAZON: Paperback

Description from Riptide Publishing: First rule in this line of business: don’t sleep with the client.

My name’s Kate Kane, and when an eight-hundred-year-old vampire prince came to me with a case, I should have told her no. But I’ve always been a sucker for a femme fatale.

It always goes the same way. You move too fast, you get in too deep, and before you know it, someone winds up dead. Last time it was my partner. This time it could be me. Yesterday a werewolf was murdered outside the Velvet, the night-time playground of one of the most powerful vampires in England. Now half the monsters in London are at each other’s throats, and the other half are trying to get in my pants. The Witch Queen will protect her own, the wolves are out for vengeance, and the vampires are out for, y’know, blood.

I’ve got a killer on the loose, a war on the horizon, and a scotch on the rocks. It’s going to be an interesting day.

There were some definite Britishisms in this book, which threw me a little bit (American here), but once I got into the flow I really enjoyed the world of Kate Kane. It took me back to the early days of Anita Blake, before the erotica happened, back when it was a female protagonist kicking ass and taking names.

Kate Kane is a PI that has suffered the loss of relationships and people she loved, yet she’s moving on with her life. She’s a tough person that’s not going to let the world get her down. Except she’s been asked … Read the rest “RE BOOK: Iron & Velvet, by Alexis Hall [urban fantasy, ff]”

Kiss That Frog, by Cate RowanTitle: Kiss That Frog
Author: Cate Rowan
Genre: fantasy, f/m, romance, modern fairy tale
Word count: 12,000 words (48 ms pages)

Summary from Netgalley: In this romantic fairy tale remix, a cynical Los Angeles artist reluctantly pet-sits for her young niece’s frog and discovers magic in the terrarium — in the form of a sexy enchanted prince.

“A cute modern fairy tale of a prince that’s been turned into a frog finally meeting his princess … 200 years in the future.”

This was a very quick read. I couldn’t help wishing for a bit more; the romance happened very fast once the frog regained his humanity. I mean, it would have been nice to find out how he adapted to life in the future and how things turned out for them.

Still, this is a one-sitting read, which would make it the perfect fit for a 1/2 hour commute or ferry ride.

On-screen sex: no
Heat level: sweet
Rating: 3/5

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Forbidden Future: A Time Travel Anthology

Title: Forbidden Future
Author: James Wymore, Jon Bradbury, Michael Trimmer, James Lauren, Kade Anderson, Terra Harmony, Matt Mitrovich
Publisher: The Masquerade Crew
Genre: sci-fi, time travel, anthology

Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon.

Blurb: “What becomes of mankind in the future? Is life better or worse?”

SOCIETY – Terra Harmony Website, Facebook, Twitter
“Take a ride on the Energy of the Future where society gets a fresh, clean start—no matter who they have to leave behind.” A man from the past enters a hellish future at a time when the Earth is on the brink of destruction.

EXCERPT: I choke on the thick, acrid atmosphere, resisting the urge to gag. Before I even open my eyes, I hear shouting. The voices grow louder as a group of people nears.

“How did he get over the fence?”

“Doesn’t matter — he’s here now. Scan him.”

My eyelids are heavy and crusted over.

“Pigmentation is right, check his blood.”

A sharp prick in my arm, then a machine beeps. “White cell count is low, but meets the threshold.”

BETWEEN UTOPIAS – Michael Trimmer
“After being saved from a fatal heart attack by being transported to the future, David must choose from two opposite utopias.” A modern man gets snatched up to a future that’s supposed to be utopian.

EXCERPT: It wasn’t just the bombs now. The ground shook. The sky brightened. The near-transparent dome of the shield flexed and rippled. It was the bombers themselves, the ones the anti-air sites only clipped. Civilians ran. Debris fell. Soldiers and vehicles waited for orders. With damaged planes, bombs might not drop, but the bombers sure did. Fuselage, fuel tank and all. Smack-bang into the base’s energy shield, complete with payload inside.

FORBIDDEN FUTURE – James Wymore Website, Facebook, Twitter… Read the rest “RE BOOK: Forbidden Future [time travel anthology]”

Through a window darkly gazing
At a sight afraid to see
Breathing deep the salted water
Dreaming dreams, of you and me.