Faceoff

Title: Faceoff
Author: J.M. Synder
Series: Playing the Field (Book 1)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Christian is a professional hokey player who wants nothing more than to play in the NHL. When he gets traded from the Richmond Rebels to the Bedford Blizzards, he sees it as just another step towards the NHL. The only person he tells that he requested the trade is his teammate and lover, Ronnie. Now, months later, the Blizzards are playing the Rebels and he still has no clue where Ronnie and him stand.

Since this is so short, the characters are kind of flat. They're not completely cardboard cut-outs, but you don't really get to see the depth in them. They do have some depth however, they're not just brainless hokey players (most of them) and as such, struggle with inner conflict and emotions. It doesn't really detract from the story and is mostly just a side effect of it being so short.

I love how Snyder handled the plot. Instead of lumping all of the backstory into one section, she used flashbacks to give us a glimpse into Christian's past. Alternating between the past and present was an excellent idea, and made this novel much more fun to read. She handled the technique excellently and it was easy to follow which time you were in, unlike some novels.

Over all, I loved reading this novel. Snyder had a good balance of plot and sex, and didn't try to overwhelm the reader with too much of either. No grammar or punctuation errors jumped out at me, nor did any large plot holes. I would definitely recommend this story to romance lovers.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Orphan's Quest

Title: Orphan's Quest
Author: Pat Nelson Childs
Series: The Chronicles of Firma
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Rokey has lived in the Nobel Contemplative, a place where orphaned boys are sent, since he was two. Ever since he was a child, he wondered who his parents are and hoped of one day reuniting with them. When he fails at a job given to him by the administration, he is sent out of the Contemplative, never to return. He is given a small amount of money and a recommendation for work and is set off alone. Rokey wonders what will happen to him, how he will survive. What he doesn't expect how ever, is to find love and find out someone is after his life.

I found this novel on my quest for LGBT fantasy novels and this popped up. I'm really glad I found this book too, since it was a good read. The story starts out good and sucks you in, but there's a brief lull in the plot right after he meets up with Flaskamper, though it does pick up again shortly after. Some parts of the story were a little hard to pick up at first since the author uses some terminology I'm not too familiar with (he calls minutes minmark, and hours marks), but it didn't detract from the story too much.

The only thing I didn't like during the story was when they would get into trouble. It seemed like every other chapter they were getting into some sort of trouble, but by the next chapter they're escaped pretty much unscathed. It's a little bit too unrealistic to go through all those battles, come out on top, then have what happens at the end, happen.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy the book though and would gladly recommend it to fantasy lovers. Rokey and Flash are loveable characters and I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel, Scion's Blood.

Twin Temptations

Title: Twin Temptations
Author: Carol Lynne
Series: Good-Time Boys
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Twins Ryker and Ranger have had tough lives. No one really understands their relationship and most people don't approve of it. Neither of them is gay, but ever since they were babies they've been in love with each other and always sleep together. When Ryker falls in love with Lily, a waitress at the local bar, the two decide to bring her into their relationship.

At first I was going to rate this three stars, because Lynne seemed to be following a single plot thread. Two people fall in love, people disapprove, one person gets violent and attacks them, that person goes to jail, everyone approves of their relationship, happily ever after. That's basically the same plot that all four books in this series follow, but she did mix it up a little in this one. I like how neither of the twins are gay, but they're still in love with each other. It shows that their relationship transcends gender. I also like how she had Ranger having an internal battle, that veered off from the other three a little bit.

I also like how the main external conflict, Jeff, was pushed to the side and given a lesser role to the internal conflicts. I thought that this book would end up being a repeat of the others with Lionel and Lynne surprised me there.

Her characters were once again interesting and fun to read. The other books in the series had left Ranger and Ryker underdeveloped but this book fixed it pretty much. The first three books make Ranger and Ryker out of be gay lovers who have been having sex since they were teens. Twin Temptations, however, shows the true depth of their relationship.

Definitely a book I'd recommend to gay romance lovers. But be warned, to understand parts of this book you need to read the first three books in the series. Also, this book contains twincest which some readers may not like.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18. This novel also contains "twincest" or relationships between twin brothers and may be offensive to some readers.

Garron's Gift

Title: Garron's Gift
Author: Carol Lynne
Series: Good-Time Boys
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Garron and Sonny are still madly in love with each other even though they're receiving a lot of trouble from a couple people in town. Sonny decides to take their relationship to the next level and asks Garron to "marry" him. Garron agrees and the two hold a small ceremony on Garron's birthday. That's when everything goes to hell. When leaving the ceremony on Garron's bike, Sonny is shot causing Garron to crash.

This was a pretty good book to read. Not only did it have a nice romantic plot to it, it also had a bit of a mystery plot as well. The thing that really bugged me most though, was how it kept alluding to the twin's relationship but never really told you anything. I'm assuming everything will be wrapped up with them in their book (Twin Temptations), but I would've liked to at least been given something.

I also would've liked a bit better of an ending as well. It leaves you with a cliff hanger and you have to read the next book to find out what happens. I don't really like it when books end that way since it reads more like a marketing ploy than anything.

Over all though, I did enjoy this book. It let me escape the stress of Christmas and easily forget all my problems. I recommend this book for readers who like a good amount of plot in their romance novels.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Love in the Library

Title: Love in the Library
Author: J.M. Snyder
Series:
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review:

For bookworm Johnny, a job in the library sounds like heaven. But after shelving books all night, he realizes it's not what he thought it would be. After the cart he's using gets jammed in the elevator, Adam comes to the rescue and it's lust at first sight.

This is a free read on Snyder's website and thus is pretty short. Normally I don't like short stories like this too much because you don't get to see the romance evolve but I really enjoyed this one. I liked how she had them start dating but didn't try to convince the reader that they fell in love in 22 pages. There weren't any major flaws that I could find - good grammar, spelling, punctuation, and good characters that didn't read like cardboard cut outs.

Snyder did a great job with this story. It's a sweet little romance teaser that leaves the reader wanting a full length novel. I'd love for her to take these two characters and expand on their relationship. The little glimpse into their lives that we get is sweet and romantic. I highly recommend this short read to anyone looking for a romantic read to relax with.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Sonny's Salvation

Title: Sonny's Salvation
Author: Carol Lynne
Series: Good-Time Boys #1
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

When Sonny Good's father died, he left the FBI to return to Summerville, Nebreska and take over the family ranch. One night, while having dinner at the local bar, he meets Garron Greeley for the first time. Garron just moved to town to help his brother run the ranch next to Sonny's.

Though it was a little short, this was a pretty good story. I would've preferred it to be a little bit longer and their relationship a little more fleshed out. As it is, you only get to see a brief glimpse into their lives and not the full scope of their relationship.

The characters were all pretty interesting, not really stereotypes. It probably would've helped if Lynne had developed the side characters a little bit more and given them bigger roles. As it is, you only really get to see Rawley in a detailed way. The twins and Garron's brother only play brief roles.

Not deep literature by any means, but a good quick read. I recommend reading this if you're looking for something short and sweet to read.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Diving in Deep

Title: Chasing Smoke
Author: K.A. Mitchell
Series: Prequel to Collision Course
Rating: 3/5 stars
Review:

Ever since he was a teenager, Noah Winthrop has had a crush on Cameron. Cameron Lewis is Noah's older brother's best friend. Cameron pushed Noah away when they were teenagers - insisting that Noah was too young. But when the two get together at Adam's wedding four years later, Cameron isn't able to push him away. The next morning, Noah wakes up and finds Cameron gone. The two don't meet up again until fifteen years later when Noah ends up in one of Cameron's safety classes. And just like the last time they met, sparks begin to fly.

It's been a while since I've rated a book three stars. To me, three stars isn't bad, it's average. I did enjoy reading the book, but I doubt I'll read it again. There were parts of the novel I liked and parts I didn't like, so it kind of balanced out. It was really hard to rate this three stars, I've loved all of Mitchell's other books, but this one just wasn't as strong as the others.

The grammar (spelling, punctuation, etc.) in the novel was good, I didn't spot any obvious mistakes that distracted from the novel, but the characters in this novel are kind of flat. You don't really get to see much of any of the side characters - Joey, Mark or Adam and they aren't really developed at all. Joey reads like a stereotypical gay boy. I imagine him speaking with a lisp and waving his hands around while he talks most of the time. Even the characterization of the main characters - Cameron and Noah - isn't too deep.

The next thing I didn't like was the plot. There really wasn't much plot beyond their relationship. I don't mind that, but I'd like to see them explore their relationship in more ways than just the bedroom. (And no, the scene on the coffee table doesn't count.) There were some really good scenes that I liked, but I would've liked to have seen more. I would've liked to have seen more of their trip to Hawaii and also more interaction with Noah's family.

Overall, I didn't hate this story. I did enjoy reading it, but like I said, it's pretty much a single read novel. If you're into gay romance novels (with sex scenes) it wouldn't hurt to check this book out. You may not fall in love with it, but you probably won't hate it either.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Chasing Smoke

Title: Chasing Smoke
Author: K.A. Mitchell
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

When he was 17, Trey Eriksson's father was accused of murdering his mother and then attempting suicide. When he had no where to go, the rich Gardner family took him in. That's where his relationship with Daniel Gardner began. Fifteen years later, Trey is still seeking the truth about what happened to his parents and he crosses paths with Daniel once again.

Once again, K.A. Mitchell has done an excellent job of characterization. Her characters a fleshed out and realistic. They have flaws and aren't cookie cutter stereotypes.

I enjoyed the side plot of this. I liked that it wasn't just a cheap romance with nothing but sex scenes. Rather, it had a mystery plot that was interesting and kept the reader wondering. The only thing I didn't like was that it was wrapped up too quickly and easily.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

The Minister's Black Veil

Title: The Minister's Black Veil
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

One day, a minister appears before his congregation wearing a black veil that covers his face except for his mouth and chin. This act startles and frightens the congregation and they shy away from him. The only one with a enough courage to confront him is his fiance, but he won't tell even her why he wears the veil.

For my English 201 class, I had to read two short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne - this one and Young Goodman Brown. I have to say, I liked this one far more than Young Goodman Brown. It was written simplistically but artfully. The grammar and tone was easy to read and follow through out the story. The plot was also very interesting and engaging.

Not only was the plot enjoyable, but there was interesting subtext. There was a moral that was easy to understand and didn't leave you sitting there staring at the page in an attempt to figure it out. I'd highly recommend this story to any English majors or those considering majoring in English.

Tigers and Devils

Title: Tigers and Devils
Author: Sean Kennedy
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

When Simon's friends, Roger and Fran, drag him to a party, he never expects to fall in love. But that's exactly what he does. He meets Declan Tyler, one of the best football players in Australia. It's definitely not love at first sight for the two, but they start a relationship even though Declan is still in the closet. Eventually, the two are outed and you get to see the tolls that takes on their relationship.

Kennedy did a great job with his characters. Both Declan and Simon felt like real people. They both made mistakes and tried to fix them. When they were upset or mad, they acted just like real people would. Even the side characters were pretty well developed.

The plot of this novel was pretty good as well. It was a gay romance novel that wasn't sex, sex, sex. It also have a nice, romantic ending, but wasn't a cheap fairy tale, happily ever after, ending. At times it did seem a little bit long winded, but I did like it nonetheless.

Kennedy also did a good job of portraying the media. They acted just as they would in real life - like obsessed stalkers. It showed how much they invade privacy and twist things for their own benefit.

I highly recommend this novel to romance lovers. I like that it's also appropriate for younger readers since it doesn't have any graphic sex scenes.

Among the Living

Title: Among the Living
Author: Jordan Casitllo Price
Series: Psy Cop 1
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Victor Bayne is a Psy Cop - a cop with a psychic ability - in Chicago's Paranormal Investigation Unit. In Vic's case, he can see and hear the dead. He's a class 5 medium, one of the highest classes there are. During a murder investigation he meets a non-psychic named Jacob Marks. The two become intimate as they work together to catch a nasty serial killer - one who messes with Vic's power.

I've been told numerous times to read this book and I finally did. And wow. I'm glad I did. The story started out slow with a druggy main character that I didn't particularly like. But as it progressed, I began to like him more and more. Price did an excellent job with his characters - they're unique and interesting. The psychic powers were also handled very well.

My only real complaint is how short the books is. It was only 118 pages in PDF and I wish it had been longer. I want see more of Vic and Jacob's relationship. I also want to see what happens to their partners. I'm going to have to read the next book in the series soon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who like M/M romance.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.