Review of Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C.

by Cardeno C.

4-stars

Steamy, sexy, sweet love story is a HIT!

Ford Hollingsworth is a newly elected Congressman from the great state of Missouri, following in his staunchly Republican Senator father’s footsteps.  He e has been raised in a very conservative household where you honor the flag, go to church, get married and have a family.  And at the age of 37 finds himself moving away from his roots when his need for a personal connection with a man grows too hard to ignore.  Picking up a stranger to easy the ache his finds himself in bed with non-other than Trevor Moga.  Although Trevor is the son of the sitting Democratic President he hates politics, and has built a successful career for himself without his parent’s interference.   

Strange Bedfellows is steamy, Cardeno C’s books create some serious heat, and the spark between Trevor and Ford starts on the first page.  There are so many great things about this book, the relationship between the main characters is so genuine that you feel like you fall in love with them.  There is a secrecy about their relationship, and you feel the urgent need when they come together.  They are sweet, fluffy and endearing couple. 

There is lots of politics in this book, and we actually really liked them.  The struggle Ford has to honor his love for Trevor and the need to be re-elected.  We wish this could happen in real life, when political people are actually out! 

Now let’s talk about the good stuff…..whoowhoo, and it is good!  The sex in this book is hot!  There is quite a bit, but not overwhelming, and the dirty talk from Trevor is off the chart good.  The sex adds to their booty call- to – love story and adds to the realness of their feelings.

So, if you are looking for a feel-good, snuggle down on the couch and read a hot love story, then Strange Bedfellows is for you!

Review of The Soldier's Scoundel by Cat Sebastian

by Cat Sebastian

 3.5 Stars

 

A historical Romance that will have you falling in love!

This historical Romance by Cat Sebastian combines a bit of a mystery, a stuffy nobility and a scoundrel in a steamy romance.  Jack Turner grew up in the London slum’s but has eked out a life for himself solving pretty crime, and mysteries for the ladies of the nobility.   Oliver Rivington is a retired military man, who has returned with a disability and happens across Jack when he goes to investigate an expense of his sister’s household.  Jack and Oliver are like oil and water, but spending more time together they start to make more and more sense.

We really enjoyed this book, and one of our first m/m historical romances.  The look at the nobility at the time is fascinating, and Oliver makes a regal character.  The romance between Jack is believable, and we fell in love with the back and forth of the characters, the humor easily translates off the page.  There is some definite steam between Jack and Oliver and we love that even through it is in the ‘historical’ genre, the heat is there between the 2 characters.

Another great part of The Soldier’s Scoundrel is it’s secondary story-line around Jack’s case.  This actually gives the characters something to focus on instead of angst.  There is still a bit of that  the “he deserves better than me” and “I don’t want to appear to be buying him”, but it doesn’t take away for the story.  Cat Sebastian also looks into the class difference in this time, how the nobility act to others in service of them.  Oliver has come back as a wounded war-hero, but feels like he doesn’t quite belong back in that airy life he once led. 

Historical Romance really isn’t our genre, and the cover doesn’t do much to help lure you to read The Soldier’s Scoundrel, but this is not to be missed.  Cat Sebastian weaves a multi-layered tales that keeps you turning the page until the end.

Review of Brody and Nick by A.D. Ellis

by A.D. Ellis 

3-stars 

A cute story idea, that gets lost.

Brody and Nick by A.D. Ellis is set around the idea of 2 friends that get married for financial gain, but end up falling for each other.  Army specialist Brody King, is looking to get out of barracks housing, but the only way to live off base is if you are married.  Brody can save some money if only he can find someone to marry…enter Nick Ferguson.  Nick is close to graduation, but has settled his life with his volunteer work and potential career path of starting his own charity.  But he needs out of his current rooming situation and marring Brody seems like it is the best of both worlds. 

This is one is a series of books, we didn’t ready the others, so safe to assume you can read as a standalone.  Brody and Nick are great characters, and you fall in love with the beginning of the story.  We totally got caught up in their rush to get married, and their sweet, sexy vibe.  But the story kinda loses steam, and becomes a bit drama and angsty.  As expected they fall in love each other, but when they are both ready to tell each other, something throws a wrench in the story, and drama.   Plus they tend to emote a lot, and on and on and on. We tended to skim a bit.

There are lots of great things about this story, the development of characters and their friends is really fun, everyone should have friends like these.  And their journey to love is great, how they fall in love, you actually feel for them, and believe.  And the best part is the epilogue, 5-star, A.D. Ellis should write a course in good epilogues! 

Brody and Nick is a cute marriage-of-convenience story, which makes you believe in love, but too much drama and angst makes it a long read!

Review of The Company we Keep by Kay Simone

 by Kay Simone

4.5 Stars

Another can’t-put-it-down m/m hot-as-hell romance by Kay Simone!

The Company we Keep by Kay Simone focuses around a crime lord A.R. Carrow, and his gang The Company.  This diverse group of criminals out of California is on the AIIB’s list of must-infiltrate, and Federal Agent Charlie Judge has been training his life to be the done to take them down.  The Company loses a man in a heist and replace him with Agent Judge turned  Dust Wrenshall demolitions expert.  But once happens when the people and place you are working to destroy are the ones you want to protect – fireworks.

Kay Simone is one of our favorite romance authors, she can create a story that is pure magic, and The Company we Keep is no exception.  It is fast-paced, exciting and hot as hell.  The sexual tension between Dust and Carrow leaps off the page and the sex doesn’t overwhelm the story.  This book captures your attention from the first words and keeps you turning the pages.  There is vulnerability in these 2 alpha-strong males, that somehow they don’t really know each other, but need each other.  Kay creates this hope that even though you know that things can go so wrong for Dust and Carrow you are wishing for their happy ending.  

Not only does this story capture you with the heat, heat, heat between the 2 main characters, but introduces us to some fantastic supporting characters.  In many of Kay’s books she creates a cast of characters that does not disappoint.  The Company’s members are a diverse group of people and although we were a little confused about who was who, they each have personalities you won’t soon forget.  The story walks you through Dust actually infiltrating The Company, so as Dust learns of the gang, so do you, it makes you feel like you actually know individual members and their quirks. .

For some reason this was on our Kindle for a long time, and we should have known better as how can you go wrong with Kay Simone?  The Company we Keep is a fantastic, sexy read, that needs a sequel…..seriously!

Review of Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price

By Jordan Castillo Price

3 stars

A vampire slow-burn love-story that slides easily into fantasy/paranormal.

Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price starts by introducing us to Mark Hansen, an artist assistant who finds himself going above and beyond.  The Vampire artist, Jonathan Varga, is essentially a recluse, staying hidden from the world, creating his all-black art, and making Mark do all his beck and call.  Mark has a soft spot for Jonathan and can’t refuse his requests; find a new cat-blood dealer, never drive the same route, anywhere and essentially doing everything outside the house that Jonathan refuses to do.   But Jonathan leaving the house to meet an art collector changes their relationship forever.

The story has a bit of a fantasy/paranormal lens, 10 years ago the virus Human Hemovore virus blazed throughout the world, leaving an odd new reality of v-negative and v-positive vampires. The world is carefully divided as the virus can be spread by bodily fluids, and the progression of the virus is horrific with many people succumbing at stage-3. 

First and foremost Hemovore is a romance, but not traditional in any way.  Yes, there is a slow burn to Mark and Jonathan’s relationship, but as they have already worked together for 4-years before the story starts, it feels like the relationship is already there, even if they don’t want to admit their feelings to each other.  There is a bit of sexual tension, but might actually call it physical tension.  Being a v-neg man and a v-positive vampire means they can’t touch, at all, and they do wear gloves but even that is risky.  They long to just touch each other; we didn’t feel the need of sexual tension.  And we kinda missed that heat.

Jordan Castillo Price has built this vampire fantasy world that is fascinating.  Jonathan and Mark encounter some other v-negative/v-positive couples along the way, and the descriptions of their lives, the separate bathrooms, kitchen spaces, and sleeping arrangements kept us entranced, and the pages turning.

So, although there is a lack of heat in Hemovore, this exciting world is not to be missed.  And the bonus book Sweet is the perfect follow-up that will have you falling in love with Mark and Jonathan all over again!

Review of Conduct Unbecoming by L.A. Witt

by L.A. Witt

3.5 Star

Military romance that is a guidebook to Okinawa, Japan. 

Conduct Unbecoming by L.A. Witt is first a military romance, focusing on a taboo relationship between enlisted Eric Randall and Officer Shane Connelly.  Eric is unexpectedly transferred to Okinawa, Japan and even though DADT is repealed he struggles with companionship in a place when everyone America in in the military.  He goes out to a gay club one night to find a one-night stand and happens upon Shane.  And from their first looks at each other there is HEAT.  L.A. Witt, can write heat, and this grabs you and makes you feel it.

Eric and Shane keep their relationship a secret at first as they don’t want to come out in the military, but once they discover that they are enlisted and an office their secrecy becomes even more important.  This is hot read, the sex between Eric and Shane is off the sheets, and there is a lot, they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other! 

Complaints?  Well, it is really fascinating to learn about Okinawa, but it gets a bit much.  The descriptions of the castle sites are beautiful, but they go on and on.  And add that to the fact that you really are waiting for the shoe to drop, for someone to see them out-and-about, we tended to skim a bit.  Also, we did have to google a bit with why an enlisted and officer can’t be together, could have been explained a bit better.  But there is so much to love about this book, hot, sexy military men, a great sense of humor, and the character of Eric’s daughter, so much fun.    And we really rooted for Eric and Shane!

Review of Strong Enough by Cardeno C.

By Cardeno C. 

3.5 Stars

Sweet, sappy and an insta-love , steamy steamy read, Strong Enough by Cardeno C.

Cardeno C, has a way of grabbing you into a story and keeping you and Strong Enough is one of those reads.  The story follows 22 year old construction worker Emilio Sanchez and math professor Spencer Derdinger, on an insta-love classic.  Spencer is 16 years older than Emilio and has a past that is keeping him from getting out there and finding love.   Emilio is a larger than life character who takes what he wants and after he sees Spencer at the University job site, he is enamored.  Emilio pursues Spencer and the outcome is fireworks! 

At the beginning of the book we had some issues with the age-span, but Cardeno C. makes it work.  We LOVED them together; they are sweet, romantic, caring and so so hot, light your pages on fire HOT.  But it takes them a while to get there.  Spencer has been hurt over and over before, and it leaves him a lot gun-shy.  And sometimes his self-esteem issues make the story drag a bit.  Although it did serve to annoy us sometimes – it doesn’t really take away from the love story of Spencer and Emilio.

Cardeno C, is a self-professed romantic and you feel it thought our this boo. Although not on our top 5 Cardeno C books, it is a great fun easy read.