Review of Lightening-Struck Heart by TJ Klune

 by TJ Klune

4.5 Stars

Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident.

Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam's pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the King's Wizard, Morgan of Shadows.

When Sam is fourteen, he enters the Dark Woods and returns with Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy, earning the moniker Sam of Wilds.

At fifteen, Sam learns what love truly is when a new knight arrives at the castle. Sir Ryan Foxheart, the dreamiest dream to have ever been dreamed.

Naturally, it all goes to hell through the years when Ryan dates the reprehensible Prince Justin, Sam can't control his magic, a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the King sends them on an epic quest to save Ryan's boyfriend, all while Sam falls more in love with someone he can never have.

Or so he thinks

We haven’t laughed as hard in a book since the last TJ Klune we read.  If you haven’t read Lightening-Struck Heart – go now and pick it up.

There ae some anything things happening in this fantasy m/m romance, but the story is set around wizard Sam of winds, sorry, apprentice wizard!  He is a 20 year old man who is apprenticing under the King’s Wizard Morgan, after him and his family are plucked from the slums to live their new life in the Castle.  Sam is an odd fellow and seems to collect odd friends; Gary the Gay-Unicorn and half-giant Tiggy. But Sam is in love with the great Knight, Sir Ryan Foxheart who is trothed to another, sand poor Sam is left to pick up the pices of his heart.

Honestly, this is one of the funniest books we have read, we laughed so hard we sorted.  There is so much wit, humor, sarcasm and teasing we couldn’t get enough.  We were never bored during the 400 page book.  Sam is a clueless kind of fellow, and he goes through life falling into ridiculous crazy situations. 

This book reads a bit like a fairy tale, but in an alternate reality.  There is a Grand Quest, villains, and an epic love story.  Sam and Ryan are so sweet together, their bashfulness is endearing, their situation is heartbreaking and their chemistry (when the allow themselves to acknowledge each other) is enthralling. 

This is another winner by TJ Klune, and we love these characters.  Lightening-Struck Heart is a winner of a book, and we can’t wait to read the next installment. 

Review of Bred for Love by Revella Hawthorne

by Revella Hawthorne, pen-name for SJ Himes

4 stars

In a world where humans are genetically designed, altered and sold for sexual pleasure and breeding, a young prince of the powerful Cassian Dynasty decides to take a mate and sire heirs. Not wishing to saddle himself with royal and meddlesome in-laws, and a wife he would have no desire to bed, Prince Edward goes to Heritage Breeders, and finds far more than just a warm body to sate his lust and carry on his lineage.

Percy is the result of a master DNA architect designing himself his own personal sex slave and breeder. Yet when his creator and Master dies, leaving Percy alone at the mercy of the callous stable masters and the new owner of Heritage, he fears his future. Afraid he'll be bought by a wretched old man or a deviant monster, Percy is terrified when he is dragged from his cell and presented to the most prestigious client Heritage has ever welcomed...a Cassian Royal.

Prince Edward is immediately infatuated with the shy, nervous and enchantingly beautiful Percy, and claims him for his own. Yet not everyone is pleased by a royal purchasing a breeder, especially one like Percy, and tensions rise both in Heritage and in the palace.

Torn between desire, duty, a king's command and the innermost desires of their hearts, Edward and Percy are set on path that is anything but easy. Can Percy trust Edward with his heart as he does his body? Can Edward keep an angry king and unseen enemies away from the young slave who is steadily stealing his heart?

And what happens when Nature takes its course, and sex leads to more than just pleasure?

At 160 pages, Bred for Love could be a short story, but there is so much going on that it really feels like a full length novel.  We liked this story, but were really fascinated with the world, the fantasy.

Prince Edward is a Cassian Blood Prince, but since he has older brothers who have provided heirs to the throne he find himself not willing to get married to produce an heir, and instead turns to Heritage and procuring a breeder to carry on his line.  While perusing the merchandise at Heritage, Edward meets Percy, unlike other breeders, has been built to have conscience thought and be a companion for his mate, not just to produce a child and be stabled afterward. 

See, sounds like a pretty easy story, but throw in self-lubrication,  breeders just to produce heirs, male pregnancies, sex-slaves and poof, our mind was blown, and actually kept us reading because darn, we were just fascinated. It felt like every page turn brought us to another weird revelation, or another head-scratching tid bit of this fantasy world.

 But, let’s talk the relationship between Edward and Percy.  The idea of a breeder is simple; buy a breeder, mount, repeat until they produce and offspring, they are stabled and then repeat  process when you want another child.  Edward goes to Heritage with this intention, but finds Percy; shy, sweet, beautiful, and Edward wants to take care of him, and they soon find themselves falling in love – ahh, insta-love.  It feels a bit like a shifter story, with the alpha/mate connection. 

We didn’t particularly like Percy, he was meek, subservient, and docile, never meeting anyone’s eyes, but he is essentially a slave, and acts as one should.  And if he cried one more time we might have just hit him! We wish sometimes he would stand up for himself a bit more, or grow a backbone, but again being a breeder put him as a certain level in this society, and we felt that looking through our perspective , we just didn’t understand where he was coming from some times.  The breeder thing made us a bit itchy as well.  Percy self-lubricates (umm, yes) and the sex is very vigorous, descriptive, explicit, and HOT.  But, fair warning, there is a lot lot lot of sex.  So much for such a short read. 

Honestly we couldn’t put this book down, and read the other 2 in the continuing story the next day, there is a flow to the writing, it grabs you and keeps you, folding you in this weird world.  It is easy to read and ends on a satisfactory note that you want to pick up the next books. 

Review of The Necromancer's Dilemma (Beacon Hill Scorer #2) by SJ Himes

by SJ Himes

4.5 Stars

Even love can die without trust.

Angel’s brother, Isaac, has returned home, and the pair begin to make slow and awkward attempts back to each other. Learning how to be a brother to a grown man instead of a parental figure has Angel adjusting his behaviors and habits, and Isaac still remains a mystery. Was it merely entering adulthood that turned Isaac away from an overprotective Angel, or does Isaac carry a secret that will keep them from finally being a real family?

Daniel Macavoy, Angel’s new apprentice, is torn between his bond with Angel and the grasping machinations of his father. Dealing with a traumatized apprentice with dangerous holes in his magical education, saving Daniel may be harder than Angel first thought—especially since the biggest problem is not revenge, but guilt.

The one shining beacon in his life is Simeon, Elder vampire of Boston’s only Bloodclan. Four hundred years old and sexy as sin, Simeon is warrior and sage, patient and cunning. The strength Angel draws from Simeon’s devotion and the newborn mate-bond between them is steadfast and true…and the fount of death magic that animates the undead lord places Angel in the midst of a power struggle for control over himself, his lover, and his family.

Through it all, Angel is beleaguered by the unwanted attention of a troll-hybrid, the adventures of a dragon in the city, and a serial killer has decided to hunt the back alleys and midnight streets of Boston.

The second in the Beacon Hill Scorers series and it is as good as the first.  We aren’t much for vampire romance, but SJ Himes has created a fantasy that is so imaginative that it makes you believe.

We start again visiting with Angel, and his hodge podge of family.  Isaac his brother has finally returned home and is learning how to let Angel in and understand his magical gift.  Daniel Macavoy has come to stay as Angel’s apprentice and struggles between his family and his desire to learn.  And as always there is Simeon.  Sweet, sexy Simeon. 

SJ Himes has such a way for storytelling, just as the first Necromancer book, the second edition is aa layered world that pulls you in and, immerses you in a bubble around Simeon and Angel.  Himes takes us deeper into her magical world exploring dragons, trolls and the mystical fae.  She balance the real wold, being set in Boston with actual Boston landmarks, and a fantasy work in a perfect harmony, so much you expect to see vampires walking around. 

The first book dealt with a new love between Simon and, this book is easier paced and heartwarming as they fall deeper in love.  And let’s not forget the best part of a scorer and vampire getting together, yep, the steam between the sheets.  Yummmm.  This does not disappoint, the chemistry is smoking hot, hot, hot! But regardless of the between-the-sheets, Simeon and Angel grow more into their relationship, working together, living together, and being a real blood bonded couple. 

There is so much going on in this book; family drama, return of an ex, mysterious murders, vampire power struggle, but it all fits together so well.  The book has a great flow that kept us engaged in the mystery and how everything fits together.   And we get to visit with our favorite characters.  Seriously loving Isaac and Daniel, and hoping the next book feature each one of these two hotties! 

So all in all, this is a fantastic addition to the Beacon Hill Sorcerer series.  Fast-paced, romantic, sexy, mysteries, a must read m/m romance.  Even if you don’t love fantasy, go pick up the series by SJ Himes, you won’t be disappointed.  And this 6-7 books planned in the series, there is lots of good reading to come!

Review of The Necromancer's Dance by SJ Himes

by S.J. Himes

4.5 Stars

In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother’s boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again pulled back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family’s death.

Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire’s attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.

Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead? Death stalks the streets of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill….and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.

We couldn’t put this down, such and interesting story and a great read!  S.J. Himes creates this fantastic, paranormal romance between a Sorcerer and a Vampire that is riveting. 

Angel Salvatore is a bit of a reclusive celebrity in the Sorcerer world, he managed to defeat 100 vampires during the blood wars with 1 spell, but it is not how he wasn’t to be remembered.  A number of years later he starts a wary friendship with Simeon, an Elder in the Boston Vampire clan.  But what he doesn’t know is that Simeon is actually falling in love with him, and Angel is used to being on his own.  As these 2 try to find their connection, Angels past comes back, to haunt him.

There is so much in The Necromancer’s Dance, we don’t know where to start.  We aren’t really a fantasy, paranormal fans, but this world is so fascinating.  How Vampires, Sorcerers and other fantastical creatures live out in the real world, under their own laws and governing.  It kept us really interested in the story itself, kept us reading, and really enjoyed meeting new characters.

Angel and Simeon are both strong independent men, but together they work so well.  Angel has had to be strong, but realizes that he has been craving the intimacy he has been pushing away since his family died.  Simeon is fascinated by Angel, he loves his strength, his mind, his magically gift, and he wants to treasure him.  And, sigh, it works so so so so well.  As the relationship grows between Angel and Simeon, The Necromancer’s Dance gets seriously hot; there are some serious sparks between the two men.  There is a lot of between the sheets action, but we felt that it added to the story, make you really feel that these men are falling in love and not just lust. 

S.J. Himes has created a magical story here.  Fast-paces, action-filled, sheets-burning enjoyment form start to finish.  It is the first in the Beacon Hill Sorcerers series, and we can’t wait to dive into the rest of this fantastic world!

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!