This is the second book in the series, and absolutely has to be read after the first. Here we see Reece, our empath, caught in an ever-expanding net oThis is the second book in the series, and absolutely has to be read after the first. Here we see Reece, our empath, caught in an ever-expanding net of political maneuvering and risk. Luckily, he still has Evan, the Dead Man, working at his side (unless, until...). The romance that was only hinted at in book 1 takes big strides forward here, to my appreciation. We learn more about Reece's sister, about the way empaths have been manipulated and used as tools and scapegoats, and about Evan, including a couple of big reveals. We see Reece figuring out more of what he can do, with the risk of losing himself to anger always hovering.
The ending isn't IMO a true cliffhanger but it is far from a settled moment. Definitely not one for folks who need their HFNs. But it worked for me, and I can't wait for book 3.
One caveat - the plot leans heavily on corrupt politicians, manipulations, scapegoating, and government malfeasance. If you are working through the fear of what real life politics will bring in the next couple of years, this may occasionally cut a little close to the bone....more
This book begins a saga for Arizona, a gay teen as the book opens, faced with an abusive father, two younger siblings, an aging but supportive grandmoThis book begins a saga for Arizona, a gay teen as the book opens, faced with an abusive father, two younger siblings, an aging but supportive grandmother, and a secret boyfriend he's hiding in the religious Southern community he lives in. A series of crises including his grandmother's death end up with Arizona in trouble. He's found by the husband of his deceased mother's mother - a step-grandfather - who has money and status and who plucks Arizona out of the accumulated disaster to a new life.
But that new life comes with disdainful servants, a drunk and nasty birth-grandmother, a gay uncle living secluded in the woods, a boarding school that won't be a comfortable fit for an outspoken gay boy who grew up poor, and secrets beneath the surface. Worst of all, that new life doesn't come with any concern or care for his half-siblings. And Arizona has choices to make, but he's also limited to only what his grandfather is willing to indulge him in, the times when the busy businessman actually is home to pay attention.
Arizona has relationships with multiple men in this book, but it's definitely not a romance, more a coming of age saga. It's also book 1 of a series, and the end, while it leaves some threads resolved and is not a cliffhanger, is also far from a solid resting place for Arizona and those he cares about.
This book was addictive in a soap opera way. I'm not sure if I'll read the rest, but boy, I do want to know how this turns out...
Merged review:
This book begins a saga for Arizona, a gay teen as the book opens, faced with an abusive father, two younger siblings, an aging but supportive grandmother, and a secret boyfriend he's hiding in the religious Southern community he lives in. A series of crises including his grandmother's death end up with Arizona in trouble. He's found by the husband of his deceased mother's mother - a step-grandfather - who has money and status and who plucks Arizona out of the accumulated disaster to a new life.
But that new life comes with disdainful servants, a drunk and nasty birth-grandmother, a gay uncle living secluded in the woods, a boarding school that won't be a comfortable fit for an outspoken gay boy who grew up poor, and secrets beneath the surface. Worst of all, that new life doesn't come with any concern or care for his half-siblings. And Arizona has choices to make, but he's also limited to only what his grandfather is willing to indulge him in, the times when the busy businessman actually is home to pay attention.
Arizona has relationships with multiple men in this book, but it's definitely not a romance, more a coming of age saga. It's also book 1 of a series, and the end, while it leaves some threads resolved and is not a cliffhanger, is also far from a solid resting place for Arizona and those he cares about.
This book was addictive in a soap opera way. I'm not sure if I'll read the rest, but boy, I do want to know how this turns out......more
This is an imaginative take on parallel universes - the idea that there are infinite alternate worlds, some differing only slightly, some by a lot. InThis is an imaginative take on parallel universes - the idea that there are infinite alternate worlds, some differing only slightly, some by a lot. In one world, your parents never met and you don't exist. In another, you chose a different career, in a third the meteor never took out the dinosaurs. What happens if someone gains the ability to step from world to world, especially when you add in magic?
Nathan seemed to have a lot of arcane talent as a child, but it never manifested and he's mediocre at best. He's in school, and learning to work with his abilities, probably low-scoring enough not to be automatically drafted into the all-consuming East-West war that has been dragging on for decades. Any high-skilled adept will be sent to the war effort, with no escape from that fate. Even the accident as a teen that damaged Nathan's legs wouldn't have saved him from conscription, but lack of talent may.
His life has always been entwined with his childhood best friend Cam. They might've been on the verge of more than friendship, but a vehicle accident at age 15 took Nathan's mobility while Cam was driving. The long healing process has them snared in a mess of guilt, confusion, chronic pain for Nathan, and uncertainty of how to help for Cam. They've mutually silently agreed to be best friends, but not cross over the line to more. Cam doesn't have magical ability, but his father is very powerful and he knows a lot on the topic. He's willing to be Nathan's mundane supporter and applauder.
Until the cross-worlds project Cam's late mother was working on comes back to life, with danger for both of them, and contact with Nathan's counterpart in another world.
The plot was interesting, complex but not hard to follow. The world-building was intriguing (although the divisions between East and West in the global war and its consequences were minimally discussed.) Several characters developed new depth and complexity through this installment (notably Cam's father.) I was pulled along to see what happened next.
The romance was a bit more frustrating. I'm not a big fan of stories where everyone else can tell the MCs are in love, and there's no valid obstacle except self-deprecation over a span of years. One can posit that their teen trauma, and self-worth issues related to injury and chronic pain, and youth and inexperience, are valid obstacles, but I hit the smack-their-heads-together stage early on. However eventually that was resolved, and hopefully the mutual unnecessary pining will now become us-against-the-world for the rest of the series.
The ending is not a cliffhanger. However there is clearly a lot of story yet to come, and I'll be on board to see where this imaginative adventure is going next....more
This enemies-to-lovers high fantasy carries echoes of Captive Prince but not enough to keep it from being its own unique story. Mat (whose name is notThis enemies-to-lovers high fantasy carries echoes of Captive Prince but not enough to keep it from being its own unique story. Mat (whose name is not actually Mat) is on a religious pilgrimage with his princess when kidnappers attack. He's taken prisoner after managing to hide the princess safely, and is dragged off to a neighboring kingdom for political ransom. His value as a hostage is dependent on who they think he is, so he has to pretend to a different identity.
His captor is Prince Renato Aratorre - a very young man who's 4th in the line of succession, powerful but also under the not-tender care of his father's top military advisor. Ren is also brilliant, cool-tempered, twisty, and sensuous. To Mat, whose Northern kingdom does not approve of same-sex relationships, Ren is also dangerous as a degenerate temptation.
After Mat nearly dies in his cell, Ren pulls him in to his close orbit among his personal guards, to protect him from the commander's schemes. This throws them together all day long, and Mat comes up hard against the ways his views don't work in this different society. He's foundering, trapped between his long-held principals (like the equality of women) and their dangers (suggesting women who are property should resist, while as a prisoner being unable to give them safety to do so). He finds himself sinking into Ren's world, and waiting only for the chance to escape.
The ending is somewhat tentative. The action sequence is finished, the immediate danger is past, but the ramifications of what just took place are hanging in the air and the relationship just fractured. This is not enough of a resting place to call it HFN, but I decided not to take off the cliffhanger star either, especially because the second book is already available. ...more
This is a fun novella to begin a new steampunkish-fantasy series. Anton is an interesting MC as a man with a lot of magical talent, ambition but limitThis is a fun novella to begin a new steampunkish-fantasy series. Anton is an interesting MC as a man with a lot of magical talent, ambition but limited means, and a slightly flexible moral compass. He is desperate to get to Zurich, where he has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to start a new future, but only if he makes it on time. When his train is displaced by a special one, he has few scruples in taking a dead man's place to get on that train and not lose his chance.
Unfortunately, his deception is spotted by one of the French emperor's most powerful spies. Fortunately, his magical talents are useful enough to the lumiere - Camille - that he's allowed to continue the deception, in exchange for helping with a murder on the train.
This is far more plot than romance to date, with only the smallest hint of romantic progress at the end. But the world-building is lush and fascinating, and the characters are intriguing. I'm off to pick up the rest (addendum - there is a box set of all 4 that is significantly cheaper, if you decide to dive in.)...more
I really enjoyed this high-fantasy story about an aging soldier whose emperor is falling into senility, while three legitimate sons maneuver to take hI really enjoyed this high-fantasy story about an aging soldier whose emperor is falling into senility, while three legitimate sons maneuver to take his place, none of them worthy of the role. Caius is no longer sure where honor drives him. What he does know is that the second son is the worst of the lot, crafty and sadistic, and since he's also not the true heir, Caius's conscience doesn't bother him when he helps a prisoner escape a cruel and unjust death. Developing an attachment to that prisoner, desire and affection combining for the first time in years, is a complication he didn't need, though. And when it turns out someone wants one of them, or perhaps both of them, dead, Caius's life becomes even more complicated.
Amid treasonous plots, religious fundamentalism stirred up for political gain, and the discovery that pagan magic is closer at hand than he thinks, Caius faces physical and emotional trauma. He handles both with stoicism, and as much integrity as he can afford to have. And Decian, the emperor's bastard whom he saved from death, turns out to be more than he seems.
This story moved quickly, and both Caius and Decian are appealing characters. I've always enjoyed a grumpy older competent main character, dealing with life as he's forced to. The ending isn't a painful cliffhanger, but it is very unresolved. Fortunately book 2 is available (and ends on a slightly more stable note) and I dove right into it. Looking forward to book 3. ...more
This series reminds me a bit of Daron's Guitar Chronicles: Volume One - a gay young man making his way in a deeply detailed and insular world (in thisThis series reminds me a bit of Daron's Guitar Chronicles: Volume One - a gay young man making his way in a deeply detailed and insular world (in this case eventing, not music) with a somewhat episodic structure, a love interest (or two) that's a side note, not the central focus, and a lot of growing up to do. Given that I binged the 12 or more volumes worth of Daron, it's no surprise finding myself doing the same here.
One difference is that Simon is less clearly a good guy one can always empathize with. He is deeply good to horses, and his fundamental instincts are worthwhile ones. But he's still self-centered, he's careless of other people and their feelings, occasionally even in dishonest ways. He's not above harsh judgements, fat-shaming, or deriding people for not having the same goals and single-minded persistence he does, and his competitive streak is so strong that he can't stand to lose at anything. Yet he has little or no empathy with the folk he beats, when he does win.
His flaws make him very real as a young man of his age and experiences, and the story is fascinating - more believable than some MCs whose goodness and maturity seem unrealistically beyond their years. And yet those flaws held me at just a little reserve, where I wasn't always cheering for him to come out on top. But I did empathize with him when things go really wrong. I do hope that he keeps his head above water and does some maturing along the way (and I wonder if he will ever try to apologize for some of the hurts he deals out) and I am caught up in seeing where his life is going to go.
Chris is a horror writer who has come to a small town cabin in a desperate attempt to break through writer's block. His last two books were a huge hitChris is a horror writer who has come to a small town cabin in a desperate attempt to break through writer's block. His last two books were a huge hit, turned into movies, and now he owes the studio a third novel, and the well has run dry. In this moody little town with a reservoir going stagnant during a drought, with just his dog for company, he hopes to find some kind of spark. What he finds, is a skull in the mud under the bridge.
Sawyer is second in command in the local police department, under a chief he despises. He left a big city law enforcement career after a traumatic experience, and has plans to do a good job as a local cop in his quiet home town. That resolve is being challenged by his attraction to Chris - when he's determined not to pursue a gay relationship where the town can see - by the sudden onset of a case that hits close to home, and by his conflicts with local power structures.
The relationship and characters are engaging here. The end to the romance element is a HFN. But the mystery is barely gathering speed at the end of this installment, and new characters appear on the last pages. Luckily, all three books of this trilogy are now out, because this one is appealing but does not stand alone. ...more
This is a story for readers who love horses, especially for those of us who were out in the barn braiding tails at 5 AM before a show, and who care whThis is a story for readers who love horses, especially for those of us who were out in the barn braiding tails at 5 AM before a show, and who care which lead a cantering horse is on. There's a gay romance of sorts in here, but it plays second fiddle to the story of Simon, an 18-year-old determined young man (and sometimes close to genius) whose idea of a perfect day is anything spent around a good horse.
Simon is the kind of kid everyone tries to persuade to go to college, but he's impatient with rules, constraints, boxes, and hoops to jump through that are part of education. And he has no desire at all to end up in an office job at the end of the process. As long as he makes enough to eat, he's determined to work somewhere in the horse world, and he has a year of paid-student work with a great teacher lined up to start with. Adding a last-minute impulse buy of a horse is just the kind of challenge he likes.
Simon's an interesting character. He begins the story quite immature, intolerant in quirky ways, self-absorbed, and although he's a good guy at heart, he doesn't make much effort with regards to people, as opposed to the horses. He derides folks whose tastes or ambitions are different from his own. He's competitive, and so good at riding and understanding horses that he has success that feels somewhat effortless. And his breezy narrative style brushes aside emotions.
So it takes a bit of time to settle into liking Simon in spite of his flaws, and wanting him to find his way. The romance is also low-emotions, and the sex is all off-page. That makes it a bit harder to believe and feel the growing romance between the characters as something more than opportunity and proximity.
But as I read through the story, I was sucked in to Simon's life and troubles and triumphs. Enough so that I bought the next volume right away. (Note, this one has a very tentative HFN ending. Not a cliffhanger, but very unresolved with regard to Simon's future and his romance. And I note the series has 7 volumes...)
For someone like me, who watched the horse world of eventing enviously from the outside, the setting is fascinating and a bit like coming home, as I watch Simon grow up (a little) and start to think more deeply about what he wants from the world, and what he has to offer. ...more
This is an interesting start to a paranormal series - be aware that this first story has a very inconclusive ending (not an angsty cliffhanger, but noThis is an interesting start to a paranormal series - be aware that this first story has a very inconclusive ending (not an angsty cliffhanger, but none of the main questions have been answered by the end.) Nate is a fun character - the ex-cop whose experiences led him to quit the force and move across the country. By the end of the story we're just beginning to get a feel for what those experiences were. He's an insurance investigator, checking out a suspicious fire, in a house where he begins having some odd experiences.
Adam is a TV ghost hunter with a skeptical mind - he doesn't think any of the hauntings he has investigated were rpoven, although a few could not be debunked. But a mysterious fire next door, and meeting Nate, are starting to shake up his certainty. And Nate has shaken up other parts of Adam.
Their first encounter was a bit unbelievable. (How many guys kiss someone who is quite likely to punch their face in?) But I did become invested in the story, and I picked up book 2 which looks like a full-length novel. Looking forward to it. ...more
First - the blurb for this is WRONG - this is not part one of 2. It is part one of what AZ lists as 3. The next book also has a cliffhanger ending. SoFirst - the blurb for this is WRONG - this is not part one of 2. It is part one of what AZ lists as 3. The next book also has a cliffhanger ending. So as much as I adore these characters and their story, know that going into it (or wait).
This book is different from the previous ones, and that difference was foreshadowed earlier, when Tamsyn's enormous talent turned tragedy into triumph. (If you don't recall that, a read back may be in order.) Now Lee and Gideon have a moment of peace and happiness, with everything seeming to go their way. But under that surface happiness, something feels wrong to Lee. There are currents moving, times when the life he's living doesn't feel like the one he was meant to have. His talent is stretching him thin, and when he decides to take the summer off, it's not the panacea he'd hoped for.
The storyline is complex, and the ending is a cliffhanger. The characters are wonderful, the atmosphere ranges from deeply sweet and warm to painfully foreboding. I put off reading this one till the second was out, and kind of wish I'd waited for the unexpected third. But I do highly recommend this saga with beloved MCs. Just hold onto your hat, watch out for the funhouse mirrors, and keep a guard around your heart....more
This blurb is also wrong - this is not the conclusion, but book 2 of what's listed as 3 on Amazon. I missed that change, and read the first two - I'm This blurb is also wrong - this is not the conclusion, but book 2 of what's listed as 3 on Amazon. I missed that change, and read the first two - I'm not entirely sorry, but this ending is even more painfully tentative than the last, so if that's not your thing, be warned.
Lee's world is unravelling, and the cracks and fractures we saw in the first segment bring us to this dark point, where Lee is working solo in an urban world plagued with violence and pandemic. His dreams and flashes tell him there's something else, somewhere else, somebody else, that should be his element and his hope, but he can't put the pieces together.
This segment hurt to read, and the flashes of hope and possibility unravel, time after time. Having seen what Lee and Gideon are like together, this view of them apart is a rough road to follow. I hope the third installment comes along soon, and desperately need to see these men find a path back to love and warmth. For Harper Fox fans with strong hearts, read this now for the emotionally gripping middle section of this journey. ...more
I loved (and occasionally hated) this second installment of what is far more David's story of finding himself than a true romance. His mostly-unadmittI loved (and occasionally hated) this second installment of what is far more David's story of finding himself than a true romance. His mostly-unadmitted love for Jake underpins everything he does, but it's more shadow than substance for a lot of this book. It becomes clear, as you read this series, that David is neuroatypical. His literal-mindedness, his difficulty with social cues, his intense focus, his misperceptions of why people do and say things, all are obstacles that have made his life more difficult. And in this book, he both bears the brunt of those obstacles, and takes some first steps to move beyond them that do not involve Jake.
Poor Jake. Loving someone who has so much fear, and so little in the way of resources to cope with it, is a hard, hard place to be. And as much as he clearly loves David, we see David doing things that will unfortunately look different to someone not inside his head. We flinch, for how the burden falls on Jake over and over, to keep their relationship alive. Something as simple as not texting twice in a row, because David feels like that's being pushy, can become a black hole of miscommunication.
Luckily, here we see David starting to find some of his people, folk who are on his side without the intensity of the feelings between him and Jake. But he has a long long way to go, to find a balance that will let joy into his life.
The end of this story is hopeful, but very tentative. The wait for the next one will be hard. I hope that the author doesn't make Jake wait too long and too painfully for David to find his truths and his courage. But I'm there for the ride, whatever it turns out to be. ...more
This story delves into human trafficking as Gray (whom we met previously as a sweet, light-hearted, sexually-open-minded hockey player) is picked up oThis story delves into human trafficking as Gray (whom we met previously as a sweet, light-hearted, sexually-open-minded hockey player) is picked up off the streets as a good match for a particular type of flesh-purchase. There is a lot of darkness in this book, as Gray endures his captivity, until a man with enigmatic motives buys him at auction.
The rough moments are quite intense (although some of the worst is off-page not on it), not everyone we hope will survive does, and there is real evil here. The ending is better, but tentative, not even a solid HFN. Which is appropriate after all Gray has gone through, but did lead me on immediately to the next book. There's a little less of the psychological impact on Gray than I anticipated, but he may be bottling some of it up, and I could imagine this coming out in a subsequent installment.
The story caught my attention enough to be hard to put down, and I expect to read the whole series to watch Gray and Darius come out the other side. ...more
This one is definitely the darkest of the series, and it is M/F/M menage, and more about the BDSM than a romance. Most of the sex is M/F, and there isThis one is definitely the darkest of the series, and it is M/F/M menage, and more about the BDSM than a romance. Most of the sex is M/F, and there is a lot of humiliation kink in here (one of my personal least favorite forms of BDSM.) My heart ached for Gould in this book.
Gould was the most affected by Hal's death - even though they had broken up by the time Hal died, it was Gould who left, and he's haunted by the thought that he potentially sent Hal into Bills arms. He was still in love with Hal, in some ways, even if he couldn't handle Hal's erratic and thoughtless carelessness as a partner. They had loved and fought, close in a way Gould never was with anyone else. And when Hal died, some of what kept Gould tethered to reality and other people went with him.
He's been searching, trying to find a way to make himself connect with someone, trying to get out of his own head and the way his thoughts keep circling back to Hal. Submission does some of that for him. Service helps. When he focuses on what someone else wants, there's less room for the mess in his head.
He hopes to find that with Kel, whom he is deeply attracted to physically (he considers himself a Kinsey 5 but Kel is that rare woman who totally floats his boat.) Her certainty and presence and dominance are the other part of that picture that works for him. Her husband Greg, who is also her sub, considers himself heteroflexible, and is interested enough to welcome Gould pretty warmly into their play. Gould is happy to take orders from Greg too, though Greg's teasing and resistant version of submission sometimes makes Gould uncertain.
Gould wants more, though. He wants humiliation. He wants service and lack of choices, potentially a 24/7 consensual slave contract. At the same time, there are a lot of strong emotions under the surface that he's trying to bury more than clarify, with his service. And Kel, though she was part of a Master/slave group for a while, isn't sure she's ready for this. But they agree to try it for a week.
Gould goes some pretty dark places though this book. And in some ways, it highlights the risk of trying to make BDSM a substitute for therapy. Someone like Gould, who is terrible at communicating his thoughts and needs, is a risky sub, even though he's trying hard for Kel.
The ending of the book is positive, although I wasn't convinced yet that these three people had a really loving relationship anywhere except Kel-Greg. Of course, in exploring the wide range of human relationships and how they work, love doesn't always have to be part of a working BDSM relationship. (Just as sex doesn't always have to be.) This was fascinating, painful, and ultimately it does feel like Gould is moving in a positive direction at last. ...more
This middle book of the trilogy moves the story forward, including some interesting twists on secondary characters. Roland and Sairis are getting moreThis middle book of the trilogy moves the story forward, including some interesting twists on secondary characters. Roland and Sairis are getting more time together and more communication, adding some depth to their immediate attraction. They remain engaging main characters. There are some additional pieces of the magic puzzle that keep things imaginative and enough action to move the story quickly. One piece of plotting made me roll my eyes a bit, but once past that, I was pleased that I couldn't anticipate all the twists. The ending is again a cliffhanger, so on to book 3....more
This fantasy novel has a refreshing new flavor of magic, with demons and ghosts, mirrors and blood-magic in the mix. It also has the start of a fun M/This fantasy novel has a refreshing new flavor of magic, with demons and ghosts, mirrors and blood-magic in the mix. It also has the start of a fun M/M romance with a confident prince and a shy and uncertain necromancer. There is action, mystery, the tentative beginnings of a relationship, and a touch of humor. The tone is more exciting than angsty so far, despite some fairly traumatic events.
Both Prince Roland, back at the capitol to see his sister crowned after his father's death, and Sairis the necromancer, watching the balance of power shift, are fascinating characters who clearly have depths yet to be explored. The action is taut and unpredictable.
Do note that the ending is a cliffhanger. But fortunately the next two books are available and I immediately moved on to book 2....more
This is the first of a fantasy duo by Marie Sexton whose writing I almost always enjoy. In a walled island city, Misha grew up in the squalid undersidThis is the first of a fantasy duo by Marie Sexton whose writing I almost always enjoy. In a walled island city, Misha grew up in the squalid underside, a pickpocket and thief, and sometimes casual whore as a teenager, whose boss is the closest thing to a parent he has. He's adult now, and unsure of where his future will lead, but this is still the only life he knows.
Davlova is a city on the verge of collapse. It has a very class-segregated society, where the middle class is a tiny wedge between the rich safe behind their wall and the teeming mass of the poor. With a limited economy, and a greedy and uncaring overclass, poor people are getting just about desperate enough to revolt. Except that those who are arrested are often not seen again, potentially sold as slaves. And the wall is a daunting physical barrier.
But leaflets urging revolution are becoming more common. Things are stirring. And Misha's boss asks him to go undercover as a spy among the rich as a full-time whore to the richest man among them. Misha really doesn't want to let sex work become his fate, but he owes his boss his life. And once he walks down that path, he finds himself in a difficult position. Miguel Donato, his mark, is sometimes a fascinated lover, spoiling him with treats, and sometimes a vicious abuser. Misha meets Donato's sex slave Ayo, who has even less recourse when Donato vents his anger on them both.
And yet there are times when Misha is out with Miguel, and he is tender and kind and gives Misha luxuries and attention he's never had from anyone. When the rich man admits his dark times, and asks Misha to bear with them for the sake of the good ones. Misha is torn between hate and love, anger, disgust, and conflicted loyalties.
This story did a good job of presenting an abusive relationship, in this case held together by hidden motives not just money and emotions, but in many ways no different from that of a dependent spouse. The fantasy elements are lightweight but interesting, and the plot makes sense. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, but it's clearly not a solid end point. I immediately bought the second book, which completes the duo and does reach a HEA. ...more