Grand Slam by J.T. Cheyanne

Title:   Grand Slam

Author: J.T. Cheyanne
My Rating: A-

Genre: Contemporary Romance (m/m)

Series: -

Main Characters: Spencer and Brock

Release Date:  April 2013

Links to Purchase:

Amazon

Sexual Intensity: spicy

Story Overview:

All of his life, Spencer Hightower dreamed of playing baseball in the Major Leagues. He survived growing up gay in rural Alabama due to his impressive skill on the baseball diamond. Now living in Rhode Island and playing for the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox, he’s only a few steps away from his goal.

Brock Kinkaid, CPA, faced each day with a smile that hid his deepest desire. He wanted to be a father. Unfortunately, the gay men he knew were not into the daddy scene. Resigned to being childless, he lavished his attention on his niece and nephew. When Corey won tickets to see the local baseball team in action, they suckered him into taking them despite the fact he loathed the game. Who would have guessed one homerun ball would change everything?

My Review:

I bought this for my Kindle right after it first came out on the recommendation of another reader. But along with another 300+ unread books, the odds of me reading it weren't that high...at least not in the near future. But I have found another book blogger, J9 from The Book Vixen, that also reads m/m. Our tastes usually line up... Yesterday (writing this review 5/9 although it won't go up for a couple of weeks) she commented on my Goodreads page that I needed to push this up my pile so I could let her know whether or not she needed to get it. LOL...happy to oblige.

Quick answer....YES, buy it!

This was a good book and for those of you still on the fence about m/m, this is a good starter book. It has sex in it, but it's not too overly graphic like m/m can be. In fact, I rated it spicy...so that's pretty mild for m/m. What is first and foremost in this story is these two guys...and I'm telling you, they are both sweethearts. 

Brock is a CPA...he hates baseball, but he loves his niece and nephew so he gets wrangled into taking them to the local AAA baseball game where his nephew catches the record-breaking homerun hit by pitcher, Spencer. After the game, Brock and the kids are taken out back to meet Spencer so he can sign the ball. And this scene with Brock's 4 yo little niece is part of the reason that this book was so good. The kids and their unfiltered dialogue are great! They are the ones responsible for getting these two together and it's awesome!

As far as Spencer goes, he's on the cusp of making it into the Majors. He's breaking records all over and that's his dream. The only thing maybe holding him back is his sexuality. While his local AAA team have been incredibly supportive of this only "out" ball-player, not everyone is so welcoming and open. BUT Spencer isn't willing to hide his sexuality...and his new relationship with Brock just reinforces that. Spencer loves spending time with Brock and isn't willing to give up a second of it. 

I loved how open and gung-ho Spencer was about the relationship. He's 100% into Brock and not afraid to show it. On the other hand, Brock is just waiting for the day when Spencer realizes that he's just a boring geek and trying to enjoy their relationship until then. He's sure Brock will eventually dump him when someone better and hotter comes along. 

There's a lot that goes into this novel and there's some great action at the end of the book which was completely gripping. Overall, it was a great read. I look forward to checking out more by this author. 

FreeFall by Jill Sorenson

Title: FreeFall

Author: Jill Sorenson

My Rating: A-

Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Series: Aftershock #2

Main Characters: Sam and Hope

Release Date: May 2013

Publisher: Harlequin

Links to Purchase:

Amazon

Sexual Intensity: hot

Story Overview:
HE'S HER ONLY HOPE... 

Park ranger Hope Banning's plans for a little R & R are put on hold when a plane crashes at the top of a remote mountain. Hope will have to climb the summit and assess the situation. And the only climbing partner available is Sam Rutherford--the enigmatic man she spent a night with six months ago. 

FOR STAYING ALIVE... 

Ever since Sam lost his girlfriend in a falling accident, he insists on climbing solo. But Hope and any potential survivors need his help. As Sam and Hope set out on an emergency search-and-rescue mission, he realizes the sparks still sizzle between them. And when they learn a killer is among the survivors, they must place their trust in each other for a chance at happiness.

My Review:
I'll admit it, I'm really loving this series. This is the second book in the Aftershock series. We met the hero, Sam, in book #1 (you can find my A rated review from that book HERE) and I have to admit, I was shocked when I learned that he was going to be the hero in this book because he spent most of that book unconscious, or depressed and unpleasant....not exactly hero material. EXCEPT this is a guy who's seriously wounded...yep, I love me some angst and Sam has TONS to spare. 

Sam's fiance died a few months before the earthquake which happened in Book #1. When the earthquake happened, he was hurt and lost all those months leading up to the earthquake, including his fiance's death. As a result, he wakes up every day and in a sense starts the grieving process over again...every day. Sam's also an extreme athlete...Olympic gold medalist in kayaking (I think), but he does endurance hiking and climbing and regularly climbs without any gear. This is a guy who's numb to life except when he's pushing the boundaries of risk and his body. He's more than a little unbalanced and is a complete loner. He doesn't want to be around other people. He's up climbing the rock face of the mountain at night when he witnesses a plane crash. 

Hope is the only ranger available to go investigate the crash, but she can't climb to the crash alone. Sam's the only person available with the training to go with her. The thing is....they have a history. They spent an amazing single night together six months before....it was sizzling, but Sam didn't want anything more than a single night. He didn't realize that Hope was a local girl and not a slope bunny...awkward, especially since he was really rude while trying to get rid of her when he was done with her. 

It would be really easy to hate Sam. He's numb and honestly just doesn't know how to function anymore. He realizes that he shouldn't be around people so avoids them at all costs. What gives him a saving grace though is that Hope DOES get to him...no matter how much he battles against that. He finds himself caring for her even though he actively works to keep his distance from her. And these two are in extreme circumstances....the whole way through the book, so when those emotions come up, as a reader, it's awesome!

It really is a good book. There is non-stop action from the very first page. There is also a secondary love story that I found to be just as riveting as Sam and Hope. I love Jill Sorenson's ability to give unlikable, bad guys the attributes to make you fall in love with them regardless. Yum!!

The next book is Badlands and features Owen who we also met during the earthquake. He played heavily in this book too. I just want to give this kid a hug...wow. I cannot wait for his story!! It's going to be so good. Already there is so much emotion just below the surface on this guy. He's had a hard life and that means his story is going to be fantastic!!

I received a complimentary copy of this review in return for an honest review.

Top Off Tuesday: Hot In Here by Lori Foster

It's hot in here because he's just plain HOT! 

Wow...I like. 

Again, this is a book I will buy just because I love this cover.

Chest hair...check

Sculpted abs...check

Some gorgeous scruff...check

Hair you can run your fingers through...check

Perfection....if only we could move Lori's name off to the side a bit....

Hot In Here by Lori Foster

releasing Oct. 29, 2013

Three smoldering classics from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster 

UNCOVERED 

Firefighter Harris Black is startled to stumble across nude photos of a woman...and handwritten notes about him. Who is this mystery woman? Harris hires a P.I. to trace her, never suspecting he's already found her.... 

TAILSPIN 

Lumberyard owner Buck Boswell prides himself on his way with women-but his prickly neighbor, Sadie Harte, seems immune to his charms. Is she really as aloof as she acts, or can Buck convince her to take a chance on the guy next door? 

AN HONORABLE MAN 

Lieutenant colonel Hamilton Wulf's career ambitions cost him the one woman he ever wanted-Liv Avery. Now he's determined to win back her love...even if it means risking his life.

***********************

Join us (Felicia from The Geeky Book Blogger and Amanda from On a Book Bender and Me) as we celebrate those gorgeous hunky covers!! Thanks to Diana from Book of Secrets for creating this fabulous button.

Felicia is hosting the linky for this meme on her blog, so come play along....

*post a cover of a hot guy 

who just happens to be topless

*then go add your link to Felicia's blog.

Living Dangerously by Dee J. Adams

Title:  Living Dangerously 

Author: Dee J. Adams
My Rating: B-

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Series: Adrenaline Highs #4

Main Characters: Julie and Troy

Release Date:  May 2013

Publisher: Carina Press

Links to Purchase:

Amazon

Sexual Intensity: hot

Story Overview:
Julie Fraser, Hollywood's newest "it" girl, arrives on the red carpet to more than just the flashes of the paparazzi's cameras. A sniper's shots leave her bleeding and in the line of fire. Her life would be over if it weren't for the bodyguard who comes to the rescue—taking a bullet in the process.

Troy Mills, a P.I. working undercover, couldn't stand by and watch an innocent woman die, but now he's torn. How can he tell her that he's not a bodyguard, but a P.I.? A P.I. hired to prove that Julie is sleeping with the movie producer he's pretending to protect.

When a second attempt is made on Julie's life, Troy realizes that keeping her safe is more important than any supposed affair. And in order to keep her safe, he'll have to keep her close. But desire and danger are hot on Julie's heels. Who could have guessed that protecting an A-list actress would not only put Troy's life in jeopardy, but his heart as well?

My Review:
The set-up of this book was interesting. I liked Troy and the fact that he kept saving Julie's life...just by being at the right place at the right time. The fact that he's a PI investigating someone she's supposedly involved with helps that, but I felt like it was a good premise. I liked their chemistry and how real Julie is even though she's a huge movie star. In the book, I felt like we got to know Julie better just because most of the book takes place on her home turf. That's why I liked it when Dee J. Adams switched things up at the end to give insight into Troy. And wow...I knew the guy was an introvert, but when we found out why...just Wow. I did not see that twist in his story line coming. 

Their chemistry together was amazing and definitely the best thing about this book. I loved reading it when it was just the two of them. They had fun, witty exchanges which just made that part of the book fun to read. 

This book is pretty long. I almost think it's too long. When it began, I absolutely loved it, but the middle dragged a bit and I could have walked away from it. I hate that. When I'm reading romantic suspense, I want to be at the edge of my seat the entire time. I think part of the problem was that there was never any real mystery as to who was the bad guy...I figured it out at about the 25% point and then everything was revealed within the book at 65%. I would have been much happier if the book had been over around then and at that point in time, I would have rated this book much higher. Instead, the author chose to focus on the bad guys and honestly, I just wasn't that interested in learning the details of what they were doing. 

Overall, not my favorite of the series, but it was still an interesting book. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

From Temptation by Lynn Kelling

Title:   From Temptation

Author: Lynn Kelling
My Rating: B

Genre: Erotic Romance (m/m)

Series: Deliver Me #2

Main Characters: Kyle and Ben

Release Date:  November 2012

Publisher: Fantastic Fiction

Links to Purchase:

Amazon

Sexual Intensity: erotic

Story Overview:

Kyle Roth is no longer safe–not from his lover, not from his friends and, especially, not from himself. Questioning the choices that led him to a life of submission to the potentially dangerous Dominant, Ben Knox, Kyle sees no other way out than through old vices. Just when Kyle assumes all hope is lost he is saved by the persistence of an old enemy, Gabriel Hunter. Worse yet, a secret past withheld from Darrek–Kyle’s friend and Gabriel’s partner–threatens to destroy them all! (M/M)

My Review:

This book could easily be renamed Fifty Shades of Messed Up. Wow...I had no idea. And you know, as I sit down to write this review, it occurs to me that there's virtually nothing I can say that isn't a spoiler.

This book is truly Kyle's book. He's on a serious downward spiral, but no one knows why. They just know that he's a danger to himself. As the book unfolds though, it becomes apparent that Kyle is hiding way too many secrets and he is not a guy who can do that. It's literally killing him.

This series is about a group of six basic friends...and I love that dynamic which is what made this book so incredibly hard to read because as the book transpires, those friendships truly become toxic to all of the parties involved. Honestly, it's painful to read. This book hurt.

But just by the mere fact of how much it hurt me to read it, tells you what an amazing tale Lynn Kelling is weaving here. I am attached to her characters and what happens to them...every single one of them. And at the 46% place in this book, everything about their world blew apart.

But what hurts me as a reader is that it never got better. There was no repairing the damage done and I think I needed that. Now that the book is finished, I'm kind of wishing now that I'd never read it...at the same time that I'm dying for the next book. It's almost like the same kind of toxic relationships these guys all have with each other. *sigh* Every one makes it to the end, but I'm not so sure any of them are in a better place. Maybe Kyle, simply because he finally has the honesty so that he can live with himself again. I can't imagine where Lynn Kelling will take the series from here.

And I know...this was a lousy review. The book was riveting... like watching a car wreck. I literally did not put the book down all day, but it definitely was not a book that made me feel better for having read it.

Deliver Us by Lynn Kelling

Title:   Deliver Us

Author: Lynn Kelling
My Rating: A-

Genre: Erotic Romance (m/m)

Series: Deliver Us #1

Main Characters: Darrick and Gabe

Release Date:  March 2012

Publisher: Fantastic Fiction

Links to Purchase:

Amazon

Sexual Intensity: erotic

Story Overview:
Novel (145,000 words)
Genre(s): Erotic Contemporary, Romance, BDSM
Darrek thinks he is just a straight, hard-working but lonely guy. When he decides to try a session at a private BDSM club, Darrek is unprepared for a life-changing encounter with beautiful, powerful and very male Dominant, Gabriel. Once they cross the line, nothing is off limits and nothing is enough as they crave ever more: more trust, more pleasure, more pain, and more devotion. As Darrek and Gabriel negotiate their relationships with each other and their coworkers, carefully-buried secrets and abusive pasts come to light.

My Review:

This book had an amazing balance of story and erotic sex. It was very heavy on the sexual side, but I felt like that just enhanced the story line rather than detracting from it. It's not always an easy book to read....these guys and their BDSM practices are pretty hardcore, but I found their stories riveting. 

Darrek and Gabriel are at the heart of the story, but there's a total of 6 guys who truly come into play in the whole dynamic....Darrek, Gabe, Kyle, Ben, Trace, and Micah. Kyle and Ben have a relationship developing over on the side and as Darrek and Gabe's best friends, that relationship affects theirs too. Kyle is the one who pulls Darrek into this whole BDSM scenario, but he doesn't trust Gabe...certainly not with his best friend. Kyle has been playing with these guys for a while and he knows what they are like behind closed doors. 

But like I started out saying, Gabe and Darrek are at the heart of this story. Gabe is the big, scary Dom. He's part of the three-way owners of the BDSM club, Diadem. As a Dom though, he never, never, ever lets anyone else touch or pleasure him...until Darrek. Darrek is both a BDSM and a gay virgin....he has NO IDEA what he's walking into when he comes to the club. NONE! But both he and Gabe find themselves quickly involved...deeply. BUT there's a reason Gabe never lets anyone else touch him and that definitely plays out throughout this book. 

I liked that Gabe and Dare are such complete opposites. Gabe doesn't trust or let anyone else in. Dare is one of those guys who is everyone's friend. He's just a big old teddy bear and he doesn't accept Gabe shutting him out. I liked that he could take charge for Gabe when he needed to.

Warning! This book is a classic example of why I should always write my reviews immediately before I read another book, especially if the next book I read is a follow-up book. I loved this book and the interesting relationships between all the guys within it...until I read book #2...and now it's hard for me to look at this book the same way because all the dynamics that are established within this book are shredded and blown apart in book #2.

Don't by Jack L. Pyke

Title: Don't

Author: Jack L. Pyle

My Rating: A+

Genre: Romantic Suspense (m/m)

Series: #1

Main Characters: Jack, Jan, and Gray

Release Date: January 2013

Publisher: Fantastic Fiction Publishing

Links to Purchase:

Amazon

Sexual Intensity: erotic

Story Overview:
Genre(s): Gay, Romance, Suspense, BDSM

"Don't... open me."

Three simple words that tease Jack, taking him places from his dark past. For Jack, BDSM is a way to resist his worst impulses. Yet, the stranger calling himself The Unknown seeks to use that to seduce him.

As Jack slips further down into the abyss, two men hold the power to save him. Will it be Gray, the Master who knows Jack's every secret? Or Jan, the first man to give Jack a reason to hope? With deadly ghosts coming out to play, Jack may lose everything, even his life.

Novel (120,000 words)
(M/M - For content labels and excerpt, see details on publisher's site.)

My Review:
OMG, this book was so good!! I'll tell you right now, I finished this book and immediately picked it up again at the beginning to do an entire re-read. Yes, it is that good. 

The book starts out fairly slow...and it's a long book, so there's a bit of build-up. The first time I read it, I skimmed the first 10%. The second time around, I read every single word. This book is about Jack. Jack's an interesting character. He has OCD and ODD. He has to have everything just so and has a real problem with someone telling him what to do....yet, he's a sub. Having no control over a sexual situation gives him freedom and settles him, but he still has these crippling psychological disorders. He's a Master's sub to Gray. As such, he trains new Doms. Jack is one tough guy....he puts himself in position to train others in how not to hurt...and many times gets hurt in the process...even with all the safety protocols. That scenario is what we find early in this book...and so Jack isn't in the healthiest of psychological places. 

To complicate things, he's met Jan....the first man that he's ever truly wanted a normal relationship with. But Jan isn't aware of Jack's BDSM lifestyle and isn't aware of the BDSM lifestyle at all, so he doesn't understand what Jack's job and obligations are...until he's thrown into it. Jan has just come off a 10 year relationship with a man who cheats so he sure isn't ready to hear why Jack needs to sleep with other men or why Gray has this pull over him.

Then there is the whole threat issue. Throughout the book, there is someone after Jack, playing sexual and psychological games with him. It's all a bit much for Jack to handle. 

This book was emotional story-telling at it's very best. Jack is a man with issues, but I absolutely, hands-down fell in love with his character. He's dealt with his issues as best as he can and managed to run a really successful business too. The one thing he's never truly had is a relationship. When things became complicated between Jan and him, I wanted to weep for him. He's such a strong character though. I LOVE that his is willing to do WHATEVER he needs to, to keep Jan. He may be a sub, but wow does this guy have amazing Dom tendencies. That makes what he does as a sub all the more amazing and attractive. 

Then there are the other men...Jan & Gray. When Jan becomes involved with Jack, he has no idea what he's getting into. He's a man overwhelmed, but I love that he never lets that defeat the strong man that he is. He may not know this world, but he knows he wants Jack and wants to understand his issues. The complete opposite of that is Gray. He's been involved with Jack for 11 years, 9 of those with Jack as his sub. Gray saved Jack, but as you watch Jack unravel, you begin to wonder if this is the best lifestyle for him anymore.

It's an expertly woven book. There's ton of action, suspense, emotion, and some seriously smexy times. The book is incredibly hot, but that's definitely not all there is to it. There's also an incredible story as you watch these men, all three, transition to find a new balance in their lifestyles. I truly loved it and plan to read and re-read it over an over. I'm also thrilled to say that Jack L. Pyle plans at least two more follow-up books. Yippeee!! Now I'm off to read Lynn Kelling's book Deliver Us because she has worked out a writing partnership with her characters and Jack Pyle's characters in each of their third books.