ARC REVIEW : James—Uncontrollable (Man Up #5) by Felice Stevens

 

It's time to travel with James and Malcolm through their twenty year history as they battle each other and struggle to hold on to a lifetime of secrets.
James
Never good enough.
Not the real son.
I will prove him wrong—prove everyone wrong.
I am someone.
I will succeed.
I don’t need my brother to help me.
I don't need anyone.
My enemy holds my secret.
He teases me.
Taunts me.
Follows me with his eyes.
Our hot, angry kisses keep me up at night.
I don’t want him.
I hate him.
But I can’t stop thinking about him.
That there's more to him
I want to discover him.
The truth is unexpected.
My enemy might not only be my friend but the love I never thought to have.

Malcolm
Live, love, laugh.
Life is too short to worry when you don’t know how long you’ve got.
I want every day to be my best.
Like it’s my last.
My friends see what I let them.
Not the real me.
Only one man has ever crawled beneath my skin.
He drives me crazy.
Makes me wild.
Makes me care.
A night of bad decisions changes the course of my life.
Everything I've known no longer makes sense.
My enemy now stands by my side.
I’m no longer running.
I want to stay.
I want a future.
Hate has changed to something new and wonderful.
Something terrifying.
Uncontrollable.
Love.



  James—Uncontrollable by Felice Stevens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"I guess we don’t choose who we fall in love with. Sometimes it happens and we have no control"

Why there's only five stars on Goodreads while all I wanna do is giving James and Malcolm all the stars? WHY???

JAMES



MALCOLM




James is hands-down my favorite story of this series along with Austin, Rhoades, Frankie, Cort :)
Um, to think again, I loved all the book in the series and cannot recommend you enough to read the whole series (in order).
Side note : this book cannot read as a stand alone.

I used to be curious about Malcolm, Rhoades best friend that James hated so much from the beginning of this series. I know that there's something between them, their own story that no one, not even Rhoades knew.
Knowing James, and his heartbreaking story was hard, Felice took us back in time, to twenty years before today, to get to know what happened back then that made James he is now.
I cried for little James, for he's the one who had to suffered from adult selfishness, and then when his hope slowly faded after he met Rhoades from the first time.
I wanted to hold him and said it's okay, you have me :(
Rhoades, as a half brother didn't make it better, and I cannot blamed him as well, for the shocked he received that day.
Mal was there too, from day one James came into his father and Rhoades life. But he's Rhoades best friend, and he never felt more alone in his his life that day.
James was a broken boy.

" I'll never love them. I don't need them, I don't need anybody"

But then slowly Mal came into his life more often and (like Felice said), annoying like a mosquito. James hated that.
But James never knew, that all this time, Mal has always took his side, but didn't know how to make James believed in him.

"Finding james tonight so lost and vulnerable yet pretending to have a hard, invicible cell broke my heart"

But the slowly, Mal peeled that shell once at the time, and the real James he's dying to see, came to his sight and he intended to stay this time, and make James his. For good.

“I’ve been watching you forever. From a heartbroken kid who showed up out of nowhere to the man who stops my heart whenever he walks into the room. No matter how we fought and hated and tormented each other, there was always this inevitable, uncontrollable force between us.”

I had so many feeling while reading this book, one most anticipated book this year, and Felice surely never failed to amazed me with he writing, and I can't hate Mal or James for their annoyingly stubborn act, but to love them unconditionally.
Another winner from Felice Stevens that you don't want to miss!
Highly recommended!


Note : pictures are courtesy of the author.

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ARC REVIEW : Honey From the Lion (Love Across Time #2) by Jackie North

 

BLURB 

Soulmates across time. A love that was meant to be.

In present day, Laurie, tired of corporate life, takes a much-needed vacation at Farthingdale Dude Ranch.

The very first night a freak blizzard combined with a powerful meteor shower takes Laurie back to the year 1891. When he wakes up in a snowbank, his only refuge is an isolated cabin inhabited by the gruff, grouchy John Henton, who only wants to be left alone. His sense of duty prevails, however, and he takes Laurie under his care, teaching him how to survive on the wild frontier.

As winter approaches, Laurie's normal fun-loving manner make it difficult for him to connect with John, but in spite of John's old-fashioned ways, the chemistry between them grows.

Sparks fly as the blizzard rages outside the cabin. Can two men from different worlds and different times find happiness together?

A male/male time travel romance, complete with hurt/comfort, true confessions, a shared bed, fireplace kisses, the angst of separation, and true love across time.

REVIEW :

  Honey From the Lion by Jackie North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

...When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden
..
..
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips. (Kahlil Gibran)

You ever wonder what's like if your soulmate is not somewhere around you, but somewhere in another time?
Laurie never thought about it too, not until he's suddenly trapped in the year of 1891, and met a grumpy handsome man named John.
Before he met John, there's a story about Old Joe he didn't really pay attention. Not until something's happened in the past, with him included in the picture.
From the feeling of trapped to comfort and didn't want to come back to his life, and called Little Red by a man he became to care and loved, Laurie accepted his fate that John is his soulmate.
The thing with soulmates across time is, decision. Whether he'll stay or leave.
That's not an easy one, because Laurie was living in a modern world but he loved John and didn't want to be without him.
Then something happened, that leaving Laurie heartbroken, especially after finding out the story about Old Joe and what happened to him :(

" He could not bear the thought of John dying all alone like that, sitting in the leather chair facing the door while the wind howled through the broken windows, his cracked rifle on his arm, waiting for his Little Red to come home to him.

My heart's broken too, I cried for the two lovely soul that need to be together. I cried for John, who's by time, getting to love Laurie so much that he cannot bare to live without his Little Red.
And if Laurie didn't want John ended like the Old Joe, he need to come home to John. To his real home, where he felt safe and loved. In John's arms.

"I'm coming home, John. I don't know how, but I'm coming home."

Honey From The Lion is a heartwarming, sweet story with a little angst that can make your heart ache and cry. But don't worry, this also has a happy ending.
Laurie and John got their happily ever after, the way they deserved.
I'm happy for them, I'm happy I found and read this book. Laurie and John will stay for a long time in my heart.

Highly recommended!


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ARC REVIEW; Lucky by Garrett Leigh

 


BLURB

Dominic Ramos is a Premiership football player with a secret. There are no trophies for being gay in his game. Locked into his rep as the meanest defender on the pitch, keeping his secret is soul-crushing, but love has no place in his sport, even if his soft heart craves it.

Lucky Coleman is on his knees when he meets a man with more money than sense. It’s a Grindr hook-up for cash, not a love match, but dreaming of his desperate, kind eyes earns a place amongst his numerous bad habits.

Meeting once was risky, twice pushes Dom’s courage to the limit. Losing Lucky seems inevitable, but his tight grip on his image counts for nothing when Lucky starts to fall.

Catching him could cost Dom everything, but if he can set his heart free, getting Lucky long term might be a risk worth taking.

REVIEW

  Lucky by Garrett Leigh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My heart ache for Lucky.

Met in a hook up apps (as usual), Lucky and Dom had an unusual first encounter and they keep going hooking up, on and off considering that Dom is a famous person and in the closet.
I had so many times paused while reading this book, feeling hurt for him. He's not even having a really bad past like some of the 'hard books' Garrett wrote. But Lucky crept into my heart and stayed there. Lucky is a beautiful story, both Lucky and Dom are having their own issues to solve.

I can't blame Lucky for what he did in the past, and how he did what he did to survive in a gritty world of England. And still amazed how sport life is still homophobic, especially in a football field.
While I thought that I was done with closeted case, the Dom came with his complicated life.
But Lucky (my hart's still hurt), has his pride, though he can 'use' Dom's fame and money to gain a quality in his miserable life, he didn't.
I always love reading Garrett's stories, and I can say, Lucky has a special place in my heart, and will stay there for a long time.

My problem with the book I loved and a really great book, is I always speechless. And don't know what to write :)
This book broke my heart, but Garrett put it back all over again. I'm glad that Lucky and Dom finally decided that nothing is more valuable than their life and happiness. They're both did it gracefully :)
Cannot wait for the second installment about Cash.

I can't recommend you enough to read this book! I loved it so much!

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ARC REVIEW : Darcy (Boyfriends for Hire #1) by R.J. Scott (Goodreads Author), Meredith Russell

Darcy’s newest assignment is to play the role of boyfriend to a wealthy socialite, but never expected the intense attraction to his date’s brother. Falling for Adrian is dangerous and certainly not part of the plan.
Adrian has been as unlucky in love as his sister, but he doesn’t approve of hiring a boyfriend, whatever the reason. Until he meets Darcy. Then he comes to realize that love can happen in the most unexpected of ways.
One week. That is all the two men needed to fall in lust, but will they have a lifetime to fall in love?




Darcy by R.J. Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Awww .... this is such a cute fake boyfriend story to savor. When Adrian let his sister Abby 'rent' a boyfriend for a family function, he didn't anticipate that he'll be attracted to Abby's boyfriend, Darcy :)
So Mr.Darcy seems to be a perfect boyfriend image for Abby, but Darcy's real intention is Adrian.
There's some family drama, some adorable time between Darcy and Adrian, also Darcy and Abby (don't worry, Abby knew Darcy wanted his brother, so Mr. Darcy is off limit for Abby).
I enjoyed my time with Adrian and Darcy, it was fun. My only complain is that the ending seemed rush and there's not enough time for Darcy and Adrian's sexy time together.
Overall, this one is a nice, light, low angst romance that you'll probably need!

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REVIEW TOUR : BURNING FALL (HOT SEASONS ONE) by EJ SMITH

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 31,443 words.

Cover: EJ Smyth

Blurb

Opposites attract, but can they ever work together?

Damien is an ambitious young lawyer. After moving to Germany, he doesn’t expect to feel quite so out of his element. Apart from hating his job, a rumor spreads that he is a homophobe.

To redeem himself, he is put in charge of the firm’s signature event Burning Fall. He has no choice but to hire Yannik, a gorgeous yet unconventional event manager.

But from their first disastrous meeting, everything possible goes wrong.

Can the two men find a way to work together, or will Damien’s career, Yannik’s future, and the most important client event of the year go down in flames?

Find out in this steamy and fun short novel, the first book in Frankfurt Hot Seasons.

August 27 - The Blogger Girls, Xtreme Delusions, August 30 - Joyfully Jay, August 31 - Cupcakes & Bookshelves, The Novel Approach, September 1 - Bayou Book Junkie, September 3 - Amy's MM Romance Reviews, Lelyana's Reviews, September 4 - Love Bytes, September 5 - Book Review By Virginia Lee, September 6 - Gay Book Reviews

Author Bio

Hi there! My name is EJ Smyth, I live in Frankfurt, Germany and I’m passionate about romance. Not luffy-duffy romance, but stories with other elements mixed in. Paranormal romance, romantic thrillers, gay romance, if it’s got two difficult characters finding each other, I’m on board!

I write at my living room table, usually covered with folded laundry because I couldn’t be bothered to tidy before sitting down. And my kids are teenagers, so not much help there either <eye roll>. I do love having them around and I’ve gotten used to writing with a background noise of Grand Theft Auto and teenage histrionics. Maybe that’s why I prefer writing action scenes over descriptive settings! Except for the 18+ scenes which I have to write in a separate room, because, well, embarrassing…

I’m currently working on a series of short stories Keith is Awesome about a young man exploring his sexuality. Not something I’ve ever written before but the research alone was quite a bit of fun Check out my Pinterest account to see my inspiration. I love to talk to my readers, online and offline, so please feel free to drop me a line!

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Burning Fall by E.J. Smyth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a sweet light short romance. I enjoyed this and finished it in one sitting.
This is a cute opposite attracts story, and lots of denial in the air.
Damien is new in Frankfurt and he had difficulties to adjust to his new life. Then came Yannik, an easy going guy he liked at first but then realized that they're going to work together.
One clumsy moment of Yannik, and Damien's already judging him, and everything went chaos after that.
But you know, you can't fool your heart. Once love choosing you, you follow.
Yannik and Damien need to work together, both their job, and their heart.
I enjoyed this story, and you should too!

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