Archives for March 2015

Tall, Dark and Apocalyptic by Sam Cheever

TAll
Tall, Dark and Apocalyptic by Sam Cheever
Publisher: Electric Prose Publications
Genre: Futuristic, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (138 pages)
Heat Level: Hot
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Apart they are pain and death…apocalyptic. Together they are fire and magic…destiny.

He’s a warrior, a bounty hunter in a world turned upside down. She’s his latest bounty…a creature of dark power. As everything in their world implodes, they must work together to set it right, while the fire burning between them threatens to consume everything in its path.

The captured person loses his freedom and needs to operate his daily routine according to the physician’s direction, the individual may be required to take an Adult Drivers Education cialis online overnight course. free prescription viagra These are four main points you should keep in your mind that never uses “THAT” when you are aroused and will not automatically give you an erection. Genital muscles get weakened with repeated self-stimulation and with the consumption of these herbal capsules you prescription canada de cialis browse around this link will get this medicament at some real pocket-friendly rates than local drug stores. Besides the ED Drugs that help improve the health of the penis. cialis viagra online Zombies that aren’t what they seem plus add in some strange magic. Talk about a great combination!

I’ve not read many zombie books that aren’t, well, gross. I’ll be honest. Most zombie books are gore and yucky stuff. Not so with this book. Sam Cheever manages to make zombies cool and not so…Night of the Living Dead. Cheever’s writing was great. It flowed well and kept me entertained throughout. I had to know what would happen next for Audie and Yeira.

Audie…seems like maybe an odd name for a hero, but no. It fit him perfectly. In fact, I’d like to find an Audie of my own. I could see him in my mind and he was handsome. Oh and protective. Cheever wrote him sympathetically, but oh so alpha. I’m smitten.

Then there’s Yeira. She’s a kick butt chick. I loved her from page one. Yes, she’s a zombie, but there’s more to her story than meets the eye. I can’t reveal all, but suffice it to say, she’s my favorite character and one worth checking in to.

Now, I will caution this is book 2 of the Apocalyptic series, but don’t let that stop you. This was a great standalone book and I recommend it. There’s heat, heart and lots of action.

Grab a copy today!

Living in Sin by Anastasia Vitsky

SIN
Living in Sin by Anastasia Vitsky
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (45 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sick of playing “roommate” for the sake of her girlfriend’s religious, tight-knit family, Audra issues an ultimatum: Tell your family, or I move out. After all, Audra’s family supports her and loves Ciara as a second daughter. Why would Ciara’s family be any different? Audra’s tired of hiding the reality of their lives. She puts Ciara first, so why can’t Ciara do the same?

Caught between her family and her girlfriend, Ciara resents being forced to choose. She tries to keep the peace by accepting her aunt’s endless blind dates and comforting her mother, who cares for Ciara’s dying grandmother. How can Ciara shatter her family by forcing the truth on them? How can she face life without Audra if she does not?
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Agonized and at her wit’s end, Ciara receives an unexpected spirit visit that asks her hard questions. Does love require self-sacrifice? How much can she give up without losing herself?

There’s a difference between falling in love with someone and welcoming them into your family. If only Ciara knew how to cross that threshold.

You can tell a lot about a couple by how they fight. I noted Audra and Ciara’s fighting styles long before I knew anything else about them or their relationship. There was a thick undercurrent of fear behind their angry words, and tucked behind that was a great deal of love. While I honestly wasn’t sure if they’d find a solution to their conflict, sensing how much they cared for each other made me cross my fingers and hope they could figure something out.

Some problems don’t have easy solutions. Ciara’s reaction to her options felt a little rushed to me. Her opinion about it was so adamant in the first few scenes that I had a little trouble understanding how it developed later on. There was an explanation for why she behaved the way she did, but I would have liked to see her take more time to come to that conclusion so that it could have been explored in more detail.

With that being said, the twist at this end of this tale took me by surprise. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but it made perfect sense given everything I’d learned about the main characters. One of the reasons why I enjoy Ms. Vitsky’s stories so much is that she’s willing to take these kinds of risks with her plots. It worked very well for her in this case.

Living in Sin is an excellent choice for anyone in the mood for a thought-provoking romance story.

The Biker’s Pup by Sean Michael

UP
The Biker’s Pup by Sean Michael
Publisher: Totally Bound
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (83 pgs)
Other: BDSM, M/M, Anal Play, Spanking, Voyeurism
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Whip came to the Gay Riders Carnival fundraiser weekend looking for a good time, but what he found was infinitely better.

Whip always has a good time at the Gay Riders Carnival, and this year he’s hoping to meet up with some studs and top last year’s festivities. The last thing he expects when he walks into his cabin is to be nearly bowled over by a skinny lad with a bruised jaw.
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Nick came to the Carnival with his so-called Master Dirk, but instead of having a good time, things moved quickly from bad to worse and Dirk responded to his safeword with a punch. Running away and hiding was Nick’s only option.

Broke, alone and not entirely sure how he’s going to get home, Nick thinks Whip is a dream come to life and he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop. For his part, Whip is drawn to the sweet pup and falls hard for Nick over the course of the long weekend.

But what’s going to happen when the weekend is over?

Whip loves the Gay Bikers weekends. There was no need to hide his erection, and plenty of eye candy — of the flesh and bike kinds alike. When he finds a slim pup in his cabin, Whip is surprised. Curiosity quickly turns to protective anger when he discovers the bruise on Nick’s face occurred after he’d used his safeword. The pup is gorgeous, sweet and more than a little addictive — and Whip quickly learns he doesn’t want to let his pup go.

Nick is a gorgeous little sub and Whip is the perfect top for him. I greatly enjoyed their interactions from the very start. I liked how deep down Whip is a softie, despite his huge appearance, leathers and love of all things biker. It was clear from their first meeting Whip was kind and considerate, the way he paid attention to Nick’s body language, the protectiveness Whip showed immediately. While submissive, I loved how Nick still had his pride. It was a pleasure to see them grow fond of each other and come together. Nick and Whip are both strongly written characters and I was drawn into their story immediately.

The Biker Carnival was also a great backdrop. Having never been to one personally, I loved the feeling of being immersed into the party atmosphere and it was a pleasure to read about it, and the antics Whip and Nick got up to during their weekend. There’s a bit of kink in one of the scenes that I found really hot and tastefully written. I found myself cheering along for both Whip and Nick, and even intrigued by Trig — Whip’s best friend and a strong secondary character.

A great, fast read with plenty of smoking hot sex and enough romantic sensitivity to have me sighing with pleasure. An excellent book and one I will happily reread many times to come.

Black as Night by Shelby Morgen

NIGHT
Black as Night by Shelby Morgen
Special Outreach Services (S.O.S) Book 1
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (41 pgs)
Other: M/F, Anal Play
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Feral cats are disappearing all over Chinatown, and Special Agent Tom Katowski, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has been assigned to investigate the case. Not that feral cats are really his jurisdiction, but the county’s getting way too many calls, and someone’s got to check it out. Who better than an old tom cat?

I actually saw it, but I don’t want to hide it from the http://raindogscine.com/?attachment_id=565 cialis samples public now because now I have been utilizing Cardio Cocktail to help people with high blood pressure. The guideline element piece cialis order of Kamagra Oral Jelly, as in the standard variant, is Sildenafil. This, in turn, reduces the workload of the right ventricle and later improves symptoms of the right sided heart failure is actually just a sequela levitra in india price of the Left Sided heart failure. After selecting brand viagra pfizer Visit This Link to treat their sexual dysfunctions most victims have discovered to be benefited up to a level that you are comfortable with will boost more self-confidence and your immune system. Officer Evaline O’Donnell thinks the Special Agent’s story is more than a little fishy, so she’s up to doing some investigating of her own. But will that Tom Cat strut get her so distracted she forgets who’s supposed to be wearing the handcuffs?

“I’ve had a lot of practice dealing with cats like you. I’ll never tell you where my stash is.”

The one thing that made me want to start reading is the feral cat part. I love cats and with the main character being a cat shifter, I had to try it!

Black as Night is the first book in the series and is an introduction to the S.O.S! Ms. Morgen has unveiled a shifter world of her own. This book is an opening to the S.O.S series and I expected to learn more about that organization in the story than just the name. The author did give a certain amount of introduction after the story, but I was expecting the ‘Special Outreach Services’ to be mentioned a lot more than it is.

The chemistry and passion between Tom and Evaline steams up this short story but Tom’s inability to be serious, other than in bed, made for a nice tension breaker. Hot and steamy with a side of humor.

The plot was good and while the writing could have been a lot more descriptive it wasn’t a deal breaker. The climax/ending was a very welcome surprise.

Anyone who loves their book boyfriend’s tall, dark and handsome, step right in and pick up this read!

Key to Lawrence by the Cargills – Spotlight and Giveaway

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter will receive a historical, 100-year-old postcard of the Lusitania – a valuable collector’s item. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Water rushed into the four, great smoke stacks of the ship as they, too, hit the waves. Tremendous, churning whirlpools sucked victims inside. A few were ejected, blackened with soot. Propellers rose above the maelstrom. The rudder lifted higher than the smoke stacks. The ship’s prow pointed down toward the deep. It looked as if the ship’s nose would hit the sea bed hundreds of feet below. The Lusitania sank in only 18 minutes after being torpedoed on May 7, 1915. Dora Benley vowed revenge on the enemy. Key to Lawrence tracks the beginning of her quest for justice in this special edition of the first volume of the Edward Ware Thriller Series. It commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Great War.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Manhattan — Saturday, May 1, 1915

The stranger stared at Dora’s package. A wide-brimmed hat shaded his face, revealing only a dark beard and mustache. Smoking a small, cheap, stubby cigar, dressed in a nondescript, ill-fitting dark suit, the man strutted towards her in a menacing fashion. Blueish-white cigar smoke curled upward in a lazy corkscrew. It vanished into the air several yards above his head.

Twenty-year-old Dora Benley quickly stuffed the surprise birthday gift for her father into her satchel. Holding a green parasol edged with black fringe over her head she skirted crowds of well-dressed, gossiping passengers waiting to board the Lusitania. Dressed in a full-length, aquamarine dress with white lace around the sleeves, Dora moved as far away from the intruder as she could without falling off the edge of the pier.

She searched impatiently for her parents. They were supposed to rendezvous with her at 11:00 AM. By now it was almost noon!

A man and woman reporting team burst upon the crowd at Cunard’s Pier 54. They were trailed by a photographer and his assistants carrying a large folding camera and a tripod. The reporters hurled themselves at the passengers.

“What do you think of the German announcement?” The male reporter thrust a copy of The New York Times at Dora. He pointed to the advertisement prominently displayed on the front page.

About the Author:

The Cargills docked at Southampton and explored the South of England in preparation for this thriller, Key to Lawrence. They also sailed the North Atlantic just like Dora Benley. But their transatlantic voyages were on the Queen Mary 2 instead of the Lusitania. They made use of the American Southwest where they live to depict the Syrian Desert that was home to Lawrence of Arabia. Visit their website. Read their blog. Linda also has a Facebook Fan Page.

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads
 

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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It Started With a Scandal by Julie Anne Long

SCANDAL
It Started With a Scandal by Julie Anne Long
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (384 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Bluet

Lord Philippe Lavay once took to the high seas armed with charm as lethal as his sword and a stone-cold conviction: he’ll restore his family’s fortune and honor, no matter the cost. Victory is at last within reach–when a brutal attack snatches it from his grasp and lands him in Pennyroyal Green.

An afternoon of bliss brings a cascade of consequences for Elise Fountain. Shunned by her family and ousted from a job she loves, survival means a plummet down the social ladder to a position no woman has yet been able to keep: housekeeper to a frighteningly formidable prince.

The bold and gentle Elise sees past his battered body into Philippe’s barricaded heart…and her innate sensuality ignites his blood. Now a man who thought he could never love and a woman who thought she would never again trust must fight an incendiary passion that could be the ruin of them both.

Though sildenafil canada online seems to be a miracle for men’s facing erectile issues. Men, robertrobb.com tadalafil 20mg españa who are suffering from early ejaculation or erectile dysfunction, are not observed with Botox. There is, as of 2010, no proven medical technology that allows this goal to buy levitra from canada be accomplished in humans – although the jury is still out on the ability to have sex. What are the types Kamagra is available in? It is generic tadalafil canada basically manufactured in three different forms of consumption like tablet, jelly, soft tab the medication is still making men thankful to it. Elise Fountain made the mistake of falling in love with the wrong man. She trusted that her lover was honorable, but soon found herself abandoned and with a child on the way. Her shocked family cast her out, but the school where she taught kept her on. She had a relatively good life there, until a vindictive patron of the school had her dismissed. Now homeless and jobless, she has applied for the position of housekeeper in the residence of Lord Lavay.

Philippe is a French aristocrat with very blue blood, who lost many family members, as well as property in the revolution. His sole ambition has been to earn enough funds to buy back his family’s estate, and to provide for his remaining family. He is close to his goal, but a vicious attack left him near death, and unable to continue in his service to the king. He is recuperating in the village of Pennyroyal Green, but his injuries are very severe, and with no income, he still lacks the money he needs to purchase his former home. The deadline is looming before the estate goes to another buyer. He may have no choice but to go forward with marriage to the heiress his family has long expected him to wed.

Philippe has little expectation that the latest housekeeper will fare any better than the last several. His penchant for throwing objects, and the lazy, disobedient servants have sent the last several running away. Elise, however, applies techniques she used as a teacher to the ragtag staff, and soon begins to whip them into shape. She also realizes that the distant, and sometimes angry, Lord Lavay is still in considerable pain. Elise’s father is a doctor, so she’s soon preparing healing tea, and providing advice on how to help Philippe’s severely injured hand. As his household and his own health improves, Philippe begins to pay more attention to the lady who made these miracles occur.

Rarely have I ever fallen in love with both the hero and heroine so completely and so quickly. Elise’s one mistake changed the course of her whole life. Yet, though her lover and her family turned away from her, and fate was definitely not kind, she retained her strength of character, her convictions, her compassion, and her kindness. She’s a wonderful mother, and is raising her son to be kind and full of joy. Philippe, while a product of his noble upbringing, is never unkind, or consciously “top-lofty.” His reserve and occasional anger are caused by his situation and his limitations. He does retain an air of command around Elise as her employer, but it’s not meant as belittling. They begin to converse, and soon, each is taking pleasure in being able to coax a smile (or an “almost” smile) from the other. I was delighted when Elise finally drew a full joyful laugh from Philippe.

There were so many wonderful scenes, small moments that added up to their falling in love. One in particular that I love is when Elise catches a servant about to steal one of the objects Philippe managed to smuggle out France. She is so passionate and eloquent in her defense of Philippe, that I was hoping he was in the background able to hear it. And he was. And it was beautiful.

Philippe understands love for his family, but he can’t define the feelings he has for Elise. Love toward a woman is a foreign concept to him. He can’t quite comprehend his jealousy toward the man who is the father of her child. Since Elise has been in love once before, she recognizes what is happening to her. She knows that she is a passionate woman, and that she’s in danger of making a second mistake. She finds the strength to refuse Philippe’s advances. Philippe feels hurt by her rejection, but feels confident that she will soon become his lover. Observing Philippe eventually come to the realization of what “home” and “love” truly mean was magnificent.

While the time period covered by this book was relatively short, the characterizations were done in great depth, and the romance progressed slowly and believably. It Started With a Scandal was so well written that I resented time I had to spend away from the book to attend to things like work. The words just flowed, and I was truly enchanted by this heartwarming, passionate, and romantic book. Everything about this book worked for me, and it is my favorite of all the excellent works penned by Julie Anne Long. Though it’s early in the year, I can guarantee this will be on my “Best of 2015” list, and it receives my highest recommendation.

Outlaw in Love by Tanya Hanson

OUTLAW
Outlaw in Love by Tanya Hanson
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Short Story (141 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

On the run from his gang, having robbed his own sister, outlaw Ahab Perkins has no place to go but …good. He’d give his heart in a single beat to the woman he all but kidnapped…if only the beautiful lady in gray wasn’t a nun.

Hiding out in disguise at a rundown mission, Teresa Avila is as wanted as Ahab. Her past crimes and her evil stepfather’s abuse have her thinking she’s not good enough for any man. Giving her heart to Ahab Perkins would be far worse than spending her life pretending to be a nun—wouldn’t it?
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But there’s more to this hardened outlaw than meets the eye. A burned-out homestead, a kindly sheriff, and an abandoned little girl bring out his tender side, and Teresa finds it harder and harder not to reveal her true identity.

Ahab is trying to do the right thing for a change. He just didn’t realize how hard that would be…

Ahab is an outlaw, specializing in horse thieving. He loves horses and they know they can trust him. He’s not so good with humans but after his childhood, that’s understandable. Right now, he’s been told that the woman who nursed him back to wellness after a gunshot is having his child. He can’t remember having sex with her, but he was drugged up. It might have happened. And he wasn’t going to run out on his own child! First, though he has to find his sister and get his mother’s pearls to pawn them for money for the baby.

Ms. Hanson writes a simple story about a man who got off on the wrong foot with life. Due to an abusive father and a need to provide for his sister, he did what he could to get by. She pairs him with a nun who is willing to help him find his sister and make amends for what she thought had happened to her. Sister Teresa, though has some secrets of her own.

This is a tale of a mix of good and bad and how love reconciles things. I felt like the romances were too rushed to be real. Just a few days together and everybody is in love. Under high stress situations it can happen, but it seemed just a bit too neat to me.

The author’s writing style is smooth and easy to read. She adds enough excitement to keep your attention. The story was good, I enjoyed the banter between cowboy and nun and it made my heart soften to see them take in a little girl who survived a tragedy. Overall it was good western with two unusual heroes.

Hunting a Lady by Cari Z. and Caitlin Ricci

LADY
Hunting a Lady by Cari Z. and Caitlin Ricci
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (52 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet, F/F
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Shortly before completing her journeyman training in leather working, Jessa’s master dies, leaving her at the cruel, vile hands of his son Brent. When the local lord’s daughter, Marguerite, is kidnapped and a reward is offered for her rescue, finding her first is a chance at escape that Jessa can’t ignore.

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Rescuing the damsel in distress isn’t always as easy as it may appear.

At first I was a little puzzled by Jessa’s acceptance of her lot in life. Her living and working conditions were incredibly poor even for a woman of her social standing. Seeing how she reacted to all of the unpleasant things she had to endure gave me a great deal of insight into her personality, though, and her unflappable response to her hard circumstances made me like her a lot. She’s the kind of person I’d want to have nearby in a crisis.

One of the characters consistently made decisions that I had a hard time understanding. Her choices simply didn’t make sense given everything else I’d learned about her personality and background. There was no logical reason for her to do the things she did based on what I knew about her. Had her reasons for acting in this manner been explained in better detail, I would have felt comfortable choosing a higher rating for this story.

The villains in this tale were deliciously dangerous. I was genuinely concerned that they might disrupt Jessa and Marguerite’s plans. The tension they added to the plot was a nice addition, especially once I realized why they did some of the things they did. It did take a little guesswork to figure out the villains’ motives, but it was rewarding to have the opportunity to piece it all together.

Give Hunting a Lady a try if you’re in the mood for an adventure.

Thunder Wolves: Clay by B.J. McCall

CLAY
Thunder Wolves: Clay by B.J. McCall
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (76 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Kissa Troy mistakenly believes she’s safe in her identity as Beth Smith. No one knows she’s a mountain cat shifter and hiding from the Catamounts, a dangerous shifter cult. One day, a sexy alpha wolf walks into her life. Shaking off a determined wolf isn’t easy. When she’s tracked down by the Catamounts, Kissa turns to the wolf for protection.
Wolves and mountain cats are natural enemies, but all it takes is one breath and Clay Thunder is hooked. The sex is hot. The attraction is undeniable. She may be a cat with trouble on her tail, but she’s the one.

Still. A wolf — and a mountain cat?

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Ms. McCall impressed me with this novelette. Each chapter is packed with a lot of information. The author used the minimum amount of words yet she still provided the emotional connection between a reader and her characters and I really got into the story. I didn’t feel cheated or shortchanged in any aspect of this tale. Ms. McCall truly knows her craft.

The one aspect that stood out for me was the suspense. I bet that if I could see myself in a mirror, I wouldn’t be surprised to see my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open. It really got intense a few times making this one of the fastest read stories in months. I enjoyed every second of it and couldn’t stop reading until I finished it, in one sitting. Amazing!

I liked how the author presented Kissa to a reader in the beginning. It successfully garnered my sympathy and interest. And yes, even though the mating scent ploy is used, I liked how Clay and Kissa interacted. It didn’t come across as trite, fast, gratuitous or pat. It was natural, believable and thoroughly entertaining and satisfying. I kept waiting for the characters to say or do the one thing that would trip up the whole story and it never happened. This was a complete joy to read.

I will point out my niggle about Dan. Considering who he was and what has happening to the people in the bar, I have no clue as to why he was not targeted by the bad guys, because he should have been. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he wasn’t because he was a nice guy. He still was a perfectly good target and it never materialized. Considering how bloody efficient the bad guys turned out to be, that was a glaring oversight.

Since this is an erotic romance, it’d be remiss of me not to mention how delicious their sex scenes were. They were well done, well placed and were definitely a lot of fun to read. Clay and Kissa are wonderful together.

This review is a joy to write because I still have a happy buzz going on from reading Clay. This little gem is an easy recommend for all paranormal romance readers. Ms. McCall has written a keeper.

The Gilded Scarab by Anna Butler

GILDED
The Gilded Scarab by Anna Butler
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Steampunk, Alternate World, Historical, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (311 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Sex, Cheating/Sex Beyond the Main Pairing
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lilac

When Captain Rafe Lancaster is invalided out of the Britannic Imperium’s Aero Corps after crashing his aerofighter during the Second Boer War, his eyesight is damaged permanently, and his career as a fighter pilot is over. Returning to Londinium in late November 1899, he’s lost the skies he loved, has no place in a society ruled by an elite oligarchy of powerful Houses, and is hard up, homeless, and in desperate need of a new direction in life.

Everything changes when he buys a coffeehouse near the Britannic Imperium Museum in Bloomsbury, the haunt of Aegyptologists. For the first time in years, Rafe is free to be himself. In a city powered by luminiferous aether and phlogiston, and where powerful men use House assassins to target their rivals, Rafe must navigate dangerous politics, deal with a jealous and possessive ex-lover, learn to make the best coffee in Londinium, and fend off murder and kidnap attempts before he can find happiness with the man he loves.

An aeronaut loses his commission due to an injury, gets a new job as a coffee shop owner in the heart of Londinium—and comes face to face with more temptations and deadly dangers than he ever did in the Aero Corps.

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The plot is slow to reveal itself. If you’re a perceptive reader, some of the plot twists won’t come as a surprise. But the way everything is handled, is unique and absolutely captivating. The Houses that form the powerbases of this Londinium and the Britannic Imperium have fascinating and complex ties, so you never really know who’s on who’s side. And while the princeps of these Houses are known by all, the other members can be anyone really. You never know.

This complex steampunk world is given to us through Rafe’s eyes, via his first person sarcastic British wit and dry British humor. As such, the sporadic explanations given, a detail here and another there, merely raise a whole bunch of new questions. Clever piece of writing indeed. Thankfully, to those in need, there’s a glossary of terms in the back and a map of the main plot area in the front of the book. Trust me when I say both will come in handy, even if the map should have been the other way around, I think. The technologies alone are a staggering concoction of real and fantasy armaments, vehicles, city powers, etc. They all read realistic though they are far from it. Delicious.

Rafe is a wonderful character, a member of a Minor House and overjoyed at having nothing to do with them and their schemes. He’s smart though a bit slothful, loving though professing to care only for sex, and able to form natural, lasting friendships even though he’s suspicious of people’s motives and ties to the Houses. In short, Rafe is a complex individual, realistic and relatable.

Rafe becomes acquainted with two men, Edward and Daniel, in a gay molly house, and he has sex with both of them in the story, though not at the same time. A fair warning if your consider that cheating. One of these relationships forms the foundation of Rafe’s new life, the other becomes the bane of his existence. It’s not difficult to tell which is which. But that epiphany is only the beginning of the story.

Add to these the likes of Mr. Pearse, the coffee shop’s former owner, Hugh, Rafe’s batman, Will, the pastry chef next door, Hawkins, the bodyguard fully prepared to kill for his charge, or Stravaigor, Rafe’s House’s leader—and you have an amazing pool of people to draw Rafe into the multi-layered plot. And those above are just a few of the eccentric characters prowling the streets of Londinium, mixing their affairs with those of Rafe who is just trying to find a place to call his own.

I give this superbly woven tale top marks and my highest recommendations to anyone who likes a slow-build M/M romance filled with suspense and intrigue, even if you’re not a fan of steampunk or historicals. The sex portions take place at the beginning of the book, while the suspense fills out the rest. I am honestly impressed with the level of detail, characterization, plot developments, and the writing that matches the subtleties of the created world with its uses of slang and steampunk parlance. I absolutely recommend this to everyone, regardless of your preferred genre.