Naughty & Sweet by Megan Slayer

June 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Naughty & Sweet by Megan Slayer
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: Three stars
Reviewed by Fern

Kelly Fenn came to the Honey Dripper seeking what she thinks is an easy way to make cash to pay off a loan. Martin Malachi is the one man she never expected to find, let alone fall in love with.

Martin’s not looking for a girlfriend, but Kelly needs a job. When he suggests an offer Kelly can’t refuse, she’s got a choice to make. Will she risk her heart for a chance at forever with a man fifteen years her senior, or walk away?

Kelly is looking for some serious money to pay off her loan, and from what she hears stripping is one of the fastest way to make it. When Martin makes her an offer Kelly is tempted enough to take him up on it. Despite the age gap between them is she willing to risk her heart or will she give in and walk away?

I found this to be an interesting short story. While I felt there wasn’t initially really any chemistry between Kelly and Martin I did enjoy the slow burn as they each came to appreciate and grow more attached to each other. While the deal Martin offered Kelly really did seem too good to be true (and needs a healthy dose of suspending logic and disbelief) as a plot device it was great and certainly put both Kelly and Martin exactly in the right positioning for the rest of the story to flow smoothly.

I was pleased with the slower pace of the romance growing between Kelly and Martin – it helped that the author sprinkled in a lot of plot between the three Malachi brothers and let things progress at a more realistic and natural pace. There’s a bit of BDSM and light kink between Kelly and Martin that readers who like their stories a bit on the spicier side should enjoy. I didn’t feel anything too envelope-pushing was included and readers used to modern erotic stories should find it spicy and explicit but not too much.

With an intricate plot and some very sexy shenanigans I found this to be a fun and interesting quick read. I’ll be very interested in the next installment (revolving around another brother, I suspect) and will keep an eye out for it.

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One Lost Soul by JM Dalgleish

June 16, 2021 By 1 Comment


One Lost Soul by JM Dalgleish
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The darkest secrets often hide in plain sight…

When a body is found on a lonely cliff top path, the angelic face of a murdered teenager lies facing the rising sun. Strangled by the hands of an unknown killer, it falls to DI Tom Janssen and his fledgling team to find out how she came to be there. Destined for a career in medicine, one to rival that of her parents, Holly Bettany’s future was as bright as it had been privileged. Seemingly, all that could threaten this promising teenager’s life was Holly herself.

In an idyllic coastal setting, Janssen must unpick the layers of deceit within a close-knit community that threaten to reveal scandal at every turn. Holly had a secret… and she knew the secrets of others…

Who was prepared to kill in order to keep them hidden? What happens if another comes to know what she did? One thing is certain… a brutal killer has no boundaries…

After some time – and experience – in the big city, DI Tom Janssen returned home to Norfolk and has mostly settled into a comfortable and happy routine. While the local police station is extremely small – only a few officers – there is very little crime, and Tom feels capable with his novice team in handling it. But when a local teenage girl is mysteriously murdered Tom willingly accepts the temporary help of a nearby DCI and he’s relieved to find they can both work together to solve this case – particularly as it grows more complicated the more they uncover.

This is the first book in a series around the small township of Norfolk and DI Tom Janssen and I was pleased that I enjoyed it. In many respects this feels and read to me like a fairly regular British style of police mystery book but I thought the authors tone and style was good. I also enjoyed the small number of main characters. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t learn a lot about Tom’s back-story, and while I was pleased the book wasn’t filled with flashbacks I admit it would have been nice to learn more about Tom’s past and how he came to be the competent, knowledgeable detective he currently is. I admit though that there’s plenty of time in future books for this to be expanded upon, but after finishing the book I realized there was still a lot of Tom’s character I didn’t know or understand fully.

That said, the mystery aspect to this book was excellent. I found it well plotted and with a number of good twists. A few of them I guessed shortly before they were revealed but some of them took me delightfully by surprise. I again feel this was a good blend of stuff readers should be able to see coming and still with a few interesting twists and surprises to enjoy. I feel the cast of secondary characters was also quite strong and I hope most if not all of them make appearances in coming books. I’ll be particularly interested in both Eric’s progress as an officer and – hopefully with more experience – him gaining more confidence in his police work.

For an interesting and well written British style of police procedural I enjoyed this first story in the “Hidden Norfolk” series. I’m definitely interested in reading the next book and hope to learn more both about the main characters and small town.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Grimm Up North by David J. Gatward

June 15, 2021 By 1 Comment


Grimm Up North by David J. Gatward
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Edinburgh has Rebus.
The Highlands have Logan.
Now Yorkshire has Grimm.

Welcome to Wensleydale, where the cheese is famous, the scenery beautiful, and the locals have murder on their minds …

Detective Chief Inspector Harry Grimm is forced to take leave from Bristol’s Major Investigations Team when his boss, tired of Harry chasing the ghost of his murderous father, sends him north on secondment.

Used to city life and high stress, Harry fears his life will now be spent handing out speeding tickets, finding lost sheep, and directing tourists. But when a local teenager runs away, Harry finds himself pulled into an investigation much worse than anyone could have ever expected.

The nicer the place, the darker the secrets. Wensleydale is beautiful, everyone is friendly and welcoming, and people just don’t get murdered … do they? A classic fish-out-of-water crime mystery set in the stunning and evocative scenery of Wensleydale in North Yorkshire.

DCI Harry Grimm is frustrated but not overly surprised when his boss sends him up north to the countryside for secondment – far away from the Bristol Major Investigations team and life as he knows it – after he refuses to let go of the past and chasing elusive justice against his murderous father. Only life in the countryside isn’t as quiet or idyllic as Harry expects when a local teenager goes missing, and all too soon a body is found, murdered.

I absolutely adored this book. I was expecting just another “city cop goes unwillingly to the country” and instead found an amazingly well balanced and gripping story. While Harry is an excellent character, I found it particularly pleasing that he’s surrounded by a bunch of well written and equally interesting secondary characters. Harry’s brother Ben (and the obviously complicated, unresolved history there) and the various members of the small police station in Wensleydale – Jim in particular – weren’t just cookie cutter or slapped into the story to show Harry in a good light or be cardboard cutouts to further the plot. It’s clear to me the author put an immense amount of thought, plan and detail into these characters and I found them as interesting and gripping as I did Harry. This was refreshing to me and really helped me become fully immersed into Harry’s world.

I was also impressed that while on the surface the plot is incredibly simple – city cop goes to the country and realizes murder and mayhem happens everywhere – this book is so much more complicated and rich than that. The various interactions with the different police characters with the locals and the different pace and setting of small-town life. And while the problems might superficially appear easier they’re no less dangerous or significant to those who are effected. Add in a murder mystery and what I personally found was a fantastic tone and style of writing and I’d purchased the second book in the series before I’d made it half way through this story. I found it gripping, engrossing and wonderfully written.

I found it impressive the author also managed to clearly show that Harry has his own demons, along with a complicated relationship with his brother and I feel there is the over-arching plot-line of their father. While that part of the storyline wasn’t neatly wrapped up I felt the author did an exceptional job of making it clear this was a background and long-term personal goal/story-line and didn’t make it feel as if this particular book had dangling threads left or wasn’t finished to a satisfactory degree. I’m eager to start the next book and see not just how Harry continues to adjust to his new situation and how he relates to the many friends and characters – but also what progress is made on his more personal story-line.

With an interesting mystery – but far more importantly a wonderful set of characters and a new perspective – this was a magnificent story and one I greatly enjoyed. I will absolutely be reading the next installment soon.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

She’s My Everything by Sam Crescent

June 14, 2021 By Leave a Comment


She’s My Everything by Sam Crescent
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

He’s a jock.

She’s a nerd.

Laylah doesn’t know what to think when Blue acts strange, even asking her out on a date. There’s no way it can work. Where Blue is many of her firsts: first kiss, first date, first boyfriend—she isn’t any of his. His reputation puts her off.

Blue Jones is in completely, head-over-heels in love with Laylah Miller. They’ve been going to the same school, but after one look at her, everything changes. He has to have her. She’s the first woman he’s ever fallen for, and he doesn’t want to go another day without staking his claim.

Blue Jones was the top jock, the football champion and a big deal in the school. He knew it and was finally prepared to make it work for him. He desperately wanted Laylah, the nerdy girl, and was determined to make her his. Blue had made it clear to his teammates she was off limits and he didn’t care his so-called friends made fun of him wanting the nerdy girl, Blue was determined and was prepared to use whatever he could to have her.

While I found the premise of this story pretty well-worn (popular high school guy with the serious hots for the nerdy not-so-popular girl in his class) I was relieved that the story wasn’t as straightforward as I initially expected. I thought the author found an interesting way to both keep Blue and Laylah from jumping immediately into bed together, but also to stop them from rushing into a relationship with no real “getting to know you” phase.

Readers looking for a slightly slower pace to their spicy romance stories should find that this fits the bill. Laylah and Blue don’t rush into things though Blue is very persistent and keeps a fair amount of pressure on Laylah to get what he wants. I was pleased that Laylah didn’t just cave in or let go of her own morals and feelings though I’m not certain more traditional readers will enjoy how hard Blue pushed until Laylah did capitulate. While I enjoy intimate and spicier romances I think more traditional romance readers mightn’t find this as comfortable as they might like.

With spicy and explicit scenes and a lovely happy ending I feel this story will appeal to a wide range of readers.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Baby For Two by Sam Crescent

June 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Baby For Two by Sam Crescent
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When two strangers meet outside a fertility clinic, sparks fly. Jared has always wanted to be a father, but the right woman has never come around.

Meredith has always been used to disappointment. A baby is something she can’t make alone, so going to the clinic is her only choice. The moment Jared sees her, he wants her, giving her an alternative option.

He wants this baby the natural way, so she’s going to have to sleep with him. And he wants to be part of his baby’s life. Meredith is willing to do whatever it takes, but she doesn’t expect to fall in love. But Jared isn’t the cold, heartless man she expected, and he makes her glow.

When his family tries to tear them apart, Jared vows to keep Meredith in his life. She’s the family he wants, and no one is getting in the way.

Meredith wanted to be a mother very badly. With no daddy prospects in sight though she finds herself in the sperm bank hoping to go it alone. While there she meets Jared, who had been visiting to try and find out how to go about hiring a surrogate mother. Jared felt an instant attraction to Meredith and considering they both want the exact same thing Meredith is finding it hard to say no to Jared’s outlandish idea.

Grab a large drink, turn off your ringer, sit back and disconnect your brain. I found this to be a fabulously fun, albeit highly unlikely short story. Thankfully I didn’t need or expect realism, logic or real life when I picked up this quick read and so I adored every minute of it. Meredith and Jared are strangers – that’s why she doesn’t initially know he’s a multi-millionaire and in charge of his own company from an exceptionally large and even more wealthy family. Jared wants a baby and a family of his own and isn’t going to let pesky details – like the many compromises, problems, difficulties and small facets of conceiving a baby then raising it to adulthood – get in his way. They both want a baby and Meredith is attracted enough to Jared to let herself be talked into doing it the old fashioned way, in bed. Let the bedroom shenanigans and heart-wrenching emotion begin.

Readers looking for a light hearted, fast paced and intimately graphic short story should find this an excellent read. I felt an immediate empathy with Meredith who I found to be relatable and somewhat sensible and practical. Jared was one handsome and smooth-talking hero and while I didn’t warm to him immediately in the same way I did Meredith I did enjoy him and found myself really growing to like him as much as I initially hoped for. After the first few pages I realized I needed to leave realism and logic at the door but the lack of logic didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story once I embraced it.

Meredith and Jared were interesting and vibrant characters, the situation they found themselves in (crazy as it was) was something I feel most people could understand and relate to. Add in a bunch of chemistry and a real and honest desire to be parents and this was a fun and enjoyable read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

His Refused Mate by Jade Marshall

June 2, 2021 By Leave a Comment


His Refused Mate by Jade Marshall
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Wolf shifters are fated with one mate. Losing your mate or refusing it causes immense pain and, in some cases, death. But what if fate gives you a second chance?

Payton has been on her own for longer than she can remember, even when she was still part of a pack. Being refused by her fated mate has her fleeing, starting a life of solitude away from any other shifters

Caine is the Alpha to his pack and although he loves his pack dearly, he longs for his true mate. When he catches her scent he will do everything to make her his. But can he convince her to take a chance?

While Peyton hasn’t enjoyed the last few years effectively being a servant in her Alpha’s house, she has the warm, loving memories of what her family life had been before her father had left and the life as Peyton knew it had irrevocably changed. On the morning of her eighteenth birthday she thought something might change, but she could never have guessed that it would have been her whole world shifting around. In a matter of minutes she’d discovered her one true mate only to have him refuse her and sever their bond, casting her callously aside without even attempting to try. Caine is rightful Alpha of a small pack and while he’s been desperately lonely the last eighteen months he’s determined to wait for his true mate – for the life partner the goddess has chosen for him. When Caine and Peyton find each other how will they manage to merge their two very different lives?

While I was a little disappointed that this enjoyable short story was quite predictable, I was impressed that the author managed to infuse the book with a few really interesting and relatable main characters. Peyton still held compassion and had a strong streak of independence that I really enjoyed. I was considerably relieved when Caine didn’t just beat his chest and let his ego or arrogance overtake his brain when Peyton refuse to submit immediately to his claim they were mates. I loved how Caine was willing to show and prove himself to Peyton, to show her he could support her and take some time to really get to know her and what she wanted from their relationship. This really helped sell me on the story.

There is some conflict in this short story and I thought for the most part it was handled really well. I felt the author put a really interesting twist on the end result of the conflict and could easily see how it could become important in the next few books as Caine’s brothers also find their own true mates. I feel readers looking for a unique or vastly different paranormal romance might not find themselves completely satisfied with this story but I admit I really enjoyed Peyton and Caine’s characters and found that reading their interactions was time well spent.

A fun and sexy short story this was a good paranormal romance.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Date With A Stranger by Pelaam

June 1, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Date With A Stranger by Pelaam
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Cassidy opts to spend special evenings at a high-end club and casino. His favorite part of each night is role play.

There he meets his husband Jeff —younger, slender, elegant, and classy. Their chemistry is as electrifying as always.

But Cassidy plays for keeps and while others may look, none can touch. Because at the end of the night, and every day, Jeff belongs to him.

Cassidy had heard good things about The Basement Bar – how it was for high rollers and the elite, but also how you could gamble without the usual casino atmosphere. When Jeff enters the Bar Cassidy knows immediately this is the man he wants to spend the night with, but neither man is willing to rush into anything, happy to enjoy themselves and each other’s company.

I enjoyed this sensual and fun short story. I was particularly pleased that, despite their instant and sizzling attraction, Cassidy and Jeff didn’t just blow off their night at the Bar and jump straight into bed. I was really pleased they chatted a while, drank, then had a bit of a flutter in the gambling area. This interaction between them helped me as a reader see them both and how they meshed and could potentially work together long past just a one night stand. I also adored how realistic this story was. While sure its pure fantasy material – a chance meeting in a Bar that leads to a true and real connection with someone – there was nothing that occurred in this short story that couldn’t be happening in real life every night. I really enjoyed this realism.

With an interesting and fun twist towards the end I found this to be a lovely and steamy story. Readers looking for something light and sensual, realistic but still fun should find this a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Back Forty by BA Tortuga

May 31, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Back Forty by BA Tortuga
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Rusty’s going it alone on the family farm, trying to make ends meet and his breeding scheme work. Too bad he’s really a college boy at heart, and having a hard time getting all of the work done all by himself.

When he finds Wayne standing next to a broken down truck on the side of the road, it just seems like someone out there was hearing his prayers. Wayne stays on for room and board and a chance to get his truck fixed up, and as they get to know each other, both Wayne and Rusty decide maybe they don’t have to be single guys anymore.

Rusty is driving back to his farm, hoping to beat the storm blowing in, when he passes a stranger with a broken down truck. Being friendly, Rusty gives Wayne a tow to his farm and they each find perhaps exactly what they were looking for.

This is a deliciously hot, fairly short cowboy romance. While I really enjoyed both Rusty and Wayne’s characters the main thrust of the story is the blossoming romance and steamy intimacy between the two men as they grow ever more fond and attracted to each other. Readers looking for a deeply plotted or complicated story might not find this suits their tastes – but I personally really enjoyed the connection between the two main characters and enjoyed watching them come together and begin to build a strong and meaningful relationship together.

I found the intimacy between the two cowboys hot and descriptive. I also enjoyed the fact that they clearly meshed well together on an emotional level and not just physically. Readers looking for a short but hot cowboy M/M romance story should find this satisfying and enjoyable.

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Sticks And Stones by John Carson

May 27, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Sticks And Stones by John Carson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A horrific murder. A stunning abduction. Can he open an old case to prevent another grisly death?
Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil isn’t easily intimidated. But after years investigating crooked cops, a promotion heading up a Major Investigation Team will put his reputation on the line. And he’s starting to sweat when the daughter of a rich and powerful family vanishes from the honeymoon suite in a Scottish Highlands castle…

Searching alongside officers from two other divisions, pushes McNeil to his breaking point when the investigation uncovers a charred corpse dressed in a wedding gown. Fearing the missing bride will suffer the same gruesome fate, the detective follows a fifteen-year long trail of clues littered with vengeance, false identities, and a tragic murder-suicide.

Can McNeil bring the butcher to justice before the celebration turns into a mass funeral?

I was pleasantly surprised by this Scottish mystery novel. Not as dark and gritty as some UK crime/mystery novels can be I nevertheless found the tone of the book to be similar to many other British crime novels. With a small number of main characters that I could easily keep a handle on this helped me feel pretty quickly like I knew the characters and the energy between DCI Harry McNeil and his work partner DC Alex Marshall. I was really pleased that – for me at least – the banter and friendliness between Harry and Alex didn’t seem to have an undertow of romance or chemistry. I feel for now at least their professional, working relationship was a good blend of boss and co-worker and the two of them being genuine friends. I’m not sure I’d want Harry or Alex to muddy that with sex or complications between them.

Indeed, for the most part I found this a refreshing, enjoyable Scottish mystery with a good – albeit slowly moving – plot. Readers looking for an action based, fast-paced mystery might find this one moves a bit slower than they’d prefer. Personally I was pleased to find since this was the first book in a series a decent amount of time was spent showing me Harry, Alex and the other main characters and setting the scene of the crime. A good portion of the start of the book was spent with the missing bride, the wedding guests and searching the massive grounds for clues and trying to piece together what had occurred. I was left a little bewildered, since I couldn’t seem to slot the prologue into what was occurring in the main part of the book, but I was really pleased with how everything wrapped up neatly, and a little over half way through the story there were a few plot-twists that I found particularly satisfying and felt really helped both move the plot along and give the book a taste of individualism which made me pleased I’d kept on with it.

Readers looking for an enjoyable, not too gritty mystery with good characters and a solid – though at times slow-ish – plot should really enjoy this book. I found it easy to stick with the book since the characters and writing style really appealed to me and especially around the half way mark when things started to really come together I was pretty chuffed that I’d stuck with it. I enjoyed this book enough I’ve ordered the second in the series and I might even look into the author’s other works since I really did enjoy his writing style and tone.

A good, enjoyable and interesting mystery book and a new-to-me author I’ll happily read again.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Dog Next Door by Sean Michael

May 21, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Dog Next Door by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Keifer’s a vet with a secret. Felix is his hunky next door neighbor. One weekend when they’re both out enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning, Felix asks Keifer out for dinner and ice cream. One thing leads to another and the two discover they’re very compatible, in and out of bed.
Keifer’s got that secret, though, and he’s not sure exactly how to tell Felix about it, and he’s more than a little worried about how Felix is going to take it. What happens when the truth comes out unexpectedly, and that truth has a tail?

Keifer and Felix are next door neighbors who hit it off in and out of the bedroom. But Keifer has a secret and despite his relationship with Felix deepening he’s not quite sure how to explain it. Can these two men move to the next level together?

I found this to be a fun and lighthearted short story. While a little predictable I thoroughly enjoyed watching Keifer and Felix begin their relationship together and learn to trust each other. There is loads of deliciously hot – and explicit – intimacy and while this takes up a large part of the story I was delighted to find the deepening of their emotional attachment to each other was equally front and center throughout the story.

I could understand if some readers found Keifer and Felix’s relationship moved a little fast, though I feel the fact they’d known each other for quite some time (over a year as neighbors) and both were in a healthy and happy place to enter into a romantic liaison together this coupled with the short length of the story had be satisfied that it wasn’t really unusually fast or illogical. I was pleased both that Keifer felt he could trust Felix with his secret and that Felix didn’t over-react when Keifer opened himself up and made himself vulnerable with his lover and friend.

While it didn’t have many unexpected twists, I found this to be an enjoyable, satisfying and happy short story and a great, albeit quick read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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