A Taste of Knight by A.H. Scott


A Taste of Knight by A.H. Scott
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

He’s a flirt. She’s the cautious type.
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At the right time and right place, an elegant dining experience percolates into something far more delicious in “A Taste Of Knight”.

A Taste of Knight is a quick, delightful, steamy read. The phrasing is a little unusual, quite creative at times, and there are some grammatical errors, but this does not get in the way of understanding. There is a lot of telling versus showing, and some repetition, but the details given are good and descriptive.

It is hard to picture the settings sometimes, and the tale comes across almost as diary entries. The story is told in the first person, giving it a sense of immediacy. Readers can feel what the protagonist does.

Hints at what is to come add spice and make a reader anticipate the next events. When the heat finally arrives, it is done well. The different characters find that they have more in common than they thought they did. We’re left with an open-ended ending, but it is still satisfying.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Kim Smith


Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Kim Smith
Publisher: Quirk Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The cult classic TV show is now a charming picture book for the youngest fans in the Buffyverse!

In this new picture-book story brought to life with cute and colorful illustrations, young readers see what the world’s strongest vampire slayer was like back when she was a kid! Join not-so-brave little Buffy, Willow, and Xander as they investigate strange sounds coming from the closet, seek advice from their school librarian Giles, and encounter everyone’s favorite Buffyverse monsters. Charmingly illustrated by Pop Classics artist Kim Smith, this sweet, silly, and not-so-scary book borrows Joss Whedon’s beloved characters to tell an endearing bedtime story.

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This tale included the perfect amount of scariness for young readers. A little dab of it is honestly all that is needed for this age group, so I was glad that the author kept things so lighthearted and fun even when Buffy was fighting the bad guys. It fit both the source material and the intended audience well.

I would have liked to see more plot development included. So many pages were taken up by introducing the characters that there wasn’t quite as much room for the main storyline as it needed. Given the short attention spans of young children, I did wonder if they’d have some trouble paying attention during the first few scenes because of it even though things became much more interesting after that point.

One of the best things about this picture book had to do with how many different ways it could be read. A preschooler could understand it as an urban fantasy take on the important of facing one’s fears even when they involve frightening things like figuring out what that scary thumping noise is in the closet. Adult readers who are already fans of this franchise can find many hidden references to storylines and characters that will only make sense if one understands those fleeting moments on a deeper level. It was cool to see how these layers were woven together while still being able to be understood on their own.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer should be read by anyone who loved the 90s TV show by the same name and to any little ones who like scary stories.

Song for a Cowboy by Sasha Summers


Song for a Cowboy by Sasha Summers
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Country star Emmy Lou King is singing the blues over the cowboy who got away…

Emmy Lou King’s whole family is legendary in country music. When she lands the opportunity to sing the American Football League anthem and serve on one of the AFL’s anti-drug charities, she’s sure she can handle working with Brock Watson. She was charmed by the cowboy once upon a time―and she’s never loved anyone else―but she can handle it. Right?

Brock Watson is feeling the pressure. From dealing with his father’s declining health, to keeping their ranch running, staying in game-ready shape, and his dedication to the charity that changed his life, there’s no time for anything else. Emmy Lou included. After six years, he’d like to think she couldn’t mess with his head anymore. But one look, one smile―and he knows she’s as dangerous as ever. He can’t resist her―he never could.

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If you are like me and you love reading second chance romance stories, you will be captivated by this slow burn story involving a good looking football player and a sweet country singer.

I loved everything about this feel good, emotional story. Brock and Emmy were madly in love as teenagers, but they broke up over a misunderstanding. They are brought back together when they both volunteer for the same charity.

Brock and Emmy are so easy to like, but their story broke my heart and I wanted them to finally get the HEA they deserve. They are meant to be together and hopefully, this time, everything will work out. Unfortunately, people seem to continually get in the way. Brock and Emmy are perfect for each other but before they can have another chance at love, they have to sift through all the lies. There is an underlying sexual tension every time Brock and Emmy are together, but they still have lingering hurt feelings and are afraid to put themselves out there again.

Brock is totally swoony, he is charming and nice and an all around good guy. Even though he is one of the most successful players in the league, Brock has insecurities, which hold him back from showing his true feelings. What I loved most about Brock, is how protective he is of Emmy. He has always loved her and for him, there is no one else to compare with her.

Emmy and her family are famous country music stars but unfortunately, her family has a lot of dysfunction. Emmys biggest fault is that she is too sweet and trusting and because of that, she trusts the wrong people. Even though Brock broke her heart years ago, when Emmy sees him again, she can’t help what her heart feels.

This is a heartwarming story with witty dialogue and I especially loved all the banter between the three King siblings. They love to give each other a hard time, but they always have each other’s back.

This is the second book in the Kings of Country series and highly recommend this captivating story. My only disappointment was that the story ended so quickly.

Pivot Move by Chris Boucher


Pivot Move by Chris Boucher
Publisher: Wings ePress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

At 14, Boyd’s life goes the way of his hair–down the drain. His dad leaves and his curly brown mop follows. Now he longs to be free, too.

Things seem to improve when he starts ballin’ with the Blazers. He works hard to win over his new coach and teammates–too hard–and his misguided attempts alienate more than they impress.

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As Freidrich Nietzsche says, “no one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.” Remember these words as you read this review and book.

Boyd genuinely felt like a young teenager to me. His mind and body were changing rapidly in ways he couldn’t always predict, much less understand. This was especially true when it came to his reaction to the alopecia he’d developed fairly recently. Sometimes I shook my head at the impulsive decisions he made, but they were all common things not only for his age group but for his personality in general as it had been explained to me.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the character development in this novel. As interesting as the characters were, it would have been nice to get to know them better and see them evolve as a result of the things that happened to them. This was especially true when it came to Boyd’s mother who was a pretty critical and discouraging parent. She put down her son’s interests so often that I wished the narrator had dug into this part of her personality much more thoroughly. There was a lot of space here to explore why she behaved this way and how she thought it was going to improve an already tough situation.

The basketball scenes were explained well. This wasn’t a sport I know much about, so it was helpful to go into as much detail about the various drills and moves the players were expected to learn as it did. I also appreciated the passages that described how and why the relationships between team mates can change in an instant depending on what happens during practice or games.

Basketball fans and anyone who has or is curious about alopecia, take note of Pivot Move. It has interesting things to say about both of these topics.

IQ by Joe Ide


IQ by Joe Ide
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A resident of one of LA’s toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores.

East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood’s high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can’t or won’t touch.

They call him IQ. He’s a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he’s forced to take on clients that can pay.
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This time, it’s a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monstrous attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.

Isaiah Quintabe might be a high school drop out but is far from your average young man living in LA. Incredibly smart, he’s slowly getting a reputation for helping solve problems of other locals in his neighborhood where the police can’t – or won’t – help them. With his latest case – one he only took because money is incredibly tight right now – has Isaiah taken on more than even he can handle?

This is a completely new-to-me author and the first in his IQ series. I picked this up on a whim and within the first few chapters had decided to order the second book in the series. Other reviews bill this as “a different Sherlockian style of character” and in many senses they are correct. Deduction and piecing together all the small hints and suggestions most of us ignore in day-to-day life is a big part of how IQ solves problems and pieces together the various puzzles and problems that he helps out in. He also has a somewhat arrogant and difficult manner – much like Sherlock – but to simply cut this story down to “another Sherlock style of mystery” is really doing the book an injustice.

Isaiah is not some one in a million genius born perfect and solving crimes from a tender young age. One thing I loved about this story was it SHOWS us how Isaiah trained himself to notice all the small things and how to make the deductions he becomes known for. This wasn’t some magical talent he was born with – he used his brain and trained himself over and over to learn and gain this talent. He EARNED it. I found that so refreshing and amazing. At first I was a bit annoyed at how the author jumps between two time settings – 2013 where the story is in “the present” and back to 2005 where Isaiah’s brother was killed in a tragic hit and run accident. Isaiah’s world – as he knew it – crumbled and this is where he turned his big brain and incredible intelligence into doing more than just winning math awards and thinking about college. It took me a while, but I realized so much of who Isaiah is in the present grows from his grief and the life-altering course of his brother’s death that both these storylines needed to be told and the story moves far better – even though I still find it somewhat jolting – for weaving the two times together as we learn and unearth more and more of who Isaiah is.

I am also wiling to cut a bit of slack to the writer since this is their first book. Isaiah is an engaging and interesting character, and the world and his cases are engrossing. I have to be honest though I do find the writing just a little bit choppy and had the story or Isaiah’s characters not been so excellent I might not have persevered. I’m very glad I did though as the plot is refreshing and seeing how Isaiah grows into the young man he is makes the trip well worthwhile.

Readers looking for a deduction style story (yes, Sherlockian but oh so much more than just that) with realistic and memorable characters and more than a few twisty plots all seamlessly coming together this is an excellent mystery to try. Be prepared to want the second book on hand immediately after you finish the first. While the story doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger there’s more than a few clues as to where the second book is aimed and the epilogue is like a giant, neon, blinking “We are moving here” sign and there is no doubt what is in store for the next book. I’m very glad I gave this series a shot and am eagerly looking forward to sinking into the second story.

Inking the Barnstormer by Sandra Bunino


Inking the Barnstormer by Sandra Bunino
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

Ace never imagined leaving his thriving tattoo shop in New York City and moving to Dairy Creek, Pennsylvania. But a little girl with pigtails came into his life and he was damned if she’d grow up without knowing he was her dad.

Betrayed and broken, Rachel traded her career of planning the events of Hollywood’s A-list for tearing down old barns and selling off the pieces. The desire to commemorate her new life leads her to a local tattoo shop, but she didn’t bargain on meeting Mr. Tatted, Dark, and Sexy. Her heart was set on avoiding all men and the sexy tattooed variety like Ace were at the top of her “Do Not Touch” list.

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Inking the Barnstormer is a stand-alone, contemporary, feel-good small town romance filled with sexy tattooing, hot lovemaking, a marathon tattoopalooza event with a hilarious cast of characters, and a dog named Minnie (or Cujo, it depends who you ask).

Tattoos aren’t for everyone, and those that have them aren’t necessarily big hairy bikers. Still, Ace is surprised when Rachel enters his shop asking for one that will be large and painful. This reticent woman piques his interest, but will she let him in?

This was a great and easy read, with Dixie and Cujo winning my heart. It was especially good to see Lisa with a heart, instead of the one-dimension ‘baddie’ you all too often see. Ace and Rachel are supported by a great cast of supporting characters, and if the author wanted to make a series, I would absolutely love to read Zane’s story! Oh, and JJ, and Gunnar, and… you get the idea.

The settings were clear and the choices Ace had to make were exceedingly well-written. I could understand Rachel’s behaviour, even if I didn’t like it. My sympathies were firmly with Ace.

All in all, this was a great read that kept my attention. I have no hesitation in recommending it.

A Rose in Time by Laura M. Baird


A Rose in Time by Laura M. Baird 
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

If you had the ability to travel through time and start again on a grand adventure, would you?

As a lonely older woman, Rose escapes into her books. With the power from a forgotten heirloom and repressed magic, she finds herself in 17th century Scotland as a young maiden. Communicating with dragons. And encountering an appealing Highlander with every time jump.

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It’s never too late to fall in love again.

This tale had a wonderful sense of humor. Some of the funniest scenes involved Rose’s reactions to her visits to the past. She could scarcely believe what was happening to her! The things that flew out of her mouth as she adjusted to her scenery made me giggle every single time she realized she’d once again been pulled out of her perfectly ordinary life into one that she thought only happened in storybooks.

I would have liked to see more time spent on the world building. There were certain details shared about it that were mentioned briefly once but never fully explained. I was intrigued by the glimpses into this world and wished I could have known more about them. This was especially true when it came to the connections between Rose’s world and the one she suddenly travelled to. There was so much more that could have been done with those scenes.

Rose and Connor were both witty, personable characters who were well suited for each other. I enjoyed getting to know them and taking note of all of the ways in which their personalities and interests matched up. Not only did they have a lot in common, they genuinely liked one another as soon as they met. It’s always nice to see characters hit it off like that from the very beginning.

I’d recommend A Rose in Time to anyone who has ever wished for some excitement in their life.

The Omega’s Temptation by Gale Stanley


The Omega’s Temptation by Gale Stanley
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Axel, a bullied omega, has had enough of trying to please his parents and his pack. He escapes to hide among the humans, but will he reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves?

Axel was tired of being bullied simply because he was the weakest – the Omega – in his pack. After being bullied and humiliated at a pack party Axel has had enough and runs away. Six months ago Cassie had also left a man who didn’t love her and lost his temper once too often. Even though Cassie is struggling to build a new life for herself and her small son she’s determined to hide from her abusive ex. Axel knows being with humans is forbidden, but he can’t help the strength of his temptation and he can’t force himself to ignore his feelings for Cassie. Can they find something special together?
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This is an enjoyable and somewhat sweet romance that I really enjoyed. Axel and Cassie are both downtrodden in their own ways and I loved seeing them not just come together but build each other up and strengthen each other. That was really lovely and something you don’t often see in many erotic romances.

Due to the short length of the story, Cassie and Axel jumped a few of the normal “getting to know you” steps in a romance. And, while the author explained this well, I still felt like the story might have been richer and more believable had these early steps in their relationship not been so glossed over. I did really appreciate though how Cassie and Axel didn’t just jump into bed together or fall into insta-love. With Axel being a werewolf, that could have been one track taken and I was pleased the author avoided that cliche.

While Cassie and Axel’s growing relationship is the main thrust of the story’s plot, I was really impressed that what I thought would be a cliched ex-boyfriend sub-plot turned into something far more fresh and interesting. A part of me would have enjoyed it had the author given this sub-plot a little more time and room to unfold more slowly, but I felt this really added an excellent element to the story and made it much more than just “shifter meets and falls in love with girl” so it really helped round out the whole story.

With interesting characters and a few fresh twists to the plot, this was a really good short story that I enjoyed.

Demon’s Wish by Xenia Melzer


Demon’s Wish by Xenia Melzer
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review by Dryas

Finding love is hard—especially when you’re a demon and your potential mate is your sacrifice…

Sammy is content with running his bookshop and leading a book club consisting solely of paranormal creatures. Despite the persistence of his friends, he has resolved himself to a life without romance, since he doesn’t think anybody could find him and his tendency to spill useless knowledge whenever he gets nervous attractive.

Dresalantion is a demon prince and slightly—make that majorly—annoyed when somebody persistently tries to summon him. He finally decides to show up and put the fear of Dresalantion into his summoners but finds himself rescuing their sacrifice instead.

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I have to admit I loved this plot and all the wonderful characters with all their different personalities. Also, most of the Demon lore that many authors use in their stories is not present. In fact, I don’t think there is a single one from other books I have read.

Sammy is a wonderful, quirky character that everyone who meets him can’t help but love. Unfortunately, he is incredibly shy, seen as a geek and has a bad habit of spewing strange facts when he is nervous, so his dating life is rather pathetic. His parents’ love had kept him going but he lost them a few years ago in a car crash and still mourns them. I love how he takes everything paranormal in stride, not seeming to mind the strange things that happen around him.

Dre is another wonderful, well developed character who does everything in his power to make Sammy happy. He also loves and enjoys the company of his family. When Dre is able to pay more attention to Sammy, they are almost instantly attracted to each other. Dre was struck by Sammy’s boyish, innocent face with bi-colored eyes.

I really enjoyed watching them go on several dates, going anywhere Sammy’s heart desired. In fact, their first date was to Rome where they went to Dre’s favorite restaurant which is owned by a witch and she makes it obvious that she approves of their relationship. Dre is able to create a hole that allows them to go wherever he wants in an instant. It was cute as they had a contest at each place they visited. Whoever could name the strangest facts won.

There is only one thing I wish could have been changed. The romance took a rather long time to develop. I loved these characters and couldn’t wait for them to express their love on a deeper level.

I adore the fun and adventure that goes along with the obvious connection between these two characters. A wonderful paranormal romance with lots of funny moments and geek trivia thrown around.

The Holiday Grouch by Beth D. Carter


The Holiday Grouch by Beth D. Carter
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Reece Greene has only one thing on his mind: to buy the bed and breakfast that stands in his way. He has plans of developing condos on the ski slopes of Mistletoe Canyon, and although he has the hots for one Calliope Whobrey, he won’t let a pretty face get in the way.

Callie runs the bed and breakfast with her grandmother, and she wouldn’t trade it for any other life. When the grumpy Mr. Greene shows up she tries hard to ignore her attraction, but he’s not going away without a fight.

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Everything is better at Christmas time.

Reece and Callie had fantastic chemistry. They might have seemed to be polar opposites at first glance, but they shared much more in common than I originally assumed. Figuring out what those commonalities were was a great deal of fun, especially once they began to slowly draw these two lonely souls together. The more I learned about them, the stronger my hope became that they’d figure out a way to find their happily ever after.

While I generally wouldn’t expect to see as much character development in a short story as I would in something full-length, it would have been helpful to have more character development here. Everyone felt a bit flat to me, especially when it came to Reece and Callie. They both shared information about their pasts and personalities that piqued my curiosity, but there simply wasn’t enough time spent developing those parts of these protagonists in order for them to come alive for this reader.

The Christmas spirit was strong in this tale, and I’m not talking about decorations, presents, or delicious food even though there was plenty of that stuff to go around. Callie and her grandmother truly understood what Christmas is all about on a deeper level. I can’t go into too much detail about how they convinced me of that without giving away spoilers, but I can say I was pleased by how these characters demonstrated their genuine love of this time of the year.

Anyone who has ever been a tad grouchy about the holidays or knows someone who fits that bit should check out The Holiday Grouch.