Theauthorgivesgoodmisdirectionandcallsonthereadertosortoutallthestereotypes.Ienjoyedit.
ButgettingtoknowWyattprovesdangerous.HissexysmilesandsmartquestionsslideunderevenRay’sprickliestdefenses.Worse,hisacademicmentorhappenstobeRay’sex-stepfather,thedictatorialjerkwhojustkickedRayoutofhishouse.Again.
Wyattsuggestsahousingarrangementthathassurprisingappeal—there’sspaceavailableathisfrathouse—buthe’sunawarejusthowcomplicatedRay’s“identityissues”are.ElleryCollegekickedoutRayforareason—areasonthatcoulddeep-sixWyatt’sacademiccareerandRay’snewlyhopefulheart.
Thanksforpoppinginandkeepreadingmyfriends!
Howaboutalittletaste!
“Mom!”Imovethroughthefoyerandintotheopengreatroom—alarge,openliving/kitchencombo—whereIleavemysuitcaseandkickoffmyflatsbeforeIhitthecarpet.WhatthehellisshedoingwithgasThatstuffistoxic.
“Well”Momsays,appearingattheedgeofthehallontheothersideofthekitchen.Shehasahandtowelaroundherneckandoneofhermanyyoga-specificexerciseoutfitson.Thisoneisalightblueandshe’sbarefoot.MonicaKincaidisdedicatedtomanythingsinlife—herhusbandChristian,herdaughters(theyoungest,especially),andhercharityprojects—butyogaistheoneoutofallofitthatIdon’tunderstand.Itputsheratpeace,shesays.
“Well”Iaskanddrapethedressbagovertheislandcountertopinthekitchenandmovearoundtopropmyselfupononeofthebarstools.God,thatgasolinesmellisdrivingmemad.
“Areweplanningaspringweddingyetorwhat”Momsayswithagrin.Hernosewrinkles,catchingthescentofthegasoline,I’msure.“JanetandIhavebeentakingbets.”
“God,Mom,”Isayandplacemyheadinmyhands.
“Noreally,”shesays,“Tellme.”
“Nothinghappened,”Isay.Verbalizingitisevenmoredisappointingthanitprobablyshouldbe.Apparently,MomandDadwerealsoinonJamesonandRoyal’ssurprisetrip.IttookallofanhouraftertheylandedforJanetHayestotextmetellingmeshewishesshecouldhavebeenthere.Itwassweet,butthenshesuggestedsheneededtoleavemealonesoIcouldspendasmuchtimeaspossiblewithJameson.Andthatweshouldn’tbedisturbed.Whilethelevelofinvestmentourmothershaveinourhas-yet-to-happenrelationshipisborderlinecreepy,thesupportisprettyawesome.It’sararitytofindawomanaskindandlovingasJanetHayesis.Evenifshedoesn’treallyknowappropriateboundariesandlikestotalkaboutwhenhersonswerestartingpuberty…inallthegorydetails.IknowmoreaboutJameson’ssoloactivitieswhenhewasakidmorethanIcareto.
“Youmustbejoking,”shesaysandheadstothefridgewhereshepullsoutasingle-servecupofyogurt.“Thatmanflewdowntothatgod-awfulplace—,”
Theromanceitselfresolved,butthemysterywasToBeContinued,apparently,inthenextbookinthisseries.Forafirefighterromancethereisanabsenceofheat,boththeline-of-dutyvariety,andthesexytimes.
TWOFRIENDSSelf-mademillionairesJDandArkarenotouttosaveanyonewhentheystumbleuponawetandshiveringgirloneearlySundaymorning.Butwhenyousellsexforalivingandsalvationringsyourbell…youanswerthecall.
THREESOULMATESAfteryearsofsearching,loveliftstheveilofdarkness,andthreepeople—withthreeverybigsecrets—findthemselvesboundtogetherinarelationshipthatdefiestheodds.
Ordoesit
Love.Lust.Sex.
Thistrinitymightbeperfection…butnoteverythingshouldcomein3’s.
WARNING:ThisisaSTANDALONEnon-traditionalM/F/MROMANCEwithanon-traditionalending.
MyReview:Thisisasexually-explicitdarkromancewhichfeaturesaM/F/MmenageandsomebriefM/Melements.
Thanksforpoppingin,andkeepreadingmyfriends!
Withhisten-yearhighschoolreunionapproaching,HaroldwonderswhetherMariowillbeasmuscular,sexy,andtantalizingasheremembers.Asateenager,itwasloveatfirstsightforHaroldwhiletutoringfootballstarMario,untilhomophobiaandbullyingdroveMariodeepintothecloset.
Nowthey’rebothmarriedmen.Mario,amodel,ismiserablewithhisproducerwife,whileHarold,ateacher,isperfectlycontentwithhisbusinessmanhusband,Stuart.
Whenthetwomeetagain,willtheoldflamereignite,settingHarold’scomfortablelifeablazeHowcanHaroldbehappywithStuartwhenheisstillinfatuatedwithhisAdonis,hisfirstlove,MarioHaroldfacesthisseeminglyimpossiblesituationwithinimitablewit,tenderness,andhumorasheattemptstoreconcilethepastandthefuture.
MyReview:
Ireceivedacopyofthisbookfromtheauthorinexchangeforanhonestreview.Thisreviewmaycontainsome*mild*spoilers.
4.5starsforthisnon-traditionalM/Mromance.
ThemoretimeHaroldandMariospend,theclosertheybecome.MarioallowsHaroldtoseethevulnerablesideofhim.Marioisbeautiful,buthateshimself.Hisalcoholicfatherisabusiveandhismotherisneglectful.Hisnonnaistheonlyonewhoshowhimanycareorlove.ExceptHarold.
ThereisapointwhereMarioandHaroldarealoneandthingscouldgobad(orgooddependentupononefeelsaboutinfidelity)andIthinktheresolutionofthisinfatuationishonestandreasonable.
Theendwasunexpected,abitsad,yetemotionallysatisfying.
AbouttheAuthor:
Goodluckandkeepreadingmyfriends!
Forthepasttenyears,RileyDavis’lifehasbeenovershadowedbythetragicdeathofhispartner.Fluctuatingbetweenalcoholinduceddaze,clinicaldepressionandthrowingallhistimeandeffortintohisbusiness,Rileydoesn’tbelieve,orevenhope,thathislifewilleverbeworthlivingagain.
MyReview:Thisisaseriesbook,butitisnotnecessarytoreadtheminorder.
RileymetRichardwheywerenewlyadult,earlytomid-twenties,andspentyearstogetherbeforeRichardwasstruckbyahit-and-rundriveranddied.SincethenRileyhashadtwosuicideattemptsandstrugglesdailywithangerandguilt.
PleasetakeatriptovisitmyfellowCoffehousepresenters.Theirbookreviewsrock!And,asalways,keepreadingmyfriends!
Thisisanadultreadwithexplicitgaysexbetweentwoteens.
ThisisthethirdnovelintheGanymedeQuartetseries.Itisbesttoreadtheminorder.
Cannotwaitforthenextbook!
AbouttheAuthor:DarrahGlassisawriterandgenerallyinquisitivepersonwholikesherfantasiestobeashistoricallyaccurateaspossible.Shelovesresearch,sexscenes,andresearchingsexscenes.She’smarriedandhappilychildless,doesyoga,nevercleansherhouse,likesshoesandtoenailpolish,andisvainaboutherhair.Asfarasherprioritiesareconcerned,she’dratherwritethandojustaboutanythingelse,andshedrivesa15-year-oldcarbutcarriesreallynicepurses.
Obsession.Treachery.Revenge.Redemption.Certainthemesresonateacrossthecenturies.
Odin’sShadowisthefirstbookinaseriesofthreeaboutayoungIrishwomanandthetwoVikingbrotherswholoveher.ThenovelissetagainsttheharshbackdropoftheVikingerainthe9thcentury,atimewhenthesightofaVikinglongshipsailingupthecoastofIrelandwouldchillthebloodofanyman,womanorchild.OneyoungIrishwoman,however,isnotafraidoftheseNorthmen,andafatefulencounterwithoneofthemchangesthecourseofherlifeforever.
Seliaisagirlonthevergeofwomanhood,frustratedbytheconfinesofhergenderandresentfulofthefreedomherbrotherboastsof.Sheisintelligentandresourcefulinatimewhenneitherisvaluedinafemale,andlongsforanescapefromhershelteredexistence.SeliaisfascinatedbythetalesofVikingraidstoldbyhermaidservant,andherhungerforindependenceisfedthroughthestoriesofheathenferocityshehearsatthewoman’sknee.
Adecisiontosneaktothecity’sharbortoviewtheVikinglongshipsleadstoanencounterwithAlrikRagnarson,acharismaticVikingwarlordwhoseoutwardbeautymasksadarkandtorturedmind.Withtheknowledgethatherfatherisabouttoannounceherbetrothaltoamanshedoesn’tlove,SeliamarriesAlrikandwithinadayisonthelongshipboundforNorwayandanewlife.
AsSelia’srelationshipwithhernewhusbandgrows,herfriendshipwithhisbrotherUlfrikgrowsaswell.Thetensionmountsbetweenthetwomen,andasAlrik’scharacterflawscometolightSeliabeginstohavemisgivingsaboutherhastymarriage.Ulfrik’sdesperateloveforSeliacauseshimtorevealasecretfromthepastthatthreatenstodestroythemall,andSeliaislefttomakeaheartrendingchoicebetweenthetwoVikingbrothers.
Seliaisafoundlingchild,withatwinbrotherAinnileas;bothwereadoptedbyabachelormerchant,Niall,andraisedinhishomeinIreland.Atthetime,theFinngalls(vikings)oftenraidtheIrishcoastlinerapingandpillaging.Seliaandherbrotherarecasualtieswhoescapeddeath.Seliasufferedaheadinjurywhichleavesherpronetostrangevisions,andthoughbeautifulsheispetiteandunsuitableasamatchtothenearbytradesmen.Sheisbetrothedtoanancientman,andupsetaboutit,whensheencountersaFinngallinDubhlinn.
Alifelongloverofbooks,Erintaughtherselftoreadattheageoffourandhasn’tbeenwithoutabooksince.Sheisanequal-opportunityreaderoffictionandnon-fiction,andhershelvesarefilledwithbooksonpsychology,archaeology,anthropology,andgeneralhistory.ThesocialhistoryofwomenandtheirplaceinsocietyacrosstheagesisafavoritereadingtopicofErin’s.
OwenandNathanwenttoUnitogetherandhadmutualfriendsbutwereneverclose.Owen,outandlovingit,hadacrushon(supposedly)straightNathan,butnevertoyedwithNathanbecausewhybotherPlentyofgaymateswereavailable.Thatwasthen.
TheysetuptheirdatesforSaturdays,andoverthecourseofthefirstfewweeksdeveloparapport.Calls,texts,andofcoursetheirsharedtimeonthedatespullbothNathanandOwenincloserthaneitherhadimagined.Theirmake-outsresultinginabortedphysicalityupsthestakes,too.Funnyhowquicklytheytaketophonesex!
Nathanwantstoputaringonit,butisOwenthemarryingkind
Twoyearsonfromtheirfirstdate,OwenandNathanarelivingtogetherandlifeisgood—exceptthey’renotonthesamepageaboutmarriage.
Atraditionalistatheart,Nathanwantsitall:thewedding,thevows,andapairofmatchingrings.Owen,ontheotherhand,believesmarriageisold-fashionedandunnecessary.Theydon’tneedaweddingtoprovetheircommitmenttoeachother.Loveshouldbeenoughonitsown.
Allittakesisonemomentofweaknessonanightouttoforcetheissue.Owenfindshimselfengagedafterahalf-drunkproposal,andNathan’senthusiasmsweepshimalong.Butasthebigdayapproaches,themountingtensionfinallycombusts.
Ifhe’sgoingtosavetheirrelationship,Owenwillneedtodecideonceandforallifhe’strulythemarryingkind.
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