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Serendipity House by Joyce DeBacco
The Unsaid Trilogy: Book One by Sally Royer-Derr
The Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed
Retribution: The Unsaid Trilogy: Book Two by Sally Royer-Derr
The Obsession by Christie Gordon
Flirting with Fate: A Stiletto Girls Novel by Lexi Ryan
Flawless by Kimber Chin
Avalon by V.J. Banis
Simple Men by Eric Arvin
Bedtime Stories: Ugly Duckling by Lena Austin
Hard Harvest by Selah March
Inside the Perimeter: Scavengers of the Dead by Alan Spenser
Mohave Mambo by Coleen Rae
The Guardian by Mary Calmes
Stardust by Claire Thompson
Sepulchral Earth by Tim Marquitz
Boning Up by Summer Alan
The Astral: Till the Day I Die by V.J. Banis
The Dark Farewell by Josh Lanyon
The Dark Court: Dark Side of the Veil by Stormy Glenn
A Game of Chances by T.C. Blue
Magic University Book Two: The Tower and the Tears by Cecilia Tan
The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage
Steal Away by Amber Green
The Dark Ones by Megan Harmon
The 39 Clues Book One: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

Title:  Serendipity House
Author: Joyce DeBacco
Author’s website: http://www.joycedebacco.com/
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing
Release Date: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-935013-98-3
Length:  Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Romance
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 2.5
Rating: 3.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Sylvie Gardner is a runaway bride. Faced with a forever with a passionless and controlling man, she has run in the opposite direction: from New York City all the way to the Poconos of Pennsylvania. Here she discovers Serendipity House, an aging resort whose residents are equally elderly. She feels comfortable and at home here, and soon she finds herself helping to run the place.

Hired by Sylvie’s ex-fiancé, Tim, to track Sylvie down, private investigator Alex Clemenceau arrives at Serendipity House under an assumed persona and is immediately drawn to Sylvie. He can tell once he meets her that she couldn’t possibly have stolen money from Tim as he claims, and he refuses to divulge her whereabouts. He would like to get closer to her, but with the lies that he has spun her, he knows that she’ll have a tough time forgiving his deception.

When the owner of Serendipity House passes away, the new owner hires Sylvie to run the resort full-time, and she jumps at the opportunity to make a few improvements and increase business. In spite of the progress she makes, however, something is not quite right. A stranger attacks her in her bedroom, the home is broken into and searched several times, and somebody seems to be watching Sylvie. What on earth does she have that would warrant this attention, and why is someone trying to keep the resort from being a success?

********

Joyce DeBacco’s novel Serendipity House is a story about love, family, and perseverance set in the beautiful Poconos Mountains. It features a heroine who is trying to get out from under the thumb of an overbearing mother, a hero who has too many secrets, the young couple who help run the inn, a handful of loveable geriatrics, and a shadowy antagonist who lurks in the background.

Overall, this was a pretty decent story, although it did feel like a bit of a dramatic soap opera in a few places. There are a number of everyday moments in this story that are very well done, and I thought the final scene to the book was quite sweet. I’ll also admit that there were a few portions of this story that dragged a little for me and threatened to derail my interest. I would have enjoyed seeing the suspense in this novel expanded a little with the villain receiving a little more attention, but that is my own personal preference for suspense surfacing. This isn’t suspense, it is romance.

The characters are distinctive and believable, and their interaction felt very realistic. Neither the hero nor the heroine was too good to be true; both have flaws that make them real and approachable. Sylvie can be overly sensitive and tends to hold on to a grudge, but she obviously cares about people. Even though he mother hen-pecks her, bosses her around, and plays the martyr incessantly (I loved this; she is a wonderfully annoying character), but Sylvie still loves her, even if she doesn’t particularly like her mother very much at times. Alex has a few honestly issues, but I have to admire his perseverance. He doesn’t walk away just because he has ticked Sylvie off a time or two…or ten.

One aspect of this story that didn’t particularly work for me was the sexual orientation twist given to Tim, the evil ex-fiancé. I have seen this plot device in quite a few stories lately and feel that it is no longer original. I’m also not so sure that it added anything to the character or the story.

If you enjoy a family-oriented style of romance that proceeds at a leisurely pace and that is populated with characters who seem like people you might know, then Serendipity House should probably be on your reading list. Reading this story definitely made me want to check out the Pocanos region and its resorts, just to see if a place as quiet and relaxing as Serendipity House might actually exist.

--Bobby

Title: The Unsaid Trilogy: Book One
Author: Sally Royer-Derr
Author’s website: www.sallyroyer-derr.weebly.com 
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Release Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60435-647-2
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary Mystery/Suspense
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 2
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Amy has spent years trying to forget the horrifying murder of her friend when she was fifteen, and though it no longer haunts her every moment, she has been able to push it to the back of her mind . . . until now. A recent graduate of Penn State, she has found what should have been her dream job as a junior associate at a law firm. Unfortunately, it brings her face to face with Alex, the very murderer that will kill her too if he recognizes her. Her only hope is her newfound love interest, policeman Danny Lopez.

********

The Unsaid is a story of survival, turmoil, and terror with a sweet dose of romance. I found myself riveted as the story unfolded, and I felt the same terror Amy felt as she found herself unwittingly back in the realm of a killer she has tried to forget. Amy is a character I won't soon forget, and her strength is admirable. The interaction between her and Alex kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would transpire.

The romantic side of the story between Amy and Danny is sweet. The security and warmth of Danny comes across in the telling of the story and makes the reader feel safe . . . for the moment.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and Ms. Royer-Derr's talent as a storyteller is wonderful. I am thrilled this is a trilogy, and I have already bought the next in the series, and can't wait to begin that book. If you are looking for a page-turner that will entrance you from the first word, this is the story for you.

Title: The Blue Moon Cafe
Author: Rick R. Reed
Author’s website: http://www.rickrreed.com/
Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC
Release Date: March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60272-656-7
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Paranormal, Horror, Romance GLBT
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Recently laid off from his job, Thad Matthews’s self-esteem is at an all-time low. With a life that seems to consist of a meaningless routine of watching TV and cruising the Internet, Thad is not only bored, he’s lonely. Until he steps through the doors of the Blue Moon Café, that is, and meets the proprietor, Sam Lupino. Sam is everything Thad could want in a lover: besides being handsome and hot, he exudes kindness and caring. And if Thad’s dog doesn’t particularly care for Sam? Well, she can spend the evenings locked in the bathroom.

At the same time, a serial killer is preying on the gay community in Seattle. Not only is he killing these men, but he is mangling them beyond recognition. Some even believe that the victims look as if they have been partially eaten. The rumor is that the killer is a werewolf, and while the police discount that theory as fantasy, the newspapers are quick to pick it up and run with it.

The happiness that Thad has found exploring his newly-found passion for Sam is tempered with doubt, however. It is bad enough that his lover tends to disappear without notice for days at a time, but Sam’s absences seem to coincide with the murders and the full moon. Could Thad’s sweet lover possibly be a murderous werewolf? As much as Thad would like to avoid the issue, he needs to know the truth.

********

In his novel The Blue Moon Café, Rick R. Reed combines paranormal horror and romance into a story about love and family and choices…and werewolves. This is a blend of the believable and the fantastic, and the werewolf that preys on Seattle is as frightening as any that I have encountered recently. This is not your usual fluffy werewolf of romance but a creature bent on death and revenge, and it is rendered even more threatening by the fact that we see the results of the wolf’s carnage more than we see the wolf itself.

Mr. Reed has set this story in my hometown of Seattle. I enjoy reading stories set in my city when they don’t try too hard to drop names and landmarks, and the author has worked the city into this novel without it seeming heavy-handed. He has chosen a very beautiful and trendy location for the café and Thad’s apartment and has released his werewolf in a very eclectic neighborhood known for counter-culture and nightlife and its GLBT community.

The Blue Moon Café is well-written and interesting, and I found myself immediately involved in the life of the main character, Thad, who has lost his job due to the economic downturn. In a realistic fashion, he dinks around on Twitter and Facebook to help alleviate boredom and volunteers at the Lifelong AIDS Alliance to get out of the house. Thad is young, perhaps prone to drama, and although he professes to love Sam, he doesn’t allow the stars in his eyes to blind him completely. When faced with a difficult choice, he is capable of making a level-headed and realistic decision.

The romance portion of the story is sweet and somewhat tragic. Sam is a man torn between love and family. He wants to be truthful to Thad, but he also must protect the family secret, and this leads to difficult decisions for both himself and his lover.

Interspersed throughout the narrative are scenes of the werewolf hunting his prey which are creepy enough to make you shiver. We don’t just watch the wolf choose his victim, we experience the hunt along with him. Mr. Reed takes his readers right into the mind of this creature that exudes so much malevolence and hunger. Not only does this wolf relish stalking his prey, he enjoys every second of the terror he causes.

One of the characteristics of Mr. Reed’s writing that I enjoy is that he doesn’t necessarily leave his readers with a happy ending. Even though The Blue Moon Café can be considered a romance, the resolution of this story is more complicated than your usual romance happily-ever-after. Overall, this is a bittersweet but satisfying story with a quite successful blend of romance and horror. I enjoyed it and found it well worth my time.

--Bobby

Title: Retribution: The Unsaid Trilogy: Book Two
Author: Sally Royer-Derr
Author’s website: www.sallyroyer-derr.weebly.com
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Release Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60435-638-0
Length: Short Story
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary Mystery/Suspense
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 2
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Amy and Danny's life has been wonderful for fourteen years of marriage, but that is coming to an end since the killer they put behind bars is getting paroled. Never believing that a sick psycho like Alex could go free, Amy and Danny know he will be coming after them and their family.

Melissa Cunningham, the psychologist at the prison where Alex has been incarcerated, has counseled him for the last ten years and though she knows she is risking everything, she recommends him for parole. She has fallen under his spell.

Alex is out for revenge, and he will use anyone to get it.

********

In the second book in The Unsaid Trilogy, Retribution does not disappoint. This short story is a wonderful continuation of the first story. I think Ms. Royer-Derr did a stellar job of keeping the story going while continuing to entrance the reader with such an interesting story.

Amy continues to be a character of strength, and we see the maternal side that adds a new depth to her. The relationship between Amy and Danny is just as sweet in this book as it was in the first one, and I enjoyed their chemistry.

Alex is well-written and the author does a wonderful job of keeping him just as terrible in this book as he was in the first. A book is memorable when the author achieves the amount of feelings I felt while reading. I truly despised Alex, and he evoked a sense of terror in me while I was reading.

The book is short but packs a big punch. I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment. Ms. Royer-Derr is on my list of authors to keep my eye one, and she should be on yours.

Title: The Obsession
Author: Christie Gordon
Author’s website: http://www.christiegordon.com/
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Release Date:  March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-55487-494-1
Length:  Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Romance GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 4
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Life has been difficult for Tristan Tolken. Raised in the Mormon Church by an abusive and alcoholic mother who seems to hate him because he is gay, he has been denigrated, marginalized, and treated like a pariah. Now in his senior year of college, he has a sexual addiction, and while compulsive masturbation is not exactly socially acceptable, it is a coping mechanism that Tristan has come to rely upon for his sanity.

For months, Tristan has fantasized about his classmate Collin Stanley. When Collin becomes Tristan’s roommate, Tristan can’t believe his luck, and when the handsome psychology major expresses not only a sexual interest in him but also a sincere desire to help Tristan deal with his troublesome compulsion, Tristan feels like he has just won the lottery. He has never had anyone care about him before, and he falls in love with an almost overwhelming intensity.

With a wonderful boyfriend and newly blooming self-esteem, life is looking rosy for Tristan. But there’s a problem. Collin has secrets of his own that he is not willing to share. Although Collin appears to care deeply for Tristan, evidence is beginning to point toward him having an ulterior motive for his involvement. Just when happiness is within reach for Tristan, it is snatched away. Tristan is no stranger to pain and rejection, but he’s not so sure that he’s going to survive this betrayal.

********

Christie Gordon’s novel The Obsession tells a story of first love, betrayal, and the struggle of a young man to overcome an addiction triggered by a lifetime of abuse. I found this story to be both interesting and sad. The narrative drew me in very quickly, and I stayed glued to the pages in fascinated horror until the end. While the betrayal that brews throughout this story is almost transparent to the reader, watching the young hero become a victim is painful at times.

Although I personally know very little about psychology, it appears to me that Ms. Gordon did her homework before writing this novel. Not only does she delve into the tragic psychology of the main character, but we also get an in-depth look at the motivation of his main abuser, his mother. This does not offer any excuses for the woman’s behavior – she still seems an evil and awful woman – but we do get a partial explanation. The same also applies for the character Collin. We can’t excuse his actions, but at least we can understand them somewhat.

Our two heroes are young – very young – and they act their age, even if at times they may believe that they are acting mature. The interaction between the boys feels pretty natural, not forced or stilted, and I thought that Ms. Gordon did a good job of characterization in this story. One character in particular, Tristan, burrowed his way into my heart quickly.

Ms. Gordon draws the reader into the heart of Tristan’s compulsion. There was never any doubt in my mind that this young man is troubled and traumatized. His extreme insecurity and self-consciousness and his view of himself of invisible to the point that he almost wants to disappear for real made me fear for his safety. And the pain he feels when he discovers Collin’s betrayal is absolutely heart-rending. Tristan’s self-handing is described in almost excruciating detail, but even though I almost went blind reading it (masturbation does make you go blind, doesn’t it?), I believe that this approach works in The Obsession. Because it is this very minute detail that Tristan needs to satisfy his compulsion and need for comfort.

I found the character Collin to be much less agreeable. In fact, he worried me for most of the book, and my apprehension about what harm he might be doing to Tristan caused me to interpret everything he does or says through a filter, looking for an ulterior motive. He has the smug arrogance and selfishness of the young and also displays more than his fair share of hypocrisy. The points in the story where Collin’s self-doubts break through give him a glimmer of humanity, but I feel that it is not until close to the end that he shows a truly sympathetic side.

I found The Obsession to be well worth my reading time. One of the characters describes what happens between the two heroes as a potential train wreck, and that describes much of this story very concisely. It is high on emotion and drama and is anything but a “light” read, but I still found it to be quite satisfying. I will continue to seek out Ms. Gordon’s work in the future.

--Bobby

Title: Flirting With Fate: A Stiletto Girls Novel
Author: Lexi Ryan
Author’s website: http://www.lexiryan.com/  
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Release Date: November 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60777-309-2
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.75

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

The girls from Stiletto's Inc. are back. Josie is a precog; she can see the future, but she must visit her past to possibly save the future. "Specials" are a unique breed of people who have special skills. The SIA, Specials Intelligence Agency, is an agency that tries to keep the regulars of the world from finding out about the Specials as well as tamping down on the Specials that use their powers for evil.

Josie, the leader of the Stiletto girls, has found a code in her murdered mother's journal, and it points to the grim possibility that she may be at the center of the turmoil of the Ascendants, an evil group of Specials hell bent on taking over the world and making non-Specials their food. The last person she wants to ask for help is sexy SIA agent Tanner Wiley, and it especially doesn't help that she continually sees Tanner and herself getting hot and heavy every time she is near him. But Tanner can become invisible, and she needs his Special ability to help her recover files that might help her figure out what her mother was trying to tell her.

Sexual tension is at an all-time high, and Josie and Tanner can't keep their hands off each other. Many obstacles stand in their way: a shifter, an evil healer, a man that is immortal that wants to rule the world. Can their feelings for each other survive the hardships they face?

********

Flirting With Fate is loaded with suspense, romance, and sex and is laced with a bit of humor. I started reading this and couldn't put it down for a minute until it was finished. The story is unique and addicting. Ms. Ryan has put in twists and turns that will have the reader wondering what will happen next. Her world of fantasy is fascinating. I was glad Josie's story was next since she made such an impact on me in the first book. She was everything I hoped for and more in a character. She is strong-willed, but deep inside she has insecurities that add a depth of reality to her character. Even though she doesn't want to get involved with Tanner, she finds herself unable to fight the sexual attraction that has plagued her since she first met him. The sexual tension is divine; Ms. Ryan has a knack for keeping her reader on edge.

As a fan of the first Stiletto Girls story, I am excited that the second is just as wonderful as the first, and I will be impatiently awaiting the next in the series.

Title: Flawless
Author: Kimber Chin
Author’s website: www.businessromance.com
Publisher: Champagne Books
Release Date: February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-926681108
Length: Novel
Format:  Electronic
Genre: Romance, Suspense
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 2.5
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

When her father is released from prison, Grace Williams knows that she probably doesn’t have very long to live, so she gathers together a short “bucket list” of experiences she wants to have before she dies. It may seem frivolous to want to walk a tightrope, kiss a stranger, or dye her hair purple, but she isn’t concerned about that at this point in her life. When she spies the man who has been following her for the past three days in a bar, she knows that he’s the one who has been sent to kill her. She is tired of running, so she figures she’ll face her executioner and cross an item off her list at the same time.

Tavos Santos has no intention of harming Grace. He planned to hire her as an image consultant, but the fear he sees on the pixie-like beauty’s face as well as the sweetness of her kiss move him to feel protective towards her. He might be a jewelry designer and business owner now, but he has dealt with death and violence in his past. Nobody will harm Grace while she’s under his watch.

While her father lives, Grace can’t risk becoming too close to anyone. She can’t help falling for Tavos, however, and even though the man won’t admit it, she’s pretty sure that he shares her feelings. She doesn’t care about his past – she knows he’s a good man in spite of his arguments to the contrary. Even if he has to kill to protect her, that still doesn’t make him a bad man. Now if only she can convince Tavos of that.

********

When I read Kimber Chin’s novel Invisible a year ago, I think I fell a little bit in love with her writing. And while I didn’t see how she could possibly top that story, that didn’t keep me from awaiting her next release eagerly.  So when her latest work, Flawless, hit the electronic bookshelves, you can bet that I was right there with my greenbacks (or, to be literal, my Paypal funds) in hand, jumping up and down like a ridiculous groupie and procuring my very own copy as fast as I possibly could. And oh, how I looked forward to reading it. Reading queues be damned, I cracked Flawless open and dug in to it by the next commute.

And this is where I tell you that after almost a year of anticipation, I was disappointed. But then I’d be lying, because I wasn’t disappointed; not at all. I found Flawless to be equally as enjoyable as its predecessor. Different, to be sure, but still one heck of a good read. This novel is incredibly well written, featuring characters who you will want to wrap up and take home with you and a blend of romance, danger, drama, and humor that is absolutely first rate.

If you have read Invisible, you have already met our hero, Tavos, and his big hunting knife. He received a certain amount of attention in that story, but we never really felt as if we got to know him; we simply knew that he is good at keeping people safe. In Flawless, we get to know him a lot better. And to know him is to love him. Here is a man who is a study in opposites. His obvious toughness and insistence that he is a stone cold killer is completely at odds with the delicacy that jewelry-making requires of him and the fact that his employees love him unreservedly. He wants folks to think he’s mean, but where Grace is concerned, he is mush. Even his gutter mouth can’t convince us that he is a bad guy; instead it injects quite a bit of humor into this story.

Both Tavos and Grace are riddled with self-doubt. Even though she is incredibly savvy in a public relations sense, Grace has a wide-eyed innocence about her that makes us want to protect her. And while her selflessness and constant thoughts of self-sacrifice ought to make her an annoying character, they don’t. Her outstanding purple hair, sometimes naughty sense of humor, and intelligence make us see that she is not the ingénue that she might at first appear. In fact, I frequently wondered as I read this story if perhaps some of the innocence isn’t an act…and that she might be gently manipulating Tavos in the direction she chooses.

These two are very sweet and quite funny together, from the running gag with Grace’s ineptitude at knife throwing to Tavos taking advantage of her apparent inability to learn Spanish and therefore putting words into her mouth. They have a connection that lights up the pages of this story, and when they finally succumb to their physical attraction, the love scenes are exquisitely sensual and emotional.

If you loved Maeve and Rayner from Invisible, you will be pleased to know that they make a couple of cameo appearances in this story, although Maeve is called Maya in Flawless. No, you don’t have to read Invisible to appreciate Flawless, but I highly recommend that you  read these two in order regardless.

Flawless is a very touching story, filled with laughter and even some tears. As I read, I found myself swept right along with the narrative. I became so involved with the story and the characters that I purposely chose a slightly longer commute, just so that I had a little more time with Tavos and Grace. And Carlos, and Maria, and even the ever-present Jack. Ms. Chin tells a wonderful and involving story, and while I’m crushingly disappointed that this one is now over (can I rewind time to read it for the very first time again, please?), I’ll continue to look forward to her next offering. Please, Ms. Chin, keep up the good work.

--Bobby

Title: Avalon
Author: V. J. Banis
Author’s website: http://www.vjbanis.com/    
Publisher: Wildside Press
Release Date: March 2007
ISBN: 978-1434400161
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic and Print
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 2.5
Rating: 5+ Keeper

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

The summer on Catalina Island is all that Maggie, Maria, and Gerri could ever have imagined it would be. The three girls seem to have the world at their feet, and their futures are brighter than ever. Gerri's acting is taking off. They know Maria's singing will be taking her places, and the beautiful Maggie is destined for the perfect husband. Dreams can come true, but at what price? Where will the road ahead take the three friends, and will it be all they thought it would be?

********

Undeniably, Avalon is a one of my top-rated reads so far this year. I couldn't put this book down. From page one I was held captive by the characters and story. Mr. Banis takes storytelling to a new level, and he never disappoints. If he wrote a menu, I would wait in line to buy it and read it!

The story unfolds and takes directions that would never have occurred to me. His characterization of Maggie, her feelings, and the turns that her life takes is dead-on for reality, and I was gladly sucked into that reality. Her reactions to the turn of events as well as her reaction to her friends have a certain authenticity that I could relate to and understand with such clarity that I felt as if I was right there with her.

My feelings for Maggie ran quite the spectrum, from sheer dislike to complete understanding to feeling sorry for her. Her relationship with Rush is complex and at most times hard to relate to, and I could barely contain my astonishment at their interaction. Rush is so much more than meets the eye, and I would like to have gotten an in-depth look into the workings of his mind.

The reality of life and the uncertainty we all face at different times are imbued into this wonderful story. This multi-faceted story is a winner in every sense of the word. Mr. Banis is a true storyteller, and his words come alive on the page.

Title: Simple Men
Author: Eric Arvin
Author’s website: daventryblue.blogspot.com
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-61581-427-5
Length:  Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Romance GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 2.5
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Chip Arnold is the head football coach at a small college in a midwestern town. He’s a simple man with simple needs: a beer in the evening, a game on the television, and someone to spend his Friday nights with is all. That’s not asking for too much, is it? But although he is considered something of a catch and a ladies’ man, lately Chip hasn’t been all that happy in the relationship department. Things are too boring, too predictable. That is, until he meets the new college chaplain, Foster Lewis, and is slapped in the face with feelings that confuse and frighten him. Chip has never had a homosexual thought in his life, so where is all this coming from?

On the mend from a broken heart, Foster is not looking for a new romantic involvement. Especially not with the man who until recently had been dating his best friend, Lynn. But Chip’s determined pursuit, his sense of romance, and his charm simply bowl Foster over. He just can’t resist the big, goofy, and perhaps even somewhat nerdy man.

Life would be perfect if Chip and Foster lived in a vacuum. But in reality, they have to deal with the college social network, and they face everything from jealousy to surprised curiosity to outright hostility. Dealing with the reaction of others may very well pull these two apart, unless friends can step in and stop a disaster before it occurs.

********

Every once in a while, I’ll pick up a book that ends up being such an unexpected treat that I’m left a little bit confounded. Truly, I’m not sure why I was so surprised by this novella; Teagan certainly gave the two “Jasper Lane” stories that she read glowing reviews, but I’m just contrary enough to be a little skeptical. So when I nabbed a copy of Eric Arvin’s Simple Men, sure, I expected to be mildly entertained. What I actually got, however, was much more than that. This story is clever and warm, well written and laugh-out-loud funny on occasion, and it has been told with a glowing good nature that completely charmed me. Yes, I’m gushing…this story deserves it.

There are no vampires, government conspiracies, evildoers, or cataclysmic earthquakes in Simple Men. There are, however, angry squirrels out for revenge, dive-bombing birds, mischievous college-aged pranksters, and chocolate chip muffins. Simple Men is actually two love stories in one. The main plot revolves around Chip and Fuller and their interaction with each other as well as with other faculty at the college; the secondary plot involves a pair of Chip’s college football players whose close friendship evolves into romantic love.

This story teams with colorful and lively characters who are so quirky as to be absolutely memorable. Along with the main characters, Chip and Foster, who will without a doubt steal your heart, Mr. Arvin gives us many others: the women’s cross country coach, Katie, with her kamikaze golf cart driving skills; the portly president of the college, Wendell Hall, and his surprisingly tender and accepting heart; the two young football players, Brad and Jason, and their engaging need to create havoc wherever they roam and their fascination with whether or not Coach Arnold and the chaplain are having “The Sex” or not.

Mr. Arvin has a talent for wonderful descriptions that give a precise and immediate image. When he writes that a group of football players look like a sweaty Abercrombie & Fitch ad, we get the point right away. Likewise, when Brad and Jason toilet paper a car in “a ballet of grace and glee,” their prank appears like more than just light-hearted mischief. It is almost art.

There is a captivating sweetness to this story that accompanies the fun. By the time I completed reading Simple Men, not only did I feel like I had been entertained in style, but I genuinely cared for all of the characters as if they were personal friends of mine. Mr. Arvin has a winner here – a story told with wit and intelligence that cannot possibly fail to deliver a smile along with its happily-ever-after. I’m sold, and I believe that if you read this story, you will be too.

--Bobby

Title: Bedtime Stories: Ugly Duckling
Author: Lena Austin
Author’s website: http://www.lenaaustin.com/
Publisher: Changeling Press, LLC
Release Date:  March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60521-394-1
Length: Short Story
Format: Electronic
Genre: Fantasy GLBT
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 4
Rating: 3.25

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

When Dominick is hired as a writer for Bedtime Stories Press, the owner assigns him an editor who she insists is the only one who can handle him. That editor is Jean-Paul, a man with an irresistible French accent and the most beautiful face Dom has ever seen. So beautiful, in fact, that his reaction to the man triggers Dom’s family curse, transforming Dom into a huge, ugly, and very horny ogre.

Luckily for Dom, Jean-Paul knows exactly how to deal with an amorous ogre.

********

Lena Austin’s Ugly Duckling is a short and humorous tale about love and ogres and the definition of beauty that takes the form of a kinky little bedtime story. Of course, this is one bedtime story that you wouldn’t want to share with the kids. Overall, I have to say that my reaction to this tale is mixed: while portions of this story were quite funny, others fell a little flat. Since this is one of a series called Bedtime Stories from this publisher, I can’t help but think that I missed some back story by only reading this one title. Perhaps the story would have made a little more sense if I had read the ones preceding it in this series.

The humor in this tale is very well done if somewhat gruesome, because ogre sex is messy and violent and (to use a technical term) a little bit “icky.” When Dominick turns from man to ogre, he loses much of his mental capacity, and Ms. Austin makes this very funny indeed. He changes to a big stupid creature that can hardly put two words together and only thinks with his little head, so to speak. Continuing with the humor, Ms. Austin has Jean-Paul transform into what she terms a “magnificent specimen of ogredom.” While this can be nothing less than revolting to an onlooker, Dom obviously finds the Jean-Paul ogre to be incredibly attractive, and I found myself grinning and cringing at the same time during this scene.

Unfortunately, I found Jean-Paul’s story of transformation didn’t hold my interest very much. Perhaps it was due to his somewhat heavy-handed French accent, but I found him to be more annoying than tragic and tantalizing. I did, however, appreciate the final moral to this tale: that true beauty (and ugliness) is based on one’s internal characteristics rather than one’s physical front. That is a message worth remembering.

--Bobby

Title: Hard Harvest
Author: Selah March
Author’s website: http://www.selahmarch.com/  
Publisher: Red Sage Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60310-408-1
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Futuristic
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Hannah is a national treasure. She is one of the few women left that can get pregnant. She has been assigned a husband that seems to be barely able to look at her, and the clinical sex sessions leave much to be desired. David was raised by the same commission that sent him to Hannah, and he doesn't know how to let her know how he really feels, so he just keeps it all bottled up. Months have passed, and Hannah still isn't pregnant, and though she wants her husband terribly, she knows that he doesn't view in the same way and that time is running out before the commission will find her another husband.

A stranger appears on her land and saves her, and Hannah welcomes the help on the farm. Trey seems to have appeared out of nowhere, but he is determined to help Hannah and David mend their problems . . . in a very intimate way.

********

Hard Harvest brings a fresh storyline for the reader to enjoy. With a futuristic look at what the world has come to and a situation that is going from bad to worse for Hannah and David, this story will hold the reader's attention from start to finish.

The differences between Hannah and David are like night and day. Hannah wants the love that her parents had, and her inability to let David know what she wants has her at her wits’ end. I found myself feeling quite sympathetic to her plight. She has what she wants within her grasp, but she just can't quite reach it.

David is clinical and seems emotionless. Or so it seems. His upbringing has made him hide his emotions, and I found it hard to sympathize with him to begin with. Upon learning more about him, his character developed wonderfully. His feelings for Hannah are there, but he just doesn't know how to show them.

The addition of Trey brings this story up at least three levels in the heat department. His ability to show the couple what they are missing is sizzling.

Ms. March continually delivers, and I look forward to her books. She has a flare for writing that keeps her readers coming back for more.

Title:  Inside the Perimeter: Scavengers of the Dead
Author: Alan Spencer
Author’s website: N/A
Publisher: Living Dead Press
Release Date: February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-935458-50-0
Length:  Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Horror
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 1.5 (4 for violence and gore)
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Enclosed within a perimeter of concrete and barbed wire is a long-forgotten ghost town. Shattered vehicles, abandoned buildings, and the smell of death and decay can be found here. No living souls reside within these walls, but this town does have inhabitants; it is positively teaming with the living dead. They welcome living visitors, but those visitors don’t stay alive for long, because the living are a source of regeneration – replacement parts, to be more precise – to be eagerly snapped up by the decomposing undead.

Typical visitors don’t last long, that is. Hayden Grubaugh, arrested for murder and cannibalism, has been living within the perimeter for some time. He finds that the undead make for fine dining, and he’s quite happy with his existence among them. It beats prison food, that’s for sure. But the powers that be, those who banished Hayden to this hell in the first place, have decided that they want him out of there. To that end, they have dispatched someone to capture and retrieve him.

Ex-police detective Boyd Broman was imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit. Now he has been given a chance at freedom and redemption. Dropped in the middle of this nightmare of reanimation and insanity with inadequate protection and no preparation, he has to fight to stay alive even as he tracks his target. He is up against not only a crafty murderer who would love to make him his next meal but also hundreds of the undead who want to recycle him. Boyd would do anything to be with his wife and daughters again, but he’s facing almost impossible odds.

********

Looking for a bit of horror and mayhem? Perhaps a little something to spur your nightmares? Stop right here, because I’ve got a book to share that will fulfill your need for everything horrific. Alan Spencer’s Inside the Perimeter: Scavengers of the Dead has got it all: zombies, cannibalism, murder, violence, and even government conspiracy. This very effective piece of horror fiction is just about the most gruesome story I have ever encountered. I read it with wide eyes, a roiling stomach, and an absolute need to have the hero prevail in the end.

Not long ago, I wrote a review advising that the reader not eat before reading that book. Inside the Perimeter goes one step further; it will put you off your chow for quite a while if you allow it to. Mr. Spencer does an admirable job of burying a good story within the shock and awe, though, so don’t let a few drums of body parts or a detailed butchering scene or two (or twelve) get in your way. The government conspiracy angle is a clever touch as well, and while I don’t usually subscribe to conspiracy theories, it somehow felt quite appropriate for this tale.

I enjoyed the characters in Inside the Perimeter, especially Boyd Broman. He is a good man, a sympathetic and decent man who is definitely hero material. When facing impossible odds, he focuses on the reward at the end: escape from the town and reunion with his wife and children. However, he doesn’t allow his personal desires to interfere with doing what he believes to be right, and this causes him to possibly miss out on a couple of escape opportunities in order to save the life of his companion. As I read, I found myself becoming quite invested in Boyd's ultimate survival.

Hayden Grubaugh has a very strong Hannibal Lecter flavor to him, but while Lecter always retained a sense of refinement, Hayden is just plain nasty. Not only does he consume human flesh with delectation, but he enjoys the thrill of the kill and the suffering of his victims. Mr. Spencer’s description of Hayden “flensing” the meat from his victims made me positively queasy, even more so than the horrible rotting undead who gather en masse to harvest their victims.

Mr. Spencer inserts passages within the narrative that detail some of Boyd’s memories from his pre-prison days. These are moments of sanity and light in a bleak landscape, and they provide a startling contrast to the action. They also provide a tiny slice of hope for Boyd, because in one conversation that Boyd has with his companion, Cindy, he tells her that he believes that death is a never-ending cycle of one’s very best memories.

Overall, this is a novel worth reading as long as you go into it understanding that you will encounter carnage and horror on a grand scale. Mr. Spencer has penned a very readable and exciting story in Inside the Perimeter. Given that I had to wrestle my teen-aged son for possession of this book when it first arrived in the mail, I think that my personal copy is probably going to end up in his hands next. I know without a doubt that he is going to enjoy the hell out of reading it.

--Bobby

Title: Mohave Mambo  
Author: Colleen Rae
Author’s website: http://www.colleenraesnovels.com/  
Publisher: Wordrunner Press
Release Date: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-931002-78-3
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Contemporary
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 2.5
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

An exotic dancer, Lola Raines is on the run from the mob after witnessing her boyfriend’s murder in Las Vegas. She has nowhere to go but far away and fast. She jumps in her VW bug, Betsy, and literally drives off into the sunset only to find herself in a small town in Arizona. Luck has it that a job as a bartender falls right into her lap. Not only does she find a job, but she finds herself a cowboy to fall in love with. Along with new friends, she meets a few enemies along the way. Unfortunately the mob doesn't like loose ends, and Lola doesn't realize danger is on its way to find her.

********

Mohave Mambo was a surprise. The storyline is complex with numerous issues happening at once; the author keeps the reader on track with her ability to define each subject as it occurs. The story moves along nicely, though I found myself easily distracted as I waited for the plot to unfold.

Lola is a strong, well-written character. Her ability to overcome adversity is the strong point of the story. Her life lessons are harsh, yet she still lives life to the best of her ability. I think many women could take lessons from her. I felt her pain with the descriptive story. I found myself drawn to her and wanted her happiness.

Billy is a completely different issue. He is an interesting character, but will have the reader unsure of his real agenda.

I found the ensuing relationship between Lola and Billy a bit disturbing and had a difficult time relating to the attraction personally. Though yet another lesson is to be learned here.

The secondary characters make the story complete. From true evil to truly pitiful with a healthy dose of compassion, these characters add a great dimension to the story.

My reaction to this book was mixed. The amount of "touchy" subjects that were broached was possibly more than I was comfortable with, yet the author does a fine job of tying them into the story for a purpose. The dramatic tone of the book was offset by the pursuit of happiness and the devil-may-care attitude of Lola. It would be nice to see more of Lola in a future book.

Ms. Rae isn't predictable, and her writing is unique: this makes her an author to keep an eye on for future reading material.

Title: The Guardian
Author: Mary Calmes
Author’s website: http://marycalmesbooks.blogspot.com/  
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-61581-380-3
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic and Print
Genre: Fantasy Romance GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

After Jude Shea rescues a large dog from attack, he finds himself with a new canine friend. He knows he should find the owner, but the dog he calls Joe fills a large lonely hole in his life, and he is reluctant to let him go. When a mysterious and threatening man claims to be the dog’s owner, Jude senses that something is wrong. He takes Joe and flees…and finds himself suddenly pulled though a mist and into a completely different world.

It is in this world that Jude meets Eoin Thral, warrior and guardian. This huge and dominating man claims that Jude is his mate – his cairn – and his almost instantaneous claim of love and devotion take Jude by surprise. Eoin swears that he will leave his position as guardian of the Baroness of Saraso to be with Jude forever, but he must first ensure the safety of the baroness against those who would take her land and her life. Just as Jude is beginning to accept the love and happiness he has found with Eoin, war threatens to tear them apart. Eoin insists that Jude return to his own world for his safety’s sake, but how can Jude do that when there is every chance that he will never see his lover again?

********

Mary Calmes’ novel The Guardian is an entertaining blend of fantasy and romance that tells the tale of alternate dimensions, love, and personal sacrifice. This light and well-written story moves between two worlds to bring its heroes together, split them apart, and then reunite them. While its plot moves quickly enough to keep us involved, it still provides a richness of detail that draws us into the story and involves us with its characters.

I found Ms. Calmes’ writing style to be very readable. Her narrative is smooth and flows comfortably, and her characters are memorable, well-developed, and colorful. Not only does she create heroes that we can’t help but love, but her secondary characters are equally alive and appealing.

Jude and Eoin Thral have an alpha/omega pairing that is very popular in m/m romances. They complement each other. Jude is the little guy and the physically weaker or the two, but he is intelligent and quick of wit. Eoin is stronger and steadier, with a strongly-developed sense of honor and duty. Eoin has the reputation of being a fearful warrior, but around Jude he is a pussycat. Or perhaps I should say a puppy dog. I truly enjoyed his personality as a dog and rather missed the dog when he changed into human form.

Jude is almost too perfect, being both physically beautiful and likeable, but we can’t hold that against him. Ms. Calmes has given him faults that help temper his perfection. We are told, although we never actually witness this, that he is overly confident and smugly self-righteous about his work. He also exhibits a surprising selfishness (thankfully short-lived) when he tries to make his lover choose between love and duty.

This is an emotional story, but it is not all melodrama. We certainly do feel Jude’s despair when he has to leave his lover behind, but there is also humor to provide balance. One such comic moment occurs when the castle prostitutes find that their services will no longer be necessary for Eoin; their reaction of absolute joy is quite funny.

In all, I found The Guardian to be a very pleasant piece of escapism. It entertained me and held my interest throughout the entire story (no mean feat, given how distractible yours truly has been lately), and I thought it was quite well done. Ms. Calmes is a talented writer and storyteller, and I’ll be looking forward to her future releases.

--Bobby

Title: The Solitary Knights of Pelham Bay,
     Book 4: Stardust
Author: Claire Thompson
Author’s website: http://www.clairethompson.net/
Publisher: Romance Unbound Publishing
Release Date:  March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-615081776
Length:  Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Romance GLBT
Source: A, P
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Ever since they were in high school together, Gordon has had a yen for his friend Ben Ryder. Now that a Ben is a big name in motion pictures, Gordon doesn’t see him anymore, but his feelings towards his friend certainly haven’t changed. When he and his fellow ambulance medic Dennis receive a call to a wild party Ben is attending, Gordon rushes at the chance to renew his acquaintance with his old friend, hoping to have a second chance to win Ben’s love. He gives Ben a place to hide out from the paparazzi and hopes to rekindle the romance between them.

Dennis has been listening to Gordon gush about Ben Ryder for years and is thoroughly sick of hearing about the man. He has been in love with Gordon for almost as long as he has known him. He knows that Gordon will never see beyond the stars in his eyes, so he has made do being a friend and buddy, even though it hurts.

Ben proves himself to be the quintessential Hollywood diva, shallow and selfish, and stomps all over Gordon's heart, and Gordon turns to Dennis for comfort. To have Gordon in his arms is everything Dennis has dreamed about, but he refuses to be the rebound guy. However outstanding the physical connection is between them, he doesn’t want to be a convenience or second best – he wants forever with someone who loves him.

********

In Stardust, Claire Thompson continues her series The Solitary Knights of Pelham Bay with a story about a man who seizes the opportunity for a second chance with “the one who got away” only to find that he has wasted years pining for someone not worth his affection. In reaching for an unattainable dream, he almost misses out on the love that has been staring him in the face for years.

Ms. Thompson does an excellent job characterizing the Hollywood star Ben Ryder as spoiled and self-centered to the point of being obnoxious. Here is a fellow that you love to hate, regardless of how pretty his face is. He knows exactly how Gordon feels about him and is perfectly willing to use that to his own advantage, regardless of how that might hurt his childhood friend. She portrays Gordon as being almost foolishly star-struck to the point that he brings misfortune upon himself, even though deep in his heart, he knows that Ben doesn’t care about him – hardly remembers him, in fact. We can’t help but feel sorry for the guy, even though we see that he is treating his friend Dennis with almost the same disregard as Ben shows him.

Stardust is well-written and readable, as are all Ms. Thompson’s stories. The Solitary Knights of Pelham Bay club doesn’t play a big role in Dennis and Gordon’s story, but this still fits nicely into the “second chances” theme of the series. Here we have a “happy for now” kind of a plot that gives Gordon and Dennis a chance at love rather than promising ever-after for them. We end with the feeling that they have a chance at happiness but that they’ll have to work for it like most of us do.

--Bobby

Title:  Sepulchral Earth
Author: Tim Marquitz
Author’s website: http://www.tmarquitz.com/
Publisher: Damnation Books
Release Date: March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-61572-076-7
Length:  Short Story/Novella
Format: Electronic and Print
Genre:  Horror
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 1 (higher for violence and horror)
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

In a world decimated by the undead and haunted by evil spirits, civilization has collapsed, and mankind struggles to survive by any means possible. Life has been reduced to a hunt for subsistence and flight from angry, murderous walking dead. Harlan Cole, necromancer, has a different purpose in life, however. Having been unable to protect his wife and daughter from murder at the hands of the undead walkers, he has vowed to release their spirits from the torture and captivity of reanimation.

Aided by magic and the guidance of sympathetic spirits, Harlan is on a one-man mission to seal the breach man created that allowed the others access to this world. He will bring peace to the spirits of his wife and daughter, or he will die trying.

********

Readers with delicate constitutions, please be forewarned: this story is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. In his story Sepulchral Earth, Tim Marquitz gives us a world turned into a nightmare, populated by murderous zombies, malevolent spirits, and humans who will do anything – and I do mean anything – in order to stay alive. It is a hopeless, grisly, horrible reality, but it is not without a tiny ray of hope. In this sea of inhumanity and desperation, the main character strives to right a wrong and bring peace to the innocent.

I quite enjoyed the last story by Mr. Marquitz that I read – Armageddon Bound. Sepulchral Earth is vastly different, even though it shares a little bit of the feeling of hopeless abandonment. I was glued to this story with fascinated, and sometimes nauseated, horror. In fact, my stomach lurched a bit during a couple of scenes. That’s a good thing, people, although I would advise that you not eat immediately before opening this title.

Mr. Marquitz develops his two main characters, Harlan Cole and the spirit he refers to as The Professor, quickly and precisely in this tale. There is no long and drawn out courtship – we know Harlan almost as soon as we meet him. In the very first scene, we share the thundering of his heart and his gasping panicked breath as he runs for his life, and we form an almost immediate kinship with him. The Professor we get to know through Harlan’s interaction with him. Since he is a ghost, of course we cannot hear him when he speaks with Harlan, but we can see how Harlan reacts and responds. I thought this was a very effective and particularly clever approach to characterization. While I enjoyed this story, for some reason this is what pushed it over the top and completely won me over.

Sepulchral Earth is less a story with a definite beginning, middle, and end than it is a slice of life for the main character. It is a wonderful, horrible, magnetic read that should delight both lovers of post-apocalyptic zombie-infested landscapes and those who just want a good chill. I would love to see Mr. Marquitz flesh this story out to entire novel length – it would be an exhausting, gruesome, exhilarating ride of a tale, and I would be first in line to purchase it.

--Bobby

Title: Boning Up
Author: Summer Alan
Author’s website:  http://summeralan.blogspot.com/
Publisher: Red Sage Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60310-379-9
Length: Short Story
Format: Electronic
Genre: Romance
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Carly Neal is furious that she has just been made part of a wager without her approval. Yet she does need to pass her Human Anatomy exam in order to graduate, and one dumb-ass professor isn't going to get in her way. The wager between Brock Larson and the professor that Brock can tutor Carly and she will get A’s on both the remaining test doesn’t sit well with Carly. No matter how angry it makes her to be treated like this, she quickly realizes that Brock might be her best bet to obtain the A’s she needs. And it doesn’t hurt that Brock is easy on the eyes. A night after hours in the college library has Carly learning anatomy in one very delicious way.

********

Boning Up is a delightful romp and a quick sexy read. The story quickly develops the conflict, then proceeds to work on the rambunctiously sexy side of the story. It held my interest, and I found myself wishing for a bit more, though I must say that Ms. Alan does a fine job of telling a very entertaining tale in a few short pages.

I especially enjoyed Brock's initial view of Carly. He sees the outside package and assumes many things about her only to be proven wrong . . . the wrapping on the package isn't always an indication of what lies inside. For a short story, many emotions are encountered.

Carly is fun and easy to identify with. I found her outlook on things realistic. All it takes is a little inventiveness to get her scholastically motivated.

Boning Up is a fun book that will keep the reader interested with a smile on their face. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Alan.

Title:  The Astral: Till the Day I Die
Author: V. J. Banis
Author’s website: http://www.vjbanis.com/  
Publisher: Wildside Press 
Release Date:  October 2007
ISBN: 978-1-434401656
Length:  Novel
Format: Electronic and Print
Genre:  Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Romance
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 2.5 (higher for implied violence)
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Shot in the head as she futilely attempts to save her daughter from those who would kidnap and murder her, Catherine Desmond wakes in the hospital to a changed life. Not only is her only child gone and her marriage destroyed, but her own near-death experience has left Catherine with an unusual and unwanted gift: astral projection. Her consciousness can leave her body and travel across space. It is during one of her journeys that Catherine visits her daughter’s murderers. Somehow she is linked with them, and she watches in horror as they continue to stalk their prey.

Catherine’s daughter is not the only child who has been victim to these monsters. Several other children have disappeared. Catherine figures that she must have been given this gift for a reason, and that reason is to stop these killers before they can strike again.

As Catherine tries to pick up the remnants of her shattered life and move on, she doesn’t realize that she is being watched. One of the killers is very aware of her astral presence, and he is determined to track her down and take her out before she can further interfere with his plans.

********

V. J. Banis is a very prolific author who has written scores of novels over the years. I’m more familiar with his gay fiction, but when offered the opportunity to delve into a different type of his work, I jumped at the chance. And now I think I’m hooked. His novel The Astral: Till the Day I Die combines a suspenseful hunt for a murderer and child pornographer with paranormal elements into a story that will keep readers riveted and guessing until the very end. It broke my heart and gave me an eerie chill or two while telling the story of a supernatural link between a woman and her daughter’s murderer.

Those of us who are parents will agree that the prospect of losing a child is our greatest nightmare. The excruciating loss that the main character suffers in The Astral caused me to become immediately invested in the plot. Not only did I want some sort of justice for Catherine’s loss, but I also needed her to find peace within herself, regardless of whether she felt she deserved it or not.

This story felt very “real” to me, from the characters to the setting to the sometimes bizarre events that occur. Mr. Banis introduces us to a cast of characters who are interesting, well-developed and alive, all the way from the main players to the minor roles. I enjoyed having the chance to visit with them all, delving into their minds and their motivations, and I found this to give the story a well-rounded, realistic, and three-dimensional feel.

While Catherine and her Jack may be the main romantic pairing in this novel, FBI Agent Roby Chang and her LAPD partner Jess Conners almost steal the show from them. Catherine feels like someone who might exist in our day-to-day lives, someone we might meet and pass by without realizing what an exceptional woman she truly is. And Agent Chang is a gruff and slightly belligerent persona whose brief flashes of humor make her truly unforgettable.

The suspense builds constantly throughout The Astral, keeping the reader wondering and the tension high as we ponder the nature and the purpose of the connection between the killer and Catherine. Mr. Banis takes the time to set the stage in this story, hooking us securely before stepping on the accelerator and driving the action towards the climax and the moment of clarity when all is revealed. I found myself swept along in this momentum, and I felt white-knuckled and not just a little bit stunned at the end.

If you enjoy thrillers and suspense, you may want to give The Astral a read. I found it to be well-written and surprisingly realistic for a book that features paranormal elements, and I enjoyed it despite its somewhat painful subject matter. Of course, I’ve yet to find anything by Mr. Banis that I did not like; he is simply that talented a writer.

--Bobby

Title:  The Dark Farewell
Author: Josh Lanyon
Author’s website: http://www.joshlanyon.com/
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Release Date:  March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60504-944-1
Length:  Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Historical, Mystery, Paranormal, GLBT
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.75

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Reporter David Flynn has travelled to the small town of Herrin in Southern Illinois to write a follow-up story on a bloody miners’ strike that happened the previous year. When he arrives, he finds that the real news is isn’t the Herrin Massacre but is instead the recent murders of several local young girls. Flynn has no intention of involving himself in the investigation of these murders, and he refuses to go hunting for trouble. Trouble, however, seems to come hunting for him instead.

In Herrin, Flynn meets Julian Devereaux, a spiritualist and medium who goes by the stage name of The Magnificent Belloc and who professes to speak with the dead. Flynn is attracted to Julian, but he is also determined not to act on that attraction. Not only is he convinced that Julian is a charlatan, but having lost his lover in the Great War, he is determined to remain aloof and detached and to avoid emotional entanglements.

When Julian begins to be visited by the ghosts of the murdered girls, he draws the suspicion of the local police. Flynn might not believe in ghosts, but the evidence before his eyes is irrefutable. In spite of his earlier misgivings, he finds himself by Julian’s side, drawn into the mystery with a need to protect Julian not only from the police, but also from the attentions of a killer who is closer than he could ever suspect.

********

Love a good mystery? I do. Give me a whodunit that makes me think a little bit, and I’m hooked. Toss in a little something extra – the paranormal, a romance perhaps – and I’ll stay entertained and out of your hair for hours. This is why I enjoy the work of Josh Lanyon: this is an author who can spin a mystery with the best of them. His latest offering, The Dark Farewell, offers us not only a mystery with a paranormal twist, but it also showcases his talent with historical settings. Here we have ghosts and murder and unexpected love in the bathtub gin-soaked Prohibition era.

In this story, we meet Julian, a reluctant medium, and Flynn, a cynical news man. Neither is what we would consider the quintessential romantic hero. Julian is lonely and isolated and has been taken advantage of his entire life by an avaricious grandfather. He might even be mentally ill. Flynn has removed himself from emotion and life after losing his lover. He is self-serving and is not particularly nice, preferring to stew in his unhappiness and to hang on to his anger against the world with both hands. But even though both are quite flawed in their own way, we can’t help but care about them.

Mr. Lanyon does an excellent job of pulling his readers right into the 1920s. As I read The Dark Farewell, I was struck with the vividness of the post-war setting. From the Model T Ford to the boarding house to the roadhouse and speakeasy, the Prohibition is in full swing, and it all feels very natural. Booze runs like water (or soda pop), the law turns a blind eye, and gangsters and the Ku Klux Klan are the scourges of society.

I found that this story made me think. Not only did I spend time mulling over the characters and their motivations and wondering about their pasts, but I also found myself pondering the meaning of happiness somewhat as well. Mr. Lanyon spurs this with Flynn’s own realization: “If the war had taught him one thing it was that happiness was fleeting and fragile. You had to grab on to it and hold tight for as long as it lasted.” Those are words that we can all take to heart, methinks.

Overall, I found The Dark Farewell to be well-written and entertaining. The mystery is intriguing, the characters are beguiling, and the climax is both surprising and exciting. (Enough adjectives for you? I can come up with more, I promise!) We are left not with a neat and tidy “happily ever after” but with an intriguing set of possibilities for the two heroes. And I found that made this more than worth the read.

--Bobby

Title:  Dark Court: Dark Side of the Veil
Author: Stormy Glenn
Author’s website: http://www.stormyglenn.com/
Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing
Release Date:  February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60592-090-0
Length:  Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Fantasy, Romance, GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

After a bomb explosion leaves Zack Banning with a head injury, he finds himself drummed out of the Marines and relying on medication to keep the resulting delusions and hallucinations under control. In spite of the pain and memory loss, protecting people is ingrained into his nature, so when Zack encounters a man being attacked outside of a bar, it’s only natural that he step in to help. When the fight is over, and the delicate young man tells Zack that he is actually there to save Zack’s life, Zack is skeptical. When Eljin’s story expands to include secret testing laboratories and parallel worlds, Zack knows that someone has gone off the deep end. But who?

Eljin isn’t human; he is Aes Sidhe, one of the fae, kidnapped from his world and held for experimentation by secret government agencies. He knows his tale seems outrageous to Zack, because Zack doesn’t remember being held in the same research labs after his injury. But the bond he formed with Zack during their brief time together is emotional as well as physical, and when he finds out that Zack has been marked for death, he has no choice but to escape and warn the man he loves.

Zack doesn’t understand his feelings towards Eljin. He has never been attracted to other men in the past, so what’s different with this one? Something about him is familiar, however, and he feels both protective and possessive of the other man. His memories might be hazy, but one thing is definitely clear: someone is after the both of them, and they want Zack dead and Eljin captured. In order to escape those who mean them harm, Zack and Eljin will need to cross over the veil that separates their two worlds.

Life and love and reality as he understands them are about to change for Zack.

********

In her novella Dark Side of the Veil, Stormy Glenn mixes science fiction and fantasy into a story about finding love and family and purpose in unexpected places. I found it to be unique and entertaining, with an interesting gender bender twist to it, a sweet romance, and enough action and conflict to keep me involved and glued to the pages.

Ms. Glenn is a prolific writer, and I have read a number of her stories lately, but this one is by far my favorite. I enjoyed the contrast between the fantasy and the gritty reality aspects of this tale as well as the good versus evil struggles that feature both a shadowy military government conspiracy and a conflict between the seelie and unseelie courts of the fae world. I also enjoyed the sweetness of emotion between the two heroes as they deal with the unique physical and emotional bond between them.

In Dark Side of the Veil, Ms. Glenn gives us a “gay for you” tale with two heroes who are complete opposites. Zack is the alpha male, the gruff military-man-with-a-heart-of-gold type who has never had a homosexual thought in his life until he meets the otherworldly Eljin. Although he is initially very resistant of the relationship that he and Eljin share, he undergoes an emotional discovery and realizes that gender truly doesn’t matter when it comes to love. The exquisite care and gentleness that he shows towards Elgin once he finally embraces their situation can’t fail but tug at the heart of the reader.

Although there is never any doubt that he is male, the character Eljin has an almost feminine vulnerability to him, and I found that this made it easier for me to suspend my disbelief regarding his physical condition. It initially seemed quite strange to read about a man going through pregnancy, suffering from morning sickness and the other hormonal imbalances that accompany it, but Ms. Glenn does an excellent job of making this believable.

Overall, I found Dark Side of the Veil to be an enjoyable read. Ms. Glenn has created a world with appealing characters and an intriguing conflict, and although she has given her two heroes in this story a satisfying resolution, she has left possibilities wide open for a sequel. I will definitely be watching for future Dark Court stories, because I think I’m hooked now.

--Bobby

Title:  A Game of Chances
Author: T.C. Blue
Author’s website: http://tc-blue.livejournal.com/,  http://tcblue.wordpress.com
Publisher: Loose Id, LLC
Release Date:  February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-85715-037-0
Length:  Novel
Format: Electronic and Print
Genre:  Suspense, Romance, GLBT
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Tanner Martin is a field operative for the Farmingdale Gentleman’s Club, a private grey-ops organization that works for governments, monarchs, or whoever has the money and need to hire them. Tanner’s latest mission is not sanctioned by the FGC, however. It is strictly personal. He is out for revenge against those responsible for the false arrest and subsequent death of his closest friend. And Marcus Duncan is a means to that end, or so he tells himself, because Marcus’ ex-lover is Tanner’s final mark before the Game is over.

Tanner was supposed to use Marcus as an “in” to gain information, not fall in love with the man. That’s just what happens, however, and Marcus seems to return his feelings. Marcus doesn’t know that Tanner is not a real identity or that he is being used as a means to an end. When his mission blows up in his face, Tanner knows that in order to keep his lover safe, he has to leave him behind forever. It is the most miserable and painful decision he has ever had to make, and he walks away leaving a part of his heart behind forever.

What Tanner doesn’t know is that his lover is not quite as clueless as he wants to believe. Marcus is no stranger to secrets and intrigue, and while he may be upset at Tanner’s defection, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to bring Tanner back to him. Even if that means playing the same Game as Tanner and joining the Farmingdale Gentlemen’s Club himself.

********

You gotta love a man of mystery. James Bond, Austin Powers, Simon Templar, Arnie in True Lies – they’re all pretty cool, saving the day, kicking butt, and sometimes winning the girl (or boy). I love the danger and the double-dealing that these guys stand in hip deep as they take out the bad guys and make the world safe for us mere mortals. Perhaps that’s what draws me to stories that feature shadowy organizations and their operatives. This promise of intrigue mixed liberally with romance is definitely what caused me to grab T.C. Blue’s novel Game of Chances from the shelf. It promised a hot m/m romance mixed with suspense and action and a healthy dose of angst, and it delivers all of these.

In A Game of Chances, Ms. Blue introduces us to the Farmingdale Gentlemen’s Club and the intrigue that surrounds this organization as well as giving her readers a satisfying love story. We have two heroes who are not exactly who they seem, a host of complicated relationships, both familial and otherwise, and enough twists and turns and surprises to the plot to keep us involved and wondering throughout the story.

Ms. Blue has created a chemistry between the two main characters that is undeniable. Tanner and Marcus may spend long periods of time apart, but when they come together, the sexual connection between them is almost combustible. The love scenes in this story are intense enough to get a reader both “hot and bothered” and turning the pages for more. The connection between these two is emotional as well as physical, and the separation that they are forced to endure only cements this.

Tanner and Marcus are enjoyable and well-drawn characters. Tanner pretends to be a tough guy, but he is actually ruled by his heart to the point that it almost destroys him. Marcus gives the impression of being the “weaker” of the two men, but as the story progresses, we become aware that he is surprisingly resilient. While I found Tanner and Marcus to be very appealing both separately and as a duo, the character from A Game of Chances who truly captured my imagination is Patrice Farmingdale. She is wonderfully bitchy and nasty and adds elements of humor and heart to this story. She is a big personality in a small package, and Ms. Blue does an excellent job developing her as a major character yet not allowing her to steal the limelight from our two heroes.

Not all of the conflicts that are introduced in this story are resolved neatly, but instead of finding this to be overly frustrating, I appreciated the element of realism that this adds. In the real world, some issues just plain have to be dropped instead of resolving themselves, and some come back to bite us in the butt years later.

Overall, I found A Game of Chances to be most enjoyable and a good blend of action and emotion. I wonder if we’re going to see further titles regarding the Farmingdale Gentleman’s Club from Ms. Blue. Let’s hope so, because Patrice can’t possibly be finished terrorizing the agents under her charge!

--Bobby

Title: Magic University Book Two: The Tower and the Tears
Author: Cecilia Tan
Author’s website: http://blog.ceciliatan.com/    
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Release Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60777-320-7
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.75

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Kyle Wadsworth is back for his second year at Veritas, the hidden magical University within Harvard. After a summer of carousing and sowing his oats with his friend Alex, he is ready for a school year hopefully not as crazy as his first year. Kyle couldn't have had it more wrong. The time is drawing near for him to declare his major, and after his sexual magic was awakened the previous year, he feels his future lies in the Esoteric Arts. Kyle is doing everything he can to keep his academic life and his relationship with his new girlfriend going smoothly, but strange things are happening, and an old prophecy seems to be talking about him no matter what angle he looks at it from.

********

The second installation in the Magic University series was just as interesting as the first. I would even say that it was actually more enjoyable than the first. The story had a greater depth as the reader delves deeper into the magical world that Ms. Tan has created. I enjoyed the sexual twist on the magic in the story. It is well-written and believable . . . or maybe I just wish it was real!

Kyle's character evolves in this book and makes him even more memorable. His newfound abilities are more than interesting. His relationships are complex as are his sexual magical studies. This is not your typical magic book.

The mystery of the storyline is entrancing; it had me wondering what was going on right up until the end. Ms. Tan has a gift for telling a tale that keeps the reader guessing what is going to happen next. I enjoyed the continuation of the story, and was excited by this turns this book took.

Title: The Stillburrow Crush
Author: Linda Kage
Author’s website: http://www.lindakage.com/
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Date:  February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60154-651-3
Length:  Novel
Format: Electronic and Print
Genre:  Young Adult, Romance
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 1.5
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Carrie Paxton is a junior in high school and is definitely not part of the “in” crowd. This has never really bothered her; her main concern has always been the school newspaper and her dreams of becoming an investigative journalist. She has even been willing to marginalize the crush she has on the school’s star quarterback, Luke Carter. Don’t all the girls yearn after him, anyway?

The tiny town of Stillburrow, Kansas, has a long-standing social pecking order, and the Paxton family is somewhere close to the bottom. Even when Luke begins to show an interest in her, Carrie knows that she is not good enough to date the son of the town banker. She suspects that he has an ulterior motive that has nothing to do with romance, anyway, because he’s obviously not comfortable being seen with her by his friends.

When a series of events ending in tragedy shakes up Stillburrow and threatens to pull her family apart, Carrie will find many of her preconceived notions to be challenged. Not only will she see her community in a different light, but she will also be forced to reexamine her opinions about herself, her family, and the crush she has on Luke.

********

Linda Kage’s novel The Stillburrow Crush is a young adult romance with a little something extra added. Although it revolves around the plot device of the nerdy girl winning the high school star athlete, it also addresses a number of deeper social issues. This story looks at teen pregnancy, small town social order, teenage peer pressure, and how one’s own perceptions or misperceptions can affect their life. I found this to be a quick and very enjoyable read that satisfied my craving for a sweet romance while giving me a story with a satisfying plot.

I found Carrie Paxton to be an appealing young heroine. She has a very intelligent voice and a sarcastic, biting sense of humor that are startlingly mature for a 16-year-old, but she also is still very much a child as well. Although she has blown the social distance between herself others way out of proportion (with her mother’s able assistance), this gives her something to be a rebel about in her “intrepid investigative reporter against the world” dreams. In typical teenage fashion, she takes pride in being a little contrary, and it is only when she sees Luke’s imperfections that she allows herself to develop feelings for him.

It is those imperfections that make us like Luke, because he is not a “too good to be true” kind of romantic hero. He isn’t the smug sports star, nor is he a perfect gentleman, and even though he wants to be with Carrie, he is concerned enough about the opinions of his friends to act like a little bit of an ass. He is, in fact, a very human young man.

I found much of this story – the social stigma of teen pregnancy, the death from drinking and driving after a party, the rampant gossip mill of the high school – to be very believable. Ms. Kage has not given all of the characters a happily-ever-after, and as much as I love my HEAs, I appreciated this bit of realism. She has written this story so that we genuinely care about the characters and the events that shape their lives.

This is only the second young adult novel that I have read from The Wild Rose Press, but I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve read so far. I certainly wish there had been more stories like this when I was growing up, during that time that I devoured pointless romance novels by the score. The Stillburrow Crush adds a little substance to the fluff, and I thought it to be very well done. Nicely done, Ms. Kage.

--Bobby

Title:  Steal Away
Author: Amber Green
Author’s website: http://www.shapeshiftersinlust.com/
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Release Date:  February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60737-523-4
Length:  Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Historical, Ménage, Romance
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

When the mortgage suddenly comes due on her home after the death of her no-good cheating husband, Twilight Amery knows that the pitiful wages she makes as a picker won’t pay the debt. She plans to leave Alabama far behind and travel to Harlem in New York, where she just knows that her voice will make her famous in clubs such as the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club. Of course, she first has to elude the Pinkerton guards as she jumps a train. Getting caught would end her adventure, and possibly even her life, before it has begun.

It is on this train, hidden in a hopper car, that Twi meets Hector Castillo and his travelling companion Daniel Stone. Hector is a huge strapping man with a booming laugh and a smile like sunshine, but his friend, while beautiful, is much less friendly. In exchange for some of her food and water, they pledge to keep her safe from trouble during the trip north. And they do find trouble. It seems to follow close on their heels the entire journey.

Twi is drawn to the irrepressible Hector and would like nothing more than to bed him and share in the joy he exudes. But she also notices that he and Stone have an intimate relationship. She might not like the unpleasant Mr. Stone terribly much, but she doesn’t want to intrude between these two. Hector seems to have enough love to go around; if they make it to Harlem unscathed, can they possibly make a life together without hurt or jealousy?

********

To read Amber Green’s Steal Away is to be transported back in time. Set in the prohibition era of the 1920s, this is a story about love and friendship and the struggle of three individuals to come together and fulfill their dreams in spite of those who might wish them harm. I found this to be a well-written and interesting story and that truly pulled me into the action and that kept me involved for the entire time. As I read, I felt as if I was right there with the characters riding a freight car through the Alabama countryside, running from the police in Chattanooga, visiting a cathouse in Atlanta, or walking the streets (and avoiding the alleys) of Harlem.

This is not the glittering prohibition world of Jay Gatsby and his pampered friends. This is a gritty and realistic visit with a portion of the society of that time that we are rarely exposed to – show business and the black population of both the South and New York. Ms. Green surrounds her readers in the era, bringing it to extremely realistic, almost Technicolor, life almost immediately.

Ms. Green has populated Steal Away with strong, believable, and well-crafted characters who are trying to work out a unique kind of relationship. Twi is definitely the focus of the story, although the narrative does touch down briefly with Stone upon occasion. She is a no-nonsense, strong and very brave woman who has had a difficult life and who has finally decided to chase a dream. But although she is tough, she is also quite naïve in her belief of what life and success in New York will entail.

Of the two men, Daniel Stone, although not nearly as likeable as Hector, is the more complex character. He comes from an educated family, but his sexual orientation, his dancing, and his moodiness have made him something of an outsider. Even though he professes that he has chosen his own path, he wears a mask of anger and indifference as a shield. Hector is Stone’s complete opposite. Ms. Green never says exactly where he is from, but my guess would be the Dominican Republic. Larger than life not only physically but also in personality, he draws both Twi and Stone like a magnet. The relationship between Twi and Stone is a delicate and fascinating one as they balance between friendship and jealousy.

Ms. Green does an excellent job of portraying the different dialects and speech patterns of her characters. Twi is a Southern girl, and her speech, thoughts, and attitudes resound of Southern black society and make her a very real character. Having grown up in Birmingham, I found myself a little homesick for old friends after spending time with Twi in this story.

This is the first of Ms. Green’s stories that I have had the pleasure of reading. Although I have read other stories featuring ménage relationships, the one that is featured here is unique and fascinating. Overall, I found Steal Away well-written, suspenseful, and quite entertaining.

--Bobby

Title: The Dark Ones
Author: Megan Harmon
Author’s website: meganharmon.blogspot.com, http://www.meganharmon.com/  
Publisher: Eternal Press
Release Date:  February 2010
ISBN: 978-177065-016-9-
Length:  Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Paranormal, Romance
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 2
Rating: 3.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Catherine Milton doesn’t particularly enjoy being an exotic dancer, but she’s good at it and it paid her way through college. It pays so well that she’s still stripping eight years later instead of using her English degree. Deep down, though, she longs for the things that the social stigma of her job has kept from her, like respect and friendship and the love of a decent man. Lately, she has been feeling a bit spooked as well as lonely due to a reoccurrence of childhood nightmares of blood and violence and unearthly creatures. Cat isn’t truly frightened until she comes home one day to find a strange man in her apartment who swears he is a werewolf and she is something called a Chosen One.

When the Dark Ones, vampires, escape from their imprisonment and promise retribution, the werewolves know they have a war on their hands. This is a war that they can only win with the assistance of the Chosen, humans with an innate ability to hunt and kill the vampires. Garrick, leader of his werewolf clan, has come to collect the Chosen One named Cat. Even though the feisty woman thinks he is crazy, he is drawn to her. He might need her assistance to save his people, but he also wants to keep her by his side forever.

Within the space of just a few hours, Cat’s life has changed forever. She has found unexpected love, learned the secret of her ancestry, and has been offered family and friendship and a sense of belonging. Cat has never been one to take chances – that’s what has kept her stripping all these years instead of using the education she worked so hard for – but now she’s about to take the biggest chance of all. She’s about to risk her life.

********

Megan Harmon’s The Dark Ones combines the “stripper with a heart of gold” theme with the popular vampires versus werewolves rivalry to tell a tale about love and belonging and kicking vampire booty into the next county. It chronicles the first battle in what promises to be quite a war between the paranormals.

This story starts out amusing in places, but as it progresses towards the confrontation at the end, it becomes more serious. The battle itself is even somewhat gruesome, what with the blood and stabbing and the ripping off of enemies’ heads. This is quite a contrast with earlier in the story when Cat becomes fixated upon Garrick’s very expensive designer jeans and her almost comic anger at being interrupted in the bathroom.

Ms. Harmon has given us a heroine in this story that we can enjoy. The character Cat is quite feisty and has a mouth on her (I liked that!), but she is also vulnerable inside. Although she doesn’t indulge in many of the vices that many of the other strippers do, we also see that she has had pain in her past. She has lost the people she loved or who she might have loved, and she is alone and without a purpose in her life.

I felt as if this novella tried to fit a little too much story into too little space, and as a result it felt just a little bit flat. There is a lot of story here, but much of it felt glossed over and rushed, and I felt as if  potential was lost in the race to the end. Ms Harmon does a nice job developing the main character, Cat, but there were also other very promising characters in the story who I would have liked to know a little better.

On the whole, I suppose you can classify this as a mixed review. There were elements to The Dark Ones that I quite enjoyed and others that I felt missed their target somewhat. Am I sorry that I read this story? No, not at all. I hope that Ms. Harmon follows up on this story, because this war between the vamps and the wolves has only just begun, and I need for the good guys to win, please.

--Bobby

Title: The 39 Clues: Book One The Maze of Bones
Author: Rick Riordan
Author’s website: http://www.rickriordan.com/  
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Release Date: September 2008
ISBN: 978-0-545-06039-4
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Children's Mystery
Source: R
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Amy and Dan Cahill have discovered their deceased eccentric aunt had left two options in her will for all her family members. They can take one million dollars and walk way, or they can take the first Clue in a game that would make them the most memorable person in history. Amy and Dane decide to take the Clue and are off on an adventure that will take them around the world searching for the 39 clues that will lead them to the answer to the mystery. Will they be able to survive the adventure with danger lurking around every corner?

********

This book fell into my hand by way of my nine-year-old son. Numerous kids in his class at school are reading the series and talking about how wonderful it is, so my curiosity was piqued. From page one, it grabbed my interest and wouldn't let go. Who wouldn't be interested in a book that has mystery, intrigue, lost treasure, as well as danger? It has all the elements to entice any age. I was immediately drawn into the adventure.

Dan and Amy are not necessarily typical kids. Each has their own personal issues that have shaped them, and each brings their own unique quality to the story to make it that much more enjoyable. The secondary characters range from humorous to almost scary. They are well-written and make the story highly entertaining.

The story is fast-paced and leaves the reader impatiently turning the page to see what is going to happen next. I am hooked. I want to also mention that there is an online game involved that the reader can join. Each book comes with cards and clues for the game. The fun just doesn't stop.

I imagine my son and I will be fighting over the books to see who gets to read them first.

Rick Riordan is a well-known name in the children’s literary world. I am glad I found him; I would have been one happy kid if he had been writing these when I was nine! In addition to the 39 Clues series, I have added numerous other books that he has authored to my wish list. His name is synonymous with entertainment.