Apple Polisher by Heidi Belleau

Hey everyone,

I promised the posts would be more regular from now on! This week I went back to one of my favourite sub-genres of romance, contemporary m/m. I finally started a series that I have been wanting to read for SO long, and I'm not going to lie I'm already on book two! Today, however, I want to focus on Apple Polisher by Heidi Belleau the first in the Rear Entrance Video Book series.

The book:

Christian Blake dreams of being a kindergarten teacher, but making the grade means maintaining a squeaky clean image: no drinking, no drugs, no swearing, no sex. And definitely no falling for his new roommate-tattooed bad-boy Max, who may or may not be a drug dealer.

Most of all, it means no working at a porn store. But Christian's aunt has cancer, and her beloved Rear Entrance Video will go bankrupt if Christian doesn't take over managerial duties. Soon enough, Christian finds himself juggling sticky twenty-five cent peep show booths, a blackmailing employee, and a demanding professor who likes to make an example of him.

And then there's Max, who doesn't know anything about the store, but hates Christian's preppy sweater vests and the closet Christian forces him into when they're together. Max just wants Christian to be himself-even though Max is keeping secrets of his own. Christian struggles to find the impossible balance between his real life and the ideal one he thinks a teacher needs to live . . . all while trying to keep his aunt's dream alive without losing his own.

My thoughts:

For me this book was about discovery. Both Christian personal journey of self-discovery and his discovery into those around him. In the beginning Christian does come across as a little judgemental; he assumes one of his new housemates is a drug dealer with very little evidence. He's also completely paranoid about the image he projects to the outside world, partly due to his relationship with his mother.

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

Hey everyone,

I hang my head in shame for not posting at all over the last 2 weeks, honestly didn’t expect the new course to take up quite so much of my time! Now hopefully though things will be business as usual and the regular schedule will be maintained because I missed blogging. Today I want to talk about Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren (aka the writing duo Christina and Lauren). Now I am aware that this book has a very loyal following and thousands and thousands of reviews, so rather than doing a regular run-down of my thoughts on the book I want to focus on a particular scene from the novel that I found troubling.

The book:

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he's never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe's so tempting he's willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office. 

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win each other.

My thoughts:

As in typical in New Adult or angsty contemporary romances the hero and heroine fight. The bicker, they flirt, they rile each other, they tear each others clothes off, they agonise over there feelings and the cycle repeats itself until the eventual HEA. I have absolutely no issue with books of that nature, when written well they can be extremely enjoyable and provide a lot of entertainment. What I do have issues with is domestic abuse and in my opinion this book contained domestic violence between the hero and heroine.

Seduction and Surrender by Cali MacKay

Hey everyone,

Today I’m going to review Seduction and Surrender by Cali MacKay, a contemporary romance novel that I would argue relies on two distinct tropes. These are the billionaire trope and the deal or arrangement trope (the contemporary romance version of the marriage-of-convenience trope, well at least in my opinion). Now these tropes can be controversial in the Romance genre, particularly when used together as it’ll often result in an Hero who doesn’t really understand the concept of no.

For some people this will be an instant red flag, but others really enjoy this type of Romance. If you are in the first camp then I’d take a guess that Seduction and Surrender is probably not the book for you... But feel free to continue reading the review just to make sure!

The book:

Chef Emma Sparrow has poured her heart and soul—not to mention all her money—into the restaurant of her dreams. But when Quinn Ryker, her landlord and billionaire playboy, refuses to renew her lease, her entire world and all those who depend on her, are at risk.

Quinn’s spent months trying to stifle his curiosity for the gorgeous chef who runs the kitchen of his favorite bistro like she’s a five-star general. He can’t help but want her, especially when she comes marching into his office full of fire and passion, furious with him and demanding he renew her lease. Yet he now has something she wants, and he knows just what he’ll do with that heat and anger of hers, especially once she’s in his bed.

A bargain is stuck that will save Emma’s restaurant and give Quinn what he most desires—Emma. But it turns out there’s a lot more on the line when negotiating matters involving one’s body, heart, and soul.

My thoughts:

Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed but still had major issues with? If you have you’ll know its confusing and can really make you question the type of books you enjoy. Seduction and Surrender was that book for me. Some aspects of it I thought were engaging, witty and hot-as-hell, but other parts made me stop, pause and think.

Her Dark Angel by Felicity Heaton

Hey everyone,

Tomorrow I’m starting a super intensive course at Makers Academy to become a web developer extraordinaire! I’m going to try and keep blogging on my regular schedule but please be kind if I don’t manage it, okay?  Anyway now we have the admin out of the way time to review Her Dark Angel by Felicity Heaton.

The book:

An angel trapped in Hell for centuries, Apollyon is tired of guarding the Devil. He longs to break free and feel the wind in his feathers, but he cannot leave the endless darkness without permission from above. When he senses someone calling him, he seizes his chance for freedom, but soon discovers the call came from a beautiful woman he has watched over from Hell, a woman who casts a spell on him and awakens the darkest desires of his heart.

Serenity is shocked when a wickedly sensual black-winged angel shows up in her city of Paris claiming that she called him when she was only casting a simple vengeance spell. He's no other than the angel of death! When the lethally handsome warrior offers to obey her and give her revenge, Serenity can't resist the temptation, but can she resist the forbidden hungers the dark angel stirs in her?

My thoughts:

Being a novella it would be fair to say the plot for Her Dark Angel is a little thin on the round, or perhaps a better word would be simplistic. Rather than investing time and energy into developing a complicated plot, Felicity Heaton has instead focused on character development and the relationship between Apollyon and Serenity. For me this worked because I love well developed characters, particularly when those character are tormented, lonely immortals just waiting for their lady love to appear.

The Worst Best Luck by Brad Vance

Hey everyone,

I’m finally writing another review! Can I get a whoop whoop? No? Okay moving on then... As mentioned in all the books I need to read I’m recently went through my TBR pile and in doing so came across The Worst Best Luck, a book that I had honestly forgotten I’ve even owned. Yet I have now read it and i’m ready to past my opinions about it on to you.

The book:

Peter Rabe's luck is about to change. Taking a co-worker's car into the shop nets him a desperately needed $100 tip...and the attentions of Matt Kensington, master mechanic. Peter can't believe that someone as hot as Matt could be interested in the young man his tormentors used to call "Peter Rabbit." But, incredibly enough, he is. And when the Quadrillions lottery jackpot is up to $700,000,000, wouldn't it be crazy of Peter not to buy a ticket on his lucky day? 

Matt doesn't think much of money, having grown up on New York's Upper East Side in the lap of luxury. He'd walked away from the professional drudgery his Harvard degree had qualified him for, to become a mechanic, to touch things that were real, to fix things that were broken. And a hot shy guy like Peter is another machine Matt wants to believe he can fix. But when Peter finds out he's won the lottery, it almost feels like his luck has run out.

Especially when Cody Burrell, his emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend, mysteriously re-enters his life just before he cashes the ticket and reveals his good fortune to the world... Peter must wrestle with the pressures of wealth on someone who's grown up poor, the pressure of fame that comes with so much instant fortune, and most of all, with his own demons, the demons that Cody knows all too well how to manipulate.

My Thoughts:

I started reading this book without absolutely no clue what is was about, beyond it being a contemporary m/m. I actually thought it a New Adult based on the cover... So that’s not awkward at all. Yet The Worst Best Luck packed a serious punch, it tackled issues left, right and centre without neglecting the core romance between Peter and Matt.

Heart of a Rocky by Kelsey Jordan

Hey everyone,

I'm back with a paranormal romance book to review! It'd been a while and when I saw this on TBR pile I knew the time was right so without further ado I present Heart of a Rocky by Kelsey Jordan! The second book in the Gardinian World series was sent to me by the publisher in return for an honest. I have also reviewed book one in the series The Lycan Hunter so feel to check that out as well.

Also contrary to my original belief Heart of a Rocky is actually two romance novella set in the Gardinian Universe world: One called The Takeover and another called The Defender.

The book:

The Takeover

Tor Omar James, King of the North African pride, needs one woman if he has any hope of keeping his sanity – Anise, his Soul’s Mate. There’s only one problem: she’s pregnant by Derrick, Tor of the United States pride. Anise is caught between the love that every Lycan covets and the motherly devotion to the son she would sacrifice so much for. Can Omar survive the takeover of the US pride and convince Anise that he is more man than lion?

The Defender

Asim Tyson, the Defender of the Hafiz, is fighting off the insanity of his longing after losing his Soul’s Mate in battle. Unfortunately, his self-centered existence results in the gross neglect of his people when they need him the most. When Harmony appears in his life, he is forced to make a choice. Should he resist the lure of Harmony’s caustic melody or embrace his weakness in order to keep her safe?

My thoughts:

As Heart of a Rocky is actually two novellas I've decided to review them separately rather than reviewing the book as a whole.  The first story is The Takeover, which reintroduces previous readers to Anise and Omar, two characters we briefly met in The Lycan Hunter.

Safe In His Arms by Renae Kaye

Hey everyone,

As usual I have returned to the genre of contemporary m/m and this is one that has been lingering on my TBR pile for around three or four months... So really it’s been read fairly quickly!

Before I commence the review of Safe in His Arms by Renae Kaye I will say that this book mentions the repeated rape of a minor (one of the hero’s back stories) and contains an age gap between the two heroes, so if those are triggers for you stop reading now! But feel free to check out some of my other m/m reviews (shameless plugging over, I promise!).

The book:

In the late-night quiet of the caravan park shower room, Lon Taylor washes away the filth of the Western Australian mines. He’s not looking for anyone, but when Casey offers, Lon doesn't turn him down. 

Welcoming the young man in his big, hairy arms, Lon provides a safety to Casey that he has never known, and Casey wants to stay forever. Still reeling from the breakup of his family years ago, Lon’s not sure he’s ready for the responsibility of the comfort and security Casey craves.

But perhaps Lon can risk opening his heart again and hoping for a brighter future. Casey has some pretty big skeletons in his past to deal with. And Lon wonders what Casey will do when he finds out how badly Lon failed at protecting the ones he loved eight years ago.

My thoughts:

So I brought this book due to Lon’s physical description as a Bear because I was tired of reading books featuring Twinks, ‘straight’ athletic men and all the other stereotypical gay body types found in m/m romances. I went in expecting a light-hearted contemporary with a little bit of angst surrounding Casey’s ‘skeletons’ what I read was something completely different. Something so much better than my initial expectations!

Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

Hey everyone,

Continuing with my challenge to read all the books in my TBR pile I picked up Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn this weekend.  An Indian-set Steampunk Romance that was released sometime in 2013. Arguably Steampunk has lessened in popularity since its hurray last year, however, this is still a genre I love to read.

The book:

Skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue... and, of course, kissing.

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she'll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince's proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince's proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.

Third Daughter is the first book in the The Dharian Affairs Trilogy. This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood romance takes place in an east-Indian-flavored alternate world.

My thoughts:

Told exclusively from the viewpoint of Aniri or the Third Daughter of the Queen as she is also known Third Daughter is an exciting adventure across an alternative India. Although clearly a steampunk novel I felt it relied more on concepts of political and social intrigue. Probably because the majn conflict in the book revolves around the political, economic and military strife between the countries of Dharia, Samirian and Jungali. It is in fact the tenuous relationship between Jungali and Dharia that leads to Aniri arranged marriage.

City Slicker At The Horny Goat Ranch by Daisy Harris

Hey everyone,

Currently on an impromptu trip to Yorkshire for a few days and as I’m in the countryside I decided to read a book with a rural setting. Therefore Daisy Harris’s City Slicker At The Horny Goat Ranch shot right to the top of my To-Be-Read pile!

The book:

Keith Kelley doesn’t normally take kindly to strangers, but his flashy new neighbor has long legs, lips made for kissing and might prove too much temptation for a boy hiding his sexuality in rural Idaho. Unfortunately, between working his mom’s goat ranch and land disputes with his wealthy father, Keith has enough problems. He doesn’t need the best sex of his life threatening to expose all his secrets. 

Real estate developer Max Levin vows to turn the one-stoplight town of Pookataw Valley into a vacation destination…and then leave before the dust clears. With his next assignment in five months, Max shouldn’t start loving the quaint little town—the ranchland, the mountains, even the goats. If only Max could stop thinking about his sexy neighbor and the time they shared in the front seat of Keith’s truck. Because he especially shouldn’t fall in love with a guy who can’t openly love him back. 

In a town the size of Pookataw Valley, nothing stays secret for long. If Keith wants to hold onto his birthright, he’ll have to fight for his land and his pride. Most of all, he’ll have to fight for Max before he slips through Keith’s fingers.

My thoughts:

As mentioned before I’m a huge Daisy Harris fan and have in fact reviewed some of her previous books on this site. As usual I thoroughly enjoyed City Slicker At The Horny Goat Ranch and if that’s a title you enjoy you’ll probably like the book as well!

Fire At Twilight by Lila Ashe

Hey everyone,

Firstly what is with all the firefighter books in my life at the moment? Seriously it feels like they are popping up all over the place! Crazy times. Secondly my feelings for Fire At Twilight are leaning towards the ‘meh... it was book’ so I apologise for what is about to happen.

The book:

Grace is a fixer. She's good at it, too. In her acupuncture practice, she fixes the community of Darling Bay, and in her personal life, she's rescued her sister too many times to count. Her love life, though . . . Grace doesn't think she needs help, especially not from a man whose very nickname is unhealthy. 

Tox Ellis is the hazmat expert at the Darling Bay Fire Department, and he knows about harmful substances. He knows what gases to keep apart to prevent explosions. Why, then, can't he seem to stay away from Grace, the woman who seems to think he needs fixing? 

Is Darling Bay ready for the chemical reaction Grace and Tox generate whenever they're in the same place at the same time? And who will be standing by to put out the flames?

My thoughts:

I think my biggest gripe with Fire At Twilight and the reason I struggled to enjoy this sweet contemporary romance is that the hero and heroine go on ONE DATE in the entire book. They really have very few interactions before declaring their love. I mean come on Lila Ashe I understand that you need the characters to fall in love quickly because its a short book but surely they deserve more than one date and a few short moments alone? I can’t feel any emotion for a couple if I never see them spend much time together.

Bad Company by K.A. Mitchell

Hey everyone,

Yesterday I set myself the challenge of reading all the books in my TBR list, which has grown to roughly 65 books. To me it was getting a bit ridiculous, although I will confess at times it has been much larger. As an extra incentive I have banned myself from buying anymore books until I have read ALL of my TBR pile. That includes ebook freebies etc otherwise this challenge would be endless!

It was this challenge that prompted me to finally read Bad Company by K.A. Mitchell. A book that has been languishing on my kindle for far too long.

The book:

Some things are sweeter than revenge. 

“I need a boyfriend.”

Hearing those words from the mouth of his very straight ex-friend is enough to make columnist and editor Nate Gray choke on his Corona. It’s been thirteen years since Kellan Brooks’s father crushed Nate’s family on his climb to wealth and power. Even longer since he entrusted Kellan with the confession that he might be gay—only to have his best friend out and humiliate him to their entire high school. The last thing Nate expects is Kellan begging for his help.

Breaking off his engagement to a senator’s daughter was the last straw for Kellan’s CEO father. Frustrated at being cut off, his father’s stinging words—that he wishes Kellan had never been born—still ringing in his ears, Kellan turns to Nate. In a move worthy of a corporate raider, Kellan plans the ultimate revenge. Come out as the boyfriend of the man his homophobic father betrayed.

Convincing Nate to play along isn’t easy. It’s even harder to figure out why the lie feels so close to the truth.

My thoughts:

I went into this book with absolutely no expectations, partly because it had been so long since I brought it originally. Yet I was presently surprised. Bad Company is a sweet yet sexy M/M romance about the importance of second chances. 

The Ivy Lessons by SK. Quinn

Hey everyone,

I had absolutely no intention of reviewing this book, but about half-way through reading The Ivy Lessons events in the book started happening that made it impossible for me not to review it. I’m talking about the difference between good BDSM and bad BDSM. In my opinion The Ivy Lessons is bad BDSM and below I want to outline why.

The book:

Teacher, plus student, equals a passion forbidden

When Sophia wins a post-graduate place at Ivy Drama College, she can't believe her luck. The college is owned by one of the most well-respected young actors in London, Marc Blackwell – who not only founded the college, but teaches the students.

Known for his strict classes and belief in discipline, Marc has a reputation for being arrogant and aloof, yet Sophia soon finds herself drawn to this cold, fascinating young man. 

Soon, Sophia is embarking on a journey of sexual discovery that promises to explore all that is forbidden between teacher and student.

My thoughts:

Perhaps I should have known from the premise that this wouldn’t be the book for me. Its the typical older more sexually experienced male with the young naive female, in the style of Fifty Shades of Grey, cause you know, duh! Yet I was drawn in because when written correctly I have no problem with teacher/student or BDSM. However, when I see scenes like this I start to have my doubts:

Just A Bit Unhealthy by Alessandra Hazard

Hey everyone,

Now I know I promised to try and stay away from the m/m romances this month as mentioned in my April TBR video, but I couldn’t resist reading the latest one in Alessandra Hazard’s Straight Guys series. Just A Bit Unhealthy is a contemporary m/m novella that follows the characters of Jared and Gabriel, who are introduced earlier in the series. Having said that this can totally be read as an stand-alone.

The book:

Gabriel DuVal, rising soccer star.

Jared Sheldon, team physician.

To the outside world, they’re just good friends. But the truth is, Gabriel isn’t entirely sure what they are to each other. 

Some call their relationship unhealthy. Some call it codependency. Gabriel calls it confusing. He knows Jared wants him – as more than a friend. He doesn’t want Jared. He’s straight, he has a girlfriend, and he loves her. But Jared is… Jared is more. Jared is his. He needs him – his touch and his strength. 

But is it enough for Jared?

My thoughts:

Having been previously introduced to Jared and Gabriel in Just A Bit Obsessed I was aware of the unusual dynamics of the relationship. Jared loves Gabriel. Gabriel needs Jared. Gabriel even loves Jared but he isn’t in love with Jared. After all he has a girlfriend, and he’s straight so he can’t be in love with Jared. Despite that Gabriel is crazy possessive of Jared. He might not want a relationship with Jared but he certainly doesn’t want anyone else having one with him either. Jared is his.

Twenty Things I Learnt from Fangirl

Hey everyone,

Over the Easter Weekend I read Fangirl and fell completely in love with it and the characters! I knew straight away I wanted to do a post about it but as this book has been reviewed and obsessed over to high heaven I decided to do something a little different. Instead of reviewing the book I’ve created a list of twenty things I learnt from reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, some are serious, some are humorous and others are just a bit random. Enjoy!

• Its okay to not have all your sh*t figured out.
• I really, really like character driven novels.

Four Nights With The Duke by Eloisa James

Hey everyone,

For the last five days I’ve been ill and confined to my bedroom. This has meant a lot of time for reading, which luckily for me coincided with the release of Eloisa James new book Four Nights With The Duke. I'm not faking I swear! Also this may contain slight spoilers.

The book:

As a young girl, Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington told the annoying future Duke of Pindar that she would marry any man in the world before him—so years later she is horrified to realize that she has nowhere else to turn.

Evander Septimus Brody has his own reasons for agreeing to Mia's audacious proposal, but there's one thing he won't give his inconvenient wife: himself.

Instead, he offers Mia a devil's bargain...he will spend four nights a year with her. Four nights, and nothing more. And those only when she begs for them.

Which Mia will never do.

Now Vander faces the most crucial challenge of his life: he must seduce his own wife in order to win her heart—and no matter what it takes, this is the one battle he can't afford to lose.

My thoughts:

Firstly can I just say I love the cover of Four Nights With The Duke, the lace detailing on the dress, the old-fashioned wallpaper and the soft lighting just tick all the right boxes for me! Anyway enough about the gorgeous cover and on with the actual book. I loved it! As usual in an Eloisa James novel it contain a fair few references to William Shakespeare, which as an English Literature graduate I personally found interesting and enjoyable. The character of Uncle Chuffy (who is probably one of my favourite secondary character EVER) is particularly found of sprouting Shakespeare, and throughout the wedding of Mia and Vander he chooses to quote Twelfth Night to hilarious effect.

Clipped Wings by Helena Hunting

Hey everyone,

I thought it'd been a while since I’d read a New Adult romance and decided that needed rectifying as soon as physically possible, therefore I dived straight in Clipped Wings by Helena Hunt this weekend.

The book:

An emotional love story that follows the touch-and-go relationship of Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

As Hayden and Tenley navigate their newfound but slightly unstable relationship, they want to trust each other, but Hayden is hiding a dark and shameful past that he doesn't ever want Tenley to find out about. And Tenley has secrets of her own that could make Hayden run away forever.

When Tenley asks Hayden to put a beautifully elaborate tattoo across her back, the two form what they thought was an unshakeable bond. But when Tenley's past shows up on her doorstep, will Hayden stand by her side...or run?

My thoughts:

It was okay. I didn’t loved Clipped Wings but I certainly didn’t hate it. I think my major problem with it was I didn’t understand why the characters acted the way they did. Particularly Tenley, I understand she lost everyone important to her and that would be beyond horrible but some of her actions just didn’t make sense. Unless the author was just using her actions to move the plot along.

Top 5 M/M Romance books

Hey everyone,

In my recent March Wrap Up it became clear that I read a lot of M/M. Seriously, it made up around 50% of the books I read this month! Therefore I thought it was about time I did a post about one of my favourite Romance sub-genres. After all I’ve been reading and loving M/M for about five years now and over that time I’ve sample the great, the good, the bad and the down-right kinky this sub-genre has to offer.

I found it extremely difficult narrowing down this list to just five books, and clearly this is all personal preference, but below are my Top 5 M/M Romance book recommendations. Whether your new to the genre, and old veteran or an up-and-coming connoisseur I hope this list has a little something for everyone.

Stuff by Josephine Myles

Tobias “Mas” Maslin doesn’t need much. A place of his own, weekends of clubbing, a rich boyfriend for love and support. Too bad his latest sugar daddy candidate turns out to be married with kids. Mas wants to be special, not someone’s dirty little secret.

When he loses his job and his flat on the same day, his worlds starts unraveling…until he stumbles across a vintage clothing shop. Now to convince the reclusive, eccentric owner he’s in dire need of a salesman.

Perry Cavendish-Fiennes set up Cabbages and Kinks solely to annoy his controlling father. Truth be told, he’d rather spend every spare moment on his true passion, art. When Mas comes flaming into his life talking nineteen to the dozen, he finds himself offering him a job and a place to live.

He should have listened to his instincts. The shop is already financially on the brink, and Mas’s flirting makes him feel things he’s never felt for a man. Yet Mas seems convinced they can make a go of it—in the shop, and together.

If you love quirky characters, charming Britishisms and general mayhem then Stuff is the M/M for you! An opposites attract story, with a slight GFY Stuff is full of Josephine Myles usual combination of heartfelt emotion, witty dialogue and sweet yet sexy romance. Perry and Tobias personalities although so different work so well together; Tobias brings Perry out of his self-imbosed hermit lifestyle and Perry provides Tobias with stability and self-believe.

Signs by Anna Martin

Hey everyone,

If you read my March TBR post you'll know I was super excited by this book. I was so intrigued by the characters, the premise and the use of social media in the novel. Also I’ve read Anna Martin before and she has yet to disappoint!

The book:

After spending most of his life in special schools, Caleb Stone now faces public high school in his senior year, a prospect that both excites him and threatens to overwhelm his social anxiety. As a deaf teenager, he’s closed himself off to the world. He speaks a shorthand with his parents and even finds it hard to use American Sign Language with people in his local deaf community. But Caleb finds comfort in his love of photography. Everything he can’t express in real life, he posts on his Tumblr. 

Struggling to reconcile his resentment for his father's cruelty with the grief of losing a parent, Luc Le Bautillier scrolls through Tumblr searching for someone who might understand his goth look and effeminate nature. When Luc reblogs a photo by Caleb, sparking a conversation, they both find it easier to make friends online than in person. 

Luc and Caleb confront their fears about the opinions of the outside world to meet in New York City. Despite Caleb’s increasing confidence, his parents worry he’s not ready for the trials ahead. But communication comes in many forms—when you learn the signs.

My thoughts:

Signs is one of those brilliant quiet books. Nothing dramatic happens. It isn’t full of angst and intense emotions. But its real, and incredible and full of heart. The novel is driven by the love between Caleb and Luc, two teenagers who have both suffered and are just looking for someone to understand and accept them. 

Axel’s Pup by Kim Dare

Hey everyone,

Lots has happened since we last spoke, firstly I’ve started a Youtube channel... I know I could be insane but after months of searching for a Youtube channel dedicated to romance books and not finding one I decided to start my own. Don’t worry though I will still be blogging just a regularly. The Youtube channel is merely an extension of this blog.

The other exciting thing that has happened is I got my hands on Kim Dare’s latest book Axel’s Pup and became completely obsessed with it. To the point I cancelled seeing a friend yesterday just so I could finish it... Clearly my priority are completely messed up.

The book:

As the landlord of The Dragon’s Lair and leader of The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, Axel Carmichael has seen it all and done it all. He’s a respected and experienced dom. Nothing shocks him any more, and nobody catches him off guard.

When Bayden rides up to The Dragon’s Lair on a bike worth more than most men earn in a year, and immediately demonstrates that he has far more attitude than sense, it’s easy for Axel to write him off as a silly little rich boy who’s about to get himself killed.

But, there’s more to Bayden than meets the eye. He’s no silly little boy, rich or otherwise, and werewolves aren’t easy to kill.

My thoughts:

Set in an alternative world where wolves and humans have known about each other for centuries Axel’s Pup is a romance about the joining of two different cultures.

Love Byte by David Atkinson

Hey everyone,

This week I’ve been reading Love Byte by David Atkinson, a  book described as a contemporary romance that follows recently widowed Andy Hunter, who has been receiving emails from his dead wife. What would you do if your dead wife emailed, offering to find you a new girlfriend?

The book:

Andy Hunter is a single father trying to balance the demands of a 2-year-old daughter, an interfering but well-meaning mother-in-law and a job he is always in danger of losing. So, when he receives a series of delayed emails from his late wife Lindsay telling him to date, it seems like a good idea.

With Lindsay’s emails spurring him on, Andy weaves a path of disharmony and chaos amongst his close friends and family, but soon discovers he is not cut out for modern dating.

Filled with laugh-out-loud situations and moments of soul-searching, this heart-warming, moving romantic comedy set in Edinburgh, is a bitter-sweet tale of second chances and self-discovery.

My thoughts:

This book started out with so much promise. Although I found the first 30 pages difficult to read as it dealt primarily with Lindsay’s losing battle with cancer I understood why the author had included it. I felt the connection between Andy and his wife Lindsay, this experience was an important part of Andy’s character development as it showed he was a man in grieving not just for his wife, but also for his daughter, for his family and for the life they would have had together.