Off the Shelf : Down to You by Jayne Frost

*ARC REVIEW*

Please note that this book was provided for free by the author's publishing PR in exchange for an honest review. Feel free to check out my full book review policy on my blog for more details.

Another sixth street bands novel!

If anyone else remembers, I really enjoyed the last book in the series Lost for You, much to my surprise. As I’ve said before rockstar romance isn’t my usual jam but Lost for You showed me that I shouldn’t be so quick to judge and risk a tango with a rockstar and his lady love every now and then! 

So Down to You is the story of Logan and Tori who are in a bit of bind when Logan ends up in a scuffle (in the physical and legal sense) that results in Tori being his (almost) constant companion as Logan’s band is on the road as a part of the Twin Souls concert tour. The two can barely stand each other...or so it seems, and it isn’t long before ride-alongs reveal that there’s more to Logan than the panty ripper he wants everyone to see and that there’s more going on with Tori than the people in her life have been willing to see. 

Let’s talk about Logan. Logan, Logan, Logan. He was really sweet but also charming with a bit of a naughty side. I loved him! I loved how he was going through so much but still had the ability to show caring and compassion for someone else. I loved how he was this awesome rocker who sang lead in the band but also had this big vulnerability that he only allowed a few people to see. He was a bad boy in a few ways-his penchant for fist fights being one-but getting to see beyond that and getting to experience his emotions as he fell for Tori was thrilling and downright swoon worthy. 

Now onto Tori. My last review of this series was really outspoken about how I didn’t like-read hated-the way Tori treated her best friend Taryn in the last novel. She came across as unnecessary sharp and a little selfish. It’s odd. Reading about Taryn from Tori’s perspective I kind of felt the same way about Taryn this time around. I found it infuriating that Taryn had expectations of who Tori should end up with and how she bucked against Tori’s revelation of feelings for Logan. I don’t know how I feel about their friendship. I just don’t know if I would want a friendship as messy-for lack of a better word-as theirs! That being said I think Taryn and Tori’s relationship represented what can happen to friends when real grief is present and when friends have to move on and the relationships between people grow and change as they do. 

I can’t say I found Tori particularly sympathetic and I can admit that tarnished my enjoyment of the book a bit. I felt like I was fully rooting for Logan and only halfheartedly rooting for Tori but that being said I still enjoyed the book! I loved how it depicted the life of musicians on the road and how it would be difficult to juggle that and a family (cue gushing at the cuteness that is Willow-baby)! I loved it showed the atypical family unit that develops on the road and the brotherhood between band mates. It honestly felt like I was given a back stage pass to the best show in town and I really enjoyed it, especially the last concert (which I won’t go into because I don’t want to ruin it for everyone). All that I will say was that that last show helped me to understand Tori’s grief so much more. It made it real and helped me get how she had struggled to move on from the death of her husband. 

This was a brilliant read and I gave it a rocking 3.5 stars! It had romance, rockstars and a roadtrip to remember! I enjoyed it and can happily reassure everyone that Mac got what he deserved. 

To get what you deserve-an awesome read that’ll put a smile on your face-pick up Down to You!

Jayne Frost can be visited here.

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf : Big Talking Man by Marquita Valentine

*ARC REVIEW*

Please note that this book was provided for free by the author's publishing PR in exchange for an honest review. Feel free to check out my full book review policy here for more details.
Oh man. I can’t believe that I’m saying this but I didn’t enjoy this book. I thought I would love it having adored the first one in the series but I think that the problems I had with it just overwhelmed me to the point where I couldn’t enjoy it too much at all. 

I try to be positive about books and in keeping with that theme I’m going reveal what I could have done without in this book and what I actually liked.

Ok, negatives first. The premise of the book just didn’t work for me. It was so clear to me who between Tate and Quinn was at fault for the breakdown in their relationship and I just didn’t see the need for the person who, in my view, hadn’t done anything wrong, to beg for the other person to take them back. I found myself so confused by this as I was reading. It felt like such an unnecessary difficulty that I just didn’t see the need for all the groveling and begging that happened in the book. 

I also struggled with the editing. Now, I have to point out that I received an ARC and of course not all the editing is done at that point but I think it didn’t help my reading experience that I had to keep adding in words to the passages so they made sense or that I had to keep stopping to go back and make sure that I read things right. I am hopeful that this was just a bug with the ARC and won’t be the same for the finished work. 

Because I struggled with the premise, I didn’t find Quinn to be a sympathetic character. I found her to be sort of selfish and immature at times (she's 28!) and that also made it hard for me to get stuck into the novel. I felt like I wasn’t rooting for her so much as I was rooting for Tate who wanted to be with her.

So, on to the positives. I love the Kings of Castle Beach. I feel like there are so many more great stories to tell. Like what’s going on between Barron and Wren? And what about poor Ophelia? In a book where I didn’t necessarily love the leading lady there were plenty of other characters to love! I enjoyed the cameos from Campbell and Knight and loved the continuation of their story as a family. 

I thought the issue of survivor’s guilt was tackled really admirably and there was a part of me that felt all sorts of sad for Quinn when she was going through it. I also thought it was so admirable how she took on the role of the care taker but also how that tied into trying to assuage her guilt. The way she tried to compensate for not being there the one time it felt like it mattered by being there all the time now felt really realistic to me. 

Overall this was a disheartening 3 star read to me. That being said I love this series and will be coming back to Castle Beach in the hope that Ms Valentine has a great one in store for me when I return. 

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf: Something About You by Riley Hart

Ok first things first this book had me pushing the boundaries of what I typically read. There was an element of kink I had never read about before but I was actually able to see and dare I say...understand.

This book is the story of Saint and Lucky, a suave city slicker and family orientated family guy small town guy who couldn’t be more different if they tried. Saint has grown up within the supportive cocoon of his parents and has been alone since their death when he was 18. When he gets an email from Lucky (who everyone else calls Tyler) telling him about a grandmother he didn’t know he had, he’s stunned. That doesn’t stop him from driving down to meet this grandmother, much to the surprise and displeasure of Lucky.

Saint and Lucky had an antagonistic relationship that made me laugh but also had me hooked from the beginning. They were such polar opposites that it was a wonder the two fell for each other in the first place. Saint lives this city life in a high rise apartment, is openly bisexual and is focused on his flourishing career in PR. Lucky is also bisexual but has never dated or been with a man, is the baby of his huge family who worry about him endlessly. When Lucky introduces Saint to his grandmother Alice (a firecracker if I ever read of one!) and the two have to collaborate on the refurbishment of Alice’s family home, sparks fly!

I really loved this story. It was about so many little things pulled together. It was about a sad family history, love spanning decades and Lucky and Saint navigating the past and a potential future. 

I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Alice and Saint develop. It was like they got a second chance to enjoy each other and heal wounds that they didn’t necessarily know about. I loved Alice’s spunk, her zest for life and her bid to drive Saint’s Corvette! 

Riley Hart knows how to do steamy sexy times and this book was no exception! She had me fanning myself at times! It was so great to see the love between these two characters grow and I honestly hope she selves back into this universe soon! 

The book was a 4 star read and if you’re interested in checking it out go here.

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf : The Billionaire's Wake-Up-Call Girl by Annika Martin

*ARC REVIEW*

Please note that this book was provided for free by the author's publishing PR in exchange for an honest review. Feel free to check out my full book review policy here for more details.

Whew boy, this was all sorts of steamy and delicious! 

Ok so this is the story of Theo, a chemist with a burning desire to perfect his latest invention, a sad past and the deep desire to control everything and everyone around him. It’s also the story of Lizzie, a former bakery owner turned social media strategist, a woman avoiding the loan shark at her door and a woman who definitely doesn’t need anyone telling her what to do. 

When the two meet its hate at first “no” and there doesn’t seem to be anything that can be done to change that...until Theo needs a new wake up call service to wake him up every week day at 4:30 AM (because he apparently hasn’t heard of alarm clocks) and Lizzie gets tasked with finding him one...well a new one. It turns out Theo goes through wake up call companies like Lizzie goes through cake flour and she gets left with no choice but to make the call herself. Too bad she shouts “wake up motherf-er!” (and yes, you read that right).

Things take a crazy turn when Theo likes the brusque tone of his wake up call girl and soon he and operator Seven (her name for herself) gets caught up in a web of steamy phone sex, using donations to a turtle charity as a cover and getting to know more about a man she previously thought of as cold and aloof than she bargained for. 

The romance with these two took a back seat to the steamy sex scenes and I will have to say Miss Martin sure knows how to turn up the heat! This novel was funny, the main characters were easy to fall for and I found myself rooting for them so hard in the end. I love surprises and when a female character takes the lead and goes for it I am pleasantly surprised and impressed. Lizzie had her hang ups, having being burned in love before, but so did Theo, having experienced tragedy so personally. That they were able to find their way to each other was beautiful!

Speaking of Theo, that chemist had me fanning myself. Since when are heroes the total package and more?! Smart, funny, built like a dreamboat and yet so unaware of his need for happiness? I was completely drawn to him (read, in love) and I wish he were real so I could call him up and tell him I’ve arrived already! He was clueless in a way scientists can be, smart about things no one cares about and yet also so compassionate! Miss Martin wrote him really well! I loved his drive and passion to succeed at finding a formula for dehydrated gel (read the book it’ll make more sense).

Overall this book was a 4 star read. I wanted more mushiness but I completely understood the lack thereof. Besides, those jumping baby goats made up for the lack of angst because urgh, jumping goats - who can resist them?

Visit Miss Martin here for more!

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf: Riven by Roan Parrish

Ok I have a new appreciation for rockstar romance! I tried a rockstar romance before and loved it and this time was no exception. I may have found a new sub-genre to obsess over, authors beware because I’m going to be devouring your works!

Riven is the story of the lead singer of Riven, Theo and recovering drug addict and former musician Caleb. The former is a reluctant rockstar and the latter would give anything to be able to make music again without giving once more into the allure of drugs. 

Theo has this edgy look that’s all unintentional, smudged eyeliner because he slept in his makeup and worn jeans and black tees because he can’t be bothered to wear anything else. He has fans stop him on the streets of New York on his way from picking up takeout and band mates who see him as a means to song lyrics and sales. He has this deep anxiety about his current situation and this is all coming to a head when he stumbles on a man strumming a guitar in a bar. He’s attracted to the man on sight but more attracted to the music the man is making, hearing the brilliance in composition and itching to add to it to make it even better. 

The man in the bar is Caleb. He’s trying to make music at the same time as he’s trying to stay on the road to recovery. Having been down the road of music, fame and drugs more than once before, Caleb, in addition to being a little older than Theo, is more jaded about life and the music industry in general. While he’s doing his best to keep his recovery separate from his love of music, he can’t help but give into his attraction to Theo and the path back to music and fame that it leads to.

Theo lives in the city, having an apartment in New York City but Caleb has used his family farm out of the city as his place of recovery, growing vegetables in the fields and eating most of them in the form of hash. At first blush it doesn’t seem like the two could make it together but Theo, in his desire for a refuge from the storm of his life, finds himself spending more and more time at the farm. This leads to its own challenges when the media gets a whiff of the brewing relationship and soon the love beginning to grow between the two faces more and challenges. 

This book was amazing at providing this angst inducing and angst full view into the music industry and addiction. It was so great at showing what people think of as the alcohol, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle without being cliche. 

I sympathised with both Theo and Caleb’s struggles. Theo had these band mates who didn’t seem to get him, who thought of him as this fame monger and who seemed content to have him as a lead singer and song writer but nothing else. He seemed really naive about a lot of things, from his rights to demand better treatment to the motives behind people’s actions. I really loved how Caleb was his perfect balance, having worked in the music industry for longer. He constantly encouraged Theo to seek better for himself and to see his own worth. It was pretty ironic because he struggled with his own identity in the wake of his repeated trips to rehab. It was so eye opening to see into his daily struggle to stay clean and how it led to him distancing himself from Theo in moments when it would have been better to lean on him. 

I love Roan Parrish as an author. Her writing grips you, thrills you and really takes you there emotionally. This book was no exception. It’s hard to get into just what I loved about it except to say it was really well done. It was so good at revealing the realities of the music industry and recovery from addiction. The parts about music composition were well written, realistic and really had me admiring Theo and Caleb. The characters emotions leaped off the page and I can’t wait for the next book in the series! I’ve already pre-ordered it!

Obviously this was a five star read! 

How about you visit Roan Parrish here to see if you think so too?

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf: Epoch by Jewel E Ann

This book ripped my heart out and put it back together again. So much happened and it left me torn in two directions, much like Swayze was. 

The book picks up where Transcend leaves off. Swayze is dealing with the death of her friend Erin and her growing memories of Nate. She suspects that there is more to the death of her friend, not to mention Morgan’s death all those years ago. 

Nate is also dealing with a lot, including his growing feelings for Swayze and his concern for her safety as she decides to trod a path of investigation of her memories of Morgan and the deaths of Erin and Morgan. 

Griffin is also torn, worried about Swayze, worried about Nate’s relationship with her and worried about their future. He feels that Swayze’s preoccupation with Morgan will destroy her, destroy them and he has to make some difficult decisions during the course of the book in a bid to support her and do his best for her. 

As you can probably tell, the angst meter on this book was off the scale! I love angst in a novel and this took me through all the emotions from frustrated to angry to sad to elated! 

Jewel E Ann knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat and this book was no exception. It was incredibly well paced but I did find myself galloping towards the end there just because I was so anxious to see how it would end. One criticism I do have though is that I felt like the danger to Swayze was too neatly resolved. This is probably (definitely) my love of romantic suspense novels speaking here but I really wished there had been more of a confrontation between Griffin and the threat to Swayze. I struggle when the pivotal part of a novel is dealt with in past tense. It’s like I got cheated of the best part and I couldn’t help feeling that way with this one. 

Overall I thought this book was a lovely conclusion to the duet. I definitely enjoyed the first part of the duet more but the way this ended had me so happy. It just ended on such a hopeful and beautiful note that I was left thinking “I would read this book in every century...”

I gave it 4 stars...and I seriously can’t wait for more from Jewel E Ann!

To see what she's up to visit her here.

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf : King Consort by J.R. Gray

In light of recent royal fever this book came at the right time! I loved every minute of reading it and I honestly felt so gutted when it was over. This was the story of Louis, British prince who is very much gay and very much unable to tell his grandmother and Queen and Xavier, scarred paparazzo focussed on keeping calm throughout his days and not really looking for love. When the two meet Louis is enamoured but Xavier isn't so sure...Soon the pair have a love affair of epic proportions going on and neither one of them knows whether it will end with Louis's trip to Canada or if it'll become a lasting relationship that'll last forever.

Louis was amazing! He was hilarious! I loved how he was portrayed by the media as a womaniser and his character was the exact opposite of that. He loved using his position as a royal for good and then retreating to play board games (you read that right) with his sister Anna and the Queen! He was this hilarious introvert who was so polite and well mannered (even when trying to send dirty text messages to Xavier) that you couldn't help but love him! He was so sweet and I loved that Xavier would pick at him and try to get him to loosen up!

Speaking of Xavier. I really loved him! He was this paparazzo who stumbled into the career and tried to make the best of it. He was scarred all the way down his face and it made him shy and retreating at times but he was so snarky and feisty in private with Louis that I just knew that they had to be meant for each other. Their attraction just leaped off the page and it was so fun to read! I really identified with his anxiety and it just endeared him to me more. He tried so hard to do the right thing and even if I raised an eyebrow at some of his choices (sleeping with the subject of your mission?) I understood his reasoning.

Anna, Louis's sister was a hoot! She had been given a bad run of things in the media and had suffered from drug addiction but didn't let it keep her from boldly living her life. I really loved her relationship with her brother and his with hers and how they would protect each other at all costs, having lost their parents at an early age.

This book was full of witty banter, boys being boys and a grandmother who knew what was what! I appreciated how each character told the story from their perspectives and how the book ended in a way that I didn't quite expect! Let's just say that the way the differences between Louis and Xavier were resolved was very typical of boys and I really appreciated how the author stuck to that realness!

Anyway gushing aside, this book was a true 5 star read and I have added it to my favourites on goodreads! More please JR Gray!

Go get a copy like right now!

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf: As I Am by Melissa Collins

I am always going on about how much I love angst. And let me tell you, this book had more than it’s fair share! There was so much going on for both of the main characters that it was so wonderful to see them get the happy ending they fought so hard for!

The book tells the story of Noah, a medical student doing his rotations before ultimately making it to Doctor, and Chase a student in his final semester of business school when disaster strikes leaving him as the guardian to his sixteen year old brother Benny. These two seem like the unlikeliest of pairs to meet, but when the good doctor stops off at a strip club, a hook up turns into the ultimate journey to love - eek!

I was really immersed in the love story with these two. They had a lot to deal with. Noah had a really crummy boyfriend who was both insensitive and cruel. I can only imagine the struggle of being in a relationship with someone who is on call for tons of hours at a time (Thirty? Twenty? Ten?) and the strain that must put on things but Rob (the crummy ex) could have said that instead of doing what he actually did (I refuse to ruin it for anyone but recommend you give it a read to find out what I’m going about).

Chase was a single parent at twenty three dealing with his own grief at the loss of his parents, Benny’s grief and his growing attraction to Noah. If that wasn’t enough, he’s a college dropout, broke and desperately in need of a job pronto! I really loved his patience with his brother, his struggle over how to be the perfect parent and brother and his worry how to find the perfect time to tell his best friend he was crushing on him (and had been for a while).

Speaking about best friends, the two in this book were such great secondary characters. Wes, Noah’s colleague and friend, was such a calm yet funny voice of reason and the way he kicked Noah in the butt to get him going at some points in the story made me chuckle along as I read.

Gavin, Chase’s best friend, was wild, a little outrageous but also so endearing. He really cared for Chase (as his actions in the story revealed) and I was kind of half crushing on him myself by the end of the book. I really hope he gets his own book because he deserves it!

The angst was off the charts but I did feel the story could have had a bit more action. There was a lot more angst than action but I totally get that it’s a delicate balance and not something an author can really measure and decide that they’ve got it right. It’s more of a feeling than anything else and I think even that’s reader specific. I loved the story and gave it a 3.5 solid stars! The emotional rollercoaster was gripping and I was happy to go along for the ride!

Visit Melissa here to learn more about her work.

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf: Hell & High Water by Charlie Cochet

The fact that I waited so long before delving into the THIRDS universe is a black mark against my name because whoo boy was this brilliant!

The series is based in a reimagined world after the Vietnam war in which widespread disease spread and the medicine that was meant to be the cure ended up generating some very unintended consequences: Therians. Therians are humans who can shift into various mammals including cheetahs, lions, tigers and jaguars. With the emergence of the Therians came a whole host of new questions. How could Humans fight off those who can kill with one well-placed swipe of a claw? That’s where the THIRDS come in.

So, what is THIRDS you may ask? According to the official website (which is an amazing source of all things THIRDS including pictures and in depth bios of all the characters):

With the panic and growing number of casualties both Human and Therian during the riots of the 1980s, it was clear something had to be done to ensure public safety, and offer an unbiased justice system for Therian citizens. After a new Therian legislation branch of the government was established, along with the implementation of Therian laws, officials answered the cries of its citizens for a new law enforcement agency equipped to handle Therian threats.

In 1990, the Therian-Human Intelligence, Recon, Defense, Squadron -or- the THIRDS, opened its doors, pairing every Human element within the organization with a Therian one, in the pursuit of justice for all species.

Into this mine field enter our heroes Dex and Sloane, Human and Therian respectively. Dex has been through the ringer. When he saw his partner on the Human Police Force shoot a Therian in cold blood he had no choice but to report him. With the verdict handed down, Dex is hoping life will go back to normal but is soon the victim of disapproving looks, general cold behavior and worse yet beatings from his own colleagues. He knows something has got to give, and it does, just not in the way he expected it to. He is promoted to the THIRDS, and overnight is part of a team made up of Human and Therian partners.

Things can only look up from there right? Wrong! His partner is the team leader of Destructive Delta, Sloane, who is reeling from the loss of his teammate and partner Gabe. While there are strict rules and harsh consequences for fraternization, Sloane and Gabe were willing to take the risk and when Gabe was killed on the job it sent Sloane, not to mention the whole team reeling. Dex is expecting a little hostility but he gets more than he bargained for!

I don’t know how to express how wonderful this book was. I think you’ll have to read it to find out more. The world the author creates is complex and action filled. That being said let me chat about some of the things I loved:

The Destructive Delta team. They were these guys and girls willing to risk it all for each other (some more than others, but that’s a story for another review) and they were funny and sad at times and just so loveable as a whole. Ash was this giant lion shifter who just couldn’t get along with Dex who was a clown on most occasions. It was hilarious to see the threats fly between the two! Cael, Dex’s adoptive brother and a Therian, was adorable in his affection for his tablet and his love of all things nerdy. He and Dex picked on each other and were the most adorable brothers I’ve read in a while! Rosa and Letty were these badass girls in a mostly male team and I loved how they kicked butt and took names. They more than held their own and I loved that they weren’t shoved aside for the focus to be on the male characters (as sometimes happens in M/M romance novels). Calvin and Hobbs had this intense bromance that seemed difficult for others to penetrate but they were so crucial to the team and I could tell in reading the book that they were well loved members of the team.

I also loved the romance between Dex and Sloane. I think it was very realistic. I raised my eyebrow a bit at Sloane falling for a partner twice in a row but when love strikes it doesn’t seem to care about things like that! I also think my acceptance of it was aided by the fact that Dex was so different from how Gabe was described not to mention the fact that Sloane tried really hard not to fall for Dex.

I also loved Dex’s character! He was so humorous, so positive despite his circumstance and so understanding! He had a love for his family (and navigated the divide between his adoptive dad Maddox being his boss and his adoptive brother being his teammate!) He played pranks that were chuckle worthy and insisted on singing 80s songs as often as possible (much to Sloan’s chagrin). He was this ray of sunshine that his team needed and I can’t wait to read more about him. It was a 4 star read of note!

I feel like this review is so rambly and gushy but I honestly loved this book and the universe created in it! Thanks Charlie for bringing this intricately woven world to life and having written about thirteen books in it to date!

I’ll be reading and reviewing more of these books (hopefully more coherently). In the meantime, check out these THIRDS resources:

Goodreads (reading order)

THIRDS HQ (series website, which is super awesome)

Charlie Cochet (author website)

Till next time!

TK MAJ

Cover Reveal: BANE by L.J. SHEN

Bane, the highly-anticipated next standalone in the Sinners of Saint Series by L.J. Shen is coming May 10th!

Bane by L.J. Shen

Release Date: May 10th

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer:  Letitia Hasser at RBA Design

Photographer: Pavel Lepikhin

Model: Vadim Ivanov

Start the Series of Standalones Today!

Bane

Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud.

Last I heard, he was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living.

Which is why I’m more than a little surprised to find him at my threshold, looking for my friendship, my services, and most puzzling of all—looking humbled.

Thing is, I’m on a boycott. 

Literally—I cut boys from my life. 

Permanently.

Problem is, Bane is not a boy, he is all man, and I’m falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies.

Jesse Carter

Hot as hell, cold as ice.

I wasn’t aware of her existence until a fat, juicy deal landed in my lap.

She’s a part of it, a little plaything to kill some time.

She is collateral, a means to an end, and a side-bonus for striking a deal with her oil tycoon stepdad.

More than anything, Jesse Carter is a tough nut to crack.

Little does she know, I have the f****** teeth for it.

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L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat. Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards. She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

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I'm finally reading ARCs again and am excited to see what this one has in store! Review up soon!

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf : Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh

So this book had a bit of an unusual premise but I loved it so much! The story revolves around Liam, an ex surfer widower who is trying to deal with the loss of his husband while keeping the business they started together going, and Zac, a gentleman of the evening who has recently moved from London with his best friend to attempt to make a life for himself in the trade but away from the drugs and chaos that ensued.

The part that was a tad bit difficult for me to overcome was the fact that Zac was a rentboy. As an attorney I recalled studying morality and the fact that in England, prostitution isn't illegal, solicitation in public areas is. There's definitely something to be said for that approach to prostitution (there are many arguments for an against it) and that actually helped me accept Zac's job and get to the most important bits of the story - the romance that is!

The way Liam and Zac meet is adorable but also hilarious! Liam has just given up on trying to find entertainment at a club and is outside taking a breather and deciding whether or not to head back home when he is spotted by Zac. Zac knows he has to find a John that night or he's in trouble. The rent is due, food is running low and Jamie is bound to back soon needing something or other. He walks up to Liam with all the confidence his circumstances should deprive him of. When he is sure Liam is going home with him he casually throws out, "oh and by the way, its a hundred for the f***...three if you want to stay the night". That got a shocked laugh out of me I have to admit! I can't imagine what Liam felt!

Zac's first words to Liam were characteristic of his personality. He was very open and frank with Liam. I loved how despite being unwilling to give up his heart he still spent time with Liam and helped him heal. I also really loved how caring Zac was. I think people often think those who fall into or choose prostitution are heartless and unfeeling and Zac was far from that. He had a heart of gold, forgiving Jamie when his love of drugs overtook his common sense and taking the blame when his best friend's actions caused him to lose something that was becoming increasingly important to him.

Liam was also so lovely. His grief was palpable but he was so giving. He was a little obsessed with feeding Zac because it was kind of obvious the boy was always hungry. He wanted his ailing dad to stay in his lifelong home but also understood that they had to do the best for him and get him somewhere he could be looked after better. I loved how he was into design and really disliked the business side of his job and that he treated all his employees like family! I thought he was the perfect combination of dominant and caring and I just thought he and Zac were the perfect match!

There was sufficient angst, tons of drama and all the romance I could want (ok, I can always use more). I gave this book a well-earned 4 stars and will be coming back for more from this author. 

Visit his page here.

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf : Transcend by Jewel E Ann

*ARC REVIEW*

Please note that this book was provided for free by the author's publishing PR in exchange for an honest review. Feel free to check out my full book review policy here for more details.

I can honestly say it’s been a while since I’ve connected with the plot of and loved a book as much as I love Transcend. This book was more than story it was more like an experience. There were elements of romance, the paranormal and a emotional tug of war that left me breathless. I am so glad I was given the opportunity to review the ARC by Jewel E Ann and I will be adding this author to the list of people to keep up with. I have already pre-ordered the second book in this series and I am so glad I only have a few days to wait until I see the ending of this wonderful tale. 

I don’t really want to speak too much about the plot. I don’t want to spoil this book for anyone. All I’ll say is this: the story revolves around a girl named Swayze who has a unique gift that she’s struggled to figure out her whole life and a recently widowed man called Nate whose life story brings everything to a head when Swayze takes a job as the nanny for his baby Morgan.

There are so many elements to this story: there’s romance, suspense, the paranormal and some interesting philosophical questions that are posed. The romance involves Swayze and her boyfriend Griffin and the struggles they face as a couple in light of Swayze’s gift and her relationship with Nate and Morgan. The suspense comes in at the end of this first book and involves an alleged murder which I am keen to delve deeper into in the second book. The paranormal element essentially comes in the form of Swayze’s gift and exploring its true meaning and parameters. The philosophical question posed by this story is essentially what happens to our souls when we die? Do they live on? Can aspects of our souls be found in others? What does that mean for those left behind to mourn us? 

Man, this book was a trip but only in the best way. I just constantly kept wondering what would come next, what boundary would be pushed and would the characters end up better or worse for it. I am honestly enthralled at this book and the world created by it. It’s really simply written. There isn’t any spectacle to this book but it still manages to be stunning all the same. Ordinarily paranormal elements of stories take up the bulk of the plot, after all a werewolf story or a vampire tale are so clearly paranormal, but with this novel the unfamiliar aspect of it was so seamlessly woven into the familiar that it was believable and so much more enjoyable for it.

I am going to resist the urge to share too much about this book except to say that if you love romance, love stories of family, of love lost and how one goes about dealing with it, if you love to smile as you read heartwarming paragraphs and still be on the edge of your seat, wondering what comes next, hoping and wishing it all turns out alright for everyone involved then this book is for you. This book is for everyone in my opinion. It had it all and I for one am very appreciative I have discovered Jewel E Ann! I can’t recommend it enough! I can’t express the way it moved me enough! 

Just go get it already!

This book was a 5 star read all the way.

Check out more of Jewel's work here. 

TK MAJ

Off the Shelf : End Zone by LJ Shen

*ARC REVIEW*

Please note that this book was provided for free by the author's publishing PR in exchange for an honest review. Feel free to check out my full book review policy here for more details.

This one gets a 5 for steam and a 3 for overalls goodness. As I always say, novellas aren’t really my thing but I decided to give this one a go because who doesn’t love a football romance and a happy ending? 

This book starts off pretty much in the middle. Sage and Jolie have been best friends ever since Jolie pushed her window up one night and ran to him in the rain to give him the hug he so desperately needed. Sage had been crying out in the dark for eight nights, silencing himself so no one could here his suffering and Jolie could no longer resist the tug to her heart urging her to comfort him. The pair are in college when the book begins with Sage on his way to NFL stardom and Jolie on her way to ya teaching job and a life spent as close to her parents and grandma. While she has been harbouring a crush on Sage for years she doesn’t want to end up another notch on his well notched belt. 

I thought the dynamic between Sage and Jolie was funny, flirty and adorable. We all knew where this was heading (straight to happily ever after city) but it was so great to go along with them on the way there. My favourite part about these two was the texting. I loved how their senses of humour came across in their texting and how it said a lot about them (it was especially great because we learned more about them over a short period of time, a neat trick with a novella).

I enjoyed the brief dive into football and getting to meet Sage’s teammates! I also loved his possessive side. I think the premise on which he and Jolie began their relationship was a little bit faulty (in that he was motivated by jealousy) but it was great to see that he had also been harbouring feelings for his best friend (because who wants a one sided love?).

The steamy bits in this novel were pretty darn steamy and that was a treat! Sage and Jolie had fun in the bedroom and I honestly enjoyed seeing that part of their relationship extend to the bedroom. I really enjoyed the extended prologue and thought it was such a great summary of their dynamic: there was humour, some steamy sexy time and a happy ending that left you feeling satisfied.

I like a bit more angst in my novels than this one had and I felt that it was light on drama and heavy on the sweetness. I completely understand that novellas can only tell so much of a story and this is typically why I go for full length novels (I like to see the couple fight for that happy ending and I love to see a little drama here and there while they do). That being said, this novella was a treat. If you’re looking for a quick, satisfying read then this one is definitely for you! It was a solid 3 star read and I’m keen to check out the author again in future! 

Find more by L.J. Shen here.

TK MAJ