New Release Review: After Vertigo by Amanda Meuwissen #Review #Giveaway

Title: After Vertigo
Author: Amanda Meuwissen
Publisher: DSP Publishing
Publication Date: December 10, 2019
Length: 194 pages

Reviewed by Sammy


Synopsis

In a flash, the world changed. A solar flare—later dubbed Vertigo—activated the DNA of more than half the world’s people, granting them special abilities. Brilliant scientist Benjamin Krane might be Powerless, but his inventions are the only thing giving the police a fighting chance against super-powered evil. Ben doesn’t have much of a life beyond work, and when he gets wind of a robbery one evening, he decides to test his newest invention personally….

A thief, rogue, and shameless flirt, Grey Miller—aka the Streak—likes shiny things, but he doesn’t hurt people. When Ben catches him—and proposes they team up against the real bad guys—Grey doesn’t know whether it’s the offer or the man he can’t resist. But one thing’s for sure—they’re an ideal match in more ways than one.

With a psychotic supervillain’s catastrophic plan moving forward and everyone he cares about in danger, now might not be the best time for Ben to give in to Grey’s seduction, no matter how tempting. Grey is a man of secrets, and if Ben wants a future with him, he’ll have to learn to trust Grey—and himself.

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Review

In an alternate world, scientist Ben Krane is creating a gun that will temporarily neutralize the powers of those who had gained super powers after the solar flare dubbed Vertigo had hit earth. To test his weapon before handing it over to the police, Ben decides to try it out on a less violent super named the Streak. Streak, aka Grey Miller, is a thief and if Ben can neutralize him then the cuffs he had already developed would help get the man behind bars. The gun worked but not on the Streak because he was different from those humans who had been changed. Just who or what Streak really was remained a mystery. But one good thing did come from that night, now Ben would be partners with the Streak and together they would capture and take down the supers who threatened to destroy those who were powerless—people like Ben…and his family.

Amanda Meuwissen takes us on a fast paced journey into a new world in her novel called After Vertigo. It’s a place where people fall into three categories—the Supers, the Enhanced and the Powerless. While the Supers were gifted with things like extraordinary strength or speed and other powers, the enhanced tended to have a minor ability such as controlling their core body temperature like Ben’s best friend and city police captain, Tony. Then there were the powerless which is what Ben turned out to be; the flare having done nothing to enhance or change Ben’s normal human abilities. However Ben was wicked smart and his work at MOHS labs was helping to outfit the police with weapons that could be used to contain the more violent supers who roamed the city.

When he meets the Streak and realizes that he is somehow different, Ben strikes a deal with the man and they partner up to bring down the supers before they can hatch the plan they are working on which includes total domination of the earth and more. Grey, aka the Streak, is a flirty fun guy who from the very get go has one thing in mind and it’s inside Ben’s pants, ahem. Part of the real fun in this novel is watching Grey break down Ben’s resistance little by little and convince the guy he is worth the effort. Poor Ben is not only socially awkward, he’s also a raging introvert who can’t handle being in crowds. Grey, of course, is the polar opposite and watching these two dance around each other and slowly fall in love is really the best part of this novel.

Don’t get me wrong, the action sequences and dangerous take downs of other supers is riveting and exciting as well. However sometimes I found myself seeing little flaws within the plotline. For instance, if the gun Ben developed didn’t always work against a force field such as the one Professor Tech had because it had to be deployed twice in order to disrupt the field then stun the Professor then how exactly did a police cell contain him or the other supers. What about the one super with extraordinary strength? Couldn’t he simply break down the bars? Because that wasn’t explored we had to assume that somehow the police force had the technology to hold these supers but not the equipment to bring them down—that just didn’t compute for me. I admit that was probably nit-picky of me but since Ben was all about science it was bound to come up.

Despite those small niggles I really did enjoy this novel. After Vertigo is a fun sci-fi romp with a bit of the paranormal thrown in for good measure and a sexy romance to finish it off. It’s a low angst fun read that I think many will enjoy.

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Release Day Review: Coming Up For Air by Amanda Meuwissen #Review #Giveaway

Title: Coming Up For Air
Author: Amanda Meuwissen
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design
Publication Date: April 30, 2019
Length: 191 pages

Reviewed by Sammy


Synopsis

It’s not easy being someone’s fairy tale.

Leigh Hurley is making a name for himself among thieves and criminals, even if it isn’t the life he would’ve chosen. He shouldn’t have screwed over the Moretti brothers, though. It landed him in the river with weights on his feet. But somehow he’s escaped certain death. The last thing he remembers before waking on the riverbank is a beautiful face and a soft kiss.

Then, Tolomeo turns up naked at Leigh’s apartment.

Tolly comes from a race of killers—merfolk who drown humans for fun. But Tolly is different, and when he sees a human in trouble, he offers a kiss, granting the man the ability to breathe underwater… and himself the ability to walk on land, at least until the next full moon. The ancient laws state that if he is given a vow of love by the one he kissed, he will be able to keep his legs. If not, he will be put to death when he returns to the water.

But love is not something Leigh offers easily… and Tolly has a secret of his own.

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Review

Leigh Hurley is trapped in a life of petty crime running small jobs for two different mob bosses and he’s finally been caught by one of them skimming money off the proceeds of leaning on small business owners for “protection” fees. Now with weights strapped to his ankles he is facing a long cold watery death. Perhaps it’s the lack of oxygen or perhaps it’s hysteria but as Leigh runs out of precious air he sees an angel in the water—an angel who kisses him and saves him…and then appears naked at his apartment door.

Tolly is one of the merfolk who dreams of being a man with two legs one day. When he spots Leigh in the water, Tolly is drawn to his goodness and sees a way to use the magic of the merfolk to achieve his dream. Now he has till the next full moon to convince Leigh that he loves him. But Tolly has a secret—one that he keeps hidden from Leigh for to reveal his true self spells disaster for his dream. All Leigh has to do is say the words but Leigh has been told for so long that love is a farce and vows never to say those three little words again.

Author Amanda Meuwissen has released an epic romantic fantasy titled, Coming Up for Air and I absolutely love it!  Not only is Leigh that good-hearted bad guy who is trapped in poverty and a way of life that he desperately wants to get out from under but he has never really understood what it is to love another. His abusive, drunken father had repeatedly broken Leigh down, telling him he would never be loved and that all love is a sham. Enter sweet, naïve Tolly—a merman who has learned everything he knows about mankind from the rom-com movies he loves to watch from his perch in the sea. Oh Tolly—I wanted to bundle him up and take him home with me. Kind, sweet—a creature harboring a secret that shames him and yet still he dreams that somehow he can get Leigh to love him and all will be well—they will live happily ever after.

With an incredible side cast of characters and some nail-biting action, this novel was just a delight from beginning to end. Nothing was easy for poor Leigh and you could understand why he felt that he would never be good enough for Tolly who oozed goodness from every pore. The two of them danced around the edge of commitment and had me hanging on to the very end hoping against all hope that Leigh would say those magical three words. The final chapters of this novel takes you on an emotional roller coaster and every heart-stopping moment is worth it to get the ending the author gives us.

Amanda Meuwissen is a new author for me but I will say that I have every intention of checking out her other works—she is a consummate story teller with a brilliant imagination. I adored Coming Up For Air and I highly recommend it to you.

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Random Review: A Model Escort by Amanda Meuwissen #Review #Giveaway

Author: Amanda Meuwissen
Title: A Model Escort
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
House Line: Dreamspin Desires
Cover Artist: Bree Archer
Designer: Paul Richmond
Publication Date: March 5, 2019
Length:230 pages

Reviewed by Sammy

Synopsis

What’s the value of love?

Shy data scientist Owen Quinn is brilliant at predictive models but clueless at romance. Fortunately, a new career allows him to start over hundreds of miles from the ex he would rather forget. But the opportunity might go to waste since this isn’t the kind of problem he knows how to solve. The truth is, he’s terrible at making the first move and wishes a connection didn’t have to revolve around sex.

Cal Mercer works for the Nick of Time Escort Service. He’s picky about his clients and has never accepted a regular who is looking for companionship over sex—but can the right client change his mind? And can real feelings develop while money is changing hands? Owen and Cal might get to the root of their true feelings... if their pasts don’t interfere.

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Review

Owen Quinn doubts many thing except the scientific data he builds his career and reputation around. He doesn’t think his nerdy looks are particularly appealing and he certainly knows that given his past experience with love he’s not ready to embark down that path any time soon, if ever. Owen was used and hurt by the man he had given his heart to and who also took ownership of Owen’s brilliant ideas to further his own career. All that made Owen reluctant to trust any man ever again. Now in a new town and in a job that potentially could make him very wealthy, Owen needs a plus one for social events he must attend and is never comfortable in. When his sister slips a card to an escort agency in among the furniture catalogs she sent with him, he reluctantly orders up a man to help him navigate the awkward social events he must attend.

Cal Mercer has always been comfortable with the fact that he is a man for hire—and then some.  He has a set of exclusive clientele who he services and he gets paid well to do so. When he gets a request from a new guy, he is surprised that their evening ends with simple cuddling and turns emotional for his client. There is something about “Scarlet”, as Cal has dubbed Owen, that forces Cal to reevaluate both the future of his current occupation. But can a relationship that began with paid comfort really communicate itself into a genuine friendship or even something more?

Author Amanda Meuwissen is new to me but I can tell you that I will most certainly be checking out her other novels soon. A Model Escort is a really lovely novel featuring an age gap romance with a sweet hurt/comfort trope thrown in for good measure. There is a very real connection that happens between Owen and Cal and a change in both their personalities that finds one stronger and the other doubting himself for the first time ever. To watch Owen regain his courage and discover his self-worth was really wonderful to see unfold but it was the dismantling of Cal’s iron fisted control on his emotions that really gave this novel an edge. I loved that the author chose to make both her characters undergo a metamorphosis, if you will, that made them truly become the beautiful couple they were in the end.

For some I can imagine this story could turn out to be a bit too much especially since Owen felt far younger than his twenty some years at the beginning of the novel. However, I defy anyone not to feel their heart strings properly tugged when Owen asks that Cal just hold him—nothing else and then falls apart at the gentle way in which Cal responds. That scene was truly beautiful to read. As the novel progressed I felt their age gap was really appropriate and played out well—especially since the author deliberately wrote in a team of friends and family who kept in constant contact with Owen to make sure he was doing okay and not caving into the loneliness he felt since leaving his bastard of an ex. Plus a more worldly or older character might never have had the poor self-esteem issues or self-doubts Owen had so again I felt the author created a character that was realistic and immensely likeable. Cal was a bit harder for me to key into but, that notwithstanding, he, too, had a depth that evolved throughout the story and made him more interesting as time went on.

I think the only thing I really struggled with was the idyllic nature of the town and it’s power players from the mayor on down. They were incredibly nice—a bit too nice, I think, making them the only implausible detail in the story. Had Owen had to work to earn their favor just a bit I think they may have come across as a little more real and that would have made the story more effective overall. Instead they almost bent over backwards to accommodate Owen and, despite that being understandable given his expertise, there was still the idea that other think tanks out there might have been able to do the same job as Owen was doing for them. However, for me, the romance aspect swept that aside pretty quickly and made it a negligible plot concern in the end.

A Model Escort was just the perfect age gap romance one could want if you enjoy the trope. I never felt that age was the stumbling block for the MC’s but rather their own insecurities and past experiences were the things that kept them from easily embracing the idea of falling in love. I’m glad to say that despite their misgivings the author gave them a lovely happy ever after in the end.

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