New Release Review: The Promise by Felice Stevens #Review #Giveaway

Title: The Promise
Series: Lost In New York #2
Author: Felice Stevens
Self Published
Publication Date: March 22, 2020
Length: 260 pages 

Reviewed by Truus

Synopsis

A promise made:

When Ezra Green sits next to Monroe Friedman in their high school English class, friendship blooms into first love, and even Ezra moving to California won’t keep them apart. Ezra promises Roe that once he finishes college, he’ll come home and the two will be together. In the meantime they’ll write and keep in touch. Nothing has to change.

A promise broken:

After months of unanswered letters, Roe makes one final attempt to contact Ezra with disastrous results. Ezra will never be his and he needs to move on.
Now, more than twenty years later, Ezra has come home. He doesn’t know why Roe stopped writing, but he’s determined to find out. But Roe won’t talk to him and Ezra doesn’t understand why. After all, Roe is the one who cut off contact. Isn’t he?

The promise of what is meant to be:

When Roe’s beloved grandmother suffers a stroke, the past becomes the present, and Ezra comes up with a plan. Pretending to be together to make an old lady happy should be no big deal, but after an unexpected explosive night together, decades-old secrets and lies are exposed, shattering Roe’s control and Ezra’s heart. Is first love only a dream and a promise merely words, or are Ezra and Roe meant to last a lifetime?

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Review

Ezra and Roe made a promise when they were seventeen, “we’ll write, call and stay in contact and then I’ll return to you.”

That was the plan, but it all worked out completely differently. With disastrous results.

Now, after more than twenty years later Ezra is back and there is so much anger.

Where Ezra came from money Roe had none. Now Roe is a psychologist and Ezra is still working for all the glitter money gives.

Hate is what Roe feels, during all these years he never heard from Ezra.

Ezra doesn’t understand Roe’s stand and is determined to get to know why Roe stopped returning his letters.

There are secrets, miscommunications, misunderstandings,  and hurt.

Life hasn’t been easy for either of them. Along this road, we get to know what both men have been through and it wasn’t easy.

Mountains of hurt, sorrow, manipulation, distrust are taken and the outcome isn’t even sure. They belong together that was clear for everyone, it lasted a long time until they understood it themselves, it wasn’t a smooth road. Thank goodness for good friends and dedicated family members. I want to ignore the family who did so so wrong, I just can’t!

An amazingly captivating story, beautifully written, well thought out. The hurt felt awful and real, the love survived every bump, the whole journey felt honest, integer, and made me get involved from the first page. Thank goodness for second chances, both men deserved it.

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Release Day Review: Second Chance by Barbara Elsborg #Review #Giveaway

Title: Second Chance 
Author: Barbara Elsborg
Self Published
Publication Date: February 10, 2020
Length: 160 pages 

Reviewed by Nikki

Synopsis

Ryder’s on the company bonding trip from hell, five days of competitive cycling with competitive colleagues and an even more competitive boss. Faced with yet another vertical climb, he ignores his uninvited, insistent inner cheerleader. No, he cannot keep up, and what’s more, he’s had enough. And the weather appears to agree he should stop, when sun turns in an instant to thick fog.

Callan’s at Whittaker’s Auction House to bid on fae land that his werewolf pack need as their new home, when an unsuspecting human stumbles through the door. Ryder is out of breath, out of luck, way out of his depth—and apparently the newest item on the auctioneer’s block. Unexpectedly tempting, if Callan had the money.

As the bidding heats up and Ryder proves dangerously irresistible to the assembled supernatural creatures, the situation grows more and more precarious. When Callan interferes, he puts his pack’s future in peril. Despite knowing how devious faeries can be, desperation makes Callan accept a deal, a chance to win the land for his pack and a future with Ryder. But it’s a risk. Possibly a deadly one.

This is not 'just another Valentine's story', it's a Barbara Elsborg Valentine's story (ish). So don't expect the usual sonnets and flowers and Cupids, but do expect the unexpected - vampires, weres, witches and warlocks. Oh, and a vengeful fae. Things are not quite as they may seem. You have been warned!

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Review

I loved the idea of this story, but there were parts of the execution that left me underwhelmed. I’m going to say right now, a big part of that is probably because of my personal preferences and how I view consent.

So, the blurb pretty well covers the first twenty percent of the book, minus some heavy-handed navel-gazing. I *wanted* to get sucked into Ryder’s unintentional trip into the land of the fae and the auction scene, but there was just so much narrative and descriptions of things that I kept getting bored. Once the auction was over, you finally get a real taste of Ryder and his sassiness (one of my favorite parts) and I was finally getting drawn in. I was excited to see how Callan would balance needing the land for his pack and being drawn so strongly to this unexpected human.

Then things took a turn for the… very strange.

I’m not going to spoil the book, but the “trials” Ryder and Callan have to go through immediately threw me for a loop. I was not expecting the dub-con nature and just couldn’t get past that, even if the characters were able to get into things fairly quickly. Again, this is very possibly something I’m overly sensitive about—I glanced at a few other ARC reviews and didn’t notice anyone else having this issue.

There are some really great aspects to this book though, so don’t think I didn’t like any of it. Ryder and Callan are fabulous when they aren’t stuck in their heads; I loved their banter. The world-building was interesting and well done with some unique elements I haven’t seen in many (if any) other paranormal stories.

I definitely think I’ll try out another of Barbara’s paranormal books to see if it’s a little more my speed.

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Release Day Review: Banded Together by KC Burn #Review #Giveaway

Author: KC Burn
Book: Banded Together
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design
Publication Date: December 29, 2017
Length: 200 pages

Reviewed by Jenn


Synopsis

Punk’s not dead, but it’s time to redefine life.

Devlin Waters thought he’d have music forever. But the tragic death of his best friend ended the twenty-year run of his punk band, Negative Impression. Unable to process the loss, Devlin distances himself from everyone and everything that reminds him of the band. But forty-one is too young to curl up and wait for the end. In a search for a second career, he finds himself at university with a bunch of kids young enough to be… his kids. His sexy archeology professor, however, makes Devlin think about life beyond his grief….

Dr. Jack Johnson does not appreciate Devlin’s lack of respect, his inability to be serious, or his chronic lateness. Worse, he hates that he’s attracted to a student. When he realizes Devlin is the rock star he crushed on in his youth, he drops his guard—against his better judgment.

Before they can move forward together, Jack must admit to Devlin that he’s not only an admirer, but he also sings in a cover band. How will Devlin react to his ultimate fanboy when his own music has died?

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Review

KC Burn wrote such a great book about, heartbreak, love, and finding your way again. Banded Together is my new favorite KC book!

Devlin Waters has been in his band, Negative Impression for over 20 years. When his best friend and band co-founder, Trent dies...so does the music for Devlin. He is a man drowning in grief and in desperate need to shake up his life. Knowing it would please his deceased father, Devlin heads back to college.

Enter Dr. Jack Johnson, a professor filling in for Devlin’s intro to Archeology class. Devlin is immediately drawn to “Dr. Jack” Jack is immediately annoyed by Devlin. Jack is also attracted to his 41 year old student. Having no idea that Devlin Waters is really Blade from Jack’s favorite band, he is in for quite a shock. Unbeknownst to Devlin, he and Jack share a history and Jack soon realizes just who his annoying, attractive student is. Through a series of run ins, some planned, some not, they become friends. While Devlin is still running from the pain of losing his best friend, he doesn’t want to discuss the band or the music. This leaves Jack in a very precarious position that eventually comes back to haunt him. Now Devlin needs to find the strength to stop running and find something real...maybe even find music again.

This story puts a really interesting twist on second chances. I really loved where the author goes with the story and the characters reactions, it’s very believable. Pain and loss are present, but so is self discovery and joy! Such a good read and one I’d really recommend! 

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