Archive for the ‘4 Whip Review’ Category

The Amethyst Eye

by Julia Talbot

Publisher: Torquere Books
ISBN: 978-1-61040-157-9

Jared might be physically blind, but he has the amethyst eye his granny gave him, and there are things he can see perfectly well. When a mysterious stranger starts following him around the city, Jared knows that changes are coming, and he might just be looking forward to the excitement. Dante is more than willing to give Jared what he needs. It’s been a long time since anyone has seen Dante for what he really is, and he knows it might be Jared, not the eye, who has all the magic he wants.

The Amethyst Eye by Julia Talbot

Book Review by Jasmine

3/4/5 Whips in the Backseat

The Amethyst Eye by Julia Talbot is a book that needed multiple ratings in my opinion. Why you ask? Well because elements were great while others were lacking. The characters: Engaging, well developed emotionally. I felt for them and the attraction between them was fast and furious.  Another thing to like – the scenes between Jared and Dante are Hot Hot HOT! So on that front there was not a thing missing – 5/5

World building? Believability? 3/5 – Again you ask why? Well the magic and the blood sucker and the lack of explanation for any of those things. What does it mean to be a vampire in this world? Are they just flying below the radar? Jared isn’t interested enough to ask? What happens when you walk hand in hand into the sunset? I was left with a lot of questions that did not match up with the happy reader feeling I got from the emotions between characters at their immediate attraction in The Amethyst eye.

So in the end – the average is 4/5 whips in the Backseat

The Alpha Bet

by Cassidy Ryan

Publisher Torquere Books

In a casino at Lake Tahoe, West and Grey make a very private bet that results in West spending twenty four hours catering to Grey’s every little whim. He’s always been happily vanilla, but West discovers a taste for something a touch spicier as a result of his lost wager.

The Alpha Bet by Cassidy Ryan

Book Review by Jasmine

4/5 Whips in the Backseat

The Alpha Bet by Cassidy Ryan is certainly a hot read. A light BDSM element plays a role without being the most important element in the book. West and Grey are in a committed relationship and because of a wager between them things spice up and we see a little more clearly Grey’s needs. There was a little too much tell when it came to their relationship history, but once the action gets going everything clicked together.

SPOILER AND REVIEWER RANT NOT UNRELATED TO THE STORY

Okay fellow readers here is what really throws me out of a book or story. Unbelievable timelines!

That movie the Proposal – He worked for her way – way – way too long for me to believe that he might make the jump to loving her. Shorter time I would have believed it. And I have felt this way about a lot of books. If something had come out sooner I would have believed it.

Reguarding

The

Alpha

Bet

- Okay wanted to make sure my spoiler was not seen by those reading the review, -

Grey has kept his dominant desires from West for three years! Three! Two I can believe, but holding that in for 36 months? It was just a little too long. I get that he loves West, and that he was scared that this might scare him away, but still. to not hint or try to put his desire to dominate his partner forward even a little threw me out of the story a bit.

It happens occasionally in a story that I am unable to suspend my disbelief, and once I am thrown off, well there is almost no way to bring me back all the way into the world of the book. – This is not to say that the author did anything wrong – or that this might bother other readers, but for me…

- Jasmine

Careful What You Wish For

by Elizabeth Coldwell

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Careful What You Wish For by Elizabeth Coldwell

Review by Missy

4/5 Whips from the Backseat

Hmmm… It does not seem like Josh needs to be careful, his wish does not go all that wrong.  He seems rather lucky really.  I am getting ready to head to the attic with my candles in the buff right now.  This is a hot read for sure.  Fun, certainly – not really very suspenseful, but in such a short read that can be hard.  Roommate crushes are a little over done, this one being a little less believable than some others, but high marks for having a complete and interesting story in such a tight little package.  Did that last sentence sound a little naughty?

- Missy

Buy the Books – http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1849

Dogged Persuit

By Berengaria Brown

Publisher: Torguere Press

After two hundred years as a werewolf, Dwyer is sure of one thing: gay weres don’t have mates. That bond is for male-female pairs alone. So when the scent of Nelson starts to drive Dwyer crazy, he’s sure that the whisper of “mate” in his mind is just an unfortunate side effect cause by Halloween and the full moon. Besides, Nelson is all too human.

Nevertheless, Halloween night finds them taking a romantic stroll together. When an impulsive moment reveals Dwyer’s true nature to Nelson, will their fledgling bond be snapped?

Dogged Persuit By Berengaria Brown

Review By Jasmine

4.75/5 Whips from the Backseat

Dogged Pursuit by Berengaria Brown is addicting read.  BF had to wait for me at the train station because once I started there was NO stopping.  Be prepared to sit down and read this from start to finish.  Dogged Pursuit is a great mix of the mythical and the realistic.  Being a driver does not seem like an exciting day to day job for a 200 year old werewolf, it is however more realistic than castles and giant secret estates owned by were’s as masses of them live together, but unnoticed. 

The “mate” phenomena  – Wolves mate for life – works really well in this story.  There are a few times where things move a little too fast, but I do buy that there is this mythical/animal attraction between the two heros who meet at a car dealership.  Not where I might have thought to come across tall, dark, and occasionally canine.  Do not flock to your dealership – I think this is an unlikely local for singles, though the Honda dealership by me has a coffee machine and free cookies. On the off chance that wealthy weres might be lounging to sweep me off my feet there I will be going to get my oil changed tomorrow.

Dogged Pursuit by Berengaria Brown is a very complete story, and completely consuming.  This is a Hot read, lots of steam sex throughout.  So if you like hot werewolves, m/m romance and a bit of Halloween magic, Berengaria Brown does the genre well. 
- Jasmine

Perchase your copy of Dogged Persuit here http://www.torquerepress.com/fiction/doggedpursuit.html

Insta-Love

By Josephine Myles

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

When Skip wakes up next to a naked man, his first impulse is to kick the stranger out as quickly as possible, especially when the stranger wants to stay and get to know him better. It turns out that the previous night was Wildman’s first experience with a mood patch, and Skip treats his affectionate advances with cynicism, believing them to be nothing more than the aftereffects of the. But attraction and mixed emotions will fool them both as they learn more about love.

Insta-Love By Josephine Myles

Review By Missy

4.7/5 Whips in the backseat

Insta-Love™ by Josephine Myles takes place in a world where emotions can be controlled by a patch.  It does sound tempting to have happiness just a sticky strip away.  At the same time we get to see Wildman.
  He is all natural, happier, healthier, and better adjusted.  I have to say as much as the patches sound tempting the life in the sun and nature is even more so.

Josephine Myles does a great job with this short story.  The pacing is smooth.  The characters are addicting.   Insta-Love™ is a complete interlude between two strangers that gives the reader hope that these characters have a future together.  My beef with the story?  I would have liked to see the rest of that story.  I am ready to start a campaign – Give us more – We want more – slogans like that come to mind.  I will give Insta-Love™ by Josephine Myles credit.  It is better to leave the reader clambering for more then disappointed with a rushed ending.  Also generating enough interest to leave me making a list of demands takes considerable skill.  Brava!
- Missy  

Find out more about Josephine Myles here http://josephinemyles.com/ or purchase your copy of Insta-Love here http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=2013

Tough Guy

by Bryl R. Tyne

Publisher: Amber Quill/Amber Allure

ISBN # 978-1-61124-008-5

—
Paul Kennedy is set on entering and winning this year’s Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Days’ Tough Guy competition. So why is everyone from Paul’s ex to the Cody, Wyoming, postmaster hell-bent on discouraging him from competing? Each of his friends has his reasons. And among those, one is clear—Tony Austin, the Tough Guy champ for three years running, is sure to kick Paul’s ass.

But Paul’s not worried. He’s book smart and determined…he’ll win, as sure as there’s cowboy in his blood.

Tony Austin, however, has other designs on Paul Kennedy. Designs planned to keep Paul beneath him if only Tony can figure out how to make his desires known. But “Guy Grunt” gets a man only so far, and Tony must rely on the only other language he has a chance of stumbling through…the language of love.

Heat Level: 3  – Length: Novella (18k words)

Tough Guy by Bryl R. Tyne

Review by Missy

4.7/5 Whips in the Backseat

If you like cowboys Tough Guy by Bryl R. Tyne is a great read to pick up when you want some fun.  The story has heart and excitement.  It just made me smile and I really felt for Paul as he deals with his enigmatic Tough Guy competition and lover.

The story is told in the first person which was a little disappointing since I would have LOVED a few minutes/pages with Tony.  He is the Tough Guy champion after all so he has a lot riding on the contest.  I like our main character Paul, but there is something about his interactions with other characters that makes me miss not hearing from anyone else.  Third person would have given a great deal of insight into why people react the way they do to our hero.

Tough Guy by Bryl R. Tyne is a solid read that tempts one to search out a Tough Guy contest though I have never wanted to see a fight before.  All those shirtless hot men, I would not mind seeing them as well as reading about them.

- Missy

BUY TOUGH GUY BY BRYL TYNE – HERE

VISIT BRYL TYNE’S SITE

Touch of a Wolf

By Jez Marrow

Published by: Torquere Publishing

On a rebound from his cheating lover, Matt Winter has sex in a Philadelphia alley with a man packing a gun and sniffing like a coke addict. When Matt’s stranger from the alley lets himself into Matt’s apartment through the window, Matt learns that the man has a badge to go with that gun. Detective John Channing of the Philly PD has been passing as a dirty cop.

Channing needs a safe place to get himself clean and sober so he can be a credible witness in court against a murderer. And he wants sex. The anonymous encounter was not enough for either of them. As Channing goes into withdrawal the hallucinations start, but it’s Matt who wakes up in bed with a wolf. Matt doesn’t believe in werewolves. But then, he doesn’t believe in love at first sight either…

Touch of a Wolf By Jez Marrow

Review By Missy

4.9/5 Whips in the Backseat

Touch of a Wolf by Jez Marrow is not your average shapeshifter book.  For a big part of the book there is no shifting at all.  It starts with an alley encounter and goes on from a sordid start to a heart jerking read.  Strangers getting off on the side of the road is not very sexy.  Snorting coke isn’t either, guns do nothing for me.  It takes a skillful author to overcome my preconceived notions on all three and write a book I could not put down.

This book has drama, suspense, and most importantly emotional depth.  After such a abrupt meeting between our heros the story needs to convince me that these two men have a romance, not just horny tendencies.  At first their attraction is on the surface a improbable match, but sometimes you do meet someone that you are instantly comfortable with.  It happens.  Where the story goes after that needs to get you to the HEA.  Jez Marrow’s book do that and more.

It is a rare, rare book these days that makes me stand up, run to the computer, and say, “I need every book this author has written.  NOW!”  I will be doing that after I write the review because I truly enjoyed Touch of a Wolf by Jez Marrow.

Pool Hall Green

By Sara Bell

Publisher: Torquere Press

Drew Harris is a master when it comes to the game of pool, but family is always a crap shoot and Drew rolled snake eyes. His parents want little to do with him. The only time they call him is when they need money, or when they want him to bail his gambling-addict brother, Vic, out of a jam. So when Drew’s mother calls in a panic to let Drew know that Vic owes a local casino owner two-hundred and fifty grand, Drew’s not exactly shocked. Not shocked, that is, until he learns that the guy Vic owes doesn’t want the money: he wants Drew.

Casino mogul Evan Stacie never thought he was the kind of man to resort to blackmail, but the death of his brother two years ago changed a lot of things. He needs Drew’s skill with a stick to ruin the man who sent Evan’s brother to an early grave, and if Evan has to fight dirty to make that happen, so be it. Nothing, not his growing attraction to Drew or the soft spot Evan feels for the guy, is going to stand in his way.

Pool Hall Green By Sara Bell

Review By Jasmine

4.3/5 Whips in the Backseat

Pool Hall Green by Sara Bell is an example of realistic storytelling and an engaging read.  I admit the world of pool betting is one that I had not thought would be quite so captivating.  Gambling addiction is one you hear less about then drugs or alcohol.  This was an eye opening look at what damage a gambling addiction can have.

The realism of this tale forces readers to accept that two hundred and fifty thousand dollars is not too much for a wealthy, trust fund type kid to forgive when he has his own agenda.  To one as poor as me it was a little mind blowing.  Casino mogul Evan Stacie must have enough money not to blink an eye at a quarter of a million, which makes him a little hard to understand.  The story being with Drew in first person does not help us get a lot of insight into Evan.  This lack of connection to Evan as a character and his minimal presence for the first half of the book makes the romance come out of nowhere for me.  That being said I really enjoyed these two as a couple.  I just wish the romantic story line had been more subtly laid in throughout the book giving it time to tease and build from their first meeting till the end of the story. 

This is an emotional read.  Pool Hall Green by Sara Bell is hard to put down whether you have ever picked up a pool cue or not.  I am thankful gambling addiction has not been something I have personal experience with.  Sara Bell paints a graphic picture of the struggle and how things can turn out for good or bad.

Unbound: Bonded II

by Jay Lygon

Publisher: Torquere Press

Fionn has waited six hundred years for revenge against Brandr, the vampire who turned him. The first part of his plot goes so well. He kidnaps Kyle, Jamie and Henry from Brandr’s house. That’s all that goes according to plan, though. Usually, the kidnapper makes demands, but this time it’s the hostages who do, and they plan to make Fionn’s life hell until they get what they want. After a couple nights of suffering at their hands, Fionn begins to worry that Brandr won’t take the boys back.

Revenge – it seemed like such a good idea at the time…

Unbound: Bonded II by Jay Lygon

Review by Jasmine

3.9/5 Whips in the Backseat

Bonded II by Jay Lygon is a bit of a conundrum.  It is not really a romance.  More a fun romp that gets a little spicy and has some laughs  Lots of group sex and multiple partners and a group of guys all living together.  It is definitely a neat journey and a little boyrific.  To quote the book “Brandr calls us the unending go-go boy slumber party from hell,”

I confess I did not read the first in the series, so there is obviously more that came before and so this could just be a visit into the slumber party not the whole start to finish.  I have not done so myself but I recommend reading book one first, though all these boys do sound yummy and the laughs are there whether you have read Book I or not.  So if the go-go boy party sounds like your kind of a read pick this one up!

The Brass Box

by K.M. Mahoney

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Is it real, or just smoke and mirrors?

As a member of the British gentry, Marcus Fleetwood-Smythe’s life is an endless round of responsibility and duty. Charged with finding a magician for his sister’s upcoming wedding, he ventures out into the pouring rain and finds Teague, whose free spirit calls to Marcus. And makes him hunger for anything and everything his position won’t allow him to have.

Teague’s stock in trade are his wandering feet and the rather odd lineage that takes the wonders he performs on stage beyond the ordinary. But there’s nothing more magical than the sparks that fly between him and Marcus. Except the duty-bound Marcus fears letting go of a life that’s smothering him almost as much as he fears discovery.

Desire fans the flames until it flares into forbidden passion, leaving Marcus poised on the precipice of the most frightening choice of his life. Risk everything for the man who holds his heart…or watch his one chance at forever vanish in a puff of smoke.

The Brass Box by K.M. Mahoney

Review by Jasmine

4/5  Whips in the Backseat

The Brass Box by K.M. Mahoney is a fun historical that takes advantage of London’s fascination with Magic to slip in a little bit of the real thing.  Subtle and in general a nice element, but on the whole very secondary to the story of a man tied by duty and one with feet that want to keep walking.  Or maybe just a soul that needs new sights and excitement.   Either way it is their journey to come together that drives The Brass Box.  The hot love scenes don’t hurt.

K.M. Mahoney has an enjoyable voice and I think this story shows great potential for future magic.  Purple sparks in the bedroom and one disappearing man trick is just the beginning of where this historical could have taken the supernatural/paranormal element.  Saying that I hope to return to this same time and see more of the world just a little more mysterious then our own.   Romance, sparking in a time that holds the images of long coats, top hats, and sexy Brits and Irish men.  I like the way this author thinks.