KING MAI

KING MAI by Edmond Manning

Pages: 350

Date:  10/09/2014

Grade: 6

Details: No. 2 The Lost and Founds

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Adopted from Thailand and never one to fit in with the local bubbas, life has been rough around the edges for Mai Kearns, even before he came out of the closet. Now, almost ten years past the torture of high school, Mai still can't catch a break: he and his parents stand to lose their beloved farm.

How will a “King Weekend” help change Mai’s fate? What has narrator Vin Vanbly been up to for the four weeks he’s been sneaking around Mai’s hometown? At the urging of a ransom note from ‘The Lost Kings,’ Mai embarks on an impossible treasure hunt chasing mystic poetry, Fibonacci Hopscotch, ancient prophecy, the letter ‘x,’ and a confounding, penguin-marching army.

The stakes are high: if Mai fails, the Lost Kings will permanently claim him as their own. Finding the treasure may unlock the secret to saving his family farm. But can this angry farmer risk opening his broken heart before the weekend is over? Mai Kearns has 40 hours to get very, very curious in this second installment of The Lost and Founds.”

My thoughts:

I read and fell in love with ‘King Perry’ a few months ago. Friends told me to read King Mai as soon as I finished that book, but I resisted temptation. I wanted to cherish what I had read first, allow the story and its message to percolate in my mind before moving on. Besides, I knew King Mai would not be the end of the story of the Lost and Found Kings and the sooner I read the book the longer I would have to wait for the next instalment.

Last week the cover for the third book, ‘The Butterfly King’ was revealed. It is due to come out later this month. I took that announcement as my cue to start reading ‘King Mai’.

First I took a detour to Edmond Manning’s website. Our author has been kind enough to post the first chapters of ‘King Daniel’, which will be book six (yes, you read that right SIX). The first three of those chapters should be read after ‘King Perry’ but before ‘King Mai’ and give us a glimpse at Perry’s life after his weekend with Vin. Of course they also introduce us to Mai and make us curious about ‘King Daniel’. Our author sure knows how to tease us.

I finished those first three chapters and was a good girl. I resisted temptation and did not read on. The next four chapters should be read between ‘King Mai’ and ‘The Butterfly King’. Since I don’t want to ruin what so far has been a perfect reading experience I intend to play by the rules and read this story as it’s meant to be read. What follows is my review (also known as gush-fest) of ‘King Mai’.

“It’s exhausting to hate what you love and love what you hate.”

When we first encounter Mai Kearns he is one very angry young man. Having spent his life as the odd one out in the community where he grew up, and after losing his first love, he now faces the impending loss of the only home he’s ever known as well as his family’s source of income.

Vin Vanbly is on a quest to reunite Mai with his natural curiosity and sense of wonder but for a long time it appears to be an impossible mission as Mai’s anger and frustration continue to get in the way.

“Kearns, it’s all a waste of time. All of it. Until the minute it’s not. Then every moment perfectly led us there.”

With his usual mix of clues, misdirection and stories about the Lost and Found Kings, Vin brings Mai to breaking point only for Mai to resurface, stronger and more determined to reach his goals than ever.

In the midst of this story the reader is treated to endless amounts of pearls of wisdom and quotable passages. I tried to restrain myself but still ended up with the following quotes I felt I had to share because they spoke to my heart, brought tears to my eyes and/or made me smile.

The following, for example, is a universal truth, not reserved only for men.

“We are so busy defining ourselves as gay men and straight men, we forget we share a whole word in common. We are men.”

And this quote, about love and waiting for that special one who’s meant just for you, broke my heart:

“When you’re single all the time, like I am, it’s hard to remain curious about that one true love, to keep your heart open to the possibility of its eventual return. We want it, we court it, we dream about it. The one thing we cannot do is control it. Love comes for us or not. The curious remain on a train platform, waiting for an imminent arrival. We look at the silent tracks and wait for their vibration, promising love is on the way.”

I returned to the following sentence over and over again. I live for the day this will be true.

“Once we’re all on the same page celebrating not being on the same page, the world transforms.”

And finally (for now) the following; so simple and yet so true. Surrender to life and it will all come together. Maybe not in a way we expected or hoped for, but come together it will.

“All he had to do was surrender.”

A scene I won’t quote from but which stole my heart with its sheer beauty was the one involving the Butterfly Tree. Not only was the description of the tree beautiful and so vivid I could see it, the whole set up and all it revealed to Mai brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. It was as magical a moment as I’ve ever experienced while reading.

While I was totally engrossed in Mai’s story and quest, I was as invested in Vin and his emotions. For the second time Vin broke my heart. I can’t read about him thinking he’s not good enough, doesn’t know enough or isn’t clever enough without hurting for him. I hate how he can’t see all the good he’s doing. I guess Vin’s story was harder to read than Mai’s (and Perry’s) because I knew Mai (like Perry) would find his Kinghood despite all the obstacles he would encounter along the way. The clue is in the title. There is no real happy ending for Vin though. He gets the satisfaction of having ‘kinged’ another man but he still ends up alone and still sees himself as not good enough to deserve the same outcome.

“I like to believe there’s a big secret to becoming a Found King and it simply eludes me. But what if there is no big secret? What if I’m just a terrible person and don’t want to admit it to myself? Or maybe I’m just not smart enough. If I had gone to college I would know a better way to do this. Who knows? Maybe college doesn’t even help if you’re just a fuckup at life.”

Edmond Manning writes like no other author I’ve ever read. He appears to break every single rule known to men, writers and editors, and ends up with a work of sheer brilliance. He doesn’t tell his readers a story he brings them on an adventure. We’re not observing proceedings from a distance, we are part of them. These characters become as important to us as our closest friends are. In fact, they join the ranks or those friends.

Finally, it was both rewarding and spooky to read a story revolving around what has been my personal mantra for at least the past fifteen years. On my Facebook author page the cover photo states ‘It’s never too late to be what you might have been’. Or, as Vin says to Mai in this book:

“But the Found Kings have a prophecy about end times as well, which they call the Great Remembering. It’s less of an end of times and more of a new dawn as every Lost King and Queen remembers who they were always meant to be.”

And:

“It’s time, Kearns. Time for you to remember who you were always meant to be.”

I’m in awe of Edmond Manning’s genius. If there is a ‘Storyteller King’ I know his name and am honoured to call him a friend.

THE LAST WOLF

THE LAST WOLF by Sue Brown

 

Pages:          162

Date:           08/09/2014

Grade:         4

Details:        No. 1 Sapphire Ranch Wolves

                   Received from Love Lane Books Ltd

                   Through Love Romances and More

Kindle

The blurb:

The only good predator is a dead one, as far as Joe Lowther is concerned.

That is until the day he shoots a wolf, only to watch the animal turn into a naked Callum Pope. Cal is being hunted by a group of humans who eradicate shifter packs for sport. 

Joe makes a decision to help Cal and discovers a deeper connection with the young shifter. One which he’d like to explore. If they live that long.

My thoughts:

Allow me to start by saying that my attitude towards paranormal stories is somewhat ambivalent. For some reason I’m convinced I’m not overly fond of shape-shifter stories only to discover I thoroughly enjoy them once I start reading. The Last Wolf didn’t break that pattern.

This book gives the readers a sweet love story in the midst of danger, heartbreak and tension. I’m sure some readers will read this book and frown upon what they perceive as ‘instalove’. For me the instant attraction and connection between Joe and Cal was an integral part of the myth. Cal, the wolf in danger, meets Joe his mate after the latter has shot him. The bond between them is immediately established because the two of them were meant to be. While it might be harder to swallow in a story without fantastical elements, it made perfect sense here.

The Last Wolf brings the reader full on action almost from the very first page and really doesn’t let up. In fact, the only breathers we get from the danger to Cal and Joe are the moments during with they get to know and explore each other. Those moments were beautiful, heartwarming and sexy; a pure delight to read. In fact, between the constant threat of violence and the developing relationship, this book grabbed a hold of me and refused to let go until I finished the story.

And yes, that brings me to the ending; which isn’t really an ending at all. I knew this book was the first title in a series before I picked it up. What I couldn’t know was that the book ends more or less mid-scene. I’m not sure the term cliff-hanger is strong enough to describe the final paragraph. In fact, I’d be inclined to view The Last Wolf as the first instalment in a serial novel rather than the first book in a series.

While I’m not overly fond of serial novels or cliff-hanger endings in general, I have to say I find myself very eager to read more about these characters and the dangers they face. This book was a well written delight and I can only hope it won’t be too long before we find out what happens next.

THIS BOOK IS GAY

THIS BOOK IS GAY by James Dawson

 

Pages: 271

Date: 07/09/2014

Grade: 5+

Details: Non-Fiction

            Received from Hot Key Books

            Through Nudge

Own

The blurb:

Former PSHCE teacher and acclaimed YA author James Dawson gives an uncensored look at what it's like to grow up as LGBT*. Including testimonials from people 'across the spectrum', this inclusive book explores everything anyone who ever dared to wonder wants to know - from sex to politics, how to pull, stereotypes, how to come-out and more. Spike Gerrell's hilarious illustrations combined with funny and factual text make this a must-read.

My thoughts:

“LGBT people are strong. Because we have to be.”

The author’s note says:

“This book is Gay is a collection of facts, my ideas and my stories but also the testimonies of more than three hundred amazing LGBT people who shared their stories in July 2013. I conducted an international survey from which many of the quotes are taken, and also carried out more in-depth interviews with some selected participants.”

“Whether you think you might be LGBT or think you’re straight but have questions or you’re anywhere in between, this book is for you.”

Sometimes you read a book and find yourself wondering why it took so long before someone wrote it. Occasionally you come across a book and you’re grateful to have the opportunity to not only read it but also to be in a position where you can tell others about it. ‘This Book is Gay’ is such a book.  

This book was written for young people who may find themselves questioning their sexuality or afraid of what the conclusions they’ve come to are going to mean for them. And as such I think it is brilliant. The author tackles every aspects of the LGBT spectrum, doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths but doesn’t turn this into a sob story or a scary tale.

In fact, what I liked most about this book was the fact that while the message was serious, the tone in which it was shared was light-hearted and comforting. The message was loud and clear; while your life may become more complicated when you come out it will result in you being true to yourself, and ultimately, that is the one thing all of us want.

The drawings in this book, combined with the author’s voice keep the tone light and the message loud and clear. The personal testimonies shared throughout give this book an intimate feeling while showing that there are no one-size-fits-all answers or solutions. What is true or works for one person may not be the best solution for another, and that too is fine.

This book should have pride of place in every (school) library, should be given to all kids once they reach the age where sex and sexuality come into play. In fact, I would advocate putting this book on the curriculum of secondary schools. After all, as it says in this book, while kids are given all sorts of information about heterosexual relationships, other options are rarely mentioned. Imagine how it must feel if you are a teenager who is not attracted to the opposite sex, or a teenager who is not sure about their gender identity. I’ll go one further and say this book would probably make things a lot clearer for the average adult too.  

I would like to think ‘This Book is Gay’ could be another step towards that world in which sexuality and gender stop being an issue and all of us can be free to be who and what we are, without fear and discomfort. It is in that spirit that I applaud this author on a job very well done, and thank him for writing a well conceived and brilliantly executed book.

I don't usually show the same cover twice in one review but today I will, just to show how many quotable passages I came across. In the end I had to limit myself to the quotes I started and ended this review with. For all the other good bits (and really, this book is one huge good bit) you'll have to read the book.

“Who do you want to be? There’s only one rule; always be true to yourself.”

MURDER ON THE MOUNTAIN

MURDER ON THE MOUNTAIN by Jamie Fessenden

 

Pages: 210

Date: 31/08/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: Received from Dreamspinner Press

            Through Love Romances and More

Kindle

The blurb:

“When Jesse Morales, a recent college grad who aspires to be a mystery writer, volunteers to work on the summit of Mt. Washington for a week, he expects to work hard. What he doesn’t expect is to find a corpse in the fog, lying among the rocks, his head crushed. The dead man turns out to be a young tourist named Stuart Warren, who strayed from his friends while visiting the mountain. 

Kyle Dubois, a widowed state police detective, is called to the scene in the middle of the night, along with his partner, Wesley Roberts. Kyle and Jesse are instantly drawn to one another, except Jesse’s fascination with murder mysteries makes it difficult for Kyle to take the young man seriously. But Jesse finds a way to make himself invaluable to the detective by checking into the hotel where the victim's friends and family are staying and infiltrating their circle. Soon, he is learning things that could very well solve the case—or get him killed.”

My thoughts:

For a very long time mysteries and thrillers made up the vast majority of books I read. When I say a long time, I mean decades. Then, when I discovered M/M, I sort of fell into that genre and started neglecting my older love. While I’ve read M/M titles of almost every description imaginable, most of them tend to be romances. I have no issue with that since I enjoy them. Having said that, it always feels that little bit extra special when my two favourite genres come together and provide me with both a good mystery and a charming love story.

Murder on the Mountain is such a book.

The murder in this book was well plotted and gave us a limited number of suspects all of whom appeared to have valid motives. The reader is taken along on the journey as motives are discovered, suspects investigated and subsequently dismissed. The riddle certainly kept me guessing until the final moment and that, for me, is of vital importance when it comes to a good mystery.

The romance was as well balanced as the mystery. There may be instant attraction between Kyle and Jesse there is no unrealistic hurry to end up in bed together. While I wouldn’t call this an angsty romance, it isn’t all smooth sailing for Kyle and Jesse either. None of their issues are contrived though and none are dragged out.

The writing in this book is good, giving the reader a smooth read with just the right balance between romance, suspense and humour. And, while I’m on the topic of humour, there were some laugh out loud moments in this book. Jesse’s nickname, ‘Jessica’, made me smile every single time it was mentioned, as did his frustration with the, for him old, joke. The best laugh was found at the very end of the book though. It made me finish the book with a huge grin on my face.

I think I may have read somewhere that the author plans on writing more mysteries featuring Jesse and Kyle. This reader certainly hopes he does and can’t wait to meet these two charming men again.

DOUBLE UP

DOUBLE UP by Vanessa North

 

Pages: 139

Date: 23/08/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: Received from Riptide Publishing

            Through Love Romances and More

Kindle

The blurb:

“Fifteen years ago, Ben Warren was a wakeboarding champion: king of big air, ballsy tricks, and boned grabs. Until a career-ending injury left him broken in ways he still has no hope of fixing. Now he takes his thrills where he can get them, and tries not to let life hurt too much.

Then Davis Fox arrives in Ben’s sporting goods store with a plan to get in touch with his estranged brother by competing in the annual wakeboarding double-up contest. The catch? He’s never ridden before. It’s crazy, but Ben’s a sucker for the guy’s sob story—and for his dimples, too—so he agrees to coach Davis.

Davis is everything Ben isn’t: successful, confident, and in love with life. And he wants Ben to love life—and him—too. But before Ben can embrace a future with Davis, he needs to remember how to hope.”

My thoughts:

This story took me by surprise. It is told in Ben’s voice and at first he appears to be rather gruff and not altogether nice. In fact for a short while I was worried he would be too self-obsessed and opinionated for me to take to him. That impression didn’t last though. It wasn’t long before I discovered that all the bluster serves only to conceal a world of pain. Ben in fact turned out to be a very sympathetic, not altogether sure of himself and vulnerable character with issues and fears that were all too easy to relate to.

Davis was just as fascinating. I liked his decision to learn wakeboarding just so he can get back in touch with the half brother he hasn’t seen since the boy was a toddler. And I adored his tendency to blush at the slightest provocation and the stark contrast it made with his dominance as soon as he and Ben became intimate.

In fact I admired nearly everything I encountered in this book. I liked that the story dealt with real issues without spelling them out or rubbing them in our faces. Both Ben’s injury and its consequences and Davis’ troubled relationship with his mother and half-brother were presented as part of the men’s lives that had to be dealt with rather than insurmountable obstacles. There were no easy or perfect solutions either, although everything is dealt with and brought to a more than satisfying conclusion.

I loved Kinky Eddie, Ben’s friend, sometimes lover, and employer. He was a perfect secondary character, bringing both humour and an extra level of depth to what already was a gripping story.

The writing in this book was good. It gave me the opportunity to get to know Ben, and through his eyes the other characters, at a pace that was as near to perfection as a reader could hope for. If I had one issue it was that Ben would shift from dialogue into thought almost mid-sentence. I found myself having to pay close attention to punctuation marks just to know where one ended and the next started; not something I want to do when I’m lost in a story.

On the other hand, the relationship and intimacy between Ben and Davis was mesmerizing and very, very hot. And the words this author used to show us what the characters we’re experiencing occasionally took my breath away.

“I let him gentle me off to a dreamless sleep with his kisses on my tongue and his hands on my body.”

Overall this was a wonderful story and very enjoyable read by an author I’ll have to investigate further in the not too distant future.

NOTHING SPECIAL

NOTHING SPECIAL by Jay Northcote

 

Pages: 184

Date: 21/08/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: Received from Dreamspinner Press

            Through Love Romances and More

Kindle

The blurb:

“Noah thinks he’s nothing special. Average height, a bit on the skinny side, and cute but rather geeky, he’s relentlessly ordinary. He certainly doesn’t expect to be noticed by Sol, the gorgeous dark-haired stranger Noah sees on his commute home most days. But when Noah’s friend, Dom, persuades Noah to take a huge risk in a bid to get Sol’s attention, things turn out better than Noah dared to hope. Noah and Sol start dating, and much to Noah’s surprise, his feelings seem to be reciprocated.

But Noah’s insecurities make him doubt Sol. He doesn’t believe he’s interesting enough or sexy enough to hold Sol’s attention, and as Sol tries to get closer, Noah’s instinct is to pull away to protect himself. If their relationship is going to survive, Sol needs to convince Noah that he sees Noah very differently than Noah sees himself. Because to Sol, Noah is something very special indeed.”

My thoughts:

This is a cosy read. The author draws you in and before you know it you’re at home in Noah and Sol’s world. The two young men feel natural and real from the moment they are introduced. They are recognizable which makes it very easy to become invested in their developing relationship. Noah and Sol are the sort of men you would love to be friends with. The fact that they are also very hot together is a very nice bonus.

 It is also an easy read. The story doesn’t tackle deep or shocking issues, what angst there is, is small scale, recognisable and not at all protracted. Reading Nothing Special is like wrapping yourself in a woolly blanket on a cold night or like an open fire in winter. It is pure comfort.

I have endless admiration for an author who tells her stories so well that the ordinary becomes special. Jay Northcote’s words paint a captivating picture. In fact, I found it impossible to put the book down once Noah and Sol got together. I had to keep going until I could be sure they were going to be happy.

And all of that made this a delightful reading experience. Of course there are times when I want my books to challenge me or push at my comfort levels. But there are at least as many occasions when I just want to lose myself in a story, get captured by the romance and enjoy the beauty of it all. Nothing Special is the book for such moments. It delivers a well written, easy to read and utterly charming story. For me it meant a few hours of pure reading bliss. And it also means I’ve found myself an author to add to my ‘comfort read’ list.

BOLD by Garrett Leigh Blog Tour and Review

It is my pleasure and honour to introduce Garrett Leigh and her latest release: BOLD

About the book:

Don’t underestimate me…

Dancer Kai is the sweetheart of Blue Boy studio. Cute and petite, he’s the slender bottom every top loves to pound. But nothing is ever quite as it seems, and beneath his golden curls and giggles lies something else…an edge no one can quite put their finger on.

Is Kai bored? Or does he crave something more?

Blue Boy Studio is under new ownership. Veteran porn star Jude has seen it all before, and with the help of Kai’s mentor, Cam, they figure Kai needs a change. Enter Matthew, a fellow dancer and the newbie on the block.

Kai isn’t impressed. Matthew is hot and all, but Jude and Cam’s plans seem beyond his reach. Can Kai really do…that? He doesn’t believe it, but with Matthew along for the ride, it’s time to dig deep, be bold, and find out.

My review:

This is the third book in the Blue Boy series but only the second book in this series I’ve read. For some reason I managed to miss Bullet and I know I will have to go back and remedy that situation before too long.

As in the previous book, Bones, Garrett Leigh has given us a multi-layered story. This series is set in the world of porn so the reader is treated to quite a few hot and steamy sex scenes. But, surprising as it may sound, sex is not what these stories are about. These books are about characters who, while working in the industry, are so much more than ‘just’ beautiful sex objects. We get to watch them as they figure out what the rest of their lives look like, who they are and what they might be without the dancing and porn videos.

This book focuses on Kai who is not an easy character to describe or pin down. On the surface he appears confident and in charge but scratch a little bit deeper and you find loneliness and insecurities. Kai is dyslexic and hasn’t finished high school as a result. When he’s encouraged to take exams so he can further his education he doesn’t believe he can do it. His battle with himself and his constant doubts are heartbreaking at times. He doesn’t show it but feels less than good enough due to what he perceives as his stupidity and watching him as he overcomes that prejudice about himself was wonderful.

The developing relationship between Kai and Matthew was mesmerizing. The two young men should be cock-sure and confident with each other. Given their backgrounds and the fact that they’re thrown together to come up with a scene for the next video, you’d expect them to indulge in an almost constant sex fest. Instead they take it easy; indulging in endless and very hot kissing sessions and refusing to take things all the way for reasons Kai can’t explain, even to himself.

Because the whole book was told from Kai’s perspective, Matthew remained a bit of an enigma throughout the story. Under different circumstances I might have resented that. In this book it worked very well though. Once Kai’s insecurities create a problem it is possible to understand him and sympathize with his fears because the reader doesn’t know anything more than Kai does.

The attack Kai falls victim to while dancing in the club isn’t really resolved in this story. Again something that might have upset me. I’ve come to realize though that while these books tell stories that can and do stand on their own, they are very much part of a series. I have no doubt this attack will have a follow up in future titles. Just as the stories of the characters we met in Bullet and Bones are still developing. Since I’m always curious what happens to the characters who have managed to grab me, once the book ends, this continuation of their stories is a wonderful gift.

Garrett Leigh has proven herself to be an author who writes great stories, using beautiful words while never shirking difficult topics or issues. In fact, this author’s books work so well for me because she gives her characters real problems (as opposed to imagined ones) to deal with. This book, in fact the whole series, is a treat for anyone who likes their sexy men with a dose of real and recognisable substance.  

About the author:

Garrett Leigh is a British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, and Black Jazz Press. Her protagonists will always be tortured, crippled, broken and deeply flawed. Throw in a tale of enduring love, some stubbly facial hair, and a bunch of tattoos, and you're got yourself a Garrett special.

When not writing,  Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible. That, and dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. Garrett believes in happy endings; she just likes to make her boys work for it.

Garrett also works as a freelance cover artists for various publishing houses and independent authors under the pseudonym G.D. Leigh. For cover art info, please visit http://www.blackjazzpress.com/

Social media:

Website: http://garrettleigh.com

Twitter: https:/www.twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighbooks

Cover art enquiries: blackjazzdesign@gmail.com