Gasp! by Z.A. Maxfield

4 STARS

I always finish a book by ZAM with a smile and Gasp! was no exception. It's the story of Jeff, home from 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan and Nigel the rockstar and their journey to find love and find out what family really is.

I can't say that there's anything ground-breaking or earth-shatteringly stand-outish about this book, but it was a damned fine read. I can't say I fell in love with the main characters but I was supremely interested to see how they worked things out. And as seems to be getting more and more rare, they were mature men, not fresh-faced boys just out of college or even just IN college.

ZAM writes great dialogue. It runs the gamut from heart-breaking to laughter-inducing. And Nigel Gasp has a rapier-sharp wit that could only really belong to a British rockstar. The back and forth between Nigel and Jeff was very real and each had a totally distinct voice.

The story maybe meandered a bit, the plot was no more distinct than two men meet, gradually develop feelings for each other and grow as people in the process, but that is quite alright. It's truly the tale of the romance of Nigel and Jeff and all the more real for its - at times - seemingly wandering paths.

Nigel brought me near to tears a couple of times, but when he stays in the hospital near the end, the tears overflowed and I was actively crying. *LOL* And that's okay too.

Another winner from ZAM!

Hell on Wheels by Z.A. Maxfield

4 STARS

Sometimes you're just in the mood for a fun, sexy, heart-tugging romance and that's exactly what Hell on Wheels is.

Hell on Wheels is part of Riptide's Bluewater Bay series but even so, it's a total standalone. (For a change!). It stars Nash, a mechanic and all round good guy and Spencer, the British TV star who is really rather tightly wound. Spencer is fresh from his very publicly ruined marriage and Nash, well he's just been hooking up when the spirit moves him, more intent on being available for his family. His dad, Ace, his little sister, Shelby and his faraway twin brother, Healey. There is baggage on both sides and it's logical, realistic baggage.

I really enjoyed this book. Z.A. Maxfield - ZAM - has become one of my favourite M/M romance authors. I love her dialogue and her characters almost always ring true. And now that I think about it, I believe that I've shed a soft-hearted tear or two while reading all of her books. I also tend to laugh aloud on occasion when I read her books.

Oh, of special note, I totally enjoyed Tick and Bast, Spencer's assistant and bodyguard. They were much, much fun. :)

Hell on Wheels hit the spot.

Home the Hard Way by Z. A. Maxfield

4 STARS

This book came out in July of 2014 and I've had it in my TBR pile since then. Why did I leave it unread for so long! *LOL* Seriously! I was up very late last night reading it, wanting to finish, but I just couldn't - my eyes kept closing despite everything, so the first thing I did this morning, before even getting the coffee going, was to pick it up and read the last 4 chapters.

I don't know why there wasn't more buzz about this last summer, it's really a good read, but I think that some of Z.A. Maxfield's (aka ZAM) titles aren't for everyone because there's an undercurrent of something dark, something broken, something very real that is never completely resolved by the end of the book - and THAT'S OKAY! It's real and I love it! In some ways it made me think of Lost and Found which I absolutely adored.

Both of ZAM's main characters - Dare and Finn - are flawed. Neither is perfect and at times both can be quite unlikable. But they're interesting and real and that's what makes me so enthralled by their story. I wanted to shake Dare so many times while I read because his demons are so recognizable and so ordinary and I guess I found it out of place in the supposed hero and wanted him to rise above them, but even though he tried, he kept slipping and it was so honest and real... well - it worked bigtime for me.

And Finn, my God, his tightly wound, walls up, protect the inner Finn was so believable, so logical and so well done that I teared up on more than one occasion. The scenes with his aunt - OMG! - they were so gutting and filled with emotions. And it seems on the outside that Finn is so together, so cool, so capable, but like so many people, he really isn't. Stubborn git!

The mystery. The suspense. The WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??? It was really well done. There were twists and turns throughout the book, a couple of biggies that had me going... OMG, REALLY?... and the final twist, the end of the mystery caught me totally by surprise.

Then there were the BDSM elements that were very, very well done. The power exchange, the discovery, the separation of scenes, sex and love and the way those things can or cannot come together and it's perfectly normal. The scene with the rope, the shibari was excellent! I never really understood the attraction in anything other than an abstract way, but now I feel like I 'get' it.

And ZAM also does a lovely job of her supporting characters. They're all unique, have depth and serve to move the story forward all the while being real people.

I think that one thing I really appreciated about Home the Hard Way was that the ways the characters were challenged or damaged/hurt were, I guess I want to say, normal and run of the mill. There seems to be a trend today in M/M or maybe all romance, that one or both of the characters has to be afflicted, or suffering from, or dealing with, or conquering, or existing with some form of disability be it mental or physical in order for the story to have some what, ... deeper meaning? a roadblock to conquer? be a symbol of diversity? show that everyone deserves love and an HEA? Which is all well and good, I'm all for diversity and I love many of those books, but I like to see stuff I know and recognise as having impacted my own life every once in a while. (Yes, that's my privilege showing probably, but it's my blog and I can give voice to it.)

So all in all, this was a great read with terrific characters, a good mystery, some hot sex scenes, depths of all kinds of emotions and an ending that didn't solve All The Problems Ever with a hug and a kiss and an I love you.

Books like this are why I love ZAM.

Lost and Found by Z.A. Maxfield

4 STARS

Lost and Found is another great holiday read. It's the story of two men and a dog, even though the dog doesn't get a lot of page time. :) To use a canine analogy, one of the men, Ringo, could be described as a Bernese Mountain Dog. He's the head of security for a beachside RV resort community (which I kept setting in Florida in my mind. *LOL*), he's 30 years old and has a huge, loving family. The other man, Gavin, in my opinion, is best described as a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who needs some resocialising. He's a musician, a loner, cranky, impulsive and older than Ringo.

Mature heroes, guys!!! Mature heroes be in this book!! :) Yes, for me, this was a big deal.

So the catalyst of this story is that Gavin's chocolate Lab, Bird (named after Charley "Bird" Parker of course.), goes missing. Gavin and Ringo have had an on again, off again relationship, but Ringo hasn't given up. And, since this is a Christmas story, he's right to be so determined.

Z.A Maxfield seems to do these cut from a different cloth type of characters and I love them. See, I've read a few things about how Gavin is a totally unlikable character. As I said, he's cranky and a loner. He's closed off, acts on impulse - those knee-jerk reactions that are never good, bristly, mean when he's been hurt..., but you know what? They can't all be paragons of virtue. Even in romantic books. :) I found it SO refreshing that Gavin was so difficult. Ringo is the good guy - big, handsome, patient, loving... in other words, he's the perfect match for Gavin. He GETS Gavin finally and realises what the love of his life really needs, and therein lies the tale. :) And then there are the sex scenes that fairly steam off the page. I mean Serious Sexy Stuff goin' on in here!

So yes, I really, really enjoyed this one!

Notturno by Z. A. Maxfield

4 STARS

Believable vampires! I'm not a huge fan of paranormals, but that may be because I've not read any by an author that will make it work. (Or maybe I'm still scarred by the Hamilton woman.)

I enjoyed the characters, very much. Both the main characters and the secondary ones' This book felt full, in a very good way. The two main characters were not wrapped in a cocoon of their own emotions, they interacted with others and had other relationships and all the while, you knew they were thinking of each other without having to have it spelled out for you. 

And I want a Boaz. I surely hope we've not seen the end of him because he totally charmed me. Edward and Tuan as well, but to a lesser extent. 

So, a full book, a hotly romantic book, an adventure story, a character study and a few well placed spots of humour. I really enjoyed it. :)

ePistols at Dawn by Z.A. Maxfield

4.5 STARS

Again, I need that damned half star, because I want to rate this at 4.5 stars. *grumble* Anyway, I read this because Heidi Cullinan, whose opinion I respect very much, had this book classified as one of her absolute favourites. 

The characters are lovely. Kelly with all his quirks, phobias and secrets. He's so damaged and flawed, but you can't help but love him when you see him through the eyes of his BFF, Will or his love, Jae. And Jae, Jae-Sun, the 6 foot 5 Korean giant with the thick braid of hair that grows down to his ass. Oh, I loved him to bits! So assured, smart, friendly and loving, but underneath, he hurts like everyone else, he feels guilty about things that aren't really his fault, he feels responsible for everyone in his life. He cares, y'know? Cares.

And the secondary characters, Will, Shannon, Vega and even the bartender near the end of the book, all served to bring something special, something needed, and something different to the story of Jae and Kelly's romance. Not every author is able to pull this off.

I loved this book. The only things keeping it from 5 stars was that sometimes the POV changes, the scene changes were too abrupt and I'd have to go back and reread a time or two to make sure I knew what was going on. (I often wonder if this is because of the way the book is formatted for ereaders, the double spaces etc..., not being evident. I read the e-pub version.) The other thing that niggled at me was that by the end of the book, I wanted to see even more inside both Jae's and Kelly's heads as they struggled to come to terms with their inescapable feelings for each other. 

Go, read this. It's hot, it's funny, it's heart-breaking, thoughtful and sweet. And if you don't fall in love with both Jae and Kelly, I'll be surprised. :)

St. Nacho's by Z.A. Maxfield

4 STARS

St. Nacho's - Book 1

Good, good book! :) 

I really enjoyed Cooper and Shawn. I appreciated the way the author turned things around from the usual tropes and stereotypes. The younger, deaf man was in reality the stronger, more aggressive of the couple and the tattooed biker with the piercings and the violin the man that had to come to terms with everything in his life and move on. 

I don't usually have a problem with first person narrative, and I didn't this time either - the author is a very good writer - but I found that I would have liked to be a little inside Shawn's head to see what he was thinking at various times in the story. Anyway, good, good book, like I said and I would recommend it to anyone who likes their love stories with a nice sprinkling of spice, tough, angst and awww. :) 

And I do like the idea of a place like St. Nacho's.

Rhapsody for Piano and Ghost

4 STARS

What a sweet, heart-warming book! A real comfort read. I can actually see myself reading it again when I need an emotional cozy blanket.

We have a pair of adorable main characters, Fitz and Ari, as well as a mischievous pair of ghosts, Serge and Julian. We get to follow Fitz as he comes of age and realises (with his fairy ghost-fathers' help) that he's really quite special in some eyes. :) I don't know if any kind of sequel is planned - and quite frankly, there doesn't always NEED to be a furtheration of the main couple's adventures - but that being said, I like Fitz and Ari and their ghosties so much that I wouldn't be averse to reading their further adventures. :) 

There were a few persnickety nit-picks that I could mention, but nothing that really damaged my enjoyment of the story. 

This was my first Z. A. Maxfield and I'm safe in saying that it won't be my last. :)