The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux

3 STARS

So I was looking for a quick read and this light-hearted novella seemed to be just the thing. And it was... I enjoyed it... I think. But I'm still so confused. I feel as if I was missing many different parts of the story for it to make sense. Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm not up on the conventions of paranormal type stories, but I sincerely found myself left with more questions at the end of the story than at the beginning!

I liked the characters, the main characters and the secondary ones, but it being a novella, I felt as if some of them were given short shrift, sadly. We only got to see the surface of many of them. And I know that too much 'backstory' is considered anathema in a lot of romances, but I think this tale could have profited from a little more than I got. I would also have liked a little more explanation of the magic and how it works in this reality.

It's a shame, really, because I enjoy Charley's writing and I think this story was filled with great ideas and the glimmers of fun characters but... I shouldn't be left thinking I've missed reading half the book. :( I was disappointed.

But I must add... I love the cover art! It's gorgeous!

The Dead of Winter by Peter Kirby

4 STARS

Luc Vanier Mysteries - Book 1

I picked this up because I saw the author interviewed on our local news and I liked him. :)

So it's a mystery set in Montreal, starring Police Inspector Luc Vanier and I loved seeing all the familiar places pop up in the book and the familiar Montreal attitudes and personalities. It all felt nice and familiar.

The mystery itself was fairly well plotted and kept me wondering until quite far along in the book. I enjoyed the different characters, good guys and bad guys - most of them were nicely fleshed out. I also enjoyed the voice of the book. Just enough introspection and thoughtfulness to make things interesting. I do wonder, however, what it was that made Luc's wife pack up and leave. I guess I have to read the next one to find out. *LOL*

Anyway, a very enjoyable read for me.

Provoked by Joanna Chambers

4 STARS

Enlightenment - Book 1

This is the first of three books in the Enlightenment series of m/m regency historicals. All three books follow the story of David Lauriston who is a "lowborn" lawyer (for the life of me right now I can't remember if he's a solicitor or a barrister) and Lord Murdo Balfour. What begins as a furtive yet heated encounter in a dark side alley becomes a story of growing and undeniable attraction for the two men.

It's much more than a love story though. There's the story of the weavers that David defended in the courts and the search for the man that infiltrated them. There's the clashing of two social worlds, the working class and the aristocrats. It's a very full novel! :)

The characters are very well drawn, even the secondary characters. No cookie cutters here. They all have flaws, nobody is perfect and I love that.

And don't go looking for a HEA here... or even a HFN... this is the first installment of a three-part story and I have no doubt that there will be a happy ending at the very end of the third part and even if it's not traditionally happy, it will be quite satisfying.

Now I must get the other two books! *LOL*

Sinner's Gin by Rhys Ford

4 STARS

Sinners - Book 1

Rhys Ford never disappoints. :) I loved the Cole McGinnis series and it looks like I'm going to feel the same way about this Sinners series if Sinner's Gin is any indication.

Miki St. John is a rockstar with a tragic past. Kane Morgan is a cop with a HUGE Irish family. They're both great characters and I fell for them easily. :) Their love story is satisfying and their sexytimes scenes are numerous and steamy. The mystery works for the most part (I'm still wondering about that last attack and why the perp went there, but...) and justice eventually prevails. :)

There's a dog. His name is Dude and he is QUITE hysterical.

Kane's family is something else. Gorgeous, Irish, huge, quirky, loving. I love families like these in my romances. Yeah, there's going to be issues in all that perfection, but that's part of the fun for me!

I really enjoyed Sinner's Gin and am looking forward to the rest of the series. :)

So yeah, once again, Rhys does not disappoint.

Love Like Ghosts by Ally Blue

3 STARS

Bay City Paranormal Investigations - Book 7

Mojo Mystery Series - Book 1
So this book is officially #7 in the Bay City Paranormal Investigations series, but it really is the introduction to a new series, the Mojo Mystery Series which stars the oldest son of one of the MCs of the BCP series. So, that being said... I picked this up because someone recced the latest in the Mojo series and since this one was on sale, I figured to give the series a try.

I got tricked (okay, not tricked but...) into a NA book, I think. I found both the main characters, Adrian (the afore-mentioned son) and Greg really quite unlikable. Both of them whine, they both jump to silly conclusions, they both have tantrums, they're both suspicious of everything the other does... they were just very tiresome. I found myself thinking that if they were both open and honest with each other about the shit from their pasts that was making them both so 'skittish?', then more attention could be paid to actually growing their relationship and also, figuring out what the deal was with the ghost. But isn't all this DRAMA part and parcel of the New Adult book experience? UGH!

Another thing that bothered me was the introduction of a ton of negligible characters - classmates, neighbours etc... Do we really need to name them and give them a tiny backstory if we're only going to see them on one page handing something to one of the MCs? I don't think so.

So, that being said, will I read the other books in the series? At some point, probably. I've enjoyed other stories by this author and I do respect the opinion of the person who recced the latest in the series to me, but for now, I think I shall let Adrian and Greg be.

An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson

3.5 STARS

Josphine Tey Mysteries - Book 1

So it wasn't my favourite mystery that I've read in the past while, but it wasn't bad at all. I think I had trouble with too many POVs. It felt like the author wanted us to have the POV of everyone who was a suspect. Which gave the book a certain depth, I think, but made it a bit of a slog for me. Also... it was touted as a Josephine Tey mystery, but we certainly didn't see a lot of her solving the mystery. It was much more Archie Penrose mystery, I think. Archie being Josephine's good friend and a police inspector.

I wasn't certain who the murder was until it unfolded on the page and that's always a plus. I thought it was someone else. What annoys me is that the author never tells us what happened to that someone else, like she does with most of the other 'suspects'.

So, while not a favourite, should the next in the series be on sale, I will pick it up.

Craving Flight by Tamsen Parker

4 STARS

A terrific off the beaten path novella that was recced last weekend by Bree of Kit Rocha fame. This was a freebie on both Kobo and Amazon, so I urge you, if you like BDSM erotica, go and download it!

Our heroine is a Jewish University professor who has decided to embrace the more Orthodox lifestyle of her religion. The hero is a kosher butcher in the Orthodox community from a very orthodox family. Both have been previously married, he's a widower and she's divorced. I liked both of them and totally believed their love story. And the D/s elements were very well done. I think the story could have been expanded and the developing relationships explored a little more, but all in all, it was a really enjoyable and interesting read. I learned stuff about the Orthodox Jewish community too. :)

The Siren by Tiffany Reisz

4 STARS

The Original Sinners - Book 1

I picked this book up because I read Tiffany Reisz's blog post for Queer Romance Month and was intrigued. As I said in my comment to this post, I headed over to Amazon Canada and it was on sale so it seemed like I was fated to read this book. :) I did. And OMG, it was NOT what I expected.

First off, if you're going to go into reading this with the idea that it's a kinky, queer romance... baby, it ain't that! Oh, there's romance, there's kink, there's queer, but what this book is... is... hell, I don't know. It's the story of a woman, her obsessions, her loves, her needs, her desires, her darkest thoughts... it's ... well look, I'm going to link romance author Courtney Milan's Goodreads review here. She says things SO much better than I ever could.

Courtney Milan on The Siren

There are a lot of things in this book that I wasn't okay with... A LOT. That's why I could only give it 4 stars and not 5, even though it probably deserves the 5. *LOL* But there was a lot that was uncomfortable to read, but I couldn't NOT read it. There was so much PAIN. Physical and emotional and while I looked for some of the glory and the wonder that I know can exist in BDSM, there was little of that here. I didn't like Nora and I didn't like Soren but Dear Lord, they were fascinating! (I did like Zach, Wes and what I saw of Griffin and Kingsley)

Will I read the next book in the series? The Angel? Yes, I will But not right away. After The Siren, I've picked up something totally different. A fantasy adventure. With magic and stuff. Because The Siren just wrecked me all to hell. :)

Master of Crows by Grace Draven

4 STARS

What a yummy, yummy fantasy romance! I really enjoyed it! Enough so that I recommended it to a friend who enjoys romances in a fantasy setting. Fantasy as in magic and spells and creatures and gods. If you're looking for someone to stand alongside Anne Bishop in your fantasy romance bookcase, Grace Draven will fit the bill.

In Master of Crows we meet Martise (an AWFUL name that bugged me through the whole book I must admit) of Asher, the slave, or bondwoman if you prefer, of the Bishop of the magical Conclave. He is taking her to spy on the renegade Silhara of Neith, The Master of Crows. He has requested an apprentice from The Conclave who knows ancient languages and luckily, Martise is such a person. So, in order to gain her freedom, she agrees to spy for The Conclave. But... she falls in love and thereby hangs the tale.

The first thing I liked about this book was the fact that Martise was a full grown woman, no wet behind the ears NA heroine here, thank God. She's also not a shrinking virgin. It felt to me that she had more than one or two encounters with men in her past, but only one deep relationship that managed to break her heart. She's no beauty by any means, but she does have one of the sexiest voices imaginable. That works for me just fine. :) She's a simple woman, really, and I grew to like her a lot.

Silhara is an arrogant SOB from the get go, but I think he's entitled to a lot of his arrogance. And he's gorgeous, at least in my mind. Hawklike features, tall, lean, muscles where men should have muscles, and the most beautiful head of long inky hair that is TO DIE FOR. *g* He's real purty! I really enjoyed how he just really wanted to be an orange farmer despite the massive magic power that he possesses. I think I fell for him along with Martise. *LOL*

I guess one could say that Martise and Silhara's love story is predictable, but it's the interaction between the two that makes it stand out. Clever dialogue. I love clever dialogue and clever characters. And characters that aren't afraid to laugh at themselves and these two - as well as the wonderful Gurn, friend and servant - are not afraid to do just that. I liked watching Martise and Silhara fall in love while trying to find a way to concur the Big Baddy. It took it's time happening and that was fine with me - I found the slow build up to the explosive first sex scene to be actually very sexy. And the sexytimes themselves... oooh boy! *fanning* They weren't numerous, but damn they were good.

And you know what? The story, with a few lovely twists and turns, wraps up in this one volume! Yes, there is a novella that follows this novel, but I think it's like an extra added adventure.

So, to whoever recced me this book, Bree from Kit Rocha maybe? Or maybe it was from the Twitter convo she inspired about romantic fantasies? Good call!!

Champion of the Scarlet Wolf (Book 2) by Ginn Hale

4.5 STARS

Cadelonian Series - Book 4

I loved this 4th book in the Cadeleonian series. I loved the magic in it. I loved the old gods and the feel of history. I loved the characters, main and secondary and even the characters that got little more than a walk-on. I loved the animals... I swear, Elezar's stallion, Cobre, was one of my favourite characters in the whole book and I was ready to do the author a violence on his behalf on more than one occasion! *LOL*

The love story between Elezar and Skellan was very satisfying to me. They were both so different for the most part, but they complimented each other perfectly. And they were similar in their ... fundamental beliefs about life. I loved how their intimacy and feelings grew and matured over both Scarlet Wolf books. And that there was humour in their relationship as well. And with Javier and Kiram as well. I'd love to see these 4 on an adventure together. *LOL*

My only complaint, I think, was that the whole epic story got wrapped up so quickly. Not the final 'battle', per se, but the resolution of the various interpersonal conflicts. In some ways it felt as if the author was finished with telling the story and that was that. Maybe she's planning a return to this universe - which I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with! - and in that case, some unanswered questions are warranted. I did want more of a final scene between Skellan and Bone-Crusher.

One last thing... the last line, IMO, was a weak one. But I find that I'm very persnickety about last lines and often authors aren't at the top of their game with them. This time, it just felt... lacking.

Anyway... maybe it's wouldn't be a 4.5 star book for some people, but I loved it in spite of the caveats!