This is the first Onley James book I have read. I enjoyed Endangered Species. I have not read any books set in prisons so I cannot attest to the accuracy. What I can say is that I am familiar with the problems of prisons for profit and how they can be mismanaged to only make money. The book follows Nicky and Cy. They were stepbrothers for less than a year when Nicky was seven years old. Cy, seventeen years old, spent that year protecting Nicky from Nicky's psycho mom and Cy's absent father. It all came to a violent end when Nicky's mother murdered Cy's father and framed Cy for it.
Go forward twenty years and Nicky has been arrested on terrorism charges. Although he has not had a trial, he is sent to the same maximum-security prison where Cy has been held. Nicky has no way of knowing if Cy blames him for his imprisonment since he was forced to testify against him. He is about to find out because Nicky is Cy's new cellmate. The book has mystery and suspense elements that work well with a very different romance plot. It is stressed often through the book that Nicky and Cy are not brothers. They spent less than a year together when Nicky was seven. It is not what I consider a taboo relationship. Regardless, readers should always check trigger warnings before starting a book. Endangered Species is the first book in a new series by the author. I put the next one on my Goodreads list to check out when it releases. I rated the book four stars. I won a copy of Endangered Species through a Facebook contest. There was no requirement to review.
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Jay Hogan is a New Zealand author that I have enjoyed reading. Auckland Medical is a series about the men who work at the medical center. Each book has focused on a different couple. In Against the Grain, Miller is an avid wheelchair rugby player. The wheelchair version of rugby seems much more physical and dangerous they the regular kind. He is a new hire at the medical center as Clinical Governance Coordinator. He loves his job and has had very few negative reactions to his disability. He is gay but only out to his family. After a rugby accident, he runs into Sandy Williams in Emergency Room. It is not a meet-cute. It is literally running into each other. Sandy is the RN who works as the Pathology Assistant. He came out as a teen. He is very strong in his identity and does not let others bully him. The relationship between Miller and Sandy is written so well. Starting with antagonism, the pair moves slowly and cautiously to friends. As they move into more than friends, there are issues that both men must deal with, issues that can make or break them. I really enjoy how Jay Hogan's characters are not cookie cutter. No matter how far from cisgender a character is, Jay never treats them as less than. I suggest reading the entire series because every book is strong and well written. I rated it five stars and it is on my Best of 2020 list. I won a free copy in a Facebook contest. Writing a review was not required to win. Man & Beast is the first book of The Savage Land series by Michael Jensen. I had listened to the second book, Man & Monster, on Audible. I found the first book in the series that I had missed, Man & Beast. The historical part of the book is very thorough. The descriptions of the people, what they wore, what they ate, and how they lived is phenomenal. The story focuses on John Chapman who is the worse candidate to survive a winter in the wilds of America. He finds Daniel McQuay, a man with a cabin and food, who agrees to take him in. There is a male/male romance involved but it is a romance without emotions, only physically. And then the author throws the biggest twist that I had not seen coming. It was excellent. The book is very good. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy historical fiction, thriller, mystery, and a touch of horror all stirred together.
I received a copy of the book when I joined Mr. Jensen's newsletter list. There was no expectation of a review for receiving the book. Anne Barwell and Elizabeth Noble. have written a four-book urban fantasy series titled The Sleepless City. The series takes place in Boggslake, Ohio (not NYC). Boggslake is a small town with big city paranormal problems. Vampire, werewolves, and demons oh my! I found it interesting that the authors wrote two books each yet there is wonderful continuity throughout the series.
The series is comprised of four books featuring three couples: Shades of Sepia by Anne Barwell Simon and Ben 4 stars Electric Candle by Elizabeth Noble Jonas and Blair 3 stars Family and Reflection by Anne Barwell Lucas and Declan 3 stars Shifting Chaos by Elizabeth Noble All three couples 4 stars Simon, Jonas, and Lucas are roommates sharing a house, Bogg’s Castle. It is not a castle per the European model. It is more like a mansion with delusions of grandeur. They have been roommates for about ten years. Two vampires, a werewolf, and a ghost are a good fit as roommates. In Shades of Sepia, we meet Simon. He was turned in the early part of the 20th century and retains much of the dress and manners of that period. He teaches history at the local college. Recently he and his roommates have been trying to solve a series of murders. Each murder involves two bodies. Only Simon and his roommates know that one only one of the bodies is human; the other is a vampire. The roommates are uniquely positioned to help try to solve the murders with Simon. Jonas is a police detective while Lucas is a pathologist. Ben is a young man on a year's visit to the Boggslake from New Zealand. His grandfather gave him his ancient camera plus a photo he took in Boggslake when he was a young man and asked him to take an updated picture. When Ben and Simon meet it is awkward and sweet. As they grow closer, the roommates also grow closer to solving the murders and suddenly they are too close. In Electric Candle we see Jonas working as a detective and happy that his friend/lover Declan has returned from Europe. Jonas and Declan plan to have a reunion and resume their on again/off again. That never comes to pass because a social awkward young man falls into the lake right in front of Jonas. As Jonas comes to accept Blair in his life and heart, another series of murders has begun. Before too long, Jonas has to work to save Blair or lose what he is starting to realize is the man he loves. Family and Reflection puts Lucas and his complicated family/pack relationship up front. Jonas is up to his neck in pack politics due to several unsolved werewolf deaths as well as almost all pregnant werewolves miscarrying their babies. Already estranged from his family due to his choice to live outside the pack and with two vampires, Jonas crosses one line too many when he falls in love with Declan, a vampire. Declan is targeted in what may be a plot to get him out of Jonas’s life. The final book in the series is Shifting Chaos. Boggslake is invaded by demons. Townspeople are having hallucinations. The situation is dangerous, especially for Jonas who has hidden secrets that could hurt everyone. As the group works to solve the cause, they may have to reexamine what truly was the cause of the last few murder sprees in the town. The Sleepless City is an enjoyable series. The things that go bump in the night are not quarantine in the dark. It is a fresh approach to world building. The characters and world are being carried into the next series, The Vampire Guard, written by Elizabeth Noble. If you enjoy paranormal male romances with a healthy dose of action or thriller, you will enjoy The Sleepless City series. His Hart's Command is the sixth book in the Nothing Special series. As with the other books, this one focuses on two main characters. Ivan Hart is the SWAT commander and Lt. Cash Godfrey's best friend. He is a large bear of a man who is strong and capable when dealing with his job. Lennox Freeman is the tech genius who helps God's team and is Tech's best friend. While Cash and Tech do not have huge roles in the book, they are very important to how Ivan and Lennox evolve. Ivan is my favorite main character of the series. He is loyal, protective, and most of all kind. Physically he is a large man and described as a bear. He is described in such a way that you just know he would be warm and comforting to cuddle with. Lennox is sweet and patient. As a couple, they balance each other. Aiden Snow is an incredible narrator. He brings the character fully formed to the listener's ear. I adored the uncertainty he gave Ivan's voice. He also did a great job with the complexity of Lennox's accent. A copy of the audiobook provided by Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review. Ex Meridan, the seventh book in the Nothing Special series, finds Atlanta's drug task force up to their neck in trouble. The biggest drug gang is leaving bodies on the streets and the DA's office refuses to prosecute any drug related cases. A man, who has been listed as dead for eight years, returns to Atlanta for a funeral. He brings his business partner. God's team discovers a new presence that is feared more than God. Ex is a man in conflict. Trained as one of the two most dangerous assassins in the world, Ex has maintained emotional connections that he should not. Meridian, the other most dangerous assassin, was freed from emotions long before his training by his brutal childhood. Both men bring different things to their partnership and create a kind of messed up balance. The meeting, and the steps leading to it, between Ex Meridan and God's team is all I wanted it to be and more. Aiden Snow's narration is wonderful. He consistently voices reoccurring characters through out all seven books. If wishes are granted and A. E. Via writes more books in the series, I hope Aiden Snow narrates them. A copy of the audiobook provided by Tantor Audio in exchange for an honest review. |
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