ARC Review: Medley by Layla Reyne

Medley (Changing Lanes, #2)
by Layla Reyne
eARC

LGBT, contemporary, romance, sports

Sebastian Stewart was never Mr. Dependable; he was more the good-time guy who only wanted to swim, party, and ink tattoos. Until he cost his team the Olympic gold four years ago. Bas is determined to do right this time around—by his medley relay team and his rookie mentee.

Jacob Burrows is in over his head. The Olympic experience—from the hazing, to the endless practices, to the unrelenting media—makes the shy nineteen-year-old’s head spin. He’s trying to be everything to everyone while trying not to fall for his gorgeous tattooed teammate who just gets him—gets his need to fix things, his dorky pirate quips, and his bisexuality.

When Jacob falters under the stress, threatening his individual races and the medley relay gold, he needs Bas’s help to escape from drowning. Bas, however, fearing a repeat of his mistakes four years ago, pushes Jacob away, sure he’ll only let Jacob down. But the only path to salvaging gold is for Jacob to finally ask for what he needs—the heart of the man he loves—and for Bas to become the dependable one.

I really enjoyed Relay and yearned for a sequel, however, I'm sad to say that it didn't live up to my expectations. I had a hard time connecting with one of the main character, Bas, because his actions, and the focus of the story was more frustrating relationship drama than the Olympics.

I actually liked Bas in Relay, when he was acting like a good friend and mentor. However, in Medley Bas played hot and cold with Jacob, pulling him closer only to push him away and then avoid poor Jacob without explanations. Bas justified his selfish actions as greater good for the Olympic team, but it only created tension. I couldn't connect with Bas and I didn't understand where his actions came from until the near end of the book - but then it was too late to like him. Jacob was complete opposite, as I liked him from the beginning and that didn't waver. He's sweet and caring and he put others before himself. He simply deserved more than to go through relationship drama on the eve of his debut in Olympics (especially since all the drama affected his performance).

Relay had some deep themes and character growth, but I felt like Medley lacked both. It wasn't so much about redemption, forgiveness and the Olympics than it was about unnecessary relationship drama, which could have been avoided if a heart-to-heart talk would happened sooner than it did. I guess my expectation where so high after Relay that I just felt disappointed because Medley focused on other stuff. I just wish the Olympics wouldn't been on the back burner, because all the swim moments were exciting and captivating.

I did like the conclusion the book offered: did the US Olympic team win the medals they so coveted? I also really enjoyed the peaks of Dane and Alex, especially Dane, because he was a great friend and support to everyone else this time around, and he continued to stood up against his bigoted parents. And Jacob was so sympathetic character! I only wish he'd get better than the emotional rollercoaster that he got. 

3 of 5 stars

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(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: A Tiny Piece of Something Greater by Jude Sierra

A Tiny Piece of Something Greater

by Jude Sierra

Published by Interlude Press

Release Date (Print & Ebook): May 17, 2018

LGBT, Interracial/Multicultural, New Adult

Editor's Note: Some readers may find some of the scenes in this book difficult to read. We have compiled a list of content warnings, which you can access at interludepress.com/content-warnings

Reid Watsford has a lot of secrets and a past he can’t quite escape. While staying at his grandmother’s condo in Key Largo, he signs up for introductory dive classes, where he meets Joaquim Oliveira, a Brazilian dive instructor with wanderlust. Driven by an instant, magnetic pull, what could have been just a hookup quickly deepens. As their relationship evolves, they must learn to navigate the challenges of Reid’s mental illness—on their own and with each other.

 Jude Sierra talks A Tiny Piece of Something Greater: I want readers to walk away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of what it is like to thrive with mental illness—or strive toward it—and what it is like for two people to be and fall in love in these situations. I’d love for readers to come away knowing that love doesn’t cure mental illness, nor should it. Reid and Joaquim love each other as they are.

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Interlude Press

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Excerpt:

Joaquim’s body is beautifully settled into the rhythms of his deep, sleeping breaths. Reid is no longer angry. Well, he’s a little angry at himself. If I wake Joaquim with kisses, will that be enough? Will he remember the apology from last night and let it stand?

Eyes closed, Reid scoots closer to Joaquim and puts a hand on his hip. He promised to talk to Joaquim. And even without that promise, they should talk. Joaquim is the potential for a healthy relationship, finally.

When Reid’s body heat comes into contact with his, Joaquim stills and then stretches. Joaquim’s body is a luxury: muscles tensing and loosening, all stunning bones and inviting skin. Reid wants. He wants to glut himself on this man, to soak up every moment with him while he can.

Author bio

Jude Sierra is a Latinx poet, author, academic and mother working toward her PhD in Writing and Rhetoric, looking at the intersections of Queer, Feminist and Pop Culture Studies. She also works as an LGBTQAI+ book reviewer for From Top to Bottom Reviews. Her novels include Hush, What it Takes, and Idlewild, a contemporary LGBT romance set in Detroit’s renaissance, which was named a Best Book of 2016 by Kirkus Reviews.

Connect with Jude: Site | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest

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Stacking the Shelves (75)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
Purchased

 

For Review

Cover Reveal: As Dust Dances by Samantha Young

 

The New York Times Bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series and PLAY ON returns to the world of the arts in this intense and emotional standalone romance about love, sacrifice, and surviving both. AS DUST DANCES will be releasing on August 7, 2018 on all retailers!

 

Cover designed by by Hang Le.

About AS DUST DANCES (Coming 8/7/2018):

Once upon a time Skylar Finch was the lead singer of a hugely successful American pop-rock band. But fame made her miserable. When years of living a lie suddenly ended in tragedy, Skylar fell off the map.

Eighteen months later she’s sleeping in a tent in a cemetery in Glasgow, making just enough money to eat by busking on the streets. She manages to avoid recognition, but not the attention of one of Glasgow’s ambitious A&R executives.

Killian O’Dea works at Skyscraper Records, Scotland’s most successful record label. Raised by his uncle and owner of the label, Killian’s upbringing would have been devoid of affection entirely if it wasn’t for his loving sister. Killian is unflinchingly determined to bring the label more success than ever, and the young homeless woman who busks on Buchanan Street is going to help him do that. Her music speaks to him in a way he refuses to over-analyze. All he knows is that if it can touch his dark soul, it’ll set everyone else’s alight.

Skylar makes it clear that she doesn’t want to sign with him. But when she experiences the dangerous reality of a woman sleeping rough, Skylar has no one else but Killian to turn to. An undeniable connection forms between them. But Skylar doesn’t want the career Killian is trying to forge for her, and when her past comes back to haunt her Killian will be faced with a decision that could ruin him. He must either free Skylar from his selfish machinations and destroy everything he’s ever worked for, or lose a woman who has come to mean more to him than he ever thought possible…

   

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS TODAY!

        
About Samantha Young:
Samantha Young is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows. Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us will be published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook & hardback June 2017.

Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for Hero. On Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.

Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.  

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

ARC Review: Lock Nut by JL Merrow

Lock Nut (The Plumber's Mate Mysteries, #5)
by JL Merrow
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, romance, mystery

Still waters run deadly. 

Tom Paretski, plumber with a talent for finding hidden things, and his private investigator fiancé Phil Morrison have been hired to locate a runaway husband, Jonathan Parrot. The job seems simple enough - until their quarry turns up dead in a canal, and a photofit of Tom's face is splashed all over the news, making him chief suspect.

The widow, petite ex-porn star Lilah Lovett, is convinced her husband was killed by his gay lover, but Tom and Phil aren't so sure. Worried they may have precipitated Jonathan's death, they're determined to find the real killer. But with a web of incestuous ties linking the suspects, it's hard to know who to trust. Especially when a second victim dies a gruesome death.

Meanwhile, with their wedding looming and them sharing a house now, Tom's worried it may all be too much, too fast. The last thing he needs are the mixed messages Phil seems to be sending out. They'll need to get back on the same track if they want to make it to their honeymoon together - and alive.

I love The Plumber's Mate Mysteries series, and I was both excited and sad to dive into this; I wanted to know how it'll end but was so sad that this will be it. I got what I expected: captivating and gripping murder mystery with plenty of viable suspects, who were such intriguing characters that it was a joy trying to work out who was lying. It was nice to see the old acquaintances, too, and I especially like Tom's friend Detective Dave. His witty comments just always crack me up.

My only complain about Lock Nut was the focus on the murder mystery more than before. There wasn't that many moments between Tom and Phil that didn't revolve around solving the mystery and the steamy moments were off page. I wanted to see more Tom and Phil together and certainly expected a little bit more romantic scenes to be on page, so I was a bit disappointed because of the lack of it. However, it doesn't change that I enjoyed the gripping story and loved to see Tom and Phil's relationship to develop even more, so this still was a five star read for me.

I highly recommend Lock Nut and the whole series: it's full of captivating mystery, cute and realistic romance, witty humour, and authentic English town setting. I'm going to miss Tom and Phil, and their adventures - and surely I'll re-read the books because they're just that good.

5 of 5 stars

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Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review Lock Nut!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Top Ten Tuesday: Stunning Blue Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!
This week's topic was books with your favourite colour on the cover. My favourite colour is blue - in any shade and hue - so this was pretty easy. I had trouble to choose which one's I wanted to pick! There's so many blue covers, which I just love.

A bonus one! Blue on the cover and on the title;

Review: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan
by J.M. Barrie
Published by Puffin
Classic, fantasy, childrens

One starry night, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland - the island where lost boys play, mermaids splash and fairies make mischief. But a villainous-looking gang of pirates lurk in the docks, led by the terrifying Captain James Hook. Magic and excitement are in the air, but if Captain Hook has his way, before long, someone will be walking the plank and swimming with the crocodiles...

Peter Pan is a classic that I've been meaning to read for a long while now. I love the story, especially the few movies that I've seen. Captain Hook is one of my favourite villains and definitely my favourite pirate. And I always loved the idea of a boy who never grew up. Finally, after reading Barrie's original, I can say that I really enjoyed this whimsical story of forgetful boy refusing to grow up and all the dangers and adventures that Neverland has to offer.

What surprised me was how different the story was from the adapted versions. For instance, the trip to Neverland takes a long, long time, instead of just flying for one night. Then the story seems to focus a bit more of quiet moments when Wendy plays mother to the lost boys rather than the adventures they have, which are only mentioned and one described. In those moments it was a bit dull, but it did pick up after those moments. I guess I was just expecting a bit more pirates, action and adventures.

Peter Pan is dark story, there's no doubt in that. Captain Hook and his crew are ruthless and blood-thirsty, and Peter isn't a hero either; he's forgetful, selfish, and very whimsical. However, the story works because of that. It's not meant to be rainbows and unicorns, and I liked it because of it. It's dark and there's plenty of death there, but it's still magical story about Neverland and Peter, who did not grow up even when every other child did.

I'm glad that I finally read Peter Pan. Despite the few dull moments in the story, it's still one of my favourites. Captain Hook certainly kept his place as my favourite pirate.

4 of 5 stars

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Bout of Books 22 Read-A-Thon Sign Up

I've participated Bout of Books twice now, and I really like how relaxed and fun the readathon is. In fact, it's my favourite readathon! I definitely don't want to miss it this time, especially since the timing is impeccable as I have my last exam on 14th - so I can dive straight into reading once I get home! Then I get to relax and focus on pleasure reading. I really want to catch up with books that I've been putting off because of university.

If you haven't heard about this readathon, here's what it's about:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 14th and runs through Sunday, May 20th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 22 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

As always, my TBR is not set in stone and it's just mainly to indicate what books I'd like to read next week. Here we go;

 

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: A Light Amongst Shadows by Kelley York & Rowan Altwood

A Light Amongst Shadows (Dark is the Night, #1)

by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood

Self-published

Release day: June 1st, 2018

James Spencer is hardly the typical troubled youth who ends up at Whisperwood School for Boys. Instead of hating the strict schedules and tight oversight by staff, James blossoms, quickly making friends, indulging in his love of writing, and contemplating the merits of sneaking love poems to the elusive and aloof William Esher.

The rumours about William's sexuality and opium reliance are prime gossip material amongst the third years... rumours that only further pique James' curiosity to uncover what William is really like beneath all that emotional armor. And, when the normally collected William stumbles in one night, shaken and ranting of ghosts, James is the only one who believes him.

James himself has heard the nails dragging down his bedroom door and the sobs echoing in the halls at night. He knows other have, too, even if no one will admit it. The staff refuses to entertain such ridiculous tales, and punishment awaits anyone who brings it up.

Their fervent denial and the disappearance of students only furthers James' determination to find out what secrets Whisperwood is hiding... especially if it prevents William and himself from becoming the next victims.

Preorder links

Preorders are specially priced at .99c! June 2nd, the price will increase, so snag it now!

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iTunes

Barnes & Noble

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Here you can find some stunning artwork of the characters!

And here's the gorgeous cover!

Author links

Kelley: FB page / FB Group / Website / Twitter / Tumblr

Rowan: FB page / Twitter

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Wrapping the Month: April

What's greater way to start new month than taking a look at previous one?

April continued to be a bit slow month here, especially the first half. What can I say, I had a short holiday in southern France and then my life has been mostly been studying and watching Once Upon A Time and The Great British Bake Off. I did read quite a lot and participated in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon, which was a blast. Now I just need to write a ton of reviews that I've ignored in the last few months.

I wasn't trying to control my book buying in April, but somehow I didn't get much. Just these and one eARC.

April's reviews:

Blow Down (5 stars)
Coffin Road (4 stars)
The Three Theban Plays (4 stars)

In April, I managed to read six books, which I'm happy about. Although it has to be said that it was a bit all over, as I either devoured multiple books within a few days or didn't read anything for days. Anyway, here's what I read;

  

First half of May will be stressful because of the end of semester exams and projects. After them it's holidays so I should have plenty of time to read and blog, and there's at least one readathon that I'm participating.

Hugs,

Henna