Sugar Honey Iced Tea

You know that feeling when you're staring at a blank page, trying to figure out a way to pour all the joy, excitement, happiness... all the spectrum of emotions bubbling up inside you, and failing miserably? No? Well, lucky you!It's funny, actually, how words seem to fail me every single time I fall in love with a book...Let's try it this way - have you read Soul Avenged yet? No? What are you waiting for? Go, right now, and once you finish it, you can keep me company while I bite my nails waiting for the SoW #2! Trust me, you'll want it - need it - as much as I do now. You won't be able to resist! This book will blow your mind!But, let me explain things a bit...First of all, a note to self - do NOT worry about the Glossary, and just start reading. Seriously, once I saw Brozszius, Gaszla, Servosx, Zshula ... I couldn't help but think - what have I gotten myself into this time??? But, page one - I was already hooked, and forgot all about it.I'm pretty sure this is the best paranormal/urban fantasy book I've read so far. It pulls you right in, holds your attention, and doesn't let go. Quite a page-turner! You'll meet a bunch of paranormals here - Demons, Lycans, Alexi, ghouls... You'll laugh, giggle, frown, yell and fall in love!Ayden is an awesome, kickass heroine (the very first badass one that did not annoy the hell out of me!), and she just got herself a human halfling. Now she has seven days before the halfling turns into a Lycan. Seven days to find out what she needs, before she has to kill him. And those seven days are exactly what Soul Avenged is all about.So, here we have Ayden - an Alexi soldier, killing machine, and then there's Kane - this poor, average human/halfling, and then here's me thinking - this is soooooo not gonna work! Well, that thought lasted until Kane opened his mouth and spoke properly for the first time. I was too busy happy dancing around to worry about him (not) being alpha enough - and, he is. Oh, my, he most definitely is!Those witty/sarcastic/snappy dialogues and lines are just what I needed, wanted, and what I was hoping I'll find. Damn, I could quote pages and pages of it, and that would be just Ayden and Kane, without even mentioning the... oh, wait!“So Ayden’s been … wronged. I’ll assume by lycans, considering how fond of me she is.” He rubbed his non-greasy hand down his face. “And she’s sicced the prince of violence and all his sons on me. Fantastic.”Let me introduce you to Wrath brothers! They are (picky) demons for hire. They live in a mansion. They are HOT! And, there's seven of them.If I had to choose right now, I'd go with Gavin, Logan and Zayne - but I do expect to change my mind... often.Please don't ask if they are similar to BDB. I have no idea. Haven't read BDB yet. I'll just stick with these hotties. They are more than enough.So, why should you read Soul Avenged?Because it's one hell of a story.Because Keri Lake is incredibly talented writer.Because her world-building is exquisite, her characters are flawed, damaged, alluring, witty, real...Because she'll show you that the greatest weakness can sometimes turn out to be the greatest strength.Because this is not an easy, light or short read. It's full of action, it's bloody at times - definitely NOT for the faint of hearts - but, once you start reading, you won't be able to stop, and by the time you finish it, you will most definitely want more. Much more. And you'll want it right now!*** ARC kindly provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review ***

If only he'd drop that ball...Full review coming up!

Buddy read with Shelly, Blacky, Vishous & Glass!Seriously - there's no better way to say it!Okay, now for the review...This is quite a short read. Short as in 'it took me two hours to finish it'. And, as you may already know, I have a sort of love/hate relationship with short books. I love to read them from time to time, and then I keep saying I'll never do it again, because I need enough room for development (and a nice long-ish HEA) that's so not gonna fit in there... and it goes on and on and on.Aside from being short, it's also quite tame - not YA tame, just tamer than my (our) usual reads. But, we are pervs, so don't let that sway you from this one.What this book is most definitely NOT is epic. And, just in case you're wondering, I mean it in a very, very good way!The story goes like this - Bridget left Texas when she was 18, and moved to NY. She's 25 now, has a great job, hot-shot-lawyer fiance, and she's coming home for the first time because her grandfather is ill. The problem is, there's someone else waiting for her there - Levi, a seriously hot cowboy, and the guy she left behind all those years ago. But, hey, she's engaged, loves her fiance, and they're not in high school anymore. So, no problem there, right? Right...This would have been a really cute (kinda predictable), entertaining little read, if it weren't for one thing -> Bridget. That girl annoyed the hell out of me!I mean, come on! She's the ultimate high school 25-going-on-15 drama queen! In her perfect little world, she'd get married, but still get to somehow keep Levi too, so no way would he be allowed to have a girlfriend, and the most important thing of all - she wouldn't have to make a single decision in her life. Oh, wait... that almost happened anyway!Gah! At some point, it really became too much for me. All that no, no, no, I shouldn't and I can't and Oh, daddy, he told me to grow up!... News flash? YOU SHOULD!Anyway, thanks to the predictable part I mentioned earlier, she *gasp* finally *gasp* managed to make the (right) decision. *round of applause*Ring the damn curtain down, before she changes her mind again!Oh, and, for a fine cowboy pic... well, I thought this one would be perfect Levi (thanks Jillian)!

I cannot even begin to describe how much I love reading M/M books. That's one of the reasons I was looking forward to this one, and the summary alone made me incredibly excited. A cowboy? That was a pure bonus! So, what made me think A Hard Bargain is not at all what I was hoping it would be? Let's see...The beginning of the story is great. After he was left at the altar, Cade Lawson decided it was time for a change of scenery. As city life is not something he enjoyed, he grabbed a chance to consider investing in a ranch. The ranch owned by Jed McMasters, actually. Cade flies to San Antonio to meet Jed and see if the ranch is what he hoped it would be. Jed – being gay – is instantly attracted to Cade, but he's trying to hide it, afraid that Cade will leave if he finds out. Cade, on the other hand, feels the attraction, but he's confused by it, and sure that Jed is nothing but straight. Interested to see how they'll work it out? Yes, I was too.The first issue I had with this book is editing. There are some mistakes in there – nothing much, but enough to distract you from the story. The sentences seem chopped at times, and the overall flow should have been much smoother. But none of that would cause such a low rating alone.As this is a short read – and erotica – I wasn't expecting much of a character development. Just enough to help me understand the story better, and connect with the characters easier. Still, the more I read, the less I liked it, and it left me pretty confused. There is simply not enough development here, and some important issues were not addressed properly.Cade's attraction to Jed is far from realistic. It felt to me like he looked at Jed and suddenly became gay. And although there are hints later on that it wasn't the case, it was still not enough to convince me.I cannot say that it would be better if it were a longer story, as I've read some really short ones that managed to give me everything they should. It feels more like there are some missing pieces that would help this story reach its full potential – and there is a lot of potential here.Sadly, A Hard Bargain left me feeling underwhelmed, as I was expecting much more. More character development, deeper involvement, better dialogues, and realistically drawn attraction between Cade and Jed. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten any of that this time.* This review was originally written for The Romance Reviewshttp://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=7976

Again - I wouldn't mind at all finding myself stuck in an elevator with Caden. At all.

“Someday,” he whispered softly in my ear. “I don’t want to hurt you. Not until you’re ready for me… But someday I’m going to own all of you, Marie. You’re all mine, babe. Knew it the first time I saw you. Couldn’t give you up if I tried.”I'm hoping I'll manage to write something coherent, but... this story blew a circuit in my brain, or something, so bear with me here!Meet Marie Jensen - she left her cheating, abusive, good-for-nothing husband, and moved back in with her brother Jeff. Trying to sort her life out. Not looking for trouble. Not looking for a man... Especially NOT looking for a hot, dangerous, badass, biker guy.So, meet Marcus Antonius Caesar McDonnell - a.k.a. Horse - hot, dangerous, badass, tattooed, biker guy. One of the members of Reapers MC, that visit her brother quite often.They live in two utterly different worlds, that are about to collide, and once it happens there will be no turning back!Gotta admit this, at the very beginning of the story, I had no idea what to expect. It starts off in the middle of that horrible scene with Jeff (trouble!), and then keeps jumping back and forth between present and all the flashbacks of Marie moving in, meeting the Reapers, and her moments with Horse.First, I was worried it'll turn out to be too dark and heavy, as that opening scene does look a bit scary.Then I was seriously worried it'll be too funny, and the whole story will turn out to be ridiculous.And, then... Well, I just fell in love!His eyes were bloodshot and the muscles in his unshaven jaw clenched. He lifted my hand and kissed it very softly. That’s when I saw his knuckles.They were completely torn up, crusted over with blood.He followed my gaze, shaking his head slowly, offering me a strange, sad little smile.Seriously, the way Horse took care of Marie, that time when he'd programmed himself into the "favorites" list on her phone, all the times he showed his gentle, sweet side, everything he offered...By the time I read his POV of that scene with Jeff, I was gone, gone, gone!Okay, yes, Horse did act all hot & cold, not to mention there were moments he made me laugh like crazy... What? Well, he's funny, and just picturing that huge badass guy letting his niece name his dog Ariel, and his mother decorating his (now cutesy) kitchen (“I made her stop because I don’t have a pussy and I didn’t want to start growing one,” he replied, voice testy.)... precious!Horse's POV, along with the moments of his kind of honesty, is what made this story really work!“You wanted to know what a sweet butt is?” Horse whispered in my ear, pausing a second to trail his tongue along the shell of my ear. I shivered, twitching around his fingers deep inside. “That’s a sweet butt. She’s here to take cock and clean up after the party. Anyone who wants her can have her. Do you think for one minute that I see you like that? That I ever could?”Yes, I'm doing my best not to turn this review into a long panting/drooling session. Because, honestly, the story is OMG so hot I was melting!But, what made it so special is this - Reaper's Property is much more than just a hot, at times funny, story. It's about loyalty, choices, life, greed, money, brotherhood, respect, trust... grief.The song soared around us as Picnic threw the two sets of patched leathers into the fire. All around me I heard women sniffling. Men blinked quickly, their eyes suspiciously moist. All too soon the song ended and the leather cuts were lost in the flame.It was official. Bagger had left the Reapers behind.It's all that... and you better read it!And, because I enjoyed it so much, and got the chance to buddy read with V (not to mention spoiler-torture her - love you, V!), it turned into a solid five star read for me! Gosh, I do hope this'll turn into a series, as I'd really love to read more about all those wonderful characters we get to meet here!Oh, just one more thing! Horse, babe...

Blacky! Vishous! Where are you, lovelies?Look what I found!It seems Niko is the most popular male name in Serbia/Croatia! Here's another one - meet this handsome Croatian model Niko Bulajic!Wanna read it? I dare you! :D

"I'm going to get a shower, do my face, put on my prettiest new dress, and then we're going to trundle downtown to do the gay cross-dresser version of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."It's so wrong knowing there's a guy out there somewhere that's more of a lady than I am! And, I'm a lady, dammit! Ugh!Okay... that was kind of unladylike, wasn't it? :/Now I'm officially finished with Sky & Max, and (once again)... I. Want. More!!!Oh, and here's an excellent quote! ^^"Men — can't live with them, can't stuff them and use them as doorstops."

Max smiled and raised an eyebrow. "The ‘no commitment’ stuff was bullshit, right?"Grinning, Skyler said, "Sounded good, though, didn’t it?"Honestly, pure torture!I want more about these two! More!!!

"The sex is one thing, Sky, but me saying I love you—""—would make you a—""Don't."Okay, why is this story so short? Why??? *cries*A gruff and tough police detective, his cross-dressing boyfriend (love you, Sky!), and the most appropriate title ever!

I got it! I got it! I got it! ARC courtesy of Random House via NetGalley

Hello, lovelies!Enjoy reading good m/m stories, do you? Wanna see what happens in one about friends-to-lovers, with a dash of angst, homophobia, rate-the-sexual-kink game, and some elephants tap dancing around? Well, I've got just the thing for you!Trey and Josh have been friends since they were kids. Best friends ever. But, when they were seventeen, Josh's family moved away because of one event that made both boys think of all gays as pedophiles... or not. Actually, Trey was already sure he's gay, and now he was also sure he'll never get a chance to tell Josh he's in love with him.Eight years, and a lot of IMing and phone calls, later Josh shows up at Trey's door and asks for help - one week of helping him run his Aunt's store and taking care of animals - especially one man-hating vicious pony!Josh had somehow kept this illusion in his brain that things hadn't changed. That Trey was still his best friend, at his back, always there for him, the one guy who would never ask why if he needed help. And now he'd asked, and Trey had said no.Well, I don't blame the poor guy! He's convinced his friend is straight and homophobic, and spending a whole week together is not easy, when he's doing his best not to show how he feels. But, Trey being Trey couldn't let Josh feel hurt, so he changed his mind. One week is not that long, is it?Trey sighed theatrically. "What kind of friend would I be if I refused to get kicked in the nuts for you? Bring it on. How bad can one pony be?"Through the cotton over his face, Josh said, "You'll find out."So, there they are. Trying not to be awkward around each other. Trying to bring back that connection they had. Trying so hard to live with the memories, the nightmares... and avoiding those tap-dancing elephants.But, once the truth comes out, it's gonna shock the hell out of them both..."Trey, if you're trying to weird me out with that shit it won't work. Remember Stef?""Your girlfriend Stephanie?""My boyfriend Stefan. I'm bi."And, if you, even for a second, thought that was it, and everything is fine and dandy with these two now... you're so wrong! They have a long way to go, families to survive, insecurities to deal with, lives to sort out... There are also some very fine sex games to play, and Josh's elephant is still tap-dancing around the room - but, not for long.Trey's laugh was soft and indulgent, not mocking. "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to talk about sex stuff, things we can do. And you're going to rate it on a scale from zero-I-hate-that to ten-gives-me-a-woody-even-with-my-mother-in-the-room.""I'm not sure a ten exists.""Ah, that will be part of the fun. We're going to find your ten."So, there you have it. A wonderful, sweet, realistic story about two amazing guys, and their long journey home - to each other.I loved it! I loved both Trey and Josh so much! Even the lack of communication and all the misunderstandings and insecurities failed to bother me, because there is (for once) a good reason for it all.I hope you'll give these boys a chance! They so deserve it!Josh sighed and relaxed, spooning in against Trey's side. "With you I can just be me. I'm home." And it felt like truth down to the center of his being. He was finally where he belonged.

Nope.

Somebody please stop me!I'm a masochist (and, not in a good way). I keep reading these short stories and novellas, even though I know they'll just leave me frustrated as hell. Damn!Anyway, it's a nice, short story. It's kind of hot too. And it doesn't even have a HEA.Gah!

How shall I put this gently...?No. Okay? Just... no.It pains me to say it, but I was so sure this book will turn out to be a fine, refreshing, light holiday read. The first half of it is great. Seriously. Great!So, what went wrong? And, what's even more important - how could it go so terribly wrong?Let's see...At the very beginning of the story, Tilly (the heroine) is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She lost her job, her home and her boyfriend. On Christmas Eve, of all days! And, to top it all off, the train that would take her to her brother is not about to arrive any time soon. Well, maybe in a few days. Christmas is officially canceled.So there she is, all desperate and broken, with her one suitcase, when all of a sudden he appears. Dean - the only guy Tilly ever loved. Her brother's (ex) friend. The same guy she's spent almost a decade pining over. The one that never wanted her. Well, that's what she thinks...See, Tilly's brother Phil made Dean promise he'll stay away from her. Because... hm, because she deserves better. Because there were some rumors about Dean being a murderer. And, Dean does not want to break that promise. Even if it kills him. Even if it means he'll lose the only girl that he's ever loved.But, let's get back to the story...So, Tilly ends up at Dean's house. And, since they are about to spend a couple of days together, maybe Christmas isn't cancelled after all. Maybe there's a chance for the two of them.Dean was really trying hard to resist, poor guy, but when he let go I was hoping this story will (finally) reach the greatest part (with a couple of mandatory downs, of course).Actually, that's when Phil showed up.And, that's exactly when it all came crashing down.I'm not sure how it happened. All of a sudden, this cute, fine book turned into... not fine.There was a case of a nervous breakdown (or at least it seemed that way), one partial lobotomy (seriously, I'm not a huge fan of ultimate personality change without a solid reason) and it all became one sobbing, confusing mess.Nothing felt right. There was all that "I forgive you", "I am so sorry", "I was wrong"... but it was too easily solved, way too soon, and it ruined all that fine build up from the first half of the story.It's such a shame. I wish I could give it a higher rating, but all the oh-so-sweet moments just gave me a toothache. Even those diary entries, at the very end, that were supposed to bring it all together seemed too weak and so out of place. Actually, they are (imo, at least) one of the weakest parts of the story.So, it's like this - what started out as a great, light read with highly likable (and realistic) characters turned into a disappointment.Again.I'll just go and look at my Christmas tree for a while... maybe those twinkling lights will help.

I'm such a cover slut!It took me about half an hour to read this one. Some of that time was, to be perfectly honest, spent silently editing.