Doctor, Doctor by Will Okati

September 12, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Doctor, Doctor by Will Okati
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Love isn’t easy and it’s rarely simple. More often than not it takes practice. Lots of practice.

It Takes Practice (Doctor, Doctor 1)
Dr. Nathan Rey has had a case of broken heart syndrome since his wild, bad-boy lover disappeared. He still can’t forget Fitz, and no one he’s met since could begin to compare. Then Nathan’s nurse elopes overnight and the temp agency sends him, certified and licensed, Fitz himself, with far more than work on his mind. Fitz means to convince Nathan seven years isn’t too long to wait for a second chance at the love of a lifetime.

It Takes Three (Doctor, Doctor 2)
Three med students. Geoff’s wound tight as a cheap watch. Ross is, too, but unless it’s got to do with math or science he’s oblivious. Aurélien’s uber-zen, uber-practical. With exams coming up fast, they’re all in desperate need of some R & R. What better way than getting a little action? Together. Multiple times, and in multiple ways. Once they get started these guys “work” well together. Maybe a little too much so. Aren’t things like this supposed to be hard? In this case, the answer to all their questions is three.

In It Takes Practice. Dr. Nathan Ray is attempting to keep his head above water. Operating an on-call service to those in need and those who are unable to make it into a traditional doctor’s office, he buries himself in work as a way of forgetting his past. That is, until his past unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep one morning.

Nathan thinks he finally has a handle on everything – minus his love life – until he sees that familiar face again. One glance at an older, but still handsome, Fitz nearly knocks him off his feet. Fitz is both different and all too much the same as he’d been back in college, something that confuses and intrigues Nathan. I loved watching Nathan and Fitz rediscover each other, even if Nathan’s determined to get through the day and leave Fitz in the past. Even though I think he knew from that very first moment that he could never manage to do that.

Second chance romances are one of my favorites. It’s so much fun to watch the couple relearn everything they thought they once knew, as well as adjust to their older, more worldly, selves. It Takes Practice hits all of these notes for me in both bittersweet and hilarious moments. This was by far my favorite of the two, and I’d love to know how Nathan and Fitz are doing today.

It Takes Three is a different sort of novel completely. While desperately trying to study for an important upcoming test, Geoff has managed to stress himself out completely. Something that I, unfortunately, can relate to a little too well. However, Geoff’s not alone in his frustrations. Someone else – two, in fact – are right there with him in the stress ball called medical school.

As I mentioned, Geoff’s the one I can relate to the best. Everything to him is a major moment and he acts accordingly. He’s stressed, but unwilling to stop studying for a bit of fun, because the test is a major factor in whether he graduates or not. Aurélien is the complete opposite of Geoff. He’s very mellow and unconcerned with tomorrow, he’s more focused on today. Aurélien is exactly the kind of guy Geoff needs in his life to help balance him out. Ross, by far, was my favorite of the three, mainly because he was unexpected. He appears to not be very bright. Instead, he’s thoughtful and careful with his words and actions, which can often make someone unfairly think you’re less intelligent than you are. The three of them together is a fun-filled bout of sexy times and even some studying. I was definitely rooting for them by the end.

Both stories in Doctor, Doctor, combine romance, humor, and steamy scenes into well-rounded and enjoyable stories about men trying to find their way through life. Medical romances aren’t something I read often, but after these two, hot, short stories, I might need to make an exception and start to seek more out.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Movie Review: Deadpool and Wolverine

September 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Deadpool and Wolverine by Writers Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Corrin
Publisher: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: 4 stars (8 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

Deadpool is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine to save his universe from extinction.

It’s been a long time for hardcore Marvel fans waiting for the team up between Deadpool and Wolverine, but this movie made it so worth it. Honoring the death of the Wolverine in the Logan movie (2017) while also simultaneously introducing both characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s obvious that everyone involved poured their heart and soul into this movie.

With the Marvel movies following Avengers: Endgame (2019), it’s been a bit hit or miss for me on whether or not I enjoyed them and whether or not I felt they added something to the bigger Marvel cinematic universe. This movie gave a lot of love to the kids (now adults) who have grown up with these characters, the movies and the comics; I don’t want to spoil the surprise but there are a lot of fun expected cameos along the way. Shoutout to Ladypool, Kidpool, and Babypool (if you know, you know).

In terms of the actual cinematic experience, I don’t think I’ve cackled that much in a theater in a long time. I was practically bouncing in my seat at times and singing along to the soundtrack for more than half the time (side note: whoever curated that soundtrack did an excellent job). It’s still not a movie I would ever recommend for kids with the sometimes gratuitous amounts of swearing, very bloody fight scenes, and poorly veiled innuendos. However, it leaves me excited for the future of the Marvel Cinematic universe and how much levity Deadpool and Wolverine will add going forward.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Surreal Escapes – 7 Speculative Stories by Kelli A. Wilkins

September 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Surreal Escapes – 7 Speculative Stories by Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Holiday, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Are you ready to take a journey into the unexpected?

In these 7 speculative stories, ordinary people start off having an average, normal day… until they encounter the world of the surreal. They quickly realize they’re in another realm where anything can—and does—happen.

Some of these unusual tales include:

“Holiday Havoc” – The night shift in a retail store hosts the ultimate Halloween vs. Christmas showdown

“Little Boy Lost” – After several strange incidents, Beverly suspects her son’s imaginary friend isn’t so imaginary

“The Man in Apt. 3-A” – What do you do when you discover your neighbor is a vampire?

“Whispers from the Past” – Not all ghosts are scary… or strangers

This collection of short fiction will unnerve you, spark your imagination, and make you wonder what else is possible in the world of the surreal.

What makes life ordinary depends on who is describing it.

“Holiday Havoc” was a playful take on the drudgery of working in retail and how Christmas overshadows every other holiday between August and December in many stores. I empathized with Kira and was so curious to find out how her complaints about moving all of the Halloween merchandise to the clearance section weeks before the last day of October even arrived. This was a cathartic tale that I’d recommend to anyone who has ever been overwhelmed by the appearance of Christmas merchandise or music months before December actually arrives.

There were a few times when I wished more details had been added to these tales. For example, “Little Boy Lost” foreshadowed a much darker cause of death for Michael that was later explained. I found myself wondering if I’d misunderstood that scene or if the cause of death that Beverly found when she looked into the history of her haunted house might not have been entirely accurate. This was a pattern that I also noticed in “The Ape” when Billy described how mean his stepfather was and another character came just short of revealing something much more sinister about the stepdad. As much as I would have loved to give this a full five-star rating, these questions popped up just often enough for me to wish they’d been explored and explained better.

With that being said, “The Man in Apt. 3-A” was perfect. It was deliciously scary and humorous at the same time. So many of Albec’s quirks about not wanting to go outdoors during the day or have anyone visit his apartment for any reason could be explained away as cultural or personality differences, and yet there was still something unnerving about him that Charlie could never quite brush away. The commentary about how people in apartment buildings learn to ignore the sounds and scents they notice coming from other folks’ homes was a nice touch, too! Etiquette can cover up all sorts of things that might be more easily noticed in a different setting. The ending was what really endeared me to this piece, though, due to how it tied everything together and gave an explanation for why the bartender was so interested in Charlie’s life, too.

Be sure to read the short explanations of how Ms. Wilkins came up with each story as well. I love it when authors share these details and wish it were commonplace! There are so many moments in life that could have a supernatural explanation if they were fiction or if the facts were altered just slightly.

Surreal Escapes – 7 Speculative Stories was a nice blend of spookiness and gentle humor.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Pass the Salt by Robert Kingett

September 3, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Pass the Salt by Robert Kingett
Publisher: Compassiviste Publishing
Genre: Non-Fiction, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Online dating is never easy. You’re meeting a complete stranger, and you’re opening yourself up in a way that some of your best friends don’t even get to see. But when Robert Kingett stepped out onto the dating scene, he faced a whole host of additional challenges as gay man living with blindness, cerebral palsy, and a speech impediment.

Pass the Salt details Robert’s time on the dating scene in 2010s Chicago. Get ready to meet the brightest and best from the online dating world, including The Fare Fan, The Smooth Catfish, and the dashing Richard, who’s better company than Robert’s humming fridge. It’s a hilarious and often moving account of his adventures, guaranteed to make you laugh, make you think, and above all, inspire you.

Love is for everyone.

I adored the honesty of this book. Both the negative and positive aspects of the dating experience were described in vivid detail. Many of the men he dated were wonderful human beings who just so happened not to be a good match for Mr. Kingett himself. I also appreciated how the author described his own flaws and how they could also be deal breakers for others. No one is perfect, after all, and it takes maturity to acknowledge one’s own shortcomings.

Some of the most interesting scenes in my opinion were the ones that explored how factors like race and disability affect someone’s experience in the dating scene. Mr. Kingett met a wide variety of men during his years of online dating, and not everyone was looking for the same thing. In certain cases, his prospective partners were looking for boyfriends who fit specific criteria, but other dates were with men who were open to falling in love with all sorts of different people. I enjoyed learning about their reasons for their choices no matter where they fell on the spectrum of which races they were open to dating or whether having a boyfriend who had a disability was something they viewed negatively. There is so much to learn about how other people’s minds work by paying attention to how they think about such things. The author also had his own list of deal breakers that not everyone else in the world would necessarily see in the same way, and it was intriguing to see how his preferences did or did not match up with what his dates were looking for.

There were a few things about the ending that I wish had been explained better. For example, the beginning mentioned that some of the people the author dated are now part of his found family. I would have loved to have more details about their friendships and how they evolved from romantic to platonic connections. Knowing their names was helpful, but as a reader I wished for more information to help me better visualize what life is like these days for them. Obviously, I am not referring to anything that they’re uncomfortable sharing here! It simply didn’t feel quite complete to me when I finished the final paragraph given how emotionally invested I’d become in the author’s journey.

Pass the Salt was a sweet and heartwarming read.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Found by Chance by Gareth Chris

August 30, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Found by Chance by Gareth Chris
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ,
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Chance has an unexpected attraction to his neighbors—a gay couple—and this unconventional relationship could end Chance’s career and family relationships.

Chance Findley is a successful marketing executive until his career is jeopardized by a disastrous presentation to a Chamber of Commerce member.

During a mandated recuperative break, Chance’s suppressed same-sex attraction reawakens when he bonds with his new neighbor, Arlo, despite Arlo having a physician partner named Charlie and a surprising job as a cam performer. Chance secretly subscribes to Arlo’s fan page. Guilty about his invasion of Arlo’s privacy, Chance avoids his neighbor until an acute medical problem brings Arlo and his doctor boyfriend—the same Chamber of Commerce member who hated Chance’s presentation—to his doorstep. An attraction grows between the three men.

But when Charlie’s attempt to mend Chance’s relationship with his boss backfires due to a potential conflict of interest, and Chance’s parents learn of his relationship with Arlo and Charlie, Chance finds himself out of a job, at odds with his family and struggling with Arlo and Charlie. Will the three of them be able to find a happily-ever-after, despite everything that stands in their way?

Forced to take leave from a job he loves, Chance is lost. And then he meets his neighbor, Arlo, who rolls into his life like a breath of fresh air and tidal wave of joy. But when Chance starts to feel attraction towards Arlo, he begins to question everything he knows about himself and his life. What if the two men next door are the answer to everything he needs?

Arlo is a whirlwind to say the least. He blows into and right back out of Chance’s life several times during the week Chance is moving in. He’s bright, he’s cheerful, and he’s positive no matter how bad the situation seems. While I appreciated such a light hearted character, he did push the limits of my patience at times. However, he was probably my favorite of the three simply because he refused to let life get him down.

Charlie, on the other hand, is very grounded and steady. Considering he’s a doctor, this is to be expected. He’s serious, but doesn’t take himself too seriously either. Truthfully, I can see how he and Arlo wound up together, they create a great balance for each other. One holding the other to reality while the other gives a reminder that things don’t have to always be so serious.

I wasn’t sure how or where Chance would fit into their already functional relationship. Eventually, I figured that Chance’s personality fell smack in the middle between Charlie and Arlo, allowing him to have his crazy moments as well as his more serious ones. I was impressed with how he handled his emerging same-sex attraction to Arlo and Charlie, and how he embraced it rather than fighting it.

Found by Chance is an engaging and uplifting story of finding your way, learning about yourself, and taking on the haters in the world. When you have someone who loves you, and always has your back, you can do and overcome anything, from bigots in the street to hateful family members. You might lose someone in the process, but you’re bound to find someone even more special along the way.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

*Viscount in Love by Eloisa James

August 27, 2024 By Leave a Comment


*Viscount in Love by Eloisa James
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager/ Avon
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

He wants a nanny, not a bride…

Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady—until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée’s unconventional sister. Torie isn’t perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he’s actually chosen her.

She wants to marry for love…

Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is… but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny.

But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he’ll have to give all he has to win her love.

Viscount in Love is an enchanting historical romance. The characters are endearing and the story kept me entertained and quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

I loved Dom and Tori together. They have explosive chemistry and I enjoyed all of their encounters. Individually they each have insecurities but together they help each other to become confident and happy.

I found it easy to like Dom. He is an alpha male with a blustery temper but he hides his tender heart because he thinks it makes him look weak. Tori helps Dom open his heart and find happiness for the first time. I admired Dom because when he discovers he must care for his sister’s children, he takes his role very seriously. Dom immediately took the children into his home and was willing to give them whatever they needed to thrive. I found myself rooting for the two motherless children in the story and hoping everything would turn out well for them.

Tori has learned to live with all the derogatory comments directed at her from her family, friends and acquaintances. People can be cruel and Tori has learned to live with their remarks. She doesn’t know her worth but Dom is always there for her showing his support and leering at anybody who has anything negative to say about Tori.

This is a captivating romantic story and I loved being in the world that Eloisa James has created. The plot is interesting, the characters are engaging and I never wanted this story to end.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Love at a Girls’ School and Other Stories by Diana Altman

August 22, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Love at a Girls’ School and Other Stories by Diana Altman
Publisher: Tapley Cove Press
Genre: General Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

LOVE AT A GIRLS’ SCHOOL, is a funny, touching collection of short stories previously published in the Notre Dame Review, North American Review, The Sea Letter, and other respected literary journals. Using her penetrating eye, wicked sense of humor, and vivid imagination, Diana Altman shares her take on college life in the 1960’s in stories such as, Love at a Girls’ School, in which young lovers struggle to find privacy in an era of prudish college rules. The setting of an all-girls’ school adds an extra layer of intimacy and vulnerability to the stories. The school becomes a microcosm of the world where young hearts learn about the unexpected flaws of the adults whose authority they must obey. In Receptions with the Poet, we meet Theodore Howland, a famous Pulitzer Prize winning poet who was the narrator’s beloved teacher at college. His betrayal of her does not dim the narrator’s loyalty to him and when they meet years after she has graduated, they still have a deep connection. Waiting for Jasmine, is set in recent times and takes the reader inside a shelter for homeless women where life is sometimes violent and often confusing not because of the women who come to the shelter for food and a bed, but because of the eccentric and unbalanced women who work in the shelter. Itty Bitty Betsy is a tiny secretary who works in the narrator’s hobo bag giving her the items she requests so the narrator won’t have to scrounge around in there to find things. The stories are witty, poignant, and often hilarious. A fast-moving, easy to read and entertaining collection by a master of the form.

This is a collection of imaginative stories that is sure to include something for many different literary tastes. These are not sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat tales but rather slices of life of everyday people that readers could possibly relate to.

The insights gleaned will come upon pondering the stories during and after having read them. Different types of people are represented here as well as a variety of settings and even time frames.

The author does well in capturing human nature, and her stories have their share of surprises in them. You might think the story is heading in a certain direction than discover something new and unexpected by the end.

Love at a Girls’ School and Other Stories is a short collection, and readers are bound to remember their favorites for a long time.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

August 16, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Review by Snowdrop

Raised on tales of cowboys and pirates, eleven-year-old Reuben Land has little doubt that miracles happen all around us, and that it’s up to us to “make of it what we will.” Reuben was born with no air in his lungs, and it was only when his father, Jeremiah, picked him up and commanded him to breathe that his lungs filled. Reuben struggles with debilitating asthma from then on, making him a boy who knows firsthand that life is a gift, and also one who suspects that his father is touched by God and can overturn the laws of nature.

The quiet Midwestern life of the Lands is upended when Davy, the oldest son, kills two marauders who have come to harm the family; unlike his father, he is not content to leave all matters of justice in God’s hands. The morning of his sentencing, Davy–a hero to some, a cold-blooded murderer to others–escapes from his cell, and the Lands set out in search of him. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers–among them a free spirit named Roxanna, who offers them a place to stay during a blizzard and winds up providing them with something far more permanent. Meanwhile, a federal agent is trailing the Lands, convinced they know of Davy’s whereabouts.

With Jeremiah at the helm, the family covers territory far more extraordinary than even the Badlands where they search for Davy from their Airstream trailer. Sprinkled with playful nods to biblical tales, beloved classics such as Huckleberry Finn, the adventure stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the westerns of Zane Grey, Peace Like a River unfolds like a revelation.

At first, I thought this would be of the religious genre, a genre I do not enjoy. As it turned out, although miracles are indeed mentioned and Bible reading occurs, I’m not sure this is a story that is at all religious.

What I do know is that it is a beautifully written story of a family trying to make their way. It reminded me so much of families moving west during the Depression and yet was actually set in the sixties. A single father with three children tries to support and raise his family only to find that his daughter has been attacked by boys at school. While her father tries to be passive and forgiving, the oldest brother can think of nothing but revenge. His actions change the lives of the entire family.

This whole story is written from the POV of the younger brother. An indisposed child, very asthmatic, and often picked on due to being frail with an illness that while better treatment was on the brink of discovery, was totally misunderstood at that time. The story is of interest and the characters quite real, but the biggest attribute of this book is its writer.

The reading flows so much that I read and read and couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those “oh, just one more page” books. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Cat Who Chased Ghosts by Nic Minnella

August 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Cat Who Chased Ghosts by Nic Minnella
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In a sleepy little town, an ordinary-looking cat hides an extraordinary secret that will transform his owners’ lives forever.

When the Thompson family inherits a dilapidated old house, their overprotected son Timmy forms a strong bond with Whiskers—a chronically lazy tabby who’s not what he seems.

As Timmy explores the house’s mysteries, a chilling discovery puts his courage to the test. With the help of Whiskers and some newfound friends, he must face supernatural forces beyond his imagination and rescue a soul in peril.

Would you trust a ghost?

This was a delightfully spooky read that added exactly the right amount of horror to everything else that was going on. I especially enjoyed the scariest scenes that happened right before the end. They played around with the audience’s expectations of which characters we should trust and what might happen next just like Neil Gaiman’s Coraline did years ago, and they kept me guessing until the end.

It would have been helpful to have more character development, especially when it came to Timmy. As much as I liked him, I did find myself wishing I knew more about his personality and how these adventures changed him. He was obviously a caring kid, but I’d find it a little difficult to describe him in other ways like whether he was extroverted or introverted or what hobbies he had with the exceptions of spending time with cats and trying to solve old mysteries. This is something I’m saying as someone who adored the plot and wished I could give this a five-star rating. Everything else about it was excellent.

I loved the timeless feeling of this story. While it was definitely set in the present, there was so much about it that could have just as easily happened fifty years ago or fifty years from now. After all, there are always children who don’t quite understand the mysterious and confusing rules that grownups follow and adults who never quite forget what it feels like to be a child. The author’s humorous approach to these evergreen themes made me chuckle, and I nodded my head along as I found ways to empathize with every single character here, including smart little Whiskers! While this was obviously intended for the middle grade age range, I’d warmly encourage adult readers to give it a try, too, as it has something to say to them about the quiet magic of life as well.

The Cat Who Chased Ghosts made me yearn for Halloween even though I read this in the middle of summer.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

A Team Of Two by Brad Lee

August 8, 2024 By Leave a Comment


A Team Of Two by Brad Lee
Publisher: Simply Sensible Entertainment
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Across Los Angeles, all electronics are suddenly destroyed.

Gone forever. Useless. Is it a single terrorist attack? Or the opening salvo in a larger, sinister plot?

Brilliant young intelligence analyst Haley is convinced the USA is about to be bombed back to the Stone Age, resulting in chaos, death, and destruction.

Has someone successfully created a tactical EMP—electromagnetic pulse—device?

And if so, can she and Axe, a former Navy SEAL, find and stop them before the world as we know it is destroyed?

Or is the situation even more dire than it seems?

Across a three mile radius in LA including a number of their busiest freeways, all electronics simultaneously die. Cars, smart-gear, lights, everything. Is this an isolated attack, or the start of something far greater? Hayley is convinced the whole of the USA is about to be bombed back into the stone age, but she can’t find the proof required to appeal to the powers that be. So once again, Hayley and her former Navy SEAL partner, Axe, are going it alone, determined to save the world.

This book is set just a few months after the ending of A Team of One and I really enjoyed the fact the characters had progressed somewhat after their crazy ordeal in the previous book. Even so, I enjoyed that this book still very much had the feel of picking up just a little after where the last one left off. I loved a few cameos from characters in the first book – and equally adored the introduction of a few more secondary characters that I very much want to know better in the coming few books. This author has a real knack for writing characters I find highly enjoyable and definitely want to get to know better.

I will admit that in some places this book doesn’t have the break-neck speed of the previous book. At first, I thought I’d find the story dragged, but quite the contrary I found it helped build the momentum and, in many ways, kept me eager to turn more pages and find out how everything fit together and how it would all build even further. While there was one main plotline – the EMPs – there were a few smaller threads both supporting and circling around the storyline. There was also an unfinished thread from the previous story. So, while I could understand if some readers feel this book wove a little more back and forth and didn’t simply slam you face-first into the action like the previous book, I honestly feel this added complexity to the plots and the solid weaving together of everything added quite a richness into everything and helped me enjoy the story even more.

The vibrant and interesting characters coupled with the high speed action and the complexity of the plot meant that I practically lost an entire weekend to reading this book without a break and a deeply resented the few times I was forced to stop reading. This book is rather like crack – so be warned: once you start this it will be extremely hard to put it down. While I do feel readers can enjoy this book if they pick it up alone, I would strongly recommend going back to book one (and that book by itself was phenomenal to my mind) mainly because there are a number of secondary characters as well as some small aspects to why Axe and Hayley trust each other so deeply and work so well together that comes from that previous book. This book I think will just feel more complete to readers who have read the first one.

An exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable action-based mystery/espionage style of book this is a brilliant author and a fabulous new-to-me series that I am thoroughly hooked on. Bring on the next one!

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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