Sidelined (Southern Scrimmage #2), Mercy Celeste

This beautiful boy, with gorgeous eyes, smiled at me. And I had to go out and throw him on the ground a few times...

-Review by Kazza K

Tracy Wright is a coach at a local high school in Alabama. A school that has seen three high schools amalgamated into one. Which means three football teams that have been, are being, consolidated into one. Nothing like rivals now having to be team members and only one spot per player. The team is a mess, certainly not cohesive, and the school has decided that they will be bringing in another assistant coach to help. They already have one defensive coach now they'll add a new offensive coach to the mix. But Coach Wright is not impressed when he finds out who that is-

"Not fucking Levi Brody.
"Why not? He's an alumnus. He's more than qualified to -"
 "Not Brody. I won't have his prima donna ass on my field. Let him find another team to play God on. I don't want him here. We can't afford to pay him anything close to what he thinks he's worth -"
"You asked for qualified coaching assistants, and I found you probably the best one on the planet. And he volunteered. This is a win-win situation, coach."  

Tracy and Levi played on opposing teams when they were younger. So clearly Tracy is not impressed by the new choice of assistant coach. But why is that? Why such disdain?

Levi Brody has been let go from his team The Pirates in New Orleans. He's in pain and reeling from a career-ending injury to his shoulder, the ease with which his football club has dumped him - paid out his contract, told him to go. His (friends in the) team don't know -

Hey, 501, let's go tee up. Then you can treat me to a couple rounds at Rascals.
So Slayer was back in New Orleans but hadn't gotten the memo that Levi wasn't.

They didn't know yet. None of them. Management took the god damned cowards way out and cut him on the quiet. And no one knew. Yet.

So Slayer, one of Levi's best friends, calls him -

"Where the hell are you anyway? I'll come get you, and we'll talk to management. They can't just cut you. You got us two rings, man."

Levi is back in Alabama, his home town. Jude, Levi's brother, still lives in Alabama. In the town they grew up in. That's why Levi is back. Jude is a lawyer. Lives in the local McMansion that people say came off the winnings of his brother's NFL success. Jude has offered Levi up to the local school, with a few provisos; like naming the local sport field after him. Only thing is he didn't bother telling Levi. Oh, and, Levi isn't taking any calls from his brother at the moment.

Tracy is pissed off about the whole Levi Brody thing. It has stirred long buried emotions back up - by sixteen Levi Brody made Tracy know for sure he was gay. He was a fantasy before he went away to play professional football - even after. Levi will never be interested in him and he sure as hell isn't interested in Levi anymore. He's going to be a pain in the arse and turn his team and coaching into a circus. Levi didn't even turn up when he was supposed to for coaching. He neither wants or needs this shit. So Tracy goes to the local bar before he heads home. He is going to have a few quiet drinks to help deal with it all. While he's at the bar the football news is on and it is announced that Levi Brody has been let go. Things get a bit heated with some patrons -

"Bet he's off getting a blow job from that lousy fag they let play on the team..."
One of the pool table boys shouted at the TV, "Go look for him in Murphy's bed."  
Tracy lunged off the stool and had Brody around the waist before he'd made more than a couple of steps. "Easy they're just assholes. Easy," he said softly, pulling the long lean quarterback away from the commotion. 
"Fuck off." Levi turned to look at Tracy as he shoved him off. Nobody talks about Bo that way and gets away with it."

Levi is under the influence and Tracy can't let him drive home in the state he is in, so he ends up having to drive Levi home. They talk, a bit, Levi a mixture of snark and off-kilter, and Tracy holds his own or is trying to figure out what the deal is. And, of course, Levi is still as sexy as ever -

The bark of laughter from the dark rippled over his skin like a caress. Damn, the man had a sexy laugh. One that had Tracy trying to get his body under control. Hard fucking body and a sexy laugh. Not something he wanted to know right now.

When they drive by Jude's McMansion Tracy is stunned to find that Levi is living in a single wide. What the hell is up with that? But right now Levi is not 100% steady on his feet. Irrespective, he has a tight arse and a nice sway to it. Tracy is not staying, no way no how...but -

He put his hand on the gearshift and started to reverse out of the yard, because this was dangerous territory, watching Levi Brody move and wondering what those long damn legs would feel like..."

Tracy stood on the small stoop watching as Levi made his way deeper inside...
...Levi opened the small amber bottle and shook out a pill, then chased it with whiskey straight from the bottle.
This was his high school nemesis. The damned reason he knew he was into guys. Levi Brody, the one who did the impossible...falling the fuck apart right in front of him.

Tracy goes in after Levi to see if he is okay. But Levi isn't. There is no one around to look out for him, his shoulder is obviously giving him a hard time and he is washing painkillers down with whiskey. Levi ends up literally crying on Tracy's shoulder, venting his sadness - he's lost, cut from his team, in pain...and one thing leads to another. Tracy is holding his high school fantasy and Levi is keen on taking this further -

Tracy didn't know what to say. Or do. He turned to meet Levi's mouth when his breath ghosted over his lips. Slow dancing to no music turned to soft kisses in the middle of Levi's childhood home. This wasn't happening. This so wasn't happening.
"Levi?"
"You want me. I can tell. I need to be with someone. Take me to bed...."
He slid his hand down Levi's back to grasp his ass, pulling him flush against him. He lost all pretense and groaned as Levi's rock hard dick pressed against his...
"I want you to take me to bed. Want you to fuck me until I forget...
Want it. Need it. It has nothing to do with the liquor."
Tracy's body clenched in need. God damn, Levi was a bottom. He was going to burn in hell for this...

And they have some smoking, needy, lost-in-lust sex. Tracy is very dominant in bed and Levi a power bottom. There is some nice dirty-talk going on in bed... or wherever they can fuck. And, let me tell you, Sidelined has some incredibly erotic sex in it. Inventive - including hot kilt sex, and sex with an unexpected bottom...and then some.

Sidelined is not anywhere near as angst-filled as Six Ways From Sunday, the first in this series. There is still enough tension to keep the pages turning. Certainly Levi calling Tracy Bo in the beginning sets the tone. Tracy is worried that he is a substitute for another man - because he is blonde like Bo and built like Bo. Irrespective of the fact that he desires Levi, Tracy has his not-so-happy feelings too -

Tracy leaned over him, his heart beating hard. "I wanted to hate you. I was set to hate you. How did you get so damn close this fast?"
"I'm irresistible, And Cute. And hot. And sexy. And I love dick. And football. And you're the only game in town."
Tracy felt the knife twist in his gut about the time his balls drew up tight. Levi's mouth went slack as he came in Tracy's hand. He wanted the fun back. But he didn't want to be Levi's default fuck.

But Tracy likes Levi and he doesn't give in too easily. Okay, so it seems like it's about sex initially for Levi. But feelings grow. It's not just Tracy that has them. It's whether Levi will share his feelings and whether Tracy believes him. But there are some light hearted times and events. Tracy's family are lovely and Tracy is a nice guy who is thoroughly gone on Levi - he has never really gotten over his
first crush. I really liked Tracy and Levi. They were meant for each other. They fit well together and both give as good as they get from one another. They have some fun as well -

"Mmmm, Doctor Tracy, I love it when you get all analytical on me. Tell me, Doc, I have a stiffening of my third lower appendage, and need a cure. Can you help me?" Levi backed his ass against Tracy's stiffening lower third appendage and rubbed sensuously.

But Levi has some issues from his childhood that make him seem a little 'off' at times. As the book progresses they come out gradually. His childhood, his life, his secrets, other aspects of his persona, and why. I did not expect it and I liked that Mercy Celeste went somewhere a little different with the characters, particularly Levi. There is a tying-in to Bo and Dylan - the MC's in Six Ways From Sunday - using some flashbacks and also because they actually are in the book. They form an important part of Levi's backstory. It was interesting to see how Bo and Dylan coped after Dylan came back a broken man in SWFS.

Overall -

If you like the following - semi-angst, sexy, sexy men, and erotic writing, humour and snark, two engaging characters, something a little different for one of the characters that you don't expect, some jocks and a HEA. And if you enjoy Mercy Celeste's writing, then I say don't miss Sidelined.

4.5 Viking King Stars 

PS: There is a sneak peek at book #3 at the end. That should be interesting.

My Life as a Myth, Huston Piner

If you're not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.

-Oscar Wilde

 

-Review by Kazza K

 



It's August 27th, 1969. And it's Nick Horton's first day of high school. He feels like a text book case of a loser. He doesn't have many friends and school is not a joy. He's certainly not overly confident and feels somewhat like an outcast -

A social life? I don't have one; the few acquaintances I have don't really count. If I vanished out of their lives, they'd never notice. My only real friend is Bruce Philemon, he says I just need to try harder. So to help me try harder, I'm starting this journal.

And that is exactly what Nick does. He starts a journal and that is how this book is told.

While Nick is waiting for the bus home, Andy Framingham decides to chat up a girl. When the girl's older, and larger, boyfriend is going to show him just how he feels about that, Andy throws a can of coke down on the pavement spraying everyone with the contents -

Just as they prepared to kill Andy and hide the corpse, Mr Wiggins, the elementary school principal came running from the building. He yanked Andy out of harm's way and announced he would report everyone to the high school principal.
"Horton? I remember you, still making trouble, eh? Well, this time Mr Fuddle will see you pay for it."

This starts off a series of events in Nick's life. Nick really isn't trouble. He just wants to go to school, not get beaten up, not be embarrassed in PE -

The way some of them show off makes me very nervous. Talk about embarrassing! You'd think "faggot" was my name! Today I just tried to keep my head down, change fast, and get out of there.

...and the change rooms, have some friends and a bit of a social life, ride the bus in peace, get a locker in a better location - not on Dead Student's Row, as he names it - and go home every day without much drama. But the list that Mr Wiggins gives the principal at his high school has his name at the top for the coke-can-fountain incident, not Andy Framingham. Then a few other events occur where Nick is the one seen to be doing something he shouldn't. But the real bombshell occurs when Nick mixes up the name of the film he is to meet Bruce at, and ends up in a theatre watching Fellini's Satryicon. The film is a bit of a revelation, so much so it is raided by the police, he is taken out like a criminal, photos are taken, he makes the news and the front paper of the local paper. Nick is suddenly a rebel.

Meanwhile, Nick has come to the attention of Jesse Gaston and his gang - Gary, Matt, and Bobby Warren. Jesse is an interesting character who seems to get intense delight in taking Nick under his wing and talking up his bad boy persona. When Nick jokes that he is Napalm Nick Jesse runs with that name. Napalm Nick is a good rebel's name, something he can work with. And work with it Jesse does. Jesse is the ultimate school spin-doctor -

Every time I attempted to reveal the truth about how I ended up at a movie destined to be raided, Jesse always jumped in to enlarge on my magnificence, my audacity, and my criminal invincibility.

I've come to realize that it is useless to argue with Jesse Gaston. When he decides to do something he can come up with a hundred reasons to convince you to go along.

And very soon Nick becomes cool. Rumours spread, aided by Jesse. The girls all want to be with him, guys want to be seen with him, and his social life has never looked better. The thing is, Nick is not Napalm Nick, he's just a fourteen year old trying to find his way and discovering bit by bit that he isn't attracted to girls. He is, however, attracted to guys and in particular he's attracted to Bobby Warren.

Nick comes from a fairly typical suburban family of the era - his mum stays at home, his dad works, there are rules, but a certain amount of freedom. And, oh yes, he has two older brothers, Nathan who died in Vietnam after being drafted, and Raymond who has disappointed the family by growing his hair, and dropping out to live in a commune - very sixties. Neither name is allowed to be spoken in the household for the last three years for different reasons. Pretty hard on a young boy who just wants to talk about his brothers. But, once again, fairly typical of many families of any era, just change the war.

Increasingly, Nick is realising that girls just aren't who/what he finds attractive. He tries everything to see if he can be like other guys who talk about girls. Who like Playboy. But perplexingly (at first) he's not. He also isn't enjoying being Napalm Nick. It's not who he is either, but it's better than being a loser...and there are perks. Plus there's a protection in the group and he cant bring too much attention on himself for other reasons - 

Damn it! The truth is maybe I do sort of like guys. I just don't know. But I can't let Jesse and the guys think I'm a fag. Okay. I'll be Napalm Nick for a month or two longer. Maybe after things die down I can move on and be a normal teenager again. That's not too much to ask, is it?

But Jesse continues to weave his magic and the rumour mill just chugs along. Nick also makes a friend with a senior, Brian. Brian is a popular jock but he likes Bobby and is rather mellow and very much full of live and let live philosophy. There was definitely more of a story to Brian and I would like to know more about him. Meanwhile, Nick and Bobby are growing closer and closer. Nick gets to stay over at Bobby's. He lives in the FROG - front room over garage - and his parents are former beatniks who are liberal in their thinking. Nick and Bobby discover a lot of things together, their likes are similar,  they are both sweet, young boys, they are gay, they grow close as friends and fairly soon they are intimate with each other. The author does a good job of displaying teenagers - their language, their fears, their worries, their intensity of feelings. After Nick wakes up naked next to Bobby the first time -

I dried my hair with the damp towel. Bobby had rolled over and snored quietly, now clutching a pillow. I finished dressing and watched him sleep for a minute, taking in how perfect he was from head to toe. My God, he's beautiful, I thought, and I felt myself stiffen. It took me a couple of minutes to tear myself away from just admiring him.
There are some things you just know you'll remember all your life and I knew right then that even when I'm a hundred, remembering him sleeping like that will bring out the same feelings in me.

To later when they are intimate -

Then something in me snapped, and all my frustrations transformed into desire. When we got to my room, I closed and locked the door behind me. I put my hand on Bobby's shoulder, turned him around, took him in my arms, and kissed him. His eyes told me it was unexpected but welcome, and we fell onto the bed.
I felt him up and loosened his shirt and trousers. He stiffened as I ran my fingers through his hair. He moaned softly and at that moment, I don't think I could have stopped myself it I tried.
Right now Bobby's sleeping next to me. He's beautiful when he sleeps. I can't believe how much I love him. It's not just the physical stimulation I get from him. It makes me just as happy to do things for him as when he does things to me. It's even enough just to be with him, like now, and to know that he loves me as much as I love him.

And the two boys do fall very much in love. But life is not easy. Napalm Nick is a lot to live up to. Jesse complicates this immeasurably and everywhere Nick turns there is pressure - girls he isn't interested in wanting more, being gay but having to hide it, being a rebel that he isn't. A new series of events as someone is blowing up trashcans at school and one of the teachers is now tailing him everywhere he goes as they believe Napalm Nick is the person behind it.

Then there are family matters ready to take centre stage in Nick's life. His brother - Raymond - comes home unexpectedly for Christmas. He hitch hikes from San Francisco and while their mother is glad to see him, their father isn't. But Raymond stays and cleans himself up - a shave, a hair cut - and even his father is feeling better about Raymond now. Nick is glad to have his brother home and he feels that Christmas is better for having him there. There is much to learn about one another in a short time - like Nick is now smoking pot, cigarettes, drinking beer, and taking magic mushies -

He and I snuck off to get high before supper. This time he provided the weed....He called the marijuana Acapulco Gold, whatever it is, it's damn potent. When we got home and wandered into the kitchen, both smiling from ear to ear and giggling, my mother cracked us up saying how nice it was to see her "two little boys" having so much fun together.

 But Raymond has a secret and when it is revealed things will never be the same in the Horton family again.

I won't say anymore about the plot because I will ruin the book and it is best read. What I will add is this. Every chapter is headed up with a song title of the period that is incredibly apt. The last two chapters were beautifully named. Perhaps some people may feel unsure about the use of drugs or alcohol by minors, but this is what was happening at the time. Still does now. It isn't glorified, it's just part of the times and the story. Did every kid experiment in the 60's? No. But a lot did. The 60's was a crazy era of change mixed with a lingering conservatism. I lived during this era, was around the same age as the characters and I did all of these things...and then some. The music listed - I had every single one - bar the jazz - on vinyl. The attitudes that are portrayed were so real. The culture. But

here's the thing, this book translates well to today. There is still the group mentality, the homophobia. How difficult it is to be an outcast at school. How the word "faggot" is more than just a name. How friends can turn on you and the hurt that is associated. The fracturing of a family. The mistakes parent's make, and the repercussions. There are some real messages that are not lost between 1969 and 2013.

My Life as a Myth is one of the most realistic LGBTQ YA books that has crossed my desk and I encourage anyone who may be remotely interested to read this book. I am so glad I did. I will also add this -  there is no HEA. I say this because some people will rate badly if that is the case and they are not aware of it. So, I'm throwing that out there as much as I don't want to have to say that.

If you like a period piece. If you are interested in the 60's. If you like LGBTQ YA, if you like humour, a message, young love, and can handle a bittersweet piece of fiction that is firmly rooted in reality, then please do yourself a favour and read the beautifully written, wonderfully named My Life as a Myth.

5 Stars

It may be hard to be true to yourself, especially if you're different and people hate you for it; but it's still harder living your life as a myth. It's a lie and in the end it's self-defeating. In the long run, it's better to let people know the real you. It may be hard, but it's a lot less complicated, and at least you find out who your real friends are.
If you love someone, go on and tell them. If they can't love you just because you're different, you're better off without them. And when you find someone who loves you too, don't let anybody or anything stand in your way.

 

- Bobby Warren.

Sweet Young Thang (Theta Alpha Gamma #3), Anne Tenino

- Review by Cindi

3.5 out of 5 stars

Collin Montes played a huge role in his fraternity (Theta Alpha Gamma, aka TAG) at Calapooya College accepting openly gay and bisexual pledges. His frat brother Brad helped him to get the ball rolling when he himself came out to the shock of other members not long before. Collin's Uncle Monty is the president of the TAG Alumni Association and makes it clear that he and the other alumni are not pleased with the frat's new acceptance policy.  There is fear by some of the alumni (commonly described as the 'Good Ol' Rich Boys' club) that by accepting gay and bisexual members that TAG will gain a bad reputation and might turn into a fraternity that gets bashed for its new acceptance policy. A threat to remove alumni funding is not just implied, it's promised.  

A fire and eventual bomb at the frat house confirms Monty's suspicions (he thinks) and he strongly encourages his nephew to push his frat brothers to change the policy back to what was in place before Brad's coming out moment. The old policy was basically a don't ask, don't tell situation when it came to gay and bisexual members. Collin refuses to try to have the policy changed back as he himself has a personal stake in it. Collin is gay but in the closet to his family and (he thinks to) his friends and frat brothers. Only when he meets someone worth coming out for does he realize that staying in the closet is no longer an option, not with his friends and mother and most importantly his uncle... his uncle who has practically raised him since his father died when he was four. Monty has controlled every aspect of Collin's life from what schools he attended to even his college major. The plan is for Collin to graduate university and work for the family company. Collin has never questioned Monty as he always believed that the man had his best interests at heart. Only later when Monty shows his true colors does Collin see him for what and who he truly is.

Firefighter paramedic Eric Dixon is called out to the scene of a fire at his old fraternity. One of the current members has been injured as a result of the fire (and an explosion caused by it) and while Eric doesn't do anything unethical with the patient's care, he does take notice of a young man close by... a young man he falls instantly in lust with. When there is a bomb scare in the uninhabitable frat house later, Eric sees the man again but with all the chaos of the scene, the young man disappears once again. Only later does he finally meet Collin and hook up with him. 

There is a large age difference between Eric and Collin.  Eric is thirty-six and Collin is only twenty-one.  Normally I am all about substantial age differences but I had a few issues with it in this case. Collin, while responsible, came across at times as much younger than his twenty-one years. I have three sons varying in age from nineteen and twenty-five so I am very familiar with how a twenty-one-year old male acts. Also, Eric.  Eric is only thirty-six but you would swear he is much older in the way he is described at times. Having gray hair at an early age is one thing but I felt that Eric came across as a bit too stodgy with some of the comments he made. As he and Collin quickly begin their relationship (not just sexual but with feelings... over the course of a week) comments are made about Collin, a twenty-one-year old college student, and his phone and emails. I considered it to be a bit odd because I know thirty-six year olds who are more obsessed with technology than even teenagers. I am quite a bit older than that myself and I completely related to Collin, not Eric, in that regard.

The book started out good.  I love the slight mystery with the fire and the bomb.  I like how Collin and Eric met.  I even liked Collin's bastard Uncle Monty. The secondary characters I love as I am a huge fan of the other books in this series. Kyle (a fraternity brother) will forever go down in my reading history as the greatest straight friend ever (who helped with one of the greatest coming out scenes ever in Frat Boy and Toppy).  However, there are a few things that seriously bugged me while reading this book. The endearments and pet names mainly. I am a southern girl (born and raised in Mobile, Alabama) so endearments are part of my every day life. If I go one day without hearing one or using one then something would seriously be wrong in my world. It's the norm in my part of the country.  But Eric went entirely too far with his endearments to Collin.  To the point where instead of enjoying the story I was making fun of the character.. even during very serious parts of the book.

Sexy Eyes. Sweet Thing.  Sweet Thang. His Boy. Sweetness. Sweet Boy.  His Sweet Boy.

... to name a few.

We're not talking a few times here.  It was on every single page several times. If Eric wasn't calling Collin one of these pet names he was thinking them in his head. His boyfriend is also used a lot by both characters and Collin is big on "His Sexy Man" or "My Sexy Man".

This is the third story in the Theta Alpha Gamma series and before I started this book I went back to Frat Boy and Toppy to reacquaint myself with Collin as he played a big part in Brad and Sebastian's story. My skimming turned into my reading almost the entire book all over again. Frat Boy and Toppy is one of my favorite books and I have read it many times.  It even made my favorites list on this blog for books published 2012. Each time a new book in the series comes out I am eager to jump into it and Sweet Thang was no exception even if I am definitely not a fan of the cover or even the title. I wanted to enjoy this addition to the series and I did enjoy it. I liked Collin in the first book and I liked him again in his own.  I even liked Eric though I did find the relationship to be a bit on the 'daddy' side with him and Collin. I'm okay with that as I'm a fan of those types of books as well.  What I didn't enjoy were (as I said) the distracting use of endearments and pet names.  I feel that the constant use of them took away from the rest of the story.  

Another thing that bothered me early on was the author bringing in a little discord between Brad and Sebastian from Frat Boy and Toppy. When I read a book centered around a couple I want their HEA to come at the end of their book. I love seeing characters from earlier books revisited in later ones but not if it's to disrupt their relationship.  Only later into Sweet Young Thang did I see where the author was going with them. I realized that it had to be brought up as Collin played a part in their relationship early on.  For awhile there I was nervous because again, Brad and Sebastian are one of my favorite M/M couples.

The mystery of the bad guy was figured out early on but not the reasons for it. I enjoyed watching Eric and Collin as they moved from hooking up to a real couple. There is a major sweetness with these two and even if it was much too sweet at times I really did like watching them get where they needed to be at the end.

The secondary characters are perfect. From Kyle (the perfect straight friend) to all the others in the fraternity house, some of which had me laughing out loud. Uncle Monty is a true control freak and is written perfectly as such. The fraternity aspects of the story are not very realistic in some instances but that was okay because it was all humorous and I got a big kick out of some of the antics. The mystery/suspense was written well though not much real time was given to it. The resolution was nice. There is also a slight history between Eric and Uncle Monty that I wish would have been more realized.  I do think that the book could have been cut in half in length and still been a good story. Even with what I consider to be too much length, I enjoyed it as I am a big fan of the Theta Alpha Gamma Series. A new gay character is introduced so I look forward to seeing where the author takes him and his story. I only hope that the use of overly sweet pet names and endearments aren't in any future books.  I'm fine with sweetheart or dear or honey or even baby. Sweetness and sweet thing and my sweet boy were a bit much when used to excess.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  The love story is an insta-love situation as everything that happens between Collin and Eric occurs over the period of one week.  Normally I'm not a fan of insta-love but with everything else going on the story seemed like it all happened over a longer period of time. The sex between Collin and Eric is hot, frequent and written extremely well. It was nice seeing Brad and Sebastian again even if the author had me worried for a little while there. Thankfully their issues were resolved rather quickly.  I love how everything finally came to a head with Collin and his Uncle Monty even if I do feel that it was slightly rushed.

I look forward to number four in the series.

This book was provided by Net Galley and Riptide Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Zombie Boyz (Anthology), TJ Klune, Eric Arvin, Ethan Stone, Daniel A. Kaine, Ethan Day, Geoffrey Knight

- Review by Cindi

5 out of 5 stars

When I saw this was coming out my immediate thought was a big "Uh, no. I don't do zombies" but then I saw the list of authors who contributed and knew that I would be reading it as soon as I could get my hands on it. Each story is co-written by some of the best M/M authors out there.  I wasn't sure what to expect when I started but I knew it would be entertaining. Each story has humor and there is quite a bit of gore thrown in as well. There's sex, intrigue and well, zombies. So grab a stiff drink, make everyone go away for awhile and get ready for a wild ride. Oh, and you know that TJ Klune is one of the contributors so I highly suggest you grab a box of tissues while you're at it.  This is the first anthology I've ever read (and I've read quite a few) where each story was an easy 5 stars for me.

Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day

"Is that what I think it is? Grammy Gabby shrieked, her eyes bulging so big that her gigantic, tinted 70s-style specs slipped an inch down the bridge of her nose.

And all my studly zombie boyfriend Zane could do was grin that big, stupid, handsome, kinda-undead smile of his while he pawed and tugged at the raging tentpole erection in his ripped jeans and announced to the whole table in that animalistic tone of his, "Me haaaaaawny."

The story starts out at the dinner table of nineteen-year-old Chandler Cox.  Life as Chandler and everyone else knew it disappeared after the Pandemic Transviral Apocalypse of 2013, "which was quickly shortened to PTA for tweeting purposes." Chandler has just brought his boyfriend, Zane Addison, home to meet the family for the first time for Grumpy Grampy's 90th birthday. Of course in the post-apocalyptic zombie world, Zane is not exactly the type of person that good old mom and dad may wish for their son (the fact that their son's 'friend' has a penis may also have something to do with their lack of excitement over said friend). Seated around the dinner table are Grumpy Grampy, Grammy Gabby, Chandler's sister, Sister Mary Abigail, his mom and dad and his drunken Aunt Tilly (who is also a big ho). Zane's conversation (and actions) don't exactly endear him to those sitting around the dinner table (with the exception of Chandler who is right there with him).

The story starts at the dinner table but goes back in time with hilarious flashbacks by Chandler describing how the Pandemic Transviral Apocalypse of 2013 occurred.  I'm not one for flashbacks in any type of story but the way these are done are hilarious.  It has been a long time since I've highlighted on my Kindle as much as I did with this story.

To say the PTA came out of nowhere is an understatement.  Apart from Charlie Sheen, everyone else was leading a fairly normal life up until that point in modern history.

Zane, the high school quarterback I had watched out of the corner of my eye between classes and had breathlessly fantasized about while alone--night after blissfully hot masturbating night--over the past three years.  You know, the good old days before Grampy moved into my room.

Yep, just my luck to have officially fallen heels over head in love the very same night that a zombie apocalypse kicked off.
Totally f'in rude, right?

"What the F are you talking about, dude?" That was my normal bad mood response when trapped within the hallowed high school walls of Shawnee Hills High, where using your grown-up words was apparently still a no-no.  Lesson learned after receiving two weeks of detention when my Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Venable, overheard me telling her to go fuck herself.

.. I felt I owed it to Zane to rescue him from whatever was going on.  Even though he was now foaming at the mouth.
God, he even made that look sexy!
I quickly shook away any and all completely inappropriate thoughts about self-lubrication---so not the time, asshole!

I punched the gas pedal and gunned the engine--a macho choice of words, I know, but I was suddenly feeling so butch and brave that I heard myself shout, "Get away from my man, you bitches!"

If I hadn't been terrified for my life, I'd have totally sprouted some serious wood over my newly discovered masculinity.

He looked so cute, I just wanted to chew him up.  In a non-people-sushi-cannibalistic sort of way.

Zane Addison's cock pulsed and throbbed before me, hard and huge and perfect, its veins thick, its head big and bulbous, its slit shimmering with precum.
Precum that was tinged with the slightest hint of greyish-green, but hey, nobody's perfect.

I could go on but then there wouldn't be room on this review for the other two stories. :)  The entire story kept me giggling from literally the very first paragraph until the last one.  The whole world has either turned into cannibalistic zombies or is boarded up and hiding from them. Chandler finally, finally falls in love and Geez, the entire apocalypse thing had to happen that same night and the new love of his life becomes one of the undead (with a side effect being extreme horniness as the first paragraph suggests). Thankfully, and with a hell of a lot of laughs along the way, Chandler gets his man and they have their HFN ending (they are teenagers so I wasn't exactly expecting a HEA).  The secondary characters are a blast, from Chandler's crazy family to his bestie and even the undead creatures.

An excellent story. I've read each of these authors separately before so I had an idea of what to expect.  Any author who can keep me giggling is great in my book and in the case of Guess Who's Coming At Dinner you get the talent of two. I will be reading everything these two authors have written, alone or collaboratively.  That, I have no doubt.

Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone and Daniel A. Kaine

Cooper is on holiday in Vegas from England.  The trip was planned as a try to work things out type trip with his boyfriend Ewan but that didn't quite work out the way Cooper planned so he makes the trip alone. Not long after arriving everything goes to hell.  The zombie apocalypse that he had predicted and prepared for back home was happening and where did it just happen to be happening?  Right dab in the middle of Las Vegas where he just happened to be staying. And yes, Coop really did predict the downfall of civilization by zombies and he completely prepared for it but of course it happens when he's in the states so all the preparations were for naught.  

Kaleb Pierce has to make just one more pizza delivery before he can head home, clean up and go out to a club.  His tips had been good that night so he has enough cash to go out and have a little fun. When he pulls up for that delivery, however, everything goes to hell. The person who ordered the pizza is an old friend.  The old friend walks out as does his wife... his wife who is obviously very ill.  The wife attacks her husband would have also attacked Kaleb had he not hauled ass out of there, dialing 911 on the way.  It doesn't take long before Kaleb discovers that people have been infected by something and this something has gotten to his mother.  His brother is nowhere to be found so he sets out to find him.  Thankfully he gets word back that he is fine for the time being so Kaleb sets his sights on survival.  Along the way he meets an arrogant Brit, Cooper.  Cooper makes it clear that he has no interest in having anything to do with the other man even if the other man knows more about the city than he does.

"Bloody Americans," he muttered. "How can you be so ignorant?"

"Look, no offense, but I don't care what you want to do, or what you think I should do.  Like I said, come morning we're going our separate ways.  You do what you think is best, and I'll do what I need to do."
"No offense taken, arrogant prick," Kaleb mumbled.

Cooper is an arrogant ass.  He wants to be in control of everything and has no qualms leaving Kaleb behind.  Unfortunately his arrogance puts him in a bad situation later and thankfully Kaleb rides to the rescue just in time. 

A mile down Paradise Road, Kaleb saw movement near a gas station.  At first it seemed like four creatures, but upon closer look, it was actually three zombies and an arrogant prick.

"You didn't have to help me," he said, " I would have been fine."
Kaleb glowered at him. 
"Yeah? Well, unlike you, I'm not completely heartless.  Now, do you want a ride or not?"

A reluctant alliance is formed and they set out together.  One, to get Cooper to an airport heading back to England to the jerk he left behind, and two, Kaleb must get to his brother who managed to get a text through to him detailing his own destination for survival.  Along the way the two men must battle the undead, some of which actually have a little intelligence.  These are the ones who are the hardest to kill but somehow Cooper and Kaleb find a way.  And if they should happen to decide to have sex even though they don't really like each other? It is the end of the world after all. *grin*

I really enjoyed this. Cooper comes across as the above-mentioned ass who must be in control at all times but in reality, he's been knocked down one too many times by his ex and has zero self-esteem. The banter between him and Kaleb is hilarious.  There is a bit more detail and gore in this story than the one before it but never was it to the point where I felt too squeamish, though I do admit to a few "Eww!" moments. There are also a few (hot) sexual situations that I felt were written very well.  I love the way everything played out and was very pleased with the ending. I would love to see these guys revisited in a future story.  A great read.

Ghoul's Gym by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin

Uly and Jake have been together for a year.  They just had a disagreement but they have a rule to never leave the other without saying goodbye. It's a good thing too because a few hours later both their worlds fall apart.  

Uly is a big muscle guy who works for a gym that's used predominantly by gay men. 

Uly's a big fucker, muscles piled on top of muscles.  Some people might think it's gross how jacked he is, but not me.  There's something about the way his veins look so pronounced that gets my cock hard.  The cut and defined lines of his arms and thighs.  The massive chest. Everything about him is big.  Every single part of him.  Personality, body, mind.  Everything.
Except for me.

Jake? Well, he's tried everything imaginable but just can't get any bigger. He's a small guy and he feels inferior to Uly. Uly's boss at the gym is a real bastard and he wants Uly to himself so he is quick to say that a man like Uly needs a man like him, Stephen Fucking Dorian. 

He's made it no secret how he thinks Uly would be better off sitting on his cock rather than mine. Stephen Fucking Dorian isn't exactly an expert in subtlety.  

"Oh look," he says every time he sees me.  "Here comes Uly's princess.  How is the sweet pea these days?"

So when Uly is asked to go into work two hours earlier than normal (by Stephen Fucking Dorian) Jake makes a decision. He will do whatever it takes to get the body that he feels he should have to be able to stand next to a man like Uly. He will make his man proud.  But first, he has to call Dusty, the resident drug dealer. 

It only rings once. He's reliable, but then drug dealers usually are.

I don't know what I expected the home of a drug dealer to look like, but I'm pretty sure I saw a tea set complete with a crocheted tea cozy sitting on the table in the kitchen we passed. Somehow, a big man like Dusty doesn't scream tea cozy.

A visit to Dusty is made and as a result, things begin to spiral out of control for Jake. Uly is dealing with his own problems at the gym when some of the patrons start getting sick and start eating hurting other people.

I'm not going to go in to all the details of this story as it would give too much away.  There is a diverse cast of secondary characters from the gym bunny muscle men to the "Alphabet Twinks". There is quite a bit of gore in this story as compared to the other two in the anthology. Be prepared as parts are pretty graphic.

It's no secret that Eric Arvin and TJ Klune are two of my favorites. I've read all of TJ's and (including this one) ten of Eric's.  So of course the first thing I did when I started this was look for each author's individual writing style. It didn't take long to see the differences and to know who wrote what. However, everything flows so smoothly that someone not as familiar with the work of both authors would not know that it was not written by one person. The collaboration is done well and the writing is perfect.  

I would never give the ending away but I will say to be prepared. This is supposed to be the first of a few stories so the story doesn't end at THE END. Also, keep in mind that TJ Klune wrote half of this story and anyone who has ever read his stuff knows to expect to cry like a little girl at some point. He doesn't disappoint in Ghoul's Gym. 

Overall, a great story. It's creepy.  It's gory. It's funny in some places. The reader is left to anxiously await the continuation and as always, I will one of the first to read it when it is released. 



A huge thank you to my blog partner for sharing the equal rights zombie pic.

This anthology was provided by Wilde City Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cowboy Waltz, Cameron Dane

-Review by Kazza K

**WARNING, SPOILERS ABOUND**

Jed Hastings is twenty seven. He works for Cliff as a stock manager. He works on a rodeo circuit as well as out of a base in Wyoming. He is responsible for training horses and the care of a team of horses for the circuit. He cannot stand the current assistant he has. He is unreliable and not doing his job properly. Cliff (Jed's boss) isn't at the coalface like Jed is and as much as he says he will get a new assistant for Jed, it isn't happening. Jed doesn't see how it is so hard to get someone to work out and do the job properly. And, the thing is, Jed has noticed a guy hanging around the current rodeo and he thinks he can replace Blake with this new guy. The guy hanging around has new boots and is too spiffy to be a cowboy but he spends his time around the horses all the time, so he's not a groupie either. Jed decides to suss out just how keen this young man is.

Booker West is eighteen. He is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed about everything. He's hanging around the horses at the latest rodeo when a guy approaches him and asks if he has ever worked with them before, been around rodeos. Booker hasn't. He's been working at a fast food restaurant but he wants to be around the horses, around the rodeo. Turns out his mother spent a lot of time on the rodeo circuit having sex with riders and Booker is the end product of one of those encounters.

After making sure Booker is clear on what he is getting into - back breaking work, being away from any family for long periods - he hires him on a one month probation period. Booker does that easily, his enthusiasm for everything in life shines through and he loves the horses. Jed ends up nick-naming Booker Colt because he has unbridled enthusiasm and the, sometimes, uncoordinated movements that a newborn colt has. Marcy, one of the other people working on the circuit tells Jed he needs to make Booker a permanent offer otherwise others will snatch him up. They've all noticed what a good, hard, worker he is and a nice young guy as well. Something that Jed knows to be the truth so a permanent offer is made.

Jed and Booker are living in close proximity. They share a trailer together whether on the road or back at the ranch. They get to know one another really well, they talk and share a mutual love of the  horses and a simple, hard working lifestyle. The thing is, Booker is gay and Jed likes women. Booker doesn't tell Jed that he is gay, and while Booker has developed the hots for Jed, he doesn't do anything about it, apart from fantasise. He also likes learning the ropes from someone like Jed, who knows what he is doing and who gave a chance to someone like him - someone with no experience. So he isn't going to blow that opportunity, and also being around Jed, by outing himself.

Booker and Jed have been working together for over eight months now and are developing close ties. Booker has noticed that Jed is toey during storms, that he paces in their small trailer when a storm comes through. Jed is none to happy about sharing his personal life but after he gets a bit tetchy with young Booker, Jed lets Booker in - his dad died in a car accident during a storm when Jed was eight. They unsettle him to this day as he remembers the night vividly.

Likewise, Jed wants to know what drew Booker to rodeo, to this life. He has such a passion. Why is that? Booker's sister has raised him since he was five, there is fifteen years between them, and two different fathers. Booker doesn't know who his father is, and that's okay, but he wants to know more about his mother and what motivated her -

"I can't clearly define what pushed me to this world so completely, but I guess my interest lay more in trying to absorb everything around me so I could better understand the pull of the rodeo. I wanted to discover what made it so powerful that my mom chose to follow it and the cowboys to the exclusion of everything else...even her own kids."

"After she passed, I missed her cowboy stories as much as I did her."

Two years in and Jed and Booker are still close as can be, in a platonic way, much to Booker's quiet disappointment. It's his birthday, he makes a nice meal, but Jed forgets - he has a date with a woman in town. On he way in Jed remembers it's Booker's twentieth birthday and comes back with a leather and metal bracelet with the date Jed started working for the company on it, and some western movies, as presents. They watch the movies, fall asleep on the lounge, and Jed wakes to a lap full of Booker. He likes it, strokes his body, but it freaks him out- he isn't into men. It's just heat off Bookers warm body and the comfort. They're friends. But several other instances arise where Jed is thinking about Booker - wanking off about Booker. He fantasises about Booker and a girl he thought Booker might like, which then morphed into him and Booker having sex. Now Jed is thinking maybe when Cliff sells up he needs to go elsewhere because being in such close proximity to Booker for the past two years is messing with his head -

He could not let these fantasies continue. Even if it meant walking away from Booker for good.

Three years in and The Sprawling Ride buys Cliff's business. Jed is reeling that such a large concern would buy the ranch and the stock and that he will be relegated to just another worker. Despite being told they could probably work on for the new organisation Jed's concerned about what happens to him and Booker now. Sure Booker is the most accepting person he has ever known, but things won't be the same, maybe they won't be sharing their trailer anymore. Yes, he is relegated into a lower position but, no, they aren't separated. However, things start to heat up and Jed has to get out after a night of passion does his head in. He is straight. He is NOT gay, and even though a number of things have occurred there has always been a reason or excuse for them in Jed's mind. Not anymore. Not after they spend a night fucking each other into the mattress over and over.


What worked for me -

Irrespective of whether I did or did not like the main characters they definitely elicited emotions from me. I need something passionate about a book, whether I be in love with the characters or angry at them.

I won't lie, I like an age difference and there is nine years between Booker and Jed. And I like a virgin in the pairing as well. So I got that.

I really liked the nick-name - Colt - that Jed gave to Booker. It worked well.

I love Cameron Dane's sex scenes. They can be long, and they are, and they can have "dark tunnels" and "steaming channels" but I love them nevertheless. The sex here was Cameron Dane-erotic and hot. It was angry. There are few writers who can write such protracted sex scenes and keep me glued. There is always such emotion attached to the writing and the characters involved during sex, and Cowboy Waltz was no different.

You cannot say that Booker did not fight for the man, the relationship, and life he wanted. And his dogged determination won out. He deserves the 2013 perseverance medallion.

Lyle, Jed's brother. He loved Jed. He didn't understand homosexuality. Didn't accept it too well when he caught Jed all over Booker. When Jed finally admitted he liked a man - mind you Jed telling him he opens up his hole and takes it may have been a tad TMI for any brother to hear - he loved his brother enough to be there for him and listen. He sets Jed straight about their mother. He and his wife, Meg, who is twelve years older than Lyle, and can't have children, met with tough opposition from Jed and Lyle's  mother. Lyle had to fight for his relationship and marriage and he wasn't letting their mother dictate who he could and could not love, so he understood Jed's concerns over their mother's reaction.

The brief references to Luke and Cain from Falling. It made me want to pick that book up...again.

For the last 10% of the book I genuinely liked this pairing of Jed and Booker. I wish like hell this book had been edited more tightly, and the layer upon layer of angst and annoying behaviour was stripped back and the latter heartfelt aspects of the relationship were given more time. Because not long before the end it worked.

The fear of people coming out to a family member was certainly conveyed here.

There is something, just something, about Cameron Dane's writing that I cannot resist. And as much as I fought with aspects of this book, and I sure did,  I still appreciated reading a Cameron Dane novel.


What didn't work for me -

The characterisations of the MC's - This book is protagonist-centric. So, to drive this plot properly, sympathetic characters were mandatory. I can deal with a damaged/difficult character for only so long, unless I can see the reasons why. There must be something redeeming that this reader is aware of to make me invested. There must be some experience that I can understand as to why they are behaving the way they are. It has to be relatable -

Booker was, to me, likeable, but not loveable - although I am sure others may find Booker a lovely character. Yes, he is sweet. And as optimistic and shiny as he is, he needed to stand up for himself more and he needed to simply stand out more.

Then there was JED!! I struggled with him throughout the book. He stood out, but he was a terribly unsympathetic character.  He pushed my limits. I only liked him in the last 10% of the book.  Why is that? Well...simply put, he is unlikeable. He isn't damaged, he is just annoying and aggravating for a lot of the book. Some examples being - Jed makes fun of Booker one night, tells other people on the rodeo circuit personal things about Booker - his dreams, ambitions, his quirks. He ridicules him because he is in a snarky mood - after four beers. Booker works with these people, they like him, but, hey, let's humiliate Booker, shall we? Nothing like getting a laugh at someone else's expense. I know that endears people to me. Booker walks in on this as things are being said, is understandably upset, but Booker forgives Jed really quickly. Booker is badly injured, taken to hospital, where Jed stays the first night, then for two weeks leaves Booker on his own when he needs his friend. There was never any good excuse for that either. Jed decides to leave Booker after they finally have sex. He doesn't tell Booker, he finds out elsewhere that Jed is leaving. Surprise!! At his going away party he tries to hit on a sweet woman, Ali,  and another man, Harlan, tells Jed to back off, at which point Jed charmingly says that Harlan is only doing this to get between Ali's legs. Marcy, the tour mother hen, takes him back to Booker to get him patched up after Harlan slugs Jed.  Dutiful, reliable, kind Booker patches him up. Then Jed leaves. After he has left, Booker goes to Texas, at the behest of Lyle, to "fix" Jed. Jed is drinking and being self destructive in general. Then Jed tells him to "go" because he will keep drinking if he stays - he can't deal with being gay, he can't lose his family. This after Booker helps him, and they have sex. Jed tells Booker he will never choose him over his mother and his brother, and they won't accept him being gay, so their relationship is not happening. Never. So Booker leaves, anything to help Jed get better. Jed's sister-in-law, Meg, invites Booker back out to Texas for dinner, she wants to meet Jed's BFF. He goes, does nothing than be a friend during their night at Jed's brother and sister-in-laws, even though it nearly kills him to be so close to the man he loves and respects, and pretends to be something else. Jed follows Booker out and as Booker is getting into his car to leave, makes moves on him. Booker asks Jed  "please don't do this unless you mean it," but Jed keeps on going, Booker can't resist Jed, and when Lyle comes out and catches them Jed freaks out -

...Booker said, "I can help you. I went through this with my sister, and I can help you get through it with Lyle too."
Jed squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. "If you want to help, then leave."

He then shoves Booker away, slamming the door in a concerned Booker's face.

Booker did not respect himself enough when it came to Jed. There is fighting for a relationship, and then there is two-plus-years-non-stop-spent-in-a-mixed-martial-arts-cage-fight for a relationship. Booker was in the latter. I just kept thinking enough is enough. Move on, Booker. Make him come to you. Make him grovel.

Annnddd....there should have been some grovelling from Jed to Booker. Didn't happen. Gets back to Jed and characterisations again, doesn't it?

I wasn't buying the reasons for the bad behaviour of Jed. His father died when Jed was eight. He learns that his dad wasn't husband-of-the-year material - he drank, screwed around. His mother never remarried and worked two jobs to give her sons a good life. But Jed just kept thinking he had this bad DNA. It pissed me off. Yes, I know that there is a genetic predisposition towards alcoholism but, give me a break, it wasn't enough to drive some of the behaviour or the angst here. I just want to say you are what you decide to make of yourself.

In general -

Cowboy Waltz is a GFY or an OFY, so be aware of that going in. It is not my favourite, but Cameron Dane has written a couple that I have loved. This book spans approximately a five year period from the hiring of Jed until the conclusion of the book. You get both POV of the main characters, so you know how they are feeling - and there is quite a bit of inner monologue. In my opinion Cameron Dane always does that better than a lot of other authors. There was a HEA and an epilogue to let you know where Jed and Booker were at.

Overall -

While I did not love Cowboy Waltz I did enjoy it, in a love hate sort of way...but I'd rather passion than none at all.  I must disclose that Cameron Dane is an automatic buy for me. Remains so. If you like cowboys, if you like a bucket-load of angst. If you like any of the following - friends to lovers, an age difference, a virginal character, GFY/OFY, a character who is tolerant with a troubled character. If you like Cameron Dane then you may well enjoy Cowboy Waltz.

3 Stars

Improves with Age, Lavinia Lewis

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Haunted, Brynn Stein

- Review by Cindi

4 out of 5 stars

Lenard Blake has just gone through a nasty divorce. His ex wife comes from a very influential family in Denver, Colorado, so he is shamed and blacklisted by everyone. He loses his job as a detective and when he tries to find work in other parts of the state, the door is slammed on him each time.  The divorce was no fault of his, but that doesn't matter to those who know his meddling ex in-laws. Knowing that the only way to have any kind of life (or career) away from the influence of his former father-in-law, Lenard purchases a house sight unseen in a small town in Virginia, as far away from Denver as he can get and still find a new job.  The price is too right and the house is, according to the internet posting, a beautiful old farmhouse.  Exactly what Lenard is looking for.  The house has been sitting vacant for fifteen years and Lenard doesn't question why the house is being sold at such a cheap price. He makes an offer that is immediately accepted and is on the road to his new home in Virginia. He has been hired by the local police force as their newest detective so Lenard is excited about his new life. Unfortunately, when he arrives at the "beautiful old farmhouse" it is in no way as it appeared online.  The outside of the house is in a state of disrepair and the screen door literally comes off the hinges when he opens it.  Inside is not much better and on top of all the dust that has accumulated, practically every single room has something that is in need of serious repair. That is, with the exception of the master bedroom that does not have a speck of dust or anything out of place.  That room is beautiful.

Within minutes of arriving Lenard notices odd things.  Old sheets that he knows he removed from the living room furniture have been replaced when he walked out of the room. The back screen door flaps in the wind when there is none blowing.  Within days, he has gotten a feel for the house and has also been informed by his new coworkers of the fact that his new home is reportedly haunted by a young man who had been murdered there fifteen years earlier.  At first, Lenard is understandably skeptical but the ghost has made his presence known since the minute Lenard stepped foot on the property.  

Over time other odd things begin to occur. Lenard walks into his kitchen each morning with his breakfast laid out on the table, tea and a glass placed there another time after he replaces the damaged door frame, books that he leaves on a desk are suddenly back on their rightful places on the bookshelves.  These things happen so often that finally Lenard is convinced that not only is his house haunted, but it's haunted by someone who does not wish him any kind of harm.
This leads him to do research on the former inhabitants and then to actually speaking with the ghost, who Len is convinced is Jason Miller, the man who died under mysterious circumstances fifteen years earlier at the young age of twenty-three.  The more he speaks with Jason (who speaks back and is even able to manifest himself) the more he learns about Jason's death and his family who were all either killed under mysterious circumstances or who disappeared under them. An investigation is launched by Lenard and his skeptical partner Dan and over a short amount of time the friendship that has developed between Lenard and the ghost of Jason Miller becomes a love affair.  But what happens when the murders and disappearances are solved? Will the ghost person that Lenard is in love with disappear as ghosts are known to do when they no longer have unfinished business on earth? This is kinda/sorta explained toward the end of the book.

You obviously have to suspend belief as Haunted is about a man falling in love with a ghost. I love these types of stories so I had no problem jumping into it and remembering that the book is fiction. However, some might want more of a realistic story and if that's the case, I suggest you move on as this one is ....  as I said .... about a man and a ghost falling in love.

The mystery of what happened to Jason and his family does not stay a mystery for long but it does take awhile for Lenard and Dan to find the evidence needed for justice to be served. Lenard had left Denver in order to get away from one influential man only to be thrust right back into another town across the country with one who is influential in his own right.  

There is a little bit of humor as Jason calls Lenard (a police detective) various nick names from television and film (Starsky, Hutch, Dick Tracy, Spenser, Magnum, the list goes on). I loved Jason's character from the moment he was introduced, ghost or no.  I liked Lenard as well though I ended this with a couple of questions in regards to him. He was obviously married to a female and the divorce is the reason he moved across the country.  So is the Jason thing a gay-for-you type situation or was Lenard supposed to be bisexual?  Or was he gay and in the closet while he was married?  This may have gone unnoticed by some but throughout the entire (short) story I kept hoping to see those questions answered.

Another thing that I wouldn't say bugged me but that I noticed and found a bit distracting, was the use of his lover, friend (used a lot), the ghost, the detective, old man, etc.  This is a little overdone in my opinion though I was able to overlook it for the most part.

There is zero on-page intimacy in this story though the reader knows that Lenard and Jason do have a sexual relationship.

The person responsible for Jason's murder (and that of his family) is eventually caught after a bit of violence.  I kept wondering how the author was going to make things work at the end with Lenard and his ghost but when it is done, it is done well, considering. I only wish the ending would have had a little bit more (or perhaps an epilogue) added.

Overall, a nice story.  I will definitely be reading more by this author.

This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.