gay romance – Read Me Right

Green the Whole Year ‘Round – Rowan McAllister

GreentheWholeYear'Round Author: Rowan McAllister
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Word/Page Count: 68 pages epub
Published: December 2014

This is an extremely short story, but being that it’s all about a Christmas interlude that takes place in the snow, I *had* to read it. This story is about a couples counselor who goes on a personal discovery vacation post-break-up to figure out what went wrong and how to move his life forward. But because I’m reviewing it, you know the action doesn’t stop there.

Because it’s such a quick read, I don’t want o give away any of the plot points, but here’s what you should know… If you’re looking for a “realistic” read or a super hot read, this isn’t for you. The characters are fairly well-developed, especially for such a short read, but this is short read, so what happens in the winter wonderland, is all you get to see.

This is great for people who love a good holiday romance and a quick read, vanilla sex when it does happen, which isn’t often.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥♥

Letting Hearts Heal – Luna Jensen

LettingHeartsHeal Author: Luna Jensen
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Word/Page Count: 167 pages epub
Published: January 2015

This is a new author for me, and based on her website, her first published book as well. I read enough to be a bit weary of first timers, but I am so glad I ignored that and purchased this book.

Set on a ranch in Montana, the premise is two people find each other again after a nine year separation and a lot of “life” getting in the way. Throw in a young kid, a fear of cooking, and the main characters Mason and Dean try to find a balance between what used to be and what can be now.

Overall, the story is a nice one – more of a romantic tale than anything else, but it’s a good read. There were several parts that seemed to be glossed over for no reason while other seemingly benign things took up more pages than needed (and one plot line that I don’t think was solved). But it’s all forgivable because the characters are relatable and loveable – and you’re cheering for them to figure it all out.

This is a good read for someone who wants a romance read – there isn’t really any heat in it, so great for first-timers. If you’re looking for hot cowboy action, this isn’t the read for you.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥♥♥

Make A Right – Willa Okati

Author: Willa Okati
Publisher: Loose-Id
Word Count: 81,295
Published: 2011
Fictionwise: $7.99

I was torn over even purchasing this book, especially when I saw the steep price (thank you for coupons), but being an Okati fan, it was just too hard to pass up. The story begins somewhat abruptly with two former lovers, crossing paths. Their 10-year history together is uncovered slowly throughout the book, but the premise is that they need to join forces to attend their friends (from their foster home) wedding. The story line itself – everything from how they met, their relationship, the premise for them coming back together, and the random characters, were a bit far-fetched and felt somewhat arbitrary at times. However, when you’re able to weed through the confusing plot turns and random dialogue and revelations, these characters evoked great emotion and passion throughout – and this fact alone, is why I’ve given it the rating I have.

The personalities between the two main characters were as different as night and day, but each loved the other in his own way, which made it sometimes painful to read (think tears), and other times almost comical. Tuck was, by far, the more relatable character and made this read worth it. I don’t think that any of this would happen in real life, nor do I agree that anyone would give in to someone who hurt them for TEN YEARS, but in this book, it seemed to happen to wrap up the story quickly.

The sex between them, when it happened, was a bit all over the place. The first encounter felt shameful, but after that, while there were regrets, the sex was filled was passion, thus, evoking even more emotion than their encounters evoked. Very vanilla sex, but you could feel their passion and wacky love for each other and it brought them even closer.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥♥
Plot: ♥♥

Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re a Okati fan, or if you’re looking for some strong emotions in your story (and can overlook some random things thrown in). I was impressed by the level of heartfelt connection throughout, but there are definitely some plot issues that would make it difficult for a plot-driven reader to overlook.

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