Blurb

At eighteen, Joel Smith’s life fell to pieces. His boyfriend died in a car crash while reading a sext from him, the local newspaper outed them both in the aftermath, and his parents got a divorce. Joel did everything possible to outrun his past: he moved to Oklahoma for college, legally changed his name, and started over.

Since then, he hasn’t let anyone get close—not his classmates, not his roommate, and definitely not his hookups. The strategy has served him well for over three years. Why would he change it now?

But Joel doesn’t plan on the articles about his boyfriend’s death being used as a case study in one of his classes. And he doesn’t plan on Paulie McPherson, who is sweet and giving and fun. In Paulie, he finds a home for the first time in years.

But love isn’t simple, and lies have a tendency to get in the way. Joel must figure out if he’ll allow his grief to rule him, or if his connection with Paulie is worth letting all of his walls come tumbling down.

KJ Charles is starting anew trilogy of queer romance, a sort of spin-off of The Casebook of Simon Feximal, set in 1920s. Sounds pretty awesome, right! The first book, Spectred Isle, is out on August 3 both as ebook and in print. Read on for more information on it. You can also enjoy an exclusive excerpt from the book at the end of this post. Happy reading!

London 1923. Saul Lazenby, disgraced archaeologist, is reduced to working for Major Peabody, a crank who believes in magic and has sent him off to look for “sacred sites” in a North London park. This leads to his first encounter with the heavily sarcastic Randolph Glyde...

***

If my theory is correct, there will be a site on the west side of Oak Hill Park, Major Peabody had said. A burial, a standing stone, a sacred grove. A historical artefact or a local legend. Explore for me and see what your professional instincts can discover. 

Saul’s professional instincts were shaped by his doctorate in archaeology from Oxford and two years working on excavations in Mesopotamia. Major Peabody believed that if the ravens left the Tower of London, the city would fall. It was not a match made in heaven, but Saul gave the Major the best work he could and strove to be respectful without losing what little self-esteem he still had. 

There was no sign of any sacred Druidic grove or whatever bee was in the Major’s bonnet this time, but there was a truly magnificent oak dominating the landscape not far ahead. Saul took another step towards it, admiring the gnarled branches and the bright light green of its fresh new foliage, and it burst into flame. 

The fire erupted so violently that Saul heard a faint whoomph of air, like an explosion, and his immediate war-trained thought was, Mortar. He could see all around the heath, though, and there was no engine of war, no gun, no people, even, except for one man some way down the path who was running towards the tree with such urgency that Saul found himself jog-trotting, then sprinting, to meet him. 

By the time Saul reached the tree, it was blazing so hard he couldn’t go near it, waves of heat rolling out and stinging his eyes. The other man was standing, breathing rather less heavily than Saul, staring at the conflagration. 

“What the devil happened?” he demanded aloud, in a decidedly upper-class tone. 

Saul couldn’t tell if the man was asking him or the empty air; he replied anyway. “I’ve no idea. I thought it was a mortar at first but—”

“We’re not at bloody war any more.”

“At first,” Saul repeated. “That or lightning, but the sky’s clear as you like. Did you see anything?”

“Such as what?”

Saul had no idea. “Someone with some kind of gasoline? That blaze is—”

“Unnatural,” the man completed. He was regarding the tree with hard, sceptical eyes. Saul couldn’t blame him. The tree had been a living thing; if you’d chopped it down the wood would have taken a good year to dry out for burning, but the fire was so fierce he felt it heating his cheeks, and so loud that they were almost shouting over the noise of branches crackling and snapping. How in God’s name did a live tree burn like that?

“It must have been lightning,” he said aloud. “I had a view of the whole park.”

“And you saw a very small thunderstorm above?”

Saul had trained himself to endure contempt, but he didn’t have to take sarcasm from a stranger. He turned away from the inferno and had his first good look at the other man. 

He was of medium height, but thinnish and rangy, which made him appear taller: the sinew and whipcord build that Saul himself had, and liked. English from his features, with dark hair and much lighter hazel eyes under near-black, slanted brows. A saturnine, sardonic sort of face, clean-shaven; a mouth that seemed made to sneer. He looked like the kind of man Saul had met a great deal in the war in the officer ranks: a thoroughbred aristocrat, effortlessly superior, endlessly disdainful. 

“See anything you like?” the man enquired, those finely shaped lips twisting, and Saul realised he’d been staring. 

Well, sod you, fellow. “I can’t say I do, no,” he replied affably, and wasn’t sure if the flicker in the man’s expression was amusement or affront.

Title: In His Hands (Blank Canvas #3)

Author: Adriana Anders

Date of publication: 1 Aug 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Abuse, Religious cult

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Add to Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

Blurb

He is Her Salvation

Abby Merkley has been a member of the Church of the Apocalyptic Faith since she was a child, and there's no way out―except death. She will fight the odds to survive, but there's no one in the world she can trust, nowhere she can run that the cult can't find her...until her handsome, brooding neighbor takes her into the safety of his arms.

Review

I absolutely loved Adriana Anders' debut book, Under Her Skin, and when I got a review copy of this one, I grabbed the chance to read it. It was no surprise that I ended loving this one too.

This is an intense and raw story of two very different characters who discover they are exactly what the other needs.

Abby is trying to escape a religious cult, while Luc is on the run from his past. She wants to experience life to the fullest, he is living as a recluse and wants to keep it that way.

We have the mix of strong, irresistible sexual chemistry with slow opening up to real intimacy which brings them together. He helps her escape, she helps him start enjoying life again.

The whole aspect with the religious cult was very much along the lines of what I expected, still the levels of manipulation and physical abuse were truly staggering. So much pain, so much uncalled-for violence/hate.

I really liked Abby and found her to be a very real, believable heroine. She was determined to escape the cult and its teaching, yet still very much under their influence, we see her struggle, her growth as a person of her own, one thinking and making choices for herself, no longer brainwashed by the teaching of the cult.

Her lack of much experience in the world outside the cult is shown but it's not overdone for the sake of presenting her as more innocent and naive than she really was. I liked it was not a virgin heroine trope, tough she was very much a virgin at every thing to do with intimacy besides the sexual act itself.

Luc was very much a misanthrope or rather he did a spectacular job pretending to be one. He was hurt by his family and like Abby, he was on the run from his old life, trying desperately to build himself a new one. She brought (back) the human(-loving) side of him, she made him care, about her, other people, brought back the life in him.

I loved how the story explored the relations between emotions and physical connection/intimacy, how notions of shame and taboo were questioned.  It's ultimately a celebration of life, enjoying it to the fullest - through food and drink and sex and just interacting with people on one's free will, forming relationships (with friends, with family, with lovers). Overall, this is a great addition to the series and a highly recommended read. 

I have been meaning to do a post with recommendations for romances (contemporary) set outside the US for a while now. It turned out I haven't read many like that and most of the ones I have read were set in the UK. So in order to be more inclusive and for purely selfish reasons of finding more romances set around the world for me to read, I asked romance Twitter for recs and they literally showered me with suggestions. So many new books to add to my TBR list!

I'm starting with my own favourites first, contemporary romances set outside the US which I have read and enjoyed a lot. Then I will proceed with all Twitter recs. Hope you will find something new and interesting for you to read

Twitter recommendations

1. Killing Time by Cindy Gerard, mf romantic suspense
2. The Path by Ariel Tachna, mm about falling in love on the Inca Trail in Peru

Title: Hate to Want You (Forbidden Hearts #1)

Author: Alisha Rai

Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance, Depression

Release Date: 25 July 2017

Author links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Add on Goodreads

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Review

Nick Melnikov doesn’t know where he belongs. He was just a kid when his Russian-Jewish family immigrated to Michigan. Now he’s in London for university, overwhelmed by unexpected memories. Socially anxious, intensely private, and closeted, Nick doesn’t expect to fall in so quickly with a tight-knit group of students from his college, and it’s both exhilarating and scary. Hanging out with them is a roller coaster of serious awkward and incredible longing, especially when the most intimidating of the group, Dex, looks his way.

Dex Cartwell knows exactly who he is: a black queer guy who doesn’t give a toss what anybody thinks of him. He is absolutely, one-hundred-percent, totally in control of his life. Apart, maybe, from the stress of his family’s abrupt move to an affluent, largely white town. And worrying about his younger brother feeling increasingly isolated as a result. And the persistent broken heart he’s been nursing for a while . . .

When Nick and Dex meet, both find themselves intrigued. Countless late-night conversations only sharpen their attraction. But the last thing Nick wants is to face his deepest secret, and the last thing Dex needs is another heartache. Dex has had to fight too hard for his right to be where he is. Nick isn’t even sure where he’s from. So how can either of them tell where this is going?

What a powerful, memorable debut! This a quiet and understated, yet unforgettable coming-of-age story of finding yourself and your place in the world.

We have three main characters in this story and an array of their friends who equally interesting and compelling to read. We have Nick, a Jewish Russian immigrant on study abroad in London coming to terms with being gay while falling in love with Dex, a Black British openly gay and broody chemistry student. Then there is Izzy, who brings everyone together and who has her own sexual awakening to deal with. She is like the glue that holds together this circle of friends with different sexualities, backgrounds and life experiences whose lives we follow in the book.

I'd describe this as chatty kind of story, especially at the beginning when Nick meets everyone and is completely overwhelmed by them. As a reader I felt in a similar position, so many new characters introduced almost at the same time was a bit confusing but it didn't last long. They all had unique, distinctive voices I could hear in my head while reading.

I loved how the author made all her characters feel like real people one could meet on the street. I really, really liked everyone of them and very much like I would have wanted desperately to be their friends while also worrying I'm not good enough for them. Nick's anxiety, his fears and doubts, as well as his hopes and dreams, and his youthful confusion and indecisiveness were presented with such tenderness and understanding, made vivid and real, something I could relate on a personal level. Even though my life couldn't have been more different from any of the characters' I could identify with bits and pieces of them all through the story and I find this connection truly magical. This is what I love the most about reading fiction - finding pieces of me in character who are nothing like me on the surface.

While i loved Izzy, (who wouldn't love her?), I also felt distracted by her at times. We got two parallel stories going on at the same time and it made me wonder why this choice as made. I think she deserves the spotlight of her own book. This is just a minor quibble I have and in no way it deducts from the amazing gorgeousness of this nuanced, rich book.

This is a slow-building romance, there is some angst and secrets and confusion and a very tentative HFN at the end. We also get to experience the stress of being in your final year in university, navigating school, family, while finding your own place in the world. learning to take care of yourself but also how to be with someone, how to love and be loved, building friendships and romantic relationships.

Highly recommended read and I can't tell you how excited I'm to read more about Nick and Dex and Izzy and the rest of gang in the next book.

Title: Lost Without You (The Debt #1)

Author: Molly O'Keefe

Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance, Abuse

Release Date: 19 June 2017

Add on Goodreads

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3.5 stars

That said, this was not an easy read. The story has the depth and intensity typical for the author but this one was rather dark and heavy to read at times due to covering the subject of child abuse. I feel a trigger warning is needed for child abuse, including attempted rape presented in real time in the Prologue and in flashbacks later in the story.

Beth and Tommy are two very broken characters that cannot be easily fixed. They have this almost cosmic connection and it seems they are each others' only salvation. The road to their HEA together was not an easy one and often in this story, I couldn't imagine how they will get the happiness they deserved, being together seemed absolutely impossible.

Tommy broke my heart, he felt real, easily accessible, his suffering and dilemmas i could understand.I felt a strong connection with him and think I understood him better. Beth remained a bit of mystery, we never get crucial details about her past and that kept me from understanding her better.

This read like the start of Tommy and Beth's journey both literally and figuratively. I wasn't sold on the whole thing with Bates and the attempted kidnapping of Beth. Tommy and Beth just started unpacking all the hurt from their past and story ended. I strongly recommend reading the next one right away.

Blurb

THE GIRL I LOVED IS THE WOMAN I CAN’T HAVE

It was simple: Pay the debt and I stay out of jail. Pay the debt and I stay alive.

But I sacrificed it all for Beth.

I didn’t pay what I owed. I’m sure punishment is coming, but I can take it - as long as Beth is safe. Away from her mother and everyone else who would hurt her.

I gave it all up for two days with her. And it was worth it.

She always was. 

THE SECRETS WE KEEP ARE WHAT TEARS US APART

We’re supposed to be done. Over. Tommy goes his way, I go mine. Cue the heartbreaking music.

I’m supposed to forget him, but I don’t think I can. And when the danger closes in on Tommy, we’re on the run again. From Bates. From my mother. From our past. And there are no safe places to hide.

Except one. And it’s the place that will hurt Tommy the most. 

But maybe it’s time for me to face my past. My demons.

Maybe it’s time for me to save Tommy for once.

Review

The emotional and physical journey of Beth and Tommy continued in the second book. It was even more intense that the first one. And a lot more sex was included which made me feel like the characters were trying to solve all their issues with sex. No matter how intimate and liberating it was, I was not convinced it was the right approach. I felt they needed more talking and less (rough) f*cking especially considering the traumas they were both dealing with.

Title: An Unnatural Vice (Sins of the Cities #2)

Author: KJ Charles

Genre/Themes: Historical, MM romance

Release Date: 6 June 2017

Author's links: Website / Twitter / FB Group / Goodreads

Add on Goodreads

My rating: 4 Stars

Blurb

In the sordid streets of Victorian London, unwanted desire flares between two bitter enemies brought together by a deadly secret.

Crusading journalist Nathaniel Roy is determined to expose spiritualists who exploit the grief of bereaved and vulnerable people. First on his list is the so-called Seer of London, Justin Lazarus. Nathaniel expects him to be a cheap, heartless fraud. He doesn’t expect to meet a man with a sinful smile and the eyes of a fallen angel—or that a shameless swindler will spark his desires for the first time in years.

Justin feels no remorse for the lies he spins during his séances. His gullible clients simply bore him. Hostile, disbelieving, utterly irresistible Nathaniel is a fascinating challenge. And as their battle of wills and wits heats up, Justin finds he can’t stop thinking about the man who’s determined to ruin him.

But Justin and Nathaniel are linked by more than their fast-growing obsession with one another. They are both caught up in an aristocratic family’s secrets, and Justin holds information that could be lethal. As killers, fanatics, and fog close in, Nathaniel is the only man Justin can trust—and, perhaps, the only man he could love. 

Review 

This is the second book in the Sins of the Cities series and it continues the mystery/suspense plot from the first book as the background of a rather unexpected romance.

Justine Lazarus, the Seer of London, a fake psychic making money by deceiving  gullible rich people who turn to him is very much at the heart of this story. And he is such a special character, he is so unapologetically bad you can't help cheer for his HEA. Justine is a shameless crook, who has no regrets and second thoughts about what he does for a living. Yet, we gradually see another side of him - he is smart and observant and crafty and resourceful and ultimately, someone with a moral code of his own, someone who cares about his people, wants to do better, live a better life.

He is not an easily likable character, especially at the beginning, but I had no trouble understanding him, relating to him, accepting as legitimate the reasons that made him act the way he did. Deep down he is a good person, caring in his own way, and what makes him even more special is that despite the difficulties he had been through , him acting like a cold-hearted cynic is  all more or less a mask, a role he plays to perfection in order to survive. And still, he has dreams, and hopes, is able to love and show compassion and care.

Nathaniel was a bit harder for me to pin down as a character - strong and stoic, recovering from the loss of his lover. He was a sort of a justice warrior, guided by strong moral principles. While I'm sympathetic to his struggles to come to terms with his attraction to someone like Lazarus, he acted too superior and judgmental for my liking. His privilege was showing in his insistence for Justin to change his ways. Even though in the end he accepted him the way he was, I didn't like his attitude for most of the story.

They are an unlikely pair, which started with an irresistible sexual chemistry in a enemies-to-lovers scenario. I felt the attraction was a bit instantaneous and while I see it as fitting Lazarus, it felt forced with Nathaniel. He's been mourning his partner for a long time and suddenly his attraction awakes, just like that, out of nowhere and it draws him to the unlikeliest of love interest

The mystery/suspense part of the story was full of plot twitst and turns that kept me on my toes the whole time while reading. It was exciting and unexpected and intense and moving without ever going into melodrama and really enjoyed it.

The writing is we have come to expect by KJ Charles flawless, engaging, full of nuanced detail, creating a rich sense of place and time.

As the solving of the overarching mystery of the series progresses, not it's time for Mark to get his story told and I can't wait to read it later this year. 

Purchase links: Publisher / Amazon / Kobo