Book Review: Devil's Food at Dusk by M.J. O'Shea & Anna Martin

Joe Fitzgerald hates New Orleans, but he’s stuck there until he convinces one stubborn local family to sell Lumière, the crumbling French Quarter restaurant they’ve owned for generations. The place is a wreck, and it’s hemorrhaging money. Joe figures he's their best chance for survival.

Remy Babineaux despises Pineapple Joe’s and everything the chain stands for. He refuses to let Lumière become some tacky corporate tourist trap. Theme drinks and plastic beads in his restaurant? Yeah, right. Over his dead, rotting corpse. The last thing Remy wants is a meeting with the restaurant chain’s representative, but his father agreed to at least listen to the proposal. There’s nothing Remy can do about it.

Remy figures an anonymous hookup is exactly what he needs to decompress. When he ends up across the table from his fling the next morning, real sparks fly. Joe refuses to give up his prime location; Remy refuses to give up his legacy. It’s war, and they’re both determined to win at any cost. Neither of them counted on falling in love.

I've read the two previous books in this series - I absolutely adored Soufflés at Sunrise - so I was excited about this third offering. Unfortunately, I did not connect with the storyline or the characters. The overall premise of the book is interesting, but the one-dimensional characters and unnecessary filler made the story suffer in my opinion.

I know many readers did not like Joe, but I felt the opposite. To me, he was just a guy trying to do his job. For all of Remy's posturing about the restaurant, the readers (and some of his family members) could see what was really going on. Granted, there was a huge conflict of interest when it came to Joe and Remy, but they were both at fault for that. As for Remy, I loved his passion for the culinary arts, the family restaurant and his family, but he seemed a little too entitled, way too stubborn and too whiny for my liking. The fact that he would have rather sent his family into financial ruin for the sake of nostalgia and his own pride, rubbed me the wrong way. His brother, André, was nice enough, but relied too much on his family for just about everything and didn't seem like he could be his own person outside of them. The various storylines involving Remy's friends and family received more time than needed and weighed the book down. I also felt that the ending felt abrupt and a little too perfect, making me wonder why the conflict had been drawn out so long if it was only going to be wrapped up nicely after one gesture; granted, it was a huge gesture.

All in all, this was an okay read for me.

2.5 stars

Buy link
Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

~ M

Blog Tour: Laurent and the Beast by K.A. Merikan

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 135,000 words

Cover: Natasha Snow


Blurb

Nothing can stop true love. Not time. Not even the devil himself. 

1805. Laurent. Indentured servant. Desperate to escape a life that is falling apart.

2017. Beast. Kings of Hell Motorcycle Club vice president. His fists do the talking.

Beast has been disfigured in a fire, but he’s covered his skin with tattoos to make sure no one mistakes his scars for weakness. The accident not only hurt his body, but damaged his soul and self-esteem, so he’s wrapped himself in a tight cocoon of violence and mayhem where no one can reach him.

Until one night, when he finds a young man covered in blood in their clubhouse. Sweet, innocent, and as beautiful as an angel fallen from heaven, Laurent pulls on all of Beast’s heartstrings. Laurent is so lost in the world around him, and is such a tangled mystery, that Beast can’t help but let the man claw his way into the stone that is Beast’s heart.

In 1805, Laurent has no family, no means, and his eyesight is failing. To escape a life of poverty, he uses his beauty, but that only backfires and leads him to a catastrophe that changes his life forever. He takes one step into the abyss and is transported to the future, ready to fight for a life worth living.

What he doesn’t expect in his way is a brutal, gruff wall of tattooed muscle with a tender side that only Laurent is allowed to touch. And yet, if Laurent ever wants to earn his freedom, he might have to tear out the heart of the very man who took care of him when it mattered most.

Book Review: Rainbow Sprinkles by Anna Martin

Cooper Reed has a fairly relaxed life for someone who lives in LA. He’s no celebrity—just the guy who makes sundaes at the Dreamy Creamery, and that’s the way he likes it. The highlight of every week is the beautiful guy who turns up and orders a sundae with rainbow sprinkles. Cooper still isn’t sure if that’s a code, because he has a huge crush and the hot guy is terrible at flirting.

Drew Tanner, it turns out, is an original California dreamer. He’s as wholesome as apple pie and twice as sweet, a real-life Disney Prince at Disneyland. But while Drew’s head is in the clouds, Cooper’s feet are firmly on the ground, and their different outlooks might be more than their new relationship can take.

This is an absolutely adorable story that I enjoyed from beginning to end! The characters are extremely likable and will warm your heart. They aren't terribly complex, but I liked that they are just regular guys who do not lead overly extraordinary lives, but love what they do. There is a very small amount of angst, so the rest of nothing but fluffy romance. I did think Cooper and Drew's relationship progressed kind of fast, but that happens with books of this length. If you're in the mood for a relatively uncomplicated, sweet romance, this is the book for you!

3.5 stars 

I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily provided my honest review.

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

~ M

Connecting the Dots by RamenKitsune

Connecting the Dots by RamenKitsune

While spending a quiet winter evening indoors, Haru realizes his true feelings for Makoto.

You know that warm feeling you get when you read a really sweet book or fanfic? Well, Connecting the Dots will definitely give you the warm and fuzzies as you delve into Haru's inner thoughts. It's a quick read, but very fluffy and cute.

~ M


picture credit: Kyoto Animation

I ❤️ Yaoi: Darenimo Naisho de by Sakura Rico

Good morning, yaoi lovers! This week's feature is Darenimo Naisho de by Sakura Rico.

Maki is a popular and good-looking dude, but he's a virgin. Despite his playboy looks, he believes that sex should be done with someone you like; a pure-hearted teenage boy that you rarely see nowadays. By some accident, his classmate, Miyashita, discovers his secret. In exchange for his silence, Maki is threatened into going out with him. He reluctantly accepts, but later discovers that Miyashita is a huge sadist.

I thought this was an okay manga. The artwork is appealing, but the story fell flat for me. There are some really sweet moments, and I enjoyed seeing the various layers of Miyashita's personality revealed, but I just wanted more: more passion, more sweetness and more heat.

Read Darenimo Naisho de here.

~ M

Book Review & Blog Tour: Falling for Him by C.L. Mustafic

Doctor Gavin Addison’s marriage didn’t end on the friendliest of terms, and his estranged wife’s continual harassment has the local police visiting his home so often they’ve started calling him “the doc.” One of those cops, Officer Lex Turner, has a crush on the handsome doc, even though he knows there’s no chance the doc would ever consider dating a man.

A chance encounter on a crowded dance floor ends with both men in the same bed with the same woman—but with questionable results. When the doc wants to try that again, Lex becomes more involved than he’d dreamed possible as he helps his new friend navigate the kinkier side of sex. Knowing it’s just sex for Gavin, Lex finds it hard to keep his feelings hidden. But when Gavin finally figures out he has feelings for Lex that go beyond what a guy should feel for his buddy, will he let Lex convince him to take a chance with him—even if it turns both their lives upside down?

This book was hit and miss for me. I liked the slow progression of the relationship between Gavin and Lex, but I also felt like I was being inundated with angst and drama from all directions. Gavin's ex-wife was absolutely ridiculous and deserved to be in jail. I will admit that as soon as I realized we were heading down the "unnecessarily crazy female character" trope, I kind of checked out...at least when it came to that plot point. Poor Gavin was just so helpless and it seemed like there was absolutely no recourse. All in all, this was an okay book. It could have been trimmed down by at least 50 pages in my opinion, but it was a good effort by the author.

2.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily provided my honest review.

Buy Links
NineStar Press | Amazon

~ M

One Equal Temper by hairgel

One Equal Temper by hairgel

Connor and Oliver work for a secret spy agency: Connor handles field work while Oliver deals with all of the behind-the-scenes technology. Their jobs are dangerous, but they soon discover that there is mole within the group, and that person is putting everyone in serious danger. Will Connor and Oliver be able to expose the mole without losing their lives in the process?

This is a great AU! If you thought Connor and Oliver were hot in their canon roles, wait until you read about them as super secret spies. This story has some really intense moments as well as sweet moments. Be prepared to see Rebecca again since this was written during the first season of the show. Highly recommended!

~ M
 

picture credit: ABC