This is the first book in the LOVESTRONG series about finding love and being yourself in a small town. Intended only for 18+ readers, this is an mm romance fill with all the fun, fluff, and feels you’d want from an S. Hawke book.
How Not To Blend is the first book I read by this author (considering the other name too). I like the “fake boyfriend” trope, I like stories where the main character is a father, I like characters that carry heavy background on their shoulders. I found these elements in this new release so I took a chance and picked it up. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. In my opinion the plot was well developed and delivered. It was not a boring reading, cause things happened, I was often waiting for the next shoe to drop. Sure, a couple of scenes were over the top, sometimes facts were too simple. But what I look for in my books are escaping and good times, here I got them. Plus a lot of laughs, some tears, a lovely happy ending. And I met quite a lot of second characters I’d like to read their own HEAs. Moreover, for a very personal reason, I felt a deep connection with Andy and Corbin and that’s the main reason why I ignored the faults the story has and easily enjoyed the journey.
The cover art by Ana J Phoenix is well done but I can’t see the MCs in the model and so not fitting at all.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Books, Contemporary fiction, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Contemporary Fiction, M/M Fiction, M/M Romance and tagged A Stella Recommended Story, A Stella Review: How Not to Blend (Lovestrong #1) by Susan Hawke, author Susan Hawke, fake boyfriend trope, How Not to Blend (Lovestrong #1) by Susan Hawke, Lovestrong series by Susan Hawke.
Oh, what a great start to a new series. Aaron is confused by the sudden commotion a simple book has brought to his life but Kai is definitely the best part of it. Malakai wants to love and protect Aaron from all the dangers they will face but still allows him to learn and fight beside him.
I loved how Aaron was able to accept and adjust his life to the new reality in which he lives. Seeing Kai and Aaron work well together and only grow their bond was wonderful. I loved all of the side characters in this book and look forward to more in the series to hopefully feature some of them.
We see both of their points of view and learn more about these characters’ backgrounds. I loved how well they complemented each other. Aaron comes to magick so naturally it will be great to see how he grows in the future.
The cover art by Vicki Brostenianc is great and I love the visual of Kai.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Fiction, M/M Paranormal Fiction, M/M Romance, M/M Supernatural Fiction, Self Published, Uncategorized and tagged An Alisa Review: Elemental Magick (The Donovan Coven #1) by Jacki James, author Jacki James, Elemental Magick (The Donovan Coven #1) by Jacki James, The Donovan Coven series by Jacki James.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words wants to welcome R.L. Merrill here today on tour for Typhoon Toby. Welcome, R.L., into our author’s interview chair.
I never set out to be a writer, and I didn’t read much romance growing up. I read Stephen King and Anne Rice and I figured if I ever wrote stories, I’d want to scare the hell out of people. IO didn’t read for a long time because of college, being a brand new teacher trying to figure out what I was doing, then grad school. I read while I was pregnant with my daughter, a whole bunch of thrillers and mysteries, and then didn’t read a book again until I got sick in 2009. This time I started with paranormal romances. Sherrilyn Kenyon and Charlaine Harris were both authors I loved for their unique characters and great dialogue as well as flawed heroes who deserved redemption. My first self-published romance ended up being a contemporary so I have no idea where that came from, haha. I never really read much. I loved Colleen Hoover’s early books and I wanted to make people feel like she does. Her career is probably the one I’d love to have, although I don’t think our books are similar. I have yet to find anyone I read and think A HA! My readers tell me my characters and zany situations remind them of Kristan Higgins. I’ll take that. She’s pretty amazing as well.
Contemporary romance is tricky. I’ve given up trying to write the kinds of heroes people want to read and focus on who I’d like to know and hang out with. In that sense, a lot of times my characters are based on real people, my own heroes, or celebrities that I respect. There are things that would make me personally not want to be with a person so I avoid those traits in my writing, but then other readers love those types of characters, so I just have to hope there are enough like-minded readers out there looking for flawed-but-redeemable characters.
Lately I’ve been looking at the quirky ways people deal with stress and failure in my characters. I’m also fascinated by characters that survive in that gray area. My absolute favorite TV show ever is Justified. Talk about a whole bunch of flawed characters that wallow in the gray! There’s a delicate balance, though, between how much is too much. This goes back to my last answer. Where’s that line that readers won’t blur with you?
I’m not a drinker, but if it were possible for me to write amped up on too much caffeine and write something ridiculous, I’ll do it. My drunken exploits go back twenty years and involve drunk shopping haha. My husband loves to remind me of the awful red and orange dress I bought in Hawaii on our honeymoon that had to go back the next day.
The best possible place for me to write is an old building. I’ve written some of my favorite stories at the Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley which dates to the late 1800s, the Weller House in Fort Bragg, California… My friend’s house in Portland, Oregon which was built in the early 1900s and is all dark wood gorgeousness in the woods. I’ve had great writing sessions in the Jupiter, a beer pub in Berkeley as well. I’d love to find someplace old that’s closer to me that I could visit on a more regular basis.
I write to give hope. I write to recognize the struggles people I respect go through. I write to save my sanity.
This year is going to see a lot of different projects. After Typhoon Toby, I’ll revisit my boys Orrie and Dalton from Worst Holiday Ever and give them a Valentine’s Day Surprise. Then it’s on to a f/f story for a #loveislove anthology in June and hopefully a paranormal. Later in the summer, a new project from Dreamspinner will be out titled Summer of Hush. I’ve got lots of writing to do, including more stories in the Forces of Nature series and Summer of Hush, as well as some indie projects.
Once upon a time… A teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock ‘n’ roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. Several self-published books and a debut from Dreamspinner Press later, with more tucked away in her evil lair, R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, being a mom-taxi to two brilliant and busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews, Books, Contemporary fiction, Dreamspinner Press, eBooks, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Contemporary Fiction, M/M Fiction, M/M Romance, Uncategorized and tagged @rlmerrillauthor @dreamspinners #newbookrelease #TyphoonToby, A Dreamspinner Press Author Guest Tour, author R.L. Merrill, Forces of Nature series by R.L. Merrill, Typhoon Toby (Forces of Nature Book 2) by R.L. Merrill.