Tag: new adult (Page 11 of 17)

Take Me On by Katie McGarry

June 6, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I was provided with a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Champion kickboxer Haley swore she’d never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can’t stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she’d stay away from. Yet he won’t last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it’s his fault his family is falling apart. He can’t change the past, but maybe he can change Haley’s future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they’ll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

*Spoilers for previous books in the series follow. Be ye warned.*

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I quite liked West in the previous book in the series, Crash Into You. West was good looking, a little cocky and therefore not perfect, but he also tries hard, in his own way, to help his family. Unfortunately, he feels his actions always lead to disaster and he perceives himself to be a failure. In fact, given that he was always told he was conceived in order to be a bone marrow match for his then-dying sister Colleen (he was not a match), he feels he has been a failure from birth. He resents his dad, who spends almost all of his time working and most all of what attention is left over is for West’s mum. West wants his attention sure, but he also wants his dad to step up and be a more active dad. Then maybe West won’t feel like it’s up to him to fix things for everyone. Then maybe West won’t muck up as much. West is impulsive (which often gets him into trouble) and, after he gets into yet another fight at school, he is finally expelled. His dad, fed up with the drama from West, confronts him, they have a nasty fight and West is thrown out.

Review at AudioGals

May 30, 2014 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals today reviewing Second Chance Boyfriend by Monica Murphy, narrated by Kate Rudd, Luke Daniels and Tanya Eby. Not quite as gripping as the first book, but still a good listen.

His Fair Lady by Kimberly Gardner

May 23, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I bought this after I saw Jayne’s review on Dear Author.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Mark Talleo is something of a dog with the ladies. Any girl, anytime, anywhere is his motto until he meets Josie Frazier. The long lean redhead not only shares his love of musical theatre, but her smoky sexy voice and infectious laugh drive Mark wild and haunt his every step. Equally fascinating is his sense that she has a secret, one he is determined to uncover on his way to becoming her leading man.

Josie does have a secret, one she guards with her whole self. Although she has always known she was female, her name used to be Joey and she’s still biologically male. As much as she yearns for love and acceptance, her fear of rejection is just as strong.

Mark’s need to know the truth is matched only by Josie’s need to hide it. But when malicious gossip reveals her deepest secret the price of honesty may turn out to be too high to pay. But if each can accept that the woman he wants is the woman she is then at last he may find His Fair Lady.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’m so glad I read this book. It was so good.

I’ve been meaning to diversify my reading further but so far have largely been defeated by the size of my TBR. Since I started reading m/m romance and hanging out on Twitter, I’ve become more open generally and much more socially aware. I still have a long way to go of course but I’m not as blind to things as I once was. And I’ve found that fiction is both a safe space and a great way for me to learn about people I might not get to meet in my real life white bread world.
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Straight Shooter by Heidi Belleau

April 20, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) This macho jock has a crooked little secret.

College hockey player Austin Puett is in trouble. Unless he starts treating his flamboyantly gay roommate with respect, he’ll lose his room and his job at Rear Entrance Video. But Austin’s got a not-so-straight secret of his own: nothing turns him on more than insults implying he’s gay—even though he’s definitely not!—and all his old coping methods have stopped working.

Pure desperation drives him to rent a Mischievous Pictures porn flick about straight men tricked into servicing Puck, a male dominant. Instead of letting off steam, though, it just leaves him craving more, more, more, and suddenly, Austin finds himself at Mischievous Pictures Studios for an audition. After all, you can be Gay For Pay and still be straight . . . right?

But meeting Liam Williams, the real person behind Puck, confuses Austin even more. Liam really seems to like him as a person, and Austin likes him back. And while Gay For Pay’s okay, what does it make Austin if he still wants Liam when the cameras aren’t rolling?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’m not sure exactly what to say about this novel. Any review is necessarily the reviewer’s personal reaction to a book but my thoughts about Straight Shooter ended up being a bit more about me than the usual review I write. The story caused me to examine some things about my own thinking and because it’s my blog and I can and because it’s my honest reaction, that’s partly what I’m going to talk about here. I like books that make me think and critical thinking works inwardly as well of course.

Review at Dear Author

April 1, 2014 / Kaetrin

I’m reviewing Mark Cooper versus America by Lisa Henry and JA Rock over at Dear Author today. I liked it but there was one aspect which had me conflicted. I found myself asking some serious questions even though, for the most part, the book is fairly light-hearted in tone. I had questions but not answers. I’ll be interested to know what others think, not necessarily about the book (although, that too) but about the wider questions I’ve posed. My own view, as yet, is not entirely fixed.

New review up at AudioGals

February 25, 2014 / Kaetrin

I get ranty about Collide by Gail McHugh, narrated by Mary Kowal. It rates very well at Goodreads but not at Casa Kaetrin, so click on the link at your own risk.