Space Wrangler by Kate Donovan

Space Wrangler by Kate Donovan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book and I loved it hard. Space Wrangler is a sci-fi romance that combines space travel with an Old West cowboy feel similar to Firefly. Unlike Captain Mal and his motley crew, Captain Gage is a crew of one (plus a sentient computer) and he’s a legitimate wrangler. Like Mal, Rick is a former soldier who has a strong sense of right and wrong and has no problem wading in to help someone out who is being wronged. This is how he comes to meet Alexia Montoya – the last surviving member of the Montoya family, the family responsible for the discovery of the sinkhole and harnessing its properties for travel. As she had Sea-Mont enforcers pointing guns at her, an unarmed woman whose family was largely responsible for the D-side platform they were all standing on, Rick had no choice but to wade in on her behalf. And thus began their adventure.

Space Wrangler is the first book in a new series, so there is a lot of world building going on, especially as the book is over 350 pages. Yet I was never bored with the story. Donovan not only builds a fascinating world on Destry, but she infuses a lot of science in the story without getting overly technical to the point of losing the reader. The sinkhole, space travel, sentient computers, and Titans all combine wonderfully with the Old West style justice of Seaton, wranglers, and pirate outlaws, and it kept me glued to my Kindle the entire day. Not knowing which direction the author was going to take the romance didn’t hurt either. Because even though there was chemistry between Lexie and Rick, neither was looking for a relationship and they had entirely different agendas. I actually liked that they understood and respected one another’s plans. Their mutual respect made is easy for me to believe their decision to spend a night together and go their separate ways. And it’s why I wasn’t sure which direction the author was taking the romance, especially with TJ in the picture and Rick’s departure the following day.

Donovan does an excellent job of weaving multiple storylines together in the book. Between Rick’s wrangling, Lexie tireless search for her missing brother, the conflict between Lexie and David Seaton, the mystery about the Titans, the sinkhole, the sentient computers, and the romance, there is a lot going on, but like life, it takes place simultaneously. I was shocked by the turn the book took when David Seaton showed up, not because he showed up, but because he was so freaking evil and brought out the absolute worst in his son, TJ. I will admit that while realistic to the outlaw feel of D-side, it ticked me off every time one of the men called Lexie a slut. Yes, she admits that she slept with 3 or 4 men (my confusion and by no means slut-worthy) in an effort to get help on her quest to find her brother. But the men who were calling her a slut were usually men who regularly utilized the services of the bio-girls – women who, while sweet as could be, were basically company-provided prostitutes. Yes, the sexual double standard was alive and well on the D-side. Other than that personally annoying bit of name calling, I loved Space Wrangler. And the manner in which Douglas chose to end the book with the Epilogue left me with a serious hankering for the next book in the Space Rustlers series.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Space Wrangler (Space Rustlers, #1) by Kate Donovan blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Aftermath by Bailey Bradford

Aftermath by Bailey Bradford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have been anticipating Darren's story since he first appeared as the skittish new waiter in All of the Voices. While he's still skittish and comes with quite a bit of baggage, I was relieved that his past wasn't as bad as I was worried it was going to be. This made Aftermath a lighter read than I expected, but don’t despair because it's not without its own intensity.

Not to spoil the book for anyone, but I will readily admit that I was concerned that Darren was in McKinton because he was fleeing an abusive relationship. While he did indeed flee his hometown, he did so out of guilt and loss. Darren's best friend died two days after Darren's mother died. Because he had a boyfriend at the time, Darren felt as though he neglected Stefan and that Stefan wouldn't have died if he'd spent more time with him. As it turns out, Darren isn't the only one feeling guilty about Stefan's death and questioning if it was an accident or murder. Stefan's older brother Lee has been searching for Darren for more than a year in hopes of finding out more about his brother's final days. That Lee finds more than he was looking for when he catches up to Darren made Aftermath a lovely read for me – kind of a second chance romance for Darren now that Lee sees him for the man he’s become.

There were several things about this installment in the Southern Spirits series that I enjoyed immensely. While I was relieved to learn why Darren was in McKinton, I was glad to see those around him take a more active part in his life and that they were able to do so without him bolting. Not only did this give Darren people to call friends, but it also gave him the opportunity to stand up for himself when he felt they were being too pushy. I also enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Darren and Lee and how taken aback Lee was when he first saw Darren after the years that have passed. He saw Darren as the man, rather than fixating on the image of the boy he knew as his brother’s best friend. This definitely made for some steamy scenes between the two. As for the spirits, I absolutely adored Stefan and understood his antics better once we learned more about him. It also helped to explain why Darren felt so guilty about Stefan’s death and why Conner was protective of the young spirit. In fact, Conner’s antics in Aftermath were priceless and the sheet incident would make for heck of a scene in a movie. I quite enjoyed this installment and am looking forward to reading What Remains very soon.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Aftermath (Southern Spirits #5) by Bailey Bradford blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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959 Brenton Street by Thianna Durston

959 Brenton Street by Thianna Durston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It’s been a couple of weeks since I read this book and being as I usually write my reviews shortly after finishing a book, I wanted to skim back over 959 Brenton Street just to refresh my memory. BIG MISTAKE! I didn’t skim it. I reread the whole book. Considering how much I enjoy the author’s writing, I’m not overly surprised that I found myself sucked back into Trent’s story. And while it didn’t help my review schedule at all, I enjoyed myself immensely on the second read.

I’ll be upfront and say that I have very little knowledge of the Mormon church and what I did know about it was not very positive. Because of this, I really didn’t know what to expect as Trent tried to reconcile his sexuality with his religious beliefs because I didn’t know the church’s stance on homosexuality. While the religious aspect plays a large role in the storyline, as it is front and center in Trent’s life, it did not overpower the book in my opinion. I think that was because even though Trent was faced with deciding whether or not he could be Mormon despite being gay, the ultimate focus on the novel was Trent finding out who he was as an individual and what he wanted and didn’t want for his life. And when a frankly frightening policy of overbooking at the college’s dorms leaves him homeless – and this really ticked me off because Trent was a scholarship student whose scholarship covered room and board, so he should have had a guaranteed spot in the dorms – Trent’s scramble to find a place to live lands him in possibly the best place for him to discover himself as a man.

I loved the men of 959 Brenton Street. Going in knowing that Trent would find happiness, at least for a while, with Cory, I wasn’t surprised that I loved Cory’s character. What I was surprised by, was how much I came to love the other residents – Alan, David, and Greg. As the blurb indicates, each man has his own identity that would not be considered normal by much of society and that is precisely why they were so accepting of Trent, which made me love them that much more. I especially enjoyed the relationship that Trent and Alan shared. I was also VERY pleasantly surprised when the domestic discipline (DD) element was introduced. I have enjoyed each of Thurston’s DD novels and its inclusion in 959 Brenton Street merely added to my enjoyment. Obviously my absolute favorite part of the novel was the romance that developed between Cory and Trent because not only were the men perfect for one another, but Thurston took her time in developing the relationship and didn’t rush them into anything (and my thanks to the author for not harping on the age difference). My only disappointment in the book was that I made the mistake of reading the excerpt from book two and now have to wait for its release – boo! Excellent start to a new series.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the 959 Brenton Street (Men of Falcon Pointe #1) by Thianna Durston blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Right By Your Side by Christi Snow

Right By Your Side by Christi Snow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Having read Snow’s Snowcroft Men series, I was intrigued by the idea of reading an M/F romance as I really like her M/M romances. As I was nearing the end of the book, I kept thinking that it was way more predictable than I expected it to be based on my experience with the author’s other series. Snow still delivers some seriously hot chemistry between Skye and Scott. But the romantic suspense angle wasn’t living up to my expectations. And then…. Oh, my goodness! I owe Snow a major apology for underestimating her, because the one whodunit, wasn’t who I thought it was and never was a suspect in my mind.

Keeping in mind that I (incorrectly) thought the romantic suspense angle was predictable, I still enjoyed seeing the story unfold. Initially, it was unclear as to who the actual target was and this ratcheted up the tension significantly. Even after it was determined that Skye was the killer’s target, all but one of the incidents occurred unexpectedly. So that part of the action kept me invested in the story even as I thought I knew who was responsible. But my true investment in Right By Your Side was the romance that developed between Skye and Scott. After some rather amusing misunderstandings and assumptions, watching them turn a bad situation into a friendship and the foundation for something more was enjoyable. It’s also what made Skye’s withdrawal from Scott so heartbreaking. Thankfully, Skye’s best friend had no problem stepping in and making sure Scott knew not to give up on Skye and sent him after her – a decision that ended up being even more advantageous than it looked like it would be at the time. I certainly give the author props for lulling me into a false sense of expectancy when it came to who was behind all of the attacks. And I am definitely looking forward to Cruel Serendipity because I have to know if KC lets Josh in or not.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Right By Your Side (Martin Ranch #1) by Christi Snow blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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You Can Leave Your Boots On by Irene Preston

You Can Leave Your Boots On by Irene Preston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I always enjoy it when a book has far more substance to it than the blurb and/or title would suggest. In the case of You Can Leave Your Boots On I’m pretty sure my low expectations for storyline and high expectations for sex had a lot to do with the fact that the title makes me think of the song You Can Leave Your Hat On, my preferred version being the one recorded by Tom Jones as heard in the movie The Full Monty. And while there was a rather steamy scene between Travis and Bo – and yes, the boots were left on – there’s far more story packed into this novella than I expected and I enjoyed it immensely.

After being steamrolled by a new friend into a blind date arranged via a locally-based dating app, Travis comes face-to-face with the man he’s been lusting over for the past few months. The man he thought was straight. The man who also happens to be the son of his potential business partner. While Bo is by no means a child at almost thirty, Travis is stunned by the fact that Bo is his date because he had gotten no hint that the man was gay. None. Gaydar malfunction. While Bo is equally stunned, it’s not because he didn’t know that Travis was gay, but rather that Travis is the man he’s set his sights on and he can’t believe that Travis is actually there…to go on a date…with him. Once they get over their initial surprise, the early parts of the conversation are a little amusing for an outsider to watch because the men are tap dancing around one another so much it’s nearly painful to watch. But as they relax into the date, the story unfolds and we learn far more about the characters than I expected to and I loved it.

Preston doesn't tell you everything that transpires between the characters. There is a good amount of off-the-page life and conversation that occurs, but rather than telling us word for word what happened, the reader is given brief summaries via memories and thoughts. I actually liked this because it allowed me to imagine how a scene may have played out based on my life experiences and this brought me into the story a bit more. This technique doesn’t always work, but in the case of You Can Leave Your Boots On I thought it was a good way for the author to pack more story inside the novella without drowning the reader in the details. Because I don’t want to reveal how Bo and Travis’s story plays out and ruin the read for anyone, I will say that I really liked the book and I felt that the characters’ thoughts, actions, and reactions were realistic in regards to what was going on. You Can Leave Your Boots On has been added it to my reread shelf and I hope to check out more of Preston’s work in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the You Can Leave Your Boots On by Irene Preston blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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