Forbid My Heart by Kayelle Allen

  

Blurb:

Waking in the middle of the night, Izzorah begins to worry. His lover has pledged to take him back to visit his homeworld, but Izzorah knows the fact that they're gay could cause their death if the Kin Pride Council hears about it. Izzorah's heart tells him to trust Luc, but his fear is real. He snuggles up to Luc, seeking comfort.

Luc is immortal. He has the perspective to understand his lover's concerns, and not worry about them. He tries to distract Izzorah with a sexy game of dominance and submission played during their shared shower. Izzorah's unreserved trust and respect make Luc long to wipe out any shadow of trouble or sorrow. He would turn the Kin homeworld upside down to protect him, but convincing Izzorah he can do it will mean confessing a truth Luc is not yet ready to share.

Review:


Kayelle Allen is a good friend and I'm so sorry I wasn't able to give her story the rave review I would have liked to have written, but I have to be honest.

 

I enjoyed this short little waiting-room read, but was disappointed at the ending. From the title I knew it was part of a series, but I expected it to be able to stand on its own. There was enough history exposed that it should have done so, but the book ended with a promise unfulfilled.
 
This story was one of the publisher’s “Spring Fling” specials, Fling length being short-short stories, but I would have preferred a longer format in which Luc and Izzorah actually returned to Rah’s homeworld and Luc managed to eliminate the threat against them. I suppose I’ll have to wait for the next Fling story to read that installment.

Length:  Very Short, No Page Count Available

Price:  $1.99

Buy Link:  http://www.loose-id.com/authors/g-k/kayelle-allen/forbid-my-heart-a-luc-and-rah-story.html#product_tabs_description

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting.  RIW

Subspecies by Mike Arsuaga

With Samantha “Sam” Johnson, Dr. Jim White, a 130-year-old Vampire, has the best sex of his life and it’s a shame she had to be his next victim. But she had a surprise for him. As a Lycan, she hunted him as he hunted her. After discovering each other’s secret, they cannot resist the physical attraction. Together they hunt and reach out to others of their kind using technology to form a support group. Sam and Jim become the first Lycan/Vampire pair bond.

As a mathematics professor and man of science, Dr. Jim rejects the ways and lore of old in favor of modern solutions that, if not acceptable to humans, allow Lycans and Vampires, The Subspecies, to live invisibly, because discovery is their worst fear.

The Subspecies are a mutation within the human genome. No more than seven hundred have been alive at one time. They cannot breed with humans or within their own group, but when the Sam and Jim get in a family way, a universe of possibilities opens for not only them, but all of The Subspecies with the promise of their lives being more than hunting, living in shadows, and fruitless mating.

As I read Subspecies, I thought about how the old lore surrounding vampires and werewolves seems to have disappeared.  Everyone is writing his or her own mythology surrounding the “Critters of the Night,” which is what Sam and Jim call the support group they start where they conduct Twelve-Step style meetings for vampires and lycans.  That said, I like Sam and Jim even though they prey on humans.  They try to limit their prey to people who won’t be missed and without whom the rest of us can sleep more safely in our beds, and they try to kill humanely most of the time, sedating their prey first—Sam (the lycan) with an herbal tea, and Jim (the vampire) with a drug his body manufactures.

The characters were really well-drawn and engaging, and the plot drew me in and moved along.  Mr. Arsu

aga’s world-building was first-class, with the subspecies being born, developing more slowly than their human counterparts until “emergence” when they catch up and surpass humans overnight, except in the area of fertility.  While long-lived, they are not immortal.

The book was a bit high on the sex and body count for my taste, but I tend to be prudish that way.  I rarely buy from the hot side of any publisher.  Still it was a good book.  I recommend it.

Length:  201

Price:  $5.95

Buy Link:  http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=151&category_id=32&keyword=Subspecies&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting.  RIW

See Me by Pauline Allan

Abigail Swanson’s spirit has been battered, her body left for dead, only to recover to find fear and loneliness. Due to an abusive relationship, she is unable to feel the one thing she longs to have again. She builds a lucrative business specializing in the commodity she can’t afford to experience. Passion.

Sean Drennan traded his fists for a portfolio, but the cost was too great. Now considered damaged goods, he’s unable to find employment. Desperate to gather some quick cash, he reluctantly agrees to take a job in the field guaranteed to make him sell his soul.

So what does a successful pornography entrepreneur do when her clients are demanding a tattooed hunk and her performers don’t fit the bill? She puts all her trust in an ex-con who has nothing to lose. For one voluptuous, scared woman it’s love at all costs. For one man it’s a new experience he’s more than willing to fight his way into. Can he save her business and her heart at the same time or will his fighting ways leave him cold and lonely yet again?

What the blurb doesn’t tell you is that Abigail has built a wall around more than her heart; she’s built a wall around her body.  She’s not a perfect size four.  She would be described as zaftig or Reubenesque, and yet she finds hot sex and, well…you’ll have to read the book.

It’s one that will make you cheer for Abigail who hopes Sean will see beyond the fat, and the scars. At the same time, you'll cheer for Sean who hopes Abigail will see beyond his past to the real person inside—the person we all want our partner to see, to know, and to love.  Have the tissues ready.  Ms. Allan will definitely move you to tears.

Length:  Novel

Price:  $6.99

Buy Link:  http://www.loose-id.com/See-Me.aspx

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their royalties from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then copy them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are still on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.