Posts labeled Book Reviews
Review - Hostage to Fortune by L.M. Somerton
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Milo is an extremely wealthy young man, or he will be in another year when he inherits the money his parents left to him after they were killed. Until then, he's under the thumb of his sadistic uncle, who seems to delight in inflicting the maximum amount of mental and physical pain on the young man. There's no escape, since Milo's uncle pays for the care of his twin brother, who was also injured in the crash that killed his parents.
Review - The Grocer's Son by Garrick Jones
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Clyde's latest case comes very close to home. His young friend and one-time lover, Harley, comes to Clyde with a strange story. Harley and his mother were in the market one day when they were accosted by a man claiming to be his mother's brother, who was hanged for murder 20 years before. He also says that he is Harley's real father. The young man's mother faints, and the stranger disappears before he can answer any questions.
Tags: Private Eyes Australia Crime
Review - My Cameron by M.A. Innes
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The alien invasion didn't go at all like anyone expected from the Hollywood movies. A group of squid-like beings from a planet with a dying sun showed up one day and politely asked if they could stay. They settled among humans and began the long process of trying to integrate into human society. Cameron's alien neighbor, George, keeps flirting with him, but Cameron isn't sure the alien is serious, and his job keeps him very busy.
Tags: Science Fiction D/s Erotica Tentacles
Review - Deep Dish by L.A. Witt
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Things haven't been going right for Blake for a long time. Both he and his boyfriend struggled to make ends meet during the pandemic when work got scarce. To save costs, the two moved from California to Albuquerque, but then the boyfriend dumped Blake, and he ended up living in his car. Out of desperation, Blake agrees to move back in with his mother in Chicago, but that will come with a steep cost since he will be expected to take care of the house and his sibling's kids, leaving little time to find a job and get back on his feet.
Tags: Contemporary
Review - Dionysus in Wisconsin by E. H. Lupton
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Ulysses talks to ghosts. Well, actually, they seem to do most of the talking. He can sense the mood of buildings, too. Ulysses also tries to help those magic users whose powers have made them a little less capable of dealing with life's little challenges. It's one of these friends who first warns Ulysses that ”Dionysus is coming” just before disappearing. It's never a good thing when one of the gods returns to earth, so Ulysses manages to find a man called Dionysus, although he prefers to go by Sam.
Tags: Paranormal
Review - Fractured Souls by Ava Marie Salinger
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About 500 years ago, a rift opened, expelling angels, demons, and other assorted paranormal creatures who fell to Earth, where they were trapped with no memories of who they were. Among “The Fallen,” as they became known, Cassius is an outcast. He is mistrusted by both angels and demons, who aren't quite sure what he is. Only a few people on Earth have an idea of Cassius' power, and he likes to keep it that way.
Tags: Paranormal Fantasy Mystery Crime
Review - The Price of Paradise by Meraki P. Dark
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Please note: this is one of those stories that's hard to review without giving away a few (hopefully minor) spoilers about the plot. On a future planet Earth ravaged by climate change and solar storms, most of what's left of humanity lives in purpose-built "hives" that protect them from the toxic atmosphere. Everyone works for the good of the hive. Around their twentieth birthday, everyone is tested for their genetic desirability.
Review - Ash Belives the Impossible by Kim Fielding
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Ash lives a rather mundane life. He has a very fulfilling job helping people who have been out of work due to personal crises find jobs. It doesn't pay very much, but it's enough to get by. Since the breakup with his last boyfriend, Ash has been renting an apartment from two aging hippies with a forest in their backyard. One day, gifts start appearing outside Ash's door. They're not fancy, but obviously handmade with love.
Review - Before the Shutdown by Mack J. Lou
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Kindly note: The author generously offered a free copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. By the mid-22nd century, the earth is in the midst of drastic climate change and also suffering from random gravitational anomalies. Most cities and even whole countries have died. In their place are new sophisticated cities, which are mostly underground and protected by advanced technology. The main responsibility for keeping everything running rests on a small team of highly trained technicians who use immersive technologies to network with the environmental controls as well as each other.
Tags: Graphic Science Fiction
Review - Delicatus by S.P. Somtow
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In the first century AD, a small village on the very edge of the Roman empire was overrun by pirates, who took a young boy hostage to sell on the slave market. The pirate's ship is captured by Romans, but the boy is still transported to the slave market in Ostia, on the coast near Rome. While waiting to be sold, someone notices that the boy bears a strong resemblance to one of the most powerful women in Rome, Poppaea.
Tags: Ancient Rome