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Merissa (12911 KP) rated Curious Cameron (Secret Lives of Hot Twinks #1) in Books
Mar 18, 2025
CURIOUS CAMERON is the first novella in the Secret Lives of Hot Twinks series.
The titular character, Cam, has been diagnosed with ADHD and dropped out of art school. His gay best friend, Trevor, is in the military and they married to help each other out. Now, you know it's not going to stay that way!
This is a novella so it moves very fast, especially once Cameron's curiosity kicks into gear. Trevor is happy to help, although I did like the scene where he had second thoughts.
A quick, fun, lighthearted read that is full of spice. A great introduction to the series and I hope to read more. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 18, 2025
The titular character, Cam, has been diagnosed with ADHD and dropped out of art school. His gay best friend, Trevor, is in the military and they married to help each other out. Now, you know it's not going to stay that way!
This is a novella so it moves very fast, especially once Cameron's curiosity kicks into gear. Trevor is happy to help, although I did like the scene where he had second thoughts.
A quick, fun, lighthearted read that is full of spice. A great introduction to the series and I hope to read more. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 18, 2025
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated The Simple Truth (Falls Village #10) in Books
Mar 18, 2021
It's a really lovely book, of knowing what you should have done, and making it all right in the end.
I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 10 in the Falls Village series, and I have not read any of the others. I did not think I was missing anything by not doing.
There is a bit at the front of the book, a prologue I think it is, that talks about the history of the village. I found myself skipping past that.
What I really loved about this book was that we have an established couple. Bran and Nick have been together 3 years. They are engaged. Bran, however, failed to tell his parents yet and this triggers all sorts of problems when they decide to visit.
I really felt for Nick, when he realised what Bran had not yet done. While Bran dod not actually LIE, he failed to tell Nick that he hand't told his parents about how serious their personal relationship was, as well as their professional one. But Nick loves Bran, that much is clear by the pain he is feeling, so Nick will wait it out.
I loved that Bran's parents were waiting for Bran to tell them! They KNEW! They knew a long time ago that Bran was gay and they were waiting for him.
Loved that while Nick is incredibly wealthy, he doesn't flaunt it. He uses it when he needs to.
It's a really lovely book, of knowing what you should have done, and making it all right in the end.
It's not especially explicit, but it is steamy. I loved the references to Nick's heritage, all the little traditions that he brings to the home.
I really enjoyed this, it just didn't quite hit *THAT* spot, you know??
Thank you, for my copy.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 10 in the Falls Village series, and I have not read any of the others. I did not think I was missing anything by not doing.
There is a bit at the front of the book, a prologue I think it is, that talks about the history of the village. I found myself skipping past that.
What I really loved about this book was that we have an established couple. Bran and Nick have been together 3 years. They are engaged. Bran, however, failed to tell his parents yet and this triggers all sorts of problems when they decide to visit.
I really felt for Nick, when he realised what Bran had not yet done. While Bran dod not actually LIE, he failed to tell Nick that he hand't told his parents about how serious their personal relationship was, as well as their professional one. But Nick loves Bran, that much is clear by the pain he is feeling, so Nick will wait it out.
I loved that Bran's parents were waiting for Bran to tell them! They KNEW! They knew a long time ago that Bran was gay and they were waiting for him.
Loved that while Nick is incredibly wealthy, he doesn't flaunt it. He uses it when he needs to.
It's a really lovely book, of knowing what you should have done, and making it all right in the end.
It's not especially explicit, but it is steamy. I loved the references to Nick's heritage, all the little traditions that he brings to the home.
I really enjoyed this, it just didn't quite hit *THAT* spot, you know??
Thank you, for my copy.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Trumped: The Wonderful World and Wisdom of Donald Trump
New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd.
Book
Enter the wonderfully whacky world of Donald Trump and within the pages of this book seek words of...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated I Declare War (2013) in Movies
Jan 4, 2018
Not Bad
I Declare War is the first film I chose in my quest to watch 365 films in 2018. It won't go down as a classic, but rather a film you're glad you watched at least once. Honestly, had it been a film about anything else, it could've been a classic. The subject matter made it hard to stay intrigued. You're entertained sure, but in the back of your mind, you're constantly reminding yourself that this is kids playing a game. With no real stakes. In the woods.
That's the plot, guys. A game of War played with fake weapons by kids in the woods. There were some funny moments that gave me a chuckle. One quote in particular caught me off guard: "God is so gay." Hilarious. I also thought writer Jason Lapeyre did an excellent job of capturing the fun blend between reality and pretend and how blurred those lines can be when kids use their imaginations. Friendships get tested in the spirit of competition. We all know how much kids hate to lose.
Decent, not classic. Even better, you can check it out on Vudu right now for free. I give it a 70.
That's the plot, guys. A game of War played with fake weapons by kids in the woods. There were some funny moments that gave me a chuckle. One quote in particular caught me off guard: "God is so gay." Hilarious. I also thought writer Jason Lapeyre did an excellent job of capturing the fun blend between reality and pretend and how blurred those lines can be when kids use their imaginations. Friendships get tested in the spirit of competition. We all know how much kids hate to lose.
Decent, not classic. Even better, you can check it out on Vudu right now for free. I give it a 70.
Southern Today (21 KP) rated And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) in Books
Nov 7, 2017
And I Darken: Audio Book Review
Contains spoilers, click to show
Historical fiction! Heavy on the fiction, light on the historical, and a good young adult. Now, this is young adult fiction, the kind that even adults can appreciate. Though, this is not for YOUNG young adults. If you are wary of what your kids read, stay away from this. I enjoyed this story, and loved the twists and turns the author took us on.
Again, I did not like the voice of the reader for this novel. She was grating, could not do much variation of the voices and I wish she would not have tried, and was the reason I often considered stopping the track. And I have no idea how to spell any of the names without looking them up.
This novel, by Kiersten White, follows Lada and Radu, in the 1400s, in the Ottoman empire as insurances for the Sultan.
I wonder if, like many young adult series, this would have been better as a single book with the next being far in the future or following other characters during the same time frame.
If you enjoy war novels, historically-set novels, or stories of growing up in difficult circumstances will enjoy this.
Alright, SPOILERS BELOW, SPOILERS BELOW, PLEASE SCROLL FOR DISCUSSION there, that is out of the way.
So, this book covers a good lifetime, showing us the development, fully, of characters. Saw the gay man coming as soon as he was born, which is kind of sad. Why, why make the gay man beautiful? Why make it so obvious from the start?
Why have her fall in love with the future Sultan?
I wanted her, based on the description of the book, to be in her homeland more often than they are. The hatred between the siblings isn't what is odd, but what causes it. How Radu doesn't understand Lada's love towards him and what drives her. I do not understand it.
This book is also supposed to be a gender-bend of Dracula the Impaler. Which is interesting, because I did not figure that out from reading it. It is the correct time period, but gender bending DOESN'T WORK historically. I am sorry, it would be far to complicated to do that. It, it just doesn't work. You can write it and ponder what it would have been if one character was different. But not all. So, is that what this is?
I think I will be reading (or listening?) to the second book of this.
THIS VOICE IS TERRIBLE!
Alright, there. Little bits done
Again, I did not like the voice of the reader for this novel. She was grating, could not do much variation of the voices and I wish she would not have tried, and was the reason I often considered stopping the track. And I have no idea how to spell any of the names without looking them up.
This novel, by Kiersten White, follows Lada and Radu, in the 1400s, in the Ottoman empire as insurances for the Sultan.
I wonder if, like many young adult series, this would have been better as a single book with the next being far in the future or following other characters during the same time frame.
If you enjoy war novels, historically-set novels, or stories of growing up in difficult circumstances will enjoy this.
Alright, SPOILERS BELOW, SPOILERS BELOW, PLEASE SCROLL FOR DISCUSSION there, that is out of the way.
So, this book covers a good lifetime, showing us the development, fully, of characters. Saw the gay man coming as soon as he was born, which is kind of sad. Why, why make the gay man beautiful? Why make it so obvious from the start?
Why have her fall in love with the future Sultan?
I wanted her, based on the description of the book, to be in her homeland more often than they are. The hatred between the siblings isn't what is odd, but what causes it. How Radu doesn't understand Lada's love towards him and what drives her. I do not understand it.
This book is also supposed to be a gender-bend of Dracula the Impaler. Which is interesting, because I did not figure that out from reading it. It is the correct time period, but gender bending DOESN'T WORK historically. I am sorry, it would be far to complicated to do that. It, it just doesn't work. You can write it and ponder what it would have been if one character was different. But not all. So, is that what this is?
I think I will be reading (or listening?) to the second book of this.
THIS VOICE IS TERRIBLE!
Alright, there. Little bits done
Vancouver Map and Walks, Full Version
Travel and Navigation
App
Lose Yourself Without Getting Lost. This handy application presents you several self-guided city...
Adam Lambert recommended track Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke in Ain't That Good News by Sam Cooke in Music (curated)
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Tempests and Slaughter: the Numair Chronicles Book 1 in Books
Apr 5, 2018
Tamora's excellent writing (2 more)
Awesome worldbuilding
ENZI
A new Tamora Pierce book! About the origins of Numair! YES! I waited SO ANXIOUSLY for this book to make its way through the line of holds at my library and get in my grabby hands, and I was rewarded. Tempests is classic Tamora Pierce. It's set in Carthak, not Tortall, but the themes and feel are exactly what I was expecting. I love diving back into my favorite fantasy worlds, and Tortall ranks right near the top. (It might be the top, I haven't sat down and attempted to rank them - that would probably be a futile effort!)
My only issue with the book, really, is that it feels like an introduction. I know it's the first part of a trilogy, but the rest isn't OUT YET! So I feel like I've read the first third of a story and now I have to wait. Tempests introduces a LOT of story threads, and resolves exactly none of them. It managed to do so without leaving us on a cliffhanger, though, so there's that, at least. I'm probably going to go re-read the books around Numair's adult life to tide me over until the rest of this trilogy comes out!
I think my favorite character overall was Enzi - he was hilarious and obstinate and I'm looking forward to the rest of his storyline.
I was surprised but pleased to see a gay couple as side characters - and that it wasn't mentioned the character was gay until his husband arrived on the scene. It wasn't a defining point of his character, his spouse just happened to be male. I've said it before, but I love seeing the change in fantasy - it's gone from "that's strange or scandalous" to "absolutely no big deal, people have differently-gendered partners." It will be even lovelier once real society reaches that point!
Final verdict: Tempests and Slaughter was an excellent addition to Tortall, but if you like books that resolve their storylines, you might want to wait until the rest of the trilogy is published. If you can't wait, just expect that you won't get many answers from this first book!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
My only issue with the book, really, is that it feels like an introduction. I know it's the first part of a trilogy, but the rest isn't OUT YET! So I feel like I've read the first third of a story and now I have to wait. Tempests introduces a LOT of story threads, and resolves exactly none of them. It managed to do so without leaving us on a cliffhanger, though, so there's that, at least. I'm probably going to go re-read the books around Numair's adult life to tide me over until the rest of this trilogy comes out!
I think my favorite character overall was Enzi - he was hilarious and obstinate and I'm looking forward to the rest of his storyline.
I was surprised but pleased to see a gay couple as side characters - and that it wasn't mentioned the character was gay until his husband arrived on the scene. It wasn't a defining point of his character, his spouse just happened to be male. I've said it before, but I love seeing the change in fantasy - it's gone from "that's strange or scandalous" to "absolutely no big deal, people have differently-gendered partners." It will be even lovelier once real society reaches that point!
Final verdict: Tempests and Slaughter was an excellent addition to Tortall, but if you like books that resolve their storylines, you might want to wait until the rest of the trilogy is published. If you can't wait, just expect that you won't get many answers from this first book!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Wealth & Abundance Meditation with Peggy McColl
Lifestyle and Education
App
Have you tried and tried get that "Law of Attraction" thing to work for you but all you've managed...
Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Thief In The Light (Bed, Breakfast and Beyond #1) in Books
Apr 18, 2020
a thoroughly delightful read!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I've left with a deep feeling of delightful!
I mean, it comes with a story line that is a bit darker in places, when Lucky is telling what happened to him and the others but it's not delivered in any GREAT detail. You are just given enough for you to add things up, at first, to make a picture. More comes, in more detail, but still not great detail, you know? You don't have to live through everything Lucky and the kids went though.
It is *almost* clean. I expected it to come out totally clean, to be honest, but still I really enjoyed that fact. This is not about the sex between Lucky and Kreed, it's about the LOVE, or rather, about learning to love, to trust and to just be, you know?
I LOVED Mildred, the house! Loved the little noises she makes to express her opinion and thoughts on a matter or person. Loved that she saw the main trouble-causer in this book way before we did. Mildred did make me laugh, with her little noises, she really did.
I loved Lucky, and what he was running from, but more importantly, what he ran TO. He knew Kreed needed him, very quickly and just as quickly, Lucky was staying, even though people thought he had done a runner. I loved Kreed, too. He knew that Mildred wanted Lucky and he knew that HE wanted Lucky, it was just a matter of whether Lucky wanted Kredd enough to stay.
Like i said, a bit darker in places, but it really is the most delightful read I've read in a very long time! From what I can see, I've only read one other by Samms, and that was a long while ago. THIS book is billed as book 1 in the Bed, Breakfast and Beyond series, and I really hope I get to read the future books and that Kreed and Lucky pop up too.
Thank you, Ms Samms, for an enjoyable, delightful read!
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I've left with a deep feeling of delightful!
I mean, it comes with a story line that is a bit darker in places, when Lucky is telling what happened to him and the others but it's not delivered in any GREAT detail. You are just given enough for you to add things up, at first, to make a picture. More comes, in more detail, but still not great detail, you know? You don't have to live through everything Lucky and the kids went though.
It is *almost* clean. I expected it to come out totally clean, to be honest, but still I really enjoyed that fact. This is not about the sex between Lucky and Kreed, it's about the LOVE, or rather, about learning to love, to trust and to just be, you know?
I LOVED Mildred, the house! Loved the little noises she makes to express her opinion and thoughts on a matter or person. Loved that she saw the main trouble-causer in this book way before we did. Mildred did make me laugh, with her little noises, she really did.
I loved Lucky, and what he was running from, but more importantly, what he ran TO. He knew Kreed needed him, very quickly and just as quickly, Lucky was staying, even though people thought he had done a runner. I loved Kreed, too. He knew that Mildred wanted Lucky and he knew that HE wanted Lucky, it was just a matter of whether Lucky wanted Kredd enough to stay.
Like i said, a bit darker in places, but it really is the most delightful read I've read in a very long time! From what I can see, I've only read one other by Samms, and that was a long while ago. THIS book is billed as book 1 in the Bed, Breakfast and Beyond series, and I really hope I get to read the future books and that Kreed and Lucky pop up too.
Thank you, Ms Samms, for an enjoyable, delightful read!
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**