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Blog Tour & Interview with J.K. Hogan and Review of Blood in the Valley
Today we have the lovely and very talented J.K. Hogan, author of the Vigilati Series with us! She is celebrating the release of the second installment of the Vigilati Series: Blood in the Valley:
The daughter of a Las Vegas hustler, Raven Sabatier grew up trusting nothing and no one—she doesn’t even trust herself to stay in one place for longer than a minute. When her quest to find out the secrets of her past leads her to the mountains of North Carolina, she’s set on a collision course with the one man she thought she’d never see again.
In Appalachia consulting on an archeological dig, Anthropologist Dr. Drew Deveraux comes face to face with the indomitable beauty who broke into his apartment a year ago, tilting his carefully cultivated world on its axis.
Engaged in a fight with their demons, both imagined and real, the last thing either of them expected to find was love. Together, they must unravel the mystery of Raven’s past and her connection with an ancient race of witches, in order to save their future—and all of the souls hanging in the balance.
I was fortunate enough to be able to interview J.K. and am sharing with you!!!
- What song makes you happy every time you hear it?
Wow, that’s so hard because I am such a music collector. The first one that comes to mind right now is Gold on the Ceiling by The Black Keys (and I also have a cover by Tab Benoit). Ask me again tomorrow and I may have a different answer.
- What movie can you see over and over again without getting sick of it?
Another tough one, because I’m not one to watch movies over and over again. I’d probably have to stick with a classic and say The Princess Bride. Or anything with Robert Downey Jr. in it.
- What is the worst fashion trend you ever bought into?
Poofy bangs. Platform shoes. Satin. Patent leather. You name the badness, I tried it.
- Did you dream of writing when you were a little or did you dream of other thing like being a ballerina (or Wonder Woman, like me)?
When I was a kid, I don’t think I thought too much about the future. I spent most of my time in my imaginary worlds, so I guess it wasn’t too much of a stretch that I became a novelist. The only other thing I can think of was that I wanted to be a cowgirl. I did that for a while before I got married. 
- Do you have any comfort reads?
I’m such a speed reader, I don’t know if I could put it down to particular books. Anything romance, really. Reading in general comforts me. I remember reading Wake Me Up Inside, an m/m paranormal by Cardeno C. while I had really bad morning sickness. That was kind of comforting. J
- What is your writing process?
It starts with an idea, or a character, and then I just sit down and write chronologically. I stop when the story goes cold so it doesn’t feel forced, and once it picks up again in my head, I get back to writing. I write straight through usually, and then I go back to fine tune.
- Revisions: love them or hate them?
Hate, hate, hate. I understand the need for them, and that they make the book better, but they’re so hard. It’s like someone criticizing your children (either yourself or someone else). It can be hard to take.
- Who/what inspires you?
Anyone who’s been able to make a career and support themselves by writing. Oh, an anyone who’s successfully raised a child. Now that I’m a mom, I’m realizing what a difficult and important task that is.
- How much of your day-to-day life goes into your writing?
Not nearly as much as I’d like. That number is ever-changing with the whims of my infant son. I get “mommy time” at night between the time I go to bed and when I actually fall asleep, so that gives me an hour or two.
- Kids in books: yes or no?
Hmm. Good question. Yes, as long as they work in the story and aren’t too much of a distraction from the plot. However, I’m definitely not into the whole heroine gets pregnant angle. It only really works for me in historicals, and I don’t read those much anymore.
- Pets in books: cheesy or sweet?
Pets make everything better! I think they make the characters more real. But again, it has to work with the story rather than distract from it.
- What’s your favorite thing to eat? (recipes welcome!)
Sushi. I love sushi.
- What is the scariest thing about being an author?
The first thing that comes to mind is the inevitable bad review. It has or will happen to everyone. So I guess, critique in general…worrying that your book will flop. I think any creative avenue comes with the same fear.
- What is the most exciting thing about being an author?
Creating something from nothing and having it entertain people. It’s amazing—there’s nothing like it.
- Do you have anything to share with us?
I absolutely love chatting with people about books (mine, or anyone else’s), hot guys, movies, music, whatever. So find me on twitter, FB, tumblr…pretty much all social media. I’m pretty active in social media, so I’ll most likely respond.
THIS OR THAT
- Peanut butter or jelly?
Peanut butter
- Chips or cookies?
Cookies. Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?
- Best talent: dancing or singing?
Singing. I definitely can’t dance.
- Print or eBook?
I’m an ebook convert. I thought I’d never switch, but the fact that I can carry SO many books with me and never worry about finishing a book and not having another with me…that totally convinced me.
- Pen or pencil?
In general, pen. For writing, laptop.
- Best friends: as many as possible or only need one?
That’s tough for me. I have rather antisocial tendencies, and I don’t really have a best friend…But I think you can never have too many friends as long as you can count on them.
- Notebook or computer?
Computer or iphone.
- Print or cursive?
Cursive. Not that you’d be able to read it, of course.
- Zombies or vampires?
Hmm… For sexy? Vampires. For action, zombies. Love The Walking Dead.
- Angel or Spike?
Well, I was never into Buffy, but I was into Bones, so I have to go with Angel because of David Boreanaz hotness.
**Note from MamaJo – Isn’t she AMAZING? Not only has she given me a new book boyfriend, but she is a woman after my own heart! Do you want to learn even more about her, do you want to know why I have a new book boyfriend? KEEP READING :
J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them.
J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives on a farm with her husband and their three horses, one miniature donkey, one cat, and two champion agility dogs.
In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading! For more information, please visit www.jkhogan.com.
Where to find J.K Hogan on the web:
Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook / Amazon / Pinterest / Tumblr / Linkedin / Google Plus
Where to buy the books you
wantneed to read now:Fire on the Island (Book 1) :
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Island-J-K-Hogan/dp/1938404173
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RO8BZM
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-on-the-island-jk-hogan/1112102519
MamaJo’s Review: http://mamakittyreviews.com/?p=518
Blood in the Valley (Book 2):
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Valley-J-K-Hogan/dp/1938404475/
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Valley-Vigilati-Series-ebook/dp/B00CLENQO0/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-in-the-valley-jk-hogan/1115206625?ean=9781938404474
My Review of Blood in the Valley:
What I liked loved:
The expansion of the wonderful world J.K Hogan has created, the characters, the action, and the romance .
I have adopted Drew as one of my book boyfriends, he is caring, sweet, vulnerable, damaged, HOT, and most of all: he handled the changes to the world around him (and happening in his life) the way my dream man would.
I have also decided that in my next life, I want to be Raven, she has her own moral code – that you after her upbringing only adds to her charm, she kicks major butt, and she has an amazing capacity for love (even if she won’t admit it to herself!).
We also get to peek in on Isla and Jere, Jere’s mysterious brother, and even his mom (who helped to raise Drew)! (I also really liked Ray)
The romance was wonderful, showing that two flawed, yet strong characters can overcome their fears and strengthen their weaknesses together.
This series features truly strong women who don’t sit back and wait for their men to fix things for them – for me, this is imperative in a Paranormal Romance series that has a female protagonist . You won’t find whiny chits who either want someone to fight their battles or who want to know “why me” with the Vigilati Series. These heroines roll with the punches, get back up, acknowledge their weaknesses, kick some major butt , and love their men.
It is no secret that I love PNR, that being said – I have standards and I tend to set the bar rather high. Blood in the Valley not only reached the bar, but bounded right over it! Nothing is better as a reader of PNR than when the author expands the boundaries and rules of that world and makes it believable. And I have to say that by bringing us into her world as the characters learn the rules, Ms Hogan has made every single broken rule and shattered boundary flow naturally with the story.
*FTC Disclosure – I received an ARC of this book for review.
A Full 5 Meows
Review: Just for the Summer by Jenna Rutland
Dani Sullivan has come to Lake Bliss to write her latest cookbook and take a breather. After the year she’s had, she deserves a summer retreat to reevaluate priorities and make peace with past decisions. But from the moment single dad and sheriff Matt Reagan shows up, she has a hard time convincing herself that a life away from Lake Bliss could beat the life she might have here.
Recently divorced Matt is ready for a new relationship, but he doesn’t want short-term—his son needs permanence, and so does Matt’s heart. Unfortunately, it’s the smart-mouthed and sinfully sexy Ms. Sullivan who catches his eye. But when Matt learns Dani’s secrets, will he still want her to stay? Or will her chance for love last just for the summer?
- Publisher: Entangled: Bliss (March 11, 2013)
- Sold by: Macmillan
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00BQMMT2I
- FTC Disclosure: Received my copy via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review
For some reason it’s always difficult for me to start reading a book by an author I’ve never read before. I have a bad habit of finding one author and if I like them I read everything I can by them. Sometimes that takes forever, especially when I was on my Nora Roberts kick. 
I’m trying to break that habit and venture out a little more. I ran across Just for the Summer on Net Galley and decided to give it a try. I’m so very glad I did. Now Jenna Rutland is on my list of authors I must follow and read everything I can by her.
So, Dani goes to Lake Bliss for the summer to get away for a while, write a cookbook, and check in on her biological son. She was raped when she was 18, ended up pregnant and gave the baby up for adoption so that he would have a life she wasn’t capable of giving him at the time. As she’s searching the beach for any child who might hold some resemblance to her, she spots him just as he gets sand in his eyes. Without thinking she rushes out to help. “Despite the battle between joy and sadness she felt in this moment, she cursed her impulsive need to come so close. She’d promised herself that she’d keep her distance, and she’d agreed to a closed adoption with no contact before he turned eighteen. She had no ill intentions. Her only goal was to see her son, to know he was happy, to be assured he was healthy. Didn’t she deserve to at least know how the baby had fared?”
Matt is the town Sheriff, recently divorced and definitely not on the lookout for a summer fling. But when he meets Dani and sees how great she is with his son, not to mention the chemistry he has with her…he might just think about changing his mind.
Dani doesn’t tell anyone who she really is or why she’s really there until things get serious between her and Matt. Will Matt be able to forgive her for lying and for forcing her way into his son’s life?
Jenna did an amazing job writing this book. The dialogue and constant flirting between Dani and Matt had me cracking up. The emotional turmoil when Dani has to leave Lake Bliss had me in tears. The friendships felt real, the story felt real. Hands down the best book I’ve read in a while!
Rating: 5 out of 5 meows
Review: Rush by Maya Banks
Gabe, Jace, and Ash: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Gabe, it’s making one particular fantasy come true with a woman who was forbidden fruit. Now she’s ripe for the picking…
When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.
Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s fourteen years older? Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.
As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed—and vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.
- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1 edition (February 5, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0425267040
- ISBN-13: 978-0425267042
- FTC Disclosure: Purchased by me
When I first started reading Rush I was a little disappointed at how much like Fifty Shades of Gray it seemed to be….average girl, millionaire guy who wants her as a submissive, him getting upset with her for going out partying and not calling him to come get her and constantly telling her to eat up. However, I found this book a hundred times better; better writing, more believable, hotter sex!
What intrigued me about this book was Mia’s prior relationship with Gabe. He’s her brothers’ best friend and should be off limits. They both want each other secretly but if they act on it how will Jace (Mia’s brother) act? After all, Gabe wants complete submission from Mia and Jace knows exactly how demanding Gabe can be with his women.
Ok, contract? I can never say never, but I feel that if I was ever asked to sign a contract it would be a deal breaker. However, Mia knows that Gabe would never do anything to hurt her. After he explains his reason for having a contract, I get it. I still don’t think it would ever fly for me…but I get it. And I like that there’s no safe word, “no” should ALWAYS work.
I absolutely LOVE the characters in this book. Maya did an excellent job with these two. I felt connected to them both within minutes. I love the way they bicker exactly like two people who have known each other for ever. Despite the awkwardness in the beginning of this kind of relationship, I truly felt that these were two people who were completely comfortable with each other. Their dialogue made me laugh out loud at times. (I love that in a book)
The SEX was HOT, especially in the office…Wow!
I’m giving Rush a 5 because even though it did have some similarities to Fifty Shades of Gray, it blew that out of the water!
Kudos to Maya Banks…looking forward to Fever!
Review: Big Bad Bite by Jessie Lane
What would it be like to live in a world where you are considered abnormal to those who are above the norm?
Jenna O’ Conner has been taught her whole life to hide from everyone. Never to let anyone to close enough to know that she would prefer a shotgun for her birthday over of a bouquet of roses. She’s been smothered by her over protective family so that no one learns what she truly is. Which is not human. Nor, is she considered the norm for the supernatural Other community that is benevolent enough to share this world with the humans.
In a desperate attempt to live her own life away from the small town she was raised in, Jenna obtains her dream job as the newest member on the Wilmington Police Department’s SWAT Team. What she didn’t predict was that she would run into trouble her first day on the job, in the form of a deadly, mouthwatering man named Adam McPhee. Who is also not human, but more like a wolf walking around in human skin. He’s determined to figure out exactly what Jenna is, which unbeknownst to him, could very well put her life in danger. He’s also determined to have her all to himself.
As if that wasn’t enough for Jenna to deal with, bad news blows into town. A group of extremist Shifters who think humans are cattle and factions of Others worldwide should stay within their own species – never to intermingle. Chaos ensues. Jenna has to find a way to shut them down, but in the process of trying to do that, discovers things about herself that even she never thought was possible.
Who said the wolf was what you had to worry about?
Welcome to the real world.
- File Size: 479 KB
- Print Length: 350 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1481897519
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00B6TPAX6
- FTC Disclosure: Advanced Reader’s Copy given for the purpose of an honest review.
Oh, MAN. I LOVE THIS BOOK. I will admit that I was a little hesitant at first—a number of the shifter novels that I’ve read lately have been, well, bad. But Big Bad Bite is a spot-on success.
The characters: Jenna is, in a word, badass. She’s a tough broad, strong, but not inaccessible as a character. While I would have liked a little more of Adam—he just seemed to be there in the novel, and not quite as dynamic as Jenna—their romance works and I loved them. *cue music*
The plot: Now, I didn’t quite understand what was going on at first (I didn’t read the synopsis. Big surprise), but once the plot clicks into place, you get wrapped up in it. The dialogue is funny, oh, so funny. Like, I was laughing out loud so much that my S.O. left the room to go elsewhere.
Overall: I love this book. Seriously. It’s probably my new shifter novel obsession, actually. I can’t wait for the next books to come out. Go. GET. IT.
5 out of 5 meows
Review: For the Living by LA Witt
For the last year, Jay Warren has struggled to find the nerve to tell his wife he’s gay. He’s ashamed of hiding it all this time and he doesn’t want to hurt her, so every time he gets the chance to tell her, he freezes up. The guilt has been almost unbearable, but when his wife dies suddenly, Jay’s conscience threatens to eat him alive.
Funeral director Scott Lawson deals with the bereaved every day of his life, and he’s also all too familiar with the inside of the closet. He offers Jay some much-needed compassion and understanding, and from that connection comes a friendship that quickly–perhaps too quickly–turns into something more.
But are grief, guilt, and loneliness the only things tying them together? Or will Scott get tired of being used as an emotional crutch before Jay realizes what he has?
- Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC (March 28, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B007PAPWWY
- FTC Disclosure: given to me as an ARC by the author for the purposes of an honest review
I have a confession. I was a really big fan of the Showtime series Six Feet Under. Actually, the thought of being a funeral director in general is pretty interesting to me. So when I saw that LA Witt had written a book about a funeral director, I pretty much danced around in a circle (much like the pee pee dance, only without grabbing onto areas best not held onto in public) until I was able to get my hot little hands on a copy.
I couldn’t put it down from the first minute I picked it up. Jay is so conflicted over telling his wife that he’s gay that he’s drinking himself into oblivion. My heart hurt for him. It ached for her. And then when she dies before he’s able to tell her the truth, I cried like a little girl. Now Jay is left with an infinite amount of guilt and he still can’t talk to anyone about it!
When he locks eyes with the funeral director, Scott, I took notice. When they developed a friendship – an honest to goodness friendship – it was like a soothing balm to my heart. I loved watching these two develop their friendship, and I danced right along with them as they developed their friendship into something more.
I kind of thought that there might be a bigger conflict, but I think with all the internal conflict going on in Jay’s life, I think it was fitting that there wasn’t a meteor about to strike the earth or an angry mob with pitchforks looming outside their door. They had enough to deal with as it was.
Overall, I loved For the Living and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 5 meows
Quick series review: Cut & Run by Abigail Roux (and Madeline Urban)
I’m just going to do a quick review on the entire Cut and Run series up to the point where I’ve read (which, believe it or not, is NOT the current book in the series – Stars and Stripes- I’ve been busy!!)
I’ve been obsessed with Ty and Zane since day one. It’s rare that I finish a book and immediately want to go back and re-read it, but every time I finish a Ty and Zane book, that’s exactly what I want to do. Because they’re THAT GOOD. The boys (as I lovingly refer to them) are hilarious and sexy as hell and have their tender moments… everything that I like about a man, really.
While reading the books, I often wonder what else Abi (Roux, the author) is going to put my poor boys through. They’ve been beaten, blown up, shot at… one of them (I’m not saying who – you have to read the books yourself!) even went BLIND for most of one of the books! But they always manage to make it through whatever they’re battling at the time together, and that makes my little fangirl heart sing.
Overall rating: 5 meows
Review: The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly–so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don’t get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention.
But that is precisely what she gets.
Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he’s up to, he realizes there is more to her than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he’s determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match…
The Duchess War is the first full-length book (97,000 words) in the Brothers Sinister series. It is preceded by The Governess Affair, a prequel novella, and followed by A Kiss for Midwinter. Each book stands alone, but those who prefer to read in order might want to read that book first.
- File Size: 584 KB
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Publisher: Courtney Milan; 1 edition (December 6, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00AKKGX4W
- FTC Disclosure: Book given for the purpose of an honest review.
When I think historical romance, I think Courtney Milan.
So, when I got the ARC for this book, I just about jumped out of my seat. I was pointedly not paying attention in my three-hour psychology lecture, when the e-mail came through. I think I let out a noise that sounds something akin to an electrocuted pig squeal, but I think that I played it off as a general excitement over Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid.
Oh, Courtney Milan. How I love thee. Let me count the ways.
One of the main things that I love about C. Milan is that she manages to take the most basic of romance novel tropes and make them new. The Duchess War takes the theme of the poor-but-lovely maiden and the I’m-searching-for-love-because-my-parents-never-loved-me-but-I-don’t-want-your-love-and-I’m-damaged Duke and makes it into something completely new. Milan, with her gorgeous mastery of language and emotion, spins this love story between Robert and Minnie into something that I haven’t really seen before. The interactions between the characters, hell, even the character profiles are something new without being anachronistic. Milan is humorous without being campy, optimistic without being naive. When I read this book, I loved being with these characters; it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket and given a really good hug at the same time. You feel these characters, and even though you know what’s going to happen—that inevitable HEA—you get caught up in the fiction because it doesn’t feel like such.
I went ahead and bought the prequel, and I have the next novella in the series, and honestly, I can’t wait to read them both. There’s two more full-length novels slated to be released soon-ish (her website is a bit lax on the details like release dates and such), but I know that they’re gonna be amazing, too.
5 out of 5 meows
Review: Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins
After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns—a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled…even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around a toolbox.
Having to fend for herself financially for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t the only thing that needs a little TLC…
- Publisher: HQN Books (April 24, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B007BBVCH6
- FTC Disclosure: purchased with my own money
I loved Parker Welles in The Next Best Thing. She was a secondary character, mother to the hero’s son and friend to the heroine. They shared an easy friendship, and it was something that I envied, since I don’t know too many people who are still on speaking terms with their ex, and Parker and Ethan were on great speaking terms.
So, when I saw that Kristan Higgins had written a book about Parker, I jumped at the chance to read it. I didn’t know at the time that it was also connected to Catch of the Day, since I still haven’t read it, despite the fact that it’s been on my TBR list for… well, ever. What can I say? School & family keep me busy!
Parker’s hatred of her father’s lawyer, James Cahill, is pretty instinctive. I mean, he’s a lawyer (no offense to my lawyer friends – you know what I mean!) and worse: he’s the son that Parker’s father never had. So I can totally see why she hates him as much as she does. But James is actually a really nice (and super sexy!) guy, and when Parker’s father ends up in prison and losing all the family money leaving Parker broker than broke, James steps in to help her out.
All she has left is a ramshackle house in Maine that needs a complete overhaul. When James shows up to help, at first Parker is indignant and doesn’t want anything to do with him, but the ice around her heart slowly melts when she sees what a great guy James really is.
And I melted too. James is truly a standup guy, and even though he has feelings for Parker, he isn’t there to act on them and take advantage of her in her distress. Not that she wanted a man at that point anyway (something else I loved – she didn’t care if she had a love interest or not. She was all about being a good mom to her son).
Like every Kristan Higgins book I’ve read, I laughed out loud, I shed real tears, and loved every moment.
Rating: 5 meows
Video Review: The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper
Losing nearly everything leaves room for the one thing they can’t live without.
A few excruciating minutes pinned in a burning building cost Ryan Ward his job as a firefighter, the easy camaraderie of his coworkers, his girlfriend, and damn near cost him his left leg. Giving up, though, isn’t an option. Compared to the alternative, choosing a new profession, going back to school, and renting a room from the college groundskeeper are simple.
Until he realizes he’s falling in love with his housemate, and things take a turn for the complicated.
John Barrett knows about loss. After moving twice to stay in touch with his kids, he could only watch as his ex-wife whisked them away to California. Offering Ryan a room seems better than rattling around the empty house, but as casual friendship moves to something more, and a firestorm of emotions ignites, the big old house feels like tight quarters.
It’s nothing they can’t learn to navigate, though. But when dead bodies start turning up on campus—and one of the guys is a suspect—their first taste of real love could go up in smoke.
Warning: Contains two hot men wrestling with a shift in their sexuality, as well as a few positions probably listed in the Gay Kama Sutra. But it’s not all about the hot and sweaty—especially when your previously straight life knocks on the door and comes back to visit.
- Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (March 6, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- FTC Disclosure: copy purchased with my own money
Rating: 5 meows
ARC review – Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O.
Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Each moan, spank, and–was that a meow?–punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has, yep, you guessed it, no O.
Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick…
In her third novel, Alice Clayton returns to dish her trademark mix of silly and steamy. Banter, barbs, and strutting pussycats, plus the sexiest apple pie ever made, are dunked in a hot tub and set against the gorgeous San Francisco skyline in this hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight.
- Publisher: Omnific Publishing; 1st edition (November 25, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- FTC Disclosure: Received by the publisher for the purposes of an honest review
MamaMia and I teamed up to do a joint review for Wallbanger. You might want to fasten your seatbelts and hold on. Things get a little bumpy when you get us together. Warning: Might be a little spoilery.
MK: Okay, so here’s the thing – I first read Wallbanger when it was still a fanfic. And I obsessed over it. Like, majorly. Every time there was an update, I dropped everything to go read. There were times when I had to log onto the website from my phone and pray I didn’t get caught because I worked in an office. They didn’t mind me reading on the computer as long as it looked like I was still working during slow times, but there’s no way to pretend you’re working when you’re reading something on your phone and turning purple because you’re trying not to giggle. And when I found out that it was being published, I honestly squeed like a little second grader.
MM: I was so anti Wallbanger.
MK: Why???
MM: First of all, the title. Wallbanger. I was like why? You could come up with such a better title. And then the actual cover, I was just like “Nooo, I’m not into this at all.” I just knew I was going to hate it, but then you emailed me and you were like “Oh my gosh it’s so great, you have to read it!” So I thought “Well if she’s gushing about it, there’s got to be something there, because you’re very particular about books.
MK: I am. I really, really am. And you’re right, I didn’t much care for the cover either. Probably because I was so used to the fan created covers when it was still a fanfic. I have one in my head that I will love FOREVER.
MM: So, I was like “All right, I’ll give it a shot.” And then I read the first paragraph.
Oh god.
Thump.
Oh God.
Thump thump.
MM: And I was just like “What?” I was intrigued. And I read the first chapter, and I was just like GIVE ME MORE, THIS IS SO FUNNY! But it’s not schmaltzy, it’s good.
MK: Books that make me literally laugh out loud are the best.
MM: The thing is, I work at a library, and I was reading it on my laptop trying to hold in my laughter and that just wasn’t working so I had patrons look at me like “What is she doing?” *laughs* The only thing that made me really sad was there it didn’t seem like there was any room to make another book. Because the secondary characters all tied up nicely with their partners. And it made me sad because I didn’t want to let it go.
MK: I didn’t either! From what I remember in the fanfic, she wrote several one shots from other character’s POV and I loved the very end when it was in Clive’s point of view, who is probably my favorite character of the book and he’s the cat.
MM: I have to agree with you wholeheartedly, Clive is my favorite character. I loved that motif at the end. I have a friend who has a cat that she speaks for, and that’s what I imagine Clive sounds like.
MK: Yeah, it was a perfect characterization of a cat who thinks they’re human.
MM: Exactly. And I was just really interested throughout the book in Clive. “He’s attacking Purina!”
MK: *laughs* Oh god, that was hilarious! He was strutting his stuff.
MM: So, I was wondering where she’d go from here, maybe she could write characters that loosely tie into this story, which would be nice because I’d definitely like to hear more from this author, and more from this story arc.
MK: She had a whole section with the couple that Caroline was redoing their house in the fic, and I really loved that, so I’m hoping that maybe she’ll bring that into another book because I just loved them so much. Or maybe Jillian and Benjamin’s wedding or something? I don’t know, I just loved them so much.
MM: Yeah, I’m hoping she expands on them some more.
[At this point, we had technical difficulties with our connection.]
MM: What else has Alice Clayton written?
MK: She wrote the Redhead series, which I didn’t read. I didn’t even know that they were fanfics, or written by the same author who wrote Wallbanger, but I’m definitely going to pick them up because I completely love her writing style.
MM: I definitely want to read more of her too.
MK: So, my overall opinion of the book? I’m obsessed. Not even kidding. Hilarious, laugh out loud funny, with amazing characters that I loved and adored. The only thing I didn’t like about it is that I WANT MORE OF IT! Final rating: 5 of 5.
MM: My final thoughts: a total 5 out of 5. Although I probably would have changed the title (cause Wallbanger just sounds like a fanfic title) I loved it. For me, it was a stern reminder not to judge a book by its cover–the stuff inside is crazy good!
