Review: Knight of Wands (Precog in Peril #2) by Theo Fenraven

Title: Knight of Wands (Precog in Peril Book 2)
Author: Theo Fenraven 
Published by: Voodoo Lily Press
Rated: 4.5/5 Hearts

Blurb:
Gray Vecello and Cooper Key are back in the exciting sequel to Three of Swords. Graham’s treasure is only the tip of the iceberg as a thief helps himself to a hidden stash of cash, Jolly Roger makes another appearance, and the guys finally meet others with special abilities when an emergency meeting of the group is called.

Accompanying them on this new adventure is Gray’s cousin, Harper, who’s having problems of her own. Peace and quiet will have to wait as they take another trip downriver on their houseboat, The Constant Companion, before flying to New York City to beard a lion in his den and unexpectedly meet the SOS

Review: 

In this follow up to Three of Swords, Theo takes us back into Grey and Cooper's world. I love the development of the relationship between the two characters. They are really building a solid bond between the as the story goes on. Harper, Grey's cousin, is a fun character, and I hope to see more of her. 

I'm trying to figure out what to say without revealing the plot. (tricksy, Mr. Fenraven) Even though Grey and Cooper eliminated the first round of obstacles, there are more yet to come. Let's see there was a priceless inheritance left to Grey by his grandfather, a thief sent by a powerful man, & an ally who turns to foe. 

Mysterious enough for you? I really liked it, and I sped through the book pretty quickly.. But Cliffhanger! I have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers, especially when I'm going to have to wait for the next book to come out. 

These characters are well fleshed out, and the mysteries keep you guessing. I enjoyed this book more than the last one simply because I'd already fallen in love with the characters. If you like paranormal and mystery, do yourself a favor and pick up Three of Swords and Knight of Wands. The third book in the trilogy is scheduled to release in January, so you won't have to hang onto that cliff for too long. 

You can purchase the book from:

 Amazon
Smashwords
All Romance Ebooks.

You can find out more about Theo from his 

Blog

Twitter: @fenraven

Goodreads

Review: Velvet by Xavier Axelson

Title: Velvet
Author: Xavier Axelson (http://www.xavieraxelson.com/)
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications
Rating: 4/5 





Blurb: 
The first novel from Xaiver Axelson is set against a backdrop of decadence, privilege, and intrigue. Virago, the royal tailor, makes a discovery that will test the bonds of brotherhood, unravel the forbidden secrets of his heart, and threaten his very existence. 

In a land where cruelty is disguised as allegiance, loyalty is masked by obligation, and the laws of sumptuary govern people, nothing is more dangerous than velvet. 

Review:
This was a pretty solid historical romance novel. I think it could have been a little more polished, but all in all it was an excellent concept. 

Virago, inherits the role of royal tailor  from his father, who was royal tailor to a kind king. Unfortunately for Virago, the king is killed and his son, Duir, takes the throne. Duir was like Virago's brother growing up, but they are boys no longer, and the act of making Duir's coronation garments, out of precious and rare velvet which because of the laws of sumptuary, will test every relationship around them. Duir had never treated Virago's blind brother well, something that never sat well with Virago, although the intense dislike that Duir had toward Silvain was never really explained. So Virago falls for a young musician, Seton new to court, it tears at the threads of brotherhood between Duir and himself, as well as the Lords that had grown up with them.  As Virago's eyes are opened to some of the behaviours that he had been blind to, he changes from the somewhat idealistic boy that he had been into a man that must make decisions that will effect not only himself but everyone he knows. 

Honestly I loved this story BUT it didn't feel finished, and in places it seemed a little rushed. The ending was very open ended as well. I hope to see a sequel to this because I'd like to know what happens once they reach their destination. I'd also love to see the brother's story, or at least know more of it. I loved the characters. Axelson really brought them to life. He also really painted a superb scene. You really felt the emotions and turmoil of the players. I also loved some of the secondary characters (and hated others, but I think I was supposed to) 

All in all I would recommend this book if you like historicals, and maybe even if you don't. 

If you wish to purchase Velvet, you may do so in all the usual places. 

If you wish to purchase it from the publisher, it is linked above, just click on Seventh Window Publications. It's available in mobipocket (.prc) nook/sony (epub) kindle (.mobi) and pdf 

Xavier can be found on twitter @xaviersaxel 

Review: Fifteen Shades of Gay (for Pay) by T. Baggins

Title: Fifteen Shades of Gay (for Pay) 
Author: T. Baggins
Publisher: Voodoo Lily Press
Rating: 4/5 Hearts

Blurb: 

MONEY...
Andrew Reynolds is determined to stay in New York City as long as his sister Marie, a cancer patient, needs him. But despite his good looks and talent, Andrew hasn't managed to find work as an actor. With his bank account empty and his credit cards maxed, Andrew needs money fast. Gay escorts make a nice living, but there's one problem--Andrew isn't gay.

SEX...

Ever since his early teens, when Andrew's father shocked everyone by coming out, Andrew has been uncomfortable around gay men. Pretending to be gay will be the role of a lifetime. From male/male dates to erotic toys, spankings and more extreme play, Andrew must satisfy his clients without revealing his usual tastes.

... AND ROMANCE

Andrew's first date with closeted politician Cormac Donovan ends in disaster. Yet with each successive booking, the attraction between them grows. As Andrew struggles with unexpected new feelings, Cormac puts his senatorial career in danger. And what began as a way for Andrew to earn money becomes a one-way ticket to heartbreak--or lasting love.


Review: 

Where to begin? Awhile back, Theo Fenraven raved about this great new author whose blog I should check out. I did, and I discovered T. Baggins' blog. I also discovered this story, which ran as a serial on her blog. I was very excited to see what changes had been made to the story in book form. 

I was happy to discover there were few changes needed or made.

First off the characters were easy to relate to. I loved Andrew, and his sister. My own sister is currently battling breast cancer, so this really touched me. Her struggle above a very aggressive disease was very well written. I really liked Cormac. His struggle to be gay, republican, and a politician was written in such a way that you are truly sympathetic towards his plight. I really liked all of the characters, even Paresh. 

Andrew made a tough decision so that he could afford to be there for his sister. Becoming an escort helped his pocketbook, but definitely stirred issues for his already confused sexuality. Meeting Cormac, was definitely eye opening, causing him to go further with other clients then he might have been inclined to do before. I think that Cormac taught Andrew a lot about himself, but I think that Paresh also played a large role in getting Andrew where he ended up. 

There are so many different things swirling around in this story, and I loved all of them. I loved the tension and misunderstandings. They really made the book. I would love to read more with these characters. (Paresh's story??) What a fabulous debut novel. I will be looking forward to more from this author and I suggest that you do too!

If you wish to purchase Fifteen Shades of Gay (for Pay), I believe you can do that in all the usual places:

Amazon

All Romance Ebooks

Smashwords

You can find Tee on her blog (linked above) and you can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. :)