#Review: The Captive’s Curse (Twilight Mages Book 2) by @eliotgraysonauthor #LGBTQ #RecentRelease #Romance #Fantasy #Magic

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes Eliot Grayson to the blog.  Eliot is back at it again with the sequel to The Royal Curse (see my review of the first book here, if you missed it). While standalone, I would recommend reading the first book to get the backstory of the universe.

Note: A reader copy was provided for an honest review.  The book released on Amazon May 30th, 2024.

The Blurb:

Unwanted. Unloved. Unransomed. And unable to control his dawn magic by any other means…

At odds with his family and on the run, Lord Cyril is taken prisoner and held in a gloomy mountain fortress—which he brightens up quite a bit, thank you. His captor wants him to be quiet and not cause any trouble, but who cares? Cyril may need the mysterious highwayman to quell his dawn magic and keep him sane, but he’s overbearing, sardonic, and unpleasant.

Mostly. Except when Cyril can’t live without his touch, or his voice, or his rare smile…

Ser Enzo, a robber and (not quite) a gentleman, desperately wants his obnoxious, adorable, irritating, irresistible captive off his hands…and other parts. Lord Cyril’s wanton, irrepressible, and worst of all—his family won’t take him back. Enzo can’t release him without being paid. It’s against his principles.

But so is keeping his bewitching captive forever. Cyril may be his prisoner, but Enzo’s dangerously close to losing his own freedom by falling under the mage’s spell…

The Captive’s Curse is the second book in the Twilight Mages series, but it takes place concurrently with book one and can be read as a standalone. Contains wildly inappropriate discussions of vegetables (no vegetables were actually harmed in the making of this book), the mad ghost of an evil lord (the Mad Lord is harmed, to no one’s regret), and the overcoming of fears, family quarrels, and scheming villains to reach a guaranteed HEA.

The Review:

5 Stars

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As per usual, I devoured this story in one sitting eschewing sleep no less. Again, the opportunity to read an ARC of the second book in this fascinating universe of Twilight mages was too good to pass up.

In this story, we have Lord Cyril who enjoys his magic control to the fullest extent, riding away from his family in his wedding finery, and demands his due from the disagreeable kidnapper/savior Ser Enzo even while hurt in the raining forest Cyril finds himself in. They circle each other, both pompous in their own ways, and they have their adventures as their story unfolds and fall in love. We continue in the British-style of storytelling, obnoxious ghosts, betrayals, some angst– mostly on Cyril’s part, but Enzo has some too, and some humor thrown in here and there to liven things. Most of the story is told by Cyril’s perspective and I would have loved to see Enzo’s side more, but I’m weird that way. 🙂

Overall, it’s a great book and you will run the gamut on the feels. The book continues with high-heat, quirky secondary characters, and the happily-ever-after ending we’ve come to expect.

The Captive’s Curse has everything you expected from the swashbuckling highwayman, plot twists, Cyril coming into his own, and of course, a love story with a slow buildup. Again, it was a fantastic read and I can’t wait for more. There are other characters waiting in the wings, and I would love to see their story unfold.

With this, I give The Captive’s Curse 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:

Eliot’s a lifelong Southern California girl, right down to the flip-flops and backyard garden. When she’s not writing her next book, you can find her reading, drinking tea, or (more likely) catering to the demands of her kids and ancient, cranky cat.

Steamy books with delicious tension, heart-wrenching pining, and a hefty dose of action and adventure have always been her jam as a reader. Guess what she writes?

You can catch up with her on Facebook in her reader group, Eliot Grayson’s Escape from Reality, or sign up for her newsletter at eliotgrayson.com.

Website | Goodreads Author Page | Amazon Author Page | Instagram | Facebook Group ~ Escape from Reality | BookBub | Linktree

#Review: The Royal Curse (Twilight Mages Book 1) by @eliotgraysonauthor #LGBTQ #RecentRelease #Romance #Fantasy #Magic

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes Eliot Grayson to the blog.  Welcome to the first post on the new site. 🙂 Eliot is a new author to me but was intrigued by the burb she sent to me in Instagram direct message and wanted to read it.

Note: A reader copy was provided for an honest review.  The book released on Amazon December 7th, 2023.

The Blurb:

Dawn mage. Twilight mage. Cursed, useless, damaged, dangerous

His birth magic leaves Prince Nikola with nothing but bad choices: live as another man’s possession, subject to his whims and his desires, or remain dependent on a potion that stunts his powers and prevents him from knowing love.

Andreas vows to protect the prince with his life—whether Nikola wants him to or not. After all, the queen pays his soldier’s wage. Nikola’s nothing but a job to do.

But when they find themselves stranded, with Nikola’s potion running out, Andreas has to…improvise. Because what Prince Nikola needs to survive is the opposite of a lowly guard’s respectful protection.

It should’ve been only one night. Just until the potion’s refilled. But now that Nikola’s had Andreas’s touch, he craves Andreas again and again. He shouldn’t. But he—and his magic—can’t live without it…

The Royal Curse is a high-heat MM fantasy romance with a stubborn prince, an even more stubborn soldier, and cursed magic that can’t be denied. There is an on-page attempted sexual assault that is not between the main characters. HEA guaranteed.

The Review:

5 Stars

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I read this a few months ago, in one sitting no less; but, work, holidays, and moving my blog to be self hosting delayed this review. I realized as I was writing this post that it’s been a few years since my last review on my blog. I had said in an earlier post I wanted to review more this year. Well, now I have posted the first review of the year. 🙂 Hopefully, the first of many.

It is a start of a new series about Twilight mages and I have to say that Eliot knocked it out of the park with this first installment. We have Prince Nikola who suppresses his magic with a potion that needs to be carefully made, a trip that has some action-packed scenes highlighting that Nikola is not just a pretty, royal face, and Andreas, who started out as a bodyguard but the seeds of romance were in place long before these events. The writing is a cross between Victorian and medieval English in wording and cadence, and just a delight to read. It is definitely high-heat and wonderfully written with the requisite happily-ever-after ending.

It’s a fun story with some darker elements, a betrayal, and the romance gives you all the feels. In it, you can see the hints of who will be one of the main characters in a later book. Whether it’s the next book, or not, remains to be seen. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can’t wait for the next installment.

With this, I give The Royal Curse 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:

Eliot’s a lifelong Southern California girl, right down to the flip-flops and backyard garden. When she’s not writing her next book, you can find her reading, drinking tea, or (more likely) catering to the demands of her kids and ancient, cranky cat.

Steamy books with delicious tension, heart-wrenching pining, and a hefty dose of action and adventure have always been her jam as a reader. Guess what she writes?

You can catch up with her on Facebook in her reader group, Eliot Grayson’s Escape from Reality, or sign up for her newsletter at eliotgrayson.com.

Website | Goodreads Author Page | Amazon Author Page | Instagram | Facebook Group ~ Escape from Reality | BookBub | Linktree

Alpha’s Pride (Irresistible Omegas 04) by Nora Phoenix #LGBT #mpreg #Romance #Review #Menage

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes author Nora Phoenix for the next installment of Irresistible Omegas: Alpha’s Pride! Published by Nora Phoenix on October 13, 2018 and is approximately 303 pages.

The Blurb:

An MMM Mpreg romance.

Bray knows what he wants: a sweet, pliant omega who will bear him an alpha heir. But he doesn’t want one now. He’s too young to settle down and just wants to have fun and play. That’s why hooking up with Kean is perfect, even if the beta doesn’t come close to what Bray is usually attracted to.

Kean thought he could keep things casual with Bray, but when he starts yearning for more, Bray makes it clear he’s not interested. When Ruari, a single-dad omega, arrives on the ranch with his baby, Kean instantly connects with him. He breaks things off with Bray to pursue Ruari, leaving the alpha confused and angry. But even though Ruari reciprocates his feelings, Kean can’t get Bray out of his mind.
Ruari doesn’t hesitate when he and his baby are offered a safe place at the PTP ranch. He’s in desperate need of support, especially after he finds out he has the Melloni gene. Meeting Kean makes him want to stay, even though he’s scared his father will find him. But when Ruari runs into the alpha-father of his baby, things get complicated fast.

Bray, Kean, and Ruari try to figure out where they each fit as sparks fly, tempers rise, and a stubborn beta and an equally sassy omega prove to be more than a match for a slightly arrogant alpha. Meanwhile, they and their fellow pack members have to take a stand against a rising threat to the pack. When trouble comes, the pack fights back, but it won’t come without a cost.

Alpha’s Pride is an MMM mpreg romance and the fourth book in the continuing Irresistible Omegas series. All books need to be read in order and are not stand alones. The love story between Bray, Kean, and Ruari ends on a soft cliffhanger in this book and will continue in the next book.

The Review:

Thank you Nora for your ARC Review group. 🙂

5 Stars

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First, the warning of the soft cliffhanger is true. Thank you for the warning Nora. I’m not a big cliffhanger person but this series is full of them and I’ve gotten used to it. 🙂 If you are just now getting to reading the series, get all of the books and read in order. You’ll thank me. If you are like me and have been reading the books as they come out, you will be chomping at the bit for the next one.

They are that good.

Now for the meat and potatoes of the review.

We are introduced to a new triad with this story. Bray, the oldest child of Grayson who’s story was the previous one, is an unintentional asshole that you like despite the Alpha arrogance, and is head of security for the pack. Kean is a balls-to-the-wall beta like his younger brother Palani, and works with the pack’s animals and aspires to be a full veterinarian. Then there is Ruari, a runaway omega with a newborn and a few secrets of his own. Their dynamic is a circling of the three of them in different pairs to become the threesome they are meant to be. It’s a slow burn and we were warned that their story is not complete and will be resolved in the next book.

Nora did a great job of keeping us on tender hooks so that we can see the love blossom between them in “real time”. Just like books one and two were given to the original foursome that started this pack towards becoming wolves again, Bray, Kean, and Rauri’s story continues the overall pack dynamics with the outside world as well. We see snippets of Vieno, Palani, Enar, and Lidon’s lives– along with Grayson and his boys, Lars and Sven– as they continue to grow too. We see more of the what the foursome can do when threatened, especially when a pup is involved.

There is sadness and humor, angst and love, and for all the fated mates, continuous working on their respective relationships. It’s not just rainbows and unicorns but a realistic picture of an evolution of pack dynamics, and the individuals who make up this pack, in this universe. The pack is coming together as a pack. I can’t wait to read about the next installment. We are (im)patiently waiting, Nora. *smile*

Overall, I give Alpha’s Pride 5 out of 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author:

Would you like the long or the short version of my bio?

The short? You got it.

I write steamy gay romance books and I love it. I also love reading books. Books are everything.

How was that?

A little more detail? Gotcha.

I started writing my first stories when I was a teen…on a freaking typewriter. I still have these, and they’re adorably romantic. And bad, haha. Fear of failing kept me from following my dream to become a romance author, so you can imagine how proud and ecstatic I am that I finally overcame my fears and self doubt and did it. I adore my genre because I love writing and reading about flawed, strong men who are just a tad broken..but find their happy ever after anyway.

My favorite books to read are pretty much all MM/gay romances as long as it has a happy end. Kink is a plus… Aside from that, I also read a lot of nonfiction and not just books on writing. Popular psychology is a favorite topic of mine and so are self help and sociology.

Hobbies? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Just kidding. I love traveling, spending time near the ocean, and hiking. But I love books more.

Wanna get first dibs on freebies, updates, sales, and more? Sign up for my newsletter (no spamming your inbox full…promise!):

Come hang out with me in my Facebook Group Nora’s Nook where I share previews, sneak peeks, freebies, and much more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norasnook/

Stalk me on Twitter or Goodreads where I share recommended books and reviews! You can also find me on Bookbub and Instagram.

Review of Devil Take Me by Jordan L. Hawk, TA Moore, Ginn Hale, C.S. Poe, Rhys Ford, Jordan Castillo Price #LGBT #Paranormal #Romance #Horror #MM #ReleaseDay

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes 6 incomparable authors: Rhys Ford, C.S. Poe, Jordan Hawk, TA Moore, Ginn Hale, and Jordan Castillo Price with their anthology Devil Take Me. It released today, October 16, 2018, and is published by DSP Publications. It is approximately 450 pages.

The Blurb:

Temptation lurks around every corner in worlds sometimes dark, sometimes lurid. Giving in is both dangerous and satisfying, though never in the ways one expects. While these enticements offer a vast range of benefits and boons, the cost is a soul and the devil expects his due. Sometimes suave and charming or calculating and cruel, these devils have schemes and desires of their own. They can be creatures to run away from… or toward.

Join the most unique and celebrated authors of LGBT urban fantasy and paranormal fiction for a fast-paced and unpredictable ride, from a city on the other side of reality, to a world suspended in dusk, to a twisted version of the 1960s and 70s.

Meet devils in top hats and waistcoats, a defrocked motorcycle-riding priest, and a genderfluid antihero—among many more. Full of humor, romance, horror, action, intrigue, and magic, these stories have one common element….

They’re one hell of a good time.

Full blurbs included with excerpts from each of the stories!

Cover Artist: Reece Notley

The Review:

I won an ARC of this book in Rhys’s Facebook group contest in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars

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When I read the blurb and noticed the horror portion, I had misgivings. I’m not a horror person: In print or TV/Movies. Along with zombies, they are my number one genre that I don’t really go out and read or watch. Shudder. I will read them–even Zombies–but they have to have a good blurb or story premise. So good that I don’t miss the happy ever after or happy for now. Since I love all the prior works for these authors, I took a chance that I would enjoy them despite that at least one was not going to have my favorite ending.

There’s only one of the six stories that I would label as not having that HEA/HFN ending. Romance is optional but I like to read that most of the time too. It didn’t have romance per se either. But it was still really good. The rest ranged from light-hearted business venture (a hell hound named Fluffpaw) to a race against time (a glowing blue dog-like animal named Blue) to save Wonderland City, and all with the common theme: the Devil bargained for their souls to provide them an opportunity they didn’t have before meeting the stranger with the proposition. The Devil’s ranged from those that MC loved to those you wanted to tear apart. You wanted to tell all of them what were they thinking when they made their bargains. But then, most of them wouldn’t have met their loves or interesting new friends. So, you have to take it that it was meant to be. At least for some of them. 😉

They were all really good. So good that I debated for thirty minutes while I setup this blog post as to whether I wanted to give it a 4.5 or a 5 out of 5 stars. They made you think what would you do if you were dying and wanted to live. Or if you would be tempted to live longer than a lifetime. One thing to note. Read the fine print. 🙂

I would definitely buy it (I might still buy it), and you should as well. It is definitely worth the read. It was definitely “one hell of a good time.”

I give Devil Take Me 5 stars out of 5.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads | DSP Publications

About the Authors:

About Rhys Ford

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series, including Murder and Mayhem, a 2016 LAMBDA finalist. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Yoshi, a grumpy tuxedo cat and Tam, a diabetic black pygmy panther, as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Rhys’ BlogFacebookTwitterDSP Publications

About Ginn Hale:

Ginn Hale lives with her lovely wife in the far northern reaches of the Pacific Northwest. She spends the many cloudy days observing fungi and she whiles away the rainy evenings tinkering with words.

Her first novel, Wicked Gentlemen, won the Spectrum Award for best novel. She is a Rainbow Award winner as well as a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her most recent publications include the Lord of the White Hell and Champion of the Scarlet Wolf as well as the Rifter trilogy: The Shattered Gates, The Holy Road and His Sacred Bones.

She is also the voice of 12 year-old Lauren in the podcast, Lauren Proves Magic Is Real

About C.S. Poe

C.S. Poe is a Lambda Literary and EPIC award finalist author of gay mystery, romance, and paranormal books.
She is a reluctant mover and has called many places home in her lifetime. C.S. has lived in New York City, Key West, and Ibaraki, Japan, to name a few. She misses the cleanliness, convenience, and limited-edition gachapon of Japan, but she was never very good at riding bikes to get around.
She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued two cats—Milo and Kasper do their best on a daily basis to sidetrack her from work.
C.S. is a member of the International Thriller Writers organization.
Her debut novel, The Mystery of Nevermore, was published by DSP Publications, 2016.

DREAMSPINNER PRESS| WEBSITETUMBLRBLOGNEWSLETTER | DSP PUBLICATIONS

About TA Moore:

TA Moore genuinely believed that she was a Cabbage Patch Kid when she was a small child. This was the start of a lifelong attachment to the weird and fantastic. These days she lives in a market town on the Northern Irish coast and her friends have a rule that she can only send them three weird and disturbing links a month (although she still holds that a DIY penis bifurcation guide is interesting, not disturbing). She believes that adding ‘in space!’ to anything makes it at least 40% cooler, will try to pet pretty much any animal she meets (this includes snakes, excludes bugs), and once lied to her friend that she had climbed all the way up to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, when actually she’d only gotten to the beach, realized it was really high, and chickened out.

She aspires to being a cynical misanthrope, but is unfortunately held back by a sunny disposition and an inability to be mean to strangers. If TA Moore is mean to you, that means you’re friends now.

Amazon Author PageDSP Author Page

 

About Jordan L. Hawk:
Jordan L. Hawk is a nonbinary queer author from North Carolina. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave them a lifelong love of things that go bump in the night. When they aren’t writing, they brew their own beer and try to keep the cats from destroying the house. Their best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook at Amazon and other online retailers.

 

About Jordan Castillo Price

Author and artist Jordan Castillo Price writes paranormal thrillers colored by her time in the midwest, from inner city Chicago, to small town Wisconsin, to liberal Madison. Her influences include Ouija boards, Return of the Living Dead, “light as a feather, stiff as a board,” girls with tattoos and boys in eyeliner.

Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who’s plagued by ghostly visitations. Also check out her new series, Mnevermind, where memories are made…one client at a time.

Find out more at www.jordancastilloprice.com | DSP Publications

 

Review of Clutch (Forbidden Desires 01) by Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly #LGBT #Fantasy #Paranormal #Romance

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly with their collaboration, Clutch, the start of a new series called Forbidden Desires. It released today and is independently published. It is approximately 239 pages.

The Blurb:

Bookish, snarky, and fiercely independent Nate Boudreaux leads a solitary life. Between teaching classes at the university and working toward his PhD, he doesn’t need a partner to occupy his time, and he certainly doesn’t need a man like Alistair Drake complicating his future.

Alistair Drake, black sheep of the tremendously wealthy Drake family, is more interested in adding another notch to his bedpost than another zero to his bank account. When a Grindr message brings him to Nate’s doorstep, then straight to his bed, he has no reason to believe that what they share will be more than a simple hookup, until, three months later, a tug on his soul informs him otherwise.

For the Drake family has a secret—one that will force Nate and Alistair together as much as it will demand that they be torn apart. One that Alistair and his brothers have carried all their lives… and one that Alistair and Nate’s future children will carry, too.

Bound to each other by the three precious impossibilities, Nate and Alistair have no choice—no matter the consequence, they will fight for their forbidden clutch.

Clutch is a 64,000 word steamy omegaverse mpreg-ish romance that will leave you in stitches. It contains a Grindr hook-up gone very wrong (or very right); giant magical lizards; a pig named Olive; a wank throne; and a HEA, right down to the white picket fence.

The Review:

I won an ARC of this book in a group contest in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars

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So, I was in this group on Facebook when someone who beta-read for it posted about how they liked this story. As part of the descriptor, they mention dragons. Sold. The mention of the wank throne was secondary. *big smile*

I went found the group it was going to be posted and posted. Later, I got notified that I had won a copy. 🙂 I was so happy. I got the book and then got inundated with work. Finally, I got time to read and finished it two sittings.

It was fun, witty, and heart-breaking in places. It was a great pacing for a hookup from Grindr, hot cum, and what happens when you have life-changing secrets. The secondary characters and place descriptions almost stole the story. You have got to read about Olive the pig and the wank throne. Definitely the highlight of the story after the main plot.

It really is mpreg-ish. Even if that is not your thing, you might want to read it anyway. The ‘pregnancy’ resolves near the beginning of the story, and then the focus is fairly focused on these two different men: Nate, a human, and Alistair, a dragon, becoming more than that first time together. The world building is great and paces with the storyline wonderfully. Other family members pop up through out and there are a few I would like to know their story.

I won’t talk anymore so that I won’t spoil anything. I will say that you must read this book. Flying magical lizard shifters, cheeky omegas, and mates are wonderfully blended to a new and different omegaverse story with a happy ending. I’m so looking forward to the next one that I’m probably going to be messaging the authors to see when it’s coming.

Overall, I give Clutch 5 out of 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Authors:

About Piper Scott

Piper Scott debuted as a trio of authors looking to write together for fun. Their collaboration led to three novella-length books (Love Me, Save Me, and Keep Me,) before life sent them in different directions, leaving just one author with an omegaverse plot bunny that wouldn’t leave her alone. Obey was born several months later… but the plot bunny never left–it multiplied.

Left to her own devices, Piper Scott writes scorching but heartfelt contemporary omegaverse romance about men you can’t help but fall in love with.

All Piper Scott stories are interconnected. The recommended reading order is as follows:

Rutledge Brothers Series:
Love Me > Save Me > Keep Me

His Command Series:
Obey > Beg > Stay > Heal > Breathe

Single Dad Support Group Series:
The Problem > The Proposal > The Solution > The Decision

If you want to stay in touch with Piper, click on this link to sign up for her newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/pipersnewletter

Find Piper on Facebook and stay up to date with what’s new in Aurora: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PiperScott

About Virginia Kelly:

Virginia is the alter ego of Lynn Van Dorn, writer of MM contemporary romances. Virginia listens to the voices in her head that are far too fantastical and silly for Lynn. If it’s mystical or otherworldly, Virginia is all for it.

In her spare time (ha!) she herds three cats, twelve rats, a pesky husband, and a son. Also a host of noisy fictional characters.

Review of Savior (415 Ink 02) by Rhys Ford #LGBT #Contemporary #Tattoos #Romance

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes Rhys Ford and the next book in the 415 Ink series: Savior. It release day today with it publishing everywhere on September 18th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press, and is approximately 220 pages. See my review for Rebel, the first book in the series here.

 

The Review:

Rhys provided the story to me for an honest review.

5 Stars

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As I mentioned in the review of Rebel, I binged-read it and Savior with the intent on getting off my duff and publishing an ARC review on the day of release., since I have to read in series order. It doesn’t matter if they are standalone and can be read in any order, I have to read them in order. I just like to have the whole picture. Always been like that. I’ve been known to wait to get all the books in an established series before I start the first one… but I digress.

So, I’ve done it. I’m going to have this review posted the day of release. I feel accomplished. This is in spite of insane work hours and too many dental issues to name, as I recover from the latest root canal writing these posts. And now, the Review:

This is story of 415 Ink tattoo artist apprentice Rob Claussen and Mace Crawford, a San Francisco firefighter who works with Rey from the previous story. Mace’s back story is full of strife and provides Rhys’s signature storytelling and angst that we’ve seen from her prior series. It’s heart-wrenching but worth the high intensity that is Mace and the start of his relationship with Rob, although Mace being an owner and Rob an employee of the shop throws in additional layers of issues these two lovers have to overcome. I especially love the storming sex scene that you will just have to read to appreciate. Their story is on the explosive side where neither one was looking for a relationship, but it fits their personalities and their own ride to their happy ever after they didn’t know they wanted until it was dropped in their laps. We find out more about the brothers and what secrets they are hiding, not only from themselves, but the people they call family. I very much love how family is what you make and not necessarily whom you were born too. They all have issues and trauma from their childhoods. It’s great to find out as they fall in love. I can’t wait for the next pair. Perhaps there will be a threesome in the wings of this series? One can hope. 🙂 (Yes, Rhys, that was a hint.)

Overall, I give Savior 5 out of 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

DreamspinnerAmazon | B&N | Google PlayKoboGoodreads | iTunes

About the Author:

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series, including Murder and Mayhem, a 2016 LAMBDA finalist. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Yoshi, a grumpy tuxedo cat and Tam, a diabetic black pygmy panther, as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Rhys’ Blog: www.rhysford.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhys.ford.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rhys_Ford

Rhys Ford’s books can found at Dreamspinner Press (http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com), DSP Publications (https://www.dsppublications.com/) and all major online book stores.

Review of Rebel (415 Ink 01) by Rhys Ford #LGBT #Contemporary #Tattoos #Romance

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes Rhys Ford and the beginning of a new series: 415 Ink with the first book Rebel. It released on December 29th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press, and is approximately 220 pages. Stay tuned tomorrow for a review of Savior, the second book in the series. 🙂

 

The Review:

Rhys provided the story to me for an honest review.

5 Stars

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When I got the opportunity to receive the ARC for Savior and decide to attempt a release-day review (I try, but sometimes I fall behind), I realized that I hadn’t read and reviewed Rebel’s ARC either. I ultimately bought it and then forgot to do that review. Real Life got in the way and it’s been a helluva year. I’m sure some readers can agree.

So, I think, “Great! I’m a series completionist. I’ll try out this new series of Rhys and get that elusive release-day review in too.” Two birds with one stone, and all that.  (The blurb for Rebel did help tip me over to have a goal of one day in 2018 getting my first tattoo.)

It’s a good thing Rhys sent it early August for Savior so it gave me time to get both of them read. 😀 I just need to work on the scheduling reviews earlier part… and now, on to the review.

We meet Rey Montenegro, firefighter extraordinaire in San Francisco, California and former flame for tattoo artist Gus Scott, who returned to his family’s tattoo shop at 415 Ink to work on his personal demons and issues. One of those demons was how the relationship ended with Rey. In the midst of Rey and Gus circling each other to actually talk about the past, they find that family is key and it’s the family you make that heal your heart. There’s angst as only Rhys does, a romance that is slow to rekindle, and a new world and characters to learn about. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of the “brothers” and how they banded together to create the family Gus returns to and Rey becomes a part of. I love how Gus and Rey get together: How Rey helps out Gus with Chris, Gus’s son, with no expectation of returning to the relationship that Rey ended suddenly three years prior. It’s a slow revival of trust as Gus and Rey open themselves to finally allow their relationship to be what they need it to be. It’s not explosive. It’s not sudden. Rey has to earn Gus’s trust again. It’s a great story to set the stage for the rest of the 415 Ink family: Ivo, Bear, Mace, and Luke. I was glad I could run right to the next book in the series to continue the story that gripped my imagination with it’s realism. This is definitely a great world to read about and the romance is hot too. 😉

Overall, I give Rebel 5 out of 5 stars.

Note: As of this blog posting, Rebel is on sale for $1.99 at all retailers. I would snatch it up while you can. I don’t know when the sale will end, so go quick.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

DreamspinnerAmazon | B&N | Google PlayKoboGoodreads | iTunes

About the Author:

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series, including Murder and Mayhem, a 2016 LAMBDA finalist. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Yoshi, a grumpy tuxedo cat and Tam, a diabetic black pygmy panther, as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Rhys’ Blog: www.rhysford.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhys.ford.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rhys_Ford

Rhys Ford’s books can found at Dreamspinner Press (http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com), DSP Publications (https://www.dsppublications.com/) and all major online book stores.

Beta’s Surrender (Irresistible Omegas 03) by Nora Phoenix #LGBT #mpreg #Romance #Review #Menage

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes author Nora Phoenix! Published by Nora Phoenix on July 28, 2018 and is approximately 350 pages.

The Blurb:

Sven’s heat is coming, and with his mutative gene, the omega is warned he needs an alpha. The only alpha he trusts is Grayson, who is twenty years his senior. He’s also the only one who’s not afraid to take on Sven’s lover, Lars. What is supposed to be just sex turns into much more for Sven. But what alpha would want two boys?

Lars vowed he’d always take care of Sven, but when his lover’s heat comes, he’s not enough. He has to accept the help of the alpha he hates more than anyone—with the exception of his brother Enar, maybe. When Grayson figures out what the beta really craves, Lars pulls his defensive walls up. Alphas can’t be trusted, no matter what promises they make. Not even if they can offer what he never knew he needed.

Grayson never expected to connect with the sweet omega, and even less with the bratty beta who seems out to defy his authority at every chance. But there’s a reason for Lars’s insolent behavior, and soon the combination of these two boys becomes irresistible for Grayson. Can he be the Daddy these two need?

Beta’s Surrender is an MMM mpreg romance and the third book in the Irresistible Omegas series. It is not a stand-alone but continues the story from the first two books. It ends with an HEA for our three men, but the overall storyline will continue in the next books.

The Review:

Thank you Nora for your ARC Review group. 🙂

5 Stars

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This time around, Nora only had a few days prior to release day to provide ARCs. I jumped on it of course. Read it in two days. Then Real Life got involved and I’m just now getting to sit down and write this review. Instead of focusing on the hotness that is between Vieno, Palani, Enar, and Lidon, we get the interesting tale of Grayson, Lars, and Sven. While learning about the overall arc of mutated heats for certain omegas, and new information regarding how they came to be, we watch Sven and Lars fall in love with Grayson with grown sons their age. It’s not as angsty as the other books, very sweet actually, but still has their own issues and confrontations. We do have a birth and an interesting surprise ending. It didn’t actually surprise me, but I saw it coming. You have to read it to know. 😉

I love learning more about this world through the eyes of all seven protagonists. Just like the first four, it was great to see their love evolve from a situation of necessity and choice. The pack continues to develop and more truths are revealed. There is a happy ending for Grayson, Lars, and Sven with Grayson as their Daddy. Very well done, Nora, very well done.

At this point, I have no idea who we are going to follow next. I have my hopes…

Overall, I give Beta’s Surrender 5 out of 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author:

Would you like the long or the short version of my bio?

The short? You got it.

I write steamy gay romance books and I love it. I also love reading books. Books are everything.

How was that?

A little more detail? Gotcha.

I started writing my first stories when I was a teen…on a freaking typewriter. I still have these, and they’re adorably romantic. And bad, haha. Fear of failing kept me from following my dream to become a romance author, so you can imagine how proud and ecstatic I am that I finally overcame my fears and self doubt and did it. I adore my genre because I love writing and reading about flawed, strong men who are just a tad broken..but find their happy ever after anyway.

My favorite books to read are pretty much all MM/gay romances as long as it has a happy end. Kink is a plus… Aside from that, I also read a lot of nonfiction and not just books on writing. Popular psychology is a favorite topic of mine and so are self help and sociology.

Hobbies? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Just kidding. I love traveling, spending time near the ocean, and hiking. But I love books more.

Wanna get first dibs on freebies, updates, sales, and more? Sign up for my newsletter (no spamming your inbox full…promise!):

Come hang out with me in my Facebook Group Nora’s Nook where I share previews, sneak peeks, freebies, and much more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norasnook/

Stalk me on Twitter or Goodreads where I share recommended books and reviews! You can also find me on Bookbub and Instagram.

Alpha Submission (Irresistible Omegas 02) by Nora Phoenix #LGBT #mpreg #Romance #Review #Menage

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes author Nora Phoenix! Published by Nora Phoenix on May 26, 2018 and is approximately 462 pages.

The Blurb:

an MMMM Mpreg Gay Romance

Four men, brought together by fate, connected in more powerful ways than they’d ever imagined.

Lidon, Vieno, Palani, and Enar are finding their way in their complicated relationship. For Vieno, it’s easy. He thrives in the care of his men, taking his place as their omega and focusing on rebuilding the ranch.

For Enar, it’s a lot harder to find his role…and himself. His struggles to accept himself and his place in the relationship create tension between him and his mates.

Palani keeps digging into the Melloni gene and the fraud case Lidon alerted him to. His investigation reveals a conspiracy that is bigger than any of them expected, and it endangers them all.

Lidon discovers powers he never knew he possessed. When his mates and his home are threatened, he steps into a legendary identity. With the help of new friends that become family, Lidon vows to protect what’s his.

Alpha’s Submission is an MMMM mpreg romance and the second book in the Irresistible Omegas series. It is not a stand-alone but continues the story from the first book. It ends with a HEA for our four men, but the suspense storyline will continue in the next books.

The Review:

Thank you Nora for your ARC Review group. 🙂

5 Stars

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So, the next book is releasing on May 26th, and I devoured it from Nora’s ARC group the same day as I got the notification of the release of the ARC a week prior.  We continue the hot burn between Vieno, Palani, Enar, and Lidon as they waltz into their ménage of four. They come together in a weave of adjustment between the all the mates, as well as the individual pairings. Resolution about the mating between them is tied up in a nice little bow, and that is all I’m going to say on that. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger but much better than the first one, so I’m not even going to call it a cliffhanger because it’s has a satisfying HEA ending.

I continue to love all four of the main characters. especially Palani and Enar. I have high hopes that a certain event will allow Palani to father children with Vieno. We’ll see. We find out more about the Melloni gene, additional behind-the-scenes government issues, and continue to learn about the social interactions for Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. It was wonderful to see their love evolve as the adjust to their new circumstances. You will just have to read the story–there is so much to learn. You will not be disappointed at all. Be prepared to laugh and cry as they continue additional trials to keep each other and their developing pack.

My very first comment after finishing this story to Nora’s ARC group was that I want the next one because I’m invested in this series. There will be more books in the series and new main characters will come to light. I have my hopes on the next triad. 🙂

Overall, I give Alpha Submission 5 out of 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author:

Would you like the long or the short version of my bio?

The short? You got it.

I write steamy gay romance books and I love it. I also love reading books. Books are everything.

How was that?

A little more detail? Gotcha.

I started writing my first stories when I was a teen…on a freaking typewriter. I still have these, and they’re adorably romantic. And bad, haha. Fear of failing kept me from following my dream to become a romance author, so you can imagine how proud and ecstatic I am that I finally overcame my fears and self doubt and did it. I adore my genre because I love writing and reading about flawed, strong men who are just a tad broken..but find their happy ever after anyway.

My favorite books to read are pretty much all MM/gay romances as long as it has a happy end. Kink is a plus… Aside from that, I also read a lot of nonfiction and not just books on writing. Popular psychology is a favorite topic of mine and so are self help and sociology.

Hobbies? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Just kidding. I love traveling, spending time near the ocean, and hiking. But I love books more.

Wanna get first dibs on freebies, updates, sales, and more? Sign up for my newsletter (no spamming your inbox full…promise!):

Come hang out with me in my Facebook Group Nora’s Nook where I share previews, sneak peeks, freebies, and much more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norasnook/

Stalk me on Twitter or Goodreads where I share recommended books and reviews! You can also find me on Bookbub and Instagram.

Level Up by Annabeth Albert #Romance #LGBT #Contemporay #Gamers #Review

Moonbeams over Atlanta welcomes Annabeth Albert!

Title:  LEVEL UP
Series: loosely related to the #gaymers series, but stands alone
Author: Annabeth Albert
Publisher: Annabeth Albert
Release Date: May 17, 2018
Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 40,000 words
Genre: Romance, contemporary m/m romance, gay romance, geeks, nerds, friends-to-lovers, gamers, gaymers

Add to Goodreads

 

The Review

4.5 Stars

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This book was provided by IndiGo Marketing & Design for an honest review.

The blurb got me when a physicist is doing a nude calendar photo shoot. I had to see how this would go. Annabeth provided a painted a wonderful picture of how Landon and Bailey meet and the initial miscommunications that happen. Landon has been hurt with a past history of rape (nothing on page), and Bailey comes to provide the support Landon needs to be himself after a traumatic experience.

Bailey has his own hangups that show, and Landon helps him as well. It’s cute, fun, and neat to see these two lovebirds circle each other until their love shines through. In some ways, it’s shorter that I would want but still very good. I’ve read most of the #gaymers series but now have to go back and refresh my memory of a few of the characters that appear here. It is stand alone and didn’t detract from the enjoyment, but now I want to remember the others. I would highly recommend reading it, especially if you’ve read the #gaymers series.

Overall, I give Level Up 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Eloreen Moon

 

Synopsis

Landon can’t believe he’s let himself
get roped into participating in a charity calendar, let alone one that features
tastefully photographed nudes. The genius physicist is hardly model material
and he’s dreading the nude part of the photoshoot. Amid his reluctance, the one
bright spot is his emails back and forth with the photographer.

 

However, Bailey ends up being not quite
what Landon expects, and their first meeting is decidedly awkward. Bailey’s
persistent though, and gradually Landon warms to the burly photographer, and
they discover they have a shared love of gamer culture.

 

A tentative friendship is born, but the
road from friends to lovers isn’t easy. Landon’s battling past trauma and must
decide how much of a risk he’s willing to take. A sexy connection may not be
enough to keep them together unless both are willing to put their hearts on the
line.

 

Approximately 40,000 words. Previously
released as part of the EXPOSED anthology, and loosely linked to the #Gaymers
universe, this friends-to-lovers, hurt/comfort story stands alone with a
guaranteed happy ending. Contains a brief mention of a prior assault, but no
on-screen violence or flashbacks.

 

Excerpt

LEVEL UP EXCERPT—This is their first
kiss, because I absolutely love writing first kiss scenes!

 

***

 

Bailey was the type who moved a lot as
he gamed, biceps flexing, knees wiggling, shoulders jostling. Landon always
liked people who got so into gaming, but it was more than a little distracting.
His body was quickly coming to associate that orange scent of Bailey’s with
good things, and other parts of him apparently liked Bailey’s nearness, which
was a novelty because instead of intimidated, as he would have expected, he was
more than a little turned on.

 

“Oh man, that was a rush.” Bailey
laughed as both of their health meters dipped to zero. “I’m almost wishing I’d
gone into game art, not photography. Amazing how these graphics have held up
over the years.”

 

“Totally. And speaking of art, let me
find the Space Villager stuff.” Landon reluctantly stepped away from the game.
He headed to the nearby kitchen, where he was pretty the papers were buried
with a stack of mail. Paper control was not his strong suit. “You’ll go nuts at
the latest screen shots and promo teasers.”

 

“Cool.” Rather than follow Landon,
Bailey went to sit on the couch.

 

“You want a drink while I’m in here?”
Landon called to him after he found the papers under a pile of pizza ads. “I’ve
got four flavors of Snapple, soda, and water.”

 

“Surprise me with a Snapple flavor.”
Bailey looked right at home on Landon’s couch, lounging back.

 

He really did not look at all like any
photographer Landon had ever met, and curiosity had him asking, “So why
photography? You said you could have done game design?”

 

“Yeah, I had plenty of friends at the
art institute go that direction. But I’ve been in love with photography ever
since I worked on our middle school yearbook. I figured out quickly that taking
pictures of events and sports was far more fun than trying to do the sports
myself, so I did yearbook all through high school, got a photography scholarship
to the art institute in Portland.”

 

“So you don’t play a sport?” Landon had
a hard time believing that. With Bailey’s height and breadth, he totally looked
like he lived for weekend games of some type.

 

“Nope. Hopelessly uncoordinated.” Bailey
shot him an endearing smile when Landon handed him the bottle of tea.

 

“Me too.” Landon clinked bottles with
him, then held up the papers. “Found the codes. But can I show you some stuff
on the TV screen while you have your drink?”

 

“Absolutely.” Bailey took a long swig of
tea, and Landon had to look away before he got mesmerized by Bailey’s full
mouth, how it looked when his tongue chased a stray drop of moisture, how pink
it was in contrast to his paler skin and brown beard.

 

Landon queued up the pre-release trailer
Josiah had sent him a link to. Bombastic music filled his small living room as
on the screen, and a spaceship pulled in for a landing on a planet filled with
ruins of a once-powerful civilization. The narrator had an iconic voice and
detailed all the special features of the expansion pack. Landon had already
watched this a half-dozen times, and it still gave him happy chills.

 

“Wow. I can’t wait.” Bailey looked
suitably awed. “This is even cooler than when War Elf added the mystic raids.”

 

“I know, right? Now look at the in-game
screen shots.” He brought up another video, body relaxing more and more despite
Bailey’s nearness. It was just so awesome to have someone new to share this
with. He’d been hyped about this all week, but Pike was distracted by his
boyfriend Zack’s deployment, Savannah didn’t game much, and the rest of his
regular crew seemed to have other things occupying their attention.

 

Somehow, as he shared more video clips,
he drifted closer to Bailey, so that their knees were almost rubbing. It wasn’t
a giant couch, so there wasn’t a ton of room to move back, but even so, Landon
wasn’t looking for an escape. He was aware of Bailey, very much so, but not
nearly as freaked out as he’d been a few hours ago. Instead, his senses seemed
to soak up Bailey’s scent and nearness, and it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth
video that he realized that he was aroused.

 

Clink. Somehow Landon’s left hand,
holding his drink, and Bailey’s right hand tangled.

 

“Oops.” He tried to extricate himself
without spilling both beverages. Bending to put his on the floor, he hadn’t
realized that Bailey had also leaned down until their heads collided.

 

“Ow,” they said simultaneously.

 

“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.” Bailey
reached out, feeling around on Landon’s head. “Did you see stars? Break the
skin?”

 

“I’m fine.” Landon didn’t pull away.
Bailey’s hand felt damn nice. Gentle. Soothing more than just the bump on his
head. Their eyes met, and he really needed to move back, break this spell, but
he didn’t, instead leaning into to the touch. Bailey’s eyes darkened, and he
stroked down Landon’s jaw. God, that felt so good, like an extra blanket on a
chilly night, warmth he hadn’t realized he was missing. How long had it been
since he’d been touched like this? Hugged, sure. He’d hugged Savannah
goodnight, and hugged and wrestled around with his best friend Pike at the last
LAN party, but neither of those things was touch like this. Caring. Sweet.
Arousing.

 

Bailey leaned in again, way slower this
time, all the time in the world for Landon to stop him. But he didn’t. Bailey’s
beard tickled an instant before their lips met, a soft slide of mouths. Not
aggressive at all, not the on-a-tight-schedule rush of a hookup, Bailey kissed
like they had a sleepy Sunday afternoon to kill, like each reaction of Landon’s
mattered, like he was trying to memorize something important and was going to
take his time learning the lesson.

 

Landon was the first one to take things
further, mouth opening on a sigh, welcoming Bailey’s agile tongue. He tasted
sweet, like tea, and minty like the gum he’d popped after the pizza, familiar
yet new at the same time. How had he managed to forget how awesome kissing
could be? A laugh bubbled up in his chest, but quickly transformed to a groan
of pleasure as Bailey nipped at his lower lip.

 

Not content to let Bailey be the one
exploring, Landon sent his own tongue on a quest, tracing Bailey’s full lower
lip, delving inside to rub tongues, retreating playfully to earn another nip.
Fuck. This was nice. The video switched over to something random, and he barely
registered it. He couldn’t say how long they kissed, just that he didn’t want
it to ever end.

 

Purchase at Amazon

 

Meet the Author

 

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance
novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in
the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf,
she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. The #OutOfUniform series
joins her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance #Gaymers,
#PortlandHeat and #PerfectHarmony series. To find out what she’s working on
next and other fun extras, check out her website: www.annabethalbert.com or
connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be
sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests.
The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus
content and exclusive contests.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny
stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding
happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights
supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a
rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter |
Goodreads
| Instagram | Annabeth’s Newsletter | Annabeth’s Angels

 

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