Review of Ghosts of Alcatraz by Carol Lynne

Let me start by saying that I really like this cover. Sure only one of the men actually fits the description of a character, at least in body type but still it is FINE!!!! Now on to the review. I am happy to say that this has to be my favorite Carol Lynne book ever. Which is saying something since she write characters that I love. But Ghosts of Alcatraz is a bit of a departure for her. At least in my opinion. Sure the wonderful characters that you couldn't help but love and root for were present. But this story had a completely different feel to it than previous works. I would have guaranteed that you could put a piece of Ms. Lynne's work in my hands and I would have been able to identify her writing style. Not so with this work. The pacing was the same in how quickly the two main characters fall in love but the similarities ended there. Not that this was a bad thing. On the contrary, this had the feel of a seasoned writer who had all their i's dotted and their t's crossed. In fact to show how much i loved this story i'll tell you something. I picked up and started several books before this one only to throw them down in disgust. It's not often that I get that way but for the past few days i've not been in the mood to read. I know shocking as it may sound it does occasionally happen to me as well. I try not to read books for review when i'm in this kind of mood because they will inevitably get a bad review. I pick out flaws that I normally let slide, if i'm in a better mood all I require is to be entertained and not feel like i'm slogging my way through a word soup or plot prison. But, by the second chapter I was deeply engrossed in Ghosts of Alcatraz, so much so that I almost burned dinner (yes, I read while cooking and folding laundry and walking for the most part, that' s how i broke my last ereader, ran into one too many walls and hitting my son's head was the last straw for it LOL). I read until I hit the last page and then cried "NO!". I wasn't ready for it to end...what about Fisher! What happens next? Where are they going from here? Is this going to be a series? Please, Ms. Lynne this has to be a series. You can't tease us, your faithful readers with little tidbits and then leave us hanging!!! So I suggest you go get your hands massaged and then sit down at the computer until you have the next book for us, otherwise you might have a lynching on your hands at your upcoming get together! But Ghosts of Alcatraz here.

Review A Red-Tainted Silence by Carolyn Gray

IF YOU'VE BEEN WAITING TO READ THIS BOOK, STOP! PICK IT UP IMMEDIATELY!!!!!

So I've looked at this book several times since it was published. Looked but never bought, I thought it sounded good but for some reason resisted. Then the lovelies over on The Manhole forum at The Phade started talking about it, I read a few comments and reviews and thought I'd give it a whirl. I bought it and loaded it onto my trusty Sony ereader and there it sat, and sat, and sat. What a mistake that was! I was looking for something to read one day while waiting in the drive thru line and saw this one and thought I'd give it a whirl. I began to read, got honked at, pulled into the parking lot at work and started reading again, got scared to death when one of the girls knocked on the window to tell me to hurry up or be late. Thought about what I had read while at work. Got home, stayed up too late reading, then got up and finished the book.
A Red-Tainted Silence is a masterpiece of conflicting psyches. This book has so much going for it that I find myself at a loss as to what to really say. Brandon and Nicholas are both such strong, complex characters that they are almost overwhelming. The plot is filled with moments that had me crying and gritting my teeth, praying that things would come to fruition with an ending that I could bear. I've read a few comments that say that Nicholas was their favorite character but for me it was Brandon. Why? Nicholas was a wonderful character, charismatic as he was written to be. But Brandon was so tortured, so loyal, so determined to see this bright and shining man he loved happy that he sacrifices all of himself just to see this happen. Sure he had problems, that was the point. His view of the world was skewed, this was readily apparent from the first moment that he sees Nicholas. The amount he suffered and obsessed over a Nicholas that he hadn't even met was the beginning of what would shape their relationship. Ms. Gray used the plot device of Brandon trying to show Nicholas how he felt about him through a memoir of sorts and this really allowed the reader inside his mind. So much so that it was a bit of a jolt when Nicholas took over in the second half to of the story. We still get bits and pieces from Brandon but colored through Nicholas' reading of the journal, his viewpoint of some of the event added a contrast and showed how different the two men saw things. This story is filled with angst, lots of angst, and several violent acts of a sexual nature. So don't pick this book up if you are expecting a light, fluffy read. But if you are looking for a story with wonderful characters that you will be thinking about for days, a plot line that will keep your heart pounding and tears in your eyes and joy in your heart then you have to read A Red-Tainted Silence. You won't regret it. Buy your copy here !

Review True Colors by Clare London

To be perfectly honest I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one. Clare London is a known author to me but not one that I've read much of. I'm not sure why that is, the few books I've read by her have been well written with solid plots and intriguing characters. It's just one of those things I suppose that can't be explained. Anyway...I picked this one up at Dreamspinner Press the other day, http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/currenttitles/truecolors/truecolorsbuynow.htm , because I liked the blurb. It sounded interesting and for the most part it was really sound. I liked the characters of Zeke and Miles and their respective best friends, Carter and Red. Not that they started out as likable. Not at all. Zeke was an irresolute, shiftless drunk and Miles was a remote, cold, and stone faced businessman. It wasn't until you got into the deeper meat of the story that you realized what was going on to make the two this way. Carter and Red helped to show the humanity and good qualities that were hidden behind their facades. The sensual scenes were smoldering and at times I thought they were going to scorch my eyes right out of my head. Very well written with such emotive description that the depth of all that the two could not vocalize was apparent. I liked that both men were masculine men with Zeke having that bit of artistic flair and temperament to spice up the sometimes stiff Miles. They were perfect complements to each other and that made the story a truly good one. The only complaint I had was that there was a bit of drag midway through but it quickly resolved. I'm off to buy more by this author and see what all I've been missing.

Review Like Coffee and Doughnuts by Elle Parker

This is the first time I've read anything by author Elle Parker and I'm glad I gave her a try. I really enjoyed Like Coffee and Doughnuts. Dino Maritini, like his name implies, is an old school Italian-American private investigator. He likes old music, ballroom dancing, and his classic muscle car-Matilda. His best friend is Seth Donnelly, mechanic extraordinaire, brawler, and horndog. He will jump anything willing, man or woman. When the two do a routine repo job it turns into anything but routine. Now there are some seriously bad men after them and things go from bad to worse quickly.

The combination of old fashioned Dino and happy go lucky Seth worked for me. The two were opposites but complimented each other to a tee. When the attraction between them heats up you can't help but feel cautious. I so didn't want Dino to get hurt. He 's one of those guys who keeps his emotions and feelings under tight wraps. Seth comes across as a playboy, albeit an honest one, everyone knows going into it that he is only in it for the fun. So I was rather leery when Seth started doing some serious flirting with Dino versus his heretofore playful banter. I didn't want him to use Dino and destroy a friendship that worked. On the other hand it was quite obvious to me, even if it wasn't to Dino himself, that he had feelings beyond friendship for Seth. I enjoyed the case that they were working on and the banter between the two. There was very little actual sensual scenes but what little bit there was showcased the growing bonds between the two.
This was a very good effort from a newcomer to the field and I look forward to seeing more from Elle Parker in the future. I give it a 4.5 out of 5