Padme's Library: 02/14/19

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Valentine's Day 2019

Valentine's Love by Helena Stone
Summary:
Valentine's Love #1
Ty O’Malley loves Spoilt for Choice, his gift shop. He enjoys nothing more than helping his customers find the perfect present. The only exception is Valentine’s Day. Ever since his partner left him, three years previously, Ty hasn’t been able to enjoy the love-themed holiday, and goes out of his way to avoid dealing with it. This year will be no different — until his assistant interferes.

When Ben Cronin walks into his premises, looking for presents for a man he doesn’t know but has been admiring from afar, Ty can’t deny Ben is everything he would look for in a man — if he happened to be looking, which he isn’t. Besides, Ben has obviously set his sights on someone else.

As Ty instructs Ben in the art of finding the perfect gift, the two men grow closer. But there are only four weeks until Valentine’s Day. After February fourteenth, Ty will probably never see Ben again … Or will he?

Valentine's Surprise by Helena Stone
Summary:
Valentine's Love #2
Ben Cronin and Ty O’Malley have been inseparable ever since they got together on Valentine’s Day. Nine months into their relationship, dark clouds descend when Ben’s father falls seriously ill and dies in a matter of weeks. Having lost his only close relative, Ben is grief-stricken, and appears to be sinking ever deeper into a black hole.

Desperate to help Ben cope with his pain, Ty plans a getaway for them, to coincide with their first anniversary. But taking Ben back to the stunning beauty of the Swiss Alps, a place he visited with his father years ago, is a risky undertaking. Reuniting him with memories could as easily push Ben deeper into his pain as it might help him find the first traces of light.

Ty’s plan will either bring them closer than they’ve ever been, or spell disaster— for both of them.

Valentine’s surprise is the sequel to Valentine’s Love. While it can be read as a stand-alone, you’ll enjoy this story more if you read Valentine’s Love first.

Valentine's Love
How can anyone not love Ty O'Malley? I certainly understand his less than favorable feelings toward the whole Valentine's Day concept but one never knows what is around the corner. As for his shop, Spoilt for Choice, what I wouldn't give to have something similar in my town. As for Ben Cronin who comes looking for the perfect Valentine gift for a secret crush, his need for that perfect gift is exactly what Ty needs to realize the holiday doesn't have to be all about the heartache he lived three years prior when his partner left him. Valentine's Love is a beautifully written short novella with incredibly fun and heartwarming characters that are not rushed despite the shortness of pages and brief time period the story is set in. How I missed this little holiday gem from Helena Stone last year is beyond me but I'm glad I discovered it now.

Valentine's Surprise
It has been a year since Ben first walked into Ty's shop, Spoilt for Choice and now its Ty's turn to find the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, Ben hasn't had an easy time of it lately with the passing of his father so Ty's gift is not only for the lover's holiday but it is also to brighten Ben's mood. Valentine' Surprise is another beautifully written heartwarming tale from the delightfully talented Helena Stone, however it is probably not as upbeat at times as the first one, Valentine's Love, but it is no less entertaining and fun. How can a story be "not as upbeat" and "fun" at the same time? When scripted well those two emotions actually go hand-in-hand because it shows progress of characters' feelings and lives. So even though I found Surprise to have a little more heartbreak I also found it to have more love because it shows the lengths one goes to support the one's they love.

I don't want to give any particulars away but just know that Ben and Ty's relationship is lovely but not always easy, which is only natural and Helena Stone has created a very real and beautiful love story with this novella series. Perhaps if we're real nice we'll get to see more of Ben and Ty, not only next Valentine's Day but maybe even see what their Christmases are like😉😉.

RATING:

Love Magic by Jesi Lea Ryan

Summary:

Bad Valentine #1

"The day I met Derrick while playing my violin in the park was magical. Unfortunately, magic and love together don’t always mix."

Oliver met Derrick while busking in the park, and they hit it off from the start. At first, Derrick’s “mysterious magician” vibe was intriguing, but after two botched dates, Oliver was ready to call it quits.

Fearing he lost his chance with Oliver, Derrick makes a last-ditch effort to win Oliver’s heart with a romantic Valentine’s date. But when love and magic collide, things tend to go awry. Will these two guys make it through the date unscathed?

Love is rarely easy and when dates repeatedly fall through, seemingly all because of one partner there comes a point when you have to say "enough is enough" and "its just not meant to be" which is where we find Oliver and Derrick. As readers we know there is more to Derrick's cancellations and disappearances but watching Oliver discover them finally is a true treat. Magic is definitely a huge part of this novella, which you probably figured out from the title, Love Magic, but its probably not quite what you are expecting either. This is a perfect introduction for me to the author's work and I look forward to checking out Jesi Lea Ryan's backlist and future endeavors. Love Magic is an absolute gem of a Valentine's story but you'll love it any time of year.

RATING:

Quill Me Now by Jordan Castillo Price

Summary:

Bad Valentine #2

What if the words you wrote came true?

Spellcraft isn’t exactly a respectable business, but it does pay the bills. At least, it should. Unfortunately, Dixon Penn failed his Spellcraft initiation. Instead of working in his family’s shop, he’s stuck delivering takeout orders in his uncle’s beat-up Buick.

Winning a Valentine’s Day contest at the largest greeting card company in the tri-state area would be just the thing to get his life back on track—but something at Precious Greetings just doesn’t add up. And despite numerous warnings to quit pestering them about his contest entry, he just can’t stop himself from coming back again and again.

It doesn’t hurt that the head of security is such a hottie. If Dixon had any common sense, he’d be scared of the big, mysterious, tattooed Russian.

To be fair, no one ever accused him of being too smart….

Quill Me Now originally debuted in the Bad Valentine collection, with Love Magic by Jesi Lea Ryan, Hidden Hearts by Clare London, and Temporary Dad by Dev Bentham.

We all know what happens when it comes to wishes, it is all in the wording well in Quill Me Now, magic and spells is all about the wording too. Who knew the extent of the headache it would be when no one ever wants to leave a restaurant because of the slogan? Dixon knows but unfortunately for him, spellcrafting that runs in his family doesn't seem to run in his veins but he can spot a poorly thought out one a mile away. Having been summoned after sending in an entry to a greeting card contest, Dixon meets Yuri when he warns him to stay away but needing the money a winning entry would bring him Dixon is not easily kept away. That's it about the plot you'll get but let me tell you, Quill Me Now is a lovely holiday gem that I would love to see more of but if this is all we get then it is absolutely delightful. Magic, love, humor, good guys, bad guys all brought together by the writing style of Jordan Castillo Price, what more can a person ask for?

RATING:

Hidden Hearts by Clare London

Summary:

Bad Valentine #3

Accident-prone Ethan has a dating history that reads like a disaster movie script. Strong and silent Kel can’t seem to master the necessary small-talk on a proper date. When they both get signed up anonymously for a Valentines’s night event—"for those with an adventurous spirit but an open diary”—they never imagined they’d be matched. They never imagined the romantic sparks would fly. To be honest, they never imagined they’d survive the week.

A catalogue of disasters dogs the footsteps of their blossoming romance, including a coffee date with food allergies as an added extra, an intimate dinner that strays too close for comfort to chopped chillies, and a sensual massage with hot wax candles that threatens to alert the local fire brigade.

But if they can hold tight to their sweet, surprising, yet single-minded attraction – they might just survive this Valentine’s Day with something very special to look forward to.

*******

This is a totally standalone romantic comedy of 17.5k words in the BAD VALENTINE series. These are lighthearted Valentine's Day shorts by four different authors, each story written with the same opening line: "Nothing good ever came of a Valentine." Check the series page for details of the other stories by Jordan Castillo Price, Dev Bentham and Jesi Lea Ryan.

I don't think I can say too much about Hidden Hearts other than it is simply put: just plain fun. Romantic comedy at its finest. Rom-com can be hard to accomplish in the written form but Clare London has done it wonderfully in this Valentine's Day novella. I don't want to go as far as saying Ethan and Kel are ladened with bad luck but they aren't exactly screaming "good luck" either. Hidden Hearts is kindof the old adage "if it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all", but lucky for us they don't give up either. If you don't have time to read this one now be sure and pencil it into your TBR list because you won't be sorry.

RATING:

Temporary Dad by Dev Bentham

Summary:

Bad Valentine #4

Nick Compton owns a small but mighty fashion magazine. He already has enough on his plate, between work and, well, work. There’s no room for a kid in his life but when his sister drops her seven-year-old daughter for an extended stay, he has to figure it out. Just before his niece arrives, Nick meets a blazing hot firefighter. They get on like a house a fire and the sex—scorching. Too bad the he disappeared in the morning. Like smoke. Now Nick’s stuck with a kid he doesn’t know how to manage and without the man he’d love to get his hands on again.

Dylan Gil wishes like hell he hadn’t taken his roommates advice and lied about who he was. He’s finally met someone he really likes and can’t stop thinking about. But now he’s too embarrassed to confess that he’s just a second-grade teacher, not a manly firefighter. Good thing that work gets distracting, particularly when one of his brightest students goes to stay with her uncle and all hell breaks loose. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids.

If the term “dad pants” means anything it’s that taking care of children and fashion aren’t compatible. Does that mean these two doomed? Or is this the beginning of forever?

A contemporary gay romantic comedy by Dev Bentham, Temporary Dad features mistaken identity, opposites attracting, a one night stand and some steamy mm romance.

Temporary Dad is part of the Bad Valentine collection, along with Hidden Hearts by Clare London, Quill Me Now by Jordan Castillo Price and Love Magic by Jesi Lea Ryan

After a one night stand where the whole truth wasn't exactly spoken, Nick and Dylan find themselves in the same orbit where the truth is revealed. Temporary Dad is another great Valentine novella by another new author to me and even though I didn't exactly agree with the mother implementing her strict diet plans onto her young daughter what I really didn't like was how she left her daughter with her brother without telling Nick why the diet is followed but I guess it gave Nick and Dylan an interesting "introduction" and starting point. Now that's not to say those thoughts took away from the story because Nick's sister isn't doing it to be malicious its just how she parents and that's okay plus it lets Nick bond with his young niece which was very fun to watch unfold. Dev Bentham has written a lovely holiday novella that will make you smile, laugh, and certainly heat up the cold winter months but if timing isn't allowing for it to grace your eyes now, I highly recommend putting it high on your TBR list.

RATING:

Helena Stone
Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode.

The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world.

Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.

Jesi Lea Ryan
USA Today Bestselling Author Jesi Lea Ryan grew up in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, IA. She holds bachelor degrees in creative writing and literature and a masters degree in business. She considers herself a well-rounded nerd who can spend hours on the internet researching things like British history, anthropology of ancient people, geography of random parts of the world, bad tattoos and the paranormal. She currently lives in Madison, WI with her husband and sassy kitty.

Jordan Castillo Price
Author and artist Jordan Castillo Price is the owner of JCP Books LLC. Her paranormal thrillers are colored by her time in the midwest, from inner city Chicago, to small town Wisconsin, to liberal Madison.

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.

With her education in fine arts and practical experience as a graphic designer, Jordan set out to create high quality ebooks with lavish cover art, quality editing and gripping content. The result is JCP Books, offering stories you'll want to read again and again.

Clare London
Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant.

She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

Dev Bentham
Dev Bentham believes in the transformative power of true love. She’s the author of many gay romances, including Moving in Rhythm, August Ice and the Tarnished Souls Jewish Holiday series.

Over the years, she’s lived in way too many places and had far too many jobs, but she’s finally settled in frozen northern Wisconsin where she draws on her former lives to write enduring love stories in which wonderful men find each other. Her restless feet take her globetrotting whenever she gets the chance, but most of the time she’s tucked up in her office in the woods dreaming about romance.