Covet Thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt

Covet Thy Neighbor (Tucker Springs, #4)

Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Series: Tucker Springs #4
Reviewed by Anne
175 pages
 
Seth is a tattoo artist who lives above his business.  He’s delighted to learn that his new neighbor is extremely good looking, gay, and open to a little flirtation and more.  He’s distressed to learn that Darren is a Christian pastor.  Seth was terribly hurt by his devout Christian family when he came out to them.  He just can’t get by the fact that Darren is a pastor.  However, they keep running into each other and the attraction just isn’t dying down. Even worse, they find they have more and more in common.
This is the fourth entry in the Tucker Springs series.  This one is written by L.A. Witt and was my first L.A. Witt book.  It stands alone well, as all the books do.  In fact, I’ve read these books entirely out of order, starting with book 3 (Dirty Laundry), then reading book 2 (Second Hand), and now book 4.  Yes, I intend to go back to book 1 (Where Nerves End), which is another L.A. Witt book. 
 
The Tucker Springs books have been just magical for me.  This one especially intrigued me, because I wondered how the issue of Christianity and a pastor having sex outside of marriage would be handled.  I thought it was handled well.   I liked the contrasting experiences they had in coming out to their families.  The growth Seth had to make was painful for him.  Darren was almost too patient.  But it all worked for me, and I was disappointed to see it end.  All of the issues weren’t totally dealt with, but I felt really confident that they would work through anything they came up against.
 
This was another low conflict romance – a favorite of mine.  I’d compare this series to Lauren Dane’s Brown Siblings series.  Very hot and the conflict in the book is internal to the relationship.  I recommend it!


So, how about you?  Have you read this book?  Can you recommend another book that handled Christianity well without being preachy?

Shadow’s Claim by Kresley Cole

Shadow's Claim (The Dacians, #1)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Series-The Dacians #1
Reviewed by Kay

Trehan Daciano is the Prince of Shadows from the kingdom of Dacia. He is an assassin tracking Caspian, a demon that escaped from his secret realm. When he arrives to the kingdom of Abadin on Caspian’s trail, he finds Bettina. Bettina is the princess and soon to be queen. His vampire heart starts beating and he realizes she blooded him. That means she is his mate. Bettina fights their attraction for all she worth. To win Bettina, Trehan has to enter of fighting contest which is a last man alive contest. The winner of the contest gets the princess and gets to be King.

I loved Trehan as a hero but Bettina drove me nuts! Constantly moaning over a guy who made it plain for all to see that he didn’t want or love her. I thought Trehan deserved better. This was my first audio book and I think I liked listening to it better than if I would’ve read it. I had a great narrator. Over all I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one but probably only in audio format. I apologize for any and all misspellings as I didn’t read the book, I listened to it.

This is Who I Am by Cherise Sinclair

This Is Who I Am (Masters of the Shadowlands, #7)
Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: High Kink
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM

Series: Masters of the Shadowlands #7

Reviewed by Kate
369 pages


After being kidnapped by a human trafficking association specializing in sex slaves, Linda is determined to lead a “normal” life.  Even if that means ignoring the part of herself that is attracted to the BDSM lifestyle.  Sam, a sadist, had a brief interaction with Linda as he helped the FBI infiltrate the slave auction where Linda was rescued.  He knows she is a masochist and hasn’t been able to think of much else since he helped rescue her.  Unfortunately, her quest for normalcy leaves no room for Sam in her life.  But when Linda is threatened, Sam runs to the rescue.  Can he help her accept all the parts of herself, even the one that longs for a little pain?

 
So I know I have been gushing about Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of the Shadowlands series for a while now.  But I can’t help but continue to gush.  This book was soooooo good. The first thing you need to know is that this is an intense story as far as the BDSM goes.  (Nope, Kay, don’t even think about this one.)  Linda needs and likes pain with her sex, and Master Sam is more than willing to deliver.  But I absolutely love Master Sam-in fact my first note in the book is “Ahhh.  I love Master Sam.”  He is dealing with a nasty situation with his ex-wife that has left him unable to share his life and feelings with anyone.  But Linda definitely calls to him.  He wants to spend time with her, he can’t stop thinking of her, even though he’s just not sure how he can fit her in his life. 
 
Linda is an very strong woman.  She fights for every inch she has gained back in her life since her rescue.  She is sure of who she is, even if she wants to deny the masochistic part of herself.  The two of them together are just sigh-worthy.  This is a great conclusion to the Harvest Association plot that started back in book #5 (Make Me, Sir).  And I admit to giggling with glee a bit when the author brought up little things from past books, like the giant inflatable pool swan. Does anyone else remember the pool swan?
 
So all that gushing aside, I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed the other books in this series.  While it could be considered a stand alone, I think it is best to read at least books 5, 6, and 7 in order.  If you haven’t yet read the first six books in this series, I highly recommend them.  Cherise Sinclair is one of my favorite voices in the BDSM genre.  I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for the next installment.