Showing posts with label BDSM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BDSM. Show all posts

Friday, October 21, 2022

Innocent Eyes by Gabbi Black (Spotlight and excerpt) ADULT title

 


Innocent Eyes

ADULT title

by

Gabbi Black


Hardworking university student Tarah Peters has observed tycoon Sebastian Merrick from her security guard post for weeks. Under his gaze, she experiences desire for the first time in her life, and his unexpected proposition both daunts and intrigues her. 

Sebastian doesn’t proposition women, but feels compelled to offer Tarah a place to live and money for her schooling while he introduces her to his darkly erotic world. Her naïveté calls to him, but he must maintain an emotional distance while showing her the meaning of submission.

Tarah yearns for Sebastian to admit he wants more than just a Dominant/submissive relationship, that their enthrallment is mutual. Can she convince him this might be more than just an affair?

 

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She’s a diligent student.

He’s a masterful teacher.


Add it to GoodReads

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Exclusive Excerpt

 

Like clockwork, Big Tits reappeared at four a.m. Tarah held the door open for the woman, watching to make sure she made it to her cab. Although that service wasn’t in her job description, she believed prudence was important. It wouldn’t do to have one of Mr. Merrick’s companions get injured and sue the strata corporation.

After watching the taxi depart, she took in a deep lungful of frigid air before turning back to her desk.

Sebastian Merrick leaned against her console.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

“Good evening, Miss Peters.”

She froze, rooted to the spot. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine he might know her name.

“Good evening, Mr. Merrick.” Morning had almost dawned, but she followed his lead. “How may I help you?”

His gaze was intense and unwavering.

Maintain eye contact. Don’t let him see how he affects you.

She tried to hold his gaze but, in the end, she couldn’t. His eyes were too incisive, too piercing.

“You get off work at six, yes?”

She swallowed convulsively. Damn dry throat. “That’s correct.”

“I’m taking you out to breakfast at six-fifteen.”

That would give her enough time to change from her uniform into street clothes. “That w-would be f-fine.” Stammer much?

He inclined his head and strode to the elevators. Of course, one waited for him. Even an elevator wouldn’t dare defy him.

When he disappeared into the car, and the doors slid shut, she let out the breath she hadn’t even been aware she’d been holding. Sitting because her legs couldn’t hold her any longer, she snickered because it never occurred to her to say no.

 

 

 

Links:

Universal link

Amazon US

Barnes and Noble

 Apple Books

KOBO


 

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Bio

 


 





Thursday, September 30, 2021

Beautiful Eyes by Gabbi Black (Spotlight and exclusive excerpt) ADULT title

 It is my pleasure to spotlight another title from a talented and prolific author.

 

 

 

 Beautiful Eyes

In Their Eyes, Book 2

ADULT title 

by

Gabbi Black

 

 

She needs redemption

He needs to demand it of her.

 


Entrepreneur Smith MacLean is obsessed with Alessandra Soriano, a woman he met briefly who disappeared six months ago. After a shocking reunion at Club Kink, he insists she stay with him. He means to find out where she's been.

Alessandra walked away from her life after making a mistake that cost everything. Her self-imposed penance is living in poverty and doing questionable things with questionable people. Now she's in Smith's luxurious condo, under his hand, and obeying his rules.

He has thirty days to convince her to come back from limbo. She has thirty days to convince him she needs to be forgotten. Unless the flames of lust consume them first.


Add it to your GoodReads shelf

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Exclusive Excerpt

 

“Get it through your thick skull, Alessandra—you’re coming home with me. Now put your belongings in a suitcase, and let’s get out of here before we catch something.”

“I don’t have a suitcase, and even if I did, I wouldn’t follow you anywhere. Get it through your thick skull.” She mimicked him. “I’m not leaving, and you can’t force me.”

His face darkened, and this time she did shrink down an inch or two. Maybe three.

“I have a proposition for you. We’re going to pretend, just for a moment, you have some say in this. Either you come with me or we go down to the closest cop shop, and you explain where you’ve been for the last six months. I’ll tell them I’ve found a missing person. Maybe I’ll even get a reward.”

She laughed mirthlessly. “No one would care enough to offer a reward for me.”

He snaked out his hand, grabbing her wrist. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Now are you bringing clothes, or am I just hauling you out of here as you are?”

A frisson of terror ran up and down her spine, and her hands became clammy. Until now she’d counted on Smith being a gentleman. He was a friend of Gage’s, so he couldn’t be a threat to her. She looked into the depths of those azure eyes. Uh-oh, that fine line she was walking was getting thinner. He was keeping his temper in check—barely—and this wasn’t going to end well.

 

 

 

Links:

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Barnes and Noble

Apple Books

KOBO


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Gabbi Black's bio and links:

 

Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while her trusty ChinPoo dog and her cantankerous Himalayan cat keep her company. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey.

 

 

 

Website

BookBub

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

 

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First book in the series:


Friday, August 13, 2021

Held for the Stud by Vonna Harper (Spotlight, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) ADULT title


 

 

Held for the Stud 

ADULT title

by
Vonna Harper

Word Count: 42,592
Book Length: SHORT NOVEL
Pages: 180

GENRES:

 BONDAGE AND BDSM
EROTIC ROMANCE
FUTURISTIC

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Book Description

A man determined to have his way. A woman in need of taming. The battle begins.

One look at the big, half-wild stallion and Asha vows to ride him. One look at the beautiful stranger sneaking toward his newly acquired stud and Banner vows to teach her that he’s in control.

Banner is a soldier, a man who has experienced little beyond weapons and war, but he and the men he’s responsible for need more than conflict. Otherwise they’ll lose what’s left of their humanity. He turns abandoned ranch land into an escape and offers it to battle-weary fighters.

Nothing will stand in his way, especially not the slight, determined woman who insists that only she can handle Koko. He won’t allow her to risk her life. When she disobeys, he disciplines her. Repeatedly.

Asha loathes the man who brought her, naked, to her knees, but her body isn’t listening.

Reader advisory: This book includes references to sexual harrassment, PTSD and war injury. There are elements of corporal punishment and dubious/ambiguous consent.

 

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Excerpt

What I wouldn’t give to ride him.

His energy and power everywhere, me becoming part of him. Heat, endless heat. Wild all the way to his core. His body in absolute control. No fear or doubt. Potent.

Even with her heart’s jagged pace warning she might be having a stroke, Asha continued to stare at the prime example of maleness. She’d seen unwavering confidence before. Hell, she was pretty damn confident herself. But this…

Not wanting to miss a moment of this rare experience, she willed herself not to blink. The object of her admiration was far enough away that she doubted the stallion was aware of her, but even if he locked his dark eyes on her, she’d go on staring open-mouthed at him. She had no choice.

You don’t have to chase after them, she silently told the stud. Females will always do whatever they think it takes to convince you to breed with them. You can be selective. You assess and most times reject because you know there’ll always be another. Only the best will do.

Sweat pooled at the base of her throat while another kind of moisture soaked her panties’ crotch. From first glance she’d known she couldn’t be objective about him, but she hadn’t realized her reaction would be so primal.

She’d caress that sleek dark flesh, run her fingers through long, coarse hair, climb onto his back and ride him until there was nothing left of both of them.

As if reading her thoughts, the stallion stared at her, a front hoof furiously attacking the ground. He wasn’t quite coal black, but close, with a tail that swept the ground and a rich, thick mane. Do it, he seemed to say. Take the chance.

“You’re tempting me.”

He whinnied, the sound sharp. His muscles repeatedly knotted as he continued his attack.

“There’s a mare in heat somewhere, isn’t there? You sense her. Maybe you smell her.”

Barely aware of what she was doing, Asha jammed her hands in her jeans’ back pockets. The gesture tightened the fabric against her crotch and brought her attention back to herself. “Is that it? You’re primed for breeding? You can’t think of anything else. Hot blood runs through you all the time, keeping you keyed-up. You’d service an entire herd if they let you.”

Head high and thick neck arched, the stallion pranced closer. There was a wooden fence between them, but even if it hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have shied away.

“You don’t intimidate me. That’s because it’s possible I know more about how you’ll behave than you do. I respect you, but you need to do the same.”

The animal stopped and again beat at the ground. He shook his head, eyes showing more white now.

“You want to run, don’t you? Gallop without this corral hemming you in. Work off some of that energy. Believe me, I get it.”

Head now cocked to the side, the stallion seemed to be considering her proclamation. She took him to be a little over sixteen hands high and probably thirteen hundred pounds, the majority of it muscle. The way his coat shone, people who didn’t know horses would assume he got a lot of grooming, but his hooves were ragged, his mane and tail tangled.

“I’m guessing your coloring has a lot to do with why you were picked for stud service. At least I’m pretty sure that’s what’s going on. That’s why you aren’t out with the herd.”

Frowning, she fingered the lock on the corral door. She’d been looking for him since she’d ventured onto the mysterious place known as Escape, her attention initially drawn to whistles and thuds. Thanks to her career, she’d concluded she was listening to an agitated or aroused horse. The sounds and air of energy had drawn her magnet-like to this remote section of the acreage.

“It probably doesn’t matter to you, but I’ve been listening to you for a while, feeling you in my muscles and bones, letting you command me.”

Command. Yes, that was what it had been. Like a starving woman with the scent of something on a barbeque filling her senses, she’d made the decision to let instinct have its way with her. She had no business being here, but who would run her off? At what she understood was over a hundred acres, chances were she was the only human on most of them. It hadn’t been called Escape for long. A lot of mystery surrounded who owned it. She figured farmers or ranchers acquired the land which was dotted with a couple of barns and a sprawling older house.

Not that she should give a damn.

Command.

Pushing her hair out of her eyes—someday, maybe, she’d figure out how to contain the auburn mass that reached the middle of her back—she gripped the top board and gave the stud her full attention. She wanted him, to own and ride him, to love him and earn his respect. She’d slip a rope around his muscled neck and guide him to a tree stump or boulder. Using his mane for leverage, she’d half haul and half boost herself onto him. She’d settle her crotch on his broad back and tighten her thighs against testosterone-filled muscles. She’d weave fingers made strong from a lifetime of physical labor into his mane, lean forward and whisper in his alert ears.

“Run for me. Race the wind. Gather your legs under you and take us over the fence. Free both of us. Gallop until your lungs heave and I’m hoarse from screaming my delight.”

Her breath snagged, her cheeks burned and her muscles bunched in reaction to what she was certain the stallion was capable of. Her already charged pussy got into the act, muscles clamping down. Her nipples hardened and she gave up trying to close her mouth.

As if reading her thoughts, the stallion pranced even closer. He was all sexual energy, every inch of him leaving no doubt that he’d been created to excel at one task. She’d seen more stallions than most people, but there was something outstanding about this creature.

“You’re making me crazy.”

She should ask herself if she really wanted to confide in the stallion, but right now it was too much effort. She started to drop to her knees in preparation for wriggling under the fence when a shiver of sensation along her spine stopped her. Was someone watching? Assessing and judging her? She looked left, right, behind her and as far into the distance as she could. She didn’t see anything worthy of alarm but she’d been in enough precarious situations that she knew better than to dismiss what her nerves were trying to tell her.

To hell with it! Touching the stallion was more important.

Breathing quickly, she wriggled under the fence. As she straightened, the stallion pranced back.

“You can’t be afraid of me. I know it isn’t that. You just have trouble containing all that energy. God, but you’re magnificent. Devil and angel in one package.”

Talking took too much effort so she concentrated on wiping dirt off her jeans. Thinking she probably wouldn’t see anyone today, she hadn’t bothered with a bra, but then she rarely wore one. She was a C-cup, which meant people would notice, but bras weren’t worth the expense when being true to herself meant so much. Her untethered breasts and hard-as-hell nipples were clearly visible under the wear-softened cotton T-shirt.

If she were one for introspection this would be when she’d question why she’d decided to spend her day off exploring Escape. However, between being more than a little worn down from the long hike and her reaction to the stallion, she wasn’t sure she knew what she was thinking.

“Do you know what the phrase sex appeal means?” she asked the stallion. “What a woman is trying to get a man to understand when she tells him she’s turned on? Going by my less-than-extensive experience, I’m not an expert when it comes to putting out the right vibes.”

She clamped down on a chuckle. Her suspicion that some man might have his eye on her right now had twisted her thinking a bit. So she wasn’t as experienced regarding the opposite sex as she’d like people to believe. That was her business and had nothing to do with the moment. If a man was watching, he could come to his own conclusion. It wasn’t as if she had to have anything to do with him.

She again slid her hands into her back pockets. Fabric tightened.

“I don’t know if I’m going to sleep tonight. I’m also not sure I care. Damn, but you’re beautiful. One of a kind.” She paused as a surge of something hot ran through her. “Right now, I’d give anything to be a mare.”

As if agreeing with her, the big, black, glistening creature stretched out a densely muscled neck. Holding her breath, she dragged her right hand out of her pocket and extended it toward him. Warm, moist air caressed her fingers and sent a fresh frisson of excitement into her.

“Will you let me ride you? I didn’t bring a bridle or saddle, but I’ve ridden bareback more times than otherwise. As for a bridle…”

The thought of pushing a metal bar between those white teeth made her shudder. She didn’t want to command him in any way. As long as she was astride him, he’d be in control. She’d trust him not to throw her, to know she preferred a canter over a trot and a gallop over everything else. Together they’d run like the proverbial wind and win every race.

The stud drew her fingers into his mouth. She embraced the moment.

“I know you. I think in some regard I always have.”

Tears she didn’t know she had in her burned. Blinking repeatedly, she struggled not to let them loose. When they continued to threaten, she withdrew her damp hand and stroked his neck where muscles and veins pulsed. Maybe she could go from standing flat-footed to being astride him on will alone. She tightened a hand around the rough mane and crouched in preparation for springing. Nothing else mattered. In one or two seconds she’d—

“Don’t even think it!”


Buy Links
 

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First For Romance

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author 


Vonna Harper

What prompts a mild-mannered mostly law abiding woman to write erotica and erotic romance, a lot revolving around BDSM and capture/bondage? Is it the complex issue of taking or giving up control?

Vonna Harper doesn't know and she has given up trying to find the answer. It's enough that many readers are drawn to what some call the dark side. All she asks is that readers understand she writes fiction--a brand of fiction she finds fascinating.

Vonna has lost count of the number of books, novellas, and short stories she's written. What she has no doubt of, it's a hell of a ride.

You can follow Vonna on Facebook.

 

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Giveaway

Enter and get a FREE romance book from the author!

Vonna Harper's Held for the Stud Giveaway

ENTER HERE AND GET A FREE EBOOK FROM THE AUTHOR!

 

Notice: This competition ends on 24th August 2021 at 5pm GMT. Competition hosted by Totally Entwined Group.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Dangerous Games by Claire Thompson (Spotlight and review) ADULT




by

Claire Thompson



When you play dirty games, the stakes are dangerously high …

Reese Armstrong is striving to get his life on track. He has started a new career, gotten a new apartment…now he has to figure out how to shake the guy who insists on controlling his every move. For years, Reese took part in the deviant bets orchestrated by his wealthy lover, Hank. He’s told himself he’s done with all that, but the terms of this latest bet are more than Reese can refuse. 
As head computer programmer at a software company, Luca Hartman’s professional life is soaring. But his personal life is a lonely mess. When the hot new sales guy takes an interest in him, a world of possibility opens. But Luca’s been burned before, and he’s wary of the sudden attention. Why would Reese, who could have any man he wants, choose geeky, stuttering Luca? Is he truly sincere or should Luca be on the lookout for a string of malicious code?
Disarmed and enchanted by the shy, brilliant Luca, Reese has to make a choice: reject Hank’s dirty tactics or follow through and destroy the potential he sees with Luca. But even if Reese wants to be done with their dangerous games, Hank’s not through with him…
This is Book 1 of the Games of the Heart M/M series. Be sure to check out Book 2 Turning the Tables.
- coming soon!








My review:



4.25 out of 5 stars


Dangerous Games by Claire Thompson features a computer geek named Luca Hartman who gets caught up in an unholy bet made by Reese Armstrong, a colleague at his company. Reese is trying to reinvent his life, but has been in a rut with the man who shaped his life since they were both in high school, even though their malicious games are no longer fun. Once Reese gets to know the shy Luca, he realizes there could be a better way to fulfill his needs, but only if he can find a way to break the chains to his past without destroying his future.


This adult gay BDSM romance provides a delicious mixture of kink and emotionalism as Reese works through the conditioning he’s had since his teen years and discovers there’s a different way to approach a relationship. I enjoyed the way things morphed as Reese’s conscience finally kicks in and he realizes that not only does he need to treat others better but he also deserves to be treated better. There are certain developments that are inevitable, and for me, the resolution of the major conflict is a little contrived, but I still breathed a sigh of relief. Both of the main characters are personable, and I was quickly invested in seeing them work out as a couple and entertained by the apparent role reversal. I am intrigued by the idea of the slimy ex getting his comeuppance, but it’s going to take a lot to redeem him, so I can’t wait to see what the author has in store.


A copy of this title was provided for review 



Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Hawaii Five Uh-Oh by Z.A. Maxfield (Release Day blitz and review) ADULT title






The highly anticipated second installment in the Plummet to Soar Series is now available! 





(Plummet to Soar Series Bk #2)
by Z.A. Maxfield

is an ADULT title

Blurb:

Sarcastic cop Theo Hsu returns home to Hawai‘i after realizing he wants more from his life, and also, less. He hopes to reconnect with his past and make amends with his mother, who remarried a cool, distant man, leaving Theo unsure where he stands.

It doesn’t take him long to figure out where he wants to stand, though: right next to his childhood best friend, tattooed detective Koa Palapiti. Theo would like to upgrade their relationship, but Koa is putting out some seriously mixed signals. It’s a mystery Theo can’t let go, but just as they start to connect, kidnapping, murder, and a deadly game with international stakes get in the way. Koa wants to keep Theo out of it, and if it comes to a choice between him and Koa’s partner, Freddie Ortiz, Theo doesn’t like his chances.

But even if Koa wants to push him out of the investigation, and his life, Theo still has a few tricks up his sleeve. It’ll take all his special gifts, ingenuity, risk-taking, family ties—and even some kinky undercover work—to save the day… and the man he never should’ve let get away.



Available for purchase at



Excerpt 


“Come with me?” Theo mouthed. He let his body language indicate the back door, miming the sign for smoke. He tilted his head and walked toward the back of the bar.
Koa caught up to him before he got very far. “You mom’s gonna fuck your shit up if she finds out you smoke.”
Theo didn’t smoke habitually, but sometimes he dug a Djarum Black cigarillo because they reminded him of his dad. The bar had filled up, and a smoke was an excuse for some air. An ironic excuse.
He pushed through the door behind the restrooms, jabbed a rolled-up newspaper in the jamb to keep it slightly ajar despite the Keep Locked sign, and lit one up.
First smoke in a while. He took a deep breath and let the unaccustomed rush hit him. It tingled in the tips of his fingers and toes.
“That’s your blood circulation being cut off, Dad.”
“I know it, but it feels good. And cloves. They smell like Christmas. Tell me you don’t love the smell of cloves.”
“They’re gonna kill you.”
“They’re not gonna kill me.”
Theo’d always hated it when his dad was right.
“Oh, Theo.” As if he’d heard Theo’s thoughts, Koa closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “That smell brings back so many memories.”
Theo offered Koa one, but he shook his head. “Can’t do that shit. Don’t want to lose my edge.”
“You have an edge?”
Theo wasn’t hooked like his old man. He could take the smokes or leave them. He couldn’t afford to lose his wind either, especially now that he was chasing people on foot a lot more often, so maybe he did it once or twice a month. Usually like this, outside bars, when he was hooking up. It was the perfect crutch. Something to do with his hands, something to keep him from grabbing Koa Palapiti around his neck and dragging him in for a kiss so filthy he’d never forget it.
“Te?” Soft and provocative, Koa’s voice sweetened the air. How he wished he could tell Koa the whole truth. Taste those words on his and Koa’s tongues together. Above their heads, a security light seemed to spit and flicker. Koa grinned and stepped forward. “You haven’t called. How come?”
“You haven’t called me either.” Oh yeah. Now Theo smelled not only Koa’s cologne but the slightly aroused sweat beneath it. His scent was sharp. Pungent. Theo, who liked men and liked fighting and fucking and sweat, got a fizzy, almost electric charge out of it.
He said, “You smell fucking good, Woodie.”
Koa, whose once racy nickname came from Koa wood—that specialty lumber from the Acacia tree found all over the Hawai‘ian Islands—whispered, “Subtle.”
“Not known for it,” Theo admitted.
When the door burst open behind him, he had to leap out of the way.
“Special K.” Freddie dislodged his makeshift doorstop when he emerged from the wedge of inside light. When he then let the door go, it pistoned closed behind him with a sigh, and probably locked. Great.
Theo’d encountered Freddie a few times at the gym, and so far he wasn’t impressed. Freddie was one of those guys who didn’t like hearing that anyone else might have some skill, or probably he didn’t even like puppies, because he was just that guy.
So when Theo’s old coach praised Theo, welcome back, hometown boy makes good, and all that, of course Freddie Ortiz had to try to take him down a notch. He’d gotten in a lucky—some would say dirty—punch the last time they’d sparred.
“You ready?” he asked Koa. “We gotta bounce.”
“No.” The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds during which Ortiz made a long, thorough perusal of Theo’s body. Koa sighed. “Wait for me inside, O.”
“But you said we were going an hour ago.”
“That’s one, Fred.” Koa narrowed his eyes at his partner. Friend? Lover? Hard to tell. “Do as I say.”
Theo did a double take. “Didn’t know you had kids, Palapiti. Past his bedtime?”
Ortiz leaned against the jamb. “I ain’t sleeping tonight, brah. Maybe you will, huh? Tucked away in your bedroom in your mommy’s nice little—”
“Shut up, O.” The muscles in Koa’s neck strained visibly. “You’re on two.”
Fascinated, Theo watched them. He’d never seen them interact up close, but obviously they had a thing. Disappointment probably sketched flags of hot color on his cheeks when he met Koa’s gaze again. Something flickered there, some apology or protest, but then it died.
“I’ll be there in a sec,” Koa reiterated.
“Why bother with Hsu, man?” Ortiz seemed to resent this more, because he wasn’t done mouthing off. “You know you ain’t getting what you pay for there.”
Theo’d had enough. He went for Ortiz. “That’s the third—”
“Nope.” Koa’s arm came out to clothesline him. It was like steel; he couldn’t budge it. “Stand down, Theo. Freddie’s an asshole, but he’s mine, and I’ll deal with him. He owes me five now. Good ones.”
“Five?” Freddie let out a snort of disbelief.
“With a cane.” The words drew serious energy from the lack of emotion with which Koa said them. “Every violation comes with a price, O.”
Theo shivered. His dick—which had shriveled with outrage at Freddie’s arrival—now grew like the Grinch’s heart. Was Koa serious? Was he actually interested in caning people? Theo would’ve asked right goddamn then and there, but Koa had already dismissed him. The expression on his face, while mild, boded ill for whatever part of Freddie the cane was gonna land on.
“Kekoa Palapiti’s a kinkhound.” Theo waited for Koa to turn to him before adding sweetly, “You think you know a guy.”
Koa only smiled, but oh, a smile like that was probably against the law in all fifty states and the territories. A smile like that could get a guy in deep, deep trouble.
Too bad Theo welcomed trouble these days. He invited it in.
-->


Plummet To Soar Series




Plummet To Soar
Bk1


Available for purchase at 



About The Author

Z. A. Maxfield started writing in 2007 on a dare from her children and never looked back.  Pathologically disorganized, and perennially optimistic, she writes as much as she can, reads as much as she dares, and enjoys her time with family and friends. Three things reverberate throughout all her stories: Unconditional love, redemption, and the belief that miracles happen when we least expect them.

If anyone asks her how a wife and mother of four can find time for a writing career, she’ll answer, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you give up housework.” 

Readers can visit ZAM at her


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Giveaway






Presented by 



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My review:


3.25 out of 5 stars

Hawaii Five Uh-oh by Z.A. Maxfield is the second book in the ‘Plummet to Soar’ series and centers around Theophilus (Theo) Hsu, who has returned to Oahu, Hawaii from Wisconsin and is ready (somewhat) to reconnect with his estranged mom, meet his stepfather and step-siblings, and, most of all, have a relationship with the next-door neighbor who has always had a special place in his heart, Kekoa (Koa) Palapiti. The biggest problem? Koa seems to have moved on and gives off conflicting signals. Maybe Theo isn’t back to stay after all.

This contemporary adult gay romance is set in one of my favorite places and evokes the combination of beauty and pragmatism inherent in the Hawaiian Islands. Although I enjoyed the chance to armchair travel, I had trouble getting into the story itself. There is so much going on, with secrets and hurtful behavior and hostility and attempts at reconciliation, that it was hard to follow. Some of the events that help resolve the major conflict are a little hard to believe, and the foray into BDSM seemed abrupt and forced.

I don’t know if some of the threads are laid down in the first book in the series and I am lost because I haven’t read that one, but this almost seemed like a collection of vignettes that were strung together. I liked the main characters individually, but their connection was awkward and for much of the book it was difficult to see the bone-deep relationship they had forged as youngsters. The case that is gradually unveiled gets more exciting as the story progresses, but it is also awkward and makes some startling leaps. For me, there are good segments of this story and a delicious Island flair, but I think the story needs to be much longer so that some of the threads can be better tied off. I also hope that some of the secondary characters get a chance in the spotlight as well, because I would love to learn more about their stories.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review