Review : Painted On My Heart by Kindle Alexander

Title : Painted On My Heart
Author : Kindle Alexander
Genre : Contemporary Gay Romance, M/M Romance
Published : January 1st 2017
Rate : 2 Stars (Note : It's not my habit to put my 2 stars review into my blog, but this one is an exception. Why? Because I have to)

“You make me want things I shouldn’t.”

“Then we’re on even ground.”

❇❇❇

This book 'exhausted' and 'consumed' me enough...but not in a good way...
Glad that I'm not the only one who feels like this. Fyuh!

I like the first few part at the beginning, one of the main MC, Kellus, come with very heavy baggages that (at first) broke my heart into pieces.
He has my full sympathy for what had happened in his life.

John's (Kellus ex) meth addict and betrayal had leave deep wounds to Kellus life. Diagnosed with HIV postive had ruined Kellus life into pieces. Knowing that he must buried deep his happiness and must lived with fact that he will be alone for the rest of his life is like a sentence for the sin he never did. Only his art that keep him busy and motivated him to live a better life.

Then there's come Arik. A handsome, rich multi-billionaire and has everything in his life, except love and commitment.
Arik had fall in love with Kellus's art way before he meet Kellus in person. When Arik finally meet Kellus, he feels the sudden interest to the artist and become curious not only with Kellus's art but also his personal life. All he wanted was for Kellus to stop keeping him at a distance, but Kellus keep avoiding his attention and always put everything between them all to stay professional.
Well? For Arik who always get what he wants, it's means a challenge.
But will he win the artist heart?

At first, what Arik's did feels a bit annoying for me, well...since insta-love-billionaire-egomaniac things isn't my thing.
But even I'm not  into to insta-love things, I must admit that there's a part that what Arik's did melted my hopeless romantic heart.

What i didn't like from this story is Kellus.

Like I said before, he has my full sympathy until I become tired with his guilty feelings to John and make it as an excuse to hurt Arik so many times. I tried to understand Kellus mind and acts, but at the end I'm getting tired because he can never pulled himself from all the probelms caused by John and let John keep 'controling' his life. I hate John for what he did to Kellus, but i hate Kellus more for being so naive and stupid.

Thanks god he has man like Arik on his side, who accept him with all his baggages and show him that there is a second chance for love and be happy.

Kellus had been broken and needed to be shown he was special—that he deserved to be happy and have someone love him. And Arik want to be that person. The man that bring life, laugh and happiness to Kellus....

One good point that I love from this story is Arik patience and love for Kellus.

Last but not least, i also love the 'education' part on this book about that there is a chance for people with HIV positive to live a normal life, stay healthy and be happy.

Hmmm...now I'm curious about Trent and Gage story....

Review : Light Up The Dark by Suki Fleet

Title : Light Up The Dark 
Author : Suki Fleet
Genre : Gay romance, contemporary romance, dark with angst & mystery
Release Date : December 25th 2017
Rate : 4 Stars

For two years Nicky has wandered the dark empty corridors of the overgrown Thorn Hall, unseen and untouched, feeling like a ghost. His only company, the cold man who promised to keep him safe from harm, Lance.
But when Lance dies, Nicky’s assurance of safety disintegrates and his world suddenly becomes a lot more real and a lot more dangerous. Scared to leave the house, Nicky longs for daylight. He employs a gardener to clear the over-grown bushes and vines that have nearly swallowed Thorn Hall whole.
The last thing Nicky expects a little light to do is show him something to fight for.

Eighteen months in a young offenders’ institute has taught Cai two things: he occupies the playful puppy end of the How Dangerous Are You? spectrum, and he has an unfortunate knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Desperate for a job, he takes the first offer he gets. Even though Thorn Hall creeps the hell out of him and he barely knows one end of a pair of garden shears from the other.
Things start to fall apart when Cai is drawn into Nicky’s strange world of sticky notes and secrets. Cai finds he is now a target, blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. Desperate not to go back to prison, he digs deep and risks all the good things in life to help Nicky run.
But now Nicky has someone he wants to protect, he knows he can’t run any more.

“I never said I wanted nice. I want courageous. I want kind. I want you. Be a bastard when you’re angry, because as long as you’re my bastard, I don’t care.”

❇❇❇

Well?
Intrigued by the blurb, drawn by the cover and when i saw Suki Fleet's name was write on it. I'm totally SOLD!

I jump into this story without knowing what I would faced.
The next thing I know, I was drown deeply into the sea of curiosity to the very last page.

Light Up The Dark is very intriguing dark-gothic-story with angst, mystery and lots of surprising twists that will consume you and 'tickle' your curiosity.

Gosh! I never expected that the story would consumed me like this. I found it a bit confusing at the beginning, well i mean until almost 35% reading I'm still blurry about what happened. It's like you dive into a deep black water knowing nothing what would happen next, what you only know is you must dive more to satisfied your curiosity, because the story was so intense!

The growing feeling between Cai & Nicky was describe in unique way. The sticky notes, the clothes, foods exchange and all the silent-awkward moments frustrated me enough but also feels so 'beautiful'.

Suki Fleet's lyrical words trade marks never failed me. I didn't know that the dark-angsty-story could be so...'melodic'?
Only Suki Fleet can do that!

I'm devouring this book in one shot. Totally cannot put it down!

But even i said that i love this book, I'll ended my review with a question that keep playing in my mind when i finished this book and YES! - it's kinda bother me....

Where's the bodies?

Last but not least, just hope that someday there will be a movie made based on this story ...

RECOMMENDED!

ARC Review : Perfect Catch by N. R. Walker

Title : Perfect Catch
Author : N. R. Walker
Genre : Gay Romance, Friends-to-lover
Part of series : Stand alone, Short story
Expected Publication : January 10th 2017
Rate : 4 Stars

Calvin Lynch and Troy Hoffman have been best mates since they were fourteen years old. They’re both hard-working tradesmen, both love weekends away fishing, both gay, but have never been single at the same time. Until now.

What is supposed to be a weekend away fishing with a group of mates, changes at the last minute when friends bail out in an attempt to give Cal and Troy some alone time.

With more than just hooks on the line, can these two see what’s been right in front of them the whole time?

The Perfect Catch is a short story about falling for your best friend hook, line, and sinker.

I knew in my heart, there would never be anyone else for me. This is what I longed for. He was what was missing from my life.

Perfect Catch is a cute-friends-to-lover story from N.R. Walker about friendships, love and 'realization' with enough portion of high sexual tension between two best friend that will warm your heart. I love the slow burn, the pace, the funny banter between two MC's and Gosh! The tension!

Definitely a recommended read!

Prior release as part of It Was Always You Anthology.

ARC is kindly provided by the Author in exchange of a fair and honest review.

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.

She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since… 

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nrwalker.net

Review : SWITCHED by N.R. Walker

Title : SWITCHED
Author : N.R. Walker
Genre : Gay Romance with light angst
Release Day : December 25th, 2016
Rate : 5+++ Stars

Everything in my life had fallen to shit, and he was my rock.

He was the one and only true rock in my whole life, my one and only constant, and I was ruining everything...

❇❇❇

For 26 years, Israel Ingham lived as 'the disappointments to his family'. Everything he'd done in his life never enough or satisfied his father.
For years Israel craves for love from his parents, but he never have.

And as if all of that happen in his life not enough, Israel must faced the fact that he's switched at birth.

In a blink of an eye, Israel's world turned upside down. Anger, disappointed and sadness make him numb and hard to breathe.

But there's always be Sam...

Sam was his rock, his lifeline. The one who always be at his side...
Only, Sam that can make him survive his trembling world...

But when Israel start to feels more to his best friend he start to panic. Afraid that what he felt will affect their friendship, Israel need to do something to saved it and cutting Sam out of his life was the only way to save their friendship.

But can he survive another loss?

❇❇❇

N.R. Walker no doubt will always be my fave author. I adore her story and her writing style.
I have giddy feeling each time she release a new book, but at the same time I'm kinda 'afraid' too.
Because i always have difficult time writing reviews if the book consumed me so bad. And that's what happen every time I read N.R. Walker's books.
She's never failed amazed me with her story. And each time she left me speechless and having hard times writing my reviews.
SWITCHED is no exception.

I finished the book few days ago, and re-read it two times again after that. And it's still not enough for me. I have hard times putting words into my review.
Because I still crave Iz and Sam story even more!

The story was amazingly beautiful. I was just on first few chapters when the story succeed squeezing and broke my heart.
And "Damn you Nic!" was my only reaction that time.

When I first know that the story was about switched at birth, i know that this gonna be something. I think I already fall in love with this book since i saw the cover for the first time, and love it more when/and after I reading it.

What i love about this book is seeing how Iz and Sam growing feeling from being best friends to lover. I love the pace and the slow burn. Friends-to-lovers is my thing, and I've read so many books with this theme, but none like I felt when I'm reading Switched. I can feel the bond between Iz and Sam and it was so intense. How they click to one and another, respect each other, how Sam always be at Iz side during all the bad times and be his solid rock each time Iz need it. Damn! It really beautiful and melted my heart.

N.R. Walker know very well how to play with readers heart with her writing. Even all the simple things can bring butterfly in your tummy or squeeze your heart. Like the pang feeling i felt each time Israel say "Thank you" for every simple things Sam did, damn it's hurts.

Another things i love is 'the banter'!
I lost count on how many times I giggles and smiling like an idiot when I read their silly banter. With all 'Aye aye captain' and that Spongebob things, Gosh! Now i cannot get the song outta my head! Thanks, Nic!

Switched is another a MUST read story from N.R. Walker. It's heart warming, beautifully written, a bit angsty but also funny at the same time. And I LOVE IT!

Definitely a RECOMMENDED read for all.

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.

She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since… 

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Twitter

Amazon

nrwalker.net