Funzee's Cozy Couch: February 2019

Friday, February 22, 2019

ARC REVIEW : Better Place (Rainbow Place #3) by Jay Northcote

Title: Better Place
Series : Rainbow Place #3
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Jaybird Press (self published)
Genre: contemporary m/m romance
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Release Date: February 22nd 2019
Rating : 3/5 Stars

Buy Links : Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Universal Link

Joe deserves better. Meeting Dylan helps him see that.

After a recent redundancy, Joe takes a few months off to try and make it as a writer. His partner, Harry, is less than supportive but Joe is used to that after ten years together, just like he’s used to Harry’s controlling nature and his drinking habit.

Dylan, a server at Rainbow Place, is fascinated by Joe as he sits in the café and works on his laptop. His attempts to flirt are met with awkwardness at first, but gradually Joe opens up. Dylan is disappointed when he learns Joe isn’t single. As their friendship develops he begins to worry about the nature of Joe’s relationship, especially when he witnesses Harry’s behaviour in person. Abuse isn’t always physical, and Dylan knows that from experience. His concern helps Joe see his relationship for what it is, and gives him the courage to end things with Harry.

Free to act on their mutual attraction, Joe and Dylan dive headlong into something that becomes serious fast. Joe revels in the passion and intimacy he’s been missing out on for so long, but Dylan is worried that Joe is on the rebound. He puts on the brakes, knowing that they need to slow down to make this last. For this new relationship to work, Joe needs to show Dylan that he’s ready to move on from the past.

Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone and has a satisfying happy ending.

Maybe this is the hardest review I ever made this year because I have a huge dilemma when I wrote it. I have some issues with what had happened in this book that made me a bit in struggling to finish it.

I’ve known Jay for years and enjoying his works so much. Almost ALL the books I read always ended with 4 and 5 stars, but I need to admit that this book is not one of his best works and it’s hard for me to give this 3 stars but I think I need to be truth (at least) to myself and finally decided not to sugar coating my review this time.

I didn’t want to say much about what had bother me while reading this book, but the point is…you should completely ended your previous relationship clearly before you decided to hanky-panky with the new one. No matter how ‘believable’ the excuses that had been made to support the action, still it feels not quite right for me…

The saddest thing is… I’ve been so excited to read Dylan and Joe story but it ended not as what I expected. But even this one is not going well with me, still….there’s one thing that successfully drawn my attention and curiosity while reading this story. Yes! Lady GoGo! And I want to know more about this eccentric person.

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. Jay has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and he also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as Audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

ARC REVIEW : Wild As The West Texas Wind (Love Across Time #3) by Jackie North

Title : Wild As The West Texas Wind
Author : Jackie North
Series : Love Across Time #3
Genre(s) : contemporary gay romance, time travel
Release Date : February 23rd 2019
Rating : 5/5 Stars
Buy link : Amazon

Soulmates across time. Two hearts that were meant to be together.

In present day, Zach takes a road trip to Trinidad to find information on a missing friend.

In 1892, Layton Blue, outlaw, longs for hearth and home even as he treasures his life of freedom.

A freak rainstorm washes Zach's car into a ditch, sending him back to the year 1892. Searching for help, alone and on foot in the middle of the nowhere, he crosses paths with the famous Ketchum Gang. Now the gang’s prisoner, Zach’s fate is to be sold at a seedy auction for whores.

Layton is put in charge of making sure Zach does not escape, but as the chemistry between them grows, Layton finds himself wanting to help Zach.

Can Layton overcome years of being on the run? Can Zach accept help from an outlaw?

A male/male time travel romance complete with fast rides across the desert, campfires beneath the stars, cool water in the desert, wild rescues, and true love across time.

A WOWmazing slow burn from Jackie North!

Jackie North did it again! *hands down*

First…she made me falling in love with Stanley and Devon from Heroes for Ghosts, then she made me also falling deeply in love with both Laurie and John from Honey from The Lion, and now…she did it again and succeed made me falling in love with Zach and Layton!

If you’d reading Honey from The Lion and familiar with Laurie’s two best friend, Zach and Maxton that he left behind. This book is about Zach and his amazing journey back through the time to find his fate at old Texas land in 1892.

This book come with a very good storyline and was beautifully written with the details that will amazed you and take you back to the old Texas where the cowboys and outlaws took actions. The believable slow burn this book had offer had made the emotional connections between the two main characters (and with Tam the horse!) feels standout and so intense.

Wild As The West Texas Wind was a bit more intense than the previous book, but have nearly same tensions as the first book of this series. I was completely ‘blind’ and have this constant worries for what will happen to Zach since the first day he fell under Tom’s outlaws gang.

Zach’s life suddenly changed when a storm and floods almost took his life and washed away his car and leave him stranded in a strange place alone. On his way to find his way back to the town he met with the outlaws gang that soon made his life upside down.

Then come Layton, one of the gang member who Zach found slightly different with the others. In his struggle to stay alive in the whole strange situation that hit him since the storm, Layton’s had made him feels safe when his life was in uncertainty under the gang mercy.

For a long time, Layton had a wished for a home, steady life and someone to share it with. When Zach suddenly stumbled to his life, the urge to protect the man from all the danger slowly build in him. Zach and his braveness had open his eyes from the 'invisible prison' Tom’s had build around him. Layton want to be free and lived the life he’d been dreaming of, a simply normal life with someone he love for the rest of his life, but now he pictured all of that with Zach in it.
Zach was the reason that Layton was brave enough to do anything to make him safe even it’s mean he would risk his own life.

And with all the uncertainty of their future together, will a wish upon a star sealed their fate?

This book had consume me so deep and made it hard to put it down!
Jackie North really know how to pleased the reader desires with her utterly beautiful story.

Wild As The West Texas Wind is another amazing time travel romance from Jackie North that will melt your heart. So don’t you dare to miss it!

"I'd do anything for you. I love you. If you want to leave and go roam the earth, we roam. If you want to stay and light kerosene lamps, then we light the lamps. I just want to be with you. I want to be your home."