Tag Archives: book review

tad md neu

Book Review: T.A.D., by M.D. Neu

I was given a free Audible code for a copy of T.A.D., by M.D. Neu.

t.a.d. m.d. neu

Tad bounces around in time and watches mankind grow and change. He loves humanity and helping when he can. However, his job isn’t conducive to helping people—he’s an Angel of Death.

Doug is a fun-loving drama queen. He’s an amazing drag queen and hairstylist with big dreams, but despite his witty exterior, he has a dark history and is prone to self-destruction.

When Tad pushes the boundaries of his duties too far, his wings are stripped away from him, and he is sent to New York City to live as a human. Lost and alone he ends up meeting Doug, and they start a friendship that shapes them both and may last a lifetime. But nothing is simple when you’re dealing with a former Angel of Death and a Drag Queen. Could these two cause the fabric of our world to collapse or will they manage to keep the future as it should?

I thought that this was really quite sweet. I love platonic love stories. Not that no characters find romance or not even that the characters don’t have sex. But the primary love of the story isn’t a romantic love and I adored that. Given this fact, I think some people might quibble with it being called a romance. But I think it fits the genre, even if on the edge. Love is certainly the point.

Set in 2002, amidst the global unrest post-September 11, the book has an emotionally charged setting. And Neu uses it to it’s fullest, giving us characters who call New York home. I thought Doug is a lovely character, if a little emotionally messy for much of the book. Tad is more complicated, for obvious reasons, but I liked him too (though not all the time(s)). And there are a host of fun side characters, though you don’t get to know them too well.

The writing is quite readable and it’s well narrated (by Steve Connor). It did feel a little slow at times. But not enough to drag too badly. All in all, a strong showing, even if it probably won’t top my favorites list.

tad photo


Other Reviews:

T.A.D by M.D. Neu

T.A.D by M.D. Neu #LGBT #Review #Paranorml #GayFiction

https://mattdoylemedia.com/2019/11/06/tad-by-m-d-neu/

sapphire flames emarald blaze titles

Book Reviews: Sapphire Flames AND Emerald Blaze, by Ilona Andrews

I borrowed audio versions of Sapphire Flames and Emerald Blaze through Hoopla. While these are books 4 and 5 of the Hidden Legacy series, they are also books one and two of the Catalina Baylor Trilogy.

I’m just going to write the one review for the two of these, since I listened to them back to back and they come to a satisfying stopping point.

Catalina Baylor books

catalina baylor blurbs

Oh boy, I’ve taken my time with this series. I read the first book in 2015, second one in 2017, third in 2018, the novella that comes between the third and fourth book in 2019, and now the fourth and fifth in 2021. Who knows when I’ll make it back for the sixth. Not until next year, at least, since that’s when it’s scheduled for release.

If you want to read the actual reviews, you can find them here:

Burn For Me / White Hot / Wildfire/ Diamond Fire

Luckily this was largely doable since the series changes focus and picks up with the second Baylor sister, Catalina, instead of the older Nevada (books 1-3). So, I mostly only needed to remember the events of Diamond Fire and could be hazy on the previous three books. Honestly, I think you could follow them well enough even if you hadn’t read any of the previous books, though you’d sense you were missing history.

I like Catalina a lot. I was so-so on Alessandro. I don’t feel like he was particularly well defined outside of Catalina’s longing for him and I found his arrogance annoying (even when it was clearly an act). However, as always, the writing is fabulous and I love the world Andrews has created here. I’ll be back for more.


ruby fever bannerSince Ruby Fever is book six in the Hidden Legacy series and/or third in the Catalina Baylor Trilogy, and I don’t anticipate writing a long review of it, I’ve just decided to bring it back here and add it to the post for the previous two books. (Even if it wasn’t technically even published when the original blog post went up.)

ruby fever coverAbout the Book:

An escaped spider, the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Russian Prince, the senseless assassination of a powerful figure, a shocking attack on the supposedly invincible Warden of Texas, Catalina’s boss… And it’s only Monday.

Within hours, the fate of Houston—not to mention the House of Baylor—now rests on Catalina, who will have to harness her powers as never before. But even with her fellow Prime and fiancé Alessandro Sagredo by her side, she may not be able to expose who’s responsible before all hell really breaks loose.

My review:

I thought this concluded the series well and I hope that the series picks up with Arabella and The Beast of Cologne, as the teaser suggests. However, I have to admit that I didn’t feel particularly connected to anyone in this book. I think this is just a symptom of it being a third book for the couple and a lot of the connection-making happened in previous books. But still, I was a little disappointed in that aspect of it. All in all, however, I’ll still read anything Ilona Andrews writes and I look forward to more.

wild rising banner

Book Review: Wild Rising, by K. Panikian

Author, K.Panikian sent me a copy of Wild Rising (Yellowstone Shifters, #1) for review.

K. Panikian

“My name is Sienna Wilder and up until about age 12, I thought I was human.”

From a young age, Sienna learned to control the savage creature that raged in her heart. Swearing never to unleash the puma again, she kept her head down, her emotions level, and she survived.

Inside though, she yearned to find a place where she could roam free. Landing her dream job as a park ranger at Yellowstone, Sienna thinks she’s finally found it, only to discover that she’s not the only one with a secret beast. Now, women are disappearing and no one is paying attention. Sienna must discover the truth or she may be next. Can she learn to trust her wild side in time to save herself and the others?

my review

I was really pleasantly surprised by this one. I liked Sienna and the other park shifters. I liked the world Panikian creates here, and I enjoyed the murder mysteries (though having two unrelated ones did dilute the plot a bit). I was also intrigued by the possible, future love interest. I can only imagine the series is going to be slow burn in the romance department. There is attraction here, sure, but not even the beginnings of a romance yet. So, don’t go in expecting passion to leap off the page.

I did think that after a lifetime of dealing with fear and her beast Sienna sure overcame the issue with unbelievable ease. And I thought the possessive female betas warning off the new woman in town a little cliched. (Though having powerful, authoritative female betas was a plus in other ways.)

On a side note—just for FYI—I like the cover, but think it makes the book look YA/NA, like Sienna is an older teen. But she’s a full-fledged park ranger. Her age isn’t given, but to complete training and work in the field for a decade, I can only imagine her in her late twenties at least. I only mention it so people go in with appropriate expectations.

All in all, I’d be happy to read the next book in the series when it comes out. In fact, if it was available yet, I probably would have continued right into it last night, when I finished Wild Rising.

wild rising photo