Jet Mykles / Hope Ramsey

Rom is Dasher. As Santa’s lead reindeer, he has everything he’s ever wanted. He is everything he’d ever wanted to be. His life is perfect, filled with good friends and any pretty he wants.
Until Shaw appears in front of him. The drab little elf from Archives isn’t anything like Rom’s other partners. Oh, he’s cute, but he doesn’t knows it. Even more amazing, he seems immune to Rom’s flirting. It’s almost like he doesn’t want Rom. Wait, no. When Rom does proposition him, Shaw turns him down flat.
Amazing!
Even more amazing, Rom is hooked. He can’t get Shaw out of his mind. He even goes to the Library to pursue him. But Shaw -- and Shaw’s mother -- can’t figure out what Rom would want with him.
Well, Rom’s not entirely sure either but he knows he wants to find out. Can he convince Shaw?

Comment: I'm not reading this series in the right order but to be honest I'm mostly interested in her m/m stories. This was a nice, simple and easy novella, without much happening and very quickly solved as well. The central focus is on Rom, an elf that all the others look up to considering his almost rock star status among the Santa's reindeers.

The novella basically tells us about the unlikely but slowly developing romance between Rom, someone very popular, and Shaw, a shy archivist who barely cares about the popular elves. This obviously changes when he needs to ask questions for a census and later needs to be around the popular elves for a special project. The romance is sweet and and slow burn, not very graphic, unlike some other series by the author. It's mostly sweet and I liked it but in some aspects, the conflicts proposed barely reached any meaningful situation; the main conflict is easily solved. For such a small page count of course not much could really happen but overall, it could have been better. Still, it allowed for some easy back hours.

Grade: 6/10

*  *  * 

Dear Reader,
Yes, our town is way off the beaten path, but strange, wonderful miracles happen a lot around here.

I've owned the Cut 'n' Curl beauty shop for years, and I've seen folks come for a visit, then stay for a lifetime. Take Jane-that pretty firecracker of a girl who just arrived in town. I would swear she's running from something. She came with only five dollars in her pocket but she's worked real hard to make a fresh start. She's turned my son Clay's life upside down without even realizing it.
And thank goodness for that! Ever since Clay left his country western band, he's played everything too safe. He needs to take a chance on Jane. Besides, the more he tries to keep his distance, the more he'll realize that he and Jane are singing the same tune.
But I should quit ramblin' and go check on Millie's permanent wave. Next time you're in Last Chance, be sure to swing by. We've got hot rollers, free coffee, and the best gossip in town.
See you real soon,
Ruby Rhodes

Comment: This is the first installment in this Last Chance series by author Hope Ramsey, the first book her I tried. I can't remember why I decided to read this, but it was in the TBR pile...well, at the end of things, I wasn't much impressed with it. I think the plot was too cheesy and not focused enough on the main characters. I usually don't mind different POVs and a big cast but in this case, it was not easy to focus on what should matter the most.

The romance between the protagonists, Clay and Jane wasn't very romantic not well structured, in my opinion. I can see why they are in love when we don't see enough emotional development in them to match the actions and the plot's changes. It just felt so...weak. Then there are other characters who crowd the story but are so underdeveloped that it all just looks random and meaningless.

Some readers mention the Christian content but honestly that I could easily ignore because it certainly didn't seem consistent to what was happening and the main characters' decisions.

All in all, good details but not enough structure nor content to make me want to read more.

Grade: 4/10

Jet Mykles - Noble

Donny “Foxy” Foxley is hot. Noble knows it. All those screaming teen girls know it. And so does the production company with their millions staked on the teen idol's dreamy good looks.
So when the supposedly straight movie star comes onto him, Noble is floored. Never one to ignore the allure of a pretty young man, Noble can't resist and doesn't even try. Why should he? Even if it has to be a secret, he’d be crazy to pass up a night of sexytimes with the one man everyone wants.
But one night turns into two, then blossoms into a friendship with the potential for so much more. If that’s what Noble was after, which he's not. But Foxy gets under Noble’s skin until he cares way too much. Because there can never be anything but sex between them. To the world, Foxy is straight and Noble is anything but.

Comment: This is the last installment in the Indigo Knights series by Jet Mykles. I've read all the books in the series and what they all have in common, besides the type of plot, is how to the point the stories feel, meaning there's a goal and the plot is dedicated to it, without useless sub plots, which actually works well in this author's case.

This is Noble's story. He's loud, out and proud and is loving the life of a successful rock star. He feels attracted to Donny Foxley at a party but since the actor is in the closet, he tries not to pursue him. However, the opposite happens, and they start a game of teasing until a separation comes in the form of an European tour for Indigo Knights.

After that, can they overcome the issue of Donny's hidden preferences and the fact they're developing serious feelings between them?

I liked the story. I'm used to the author's style in creating plots where there is conflict because of sexual preferences in one of the elements of the pair. In this case, Donny Foxley is in the closet and he can't just be out due to his contract. This allows the plot to slowly develop with a reason why things couldn't just change. The slow pace also helped the couple to know each other better, to be together, to develop feelings. I really liked the scene in the limousine where they each say a sentence and everything changes at last.

Noble and Donny are the sort of characters we see in ms Mykle's stories often. They are different in appearance, tastes and ways of living but as usual, different people find each other and always complement each other. This was slightly different from the majority of her stories because usually there's one character GFY (gay for you), but in this one it didn't, and in a way, that is like fresh air in a story by her. This doesn't mean it's bad or too much unexpected. I liked it and the way the characters interacted made it more believable.

The plot is pretty much dedicated to the main character's relationship and the troubles they have to face. The secondary characters are in an interesting position to give advice and offer a sort of comparison model, but the focus is always on Noble and Donny. 

Noble is known as a libertine, without romantic attachments but he is honest and doesn't want to hurt anyone. He is worried for Donny at first, because he thinks only Donny will have a broken heart if things get too serious, so it was sweet to see him fall too, even without realizing it.

Donny is doing a job he feels comfortable in, but everything that comes with it is a high price to pay when he starts falling in love with Noble. Still, in the end he makes choices and admits his feelings without fear.

The guys' relationship isn't only physical. The story's development puts them apart and in that time we can see them talking, thinking about each other and often communicating, which gives us, the readers, the idea they are bonding and having a relationship, knowing each other before accepting anything else. I think this is an important element to make the romance more credible.

All in all, I saw my faith in the author prove right and once again, something she wrote convinced me, despite the obvious make believe aspects of the plot. Still, it was a positive story, only it wasn't perfect because of some plot devices and a thing here and there they did which I thought shouldn't have been done. But overall, my enjoyment of the story wasn't ruined.

Grade: 7/10

Jet Mykles - Lance

Years ago Lance and Gordon fell in love when the bass player and band manager were part of The Might. The band was led by a rich, self important genius and everything was just great as long as no one rocked the boat. But Gordon chafed in the restrictive atmosphere and Lance was too laid back to test any boundaries. Gordon pushed for more; Lance fought any change. The final straw came when Lance acted out by sleeping with someone else. That was it. Gordon broke it off and was gone.
Now, Gordon’s invited Lance to join the Indigo Knights, a new band he’s managing. He’s made it clear that this is business only and that they’re not going to rekindle the flames of their past. But Lance has been so hung up on Gordon that he’s been celibate all this time. He wants no one else. He regrets how things ended, but he’s never had the chance to try to make amends.
This is his only chance. Can Lance convince Gordon to trust him again?

Comment: This is another of the books that weren't long in the pile, I bought this one last month and I couldn't wait anymore to read it, so here it is.

This is the continuation of the Indigo Knights series, this is story #3 and we get to see how the band is working together at last and how potentially successful they might become.
This third story features Lance, one of the guitarists of the band and how he came to be invited to be part of Indigo Knights and even more, how his relationship with Gordon, the band's manager, developed and reached the point of no return where it seems to be in. But will the band help them to solve their issues?

I liked this story. I get why many people didn't find this one as appealing as other titles by the author, but to me this story seemed more focused on the growing up of the main characters and the themes mentioned seemed to have been taken care of relatively well, namely the cheating part.
It's true that the main focus is probably the fact Lance cheated on Gordon and that is why this story developed the way it does. Because cheating is horrible and I agree. But I also think the author did this with intelligence and she made the issue to deal with not on the cheating itself, but on the how it was cheating.

This brings me to the main point in the story. Well, to what I think is the main question anyway. 
The story is split into two time frames. We get a chapter of how things are nowadays and another one since the time Lance and Gordon met to the day everything ended between them. These time frames alternate each other until the end of the book.
We get to see how and why things between the two guys got to the point where they broke up and we get to see how they are today and how they have to solve things between them. To me, a thing gets clear, despite my abhorrence to the cheating in any romance, I think the clever part of it in this story is that, at least to me, the fact Lance cheated wasn't the worst thing. I don't like he cheated. But he didn't cheat out of spite or because he wanted revenge or because he was mean or wanted to show he could. I DON'T EXCUSE HIM, but I can understand why Gordon's actions and the way their relationship had evolved made him into such a state of mind where he even considered to cheat.
I don't think anyone should ever cheat, I hate to think what it means to the one cheated on, but I got Lance's side too and the fact I don't want to crucify him says it all about the level of complexity in all this that I can understand why he cheated even if I don't agree it in any way.

I could summarize the plot to this, the romance and the solving of things between the two guys. Many readers think this story is weaker than many of the author's other things, but I don't think so. For me, this story was more about the main character's difficulties and actions during and after their break up and how human it is to just talk about things and trust in what made them be together in the first place.

The musical parts are really small, it's fun to see beloved characters of other books, but in terms of great development, there isn't much, no. But still, for me it worked well.
Grade: 7/10

Jet Mykles - Reverb

Sex. Drugs. Rock ‘n Roll. Nick Gorman’s got it all. He’s on top of the world, living his dream, playing guitar on stage in front of thousands of people with non-other than Marlowe. The famous singer could have had his choice of anyone to replace his former guitarist, but he picked Nick to tour with him. Now Nick’s star is on the rise, all thanks to Marlowe, who’s not only Nick’s idol but is fast becoming a terrific friend.
In the blink of an eye, it all turns upside down. A drug-hazed time in a bed alone with Marlowe forces Nick to be aware that the rock star’s interest in him is more than just friendly. Then, before he can even react to that, both singer and guitarist are in a near-fatal accident that could ruin both their careers.
What now? Marlowe’s in jail for two years and Nick is broken. Could they ever play together again, let alone explore the sizzling reverberations that still exist between them?

Comment: I consider myself a fan of this author's writing. I've read many of her stories and when I can I get her latest things as well. This is one of her most recent books although it was released in 2011. I got it only last year not sure when but I finally read it.

Tis story starts with an accident, sort of. Marlowe is a genuine rock star and he's high when he attempts to seduce fellow band member Nick. There's some attraction between them but Nick never thought things could go that way because he sees himself as a straight guy. After the accident that could have cost him his career he wants only distance from Marlowe but not even time can erase his feelings and when a chance to get back to the music world comes up in the person of Marlowe, Nick finally lets go what he really feels...

This is, once more, a gay-for-you story, something the author has become quite the specialist on. I've enjoyed all her stories with this them not because of its believability (which isn't much in real life) but for the romance of it all, the fantasy that indeed what matters isn't gender or sex but the person, what we might feel for that special person in our lives. I've always thought t would be brave of someone to chance their hearts like that, even if their usual attraction wasn't towards someone of the same sex. In a way, I think ms Mykles does achieve a little bit of realism in her stories with this tactic.

In this book the romance doesn't start well and the path to happiness is full of doubts. But here's the thing, Marlowe goes to prison because of his reckless actions and Nick if full of resentment. Of course we think they should be together and there are obstacles but the thing I liked best was how Marlowe changed and realized he should let Nick make his own decisions. I liked how their romance didn't feel pressured or forced to happen just because. Usually I really like how the seduction works in this author's work, the characters always tend to feel a bit of angst before reaching happiness. I don't think all authors can make angst scenes well, but this one can. Plus, the sexual tension was evident too because once again the author uses her writing skills to insert sentences where we see the characters struggle with their feelings and their thoughts. I like this. Then when happiness is possible, we all cheer for the HEA to happen in the end.

It seems I loved this story and for the most part I did. But there's something in this novel which I think wasn't good nor positive nor morally enjoyable. I'm talking about the whole drugs issue. In this story drug use is quite talked about and seen and honestly I didn't like it. I think, what kind of message goes through? That is ok for musicians and rock stars and groupies to use as long is controlled? Really a no go for me. Marlowe is an addict and I understand the reason why someone might think drugs are a way to deal with their problems, but that's stupid. I think drugs are stupid. Simple. But although Marlowe pays for his drug induced actions he doesn't let go of the world completely and surrounds himself at times with consuming people. I got why and in real life it must be so for many, but this isn't wise. I really disliked his character at first and even considered not reading the story because of this. I really hated the scenes where people used or were seen doing drugs. If I could wish for something even before world peace I'd wish for the eradication of drugs, it's a plague, for sure. I didn't feel comfortable reading about this, although I recognize done well it can teach a lesson. In this case I didn't have that feeling. Drugs are just wrong, period.

I really couldn't put aside my personal opinion about the issue out of the enjoyment of the novel and from my point of view, the story doesn't explore the situation in the most positive way, showing how wrong and destructive drugs really are. Even in the end when something almost expected happens we don't really see any measure against the results of that...sorry for the mystery, it's a spoiler... I really think it wasn't done well and for me it put a stain on an almost great romance story.
Grade: 5/10

Jet Mykles - Indigo Knights 2: Champion

Danny Champion is ready to be a rockstar. He’s been preparing for this most of his life. He’ll finally make it with the Knights. He knows it.
It’s a horrible time to fall in love.
But then there’s Cash, Danny’s roommate. A quiet computer nerd without a clue about the music business, Cash can barely understand the world Danny’s so eager to live in. 
He certainly doesn’t want to share it.
Even though he knows he shouldn’t, Danny’s unable to resist introducing Cash to the wonders of sex. He didn’t expect to get addicted to Cash’s charms.

Comment: This is the second book in the Indigo Knights series by Jet Mykles. It's a series about a band, similar to Heaven Sent, but obviously with different characters.

Danny is ready to be a rock star and together with his band mates, they will start playing in clubs and give concerts to launch their career. Danny has been living with his roommate Cash and has developed a strong attraction for him. 

Cash is very focused on his computers and to finish his studies before starting a job waiting for him. He never thought about Danny as a potential boyfriend but after a kiss, he can't stop thinking about it and when things heat up between them, choices have to be made...

I liked this book a lot. Usually all the books by this author are great reads. Like in the majority of her books, this one also has the gay-for-you theme. Cash never thought about himself as being gay or any other label, but after a kiss and considering the time he has known Danny, he starts thinking there's no harm in trying and they end up enjoying each other and feelings start to show up too. I think the author does this quite well, because although it can be a little bit doubtful a hetero man could suddenly be ok with changing his mind about his sexuality I always see a bit more of bisexuality in the heroes in her novels and it doesn't disturb me. I always look for the romance side of things and in that aspect I always enjoy the storyline. So Cash has all the right to do what he wants, like any real person.

Danny is ready to have a solid career with his band mates but falling in love could be tricky because a new career means to travel most times and to be away from home and he feels that if he started a relationship now it would be troublesome both ways, it could put a stress on his feelings and be hard on his career to be focused on something else. His troubles seemed real and I liked how the author has inserted a certain serious tone in this. Both main characters are well portrayed and both his doubts play a strong part in the book and are well explored too.

Of course, love conquers all and the lesson they learned is that it's best to be together and deal with it than apart and miserable. I liked the romance and how they looked so cute together.

We see many beloved characters, which is amazing and we also have a tidbit about the couple in Lance's book, which I don't know when will be out of if it will be next. Anyway, I'll be eagerly waiting for it, as it is.

I recommend this one to anyone. It's tender, sweet, serious and fun.

Jet Mykles - A Rose is a Rose

Carson’s quiet sobbing filled the early morning air. Heedless of the expensive red Chinese silk of his robe, he sat on the dusty floor of his balcony, back wedged against the stucco wall, shoulder against the sturdy wooden posts of the railing. Dawn had just broken over the roof of the apartments across the courtyard from his, washing his haven in weak golden light. Summer was on the wane, and fall had taken root, turning the leaves of some of the trees that shaded him from green to dusky brown. Hugging his folded legs, he rested his forehead on his knees and gave in to the misery that was his life.

“You better think hard, baby.” Anthony’s cruel tone echoed in his head. “You go on and see how far you get without me.”

Despite his anger, Carson knew the answer to that — he wouldn’t get very far without Anthony to support him. His job with the burlesque show would barely cover the rent on his apartment and utilities. He’d become far too accustomed to relying on Anthony for all the little extras like clothing, entertainment, and food. For a glorious six months, Anthony had taken care of him. He knew that. Silly him to think that since the man had done so thus far, he’d want to do so on a more permanent basis. He’d thought that moving in together and becoming a real couple was the next step.

Comment: I just finished reading this book. It's another good story by Jet Mykles, she never disappoints me, because she has rightfully won the title of good writer.
This story is set in the same liens of most of her books, one of the characters is more doubtful about his sexuality and the other one is fully confident on it. There's also the element of cross dressing and angst. I like how the author's character's go through an angsty stage and I like to see how they think about themselves while in that period. Nobody's perfect anywhere, so...
Carson is faced with troubles and also with an easy way to overcome them, but he chooses the harder path and it's both redeeming and romantic that he does so. Also, it feels so much better to earn one's things, isn't it?
I'm again pleased with a story by this author and can't wait to have more.

Plus, isn't the cover great..I have yet to see a cover by the duo Mykles/Nunn there isn't simply perfect.

Jet Mykles - Reindeer Games

Rom is Dasher, the leader of Santa’s shape-shifting team of reindeer. He is the quintessential elf — smart, handsome, charming — and everyone in Santa’s Village wants him. Lon is no exception. He’s hopelessly in love with Rom, but how can he hope to get Rom’s attention? Even if he is now one of the reindeer handlers, he’s still just a plain, ordinary elf, and painfully shy to boot.
Then there’s Wod. As Dancer, he’s both Rom’s second in command and Rom’s best friend. He, too, is devilishly handsome but in a darker and — truth be told — slightly frightening way. At least, he makes Lon’s heart race and his tongue tie in knots.
When Wod unexpectedly offers to help Lon gain Rom’s attention, Lon is completely confused. To make matters worse, Wod is clear that he’d love to play with Lon himself.
Lon is used to the sexual freedom in Santa’s Village but he craves something more meaningful. He wants a real relationship. So what does he do? Keep pining for Rom or play Wod’s special brand of reindeer games?

Comment: As usual, this author is perfect in creating a fun love story between two males. I'm a huge fan and re-read oftern her Heaven Sent series. This isn't contemporary but it sure is fun. The characters are smart and playful and I had a great time reading this. The sexual tension and the anticipation of what comes next never fails.

I loved seeing Lon realise who's the man, er....elf, for him.

This one was apropos for the holidays too. Can't wait for more stories!!