Claimed by the Rogue (Claimed #1) by Hope Tarr

 When Robert Bellamy signed on with the East India Company and set sail for Calcutta, Lady Phoebe Tremont took his promise to heart. Their separation would be but brief; in six months he would send for her.

Six years later, believing her love to be drowned at sea, Phoebe hides her tears behind a disguise at a masked ball to celebrate her engagement to a dashing French aristocrat. It is there she encounters a handsome guest costumed as a rogue of the sea—a pirate. When he drops his mask, she finds herself looking into a dead man’s eyes. A ghost’s eyes. Robert’s eyes.

Through hardship and degradation, Robert never lost his resolve to return home to England a rich man. Now a successful ship’s captain, there is one prize left to reclaim—Phoebe.

But the demure debutante he left behind has grown into a dazzling, decidedly self-determined woman. Nor is Robert the callow youth who set sail in search of adventure. Yet the one thing that could win her heart is the very dark truth his pride warns him never to reveal…


Warning: This book contains steamy sex, some violence—and a hero so swoon-worthy you’ll find yourself seduced into staying up into the wee hours turning pages.

Claimed by the Rogue was an enjoyable read the left me looking forward to Ms. Tarr’s next installment in the series, while at the same time sending me off to search her backlist to see if she has released Chelsea and Anthony’s story. While Robert is far more damaged of a hero than I usually get in my historical romances, he has managed to overcome the horrors he was exposed to during his time away. But he is soon to learn that while Phoebe has not married another, she is not the same girl he left behind six years earlier. Ms. Tarr not only takes Robert through the paces as he attempts to woo Phoebe again, but she also adds a good bit of intrigue and a bit more spice than I expected to find in a book of this genre, but by no means am I complaining.

I quite enjoyed the banter between Robert and Phoebe. Much like her actions, Phoebe’s tendency to bicker with Robert was a sure sign that she wasn’t “over him.” Quite the contrary, her tendency to lash out merely highlighted how much his supposed death had broken her heart and how his subsequent desertion had hurt her. Were it not for all that Robert endured and overcame during his time away, he may have given up his attempts to win her back. Thankfully Phoebe’s hardheadedness is matched by Robert’s persistence and love for her, and he refused to let her wed another without fighting for her. Unfortunately Phoebe’s intended is not quite the gentleman he purports to be and has no qualms about fighting dirty in order to thwart Robert’s efforts and I for one was stunned by the lengths to which he went to secure Phoebe’s hand in marriage.

I was also surprised by the level of intimacies that Phoebe allowed. Despite being in her mid-twenties and a near-spinster, I was surprised with the liberties she allowed Robert. My surprise had little to do with the genre or Phoebe herself – because despite all that she said, her love for Robert clearly never waned – but rather my surprise had to do with Phoebe being willing to risk her mother’s wrath. Lady Tremont was certainly a force to be reckoned with and one I cannot imagine waving the proverbial red flag in front of, but it merely added to the excitement of their predicament. That said, Robert proved to be worth the risk and I’m not sure I could have resisted him either had I been in Phoebe’s position (pun intended). Ms. Tarr does a delightful job of weaving action, intrigue, steam, and love within this second chance romance that kept me up late until my eyes would read no longer. Claimed by the Rogue was a delightful read for me and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Tarr’s work.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Miss Taken by Cleo Scornavacca

 Love........................The Ultimate Loss of Control

Rain and Raven Medici are identical twins. Although they come from a loving close-knit family their childhoods couldn’t have been more different. Raven went to school and was exposed freely to the outside world. Rain on the other hand was born with a blood disorder and denied many normal childhood experiences.

Once grown, Raven becomes a lawyer at their dad’s firm Kane & Medici in NYC. Rain along with her only childhood friend Tommy Conte, builds a very successful business as professional photographers. Traveling between Europe and Manhattan, and enjoying a world that was kept from her, Rain vows never to be controlled again.

Dominick Kane is a product of his upbringing. He’s powerful, self-assured and knows he can achieve anything he desires. Nothing gets in his way. There is only one thing he has ever failed at. A relationship with his father Vincent Kane. Upon his father’s death, Dominick vows revenge. The events he sets in motion put him on a collision course he himself will be unable to control.

In a bizarre twist of fate, Dominick kidnaps Raven as part of his plan for revenge. Only to discover afterward, he has taken Rain by mistake. Rain knows she can never survive being confined again. So she strikes a bargain with the devil and agrees to help Dominick get back what he feels rightly belongs to him. His father’s share of Kane & Medici.

Dominick decides to use the strong attraction growing between Rain and himself to control her in every way imaginable. Too bad no one ever taught Dominick you can’t control the heart. Nothing could have prepared him for the effect Rain would have on his.

Will this plan of revenge turn into unconditional love? Or will Dominick and Rain’s need for control ultimately destroy them and any possible chance for a real future
together.......

I was quite excited to start this book today. I loved the premise of Miss Taken – the bad guy falling in love with his captive because he abducted the wrong twin. When I began the book I was even more excited as it was narrated in the first person from Rain’s point of view. However, within a few pages my excitement began to dim because the author kept switching from present tense to past tense, the transitions were not only jarring but they were a sign of poor editing. As Miss Taken was available on Amazon, I downloaded the sample to set my mind at ease about the editing. However, the sample showed that the tense issues were not only not corrected during the editing process, but the author’s edits were also visible in the purchased copy. What do I mean by this? You can see where someone has stricken out the text and made changes; for example: There had It had never been a sexual relationship between Tommy and me. Not good, but ultimately not the reason for the low rating.

Despite this and because I received a review copy, I soldiered on in the hopes that the story would suck me in to the point that I could overlook the errors and tense issues as I have found – on more than one occasion – a diamond in the rough, a great story hidden within bad editing. Sadly, this was not my experience with Miss Taken. As I said, the premise was great but the execution was not. I found Rain to be extremely disappointing as a female lead. Initially she comes off as a strong and sassy woman, living her life to the fullest despite a somewhat debilitating medical condition. Yet time and time again, her behavior was equivalent to that of a doormat. Just when I thought she found her backbone, she’d cave at Dominick’s first apology OR even worse, apologize to him first for something that was his fault. I lost track of the number of times that she allowed Dominick to walk all over her – it was bad enough that the final time in this installment that she left him did not leave me with the expected feeling of suspense I know the author intended. As for Dominick, egomaniacal does not even begin to do him justice. Add to that his volatility and obsessiveness, it was too much for me to stomach which is why Rain’s constant forgiveness made no sense to me. I could not relate at all. This left the story feeling flat and disjointed for me.

I usually give a book two stars when it falls within the “Just okay” area and reserve one-star ratings for books that leave me thinking “I hated it and I want my time back.” I didn’t hate Miss Taken, so it’s not really a one-star read, but I didn’t consider it “just okay” either. It was more of a situation where I really didn’t care what happened to the characters and there just wasn’t that much that appealed to me, no matter how much I tried to like it. I enjoy abductor-abductee romances and have many in my Kindle library that I have read and reread. I was looking forward to adding Ms. Scornavacca’s Miss Taken series to my collection but sadly that will not be happening as Miss Taken didn’t work for me left me with no desire to continue the series.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Third Debt Tour Stop!

 “She healed me. She broke me. I set her free. But we are in this together. We will end this together. The rules of this ancient game can’t be broken.”

Nila Weaver no longer recognises herself. She’s left her lover, her courage, and her promise. Two debts down. Too many to go.

Jethro Hawk no longer recognises himself. He’s embraced what he always ran from, and now faces punishment far greater than he feared.

It’s almost time. It’s demanding to be paid.

The Third Debt will be the ultimate test...

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?! What the heck was that? That wasn’t a cliffhanger. I’m not hanging from a cliff here! I’m sliding down the mother-freaking summit to end all mother-freaking summits!!! I understand how Jethro feels because I feel like I’ve been buried under an avalanche of emotions. I’m overwhelmed, yet numb. My mind has been boggled.

Third Debt is an intense series of highs and lows. I don’t want to call it an emotional rollercoaster because there’s not a lot of happiness found within and what bits of happiness do occur are tainted by the darkness that pervades the Hawks. It’s a bad case of whiplash in the very best way. This installment picks up right where Second Debt ended, with Nila’s liberation from Hawksridge Hall. Nila has no understanding of the repercussions her departure will cause and as awareness sets in before she has even left the grounds she tries to return to Jethro but is unable to. As Nila learns yet again that she has absolutely no control over her life, Jethro is forced to face his failure in collecting the debts. Cut’s cruelty knows no bounds, but he attempts to convince Jethro (and the reader) that he does love his son as he offers Jethro an alternative. Yet all are aware that there is no choice being given, rather Jethro’s trading of one cage for another.

As the third debt must be paid, it is obvious that Nila must return to Hawksridge. And while she does so with a plan, she underestimates Cut’s cunning and finds herself in a worse situation than in the beginning. The level of detachment and coldness that Jethro displays in Third Debt exceeds that of previous installments, yet Cut’s cage proves to be an unworthy opponent in the face of Nila’s love. But a woman in love can only endure so much abuse of her heart, body, and trust before that love is snuffed out and the third debt promises to do just that … cut the tie that binds Nila and Jethro once and for all. Yet again I found myself disgusted by the Weaver ancestor’s behavior that led to the third debt. Honestly, I’m not sure whose depravity disgusts me more – the Weaver ancestor or Cut and Daniel. Granted, Kes and Jethro are not innocent in their actions, but they don’t take pleasure in collection of the debts the same way that Cut and Daniel do. And that ending. I have not felt the fear for Nila in any of the installments that I do now for her. I see the Fourth Debt as a train wreck (and I’m not talking about the writing) – I don’t want to be witness to the horrifying events that are soon to become a part of Nila’s life and yet I can’t NOT see them. I HAVE to know what comes next. I have to know if the ending of Third Debt is as it appears or not. I take nothing for granted when it comes to Ms. Winters’ writing and thus begins the countdown to the Fourth Debt AND the Final Debt. Fingers don’t fail me now.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dehOT6
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z
Nook: http://bit.ly/1DZctL0
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1DglADL

Nila dropped the jumper onto the desk, cupping her breasts. “Does this count as acceptable to you?”

I couldn’t breathe.

Everything I’d been running from made my head pound, my cock beg, and the drugs in my system to fucking disintegrate.

What was it about her? Why did she have this control over me? And why was I utterly, ridiculously helpless around her?

God fucking help me.

Didn’t she know the more she antagonised me and made me slip, the more likely Cut would give her to Daniel and fucking slaughter me in my sleep? I wanted to strike her—hammer the precariousness of our situation home.

“Why did you bring me here?” she murmured, skirting the desk.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the hard pinpricks on her chest. She couldn’t be cold—not in this furnace. That meant she was turned on.

My mind instantly went to one question. Is she wet?

“Kes told you. Our secrets are now yours.”

“I don’t think that’s the only reason.” Closing the distance, she licked her bottom lip. “I think you wanted me off the estate, so you could have me without anyone seeing.” Her voice layered with sex and invitation. “You wanted me away from the cameras, so you could drop the act and show me the truth.”

Fuck.

I cleared my throat. “What truth?”

“That all of this is a lie. That you’re still the man I fell for—playing the same game you said you were sick of before I left.”

Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts. “You’re once again delusional.” Swallowing hard, I ordered, “Go down to the sorting floor. I have a meeting to take care of—”

“No,” she breathed. “I’m not going anywhere until you stop being an asshole and show me the real you.” Closing the final distance, she stood beside me, crackling with mischief and lust.

Locking eyes, she undid the button and zipper of her jeans. “Don’t hide from me, Jethro. I can’t stay strong if you cut me out.”

My legs bunched to push the swivel chair backward. One heave and I could launch myself free and run from her web. But somehow, I couldn’t. I remained tethered in place; breathing fast, fear swamping my lungs.

She grabbed my wrist. “Don’t fight it. You can’t fight the inevitable.” Without a word, she pressed my hand into her trousers.

Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) FREE

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DwVQAR

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Cl8rau

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1xIW5Vt

First Debt (Indebted #2)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GiUvhV

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sMEyQo

Nook: http://bit.ly/10PcYWi

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qmB3d7

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/15ijHdF

Second Debt (Indebted #3)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1z5CBCh

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1yqRa2R

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1BRsIGR

Third Debt (Indebted #4)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DZbZEV
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z
Nook: http://bit.ly/1DZctL0
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1BRsIGR

PREORDER Fourth Debt (Indebted #5) NOW

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ED7Oif

Nook: http://bit.ly/1J5pDUA

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

Pucked by Helena Hunting

 With a famous NHL player for a step-brother, Violet Hall is well acquainted with the playboy reputation many hockey stars come with. She’s smart enough to steer clear of those hot, well-built boys with unparalleled stamina. That is until she meets the legendary team captain—Alex Waters.

Violet isn’t interested in his pretty, beat-up face, or his rock-hard six-pack abs. But when Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet’s previous misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes more than just a hot body with a face to match.

In what can only be considered a complete lapse in judgment, Violet finds out just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants. But what starts out as a one-night stand, quickly turns into something more. Post-night of orgasmic magic, Alex starts to call, and text, and e-mail and send extravagant—and quirky—gifts, making him difficult to ignore, and even more difficult not to like.

The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn’t want to be part of the game.

OH! MY!! GOD!!! Pucked was freaking hilarious. The romance is heartbreaking and heartwarming. The sex is unbelievably hot. But it is the massive amounts of humor that Ms. Hunting infused throughout the book that completely made it for me. I chuckled. I giggled (I know!). I snickered. I snorted. I guffawed. I was even ROTBLMAO (B = bed) at this book. You give me a synonym for laugh and I probably did it at least once while reading Pucked.

Violet is a hoot. She is one of those unfortunate souls who is a tad bit nerdy (her opinion), socially awkward, and whose brain-to-mouth (B2M) filter malfunctions regularly. The problem with this is that her stepbrother Buck is a professional hockey player and her stepfather Sidney is a hockey scout, so she often finds herself thrust into social situations that just seem to highlight her B2M filter problems. Well, it’s a problem for Violet, not the reader because we are treated to so much intentional and unintentional humor with Violet’s propensity for mouthing off at Buck and her overall nervousness in social situations. And it seems as though her sense of humor catches the attention of Alex, one of her brother’s new teammates. A teammate whose manwhore reputation rivals that of her brother’s. A teammate who Violet finds herself immensely attracted to yet repelled by because he is a hockey player. But when Alex reveals himself to be more than just a pretty face, all bets are off and Violet gives him a chance to prove that he really does want to be more than his reputation.

Violet and Alex are a great couple. I loved their banter and that they were able to just have fun with each other. That they had chemistry that was only outdone by their sexual appetites for one another was one heck of a bonus because Ms. Hunting can write some REALLY great sex scenes. Their relationship develops gradually and proves to be very entertaining … until the shot heard ‘round the (sports) world. Just friends. I actually groaned in pity for Alex when Violet heard him utter those two words…to a reporter…during a national interview. At least when Alex does it, he does it big (pun intended and an inside joke you’ll get when you read the book). And after such a spectacular failure, Alex had to make an equally spectacular attempt to fix his mistake. I loved that Violet didn’t cave immediately when Alex attempted to apologize. I also loved that her friends and family were there to support her and run interference for her when Alex would try to see her. Thankfully she didn’t have that gaggle of girlfriends who thought that he deserved to be forgiven just because he was a hot hockey player (yep, those characters do exist in books). I absolutely loved the ending, especially the cape – yet another hilarious Violet incident. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I LOVED Pucked. I cannot wait to reread it and I will be purchasing a copy of it for my Kindle library (THAT’S how much I enjoyed reading it).

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

#Throwback: Haunting the Night

 Only one member of the Bad Boys Club remains. Hugh. The name of the game is control. Hugh's a lawyer for a well-known defense firm. That was Daddy's choice -- both the profession and the firm. His father's control is second only to that of the wealthy society Hugh moves in. In Hugh's world, image is everything. But appearances can be deceiving. Blond hair, cornflower blue eyes, a cute face and boyish charm belie the shark within... His obsession? Hot cars. And small, blond twinks. Enter Tobis. This sweet young twink isn't at all what he appears to be. Alpha of the Blood Moon pack, Tobis is one of the strongest weres around. And he's on the hunt. Tobis' obsession? Leather. Particularly on his submissive mate. And then there were none...

And then there were none. Haunting the Night brings us the final bad boy’s tale of woe as he falls prey to a more powerful predator… or does it? While each of the novelettes in The Bad Boys Club series can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading them in order as you’ll benefit from a fuller telling of the tales because not only do the bad boys talk about one another in each book, the supernatural creatures they have attracted reveal info about one another as well. And I do believe that Ms. Church saved the best for last with Hugh’s story. No, Hugh is no more likeable or redeemable than his friends – Kain, Jordan, and Allen – and Tobis is no more formidable of a supernatural than Asmodeus or Chaus. The reason I think I enjoyed Haunting the Night more than the others is that Hugh seems to be more self-aware of his deep, dark desires. This is not to say that he submits to Tobis without a fight, because he certainly does try to fight the werewolf’s claim on him. But because Hugh is not satisfied with the life his father has chosen for him and how he must deny his wants in order to maintain the image his father demands, Hugh is quicker to realize the freedom Tobis’s claim offers him. Once he does, he readily accepts his place as Tobis’s mate and it was hot! Gotta love a mating knot. I also enjoyed that the Epilogue was not just for Haunting the Night but also for the entire series, so we got to catch up with all of the boys to see how their new “lives” were. The Bad Boys Club has been an enjoyable series with Haunting the Night being my favorite installment.

This is the last book in the series and was I really enjoyed the others, I didn’t like this one as much.

Hugh, the last of the friends and I think the worst of the lot. Finally meets his match with Tobis, a wolf. Just like the other’s Hugh and Tobis meet at the club, Hugh takes Tobis home and things change in Tobis’s favor. But unlike the others I found this to be a little rougher than the others, and a little too rough for my taste. Once things settled down and they found each other’s secrets, Hugh was finally able to let go of years of his father’s domination over him mentally and be the man he always wanted to be.  And the end, we finally all meet at the bar in England, old friends in new lives and roles. Over all a great little series, happy I was able to read it.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Captive (Captive #1) by Brighton Walsh

 He’s the most dangerous man she’s ever met…and she’s falling in love with him.

Madison Frost is desperate to escape her life. Daughter of a prominent businessman, she has everything a girl could ask for. Except for a family who’s present in her life, and anyone to talk to outside the four walls of the prison she calls home. Madison dreams of one day leaving her life behind. She never thought being kidnapped is how it would happen.

Now she’s being held captive by a man who’s as frightening as he is sinfully gorgeous. Enormous, muscular, and filled with secrets, the man they call Ghost is an enigmatic mercenary, and Madison is trapped with him. She doesn’t know who hired him or why, but the more time she spends at his mercy, the more she realizes he’s not what he seems. Beneath his rough exterior lies an unexpected gentleness and a heart as broken and battered as her own.

But as Madison lets down her walls, Ghost holds tight to his, hiding secrets that could destroy everything.

Dark romance books are, in my opinion, a difficult genre to do well.  They can really go into “too much” territory when it comes to violence and that I am not a fan of.  When done well, though, they can make you sympathetic towards a character that you have every reason to hate and that is when the genre really shines.

Madison is from a wealthy family, and she seems to have it all.  But really, she’s lonely and in a gilded cage.  Her father is a workaholic, her mother is an alcoholic and Madison is at rock bottom.  Then she gets kidnapped and it changes her whole world.  She is taken to a cabin in the middle of nowhere by a man named Ghost.  He’s a professional criminal and is doing this job just for the dough, but this job turns into more than he could have anticipated.

Ghost has some surprising redeeming qualities.  He’s a criminal, sure, but kidnapping women has never been something he was willing to do…until now.  He and Madison find that they have a lot in common and what I really liked about Ghost was just how incredibly real he came across.  These kinds of books have a really tendency to go way far out into lala land when it comes to the leading men, but I found Ghost to be troubled, sure, but he’s not actually a bad guy.

I also really liked the buildup between Ghost and Madison.  It was slow and it really worked for me.  It built anticipation and overall I thought this was a fantastic read and a great addition to the captor/captive dark romance.  Give it a try! 4 stars.

As the popularity of captive-theme books have been on the rise the past few years, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Captive – a dark romance, a Stockholm syndrome romance, a romantic suspense, or a poorly executed story because the author couldn’t pick a direction. Ms. Walsh had no problem with her execution of Captive and delivered a well-written new adult romance that actually showed how two people can be trapped in similar situations despite huge disparities in their socioeconomic status. Captive is not a dark romance nor is the relationship that develops between Madison and Gage (aka Ghost) the result of Stockholm syndrome, and while there is a bit of suspense regarding who is behind Madison’s kidnapping, it is ultimately a romance.

From the outside, it looks as though Maddie leads a charmed life as the daughter of a wealthy businessman. But the reader learns almost immediately that Maddie’s life is not as perfect as it appears when she discovers her mother passed out drunk on the bathroom floor and it’s clear it’s not the first time Maddie has faced the prospect that her mother didn’t survive her night of drinking. As his corporation is more important than his family, Maddie’s father is of no help and she must call on Sylvia, their housekeeper, to help with her mother. Despite her family’s wealth, the only person in Maddie’s life that cares about her is Sylvia and she’s paid to be there, and that just made me feel sad for Maddie. I must admit that even knowing that Maddie was going to be kidnapped, I really didn’t expect it to occur so soon in the book. After all, the girl had a craptastic morning and to have her day end with being kidnapped just seemed to be too much for anyone to have to deal with. But I will say she handled it far better than I would have expected, especially when faced with the outright intimidating Ghost, particularly when she attempted to escape.

One of the things I enjoyed about Captive is that it is told from both Maddie and Gage’s points of view and having access to Gage’s inner thoughts helped a LOT because knowing that he had no interest in harming her made it easier to enjoy watching the romance unfold. Because we’re looking at a captor-captive relationship, there are no grand gestures or slow seductions that we would see in a typical romance, but rather it is the simple acts of human kindness on Gage’s part that leads the affection-starved Maddie to look beyond the tattoos, muscles, and cold eyes to the man inside – the man whose actions cause her to feel safe. I appreciated that there were no proclamations of love from either party after being together for only a few days; rather they spoke of connections, feeling safe, and feeling protected. There is a definite suspense element to the storyline as Gage refuses to tell Maddie who is behind her kidnapping but it is not the driving theme of the book and although I didn’t consider it predictable, I did have a very strong suspicion as to who the responsible party was before the reveal confirmed it. Captive is a fast-paced read with a bit of action, a bit of suspense, just the right amount of sexy fun times, and a whole lot of romance. It was a very enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the sequel, Exposed, for Riley’s story.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Uncovering Ray (Ellery College #1) by Edie Danford

 When the right love uncovers the wrong secrets...

Hey, man--you a chick or a dude? Dealing with the same old boring question is a downer for college drop-out Ray Fayette, especially when it's asked by the low-tipping, over-privileged students at the Ellery Diner.

When six-foot-five, muscle-bound straight arrow Wyatt Kelly publicly smacks down a fellow frat bother for caveman behavior, Ray's interest is sparked. Wyatt's not-so-subtle attraction sparks a few other things too.

But getting to know Wyatt proves dangerous. His sexy smiles and smart questions slide under even Ray’s prickliest defenses. Worse, his academic mentor happens to be Ray’s ex-stepfather, the dictatorial jerk who just kicked Ray out of his house. Again.

Wyatt suggests a housing arrangement that has surprising appeal—there’s space available at his frat house—but he’s unaware just how complicated Ray’s “identity issues” are. Ellery College kicked out Ray for a reason—a reason that could deep-six Wyatt’s academic career and Ray’s newly hopeful heart.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Danford and I am impressed. I began Uncovering Ray with my preconceived notion regarding the androgynous main character Ray and his or her gender. I won’t tell you what it was because if I slip up and say whether I was right or wrong, I don’t want to be the reviewer who lets the cat out of the bag on this one. What do I mean by this? Ms. Danford does such a wonderful job in building the story that the reader does not find out for certain as to whether Ray is “a chick or a dude” until 46% in when Wyatt sticks his hand down Ray’s pants. I know what you’re thinking, surely Wyatt’s character, specifically Wyatt’s sexuality, would give some hint as to what Ray’s gender is, but no he does not. In fact, when Ray attempts to call Wyatt out on his attraction, he says “I know what attraction is. I know when I’m feeling it and I know when someone else is attracted to me.” There is absolutely nothing in Wyatt’s actions toward Ray that reveal Ray’s gender until that moment, but when Wyatt goes in it is clear by his actions that he knew whether Ray was “a chick or a dude” and wasted no time in making the opportunity count. Both before and after the reveal, the chemistry between Ray and Wyatt is apparent and lends a very sensual nature to their moments of intimacy.

While Ray’s androgyny is obviously a large part of the story, Uncovering Ray is a stunning coming of age tale. Ray is floundering in life and is unsure of what path to pursue. Despite Wyatt’s best attempts to learn more about Ray as he attempts to befriend Ray, we don’t know much more about Ray’s parents other than that they’re not all that involved in Ray’s life, especially since Ray dropped out of college. The most stable force in Ray’s life is Dave, the pseudo-stepbrother belonging to Ray’s mother’s second husband, Tom, from Tom’s marriage after Ray’s mom. Confusing – only in writing this review because in the book Ms. Danford does a much better job of laying out the relationship and while it doesn’t look like it in the beginning (think tough love parenting), Tom is the other stable presence in Ray’s life. Slowly and persistently, Wyatt works his way into Ray’s life as he intends to become yet another source of stability tor Ray. But Ray has a terrible track record with relationships and doesn’t plan on Wyatt coming back around after summer break. Ray’s motto seems to be no plans = no disappointment. But coming of age requires growth and with growth comes growing pains. And Ray’s growing pains are harsh, terribly timed, and nearly devastating. But this is when Ray finds out who it is that can be counted on to have Ray’s back and there are far more people vying for that position than Ray ever anticipated. Uncovering Ray was a beautiful story and I look forward to Ms. Danford’s next book to see what she has in store for the students of Ellery College.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble