Memory's Prisoner by Jamie Lynn Miller

 

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Detectives Mitchell Reid and Joseph Valentino of the Chicago Police Department have finally moved from friends to lovers, partners on the job and off. Their new-found happiness is short-lived, however, when an escaped felon with a thirst for revenge shatters their world. The police tactical raid to recapture the convict goes horribly wrong, leaving Mitch severely wounded and Joey with a devastating head injury that plunges him into a long-term coma. Two years later, Joey awakens with partial amnesia, which has erased a year of his life, including the knowledge that he and Mitch are lovers. Unwilling to force Joey back into a relationship if his feelings for him were no longer there, Mitch can only suffer in silence as he supports Joey on his long road to recovery, hoping he will remember the love they once shared. Note: This is a second edition of a previously published book that has been re-edited, revised and expanded.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Memory's Prisoner is a beautiful story of two lovers coming back to each other after tragedy. Jamie Lynn Miller pulls at our heart-strings as Mitch are Joey face horrific odds.

After a hot start to their story, there's a police raid that goes wrong, followed by Mitch's agony as he realizes his fate and Joey's status. We are taken on an emotional ride, as their fate is unknown. Mitch has to deal with his own injury, as well as Joey's and the reader can feel Mitch's pain throughout. 

Their journey includes hot sex, injuries, and physical therapy, as well as grief, guilt, and anger.

It's heart-breaking, but luckily doesn't leave us wondering for too long. It's a fast story, so a lot is crammed into it. Personally, if there was more detail, I would have been a sobbing mess. Luckily, as Jamie choose to keep this a short story, it is an easier ride for the reader. 

I adore Jamie Lynn Miller's writing style and Memory's Prisoner is done perfectly. We smile, we cry, and we feel our hearts mending in the end. I love Mitch and Joey as a couple and am thrilled that they found their way back to each other, making this a feel-good story!

MF - The Best Man by Winter Renshaw

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Blurb

I didn’t know her name, but I heard her laugh, tasted her lips, felt her warm skin as I held her in my arms. Together we watched our young children playing in the sand, the warm ocean lapping at the shore behind them as the setting sun painted the sky. She was my soulmate and this was our life, our beautiful forever …

Then I woke up—alone in a hospital room, connected to wires and machines.

There was no wife. No kids. Not a single soul waiting for me. That life I dreamt of—never existed.

The woman I loved, the woman I knew better than I knew myself—wasn’t real.

Until she walked into my life six months later …

And it was both the best and worst day of my life because the woman of my dreams—was about to marry my best friend.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Winter Renshaw's The Best Man is as wonderful as I expected it to be. 

I can definitely say this is unique story line. When we meet Cainan he's in a coma. Upon waking up he has alternate memories, convinced he has a wife, despite never having even met this person. It's crazy, but he knows everything about this woman he's never met. And he has visions of them married with kids. 

Then twist. He meets that woman and discovers she's engaged to his best friend. Enter the forbidden romance part of the story. 

It's a great mix of forbidden romance and a powerful connection. This is a couple who are absolute soulmates, definitely meant to be together. 

This book sucked me in completely, held onto my heart throughout, and luckily left me with a happy feeling. I loved it all. The characters are phenomenal, the story line riveting, and the ending is perfect.

Written in alternating pov, there is no cheating or love triangles involved. The author expertly manages to bring these two together without ever stepping on anyone's toes. The twists and turns are well done, definitely heightening the emotions. 

Good god, I love The Best Man! This book has reminded me why I like Winter Renshaw so much, leaving me wanting to dive into more of her books, including re-reading some.

Memory's Prisoner by Jamie Lynn Miller

Amazon Link
Goodreads Link


BLURB

Detectives Mitchell Reid and Joseph Valentino of the Chicago Police Department have finally moved from friends to lovers, partners on the job and off. Their new-found happiness is short-lived, however, when an escaped felon with a thirst for revenge shatters their world. The police tactical raid to recapture the convict goes horribly wrong, leaving Mitch severely wounded and Joey with a devastating head injury that plunges him into a long-term coma.

Two years later, Joey awakens with partial amnesia, which has erased a year of his life, including the knowledge that he and Mitch are lovers. Unwilling to force Joey back into a relationship if his feelings for him were no longer there, Mitch can only suffer in silence as he supports Joey on his long road to recovery, hoping he will remember the love they once shared.

Note: This is a second edition of a previously published book that has been re-edited, revised and expanded.


REVIEW
My Rating - 4 Stars!


Memory's Prisoner is a beautiful story of two lovers coming back to each other after tragedy. Jamie Lynn Miller pulls at our heart-strings as Mitch are Joey face horrific odds.

First we have to deal with the police raid that goes wrong, followed by Mitch's agony as he realizes his fate and Joey's status. We are taken on an emotional ride, as Joey spends two years in a coma, and then doesn't remember that he and Mitch are lovers. It is heart-breaking, but luckily doesn't leave us wondering for too long. It is a fast story, so a lot is crammed into it. Personally, if there was more detail, I would have been a sobbing mess. Luckily, as Jamie choose to keep this a short story, it is an easier ride for the reader. 

I adore Jamie Lynn Miller's writing style and Memory's Prisoner is done perfectly. We smile, we cry, and we feel our hearts mending in the end. I love Mitch and Joey as a couple and am thrilled that they found their way back to each other, making this a feel-good story!

GRL 2018 SPOTLIGHT - Eli Easton - Before I Wake

In my attempt to cover some of the attending authors for this year's GRL,
I am reviewing 

Before I Wake by Eli Easton!

Amazon Link
Goodreads Link


BLURB

Nurse's aide Jonesy is drawn to Michael, the comatose victim of a hate crime whose homophobic parents have rejected him. Jonesey sits with Michael, reads to him, and encourages Michael to wake up. Jonesy may not be the smartest guy in the world, but he knows Michael needs him. And if he also thinks Michael is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, well, Jonesy knows better than to hope for things that can never happen.

Michael is lost in a dungeon, a dark and terrifying place. His only comfort is the sound of a man's voice. Can Michael come back? Does he want to? Maybe Jonesy can convince him that some things are worth living for.

THIS IS A SECOND EDITION, published by the author. It has a new epilogue, new formatting, and a new edit.




REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!

Eli Easton's Before I Wake is a sweet and special book about strength and courage.

When Jonesy, a nurse's aide, meets Michael who's a victim of a hate crime, he takes a strong interest in him.

Michael's family has given up hope of Michael recovering, and takes him off of life support. But Jonesy keeps fighting, finding a way to communicate with Michael, helping to protect him, and caring for him when no one else will.

We get to know Michael's thoughts as he's in his coma, and his feelings towards Jonesy are remarkable and powerful.

When you're in the mood for a short and inspirational story, please check out Eli Easton's Before I Wake. You will not be disappointed.

ELI EASTON

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a game designer, an organic farmer, an avid hiker, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author.

As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.

Her website in www.elieaston.com

You can email her at eli@elieaston.com

In The Shadows (Social Sinners #2) by TL Travis

Amazon Link

Blurb

For Ricky “Stoli” Branson, the stars were on his side. Social Sinners was headlining their first sold out US tour. Radio stations across the states were playing their songs, and he’d won the heart of the man he loved.

Everything was going great, or so he foolishly believed...

When an accident has them burying one of their own and leaves another fighting for his life, Stoli questions his beliefs. Or lack thereof.

“Have faith,” his mother tells him. But how can you have faith in something that threatens to take away your only reason for breathing?

Book 1 is the only book in the series that can be read as a stand-alone.

Book 1 – Behind the lights (MM - Joey's POV)

Book 2 – In the shadows (MM - Stoli's POV- 8/17/18)

Book 3 – A heart divided (MMM - Mickey's POV - 3/19/19)

Book 4 – Beyond the curtain (MM - Diamond's POV - 6/18/19)

Book 5 – After the final curtain (MM/MMM - All - 8/13/19)

REVIEW
My Rating -  5 Stars!

In The Shadows, the second book in the Social Sinners series by TL Travis, picks up after the events from book 1, Behind The Lights. If you loved Behind the Lights, you need to read In The Shadows!

Stoli and Joey are now a couple, but it is all new to them. Kissing, sex, all of it is new. And all of these new-for-them moments are beautiful and emotional!

Their relationship is so enchanting and charming. I love how strong Stoli's love for Joey is, and how much he wants to prove his love to Joey. Stoli's pain for Joey's last relationship is raw and real, and he wants to heal Joey.

Their dreams as a band are coming true, and their career is taking off. Personally, I love that Stoli feels invisible when he's next to Joey. They have been best friends since they were 5 and turning their friendship into a romantic relationship is just perfect for them.

We get more of Stoli's family, including his little brother, who I just adore! They add so much to Joey and Stoli's lives, as they are so caring, admirable and funny.

Unfortunately, their journey contains a tragic accident, which will leave them numb, injured and unsure of their future. And, as for me, oh dear lord, I couldn't stop crying. This part of their journey gutted me, leaving me so damn raw. That said, it is not a negative thing, just part of their journey that is well worth these difficult moments.

Social Sinners is an emotional journey, that's phenomenal, tear-jerking, and absolutely gripping. I found myself crying, laughing, swooning, and crying some more.

TL Travis's writing style is wonderful, as it's written with passion and tenderness, and flows seamlessly with a skillful and heartfelt tone.

If you haven't started reading TL Travis's Social Sinners series yet, please do your self a favor and do so now. It is one gripping tale you won't forget anytime soon!