Review: Brothers of the Wild North Sea

Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox and Hamish Long
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Caius doesn’t feel like much of a Christian. He loves his life of learning as a monk in the far-flung stronghold of Fara, but the hot warrior blood of his chieftain father flows in his veins. Heat soothed only in the arms of his sweet-natured friend and lover, Leof.

When Leof is killed during a Viking raid, Cai’s grieving heart thirsts for vengeance—and he has his chance with Fenrir, a wounded young Viking warrior left for dead. But instead of reaching for a weapon, Cai finds himself defying his abbot’s orders and using his healing skills to save Fen’s life.

At first, Fen repays Cai’s kindness by attacking every Christian within reach. But as time passes, Cai’s persistent goodness touches his heart. And Cai, who had thought he would never love again, feels the stirring of a profound new attraction.

This is a must-read for everyone, but when listening to the audiobook, you are in for a treat. The plotline, lifestyle, characters, history, and narration are top-notch. This early medieval society existed before the Catholic church decided to make a list of mortal sins, putting homosexuality in the top 3. No damnation and no bigotery.
People not used to explicit gay intimacy may keep in mind: hetero sex involves the same acts.

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Review: This Way Out

This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed and Rohan Rakhit
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Amar can’t wait to tell everyone his wonderful news: he’s found The One, and he’s getting married. But it turns out announcing his engagement on a group chat might not have been the best way to let his strict Muslim Bangladeshi family know that his happy-ever-after partner is a man—and a white man at that.

Amar expected a reaction from his four siblings, but his bombshell sends shockwaves throughout the community and begins to fracture their family unit, already fragile from the death of their mother. Suddenly Amar is questioning everything he once believed in: his faith, his culture, his family, his mother’s love—and even his relationship with Joshua. Amar was sure he knew what love meant, but was he just plain wrong?

 
Did not finish this audiobook at 20%.
I listened for 2 hours to give this romance a fair chance. It is not for me. I have no patience for long discussions about being LGTBQ is not a choice. And the very limited mentioning of the fiancé makes me fear this story is not about a relationship but one long inner monolog.
The narrator is no performer but a reader. I have major issues with his pauses between sentences. Pauses for up to three seconds or more. You have to listen closely: if the next word is a conjecture you know it is still the same paragraph.

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Review: Love Him Steady

Love Him Steady by E.M. Lindsey and Nick Hudson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Taking up shop in the former kosher bakery, Wilder Torres breathes new life into old traditions, but there’s a darkness about him most of the residents in Cherry Creek don’t want to touch. He’s a kind and quiet man, but Wilder hides scars under long sleeves from a vicious attack that nearly took his life, and he’s determined never to let anyone close enough to hurt him ever again. And then he meets a stranger sitting on a park bench, looking like the world had just kicked him in the gut. Lorenzo Moretti had spent the better part of his years living off the success of his rich siblings. His life was shallow, with no purpose, because Lorenzo had never believed he deserved more than that.

I tried this audiobook several times and often I get bored and do not finish. But at times I like it because I finished it at least once and keep trying. I wonder if the narrator is the cause: if he only keeps my attention when at rest, but not when multitasking.

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