Mandi recs 'Conduct Unbecoming' and 'One Hit Wonder'
The holidays are upon us. The eggnog is flowing and the cookies are wooing me. In between shopping and wrapping I managed to read a few books this week and have a couple to recommend.
• Conduct Unbecoming by L.A. Witt (contemporary m/m). I recently read a novella by L.A. Witt and I really enjoyed her voice, so I went searching for a full-length novel by her. How could I resist two men in the military? Eric Randall is not happy about having to go to Okinawa for three years, especially since that means leaving his daughter behind. Once there, looking for some discreet companionship he meets another military guy, Shane, at a local gay bar, and they can't take their eyes off each other. A hot one-night stand turns into a lot more. When they discover Shane is an officer and Eric is enlisted, they must decide if being super discreet is worth it. I really enjoyed these two guys and their struggles with being gay in the military. L.A. Witt writes a really hot book and her voice is one that I can't get enough of. I'll definitely be hitting her back list.
• One Hit Wonder by Elyssa Patrick (contemporary romance). Who likes rock stars? I sure do, and Elyssa Patrick gives us a very outlandish one in the novella One Hit Wonder. Damon is still reaping the rewards of having a hit single many years ago. A crazy dresser with a laid-back attitude, he likes to give his uptight personal assistant a hard time. But when she announces she is leaving, he panics. Deep down he has feelings for her. The reason Jane is leaving is that she has loved Damon for years, and it is finally becoming too much to bear. But when Damon persuades her to stay just a bit longer, they take a chance on romance and realize they both want the same thing. This is a really cute and sexy novella. I love how the author writes her rock-star hero. He isn't broody or a diva. But he is a little flamboyant and just a good guy under his crazy exterior. Looking forward to more from this author.
• Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (urban fantasy). This book came out in 2011, but it was just recommended to me this week, and I'm so glad I picked it up. The first in the Rivers of London series, we meet Probationary Constable Peter Grant, who has dreams of one day being a detective in London. Unfortunately, his boss has dreams of him doing paperwork for the rest of his life. That is until he sees a ghost near a murder scene. Come to find out, he isn't crazy, and magic and ghosts actually exist. He gets placed with Chief Nightingale and together they investigate some gruesome murders with a paranormal twist. This book has a dry, dark sense of humor, and I absolutely adore Peter. Very entertaining, and I can't wait to dive into the second book.
Mandi Schreiner started romance review blog Smexy Books in 2009. She is obsessed with reading romance novels and collecting fictional boyfriends.