Reblog: 4.5* Review: “Kilig” by Jo Tannah

Re-blogged from Optimummblog

When I started reading this story, I expected it to be mildly entertaining at best. Let me tell you how wrong I was. I was thinking I would be bombarded with an abundance of culture with a speedy romance of two people force mashed together. This could not have been more wrong. What you get is two strong characters with a compelling story. Louie is a lawyer who works for his cousin and best friend’s company. Then you have Marc who owns a successful chain of stores. Marc’s sister Lisa was a joy to read as well.

One of the things that most enticed me about this book was where it is based. It centers around to big cities in the Philippines. Louie’s company is based in Manila. They send him to work in Bacolod, which is where Marc lives and works. Throughout the book, the author shows the culture and some of the words, phrases, and expressions used. Thankfully there is a glossary in the back of the book. What was an added bonus was getting some facts and a little bit of the island’s history. All this, while maintaining the story.

Also, I loved the pace of the relationship. From the first meeting to the happy conclusion nothing felt rushed or pushed. The timing from their first meeting to their first date was very realistic. It’s what you would expect from two very busy business men. While some steps were faster than others, you’re left with the feeling of it being the natural progression. The time flowed smoothly.

The troubles and concerns matched perfectly to the country’s culture. I found this to be a sweet romance that also taught me about a culture I’m not familiar with. The mannerisms of the society were described so you could fully understand how their community functions. Who was respected and why. Overall, this was a diverse story of love and culture.

***The ARC was provided by eXtasy Books. My review is an honest opinion of the book***

TITLE: Kilig

AUTHOR: Jo Tannah

SERIES: Tales From the Archipedlago

PUBLISHER: eXtasy Books

COVER ARTIST: Angela Waters

GENRE: Contemporary Romance; Erotica

E-BOOK: Yes

PAPERBACK: No

LENGTH: 158 pages

RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2017

PRICE: $4.99 -e-book

eXtasy Books | Amazon

Reblog: A Taboo Christmas as Reviewed by Serena Yates on 15-December-2016

Thank you to Rainbow Book Reviews and Serena Yates for this awesome review of A Taboo Christmas!

Theoretically Christmas should be bringing people closer together, especially family members. But somehow that doesn’t always seem to work, and ‘A Taboo Christmas’ is a case in point. Zach and Tristan have been together for a while (see ‘Taboo’ where they meet), but with the twenty-three year age difference and Zach’s father being Tristan’s best friend, they know to expect some issues. Nothing could have prepared them for the chaos that ensues when Zach’s Filipino grandparents come for an unannounced Christmas visit. I enjoyed the family problems and watching how Zach and Tristan dealt with them, despite the fact I have not read the first book. This works very well as a standalone.
The whirlwind who is Zach’s grandmother has everyone dancing to her tune in no time. She has accepted that Zach is gay a long time ago, and seeing him paired up with the much older Tristan doesn’t seem to faze her either. But she has definite ideas about how the holidays should be celebrated, and she doesn’t listen to anyone – not even the fact that they are mostly vegetarian and she is intent on preparing a ton of traditional meat-based dishes stops her. Zach and Tristan’s ability to keep a cool head under stressful conditions is severely tested. They also have trouble finding enough time to connect as a couple, but they do their best to meet any and all challenges. Very cute!
If you like big family celebrations and the chaos they can cause, and if you’re looking for a read about a couple dedicated to each other no matter what, then you might like this short story.

 Read the original Blog Post HERE!

Books in the Series:

Taboo

A Taboo Christmas

Reblog: 4 STARS | REVIEW: OBJECTIFIED BY JO TANNAH

I couldn't help it. I'd been offline for a while and only just came back today. This review by Kenna from Joyfully Jay Reviews is just amazing. Peeps, this is a reblog.

Buy Links:

Objectified is now available on eXtasy Books site here: http://www.extasybooks.com/objectified/

Amazon ( Friday, July 22nd) : https://www.amazon.com/Objectified-Jo-Tannah-ebook/dp/B01IL2VV88?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc#nav-subnav

Bookstrand ( Friday, July 22nd): http://www.bookstrand.com/objectified

~~~~~~~~

Review: Objectified by Jo Tannah
jul 15 2016

Objectified Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon
Length: Novel

Paul Howell is a billionaire who is used to getting what he wants, when he wants it. He’s had lots of lovers, but he’s not a relationship kind of guy. One night, while out with his friend, Paul sees a beautiful man sitting in a booth at the bar, and it looks like he’s grading papers! That throws Paul off guard, but he really feels something, so he asks the bartender to send him a bottle of the water the man is drinking, with his compliments. After joining him for a little while, Paul discovers he really likes the man, and wants to see him again.
Arjan Kerchner is an associate chemistry teacher at the university. He is also a formal model. After he’d made some money, he stopped doing it. He was tired of being treated like a piece of meat (Objectified. Get it?). He wants to get his degree in pharmaceutical chemistry. Arjan likes Paul right off the bat and agrees to go on a date with him the next night. He doesn’t know Paul’s a billionaire, though, and he’s a bit overwhelmed.
As Paul and Arjan get to know each other, someone is out there and they’re NOT happy about Arjan being gone from his apartment so much. He believe Arjan belongs to HIM and nobody else, and he isn’t going to stop until he gets him.
The concept and plot of Objectified are simple. That’s one of the things I liked about it. I’ve been reading a lot of heavy stories lately, and I needed a nice palate cleanser. However, just because it’s not a huge book with a zillion background characters and a dozen underlying stories going on, doesn’t mean it’s just a piece of fluff. No way! Objectified is a straight up, streamlined, GOOD book. Boy meets boy, boy falls for boy, boy has a dangerous stalker, boy and boy have to work together to trust each other and work through that obstacle.
I liked Paul. Sure, he’s a billionaire who doesn’t do relationships (as so many of them often are), but when he meets Arjan, he’s ready to change, and it’s a change for the better. He becomes a sweet man who wants to actually woo another, rather than just hit him with shock and awe and money. He made me smile with all of the sweet things he wanted to do for Arjan, and when he realizes his man is in danger? Look the hell out!
I felt sorry for Arjan. All he wanted was to be left alone to persue his academic dreams. The modeling made him some money, but it left him cold and empty. He hated being followed around by the paparazzi, and even though most of his fans were good people, there were some who were obnoxious…even to the point of following him into the bathroom to get an autograph. I got the feeling Arjan really enjoyed the way Paul treated him. He’d never really been taken care of before, and Paul actually wanted to do that for him.
The big bad guy is really bad…smart, insane, and evil to the core. Stalkers will stop at nothing until they capture their prey, and this guy isn’t very different. He’s brilliant in his planning, and when he discovers Arjan (his Arjan) has a boyfriend, he goes so far off the deep end, he may as well be in the Mariana Trench. He’s frightening, and I admit to having some white knuckles as the story was nearing its crescendo.
When Paul and Arjan are together, one on one, without the body guards and constant fear, they’re wonderful. They were a perfect couple. Arjan was a bit squeamish. He didn’t want to be a kept man. After years of being other people’s fantasies, he wanted a bit of normalcy, and let’s face it, being a billionaire’s boyfriend isn’t terribly normal. They fight through it, though, and it’s very romantic and sweet. Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t talk about the sex just a little bit. WHEW the sex was amazing! Forgive the pun, but there was so much chemistry between the two of them, it was palpable. They just fit together, and it was just right.
I recommend Objectified if you want a story that pulls no punches, isn’t overwhelming, but is still a great read. The characters were awesome. The action and mystery were well plotted, and the whole experience was very satisfying.

Thank You to all of those who made Hidden: Evils Release such a blast!

Well, Hidden: Evils has finally been released. The release party on Facebook was so much fun and it was amazing how many joined in the fun and games. 

I also have to thank the beautiful authors who came and pitched in to make the party successful. Lily Adile Lamb, Varian Krylov, Robin Reardon, Alex Clarke, Bronwyn Heeley, April Kelley, Brina Brady, Ingela Bohm, Tidal Boyce Ashburn, Ann Mickan, Grein Murray, Shaye Evans, Daryl Banner, Thomas Grant Bruso, Diane Nelson, Tammy Middleton, Deja Black, and Melissa Bell.

The reviews are trickling in and boy, they truly reflect the diversity of reviewers everywhere. Thank you guys, your support was overwhelming and made me cry happy tears.

Oh boy! Jo Tannah has taken the paranormal/thriller trope by storm, turned it upside down, then twisted it and gave it her own unique style. - Don't read in the dark! By Patricia Nelson - posted on Amazon May 23, 2016 - 5 Stars

The plot is complex and engaging. The characters are well established, complementing the plot in total harmony. - Don't miss reading this book! By L.A - posted on Amazon May 23, 2016 - 5 Stars

Paranormal romances are one of my new obsessions. I like a good monster. I enjoy two people having to come together to take the monster down. This is what happens in Hidden:Evil. The character development and world building are top-of-the-line. -  Land of the Book Fairies, Eddy LeFey's blog - 4.5 Stars

Hidden: Evils must be read to be fully appreciated…and I really did appreciate it. Jo Tannah has put together the perfect combination of horror, mythology, sex, romance, and the importance of friends and family. -  Joyfully Jay m/m romance and more - 4.25 Stars

This one hit a lot of my buttons, mystery, supernatural beings and magic. - Jana Denardo's review - 4 Stars

Reblogged: Eloreen Moon Reviews: ‘Compelled’ by Jo Tannah #LGBT #Review #SciFi #Short

Eloreen reviews ‘Compelled’ by Jo Tannah. This book was published by eXtasy Books on April 1st, 2016 and is about 42 pages long.

I love science fiction as well as fantasy and needed recommendations from our backlist of books to review. Marc suggested “Compelled” as a short novella for the 2-4-1 theme week, where we review two (or more) shorts or novellas with less than 150 pages in the same week. I really enjoyed it and I’m glad I got the chance to find a new author.

*****

Blurb:

Do you believe in dreams? That’s how I found Ryan. Unfortunately, I could not be with him then, not until he took that final leap of faith. You see, I come from a distant star and coming from another planet is problematic. Coming from a planet where the atmosphere is different from Earth makes it even more complicated.

Despite my father’s caution, I went to Earth. I was compelled because of my love for Ryan. I wanted him to come home with me but he would have to suffer through the change to survive. I wanted to be with him on Earth but its atmosphere is toxic to my kind.

I was caught between two different worlds and longed for at least one more hour on that planet so I could be with Ryan. What I wouldn’t give, just to feel his skin against mine, to taste his lips on my mouth. What I wouldn’t give, just to get lost in his embrace once more.

I am Q’lan. This is our story. It is not long but it was difficult. I am glad that I can tell it now with Ryan in my arms.

In my embrace.

In my life.

Buy Links: Amazon | eXtasy Books | B&N | Add to Goodreads

*****

For such a short story, it read and felt like a longer one.

As suggested in the blurb, it is a happily ever after, but the journey was indeed difficult for Ryan and Q’lan.

Q’lan never gave up his faith in his mate, and I’m glad to have read about their bonding.

It’s hard to not describe anything as I don’t want to give the story away. They do have brief sex scenes but you’ll understand why once you read it.

I really would like to know more about them and their universe. I enjoy detailed descriptions of new worlds and it would have been great to have learned more about Q’lan’s world, had the story been longer. However, the descriptions were enough to understand the differences between the humans and Q’lan’s people.

I read the blurb for this story, and was reminded of my own ideas that have lain dormant. I love that this story is available and perhaps it will get me to dust off my own writings and see where it takes me.:)

So, thank you, Jo. This is a great inspiration.

With this, I give Compelled 9/10 Pots of Gold.

-Eloreen

9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars

*****

See Original Post from RGR HERE