Book Reviews for #PrideMonth: June 2021

This month I wanted to focus on a theme for my book reading/reviewing, and June is Pride Month. This month I’m featuring books with LGBTQ+ themes on my blog to celebrate some of the talented authors I’ve connected with over social media. The books on this list were recommended or linked to me in April and all are written by Indie authors. There were several I wanted to read sooner, but I made myself wait for June so that they could be listed together.

As per usual, clicking on the book cover images will take you the Amazon page for the book, but if the book is available elsewhere, that information can likely be found on the author’s website (included at the end of each review). Books are listed in the order I read them:

Sky Full of Mysteries – Rick R. Reed

Warning: There are a few sexually explicit scenes in this book.

This was a beautiful story. It begins in 1997, with Rory and Cole, both in their mid-twenties, and in the beginning of their first true-love relationship. They are passionate about one another, in a way that only a “first love” romance can be. Not long after they move in together, however, Rory is abducted (yes, by aliens) and disappears. Cole is left devastated. Twenty years go by, and Cole manages to move on. He gets married to Tommy and they have a wonderful life together, but Cole never forgot Rory or the love they shared. When Rory inexplicably returns, Cole is forced to make a decision between his first love and his life’s love.

This book was an emotional roller coaster, and the last several chapters left me in tears. It was a wonderful story, and I loved how both of Cole’s relationships felt so real, so authentic, but in different ways. I also found it refreshing to read a romance book that didn’t have the enemies-to-lovers theme. Because of my own life experience with relationships, I struggle to relate to that enemies-to-lovers story, and Sky Full of Mysteries was a wonderful departure from that. It was nice to see an author showcasing true, healthy relationships built on respect, and I would love to see more of that from the genre.

I loved how the characters each stayed true to what they believed was right. Even with Cole’s dilemma at the end, I believe he made the right decision. The ending was bittersweet, but it was perfect for this book. No, I’m not giving spoilers; you’ll have to read it to find out what happens for yourself.

Author website: rickrreedreality.blogspot.com

Sage, Smoke & Fire – Ryan Kurr

Warning: There are a couple disturbing and violent passages depicted in this book.

A very detailed story featuring modern-day witches who seek to restore balance to the world, Sage, Smoke & Fire is set in New Orleans. Nina was chosen to create a coven, to teach those she brings in, and to lead them on their mission of restoring humanity’s harmony with the natural world. Their magic is not without danger, and as the new witches begin to explore their powers, there are some unintended consequences.

I liked the concept of this story, the way it was presented, and the author’s take on how magic works in his world. It was clear he did a lot of research for this novel. The book is very heavy on details, and it takes a while before anything begins to happen. Between those two things, getting through the first few chapters takes some patience, because there is so much information and set up that was done in preparation for the remainder of the book. It’s worth taking the time to digest, because the rest of the story was quite compelling, and the story continued to get better as the book progressed. Every character had their own unique role to play, strengths, and weaknesses that made them feel realistic.

As a side note, I liked the addition of the recipes at the end of the book. That was a neat touch, and one I haven’t seen before in a novel.

If modern-day witches and urban fantasy are your thing, check out Sage, Smoke & Fire.

Author website: ryankurr.com

Refraction – Terry Geo

Refraction tells the story of a secretive research facility with the capability to monitor and record a person’s dreams. It began as a scientific endeavor to help those afflicted with severe sleeping problems or night terrors, but became something much more.

This book tells a great story, and I liked the concept. Dreams not only being recorded so that others can view them, but coming to life, as well? Pretty fun – if you have normal dreams. (In my case, it might prove to be a bit terrifying…My dreams are rarely pleasant, but that’s enough about me.) I absolutely loved the pop culture references that were mentioned in the form of “dreams” in this book – who wouldn’t want to take a ride with Falcor, fight Donkey Kong alongside Mario, or be saved from enemies by Link?

I did find the beginning of the book to be a bit difficult. There were numerous characters introduced, relatively rapidly, and each character had a fair bit of backstory to them. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was a lot of information to take in very quickly. Once the characters all found their place within the story and things began to take off, the book became much more enjoyable.

The author kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next, and I like when I can’t quite figure out the plot ahead of time. This was a fun read, and I’m glad I picked this book from my list.

Author website: refractedworld.com

Innocence & Carnality – J. Alan Veerkamp

Warning: There are some sexually explicit scenes in this book, as well as passages that depict physical and/or emotional trauma.

This book tells the tale of Nathan, a young nobleman from Deilia who knows little of the world beyond the place of his birth. He is condemned by his family when it comes to light that he is gay, and is later married off to a foreign lord without his consent or input. Though he tries to adjust to life in the new land, his upbringing in Deilia is difficult to shed, and when he learns his new husband runs a brothel and casino (both illegal in his homeland), tensions between them escalate. To top it off, Nathan quickly finds his spouse is jealous, possessive, and manipulative—he’s traded one terrible home situation for another, and neither were of his choosing. Nathan forms a plan to free himself, but it will require careful maneuvering on his part if he is to succeed.

I found this story to be far more engaging than I had anticipated based on the book’s Amazon description (the above was my own summation). It was extremely difficult to put the book down and there were many twists and turns in the plot I wasn’t expecting. The writing was wonderful, the story compelling, and I loved the steampunk elements that were thrown in, even though they were a minor part of the story. The ending was fitting, and it’s always nice to see a happy conclusion (especially considering how awful the circumstances were for Nathan during most of the book). This was a great read!

Author website: jalanveerkamp.wordpress.com

Coming About: Life in the Balance – Mario Dell’Olio

I haven’t read many memoirs, so I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book (if you’ve followed my previous book review posts, they’ve been exclusively focused on works of fiction. I read non-fiction on occasion, but it’s rare.) Coming About appealed to me because it focused on the author’s story of leaving his life in San Francisco behind to captain a boat in the Caribbean. As a scuba diver, I’ve traveled to that area of the world a few times, and anything to do with the ocean is something I’m interested in.

The author and his partner both had good jobs, but they were extremely busy and life became very stressful. The idea of packing up and moving to an island, where life was slower-paced, was at first just a dream, but they eventually decided to make it a reality. Their decision was not without unexpected trouble, however. Almost as soon as they took their new boat to sea, there were problems with the vessel that threatened to derail all of their plans for the future.

I found this book to be quite interesting, and the story much more compelling than I’d expected. At the closing of the book, the author recounts a graduation speech he gave for some of his students, and its message was very powerful. Given the events that led up to that point in his life, it made the speech all the more profound, and even as an adult, reading those words were very meaningful.

If you’re interested in reading a real-world tale of adventure (and misadventure) on the open sea, consider Coming About.

Author website: mariodellolio.com

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I hope to continue the book reviews next month and have a couple on my list already. That being said, I will be moving to a new place mid-July and can’t promise my usual list of 5-10 books. I’ll make an effort to read as much as I can, but next month’s list may be a shorter than my norm.

Have a book you’d like me to read and review? Contact me here!

As always, thank you for reading my blog, and I hope you’ll find some more great books to enjoy!