2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Rustic Melody by Nic Starr (323-08-26-2016)

Rustic Melody is a great read. Joey’ s a hard working 21 year old, trying to keep the business going when he meets Adam, who is trying to find himself. What you get here is a sweet romance with a beautiful happily ever after at the end.

Rustic Melody by Nic Starr
Gay Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Nic Starr; 1 edition (January 26, 2016)
Amazon Kindle: Rustic Melody

Can a boy from the country and a guy from the city ever make it work?

Adam Chambers has never seen eye-to-eye with his father and is reluctant to take over the family’s property-development company. To clear his head and work out what he wants to do with the rest of his life, Adam leaves his responsibilities in the city and heads out to see the country.

He isn’t much closer to deciding what to do with his life when he arrives at one of Australia’s largest events, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and meets Joey Callaway.

Since Joey’s father’s tragic death left Joey the family’s debt-ridden pub, Joey has struggled, desperate to turn the business around and give his mum the life she deserves. A break away from the pressures of running the pub is just what he needs, and a hook-up with Adam is the perfect way to forget about his troubles.

The one-night stand might just be an opening act. If Adam and Joey can follow the music in their hearts, perhaps they can heal each other and create a melody that will last a lifetime.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Love's Redemption by Donna K. Ford (136-06-05-2016)

OMG -- I loved this book. Genuinely. Engrossing, solid characters. Fabulous read. This one made me happy.

Love's Redemption by Donna K. Ford
Lesbian Romantic Suspence
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (June 14, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626396736
ISBN-13: 978-1626396739
Amazon: Love's Redemption
Amazon Kindle: Love's Redemption

Sometimes a sacrifice is the purest form of love.

Rhea Daniels is a survivor. Just released from prison for the murder of her pedophile father, she is trying to put the past behind her and build a new life. When Rhea goes to work for Morgan Scott, an ex-priest with a big heart and a damaged soul, Rhea is challenged to face her wildest dreams and worst nightmares.

And Morgan isn’t without challenges of her own. When a man with a grudge comes to claim his revenge, she learns that, sometimes, there is no clear line between right and wrong. And sometimes redemption is about being willing to take a stand.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Games of Rome by J. P. Kenwood (025-02-28-2016)

1) The plot is excellent, full of suspense and apparently accurate historical detail, but this volume is part of a series, and it ends on a cliffhanger, an unresolved situation which seems intended to persuade readers to buy the next volume. Fabulous, persuasive depiction of ancient Rome and surrounding area. If I could assign a 12 to setting development, I would. Vivid but somewhat too melodramatic for my taste, and the dialogue includes much masculine bluster and overly-frequent invocations of ancient gods.

2) This is a unique read. Characters are well drawn out, plot has murder and intrigue woven into tales of sex and romance.

Games of Rome (Dominus #2) by J. P. Kenwood
Gay Historical
Publisher: JPK Publishing (November 18, 2015)
Amazon Kindle: Games of Rome (Dominus #2)

In this sequel to Dominus, Gaius Fabius Rufus, the victorious general of Rome’s brutal Dacian Wars, finds his loyalties and his affections pulled in different directions. Should he return to Rome and secure his claim to the imperial throne, or remain at his seaside villa and protect his pleasure slave, the fierce Dacian prince, Allerix? Retaliation for the murder of his beloved friend beckons him home, but his desire for justice could put both him and Allerix in mortal danger. As Gaius’s deceptions multiply, another tragedy strikes. Will the Lion of the Lucky IV Legion be forced to sacrifice his besotted heart to achieve his aspirations for supreme power?

Every moment since Allerix’s violent capture has tested the young prince’s fortitude and cunning. If he can kill the triumphant emperor who decimated his Dacian nation, revenge and immortality will be his glorious, everlasting rewards. But to realize his scheme for vengeance, he must deceive the Roman master whose body he lusts, the handsome, arrogant man whom he has grown to adore and admire. Can two former enemies—the conqueror and the conquered—find trust and true love, or are the consequences of war destined to tear them apart? Can Gaius and Allerix survive the perilous games of Rome?

Dominus is a plot-packed erotic m/m fantasy set in ancient Rome during the reign of Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117). Games of Rome is the second book in this alternative history saga—a tumultuous journey of forbidden love, humor, sex, friendship, political intrigue, deception, and murder.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Under a Sky of Ash by Brandon Witt (033-03-09-2016)

Though Under a Sky of Ash is of a romance genre, Mr. Witt’s depiction of heartache stems far beyond that of romantic love. Heartache is multifaceted and is rooted in the everyday strife we endure, repeatedly reminding ourselves to continue on, to try again, to endeavor to succeed. Unique in style, there is nonetheless a familiarity to this story that draws us in—an “everymanness” for us to comfortably tether ourselves. Mr. Witt captures the very essence of anguish in his soft-spoken brilliance that places this story firmly in true literature—all while he leaves us with a happy ending and hope in its purest distillation: fragile. Real, crazy, and beautiful, Under a Sky of Ash is nothing short of a timeless work of literary art.

Under a Sky of Ash by Brandon Witt
Gay Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (March 21, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1634770471
ISBN-13: 978-1634770477
Amazon: Under a Sky of Ash
Amazon Kindle: Under a Sky of Ash

More than a decade after leaving Colorado to attend college and escape his past, Isaiah Greene moves back and builds a life in Denver as a special education teacher. When he meets Ben Woods, the mentor of one of his students, the attraction is immediate. The revelations that they ve both suffered traumatic childhoods form a bond between them.

Raised by an abusive grandmother, Ben is a recovering addict who has made a family with his construction worker boss, Hershel, and Hershel s husband, Daniel drag queen ManDonna. Adding Isaiah to his life gives Ben a glimpse of a future he d never dreamed possible for himself.

Both Isaiah and Ben are survivors, but when guilt drives a wedge between them, the past threatens to end their relationship.

Ben and Isaiah embark on journeys of self-discovery. Though their path will be difficult at times, humor and love find a way to bring light to the darkness. "

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Love on The Red Rocks by Lisa Moreau (039-03-12-2016)

I was hooked by the time I made it halfway through the first chapter… I don’t usually like stories in first person, but I felt myself relating to the characters and the situation they found themselves in… weird seeing as I’m straight… very enjoyable.

Love on The Red Rocks by Lisa Moreau
Lesbian Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (February 16, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626396604
ISBN-13: 978-1626396609
Amazon: Love on The Red Rocks
Amazon Kindle: Love on The Red Rocks

Throw a handful of women together at a lesbian resort and things can get complicated.

Malley plans to profess her secret love for Lizzie, her best friend. Lizzie is trying to get away from her ex, who incidentally tracks her down. Jessie, Malley's dangerously sexy next-door neighbor, shows up unexpectedly. Circumstances throw Malley and Jessie together, disrupting Malley's plans to be with Lizzie. Toss in forbidden desires, an unexpected love, and Malley soon finds herself in the middle of a love triangle.

Amidst the spiritual red rocks of Sedona, Malley embarks upon an unexpected journey, causing her to question her desires and face her greatest fears. Will Malley choose to play it safe in life and love or will she shatter her comfort zone and take a chance on true happiness?

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html