M.J. O'Shea

Review copy courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review.

This book had all the ingredients for an excellent story, and they were used right.

Two con men choose the same mark but they both are after different things. In the end, they're the ones fooled. I had a niggling sensation at the back of my mind a few times, but around 4/5 of the book I really began to suspect who's who, and just who is conning whom. Turned out I was correct - point for me.

I thought the con man aspect of the show more story was brilliant. It wasn't heavy and laced with suspense, instead a lot of it was filled with humor. The dedication each man showed for their respective job came off clear, as well as Isaac's mixed feelings about pulling his con off because he's become emotionally involved.

For me, the romance between Isaac and Cary was a hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top. They both knew they needed to concentrate on what they were doing, not each other, but they were unable to stay apart. Sometimes I just don't feel it when an author attempts to write about the draw between two characters that makes it impossible for them to not gravitate toward each other. In this book? Hell yeah, I felt it. Isaac and Cary were adorable together. The sex scenes were fantastic.

My only complaint, if you can call it that, was the end. After everything was revealed and decisions were made, Cary and Isaac didn't discuss them on the pages. They both discussed them with other people - well, actually, Cary really didn't - but there wasn't a clear sense of them being even more tightly joined. And I kind of wanted that. So, the ending left me wanting.

In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Great plot, more or less of more or less eccentric characters, hot sex, and a good amount of humor. And it left me smiling. show less

A Hearts On Fire Review

FOUR HEARTS--Warning: Do not read this book if you're on a diet, it's going to tempt you to no end. Unless you're having cheat days...read this on a cheat day, m'kay? It'll give you ideas and recipes on what you can gorge on.

M.J. O'Shea? Slam Dunk. She's like a staple in a MM romance diet. Love her work.
Anna Martin? Slam Dunk. I've never been disappointed in anything I've read by her. I'm a solid fan.

I saw the two of them writing together, I knew I wouldn't be show more disappointed. And I wasn't! (Okay, I'm going to harp on the ending for a smidge later.)

The premise is cool: an American baker (Henry) with a Upper East Side pedigree finds love with a younger, Brit adman (Tristan). And there's NYC and a bakery for a sweet setting. And the story, the romance it was like a favorite pastry. Fresh and hot out the oven. Damn, I still have dessert on the brain. The recipes at the end of every chapter is definitely a culprit.

"Macarons at Midnight" is simple, light, sweet, romantic between two normal men who are perfect for one another. The pacing and steam level was really great. Slow, unassuming but very much solid and refreshing. Because, Henry and Tristan were two guys didn't rush into bed or the first available surface. There was chemistry between them but they weren't led around by their dicks. Expect quiet romance and super low angst. (The office drama Tristan went through made me pout. It was like H.S. bullying at the workplace. I wanted to deliver pain to Jordan.)

Solid story but that ending...it's good enough with the promise of more. I'll be honest, I cursed a blue streak at end. Read the last bit five times to make sure my e-reader didn't punk me and hid the rest of the chapter in a secret link. (It didn't) The ending isn't a cliffhanger. It was a little rushed but I am hoping it's for a greater purpose once the series ends.

It's just...I need explanations. It's too unresolved for my tastes. I need to find out what's going to happen. I want Henry and Tristan to be happy forever and ever, okay? They must be married in a fairytale castle and have three kids named Praline, Cookie and Jammie Dodger or J.D. for short. They will bake happy endings for customers and all will bask in their sweet kisses.

Because I basked in their kisses.
Because I loved their pacing.
Because I got swept away in their romance.

They were so believable that even though the ending isn't the way I wanted it, I came to care for the characters. And I can't take away more than a star because the writing read effortless. Time was given to know one another. It was sweet but I didn't get contact diabetes.

Of course I'm reading the rest of this series. Recommended by me and your local bakeries. ;)
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Looking to create the next Big Thing, Sasha Pulaski, a producer, holds a voice search, discovering not one, but four great voices who complement each other better than on their own. Danny Bright is a bit jaded, but knows the industry well enough that when the offer to join a boy-band comes along, you don’t give it a chance to slip away. They still need their fifth member, however, and Sasha finds him, unexpectedly, at an open voice call, comprised mostly of high school students who are show more throwing caution to the wind - like Elliott Price.

Danny and Elliott are like two peas in a pod, soon much more, from the beginning, but they suspect management won’t like it, and keep it a secret of the band. When management finds out though, they begin to wonder if pursuing their dream careers was worth it at all.

Increasingly in need of a sweet-fix, this didn't just satisfy my sweet tooth, it also showed a rose glasses look at the not-so-nice side of being in the public eye and presenting yourself on some else's terms.

The book is often recommended to, a bit obviously, One Direction fans who ship Harry Styles and Larry Tomlinson (that ship being HS/LT or Larry Stylinson). It can also work as an agent to convince someone that all is not platonic there (as MJ O’Shea demonstrated as she was researching boy bands for this book). It can also give you a bit of a craving for produced pop tracks, as proven by me. I’ve been listening to One Direction’s discography on a constant shuffle for over a week now. There’s enough difference between the real life heartthrobs and the book’s characters that it’s clearly not a fanfiction with names changed, and quite a few references to N’Sync, 98°, Boys II Men and Backstreet Boys histories, if you know them.

It was really enjoyable as a romance for a non-directioner. For me, the cover is clearly Danny, who, of the two boys, is the more comfortable with the spotlight, having sought this break his entire light and growing up not far from the center of celebrity in California.

For Elliot, he’s a lot like Harry Styles in appearance, but with his big eyes, wavy hair and bubbly personality, I was reminded of another gay teen popular on the internet, Milo Dunstan from Tripping Over You. (But you know, with brown eyes and pale skin.) Just look at those eyes, they’re huge!

This book also had some nice points for it - no gay bashers, no hospital scene, no angst about coming out to parents. It was slow-burn, a little angst about does-he, doesn’t-he, and just really adorable, but not pure fluff. I mean, I like conflict, and angst can be nice, but sometimes this is okay, too. Like, really okay! Heather made a point that the band gets along a little too well, that the lack of trouble among the five boys was a little unbelievable but I think the story would not have benefited from any discord among them — there was enough strife between Danny and Elliott as well as against management. Some who want more heat in their romance will definitely be disappointed, it’s not chaste, but there may have been only two explicit sex scenes in here, I hear that’s also not typical for MJ.

This was my first romance by MJ O’Shea and I took advantage of a sale to pick some more books of hers up, to-be-read-soon. (I know, I made a resolution, but—sale!) I enjoyed this very much, all grievances of mine, as few as there were, have faded away in the honeymoon glow. I wished this book would go on and on in it’s adorable affection for it’s characters, but that is clearly unrealistic.

350pp. Dreamspinner Press. 21 June 2013. show less

Ahhh, this could so easily have been a 5 star read. It was sweet and gentle with an 'enemies' to friends to lovers style story line. No angst just an palate cleansing, easy read.
Jake, Baldwin's ex-nemesis, has an epiphany and it turns out his unapproachable and unlikeable exterior is hiding a vulnerable and soft hearted soul. Jake certainly stole my heart.
I was reading an ARC and I was willing to ignore the horrendous amount of typos (sentences with no capital letters, no apostrophes, word show more and name swaps) because I assume they will be actioned before publication. I was going to 5 star this story despite these things (even though this peeves me no end) and then the story just ended with a perfunctory reunion. It needed a gesture, an acceptance and some follow up to make me believe in their HEA, instead I got a half arsed I love you and a mediocre kiss and was left with a feeling of disappointment after 2hrs plus of light and fluffy. I don't expect weddings, white picket fences or proposals but (especially after a split) I do want time together to get that connection back. And here I didn't get it. show less