Lynn Lorenz (1)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Waffles and Wings
This is a very sweet, very touching story about two men who have nothing in terms of material goods, but find they have everything when they open up to each other emotionally. Post-Katrina New Orleans is a fascinating, sometimes sad, and essential backdrop to their unfolding romance. Add to this a cast of great secondary characters and some very real threats to their physical security, and I ended up sinking into their world and not emerging until I show more had read the final sentence.

Scott came to New Orleans because he couldn't stand life in a small Louisiana town any longer. He managed to survive Katrina, and while he still lives in a homeless shelter, he has a job as a waiter and is slowly building a life for himself. When he gets mugged, then rescued by Tony, only to have him steal his money anyway, he is disappointed, but knowing he will earn tip money to help him survive has him a lot less tense than expected. I could still sense how close he was to the days when having five dollars stolen would have been a total catastrophe, and I was happy for Scott that he was beyond that stage. Not that his life is easy, but it's not impossible any longer.

Tony is a different case. He is still struggling, without a job, and only an abandoned house (no electricity, just cold water) to squat in for shelter. He has almost no money, no job, and while he likes Scott on sight, he is too desperate for something to eat not to take the guy's money. Until his conscience rears its ugly head and he has second thoughts. I loved how he figures out how to earn some money himself by helping to unload trucks at the farmer's market, and how he then returns the stolen amount to Scott. Very touching and a great beginning to a quickly unfolding romance.

If you like stories about men who remake themselves despite major hardship, if you enjoy reading about love blossoming in the struggling remains of a great city, and if you're looking for a touching romance that might make you smile, then you will probably like this short novella.


Charlie’s Mission
‘Charlie’s Mission’ tells the story of one of the secondary characters in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s Waffles and Wings’ – and Charlie having been somewhat abrasive and mysterious in that book, I was very curious to find out more about him. As it turns out he has had an even rougher past than Scott and Tony, but his struggles to fix his life are beginning to pay off. One thing he never expected is a personal relationship, so when he runs into Devon, who is extremely secretive, it’s not exactly romance at first sight. All the obstacles both men face, however, made the story all the more interesting and very touching.

Charlie used to be a drug addict, and his substance abuse caused grave consequences, prison time, and explains Charlie’s determination to pay for his sins. Working at a homeless shelter is his way of trying to atone for what he has done, and I think it’s perfectly understandable that he is hesitant about letting anyone close. There is a lot of fear about what they will think, but Charlie is also convinced he does not deserve any happiness. This made me sad, but I could see where he is coming from.

Devon is a different case. He is busy keeping drug dealers out of his neighborhood and he is doing a good job, but while he appears to be one thing, there is also a definite air of mystery around him as to the why and how. I can’t say too much about him because, while I suspected early on what was happening, his intentions are a big part of the initial issues between him and Charlie and the reveal of what’s going on plays a role in the development of their relationship.

If you like stories about men who struggle to make themselves, and the world, a better place, if you think everyone who regrets what they have done and works hard deserves a second chance, and if you’re looking for a touching story abut redemption and finding love in unexpected places, then you will probably like this story as much as I do. I love how it shows that, sometimes, hardship brings out the best in people.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

Emotional involvement, be it for a personal decision or a professional one, can be very risky. Chad found out about the personal consequences - loneliness - when he decided not to call Jeff, the boy he first kissed at summer camp. When Jeff turns up in Chad’s ER years later, Chad faces a professional dilemma that, were it not for his past with Jeff, would be nonexistent. Given Chad’s reaction to seeing Jeff again, a man he never forgot and clearly still has feelings for, I can see why he show more does what looks like total insanity. The fact that Chad’s action is shortsighted, has all kinds of consequences, and hurts Jeff yet again is the basis for renewed contact between two men who should have been together in the first place – except Chad wasn’t ready to face the truth back then.

Jeff is shocked to see Chad again, as the doctor who saved his life and is in charge of his recovery, no less. Chad broke his heart, and now he has decided to waltz right back into Jeff’s life and take over. Jeff is justifiably angry about that, but the anger and pain from years ago make everything so much worse. But he is also all alone, since his parents died, and he may vehemently deny his emotional attraction to Chad, but it is very, very strong.

Chad is in trouble for more than one reason. First, getting emotionally involved with a patient is highly unethical. Second, lying about his relationship to Jeff is borderline criminal. And third, how the heck is that supposed to lessen Chad’s guilt over leaving Jeff in the first place? Quite clearly, Chad is not rational about any of this, and that makes him very human. What he does is wrong, but why he does it? I can certainly see where he is coming from.

With two characters this emotionally torn up about their past, the deep feelings they still have for each other, and the difficult current situation they find themselves in, this novella is explosive. It is also very intense, and even though it is short in the number of pages it contains, I found it to be very engaging, carefully plotted, and about as nerve-wrecking as it is sweet.

If you like to see men getting a second chance at love, if you want flawed characters with real issues who make real-world mistakes, and if you’re looking for a read that might just pull you in and not let you go until the end, then you will probably like this novella as much as I do.


NOTE: This book was provided by Hartwood Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

This is a werewolf story with a slightly different plot, but having werewolves as professional fighters, somewhere in the future, actually makes a weird kind of sense. With the way sports are going, and professional wrestling is already fairly big in certain circles, I can see how ‘discovering’ werewolves might lead to them being used for ‘entertainment’. It is also a brutal story, right from the very start. This vision of the future is a very harsh world, reminding me of what Roman show more gladiators must have gone through, only worse. It is definitely not for the fainthearted.

Tor may be a champion and adored by his fans, but he is only a slave. Not only exposed to his owner’s whims, but to the cruel reality of the fight ring, his life is not his to live. Within the first few pages he suffers more than enough for a lifetime, and I have no idea how he found the courage and energy to go on. I guess he didn’t have a choice, but still. Amazingly enough he does recover physically, and his ‘new mate’, as presented to him by Marrack, his owner, is now supposed to get him to fight again. You can imagine how Tor feels about that.

Sky is in an extremely difficult situation. He was raised to be a pleasure slave and doesn’t expect much from life, but when Marrack promises him his freedom if he gets Tor to fight again, he decides to do his best. And he is good! But when his heart gets involved, he is in trouble. He cannot imagine losing Tor, but can he continue to live as a slave?

This story is brutal. Not just because of the violence in the ring, but because of the emotional pain and anguish both characters go through. The author does not shirk back from making this awful situation very realistic. Unfortunately, I can see humans being cruel enough it might come to something like this. Whenever money is involved, you just cannot tel. If you are looking for a sweet romance or an entertaining read, this is not it. But if you want a gritty vision of a somewhat nightmarish future that feels all too real, combined with a very touching love story, you might like this novel. It is not an easy read, but well worth it if you’re looking for emotional depth and an unusual storyline.



NOTE: This book was provided by Loose Id for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

As intense as 'Tor', the first book in the world of the WereWolf Fight League, or WWFL, was, this second one adds a somewhat different angle – and that made it almost more gripping for me. Tor and Jin in book one are both slaves (who reappear here), and their love faces the challenges and constant threats of any fighting werewolf: if Tor loses, Jin goes to the challenger. And when he does and dies, watching Tor deal with it and find love again with Sky was heartbreaking enough. In this show more second volume, Dan, a master, and his new slave Ashland face the fact there are feelings between them. Not a problem, you say? Well, it is an issue because Ashland has been horribly abused by his previous master, and Dan swears he will never touch him sexually.

Dan is a principled man who has just started out his own business, providing sparring partners for the fighters so they can train. Ashland is his first slave. Dan is not in favor of the slave system, but there are too many economic interests tied up in it for any one man to stand a chance going up against it. Within that framework, he does what he can to keep Ashland as comfortable as possible. Having sex with a man who has no choice but to obey (since even raping a slave is legal) is not on Dan's to do list. He is, however, extremely attracted to Ashland and ends up fighting his feelings with everything in him.

Ashland broke my heart. He's had nothing but abuse in his life, separated from his mother at three months of age and trained to fight in horrible conditions. The owner who lost him because he wasn't able to pay his taxes was too cruel for words, and Ashland assumes everyone is like that. He has absolutely no hope it will get better. All he dreams about is enough food (the previous guy tried to starve him), and maybe some decent accommodations. Dan's treatment floors him. Every little thing Dan does for him is a surprise, and he is so grateful that he embarrasses Dan. After a while he gives up on his fantasy of Dan loving him back, deciding he's just not worth it. That and many of the tender scenes between the two men made me cry!

It takes the threat of Ashland having to return to the previous owner for Dan to admit his feelings, but by then it might be too late. The tension ratchets up to almost unbearable levels, and the desperation both men feel had me almost hyperventilating. Absolutely stunning! If you are looking for a sweet romance or an entertaining read, this is not it. But if you're ready to be put through an emotional wringer, making for a very touching, if somewhat gritty, love story, you might like this novel. It is so worth it if you’re looking for emotional depth and an unusual storyline.


NOTE: This book was provided by Loose Id for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less