Roger Hyttinen

Review of Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover

May 26, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

The Hideaway Inn is a character-driven LGBT romance that follows Vince Amato. We learn that as a child, Vince was bullied quite severely because of his sexuality. The moment he graduated, he blew town, and during his years away, completely reinvented himself from the skinny, frightened kid he used to be to a domineering muscular power alpha.

Now he’s back, but only because he recently purchased an inn called The Hideaway Inn. He plans to renovate the inn, flip it, make a gigantic profit, and then return to his life in the city. But what he didn’t count on was his childhood crush, Tack, a charming farm boy who broke Vince’s heart in high school. We also learn that Tack stood by and did nothing during Vince’s bullying.

But Tack has changed, and he’s determined to win Vince’s heart. But Tack unaware of Vince’s plans to sell the inn. So the question is: can Tack win Vince’s heart and cause him to change his mind?

This was a sweet, tender, and endearing novel about redemption and second chances. I really enjoyed getting to know these two characters and enjoyed how they both grew throughout the pages of the book. Character development was certainly among The Hideaway Inn’s list of shining accomplishments, and the author really brings them to life here, letting all of them thrive in their complexity, both haunted by the ghosts of their past. I loved the tension and chemistry between our two main characters, and they both tried to figure out how they fit into the other’s life.

I really, really cared about these two guys making it to a happy ending and thought the journey that takes them there is an utterly remarkable read. This is the kind of book that makes you laugh, makes you sad, and even makes you pine for lost love and lost opportunities. I thought that this is a beautifully rendered contemporary story of love and friendship, with all of its exhilaration, disappointments, and mistakes, and if you’re in the mood for a sweet and cozy read, then The Hideaway Inn is surely worth checking out.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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Review of Secret at Skull House by Josh Lanyon

May 24, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

This is the second novel in Josh Lanyon’s new Cozy Mystery series (Secrets and Scrabble), and we follow our snarky and often clueless main character Ellery Page who once again finds himself him a whole heap of trouble.

As it turns out, Ellery’s ex-boyfriend and famous horror author Brandon Abbott has just come to town and purchased the supposedly haunted/cursed Skull House. Abbott has purchased the house because of the two murders that have occurred there. Ellery is not happy about Abbott’s surprise appearance in Pirate’s Cove, given that their relationship ended badly.

Things become even more complicated when Brandon stirs the hornet’s nest of a twenty-year-old murder case of a local high school football player and the subsequent disappearance of his supposed killer — a case that certain townspeople want to be forgotten. As Brandon begins to investigate the cold case — much to the chagrin of certain locals — Ellery finds himself once again thrust into the middle of a murder case. As in the first book, Ellery begins ‘sleuthing’ to clear his name and reputation, which are once again being smeared in the local paper. As in the first book in this series, Ellery’s amateur investigating leads him into even more trouble.

In this story, we also see the continuation of Ellery’s hot and cold, romance/non-romance with Police Chief Jack Carson, which again, stalls before it can take off, which, truth to told, resulted in somewhat of a frustrating reading experience. So like the first book, romance in this one is mostly non-existent. The author does a magnificent job of placing the story’s primary emphasis on the murder mystery with a small (and possibly developing?) side story on the two principal characters.

As this is a cozy mystery, there is no sex, cursing, or on-page violence, but what we do have is a fast-paced, whimsy, light and comforting read with a few exciting twists along the way as decades-old secrets become revealed. But that being said, I found that Secret at Skull House contains all the things that cozy mystery readers live: quirky and colorful locals, a small town, plenty of gossip, and a compelling mystery to solve and I’ll be interested to see where Lanyon takes the series in future books.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.

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Review of Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert

May 24, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Conventionally Yours is a new adult romance follows our two main characters Conrad and Alden, both expert players of a fictional game called Odyssey. This book contained three of my favorite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, and a road trip (complete with a hotel room with only…one…bed). I wasn’t sure about the gaming aspect of it, though, as I’m not a gamer, but I needn’t had worried as the tensions between our two characters along with their hidden pasts rendered this an utterly compelling story for me. This was the first book I’ve read about gamers and gaming conventions, and though I’m not personally a gamer, I found this aspect of the story a lot of fun.

What made this story especially intriguing was both of our characters’ backstories. There’s Alden, who may or may not be on the autism spectrum but who is suffering from crippling anxiety as well as the need to fulfill his moms’ expectations; and Conrad, who has suffered enormous setbacks over the past year and is on the verge of being homeless.

What’s fun is that each character sees the other in a completely different way than the person’s actual reality. And of course, there’s the “I hate you, I hate you….yet I find you strangely attractive” aspect of it, which I always love. So in this way, both of our characters are quite complex and leading complicated lives.

So our two enemies, each who is at a significant crossroads in his life, are forced to travel to a gaming convention together alone and in the same car. And as their trip progresses, they each find themselves developing more than a casual interest in the other, complete with unwelcome romantic thoughts.

I was nearly giddy as I saw them moving toward an inevitable romance, and it was so much fun watching these two fighting their attraction to the other and, ultimately, giving in to it. There was also the extra added intrigue of the uber-important Odyssey Con competition — where both of the men feel that they must win… NO MATTER WHAT.

Overall, Conventionally Yours is a sweet, fun, heartfelt, nerdy romance – an excellent, well-crafted story that was a perfect blend of romance and gaming — a rare find. It’s a heartwarming story of two boys finding their way to each other, and I ended up loving the quirky plot and the endearing secondary characters. A rivalry between two master gamers turns into a whirlwind romance in this charming story about true love and doing what’s right.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an ARC of this story.

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Time Waits by CB Lewis

May 10, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

Badly wounded and on the run from his WWII Hungarian brigade, Janos Nagy stumbles through a temporal gateway to the future. Suddenly stranded in Manchester, England, 2041, Janos wants answers about a crazy world he doesn’t recognize.

Dieter Schmidt, flamboyant historian/linguist for the Temporal Research Institution has those answers, but the TRI is a neutral entity, set up to verify historical events under a strict code of noninterference. That doesn’t stop Dieter from taking Janos under his protection. Trust doesn’t come easy to Janos, who came from a time when revealing his secrets could get him killed, but the two men slowly build a tentative friendship with a possibility for more. But Janos’s continued presence in the future and Dieter’s persistence raise questions about the limits of the noninterference policy.

Since the rules have been bent once, one agent sees no reason why he can’t push them further, and he travels back to 1914 to make a few changes of his own. Under Janos’s guidance, Dieter must leap back in time to stop the rogue agent from changing the past and risking everyone’s future—if he can survive history.

Review

I love time travel novels, and this one did not disappoint. Time Waits was a bit unusual as it takes place in the future, 2041 to be exact, and one of our main characters is from the WWII era — a wounded, nearly dead Hungarian soldier on the run who suddenly finds himself in an unexpected time period in a confusing place surrounded by strangers. This aspect added an especially riveting element to the story.

I enjoyed the slow-build of the romance in this story as each of our two protagonists fights his attraction for the other; Nagy because of internalized homophobia due to an especially traumatic and horrifying event in his past and out-and-proud Dieter, who fights against taking advantage of this man now trapped 100 years in the future. It’s also worth noting that Dieter also has severe PTSD as a result of his initial encounter with Nagy.

Both men suffer from physical wounds and deep emotional wounds, and the road to recovery isn’t easy for either of them. Thus, they have a plethora of issues they need to overcome, and I enjoyed witnessing their journey as they did so, though the book explores a few dark themes along the way.

In this way, Time Waits ends up being quite an emotional read that takes us on a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs: pride, anger, aggression, resentment, hope, hopelessness, kindness, cruelty, hatred, and love. The romance here is complicated as both men have traumas preventing them from opening up to the other. And just when you think our guys have finally attained their “happily ever after,” the author throws in one final heart-wrenching curveball, which sends their futures into uncertainty.

So even though the beginning of their relationship was more than a tad rocky side, our two protagonists do have an amazing simmering chemistry between them, and I rooted for their HEA. They’re both complex, multi-layered, and exceptionally vivid characters — so vivid, in fact, that they jumped off the page for me. There was also some phenomenal world-building here, which also helped to bring this story to life.

The author does a brilliant job of crafting vivid, tension-filled, heartfelt scenes that flooded me with the characters’ depth, complexity, and their flawed, beautiful hearts. Besides being a compelling sci-fi adventure, Time Waits is also a heart-tugger of a story filled with life, loss, fear, survival, heartbreak, compassion, and eventually, love. This immersive narrative swept me up from the first page to the last. It’s about facing unimaginable heartbreak and coming out stronger on the other side, no matter how long it takes you.

This is the first book in the Time Lost series, and I’ll definitely be continuing on with the rest of them.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Nine Star Press for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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Review of Cygenic by Monique Poirer

April 12, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

I love robot/cyborg stories, so I was excited to pick this one up when it came to my attention. Cygenic is a science fiction story that takes place in the future and follows a cyborg (though they’re called “Cygenics” in this story) named Dante. Cygenics are sentient machines comprised of 85% human DNA that look and feel just like humans. Though they are sentient, they are still considered by law to be machines and thus are subject to ownership by humans. People who own a Cygenic can do whatever they want with it: use it as a nanny, a caregiver, a housekeeper, or even a sex toy.

Dante is strikingly beautiful and extremely intelligent and was commissioned by a professor to help illustrate some of his educational theories. But when the professor passes, Dante is thrust into the system where he is eventually stolen and sold into the sex trade. There, his everyday existence is hell, as his only purpose is to serve the depraved and vicious sex needs of sadistic clients. There were times that the story felt so intense and anxiety-provoking, I had to stop and breathe for a minute. But then one day, Dante’s circumstances change, and his path crosses with that of a man named Nate.

Nate is a programmer who works for an organization that is dedicated to the rights of Cygenics, and much of their work involves rehabilitating down-and-out cyborgs. Nate has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and, like Dante, is hurt, angry and mistrustful of others. But when these two meet, sparks fly between them. But it’s not going to be easy going for our two protagonists, as they need to face head-on the systemic societal oppression which threatens to rip them apart.

Cygenic is a beautifully written novel that is populated with wonderfully complex and empathetic characters, displaying the perfect balance of heartbreak and hope with a tone and style that captured my heart. This is such a smart story, an eye-opening account of letting go of prejudices and of seeing beyond what we think we know.

The story juxtaposes vicious and depraved sexual cruelty with the pure poetry of a new and profound love, and rarely have I encountered a more mesmerizing, beguiling story. Though this is a hard-hitting emotional journey, the lovely ending is worth the price. The author crafts gorgeous, tension-filled scenes and dialogue that suck you in and flood you with the main characters’ depth and their beautiful hearts.

The emotional profoundness of Dante and Nate draws you deeply into their spirit, to the point that their pain is your pain and their joy is your joy. Then there are some wonderfully delicious naughty parts coupled with lovely descriptions of the glorious male physique, which I thought were exceptionally well done in this story. Once we move past some of the more horrific scenes, we’re given moments of pure erotica; heavenly, tawdry, and scintillating.

I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down – I was absolutely spellbound. It’s rich, complicated, creative, clever, as well as tragic and thought-provoking — a pretty honest and raw commentary on humanity. This is a winning love story that gives a voice to underrepresented characters, which in this case, are Cygenics.

Poirer writes with the kind of humanity that we all should embody, the kind that makes you believe that there is still an abundance of good left in the world at any given moment. This book is more about facing unimaginable heartbreak and coming out stronger on the other side, no matter how long it takes you.

I felt happy and hopeful when I finished — everything you want to feel at the end of a great story. I hope the author writes more books set in this world she’s created here as I really grew attached to Dante and Nate as the story unfolded. This utterly and original book blew my mind!

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Monique Poirer for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.

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Review of Once a Girl, Always a Boy by Jo Ivester

April 12, 2020 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

I don’t read biographies all that often, but this one caught my eye, and I’m so glad that I read it. Once a Girl, Always a Boy follows Jeremy Ivester, a trans man who was born as Emily. We follow his journey as he struggles with his identity, knowing all along that something is not quite right with the way he perceives himself.

What’s compelling about this book, however, is that it’s written by his mother, and the author represents the entire family via multiple points of view. In this way, it’s not just Jeremy’s journey we’re reading about but that of his entire family. There is such a strong sense of love and family throughout the book which rendered it all the more endearing.

The story is told in short, vignettes of Jeremy’s life presented chronologically by him and his loving family. We follow along with Jeremey at each stage of his journey, and I loved being privy to his thoughts, feelings, and questions as he struggled to discover his identity and deal with the enormous repercussions of all of his decisions.

Additionally, the everyday gender issues that Jeremy had to deal with were quite eye-opening, things such as sleepovers with his friends, shopping for clothes, getting hair cuts, standing up at weddings, puberty, presenting your ID when asked, prescriptions, passports, which bathroom to use, discrimination and prejudice by others, getting a job, and hateful legislation aimed at trans people. My heart went out to Jeremy as he tried to figure out how he fits into his world, and I applaud his bravery and tenacity as he made many tough decisions, remaining true to his heart in the process.

As a reader, I loved that Jeremy and his mom shared his entire story with us, beginning from around the age of six or so through his adulthood in his 20s. I loved hearing his voice and being privy to his thoughts, feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams every step along the way. What was also interesting was his family’s own journey, as they tried to understand and support him and work through their confusion about what their son was going through.

This book is ultimately about the power of saying – and living – your truth, without fear. It’s not just a story about being trans, but it’s also about discovering one’s true self in the face of the expectations of society and family.

It’s a powerful and compelling story that needed to be told and needs to be read and talked about. This was a surprising read that took me places I very much didn’t expect. It’s the kind of book that makes us think about who we are and how we want to live our lives, and I don’t think I’ve ever read such an intimate and moving portrayal of gender issues like this before. It actually moved me to tears in several places.

Once a Girl, Always a Boy succeeds in doing what you hope every book will do – it pulls you in from the first page, holds you captive in the middle, then leave you satisfied and thoughtful — and perhaps a bit wiser — at the end.

What I especially found riveting about Jeremy’s story is how he was able to discover his true self and move to his place in his life where he was happy, all with his family’s love and support. It was evident how having a loving and supportive family like Jeremy’s made all the difference in his life, and it hurts my heart to realize that not all trans people are so fortunate.

Ultimately, I feel that Jeremy’s story should be a welcome addition to everyone’s bookshelves, regardless of whether you fall somewhere on the LGBTQIA+ Spectrum or not. This is a lovely story about a family accepting their son’s transition and illustrates perfectly how we should all be supporting our children and loved ones. At the end of the day, it’s a story of being human. It’s about unconditionally loving our kids, regardless of how challenging and painful that move toward acceptance can be.

I always find it difficult to rate biographies because, after all, what we have is a true story/snippet of someone’s life. But I don’t hesitate in the least to rate this one five solid stars out of five.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Jo Ivester for providing me with a review copy of this book. This title will be released on April 21, 2020 but you can preorder it from The Book Depository or from Amazon.

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