Xavier Mayne's Blog, page 6

The Novel Approach gives Husband Material 5 stars

Jackie, the wonderful reviewer at The Novel Approach, has given Husband Material 5 stars! It’s an extensive review, and I enjoyed reading it very much. The closing two paragraphs in particular I appreciated:

This is a very slow burn romance. I think one thing I loved was the minimal angst factor in this one. Don’t get me wrong there is angst, but it isn’t over the top. The last part of the book could, hands down, be the most romantic thing I have read in a while.

All in all, I loved the book. It isn’t my usual read, but I am so glad I read it. I loved Frat House Troopers so I figured this one would be good as well. As with Xavier Mayne’s previous book, the supporting characters were amazing. The writing was well balanced and kept me on my toes. Highly recommend this title, another winner for Mr. Mayne.

As Husband Material is only my second novel, I’m only now realizing the thrill of having repeat readers. I am so glad that Jackie gave a shout-out to Frat House Troopers. After all, you never forget your first!

Read the entire review here (you should!)

MM Good Book Reviews gives Husband Material 4.5 hearts

Thanks to reviewer GiGi at MM Good Book Reviews for the 4.5 heart review of Husband Material! The delightful commentary concludes with this gracious note:

This is a fun read, perfectly paced, and plenty of steamy and romantic scenes. I’ve never been a huge fan of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, but I’m a big fan of this book!

Thanks, GiGi!

Read the review here.

New interview at Hearts on Fire with a Husband Material giveaway

The great folks at Hearts on Fire interviewed me about my books, about writing “gay for you” romance, and a ton of other fun stuff. Some great questions, and I look forward to reading the comments.

Also, everyone who leaves a comment by 2/28 gets a chance to win a copy of Husband Material. Check it out!

Read the interview here.

Frat House Troopers audiobook now available

Frat House Troopers is now available as an audiobook, read by the terrific Peter Brooke. All that Brandt and Donnelly goodness, delivered directly to your ears. I can only hope it would make for a more pleasant commute or stroll in the park!

Get the audiobook here.

Night Owl gives Husband Material 4.5 stars

The wonderfully named reviewer BookGirl at Night Owl has given Husband Material four and a half stars! I really appreciate reviewers who seem to “get” what I’m trying to accomplish in my writing, and BookGirl narrows right down to what matters:

 I have found many “gay for you” books throw the couple together and the “straight” character jumps into the relationship with ease. That never seems realistic to me. I would think that going through major changes in something as serious as your sexual identity would be all-consuming. I thought this book did a really good job of showing a character struggle though this. Riley deeply cares for Asher but he also resents him for bringing these feelings out. What I really liked was that the characters talk about the issue repeatedly, in a well-thought-out manner.

I’m with BookGirl on this one–far too often a character who has never had a gay inkling in his entire life suddenly becomes blissfully and completely gay because he meets that one special guy. I love writing about the drama/chaos that such a change would bring, both within and between the characters. I’m glad that works, at least for this reviewer.

Read the entire review here.

Bachelors and Bombshells gives The Accidental Cupid four smooches

I’m so thrilled that Josh, the narrator of “The Accidental Cupid,” is finding fans. He’s a little edgy, that guy, and he can come off a bit snarky until you get to know him. I received a fantastic Valentine from the dames at Bachelors and Bombshells, who appreciate Josh for the sweet, dirty soul that he is.

Overall, I thought that it was bold, quick, and refreshing. Josh’s snarky, innuendo-laden internal monologue was hilarious and at times eerily similar to my own thoughts of what was happening on the page.

I say, suspend disbelief and cut the author some slack. This isn’t The Odyssey;  Mayne has 50 pages to give readers sweet, sexy, funny, Valentine’s Day romance, and he delivered all of that and more.

Thanks, Catherine! I love your writing style, and I’ll be back to read more reviews–you two have a great voice.

Read the full review here.

Joyfully Jay gives Husband Material four stars

Thanks to Amy at Joyfully Jay, who gave Husband Material a four-star review. I really like the way she sums it up:

This book is a little out there, not technically perfect by any means, but is intensely readable.  I would definitely put it in the “guilty pleasure” category.  The two main characters have some intense chemistry and the sex scenes are hot.  It’s fun and goofy and just a good time.  Give it a chance if you’ve had your own gay Bachelorette contestant type fantasies.

This makes me really happy because I never set out to write anything but hot, sweet, and funny. Writing these books is my guilty pleasure, and I’m glad to have readers consider them the same. Thanks, Amy!

Read the review here.

Hearts on Fire gives “The Accidental Cupid” four hearts

Many thanks to Lucy at Hearts on Fire for her four-heart review of “The Accidental Cupid.” It’s always such fun to see what readers expect from a story, and whether it lives up to those expectations. I was glad that Lucy seemed pleased:

I have to say – I thought from the beginning that this was going to be just a sex-a-thon and instead it was unexpected and adorable.  As Josh says, “Somewhere there’s a kitten trading his ball of yarn for a fifth of vodka because he knows he’ll never be this cute.”

Read the full review here.

Hearts on Fire gives Husband Material 4.5 hearts!

Thanks to reviewer Wendy at Hearts on Fire for the 4.5 Hearts review of Husband Material! I am always glad to read that a devoted viewer of Bachelor/Bachelorette shows has enjoyed the book. I was nervous when I based the novel on the reality TV genre that I wouldn’t get it quite right, and people who watch the shows would hate it. But Wendy liked it!

Oh.  My.  God.  A gay twist on the Bachelorette reality TV show?  I could not wait to read this book (admitted show junkie here).  I was expecting something good based on the theme alone (I would love nothing better than to see a real life gay Bachelor season).  What I ended up reading was even better than what I expected and I loved it!

Read the full review here.

Sid Love Gives “The Accidental Cupid” Four Stars

Thanks to Cindy, writing at The Blog of Sid Love, who gave “The Accidental Cupid” a four-star release day rating. This is the first shorter work I’ve published, and I am all kinds of relieved to get a positive response. In fact, Cindy closes her review with this: “This is the first story I’ve read by this author but I will be looking for more.”

This made my entire week!

Read the review here.