Three Quick LGBT Reviews: Insight, Danced Close, and Growing Pains

Posted April 3, 2017 by shooting in Uncategorized / 17 Comments

Insight by Santino Hassell


Review by Lauren


source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own


Official SummaryGrowing up the outcast in an infamous family of psychics, Nate Black never learned how to control his empath abilities. Then after five years without contact, his estranged twin turns up dead in New York City. The claim of suicide doesn’t ring true, especially when a mysterious vision tells Nate it was murder. Now his long-hated gift is his only tool to investigate. 

Hitching from his tiny Texas town, Nate is picked up by Trent, a gorgeous engineer who thrives on sarcasm and skepticism. The heat that sparks between them is instant and intense, and Nate ends up trusting Trent with his secrets—something he’s never done before. But once they arrive in the city, the secrets multiply when Nate discovers an underground supernatural community, more missing psychics, and frightening information about his own talent.

Nate is left questioning his connection with Trent. Are their feelings real, or are they being propelled by abilities Nate didn’t realize he had? His fear of his power grows, but Nate must overcome it to find his brother’s killer and trust himself with Trent’s heart.



Review: I’ve read a book by Santino Hassell and Megan Erickson, but this is the first book I’ve read by Santino on his own. Granted, he has a lot of other books – and I need to read them pronto because I really loved Insight. I’m so glad it’s only the first in a series. At any rate, Insight is a great book – while there is an M/M romance, that’s not the only focus. It’s also about psychics and there is mystery and suspense! I loved it all and I was so fascinated by this Community. I definitely didn’t trust them, but I wasn’t sure how they were involved in the murder of Nate’s twin brother.

While there is a second book, Insight works pretty well as a standalone. There are things you’ll want to learn and it makes you excited for the sequel, but all in all, it wraps up a lot so you aren’t left with a huge cliffhanger. As for the romance, I loved that too! Nate never really felt worthy of someone’s attention and it was difficult to get close to someone as an empath, where he could feel everyone’s emotions. Things are different with Trent though and they make it work, despite the crazy that unfolds around them. I definitely rooted for these two!

Danced Close by Annabeth Albert


Review by Lauren


source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own


Official SummaryNewly clean and sober, Todd’s taken a shine to his job at Portland’s most talked about bakery. It’s not just the delicious desserts they sell, but the tasty treats who keep walking through the door. That certainly includes Kendall Rose, a wedding planner with eyes the color of brown sugar and skin to match. Todd doesn’t try to hide his attraction to Kendall’s elegant confidence and unique style, even as he worries about exposing the secrets of his past. 

For Kendall, the attention is just part of the anything-goes Portland he’s grown to love. But he’s still looking for that special someone who will embrace all of him—including his gender fluidity. So he takes a chance and asks Todd to be his partner in a dance class leading to a fundraiser. When the music starts and he takes Todd in his arms, Kendall is shocked at how good it feels. Turns out taking the lead for once isn’t a mistake. In fact, it might be time to take the next step and follow his heart …



Review: Danced Close is just the latest in the Portland Heat series, though you don’t have to read them in order. I’ve missed the first few – though I do want to read them at some point – but the latest additions have all been great. While a fairly quick read, I still really enjoyed Danced Close and felt like I got to know the main characters, Todd and Kendall, well. That’s always the biggest thing for me!

As for the story, I really liked how different the two guys were. Todd is a recovering addict, but he’s getting his life together and doing well at the bakery. As for Kendall, he’s a wedding planner that is genderfluid. His pronouns are “he” but that doesn’t mean he won’t dress in feminine clothes or wear makeup. Todd is more than okay with that – so it works pretty well from the start. The two really get to know each other while taking dance lessons for an event Kendall has coming up. His ex will be there and he wants to show off, and with Todd as his dance partner, the ex is sure to be jealous. This was a fun read – with some more important/serious topics touched on!



Growing Pains by Cass Lennox


Review by Lauren


source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own


Official SummaryGigi Rosenberg is living his best life: performances in the big city, side gigs at a dance company, a successful drag act, and the boy of his childhood dreams who now adores him. Even if the boyfriend part isn’t the sparkly ride of passion he expected it to be, life is sweet. So when his sister’s wedding calls him back to his hometown, he sees an opportunity to show the hicks from his past how wrong they were about him. Only, his boyfriend isn’t quite on board.

Brock Stubbs left their hometown and his parents behind for a reason, and the prospect of facing them again is terrifying. He swore he’d never go back, but Gigi has made it clear refusal isn’t an option, and Brock will do nearly anything for him. There’s just one deal-breaker of a problem: Brock promised Gigi he was out to everyone, including his parents. He lied.

It’s magical to run into the sunset together, but staying the course takes work. For Gigi and Brock, going home feels like the finale of a long, disappointing year. Sometimes love isn’t all you need. 


Review: Growing Pains is the third in the Toronto Connections series and I absolutely loved it. I really liked the first two, but this is probably my favorite of the bunch. Gigi and Brock have a pretty big role in the second book – Finding Your Feet – but this book is all about them. The two have been dating for awhile now, after a high school history that left Gigi heartbroken, and things seem to be going well. That is until the two are supposed to go back to their hometown for the wedding of Gigi’s sister. Brock is pretty adamant that he doesn’t want to be there.

The thing with Brock and Gigi that might bother some is that they don’t always communicate. However, there are reasons for this and they work for me, so hopefully you won’t be agitated by that. The two fight a lot over the weekend, but truths are slowly revealed and hurts are addressed. While they might not be getting along all the time in the present, there are chapters that show their love story coming together in the past – and moments in the present that remind them and the readers that they are meant to be. There is drama – and some of it is quite serious (though that’s not between our two main characters) and it definitely broke my heart a little. I loved these two together, and I thought their journey was written well!

17 responses to “Three Quick LGBT Reviews: Insight, Danced Close, and Growing Pains

  1. I didn't know about this series. Thanks for posting your review. I thinks it's interesting when a third book is a reader's favorite. That is not often the case.

  2. I always have a hard time committing to series, but I've loved all of the books that you've recommended that I was able to read, so will have to add some of these to the list, too. Thanks always for sharing your thoughts and book reviews, Lauren! XOXO

  3. These all sound like great reads, I will have to keep them in mind, I like a series every now and then, sometimes when a book ends I'm not ready to say goodbye to the characters!

  4. We really like your website and find most of the content to be just what I’m looking for. Would you offer people to write content for you? I wouldn’t mind producing a story regarding bitcoin to bank account or perhaps on a number of the subjects you’re posting about on this website. Cool site!

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