Exit Through the Gift Shop by Kim Fielding – Warmest Wishes

Alex’s traditional family Christmas Compromise means spending the holiday at a second-rate theme park, Poseidon’s Planet, but Alex doesn’t mind. He enjoys the rides and the company of his family, and it’s a good break from his going-nowhere existence back in Indiana. Then he meets a certain sexy employee in a pirate costume, and Alex’s vacation gets even better. But thrill rides last only a short time, and sooner or later everyone has to return to real life. Alex long ago gave up on marrying a handsome prince—will he have to give up on his pirate as well?

Advent Calendar Day 31

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆
This was a cute love at first sight story. The idea of an annual Christmas Compromise vacation was a novel yet believable plot device for me, and I thought it was a great way to engineer a meeting between a pirate living in Florida and a painter from Indiana. I’ll be honest, because I didn’t reread the blurb before starting Exit Through the Gift Shop, I thought Alex’s holiday fling was going to be with the amusement park’s Poseidon and I was a tad disappointed. So obviously, I was quite pleased when Alex and Rory met in the gift shop and sparks began to fly. I found it adorable that Alex steered his family toward Rory’s regularly assigned ride in hopes of crossing paths with the pirate again, even if he failed to take advantage of it the second time. Fortunately for all, Rory was a bit more active in making his interests known and the two have a rather lovely if brief first date. I really enjoyed how the two guys spent their time talking and getting to know about one another’s lives and their hopes for the future. It made their fledgling relationship feel more real and made me believe in a future for them as a couple, especially as they considered their short time together as Christmas gifts to themselves. I adored the Christmas day celebration and how welcoming Alex’s family was to Rory and how supportive they were of Alex when Rory presented him with an unexpected opportunity for the new year. This was a really cute story about two sweet guys who hit it off splendidly and recognized that something special in the other that gave them the courage to take the next step – all thanks to a bargain-seeking family, a malfunctioning ride, and a little holiday magic.

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

Kim’s novel Brute was the 2013 Rainbow Award Winner for Best Gay Fantasy and tied for fourth place for Best Gay Novel.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Connect with Kim

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Warmest Wishes: Exit Through the Gift Shop by Kim Fielding to read and review.

Summerfield's Angel by Kim Fielding Blog Tour

After the hard winter of 1888 ended Alby Boyle’s work as a Nebraska ranch hand, he returned to New York City in search of his long-lost family. His mother and brothers are nowhere to be found, however, and after Alby’s years of absence, Five Corners no longer feels like home. His prospects seem as dim as the nighttime alleys.

When Alby pauses to admire an angel ornament in a department store window’s Christmas display, he meets Xeno Varnham-Summerfield. Wealthy, handsome, and enthusiastic, Xeno brings Alby some temporary cheer. But for Alby to achieve his dreams of love and a real home, well, that may take a bit of holiday magic.

This book is two of seven stories which can all be read and enjoyed in any order.

The Christmas Angel Series

In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.

Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudged along by) the Christmas angel through the years. Whether it’s 1700s England (Eli Easton's Christmas Angel), the 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding’s Summerfield’s Angel), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk’s Magician’s Angel), World War II (L.A. Witt’s Christmas Homecoming), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker’s Soldier’s Wish), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday’s Shrewd Angel), or 2018 (RJ Scott’s Christmas Prince), the Christmas angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need its blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.

Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Summerfield’s Angel is just as enchanting as book one in the series. Set over one hundred years later, Kim Fielding takes us to New York City in 1888, where the Christmas Angel has found her way atop a Christmas tree in a local department store’s window display. Catching the attention of a returning son, Alby is mesmerized by the angel’s beauty and it is under her watchful gaze that he first meets the enigmatic Xeno. To say their first meeting was memorable is an understatement as Xeno saved Alby’s life. But Alby soon learns that he made more of an impression on Xeno than he ever expected when the men’s paths continue to cross each time Alby finds himself drawn back to the Christmas Angel. As the men strike up a tentative friendship, Alby is unable to deny the attraction he feels for Xeno, but because he considers himself to be beneath someone of Xeno’s class, he refuses to act on it… until Xeno arranges for some much needed privacy for them to indulge their mutual attraction. Yet just as it appeared that their time together was coming to an end, the Christmas Angel stepped in and gave Alby the push he needed to ride to the rescue, cementing his place in Xeno’s life while insuring the two had a future to look forward to.

I enjoyed the way in which Fielding brings two men from entirely different backgrounds and classes together, forging a bond through a painful loss that was not uncommon of that time. That Xeno was a curious man, interested in the people and the world around him, made his continued pursuit of Alby’s acquaintance believable, especially after he draws out their lunch in order to encourage Alby to share his story. I loved that Alby’s pride never came into play when he learned why his room was upgraded and instead, seized the opportunity to spend time with Xeno, cherishing their stolen moments together, and cataloging them for the time when they would be forced to go their separate ways. Understandably, I was beside myself, reading as fast as I could, when the Christmas Angel appeared to Alby, sending him to Xeno’s side when it was his turn to play the white knight riding his trusty steed to the rescue. But it was the epilogue that left me enchanted as Fielding showed us where the two men were two years later, making plans for their Christmas Day activities with family and the steps they’d take the following year to give the Christmas Angel the chance to share her blessings with others who might need her special brand of magic. It was the perfect way to end Summerfield’s Angel and left me ready to dive into book three.

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

Kim’s novel Brute was the 2013 Rainbow Award Winner for Best Gay Fantasy and tied for fourth place for Best Gay Novel.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Connect with Kim

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Summerfield's Angel (The Christmas Angel #2) by Kim Fielding to read and review for this tour.

The Spy's Love Song by Kim Fielding

For a singer and a spy, love might be mission impossible.

Jaxon Powers has what most only dream of. Fame. Fortune. Gold records and Grammy awards. Lavish hotel suites and an endless parade of eager bedmates. He’s adored all over the world—even in the remote, repressive country of Vasnytsia, where the tyrannical dictator is a big fan. The State Department hopes a performance might improve US relations with a dangerous enemy. But it means Jaxon’s going in alone… with one exception.

Secret agent Reid Stanfill has a covert agenda with global ramifications. Duty means everything to him, even when it involves protecting a jaded rock star. Jaxon and Reid’s mutual attraction is dangerous under Vasnytsia’s harsh laws—and matters get even worse when they’re trapped inside the borders. Romance will have to wait… assuming they make it out alive.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a cracking romantic adventure that kept me riveted and made me happy. True, the story is a completely implausible flight of fancy, but Jaxon captured my heart in the first chapter and I couldn’t put his book down.

When rock star Jaxon is invited by the State Department to visit a tiny dictatorship as a goodwill gesture, he finds himself accompanied by Reid, a sexy secret agent posing as his assistant. Vasnytsia seems to be a cross between North Korea and Chechnya and Reid and Jaxon quickly find themselves in more trouble than they anticipated.

Nothing about this story is plausible – but I loved every moment. Some of the descriptions of the country and the food will be familiar to anyone who has travelled in former Soviet bloc countries, but the rest is gold dust from Kim Fielding’s unrivalled imagination. Reid and Jaxon’s love/hate relationship is good fun and chemistry crackles between them. Jaxon’s journey from bored, spoiled rock star to revolutionary martyr is highly entertaining.

This book pulled me out of a bit of a reading funk and I loved it. It reads like a self-aware Clive Cussler novel – or maybe Dirk Pitt meets Austin Powers? Anyways. A great read.

KIM FIELDING is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

Connect with Kim

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Spy's Love Song (Stars from Peril #1) by Kim Fielding to read and review.

The Little Library by Kim Fielding

Elliott Thompson was once a historian with a promising academic future, but his involvement in a scandal meant a lost job, public shame, and a ruined love life. He took shelter in his rural California hometown, where he teaches online classes, hoards books, and despairs of his future.

Simon Odisho has lost a job as well—to a bullet that sidelined his career in law enforcement. While his shattered knee recovers, he rethinks his job prospects and searches for the courage to come out to his close-knit but conservative extended family.

In an attempt to manage his overflowing book collection, Elliott builds a miniature neighborhood library in his front yard. The project puts him in touch with his neighbors—for better and worse—and introduces him to handsome, charming Simon. While romance blooms quickly between them, Elliott’s not willing to live in the closet, and his best career prospects might take him far away. His books have plenty to tell him about history, but they give him no clues about a future with Simon.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆
This book was a difficult one for me to get into. It went super slow, there was no angst or drama, and I couldn't connect with Elliott or Simon. The blurb was what got my attention, but the story couldn't hold it. I loved the little library Elliott built in his front year; we actually have something similar here but with winter coats, people drop off used coats and then if someone needs one they come and get it. I found myself skimming and just wishing for the book to end. I am sure others will love this slow, sweet story, it just wasn't for me.


Angela – ☆☆☆☆
I recently discovered Kim Fielding’s writing thanks to Audible’s Romance Package, which then caused me to buy and devour several of her titles during one of their recent sales. As such, I decided to give The Little Library a read. Not only do I adore the idea of little libraries, but the blurb turned me into a nosy Nelly – I just had to know what the scandal was that had ruined Elliott Thompson’s life. Regarding the scandal, I found the Skype interview to be unnecessarily cruel because at least one of the interviewers knew Elliott would never be hired because of the info they had gleaned about the scandal, yet they seemed to have seized upon the opportunity to dangle the teaching position just so they could obtain more gossip. Disgusting.

As for the rest of the book, The Little Library is rather slow to start. I believe I was about 20% in before anything really seemed to happen. This is largely due to the fact that Elliott is an introvert who works from home, so his interactions with others are very limited until Simon trudges his way into Elliott’s life, thanks to the little library. The combination of Elliott’s ex being an opportunistic parasite and Simon’s self-consciousness over his injury and still being in the closet means that their relationship develops very slowly. For me, this wasn’t an issue because I felt like I got to know both men better as they spent time together and learned about each other and themselves. I liked how his relationship with Simon and how his interactions with some of the little library’s patrons brought Elliott out of his shell, giving him the chance to become more involved with his community and to see that the scandal that sent him running to California didn’t have to ruin his life. In the same vein, I liked how spending time with Elliott and learning more about himself gave Simon the courage to come out to his parents – even if it did go badly. But the major drama in the story was a perfect storm of events that led to Elliott’s meltdown. I cannot even imagine how I would have responded had I been in Elliott’s shoes, which is why I was so grateful that Simon was there to have his back. While I did feel like the end may have wrapped up a little too neatly, I think that’s because the passage of two months was easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention (translation: I had to go back and reread the epilogue to catch it). Neat or not, I loved the ending and think it was perfect for Elliott and Simon, and I would happily read a sequel.

One of the themes that I think Fielding addresses so well in The Little Library is that of irrationally directed anger – and no, I’m not referring to Elliott’s blow-up at his neighbor because that incident would have tested the patience of a saint. Elliott and Simon each encounter something within the bounds of their fledgling relationship that hurts or frustrates them and then makes them angry at the other, even though that person is not at fault. I think most people have encountered a similar situation in which something happens, and they direct their anger at a target who is not actually responsible for the situation, which then makes them angrier because they know they shouldn’t be angry at that person. What makes the anger irrational is that it’s directed at someone who we know isn’t responsible, yet we cannot seem to not lash out at the person. Fortunately for them, Elliott and Simon managed to reign their anger in before they said anything that couldn’t be taken back and then took a mature route of stepping back to cool down and get their head on straight before addressing the issue. Were feelings hurt? Yes, but not in a way that couldn’t be fixed. Their knee jerk reaction may have been human nature, but they both managed to respond in a mature fashion before they burned bridges or broke hearts. Here’s hoping that I can remember Elliott and Simon’s course of action the next time I get angry and try to take it out on the wrong person. I must say that as much as I came to love Elliott and Simon, Ishtar was my favorite part of the book. You’re gonna love Ishtar.

KIM FIELDING is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

Connect with Kim

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Little Library by Kim Fielding to read and review.

Dear Ruth by Kim Fielding – Stocking Stuffers

Dear Ruth,

I’m not in the mood for Christmas. After a romantic relationship went up in flames, I returned to my hometown in rural Kansas. Then my mother passed away. I’m really busy with my job as fire marshal—and now with my mother’s advice column, which I reluctantly took over. There’s a sexy newcomer down the street, a guy with a young daughter and an unfortunate disregard for fire safety. He seems to want to be friends, but that creates problems that may be too hot for me to handle. The last things I need right now are flammable holiday decorations and too much holiday food. How am I supposed to give good advice to others when I can’t seem to get my own life straight?

—Bah Humbug in Bailey Springs

Day 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I love romantic Christmas novellas, as they bring all the magic and excitement of Christmas to life with plenty of heartwarming passion.

This is a really sweet and amusingly original story. Bryce is wonderful with his constant reminders about the hazards of fire, and he certainly seems to be the perfect person to fill his mum's place as Dear Ruth. That it helps him get closer to his new neighbour, Noah, is a bonus. The revelations about what Harper had been asking his firefighter colleagues was very cute.

Perfect way to start the run up to Christmas.

KIM FIELDING is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

Connect with Kim

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Stocking Stuffers: Dear Ruth by Kim Fielding to read and review.

Love is Heartless by Kim Fielding

Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.

Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.

Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.

Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow! This is such a fantastic story. Both a well-crafted murder mystery and a beautiful romance, this story manages to be exciting, sweet, sexy, and funny.

I loved Nevin. The suave detective appears to have it all together. He drives an antique car, wears hand tailored clothes, and he enjoys a new lover every night. No repeats. But he also comes with a whole lot of baggage. After his family abandoned him, he grew up in foster care, bouncing between difficult placements. It’s not that he won’t do relationships – he just can’t. But there is a softer side to Nevin. He loves his job protecting vulnerable adults. He cares for his friends.

In so many ways, Colin is Nevin’s opposite. As an adult, he is still uncomfortably tied to his parents. He works for his affluent father. He talks to his over-involved mother every day. He leads a very safe and sedate life after breaking up with his long-term boyfriend. Colin has a good reason for his caution and dependence which is hinted at, but not explained until late in the story. When he meets Nevin, Colin is miserable and just starting to develop an independent identity of his own. Volunteering with a seniors’ charity makes him happy, but it also draws him further into Nevin’s murder investigation.

The murder mystery is wonderfully complicated. The focus of the story is more on Colin and Nevin, but the underlying police procedural adds suspense and intrigue. I guessed the murderer’s identity too early, but it wasn’t until the very end that I was certain.

Nevin’s awkward dance around his first ever potential relationship is more comical than angsty. Colin responds to Nevin’s angst with calm understanding, which settles the relationship but also makes Nevin’s fear of commitment more amusing. I loved the way Colin draws out Nevin’s softer, more vulnerable side and I loved the many emotions this creates for Nevin.

This is the second story in a series. I haven’t read the first one, so while I didn’t completely understand the few references to Jeremy and Qay, it didn’t interfere with this story in any way. However, I enjoyed this one so much that I’m going straight back to read the first one. I loved this story and I recommend it highly.

KIM FIELDING is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

Connect with Kim

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Love is Heartless (Love Can't Series #2) by Kim Fielding to read and review.

Running Blind by Kim Fielding & Venona Keyes

Kyle Green is on top of the world. He and Matt have been together for ten years, and—as the voice of Ecos, the wildly popular anime character—Kyle is treated like a rock star in anime circles. But in an instant, a stroke leaves him blind. When photographer Matt gets the opportunity of a lifetime, Kyle reexamines their relationship, discovers it has been a safety net rather than a true romance, and sets Matt free to pursue his dream. Kyle’s life and career as he knew them are gone, and he must now find the courage and creativity to draft a new plan.

After being away for fifteen years, Seth Caplan comes home to Chicago to care for his mother and to partner with a small start-up tech company. He and Kyle meet after Kyle’s collision with a child’s sidewalk toy, and they hit it off. Kyle wants to get back into running, and Seth becomes his guide. As they get to know each other, they start seeing each other beyond their three-times-a-week runs. But Seth’s revelation of the dark reason why he left his career in California sends the relationship into a tailspin and leaves both men running blind.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆
I really liked the plot of this story. I thought the characters were well written and everything was really good, except I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. I didn’t feel the passion. I felt nothing, which is sad because it was a good story and they were good characters. I just needed a little UMPH or sizzle or something.

Characters: Well written
Sex: Yes
Religious: No
Would I recommend to others: Yes
More than one book in the series: Not sure
Genre: M/M Romance
Would I read more by this author: Yes

Kim Fielding

KIM FIELDING is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

Connect with Kim

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Venona Keyes

VENONA KEYES is a modern woman who believes in doing it all; if doing it all is only in her head. She amazes people that she can be wholly unorganized yet pack a perfect carry-on suitcase for a ten-day trip to Paris. Ms. Keyes is a believer in the just-in-time theory, and can be seen sprinting to the airport gate before the plane door closes.

Venona has experienced love and loss at the deepest level, and is thankful for writing and daydreaming, for it kept, and still keeps, her sane. Writing also introduced her to some of the most supportive and wonderful people, to which she will always be grateful.

Venona is a voracious reader, loves her feline boys, volunteers at an animal shelter, attempts to cook everything in her CSA boxes, is an accomplished speaker, is a seasoned triathlete, and enjoys swimming, biking, hiking, skipping, and her beloved overgrown garden.

Connect with Venona

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Running Blind by Kim Fielding & Venona Keyes to read and review.

Staged by Kim Fielding

Once the second-prize winner on My Slave’s Got Talent, Sky Blue has spent the past few years singing at a failing New York nightclub. While Sky has never had control over his fate, his life seems to take a turn for the worse when he’s torn from the familiar comfort of performing and sold to a rich and enigmatic man.

Morgan Wallace takes his newly purchased slave to San Francisco, his intentions unclear. On the one hand, he treats Sky with more kindness than Sky has ever known—treats him like a real person. On the other hand, he shares Sky at parties hosted by his sadistic new friends.

A confused slave is an endangered slave, and Sky isn’t even sure of his master’s real name. Is he Morgan Wallace, wealthy and cruel, or Mackenzie Webster, caring and compassionate? Caught between hope, fear, and an undeniably growing attachment, Sky struggles to untangle which parts are real and which are merely a performance. His future, his heart, and even his life may depend on it.

Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes: dubious consent, explicit violence, and non-consent.

Book 3
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Riptide Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series; I didn’t seem to need to, but the whole slavery thing kind of threw me. I am used to slaves in BDSM or people sold as sex slaves, but slave slaves? That was new for me and took a bit of adjustment for me. How anyone reading this story couldn’t guess what Morgan’s intent was from the start is beyond me. Even knowing what it was, I still was interested in the story and really liked it.

Characters: Well written
Sex: Yes, but not all consensual
Religious: No
Would I recommend to others: Yes
More than one book in the series: Yes
Genre: M/M
Would I read more by this author: Yes


Erica – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 Dark Stars.

Kim Fielding is a new-to-me author, and I read the third installment of the Belonging series as a standalone.

Truthfully, I'm unsure how to review Staged, fearing spoilers, so I'll just state how I felt while reading the book.

Staged hooked me from page one with its intriguing premise unlike any other. It was a refreshing change of pace to read a book that didn't have the usual wash-repeat premise. While Staged is set in our current time frame, it's an alternate universe where slavery is still flourishing.

Delve into the mind of Sky Blue – the mind of a slave. In a world where they lie to themselves about how slaves have no souls so they can live with themselves, sleep at night, and are able to debase fellow human beings as if they are sub-human, Sky knows his place yet proves he is just as intelligent and capable as the freemen.

The novel revolves around Sky being purchased by a new master, and the reader knows there is more behind the scenes going on, which I did surmise correctly but it didn't take away from the entertainment value.

Staged contains a heavy thread of realistic romance, which is a good balance to the darkness of violence, powerlessness, and abuse that heavily weaves this tale. Like a train wreck, the reader is drawn into the story, intrigued but can't stop reading until the very end.

Recommended to MM Romance fans who aren't afraid of the darkest facets of the human condition, or for those who truly enjoy exploring it.


Dawn – ☆☆☆
I haven't read any of the other books in the series so I didn't really know what to expect. I knew it was about a slave, however it took me a moment to process that it was about an actual bought and paid for slave. This was a first for me, so it very much intrigued me.

I enjoyed the story, however I found it quite predictable as I guessed a lot by around 30%.

I liked Sky, he was a good character. He was strong no matter what was thrown at him. Morgan, however, annoyed me with the way he acted all the time.

Aside from being slightly predictable, it was an enjoyable read.

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in fifteenth-century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Staged (Belonging #3) by Kim Fielding to read and review.