*I received a free copy of Sinders and Ash from Dreamspinner Press via Enchantress Design and Promo. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *

Housekeeper Mark Sintorella (Sinders) works diligently at a resort hotel while designing clothes anonymously, hoping to get into fashion school. Then his carefully planned life is upended with the arrival of Ashford Armitage, son of the fifth richest man in America—and the most beautiful guy Mark has ever seen. Ash must find a wife or he’ll lose his grandfather’s inheritance, and he settles on Bitsy Fanderel. But secretly Ash is gay, and the guy who cleans the fireplaces sets his heart ablaze.

Further stirring the pot is the little elf of a man, Carstairs Pennymaker, who has Mark wearing his own designs and masquerading as a girl to impress the fashion investors in the hotel. When the clock strikes twelve, two beautiful princesses line up for the wedding—but one isn’t a woman. Will the slipper fit? Only Mr. Pennymaker knows for sure.

Sinders and Ash is the most campy re-telling of Cinderella I have ever read – and I loved every word of this magical modern fairy tale!

My Sinders and Ash review:

Sinders and Ash follows Cinderella’s story, but not too closely. First of all, Sinders and Ash are both guys, and Ash is supposed to find himself a wife so he can keep his trust-fun. Mark (Sinders) works in housekeeping in a luxury hotel, and he’s usually hiding his stunning beauty by wearing a cap and glasses so that nobody will take notice of him. One of his main chores is to clean out the many fireplaces, and this brought to mind both Cinderella and the youngest brother in traditional Norwegian fairytales.

There is a lot of humor in Sinders and Ash, however, Ms. Lain also treats some more serious themes, as Sinders was thrown out by his family after he came out as gay, or how Ash has never told his parents nor most of his friends that he doesn’t want to marry any woman at all. Then, we also have the meddling Mister Pennymaker, and he made me laugh quite a lot – he took Mark under his wing and helped him realize one of his dreams. Because Mark was an amazing designer and had created some beautiful clothes – with nobody to wear them but himself.

The romance in Sinders and Ash is a whirlwind, just as it was in Cinderella… However, Mark and Ash had yet another problem to deal with – if they were to be together, Ash had to not only come out to his family, but to the whole world. Tender and sweet, but still with some very realistic touches, this story had me captivated, and I can’t wait to see what Ms. Lain will do with the next story in the series.

Some of my favorite Sinders and Ash quotes:

Near the door he stopped and took a big, slow inhalation. maybe the great arrival had already happened and he wouldn’t have to deal with it at all. He had no desire to see the arrival of Ashton Armitage. Okay, that was a lie. He was fascinated.

Mark ran his fingers over the velvet. That special soft you almost couldn’t feel. Would Ash’s hair be like that? Ash. Funny. Mark spent his days in ashes. Was it a sign? Yeah, right. A sign that he was nuts.

Mr. P. had bought him a gaff to give his body a more female appearance under the slinky silk. this was going to be weird. Hell, he loved being a guy. He didn’t want to be a girl. But he sure did love their clothes.

Sinders and Ash Giveaway

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Sinders and Ash Excerpt:

Housekeeper Mark Sintorella (Sinders) works diligently at a resort hotel while designing clothes anonymously, hoping to get into fashion school. Then his carefully planned life is upended with the arrival of Ashford Armitage, son of the fifth richest man in America—and the most beautiful guy Mark has ever seen. Ash must find a wife or he’ll lose his grandfather’s inheritance, and he settles on Bitsy Fanderel. But secretly Ash is gay, and the guy who cleans the fireplaces sets his heart ablaze.
Further stirring the pot is the little elf of a man, Carstairs Pennymaker, who has Mark wearing his own designs and masquerading as a girl to impress the fashion investors in the hotel. When the clock strikes twelve, two beautiful princesses line up for the wedding—but one isn’t a woman. Will the slipper fit? Only Mr. Pennymaker knows for sure.
Available at Dreamspinner Press.

“What’s your dream, uh, Mister—”
“Ash.”
“Ash.”
Armitage set his glass down. “I guess I don’t have one. It’s a problem of being born with a lot of money. It can kill your motivation.”
“Bull.” Mark gasped and slapped that hand over his mouth again.
For a second Ash looked shocked. Then he laughed so hard Mark thought he was going to throw up the food he’d just eaten. “Hell, kid, just when I think you’re some shrinking violet, I get to see your true colors. That’s great!”
“I’m sorry.”
He took a breath and looked steadily at Mark. “No, you’re not. I’ve watched you work your ass off around this place for what I imagine is little money and less appreciation, and yet you keep going. A dilettante rich kid like me who has never earned a dime must be beneath your contempt.”
Mark shook his head, but Ash held up a hand. “The only thing I’ve seen slow you down is that asshole in the hall. You don’t have to tell me. I know it was a flashback of some kind. But I would like to know why you kissed me.”
That was direct. Mark’s heart beat like a hammer. Half the truth, maybe? “I was grateful… and confused. No one had ever stood up for me like that.”
“Handshakes are good.”
“Like I said, I was confused.”
“You kissed me. Not ‘thanks a bunch for saving me,’ but a ‘how far down my throat can you get your tongue’ kind of kiss.”
Mark pushed back the chair, jumped up, and stalked into the living room area. Okay, maybe more of the truth. “Look, I said I’m sorry. I’m gay, for Christ’s sake, and you’re gorgeous. In a situation like that, it’s easy to lose your bearings. You were holding me, and you smelled good, and I was scared, and adrenaline took over and—you know the rest.”
Ash looked at him over steepled fingers. “Would you have kissed me under other circumstances?”
“Like what? Selling kisses for charity?” Jesus, Sintorella, control your sarcasm before you get fired. He took a deep breath.
“No, like if we were in a hotel suite having dinner.”
“Of course not.” He had to get out of here.
“Not even if you thought I wanted you to?”
Mark’s heart stilled. “Why would you want me to?”
Ash got up and walked over to the bar. He splashed a little more champagne into his glass. He held the bottle out to Mark, who shook his head.
“Why don’t you ask me again what my dream is?”
Stay very still. This situation is volatile. “I should go.”
“No. We have crème brûlée waiting. Ask me.”
. “What’s your dream?”
“I don’t have one, because I’m too busy pretending to be someone I’m not to actually have a dream. What I really should have said to you earlier is that I’m a liar, and the person I lie to most is me. I see someone like you and it makes me ashamed to be alive.”
Mark couldn’t take his eyes from Ash. Maybe the man was a flame of truth, or a rattlesnake. Both were mesmerizing. “What do you lie about?”
“Almost everything. Why don’t you tell me?”
“You’re gay.”
“Yes.”

About Tara Lain:

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”

Author Links:
Website | Blog | FB Author Page | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2015 New Release Challenge
• LGBT Challenge 2015

About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.

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