Month: December 2014

Out Now! BRIT BOYS: ON BOYS A Gay Romance Anthology

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Hi there! Today I’m celebrating the release of Brit Boys: On Boys! It’s a collection of 8 M/M novellas written by 8 top British M/M authors. I’ll be sharing a review next week, but you may want to scoop this one up right away if you like M/M at all.

Blurb:
From east to west and north to south, these British boys are having a blast in and out of the bedroom with the men of their dreams. They’re topping and bottoming from London to Cardiff, living out fantasies in the wildest fells and hooking up while serving HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

With passion and lust the name of the game, nothing is off limits. Throw in honed muscles, high-strength testosterone and an accent to die for and there is nothing they can’t do and no one they can’t get in this world or another.

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Bodywork
By Ashe Barker
Alex is doing okay. His body repair shop makes enough to live on, he has a decent apartment, life is fine. That all changes when he runs into Graham in a supermarket car park – literally. He offers to fix the damage to Graham’s car free of charge. The sparks soon fly, and the heat between them has nothing to do with welding equipment.

Breaking the Marine
By M.K. Elliott
Brandon Rosen hadn’t planned for his final night before enrolling in the Royal Marines to involve a hot stranger and a pub car park. And he certainly hadn’t planned for that same hot stranger to turn up at the barracks in the form of his Drill Instructor, Corporal Will Stewart. In the testosterone fuelled environment of the training camp, can Brandon and Will overcome past pains and face up to what they really want? Or will the Royal Marine Commando School break their relationship before it even gets started?

Love on Location
By Lucy Felthouse
When Theo Samuels heads off to film on location in the village of Stoneydale, he’s expecting drama to take place on camera, not off. But when he meets gorgeous local lad, Eddie Henderson, he struggles to ignore his attraction. A relationship between the two of them would be utterly impractical, yet they’re drawn together nonetheless. Can they overcome the seemingly endless hurdles between them? Or is their fling destined to remain as just that?

Landscapes
By K D Grace
Alonso Darlington has a disturbing method of keeping landscaper, Reese Chambers, both safe from and oblivious to his dangerous lust for the man. But Reese isn’t easy to keep secrets from, and Alonso wants way more than to admire the man from afar. Can he risk a real relationship without risking Reese’s life?

The Chase
By Lily Harlem
Steve’s killing time working in a comedy club. Why not? It makes him laugh and both the clientele and the comedians are not just fit but also great company. One stand up joker decides to create a wild goose chase for Steve and his ex Robert. Cavorting around Cardiff on a frosty night, however, does more than just show them the way to a threesome, it also reveals the reasons why they should give each other one more shot.

Dish of the Day
By Clare London
Richie’s sunk all his hopes and savings into a new restaurant in south London promoting British ingredients and recipes. His best friends Craig and Ben should be around to help him celebrate the grand opening, but it looks like it’s all heading for disaster – until his friends step in to tell him some home truths. Then they’ll help him relax and enjoy their loving, intimate menu instead.

E2
By Sarah Masters
When Archie meets Dan after The Change, he realises there is no such thing as a random meeting of soul mates, it’s all mapped out in the stars. Now all he’s got to do is hope those orbiting planets stay in alignment and true love finds him again.

Locked Out
By Josephine Myles
Getting accidentally locked out of his hotel room on Valentine’s Day night is embarrassing enough for teacher Martin Cooper, but the fact he’s stark naked makes it even worse. It doesn’t help that the one person he runs into is Rod, the gorgeous man he’d been checking out earlier in the hotel pool. But when Rod offers Martin a refuge, the night heats up. Now if only Martin could get the hang of this seduction business…

Interested? You can find BRIT BOYS: ON BOYS on Goodreads, Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon CA, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo. This smokin’ hot box set is initially available at the bargain price of 99c/99p, that’s a steal for 147,000 words/440 pages of unforgettable M/M erotic romance that will leave your eReader, and you, burning up. Be sure and grab your copy fast, as the price will be increasing at the end of January!

Awesome British M/M Authors
Go on and check out these fab writers! Ashe Barker, K. Elliott, Lucy Felthouse, K D Grace, Lily Harlem, Clare London, Sarah Masters, Josephine Myles

Need more Brit Boys? Hang out with the authors on Facebook by joining the dedicated Brit Boys: On Boys group and pin with the authors on Pinterest.  If you enjoy Brit Boys: On Boys then please leave a review and tell all your friends. Happy reading.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Happy Book Birthday to AFTER US by Amber Hart–With Giveaway

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Yay! I’m so excited to spread the word on this new release. Expect my review next week!

afterus About AFTER US: “Beautiful, lyrical writing and a dangerously suspenseful plot. . .an unforgettable novel that readers will love.” –Lucy Connors, author of The Lonesome Young

Sometimes secrets kill. Maybe slowly, maybe painfully. Maybe all at once.

Melissa smiles. She flirts. She jokes. But she never shows her scars. Eight months after tragedy ripped her from her closest friend, Melissa is broken. Inside her grows a tumor, fed by grief, rage, and the painful memory of a single forbidden kiss.

Javier has scars of his own: a bullet wound, and the memory of a cousin shot in the heart. Life in the States was supposed to be a new beginning, but a boy obsessed by vengeance has no time for the American dream. To honor his familia, Javier joins the gang who set up his cousin’s murder. The entrance price is blood. Death is the only escape.

These two broken souls could make each other whole again–or be shattered forever.

Our time will come. And we’ll be ready.

Add it to Goodreads here!

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About Amber Hart

Amber Hart grew up in Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. She now resides on the Florida coastline with family. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand. She’s the author of BEFORE YOU, AFTER US, UNTIL YOU FIND ME, and sequel to UNTIL YOU FIND ME (untitled as of yet). Represented by Beth Miller of Writers House.

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Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Inkslinger

Caught Up In GLITTER AND GRIT–Review and Giveaway

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing in the blog tour for GLITTER AND GRIT, a contemporary cowboy romance from Jessie Evans. I’ve read two other books in this series, LEATHER AND LACE and SADDLES AND SIN, and loved them! GLITTER AND GRIT is no different in THAT regard. While all the books in this series feature recurring characters, to some extent, they are all standalone reads with complete stories.

* *20% OFF for the first weeks following release in a limited time Reader Appreciation Sale!* *

GaG AmazonGRSWAbout GLITTER AND GRIT
A sexy small town romance from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jessie Evans

This ride is going to last a lot longer than eight seconds…

Female professional bull rider, Reece Hearst, graduated from the school of hard knocks. With honors. Because life is like bull riding–when it sends you to the dirt, you do whatever it takes to get on your feet, even if you have to crawl. Like when officials stripped her of her rodeo queen title on the basis of vicious gossip years ago and not even her father would believe her side of the story. Reece could have stayed in the dust, wallowing. Instead, she fixed Lonesome Point in her rearview, joined the pro circuit, and never looked back. But now a serious injury threatens to end her career and she’s back in Lonesome Point, living next door to the family that once made her life a living hell.

After multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and his father’s death, all Grayson Parker wants is to get his family’s cattle business back in the black and live a quiet life. But the return of Reece Hearst opens old wounds, throwing his ordered world into chaos. Grayson was serving overseas when Reece was a teenager and can’t believe the girl he once knew has grown into a heartbreaker as hardened as she is beautiful.

Grayson finds a kindred spirit in wounded Reece and soon longs to be the man to show her that there is life after pain and loss. But can two people as damaged as Reece and Grayson find their way to happily ever after? Or will the scars on their hearts forever keep them apart?

My Review:
Reese Hearst is a champion bull rider on the professional circuit, but 12 years ago she was stripped as a rodeo queen for “consorting” with a judge–if nearly being raped by her trusted mentor/coach is “consorting”… Even Reece’s dad didn’t believe her side, but then he was best friends with Neil Parker. Reece ran away and hasn’t been back to Lonesome Point TX in all that time, but now she’s recovering from a severe head injury incurred in her last rodeo and needs a quiet space in which to recuperate. Knowing her parents are off in Montana visiting her sister over Christmas, Reece holes up at the Hearst Ranch, but not before making the acquaintance of a hot mature cowboy.

Grayson Parker is trying not to lose his family ranch, now that his father’s dead and he’s sheltering his sister from her abusive husband. He’s not looking for a little recreation when he meets a spitfire at the Lonesome Point tavern. But, if she hadn’t passed clean out, he’d have made a happy woman of that one–until he learns who she is the next morning. Grayson was never a fan of his father–not especially once his dad took to dating all sorts of young women when Grayson’s mom died–so he up and left at age 18. Joined the Air Force for 20 years, and this homecoming is more bitter than sweet.

Grayson knows he should stay away from a woman his father favored, but he soon learns all Daddy’s dark secrets and finds the truth more than nauseating. He’s determined to see right come from it, and that means helping Reece, if she’ll let him. Thing is, she’s real stubborn. And acknowledges herself to be crazy. But, it turns out she’s attracted to him, and the feeling is more than mutual.

Still, Reece has no illusions about love–and has even less desire to stay in Lonesome Point. Plus, the head injury she suffered seems to be worsening. And the investigation behind Neil Parker’s suspicious death turns up even more dirt. Can she and Grayson find something more than a brief spark between them?

I really loved this book. Reece is a headstrong, impetuous character who actually acknowledges the mistakes she makes and seeks to fix them. She loves deep, which makes the hurts she suffers twice as agonizing. She did a whole lotta healing in this book, both physically and emotionally. Grayson is a treat for a male lead. Confident, not cocky, and steadfast. He does the right thing, because it’s the right thing, even when it means trouble for his own family. He puts his love out on his sleeve, and wears it proudly. Excellent smexytimes. And, a swoonworthy couple. Loved.

Interested? You can find GLITTER AND GRIT on Goodreads, Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Google Play

Giveaway

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
e-copies of the FOUR books in this series. Yay!
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About Jessie Evans

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary Southern romances she loves to read.

She’s married to the man of her dreams, and together they’re raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.

When she’s not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.

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They Found Love RIDING IT OUT-Release Day Review Blitz

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Hi there! Today I’m joining the release day celebration for RIDING IT OUT, a contemporary romance from Jennifer Foor.

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About the book:
One woman
One man
An empty bed and breakfast
A summer storm
One night they’ll never forget – so they thought…

When my aunt passed away and left me her dilapidated bed and breakfast it was all so surreal. I hadn’t been back to that beach in many years, and the idea of revisiting left me sad and vulnerable.

I never planned on having guests. In fact, I just wanted to close up the place and sell it, so that I could move on with my life.

Then the storm happened.

Taken by surprise, I planned on waiting for it to pass. The house creaked and the power went out. That’s when someone knocked on the door.

He was a stranger, dripping wet, cold, and looking for shelter. I couldn’t turn him away…

What happened next between us opened new doors, changing everything I thought I wanted for myself. The only question is if I can trust him, or will his secrets destroy it all?

My Review:
Erica is youngish career-focused woman who has inherited her beloved aunt’s B & B on the Maryland coast. She plans to sell the sprawling house and return to her job in Baltimore, but must check out the property, first. Erica is isolated when a tropical storm blows in.

The house is battered and loses electric with the ferocity of the storm, and Erica is even more spooked to find a soaked stranger on the doorstep. Reluctantly allowing Reed a room, she’s lucky to learn he’s got the skills she needs–mainly carpentry, on account of freak storm damage. But, Reed’s also interested in more. Erica’s a bit of a “prude” and won’t have anything to do with Reed’s sexual challenges, well, until she does. In a single night she finds the companionship she’d always wanted, but put off, with a virtual stranger.

The morning’s light brings restored power and more passion—until they anger each other with questions of trust…and split. For a bit. The first part of this book is told from Erica’s POV which wasn’t terribly sympathetic. The language is verbose and stilted to my ear, and Erica seemed whimsical and erratic for a self-professed career-minded gal. I had a bit of trouble connecting with the story, as a result. I also could have done with a few more specifics in her backstory–for example, what was her job? How old was she, exactly? The story suffered, I thought, from too much telling. The smexytimes were decent.

Part Two of this series tells more story from Reed’s POV, and we learn that Reed isn’t the man he says he is. Literally. The big secret of his history is something he’d rather never confess, but the ill woman and unclaimed child on the doorstep of his and Erica’s B & B are not easy to explain away. We get some confused meanderings and soul-searching and as HEA as one can imagine for a couple in the midst of a huge transition. Less smexy in this book, and what there is is awkward. I had liked Reed a bunch in Book One, and a lot less in Book Two. Still, he’s okay. He’s trying to do the best he can repairing his mistakes in this world. Erica went up in my esteem the second go-round, so there’s that.

Interested? You can Find RIDING IT OUT on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:
Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. She’s best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books.

She is married with two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing stories that come from her heart. You can find her on her website, Facebook, twitter and Amazon.

 

Great M/M Christmas Collection in ONE HOLIDAY EVER AFTER

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a contemporary holiday M/M romance collection featuring three excellent novellas. Each story is well-developed with delicious characters and no cliffhangers. It’s a fantastic read with lots of love, laughs and heat.

One Holiday Ever AfterHoliday Roommates by Tere Michaels features a blossoming romance between a snarky actor and an overwhelmed, over-extended production manager.

Nathaniel has reached rock bottom. Despite his long career in acting, and his BFA in Theater from Yale, he’s out of work. Well, he’s got a job but it sucks. He’s an elf in a live do-wap Christmas production marking the grand opening of the La Kiss department store in NYC. He’s one month from eviction on his apartment and in his own words:

Facing eviction from your beloved apartment–and possibly having to move in with your mother and take her back as your manager–was enough to convince a man to take any role. Any role. If his penis were bigger he would have considered porn.

Sean owes his dad a lot of money. He didn’t want to go into the soul-sucking venture capital firm his father owns, so he borrowed cash to start a theater production company. Having few contacts and fewer bookings, he’s grasping for anything–and that includes begging his former boyfriend for a favor–which is how he got the gig producing La Kiss’ Holiday Spectacular. Of course, if it flops, he’s never going to have the cash to pay back Daddy Dearest, and as it stands his margin is so thin he’s rented a room to sleep in from a family in Bensonhurst. The commute to Manhattan is sapping his fleeting resources and hours of sleep.

Then, the star of the show–Nate–offers him a bedroom in his apartment…

The rent money would be almost the same as the cost of cabs and food eaten on the go–not to mention the fact that this would add literal hours to the time Sean could spend sleeping. It was all so reasonable and helpful and…
“I’m gay,” Sean said suddenly, interrupting Nate’s description of the room he’d potentially be renting.
Nate stopped, nodded. “Right, I knew that.”
“And that isn’t a problem?”
“Why, are you concerned you’re doing it wrong?”
Sean sputtered out a laugh. “I’m actually very good at it.”
Nate rolled his eyes. “Funny enough, so am I. Is that a yes?”

It’s a super fun read where these boys find love, acceptance and “family” where they least expect it.

Holiday Sanctuary by Elle Brownlee has two mature men trapped in a Maine cabin in the midst of a Christmas blizzard.

Paul has a doctorate in ornithology and his research has saved birds species from endangerment. He’s a solitary man, loving the solitude of his remote cabin, but he’s not averse to helping a stranger in need. Especially a strapping bear of a man who turns up as the snow tumbles down. Chris is out on a nature-challenge when the blizzard begins. Seeking shelter, he’d never anticipated finding more than a warm hearth, but bunking in with Paul is soon hotter than he could have imagined.

The bond that develops between them is far stronger than they anticipate, and each man finds the black out conditions allows for a welcome intimacy, one they are loathe to abandon, even when the plows arrive. It’s a steamer, with copious feels and smoking smexytimes.

Holiday Homecoming by Elizah J Davis is an unexpected romance between a man and the house-sitter he finds irresistible.

After a decade of campaigning, shmoozing and networking, Gavin has given up his dream of having his TV show produced. He leaves LA, for good, and drives to his parents home in remote Bonabri, Idaho hoping to catch them before they depart to his sister’s home for Christmas. Unfortunately, they left early and Eric is the person who freaks out at Gavin’s 2am arrival.

“Looks like they are still home,” Gavin said when the house creaked overhead. He scratched under Whiskey’s chin and waited, expecting the light to come on with each creak of the stairs. When it didn’t, he crept into the living room, toward the staircase, intending to switch on the light and startled his dad, who’d likely been the one sent to investigate. He secured Whiskey in one arm and darted at the light switch, flipping it on and turning to the stairs to shout, “Aha!”

“Aahhh!” The guy on the stairs yelled and then slid down several steps until he landed on his ass with a thump.

“Shit!” Gavin jumped back, because the guy on the stairs was not his dad.

Eric isn’t sure if he’s going to stay in Idaho–his BFF from college, Katie–has pestered him to visit, since, well, forever. She want’s to open a cafe, with Eric’s help, but the advent of Gavin has him reconsidering his usefulness as a house sitter now that the homeowner’s son is home. Yet, the men hit it off, and their friendship advances to one with benefits. And then some…

“Gavin?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?” Eric’s eyes were twinkling, dammit, and Gavin realized he was trying not to laugh.
“Did I not actually say that part out loud?”
Eric shook his head.

It’s a super fun read with a heartwarming plot.

Interested? You can find ONE HOLIDAY EVER AFTER on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Dreamspinner Press.

You can clickety-click the author names above for further info on their books and online links.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Happy Book Birthday to FORBIDDEN–A Regency Romance Collection!

Is there anything more scrumptious than forbidden love? This four-book collection is sure to scratch the historical romance itch!

cloaked in red buttonCloaked in Red: A Shattered Fairy Tale – Kelly Martin

Frederick Dodsworth has no desire to find love at Anthony Wexley’s Christmas gathering. Yet when he lays his eyes on the beautiful Rebecca for the first time, he is beyond smitten.
Lust turns to love. Love turns to jealousy. Jealousy turns to betrayal.
How did Frederick Dodsworth become the most evil man in Darenset? Simple.
It started with a kiss.

for the love of a lady buttonFor the Love of A Lady – Kristin Vayden

Jilted, rejected, unwanted.
Lady Esther Flanguard is all of the above… but that’s all about to change soon.

Because, Essie has a plan. And it’s sure to work brilliantly. The only thing standing in her way is trying to convince Cross—her best friend’s brother—to go along with it.

Lord Crossby, Cross to those who know him well, knows that Essie’s plan is not a good idea. Because Essie doesn’t know, that he’s been in love with her for years. He refuses to leave this second chance left to fate. He lost her once, and plans to never lose her again.

So, knowing he’ll risk his heart, he agrees to play along with her disastrous plan. Silently vowing, that though Essie might be pretending…he isn’t, and this time he’s playing for keeps.

devil duke buttonThe Devil Duke Takes A Bride – Rachel Van Dyken

Who said being bad wasn’t oh so good?
Benedict Devlyn, Duke of Banbury, has one thing on his mind and it isn’t marriage. But things take a turn for the worse when his menacing aunt throws a hitch in his plans to remain the most sinful and talked about man in the ton. After all, a man cannot keep the reputation of being The Devil Duke when he is leg-shackled to some simpering spinster.

But his aunt, bless her heart, thinks she’s dying, and believes her nephew’s behavior is the only thing standing in the way between her entrance to heaven or hell. So she very lovingly and selflessly sets him up. With his childhood nemesis.A young woman who, though she claims it was an accident, has nearly killed him thrice through her lack of grace and manners. It matters not that the minute he sets eyes on her at the Christmas ball, his blood boils with lust. He refuses to allow himself to fall prey to his aunt’s ministrations.

That is, until he is compromised and stuck in an engagement to a girl who claims she’d rather jump from a moving carriage than marry him. Funny thing that, for the very minute she says no, he finds his heart very much wants to say yes. When she doesn’t leap at the chance to marry him, he sets about to not only prove that he’s worthy of her favor, but also worthy of her
heart.

10881708_1509227709341338_7781804322938453831_nA Winter Wish – Nadine Millard

Mariah Bolton is as headstrong as she is clever, as strong-willed as she is beautiful. She enjoys her life and, apart from a rather snobbish mama, she is happy with her lot. Imagine her consternation then when her world is turned upside down by the brooding and aloof Mr. Brandon Haverton!

Mariah and Brandon are forced to endure each other’s company more than either wants to when a snowstorm traps them in the same house. They argue, they bang heads and they drive each other insane. But something precious is blooming beneath the surface of all that ice. Something neither looks for but both need.

Can love melt the snow around Brandon’s cold heart?
Can Mariah be brave enough to take a leap of faith?
And can a Winter Wish help bring two souls together forever?

Interested? You can find FORBIDDEN on Goodreads, Amazon, and Smashwords.

About these Authors:

Rachel Van Dyken:
Rachel is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at her website, join her newsletter mailing list, Like her on Facebook, follow her on twitter, Goodreads, or even stalk her Amazon Author Page.

Nadine Millard:
Nadine hails from Dublin, Ireland though she now lives in a quiet town in County Laois. When she’s not writing her own books, she’s reading them. A lot! She has three beautiful children, a pretty awesome husband and a seriously fluffy dog! Her favourite thing to do to escape the cheerful chaos of her life is to read, drink coffee and wine and eat far more chocolate than she should. Catch her on her website.

Kristin Vayden:
Kristin’s inspiration for the romance she writes comes from her tall, dark and handsome husband with killer blue eyes. With five children to chase, she is never at a loss for someone to kiss, something to cook or some mess to clean but she loves every moment of it! She loves to make soap, sauerkraut, sourdough bread and gluten free muffins. Life is full of blessings and she praises God for the blessed and abundant life He’s given her. Catch her on her website.

Kelly Martin:
Kelly Martin is the bestselling author of contemporary, historical, fairy tale, and YA romance. She has been married for over ten years and has three rowdy, angelic daughters. When Kelly isn’t writing, she loves watching YouTube and drinking white chocolate mochas. Catch her on her website.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Cephalopod Coffeehouse Dec 2014–STONE AT YOUR SERVICE

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Hi there! Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the tomes they enjoyed most over the previous month. Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.

This month I’m featuring an Alpha Male romance from Rie Warren. What I found so interesting about this book is it’s a romance told entirely from the man’s POV, and while it’s not the first book I’ve read like this, it’s also a complete hoot.

Stone, At Your Service (Carolina Bad Boys, #1)About the book:
Hell on wheels meets Hell in high heels.

Bad boy mechanic Josh Stone likes to get his hands dirty any way he can—the filthier, the better. Ever since his wife walked out on him and their young son, he’s only had room in his heart for two loves: the kid and cars.

Roped into playing his best buddy’s gay boyfriend during a romance writers convention, the player meets the girl who’s gonna rock his world. Leelee Songchild. Shy, bashful, beautiful Leelee who blushes at the drop of a hat yet writes hardcore smut to rival Josh’s backlist of Penthouse Forum.

The only problem is his hands are tied. Josh can’t stab his old friend/fake lover in the back even though all he wants to do is take luscious Leelee to bed, and maybe, love her. When the truth comes out, all hell breaks loose.

Too bad romance is just for books.

My Review:
I do love me a strong, funny man! Josh is a super lovable, very sympathetic single father. His four year old son, the kid (JJ, named in honor of Josh’s late father), is four and traumatized by the abandonment of his mother. Josh has never left him alone for more than a night–and now he’s going on a week-long trip with his BFF Nick, aka indie romance author Nicky Love. Nick has had some bad run-ins with fans and fellow authors and, despite his hetero reality, he has cultivated a “gay persona” to shield himself from unwanted attention. After all the support Nick has given Josh–helping out with JJ and at his garage–Josh agrees to posing as his boyfriend for a fan convention.

Josh has no interested in another relationship. He’s super bitter over the abrupt end of his marriage, and then he sees Leelee from across the hotel’s crowded lobby and he’s struck. He’d like to add her to his list of anonymous conquests, but meeting her turns a switch in his brain. She’s beautiful and demure, a real Southern lady–who writes some of the filthiest romance he’s had the pleasure to consume. In short, he swoons. But…he’s the very public boyfriend of Nick and that’s a big problem.

Josh is such a fun narrator. Watching him straddle the line between supporting Nick and wooing Leelee is pure heaven. This is an adult read with plenty of cussing, carousing and cock-ups, not the least of which is poor Josh’s continually interrupted self, uh, “management.”

For her part, Leelee is a temptress. She’s totally attracted to Josh, but has her own dark secret, and it’s exactly why Josh is just not he right man for her. So she thinks…

I adored the banter between Josh and Nick, Josh and Leelee, well, Josh and anyone. He’s such a great sport about all the come-on’s and flirts of the conventioneers, even allowing himself to get rolled into a cover model’s contest and hitting the highlights/lowlights of a sex shop and a male strip club as part of the junket. Throughout, Josh’s just implacably funny.

I already have the sequel, Nick’s finding love story, so I’m on board with the series.

Interested? You can find STONE AT YOUR SERVICE on Goodreads, and Amazon.

Thanks for popping in and don’t forget to check out other reviewers’ picks on today’s hop.

1. The Armchair Squid 2. WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
3. Hub City 4. mainewords
5. Cherdo on the Flipside 6. Trisha @ WORD STUFF
7. My Creatively Random Life 8. A Creative Exercise
9. StrangePegs — An Acceptable Time 10. Words Incorporated
11. V’s Reads  

Christmas Read Round-Up…

Hi there! Today I’m catching up on all the Christmas reads I’ve read this fall. Some made the blog, others haven’t. Still, I’ve enjoyed these books, and hope you might find one (or three) to entertain you.

Hetero Romance

I adored Brenda Novak’s THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS. A great story about an unlikely couple finding love (and more) in Whiskey Creek.

In THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS a rich man finds a real holiday with a quiet, unassuming chef who pulls his coals from the fire. This is a novella.

Kat and Stone Bastion’s THREE CHRISTMASES is a steamy/sexy read.

A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS reunites an estranged couple on the brink of divorce. This one had a bit of steam, and a lot of heart.

Rivals find love in JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS. It’s a fun reconnection story about adults who had a teen attraction and come together to make it happen years later.

For those who want to reminisce over Christmases gone by, I loved 8-BIT CHRISTMAS about a boy growing up in the 1980’s and wishing for a Nintendo. It is not a romance, but it cracked me the heck up.

Super erotica from Lily Harlem–in the form of CHRISTMAS CRACKERS: CANDY CANES AND COAL DUST puts a downhearted woman at the center of a man-sandwich.

Kelly Jamieson’s THREE OF HEARTS features three country singers finding love…with each other. It’s a sexy menage.

HOLIDAY AT MAGNOLIA BAY is a nice military romance with a heart-warming familial reconciliation.

Gay Romance

Heidi Cullinan’s SLEIGH RIDE is a great M/M romance, with a super Christmas theme. I just adored this story, of a shy librarian and a out-and-proud lumberjack. D-Lish.

Charlie Cochet’s three novella North Pole series is sure worth checking out. MENDING NOEL, THE HEART OF FROST and VIXEN’S VALOR are building a well-landscaped world in the hinterland.

Cat Grant’s A YEAR IN THE LIFE begins a new series and a tender romance between a young, interracial couple.

Piper Vaughn’s THE WORKING ELF BLUES features a lonely man and the Christmas elf who loves him.

I just finished reading ONE HOLIDAY EVER AFTER which is a three novella compilation–and it’s fantastic. I haven’t had a chance to write a review for it, but oh! it’s a great read. I’ve attached the DREAMSPINNER LINK because it’s on sale there for 25% off. But you can also find it on Amazon.

Well, folks, that’s a good list to get started. I hope all who read this have a great holiday season and a Happy 2015!

As always, thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

They Really Are DEVOTED–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing the love for an erotic New Adult romance from Bianca Giovanni. Ever since she REVEALED her Vice, Virtue and Video series I’ve been CAPTURED and DESIRED more; book 4–DEVOTED–was no different. (LOL, all the titles in one sentence! Click for those reviews…)

Devoted (Vice, Virtue, and Video #4)About the book:
James Laird was once devoted to sex, fame, and money…but now this former porn star is devoted to his lifelong best friend turned fiancée, Lola Caraway. He wants nothing more than to give her a dream wedding: white dress, long veil, and a big reception with the whole family. James’ family is the only problem–he’s not sure if he can deliver on that part of the dream. They haven’t exactly been there for him “for better or for worse.” In fact, James’s parents haven’t spoken to him in six years–not since they discovered his double-life as a porn star.

As James and Lola work to build their life together, they discover mending the past could be more difficult than either of them expected. Will devotion be enough to take them one step closer to happily ever after?

My review:
Lola and James have been lifelong friends, and are only recent lovers. Lola is a college graduate, while James is a newly-retired porn star. He’s still a valuable commodity, however, and makes a good income from his sex toys.

Their impulsive Vegas wedding has caused a lot of trouble for their families, however, and they have capitulated to having the whole shebang back home in Wisconsin so the mothers can gush.

The story really builds on the previous books, but it’s still readable as a standalone. There are wedding plans, and new-couple activities like house hunting and building a life together. Lola is still fearful that she won’t be enough for James’ insatiable appetite for sex, though James is over-the-top in love with Lola. On top of these fears are the very real prejudices they know they will suffer with James’ career hanging like a shadow over their lives. As they solidify the wedding plans, it seems a new wrinkle is going to develop, one that’s both terrifying and awesome, and leaves a whole lotta plot for the next book.

Plus, James’ father–who kicked him out and shut down communications six years ago when he learned James was a porn star–is finally getting what has been coming to him. I was glad to see some real resolution in the family strife, and also to watch James and Lola make good choices for their future together.

Plus, lots and lots of smexytimes. James and Lola are so tender and so loving, it’s easy to imagine their fairytale love. And fun! I cracked up so many times. Their first night in their new house is…frantic. I died. Looking forward to James and Lola really stepping into adulthood in the next book. Lots of challenges ahead!

Interested? You can find DEVOTED on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

This is book FOUR in the series. To get caught up, you can check out my reviews for REVEALED, CAPTURED and DESIRED. The reviews have all the buy-links, as well. Honestly, each book begins and ends cleanly–without cliffhangers only the relationship progressing through the books–so each can be read (mainly) as a standalone. Though, I’ve really enjoyed how this relationship has matured.

About the author:
Bianca Giovanni was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado. She grew up with a single mother and Italian grandmother, who was an avid reader. She has had a love of writing since childhood, but self-published her first short stories in 2012. Bianca’s strong female characters and witty dialogue have struck a chord with readers and lead to her popularity on self-publishing platforms.

In 2013, Bianca signed with Omnific Publishing to bring the ‘Vice, Virtue & Video’ series to readers. The series contains First Dance (free introductory short story), Revealed (book #1), Letting Go (book #1.5), and four more novels to be released in 2014. She currently resides in Denver, Colorado, where she can often be found jotting down story ideas in a notebook.

You can connect with Bianca on her website, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

The LONE WOLF Finds Love–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing a contemporary gay romance from the writing team of Aleksandr Voinov and LA Witt. I’ve enjoyed other books of theirs int he past, and LONE WOLF is no different.

Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4)About the book:
Hunter Easton is screwed. Fans, producers, and his agent are all chomping at the bit for the next book in his wildly popular Wolf’s Landing series, but he’s got epic writer’s block and is way behind deadline. Then he reads The World Tree, a fanfic novel by his online friend “Lone Wolf.” It isn’t just a great story—it’s exactly what the series needs.

Kevin Hussain is thrilled when “Wolf Hunter” wants to meet up after reading The World Tree. When Wolf Hunter turns out to be Hunter Easton himself, Kevin is starstruck. When Hunter tells him he wants to add The World Tree to Wolf’s Landing, Kevin is sure he’s being pranked. And when their online chemistry carries over—big time—into real life, Kevin is convinced it’s all too good to be true.

The problem is . . . it might be. The book deal, the sex, the money—everything is amazing. But fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Kevin is left wondering if Hunter really loves him, or just loves his book.

My Review:
Hunter Easton is a multi published, best seller author of a paranormal shifter book series called Wolf’s Landing. He’s horribly blocked on book 8 of the series and frittering away his time and advance with no real forward motion. He’s been a member of a fandom website for a few years, and corresponds regularly with the website’s adminstrator, Lone Wolf, and Lone Wolf has sent Hunter bits and pieces of fan-fic, and slash (porn scenes), based on the characters in Wolf’s Landing. This has all been anonymous–Hunter posts under a pseudonym–and though the men have never met in person they do feel a kinship for each other.

Well, Lone Wolf writes a fanfic novel, half out of desperation with the delay in getting a new book in the series, and sends it to his online friend, aka, Hunter. Hunter LOVES it. Unequivocally. He arranges a meeting with Lone Wolf, knowing he’ll break his cover, but desperate to somehow adopt Lone Wolf’s story into the Wolf’s Landing series.

Kevin thought he was meeting another fan of Wolf’s Landing–not the creator of the fiction universe he adores. His excitement over meeting with the notoriously reclusive Hunter Easton in public is only eclipsed by the attraction Kevin feels for the silver fox at his cafe table. Then, Kevin remembers all the gay slash he’d written and unwittingly sent to Hunter, and he’s almost too embarrassed to breathe, let alone absorb all the chat about how great the book is, and can Hunter share it with his agent…

I REALLY loved all the banter between these two.

Kevin held his gaze. “Uh, well, for one, the part where it turns out I was sending explicit slash porn to my favorite author.”
Hunter laughed. “Fair enough.”
“Which I guess explains why you never sent me any of your racy stories.” Kevin groaned and pressed his elbows against the table as he buried his face in his hands. “Oh my God . . .”
“Kevin.” A gentle hand squeezed his arm. “Do you think I would’ve kept asking to read them if it bothered me?”
“Well, no.” Kevin lowered his arms, and as Hunter took his hand back, added, “You weren’t, uh, laughing at them, were you?”
Hunter’s cheeks reddened. “Laughing isn’t the word I’d use.”
“It’s—oh. Oh. You weren’t kidding about that part.”
Good God, if the man’s face got any brighter . . . “No. I wasn’t.” Hunter watched his thumb run up and down the handle on his mug. “Honestly, I kind of wanted to put more explicit stuff into the Wolf’s Landing books, but that was pretty much moot once the TV series came around.”
“Yeah, I guess they didn’t sign up for Fifty Shades of Gray Wolves.”

And the steam?

Kevin laughed softly, and suddenly his startled expression turned to something a little different. Sly, maybe. Devilish. Shit, yes. Definitely devilish. He met Hunter’s eyes. “Let’s just say you’re really, really good at describing settings.”
“Huh?” Hunter glanced around. He’d never used this place in any of the Wolf’s Landing books. In fact, he’d completely wasted the opportunity to use this as a setting for anything except—
Oh.
OH!
“This is where you set All In, isn’t it?” The playful lilt in Kevin’s voice had an undercurrent that made Hunter’s heart race.
He gulped. Then nodded. “Yeah. I’d forgotten all about that.”
“Forgotten?” Kevin took a step closer to Hunter. “I don’t see how you could forget about that scene.”
“Well, it’s been a long time since I wrote it. I wrote that one, um, years ago. I think. It’s been—”
“You think the light fixtures would really support handcuffs?” Kevin looked thoughtfully at one of the sconces and its faded bare bulbs. “They do seem pretty solidly anchored.”
“I . . . I’ve never tested them.”
Well that was just asking for it.

Like real life, there are so many pauses in this book. Wait for the agent. Wait for the editor. Wait for the publisher. Contracts. Advances. Good thing the time is filled with a smoking hot passion between silver fox Hunter and 20-something Kevin.

Kevin has a lot of adjusting to make. Selling a book into a best selling series means lots of money, and insta-fans. He and Hunter work well, rewriting his book together to create two books out of one, and spending their downtime in bed, or wherever, together. But, Hunter’s never had a relationship, and Kevin feels like he’s getting too attached and overwhelmed by the whirlwind that is Wolf’s Landing. He doesn’t tell this to Hunter, because he doesn’t want to admit the depth of his feelings and risk being rebuffed–little does Kevin know that Hunter’s been quietly rearranging his life and priorities to accommodate Kevin, for keeps.

I super enjoyed the honesty of character, and the fun “insider” scoop on writing, and publishing, which are TWO very different things. Hunter is a delightful curmudgeon, and Kevin’s bright shiny outlook is seriously blotted out as he learns how the wheels turn. Also, we get not just an age difference to overcome, but a racial diff, as Kevin is of Middle Eastern descent, and Muslim.

Interested? You can find LONE WOLF on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Riptide Books. I haven’t read other books in this series, but they look great, and I’m inclined to grab them, now, to get into the Bluewater Bay world. I received an ARC via NetGalley.

About the Authors:
“Aleksandr Voinov is an emigrant German author living near London, where he works as a writing coach, complementary therapist and freelance corporate editor. At 39 years of age, Voinov has written more than a dozen novels and commercially published five print books with German publishers. After many years working in the horror, science fiction, cyberpunk and fantasy genres, Voinov is now primarily writing contemporary and historical erotic gay fiction. A recurring theme in his fiction is “the triumph of the human spirit” or an individual rising to challenge the status quo in a world gone bad.”

You can connect with Aleksandr on his website, on Facebook and/or join his Facebook group here. He has an author forum at Goodreads and is active on twitter.

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who, after three years in Okinawa, Japan, has recently relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a three-headed clairvoyant parakeet named Fred. There is some speculation that this move was not actually because of her husband’s military orders, but to help L. A. close in on her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who has also recently transferred to Omaha. So, don’t anyone tell Lauren. She’s not getting away this time…

Visit her website, Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in my friends, and keep reading!