Hi there! I’m so excited to share a new release from Morticia Knight’s Sin City Uniforms contemporary M/M romance series. I really enjoyed HELD HOSTAGE, NEGOTIATING LOVE and SEARCHING FOR SHELTER, so I jumped at the chance to read and review STRIP SEARCH.

Check out the exclusive excerpt, my review and follow the blog tour clues so you can get in on the signed paperback and book swag giveaway below.

About the book:
Stripping used to be fun, lucrative and a place for Dakota to practice for his professional dancing career. But the owner of Glitter Boys wants Dakota for himself and will stop at nothing to possess him. When his thirteen year-old brother runs away from home to escape their abusive father, Dakota is determined to find him before something awful happens to him on the streets.

Patrol officer Reed hasn’t been attracted to a man in a very long time, but when he’s called to an assault in progress at the LGBTQ teen shelter, a young man approaches him, begging for help in finding his missing brother. An instant spark occurs, but he pushes it away. When the same man is attacked outside a strip club later that night, he discovers the desire is mutual.

As the two men learn more about each other and become closer, the spectre of his obsessed ex-boss remains. In addition to that, Dakota has to fight the system to gain guardianship of his brother and keep him out of foster care. Dakota doesn’t know if the hunky cop he’s fallen so hard for can handle a relationship with an ex-stripper struggling with raising a teenager. But, will Reed be able to give up dating women for good and dedicate himself to their new family?

And now for that EXCLUSIVE excerpt!

Backstage at the Glitter Boys strip club:

“What about you, Kota?”

Dakota jerked his head up at Rocky standing in the doorway with Noah. “What about me?”

“Yuri said you’d be there tomorrow.”

Rage coursed through Dakota. That fucking snake. He took a deep breath through his nostrils. He didn’t want his anger to be misconstrued by his friends as being a judgment against them.

“Oh, uh, I wasn’t planning on it. You must’ve misunderstood him.”

“No misunderstanding.”

Yuri appeared between them, his friends quickly stepping aside, their surprised expressions making it clear they hadn’t realized Yuri was standing there either. Yuri didn’t take his eyes off Dakota.

Rocky rubbed his hand across the top of his head. “So, uh, yeah. Tom’s waiting for me outside, so I should bounce. See ya to… Uh, see ya later.”

As Rocky shuffled out of the door, Noah moved back into the room. “Hurry up, Dakota. We don’t want to be late. Everyone’s waiting back at the apartment.” Noah widened his eyes, silently begging him to pick up on the ruse.

“Sorry, Noah. Almost done.” He glanced at Yuri, working with all his might to keep his expression implacable. “It totally slipped my mind, Yuri. Maybe we can talk in a couple days, after my next shift?”

“Out.”

Dakota blinked a few times, trying to grasp what Yuri meant and who he was directing it at.

“Out.”

The second time had been laced with anger and clearly meant for Noah.

“Cool. Yeah.” Noah shuffled nervously on his feet. “So I’ll just be waiting –“

“Out! Out of the room, out of my club, out!”

Noah’s reaction was instantaneous. He bolted from the dressing area before Dakota had been able to utter a word. Dakota clutched his dance bag in front of him on his lap. The false sense of security it hinted at was all he had in the face of Yuri’s ire.

Yuri advanced closer, looming over him. His features softened as he gazed down, his expression as he seemingly drank in Dakota’s form one of intense lust. Yuri licked his lips, then skated his palm across the growing bulge in his pants.

He wouldn’t…take me against my will? Would he?

Dakota’s breathing accelerated as he calculated what his chances of success would be if he were to push the formidable Yuri out of the way then make a run for it. Probably not so great.

“Oh, my little bublik. Why you fight me like this?”

“I…” Dakota cleared his throat. “I don’t know what you mean, Yuri. You know my situation. I want to be a dancer in one of the aerial shows, be a star there. That’s my dream.”

He wasn’t sure if he’d been stupid or smart to share what he hoped for when he’d first met Yuri. Back when Yuri had pretended to be warm and welcoming to him. It had come to the point where Yuri could either be made to understand that it was nothing personal that Dakota didn’t want to be in his films, or instead be something Yuri could somehow use against him.

“I’ll make you a star. Everyone will want you. You can have money, clothes, jewelry, cars, anything you want. I buy you beautiful estate for us to live in together.” Yuri stroked Dakota’s cheek as he tried not to cringe. “You’ll be mine.”

Dakota drew his eyebrows together. Wait. What? The last he’d heard, Yuri wanted him for his porn flicks. He must’ve missed the part where he’d be Yuri’s little pampered bitch.

“That’s an amazing offer, very generous. But…” How to word this? “I don’t really know you. We’ve never even dated or anything.” Wait. Could’ve been a wrong move.

“Oh, I see.” Yuri laughed, looking almost pleased. “Baby wants sample first.” He tapped his own temple. “Smart boy.”

Dakota panicked. “I… No. What I meant, uh, well, I didn’t mean that. No sample.”

Yuri’s features clouded over. “What you mean ‘no sample’? I’m not good enough for you?”

Oh Jesus. “I’m sure you’re great. Really, really great. But I don’t want to be in a relationship with anyone right now, no matter how wonderful they are. I just want to dance. That’s all I meant.” He swallowed hard, praying that his words would placate the beast.

“Maybe you let me show you what real man can give you and dancing will mean nothing.” Yuri caressed his face again. “Except when dancing for me.”

Fuck. I gotta quit this place. There’s no way I can come back here.

My Review:

Dakota Crane is a 23 y/o trained dancer who is working at a Vegas strip club to save money for aerial dance classes, all to attain his dream of professional aerial performing in the big shows. Dakota is a relatively quiet, out gay man sharing an apartment with a fellow stripper and eschewing club life to save every penny. He hates giving lap dances and sees his current job as a means to an end–one that’s becoming difficult as his boss Yuri pressures him (unsuccessfully for the moment) to do porn and unwelcome sexual favors. His family accepts his sexuality, but the connection there has been crumbling due to his father’s recent gambling addiction and violent temper.

Dakota’s overwrought by the disappearance of his thirteen year old brother, Donovan, frequent target of his father’s rage. While searching for him Dakota meets patrol officer Reed Armstrong who is totally banging–and Reed finds Dakota instantly appealing, as well. They don’t make a strong connection, but a spark exists.

Knowing the situation with Yuri is untenable, Dakota flees his apartment and finds a new job–but his stalker finds him. Reed is called to the scene of a disturbance: Dakota being nearly kidnapped by Yuri. This time, Reed and Dakota can’t deny their attraction. As Dakota can’t go back to his own apartment, he agrees to meet Reed for dinner after his shift ends. Their conversation stretches into the wee hours and ends with Reed chaperoning Dakota to empty his place. Oh, and sexytimes.

Over the course of a few days they become close, and Reed helps Dakota track down Donovan. As time winds on Dakota’s life becomes a wrangle, balancing his nascent love, keeping Donovan safe, and staying out of Yuri’s grasp. I liked how this all developed. There was time for the romance to build, for real life to intrude, and for the specter of Yuri to raise the tension. For Reed and Dakota, the sexytimes are incendiary. Reed’s bisexual, yet had very little experience with men. He was married–and faithful–for years and has a teenaged daughter for whom he shares custody. With Dakota’s lust turned loose Reed gets a crash-course in all things gay sex as their intimacy deepens.

Expect Yuri to make things bad–for a few very tense moments, and for Dakota and Reed to make things good–for a lifetime. It’s a sweet read with a fun and yummy couple. Little bit of instalove, but I was still on board.

Interested? You can find STRIP SEARCH on Goodreads, Pride Publishing, Amazon, and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Morticia has a special contest for you! The exclusive excerpt for Strip Search that I shared today may or may not have really happened to Morticia. Follow the tour to read the other excerpts. If you believe you know the correct one then come back and enter your answer in the Rafflecopter giveaway link. Of the correct entries, one winner will be chosen to receive an autographed copy of Strip Search and bag filled with book swag!

Here are the tour dates and links, so you can keep up!
19-Apr: The Novel Approach
20-Apr: V’s Reads
21-Apr: Carly’s Book Reviews
22-Apr: Love Bytes
25-Apr: MM Good Book Reviews
26-Apr: Molly Lolly
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:

Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after. If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011.

Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

You can find Morticia online on her website, Goodreads, Totally Bound, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook.