Coming soon! SECOND CHANCES-Review and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for SECOND CHANCES, the first part of a contemporary M/M serial romance from Rain Carrington. This is an erotic series with a definite slant to become a menage. I’ve enjoyed the first installment, and look forward to the next. You can have a free copy of this one, just for commenting below. (I get to give away 5 copies!)

About the book:
Having everything he needed and wanted in his life for the first time, Brian Lauder was perfectly happy. He had a career that he loved, a home, friends and a submissive that he adored. One he thought he’d held at a big enough distance from to protect his heart. That was all before Morgan stepped back into his house and his life.

Morgan Cherik was everything a man could want. Beautiful, driven and eager to kneel for his Master, but he’d left without a word two years before to follow his dream, leaving Brian to pick up the pieces of a shattered heart.

Now he was back and Brian was torn between wanting to feel that love he’d never been able to shake for Morgan, or punish him and let him go. Then there was Pez, the young college student who had helped him heal. How could Brian let him go?

As Morgan begins to make amends, Brian knows that he cannot get over the other man who’d left his life for Brian’s happiness. Will the memory of Pez come between them, or bring them closer together?

A note from Author Rain Carrington:
This book is part of a serial, the following installments coming out every four to six weeks. They are part of a larger collection I lovingly call the Denver Diaries. Each serial in the Denver Diaries will focus on a new couple or triple, and will play out over the next year or so. I hope you enjoy this first book!

Coming November 4th, Second Chances, Book One. Starting at the introductory price of .99 cents, this deal and the beginning to this series can’t be missed!

My Review:
Brian is a clinical psychologist working in a women’s prison. He’s tasked with helping the inmates find the root cause of their problems and helping them grow past their fears. It’s a stressful job and he relishes unwinding with some spicy BDSM scenes with his regular partner, Pez, a graduate student who moonlights as rentboy. Pez and Brian have been getting together twice a week for two years, and their relationship is really one that is more loving than a john and his hooker. In truth, they each have feelings for the other, but are afraid to reveal this. Brian, because his heart has been broken before, and Pez, because being in love with Brian means he’ll have to give up his lucrative escort business.

Morgan, the stylish underwear model that broke Brian’s heart returns from his two year absence, begging for a second chance. Brian doesn’t want to give it to him, but Pez thinks he needs to–to see if their spark exists. If it doesn’t Pez is willing and able to take a permanent place in Brian’s life. Brian reluctantly allows Morgan to move back in, as long as he submits to Brian’s Dom games. Meanwhile, Pez nurses his broken heart by taking riskier jobs than ever before. As Brian and Morgan grow closer, Brian recognizes his love for Pez and Morgan is equal, and he needs to let Pez know–if he can track him down.

This is a bittersweet read when considering Pez, but I think the story arc allows for Pez to found and redeemed, by Brian and Morgan. This book is really the base of a continuing story, and while it ends satisfactorily, it’s clear that there’s tons of heat and steam in the offing. I liked the interactions between Brian and Pez and also Brian and Morgan. Brian’s a very thoughtful protagonist and is a creative Dom. He breaks Morgan’s defenses into rubble, and this allows for Morgan to be less selfish and more accepting of Brian’s needs, even if that includes Pez. It’s an interesting and often sexy story.

Interested? Youc an NOW find SECOND CHANCES on Amazon!

About the Author:
Hi I’m Rain and I write contemporary M/M romance some with a BDSM slant. My book Honky Tonk, is the first I am publishing but not the first I’ve written. I have a whole library full that are about to be rewritten and revamped a bit and published as well. Please enjoy my books and let me know what you think!

You can catch up to Rain online on her website, Facebook, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and don’t forget to tell me if you’d like a FREE copy of SECOND CHANCES in the comments!

Seduced in SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER a contemporary new adult romance from Jeanette Grey. You’ll recall how much I liked WHEN THE STARS ALIGN, so I was excited to get a sneak peek at this new release. I can tell you RIGHT NOW, this book has burning sheets.

Ma Gawd. The sexytimes are off the charts.

Check out the excerpt below and make sure to enter BOTH book giveaways–one is a simple as commenting on this post.

About the book:
Kate arrives in Paris hoping to find inspiration. Instead she finds Rylan. In a swirl of stolen kisses and hot, tangled sheets, Kate is quickly swept away by the sexy stranger, longing to surrender to his expert touch. With Rylan, nothing is forbidden-except the truth.

An American ex-pat worth millions, Rylan never flaunts his fortune. Rather, he guards his identity from everyone, especially women. No strings, no commitments, no complications. But the second his lips taste Kate’s soft, sweet skin, everything changes. For the first time, Rylan has found someone to share his every want and need. Yet he knows that secrets stand between them. To keep her, he’ll need to confess the truth before it’s too late . . . even if doing so could mean losing Kate forever.

By day, he’ll show her a side of Paris not found in any guidebook. By night, he’ll introduce her to a passion beyond her wildest dreams. In this sensuous story of indulgence and desire, Jeanette Grey delivers one of the most romantic reads of the year and proves why she is fast becoming a must-read star.

How about a little taste?

Kate stayed firmly planted in her seat as he offered to help her up. Trying her best to appear unaffected, she arched one eyebrow. “Does this usually work for you?”
The guy didn’t pull his hand back or in any other way appear to alter his strategy, and Kate had to give him points for that. “Yes, actually.”
“Interesting.”
The sad truth was, his offer was beyond tempting. The attention was nice, especially after her self-esteem had been beaten down the way it had in the past year. Hell, in the past twenty-two. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone who spoke fluent French showing her around, either. That he was as attractive as he was just made the deal sweeter.
“Not working so well on you, then?” he asked as she considered him.
“Not so far.”
His smile only widened. “Good. I like a girl who’s hard to crack.” Standing up straighter, he held his palms out at his sides. “Come on, what have you got to lose?”
“I’d say my wallet, but that’s already gone.”
“See? Low stakes. Listen, you don’t trust me.” That was an understatement. Was there a man left on Earth that she did? “I don’t blame you. Devilishly handsome man wanders into a café and buys you a drink without asking? Offers to show you around town? Very suspicious.”
“Very.”
“So let’s make this safe. You said you wanted to see the Louvre? Let’s go to the Louvre. I’ll show you all my favorites, and then if I haven’t murdered you by supper time, you let me take you someplace special. Someplace no guide book in the world would ever recommend.”
She was really running out of reasons to say no. It was a good plan, this one. They’d be in a public place. She’d have time to feel him out a little more. And if he wasn’t too much of a psycho, well, everyone had to eat, didn’t they?
Still, she kept up her air of skepticism. She rather liked all his efforts to convince her. “I don’t even know your name.”
The way his dimples shone when he lifted up one corner of his mouth was completely unfair. Extending his hand again, he offered, “Rylan. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Rylan. That was unusual. She liked it.
“Kate,” she volunteered in return, and with no more real excuse not to, she accepted the handshake, slipping her palm into his. Warm fingers curled around hers, his thumb stroking the side of her hand, and oh. The rake. He bent forward as he tugged on her hand, twisting ever so slightly so he could press his lips to the back of her palm.
“Charmed.”
“I’ll bet you are.” But her pulse was racing faster, and the kiss felt like it seared all the way to her spine.
This man was dangerous.
He straightened up but he didn’t let go. Sweeping his other arm toward the door, he asked, “So?”
She hummed to herself as she gazed up at him, as if there was any question of what she was going to do. His blue eyes sparkled, like he already knew her answer, too.
“Well.” She rose from her seat, feeling taller than usual. More powerful. Maybe it was all the flattery of a guy like this hitting on her. Maybe it was the headiness of making this kind of a decision. Either way, it made her straighten her shoulders and insert a little sway into the movement of her hips.
“Well?”
“Lead on,” she said.
He didn’t let go of her hand. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” With a squeeze of her fingers, he took a step toward the door. “Let’s go look at some art.”
External pressures aside, she had come to Paris to be inspired by beauty. She could find it on the walls of a famous museum. And she could find it in the lines of this man’s shoulders and throat. The latter might not have been what she’d had in mind when she’d set out, but what was a little bit of a diversion?
You couldn’t find yourself without taking a couple of side trips, after all.

My Review:
4.5 Stars for this contemporary New Adult (erotic) romance.

Kate is a woman filled with self-doubt, mostly because men (her father and ex-boyfriend) have put her down, a lot. She’s never had an orgasm with a man, and she’s not sure she can ever fall for a man–not after witnessing her mother’s destructive marriage, and her own disastrous single foray into dating.

Kate’s an artist spending a week in Paris hoping to learn what to do with her life–she has been accepted for her MFA in art, and she has a job offer at an ad agency. School, or work? If she can’t get a better sense how to do her art, she’s got to take the job, right.

Naturally, for Kate, her vacation/vision quest begins badly. Her purse is snatched at a cafe. Her coffee is picked up by a sexy stranger, Rylan, who entreats Kate to spend some time together, as her guidebook is now stolen, and he knows the city intimately. Kate gets the idea that Rylan knows a lot of women intimately, and this idea is verified by Rylan–who, let’s face it–is a lazy trust-fund brat having an extended temper tantrum. I do like Rylan, but he’s exactly that. He let his father dictate his life, and he was seriously disappointed and unhappy with the result.

Rylan convinces Kate to hang out, and also to let him seduce her–he’s sure he can satisfy her sexually and he spends several nights doing just that. There is a lot of sex, most of which is non-penetrative. Kate is initially nervous about having intercourse, so Rylan satisfies her in other ways, and he’s not specific about reciprocity. In fact, he counts his lack of action to be a penance for all the half-truths he reveals to Kate. He’s led her to believe that he’s a struggling ex-pat, though this is far from true. His father’s tarnished legacy has fallen into his lap, and he wants nothing to do with it. He has a lot of self-hate, which makes him more sympathetic. Plus, he lives to get Kate off, which is kinky fun.

Rylan wants nothing more than to spend these perfect days with Kate, but that gets snipped when she learns she’s just another lying liar, like her cheating ex and her cheating dad. Expect a frosty break-up, and a chance at redemption. Expect a whole lotta sexytimes, and a fragile ego to become a burnished self-esteem. Kate and Rylan have serious daddy issues, and they deal with them in similar ways. By the end, neither of them is running, which was good. The planned sequel looks to be just as sexy, and will provide the end of this story, though there was enough closure here for the story to rest.

Interested? You can find SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER on Goodreads,
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, GooglePlay, Kobo, and BAM.

GIVEAWAY 1!

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win onE of TEN copies of SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER
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GIVEAWAY 2!

Comment on this post to be entered to win a paperback copy of SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER of your very own. I’d love to hear the most exotic place you have been and found a connection with someone–doesn’t have to be a sexy tale! If you went to Palm Springs and made a friend with a gardener, I’d love you to share… This giveaway closes Tuesday Nov 10th at 5pm giving you…7 NIGHTS to get your comments in!!

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Jeanette Grey started out with degrees in physics and painting, which she dutifully applied to stunted careers in teaching, technical support, and advertising. When she isn’t writing, Jeanette enjoys making pottery, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and her pet frog. She lives, loves, and writes in upstate New York.

Catch Jeanette online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads

Happy Book Birthday to LEVELED! Excerpt and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing the word about LEVELED a new novella from Jay Crownover. This book marks the beginning of a new Saints of Denver contemporary M/M romance series and is sure to please all Jay’s fans.

Check out the meet-cute scene below, and make sure to enter the giveaway to win a $25 GC and an advanced reader copy of BUILT, the first novel in the Saints of Denver series.

About the book:
We all need a hero…let the Saints of Denver begin.
Orlando Frederick knows what it is to be leveled by pain. Instead of focusing on his own, he’s made it his mission to help others: sports stars, wounded war vets, survivors of all kinds. But when Dom, a rugged, damaged, sinfully attractive cop makes his way into Lando’s physical therapy practice, he might be the biggest challenge yet. Lando loved one stubborn man before and barely survived the fallout. He’s not sure if he can do it again.

Dominic Voss is a protector. The police badge he wears is not only his job, it’s his identity, so when he’s sidelined because of an injury, the only thing he cares about is getting back on the force. He expects Lando to mend his body, he just doesn’t realize the trainer will also have him working towards a hell of a lot more. As attraction simmers and flares, Dom sees that Lando needs repair of his own…if only the man will let him close enough to mend what’s broken.

How about a little taste?

He reached out and shut the medical file in front of him and leaned back in his chair. His eyebrows arched up, and he laced his fingers together and put his index fingers under his chin.

“What exactly are you after, Mr. Voss?” His voice was smooth and modulated. I was a disaster, a bundle of nerves and anxiety, and this dude was acting like we were talking about the weather, not my entire life and everything I had ever worked my ass off for.

Defiantly I spread my legs apart and slumped back in the chair across from him, making it a point to affect a posture that was as casual as his was professional. I had on a faded DPD T-shirt and a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee, and both were a little baggy since I’d lost some of my bulk being laid up in the hospital after the accident. If the guy across from me was a cherry-red Ferrari, then I was a rusted-out and battered John Deere tractor in comparison.

“I want my life back, Mr. Frederick. I want to be able to move the way I used to. I want to pass the department physical so I can go back on patrol. I want to be able to walk without needing a crutch or a cane. I want to be the way I was before I got hurt.” I was asking for the impossible and I knew it. “And please call me Dom.”

He dipped his chin down a little, and the edge of his mouth tilted up in a slight grin. Damn the man was good-looking. I blew out a breath and lifted up my hands to run them over the top of my shorn hair. I was hanging on to my sanity by a thread and my unexpected reaction to the guy that I was hanging every hope I had left on wasn’t helping matters.

“All right, Dom. You can call me Lando. That’s what my friends call me.”

I felt one of my eyebrows shoot up. “Are we going to be friends?”

This one looks like it’s going to be fun!

Interested? You can find LEVELED on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Harper Collins.

GIVEAWAY

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $25 GC and an advanced reader copy of BUILT the first novel in the Saints of Denver series.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

You can find Jay online on her website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Happy Book Birthday to SAFETY IN NUMBERS (aka SIN!)

Hi there! Today I’m so excited to welcome a great contemporary M/M romanca into the world. SAFETY IN NUMBERS is the fifth book in Jessie G’s Sizzling Miami series, and it’s definitely got bang for the buck. Two couples, two love stories. Twice the feels! I just loved FOR A REASON, and can’t wait to get back to these boys!

Make sure to drop down and enter the giveaway.

About the book:

“Bros stick together no matter what.”

When Chris and Liam made that promise, they had no idea how important it would become or how it would be tested in the most brutal way. Nine years later, their bond cemented in blood, that relationship is all they have to hold on to.

“No matter what happens, this friendship will be the one constant we can count on.”

When Billy and Owen made that promise, they knew exactly how dangerous the world could be. They survived prison by protecting each other and they survived freedom by holding that promise sacred. Now they want more than just to survive and they want it from the brothers whose bond is as strong as their own.

“We are stronger together than we’ll ever be apart.”

When Owen reaches his breaking point, Chris jumps at the chance to make things right for all of them. With the future in their grasp, will they realize their strength is in their numbers and finally become the family they crave?

Author’s Note: This is NOT a foursome, but the story of two couples that needed to be told together.

How about a little taste?

That silence hid a lot from their friends, but Liam knew Chris was plagued with memories far worse than his. That’s why they decided not to celebrate alone this year. Billy and Owen were expected any minute and it was the first time they invited anyone to join them. The anniversary was bittersweet for them and they chose to celebrate it because becoming brothers meant that much to them. “Do you think they’ll find it stupid?”

Chris just shrugged as if it was no skin off his back what they thought and Liam knew that was just bravado. Fact was, they both very much cared what the two men thought. “Liar.”

His brother sighed and dropped his head back. As if shit wasn’t fucked up enough, they fell for two bastards just as fucked up as they were. “I know you’re worried about Owen. The business with Colin is growing out of their control and I’m not sure why he thinks it’s a good thing. Is he trying to prove something? And the middle of the night phone calls from the FTR? He’s looking more and more fragile every day.”

Liam knew he wasn’t stating anything new. What he didn’t know was what Chris intended to do about it. Lately, when it came to Owen, Chris conveyed zero intent and seemed to be waiting for Owen to read him as effortlessly as Liam did. Their brother bond had been forged through blood and he was afraid Chris’s expectations of Owen were unreasonable. “Do you see his face every time he thinks he’s failed to understand you? The weight of it is crushing.”

Instead of regret, all Liam saw was anger in Chris. It wasn’t a common emotion for Chris and Liam could name every time he saw it. The fact that Chris knew what he was capable of if provoked had made him extremely conscious of that emotion and he often went to great lengths to contain it.

Owen was the very definition of insecure. Just the type to inspire Chris’s protective instincts, which Liam knew for a fact Owen did. Hell, he inspired Liam’s protective instincts. Owen was stubborn though and he often distanced himself, keeping things bottled up until they manifested elsewhere. Like in panic attacks that felt like heart attacks, which he also tried to hide. Liam nearly lost it when they found out that Billy was keeping Owen’s secret.

Chris nodded slowly, as if he completely followed Liam’s train of thought and waited for him to connect the dots. And just like that, Liam understood. “You’re pissed because he doesn’t come to you when the panic sets in. That he hides it from you and they hide it from us.”

It made total sense, but he had to wonder if they were expecting too much. After all, they couldn’t call what was going on with either man a relationship. No, they were four fucked up bastards trying to come together in some romanticwhat? Not a foursome, eww…he loved Chris, but yeah, that just wasn’t happening. And Owen wasn’t his type any more than Billy was Chris’s type. But—always with the fucking buts, right?—what was happening was very definitely happening to the four of them, and Liam now had to wonder if that was the problem, because trying to come together was definitely not the same as being together.

Chris shook his head and shifted in his seat. No, he was right. It wasn’t just their brother bond that made it impossible to move forward as two separate couples. Billy and Owen had formed their own unique friendship in prison and were no more likely to move forward without the other one either. “Just once, couldn’t we have done something the easy way?”

The fire door banged open and Liam turned to see Billy and Owen, arms full of brightly wrapped packages, struggling to pull a huge cluster of balloons through the door. It was a shocking contrast to their dark thoughts and so uncharacteristically sweet of both men. Billy caught their surprised stare and yelled, “Is this where the party’s at?”

“It is now.” It might seem silly, but it was exactly what they needed and exactly who they needed it from. Maybe they hadn’t been expecting too much at all. Liam rose to give them a hand and glanced down to see the look of longing in Chris’s eyes and thought maybe it was time they all expected more.

I cannot wait to read this one! Look for my review next week… In the meantime you can find SAFETY IN NUMBERS on Amazon, AllRomance and Kobo.

**GIVEAWAY*

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $25 ebook GC (Amazon, B&N, ARE, or KOBO) winner’s choice, or one of 2 signed paperbacks of Safety in Numbers
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I’d begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it’s a job. The more you write, the easier it will be to write and the better you will be at writing. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With six published books to date, three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it’s been amazing to have made this dream my reality.

I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics and happily ever after. I’m a lover of strong secondary characters and series filled with families, biological or chosen. All are themes you’ll find throughout my books.

You can find Jessie G on these social media outlets:

Serial Marriage: WILL & PATRICK-Review, Book Blast And Giveaway

Hi there! Sharing a review in the book blast for a new serial from Leta Blake and Alice Griffiths. WILL & PATRICK is a rom-com romp, and sure to be spicy. Each book will come out every three weeks or so, until all six episodes are published. I’ve already read the first one, WAKE UP MARRIED and I’m eager to read more.

Check out the excerpt and be sure to enter the giveaway for your copy!

About the Book:
Join the wild ride in this vibrant and fun first installment of the new romantic comedy serial by best-selling author Leta Blake and newcomer Alice Griffiths!

After a drunken night of hot sex in Vegas, strangers Will Patterson and Dr. Patrick McCloud wake up married. A quickie divorce is the most obvious way out—unless you’re the heir of a staunchly Catholic mafia boss with a draconian position on the sanctity of marriage.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Will and Patrick don’t like it, or each other, but they have to make the best of it until they can find another way out of their marriage. To ensure the trust fund Will’s charitable foundation relies on isn’t revoked by his mobster grandfather, he and Patrick travel to Will’s hometown of Healing, South Dakota, posing as a newlywed couple in the throes of true love at first sight.

Complicating their scheme are Will’s unresolved feelings for his all-too-recent ex-boyfriend Ryan, and Patrick’s desire to get back to the only thing that really matters to him in life: neurosurgery. Will they fool everyone? Or will the mafia get wind that their marriage is a fake? Throw their simmering attraction into the mix and all bets are off!

Episode 1 of 6 in the Wake Up Married Serial.

How about a little taste?

Patrick sits down beside Will and rubs his hands together in anticipation. “So, what did Granny say? Can she free me from the shackles of our loveless union?”

Will puts his head in his hands. “It’s not going to be as easy as I hoped initially. It might take some time.”

“We knew that. How much time? A week? Two?”

“Maybe a month?”

“What?” Patrick’s voice is loud.

“Maybe more than a month? Possibly up to a year?”

Patrick’s eyes grow dark with anger. “Don’t tell me the all-powerful Eleanora Molinaro you were going on about so enthusiastically when you were convincing me of this half-baked scheme can’t make a little inadvertent marriage disappear.”

“Could you hold it down?” Will whispers. “Or do you want someone to hear?”

“Oooh, right, the Molinaro spies. Might have the place bugged. Guess I shouldn’t yell then? I’m not your toy, Will. I want a divorce and I want one now,” Patrick hollers.

Will glares at him. He raises his own voice, saying, “Don’t be so dramatic, baby!”

He stares Patrick down, daring him to say something else. “You know I love you more than life!”

Patrick looks daggers at him. “Who do you think you’re fooling, Will? The bellhops? The maids?” He wipes a hand across his face and rises. “You know, no. I can’t believe I’ve let your paranoia and insanity drag me across the country into this hornet’s nest of absurdity and—”

Patrick rants on, but Will’s not paying attention anymore, because Patrick’s tossing his new clothes onto the bed, and getting out his suitcases.

“Wait,” Will says, putting his hands on Patrick’s arms. “Wait, don’t.”

Patrick throws a shirt into the bag and sighs. “What do you want from me? I gave your plan a chance, but there is no way in hell I’m going to hang around this town for a year. Not when I could be at the Mayo Clinic or Cedars-Sinai or Vandy. Not when I can be honing my skills and expanding my practice. I am not small-town material, Will. I’m the big-time. I have absolutely no desire to play your loving spouse indefinitely and if
your grandmother can’t get us out of this mess? Well, I sure as hell can.”

“Look,” Will says. “I know you can. I just need you…no, no, stop that. You’re not going anywhere.” Will pushes Patrick, trying to move him away from the bags.

Patrick lurches toward him, gripping his forearms and shoving him back with surprising strength. “I’ve been pushed around enough in my life, Will. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to take care of this my way.”

Will breathes in hard. Terror and attraction jolts through him at once. He swallows and backs away from Patrick, his hands shaking, and his throat dry. Blood rushes in his ears.

Patrick picks up his bag and heads for the door. Will tries to block Patrick from getting it open.

“Really? It’s come to this? Holding me against my will?”

Will pushes the barely open door shut with a hard slam. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Patrick. This is just our first lover’s spat. That’s all. The first of many to come in our long, wonderfully happy marriage.”

Patrick stares at him like he’s kind of impressed by this level of insanity. “Good God, you’re drinking your own Kool-Aid.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a very, very expensive drink.”

“You think you’re so clever don’t you?”

Will shrugs. “I think I don’t know what else to do.”

My Review:
This is the beginning of a serial M/M romantic comedy, but this episode is, uh, not romantic. At all.

Will Patterson is a diabetic and a recovering alcoholic with a lousy (new) ex. He’s also the eldest son of Tony Molinari, incarcerated head of a mobster family. Will’s been raised outside of that syndicate realm in tiny Healing, South Dakota, with his mother, step-siblings and paternal Nonna but he’s in possession of the Molinari trust as the eldest grandchild. He’s using the millions of blood money to fund Good Works, a charitable foundation that provides free and discounted medical care all over the world. He’s just financed the expansion of the Healing Hospital, and is at a medical conference in Las Vegas to recruit neurologists and Neurosurgeons to the hospital when he gets a call from Ryan, his on-again/off-again boyfriend of the past 6 years. Ryan lets Will know, via telephone, that they are through. For good.

We learn all of this when Will wakes up from a killer bender, naked, in a strange hotel room, and married to a man he doesn’t remember. As it all comes back into focus, Will is horrified by his actions. He’d been sober a number of years, and he adores Ryan, and he stands to lose all the monies in the Molinari trust if he divorces the now-surly and soon to be unemployed Dr. Patrick McCloud.

Patrick is a sexy, demanding Neurosurgeon. He’s the epitome of a prima donna surgeon and his ego and big mouth make him zero friends. While freaking out over his newly-married state he supremely pisses off his chief of staff, and is summarily dismissed.

Will convinces Patrick to visit Healing, and help him sort out the possibility of getting the trust amended to allow for a divorce without all the money being given back to the mob.

This predicament is rife with issues, and Will and Patrick are angry with themselves and each other for a good deal of the book. I liked Will, as he’s easily likable. Patrick’s a prickly one. I’m reserving my thoughts on him for the moment, on account of they aren’t especially flattering, and I suspect he’s going to have an epiphany in the very near future. He does show elements of compassion, especially when helping manage Will’s diabetes.

Throughout I was holding out hope for some actual tenderness to pop up between Will and Patrick, but it’s too soon, I think. This episode was truly only the first 36 hours in the aftermath of waking in their debacle. They are both hungover and freaked the heck out. There are some clear elements of Molinari menace in the background, and it’s likely that this will become more prominent in the next episode. Also, I think Patrick’s cockiness is going to get soundly trimmed soon–likely due to having fewer career options than he suspects.

I’m intrigued to read on, and hoping there will be some romantic elements in the near future.

Interested? You can find WILL & PATRICK WAKE UP MARRIED on Goodreads, Amazon, and Amazon UK.

GIVEAWAY

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About the Authors:
Leta Blake
Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

You can find out more on her website, Facebook and twitter.

Alice Griffiths
A long-time reader of romance novels, Alice Griffiths finally took the plunge into writing, teaming up with best-selling author Leta Blake for the ‘Woke up Married’ serialized comedy. A lover of tropes, Alice enjoys mining old ideas and putting a fresh, funny spin on them. Formerly working in the newspaper industry, Alice is now an art curator. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

You can find out more about her by following her on Twitter and Facebook.

Happy Book Birthday: BEHR FACTS-Excerpt and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m wishing a Happy Book Birthday to BEHR FACTS, a contemporary M/M Romance novella from Pat Henshaw. This is an odd couple match-up between a burly, overworked construction company owner and the svelte forensic accountant who helps him discover the fraud in his company.

Check out the excerpt and enter to win one of three Starbucks gift cards below!

About the book:
Big, burly CEO Abe Behr is dismayed to discover someone—possibly a family member—is stealing from Behr Construction, which primarily employs Behr relatives. Abe takes the unprecedented step of hiring an outsider, likeable CPA Jeff Mason, to go over the books and help find the culprit. They are drawn to each other as they talk to workers, including Abe’s two younger brothers and their shifty cousin.

Since he has sacrificed romance all his life to build the business, Abe’s surprised by his feelings for the handsome Jeff. He’s even more shocked when they are confronted by bigotry in the Sierra Nevada foothills community, which is being inundated by gays moving from the San Francisco area. As he and Jeff get closer, Abe must come to grips with coming out to a family and community that aren’t very tolerant. Fortunately, being the head Behr helps him find his footing and grab onto love when it bites him.

How about a little taste?

“You ever come up the bank to sit under my tree? Looks like a much more comfortable place to fish. Not as rocky at any rate.” Jeff took a drink of his beer as I again scrambled to keep up. “My dad called it the Fishing Tree. He seemed to think fish congregated off the shore there.”

We sat in silence. It was my turn to talk. I’m pretty good in business situations. Not so much in social ones. At social events, mostly I hold up walls. Shake hands. Grunt a lot. Let others carry the conversational load.

Lorraine set our meals in front of us. The full burger with everything for him. The grilled mountain trout and steamed vegetables for me.

“You do a lot of fishing?” I managed after a long silence.

“Not really.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “My dad said fishing couldn’t be taught. He said it was something intuitive. I never had any idea what I was doing. So I never saw any use in fishing. I never saw any fish either.”

Again, silence as I processed and caught up. “It’s not rocket science. You figure out what kind of fish you want. Where it lives. Lure it to you. Then catch it.”

He looked skeptical and almost self-conscious. “It can’t be so easy,” he said with a little laugh.

“Why not?”

“What about the different rods, lures, tackle, stuff?” He looked so serious, as if I were missing the point. As if I didn’t understand. He was right. I didn’t.

“Look. You can catch fish with your bare hands. If you want to. The extra stuff is just extra stuff.”

“If you say so.” He shook his head, a smile still on his lips. “Have you ever caught a fish with your bare hands?”

I lifted my hands and looked down at the mess that were my paws. Calluses, nicks, cuts, punctures, blunt fingers, the bandage now off the one with the splinter. These were the hands of a man who’d framed houses as a tall, rangy preteen and had lived in construction ever since. Could I catch a fish with my bare hands?

“Yeah. All it takes is absolute stillness and patience.” I sighed. “Not a whole lot of people have both together. Somebody once told me it’s all about Zen.” Somebody else said the only reason I could do it was because I was too stupid to know it was impossible.

“Zen.” His tone said he was surprised I knew such a word.

“You know, like the Eastern religion,” I answered. “Though why we still call it Eastern is beyond me. It’s really Far West, not Far East to us.” I was grumbling and rambling. Avoiding for some reason.

He rattled me. Nobody ever rattled me. I’m Abe Behr, the big Behr.

He was studying me as intently as I was him. He appeared too beautiful, too perfect, too unscarred. I just hoped his accountant skills were as perfect as he looked.

“What kind of fish you want to catch?” I asked. Staring at him wasted our time.

He pointed his fork to my plate. “How about that? It’s good, right?”

“Trout,” I agreed. “Lots of different kinds of trout.”

He looked like he’d never eaten any in his life.

“This is trout from our lake. Have a bite.”

He’d finished his burger but didn’t make a move on my fish. His expression was split between wanting to dig in and reluctance to do so.

“Just taste it,” I growled. “It won’t bite.”

His eyes snapped up to meet mine. His puzzled stare asked if the stupid bear had deliberately made a joke or not. Then he gave a happy, hearty laugh, and his fork raided my fish.

“So? What do you think?” I asked after he swallowed.

“I think you made a great joke,” he said with twinkling eyes. “And the trout is delicious. Is this why you threw your catch back? Did you know you’d get it cooked perfectly here at the cafe?”

“Naw. I was stalking the pie. Fish was a bonus.”

“They have good pie here?”

“Wait and see.”

I really liked this one! Look for my review in a week or so…in the meantime:

Interested? You can find BEHR FACTS on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Amazon UK, Kobo, and All Romance Ebooks.

GIVEAWAY

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born and raised in Nebraska and promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Now retired, Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.
Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Fortunately, her supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

You can find Pat online on her website, Facebook, twitter, Amazon, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Goodreads.

When He Could CATCH ME–Review, Release Blitz and Giveaway

Hi there! Over the next several weeks I will be sharing reviews for newly re-released erotic novellas from Jennifer Probst. I’ve enjoyed some of her contemporary romance (Searching for Beautiful and Searching for Always) so I was eager to try more. The Steele Brothers series kicks off with the release of CATCH ME, and it’s a steamer!

Don’t forget to drop down and enter the giveaway for signed copies of two of Ms. Probst’s book! (USA shipping only)

About the book:
Rick Steele has avoided relationships since he caught his fiancée cheating, but when his friend refers him to the exclusive agency, FANTA-C to experience the night of his dreams, he’s not prepared for his emotional and physical reaction to his date. Tara shows him a raw passion and honesty he’s never encountered. For the first time, Rick wants more than one night, but he needs to catch her first…

Tara Denton escaped a brutal past and needs one night with a stranger to get beyond her sexual and emotional limitations. On the brink of recovering her strength and independence, she wants nothing to do with a relationship. But Rick Steele does more than rock her body…he rocks her heart. Tara has to make a choice, but is she ready to get caught?

My Review:
This is a quick, erotic story in a newly-revised and released Steele Brothers series. I cannot comment on the previous story, as I didn’t read it.

Rick Steele is a dealer in Vegas. He’s been jilted and he’s jaded. His buddy convinces him to sign up for FANTA C, a one night stand service that guarantees a perfect match. Rick’s not convinced, but he is wowed by curvy Tara who shows up for their date.

Tara is just getting on her feet after spending three plus years with an abuser she had to disappear from. Her body is covered in scars and cigarette burns from her ex. That’s nothing compared to her emotional wounds, however. She’s afraid of Rick, on account of him being so big and sexy. How could he ever find her desirable?

Well, Rick’s a (supposed) Dom and he needs to make his partners feel safe and cherished. He works all of Tara’s insecurities to the outer limits. I liked their chemistry, and how compassionate Rick was. He really did give Tara a fantastic night, and he wanted more and more of her. Today, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future.

She declined, on account of still needing to take care of herself outside of a relationship, but there’s a reconnection to be made, and happiness to find.

This is a short, sexy read that is way low on the BDSM scale. Mostly there’s a teeny bit of domination. Rick claims to enjoy bondage, but Tara will not submit to that after her dark history of abuse. Still, they find a pleasurable middle ground. I think this took me just over an hour to read, so mark it down if you need an erotic lunch break.

Interested? You can get your copy of CATCH ME on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.

Pre-order PLAY ME on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.

Pre-order DARE ME on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.

Pre-order BEG ME on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.

GIVEAWAY

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a signed paperback of SEARCHING FOR ALWAYS and SUMMER SINS by Jennifer Probst. (US Only.)
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon’s Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers.

Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team. You can also find her Facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.

Compromises Between THE MISTRESS AND HER MEN–Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today’ I’m sharing a review for a sexy menage historical romance from Minerva Howe (aka Julia Talbot) that releases today. THE MISTRESS AND HER MEN is so yummy and sexy, I’m hoping for a sequel.

Make sure to check out the excerpt, my review and enter the giveaway for an ebook of your own.

About the book:
The path to love isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes it’s a triangle.
When Simon realizes his dearest friend is in real trouble with gambling, whoring and daredeviling, he hits on the perfect solution: provide Matthias with an outlet for his self-destructive urges. While Simon would be more than willing to take on the task himself, Matthias has always fought their “unnatural” attraction.

As London’s Mistress of Discipline, Felice Grey wears her independent and scandalous reputation with confidence. She’ll take on Matthias for one night as a favor to Simon—even break her own rules to let Simon watch. She never expected that Matthias’s struggle against his feelings for Simon would touch her heart, or that she’d feel drawn to both men. Especially since Simon’s dominant nature makes it unlikely he’ll bend to her will.

Simon, barely surviving the night’s session, withdraws to his country estate in hopes that his two favorite people will find each other. Felice and Matthias must make a decision—let happiness fall by the wayside, or pursue it—and damn the risk.

How about a little taste?
London 1779

Simon sat in the depths of a smoky gambling hell, his cravat undone, his coat tossed carelessly across a stool near his feet. He knew he presented the very portrait of a debauched noble gambling his night away. That was precisely what he wanted, because he was in the gaming hell as a spy tonight, rather than a full participant.

Tonight he was watching his dear friend Matthias wager away every bit of good fortune the man had ever possessed. Indeed, Simon saw a note that no doubt represented every bit of Matthias’s remaining land in the pile of loot at the center of his table. What Simon really wished to do was to go over to that table and wipe it clean with his arm, dramatically saving Matthias from himself. He knew, however, that his friend would not thank him for it, so instead he would wait until a destitute Matthias left to drown his sorrows in whatever drink he might yet afford. Then he would buy all of those notes back from the winners, whether they wished to sell or not. A roar from Matthias brought Simon’s attention back from his thoughts. Matthias’s gaming table spilled over, notes and coins flying.

“You’re a damned cheat,” Matthias shouted, and in finally seeing Matthias’s opponent’s face, Simon could not but agree. Lord Chalmsley was, indeed, a terrible cheat. He was also armed with a dagger in his sleeve, which snicked into place against Matthias’s breastbone in less than a heartbeat.

“How dare you, sir?” Chalmsley said calmly. “I have beaten you over and over this evening because of your lack of skill, not chicanery.”

“That’s a load of shite.” Matthias pressed against the blade until a red spot appeared on his lawn shirt. “Had you nothing to hide you would not conceal a weapon and use it so readily.”

Chalmsley backed away slowly. “I only protect myself, you insolent bastard.”

“Ah, but I am no more a bastard than you are,” Matthias stated. “Fight me fairly.”

“I did. With the cards.” With a flourish of his blade, Chalmsley bent to pick up the notes before stuffing them into his coat. “Good night, all.” Matthias lunged, only to be held back by a few acquaintances. Not an easy task, considering his stature, his heavy muscles. Simon watched him thusly restrained, and the kernel of an idea took hold in his mind. The image of that bright spot of blood crystalized in Simon’s thoughts.

Good God, his friend had a death wish. Yes, Matthias had a need to castigate himself. To punish himself for his perceived failures in life. How many times had Simon seen Matthias throw the first punch or toss a note in someone’s face? How many times had the man courted danger to his person simply because he didn’t think he was worthy of his life? He wondered why it had taken him so long to realize that he knew of a solution. Oh, God help him, he might just be able to save Matthias from another night such as this, from giving away his land and his life to fulfill some sort of fatalistic desire.

Matthias needed to explore this need for violence, for self-punishment, in a safe place. Would that Simon could become that place, but he knew Matthias would never accept such games from a man, let alone one he considered a close friend. There was someone, though, someone who would give Matthias what he needed.

Simon stood, assuming his jacket before he left the room so that Matthias never saw him. He dropped his own blade into his hand when he approached Chalmsley from behind, then pressed the dagger to the man’s ribs. “I’ll take those notes, my lord,” he said, smiling when Chalmsley stiffened. “I would have bought them, but I do abhor a cheat.”

My Review:
This is a delicious sexy read that includes BDSM scenes and multi-partner M/M, M/F and M/M/F play.

Viscount Thatcher, Simon Manchester has a serious affection for his good friend Baron Matthias Kingsley. Matthias has an unnatural desire for men that he refuses to indulge. It’s a hanging offense after all. This attraction does his head in, a bit, and causes him to behave in other risky manners, like gambling and brawling He’s lost his fortune many a time, only to have Simon step in and rescue him. This time, however, Simon has a stipulation. He will return Matthias’ markers if Matthias will submit himself to the notorious Mistress of Discipline, Felice Grey.

This night is a battle of wills for Simon, who plays voyeur, Felice, who is a rare hand with a switch, and Matthias, who is finally at peace after some serious punishment. Felice and Simon are each Dominant partners, but each recognizes their desire of the other. They have an increasing affection for Matthias, and a mutual desire to dominate him…together.

The road is not easy. Matthias is very resistant. He is invited back to Mistress’ parlor, but he denies himself release because he’s too afraid that Simon will engage him. Felice’s punishment is severe, and shatters Matthias’ resolve to refuse Simon. Their reunion is bliss, for a time. Shame country folk are so suspicious and uncivil. The end is happy, but I’d have read on and on. I really liked the BDSM elements, and I love me a Domme who holds her own. Felice is an unapologetic feminist in a society that barely tolerates her. Brava! And Simon is so sexy, really. His love for Matthias is illegal, and rare. He’d rather sacrifice himself than put Felice and Matthias in danger, and a realistic threat exists here.

I liked this one bunches.

Interested? You can find THE MISTRESS AND HER MEN on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and AllRomance.

GIVEAWAY

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win an ebook of THE MISTRESS AND HER MEN.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Samhain Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, and Changeling Press to name just a few. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at http://www.juliatalbot.com. Find all my books from my publishers Samhain, Dreamspinner, All Romance Ebooks, Torquere Press, and Changeling Press at my website. http://www.juliatalbot.com

You can find Julia/Minerva on Facebook, twitter, Goodreads and her blog. Join her newsletter! Get news for Julia and her wife BA Tortuga.

The Right Recipe in TASTING NOTES–Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a new contemporary M/M Romance from Cate Ashwood. TASTING NOTES is an odd couple match between a Marine veteran and a billionaire workaholic. It’s got fire AND heat! (wink, wink)

Don’t forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway for an ebook copy of TASTING NOTES.

About the book:
West, a venture capitalist, has paid for his wealth and success with long hours at the office and no personal life to speak of. Meetings, conference calls, and paperwork dominate his waking hours and have kept him from honoring the promise he made to his late grandfather years before.

After leaving the Marines, Rush returns to his hometown and settled in as a Christmas Tree farmer. His life is quiet and simple, and he likes it that way. When West arrives in town and buys Rush’s parent’s vineyard on a whim, that simple life is turned upside down. The animosity between them is palpable, but Rush shelves his preconceived notions in order to protect his parents’ legacy. He agrees to help West learn how to run the vineyard, and Rush soon realizes that love doesn’t necessarily come in the package he expected.

How about a little taste?

The drive over felt the same as it always did. Rush thought his truck probably could have found its way anywhere in town, but the trip to Lennox Hill was one he’d made at least a few thousand times. It was weird to think the property no longer belonged to his family. Enough of his sweat had soaked into the soil that a part of him lived in that land.

He parked his truck in the same place as always and opened the door, calling to Casper to jump out before closing the door behind him. The door to the main structure was closed and locked. Rush peered through the windows of the wine room as he walked past, but the lights were off and the space was abandoned. Rush and Casper followed the pathway toward the house. Casper sat down as Rush knocked, waiting patiently for an answer. When none came, he knocked again with a little more force. West’s car was parked in the driveway, so unless he had decided to walk somewhere, he should be here.

A moment later, the door swung open and West stood there, naked from the waist up, his hair disheveled and his cheeks pink.

“What the fuck?” he asked.

Rush saw red, which was a blessing because it kept him from seeing the way West’s body looked beneath his clothes. The guy was sleeping, and it was nearly noon. He’d owned the vineyard for less than a week, and he was already slacking off.

“Can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

West stepped to the side to let Rush enter. He looked around. Everything was the same as he remembered it. The house was warm and comfortable, begging you to come in and stay a while. Rush had always loved this house. He peered into the living room, noting the two empty wine bottles on the coffee table.

“Is that a fucking wolf?” West demanded, breaking Rush out of his train of thought.

“What? No. That’s Casper. My dog.”

With a subtle nod from Rush, Casper sat next to his master, his eyes glued to West, but quiet.

West narrowed his eyes. “Why are you here?”

“I came to offer my help. You said you needed help, and my mom told me you didn’t know a fucking thing about running this place, so I figured I’d bail you out.”

“Why?” West looked awfully mistrustful. Rush couldn’t blame him. He didn’t trust West either.

“Because they’re my family, and you’re the dickhead who bought the place they poured their hearts and souls into. I’m not going to let you run it into the ground because you have some romantic fucking idea about being all sophisticated and worldly, owning your own vineyard. Not going to happen.”

“Look, what is your fucking problem with me?” West asked, crowding Rush’s space. “You’ve been nothing but a complete bastard to me since the moment you laid eyes on me. I haven’t done shit to you, and you’re giving me a rough time for no goddamn reason.”

Casper growled, but Rush calmed him with a gentle pat to the head. “Sue me if I don’t like spoiled little rich kids. You blow into town in your tricked-out sports car and think you can do whatever you want here because you have a shit ton of money. You take what you want without any regard for the people around you.”

“You don’t know a thing about me, but you think you’ve got my number. Well, you can go fuck yourself. You saw my car, and you made a snap decision about me. You didn’t bother talking to me or getting to know me at all before you rushed to judgment. Maybe you should give me the benefit of the doubt before you tell me who I am.”

“I don’t need to. I know exactly who you are. I’ve met guys like you. You’re arrogant, spoiled, and selfish. You put on a good front, pretending to be this philanthropic nice guy, but when it comes down to it, you’ll choose your money over everything else.”

“Oh, for fuck sakes. You storm in here, waking me up and screaming at me. In case you missed the memo, this is my home now. You’re on my property. What gives you the right to show up and give me shit about something you know nothing about?”

“Your name may be on the deed, but that’s as far as it goes, asshole. Lennox Hill is in my blood, and the last thing I want is for you to completely destroy it out of sheer ignorance.”

“Well, then there’s something we agree on. It’s why I came to your house in the first place, in case you need reminding about that. I don’t want this place to fail any more than you do, so how about you get your head out of your ass, stop being such a fucking prick, and help me?”

Rush stared at him, not saying a word. He hadn’t anticipated the conversation taking this turn. Hell, he hadn’t anticipated this conversation period. There was something there, behind West’s eyes, a kind of rawness Rush hadn’t expected. He stepped forward, his eyes locked on West’s. He felt drawn to him like a compass to north, locking onto that flicker of something unnamable.

He was not in control of his body. He pulled a quick intake of breath as the space between them evaporated. He was close enough that he could feel the crackle of electricity between them, as tangible as if West was statically charged.

“Fine, I’ll help,” Rush said, knowing West could feel his breath as he spoke.

“But this doesn’t mean I like you,” Rush growled.

“Understood,” West replied. “I don’t like you either.”

“As long as we’re clear.”

My Review:
Joseph “West” Weston has no remaining family. He’s a workaholic, chairman of his own venture capitalist firm in Chicago and burned out. Five years ago his beloved grandfather died, and West is still hanging onto the ashes, instead of committing them to the sea as he promised he would. Deciding that his rut is getting too deep to see out of, he gathers his few casual clothes, the urn and the keys to his Ferrari and heads west for Eureka, California. He free-wheels it out to the coast, but three hours from his destination West stops for gas and food in picturesque Canyon Creek, CA. There he experiences a pang of nostalgia for the quiet towns he and his grandfather had visited when he was a newly-orphaned boy. Seeing a vineyard, he’s struck with a memory of the quiet vineyard location of his parent’s wedding–one of his many trips with Gramps. Impetuously, he buys it.

Rush loves his hometown of Canyon Creek. It’s the only place his mind settles after surviving the horrors of being a Marine helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. He runs a Christmas tree farm on the outskirts of town, and is deeply unsettled when his parents up and sell their vineyard to an outsider. Rush never wanted to work the vineyard, but he doesn’t want the vintages of his family name to become compromised. Still, he’s not at all friendly to the flashy new owner. Nope. Rush hates “Richie Rich’s” and he’s sure West is a trust fund brat. He’s wrong, but it takes him some time to accept that, and even apologize for his rude behavior.

See, Rush isn’t his real name–but he was given that nickname as a result of his impetuous habit of “rushing in” and making snap judgements. So, West needs Rush’s help and Rush is a prickly peach of a man. Rush does agree to help, and they develop a detente. And, well, there’s a rush to physicality, which seemed impetuous–but was apparently in character with these two. Neither one has good impulse control.

While West continues on his break, he and Rush develop a strong bond. All this time the vineyard work is getting done, but West is ignoring his business back at home. I liked how the relationship developed in this part of the book. It felt very genuine, if idyllic. I fully anticipated West having a business breakdown, as did Rush and West. It happens and the necessary separation is a problem. Unfortunately, this is the weakest part of the book for me, as there was little discussion of longing or betrayal or abandonment, which all occur but are only briefly described. I wanted to have that ache, that need, really explored, but it was not. That said, there was a delicious grand gesture on Rush’s part, and then and even bigger one, which was not well-foreshadowed, on West’s.

Again, the initial sex scene was abrupt; it wasn’t my fave, though I did enjoy the close relationship that developed. Rush definitely rushes to judgement, and it sometimes causes problems. He’s not impressed with West’s money, in general, and that is a source of trouble, especially when West goes gift shopping. I liked how they make big in-roads in communication, though these skills seemed to evaporate once West returns to Chicago.
Expect some serious HEA, and some serious lovin’.

Interested? You can find TASTING NOTES on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance.

GIVEAWAY

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win an e-copy of TASTING NOTES.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot-pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, her little boy, and their two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

You can catch up with Cate online on Facebook, twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

They Are HOPELESSLY DEVOTED–Review & Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for RJ Jones’ contemporary novella HOPELESSLY DEVOTED. It’s the sequel to THE ONE THAT I WANT and a cute Grease-based love tale that really touches all the heartstrings.

Be sure to drop down and enter the gift card giveaway.

About the book:
One year on from Paul’s proposal, Jason is living a life he never dreamed of. As he fusses with his tie and readies to walk down the aisle, he reminisces about the previous twelve months. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the happy couple in the lead up to their wedding, with obstacles big and small thrown in their way.

Marrying one of New York’s most eligible bachelors has Jason’s stomach in knots. Expectations of their society wedding are high, but out of love for Paul, Jason goes along with the grand plans because he understands Paul’s family has a reputation to maintain. But Paul has a surprise up his sleeve that just may see Jason getting the wedding of his dreams.

Follow Jason on his journey as he prepares to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in New York and find out just how Dave got his name.

My Review:
This is the second book in the series, and really needs to be read in order, I think.

Jason is overwhelmed with love for Paul, but there’s been some issues in the year since they started dating and got engaged. They had to get used to living together, and while Paul wanted to take care of Jason, that’s just not Jason’s style. Nope, he wanted to pay some of his way–though that’s pretty hard considering Paul’s a multi-millionaire.

Part and parcel of Jason’s life is Dave, the kitty he rescued while barely just off the streets himself. Unfortunately. Dave is a jealous cat and takes particular pleasure in soiling Paul’s expensive shoes. Also, Paul’s super romantic and doesn’t want a prenuptial agreement. This is a point of contention.

This society wedding is a huge source of stress, as Jason has few friends and family, and his parents are really horrible. There are a lot of growing pains and mutual sacrifices, which I wished were discussed more in the moment. I am not a fan of extended flashbacks revealing the story, because it cuts all the tension for me, and I would have enjoyed it more if we were along for the ride instead of being told the story. That said, the end was really fun, and demonstrated Paul’s thorough love and hopeless devotion for his bean-counting Jason.

Interested? You can find HOPELESSLY DEVOTED on Goodreads, Wayward Ink, Amazon (US, UK, DE and AU) and AllRomance.

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Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win one of 2 WIP gift cards of $2.99 each.
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Don’t forget to check out my review of THE ONE THAT I WANT which is all about Paul and Jason meeting and finding love on the Broadway Strip. It’s so sweet and tender. I swooned.

Interested? You can find THE ONE THAT I WANT on Wayward Ink Publishing, Amazon (US, UK, AU, and DE) and AllRomance.

About the author:
R.J. Jones started as a reader and eventually made the progression to reviewing. It wasn’t until two men popped into her thoughts, insisting on telling her their story that she started to write.

It started with one scene. A hot and dirty one in the shower…

R.J.’s initial thought was if she could write their scene then they’d shut up and allow her to concentrate on other aspects of her day. Not so. That shower scene ended up being 3000 words long and three hours of work. And still, they didn’t shut up. They told her their entire story and she didn’t sleep for days. Sometimes she couldn’t keep up with what they were telling her and she had to keep a notebook by her bed.

Whilst she was writing their story a side character decided he needed his story told too. Then other characters followed suit. You see the problem? If she ever wants to sleep again then she needs to write. R.J. is a wife and a mother to two boys. She is surrounded by males. Even her dog is a boy.

R.J. can be found online on her website, Facebook, twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

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V's Reads…

Reviews, Rants and Rambles from a mom and pre-published author

Giveaways

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