Contemporary Fairytales

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole–THE WONDER OF YOU, A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a sweet and spunky new romance from Harper Kincaid. THE WONDER OF YOU is a contemporary retelling of Alice in Wonderland…as a romance. I’ve enjoyed other books that reimagined classic works, including THE HIDDEN LIBRARY which also featured an Alice character.

About the book:
What if Alice didn’t fall down the rabbit hole, but instead, traveled through Lincoln Tunnel into another kind of Wonderland: New York City.
The best day of twenty-five year old Alice Leighton’s life was the day she got to put her nothing special, li’l Southern town in her rear-view mirror. Good-bye to phony ‘bless your hearts’ and ‘I’ll pray for you’ crap, all while talking trash behind her back. She’s New York City’s latest addition and she’s going to work her ass off proving she earned her spot in the country’s top grad program.

Never again will she let some jerk derail her future and break her heart. Oh, and no more players. She’s D.O.N.E with the ‘cool guys’.

Getting caught up in Dare Grangeworth, the art world’s resident bad boy, was not part of her Alice 2.0 plan, even if he is just her type, with his beard, tats sleeves and intense green eyes. When he’s not dodging the press or his cultish fan base, Dare’s making art that makes a statement. Women seem to lose their heads around him – all the more reason why he finds Alice’s candor refreshing. He’s used to women giving in – not giving attitude.

He has to get to know this girl, even if it means allowing himself to be the subject of her research. Before too long, he becomes more than a simple outlier she can explain away. And for him everything starts to feel larger than life and upside down, like a heady rush, all while desperately trying not to lose his heart.

Become lost and found in this re-imagined story of Alice and her cast of characters, in a world where Wonderland meets Sex-and-the-City.

My Review:
Alice Leighton is moving into her sister’s 2.5 bedroom apartment in New York City when she runs across Dare Grangeworthy in a taxi battle. Her sharp tongue intrigues him but so does the contents of the purse she left in the cab. An infamous avante-garde artist, Dare wants to get to know Miss Alice in more personal ways, but Alice has big plans.

She’s been with rich, powerful men before and she’ll not be swayed from her graduate school courses: she’s in training to become a clinical sex therapist. And, her first assignment is to find a sexual partner and document their sex life via journaling. Dare, having had a terrible break with his last lady-love, wants no more publicity of his love life. Yet, he still wants Alice. And his pursuit might could put Alice’s big plans in jeopardy.

This was a little wacky and a bit juvenile. Some of the banter between Dare and Alice seemed right out of high school. I got that this was a re-telling of Alice in Wonderland, though, so I was willing to entertain a bit of wackiness. Having read the original work, not just relying on movies, I could see peaks of Carroll in areas. Each chapter beings with a brief Carroll excerpt, to focus that bit of the story, so readers could easily see the parallels. Having been inspired by the random, chaotic narrative of the masterwork, well, this book echoes that spasticity in its storytelling. It was a quick breezy read, but left me wanting a bit more substance to round out the mayhem.

Interested? You can find THE WONDER OF YOU on Goodreads and Amazon (US, UK, CA and AU).

About the Author:
Born in California and raised in South Florida, Harper Kincaid has moved around like a gypsy with a bounty on her head ever since. For years, she was a jill of all trades and a master of none, but is now tickled hot pink to pen stories that break and mend people’s hearts for a living. Kincaid believes seduction occurs from the neck up, which is why her characters are smart, sexy, and slightly quirky – and definitely worthy to be your next hard-core book crush.

When not writing, she adores listening to indie, lo-fi, complaint rock played on vinyl, the theater, well-informed optimism, happy endings (both kinds), and making those close to her laugh ’til they snort. She is a self-admitted change junkie, loving new experiences and places, but has now happily settled in the cutest lil’ town, Vienna, Virginia.

Catch up with Harper on her website, Facebook, twitter, Instagram, sign up for her newsletter, Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

Yes! Not NEVER–Review and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review and giveaway for a new contemporary M/M romance fairytale from Tara Lain. NEVER is the fourth book in her Pennymaker Tales series and features a love story for a modern Peter Pan, and his darling Wendell. I’ve really enjoyed her romantic revisions in SINDERS AND ASH, DRIVEN SNOW and BEAUTY INC., so I wanted to get my HEA on.

Catch the excerpt and review below and scroll down to enter the $15 GC giveaway.

About the book:
Wendell “Wen” Darling lives in a world of shoulds and musts. Left to care for his brother and sister by his dull drudge of a father and wacko irresponsible mother, he suppresses his creativity, slaving in an ad agency seventy hours a week, letting his no-talent supervisor take the credit.

Then his bosses blow the campaign for their biggest client and Wen gets a chance to shine—but only if he can find the artist who painted a wild, glorious wall of graffiti in the subway. Hiding behind a pillar at 2:00 a.m., Wen comes face-to-face with the scarlet-haired, elven-faced embodiment of his divergent opposite—Peter Panachek, the flighty, live-for-today painter, singer, and leader of the rock group the Lost Boys. Everything Wen takes seriously, Peter laughs off, but opposites attract, even if their kisses always lead to battles. Peter’s devil-may-care persona hides a world of secrets, self-protection, and hidden fears, until the day a drug dealer, Vadon Hooker, threatens everything Wen holds dear. Guided by the mysterious Mr. Pennymaker, Peter has to choose between facing responsibility or burrowing even deeper into Neverland.

How about a little taste?

He sighed loudly as he pulled a green T-shirt over his head with his back turned to Tink. The T-shirt was just like the others except it proclaimed in brilliant sparkles Underthrow the Overground. He stared in the wavy mirror on the back of the closet door. She’s right. Wen upsets me. Why the fuck can’t I stay away from him? “Let’s just go play music, okay?”

He retraced his steps out the dressing room door and went to drown himself in lyrics.

Two hours later he knew it wasn’t working. All he could see was Wen’s face. John’s face. I don’t want to see them. He snorted. I don’t want to want to see them. That’s different.

When they took their break, Wen walked off the stage straight into Mr. Pennymaker. Somehow he’d changed to a black jacket with floral collar and cuffs. Seriously? And somehow he’d gotten past the guards to hang out backstage. He pressed his hands together. “Splendid, Peter.”

“You kidding?” Peter frowned. “I can barely get my head out of my ass.”

“Yes, but sometimes that’s precisely the view we need.”

Peter spewed a laugh. “What do you want with me, really?”

“Why must I want something?”

“Because people don’t usually bother with people unless they want things.”

He rubbed his chin with two fingers. “All right. I want you to be happy.”

“Why me, for God’s sake? You don’t even know me.”

He smiled softly. “I want everyone to be happy, Peter. I just happen to be speaking with you.”

“Jesus!” Peter wiped a hand over the back of his neck. “You’re too smart for me, old man.”

“Not at all. I simply want you to be smart for you.”

“What does that look like?”

“Getting your head out of your ass and paying attention to what you want instead of what you think you should want.” He yawned behind his hand. “I’m a bit tired, so I’ll say good night. Thank all the Lost Boys for such a splendid show.”

Mr. Pennymaker turned, walked out through the stage door, and was gone.

Peter’s mouth hung open. Hit by a five-foot-one-inch truck.

My Review:

Wendell Darling is a young creative at an ad agency looking for a unique spin for an organic peanut butter campaign. His bosses aren’t fantastic and he works long hours to support his younger sister Michaela and young brother John. Their father died years ago and he’s pretty-sure his fly-by-night mother is dead too. Even if she wasn’t, she was no help while she was alive anyway.

One night while heading home late, Wen sees a bit of wall tagging in the subway that blows his mind. He’s sure that whomever the artist is, it’s the new outre look his campaign needs. Encouraged by Michaela and John, Wen stakes out the subway station and waits to find the artist–if possible. The merry band of folks he meets takes his breath away–particularly the red-haired leader of the pack: Peter Panacheck.

Peter doesn’t want any spotlights on him; he does art because it needs doing. Not that his wealthy father would ever indulge him in such foolishness. But if Daddy Megabucks can’t find him, then Peter can continue doing what fills his soul, if not his belly. He hangs with The Lost Boys, a band that plays the Club Neverland, and sometimes sings with them too. He’s not interested in Wen’s proposal for commissioned art. A peanut butter ad? Get real! But the Lost Boys are in need of funds, and he’s hopeful that getting some scratch together will help keep Vadon Hooker, slimy drug lord extraordinaire, at bay.

I really enjoy the twists these fairytales endure when this author bends them into m/m romances. It’s a fun progression of meeting, attraction and intrigue as the love story builds. Wen struggles with his attraction to Peter, who seems a new incarnation of his flighty mother. He’s got serious abandonment issues. Peter sees Wen as a father analogue, and that’s not cool, either, as his father was autocratic and wanted to force Peter into a job he was bound to hate. I liked the missing persons theme, and how it played out here. Peter’s band of lost boys were intriguing, too. Tink was a better character than I expected, and I liked how she was both problem and solution for Peter. The Peter Pan mythos is a fun one to play around with and the story really did it justice, while making an enjoyable romance, too.

Interested? You can find out more about NEVER on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and Kobo.


And don’t forget the rest of the titles in the Pennymaker Tales series…they are all standalones.

You can find SINDERS AND ASH on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

You can find DRIVEN SNOW on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press–ON 35% OFF SALE TODAY! (eBook, Paperback), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes

You can find BEAUTY INC on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes,

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $15 Amazon GC.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Championing Women AHE-EY: Review and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a supernatural epic from Jamie Le Fay. AHE’EY had been published as a serial, but is now collected into one epic book for her readers to enjoy. It’s a little bit angel, a little bit mortal and a lotta bit confrontational.

Catch my review below and be sure to enter the book giveaway, too!

About the book:
Morgan’s feminist books didn’t prepare her to deal with the dashing Gabriel and the land of Ahe’ey.
Morgan is a dreamer, change maker and art lover. She is a feisty, slightly preachy, romantic feminist full of contradictions and insecurities. Morgan uncovers a world where women have the power, and where magic is no longer just a figment of her wild imagination. Sounds like a dream, but it may, in fact, turn into a nightmare.

The world of the Ahe’ey challenges and subverts her views about gender, genes, and nature versus nurture.

The strong and uninvited chemistry between her and the dashing Gabriel makes matters even more complicated. His stunning looks keep short-circuiting her rational mind.

How about a little taste?

“What do you want from me, Ange’el?”

“Your warriors, they can help secure the area. It’s just for a couple of hours.”

“Are you out of your mind? Has Viviane heard about this? My warriors protect our people from those who threaten our security,” she spoke decisively.

He adjusted his tone, trying to reason with her. Silk and honey flowed from his voice and his eyes. “Sky, we were once—”

“Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare!” She leaned in, speaking to his face. Her hand squeezed the hilt of her sword. She gritted her teeth, responding to his silence. “Where were you when we battled the Hu’urei for over twenty years? Where was the powerful prince of Ange’el as my warriors died in the battlefield, crushed by the dragons? Why would I risk the safety of Ahe’ey to respond to the whims of a spoiled coward? Go back to your rich city penthouse Ange’el. You don’t belong here.” Her eyes and her words were razor-sharp spears.

“Please. Sky.”

She mounted the horse and galloped away.

His guilty conscience endured her justified anger and her hate for him. He wore her wrath as a reminder of his weakness, of his betrayal. He gave Sky her rage, and he would suffer it for the rest of their lives. The tension between their roles at Ahe’ey only worsened their frail and fractured relationship. Their agendas were different. She was ultimately responsible for the security of the people of Ahe’ey, and within its borders she was as powerful as the queen and king. She was to be obeyed and rarely needed her mighty army to enforce her orders. Gabriel worked to hide any clues of Ahe’ey’s existence from the humans. In parallel, he sponsored and lobbied for technological and political progress so that Ahe’ey’s secrets could one day be disclosed.

My Review:
Morgan is a super woman of her own making unawares that she’s descended from a superrace that still dwells on Earth. She’s captivated and flummoxed by Gabriel, a man of that race who lives among humanity. As Morgan learns more about this world-within-a-world she gains power she hadn’t expected. And, maybe, finds love.

AHE’EY is an epic fantasy about superbeings who live amongst us human on Earth, told from myriad viewpoints that jump in and out of the mortal realm on Earth. That’s normally a good thing, for me, because it means I’m always in the center of the action as a reader. However, the verbose descriptions between the human realm and the Ahe’ey were exhausting. The complete collection here was about 200,000 words, and I think we could have done without a third of them. Plus, honestly, I was put off by the mundanity of it all. When I’m reading Fantasy, I want to be transported. I don’t want the dialogue to sound like a contemporary YA/MG story.

The battles between the castes seemed forced, and the “drama” of this life-and-death arrangement also didn’t make sense to me. I’m not a big women’s studies genre reader, because I’m all about the romance, and this didn’t draw me to the cause, I must say. It felt very formulaic, and I didn’t connect with any of the myriad characters as a result. The pace bogged, like I mentioned, with large chunks of dense description which damped my interest right quick. The lackluster dialogue sealed Ahe-ey’s fate, for me.

I jumped on this book based on the recommendations, but I wasn’t in love with the execution. I think, for people who really love Fantasy and descriptive literature, you might find this intriguing.

Interested? You can find AHE’EY on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, and Smashwords.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win one of TWO paperback copies of AHE’EY.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:

Jamie is an accomplished writer and speaker that focuses mainly on topics related to girlhood, feminism, gender equality, and the misrepresentation of minorities in media and marketing.

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

Ultimate Sacrifice for THE LOST CODEX–A Review

codexblogtourbanner
Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new urban fantasy from Heather Lyons. THE LOST CODEX is the fourth book in the Collecters’ Society series, which features fictional characters from well-known books being warriors against censorship and book destruction. It’s all very enthralling… I really loved THE HIDDEN LIBRARY and THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN, so I couldn’t wait to read the final book in this series.

thelostcodex_ebook_450x675About the book:
Allies, once inseparable, splinter until they break apart.

An insidiousness carves its way through Wonderland, challenging the land’s very existence.

Battle lines will be drawn as pages, long languishing in darkness, are finally illuminated.

Swords will clash, blood will be spilled, and lives will be lost.

For what is written can still be erased.

Just to recap, the Collector’s Society is a series that pulls characters from storybooks into our daily lives. Alice, Queen of Wonderland, is a heroine of the first order, as she gave up her true love in Wonderland to assist the Librarians to take down rogue agents who seek to destroy entire fictional worlds. She’s partnered with Finn, think: Huckleberry, who is another true match, and boy howdy to the get it on…but they ALSO work together to take down the most nefarious enemy the Librarians have ever faced: the Pied Piper.

There’s much more to the story, but if this intrigues you, check out my reviews for THE HIDDEN LIBRARY and THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN.

villain
As part of the blog tour, author Heather Lyons has asked readers for their pick for a fave villain to insert in the Collectors’ Society world. The book, and series, feature three major villains: The Pied Piper, the Queen of Hearts and the thirteenth wise woman (also known as the one who cursed Sleeping Beauty…Maleficent of Disney fame.)

These are some serious baddies, and they cause the destruction of many Timelines, “real” worlds behind their books, all the characters and people who lived within them. It’s a disastrous business, one Alice (of Wonderland) and Finn (don’t call him Huckleberry) are striving to stop.

For me, I’m not sure about which fictional villain should pay a social call to Alice…I don’t read a lot of fairy tale fiction anymore. The villains are all evil sorcerers/witches, which makes a lot of sense. We did also have Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett in earlier books. Pretty much we’d need a homicidal maniac, who may, or may not, have magical powers. I suppose Voldemort is a good candidate, though I know there would be copyright issues. Still, he’s evil through-and-through and definitely bent of world conquest. Another good candidate could be Moriarty, from Sherlock Holmes, though he may have already been featured. It’s been a while (literally hundreds of books ago) since I read the earlier books and my memory isn’t THAT good. 😉

My Review:
This is the final book in a four-volume Collectors’ Society series and needs to be read in order for it to make sense. When we last left Alice, Wonderland’s exiled Queen of Diamonds, and her lover Finn (don’t call him Huckleberry) these agents of the Collectors’ Society had just stolen the Codex, a mystical book that contains the Timelines of all realms that exist from fictional stories. In short, Wonderland is real. Alice really went there, she was a Queen, betrothed to Jace, The White King, whom she had to leave behind to break a horrific prophecy.

Alice was recruited as a Collector, to help preserve the Timelines by securing their catalysts, physical elements in our world that protect the fictional worlds they represent. For Wonderland, it’s Alice’s crown. For One Thousand and One Nights, it’s Scheherazade’s veil. Since leaving Wonderland Alice’s broken heart for Jace has healed into a true love for Finn, her Society partner. Their efforts to find more catalysts has been derailed by several literary villains, but mostly by The Pied Piper, who has destroyed several catalysts and the lives behind them.

In the process of getting the Codex out of the Piper’s mountain fortress, Alice, Finn and Finn’s adopted brother Victor (von Frankenstein) were trapped by the Piper’s luring melody. They are tortured and nearly killed, saved by Alice mastering her delusions, and her ruthless quest to save the man she loves. For those expecting a demure damsel, you are mistaken. She’s an excellent swordswoman, and monarch of the first order. She will cut you.

Getting back the their New York headquarters is only the first step in this adventure. They tried to kill the Piper and the thirteenth wise woman by detonating explosions that collapsed the mountain, but it seems they, and the Queen of Hearts, Alice’s brutal nemesis, escaped without injury. Not so for Finn and Victor. They’ve been changed in horrific ways, and are susceptible to destructive suggestions from any of their previous captors. Alice learns the Queen of Hearts is in Wonderland, converting her subjects into Chosen, the soulless followers of the Piper. In order to defeat the Piper before he can come claim the Codex, Alice and her comrades joins Jace in the war against Hearts. There, Finn, healed by magic and science, plays a huge and unexpected role in the coup against both Hearts and the Piper & wise woman.

The action is pretty much non-stop, and it’s gory and gruesome. Land sakes! These are the GRIMMest of (fairy) tales, with lethal spiders and Frankenstein-like horror. I loved every second. There’s a bit of naughty business, too, because Alice and Finn get it on, a little, while the Artful Dodger enjoys some erotic fun with The Hatter and Co. At it’s core this is a deep love story, one that causes Alice to sacrifice everything in order to save Wonderland, even if she isn’t meant to see the next dawn. The imagination barrier is high. Reading a grown Alice, a kickass warrior queen with all her regal charms, is a hoot, but it’s also a bit heart breaking. She’s had to sacrifice so much, and maybe that wasn’t exactly necessary.

That said, the ending here is truly wonder…ful. With the right amount of heart, I’m sure it will satisfy readers. The wrap of the series is a little melancholy, for me, because I really enjoyed my time in this worlds-within-worlds experience, and I could certainly go back and wallow.

Interested? You can find THE LOST CODEX on Goodreads, Amazon (US and UK) and iBooks.
on US:

****Don’t forget to read these first!!****
THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY can be found on Amazon (US and UK) iBooks and Kobo.

THE HIDDEN LIBRARY is available on Amazon (US and UK) Barnes & Noble, iBooks and Kobo.

You can find THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN on Goodreads, Amazon (US and UK), Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks.

About the Author:
Heather Lyons
Heather Lyons writes epic, heartfelt love stories and has always had a thing for words. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

Catch Heather on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.

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Hunting Love: BEAUTY INC–Review and Giveaway!

Beauty Inc Blog Tour Banner
Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review and giveaway for a new contemporary fairytale M/M romance from Tara Lain. You know I enjoyed SINDERS AND ASH and DRIVEN SNOW so I was eager to read BEAUTY INC, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with a gay twist! It’s a sweet romance with a compassionate “beast” who only wants the best for the people around him.

Catch the excerpt, my review, and enter to win a $20 GC below!

Beauty,Inc Book Cover
About the book:
Is beauty only skin deep?
Chemist Dr. Robert “Belle” Belleterre loves flowers, green trees, his best friend Judy, and “his baby”: the new face cream he developed to help put his father’s small cosmetics company on the map. Sadly he gets no help from his alcoholic, gambling-addicted father who loses Belle in a poker game to Magnus Strong, the CEO of Beauty, Inc. the largest American cosmetics company—a man infamous for his scarred ugliness.

Belle finds himself uprooted from his home, living in a wildly crazy apartment in New York owned by Mr. Pennymaker, and completely unprepared for his mad attraction to the charismatic Strong. Feeling like a traitor, Belle fights his passion only to see more and more of the goodness and humility hidden by Strong’s ugly face. But when Belle’s family starts manipulating his life again, the odds turn against happiness for beautiful Belle and his beloved beast.

How about a little taste?

“Looking for someone?”

“Yes. Judy. My friend. I thought she was coming here.”

“Oh yes. She has her apartment on the ground floor. Mr. Strong thought it would be best if she didn’t have to climb too many stairs while she’s being treated.”

Belle just stared. He felt the tears welling in his eyes but couldn’t stop them. Limb by limb, he collapsed to the floor like an old plastic bag. His own father hadn’t even paid attention, and Magnus Strong put Judy on the ground floor to keep her from having to climb stairs.

Mr. P closed the door and flopped down beside him. “So, my dear, what seems to be the trouble?”

Belle shook his head and snuffled.

“Try again.”

“I did a really bad thing.”

“What might that have been, my dear?”

He sniffed. “I humped my boss.”

“Hmm. Humped. I’m failing to get a mental image.”

Belle sighed. “It’s probably just as well. I got overzealous and threw myself on Magnus Strong. That might have been okay, but then I—” He dropped his face in his hand. “Oh God.”

“I’m starting to get an image. Continue.”

He popped his head up. “I kissed him, okay? And then, as if that wasn’t the stupidest thing ever done since W said “mission accomplished,” I managed to get my penis in contact with his and—humped. Now do you get the picture?”

Mr. P clapped his hands. “Perfect.”

“Oh, so far from perfect.” He fell back against the large Asian throw rug. “Why did I do it? Why?”

“Excellent question. Why did you do it?”

“He turns me on.”

“What?”

Belle sat up, in his best Frankenstein’s monster imitation. “He turns me on like a large neon light.”

“Because he helped your friend?”

“Way before he helped Judy. Before he helped me, in fact.”

Mr. P smiled. “So you acknowledge that he’s helped you?”

“Oh hell, Mr. P, I’m so confused. I mean, getting won in a poker game doesn’t exactly kick a relationship off on a sterling foot. Plus, that was after he seemed to be stalking me. I assumed he was trying to get me here to—you know—screw me instead of my father.”

“Ah, I see. And now you’ve thrown at him the very thing you assumed he wanted—and he refused it.”

“In a word—yes. I don’t know what to think.”

“There’s only one answer, my dear. Outside the box.”

My Review:
Rob “Belle” Belleterre has a solid love for his crumbling family. His mother died a few years ago and his father, once the dignified head of their small cosmetics company, has devolved into alcoholism and gambling, aided by Belle’s two older brothers. Belle wants the company to succeed and has developed a miracle face cream that will be the company’s best moneymaker–but his father’s mismanagement not only crushes that dream, it sends Belle to NYC to work for Magnus Strong, a direct and powerful competitor.

Belle isn’t happy to be uprooted, and he’s less happy that his family has seemingly abandoned him, but he doesn’t find Magnus, the scarred but compassionate CEO, to be an adversary. On the contrary, Magnus is beloved by his staff, and eager to make Belle comfortable. A stranger in New York, Belle is put into digs that are more plush than a millionaire might be able to afford. And, when his best friend Judy gets bad news, Magnus is the first person to make Judy’s scary diagnosis something positive. In fact, Belle’s never been so motivated to perform–and I mean in the workplace; He’s a consummate professional. Also, he practically climbs Magnus at his desk. Rawr. #Gratitude

This is a modern fairytale, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and I really enjoyed it. There are some campy bits and I took those in stride, because of the fairytale setting. This is the third Pennymaker tale I’ve read, and I think I like it best. The whole vibe is mainly upbeat, with a sweet and strong love story. Magnus is scarred because he wants to punish himself for a childhood mistake, and Belle’s so captivated by Magnus’ compassion that he fails to see the outer dents in Magnus’ appearance. It’s a mating of souls and hearts, so much so that Belle never wants Magnus to change, even as he has the resources to hand. Magnus is a great man, and he’s so vulnerable regarding his facial and emotional scars, but Belle’s love helps him feel acceptable–even lovable.

Belle’s family is a bit cartoonish, again the fairytale, but they are a back-burner element of the plot. I adored Belle’s devotion to Judy, and his pure love for Magnus. Naturally, there’s a misunderstanding/setback, which causes everyone to pause, but it’s easily remedied once Belle takes his own destiny in hand. Expect some yummy sexytimes, and an HEA to hang one’s dreams upon.

Interested? You can find BEAUTY INC on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $20 GC.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Cover Reveal for BEAUTY INC!

Beauty Inc Cover Reveal Blitz BannerHi there! Today I’m sharing a cover and excerpt for a new contemporary fairytale M/M romance from Tara Lain. You know I enjoyed SINDERS AND ASH and DRIVEN SNOW so I’m eager to read BEAUTY INC, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with a gay twist!

Beauty,Inc Book Cover
About the book:
Is beauty only skin deep?
Chemist Dr. Robert “Belle” Belleterre loves flowers, green trees, his best friend Judy, and “his baby”: the new face cream he developed to help put his father’s small cosmetics company on the map. Sadly he gets no help from his alcoholic, gambling-addicted father who loses Belle in a poker game to Magnus Strong, the CEO of Beauty, Inc. the largest American cosmetics company—a man infamous for his scarred ugliness.

Belle finds himself uprooted from his home, living in a wildly crazy apartment in New York owned by Mr. Pennymaker, and completely unprepared for his mad attraction to the charismatic Strong. Feeling like a traitor, Belle fights his passion only to see more and more of the goodness and humility hidden by Strong’s ugly face. But when Belle’s family starts manipulating his life again, the odds turn against happiness for beautiful Belle and his beloved beast.

How about a little taste?

He pushed into the marble and glass room just as Belleterre came out of a stall. He seemed to be taking deep breaths, and his high cheekbones were flushed pink. He saw Magnus and the blush darkened, which was more than any gay man could stand.

Try to look natural. Magnus stepped up to the urinal and hauled it out—clearly a losing proposition, since the mere sight of the guy prompted a half-mast condition. Breathe. You’ve gotta pee or he’ll think you’ve lost it. In through the nose.

Belleterre walked to the sink, pulled some paper towels from the dispenser, wet them under the water, and applied the compress to his cheeks.

Magnus managed a thin stream, shook, and zipped. He walked to the sink beside the beauty called Belle. He contained his smile since he knew it was scary. “You’d think with their prices, they could afford better air conditioning.”

The guy startled, looked at Magnus with wide eyes, then burst out laughing. Clearly symphonies had less melody. “You certainly would. In fact, there’s a lot about this place that could use some investment, I’d say.”

“A man after my own heart.” He extended his now clean hand. “I’m Magnus Strong.”

The guy nodded. “Of course. I’m Robert Belleterre. I expect you know my father.”

“Yes, I do. So you’re Belle?”

“That’s what they call me.”

“A chemist.”

Belle nodded.

“Honored.”

“I believe you’re also a chemist.”

Magnus nodded. “A long time ago.”

Belle’s lips curved just enough to cause cardiac arrest. “Honored.” He walked out the bathroom door.

Magnus leaned against the sink and took deep inhalations, then managed to get it together enough to return to his table.

Elliott stared at him anxiously. “So? Did you meet the mystery man?”

“Yes. It’s Belle Belleterre, all right.”

“Wow. How have they kept that under wraps all these years? Seriously, once that kid’s puss hits the social sites, forget anonymity.”

Magnus pushed his plate aside and leaned in. “I want every detail on their new product. I don’t care who or how much you have to bribe. Just do it. Likewise on Belle Belleterre. What does he like? Hate? What drives him? Get it all for me.”

Elliott nodded. “I’m on it.”

Magnus stared across the restaurant, where Kleinschmidt’s hand rested on the back of Belle’s chair. Magnus felt his hands clench. “And I want to know what the hell he’s doing with Eric.” He could still feel the tingling in his hand where they’d touched, and the tingling in his cock. He sucked a breath. This is no time for stupid, hopeless infatuations. “Just find out as much as you can as soon as you can.”

“Will do.”

“And the game you arranged for me tomorrow night?”

“Yes. All the confirmations are in. It should be great poker and hopefully some great information as well.”

“You know how I said I didn’t want to include Ron Belleterre?”

“Yeah, because he drinks too much.”

“I changed my mind.”

Elliott smiled. “May I ask why?”

Magnus grinned back. “Because he drinks too much.”

They both laughed.

Interested? BEAUTY INC releases June 8th, but you can pre-order it on Dreamspinner Press now.

About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Cover Reveal: DRIVEN SNOW by Tara Lain

Driven Snow Cover Reveal Blitz for BLOGHi there! I’m sharing a cover for Tara Lain’s DRIVEN SNOW, a contemporary re-telling of Snow White, with a gay twist. This one sounds fun! You know I enjoyed SINDERS AND ASH, so I wonder how this twisted fairy tale will pan out…

In the meantime, check out this pretty, pretty cover, and tell me Snow isn’t hot!
DrivenSnow-400x600
About the book:
Young Snowden “Snow” Reynaldi is brilliant, beautiful, and alone. Though he’s shy, weird, and tolerated by the NorCal University students because he’s a renowned whiz at chess and helps put the school on the map, that doesn’t keep him from dreaming of the object of his desires, Riley Prince, championship quarterback.

When Riley needs a physics tutor, Snow jumps at the chance, and their relationship heats up—but Riley has to come out of the jock closet to get anywhere. Meanwhile, Snow’s one true friend and mentor, Professor Kingsley, marries a woman who secretly wants the chess tournament glory and money for herself. Soon after, the professor collapses and Snow finds himself underwater—literally. In a car!

Seven frat brothers from Grimm College rescue Snow just in time for his life to get even worse, and Snow discovers the one relationship he always wanted slipping away. With evil looming at every turn, Snow must survive if only to prove he’s the fairest of them all and regain the trust of his handsome prince.

How about a little taste?

Snow nodded. “Now, this is pretty basic, but we can get a lot more sophisticated.” He scratched out a slightly more complex set of calculations, and Riley seemed absorbed.

“Man, this is so dope.”

“Glad you like it.”

“Wish Jenkins could make physics so interesting.”

“You have to create the excitement for yourself. See the potential.”

Riley looked up. “You make it exciting.” He smiled slowly. “You make everything exciting.”

“M-me?” Snow’s brain froze.

“Yeah. Why do you think I come see you play all the time? It’s like plugging into the solar system and catching the stars in my hand.”

“S-stars are gas.”

“The planets, then. I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while. I think you’re—”

The sound of a key in the lock brought both their heads up.

Nooooooo.

Like some cosmic joke, the apartment door opened and beautiful, perky, perfect Courtney Taylor walked in. “Oh, hi. Are you two still studying? Oh my gosh, Snow, you must be magic or something. No one could ever get him to study physics before. I told him, ‘You have to do it, baby. The team can’t do without you. Find a way to learn this shit.’ And what do you know? He found you. Amazing.” She walked over, pushed Riley’s head back, kissed him on the lips, and plopped down in his lap. “Did you learn a lot, baby?”

Her knee bumped Snow’s thigh, and he leaped up like he’d been shot. “Oh gosh, look at the time. Better get back to work myself. Have to study for the tournament and all.” Sweet God, he had to get out of there.

Riley stood Courtney on her feet and stepped over beside Snow. “When can you help me again? I’ve only got two weeks. I made so much progress today. I know you’re busy, and I hate to ask, but could you please—”

“Yes, of course. Just text me, okay?” He ripped out the pages they’d been working on, shoved the notebooks into his backpack, and headed for the door. He seemed to be running from everyone these days. “Bye. Bye, uh, Courtney.”

Outside the door, he clambered down the steep staircase and stopped at the bottom just to breathe.

What were you thinking, you idiot? That somehow his girlfriend had magically transformed into a teapot?

He started to tell me something. He said he’s wanted to tell me for a long time.

What are you dreaming? That he suddenly quit being straight and is attracted to a wimpy little queen like you? Spare me.

Okay. Okay.

The door to Eudora’s apartment flew open, and a hand emerged, holding a glass. “Hey, cutie. Have some water.”

Like it was perfectly normal to accept water while standing in hallways, he grasped the glass and drank the liquid down. Amazing how much better he felt.

She took the empty glass. “Lessons for the day. Don’t sell yourself short. And don’t believe everything you see. Got it?”

“I… I guess so.”

“Good.” She patted his cheek, and then the door closed behind her. If a caterpillar suddenly appeared saying “Who are you?”, he wouldn’t be even slightly surprised.

Interested? DRIVEN SNOW releases November 25th. You can find out more on Goodreads, and preorder it now on DreamSpinner Press (eBook, Paperback)

About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

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