Hanukkah books

Finding New Life: AHAVA IS LOVE–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Or, perhaps I should say: Shalom! and wish all my readers a Happy Hanukkah. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a bi-faith family. With in-laws who are Jews, and having Christian upbringing myself, I have enjoyed learning about Judaism and sharing my faith, too! I’m a sucker for a fab Hanukkah story, and I’m sharing a review and giveaway for a sweet contemporary M/M romance from new-to-me author Avery Duran. AHAVA IS LOVE took me to the Holy Land and made me wish to walk those paths.

Drop down to catch my review and enter to win a $20 GC in the giveaway!
About the book:
Brooklyn Realtor Josh Perlman desperately wants to settle down. Unfortunately he can’t find a man who wants the same. Tired of disastrous dates, he travels to explore his heritage.

Yaron is an Israeli security guard and medic charged with looking after Josh and his pilgrimage group. For Yaron, the need to protect has become more a duty than an honor since he lost his long-term boyfriend to a terrorist attack—a loss that continues to haunt him.

As they embark on their journey through the Holy Land, it’s hard to deny the attraction that sparks between Josh and Yaron. Yet with America calling Josh home, and Israel, and the death of his lover holding Yaron prisoner, it seems only a miracle can keep them together.

But Israel is an ancient land, one that has seen miracles before. Surrounded by structures that have been destroyed and rebuilt time after time, Josh and Yaron might just learn that their futures can be found in the wisdom of the past.
World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

My Review:
Josh is done with men. He’s been dumped for the last time, and absolutely won’t fall for another alpha male wanting his brand of youthful-looking arm candy. To change his outlook on life he accepts a one-time opportunity to be a tour guide on a pilgrimage through Israel for college students. The trip spans Hanukkah, and bodes to be a rebirth of Josh’s commitment to himself to find what he needs within.

On the tour, Josh is paired up with Yaron, a big, strapping guard, who also works as a medic. Yaron is attractive, and attracted, but he doesn’t want any strings…he lost the love of his life several years ago to a suicide bomber and won’t risk his heart again. Not that Josh is looking for strings. Or a man. He’s done with them, after all. At least, until he works out his inner tangles. That said, the attraction is keen, and the nights are sweltering. Josh isn’t really a one-nighter type of guy, but he and Yaron have many nights in their future…and man are they steamy. Once Yaron gets over his guilt at finding Josh attractive and engaging enough for more than a brief tryst.

This book is a sweet story, with hurt-comfort in store for both Josh and Yaron. They know their time is limited, but their minds can’t stop their hearts from falling. I loved the cultural references, and how Josh’s trip is in many ways defined by the food he devours. Typical American!! The touchstones of the trip are interesting, and reach beyond typical Judaica, which makes the story very approachable. I liked how the college students really gained a lot of personal insight that helped them grow, as did Josh. He’s been a doormat for a lot of people, but he learned his worth on this adventure. There isn’t a sweet happy ending for Josh at the end of his trip, but he and Yaron have built a stronger connection than even he realized, and their story is still beginning. Expect a happy ending for this new couple, and some steamy bits and pieces as Josh and Yaron make all the motions toward building a new life together.

Interested? You can find AHAVA IS LOVE on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

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

About the Author:
Parent Association President by day, Romance Author by night, Avery Duran (www.averyduran.com) enjoys the best of all worlds. She’s a minivan-driving, cupcake-baking, soccer mom, who works outside the home while raising three rambunctious boys. Easily distracted by shiny things, Avery found making up stories in her head was an effective way to fool people into thinking she was paying attention. Eventually, she decided to write down one of those stories, and her alter-ego was born.

A native New Yorker, she often incorporates her favorite city into what she writes. During the day, while driving, watching endless YouTube videos, or animated shows with her offspring, she plots her stories. At night, when her husband and children go to sleep, Avery sits in a quiet house and puts those words on paper. She loves spending her downtime creating a world filled with people loving and laughing their way to happily-ever-after.

Catch up with Avery on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and BookBub or sign-up for her newsletter.

Mazel Tov! EIGHT NIGHTS IN DECEMBER is Here! Review and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today, I’m sharing a review for a new Hanukkah M/M romance from author Keira Andrews. I just reviewed IN CASE OF EMERGENCY but I couldn’t resist a Hanukkah romance. EIGHT NIGHTS IN DECEMBER pairs a shy virgin with his brash roommate’s “geeky” younger brother. We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas in my bi-faith family, and I could almost taste the latkes and sufganiyot as I devoured this New Adult romance.

Scroll down to read my review and enter to win a backlist book for Keira Andrews in the giveaway!
About the book:
A geek. A virgin. One sexy holiday.
Orphaned Lucas figures spending the holidays with his obnoxious roommate’s family in New York City is better than staying alone on campus upstate. He ends up sharing a room again, this time with his roommate’s brother, Nate. Geeky photographer Nate isn’t at all what Lucas expects. In fact, he’s incredibly sexy—especially when he invites Lucas into his darkroom…

They hide their attraction during Hanukkah celebrations, but behind closed doors, Lucas and Nate can’t keep their hands (or mouths) off each other. Nate’s only looking for a bit of holiday fun, and amazing sex with a hot virgin definitely fits the bill. Yet as the candles burn, Nate and Lucas begin to realize eight nights will never be enough.

This gay holiday romance from Keira Andrews features secret trysts, new adult angst, spinning the dreidel, and of course a happy ending.

My Review:
Lucas is a 20-year old college freshman after spending his last two years assisting his father through terminal cancer. HE showed up to his college late in the term, and got roomed with a party-hard senior, Sam Kramer. Lucas really wants to make some friends, but he’s shy, and especially lonely now that his father–who he was very close to–has passed. His mother died when he was a child. Hearing that Lucas is planning to spend his holiday season alone in the dorms, Sam’s mother insists that Lucas join their family for the break–which begins with the first night of Hanukkah that evening.

Caught up in the whirlwind Kramer family, Lucas tries to adjust to rooming with Sam’s younger, “geeky” brother. With Sam being a gregarious athletic person, he dramatically outshines Nate–on the surface. But Lucas isn’t attracted to brash Sam the way he is to broody Nate. And, it makes Lucas all the more uncomfortable as he tries to fit in. So, he’s really caught off guard when Nate reveals that he’s down for some sexy fun…if Lucas wants to keep that on the super down-low; Nate isn’t out to his parents.

Lucas has never been with a man, though he knows that’s where his attractions lay. He’d come out to his father before the end, and he’s sad that Nate won’t be honest with his own family, which clearly loves him. That said, Lucas is eager to find some comfort with Nate, who is a passionate man behind his cool facade. And, well, it’s hard for Lucas to be free-and-easy the way Nate seems to be. Nate insists it’s just going to be a holiday fling, but they each need shelter, Lucas from his grief and Nate from his feelings of inadequacy. While Nate has no plans to come out, his family is ready for that eventuality. What begins as a temporary tryst of convenience grows into a sweet and tender romance made to last. I really enjoyed it, and loved being along for the ride with Lucas as he learns all the many, many ways he and Nate can find pleasure with each other. Talk about steamy! A delightful Hanukkah novella.

Interested? You can find EIGHT NIGHTS IN DECEMBER on Goodreads and Amazon (US and UK).

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a backlist book from Keira Andrews.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Keira AndrewsAbout the Author:
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy fiction, and—although she loves delicious angst along the way—Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

You can catch up with Keira on her website, Facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.

Hard Luck and HANUKKAH GIFTS–Review & Giveaway!

Hi there! On the first night of Hanukkah, I’m sharing a contemporary M/M holiday romance from Jacob Cheyenne. HANUKKAH GIFTS puts a “bad Jew” in the path of an Orthodox man questioning his life, and sexuality.

Check out the excerpt and get in on the $10 GC giveaway below!

hanukkah_gifts_400x600About the book:
Twenty-five year old TV producer Jared Greenfield loves his New York City life—his trendy neighborhood, high-profile job, and window-shopping for high fashion on Fifth Avenue—along with a whole city of available men. But even with all the fun of big city life, he feels a longing for something—or someone—more. Going through the motions takes him uptown on December night, where, on the first night of Hanukkah, he spots a handsome, sweaty, player on the basketball court of the Jewish Community Center.

Tall, dark, and Orthodox, the young and athletic Shai Goodhart strikes up an easy friendship with Jared, only to discover that Jared has very little appreciation for his own Jewish heritage and religion. Determined to enlighten this “Bad Jew”, Shai invites him over for a family Hanukkah celebration to remember. But Jared’s easy fascination ends when he discovers that Shai has a house full of tangled secrets that threatens their romance before it even begins. Both young men feel they can help one another, but over the eight days of Hanukkah, deeper emotions propel them closer and closer.

My Review:
Jared is an out gay 25 year old TV assistant producer on a children’s show in NYC. One night, while dropping show swag off at a daycare center, he stops and admires a tall, athletic basketball player in the community center that shares a building with the day care.

Shai is definitely an Orthodox Jew, and that’s at-first off-putting to Jared, because his own Judaism is so lacking. Jared was raised by a single mother, but it’s clear that Shai’s family is wealthy, and devout. They meet on the subway, and Shai’s so intrigued by Jared’s lack of conviction in their mutual faith he invites Jared to his family home to pass a night of Hanukkah. It’s sweet, and has the possibility for more, which attracts Jared.

It’s then that Shai feels the emotional safety to confess his closeted status to Jared–despite being all but betrothed to a beautiful woman his parents approve of. The whole arrangement is archaic to Jared, but he wants to be a good friend to Shai, and Jared continues to talk to Shai, reveal to him, bit by bit, his own world, his own feelings regarding the reality regarding living a lie in his faith and his personal life. Shai is afraid to come out, but he’s developing a solid affection for Jared, and his heart is torn for a man he might come to love, and his family who would never accept them as a couple.

This one is a bit bittersweet, actually. Jared and Shai find themselves in a crisis and it’s unclear if it will ever be resolved. The ending is not entirely happy–what with Shai’s family being horrible about Shai’s sexuality. This is a novella, and there’s not really any steam. Lots of emotional ups and downs, with Jared wanting more with Shai, and holding those feelings back so he doesn’t pressure him. Their brief contact is sweet, and Jared’s mom is a treasure. I liked Jared, because he was so conscientious regarding Jared’s choices, and yet he wasn’t a doormat, either. Still, I felt this moved a little too fast for me, at times, and the end definitely wrapped too quickly. That said, I love reading stories about Judaism and this one was decent, if a bit short.

Interested? You can find HANUKKAH GIFTS on Goodreads, JMS Books, Amazon (US and UK) and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $10 Amazon GC.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Jacob Cheyenne is an author of M/M Romantic Fiction. His characters and stories are often inspired by real historical events, figures and scenes from classical art, or from old black and white portraits he collects in antique stores. His debut novella “Hanukkah Gifts” focuses on the turmoil between two young Jewish men with very different ideas about how to reconcile their faith and sexuality.

When not writing, the author loves swimming, hearing live music, reading fat books on empty beaches, and drinking anything coconut-flavored. When not traveling, he lives and works in the bustling heart of New York City.

You can catch up with Jacob on his website, Twitter, or Facebook.

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Holiday Shorts!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing reviews for a few holiday-themed stories that will warm your hearts in this wintry season. FROSTBITTEN is a vampire menage, ANGEL VOICES is a New Adult M/M romance, and LOVE AND LATKES is a transgender romance. All of these are novellas, and have sweet themes of acceptance and new love.

frostbittenAbout FROSTBITTEN by Charlotte Stein:
Shy nurse Cora both dreads and lives for the moments she sees Zeke, an orderly at the hospital where she works. Zeke is too handsome, too compelling, too much, and seems totally unaware of Cora. But before she can bring herself to his attention, an explosion rips through the hospital Christmas party.

Zeke has noticed Cora—in fact, he’s so irresistibly drawn to her that he saves her from the explosion by turning her into a vampire, much to the jealousy and resentment of his partner, Merrick. Zeke hates being a vampire, and now that she’ll live, doesn’t want Cora to suffer his fate. If they can both resist the overwhelming instinct to bond, joining their bodies as Cora draws her maker’s blood, she might be able to return to her normal human life.

As Merrick uses every erotic trick to keep Zeke distracted from the blood passion, Cora becomes more and more drawn to both of her reluctant captors. And more and more happy to abandon her old life in exchange for an eternity with two hot immortal lovers. All she has to do is convince Merrick and Zeke that being a vampire isn’t all that bad.

Like FRECKLES and GLASS TIDINGS, FROSTBITTEN is also a part of the 2016 three book Holiday bundle offered every year by Riptide, and 20% of the proceeds are donated to The Trevor Project, which provides a suicide hotline and counseling assistance for LGBTQ teens, in particular, in crisis.

I’ve actually written a full review for FROSTBITTEN for Joyfully Jay, but I can tell you I really loved this MMF menage story. Zeke and Merrick are a couple, but Zeke and Cora seem to share a strong attraction. Zeke saves Cora from certain death when an explosion rocks their holiday party–by infecting her with a vampire virus. Merrick wants Cora to return to her human self, which she will if she doesn’t take blood from either Zeke or Merrick. Unfortunately, they’re all very attracted to each other. This is a really compelling, sensual read. Cora narrates the whole novella, and she’s clearly a vivid thinker. Plus, once she’s infected, her viewpoint becomes distorted and hazy, with a sing-song quality that lulled me along. I dug it. There’s a little bit of sex, in the middle and the end with M/M, M/F and MMF arrangements.

Find FROSTBITTEN on Goodreads, Riptide Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.

angel-voicesAbout ANGEL VOICES by Rowan Speedwell:
One frigid winter night a week before Christmas, college student Will stumbles into a church during choir practice, bruised by his own father’s hands. He’s out of the closet now — there’s no going back since his fundamentalist father learned the truth — but he’s also out of a home, a family, and a future. Will has nowhere to turn. No one to care.

Except . . . Will’s roommate, Quinn, cares. Maybe too much. He’s been attracted to Will since they moved in together, but never dreamed his crush was gay. With Will’s life in pieces, Quinn doesn’t want to push. He also knows he has more experience than Will, who’s never even been kissed.

Then Will’s father makes a reappearance, and Will has to learn to trust his heart more than the voices of his past. But it’s the season of miracles, faith, and hope, and Quinn is determined to teach Will how to love and be loved.

My Review:
Will is an 18 year old freshman attending his local college. When he returns to his home for the winter break his enraged father beats him nearly senseless and chucks him out into the cold, while his horrified mother watched. Will stumbles the eight miles back toward campus, dropping into a church to warm up. There he hears the choir practicing, and finds peace in his tumult.

He also finds his afro-Creole roommate, Quinn, who’s a tenor in the choir. Quinn had always thought his shy and reserved roomie was straight. Learning Will’s father assaulted him for being gay sets Quinn on a “rescue Will” mission. Quinn’s a sweet boy, whose family is large and supportive. He knows’ they’ll pitch in to help Will in whatever manner they can. With Will cut off from his family, they make plans to take him home to New Orleans for Christmas, and to seek out scholarship help if necessary.

Will, stunned that his roomie is gay, helpful, and attracted to him, allows Quinn to do his best–in all things. There’s a bit of steam, as Will experiences his first kiss–and more. He’s still shell-shocked over his father’s reaction, but it seems the rest of his family might just be okay with the gay. This is a Christmas romance novella, so everything happens kinda fast. I did love Quinn’s large and engaging family. They are all sweet, and wished I’d had more time to linger with them. I really enjoyed the interracial aspects here, and how inclusive it all felt.

While I’m a big fan of sexytimes, I kinda felt that happened a little fast, considering how injured Will was, and how little these guys really knew each other–despite being roomies. A little restraint would have gone a long way toward building some tension. That said, it’s a nice read, with some feel-good moments and what seems to be an HEA.

Interested? You can find ANGEL VOICES on Goodreads, Riptide Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance.

love-and-latkesAbout LOVE & LATKES by BA Huntley
Allen’s day begins awful and rapidly turns into a living hell, leaving him without a job, without a car, without a phone, and without much hope that life will improve anytime soon. When friends urges him to bail on the city and come spend Hanukah with them, he agrees—and is glad he did when he meets Lucy.

My Review:
This is a short novella, just 32 pages, that has a diverse cast, with two gay men, and two transgender characters, a man and a woman, which I really loved. Allen tells this story of how his life seemingly turned to crap in one day. It was too compressed and too ridiculous to be believed, unfortunately. Still, Allen’s friend David, a pregnant transman, invites Allen to spend Hanukkah with David and his husband in Halifax.

While visiting, Allen meets Lucy, a transwoman, who Allen finds very attractive. They bond a bit over the few days they spend together. It’s a fresh start for Allen, it seems, which is nice, but a bit convenient. I didn’t like the beginning, because it seemed so implausible, but the parts once Allen got on the plane were decent. The Hanukkah bits were a side story, with the focus on Allen getting a new life and new love. I wished this was expanded, to allow for better character and conflict development. I liked the diversity, which was mostly unexpected considering the blurb. This is an okay read, good for a lunchtime diversion.

Interested? You can find LOVE & LATKES on Goodreads, Less Than Three Press and Amazon.

Thanks for popping in!

Be sure to comment on any holiday reads you’ve picked up this season, and how you liked them!

As always, keep reading my friends.