Joyfully Jay

Final Challenge Month Review and Giveaway–ONE TRICK PONY

Hi there! Challenge month is drawing to a close, and I’m excited to share the last of the weekly challenges: Judge a Book by its Cover. I chose ONE TRICK PONY, a recently released M/M cowboy romance from Eli Easton.

One Trick Pony coverAbout the book:Forgiving yourself is the first step toward finding true love.

Henry Atkins is determined to turn around his no-good, sorry life and prove to the residents of Clyde’s Corner that he’s not the town bad boy anymore. If going to church every Sunday with the Ladies Society is what it takes to polish his reputation, he’s all in. But when every secret fantasy in his head walks into the stables at Muddy River Ranch, the straight and narrow path he’s on takes a wild detour. It never felt so good to be so bad.

Micah has been one of the biggest porn stars in the world for five years, but he’s burned out. His body won’t cooperate to film even one more scene. A month’s vacation with his old friend Ben in Montana is just what his jaded heart needs. He wants rest, fresh air, and to not be recognized by a living soul. He sure as hell isn’t looking for a fling, and he wants nothing to do with Henry, the fanboy who works at Ben’s ranch.

The two men are both seeking a fresh start, an escape from the demons of their past. Fly fishing lessons on the river uncover the surprising number of things they have in common and forms a heartfelt bond that might save their weary souls. Only Micah’s past isn’t through with him yet.

This was such a sweet and fun story, with Henry rebuilding his life and reputation, while finally experiencing love from another person and with another person. And Micah, is savvy and adorable as a young porn star rethinking his life plan.

This is the FINAL WEEK to enter in the Joyfully Jay Challenge Month sweepstakes. Please take a field trip over to my post on Joyfully Jay and make a comment in order to be entered. This week there is special prize to win one of five $20 JMS store gift cards from JMS Books, commenters will also be entered to win our amazing Challenge Month Grand Prize sponsored by NineStar Press: a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with 50 NineStar Press books. Again you must comment on the Joyfully Jay post before Friday to get entered.

Interested? You can find ONE TRICK PONY on Goodreads or Amazon.

Eli EastonAbout the Author:
Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, and organic farmer, Eli has been a m/m romance author since 2013. She has over 30 books published.

Eli has loved romance since her teens and she particular admires writers who can combine literary merit, genuine humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, bulldogs, cows, a cat, and lots of groundhogs.

In romance, Eli is best known for her Christmas stories because she’s a total Christmas sap. These include “Blame it on the Mistletoe”, “Unwrapping Hank” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles”. Her “Howl at the Moon” series of paranormal romances featuring the town of Mad Creek and its dog shifters has been popular with readers. And her series of Amish-themed romances, Men of Lancaster County, has won genre awards.

Catch up with Eli on her website, Facebook, and twitter.

Walking a Dangerous Path MANNERS AND MANNERISMS–Promo and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a promo for an historical M/M romance audiobook for new-to-me author Tanya Chris. MANNERS AND MANNERISMS features a second son the aristocracy falling for the upstart neighbor, a newly-named lord called back from America.

About the book:
Everyone in Highley eagerly anticipates the arrival of Reginald Abernathy, the new master of Albon Manor. Everyone, that is, except Lord William Bascomb. William knows he’ll be expected to woo Reginald’s sister, and he can’t summon the interest for it. But when the Abernathys arrive at last, William discovers he’s interested after all—in Reginald. Reginald is the most handsome, most dashing, most intriguing man he’s ever known. Better yet, he seems to share William’s preference for men.

The addition of the Abernathys to Highley suits everyone. William’s sister adores Reginald’s, Aunt Harriet foresees many happy matches between the two families, William’s sister-in-law is pleased at the prospect of unloading her penniless relatives at last, and all the eligible ladies in Highley want the man who only has eyes for William.

Against a backdrop of elegant balls and frolicking picnics, William and Reginald enjoy furtive moments of ecstasy until a scandal erupts, forcing William to choose between Reginald and the only life he’s ever known.

See how many matches Aunt Harriet can make in this low-angst, warm and fuzzy Jane Austen-inspired M/M Regency romance.

I wrote a full review of the audiobook on Joyfully Jay for MANNERS AND MANNERISMS, and if you go read my New-To-Me Challenge review and make a comment by midnight on Saturday you will be entered in the weekly drawing for one of two great book bundles form Carina Press, and the month-wide drawing for a Kindle Paperwhite filled with 50 ebooks from NineStar Press!

About the Author:
Tanya writes in a variety of romantic and erotic genres, being an avid follower of many of these genres herself. Some of her favorites are M/M romance, MFM threesomes, and BDSM with male submissives.

Tanya lives in New England with her boyfriend and her cat and has participated in many of the activities about which she writes, but not all of them. It’s left to the reader to decide which are which.

Catch up iwht Tanya on her website and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Living Your Best Life CINDERELLA BOY–Promo and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a promo for a contemporary LGBTQ story for new-to-me author Kristina Meister. CINDERELLA BOY features a genderqueer teen boy finding unexpected love with his sister’s ex-boyfriend.

About the book:
Being perfect isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Sixteen-year-old Declan is the perfect son . . . except for one tiny issue. When his sister Delia comes home to find him trying on her clothes, he fears her judgment, but she only fears his fashion choices. One quick makeover later, Declan is transformed into Delia’s mysterious cousin Layla and dragged to the party of the year, hosted by Carter, the most popular boy in school.

When Carter meets Layla, he fumbles to charm her. He adores her sense of humor and her poise. But when she vanishes in the middle of the night, he’s left confused and determined to solve the mystery of who she is.

As their school year begins, their high school embraces a policy of intolerance, and both Declan and Carter know they must stand up. Carter is tired of being a coward and wants to prove he can be a knight in shining armor. Declan is sick of being bullied and wants desperately to be himself. If they team up, it could be a fairy-tale ending, or a very unhappy ever after.

I wrote a full review of the audiobook on Joyfully Jay for CINDERELLA BOY, and if you go read my New-To-Me Challenge review and make a comment by midnight on Saturday you will be entered in the weekly drawing for a $25 GC for JMS Books, and the month-wide drawing for a Kindle Paperwhite filled with 50 ebooks from NineStar Press!

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Connecting Through THE B-SIDE–Promo and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a promo for a contemporary LGBTQ story for new-to-me author B. Harmony. THE B-SIDE features two unlikely roommates falling for one another–but trying to keep it friendly….for a while at least.

About the book:
Chance
When I read the roommate wanted ad, I thought my sister was encouraging me to live with an insane person. As it turns out, he isn’t insane, he’s sexy and one hundred percent my type. Living with him will be the ultimate test of my self control.
When the combination of our love of music and my overwhelming need to take care of him meets jealousy, sparks fly. His heart may be damaged, but nothing is beyond repair.
Now all I have to do is convince him that I’m in this for the long haul, not just this moment.

Tyler
I may look like the happy-go-lucky gay guy with a big smile and more punny tees than one person should probably own. But it’s just a shield to protect my heart, the one that has been torn apart by the people who were meant to love me most. The last thing I’m willing to do is risk the tattered shreds on my new – straight- roommate. Sure, he’s sexy as sin and has a love of music that rivals my own, but all that is just grounds for a new friendship. Nothing more. Right?
Yet, every moment we spend together tests a little bit more of my self control. When it turns out my roommate is not as straight as I once thought, I have to decide if this is one playlist I should listen to.
Will we have our own love song, or will this just be another broken-hearted ballad?

The B-Side is a low-angst, roommmates-to-lovers, MM Romance novel. Featuring punny t-shirts for every occasion, killer playlists, meddling family and friends, and a happily-ever-after.

I wrote a full review on Joyfully Jay for THE B-SIDE, and if you go read my review and make a comment you will be entered in the weekly drawing for Author swag, and the month-wide drawing for a Kindle Paperwhite filled with 50 ebooks from NineStar Press!

About the Author:
B. Harmony is a Texas girl with SoCal roots with a penchant for rock music and happily ever afters. She began her journey as a romance author after spending a year as a book blogger and bookstgrammer in the romance community.

She has been writing on and off for years, but The B-Side is the first novel that has reached completion.

B. Harmony lives in Texas with her husband, two children, and two fur babies. She spends her free time drinking too much coffee, swearing, and reading & writing while simultaneously watching baseball.

Catch up to Ms. Harmony on her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Captivated by SELFIE–A Review

Hi there! Today I want to share a bit of the review I wrote for Joyfully Jay of a new contemporary M/M romance by Amy Lane. SELFIE is one of the Bluewater Bay books and, like THE DEEP OF THE SOUND, it packs an emotional punch that knocked me over.

Selfie (Bluewater Bay, #13)About the book:
One year ago, actor Connor Montgomery lost the love of his life to a drunk driver. But what’s worse for Connor is what he still has: a lifetime of secrets born of hiding his relationship from the glare of Hollywood. Unable to let go of the world he and Vinnie shared, Connor films a drunken YouTube confession on the anniversary of Vinnie’s death.

Thankfully, the video was silent—a familiar state for Connor—so his secret is still safe. He needs a fresh start, and a new role on the hit TV show Wolf’s Landing might be just that.

The move to Bluewater Bay may also mean a second chance in the form of his studio-assigned assistant. Noah Dakers sees through Connor’s facades more quickly than Connor could imagine. Noah’s quiet strength and sarcastic companionship offers Connor a chance at love that Hollywood’s closet has never allowed. But to accept it, Connor must let Vinnie go and learn to live again.

My Review:
Some highlights from my review, which can be read in it’s entirety on Joyfully Jay Reviews….

This is the 13th book set in the Bluewater Bay world, and they are designed to be enjoyed as standalones. I’ve read ten or so, and while some characters come in and out of many books, each one relates a new love story. Selfie is about a popular movie star’s steep drop into the abyss of grief-ravaged depression, and the hard slog into emotional well-being and second love.

This is what I have learned: Amy Lane doesn’t write books, she writes literary heroin. I must plan an early start when I get her books because I cannot close the book and go on about my day/night without knowing how her characters survive their story. My hubs will attest, I’m a bit of a snappish basket-case while I devour the ups and downs and dangerous plummets into overwhelming feels, despite knowing an HEA will arrive, but only after I’ve survived the terror and exhilaration of riding the roller coaster forward, backward, and unbelted.

Without Noah’s presence, Connor would easily drift into the mental wilderness he inhabited in the year of grief, a year of physical and temporal wasting. Connor still speaks to Vinnie in his head, making choices that he thinks will benefit Vinnie. This preoccupation is disastrous, and leads to several crises, but Noah is able to pull Connor back from the brink each time, thankfully. Their courtship isn’t sensual; it’s liberating and affirming. It gives Connor hope, and replaces the emptiness of his previous relationship.

It’s an HEA, but wow! It takes some real serious work to get there, for Noah and Connor. They are great guys who deserve happiness, and I was sur glad they got it.

Interested? You can find SELFIE on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance.

About the Author:

Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness.

Feel free to visit her website, blog, or on twitter and Facebook where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Getting Real in A CASUAL THING–My Review for Joyfully Jay

Hi there! Today I’m back with a book I recently reviewed for Joyfully Jay. It’s a New Adult M/M romance that’s a lot sweet and a bit spicy. This is the first book I’ve read from Annabelle Jacobs, but it won’t be my last.

A Casual ThingAbout the book:
Patrick Mason travels to Bristol to spend the summer with his brother, Ben. He’s cat sitting for the first two weeks while Ben goes on holiday. But Ben neglected to tell him he wouldn’t be doing it alone. Will Adams—Ben’s mate and Patrick’s long-time crush—is staying in Ben’s guest room while he waits to move into his new house after a breakup.

Against his better judgment, Patrick convinces Will that a little no-strings fun is just what they need. Patrick doesn’t want to get involved with a guy on the rebound, and Will isn’t interested in starting something serious with a student. But Patrick’s never been good at separating sex from feelings, and this time is no exception. As their weeks together draw to a close, they need to decide if they have something worth pursuing or if it’s really just a casual thing.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s short and sweet, perfect for an empty afternoon. And that cover is really perfect, as the entire romance kicks off with a simple dropped towel… 😉

Expect some steam, some regret, and some break up to make up–HEA style.

You can check out my complete review over on Joyfully Jay. Pick up the book on Amazon, All Romance or Amazon UK.

About the Author:

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with her husband, three rowdy children, and two cats.

An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

You can find Annabelle online on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

The Mystery of UNCOVERING RAY–A Review

Hi there! I’m back over on Joyfully Jay with a review for a contemporary romance newly released by Edie Danford. UNCOVERING RAY is a “questioning” romance in that the audience is meant to question Ray’s gender, sexuality and motivation throughout.

The author gives good misdirection and calls on the reader to sort out all the stereotypes. I enjoyed it.

Uncovering Ray (Ellery College, #1)About the book:

When the right love uncovers the wrong secrets…

“Hey, man–you a chick or a dude?” Dealing with the same old boring question is a downer for college drop-out Ray Fayette, especially when it’s asked by the low-tipping, over-privileged students at the Ellery Diner.

When six-foot-five, muscle-bound straight arrow Wyatt Kelly publicly smacks down a fellow frat bother for caveman behavior, Ray’s interest is sparked. Wyatt’s not-so-subtle attraction sparks a few other things too.

But getting to know Wyatt proves dangerous. His sexy smiles and smart questions slide under even Ray’s prickliest defenses. Worse, his academic mentor happens to be Ray’s ex-stepfather, the dictatorial jerk who just kicked Ray out of his house. Again.

Wyatt suggests a housing arrangement that has surprising appeal—there’s space available at his frat house—but he’s unaware just how complicated Ray’s “identity issues” are. Ellery College kicked out Ray for a reason—a reason that could deep-six Wyatt’s academic career and Ray’s newly hopeful heart.

Please head on over to Joyfully Jay to see my full review.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Can’t SCRAP Love–My Review on Joyfully Jay!

Hi there folks! Well, I’ve been blogging a bit, and as it stands I think I’m doing it right. I read books, I write about books, people actually read what I write about books, and I’m feeling good about that.

I recently snatched up the opportunity to “branch out” a bit as an ad hoc reviewer for Joyfully Jay. That’s a lady with a kick-ass book blog, let me tell you.

Anywho, from time to time, I’ll be reviewing books on her blog, and I’m going to post a short bit here to let you know you can find me there.

Make sense? Of course it does!

You folks are awesome, that way.

Today’s my first appearance on Jay’s blog, so I hope you’ll tune in and check out my review of SCRAP by Josephine Myles. It’s a heartwarming story about two unlikely British men–one a toff and the other a working-class bloke–finding love in a junkyard. Here’s the cover and info…

Scrap (The Bristol Collection, #3)

About the book:

When things come to a head, there’s nowhere to go but down…

On the surface, Derek “Call Me Dare” Nelson’s life is simple, doing up custom campervans while living in a slightly illegal caravan in his riverfront yard. When a handsome, smooth-talking developer offers to buy the land out from under his feet, Dare realizes it’s the same man he had to escort home from a party months ago for causing a drunken scene.

Grant Matravers lives a double life, attempting to adjust to weekends as a single, divorced gay man while staying closeted at work. The strain of keeping up the part-time pretense, missing his kids, and now a problematic attraction to the shave-headed, tattooed Dare, has worn his emotional barriers dangerously thin.

Dare blasts through those barriers in a way Grant isn’t prepared for, challenging everything he thought he knew about himself as a gay man. But as their chemistry heats up and the intimacy between them grows, Grant edges toward a decision that could blow up in his face. Exposing a hornet’s nest of complications that could destroy any chance for happily ever after.

It was ever so luscious… Click here for my full review.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!