M/M Romance

Broken Love REFIRED–Review & Giveaway!

refired-BannerTemplateHi there! Today I’m excited to share a realistic M/M reconnection romance from BA Tortuga. REFIRED is the story of two men separated by alcoholism: one who struggles with it, and the other who fears it’s disastrous influence. They are otherwise a great match, if one can forgive and forget…

Check out my review below and be sure to enter to win TWO ebooks from Ms. Tortuga.

RefiredFSAbout the book:

When Kris Cerny walks back into Two Spirits, the art gallery he owns with Josh McPhee, all he wants is a clean break. Austin’s booming real estate market means the building he bought years ago is worth a fortune, and with the sale, he and Josh can finally go their separate ways. They won’t be reconciling, right? Josh may be sober now, but an addict is always going to be an addict, and Kris can’t take that chance again.

Josh isn’t willing to sell. Not yet. He’s discovered a new artist in Santa Fe he knows will put Two Spirits in the black, and if he can just make a success of the gallery, maybe he can earn Kris’s respect, if not recapture his love. He needs Kris to give him time for one more buying trip, one more gallery show. Josh wants nothing more than a final chance to make things right. Kris agrees to let Josh have this last ditch effort on one condition– he wants to go along for the ride. On the way Josh hopes they’ll find the next big thing in the art world as well as peace, forgiveness, and a love he thought was lost forever.

 How about a little taste!

Josh sat there in the office that had been his for seven years, two months, and three days, looking at the cowboy who he’d thought, once upon a time, was going to be his one and only, feeling a little like he was drunk.

He rolled the five-year-sober token between his fingers, letting it settle him. Not drunk. Not even a bit.

“What? What did you say to me?” He left off the you sorry son of a bitch part.

“We got a buyer for the gallery.” Kris stared at him, calm as could be, one hip settled on the edge of his desk.

“The gallery isn’t for sale.” He owned half, dammit. Still.

Kris nodded easily. “Frankly they just want the building. Quite an offer. I don’t see how we can pass it up.”

“The gallery isn’t for sale.” He was fairly sure the words were succinct enough for Mr. Business.

“The neighborhood has changed, Josh. It’s not a boho, arty area anymore. It’s all high-priced condos and tapas bars.” Kris’s expression softened just slightly. “I think it’s time to let it go.”

This wasn’t about the gallery. This was about them. Him and Kris.

“No.”

“Josh, please at least look at the offer.” Kris stood, straightening his fancy cattleman’s. God, he looked like a stuffed suit. Kris looked better in beat-up Wranglers.

“I’m not interested.” Josh felt like sitting down and pounding the floor with his fist. This wasn’t right. None of it. He knew he was a fuckup. Had been a fuckup. But he was working his shit out.

The gallery was back to breaking even, if not making a profit. Josh thought he deserved a chance to get some good new artists in for a show.

“Then are you going to buy me out?” Kris asked.

Fuck. Kris knew he couldn’t do that. The business finances were an open book. Josh wasn’t even taking a salary for another three years to pay back Kris’s initial investment.

“I don’t have to. We’re equal partners. All I have to do is say no.”

Kris frowned, dark brows drawing together over his bright green eyes. “Dammit, Josh, how long are you going to pretend this is going to work?”

He touched the coin again. Five years. Five years sober. Five years proving he could be trusted. Five years and it wasn’t enough.

“This gallery is my life.” Simple as that. He had no friends anymore, no one. He came to work and went to meetings. He hadn’t gone out to dinner with Kris since…. Christ. Christmas? Maybe? Had they even done Christmas?

“Then what do you want me to do? The building is really the only asset.”

“I’m going on a buying trip. Santa Fe area. Why are we even talking about this?” Why are you even here? Go find another project.

Kris was, like, the king of finance now or something. He had investments all over, could probably walk away from the gallery without even taking a money hit.

“Buying? With what? Your good looks?”

 My Review:

Josh and Kris had a strong love back in college. They were in each other’s pockets, deep. But their partying ways caught up to them. Josh gave up art, drinking his days away–whenever they didn’t have a showing at the gallery, Two Spirits, Kris had purchased for Josh to run. Kris has a bad history with alcoholism and it took a nearly tragic incident to realize: 1. that Josh had a serious problem 2. that Josh’s drinking was a serious problem for him.

When Josh couldn’t get clean, Kris cut ties.

Nearly seven years later Kris has come back to Two Spirits, to Josh with an offer. The building Kris owns, the gallery Josh has managed faithfully, soberly–for the past five years–has an offer for purchase. Josh wants to keep the place, Kris does not, but gives Josh 30 days to bring one more art show to the space, one that will raise it’s sagging reputation.

As Josh prepares to set out on the hunt for an artist he’s heard tales about, Kris decides to go along. Their chemistry is off the charts, and Josh’s in a whirlwind. Does Kris want him back? This has been his fervent hope all throughout recovery. All throughout his sobriety. Josh sees Kris’ willingness to sell Two Spirits as the end of their relationship, and Kris does, too. He wants a clean break from the man who had been his heart and world so many years ago. Plus, he knows that if he sells the property he can give Josh enough money to start over again.

While out to meet the artist, Cypress, near Santa Fe, Kris and Josh rekindle their romance. It’s wondrous and heady. Josh struggles, calling his sponsor back in Austin daily to keep himself grounded. He has never told Kris about his years in AA, and Kris is constantly waiting for Josh to screw up, take a drink. When Kris thinks this happens, their idyll is over.

This is  a bittersweet read. Two men who clearly love each other, and yet cannot stay connected. Kris has never confided his deepest secrets regarding his mother’s battle with alcoholism, and how that broke his family both physically and emotionally. He has been trained to keep his family’s secrets, and his twin sister and father maintain a “scorched Earth” policy of forgiveness; burned once = forever lost.

With the fate of Two Spirits determined, Josh has to heal from the loss of his love and his livelihood. He goes back to art, and it’s the best medicine for him. Kris has some soul searching to do, and to clear the morass of his life away until all that remains is the love he might reclaim. I loved the secondary characters in this: Cypress the native artist, Zack, Josh’s AA sponsor, even The Judge and Tyna, Kris’ father and sister fill in so many gaps.

Like all books where addiction is part of the story, forgiveness is the key to redemption. This is a process, much like art. It only grows based on what you commit to it. Kris has withheld his forgiveness so long, feeling powerless to give it, based on his youth. Now, as a man, he sees the choices laid out before him and the ramifications of those decisions. Will he live an empty life? Can he, after that brief respite with Josh, bear to be alone? Or, can he make the changes necessary to be a full partner to a Josh who has remade his life into one of use and purpose, all without any prodding from Kris?

I’ll be truthful, while I found Kris a sympathetic character, I really didn’t like him for much of the book. He felt like a selfish man, using and abusing Josh’s emotions. I may not have liked him, but I did understand him–and I was glad that he was finally truthful with Josh regarding his family’s tragedy. Kris makes a complete 180 as the book winds out, but it took me time to trust him, and that was okay. Not every character needs to be immediately likable. Josh was earnest and compassionate and larger than life. His growth after meeting Cypress and finding his art again was stunning and joyful. I had complete satisfaction with Kris and Josh repairing their relationship, charting a new course. The art references were lovely, and the hints at native mysticism were a fantastic touch. This is truly a love story, but one that takes the hard road to get there. And that made is oh-so-real for me.

I can easily see this book spun into a series featuring the separate love stories of Cypress and Zack. They have men in their lives already with whom they dearly desire to reconnect.

Interested? You can find REFIRED on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press (ebook and paperback) Amazon (US and UK) Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win two ebooks from BA Tortuga (The Terms of Release and Articles of Release)
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife (still amazing to say that), Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has gone to the high desert mountains and fallen in love. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery ménages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

You can find BA online on her blog, Facebook, twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Executing a BONDAGE RESCUE–Review & Giveaway!

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new book in Morticia Knight’s contemporary M/M BDSM romance Kiss of Leather series. I enjoyed both BUILDING BONDS and SAFE LIMITS, so I naturally wanted to read BONDAGE RESCUE. All throughout these books I’ve liked the strong relationships that develop–with the hint of kink that’s ever present.

Check out the excerpt, my review and get in on the book giveaway below.

bondagerescue_800_3About the book:
Kyle’s best friend Marshall resurfaces and he’s in a lot of trouble. Can the men at Kiss of Leather convince a former Dom to take on the mouthy sub?

Master Derek and his new sub Corey have signed a contract and enjoy their first scene together. The love between them is strong and Derek is as protective of his boy as ever. The only thing left that would make their world perfect would be to bring Corey’s ex-Dom and abuser to justice.

The legal firm that represents Kiss of Leather is charged with hiring a private investigator to flush out the man who orchestrated Corey’s gang rape. Stone Manning is hesitant to take the job, though. He was once wrongly accused in the death of a sub and swore never to enter a BDSM club again. But he owes attorney Glen Sharp his life after the lawyer got him acquitted.

Their meeting is disrupted when Kyle’s missing friend Marshall calls for help. Master Josh promises to help the mouthy Marshall get back on his feet under one condition—Marshall must sign a six month D/s contract as a full-time sub and prove he can fully submit to a man as well as learn to respect those around him.

Stone Manning suddenly finds himself charged with taming the brattiest sub ever. In truth, the bigger the brat, the more his heart races with excitement. Marshall promises to be just the type of challenge to inspire Stone to be a Master again. As Stone learns more about him, he sees the pain that Marshall has always tried to numb with drugs and alcohol. Stone also sees a man he could love—if he can ever reach him.

In the meantime, Stone and his investigative partner, Chuck, continue to search for Corey’s attacker. The abusive Dom appears to have gone underground. But what they don’t realize is that the closer they get to their prey, the more dangerous he becomes.

Reader Advisory: This book contains references to drug and alcohol abuse.

How about a little taste?

Stone considered Marshall. He was smart. But he was also in so much emotional pain, viewed his life through a lens of fear, loss and regret. Stone wondered if six months would be long enough to address all of Marshall’s demons. He’d have to do his damnedest to be everything that Marshall needed.

“Sit down, please.” Stone indicated to the chair across from him.

Marshall blinked at him in confusion as if Stone had announced to him that he was an iguana. “Okaaaay…” He lowered himself gingerly on the seat as he continued to stare at Stone as though he were insane.

Obviously not the reaction he’d expected after his little rant. Good.

Marshall made a small strangled sound, dropping his chin to his chest. He lifted it again with a sigh. “Okay, Sir.”

Stone rose then circled around the table until he reached Marshall. “Good boy.” He placed his palm on the top of his head, Marshall jerking away the second they made contact.

“What are you doing?”

Marshall’s tone had held an edge of fear to it that Stone didn’t like. He kept his words soft.

“I was praising you because you did that perfectly. Thank you.”

The expression on Marshall’s face held confusion. His brow furrowed as he averted his gaze. “Oh. Uh, you’re welcome, Sir.”

Marshall fiddled with the towel as if repositioning it. There was a noticeable tremble to his hands. Stone wondered if it was from being upset or more related to Marshall’s blood sugar or a lack of alcohol. There was so much to handle in regards to Marshall and Stone didn’t want to overwhelm him. The desire to understand why Marshall had reacted negatively to a gentle touch nagged at him. But it wasn’t about what he wanted. It was about what Marshall needed. The first priority was his sub’s physical health.

“Would you like some coffee, boy?”

Marshall jerked his head up. “Coffee?”

“Yes, boy. Is that something you like to have in the morning?”

“Yes, Sir. But…I mean, isn’t that a part of my whole submission thingy? Josh used to make me do that every morning for him.” Marshall snickered. “Oh my God. He knew better than to have me cook, though.”

“Hmm. That’s good information to have. We’ll have to get you some simple recipes to begin with, perhaps a basic cooking course.” Stone glanced over his shoulder as he approached the Keurig machine. “Do you take anything in your coffee?”

“Hold up. Cooking course? I don’t think so.” He placed a hand delicately across his chest. “I’m not really into that whole Gordon Ramsey scene.” Marshall favored him with a sly smirk. “Although, I wouldn’t mind doing him.”

“You never answered my question.”

“Huh? What question? You were talking about me cooking.” He grunted, speaking as if to himself. “As if that would ever happen.”

“It’s going to happen and I wanted to know how you take your coffee.”

Marshall narrowed his eyes. “You can’t make me do something I don’t know how to do.”

“Once you finish a cooking course, then yes, I can make you do it.”

Marshall crossed his arms and Stone noted the wince he made that was undoubtedly from pulling on the wound on his elbow. “I’m not cooking and no, you can’t make me.”

Stone leaned with his back against the tiled counter, his stance relaxed, almost as if he was bored. “Are you aware of what they’ll make you do in prison, Marshall? And how do you suppose they might make you do something you don’t want to do? Josh explained to me that the amount of Ecstasy and cocaine they found on the ground near you when you were thrown from the car would be enough to put you away for a very long time. How confident are you that a public defender would be your best bet as opposed to the type of legal counsel Josh can provide? All he wants in return is my assurances that you’re submitting to me completely and showing me, as well as those you interact with, proper respect. I’m to report to him on a weekly basis.”

The distress on Marshall’s face was clear. “But…Josh said I had six months. I can’t be perfect right away! What if I make a mistake, and I didn’t mean to, but you tell Josh I’m a fuck-up? This isn’t fair!” Marshall’s breathing elevated. “This is a fucking nightmare. I’ll never be able to handle this. I can’t cook. I’m not good at anything except shaking my ass and sucking cock.” Marshall buried his face in his hands before tearing them away. “Fuck it. I’m leaving.” Marshall started to rise.

“Sit.”

Marshall jumped, but stayed seated, his eyes widened as he stared at Stone. He made sure to keep his voice calm and soothing as he spoke. “You’re not a fuck-up and once we get to the point of discussing consequences to actions, calling yourself that, or any other derogatory reference, will be cause for punishment.”

“Like telling Josh you’re done with me.”

It hadn’t been a question and had been said with a veneer of sadness. Marshall felt the tug in his chest he’d first experienced when he’d seen Marshall at the club.

My Review:
This is the third book in a series and should probably be read after SAFE LIMITS (book two in the Kiss of Leather series). There is an overarching plot in this series that relates to unsafe Doms who use and abuse their subs. This is primarily to find “Master Tony” who organized the gang rape of Corey from SAFE LIMITS.

The main love story in this book is between Master Stone–a retired Dom and current PI–and Marshall, best friend of another sub. Stone had been accused in the death of a sub years ago, but was later proven to be innocent. He hasn’t been in the lifestyle since, however. And now, as investigator for Corey’s abuser, he’s sure that history is repeating itself. Marshall’s been a bad bad boy, and he’s sure that no one will love/want him. He needs to clean out and learn to love himself, and Master Stone keeps a cool head when Marshall challenges him time and time again.

Their relationship is slow to build, but has good results. I liked how Stone encouraged Marshall to get stronger, and take charge of his life. He encourages Marshall, and gives him latitude to make mistakes–and make good choices, too. Because of their close association, Marshall and Corey become good friends. When the plot turns dark and deadly, it is Marshall who takes a lead and stands up for himself and Corey. Expect a thrilling chase and some touch-and-go moments. Also, expect some deep emotional bonds and thrilling sexytimes.

Again, I really love the considerate BDSM connections made in this series. All the partners feel good about themselves and their lovers. The pairs are all consensual and monogamous, with a bit of exhibitionism/public scening being the largest nod to kink.

Interested? You can find BONDAGE RESCUE on Goodreads, Pride Publishing, Amazon (US and UK) and Barnes & Noble.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $25 Amazon GC and a signed copy of BONDAGE RESCUE.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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

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

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

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Gotta LOVE ME TENOR–Review & Giveaway!

LMT-BannerTemplateHi there! I’m so excited to share a review for a brand-spanking-new contemporary M/M romance from Annabeth Albert. LOVE ME TENOR is the second book in the Perfect Harmony series, and you know I adored TREBLE MAKER so I jumped at the chance to read this one.

Drop down to check out my review, an extended excerpt and get in on the $20 Amazon GC giveaway!

LovemeTenorAbout the book:
Trevor Daniels is feeling aimless. A recent college grad, he’s not sure what to do with his useless degree, and his family all but abandoned him after he revealed the truth about himself. But a friend’s suggestion that he take his chances on a reality show aimed at finding the next big boy band strikes a chord with him—until the show’s producers convince him to act like he’s in a relationship with a guy who’s not at all his type. It isn’t exactly love at first sight for Jalen Smith either—but lust just might push them in an unexpected direction. If only their secrets weren’t even more twisted than their sheets, threatening to cost them the win—and each other…

How about a taste?

“You brought your luggage?” The receptionist looked at Trevor like he’d brought a snake to the movie studio offices instead of a rolling suitcase and a backpack.

“My flight was late. And then customs—”

“Fine.” She held up a hand, shimmery with the sort of nail art Trevor’s sisters weren’t allowed to wear. “You can have a seat.” She motioned to a seating area with square leather and chrome chairs and a metallic-looking shag rug.

“Wait. Is my group here yet? Stand Out!?”

“Let me check.” She glanced at a pink sheet on a clipboard. “No.” She made a shooing motion back in the direction of the waiting area.

“Thanks.”

The receptionist disappeared back down a hallway, teetering on shoes that put her a good six inches taller than Trevor. The building was kind of a letdown. The whole complex was a series of gigantic gray warehouses, but the inside of this one was like any other office building in America. Or Canada. He’d only been in Vancouver a couple of hours and kept forgetting he wasn’t in the States anymore.

His bag made a loud clickety-clack sound as he dragged it across the tile floor to the seating area, but the only occupant in the chairs didn’t even glance up. The guy was about Trevor’s age, maybe a bit younger. His eyes were half-closed, like waiting for producers to call his name was just so boring. He had that jock sprawl, maximizing every inch of the low chair. Trevor took a seat with a good view of the guy. Indifferent eye candy was his favorite kind.

He had this thing for straight guys, particularly jocks. Jocks were his personal kryptonite; they made his knees turn into magnets, headed straight for the floor. And the guy across from him was the deadly, heart-stopping red kryptonite brand of jock. His build was perfect—not too tall, because Trevor was picky about that—but jacked like a Chevy with a lift kit. Hell, even the dude’s neck was ripped. Jock’s foot moved back and forth in motion with the music pumping in his ears from pricey Beats headphones.

Because dude’s eyes were shut, Trevor felt free to continue his inventory of hotness. Baggy shorts. T-shirt for a wrestling team. Wrestling. Trevor had to shift around on the slick leather couch before continuing his appraisal. Cheap white socks, but black shoes that probably cost more than Trevor’s bike. Rich elitist jock? Yes, please.

The outfit was notable because Trevor would have figured most guys coming to a TV studio would want to dress up a little. He had, but of course now his pressed khakis and dress shirt seemed horribly overdressed compared to jock boy and the receptionist wearing a cutoff denim skirt and a tank top that seemed to be made out of nothing more than knotted rope.

Maybe dude wasn’t there to be on TV. Or if he was, maybe he was there for a different show from the music reality show Trevor was on. He certainly didn’t look like the boy band type. Dude looked ready for an MMA-fighter type show, or maybe working as a stunt double. But if he wasn’t on Trevor’s show, that meant—

“You done checking me out or you need me to turn to the other side?” Jock’s eyes snapped open. They were a startling shade of hazel, almost amber. And at the moment, they were filled with undisguised irritation.

Oh, crap. Trevor gulped hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He dug out his phone, giving himself something to look down at. He’d been caught before and it almost never ended well. With any luck, Dawn would show up soon and he would never have to see jock boy again.

“Oh, don’t be shy.” Jock boy had a killer whisper: husky with a hint of command to it. He said it with the air of someone who knew exactly how hot he was. And now he was going to make Trevor pay for noticing.

Trevor didn’t look up from his phone, but inside he was squirming in his chair. In a different situation, he’d be more than happy to let this play out until he was on his knees in the restroom with jock boy berating him, but he’d sworn to turn over a new leaf. Plus there was always the risk that jock wanted all the verbal abuse and none of the fun. No more gambling.

“Yeah. That’s what I figured.” The other guy snorted.

“Trevor! You made it!” Dawn came barreling across the lobby, red hair streaming behind her. She was flanked by two nearly identical blond giants—one wore a blue polo shirt and khaki pants, the other a brown polo and blue pants. Both had the same bored smirk on their faces.

“What are you doing with your luggage?” Dawn’s smile was replaced by a frown, like Trevor was some clueless kid making her day more difficult. “Why didn’t you give it to the receptionist? They’re sending all the contestants’ stuff over to the house while we tape the intro segments.”

“Here. I’ll take it.” Blond giant number one grabbed Trevor’s bags, tossing them like they were a set of hand weights.

“Jalen!” Dawn stepped around Trevor to hug jock boy, who stood up to greet her. “It’s about time. I was starting to freak!”

Just his luck. Dawn hung on Jalen the jock like they were old friends, tugging his headphones down to his neck and rubbing his closely cropped black hair. Oh, geez. Jalen looked a bit young to be Dawn’s boy toy; she had to be in her late twenties. But no matter what Jalen was to Dawn, he was now a giant pain in the neck to Trevor. A sick feeling gathered in his gut and his hands tightened.

“Did you meet Jalen already, Trevor?” she asked.

“No,” Trevor said carefully. The tension in his muscles climbed to trampoline spring tight—any second now Jalen was going to call him out for creeping on him.

“We’re acquainted,” Jalen drawled at the same time.

“Um. Okay.” Dawn frowned but luckily kept talking before Jalen could reveal way more than Trevor wanted. “So this is Carter. And over there is Carson.”

Twins. They had to be twins right? Trevor was already in too much shit for gaping and didn’t want to stare hard enough to figure it out.

“So, are we ready to become the next boy band?” Carter spoke like some dude on an infomercial, each word carefully articulated for maximum impact. “I am so ready to win this thing.”

The riot in Trevor’s stomach grew worse. Win? With Jalen the jock? As in Trevor was now in the same group as jock boy? And the blond giants? For the next six weeks?

“Yeah. Let’s do this.” Carson came back over. Like Carter, he had a macho, commanding voice, probably a baritone when he sang. Heck. Trevor really didn’t want to be the only tenor on a team of One Direction wannabes.

“Okay Stand Out!, let’s go film your intro.” Dawn motioned for them to follow her down the hall.

Oh, hell. He was really going to be on camera, in a boy band, right freaking now.

My Review:
This is the second book in a series, and fully enjoyable on its own.

Trevor hails from a conservative Christian family which has rejected him due to his sexuality. He’s weeks from graduating college and his whole life already seems a bust. He’s cut off from his family and his planned job as music director in his father’s church. He has no prospects, no home and less than $100 in his bank account when he gets a call to take part in a “boy band” reality show. Trevor was part of an acapella group in college, and even participated in a previous reality show with that group the summer before–one of this new show’s producers is the one calling him back, and well, he has the choice between homelessness and six weeks of room and board in the reality show house. Plus, if the group he’s with wins…well!

Okay, it’s not gonna be easy, especially when Trevor learns that he’s part of a “gay” band. And, not just part…he’s the “other half” of a couple, to a guy he has never met.

Jalen is doing this show as a favor to his foster sister, and he doesn’t mind singing so much, but he hasn’t had any formal training, and he’s not sure what to make of Trevor, his “boo.” Jalen’s a beefcake mix of Black-Hispanic-Hawaiian genes, and though he isn’t tall, he dwarfs 5′ 5″ Trevor. They are pressed into sharing a room in the house, and that’s not all they share. Okay, well, that is all they share at first, but the pressure cooker of the competition soon draws them close.

Trevor has such a negative view of himself, it’s upsetting. He’s never been good enough for his family, his music group, his instructors, etc. He’s also so very hard on himself for looking too femme, with a high vocal range that also makes him feel femme. He has NO desire to be femme, but it’s kinda default, on account of his stature, and his self-loathing really affects him, holds him back from being the best he can be. Jalen is such a nurturer. As Jalen gets a glimpse into Trevor’s world, all he wants is to keep Trevor safe. It’s not easy, due to a developing medical problem that worsens as the story winds on. The big crisis comes just when it looks like Jalen and Trevor and their group are poised to win the whole thing.

There are some spectacular feels in this book. Trevor’s capacity for self-loathing seems deep and wide, but Jalen’s steadfast affection, and eventual love, is able to slowly draw Trevor into a positive mindset. There is some rather deep shame kink here–some I hadn’t read before–and I liked the way it was handled. The whole “different strokes” take was interesting and kept me engaged, as I hoped that Trevor would work past it. The playful banter was so spot on, and the insight from both Trevor and Jalen’s POVs were compelling. The competition didn’t play such a role in this book, as very little of the story takes place before an audience and there are no weekly eliminations, so the bulk of the narrative was focused on the characters and their love story, and how it developed.

There are good secondary characters, too. Carter and Carson–the other half of the “band” are not pleasant at first, but we get a good look in on them when the going gets rough. I liked how Trevor and Carter interacted when it looked like the whole plan was going up in smoke. Jalen’s sister is a good gal, despite the prickly situation of being a boss in the show.

I totally loved this one, and am not nearly ready to wait goodness knows how long for the NEXT book in this series now that I broke my rule and read the (included) first chapter of book three… ARRGH!

Interested? You can find LOVE ME TENOR on Goodreads, Amazon, Kensington Books, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, and Kobo. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

****GIVEAWAY****

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

About the Author:
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children. Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Find Annabeth online on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.

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Hearts Working OVERTIME–Book Blast & Giveaway!

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Hi there! Just getting the word out for a contemporary New Adult M/M romance from T.S. McKinney. OVERTIME features a college basketball player reuniting with the wealthy boy who’d turned his life upside-down years before. It sounds like a pretty tense game they’ll be playing…

Check out the excerpt below and be sure to enter the giveaway for one of five $15 Amazon Gift cards.

OvertimeAbout the book:
Jagger Jameson could be the poster child for a nasty childhood campaign but he refused to allow it to dictate his future. At an early stage, he learned to shut down all emotions and focus solely on survival. As it turned out, survival came in the form of a basketball scholarship with the University of Kentucky Wildcats. As the rest of the team around him focuses on having a good time and building friendships, Jagger worries only about using his talent to help him escape the life that was dealt to him. Everything is going smoothly until somebody from his past makes a reappearance and with just the mention of a name, Jagger finds himself struggling to maintain his cool façade.

Colton Montgomery’s wealth allowed him the opportunity to have about anything in the world he could desire…except the only thing he’d ever really wanted – Jagger Jameson. When the opportunity to try and tame his Wildcat comes his way, Colton gladly accepts the challenge.

How about a little taste?

Sure, it had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d come face to face with Colton Montgomery for the first time in four years, but he’d managed to think of nothing but Colton Montgomery every moment he was awake. He thought of the way Colton’s emerald eyes had looked at him so intently that he felt like the man could dig into his soul, see all his secrets, know all the things he didn’t want people to know. Dick had described it as ‘dude, Colton Montgomery just spent the last thirty minutes eye-fucking you’ and then summed it up with ‘and he wants to fuck you’ – typical Dick.

He’d thought he was prepared, thought he’d managed to build up an immunity against the rich prick that had stunned him years ago, but the second he’d walked through the door and saw him, every protective barrier he’d worked so hard to build over the years disintegrated with one lusty smirk from Colton. Fuck, he was in so much trouble. Riley knew….

One look in Riley’s eyes and Jagger didn’t have the first doubt that Riley knew he was attracted to Colton – hungry for Colton. His captain had given him a sympathetic look. It was as if he had somehow figured out that Jagger had always had the hots for a boy way out of his league and now, fucking now, when he didn’t need any distractions, that boy decided it would be fun to tease the poor kid – make him think he was wanted for something other than…hell, what was he good for if it wasn’t going to be sex? He’d never given himself to another man. Actually, Colton was the only man he’d ever looked at with those thoughts dancing around in his head. He’d fucked a handful of women over the years and enjoyed it…just enough to get the job done. There had never been the first doubt in his mind about his sexuality until Colton-fucking-Montgomery’s ten words.   Fuck!

The basketball hit him square in the chest, bouncing away and damn near knocking the breath out of him. “Shit, sorry, Riley. I was going over some plays in my head. I’m good, I swear.” Thank the fuck they were just in warm-ups before the championship game. “We Will Rock You” was blasting over the speakers because that song never got old when it came to championship games, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Championship games were always a bundle of excitement – add a Cinderella story into it, and the people and media ate it up. Shit, even half the state of Kentucky kinda hoped Florida Gulf would win or at least make a good showing.

What the fuck did they know? They didn’t have any idea what was on the line…how their winning might damn well destroy him. Sure, it was all fun and games for Colton Montgomery, but it was his fucking self-esteem, pride, and sanity up on the auction block.

“Get your head out of your ass, Jag. I’m going to need you at one hundred percent tonight if we plan on winning this game.” His hands flung around the arena. “The entire crowd is either openly pulling for Florida Gulf or secretly hoping they win. I feel like we’re up against everybody in this fucking arena and my fucking point guard has his head shoved all the way up his own fucking ass!” Yeah, his tirade ended with a scream. That was Riley for you. He hated to lose. Well…correction; he didn’t like losing but if everybody played their damndest, he could take it. When they lost because one or more of them ‘had their head up their fucking asses’, he completely lost it.

He was already losing it.

“My head isn’t up my ass, Riley. I’m good. When the whistle blows, I’m going to shove this ball all the way up Colton Montgomery’s arrogant fucking ass.” He gave Riley a fist bump, hoping that was a normal action. He’d seen others on the team doing it….

“I hope so, Jag. If not, I’m afraid he’s planning on shoving something else up yours.” Riley crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Jagger, waiting for a reaction…any reaction. He wasn’t disappointed. Well, he was disappointed because he was fucking certain that without their point guard playing top notch, they were damn well going to get beat, but, on the other hand, some life in the kid’s eyes was something to see. Finally….

“There’s no need to be gross, man. I’m ready. Colton Montgomery will not score the first point tonight, mark my words.”

Riley rolled his eyes. “I don’t necessarily think its gross, but I don’t think it’s what you’ve got penciled into that fucking life-plan that you’ve had since day-fucking-one.” He shoved another basketball against Jagger’s chest. “I’ll hold you to that promise of him not scoring any points, Jag…just don’t let him do the same to you.”

The warning buzzer sounded before Jagger could respond (and question the ‘not necessarily gross’ statement) and the crowd went absolutely nuts. This was it. Championship game – it would look awesome on any resume he sent out. If they won…no, when they won, he could probably pick which accounting firm in Kentucky he wanted to work with. It all came down to this night.

Even after he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do it, his eyes drifted to the other end of the court and immediately found his adversary. Colton Montgomery, in all his fucking, glorious, arrogant, rich beauty was staring right back, a confident smile curving his lush lips. He offered a wave and a wink. Jagger flipped him off and headed to his bench.

Interested? You can find OVERTIME on Goodreads, Amazon, and AllRomance.

 ****GIVEAWAY****

Clink on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win one of five $10 Amazon gift cards.

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
TS McKinney lives in East Tennessee with her high school sweetheart/husband and all the countless dogs she picks up from deserted country roads. Her professional career has been in business but her heart has always belonged to the fantasy world found in books. Creating wicked worlds where one can meet the perfect hero – and then do anything to him that you want – has been a hobby that has brought her plenty of hours of fun and naughty entertainment.

When not working, reading, or writing, she loves to spend time with her family and forcing them (because they don’t really have another choice) to allow her to redecorate their houses…and listen to her naughty…sometimes sadistic stories.

You can find Ms. McKinney online on twitter and Facebook.

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway! MENDING THE RIFT

BannerTemplate(9)Hi there! I’m eager to share this sexy cover for a dystopian future M/M romance form Chris T. Kat. MENDING THE RIFT is an mpreg (male pregnancy!) tale in a society where alliances are forged by marriage and breeders are a hot commodity.

Without further ado…
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About the book:
In a future where man’s ability to reproduce is severely compromised, humanity has adapted to survive. Breeders—male and female—have become precious commodities, and they are strictly guarded and subject to limitations.

Luca Walker is a breeder. Though he knows what’s expected of him as the youngest son of the Northern Confederacy’s Vice President, he’s held out against the pressures of an arranged marriage because he longs to marry for love, not duty. But he’s been promised to Colonel Liam Smith and there’s little he can do about it, no matter that Luca is secretly in love with his bodyguard, Marcus Gray.

When Luca finds himself pregnant with Marcus’s baby, Smith is furious and vows to take what is his—by force, if necessary. Now Luca must fight for his life and the life of his unborn child… as well as the love of Marcus and the happily ever after he’s always dreamed of.

Who about a little taste?

Marcus rappelled off and stepped onto the ground with a crunch of his boots. Pointing at the opening with the askew ladder, he asked, “Don’t tell me you seriously considered climbing down this way.”

Luca shrugged. “I’d have preferred spontaneous levitation, but it didn’t happen.”

He yelped when Marcus put an arm around his torso and lifted him to his feet, as if he weighed nothing. “Hey!”

Marcus silenced him with a glare, and Luca gritted his teeth while Marcus thumped dust off his clothes. “Your father is livid.”

Luca swallowed. He’d expected worried, maybe a bit mad, but livid? His father never got furious at him. Not for long, anyway. Being the baby of the family had its perks. “Why?”

“Why? Seriously, Luca, you have to ask why?” Marcus patted Luca’s behind more firmly than was strictly necessary.

Luca shifted, trying to get away from Marcus’s arm. When that didn’t help, he slapped Marcus’s hands away and stepped aside. He couldn’t think when he was so close to Marcus—when the man touched him, he sent shivers up and down his spine. He ignored the glower Marcus directed at him. “Yes, seriously. He knows I don’t want to marry Smith. I don’t want anything to do with all that shit. I want to decide what I’m going to do with my life.”

Marcus shook his head. “Smith is a good man. My brother Kyle worked for him. He said he always treated his people well. If you want I could try to get Kyle on the phone so you can talk to him. That is, if I can get a hold on him. Trust me, you’ll be in good hands.”

“You don’t get it! I don’t want to be in good hands!”

“No?” Marcus raised an eyebrow.

Luca huffed, a small smile forming on his lips. “Well, yes, of course I want to be in good hands. But I want someone to love me, and not just for my ability to become pregnant. I want… you.”

Luca’s heart thundered in his rib cage. There, he’d said it. The ball was in Marcus’s court. Sure, it had only been one night, and Marcus’s reaction afterward hadn’t been promising, but maybe he’d just been scared? Maybe he feared to lose his job? Nonetheless, there was more going on between them, and they both knew it. That one night had just been the last logical step. Luca regretted nothing.

For a moment Marcus seemed startled, and there was a softness in his eyes that was solely reserved for Luca. The softness vanished too quickly for Luca’s liking.

Instead, Luca was greeted with Marcus’s usual, scrutinizing gaze. “You don’t want me, and you better never mention this again. It was a mistake. Now get it out of your head and be a good boy.”

Ooh! I’m so excited to read this one. Expect my review in the next few weeks!

In the meantime feel free to pre-order the book in advance of it’s release on Dreamspinner (ebook, paperback) or Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a backlist book, or audiobook from Chris T. Kat!
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Catch up to Chris online on her blog, Goodreads, Amazon and twitter

Mad Love–HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES–A Review

Hi there! Wishing a Happy Book Birthday to HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES by Jaime Samms. This contemporary M/M Romance is part of the Bluewater Bay series (Lone Wolf, Wedding Favors, Rain Shadow) but can be enjoyed on its own. COOKIE features a baker who was wronged in a reality TV show, trying to make a fresh start in Bluewater Bay, and having a hard time refusing to help his homophobic, terminally ill, alcoholic father…

How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay, #12)About the book:

Frederic is a twenty-ish y/o man who is starting his life over again in Bluewater Bay. He’d recently competed in a reality cooking contest program and seemed a favorite to win the big prize, and perhaps the heart of one of the sponsors/judges, Blaire Carruthers, but that all bottomed out when one of the other contestants, Jerry, interfered. He turned Blaire’s head, and got the votes and the guy. The scandal that was close to breaking was settled between Frederic and Blaire’s overbearing, homophobic father for $500K. Frederic used it to pay for a fixer-upper bakery in Bluewater Bay, and goodness knows how many medical bills and IOUs of his alcoholic, ill, homophobic father.

Now Frederic works tirelessly at his fledgling bakery to pay the bills and answer further demand for cash from his good-for-nothin’ POS demon-spawn of a dear ol’ dad. He’s startled one day by Blaire’s unexpected and unwanted appearance at the bakery. Blaine, it seems, has had a full change of heart, regarding Jerry, and wants to make amends to Frederic, for abusing his trust and letting him down–by rigging the contest in Jerry’s favor. Frederic wants nothing to do with Blaire–who frankly makes a nuisance of himself by moving to Bluewater Bay and doing a bit of low-level stalking to catch Frederic whenever he’s in need of a little boost. He sees how hard Frederic works, and assumes he needs money, so he arranges a complicated scheme to drum up business for Frederic’s bakery, causing a spiral of near-constant work that has dire consequences for Frederic’s health.

Okay, so this book is a good read. Not as upbeat as others in the series. Both guys have a rough family history, even Blaire who’s always had enough money has never had love or approval from his father. Blaire really had affection for Frederic, and hopes against hope that he can get Frederic to give him another chance. Frederic has serious trust issues, but is a forgiveness machine, especially for people who generally do not deserve it. Though, I will admit that Blaire works hard for his approval. He takes care of Frederic, in both genuine and misguided ways, but this is all to the good, for it brings Frederic back…sometimes.

This is book low on sexytimes. For the length, there are few (3-4) scenes of lovin’ and many scenes of fighting, not the best mix for me, though some might favor that approach. Also, I struggled a little with the verbiage as there were turns of phrase that more suited the British English–and these are East Coast boys through and through. Most troubling for me, however, was the pace. Again, with so little page time devoted to the romance, the bulk of the story was fighting, illness, and dealing with depressing family problems. I wanted more heat, and less hate. That said, if the book was this long and had 18 smoking hot sexytime scenes, I wouldn’t be frustrated with the slow almost-burn of the plot. This is an enemies-to-lovers plot, but without the incendiary passion that often accompanies those types of stories. Blaire almost immediately went into caretaker mode, and Frederic needed lots of caretaking–so they were more psuedo-enemies in a hurt/comfort scenario. When there was sexytimes there was a hint of kink, a bit of pain for Frederic and a bit of dominance for Blaire.

I consider this an HEA. The characters work through their issues and have a definite plan to stay together. It’s definitely a 3.5 star read, but maybe a 4.

Interested? You can find HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author: in Jaime Samms’ words…
With most of the hours in the day taken up by a part time job and the full time occupation of raising and schooling two kids, writing is somewhat of an indulgence, but it’s the indulgences that keep us sane, right? When not otherwise occupied, like most writers, reading is my relaxation method of choice, and you can find my reviews at Kuriousity.com and Dark Diva Reviews to let you know what I liked (and occasionally, what I didn’t). And just in case there are an extra few minutes in the day, I also help out the admin team abelong to a writer’s critique group: Dreaming in Ink. After all, idle hands and all that.

Catch up with Jaime online here: website | blog | Facebook | twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Out Today! THE ART OF HERO WORSHIP–Excerpt and Giveaway!

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Hi there! Today I’m so excited to wish a Happy Book Birthday to a New Adult M/M romance from Mia Kerick. As you know, Ms. Kerick’s work focuses on LGBT teens in trouble, and I’m sure that’s to be the case in THE ART OF HERO WORSHIP, as well. I’m eager to see how the romance develops between Jason and Liam. I’ve got a review copy and will share my thoughts coming up next week.

In the meantime, check out the new excerpt below and be sure to get in on the backlist book and $15 GC giveaway (Amazon or B & N) giveaway. Oh, and buy the book!

TAOHW Front Cover-1About the book:
Trembling on the floor, pressed beneath a row of seats in a dark theater, college freshman Jason Tripp listens to the terrifying sound of gunshots, as an unknown shooter moves methodically through the theater, randomly murdering men, women, and children attending a student performance of Hamlet. Junior Liam Norcross drapes his massive body on top of Jason, sheltering the younger man from the deathly hail of bullets, risking his life willingly, and maybe even eagerly.

As a result of the shared horror, an extraordinary bond forms between the two young men, which causes discomfort for family and friends, as well as for Jason and Liam, themselves. And added to the challenge of two previously “straight” men falling into a same-sex love, are the complications that arise from the abundance of secrets Liam holds with regard to a past family tragedy. The fledgling passion between the men seems bound to fade away into the darkness from which it emerged.

Jason, however, is inexplicably called to rescue his hero in return, by delving into Liam’s shady past and uncovering the mystery that compels the older man to act as the college town’s selfless savior.

The Art of Hero Worship takes the reader on a voyage from the dark and chilling chaos that accompanies a mass shooting to the thrill of an unexpected and sensual romance.

How about a little taste?

I wake up crying.

Okay… if I’m going to be real, I’ll admit that I’m sobbing. In these strong arms—no, sprawled on top of the solid chest of a man I hardly know—I sob in a way that I never have before. And hopefully, I’ll never have occasion to cry this bitterly again.

My emotions are practically indescribable, yet I need to apply words to them, in an effort to make some sense of what I’m feeling. The pain is raw, grating, and unbearable… and unfortunately there’s more. I’m guilt-ridden and mortified.

Devastation crossed with desperation—this is me, at the moment.

And I’m not sure why I’m still here on earth. I want to disappear.

Liam stays silent, but I know he’s awake because his hands have resumed the rhythmic stroking on my back.

“Why’d you have to go and s-save me? Y-you should have let me d-die like I was supposed to!” I’m furious, which is evident in my trembling accusation. The pain would be over if he’d have let me die. I add mad as hell to my list of indescribable emotions. And highly irrational… I tack this one onto the end of the fast growing list.
He inhales deeply. “We’re gonna survive this. Our bodies survived Friday night in the theater. Now we’ve gotta make our minds survive the aftermath.”

“What makes you think I want to survive it? What makes you so sure I didn’t want to go with her?” It’s too hard to say her name.

Wide palms freeze on my shoulder blades and rest there heavily. “Sorry, dude, but it wasn’t your day to die.” He takes another one of those huge swallows of air that causes both of our bodies to rise and fall. Then the mesmerizing movement of his hands resumes.

Interested? You can find THE ART OF HERO WORSHIP on Goodreads, Amazon, Smashwords, Gumroad Books, and AllRomance.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card and one of Mia’s backlist books.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

1newadult-1About the Author:
Mia Kerick is an award-winning author of stories involving the type of life events that are riveting to read about, but you probably wouldn’t want to experience first hand. Into her fictional disasters, she sprinkles a sufficient quantity of touching and spicy adult LGBTQ romance to keep her readers coming back for more.
Having relocated from Boston, Massachusetts to rural New Hampshire, Mia lives with her doting husband, four brilliant and accomplished young adult children who will one day likely contribute to the establishment of world peace (Mia believes in self-fulfilling prophecies), and at least three too many cats. She suffers with a severe case of mall-withdrawal, which leads to frequent online shopping and an overly personal relationship with the UPS driver.

Where to find Mia online: Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Sometimes the Road is not SWEET–Excerpt and GIveaway!

Sweet-RainBannerTemplateHi there! Today I’m sharing an excerpt and giveaway for a contemporary M/M Romance from Alysia Constantine. SWEET is a story about starting over after great loss and reconnecting to life.

Catch the excerpt below and be sure to enter the giveaway for a $25 GC to Interlude Press or one of five copies of SWEET.

Sweet 1600px COVER (RGB) - FrontAbout the book:
Not every love story is a romance novel.
For Jules Burns, a lonely baker, it is the memory of his deceased husband, Andy. For Teddy Flores, a numbed-to-the-world accountant who accidentally stumbles into his bakery, it is a voyage of discovery into his deep connections to pleasure, to the world, and to his own heart.

Alysia Constantine’s Sweet is also the story of how we tell stories—of what we expect and need from a love story. The narrator is on to you, Reader, and wants to give you a love story that doesn’t always fit the bill. There are ghosts to exorcise, and jobs and money to worry about. Sweet is a love story, but it also reminds us that love is never quite what we expect, nor quite as blissfully easy as we hope.

How about a little taste?

“Speakerphone.”

“What?”

“Speakerphone. Put me on speaker so you can use your hands. You’re going to need both hands, and I won’t be held responsible for you mucking up your phone. Speaker.”

Teddy set his phone on the counter and switched to the speaker, then stood waiting.

“Hello?” Jules said. “Is this thing on?”

“Sorry,” Teddy said. “I’m still here.”

“It sounded like you’d suddenly disappeared. I was starting to believe in the rapture,” Jules said, and Teddy heard, again, the nervous chuckle.

Their conversation was awkward and full of strange pauses in which there was nothing right to say, and they focused mostly on how awkward and strange it was until Jules told Teddy to dump the almond paste on the counter and start to knead in the sugar.

“I’m doing it, too, along with you,” Jules said.

“I’m not sure whether that makes it more or less weird,” Teddy admitted, dusting everything in front of him with sugar.

“It’s just like giving a back rub,” Jules told him. “Roll gently into the dough with the heel of your hand, lean in with your upper body. Think loving things. Add a little sugar each time—watch for when it’s ready for more. Not too much at once.”

Several moments passed when all that held their connection was a string of huffed and effortful breaths and the soft thump of dough. Teddy felt Jules pressing and leaning forward into his work, felt the small sweat and ache that had begun to announce itself in Jules’s shoulders, felt it when he held his breath as he pushed and then exhaled in a rush as he flipped the dough, felt it all as surely as if Jules’s body were there next to him, as if he might reach to the side and, without glancing over, brush the sugar from Teddy’s forearm, a gesture which might have been, if real, if the result of many long hours spent in the kitchen together, sweet and familiar and unthinking.

“My grandmother and I used to make this,” Jules breathed after a long silence, “when I was little. Mine would always become flowers. She would always make hers into people.”

Teddy understood that he needn’t reply, that Jules was speaking to him, yes, but speaking more into the empty space in which he stood as a witness, talking a story into the evening around him, and he, Teddy, was lucky to be near, to listen in as the story spun itself out of Jules and into the open, open quiet.

When the dough was finished and Jules had interrupted himself to say, “There, mine’s pretty done. I bet yours is done by now, too,” Teddy nodded in agreement—and even though he knew Jules couldn’t see him, he was sure Jules would sense him nodding through some miniscule change in his breathing or the invisible tension between them slackening just the slightest bit. And he did seem to know, because Jules paused and made a satisfied noise that sounded as if all the spring-coiled readiness had slid from his body. “This taste,” Jules sighed, “is like Proust’s madeleine.”

They spent an hour playing with the dough and molding it into shapes they wouldn’t reveal to each other. Teddy felt childish and happy and inept and far too adult all at once as he listened to the rhythmic way Jules breathed and spoke, the way his voice moved in and out of silence, like the advance and retreat of shallow waves that left in their wake little broken treasures on the shore.

Only his fingers moved, fumbling and busy and blind as he listened, his whole self waiting for Jules to tell him the next thing, whatever it might be.

Interested? You can find SWEET on Goodreads, Interlude Press, Amazon, and AllRomance ebooks.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $25 GC to Interlude Press or one of five copies of SWEET.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Alysia Constantine lives in Brooklyn with her wife, their two dogs, and a cat. When she is not writing, she is a professor at an art college. Before that, she was a baker and cook for a caterer, and before that, she was a poet. Sweet is her first novel.

You can catch up with Alysia online on her blog, Goodreads, Facebook, tumblr and twitter.

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Dire Events: WOULD I LIE TO YOU?-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary M/M romance from Brad Vance. WOULD I LIE TO YOU is the first in a cybercrime series that features a software billionaire and an ex-com hacker in a battle against the Good Ol’ Boys of the Grand Old Party.

Would I Lie to You? (The Game Players, #1)About the book:
Software billionaire Marc Julian’s orderly life is shattered one night by a cyber-intrusion into his company’s servers. He’s always surrounded himself with the best people, but finding the culprit behind this might require a real expert…and sometimes it takes a thief to catch a thief.

Jesse Winchester and his team of “grey hat” hackers are suddenly available to Marc. Marc doesn’t know if he should trust Jesse with the keys to his company’s kingdom. After all, Jesse’s a convicted felon, sent to prison for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. A felon sentenced to thirty-five years in prison, who mysteriously served only three years before being released.

Marc’s first company, his whole life, was shattered because he trusted the wrong person. This time there’s even more at stake, but few other options. Especially when his evil enemies, the billionaire industrialist Krom brothers, are revealed to be the source of the intrusion.

Is Jesse there to help Marc, or does he have his own history with the Kroms, his own score to settle? As Jesse and Marc spend more time together, their growing intimacy is at war with their need to win their respective battles. Soon the game they start to play with each other, against each other, becomes more exciting, more exquisitely frustrating…and more dangerous.

My Review:
Marc Julian’s been burned before. A bipolar software programming savant, Marc’s first company was bankrupted when his partner walked off with the venture capitalist’s money. He never forgave Walt, who used and abused him, but Marc grew up a lot in the process of rebuilding his fortunes. Now CEO of Imperat, he uses his genius to devise programs that assist mankind. He has a new empathy for people and has developed steady relationships, though he never dates. He has a bond with a discreet escort who provides the kind of rough play and domination that Marc craves for release. And Marc certainly needs release when he learns his newest project has been hacked and stolen.

This brings ex-con master con artist/hacker Jesse Winchester into Marc’s life, and oh it’s a mixed bag, that. Marc doesn’t want to lust after Jesse, and Jesse doesn’t want to be attracted to Marc, but thems the breaks. They’re able to be mostly professional, and determine the source of the hack: the Kroms, wealthy, Republican, untouchable…also the reason Jesse spent three years (of a 35 year sentence) in prison.

The book is mainly centered on the hack-back of the Kroms database, and the revelations of the dirty deeds these unsavory old bastards perpetrate on the unwitting populace. Think: Treason. But, as with many books from this author, there are extended flashback chapters that reveal the backstory for both Marc and Jesse. Neither Marc nor Jesse can bear to trust another man with his heart, or his history. Can he? They’ve each been violated, but the key to beating the Krom’s rests on their complete honesty, and that might be a step to far for either man. Well…maybe. I will say the story ends with a bang, and I don’t only mean the explosion that nearly kills Marc and Jesse. No, it ends with a manhunt and an Andorran escape plan.

I really liked the tech elements, and the thriller aspect. I love how Jesse and Marc interact, and how the whole “Hollywood Hacker” mystique is humorous to them. As with all the work I’ve read by Vance, the pace tears along and the sexytimes are minimal. There is a romance brewing, but it’s not the focus, and won’t be. Revenge is the objective and the connection that builds between Marc and Jesse is an intriguing and delicious slow burn. This story ends well, with a Happy For Now vibe, and there’s a sequel that puts Marc and Jesse into connection again, against foes which remain.

I think people who enjoy some light M/M domination elements, tech thrillers and cyber crime plots will find this book to be a knockout. I enjoyed it, and only wished for a bit more sexytimes for Marc and Jesse before I turned the final page.

Interested? You can find WOULD I LIE TO YOU on Goodreads and on $.99 sale over at Amazon.

About the author:
Brad Vance writes gay romance, erotica and paranormal stories and novels, including the breakout hits “A Little Too Broken” and “Given the Circumstances.”

Keep up with Brad on his blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Google+ and twitter.

Big Changes For An EASTERN COWBOY–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a book that’s languished on my TBR for too long. Andrew Grey’s EASTERN COWBOY is a sweet and tender romance that puts two wounded men into an uneasy partnership–and turns into a best case scenario.

Eastern CowboyAbout the book:
Brighton McKenzie inherited one of the last pieces of farmland in suburban Baltimore. It has been in his family since Maryland was a colony, though it has lain fallow for years. Selling it for development would be easy, but Brighton wants to honor his grandfather’s wishes and work it again. Unfortunately, an accident left him relying on a cane, so he’ll need help. Tanner Houghton used to work on a ranch in Montana until a vengeful ex got him fired because of his sexuality. He comes to Maryland at the invitation of his cousin and is thrilled to have a chance to get back to the kind of work he loves.

Brighton is instantly drawn to the intensely handsome and huge Tanner—he’s everything Brighton likes in a man, though he holds back because Tanner is an employee, and because he can’t understand why a man as virile as Tanner would be interested in him. But that isn’t the worst of their problems. They have to face the machinations of Brighton’s aunt, Tanner’s ex suddenly wanting him back, and the need to find a way to make the farm financially viable before they lose Brighton’s family legacy.

My Review:
I really enjoyed this contemporary M/M romance.

Brighton is a recently disabled young man, ashamed of his lame leg and how he struggles with pain and has difficultly walking, standing and even sitting, at times. His last boyfriend was a jerk who left before Brighton even got out of the hospital, and Brighton fought hard to even walk again.

When Brighton’s grandfather dies, he’s startled to learn he’s inherited the bulk of his estate, including the historic family farm that’s now boxed in by new housing developments. Brighton’s not able to manage the farm on his own, barely able to walk up the front steps with his cane, but he’s sentimentally drawn to the place. Plus, if he sells it, he’ll be giving up most of the money to his bitter Aunt Vera–the woman who pretty much made his teens miserable by not being loving or caring when she and her brow-beaten husband took Brighton and his sister in after their parents were killed in a car wreck.

Determined to see it through, Brighton hires his lawyer’s cousin Tanner, a large, quiet hulk of a man who’d just returned from ranching out in Montana after some personal difficulty. It turns out the Tanner’s just as attracted to Brighton as Brighton is to him.

This is a sweet odd couple romance with a family drama set within. Brighton’s aunt is determined to get the farm and sell it for millions to the developers. Brighton’s determined to make the farm work, but there’s not enough acreage to turn a profit. Thinking outside the box is necessary, and trusting a virtual stranger is required–pretty hard for Brighton to do as he’s had little luck with love and those he should have been able to count upon seem to leave or die…

Tanner’s a sweet soul, kind and constant, and I was glad he learned to open up to his own family and Brighton. There are a few steamy scenes between them, and the end is a big ol’ HEA, so that’s fantastic.

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

About the Author:
Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

You can find Andrew online on his website, blog, Facebook, twitter and email.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends.