M/M Romance

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!

Life After the Apocalypse–STRAIN, A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for STRAIN, the first book in the Strain series by Amelia C. Gormley. This is a fantastic sci-fi, dystopian M/M romance, though the romance is slow to build.

Strain (Strain, #1)About the book:

In a world with little hope and no rules, the only thing they have to lose is themselves.

Rhys Cooper is a dead man. Cut off from the world since childhood, he’s finally exposed to the lethal virus that wiped out most of the human race. Now his only hope for survival is infection by another strain that might confer immunity. But it’s sexually transmitted, and the degradation he feels at submitting to the entire squad of soldiers that rescued him eclipses any potential for pleasure—except with Darius, the squadron’s respected, capable leader.

Sergeant Darius Murrell has seen too much death and too little humanity. He’s spent a decade putting plague victims out of their misery and escorting survivors to a safe haven he can never enjoy. He’d rather help Rhys live than put him down, so when Rhys can’t reconcile himself to doing what’s necessary to survive, Darius is forced to save Rhys in spite of himself.

But with each passing day, it looks less and less likely that Rhys can be saved. Which means that soon Darius might have to put a bullet in the head of the one person in years who reminds him of what it means to be human.

My Review:
The story is set on Earth, more than a century from now. After more than 100years of constant aggression to settle interests in the world, the US military struggled to recruit new soldiers. So, it’s scientists created a virus with which to infect its soldiers to generate supersoldiers, and a poison pill to its enemies at the same time. The effect was devastating, leaving an airborne virus that caused Rot, degeneration of the skin and brain and yielding revenants: hungry, carnivorous uncontrollable humans who are for all intents and purposes zombies.

Rhys has lived in a sheltered community, an abandoned monastery in rural Oregon, for the past 7 years– since age 12. His mother died two years ago and the only remaining adults were Father Maurice and his son, Jacob. They despised Rhys–having suspected him of being a homosexual from his youth–and routinely beat and starved him. Jacob was given Rhys’s younger sister as a bride, in accordance with Father Maurice’s demands, and the book opens with Rhys positioned as bait for marauding revenants while the good Father, Jacob, Rhys’s sister and nephew all escape. Only, it doesn’t go down like that. Rhys fights back–still trying to distract the “revs” and is nearly overcome when the cavalry arrives. And, by cavalry, I mean the original infected supersoldiers.

The soldiers of Project Juggernaut are super in every way: strength, stamina, accuracy. They take down the revs, but not before Rhys’ sister, nephew and the Father are killed. Jacob, that miserable abusive gobshite survived because he ran, leaving his “wife,” toddler son, and father to be attacked.

The “Jugs” aren’t sure what to do with Rhys and Jacob. The are clearly at risk for Rot, but the medic officer argues that transmission of the original virus–via copious sexual intercourse with the Jugs–could help Rhys and Jacob develop immunity to the mutated strain causing Rot before they develop symptoms. It’s a super longshot, and the platoon commander, Darius, is reluctant. Previous Jug leaders had created mini-empires by capturing civilians and raping them into submission–creating new Jugs in the process, and Darius is loathe to taste that power. Rhys even volunteers to die, knowing that he’s likely infected, and this changes something for Darius. He’s intrigued by Rhys, who is so small and scrawny and fierce at the same time.

All of this happens in the first 50 pages, or so. It is fascinating! All those years of being punished (beaten and starved) by Father Maurice and Jacob for his “unnatural perversion,” and yet, given the choice of Rot or Jug life, Rhys remains hesitant while Jacob is only to happy to drop trow. Rhys’ scared out of his mind of developing Rot, and sure that Jacob will find some way to torment him if he shows any inclination of enjoyment of sex. As the platoon makes it’s way back to camp, Rhys and Jacob submit to the “treatment” and I don’t mean this in any porny way, at all. It is rough and brutal, and some non-consent is part of the bargain. It affects Darius, who becomes inordinately possessive of Rhys–against his own better judgement.

I absolutely loved this story. It was an intriguing look at ethics and morality in a post-apocalyptic world. And, I dug that the author flipped the script on man-on-man action–making it vital to Rhys and Jacob’s survival. Growing up in the HIV/AIDS era as I have, and being disgusted by the dismissal of it as a “gay plague” that too many smugly thought well-deserved, I could appreciate the irony and also the necessity of this device. I so wanted Rhys to come to terms with his issues–but it is truly all he can do to keep up with the fast-paced Jug patrol and also keep out of Jacob’s line of fire. Rhys doesn’t mind having a sexual partner–Darius, actually–but the treatment is to “inoculate” him with as many variants of the strain as possible, which means multiple partners daily.

The story is simply brilliant in its treatment of bullying, the balance of power, life after bioholocaust, and the need to live a good life, as good as possible, in extreme situations. I was captivated from the beginning. There are a few tender moments, and many that aren’t so tender. That said, this is a romance, and you can expect an HEA for Rhys–but only after he is pulled so far through the plot-wringer that he’s *almost* superhuman.

Many thanks to the publisher, Riptide Books, who supplied a review copy.STRAIN has two companion novels coming in the next two months, JUGGERNAUT and BANE. I have read both of these, and they are incredible.

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

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAbout the Author:

Amelia C. Gormley may seem like anyone else. But the truth is she sings in the shower, dances doing laundry, and writes blisteringly hot m/m erotic romance while her son is at school. When she’s not writing in her Pacific Northwest home, Amelia single-handedly juggles her husband, her son, their home, and the obstacles of life by turning into an everyday superhero. And that, she supposes, is just like anyone else.

Her self-published novel-in-three-parts, Impulse (Inertia, Book One; Acceleration, Book Two; and Velocity, Book Three) can be found at most major ebook retailers, and be sure to check http://RiptidePublishing.com for her latest releases, including her Highland historical, The Laird’s Forbidden Lover, the The Professor’s Rule series of erotic novelettes (co-written with Heidi Belleau), and her upcoming post-apocalyptic romance, Strain.

You can contact Amelia on Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

 

 

He Got PLAYED! A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a fun, contemporary M/M romance from JL Merrow. PLAYED! is a light-hearted odd couple match between a classically-trained actor and a dyslexic handyman.

Played! (The Shamwell Tales, #2)About the book:

Tristan’s in Shamwell for one last summer of freedom before he joins the family firm in New York—no more farting around on stage, as his father puts it. But the classically trained actor can’t resist when members of the local amateur dramatics society beg him to take a role in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Especially as he’ll also be giving private acting lessons to gorgeous local handyman, Con, who’s been curiously resistant to Tristan’s advances. Tristan’s determined to get Con in his bed—not only is the man delicious, there’s fifty pounds riding on Tristan’s success after a bet made with his drama school chum Amanda.

Con’s never dared to act before. A late-diagnosed dyslexic who had a hard time at school, he’s always been convinced he’d never be able to learn his lines—but with Tristan helping him, he might just be in with a chance. Trouble is, the last time Con fell for a guy, he ended up getting his heart broken, and with Tristan due to leave the country in a matter of months, Con’s determined not to give in and start anything that’s bound to finish badly.

Just as Tristan thinks he’s finally won Con’s heart—and given his own in return—disaster strikes. And the curtain may have fallen forever on their chance of happiness.

Warning: contains a surfeit of Bottoms and asses, together with enough mangled quotations to have the Bard of Avon gyrating in his grave.

My Review: 4.5 stars. This book made me laugh, a lot.

Tristan is a “poncey git” in the words of Con, his erstwhile lover. It’s quite true, though. Tristan is wealthy, and well-educated and an actor in London, but his father wants him to give it all up to work in the family’s financial firm in NYC. He has a few last months of freedom while he clears out the house of Nanna Geary–his nanny and his mother’s nanny–who was a surrogate mother/grandmother and beloved to Tristan. She told all her village acquaintances about her Tristan, and all the shows he put on, so the townsfolk have a glossy image of him. She left him her house, and he’s enjoying his layabout with some menial sorting of her belongings. And, lusting after the village handyman, Con. He even gets sucked into starring in the local amateur theatre play–one last go before he gives it all up, as it were.

Con is a big man, and he’s dyslexic, though Tristan doesn’t learn this until quite a bit into the book. Con struggles with reading, but he’s still educated–mostly by audiobook. He volunteers with the local amateur theatre company making sets, and he had a rather nasty first acquaintance with priggish Tristan who was demonstrably upset by a rogue frog in his kitchen. Con was a bastard child, raised by his gran and generally neglected by his mom. His education was poor, due to his dyslexia, and he has a rather poor image of himself. He is used to being insulted, and is tender over it.

Tristan’s fits are, to me, very humorous. His turns of phrase are so over-the-top dramatic, often snatches of a bit of Shakespeare, that he seems far older than 23. Also, he’s a whirlwind of motion and mouth. He confuses poor Con, belittles him (often accidentally), and is ham-handed in his apologies–at first. Still, Con isn’t so dull as to not know when he’s being pursued, and he doesn’t want anything to do with Tristan–because Con is a one-man-guy and he knows Tristan is only temporarily in town; he doesn’t want to be heartbroken when Tristan leaves.

As fates would have it, there are issues with the new play, and Con’s friends enlist Con to take a part–a big part. Not something he can do without help–and Tristan is eager to help, if it means he gets extra time alone with his fave burly handyman. There is a wager between Tristan and a pal regarding the likelihood of bedding Con, but I felt this was an aside to the plot. In short, Tristan didn’t seem to be pursuing Con in any mercenary way–he was genuinely attracted to him.

I am an Anglophile so I adored the full-on Brit lingo, but the language was occasionally thick for me, especially delivered with Tristan’s flair. I was rooting for Con and Tristan from the outset, and was constantly thwarted by Tristan’s verbal idiocy. For such a well-educated man, he has no sense, whatsoever. He was a total flake, but I really liked him in spite of it–I think because he was not truly nasty. It’s like being angry with a puppy for not being housebroken. I’m not quite sure why Tristan has no sense, but he seems to transcend it. When he recognizes his missteps, he does try to make amends. And he does develop some very strong feelings for Con–which are reciprocated. There’s a bit of heat toward the end, but mostly, there is a lot of tenderness on the page before Con and Tristan ever become physical. Tristan goes above and beyond in his training of Con for the stage–and the mutual awe of performance was so fun to watch develop. I adored how kind both Con and Tristan are to the elderly folk in their community. And I really enjoyed the subplot regarding Con’s grandfather’s time in this town during WWII.

Interested? You can find PLAYED! on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, AllRomance and Barnes & Noble. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:

JL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea. She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again. Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne.

She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. Her novella Muscling Through was a 2013 EPIC Award finalist, and her novel Slam! won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best LGBT Romantic Comedy. Her novel Relief Valve is a finalist in the 2015 EPIC Awards.

JL Merrow is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organizing team. Find JL Merrow online on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Out Today PLAID NIGHTS!

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing the release day festivities for PLAID NIGHTS an anthology of M/M romance that hits the full spectrum of kilted yumminess where men in kilts are as varied as they are hot. Whether they’re caber tossers, rugby players, Highland warriors, country dancers, or time-traveling vampires, they’re up for surprises and sexy good times. Stories include Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Paranormal (As an anthology, not all categories may relate to all stories…)

imageAbout the book:

Rob Rosen starts us off with humor in “Tossing It.” Contemporary men discover love in unexpected places in “Whiskey and Want” by Megan McFerren, “Some Like It Scot” by Julia Talbot, “Perfect Working Order” by Elizabeth Coldwell, and “Off-Kilter” by Racheline Maltese & Erin McRae. We get a taste of the paranormal in “Sir WW” by Angelique Voisen, “Feumaidh Mi Ruith (I Have to Run)” by Missouri Dalton, and “Kilt in the Closet” by Logan Zachary. And we’re treated to forbidden love in historicals “Hunting for a Highlander” by Lila Mathews, “A Time to Heal” by Anna Mansel, and “As Fair Art Thou, My Bonny Lad” by McKay.

In these stories, some tartan-clad men wear their kilts in the “traditional manner,” while others are less daring. But all find love, and of course, a happy ending—especially at night, when the plaid comes off.

Excerpt: From “Tossing It” by Rob Rosen:

He took a spoonful of stew into his mouth, green eyes sparkling in the daylight. He was cute in a lanky, pale, freckled sort of way. He sighed contentedly as he set the spoon back down. “Just like mom used to make.”

“Back in the old country?”

He laughed. “Back in New Jersey. Though Newark is sort of old.”

We continued eating together, side by side. His leg brushed mine. It stayed brushed. I didn’t move mine away; he didn’t move his either. This was an odd turn of events. Was he gay? Not a clue. Still, most guys would’ve moved their legs away. Maybe he was simply oblivious. Straight guys sometimes had a habit of that. You just never knew. Then again, you could test the theory if you were so inclined. Me, I was always so inclined.

I pointed to a throng of kilted behemoths off to the side. “What’s with the skirted mountain men?”

He chuckled. “Caber tossers.”

“That some sort of Scottish slang for rednecks?”

He turned my way, eyes locking with mine. It was like staring into a field of emeralds. Guess I’d been too busy staring at his crotch before to notice. Shame on me. “Caber tossers. They toss logs. Poles. Big ones.” Well, he’d certainly know about big poles, I figured. “They’re up to twenty feet tall and almost two hundred pounds.”

“And they toss them? Why?”

“For sport.”

I ate a couple more bites of my fish. It was perfectly cooked, greasy and flaky. My stomach settled down. “Sport? Like tiddlywinks for giants?”

He nodded as he continued eating his stew. His eyes rarely left mine. I was all too glad to return the favor. I stared at his freckles, connecting the dots, constellations hidden in the patterns. “Something like that.”

Interested? You can find PLAID NIGHTS on Goodreads, Amazon and Torquere Press. 

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win an ebook of PLAID NIGHTS.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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Kinky Love on NOWHERE RANCH–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for Heidi Cullinan’s NOWHERE RANCH. This is a super kinky, total emotional range M/M romance. I bought it for $.99 and I could not put it down. You know I’ve loved Heidi’s other works: CARRY THE OCEAN is still one of my top reads this year, and SLEIGH RIDE was a fave Christmas book. And I was not disappointed following Roe and Mr. Loving’s story.

Nowhere RanchAbout the book:
Love will grow through the cracks you leave open.

Ranch hand Roe Davis absolutely never mixes business with pleasure—until he runs into his boss, Travis Loving, at the only gay bar within two hundred miles.

Getting involved with the ranch owner is a bad idea, but Roe’s and Travis’s bedroom kinks line up against one another like a pair of custom-cut rails. As long as they’re both clear this is sex on the side, no relationship, no interfering with the job, they could make it work.

Shut out by his family years ago, Roe survived by steadfastly refusing to settle into so much as a post office box. As his affair with Travis grows into more than just sex, Roe’s past catches up with him, threatening the thin ray of happiness he’s found, reminding him it’s well past time he went on his way.

But even a loner gets lonely, and at this point, there’s nowhere left to run. The shame and sorrow of what he’s lost will stay with Roe wherever he goes—until he’s ready to let love lead him home.

My Review:
Roe is a 25 y/o gay farmer whose family kicked him out of the house/family farm when they discovered he was gay. They wanted him to repent and “change” but he couldn’t/wouldn’t and he floundered, even getting incarcerated for a brief time. When he was released he took to ranching, working as a hand anywhere that would accept him, always on the move. Roe had dropped out of school early due to a learning disability and insensitive teaching methods. He has an incredibly low self-esteem, and doesn’t make friends. He ends up in rural Nebraska, the Nowhere Ranch, and is mortified to find the ranch owner out one night at the only gay bar within a 3 hour drive.

Travis is an older (40ish) out gay man who tried to make it as a straight man. He married, confessed, endured counseling, and divorced years ago. He’s a retired math professor running a sheep and cattle ranch because he likes the isolation. He had come out with a lover, but those days are long past. Seeing his newest ranch hand at the gay bar is a blessing in disguise, especially as Roe is compatible with Travis’ kink. Trav is a Dom and Roe loves to feel degraded sexually. The kink in this book is not the standard BDSM fare, but it is intense. I almost died when Trav asked Roe if he had a “safe word” and Roe replies “I’m partial to ‘no.’ ” (The deadpan language was just right for me.)

Roe narrates the whole book, which is written in retrospective voice, detailing how Roe found his “home;” and this home on Nowhere Ranch is truly spectacular. He is a down-to-earth guy who has few needs and fewer desires. He wants a simple life and no relationships, yet, once he and Travis dance around a bit, it becomes clear that their compatibility extends far outside the bedroom. Roe is hounded by his bad memories of home, and some contacts from his family are clearly destructive to his well-being. Trav is a compassionate man, though not outwardly. All Trav’s emotions are locked up tight, but the way he handles Roe, they way he looks after his welfare, is very sweet.

The sex is…whoa. Might be someplace on the solar flare scale. Just, yeah. Extreme at times and sweet only because it is exactly what Roe wants. The emotional landscape of this book is multi-layered, with two men who are so afraid of being hurt that they can barely acknowledge their needs. It is a relationship built almost out of convenience, if we didn’t know how incendiary their attraction really is. How their lives become intertwined was really awesome. I appreciated how Roe made solid, stable friends, how he was a significant force behind the ranch’s business, how he learned to love himself and care for himself and his future. I loved how fiercely Trav took care of Roe, and I adored Haley–Roe’s closest friend who was an amazing ally.

If this book were a food, it would have been a double chocolate lava cake; I devoured it as though it were. Yum.

Interested? You can find NOWHERE RANCH on Goodreads, Amazon, regular price on AllRomance, and Barnes & Noble.

Heidi CullinanAbout the Author:

Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren’t enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her husband and teenaged daughter. Heidi is a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and is proud to be from the first Midwestern state with full marriage equality. Find out more about Heidi, including her social networks, at www.heidicullinan.com.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

HELD HOSTAGE to Love–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for HELD HOSTAGE, fourth book in the Sin City Uniforms series by Morticia Knight. This is a contemporary police M/M romance and features a SWAT officer who falls for a mild-mannered everyday hero. It was so sweet, with a bit of kink to spice it all up! Comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of ALL FIRED UP, the first book in the Sin City Uniforms series.

Held Hostage (Sin City Uniforms, #4)About the book:
SWAT officer Cole can handle just about anything, until he rescues Brett – a man who makes him question all he’s ever believed about love.

As a member of the Las Vegas Police Department’s SWAT team, Cole has seen his fair share of danger, but he’s never taken a chance on love. He’s willing to have some fun when the mood strikes him, but he’s married to the job. Called in on a hostage situation, Cole is prepared for anything and everything… except for the brave and beautiful Brett.

Brett has been burned before, most recently by Officer Parker McLean. He’s hoping to settle down in Vegas, perhaps find someone he can build a life with. The last thing Brett’s looking for is another man in uniform. But when he meets Cole, there’s an attraction that can’t be denied. Still, he hadn’t expected to fall for the chiseled alpha.

What begins as nothing more than two people experiencing a great night together spirals into something far deeper. But will Brett be able to handle the stress that comes with having a lover who constantly puts his life in jeopardy? And can Cole risk his heart on an everyday hero, or will the job he knows so well remain his top priority?

How about a teaser?

Brett had already grabbed both of them a beer and had brought it straight to the bedroom. Instead of jumping him the minute they’d entered the apartment, Cole had simply followed behind, eyeing him, as Brett had moved through the motions of being a good host and getting comfortable. He wasn’t going to stop and analyze why a man who’d just told him the night before that he didn’t do relationships had shown up unannounced at his job and was once again in his bedroom less than twenty-four hours later.

“Stop.”

Brett let go of the tie that he’d half unknotted already. He’d already hung his suit coat in the closet and had toed off his loafers then pushed them out of the way over by the dresser.

“How important is that tie to you?”

Brett glanced down at the royal blue silk neck accessory that had an elegant silver paisley design woven into the fabric. He liked it. Liked it a lot even. But was it important? Not really. He’d purchased close to a hundred ties since he’d been employed by Jon Martin. He wore one every day and preferred to have on the most recent seasonal styles when he went to work. It had no significance beyond that.

“Not important at all.”

Cole stepped toward him and Brett’s heartbeat accelerated. Cole reached down to finish untying the knot then pulled one end, sliding the thin strip of fabric out from under his collar. Cole wrapped the ends around each of his large hands then snapped them. It went taut. It was strong. Brett couldn’t wait to find out what it would feel like when Cole bound him with it.

My Review:
This is a series book, but easily enjoyed as a standalone.

Brett is manager of an upscale men’s clothing store in Las Vegas. This is a step-down from his regional manager position. He made this career move to have more time with a man he thought he loved, Officer Parker from a previous book in the series. Parker didn’t return his strength of affection, but Brett had already set his mind on settling down, so he can find a long-term lover. His former high-travel lifestyle precluded this.

He’s on the job one week when a psychotic man takes his salesforce hostage and a SWAT shootout results in casualties. Brett had tried to intercede, and he’s wracked by guilt over those who died in the crossfire.

SWAT Officer Cole Silva was on the scene and fired the shot that brought the crisis to an end. Recognizing Brett from the gay club scene, Cole found him extremely attractive before, but he expects Brett will suffer emotionally from the aftermath of the hostage situation so Cole tries to comfort Brett. Their mutual attraction grows into more—quickly. Their chemistry and sexytimes, with a teeny bit of kink, is incendiary.

I really liked the story. There are some solid feelings developed in a short span of time, but both are much more raw and vulnerability due to the hostage crisis. Brett is hesitant to embark on anything with Cole–mostly because Cole doesn’t DO relationships. He’s too afraid something bad will happen while he’s on duty and he’ll leave someone mourning him. But, Brett doesn’t do CASUAL anymore. He got burned with Parker, and he wants a man who wants him.

Expect a break-up-to-make-up. Expect some intense police actions. Expect to like Cole and Brett–they are both good guys. I breezed through this one with a bit of tension and big ole smile.

Interested? You can find HELD HOSTAGE on Goodreads, Totally Bound,
Amazon (US and UK), and Barnes & Noble.  I received a copy of this book via Goodreads’ Don’t Buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.

****GIVEAWAY****

The lovely Ms. Knight is offering a copy of the first book in this series (or a backlist book) to one commenter on each blog on the tour.

So, If you’d like ALL FIRED UP let me know in the comments! You can find and comment on the other tour blogs by clicking here.

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.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading (and commenting!) my friends! Pride-Promotions

Captivated by THE SECRET CASEBOOK OF SIMON FEXIMAL–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing another fantastic historical M/M romance from KJ Charles, this time with a heaping helping of the paranormal. THE SECRET CASEBOOK OF SIMON FEXIMAL is a gorgeously told Victorian story about Robert Caldwell, a journalist, who contracts occultist Simon Fleximal to rid his crumbling ancestral home of the ghost of one of his outre ancestors. It starts out fast and hard, and it ends so dang tender! I couldn’t quit reading it. I adore how KJ writes her stalwart British men. They are so strong and proper, yet so vulnerable.

The Secret Casebook of Simon FeximalAbout the book:
A story too secret, too terrifying—and too shockingly intimate—for Victorian eyes.

A note to the Editor
Dear Henry,
I have been Simon Feximal’s companion, assistant and chronicler for twenty years now, and during that time my Casebooks of Feximal the Ghost-Hunter have spread the reputation of this most accomplished of ghost-hunters far and wide.

You have asked me often for the tale of our first meeting, and how my association with Feximal came about. I have always declined, because it is a story too private to be truthfully recounted, and a memory too precious to be falsified. But none knows better than I that stories must be told.

So here is it, Henry, a full and accurate account of how I met Simon Feximal, which I shall leave with my solicitor to pass to you after my death.

I dare say it may not be quite what you expect.

Robert Caldwell
September 1914

My Review:
This book is written as a series of tell-all vignettes confessing the TRUE nature of the partnership between renown occultist Simon Feximal and his journalist-cum-paranormalist Robert Caldwell. The setting is 1890s London and men are not allowed, legally, to have sexual relations with each other. (But boy-howdy, do they!)

They meet because Robert has a ghost inhabiting his ancestral home. He calls out Simon, who has the ability to communicate with spirits, by means of writings that etch across his skin, when he is in the presence of a ghost. It is horrifying and fascinating to Robert, and the manner of expulsion of his ancestral ghost is sexy-sexy. This was actually so fascinating to read. It could have gone campy, but it never did.

Each chapter is a case; all of them have some heat between Simon and Robert, mostly as a way for Simon to disgorge the coldness that saps him while communing with spirits. I honestly could not get enough of this couple. There could have been a hundred chapters and I’d have continued turning the pages. There are little threads woven in the stories which connect one to the next, but each is unique and interesting while building on the developing love story between these two men.

I won’t say this is tender, because it isn’t. There is tenderness at times, but often it’s harsh and necessary couplings. The desperation they both experience, amid life-and-death encounters kept me captivated. There is incredible tenderness in their small gestures–the ones which need to be hidden to protect them both. Political machinations, revenge plots, destruction, self-sacrifice–it’s all in here. The journal-style of the writing allows an intimate look into Robert’s side of the story and he’s just a dream of an MC. He so adores Simon that it’s impossible not to love Simon through Robert’s POV.

I adored the historical setting, and the old-style British grammar and spellings. I felt like I was there, as gorgeously and clearly as the settings were described. Nothing like a good ghost story–and this book is chock full of good ones.

Interested? You can find THE SECRET CASEBOOK OF SIMON FEXIMAL on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:

KJ Charles is a writer and freelance editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, an out-of-control garden and an increasingly murderous cat.

KJ writes mostly romance, gay and straight, frequently historical, and usually with some fantasy or horror in there. She specialises in editing romance, especially historical and fantasy, and also edits children’s fiction.

Find her on Twitter @kj_charles or on Facebook, join her Facebook group, or contact her here. She is represented by Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency, and published by Samhain and Loveswept.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Building a LIFE, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review of a new contemporary M/M romance from Kaje Harper. LIFE, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED is a sequel that can be read as a standalone. It relates the mundane acts of a newly out gay couple as the traverse the hate-infested waters–and everyday occurrences of life–in a way that is anything but mundane. I really liked it.

imageAbout the book:
Finding love in the ashes was easy. Building a life together? Don’t make Fate laugh.

After spending the first part of his life chasing pretty girls, love has finally come to Ryan in the form of John, a tall, lanky, red-headed landscape architect with wide shoulders and a five-o’clock shadow.

For the first time in his life, love feels easy. Hell, he even ran into a burning building for John and his son, and he’d do it again if he had to. But telling his father and brothers “I’m gay. I’ve met a man”? That’s a bumpy ride he’s not looking forward to.

For John, loving Ryan is as natural as breathing. Now if only the rest of his life would fall into place. Dealing with his teen son is complicated enough, but with his ex-wife causing trouble and his daughter wanting to move in, John’s house—and his relationship with Ryan—threaten to split at the seams.

Would one month without a new surprise knocking him upside the heart be asking too much? If the sound of Fate’s laughter is any indication, the answer must be yes…

Product Warnings: Contains two formerly straight guys learning to navigate the gay-guy waters, sometimes without a paddle. Plus six kinds of family ensuring nothing comes easy.

My Review:
This is the second book in a series, and I read it as a standalone. I think the reader loses nothing in doing so. I had a brief recap of the previous book in this one, and I’m kinda glad I skipped that book, on account of I get triggers over evil-scientist plots….but that’s MY issue.

John and Ryan are two men who have always had straight relationships but have recently embarked on a relationship with each other. They came to terms with their bisexuality in the first book, and are just trying to figure this “gay thing” out. This causes a lot of conflict within their families.

John is a divorced man with two teenaged children, Mark and Torey. He doesn’t have joint custody, but Mark had run to John in the previous book, and currently lives with John and Ryan, with his mother’s grudging permission. John’s ex, Cynthia, is not cool with the “gay thing”–she and her husband are blatantly homophobic. Cynthia lives in LA with Torey, and John tries to keep a decent relationship for his daughter’s sake.

Ryan’s family is mixed; one brother is totally okay with his orientation, his father and other brother are not. Well, dad’s kinda okay, and he gets better, but Brent is really hostile. I had to give props to his bride-to-be, Anne, who makes Brent adjust his attitude.

Ryan and John are stable, and love each other, but they have a lot of stress–Ryan is a medical student, recovering from burn injuries suffered as a fire fighter. He had recently saved Mark from a fire, and John, Ryan and Mark suffer nightmares over that ordeal. John is a parent, and has the associated parental worries, especially as Mark begins to close in emotionally, and Torey’s calls from LA are becoming more regular and more upsetting–she hates her stepfather, and Cynthia is sick with pregnancy issues (and perhaps depression).

The stress peaks when Torey and Cynthia turn up on their Wisconsin doorstep, essentially destitute. Ryan is afraid that John will reconnect with his pregnant ex, and all his heart will be broken–plus he will have come out and estranged himself for nothing. John is a stalwart and the best kind of man. He only cares for Cynthia in that she’s the mother of his kids and soon to deliver his kids’ half-sister. His love is really more of agape, than amore. I didn’t wonder much regarding Ryan’s angst. Both Mark and Torey really like Ryan, and want him to remain their dad’s partner–and perhaps more.

This book is big on reality. It deals with the mundane in an approachable way. Life is messy, and Ryan and John’s life is especially messy. At times I wondered if the stress would break them apart, but they consistently took steps to come closer; even if Ryan’s motives seem selfish. It’s funny, though. People say love is selfless, and it isn’t always. Motives can indeed be selfish, and still be the right thing to do. Ryan has a right to be suspicious of Cynthia’s motives. She is a crafty gal, and focused on finding a good provider for her infant–and John is a demonstrated good provider.

The end of this book is not the end of this story, I’m sure, but it does end with a solid resolution and a solid HEA. There are some nice sexytimes that, again, are realistic. First times and fun times and aborted missions…which only drew me into this relationship more. I think there were plenty of ways for this book to go wrong, to get melodramatic and absurd, but it never did. It stayed the course and captivated me.

Interested? You can find LIFE, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Samhain Publishing and AllRomance.

About the Author:
I live in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it can be breathtakingly beautiful. Of course, the deepfreeze chill contributes to the breath-taking, but Minnesota’s a kindly, quiet place and it’s home to me now. I’ve been writing for far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – forty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, and currently am focused on M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, history, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories released under the pen name Kira Harp.

My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. My husband finally convinced me that after all that time writing, I really should submit something, somewhere. I was thrilled when it was accepted. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing the four novels and three freebie short stories in the series. I’ve been just delighted by the reception Mac and Tony have received.

My first free book became the first story that I actually released – I put it up a month before Life Lessons just for the fun of getting it out there. Lies and Consequences began as a reaction to the November 2010 election. It looked like the repeal of DADT might be derailed by the political shift and I put the insanity of that law into the book. Then as I was finishing the first draft in mid-December the repeal passed. Which was great, but prompted a rewrite to a lighter and more action/romance book. This was a solo effort and I learned a lot from writing and releasing it and from the reviews. Check Smashwords for that one and many of my other freebies.

I now have a decent backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my Books page. This writing thing is addictive. So read, comment, tell me what you like and what you don’t, and help me make the upcoming books even better.

You can find me to chat on my author page here on Goodreads most easily – I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads YA LGBT Books group there. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.

You can also find me on my blog.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Sweet Love: CITY SLICKER AT THE HORNY GOAT RANCH–A Review for Joyfully Jay

Hi there! Just want to share my latest review from over on Joyfully Jay. CITY SLICKER AT THE HORNY GOAT RANCH by Daisy Harris is a sweet, funny new adult M/M romance between a strapping young goat rancher and the city slicker land developer who moves in next door.

City SlickerAbout the book:

Keith Kelley doesn’t normally take kindly to strangers, but his flashy new neighbor has long legs, lips made for kissing and might prove too much temptation for a boy hiding his sexuality in rural Idaho. Unfortunately, between working his mom’s goat ranch and land disputes with his wealthy father, Keith has enough problems. He doesn’t need the best sex of his life threatening to expose his precarious secrets.

Real estate developer Max Levin vows to turn the one-stoplight town of Pookataw Valley into a quaint vacation destination…and then leave before the dust clears. Given his next assignment starts in five months, Max shouldn’t start loving the quaint little town—the ranchland, the mountains, even the goats. If only Max could stop thinking about his sexy neighbor and the time they shared in the front seat of Keith’s truck. Because he especially shouldn’t fall in love with a guy who can’t openly love him back.

In a town the size of Pookataw Valley, nothing stays secret for long. If Keith wants to hold onto his birthright, he’ll have to fight for his land and his pride. Most of all, he’ll have to fight for Max before he slips through Keith’s fingers.

Warning: contains angry parents, horny ranchers and snarky city boys just asking to be hogtied.

This is a light read that still has lots of heart. Both characters are good guys who need a solid partner, but are afraid to commit for valid reasons. Keith’s parents are not likely to be amenable. His relationship with his dad is already strained due to his continued assistance at his mother’s farm. Keith is due land from the family trust, which he could forfeit if he father is opposed to his lifestyle, and his mom might just kick him out if she finds out. Max doesn’t have the same issues, his parents have long known his orientation and don’t care at all, but he’s constantly on the move, developing real estate for his company. How can he ask a guy to settle down with him, when he’ll have to move every five or six months?

Check out my full review over on Joyfully Jay Reviews.

Thanks for popping in,a dn keep reading my friends!

Caught in the Crossfire in TIME WAITS–A Review for Joyfully Jay

Hi there! Well, I’m feeling elated after yesterday’s big SCOTUS decision, and wanted to pass on my recent update via Joyfully Jay. This week, I shared my review for TIME WAITS, a fascinating near-future time-travel M/M romance recently released by a new author to me, CB Lewis, and Dreamspinner Press.

Time WaitsAbout the book:

Badly wounded and on the run from his WWII Hungarian brigade, Janos Nagy stumbles through a temporal gateway to the future. Suddenly stranded in Manchester, England, 2041, Janos wants answers about a crazy world he doesn’t recognize.

Dieter Schmidt, flamboyant historian/linguist for the Temporal Research Institution has those answers, but the TRI is a neutral entity, set up to verify historical events under a strict code of noninterference. That doesn’t stop Dieter from taking Janos under his protection. Trust doesn’t come easy to Janos, who came from a time when revealing his secrets could get him killed, but the two men slowly build a tentative friendship with a possibility for more. But Janos’s continued presence in the future and Dieter’s persistence raise questions about the limits of the noninterference policy.

Since the rules have been bent once, one agent sees no reason why he can’t push them further, and he travels back to 1914 to make a few changes of his own. Under Janos’s guidance, Dieter must leap back in time to stop the rogue agent from changing the past and risking everyone’s future—if he can survive history.

I really liked the idea of this book and felt like it was well-executed. The romance between Janos and Dieter is slow to build and develop. Each man experiences an attraction he feels is wrong—Janos due to ingrained homophobia and fear, Dieter because he feels like he’s taking advantage of a man trapped in time. Dieter and Janos were fantastic characters. They have a real chemistry that simmers. Dieter is required to retrieve his fellow time agent, and he’s intellectually prepared for a job that he is physically untrained to perform. He’s never BEEN on a mission, and his own mother was lost to a time incident, but Dieter is determined to do this right. It is heartbreaking for Janos to have to train him, both of them knowing that this time jump will likely separate them forever, even if Dieter is successful in his mission.

Check out my entire 4.25 star review on Joyfully Jay Reviews.
Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends.