M/M Romance

Tales of Dating and Marriage from Jay Northcote

Hi there! Today I’m chatting about a two-book contemporary M/M series from Jay Northcote. THE DATING GAME and THE MARRYING KIND are two sweet romances featuring Owen and Nathan, young men who find love when they didn’t expect to.

The Dating Game (Owen & Nathan, #1)My Review of THE DATING GAME:
4.5 stars for this quickie, British, New Adult M/M romance.

Owen and Nathan went to Uni together and had mutual friends but were never close. Owen, out and loving it, had a crush on (supposedly) straight Nathan, but never toyed with Nathan because why bother? Plenty of gay mates were available. That was then.

Now, Nathan has returned to Bristol and is out with Owen and his good friends, Simon and Jack, who are a committed couple. Owen decides to risk hitting on Nathan, having just learned Nathan is gay. Well, Nathan may find Owen sexy, but he’s not up for a one night stand.

No, if Owen wants to be with Nathan, he needs to work for it. Owen’s thrown off by Nathan’s insistence on not one, but FIVE sex-free dates. Try as he might, Owen can’t remember ever going on a single date with a bloke. (He is, admittedly, a tart.) But there’s something in this challenge that strikes a chord with Owen and he agrees.

They set up their dates for Saturdays, and over the course of the first few weeks develop a rapport. Calls, texts, and of course their shared time on the dates pull both Nathan and Owen in closer than either had imagined. Their make-outs resulting in aborted physicality ups the stakes, too. Funny how quickly they take to phone sex!

This is really a sweet read with two men who find a connection they didn’t anticipate. Nathan didn’t want to be a conquest, and Owen couldn’t imagine finding a boyfriend. It was a rewarding short read with plenty of titillating moments and a couple hot scenes. The two POV narrative worked for me because I was able to find both men charmingly vulnerable and hoped that they’d decide that five dates just wasn’t enough…

Spoiler: It wasn’t. HEA all the way.

Interested? THE DATING GAME is currently on sale for $.99 at Amazon, regularly-priced on AllRomance, and Barnes & Noble.

The sequel, THE MARRYING KIND is really just delicious. Owen and Nathan have stuck together for two years, and despite Owen’s great misgivings over marriage, he proposes. Then, he learns he’s on the downsizing list for his job. His lukewarm feet start feeling colder by the minute… Let the drama begin!

The Marrying Kind (Owen & Nathan, #2)About THE MARRYING KIND:

Nathan wants to put a ring on it, but is Owen the marrying kind?

Two years on from their first date, Owen and Nathan are living together and life is good—except they’re not on the same page about marriage.

A traditionalist at heart, Nathan wants it all: the wedding, the vows, and a pair of matching rings. Owen, on the other hand, believes marriage is old-fashioned and unnecessary. They don’t need a wedding to prove their commitment to each other. Love should be enough on its own.

All it takes is one moment of weakness on a night out to force the issue. Owen finds himself engaged after a half-drunk proposal, and Nathan’s enthusiasm sweeps him along. But as the big day approaches, the mounting tension finally combusts.

If he’s going to save their relationship, Owen will need to decide once and for all if he’s truly the marrying kind.

Feel free to check out my full review for THE MARRYING KIND over on Joyfully Jay.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Challenged to CARRY THE OCEAN–Review & Giveaway

Hi there! I’m so glad to join the blog tour for Heidi Cullinan’s newest release CARRY THE OCEAN. This is a contemporary M/M romance that absolutely smashes the common perceptions of depression and autism. I absolutely Fell. In. Love. with this book.

About the book:
Normal is just a setting on the dryer.

High school graduate Jeremey Samson is looking forward to burying his head under the covers and sleeping until it’s time to leave for college. Then a tornado named Emmet Washington enters his life. The double major in math and computer science is handsome, forward, wicked smart, interested in dating Jeremey—and he’s autistic.

But Jeremey doesn’t judge him for that. He’s too busy judging himself, as are his parents, who don’t believe in things like clinical depression. When his untreated illness reaches a critical breaking point, Emmet is the white knight who rescues him and brings him along as a roommate to The Roosevelt, a quirky new assisted living facility nearby.

As Jeremey finds his feet at The Roosevelt, Emmet slowly begins to believe he can be loved for the man he is behind the autism. But before he can trust enough to fall head over heels, he must trust his own conviction that friendship is a healing force, and love can overcome any obstacle.

Warning: Contains characters obsessed with trains and counting, positive representations of autism and mental illness, a very dark moment, and Elwood Blues.

My Review:
There are books that change people for the better. CARRY THE OCEAN is one of them. I know not everyone cares for gay fiction, but this book is phenomenal, and should be read by anyone who knows a person with depression, or autism. Or anyone who has heard of a person having depression or autism. Or anyone who has no idea what in the Sam Hill depression or autism are. You there, the guy with the hat! Yes, you! YOU should read this book!

Seriously.

Because this book is about humanity, and being a whole human even if your humanity is complicated by depression or autism.

Here’s why: for people who are on the outside of these diagnoses, you maybe can’t appreciate the person who struggles with them. That is not to say you can’t see and notice them, but getting the whole scope of their existence is difficult. Most people only SEE the diagnosis; the tics or flaps of autism, the withdrawn flat affect of a chronic depressive. Emmet and Jeremey are not caricatures of their diagnosis. They are flesh-and-bone young men who have dreams and aspirations of a life, a REAL adult life. And, love.

Emmet is a 19 y/o certified genius. He has a highly-functional level of autism that is both amazing (he can count cards and write computer programs) and daunting. He is easily overwhelmed by too many stimuli and has a whole menu of adaptations to keep him from acting out.

Add to all of these challenges, Emmet is also gay. He has never had a boyfriend, and was homeschooled most of his life. He moved to Jeremey’s neighborhood ten months before, so that he could attend Iowa State Univ. Emmet and Jeremey’s properties align in the back, split from each other by a railway line. Because Emmet is fascinated by trains, he spends a lot of time watching his backyard, and that’s how he spots Jeremey.

It took me ten months to meet Jeremey Sampson.

Emmet recognizes his limitations, and starting college and a friendship is too much. He does a little bit of online stalking to discover Jeremey’s identity all to one purpose:

I wanted to meet him and find out why he was sad. Maybe make him happy. But I couldn’t. The truth was, I had a crush on Jeremey Sampson. I didn’t want to just be his friend. I wanted to be his BOYfriend.

And this is a big problem because, despite being a genius, Emmet’s hampered by his diagnosis.

I also have autism spectrum disorder. It’s not even close to the most important thing about me, but as soon as people see me, watch me move, hear me speak, it’s the only thing that seems to matter. People treat me differently. They act as if I’m stupid or dangerous. They call me the R word or tell me I should be put in a home, and they mean an institution, not the house where I live.
When people find out I have autism, they don’t think I should be allowed to be in love, not with Jeremey, not with anyone.

Did anybody feel a truth bomb explode in that passage? *raises hand*

Emmet knows the “people on the mean,” the “normals” don’t consider him, an adult autistic person, as more than a half-person, not someone who might have great aspirations to live without being watched, to love a partner without backlash. It is increasingly complicated for Emmet to find a partner, because of his sexuality, but I can imagine this is difficult for any heterosexual autistic person, too. Still, his character is so incredibly brave. He makes all sorts of plans, rehearses his first words, trying to vary his inflections so that he sounds “normal” all for the moment that he gets the chance to speak to Jeremey.

It took me ten months to introduce myself to Jeremey Sampson. To learn and memorize the etiquette, to find the right words that would show ME to Jeremey, not my autism. It took a long time and a lot of work, but I did it.

But this is why I fell for Emmet: he doesn’t hate himself.

I shouldn’t have worried so much about it. Frankly, I’m awesome, and anybody who doesn’t agree should get out of my way.

I had to agree.

Until EmmetJeremey, is a another animal entirely.

When you have an invisible disease, your sickness isn’t your biggest problem. What you end up battling more than anything else, every single day, is other people.

Jeremey unequivocally suffers severe depression. He is withdrawn and struggles even to get out of bed. He’s also prone to panic attacks and clinical anxiety–which mostly happens in public places. He is 18, newly graduated from high school, and his parents (misguidedly) shove him at colleges–a place Jeremey knows he’ll never survive.

Mom wanted a bright, smiling, charming son….I wasn’t the son my mom wanted.

His parents, in some sort of denial, will not allow Jeremey to take medication. Meeting Emmet is a shock to his system, in the best way.

If Emmet thought I was a tool, he didn’t show it. He waited patiently, rocking gently on his heels, staring at the place beside my head. His posture was so odd. His shoulders were too high, and his hands were all twisted in front of him. Sometimes he moved them, but only for a moment, and then he’d go rigid again.
He was cute. His hair was light brown and a little long, fanning around his face like he was in a boy band.

Emmet’s not sure if Jeremey’s gay, but he’s willing to at least be a friend to Jeremey. They strike up a tenuous communication via text and email which leads to visits. Jeremey’s mother is especially critical of Jeremey’s association with Emmet, but she recognizes that no other kids want to hang around her son and begrudgingly allows it. Well, until their friendship progresses to something…more.
I think Jeremey said it perfectly:

People saw us walking down the street to the grocery store or wantdering the aisles of Wheatsfield and acted as if we were escapees from the Island of Adorable, puppies dressed up in people clothes. Like we weren’t boyfriends, like we were fake.
No wonder I feel alienated. They’re the ones telling me I’m not like everyone else. It doesn’t matter how normal I am, somebody’s ready to tell me I’m different.

Nonetheless, Jeremey’s mom wasn’t happy to learn that her son was gay, and especially not happy to have him “dating” an “R” word…

Cue the meltdown that leads to the next meltdown, that leads to Jeremey in dire straights. Here’s the thing: Emmet is a superhero, to me and Jeremey. He makes a plan to get independent, so that he and Jeremey can live together. Emmet recognizes the toxic environment in which Jeremey exists and wants to help him escape it. Not one step of this road is easy, and yet there is no angst; there is only struggle and the drive to overcome.

Couple things…whole people have whole lives, and this includes a sex life. Emmet, due to his autism, is an extremely forthright person. He cannot operate in subtlety, yet struggles to make his needs plain in speech. Emmet wants a sexual relationship with Jeremey, and Jeremey reciprocates this desire. I’m not going to belabor this, but it is freaking beautifully, tenderly rendered. Sex happens, and it’s on the page, and it’s not lewd. It is as honest as every other experience in this book. It probably comprises 0.05% of the text. The rest is a fantastic story about two young men being THEIR normal, and finding love, and plotting their way in a confusing, overwhelming world.

I’m glad to have read this book. It changed me in ways that will undoubtedly resonate for decades. I hope it changed me so much that my kids learn to act better to special needs people because they will see me act better to them. (Not that I’m a demeaning person or ever treated an autistic or depressed person in a mean fashion.) I think WE, people on the mean, have unfair ideas in our “normal” brains that isolate autistic or depressed people because we see only how different that they are from us without even beginning to question how they are the same.

CARRY THE OCEAN is not a challenging read, it simply challenges the reader to see persons with these diagnoses as equal, not other. As human, not diseases. That doesn’t mean the book is a downer. On the contrary, the deft writing keeps the story from getting mired in misery. There are definite high points, and a constant sense that the book will have an HEA. The humor is light, and quiet, but present. (Think /facepalm v. LOL!) So many times I found myself smiling and cheering from this side of the screen. If I ever meet Emmet and Jeremey IRL I’m not gonna look at them like puppies in people clothes, I’m going to respect them and their struggle. They would have certainly earned it.

Interested? You can find CARRY THE OCEAN on Goodreads, Samhain (ebook & paperback), All Romance Ebooks, Amazon US (ebook, paperback), Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble (Nook & paperback), Google Play, iTunes, Kobo. I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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!

Love Made a MEMORY–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a historical M/M romance from Doug Lloyd. MEMORY is set in Boston 1952–and features a Korean War vet, and the man he meets upon his return. It’s a sad-sweet story centered on personal freedom and frustrating social mores.

MemoryAbout the book:

Paul Nelson, a military veteran home from Korea, refuses to stand by and watch Kenneth Pittman, a young man he’s just met, get beat up by a group of teens. After a few chance encounters with Kenneth, Paul questions parts of his identity he’s been trying to suppress, and despite his struggles re-acclimating to civilian life and his personal fears, Paul finds the courage to ask Kenneth on a date. The two then begin a relationship.

But in the 1950s, cultural and societal norms threaten openly gay men. Paul and Kenneth can only see each other in secret, and Paul’s new boss, a former investigative journalist and proud bigot, has a habit of meddling in his employees’ lives. After tragedy strikes close to home, the two men question whether their slice of happiness is worth the trouble or if safety is more important.

After vacationing together in Provincetown, a gay haven, to escape the chaos, they decide to stick it out, only to return to the consequences of being outed to everyone they know. Ultimately, Paul realizes the freedom he fought for should apply to them too, and he must bravely act in defiance of society’s expectations to be with the man he loves.

My Review:

I got drawn into this story because I adore historical fiction. The setting, Boston 1952, was fully accessible to me as I grew up in an urban area listening to my aunts, uncles, and father talk about their cable car adventures and soda shops. Having three uncles and a father who served in the armed forces (between Korea and Vietnam) I was also drawn to the plight of a veteran returning from war.

Paul is confused. He just spent 18 months in Korea, fighting for a purpose he didn’t understand. Unlike WWII, the fighting in Korea didn’t seem to be Good v. Horrendous Evil. There were lots of gray zones, and it really didn’t help that both of his parents died while he was overseas.

His younger brother, Dave, is away at Yale when he returns to their neighborhood via bus. Almost immediately, Paul is drawn into conflict–saving a man from a beating in an alley a few blocks from his home. The streetwise brawlers weren’t happy to have their “fairy” prey escape, but Paul is a sturdy man, and still dressed in his army uniform. He prevails. Ken, the man he saved, was thankful, but gruff.

While airing out his empty house, Paul ponders the meaning of the war, and his own conflicted feelings about men and women. He’s only been with women, but has never been much attracted to them. In the war, there were men who had relations with other men–always under cover. It was seen as acceptable given that no women were present. But now, here in America, land of the free for which he put his life in the line, Paul doesn’t feel so free.

Paul takes a job in the city as a junior editor for a newspaper. His boss is a loudmouthed bigot who rails against women, “darkies” and gays, while having an outrageous office affair with his secretary. His childhood friend, Billy, with whom Paul served in Korea, thinks nothing of running down the homos, especially after a hate crime is committed in a nearby (suspected) gay bar. Clearly, the morality of these people is in conflict with Paul’s burgeoning awareness.

Meeting Ken again, and finding acceptance for his amorphous–but clarifying–desires, puts Paul in harm’s way back on home soil. His boss is suspicious, Billy is confused at Paul’s “freedom for everyone” stance and Dave…well, Dave starts to poke around. Especially when Paul takes Ken in as a “boarder.”

Paul, for his part, is filled with righteous indignation. He fought for freedom, but can’t be free to love the way that he wants. He gets a brief taste of freedom when he and Ken travel to Provincetown for a long weekend to write a travel review for his paper. There, the community is gay-friendly–having been settled by free-loving artists and bohemians. It is almost too good to be true, in fact. The differences between the life Paul wants to lead and the one society is pressing upon him are too great for him to stand.

I really liked this. The quietly-building romance is tender. Paul takes a lot of time to consider his feelings. He makes mistakes, and he makes amends. He deals with the toxic people in his life, and he finds the courage to be who he really is–finding people who will support him. There was a twist at the end that nearly killed me, as a reader, but the epilogue earned my heart back.

Interested? You can find MEMORY on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I won a paperback online at a Facebook party…

Doug LloydAbout the author:

Doug Lloyd is an author in his late twenties who moonlights as an attorney and business consultant in his spare time. Despite his many attempts to be artistic (music, drawing, film, clay arts), he has found writing to be the only creative outlet he is marginally good at. He is a trivia sponge—a trait which tends to make writing novels take substantially longer during research—and former *Jeopardy!* one-day champion.

Despite being born and raised and living his whole life in the Boston area, he is not a fan of the cold weather and snow and plans on one day moving someplace where the climate is a bit more balanced. Until then, he continues to wear one of his many orange sweaters during the winter months.

Doug enjoys writing across many different genres—romance, thriller, science fiction, and more—though his works tend to feature LGBT characters in major roles. When not clacking away at the keyboard, Doug spends time with his husband Eric and their three pets in Massachusetts, where they live. He is also an avid board- and video-game enthusiast, chef in his own mind, chocoholic, and insomniac.

You can find Doug online on Facebook, or via email: authordouglloyd (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Reunited in THE STORY OF JAX AND DYLAN–My review for Joyfully Jay

I’m back on Joyfully Jay reviewing a new release from Jamie Dean. THE STORY OF JAX AND DYLAN is a cute friends-to-lovers, contemporary reconnection, M/M romance form Jamie Dean. If you’ve ever wondered “Whatever happened to…?” about someone from your past, and thought about contacting them on Facebook, you’ll totally get this book. I really enjoyed it.

The Story of Jax and Dylan

About the book:

Dylan and Jax were typical best friends, until Dylan fell for Jax and kissed him the night before senior prom. Dylan had to move away before they could talk about it, so he has spent ten years thinking Jax hated him for that kiss.

Reconnecting on Facebook allows them to meet again, and they quickly become as close as ever, spending most of their free time together. Dylan falls for Jax a second time, even though Jax has a girlfriend and appears to be straight.

Important secrets about Jax may lie hidden in the books he’s written, but Jax has asked Dylan not to read them, and Dylan refuses to break his promise. When the truth finally surfaces, their lives will never be the same.

Head on over to Joyfully Jay Reviews to check out my full review.

 

They Find It HARD TO BE GOOD–Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

HTBG Tour banner 2Hi there! Today is the release of Laura Kaye’s newest offering in the Hard Ink series. HARD TO BE GOOD is the book fans have been waiting for…Jeremy Rixey is about to find love!

Hard to Be Good (Hard Ink, #3.5)About the book:
Hard Ink Tattoo owner Jeremy Rixey has taken on his brother’s stateside fight against the forces that nearly killed Nick and his Special Forces team a year before. Now, Jeremy’s whole world has been turned upside down—not the least of which by a brilliant, quiet blond man who tempts Jeremy to settle down for the first time ever.

Recent kidnapping victim Charlie Merritt has always been better with computers than people, so when he’s drawn into the SF team’s investigation of his army colonel father’s corruption, he’s surprised to find acceptance and friendship—especially since his father never accepted who Charlie was. Even more surprising is the heated tension Charlie feels with sexy, tattooed Jeremy, Charlie’s opposite in almost every way.

With tragedy and chaos all around them, temptation flashes hot, and Jeremy and Charlie can’t help but wonder why they’re trying so hard to be good…

How about a little taste?

“You know,” Jeremy said with a smirk, “if you find yourself feeling the urge to kiss me, that’s good, too.”

Charlie gave a small laugh, all of his tension draining away. “I might be feeling that urge right now.”

Jeremy’s thumb stroked over the side of Charlie’s neck and his gaze narrowed. “Are you, now?”
Nodding, Charlie decided to put his tattoo into practice. He leaned in, flicked his tongue against Jeremy’s lip piercings, and kissed him. Threading his hands into Jeremy’s hair, he pushed his tongue deep in the other man’s mouth, tasting, exploring, stroking.

Jeremy gave as good as he got, and soon they were breathing hard, and clutching tight, and grinding against one another until Charlie had to gasp for air.

“Lay down with me?” Jeremy whispered.

“Yes,” Charlie said, letting Jeremy lead him to the big queen-sized bed. They stretched out on the soft flannel plaid comforter.

Jeremy pushed Charlie onto his back and climbed up over him. The other man’s weight felt phenomenal as it pressed him into the soft bedding. “I like the look of you here. In my bed,” Jeremy said.

“Yeah?” Heat filled Charlie’s cheeks at the comment, but only because he loved it so much.

Jeremy nodded. “Me on top of you—is that hurting your side?” Charlie had taken the bandage off at Jer’s instructions hours before, but the tattoo would take upwards of two weeks to heal, apparently.

“No,” Charlie said, quickly sliding his hands up to Jeremy’s back to encourage him to stay right where he was. Because Charlie would’ve endured just about anything to keep him there forever.

“Kiss me, Jeremy.”

“Gladly,” Jeremy said, sucking Charlie’s lower lip into his mouth. Slow, deep kisses quickly escalated to fast and frantic. Their bodies shifted and pressed. Their hands grasped and tugged. Their hard cocks rubbed together through their jeans until Charlie was suddenly sure of one thing.

“I don’t want to come like this,” he rasped, his brain scrambling to figure out exactly what he did want. And how to find the courage to voice it.

Jeremy pulled back, that pale green gaze absolutely on fire. “Then how?”

Charlie swallowed hard and his pulse raced even faster. Because his body, heart, and head were all in agreement, and he knew what he wanted—from Jeremy, with Jeremy.

Everything.

My Review:
This is a novella in the Hard Ink series that is best read as part of the series. This is the first gay romance in the series.

Jeremy Rixey is the owner of Hard Ink, a tattoo parlor, and base of operations for his brother Nick’s special ops team who are trying to clear their names following dishonorable discharge after an op in Afghanistan went really bad. The first three books in this series focus on the romances and intrigue of Nick and two of his fellow veterans. While falling in love, with unlikely women, they have spent a lot of time learning more about the guys who set them up–one who may have been their commanding officer, Colonel Merritt. In the previous stories they saved Merritt’s children Charlie and Becca from drug lords. Charlie is an out gay man, and had little contact with his dad–who disowned him years ago.

Now Charlie, a computer programmer, works the tech side of this covert investigation. He just recently learned that his dad wasn’t committing treason, but he suffered a lot in his captivity, including the loss of a two fingers. He’s attracted to Jeremy, who is bisexual, but doesn’t really feel worthy of love. Plus, he’s not sure that ultra cool Jeremy–who he idolizes–would love a computer geek.

These two have spent weeks living in the close quarters of the Hard Ink compound, and Jeremy has definitely been interested in Charlie, not that they’ve had a lot of downtime for romance. In fact, this book doesn’t have a lot of downtime for romance. It spans only a couple of days, and they are fraught with confrontations. And sex. There is a bit of tenderness, and we get to see Jeremy in action as a tattoo artist, as well as a lover. Charlie is, oddly, not as innocent as he seemed, and I wondered where all his experience came from–as he’s admitted to being very sheltered….

I liked the book, but I wished there had been a bit more buildup of the relationship. It all goes too fast, and I wondered if that was because it was expected that some of the Hard Ink readership isn’t keen on M/M romance, so the plan was to keep this installment quick and dirty, leaving the next book to pick up more of the intrigue with a het romance. I think JR Ward did well blending a gay romance into her BDB series, and I was looking for the same experience here from Laura Kaye. I was glad that free-spirited Jeremy and shy Charlie got their time to shine, I only wished for more. I hope this book does well enough that we continue to see these men in future Hard Ink books.

Interested? You can find HARD TO BE GOOD on Goodreads, Amazon (US, Canada, or UK), Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.

Don’t forget there’s a lot to love in Hard Ink! Catch all the other books in the series…

Hard Ink SeriesHard As It Gets

Hard As You Can

Hard to Hold On To

Hard To Come By

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LauraKayeAbout Laura Kaye:
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

You can catch up with Laura online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or sign up for her Newsletter.

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They Found A WAY HOME–My Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for the final book in Keira Andrew’s Amish Love series, A WAY HOME. I’ve previously reviewed A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA and A CLEAN BREAK, and I know these books have made an impact on me, not only because they are enjoyable. I really dig books that teach me a bit about another culture, and I can safely say I’ve gotten an insiders peek into Amish life. It is fascinating!
(These are adult reads, and are NOT about religion, only how religion is part of the lives of these men.)

A Way Home (Gay Amish Romance #3)About the book:
Will returning to their Amish roots renew their faith in each other?

Isaac and David never thought they’d go back to the Amish world. But when Isaac’s younger brother is stricken with cancer, they don’t hesitate to return. Their relationship is on the rocks after insecurity and fear drove a wedge between them in San Francisco, and David is determined to make things right. Yet if they thought navigating “English” life was confusing, being back in Zebulon is even more complicated.

Their families are desperate to bring them back into the fold, and pressure from the community builds. Isaac and David yearn for a future together, but each day it becomes harder to hide the truth about who they really are. They’re caught between two worlds, and if they’re not careful it could tear them further apart.

Can Isaac and David make their way back to each other—and find a place to call home?

This is the final chapter in a trilogy of forbidden Amish love.

My Review:
This is the third book in a series. It is recommended that you read in order.

To sum up the series: David and Isaac are two young men from a sheltered Amish community in Zebulon, MN. They had left to find a life together because they are gay and closeted, and can’t persist in the Amish life as gay men. After several months living in San Fransisco with Isaac’s shunned brother, Aaron and his wife Jen, they have some issues to resolve including alcoholism and fidelity.

In this final book, Aaron and Isaac have traveled to Zebulon to provide blood samples for matching to their younger brother, Nathan, who is suffering an advanced nasal cancer. Isaac feels guilty that he didn’t complain about Nathan’s awful snoring when he still shared a room/bed with him–before he left–fearing that his complaints may have caused earlier detection.

Aaron is distraught because he has missed his family for the past decade, and his parents will not speak directly to him, nor will they let him visit his siblings, except Nathan, who is hospital-bound.

David was left behind in San Fran because he was AWOL at the time the summons came, having had a big fight with Isaac and a drunken binge that left him unreachable. Jen helped to clean him up and get him on the way, but he and Issac have a lot to resolve, not the least of which is the status of their relationship. Plus, returning to Zebulon means confronting his choices with his mother and five younger sisters that he had cared for since his father’s death years before.

If you have followed this series, you will note that this final installment is less on the sexytimes and more on the emotional minefield in which Isaac and David find themselves. At every turn they are begged, cajoled and threatened to give up their “English” ways and return to Amish life. They struggle with the desire to have some connection to their families and still be able to life their true life, as gay men.

I was glad the betrayal aspect which remained from the previous book was quickly, and appropriately, resolved. As with any relationship, there are bound to be growing pains, and David and Isaac must acknowledge their shortfalls to each other in order to build a better life going forward.

I have been charmed by David and Isaac throughout this series, and was no less so in this final installment. I was SO GLAD to see their unsettled feelings regarding Zebulon resolved, and to know that life will go on in the positive direction.

The attitudes of the fictional Amish in the book feel accurately rendered and likely, which is both good and frustrating. Good because it lends an authenticity to the story. Frustrating because they are incredibly intransigent, and this causes a lot of heartache. Shunning is the worst kind of “tough love,” an extreme type of emotional manipulation, and while I can understand it, I do not want to condone it, like it or promote it. Still, I felt it, and Like Aaron, Isaac and David, I didn’t want to feel it ever again.

The book is a solid HEA, the series is a solid HEA, and it’s absolutely brilliant. Cannot recommend enough.

Interested? You can find A WAY HOME on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance.

A Forbidden Rumspringa (Gay Amish Romance #1)As for the first book–A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA–it is a story of many firsts, told by Isaac. Isaac is the “new” eldest son of his house. I say “new” in quotes, because his eldest brother, Aaron, was excommunicated when he left the Amish community several years before. Isaac is uncomfortable in his Amish home because he doesn’t feel attracted to girls. He’s actually quite attracted to David, an Amish carpenter who takes Isaac on as an apprentice.

Together, they find out about love, and life, during their forays into each other, and the “English” world just outside their settlement. Isaac knows he can never watch David marry, but he never suspects how deep David loves only him. It is a touching story that really got to me. Check out my review for more details.

Interested? You can find A FORBIDDEN RUMSPRINGA on Goodreads, All Romance, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

A Clean Break (Gay Amish Romance #2)The second book, A CLEAN BREAK, is told from David’s point of view, and it’s a big departure from what I expected. Me, with my moony love for love, thought it would be a hope-filled book with tons of joy and hearts and flowers. The reality is a much better story. It is a struggle for David to adapt to his new life, a life of dependence upon Isaac’s brother, Aaron. David has never been able to lean on anyone, and he wants desperately to take care of Isaac, plus he’s distraught over leaving his mother and sisters behind, to fend for themselves. His worries turn into anxiety and panic attacks which he medicates with alcohol. It’s got a lot of love, but there is a whole lot of growth and change that both Isaac and David must endure in order to make their path in the strange landscape of San Francisco. It is a remarkable story that will resonate. Check out my review for more information.

Interested? You can find A CLEAN BREAK on Goodreads, All Romance, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

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

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

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Loved By A DARK WARRIOR–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a release from Lily Harlem. DARK WARRIOR is a contemporary bi-racial M/M romance between a traveling doctor and a Kenyan nurse. And, it’s getting hot on the savannah… 😉

Dark WarriorAbout the book:
While some passions live on the surface, others—wilder, darker passions—have to be kept buried deep.

Dr. Leo Rotherham is following his calling by working in rural Kenya for the charity Medics On Hand. While he expected a primitive way of life and limited medical supplies, what he doesn’t bargain on is falling for handsome village warrior, Malik.

Malik is well respected, knowledgeable and loyal to his tribe. He’s also beautiful, brave, modern and, much to Leo’s dismay, married—isn’t he?

No, it turns out Malik is as free as the animals that roam the African plains at night.

Soon the tension is building between the two men and Leo isn’t sure if he’s coming or going. Whenever he’s around Malik he can’t help but notice the reflected look of lust in his eyes and feel the longing sizzling between them.

Malik stands too close, not close enough. Forbidden attraction simmers between them and the need grows to dizzying heights. But dare they admit to each other what it is they want? And are they brave enough to act on their desires and be honest about their lust? One thing is for sure, a passion this big, this powerful, can’t be contained and it’s all going to explode in the most spectacular of ways.

My Review:
Leo is down of relationships since he and his long-term boyfriend split after 5 years together. He’s been celibate for 18 months, trying to move on, and decides to make the most of his training in tropical medicine serving a month in rural Kenya to work with Doctors On Hand. He is blown away by the beauty, yet desolate poverty, of the tiny village where he is stationed.

His medical training is desperately needed, and he digs right in beside one of the most stunningly beautiful men he has ever seen, Malik. Malik is not only an educated man who spent years in Nairobi, at nursing school and then as a nurse, he is a large man, built like the African warriors of yore. But he is home now amongst his family who live in this small village. In addition to assisting in the clinic, Malik hunts food for his large family and runs the local school. Leo’s absent libido is sorely tested working with Malik, but he knows better than to discuss his homosexuality with anyone in Africa–he truly fears beatings or worse.

It is a careful dance, but Malik learns that Leo is aroused by him, and makes a very cautious foray into the personal realm. Even if Malik returns Leo’s advances, there is no privacy in this village, and Malik’s parents want him to get married. Plus, Malik’s sister has her eye on Leo. It’s all-around difficult.

But not impossible…

This is a refreshing romance written about two men from very different cultures finding love where they least expected it. The setting is lovely, and the stakes are high–neither can be found out. Also, there’s the element of danger with the nearby lions, snakes and hippos–not to mention marauders who come to rob the village. The romance is tender, yet spicy, with the added dimension of the racial differences. Expect an HEA, and a whole lotta sexytimes. I received a copy for my honest review.

Interested? You can find Dark Warrior on Goodreads, Totally Bound, Barnes and Noble, AllRomance and Amazon.

About the Author:
Lily Harlem lives in the UK and is an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance. She writes for publishers on both sides of the Atlantic including Ellora’s Cave, HarperCollins, Totally Bound, Xcite and Sweetmeats Press. Her HOT ICE series regularly receives high praise and industry nominations.

Before turning her hand to writing Lily Harlem worked as a trauma nurse and her latest HarperCollins release, Confessions of a Naughty Night Nurse, draws on her many experiences while nursing in London. Lily also self-publishes and The Glass Knot, The Silk Tie, Breathe You In (USA Today Reviewer’s Recommended Read of 2013) and Scored have been blessed with many 5* reviews since their release.

Lily also co-authors with Natalie Dae and publishes under the name Harlem Dae – check out the Sexy as Hell Box Set Trilogy available exclusively on Amazon – The Novice, The Player and The Vixen – and That Filthy Book which has been hailed as a novel ‘every woman should read’.

One thing you can be sure of, whatever book you pick up by Ms Harlem, is it will be wildly romantic and down-and-dirty sexy. Enjoy!

You can catch Lily on her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, Author Page, Pinterest. She’s also got a newsletter, Goodreads and Google +.

Check out her blogs on Raw Talent, BritBabes, and Hockey Romance!

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Captivated by a BLUE EYED STRANGER–My Review for Joyfully Jay

Hi there! As you may remember, I’ve joined with Joyfully Jay to share my love of M/M fiction in a wider audience. As a blogger, it’s fun to link up and have a bit of interaction with other bloggers/blogging communities. It makes all this work seem less solitary… 😉

This week, my review for Alex Beecroft’s BLUE EYED STRANGER went live. It’s a quiet romance between two unlikely men, one a black Englishman having trouble with his employment and the other a shy white man with depression. Both men have an interest in historical performances, reenactment societies, as others may call them. It’s also set in England which is a fave setting for me. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Blue Eyed Stranger (Trowchester Blues, #2)About the book:
Billy Wright has a problem: he’s only visible when he’s wearing a mask. That’s fine when he’s performing at country fairs with the rest of his morris dancing troupe. But when he takes the paint off, his life is lonely and empty, and he struggles with crippling depression.

Martin Deng stands out from the crowd. After all, there aren’t that many black Vikings on the living history circuit. But as the founder of a fledgling historical re-enactment society, he’s lonely and harried. His boss doesn’t like his weekend activities, his warriors seem to expect him to run everything single-handedly, and it’s stressful enough being one minority without telling the hard men of his group he’s also gay.

When Billy’s and Martin’s societies are double-booked at a packed county show, they know at once they are kindred spirits, united by a deep feeling of connectedness to their history and culture. But they’re also both hiding in their different ways, and they need each other to be brave enough to take their masks off and still be seen.

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

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

 

Love in the LIMELIGHT–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I”m sharing my review for an anthology of contemporary M/M romance novellas. LIMELIGHT is a collection that will satisfy all lovers of M/M romance. It’s got friends-to-lover stories, reconnection, and coming out, and it’s got heat…
(This is an adult read.)

Limelight
By H.L. Holston, Sara York, Eleanor Bruce, and E.M. Leya 
 

About the book: 

Some dream of fame and fortune, but it isn’t always everything one might think it will be. It doesn’t matter what entertainment industry you’re in, you have to sacrifice, and when it comes to love, well that brings on a million other issues.

Inside you’ll find three stories about men in the limelight. They worked hard to gain the fame they’ve found, but in doing so, they all have longed for one thing — Love. Some things might come easy for these men, but when it comes to sharing their hearts, things are never simple and either are the men they desire.

 

Available to purchase at
Time Gone By by E.M. Leya

Jon is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. The fame and fortune he has is like nothing he ever imagined, but he left behind the only man he’d ever loved to achieve it.

Wyatt thought he’d put the past behind him and moved on, focusing on his career as he hides the truth about himself from those who are closest to him. Why should he risk his family and friends with being honest when his only reason left town six years ago?

When fate throws the two men together again, they are forced to confront things from the past that they both don’t want to admit, but the passion and desire for each other is stronger than ever, proving that no matter how much time has gone by, the heart knows what it wants.

Excerpt
“Hey.”
Jon looked up to see Wyatt standing in the doorway.
“Want some company?”
“Sure.” Jon sat up straighter as Wyatt took a seat across from him. “So nursing, huh? It suits you.”
“Thanks. I debated on becoming a vet, but that was too many years stuck in school. I enjoy this. Now that I’m back home and working here, it’s nice. I worked in Phoenix for about a year, but hated every minute of it.” Wyatt leaned back, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
“Yeah, I don’t blame you. I hate living in the city. I miss this place.”
“You could move back.”
Jon tried to ignore the hopeful gleam in Wyatt’s eyes. “Yeah, I don’t think that would work. Most my business is in California. It’s just easier to stay there.” Honestly, he hated it and thought about moving back all the time, but the main reason he didn’t was sitting right across from him.
“You look good.” Wyatt didn’t hide the way his gaze traveled over Jon’s body.
“So do you.” Jon returned the same stare, and then wished he hadn’t. He could still remember that body pressed up against his, the taste of Wyatt’s lips against his own. It was as if it all happened yesterday.
“You want to go grab a cup of coffee downstairs and catch up?” Wyatt asked.
“Aren’t you working?”
“Got off about ten minutes ago. I was hoping you were still here.”
“Why?” Jon shook his head. “Sorry, that was rude. It’s just…” Jon stood and went to the doorway, looking down the hall.
“I know, Jon. It’s hard for me too, but I miss you. Miss talking about stuff. You’re my best friend.”
“I was.” Jon turned to look at him.
“You still are. No one will ever know me like you do.”
“It’s been nearly six years, Wyatt.”
“Doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”
Jon turned to look at him, struggling with the emotions he’d locked away for so long. “Sometimes it seems longer.” He shrugged. “I didn’t even know you’d gone to school.”
“Yeah, you were pretty upset when you left. I figured you weren’t checking up on me much.”
That wasn’t true. He might not have asked about him, but he did look for him every time he came back to town. Okay, so that wasn’t often, but still, Wyatt was always on his mind when he was visiting. “Can you blame me?”

 My Review:

This is a very tender reconnection story. Jon and Wyatt were childhood friends who became closeted teen lovers. They were each others first, and only, love. Six years have passed since Wyatt told Jon he couldn’t move to LA with him, and they haven’t spoken until Jon returns to their hometown after his father suffers a heart attack.

Wyatt is one of the nurses on the CCU, and they reconnect. When Jon is crushed by the grief, it is Wyatt who he turns to, but Jon is a celebrity, known for being “out” and Wyatt still remain in the closet–his parents are extremely homophobic.

Wyatt and Jon spend time together and it’s as if no time passed for them, their passion is still as hot, but their hearts are tentative. Jon wants a full partnership, and Wyatt to be with him always, anywhere. Wyatt takes some time to convince…

For a novella it packs a serious emotional punch.

 

Suck This, Neil Patrick Harris by H.L. Holston & Eleanor Bruce

Dante Moretti has a big problem. His acting career has hit the skids and he’s desperate to land the lead role in the next Hollywood blockbuster. It’s his last chance to get back on the superstar track.

But, his personal life is a train wreck. No sane director will work with him any longer. Solution? Bribe his best friend and former co-star, Chris Parker to play the role of his long-term boyfriend. Showing the world he’s in a committed relationship will hopefully convince casting agents he’s reformed, stable and trustworthy.

Even if it’s a lie.

What Dante doesn’t count on is the public’s reaction to the announcement that Chris and he are a couple…and his own feelings for Chris spiraling out of control.

Under the merciless cameras of the paparazzi, Dante is forced to choose–his leading man status or the man he thought was just his best friend. Who ever thought that pretending to be in love would be this hard?
Excerpt

He’d never seen
Chris and Katie go at it like this before. Sure, they had bickered on set, but this was a war of words. If Dante had one ounce of bisexuality in his bones, he would have been cheering for them to make out after they stopped arguing. They were that hot together in the heat of passion. He was beginning to see the appeal of their coupling from the show now. No wonder Space
Pirates fans had cried when Katie’s character had died in Chris’ arms.
But he had to stop this now. At least half the crowd had out their cell phones and were filming Chris and Katie’s argument. Going from past experience, Dante knew the clips would be up on YouTube within minutes. He had damage control to do.
Dante pushed himself between his two former co-stars and shouted, “Enough!”
That got everyone’s attention. Chris looked at him in confusion, Katie, well, she looked impressed he’d intervened.
He grabbed Chris’ hand tightly, glanced to the other man for permission, and when Chris nodded, Dante said in a deliberately loud voice, strong enough to reach the line of fans still strolling in the front door of Hollywood Book and Poster.
“I’m sorry we sprung this on you here, Katie and not in private beforehand. But, I’m not going to apologize for dating Chris.” He paused dramatically, and forty fannish faces pressed in closer to listen. “Not when I feel like the luckiest son-of-a-bitch on the planet that he even agreed to go out with me. He’s everything I ever wanted in a partner, and I refuse to hide the fact we’re a couple.”
Dante laid his next monologue on thick.
Staring deeply and what he hoped was adoringly into Chris’ face, he said, “I love him and I’m keeping him for as long as he’ll have me!”
You could have heard a pin drop. They were well and truly out of the closest now. Katie’s expression had softened a bit from her previous stance, but Dante could tell from the fire still in her eyes, they’d have more explaining to do after the autograph signing.
While she still appeared doubtful, the crowd around them erupted into chaos. More phones came out and their fans’ commentary started:
“How long have Chris and you been dating?”
“I thought Chris was straight?”
Finally, one triumphant voice exclaimed, “I knew they were f**king! I knew it.”

My Review:
Dante and Chris have been friends for years. It was Chris, a child actor now grown, who took Dante under his wing years ago and taught him the ins-and-outs of TV acting. Now Chris is going through a rough patch, and staying at Dante’s home.

Dante’s job prospects aren’t great. He’s on the callback list for a big part, but he’s a Hollywood pariah due to his off-screen relationship issues. If he were in a stable committed relationship, even a gay one, the studio would be willing to take a chance, so Dante enlists Chris to be his boyfriend.  He had an initial crush on Chris way back when, but the Friends Zone is where Chris resides in Dante’s heart…or does he.

Chris is (mostly) heterosexual–what happened in college stays in college!–but he’s not really keen on Dante’s plan. Sure, it may help Dante, but at the expense of his own career? Still, he agrees to go along.

Both men struggle with this arrangement, Chris because he’s never been with a man in public, and Dante, because he’s not sure where the fantasy ends–behind closed doors he and Chris do continue their “relationship.”

It seems as if they are really poised to become that power couple their fans had clamored for for years, but Dante’s not good at relationships, and he needs a few kicks in the pants to get it right this time. Not only for his career, but also for his friend and lover.

It’s a fun little story, with a lot of heat and heart, combined. I loved Chris, and how he never took Dante’s crap. Dante was a delightfully oblivious, in the good way. I’m glad this friends-to-lovers story worked out.

Center Stage by Sara York
Country music is Slade Pepper’s first love and he can’t walk away from the stage, but being gay and in country music doesn’t allow him to have a personal life. Slade takes the month off to decompress and search his soul. He meets Corbin Branford and can’t say no to a passion filled night.

One night turns into more, but Corbin has no idea who Slade is, and Slade tries to keep it that way…until a fan blows his cover. Corbin is angry enough to leave, but Slade Pepper won’t give up without a fight.

Excerpt

Corbin rocked his hips against Slade’s, his thumb playing with the button of Slade’s jeans. “I’ve been watching you all night, and God, I’ve wanted to touch you.”
Thunder rumbled outside and the lights flickered. The rain came down, growing louder as the thunder died out. Corbin leaned back, his gaze searching. “Let’s eat and then we can figure out what…Mmm, damn, you sure are sexy.”
Slade nodded, his body hot from Corbin’s touch. “Eat first, then maybe something else later?”
Slade wanted that something else very much. He was hot and getting hotter, but Corbin hadn’t eaten. The guy was probably starving.
“I’d like to know more about you. Are you visiting with your family?”
Slade moved to the table and pulled out a chair, holding it for Corbin. He was a southern gentleman. No matter who he liked to fuck, he’d been raised with manners, and those manners would be used.
Corbin quirked a brow as he sunk into his seat. “Nice touch. I think we’ll most definitely be doing something after I’m no longer starving.”
Slade slid into the other chair and picked up his burger, taking a bite. He moaned and closed his eyes, focusing on the flavors in the meat. “They really are good burgers.”
“Thanks. I’ve won a couple of awards, nothing big, but you know, it helps.”
Slade smiled and took another bite as he stared at Corbin, taking in his small frame and lean muscles. The guy really was beautiful. If only he could stay on this island, then maybe he could actually have a relationship. But he’d be gone in a few weeks. Perhaps Corbin wouldn’t mind a part-time gig. Hell, he might actually enjoy it.

My Review:

Slade is a well-known country singer with a big secret. He’s gay. Being in the spotlight has been rough on him, physically and emotionally, and the lack of any romantic involvement for the past two years has left his creativity well run dry. At the end of his tour, he takes four weeks on vacation to a quiet South Carolina island home of a friend.

While staying there he meets Corbin, owner of a local pub, and the attraction is immediate. Still, he’s nervous about revealing himself–he’s afraid that Corbin will only see his fame, or won’t want to be in his spotlight.

As it turns out, Corbin is very attracted to “Matt” the super helpful customer who volunteered to help man the grill when his regular cook called in sick. Corbin and “Matt” work well together! but the bedroom menu is far hotter and spicier! with a dash of sweetness than either man predicted.

Slade knows he needs to come clean, and makes a plan to, but his identity is revealed before he has a chance. Corbin is upset, for different reasons than Slade had expected–he’s been betrayed by men in his past. Through some very candid conversation, they decide to continue, but this all may end in a few weeks, anyway.

It’s not like Slade’s ready to risk his career in country music to come out publicly…right?

This is a really sweet coming out story. Slade and Corbin may fall for each other a tad to quickly, but both men had been without a partner for years leading up to their meeting. I liked the level of support on both sides, and the touch of bad blood from some of Slade’s band mates added to the realism.

About The Authors
Emma Marie Leya, aka E.M Leya lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her daughter, two dogs, a cat, and two birds. When she isn’t writing, she is an avid swimmer with a passion for the mountains. She’s often found playing outdoors.

You can find E.M at             

Writing is Sara York’s life. The stories fight to get out, often leaving her working on four or five books at once. She can’t help but write. Along with her writing addiction she has a coffee addiction. Some nights, the only reason she stops writing and goes to sleep is for the fresh brewed coffee in the morning. Sara enjoys writing twisted tales of passion, anger, and love with a good healthy dose of lust thrown in for fun.

You can find Sara at       

H.L. Holston & Eleanor Bruce met when a friend put them in charge of the writing awards at a local sci-fi convention, but bonded over their mutual love of Bruce Springsteen. In real life, after many years of teaching social studies at the high school level, Holly has now semi-retired to Florida where she tutors reading and writing in between scrapbooking and reading romance novels.

Eleanor has been a professional business writer since 1989 and an amateur fiction writer for over fifteen years and dreams of following the E Street Band around once she retires, unless Holly talks her into buying a condo on the beach in Costa Rica.

You can find Holly at       

You can find Eleanor at    

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They Find Life is NOTHING LIKE PARIS–A Review

Hi there! Today I want to share some love for a book recently released by a fellow Chicagoan. I really enjoyed Amy Jo Cousin’s OFF CAMPUS, and thought, “Hmmm, I”ll give book two a try.” I was bit nervous, because the main character in NOTHING LIKE PARIS was a bully and the subject of conflict in OFF CAMPUS. I wondered: How can the villain be transformed into the hero? Well, that’s an author’s job, and Ms. Cousins did it well! (This is an ADULT read)

Nothing Like Paris (Bend or Break, #2)About the book:
Humble pie wasn’t supposed to taste this sweet.

Jack Tarkington’s life is in the toilet. He was supposed to be spending his junior year studying someplace cool like Paris or Rome. Instead, after taking out his anger on the campus “golden boy”, whose dad ripped off his parents, Jack is facing possible expulsion.

Sure, it’s all his own fault, but coming back to the small Iowa town he thought he’d escaped, after crowing about his admission to a prestigious school, has been a humbling experience.

When he runs into Miguel, Jack braces for backlash over the way he lorded it over his old friend and flame. Instead, Miguel offers him friendship—and a job at his growing farm-to-table store and café.

Against the odds, both guys bond over broken dreams and find common ground in music. But when Jack’s college gives him a second chance, he’s torn between achieving a dream that will take him far from home, and a love that strikes a chord he’ll never find anywhere else.

Warning: This book contains a humbled guy who’s on the brink of losing it all, a determined entrepreneur who seems to have it all together, apologies issued through banjo-picking duets, and two lovers who can play each other’s bodies like virtuosos.

My Review:
This is the second book in a series–it can likely be read as a standalone.

Jack has been suspended from his east coast college for harassment of a fellow student, Tom Worthington. Tom’s father had orchestrated a Ponzi scheme which took down the retirement, college and investment funds of many–including Jack’s father’s. While a student, Jack resented seeing Tom on campus and his campaign of hate resulting in Jack’s discipline–and a disgraceful return to his dismal home in Colchester Falls, Iowa. Jack’s family is in a bad way–his mother’s a functional (but really dysfunctional) alcoholic and his father is emotionally unavailable. Plus, these relationships have been further strained by Jack being an out gay man.

Upon his return, Jack encounters his high school boyfriend, Mike Vargas, who is now running a farm-to-table eatery featuring the produce of his family farm. Mike was supposed to go east with Jack three years ago, but gave up his scholarships to stay on the farm when his father had a second heart attack. Mike is a smart, industrious man, but he’s stifled in this small community, always on guard to keep his sexuality on the down low. People know he’s gay, but he’s too timid to “flaunt” it, fearing his business will suffer. He’s hopelessly angry/in love with Jack. The love was from their six year history as friends/lovers (junior and senior high school) but he hates how Jack just left–early–for college and left him behind.

This reconnection story is well told and has good pacing. Jack doesn’t win Mike back immediately. Mike is on constant guard of his heart, never giving Jack the chance to work his Jack-magic. In the meantime, they do work together, and through Mike’s selfless example, Jack grows out of his angry-at-the-world stance. He reaches out to other at-risk youth, helping to form a GSA at his former high school. This brings him in touch with his old guidance counselor who helps him find some peace regarding his mother worsening alcoholism.

All the good is really working in Jack’s favor–so much so, he makes a grand gesture to resolve his difficulties at school–and tries to broaden Mike’s world, as well.

Mike had felt overlooked by his father for a long time–being passed over for management of the farm was especially cutting–but through some hard truths from papi and Jack, Mike learns that, perhaps, this small town life isn’t his ultimate destiny.

It’s a good story. I really enjoyed Jack’s change from petulance to maturity. Mike is a great guy, and he deserves all that he receives. His recognition that his need to “save” Jack was a hindrance to their growth as a couple, and enabled them to become more equal partners going forward.

Interested? You can find NOTHING LIKE PARIS on Goodreads, Amazon, Samhain Publishing, AllRomance and Barnes & Noble. I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

The first book in this series, OFF CAMPUS is another steamy read about an unlikely couple. Check out my review or you can find OFF CAMPUS on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, iBooks, and on the Samhain website. (I got a review copy of this book from NetGalley.)

Amy Jo CousinsAbout the Author:
Amy Jo Cousins lives in Chicago, where she writes contemporary romance, tweets more than she ought, and sometimes runs way too far. She loves her boy and the Cubs, who taught her that being awesome doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with winning.

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

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!