Movie Star romance

Perils of Fame–DATING RYAN ALBACK-A Review

Hi there! today I’m sharing a review for a recently published contemporary M/M romance from JE Birk. DATING RYAN ALBACK is a sweet and sour romance between an out TV star and a nobody schoolteacher–engineered by a talk show host.

About the book:
Ryan Alback has almost everything he’s ever wanted: a successful acting career, a dog who adores him, great family and friends, and a life outside the closet. The only thing missing is a boyfriend — but Ryan’s been burned by Hollywood relationships before, and he’s not eager to try one again.

Jason Santos has almost everything he’s ever wanted: a fulfilling career teaching middle school, a house in a city he loves, and parents who support him in every way. Too bad he can’t seem to forget the ex-boyfriend who rejected his marriage proposal.

When a talk show host launches a dating contest to find Ryan a boyfriend and Jason accidentally wins, neither of them expect anything to come from it. Yet somewhere between a disastrous massage and a mud sinkhole, they both start to wonder if this date could be more than just a public relations stunt. But before they can move into the future, they’ll both have to learn to let go of the past.

My Review:
Ryan Alback is a successful TV actor who made it through child stardom with his head on, well, pretty good. He was closeted as a teen, and only came out under pressure from a boyfriend looking to advance his standing. Ryan has never gotten over this betrayal, and though he is out, he’s mostly celibate, fearing another opportunist.

Enter a talk show host, who gets Ryan to admit that he’s lonely on her show. Grand plan: find Ryan a man!

Jason Santos is a seventh-grade teacher in Denver and he’s determined to find a way to pay for his community program that serves kids who are undocumented, or have undocumented parents. He hasn’t dated in a year–not since his ex turned down his marriage proposal and he limped away from their relationship. Now, his BFF has entered him into the contest for a date with Ryan Alback, and Jason is, meh. He’d never get picked. Until he does!

Their date is a weekend away in a Vermont B & B, and it seems to go great. Ryan fears Jason will be a fan-boy, but Jason’s totally cool and they seem to hit it off. Until the stories begin to leak, and Ryan accuses Jason of selling him out.

Thing is, that didn’t happen, and Ryan is mortified that he hurt a man with whom he had begun to build a tentative rapport. Ryan seeks out advice, and begins to establish publicity on his own terms–before reaching out to Jason again. Jason isn’t excited about the jerk showing up, but Ryan makes a super pretty apology. Plus, Jason’s only human; he adored Ryan when he was a child star.

There’s some other drama down the road, including bad exes and strung-out seventh graders, but the story is all about Ryan finding peace in his career while Jason find balance in his life. It seems these guys will make it, and I do love when that happens.

Interested? You can find DATING RYAN ALBACK on Goodreads, Riptide Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

About the Author:
J.E. Birk has been telling stories since she could talk and writing them since she was introduced to the alphabet. She hails from Colorado, where you can usually find her skiing, training for a 5K she won’t end up running, or watching people run into each other on football fields and in hockey rinks.

Connect with J.E. on her Facebook (J Elisabeth Birk) or twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Big Trouble Over SECRET THINGS–A Review

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a new contemporary M/M romance from Nazarea Andrews. SECRET THINGS is a bittersweet romance between two good friends, who happen to be co-stars on a fan-fave TV show.

secret-things-coverAbout the book:
Camden is on top of the world.

He’s dating his best friend and co-star. He has a top rated TV show that just got renewed for a seventh season. It’s what he’s always wanted.

And he’s fucking miserable.

Dimitri is living the life he always wanted. He and Victor, his high school boyfriend, are social media darlings. His part just got renewed on his hit TV show, and the charity foundation he co-founded is taking off. It’s everything he ever wanted.

And he’s fucking miserable.

The only time either seem happy is when they’re together. And both of them are ignoring the attraction between them. There’s too much at risk. The show, their significant others, a friendship that is more important than a quick screw.

Oh, and Camden is straight.

Right?

But attraction isn’t always easy to ignore, and a lot can happen that isn’t meant to. When one of Dimitri’s fans gets involved, both men will have to decide how much and who they want.

My Review:
This is a friends-to-lovers romance for Camden and Dimitri, both stars on a fan-fave TV show. They became friends three years ago, and there’s been a simmering attraction for the other for at least a year now.

Unfortunately, Dimitri’s been openly dating his high school boyfriend, Victor, a touring rock musician, for the past twelve years. And, Camden lives with his on-screen girlfriend, Cari. Cari and Dimitri even run a charity together, and they are really besties, so Dimitri tries to squash his attraction to Cam. Unsuccessfully.

There’s a big issue, I imagine, for famous people regarding their public and private lives. While some fans might want to see Dimitri and Cam get together, they also adore the love stories of Cam + Cari and Dimitri + Victor. But, fir these four people, the public story is not the private one. Cari is fine with Cam finding his true love–as she knows she isn’t it. She loves Cam as she can, but not romantically. Victor and Dimitri have been pulling apart for the past several years, and Victor has a ready-made replacement he doesn’t bother to hide from Dimitri. Thing is, the TV execs and the fans don’t want to let go of their ‘dream couples.’

So, when Cam and Dimitri do come together, it’s really an undercover operation. I didn’t really like it all that much, because Dimitri was really dishonest at first. I get that he wasn’t ready to make it all official, but he knew better than to leave it hanging the way he did, for as long as he did. He hurt Cari and Cam in the process. And, he didn’t make it right for a while, too, which bothered me. Also, when a stalker is on the loose, Dimitri makes unconscionably stupid decisions that endanger everyone. So, while I wasn’t captivated by the story, it’s an okay read.

I received an advanced reader copy that had lots of errors, which I’m hopeful got fixed in the final pressing. The good thing about the book is that it ends well, with tons of support for Cam, now that he comes out as bisexual. There seems to be some new plot threads that could be spun into an HEA for Cari, too, in another book–though I’m not sure that’s going to happen. Pure speculation on that point.

Interested? You can find SECRET THINGS on Goodraeds, Amazon and Kobo.

About the Author:
Nazarea Andrews (N to almost everyone) is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. Which means she writes everything from zombies and dystopia to contemporary love stories. When not writing, she can most often be found driving her kids to practice and burning dinner while she reads, or binging watching TV shows on Netflix. N loves chocolate, wine, and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, spoiled cat and overgrown dog. She is the author of World Without End series, Neverland Found, Edge of the Falls, and The University of Branton Series.

Stop by her twitter and tell her what fantastic book she should read next. You can also find her on her website, blog, Facebook, join her Street Team, or sign up for her newsletter.
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Captivated by SELFIE–A Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Author:

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

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

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!