New Adult Romance

Growing Up in the REAL WORLD-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary M/M romance from Amy Jo Cousins. REAL WORLD is the fifth book in the Bend or Break series, but it’s a sequel to OFF CAMPUS, and should be read after that one, for sure. Other characters in the series show up here, and that’s cool, but you don’t have to know their stories for their involvement to make sense.

Real World (Bend or Break, #5)About the book:
When talking fails, it’s time to break out the big guns.
Five years ago, Tom Worthington busted his ass to overcome the fear and paranoia that led him to withdraw from the world and nearly lose his boyfriend. He never thought he’d find himself right back there, shutting Reese out, keeping secrets again.

Reese Anders is ready to try anything to get Tom to talk: if he can’t seduce his boyfriend with food, he’ll get Tom to open up in bed. But even Tom’s confession that his dad is getting out of prison soon doesn’t clear the air between them. And as the holidays approach, intensive mentoring from a new British boss creates more distractions, until Reese is keeping secrets of his own.

At a company Christmas party, it only takes Tom one look at Reese’s new boss to figure out how much danger their relationship is in. But he’s not about to let the connection that started all those years ago at Carlisle come to an end. It’s time to deal with their problems like adults. Face to face. Or back to front. Starting in the bedroom.

Warning: This book contains two adorable guys with way too many secrets, conciliatory rigatoni, a bedroom lesson on the power of multitasking, and indisputable evidence on what makes the perfect holiday HEA.

My Review:
4.5 stars.
Tom and Reese met in college and have been an exclusive couple for five years. They graduated a few years back and both work full-time in Boston. Tom’s working in finance, and doing part-time school for an MBA and Reese is a receptionist/office gopher for a clothing concept company. Things have been going pretty well for these two, but with work and school, they are a bit on relationship autopilot, and their connection is beginning to unravel slightly.

There is a bit problem brewing for Tom, the imminent release of his overbearing and unrepentant Ponzi-schemer father from prison. He’s freaked, and decides to keep that to himself. It causes a strain that Reese immediately senses. Tom’s ringer is often off, and he’s begging off from their usual social outings. Reese has a very firm hand, and soft mouth, when it comes to opening Tom’s vault, but it’s pretty unfair that Reese has to do all the heavy lifting. When accounting irregularities begin popping up at his work, Tom’s putting in extra hours to clear any suspicion that might be directed at himself, being the son of a financial crook.

Meanwhile, Reese’s job is getting way more involved and intense as he’s called in to some creative meetings with the Marketing director, a suave Brit man named Niall. Niall thinks Reese’s ideas are great, and really admires his tenacity. As their work relationship grows, it becomes clear that Niall has designs on Reese, and not in a creepy way.

With Tom virtually ignoring him, it’s hard for Reese to confide the way his professional life is shifting, but Tom gets the hint at Reece’s company Christmas party–when he sees how close Niall and Reese are–and he’s kicking himself for summarily turning down all Reese’s invites to hang out with his work colleagues.

This is really a great established relationship read. Adult life is messy. There will always be people who wish to insert themselves into the personal relationships of others. Niall isn’t malicious, he’s ignorant of Reese’s partnership. That said, there’s a chemistry there, one that’s lacking with absentee-brooding Tom. I will assure readers that this book is all about the HEA. I hadn’t realized there was a Christmas theme here, but it comes across loud and clear. Tom reverted to his same self-isolation tactics as in OFF CAMPUS, and Reese took care of him now, as he did back then. There are a lot of steamy scenes in REAL WORLD. Because Tom is such a poor talker, he and Reese spend a LOT of time in sexytimes. Hooray for that! I was emotionally invested the entire time, and it really got to me when Tom didn’t trust Reese enough to confide. His grand gestures in the end, however, were a great sign that he’d turned that corner.

Interested? You can find REAL WORLD on Goodreads, Samhain Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play, and
AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Amy Jo CousinsAbout the Author:

Amy Jo Cousins writes contemporary romance and erotica about smart people finding their own best kind of smexy. She lives in Chicago with her son, where she tweets too much, sometimes runs really far, and waits for the Cubs to win the World Series. Amy Jo is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Greenburger Associates.

Readers interested in autographed copies of Amy Jo’s paperback books can order them from Chicago’s fabulous independent bookstore, The Book Cellar. They can ship anywhere, and will email me to let me know there are books to be signed if you care to order them!

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

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Seduced in SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER

Seven-Nights-Launch-Day-Blitz copy
Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER a contemporary new adult romance from Jeanette Grey. You’ll recall how much I liked WHEN THE STARS ALIGN, so I was excited to get a sneak peek at this new release. I can tell you RIGHT NOW, this book has burning sheets.

Ma Gawd. The sexytimes are off the charts.

Check out the excerpt below and make sure to enter BOTH book giveaways–one is a simple as commenting on this post.

SNTS
About the book:
Kate arrives in Paris hoping to find inspiration. Instead she finds Rylan. In a swirl of stolen kisses and hot, tangled sheets, Kate is quickly swept away by the sexy stranger, longing to surrender to his expert touch. With Rylan, nothing is forbidden-except the truth.

An American ex-pat worth millions, Rylan never flaunts his fortune. Rather, he guards his identity from everyone, especially women. No strings, no commitments, no complications. But the second his lips taste Kate’s soft, sweet skin, everything changes. For the first time, Rylan has found someone to share his every want and need. Yet he knows that secrets stand between them. To keep her, he’ll need to confess the truth before it’s too late . . . even if doing so could mean losing Kate forever.

By day, he’ll show her a side of Paris not found in any guidebook. By night, he’ll introduce her to a passion beyond her wildest dreams. In this sensuous story of indulgence and desire, Jeanette Grey delivers one of the most romantic reads of the year and proves why she is fast becoming a must-read star.

How about a little taste?

Kate stayed firmly planted in her seat as he offered to help her up. Trying her best to appear unaffected, she arched one eyebrow. “Does this usually work for you?”
The guy didn’t pull his hand back or in any other way appear to alter his strategy, and Kate had to give him points for that. “Yes, actually.”
“Interesting.”
The sad truth was, his offer was beyond tempting. The attention was nice, especially after her self-esteem had been beaten down the way it had in the past year. Hell, in the past twenty-two. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone who spoke fluent French showing her around, either. That he was as attractive as he was just made the deal sweeter.
“Not working so well on you, then?” he asked as she considered him.
“Not so far.”
His smile only widened. “Good. I like a girl who’s hard to crack.” Standing up straighter, he held his palms out at his sides. “Come on, what have you got to lose?”
“I’d say my wallet, but that’s already gone.”
“See? Low stakes. Listen, you don’t trust me.” That was an understatement. Was there a man left on Earth that she did? “I don’t blame you. Devilishly handsome man wanders into a café and buys you a drink without asking? Offers to show you around town? Very suspicious.”
“Very.”
“So let’s make this safe. You said you wanted to see the Louvre? Let’s go to the Louvre. I’ll show you all my favorites, and then if I haven’t murdered you by supper time, you let me take you someplace special. Someplace no guide book in the world would ever recommend.”
She was really running out of reasons to say no. It was a good plan, this one. They’d be in a public place. She’d have time to feel him out a little more. And if he wasn’t too much of a psycho, well, everyone had to eat, didn’t they?
Still, she kept up her air of skepticism. She rather liked all his efforts to convince her. “I don’t even know your name.”
The way his dimples shone when he lifted up one corner of his mouth was completely unfair. Extending his hand again, he offered, “Rylan. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Rylan. That was unusual. She liked it.
“Kate,” she volunteered in return, and with no more real excuse not to, she accepted the handshake, slipping her palm into his. Warm fingers curled around hers, his thumb stroking the side of her hand, and oh. The rake. He bent forward as he tugged on her hand, twisting ever so slightly so he could press his lips to the back of her palm.
“Charmed.”
“I’ll bet you are.” But her pulse was racing faster, and the kiss felt like it seared all the way to her spine.
This man was dangerous.
He straightened up but he didn’t let go. Sweeping his other arm toward the door, he asked, “So?”
She hummed to herself as she gazed up at him, as if there was any question of what she was going to do. His blue eyes sparkled, like he already knew her answer, too.
“Well.” She rose from her seat, feeling taller than usual. More powerful. Maybe it was all the flattery of a guy like this hitting on her. Maybe it was the headiness of making this kind of a decision. Either way, it made her straighten her shoulders and insert a little sway into the movement of her hips.
“Well?”
“Lead on,” she said.
He didn’t let go of her hand. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” With a squeeze of her fingers, he took a step toward the door. “Let’s go look at some art.”
External pressures aside, she had come to Paris to be inspired by beauty. She could find it on the walls of a famous museum. And she could find it in the lines of this man’s shoulders and throat. The latter might not have been what she’d had in mind when she’d set out, but what was a little bit of a diversion?
You couldn’t find yourself without taking a couple of side trips, after all.

My Review:
4.5 Stars for this contemporary New Adult (erotic) romance.

Kate is a woman filled with self-doubt, mostly because men (her father and ex-boyfriend) have put her down, a lot. She’s never had an orgasm with a man, and she’s not sure she can ever fall for a man–not after witnessing her mother’s destructive marriage, and her own disastrous single foray into dating.

Kate’s an artist spending a week in Paris hoping to learn what to do with her life–she has been accepted for her MFA in art, and she has a job offer at an ad agency. School, or work? If she can’t get a better sense how to do her art, she’s got to take the job, right.

Naturally, for Kate, her vacation/vision quest begins badly. Her purse is snatched at a cafe. Her coffee is picked up by a sexy stranger, Rylan, who entreats Kate to spend some time together, as her guidebook is now stolen, and he knows the city intimately. Kate gets the idea that Rylan knows a lot of women intimately, and this idea is verified by Rylan–who, let’s face it–is a lazy trust-fund brat having an extended temper tantrum. I do like Rylan, but he’s exactly that. He let his father dictate his life, and he was seriously disappointed and unhappy with the result.

Rylan convinces Kate to hang out, and also to let him seduce her–he’s sure he can satisfy her sexually and he spends several nights doing just that. There is a lot of sex, most of which is non-penetrative. Kate is initially nervous about having intercourse, so Rylan satisfies her in other ways, and he’s not specific about reciprocity. In fact, he counts his lack of action to be a penance for all the half-truths he reveals to Kate. He’s led her to believe that he’s a struggling ex-pat, though this is far from true. His father’s tarnished legacy has fallen into his lap, and he wants nothing to do with it. He has a lot of self-hate, which makes him more sympathetic. Plus, he lives to get Kate off, which is kinky fun.

Rylan wants nothing more than to spend these perfect days with Kate, but that gets snipped when she learns she’s just another lying liar, like her cheating ex and her cheating dad. Expect a frosty break-up, and a chance at redemption. Expect a whole lotta sexytimes, and a fragile ego to become a burnished self-esteem. Kate and Rylan have serious daddy issues, and they deal with them in similar ways. By the end, neither of them is running, which was good. The planned sequel looks to be just as sexy, and will provide the end of this story, though there was enough closure here for the story to rest.

Interested? You can find SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER on Goodreads,
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, GooglePlay, Kobo, and BAM.

****GIVEAWAY 1!****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win onE of TEN copies of SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER
a Rafflecopter giveaway

****GIVEAWAY 2!****

Comment on this post to be entered to win a paperback copy of SEVEN NIGHTS TO SURRENDER of your very own. I’d love to hear the most exotic place you have been and found a connection with someone–doesn’t have to be a sexy tale! If you went to Palm Springs and made a friend with a gardener, I’d love you to share…  This giveaway closes Tuesday Nov 10th at 5pm giving you…7 NIGHTS to get your comments in!!

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Jeanette GreyAbout the author:
Jeanette Grey started out with degrees in physics and painting, which she dutifully applied to stunted careers in teaching, technical support, and advertising. When she isn’t writing, Jeanette enjoys making pottery, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and her pet frog. She lives, loves, and writes in upstate New York.

Catch Jeanette online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads

Cover Reveal: DRIVEN SNOW by Tara Lain

Driven Snow Cover Reveal Blitz for BLOGHi there! I’m sharing a cover for Tara Lain’s DRIVEN SNOW, a contemporary re-telling of Snow White, with a gay twist. This one sounds fun! You know I enjoyed SINDERS AND ASH, so I wonder how this twisted fairy tale will pan out…

In the meantime, check out this pretty, pretty cover, and tell me Snow isn’t hot!
DrivenSnow-400x600
About the book:
Young Snowden “Snow” Reynaldi is brilliant, beautiful, and alone. Though he’s shy, weird, and tolerated by the NorCal University students because he’s a renowned whiz at chess and helps put the school on the map, that doesn’t keep him from dreaming of the object of his desires, Riley Prince, championship quarterback.

When Riley needs a physics tutor, Snow jumps at the chance, and their relationship heats up—but Riley has to come out of the jock closet to get anywhere. Meanwhile, Snow’s one true friend and mentor, Professor Kingsley, marries a woman who secretly wants the chess tournament glory and money for herself. Soon after, the professor collapses and Snow finds himself underwater—literally. In a car!

Seven frat brothers from Grimm College rescue Snow just in time for his life to get even worse, and Snow discovers the one relationship he always wanted slipping away. With evil looming at every turn, Snow must survive if only to prove he’s the fairest of them all and regain the trust of his handsome prince.

How about a little taste?

Snow nodded. “Now, this is pretty basic, but we can get a lot more sophisticated.” He scratched out a slightly more complex set of calculations, and Riley seemed absorbed.

“Man, this is so dope.”

“Glad you like it.”

“Wish Jenkins could make physics so interesting.”

“You have to create the excitement for yourself. See the potential.”

Riley looked up. “You make it exciting.” He smiled slowly. “You make everything exciting.”

“M-me?” Snow’s brain froze.

“Yeah. Why do you think I come see you play all the time? It’s like plugging into the solar system and catching the stars in my hand.”

“S-stars are gas.”

“The planets, then. I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while. I think you’re—”

The sound of a key in the lock brought both their heads up.

Nooooooo.

Like some cosmic joke, the apartment door opened and beautiful, perky, perfect Courtney Taylor walked in. “Oh, hi. Are you two still studying? Oh my gosh, Snow, you must be magic or something. No one could ever get him to study physics before. I told him, ‘You have to do it, baby. The team can’t do without you. Find a way to learn this shit.’ And what do you know? He found you. Amazing.” She walked over, pushed Riley’s head back, kissed him on the lips, and plopped down in his lap. “Did you learn a lot, baby?”

Her knee bumped Snow’s thigh, and he leaped up like he’d been shot. “Oh gosh, look at the time. Better get back to work myself. Have to study for the tournament and all.” Sweet God, he had to get out of there.

Riley stood Courtney on her feet and stepped over beside Snow. “When can you help me again? I’ve only got two weeks. I made so much progress today. I know you’re busy, and I hate to ask, but could you please—”

“Yes, of course. Just text me, okay?” He ripped out the pages they’d been working on, shoved the notebooks into his backpack, and headed for the door. He seemed to be running from everyone these days. “Bye. Bye, uh, Courtney.”

Outside the door, he clambered down the steep staircase and stopped at the bottom just to breathe.

What were you thinking, you idiot? That somehow his girlfriend had magically transformed into a teapot?

He started to tell me something. He said he’s wanted to tell me for a long time.

What are you dreaming? That he suddenly quit being straight and is attracted to a wimpy little queen like you? Spare me.

Okay. Okay.

The door to Eudora’s apartment flew open, and a hand emerged, holding a glass. “Hey, cutie. Have some water.”

Like it was perfectly normal to accept water while standing in hallways, he grasped the glass and drank the liquid down. Amazing how much better he felt.

She took the empty glass. “Lessons for the day. Don’t sell yourself short. And don’t believe everything you see. Got it?”

“I… I guess so.”

“Good.” She patted his cheek, and then the door closed behind her. If a caterpillar suddenly appeared saying “Who are you?”, he wouldn’t be even slightly surprised.

Interested? DRIVEN SNOW releases November 25th. You can find out more on Goodreads, and preorder it now on DreamSpinner Press (eBook, Paperback)

About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

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Baseball Lover? GAME ON!–Review & Giveaway

Game On BannerHi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a New Adult contemporary romance released today from Katie McCoy. GAME ON pits a cub reporter against a reluctant pro prospect. It’s fun and flirty and gets downright dirty.

Check out my review and enter the giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC and an e-copy of GAME ON.

Game On FINAL coverAbout the book:
Rule of reporting 101– don’t bang your subject.

Sophie Hall has just gotten the opportunity of a lifetime–to profile Nathan Ryder, the hottest baseball player since A-Rod, for her first solo assignment as a reporter. Rumor has it Nathan is going to be drafted to the Major league, and yet he still fits an intense training regime around volunteering at a animal shelter. He’s a prodigy with a heart of gold, as American as apple pie and has an ass that deserves a trophy all its own. He may be the country’s heartthrob, but Sophie isn’t going to fall for that. She just has to remain objective and cover the story.

But she didn’t bet on Nathan’s gorgeous green eyes or the way his arms flex with muscle when he’s holding a bat. And she certainly didn’t think he’d be witty and smart and caring. Nathan is completely untouchable, but she can’t help it if those lingering gazes turn into something more. How could she not fall at the thought of the hottest guy she’s ever met devoting his limited free time to saving puppies?

When Sophie’s scoop turns into Nathan’s scandal, Nathan needs her more than ever. With both of their careers on the line will they strike out – or hit a home run?

My Review:
Sophie Hall is a self-made journalist. She didn’t have the money for college, but she had gumption, and a love for baseball, so she started blogging and parlayed that into a junior staff position at a Houston newspaper.

She’s been assigned to get a piece on draft-hopeful Nathan Ryder, a pitcher at Univ Texas. She’s sent to Austin for a week and on her very first night her loser, unemployed guitarist boyfriend decides that she’s not into him enough, so he’s splitting to stay with a sexy bandmate—oh, and he neglected to pay her landlord the rent check she wrote out for him for the past three months so she’s being evicted in two weeks. Excellent. Sophie decides to kill her heartache with tequila poisoning, and she runs into Nathan Ryder in the bar. Nathan hits on her, and she uses her professional judgement to reveal that she’s got an appointment for an interview the next day.

Nathan, a notoriously shy guy off the field, is embarrassed and angry, and his attitude is not much better the following day. Sophie befriends a photo journalist, Mandy, who’s a good friend of Nathan’s and also smitten with Nate’s best friend, Chris. This gives Sophie a bit of an inside scoop, but nothing juicy enough for a feature article. And, she’s not really sure she wants to dig into Nathan’s past. He seems like a great guy, and she’s more than a little attracted.

As the story isn’t shaping up how her editor would like, he sends a senior reporter, and noted bigot/sexist to find the “story”. This guy is a classless hack, and his “investigation” finally yields dirt–not that it’s real. Sophie has a choice to make: Help herself, or help Nathan.

It’s not as cut-and-dried as all that. Sophie’s a smart gal and she’s ready to make Orangina from the bitter fruits of her labor. Her up-close contact with Nathan reveals him to be a regular guy with a nothing-special background who has made some admirable decisions that he doesn’t even want credit for making. He’s humble and decent and all that Sophie would want in a partner, but she’s too career-focused to consider it. Until, well, she’s smack in love. (She had lust at first sight, but that tempered over the week they spent together.) Nathan is also fiercely loyal, and when he thinks Sophie was digging up a contact that endangers a longtime friend, he’s beyond enraged. There’s some big “I’m sorry!“s to deliver after all that.

This is a decent romance with a bit of a baseball focus. Having been a player and fan of baseball for more than 3/4 of my life I recognize some deficiencies in the baseball bits, particularly the details surrounding Nathan’s draft, practices, end-of-season tournament structure, and hitting mechanics. As a reader it was frustrating, but I’m sure readers who know nothing about baseball will have no problems with these issues. Also, I found it hard to believe that a newspaper sends two reporters on a week-long trip to interview a draft prospect. Those details aside, this was entertaining. There’s a slow burn for all that attraction, which was nice. I liked that both Sophie and Nathan had some scruples regarding physicality, and waiting for the right time.

Interested? You can find GAME ON on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $10 Amazon GC and an E-copy of GAME ON.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:

Katie McCoy is a self proclaimed sushi addict, Cardinals baseball fanatic, and lover of all things theatrical. A St. Louis native transplanted to Brooklyn, she acts, sings, and shakes her booty when she isn’t writing books about hot men and the girls who love them.

You can find Katie online on Facebook and Goodreads. 

 

 

Finding Love WHEN THE STARS ALIGN–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for WHEN THE STARS ALIGN, a contemporary New Adult romance from Jeanette Grey. I picked this one up, needing a good romance between, wait for it, scientists! Yep. I’m a total nerd, and I want nerds to fall in love. I was aching for these two to make it work. And, they did.

When the Stars AlignAbout the book:
Their passion burned hotter than the stars . . .
For Josephine “Jo” Kramer, nothing has ever been easy. When she earns a summer internship in Puerto Rico, working at one of the world’s preeminent scientific facilities, she’ll let nothing distract her. Not her own insecurities, not the arrogant scientists, and definitely not her tall, chiseled research partner, Adam.

For Adam McCay, physics is simple-it’s women who are complicated. Especially brilliant, beautiful ones like Jo. From the moment they meet, he can feel the heat smoldering deep beneath her icy exterior. And Adam knows just what it will take to make Jo melt . . .

Under the endless stars of a tropical sky, Jo and Adam indulge their every desire. But as their internship comes to an end, their perfect island paradise is threatened. Was their time together a summer fling? Or is their passion hot enough to last the long winter nights?

My Review:
4.5 Stars for this contemporary New Adult romance.

https://i0.wp.com/www.naic.edu/public/about/photos/hires/ao001.jpgJo is a mess of a woman, a junior in college studying astronomy. She’s just begun a ten-week internship at the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico, and she’s not happy to be assigned a female mentor–because she’s always been pawned off on the “lesser” scientists, and Jo’s serious about making it in astronomy.

Thing is, Jo’s had it rough. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father was aloof, distracted or grieving. He’s a bit of a nightmare, actually, even saying that he’d wished for a son. His inability to be anything resembling a caring father has hurt Jo deeply. She’s sheltered herself in men’s clothes, and refashioned herself as asexually as possible–hiding in her own studies, and having a giant chip on her shoulder about men in science. (I can relate. Me = female scientist)

Adam is a man in the middle–of a breakup. His long-time girlfriend, Shannon, has asked for a “break” hoping that will ease the transition. This is hard for Adam who has a secure life, and loving relationships. He wants to be able to share the wonders of his internship, and Puerto Rico, and he his calls and messages to Shannon are intermittently returned and received in a luke-warm fashion.

jo from the facts of life

Imaging this gal, with facial piercings and a full back tat…

Adam has plans to return to the States for a scientific meeting, and meet up with Shannon in person, but she’s dragging her feet on her plans. And, completely separate to this thing with Jo. She intrigues Adam in a way that he never anticipated. She’s pierced and tattooed and filled to the brim with “Back Off!” and it draws more attention than he wants to give.

Their mentors are research partners, so Jo and Adam spend time together, lonely nights repositioning the scope’s sight. It leads to conversation, and the simmering attraction that neither can explain or deny.

Jo has always set herself apart, never opening herself for someone to hurt, and Adam’s so generous with his feelings, and his friendship. It could be more, except for Shannon. Which, honestly, is only the idea of Shannon–and of a man who does the right thing, at the right time, always.

Adam is truly a lovely guy, and even Jo recognizes that he’s someone worth her fragile heart taking a chance on. I loved the slow burn here, and how these two are the complete package, together. Jo is prickly. She’s not used to making herself vulnerable, but Adam’s a very patient guy. He’s sure Jo is a woman worth working to know. And love. Because love does bloom in the jungles of Puerto Rico, in the numbers and calculations that Jo tries to bury herself within.

I particularly liked how Jo took her time to come to terms with the big changes in herself, and her desires. I liked how driven she was, and how she examined herself at every turn. How thoughtful that she was regarding her life choices, and how she was willing to take steps to find happiness. She had to get over her fears, and her long-ingrained feelings of abandonment and worthlessness. This is not an immediate transition–and it didn’t happen immediately. It felt very organic, and realistic. As did the fledgling relationship Adam and Jo built.

Of course, there are only a handful of weeks left in their internship, and they both attend colleges in different cities. A long-distance relationship isn’t really what either of them wants, but is it possible?

This book has a positive resolution, with an HEA. There are some steamy sexytimes, as well. I loved that this was a story about two excellent people. They are not self-serving or jealous, or addicted to anything. They just want a good connection–even if Jo doesn’t want to admit it.

Plus, SCIENTISTS finding love!!!

image.pngYay!

Interested? You can find WHEN THE STARS ALIGN on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Google Play, and Kobo.

JeanetteGrey-color-close1About the Author:

RITA® finalist author Jeanette Grey started out with degrees in physics and painting, which she dutifully applied to stunted careers in teaching, technical support, and advertising. When none of that panned out, she started writing.

Never content to do just one thing, she is published in new adult, as well as contemporary, futuristic, and male/male romance. Her short fiction has appeared in two consecutive annual editions of Best Erotic Romance, and her novella, Take What You Want, was named one of Library Journal’s best books of the year.

In her spare time, Jeanette enjoys making pottery, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and her pet frog. She lives, loves, and writes in upstate New York.

She is a member of the Professional Authors Network of Romance Writers of America, as well as a member of Capital Region Romance Writers. She is represented by Mandy Hubbard of D4EO Literary Agency.

You can contact her via Twitter or FaceBook or by emailing jeanettelgreyATgmailDOTcom

Reaching the BREAKING UP POINT–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for BREAKING UP POINT, a contemporary M/M romance out today from Brian McNamara. I reviewed the previous book in the series, BOTTLED UP SECRET, and liked it, so I jumped into the sequel when it came on offer.

Breaking Up PointAbout the book:
Brendan Madden is starting his freshman year of college and, although excited, he is sad to say good-bye to his high school boyfriend, Mark. After a rough transition, Brendan carves out a place for himself at school, where he has new friends and newfound independence. With the added strain of distance, however, he now finds it hard to maintain his relationship with Mark, especially due to the fact that Mark still must hide the relationship from most of his friends.

Brendan’s college life allows him to be open and honest about who he is. He debates whether he is willing to compromise this for Mark, especially since staying in the relationship means forgoing the possibility of finding new romance at college.

My Review:
This book is the sequel to BOTTLED UP SECRET, and better enjoyed if the books are read in order.

To sum up from the previous book:  Brendan came out to his mother, one of his five sisters and his cadre of friends seven months ago. He has a closeted boyfriend, Mark, who is a senior in high school–though Brendan is just entering his freshman year at the Ohio State University. Mark and Brendan had shared some intimate experiences in the previous book, and Brendan is not eager to move things farther as he’s rather set on saving his virginity for marriage, but he’s not happy keeping the secret of Mark from their mutual friends, or in general.

As Mark begins his new life away from home he is open about his sexuality–to everyone, with positive results. He joins a musical theater group and slowly makes friends. At times I felt the prose dragged. For teens, this may seem like a roadmap regarding the initial college experience, but it was too telling, with little advancement. I struggled to emotionally connect with Brendan until the second half of the book.

Brendan does come out the rest of his family in this book–with mixed results. Three of his sisters are cool with it, two are NOT cool, bordering on homophobic, and his mom is on the fence. She still thinks his “situation” is a phase. I really began to engage with the book when all this started happening. Brendan’s interactions with Mark show advancement in terms of physicality, but not emotion. They are separated by distance, and different objectives. Brendan gets the (accurate) sense that Mark will never “come out” and he fully acknowledges that Mark had only dated girls before him.

As Brendan flails in his relationships, his new friendships thrive. In particular, Andres–a project partner from his business class–becomes a close confidante. It turns out that Andres provides very good counsel, and helps Brendan through the rocky issues with both Mark and his family. I liked Andres quite a bit. He’s a little older, and more mature than Brendan, but very compassionate and fun.

There are two sexy scenes in the book that are a little more graphic than fade-to-black, but they are not hot-and-heavy. Mark is exploring himself, and his boundaries. He talks a bit about the physical features of guys he likes (most specifically penis features), but this seemed in keeping with the character’s age and did not feel inappropriate for the audience. (Straight teen guys get graphic about the female body features they enjoy after all…)

I think I did enjoy this book more that the first, but it ends on a more bittersweet note. It explores the morass of coming out, and dealing with disapproving friends or family. It felt very honest, if a little naive. Brendan certainly owns his feelings regarding his family’s response to his news–and this was very engaging. The writing, at times, seems a little clunky, with stilted dialogue and too much description of stuff that was not central to the plot. That said, I do like Brendan, and I am intrigued about his future.

Interested? You can find BREAKING UP POINT on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  I received a review copy via NetGalley.

McNamara, BrianAbout the Author:

The youngest of six kids (and the only boy!), Brian McNamara was born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. His favorite hobbies growing up were tennis and musical theater. He obtained a degree in finance in 2009 and moved to New York City shortly after to work for a management consulting firm. While pursuing his true passions of writing and acting on the side, he decided to quit his corporate job to focus all his energy on what he loved.

Brian can be contacted at BrianMcNamara.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Real Life in SEX, LOVE, AND VIDEOGAMES–Review & Giveaway

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a newly-released contemporary M/M coming of age/coming out novel by CJane Elliot. SEX, LOVE AND VIDEO GAMES is the third book in the Serpentine series that revolves around young gay men of the University of Virginia.

I really enjoyed the diversity of characters and the heartbreaking realness of the story.This book features a loving, God-fearing, Southern black family containing a poor, dyslexic, gay young man, and his flamboyant transgender cousin, and a wealthy white gay young man–all of whom find joy, acceptance and heartbreak. (Not in that order, though!!)

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for the three book set!

Sex, Love, and Videogames (Serpentine #3)About the book:
Shy guy Jed Carter has always felt invisible next to his charismatic older brother, Kent. Kent’s master plan for Jed is simple: University of Virginia, fraternity, business, sports, and ladies’ man. None of it is Jed, except for playing on the rugby team, which he joins in defiance of soccer-loving Kent. Jed comes out in his sophomore year and starts seeing Pete, an attractive junior, who uses him for sex and videogames. Jed wants more—in life and in love—and starts making his own plans. First on the list: getting to know Charlie, the handsome guy working at the local videogame arcade.

Charlie Ambrose has always felt like an oddball, and not just for his tendency to stutter. Being gay sets him apart from his African-American community, and as a “townie,” he doesn’t fit in with the college crowd. Charlie’s inspiration is his cousin, Morocco, who’s transgender and doesn’t give a fig about fitting in. Art is Charlie’s passion, and when a local videogame designer discovers him, Charlie’s living a dream. The only thing he’s missing is love. But the last person Charlie expects to find it with is a cute, white U.Va. rugby player named Jed.

How about a little taste?

“Okay, warm up laps!” Beau led the rugby team in a slow circuit around the perimeter of Mad Bowl. After a few laps, he stopped and had them do stretching exercises.
The other team did their warming up, and when they moved to take positions, Jed noticed a pair of people standing on the sidelines. His breathing stopped for a second. Charlie stood, hands in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot, while Morocco, a vision in a pink track suit, set up a camp chair (apt name, that) and sat down. Morocco saw Jed looking and waved. Charlie turned and gave a small wave himself, and Jed waved back, heart beating faster.
“Who’re they?” Bud asked, squinting over at them.
“Um, Charlie’s a guy who works at Lucky’s. In the gaming area. And the other is his cousin.”
“Hmm. Townies?”
“Yep.”
“She’s cute.”
“Um, well, about that….” Jed cut himself off because the referee blew the whistle. Time to play ball and hope he did well in front of those two.
The game proved the usual testosterone-fest, with lots of grunting and body contact. When Jed scored some points, Morocco produced pom poms that matched her outfit and waved them wildly.
At the break, Jed ran over to them for a minute to say hi—fuck what the rest of the team thought.
“Jed, child, my word!” Morocco fanned her chest. “Y’all are such manly men! Rugby is going to be my new obsession, I just know it!”
“I like it. My mom never let me play contact sports in high school, so I kinda love ramming into people.” Jed felt his cheeks flame at what he had said. Crap-a-doodle.
But Morocco laughed and Charlie faked a cough so he could smile behind his fist.
“So, hey, thanks for coming. I gotta go back now.”
Charlie nodded as Morocco said, “We’ll see you after the game.” She picked up her pom poms. “Wa-hoo-wa!”
When the team huddled before the second half, a homophobe named Welburn said with a sneer, “Who are those freaks on the sidelines?”
Another guy laughed. “Yeah. I thought all the he-shes lived in San Francisco.”
“What’re you talking about?” Bud peered over toward Charlie and Morocco. “That girl?”
Welburn spit on the ground. “That girl is no she. She’s a he. What the hell are they doing here?”
Beau raised his voice. “Hey, concentrate, guys. We need to win this game.”
Jed held up a hand to stop Beau from continuing. “Before we do that, you all need to know that those are some friends of mine. So shut your fucking faces before I shut them for you.” He leveled a lethal glare at Welburn and his compatriot.
Fueled by his anger, Jed played an amazing second half, and the team pulled out a victory on the strength of his points alone. After their team high five, he trotted over to Charlie and Morocco. Charlie smiled broadly while Morocco jumped up and down. “Jed, Jed, Jed! Wa-hoo-wa! Thass right!”
“Okay, okay.” Jed couldn’t help laughing at Morocco’s outrageous enthusiasm. “Thanks for coming to the game.”
“It was fun. I’m glad we came.” Charlie took a step back, seemingly surprised to have gotten two stutter-free sentences out.
“I’m glad too.” They gazed tentatively at each other, and Morocco suddenly got busy folding up the camp chair.

My Review:
This is a coming out, coming of age story for two young men of very different backgrounds. While this is part of a series, it is fully enjoyable as a standalone read.

Jed is a white, northern Virginian, younger brother to charismatic Kent, and gay. Secretly gay. He has a crush on Kent’s best friend, and is loath to come out amid the gay slurs and homophobic environment of the frat Kent pushes Jed to join when Jed arrives at UVa in Charlottesville. He’s angry and defiant and passive-aggressive, especially when he sees out-gay men being out, and gay. A YEAR passes in the state, and still only Jed’s BFF, Myesha (a black girl he works with), knows his big gay secret. Well, until he blurts it out in the heat of frustration, in a crowd of his bigoted frat brothers.

Charlie is of mixed race: white mom, black dad, and his father was killed in a military training exercise years ago. He lives in Charlottesville with his mom and his dad’s extended family, who are all fully black, and good churchgoing folk. His closest confidant is Morocco, his transgender cousin–who the family matriarch, Granny Myrt, still calls “Ronald.” While his family doesn’t give Morocco trouble over her female dress and hair, they don’t generally approve. Still, the are Southern, and good Southern folk don’t speak about giant rabid elephants trouncing the parlor, apparently. It’s not genteel, I suppose. (disclaimer, I’m a white Yankee so this I had to take on faith.)

Charlie suffers a learning disability, but he’s a talented artist. Instead of joining Morocco at college, he works at a videogame parlor/arcade/restaurant and his drawings are admired by a videogame maker who frequents the shop. Having no formal training, a crippling shyness, and a stutter, it takes Charlie a long time to open up to people, but Morocco’s encouragement goes a long way.

The book spans three years, and only the last six months bring Jed and Charlie into direct contact. During the first 60% of the book both of these men are coming to terms with their sexuality, coming out, and initiating fledgling sexual acquaintances. It is more bitter than sweet for both of them–who are essentially used by partners and take the meager scraps of physicality they are tossed because they have no self-esteem. I was glad to see this change in Charlie. Jed’s heart is stomped on, and he comes out the other side. Both men develop the skills to stand up for themselves in many ways–professionally, and academically, which was good to see.

When Jed and Charlie do connect their skittishness is cute, but equally frustrating, as they struggle to demonstrate their interest clearly. Charlie also fears coming out to his entire family–though Morocco and his mother do know Jed is his boyfriend. Upside, they find happiness with each other.

I don’t really consider this book a clear romance, however. It is good storytelling, with interesting characters and all, but the long exposition and parallel plot paths keeping Charlie and Jed separate overshadow a traditional romantic arc. I truly enjoyed the “black” side of this book, as it was so tenderly rendered. Having known many black people and families closely in my life, I felt the characters were very close to real. Granny Myrt is a real trip, and her grudging acceptance of Morocco and Charlie’s revelations are so welcome. Also, Charlie’s anguish of being “not black enough” as a mixed-race kid was something some of my friends experienced–and it’s a raw deal that was touched upon in real ways here. I very much appreciated the diversity of culture and race in this book–Jed and Charlie are a bridge between their two worlds, and I found their overcoming of these divisions to be heartening and heartwarming.

Interested? You can find SEX, LOVE, AND VIDEOGAMES on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance eBooks.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link bleow for your chance to win ecopies of the Serpentine Series.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.

In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

You can find CJane on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
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Living Through RECKLESS HOPE–Review & Giveaway

RH bannerHi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a contemporary New Adult M/M romance, RECKLESS HOPE, by j. leigh bailey. This is the second book in the Letting Go series, about young men who find love when they are least looking for it. I really enjoyed NOBODY’S HERO, and I found RECKLESS HOPE to be a touching story about living through loss, and making the best of bad circumstances.

CARINA_0815_9781459290068_RecklessHope.inddAbout the book:
What’s life without a little risk?
Or a lot of risk, if you’re Sebastian Carlisle. He’ll never live up to the legacy of his dead brother, so why try? Being the wild child in a family of stuck-up rich snobs suits him just fine.

Until he meets Micah Burke, and everything changes.

Micah’s got too much going on for a relationship. Even if he could trust Sebastian, a distraction—a sexy, reckless distraction with a death wish—would only derail his carefully scheduled life. If it were just Micah, maybe that would be fine, but his mother and sister depend on him, and he can’t let them down. Or at least that’s what he tells himself.

A hot moment leads to a hot night leads to a connection neither of them are ready for. And when a crisis hits Micah’s family hard, Sebastian will have to shed his bad-boy image and decide whether he can be the man Micah needs—and Micah needs to decide whether he’ll let him.

How about a little taste?

“I thought I knew what kind of person you were.”

“Yeah, you made that pretty clear.”

Micah cringed, but kept going. “You take for granted everything I work my ass off to achieve. It’s easy for you. And now I know there’s more to you than that. I don’t understand your choices, or the need for an adrenaline rush you seem to have.” He held up a hand to keep Sebastian from saying anything. He scooted up, resting his back against the handlebars. “I don’t have to understand. It’s part of who you are.”

“Somehow I don’t think this discussion is heading in a direction I’m going to like.” Sebastian drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

“The thing is, you’re a bad influence on me.”

“I don’t—”

“You don’t even have to do anything. Take tonight, for instance.”

“Tonight?”

“I have a midterm tomorrow. I should be studying. Or even sleeping. Instead I’m here. I never have trouble doing what I’m supposed to do. Setting aside my ‘want tos’ to do my ‘have tos.’ Except around you.”

“I’m not trying to make your life harder. I’m just trying to be part of it.”

“That’s what I don’t get. You could have almost anyone. You could find someone a hell of a lot less complicated than me.”

“You may not believe it, but I don’t mind complications.”

My Review:
This is the second book in a series, but is fully enjoyable as a standalone.
4.5 Stars.

Micah Burke is 19 going on 62. He is the guardian for his 14 y/o sister and caregiver to his paraplegic mother. Two years ago his alcoholic parents were responsible for a car wreck that killed his father, paralyzed his mother, and killed three others. Since then he has had to take on two jobs and the role of parent. He barely makes ends meet and only goes out one night a month–one night of dancing–where he meets Sebastian Carlisle.

Sebastian Carlisle is as rich as they come. He’s a sophomore at Northwestern and an entitled prick with a sad history–his twin died of leukemia four years ago. His parents have pretty much moved to Europe and his only remaining family is his wealthy, but strict, grandfather–who absolutely does not approve of Sebastian’s risky life choices. Since then, Bas has lived his life on the edge, never showing his tenderness or vulnerability to anyone. Something about staid and sober Micah calls to Bas, reminds him of his conscientious and caring brother. The closer Sebastian gets to Micah, the more Micah tries to push him away–at first.

Micah has no time for a flighty boyfriend, but he can see that Sebastian isn’t a relationship guy. This is (at first) a problem–Micah doesn’t do casual, but then again Micah doesn’t do…anything. The close contact Micah and Sebastian have while working at the Carlisle Gardens Nursing Home (Micah as a CNA and Sebastian as a volunteer) keeps tempting Micah to take Sebastian up in his offers of fun. And casual sex…

This is a definite hurt/comfort story of two lonely young men looking for a partner who can be a support, not a burden. Micah is the first guy Sebastian has met in a long while who wants nothing from him–not money or contacts or anything, except a bit of fun now and then. Micah is sure being with Sebastian is a mistake–that he will let Micah down, just as everyone else in his life has. He’s so sure that he continually pushes Sebastian away, even when he truly needs his help.

I did like when Micah opened up, and asked Sebastian for help. And Sebastian’s response was way past stellar. I loved how Sebastian just meshed with the most difficult people–cantankerous old men and wild teens. He saw pieces of himself reflected in others and decided that he didn’t need to live up to his brother’s memory–rather he could behave like someone his brother would have been proud to know, and love. It was a very touching coming-of-age. These guys are young for all the tragedy in their lives, but the end speaks of happier days and a brighter future together. Expect a bit of angst and a decent amount of sexytimes.

Interested? You can find RECKLESS HOPE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win ebook copies of both book sin the Letting Go series.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the author:
j. leigh bailey is an office drone by day and the author of New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in the way of… well, everything…but some habits aren’t worth breaking. She’s been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance, relationships and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She’s a firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending.

She wrote her first story at seven, which was, unbeknownst to her at the time, a charming piece of fan-fiction in which Superman battled (and defeated, of course) the nefarious X Luther. She was quite put out to be told, years later, that the character’s name was actually Lex. Her second masterpiece should have been a best-seller, but the action-packed tale of rescuing her little brother from an alligator attack in the marshes of Florida collected dust for years under the bed instead of gaining critical acclaim.

Now she writes New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance novels about boys traversing the crazy world of love, relationships and acceptance.

You can find j. leigh online on Facebook, her Facebook Author Page, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Happy Book Birthday COWBOY VALENTINE–Excerpt & Giveaway

Cowboy Valentine RDLHi there! Today, I get the pleasure to welcome a new book into the world. COWBOY VALENTINE by Mia Hopkins is a New Adult erotic romance fresh off the press over at Samhain Publishing. And it is yummmmmmmy. Don’t forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!
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About the book:
Forget chocolate and flowers. This homegrown honey is all the sweetness he craves.
Small-town life is nothing but a waiting room for eighteen-year-old honor student Corazón Gomez. Work and school leave little time for love, but with a full-ride Ivy League scholarship and a one-way ticket out of the boondocks, who needs it?

The answer appears on Valentine’s Day when her old cowboy crush ambles into the ice cream parlor where she works, inviting her to go on a late-night ride in his truck. For the first time she wavers between staying on the straight and narrow, and going off-road with the handsome heartbreaker.

After four years working on ranches all over the country, Caleb MacKinnon is back on the family farm helping out his mom and brothers while his father fights cancer. The one bright spot: smart, funny, and wickedly sexy Cora.

From the start, they both know this blazing-hot love affair can’t last. But when autumn comes and Cora has to leave for the East Coast, Caleb must find a solution to keep himself—and his heart—from falling apart.

Warning: Contains hard, cherry-poppin’ sex in a pickup truck and a cowboy charmer who talks dirty in two languages.

How about a little taste?

The cigarette calmed her down some, so she turned back to the shop to finish closing. When she reached for the handle of the door, a pair of headlights lit up the storefront and a big engine shuddered into Park behind her.

She stubbed out her cigarette on the rim of a trash can and turned around. The driver’s side door squeaked open and shut.

“We’re closed,” she said to the figure who walked up to her, a tall man in jeans, a plaid shirt and a cowboy hat.

He looked up in the faint light coming from the store window. “That so?” he drawled. His voice was deep.

“Afraid so.” Cora squinted at him. “Do I know you?”

The man stepped farther into the light. “Maybe.”

He was about six feet or so, with high cheekbones and a clean-shaven chin. His skin was tanned and freckled, as though he spent long hours in the sun. He tipped his hat back, and at once Cora saw his eyes—green but with pupils rimmed in gold. He was handsome as hell.

“You’re a MacKinnon kid,” she said, although she knew full well which one he was, and that he was no kid.

“Caleb.”

“I remember you from school. You graduated like three, four years ago.”

He looked down at her. His scrutiny scorched her cheeks. “I want to say I remember who you are, but I can’t,” he said at last. “What’s your name?”

“Cora. Corazón Gomez.”

Caleb put a boot on the parking block and hooked his thumbs onto his belt. “Wait. I think I remember you too. You were that really smart one. The freshman in my chemistry class who knew all the answers. I think I had you in Spanish too. The teacher always made a big deal about your name meaning… What was it?”

“Heart. Corazón means heart.”

His eyes locked on hers and he nodded slowly, in no hurry to respond. To keep from fidgeting, she put her hands in the pockets of her uniform, wondering if he was going to say anything more. In the quiet, the wind rustled through the ocean of sagebrush that grew across the road.

“Well, I have to finish closing up.” She tried to sound casual. “Nice seeing you again, I guess.”

He still hadn’t stopped staring at her, but when she broke eye contact with him and turned toward the door, he cleared his throat. “Um, any chance I could get a sundae? I’ve had a hell of a night. I’d appreciate it.”

“I don’t think I’m supposed to let you in after closing time.”

“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

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I can tell you right now, that this book is a steamer! Watch out for my review next week.

Interested? You can find COWBOY VALENTINE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Samhain Publishing, Books-A-Million, and Kobo.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win books from Mia!
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

HEADSHOT(1)About the author:
Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends.

When she’s not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. In a past life, she was a classroom teacher and still has a pretty good “teacher voice” and “teacher stare.” She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs.

Catch up with Mia online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
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Big Changes Living BAREFOOT IN THE CITY OF BROKEN DREAMS–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for Brent Hartinger’s BAREFOOT IN THE CITY OF BROKEN DREAMS, the sequel to THE THING I DIDN’T KNOW I DIDN’T KNOW and it’s really a quiet, engaging advancing love story. Russel and Kevin are two 20-something high school sweethearts who are finding their way through this kooky life.

Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams (Russel Middlebrook The Futon Years, #2)About the book:
“There was no way moving to Los Angeles was going to make me give up my soul. After all, I’d already seen all the movies about Hollywood. I knew how things worked.”

Twenty-four year-old Russel Middlebrook and his boyfriend have moved to Los Angeles so Russel can try to make it as a screenwriter. Almost right away, in a forgotten old house off of Sunset Boulevard, Russel meets Isaac Brander, a once-famous film producer who is convinced he can turn Russel’s screenplay into a movie.

Russel knows that success can’t possibly come this easy. After all, most of Russel’s Los Angeles friends are so desperate to make it that it’s downright scary. His ex-boyfriend, Otto, is trying everything to become an actor, and Daniel, the sexy neighbor, doesn’t even need a casting couch to get naked.

So what’s the catch with Mr. Brander? Could it be that movies about Hollywood don’t tell the whole truth? But what does that mean for Russel’s soul?

Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams, a companion book to Brent Hartinger’s The Thing I Didn’t Know I Didn’t Know, is a fast-paced, funny story about the price of fame in Hollywood: the hilarious lengths people will go to achieve it, and the touching secret to survival when things don’t work out exactly as planned.

My Review:
This is the second book in the Futon Years series, and follows a longer YA series surrounding Russel Middlebrook. It is probably best enjoyed reading this series in order, but it is not essential.
4.5 stars.

Russel is 24 and dating his high school flame, Kevin, seriously. They have moved to LA so that Russel can get into the screenwriting business. He has one contact, Otto, a former summer camp boyfriend, who is an actor–struggling to get work because he has a burn scar on his otherwise beautiful face.

Russel is not prepared for the culture shock that is the LA scene. Otto schools him a bit, but Russel is dumbfounded often by his naïveté. He is offered a contract on his screenplay, Cup of Joe, and really becomes blind to a lot of issues that crop up around the pre-production meetings, and he especially takes Kevin for granted. Kevin had a stable job which he gave up for a lesser paying gig in LA, land of traffic.

Their one bedroom apartment is worn and awful, and inhabited by only a few friendly neighbors and perhaps the ghost of a dead screenwriter. Russel reaches out to Regina, a fellow screenwriter, whose girlfriend Gina is a struggling comedienne. They are good sounding boards, and become good friends, though not without problems. And Daniel, the barely 18, clearly questioning Latino boy who has no issues trying to con Russel, or Kevin, or both into some compromising situations is an interesting barometer for the heat between Kevin and Russel.

Thing is, this book moves rather quickly through several months and several large changes for Russel. He has this movie deal, or does he? He has Kevin, or does he? Otto is his friend, but does he want more? I loved the voice here, and Russel is a comfortable head case to try on now and again. He is snarky, but honest. He steps into big messes and doesn’t know how to fix them–because he is young and naïve and trying hard to figure life out without sharing to anyone how inexperienced he truly is.

I was honestly taken by surprise at the end. Russel doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about his feelings for Kevin. He’s a rather self-involved man, but not in a mean way. He’s mostly oblivious, which is where he got into trouble with the screenplay. He wants, so much, to be doing the right thing that he doesn’t always see how all the wrong things are happening. He doesn’t see Otto coming on to him. He doesn’t see Daniel playing him for a fool. Because he wants to trust that his worldview is shared by the few people he lets into his confidence, even when it isn’t.

And, he does so much better in the end that I really liked him that much more. His taking responsibility and stepping into a more adult role, both as a partner and a professional, was enjoyable–I only wished to have had more of that.

Interested? You can find BAREFOOT IN THE CITY OF BROKEN DREAMS on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

About Brent Hartinger:
I am Brent Hartinger, and I live to write.

For the last twenty years, I have made my living writing just about everything that involves words.

My most famous book is probably my 2003 gay teen novel, Geography Club, which has been adapted into a feature film starring Scott Bakula, Marin Hinkle, Ana Gasteyer, Justin Deeley, and Nikki Blonsky. It was released in selected theaters and on VOD on November 15, 2013.

You can find Brent on his website, Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!