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How Not to Break by Susan Hawke: Release Day Blitz with Excerpt

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Take one former SEAL with a healthy dose of regret…

Nick St. Cloud is living with shame from the one time he let his lust override his sense of honor. He’s haunted by the memory of when he made love to his best friend’s eighteen-year-old son. The tragic accident that happened that same night has only compounded his guilt. A decade later, he’s doing his best to be there for Charlie’s son, but anything more than that just wouldn’t be right… would it?

Plus the younger guy who he’s tried to forget…

It’s been ten years. Ten long years. Does Shaw Michaelson feel bad about having seduced his dad’s best friend? Umm, maybe? Although he could’ve done things differently, Shaw can’t find it within himself to be sorry for the hottest night of his life with the one man he’s never been able to forget. The man he’s patterned every subsequent relationship after… yeah, Shaw totally has a type.

Equals a pair of men who deserve a second chance at a first time.

The two men are living in an uneasy peace within the same small town and circle of friends, being careful not to let the other get close enough to open old wounds. All their walls fall when a stalker begins terrorizing Shaw, sending him running to the one man he knows will keep him safe.

This is the fourth book in the LOVESTRONG series about finding love and being yourself in a small town. Intended only for 18+ readers, this is an mm romance full of all the fun, fluff, and feels you’d want from an S. Hawke book.

Note: Possible trigger warning for the mention of an animal being harmed off-page and the psychological trauma of being stalked.

How Not to Break

A LOVESTRONG NOVEL

Susan Hawke

M/M Romance

Release Date: 03.09.19

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Rising from my chair, I got right up in his space and glared up at him. “I know it’s hard for you to wrap your brain around this, but I’m a man. A grown-ass man. I don’t need a keeper, a savior, a knight in shining armor, or a master. Get it through your skull, and pass the memo along to any and all interested parties.”

I was so angry at this point that I was shaking. And he wasn’t the only one I was pissed at. I turned and pointed at Rick. “And as for you… you can wipe that smug shit off your face, because that goes for you too. If you want to help me, then go find whoever’s behind all this crap. I’m leaving, Rick. If you follow me, I swear to God I will kick you in the nuts. Seth, give me a five-minute head start, okay? Make sure Rick doesn’t try to follow me, because I don’t want to get arrested for assaulting an officer.”

Seth was laughing his ass off as I stormed out of the bar. I hadn’t made it even half a step over the threshold before Nick came rushing up after me.

“Goddammit, Shaw. Walk off in a huff on your own time, not when you have a stalker. Seriously, you can’t be an idiot when you have someone stalking you. At least let me walk you to your car if you won’t let me do anything else for you.”

Instead of commenting, I merely pulled my key fob out of my pocket and clicked the button to unlock my car. Headlights flashed from where it was parked two spaces from the door. I waited for him to notice that before I spoke. “See? Not an idiot. I actually thought ahead and parked by the door. Go me!”

Nick groaned, rubbing a hand over the top of his head as if I frustrated him so much that he couldn’t even deal. Good. That made two of us because I couldn’t deal with him right now either. “I don’t think you’re an idiot. I think you’re vulnerable—there’s a difference. You’re a small guy, Shaw. You could be easily overpowered.”

I was almost to my driver’s door when Nick decided to prove his point. He pulled a slick move that had me bent backward over my hood and gaping into his face where it hovered just above mine. I was beyond pissed… and more than a little bit turned on.

The fucker had the nerve to wink. “See how easy it was to overpower you? Tell me, Shaw—do you have any idea how to turn the tables and get free of my hold? Sure, this is me right now, but if it was someone else? This is why you need protection.”

Without stopping to think it through, I acted on impulse. Grabbing his head, I pulled him forward as I leaned in to close the distance and kissed him hard. My cock came to full attention when the kiss got away from me. Frustration turned to passion somewhere along the way and I forgot what I was doing for a few. While our tongues danced against each other, Nick eased up on his hold to run a hand lightly along my side. Despite my racing heart and aching cock, the moment I felt the touch of his hand, I remembered my half-assed idea that had gotten me here.

Gotcha.

Breaking the kiss, I quickly ducked under his arm and whipped open my driver’s door, slipping into the car while he stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. I started the car, then cracked the window just enough to slip my hand out to flip him off.

I followed the gesture with a little taunting. “Tell me, Nick. Was that distraction a good enough tool to get free? Piss off. I’m neither your charity case nor your ward to protect. I’m a man, Nick. A man who can take care of his own shit. Have a good evening!”

I glanced into the rearview mirror and grinned when I saw that he stood gaping after me as I drove off. I would call the points Shaw: one, Nick: zero—except for the fact that I was driving away with tingling lips and a throbbing cock. Talk about a plan backfiring.

 

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

Amazon Author: https://amzn.to/2Hdgwvl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanHawke/

 

Chasing Eddie by Frank W. Butterfield: RDB, Excerpt and Giveaway

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January 29, 2019

Eddie Smith is a chubby bear of a guy who lives in Daytona Beach and doesn’t work much anymore but isn’t retired.

Whit Hall has just retired as a tight end for an NFL expansion team and lives in San Antonio.

At 52, Eddie feels at home with himself and has learned how to roll with life. He’s happy enough where he is and doesn’t expect much to happen anytime soon.

At 35, Whit is ready for a life that put less of a strain on his body. He’s banked plenty of dough but doesn’t know what to do next.

. . .

About to sit down to his favorite take-out lasagna, Eddie gets a call from a friend who wants to hire him to help Whit figure out what’s next in his life.

Eddie is a kinda, sorta life coach and might be able to help but seriously doubts it.

Reluctantly, he climbs aboard his friend’s private jet and flies to San Antonio. Once he arrives, he ends up getting a whole lot more than he bargained for. Whit Hall is aggressive, he’s angry, and he’s under a lot of pressure.

It’s a good thing Eddie (sorta) knows what he’s doing!

. . .

Now that he’s retired, Whit is looking for the next thing.

He’s set, with plenty of bank. And he’s doing what he can to deal with his parents, who are all up in his business. A lot.

Then, one Wednesday morning, he opens his front door. Before he knows it, Whit is chasing Eddie Smith out of his house, down the street, and even further.

It’s a good thing Whit is (kinda) in shape for this new type of chase!

. . .

Neither man wants to go far…

But unexpected changes are chasing them both…

Wherever they end up going, and whatever ends up happening, this will be the beginning of something new and wonderful for them both.

. . .

This 45K word stand-alone contemporary male/male (MM) romance involves a chubby bear guy and a retired professional football player.

Included:

Some tension…

Hints of a coming-out story…

Medium-heat sexual descriptions…

Slightly nerdy details…

Some metaphysics…

And a HEA (that’s a happily-ever-after)…

 

Not included:

Much angst…

Graphic sexual descriptions…

A cliff-hanger…

 

This story is the beginning of a series of contemporary romantic adventures. It ends with the start of one of those, so there are some loose plot points but no cliff-hanger.

Topics: virgin, virgin hero, out for you, first time romance, mid-life transformation, innocent first timer, late bloomer

. . .

Golden Gate Love Stories are all about the lives and loves of men who fall in love with each other and find the one they were waiting for.

Set in the same universe as the Nick Williams Mystery Series and the Daytona Beach Book Series, these love stories focus on the men who come together, find true love, and really do live happily ever after.

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

Golden Gate Love Stories

Book #1 – The One He Waited For – Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #2 – Their Own Hidden Island – Amazon US | Amazon UK

He looked at me for a long moment. His violet eyes got more focused and I wondered what was going on in that head of his with its tufted hair on top and strange gray streaks.

I could feel my attraction for him suddenly come front and center. Like always happened, my knees got a little weak and my mouth got dry.

I held his gaze for as long as I could, wondering what was really going on. I knew what I wanted to happen. I wanted something… Like a kiss or more. I was pretty sure he’d been watching me as if he was attracted to me. His eyes always went to my belly, which was a tell-tale sign. Right then, however, his violet eyes were drilling into mine.

As always, I started doubting myself. Maybe I was mis-reading him entirely. Maybe he was just a friendly straight guy. As we looked at each other, all of those thoughts, and more, ran through my head.

Of course, I’d been hired by Bob to do a job and kissing Whit wasn’t in the job description. And it wasn’t ethical for me to kiss him. Not that I adhered to some sort of written code of ethics. I just didn’t think it was respectful of Whit as a client, even though he really wasn’t my client, but that was splitting hairs.

Nevertheless, I was tempted to put my left hand around his waist, but I was afraid how he would react. It was hard to be around a big scaredy-cat who might bite, and hard, at any moment.

So, with all that going through my mind, I stood perfectly still and examined the violet in his eyes, something that was remarkable to look at.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

He turned and looked at the river. After another few seconds, he leaned against one of the trees and crossed his arms. “Knowing this is here is enough to get me to stay.”

“Oh?” I asked, wishing I had some water to drink.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I talked to my business manager about putting the house up for sale. He thinks I could make a profit on it, considering that I owned it.”

I looked over at the river, not wanting to show him what I thought of that idea. But, somehow, he knew I had an opinion.

“What?”

“I guess I would never think of paying a premium on a house because a football player had lived there. Not one like that one. You’ve got a historical marker, after all.”

He didn’t say anything. I looked over at him. He was staring out at the river.

“I tried to get the city to let me remove that thing—”

“What!” I couldn’t help myself.

He looked at me, frowning. Shrugging, he said, “Well, I don’t give a shit about how old it is or who lived in it.”

“Well, then, why the hell did you buy it?”

He leaned forward, aggressively. “I didn’t buy it. My mother did.”

I leaned back. “Oh.”

He took a deep breath and then said, “Sorry. I promised Ossler I wouldn’t do that again.”

I knew what he meant, but I wanted to hear him say it. “Do what?”

“Get in your face.” He did look contrite which, on him, was really cute.

“Thanks, Whit.”

He looked down at me and smiled a little. “No sweat, Coach.”

I grinned and shook my head.

He laughed and then patted his belly. “OK. Now, I’m hungry.”

“Me too.”

Although Frank worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast. Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983. After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he now makes his home in a hurricane-proof motel, built in 1947, with superior water pressure. While he hasn’t met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.

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Moved By You by Ann Lister: Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Vance feels trapped. He never cared about his family’s wealth and prestige, but he finds himself pinned in place by the weight of his father’s expectations. Vance would much rather sweat in his studio creating metal sculptures with his blow torch than take any kind of position at the family firm. When pressure from his father mounts, Vance is torn between going with the flow or making waves. But everything changes when Vance hits a bike messenger with his car.

Kyle has drifted through his life with a massive chip on his shoulder against the privilege that’s always been just out of reach. His job as a bike messenger doesn’t help. He’s stuck delivering packages to the very elites he loathes. When Vance crashes into Kyle, they’re suddenly thrust onto different paths than they ever expected. But can they take this new path together, or will egos and societal privilege create too many obstacles to overcome?

Moved By You is a 67,000 word MM novel with an enemies to lovers theme, and a HEA.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

 

I am normally a fan of Ann Lister. But this story was a disappointment for me.

What should have been an opposites attract kind of love story was, in fact, 2 guys bickering all of the time, misunderstanding each other, making assumptions, walking out, etc etc etc.

Their first encounter was expected. Hot office guy oogling the bike messenger. The second encounter- when hot office guy hits the bike messenger, literally, was a bit jarring. The bike messenger was just. so. mad.

Then he flips and he is nice. But wait, now it is time for the other guy to be a jerk.

Back and forth they go until Kyle, the messenger. gets devastating news and then ALL OF A SUDDEN Vance, hot office guy, is there acting like the best boyfriend in the world. When they could barely hold a conversation without sniping at each other.

So there’s this huge conflict before they are even a couple that they have to navigate. Which they don’t do well. So they stomp off again.

But then totally convoluted and rushed ending toward a HEA.

The time lines were messed up, the verbiage was off putting (a blue collar guy isn’t going to say things like “The moment I arrived at your door…”), conflicts resolved quickly, characters we never met playing a huge roll…. it was just a bit of a mess for me.

2.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Ann Lister is a native New Englander currently living on the island of Martha’s Vineyard with her husband. She has pulled details from her years living in the New England area and uses many local settings and landmarks in her novels. After graduating art school, marrying, and raising two daughters, she established her own video production company. Her nearly two decades working in video production included work within the music industry and won her a coveted Telly Award.

Her ‘behind-the-scenes’ exposure to the music world and her love of rock music is the inspiration for her erotic rock star romances. Her rock star romance, “Fall For Me”, Book One in The Rock Gods series, was a Finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Award and Book Three, Make You Mine, established her as an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author. Each book in The Rock Gods series brings her two favorite elements together: musicians and the love between two men.

Her stories focus on what it truly means to love; love unconditionally, love without restrictions or labels, love without fear or judgment – to just simply love.

Website |Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon 


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How Not To Sin by Susan Hawke: RDB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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One regular guy who happens to be a preacher…  

Reverend Dr. Gabe Samson doesn’t think he’s better than any of the people in his church, so please don’t put him on a pedestal. While he’s never hidden the fact that he identifies as bisexual, he’s never acted on it either. Gabe isn’t happy to learn that the sole reason he was hired to pastor the LGBT-friendly church was that the ruling elders wanted a safe poster child for inclusivity—in other words, they wanted the rainbow flag without letting it fly.

Plus one easygoing, new age kinda guy…

Seth Thomas owns Holistic Healing, a metaphysical shop and yoga studio. He’s never really been a relationship kinda guy, but only because he hasn’t met the right man yet. Seth is laid back and goes with the flow. When fate drops a hot preacher in his lap, why wouldn’t he accept the gift?

Equals a pair of men who click from the start.

The two men find it almost too easy to get together, especially Gabe, who is fully embracing his bi side for the first time. Nothing in life is simple though. While Gabe and Seth are busy falling in love, they face an anti-gay hate group, a divided church, and a ruling elder who is hell-bent on sowing discord. Between Gabe’s patient wisdom and Seth’s snark, the pair fight the growing drama with the strongest weapons in their arsenal: love and humor.

This is the third book in the LOVESTRONG series about finding love and being yourself in a small town, and the third in series. Intended only for 18+ readers, this is an mm romance full of all the fun, fluff, and feels you’d want from an S. Hawke book.

Note: This isn’t a trigger warning, but please be prepared for a few instances of ignorance and hate speech, and mentions of violence. This is a romance, not a sermon—but please keep in mind that the main character is a pastor dealing with real-life issues in his church and these truths are reflected in Gabe.

How Not To Sin

LOVESTRONG Series, Book 3

Susan Hawke

M/M Romance

Release Date: 02.20.19

 

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“Come on, you know you want to try it.” Gabe’s eyes danced as he tried to get me to take a bite of his Rocky Mountain oysters. “Are you really going to sit there and pretend you’re not adventurous enough to take just one itsy bitsy taste?” His fork danced in front of my mouth, as if he were trying to tempt a baby into taking a bite.

“It’s not a matter of being adventurous so much as solidarity. A bro just doesn’t eat another dude’s balls—at least, not like this. Trust me, preach. There are far more fun and less gory ways to enjoy your ball-eating fetish.” I shuddered dramatically as I leaned my head back and to the side while I batted at his hand to push it away.

Gabe snorted then brought the fork to his mouth and made a big show of pulling the meat from the fork with his teeth. His moans were almost pornographic, especially when combined with the total sex face he was making—complete with his eyes rolling back into his head while his lashes fluttered like crazy.

“You do know that people are staring, right? You’re like that chick in that movie, you know the one… where that chick’s faking an orgasm in the middle of a crowded diner?” I thought for a second, trying to remember. Once I got Meg Ryan’s face in my mind, I was able to recall the movie. “When Harry Met Sally. Yeah, you’re totally pulling a Sally.”

He took a moment to casually blot his lips with a napkin before leaning forward with a raised brow. “Were they staring at me, though? Really? Or was it maybe the look on your face while you watched that caught their eyes, hmm?”

I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the sudden tightness in my pants. “Definitely you. I guarantee you that I wasn’t looking turned on while I watched you nosh on testicles.” I pointed to the side of his mouth. “You’ve got a little sauce right there that your napkin missed.”

My pants grew a little tighter when that tongue darted from the side of his mouth to lick it away. I shook my head. “Nope, a little down and to the left.” I couldn’t help but grin at the facial contortions he was making as he tried to get rid of it. Shaking my head, I reached over the table with my own napkin and wiped his cheek.

Gabe caught my hand as I started to pull it away. Turning it over, he kissed the pulse point of my wrist while gazing up at me from under his ridiculously long lashes. When he spoke in a low rumble, I could swear that deep voice was liquid sex. “Will you promise to wipe me clean every time I get messy?” I blinked away a vision of me licking splatters of cum from his bare chest, then feeding it back to him as we kissed. Yeah, that imagery didn’t help the tight pants issue at all.

Note to self: don’t wear skinny jeans when going on a date with a sexy clergyman.

Pulling my hand back, I made a show of rolling my eyes. “I hope you enjoyed that, Pastor Babe. After watching you eat that foul food, I’m pretty sure that’s the only part of my body you’ll be kissing tonight.”

A corner of Gabe’s mouth twitched as his eyebrows shot up. “Are you really talking about kissing body parts in the middle of dinner? Shame, shame, Seth. I’m starting to think I can’t take you anywhere. Although, as first dates go? This is definitely one for the record books.”

Okay, I have to go get the first book in this series, because I was loving this one! I wasn’t sure how this one was going to work, a bisexual preacher? How unheard of, right?
Growing up Pentecost myself, literally every church I went to told me how wrong any of those letters were. My parents weren’t hateful like the Danvers in this story, but they believed very much the same thing, so I heard it a lot in lifetime. My father used to call me a “sympathizer” because I didn’t say the bad words against minority groups or people who believed differently than we were supposed to. He’d sneer as he said it, and often make fun of me for it, but, now, as a 33-year-old mom with a gay 13-year-old…. I only wish my family would’ve had a church to belong to like Gabe’s.

Other than being a love story, which it very much was between Pastor Babe and crystal healing, hippie, yoga instructor, Seth… I enjoyed everything else about it just as much. When Gabe was hired into a LGBT friendly church, they kind of thought he’d just represent the lgbt members but not actually practice it… stupid right?

So, when he meets and falls for Seth, he runs into some trouble from one man who is set to ruin the church and their love and acceptance of the LGBT community and church family. The guy will make you sick. His antics and all the hatefulness he spreads, it made me sick because I’ve seen it first hand, and I know it’s not just something I’m reading about in a book. It happens all the time, where people hide behind their religion to spew such ignorance. I mean, we see it way too often. Turn on the news at any given point in a day, and you’ll see something to do with this very topic. It’s sickening, and sad, and I was so glad to read a story where it was brought to light and had such a big impact on all involved. It was real and sometimes hard, but with love and strength and faith and friends…. love will always win. Period.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I love love love that quote, and it sums this story up perfectly.

I cannot wait to go back and read Andy and Corbin’s story…. hello single dad, why haven’t I read about you yet? I love Gam’s, and Gray, and Dottie, and Shaw and his crazy love triangle, and Larry…. I want stories from them all!

And if you read any of my reviews, you’ll know that I love when the bad guy gets his dose of karmic justice. I am proud to say that Mr. Danvers gets his in this one, so fear not and keep reading!! I’ll admit that I almost gave up a time or two myself but I’m glad I didn’t.

And of course we get our HEA. Such an amazing story, I’m so glad I read it. Definitely recommend.

4 pieces of eye candy from me

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

Amazon Author: https://amzn.to/2SmWyyI

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanHawke/


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Redeem (Under My Skin Book 4) by Christina Lee: New Release Review

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Successful financial analyst Michael Walsh leads a picture-perfect life that anyone would envy—unless they caught a glimpse beneath the surface. Haunted by failed relationships and self-doubt, Michael harbors a soul-deep loneliness that no number of casual hookups can fulfill. So why can’t he stop thinking about his New Year’s fling with a man whose quiet desperation matched his own?

Barista Stewart Jenkins has an abysmal track record with relationships, and no matter how hard he tries to keep things tightly under wraps, his life is spinning out of control. His hookup with the gorgeous Michael was only supposed to be sex—hot, dirty, uncomplicated—but that small taste leaves him yearning for more.

Every no-strings encounter that follows between Michael and Stewart peels away more layers, blurring the lines, until they’re left with a raw tenderness and acceptance they both crave. A relationship seems out of the question—they come from drastically different lives and are plagued by inexcusable sins. Being vulnerable is sure to reveal old wounds, and forgiveness seems out of reach, unless they can find a way around their fears on the road to redemption.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

If you read the previous 3 books in the series- well, just books 2 and 3- you know Michael and Stewart. And you hate them. They are assholes and we wished them flesh eating bacteria starting on their asses.

And then Christina Lee made us like them. Dammit.

What was a bonus scene (and not an excerpt from an upcoming book) was in fact, the opening scene in book 4. Michael and Stewart both proverbially licking their wounds on New Year’s Eve and having a hot hook up in the bar’s bathroom.

And then these bastards worm into our hearts. Gah!

We find out way more about Michael and Stewart and what makes them tick. What makes them they way they are. And after both of them lost great men because of their douchebaggery, they realize that maybe they should do a bit of self reflection.

It is slow going, but these guys grow on you more and more. And as they are growing on you, they are growing on each other. Not that they will ever admit it, but still. The whole no strings thing is oh so convenient to men who are afraid.

It isn’t easy to redeem (see what I did there) characters that you previously wanted to punch in the throat, but Christina Lee did it. And she gave us a sweet, sexy romance of two guys who really needed each other.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy