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Crossing Lines: Hollywood Hopefuls Book Three by Jeris Jean: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Crossing Lines is a sexy and sweet age-gap, opposites-attract mm romance set in Hollywood.

When Matt is propositioned by Jasper, a hot older guy, he’s more than down. That is until he realizes Jasper has a boyfriend, and Matt would be joining them both. He’s not into it, especially since the boyfriend is a jerk, so he ditches them both. What Matt doesn’t expect is the lingering disappointment that the handsome man who approached him wasn’t single and he didn’t get a chance to know him better.

Jasper is not used to rejection. He didn’t become one of the most successful and highest-paid executives in all of Hollywood by accepting defeat. So when Matt, the sexy young barista, turns him down flat not once but twice, he doesn’t quite know what to do. Jasper finds himself going out of his way to get to know what’s behind Matt’s reluctance when it’s clear there is a mutual attraction between them.

Crossing Lines is an age gap, opposites attract mm romance set in Hollywood. There’s some angst and plenty of heat, but you can count on a HEA. (CW: references to past sexual assault.) This is the third book in the Hollywood Hopefuls series, but it works as a standalone novel.

Crossing Lines by Jeris Jean

Hollywood Hopefuls, Book 3

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

“Here we are,” Jasper said, pulling into a parking lot near the waterfront and killing the engine. Surprisingly, Jasper felt oddly nervous now that they were there. He’d thought this was a safe idea for a first date, but he was suddenly second-guessing himself, and he didn’t know why. What if Matt hated it? What if he thought it was too cliché? What if he was expecting more? What if it was too much?

Matt had unbuckled his seatbelt and was looking around the marina through the windshield. “What are we doing at Marina del Rey? You’re not taking me on a boat, are you? Because I’ll have you know I get motion sickness and puking in front of you is not on my list of desirable outcomes for this date.”

Jasper unbuckled his seatbelt, too. “We’re not going on a boat.” He opened his door and said, “Come on, we need to make a quick stop before we settle in.”

Once they were out of the vehicle, Jasper pointed to a big screen hanging near the water. “It’s a drive-in movie night,” he told Matt, biting his lip as he waited for Matt’s reaction.

“Really?” Matt’s eyes lit up as he looked at Jasper. “I’ve never been to a drive-in movie before.”

Jasper grinned, relief easing the tension he’d been holding in his shoulders. “Yeah. I heard about it from one of the writers on our show, and I thought it sounded fun. I hope you can handle a musical, though. It’s La La Land tonight. Have you seen it?”

Matt’s eyes sparkled and his smile spread further. “Have I seen it? Ryan Gosling playing piano? It’s one of my favorites.”

Book three in a connected series, although they can be read as a stand alone. I read book 1, missed book 2, now we have book 3. I will say this one was FAR better than the first. There were still some issues, but still. WAY better.

Matt is out with his brothers celebrating the youngest turning 21. Matt is propositioned by Jasper and at first he agrees, till he finds out it is actually Jasper and his boyfriend and Matt backs out.

Jasper and his boyfriend have an open relationship, but it kind of seems that Jasper isn’t as into it as he seems. So when the boyfriend doesn’t come home until morning, they break up. No one really seems that upset about it. Even though they were living together.

Turns out Matt runs a coffee cart on the studio lot where Jasper is a television producer/writer/creator. So begins the flirtation. And then the honest to god dating. It was cute.

Things naturally progress for them. Matt’s siblings play a decent role in the book, as does Jasper’s business partner. They never explicitly say they are exclusive or open, which turns into a bit of an issue later on.

One head scratcher for me was Matt tensing up and putting a stop to the sexy times when Jasper touched his back. Because of past issues, etc. But… he was ready, willing and able to go home with Jasper from the club without even knowing him.

The book was super tropey as well. Age difference, rich/poor, no parents taking care of siblings, etc.

The misunderstandings didn’t need to happen- especially since Jasper was more experienced.

Overall, it was cute. And easy read with a little past trauma rearing it’s head but not too angsty at all.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Jeris Jean is a life-long Minnesotan with an obsessive love of books. She has a master’s degree in English Literature but didn’t write her first novel until she was in her mid-thirties. Something just “clicked,” and all fell into its rightful place.

Jeris is a lover of cats, coffee, binge-watching tv shows, her bffs, puzzles, knitting, white sunglasses, black nail polish, purple hair, and reading and writing like it’s going out of style, especially mm romance.

She lives with her husband, two sons and their cat, Fluffy Cat Love, in a lovely little suburb of Minneapolis.

Connect with Jeris:
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Velvet Cuffs (Kink Awakenings Book 3) by Charley Descoteaux: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Josh Keller never thought he’d host a wedding reception—his kink club is a place where he tends bar and chains willing men to the padded wall in his private room. He also never thought he’d see the love of his life again. When both happen on the same day his life will never be the same.

Pax Dupont never stopped loving Josh, not when they fought and broke up and not during the fifteen years they spent a thousand miles apart. Coming face-to-face with the man he left behind is a surprise, but learning Josh is part owner of the club intrigues Pax enough to share his own love of silk, lace, and domination.

Will Josh and Pax put past hurts behind them and admit their feelings still run hot, or will Pax’s attempts to dominate Josh break them up for good?

Warnings: This book contains a brief scene of violence and a hero in peril, mentions of past abuse of a child, grief over the death of siblings, a man who loves the feel of silk and lace, and one who thought he understood his own kinky nature.

Velvet Cuffs
by Charley Descoteaux
(Kink Awakenings, #3)
Publication date: April 5th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

He went in search of the grooms. He’d seen them arrive, heard the cheers and congratulations from his post behind the bar, but waited for the energy to settle before seeking them out. He caught sight of Eoin’s dark red hair near the cake table and smiled. It figured they would be there—as the man who served them probably half of their meals, Josh wasn’t surprised that Wes wanted to get at the cake before sampling the savory dishes.

The grooms had both been at the monthly meeting that morning to have pictures taken with the wedding cake. Wedding photographers are busy in the summer and one of the guys Eoin works with had a friend who squeezed them in.

A perk of that was the gal had two weddings to shoot that day, so she couldn’t stay for the reception. The downside, all the guests were encouraged to snap candid shots and tag Wes on Instagram with the pictures. Josh wasn’t camera-shy, but he didn’t exactly love the idea of having his face plastered all over social media. He had Facebook and Instagram accounts to show off his blades and support fundraisers for various LGBTQ youth activities, but as far as he knew, his face wasn’t there.

He approached the table and had just rested a hand on Eoin’s shoulder when he heard someone say his name. The voice sounded familiar in a way that made his throat tight, but he turned to look anyway.

“Josh?”

Josh froze. Standing in front of him, radiating charisma, was a sleekly-muscled man with the perfect amount of scruff surrounding his full lips and dark hair that nearly reached his ass. Rock star hair that looked like it had spent days in a braid only it grew out of his head like that. Josh knew because they had grown up together, had spent the first seventeen years of their lives joined at the heart.

“Pax?”

He should have known that at some point his high school sweetheart would return to Oregon, but he hadn’t thought in his wildest dreams that Pax Dupont would show up at his club.

“Josh?”

At least he seemed as thunderstruck as Josh felt. If Josh hadn’t been panicking inside he might have found it amusing, seeing Pax speechless. It hadn’t happened much as far as he knew. Maybe never. But at that moment Josh was too busy holding himself back to be amused by anything. The feelings warring inside him rooted him to the floor—he wanted to run and hide but also to grab Pax in his embrace and never let him go. Neither seemed like decent options. Running would only draw attention to the drama, and he’d given up the right to touch—let alone embrace—Pax a long time ago. He pulled himself together as best he could and tried to act natural.

Small talk, that’ll save me. What do people talk about at a wedding reception?

“How do you know the grooms?” Josh covered his relieved sigh with a quick sip of his punch. Falling back on etiquette, on the rote give-and-take of small talk, had gotten him through more than a few social occasions. He’d done a lot of listening and learning in the years since he’d met the other club owners. If panic still hadn’t been on the table, Josh might have been proud of himself for remembering the question and using it as a shield, proud of himself for keeping his voice level and even pleasant.

“How do I— What? I haven’t seen you for half a lifetime and that’s what you want to know?”

“This is a wedding reception. It’s Wes and Eoin’s day.” Josh leveled a stare with absolutely nothing behind it but a pleading hope that Pax would let it go, wouldn’t try to have the conversation he seemed to want. At least not right there, in front of the wedding cake with the grooms coming up beside them. The area surrounding them had grown quiet and Josh saw heads turning in his peripheral vision, neither of which helped him find more words. “How do you know them?”

Pax sputtered for a moment and then said, a little too loudly, “Eoin. I work with Eoin. At the clinic.”

Josh nodded. He’d exhausted his ability for small talk, it seemed.

This is a true second chance romance, and what I liked about it most was that it was very realistic. These two men have loved each other for the entire time that they had been apart. Never wavering from that, and honestly never finding another man to love during that time.

In addition, their breakup reasons…completely relatable to that age range. When you are 18, ready to take on the world, anything small in your path seems insurmountable, and you are selfish, unable to find compromise. That is exactly how these two men ended up on different paths, and found their way back so many years later.

Josh’s path was definitely not one that you would normally see forged (hahaha little inside reference there) for someone of his age, being handed a large wad of cash for someone to whisk his mother away to another country, but it allowed him to find what he needed to do in life. Finding his kinks…well that turned out to be waiting for Pax.

Meanwhile, Pax had no idea he had kinks. He forged a completely different path, and I will admit I was very curious how he ended up in that particular area of work, as it definitely would not be something most people think of as a career path of choice. However, he clearly was passionate about it.

It took a bit for these men to get out of their own ways, and communicate enough to find their way back to each other, but it was very well done, and seemed perfect for them.

**There was one scene that was very difficult for me, especially as someone who lives very close to the area where George Floyd died. (Don’t worry…small spoiler…nobody dies!) However, I did have to read it slowly, because it brought up some frightening moments.

Well done second chance romance

4 pieces of eye candy

Charley Descoteaux is the author of the Buchanan House Love Stories. Book One is a USA Today Must-Read Romance.

Charley has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough. In exchange, they’ve agreed to let her sleep once in a while. Charley has survived earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods, but couldn’t make it through a single day without stories.

Charley also writes under the pen name Charli Coty. Under that name you’ll find LGBTQIA+ fiction that’s a little different but always has a happy ending.

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Silky Smooth: A Bold Brew Story by A.M. Arthur: Release Day Review

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Falling in love isn’t always smooth sailing.

College drop-out Nicolas Cannon has a secret he’s been hiding for all his adult life. A secret that has left him isolated and mostly friendless—until the day a very friendly parrot flies into his life. In his search to discover the parrot’s owner, Nicolas meets the handsome, enigmatic and much-older Alex Durant. But Nicolas has become fond of Alex’s pet Calamity, and the pair develop an unexpected friendship over their love of the bird.

Alex Durant is a man with money and power, but he’s also haunted by his past with an abusive ex. Calamity saved Alex’s sanity, and he’s surprised at how easily he shares her attention with Nicolas, a young artist who arrests Alex’s attention. As their friendship takes a brand-new, sexy turn, Nicolas discovers Alex also possesses something else he never expected: a shared love of silky underthings. But Nicolas isn’t out to his family, and that decision may test his fledgling relationship with Alex to the breaking point.

Silky Smooth is a stand-alone story in the multi-author Bold Brew shared universe, centered around an inclusive coffee shop set in a fictional college town. Each steaming hot coffee shop romance can be enjoyed alone, but collect all ten for the most fun! My 40k word story features a reclusive artist, a lonely restauranteur, an emotional support parrot, age gap, and satin underwear.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Book 6 in the Bold Brew series that are connected through the cafe they all frequent, so they can be read in any order. Same world, different characters.

In this installment we meet Nicolas and Alex. Nicolas who dropped out of college his senior year due to bullying and Alex who is newly divorced and dealing with some trauma of his own. Alex has an emotional support parrot (seriously) who escapes when he is on a business trip and Nicolas finds him outside of the cafe.

Extremely introverted, he is wary of this bird who offers affirmations, but is good heart compels him to take the bird home and hopefully find his owner. After a week though, he was kind of enjoying the company and routine of having a pet. So of course that is when the owner shows up.

Even with a 15 year age difference, Alex and Nicolas are obviously drawn to each other. But it is never awkward. Their romance, albeit fast, just seems smooth and natural.

This was a fairly quick read that didn’t have much angst. Nicolas’ issues were dealt with, but Alex never really got any closure. That is probably my only real criticism.

As a fan of A.M. Arthur, I felt like this story harkened back to her earlier books. I really enjoyed it.

4 pieces of eye candy

Dressed in Desire: An M/M Daddy Romance (Club DeSires Book 1) by Quinn Ward: New Release Review

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He left home to find acceptance. When he falls for a supposedly straight bouncer, can he awaken the man who’s everything he needs?

Living in the shadows has always been easier for Maverick. One trip to Annandale was all it took for him to see what life could be like if he let both sides of his personality shine. After all, what good was a closet filled with pretty clothes and killer makeup skills if he couldn’t show them off?

His best friend thought he was crazy for moving cross-country, but it was exactly the move he needed to finally live in the light.

John’s known as the token straight guy at work. But can he claim that when one encounter with a pretty boy has haunted him for months? His attraction to men isn’t the only thing that’s fully awake after they meet again. Yes, he wants to see if he’s more than just bi-curious, but he also wants to be the one to take care of Maverick and show him how special he is.

When a chance encounter leads to a love John never expected, can he accept who he is and be the Daddy his boy deserves?

Dressed in Desire is the first book in the Club DeSires series, set in the kinky town of Annandale. While there are cameo appearances from characters in the other series, you can jump in wherever you are without a problem! This book features a bi-awakening for an older man, and the genderfluid boy who sometimes wants to be Daddy’s princess. Together, they’ll explore kinks that might be better left as fantasies..

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I saw Daddy in the description and jumped on this one, I didn’t care about anything else. Unfortunately, I hadn’t read any of the other ones in this series, or pertaining to this series, so I feel like there are several couples that I might’ve missed out on. I’ll be fixing that. In saying that, I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything major….

So, first, we meet Maverick, who lives in a close-minded town where he feels he can’t really be himself. Liking makeup and dressing pretty, he couldn’t live openly where he was. Even if he did hate the prospect of leaving his best friend Tanner behind.

Moving to Annandale to stay with some friends he met online, he was excited to start over someplace new, they even offered him a job at one of the clubs they were opening. And that’s where he officially meets John. (he met him once before but that must’ve been another book that I haven’t read yet, but they did know each other slightly in passing)…

John is the token straight guy who’s working construction on the new club with a couple of friends he’s recently got to know. He knew the kind of club it was and had no problem with it, even if it wasn’t necessarily his thing… he’d been with a guy once, and though that guy was exactly what he wanted, he’d never been attracted to a guy before, so other than thinking about the guy non-stop since he’d last seen him, he didn’t expect a gay club to be a problem….nor did he expect to run into the guy he couldn’t get off of his mind…to be there.

I don’t want to give anything away because I loved this book so much and finding out the little surprises and little tidbits was half the fun. There is a part where there’s a bit of sharing, but not enough for my psycho self to be jealous or think it’s out of the way. It fit perfectly into this and I really hope there’s a part in this series for Doctor B…or Blake, as he’s otherwise known as. There’s also a new kink explored that I’ve never experienced or even read about, and I’ll admit that it’s new to me but it has me intrigued. I’ll have to find more books on this one later….

I like that these two took it slow because John was trying to figure out where falling for a man fit into his life with his brother and his brother’s biker club he’s trying to get John to join, and understandable, Mav wanted to take it slow because John kept putting his foot in it in the beginning and he was wary for a minute about getting hurt… It all worked out in the end though and the way it’s navigated and worked through felt real. I like that in stories…the ones that feel real.

Overall, I loved this one and I cannot wait to see who’s next. I’m definitely going back and read the couples that I missed. I’m looking forward to it!

4 pieces of eye candy

Love Practice by A.F. Zoelle: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Wren is kinda sorta super in love with his best friend. Asking Izzy to go on practice dates as his dating tutor probably isn’t the best idea to keep those feelings hidden. But a bad idea has never stopped Wren before.

Wren Ferres

Does anyone know how to make Prince Charming fall in love with you? I’m asking for a friend.

…yeah, that friend is me. I’m secretly a little in love with my best friend and roommate. Okay, I’m a lot in love with him. Like, truly, madly, deeply in love with him. But it’s not my fault! He’s hot, French, and laughs at all my stupid jokes. He’s the prince of my dreams, minus the part where he isn’t actual royalty and not in love with me. Determined to change that, I come up with a brilliant plan to challenge Monsieur Know-it-all to be my dating tutor. I’m hoping that’ll tempt him into acting on our flirtatious banter.

If it doesn’t, maybe I’ll push my luck by suggesting some kissing practice?

Isidore “Izzy” Devereaux

Wren is flirty, quirky, très cute—and completely oblivious about how much I love him. His wild ideas usually make me laugh, but his request to go on practice dates to give him pointers? Yeah, that pushes all my buttons. Agreeing to his outlandish request means risking him discovering my secret. But, it also presents a tempting opportunity. This is my one chance to make him see me as more than just his best friend. It could be my only shot at making him my boyfriend for real.

I may not be a real prince like he teases me about, but can’t we still have a happily ever after?

Love Practice is the seventh and final book in the Good Bad Idea series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a friends to lovers, roommates, fake dating romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.

Love Practice by A.F. Zoelle

A Good Bad Idea Story, Book 7

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

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Books 1-6 – Kindle Unlimited

Chapter 5: Felix Murphy

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I tried to move things onto safer topics. “I’d love to hear more about you, Izzy.”

He was silent as he ate more of his dinner before answering. “I live with my roommate and best friend. He keeps my life lively.”

I blamed the rush of blood to my dick for making me slow to understand why he was talking about me as if I wasn’t there. How many times did I have to remind myself to act like we were strangers? It was so hard to do when he was the person I could most be my true self around. “That seems like a polite way of saying he’s a pain in the ass.”

“Non, my world is a much better and brighter place because he’s in it.”

Red’s points from earlier replayed in my mind. I couldn’t resist the temptation to play devil’s advocate. “Really? That almost sounds romantic.”

“Most of our friends assume it is.” He pinned me under his gaze as he sipped his wine.

I drank several swallows of my blue lagoon drink as a flush crept over me, making it feel too hot. “Do you disagree?”

He chose his words carefully. “There are many ways of loving someone, some more romantic or platonic than others.”

“Which is it with him?” I held my breath as I waited for him to respond.

His answer wasn’t the least bit helpful. “I’m not sure.“

“How does he feel about you dating?”

“I suspect he wouldn’t like it very much.”

He was damn right about that. The thought of him going out with Red made my blood boil, which was absurd when I liked both of them as friends. Things were getting too meta for my taste, but I kept playing the game out of morbid curiosity. “Does that mean we can’t go out again?”

“Non, because he has not laid claim to me yet. I’d love to see you next week if you have time.”

Thank god for autopilot, because my mouth said, “Great, it’s a date,” while my mind screamed, “What the fuck does that mean?” The coded double-talk gave me a headache as I tried to decipher his mixed meanings. Did he want me to claim him as my boyfriend? And what would that entail? Was I supposed to kick down his door and give him a hickey? Should I inform him he was my boyfriend for life because I claimed him like a shifter beast in heat in a romance novel? Was he giving me an invitation to fuck him and shoot my load on him, to mark him as mine like an animal claiming my territory? Did I want to do that? And god help me, what if he meant claim him like he wanted me to top him? The thought broke my brain.

My throbbing erection wanted him, but my head was a mess. As always, Izzy continued talking like he hadn’t upended my world by floating the possibility that maybe he wanted me to make a move. If throwing myself at him every chance I got wasn’t enough of an invitation for him to take advantage of, what else could I do?

I wasn’t ready to admit to myself that I was actually in love with him and not just a little bit like I lied to myself about all the time. There was no way I was owning up to the embarrassing fact that I had fallen for him the moment I first laid eyes on him during freshman orientation week. No, that was a secret I’d take to my grave. I needed him as my best friend too much to lose him over me being stupid enough to catch feelings before we had even said hello.

Now what the fuck did I do?

A new to me author, branching out yanno. Plus it was SO tropey I had to go in. Friends to lovers. Roommates. Fake relationship. They even reference a character who writes romances just like this. That was definitely cute.

Part of a series, easily a stand alone. Twice in the book were all of the guys from the previous books and that kind of made my eyes cross because I had no connection to them, but I can see how others who had read the previous 6 books would appreciate it.

Like I said, super tropey, but it was still a fun read. I would almost call this a beach read. It wasn’t long, there was zero angst, it wasn’t long and drawn out. One fake date before kissing. Two fake dates before they both fess up their feelings.

Izzy is French and that is made painfully obvious by his mixing of French and English, which, sorry, was really dumb. Like, if you are going to revert to your native language it is because you can’t think of the English word. Not “merci” or “oui” or “non”. Sorry, silly and completely unnecessary.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Under constant siege from persistent plot bunnies, A.F. Zoelle enjoys humoring them by writing about gorgeous men being in love. Her contemporary romances are full of witty banter, sexy fun, and lovable smart-asses. She’s left academia behind for a new adventure, which will hopefully include adopting Ragdoll cats of her own someday soon.

For real time updates on her writing progress, please join her Facebook group for exclusive teasers or follow her on Twitter. You can also sign up for her newsletter to gain access to extra epilogues, previews of upcoming books, and more.

Connect with A.F.:
Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram
Website
Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub

To celebrate the exciting cover reveal of A. F. Zoelle’s upcoming Love Practice, we are giving away 2 advanced e-copies before its release!

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How To Love (LOVESTRONG, Book 8) by Susan Hawke: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Take one hurting guy recovering from scandal…

Two years ago, Hunter Riley was ghosted by his long-term boyfriend, then stuck with a ruined reputation when the town mistakenly thought he’d cheated on his ex… a man fighting breast cancer. These days, Hunter is happiest simply taking care of the sick kittens he fosters and rarely leaves his house.

Add one sunny man healing from loss…

Quinn Sullivan is alone in the world but doesn’t let it get him down. He dealt with the grief of losing the last piece of his family by looking to the future, finishing college, moving to a new town, and hitting reset on his life. An instant connection on a never-ending blind date has him ready to move in with Hunter and Quinn can’t see anything possibly ruining it.

To equal a pair who find even instalove requires time and patience.

Life can always catch you off guard, as Quinn discovers when child services arrives with an adorable angel—a piece of his lost twin he didn’t even know was out there—needing a family, needing… him. While Quinn is floundering with his parenting role, Hunter is left thinking he’s been ghosted again until Quinn comes up for air and sets things straight.

Can two guys who fell together so easily have what it takes to build a family?

This is the eighth and final book in the LOVESTRONG series about finding love and being yourself in a small town. Watch out for a three-year-old with an addiction to daytime TV, a diabetic kitten, and the worst wedding interruption ever. This is an mm romance full of all the fun, laughter, and sweet feels you’d want from an S. Hawke book.

Note: The book mentions the death of a sibling through suicide in the past, but no details are on page.

Title: How To Love (LOVESTRONG, Book 8)
Author: Susan Hawke

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

We lay there quietly for a minute or two before Hunter sat up and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips. “Be right back. We both need counseling after this conversation, and I have the best kind in the other room.”

As he dashed down the hall and returned, I lay there, wondering what he had in mind. It didn’t matter. I trusted whatever he came back with would make me smile. Sure enough, I was smiling as soon as I heard the sound of a happy kitten. With the lights dimmed, I couldn’t see who he was holding until he got closer, but I could sure hear those loud, rumbling purrs. It was crazy how a tiny kitten could make so much noise when content.

Hunter carefully got back into place, then passed Humphrey into my hands, while keeping Lady Margaret for himself. Nuzzling the little gray kitten and running my hand through his soft, silky fur was indeed the best kind of therapy. As we lay there talking, cuddling the kittens and connecting with both them and each other, I realized maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t alone in the world anymore.

Glancing at Hunter, from the sense of peace flowing through my body, I knew putting a label on things was the correct decision. “So… I was thinking about this whole boyfriend thing. It feels right, but I was thinking maybe we should slow down and enjoy the ride, since we got together so fast.”

“Sounds reasonable, as long as by ‘going slow,’ you don’t mean our sleepovers have to stop. Or the fun stuff like you pinning me against the door and kissing me stupid because that was worth waking up with the sun.” His smile turned into a yawn, proving Hunter was still tired himself.

The thought of skipping the fun stuff at this point was ridiculous, so I was quick to shake my head. “Yeah, no. I definitely don’t, not in the slightest. No, I was thinking maybe we wait before going further. Maybe if we put off making love until we know we’re solid, we could even consider getting tested and skipping condoms altogether. Unless you wouldn’t ever be into the idea, in which case, forget I said anything. The going slow part, I do mean.”

Hunter’s jaw slackened, his eyes widening as he considered it. “I’ve never gone bare. You really picture us being so committed?”

I didn’t even need to think about my answer. “Yeah, I really do. I don’t know what quirk of fate dropped us into each other’s laps, but I feel like this is the right time, and you’re the right person for me to build my forever with. I don’t want to screw it up by hurrying.”

Expression softening, Hunter leaned over to kiss my cheek. “I’ve never heard anything so romantic in my life. Yes, so much yes to all of the above, except the part where I forget you said anything because you would erase my yes. You’re definitely worth waiting for, Quinn. We can take it as slow as you want. There are plenty of fun things we can do in the meantime.” He kissed me again before rolling onto his back to snuggle Lady Margaret some more.

As Humphrey fell asleep, I carefully moved him onto the pillow and rolled onto my side, scooting back enough to make room for the tiny furball. Hunter lifted up, double-checking Humphrey’s safety before scooting him a few inches. Lady Margaret jumped onto the pillow, protectively curling herself around Humphrey with a loud purr.

“Aww, I was going to ask you to consider letting me have Humphrey when he gets old enough to be adopted, but if you’re keeping the little lady, you might need to keep them both. She’s the perfect big sister.” Frustrated now, I petted the baby with the back of my finger, picturing the thirty-day notice I’d found in my apartment. “On second thought, I can’t adopt him anyway. Apparently, I’m going to be moving soon.”

Alarm flashing through his eyes, Hunter jerked to look at me. “Moving soon? What’s going on?”

“They sold my apartment complex, effectively breaking everyone’s leases. There was a notice on my door when I stopped by my place to grab some clothes. I would’ve told you sooner, but I completely forgot until this very moment. To be fair, I’ve been a bit distracted since I got here, and I really do need to get some sleep. When I wake up, I’ll have plenty of time to worry about where I’ll be living at the end of the month.”

Yawning again, Hunter nodded, slipping a leg between mine. His head rested against my arm, hand gripping my side. “My mom’s a real estate agent, but she also deals with a lot of rentals. I’m sure she can help you find something. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Sounds good, thanks. And if it’s a sneaky way to get me to meet your mom, I’m good with an introduction too.” I was sleepy as hell, but not tired enough to miss a chance to tease him. Hunter’s blushes were too cute. I could already see myself wanting to tease him as often as I could simply to see those cheeks get red.

Closing my eyes, I started to drift off when Hunter gasped, his grip tightening on my waist. “You should move in here. I have a spare room. Why pay rent somewhere if you’re sleeping at my place anyway?”

I was instantly and fully awake, my eyes popping open. “Umm, Hunter? No offense, babe, but isn’t me moving in the opposite of us taking things slowly?”

I’m coming in late, reading the last one first, but I read the blurb and it didn’t register right away, but that’s okay… I don’t feel like I missed a whole lot that wasn’t explained perfectly to bring me in. I am intrigued by this Matthew family though, who doesn’t seem so nice in this one…so perhaps I’ll go back and give them a read.

In saying that, we have a quick burn here, with a little bit of insta-love, but I have to say, it works for Quinn and Hunter… It felt real with them and not forced at all.

It all starts when Hunter, who is fostering some sick kittens, has a wedding coming up that his sister thought she’d help him out by finding him a date… through a dating app.
To attend his ex’s wedding…
Who lied about him so hardcore, it made half the town treat him terribly….
For years….
Luckily, the date ended up being a great sport and though Hunter and his ex did get a little bit of closure, I was disappointed that Hunter didn’t get any karmic justice, I know I sure would’ve!

So, as their first date extend into a week of a never ending date, I had to say that the two of them were so cute together, it felt like they’d always been best friends, even from the very beginning, and it’s that just the best kind of relationship? Where the other person is your best friend?? It just worked.

Unfortunately, it isn’t without a little bump and I’ve got to say that Hunter had more faith than I ever could because I would’ve thought the very worst when Quinn disappears after a perfect week and though I won’t spoil anything else, I will say that I’m glad they worked it out like adults and Hunter was mature and trusting and not at all psycho, like I would’ve been LOL

Overall, it was a very sweet, short-story that seems to be the final book in the series, but it made just want to go read the rest of them…

4 pieces of eye candy

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.

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