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

April 2, 2021 by Denise

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.:
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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

April 1, 2021 by Denise

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.

Connect with Susan:
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Emerett Has Never Been In Love (Love, Austen Book 1) by Anyta Sunday: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

March 31, 2021 by Denise

A man who acts before he thinks, a man who thinks before he acts, and the ensuing mishaps on the path to the ultimate love match.

~ ~ ~

Emerett “Lake” Lakewood has a healthy ego and a flair for the dramatic. After losing his best friend to marriage—completely crushing his heart—he deems it prudent to distract himself, and what better way than playing cupid?
He’s already got his eye on two young men desperately seeking romance, and he has a plan to hook them up.
Barbecues.
Photoshoots.
Reciting Shakespearean love declarations.
Lake is killing it. Love is positively pulsing in the air. Anyone could see it.
Well, anyone other than Knight, his best friend’s dad, who cautions Lake to stop meddling. To leave love to its natural course.
Lake has always valued Knight’s frankness, but this time he’s wrong. Without him, two hearts might be doomed never to find love.
Besides, what does Knight know about romance? He’s barely dated in all the seven years Lake’s known him. He’s clueless.
Though, there’s a thought. Knight has everything going for him. Sensibility. Kindness. Generosity. And for a forty-four-year-old, he’s—objectively—freaking hot.
Why is he single?

~ ~ ~

“. . . [T]here may be a hundred different ways of being in love.”
~ Jane Austen

And a hundred different ways not to recognize it.

~ ~ ~

“Emerett Has Never Been In Love” is a fun, fast-paced gay romance retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Lake tried not to look in Knight’s direction when he arrived with takeout. And, even though he’d done it a thousand times in front of Taylor, he didn’t swap his Malai Kofta for Knight’s Tandoori Chicken.

They spent the hour after dinner in Taylor and Amy’s darkened living room, looking at pictures projected onto the wall and hearing amazing stories of misadventure.

All too soon, the lights came on again. Lake felt Knight’s eyes on him.

Did Lake have to undrape himself from the couch and leave the happy couple to themselves? Was that really necessary?

On the smaller sofa, arm curled around Amy, Taylor laughed. “I know that look, Dad.” He glanced at Lake. “It’s time to leave.”

Knight said, “It is getting late, and you both . . . well.”

Was Knight blushing faintly at the thought of his son being intimate?

Lake smirked. “Probably a good idea to leave the love birds.”

Knight threw him a cautionary look.

It probably didn’t say much about the graciousness of his character that Lake was laughing inside. Laughing, and itching to make Knight squirm. “Staying longer would be encroaching—”

Knight strode over and pulled Lake to his feet with startling ease. Lake laughed. “Hey.”

“We’ll see you at the barbecue tomorrow,” Knight said pleasantly to Taylor and Amy.

“Sure thing, Dad.”

Knight ushered Lake out of the house, and Lake tossed a goodbye over his shoulder.

Outside, in the fresh early-summer breeze, Knight softly clapped the back of Lake’s head. “Really, Lake?”

“Hey, I didn’t do anything.”

Another chastising look. “That’s my son.”

“And adult, married sons don’t get intimate?”

“No—Yes. I’d just prefer not to make a thing of it. Bedroom affairs are private.”

“Bedroom affairs. I’m still shocked you didn’t call it your manhood or member. And, holy shit, now I’m wondering if you’re prudish in bed. If you’ve ever had one night stands, or if you only have sex after forging a deeper connection—and I’m gonna run home now.”

Lake started to hoof it and Knight snagged his shirt, holding him back. “Are you asking if I have sex just for the sake of it?” Lake looked at him, which took a little more courage than normal. “I prefer to know—and actually like—a guy, but occasionally release is the ultimate goal.”

What a fun read that had me smiling from the first page to the last.

A modern retelling of Emma, except, yanno, gay.

Retelling, or reimagining, of a classic is no easy feat. Not only is the author updating it to current times, but also switching from traditional male female relationships to male male relationships. And you know what? She did it really well.

The whole tone of the book was so similar to the original. The main character- in this take, Lake, has a heart of gold. He wants everyone happy. He unwittingly played matchmaker once and now his best friend is married to the woman of his dreams. So now he wants to help others find love. Even when they haven’t asked for help.

He moves himself into his best friend’s father’s house but is absolutely oblivious to the fact that this man, Knight, is all heart eyes for him. As is another character who he is trying to set up with Harry. Because Harry actually has a crush on his cousin. And then there is Josh who acts kind of sketchy and seems to flirt with Knight which makes Lake a little (a lot) jealous. And who is West???

Oh the tangled webs they weave.

There were a few things that niggled. They seemed to always be throwing a party. Lake’s back story is alluded too with some brief mentions. Maybe knowing more of those things would have made Lake’s motives more clear. We get more description of Knight’s house than of Lake’s background. But ultimately, I don’t think these things really detracted from the story as a whole.

Lighthearted, cute, fun, silly at times… put this on your tbr.

4 pieces of eye candy

I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of emotion, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.

Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/about-anyta/
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Always (Single Dads #4) by RJ Scott: Release Day Review

March 31, 2021 by Denise

Lives change in an instant, but with family found and forever love, there is always hope.

Impetuously putting his life on the line, Adam saved a child trapped in a car wreck and suffered career-ending injuries. Living with chronic pain, and at his lowest moments, he had friends who wouldn’t let him give up, a family who had his back, and even though his future was different from what he’d always planned, he at least had hope. When Cameron and Finn land on his doorstep, he never dreamed that he would fall in love with the small family or that maybe he’d get to be a hero again.

Cameron goes from being a devoted husband to a single dad overnight. With his neatly planned future in ruins, he will do anything to make a new life for his son, even if it means moving to the other side of the country. Renting a room from Adam is the first step in making a home for him and Finn, but falling for the former firefighter was never part of the plan.

The shadows from Cameron’s past might take a long time to touch this fragile future, but will he have to face the consequences alone when they do? Or will there always be hope?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Siiiiiiigh, single dads are my trigger.

Is there anything sexier than a hot dad? I mean, really?
I say no… especially when you have a protective one, like Cam. Let’s discuss.

Cam’s life falls apart when his husband is accused of murder and losing millions of his clients money, leaving Cam and his son, Finn, fending for themselves against an angry mob of New Yorkers that swear he knows where their lost money is. He doesn’t…. he just put his trust in the wrong man and it destroyed him. Forced to start over and keep his son safe, an old childhood best friend gives him a safe place to land and get back on his feet, even if the blow out between them has Cam having second thoughts about it. With no other option and a kid to think of, they hop on a bus and move cross country to California, with Adam.

Now, Adam was a firefighter, I’m sure you’ll remember him, he’s friends with Eric, Leo and the rest of the hotties that used to live in his house… but he was injured on the job and is struggling with chronic pain and finding where he fits in now that he can’t do the hero stuff anymore. Fortnately, Nick volunteered his (Adams) house as safe spot for them to land, knowing that since the falling out with Cam a while back, he wouldn’t want to stay with him…. This is where Adam and Cam (and Finn) meet.

First things first…. I love Adam… I love how sweet and sensitive he is, and I love how quickly he falls for Cam and his son. I love how he wants to protect them and even though Cam has his heart set on leaving as soon as everyone in New York forgets his name, he can’t help but fall for Adam too.

This is probably my favorite story of the series and I just loved these two together. I wanted to shake Cam a time or two, but as a one time single mother, I can one hundred percent see where he was coming from. He hadn’t planned on staying and his kid was his number one priority… he already felt as though he let him down once, he didn’t want to do it again. Cute right?

Anyway….I won’t give away the whole story, but I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the other guys I’d missed from previous books, it was nice to see them all again… Overall, great read! If you love single dads, cute kids and slow burning romances, this one is totally for you. If you haven’t read the others, I would suggest doing that too, cuz they’re all really great!

5 pieces of eye candy

The Harder We Fall by Rebecca Raine: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

March 30, 2021 by Denise

For years, I’ve been bound by sleeplessness and sorrow.
His voice threatens to set me free.

Insomnia. It’s part of the penance I pay for my greatest mistake. But when an ill-timed doze behind the wheel of my car nearly introduces me to a pole, I know something has to change.

Sleep with Me, a locally-made meditation app, promises a cure. I don’t expect it to work. Nor do I expect to become enthralled by the voice of its creator, Sam Stephenson. His ability to coax forth my nightly surrender is unnerving. I have to meet this man and learn the secret behind his techniques, so I can evict him from my head—and still get a good night’s sleep.

In person, the quiet and reclusive Sam is his own kind of complicated. He needs my business skills as much as I need his meditation skills and we forge an unlikely partnership. But the attraction between us soon flares into passion and, as we grow closer, I start to long for more than my guilty conscience will allow.

I have no right to love, not after the damage I’ve done. How can I give Sam all he deserves, when our chance at a happy ending was ruined before we even met?

The Harder We Fall
By Rebecca Raine

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

“You sound different than you do on the app.” The quiet words break the silence, bringing the spiral of thoughts in my head to a grinding halt.

My cheeks warm. I’m well aware of the wide vocal chasm between Siren Sam and my usual bumbling self. I put it down to the hour or so I spend preparing before I even begin recording a meditation for my app. Meditation takes me to another place within myself, a place where I’m grounded and peaceful. It’s quite the opposite of how I feel in my everyday life. Especially today, when I’m sitting in a public place with adrenaline spiking in my veins and Dreamy McDreamface watching me from across the table.

“Is that bad?” I ask. If he wanted to meet Siren Sam, he’ll be disappointed. It’s nothing more than a name someone else created and plonked on top of me, like an ill-fitting costume.

“No.” Tristan shakes his head. “I like your voice.” He blinks at his own words, and then it’s his face gaining colour. “I mean, both voices are nice.” That doesn’t seem to work for him either and he makes a sound of frustration. “I mean, they both have the same effect.”

My eyebrows lift and for once I don’t feel like the most awkward person in the room. “Does that mean you’ll fall asleep if I talk too much?”

“What? No. I didn’t mean—” The sentence cuts off as he rubs his hands over his face.

I can’t help but grin. Tristan Whitmore is delightful.

“Let me start again,” he says with a shadow of a smile. “I’ve gotten more sleep in ten days of using your app than I have in years. That’s why I wanted to meet you, to learn more.” He gestures towards me. “As well as provide help in return.”

My chest expands as I take a deep breath. I may not be good at much, and my weaknesses outweigh my strengths by an embarrassingly large margin, but Tristan’s words are proof I can still make a difference in the world. They fill me up in a way I don’t experience often. “I’m so glad my work has helped relieve you of your burden.”

The shadow smile, barely there though it is, snuffs out. Tristan’s face shutters and his gaze drops. He leans back in his chair, increasing the distance between us. Whatever energy connected us from the instant he walked up to the table, it’s gone now.

I have no idea what I did wrong.

Frozen in my chair, I watch Mr Nguyen bring Tristan his coffee. He thanks the older man before reaching into his backpack for a big, black notebook and a blue ballpoint pen.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” His tone is clipped now, formal. The smile he pulls onto his face is rigid and fake. “How about you tell me about your business, and we’ll see what we can do to give it a jump start.”

My hands clench tightly in my lap as I try to refrain from squirming. It turns out Tristan has two types of voice as well. I don’t find them equally appealing and they definitely don’t have the same effect on me.

“What about—” My throat closes up and I swallow before trying again. “Your sleep?”

“We can get to that later.” Opening his notebook to a fresh page, Tristan clicks the end of his pen several times in quick succession. “For now, I’d prefer to focus on you.”

But I don’t want to focus on me. That’s not what we agreed on. This is supposed to be a mutual thing; we’re supposed to be helping each other.

My gaze darts between Tristan’s face and his ready pen. He actually expects me to spill my financial guts while he gets to stay locked up tight for reasons unknown. Beneath the silent chaos of knotted fingers and twitchy limbs, my jaw clenches. That’s not going to happen.

His fake smile drops into a genuine frown at my continued silence. It’s an improvement, I’ll give him that, but it doesn’t change my mind. It took a great deal of mental effort for me to show up here today. If he can’t respond in kind, this will never work. I’ll leave empty-handed if I have to.

Granted, I’ll probably feign sickness and make a run for it before he has time to object, but the outcome will be the same. I’ll never have to see him again, so the humiliation of my exit should only haunt me for, I don’t know, a decade or so.

With a mental shrug, I look towards the cafe entrance. Who needs financial stability, anyway?

I’ll be honest. This book surprised me. Rebecca Raine was a traditional romance (male/female) writer who made the jump into gay romance. This is her third book in the genre. The first two…well, better left unsaid.

I was intrigued by the premise of this one. It wasn’t something I had read before and wanted to give it a go. I’m glad I did.

Tristan has been plagued by insomnia since a family tragedy years before. He has tried it all. A coworker suggests an app that was created by a meditation teacher his wife goes to. He finally decides to try it and is surprisingly lulled to sleep by the voice on the app.

Sam is the ultimate introvert. Except when he is leading his meditation classes. But his meditation classes aren’t quite enough to pay the bills- even with the app he has. So when Tristan has a proposal, business advice for how to fall asleep advice, Sam is wary but knows he needs to do it.

Tristan is a MESS. As his story begins to be told and you see why he is a mess…it is just heartbreaking. But even so, he is drawn to Sam. He wants to help him and take care of him. Which goes against how Tristan normally is.

But Same needs the help. His mother died leaving him alone in the world as she was his only family. He is afraid of his introvert nature becoming agoraphobia like his mother. He also needs help with his business as he has no other means of supporting himself.

Once Sam got to know Tristan and trust him, I loved how aggressive he got. Like most introverts, once he trusted Tristan, Sam’s real self came out They played well off of each other, the fit well as a couple. Watching them each open up was wonderful.

The one this that really bothered me was the lack of therapy for either of them. But especially Tristan. After what he went through, he should have been in therapy for years. As well as Sam. And it didn’t seem as though either one was avoiding it as there was never mention of it.

The resolution was well thought out and it was a very satisfying conclusion to the story.

And there was a lovely epilogue.

4 pieces of eye candy

Rebecca is a long-time lover of all things romance. Whether it’s a book, movie, or real life, she will always have more fun if there’s a love interest thrown into the mix. She lives in Queensland, Australia with her very own hero husband, two quirky kids and one big, black dog. Other than reading and writing books, her favourite things include loud music, enjoying a glass of wine on the patio, organising everything in existence, and spending too much time on the Internet.

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Bounce (Outback Boys Book 2) by Becca Seymour: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

March 29, 2021 by Denise

Standoffish Aiden is content keeping people at a distance and ensuring his boundaries are impenetrable. There’s safety in not opening up, but there’s also a loneliness he doesn’t realise exists until he meets Riley, a new member of the LGBTQI+ adventure group Outback Boys.

Fascinated by the new guy, Aiden is quick to discover his flirtation skills are rusty and his sweet-talking is cringeworthy. But sweet and clumsy Riley doesn’t seem to mind so much.

Even though Riley doesn’t quite know how to handle Aiden’s intensity, he’s willing to step out of his comfort zone and see how their tentative friendship unravels.

Between a surf lesson that resembles a kangaroo on acid and paddle boarding that is trickier than walking a tightrope, Aiden and Riley discover love may be a possibility after all.

Happiness relies on honesty and openness, though. And with both men holding on tightly to past struggles, their future together is at risk. Can the two Aussies bounce back and heal themselves and each other, or are some wounds too raw to recover from?

Outback Boys is a sweet and sexy M/M romance series complete with bruised butts, rope burn, and overworked muscles… all in the pursuit of adventure, of course!

Trigger Warning: Contains themes (discussions) of mental illness and suicide.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Stumble (Outback Boys Book 1)

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I turned to head towards Pete, only to catch my foot and stumble. I felt myself tumbling forwards, slow motion beginning to play out as I tried to move my hands to protect my face. Not even halfway down, I jerked abruptly, coming to a stop.

“Whoa there.” Aiden’s firm hands were on me, one arm wrapped around my chest. “You okay?”

Wide-eyed, I nodded, angling to face him. With Aiden wrapped around me, it was impossible not to see the green flecks in his grey eyes. “Yeah, thanks.”

He shifted, helping me get myself upright. With my face on fire, I was eager to escape, to hide behind Pete or perhaps jump in the river I could hear in the distance.

“I can be such a klutz.” I forced humour into my words, trying to overcome my mortification. “My parents used to legit carry a first aid kit with them everywhere we went, even if just to the supermarket as a kid. I once broke my little finger playing hopscotch.” My eyes swept over Aiden’s face, still so close his breath brushed against my skin. “Yeah, I know. Hopscotch. How’s that even possible, right?” I seriously needed to stop talking, else I’d end up telling him how I got circumcised after a devastating encounter with a zipper.

That thought had me stepping out of Aiden’s grasp. “Thank you,” I managed again. “For preventing me from bouncing on my arse or my face.” I turned abruptly, giving an awkward over-the-shoulder wave while trying not to spend too much time contemplating how strong Aiden must really be to prevent my backside from meeting dirt.

One thing I could be sure of, between him being untouchable and me being my usual charming, awkward self, it wouldn’t take long for Aiden to forget this encounter as well as my name.

I jumped into the second one without having read the first one first, but I’ve already got it and I cant wait to jump into it. If this one was any indication, I won’t be disappointed.

Okay, so, first things first… this story features Riley and Aiden, who meet at a weekend camping retreat or something like that. I forget what they called it but it was a weekend of adventures, like rock climbing, hiking, kayaking and outdoorsy stuff. I could sense that Riley wasn’t really much of the adventurous type normally but he’d gone with his friend Pete, who I was unsure of at first but grew to love, especially with the hard time he’s having, and I definitely filled out the survey at the end so we can hopefully get his story next… but I digress lol

So, at this adventurous weekend, Riley meets Aiden, who is a guide on said adventure, and he’s gorgeous and stacked and easy-going and though he’s the center of a lot of folks attention with his easy smile and friendly attitude, no one has captured his attention since he lost his partner a few years prior. I didn’t feel like it followed him around like a black cloud, but he definitely kept a part of himself back from people …..until Riley, that is.

The two had instant chemistry, and how could you not be completely smitten over Riley. He’s shy, clumsy, non-confrontational to a fault and there’s just this thing about him that you want to wrap him up in a little bubble and put him in your pocket… he’s so cute, I didn’t blame Aiden for taking an interest.

After the weekend is over, the two exchange numbers and though they live a good distance apart for driving every day and Aiden was living with his Pops (who is very outspoken and hilarious and cares about Aiden and soon after meeting him, Riley as well) but he’s running their cow farm or whatever it is cows do on farms or ranches or whatever… so it isn’t like the two can just pop out and meet up just anytime, but they do make an effort to spend time together through the week and get to know one another.

It’s easy-going for the most part, though both men do have some hang-ups that do cause a little hiccup… not a bump per se, but something they needed to work out before things progressed.

As I’ve noticed with any story I’ve ever read by this author, she does not disappoint. It of course, gets worked out and in the most perfectly swoon-worthy way possible.

Again, I was not disappointed… I adored this story. I adored Riley and Aiden, and I cannot wait to see what happens with Pete. He deserves some happy. <3

5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Becca Seymour lives and breathes all things book related. Usually with at least three books being read and two WiPs being written at the same time, life is merrily hectic. She tends to do nothing by halves so happily seeks the craziness and busyness life offers.

Living on her small property in Queensland with her human family as well as her animal family of cows, chooks, and dogs, Becca appreciates the beauty of the world around her and is a believer that love truly is love.

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