Denise

Saint’s Song: Rebel Kings MC: Cam, Alexei, and Saint by Garrett Leigh: RB, Release Day Review and Giveaway

June 16, 2022 by Denise

Expect: a fragile king, a sweet-hearted henchman, an enigmatic hitman, and a fight to the death.

Cam, Alexei, and Saint have survived their battle with the devil, but with too many enemies to count, can they survive the war?

“Kill me,” I choked out. “If he’s dead, you gotta kill me too.”

One club, one heart.

Three men, one soul.

Can loving someone kill you? I feel like the world is ending every time I look at them.

Cam. My brother. My president.

He’s the love of my life

And then there’s Alexei. I didn’t know I could feel this way about one person, let alone two. But I think of him in every breath I breathe for Cam. Every thundering beat of my heart. Because there is no Cam without him.

There is no me. My life wasn’t worth living until I found something worth dying for.
And I’d die for them a thousand times.

Saint’s Song is the second in a hurt/comfort, biker romance, MMM duet from the world of the Rebel Kings MC. Content warnings inside the book.

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

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Book #1 – Devil’s Dance – Amazon – All Regions

Devil’s Dance Paperback – The Ripped Bodice

Book #3 – Forgive Me Father – Pre-Order – Out Nov ’22

So, I fell even more in love with these guys.

Firstly, let me admit that I had to reread book 1. And then I reread my review of book 1. I ended that review with:

“This is book one of two. Apparently book 2 explores more of the relationship growing between the three men together. Because as a triad we didn’t get a whole lot. So I definitely want more. But there are other characters I would love to see get their happily ever after as well. Fingers crossed for more books.”

Let me confirm that yes, they are a firm triad in this book. And it plays out in so many different ways. Each man has his own personality, but how he loves the other two- with his heart and his body- are unique to them. With Saint they are gentle. Saint is always gentle. Cam and Alexi, not so much.

There is still trouble happening with the MC, fall out from what happened at the end of book 1 and more trouble around the corner. Cam is still determined to go straight. So they have to do something about the trouble.

As an American (this book takes place in England), I really appreciated that this outlaw motorcycle club doesn’t use guns. They don’t even entertain the idea. Alexi does, but he is a Russian hitman. But the MC? Nope. Pipes, hammers, chains. Old school. Which is still brutal af but it also makes the fights extremely personal.

The who and what of the issue between the Rebel Kings and the Crows is twisty and turny. Makes for an interesting plot, but also made my eyes cross if I was reading too late at night.

So I got what I wanted out of book 2. AND there are more to come according to the author’s note at the end of this book. So yay!

4 pieces of eye candy

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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The Shepherd (The Game Series Book 6) by Cara Dee: RB, Excerpt and New Release Review

June 15, 2022 by Denise

The Game Series Book 6 Standalone High-Protocol M/s Family MMM

Get cozy and strap in for the family side of a kinkster’s life puzzle, where the kids have homework before the grown-ups can sneak in some playtime, where three men share a dream they barely dare believe in, and where you bring out the toy bag when the little ones take a nap.

I was fresh out of boot camp and somewhere in the desert when I started picturing what my life after the Marines would look like. I’d always wanted a big family and a place out in the sticks.

At forty-five, I could only scratch my head and wonder what the hell had happened. I knew I should be grateful. I had my farmhouse. Rescue dogs and chickens too. I had a rowdy bunch nieces and nephews. I had amazing friends. I’d started a kink community with some of them. But it killed me to come home to an empty house at the end of the day. It hurt that nobody seemed to be interested in anything beyond pain sessions and casual playtime. Even my best friend Sloan pulled away from me. He was struggling to make ends meet with four kids, and I had a big house. They should move in with me, dammit.

I guess it made perfect sense that after so many years of wondering, waiting, and grumbling, a single week changed it all. My “the one who got away” showed up at a kink event, and Sloan shared a drunken confession that screwed with my head.

It was time to improvise, adapt, and…start believin’ in pipe dreams.
–
The Game Series is a BDSM series where romance meets the reality of kink. Sometimes we fall for someone we don’t match with, sometimes vanilla business gets in the way of kinky pleasure, and sometimes we have to compromise and push ourselves to overcome trauma and insecurities. No matter what, one thing is certain. This is not a perfect world—and maybe that’s why the happily ever after feels so good.

Series: The Game Series #6 (Standalone)
Genre: Gay Romance/BDSM Romance
Tags: #TheGameSeries #HighProtocol #MMMRomance #Masterslave #McleanHouse #SecondChancesRomance #FoundFamily #PipeDreamsCanComeTrue

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Catch up with the series here

Kingsley and Tate saw me before I pulled over to the curb, and Sloan bent over to hurl again. Then Tate said something to Sloan that made my buddy flip him off, so that had to be good. I was glad they were on friendly terms on the first night they’d ever met.

I got out of my truck as soon as I’d killed the engine, and I couldn’t stick to one of the many fucked-up emotions that simmered below the surface. Relief, wariness, a shit-ton of annoyance… Exhaustion won out. I was fucking tired.

“Hey, gorgeous.” Tate grinned at me.

That sparked some humor at least, and I smirked a little on my way to Sloan. “Hey, kid. Sorry for sending y’all on a midnight adventure.”

“Don’t be,” he replied quickly. “I’m highly invested now.”

I snorted, not surprised. He and Ivy were the gossip slingers in our community—and I meant that in a fairly affectionate way. Aside from being too nosy for their own good, they meant well and wanted what was best for their friends. They didn’t spread bullshit, just theories about people’s love lives.

Approaching Sloan, I saw he was clutching a Coke can in one hand, and he had a half-empty bottle of water next to his feet.

The beanie on the sidewalk looked like his too.

He groaned and retched once more.

I sighed and placed a hand on his back. “You realize I’m done listenin’ to you, right?”

He coughed and croaked. “What’re you talking about?”

Wasn’t it fucking obvious?

“I’m talking about you pushing people away when they wanna help you.” I could hear the impatience seeping through. I had to cool it. “I ain’t doin’ it anymore, Sloan. You’re coming home with me, and tomorrow we’re picking up the kids.”

He straightened up again, and he flicked me a drunk, guarded look before he chugged from his Coke.

I noticed he’d put some piercings back in. A handful in his ears, the barbell between his eyebrows.

He made a cute, rugged, hot drunk. Bloodshot eyes included.

He wiped his mouth and peered down at the ground. He was wearing his supposed lucky All Stars. They were green and had passed their expiration date by a few years. But it had to be pure luck he hadn’t thrown up on them.

“I can’t stay with you, Shep,” he muttered hoarsely.

Nope, we weren’t doing this.

“I beg to differ.” I extended an arm and pointed to the truck. “Let’s get you outta hea’.”

“No,” he snapped. He nearly stumbled over the water bottle as he took a few steps away from me. “I’m goin’ home. I can walk.”

That was funny. “You’re gonna walk to Ashton Heights?”

It would take a sober person at least twenty, thirty minutes. Sloan wouldn’t make it past this street before he passed out in the gutter.

He made a face and sought out the nearest street sign. “Where are we?”

“Crystal City,” Tate answered.

“Oh. Right.” Sloan looked like he was gonna be sick again.

“I’m guessing you’ve been at Carol’s,” I said. Once in a blue moon, they had dinner together with the children, and it usually ended in a fight.

“Whatever,” he mumbled, clearly not wanting to talk about it. “Just take me home.” He pressed a hand to his stomach, his face contorted in discomfort, and he picked up his beanie and walked unsteadily toward the truck. “Not goin’ to your fuckin’ whore ranch…”

Oh-ho. My eyebrows went way up there. I invited my new partner to stay with me, and now I was running a whore ranch. Damn.

With a heavy sigh, I turned to Kingsley and Tate. “You’ve done more than enough—you can head on home. I’m sorry I woke you up.” Really, I was.

“No problem at all, buddy,” Kingsley assured.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Tate stated bluntly. “We’re staying until—”

“And you know what?” Sloan interrupted forcefully and turned back around to stagger toward me. “I’m sick of you not seein’ me.” What the fuck? “You bitch about bein’ lonely, but what am I? Shit under your shoe? A seat filler until you bring home the next bottom? Hell, I could be a bottom for you.”

No, really, what in the fresh fuck.

He didn’t just say that.

I frowned. My brain slowed down when I needed it to do the goddamn opposite—but he did not fucking say that.

“What did you just say?” I managed to get out.

This installment in The Games series gives us something we don’t always see a lot of stories about. Total Power Exchange (TPE) and/or domestic servitude. Previous books dealt with other kinks with the main kink being some sort of D/s situation. Which plays out different. Master/slave, Daddy, little, Dom/sub. Etc.

Greer is a founding member at McLean House. A kind community of some 150 or so members. And while he is well known in the community as a Dom who is always there for a demo, or a private session, he hasn’t had a relationship in far too long. He had all but given up on his dreams of a family because he thought being 45 was too old to start.

We start with a flashback of Greer meeting Archie. It was fun and sweet but then ended and we go to present day. And while we do revisit their meeting and what happened, I think it would have packed more of a punch to see it played out in real time. Then we would really know WHY Greer had cut himself off from maybe having a relationship.

Greer is also in love with his best friend. But either doesn’t know it or won’t admit it. But everyone else knows. The biggest issue there is that they are both Doms. Ok, and he doesn’t want to mess up the best friend thing.

In a pretty convoluted way, Archie and Greer meet up again, make amends and almost immediately begin a trial run of a M/s TPE situation. It seemed very one sided. Which Greer actually addresses. But Archie seemed to just jump right in. Yes, he did it part time on weekends with a couple for a bit. But he literally doesn’t do anything wrong. There’s no correction, no guidance.

Greer also wants to push Archie’s limits but hasn’t yet. Book 2 is coming.

And then we also get Sloan! I’ll just let you read about what happened there. But suffice it to say 2 went to 3 and are going to become 4. Should be interesting.

I liked the story and all of the characters. I am wondering if what happened at the end of the book at McLean will be a plot point and if so how. Overall I wanted more romance, more of the TPE dynamic playing out, just…more. But again, I think I will get this in book 2.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

Stronger Than Passion (Chesapeake Days, Book 2) by Katherine McIntyre: Release Blitz, Release Day Review and Giveaway

June 13, 2022 by Denise

. .

Hudson West is the enemy. Nico Shah is trouble. However, when they’re forced to collaborate on a town project, they can’t stop the passion from burning.

Hudson West is the enemy.

The calm, arrogant, stupidly hot owner of the rival restaurant in town never fails to push Nico Shah’s buttons. So when he and Hudson are invited to collaborate to cater the Chesapeake Days festival, he wants to say hell no. But with his mother’s upcoming transplant, he needs that money.

Nico Shah is trouble.

Hudson’s noticed the gorgeous, witty flirt and has veered far away. He’s looking for commitment while Nico’s looking for his next flavor of the night. Except now that they’re working together, neither can ignore the chemistry that’s one spark away from burning down a forest. And when they finally collide, the connection is beyond anything either has experienced.

But with Nico still terrified of the word “boyfriend” and Hudson needing someone who belongs to him, this can only end in heartbreak.

Author: Katherine McIntyre
Title: Stronger Than Passion
Series: Chesapeake Days, Book 2
Genre: Gay Romance
Release Date: June 11th
Word Count: 69k

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Stronger Than Hope (Chesapeake Days, Book 1)

Stronger Than Longing (Chesapeake Days, Book 3), Coming 10/22 /22

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. But I think I liked these characters even more…must have been the snark. Because the snark was STRONG with Nico and Hudson. And one of the things that I loved the most about their snarkiness…quite often if you have enemies to lovers, and tons of back and forth with strong snark/insult it goes away once they start to fall in love. Nope, not with these two.

Nico was a bit of a hard nut to crack, romantic did not describe him in the least. Him losing that snark would have been completely wrong for his personality. With Hudson it was just as strong, but he was able to use it to help him reach Nico when he was too focused on his pain, or the issue at hand. It was a chemistry that worked with both their personalities. Their physical chemistry once Hudson decided to meet Nico in the middle was very hot…I’m with Nico…gin and tonic, I might never think of the same. 😉

Nico’s mom…she was just amazing, and how she handled Nico’s questions regarding his father…I was in public when I read that…bad idea. *tissue alert* Meanwhile, most of Hudson’s family were complete a$$holes, and the fact that Hudson had to even give a tiny inch to his father made me grit my teeth, even understanding why.

Nico and Hudson really took their time to get to their HEA, and it was by no means a smooth road, they took many, many detours, but they really had so much in common, they made a very good pair. They just made sense.

We got to meet Silas, (tiny, tiny, spoiler ahead, unless you’ve read the blurb for book 3), who is Taron’s future guy. And we really learn next to nothing about him, other than Taron seems to give him a wide berth, and Nico seems to want to be warning Silas off. So, book 3, Stronger Than Longing, I’m gonna be watching for that, for sure.

All in all, really loved this one, and this series is really hitting the mark for me.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

. .

Katherine McIntyre is a feisty chick with a big attitude despite her short stature. She writes stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—and there’s an equally high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As an eternal geek and tomboy who’s always stepped to her own beat, she’s made it her mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there, from different cultures and races to all varieties of men and women.

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Beck (Bar 28 Book 4) by JJ Harper: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

June 13, 2022 by Denise

. .
Finally, he’s found his perfect man. Will he be able to keep him?

Beck Thompson is out and proud. He has a job he loves and friends he considers his family. Okay, he doesn’t have a boyfriend, but chances are slim he’ll find the man who’ll accept all of him, his past and his tattoos. He’s happy. Sort of.

Until he sees the perfect man…with the same woman hanging on his arm every night. Damn.

Munro Sylvester has put every aspect of his life on hold to make his business a success. And he’s done it. But he’s never been true to himself.

One look at the gorgeous, colourful man changes everything. He knows he has to make the first move, but he may risk losing everything he’s worked so hard for.

Can Beck trust his heart that Munro is the one for him? Is Munro brave enough to come out and fight for their happily ever after?

Beck has a tattooed bartender who has never had any luck with love, a hard-working gym owner who’s never said “I’m gay” out loud, instant attraction, and well-meaning, meddling friends.

It is the fourth book in the BAR 28 series, a MM contemporary series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but you’ll enjoy them best by reading them in order. This series is based in the UK.

Title: BECK
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 75k
Series: BAR 28, Book 4
Genre: Contemporary.
Tropes: Coming out, First time gay, Instant attraction.

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At the end of the night, I walked out, messing around with Leo and Gus and their boyfriends, and stopped dead in my tracks. Hot Guy was leaning against the wall.

“You go ahead,” I said to the guys, then ambled over to him. “Hey, you okay? Waiting for someone?”

He looked nervously at my friends, but they said goodnight and walked on. “Um, yeah. You, actually. Although I don’t know why. You made it clear you don’t want anything to do with me. But you’re kind of stuck in my head.”

I smiled just a little. I liked that idea. “So you decided to wait?”

He scrubbed the back of his head and nodded. “Yeah, I decided to wait. This isn’t something I usually do, so I’m a bit out of my depth.”

“Are you talking about being with a guy or waiting for one?” This wasn’t the way I’d thought the conversation would go. I was expecting “your place or mine?”. He hesitated. Oh shit, he’s not done this before. “Look, I’m flattered that you like me, but I’m not into playing games. Maybe you should work out what you want or who you are before you do this. If you’re still interested, then come back and see me.” I turned on my heel.

“No, wait.” He grabbed my wrist, not firmly, but the shock of his touch raced up my arm and through my body. His eyes widened. He must’ve felt it too, and he let go as if he’d burnt his fingers. “Please don’t go. I haven’t ever waited for someone. I haven’t felt like this before.”

“What do you want? I mean, it’s gone three in the morning, and I’ve just worked for eight hours. If you want a coffee, then now isn’t the time.”

Then his mouth was on mine. Like with his fingers around my wrist, it wasn’t aggressive, but fuck, it was powerful. His tongue swept over my lips, and instinctively I opened for him, and I got my first taste—rich with the faint taste of the beer he’d drunk. It was heat and passion, mixed with heady desire. As he deepened the kiss, I grasped his hips and pulled him against me. His hard-on pressed heavily to mine, and he groaned. I broke off the kiss. His lips were slick with spit, swollen from the intensity, and his eyes burnt with lust.

You will normally find her in the living room—typing away—with her wayward Great Dane, Siddiqi. As a hopeless romantic, JJ dives into her stories, always falling in love with her men, making sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.
JJ lives in a small, very quiet, village in Lincolnshire, UK, with her husband and dog, and spends all day dreaming up stories full of really hot men.

Connect with JJ:

Website: https://www.jjharper-author.com
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorJJHarper
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ha7whyj6
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjharper
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper
Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/jjharper
Harper’s Honeys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HarpersHoneys/

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Austin: Learning to Love Book #4 by Con Riley: New Release Review

June 12, 2022 by Denise

Can Austin learn to love the opposite who attracts him?

Austin Russell doesn’t belong at a small school like Glynn Harber. He’s meant to be a high flyer in finance not a book-keeping bursar. Now there’s only one renovation project left to budget, it’s time he toughened his soft heart and got back to climbing the corporate ladder.

The truth is he’d rather climb Maisie Dymond’s father.

That urge doesn’t add up—Dom Dymond is his polar opposite—but when a near-miss brings them together, Austin discovers there’s more below his laid-back surface, especially as Dom’s determined to win the bid for the school’s last rebuilding project.

Working in proximity means Austin can’t deny that they’re opposites who don’t only attract, they combust whenever they’re close. Telling himself it’s only a fling doesn’t ring true when Dom opens up about what keeps him in Cornwall. He’s there to heal his fractured family, and he wants Austin as part of it.

That openness makes Austin want to share too, but will Dom still feel the same attraction once he knows what drives Austin to keep climbing his ladder?

♥ Austin is the fourth standalone novel in the Learning to Love series. Set in England’s glorious county of Cornwall, each book has a fulfilling happily ever after. ♥

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This series just gets better and better. You don’t have to read them in order. Or at all. But they are worthy of your time.

I think what gets me the most is that it is really good writing. The author isn’t just telling a story. They are weaving you into a world that makes you care so much about the characters. Like little Maisie, who’s father is always late to pick her up from school. And Austin, former “bad guy” who is slowly realizing there is more to life than making money.

Austin, now the school’s bursar, had a special place in his heart for little Maisie. Always there to keep her company at lunch or wait with her when her father is late. Then he truly ends up being a hero to Maisie- and her father. And even though he wants to be mad at Dom, once he realizes what is going on, his heart cracks open a little more.

I loved the fact that Austin was kind of the outsider in the town and school as he was new to the area and position but people seemed to love him. But Dom, born and raised there, is a pariah.

Dom is great with no using what he can (no spoilers!) to woo Austin and instead just takes his time. But Austin doesn’t have a lot of time. If he wants to stay on his self imposed schedule and little tick boxes to check off, he will be leaving the school sooner rather than later.

All of the previous characters make a good show in this book but no one eclipses the main characters. They add to the story and make Austin know that he is valued for who his is. Not how much money he has or will have.

There is also catharsis, understanding a closure between Austin and another person he had sort of a volatile relationship with.

Of course there is a happily ever after. And little Maisie will steal all of your hearts.

4 pieces of eye candy

The Sceptic by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

June 12, 2022 by Denise

As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan can’t help but believe in the dead. It’s the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and he’s not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Will’s game.

Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, he’s here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while he’s in York, he’s made it clear he wants Will, and Will can’t help liking the charming daredevil.

This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.

The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he’s risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.

This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the bestselling Black and Blue series.

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“It’s the big thing at the moment. Ghost hunting groups get locked into haunted places for a few days. Apparently, it gives them a better chance of recording psychic phenomenon.”

“And you do that along with Exspiravit?”

“Fuck no. I go to a bed and breakfast nearby at night, and they film themselves. Psychic phenomenon doesn’t have a comfy bed and a tea tray. It just isn’t as crucial to me as filming wildlife would be.”

I bite my lip to stop a smile breaking free. “I can understand that because of the baby penguins.”

“You do know they’re not the only thing I film?”

“Would your attitude change if they were ghost baby penguins?”

He points his fingers at me in a gun shape. “That’s the motherlode right there.”

I laugh. “So basically, they all get their sleeping bags out, and you’re down the road eating a three-course meal.”

“Did I happen to mention that I’m an award-wining natural-world photographer?” he says in a haughty voice that’s slightly spoilt by the laughter in his eyes.

“Only a few thousand times.” He gasps and loses the battle against laughter. When he’s calmed down, I fasten him with a gaze. “So, what’s got you worried, Jem? You’ve done a few ghost hunts with this group and never seemed bothered before.”

He bites his lip. “We visited the house last week to do a run-through. It’s common practice. The group get to meet the family and then Ben interviews them while I sit back, cynically wondering what they’re getting out of it. Then I get to do a walkthrough to see what kit we need and map out the house in my head.”

“What possible kit could you want?”

“You have no idea. Heat-sensing thermal cameras, spirit boxes, motion sensors—and that’s just the immediate stuff.”

I blink. “I usually just take Blue.”

“I wish I could.”

“Why?”

His brow is furrowed, his nervous fingers pleating the serving mat on the counter in front of him. I wait him out and finally he looks up at me. “Because, unlike the other places they’ve visited, there’s actually something wrong with this house.”

“In what way?”

“I don’t know.” He shoves his chair back, looking exasperated. “I honestly don’t know, Will. It’s an ordinary thirties semi on an ordinary street. There’s no history of any violent death there at all or any record of ghostly activity until the Preston family moved in but—”

He pauses, and I stare at him. “What?”

“It felt wrong.” He leans forward, talking quickly as if he thinks I’m going to laugh at him. I’m not. “I always rely on my intuition. After all these years of working in some rather dangerous countries with unpredictable climates and animals, I have fucking good instincts. When I feel uncomfortable, I know there’s usually a reason for it. And I felt it there. When I walked through, it was sunny and warm. There’s kids’ artwork on the walls and family photos, and it’s nicely messy, but—” He spreads his hands. “I wanted out of there so badly, I could feel it in my belly. I was shaking by the time we left.”

If you read the Black and Blue series (ok, 2 books) you know Will already. Best friend of Blue Billings. Big, quiet, stoic. Takes care of what is his. A teddy bear in a grizzly bear suit.

We met Jem in the second B&B book as a cameraman working for some ghost hunters after he is hurt and can’t go on a big job he had been hired for. Still in recovery mode, he kind of shows up off and on in Will’s life. Until he is hired by another set of ghost hunters and he wants Will to be the sceptic. The guy who explains away different things instead of thinking it is ghosts. I’ll say I was a sceptic of Will being a sceptic because just be being Blue’s best friend, he has seen some things. But, who knows.

Well, based on the fact that whatever otherworldly thing is happening is showing itself to Will immediately, he isn’t much of a sceptic.

But the story of what is happening in the house is a fun read. Maybe scary for people who get scared with that kind of thing. Some pretty creepy things too. Maybe read it with the lights on if you are easily spooked. But it was creative and fun to read about, what went on.

There were 4 others who were the “ghost hunters” and while it was their ghost hunt, we were really focused on Will and Jem. They made it hard not to be.

In my no spoiler way, I kind of feel like one character made a big concession toward the end. It had to be done I’m sure, but still.

I still loved Will and Jem getting their HEA and I particularly loved Will getting HIS own happily ever after and going from homeless to where he ends up.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.

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