Blog Tour

Running Lines by Jeris Jean: RB, Excerpt and Release Day Review

January 29, 2021 by Denise

Onscreen chemistry. Offscreen action.

Finn may look like a Romeo + Juliet-era Leo, but he’s out to prove he’s got what it takes to break the teen heartthrob mold. Grayson is a serious actor, with “serious” as the operative word, so he’s not thrilled to find himself hopelessly attracted to his young new co-star.

Starring on a teen soap may have made Finn Everett Hollywood’s latest “it” boy, complete with the 10 million Instagram followers to show for it, but does he have the chops to cut it as the newest cast member on television’s biggest drama, Frost Manor? Finn’s determined to prove himself as more than just as sex symbol and win the respect of his co-star, Grayson Winter.

Grayson is gorgeous, talented, and the celeb Finn has been secretly crushing on for years. Grayson is dedicated to his job. He has big aspirations to be Hollywood’s best leading man, and he’s willing to make personal sacrifices to get there. When his new scene partner is the charismatic and intensely distracting Finn Everett, Grayson is shaken loose from his single-minded ambition.

When Finn and Grayson start running lines, their off-the-charts chemistry has them wondering if big things are in store for more than just their careers.

Running Lines is an MM Romance featuring hot TV stars, Hollywood drama, and a sweet and sexy gay love story.

Book Title: Running Lines

Author and Publisher: Jeris Jean

Cover Artist: Jeris Jean

Release Date: January 26, 2021

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Celebrities, Workplace Romance

Themes: Overcoming the past, self-confidence, defying expectations

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 55,000 words/ 142 pages (ebook)

It is a standalone story and is the first book in a series.

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Not a single interviewer had failed to mention Finn Everett, and it was getting really damn old. He didn’t want to talk about Finn Everett. He didn’t even want to think about Finn Everett. That just led to Grayson thinking about sexy blue eyes and lean muscles and no. No. Nothing good would come of that line of thought. It was going to be hard enough to work with him everyday on the show and maintain his standards of professionalism.

As Grayson clung to his last shred of patience for this interview, he answered the question the same way he had all night. “I trust our showrunners and casting director. But I haven’t personally met Finn Everett yet, so I don’t have an opinion of my own.” The words sounded colder, more robotic than he’d intended.

As if on cue, his agent Kayla’s familiar voice broke into the conversation, interrupting the interview. “We can fix that, Grayson! You can meet right now.” She was tugging someone by the hand and then shoving him into the interview right next to Grayson. The interviewer was clapping her hands in thrilled excitement, her smile widening to an even more frightening degree. Before he knew what was happening, he was shaking hands with Finn Everett, looking right into those dark blue eyes. There were only two words Grayson’s brain could manage at that moment: Holy. Fuck. Finn Everett was gorgeous.

Gaining his composure was difficult, but Grayson was a professional actor, so he knew how to pull himself together before anyone noticed how dumbstruck he was at the sight of Finn Everett. He hoped. The interviewer was now asking Finn how it felt to meet Grayson. Finn was staring at Grayson with the oddest expression – it was almost like…admiration? Grayson felt himself hold his breath, waiting to hear Finn’s answer.

Finn turned back to the interviewer, and he said smoothly, “It is an absolute pleasure. I can’t wait to work with him. I’m sure there’s a lot he can teach me.” Finn smiled shyly, his eyes dipping to the carpet and then back up to glance cautiously at Grayson through his lashes. Grayson met his eyes briefly, and he felt a tingle in his belly. His lips automatically quirked up at the corners without his permission. What was happening? Why was he acting like a total fool all of a sudden? It had to be that this red carpet media circus had finally wore him down completely. He was exhausted and too warm. That would make anyone’s head spin. That was totally it.

Thankfully, Kayla came to his rescue, grabbing both him and Finn by the hands and dragging them away from the interviewer, barking something about needing to get inside to take their seats. Grayson’s head was dizzy as he finally stepped into the cool air conditioning of the theatre.

“Look at this, my two favorite clients making friends,” Kayla said, smiling at Grayson and then Finn. “I had a hunch you’d hit it off,” she added as she let go of Grayson’s hand and dragged Finn further into the building.

Grayson was left in the entryway of the theatre, finally alone for the moment. He leaned against the marble wall behind him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself.

He was in trouble.

New author with her very first book. I hate to say it, but it is completely obvious that it is her first book. The story was there, but it was just a little bit of a mess. At times it read like a fleshed out outline, not a full story.

Finn, teenage heartthrob has landed a part on a very popular period show. And the lead is a guy he has crushed on. Finn has one day to learn his lines for the next day’s shoot, and Grayson shows up to help him.

They have a great time. Running lines, feeding off of each other’s energy, etc. Grayson invites him over for Thai food. I am expecting some flirting, longing glances, accidental touches…nope. He gets invited in one chapter and the next chapter Finn is reminiscing about the night before. That was never on page.

The whole book was like this. There was no connection at all with the characters. We knew more about the PA Ethan than these two. The entire season worth of filming this show was over in a matter of a few chapters. There was just no substance. It was all superficial.

Once they are “found out” (even though they really weren’t hiding), the producers tell them to act like they hate each other in public. Do we ever see that? Nope.

And even with that, the story dragged on well past it’s natural ending point.

Superficial, no chemistry, no substance. Needs a brutal beta reader (or 2) and a serious edit.

2.5 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.

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Limits and Stakes by Jacqueline Grey: Exclusive Author Guest Post and Excerpt

December 31, 2020 by Denise

Professor Danny Stone doesn’t date students. Though the university does not forbid such relationships, he’d rather be safe than sorry, but with his sparkling blue eyes and silky blond hair, Christopher Owen is a temptation begging him to break the rules. He already bent them when he kissed Chris over winter break.

Spring break will be different. Danny’s plan is to spend the week at a BDSM club a few towns over. Playing with a sub or two who have no connection to his university will do him a world of good, and he can put Chris out of his mind.

But when the first sub that catches his eye turns out to be Christopher, Danny’s willpower is put to the ultimate test. Chris is brand new to the scene and feels safest with Danny. Will Danny be able to introduce him to the wonders of BDSM without crossing too many lines? Or will fate pull them together and show them sometimes rules are destined to be broken?

Title: Limits and Stakes

Series: Suit of Harte’s, Book Three

Author: Jacqueline Grey

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 12/21/2020

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 32500

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, BDSM, Gay, Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Exhibitionism, Bondage, Sensation Play, Professor/Student

Amazon

Nine Star Press

I am so happy to be here.

Today I thought I’d talk a little about memorable kisses. When working on Limits and Stakes, there was one scene that stuck in my mind. It’s not even a scene, really, it’s a memory of Chris and Daniel’s first kiss:

Reading this paragraph made me thing of some of the memorable kisses in my life. Somehow, they always seem to be first kisses. My first kiss ever (with one of the sweetest boys I’ve known), my first kiss with a girl (she was either drunk or high and it wasn’t the best, but I won’t forget it), my first kiss with my best friend in high school (she was HOT and knew how to kiss)…

I did a lot of kissing in high school. In college too, but those seem to be less memorable. After college my most memorable kiss was the one I waited seven years for. I thought he was hot since the moment I met him and whenever we’d see each other we would flirt so intensely people thought we’d started sleeping together the first day we met. After a few years he became one of my best friends, but although we were close and attracted to each other, we never crossed the line. Until one day, seven years later, we were sitting on the balcony of his hotel room at an anime convention. He was dressed in a suit with a tie (I have no idea what I was wearing). Everyone else was inside the room, and I just couldn’t get over how hot he looked. We were flirting and teasing each other, and I kept playing with his tie. Eventually I decided to give in to the attraction. We ended up making out on the balcony for a long time, and it had been totally worth the wait.

So, do you have special kisses you remember?

It was spring break, and Daniel Stone was enjoying a full week of student-free days. Dressed head-to-toe in tight black leather and itching to play, Daniel entered the Lock & Key. The club wasn’t as big as the one he’d been a member of before moving to Georgia, and membership wasn’t as exclusive, but it was well-recommended, and the staff kept an eye out for the patrons. Most of the members seemed to be well-versed in the lifestyle as well, enough to give him the confidence that, if he were to play with someone, they would at least know what they were doing or say something if they didn’t.

The club was a sufficient distance from where he worked, so he didn’t have to worry about being spotted as a familiar face outside of the scene. A BDSM club in a college town was not where a professor wanted to be found, no matter how liberal the residents claimed to be. A five-hour drive and the expense of a hotel room for the week was a worthy price for freedom.

He ordered a bottle of water and scanned the crowd for potential company. A small group of men caught his eye. Two of the three he disregarded immediately, but the third, a lean blond in the skimpiest pair of leather shorts he’d ever seen, held his attention. He was unable to tear his gaze from all that pale skin or the way the leather hugged his perfectly round bottom.

The boy was obviously new to the scene. There was uncertainty in his movements, but he was doing his best to keep up the conversation. Daniel had full confidence the young man would succeed. Anyone brave enough to go out in public in shorts like those could hold a simple conversation.

When the group moved toward the bar, Daniel finally saw the young man’s face. He froze in surprise. Of the students crowding Georgia State University campus, he now faced the one he’d wanted to avoid the most, the one he wanted to forget. Against his better judgment, he intercepted the group.

“Chris,” he said.

Chris Owen looked up at him, startled. His eyes widened in recognition, and his mouth fell open.

“Pr—” He stopped himself just in time. “Mr. Stone.”

Relief flooded through Daniel. He preferred to keep his daily life separate from the club and was glad it would remain that way.

“You know this kid?” asked one of the men. He stood too close to Chris for Daniel’s liking.

“Yes.” Daniel resisted the impulse to claim anything more. He had no right to claim anything, but his instincts wouldn’t let him back down completely. “My apologies for the interruption. I wasn’t aware Chris planned to be here today.”

The stranger scrutinized the young man, paying particular attention to his neck. “He’s not marked.”

“I’m instructing him,” Daniel said. Well, he had been. For half a semester, he’d tutored Chris in advanced calc, but that had changed after winter break. Either way, the details didn’t apply here. He clutched at straws with half-truths, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to know why Chris was there and what he had in mind. He wanted to keep the boy safe.

He wanted to keep him.

No. He’s a student. You promised him two months ago nothing would happen between the two of you, and now you’re trying to put a collar on him? Get a grip, Stone!

“Of course, he’s free to choose who he goes with,” Daniel added, attempting to pull himself out of the hole he’d been digging.

The other man looked at Chris expectantly. Chris flickered his eyes back and forth between them, seemingly lost on how to answer. Daniel put a hand on his shoulder.

“You can continue to the bar as you were, or you can take a tour of the club with me. Which do you want to do? There is no wrong choice.”

“I…” Chris’s gaze locked on Daniel’s. “I…” He swallowed. “I want to go with you.”

There was a tsk from behind Chris, but Daniel ignored it. He also did his best to ignore the sense of triumph running through him.

“Follow me,” he said and headed toward the bar.

“I thought we were going for a tour.”

“One step at a time, boy.” Daniel ordered another water, then scanned the room for somewhere to sit. When the bartender put the drink on the counter, Daniel left it for Chris to pick up and led the way toward the table he’d found. He was glad to hear the crinkle of plastic as Chris followed. The seating he’d chosen had a semblance of privacy. Daniel took the chair against the wall and gestured for Chris to take the other.

“Now, I take it this is what you meant about trying new things over spring break?” he asked.

The boy flushed red. “I… Yes. I’ve always wanted to come here and finally worked up the courage to do it.”

“You did more than that.” Daniel dropped a pointed glance in the direction of Chris’s shorts.

The color in Chris’s face deepened. “You’re not gonna tell anyone, are you?”

“I believe a person’s private life is their own business.”

“Thanks.”

Daniel took a sip of his water. After a moment, Chris did the same. Daniel caught himself staring when Chris licked his lips. He’d kissed that mouth.

The small details of that moment were forever embedded in his mind. One evening during winter break, they’d come across each other outside the math building on campus. He couldn’t recall why they’d lingered. All he remembered was huddling in his coat against the winter chill and then not caring about the weather as he became entranced by the puffs of air dancing between them as they spoke, the rosy color on Chris’s cheeks, and the sparkle in his clear blue eyes. There had been silence all around them when the conversation had hit a lull and a pull, an irresistible urge that had driven him to kiss a student. Granted, Chris was a grad student and not in any of Daniel’s classes, but Daniel had been his tutor at the time. Even if he hadn’t, Chris was still a student at the college where Daniel worked, and that wasn’t something Daniel was comfortable with. Recklessness led to trouble, and so he’d pulled away. Yet here was that face again, looking at him so openly as if the kiss had never happened and Daniel hadn’t ruined an innocent student-teacher relationship.

He mentally shook himself from his reverie. “Did you have anything in mind when you came here tonight, or was getting through the door the main goal?”

Chris’s blush deepened. “That seemed to be a big enough goal to start with.”

“Now that you’ve accomplished it, what do you plan to do next?”

Jacqueline Grey currently lives on an island on the east coast of the United States. She spends her time outside her day job juggling her many interests which include reading, writing and drinking tea. She loves M/M romance, usually focusing on stories that include BDSM themes to one degree or another.

Jacqueline has always been driven by characters. She loves a good plot, but it’s the characters that pull her into a story. She loves romance and believes everyone has a right to be happy. She enjoys seeing her characters find that happiness for themselves.

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http://jacquelinegrey.com/

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On the Run (A Whispering Key Novel) by May Archer: Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 16, 2020 by Denise

I was supposed to be partying with a bunch of celebrities in paradise this week, okay?

But then I made one teeny, tiny error in judgement before leaving New York, and suddenly the paparazzi expected me to give a command performance as “the other man” in their straight celebrity “outing” of the week.

Um, no, precious. So much no.

Instead, I did what any self-respecting, secret-keeping man would do in that situation: I cancelled my trip and fled New York to hide out in the last place anyone would look for me–a weird little Florida island where nothing exciting ever happened.

Or at least it didn’t… until I arrived.

Now I find myself shacked up with my fake boyfriend Beale Goodman, Whispering Key’s most adorable, most enormous, most virginal cinnamon roll—a guy who rescues feral cats, believes in soulmates, and talks about happiness like it’s free for the taking.

A guy who nearly convinces me, with every smile and kiss, that it is.

Stranger still? I find myself falling for the people on the island. Fitting in, instead of sticking out. Making, you know… friends. And for the first time ever, I think I’ve found something I want to run to, rather than from…

As long as I can keep my secrets from catching up with me.

On The Run (Whispering Key, Book 2) by May Archer

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

“I know what I want to do with you today.”

Toby, who was picking up our assorted clothes from the corner of the guest bedroom, paused to give me a flirtatious grin. “Oh, really? You ready to go again already, Goodman?”

I snorted. God, he made me happy.

“Not that.” Although, you know, these days I was always down for that. I had zero hesitation when Toby was involved. “I meant an activity where you can work on your tan.”

We’d been so busy for the last couple of days, what with trivia, and town meetings, and me taking a couple of shifts running Goodmen Outfitters’ tour boat around the island, and Toby being the unofficial social events coordinator for Whispering Key, Toby had joked the night before that he was the only person in the world who’d leave Florida paler than he’d arrived.

Meanwhile, I’d started thinking maybe I didn’t want him to leave at all.

He straightened, narrowed his eyes, and set his hands on his hips. “What kind of activity?”

“I…” Somewhere around Monday, he’d developed a line of freckles across his nose that were the cutest, most distracting thing ever. I wanted to boop them with my fingertip. I also knew better than to mention this on pain of death.

“You, what?” he demanded. “Finish the thought, Goodman.”

His scowl made me grin. “So suspicious.”

Toby went back to gathering up clothes. “Wonder why. Possibly because we’ve already re-enacted Titanic? Or because we were nearly stranded on a deserted island? Or because you fed me vegan seitan hotdogs yesterday and claimed it was an accident? Or—?”

I laughed out loud. “We absolutely were not stranded, you enjoyed the seitan before you knew what it was, and nothing has tried to murder you in hours and hours.I’m starting to think you enjoy being almost-murdered, Toby.”

“Nonsense. I do not have a murder fetish, thank you very much, and I am the perfect amount of suspicious.”

Another May Archer winner for me.

Poor Toby…talk about a bad day, which only got worse, before it got even worse. Honestly, though, he presented himself as someone who couldn’t deal with all the “icky” stuff that was dumped on him all throughout the book, but he did. He handled it all as well as a man who’d transplanted himself from Ohio because his family didn’t want anything to do with him.

Meanwhile, Beale was the sweetest 28 year old virgin you’d ever meet. All he wanted was to find what and who he was meant to be, and the soul mate that his mother taught him to wait for. He took a lot of ribbing from the people on the Key, and just let it all go, because he knew in his heart he was right to wait and let the Universe tell him what was next.

Complete opposites, but they fit like two pieces of a puzzle. I also loved how Toby, without really meaning to, ended up getting involved in the local “scene” on the Key, but was Beale’s champion.

Lots of snark, fun, and some sweet and sexy times. All the antics that’s are a fun and funny May Archer book. Mostly stand alone, although there were parts where I felt like a little more explanation could have been given for the unaware reader.

4 pieces of eye candy

May is an M/M author who lives in Boston. She spends her days raising three incredibly sarcastic children, finding inventive ways to drive her husband crazy, planning beach vacations, avoiding the gym, reading M/M romance, and occasionally writing it. She also writes MF romance as Maisy Archer.

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First (99 Daddies Book 1) by Casey Cox: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 2, 2020 by Denise

First: (adverb)
a: before another in time, space, or importance.
b: for the first time.
See also: Stirling “First-Time Daddy” Bishop.

A boy who can’t find what he wants.
A Daddy who doesn’t know what he needs.

With his big blue eyes, lean frame, and propensity for adorkable clumsiness, Mikey Harrison is a Daddy magnet…for the wrong type of Daddy. Those who mistake his desire to serve as an open invitation to mistreat him and abuse his trust.

But all of that changes when he lays his eyes on Stirling Bishop. Sure, the strong, silent (and irresistibly sexy) type ticks all of his boxes, but it’s the tenderness underlying Stirling’s strength that makes him achingly irresistible.

For Mikey, it’s insta-love.
For Stirling, it’s insta-huh?

Despite looking like he was put on this earth to be the Daddy of every boy’s dreams, the thought of dating a younger guy has never even crossed Stirling’s mind, much less the idea of being a Daddy.

But there’s no denying that Mikey awakens something deep within him—the desire to dominate, the need to care. It’s been dormant, yet bubbling under the surface within him for his entire life.

Can Mikey help Stirling find the strength he needs to be the Daddy he was meant to be…and become the Daddy of Mikey’s dreams?

FIRST
First is a Daddy/boy, May-December gay romance featuring a strong, silent, first-time Daddy, and an eager boy who can show him the way. Come along for the ride and enjoy some crazy/sexy/cool shenanigans including: impromptu foot rubs, naked butlers, a crew of sassy friends, lots of LOLs, and all the feels on the way to a heartwarming HEA.

First is the first book in the 99 Daddies series. Each book in the series will contain overlapping characters and storylines, so you may enjoy them more by reading them in order.

99 DADDIES
99 Daddies is a hilarious, entertaining, and heartwarming Daddy/boy, May-December MM romance series.

Escape to Daylesford, the (fictional) Daddy capital of America. If you love steamy and complex Daddy/boy dynamics, May-December gay romances with a twist, sweet and sassy MM age-gap romances, and chasing those guaranteed HEAs, you’ll love it here.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

He closed his eyes. I loved seeing his massive chest rise and fall with every breath in and out. We didn’t need words. There was something happening here, something between us that defied logic and sense, but it was as real as the floor I was sitting on.

Did he feel it too? What was going on inside of him? I could feel his whole body starting to loosen, to relax under my firm touch. As I looked up at him, I could see his jaw unclench and his face start to soften.

He had to be feeling this too. It couldn’t just be me, could it, imagining something that I wanted so badly? Seeing only what I wanted to see?

Oh fuck, it probably was. I always did this. I always let my imagination and my desires run away with me, pulling me toward what I hoped for and wanted, while choosing not to see what was actually right in front of me. I’d done it with Brian before, was I doing it again with Stirling now?

I sighed loudly, which made him open his eyes. He looked around as if he had just woken up and wasn’t entirely sure where he was. He was so freaking sexy I couldn’t handle it. I smiled up at him.

“What you’re doing feels so good, Mikey,” he said, looking straight at me.

Hearing him say my name for the first time made my heart do cartwheels of joy.

“Good,” I said, looking straight back. “I’m happy to keep going for as long—”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Steel’s voice cut in.

He was standing beside me. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of judgement in his voice or in the look that he gave me. And trust me, I knew a thing or two about being judged.

“We need to go, Stirling. I just saw a cake being wheeled out. Sorry.” He looked at me when he apologized.

“It’s fine,” I said, releasing Stirling’s feet gently. “You are the birthday boy, after all. You’re kind of needed for that whole cake thing.” I said as I stood up.

“Yeah, that’s usually how these things work,” he said with an apologetic smile, as Stirling started to put his socks and shoes back on. Slowly, of course.

Once he was done, he stood up in front of me. He was a good four inches taller than me, which I really liked for some reason.

“Uh, thanks,” he said. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but then quickly snapped it shut.

“You’re…welcome.” It was all I could think of to say as Steel grabbed Stirling by his arm and the two men began to walk away from us.

Nick stood next to me as we watched them make their way across the room, rejoining their friends and turning their attention to a massive chocolate cake filled with candles, that was being brought out by two naked butlers.

“Now those are some seriously sexy Daddies.”

Nick’s words hung heavily in the air between us.

“Uh huh.”

It was all I could manage.

“So,” Nick said as he placed his hand firmly on my shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. “That whole I’m-over-men thing, then?”

I didn’t even have to turn my head. From the corner of my eye, I could see the shit-eating grin stretching across his face.

“Yeah, totally over that.” My eyes were fixed on Stirling, following his every movement. “I am one hundred percent back into men.”

Okay, so… I have a thing for hot dads. It’s no secret, not to those who know me, and especially not to those who follow my reviews. In saying that, this one, in my definition, is not a Daddy/boy book.

I mean, sure, they toss it out there every once in a while, but the lifestyle and mechanics behind such a trope. No. It was hard to keep my interest after I figured that out.

So, in the beginning, Mikey and his best friend since high school, Nick, are naked waiters… which somehow gets them into being naked furniture, which somehow morphs into being human footstools, which I didn’t like. I mean, you could ask first, couldn’t you? Don’t just take off your socks and put your clammy feet on my naked back, ew… but, it’s where Mikey meets Stirling…

Now, Stirling is fresh out of a relationship where his husband not only cheated but then took him for half of everything and still blamed him. So, he’s jaded, if only a bit.
He’s a first time ‘Daddy’, which is no surprise, and he really doesn’t know what he wants at first, though it doesn’t take him long to realize that what he wants is Mikey… and Mikey, he’s a little too much at times for me, but he’s funny and clumsy and his brain to mouth filter is a bit delayed, but he’s a loveable type. I did like the pair of them together.

Of course, it isn’t all cute and sweet and getting to know one another, there are a few bumps in the road that I would love to rant about for a while, but as I’ve recently been told that my ranting is mostly all spoilers, I’ve tried to tone it down a bit…. I will say that you will NOT like any of the exes in this book, and that’s putting it lightly. (especially from me)

Overall though, if you like a couple of cute guys who find love in each other after heartbreak, some really good friends, and some very very very very light Daddy kink… you’ll likely enjoy this one.
Especially if you’re a sucker for a good HEA.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Casey Cox is devoted to delighting readers with sassy, sweet and sometimes steamy MM gay romance tales of gorgeous, good-hearted and complex men chasing that thing we all love: a guaranteed HEA.

Casey’s writing has an escapist, wanderlust quality to it because, let’s face it, these days there are plenty of reasons to run from reality.

Casey lives on the east coast of Australia, loves the beach and is a proud paw-parent to two utterly adorable French Bulldogs named Ralphie and Lilly.

Connect with Casey:
Website: https://caseycoxbooks.com/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.cox
Email: caseycoxbooks@gmail.com
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Cupcakes and Christmas: A Bake Off inspired MM Christmas Romance by RJ Scott: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

November 23, 2020 by Denise

The story of long nights in a wintry mountain hotel, a baking show with secrets, a snowman called Jeremy, and finding the greatest love of all.

After winning season four of ratings hit the World’s Best Baking Show, Brody Thomas had become a sought-after cake maker to the stars. Happily married, he dreamed of a bright future, but his perfect life imploded when he discovered that his husband had done nothing but lie to him. A year later, Brody is mid-divorce, and his life has been turned upside down, so being part of the WBBS charity event is excellent timing. He’s sure it will give him time away from home and space to get his head straight, only he never expected to meet the man of his dreams in a snowy Alberta.

Winning season one of WBBS gave Justin Mallory a chance to outrun the demons of a childhood lost in the foster system. He’s a social media influencer, with millions of followers, and works every hour to make money that equals security for the rest of his life. His marketing team signs him up for the WBBS Christmas charity show, but he’s convinced he’ll fall at the first hurdle. Only, after a few days in the competition, his worry isn’t that he’ll be the first to leave, it’s that he’ll lose his heart to a rival baker, Brody.

Title: Cupcakes & Christmas

Author: RJ Scott

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Length: 67,000 words approx.

Amazon

This book was sweetness, 100%. How could it not be with a title like Cupcakes & Christmas? It was like getting that cupcake with the most decadent filling, coated in icing. It could be too much sweetness, but you still have to have it all. 🙂

I don’t watch much TV, and so haven’t seen much of these baking shows, but you can tell that the author has loved every second of them, and made me want to run out and watch them myself. What I loved though was that the two MC’s clearly had a love for baking, especially as they kept watching the show even after they won their own seasons. At one point one of the MC’s mentions baking every day. (Don’t you want to live next door to him???). Having had crushes on each other during the other’s season, I thought it was fun how the author brought them together with a reunion show as the backdrop (oh, and now I really want to go to Banff!). This added a little drama, but honestly it was mostly drama free. It was about the two MC’s finding their way to each other despite their lack of communication.

I loved Brody’s family, especially his twin, and that even though they’d been through some serious challenges the previous year due to Brody’s marriage, they were all still completely behind each other (and later Justin as well). Meanwhile, Justin was just trying to figure out how to transition to a career he could be proud of, and still feel successful, with a balance in the bank.

Jeremy was the icing on the cupcake. I loved that little piece of the book. It was just awesome that that became their time together, their place to talk, to work through issues or even to be alone. We all need a Jeremy in our lives.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

RJ Scott is a USA TODAY bestselling author of over 140 romance and suspense novels. From bodyguards to hockey stars, princes to millionaires, cowboys to military heroes to every-day heroes, she believes that love is love and every man deserves a happy ending.

Find RJ here: Amazon | BookBub | Facebook – Also, Never miss a release

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We Have Till Dawn by Cara Dee: RDB, Excerpt, and Release Day Review

November 23, 2020 by Denise

It wasn’t like he’d never done this before…

Nicky Fender retired from sex work two years ago and never looked back. Then an offer he can’t refuse comes his way, and he agrees to one last exclusive arrangement. Good money and an apartment in Manhattan? He’d be a fool to turn that down.

The deal is dusk till dawn for two months. But once he meets Gideon—an older, quirky, autistic, filthy, uncertain businessman who wants to explore his sexuality—Nicky wishes sunrise would never come.

Title: We Have Till Dawn

Author: Cara Dee

Series: Standalone

Genre: Gay Romance

Tropes: Autism, Musician, Age Difference, Role Play, Family, First-Time Experience

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Nicky Fender

“Let me get this straight,” I said, scanning the document. “The wife is the client? I mean, she’s the one setting her husband up with a male escort?”

“Correct.” Tina sat back as our server approached with dinner. “Well, her fiancé.”

I hummed and kept my mouth shut until we were alone again. Fuck, the pizza looked good. Of course, meeting with Tina meant it had to be some fancy pizza. She wouldn’t be caught dead with a regular slice. She wouldn’t be caught dead in Brooklyn either, which was why I’d met up with her in Manhattan at some swanky Italian place. But hey, she was buying.

“I’m waiting for the reason for why I’d agree,” I admitted bluntly. I hadn’t whored out my sweet ass in two years, and I was doing much better now. I worked three jobs for very little pay, I lived with my big brother, and I had practically no time for any hobbies. What’s not to love?

I’d thought about going back to Tina for some time, but whenever I considered it, there was this rock in the pit of my stomach that no amount of money could crush.

“I wanted you to see the requirements first,” she replied.

Well, there were a lot of them. I hadn’t gone through the entire list yet. After placing the document next to my plate, I cut into my fancy pizza and continued reading the list. There was plenty on hygiene, but nothing that went beyond what I was used to. I was to be blindfolded the whole time? All right… I’d never see the client’s face—or the client’s fiancé—which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“I get the impression from the client that the man wants to explore something before he agrees to marry her,” Tina revealed. I’d heard of weirder dynamics. “She hinted that it would be a one-time arrangement, and she placed emphasis on following instructions that seem to cover every inch of your body.”

Lovely.

“That’s a lot of exploring,” I pointed out. “He wants to meet with me four nights a week for two months.”

Tina lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug and sipped her wine.

More specifically, I had to be available for him between the hours of ten PM and six AM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

I scratched my ear.

The pay better be out of this world, ’cause I would have to quit at both Applebee’s and Starbucks. Not that I’d mourn those shifts, but I’d been at Applebee’s long enough to possibly make assistant manager when the current one quit next month. She was having a baby and moving to Jersey.

I stuck a piece of pizza into my mouth and eyed the requirements for safety, at which I almost choked on a pepperoni slice.

“How loaded is this couple?” I asked through a cough. The man demanded exclusivity, meaning I wasn’t allowed to be sexually active with anyone else for the duration of our arrangement. And that cost a fucking mint.

“Read on…” Tina smirked wryly.

I furrowed my brow—then spotted one of my few hard limits. I shook my head and wiped my mouth with the napkin. “No fucking way. Tina, you—no. Fuck this.”

I didn’t mess around without protection. Not a chance in hell.

“This is why I asked you, Nicky,” she told me patiently. “Considering your stance on protection and your sad little Facebook statuses on how single you are—” she ignored my glare “—not to mention that you’re not the type of guy who walks around with a string of hookups, I can count on you passing a screening with flying colors and taking on someone who wants exclusivity. You’re my only candidate.”

“Candidate to say no,” I retorted.

Tina adopted a smug expression and reached down to dig something out of her purse. “There’s a reason I wanted to save the perks for last,” she said. “Okay, so you know the requirements. An exclusive arrangement for both parties—during which you’re sexually active only with each other—four nights a week for two months. You won’t see him. He won’t violate your limits—”

“Going unprotected is a limit, Tina,” I grated. Fuck, I was getting pissed. Part of me had carried foolish hope that this would be such a golden case that I’d jump on the opportunity and earn some good dough before the rock in my stomach returned.

“And when you’re an escort dealing with multiple clients a week, nothing else would make sense,” she answered, extending another document to me. “I wouldn’t even try to approach my other sex workers with this, Nicky. You’re the exception only because you quit the field.”

“Hmpf.” I cast a disgruntled look her way before I lowered my gaze to the piece of paper.

Ahem.

Holy fuck.

Three grand a week—minus Tina’s finder’s fee of ten percent—plus living arrangements. There would be a studio apartment in my name, so to speak, rent and utilities paid for by the client. Corner of West 39th and Ninth Avenue—not a shabby address at all. One of my best friends lived in the Garment District. Adjacent to Hell’s Kitchen where another friend lived.

A Manhattan address and $3,000 a week for two months.

A guy could do worse.

I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. “Is there, uh, any way to ensure safety by making sure the guy gets tested too?”

“Of course, Nicky.” The compassion in Tina’s crystal-blue eyes reminded me of the fact that she ran an ethical business based on choice and vetting. She didn’t headhunt sex workers; they had to come to her, and they—we—had to go through a selection process before she could, in good conscience, give us work.

Today, I was an exception for her, and my answer would be an exception too.

’Cause it looked like I was moving to Manhattan.

Most, if not all, of the Cara Dee books I’ve read have been BDSM in nature. This one wasn’t- but it did involve kink and a sex worker. It is also set in NY, which I enjoy since it is “my” city (but I live in the ‘burbs).

This book had so much! First time gay, autism, rich, poor, family, kink, sex work…whew!

Nicky is a former sex worker who’s former boss/manager contacts him for a unique job. Five nights a week for two months from about 10pm to 6am. There are rules to follow including a blindfold and no talking. Nicky doesn’t want to do it really, but the money is just way too good. AND he would get a nice studio apartment in Manhattan for the duration. Meaning he can move out of his brother’s place in Brooklyn at least for a little while.

Gideon is super rich, has autism, is bisexual but never had the chance to explore, and is engaged to be married to a woman. Apparently she is giving him this time to explore that side of himself before they marry.

And so they begin with a bit of a clinical association. Nicky is blindfolded, lights off, no talking and he isn’t allowed to reciprocate or touch. Honestly, it was pretty hot. Because Nicky wanted so much to reciprocate, make noise, encourage. One of the hottest submission scenes that wasn’t even meant to be a submission scene.

In between his time with Gideon, we see Nicky with his brother quite a bit. They work together at his brother’s music school in Brooklyn. We also get their Nonna- and trust me, if you are from NY or NJ, you know a Nonna just like her- and their father. Gideon remains a mystery. Which is interesting since he is such a mystery to Nicky. We are only seeing Gideon as Nicky sees him.

But Nicky wears Gideon down slowly. If Gideon really wants to explore this side- he needs to let Nicky participate. Being that Nicky works with some kids with autism, and talks to his brother who has more experience with autism, he really tries to understand what Gideon is good with, not good with, how far to push him, when to step back. And he did it all so respectfully. There was never any condescension. They seemed to fit together like 2 puzzle pieces.

Nicky and Gideon overcoming what they thought were obstacles was swoony. There was a misunderstanding, but no big drama. No big fight and weeks of angsting over each other. They realized what they had together was special- even after two months.

This was one of the most “real” connections I have read in a long time.

Back to the NYC thing. I loved how authentic 99% of it was. Brooklyn vs Manhattan, “the neighborhood”, the crazy mix of languages, everyone knows everyone and gets in your business and rumors spread like wildfire. Even most of the slang was awesome. There was only one slang Italian curse word was wrong, but not many will know that.

This is definitely my favorite of hers. I really hope Nicky’s brother gets his story. He deserves a happily ever after as well.

4.5 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