Book Review

10 Things That Never Happened (Material World Book 1) by Alexis Hall: New Release Review

October 25, 2023 by Denise

FAKE AMNESIA. REAL FEELINGS? REAL PROBLEMS.

Sam Becker loves—or, okay, likes—his job. Sure, managing a bed and bath retailer isn’t exactly glamorous, but it’s good work and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git.

Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn’t get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talk…only for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn’t remember anything?

Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan’s guilt—as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There’s an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?

Amazon – All Regions

Sometimes I think a book will be good because it’s by a bestselling author AND it’s through a traditional publisher. Sometimes I am wrong.

Sometimes I really don’t like the previous book by an author by really like the next book. Sometimes I am wrong.

Sometimes I learn my lessons. Sometimes I don’t.

What I did like about this book- that one of the main characters is a manager at a bed and bath store. Not a boutique, but not a big box store. He is a regular guy doing a regular job. A regular completely non-glamourous job. And I did like the second half quite a bit more than the first. But that first half was tough.

Some of the things the author used to, I assume, be quirky, were eye rolling. Calling products they sell by their full name. He didn’t trip and fall through a shower enclosure. He tripped and fell through the Nexa by MER-LYN 8mm Sliding Door Enclosure. And that entire title is used in every instance of the retelling of him falling through said enclosure. The same is done with a toilet seat and a mattress.

Several employees are written to be quirky as well. Mostly they were annoying.

So fake amnesia. Because that works all of the time. And man who started his own business and is successful would never, ever see right through it. But apparently it does work and the boss doesn’t see right through it.

Honestly it was so silly.

It did get a bit more palatable after they got past the “you’re my employee, this is wrong” thing. Jonathan became a bit more human. But Sam was still kind of an idiot. Jonathan’s family were a bit too “A Big Fat Greek Wedding” for me, but I warmed up a bit to them.

I was only determined to finish the book to find out how the ruse comes to an end. And still, meh.

Maybe you will like it. Lots of people seem to based on the reviews. But this was so not for me.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

The Mechanics of Lust: Mackenzie Country #2 by Jay Hogan: Excerpt and New Release Review

October 23, 2023 by Denise

. .

I broke the rules and fell in love with my best friend. Newsflash. He didn’t feel the same. I had to stand by and watch him fall for someone else. Moving on hasn’t been easy since we all live and work on the same high country sheep station, but I’m finally getting there.

I’m building a new life, a new set of dreams, planning a different future, just me and my dogs. The last thing I need is Luke Nichols, the sexy, enigmatic, ex-husband of my nemesis, filling my head with a laundry list of cravings. Talk about complicated.

Luke is only in Mackenzie Country for a few months and I’m not about to put my heart on the line again just for a little fun. But the more I’m around Luke, the harder it is to remember exactly why Luke and I are a bad idea, the worst idea.

Things between us are about to go nuclear.

Maybe I’m wrong.

Maybe we can keep it simple.

Maybe I can satisfy my cravings and hold on to my heart.

And maybe pigs can fly.

Note: This book contains references to the past loss of a child.

Title: The Mechanics of Lust

Series: Mackenzie Country #2

Author: Jay Hogan

Genre: MM Romance

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

“Speech, speech!” A slow clap reverberated off the faded walls of the Oakwood pub’s back bar, which locals had affectionately named The Fleece.

I put my back to the wooden bar and watched a furiously blushing Gil throw Holden a withering, you-are-in-so-much-trouble glare before stepping onto the small stage. He surveyed the crowd from under the Happy Fortieth Birthday banner, which had taken four of us an embarrassing amount of time and a few beers to finally get in place.

I was amazed we’d managed to keep the surprise party a secret, but somehow we’d done it, and Gil had been stunned, tearful, and touchingly overwhelmed when he’d walked into the packed bar to a loud chorus of happy birthday that rattled the rafters.

As I listened to his emotional thank you to everyone who’d turned up to celebrate, including some of his friends who’d flown in from Wellington, it was hard not to be charmed by the man. Not quite a year in the district and Gil’s name was almost as synonymous with Miller Station as Holden’s. This was partly due to their gay-couple status, but also because of the run of free seminars Gil had begun offering locally on grief, stress management, and rural mental health. The result was a bar chocka with birthday well-wishers.

And I was one of them.

Cue the shocked gasps of disbelief.

Keeping my eyes on Gil, I shuffled sideways to let a man in at the bar behind me.

“We must stop meeting like this.” The gravelly voice sent a shiver down my spine, and I turned to find a familiar pair of blue eyes dancing over my face.

Luke Nichols. Dammit.

Luke flashed that wicked smile that always made my dick sit up and pay attention and just, damn my bad luck. The man smelled of Tom Ford, summer, and trouble, and I cursed the familiar tingling sensation his proximity always managed to induce in my body. A fact that only strengthened my resolve to make sure he caught my eye roll. He did. But the amused smirk he returned my way didn’t help matters.

“Well, look who the cat dragged in.” I tried not to lean in for another waft of that expensive cologne. “Guess there’s no show without Punch, right?”

Luke gave an amused snort. “I guess not.” His gaze raked over me, head to foot, before he turned his attention to the small stage where Gil was winding up his speech. “Ah, the birthday boy.”

I followed Luke’s gaze, pretending to listen while shooting covert glances back his way because . . . well, because I was an idiot. And because he looked so fucking edible. Dressed in dark-wash jeans paired with a crisp white shirt—open at the neck and with the cuffs rolled up to reveal the green silicone wristband he always wore—Luke looked annoyingly cool as a cucumber in the late January heat that had the rest of us layering on the deodorant.

Smelling fresh from the shower, Luke brushed a stray lock of dirty blond hair back into place in a way that made me want to shove a hat over my own shaggy, auburn waves. A woven black leather cord hung around his neck and disappeared under his shirt, and a pair of trendy black loafers poked out from the bottom of his jeans. It pained me to admit it, but the man was effortlessly chic.

Enough already. I refocused on Gil who was gesturing to Holden to join him on the small stage.

“Get up here, baby.” Gil drew Holden in for a long, slow kiss that had the birthday crowd whooping and wolf-whistling.

I waited for the once familiar knot of jealousy in my chest, but it never came. Wistful? Sure. Envious of what they had? Absolutely. But jealous still? I thought about it again. No. Maybe I was fooling myself, but I was going to take that for a win.

Luke leaned in close. “Does this feel as weird for you as it does for me?”

I glanced over my shoulder. “I’ve no idea what you mean,” I lied.

His lips twitched in an almost smile that I chose to ignore. “Oh really?” he asked sardonically. “Because here we are, you and me, at a party celebrating my ex-husband’s birthday, thrown by his new love who just happens to be your best friend slash ex. One could be forgiven for saying it’s a bit of a mindfuck, right?”

When I didn’t answer, he elbowed me gently. “Oh, come on. A little conversation won’t kill you.”

I huffed. “Says you.” I was being a dick and we both knew it, but that was par for the course as far as things between us went.

To be fair, Luke had attempted to build a bridge many times since our inauspicious first meeting. He’d arrived uninvited at the station the year before in an attempt to force Gil to talk and I’d been . . . less than welcoming. I might not have liked Gil much at that time, and I still didn’t know the whole story of what had happened between them, but to walk out on your husband six months after your daughter was killed in a car accident? The rest of Miller Station might have found a way to gloss over that fact and forgive him, even Gil. But as far as I was concerned, how much more did you really need to know about a guy?

Not to mention, getting all buddy-buddy with the man would’ve meant having . . . conversations and likely being paired up to work when he helped out on the station. The problem was that any proximity to Luke brought with it a minefield of potential disaster best avoided.

Luke was sexy as shit and his obvious interest in me might fizz in those wicked blue eyes. But he was trouble with a capital T, and I wanted no part of him for too many reasons to list. Although if I did happen to list them, right at the top would be the fact that my body lit up like a Christmas tree every time the man came within spitting distance.

Not since those first times with Holden had I felt anything like that.

Maybe not even then, and that fact just plain pissed me off.

Too bad I was done with complicated men.

D O N E.

Well. I thought book one made me cry. Then I read book 2. Yes, you really should read both to get the full story.

What this book, even moreso than the first because it takes place after the first, shows with such compassion is how grief affects a person. In daily life and long term. And how continuing to live your life is the best thing you can do.

Luke lands himself in Oakwood, the closest town to Miller Station to be a helicopter pilot, at least temporarily. He’s also been untethered since his and Gil’s daughter died and their marriage fell apart.

I love when a broken up/divorced couple are mature enough to realize that sometimes, for a myriad of reasons, they didn’t work out. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have to hate each other. Zach didn’t really get the memo that there were no hard feelings and decided he didn’t like Luke on principle. Mmmkay

Zach was dealing with a lot. His father threw him off of their sheep station, cut him out of the business and will and openly mocks him in public. So he’s a little raw as well.

He does do that typical “I am not a relationship guy, blah blah blah”, but that doesn’t stop he and Luke from getting down and dirty. Often. And they think they are keeping it on the down low. But they are in a remote area of NZ with not a lot of people. Things get noticed. Except the oblivious Holden.

I loved that Zach rally encouraged Luke to open up about Callie and to feel his feels. Of course that just makes Luke fall a bit harder. Zach just needs to let himself feel his feels.

I really love the setting for these books. It’s so unique and interesting to read about. It’s obvious that research went into making life on a sheep station realistic. I loved revisiting it and the people there.

4 pieces of eye candy

Heart, humour and keeping it real.

Jay is a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Romance and her book Off Balance was the 2021 New Zealand Romance Book of the Year.

She is a New Zealand author writing mm romance and romantic suspense, primarily set in New Zealand. She writes character driven romances with lots of humour, a good dose of reality and a splash of angst. She’s travelled extensively, lived in many countries, and in a past life she was a critical care nurse, nurse educator and counsellor. Jay is owned by a huge Maine Coon cat and a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel

Find Jay in all the places: https://www.jayhoganauthor.com/landingpage

Hold On (Fate We Make Book 2) by Barbara Elsborg: New Release Review

October 22, 2023 by Denise

Sixteen long years behind bars. Almost half his life. But finally, freedom and a future Dominic can see. Yet as he steps into the world, a whispered threat shatters his hopes of a fresh start. He’ll never be able to stop looking over his shoulder.

Ren narrowly survives the most dangerous situation of his life, but at least his attackers think he’s dead. Spending the summer stuck on his brother’s archaeological dig isn’t his idea of fun, but it beats being fussed over by his mother. It’s as good a place as any to heal physical and mental scars, and he has plenty of those.

The roar of Ren’s motorbike is his lifeline, the one thing that makes him feel truly alive. But a moment’s lapse in concentration and he knocks Dominic off his feet. The accident brings together two damaged souls whose pasts won’t stay buried. With danger on their tail, hanging on to hope—and to each other—won’t be easy.

Join Dominic and Ren as they fight to keep the shadows of the past at bay and their future bright. In a world where love is fragile, two hearts learning to heal may just discover love is worth the risk.

WARNING
Please note that one of the main characters in the story is in prison for murder. Sexual, physical and psychological abuse of a child is mentioned but no on-page detail is given. Sexual abuse of an adult is also mentioned but not shown on-page. Suicide is also mentioned in passing but not part of the story. There is some graphic violence.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

If you read book one, you know about Col’s brother serving time in prison. First for killing his parents and then taking the fall in what was clearly self defense. So you have to know going in that this story is going to be hard to read at times. But then we also have Ren, recovering from nearly being beaten to death by a career criminal he was working undercover to catch. Two very broken men, yet they find each other.

There are definitely moments of levity in the story. The more comfortable Ren and Dominic become with each other, the cuter they get. I found their humor and way of joking around with each other was probably rather healing.

Letting themselves let another person close to them took a little warming up. But it was so worth it. I loved when they just hung out without anything sexual at all. Getting to know each other and accept each other. I almost gasped when they told each other the true horrors of what they had each been through.

But Dominic. Wow. For a man who has spent half his life in prison, when he really probably shouldn’t have spent any time in prison, was strong without being unapproachable. As much as his brother Col and Col’s boyfriend Theo wanted to help, he needed to slowly work his way back into life. While he was always looking over his shoulder and planning his way out because he was told another criminal would be looking for him. I can’t imagine his pain.

What Ren went through was brutal, but not nearly to the extent of the long lasting abuse Dominic had or the years in prison. I was a little surprised that Ren wasn’t on guard from the men who tried to kill him. By all accounts he should have been dead and he figured that they assumed he was dead. Until they realized he wasn’t.

Even bringing the story to closure, Ren and Dominic had to go through so much. Finally getting some redemption and validation was so satisfying. They make such a great couple.

I think the only thing I didn’t like was what they chose to do as a job after the dust settled. I don’t see Dominic doing that job at all. Seems a waste of all of his knowledge.

I’m going to repeat this- there is some heavy stuff in here. Take heed with the trigger warnings.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Life After Love (Calston Cove Book 1) by JJ Harper: Blog Tour, Exclusive Book Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

October 13, 2023 by Denise

. .

All he wanted was a new life, not a new love.

Merrick

Merrick has the perfect life: a husband, a baby, and a great future ahead of him. Until all that is ripped away, and he’s left alone with his daughter. After two years, he knows it’s time to move on. To find a new life for him and Willow. It comes in the shape of a derelict mill house nestled in the hills above a Devon seaside town.

Drew

When Drew loses the chance to buy and restore the house he’s loved all his life, the last thing he wants to do is renovate it for the mysterious new resident. But something about Merrick Green intrigues him, and he feels compelled to lift the heaviness surrounding him. The fact that Merrick’s daughter seems to have taken an instant infatuation with Drew makes it easier.

As the two men become friends, Merrick battles with his attraction to Drew. How can he be interested in the ruggedly handsome when he’s still in love with Josh?

Letting go of the past is hard, but with Drew by his side, he finds a way forward.

Life After Love is a sweet small-town, opposites-attract, hurt/comfort romance with low angst and a sweet little girl that everyone falls in love with.

The book deals with the loss of a loved one.

Title: Life After Love
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 68k
Series: Calston Cove, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

It’s too soon for anything more than this. I know that. Merrick blinks a couple of times and seems to come to the same conclusion. He takes a half step away and drops his hands from my hair. I instantly miss his touch and move forward into his space.

“Christ, you can kiss.” I slide my tongue over my bottom lip, capturing his flavour. God, I want more, but not now. Not yet.

Merrick closes his eyes again. Is he regretting the moment? Then he smiles. I relax, my lips quirking into a smug, self-satisfied grin.

“I think it’s you who’s the great kisser.” His hands rest on my chest. “And look at you. Muscles in all the right places.” He lifts a hand and fans his face. I laugh and kiss him again.

A loud shriek of laughter startles us, and we jump back. A couple of kids are joking about as they head back through the dunes from the beach. Merrick wrinkles his nose at the disturbance. “Shall we go inside?”

I nod and step away from him, giving him some space, but once he’s around the table, I take his hand.

A shyness I didn’t expect washes over Merrick’s face, and I give his hand a little squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” He smiles softly and leads me to the two-seater sofa. He has a look in his eyes I can’t read. Is it determination? Then his tongue peeks out. I’m transfixed as he slips it over his lower lip. I follow its progression, mimicking the action.

Our mouths crash together. I don’t know which of us moved first, and I don’t care. All I want is for this never to end. Our tongues tangle, twist, and taste. My hair is loose around my face until Merrick pushes it back and clenches it in his fists. It borders on painful, but lightning bolts shoot through my body to my dick. I need to feel more of this man. I want him pressed against me again. I tug his hips, inviting him closer. Hopefully, he gets the message.

A deep groan vibrates through me as he swings his leg over my thighs and straddles me. I grasp his arse. The perfect firm, round cheeks fill my hands, and I squeeze. He thrusts his hips forward, and our jean-clad erections brush together. Merrick breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against mine.

“Damn, Drew, you feel good.” He rocks his hips so his dick rubs over mine. A look of utter bliss crosses his face. How long has it been since he’d done anything like this, something just to feel good? “God, it’s been so long,” he says. Is he a mind reader now as well?

“You feel so good, sweetheart.” And it’s true. He does. He also feels like he’s packing. Not that I give a shit about that. A big dick doesn’t automatically make you a great lover. Knowing what you do with what you’ve got makes all the difference. As he rocks, his eyes flutter shut, and his lips part. If he looks this good from just a little through-our-clothes frottage, what will it be like when we take this further?

I need his mouth again. Reluctantly I release his glorious arse and slide my hands up his spine to his shoulders and neck. “Kiss me,” I whisper. He opens his eyes and looks down with the sweetest, dopiest smile and obeys.

When he lifts his mouth from mine, his lips are slick with saliva and swollen. “You make me feel alive.”

This was a sweet slow burn romance with an adorable child, a big change for one character and a dilapidated house that brought them all together after a devasting loss for one.

Even though Merrick outbid Drew on Drew’s dream house, he is more than happy to take on the task of a full renovation. Although Merrick is generally cordial, no one in the cute little town know his story. Just that he bought the long abandoned house and showed up with his cute and precocious daughter.

Couple of things I really liked. Drew never ever pushed Merrick to find out his back story. He didn’t even google him (although he did consider it). And I loved the way Merrick’s dead husband seems to speak to him and encourage him to start living again.

Merrick’s daughter, Willow, is very easily the bridge between the two men as she is instantly smitten with Drew, “my Dew”. She almost forced them to interact because she loves being with Drew. The author also didn’t pander to the child; she wasn’t treated as an adult in child form or treated as a baby in toddler form.

Merrick and Drew really take the time to know each other. They started as business owner and client and quickly moved to being friends. More then friends took longer, but the progression was very natural based on Merrick still coming to terms with his loss.

Drew never tries to get Merrick to leave Willow with a sitter or exclude her in any way. He loves spending time with her as much as she does. It’s really cute actually.

Supporting players include Drew’s best friend who seemingly has an issue with this whole thing, Drew’s sister and bff who are pretty catty and town gossips and Merrick’s sister and best friend who visit. Several locals are mentioned which is nice because when it is a small town, you really do know almost everyone.

The vibe felt a bit like Charlie Novak’s Heather Bay series, but the story line was very different. But if you are a fan of hers, I’m sure you will enjoy this one as well. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2.

4 pieces of eye candy

. .

Just in case you don’t know me. I’m a simple soul that puts all my hopelessly romantic thoughts down on my computer. I’m usually in the living room—typing away—with my wayward Great Dane, Siddiqi, next to me on the sofa.

I’m a hopeless romantic, always falling in love with my men, determined to make sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.

I live in a tiny village in Lincolnshire, UK, with my husband and dog, who are forever patient with me when I forget the time, and the dinner!

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
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/itsjjharper
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/jjhoneywrites/
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/
Sign up to my newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3u7qLYc a Rafflecopter giveaway

Treading Water by Alex Winters: New Release Review

October 12, 2023 by Denise

Actor Tucker Crawford is having the worst summer ever. Thanks to a viral video of him trying to swim, he’s the laughingstock of Hollywood and his role in a hit TV series is in jeopardy. The only bright spot is Tucker’s sexy new swim coach, Reed Oliver, but even that has its problems—because Tucker is deep in the closet and has never been with a guy.

Reed Oliver is having the best summer ever. He’s just scored a high-paying freelance gig teaching a Hollywood actor how to swim. The two of them have the run of a deserted summer camp, complete with an Olympic-size swimming pool. But when cocky playboy Reed meets shy, virgin Tucker, sparks fly and Reed’s walk-in-the-park coaching job becomes a minefield of temptation. Once they kiss for the first time, there’s no way to overcome their mutual passion and no looking back. But after two weeks of secluded intimacy, can they keep their romance alive in the real world?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Ok, let me start by saying that the blurb was a bit misleading. Reed wasn’t having his best summer ever. He took this position because he was on probation at work. And why Tucker is called shy and virginal I’ll never know. But these are the best of the worst for me.

When the two men meet and are left alone to get to know each other, we are bombarded with “think of it as” and “for lack of a better term” and “let me put it this way”. What I would do for a red pen.

The language used sounded like a 21 year old frat boy wrote it as a dare. The CONSTANT nicknames. Kid, dude, bro, pops. big guy, kiddo, hot pants.

And let’s go back to why a guy not knowing how to swim is such a scandal that it went viral, he’s a laughingstock AND his job is in jeopardy? He plays a zombie chaser. It isn’t a biopic about Michael Phelps.

And for all of the focus on him having to learn how to swim, very little of that is even in the book. Because once they kiss, it’s all about having sex. Tucker’s fake girlfriend and costar actually says “did you do the old boom-boom in the bum-bum yet?” and “almost losing your butt boy v card.” At minimum eye rolling, but it was honestly pretty problematic.

All of the characters are big stereotypes as well.

This was not fun, not sexy, not cute and not a book I ever want to think about again.

2 pieces of eye candy

You Can Do Magic: Carnival of Mysteries by RL Merrill: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

October 10, 2023 by Denise

From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a new installment in the series, a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic.

Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen.

Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour.

An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But personal secrets and the music business make relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire.

You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18+

Title: You Can Do Magic
Authors: R.L. Merrill
Length: 60+k
Series: Summer of Hush/Carnival of Mysteries Shared Universe. Summer of Hush #3
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Despite Krish and Silas insisting I go with them to the carnival tonight, I’d convinced myself I would stay in, maybe write, maybe lay in my bunk and stare at the ceiling for many hours. I had this hollow feeling that, in the past, I would have filled with alcohol until I either passed out or found someone to fuck. Now that I’d made a promise, a commitment, that I wouldn’t partake of mind-altering substances, music was the only thing that kept me from drowning.

I’d had it out with Parker before the rest of the guys left to go to a bar in Nashville and hear some local music.

“I know the guys are annoying, but Ryan, you gotta get your priorities straight, man. If you can’t get along with them in the long run? Maybe we need to think about making some changes.”

What he meant was, changes that involved my future. Oscar and TJ had been embraced by the fans and were favorites at our signings, and they might accept me being out of the band by now. There had been a vocal minority who’d said I shouldn’t be allowed back after my prison stint. But the majority had welcomed me. I’d received letters from other ex-cons and even folks still locked up that thanked me for showing them there was life after prison. That meant more to me than being worried about Parker’s veiled threats.

“It’s carnival time, dude.” Silas hopped up the steps of the bus toward me and stuck out his hand. I grabbed it and pulled him into a bro hug, holding on a little longer than normal. He didn’t know it, but he’d just saved me from yet another downward spiral. He’d done it once before, the night he’d sang “Angel’s Son” with me. I’d been ready to say fuck it that night and go out looking for booze, but he’d agreed to my plan, agreed to help me finish the album I’d written with Gavin. Silas’s friendship was one of the only positive things keeping me going right now. I should tell him, but he probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.

“Shit. We’re doing this. Okay. Let me grab my wallet.”

I took a minute inside the bus to brush my too-long hair out of my face. It was scraggly at the ends. I barely looked presentable anymore. I grabbed a ball cap someone had given us from a canned water company called Liquid Death. “Murder Your Thirst” it said. So cheeky. I shoved it on backward and put on some lip balm, then turned back to Silas. He was bouncing his knees and looking up at the white board we had hung up on the wall for notes to each other. At this time, we had our schedule for the next five days, and then there were a couple of vulgar drawings.

“I can see you want to add something.”

Silas grinned at me and picked up the marker. He hummed as he drew pictures of TJ and Oscar, and then drew a giant dick ejaculating on them. He popped the pen cap back on and turned to face me. His shit-eating smile made me laugh for probably the first time since…well, since I’d met Kal.

“I mean, it’s not going to win me any awards, but you can tell it’s those two, can’t you?”

I sighed and gestured for him to exit the bus. “Yes, you can tell. I’ll probably hear about it later.”

He stopped and pushed past me. “Then let me leave my name. I don’t want them thinking it’s anyone other than me.”

He signed the drawing Love, Silas, July 2018.

“There! Perfect. I always take credit for my shenanigans.”

“Fucking Franklin. All right. Let’s go. You get Los to agree to come? He seemed leery about hanging out with some colorful folks tonight.”

“Nah, he’s staying behind, but we brought someone else.”

I followed him down the steps, watching as I went because I’d already stumbled twice getting off the damn bus. The steps were really funky. When I finally looked up, there was Kal.

He held up a hand and waved hesitantly.

I wanted to hug him even tighter than I’d hugged Silas. I couldn’t believe how happy I was to see him. After I’d walked away from him earlier, I’d known it was the right thing to do, and yet it took all of my strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I wanted him near me. I wanted something good in my life.

Knowing full well I was an asshole for being happy, I grinned at him. “You survived your first day, huh?”

Silas put his arm around Kal and beamed. “He sure did, and if he survives the rest of the tour, I think we might poach him. Theo is going back to school and wants to be close to Merch Girl Mischa, so we’ve got an opening for a tech, and since we’re headed to Europe, we could really use someone good.”

Silas patted him once more and let go. Kal watched him with a shocked expression. I wondered what he thought about all that.

“I suppose it also matters whether Kal wants to remain with you heathens.”

Silas looked at me like I’d just suggested someone might actually be immune to his charms. “What do you mean? What could be better than touring with us?” His confusion quickly morphed into laughter. “You’re right. Kal, I won’t be offended if you think me and my band of messy men are too much of a mess for you. So, do you have other plans? Headed home after Warped? What do you think?”

Kal opened his mouth and then shut it, his cheeks flushing. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts—

Lord, whoever’d dressed him deserved my gratitude. His legs were paler than his arms, but they were sculpted like a statue I’d once admired in a museum, I forget which one. Long and lightly dusted with golden hairs that caught the fading light of the sunset.

My silence must have been noted by Krish. He cleared his throat. “We gave him some of the sample clothes from Roxanne’s brand. It’s so hot out—”

“Hot. Yes. Looks good.”

It was clear I was ogling him, and though these guys were used to my quirks, it was an awkward moment. I’d drawn Silas once. He wasn’t a good model, as he fidgeted and talked the whole time. I knew there were rumors about what happened at my drawing sessions. Nothing had happened with Silas. Couldn’t say that for all of my models.

“Right, well. Shall we?” Silas gave me a look like down, boy. “I keep smelling that damned cotton candy and my sweet tooth is begging me for some.”

I stood next to Kal and looked up at him. I liked the way he met my gaze, unafraid, unashamed, as if he were accepting my challenge, or challenging me. This back and forth had me fired up.

“We shall.”

This book sounded interesting to me. And it’s a stand alone that is set in the same world as 12 other books. But I think I missed the point by not reading at least the first of the others.

After a year in a magical carnival, Kal rejoins the world. He was in the magical world because something bad happened to him. And although we find out WHAT happened, it still doesn’t explain why he was in the carnival.

He meets Ryan, a musician in a band on the Warped tour. Ryan is also a mess- for several reasons. We get an explanation of them all but it didn’t feel complete.

I just felt like there was no real cohesion to the story. Kal is seemingly unsurprised at everything in the world even though a lot has changed since he was last in it. I know he saw things while working in the carnival but definitely not everything.

And everyone seems to crap on Ryan even though he is trying to make amends. He even goes out of his comfort zone so the band doesn’t lose money and they STILL treat him like crap.

I think I would understand Ryan and all of the different things going on with the bands if I had read those books by the author.

If you are a fan of this author and had read previous books with a lot of these characters, I think you will like this book more than I did. But there were too many loose ends that didn’t get tied for me.

3 pieces of eye candy

Whether she’s writing swoon-worthy contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book. Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net. A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…

Connect with R.L.:
https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.twitter.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rosroadiesofromancea Rafflecopter giveaway