Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

Book Review

Joint Penetration (Hot Under the Collar Book 3) by Katherine McIntyre: Release Day Review

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Liam Kelly is in love with his best friend. His straight, freshly divorced best friend, who wants to experiment…with him.

Ollie

The last thing I expected from my wife was a divorce. I’d checked all the boxes off—cozy house near my folks, joined the family business as a contractor, and married right out of high school. Except the more I think about how distant we’ve been, the more our split makes sense. And the more time I spend blowing off steam with my best friend, the more I want to actually…blow him.

Liam

Have I been hopelessly in love with Ollie my entire life? Yes, yes, I have. Has he been married for the past decade? Yes, yes, he has. However, when his wife calls it quits, my heart can’t help contriving scenarios where he might not be as straight as he seems. And when those scenarios start coming true—from scorching looks to playful grapples until we go much further—I throw myself into the deep end.

The second we start hooking up, I can’t hold back the feelings I’ve been clutching tight to for over a decade. But if this ends up a rebound for Ollie, a blip before he looks for a new wife, I won’t only be out a best friend but the love of my life.

Joint Penetration is a high heat, low angst M/M best friends to lovers romance with a bi awakening, birdwatching jokes, and a loud, nosy family that reads as a standalone.

Amazon – All Regions

I hadn’t read the previous books so I can say this definitely works as a stand alone. Everything else is true too. High heat, low angst, bi awakening, bff to lovers….

Which made this a fun book to read, albeit a little unbelievable at times. Especially the beginning.

Listen, I love a bi-awakening or gay for you. But there’s usually some introspection. ESPECIALLY when it’s your best friend. But nope, he was pretty much all in from the get go.

Still, it was a cute story with good characters and super hot scenes. It didn’t lag or drag on at all and kept me reading. It was a fun beach read that was well written. There’s not a lot for me to say about it, but it’s worth the read.

3 pieces of eye candy

Level Up: Franklin U 2 – Book Four by Max Walker: RB, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Joey ‘Jay’ Cruz

Moving to San Luco wasn’t my choice. I was kicked out of my old school because of a protest I organized that went south. Now, I was attending Franklin University with only a semester left until graduation and not knowing a single soul.

Until I meet Ryan Redpine at a frat party. He’s handsome, muscular, has a great smile, and I quickly find out he’s the son of a CEO hell-bent on destroying the environment.

I push Ryan out of my mind, deciding to keep my sanity and morals intact.

But fate had other plans. When Ryan ended up as my surprise dorm mate, avoiding him became impossible. And so was avoiding the feelings that started to develop… Maybe getting expelled wasn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. Maybe it was actually the best?

Ryan Redpine

Jay entered my life like a lightning bolt.

I’d never met someone I was so attracted to, and someone who clearly didn’t want me. The moment he learned about my dad, he shut me out. Then I get reassigned to his dorm. Cue complications, especially when his bed breaks and we’re forced to share.

Things quickly heat up, but Jay’s adamant about keeping us under wraps. He’s planning this big protest at the beach for an oil drilling project and doesn’t want my family name tied to it.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Well, I hate to say it, but this was a disappointment. I’ve generally enjoyed other books by Max Walker, this one left a lot to be desired.

The premise of the son of a gazillionaire who’s company has no problem destroying the environment for the all mighty dollar falling for the guy who leads protests against companies destroying the environment sounds good, right? But I feel like so little of that was part of the story.

The whole “why do you hate me?” thing. Uhm, duh. He hates your dad and by extension you? It’s not a mystery. But Jay never really acted like he hated Ryan at all. And Jay was worried about being seen with Ryan because of the ties to his dad, but nothing came of that either.

There were other plot points that kind of seemed like they were just thrown in there. Jay also is part of the theater program at the college. The reason that he was at FU for his final semester is brought up like twice even though it was pretty major and traumatic.

The big protest was kind of a bust for me too. (spoiler-ish!! you’ve been warned!) Ryan’s dad refused to listen to him and kicked him out of his office. BUT listens to Jay? And is all of a sudden ready to go green? Ehhh. Didn’t ring true at all.

There was a lot- A LOT- of sex scenes. And it just felt like filler after a while. There was a completely unnecessary sex scene in the epilogue! Come on.

The plot wasn’t cohesive, too many sex scenes versus plot and the characters just didn’t ring true for me.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

Max Walker lives in Atlanta with his partner of over 14 years. He’s the best-selling author of the fantasy series, Magic & Marvels, along with his contemporary series, Stonewall Investigations & The Book Club Boys. He’s incredibly excited to be enrolling at FU with a group of exceptionally talented authors.

Connect with Max:
https://maxwalkerauthor.com/

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Batting Style (Book 3 of Franklin U 2) by Louisa Masters: IG Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Blaise
There are a few things I know for sure: I’m gay, I want to do costume design for film and television, and a supportive family is what other people have. Oh… and fate’s not my biggest fan. That’s fine, though—who needs fate? I’ve got friends I love, a welcoming community, and a plan. Graduate college? Check. Build up my portfolio? Whenever I can. Impress industry pros? Done. Save the money for my dream internship? Working on it. All I’ve gotta do is stick with the plan, and that internship is mine next year.
And then Jordan Marks walks into my life, and my plan turns into a loose guideline. Suddenly I’m learning about baseball and giving away shifts at work so I can watch him play. My goals are the same, but maybe there’s room in them for the world’s sweetest athlete.

Jordan
I’m pretty sure the gods of baseball don’t care if I wear a suit on game day, but Franklin U and Coach do, so when mine rips, replacing it is an urgent mission. That’s how I meet Blaise Warner and my “I guess I could be bi” musings become full-blown “I wanna learn to handle a bat” demands. Blaise is smart, talented, and has goals… and he’s more than happy to teach me a new batting style.
But as we go from casual to more, the things I never mentioned—like my dads’ connections in the entertainment industry—become heavy secrets. Plus, while our friends know we’re dating, nobody else does. That’s not fair to Blaise, but do I really want to be the latest queer college ball player?
I don’t get a chance to figure it all out before things fall apart, and now we both have to decide what our real priorities are.

Title: Batting Style
Authors: Louisa Masters
Series: Franklin U Season 2, Book 3
Genre: Contemporary.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

I love that all of these books are in the same world but can be read as stand alones. Especially when one of the main characters goes back to a previous series the author wrote. Plus, baseball.

Jordan, who was a kid (I forget exact age) but now he is a college sophomore playing baseball at FU. If you read Luke and Grant’s original story, I think you’ll really love seeing a grown up Jordan (and Mila). But if you didn’t, you will still thoroughly enjoy this book.

I will be totally honest and say I didn’t like the first scenes with Jordan and Blaise. Jordan especially felt disingenuous. And with two gay “dads”? Nah. You’ll see.

BUT!

That was really the only thing I didn’t like and quickly forgot as I kept reading. I loved Jordan and Blaise. I loved that Jordan played baseball in college but had no MLB ambitions. I loved that Blaise was doing everything he could to live his career dreams. You could also see the difference in maturity just a few years can make. Blaise is laser focused on what he wants and won’t let anything stand in the way. Jordan is more laid back, being a sophomore he doesn’t really need to make any decisions and that is evident. But Blaise has no problem with a boyfriend a few years younger than him and still in college. It’s a non-issue.

Jordan has a bi awakening and Blaise is all for it. And Jordan is so open to everything without making Blaise feel like a practice toy. They just gel.

There were some great characters that I hope we see more of. Including Blaise’s roommate. Not an FU book but I’d love to read his story.

Great addition to the series. You don’t get dragged down by the baseball or the costume design. The story had good meat to it, with introspection, growth, found family and love.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Louisa Masters started reading romance much earlier than her mother thought she should. While other teenagers were sneaking out of the house, Louisa was sneaking romance novels in and working out how to read them without being discovered.

She writes funny paranormal and contemporary MM romance and loves the freedom that kooky characters give her.

Connect with Louisa:
https://www.louisamasters.com/insta-links/

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F**k, Marry, Kill Me, Daddy (Murder Daddy, Book 1) by Lance Lansdale: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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.                                  .
SCOTTY
My boyfriend’s been trying to kill me for weeks. Well, I guess he’s my boyfriend. I mean, we’ve never officially been introduced, but he’s always standing in the shadows, watching me. That has to be a good sign, right? The first time I saw him, he was hunched down in my bushes, aiming a rifle at my heart, and he’s turned up with a new weapon every night since. As fun as our silly little game of Murder Daddy may be, I’m getting tired of having to steal my stalker-slash-boyfriend’s affection by disarming him and using his weapons against him.

BRODY
I’ve got to get my head in the game. As my agency’s top assassin, I’ve killed my fair share of men. When Senator Levinson placed his son on my hitlist, I figured it would be a one-and-done. I was wrong. Every time our paths cross, he winds up getting the upper hand. The things he makes me do once he’s pried a gun or a knife out of my hand are downright depraved, and for some reason, I can’t bring myself to stop it from happening. My wife tells me I need to just suck it up and get the job done. My wife’s boyfriend says I’m sweet on the guy, which is absolutely ridiculous. Even if I wanted to take advantage of our open marriage, I’m not gay. This man—this Freakshow—is completely unhinged, and the worst part is, I think I might be just as crazy as him.

F**ck, Marry, Kill Me, Daddy is a high-heat, over-the-top, absolutely UNHINGED, dual-POV, dark romcom that is equal parts insta-love and insta-lust. While one character is married, their marriage is open, and there’s no cheating between them.

Title: F**k, Marry, Kill Me, Daddy
Authors: Lance Lansdale
Length: 78k
Series: Murder Daddy, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Dark MM Rom-Com.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

He looks around the room as if a bottle of lube will magically appear. I should probably tell him there’s one in my nightstand drawer, but I’d rather use his saliva again. I love knowing a part of him is inside of me. It’s a physical manifestation of the words he refuses to say. The things he refuses to do to me. A way he can fuck me without actually fucking me. With one finger still inside, I straighten the others, readying them for him. “Lube me up, Daddy.”

He pauses for a moment, considering. At first, I’m pretty sure he’s going to just spit on his hand and then slick my fingers, but he surprises me when he leans forward and sucks all four of my free fingers into his mouth, nursing on them like a calf to a teat. His tongue twirls around each digit, eyes opened, staring at my hole. He stays there for a while, and I realize I’m going to have to be the one to snap him out of his lusty little stupor.

“If you want me to slide another one in, I’m going to need my finger back.”

His eyes blow wide and he pulls away hastily, his hand still locked on my ass. “I don’t,” he practically shouts. “I don’t want to see any of this. You’re forcing me.”

“I know,” I soothe, because I do. “I know, Uri.”

“I don’t like this,” he whines.

“I know you don’t.” Lifting the blowtorch, I give him another smile. “I’m the big, bad twink, and right now you’re at my mercy.” He exhales a sigh of relief and grips my ass harder. The edge is drawing nearer, and I’m about to fall. About to lose myself in the moment, with the love of my life staring as it happens. “I’m—I’m gonna come. I’m about to—about to—”

“Fuck.” He’s so fucking awestruck right now. I’ve never felt more beautiful than I do right now. He’s staring at me like I’m a fucking god.

I can’t do it anymore. I need contact. “Please?” He might not know what I’m asking for, but it doesn’t stop him from nodding. Needing pressure against my shaft, I let the torch fall to the floor, then grip him by the hair and drag him forward until his cheek is against my cock. Thrusting feverishly, I can feel my balls tighten, and I hear Uri gasp in surprise.

“Here it comes.”

“Holy shit,” he whispers. His eyes dart up, and I stare into them, loving the way his face looks with my cock against it. “You’re gonna come on my face?”

“Please,” I whisper. I want him to tell me it’s okay. That he wants this just as much as I do. “Can I?”

His breath hitches and his eyes go dark. “Fuck. Scotty.”

“Please, Daddy. I need it.”

He blinks dazedly at me and opens his mouth, his words caught in his throat. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply like he’s trying to breathe me into him. “Okay. Yeah. Come on me.”

If you’re looking for a serious, angsty mm romance with lots of drama…look elsewhere. This is not gonna be your read. However, if you are looking for a “sweet” grumpy/sunshine, completely unhinged, large step sideways from reality mm rom-com, then this one might be for you. This book was fun, had me laughing through most of it, gasping a little at the level of heat in it, and surprised me with the tears it wrung from me.

Did I expect to love this book? No. Did I expect to like it as much as I did? Still no. But I enjoyed this book way more than I ever thought was possible considering the blurb. The author went completely into their imagination/fantasy-land and pulled out all the funny parts, and left us this book that you could never consider serious, but still want to put Scotty in a little box, safe from all things that could hurt him, including “Uri”.

I won’t give much away, because to truly understand this book, you just have to suspend disbelief and jump into the chaos. However, I will say I was surprised at the depth of emotion I felt when I wasn’t expecting to do more than roll my eyes. It wasn’t that AT ALL.

Go into it with an open mind, making sure to read the trigger warnings because there could be some, and have fun with it. You won’t regret the time spent with Scotty and Brody.

4 pieces of eye candy

Lance Lansdale is the author of We Burn Beautiful and The Househusband’s Guide to Domestic Bliss. He writes swoony romance with an excessive amount of cuddle scenes.

Connect with Lance:
lancelansdale.com
instagram.com/lancetastik
Facebook: Lance Lansdale


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Lost In Someone (Calston Cove Book 2) by JJ Harper: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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.                    .

It only takes one night to turn their lives upside down.

Brodie always thought he was straight, but he experiences the greatest night of his life with a man. A total stranger. They never even exchanged names.

It’s the shake-up he needed. He leaves his job and heads down to his best friend, Merrick. Even if that night haunts not only his dreams but also his waking thoughts, he’s determined to make a new life in Devon. He can’t have time for regrets.

Ivan had to leave. His best friend, Drew, let him down, his sort of ex shocked him with disturbing news, and he’s sick and tired of easy hook-ups. The only bright light is a chance encounter with the hottest man he’s ever seen, but he wakes up alone and has no way of finding him.

Resigned to never seeing him again, Ivan returns home to Calston Cove. An apology to Drew leads to a dinner invitation with a few friends.

And a face he never expected to see again.

Are Brodie and Ivan able to recapture the best night of their lives, or is one night all they’re going to have?

When Ivan’s past comes back, threatening to ruin his relationship with Brodie, are they strong enough together to make things work?

Lost in Someone is a bi-awakening story and book two in the Calston Cove series. It can be read as a stand-alone but is enjoyed more by knowing Drew and Merrick’s story in Life After Love.

Title: Lost In Someone
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 60k
Series: Calston Cove, Book 2
Genre: Contemporary.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

A few minutes later, the house is empty. It seems larger, more echo-y now it’s just the two of us. “What do you need me to do?”

“It’s to do with the bed. Something is not right with it.” He walks back to the open door.

I follow him up the stairs. Ten minutes ago, only a bare mattress was on the bed, but now the stunning brass king-size bed is made up with dark red brocade sheets and a duvet takes centre stage. Candles stand on the windowsill and all along the edge of the skirting boards. Brodie leans against the windowsill, his arms across his chest, his feet crossed at the ankles, the grey April sky highlighting his almost black hair like a halo. The epitome of cool, but his jaw is hard with tension. He’s nervous. Why?

“Hey, are you okay?” He’s practically vibrating. From excitement, nervousness, fear? “What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head, swiping the back of his hand over his eyes. He’s crying. “Brodie, baby. What’s up?”

“I don’t know how to do this shit. I never thought I’d be in love, and to find it in a dark club with a stranger is romance film shit. But here I am, five months into a relationship with someone I respect so much. A man who makes me laugh, who puts up with my sweaty, stinky trainers and my equally sweaty and stinky body. I wanted to do something special to show you how much I love you and want to be with you.” He snuffles, wipes his knuckle under his nose, and chuckles. “Don’t panic. I’m not proposing, but I am asking you to think about moving in here with me. Once it’s all finished, I mean.”

I stare at him and then look around the room. He’d planned this—with Merrick—to make it special. I grab his arms and pull him away from the window into my embrace. “You do this shit damn well, baby. I love you too. So much. We met for a reason that night. It was to lead you here to me. Some serious chaos theory must have been going on to mix our lives, but I’m glad it happened.” I let him go. “I think we’ll be very happy here. You and me.”

“Is that a yes?” He laughs, looking hopeful.

“It’s a yes.” I drag him down until our backs hit the bed. “Do we get to christen this bed now?”

I read and enjoyed book 1 quite a lot. So I was excited for book 2. And I liked it. But not as much as the first.

This time we have Ivan, best friend of Drew from book 1. And Merrick’s best friend from London- Brodie. They have no idea who each other are and have a random hook up that leads to going back to a hotel room for most of the night. Except they never exchanged names.

Oh, and Brodie had never been with a man before. Never really thought about it until that met when he met Ivan. Which is fine, but for a guy he never even thought about possibly being queer to all of a sudden having sex with a man- a stranger- there was no angst. It was a bit too easy for me.

When Brodie decides to make a big life change, he ends up in Calston Cove because his bff Merrick is there. And surprise! Drew’s bff Ivan! They pretty quickly pick up where they left off.

And like a Hallmark movie, everything just falls into place. Ivan and Brodie are in a relationship, more big life changes happen, Brodie just goes with the flow. Ivan freaks out a little, but considering what is happening, not too bad.

And then happily ever after. I really enjoyed the last epilogue as well. We get to witness consequences that we don’t always see. That was super satisfying.

Overall the book was fine. It wasn’t great, but it definitely wasn’t bad. Some more depth would be nice.

3 pieces of eye candy

You will normally find JJ in the living room—typing away—with her dog, Siddiqi. As a hopeless romantic, she 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.

As a bona fide bookaholic, a wine-drinking and swear-like-a-sailor type of girl, she has yet to work out how to act her age!! LOL. And she has no intentions of growing up or growing old gracefully.

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:
Find out more: http://jjharperauthor.ctcin.bio
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorJJHarper
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jessjhoney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessjharper
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessjharper
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ha7whyj6
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jj-harper
Check out my website: https://www.jjharper-author.com
Sign up to my newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3u7qLYc
Preorder link: Https://mybook.to/Lostinsomeone
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Fractured Hope (Hope’s Ridge Book 1) by Kady Cordova: Blog Tour, Exclusive Book Excerpt, New Release Book Review and Giveaway

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.                                 .
Can I really escape hell to find all I’ve ever longed for?

Bodhi
Finding yourself is hard. Finding someone you can truly trust is harder.

I have never known what it was like to have a true home or family, let alone real love.

After almost a year of planning, I finally escaped my abusive ex and ran as far away as I could with just the clothes on my back and a handful of cash. When I arrive in the quaint town of Hope’s Ridge, I’m ready to start over and reclaim my life.

When I painfully crash into Atticus’s life, something about him puts me at ease. I’ve never been one to trust, but now I’m in a situation where I have no choice. He might be what I’ve been longing for my whole life.

Atticus
I love my tight-knit town, my big Greek family, and the life I’ve built. I have a successful garage with my brothers and love my job. I have it good, but every now and then I long for a connection. Someone to chase away the loneliness that’s been creeping in. As my brothers like to point out, I am set in my ways and not one for flings, bar hopping, or one-night stands.

When a beautiful man stumbles into my life, I’m blown away. He’s skittish and afraid, but all I want to do is take care of him.

When Bodhi’s ex starts making threats, danger gets ever closer and threatens everything I hold dear. Can I keep Bodhi safe and prove to him he is worthy of love? Or will he run and take my heart with him?

Fractured Hope is a small-town, hurt/comfort, age-gap MM Romance with a broken boy looking for a safe place, a lonely man longing to find his person, and a family full of love, mischief, and colorful characters ready to step in and protect each other no matter the costs.

Title: Fractured Hope
Authors: Kady Cordova
Length: 71k
Series: Hope’s Ridge, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Exclusive excerpt Fractured Hope

I rose to greet him with a hug.

“You really are okay,” he said with relief. “So, who do we have here?” He turned toward Bodhi. “You must be the injured party I’ve heard nothing about.” He winked in Bodhi’s direction and elbowed me to introduce him.

“This is Bodhi—” I waved my hand at Bodhi. “—and this is my brother Sebastian, or Seb, as we call him.”

“The best-looking brother,” Seb added with his patented look at me dashing smile. Bodhi sat frozen as Seb approached and took Doc’s seat by the couch. Seb was the tallest and bulkiest of us. He and I did look similar; although, his nearly black hair was long and wavy. His beard was also longer and thicker than mine. Bodhi’s reaction seemed to be about more than just Seb’s presence. He’d been tensed up since my brother was in the doorway. Was he scared of Seb?

Punching my brother on the shoulder, I growled. “Leave him alone, jackass.” I gestured for Seb to follow me out so I could explain everything and get going as soon as possible. “Just give me a sec,” I said over my shoulder to a stoic and frozen Bodhi as I pushed Seb through to the office and closed the door behind us.

“He’s just your type. An injured stray,” Seb said, waggling his eyebrows.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I flicked my hair out of my eyes and ignored his comment. “Just come on. I need to go through the day’s customers with you real quick. Oh, and sleeping beauty agreed to come in, so keep an eye out for him.”

Seb chuckled, gathering his thick hair up into his customary bun, ready to get to work. I went through the schedule and told him about the accident and how Bodhi was injured. I also made a note to investigate getting that storm drain fixed and the garage door greased. Seb offered to make a few calls.

What a way to start the day.

This book caught me right from the start. A guy literally escaping an abusive relationship. I love following a character overcoming adversity. Rising from the ashes, so to speak.

And so Bohdi runs. Gets on a bus and goes as far as it will take him. Which is Hope’s Ridge, Montana. A small town where everyone knows everyone and all of their business. Not a place to blend in and get lost. Especially after he gets startled and injures himself in front of the mechanics shop Atticus runs with his brothers.

Atticus is that guy. The big teddy bear type who will always help whomever, wherever with whatever. It’s just in his nature. And he gets to demonstrate that with Bodhi.

I will say that Bodhi and Atticus moved quickly. Yes, it’s a book. But I was still surprised that Bodhi wasn’t really apprehensive at all. But he was also getting taken care of which is not something he has ever had. But he is also incredibly vulnerable.

Of course Bodhi’s ex comes looking for him which leads to some intense scenes. I would have liked to see him earlier in the story. It would have added a lot to the story instead of just Bodhi and Atticus getting together.

We get to know Atticus’ brothers, mother and grandmother as well as a few people in town. Getting the lay of the land as it were for more books in the series. There are definitely more stories to be told.

If hurt/comfort is your catnip, dive right in. For a first book, not bad.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Kady Cordova is a queer author from Australia.

They survive on coffee and chaos. She has always been a hopeless romantic at heart even though they grow a little cynical and sarcastic with age.

Love is love and everyone deserves a happily ever after.

Kady is an advocate for Mental Health, Invisible Illnesses, and Protecting Trans Kids.

Fractured Hope is Kady’s debut novel.

Connect with Kady:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadycordova/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kadycordovaauthor
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kadycordovaauthor1
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kadycordova
Amazon: amazon.com/author/kadycordova
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/kadycordova_romance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KadyCordova
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