Book Review

Check Yes, No, or Maybe by Stormie Skyes: RB, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

January 16, 2022 by Denise

Crappy job. Yes.

Take back an annoying ex. Definitely no.

Hit on the sexy new firm partner looking him over…maybe?

For Aaron Cambrian, life is lived by checklists. No matter how promising, everything – jobs, potential partners, cars, drinks, food, etc – needed to meet all his criteria or he walks away.

Everything changes one night at the cocktail bar when his best friend challenges Aaron to abandon his list and ask the first hot guy who catches his interest if he can buy him a drink.

Thanks to his old nemesis alcohol, Aaron takes the dare! The next thing he knows, he finds himself in the condo of an absolute stranger! It was supposed to be one drink. One accidental kiss… Good thing he’d never see the guy again.

Wrong! When the sexy new partner at Kimball & Marks law firm turns out to be the hot stranger, Aaron is faced with a life-changing decision: keep the checklist or lose the hottest, most frustrating man who ever stole his heart.

Check Yes, No, or Maybe by Stormie Skyes
Publication date: January 12th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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Elliot beamed victoriously. “Get that sexy little ass up, go find yourself a guy, and ask him to buy you a drink.” He scooted close, throwing an arm over my shoulders. “And that delectable thing,” I followed the manicured, freshly painted fingernail to a man at the opposite end of the bar, “has had his eyes on you all night.”

I didn’t remember the exact details, but I did remember the guy’s good looks. Maybe some hipster glasses and sideswept dirty-blonde hair? Who cared? My liquid courage had my ass getting up and strutting to Mr. Sexy Thing. His eyes followed each move I made, inflating my ego the closer I got.

Heat hit my cheeks, cock standing at attention when he took a drink, staring over his glasses’ frame. Those eyes were wild. Hungry. And I was the lucky fucker getting devoured by them.

Damn, he really is watching. I nearly stopped and returned to my seat. Through the haze, I remembered thinking I’d never been looked at like that. Should I really be doing this? I glanced at Declan who’d found me and glared like he was daring me to keep going. Confidence renewed, I picked up the pace.

“Hey there,” I said, leaning a hip against the bar.

Mr. Mystery raised his eyes to meet mine. “And hello to you, too.” Even through the fogginess, I recalled the timbre of his voice.

Holy shit, and I thought Declan had a hot tone. Compared to this guy, Declan … well, didn’t compare. This guy blew my ex’s sophistication and cockiness away with only one sentence!

Before I lost my nerve, I asked, “So, you come here often?” Did I really just say that! “I mean…” Oh, come on, he only said hello! Get a fucking grip!

“I know what you meant,” he said with a laugh. “No, I’m just visiting.” With the grace of a wildcat, he turned his attention back to his drink, tongue teasing the liquid on his lower lip. “Why? Do you come here often?”

“What? No. I mean…” My heart pounded in my ears. I wasn’t sure if it was his mocking or the sexy way he looked me over, but the confidence I’d built up slowly deteriorated. I was in “quit with the small talk and fuck me” mode in two seconds. How had he turned everything around with only a few words? “If you aren’t from here … where … are you, um…”

God, what is wrong with me?

“Miami,” he replied. “Why don’t you join me? Perhaps allow me to buy you a drink to calm your nerves?”

I did what Elliot dared me to, but I wasn’t ready to let Mr. Hipster Frames charm me out of my jeans.

Time to take back over. I sat and leaned on my forearms, gingerly letting my knee brush his in an “I’m open for business” manner. “Sure, but only if you play a game with me. Win and you can buy me a drink.”

“And if I lose?” he replied, clearly enjoying the challenge.

I shrugged a shoulder. “Then I walk.”

“Hmm.” A devious smile curved his lips. “Sounds good.” The glasses came off. I watched him close them, set them down, and turn to face me. Thick lashes and dark green bedroom eyes pierced through the Scotch-induced amnesia. “But, how about we up the ante? How about if I win, I buy you a drink and get you to come home with me?”

A gasp escaped me, piercing my lust-addled brain. It was like he read my mind—or maybe my actions, I wasn’t sure at that point—though I was too nervous to ask him for the last part. “O-okay. If you lose?”

The devious smirk widened. “I let you use me to make whoever is sitting at that table,” he gestured his head and eyes to my ex, “incredibly jealous, and you can walk. Deal?”

Is he for real? He knows what I am up to and doesn’t care? I can’t put this guy in any category on my checklist so far.

Every alarm, red flag, and warning sign went off in my brain. The last thing I remembered was telling him he had a deal.

This book appears to be from a previously published author, using a pen name, to which I was a bit surprised. This book gave me the appearance that it was from a debut author. There were definitely some areas that felt choppy and lacking in explanation.

I do love that cover though! This is proof that a cover does not have to have a man with his shirt off holding a puppy, (or an axe, or gun or whatever tool of their trade is) but with some other great visuals can be extremely appealing.

I did like the storyline…poor Aaron who’s been having a life, but trying to get it on track. Maverick, an English attorney taking over as partner in an NYC firm. Side characters of Elliot and Josh, Leslie and Frankie and even Travis, we didn’t get a whole lot of background on, but they kept popping up making the story interesting and moving it along.

However, there were just several things that didn’t work for me. Every time Aaron mentioned his books for his college courses, he calls them “college books”…I’ve never heard anyone say that. It threw me out of the story. We also find out very briefly that Declan (small spoiler here) has physically abused Aaron, but other than Aaron being afraid, being sucked back in by Declan in the past, it is really never addressed. It’s only mentioned one time, and briefly at that. And honestly, Maverick was kind of a controlling bastard sometimes, but then super crazy vulnerable. It was a dichotomy that made me wonder what he would be like in 3 months, 6 months, a year.

I did love that Aaron was attending college, wanting to become a chef (although the relationship with his father, a famous chef himself, was odd) but wanting none of the paparazzi. And he had the sweetest dog in Roxxie who he made sure to not forget as he began the relationship with Maverick.

I was never bored with the book, but definitely found myself questioning a few things as it continued on.

3 pieces of eye candy

A multi-published author of mystery, both Urban and Paranormal, Stormie returned to her love of romantic comedy and contemporary romance. If you love spicy, humorous, and near-erotica stories featuring sexy male protagonists and the men who love them, then look no further. Stormie’s paranormal mystery won quarterfinalist in Screencraft’s novel to screen contest and is a competing finalist in Chanticleer’s International book awards. When Stormie isn’t busy dishing out a new, hot romance, she’s busy blogging her love of books and helping writers become authors.

Author links:
https://www.facebook.com/authorstormieskyes
https://www.instagram.com/authorstormieskyes/
https://stormieskyes.com/
https://stormieskyes.com/newsletter

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Revolving Door (Open Doors, Book 2) by Vinni George: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

January 10, 2022 by Denise

Fletcher Morgan doesn’t like a single thing about Archer Waverly—not his pretty face, his wicked wit, or his perfect body. He especially hates the way Archer flirts with anyone and everyone. Everything about Archer reminds Fletcher of someone from his past he would much rather forget.

Archer thought Fletcher could be the silver fox of his dreams…until Fletcher opened his mouth and told Archer exactly how he felt about him. Now Archer is more than happy to rile Fletcher up and accept the consequences. Sparks fly every time they see each other proving hate is as potent as lust and enemies with benefits just might be hotter than friends with benefits.

When an unfortunate incident involving Archer’s aging drag queen housemate brings Archer and Fletcher together, they realize there might be more to the other than meets the eye and maybe there really is a thin line between love and hate.

Revolving Door is the second full-length novel in the Open Doors series featuring a slightly surly silver fox surf shop owner who refuses to fall in love again, a (mostly) reformed flirt who has never been in love, and a fabulous aging drag queen who has a penchant for platforms.

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Hold the Door (Book 1)

“You’ve got one hell of a shiner there, kid,” a guy near the end of the pack said as our paths crossed.

“Yeah.” I never knew where to look when I was talking to someone naked. I picked a spot over the older guy’s shoulder and focused on it.

“You got an ice pack to put on it?”

“I don’t. But I don’t live far. I think I have a bag of peas in my freezer.”

“Hold on.” He held out a hand to stop me and put his thumb and forefinger into his mouth and whistled. “Hank! You still got that first aid kit in your trunk?”

Several of the older guys turned at the sound of the whistle, and a guy with a neon purple yoga mat started jogging our way. There was no help for it. I had to watch as his cock and balls swung in the breeze.

“Hey there, hot stuff,” the other guy, presumably the aforementioned Hank, said while he gave me a very thorough once-over. I had never been so grateful to be wearing clothes. “What can I do for you?” His white brows bounced, and I did everything I could not to cringe.

“Does that first aid kit you carry have an ice pack?” the first guy, whose name I still hadn’t caught, asked.

“I’m not sure. Let’s go take a looksie.” Hank turned and sauntered back to the parking lot, leaving us to trail behind him taking in the full rear view of his nude body. God, I had to stop surfing here.

Hank stopped behind a sky-blue Volkswagen Beetle convertible with a tan top and popped open the trunk. When he bent over to rummage through the trunk’s contents, I had to avert my eyes. There were things I could handle and things I couldn’t. This moment was fast approaching the latter category.

“Honestly, I appreciate it, but I’m really—”

“Here it is!” Hank turned with a pretty large pink plastic case bedazzled with the words Drag Bag in his hand and slid the tabs to the sides so he could open it. He pulled out a white pouch and handed it to my other rescuer, who snapped it, shook it, and held it out to me.

I grudgingly had to admit the cold felt really good. “Thank you. I appreciate this.”

“Anytime. I do some performance art, and I find it’s best to keep some useful things on hand. I have a hot glue gun in this kit as well. You know, just in case.”

“Performance art. Ha!” the other man said as Hank turned and put his first aid kit back into the car. “You’re the oldest drag queen in California, and for reasons I still don’t understand, you just recently realized you’re not as young as you used to be.”

“Age is just a number and a state of mind, Ken.” Hank stretched his arms over his head, and I closed the eye not currently covered with the ice pack. “I feel better now than I did when I was in my forties.”

I didn’t read book 1 in this series, but I definitely want to go back and read the first, based on my love for this book. There was a lot to love in this book!

This book was an enemies to lovers (or more enemy to lovers, since Fletcher was really the driver behind it), with the added fun of some seriously angry sex.

I liked that this was a slow burn book. The author made sure that their story happened over a period of about a year. It wasn’t a quick “I hate you…now I love you” type book. Fletcher was a hard nut to crack for Archer. Fletcher was determined to not fall under the spell of an enormous flirt again, and well Archer was many things, including a flirt, but also brought a few things to the table that Fletcher wasn’t expecting.

Fletcher was seriously hurt by his ex-husband, who was SUCH a tool! So, really, no one could blame him for having up as many walls as possible.

Having an elderly drag queen as a neighbor and best friend for Archer, helped pull Fletcher out of his self imposed box, as well. Hank was fantastic…stole every scene he was in, and rightfully so. He was sassy, and fun, and clearly had lived a life of joy, and wasn’t stopping because of a silly little broken bone. 🙂

This one was fun, sexy, and just a really enjoyable read. Looking forward to any future books in this series.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Vinni George has been a lover of romance novels (of all shapes, sizes, and colors) since she first got her hands on one of her grandmother’s Harlequins and has never looked back. She lives in Ohio with her two favorite guys (her husband and son) and, hopefully—one day—a dog. When not writing her own stories, she can be found helping to polish other people’s novels. In her spare time, Vinni dabbles in performance art, quilting, and various culinary pursuits and enjoys traveling.

Connect with Vinni:
Website: http://vinnigeorge.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vinni-George/e/B0912X5MNL/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/vinni-george
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vinni-george-3
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21344795.Vinni_George
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On A Midnight Clear by Lily Morton: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

January 7, 2022 by Denise

It can safely be said that Lord Barnaby Greenwood is not having the best of Christmases.

He’s penniless, up to his eyeballs in debt, and about to lose his estate. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that when a local property developer offers a lot of money to buy King’s Wood from him, Barnaby is very tempted. But his father had always impressed on him that the green wood was sacred and must be protected at all costs, so he finds himself saying no.

He knows this will result in the loss of his home, but duty comes before everything. However, that fateful decision leads instead to a magical Christmas for Barnaby, complete with an old god who grants him a favour, and a beautiful statue that comes to life.

Cosmo is perfect for him. He’s funny and kind and completely enraptured with Barnaby, and for the first time in his life, Barnaby falls in love. But how can this lead to anything but heartache, when on the last stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, Cosmo will go back to being a statue and take Barnaby’s heart with him?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a truly magical romantic comedy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

I shake my head. “This is real, isn’t it?”

He looks steadily at me. “This is magic, Barnaby Greenwood. It is the furthest thing from reality that can be.”

I bite my lip. “It’s incredible. Nothing like this ever happens to me.”

“Well, that is sad. Good people deserve good things.”

“How do you know I’m good?”

He throws his head back and laughs merrily. “Oh, Barnaby. Do you forget your youth so easily?”

I flush. “Oh my god, you were listening to me? You could hear me?”

He winks. “I was. Statues can hear and understand. Apart from one exception per day, we are marble and granite, bronze and alabaster, but we can still hear and understand. And nothing interested me so much as your tales of school woes and your terrible crush on the games teacher.”

I rub my nose awkwardly. “He was rather good-looking. That’s fairly mortifying and rather boring for you. I do apologise that you had to lie unable to move and just listen to my adolescent angst, although that does make you an ideal companion for a teenager.”

“Barnaby, I have lain in this house as a statue for hundreds of years. I have seen generations of your ancestors be born and die, and nothing has caught me as much as you. So many pass through this room and they look, but their glances are brief, and their eyes move on as quickly as bees to flowers. You would come and sit and talk to me as if I were human, and I found that extraordinarily pleasing. So, I kept an eye on you for that, and what I saw saddened me.”

“Why?”

His mouth turns down at the corners. “Because when you were young, you burnt bright as a flame. You were sweet and happy, and to see that youthful fire and energy dissipated by money problems and grief is saddening to me.”

I sigh. “There isn’t much that I can do about that, I’m afraid.”

He watches me for a long moment, his pale green eyes intent and warm. “There is a lot that we can do.” He stands up. “Let us go.”

“Go?” I echo, staring up at him. “Go where? Have you missed the fact that you’re bloody naked?”

“We have much to do,” he says, ignoring me. He clicks his fingers at the dog, and he jumps down, taking a position at his master’s foot, a pose similar to the one he adopted as a statue. “And very little time to accomplish things.”

I gape at him and then have to scurry to catch up with him as he sweeps out of the room, his canine shadow at his heels. “Wait. Where are you going?” I pant. “What do we have to do?”

He doesn’t reply, making his way down the long corridor instead.

To me at least, Christmas is the most magical holiday. Starting when we are kids and most of us grew up believing in Santa and the decorations and lights and food and family. So a book, set at Christmas with LITERAL magic in it? Yes, yes, yes.

This is not the first book that Lily Morton has written that is set at an old estate that was formerly owned by a duke or a something or other with great status. And as it is passed down through the generations, people no longer make money by status alone and the estate is starting to fall into disrepair.

But this estate is bordered by woods that are, apparently, filled with magic. And when Barnaby (owner of the estate) is being pushed into selling those woods, magic comes to light. In the form of Barnaby’s favorite statue. Who comes alive. He will only be alive until the stroke of midnight on Christmas and while Barnaby has no idea how a now living statue can help him financially, he was going to take advantage of his dream man being a living, breathing man.

Cosmo not only shows Barnaby magic, but also love. Being treasured and loved for who he is. And with Barnaby being in his early 40’s, it is a perfect example of how not everyone is a well built 20 something as a main character. 40 something, kind of broke and perhaps a bit soft in the middle are worthy of love.

Cosmo also helps Barnaby figure out how to save his estate.

This was such a fun, magical romp. Statues that come to life for an hour. Statues that come to life for more than an hour. History and secrets and Christmas. Townspeople and employees and…magic.

This is must read and I think it might be a reread for me next year at Christmas.

4 pieces of eye candy

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

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

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

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

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Nowhere to Run by Andrew Grey: Quick Review

January 3, 2022 by Denise

Roy Unger is greenhorn running from his past. He’s gotten a ranch job and works hard to prove himself every day. Since leaving home in a hurry, he’s come to realize that this job is the only thing standing between him and starvation. He isn’t going to mess it up, no matter how much Brad might drive him to distraction.

Brad has been around the block more than once. He’s a cowboy through and through, complete with a failed rodeo career and a love life that could only be described as hopeless. He’s worked hard and kept his head down. Roy makes him want more, but Brad has come to realize that what he wants isn’t what he gets.

Brad knows what desperation feels like and how important it is to fit in. When he decides to help Roy get over his fear of horses, the two men spend more time together, leading Roy to share confidences about his troubled past. Listening builds trust, which shifts into so much more. But before they can have any sort of future, they need to deal with Roy’s past, which could ruin everything.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Andrew Grey always has books that are sweet, sexy and are so varied in their locations, I think he must research for months to get his info correct. (Seriously, in this book, when Roy is cleaning out a stable, there’s information about what is put down on the ground…and who knew it was anything other than hay?)

This one has sweet Roy, who is pretty much as sweet and virginal as you can get for a ranch hand. He’s hiding out to stay away from some unpleasantness at home. His goal was just to keep his head down, not get in any trouble, and make some money. Fortunately, he landed somewhere that didn’t ask a lot of questions, and seemed to want to take in a lost soul.

Brad, meanwhile, had his own issues, after having spent most of his young life dreaming of riding in a rodeo, then his first time, he is thrown and injured. He’s made do with the hand he’s been dealt, and seems to have spent time loving what his new life is. He takes Roy under his wing, teaching him how to ride, standing up for him until Roy could stand up for himself, and figure out how to address the situation at home.

I had a bit of a hard time staying in the story when Roy just decided to go home and deal with the issue. It threw me how he had gained that much confidence in just a few days time. It was a novella, though, so there has to be grace for that. Roy did seem to be able to step back into his parents’ lives and not allow them to step all over him, and much of that was due to Roy being at the ranch, not just being with Brad.

Overall, a nice little cowboy novella, although I’m not sure I would re-read it.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Playing Our Song by LA Bryce: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

December 29, 2021 by Denise

Jase is famous around the world, and Garrett’s well-known in his neighborhood. They’re two singers. One is living his dream, and the other is living his brother’s.

Jase’s boyfriend’s hostility has increased toward him, making their relationship toxic, but too focused on his band, Jase lets it slide, causing him to almost miss out on the kind of love that lives in his fantasies.

Garrett made a promise to his brother when he passed. But a mistake in its interpretation almost causes Garrett to live out his brother’s dream instead of reaching for his own.

Can these men spot and remove the obstacles stopping them from making beautiful music together before it’s too late?

Amazon

Jase tells Garrett about his writers block and suggests they write together

“Hey. What are you doing here?” Garrett’s smile told Jase he didn’t mind Jase just stopping over.

The knot in Jase’s stomach untied. “I grew stir crazy at home. Needed a fresh space.”

Jase handed Garrett a beer, then pulled a chair over.

Garrett took a swig of the beer, and his body relaxed. “How are things with the new album?”

Jase hesitated for a moment. Maybe he needed this. To talk to someone concerning the rut he’d been facing. Gain insight into what he was missing. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, then opened his eyes. “Shitty,” spilled from his lips.

Garrett leaned forward, his brows furrowed, and a frown marred his face. “What do you mean?”

“I’m trying to come up with new material. In two months, we’re back in the studio, and I’m working with nothing.”

“What’s the problem?” The concern emanating from Garrett helped Jase share his fears.

“I don’t have a clue. I had a couple of decent days, and now I’m stuck. Everything I write turns into the same tune. There’s nothing else. I keep hitting a wall.” Jase’s shoulders sagged, and the usual nerves he’d been dealing with came crashing back, causing an ache in his stomach.

“What do you think’s holding you back?”

Jase scrubbed his eyes. “I have no idea.”

“Has this happened in the past?”

“No. Maybe.” Jase’s gaze moved to his fidgeting hands. “Back when I first started writing for the band. When I first started having deadlines—the stress would block my brain. But since then, no, I haven’t had a problem. I have no idea why whatever is happening is happening now.”

“I can see the stress being a problem,” Garrett said. “If I sit, ready to write, I have the hardest time. It’s once I’m busy doing something else that the ideas come to me. That’s the reason I’m always traveling with a notebook.”

“Me too,” Jase agreed. “But right now, the pages are blank. The flow’s dried up.” Jase took a drink. Both men sat silently—Jase with too many thoughts. Then one pushed forward, and with no filter, Jase blurted out, “We should do something together.”

Garrett twitched. “What?”

“Shit. Why didn’t that come to me sooner? We should write something together.”

“Yeah, right.” Garrett smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, right. It’s a wonderful idea.” Goosebumps covered Jase’s arms. “Your style is just what the band needs.”

“I’m sure something’ll come to you.” Garrett peeled pieces of the label from his beer, no longer looking at Jase. “I don’t think you need my help.”

“That’s exactly what I need,” Jase insisted. “You’re really good.”

“Thank you.” A flush swept across Garrett’s face.

“I’m serious. Your songs rock.” The urge to shake Garrett was strong. “Together, we could do something great.”

Garrett continued to pick at the beer label. “I’m sure whatever you write will end up awesome, but I’m not sure I could add anything to it.”

Jase fisted his hands and whispered, even though he wanted to shout. “Bull shit.” Jase had had enough.

“Your songs are as impressive as any I’ve written.”

Garrett’s laugh sounded hollow. “I’m not too sure about that, but thank you!”

“You need to cut yourself a break.”

Garrett just shook his head.

I’m a fan of rock star romances. I love seeing the behind the scenes stuff, how they live, etc. But this was just…boring. There was nothing really WRONG with it (except the whole lack of management, record companies, photo shoots…), it was a nice story, but there was no real heat or passion. It was just forgettable.

Jase, rock star extraordinaire, is with a crappy boyfriend who ignores him constantly, whines when they are together, doesn’t answer calls and blames everything on his career. HELLO! Red light dude! Jase just comes off as a doormat. Who puts up with that?

He meets Garrett when he stops into a restaurant and Garrett is the entertainment. Jace is immediately drawn to the music, and obviously to Garrett but somehow he doesn’t see it. They end up writing some music together but Jace is hot and cold. Mostly because of the stupid boyfriend.

I’m sure you can see where this is all going…

The book was fine. The story was fine. The sex scenes were fine. But just fine isn’t good enough for me.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

L.A. is a contemporary M/M romance author who loves her men to work hard, play hard, and love hard.

She’s always lived in the northeast and has recently stretched her boundaries and moved farther north — the more relaxed lifestyle giving her more time to write — in theory anyway.

Among the things she loves besides writing and her family are her friends, those she writes with and those she writes about, reading, games (the kind with boards, not in love), her dogs, Nutella and Bok Choy, and the men and women from the military, past and present, who keep us safe.

When she finds herself stuck at the keyboard, her fingers refusing to move, her characters refusing to talk, she likes to take a break, blast some music, and dance like no one is watching her or sing her heart out into her hairbrush microphone.

She’s living her happily ever after and wants the same for all her characters. L.A. believes love comes in all different packages and each should be wrapped in a ribbon and cherished.

Connect with LA:

https://labryce.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LABryceAuthor/

https://twitter.com/labryce_author

https://www.instagram.com/labryce_author/

https://www.pinterest.com/labryce_author/

To celebrate the release of Playing Our Song, LA Bryce is giving away a awesome Kindle Fire 10!!

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If You Love Something by Jayce Ellis: Release Day Review

December 28, 2021 by Denise

“A lovingly drawn depiction of Black family dynamics.” —Publishers Weekly on Learned Reactions

A marriage lost is found again in this cheeky new romantic comedy from acclaimed author Jayce Ellis.

As executive chef at one of the hottest restaurants in DC, DeShawn Franklin has almost everything he’s ever wanted. He’s well-known, his restaurant is Michelin starred and he can write his own ticket anywhere he wants. Until his grandmother calls him home and drops two bombshells:

1) She has cancer and she’s not seeking treatment.

2) She’s willing half her estate to DeShawn’s ex-husband, Malik.

Make that three bombshells.

3) That whole divorce thing? It didn’t quite go through. DeShawn and Malik are still married.

And when DeShawn’s shady uncle contests Grandma’s will, there’s only one path back to justice: play it like he and Malik have reconciled. They need to act like a married couple just long enough to dispense with the lawsuit.

Once DeShawn is back in Malik’s orbit, it’s not hard to remember why they parted. All the reasons he walked away remain—but so do all the reasons he fell in love in the first place.

Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters. Discover a new Carina Adores book every month!

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Carina Press/Harlequin

Having read a previous book by this author, Jeremiah, I was looking forward to reading another book by this author who portrays her Black MC’s with great depth and clearly uses her #ownvoice. This book did not disappoint at all.

There was so much going on in this book, and I loved every second of it. The story just worked so well.

DeShawn seemed to have it all, executive chef at a starred restaurant, famous, does a weekly television, men on his arm for all the events, and a dog he adores. However, when his grandmother calls, his entire world changes. Meanwhile, Malik is at the opposite end of the spectrum, working in his family’s restaurant that is just a short time from having to close due to changes beyond his control. Unhappy in his life, with his brother, with the bright spot being his dog.

DeShawn’s dying grandmother, while she didn’t intend to keep any secrets about DeShawn and Malik’s divorce, or lack thereof, she did try to use it to bring them back together. All of these things were so very indicative of real world issues. DeShawn not calling Malik to tell him, because he put it off. Malik not calling DeShawn for the same reason. Avoiding a problem as long as possible. A restaurant that is all old school, with no carry out, no quick foods, dying while the world goes on around them. Even gambling issues.

Through it all, it wasn’t an instant fix. There was a lot of hurt, anger and loss, from years past, thrown in that needed to be dealt with in the present. Then they could deal with the rest of their issues, from the divorce that wasn’t, to the uncle who was determined to get all of his mother’s money, to saving Malik’s family restaurant. All of this, while trying to pretend they found each other again, and fell right back in love.

Also, the fact that the dogs were instantly buddies…warmed my heart so much.

I absolutely loved this book, beginning to end.

5 pieces of eye candy