New Release Review

Close to Home (Sawyer’s Ferry #4) by Cate Ashwood: Release Day Review

June 14, 2019 by Denise

Witt:
I excelled at two things: systems engineering and going completely unnoticed.
The engineering took work and determination. The invisibility came naturally. Until one day, the wrong person noticed me. Battered and broken, I fled, escaping to Sawyer’s Ferry and the only friends I’d ever had.
Now, I just needed to figure out what I was going to do next.

Mason:
Life was good.
I had a great job, good friends, and a family who loved me. Even my roommate was decent. At least he was until he let his nudist brother come to visit. The opportunity to house-sit and help an injured friend couldn’t have come at a better time.
All I’d needed was to avoid an awkward situation for a few days, but I got more than I bargained for when my entire uncomplicated life flipped upside down. The last thing I’d been looking for was love, but it wasn’t until Witt that I realized just how much I’d been missing out on.

Title: Close to Home

Series: Sawyer’s Ferry: Book 4

Author: Cate Ashwood

Release Date: May 31st, 2019

Genre: Contemporary m/m romance

Length: ~50,000 words

Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood

Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

We’re back in Sawyer’s Ferry!

I was really looking forward to this one, with Mason (who works with Barrett at the brewery), and Witt, who is friends with Logan and Jackson.

We jump into the story right after Witt is viciously attacked in his bed and fleeing to get as far away from the place and the person who did it, as quickly as he can. It takes us a little bit to find out who did it and the why is still unknown, although I guess some people are just terrible people and don’t need an excuse to be that way…. but he ends up blacking out while waiting in his car to board the ferry to Sawyer’s Ferry. He’s luckily found by friends and taken to the hospital where Logan and Jackson step in to take him home with them until he gets better.

Playing hockey with Jackson, he confides in his team captain, Mason on what happened with Witt, and having met him before and having a little crush on him, Mason wanted badly to make sure that Witt was okay.

I loved how sweet and patient Mason was, and how much he cared about people, most especially Witt. When Jackson and Logan have to go out of town and then have a scheduled trip planned that’ll take them away from the healing Witt for a few weeks, they’re worried about leaving Witt alone, until Mason volunteers to stay with him and look after him until he starts feeling better. The situations at his own house, though kind of funny and kind of horrible, means he’s jumping at the chance to do it. Not only because he wants to spend more time with Witt, but also because he just doesn’t want to be around the nudists that are related to his roommate. I can’t say I blame them, that whole side story there irritated me. How rude.

Through it all though, while the men get to know each other and learn to trust each other, they’re also falling for each other. Mason wants to take care of Witt and protect him; he’s never far from Mason’s mind and he does everything he can to take things slow for Witt.

Witt has always lived his life for someone else; doing what he could to make someone else happy… so having someone like Mason in his life, who puts him first and cares about him so much, and just wants to make him happy… is exactly what he needed. Teaching him how to defend himself and showing him that it’s okay to be his own person and do what he wants for himself for a change, it was exactly what Witt needed. I loved it. They complimented each other so well, it didn’t feel like the insta-love, co-dependent thing that it could’ve been because of the situation. It felt real and authentic and genuine, and it was all just so sweet.

I loved the friends they all had and seeing everyone from the town. I liked that
Mason had this huge accepting family, and I would’ve liked to have seen them get to meet Witt because if anyone needed a big accepting family, it was Witt… so that kinda sucked, but meh, that may be me just being selfish and wanting more.

I also liked the man responsible for hurting Witt, didn’t get away with. I hate hate hate reading a story and the bad people just get away with being evil, vile people.
Though I’d have liked some petty karmic justice, painful and equally as evil as the hate he put out there… but I was happy he got what he did, plus a broken arm LOL so, good enough for me!

I’m really excited to see who’s next. I hope this series goes a long way, and maybe Brody’s next? Fingers crossed. Loved these two together and can’t wait to see more of them in future stories.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Arctic Wild: An Alaska Romance (Frozen Hearts Book 2) by Annabeth Albert: New Release Review

June 14, 2019 by Denise

When a plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, the best place to land is in the arms of a younger man…

Hotshot attorney Reuben Graham has finally agreed to take a vacation, when his plane suddenly plunges into the Alaskan wilderness.

Just his luck.

But his frustrations have only begun as he finds himself stranded with the injured, and superhot, pilot, a man who’s endearingly sociable—and much too young for Reuben to be wanting him this badly.

As the sole provider for his sisters and ailing father, Tobias Kooly is devastated to learn his injuries will prevent him from working or even making it back home. So when Reuben insists on giving him a place to recover, not even Toby’s pride can make him refuse. He’s never been tempted by a silver fox before, but something about Reuben is impossible to resist.

Recuperating in Reuben’s care is the last thing Toby expected, yet the closer they become, the more incredibly right it feels, prompting workaholic Reuben to question the life he’s been living. But when the pressure Toby’s under starts closing in, both men will have to decide if there’s room in their hearts for a love they never saw coming.

Amazon

I love this author, so in all honesty I didn’t even read the blurb first. HA! So color me surprised when the plane crashed. (not a spoiler at all)

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. As I said, I am a big fan of this author AND I am a bit obsessed with Alaska. I was all in.

We got a brief glimpse of Toby in the first book. The happy go lucky one night stand guy who kind of seemed to be putting on a bit of a front. Turns out he was. Mostly that he was the sole provider for his family including his disabled father and 2 college age sisters. So not only is he bummed when his tour group drops from 3 people to 1 but also that the one person is grumpy and attached to his phone for work. And, yanno, the whole plane crash thing.

Let me be honest here, I didn’t feel the connection between Reuben and Toby. Not before the crash or after. I really felt like the story was more about Reuben and his daughter reconnecting.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some very hot sex scenes. But with his daughter in the picture with them, there was very little flirting and no touching or pda. Even their nighttime activities didn’t seem to have that clandestine excitement.

There were a few other things that were just off for me. Mostly concerning the aftermath of the plane crash. But if you’ve read my reviews, you know I am a picky bitch and stickler for details.

It was an enjoyable read, the sex scenes were hot if not detached and I really enjoyed the relationship between Reuben and his daughter.

3 Pieces of Eye Candy

Chef vs. Chef (Sizzling in the Kitchen Book 2) by M.J. O’Shea: New Release Review

June 12, 2019 by Denise

Bobby Diaz has worked his whole life to get where he is – running a restaurant with his two closest friends, no boss, no stress. When his best friend Baldwin gets the opportunity of a lifetime, he asks Bobby to take over the restaurant while he’s gone. Bobby will miss his friend, but he’s excited to put himself to the test. He can’t believe he’s getting the chance to finally be in charge.

Cal Mayer is thirty and starting over. His last relationship was a failure. His job went down the drain. So when his cousin Pete, a.k.a Baldwin Powell celebrity chef, offers him a gig in his restaurant, he can’t help but to jump at the offer to reinvent himself.

Bobby and Cal don’t exactly hit it off—to put it lightly. Bobby resents getting Cal dumped in his lap. Cal doesn’t appreciate Bobby’s frosty attitude. They’re stuck together day and night, and their chemistry is undeniable… but will it be sweet summer love or a case of too many chefs in the kitchen?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

This was totally meh. It’s readable, but utterly forgettable.

Quite a bit of the book is spent before the two main characters even meet each other. Both went through a big change in their lives so it is them (separately) getting their feet under them again.

Then they do meet and because of a stupid misunderstanding, one hates the other.

Then finally, FINALLY, they kiss. And it’s like this fast forward through all of the fun stuff. “Spring turns to summer…”. Uh, ok. What about THEM? As a couple? Dating? Cute flirty stuff?

Even during the hate period, it wasn’t even competitive fun hate. It was just one guy being a total jerk.

Weak storyline that really had potential. Weak characters. Weak romance.

Just meh.

2.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Single by RJ Scott: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

June 12, 2019 by Denise

Reeling from the painful rejection of a man he thought he loved, Asher is left holding the baby.

Ash wants a family, and is determined to continue with a surrogacy he’d begun with his ex. Bringing baby Mia home, he vows that he will be the best father he can be. Nothing in this world matters more to him than caring for his daughter, not even accidentally falling in lust with the doctor next door. Challenged by his growing attraction to Sean, and confronted by painful memories of his family, Ash has to learn that love is all that matters.

When ER doctor Sean moves in with his friends next door to sexy single father Ash, he falls so quickly it takes his breath away. The sex they have is hot, but Ash is adamant his heart is too full with love for his daughter to let anyone else in. Why is Sean the only one who sees how scared Ash is, and how can he prove to his new lover that he desperately wants the three of them to become a family?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Single dads… I am such a sucker for you….

Asher is a new dad who’s ex up and left the day before Ash’s surrogate gave him the good news that she was pregnant. That, mixed with an unsupportive borderline hateful mother, made Asher want to be the perfect dad for his little girl, who’s only a few weeks old when we meet them.

Sean, ER doctor that just moved in next door with his firefighter and cop friend, doesn’t make the best first impression when a drunk Eric shows up on Ash’s porch, throwing up in his bushes and wakes the baby… but he’s smitten with Asher from the beginning.

Sean is cute and I hated that he had to try so hard with Asher, because honestly….
Asher is SO EXTRA… I understand being a single parents and how scary everything is when your baby is brand new and you have no clue what you’re doing, or even what day it is most of the time…. But my goodness, the man was so irrational and grumpy that bordered on rude, and I just wanted to be like… dude, relax. Things are not that serious…. I mean, he thought he couldn’t close his eyes at night or his baby would stop breathing. He was scared to take a shower or go into the next room….
That poor baby is going to be so smothered… it’s all I could think. Hopefully Sean helps him with that.

I liked how real this story was though, as a single mother when my kids were tiny, I remember how scary it was to trust and letting new people in was hard. I mean, Asher made it irrationally hard, but, still…. His mom’s issues on top of the betrayal of his ex, I could understand if even just a little bit where he was coming from… And Sean, he did everything he could and was patient when Asher tried to brush him off… more patient than I would’ve been, that’s for sure.

And of course, the ex comes back, and it was then that I was glad that Asher could hold a grudge… and wow, could he hold a grudge, I almost felt bad for his mother a couple of times. I loved Ash’s twin sister Siobhan, not afraid to tell call him out and tell him when he was being ridiculous, but also sympathetic and supportive. I was glad he had her, if not for the support but also for telling him when he was being ridiculous.

Overall, this was a great start to the series, even if Asher wasn’t really my favorite… I’m really really excited to read about the other guys, Eric and Leo… I also can’t wait to see what’s up with Brady, who I believe is next up with officer Eric. I have a feeling he might break my heart.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:

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Kiss Me Again by Garrett Leigh: Blog Tour, Release Day Review and Giveaway

June 10, 2019 by Denise

Tree surgeon Aidan Drummond is content with his own company. He works alone, and lives alone, and it doesn’t occur to him to want anything else until a life-changing accident lands him in hospital. Then a glimpse of the beautiful boy in the opposite bed changes everything.

Ludo Giordano is trapped on the ward with a bunch of old men. His mind plays tricks on him, keeping him awake. Then late one night, a new face brings a welcome distraction. Their unlikely friendship is addictive. And, like most things in Ludo’s life, temporary.

Back in the real world, Aidan’s monochrome existence is no longer enough. He craves the colour Ludo brought him, and when a chance meeting brings them back together, before long, they’re inseparable again.

But bliss comes with complications. Aidan is on the road to recovery, but Ludo has been unwell his entire life, and that’s not going to change. Aidan can kiss him as much as he likes, but if he can’t help Ludo when he needs him most, they don’t stand a chance.

“Kiss Me Again is a deliciously tender and prickly romance about the intimacy that comes with acceptance. Ludo and Aidan accept and love each other for exactly who they are—complications, injuries, mental health issues, moods—and I loved them for it.” — Roan Parish

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Length: 227 pages

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link

I LOVED this book.

I really enjoy all of Garrett Leigh‘s books. But this one is so different from all of the others. Not only the characters and subject matter, but the writing and pacing were far different as well. And it was so good.

I guess it says something about me when I can connect with characters who have a mental illness. Maybe it is just because I was a psych major in college. Whatever it is, I feel these characters deeply. And Ludo- oh Ludo. Bipolar as his most evident diagnosis, but also anxiety. And Aidan, who calls himself an asshole who doesn’t care actually cares so deeply that it hurts. He isn’t an asshole. He is severely introverted, probably with social anxiety and needs therapy to deal with his parents’ deaths.

That’ll be five cents. 🙂

Ludo and Aidan meet in the hospital where Ludo had surgery on his wrist and Aidan is having many surgeries after a car crashed into the tree he was working on and fell 30 feet. In a place where they had no one, they discovered each other.

It’s like living in the Ludo-Aidan world. They just accept each other. All of their flaws. All of their quirks. All of the scars. There is such a beauty in that.

A lot of the book is fairly platonic. It’s like neither one of them wanted to break the spell by trying something different. Eventually, though, they do take that step. And like everything else in their world, it is completely unique to them.

There is brief mention a few times of Ludo’s couisn Angelo- the dancer. If you have read most of Garrett Leigh’s books, you know Angelo. There was also a hint of more to come because of that Angelo link. I hope it happens.

I devoured this book like my favorite meal. And much like my favorite meal, I wish it wasn’t finished.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

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

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

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

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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Adam Only (Those Other Books) by Roe Horvat: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

June 7, 2019 by Denise

On stage, Adam lets his passion drive him. All his secret desires, everything nasty, dirty, and beautiful flows freely through him, for once in harmony. His soul thrives when his body moves, but only on stage. Adam’s passionate nature makes him a great dancer…and a failure at life. He’s a lonely, emotional mess. Going home with a man far out of his reach is the last thing Adam should do. Christoffer represents everything Adam isn’t: strong, independent, educated, and rich. His kind eyes, at odds with his brutish form, make Adam’s knees and restraint buckle.

Once Christoffer sees Adam dancing, he’s lost. The young man is mesmerizing, otherworldly, and unpredictable. Whatever might happen between them, it will be transient, and Christoffer will most likely get hurt. The temptation is too great, however, and the sex explosive. He might as well enjoy every moment he’s given, even if it’s just one day, maybe two. If Christoffer treads carefully, Adam might stay until Monday.

Length: 39,000 words

Cover Design: Roe Horvat

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Universal Link

The Other Book

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Universal Link

He didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Why was he still here? He should leave. Now.

The house was far away from any main roads, but he could walk for a bit and then get a taxi to the nearest train station back to the city. Maybe there was a bus stop somewhere close. His thoughts sharpened—the jerking off, swim, and caffeine had cleared his brain. Determined not to waste more time daydreaming about wealthy bears who never gave a damn, he finished his coffee. He’d need to sneak back to the bathroom to get his clothes. And his phone. He shouldn’t have lingered.

He found which cabinet door in the kitchen hid the built-in dishwasher and placed the cup inside. Then he climbed the stairs on tiptoes and peeked into the bedroom. Christoffer slept on his back, snoring softly.

Adam spotted his phone on the nightstand. Christoffer must have put it on charge after Adam had fallen asleep. He wouldn’t dwell on how considerate that was. He snatched up the phone and closed himself in the bathroom.

Eying the red thong with disgust, he threw it in the trash. What had he been thinking? He dragged the jeans up his naked body, pulled on his socks and slid into the T-shirt. His jacket was downstairs. He opened the door carefully, ready to bolt without looking at the sleeping man.

Except Christoffer was now sitting on the edge of the bed, naked, staring up at Adam with sleepy eyes.

Shit.

“Hi,” Christoffer murmured. His eyes slid up and down Adam’s body, noticing the clothes. His smile turned cautious.

“Hi.” Adam shifted from foot to foot. What now?

The moment dragged on until Adam’s heart was pounding. He needed to say something, quick, and get out of there before it could get any more awkward.

“I…” he began but closed his mouth again. He couldn’t decipher Christoffer’s expression. And all that skin on display was distracting.

Christoffer braced his hands on his knees and inhaled deeply, his Goliathan shoulders lifting. “You like eggs?”

“What?”

“For breakfast.”

“Yeah,” Adam blurted before he thought of the implications. He was staying for breakfast? He wanted to. Stupid! He absolutely shouldn’t! Seeing Christoffer now, those gentle gray eyes such a contrast to his brutish form, Adam ached to stay. You stupid, horny, clingy asshole. Get out of here!

He opened his mouth to say something else, to apologize and whisper goodbye, but Christoffer was faster.

“Good. Wait for me in the kitchen. I just need to…” He gestured to the bathroom door behind Adam’s back.

“Oh. Sure.”

Adam stepped aside, quivering, and the big man stood in all his naked glory. He bent down and kissed Adam’s cheek, lingering, his breath hot by Adam’s ear. Then he disappeared into the bathroom. “I’ll be just a minute,” he threw over his shoulder before the door snapped shut.

Adam stood there, stunned, and touched his tingling cheek.

This was a fairly short book with A LOT of sex. It could very easily have been a boring sex book. But it wasn’t. There was story in there. There actually could have been a lot more story- I wanted more.

This is book 2, but I never read book 1 and I don’t think that it matters at all. I lost nothing from not reading book 1.

Christoffer sees Adam dancing on a table at a party his friend was throwing. While he was trying to be stealthy, he was anything but. Adam also had his eye on Christoffer. They find themselves alone together and go home together. But a one night stand turns into a weekend. Until Adam leaves in the wee hours of the morning without a word. Better to leave on your own rather than be asked to leave.

Both of these guys have issues. But they need to get past those issues to realize that they are right for each other in so many ways. Adam has been thrown away too many times. He never wants to be in that position again, being dependant on someone. But Christoffer has also been pushed away. Mostly because so many think he is difficult to have sex with. Because of his size. Wink wink. But Adam LOVES that.

Like I said, there is A LOT of sex. Pages and pages and pages. It wasn’t boring though or repetitive. The scenes were well written. But I did enjoy the story that was half buried in there as well. And as I said at the beginning, I could have used more of it because I really liked these guys.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the post-communist wasteland of former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, pale ale, and daiquiri, with equal passion. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

More about the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roe.horvat.98

Twitter: @roehorvat

Website: roehorvat.com

Publisher: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=authors&id=107

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