New Release Review

Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

July 23, 2018 by Denise

Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series

It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.

Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.

Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.

Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne

Series: Trouble Brewing #1

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date (Print & Ebook): Ebook/Audio – July 23, 2018; Print – July 31, 2019

Length (Print & Ebook): 272 pages

Subgenre: M/M Romantic Suspense

Amazon

Carina Press

“Turn around, baby,” Cam whispered. He stepped back, only far enough for Nic to rotate, then pulled him close again. “We’ve been dancing around this for months,” he said, walking them back toward the desk, Nic bumping up against it. “You want this as much as I do, if the two kisses we’ve shared are any sign. Unless I read them wrong?”

Chin down, Nic glided his hands up the outsides of Cam’s arms and over his shoulders, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. “You’re not wrong.”

It was a miracle Cam had held out this long. This close to what he’d desired for months, the wild part of him desperately wanted to break free, wanted to play rough and hard with Nic. “Then what’s the problem?” he asked. “You came to my place the other night. You made that move.”

“A lot can change in forty-eight hours,” Nic said, angling his face away.

Cam didn’t let him get away with it, trapping Nic’s chin between this thumb and forefinger and righting his gaze. “The way you feel about me?”

“This is messy, Boston, for a number of reasons, the least of which is you could get killed tomorrow.”

Nic’s blue eyes swirled with a stormy mix of lust and hesitation, the former on the cusp of winning out. Cam just needed to push a little harder.

I was so glad when I saw this book is out. I read the Agents Irish and Whiskey series last year and I love those guys. I remember liking Dominic, even though he was dating Irish while Whiskey was and — well, it was upsetting for both Whiskey and I. then when Whiskey’s bff Cameron showed up, I figured we’d see his story sometime soon. And here it is.

The attraction between Nic and Cameron begins before this book, when they kissed at a wedding. So, it’s already established that these two share an attraction and think about each other a lot. Once Nic’s witness goes missing, Cameron goes undercover to find her. Just a little angst and danger before we finally get to see these two take each other for a test drive, so to speak.

This is Book #1 in this series. So while Cam and Nic are in a good place at the end, Nic’s past has come back to haunt him and the ending promises more to come. I like these guys, and I like the other members of this world which come to visit here. If you enjoy the Whiskey and Irish cast, you’ll like this one too.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. Layla is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. She was a 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.

Connect with Layla:

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Daisy, Yellow by Angelique Jurd: New Release Review and Excerpt

July 19, 2018 by Denise

Just months after breaking up with his boyfriend, Noah Jenkins inherits his grandfather’s farm and he decides it’s time for a change of scenery. He packs his bags, buys a dog, and moves onto the property. When his Labrador puppy Daisy gets hurt he meets local vet Hunter Ross and life starts to look interesting again.

Hunter Ross has always lived in small, conservative Newton, in rural Illinois. At 39 he’s never been in love and never had a lover and mayhave neglected to tell anyone he’s close to that he’s gay. It’s never been a problem – until Daisy, Yellow and her owner, Noah, show up.

Is Noah’s love enough for Hunter to risk everything? Does Hunter have the strength to make the hardest choices he’ll ever make and survive?

Book Title: Daisy, Yellow

Author: Angelique Jurd

Publisher: Small Black Cat Media

Cover Artist: May Dawney Designs

Genre/s: Contemporary Gay Romance

Length: 177 pages

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Amazon US

Amazon UK

The great thing about small towns it turns out is that delivery is free and it’s quick. His new furniture will arrive tomorrow morning, which gives him time to get the living room ready. The parking lot in front of the clinic is empty but Noah can see Hunter’s truck parked further back and, on a whim, he follows the driveway down. He parks, unbuckles Daisy from her harness, and clips her leash on before he gets out of the car. When he turns around, Hunter is leaning against the doorway, wearing low slung jeans and a threadbare tee-shirt, arms crossed over his chest.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Noah croaks. His mouth and throat have gone dry and when Daisy pulls the leash free from his grasp, he barely notices. Hunter pushes the screen door open with a bare foot and she rushes inside.

“Shit, sorry!” He leaps after her, but Hunter doesn’t seem concerned, only amused.

From the depths of the house comes a volley of high pitched barks followed by an angry hiss.

“Sounds like she’s found Rosie.”

Noah trails behind him as Hunter goes inside, taking in his surroundings as walks. The cluttered living room is small with plain, simple furnishings in faded colors. In contrast, Noah notices, the sounds system, hooked to a laptop and a flat screen television, is state of the art. In the middle of the room stands the cat from the clinic, back arched and tail puffed up. Daisy bounces forward with a yip only to be met by a grey and white paw that smacks her nose three times in quick succession and sends her scuttling back to Noah with a yelp and a whimper.

As he picks her up he spots two scratches across her nose, both beading with blood.

“Hey, your cat scratched my pup.”

“Your pup tried to chase my cat.”

Annoyed, Noah clutches Daisy to his chest and braces his shoulders. She’s bleeding.

“You should control her better.”

The statement is met by laughter. That he likes the sound of it annoys Noah even more than the laughter itself.

“She’s a cat. How do you propose I control her?”

“I don’t know but you’re a vet, you should be able to think of something.”

Hunter steps over and peers at the scratches on Daisy’s nose.

“She’ll live. You can trust me on this, I’m a vet.” The mocking tone makes it very clear what Hunter thinks of Noah’s reaction. He bends and gathers Rosie up and puts her on the back of an armchair. She immediately jumps off, flicks her tail at the room and saunters down the hallway.

In Noah’s arms, Daisy quivers and whimpers.

Noah is about to protest again when Hunter leans forward and brushes a kiss over his mouth. It’s brief and rough, over before Noah can even register it’s happening. Stunned, he runs his finger over his bottom lip and hugs Daisy to his chest as he watches Hunter walk away, calling over his shoulder as he goes.

“Do you want coffee?”

Two hot guys and a cute puppy? Absolutely!

So, Noah inherits his grandpa’s little farm house in smallminded USA. After catching his boyfriend of a year cheating on him, literally in the act, he figures the country life would be a nice change of pace. Afterall, he can do his job anywhere… something about bridges and architecture or something? Anyway… he packs up, buys a puppy and settles in just fine. It’s tricky, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but it feels good and he’s happy….

When Daisy, his new puppy gets a bee sting, he gets scared, thinking it could be a snake bite and rushes her to the vet… that’s where he meets hot veterinarian, Hunter. Now, Hunter has lived in this town his entire life. He knows everybody and everybody knows him and his family…..which I think is why this upset me so bad.

Small town livin’ ain’t easy…. This, I know…. But Hunter is forty years old and never had a relationship, never even so much as dated, all because he knows the town won’t be accepting of his sexual preference. How sad is that? His entire life he’s been alone, taking care of everyone’s pets and genuinely being a good person. I hated that he went so long without at least companionship, until Noah….

The two were so cute together, I really liked them together. Noah with his puppy and Hunter with his cat, they were the epitome of adorbs! But, it was hard because Hunter knew that they couldn’t be “out”…. And boy, he was not wrong…. After an accident leaves Noah in the hospital, someone sees them together and assumes, then spreads that gossip like wildfire… in twenty-four hours, the town was bent on making these guys lives miserable.

People were so mean and hateful; vandalizing cars and businesses…. Burning houses down… and though the guys get to have their say to a couple of the terrible people….it in no way made up for the horrible things they went through….and to me, it was so disappointing, because the story itself was so cute, so, so cute…but I cannot get over the ending… sure, the people got arrested, (it was merely mentioned)…. But then what? I was so disappointed by the end. Ugh, I hated that they just ran away. It felt like they let the bigoted townspeople run them off… they won…. They got exactly what they’d set out to do and I HATE that. I hate when the bad people get away with being bad people. It’s kind of made me sick to my stomach a little bit, if I’m honest. I wasn’t expecting that.

I did love how amazing both men’s parents were though… Both sets of parents loved their boys unconditionally and it was nice to see.

So, in conclusion…overall, good story…. Hated the last 15-20 percent. Don’t think I’ll follow up in the series.

3 pieces of eye candy from me.

Author, acafan, Buddhist. Angelique is owned by four cats, three adult children, two temperamental computers, and a very patient boyfriend (not a partridge in a pear tree).

A former print journalist and editor, she has over the years, written about a wide variety of topics from politics to duck breeding to rock concerts. Her interest in fandom studies was sparked in 2015 when she watched Supernatural for the first time and she has been fascinated by the intersection between fans and creators ever since and is currently completing an MA (Media Studies) in the subject.

She likes cold champagne, hot coffee, neat whiskey, loud Springsteen, and the Winchester brothers kicking butt. When she’s not writing she likes to color, watch movies, and get more tattoos.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter @AngeliqueJurd

Instagram: angeliquejurd

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The Pet Stylist and The Playboy by Rebecca James: New Release Review

July 17, 2018 by Denise

Swish has been in love with Dante since the day the tough biker found him homeless and miserable in a gas station restroom, but Dante’s never shown the younger man anything more than brotherly affection. Deciding it’s time to move out of the MC’s clubhouse and away from Dante, Swish takes a live-in job working in a privately-owned animal shelter where he can continue his pet stylist business. What he doesn’t realize is he’s not going to be as far away from the object of his affection as he thinks.
Dante’s time of being a playboy biker is fast coming to a close. At summer’s end he turns 30, and that means fulfilling his promise to his parents and returning to high society in the Hamptons. That dim prospect should be all Dante can think about, only Swish is moving out, and suddenly Dante can’t do anything but obsess over the kid he’s always thought of as a younger brother. Telling himself he’s only making sure Swish is doing okay on his own, Dante takes a summer job landscaping at the animal shelter where Swish has taken a job. There he learns a few things about the young man he’s never bothered to find out before, including that Swish’s real name is Isaac, and he enjoys wearing a certain something under his jeans–something that Dante’s surprised to find he would really like to remove–preferably with his teeth.
When Dante gives in to his need for Isaac, the playboy biker quickly finds that disentangling himself from the man he once thought of as a kid brother proves harder than expected, and that perhaps after years of one-night-stands and partying, his priorities need to change. Only not in the way his wealthy and controlling parents want them to.

Amazon

I read book 1 of this new to me author because one of the main characters was a ballet dancer. And while I didn’t love it, I wanted to read book 2 because the supporting character, Swish, really drew my attention and I wanted more.

And I really enjoyed getting to know Swish more. Dante though. Dante was kind of a dick.

For whatever reason, he is keeping a secret from EVERYONE except for one guy in the MC. His big secret is that when he turns 30, he has to go work for his father and eventually take over the family business. He feels that he owes it to them. His cold, unfeeling parents. Makes no sense. But what was even more out there to me is that the family business is several high end car dealerships. I wasn’t expecting that. AT ALL. I don’t see how owning car dealerships gave his parents to prestige they had on Long Island in their circle, but ok.

Anyway. Swish was awesome. He took care of himself. When he is offered a place to live and a job doing something he loves- he takes it. I cheered for him. But Dante just had to encroach on that as well.

Basically Dante was a selfish jerk through most of the book. And Swish tried to fight it, but ultimately he couldn’t. He had been crushing on Dante for too long.

But Swish had his new job. His new place to live. New clients with the pet styling. Things were looking up for him.

But Dante keeps coming back.

Yes, he finally gets his head on straight and all of that- but it was pretty outlandish. Kind of silly, like the title. Seriously. Poor, poor title.

Swish kept me reading definitely. AND figuring out who the next book is about will make me read the next. And as much as I love a HEA, I really would have liked it if Swish had told Dante to ride off into the sunset.

3 Pieces of eye candy

Smoke in the Mirror by Aimee Nicole Walker: Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

July 12, 2018 by Denise

Memphis Sullivan thought he was coming to Blissville to help his cousin out, but instead, he gained three meddlesome females, a tribe, and a permanent home. More than a year later, he owns a popular comic book and vinyl record store and doesn’t think his life could get any better. That all changes when the star of his favorite television show and bad-boy fantasies rides into town and spices up his vanilla world.

Lyric Willows’ decision to visit an old friend in Blissville will change his life in ways he never dreamed possible. The paranormal investigator is immediately drawn to the mysterious disappearance of the town’s founder in 1850 and rumors that his former home is haunted. More alluring to Lyric than the history of Bliss House is the immediate connection he feels to the adorably geeky owner of Vinyl and Villains, who also happens to be his friend’s cousin.

Lyric becomes Memphis’s houseguest when he decides to stay in town to conduct a paranormal investigation. Tight spaces lead to sexy encounters, and before long, ghosts aren’t the only things that go bump in the night. The more they unravel about Anthony Bliss’s disappearance, the more tangled in one another they become. How is it possible for two virtual strangers to feel like they’ve known each other for their entire lives? Was their love written in the stars, or is it nothing more than an illusion?

Smoke in the Mirror is the fifth book in the Road to Blissville series. Each book can be read as a standalone book or part of the series. This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for adults 18 and older.

SMOKE IN THE MIRROR

A ROAD TO BLISSVILLE STORY

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 07.12.18

COVER DESIGN: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: WANDER AGUIAR

MODEL: TRAVIS

Amazon

Memphis’s entire body tensed, but he didn’t turn around. “Oh my God,” he said for the second time. His head fell forward and hung like he was ashamed, and I felt horrible for saying anything.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” I said, trying to smooth things over. “We all need to come.” Memphis released a strangled groan-sigh combo, letting me know I failed to ease his worry. “At first, I thought it was part of the amenities at Casa de Memphis, but then I remembered you weren’t expecting me last night.” Memphis’s shoulders began to shake, and I worried that he was crying. “Fuck, I really know how to screw things up.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and turned him around to look at me. I got lost in his big brown eyes and forgot what I was going to say.

“I should be humiliated but remarks like ‘we all need to come’ and ‘amenities at Casa de Memphis’ just won’t let me.” I relaxed a little when I saw the tears in his eyes were from laughter and not humiliation. “Thank you for that.”

“Don’t thank me,” I replied dryly. “If I were a good person, I would’ve pretended not to see it, not hung my washcloth over it and cracked jokes the next morning.”

Fun, fun, fun. Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Especially when the story isn’t scary at all?

This is part of a series that includes a traditional male/female romance but the author wrote them in such a way that you can really read this one as a stand alone. Just a head’s up.

Everyone has a famous person crush- Shannon Leto, I’m waiting for you- but Memphis has the distinction of crushing on someone who will be helping his good friends with a ghost. AND he somehow offered up his spare bedroom to the guy.

Chemistry is IMMEDIATE with Memphis and Lyric and it is HOT. Neither man wants a relationship and they are very open about that. But fate, of course, has a different plan.

As fans of both the Curl Up and Dye series and the Road to Blissville series, we couldn’t wait for Memphis and Lyric to get their story. And it didn’t disappoint. They were FUN. I think that is one of the reasons I like these books so much. When they are in a super hot sex scene, they are still having fun.

We also finally get the entire story of the ghost. Who his is, what happened to him and how to help him. It was so sweet and not nearly as tragic as was hinted at earlier in the story.

All of these books were really good and even though they are a spin off of the Curl Up and Dye series, those characters aren’t used as a crutch in this series. In fact, I think we only saw one of the originals once in this story.

This is a fun vacation/beach read. Dive in and enjoy.

4 pieces of eye candy

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees. I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever- after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

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Ricochet by Reese Knightly: Excerpt and New Release Review

July 11, 2018 by Denise

WITSEC victim Noah Bradford knows secrets that could get him killed, and staying hidden seems like a good plan. What he didn’t plan on is losing his heart to a man who is sworn to protect him.

Battle scarred US Marshal Robert “Mac” Mackenzie has a job to do, and guaranteeing the safety of Noah Bradford is at the top of that list. Mac will do whatever it takes to keep Noah safe, even if it means walking away.

Mac and Noah, brought together during extreme circumstances, have been separated by evil. It’s been six years, give or take, and Noah is coming for vengeance against the men who killed his mother. He’s on a collision course with Mac, who has no idea of the man Noah has become. Sparks fly and the heat sizzles when these two powerful men are reunited, but will they survive the passion the past created?

RICOCHET

Out for Justice, Book 1

REESE KNIGHTLEY

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 07.07.18

COVER DESIGN: Morningstar Ashley @ Designs by Morningstar

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

After the day at the beach, Mac would steal him out of the house to eat burgers and fries or go to the lake, if not the beach again. Sometimes, Noah imagined he saw affection in Mac’s eyes, but the look would disappear as quickly as it appeared. The man certainly didn’t realize he starred in every one of Noah’s fantasies.

“How long do I have to stay in WITSEC with you?” Noah shifted in his seat, keeping his voice low. They were currently sitting at a coffee house, hours from the safe house.

“You’ll need to stay until you can testify. Then you’ll get a new identity. But all that won’t be until we catch Stevenson and Manning,” Mac said.

“So I won’t always be Noah Bradford?” Noah tested out his new last name. It felt funny saying it, but it wasn’t too far from Brown, so it grew on him quickly.

“No, not if you go to the trial.”

“Well, at least I get to keep my first name.”

“Mmhmm,” Mac agreed.

“And I really have to testify?” Noah licked the whipped cream from his lips and swallowed more mocha.

“Yes,” the man replied, nodding and shifting in his chair. “You’re the only one.”

“I’m the only one willing,” Noah pointed out since Jenny was wavering on testifying. Currently, his best friend was with Jake, trying to find a new outfit to wear to the movies. She’d stopped using heroin and the withdrawal had been brutal. Jake had taken her to the doctors and they had a plan to help people like her. As a result, Jenny had gained some much-needed weight, and to stop her from complaining about her clothes being too tight, Jake had offered to take her shopping today.

Mac sighed and pointed his straw at him. “Quit that. I have a surprise for you.”

“What?” Noah couldn’t help the feeling of excitement.

“Come on.” Mac smiled and stood.

A short drive away, Mac parked the SUV and entered a small warehouse-style building through the back entrance.

“Whoa,” Noah drawled, walking into the wide room until he stood beside a thick wrestling mat. The room was a massive gym, but only a few people were using machines in the far end of the room.

“Ever learn any self-defense?”

“Nope.” Noah grinned, putting an extra emphasis on the P, causing Mac to grin back.

“Well, you are now.”

After that, Mac brought him there as much as possible and taught him street fighting.

Noah loved every minute of it. Even though he got his ass handed to him more times than not, at least he got to do some hands-on with Mac. And hands-on with Mac made Noah’s day.

The day Noah knew he was getting better at fighting was when he managed to trip Mac to the mat and get the marshal in a headlock. Mac tapped out and Noah jumped to his feet and bounced on his toes, doing the Rocky Balboa dance.

“That was good. Let’s do it again. Remember, stay focused.” Mac’s deep voice grounded him, and Noah drew in a long, slow breath and then just as slowly, pushed it out. Mac cautioned him to stay calm and not get overexcited. The man said that keeping his cool would help him win a fight.

“Mind over matter,” Noah stated, reciting Mac’s words back to him.

Mac chuckled. “That’s right,” he agreed, and then lifted one hand and gave Noah a come-at-me gesture.

Noah willingly dodged in and then jumped back. They circled each other, waiting for the other to show weakness. Or, as Mac had told him many times, wait for your opponent to take the step that would put him off-balance.

Noah craved the times they were close. The sweaty marshal was so freaking hot. He smelled so good; like sweat, soap, and masculine power.

Frustratingly, Mac never gave any indication that he was interested in having more with him than a friendship. Mac pointed out that a nine-year age difference separated them. Plus, he was a minor. It wasn’t a big deal to Noah. In fact, he preferred older guys. Well, he hadn’t actually dated any guys, but when he looked at pictures, he had always been drawn to older men.

This one was tricky for me….I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet.

Noah, had a very messed up start in life. After his mother was killed and his step-father, the leader of some drug running, compound living, very abusive situation, camp… I was surprised Noah had survived it. Everything happens so fast in the beginning and there are a lot of people to try and keep straight. It was abuse and gunfire straight away. It kind of made me sick to my stomach if I’m honest.

However, US Marshall Something Mackenzie, I honestly don’t remember his name and I just finished it; they just called him Mac, was on the SWAT team that rescued Noah and his friend Jenny, who’d also been held captive by this life on the compound. She was just as abused as Noah… I believe they were seventeen, but when Mac first looked at him, he guessed 14, which was kind of weird because he had this instant attraction to Noah….. why would you if you thought he was 14? I mean, 17, I get it, but I found that a little weird.

Now, because it was a surprise raid, they didn’t catch Noah’s step-dad or the people who helped keep him captive, they all got away… so Noah stayed in Mac’s custody until they could get him into witness protection…. Then we somehow jump to 2 months later, then 2 years later then the next chapter five years later, where now Noah isn’t this twinky little abused kid, he’s now a BA, super secret elite team member fighting war crime, named Ghost?? Seriously?? I found that incredibly unbelievable and way off character from the kid I’d been reading about for the first third of the book….

All the while… Noah and Mac had no communication for six years but were still in love with each other. Mac dreaming of Noah and Noah saying he let his love for Mac go, but, he’s all he thinks about, ever….Then, we get more people that we have to keep straight, different characters just popping in and out, I couldn’t keep them all straight….and then Mac’s ex Ben and his boyfriend were around popping in and out and it all just seemed to unbelievable and far-fetched with them, I was glad to see the karmic kick-back that they got. I wish Ben would’ve gotten a bullet in his head too.

Meanwhile, while Noah and Mac just forgot years of being apart and get together, they go on the hunt for all the bad guys together and with the help of both teams, and a surprise visitor…. They get them all and it’s all over. For a long book, it really went by quickly.

I believe there will be other books in the series, probably with the super secret elite team that Noah is on, but I honestly don’t think I can be bothered to keep up with them….even if Frost seems kind of broody hot….we’ll see I guess….

All’s well that ends well, and I can’t hate a happy ending…so…

3 pieces of eye candy

A native Californian, Reese spends her time creating stories from the characters rattling around in her head, which has caused her to talk to herself on more than one occasion. Her love for reading mystery, fantasy, action and adventure, and contemporary romance led to her love of writing, which keeps her up day and night. Next to writing comes her love for coffee and wine, in no particular order. When not writing, Reese can be found working a part-time job where she day dreams of writing. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted at Reeseknightleyauthor@gmail.com

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Reese_Knightley

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/reese.knightley.90

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reeseknightleyauthor/

WEBSITE: https://reeseknightleyauthor.blogspot.com/?zx=f0f192b0bec208c

Fire and Granite by Andrew Grey: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

July 11, 2018 by Denise

The heat is growing from the inside, but danger is building on the outside.

Judge Andrew Phillips runs a tight ship in his courtroom. He’s tough, and when he hands down a sentence, he expects to be obeyed. So when a fugitive named Harper escapes and threatens his life, Andrew isn’t keen on twenty-four/seven protection… especially not from Deputy Clay Brown. They have a past, one that could cause problems in their careers.

But with Clay assigned to Andrew and the two of them together every minute, there’s nowhere to hide from their attraction—or from the fact that there’s much more than chemistry blooming between them. As the threat intensifies, Clay knows he’ll do anything it takes to protect the people who are taking their places in his heart: Andrew and his young niece and nephew.

Title: Fire and Granite
Series: Carlisle Deputies: Book Two
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 193

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I have said it before and I’ll say it again. I love this blog, especially the name because I’m just as obsessed with books and eye candy as you are. And for me, its hard to beat cop eye candy. I almost giggled to myself out loud. Maybe I should have. The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life with losing my mom. I have tried not to be maudlin, but the thoughts are everywhere, so I’ve been reading a lot. I know my mom would love that. She was a reader and the most book obsessed person I know. She and I rarely read the same books, though she did love what I wrote. So I thought we’d see how this book would do on the mom scale. (At least the my mom scale.)

Strong men with vulnerabilities, who can be relied on – check

Children, mom loved stories with kids. – check

Heat – Yeah, mom loved her some heat and tension – check

Passion – Oh yeah, mom loved that big time – check

Action and drama, something to keep the heart pumping – check

A happy, warm wash over you ending – check

Yes, I think mom would have loved Fire and Granite. I hope you will too.

Hey, hot cop!

I’ve really enjoyed this series so far… some maybe more than others, but anyone who follows any of my reviews, know that I’m such a sucker for hot dads, or….hot uncles even. In this one, we have Judge Andrew Phillips who’s being threatened by a criminal he had a few rocky run-ins with before finally making an example of him when sentencing him to prison… It seemed the felon didn’t take to kindly to the way the judge handled him or their run-ins, so when he planned an elaborate escape, he wanted revenge on the judge….

That’s where Officer Clay Brown comes in… now, this is where the water gets a little murky for me. See, Harper Grange – the felon that’s after Judge Phillips, is Clay’s cousin. Granted, they didn’t have much to do with one another’s sides of the family, even though their mothers are sisters… it still seemed like a huge conflict of interest or something… I understand that Clay is a cop and a good one too, but that’s his family… I would think that he’d be off any case pertaining to his family, and especially NOT the one and only one in charge of protecting the guy that his cousin is after. I can’t be the only one who thought that, can I?

But, if you can get over that fact… the hot cop wants to look out for Andrew, and watching them fall for one other is sweet and such a given… they’re so good for each other. Everything is so up in the air, waiting for more threats from the cousin and trying to hide out and be safe, and then Andrew gets some devastating news about his sister and her kids, making him need to jump in while everything is so crazy and take care of his niece and nephew.
They were adorable, and we all know how I feel about kids in stories… I know some don’t like it, but really… how can you not melt when somebody is so good with kids? Puppies and kids…. Throw the cold water over me, I’ll need it.

As these guys juggle a new relationship, learn how to be there for two kids who are suddenly without their mama, and a deranged lunatic just waiting to jump out and hurt you… it’s still such a sweet, somewhat angsty read. I’m looking forward to more!
And of course, we get our HFN, with snibbits from all the other hotties from this series.

4 pieces of eye candy from me on this one.